Peter could almost sense Aunt May's concern, even though he was so far away, as he faced the army of robots. One of the Zero Pointers slammed its giant hand down, the force exerted was enough to make one of the previously disabled machines fall towards the ground and towards the students, Peter wasn't able to recognize them, but two students were crushed by the enormous robotic body. For a few seconds they were all silent, fearing the worst, until relief came.
"AAAAARGH!!!" A greenish figure lifts the middle of the hand, recognized as Amadeus by his classmates, showing his muscles since the top of his uniform tore from the transformation. "I'm okay!" He said, waving to his classmates.
"Me too!" Beside Amadeus, another boy appeared, also freeing himself from the middle of the machine and looking quite similar to the child Hulk. He was blonde, with short, messy hair. He also had several piercings in his ears, but the rest was not so easy to identify due to the activation of his Quirk. He'd also torn the top of his uniform from muscle growth and turned green, but in a different shade from the boy from 1-A. The only difference was his arms, which had shoulders covered with scales and claws on his fingers.
Theodore "Teddy" Altman. Quirk; Transform. He can alter his body and functions into different forms, but is usually content becoming a green monster with enhanced strength and resistance.
"Hey, are you okay?" The new 'hulk' asked the other boy, who was crying about not being so unique or something.
"Now's not the time to whine, moron!" Flash yelled angrily, using Amadeus's shoulder as a springboard to jump up the robot's arm. Then he used his Quirk to create arms of black goo and climb the big robot.
Others with more mobile Quirks followed, including Sam, who used his powers to fly over the robot, Tyrone, who teleports in jumps toward the top of the robot, and Groot, using a similar strategy to Eugene.
Others weren't lucky enough to have Quirks for mobility, or had no training for it yet. This was the case for most of the courses, especially Class 1-B. But they managed to escape the ice more easily than the other classes. Kei was amongst them, who regretted choosing Fireclaw over Scragg.
"We may be adversaries, but that doesn't mean that we can't work together and overcome this obstacle," said one of the students of 1-B. He was a young man with red hair, light skin and blue eyes. He invoked what appeared to be a transparent, holographic shield on his right arm.
"I can't accelerate enough to scale vertical surfaces, so sure!" Pietro replied, looking quickly at his remaining classmates. They nodded in agreement and the redhead took charge, with both classes going on the attack.
"Well, what do we have here? An alliance!?" Deadpool announced, witnessing the union formed between, mainly, the two classes of the Heroes' Course.
"It is good to know that some of them have a certain strategic thinking," comments the lawyer. "In real life, heroes need to work together to face a threat, and this is a great example."
Peter approached one of the robots, identical to the first one he faced in the practical exam. It quickly approached and tried to hit the boy with one of its arms. But Peter was faster, nimbly deflecting to the left and using a movement like the one he had used against Flash in the double battles. He grabbed the other arm and throwing the robot over his shoulder, making it hit the floor and shutting down its systems.
"Terminated," Peter joked to himself, until he realized that a small metal plate, the size of a sulfite sheet stuck in his hand as he ran. It probably belonged to the robot and had gotten stuck. "Get off, get off!" He tried to shake his hand, but he knew he needed to concentrate for it to really fall. So he decided to leave it there, it didn't weigh much and it could be useful in the future.
Other students from 1-A also made quick work against the robots. Wanda launched one towards another group, to achieve greater energy efficiency. While her brother ran destroying robots by the force caused by his acceleration. Danny had his fists glowing because of his Quirk, while doing huge damage, literally going through the machines with his kung fu strikes. Gwen helped him, going through the machines with her Quirk and confusing them for her partner to destroy.
Another great pair were Kei and Fireclaw, the boy wasn't kidding when he said the monster was his MVP. The creature jumped and destroyed machines with impressive strength and agility for its size, not to mention the blazing claws that were the cherry on cake.
"Holy bananas, am I the only one feeling it tomorrow, or will Class 1-A also have back pain from carrying this alliance so much!?" The audience heard, once again, the voice of the announcer Deadpool while everyone witnessed the images of destruction and struggles shown on the big screens.
"These kids are different..." Began Matthew, letting his teacher side slip a little. "They faced villains, they saw with their own eyes what the pros face. They matured very quickly, because they needed to. A few weeks ago, it was fighting or dying and they used that opportunity to acquire a vision and self-analysis of their own powers, which they could explore in the two weeks of training... "
"You're so inspiring with these little speeches," said Deadpool with the microphone off.
