//------------------------------//
// Making the Grade 
// Story: Oh Captain, My Captain 
// by Onomonopia 
//------------------------------//

Quick glances through the trees. Footsteps kept light so as not to make any sound. And darting from shadow to shadow so as to avoid being in the sun as much as possible. These were the tools Captain America used as he slowly made his way through the forest. His shield gripped in his left arm firmly, and the Cap was fully prepared to use it at the first sign of trouble.

'Lucky that it still seems to be summer,' the Captain spared a moment to think, glancing up at the green leaves while slipping into another shadow. 'Autumn leaves would reveal my location with each step. But this way I can stay silent while-' In a heartbeat Captain America hurled himself to the side just as three crossbow bolts embedded themselves into the forest floor where he had been standing. He rolled to cover behind a tree and pressed his back to it.

'Found me already? Impressive. But just finding me won't be enough to win you this battle.' The Captain then reached into a pouch on his belt and pulled out a small mirror, which he moved towards the edge of the tree. With the reflection he was able to see where the attack had come from, as well as somewhat spot a pair of ponies hiding in the underbrush. 'Two up there, with a third that believes he's hidden. Fatal mistake, thinking that you're-' 

Once again the Captain's thoughts were interrupted as a bolt dug into the tree where he had been sitting, yet the Captain had been one step ahead and once again rolled out of the way. He rolled to his feet and hurled his shield into one of the trees, hearing a yelp as the vibranium cracked a branch while missing its target. 

'His partner managed to pull him back before I could get the hit. Bonus points for you.' Captain America snatched his shield out of the air before bolting down the forest path, hearing crossbow bolts whistle past his head while he knocked others out of the air with his shield. A steep descent crossed the Captain's path, but without waiting a moment he dove onto his shield stomach first, using the shield as a sled as he skidded down the hill. Twigs, roots and rocks hurled by his head, but the Captain was more concerned with the bolts that whizzed by him.

A cry of amazement reached his ears when he landed at the bottom and without missing a beat the Captain hurled his shield to where the gasp came from. A drumming sound informed the Captain that his shield had hit a magic barrier, telling him where the unicorn in the group had been placed. After catching his shield once again he dove down beside a log, using it as cover while planning out his next move.

'At least two hidden behind that boulder, maybe more. The other six will be circling around on me in a few moments,' Rogers predicted as he slid down the log, making sure to keep every part of him beneath the wood. 'But they don't know that I know that. So I can use that knowledge against them.' Rogers rolled out from the log and to the trees next to it, waiting a heartbeat to see if the ponies had noticed. When they gave no response, he slipped around under the cover of the bushes to a small ditch where he crouched down.

'And there they are.' As the Captain had predicted, three ponies armed with crossbows slinked down from a small path and slowly advanced forward. Their eyes showed they were on alert, but as they slipped by the Captain, he knew that they weren't alert enough. 'And all three of you lose points. You have to check your surroundings far more carefully.'

Rogers then shot up from his hiding place and tossed his shield, bouncing it off the leg of one of the ponies before it bounced to strike the other two. "Molehill. Featherheart. Whisper. All of you are dead. Return to the base," Rogers instructed the shocked ponies as he grabbed his shield on the rebound. The three whispered amongst themselves in confusion as they rubbed their sore limbs, leaving the Captain to focus on the battle once more.

'At least seven left. I know where three of them are, so that leaves four unaccounted for,' Captain America reviewed as he slipped back into the cover of the trees once more, senses on alert for whatever ponies may have been close enough to hear the other three get eliminated. 'Not to mention I haven't seen Maud or Lightning yet. That worries me.'

Steve quickly glanced at the sky, remembering the Pegasus that the opposing team had set up as an aerial recon, of sorts. Yet with no Pegasus in the sky, Rogers' eyes narrowed slightly. 'They're communicating with each other in some fashion, but so far I don't know how.' 

The sound of a twig snapping brought the Captain back to the battle, where he pressed himself against the back of a tree. A glance around the trunk revealed a pony that was by herself, turning around every few seconds while taking aim at any noise with her crossbow. At first Rogers thought that she had been separated from the rest of her squad, but then his eyes narrowed with suspicion.

'No...they've been trained far too well for that kind of thing to happen. Either she wants to take me on alone--doubtful, given the way she's acting--or this is a trap.' Rogers then began to slink around the outskirts of the area, keeping low so the mare in the clearing wouldn't see him. 'And if it is, that means that the other members of her group would be...there we go.'

Spying two more ponies, one of whom was Maud, Rogers slowly began to slip around behind them. Upon getting closer, he picked up on a bit of the conversation that the two were having despite the both being in the middle of a battle.

