** Unofficial Fan Fiction set in the world of Blood Bowl, Warhammer's Old World, the Empire of Man **
Benni and Moritz have set their hearts on making it in the Old World's most popular - and dangerous - sport. They only need to convince their over...
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Coach had run them through a few warm-ups on the pitch and, in the dressing room, talked them all through a few plays. Then, he put down his huge notepad, and went down on one knee.
"Guys, this is a big moment for me. We only started the Renegades this year. I never expected things to happen so quickly for us. Getting to a semi-final in our debut season is beyond my wildest dreams. But today is not a big day for any of you." He looked at each of them - the starting eleven and the five replacements who would begin on the bench. "It might feel like this is an important game but in two, five, ten years' time, today will mean very little to you. That's because there will be more semi-finals, more finals, more big games, bigger games than this. You all have so much potential that this is only a stepping stone to where you could end up playing. So, relax, play how we always play, try your hardest, and don't worry about the bounce of the ball, just be better than your opposite number. Ok? Greta, who are we?"
"Renegades, coach."
"Benni?"
"Renegades, coach." Hertzbruch stopped, stood, and clapped his palms together.
"Who are we?"
The room erupted with the chant they had repeated before every game all-season.
"Renegades! Renegades! Renegades!"
Hertzbruch held the door open and sixteen armour-clad teenagers as near as possible flat-out sprinted out of the door, up the white-washed steps, out into the revealing daylight, and onto the pitch the green turf which would measure their efforts and skills and decide if they would depart from it with pride or with guilt.
The Rottfurt side took the idea of nominative determinism to new levels. Abdullah, the young Araby lineman, took the kickoff and had barely made contact with the ball before a Rams blitzer dropped his shoulders and spear-tackled Abdullah in the stomach with his helmet first. 'Abby' was sent flying, the wind knocked out of him, and the Renegades ordered to retake the kick and the offending Rams player received a time-out on the bench until the next break in play. Sasha Reinhardt took Abdullah's place and was only just able to evade the same fate. She palmed off the second Rams blitzer into the direction of Lucas Kim, who, checking first that the referee was watching where the ball was going to land, delivered a solid knee to the groin and, as the Rottfurt player crumpled, followed up with an elbow to the head.
The home team's bench leapt as one to protest but the coach, Damon Vellum, just gave a rye smirk of appreciation. The offending player gave a loud bleat and then blacked out. Lucas glanced back and suddenly realised that the Rams were not wearing elaborately fashioned helmets but had simply painted their scalps red and those horns grew from their beastman skulls.
His gaze followed the direction from where the now concussed Clovis Khnum had charged from and saw a horde of fellow beastmen - or perhaps beastboys? Lambmen? - charging hoof before hoof directly at the row of Sasha, Greta, and Conrad. Lucas knew the only option he had was to try to protect the team if he was to give them any chance of winning. Somehow, he had to stop the horde wiping out three players at once. In a flash, he had an idea.
