AN: Nothing really, other than just a quick notice that this is my first time writing a cheer squad performance, and I am by no means a cheerleader. So apologies ahead of time for all of those who are/were cheerleaders if I messed anything up.
"What do you think is going to happen now?" Harley asks quietly as he watches Tony and the guys go into the locker rooms.
"I don't know," Darcy says almost somberly, as she busies herself by putting things away.
Natasha overhears them talk and frowns. She then looks up to the stands and sees their friends, classmates, and families move about with a slump on their shoulders. They all had such high hopes coming in and now... no, it can't be like this. If Marvel loses, it will do so with a fight and energy, not in resignation. Steeling her resolve, Natasha turns to face the rest of the cheer squad as they all get their stuff together for their performance, though a few don't look as lively as before.
"Guys! It's not going to end like this."
"Seems like it is Romanoff," Jessica mutters as she gets her pompoms.
"That's not what I meant," her tone draws in everyone's attention as they turn to face the red head, including Laura, Victoria, and the remaining assistants.
"Then pray tell, what do you mean," Sitwell asks exasperatedly, others murmur as they all look at her.
"What I mean is that Marvel is stronger than this. The guys worked so hard to get here, and so what if they are a few points behind? They can make it back in the second half. But they are going to need our cheers and our support. No they're going to need all of their support," she gestures to the downcast audience.
"But what can we do?" Katya, a small freshman asks timidly.
"Are you kidding me," everyone turns to Pepper as she goes over and throws an arm over Natasha's shoulders, "We're cheerleaders! It's our job to make the audience cheer and go crazy."
"Exactly," Natasha agrees and a look of determination spreads across her face, "If we can get these fans cheering and alive again, then that might just be what the guys need to win this thing. Listen, I believe that our guys can win, but if they don't, then it's not going to be like this. They deserve to have a strong school and community standing behind them all the way till the bitter end. So if they go down, they'll go down with their fans cheering and smiling for them. So don't think about what Disney is doing. It's not about competing, it's about getting the crowds riled up and ready with their full support for the boys," She looks into each of their eyes and places her hand forward, "Who's with me?"
"You can count on me Nat," Pepper says, placing her own hand on top of her friend's.
The rest of the cheer squad at first look hesitant, but then slowly, smiles and confident smirks begin to emerge.
"I'm in," Jane says with a bright smile.
"As am I," Sif adds.
Then, each member of the cheer squad places their hand in the center. They then open up a little for their coach, Laura, Darcy, Leo, and Harley.
"We can do this! Let's cheer for our guys!" Natasha exclaims.
"One! Two! Three! Marvel!" the cheer squad, with renewed vigor, gathers all their pompoms and fix their hairs briskly.
The crowd could sense the cheerleaders' changed demeanor, and a few near the front could hear parts of Natasha's quick, motivational speech. This lifted their spirits albeit by a little, and most return to their seats with a small smile.
"She's right," Jemma says softly to her friend Betty, who nods in agreement.
"We cannot give up now!" Betty then passes the word to the person next to her, who is Wanda, who then texts everyone else the same message. Gradually, the crowd for Marvel becomes more determined and confident for their victory.
Down on the field, the cheerleaders can feel the crowd warming up again and nod to each other with confidence. They then sit back and watch the Disney cheerleaders as they get onto the field.
The Disney cheerleaders, also known as the Disney Princesses, were the finalists in the National Cheer Competition and would have taken the win if it weren't for one of their captains falling and breaking her leg right in the middle of performing. However, from the said girl's performance now, it doesn't even look as if she had even sprained an ankle.
In fact, all the Disney Princesses movements are smooth, coordinated, and amazingly executed. Three of their most acrobatic cheerleaders, Mulan, Ariel, and Rapunzel, climb onto the shoulders of their teammates and each perform a solid spin and flip in the air. Their newest member, Moana, does a triple back flip as if it wasn't anything, followed by a somersault in the air. And their queen, Elsa, shines above them all, dancing gracefully in unison with the others, doing flips and jumps with her sister, and, of course, she ends at the top of their pyramid with a pure, white smile on her face.
The crowd on Disney's side cheer loudly for their performance, "Disney! Disney! Disney!" and even some from Marvel's side can clap for them on a job well done. Their show is amazing, and they are set to win Nationals this year. But now it's Marvel's turn to show them how it's done.
With a final nod, Natasha and the rest of the cheer team stand up and head to the center, right over the NFL logo. Going into formation, each with a pompoms in their hand, they all bend their heads down and wait.
"1…2…3!"
"We are Marvel, and we're proud! We've got skills and we're loud!" The crowds on both sides are immediately confused at the simple performance and quiet down. The music hasn't even been turned on yet, and all they are doing is moving in unison and waving their pompoms around. Some students from Marvel try to clap, but it just came off as awkward. The cheerleaders, however, didn't seem to notice as they continue, "And if you cross our path then watch OUT!" There is a pause and the crowd holds their breath as the cheerleaders stand still, their heads down once again.
"Cause WE ARE MARVEL!" Natasha yells at the top of her lungs, and on that cue, the music starts up and the cheerleaders throw their pompoms aside, posing with hands on their hips. They then go into an energetic dance sequence in almost perfect unison, doing Double Nines and Toe Touches together as one. Then Katya, Pepper, and Natasha climb onto their friends' shoulders and jump into a spiral, landing back perfectly before jumping with a twist of the body, only to fall right back into their friends' arms.
They disperse, and while some go into their dance routine, Sitwell performs a solid triple back flip that ends with a backward flip in the air. Sif then goes into a handstand, and Jane and Jessica soar above her, doing a forward flip. The crowd goes even crazier when Sif goes onto one hand. The others, in the meantime, line up and begin doing a chorus line dance to the music. As Sif flips back onto her feet, the cheerleaders at the ends of the line break off in their own style, some by flipping, and others by leaping gracefully and prancing forward.
They then all gather around Sif to form a circle. Soon, Sharon, Claire, and Skye emerge from the circle and stood on top of their friends, linking arms to stabilize themselves and form another base. Then from their circle, Pepper and Jane emerge and stand a top the three's shoulders. Then with a final boost, Natasha, along with little Katya sitting on her shoulders, are lifted up until Natasha is standing on Jane and Pepper's linked arms. In Katya's hands is a glowing "A" with a circling arrow behind it, the symbol of the Avengers.
The crowds are on their feet cheering like there is no tomorrow, "Marvel! Marvel! Marvel! Marvel!"
Natasha is panting from the exertion, but she has never felt more accomplished. As she stands there, she feels like she is on top of the world. And she just hopes that in those locker rooms, the boys can hear their school's chant.
To Be Continued...