"So, do you really think the Captain will fall for this?" he heard the stallion whisper to Maud.

"No. He won't," Maud replied in a bored tone, but the Captain had known her long enough to hear the faint traces of anticipation in her voice.

"Then...he could be sneaking up on us as we-"

Faster than the Captain believed she could move, Maud turned around and fired a blast of her magic crossbow at him. His reflexes saved him a nasty wound as he rolled out of the way, grunting as he crashed into some bushes before springing to his feet in time to deflect two more shots.

"An interesting fact about the metal that makes up your shield," Maud began as she fired bolt after bolt at Rogers, who began to retreat under the fire. The mare that they had been using as bait joined in on the assault. "Other rocks seem to be drawn to it when it approaches. I think they see your shield as a god or something."

"That...is an interesting theory," Rogers shot back, a smiling creasing his face when the three ponies lined up in a way that made them easy targets. He grabbed hold of his shield with his right hand, taking a step back as he prepared to hurl it. Yet the second he took a step a snare wrapped around his leg and the next thing Rogers knew he was being hoisted into the air by his ankle. The shield almost slipped from his grasp, but his reflexes were fast enough to catch it.

'Dammit, that talk about rocks managed to distract me,' Captain America snarled as he bounced crossbow and magic bolts off of his shield. 'Stupid on my part. Forgot to scan the area for any traps. Ten points for all three and extra credit to Maud for the distraction. Now lets see if they can get the A grade!'

In one swift motion, Rogers sliced the vine dangling him in the air with his shield before landing on one hand. He then vaulted himself forward, tossing the shield at the three while still upside down in the air. Maud was the only one who saw the attack coming and as she dove to the side her two partners each took a vibranium disk to the chest.

"Morning Glory! Dewdrop! Dead!" Rogers called to both of them as he hurled himself out of the way of the magical blasts, reaching up to pluck his shield out of the air. He just slipped it onto his arm just in time to watch as Maud picked up a massive boulder and hurled it at the Captain. Rogers' shock at her strength was suppressed by his experience, which told him to slide and throw. He did exactly that, sliding under the rock while letting his shield fly once more. The boulder crushed the trees behind him as the shield bounced off of Maud's face, the mare barely flinching at the strike.

"Maud. Dead," Rogers said with a slight sigh of relief. Maud blinked slowly once before shrugging and walking back with the rest of her team towards the base. 'Alright, with Maud down that means the only real threat left is Lightning Dust,' the Captain processed as he sprinted back into the forest. 'But normally by now she would have dive-bombed me and tried to take me on alone. So why is she holding back now?'

Rogers never got the chance to figure it out as an explosion erupted next to him, hurling the star spangled soldier through the air. Rogers snarled as he hit the ground hard, rolling back up to his feet in time to duck under two crossbow shots. He bounced a few more shots off of his shield before he decided to advance, kicking off of trees and rocks to keep himself mobile as he moved forward.

'Only two of them?' Rogers realized as he leapt into the air over the two ponies that had been firing at him, deflecting their shots before landing on one of them shield first. "Moonbeam! Dead!" Steve then swung his shield into the second pony's crossbow, knocking it out of the unicorn's grasp. She snarled before firing blasts of magic at the Captain, who deflected the first volley while weaving out of the way of the second.

Captain America then hurled his shield at the unicorn, who narrowed her eyes before her horn flashed and the shield came to a dead stop in front of her face. A smile of victory crossed her face when she turned to look at the Captain...only to receive a boot to her head that knocked her flat. Her dazed eyes stared up at the Captain as he grabbed his shield and slammed the edge of it into the dirt next to her head.

"Wind Dancer. Dead. And minus fifty points for thinking you had won just because you got my shield," Rogers said to her. The unicorn let out a groan as she lay spread eagle, but Rogers completely ignored her as he narrowed his eyes and glanced around at the surrounding area. 'All that leaves is Lightning Dust. Who hasn't bothered to show herself. What is she waiting for?'

Wind Dancer and Moonbeam left the battlefield, allowing the Captain to slowly walk back into the forest with every sense on high alert. He was aware of each rustle of leaves, each snap of twigs and he made double sure to listen hard for the sounds of wing beats. Yet aside from the rumbling of gray clouds overhead, nothing seemed out of the ordinary in the forest.

'This isn't right,' Rogers figured as he moved out from behind the cover of trees, walking across a small grove while glancing around. 'She's got to be planning something. But what? She knows that she has to beat me soon in order to win the battle. Argh, but these clouds are making it so damned hard to...'

