16 Showdown

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Showdown

"I want to join the basketball team, sir."

He looked at me from head to toe with a snarl.

'Geez what's his problem?'

"Have you ever played organized basketball before!" That was a fair question.

"No Sir."

"Then leave. You look too old to be starting out in sports. My team already has enough duds, besides we have all the waterboys we need."

'It was true I was a high school senior with no previous sports pedigree but….'

"Sir, you give me a chance and I'll make sure you won't regret it." I haven't played in a long time but with literal superpowers I'm sure it won't be too hard to impress them.

"Go away kid, we don't have any spots available." He turned his back.

The boy with the clipboard started to leave too.

'Quick! Think of something.'

"I can beat your best player!" Whoops

"What…?" he said, turning back, this time with serious heat in his eyes.

"That's right, I can beat your best player on your Team on a one on one. Just give me the ball and I'll show you."

His face turned serious for a moment but then…

"Quit wasting my time! I have better things to do." He kept moving away.

"Just admit that you're scared!"

He stopped dead in his tracks,

"Listen here joker, don't make me send you to the principal. I'm warning you!-"

"All I want is a fair chance to prove myself. I deserve it-"

"Do you have any gym clothes? A pair of shoes with you?"

.

.

"No."

"Do you have the sports application form with you!"

.

.

"No."

.

.

"I'm leaving, Will, escort this student out of the gym, won't you?"

"Yes Coach." He said in a cold military fashion.

"Look….look I know that we may have gotten off the wrong foot-"

'Dammit I should have looked into the actual procedure of joining the team before I came here.'

The boy, Will, grabbed my arm before I could finish.

"Let's go! We have to clean the gym before classes start."

He was strong, standing at 6'2 with a tight grip. Unfortunately for him I was bitten by a bullshit radioactive spider that gave me superpowers.

"Hey Will, I bet I could beat you in a one on one. What do you say to a game."

His grip tightened, 'Oooh we got a winner.'

"Yeah….How about it. If you win I'll leave and never come back but if I win I get your spot."

A vein in his forehead popped out.

The coach was actually calm here. He checked his watch and looked around the gym, "You still don't have basketball shoes genius!"

"I'll play without them! I'll beat you without any shoes, while wearing jeans." The last part aimed at the boy.

'Sorry dude but getting into the basketball team is an integral part of my plan.'

"Look kid I appreciate your moxie but we-"

"Dad It's alright."

'Wait a minute they were father and son.' The surprise made itself known to my face.

The coach facepalmed, "Will, make it quick alright."

"Sure thing coach."

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"We'll play for 11 points. I assume you know the standard rules for Half court games." He said with a fierce look.

"Since you have a big mouth, I'll give you the first possession. Try to score on me if you can!"

'Jesus Christ he wasn't playing around.' I could feel his intensity.

Suddenly he looked 7 feet tall.

Win or Lose I owe him an apology for disrespecting him like that.

"Yes!" I folded my sleeves, surprised by the amount of pressure he's putting on me.

The coach looked bored and was staring at his watch.

"Check" I passed the ball to him and he passed it right back to me.

The game was in play now.

I waited for him to come near me but it seemed like he didn't respect my offence and was waiting for me to make the first move.

I launched to the right side of the court, my comfortable side. Will was surprised by my speed but his experience compensated for my agility. His body instinctually reacted to my movement.

He used his superior size to keep me away from the basket.

I tried getting away with fakes and feints but neither worked.

'Damn he's good. He's really good.'

He routinely tried to steal the ball away from my hand. His massive reach gave him that advantage. What made this even worse was that he did it at irregular intervals, which made me wary of his hands.

The pressure was growing!

'Maybe I should have practiced once before I came here.' Regrets like that began popping into my head.

POV - William Sharpe

'Who did this punk think he was? he was just gonna stroll here and demand a spot in the team.'

It pissed him off, how much everyone felt they were entitled to the spotlight.

'He probably only wants to play to impress some chicks. Maybe brag to his friends about how much of a badass he was!'

Nothing made William sharpe more angrier, for he was the first one in the gym and the last one to leave. He dedicated his entire life to this game and for that dedication to be ridiculed by a scrawny punk who hadn't even touched a basketball until today.....

