"Right lads, lets get out to the pitch and see which of you are going to make up the team for Thursday's match," Mr Sanders said enthusiastically to the group of boys who had gathered for the team trials.
"Good luck Ben," Alex said coming up behind him. "Just remember what I told you and you should be fine."
"Thanks, I have been rerunning everything through my head again and again, hoping that I can remember it all."
"You will be fine."
When they had reached the field, Mr Sanders and the rest of the PE teachers put the boys through their paces with various exercises and group activities.
About an hour later, the session ended and the teachers went to deliberate who they wanted on the team. 15 places were up for the main team and 5 reserves. Soon, the teachers returned and stood waiting for the boys to be quiet.
"Well done to you all, but we have made our decision," Mr Sanders said. "Mr Jenkins will now read out the list of names."
Mr Jenkins moved forward and lifted a sheet of paper up.
"We will assign you positions on the day of the natch," he began. "So the main boys are; Stephen Smith, James Gillan, Rory Darvill, Matthew Bussell, Daniel Lewis, Ian McGregor, Alex Manning, Jason Kent, Wally West, George Tennant, David Starkey, Finlay Thomas, Max Goodman, Kevin Forsyth and Ben Parker."
As soon as Ben's name was read out, elation filled him and the excitement threatened to burst out of him.
"And our five reserves are," Mr Jenkins continued. "Paul Edwards, Owen Ford, Chris Flood, George Farrell and Michael Coulson."
"Congratulations to those of you who have got through to the team, commiserations to those who haven't, maybe you will get through next time," Mr Sanders moved forward once more. "Right, time to go home. And be careful, I don't want any injuries before the game on Thursday. I want you here promptly at 4:00pm, ready and changed. The game begins at 4:15. Dismissed."
With that, everyone dispersed and headed off home to rest and get ready for the game.
"Hey well done Ben, we knew you'd get on the team," Jason and Wally appeared behind him.
"Well if Alex hadn't of helped me, I think I may have been with those who didn't succeed."
"I think without my help, you still would have done well," Alex interrupted as he walked over.
"Thanks again anyway."
"My pleasure, just don't forget everything before the game on Thursday."
"I won't, unless I get amnesia."
"You had better not. Any way I have to go, see you guys tomorrow," Alex departed.
"Bye!" the other three chorused.
"Well I suppose I had also better be going," Ben reluctantly said.
"Yeah we better be off as well, Mum wants me and Wally to help her shift some stuff out of the loft for an assignment she is working on at work."
They parted ways and set off back to their abodes.
Ben walked down his road and up his drive to the front door, the click clacking of the studs in his boots sounding out every step he made. Through the door he could here several voices speaking in varying tones, some angry, some happy and some unsure. He pulled out his key and let himself into the house.
"Oh Ben, you are home," Mary-Jane said as she bumped into her son as she walked out of the living room.
"What is going on? Who are all those people?"
"Your father has some visitors trying to coax him out of retirement."
"What they want him to be Spiderman again?"
"Yes and he isn't happy about it."
"Let me go and speak to him."
"I doubt you would be able to change his mind, four of them haven't."
Ben dropped his bags by the bottom of the stairs and pulled off his rugby boots, setting them down on the doormat. He moved into the living room and came face to face with his father, Bruce Wayne (the famous business man), Tony Stark (another famous business man), Clark Kent (Jason's dad and rival journalist) and Steve Rogers (the legendary Captain America).
"Ben, how are you doing? How did the rugby session go?"
"Fine on both questions. I understand these men are trying to get you to go back to being Spiderman?"
"Yes they are and they are about to leave, because as I have made it clear to them, I am not interested and as far as I am concerned, my Spiderman is dead."
There was a slight intake of breath at the last bit.
"But dad, I think you should. You always enjoyed flying through the streets and helping other people. Remember what Uncle Ben said, 'With great power, comes great responsibility.' They obviously need you, they wouldn't be asking if they didn't."
There was silence as the men in the room digested what the teenage had just said.
"Young man, you clearly know what you are saying and how to say it with great conviction," Steve Rogers said.
"Ben, I can see that you will keep Jason in line," Clark said.
"You are just like me, say it clear and say it loud," Tony Stark agreed with the other's sentiments.
"You will make a great team member when you are older," Bruce Wayne said.
Peter Parker looked around the room at each of the men as they praised his son for his words and thought carefully again at the proposal for him to join the Justice League. He came to a decision.
