Twenty five thousand people were crammed into the Fortress. Every single one of them was wearing red. There were flags. There were flares. There were grown men crying before the game even started.
Michael Sterling stood in the tunnel. He adjusted his tie.
Arthur Milton stood next to him. The old scout looked surprisingly calm. He was still wearing his wedding ring from yesterday. He twisted it round and round on his finger.
"Do you hear that noise Boss?" Arthur asked shouting over the roar. "That is the sound of hope. It is a dangerous thing."
"It is not hope Arthur," Michael shouted back. "It is belief. They believe in us."
The referee blew his whistle. The captains walked out.
Danny Fletcher led the team. He looked at the tunnel exit. He took a deep breath. Behind him stood the monsters. Diego Nunez was slapping his own face to wake up. Kenji Sato was jumping up and down. Kai Sora was yawning.
They walked out into the sunlight.
The noise exploded.
