"They passed!!!" Peter and Wanda leapt into the air with joy. They were so caught up in the moment, they didn't realize that they wound up hugging each other. The two quickly separated, blushing wildly as Claire side-eyed them cheekily from the chair.
Ah, young love, she thought.
"So far, so good," said the Night Nurse. "Your classmates definitely took the assignment seriously, and they made a good team on top of things."
"Y-Yeah. They really balanced each other out," replied Peter, still blushing a little bit. "I was worried about Danny having to play catch up once he came back. Guess there was no need."
"It's never wrong to be concerned for your friends," said Claire. She stood up from her chair, cracked her neck, and picked up her satchel. "Speaking of which, I'd better see to Mr. Lucas's ribs. You two can keep watching if you'd like, just don't be late for your own exams."
As if on cue, the screen changed to another stage. This time, it was a rounded, enclosed area not unlike a Roman pavilion. Tyrone and Tandy stood on one side as Emma Frost made her way inside. The loudspeaker went off with a buzzing sound again, and the clock began to count down.
Suddenly, Professor Frost seemed to distort before the team, and several clones of her appeared before her students.
"I forgot to mention," one of the clones began.
"We teachers are giving it everything we have in spite of our handicaps," said another. More clones materialized, surrounding the pair.
"Show me," one more spoke up. "Show me your determination and resolve!!" They all charged the the students at once.
"Tandy!!!" Called Tyrone, enveloping her in his cloak as the black smoke enveloped them.
The duo vanished before the teachers could strike. They materialized off to the side and Tandy threw a series of daggers at the clones. The projectiles hit a number of the clones, which promptly faded away. However, several more emerged to take their place.
"Um, has Professor Frost always been able to make clones?" Asked Tandy.
"Uh-uh," Tyrone shook his head. "She's in our heads, making us see what she wants us to!!" He looked around wildly, as if searching for the teacher in hiding as the various clones gave a dark smile.
Emma Frost. Quirk; Diamond Mind. She's a powerful telepath who can turn her entire body into impenetrable diamond for brief moments of time.
"So what do we do!?" Asked the girl, arming herself with more daggers. Keep fighting 'til we hit the right one? That's not practical, we'll burn ourselves out that way!"
"Then we play it safe and make for the exit," Tyrone replied. "Hold on tight!" The duo once again became enveloped in the smoke again and vanished.
Professor Frost gave a slight smile. She hadn't expected her students to put up a fight. It was quick thinking and good judgement that would get the two past her. However...
She placed her fingers to her temple and concentrated. A moment later, the students reappeared in a hallway, somewhat shaken up. They were still a good distance from the exit.
"What just happened!?" Asked Tandy, realizing they were back where they started.
"She's screwing with my concentration!" Tyrone said angrily. "Won't let us teleport out! We're stuck here!!" As if on cue, Emma Frosts appeared before them, ready to fight.
"Damn it!!" Tandy created several daggers. "Well, I guess we're doing this now!"
She threw several daggers at the her, ultimately having no effect when she changed into her diamond form. Tyrone launched his smoke at some other clones, attempting to trap them in his dark dimension. But the fact that more appeared meant that they didn't have the right one.
The teacher drew closer, ready to go on the offensive. Suddenly, an idea came to Tandy's mind.
"Ty! Give us some cover. As much as you can!" She said hurriedly.
The boy turned to her, reading the look of determination on her face, and nodded. Raising his hands, Tyrone released a thick cover of smoke to blanket the hall in darkness.
This unfortunately also threw off the cameras as Peter and Wanda were now unable to watch the fight continue. Do your best, you two... Peter thought nervously.
Back down below, Tyrone had his eyes closed, as if listening intently for something. Tandy stood before him, waiting with bated breath.
"Can you sense her?" She asked.
A moment later, Tyrone opened his eyes. "She's still in the pavilion," he said. "How'd you know?"
"Those weights she wore," Tandy answered. "As far as I know, Professor Frost doesn't have super strength. And that image we were fighting was moving a bit too freely when she's tied down by all that weight."
Tyrone raised an eyebrow, he hadn't thought of that. His expression turned to a grateful smile, "Don't know what I'd do without you, T."