It infuriated him!

He was as predictable as he looked. The only redeeming quality he had was that he was a little fast.

Will understood his rhythm. Snatching the ball away is gonna be child's play now.

'There give me that!'

[SNATCH]

He caught nothing but air.

'What? But..'

The scrawny punk actually grabbed the ball before he could snatch it away but it's not all bad. Now he can only move one step using his pivot leg without traveling.

[Once you stop dribbling and hold the ball with both your hands, you have to pin one foot to the ground. Only the other foot could move freely. In this position dribbling again would be considered a foul or what is traditionally called a travel. In other words, Pete couldn't run away and had to stay in that spot]

He was about to dribble again. 'Huh what a moron, doesn't he even know about traveling! Once the ball is in my possession I'll end this farce in a minute.'

The ball left his hand and in a second it would hit the ground. Giving Will the possession of the ball on account of the punk traveling.

Gravity pulled the ball to the ground, just as it was about to touch. William Sharpe saw the most unbelievable move he's ever seen in all of his years playing the game.

The boy actually grabbed the ball mid air with his right hand inches from the ground.

Tucked the ball inside his shoulder, squeezed passed him with a single long step and ended it with a basic layup.

He couldn't move…..no he couldn't even comprehend what happened.

'What just happened now.'

Only the sound of the ball going inside the hoop broke his daze.

POV - Peter

'This guy isn't just good. He's really good.'

If it weren't for my reaction speed and literal godlike grip, I wouldn't have been able to score on him.

As I picked the ball up from the floor, I gave a side glance to my opponent Will.

No it's more than that, he thought I was some amateur who didn't know what a travel was!

He underestimated me by relaxing his guard. Something told me that if he hadn't underestimated me, then even with all my superpowers I wouldn't be able to do jackshit.

'Of all the people I chose to have a one on one with, why does it have to be him?'

POV - William Sharpe

"Check." The boy threw the ball to him, but he couldn't catch it. Instead it hit his chest and bounced back to the boy.

He was dazed. In all of his days playing this sport, he had never seen anyone do that. Not even professional NBA players could do that. NBA players were in a different universe compared to High Schoolers.

'He's coming, focus!'

This time William did not think lightly of him. He stuck close, not falling for any obvious fakes or hesitation moves.

He knew the move from before was coming, this time he would lunge behind to block the scoop layup.

He again forced his opponent into holding the ball, restricting his movement.

'Alright C'mon do that move again!'

He did the fake dribble and caught the ball mid air again. His fingers were barely touching the ball, what kind of insane grip did this guy have! He didn't even need to palm the ball to grab it.

William still couldn't believe his eyes, 'I need to learn that move. It could be incredibly useful in game winning situations.'

The guy put his leg forward and was about to transition to the one two layup.

'Not this time!'

This time however he would block the shot, Will stepped back anticipating the other boy but... he didn't move.

He looked at Will for a second and smirked, then he shot it from where he stood.

Swish.

'It went in?'

"Of course it went in, you gave him all the space in the world!" His father read his mind and said out loud. His father, the coach, didn't look bored anymore. As a matter of fact he looked terrified!!!

"Lucky shot" he said to the other boy, to which he replied,

"9 more points and then I take your spot on the team."

POV - Peter

That was incredibly cocky of me. The guy was right, that was a hundred percent lucky shot. I hadn't shot a basketball since….well since a lifetime.

"Check." I said.

He bounced the ball back to me.

I looked down to the floor to mentally prepare for the next offensive possession.

'At least now I have their attention, maybe I should ease up on him. He is the coach's son after all!'

Just as I finished the thought my brain registered Will's hand on the ball but it was too late he stole it from me.

He quickly went behind the three point line arc.

"Looks like it's my turn! Weirdo!"

'Weirdo? Okay I don't care that you're the coach's son anymore. I'm gonna destroy you.'

He 'checked' the ball.

I bounced it back to him but before I could blink, he caught the ball and shot it from beyond the three point line.

Swish.

The sound no defender wants to hear.

"In one on one basketball three pointers are counted as two, you know that right?" He asked with a cocky smile.

'Oh this son of a gun is asking for it!' I smiled beckoningly and simply say,

"Lucky shot."