ALL NOVEL CHAPTER 54: #17 and Sinking
POV SOME BAR SOMEWHERE
Bolt leaned back in his chair, taking a long sip from his drink, a smug grin on his face. "What do you think those losers at Portal Crushers are doing right now?" he asked, his tone dripping with condescension.
Archie, equally smug, snorted. "I don't know, they're probably crying in their beers." They both laughed, glancing over at their team’s ranking on the screen—**Number 2**. "Seriously. I can't believe they kicked us off their team, but I'm glad they did. What are they, ranked #17?"
"That's right," Bolt agreed, lifting his glass. "No more of that useless garbage, and useless mental training."
They clinked their glasses together, the alcohol fueling their bravado as they draped their arms around the women next to them. "Cheers, bro."
"Cheers."
***
POV CALGARY ARENA
But while the two members of Rogue Stand were reveling in their newfound success, Team Portal Crushers wasn’t drowning their sorrows in booze. Instead, they were huddled together in a small conference room for a serious team meeting. Atlas sat at the head of the table, flanked by John, the assistant coach, and Alexander, his star player.
"John, where are we ranked right now?" Atlas asked, his voice calm despite the underlying tension.
John, his disbelief evident, replied, "We're ranked 17th, Atlas. You should know that."
Atlas, who never put much stock in rankings, just shrugged it off. He wasn't concerned about numbers—he was focused on the bigger picture.
Alexander, however, wasn’t as detached. "That's such garbage," he fumed. "If we just fixed the lineup, we'd be first or second."
Atlas leaned back, studying Alexander. *Think, brain, think! I can’t just outright say that SFB doesn’t matter. I’ve got to come up with an excuse. I’ve been letting the team take the larger fights to give them more practice for multiple person battles in the wasteland. Oooh wait, maybe I do a Miyagi and put it back on him. Oh yeah, that’ll work.*
"What do you think my reasons are," he asked, trying his best to be inscrutable. "Why don't you take some time? Think about those reasons.”
John smirked a little. He knew Atlas was still playing the “crazy portals are coming” game. That’s why Atlas kept taking the front spot.
Alexander wasn’t satisfied. "I've thought about it. I can't think of any reason why you don't get into the three or five point matchups. Those are worth way more points."
John, sitting silently, understood why Atlas didn’t care about accumulating points for the season—his focus was on a different goal entirely. But now, Atlas had to come up with something plausible to keep Alexander and the team motivated.
Atlas's mind raced. He needed to give Alexander an explanation that would satisfy him without revealing his true intentions. And then it hit him. "Alexander, the reason we don’t do that is because... while the regular season is important, I want to spring it on them in the finals."
Alexander considered this, nodding slowly. "Okay, that's a great surprise, but what if we don't make it to the finals?"
Atlas was taken aback. The thought of not making it to the finals had never crossed his mind. "John, how many points do we need to win or at least get into the finals?"
John tapped a few keys on his tablet, bringing up the current stats. "Well, right now, out of the six points possible per game, we're averaging about three points per match. That's not going to get us into the finals. We need to be pulling at least four or five points per game."
Atlas's mind churned. *I can’t afford to have my team demoralized.* "Starting next game—Game 11—I’ll put myself in the 3v3. That’s a guaranteed win, as you all know."
Alexander and John both nodded in agreement. They’d seen Atlas in action, not just fighting three opponents at once, but taking on the entire team—ten fighters, one-on-one, with bonus damage building up—and still coming out on top. Atlas in a 3v3 was as close to a sure thing as death and taxes.
"So, if I take the 3v3," Atlas continued, "and we use two bench members, where does that leave us, John?"
John didn’t hesitate. "We’ve got strong players for the 1v1, so that’s not a problem. But what do we do about the 5v5?"
Alexander leaned forward, a determined look on his face. "I can put together a good squad. But I want Hank off of it."
Atlas raised an eyebrow. "Why do you want Hank off?"
Alexander hesitated, choosing his words carefully. "That guy’s got heart, but he’s just too slow. He takes the hits, and then just goes down from there."
Atlas considered this. "Yeah, he does go down because of the way the SFB scores hits and criticals. But if this were real life—or even like the portal training we do—would you want him on your team?"
Alexander didn’t even have to think before nodding. "If it were just like the portal training, absolutely. But it’s not. This is SFB, where the computer decides if you go down or not. It doesn’t care about grit or determination."
Atlas leaned forward, his voice firm. "Well, I do care. You’re keeping Hank as your tank. For the next couple of matches, I want you to mix and match until you find two more people that you want on your squad."
Alexander looked puzzled. "Why only two more? The team is five."
Atlas allowed a small smile. "I want a solid team of four. The fifth... I’ve got a surprise in mind."
*With John coming, there are only four portal slots. So with Alexander, and Hank we need two more. I can’t tell him that though.
Alexander, who had grown used to Atlas's unconventional strategies, nodded, albeit with a hint of curiosity.
He also had a “ATLAS IS CRAZY” folder in his head.
"Alright," he agreed. He trusted Atlas, even if his methods were sometimes mystifying. The team might be down now, but with Atlas at the helm, they all knew they were far from out.
As the meeting concluded, Atlas walked out with John by his side, thinking about Alexander's frustration. "Is there a way to get Alexander to chill out?" Atlas asked, a hint of exasperation in his voice.
John sighed. "I think he’s just frustrated with how things are going. It’s tough to be in his position, especially with that ranking."
Atlas shrugged. "He’ll get over it. Just have to keep him focused on the end game."
***
Meanwhile, Bolt and Archie were still reveling in their earlier conversation.
"Can you believe Atlas and his crew are stuck at 17th?" Bolt chuckled. "What a disaster."
Archie laughed. "I know, right? I mean, we always knew we’d be the ones to win the championship, but seeing them struggle like this is just icing on the cake."
Bolt grinned, leaning in closer. "It’s almost too easy. We’ve got this championship in the bag."
Archie nodded, taking another swig of his drink. "Absolutely. It’s only a matter of time before we’re the ones celebrating."
***
Atlas and the team were in the gym, preparing for the next match. The atmosphere was tense but determined. As Atlas walked in, he noticed Alexander still brooding.
"Hey, Alexander," Atlas called out. "Feeling better?"
Alexander shot him a glare. "Not really boss. I just don’t get why we’re not at the top yet."
Atlas gave a reassuring smile. "We’re working on it. Just hang tight. We’ve got a plan, and it’s going to work."
Alexander, though still frustrated, nodded. "Alright, but I want to win. I don’t want to be stuck at #17."
"Trust me," Atlas said. "We’re going to turn this around."
As the team geared up for their next challenge, Atlas knew that they needed to stay focused and motivated. The road to the championship was tough, but with his unconventional strategies and the team's determination, they were ready to face whatever came their way.
***
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