Time moves fast when you are building an Empire.

The Sterling Era Training Complex had changed. The construction cranes were gone. The dust had settled. Now the facility looked like a spaceship that had landed in the middle of Yorkshire. The glass walls of the new academy sparkled in the sun. The grass on the training pitches was cut to the exact millimeter requested by Kai Sora so the ball would roll perfectly.

Michael Sterling sat in his office. The air conditioning was fighting a losing battle against the heatwave.

Arthur Milton was sitting on the floor. He was surrounded by brochures. He looked like a travel agent who had lost his mind.

"We have three invitations Boss," Arthur said wiping sweat from his forehead with a travel guide. "The world wants the Misfits. We are popular."

"Read them to me," Michael said leaning back in his chair.

Arthur picked up the first brochure. It had a picture of Mickey Mouse playing football.

"Option One," Arthur said. "The Florida Sunshine Cup. We go to Miami and Orlando. We play Inter Miami and LA Galaxy. The money is good. And I can visit Disney World."

"Too hot," Michael said shaking his head. "And too many distractions. I do not want Diego Nunez wrestling an alligator in the Everglades."

"Fair point," Arthur admitted. "Diego would try to eat the alligator."

He picked up the second brochure. It was heavy and grey.

"Option Two," Arthur said less enthusiastically. "The Iron Tournament in Germany. We go to the Black Forest. We play Dortmund and Leipzig. It involves running up mountains at 5 AM. The food is sausages and bread."

"Good football test," Michael noted. "But we just finished a hard season. I do not want to break them before we start."

"And the third one?" Michael asked.

Arthur picked up the last brochure. It was bright and colorful.

"Option Three," Arthur said smiling. "The Seoul Super Cup. South Korea. We play FC Seoul, PSG, and Atletico Madrid. The prize money is huge. And the sponsors..."

Arthur paused for effect.

"The sponsors are paying for a private plane. A double decker plane with beds."

Michael looked at the Manager of the Month trophy on his shelf. He thought about Isaiah King.

"Isaiah is big in Asia," Michael said. "We just gave him the image rights deal. If we go to Seoul we will sell a million shirts in one week."

"And the food," Arthur added his eyes dreaming. "Korean BBQ. Beef. Kimchi. Dumplings."

"That decides it then," Michael smiled. "We are going to Seoul. Call the organizers Arthur. Tell them the Misfits are coming to Asia."

Three days later the squad gathered for the final training session before the flight.

The atmosphere was electric. The new signings had settled in and the chemistry was starting to bubble like a science experiment.

Michael stood in the center of the pitch. He blew his whistle.

"Listen up!" Michael shouted.

The players jogged over. They looked fit. They looked strong. The holiday fat was gone replaced by lean muscle.

"Tomorrow we fly to Korea," Michael said. "It is a long flight. But we are not going for a holiday. We are playing PSG. We are playing Atletico. These are Champions League teams."

He looked at Diego Nunez.

"Diego. Atletico Madrid have a manager named Diego Simeone. He is like you. He loves defense. He loves passion."

Diego eyes lit up.

"Another Diego?" the Bull asked. "Is he bald?"

"No," Michael said. "He has great hair. But he is scary."

"I will show him who is the scariest Diego," Nunez grunted cracking his knuckles.

"Today," Michael continued. "We play a match. The Old Guard versus The New Blood. I want to see how the new pieces fit."

He divided the teams.

TEAM A (OLD GUARD): Sam Jones, Pavard, Diego, Kenji, Isaiah, Danny.

TEAM B (NEW BLOOD): Jan Visser, Tom, Enzo Silva, Erik Olsen, Jamie Vardy.

Kai Sora stood in the middle.

"Kai," Michael said. "You are the Joker. You play for whoever has the ball. You are the conductor."

Kai adjusted his sunglasses. "I accept this role. I am the Switzerland of football."

THE MATCH

The whistle blew.

It was supposed to be a friendly training match. But nobody told Enzo Silva.

Within ten seconds the Pitbull had flattened Kenji Sato.

"Sorry!" Enzo shouted helping Kenji up. "My legs just did it!"

"It is okay," Kenji said dusting himself off. "I enjoy the pain. It wakes me up."

The game was fascinating to watch.

Team B had the ball. Jan Visser the giant goalkeeper had it at his feet.

Danny Fletcher ran to press him.

"Pass it Jan!" Jamie Vardy shouted.

Jan panicked. He tried to pass. He kicked the ground. The ball bobbled five yards.

Danny Fletcher stole it. He shot.

Jan dived.

It was impossible. He was on the floor but his arm extended like a telescope. He tipped the ball round the post.

"HOW?!" Danny screamed. "You cannot kick but you save everything!"

Jan shrugged from the floor. "I prefer hands."

