Raptors

Chapter Two: Test

Six years later...

"And... Hajame!" 

Seven young adults in white uniforms attacked at once in a humble dojo. One fell to the light blue mat, gasping for air as another and another stopped to regain their breath. The light armor-like padding they wore for this proved a bit useless against their assailant's trained blows.  One after another, the black belts began to give their fellow student nods of approval as she pummeled them. Left and right she fought and fought, blocking attacks and countering. eventually,

 beeeeeeeep!

The black belts parted to reveal a brown belt, bruised a bit from the fight, but looking from place to place, as if another attacker would materialize out of nowhere. "Well done, Max." an old man with a tattered black belt complemented her. "Is it enough to pass, Sensei? Or do I need to go again?" Max asked, brushing some of her deep brown hair that managed to slip out of her ponytail back. The testing had gone on for a long, long time, with many sections, and this was supposed to be the last one... but you could never know. "What so you all think?" the sensei asked his other students. "Max could have aimed for a softer area when she was fighting me." a burly student pointed out. "And she could use a bit less hieght with those side kicks, they are more effective hitting the solar plexus." a girl with a bruised cheek added, tightening her belt. 

"She needs more strength on those blocks"

"A little less spitting, that's gross."

"Less leg sweeps."

"More hits to the head."

"Attainable goals."

Everyone turned and stared at a cocky-looking red haired student. "What do you mean, Keith?" the burly student asked. "You know, like maybe Max could try to become a eighth-degree black belt instead of a super hero. Because one just happens to be possible." Keith pointed out.

"Being an Avenger is possible. Other people do it today." Max retorted. 

"Yes, but you're not an advanced person."

"Physically or mentally? Tony Stark isn't that strong without his suit."

"Do you have a suit?"

"Does Black Widow have a suit?"

"Can you take out twenty enemies?"

"Trained or untrained? I just fought seven of you, so that's saying something."

"Enough," the sensei told his students, "Max may have different dreams than the rest of us, but she still is one of us. And she has worked hard the past few years. It's about time she becomes a black belt." "Are you sure Sensei? I'm ready?" Max questioned. "Max, you were ready the moment you stepped onto this mat, you only needed the correct training." the sensei crossed the wide mat, and stopped at a row of cabinets near the locker rooms. He opened one, and pulled out a long, flat rope of cotton, ebony black. "Now, Senpai," he began, untying her brown belt, "you have moved to the rank of Shodan. Welcome to the black belts, Yadansha Max." the Sensei gave Max's black belt a final tightening tug, and she felt as if the whole world froze.

But then Max was swept into a current of congratulations and handshakes from her peers, and all reality came back to her. she couldn't call any of the other students her friends, they were simply fellow students she was aquantienced to. She smiled and thanked them for letting her train with them by bowing respectfully, hands clasped to her sides, bending forwards. They bowed back. Finally, it had been done. Maxine Bowman was a black belt.

Max held the paper high above her in bed. It was her list. Her plan to become a great Avenger. She looked over it again. It read:

Become a Karate student

Win lots of tournaments

Get a black belt

Get noticed 

Make an awesome suit

Be an Avenger

Save the world

"Become a Karate student" was scribbled away with a red crayon. Max had that day neatly crossed out "Get a black belt" in black ink. She glanced over at her shelves. Silver and gold looking trophies, which were truly not made of either precious metal, decked the shelves front and back. "So, now I can cross 'Win lots of tournaments' off the list." she told herself as she did so. Three down, four to go.  It had been years since she had met Sam Wilson himself, and, as expected, he never showed up. Max wasn't even following the current events lately, but she felt sure there was some new big threat going on lately. But what was it? Some sort of Winter Soldier maybe? She had no idea. All of the tournaments that were supposed to cause her to catch the eyes of the Avengers succeeded in giving her better fighting skills, but failed in giving her attention from the Avengers. Maybe it would pay off someday. 

Maybe. 

It had been six years exactly, and nothing had worked. Maybe she needed her town to have an Avengers-level threat...

No. Bad Idea. That would mean years of Dojo training, wasted. Max just needed the correct situation. She had a gut feeling that someday a situation like that would pop up. So far, no luck. Talking to her parents would only make it worse. They always had the assumption that whenever she mentioned something they weren't fans of as well (although sometimes there were exceptions), they would assume she was obsessed. Which I am not!  she thought. Well, maybe a little. She glanced at her books, neatly stacked on a shelf. Now those  were characters who understood her dilemma. Even in movies she found kindred spirits. Why couldn't Max be pulled out of picking up power converters at Tashe Station? 

No. Maybe not like that. That ended badly. But she still needed heroism in her life. When was an opportunity going to present itself?

As Max settled into bed, a voice seemed to whisper into her ear: 

"soon."