Jessica Sterling was standing on a chair. She held a megaphone.

"Quiet on set!" Jessica shouted. "We are losing the light! Diego please stop eating the props!"

Diego Nunez was standing in a fake kitchen set that had been built in the corner of the room. He was holding a raw pepper.

"It is crunchy," Diego said taking a loud bite. "I like it. It burns my tongue."

"It is for the salad Diego," Jessica sighed. "You are supposed to chop it. Not eat it like an apple."

Michael walked over to Arthur Milton. The scout was sitting in a director chair wearing a beret.

"Why are you wearing that hat Arthur?" Michael asked.

"I am the artistic director," Arthur said adjusting the beret. "I need to feel the vibe. We are making cinema Boss. We are making history."

"We are making YouTube videos," Michael corrected. "Because the fans want content."

"Content is king," Arthur nodded sagely. "And cash is queen."

CHANNEL ONE: COOKING WITH THE BULL

The first channel they were launching was for the food lovers. Or rather the food destroyers.

The show was called The Bull in the Kitchen.

"Action!" Jessica shouted.

The camera zoomed in on Diego Nunez. The giant defender was wearing a tiny white apron that barely covered his chest. On the front of the apron it said Dangerous Cook.

"Hola," Diego said to the camera. He tried to smile but it looked like he was baring his teeth at a predator. "Welcome to my kitchen. Today we make... salad."

He looked at the vegetables on the counter with disdain.

"Salad is food for rabbits," Diego told the camera seriously. "But the nutritionist says I must eat it. So we must kill the vegetables."

He picked up a cucumber.

"This is the enemy," Diego growled.

Usually a chef would use a knife. Diego Nunez did not use knives.

He grabbed the cucumber with both hands.

SNAP.

He broke it in half. Then he broke the halves again. He threw the pieces into a metal bowl with force.

"Cucumber is dead," Diego announced.

Next was the garlic.

"Garlic is tricky," Diego explained. "It has a shell. You must crush it."

He placed a clove of garlic on the chopping board. He raised his fist. It looked like a hammer.

BOOM.

The table shook. The garlic was pulverized. The chopping board cracked down the middle.

"Oops," Diego said. "I hit too hard. Arthur! I need a new table!"

"Cut!" Jessica yelled. "That was perfect! The fans will love the violence!"

Arthur clapped his hands. "He cooks like he tackles. With pure aggression."

CHANNEL TWO: THE VARDY PARTY

The second set was different. It was designed to look like a chaotic living room. There were bean bags and neon lights.

This was the home of The Vardy Party. A prank show hosted by the veteran striker Jamie Vardy.

"Okay Jamie," Jessica said. "Who is the target today?"

Jamie Vardy grinned. He was holding a can of energy drink in one hand and a fog horn in the other.

"Enzo," Jamie whispered to the camera. "The Pitbull. He is sleeping in the physio room. He thinks he is safe. He is wrong."

The camera crew followed Jamie down the corridor. They moved silently.

They reached the physio room. The door was open a crack.

Inside Enzo Silva was asleep on a massage table. He was snoring softly. His dog Rocky was asleep on the floor next to him.

Jamie crept into the room. He looked at the camera and winked.

He placed the fog horn right next to Enzo ear.

HOOOOOOOOONK!

Enzo jumped. He did not just wake up. He launched himself into the air. He hit the ceiling.

"ATTACK!" Enzo screamed falling onto the floor. "THEY ARE COMING!"

Rocky the dog started barking.

Jamie Vardy was laughing so hard he fell over. He was rolling on the floor clutching his stomach.

"You are dead old man!" Enzo shouted realizing it was a prank. "I will bite your ankles!"

Enzo started chasing Jamie around the room.

"Keep filming!" Jessica shouted to the cameraman. "This is gold! Pure gold!"

CHANNEL THREE: THE VISION

The third show was calmer. Much calmer.

It was filmed in a room with blue mood lighting and soft jazz music playing in the background.

Kai Sora sat in a leather armchair. He wore his sunglasses indoors as always. He held a cup of green tea.

The show was called The Vision.

"Welcome," Kai said softly. His voice was smooth like silk. "Today we talk about passing."

He pointed to a tactical screen.

"Most people see a wall of defenders," Kai said. "I see a river. The river flows. You must be the water."

