My Football Legends Chat Group-Chapter 48: Do I know you?

The sound of raindrops drifted in through the windows, riding upon the typical English breeze which still held a cool touch of early autumn.

Were it not for the grey clouds outside, one might mistake the season for winter.

Rio sat alone at the kitchen island, helping himself to some scrambled eggs on toast that had been expertly prepared by Leo. 𝒇𝙧𝙚𝓮𝙬𝙚𝓫𝒏𝓸𝓿𝓮𝒍.𝓬𝙤𝓶

"Mmph this is edible," He stated, inelegantly jamming the breakfast into his mouth.

A resigned sigh was heard from the stove area in response. Leo stopped what he was doing and sent a glare back at his brother, however, seeing the hungry look on his face as he ate the food he couldn’t help but let out a little chuckle.

"Is my cooking so good that you need to attack it like a shark?" He asked, shaking his head in amusement.

"Of coursh," Rio mumbled in between mouthfuls.

The sound of a cell phone vibrating on the marble counter caused Rio to jump, almost choking on the eggs that he was currently chewing with gusto.

After a moment of panic, he was able to swallow down the mouthful with the assistance of a glass of orange juice.

"H-Hello?" Rio answered, still recovering his breath.

"Good morning Rio, this is Elena, your agent." The voice sounded chipper, seemingly in a good mood.

"Ah, good morning," He replied, his tone a little confused.

"I apologize for the early call, this is just a courtesy call to give you an update on Mateo’s situation."

"Oh?" Rio raised his eyebrow and instinctively turned to Leo. Since the discussion involved their friend, he decided to place it on loudspeaker so that Leo could also hear the conversation.

"Ahem. Mateo has been brilliant over the international break, even outclassing a lot of the U21 players in training. United have decided to expedite the pre-contract agreement. They want everything signed by December."

Leo’s eyes lit up, feeling an immense pride rise within him for the boy he considered a second brother. He placed his hand on Rio’s shoulder and smiled warmly before retreating back to the stove, leaving Rio to his call.

"Excellent news," Rio said simply, switching the loudspeaker off and placing the phone back onto his ear.

"Yes, they are very impressed with his development. To have a client moving to Old Trafford is a major accomplishment for the agency, congratulations on helping him settle."

"Are you talking about the new deal?" Rio was puzzled. Why was Elena praising him? Didn’t she say he was too lightweight last time?

Elena’s tone turned slightly hesitant as she responded. "Yes, well, it’s a shame that Leeds haven’t offered you a permanent deal yet. I thought for sure after that goal against West Brom they would have locked you down."

Rio inhaled sharply and his face contorted in confusion before becoming stone-like.

"Thank you for your call Elena. I’ve got training to attend so I must be going."

Without waiting for an answer, Rio hung up, leaving Elena confused on the other end of the call. He took a look at his phone, confirming that the call had ended.

"What was that about?"

Elena was sitting in her office in Manchester, neatly dressed as usual and no longer looking stressed about the summer window closing. The arrival of September meant that she could now focus on contract renewals, no longer having to fly all over Europe to convince parents.

After a few moments she shrugged, placing her phone back on her desk.

"What a shame, he really needs to improve his physique if he wants a big move." Elena lamented once more.

"Achoo!"

Rio sneezed loudly, feeling a rush of damp breeze assault him as he walked towards the Thorp Arch training ground gates along with a swathe of academy players.

"Is someone talking shit about me?" Rio mumbled, rubbing the back of his neck awkwardly.

In the next moment, he felt an ominous feeling wash over him, causing him to shudder in response.

’W-What the hell?’

’Am I nervous because Mateo isn’t here?’ he commented inwardly.

However, Rio quickly brushed it off. The international break was over, and the Championship grind was restarting. This was the next step towards his Premier League dream, something he had been looking forward to for many years.

As long as he had the Major League System, he was guaranteed a place amongst the elite. It was only a matter of time.

Clenching his fist in anticipation, he walked towards the familiar security gates, feeling a wave of determination rise up from within. This was the place where he had once been called a "Spanish Flop" by the papers.

Yet here he was, with a goal to his name.

"I won’t let them bench me again..." He murmured.

"Oh? Rio is that you?" A deep, Yorkshire accent rang out from behind him, causing him to turn in question.

Rio turned around, only to see nothing in front of him.

"Huh?" Confused, he turned around once more looking for the source of the voice.

"Ahem... down here," The voice called out again, a hint of amusement in the tone.

"Ah, sorry," Rio said in response, only now seeing the short and stocky fellow after lowering his gaze.

Thanks to his recent growth spurt (and maybe the System), Rio was tall for a winger, around 181cm. The average height for a winger was often shorter, yet he was not done growing yet.

Rio sized up the player in front of him for a moment, sensing a hint of familiarity.

