THE GAME PT. 5 FINAL
POV - Coach lee
"Terry what the hell is going on?" She asked her assistant, she couldn’t believe her eyes.
"I uh…..I uh.." Terry was speechless.
The kid, Peter Parker, changed his entire playing style. He didn't pass the ball when double-teamed anymore; instead, he opted to force the shot.
That itself shouldn’t have been an issue.
No!
She had seen dozens of arrogant high schoolers try to win with hero ball and lose pathetically.
No….that wasn’t the issue….the issue was that the damned kid scored every single time he touched the ball. Even when there were two giants in front of him, he was extremely efficient.
What made the matter worse was that her team looked completely lost. She looked lost! It felt like a stake was driven through their hearts every time he scored. They had no answer for him!
In all her years playing the game, she never had to face an opponent who never missed. Of course there were lucky streaks. There were moments in her career where her opponents got red-hot, but they all simmered down eventually. After all, they were humans!
SCORE
This kid was anything but human!
She looked at the scoreboard, the lead had gone up to 30 points. The final seconds of the third quarter passed, the horn blew, and her team came back and sat on the bench. They were staring blankly at the ground.
She found herself repeating, "Terry, what the hell is going on?"
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POV - Valeria Toomes
"Jesus fucking Christ!" She heard her father swear. Her father continued,
"That kid has ice in his veins…I thought he was a little nerdy when I first met him, but boy, was I wrong. That kid is going to the NBA!"
"Really!" Tatiana exclaimed.
"Yeah really…That kid makes the game look real easy! If he can shoot the ball like that, he’ll definitely make it into the NBA! But that’s not all, his footwork is amazing, and his change of pace is incredible. The way he just stops and moves out of high speed is a thing of beauty. "
"Wow....Dad, I didn’t know you liked basketball."
"Kiddo... there's a lot you don't know about me." He gave her a smile and a wink.
"So does that mean Theo is going to lose this game?" one of Theodore Wellspring’s fangirls spoke up with a tense look.
Her father glanced at the scoreboard and said,
"Yeah…pretty much, I don’t think anyone’s crawling out of a 30-point hole in the last quarter. The game is pretty much over." He said it in a bored tone.
‘I don’t think he likes the fangirls.’
When they heard that, they looked disheartened. Like someone snatched their souls. Her father continued,
"If I were you, I'd just go home. No point in wasting anymore time-" Her father looked like he was enjoying tormenting them.
"I don’t think that’s true!" She found herself speaking. Her father looked at her, confused.
"I think there’s a chance that the other team comes back. There's no guarantee that Midtown wins. It’s not over until it’s over!" She said loudly, gaining some attention from the people in the crowd.
She remained quiet when people looked at her.
"You’re right!" She heard the girl say,
"You’re damn right! I’m here to cheer for him.. I don’t care if he wins or loses! Isn’t that right, girls?"
At that instant all of Theodore Wellspring’s fangirls replied with a loud cheer.
They soon began chanting for Trinity high, or Theodore Wellspring to be exact.
The dead crowd reinvigorated itself and cheered for the losing team.
"I thought Peter was your friend? Why are you helping the team he’s facing off against?" her father asked her, confused.
‘Because I don’t want to see you bully that girl anymore dad!’ she thought to herself but didn’t say anything out loud.
"I’m serious, I don’t think there’s any point in staying here. The game is pretty much done!"
"Can we please finish the final quarter, Mr. Toomes? I want to see if they really make a comeback!" her friend asked her father innocently.
He turned to her, waiting for her response.
"Yeah dad, can we stay until it’s done?"
He let out a sigh.
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POV - Peter Parker
As I was making my way to the bench I was ambushed by the TV crew lady, "Hello. Excuse me."
I turned towards her, "Yeah….?"
"I’m from News2..I was wondering if we could get an interview after the game... if you don’t mind that is."
I looked at the coach, who had been listening. He gave me a curt nod. I turned back to the lady and said, "Yeah sure."
