Ultraball #1

by Jeff Chen

  “Can’t use those,” Strike said. “He sold some of them to Zuna.”

  “I’m counting on that.” A devious smile came to Boom’s face.

  Rock jumped up in excitement. “A fake-out. We’ll line up in the exact dual QB sets Torch drew up. We’ll have to maintain a careful balance so they believe they know exactly what we’re going to do, while always staying one step ahead of them.” He pulled out his notebook and wrote out statistics, mumbling to himself.

  “We’ll make it look like we’re improvising off broken plays,” Boom said. “But it’ll all be planned. Strike will still take all the snaps, just like usual.”

  “Good thinking,” Strike said. “Except that we should take it one step further. Boom, you’re going to get some snaps.”

  “Are you sure?” Boom asked. “You’re our QB.”

  “I need you to be my QB2 today. The Neutrons will quickly figure out what we’re doing if every snap goes to me. We’ll mix it up so you get some, too.”

  Strike and Boom rushed to sketch out a series of plays using Torch’s two-quarterback formations as a starting point. When the horn sounded, Strike brought everyone into a huddle. “All right,” he said, with confidence that he didn’t really have. “Miners together.”

  “Miners forever,” everyone said.

  Pickaxe and Nugget looked at each other, both green in the face. “We can do this, right?” Pickaxe said.

  “Thirty minutes to victory,” Strike said. “We got this.”

  “Leave it out on the field,” Boom said. “It all ends tonight.”

  After a short return to open the second half, the Miners lined up in a dual shotgun formation, with Nugget over the ball at center. Sure enough, the Neutrons signaled to each other, setting up a defense that looked like it was specifically designed to stop the two QB set. Strike yelled and stomped a foot, and the ball came quick-snapping into his hands. Already in motion, Strike swept in front of Boom, flipping her the ball as he passed. He charged at a blitzing Neutron defender, going low and upending the guy, sending him head over heels.

  Another Neutron raced in toward Boom from the backfield, and Pickaxe blocked him. But there was no room for Boom to scamper around the edge. Cornered, she backtracked and spun toward the middle of the field. Two Neutrons came in hot pursuit of her.

  Leaping to his feet, Strike cut upfield and jumped through a slingshot zone, cannonballing out the other side. Just as he was hoping, Boom jumped high and threw the ball over a defender’s outstretched fingertips, firing it like a missile. The laser pass traveled fifty meters and came in hot. Strike leapt for it, snagging it one-handed with his glove electromagnet, the ball’s momentum twisting him into a hard spin. He tucked the ball in as he tumbled back to the turf in a roll. He popped to his feet and raced for the goal line, leaping in for the score.

  Strike tossed the ball to a ref, relishing the crowd’s stunned silence. The rest of the Miners sprinted in and mobbed Strike, cheering and yelling via helmet comm, able to hear each other for the first time in the game.

  After a four-and-out stop, the Miners got the ball back near the fifty-meter line. Still using their dual quarterback set, Nugget hiked the ball to Boom, who ran an option play to the right side, with Strike trailing her. After a fake pitch to Strike, she vaulted clear over a defender, kicking away his magnetized glove before it could latch onto her suit, and took off for the end zone. With a huge block from Nugget and another one from Pickaxe, she sprinted clear to the ten-meter line before a defender shot himself through a slingshot zone to spear her. But Boom protected the ball like it was a fresh potato as they hurtled into the protective barrier and smashed into a pile at the five-meter line. She fought and wrestled her defender for the last five meters, dragging Ion Storm into the end zone with her, collapsing over the goal line for a score.

  In less than five minutes, the Miners had tied it up. Strike took advantage of the stadium going dead quiet to talk to his team through helmet comm. “Awesome run, Boom. And great blocking and coverage, Pickaxe and Nugget. We have to turn it up even one notch further, because the Neutrons will figure out a way to defend this.”

  And they did. After using their only time-out to regroup, the Neutrons came back out with a vengeance. Two plays later, Chain Reaction went seventy meters on a double reverse, launching himself through two slingshot zones before hurdling clear over Nugget into the end zone.