Team B cleared the corner. The ball fell to Kai Sora in the middle.

Suddenly Enzo Silva was next to him.

"I protect you!" Enzo shouted.

Enzo ran around Kai like a sheepdog pushing away the opposition midfielders. He barged Isaiah King out of the way. He blocked Kenji.

Kai had five yards of space. He had never had so much time.

"Thank you little dog," Kai whispered.

Kai looked up. He saw Jamie Vardy making a run.

The veteran striker was thirty nine but he moved like a teenager who had stolen a car. He sprinted in behind Diego Nunez.

Kai hit the pass.

It was perfect.

Jamie Vardy controlled it on his chest. Diego was coming to smash him.

Jamie did not shoot. He stopped.

Diego flew past him unable to stop his momentum like a freight train with no brakes.

"See ya later big man!" Jamie cackled.

Jamie chipped the ball over Sam Jones.

GOAL.

Team B celebrated. Jamie did a backflip.

"He is old but he is spicy," Arthur noted from the sideline. "Like an old cheese."

Michael watched with a smile. The Moneyball strategy was working.

Jan Visser was a wall. Enzo Silva was a bodyguard. Jamie Vardy was a nuisance.

But Team A was not finished.

Isaiah King was angry. He did not like losing to the new guys.

He got the ball on the wing. He faced Tom.

Isaiah did the Sombrero flick. He lobbed the ball over Tom head.

He volleyed it across the box.

Danny Fletcher was there. He headed it down.

Jan Visser saved it again. But the rebound fell to Diego Nunez.

The Bull had run forward in rage.

He smashed the ball.

GOAL.

1 to 1.

Diego roared. He ran to Enzo Silva and lifted the small midfielder into the air.

"You tackle hard!" Diego shouted shaking Enzo. "I like you! You are my son!"

"Put me down!" Enzo yelled kicking his legs. "I am not your son! I am the Pitbull!"

"Pitbull is a good dog," Diego said putting him down. "We will eat steaks together."

Michael blew the final whistle.

"Good!" Michael shouted. "That is the intensity I want. We are ready."

That evening the packing began.

The locker room was a mess of suitcases and travel pillows.

Isaiah King was packing five separate suitcases.

"Why do you need five bags Isaiah?" Danny Fletcher asked.

"One for clothes," Isaiah counted. "One for shoes. One for my streaming setup. One for snacks. And one for my hair products."

"Your hair is blue," Danny said. "It does not need products. It needs paint."

"It is art Danny," Isaiah said closing a Louis Vuitton bag. "You would not understand. You wear beige trousers."

"My trousers are comfortable," Danny defended himself.

In the corner Kai Sora was packing one small backpack.

"Is that it?" Arthur asked.

"I travel light," Kai said. "I buy what I need. Or I borrow from Isaiah. He has five bags."

"Do not touch my bags," Isaiah warned.

Michael walked in. He held his own suitcase. He looked at his team.

They were a family of strange rich talented people.

"Everyone listen," Michael said.

The room went quiet.

"We leave in one hour. We are going to represent Barnsley on the other side of the world."

He held up his phone.

"I just checked the news in Seoul. There are two thousand fans waiting at the airport already. They are wearing pink boots. They are wearing sunglasses. They are wearing bald caps to look like Diego."

Diego grinned. "Bald is beautiful. They have good taste."

"They are waiting for stars," Michael said. "So let us go and be stars. But remember one thing."

He looked at them seriously.

"We are not there just to sign autographs. We are there to win. PSG think we are a joke. Atletico think we are soft. We show them the iron."

"We show them the iron," Enzo Silva repeated smashing his fist into his hand.

"Arthur," Michael said. "Do you have the passports?"

Arthur patted his chest pocket.

"I have them Boss. And I have the snacks. And I have the Korean phrasebook."

"What is the most important phrase?" Michael asked.

Arthur checked the book.

" Baegopa," Arthur read carefully. "It means I am hungry."

"Of course," Michael laughed.

They walked out to the team bus. The sun was setting over Yorkshire painting the sky in purple and gold.

The new stadium structure loomed over them. It was silent now but soon it would be full of forty five thousand people.

Michael stopped at the door of the bus. He looked back at the club crest on the wall.

BARNSLEY FOOTBALL CLUB.

EST 1887.

And below it someone had taped a piece of paper.

DYNASTY LOADING...

Michael smiled.

He climbed onto the bus.

"Let us go to the airport," Michael said to the driver.

The engine roared to life.

As the bus pulled away Isaiah King started a live stream on his phone.

"What is up guys!" Isaiah shouted at the screen. "We are going to Korea! The Misfits World Tour is starting! Get your popcorn!"

Diego Nunez leaned into the frame.

"And bring me a steak!" Diego roared.

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