"Shut up and get back to the race," Matthew retorts, unmoved by his colleague.
Deadpool really had to turn his attention back to the students, because at that moment a certain girl was close to showing the world, and more specifically her mother, what she came to do.
"Decipher the laws of nature and neutralize the threats!" Nico yells, casting a spell with her staff pointed forward. The circular tip of the artifact illuminates with small rays and then larger rays shoot out and start levitating debris from the path. They're launched at high speed in the direction of the remaining robots.
The rest of the lower point robots were immediately shot down with pieces of metal that fly at high speed and crash into their heads. They explode, thus rendering the bodies useless. A larger piece of debris is rotated quickly before being launched at a much larger angle. It towards the huge zero-point robot and pierces its head, making it fall just as Seol had done with the first.
"And it seems that our goth Hermione has destroyed the rest of the robots, freeing the way to the next obstacle!" Deadpool said, now wearing a yellow and black scarf from his Hogwarts house. "But I gotta say, maybe they'll wish to continue with the robots... "
What Deadpool was referring to was the nature of the next obstacle; a huge hole in the dirt floor, hundreds of meters long and deep. Inside were columns of earth as high as the ground they stepped on, interconnected by long, steel ropes. Beyond the obstacle, it was possible to see the participants who'd passed the robot army before.
Seol still held the lead, now sliding by freezing the steel ropes, likely to help herself, not making a ramp that could help others. Robbie and Flash followed, the Latino was quickly reached by the noisy blonde, who had a Quirk with greater mobility potential than the first boy. Farther back were Tyrone and Sam, both looking very tired; the first teleporting slowly from column to column, and the second being enveloped in pulsating energy only when he was going to jump from column to column. Both were quite out of breath.
"Uhuuuu, time to detonate!" Gwen said from the middle of the group that had arrived, quickly running to the edge while making her way among the people until she was on the edge of the precipice. She opens a portal by reaching out and passing through it, reappearing moments later in the column nearest and repeating the procedure.
"As we have seen, this obstacle is much more focused on mobility than destructive power," explains the lawyer. "Giving the chance for other students to show their potential."
"I like this girl," Deadpool said, referring to Gwen. "She reminds me of me back in my younger days."
"Hyperactive and inconsequential?" Quipped Matthew.
"Yeah..." Deadpool took a moment to notice, "HEY!"
Some other students were inspired by the hyperactive blonde and launch themselves towards the challenge that the obstacle proposed. Wanda pushed herself with her Quirk, jumping from column to column. Danny had energized his legs and was doing the same, jumping. Kei had also changed his strategy; now being carried by a smaller version of Scragg, which was basically the size of a medium-sized dog.
The girl in the Support Course, the only one in her class at this stage of the race, took this opportunity to show her skills. Or rather, her armor's skills. Approaching the edge of the precipice, she pressed a few buttons on a device on her right wrist and the backpack she wore fired four torpedoes into the air. Once reaching a certain height, they turn around and return towards the girl.
Before reaching her, they modify, turning into what appeared to be two highly technological metal gauntlets and two boots, which connect to the girl's respective arms and legs. She's effectively wearing a kind of exoskeleton. She then takes the last steps before the huge hole and takes a deep breath, activating a visor in front of her eyes and pressing a red button.
Suddenly, the propellants in the iron boots activate and the girl's launched into the air at high speed, leaving a trail of white smoke from her boots. She succeeds, being in the correct angle of inclination, previously calculated by the same, landing on the other side with a single push. She lands reeling a bit from the impact, but smiles happily when she saw she had achieved a good position. She collects her equipment and runs again.
"And just now, we had the opportunity to witness a girl from the Support class using her equipment," says Deadpool, seeming more focused. "And those are real adult toys, not what you found in your mother's drawer-"
"It might look like cheating," said Matthew after muting his colleague's microphone. "But the Support Class is free to use any equipment, as long as they created it themselves."
Peter was one of those who unfortunately had lagged farther in the race after the first hurdle. He was now running towards the hole that was the next obstacle. While it seemed like an ideal situation for his agility and webs, but there was a catch: this was the first challenge of the day, and using the webs would mean bruising his arms. There would be two options for that, tie a gauze or let the Night Nurse heal him, but both alternatives would leave him tired for the next steps of the festival. They would be as important as this first, if not more, so he went to use his second strategy.