"You'd probably still be the same, sullen looking emo," Tandy grinned, lightly punching his shoulder. "We all need a little light in our lives," she brought up a small dagger that acted as a torch as the two old friends made their way towards the exit.
"What's going on down there?" Asked Wanda, back in the control room. "I can't see a thing!"
"Mr. Johnson's using his Quirk to cut off the illusions Professor Frost was making," replied Claire. "He wouldn't enter that dark world of his lightly, given his history of struggling to control his power."
She indicated one of the smaller screens, which showed the pair walking through the exit, "That boy had complete trust in his partner's ability to think on the fly, just as she trusts that his power won't overwhelm them both. You won't find a pair as in sync as those two."
As if to justify her statement, a buzzer rang out once again over the loudspeaker. "Tyrone Johnson and Tandy Bowen... PASS!!!"
Peter and Wanda smiled broadly. "Alright! That's two wins in a row!!" Exclaimed the boy.
"Light and Darkness. They're polar opposites, but they were able to use both Quirks well together!" Said Wanda.
"They did, at that," nodded Claire. "Ms. Maximoff, your exam will be taking place after next this one. I'd suggest you find your partner and try to come up with a plan of your own. Use what you've learned in here to help you out there."
Wanda smiled, "Will do." She turned to Peter as she left, "Wish me luck, Wall-Crawler!"
The boy nodded to his friend, "Go get 'em, Sabrina!"
Wanda clenched her fist in determination, keeping her slightly blushed face hidden from Peter as she left.
"'Sabrina'?" Asked the Night Nurse.
"As in, 'The Teenage Witch'," clarified Peter.
"Ah," Claire nodded, understanding the reference.
Within a third stage, Gwen Stacy and Nico Minoru battled against the Avenging Archer known as Hawkeye. However, in spite of the somewhat obvious advantages their Quirks gave, the two students were having a fair amount of trouble.
The teacher rushed towards Nico, an arrow in hand. Nico pointed her staff, "Decipher the laws of na-mph!?"
At that moment, Hawkeye tossed the arrow towards her, the head went off and covered Nico's mouth shut with purple, goo-like putty and preventing her from casting spells.
"Banzaiiiiii!!!" Gwen leapt down from the ceiling, swords drawn and ready to slice.
Hawkeye dodged, leaping backwards and getting distance from the excitable blonde. He narrowly blocked a whack from the girl's staff with his bow, as he noticed Gwen leap into a portal.
From the corner of his eye, the hero saw a portal open next to him with the charging blonde ready to strike. Hawkeye grabbed her arm and pivoted around to judo throw her into Nico.
Moving quickly, Hawkeye pulled a bolo arrow and shot it at the pair, trapping them within the ropes. But as much as they struggled, the girls couldn't escape, especially as Gwen'd dropped her swords when Nico crashed into her.
"A good hero is more than his or her tools," the teacher said. "Nico, I suggest you learn to fight without using magic. And Gwen, think before you leap."
The buzzer went off as Hawkeye finished his post-fight assessment. "Gwendolyn Poole and Nico Minoru... FAIL," said the loudspeaker.
In the EDR, Wanda had her hands full taking on Danger. She'd managed to convinced Sam to fly them both to the exit. Unfortunately, the Cyber Heroine had full control of the stage thanks to her Quirk, engaging defensive systems and keeping them busy with an army of security drones.
"This is nothing!!" Exclaimed a jubilant Sam, blasting a number of them with his Quirk. He saw Danger waiting within a number of the drones, "Let's take her down quick and I'll buy us snacks afterwards!!"
Wanda saw her partner surge towards the final boss. It was too easy, and the girl had a bad feeling about it. "Sam, wait-!!!"
But it was too late, as Sam was slammed out of the air and onto to the floor by a giant hand made up metal and wiring emerging from the roof. It seemed to merge with the floor and trapped the boy in place. As Sam attempted to power up, one of the security drones removed his helmet, forcing the boy to power down.
That idiot!! What do I do now!? Thought Wanda, staring at her now advancing opponent. Another giant metal hand emerged from the floor, this one was much closer to Wand and attempted to slam down on her.
