Author's Note: Hey Guys, hope you had a great Halloween, I know I did. Went out with Zombie makeup while my niece went as Ghost Spider and my nephew as Spongebob. So without further ado, let's get to the chapter you've been waiting for.
Chapter 25: Wicked Strategizing
Cafe Area
"You want us to what?!" Audrey said.
"It's all here." Mal said.
After the gang regrouped at a cafe area, Mal was explaining to everyone on how they can get some more info out of Stan Lee and Mal had an idea before everyone met up again. She took a flyer on the way and it's the rules and the prize of the "Marvel Challenges: Can Or Won't".
"All we have to is complete these courses, try to win best 3 out of 5 and we'll win the prize to hang out with Stan Lee." Mal said with confidence.
"I don't know, Mal, some of these look hard." Evie said taking to glee and seeing it for herself. "Jumping Through Fire Rings, Climbing a Mountain, Fight a Sumo Wrestler?"
"Did you say Fire Rings?" Carlos said.
"Relax, They won't use real fire." Mal said.
"Are you sure?" Carlos said whimpering through his mask.
"Why, you scared or something?" Quincy grins.
"No, I just think it's dangerous." Carlos said.
"I agree, no way I would ever climb a mountain." Ally said.
"Well we've gotta do something, Stan isn't talking and he knows something." Mal said.
"I hate to agree, but she has a point." Ben said.
"What?!" Audrey, Ally, and Carlos said.
"We need answers and if this competition's the only way to force his attention on us, I say we do it." Ben said.
"Besides, not all of us are gonna do it, we just need a team of 5 to compete." Mal said.
"Well, good luck to you all." Ally said with a nervous smile.
"I don't need luck when I got these." Herkie said flexing his biceps which Ally was noticing a little too long.
"And these, bro." Aziz said pointing at his hooves.
"I'm getting used to these." Herkie said.
"No need to show off, Herk." Quincy said with a side grin.
"If I don't, how will anyone know I'm as tough as nails?" Herkie said one arm hugging Quincy.
"I think I'm rubbing off on you." Quincy said.
"Guys, focus." Mal said.
"My bad." Quincy, Aziz and Herkie said.
"We need to figure out who's going to do which obstacle." Mal said.
Mal lays down the flyer on the table next to them and slides her finger on it.
"Hey, maybe I can do the climbing challenge." Lonnie said. "I mean, since now I can climb." She raises her right hand and waves her fingers.
"Right, Spider Powers. Ok, Lonnie, you're in." Mal said.
"Next, there's the Race Track, 3 laps around." Ben said.
"I'll do it!" Chad and Herkie said together.
Confused, the two school athletes stares at each other.
"Umm, Herkie, thanks for volunteering, but I got this." Chad said.
"Umm, Chad, don't be so modest, I can take care of this no problem." Herkie said.
"Did you forget I'm the one with Super Speed?" Chad said.
"Did you forget we're supposed to keep our powers on the down low?" Herkie said.
They were closing in on each other and the other feared it would get worse from this point on. Quincy and Ally took it upon themselves to separate them by pushing them from their front sides.
"Guys!" Quincy said.
"Get ahold of yourselves, for goodness sake." Ally said.
"He started it!" Chad said.
"Quit fooling yourself." Herkie said.
"Quincy, tell him I'm doing it." Chad said to Quincy while looking at Herkie.
"Ally, you know I can do it." Herkie said to Ally but still looks at Chad.
"Hold it." Mal said.
Her eyes turned purple and in her right hand, she creates a psychic sword and swings it from up to down on the ground and it makes a sound and a dent to the ground, forcing the two boys to stop in their tracks with fear. Chad and Herkie has their eyes wide open at the angry fairy turned mutant who looks dead serious right now. Even Quincy, Ally and everyone else was quiet around her.
"Now can you two stop acting like idiots?" Mal said.
"Uh-huh." Chad and Herkie nervously agrees.
