NOVEL NEXT CHAPTER 38: Making Amends and Moving Forward
The fans' reactions to the statement from the SFB had been overwhelmingly positive, and the president felt a wave of relief. But just to be sure, he decided to reach out directly to Team Portal Crusher. It wasn’t just about mending fences—it was about ensuring that there were no lingering hard feelings that might affect the team’s performance or, worse, their growing popularity.
He dialed the number, and after a few rings, Alicia answered, her voice cool but polite. “Hello, Mr. President.”
“Hi,” the president began, clearing his throat. “We’ve never formally chatted, but I wanted to call you and apologize personally for the mistake our organization made.”
Alicia’s tone softened. “Oh, we know from your statement that it wasn’t you or your organization. There are little bureaucrats with a taste of power in every large organization.”
Atlas, who was on speakerphone, chimed in with a calm, steady voice. “Completely agree with you.”
The president exhaled slowly, feeling the tension ease from his shoulders. “Well, I’m glad there are no hard feelings. We’re looking forward to seeing what Team Portal Crusher can do this year. We love what you’ve been doing with your social media. I wish more teams would take that initiative. In fact, we’ve just created a little bonus program called the SFB Creative Ideas Pool. Any team that has a good idea can just pull money from it. We’ve got a budget of $10,000.”
Alicia replied smoothly, “Well, that’s nice. When we have an idea, we can—”
Atlas interrupted her, a knowing smile in his voice. “Actually, that would be perfect. $10,000 would be perfect for an idea of mine.”
The president smiled to himself, appreciating how quickly Atlas had caught on to the thinly veiled apology/bribe. “Great. Just send a quick little idea—short form over to Marion—and we’ll put the funds through.”
“Fantastic,” Atlas said, his tone carrying a hint of satisfaction. He knew, as did the president, that this $10,000 was essentially earmarked for Team Portal Crusher as a peace offering.
“Well, you guys have a good day.”
“You too, Mr. President. Take care,” Alicia added before hanging up the phone.
As the call ended, Alicia turned to Atlas, raising an eyebrow. “So, what’s this $10,000 idea?”
Atlas grinned, his mind already spinning with possibilities. “This is perfect for secret project number two.” He could see the confusion in Alicia’s eyes but didn’t elaborate. Instead, he asked her to set up a meeting with Alyx, Emily, and Lily—their trusted set designer.
Later that day, Alicia cornered Lily in the hallway. “Oh, what’s going on, Alicia?” Lily asked, curiosity evident in her voice.
“Don’t worry too much about it,” Alicia replied with a wink. “Atlas will fill you in after training.”
The physical training session went exceptionally well. The team was pushing themselves harder than ever, their bodies honed for combat. The best part was that the new K9 dogs had arrived! They were used in the same room as the dummies, but Atlas tweaked the SFB settings to level 1 minimum damage taken. Now the recruits would have to work ten times harder to kill the thing. They started with one K9, and it was still a big failure as the mechanical jaws bit into them. Those bite settings were set at level 10 (maximum), so that even a light bite or claw would kill them.
*Heck if I could turn it up to 11,* I would. Atlas thought.
He had also added a terrifying roar to the K9. Before, it would say things like, “Unauthorized intruders, please leave the premises.” Now it would just roar. It was an unholy combination of a tiger/bear/condor roar that Atlas had mixed together.
*Still nowhere near as terrifying as a real demon dog, but for a training dummy, I guess it’s good enough.*
As Atlas watched them, he knew the mental part of their training was what would save their lives in the apocalypse.
Even more than the physical. A lot of people had frozen when facing their first demon dog. And that had been the end for them.
After the physical drills, Atlas led the team into the portal room. This time, there were no actors—no staged scenarios. It was just the team, standing in the stark room, ready to face whatever mental challenges Atlas had devised.
But there was something different today. A new addition. Isabella.
She stood off to the side, her posture nervously alert, her eyes scanning the room. She had proven her resolve to Atlas and the rest of the team, showing that she had the grit to return after her injury and the mental strength to stay focused on her goals.
Atlas addressed the team, his voice commanding attention. “Hey, a couple of announcements. You might have all noticed that Isabella is back on the team.”
The room erupted in applause and cheers. Everyone was genuinely happy to see Isabella back. They understood why she had taken time off to think about her career after a big injury, but they were even more excited to see her return, ready to fight alongside them.
“And you might notice there’s somebody else new here,” Atlas continued, glancing around the room.
The team looked around, confused. They knew everyone present.
“That’s right. John.”
The room fell silent, puzzled looks exchanged among the team members.
“What do you mean John is new?” someone muttered.
Atlas smirked. “John is not going to be on the battle team.”
John had always been known to be Atlas’s best friend, but they were all secretly relieved that he wasn’t on the battle team. John was skilled, but he lacked the killer instinct required for the brutal competition they were about to face.
A wave of relief washed over the group, though no one dared to say it aloud.
“That’s right,” Atlas confirmed. “John is going to be the assistant coach. He’ll be helping me run these portal trainings and make sure everything’s alright.”
The team exchanged glances, still digesting the news.
“This next part of the portal training is going to be extra difficult,” Atlas warned. “I know some of you don’t really get it yet, but when you do, you’ll see the benefits.”
Kingsley, an ex-Golden Glove boxer who favored cestus in combat, and Evalynh, a skilled fighter who used hidden weapons and a chain flail, both nodded, their expressions serious. They had been struggling to understand the purpose of the mental portal training, but they trusted Atlas. They knew he wouldn’t put them through anything that wasn’t going to make them stronger.
As they prepared for the next phase of training, Atlas’s mind was already working on the details of secret project number two. He knew this would be the edge they needed, something that would push them ahead in the SFB season.
And more importantly get them mentally prepared for the portals.
But for now, he focused on the task at hand—preparing his team for the battles to come. This was their moment, and they weren’t going to waste it.
Atlas stepped forward, clearing his throat as he gathered the team’s attention once more. “Listen up, everyone. I want to make something very clear. The reason we’re doing all of this—the training, the mental drills, the secret projects—it’s not just to win the SFB. It’s not just to beat the other teams or to make a name for ourselves.”
The room grew quiet as the team leaned in, hanging on his every word.
“We’re doing this because we need to be stronger. The strongest team on Earth is my goal. If the world ever ends, not that it would in the next two years at least, I would like to think the Portal Crushers would be there standing tall. That’s what makes us stronger. That’s what sets us apart.”
He paused, letting the weight of his words sink in.
“I don’t just want us to be good. I want us to be the best. The Portal Crushers aren’t just another team—we’re a force to be reckoned with. We’re the ones who are going to change the game. We’re the ones who are going to make sure that if an apocalypse comes knocking, we’re the ones who answer with a punch to the face.”
Atlas thought about how referencing a fictional apocalypse might stir them up, and also continue planting seeds in their head.
The team erupted in cheers, their spirits lifted by Atlas’s over the top words. He had always had a way with speeches, but this one felt different. There was a raw intensity to it, a fire that fueled their determination.
Atlas smiled, feeling the energy in the room. This was what he lived for—this feeling of unity, of purpose. He knew that as long as they stayed focused, as long as they remembered why they were fighting, nothing could stop them.
“Now,” he said, clapping his hands together, “let’s get back to work. We’ve got a lot of ass-kicking to do.”
As the team dispersed to continue their training, Atlas couldn’t help but feel a surge of pride. This was his team, his new family. And together, they would become unstoppable.
***
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