The end of the week came around fast and the weekend started off well.

On Thursday night they had gone out again as a team, Tyler forgoing his soccer boots for a sturdy pair of runners. The team they had played were a bunch of high school students, only just on their learner licences.

The Hawks had continued in the fashion of the first game and came out all guns firing, scoring a goal right off the first tap. Their opponents didn't play much better than the Boars had in the first game, and soon it was obvious that the Hawks were running away with the game. Goal after goal slammed into the back net and the Hawks proceeded to the next round in grand fashion.

The third match was played just the next day, on Friday. It was the Hawks toughest game so far, but still not enough to cause them to stall. They rolled through it in fine fashion beating the opposition by six goals. Scott still had a clean sheet, saving everything that came at him, that is, when the opponents managed to fire shots at him.

The Hawks were on a roll and feeling good about themselves. Aaron hadn't annoyed Tyler again about the games, but every morning after a match he gave Tyler odd looks and sometimes shook his head. Saturday morning was no exception.

“Look, Aaron, we have another game on Sunday night,” Tyler sat down beside Aaron at breakfast, “Why not come along and cheer me on?”

“Well, firstly, because I actually have school to attend the next morning, and studies to do. And so do you.”

Aaron shook his head, turned away from Tyler, and then stood, picking up his laptop from the floor and left the house. Tyler just sighed, it was so depressing seeing his brother act like this. He knew his brother was trying to study hard, but he also knew how much he missed being on the field. Aaron was skilled with the ball. Maybe not as powerful a kick as Tyler, or as precise as David from a cross. But when Aaron got the ball close to his body he could do some amazing things.

Tyler just wished he would accept the offer to play on the team.

The game came around quickly, played at the Hawks home ground this time. The basketball court was lit by the street lights. And unlike their first few games, this one had a crowd gathering around it.

They hung around the outside of the fence, some sitting, some standing. People of all sorts. Tyler entered the court in some kind of awe. The crowd was nothing compared to the University games, but he hadn't expected so many people to turn out for a street soccer game at midnight. He looked through the crowd, but couldn't find Aaron. He was probably at home studying.

Tyler shrugged and did a few stretches while they waited for their opponents to show up. Scott, David, Dennis and Gavin were already here, and the only people missing so far were the other team. But it didn't take them long to appear.

They strode onto the basketball court with their heads held high. They didn't look like the last few teams the Hawks had played. The Funny Bunnies they had called themselves, and Tyler had dismissed them as being another team full of high school students in the game for a joke. But these guys looked serious. They looked like soccer players.

Scott nudged Tyler in the ribs.

“Recognise them Ty?”

Tyler looked at them closely, then he noticed the emblem on the shirts they all wore. He chuckled, bending at the waist and holding his stomach.

“They can’t seriously think they will beat us? They came dead last in the University ladder. We smashed them last time we saw them.”

The referee's came onto the field and placed the ball in the middle. The crowd roared and the whistle blew, getting the game under way. The Bunnies tapped the ball forward and then passed it back. As they were visiting the Hawks home ground they had the first tap.

They took the ball backwards right to the goalie, and then they came forward with it again. They passed it between each other with skill and precision. They brought it right down beside the goals, then flicked it back to the top of the goal circle. One of their players got there and twisted his leg so that his foot came up backwards and beside his hip. He connected with the ball squarely and it shot at the bottom left corner of the goals.

Scott managed to get a hand on top of it and pressed it into the ground, stopping it dead. He pulled it into himself and then threw the ball back out. He called over to Dennis.

“Don't make the mistake of underestimating them. This isn't a soccer field, and this isn't grass either.”

Dennis nodded at him, realising after the brief encounter and shot at goal that this wasn't going to be like when they played normal soccer against them.

The Hawks kicked and flicked and twisted and jumped and managed to get the ball back up the other end, but their opponents marked them closely. A few quick passes though and they had their own shot on goal. The ball moved with speed, but the Bunnies goalie got his fingers too it and knocked it wide, straight to the feet of one of his team mates.

Tyler shook his head in disbelief. The game continued in this fashion for the next twenty minutes. The Hawks taking a shot, then the Bunnies taking a shot, then the Hawks again. But every time the goalies saved it.

The Bunnies and the Hawks were starting to get desperate. They were deadlocked and the time was quickly running out.

The Hawks got the ball down the other end and David crossed it from the corner to Gavin. He collected it on his head and shot it down. The goalie moved to block it, but just outside the circle it landed straight on Tyler's foot as it was swinging through. The force of the header combined with Tyler's kick rocketed into the goalie, he caught it on his chest and was lifted into the air and into the back of the net.

The referee's whistle blew, they had scored a goal, breaking the deadlock and putting them in a good position to go through into the ladder competition. They celebrated and then prepared themselves for the onslaught that was about to come. And it came with a force unrelenting.

