Back in the domed zone that was the EDR, the battle between Amadeus Cho and Laura Kinney against Colossus was in its final stages. The clock was running down fast and the duo was no closer to making a dent against the former X-Man, let alone getting past him. This would've gone much smoother, had Laura not become hell bent on fighting the teacher rather than simply escaping.
They leapt back to make some space as their latest attempt failed. "Damn it, nothing's working against this guy! He's a freakin' tank!!!" Laura complained. "Well don't make me do all the thinking here!" Cho replied. "If you've got any bright ideas, I'm all ears."
Screw it, all or nothing at this point... Laura turned to her partner, "Let's do the thing." Amadeus looked confused for a moment, before his eyes widened and a grin spread on his face.
"Oh hell yeah!! I've always wanted to try that!!!!" He said excitedly, as the boy held out his right arm. Laura jumped up and squat on his big green hand. She curled herself up as compact as possible, as Amadeus raised his arm off the ground and got into a throwing position.
Colossus was preparing to charge over and attack before he appeared to be struck by something, freezing in his tracks. That positions his students were taking, it looked eerily familiar. No... he thought. They're not seriously going to...
The young Hulk wound up his hand like a Major League Pitcher as Laura braced herself. "Here goes!!!" Called Cho, throwing his partner as hard as he could. "FASTBALL SPECIAL!!!!"
Colossus's eyes widened as the girl hurtled towards him at a tremendous speed through the air. Laura popped her claws and extended her arms in front of her, "Rrrrraaaaaaaaaaaaaagggghhhhh!!!!" She was on target and about to hit the teacher with a full impact. But...
Colossus made a pivoting movement with his legs, turning at an angle to avoid the human missile launched at him. It was brief, but the two briefly locked eyes. Laura's held confusion, while the teacher's held pity. And turning her head back, the girl could see why.
Amadeus shielded his eyes, trying to avoid seeing what happened next."Oooohhhh ssshhhhhiiiiii-!!!" But Laura's cursing was cut off as she slammed against a solid concrete wall, making it crack. Colossus tensed up, cringing at the impact.
"OHMYGOD, LAURA!!!!" The young Hulk leapt over to his partner, joining and equally concerned Colossus. Laura peeled off the brick wall and landed on her back. Amadeus and Colossus both stared, wincing at the hard impact on the ground. "Owwww..." Laura groaned.
"Are you alright, Laura?" Asked her worried partner. "Oof," the metal man cringed. "Even with a healing factor, that's going to sting a bit..." "Fffugoff, tin man," said the dazed Laura. Her broken bones were starting to heal, but the concussion she now certainly had would take a bit longer. Suffice to say, Laura was down for the count.
"Um, Colossus," Cho turned to his teacher. "The X-Men don't have that move trademarked, do they?" "We'll keep it our little secret this time," Colossus winked, his softer side showing through. "And speaking of time..."
Right on cue, the buzzer went off, much to Cho's visible disappointment. "Amadeus Cho and Laura Kinney... FAIL."
"Well, that's my signal to get down there..." Claire groaned, pinching between her eyebrows before turning to Peter. "Seriously, do all of you kids not know the definition of 'caution'?" The boy said nothing, he too was a bit shaken by the sight of the human sized pancake that was his classmate.
As the Night Nurse left to fulfill her duties, a few more students entered the Monitor Room to join Peter and Wanda. "Hey sis! Congrats on passing!" Pietro gave his twin sister a fist bump. "Aw no!" Exclaimed Seol, looking up at the screens. "Those two didn't pass!?"
"Guess not," commented Wanda. "It just goes to show that raw power isn't everything. They needed finesse, and more of a plan."
"Yeah, but one's a Hulk, and the other's Wolverine's daughter," retorted Nico, still disgruntled over her own failure. "Do either of them scream 'finesse' to you?"
"Still, at least we're not alone in the fail zone," said Gwen sympathetically. The girl was sitting in Claire's chair and munching on popcorn. "If big brains like you and Cho could fail this thing, that'll make someone like Sam feel a lot better."
"Why am I the example!?" Fumed the un-helmeted Sam. "You failed too, y'know!" Gwen just rolled her eyes, "Yeah, but I got over it." She offered the bucket to her partner, "Popcorn?" Nico shrugged and took a handful.
Not long afterwards, Azari and Kamala were similarly kept on their toes by their opponent. The Vision hovered in the air before them, silent and stoic. Azari narrowly avoided a blast of energy from the golden jewel on his teacher's head with his cat like reflexes.
Kamala attempted to stretch her arm and capture the Pro Hero in her enlarged hand. However, Vision simply activated his Quirk, turning intangible and freeing himself before the girl could tighten her grip.
