General pov
"Boy Wonder strikes again!" (AN: hehehhehe, 'boy wonder' lol)
"The floating grayson, wonder kid, defies physics to score a BANGER goal!"
"16-year-old Richard Grayson leads the top scorer chart in the championship. Is this the birth of a new star?"
Every single social media website had been blasted with clips from the Rotherham game; there wasn't a way to escape it. Dick was everywhere.
@Celebsuckup: So, I just saw this 16-year-old somehow float midair, then score a bicycle kick, and proceed to land on his feet… Are we starting to get superpowers or something?
@Football.king: Sorry, do we have a real-life Nightwing in this world? His name is Richard 'Dick' Grayson, and he looks like someone gave the comic book character life…and he is also an athletic beast, according to his football record of 7 goals in 4 games.
@THEMAN: Dick Grayson for goat status by 22? I mean, not just his football skills, but his face card is also elite, like…bro is handsome. He might be the IRL Nightwing lol.
After the game, Dick had posted a photo of himself with Sidwell, both smiling into the camera, with the caption.
'A cheeky 2 goals never hurt anyone'
His comment section was mostly filled with some kind of flirting from women, but some comments were also legitimate comments praising his skill and motivating him to do more. But as for Dick himself, he was currently sitting in the Brighton office with Mendes on his right and his father on his left as they discussed a new contract for him.
"I'm sorry, but Dick has 7 goals in only 4 games…what you are offering is too little. He already has offers from other clubs like Liverpool, Manchester United, Barcelona, Dortmund and many more, but he wants to finish this season with Brighton. However, it is only fair that you give him a salary worthy of his contributions"
Mendes said, after talking to Chris Hughton, the manager of Brighton, who frowned and said
"Mendes, don't get us wrong, we are quite happy to raise Richard's wages, considering the way he's been playing so far, he deserves it. However, we are still a championship side, we're pushing for promotions, but our budget is not endless. So if we are to offer him higher wages, we will also need to increase the release clause. Now, before you start, we are only putting a release clause of 60 million"
"60 Million? That is way too much, lower it down to 45 million and we will have a deal"
"55"
"50, and he gets a signing bonus of 80,000 pounds. Also, you need to remember that he is only going to be 17 next summer, 50 million is a lot for a young player who hasn't even proven himself on a bigger platform"
"Fine, you have a deal. As always, you are a pain in the ass to negotiate with Mendes. Dick is lucky to have you"
After that, the final parts of the contract were written up, and Dick signed his name on the dotted line. He was quite happy. His new salary was a nice increase, too; he was now making 11,000 pounds a week, he had a signing bonus of 80,000 pounds, and it was only a 2-year deal. Life was fantastic.
Quite soon after Dick signed the contract, Brighton's Media team released the information that he had signed a new contract, which was then picked up by sports media around Europe.
"Boy wonder makes Brighton break the bank"
"Dick Grayson, highest paid 16-year-old"
"Brighton set a 50 million release clause for teenage star"
"Record-breaking deal for record-breaking player"
On social media, it was just more of the same stuff.
@SorrynotSorry: Yeah, no matter how good, 10k a week for a 16-year-old is way too much. The game's gone
@YesYesNo: Guys, Dick Grayson is scoring goals every game that deserve their own highlight reel. Yes, 10 thousand is a lot, but they are getting what they are paying for. Brighton is on top of the table and has a staggering goal difference. Plus, they've been unbeaten in 4 games. It's worth it.
@Brighton4eva: Lads, it's a great deal, with Dick on our team, we'll be promoted to the Prem. And, god forbid, Dick leaves, then we will make a minimum of 50 million pounds. It's a win-win situation. And those who don't agree probably have a lukewarm IQ
However, Dick wasn't bothered by the media, or the comments or anything of the like. Instead, he was focusing on what mattered. His dad. After signing the contract, he had told his dad to immediately go to the mattress store and buy himself a new and comfortable, as well as customised, mattress. His dad tried to deny it, of course, but just by flashing his baby blues at his dad, he immediately caved.
The reason he did this was because his dad's mattress was shit. There was no other way to put it. It didn't properly fit his dad's larger, 6'6, frame, and the springs were starting to give up. So his dad, who was already working the physically exhausting job of construction, would then have to come home and have a shitty sleep. And Dick didn't want that, so he splurged on an expensive mattress for his dad because that is what the man deserved.
His dad became very emotional after that, but Dick made some wiseass remark about his dad acting like a crybaby over a mattress and was then promptly picked up and thrown onto the new mattress before his dad dove into the air and landed on him like it was a WWE fight.
He, of course, also bought some stuff for himself. He was currently in a clothing store when he heard some commotion come from the front of the store. He looked in the front and saw a shit ton of paparazzi all asking people if they had seen him.
'What the fuck'
Was the only thought that Dick had running through his mind before he started calmly walking towards the checkout on the left-hand side of the store, paying for the clothes he bought and then tugging his cap down.
