Mr. Murdock left the classroom after giving the morning address to his students. The Midterms were now the following week, and several of the aspiring heroes were in full on panic mode.
"Crap, why does he have to keep reminding us about the damn tests!?" Asked a frantic Pietro. "I didn't study at all during the internships!" Kamala wailed. "And right before that was the Sports Fest. So he's basically running salt in the wound!!"
- (They were ranked 20th and 19th respectively in the class.) -
"True, we did have very hectic scheduling, one big event after another..." Commented Tyrone (14th). "But still, we've only been here a few months," put in Nico (12th). "So as far as basic schooling goes, they didn't cover too much. So I don't see us really having a hard time with them." "I am Groot," the trenant teen (11th) nodded in agreement.
"Still, with the back to back events and stuff, the Midterms will be a lot different," said Tandy (13th), fiddling with her hair. "It'll be tough with the Practical Exam too," added Kei (9th), sketching in his ever present sketch pad. "I feel like I've got most of the book stuff down, but everything else, I may be at a physical setback..." The boy lamented his shorter stature.
"Well then, maybe we should figure out who's good at what, then help each other," said Peter (4th). "I mean, we all wanna go to the training camp, right? So let's make sure it happens!"
"I am in agreement, Peter," put in Azari (3rd), standing up from his desk. "Those of us in the top 5 of the class, please join me at the front! I'd like to see who is in a good position to help others study." In a moment, Peter and Azari were joined by Amadeus (1st), Ava (2nd), and much to the class's collective surprise, Laura (4th).
"What? It's pretty hard to fail if you just pay attention in class," she said, a hint of smugness in her voice. Pietro clutched his chest, "Your words... they're like daggers!!"
Ava turned towards Pietro and Kamala, "If you want, I can lend you both assistance after class in whatever subjects you're struggling with." "That'd be fantastic!!" Exclaimed a grateful Pietro. Kamala looked over at Ava, "Thanks Vice Prez!!"
"I-It's nothing, really!" She replied, slightly embarrassed. "Just... I won't be any help with the practical though..." Roberto looked at the girl, noting the somewhat depressed tone in her voice.
"Mind if I get in on this too?" Asked Seol (7th), walking over. "I could use some brushing up on my English!" "And me!" Nova (17th) slid over, "I suck at math, and these quadratic equations are kicking my butt!" "I am Groot?" The young trenant (8th) asked Ava shyly. His words were the same as always, but the meaning was clear. "Ohh ohh! Me too!! I wanna join!! I haven't had a wacky scene in a while!" Added Gwen (9th).
The young Puerto Rican woman was taken aback by the general reliance on her for guidance, not to mention touched. She stood up from her desk, "Yes, of course! We'll hold a group study session at my residence this weekend!"
"For real!?" Kamala looked like she was about to hug her classmate. "Thank you so much!! And I can't wait to see your house!!" But it was lost on Ava muttering to herself about gathering snacks and "opening up a hall" for them. It quickly dawned on the others that Ava had a bit more cash than she let on, and they too became lost in their own bliss over the anticipated experience.
"Jeez, look at the difference in virtue," Amadeus muttered. "How about you, Flash? Need some help studying?" "I do fine on my own," replied Flash (6th). He paused when he saw Peter.
"Parker!" He said gruffly. Peter looked over warily, "What?" "It's safe to say you've gotten better control over your Quirk," Flash began. "But you're still not at my level. If you think you're gonna do better than me in the Practical, you're dreaming." "Didn't I place higher than you in the Sports Festival?" Peter asked rhetorically.
"That was a fluke and you know it!!!" Flash roared. "I actually had a tough opponent in the first round, you almost lost to a guy with zero fighting experience!!!" Wanda, realizing she was being inadvertently complimented, blushed and scratched the back of her head sheepishly. "Still, he actually finished first during the relay, and he beat you during the Team Battles," Laura teased, poking the already angry bear.
"Ah shaddup!!" The boy was really mad now. "Cho, change in plans!! You're gonna help me study so I can beat Parker on the tests!!" "Well alright then!" Said the young Hulk. "I'll hammer it into ya until you can recite the textbooks!!" "Fine!!" Flash exclaimed. "Just wait, Wall-Crawler! I'm gonna blow your scores out of the water and prove I'm better than you!"
He whirled around at Reyes, "You too, Ghosty! I'm sending you back to hell!!" With that, he marched out and slammed the door shut. "...What did I do?" Asked Roberto. "Nothing, probably just his time of the month again," Laura said, rolling her eyes.
"Still, I haven't seen him that intense in a while..." Peter noted. "Is it impatience, or is he back to just hating me again? Either way, I'm not letting that jerk get to me."
Outside, Mr. Murdock observed Flash's mannerisms through his Quirk. His findings were indeed troubling. "Thompson's getting worse," the teacher noted. "Something's gotta be done to curb that temper of his..."
When lunch finally came, the topic of discussion was of course, the Practical Exam. Peter, Roberto, Wanda, Azari, Luke, and Gwen sat together at a table. "I'm kinda nervous since nobody knows what it's gonna be," said Wanda. "I don't think they'll have us do anything too crazy, do you?" "Uh, you know what school you're in, right?" Replied Luke.
