CHAPTER 124: MAGIC OF THE CUP

Tuesday afternoon at the Sterling Era Training Complex was usually a time for tactical analysis and quiet recovery.

The players would usually sit in the ice baths or play video games in the player lounge.

But today was different.

Today was the FA Cup draw.

In England the FA Cup was not just a tournament. It was the oldest competition in the world. It was the place where small teams became giants and giants became nervous.

Michael Sterling stood in the canteen. He had cancelled the afternoon training session. He ordered the kitchen staff to make pizza.

"Pizza on a Tuesday?" Arthur Milton asked raising an eyebrow. "Boss you are spoiling them. They will get fat."

"It is comfort food Arthur," Michael replied. "We need good vibes. The draw is stressful."

The canteen was packed. Every player was there. The staff were there. Even the cleaner Mrs. Higgins (no relation to Shaun) was standing at the back holding a mop.

The big television on the wall showed two men in suits standing next to a clear glass bowl filled with numbered balls.

"I want a small team," Jamie Weston shouted taking a bite of pepperoni pizza. "Give me a team from League Two. I want to score five goals and feel like a hero."

"No," Diego Nunez grunted. The Uruguayan was eating a slice of pizza in one bite. "Small teams kick too much. Give me a big team. I want Chelsea. I want to fight."

"You always want to fight," Isaiah King laughed. "You would fight a mirror if it looked at you the wrong way."

"The mirror started it," Diego said seriously.

Michael stood at the back of the room. He watched his team.

They had lost to Liverpool on Sunday. It was a painful defeat. But the mood in the room was not sad. It was hungry.

He looked at Kai Sora.

The Japanese midfielder was sitting on a table. He was wearing his sunglasses indoors again. He was not eating pizza. He was drinking a green smoothie that looked like grass.

"Kai," Michael called out. "Who do you want?"

Kai lowered his sunglasses. "I want a team that does not run. A team that walks. Maybe a team of old men."

"So you want the Manchester United legends team?" Isaiah joked.

The room erupted in laughter.

"Quiet!" Arthur shouted waving his cane. "It is starting!"

The music on the TV played. It was dramatic. The man in the suit reached into the bowl.

"Number 45," the man announced. "Barnsley."

The room went silent.

"We are the home team!" Finn Riley shouted. "We play at the Fortress!"

"Okay," Michael whispered. "Now give us a good opponent."

The man reached into the bowl again. He stirred the balls around. The plastic balls clicked against each other. It sounded like bones rattling.

He pulled out a ball.

He turned it towards the camera.

"Number 1."

Arthur Milton gasped. He dropped his cup of tea.

The man on the TV smiled.

"Manchester City."

Silence.

Absolute silence.

For ten seconds nobody moved. Nobody breathed.

Then Isaiah King stood up on his chair.

"YES!" Isaiah screamed. "WE GOT THE ROBOT!"

"Sit down you idiot," Jamie Weston groaned putting his head in his hands. "We got the champions. We got the best team in the galaxy. We are going to die."

"We are not going to die," Diego Nunez stood up. He looked massive. "We are going to war."

Michael looked at Danny Fletcher.

The Captain. The Prince.

Danny was staring at the screen. His face was pale.

Manchester City was his old club. They were the team that released him. They were the team he missed the penalty against at Wembley in that friendly so long ago.

Michael walked over to Danny.

"Danny," Michael said softly.

Danny looked up. His eyes were wide.

"It is them Boss," Danny whispered. "It is always them."

"It is destiny," Michael said. "You cannot run from the past Danny. You have to face it."

"Haaland," Danny said. "De Bruyne. Rodri. Foden."

"Fletcher," Michael replied. "Sora. Nunez. King."

He turned to address the room.

"Listen up!" Michael shouted.

The players turned to look at him. Some looked terrified. Some looked excited.

"We drew the biggest monster in the dungeon," Michael said. "Manchester City. They have unlimited money. They have the best manager in history. They have a Viking striker who eats defenders."

He looked at Diego.

"Diego. Are you scared of Vikings?"

"I eat Vikings for breakfast," Diego growled. "With extra hot sauce."

"Kai," Michael said. "Rodri is the best midfielder in the world. He never loses the ball."

Kai Sora took a sip of his green smoothie. He looked bored.

"That sounds like a challenge," Kai drawled. "I will take his ball. And I will not give it back."

"That is the spirit!" Michael roared. "We play them here. At the Fortress. In the FA Cup. Anything can happen. The magic of the cup is real boys. Giants fall. And Misfits rise."

