American Football: Domination

The showdown loomed, and Watt needed a little support. Naturally, Lance appeared in his mind.

Not because he needed Lance's comfort or encouragement, not because he was searching for motivational words—just conversation. Enough to remind Watt:

On this rough and winding road, there were others, not far away, still fighting their own battles. Different wars, different struggles, but side by side they cut through the thorns, waiting for the day when they could meet at the peak.

That alone was enough.

So, when Lance said he'd be watching the Houston Texans take on the Jacksonville Jaguars, Watt was a little touched.

Unfortunately, the moment didn't last a second before Lance's voice came again through the phone.

"Poolside. On a beach chair. Cocktail in hand. Jazz playing. Sunlight on my face while I watch the game."

The relaxed tone made Watt burst into thunderous laughter—

Of course. As always, Lance was Lance.

"Hey, man, save me a spot," Watt grinned.

Lance shot back, "Beach chair, or weight bench?"

"Come on," Watt chuckled. "I'm not a beast twenty-four-seven. I know how to enjoy life, okay?"

"I'm serious, brother," Lance said evenly. "Right now, you shouldn't be thinking about the offseason. You should be thinking about the games ahead. I'm waiting to face you again. I've been waiting since the summer. So tell me—are we meeting in the divisional round, or the conference final?"

The words came off light, but the conviction beneath them was undeniable.

Watt's chest surged with heat. "Man, you're that confident? Is this the same Lance I know? The 'I don't have confidence, but we'll still win' Lance?"

"Of course," Lance answered without hesitation. "The confidence isn't there. But the victory? I believe in it all the same. And honestly, you should have more confidence than me, Mr. Defensive Player of the Year."

"We grind. We fight. We battle to the end. And then we accept whatever comes. That's life."

Bit by bit, Watt's blood boiled hotter. "We grind. We fight. We battle to the end. Yeah, I think I'm ready."

He drew in a deep breath. "See you at the peak?"

Lance's smile spread wide. "At the peak. No excuses."

The call ended. Watt exhaled long and hard—

He wanted victory. He wanted a championship. Always had. But never like this. Never with this hunger burning through his bones.

Two straight seasons lost to injury had filled him with doubt and pain, a personal hell of setbacks and rehab. Now, finally finishing a healthy season, he wanted more.

And watching Lance—his fire, his passion, his resilience—lit Watt's own flames higher.

He wanted to fight. Against Lance. Against the league's best. For victory. For the championship.

He was ready.

The curtain rose on Week 17 of the 2018 NFL regular season.

Unlike other weeks, there was no night game. To ensure fairness, every game kicked off on Sunday, half in the morning, half in the afternoon, closing the season in balance.

Jenna was still groggy when she felt her nose itching. At first, she thought it was her husband messing around and was about to scold him.

But when she opened her eyes, she saw her daughter's big, innocent eyes staring back—though the feather duster clutched behind her gave away the truth.

"Mommy, you're awake! Great! Let's get ready to go to Arrowhead!"

Jenna caught sight of the feather duster wagging like a dog's tail and couldn't hold back a laugh, rubbing her temples.

"Annie, the game's in the afternoon. We don't need to be up this early."

Annie shook her head furiously. "No, no, no! Who waits until kickoff to head to the stadium? We need to be there in the morning. Gotta prepare early!"

Jenna: ???

She looked over at her husband, Jeff Galas, for backup.

Jeff looked equally helpless. Football wasn't his world. "Well, if our little expert says so, then it must be true."

And so—

When the Galas family arrived at Arrowhead, the sight before them stunned them into silence.

They thought they were early. But the place was already overflowing. Seas of people packed the grounds, a tidal wave of fans. Only then did they realize how small they were in this ocean, just a single drop of water.

The final game of the season had become a festival. With Kansas City already locking in a playoff seed, and with a rivalry game against the Raiders, this was the city's chance to celebrate—an answer to the holidays where they hadn't yet truly partied.

Arrowhead was already bursting. Even fans without tickets came just to revel in the energy, joining the crowd for a perfect Sunday afternoon.

Everywhere—people. Nothing but people.

The Galas family faltered, lost in the crush.

Thankfully, they hadn't forgotten why they were here.

At the ticket counter, they gave the name "Annie Galas." The attendant nodded knowingly.

Moments later, stadium staff led them up to a private suite.

Later, Felix and Karen arrived too, though they stayed only briefly—they wanted to watch from the stands.

"It's just different," Felix explained. "Seeing Lance sprint up close… the speed, the power—it's unreal. Live games are something else."

His words lit a spark in Annie. She turned to her mom with pleading eyes.

But this time, Jenna held firm. Annie's health was still fragile. Getting swept up in the crowd might be too much. The suite was the limit.

Even so, Annie's spirits soared when, before kickoff, Lance, Mahomes, and a group of players stopped by the suite to see her.

"You're famous in the locker room," Lance teased. "If the suite wasn't so small, the whole team would be here."

For once, Annie blushed, shy and awkward.

But she clenched her little fists tight and declared, "Good luck! We're fighting with the team!"

Then she leaned close, whispering in Lance's ear, "Lance, I'm expecting a few touchdowns from you."

Kelsey shook his head, groaning. "Annie, we all heard that. Rookie gets special treatment. None of us do. Should we be jealous?"

Annie raised her chin, eyes serious. "If we score too much, it'll be cruel to the Raiders, right? Mommy says we have to be merciful."

And with that—

The room erupted in laughter.

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Powerstones?

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