"I am Groot," the young alien spoke up from the table behind theirs, munching on a bowl of topsoil. "Right, it's survival of the fittest here," replied Gwen, sitting cross legged in her chair. "Wait, can you understand him?" Asked Laura, raising an eyebrow.
"Of course I can!" She replied cheerfully. "Without Danny to develop our budding romance subplot, I started hanging out with Treebeard here. The longer I was around, the more I was able to understand him."
"I am Groot," he said, somewhat indignantly. "Oh come on, you love that nickname!" Gwen teased, elbowing him lightly. "Wait, a budding what?" Laura asked, barely comprehending the ridiculousness of the overall situation. "Anyways, now Kei's not the only one who can understand him!" Said a pleased Gwen. The shorter boy, sitting next to Groot, nodded approvingly.
"Regardless, the written exams will be on things we studied in class," said Peter. "So the practical has to be something we can manage." "'It'll be a comprehensive test on everything from first semester'. That's all Mr. Murdock was able to tell us," put in Azari.
"Everything we've done so far... So Combat and Rescue Training, plus basic first aid..." Wanda said thoughtfully. "Jeez, besides all the studying, we'll have to-" At that moment, a familiar tingle went up Peter's spine and he ducked quickly. He narrowly avoided being elbowed by a certain student with a pompous sneer and jet black hair.
"Oh whoops! Your head's so big I almost hit it!" Said the young Asgardian. "Ugh, this guy..." Luke said tiredly. "I remember you, you're that 1-B guy who challenged us before the Sports Festival. What was it... Loca?"
"Loki," the boy corrected haughtily. "And I came to get confirmation of a juicy little rumor. I hear that a few of you met the so-called 'Hero Killer'." Peter's eyes narrowed, "...And?"
"And I wanted to confirm what I always suspected!" He replied snobbishly "Just like in the Sports Festival, you 1-A's just love to hog the limelight! But let me tell you something, all that attention isn't because people have high hopes for you, it's because you all keep getting in trouble!"
"I'd like to see you handle what we went through, pendejo," Reyes muttered. "What was that?" Loki mocked. "I couldn't hear you over the sound of your whinging."
"He said you'd probably wet yourself if you ran into that guy like they did," snarked Gwen. "Ha! It's so amusing that you think so little of us! I'd say you're quite foolish to underestimate class 1-B!" Loki boasted.
"It's impossible to underestimate you, dude," Peter retorted dryly. "Now get lost. You're dripping so much grease around here, someone'll slip!"
Loki chuckled ruefully, "So the Spider has fangs, does he? Honestly, one of these days, the rest of us are gonna get caught up in whatever trouble you cause next and turn us into victims. It's like being cursed by the God of Pestilence!!"
"Referring to yourself in the 3rd person again? That's kinda lame," the boy commented, taking a bite of his sandwich. "I'm the God of Mischief!!" Loki snapped, "Do not insult me, you mere mortal!!
"Oh, you don't like being treated the way you treat us? Boy, that must suck," Peter rolled his eyes. This further agitated Loki, however, and he began to get angry.
"Insolent brat! When I get through with yo-" The ranting boy is cut off, however, by a sudden chop to the base of his neck from behind. Loki collapsed into a heap on the ground as his assailant stood behind him. The Class 1-B representative from the Sports Festival, Sharon Carter.
"Knock it off, Loki," she said sternly, picking him up by his shirt collar. "Why were you bringing up the Punisher? You know what happened to Danny's father!" "Sharon..." Loki said weakly, barely conscious.
"Hi guys," Sharon raised a hand in greeting. "Sorry about this one. He's just kinda... you know." "Yes, we do," Reyes replied with a sullen look. "I was gonna step in earlier," she went on. "But I had to watch the verbal jousting for a sec. It's kinda rare to see someone get under his skin like that."
"Yeah, I dunno what came over me," Peter replied sheepishly. "When things get tense, I just can't shut up." "Well hey, if it works, use it," Sharon shrugged. "Sometimes, words have more of an effect than a punch or a kick. Speaking of, you guys were talking about the Practical Exam for the Midterms earlier, right? Looks like it's gonna be fighting robots, just like in the Entrance Exam."
"Oh wow, really? How'd you know that?" Asked an excited Wanda. "I have a friend who's an upperclassman, he told me all about it," replied the 1-B representative.
"Is it not cheating now that we know?" Azari wondered, a bit concerned. "Nah, think of it as... gathering intelligence!" Luke replied. "I did that a lot during my internship. And any hero worth their salt would do that before going into battle, right?" "I suppose you're correct," said the young prince with some relief.
"No!!! Why did you tell them, Sharon!?" Loki wailed, struggling to get up. "We had the information advantage! This was our big chance to get ahead of these detestable Class 1-Akkk!!"
Another chop to the neck knocked the young man out like a light. "They're not detestable, although I'm starting to have concerns about you..." Sharon muttered as she dragged him off.
