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The Furry Basketball Association is a collaborative project, and the creation of Buck Hopper.

Underwood College, PJ Zarr, and Josh Green are the creations of Christopherac.

Connor Caracal, Bruneau St Claire and Cassandra Cassiano are creations of Beau.

Kelsey Norath is the creation of Akkarri.

Adonis Fairheart is the creation of CDawg023.

Warren Doyle is the creation of Gustavo.

Hiroyuki Matsuura is mine.

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March 11, 2014: 6:30 AM

Underwood Shuttle Dropoff

Dartmouth, MA

Hiro reached up to rub sleep from his eyes as he stepped off the shuttle bus. The shrike breathed in the cool morning air, and listened for the footsteps coming down from the bus behind him. He, Bruneau, and Connor had been the only ones on the forty-five minute bus ride from Underwood into Dartmouth. Apparently they didn't even run a shuttle this early most days; Dean Carothers had organized it for the three players.

"Don't you love being a sports star?" Bruneau had just put away his phone, and was glancing around the empty street.

"We wake up this early for practice all the time," Hiro pointed out.

"Yes, we do. However, I prefer having Stein yelling at me for a few hours to having a reporter pushing my buttons."

"Can't be that bad." It was Connor that said that. Bruneau and Hiro traded looks, and Bruneau responded.

"I guess Rocky's done a good job of keeping the media away from you guys."

Hiro saw Connor tensing, and spoke up before the lynx could respond.

"We should get going. The sooner we get this done, the sooner we can get back and Stein can yell at us some more."

Bruneau shot him a wry look, but the trio set off from the shuttle's pick up and drop off spot. They walked quickly along the mostly empty street, the chill of the early, mid-March morning hurrying them along. It wasn't a long walk to the radio station. Once they were inside they had to wait around in the foyer while the receptionist and the recording engineer argued over whether or not it was the right day.

Soon enough the three were sitting in a studio. They were arranged around a single mic and wearing large headphones. Bruneau had already pulled out his phone, rolling his eyes as he checked the time.

"Alright, we've got the connection with the Toronto studio," their recording engineer said through the headphones. "We'll patch you through in five, four, three, two..."

"Hello?" A new voice spoke in their ears. "Do you hear me, boys?"

"We can hear you," Hiro replied. "Mr Callaghan?"

"That's me. Please, during the interview, try to call me Ernest." They heard a few papers shuffling around on the far end. "Alright, we should get this started shortly. We'll pause for a second, and my producer will count me in. Then I'll introduce the three of you, and we'll begin. Sound good?"

Hiro glanced to the other two, and once they'd nodded, he said, "Sounds good."

The three of them sat in silence, waiting. Then, the reporter's voice came through again.

"Those listeners familiar with the world of college basketball will know that the FCAA March Madness tournament is currently in progress in the United States. One of the most followed teams in the tournament is last year's champions, Underwood College. Less known, however, is that three of the team's strongest players are Canadian. We are joined today by these three young athletes. We have Bruneau St Claire of Montreal..."

"Bonjour."

"...and from Vancouver, Connor Caracal..."

"Hello."

"...and Hiroyuki Matsuura."

"Thanks for having us, Ernest."

"Let's start by talking about Underwood as a team in general. Underwood cleared its way through last weekend's rounds of the FCAA tournament with two definitive wins. How do the three of you feel going into the second weekend of competition?"

"It's a great confidence boost putting up such strong performances in our first two games. Half of the battle in tournaments like these is keeping yourself focused for such a long time, particularly with such long breaks between some of the games. We're just trying our best to not psych ourselves out." Of course, Hiro reflected, that would be easier if their coach hadn't berated them at length about both of those 'definitive wins,' and how the team should have won by so much more. Hiro and the other five had been very quiet on the long bus ride back to Underwood after the previous weekend. Part of it was exhaustion; the game against PIANO had taken a lot out of all of them. Most of it was frustration, though. They'd played their best that game. Nobody could accuse any of them of having held back. And yet, after they'd gotten back to their hotel that night, Stein had taken the six of them aside and made it very clear that it hadn't been good enough. Listening to her talk about how they should have been able to crush PIANO, Hiro had come very close to talking back to her. That wouldn't have helped, though, so he'd kept his beak shut and taken it.

"Well, seeing as you seem chatty, we'll start with you, Hiro." Hiro blinked, and brought his attention back to the interview. "There are two names that always come up whenever people talk about you. The first is Catherine DeMille. You seem to be quite tight-beaked about her much of the time, but the two of you played together in high school, yes?"

"That's right. We went to the same high school in grade 11 and 12."

