Chapter 15 #2
Coach put his fingers to his lips and let out a piercing whistle. “Anyone want to go first? Don’t worry, you all have health plans!”
Dex shoved a pile of gear aside. “Screw it. I’ll go.”
“Good man, Rexford!” Coach pointed at him. “Since you’re so eager, pair up with King. Show the captain how much you trust him.”
“Try not to hurt yourself, rook,” King said, getting into position.
“Or dent the floor when you land,” Brody added, earning groans and laughter.
Dex fell backward with theatrical flair, arms flung out like he was starring in a musical. King handled it, looking mildly annoyed. “You’re such a drama queen.”
“That’s it?” Dex straightened like he’d just won something. “I was expecting something way tougher than that.”
Sawyer high-fived him on the way back into the circle. “You didn’t even pee your pants.”
“Next!” Coach called. “Zharkov and Donovan. Let’s see if the Russian knows how to catch an American.”
Brody gave Roman a warning look. “Don’t drop me, Z. My face is my money-maker.”
“Just fall, Donovan.”
He went stiff as a two-by-four, knees locking halfway down. Roman caught him with a grunt. “You’re heavier than you look.”
“All muscle, baby,” Brody said with a wink.
Coach pointed at us. “Rhodes, Callahan. You’re up.”
Sawyer stepped behind me, looking entirely too pleased. “Don’t worry, Canada. I got you.”
I crossed my arms over my chest, trying to ignore the tension still coiled in my shoulders. Trust wasn’t exactly my strong suit.
“Relax,” Sawyer said. “I’ve got great hands. Just ask any lady in Miami.”
“Ready?”
“Fall away!”
I fell back.
For a split second, I questioned every life choice I’d ever made. Then Sawyer caught me clean, laughing as he steadied me.
“See?” he said. “Told ya.”
I rolled my eyes and gave him a light shove. “Your turn, pretty boy.”
We switched. Sawyer fell, and I caught him easily.
“My hero,” he said, fluttering his lashes.
Coach’s whistle let out an ear-splitting chirp. Bodies rotated. I ended up with Cade, but the real show kicked off beside us.
Dex looked up at Sawyer, nerves all over his face. “You’re sure about this, dude? You’re going to catch me?”
Sawyer clapped a hand on his shoulder. “Relax, kid. I’ve got you.”
Dex fell back with full, trusting enthusiasm, just as Sawyer stepped out of the way.
Dex hit the mat with a yelp that echoed. Even King’s composure slipped for a second.
“Rhodes!” Coach shouted. “What the hell was that?”
Sawyer held up both hands, the picture of innocence. “Sorry, Coach. Hand slipped.”
Dex sat up, rubbing his tailbone. “Not cool, man.”
I barely held it together as Sawyer caught my eye and winked, totally unrepentant.
“Rotate!” Coach called. “New partners! Bond harder!”
“Ready?” Dex bounded over like an eager puppy, slapping his cheeks and bouncing on his toes like he was about to enter a prizefight. “Lean back whenever, dude. These guns didn’t get jacked for nothing.”
I let myself fall. His hands landed too high, rookie mistake, and we both folded onto the mats.
He went beet-red. “My bad. Total my bad.”
“Torso,” I grumbled.
“Okay, okay.” He sprang up and squared his shoulders. “My turn. I totally trust you.”
I got behind him, bracing.
Dex bounced once. “Ready for the Rexford Special, Callahan?”
“Just fall norm—”
He hurled himself back, limbs flailing. I lunged, but he was all elbows and chaos. We hit the mats like bowling pins, his elbow jamming into my ribs.
“Medic!” Sawyer shouted. “Rookie murdered the newbie!”
Coach clapped like he’d just witnessed a Broadway finale. “Beautiful! Vulnerability!”
Dex blinked up at me, his cheek mashed against my shoulder. “So… did we bond?”
“Like glue.” I shoved him off. “Now get your knee out of my spleen.”
Over the next few minutes, the room turned into a rotating pileup. Cade narrated his own drops like it was the Olympics, King caught guys like they weighed nothing, and Coach looked thrilled every time someone ate mat.
This team didn’t do quiet. They did collision. And somehow it worked.