"Wow, she's like the Big Sis of 1-B, huh?" Gwen commented. "Her last name's Carter, she's part of the Steve Rogers dynasty," put in Wanda. "A born leader..." Azari said, nodding in acknowledgement.
Time seemed to fly by as everyone prepared for the exams in their own way, be it with Ava's study group, pairing off with friends, or even just studying on their own. In any case, come test time, the class was ready, and every student managed to pass. Finally, after 3 grueling days of papers and critical thinking, it was time for the wild card that was the Practical Test.
The entire class boarded a bus, dressed in their Hero costumes. It was a relatively short ride, and the students chatted with each other to pass the time. "Thank you so much for helping me, Ava!" Said Kamala, smiling broadly. "I feel like I passed the written portion for sure!!"
"I didn't leave anything blank this time! Your study group made all the difference!" Added Pietro. Ava was overcome by the sudden showing of gratitude, "Oh, i-it was nothing. I was just fulfilling my duties as Vice President!"
"So, is that your new costume, Peter?" Asked Wanda, pointing out the boy's upgraded uniform. "I like the bigger spider, definitely helps you stand out!" "Y-Yeah, thanks Wanda," Peter replied, visibly blushing.
"I meant to ask you, how'd you stop your wrists from bleeding?" She asked. "I remember during the first day back from internships, you didn't seem to have any problems during the race."
"Oh that's right, I never told you!" Peter nearly smacked his head, and held out his wrists excitedly. "See these? They're my web shooters. It takes the fluid I extract from my body and I'm able to swing around without hurting myself!"
"Ooh, support tech!?" Amadeus looked over from the opposite seat, "Who made them? When'd you put in the order?" "Actually, I built these myself!" Peter replied proudly. "I've been working on them for over a year, and I finally got them functional during my internship."
"Whoa, I knew you were smart, Pete, but not that smart!!" Said the young Hulk, impressed with his classmate. "Thanks! I think..." Peter looked back to his inventions. "They're not perfect, though. They can only shoot direct streams with a limited range. And once they run out of fluid, I gotta switch out cartridges, which I don't have a way to carry with me yet."
"Still, you found a way to overcome a big hurdle," said Wanda, supportively. "While you were unconscious after the fight with Reyes, Night Nurse told me what would happen if you kept damaging your arms. I was... really worried about you." Peter was genuinely touched by her concern, and he gave a small, appreciative smile.
"Awww... I ship you guys so hard!!!" The duo immediately blushed and turned around to see Gwen leaning over the seat's back, a cheeky grin on her face. "Will you get outta here!?" Peter complained, the moment ruined.
Presently, the bus came to a stop in front of the Center Plaza. The students stepped off the vehicle, led by Mr. Murdock. They were surprised to see, however, upon approaching the main gate, an assembly of the teaching staff lined up and waiting for them. Their instructor walked over to join them as the class looked on in confusion.
"Hmm? What's going on?" Asked Seol. "Oh crap! Was there another attack!?" Asked a now frantic Sam. "Face front, true believers!!" Called a familiar voice. The students collectively turned towards it to see Principal Lee stepping out from behind his staff members.
"I'm glad to see you've all passed the written portion of your Midterms," he began. "Beyond this gate is the stage for Practical Test." "Oh yeah! Fighting robots!!" Exclaimed an excited Kamala. "First the robots, and then vacation!!!" Kei added with equal enthusiasm.
"Well actually, this year's test will be a bit different from what you're expecting," said the Principal. This remark made the class look at him with a mix of confusion and nervousness. "Since the beginning of term, this class has experienced quite a number of events well advanced for your level of experience. With the recent surge of villain activity, it's been decided to increase the quality of our training methods and improve your battle experience."
He extended his arms, indicating the row of teachers behind him, "As such, the Hero Courses with be having mock battles for their Practical Exams. You'll be paired off in teams of two. And your opponent? It will be one of our esteemed faculty members!!"
"WHAAAAATTTTT!?!?" The class exclaimed, almost simultaneously. "We're fighting against... the teachers?" Asked a stunned Wanda. "Additionally, the pairing as well as your opponent has already been decided," Mr. Murdock put in, pulling up his red mask from behind his neck. "These were determined at my discretion based on a number of factors; grades, fighting style, and interpersonal relationships. For instance..."
He pointed his cane towards a pair of students. "Roberto Reyes, Ava Ayala," the two stood at attention. "You'll be facing me..." Mr. Murdock grinned darkly as he threw off his suit to reveal his crimson hero costume underneath. And with a flick of his wrist, the walking stick became a pair of batons. The newly minted pairing gulped, intimidated by their opponent.
"Peter Parker, Eugene Thompson, you'll be paired up as well," the now costumed Daredevil went on, much to the shock of the two boys. "And your opponent will be-" But he's cut off as a figure rockets in from above and lands in a classic stance. Through the dust, it's revealed to be the red and gold armor of the Iron Man.
He stood proudly in the Mark L armor, "I'm here, and I'm ready to rumble!!" Peter and Flash looked first at each other, and then at the hero standing before them in horror. The same thought went through their heads: I'm fighting Iron Man!?!?
