Marcus had already changed into the school's gym kit, a plain black top and simple white shorts.
"Nothing special," he muttered, stretching his arms. They were given their kits before class, of course, and then guided outside for soccer.
"Hey, did you hear the new kid came all the way from Royal Academy?" one of the students whispered.
"Oh yeah, and he wasn't just some benchwarmer. He was one of their top players!" another chimed in.
Marcus tuned their voices out. It was too early in the morning, and he had just finished dealing with the principal and all his bullshit. At this rate, he felt like he would either be forced to leave the school or end up playing soccer again.
"Damn all those schools… I refuse to be used by anyone," he grumbled.
By the time the class reached the soccer field, Marcus remembered that the school's soccer team trained here in the mornings.
"Oh, who's that?" a kid suddenly asked, pointing straight at him.
Marcus sighed. He had managed to blend in reasonably well until now, but of course someone had to open their mouth.
"Oh, him? He's a new student. His name is Marcus Valentine," the teacher said, giving him a friendly pat on the back.
"Don't touch me, weirdo," Marcus snapped, shooting the teacher a glare. "And I can introduce myself. I don't need a spokesperson."
The teacher gave him a strained smile. He had been warned about Marcus's temper. Marcus's mother insisted he was not rude and that he simply said whatever was on his mind, yet the teacher was already doubting that.
"Dude, chill. It's not that deep," a student said, stepping forward with a cheeky grin. "Plus you've gotta respect your elders."
"Then we live in entirely different worlds. I'm just making it clear what I don't want happening," Marcus said, shifting his glare from the teacher to the kid who had corrected him.
"It is important to know when you are uncomfortable, but the way you speak is kind of rude," the kid replied, flicking his hair up.
"You can stay a bitch, I'll moan and complain all I want," Marcus said without hesitation.
"All I am saying is that you should be careful with your words, you know," the kid replied, flicking his hair again. "If you are uncomfortable, there is always a kind way to say it."
Marcus scoffed. He knew he was in the wrong, but his pride refused to let him admit it.
"Ooohhh, look at Helios humbling him!" a student shouted.
Helios was a boy with reddish orange hair, always smiling. Just like his name, he seemed to radiate happiness instead of light.
"Guys, chill out. I didn't humble him," Helios said as he turned around.
"Who said I was humbled? A kind or rude way to say things is irrelevant to me. The message is the same," Marcus replied sharply.
"Alright, let us stop this petty argument and play some soccer," the teacher interrupted. He balanced the ball on his hand and spun it. "Let's play soccer, okay?"
Marcus sighed and walked onto the pitch. The teacher divided everyone into four teams of eight. Two pitches and four groups: blue, red, green, and non-bibs. Marcus ended up on the red team.
"I am guessing you are from Royal Academy, right?" a boy asked.
"Yeah? What is it to you?" Marcus replied as he pulled on his red bib. "These bibs stink," he muttered under his breath.
"I heard they are some big-shot school in the Football Frontier," the kid continued.
"Tell me something I do not know," Marcus said. He began stretching, moving through his warm-up exercises.
"Well, I play for this football team, and I was wondering if you have any cool hissatsu techniques," the boy said with genuine excitement.
"Oh, please shut up. The game is much more than those techniques," Marcus replied, still stretching.
The kid grinned. "Our captain has a really cool one, but the rest of us don't. So whenever we face other teams, he is always scoring, but we cannot stop the other team's hissatsu techniques."
"Then it is a problem of not being strong enough," Marcus said plainly.
"Come on, dude, do not be stuck-up. At least show me one," the kid begged.
"A beggar cannot choose," Marcus said calmly. "But since we are facing this captain of yours, I will observe and see if he is worthy." Their first match was against the blue team, and yes, the captain was there in all his glory.
"Well, it better not be lame after all this talk," the boy said with a cheeky grin.
"Do not insult me," Marcus replied.
Their attention snapped to the teacher as he blew his whistle.
FWEEET!
"Alright, kiddos!" he shouted, voice echoing across the field. "I want to see skills. I want to see sportsmanship. No dirty fouls. And most importantly, have fun. May the matches begin!"
FWWEEET!
Marcus's team started with kickoff.
—
The boy who had been talking to Marcus passed the ball to him neatly and precisely.
Unfortunately for him, the captain, Helios, was already on his tail.
"You know, I've heard your old school was a big shot, but I would like to see that in person," Helios said, his reddish hair flowing behind him as he ran.
Marcus sighed. "Jude would be so disappointed. Playing with a bunch of third-rate players like you."
He clicked his tongue. "Even if this is school football, it is pathetic to think this is the best player in the school. Your defense is full of holes."
"You talk a lot for someone who is about to go down!" Helios shouted, flicking his hair up. With his left leg he darted in for a tackle, trying to steal the ball from Marcus's control.
"Lukewarm," Marcus muttered. In a split second he pulled the ball back, rolled it to his right leg, then used a hazard step to create clean distance between himself and Helios.
"I would like to know what you are doing all the way over there," he taunted.
"Not bad," Helios said, shaking off the earlier clash. He powered forward again, closing the gap with surprising speed.
Marcus reacted instantly. He shifted the ball to his left foot and spun, a tight three-sixty, leaving Helios behind. But Helios was stubborn and refused to give up.
"I am still here!" Helios called out, recovering and sprinting after him.
"Are you now?" Marcus replied. He unleashed three rapid step-overs, shifted left, and exploded into a sprint. The sudden rhythm change disoriented Helios, leaving him several steps behind.
The surrounding students froze in shock. It was the first time they had ever seen their captain get outplayed.
"Amazing. This is the top level of soccer!" one of them yelled.
"Helios lost…" a girl whispered. "No way."
Marcus cut through three other players with a roll-in and a series of step-overs.
"The kid said he wanted something special, so be it," Marcus said calmly.
"You know we are the same age, right?" the boy replied.
In one smooth motion, Marcus lifted his hand to his mouth and blew into it like a whistle.
FWEEE!
Out of nowhere, six red penguins burst up from the ground. Every student stared with wide eyes, even Helios. The boy next to Marcus looked completely star-struck.
Marcus drew his leg back as the penguins gathered behind him and attached themselves to his kick.
"Emperor Penguin: Number One."
He swung his leg forward and struck the ball hard. The penguins shot upward with it, red energy swirling around the ball like a spiraling aura. The penguins soared through the air in formation.
Everyone could only stare with star-struck expressions.
"A-a-amazing!" someone managed to shout.
The goalkeeper panicked and rushed out, but the ball blasted past him and slid into the net with force, vibrating the goal for a full five seconds.
Marcus stood tall with a wide grin on his face.
—
A/N: I have a feeling that some of my viewers might want me to call it football, Is it:
Soccer
Football