"Congratulations to the 100 who've passed," Agent Woo said over the intercom. "You will be allowed a one hour break to rest and prepare before the second stage of the exam. Please return your targets by placing them in the designated bins. In the meantime, there's a fully stocked cafeteria next to the waiting room, feel free to help yourself if you're hungry."
Peter breathed a sigh of relief. He needed time to repair his webshooter and this break would be invaluable. Not to mention he was feeling a bit snackish.
"Those of you who didn't make the cut, you have my sympathies but them's the breaks," Woo continued. "You may watch the remaining portion of the exam in the designated spectator's area, or you can take your leave if you don't want to stick around. In either case, better luck next time."
The M.A students walked through the door and dropped their targets in the labeled box.
"Hey look, there's the cafeteria!" Wanda pointed excitedly.
"Wooo!!! It's lunchtime!!" Kamala cheered.
"It seems a few of us are already inside," Azari noted, eyeing the table where their remaining classmates were already seated and eating.
"Hey, look who's here!" A seated Amadeus nudged Flash and waved the group over.
"I see you all made it," Ava said, sitting down next to Gwen.
"Even you, Mr. Lone Wolf," Laura teased Flash lightly. "That wasn't very nice, leaving us to fend for ourselves."
The blond grunted in response, not looking up from his food. "Not like it would've mattered," he said. "You idiots all got separated anyway."
"Speaking of, where'd you run off to?" Asked Kamala, "I never saw you, Cho, or Reyes once the Exam got underway."
"Flash and I wound up in the West End of the arena," Amadeus replied. "It was done up like a dense forest, and with our Quirks it was easy to stay hidden. All we had to do was wait and pick off whoever came through before they saw us."
"I used a similar tactic in the cityscape," put it Roberto. "Hiding in a dilapidated building, I wrapped up a pair of students with my chains and tagged them out." He states this matter of factly before eating a forkful of rice. "It was the best way to use my Quirk without harming anyone else."
"Sneak attacks? While not very heroic I must admit to their effectiveness," Azari acknowledged.
"You're not kidding," added Peter. "Some FF girl with a transformation Quirk gave me a lot of trouble that way."
"Transformation?" Asked an intrigued Danny.
"Yeah, she turned into Wanda and put herself in danger," he replied. "I think she was hoping I'd come save her and get tagged out in the process,"
"She what!?" The true Wanda Maximoff dropped her burrito in shock at the revelation, only for her brother to zoom around and catch it before it hit the floor.
"Wait, so the Wanda we saw during that ambush..." Ava realized quickly.
"Was really one of their own," Luke finished. "Damn, that's just playing dirty."
"No, playing dirty was her trying to carve me up like a jack-o-lantern in spite of that whole 'don't purposely hurt others' rule," Peter sighed. "I'm glad I was able to figure out her little trick, that girl seriously gave me the creeps."
"How so?" Pietro asked, placing his sister's lunch back on her plate.
"I dunno, I just got some bad vibes off of her," the web slinger said. "It's how I knew she wasn't Wanda. She was cold, hostile, merciless... Like Flash on a bad hair day."
The quip at the end made his classmates chuckle, except for one.
"Shut the hell up, Parker!!" Flash yelled, slamming his fist against the table. His eyes went white and black tendrils danced angrily on his shoulders. "We're not in the mood for your stupid jokes!!!"
The entire cafeteria went silent at his sudden outburst. Beneath his fist, the table had dented and a visible outline was visible. The blond teen seemed to realize his mistake and took a deep breath, as if to settle himself back down.
"This damn test isnt over yet," he said, a more even tone in his voice. And he stood up without looking at anyone in particular, and curtly walked away amidst many stares.
"He... does have a point," Azari said diplomatically. "With so many of us preparing for the second stage of this Examination, it stands to reason many of us would feel anxious."
"...I thought the joke was funny," Kei muttered quietly as he munched on his sandwich.
Peter was quiet however, he knew the signs when Flash's Quirk was acting up. And what just happened, while brief, was deeply concerning to the boy.
"I'll be right back," he said, standing up. "There's something I've gotta check-"
But before Peter could move, he felt the familiar tingle move up his spine. Turning around, the teen was met by the cold stare of America Chavez.
"Something wrong Pete?" Amadeus asked, before taking note of the girl. "Whoa... If looks could kill."
"Wait, is that her?" Kei leaned over to see. "She's cute, and you weren't kidding about those eyes." He began to sketch her face in his notepad, "Dangerous, yet captivating. I must know more about her!!"
"Easy, Rembrandt," warned Laura. "Something tells me you're better off finding a different muse".
Peter and America continued staring at each other, the boy having shifted into a look of steely determination, refusing to be intimidated by the Future Foundation student.
