1991, Magical America V
Of course Barry was happy Pukwudgie was up by 1 Quod. Especially against Wampus.
When Iris bopped him on the nose with his broom and pointed to the hole he had been tapping into the stand with his foot going a mile a minute, he realized it didn’t really appear that way.
“Ooh! And Don Hall drives another one right between Shayera and Katar Hol--who apparently have no relation, how do ya’ figure that?--for yet another point for Pukwudgie!”
Katar Hol, one of the Wampus Claws, flew past the stands and snarled. “Just the facts, Ralph.”
“You hear that folks? Well, of course most of you didn’t--I’m the one with his voice magnified! Katar Hol taking up a complaint with your innocent ol’ commentator Dibny. What a world, what a world--And Carol Ferris takes possession of the new Quod for Puk! Somebody throw out an Aguamenti, cuz they’re on FIRE!”
Barry turned to say something to John and remembered the spot was empty. He peered over the drop to the ground below where Spell-Lieutenant Kilowog was chatting it up with Wand 1st-Class Stewart.
“For a kid who’s punishment is over you sure like torturing yourself,” Iris said. She handed him his broom. “There’s always next year. Y’know, if all that Dark Lord stuff overseas gets taken care of.”
“It was supposed to be temporary.” Barry absently took hold of his broom. He looked back up to Quodpot game. They’d gotten saddled with Lamp Corps duty the same week tryouts started. It was like adding insult to injury.
Not to say Dinah Lance, Beatriz Da Costa and Lisa Snart weren’t tearing it up as three of Pukwudgie’s newest Quodpot team members, but Barry knew if he’d actually gotten the chance to try out he’d have made the team, too. He stopped himself when he realized he was tapping his foot again,
He imagined himself up there, instead of Maseo Yamashiro passing an easy intercept to Beatriz (or maybe he’d have been close enough. If he were up there). Tatsu Toro, probably overeager to impress her fellow Wampuses, caught it and seconds later was knocked out of the game by the explosion. Barda Big persevered and rallied the remaining half of her team, but the final third ended with Pukwudgie 22, Wampus 9.
Everyone was getting up to leave, most people with eyes on the stairs, when gasps when up in the stands.
One of the Pukwudgie players, Scot Free, was wobbling dangerously on his broom. People started trying to get the attention of Coach Scott or one of the players, but it was too late.
Barry was in the air, not even remembering when he’d mounted his broom. Aiming for the point where he could intercept Scot before he reached the ground.
He was forty feet away... twelve... two...
CRASH!
Barry’s vision swam for a moment, then he felt weightless. The world was spinning around him: the ground, Scot, half of his broom, the ground, the stands, a trio of Wampus players, the ground--