POV - Magneto
"So I’m guessing we’re going after the Parker boy?" He heard the old woman ask him.
"What makes you think that?" He asked her back.
"Are you kidding me? He’s clearly a mutant."
"So..?"
"Aren’t we looking for one…? A powerful one that controls time, doesn’t he match the description."
"It seems you have a lot left to learn."
"Huh…why isn't he losing?" She asked with irritation seeping in.
He took a moment to consider and then answered,
"Yes…but that doesn’t mean his powers don't fit the description better. I also attached a tiny steel ball on each of them to confirm the truth. Parker moves fast but that's about it. He does not break his continuity. While the other one almost jumps through space…It’s weird to explain. They both might look similar in terms of speed but that couldn’t be farther from the truth. One moves fast. While the other slows everyone else."
"So...we’re going after…the silver haired brat! You should have just told me that in the first place."
"No," he elaborated,
"We take both of them…better to be safe than sorry."
"Hmm...I see..so I’ve been worrying about this unnecessarily."
"That’s your problem dear…you worry too much!"
They both smiled but their little moment was interrupted by their earpiece comms.
[Potential Hostiles. Ten black SUV’s heading from the road to your way, potential contact in 5 minutes. How do we proceed?]
Good thing Pyro was on the lookout for any pests.
"Shit…everything was going so well...seems like we’re gonna have to abort this…we can’t just nab two kids in the open!" She said with frustration.
Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.
He looked at the two boys with a cold calculating gaze,
"Right?....Magnus?"
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POV - Theodore Wellspring.
"I’m sorry guys…I just can’t stop him, he keeps on making those threes. Every time I score….I’m sorry.." I held my head down in shame.
"Yeah me too…I overdid the trash talk…I think I poked the bear too much." John being the good guy he was, covered for me.
"Shit…I can’t believe we’re gonna lose to this team!" Fred said while tying his laces.
"Why are you losers talking as if the game’s over!" Coach Lisa scolded.
"Coach, I want to win this one more than anyone but they’re up by 30 points…we can’t overcome that...not in the final quarter. Not to mention little Sharpe is most likely going to play in the next quarter!" Hugh argued.
"So what?"
"Coach...I don’t understand-" Hugh started,
Suddenly the crowd began chanting for their team, and I turned to see all the people cheering for me and my team.
‘That’s right…I can’t lose hope…not now.’
I look for Janey and David and I find them both cheering for my team and me along with the crowd.
"I can’t let them down.’
I got up from the bench and put the towel down.
"Coach’s right guys…we can’t lose this way….not when these people are cheering for us!"
I didn’t have a plan but I didn’t know what else to do. Other than trying my best.
"But what are we going to do? Who's going to stop that midget? and not to mention their actual star will play-" Jake chipped in.
"I don’t know Jake but all I do know is I don’t want to lose. All we can do is play together and trust in each other. Let the points handle by itself. No more self doubting…no more complaining, all we can do now is play our asses off and hope that we win!" I said passionately.
I don’t know if that little pep talk will do the trick or not! Apparently it didn't when I was received with dead silence.
'Well at least I tried.'
Just as soon as I began feeling embarrassment, Fred got up and said, "Lets go kick their ass then,"
A few more seconds pass and Hugh gets up and says with excitement, "Yeah that’s right, we believe in you Theo!"
Jake said, "Yeah, if you want me to elbow that midget just let me know!"
I laughed but not for the reason they thought.
‘That ‘midget’ would probably kill you before you could even call for help!’
But just like that, one by one, our team began believing in the prospect of victory.
In the end Coach Lisa patted me on the shoulder and said, "Alright Spartacus lets see what you got!"
and I reply,
"Sure, leave it to me, coach."
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POV - Peter Parker
"Alright team, we got them good...we’re up 30 and the game is basically ours. But remember, don't let your guard down until the final horn. It’s tempting to underestimate them but don’t. We have our feet down their necks, now all we gotta do is crush them." The coach finished summarizing.