"Come now, children," Vision said, a bit of sass in his voice. "You'll have to do much better than that to get past me."
Jarvis Shade, Hero Name: Vision. Quirk; Density Manipulation. The first and only A.I. to develop a quirk, he's able to alter the density of his molecules to phase through matter and even fly.
"Kutti ka bacha!" Kamala cursed in Urdu as she retracted her limb. "He keeps slipping through my fingers!" "Calm down, my friend," Azari said, putting his bo staff belt back around his waist. "This battle is far from over, and we still have a chance for victory."
Kamala turned to her partner, "How!? He's made up of Vibranium, right? Short of ripping out that jewel on his head, the guy has no weaknesses!"
"Ah, but in fact, he is not made solely of Vibranium," Azari raised his index finger. "As a synthezoid, his physical makeup includes organic material. And Vibranium is an excellent conductor of electricity." "I don't see ho-" Kamala's eyes widened, noticing a detail she'd overlooked, "Ohhhh..."
The lines of her partner's suit were glowing purple from a built up kinetic charge, begging to be released. The duo stared up at their advancing opponent. "We have one shot at this," Azari continued. "After that, he will certainly understand the plan and react accordingly." "What do you need me to do?" Asked Kamala.
"I believe the American expression is 'give me a boost'?" Asked the boy. "You've got it!" Exclaimed his partner, enlarging her hand. Azari hopped onto her hand. "This cat is empty!!!" Kamala yelled, hurling Azari at the floating Vision. "Yeeeeeet!!!!"
Vision raised an eyebrow at the sight of the young Panther flying towards him, arms spread as if he was going to try and grab him. The synthezoid went back to his intangible form before the boy would be able to make contact.
"NOW!!!" Azari yelled, crossing his arms over his chest and slamming them into himself. The boy's hair and tribal tattoos turned bright blue as the built up charge in his suit released suddenly in a wave of energy. The electric pulse hits Vision, rendering him corporeal as his body writhed from the surprise attack, yelling in pain.
Azari grabbed onto his teacher as he made impact and the two fell to the ground. Kamala rushed over and snapped one of the cuffs around Vision's left wrist before he could regain his bearings.
"How's that for 'doing better'?" Asked a triumphant Kamala. "Well played..." Vision groaned as the buzzer went off. "Azari T'Challa and Kamala Khan... PASS!!!"
"Heeeyyy!!! Nice work, Pikachu!!" Gwen teased as the winning duo entered the Monitor Room to join their friends. "Please, no foolishness right now Gwendolyn," said a tired Azari, using his staff to support himself. "My head is still pounding after releasing all of that power."
"Still, I'd say that move was super effective!" The blonde grinned cheekily as several of her classmates groaned around her. "And how about you, Stretch?" She acknowledge Kamala this time. "Coming in clutch with the Fastball Special!"
Amadeus and Laura grumbled in their corner as Kamala just smiled sheepishly, "Right? I always wanted to try that move!" "Looks like there's 1 fight left before Flash and I have to go," Peter commented, stepping back from the big screen. "I'd better go find him. Hopefully he's in more of a mood to talk now..."
"Good luck, Pete," said Pietro, sympathy in his voice. "You've got this, Wall-Crawler!" Wanda cheered supportively. This made the boy smile briefly before turning and exiting the room.
"So, has either of you made a move yet?" Asked Gwen, leaning in dangerously close to Wanda. The girl jumped back in shock, both at her classmate's sudden appearance and the implications of her question.
"W-what're you talking about??" She hissed quietly, trying to maintain her composure. "Oh come on," Gwen complained. "The source material's OTP hasn't even held hands yet. The readers are getting impatient, so we've gotta speed this ship along!"
"I... Oh, l-look!! Kei and Groot's test started!" Wanda pointed hurriedly at the screen. "Dodging the question..." Gwen teased in a sing-songy voice under her breath, making Wanda blush even redder.
Within the City Battlezone, Kei and Groot ran for their lives in sheer terror. Behind them, the imposing form of a giant in blue and white lumbered behind at a fast pace. "Where do you think you're going?" He asked, stomping a foot hard on the ground. Cracks stretched out through the paved street, catching up to the boys and knocking them over.
Support Course's Homeroom Teacher. Bill Foster, Hero Name: Goliath. Quirk; Gigantify. He can proportionally grow his body up to 60 feet in height. Any taller though, and his body won't be able to support itself.
"This is nuts!!!" Kei exclaimed. "Even if he's like half his maximum, he can still make earthquakes with zero effort!!" "I am Groot!!" Groot replied frantically.