  The Neutrons stopped the Miners on the next series, adjusting to the dual QB sets by coming even harder with their atomic blitzes, five defenders rushing in or thrown in by their teammates from all angles. Then Fusion scored another TD on a naked bootleg, his fake handoff to Chain Reaction so convincing that none of the Miners figured out what happened until the QB had launched himself through a slingshot zone to the end zone for a score.

  The game went back and forth, the Miners and Neutrons trading TDs until halfway through the fourth quarter, when the Miners scored two straight. On the first, Boom beat out Chain Reaction in a flat-out footrace through a slingshot zone. The second, she outleapt both Chain Reaction and Meltdown, who were draped all over her, kicking and punching as they all fell in a tangle of flailing limbs, just managing to fight her way into the end zone.

  With only three minutes left, the Miners were ahead by seven, 91–84, and the Neutrons had the ball on their own forty-two-meter line. A defensive stop would give the Miners the ball back, along with the chance to ice the game.

  As the Neutrons came to the line of scrimmage for first down, Strike scanned the five players and their formation. His eyes went wide. In a moment of perfect clarity, it was like everything he had learned from four years of Ultraball crystallized. He could see the play unfold in his head: Fusion with a fake scramble to the slingshot zone, then Chain Reaction on a sweep.

  He signaled to his teammates to set up like they were in a passing defense, and then charge in to stop the run.

  Boom signaled back, asking if they shouldn’t keep one person deep at safety in case it was a long bomb.

  Strike shook his head. The thousands of hours of practice and study had prepared him. There was zero doubt in his mind.

  The Neutrons got into their three-point stances. Fusion stomped once. Twice. He hiked it, scrambling back off the line. He jumped right, as if he were heading toward a slingshot zone. Chain Reaction came around from the far side, setting up as if to block for his quarterback. As Fusion ran by, he stuffed the Ultraball into Chain Reaction’s gut. The rocketback took off on the sweep, sprinting toward the sideline, ready to turn the corner and hit a slingshot zone after outracing everyone there.

  But Nugget came out of nowhere, leaping over a Neutrons blocker, timing his jump perfectly. His knockout punch rammed into Chain Reaction’s helmet, snapping the rocketback to the ground. Stunned, Chain Reaction rolled away and tried to spring to his feet. But Strike came flying in with a spearing punch, smashing him right back down to the turf.

  Second down, on the Neutrons’ thirty-six-meter line.

  Inside the huddle, Strike said nothing as he watched the Neutrons from across the line of scrimmage. The other Miners waited for their leader to make his call. Deep in the zone, Strike studied Fusion as the Neutrons’ quarterback set up in the shotgun. And again, Strike could see everything unfold. He grinned, tapping his helmet and then chest plate in a series of motions, calling for Pickaxe and Nugget to delayed wave blitz from the right side.

  Pickaxe and Nugget both flipped their visors to clear. Pickaxe cocked his head.

  It was as if Strike could read Pickaxe’s mind. After four years of being together day in and day out as the Fireball Five, all it took was one glance to tell Pickaxe to go launch Nugget over the line, sending him blasting into Fusion.

  The Miners broke their huddle, setting up in a pass protection scheme, with only Pickaxe up at the line, across from the Neutrons’ two crackbacks. Radioactive crouched over the ball, with Ion Storm next to him. The crowd roar ratcheted up as the play clock counted down.

&
nbsp; Radioactive snapped it to Fusion, who faked right away to Meltdown on a slant. But the play was going to Chain Reaction, who had juked Strike and was racing long. Fusion bounced on the toes of his boots. He reared his arm back, ready to launch it up for grabs. As good as Strike was on defense, a one-on-one matchup would always favor the top rocketback in the league.

  At the line, Pickaxe got creamed by Radioactive and Ion Storm. Nugget raced in as if he were coming around from the far side. But he suddenly changed direction, heading straight at his brother. He took a mighty leap as Pickaxe jumped up to catch his arms and sling him forward. Hurtling in like a bazooka shell, Nugget cracked into Fusion’s arm just as the quarterback was throwing his pass. The ball nearly popped loose, but Fusion managed to hold on as he twisted, falling to the turf. Nugget grabbed Fusion as the quarterback tried to wriggle free. But Pickaxe came racing in to jump on them, smashing Fusion’s butt to the turf.

  Loss of nine. The hometown crowd grew quieter. At their own twenty-seven-meter line, the Neutrons had a long way to go. But there were still two plays for Neutron Nation to make things happen.