"That's enough," said a voice. A teenage boy with short blond hair stepped in front of Peter, glaring at the girl. He wore a white and black uniform, the same as her.
"You were tagged out fair and square, Chavez," he went on. "If you still want to get your license, then holding grudges won't get you there any faster."
She stood in place a moment longer before giving one last look of disgust at the Spider of M.A. Finally, Chavez turned on her heel and marched back toward her table.
"I'm sorry about my classmate, she's not usually like this," the teen apologized. "You must've really pissed her off. I'm guessing you're the one who tagged her?"
"Guilty as charged," Peter shrugged. "You said you're her classmate?"
"That's right," he nodded, extending a hand. "I'm actually her Class President. Franklin Richards, nice to meet you."
At the table behind them, Amadeus spat out his Cola in shock, making the others stare. "Wait, Franklin Richards??" He sputtered, "As in the son of Mr. Fantastic and the Invisible Woman!?"
The newcomer sighed and rubbed the back of his head in minor embarrassment. "Yeah... That's me," Franklin reluctantly answered. "Look, I'm just here as a Hero Student like everyone else. So please don't give me any special treatment."
He began to dejectedly lower his hand, but Peter reached out and shook it. "It's nice to meet you too, man," he said with a smile. "So you're the Class President? How'd you get roped into doing that?"
The teen was briefly taken aback, before smiling once more. "I was kinda unanimously voted in on my name alone," he admitted. "But I worked hard to make sure their trust wasn't misplaced."
"As all good leaders must," Azari nodded in agreement.
"In any case, no hard feelings about tagging Chavez," Franklin went on. "The whole point of that test was to pit us against each other and she was unlucky this time around. It won't matter in the long run anyway, she's not looking to be a hero."
"Wait, she's not?" Gwen blinked, "Then why attend hero school? Or take this test in the first place??"
"Because to use our Quirks publicly, we need licenses," he explained. "A few of our number want to be heroes, but the rest of us are pursuing different areas of study. The Hero License Exam is the quickest way to get certified, but there are others."
"That makes sense," Ava pondered. "There are lots of jobs that'd probably go smoother if you're allowed to use Quirks while you work."
"Exactly," nodded the blond. "Transportation, public works, exploration. And that's just scratching the surface for potential usage!"
"Speaking of Quirks, what can yours do?" Peter asked.
"Honestly, I'm still figuring it out," Franklin replied truthfully. "I know it's based around my brain, because I can use some telekinesis. But I've been told that as I grow and continue developing, that might just be the tip of the iceberg."
Those listening in took his description as a veiled warning. But the two boys deep in conversation about Quirks seemed to share no animosity.
"But forget about me, what can you do?" Asked the blond, genuinely curious.
"My Quirk's a bit less complicated," Peter joked. "I can do anything a spider can; climb walls, proportional strength, enhanced reflexes, I can even shoot webs!" He removed the demaged web shooter from his wrist, "At least on a good day when everything works..."
"You make your own webs??" Franklin asked, intrigued. "How long did it take you to build those? Are the webs themselves organic or manufactured?"
Unfortunately, Peter was rudely interrupted before he could elaborate on the peculiarities of his tech.
"Hey! What're you doing talking to the enemy, Frankie!?" A voice called over. The duo turned to face Jack Power, staring incredulously at them with the Vision twins in tow.
"What? It couldn't hurt to learn from others," Franklin replied. "Besides, at the end of the day, were all trying to be heroes, right?"
"Regardless, there's still to do before the second phase of our exam," said Jonas. "I think the rest of our class could use their leader."
"Well, duty calls I guess," Franklin sighed. "It was good to meet you... Peter, right?"
"Yeah, good luck out there, Franklin," Peter gave a thumbs up to the Future Foundation student.
"Call me 'Frankie', all my friends do," he said with a smile, before nodding to the rest of Class 1-A. "Let's do our best out there."
As Franklin walked away, Peter sat down and began to disassemble his web shooter using the tools from his belt. He felt the quiet awkwardness and looked up to see many of his classmages staring at him.
"What?" He asked.
"Dude, do you realize who you were being chummy with?" Asked an incredulous Amadeus.
"Franklin Richards," Peter replied before grinning, "But I guess I get to call him 'Frankie' now!"
"You didn't see it, did you?" Seol chimed in. "Franklin was the one who scored the 120 outs!!"
"Wait, what!?" The teen's eyes widened before looking back over to the retreating figure.
"Uh huh, it was something," nodded Tandy. "He just floated into the thick of it, stuck out his hand, and then every ball in sight started flying around like they were caught a tornado."
"All it took was a few seconds for him to eliminate almost 10% of the examinees," Cho emphasized.
"Craziest thing I've seen in a while," Tyrone concurred. "And with all we've been through, that's saying something."