"He sounds like a philosopher," Michael whispered to Arthur.

"Or a cult leader," Arthur noted. "But I cannot stop listening. His voice is very relaxing."

"Look at this clip," Kai said pointing to the screen. "Here I pass to Danny. Why? Because the defender shifted his weight to the left foot. One inch. That is all I needed."

Kai took a sip of tea.

"Football is not running," Kai said. "Running is for horses. Football is thinking. Stay cool. Stay shaded."

He adjusted his sunglasses.

"Cut!" Jessica smiled. "Beautiful Kai. Very mysterious."

"Can I sleep now?" Kai asked.

"Yes Kai. You can sleep."

CHANNEL FOUR: THE ACADEMY DIARIES

The final show was about the future.

It featured Leo Stone. The fifteen year old wonderkid. The Phantom.

The camera followed Leo as he walked out of his school gates. He was wearing his school uniform. His tie was loose. He carried a heavy backpack.

"Hi everyone," Leo said shyly to the camera. "I am Leo. I just finished Math class. It was hard. Algebra is harder than beating a defender."

The video followed him to the training ground.

The transformation was amazing.

One moment he was a shy schoolboy. The next moment he put on the purple training kit and became a wizard.

The camera captured him juggling the ball.

One touch. Two touches. Around the world. Neck catch.

"I love football," Leo said kicking the ball into the top corner of the goal from thirty yards away. "When I play I do not feel small. I feel big."

Michael watched the footage on the monitor.

"He is so natural," Michael said. "The fans are going to want to adopt him."

"He is the heart of the club," Jessica agreed. "The innocent soul amidst the madness."

THE LAUNCH

That evening they gathered in the office to watch the channels go live.

Leo Volt the tech billionaire had integrated the videos into the Misfit Hub app.

"Are we ready?" Leo asked. "Three. Two. One. Launch."

Michael watched the screen.

The numbers started to tick up.

VIEWS: 1,000

VIEWS: 10,000

VIEWS: 100,000

The comments were flooding in.

User KingDiego: OMG DIEGO JUST PUNCHED A GARLIC I AM DYING LOL

User VardyParty: Enzo flying into the ceiling is the best thing I have ever seen.

User KaiFan: I feel so calm listening to Kai. I want him to read me bedtime stories.

User BarnsleyBoy: Leo Stone is precious. Protect him at all costs.

"Look at the revenue," Arthur pointed out. "The ad revenue."

The number was climbing fast.

ESTIMATED DAILY REVENUE: £15,000

"Fifteen thousand pounds a day?" Arthur gasped. "Just for making videos of us being idiots?"

"The world loves personality Arthur," Michael said. "We are giving them access. We are showing them that footballers are human. Weird humans but humans."

Suddenly Michael phone rang.

It was Victor Vance. The American businessman who had tried to buy the club.

Michael put it on speaker.

"Hello Victor," Michael said.

"Sterling!" Victor voice boomed. "I saw the videos! The cooking show! It is genius! I want to sponsor it. Vance Global Steaks. Five million pounds for the season."

Michael looked at Arthur. Arthur gave a thumbs up.

"Make it seven million Victor," Michael said. "And free steaks for Diego."

"Done!" Victor shouted. "Send me the contract!"

Michael hung up.

"Seven million pounds," Michael said leaning back in his chair. "We just paid for the entire academy budget with a video of Diego smashing a garlic."

"Modern football is strange," Arthur said shaking his head. "But I like it."

Michael walked home late that night.

He checked the app one last time.

The subscriber count for the Barnsley official channel had passed one million.

They were bigger than some countries.

He opened the door to his mansion. Sarah was asleep on the sofa.

He sat down next to her.

He thought about the day. It had been chaotic. It had been loud. It had been ridiculous.

But it had shown him something important.

Barnsley was not just a football club anymore. It was a community. A place where people came to laugh and cheer and feel part of something.

The Dynasty was not just built on trophies. It was built on moments.

Like Diego fighting a cucumber. Or Kai preaching about water. Or Leo finishing his homework.

These were the bricks of the Empire.

Michael closed his eyes.

Tomorrow was training. Real training. They had a Premier League match against Chelsea on Sunday.

But for tonight he let the world enjoy the show. The Misfits were live. And the world was watching.

He smiled in the darkness.

"Action," Michael whispered.

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