As if on reflex, Wanda brought up her hands to create a shield. The hand slammed down repeatedly, and the red barrier began to crack. Beads of sweat ran down Wanda's forehead as she tried to maintain her concentration. Suddenly, the ground beneath her began to shift, as if the metal floor was turning liquid. The girl could feel herself sinking as the hand continued to break her shield.
Everything seemed to overwhelm Wanda's mind at once, and the girl suddenly screamed "ENOUGH!!!"
She swiped her arms to the side, and the red energy she controlled seemed to explode out around her. Wanda began to float in the air, eyes glowing crimson as she shot a bolt of red at the giant hand.
The hand became enveloped with a red light, and as Wanda made a splitting motion with her fingers, the metal formation split apart and debris began to float in the air.
Swinging her hand forward, the debris shot all at once towards Danger. She raised a solid metal wall from the ground to protect herself, and the bits imbedded into the barrier.
But before the Cyber Heroine could do more, she felt herself rising in the air, surrounded by the same red energy. Wanda floated towards her, her glowing eyes glaring at the teacher as scarlet energy danced about her body chaotically.
"No more..." She said darkly. Raising a hand, the handcuffs held by Sam floated up and attached to the trapped Danger's wrists. On cue, a buzzer went off and the loudspeaker rendered judgement. "Wanda Maximoff... PASS!!! Samuel Alexander... FAIL."
Sam strained to look up from his position, "Hey! What's the big idea!? How come I didn't pass?? I helped!!!"
Wanda slowly landed back on the ground, where she promptly collapsed into unconsciousness due to the unruly nature of her Quirk.
The girl was thankfully picked up by one of the security drones making its way over to free Sam, which gently laid her out.
"You also ran headfirst into trouble without considering your partner," replied Danger, getting freed from the handcuffs by another drone. "Leaving her to fend for herself against a villain as well as attempting to rescue you from further harm."
This harsh but true criticism silenced the hotheaded boy, who looked down mournfully.
"I wonder how Wanda's doing..." Wondered Pietro, running down the empty lane of an industrial stage.
"Don't worry about your sister!!!" Called Seol, the girl was skating forward on a path of ice she created. "We've got bigger things to worry about!!!"
The duo looked back to see a number of buildings and piping collapsing behind them like dominoes. From up on high, Principal Lee watched the two students running for their lives, coffee in hand and a satisfied expression on his face.
"And where are you going now?" He asked cheekily. Holding out a glowing hand, a large wrecking ball materialized suddenly, swinging from a chain into another building. It collapsed into the path the examinees were heading in. This forced them to alter their direction... towards the oncoming collapsing buildings!!!
"Hehehe, ain't I a stinker?" The old man chuckled, taking a swig from his mug.
Principle Stan Lee. Quirk; True Believer. He can briefly manifest inanimate objects or concepts that he imagines into reality. The more complex the idea, the greater the willpower needed to make it real.
"If those two expect to pass through my zone, they'll have to do more than run," he said. "They'll have to start working together!!"
Down below, Pietro came to the same conclusion. "Seol! Hop onto my back!" He said.
"What??" Asked a confused Seol.
"I've got super speed, and I'm not holding back my Quirk to wait for you anymore," he replied impatiently. "Now get on!!"
His partner looked toward the falling buildings and nodded, climbing on piggyback as Pietro got into a sprinter's position.
"Hold tight!!" The boy's legs began to vibrate at high speed and he took off like a rocket.
Seol had never gone so fast in her life. She was just beginning to ponder why she wasn't feeling the wind shear when a sight made her stomach drop. "Up there!!!" Soel pointed in the sky just ahead.
Dropping from the sky was a comically sized anvil, complete with an 'Acme' label on the side.
"Oh crap!!!" Pietro yelled back. "I can't stop at this speed!!!"
"Then turn!!!" Exclaimed Seol, steering his shoulders like reins on a horse.
"Hey! What're you-!?" The boy began to protest, but the two found themselves avoiding the impact site of the anvil. "Huh, well that works..."