Dick hunched his bag slightly to appear shorter and then slowly walked past some of the paparazzi. Just as he was about to open the door, a smile wide on his face as he thought he had managed to escape it all, he heard his name being yelled.
"DICK!! HOW DOES IT FEEL TO BE THE TOP PAID YOUTH PLAYER IN THE CHAMPIONSHIP?"
He looked behind, to see all the cameras start to flash as hundreds of photos were being taken of him. He stood up straight, posed with a peace sign, and then sprinted out of the store.
Dick pumped his legs like he was playing on the pitch, running as fast as his legs would take him. He quickly jumped over a bench, landing and then looking behind him to see some very dedicated cameramen trying to follow him. But he ignored them and just continued on his run, doing all sorts of manoeuvres to lose them.
When he got home and told his dad about the experience, his dad just laughed in his face and told him that it 'comes with the job' and that he should remember to stay a 'pretty boy' before he started laughing again.
But Dick got the last laugh, as his dad came home the next day, early and with a pissed off look on his face, as some paparazzi were stalking his dad now, and his foreman had told him to take the day off.
—----------------------------------------
20th August — Reading vs Brighton
Dick jumped on his spot, each jump bringing him higher until he felt warm enough to stop. He wiped the rain from his face, silently cursing the shitty British weather. His hand raked through his hair, the dark strands that stuck to his forehead now pulled in a slickback style.
*Tweeeeet*
Reading started with the ball, and immediately the entire team pushed forward like a wave, just pressuring the Brighton boys as much as they could. They passed the ball between them, and in only the second minute of the game, John Swift managed to score from a backpass from Kermorgant, who had pulled the defence to the left-hand side of the penalty box, leaving an open shooting lane which Swift was swift to score from.
Dick had his hands on his hips, eyes wide open. He couldn't believe it; they were down by 1 in only 2 minutes, which was unbelievable. He shook his head, bit his bottom lip and looked over to the positioning of the Reading players who were slowly returning to their positions after celebrating. And what he noticed was that they were clumped up in the middle and that they were too tight, meaning the wings should be a bit freer to attack.
Dick got the ball from Murray before he passed it back to Sidwell, dragging the Reading forwards more out of position and leaving even more space to be taken advantage of. Dick jogged into a free space and immediately received a long ball from Bong. Dick chested it up, absorbing the contact from the Reading player who crashed into his back, and then as the ball was falling down, he tapped it up and backwards before using his elbow to push himself behind the Reading player.
Dick sprinted down the left wing, already having beaten one man who was trailing pretty far behind him. He slowed down a bit as he was now face to face with the CM from Reading, Evans. Dick then suddenly accelerated to the left, which made Evans stick out his right foot, only to then immediately regret it as Dick performed a Ronaldo chop, cutting to the right, which made Evans slip on the wet ground. The away fans started hollering and whistling while the home fans grew more and more panicked, screaming at their players to take Dick down.
Dick was now running down the middle, Murray was on his right, and two defenders were approaching quickly. Dick faked a pass and ran past the first defender, who lunged for the ball. And just as he was about to shoot the ball, Dick was chopped down by Van den Berg, a Reading defender.
*TWEEEET*
*BOOOOOO*
Murray pushed the Reading defender and screamed in his face, before being pushed back. The two were yelling at one another before the captains broke it up. The ref brandished his yellow against Van den Berg and warned Murray about picking his battles.
He then set up the free kick, which was just outside the D, around 23 yards out. Dick walked back, shook his legs, and looked at the wall. He then looked at the goalie, and what he spotted was that he leaned too far to the right. So he immediately had a plan. He heard the whistle, and after a short breath, he took his jog up, planted his left leg and then shot the ball with the perfect blend of power and precision. It flew over the wall and started to curl towards the left. The goalie spotted his mistake and, with a panicked look on his face, tried to jump, extending with all his might, but it was all for nought as the ball slipped past his fingers and right into the top left corner, lightly grazing the upper left post before the net bulged.
Dick ran towards the corner flag, ignoring all the insults hurled at him by the home fans, using the wet grass to slide on his knees before using the momentum to kick himself up and hitting his usual celebration, his arms spread wide and his head tilted back. His teammates were quick to catch up and jump on him and give him hugs or smack him on his back.
After only 7 minutes, it was already 1-1, so people knew it would be a good game.
24'
Dick was sprinting down the wing again, he was looking all around, feeling like he was a lighthouse. There were 2 reading players approaching, and quickly at that, and that left a perfect spot for Murray to run into. Dick, spotting the gap between the players, sent the ball with the outside of his foot, curling it perfectly between the two players and making it land perfectly in stride with Murray's run.
Dick sprinted along the path, leaving the two players in the dust. He kept himself behind Murray, just in case he wanted to pass back. Murray took advantage of that, as he turned his body to pretend to pass, making a defender run for the ball only to see the ball chipped over his foot, and Murray running along with it. He then shot the ball, just after entering the penalty box. The goalie dived, and just managed to get his fingers on it, but it just wasn't enough as the ball hit the post and trickled into the net.