The sword disappears from her hands and her eyes were back to normal.
"That was kinda cool." Mal said in her head.
She clears her throat and walks up to the four friends who's still a little scared of her.
"At this moment, I'll be deciding which you Neanderthals will do the race track, got it?" Mal said.
"O-o-Ok." Herkie said.
"Whatever you say." Chad said.
"Chad, do you think you can run without the speed?" Mal said.
"Yeah?" Chad said.
"Then it's settled. Herkie, I need you to do the One Man Tug-Of-War." Mal said.
"Cool." Herkie said.
"Hey, I thought we weren't supposed to use our powers." Chad said.
"With those biceps, he'll fool anyone with his strength." Mal said.
"But—
Mal's eyes glows purple at Chad, letting him know it's time to be quiet.
"Right, Shutting up now." Chad said.
"Alright." Mal picks the flyer. "Who's jumping the fire rings?"
"Guess I will." Quincy said. "I mean I'm literally made of fire."
"Ok then." Mal said. "Lastly, there's the sumo wrestler, who's it gonna be?"
The rest of the group looks at each other, hoping the other next to them volunteers. Ben and Mal looks a little nervous as they noticed not one of them wants to do it. So it looks like Ben is left with no other choice.
"Come on, guys, someone has to do it." Mal said.
"I can't do it, he'll break more than my nail." Audrey said.
"He might break me into pieces if I go diamond form." Eliza said.
"Mmm-mmm, can't do it." Freddie said.
"I'm not sure if I have the strength to do it." Jay said.
"Yeah, why can't Herkie do it?" Jordan said.
"Wow, I did not of th…" But then Mal was interrupted.
"I'll do it." Ben said.
They all looks with surprise in their eyes at their Avenger dressed friend.
"Ben, are you sure?" Mal said.
"I mean what's the point of being Captain America if I don't act like one?" Ben said.
"Just be careful, no one likes a braised king." Mal joked.
"I'll try my best." Ben said.
"Well, with that being said, let's go sign up." Mal said before leaving.
The gang follows after her, but unknowingly, someone was spying on them from a table far away to be spotted.
"It's mischief time." CJ said.
Ballroom
The group, with Lumière and Cogsworth joining them, find themselves in one of the ballrooms of the building where big events happens, like the costume contest that's coming soon tomorrow. Mal looks around until she sees what she's looking for, a sign up booth. She walks up to a woman in black shirt with the Marvel logo on and hair that's been dyed purple.
"Nice hair." Mal complimented her.
"Right back at ya." The woman said.
"I need a sign up sheet up sheet for my friends." Mal said.
"Of course." The woman handed her a sheet to Mal. "They're competing?"
"Yeah, they really wanted to meet with Stan Lee." Mal said.
"No kidding." The woman said.
"Brb." Mal said.
She left and begins writing down names on the paper. She walks to the booth and hands her the sheet before returning to her friends.
"All set, so you guys get ready." Mal tells the ones competing.
"Good luck." Carlos said.
"You're gonna need it." Trevor said.
"Please try not to harm yourself." Lumière said.
"Don't worry, Lumière, I'm all over that." Ben said.
Minutes Later…
The woman from the sign in booth carries the forms on the way when suddenly, someone bumps into her and the forms fall to the floor.
"Oops, I'm so clumsy." CJ said. "Let me help with that."
CJ bends on her knees and scraps up the papers with the woman while secretly finds the form Mal signed and switches it with another form and puts Mal's in her pocket. She gives the papers she collected to the woman who was grateful.
"Thank you so much. Are you competing as well?" She asked.
"Nah, I'm just gonna watch." CJ said.
"Well, Have a great time. Now off I go." She leaves CJ by herself.
"Oh believe me, I will." CJ grins evilly ear to ear.
Author's Note: Oh boy, what's CJ up to now? Where did she come from? Is this part of her plan? And Will our heroes be able to win the competition? Stay tuned this weekend for Chapter 26 and Have a Wicked Day!