"Now in most interviews, you've said that the two of you weren't close, but do you feel that the two of you helped each other improve as players? Clearly you were both already very talented athletes in those years; to what extent do you think you pushed each other?"

Hiro hesitated for a long breath, and when he spoke, he was choosing his words with care. "The two of us were the strongest players on that team. Obviously we each played a pretty big role in forcing each other to improve."

"So how did it feel last year, seeing a former teammate making Top 24 in the FBA draft? Did it light a fire under your tail to measure up for this year?"

Hiro clenched his beak hard for a moment, pushing away everything he'd felt when he'd seen her name on the Top 24 list. His voice was level and controlled when he answered. "Again, Catherine and I weren't too close. I wish her the best in whatever comes, though, and I can't wait to meet up with her on an FBA court." Well, at least part of that wasn't a lie. He was looking forward to competing against her again.

"Now the other name people tend to bring up is one that many North American basketball fans might not be familiar with. Hikari Matsuura. Tell us about your father."

Hiro didn't miss Connor and Bruneau's eyes flicking over to him. The shrike took a breath, then went into the speech he'd given far more times than he'd like to recall. "My dad's the reason I started playing basketball. He was a centre on his team in university, and he was even a bench player for Japan during the 1990 Asian Games. He passed away..." He added it up in his head. "Four years ago now." Fuck, had it been that long?

"So you've announced that you're declaring for the FBA draft this year. Do you know why your father never considered going pro?"

"My mom and dad decided to start a family, and my dad didn't want to leave things up to chance. A job in civil engineering is a bit more reliable in the long term than a potential pro sports career."

"And how do you think your dad would have felt about you declaring for the draft if he were still here?"

"Right now? He'd probably be telling me that every other draft candidate is busy training while I'm here talking."

Ernest laughed. "Very good. Well, in that case, let's move on to Bruneau. Mr St. Claire?"

"I am here, Ernest."

"Great. So Bruneau, many of our listeners at home will recognize your last name. Your brother Etienne is a star in the FHL, and your sister Amelie has been making waves lately in the pro soccer scene. Is it safe to say there's a lot of pressure on you right now?"

The corgi grinned. It was a grin that Hiro had gotten used to seeing on the corgi over the past year. "No more than there ever has been, suppose."

March 14, 2014: 7:18 PM

FCAA Sweet Sixteen: Underwood College vs Flock University

Charlotte, NC

Josh slipped by his defender, and PJ sent the ball to him. The squirrel turned, and seeing opposing players closing with him, he made to shoot.

Just as he was going up to the balls of his feet, though, there was a flash of colour, and then a short kingfisher was out in front of him. She jumped as he did, and her wings gave a hard flap. Even from where Hiro stood, he could see the surprise on Josh's face. The squirrel still shot, managing to get by the kingfisher's wings, but the ball bounced off of the backboard and then free.

Hiro jumped for the rebound, but before he could reach it, Flock's centre, a big red-tailed hawk, snatched it up. Underwood's players made for their own end as the hawk sent the ball over to Adonis Fairheart, Flock's eagle-owl point guard.

As Flock university came in towards them, Hiro gave himself a shake. He was having trouble with this game. One of his biggest advantages was that he always played against teams that weren't used to opponents that could flap. He could always rely on that extra bit of thrust from his one flap to give him an edge over opposing centres and power forwards.

Playing against Flock was different, though. Not only did they practice constantly against players that could use the One Flap Rule, they also spent time specifically practicing the best ways to use it. All of Hiro's practice in using the tricky rule had involved either working with Vic the year before, or making up his own plays by watching FBA players. As a result, while he had quite a lot of power, the shrike lacked the fine, precise movements that many of the Flock players were using.

Kelsey Norath, that kingfisher, was proving particularly difficult to handle. She moved fast, and could make her way around the court like nobody Hiro had ever played against. Despite her bright plumage, she had an uncanny knack for sneaking out in front of a player just as they were about to shoot or pass. Even her small size didn't make it any easier to shoot around her. Much like the rest of Flock, her use of her one flap was phenomenal. The small flaps she gave blended perfectly with the rest of her movements, sending her into the air with smooth, graceful movements.

Hiro went back close to Underwood's key as Flock came forward. Bruneau went up to square off with Adonis. The pair stood there, Adonis dribbling while they both waited for the other to make a move. The eagle-owl leaned forward, and Hiro saw him say something to the dog. Whatever it was, it made Bruneau stiffen, his hackles rising all along his back. He lunged forward, and for a moment Hiro thought he was taking a swing at Adonis.

It turned out to just be an aggressive lunge for the ball, though. Adonis dodged by, and passed to Kelsey. She went low, and headed right for the net. Josh came out in front of her, but she managed to slip by him with a few quick steps. Hiro stepped into the key at the same time she did, and he moved to cut the much shorter bird off.

