CHAPTER 97

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Chapter got deleted for some reason. Just reposting.

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[David Lance POV]

I led the team to the training room and broke them into teams, Team A: Raven and Superboy, Team B: Kid Flash and Miss Martian, and Team C: Aqualad and Robin.

~For now, Robin and you will watch,~ I said, giving the two a quick look, getting a nod from Aqualad. With that done, I turned my attention to Team A and Team B, who were waiting for me to give them further instructions. ~The rules of this little exercise are simple.~

"Whatever," Kid Flash muttered under his breath; if only he knew I could hear him.

Taking a deep breath, I began explaining as I walked toward them, ignoring the bratty attitude Kid Flash was giving me. ~The circle around the four of you represents a dead zone, meaning that if you go beyond bounds, you are out of the match and, for the intent of the match, dead. Your objective for this exercise, if it wasn't clear by now, is to take the other team out of boundaries.~

I was leaving out a lot of details here. While it was true that the main objective of this little exercise was for them to push the other team out of the circle, at least on a surface level, it wasn't the only objective this exercise had. For example, another objective I wanted to test was their ability to coordinate and work together and not against each other without clear orders.

"Easy," Superboy said, his arms crossed in front of his chest as he looked at the other team with a confident glare.

Smiling at Superboy's antics, I looked at both teams and continued. ~You have one minute to prepare for the spar. After that, the match will begin.~

With that said, I took a step back and gave them some space to discuss and plan amongst themselves before the match would start. I was honestly curious how they would perform in this test; this was, after all, their first real test as a team.

After a minute or so, it was clear that both teams had finished discussing and were ready to begin, so I took my place in the center of the circle and raised my hand to signal the start of the match.

Instantly, both teams sprung into action. Superboy wasted no time in charging straight for Kid Flash, while Raven began firing dark energy blasts at Miss Martian, who immediately started dodging.

It seemed Team A planned to take out the speedster first, which from a strategic point of view was a smart move.

However, what they didn't seem to account for was the ability all speedsters have to think many times faster than a normal person in order for them to keep up with their speed. Because as Superboy came barreling toward him, Kid Flash used his super speed and quick thinking to create a gust of wind that knocked Superboy off balance and sent him flying into Raven.

The two tumbled onto the ground as Kid Flash rushed towards them.

"Kid Flash, no!" Miss Martian called after her teammate, quickly realizing the mistake he was making, but alas, he paid her no heed, grinning while trying to show off in front of her.

"Don't worry, I got this!" Kid Flash said, losing focus for a brief moment as he was about to reach Team A, a brief moment Raven took to blast him off with a beam of dark energy, sending him flying into the boundary of the circle.

~Kid Flash out,~ I called out before Kid Flash could even get up.

The blonde speedster cursed under his breath as he got up and walked toward Robin, giving Miss Martian a somewhat sheepish look.

"I told you not to rush in like that," Miss Martian sighed.

"So now what?" Superboy asked, brushing the dirt off his pants.

~The spar continues; Team B still has one member within boundaries,~ I replied. Now it was Superboy and Raven vs. Miss Martian.

Without another word, Superboy charged at Miss Martian with the intention to tackle her out of bounds. However, before he could reach her, she used her telekinesis to lift Superboy off the ground before attempting to hurl him out of bounds, only for Raven to stop her by breaking her telekinetic hold on Superboy.

"No," Raven said, her eyes glowing white.

"I'm tired of people tossing me around!" Superboy growled, leaping towards Miss Martian in rage.

Seeing his intentions, Miss Martian flew out of the way dodging his charge, only for Raven to fire a blast of dark energy at her, hitting her square in the back and sending her flying out of bounds.

~Miss Martian, out,~ I called out, declaring Team A the winner of the match.

"Sorry," Miss Martian said sheepishly as she walked back towards Kid Flash and Robin.

"It's okay, we'll get them next time," Kid Flash said with a grin, moving to her side.

Taking a deep breath, I looked at Aqualad and asked him. ~Aqualad, tell me, what did they do wrong during this match?~

Aqualad paused for a moment, before he answered. "Kid Flash left his teammate without support, which inevitably led to their defeat."