"The kind of mental gymnastics needed to control all of those balls without causing serious damage to himself and others is nothing to take lightly," Wanda weighed in, using her own experience as a reference. "Even I'd struggle to handle that many. Power like that takes years to fully master, and for him to say he's barely tapped into his Quirk's full potential..."
"So he's powerful, smart, and popular too," Pietro said thoughtfully. "The hype around him's no joke. If we have to fight him later-"
"He'll be a serious problem..." Peter concluded, watching as Franklin sat down to speak with one of his classmates.
An hour later, the remaining hero students gathered in the main atrium.
"Alright people, let's get down to business," Agent Woo spoke into the microphone on his podium. "As you can see, the numbers have been whittled down to one hundred examinees. Makes for a bit more leg room in here, doesn't it?"
Peter took in his surroundings. Most of the remaining examinees were from the top Hero schools. The Xavier students had all made the cut, no surprise there. Future Foundation's numbers were strong as well, with more than half of their original number remaining. He breathed a sigh of anticipation, readjusting his now fixed webshooter.
"Now then, please turn your attention to the screen," he went on as the black display showed the remains of a city in peril. "As you can see, the arena has been altered during your break into something a bit more daunting."
"I'll say," Tandy gazed at the screen. "These HPSC guys sure work fast!"
"This will be the zone you'll cover in the second round of the exam," Woo nodded. "Your goal is simple: undertake rescue exercises and save the bystanders who are trapped in these disaster sites."
"Save the what now?" Blinked Sam.
"Bystanders," Kamala replied. "Y'know, people at a disaster scene? It can also simply refer to innocent citizens on the street."
"I know what they are!" Sam hissed, trying not to speak loud enough to be noticed. "But we've never worked with actual people during our training!"
"Use this time to show us how you will carry out successful rescue procedures once you receive your provisional licenses," Woo raised a remote and pointed at the screen. "Treat this as though it were the real thing. Rescuing..."
The image of a large group of people appeared on the screen amidst an overly dramatic backdrop. The revelation generated an air of panic.
"Little kids and old people?"
The students began to chatter in confusion and worry.
"That's so dangerous!" Kei exclaimed, "Why're they here?"
"Settle down, everyone," The S.H.I.E.L.D agent raised a placating hand. "To address your concerns, these specialists have been trained as professional line: 'Citizens in Dire Straits'. Or CIDS, if you'd prefer an acronym."
"So, they're actors?" Asked Kei, staring up at the screen.
"Huh," Luke remarked. "It's the kind of job you never really think about."
"But a necessary one in our world," replied Ava. "Since they support our hero training."
"The CIDS have dressed up like injured victims and will be located throughout the disaster site," Woo explained. "We'll be judging how well you keep them safe as you go about your mission. We'll be scoring you on a point system. If you have more points than the benchmark at the time the exercise comes to an end, then you pass the exam."
He clicked the remote once more, showing the cityscape once again, "We'll start in ten minutes. Take care of any necessary preparations now."
Most of the students began to wander, making plans and discussing
"I'm getting an ominous sense of deja vu," said Danny, still looking at the screen.
"Yeah, it does look familiar," Cho noted.
"It's like Harlem, and a bit of Time's Square," observed Robbie. "I wonder if they based it off that?"
"It's true that the situations are similar," Ava pondered. "But our only goal then was to rescue Peter from the villains. We let the pros handle search and recovery."
Peter's fists clenched tightly, recalling the many casualties that resulted from the Mandarin's attack. He recalled helping with rescue efforts before getting pulled into the League's twisted machinations once again. Peter regretted unable to make a real difference there when it counted.
Not this time.
At that moment, the giant doors swung open and the vast arena was revealed. A buzzer rang out 3 times before Woo's voice rang out over the intercom.
"Villains have performed a large-scale attack spanning all of Insert City Name Here," he announced. "Since most buildings collapsed, there are many injured.
"Guess that's the background story," Peter thought aloud. "But they really couldn't come up with a name for their fake city?"
"Due to heavily damaged roads, the first responders have unfortunately been delayed for the time being."
"What're those tents?" Asked Nico.
"Until emergency services arrive, the heroes in the area will lead the rescue efforts. Your task is to save as many people as you can and help the injured. The evacuation point will be one of five tents set up for triage. And with that..."
Everybody tensed up, waiting for the signal.
"Begin!"
"Saving lives is the greatest ambition a hero can have!" Azari exclaimed, leading the charge as he donned his panther mask.
"We will succeed!" Seol followed close behind, surfing on a sheet of ice. "But we have to do this properly."
"That guy mentioned points, but he didn't say anything about how we'd be scored," Tyrone said.
"Since we're in the dark, all we can do is follow our training," Roberto looked ahead with determination.
"Come on, come on, come on!" Sam yelled, blasting off into the air. "Let's do this!!!"
