BOOM!
A deafening explosion sent vibrant paper fireworks soaring into the night sky, painting the Jacksonville midnight with dazzling colors. Amid the deep darkness, a brilliant peacock blue bloomed, wild and untamed.
The championship ceremony reached its climax—
The 2017 AFC Champions: The Kansas City Chiefs.
AHHH!
The Old Oak Tavern erupted into chaos.
Everyone shot up from their seats, feeling the ground beneath their feet as they threw their arms skyward—
Jumping. Shouting. Screaming.
AHHHHHHH!
Weston lost control, clenching his fists and roaring with every ounce of strength.
Then—he turned.
In the middle of the crowd, he found Provost, standing there, frozen in shock.
Overcome, Weston grabbed his shoulders and yelled into his face—
"THAT'S OUR TEAM!"
"CHRIS, DID YOU HEAR ME?! THAT'S OUR TEAM!"
Provost tried to smile, but he realized his eyes were already filled with tears.
He looked at Weston's glowing face, then at the tavern full of people who had thrown logic aside in pure celebration, and finally at Anderson, standing stubbornly still, chin raised toward the TV to hide the emotion in his eyes.
Something deep inside him cracked open.
For the first time in so, so long, Provost didn't wipe away his tears.
For the first time, he didn't try to hide his emotions, didn't push people away, didn't let his defenses hurt those who cared.
For the first time—he just smiled.
Then, suddenly—
Provost threw both arms up and roared—
"FLY!"
Who could have imagined that such a simple word could carry so much emotion—
Unleashing every ounce of passion in his soul.
"FLYYYYY!"
The entire Old Oak Tavern joined in.
Laughter. Cheers. Shouts of pure happiness ignited like a volcano.
Maybe, just maybe—
The endless winter over Kansas City had finally cracked open to reveal the sun.
Truthfully, they hadn't dared to ask for much.
A single playoff win had already felt like enough.
Just one victory before they fell back into the curse of playoff losses—that would have been enough.
Because they knew making the playoffs at all had been a miracle.
In the cold, bitter winters of Kansas City, even the smallest spark of hope was a luxury.
But then—
One win.
Two wins.
Three wins.
AFC CHAMPIONS.
This was beyond belief.
And yet, they believed anyway.
They believed in dreams.
They believed in tomorrow.
They believed in the future.
Like children, they let themselves believe in miracles—
Because sometimes, believing in fairytales wasn't so bad.
Life was hard.
So, so damn hard.
They all knew the Chiefs' victories wouldn't fix their real struggles—wouldn't bring back lost jobs or solve their problems.
But at the very least—dreams made life bearable.
They kept going.
They kept fighting.
They never gave up.
Step by step.
And the Super Bowl?
It didn't matter if they won or lost—
Because they would stand behind their team no matter what.
It wasn't about going all the way—
It was about fighting, running, and flying, no matter what happened.
And that was enough.
They were ready.
SUPER BOWL—WATCH OUT, THE CHIEFS ARE COMING!
"This. Is history."
"I'm not just talking about the records Lance has set as an Asian running back."
"I'm not just talking about the rookie milestones he's shattered in the AFC Championship Game—though those numbers are insane and will be remembered forever."
"But."
"Beyond all of that—beyond labels like Asian, rookie, or underdog—Lance and the Chiefs are still making history."
"This is only the second time since 2000 that the AFC Champion's name isn't Tom Brady, Peyton Manning, Ben Roethlisberger, or the Baltimore Ravens."
"The last team to break that cycle?"
The 2002 Oakland Raiders.
"Back then—"
- The Baltimore Ravens didn't have John Harbaugh as their head coach.
- Ben Roethlisberger wasn't even in the league yet.
- Peyton Manning was still rebuilding the Colts.
- Tom Brady was considered a one-hit-wonder backup.
"Back then—"
- The Raiders were still AFC West royalty.
- The Chiefs? Still searching for hope.
"But after that Super Bowl trip—"
The Raiders collapsed.
13 years without a playoff appearance.
The longest active playoff drought in the NFL.
And now—
The Chiefs had followed in their rival's footsteps, rising to the top 14 years later.
The world had completely changed.
"Maybe it's just a coincidence. Maybe it's not."
"But one thing's for sure—the Raiders are pissed."
"And you better believe that next season, their matchups with the Chiefs will be absolute fire."
"Right now—we are witnessing history."
Not just the fans.
Even Nantz and Romo sat in the broadcast booth, shaking their heads in awe.
No one saw this coming.
Not at the start of the season.
Not even when the Chiefs stunned the Patriots in the opener.
New York, ESPN Studios, "Inside the League."
The analysts waited.
Since ESPN didn't have the broadcasting rights, they weren't airing a live show—
But the moment the game ended, they had to break it down immediately.
One thing stood out—
Bart was missing.
"Oh, Blair's outside smoking a cigarette—he needs a minute."
Bart stood outside, staring at his cigarette, deep in thought.
Yes, he predicted the AFC Championship right.
So why didn't he feel happy?
Because Lance was still proving him wrong?
Because Lance was still making his season-long predictions look ridiculous?
Because his jinx didn't work?
And—
Dear God.
What the hell was he supposed to say about the Super Bowl?
Bart: Stressed. Very, very stressed.
He took a deep drag from his cigarette.
Miles away, Romo almost seemed to hear Bart's pain.
With a grin, he threw out one last comment—
"Without a doubt, the 2017 season has shattered every prediction."
"Both Championship Games were upsets."
"The Eagles shocked the Vikings, crushing Minnesota's dream of being the first team to play a Super Bowl in their home stadium."
"The Chiefs stunned the Jaguars, obliterating the Super Bowl favorite."
"Now—"
"Underdog vs. Underdog."
"Dark Horse vs. Dark Horse."
"Two teams in the Super Bowl… and no one knows what'll happen next."
"It's truly a 50/50 matchup."
"If someone told me before the season that Eagles vs. Chiefs would be the Super Bowl matchup—"
"I would have laughed in their face."
"But now?"
"I'M the joke."
"That doesn't mean this Super Bowl won't be incredible."
"In fact—this might be the most unpredictable, wide-open Super Bowl in 15 years. I. Can't. WAIT."
"I want to see what Lance does next."
Bart: …Tony. You bastard.
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Powerstones?
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