"I'm drawing!! I'm drawing!!" Kei sketched as he ran, "It's not easy doing this on the move, you know!!!" "I am Groot," the trenant boy stopped suddenly, turned around and stared at the advancing giant. Slamming his root-like hands into the ground, they stretched out underneath the pavement. Eventually reaching where their pursuer was.
As Goliath ran forward, the living roots burst out from the ground, wrapping around his foot and tripping him. The hero fell hard, the impact shaking the ground and shattering several windows on neighboring buildings.
"Groot, that was amazing!!" The boy cheered, making the alien grin with pride. "Alright, now it's my turn!" He tore out the sheet of paper from his sketchbook and threw it. With a flash of blue light, a small version of Slizzik appeared.
Kei climbed onto the creature's back. "Hop on!" He called, as Groot jumped up behind. "Let's go, Slizzik!" "I'm gone!" The creature replied, spreading its wings and taking off as the two boys held on tight.
All too soon, however, Goliath tore away the roots keeping him in place and stood back up. Spreading his arms wide, the hero brought his hands together in a clap. The impact creates a deafening shockwave that quickly caught up to the retreating boys and knocked them out of the sky.
Slizzik crash lands on top of a building, its passengers falling off its back. The creature faded away suddenly, much to the surprise of Groot. "I am Groot?" He asked, confused.
"Ow..." Kei clutched his head, grimacing somewhat. "If I personally take too much damage, my drawings can fade away before the time limit. Jeez, my head's pounding..." There's a gash on the boy's head, and it's slowly trickling blood.
"I am Groot," the trenant teen said, noticing the wound and coming over. Raising his hand, something begins to seep from the palm: a plant with yellow flowers. Squatting down to Kei's level, he began to crush and grind it in his hands, before gently applying it to the gash on his partner's head.
"What's he doing?" Asked Pietro. "First aid?" "Indeed," replied a voice. Azari stepped forward to get a closer at a smaller screen. It showed the plant that grew in Groot's hand.
"Aspilia africana... Very clever of him," Azari muttered. "Come again?" Asked Gwen, turning towards the boy. "It is a plant that grows in the tropics of Africa, and is used in traditional medicine," he replied. "It can stop bleeding and prevent infection."
"Huh, that's pretty smart for a tree," snarked Laura, watching the bigger screen as Groot helped Kei to his feet.
"Thanks," said the boy as Groot nodded in return. They're interrupted, however, by a thudding sound that was getting closer and closer. Looking over the ledge of the roof, the duo could see Goliath advancing on their position.
Groot looked around nervously before his eyes widened. There, just past the giant man, was the exit to the stage. "I am Groot!" He said, pointing at the doorway. "Oh great, and it's just past the 30 foot giant," Kei replied sarcastically. "I don't suppose you have any idea how to get past that?"
The young alien eyed Kei's book, tapping it with his finger. "We just tried that, and he knocked us out of the sky," replied Kei, gesturing behind him. Groot shook his head, and spread his arms wide.
"Whoa, h-hold on a second," the boy said nervously, pulling back his sketchbook. "I-I can't make one that big!" "I am Groot," Groot replied. "Yeah, I know what my hero name is!" Kei snapped. "I'm telling you, it's not gonna happen!!"
Groot looked at his partner, surprised by the boy's sudden outburst. Kei sighed, "Look, I tried it once years ago, and the strain of it almost killed me. I know I've been training and getting stronger, but I get... like a mental block every time I try to make a big one. My hands start shaking, my-my breathing gets fast, my head goes back to that day, a-and everything just-"
His rambling is stopped by Groot, who brought him into a hug. "I am Groot..." The alien said gently, trying to comfort his partner. Kei gradually calmed down and broke the hug, "Thanks... I appreciate it." Groot nodded back.
The moment is interrupted, however, when Goliath punches a nearby building with his giant fist, knocking it over and making the ground shake. The two aspiring heroes get low on the roof, trying not to fall off. Groot looks at Kei, "I am Groot."
"'Get to the exit'?" Kei blinked, "But what're you-" He couldn't finish the sentence, as Groot leapt from the rooftop, grappling down on his rootlike arm. "Wait, what're you doing!?" Kei called down to his partner. "You crazy freaking Flora!!!" The boy looked up to Goliath, whose undivided attention was now on Groot.
"Rrrrrrrrrr, damn iiiiiiiiiitttt!!!!!!!" Kei whipped out his book and a fresh pen. Taking a breath to try and steady himself, the boy began to scribble at a fast pace.
Back with Groot, he stood to the side of the road, expanding his roots across to the neighboring as if trying to make a large trip wire. With Goliath needing extra time to slow his momentum from a run, the trenant teen was hoping this would bring him to a stop.
