The Dark Element (ABANDONED AND UP FOR ADOPTION)

Chapter Twenty-five: TAPOPS Toughness Test

"I will join TAPOPS."

Everyone turned to the Admiral to properly welcome her to the team, but with him in a work mode, you probably know what's going to happen next.

"I'll accept you in the team, provided that you pass the TAPOPS Toughness Test."

Atalanta hummed, smiling a little. "Fair enough."

Admiral Tarung turned to the team, more specifically at the BoBoiBoy brothers. "That includes the eight of you." They all nodded.

"Admiral, didn't BoBoiBoy already pass the test?"

"He did, but they are not BoBoiBoy. They have different powers and personalities."

The Admiral wasn't really planning on making them take the Toughness Test as they had already proven themselves worthy. However, the eight had gone to him and requested that they do the test as well, as to not let Atalanta do it alone. After everyone else had gone, Earth had remained and said that it was Dark who suggested it.

Looking at Atalanta, Tarung knew he made the right choice by accepting the deal. Even in work mode, he still has a big heart, though he might not show it.

Kaizo was smiling internally, although he kept an emotionless face. He won't admit it out loud, but he had grown fond of the girl, just like he had with BoBoiBoy. He had respected her determination to fight and not back down, despite her bad past.

Sai and Shielda were a bit scared. They knew that there is a large chance of them fighting against at least one of them. They had experienced fighting with Fire, and let's just say that they didn't want to experience it again. As for Atalanta, they had only seen a fraction of her power. Who knows how much she had in store?

"When will the test start?" Atalanta asked.

"Now. However, there's a pre-test to assess if you are ready for the actual Toughness Test. Are you ready?"

Atalanta looked at the Admiral in the eye. "Born ready."

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ 

Atalanta had followed the team to their spaceship, which was located in the place that she had hidden on the day that she had escaped from being kidnapped.

Now, that's a disturbing thought.

She might have told them that she had moved on from the experience, but in reality, it still bothers her. Her unnatural speed, instincts, intelligence, memory, even her looks. 

She wasn't really black-haired.

She doesn't have brown eyes.

She wasn't tan-skinned.

She might have been before, but not now. It was just a technology in her glasses that made her like that. An illusion of her past self.

Atalanta shook herself out of her thoughts when she saw that they had arrived at the ship. It was bigger than the alien ship that she had stayed, which was saying something. It was colored gray with touches of silver and black.

When they had come in, she was astounded. There are a lot of technologies present, as noted by her passive power. She could see alien workers traveling along the hallways, doing their work.

Atalanta was led to what looked like a bare training room. There were only 9 chairs present, which she swore was not there earlier. It seemed to be the magic of the ship.

"The nine of you will sit there for the first part of the qualification test. Now, go."

The mentioned people went to their respective chairs, as identified by their colors. Thunderstorm's was black and red, Wind's was navy blue, Earth's was brown, Fire's was red and gold, (Gryffindor? xD) Ice's was light blue, Leaf's was light green, Solar's was White and gold, Dark's was black and purple, and Atalanta's was silver and gold. (Just so you know, silver symbolizes her power over technology and gold symbolizes the power of her voice.)

The test papers appeared on their desks, and Solar and Atalanta looked positively happy. Wind and Fire looked horrified and the rest looked neutral, bar Leaf who was wearing an innocent expression.

"No cheating or magic is allowed. Talking is considered cheating. You have an hour to take the exam. You may start now."

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Atalanta found herself restraining her laughter as she watched Wind and Fire dramatically wail at the result of their exam. Looking around, she saw that Earth and Dark share the same fate. Thunderstorm and Solar rolled their eyes. Ice was full out laughing. Leaf was trying to console the dramatic duo.

As expected, Atalanta and Solar got full marks. Atalanta knew every information about power sphere in her stay as a lab rat. Or a guinea pig, you can choose. Solar, well he's Solar. He knows almost everything. 

Next to the two, Earth, Dark, and Thunderstorm got high scores as well. Ice got an average. He had fallen asleep halfway through the exam. Wind and Fire, obviously, got the lowest scores.

Admiral Tarung looked angry at the result of the scores of Wind and Fire. He shouted at them and everyone flinched. Who knew that the Admiral has such a loud voice.

Admiral Tarung calmed down enough to announce the second part of the test: cooking. They were all divided into three: Thunderstorm, Solar and Ice; Dark, Atalanta, and Earth; then Fire, Wind and Leaf. You may guess what happened.

Thunderstorm and Solar spent half the time shouting at each other while Ice slept. In the end, they had finally agreed to cook a regular breakfast, because 'if we are stuck in a planet with nothing else to eat, we have to be not picky with food' as Solar put it. 

Dark, Atalanta and Earth were mostly quiet in their work, with the exception of Earth's commands. Atalanta spent 5 years as a prisoner and they don't really teach you how to cook there. Dark simply didn't know how to cook properly. Earth only had Dark to chop ingredients while Atalanta was analyzing how Earth cooks and imitates him. They had made a pasta dish.

Wind, Fire and Leaf were by far the loudest group, spending almost every minute laughing at each other's jokes. They had finished in fifteen minutes, making a vegetable salad.

Unexpectedly for some, the troublemaker trio had aced this part. The Admiral was impressed by their teamwork and efficiency of working. Not to mention that their dish was absolutely delish.

For the last part, testing their coordination. All of them aced the exam, the eight BoBoiBoys haveing learned to sing the actual song, not what BoBoiBoy was taught.

Atalanta, Thunderstorm and Solar scored the highest, followed by Dark, Ice and Earth, then Wind, Fire and Leaf getting an average. Naturally, all of them are advancing to the next level.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Our net was cut, so I had a hard time writing and publishing this. Not to mention that I was sick. I'm sorry.