Tests of Strength

They entered the training grounds, a high-tech facility built with only one purpose: pushing aspiring heroes to their limits. Long obstacle courses, reinforced weight stations, and holographic combat arenas stretched as far as the eye could see. 

Around him, candidates stretched, cracked knuckles, and tested their abilities. Some sparked with energy, others radiated power. It was loud and chaotic, completely different from the quiet focus during the written exam.

Nathan exhaled slowly. The physical assessment. It was his biggest nightmare.

Lucas grinned. "Man, this is gonna be fun."

"So fun," Nathan said with a shaking voice.

A loud voice echoed through the speakers. "All candidates, report in! Your physical assessment begins now!"

Nearby, Titan cracked his knuckles, smirking as he looked at the competition. Aegis adjusted his gloves, his sharp eyes scanning every candidate like a puzzle to solve.

Nathan's throat went dry. This was going to be hard.

The candidates were escorted into a huge open training area lined with reinforced equipment designed to handle superhuman feats. The first trial was simple, lift the weight and you pass.

Nathan stood in line, watching as Titan stepped up first. The proctor barely had time to finish speaking before Titan grabbed the weighted pillar in front of him and lifted it with a single hand.

He raised it over his head and slammed it back down with a deafening boom.

"Was that supposed to be difficult?" Titan scoffed.

The other candidates murmured among themselves, some impressed, others annoyed by his arrogance.

Aegis was next, forming a shimmering energy construct around his arms before lifting a lighter pillar with measured precision, lowering it down with controlled force.

Then came Lucas' turn. He stepped up to the same pillar Titan had lifted. He planted his feet. With a grin, he gripped the pillar and heaved. The ground cracked beneath him as he lifted it before setting it down.

Nathan sighed. Great. Just what he needed. Another reminder of how outclassed he was.

"Echo, you're up!"

His stomach tightened. Swallowing his nerves, he stepped forward to the lightest pillar. Even the lightest one was massive, reinforced for those with enhanced strength. That wasn't him.

Taking a deep breath, he placed his hands on the cold metal and pushed. His muscles screamed in protest. The pillar didn't move.

Echo.

Time rewound a fraction of a second. He adjusted his grip, dug his heels in, and tried again, using the exact angle and stance he'd just observed from Lucas.

"HAAAAAH!" His shout echoed through the arena as the pillar finally budged.

It wasn't impressive. It wasn't effortless. But he lifted it, a little.

The proctor marked his score. Far from perfect, but not a fail.

Lucas slapped him on the back as he walked past. "See? you got this."

Nathan let out a shaky breath. That was just the first test.

Endurance was next.

A brutal mix of sustained physical strain, stamina, and pain tolerance.

Nathan stood at the starting line of the Endurance Gauntlet, a long track filled with increasingly challenging obstacles. Sprints, weighted carries, and, at the end, resistance zones.

Lucas stretched his arms. "This? This is my kind of test."

The alarm rang.

Lucas took off, dodging obstacles with relentless momentum. Right behind him, Titan bulldozed through barriers with brute force, while Aegis used his energy constructs to protect himself, avoiding damage.

Nathan pushed forward, maintaining a steady pace. The first section, sprinting, was manageable. But then came the weighted carries. His arms burned as he carried the heavy pack forward, sweat dripping from his face.

He Echoed, adjusting his footing mid-step to distribute the weight better. It worked. For a few more meters, at least.

Then came the resistance field. Gravity quadrupled. Every step was heavier than the one before. Nathan felt his knees shaking, but he gritted his teeth and kept moving.

Ahead, Lucas powered through, his raw strength and stamina carrying him forward without hesitation. Titan, meanwhile, barely seemed affected, pushing through as if the gravity increase was nothing.

Nathan clenched his jaw, forcing himself to take another step. Then another. His lungs burned, his muscles screamed, but he didn't stop.

Because stopping wasn't an option.

Nathan barely made it to the finish line, chest heaving.

Nathan's muscles were still trembling from the endurance course when the proctor called out the next test. No rest for us aspiring heroes.