"We've got more incoming!!" Seol warned. Indeed, falling from the sky and materializing on the ground were obstacles meant to slow down or stop the speedster. An oil spill, random gardening tools, even a piano fell from the sky. Leaning in different directions with Seol's help, Pietro managed to zigzag and barely avoid the obstacles.
"This guy watches way too many cartoons!!" Called the boy. Thankfully, the exit was dead ahead. The problem, however, was that the road was now being blocked by a wall the size of a brownstone and as wide as a three football fields.
"How's your balance??" Asked Seol.
"What??" Replied a confused Pietro.
"Do the thing where you go top speed, and get ready to slide!!!" The girl's eyes began to glow and a matching aura surrounded her right hand.
"We're about to do something extraordinarily dangerous and stupid, aren't we?" Pietro yelled back.
"...Kinda," replied his passenger, pointing her hand forward.
"My kind of plan!!!" The boy grinned, and his legs began to vibrate even faster as he powered up his Quirk.
"MERCURY BURST!!!!"
Using Pietro's special move, the already fast team turned into a streak of blue and silver as they surged towards the wall.
Back in the observation room, Claire cringed as she watched the video feed. "This won't end well..."
But thankfully, the plan was already in motion. "NOW!!!!"
At his partner's signal, the boy leapt into the air, and Seol blast a sheet of ice before them that seemed to rise into the air. Pietro landed and barely kept his balance, adjusting his position as if he was skateboarding along the ice. The ice gradually rose higher and higher until the team barely managed to crest the barrier.
"Whooohoooo!!!!" Pietro exclaimed as they soared through the air. Even Seol couldn't help but whoop with exhilaration. It was as if they were flying. The exit was dead ahead, but there was a slight problem.
"Um, Seol," yelled Pietro. "How're we supposed to land!?"
"Leave it to me!!!" Seol replied. She raised her hand again, eyes glowing brightly as a sheet of ice materialized just before them. "Brace yourself!!!"
The boy landed on his backside with the Cryokinetic Korean sitting behind toboggan style. The duo sled down the ice, gradually slowing down as they went through the exit. An image of the Principal giving a peace sign was overhead, and the words inside a speech bubble altered to say 'Good Job!'
The buzzer went off and the loudspeaker gave its verdict: "Pietro Maximoff and Seol Hee... PASS!!!!"
"Alright!!!" Exclaimed Seol, jumping in the air triumphantly. Her partner, meanwhile, was less than enthused.
"My ass is frozen!!!" He complained, gingerly rubbing his backside to try and warm himself up.
"Oh let it go, Speedy Gonzalez," grinned Seol, cheekily. "We made it, didn't we?"
Walking through the beginning of a cityscape stage, Ava and Roberto began their exam walking through an empty neighborhood. There was an uneasy silence between the two, it was not directed toward each other. It was more-so an intense focus on Ava's part regarding the test ahead. Roberto couldn't help but notice, and in spite of his distaste for prying into the affairs of others, he reluctantly broached the subject.
"Let's go," Roberto said. She didn't respond, seemingly lost in thought. "Tigre!" The boy said sharply, finally getting her attention. "Are you alright?"
"Y-Yes! I'm ready!!" Ava replied firmly, the yellow eyes of her mask narrowing.
"Well considering who we're up against, we can't afford to be caught off guard," Roberto went on. "Don't just focus on what's directly ahead, keep your eyes up and your ears open. When you start to feel dizzy-"
"I know!" She said, an edge in her voice. "You don't need to tell me what I already know."
"...Fine," Roberto replied simply. Clearly something was bothering his partner, but she wasn't the type to share how she's feeling. Can't say he didn't know something about that...
Overhead, a figure in red body armor hid in the shadows, seemingly gazing down as the duo made their way towards the middle of the stage.
Class 1-A Homeroom Teacher Matthew Murdock, Hero Name: Daredevil. Quirk; Ultrasonic. He's capable of producing sounds at specific and ultrasonic frequencies. He can detect them with enhanced senses, thus being able to perceive his surroundings and even disorient specific parts of the human brain.
"Here we go..." he muttered to himself, as he went on the move.