The FBA Finals were finally here. The Williamsburg Minutemen and Dakota Bikers were ready to square off. Both teams' coachse had some final messages for their squads.

The Minutemen were huddled around Coach Morgan Roosevelt (Raccoon, WIL, Coach). The gray-furred raccoon peered over his eyeglasses with his brown eyes and black mask, eyeing the white-uniformed team in front of him. Some of the team members were quite nervous; big Leonard Mack was twirling a strand of his long black hair in a claw absent-mindedly, trying to think of the scouting reports. Nick Nwabudike (Elephant, C, WIL) calmly sat with his big paws folded, looking at his coach. Even the usually even-keeled and calm Eleanor Rigby (Deer, PG, WIL) had a sense of nervous excitement welling up in her.

"The hardest task begins tonight, everyone. We're so close to our goal, but there's much work to be done," said Roosevelt. "I cannot stress enough that we have to continue to stay focused. We have to stay tough. We have to stick together. We know exactly what this Bikers team is capable of," he said.

"Vera, you have to stick with Mongoste like glue." The brown-haired vixen curtly nodded in reply, confident, focused and ready for the night. The veteran mongoose didn't intimidate her.

"Masalia, you can't let Malone overwhelm you." The young black panther nodded, understanding that he was at a pretty big disadvantage already as the scouting tapes of Malone tearing it up were playing through his mind.

"Iannizzi, if Wayans is on you, he's going to pull every legal trick in the book. You have to be ready," Roosevelt reminded the cougar. The young cougar reflexively smoothed a paw over his hair and scowled, but he understood.

Roosevelt then went on to remind every player on what their role was for that night.

"I hope y'all are ready," the raccoon said, finishing, "because in a few seconds we'll go out those doors and onto that court and begin this important journey. Are you ready?"

"Yeah!"

"You bet, Coach!"

"Let's go!"

"Then let's go!" he said, letting the team file out as the doors were opened.

Kurt O'Malley (Grizzly Bear, DAK, Coach) had a similar speech ready for his Western Conference team as they finished getting dressed in their black road uniforms and warmups.

"Okay folks, huddle up," he annouced gruffly. The team obliged and gathered around their coach.

"This is IT; this is what we've been working for all season, the best against the best," he said. Dat Mongoste (Mongoose, DAK, PG) sat and listened, knowing exactly what that meant. He had been preparing for this day intensely for a solid week, getting ready for the challenge of going up against Vera La Tiérra (Red Vixen, PG, WIL).

"Don't let their inexperience fool you, the Minutemen are dangerous," O'Malley continued, looking at Ryan Malone (Kangroo, SG, DAK). The kangaroo nodded as his longtime coach made eye contact with him. His strategy against his younger black panther opponent was already mapped out in his head.

"But we CAN beat them, and we'll show this Williamsburg crowd AND the FBA why the Dakota Bikers are the best team in the league!" he said emphatically. Terrell Vora (Honey Badger, PF, DAK) and Steven Munt (Warthog, C, DAK) exchanged grins and slapped a big, loud high five that reverberated throughout the entire locker room. Stephanie Beck (Deer, PG, DAK) grinned and pumped her fist. Fenruss Brylee (Black Wolf, C, DAK) grinned widely and clapped his paws. They were ready to show everyone the Biker Way!

"Now get out there and kick ass!" O'Malley declared.

"YEAH! YES, SIR!" the team whooped in near-unison. After the double-doors were opened, the team from Sturgis jogged out of the locker room oozing confidence in themselves and their abillities, just like every other game during the season and these playoffs.

It was going to be a great series.

All characters c their respective creators. I'll give it a proper mention in the future.