"Where are we going?" Nico asked.
"You're our Class President, Azari," Peter called over. "Which way?"
"Let's start by heading to the closest urban area," Azari replied. "There's strength in numbers, the last test proved as much. We'll work as a team as much as possible."
"Right!!" Class 1-A replied unanimously. Almost...
"You're running off on your own again?" Laura asked, as her and Amadeus kept pace with Flash, who was running off in another direction.
"Why are you damn extras always following me?" Flash asked irritably.
"We just wanna!" Cho replied, giving a thumbs up and a grin, making the blond roll his eyes and keep moving.
The truth was, however, both Cho and Laura had become increasingly concerned over Flash's behavior during lunch, and decided to keep an eye on him.
"Even though this is just a test, it feels pretty real!" Gwen panted, looking around at the demolished urban landscape. "Stay frosty, everyone! Watch for falling debris and explosions."
"Huh, you're actually taking this seriously," Luke noted, watching the girl in pink behaving more focused now than he'd ever seen before.
"I wasn't able to do much when the villains attacked our training camp. Or afterwards..." She replied, her mind briefly thinking of prior events. "I won't let myself or others be put in that situation again!"
"Gwen and I have been training every day leading up to the exam," Danny spoke up. "Meditation and focus were the primary areas we both improved upon." He thought of the long, grueling hours he'd spent attempting to calm the excitable girl.
"Wait!" Ava called out, coming to an abrupt halt. She turned toward the left, and one could see she'd already activated her jade pendant.
"What's wrong, Ayala?" Asked the young Prince.
"I hear someone," she replied, looking at a partially ruined building. "Since we startes, I've been enhancing my hearing and vision to find victims. And I think I just did."
"Right! Lead the way, White Tiger!" Azari put his trust in his Vice President as they ran over. Soon, the sight and sound of a crying child stood before them.
"Help me, please!" He wailed, tears streaming down his little face.
"Look! There he is," Nico called, pointing over with her Staff of the One.
"My grandpa! He's been crushed," the boy stuttered as Sam got to him first. "I-I think he's hurt."
"Oh, man. This looks bad," Sam muttered. "Where is he?"
"'This looks bad'?" The 'child' asked, his demeanor shifting. "That's points off your score!!"
"Whoa! Sudden hostility!" Gwen yelped, leaping back.
It was immediately clear now what was happening, this was no child. He was one of the exam proctors, made up to look injured.
"The first thing you should do is see how bad my injuries are and if I can walk," he said irritably. "I'm breathing kinda weird, too, aren't I? And didn't you even notice that I'm bleeding from the head? People with hero licenses should be able to judge a victim's condition in an instant!"
So the members of CIDS are the ones be scoring us? Peter thought.
"Your gross lack of training is all too apparent right now. You better shape up and pay attention, newbies!" The 'boy' addressed the entire group. "You're not just here to provide aid. Until the police and firefighters show up, you need to exercise authority and make sure this goes off smoothly. Think of the victims here. They must be terrified. There are many aspects of being a hero."
"But take note," he went on. "There is one thing to keep in mind above all else. Anyone who needs rescuing is having the worst day of their lives. And the first thing you said was 'This looks bad'? Seriously??"
Peter immediately pictured Iron Man, whose flashy entrances wowed the crowds and put everyone at ease. I'm not Mr. Stark, but I WILL save as many people as I can, he resolved.
"Hey! It's going to be alright," the walk crawler stepped forward, reassuring the 'boy'. "Let me take a look at you. Are you hurt anywhere?"
Right on cue, the CIDS worker began his shtick from the top, "Over there! My grandpa!"
"Don't you worry. We'll definitely save him," Peter said. "I can carry this boy to the first aid station myself. Can you go in and save the grandpa?"
"We'll handle it," Azari nodded. "Do what you can for the little one."
"Alright, first off, is anything else broken?" Peter's attention went back to the 'victim'. "How's your head?"
"Just my leg..." The CIDS actor sniffed, "I can't walk, and I feel dizzy."
"Ok, just hold a second," he bent over and picked the 'boy' up, cradling him in his arms. Peter glanced at his friends, "I'll catch up with as soon as I can." With that last remark, he began to sprint toward the far wall, where a first aid tent was located.
"Say, I watched you in the opening round," the actor said. "You swing around using those rope things, right? How come you're not using them to get us to safety faster?"
"One of the first things I was taught was to handle citizens with care," Peter replied. "Speed is one thing, not shaking around an already injured person is another. Especially when they're a kid who could pass out from a head wound."
He'd been given a crash course in recovery tactics while he helped Thing, Rocket and Groot look for survivors during the Mandarin's attack. Thankfully, most of what they taught him still stuck.