They both jumped at the same time, and Hiro flapped. Kelsey held off on her flap until he was moving down, and then gave a strong downward stroke. The delay let her get a few small inches of height on Hiro, and she shot.

Hiro didn't have to look to know that the ball had gone through the hoop; the cheers made it clear. Kelsey landed from her jump just in front of him, and shrugged up at him. He kept his face straight until she turned and headed back towards her own end of the court, and then he glared. The small bits of strategy like that were what he was missing.

He pushed the frustration to the back of his mind as PJ recovered the ball. Bruneau came back towards their key, his eyes narrowed and his muscles tense. Hiro called over as the corgi passed him.

"You good?"

Bruneau's head swivelled around, and he fixed Hiro with a glare that made the shrike take a step back. There was a growl in his voice when he spoke. "Next time somebody asks me for an interview, remind me to say, 'No.'"

The corgi stalked off, grabbing the ball out of the air when PJ passed it to him.

March 11, 2014: 6:56 AM

WDKR Studio

Dartmouth, MA

"There are some people that find it surprising that so many talented athletes are coming out of one family, particularly in so many diverse sports. Any insight on that, Bruneau?"

"Well it is very clear. My parents, they trained all of us from a very young age. No, they could not personalize the training to our specific sports, but they laid the foundation, and made their expectations clear."

"That sounds like an awful lot of pressure."

"Yes, they are very demanding. They expect a lot of us. My siblings have done very well for themselves. There would still be the same level of expectation on me if they hadn't."

"And your parents have always expected you to become an athlete?"

"Of course. They have trained me for this since I was young. It was never a question of 'if'; only 'when.'"

"So do you think that pressure may have been one of the contributing factors to your issues last year?"

Everything went quiet in the studio. Hiro stared at the mic, his beak hanging open at how abruptly the reporter had dropped the question. The shrike glanced over at Bruneau. The corgi's eyebrows had already knit together, and he grimaced as he leaned in closer to the mic. "Could I ask you what you mean by that?"

"Well, the incident last year when you admitted to using performance enhancers. More than a few people were surprised to learn that you were not only going to be back on the Underwood team this year, but even starting on the team."

"What happened last year does not matter right now." Bruneau's voice was measured, but sharp. "I, and my coach and teammates, are more concerned with how I am performing this year."

"Yes, and nobody can deny that you've been impressive this year. The point remains that--"

"Exactly, so I do not see why it is important to bring up past issues. What I am doing now, what I am doing here, that is most important."

"Well I'll ask you a question for right now, then. You've announced your plans to declare for the FBA draft this coming year. You have to know that teams will be looking at your past decisions as well as your past performances. In light of that, how do you feel about your chances?"

Bruneau sat still, glaring at the mic in front of him. Hiro was leaning forward too, now, watching the corgi. Bruneau's hackles were rising, and he was showing a few more teeth than necessary. When he spoke, his voice showed the strain of staying level.

"Any doubts they might have should not be important when they look at how I have performed this year. Anybody can look me up online and see my apparent 'history' from tabloids. A scout, a manager, or a reporter can look at me right now, and make their own decisions. If they are not terrible at their job, they will see me for my skill and dedication, and not for any past decisions."

Ernest didn't respond at first. Hiro's eyes were still on Bruneau. The corgi had moved very little. He was still leaning forward, glaring at the mic as though the reporter would be able to see him. It had been a long time since Hiro had seen Bruneau quite so angry.

"Well, how about we move on." If Ernest was perturbed in any way by Bruneau's obvious aggression, his voice didn't show it. "Are you there, Mr Caracal?"

Connor blinked, but he recovered enough to reply, "Right where you left me, Ernest."

March 14, 2014: 8:09 PM

FCAA Sweet Sixteen: Underwood College vs Flock University

Charlotte, NC

Hiro caught the ball, and backed up towards the net. He could feel and hear the red-tailed hawk behind him, trying to reach around him for the ball. The shrike kept himself low, using his long wing feathers to provide extra protection for the ball. He moved back slowly, dodging looks over his shoulder to see where his teammates were. Once he'd moved a couple steps closer to the hoop, he turned on his heel and leapt back. He didn't hesitate on his hard flap this time; he needed the extra airtime to pull of the fadeaway.

He shot, whipping his hands forward with all his strength. The ball flew well over the hawk's head, and dropped down into the hoop. Hiro landed from his jump with a stagger, regaining his balance and panting for breath. He began backing up towards Underwood's side of the court, and he shared a nod and a grin with Josh as the squirrel passed by him.