Unfortunately, Goliath had suspected something like this was coming, and instead diverted towards the building Groot was hiding next to, shoulder slamming into it.
The young alien was knocked forward by the sudden impact, he landed hard several meters from where he once stood. The building that shielded him was now completely demolished.
"Not falling for that trick again," said Goliath in triumph. "But where's your little friend?" He asked, reaching down to pick up the dazed Groot. His giant arm is stopped, however, when an equally large, black hand grabs and holds it in place. "Who're you calling 'small?'" Said a deep, robotic voice.
Goliath turned his head, stunned by what he saw. Standing next to him, was some kind of robot. It was orange and white, with black lines and 4 blue lights for eyes. The craziest part was, it was taller than him, by about 2 feet anyhow.
It pulled back its fist, and swung a left hook into Goliath's jaw. The Giant Hero was knocked down the side street, his impact creating another earthquake that shattered glass in neighboring buildings.
"Keep him busy, Aegis!!!" Called Kei, rushing over to help Groot. "Do whatever you can to buy us time!!" "Consider it done," it replied, and began to make its way over to Goliath. The hero picked himself up, gingerly rubbing his jaw as the Aegis raised its fists, ready to brawl. "Alright, Voltron. Let's go!!" Called Goliath, charging at the mecha.
"YEEESSSS!!!!!" Gwen exclaimed, throwing her bucket of popcorn in the air in excitement. She now wore a pair of 3D glasses as she watched the big monitor screen, completely engrossed with the battle. "We've got a Kaiju fight up in this bitch!!!"
Goliath made the first move, throwing a punch at Aegis. The robot brought its arms up to shield itself. The punch made a solid impact against the metal armor, but it seemed caused no damage. Aegis came in with an overhand right that was blocked by the giant hero.
It moved in for another swing, this time with the left, only for it to also be blocked by Goliath. He grabbed a metal arm with each hand, his strength winning out as he began to move them away from himself.
However, Aegis had a plan. Its 4 eyes began to glow bright blue, and a concussive blast of energy knocked Goliath backwards. As Aegis moved in for the next attack, a certain boy much shorter in stature than his creations, rushed over to his downed teammate.
"Groot! Are you alright?" He asked worriedly. The trenant teen slowly sat up, shaking his dazed head to clear it before glancing at Kei. He raised a wooden thumb with a smile, "I am Groot."
Kei smacked the back of Groot's head, "If you ever ditch me like that again, I swear to whatever deity you believe in, I will let him step on you next time!!!" Groot just grinned sheepishly, accepting his friend's tirade as he stood up.
The duo made their way towards the exit, but as the alien regained his bearings, his partner was starting to lose his. "Oooooo..." The boy groaned dizzily. His nose began to bleed slightly, and he wiped it with a gloved hand. "I had a feeling this would happen," he said. "I'm still not able to keep a Giant Sized monster active for long..." Kei looked over to Aegis, who was beginning to flicker, as if fading in and out of existence as it fought against Goliath.
It was at this moment the giant hero noticed them getting closer to the doorway. "You're not going anywhere!!" He called out, stomping his foot again and creating a tremor. A building nearby began to shake, its collapse imminent.
Knowing his partner was in no condition to run, Groot scooped him up under his arm like a football and began to rush towards the exit. The ground shook and chunks of concrete began to break off and fall towards the boys.
Fortunately, Aegis managed to get around Goliath and used its body to brace against the falling structure. The mecha wouldn't be able to keep it up for long, however, as the rate of flickering increased. Soon, their protection would be gone.
But this brief window was enough to safely run unimpeded, and Groot dove through the opening as Aegis vanished completely. The building collapsed within the stage as the doors quickly closed to prevent it from covering the boys. The sign overhead changed to read "Good Job!" as the buzzer went off.
On the other side of the door, Groot and Kei breathed sighs of relief, "Kei Kawade and Groot... PASS!!!"
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• 2 Fastball Specials for the price of 1!? But only one of them worked. Understandably, Colossus has been on the throwing end of the combo move and knew to avoid it before Laura was airborne. Hence why her attempt didn't work.
• An unexpected winning combo in the form of Groot and Kei. Both get a nice chance to shine here, with Groot demonstrating a bit of first aid knowledge and Kei learning to break past his limits, however briefly.
• Similarly to Gwen, Kei has no problem understanding Groot. At first I considered having a language barrier hamper their challenge, but then I remembered that in the comics, Kei's one of the few characters who can understand him due to the nature of his powers. So, I decided to leave that aspect intact and instead form a closer bond as teammates.