Not bad... The 'kid' thought. If the rest of your class is like this, they may have hope yet...
Back at the wreckage, Class 1-A continued their rescue efforts, searching for the missing 'grandpa'.
"I found him!" Wanda called, "This old man's conscious, and he needs help."
"It hurts!" The actor moaned, hamming it up.
"What are you waiting for?" Asked Sam. "Let's get him out!"
"He's trapped by debris," Wanda replied. She extended her hands and a red glow began to surround her fingers, "Give me a second and I'll float it away."
Poor girl, the old man thought. She's gonna lose points that way...
"Wait a moment!" Azari's voice cut in. "Look at the way the walls have collapsed around him. Right now, the structure is balanced precariously, like an intricate puzzle."
"He's right," put in Ava, inspecting their surroundings. "It's stacked like a jenga tower. If we're careless with our movements, or move the wrong pieces, it'll be a bif mess. We have to do this strategically."
"Now I see. You're right," the Scarlet Witch powered down her Quirk.
"First, let's use this downed support beam to prop up the wall," Azari bent down to uncover the part he spoke of. "Though it may take some time to get everything into place. Can one of you give me a hand in lifting it?"
"Forget about that," Seol stepped in with Groot in tow. "You can leave support to us!" The trenant teen exended his arms, creating wooden beams stretching from the weak points in the wall and ceiling to the floor. He broke the limbs off and after a moment, regrew his arms, although it seemed to take some effort to do so.
All the while, Seol created sheets of ice along the walls, reinforcing them so they wouldn't collapse. "How's that for a brace?" She asked.
"Well done," Azari nodded. "Now then, your turn, Wanda! Move the debris that doesn't affect the structure and make a path!
"On it!" She declared, activating her Quirk.
The elderly actor watched the students working together to safely get him out.
It's not perfect, but it's not a horrible plan, either, he thought to himself. When there's a large-scale disaster, there are never enough rescuers to help those in need of saving. That means the work should be as fast and efficient as possible. If someone tries to do everything themselves, they'll lose time in the long run.
"Alright, it's finished!" Wanda called.
"Good," replied Azari. "Ava, would you please give me a hand moving this debris off our honored elder?"
The White Tiger made her way over and helped her Class President free the old man from his prison of concrete and metal.
What's important is being realistic about what your own Quirk can and can't do, and then figuring out how you can divide the labor with the other heroes. This one here is excellent at delegating tasks to the ones most suited.
"Pietro, you're the fastest," Azari said. "Take this man to the nearest first aid tent. The rest of us will continue to search the area for more survivors."
Focusing on your role during a test where you're trying to stand out takes courage. It's something you can only do if you really understand the situation.
"Don't worry, old timer!" Pietro hoisted him up onto his back, "You'll be feeling better in no time!!"
"Wait, not too faaaaaaaassssst!!!!!!" The 'old man' called as Pietro took off in search of a tent, his passenger holding on for dear life.
"That's gonna cost him points, isn't it?" Wanda deadpanned.
"Probably," sighed Seol.
"He'll dust himself off, I'm sure," said Tyrone. "As for the rest of us, we'd better get searching. They didn't say we'd get points taken for standing around, but I'm not taking that chance."
"Alright then, lets get to work!!" Tandy cheered.
"Yeah!!!" The rest of 1-A called out in response.
In another part of the arena, other students were being judged for their efforts.
"Hello ma'am, my name's Franklin Richards," the blond teen said to a wounded woman. "I'm a Future Foundation first year. But if you'd like, my Hero name is Powerhouse. Hold still for just a moment..."
He extendes his hand, and various chunks of brick, concrete, and steel beams began to rise in the air. "Ok everyone!" Franklin called to his classmates, "I've cleared out the debris, I'll leave extracting the citizens up to you. Don't forget to check for injuries before you move them!"
"You've got it, Prez!" Called Jack, moving in with several others
"Very professional," the CIDS actress said thoughtfully. "You're focusing on the search aspect of a rescue operation, and using your Quirk to its full benefit. This subtle control of so many objects is impressive... But letting that stuff just float above everything during a rescue is dangerous! You should've moved them out the gaping hole in the wall where they could be safely disposed of. Minus points!!"
"Ack!!" The teen winced at the criticism. And while he wanted to argue back over logistics and speed of an operation, he knew it wouldn't have helped the situation. Best to just deal with it and be better during the next one.
From his office, Agent Woo and a number of observers watched as the heroes in training did their best to save lives and find the missing.
"It's been ten minutes since we started," Woo stated. "Everyone's doing well for the most part. But there's still a ways to go."
A skinny man in shadows made his presence known, "After all, what's a test without a few surprises?"
"I couldn't agree more," said the S.H.I.E.L.D agent, checking his watch. "I'd say it's about that time. Are your people ready?"
