The heels of my boots clack against the metal floor loudly, ringing in my ears and making me all the more nervous. I'll just do what I always do. That's all that needs to happen. I'm the most qualified for the Team and the best choice.

Plus, I can't wait to get out of Creepers Point.

The doors at the end of the hallway opens. I stop momentarily. This is it, Mahiko.

Fashioning my usual confident smile, I step out onto the silver staircase. I walk up to the top platform and look at the challenge before me.

The room is at least eighty yards or so long. I'm standing on the platform that runs the length of it. Empty gaps are to my sides with emergency doors and some rubble from the last few tests resting there. On both walls are large windows; one, with Doctor Magnus, Batman, Nightwing, Miss Martian, Superboy, Batgirl and Bumblebee.

The rest of the Team are on the other side. All eyes are on me.

"Mahiko, just relax," Doctor Magnus' voice says through the speakers above my head.

"I'm always relaxed," I reply casually

"Good. When you are ready to begin, press the green button." Why is he telling me? I already know that. "To your left is an inhibitor cuff. Place it around your wrist. This will block out all of your powers apart from your ability to turn your skin to platinum, as this is a test of agility." So, no mental electronic manipulation.

The cuff sits with a few others, obviously for the people who are going next. I place it around my wrist and it instantly feels like gravity has become heavier.

I brush my hands over the thick metal plates on my uniform shorts, before adjusting my sword. I kneel down to the ground, preparing to spring up.

As per usual, I turn my skin to platinum, now the one power I have.

Taking a deep breath, I reach out and slam the green button. A buzzer rings, lights twirl and flash and the course comes to life like an industrial work space.

I spring off, shooting straight for the electrical barbs. They are vertical lines of electricity that move rapidly. A forest of them stands between me and the next stage.

The first couple move side to side, so they are easy to step between. Immediately after though I have to dodge roll beneath a horizontal barb, before flipping over three low ones. I guess this sort of training is the only thing my father was good for.

Just as I land, the ground opens up beneath me. Panicking, I leap onto the next platform in front of me. I look into the gap briefly, before turning around. I just manage a bend-back as a large chunk of wood comes swinging at me. It flies over head. I remain where I am as it continues to sway over me.

Balancing on one hand, I grab my katana and rip it out. This is no ordinary katana; this is a custom made master of destruction. So when I stand up, I time my swing with the spinning wood and slash at it, instantly breaking the log.

A grin forms on my face as I look at Doctor Magnus. That was a new edition, similar to the drop behind me. I continue to walk across the platform, slashing every attack that comes my way. I hope I look boss enough to make the Team.

A large grate lies before me. I slip my sword back into its sheath and watch as a fiery wall shoots up before me. When it dies out, a second one begins behind it. The process continues, leaving a small amount of space between the firewalls.

I time my steps carefully. The heat would boil or burn any other human; but at the moment I am pure platinum. As quick as I can, I reach the other side. 

No reprieve comes because two walls begin to close in on me. I turn sideways and hand spring out...

...right into a second hole.

This time I miss my chance to get out. I quickly whip out my katana and scramble against the wall. My gloves do a poor job in gripping. I kick at the metal side, trying to stop myself from falling. My heart begins racing even faster than before as I cling to brick-like pattern.

Fingertips digging into one of the grooves, boot tips pushing against them causing my legs to stay rigid, my katana hilt pressing beneath my palm. I'm barely hanging on.

"Mahiko, I assume you're a fly on the wall seeing as you have not hit the bottom yet," Doctor Magnus calls out. I let out a breathless laugh, but dare not let my body move.

I have to draw my hand back and stab my katana into the metal. I have to. Then I can grab my knife from my boot and climb.

With my left hand, being my dominant hand, I draw the katana back. Almost momentarily I loose my grip on the right.

Just as I slip, I stab the wall. The blade faces up, so it does not cut through the metal. Immediately I reach down and pull my thick knife from my boot. I embed it into the wall and pull my katana out, before stabbing again. I continue this until I reach the top, where I exhaustedly toss the blade out of the hole and haul myself up.

Landing on my back, I desperately try to catch my breath. That's when something fires straight over me. It hits the previous stage and explodes.

I roll over and jump up, katana in hand again. Three cannons fire another three of those bombs. I slash at all three of them in one swipe. The explosions are rough and almost terrifying, but my platinum skin avoids the possible harm.

When I reach the canons, I push them over to face the end of the course. 

I am at the end of the course.

I look over my should at my completion, before looking at Doc through the window.

"Is that all?" I ask seriously. He smiles. That smile.

Something whizzes passed my ear and hits the wall in front of me. I turn around and there stands Blade, the familiar face. She looks slightly nervous at her predicament but ready nonetheless.

"Hello," I begin with a smirk. Please tell me I get to fight. I love fighting.

"I'm the last stage," she explains. Her voice goes strangely high-pitched.

"I have to defeat you?" I ask.

"Yes, but there's something I have to tell you first."

I run my fingers down the blade of my katana, wiping it clean of dust and dirt.