  On third down, Strike went in hot pursuit of Chain Reaction, who streaked for a slingshot zone. Strike locked a glove onto Chain Reaction’s boot as the rocketback leapt in. Both of them shot forward, accelerated by the powerful electrical field. But Strike had slowed them down, giving Boom time to get into position at the other side of the slingshot zone. Chain Reaction and Strike still launched forward like two connected cannonballs, but they blasted straight into Boom, for only a short gain.

  Fourth down on their own forty-two-meter line brought up an obvious passing situation—the Neutrons had to score on this play or they would turn the ball over. But as the Miners set up, Strike signaled hard: let the primary receiver go and charge in to stop the reverse. He had never felt more confident, never more sure of himself. The Miners would let the play fake unravel, making it look like they had bit on the passing play. And then they’d race in to blast the ball carrier off his feet.

  Fusion walked to the line, the quarterback waving to his players, motioning Ion Storm to give him more protection. He met Strike at the line of scrimmage. For a short moment, the two quarterbacks exchanged glances from behind their reflective visors. Strike said a silent thanks to Fusion for the warning he had given Strike before their regular season game. But now we have to stop you, Strike thought. Stop Zuna.

  Fusion crouched and quick-hiked the ball, backpedaling. Ion Storm and Radioactive blocked hard, creating a pocket for their quarterback. Fusion cocked his arm like he was going to fire a pass. But he jerked it back down and flipped it to Meltdown, who ran right behind him toward one sideline.

  The Miners went in hard pursuit to stop the sweep. Meltdown skidded to a stop and raised the ball as if he was going to lateral back to Fusion. But just as Strike had called it, Meltdown instead flipped the ball to Chain Reaction cutting the other way on the reverse.

  Strike leapt out of his hiding place behind Nugget. He slammed into Chain Reaction a split second after he got the ball, sending the rocketback crashing backward. The ball jarred out of his hands. Strike dove for the bouncing Ultraball, but he crunched into the field surface when someone landed on top of him. The ball pinged off boots and gloves, taking crazy bounces back toward the Neutrons’ end zone.

  Chain Reaction scrambled to his feet. He scooped up the ball after it took a high bounce, and ran toward the far sideline. Turning the corner behind a blocker who creamed Nugget, there was only one Miner between Chain Reaction and the end zone: Boom.

  Crouched and ready, Boom waited as the top rocketback in league history charged at her. He juked hard. He threw his best double spin move, making her guess.

  But Boom read it perfectly. She launched herself to match his move. With a great clang, one of her glove electromagnets clapped to the ankle of his Ultrabot suit. With Chain Reaction’s incredible speed and strength, he dragged Boom along the ground. But no matter how hard Chain Reaction shook her, Boom never let go. She slapped at his legs with her other hand until her other glove locked on. She somehow got to her feet as Chain Reaction bucked and swung wild punches at her with his free hand. With a huge yank, she pulled Chain Reaction’s legs out from underneath him. She lifted the rocketback into the air and turned him upside down. With a great jump, she pile-drove his helmet into the ground. The thunderous crunch echoed throughout the stadium.

  Chain Reaction crumpled, his limbs splayed out.

  Flipping her visor to clear, Boom stood over the dumbfounded Chain Reaction. She said nothing. Did nothing. Just stared at him, her gaze intense. Burning.

  The crowd in fiery red fell silent, stunned into disbelief. It was the changing of the guard. The new top rocketback in the league had put the old one in his place. And worse yet, it didn’t matter that the oddsmakers had given the Neutrons a 76 percent chance of winning. There would be no fourth straight title. Neutron Nation’s dynasty was over.

  The Miners raced in and jumped at Boom, high-fiving and forearm bashing. But she shrugged them off. She pointed to the game clock on the scoreboard, showing less than two minutes left. “Close out the game first, and then we’ll celebrate,” she yelled over the helmet comm. “Line it up.”

  Strike nodded and motioned everyone to the line of scrimmage. All the Miners needed to do was to run the ball four times, just hard enough to not get called for a stalling penalty. Having already used their time-out, there was no way the Neutrons could stop the clock. The Ultrabowl X trophy was theirs. Taiko Colony was saved.