"Yes, they're just waiting for you to give the word," the man replied.
"Consider it given," Woo nodded. "Just try not to make too much of a mess down there."
The man grinned, his eyes glowing bright green, "No promises."
Woo chuckled as his guest left the room, "I hope those kids didn't think things'd be straightforward."
"Help! Someone, please!! My arm hurts pretty bad," a young man clutched his left arm, laying next to a ruined fence along with another CIDS actor
"Mine, too! Save us!" The other begged.
"Shut up!" That was the reply of Flash Thompson, "Save yourselves, you whiners."
The two actors yelped in fear at the unexpected harshness from someone who was supposed to be helping them.
"Man, you've gotta work on your rescue style," Amadeus sighed.
"They might be really hurt, you dunce!" Laura chided, "We can't just leave 'em here."
"They've got working legs, don't they??" Flash retorted angrily.
This caught the actors off-guard. "Wait," said the first. "We are supposed to be low-priority victims with only minor injuries."
"So you think... that he figured it out?" Asked the other, "And that's why he told us to go off on our own?"
"You're kidding me," Laura facepalmed, "They took it in a way that made it sound okay??"
"Forget it," Cho bent over to carefully examine the 'victims'. "We'll get you two somewhere safe."
"That's right, just hold still while we check your injuries," Laura brought out some bandages from a pouch in her belt.
"Thank you..." Said the first actor, "You two are fine examples of the heroic spirit..."
"But that guy's tone was wildly inappropriate," added the other. "Minus points."
Flash turned toward the 'victims,' his face contorting to one of pure rage. "What the hell did you say?!" With those last words, his eyes turned white, his mouth grew in length, and black tendrils started to cover his armor and head.
It was a very unsettling vision, scaring not only the actors he was meant to save, but his two classmates as well.
Meanwhile, Peter swung through the damaged city in search of his classmates. Along the way, he rescued the occasional citizen in danger, doing his best to avoid losing points. However one did criticize the way he quipped, as if making light of a serious situation.
Along the way, he came across an apartment building on fire. Well if this isn't deja vu? He thought, as he saw a figure in a 4th floor window.
"Heeeelllllp!!!!" She called, waving her arms frantically. "Somebody please help me!!!"
"I'm coming!!" He yelled, adjusting his swing and shooting a webline to change his direction.
"Petey!!"
Peter turned to his left, seeing Liz Allen flying using her flames as a booster. Close behind was her blue skinned classmate Bobby, who was using ice to create a ramp that he slid on through the air to keep pace.
"Liz??" He questioned, shooting another web to keep his momentum as the Xavier students caught up.
"Hey! Looks like you were separated from your class too!" She said, flying next to him. "You heading to that apartment on fire?"
"Yeah! Wanna team up?" He asked.
"Sure!" Liz replied cheerfully.
Bobby nearly slipped off his own ice at the suggestion, "Are you nuts, Liz!? He's the enemy!! You seriously wanna team up with M.A?"
"Ouch," Peter clutched his chest mockingly. "This 'enemy's' got feelings, you know."
"Bobby, we're not competing anymore," Liz replied. "And in rescue operations, the more hands available, the better."
"I mean... you're not wrong, but..." Bobby hesitated, as if unsure of what to do. Given the competitive nature of the varying schools, working together with the one everybody was gunning for was unfathomable.
"Look, I'm willing to go alone," Peter offered. "But if you have a heroic bone in your body, then I bet you won't let me. At least together, we can make a plan."
Bobby grumbled under his breath before sighing, "Alright, fine. Let's get it over with."
"How do you wanna play this?" Asked the flaming teen.
"I figure Icicle here can start freezing from the ground floor to put out the fire," he said, making Bobby roll his eyes. "You and I can look for trapped civilians starting from the top floor. You're immune to fire and I have enhanced senses which should make it easier to find them."
"Unfortunately, that's not how my Quirk works," Bobby said. "I can't just create ice, I do it by taking in and manipulating the water vapor in the air. Not a lot of that in the middle of a big fire."
"Why don't we switch then?" Liz offered, "I'll focus on lower evac and absorb the flames. Bobby'll be closer to clean air and he can use his ice for an exit."
"That works better," the Iceman nodded. "Plus the two of us have comms and can keep each other updated."
"Alright then!" Spider-Man began to swinging faster and higher now. "Follow me, Bobby McGee!" He aimed for the 5th floor and crashed through a window.
"Who died and put him in charge?" Bobby scoffed.
"Did you wanna crash through a glass window at high speed?" Liz asked.
"I mean... kinda..." He lamented, before reluctantly sliding on his ice to the aforementioned window and climbing inside.
"Hello!?" Bobby called out, "Is there anybody up here?? Anyone??"
