SEVERAL PLAYS WENT BY after that point.
As hard as Stephen tried, his team was severely lacking on the defensive end. It became increasingly clear that they were struggling when Allison simply snatched the ball right from Stephen's hand.
That one turnover brought down their team's momentum.
As the pressure mounted, Stephen truly felt as though he were running through a field of orchid flowers, surrounded by vines and thorns.
On one such play, when Stephen had the ball, Allison caught up to him, delivering a piledriver straight to the ground. The hit left a crater behind and made it abundantly clear she was targeting him specifically.
Every play involving Stephen became a challenge, with Allison right there to stop him. Had it not been for Elric, the team would have been significantly worse off than they were. Stephen got up from yet another of Allison's thrashings and glanced at the scoreboard, sweating profusely.
'Seven-six,' he thought to himself. 'I have to do this; I have to win!'
Besides him, Kimberly looked the most anxious, acutely aware of the trouble his team was in. Elric had scored their last six points, and five of those were all his doing!
Castiel, who was running with the ball, suddenly found himself cornered by Mila and Kimberly. Victoria and Allison attempted to double-team Elric. As Mila tried to swipe for the ball, it was knocked back to the twenty-yard line. Stephen was quicker than Maxwell, so he dashed to retrieve it.
From that distance, he could easily shoot and tie the game. But the moment he picked up the ball, he felt something heavy behind his head. Allison's hand grabbed him from behind and slammed him straight to the ground, causing the ball to fumble as Victoria picked it up and ran toward the opposing team's basket.
'Dang it, dang it, dang it!' Stephen thought as he tried to get up. But the force behind Allison's hold was too strong.
Victoria managed to slide and twirl before jumping high enough to lay the ball up, pushing their score to eight. Stephen was still on the ground, held down by Allison.
Not a single word was spoken. Plays like this had occurred so many times that it was evident who the stronger player was. Elric couldn't help but question the rumors he'd heard, as Stephen wasn't showcasing any impressive feats, easily being brought down by someone who wasn't even wearing Dyna Blades!
"This is just about over," Victoria said, glancing at the clock winding down. "Won't be much longer before—"
"Before Ally's Road breaks down," Kimberly interrupted.
Victoria looked confused, unsure of what she meant by that. What she failed to notice was how exhausted Allison was. The Evergreen Road pushes a person's body to its limits. Without her Dyna Blades or her Runes, someone like Allison wouldn't be able to endure that pressure for long.
People like Elric had learned that from years of riding alongside Allison. Though Stephen was getting thrashed, he was impressed he hadn't been knocked unconscious. His body was simply so durable that all the attacks he received barely fazed him. Any other rider, whether on Dyna Blades or not, would have been sent straight to the hospital by now.
When Allison finally let Stephen stand back up, she was amazed that he was still upright and ready to ride. However, when she chased after him, a sharp pain shot through her ankle, causing her to stumble and take a knee. "Cast, pass!" Stephen yelled.
Castiel kicked the ball high and far, creating a fastbreak opportunity. Neither Kimberly, Mila, nor Victoria were close enough to catch it. The moment Stephen grabbed it and turned around, he was kicked hard in the chin, sending him flying back as if someone had taken a metal vine and whipped him across the head.
Blood spilled from his mouth, nose, and face as Allison winced in pain. Both teams halted, serious about the nature of the game. Elric noticed the panicked expressions on everyone's faces, so he said, "Do you know why vines are heavily referenced in the Holy Bible? It's because when sown together to form a vineyard, the Israelites rejoice at its growth. But if they wrongfully touch the vineyard, they'll be pricked by its thorns."
"These vines are only here to protect you," Allison said, panting. "I'm fighting to keep you safe!"
The ball was fumbled, but not a single person moved to grab it. Just then, thunder roared above the stadium. For a moment, Elric could have sworn he felt a slight breeze. And then he understood why—Stephen was getting back up!
"You think it's sweeter to pick grapes, so I should be safe and happy in your vineyard, right?" Stephen said, wiping the blood away.
Allison was stunned to hear he had grasped her allegory. He didn't hesitate to stroll back to where the ball lay. Elric prepared to score while the girls lagged behind, but Stephen had no plans to pass right now. Just as Allison understood Stephen's intentions, she ran toward him, feeling every aching bone in her body.
He stood just outside the thirty-yard line, the clock nearing zero. A basket here could potentially double their points. Stephen dribbled the ball to the left. Seeing his move, she intercepted it immediately, poised to kick it to Mila. To her surprise, Stephen slid beneath her and seized the ball back.
Kimberly cheered him on from the sidelines. Since the other sisters were by the eight-yard line, it turned into a two-on-one situation. Allison prepared to stomp on Stephen, but he quickly spun away to dribble around her. As he got closer and closer to the thirty-yard line, she rushed past him to block his path.
She was not going to let Stephen escape. The vineyard she planted was meant to keep him safe because she was his legal guardian. This instinct came naturally to those you loved.
The day she saw Elric fly, she simply watched him. If she had held on tighter, had she used her vines to keep him anchored, he might have never ended up in that wheelchair. This time, however, was different. This time, she wasn't going to let go!
