Goodison Park was old. It was one of the few stadiums left in the Premier League that felt like a cage. The fans were close enough to touch the players, and today, they were loud.

Michael Sterling stood near the dugout. He pulled his collar up against the wind. It was a cold day in Liverpool, the kind of day where the ball felt like a rock when it hit your foot.

He looked across at the Everton warm up.

There he was.

Finn Riley.

He was wearing the blue of Everton. It looked wrong. It looked like a glitch in the Matrix. Finn was laughing with his new teammates, doing sprints, looking sharp.

"It hurts my eyes Boss," Arthur Milton said, standing next to Michael. Arthur refused to look directly at Finn. "He should be in red. He is a Barnsley boy."

"He is an Everton player now Arthur," Michael said quietly. "We sold him. We used the money to buy Pavard. It was business."

"Business feels like heartburn," Arthur grunted.

On the pitch, Isaiah King ran over to Finn. The two best friends hugged. They did a complicated handshake that involved three spins and a jump.

"Traitor!" Isaiah shouted, but he was grinning. "You look terrible in blue! It does not match your eyes!"

"I look expensive," Finn laughed. "I am going to nutmeg you today Izzy. Watch your legs."

"In your dreams," Isaiah said.

But Michael saw the look in Finn eyes. It was not just friendship. It was hunger. Finn wanted to prove Michael wrong. He wanted to show that he was worth more than twenty million pounds.

KICKOFF

The game started fast. Everton were a physical team. They played long balls. They fought for second balls.

And they had a secret weapon.

Finn Riley knew everything about Barnsley.

Minute 10.

Kai Sora received the ball in midfield. Usually, Kai had two seconds to turn.

But Finn was there instantly. He knew Kai liked to drop his shoulder to the left. Finn moved left before Kai even touched the ball.

He stole it.

"Hey!" Kai shouted. "That is cheating! You know my password!"

Finn didn't answer. He sprinted down the wing. He was fast. Electric fast.

Pavard came across to cover. The World Cup winner was calm.

But Finn knew Pavard too. He knew Pavard liked to intercept rather than tackle.

Finn faked a pass. Pavard stepped forward.

Finn knocked the ball past him.

He was through.

He crossed the ball. It was a low, dangerous ball across the box.

Dominic Calvert Lewin, the Everton striker, slid in.

GOAL.

1 to 0.

Goodison Park erupted. The old stands shook.

Finn didn't celebrate. He just walked back to the center circle, his head down.

Michael felt a sting in his chest.

"He knew," Arthur whispered. "He knew exactly what Pavard would do."

"He is smart," Michael said. "We taught him to be smart."

MINUTE 25

Barnsley tried to respond.

Isaiah King got the ball. He wanted to answer his friend.

He ran at the Everton defense. He did a step over.

But Finn Riley had tracked back. Finn knew Isaiah's favorite trick. The double shimmy.

Isaiah did the shimmy. Finn didn't move. He just put his foot in and took the ball.

"Not today brother," Finn said, running away with the ball.

Isaiah looked frustrated. He looked at the bench.

"He is reading my mind Boss!" Isaiah screamed.

"Change the pattern!" Michael shouted back. "Do something new!"

HALFTIME

1 to 0.

The locker room was tense.

"He is annoying," Kai Sora said, drinking his water. "He is like a mosquito that knows karate. Every time I turn, he is there."

"He knows the system," Benjamin Pavard admitted. "He predicted my movement. He is a clever boy."

Michael stood in the center of the room.

"We created this monster," Michael said. "Now we have to fight him. Finn knows Plan A. He knows The Carousel. He knows The Overload."

He looked at the bench.

Sitting there, vibrating with energy, was Diego Nunez.

The Bull.

Diego was fully kit up. His knee was taped. He was chewing gum aggressively.

"Diego," Michael said.

Diego jumped up. He hit his head on the low ceiling but he didn't care.

"I am ready Boss," Diego growled. "Let me eat them."

"Finn knows our tactics," Michael said. "But he hasn't seen you play in three months. He doesn't know the new Diego. The angry Diego."

"I am very angry," Diego confirmed. "I missed the smell of grass."

"Warm up," Michael said. "You are coming on."

SECOND HALF

The teams walked out.

The stadium announcer spoke.

"Substitution for Barnsley. Coming on... number 4... Diego Nunez!"

The Barnsley fans in the away end cheered so loud it drowned out the Everton drums.

THE BULL IS BACK.

Diego ran onto the pitch. He didn't jog. He sprinted to the center circle and jumped. He landed like a superhero.

Finn Riley looked at Diego. For the first time, Finn looked nervous.

MINUTE 50

The dynamic changed instantly.

Diego Nunez was not just a defender today. He was a force of nature.

Everton tried a long ball to Calvert Lewin.

Diego ran. He didn't look at the ball. He looked at the striker.

BOOM.

Diego won the header. He sent the Everton striker flying.

"Welcome back!" Diego roared.

MINUTE 60

Barnsley had the ball.