"Oh yeah? What's that?" I ask, trying not to be nonchalant. This girl can't have any powers; all she has, by the looks of it, are a couple of knives. They won't do anything against me. But over-confidence is weakness.

"It's me. Breanna."

Breanna.

Breanna. 

The sass overcomes me like I'm drowning. I maintain my disinterested face but a fire brews behind that mask.

"You'll have to be more specific," I chirp lightly, "Breanna Kaike with the iron deficiency and backwards religious views from El Paso High, or Breanna Cowow the boyfriend-stealing, back-stabbing, two-faced, scum-sucking trollop from El Paso High?"

Breanna Cowow was always dumb, but she catches on to the clear knowing tone. I know it's her. She removes her mask with a dark glare and readies her sword.

"Ah, Cowow," I say challengingly. I spin my own weapon around my wrist casually.

"You know. I used to hate it when you called me that. You got the whole school in on it. Everyone knew the joke; but really, it was a good thing. Your own boyfriend fell in love with me whilst you were dating him. Of course the goddamn queen of El Paso High had to drag her reputation back somehow, so you spread every rumour about me that you could."

I stare at her with the same smirk. My wrist turns, ready to cut her head off. I've never hated anyone so much in my life.

Something catches my eye though.

Doctor Magnus stares from his place behind the window at me. Of all the things in that look, hope is something that stands out. Hope that I don't attack and ruin my chances.

It is then that I remember; this is all a test.

What had been done to me concerning the Metal Men had effected my brain in certain ways. Heightened emotions is one of those effects. Obviously my reaction to this trollop and her words would cause anger, then lashing out. A team of heroes will not want that.

So I deepen my smirk and shrug, resting my katana on my shoulder.

"I loved that song. 'Somewhere somehow, here comes the cowwow. Snoring up a storm like a dog named bow-"

I stop singing as she throws a knife at me. I swing my katana, cutting her blade in half. I grin at her wild expression.

"You 'used to' hate it, huh?" I say tauntingly. She grits her teeth. "Harper told me Jaime put up with your crap for two days before he dumped you in the middle of a date. Tell me bad-breath-Brea; what is your two days with him compared to my two and a half years?" Blade clenches her fists tightly. "What is it? Did you think I didn't know? Or perhaps it's a reminder of your old nickname bad-breath-Brea. A fitting name. We all remember when you made Paco throw up-"

"That's it!"

Blade pulls out her signature twin daggers and jumps up into the air, falling back down towards me.

I side step. She lands in a crouching position. Using my years of training, I knock her daggers from her grip in a mere two flicks of my katana, before slapping her across the face with the flat of my blade.

She falls backwards. I take one step forward and point my katana at her.

"Do you remember the first time he broke your heart?" She seethes through gritted teeth, crawling backwards. "Tore it out because you were a little moron away with the fairies?"

I continue to stalk after her as she scrambles back, my eyes never leaving hers. 

"Always clinging onto him then running away from him, backwards and forwards like some bipolar nutjob." All it would take is a jab. A jab in the throat and she is gone. "Then you somehow got him back, but this time, he wanted to be with me, because you turned into a paranoid psycho!"

Seeing I was distracted, she knocks my katana aside and lunges for me, pulling a knife. I grab the hand holding the knife and kick her chest. Before she can fall backwards, I twist her wrist and she drops the knife. I yank her around and pull her against me.

With one hand I hold her wrists behind her back. With the other, I hold my katana to her neck. 

I hear the mics turn on, as though Doc were ready to shout out my name; tell me to stop before I slice her jugular.

Would that be so bad?

So I push her away and she falls on her stomach. I spin and drop to one knee, my katana tip touching the ground. I face Doc Magnus.

"If you attack me, I'll defend myself. But I will not attack," I say to Breanna, loud enough so the others can hear me. "I'm better than you." It is the only smugness I allow. I look up at Doc. "Are we done?"

A few seconds later, the mics turn on again, "You're done," he says softly.

With that, I stand and turn on my heels, walking away from her. 

"Hey!" She yells after me desperately. It reminds me of our 'friendship'; her, always trailing me. "Wait!"

I ignore her, putting my sword back into its sheath. A different voice, Nightwing's I assume, comes over the speakers.

"Blade. That's enough. You've done what was-"

"Everyone thought you were so perfect and so cool. I knew the truth! You're jus a-"

"Blade! Return to the viewing area now!" Nightwing commands.

I stop walking and glance over my shoulder, smirking at her, before nearing the door. Just as it slides open, I hear Blade say something.

"I know Jaime's secret. You never will!" She taunts, laughing like a breathless maniac.

I face her with folded arms and a smirk, "Please. There's nothing he'd tell you and not me," I say, doubt forming deep in my heart.

Breanna smirks, "Oh really? I bet you wondered where he went sometimes- late at night. Huh? Huh!? I know why! You never will!" She cackles again, eyes wide, hair dishevelled.

And she thinks I'm the psycho?

"Unless you can prove it, I don't buy it," I say. Nightwing barks orders again. I wave her off and step into the hallway, when I hear Breanna say one last thing.

"Jaime is the Blue Beetle!"

Her malicious grin is the last thing I see before the doors slide shut behind me.