He turned to look at Cassie, but she wasn't looking at him. The sheep was walking very quickly down the court. Hiro followed her line of sight, and saw Bruneau standing almost chest to chest with Adonis, his hackles raised and his lips pulled back in a snarl.

Adonis's back was to Hiro, so the shrike couldn't see the owl-eagle's face. He must have said something, though, because Bruneau's hands shot forward and grabbed the front of the bird's jersey. Whistles blew, and the crowd rumbled, masking whatever Bruneau said. A moment later, Cassie reached the pair, and the big sheep grabbed Bruneau's wrists, forcing him to release Adonis. She began pulling him back away from the owl-eagle, and Adonis made as though to yell something else at the corgi. Before he could, though, there was a flash of blue and orange, and then Kelsey was in front of him.

The refs reached the four players and helped Cassie and Kelsey separate Bruneau and Adonis. After a short exchange, the refs issued fouls to both players.

Stein called Bruneau over to the bench as soon as the call was made. Hiro cast his glance between Stein and the scoreboard. They were into the last quarter, and they were ten points ahead. The odds of them losing at this point were slim; Stein had nothing to be angry about. Hiro knew that she'd give Bruneau a dressing down about jeopardizing their potential lead, though.

Bruneau made his way over to the bench, and Stein tapped on the shoulder of Christian, their bench point guard. The mantis shrimp hopped up, and rushed out onto the court, almost shaking with excitement at the chance to play.

As Bruneau passed Hiro, he muttered just loud enough for only the shrike to hear. "I told you. I fucking told you, didn't I?"

Hiro didn't have time to respond. The corgi was already out of speaking range, and the game was about to start up again. He sighed, and took up his position on the defence. "A few more minutes, and then three games left." He said it quietly enough that nobody would hear. Last year he'd been excited during every game of the FCAA tournament. He missed those days.

March 11, 2014: 7:14 AM

WDKR Studio

Dartmouth, MA

"You've been playing mostly from the bench this season, but you've been getting almost as much playing time as the starters. I suppose it's safe to say that you're Underwood's sixth fur this season?"

"That's my job this year."

"And how do you feel about that?"

"It's quite flattering, actually. It means that my team trusts my skills in all sorts of areas. I've had to become far more flexible this season, and I think it's helped my game all around."

"So lately on the show, we've been talking about families of athletes, and what the dynamic is when you have several high-level athletes in the same family. So let's talk about your brother Rocky for a moment."

Hiro didn't have to look to know that Connor was rolling his eyes. When people asked Connor to talk about Rocky, they seldom took just 'a moment.'

"Your brother is one of the most visible and talented players in the FBA right now. He's a star on the Totems, he's helping to lead the team in a season that will almost certainly result in a playoff appearance, and many analysts have him picked as one of the top contenders for the FBA's MVP this year. Now with you playing in the same sport as him, likely bound for the FBA in the next few years... there's got to be some pressure there."

Connor took a moment before he replied. His voice was level. "It's impossible to avoid the comparisons to Rocky. I have to acknowledge the help he's provided my family since he's gone pro, and my parents are both proud of him." He paused, mulling over his words. "Nobody can deny how talented he is."

"You make it sound like the two of you aren't even related. Any tension?"

"I wouldn't say that." The lynx was clenching his jaw, and chewing softly on his lip as he thought. "Rocky has his own life, and he's very busy. He left home when I was still young, so I don't have many memories of him. I think a lot of the time scouts and fans come to games expecting me to play just like a younger version of him, and they wind up disappointed when they find out that, surprise surprise, I'm not Rocky."

"Ever find that frustrating?"

"Sure. Of course I do. But at the same time, do you think that Rocky could fill in as a shooting guard, small forward, and a power forward all in the same game?" The lynx let that hang in the air, and then went on. "Rocky's a talented player, and I suppose I do owe an awful lot to him. It would be a mistake to assume I am him, though. Rocky is essential to his team as a scorer. I'm essential to my team as a dependable player that can do almost anything they ask of me. Personally? I'm happy playing the latter role. I know my teammates are happy to have me playing it, too."

March 16, 2014: 6:49 PM

FCAA Elite Eight: Underwood College vs Saola Memorial University

Charlotte, NC

Underwood stepped back out onto the court, and there was a swell in applause. Hiro and the others took up their positions, and they waited for the officials to begin the second half of the game. Bruneau was already holding the ball, giving it an occasional dribble from hand to hand. Hiro had lost the initial tip off to SMU's armadillo centre, so Underwood got to start with the ball in the third quarter.

The shrike's gaze wandered up to the scoreboard. Underwood 53, SMU 48. Hiro had thought that Stein was going to blow an artery during halftime. She'd made it clear that the narrow lead wasn't acceptable.

