𝗠𝗮𝘆 𝟭𝘀𝘁 𝟭𝟱:𝟭𝟱

     Jes grunted as she punched the thick glass with her fist once, then twice, then four more times after that. The glass container shook, but didn't come close to cracking.

    "I don't think it's gonna budge," I told her, but Jes continued to hit the glass angrily and without a response. You know, she's very cooperative like that.

    "This can't be happening..." Clover sighed, worry thick in her voice. "We only have four minutes left to win this. We have to get out of here." She looked to us.

    "And what do you suggest we do? Can't exactly blow the glass up like your usual plan," Jes sneered and crossed her arm. A robotic coyote barked at her from outside the glass to which Jes growled back at it.

     At this point, I was so sick of her and this whole thing. Clover and I didn't even care about passing this exam, but at that moment I needed to win this for her, and I wasn't taking any more from Jes. "Will you back off? You've got your whole life to be a bitch, so please take five minutes off."

    "Yeah. I can't believe I'm saying this, but I actually give a crap about this, and I don't want to lose," Mack added. "We have to have a plan to get out of here, and we're not gonna get one by arguing." The rest of us nodded in agreement. To be honest, I didn't expect Mack to be the one to bring us together in teamwork and garbage, but there we were.

    Clover looked outside of the glass where the bot coyotes, snakes, and vultures had began to surround us. "Ringo can't use much more of her Quirk after that big burst. She's clearly getting tired, and Artemis has nothing without her bow. If we can break out of here, break her bow, then swarm them with everything we have, there's a chance we can win this."

    "Well first, we have to get out of this glass. And if Jes and I weren't able to break through, I'm not sure what else we can do," I said.

    "Actually...there is something I've been keeping from you guys," Mack peeked out from the corner she was in and looked at us, grabbing out attention. "There's this things about my Quirk: it makes me take on the personality of whoever I mimic for how long I hold their voice. Now I've never tried it, but if I took the voice and personality of someone really dang strong, maybe it could give me a little extra strength to bust outta here."

    For once since we got here, I saw Clover smile, and that alone gave me more than enough motivation to at least try. Clover nodded and clutched the staff of Tenshi in her hands. "I think it's worth a shot!"

    Mack smiled back and lifted her green mask to her face, strapping it on and taking a breath. The rest of us stood back and wondered who she would mentally turn into to get us out. Mack began to talk, her voice shifting into a low, familiar one as she did. "This glass is no match for us.. I'll break through it no problem, so have no fear....for I am stoned!– I mean I am here!"

    "Oh, dear God," Jes groaned and smacked her face into her palm.

    All Might– er, All Mack stood with a mighty grin under her mask and her hands on her hips while Jes told her to get on with it and take a whack at the glass. All Mack laughed and swung her fist back to give a powerful punch followed by the signature catch phase.  "Detroit.....SMASHHH!" We all watched All Mack deliver a punch bigger than she had ever given. We stared at the glass as it made contact with her fist and.....

    It did nothing what so ever.

    All Mack stood with her fist to the glass and just blinked at it. "Um.. smash?"

    "Well that was anti-climatic," Jes shook her head and stepped up to the glass. "Not sure why we thought that would work, but let's just deal with this already." She snapped her fingers at us then bared her claws. "Everyone take a side and start punching on three."

    "Great idea!" All Mack put up her fist again. "With teamwork, this glorified snow globe doesn't stand a chance!" I wanted to be inspired by the voice of the number one hero, but this was still Mack talking, so I was skeptical.

    I looked through the glass to the time clock displayed way across the sand to the wall. I definitely couldn't read it well, but I saw enough to tell me we had no choice but to go with this plan and wing it. "Let's hurry up and win this, ladies."

    Clover loaded up Tenshi, I stretched my arms, Jes cracked her fingers, and we a took a side of the glass. "One.." Clover pulled back the trigger and aimed.

    "Two.." I pulled my fist back.

     Jes growled to herself, "Thr-"

    "THREE!" On All Mack's cue, we all hit the glass with everything we had until he felt it crack, then break, then shatter into pieces. "Haha! Another success for the heros!"

    I looked around at the glass by our feet and smiled. I turned to Clover who was just as happy and relieved to see it. I gave her a nod to take the lead here. "We have three minutes on the clock, so let's do this!" I ran to her without a second thought, taking her hands and shifting which had grown to feel natural.

