Angel Fire: The Series: Episode 1b - Ken Terrik

[griever_tantalus]

(Note - I'm making a seperate posts so people don't have to comb through comments to see the next part, but if this is too cumbersome for the boards I'll make a consolidated story thread for Ep 1 and a consolidated Comments thread. ^_^)


[] = Setting
{} = Sound effects
() = Description


* * *

[Scene returns to the boy at the old oak tree. His hands have left the first two initials now, and have moved down to the next name - "K.T.]

* * *

[Scene shifts to a tension filled gymnasium, packed to the overflowing with screaming fans. Above them a scoreboard levitates magically above the paraqueet floor, twirling and exhibiting the current score which stands at "Sadamoto High Warriors - 83; Sakura High Tigers - 81". The clock below it reads: "6 seconds". A team in red jerseys with white lining huddles together around a gruff, middle aged Caucasian man - their Coach - who is shouting to make himself heard above the din.]

Coach Wittgenstern: ... So they'll be expecting us to go for the win - but we can outwait the bastards can't we boys?

(He is disracted by the loud popping of gum. He whirls and glares at a tall, muscular young man with Asian-European features and long, flowing silver-white hair. The boy is busy licking the remains of a gum from his face, grinning all the while.)

Terrik! (furious but trying to keep his voice down) Spit that Bob thing out right now or I'll have your Bob head on a stick! Do you *want* us to get a technical?

Ken Terrick: (still grinning) Sorry 'bout that Coach. (He winks at the others as the Coach turns away and several suppress their laughter. The Coach addresses a serious looking blue haired boy, the shortest on the team, who doesn't appear to share in the general mirth.).

Coach: Ueda, you drop down quickly into the paint. We’ll have them think we’re passing it over to Terrick beyond the arc, but instead we’ll send it to you down below.

Enzo Ueda: (silently nods)

Ken: (slapping Enzo on the shoulder) Woohoo! Look who gets to be the star to-night!

Enzo: (winces at the slap, and gives Ken a pained, somewhat forced smile) I – I’ll try sempai…

{The bell sounds}

Coach: Alright boys – if the Warriors want to take our undefeated slate, let’s Bob show them they’ll have to go the distance. Tigers, roar!

All: ROAR!!!

[The team steps out onto the court, Goro Maekawa at center, Ken Terrick at power forward, Hideo Lukawa at Small forward, Yoji Sato at off guard and Enzo Ueda at point.]

Hideo: (The boy has a slightly worried expression on his pretty-boy features. He elbws Ken.) Hey, stop pressuring the 2nd year Captain, he's nervous enough as it is.

Ken: Aw, he'll be alright.. What's the worst that could happen?

Hideo: Uhm... we lose the biggest game of the season, he's hated forever by his schoolmates and his wonderful highschool days turn into a living hell?

Ken: (ruffling the black hair of the slightly shorter boy.) Always so negative! This is why you haven't gotten laid since Helena left you...

Hideo: ... ! ((blushes furiously - but before he can say anything the whistle sounds)

[The players take up their positions. Ken finds himself face to face with the star player of the Warriors, a burly Caucasian with a gold tooth named Samuel Hur]

Samuel: [hand-checking Ken] Your ass is mine Terrik...

Ken: (grins) My, my Sammy-boy. Didn't know you swung that way...

{Whistle sounds. The crowd shouts "Six!"}

[Ken pushes away as the ball comes into play. Enzo grabs it, then whips it over to Hideo.]

{The crowd shouts "Five!"}

[Hideo fakes a pass at Ken as Enzo darts inside. Ken is quickly double teamed.]

{The crowd shouts "Four!}

[Hideo tries to pass the ball over to an open Enzo, but one of the Warrior's deflects the ball away.]

{The crowd roars in excitement, though a few scattered cries of "three" are heard.)

[There is a mad scramble for the ball as Warriors and Tigers leap for it. Neck and neck, Ken and Samuel join the fray.]

{The crowd's noise swells to insane levels, a cacophany of sounds. The scoreboard reads "2 seconds"}

[Ken grabs the ball just beyond the three point line. Enzo, beneath the basket, throws up his hands.]

Enzo: Throw it!

[Instead, Ken takes one look at the basket, leaps up, and as Samuel jumps up in an attempted block, takes the shot. The scoreboard reads one second...

... And it changes to zero just as the ball swishes into the basket to the sound of the final bell. The board reflects the final score - "Sadamoto High Warriors - 83; Sakura High Tigers - 84".]

Ken: (arms raised) Oh yeah!!! Who's the Man?

[Half the crowd erupts into jubilation, streaming onto the court in joy as the rest watch in stunned disbelief. A group of Ken's teammates try to lift him onto their shoulders, but Ken laughingly fights them off and runs into a gaggle of screaming cheerleaders who surround him, planting kisses on his face.

No one pays much heed to Enzo as he stands alone under the basket.

As Ken plants a wet, noisy kiss on one of the girls, a female voice makes itself heard from the midst of the crowd]

Female voice: Nice shot, big boy.

Ken: (smiles down at the cheerleader with bleached hair haning onto his arm) Just doing my job Nanami-chan.

Nanami: (looks puzzled) Huh? What was that Ken-kun?

Voice: I guess with skills like that, it's hard to remember the last time you lost something.

Ken: (whips his head around, looking for the voice) Well, it *has* been awhile...

Voice: October 7, 2069. You lost something more than a game... remember? You lost a friend.

Ken: (whispering) What the hell?!?

[Ken shakes himself free from the girls and surveys the celebrating crowd - but sees no one familiar. One of the fans is carrying a bottle of champagne, and Ken grabs it and drains it to the last drop, his eyes slightly wild, and far from joyful.]