They'd all known going into the tournament that the games were only going to get more challenging as they went on. They'd been ready for that. What they hadn't expected was for there to be such a sharp jump from the Sweet Sixteen to the Elite Eight round. Sure, Flock had been a challenge. It had been close occasionally, but there had never been a point in the game when there was serious doubt about Underwood winning.

Saola Memorial University, though, was an entirely different story. Hiro and the others had been fighting at every turn to keep level with the other team, and the effort was beginning to get to them. Flock had been challenging because of their expertise with the One Flap rule. They'd had some quality players on their team, but once the Underwood team had gotten used to the extra boosts from the flaps, it wasn't a huge challenge. SMU, though, was built up with a core of quality players. They all knew what they were doing, and played together like a well-oiled machine. The centre of said machine, and the reason why Underwood was struggling, was the team's shooting guard: Warren Doyle.

He'd stood out the moment the teams had stepped out onto the court. True, part of the it had been the way he carried himself. The hyena/coyote hybrid moved with the kind of quiet confidence that Hiro had long since learned to be careful around. That wasn't what had really stood out, though. No, what Hiro had first noticed were the deep scars etched all across the hybrid's face. They formed the perfect outline of a muzzle, the type one might use on a feral. At first Hiro had thought it was some kind of intentional scarification, but something told him that wasn't the case.

Hiro and the others had forgotten about the scars once they'd started playing. Warren stood out far above even his talented teammates. After a few dominating offensive plays from SMU all centred around or led by Warren, Stein had given the order for PJ and Josh to both make him their main focus. This left Cassie and Hiro in the awkward position of having to juggle defending three opponents between them.

Things had been going poorly until Connor had stepped out onto the court to give PJ a break. The lynx had wound up going toe to toe with the hybrid on his first play, and the two seemed to just... click. Connor's aggressive and fast, yet balanced play style paired off perfectly with Warren's movements. Much to everybody's surprise, the lynx was just as effective at blocking the hybrid as PJ and Josh together.

As a result, Connor found himself out on the court for the majority of the rest of the first half, always pairing off against Warren. The rest of Underwood's bench got an unusual amount of playtime, as Stein was forced to use them to relieve the rest of the starters instead of Connor.

In all truth, Hiro reflected, Connor was the only reason for Underwood's current modest lead.

The third period finally started, and the two teams went back to it. Even with Connor focusing down Warren, the two teams were closely matched. Hiro's arms and legs were soon aching from his dives and flaps to snatch up as many rebounds as possible. Sweat was plastering Cassie's wool to her forehead as she threw her muscle around, forcing as many openings for her teammates as possible.

A few minutes into the third quarter, Underwood went onto the offence. Bruneau sent the ball over to Connor, and the lynx pushed forward. Warren moved to intercept, and Connor stopped dead. Not a breath later, he switched his momentum and dodged out to the side. It was a perfect cut, and Warren stumbled by, staggering to keep on his feet.

The lynx drove forward, and ducked under SMU's armadillo centre's arms deep in the key. He took another step, and then his arm swung around and up, throwing the ball in a hook. There was a roar of cheering as the ball slipped through the hoop.

The lynx pumped a fist in the air, laughing as Cassie jogged by and gave him a slap on the back. He began heading over towards Underwood's end of the court, but as he moved he turned towards Warren.

Hiro didn't see exactly what the lynx did, but he noticed him make some sort of gesture towards his face. Whatever it was, it made Warren's posture change immediately. The canine's back straightened, and his tail went rigid behind him. Connor must have noticed the shift, because the look of elation on his face faltered. The two players stared at each other for a long moment, and then Warren turned away.

The canine gestured to his point guard, a possum that Bruneau had been tangling with for the entire game. She nodded back to him, and the SMU team came forward.

Warren moved towards Connor again, and the lynx crouched. The possum sent the ball over to Warren, and the canine took off. He stepped in tight with Connor, and the lynx almost stumbled in surprise. He managed to get his feet back under him, and he moved fast with Warren as the canine moved out to the side.

Connor made a lunge, and Warren ducked away. Warren had a clear path to move past the lynx, but to everybody's confusion he just stood there dribbling. Connor recovered, and eyed the hybrid, unsure.

The two of them moved again, with Warren pushing forward. The pair went back and forth hard, all the while inching closer to the net. Warren made sure to keep his footsteps as close and tight with Connor's as possible, forcing the lynx to almost stumble on several occasions to keep from tripping. The lynx was keeping up, but with great difficulty; the look on his face showed his concentration giving way to frustration.