~And why do you think he did that?~ I asked, seeing Kid Flash tense in the back.

"Overconfidence," Aqualad answered.

"Not cool, dude," Kid Flash frowned as he crossed his arms defensively.

~But accurate, or at least partly accurate,~ I replied, as Raven started translating for me.

"Whatever," Kid Flash muttered, giving me a small glare.

Ignoring him, I continued. ~In battle, you must be aware of your opponent's abilities and plan accordingly. If you two had taken the minute I gave you to discuss or plan some sort of strategy before the match, then perhaps the outcome would have been different. Outside that, you let your ego get the best of you after you got a clear hit on Superboy, and instead of working with Miss Martian to take him out, you decided to flex like a peacock, allowing Raven to take you out without any problem.~

Kid Flashed said nothing, simply deciding to avert his gaze from mine. It seemed he was aware of his mistake here, at least to some level.

"I'm sorry," Miss Martian said, her eyes downcast in shame.

"No, it's not your fault," Kid Flash said quickly. "I was the one that got cocky, and we lost for it."

So he's willing to take his part of the blame when someone else blames themselves. Maybe it was because he likes her? I don't know; either way is a step in the right direction.

"Indeed," Aqualad said solemnly. "But that is a mistake that can be rectified; you simply need to learn from it and move on."

I smiled under my mask at Aqualad as I gave a small nod. If he kept acting like this, the role of the leader would soon be his.

"Right," Kid Flash said with a nod.

~With that being said, Team A didn't exactly get all the marks,~ I said, making Superboy frown.

"We won," Superboy said, crossing his arms.

~You won, yes, but not without making some avoidable mistakes. You were too reckless in your charge against Miss Martian, and if it hadn't been for Raven's intervention, you would have been thrown out of bounds.~ I replied, giving Raven a look. ~Not only that, but after Raven assisted you, instead of repositioning yourself, you let your anger get the best of you and once again charged at her blindly.~

"I was just trying to get the match over with," Superboy said with a shrug.

~I understand that, but you need to be more strategic in your thinking. In a real battle, there are no second chances; if you make a mistake, it could cost you or your team a hefty price.~ I replied sternly.

Superboy didn't say anything, but he did look thoughtful for a moment before he nodded.

"Now me, right?" Raven said.

I nodded, giving Superboy a look that said, translate for me.

~Indeed. Raven, you are used to working with me, to the point we can coordinate our attacks without a word in perfect synchrony. However, you will not always work with me alone. I know communication is not your strong suit like it isn't mine, or Superboy's for that matter, but in these cases, you have to force yourself out of your comfort zone in order to achieve the best possible result.~ I replied before I gave a small smirk. ~That being said, your performance in this match was exemplary; you took the openings both Miss Martian and Kid Flash gave you and capitalized on them without hesitation, giving your team the win.~

Raven nodded slowly.

"Remarkable assessment," Aqualad said after a moment of thought.

I inclined my head in acknowledgment before turning my attention back to the team.

"I guess that leaves me?" Miss Martian said with a small smile.

I nodded.

~You did well, all things considered,~ I told her. ~You kept your cool in the face of Kid Flash's recklessness and used your telekinesis on Superboy when he let his guard down. That being said, you need to be more strategic in your thinking; you could've saved Kid Flash the same way you almost took Superboy out. Quick thinking and strategic points are crucial in all fights.~

Miss Martian nodded thoughtfully. "You're right; I could have caught him before he went out of bounds."

I nodded before turning to Team C, Aqualad, and Robin. ~Now is your turn.~

"Against whom will we face?" Aqualad asked.

~Against me and Kid Flash,~ I replied.

Three...

Two...

One...

"What?" Kid Flash exclaimed.

And there it is...

I shrugged.

~As much as you don't like me, we are a team, and we have to work together, or others will die,~ I replied before I turned to Aqualad and Robin. ~Are you ready?~

Aqualad nodded solemnly, with Robin simply getting into position.

"Fineeee...." Kid Flash groaned as he walked to the circle.

I suppressed a sigh. ~Like before, both teams have one minute to discuss their strategy.~

Today was going to be a long day, I could tell…