    Jes lunged forward and started running for the teachers as planned. Clover flew up and started firing Tenshi at the robotics that went after Jes. All Mack started punching them as Clover and I shot them...but we let her believe she Texas Smashed them. 

    Jes actually dodged Ringo's stars very well while running. I knew she could probably take her, but she needed help against both teachers. "Hey, let me down, I need to give Jes a hand," I told Clover.

    "You sure?" She asked and looked down at me. I nodded yes and got ready to jump. When I shifted out, I grabbed ahold of Tenshi until I dropped down into the sand.

    I was met with two robotic snakes that hissed at me and charged. I aimed the sniper and took two shots at the bots and watched them fall to the sand. I looked at All Mack to make sure she was ok, and of course I found her smiling with a salute to me. "I appreciate the help young lady, but I could have handled these lanky villains myself."

    "Let's just go help Jes." I found it best not to argue with her and move on for now. We both ran and met up with Clover where Ringo was throwing spheres of heat and fire at Clover.

    Meanwhile, Jes was taking on Artemis, and we watched her actually hold her weight in battle. Jes landed a headbutt to Artemis, making her stumble back from impact. Jes took this as a chance to take away Artemis's biggest threat, her bow. Jes didn't waste a second to grab that bow and snap it over her knee, quickly backing up before Artemis could stop her.

    Clover, Mack, and I grouped in behind Jes as Ringo was next to Artemis. The shorter lady looked at the shattered bow in the sand with wide eyes before her expression settled into one that held blank, raging glare. "You just destroyed my favorite bow. I guess I now have to kill you," she warned in a deathly tone before whipping out a crossbow from her back and aiming at Jes. Before any of us knew what was happening, the arrows flew at rapid speed towards Jes who's ears flicked back in fear.

    "I'll save you!" All Mack's voice boomed before shoving Jes out of the way. I then pulled her out of the way because there was no way in hell that voice made her indestructible to arrows. Thankfully, no one was shot, but Artemis just reloaded and reaimed at us. "You kids think you can match us, then prepare to die."

    I loaded up Tenshi while Clover flared out her light wings and our new teammates took their mark behind us. We all synced in a battle cry while the teacher's shouted and ran at us. Our weapons and fists drew back in preparation for contact unti—

    "Time is up, students please exit the exam grounds." We all stopped frozen in out tracks (Mack falling down) as the computer voice ended our fight.

    "Wait, is it over? Just like that?" Clover asked, looking around.

    "I guess so," Ringo answered and lowered her hands, resting them on her hips. Half of her hair was still gone, but she looked more or less content. "Well you kids sure out up a heck of a fight! I hope to see you all at Hīrōzu this year, right, Artemis?" Artemis simply hummed in response and gathered the pieces of her bow from the ground.

    "Sorry about that," Jes muttered.

       Artemis studied the shards and two end pieces in her hands, shaking her head. "It will be fine, but you kids should probably leave before the next group arrives." On that note, we agreed and evacuated the exam grounds. Mack ended up coming to, and then died of laughter when we told her what she did as All Might. Jes stormed off before we could talk to her, but I wasn't too sure she'd say something positive anyway.

    Clover and I were helped by the school nurse shortly after. Thankfully, neither of us had any major injuries, and we were cleared to leave Hīrōzu Academy. All that was left was to wait for our results. We both felt really good about it, so we held onto hope.

    Man, were we wrong about that.

   A.N.

Well, that would be the end of the exams, and we're almost done with the arc. We do have one more chapter lined up to conclude the HA Exam Arc, and it's a chapter I've been looking forward to, so stick around for that next time on Blooming Roses.

This exam had a lot to it, but my favorite had to be the robotic animals HA uses in their tests. For your question, what's your favorite animal and why?

Though I love dogs and cats, I've always preferred reptiles, and since I was six, there was nothing I wanted more than a pet chameleon. I mean come on! There's just so sweet!!

Before I close this out, I do want to thank all of you for 500 views here! That's definitely a huge milestone considering how new this book still is, and I'm so happy to see my book come this far. Thank you guys so much!

Character Spotlight: Mackenzie (Mack) Adams
Quirk: Augmented (-AngelMaria-'s original)

Fun fact: -AngelMaria-  says that her favorite person to mimic is american comedian, John Mulaney.

Until next time, stay safe guys ≈