The room started to buzz. The fear was turning into adrenaline.

"I want Foden shirt," Isaiah King said planning his outfit. "Do you think he will swap with me? Or will he ask for my shirt because I am famous?"

"He does not know who you are," Finn Riley laughed.

"He will know after the game," Isaiah promised.

Later that evening Michael sat in his office.

The pizza boxes were gone. The players had gone home to play FIFA and dream of glory.

Arthur sat on the sofa looking at the calendar.

"We have Manchester United in the league on Sunday," Arthur said. "Then Arsenal away. Then the cup game against City."

"It is a gauntlet," Michael admitted. "It is the hardest run of games in history."

"The media will love it," Arthur said. "They are already writing the headlines. Barnsley versus the World."

Michael opened his laptop. The blue light of the System filled the room.

[EVENT ACTIVATED: THE GIANT SLAYER]

[OPPONENT: MANCHESTER CITY]

[DIFFICULTY: IMPOSSIBLE]

[REWARD: LEGENDARY STATUS]

"Impossible," Michael read out loud. "The System thinks it is impossible."

"The System is a computer," Arthur rasped. "Computers do not have hearts. They do not understand the magic of Oakwell under the lights."

"True," Michael smiled.

He clicked on the player development tab.

He wanted to see how the squad reacted to the draw.

[PLAYER MORALE UPDATE]

DANNY FLETCHER: ANXIOUS - DETERMINED

NOTE: The subject views this match as his final redemption.

DIEGO NUNEZ: AGGRESSIVE - BERSERK

NOTE: The subject is watching videos of Erling Haaland. He is smiling.

KAI SORA: NEUTRAL - INTERESTED

NOTE: The subject wants to test his skills against the best.

ISAIAH KING: CONFIDENT - ARROGANT

NOTE: The subject has already tweeted ’I am coming for you City’.

Michael sighed. "Isaiah tweeted."

"Of course he did," Arthur chuckled. "He probably tagged Guardiola."

"We need to be ready Arthur," Michael said closing the laptop. "Manchester United first. Ten Hag is under pressure. He needs a win. He will come here desperate."

"Desperate men make mistakes," Arthur noted.

"Exactly," Michael said. "And we have Arda Guler."

The Real Madrid loanee had been quiet in the Liverpool game. He was still adapting to the speed.

But Michael had seen something in training.

Arda and Kai were connecting. They spoke a different language but they understood the language of the ball.

"I have a plan for Sunday," Michael said standing up. "A new tactic."

"Oh no," Arthur groaned. "Is it the False Nine? Or the Inverted Fullback?"

"No," Michael grinned. "It is called The Carousel."

"The Carousel?"

"Yes. Kai and Arda. They swap positions constantly. One drops deep. One goes high. The defenders will not know who to mark. They will get dizzy."

Arthur thought about it. "It sounds chaotic."

"It is," Michael said. "But chaos is our friend."

The next morning the training ground was covered in fog again.

Michael walked out onto the pitch.

The players were already there.

And something strange was happening.

Usually Kai Sora was the last person to arrive. He would walk out slowly holding a coffee.

But today Kai was already on the pitch.

He was standing with Arda Guler.

They had a ball. They were passing it back and forth. One touch. Without letting it touch the ground.

They were ten meters apart. Then twenty. Then thirty.

The ball flew between them like it was on a string.

"Do not drop it," Arda shouted.

"I never drop it," Kai replied.

Michael watched them.

The Architect and The Magician.

Isaiah King ran over to join them. "Room for one more?"

"No," Kai said. "You will drop it. You have chaotic feet."

"My feet are golden!" Isaiah protested.

Michael blew his whistle.

"Gather round!"

The players jogged over. They looked sharp. The fear of Liverpool was gone. The excitement of City was bubbling. But the focus was on United.

"Sunday," Michael said. "Manchester United. They are a wounded animal. They lost last week. The fans are angry at them."

He looked at the group.

"We do not fear them. We respect the badge. But we attack the players."

He looked at Diego.

"Diego. Rashford is fast."

"I am faster," Diego lied.

"Higgins. Fernandes likes to complain to the referee."

"I will give him something to complain about," Higgins grunted.

"Kenji," Michael said. "Casemiro is strong."

"I will run around him until he falls over," Kenji bowed.

Michael smiled.

"Good. Now let us practice The Carousel."

The players looked confused.

"The what?" Jamie Weston asked.

"Just run Jamie," Michael laughed. "Leave the thinking to the geniuses."

The session began.