"Do I know you?" He asked.

The young lad looked visibly amused as his face began to grow into a grin, however, he calmed himself down after a moment.

"Archie. Archie Gray. We play together. I sit next to Mateo on the bus."

"Ah right! You’re the wonderkid!" Rio exclaimed, yet his face suddenly turned confused a moment later.

Why was Archie wearing the U21 bib? In the last game, Archie started at right-back, so why was it different this time?

Seeing the confused look on his face, Archie felt a bout of satisfaction for some reason.

"Hehe, I bet you’re wondering why I’m holding this bib," He said, before his words were caught in his throat.

"W-Wait, what are YOU doing with the reserves?? Shouldn’t you be with the first team doing tactical work?"

Archie was perplexed. The way Rio had played against West Brom, even scoring that insane goal, was a testament to the boy’s skills. Just remembering how fierce Rio was in the final ten minutes made him shudder.

"Ah, about that." Rio’s face twitched in response; for him, starting every game had been the goal ever since he unlocked the ambidextrous skill.

"The Boss wants me to get some minutes in the legs. Minor knock in training," Archie explained, spinning the bib on his finger. "But what about you? I heard Farke is putting you on the right wing today."

"The right?" Rio blinked. "But I just scored from the left."

"Yeah, well," Archie shrugged. "Summerville is back from injury. And Farke loves his inverted wingers. He probably wants you to cut inside and unleash that left foot again."

Rio felt a spark of excitement. The right wing. It was the position of Messi, of Salah.

[Chat Room Active]

Hand_Of_King: The right side? Perfect. You can see the whole pitch. The goal opens up like a flower.

Total_Football_14: Do not just run down the line. Come inside. Combine with the striker. Be the playmaker.

Zizou_5: And watch out for the left-backs in this league. They are angry people.

Rio smiled, listening to the voices in his head.

"Let’s go then," Rio said, fist-bumping Archie. "I need to show the Boss my new trick."

They walked into the building together. The smell of wet grass and deep heat hit them immediately.

Inside the locker room, the vibe was different. Mateo wasn’t there to crack jokes. He was still traveling back from Spain duty. The room felt quieter, more serious.

"Rio! My man!" Bamford shouted, breaking the silence. "Did you bring any Spanish sun with you? It’s freezing out there."

"I brought goals," Rio grinned, dropping his bag. "Is that enough?"

"Oooooh!" The squad laughed. The tension broke.

Rio sat at his locker. He looked at the empty spot next to him where Mateo usually sat.

’The Lone Wolf mission,’ he thought. ’Three goals in three games.’

He opened his System interface subtly.

[Mission Progress: The Lone Wolf]

[Task 1: Score 3 goals in the next 3 games (0/3)]

"Okay," Rio whispered, tying his laces. "Time to work."

Farke walked in a moment later. The room went silent.

"Good morning, lads," Farke rumbled. "International break is over. Now the real season begins. We play Millwall away on Sunday. It will be a war."

He scanned the room, his eyes landing on Rio.

"Rio, you’re starting on the right. Summerville on the left. Piroe up top. I want intensity. I want aggression. And Rio?"

"Yes, Boss?"

"Don’t let them bully you. Millwall fans... they are unique. If they scream at you, you scream back with your feet."

Rio nodded, feeling the fire in his belly.

"Understood."

Training began. Rio felt light. His Elastic Limbs made him feel loose, slippery. He ghosted past defenders in the small-sided game. He whipped crosses in with his right, then cut inside and smashed shots with his left.

The squad watched in awe.

"He’s actually two-footed now," Cooper whispered to Ayling. "How did he do that in two weeks?"

"Spanish magic," Ayling grunted, nursing a bruised ego after Rio nutmegged him.

After the session, Rio stayed behind. He placed five balls on the edge of the box.

He wanted to test his new skill: Juninho’s Curse.

He lined up the first ball. He stepped back.

’Knuckleball technique. Hit the valve. Follow through.’

He ran up and struck it.

The ball didn’t spin. It floated. It wobbled in the air like a drunk ghost.

The reserve keeper, who had stayed behind to help, dived to his left. The ball suddenly swerved right.

It hit the crossbar with a sound like a gunshot.

"What was that?"

Rio grinned. It wasn’t a goal, but it was close. He lined up the second ball.

’Again.’

He struck it. This time, the wobble was even more violent. It dipped at the last second.

Top corner. The net rippled.

"Yes!" Rio shouted to the empty stadium.

He felt a presence behind him. He turned around.

It was Archie Gray, watching from the tunnel entrance.

"You really are a cheat code, aren’t you?" Archie laughed.

"Just hard work," Rio winked. "And maybe a little magic."

"Well, save some for Millwall," Archie said, throwing him a towel. "You’re gonna need it."