Kai Sora looked up. He saw Diego making a run. Not in defense. In midfield.

Diego was rampaging forward.

"Go on Diego!" Kai shouted, passing the ball.

Diego controlled it with his chest. He was running like a steam train.

Finn Riley tried to tackle him.

It was a mistake.

Diego simply ran through him. Finn bounced off Diego's shoulder and rolled on the grass.

"Sorry little fox!" Diego laughed. "The road is for trucks!"

Diego passed to Arda Guler.

The Real Madrid loanee had space now. The chaos caused by Diego had opened the pitch.

Arda saw Danny Fletcher.

He played a slide rule pass.

Danny controlled it. He turned. He shot.

GOAL!

1 to 1.

Barnsley were level.

Diego Nunez ran to Danny and lifted him into the air. Then he lifted Arda. Then he tried to lift the referee but stopped just in time.

"He changes everything," Arthur said, wiping tears of joy from his eyes. "He is pure energy."

MINUTE 80

The game was tied. Both teams were tired.

But there was one battle left to fight.

Isaiah King versus Finn Riley.

The two best friends.

Isaiah received the ball on the right wing. Finn was marking him.

The stadium went quiet. It was a duel.

"Come on Izzy," Finn breathed, crouching down. "Show me what you got."

"I have new tricks," Isaiah whispered.

Isaiah didn't do a step over. He didn't do a shimmy.

He stopped.

He put his foot on the ball. He stood perfectly still.

Finn was confused. He waited.

Suddenly, Isaiah flicked the ball up.

He juggled it. One. Two. Three.

Then he volleyed it over Finn's head.

THE SOMBRERO.

It was audacious. It was disrespectful. It was beautiful.

Isaiah ran around Finn. He collected the ball on the other side.

"See ya!" Isaiah shouted.

He was free.

He drove into the box. The Everton defense scrambled.

Isaiah looked up. He could shoot.

But he saw Kai Sora arriving at the edge of the box. The Architect had found a pocket of space.

Isaiah cut the ball back.

Kai didn't even look at the goal. He just side footed it.

The ball curled through a forest of legs. It was slow. It was precise.

It rolled into the bottom corner.

GOAL.

1 to 2.

The away end went berserk.

Kai Sora stood still. He put his hands in his pockets (if he had them). He shrugged.

Isaiah King jumped on him.

"You scored!" Isaiah screamed. "You actually ran into the box!"

"I was lost," Kai joked. "I was looking for the exit."

MINUTE 90

Everton threw everything forward. They pumped long balls into the box.

But the Bull was waiting.

Diego Nunez headed everything. He headed the ball. He headed the post. He headed an Everton player's shoulder.

"YOU SHALL NOT PASS!" Diego shouted in Spanish.

Finn Riley tried one last run. He sprinted down the wing.

But this time, Benjamin Pavard was waiting. The Frenchman read the move. He stepped in. He took the ball with elegance.

He turned and played it safe to Sam Jones.

PHWEEEEEEET!

The final whistle.

Barnsley 2. Everton 1.

The players collapsed.

It was a massive win. Three points away from home against a tough team.

But the real moment happened after the whistle.

Finn Riley stood in the center circle. He looked devastated.

Isaiah King walked over to him.

Isaiah didn't celebrate. He just opened his arms.

Finn walked into the hug.

"You played well brother," Isaiah said. "You almost had us."

"Almost," Finn smiled sadly. "But Diego... he is a cheat code. He is too big."

Diego limped over. He hugged Finn too. He practically swallowed the smaller player in his massive arms.

"Come home soon little fox," Diego said. "We miss you."

"I am an Everton player now," Finn said, touching his blue shirt. "But Barnsley is in my heart."

Michael Sterling walked onto the pitch.

He shook hands with Sean Dyche, the Everton manager.

"Your team fights," Dyche grunted. "I respect that."

"Thank you," Michael said.

He found Finn.

"Boss," Finn said. "I tried to beat you."

"I know," Michael smiled. "And you nearly did. You are a top player Finn. Keep going."

"Thanks Boss."

Michael walked over to the traveling fans. They were singing the Diego Nunez song.

"He eats the grass! He kicks the ball! Diego Nunez is a wall!"

Michael looked at the Premier League table on the big screen.

3. Liverpool - 35 pts

4. Barnsley - 32 pts

They were keeping pace. They were in the Champions League spots.

And they had their Bull back.

Michael put his arm around Arthur as they walked down the tunnel.

"We survived the reunion," Michael said.

"And we got three points," Arthur added. "And Diego didn't kill anyone. It was a good day."

"A very good day," Michael agreed.

He looked at his squad walking ahead of him.

Rich. Famous. Talented.

But at the end of the day, they were still a family.

And families fight for each other.

The Dynasty rolled on. Next stop... Christmas. And the madness of the festive schedule.

But tonight, they would celebrate.

"Pizza on the bus?" Isaiah shouted from the front.

"Pizza on the bus," Michael confirmed.

The cheers echoed down the tunnel.

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