Dick sprinted to Murray, screaming in joy as he jumped on his friend's back and pumped his fist in the air. Murray just laughed as he ran with Dick on his back towards the away stand. The rest of the team joined shortly, all celebrating together for a bit.
—--------------------------
The rest of the first half went to shit, the Reading players all shifted their tactics due to their coaches yelling, and everything changed. They became more compact on their defence, starting to man-mark Dick and trying to cut off the passing lanes from his teammates. And due to their attacking pressure dropping drastically, the Brighton defence started pushing slightly higher up, leaving too much open space and making Reading manage to pull one back, tying the game at 2-2.
Dick was currently sitting on the bench in the changing room, drinking his water and thinking about what he could do to improve his chances. The coach then walked in and immediately went to town.
"So, you guys score a goal and become lazy…is that it. You know what, I'll just tell the ref to stop the game. I mean, if you guys are playing with that level of effort, then what is even the point, right? THIS IS NOT HOW WE PLAY FOOTBALL!"
The room went silent, everyone looking downcast as the coach yelled at them. The realisation that, yes, they were playing more passively when just up 1 goal. Seeing that his words had some effect, the coach then asked.
"Now…Do we want to continue to fight, and win…or do we just give up now and go home with a draw….WHAT DO YOU SAY, DO WE FIGHT OR GIVE UP?"
"WE FIGHT"
The entire room echoed back, as the coach clapped his hands and said
"GREAT! Now here's the plan"
He then went through a detailed plan on the weaknesses of their team, and specifically pointed towards the left wing, where a Reading defender already had a yellow card. He then called out Dick and said
"Dick, you are finding the open spaces, and you are making the right runs, but it doesn't matter when you are being blocked by the tight marking they have on you. So, for this second half, I want you to drop down some more. Realistically, being a shadow striker behind Murray, and a more CAM position"
"I can do that, Coach"
"Great, now…Let's go out there and show them how Brighton plays TO WIN"
*YEAAAAAAA*
—--------------------
*TWEEEEEET
Dick quickly passed the ball to Murray before dropping back to the midfield. He quickly got the ball again, but as he heard the sounds of rapid footsteps approaching, he decided to pass it back to Sidwell.
49'
Dick had the ball, and he was just sprinting down the middle. He felt like a jet and no one could catch up to him. He had already zoomed past Swift and was now being pincered by the 2 defensive midfielders and one centre back. Dick kept his speed up and started rapidly doing scissors, feints, rolling the ball left and right, before he nutmegged Evans, rolling the ball right between his outstretched legs and ended up running down the left side now.
Dick continued his run, now running diagonally towards the more open space in the middle near the penalty box. However, next, he felt a shoulder try to bump him off the ball, and it was Van den Berg. Dick promptly stopped with the ball, fainted left, turned right, but then immediately went left again, leaving Van den Berg stumbling. Dick then ran past him and was about to shoot when he felt two hands grab him by the back of the shirt and pull him down like a ragdoll.
He slammed into the ground, feeling his shoulder pop awkwardly as he groaned from the pain. He jumped up from the ground, feeling pissed that he was just grabbed like that, so he shoved Van den Berg with enough force to make him fall backwards and grab his chest with a fake pained cry.
Dick stood over him and started yelling in Italian, something he only does when really pissed.
"Vaffanculo, testa di cazzo ignorante! Tocca di nuovo e ti spacco le gambe, pezzo di merda!"
(Go fuck yourself, dumb dickhead! Touch me again and I'll break your legs, you piece of shit!)
He was then shoved again by McShane, who scored the second goal for Reading, but McShane was then pushed by Sidwell, who came flying in with a pissed off look in his eyes. And just as it was about to get rough, the ref came rushing over, first brandishing a yellow and then a red to Van den Berg, who yelled something in Dutch at the ref and walked off the pitch.
He then gave a yellow to Dick, who only shook his head in disbelief that he was getting a yellow. The ref then gave Sidwell and McShane a talking-to, warning them both that they shouldn't be intervening in matters like this before pointing at the penalty spot, giving Brighton the penalty.
The Reading players tried to argue, but it was an open and shut case. Sidwel threw Dick the ball and said
"Don't mess it up, pretty boy"
Dick just laughed, putting the ball on the penalty spot and taking a couple of steps back. He took a deep breath and then looked the goalie, Al-Habsi, right in the eye. The whistle went off, and Dick did a slow run up to the ball before absolutely slamming the ball laces first. Al-Habsi went left, but the ball went flying into the top right corner, completely unsavable.
Dick was ecstatic; he sprinted arms wide to the flagpole before he posed for his iconic celebration. He was then quickly mobbed by his teammates, who were all yelling in his ears about how well he'd done.
The rest of the game went by with a flash, Dick was subbed off in the 60th minute, and Reading, being a man down, went defensive, making the game end at 3-2 for Brighton.