860 LBS

The Baton

"Today, you'll be headed to the Parc des Princes for your physical education lesson, so get up and get moving!" Madame Bustier announced. The majority of the class groaned in response. It's not that they didn't enjoy PE days. The class was grateful every time they got out of the classroom. It's just that PE days were always boring. There never seemed to be anything new, just rotations from cardio exercises to stretching to some game that D'Argencourt was way too enthusiastic about.

"Come on, Mari. Let's get going or we're gonna be late!" Alya said, shaking Marinette from her daze. Ever since she became the heroic Ladybug, PE days seemed to be easier than ever. She didn't know how, but all the akuma fighting made for a great workout. She stood up and followed Alya out of the room. Behind her, a couple of her male classmates were in an energetic conversation.

"I'm telling you man, you should lift weights. You're like, incredibly strong, so I wanna know how much you can lift."

"Cut it out, Nino. I'm not that strong."

"Dude, don't argue with me. You're ripped."

"Yeah, Adrien! How much can you lift?" Kim cut in.

"Guys! I don't know. I've never lifted weights before."

"You've got to be kidding me. Honestly, I hope we're lifting today so we can find out how much Agreste can handle!" Kim laughed.

Marinette giggled quietly. She had never seen him work out before, other than doing his fencing practice, of course.

"Alya? How much weight do you think you could lift?"

"You too, girl?" she sighed. "Well, I'm not terribly strong, but I could probably lift over my own weight. I'm thinking around a hundred and sixty."

"That's pretty good!"

"What about you Mari?"

"Well, I feel like it would be possible for me to lift at least ten pounds over any number I could give you. I've been able to lift several of those heavy flour bags that we have at the bakery, and those weigh a ton."

"Yeah, you're probably right. But, if you had to pick a number?"

"I would say maybe two hundred? That seems kinda high though."

"I bet you could do it with ease, Mari!" The two girls laughed and tossed the conversation aside.

The closer that they got to the stadium, the more the boy's conversation escalated. It almost seemed as though the words themselves were a part of a grand competition.

"I bet I can lift more than you, Agreste. Especially if you've never lifted weights before."

"I'd like to see you try, Kim," Nino said. "Have you seen how strong he is? I have! It's almost terrifying."

"Thanks to some calculations, I have concluded that it would not be possible for Adrien to out-lift Kim," declared Max.

"Guys! Cut it out!" Alya yelled. "Save all your testosterone for the stadium."

"Well, we're here now, so thanks, but no thanks, Al," Nino replied.

"Watch your tongue, boy!" she snapped back. He laughed in response, throwing his hands up in the air.

They entered the stadium to see D'Argencourt fencing with the air. Three stations were laid out: jump ropes, yoga mats, and a soccer station.

"Awwww," the boys whined. They would have to wait till next time to see who was the strongest.