  The Miners started to line up in their dual quarterback formation, but Boom motioned to Strike. “You do the honors,” she said. “You earned this one.”

  Strike paused. He had always imagined himself being the one taking the last carry to win the Ultrabowl. But there was no way the Taiko Miners would be in this position without the help of Boom. Heck, she was the Taiko Miners. Just seconds ago, it was her brilliant open-field tackle of the Neutrons’ star rocketback that sealed the game. “You earned it,” Strike said. “I want you on these carries.”

  “Let’s split them. You take the first two.”

  Strike nodded. He lined up over the ball, snapping it and running around the right side. Chain Reaction wrapped him up, punching at the ball, but Strike’s glove electromagnets were engaged at full power.

  Another run by Strike on second down. Same result.

  On third down, Strike handed off to Boom. Neutrons tackled her, but she cradled the ball with a death grip and went down.

  The Miners went over to congratulate Boom, but she waved them off. The crowd was dead quiet, people heading for the airlocks. Boom stared up at the luxury skyboxes at the very top of Neutron Stadium. Her arms spread out, she flipped her visor to clear and yelled up, “Neutron Nation dies today. It dies! Miners forever!”

  The Miners lined up for the last play of the game. Boom was still jawing away at the skyboxes, taunting Raiden Zuna, wherever he was. As Strike got into his stance over the Ultraball, he turned to Boom. “Same play?”

  “Same play,” she said, not turning away from the stands. She took her place in the backfield, ready for the handoff. Taking a knee, she yelled up at the skyboxes. “As soon as Strike hands it off to me, I’ll be down. Miners win. Nothing you can do about it, you old frakkin’ fool!”

  As the play clock ran down, Strike glanced over his shoulder to see Boom screaming into the stands. Why does she think Zuna is going to hear her? he thought. He followed her gaze, looking up at the skyboxes. A bright red circle of light glowed in one of the highest boxes, making Strike squint.

  Strike jolted as an ear-piercing explosion rocked Neutron Stadium. The ground rumbled beneath his feet, throwing him off balance. He ducked, throwing his hands over his head. Every light in the arena crackled in a shower of blue and yellow sparks before winking out. Even the emergency lights cut out, total blackness blanketing everything. The pitch-dark stadium filled with screams, the pounding of feet on bleachers, peo
ple scrambling in the chaos.

  The heads-up display in Strike’s helmet flickered in a storm of static before blinking out. A second later, a red initialization sequence came up. Green lights finally flashed across his display, showing his suit’s power level at only 1.4 percent. “Rock,” he said into his helmet comm. “Where are you?”

  “What happened?” Rock replied.

  “What’s going on?” Nugget yelled.

  Blackouts weren’t uncommon given the moon’s shaky electricity. But Neutron Stadium, powered by two separate nuclear reactors and a solar farm, was a different story. Raiden Zuna had guaranteed that a repeat of last year’s Ultrabowl blackout would not happen. And Zuna never broke his promises.

  He was up to something big. And it wasn’t good.

  Nugget’s shaky voice came on the helmet comm. “I’m scared. What’s happening?”

  “Just stay put,” Strike said. “Everyone okay? Pickaxe?”

  “I’m okay,” Pickaxe said. “But I can’t see a thing. My suit power is only at 1.7 percent. What’s going on?”

  Strike threw his hands over his face as the arena lights snapped back on at full force. His eyes burned before his visor automatically snapped back to tinted mode. He looked to see his teammates were around him, the Neutrons not far away, the steel ball still on the ground at the line of scrimmage. Frenzied hordes of people in the stands stampeded for the exits.

  A crackle of static blared over the loudspeaker, Strike clapping his hands to his helmet at a shrill cry. “Strike! Stop her!”

  Strike furrowed his brow. The voice was so familiar. A jolt of panic shot through him as he realized it was TNT. But how could TNT be on the Neutron Stadium loudspeaker?

  TNT cried out, the sounds of a scuffle amplified across the stadium. “Strike, get to Boom! You have to stop her, now!” Then there was a sickening punch. Then the thud of a body hitting the floor.

  The announcer came on. “Ladies and gentlemen, we apologize for the blackout. Please remain calm, as emergency power has been routed from secondary sources. The game will continue shortly.”