He looked really happy with the result. Sure, his son did not get the most attention but his team managed to avenge its previous loss.
"Peter, a few words with you!" He pulled me aside.
"Coach?"
"Meet me after the game is over, I have a surprise for you!" He said with a huge smile on his face.
‘Hmm what’s this all about?’
It was unsettling watching the otherwise calm and measured man smile like a toddler.
"Coach, I don't understand? A surprise?"
"Well it wouldn’t be a surprise If I told you now, would it? Anyways great game kid, I’ll send William in the last five minutes and sub you out. You must be really tired!"
"...not really, I think I can finish out the game!"
"Oh is that so? Good to hear! Now go give them hell!!" He patted my shoulder and laughed loudly.
"Okay…?"
The horn sounded and the players were requested back on the court for the final quarter.
I sprinted back. I glanced backwards to see Coach and Will sitting together, talking about something.
‘I wonder what they're talking about? Well it's not my business. I just have to go out and put the final nail in Trinity High's coffin!’
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POV - Coach Sharpe
"What was that all about?" He heard his son say,
"What? The surprise? You’ve been eavesdropping!" He was slightly bothered.
When his son looked back blankly, he knew he couldn’t wiggle his way out of this one.
"Let’s just say it’s a little bit more motivation for him to stay with us!"
"Motivation?"
Sigh
"You might be a great player Will but you can’t read people! Peter’s been losing interest in our little club and I think I have the bait necessary to ignite his passion again!"
.
.
.
"I have no idea what you’re talking about and frankly speaking I don’t think I care."
"Is that any way to talk to your father?"
"Probably not." He replied curtly,
‘Man my kid is a weirdo!’ He thought with a smile.
A few more moments passed when Will said out loud,
"I told you he’s the real deal!"
"When did I say he wasn’t?"
"I'm glad that I decided to give him a chance that day, I’m glad that he decided to join our team."
"Uh-huh" He muttered without paying too much attention.
"I’m glad that I made friends with him!"
"Oh I didn’t know you guys were friends?"
"...." He didn’t reply back.
"Are you friends?"
"I think he’s my friend, I don’t know what he thinks about me!"
Sigh ‘The things I do for my son!’
"Isn’t the team having dinner at Pierre's house today? Why not try talking to Peter there?"
"I have to practice my free throw shooting!"
His son was so unnecessarily stubborn about these things, ‘oh wait I have the perfect comeback.’
"Consider it a team building exercise. You’re forbidden from using the court, until you socialize with your teammates!" He used his authority as coach.
"Practicing is good and all but you need to make some new friends and Peter is the perfect candidate!"
William was silent for a few moments.
He actually expected his son to whine and complain about his ruling but he didn't make a peep.
The game resumed, the green bulls got the possession again. They didn’t look disheartened anymore, probably because of the crowd.
‘But inspiration can only last so long, Peter is going to completely crush them by the time Will subs back.’
He looked at his son with a smile, he was surprised to see his smile returned.
"Thanks for looking out for me dad." he heard him say.
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POV - Daisy Williams, Sports reporter for News2.
She couldn’t believe her eyes when she saw the relatively short Peter Parker play. He was a magician. Today was supposed to be another Blow out victory for Trinity High, instead it was the other way around. It was Midtown High that was blowing out Trinity.
If someone had told her the current score, two hours ago, she would have laughed in their face. Even if she believed it, her guess would be that William Sharpe Jr. had the game of his life and a miracle happened.
She would have never dreamed that some random kid nobody knew about would score 55 points and lead his team. There were miracles and then there was this.
‘It’s like the beginning of a new style of basketball. Maybe the dawn of the three point line.’ she thought,
"You getting this right, Jim?" she said to her cameraman.
"You bet, this kid is crazy isn’t he?"