After several long seconds of this, the lynx lost his patience. He lunged aggressively for the ball, his arm stretching out. The canine stopped dead in his tracks, and even took half a step back. Seeing this, Connor tried to take a step to adjust his angle. The lynx was already off balance from his lunge, though, and his feet scrambled beneath him as he pitched forward with a surprised yowl.

Warren jogged by with ease as Connor landed squarely on his outstretched arm. The canine hybrid had no trouble making his basket. He gave a satisfied nod. He wasn't the only person in the stadium who hadn't noticed that Connor was still on the ground, clutching at his arm.

A moment later, though, a whistle blew, and all action on the court stopped. Cassie was the first person to reach the lynx, and she crouched next to him, grabbing his arm and holding it steady. A moment later, Underwood's trainer, a short otter named Clara, jogged up. Stein was close on her heels.

There were a long few moments as they crowded around the lynx, speaking quietly amongst themselves. There was a buzz of conversation in the stadium, but it was hushed. Hiro looked away from his teammate only once, to check on Warren. The canine was standing back, his arms crossed. The shrike couldn't read his face.

At last, Stein and Clara helped Connor up. He was grimacing. Clara was reaching way up to keep the lynx's arm elevated. She walked him off of the court to a smattering of applause from the audience.

Hiro didn't pay any attention to them; his eyes were on Stein and Cassie. The two were sharing a few quick words on the court. Stein nodded, then walked off the court, gesturing for Josh to come off the bench to replace Connor. As the squirrel jogged out, Hiro approached Cassie.

"Just a contusion," she said before he could ask.

Hiro let out a breath. A contusion. That was all. Though painful, it probably wouldn't be serious. Still...

The shrike let his gaze wander back to Warren. He knew Cassie was looking in the same direction. They'd barely kept up with Warren until that point with Connor pairing off against him. The shrike wasn't looking forward to playing the rest of the game without the lynx's help.

March 11, 2014: 7:40 AM

Outside WDKR Studio

Dartmouth, MA

As the door to the radio station closed behind them, Hiro let out a long breath he'd been holding for some time.

"See?" Bruneau muttered, looking pointedly at Connor. "Aren't interviews fun?"

Connor didn't reply, but he did grimace at the corgi. The three of them set out down the street, heading back towards the shuttle pick up location. Hiro had his head down; he was going over the interview, and everything that had come up during it. He hoped that Stein hadn't known just how invasive some of the questions were going to be. She probably hadn't, but... still. Stein seemed fixed on getting all of their names out there as much as possible. At the very least, she should've done research and warned them that it was a risk.

They were almost to the pick up spot when Bruneau let out a loud sigh of annoyance. Hiro and Connor looked over at him, and the corgi spoke. "I don't want to go back just yet."

"What's that supposed to mean? We've got practice." Connor had an eyebrow raised at the corgi.

"Sorry if I don't feel like going and having Stein yell at me again so soon after that pleasant interview."

"Well what else are we going to do?"

The corgi sniffed. "I don't know. I feel like a drink."

Connor and Hiro traded looks. Neither of them liked the sound of that. Hiro took over.

"Bruneau, it isn't even 8. There aren't any bars open."

"Calisse, then let's go to a frigging corner store and buy a couple beers or something." He glared over at the two of them. Seeing the looks on their faces, he gave an exasperated sigh. "I don't want to get loaded. I just want to have a drink. Have a bit of time when there isn't some reporter trying to get me angry or a coach telling me I'm not good enough."

"The trainers don't even want us drinking right now." Connor rolled his eyes. "I get that you had a shitty morning, but don't try to drag us into it."

"Well then head back." Bruneau snorted, and glanced over at Hiro. "How about it? I'll buy."

The shrike hesitated. He didn't want to join Bruneau, but he knew that the corgi would go on his own if he had to.

"Yeah, sure, might as well."

The corgi just grinned.

Connor split off from them, and headed to the shuttle pick up spot. Hiro and Bruneau turned and walked a couple blocks until they found a gas station. The two of them stepped inside, and the attendant gave a double take at the towering pair.

The pair was more than used to people staring at their height, especially when they were hanging around teammates. They headed to the fridges, and each grabbed a drink, bringing it up to the front.

As Hiro was putting his ID back into his wallet, Bruneau spoke.

"You know, people had forgotten."

"What?"

"Nobody's even mentioned the whole thing with the doping to me for months. Everybody had forgotten."

Hiro didn't respond for a few seconds. When he did, he was choosing his words carefully. "I doubt that anybody will care."

"Nobody on our team, maybe. I'm more afraid of what happens when other teams hear it."

The dog went quiet again, and they didn't speak as the attendant finished ringing them through.

March 16, 2014: 7:21 PM

FCAA Elite Eight: Underwood College vs Saola Memorial University

Charlotte, NC

Hiro's pulse was racing, and adrenaline was lighting his veins on fire. As they raced down the court towards SMU's end, the desperate roaring of the crowd told him everything he needed to know.