He stood at the entrance of the obstacle course, eyes scanning the twisting path ahead. A labyrinth of narrow platforms, swinging pendulums, moving walls, and laser tripwires. Speed and reflexes were everything here.

Lucas cracked his knuckles. "Finally, something fun."

Nathan sighed. "Yeah, fun."

The signal blared.

Lucas exploded forward, weaving between obstacles like it was second nature. He ducked under swinging arms, vaulted over barriers, and slid through tight gaps without losing momentum.

Titan tore straight through the obstacles, ignoring the course's design entirely. Aegis, meanwhile, constructed energy platforms mid-air, jumping over the more difficult sections with calculated efficiency.

Nathan Echoed. He caught glimpses of every mistake, rewinding a second at a time to adjust. A near-miss with a swinging pendulum? Echo. A mistimed jump? Echo. He used it sparingly, knowing too much would leave him exhausted.

He leapt onto a moving platform, nearly losing balance before Echoing and shifting his weight at the last second. It worked. He landed smoothly, pushing forward.

Lucas was already at the finish, grinning. Titan and Aegis weren't far behind.

Nathan took a final breath and sprinted forward. He wasn't the fastest, but he made it through. 

Now was the last test of the physical assessment. The reflex test.

Nathan stepped into the circular sparring arena. 

The metallic combat bot powered up with a high-pitched sound, its joints clicking as it adjusted. Electric-blue eyes focussed on him, scanning for any weaknesses in his stance. The rules were simple. He couldn't strike back, but had to evade, block, and endure for as long as possible.

Across the room, Lucas had just finished his trial, not even breaking a sweat. He gave Nathan a thumbs-up. "Just don't get hit!"

Nathan let out a breath. "Sure."

The test began.

The combat bot lunged. A lightning-fast jab aimed at his chest. Nathan sidestepped just in time. A second strike followed instantly, forcing him to duck. It was persistent, attacking in unpredictable bursts.

The combat bot's fist connected with his shoulder. He echoed. This time, Nathan twisted left instead of right, the metal fist whooshing past harmlessly. 

He sidestepped, narrowly avoiding a spinning kick from the combat bot.

But the bot was learning. Its attacks adjusted, becoming faster. Smarter.

Nathan's reflexes strained as the machine adapted. A feint to his left forced him into a real strike from the right. He managed to raise his arms just in time to block. The impact stung. Another strike came, and he Echoed again, shifting to avoid it.

The countdown neared its end. His muscles ached, but he held his ground. A final strike whistled past his ear just as the buzzer blared. Test complete.

Nathan collapsed onto one knee, gasping. He had lasted. Not the longest, but long enough.

Nathan and Lucas sat on a bench near the edge of the testing grounds, catching their breath. The grueling physical assessment was finally over, but one final test remained. The simulation.

A familiar voice interrupted their moment of rest. "Not bad, you two."

They turned to see Astra approaching, arms crossed, a knowing smirk on her face. She still looked composed, barely winded.

"You weren't with us during the assessment," Lucas said, stretching his arms. "Did you even break a sweat?"

Astra chuckled. "I had my own set of challenges. Energy-based abilities require different evaluations." 

She glanced at Nathan. "How'd you hold up?"

Nathan exhaled, rubbing his sore arms. "Still standing. Somehow."

"At least you made it,"Astra's expression turned serious. "But the simulation? That's where they really test what you're made of. Physical strength only gets you so far when you're facing a crisis." 

Lucas perked up. "You've done it before?" 

"Last year," Astra's eyes grew distant. "Failed spectacularly. They don't just test your powers, they test your judgment, your adaptability." 

She looked between them. "But apparently they change the tests every year, so I don't know what the simulation will be like." 

Nathan's stomach tightened. "Great. More cryptic warnings." 

"Not a warning." Astra's smile returned. "Just remember: in there, your biggest enemy isn't the simulation. It's your own assumptions." 

Before either of them could ask what she meant, an announcement rang out. 

"All candidates, report for the final phase: the simulation." 

This was it. One more test stood between him and his dream of becoming a hero.