Stephen kicked the ball high into the air as Allison screamed, "Don't even think about it!"
She knew what he was aiming for: the sky, the one place her thorns couldn't reach. So he leapt off the ground. In front of him were Allison's arms, like vines ready to pull him down. But as she tried to push him back, he soared right through!
Allison was alarmed—throughout that entire play, Stephen had never once looked at her; he was focused solely on the rim. The thought of losing here was unbearable. So she exerted every ounce of her leg strength to jump after him.
But all she could see was his Dyna Blades gradually disappearing from her view as she remained grounded.
Stephen reached the peak of his jump. The last thing he planned to do was pass as the clock wound down. He reeled his foot back and beamed the ball forward. Everyone watched as it bounced off the backboard and went straight into the basket just as the buzzer rang.
Allison stood there, watching Stephen still high above the stadium. To her, it truly looked as if he wouldn't come down. It reminded her of a time when he was a boy and jumped off a mountain. 'I've known all along… We're all born with wings. If I had spread mine back then, I could've flown, too. But back then, I didn't look up at the sky like he did.'
All that remained in Allison's view was Stephen smiling in the air, with all her orchid petals and vines scattering across the field.
Everyone ran toward Stephen after he landed. Perhaps some were on opposite teams, but a shot like that was too spectacular not to cheer. "Didn't I tell you I'd blow by?" he said, smirking at Allison.
"Hmph…" she scoffed, smiling.
Elric approached her while everyone else continued to praise Stephen's last play. The two discussed how the results would have differed had she been wearing her Runes. Just her regular Dyna Blades would have been sufficient. More importantly, they touched on how foolish she had been acting.
Elric could tell she wasn't trying to speak much due to the strain on her body. She had spent the entire thirty minutes keeping up with Road Riders on foot, utilizing tricks that could only be performed on her Road.
"I saw it, too, just so ya know," he said. "When that kid flew, it reminded me of myself."
That same night, all the sisters and Stephen gathered in the living room for a grand feast. Stephen showed little restraint with the amount of food on the table. Secretly, Mila and Victoria were waiting for him to bite into the chicken wings they had spiced with the world's hottest pepper. When he took a bite and bolted for the milk, they laughed hysterically.
Returning to the table, Allison congratulated him on his victory in the Wheels War battle. Because of that, she decided he deserved a reward on top of their agreement. "I can offer you some old parts I used back when I was a rider."
Stephen was more than willing to accept. So Allison made him close his eyes to receive the reward. While he had his eyes closed, Mila and Victoria secretly placed more hot peppers on his steak. When he opened his eyes, he found his body strapped with lead weights. "What're ya trying to pull here?!"
"You'll wear those to your grave; otherwise, I'll suplex you through the ground again if you take them off," Allison threatened.
Stephen was ready to remove them, but the moment he tried, she picked him up and slammed him onto the couch. He quickly got up, preparing for another attack. Despite seeing her kick coming, the weights made him too slow to evade, and her foot landed squarely in his face!
"That all ya got?" she taunted. "They only weigh in the hundreds!"
These weren't just regular weights. They were militarized anchors designed to help people spar. Strapped to his thighs, forearms, and waist were bags filled with solid lead. And because the fabric was made with dyneema, it couldn't simply be cut.
What made them militarized was the lock and key system holding them in place. Allison dangled the key in front of him before tossing it out the window. "Is this for real?!" he screamed, trying to look outside. As the key fell, Chappy swooped in out of nowhere and flew off with it.
The next day, Allison was spotted peacefully drinking tea in the living room. Kimberly greeted her, inquiring about the stunt from the previous night.
"That's the last weight I put on him," she replied.
"Oh, I get it!" Kimberly exclaimed. "It's to give him a hint to stop jumping for a while and ensure he's got the right movements down first."
It was a strange way to teach someone, but that wasn't her true intention. Her idea was that if he could manage to fly with that much weight on him, then she'd have nothing to worry about.
As she exited the house to go to the store, Allison happened to spot Elric. Following him inside, she watched as he tried to grab a can from the shelf. So she grabbed it for him.
"Oh? Hey, thanks. That's so nice of you…" But when he looked to see it was Allison who helped, he stopped mid-sentence, surprised.
Coughing, he stated that he could have easily gotten it himself by jumping, but doing so would have drawn too much attention.
"Maybe," she said. "But living like this isn't convenient. Are you eating well? Your basket only has cans so far."
Elric laughed, mocking her for knowing how he ate just by what was in his cart. He began explaining that this brand was the town's best, boasting about the organic nutrients inside. She interrupted, saying, "If it's not too much trouble, how about I come by your place and cook something for you?"
No response came. Elric wasn't naive; he could tell she was blushing and looking away when she offered. So, he turned around, saying, "Up to you. Do whatever you want."
Before he could roll away, she grabbed the arms of his wheelchair to push him. "This time, it's my turn to be your wings," she declared.
The two then left the store together. Looking up, she remarked on how beautiful the sky appeared.