Philadelphia’s summer air was thick with humidity and expectation. The Talons’ practice facility buzzed with the energy of a team that knew what it meant to be hunted. Last year’s championship banner hung above the field, a daily reminder that every opponent would bring their best, and every returning player was expected to do more.Alexandra Jordan jogged onto the turf, her cleats biting into the grass. This was her second season with the Talons, and she was still on the practice squad—a veteran now, but not a star. She was the only woman on a NAFL roster, the first to ever play in a championship game, and the only one in a league of men. The Philly media never let her forget it, but neither did they let her forget her legacy: three Cannibals rings, a reputation for leadership, and a relentless drive that had brought her to the edge of history.She paused at the sideline, glancing up at the championship banner. She remembered the euphoria of Denver, the parade, the confetti, the feel
Denver was a city transformed. Black, red, and purple banners draped every streetlamp, and the air was thick with the sound of horns, cheers, and the kind of hope that only comes with victory. The Cannibals’ parade snaked through downtown, a river of celebration. On the lead bus, Alexandra Jordan stood with Heather and Mia, the championship trophy gleaming in her hands. The crowd’s roar was a living thing—waves of gratitude and awe for a team that had done the impossible: back-to-back-to-back champions.Alexandra let the joy wash over her, but beneath the surface, her heart was already turning toward the next mountain. She’d always been driven by what came after the confetti, the question of what was left to prove. Now, as Denver celebrated, she knew her journey was far from over.A City’s FarewellThe parade wound past the Capitol, the mayor waving from the steps. Fireworks exploded above Civic Center Park, where a stage had been set for the champions. Jeremy, radiant in a tailored s
Billings, Montana, was a city transformed. The streets were alive with banners, news crews, and fans in every color—black, red, and purple for the Cannibals; baby blue, red, and Confederate grey for the Mississippi Militia. The WWIF Championship had come to the high plains for the league’s first-ever neutral-site final, and the whole country seemed to be watching.The Cannibals’ bus rolled up to the Wolves’ arena under a sky streaked with gold and violet. Alexandra Jordan pressed her forehead to the glass, heart pounding. The moment felt bigger than football. It was legacy, family, and the weight of three seasons’ worth of dreams.Arrival and AtmosphereInside, the arena was a living storm. The stands were a patchwork of colors, the air thick with anticipation. Cannibals fans had traveled from Denver, Militia fans from the Deep South, and the locals—most in Wolves gear—were just thrilled to be hosting history.Alexandra stepped onto the field, her cleats crunching on the painted turf.
The Denver Coliseum was a cauldron of noise and color, black, red, and purple banners rippling above a crowd hungry for history. The Cannibals had been here before—on the edge of greatness, the city’s hopes on their shoulders. But tonight, the stakes felt different. The Texas Thunder, self-anointed “Cannibal Killers,” were in town, swaggering and vengeful after nearly toppling Denver in the regular season. The media called it a grudge match. The fans called it destiny.Alexandra Jordan stood at midfield during warmups, helmet in hand, eyes narrowed at the Thunder’s sideline. She could feel the tension in the air, the ghosts of that narrow escape months ago. The Thunder had come to end the Cannibals’ reign, and they wanted everyone to know it.But Alexandra had other plans.The Rematch HypeThe week had been a blur of headlines and trash talk. The Thunder’s coach declared on national TV, “We’re not just here to win. We’re here to end the Cannibals’ dynasty.” Thunder players posted vide
The Denver Coliseum pulsed with anticipation, its black, red, and purple banners rippling above a sea of fans hungry for history. The Cannibals had returned home after their heartbreak in Mississippi, their regular season finale ending in a bittersweet tangle of pride and pain. Now, everything narrowed to a single focus: the playoffs. Survive and advance. Make history, or become it.Alexandra Jordan felt the weight of it all as she walked into the locker room for the first practice of playoff week. The air was thick with tension and hope. She’d spent the flight back from Mississippi replaying every snap, every missed tackle, every moment she’d locked eyes with her father, her brothers, her stepbrothers across the field. She’d felt the ache of loss, but also the pride of seeing her home state rise. Now, the only thing that mattered was the Vipers.Preparation and TensionJenifer Walter ran practice like a general preparing for battle. Every drill was crisp, every mistake corrected on t
The Mississippi sky was a deep, endless blue as the Cannibals’ charter bus wound through the pine forests outside Jackson. Alexandra Jordan pressed her forehead to the window, watching the familiar landscape blur past. She hadn’t been back to her home state in months, and now she was returning not for a reunion, but for a reckoning.This regular season finale was different from any other. The Mississippi Militia—her father Thomas’s dream, her brother Rodney’s pride, and her stepbrother Sam’s project—had become a reality, thanks in no small part to Jeremy’s vision and support. The Militia, an all-men’s squad clad in baby blue, red, and Confederate uniform grey, were fighting for their first playoff berth. For Alexandra, it was a homecoming layered with pride, pain, and the bittersweet weight of family history.Wilfred, her stepbrother, watched every game from his wheelchair on the sideline, paralyzed since that fateful Saturday in college. Alexandra’s redshirt freshman year at Ole Miss