Not stopping until he reached the edge of the precipice, he uses all his strength on his lower limbs and jumped, remembering the training he had done, techniques for jumping higher and farther. After landing, almost having slipped, but keeping firm, the boy continued his jumps, going from column to column with relative ease.
He then realized that he was coming to the end, but it made him lose his concentration, being at the column closest to the end of the hole. Peter jumps fast, without giving him time to compose himself. After landing, he slid off the stone column, his feet escape and he falls. He tries to hold the column but he can't stick...
"MY GOD HE'S GONNA FALL!!! I CAN'T WATCH!!!" Deadpool hid his eyes with his hands, but looking through the cracks of his fingers.
...Until in a quick movement, he gripped the piece of metal from the robot that still held the steel rope above him and holds it with his other hand, letting him regain his balance and keeping himself hanging.
With his heart hammering in his chest, Peter quickly raised his feet until they attach to the steel rope. Then using his strength, he starts to slide down the rope, shrinking and stretching his body, until he reached the other side, using his legs to pull himself out of the hole, getting up and running again, taking the iron plate with him.
"Oof! That's not good for my blood pressure," said the relieved mercenary hero.
"So maybe you should stop eating so much junk food," replied Murdock.
"NEVER!!" Exclaimed Deadpool. "BUT NOW'S NOT THE TIME TO SPEAK ABOUT MY DIETARY HABITS. THE TIME FOR THE LAST OBSTACLE CREATED BY YOURS TRULY ARRIVED!!! I PRESENT TO YOU..."
"Please tell me that you weren't able to convince the director to make-"
"THE MINEFIELD!!!"
He wasn't kidding, the last obstacle was exactly that; a huge clearing of land with several small elevations that indicated hidden landmines. They were in immense quantity, and it was possible to observe that the number increased in the further space and that made everyone very cautious.
The trio at the front, Seol, Robbie and Flash, were no longer running. Although with the two boys in front exchanged a few angry looks as they walked cautiously so as not to trigger any bombs. The girl was right behind; she obviously could form an ice ramp to pass, but that would give her opponents an advantage and she was too tired to continue the ramp until the finish. It would help others, but she wouldn't be able to help herself.
"'In a minefield, all men are equal.' Pool, Dead," said the hero, now wearing a philosopher's tunic and sporting a fake beard over his mask.
"Admittedly, you're not wrong," replied Murdock. "Whoever was at the front has a disadvantage. They'd have more bombs in their way. And those with mobility Quirks have a disadvantage, not being able to use their powers efficiently. Not to mention those already tired from the prior obstacles."
Even though he couldn't see, Mr. Murdock had just described exactly what was happening at the third obstacle. In addition to the three race leaders, others were also struggling; the teleporters Gwen and Tyrone, in addition to being already exhausted, couldn't afford to make mistakes and get blown up, so they walked without using their Quirks.
Others with locomotor abilities like Pietro and Wanda couldn't risk it either. Pietro in particular was in a bind; because of the dirt floor, he'd slide more easily. Others who could escape this situation from above, flying, were also already at their energy limits, including Sam and the support girl.
Analyzing the situation he was in and listening to Deadpool mention that this would be the last obstacle, Peter started to think. This was his chance; not getting a good place there would mean that he wouldn't advance to the next stages of the competition. Finally, an idea comes to him. Somewhat crazy, but it could work. He used the piece of metal stuck to his hand and started to dig.
The objective was simple: collect landmines and use them as a single propulsion. If he was right, the bombs would explode if he pressed the tops. So he dug underneath and removed them by holding the base. He repeated this procedure a few times, receiving strange looks from other passing classmates. But he didn't care, nor did he even notice, until he formed a pile of landmines.
He then took a canister with a white substance from his back pocket: his web fluid, which would solidify in contact with the air. Sticking his finger in the tube, he pulls the substance that soon turns into a kind of covering, over the mines. In a few seconds, he literally has a bag full of explosives. Taking a few steps backward, holding the bomb bag in one hand and the piece of iron in the other, he ran a few feet, jumps and drops the net of bombs on the ground in front of him.