She didn’t say anything but she couldn't help but nod. In her decade plus experience of covering the sport this was the first time she had seen anything like it. A 5’8 - 5'9 guard dominating the game so thoroughly.
‘I have to do a full scoop on this kid, if I play my cards right I could develop a good working relationship with him.’
That was Afterall the reason why she was here. She wanted to cultivate and help build a relationship with Theodore Wellspring. His father had also paid her quite a hefty sum to promote him. She obliged and brought a camera crew to fulfill her part of the deal.
SCORE
Peter Parker sank another three.
Despite the crowd’s best efforts to cheer Trinity high to make the comeback, Peter Parker had other plans. He surgically destroyed them
"White America’s gonna love both of them. Especially Parker, considering the fact that his father wasn’t a billionaire." she said to Jim, who was intensely capturing the footage. Of course she didn't know anything about the kid or his background, it was an educated guess.
‘I need to get more details on him. Where he lives, His friends, any possible girlfriends. Everything!’
She looked at the boy again, he was also handsome. She could definitely see him having his fan club.
Thankfully he agreed to an interview after the game. As far as she was concerned, the game had already finished. Parker was simply finishing out the final details on his masterpiece.
‘If I play my cards right, my career is going to lift off! Don’t worry kid, by the time I’m done, everyone in America is going to know your face.’
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POV - Peter
BRICK
‘Shit!’
"Finally…how long has it been since a miss!" Theo grabbed the rebound.
SCORECARD: Red Hawks - 123 / Green Bulls - 91
"No way you’re winning this game Theo! Your team is down 32 points with 7 minutes left in the game."
"You can never know Peter!" He shot a three from way behind, wasting no time.
SWISH
"See, it’s 29 points now!" He said with a small smile.
I brought the ball into the other side but decided to shave off some time first. The clock kept running out and at the last second I called for a screen and sunk in a three at the last second.
"Back to 32 again. Just give up Theo!"
"Never." he hastily bought the ball and shot it again but this time the iron was unkind.
BRICK
"FUCK," Theo yelled out in anguish.
Eddy caught the rebound and passed the ball back to me.
I ran, full busters on. Moving past them all, only Theo was catching up to me but I maneuvered past him too and was about to put the ball in. That's when it happened!
I stopped.
Everything slowed down to a crawl.
The crowd was yelling, Theo was up close to me, Coach Sharpe was confused. I could see it all and hear it all in slow motion.
‘Something isn’t right?’
My senses were going crazy. Theo swiped for the ball but I didn’t care anymore. I threw it to the sidelines.
"What are you doing Pete?’ He asked, perplexed. The referee blew his whistle.
Everything was moving slowly, my ears were ringing and I had a headache.
I had never experienced anything like this, I could taste the danger in the air. One by one I looked for everyone and everything there. The plastic rims and the squeaky court, the benches on the sidelines and the worn out chairs. My focus then turned to peoples faces, they were staring back at me confused or angry. Most of the crowd was filled with students, mostly girls. Probably Theo’s fangirls. I even sighted Valeria, the girl who talked to me this afternoon. She was standing with an old man, ‘wait a minute! I knew him, he was that guy in the hospital…what was his name Adrian...Toomes?’
‘Is he the reason why my senses activated? No! It was something else!’
"You could have scored that. Why did you drop that?" Theo came over looking for an answer. I didn’t bother answering.
I looked around the crowd again. The concerned look all my teammates shared. Trinity's bench staring me down. Coach Sharpe yelling out something, Will standing up and looking confused.
Then it hit me.
"The TV crew." I muttered,
"The TV crew? what about them?" Theo asked me,
I turned to see the cameraman. He saw me and blinked.
For a second nothing happened.
My sight went upwards to see the old man standing, raising one of his hands. He still had the hat on. He tightened his fist and as he did, my sight went back to the cameraman.
"Peter. What are you talking-" Theo began speaking but he couldn’t finish the sentence.
The giant TV camera that the cameraman was holding exploded, killing him instantly.
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