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The ball ricocheted between the players and Dennis dived forward. He flicked the ball from between them and sent it sailing for David. The time was quickly running down. The ball landed at David's feet and they were on him. Two slid at him from either side, entwining his legs with theirs. A Third came and took the ball, passing it down to the forth.

The two holding David's legs twisted and the crack as his bones broke was clearly audible. He screamed and the Hawks stopped playing. The Bunnies continued though, and the ball was quickly down near the goals. They took a shot, but as they did the whistle blew, signalling the end of the game.

Tyler and the others rushed over to David, crowding around him. As they looked they noticed his left leg was broken, twisted in an odd direction. The bone hadn't broken the skin though. He screamed again in agony. The crowd ignored him though and started dispersing as the game came to an end and the referees announced the Hawks as the victors.

The Bunnies collapsed to their knees as the shot they had taken scored after the whistle. They slinked off, utterly deflated. They ignored what had happened to their opponents though. And soon the five Hawks were standing in the basketball court alone.

Tyler and Gavin lifted David and carried him to Scott's car. They placed him in the back gently, and then Scott, Tyler and David drove to the emergency room at the nearest hospital. Dennis and Gavin watched solemnly as the three drove away.

“What was wrong with those guys? They didn't even offer to help.”

“I suppose that's the way of the game Ty. Maybe we should drop out.”

Through his agony he screamed at the two of them, “No you bloody don't! I am not going through this pain for you to bloody quit on me!” He cursed loudly. Tyler and Scott shrugged at each other. “Just stop talking and get me to the bloody hospital!”

It didn't take too long and they were soon there. Carrying David inside and organising for a person to see him. The doctors were quick, getting his leg back in place and getting a cast around it. They said he would need to be in the hospital overnight at least, but most likely he would have to stay there a few days. He wouldn't be able to do anything with that leg for a while though.

Tyler and Scott went into the room where David was lying down. He was drenched in sweat and huffing loudly.

“God-damn that hurt.”

Tyler and Scott came to stand on either side of him.

“Um, Dave, you sure you want us to play on?” Scott asked in gentle tones.

“Of course I want you to bloody play on. We won all four games now, that last one was close, but we friggin made it! All you have to do now is show those other nine teams exactly how good we are.”

“OK Dave, we'll go on. But we'll need to find someone to replace you while you're out of action.”

“I am sure someone else from the team will be happy to play.”

“Goodnight man, we better get going, it’s starting to get early in the morning,” Tyler nudged Scott and two of them left the hospital and headed home. Where Tyler climbed into his window glumly and saw Aaron sitting on his computer chair again.

“I saw what happened Ty. I did warn you.”

Tyler just nodded and went and sat down on the bed. “David doesn't want us to stop, even though we thought about it. We need another player. Are you sure you don't want to?”

“No, I won’t play Ty.”

“That's ok, I am sure there's others on the team who would be willing to play.”

“Do not ask anyone else on your team Ty. You won’t be able to compete against the other teams in the final ten. I've seen them all. Right now, even if David wasn't injured, you wouldn't be able to compete. They stand so far above you.”

“What do you mean you've seen them?”

Aaron opened his laptop up which was sitting on his lap and span it around to show Tyler. He clicked a button and replays of other games started up. Tyler's jaw dropped as he watched some of the other games get played out. He lifted his hand and pointed at the screen.

“You're sure that who we are going to play?”

The stream of images stopped and Aaron started to speak to him again, trying to draw his attention.

“I've watched all your games. They have been streaming them live. And I just watched all the games of the final ten. They have the skills that you lack. Your soccer team is made for soccer. Big field, grass, running, long crosses. You just won’t be able to stand up to the onslaught of these other teams.”

“But you could Aaron. You'd be able to show these guys up.”

“But I am not playing. I will help you though.”

“You will?”

“Yes, I'll help you find the players you need to fill your team. I know of at least four people who you could use on your team and would help you win.”

“OK, fine. Who are they then?”

“Oh, I'll take you to see one tomorrow afternoon after University. But it’s up to you to recruit them.”

“Do I know any of them?”

“Not a chance. I do have a life outside study and the University you know.”

“Oh, you do, do you?” He laughed at the thought, then his grin turned into a frown as Aaron's screen saver came up on the screen. Tyler pointed at the screen and his frown turned into fury. Aaron quickly closed the laptop and put it behind his back.

“Look Ty, it’s just a screen saver.”

“But did you have to use that? I know you said you watched all our games, but did you have to keep a video of that and use it as your screen saver? Now, out of my room, before I get mad. I need sleep. I'll see you tomorrow if I calm down after this.”

Aaron quickly left, running a hand through his hair and laughing all the way back to his room. Tyler fell down onto his bed and pulled off some of his clothes ready for sleep.

“Why did he have to use a video of me falling on my butt as his screen saver? I really shouldn't have used my boots in the first game,” he muttered as he drifted off to sleep.