Kai stood at the entrance of Sporting's training facility, the winter sun casting a pale light over the immaculate fields.
He tightened the straps on his bag and exhaled.
Time to meet the squad.
The locker room buzzed with casual energy — music thumping from a speaker, banter flying in Portuguese and broken English.
Eyes turned as Kai stepped in.
Tall. Handsome. Athletic. His mixed-race skin, sharp cheekbones, and tight curls set him apart instantly.
For a second, there was a silence.
Then a player — strong build, buzz cut, easy smile — stepped forward, hand extended.
"Gonçalo Inácio," he said warmly, the Portuguese accent thick but understandable. "Captain."
Kai shook his hand firmly. "Kai."
Inácio grinned, clapping him on the shoulder. "Welcome, irmão. Family here."
Family.
The word hit harder than Kai expected.
More players gathered around.
Liam Delap, a fresh face himself. The new striker they signed after Viktor Gyökeres moved to the Premier League last season, gave Kai a mock salute.
"Fresh meat!" Delap joked, laughter rolling through the locker room.
Fábio Silva, on loan from Wolves, winked. "Hope you're ready, irmão. We train hard here."
Kai smiled, nerves easing.
Already, this felt different.
Not cold. Not distant.
They welcomed him like a brother.
Training was intense.
Drills faster, sharper, more demanding than anything he'd done in Atlanta.
But Kai thrived under pressure.
Sprinting drills? Top three every time.
Passing sequences? Crisp and creative, no wasted touches.
Small-sided games? He slipped through defenders like smoke, setting up two goals with clever flicks and nearly scoring one himself with a low shot that shaved the post.
Coach Rui Borgas watched closely from the sideline, arms folded.
Inácio pulled Kai aside after one drill, handing him a bottle of water.
"You have something," the captain said, serious now. "Vision. Patience. Speed. Important here."
Kai grinned, wiping sweat from his forehead. "Thanks, man."
"Keep working," Inácio said. "Respect the shirt. Play for the team. You'll become a star."
Kai nodded, heart hammering with pride.
He wasn't just surviving.
He was earning respect.
The scrimmage at the end of training was the real test.
Kai was tossed into the "B" team — younger players, reserves — facing off against the "A" team starters.
No easy minutes.
But Kai relished it.
Within five minutes, he threaded a beautiful through-ball to Fábio Silva, who finished neatly past the keeper.
Later, he pressed high, winning the ball and teeing up Delap for a tap-in. Who seemed like the joker of the team as he sprinted to the corner as if in a real match. Knee slide and screaming im HIM!
Even when he didn't have the ball, Kai buzzed around the field, creating space, dragging defenders out of position.
When the scrimmage ended, 3-2 to the B team, the coaching staff clapped.
Coach Borgas pulled Kai aside.
"You're not just talented," he said in Portuguese, slow enough for Kai to understand. "You're intelligent. Fast and also craffty. I would hate defending against you."
Kai flushed with pride.
He didn't say much — just nodded and thanked him in broken Portuguese.
But inside, he was on fire.
Later that evening, during dinner at the training ground, a buzz swept through the room.
Phones pinged.
Conversations picked up.
Kai looked around, confused, until Fábio Silva slid into the seat across from him, grinning.
"You're in, irmão," he said, tapping his screen.
Kai grabbed his phone.
There it was.
Official Club Announcement:
Sporting CP has registered Kai Alexander for the Champions League knockout rounds!
The post exploded with comments.
Portuguese fans welcoming him.
American fans hyping him up.
(A/N which is weird because we only care about Basketball and American Football. Hahahaha.)
His teammates congratulated him with Liam Delap toasting with a juice box in his hand. Earnings laughter from everyone.
European scouts quietly taking notes.
Kai leaned back in his chair, letting the reality sink in.
Champions League.
The biggest stage.
And he was about to step onto it.
Saturday loomed large.
Sporting were set to face Braga — fourth in the league, desperate to stay in the European spots.
Meanwhile, Sporting fought tooth and nail with Benfica and Porto for the league title. Portuguese league tradition nowadays.
A three-horse race.
Every point mattered.
Every slip could cost the season.
Coach Rui Borges pulled the squad into a team meeting on Friday afternoon.
On the whiteboard behind him, he wrote in bold letters:
DISCIPLINA. CORAGEM. FAMÍLIA.
Discipline. Courage. Family.
"This is not just another match," he said, voice low and fierce. "It is a statement. We fight together. We win together."
He turned, locking eyes with each player — and when his gaze settled on Kai, it didn't waver.
"Even the new blood bleeds green now," he said.
Laughter and cheers filled the room.
Kai grinned, feeling the knot in his chest loosen.
He belonged.
That night, Kai lay in bed in his small Lisbon apartment, staring at the ceiling.
He thought about everything.
Robert. His mom Mikayla and Ella and Ethan, the twins. Madison. Sarah's sacrifices. Tez and the streets he escaped.
He thought about the promises he made to himself — and the ones he made to Madison.
March isn't far away. They will meet again.
He clutched his phone tightly, then set it aside.
Tomorrow wasn't just a league match.
It was a declaration.
Kai Alexander wasn't just some American kid anymore.
He was Sporting CP's newest weapon.
And soon, the whole world would know it.