Nobody expected the explosion that followed. Of course, some had stepped on mines, causing an explosion. But they were nothing deadly, just enough to keep someone off course and maybe knock them out. This was something different altogether, an explosion equivalent to a dozen of these mines. Through the rising pink smoke they released, a figure had been launched from the explosion towards the end of the course.
"What the-!?" Was all Seol could formulate when recognizing the the boy who flew overhead.
"HOLD YOUR CHIMICHANGAS!!!! IN A SUDDEN EXPLOSION THAT WOULD MAKE MICHAEL BAY PASS OUT IN ENVY, THE STUDENT LISTED ONLY AS 'THE SPIDER' HAS MADE A SUDDEN RUSH FOR THE LEAD!!!" Deadpool announced, excited over the new developments.
While most of the runners were stuck in awe of the figure of the 1-A boy flying over nearly every minefield, the two boys at the front instead started running faster. Flash and Robbie ran side-by-side with the best precaution and speed combination they could manage.
Most importantly, they tried to slow each other down. Flash tried to use his black tentacles to push and strike at Reyes, while the other tried to restrict and block his opponent with chains. But since neither of them was 100% focused on these tasks, they couldn't achieve a satisfactory result, but still tried as they approached the end of the minefield.
In mid air, Peter realized that he hadn't planned much in the way of landing. He realized that with the friction of the air, his speed was rapidly decreasing. If he crashed to the ground, his strategy wouldn't accomplish much. But then, he saw two people facing each other while running the course, and recognizing their Quirks.
This gave Peter an idea, twisting his body more upright, he heads towards the path of the two boys, making quick calculations, until he arrived. In a fraction of a second, he's upside down and between the two boys. Using all his abdominal strength, he stuck his feet behind them, doing a rotation and pushing both with his legs. Quickly relaxing, he threw the piece of iron that from his hand underneath where there were some mines.
BOOOM!!!
The explosion from by the impact caused the three young men to separate. Reyes and Flash flew off to each side and Peter was propelled forward, with less force than the first, but enough to make him roll forward. With adrenaline pumping through his veins, he ignored the momentary pain and ran as hard as he could. With two very angry boys in hot pursuit.
The tunnel, the one through which they'd left, was completely clear of ice and that was the way inside. Whoever reached the stadium first would be crowned champion, at least for the first stage. Unlike in the beginning, where many people competed in a tight space, only three boys were inside now, competing for the podium.
Each was fueled by an ambition to be the best, to be Number 1. None of them had the intention of letting others succeeded. Peter had the advantage of being in the lead, running as hard as he could. His lungs burned, his legs wanted to give up, and he was drenched in sweat and panting, but he didn't stop.
Flash and Reyes were just behind, the bully creating tentacles that clung to the walls and propelled him, and the other used his chains to push himself forward, since he'd also created a chain barrier on the door to prevent anyone from stealing the victory, like Pietro or Gwen, in an attempt to go faster.
If the boys in the back had more time, they might've been able to overtake the one in the lead, but that was easier said than done. Soon the light at the end of the tunnel indicated the end of the path, and there was no doubt who had won.
"AND THE WINNER OF THIS FIRST STAGE OF THE HUNGER GAMES IS..." A figure rushed in, "THE SPIDER!!!"
The stadium went crazy, screaming and applause erupted from all around. Confetti shot out and betting money was being exchanged. But the boy didn't see any of that, he was looking up at the teachers' booth. A skinny man in glasses looked down at him, applauding with his colleagues. There was a look of immense pride on his face, sharing a knowing expression with his student.
But the stadium was not the only place that recognized Peter's victory. On Ingram Street, May jumped for joy, accompanied by the visiting children in celebration of her nephew's victory.
Outside the stadium, two heroes from the Guardians of the Galaxy agency, who were hired to stand guard outside saw the boy on the big screen.
"Hey, who won? That's not who I bet on! Who the hell's he!?" Rocket complained to his companion, standing on his shoulder.
"I am Groot..." the treant hero replied with a shrug.
But not everyone was quite so happy to see the boy on screen. A certain young man in a dark room watched the Sports Festival on television, and he recognized that mask. His expression turned cold, "You..." And he shut off the screen before getting back to work.
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Barber's Chair
• Yup, similarly to the source material, Peter used his wits more than his body to win the race here.
• I contemplated introducing a few more characters here, but there's enough action going on as it is, I didn't wanna crowd the chapter and take focus off the frantic pace of the competition.
