Two weeks on from their first training session at the base in the arctic, the three teenage heroes were standing with the rest of their class in the PE changing rooms at school. They were gathered around the notice board telling them what sports they would be studying for the next half term up to christmas. As there was such a crowns round the board, Jason had volunteered to go and look for all three of them. He soon found their names on the list and wondered back over to Ben and Wally.
"So, what have we got then?" Wally asked. "A nice indoor sport where we can stay in the warm, or an outdoor one where we will freeze in their really cold snowy weather?"
Over the last week, temperatures had fallen and snow was crossing the country. It hadn't been this cold in a long time.
"It is the last one I'm afraid. All three of us have been put into the rugby group."
"I've never played rugby, I don't even know the rules," Ben said. "It isn't that big in the States."
"It is a little like American football, just without the pads and helmets," Jason said.
"Lucky I packed my thermals then," Wally said.
"Yeah me too," Jason agreed.
"I didn't bring any thermals, they weren't on the kit list," Ben said.
"Nah, we're not really supposed to wear them, but the PE teachers don't mind. They get to wear big fluffy coats, so they got permission from the head to allow is to wear them in the really cold weather. We are only supposed to wear them for PE, but people also wear them in other lessons and constantly have to be told to go and take them off."
"You don't happen to have a spare do you?"
"Are you wearing your suit?" Wally asked in a low tone.
"Yeah, but won't people notice it changing?"
"Hey, don't worry I have a spare pair," Jason said. "You are about my size, so they should fit."
Jason passed over the thermals. They were a pair of black Under Armour compression shorts and a blue long sleeved Under Amour cold gear compression top.
"Um how do I get my suit off without it turning back into my suit?"
"Just imagine it staying as your uniform as you take it off and it will stay as it is," Jason said.
Ben did as he was told and pulled off his 'jumper'. It stayed the same and he shoved it into his school bag just incase. While he was in there, he pulled out his rugby top, shorts, socks, boots and gum shield. He pulled off the rest of his clothes and then put on the thermals Jason had lent him. On top of those he placed his rugby kit. Just as he was tying up the laces on his boots, the PE teachers walked in to take the registers
"Ok boys, sit down and we will take the register for each group," Mr Sanders, the head of PE called over the chatter.
The room began to fall quiet as people found a bench to sit on and listen up for their name.
"Right, Mr Jenkins will be taking the football group, Mr Jones the hockey group, Mr Doyle the gym group and I will be taking those of you doing rugby. Mr Jenkins if you could start the registers off then please."
Ten minutes later the registers were done and each group were dismissed from the changing room until only the rugby group were left.
"Ok lads, gather round the whiteboard over here for me," Mr Sanders said, as he wondered to the back of the room.
They all got up and sat on the benches surrounding the board.
"Ok, let's start with a little pop quiz about rugby. Who knows where rugby started?"
A couple of hands went up and Mr Sanders picked one.
"Didn't it start at Rugby School sir?" a boy called Timothy asked in reply.
"Correct, it started as a game at a Private school up in the Midlands in a town called Rugby. It is the only town in the world to give its name to a sport. Who is claimed to have started it?"
Jason raised his hand.
"Yes Jason?"
"William Webb Ellis," he said.
"Correct. That is why in the Six Nations it is called the Webb Elis cup. Right enough of the pop quiz. Some of you have played rugby in the last couple of years in PE, so we are going to start with a few tackling exercises and then maybe we can have a short game before lunch. Ok then let's go."
With that the group stood and walked out onto the school field.
"Right while I get the equipment out I want you to do three laps around both rugby pitches," Mr Sanders said.
Ben was really glad for the thermals Jason had given him because the biting wind freezing the rest of his exposed skin. He set off with the rest of the group around the two pitches, the four goal posts acting as the corners of the route.
The rest of the lesson sped by, with Ben learning lots of new stuff about the fact he came to the conclusion that rugby was now his new favourite sport.
Once they had finished PE, they got changed and then headed to lunch.
"So what are you planning to do tonight?" Jason asked Ben as they sat down in the canteen.
"I have nothing specific planned, why?"
"I was wondering if you wanted to come round and play on the x-box with me and Wally, mum said you can stay for dinner?"
"Yeah, that'll be cool. Thanks."
"No problem, we haven't had dinner since that night you got your powers, I think mum and dad were slightly afraid we might have scared your parents off."
"Nah, I doubt it, with what dad has done as Spiderman, not much scares him I don't think."
"Cool, you can come round at any time you want, we normally eat at around 7ish."
"Thanks, I'll get there before that, give us some time to play on the x-box first."
"Whenever you want, it is fine by me."
The rest of the day flew by and soon Jason and Wally were at the Kent house on the x-box playing through a selection of games.