"Yell if you can hear us!" Peter shouted, though it was slightly muffled beneath his mask.
"Over here!"
The boys heard a voice, not in a room but a hall. Peter moved to follow it, before Bobby stopped him. "Hang on a second," he said. Better use my Quirk now while I'm still able." Raising his hand, he shot a wide stream of ice, cooling down the hallway and extinguishing the flames.
"We good to go?" Peter asked, eyeing the frozen walls.
"Yeah, the floor's structually sound but we should still be careful," Bobby indicated. "I'll make a ramp once we get back to the window and we can slide them down one at a time."
"Sounds good," Peter nodded.
The duo made their way down the hall, checking each room to be sure they missed nobody. Bobby pressed the raised 'X' insignia on his chest, making it glow slightly. "Firestar, how's it going down there?" He asked aloud.
"I found a bunch of civilians," her voice replied. "I'm getting them out now, then I'll start looking for the source of the fire."
"Ok, keep me posted," said the Iceman, raising his hand off the 'X'.
"Man, that's cool," Peter said. "Note to self; install comms in my mask."
Turning around the corner, they found a middle aged couple pinned down under debris. The ceiling had given way and collapsed down onto the hallway. Between the steel beam and drywall, here was an opening that would allow someone to crawl under the rubble. This gave Peter an idea.
"Are you guys alright? Are you hurt?" He asked the 'victims'.
"My leg got hit when the roof caved in, I think it's broken," The man groaned. "My wife's fine, but she can't breathe with all this smoke!"
"Please, help us!" The women cried. "We can't move, we're pinned down!" She coughed, albiet unconvincingly. Still, it illustrated her status as being helpless to the boys.
"Bobby, I'm gonna move this stuff out of the way," Peter said. "Once they're free, make that ramp and get 'em out the window. I'll be right behind you."
"Are you really that strong?" Bobby asked, genuine concern in his voice.
"Just trust me," Spider-Man replied, determinedly.
He crawled into the open space. When he reached the two civilians, he slowly got into a standing crouch and placed his hands on the rubble above himself. It was a giant piece of ceiling and floor from the level above that fell and pinned the couple under it.
"I'll lift it," he said, looking at the actors. "When you're free, move fast! My friend here will pull out your husband. Got it?"
"Y-Yes," said the woman.
Sucking in a breath of air, Peter began to carefully lift the oile up strength. It was still no easy task even with his enhanced strength, as the true challenge was to keep everything balanced. Yet he slowly pushed everything up off the couple, giving them some room to relieve the weight off their bodies.
Peter's Spider Sense began to ring in his head he jerked his head toward the hole in the ceiling. "Bobby, the roof!!" He yelled, making the ice user look up. The building started shaking again, and suddenly, broken pieces of the 7th floor began to fall down.
Moving quickly, Bobby shot a blast of ice at the hole, attempting to freeze it shut. Unfortunately, it was too wide to block everything and with the heat depleating his Quirk's effectiveness, all he managed to do was block half as the rest of the rubble landed atop of the pile on Peter's back. He grunted as he took on the extra weight, feeling his knees and elbows buckle.
"Peter!" Bobby called, "Are you alright!?" He moved in to shift some of the debris away, and was met by an influx of smoke coming from the floor below. This 'simulation' was becoming more dangerous by the second, and both boys knew it.
Spider-Man grit his teeth and took in several quick breaths of air. Knowing this was a make-or-break type of moment, he cleared his mind and activated Battle Focus. Shifting his feet underneath him, he strained his muscles and began to slowly stand up. With a grunt and a yell, the hero in training used his powerful strength to fully lift the debris over his head, finally allowing the citizens room to move.
"Bobby!! Get them out!!!" He ordered, struggling to keep everything aloft and balanced. The Iceman nodded, and reached in to pull the man out to safety. The woman, being able to move on her own, crawled out to follow.
"I should deduct points over how reckless you're being right now," she muttered to Peter. "But frankly, that was a very impressive display of Quirk control you just demonstrated."
Bobby led the two actors out to the hallway before he turned back to Peter, "I'll come back for you!"
Peter nodded, "Hurry!"
Once the trio had left, he began to inch himself forward, attempting to free himself from his burden. Suddenly, he felt a familiar tingle up his spine. There was danger around him, sure. But this was different. It was less situational and more... directed.
Suddenly, he felt a sharp pinch on the back of his shoulder. Turning quickly, he saw a thin needle poking into his costume. It was attached to a syringe, and the person holding it?
"Chavez!?" He yelled in stunned disbelief, "What the hell are you doing!?"
But she merely smirked darkly and pulled out the syringe, walking backwards into the darkness.
Why did she just stick me with a needle!? Was she trying to drug me or something??
Frantic thoughts raced through the teen's head, making him lose focus. The debris he carried on his shoulders began to offset and weigh him down. He had to get out from under there fast!