Last moments of the game. Tied score.

Bruneau was moving full-tilt down the court, the ball hammering out a deafening rhythm above the noise of the crowd. PJ kept pace with him, while Hiro, Cassie, and Josh moved in closer to the hoop. SMU's point guard came forward to meet Bruneau, and the ball was already gone, over to PJ. PJ held it just long enough for the point guard to start turning towards him, and then the hare passed back to Bruneau.

From Bruneau up to Josh. The squirrel went forward, and defenders turned towards him and began closing. Josh threw the ball past them, out towards Cassie. The sheep was already pushing off for a jump as she caught the ball.

She shot. The crowd erupted as the ball went through the hoop.

Hiro and the others backed up. The crowd was celebrating their victory. The team knew it wasn't over.

SMU's point guard grabbed the ball. Her eyes flicked over to the scoreboard. She passed to Warren before they even reached the centre line.

The canine hybrid came on hard. He wasn't watching his teammates, or the Underwood players moving to intercept him. His eyes were fixed on the hoop, never straying.

Hiro was only dimly aware of the crowd chanting around him, the measure of their voices telling him they were counting down. As the final, roaring number was belted out, Warren stopped dead, jumped, and shot.

There was a general intake of breath as the ball sailed through the air.

As it swished through the hoop, Hiro ignored the explosion of cheers from the stands. He was too busy turning, looking back to Warren. There was a sick feeling in his chest until he saw where the hybrid was standing; a few feet beyond the three-point line.

The shrike let out a breath he hadn't known he'd been holding, and glanced to the scoreboard. As he'd expected, the score was tied. 86 apiece.

He and the others walked over to the bench, where Stein was already standing. The others were all speaking, arguing over who should've been in place to stop Warren, or who could've scored an extra point somewhere.

Stein stood still, watching the team. Hiro didn't speak while the others argued; he kept his eyes on her. He wasn't her biggest fan at the moment, but he damn well knew that she was their best bet at pulling this off. When she finally spoke, everybody else fell quiet. "We've got 5 minutes to pull this off. Warren's our biggest threat. Josh, on him at all times. PJ, he's got a temper. Use that. If you have to foul out, do it, but do not get yourself kicked out of the tournament. Bruneau, keep heavy pressure on their point guard while you're on defence. Don't give her time to think; make her make mistakes. On offence, we want to completely avoid dealing with Warren. Pass only to Cassie and Hiro. Cassie, Hiro..." The mare took a deep breath. "Make something happen. You're all hurting right now. I know that. I don't care. Push through it. If you'd been giving it everything for the entire game, you wouldn't be in this situation right now. I wouldn't be asking the five of you to do this if I didn't believe you could handle it. Underwood needs this. So hold nothing back. Is that understood?"

All five of them nodded. Hiro didn't look to the bench players. Normally, an overtime would be their time to shine. He didn't want to see how they were reacting to the news that he and the other starters would be taking this time, too. He didn't have the time to think about the other players, either. Stein had just dumped all the weight of the offence on him and Cassie. He glanced over to the sheep. She was looking at him, too, her eyes narrowed.

The shrike took a deep breath. Time to make a miracle.

March 11, 2014: 8:06 AM

Outside WDKR Studio

Dartmouth, MA

Hiro and Bruneau found a spot not far from the corner store to drink their beers. Hiro kept dodging glances around; they'd picked a spot that wasn't too visible from the street, and it was still early, so the odds of anybody seeing them were slim. That said, he couldn't help the fear that a police officer would walk by and see them drinking in public.

The two of them were quiet as they drank. When they'd finished the beers, they made their way back towards the shuttle bus pickup. Bruneau tossed their empties into a trashcan, and the two of them sat on the bench, waiting in the chill air.

Hiro could feel the odd burn of the alcohol in his veins; avians couldn't handle alcohol well at the best of times, and he rarely drank. He was actually feeling a bit dizzy when he looked up and saw the shuttle way down the street, coming towards them.

Hiro began standing, but stopped when Bruneau spoke next to him.

"You know, when Stein asked me to come back to the team, she told me she'd been considering me last year to replace Vic as captain."

Hiro blinked, and looked over at the corgi. He was still sitting in place, staring straight ahead.

"Yeah?"

"Yeah. She told me that it was always between Cassie, you, and me. But after everything that happened, she knew she couldn't let me be captain." The corgi finally stood up, and shoved his hands into the pockets of his coat. "I guess it's better this way, though. Instead of one captain with me, she got two by picking Cassie."

"What?"