There was a knock at the front door and they heard Jason's mum letting Ben in before he headed upstairs to Jason's room.
"Hi, glad you could make it," Jason said.
"Yeah, dad is having to work late at the office, so mum said it would be ok. So what are you playing?"
"We have not long started a game of FIFA, you can grab another controller and hop in if you want," Wally said.
Ben sat down and joined in the game.
A while later Jason's mobile rang. He picked it up.
"Hello?"
"Jason, it's me Dad. I need you and Wally to come and help with a problem."
"Can Ben help, he is here with us?"
"Sure, if you think he is ready. Meet us at Trafalgar Square, come suited and booted. Superman out."
With that the phone went dead. Jason turned to Wally and Ben.
"Fancy going on a mission with Superman?"
"Yeah, if you think I am ready?" Ben said.
"Definitely, he said you can join us."
"Where are we going?" Wally asked.
"Trafalgar Square."
"Is that where that really tall statue is?" Ben asked.
"Nelson's column, yeah," Wally clarified.
"He said come suited and booted, so let's change."
With that, the three lads began to change their clothes back to their suits. Once Jason was done, he ran downstairs to tell his mum what was happening and was soon back in his room.
"Ok, same formation as normal. When we get to the square, you should be able to use your webs Ben."
"Yeah it would be great to use them outside in the real world."
Soon they were in sight of the famous statue of Lord Nelson as they flew and ran past Buckingham Palace and down the Mall and over/under Marble Arch. As they got into the square, they saw the reason they were called. Right in front of the National Gallery, Superman was locked in a fight with the christmas tree.
"How can a christmas tree be doing that?" Ben asked as they hovered over the square.
"I don't know, but it looks as though it is winning. We better get in their fast. Take this and put it in your ear." Jason handed Ben a small device. "It will allow us to communicate with each other."
"Lads I could do with you hurrying up, the tree is starting to get the edge over me," Superman's voice came over the device Ben had just placed in his ear.
"Coming," Jason replied. He turned to Ben and said,"right I am going to release you, do you think you can use your webs and get over to the column?"
"Yeah no problem," Ben replied.
"Ok in three, two, one!" Jason released Ben, who promptly took aim and fired a web at Lord Nelson and it caught. He swung round and landed on top of Nelson's stone hat.
"Ok, let's use attack formation three and aim for any weak areas that you can identify," Jason said over the coms.
"Roger that," Wally replied.
"Ok," Ben replied.
With that, the three heroes set about their attack and rescue effort for Superman. They aimed at the weakest areas and ripped chunks out of he trunk and leaves. Wally ran to the power supply for the lights and yanked them out of their sockets, electrical sparks showering the pavement. A son as he had done that, the tree solidified and started falling down to the ground. Jason noticed this and flew down and just caught it before it could destroy the square around it. The tree lay still, whatever had posses it, clearly gone.
"Well done lads," Superman congratulated as he flew over to the three heroes. He was a mess. His suit was ripped in all sorts of places and twigs and broken glass strewn throughout his hair and the ripped sections of his suit.
"Thanks, that was great," Ben said.
"What do you think it was?" Jason asked.
"I don't know, but it seemed to stop once Wally disconnected the power to the lights. I better get the League's cleaning team in to sweep the area."
Superman flew off to inspect the tree and call in the League as the three lads observed the scene they had just saved. People stood around clapping and shouting support for the heroes. However, unknown to them, there stood a lone figure in the crowd who was not very pleased at the events. He watched as the rest of the people around him cheered these new heroes that had come to save Superman. His plan was ruined. Superman was supposed to be alone, so he could destroy him. A lot of money and time had been spent on getting that tree into place instead of the normal Trafalgar Square one. Now he was going to have to take these new heroes into his calculations and eliminate them as well.
The figure turned and slipped through the crowd and out of the square, descending into the nearest Underground station. They headed over to the Northern Line tunnels and passed unnoticed into a secret tunnel behind a grate. They walked down the dimly lit tunnel, further underground and away from the noise of the passing trains. At the end of the passageway, there was a dilapidated metal shelving unit which hid the entranceway into a more brightly lit room. The figure shut the secret door firmly behind them and went and sat at a desk positioned in the middle of the room. On it lay the plans for the attack which had just so spectacularly failed. With an angry roar, he threw the plans everywhere and then sat back down with a sigh.
"Why does it all have to fail!" He cried out loud. "These three new teenage heroes should be easy to eliminate."
The figure looked over at the clock and gave a small cry.
"I better get going or I will be late for rugby practice."
He grabbed a bag from on the floor and ran out of a different entrance up to the surface, emerging about half a mile from Trafalgar Square and off to the rugby pitches nearby.