The chaos was over. The game had returned to a semblance of normality, but the atmosphere in The Colosseum was forever changed.
The Apex United players, who had been on the brink of a humiliating collapse, were now filled with a strange, giddy, and utterly fearless energy.
They were losing, but they had scored two of the most ridiculous goals in history against a team of footballing gods. They had made the machine bleed.
GridironGuru's commentary, which had been a smug, self-congratulatory monologue, was now a furious, spluttering mess. "ORDER IS RESTORED! BUT MAKE NO MISTAKE, THAT WAS A FLUKE! A CLOWN SHOW! My boys will put this rabble back in their box!"
Ethan stood on the sideline, a calm, predatory smile on his face. He looked at his players, who were no longer playing with fear.
They were playing with the joy of a team that had already faced the worst and survived.
