The S-Force

2: Toni

"You ready for today's test?" Gia bumped my hip.

"Well I think I've finally figured out how to stop my clothes from catching fire." I said confidently.

"That's great."

"Thanks."

Gia began to say something but was interrupted by a voice from the speakers cut her off. "Will the stage five students come forward and step into the test facility?"

"Let's do this." Gia was already walking into the arena.

Today's test facility, also known as the arena amongst superheroes in training, was a jungle complete with some out of place palm trees and plastic grass. The entrance rumbled close the moment the last trainee entered. The test was going to start at any moment.

"Deep breaths. Stay calm. You're not going to fuck this up. Be cool." I chanted to myself with my eyes closed.

Steeling back my nerves, I opened my eyes and got into challenge mode. A trio of robots emerged from the trees, tearing down everything in their path.

"Look out!" Gia cried out and pulled us out of the way.

"Thanks." I breathed out, still alarmed at what had happened a moment prior.

"So what's the plan?" Gia asked me.

"We gotta figure out a way to stop them."

"How?"

"We'll figure it out."

A piercing scream caught our attention. One of the robots had left deep lacerations on the arm of a vaguely familiar boy.

"Oh my gosh!" Gia exclaimed.

"I have an idea."

"Finally! What is it?"

"I can confuse them with my superspeed and you use your light balls to seal the deal."

"How is that going to help?" Gia drew her eyebrows together.

"If they are confused, their programming could go haywire and they could break down." I explained.

"You sure this is going to work?"

"It's worth a shot."

Gia flexed her fingers and they began to glow. "Let's try it."

I crouched down in the position of a runner. "On my signal you send a ball of light in front of them.

"Copy that."

I took off and sprinted in the direction of the robots. They stopped in their tracks for a moment then tried to head towards me. I pivoted in another direction at the very last second. I took note of their initial confusion the moment I had charged towards them. I sped to Gia's side.

"Did you see that?" I asked her.

"See what?" Her brows furrowed.

"They were confused when they saw me coming. This will definitely work. On my signal you throw out some light balls."

"Alright." She nodded, determined.

"When I say 'go'. You do it."

"You got it."

I nodded then took off again. The robots were closing in on one of us.

"Over here." I yelled.

They turned and saw me and wasted no time charging at me. I sped around them in circles and ran off to where Gia was hiding. I rounded the tree she hid and yelled go. Gia stretched out her fingers and let out a huge ball of light. It collided with two robots and they both exploded, disorienting the third and knocking it over.

"I did it!" Gia yelled. The third one suddenly started moving, still in its side, charging at Gia but I pushed her away in time and ran in the other direction before it could hit me. I sprinted around the robot, hopefully it got disoriented enough and malfunctioned. I felt electricity and fireworks all around as I continued to speed around it. A strange chasm opened up from under us and we fell into it. I landed with an aggressive thud onto the ground.

"Incredible!" A voice exclaimed.

I stood up, my left side was throbbing and there were weird sounds going off in my left ear. On top of that, I did not know where I was or what had just happened. The robot whirred beside me then charged at me. I jumped out of the way quickly, doing my best to ignore the pain in my side. I quickly scanned my surroundings and found myself in the great conference room. The chief speakers were watching the showdown between me and the robot.

"Strange. I was just in the arena a second ago." I frowned to myself. I sped around the robot as it tried to charge at me again. The fireworks and electricity I felt as I sped were both familiar and strange at the same time. A chasm grew from underneath us and we both fell inside.

"Oh my God Toni!" Gia ran towards me. I felt the plastic grass of the arena once again. "You just disappeared. What happened?"

"I don't know." I groaned, getting on my feet with great difficulty. The robot whirred to life nearby and started charging at us. We both got out of the way just in time. "Gia quick hit it with a light ball." I yelled at her.

The robot dragged itself around and accessed the situation, obviously trying to decide who to attack. It decided to go for Gia. She balled her fists then stretched her fingers out. A host of small light balls materialised from her hands and she sent them to the robot, making it explode into a million smoky pieces.

"Oh God!" I fell to my knees, exhausted and in a lot of pain.

"Toni?" Gia rushed to my side.

"I just need a minute." I panted.

"The final test for stage five is complete." A voice echoed through the arena. The exit to the arena rumbled open.

"I might sleep until the next test." I laughed sarcastically.

"Candidates 65S and 38D report to the great conference room." The voice said as everyone began trooping out.

"Hopefully we're not in trouble." Gia helped me to stand.

"Yeah hopefully."

The moment I stepped into the great conference room, I realised it was the strange place I fell into earlier. It was the only place with crystal marble floors.

"Candidates 65S and 38D." The chief speakers said in unison. "You have both been selected to join the elite teams of superheroes we have."

The chief speaker seated on the right pushed something on the raised platform they sat behind. A slab of stone with two slips on it shot out of the ground.

"Pick a slip." She commanded. We walked to the stone slab, Gia supporting me with her body. We each picked one and clicked it open with our thumbs.

Congratulations Toni Pinnock(Candidate 65S). You have been selected out of several candidates to join the Super Force. A representative will be pick you up shortly.

Congratulations Gia Woods(Candidate 38D). You have been selected out of several candidates to join the Beta Force. A representative will be pick you up shortly.