His confusion quickly turned to panic as the building began to shake again. More rubble fell from the ceiling and was sure to bury Peter alive. Thankfully, salvation came in the form of Bobby Drake. The Iceman, now fully recharged, shot a solid blast of ice, closing the wide gap for the moment. Next, he created supports connecting the floor and wall to the great pile on Peter's back. But with the intense heat below, it wouldn't hold very long.
"Get out, while it's still solid!" He yelled, still shooting his ice.
Not thinking twice, Peter leapt forward, rolling out the momentum as Bobby's ice finally gave way to the tremendous weight, crashing onto the floor. The weakened wood splintered and crack, threatening to collapse like the ceiling above. Spider Sense wasn't needed to tell the boys they were in trouble.
"Let's go!" Bobby and Peter sprinted down the hall and dove out the window. The Iceman shot a blast from his Quirk at the air, creating a ramp that he slid down to the ground on. Peter went with a different approach.
I hope Riri got these things working! He thought as he took a running leap head first out the window, smacking his arms against his sides.
"Activate: Web Wings!!"
As he spread his arms out, a thin layer of webbing stretched out from his lower hip to his wrists. They caught the air like a wingsuit, letting him glide away from the building.
"WOOOOOHOOOOOO!!!!" He cheered, fueled by adrenaline and the sheer joy of the sensation. Spotting Liz waving from the ground, he steered himself downward and deactivated the wings with another side slap.
"Nice!" The girl cheered, "Where'd you learn how to fly?"
"Eh, it's more like 'falling with style'," Peter quipped. "The citizens?"
"All safe and accounted for," she assured. "The only ones on an upper level were rescued by you and Bobby."
"Are you sure? There's someone I want to find," Peter began to look around for the First Aid tent. "A girl, hispanic with dark hair. About our age."
"Um, I didn't see anyone who looked like that," Liz said, confused. "But I was evacuating a lot of people, so she might've gotten lost in the mix. Why?"
He turned to the white tent marked by the red cross, but couldn't see her amongst the actors. She must've transformed herself again, Peter thought bitterly.
"She's... ugh, forget it," he lamented. "I'll deal with it after this test is finished." Pulling down the neck part of his costume, a puncture wound was visible and leaking blood. Adjusting the nozzle of his webs, he sprayed a generous amount to prevent further bleeding and infection.
"Are you alright?" Bobby skidded to a halt in front of the two teens, his ice vanishinng behind them. "That was a lot of weight you were carrying. What's wrong with your back?"
"I'm fine," Peter reassured tiredly, readjusting his costume back into place. "Thanks for coming back for me."
"You're welcome," Bobby said. "Sorry I was a bit hard on you before, Peter. I'm just not used to working with others outside of school, especially not the ones we're supposed to be rivals with."
"Forget it, man," Peter rapped him on the shoulder playfully. "I'm just glad you had my back in there when it counted."
"And we've got Liz to thank for getting the rest of the civilians out," the ice user grinned at his classmate. "You were awesome!"
"I just wish I could've put out that fire too," Liz grumbled. "They had a system built into the framework. Once I extinguished the fire, it started back up again."
She glanced up at the giant timer overhead, "Well there's about 10 minutes left on the clock. What do you say the three of us stick together until it's over? I think we make a pretty good team." She stuck her hand out between the two boys.
Bobby repeated the action, covering his classmate's hand. He looked at Peter, this time with respect and trust in his eyes. "I'm game if you are, Peter," he said.
"You bet I'm in!" Peter placed his hand over the other two. "The three of us working together? Nothing will stop us from passing!!"
As if on cue, an alarm began to buzz and Woo's voice crackled through the loudspeakers.
"A villain has begun another large-scale attack."
Suddenly, a bone chilling roar echoed throughout the arena, making every examinee freeze in place. From above, a figure dropped into view. The ground shook as it landed, leaving a small crater upon impact. As the dust finally cleared, one could finally see who the newcomer was.
He was huge, standing roughly 8 feet tall and covered head to toe in muscles. He wore purple trunks, had green skin, and if one looked up the definition of "angry," his face would be plastered next to it.
The Incredible Hulk had arrived.
The trio stared at the creature once known as the World's Strongest Hero, dumbfounded and wide eyed with fear.
"Me and my big mouth..." Peter gulped.
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Barber's Chair
• So, I was considering doing this as one big chapter, but there's so much ground to cover that I've gotta break it up in two.
• The team-up is an obvious reference to Spider-Man and his Amazing Friends, but what can I say? The characters were all there, I've gotta put 'em together!
• The second exam is about halfway through at this point, and will resolve in the next chapter. Believe me when I tell you, that's when the narrative starts to shift a bit more from the source material.