Coach blew the whistle. “Switch partners! Someone catch Kovalenko! He needs to build trust!”
Nearby, Hunter folded his arms, glaring at Coach, who looked far too pleased with himself.
“Get it over with, Hunter,” Coach said. “We’ve got medical staff on standby.”
Hunter glanced toward Brody, who immediately backed up with wide eyes.
“No way, man. You’ve got at least sixty pounds on me.”
“Your point?” Hunter said, grinning like a man about to enjoy himself.
Sawyer raised his hands in mock ceremony. “Don’t worry, Brody. It was nice knowing you.”
“Yeah,” Cade added. “We’ll put that on your headstone.”
King stepped forward with a determined look. “I’ll take Kovalenko.”
“You sure?” I asked under my breath, eyeing Hunter’s linebacker build. “Guy’s built like a Yeti.”
Hunter tipped backward with less grace and more mass, and for a second it looked like King might actually buckle. But he caught him, steady and solid, his face tightening with effort.
There was a collective cheer from the guys.
“Never doubted it,” Hunter said, though amusement flickered in his eyes.
One last whistle and we were down to the last switch. “Final round! Find someone new to bond with.”
We rotated again, and I ended up across from King. He gave me a look like we were lining up for a faceoff. I’d played against him for years, but being on the same side would take some getting used to.
He tipped his chin. “You first.”
Of course. Captain move.
He caught me, and when we switched, he didn’t hesitate. He dropped fast and hard, hitting my arms like a falling safe, but I caught him. Just barely.
I couldn’t stop the laugh that slipped out. All around us, pairs were finishing up their trust falls, the room still humming with chaotic energy. Bonding, Fusion style.
Dex lined up with Hunter. His face was scrunched in concentration, but the doubt in his eyes was impossible to miss.
“Last chance to bail, big guy,” he said.
Hunter, all six-foot-five of him, grinned down at him. “You got this, kid. I trust you completely.”
No one in their right mind would, but there was no doubting Hunter’s sincerity.
Dex gulped. “Right. No pressure or anything.”
I leaned toward Brody. “This can’t end well.”
Hunter leaned back, and Dex’s eyes flashed with alarm. Hunter fell like a redwood and for a split second, I thought Dex might actually catch him. Then reality kicked in.
The rookie’s legs buckled under Hunter’s weight. His arms flailed like he was trying to stop a falling piano. They went down hard, a mess of limbs and momentum.
“Holy shit,” I muttered, wincing as Dex vanished beneath Hunter’s bulk.
Hunter rolled off quickly, revealing a very flattened Dex lying spread-eagled on the floor, staring at the ceiling like he was reconsidering his entire life.
“You okay there, Dex?” Hunter asked, crouching beside him.
“Think you broke him!” Cade yelled.
Dex wheezed. “I think... I need... medical attention. And maybe... a spatula... to peel me off the floor.”
The room erupted. Even I couldn’t hold back a chuckle. Coach Murray shook his head, the hint of a smile breaking through.
“Alright, alright,” he said. “Let’s not kill the rookie before the season starts.”
It was chaos in the best way. In my first team event, I’d learned plenty.
Like the fact that my new teammates were absolute lunatics.
A complete contrast to the restrained, almost surgically aggressive vibe of my old team.
And yet somehow, in the middle of the Miami madness, I was already starting to feel at home.
“If this is bonding,” I said, helping Dex off the floor, “I’m not sure we’ll survive much more of it.”
He shrugged, breathless and dazed. “Think this is just the start.”
Coach blew his whistle one last time. “Bring it in, bring it in!”
The sweaty mess of us gathered around, loose and laughing.
“Get out of here,” Coach said, waving us toward the doors. “And remember what we learned today: Someone might actually catch you if you fall. You boys are a team. Out there on the ice, you’ve got to trust each other. Have each other’s backs. Anything can happen this season. Including wins.”
As the guys shuffled out, Dex appeared at my side, grin shark-wide. “Seriously, though—where’s the nearest billboard? I need a selfie for my Tinder.”
I gave him a shove. “Careful, rookie.”
He saluted. “Yes, sir, Captain Underpants.”
The nickname stuck by lunchtime.