"Ok I'm in, but there are conditions."
"Excellent," Tony Stark said leaning forward.
"I will leave you to it," Ben said, moving out of the room, leaving the men to discuss these conditions. He bumped into his mother again who had been listening at the door.
"Well I have to hand it to you Ben, you succeeded where four great men failed. You are my hero."
She hugged her son and they embraced for a moment.
"Right, you need to go and have a shower. When you are out, dinner should be ready. Oh and how did the session go? You never really answered your father properly."
"Oh yeah, I got on the team," he said enthusiastically.
"Well done, I am so proud of you," Mary-Jane said, hugging her son once more. "Yes, you really need to go and have a shower," she again mentioned, pulling away from her muddy, sweaty son.
Ben complied and soon emerged from his bedroom, clean and in fresh clothes. He moved downstairs and found that the visitors had left, Peter with them. Dinner was, as promised, on the table ready for him to guzzle down. Tonight it was home made lasagna and garlic bread.
"This looks fantastic," his stomach grumbled as he sat.
"I knew you would love it."
"Of course."
As they ate, they spoke about their days and what each of them had been up to.
Across town, back at the Kent household, Jason and Wally were shifting boxes out of the loft for Lois. They had changed out of their kit and were fresh and in clean clothes.
"Have you got all the books that you need?" Jason called down the ladder.
"There is just one missing. I think it has a blue label on it and the code may be along the lines of 001A-4."
"Ah, I think I have it," Jason called back.
He reached over and passed it down the ladder, into Wally's waiting hands. A puff of dust blew into Wally's face, causing him to cough and almost drop the box.
"Oh, are you ok?" asked Lois as she steadied the box for him.
"Fine thanks, the dust just got up my nose."
"This box is one of the older ones, it has been gathering the dust for a while."
"What do you need from all of these anyway?" Jason asked as he descended the ladder and came to a rest on the landing.
"Well after the attack on the four of you in Trafalgar Square, I remembered something similar happened many years ago, but with different objects. I want to go through my old case files and articles to see if I can pull out any information."
"You are very organised Mrs Kent," Wally said impressed at the system she had in place.
"Well it always pays to be organised, as you never know when you may need to go back and look in the archive! as demonstrated now."
"Where do you need them to go now?" Jason asked.
"In the study please. I want to scan any useful documents I find. Your dad thinks it may be worth sending them over to Batman."
"Ok then, to the study it is."
Jason and Wally lifted a couple of boxes each, easy for two people with super human strength, incredibly difficult for those who don't. The boxes must have weighed at least thirty kilograms each. They carried them down the stairs and carefully placed them on the study floor, next to the desk. Just as they finished, the cooker alarm sounded, alerting them to the fact that dinner was ready.
"Cottage Pie?" Lois asked.
"One of my favourites," Jason said, his mouth starting to water.
"Set the table then, while I dish it out," Lois asked the two lads.
Soon they were eating the delicious, juicy, tender pie that Lois had prepared.
"Where is dad tonight?" Jason asked.
"He said he had to go and have a meeting with someone. Important league business apparently."
"He should be here, he is missing this gorgeous meal."
They continued their meal and when finished, cleared up and separated to go and relax. Lois went to the study to sit and read through some of her old files, whilst Jason and Wally went and played on the X-box.
"So, what did you think of Ben's playing today?" Wally asked Jason.
"Whatever Alex showed him clearly worked, he was great. Definitely an asset to the team."
Wally nodded in agreement.
"I think St Oswalds better watch out on Thursday, we have three superheroes, they don't."
"Yes, but we aren't going to use our powers," Jason reminded Wally
"Of course not, I was just joking," he said meekly, starting to smile.
"Good, because dad would kill me if I used them to get an unfair advantage in a sports match."
"Don't worry, I will make sure that I hold back on using my powers. Now let's get back to the game."
They continued playing until Lois came in and reminded them to get to bed. The house was soon silent, no body waking as Clark returned in the early morning. He slipped into the house and flew upstairs or his and Lois' bedroom. He pulled his cape off and folded it over the back of a chair. To tired to change, he slipped into bed with the rest of his suit on and pulled the covers over him. Lois' arm instinctively moved and lay across her husband's torso. Clark leant over and gave her a kiss, before he himself gave way to his body' wish to sleep and entered the land of nod.