"Oh don't play stupid. We all know that you and Cassie are always working together. You think that nobody else on the team notices all the looks you give each other, or how the two of you always hang out together outside of practices?" The corgi snorted and shook his head. "A few of the younger team members thought the two of you were dating at the start of the year."

Hiro eyed Bruneau, unsure of how to respond. He'd never put much thought into it, but he'd just assumed that he and Cassie had been more subtle than that.

"I get it, alright?" Bruneau was still watching the bus as it drew closer down the street; he hadn't looked at Hiro since he began talking. "You, Josh, Cassie... you guys are close. You all worked your asses off to get here. You're the poster children of what Underwood stands for. PJ and, to a lesser extent, Connor too. I'm just some guy who got in because of a few donations his parents made and his last name. I get that, and it's okay if you have trouble connecting with me because of it. But when you and Cassie turn around and start acting like you're close to me or that we're anything more than teammates, because the two of you are in charge now--"

"We aren't worrying because we're in charge, we worry because we care!"

"Well where were the two of you last year when they kicked me off the team!?"

The corgi stopped after that, panting. His body was tense, his tail rigid behind him. Hiro kept his beak clamped shut. The burn of alcohol that was making him think of all sorts of things he could yell back at Bruneau was the same force making him too groggy to do it.

The corgi spoke again once he'd taken a few breaths. "I could pretend that it doesn't bug me, but it does." The bus pulled up, and Bruneau started walking to the door. Before Hiro could speak or follow, the corgi spoke just loud enough for the shrike to hear. "Thanks for watching out for me."

March 16, 2014: 7:26 PM

FCAA Elite Eight: Underwood College vs Saola Memorial University

Charlotte, NC

The five of them stepped back onto the court. There was a constant, low rumble coming from the stands, and Hiro felt every eye in the stadium focus on him as he moved towards centre court. His body was aching, and sweat was matting his feathers down against him. He let his eyes wander over to the scoreboard, eying the five minutes that had been added to the time. That was all the time he needed to hold out for. Five more minutes.

He squared off with the armadillo centre. The two of them glared at each other as the ref held out the ball. Silence fell on the stadium, but it was different from the normal tip off silence. This silence was tense instead of expectant; a dam holding back a flood of noise ready to explode.

The ref tossed the ball up.

Hiro launched himself, wings snapping down. He scooped the ball out of the air and sent it back.

From there, Hiro had trouble following everything that was happening. His body hurt everywhere from how hard he'd been playing the entire game; he'd pulled more than a few painful dives chasing down balls. His teammates weren't doing much better. Bruneau was panting heavily, his tongue hanging out as he rushed SMU's possum point guard again and again. PJ was doing his best to get Warren and the rest of SMU angry; his plays were as close to dirty as he could get without being called, and whenever he wasn't rushing he was making small comments to any opponents that could hear him. Josh was playing hard, trying to block Warren out with his body more than actually outplay him. Whenever Hiro got close to Josh, he noticed that the squirrel was shaking.

He and Cassie were zombie-like on the defence; they tried to focus entirely on attacking. The two of them played more aggressive than either of them normally did, trying to make screens for each other. With PJ around drawing much of the opposing team's aggression, it was easier for Hiro and Cassie to outmanoeuvre their opponents.

Throughout it all, though, Warren was there, anchoring his team. He was visibly exhausted; he'd played as many if not more minutes than any other player on the court. If Hiro and Cassie were being aggressive, then he was being downright militant. Once he figured out Underwood's strategy, he started driving for the net on the offence as much as possible. With Underwood's two biggest players focusing on attacking, it was easier for him to slip by and shoot close to the net.

The five minute period felt like it stretched on forever. By the time the final buzzer rang, it took Hiro a few moments to register it. He was still trying to shove by that damned armadillo to get in closer to the net. Once the shrike realized that everybody else had stopped, though, he looked over at the scoreboard.

Underwood 96. SMU 94.

The shrike stared at the numbers for several long seconds, his brain sluggish. He didn't realize that they'd won until Cassie slung an arm around his shoulders. He almost stumbled, but she gave a squeeze.

"Just two more games." Her voice was hoarse, and he barely heard it over the roaring from the stands.

Hiro looked out at his teammates again. Bruneau's hands were on his knees as he crouched, panting for breath. PJ was trading looks with a few of their opponents, almost like he was daring them to take a swing at him. Josh was smiling as he looked around the stadium, but even from where he stood Hiro could see the shivers convulsing up the squirrel's tail.

Connor was injured.

"Do we have two more in us?" he heard his voice croak.

Cassie gave his shoulders another squeeze. "We've got this, Hiro."

Hiro nodded to her. He didn't comment on the moment of hesitation before she'd reassured him.