As I stood in the center of our defensive formation, watching carefully as the opposing team fell into a simple pistol formation, I couldn't help but smile, excitement pumping through my veins.

Pistol formation was certainly not a simple one, and hardly one I would expect them to use the first.

It was a double-run threat, designed to allow the quarterback to decide whether he wanted to run, or wanted to hand it off to his running back, making it a dangerous weapon where the quarterback had the option to choose at the last second.

It only worked with an agile quarterback that could run as well as a running back.

Unfortunately, our opponents had one of those.

It was an interesting play to start the game. Normally, the teams started with more complicated pass plays, and left such option plays toward the latter half of the game.

A wild smirk covered my face as the realization hit. They were running that, because our defense had a new mike. They were betting on the fact that I would be too afraid of making an aggressive call during the first play and using a conservative defense.

A conservative defense that would give them at least five yards in a run game.

I listened carefully as the quarterback called a few audibles, trying to catch the pattern in them. It wouldn't work immediately, but if I could get a good sense, it would certainly help toward the second half.

Yet, my real attention was on the receivers lined up outside the numbers, watching just how tense they were. After all, there was still a good chance the quarterback choose to target them if I decided to bring a ploy that was too aggressive.

Yet, they were not tense, so, I shouted a few numbers, ones that called a single coverage — weak backfield — betting on the run or a short pass. And, I brought the extra man it would be free to ask Carter to attack from the side to pressure the quarterback, turning the first attempt into a blitz.

An overly aggressive play that made us attack the quarterback with five players, leaving our pass defense weaker.

"Hut," shouted the opposing quarterback, and their center snapped the ball, starting the first game of the day.

And just like that, Thad slammed against the defensive line, occupying two defensive linemen, allowing me to easily bypass the defensive line.

If it was a different formation, it would have been enough to give me a sack, but in pistol formation, the running back came forward to block me, strong enough to stop me.

Yet, that left Carter free, allowing him to charge quickly, and before the quarterback could take a step forward, Carter slammed him from the blindside, making them lose three yards, and giving us the first sack.

And, giving me a lot of Intent, more than I had ever felt before.

After all, in terms of defense, a sack was only second to interception in terms of audience entertainment — and they were certainly entertained, giving me enough Intent to easily channel it.

I reached my system.

[Intimidation IV]

The reward surprised me slightly, as the reason we were able to take that move was certainly my tactical call and daring strategy, not scaring the opponent.

Then, I paused for a moment. "Silly boy," I murmured to myself, realizing it didn't look like that to most viewers. After all, as much as people enjoyed the sport, they missed most of the tactical complications that went into the game, more interested in the result.

Not that I blamed them, as even most of the players missed those.

"Hell yeah," Carter shouted in satisfaction as he run toward the rest of the team while I gathered myself, enjoying the small, yet noticeable.

"Good work," I said to him before we went to the huddle.

"Thanks," he said, as he was certainly happy with the result. I understand why he was thanking me, as I could have run that play for myself as easily, getting myself the sack, that glorious statistic.

"I follow my promises," I answered, even though my action was less about principles, and more about the long-term benefits. After all, no matter what, Carter still had much more power over the team than I did. Angering him would only hurt me.

Then, we went to huddle, making some quick adjustments based on the changes.

"We're going to run a fake blitz," I commanded them. "We're going to press on the right side, leave the left side empty, and pull back to defend the midline. Thad, you're going to put the pressure on the offensive line, and Carter, pressure the number fifteen. He's their best receiver, and I want to double him." Carter looked at me doubtfully, no doubt surprised at the sudden change of strategy.

To his credit, he didn't vocalize his doubts. "They assume that's I'm an excited new mike, enthusiastic to make a sack of my own. Let's play on that before pulling the rug under them," I explained, but that was all I was able to say as their huddle broke as they spread into a new formation.

I truly loved the benefits of Pattern Recognition, which, combined with Tactics, allowed me to read the adjustment of the opposing quarterback easily — helped by the fact that he was one of the quarterbacks that relied on his physical abilities rather than tactical acumen, making it much easier to trick him.

We lined up against them, Thad ready to attack from the right side to create a threatening balance, while Carter stood at the left, the threat of another sack exuding off him — one that the quarterback clearly took seriously, flinching as he turned to Carter.

Then, they snapped the ball, only for the quarterback to take several steps back. Thad smashed against the offensive line, his strength enough to create a threat with the assistance of just another lineman.

Meanwhile, Carter moved forward, but rather than rushing toward the quarterback, he started following the running back who had been running to the side to create a safety blanket for the quarterback.

I spent just a second looking back, to make sure the safeties and cornerbacks were protecting the correct zones, before I started tracking their tight end, but I had deliberately stayed a step behind, not revealing my full speed.

The bait was set.

I watched as the quarterback shifted in his place panicked, his plan in ruins. He was prepared to throw the ball to his best receiver the moment they snapped the ball, confident that he would be able to beat a single coverage — which would have been the limit of what we could put on that receiver if we had actually been blitzing.

What he needed to do was simple. He just needed to roll back to his left, enjoying the security of our limited attack to take his time, hoping one of his receivers would go free.

Yet, it was a reason that, as decision-makers in the field, we studied until morning. We had studied the profile of every single player aggressively, which included their ability to make decisions on the fly.

One that was significantly weak in the opposing quarterback. Panicked, his gaze turned to the tight end that was running an out route — parallel to the lines toward the end of the field — which was the easiest ball he could throw.

If the distance between me and his tight end had been the limits of my abilities.

I chose that moment to dash forward, closing in the distance. He still threw the ball, as with his arms moving, he had no choice. But it made him throw worse, allowing me to bat the ball away with my fingertips.

Which was a pity, because if he threw it accurately, I would have intercepted it.

"Nice work," I exclaimed as we returned to the huddle once more, glancing at our dispirited opponents, who had clearly expected a better start.

As I returned to the huddle, I could see the looks of my teammates changing already, shining with a respect that had been lacking before.

"Good work, Terry," cheered more than one as they patted my back excitedly, their reservations evaporating after two great plays — one sack, and one almost interception.

I closed my eyes, a move that might have been mistaken for being overwhelmed by the moment, but instead, I was doing my best to channel the great flood of Intent I was receiving.

A move not without its great benefits.

[Leadership II]

[Agility II]

When we lined once more, I wasn't surprised to see them in a tight formation while their coach signaled desperately. It was going to be a run game. I assigned Carter and Thad to the sides, to pressure the quarterback even more, while I lined up at the center, leaving it weak deliberately.

Since they were going to run, I wanted them to bait to the center.

It was not the most optimal move, as if I failed, the running back would gain around ten yards at a minimum, maybe even enough to give them the first down despite the yards they lost.

Unfortunately for the running back, his attempts to fake an escape from the right of the center before he made a sudden cut to the left were too easy to read.

Worse, I hid my body behind our linemen, and crouched a bit deliberately to avoid the running back's attention, so that when he stepped into the center, we were unaware of my presence.

A little detail I fixed with a painful tackle from the side, sending him tumbling away.

I turned to the opposing quarterback, but I said nothing, just looking at him sharply — a sharpness that had been developed a lifetime of struggle before being sharpened by the Intimidation Traits of the System.

And the opposing quarterback stumbled back in fear.