Realization dawned on the Captain a second too late, and as his head snapped around towards the clouds a massive bolt of lightning came crashing down into the earth next to him. Rogers was hurled across the dirt, ears ringing with the sound of thunder and eyes filled with black spots. He staggered back up to his feet, trying to clear his senses before he felt a high speed hoof smack him in the face. 

The blow spun Rogers around, but he managed to remain vertical as he placed most of his body behind his shield. He angled the shield at the direction he assumed the next attack would be coming from, his guess being confirmed when he felt something bounce off his shield. Yet the attacker grabbed hold of his shield and managed to yank it free from his grasp, leaving the Captain without his defense as his vision finally returned to him.

"You really want to do this again?" Rogers asked the cerulean mare as she hopped back and forth on her hind legs, her forehooves throwing rapid jabs in the air as a smirk crossed her face. "Because if I recall correctly, every time you've fought me one on one you've lost."

"Yeah? Well this time your shield's out of the way," Lightning Dust spat back as she kicked the shield off to the side. "That makes this a fair fight. One on one. Mano a Mareo." Rogers narrowed his eyes at her response before the mare hurled herself at him at incredible speeds that no ordinary man would have been able to follow. But the Captain had fought with and against the fastest beings in his world, and with that experience he was able to duck out of the way of her first blow. He then drove his elbow into the side of her head before grabbing one of her hooves and hurling her over his shoulder.

Yet before he could deliver the finishing blow, Lightning Dust used her wings to drive herself into the Captain's feet, which were quickly knocked out from under him. Rogers slammed into his back as the mare leapt onto his chest, driving vicious rights and lefts at his face. Steve grasped the back of Dust's head with both of his hands before slamming the front of his skull into her, snapping her head back and dazing the mare. He then placed his shin on her throat before wrapping he other leg around the back of her head, locking her in a triangle choke.

"Give up!" he ordered the mare, who was still punching the Captain in the sides despite her air being cut off. "Lightning Dust, tap out!" Despite her blows getting weaker and weaker, the mare refused to stop punching the Captain. Rogers rolled his eyes before deciding to end the fight. "Lightning Dust! You are-" A blast of magic struck the Captain square in the side of his head, knocking him to the side while freeing Dust from his grip. Rogers shook the pain from his eyes as he turned towards the shot, spying a small mare who held a magic rifle in her hooves and wore a massive smile on her face.

"One on one, huh?" Rogers asked with a smile spreading across his face as he turned to look at Dust, who was breathing heavily with the largest smile on her face.

"Yeah...that's how it always goes between us right?" she wheezed. "So why would...this time...be any different? Why...would I...have a little...backup?" Rogers shook his head, smiling at Brighteyes before nodding to Lightning Dust. "So then...isn't there something...you're supposed to say?"

"Indeed there is. Captain America. Dead."

/ \
//A\\
///      \\\

"I'm impressed with each and every one of you," Rogers praised the twenty ponies back at the base. He glanced at each and every one of them, amazed that in two months they had gone from barely being able to hold a crossbow to being able to "take him down." "You have each shown great improvement over the past couple of months, going from new recruits to skilled fighters quickly. I couldn't be any prouder."

Rogers couldn't help but mirror the massive smiles that each of the ponies wore, but then he took on a more serious expression as he took out a clipboard. "However, the purpose off this exam was to see which of you were ready for actual combat experience and which of you needed more training. And while most of you did well...only a select few of you seem to be ready."

The ponies began to murmur amongst each others as Rogers cleared his throat, looking at each of them with serious eyes. "First up is...Bright Eyes." The mare pointed to herself with confusion as the ponies around her began to applaud, Rogers nodding at her with a smile. "You're sniping skills are the best amongst the best. You will make great support on any mission."

"Next is...Maud." There was no outward reaction from the mare as the ponies applauded for her, but the Captain could see her eyes sparkling. "You are strong. You are skilled. But more importantly, no matter the situation you remain calm and focus on the task at hand. You are, pun intended, the rock of the group." 

"And last..." Rogers began as he swept his gaze over each pony, finally coming to a stop on the prancing Lightning Dust. She pointed a shaking hoof to herself and the Captain nodded. She then exploded with laughter, flying around the area while screaming that the top of her lungs.

"Seriously? Those are the three that you pick?" Rogers turned around to see Belle standing behind him, shaking her much shorter mane with disappointment. "Whatever, it's your choice. If you want the hot head, the shy girl and the rock to join you, be my guest."

"They've proven that they're the best of the team," Rogers replied as he gazed upon his three with pride, watching as the other soldiers in training congratulated them. His face then narrowed as he prepared for the next mission. "And they'll have the chance to prove that to you. Because we're going to start striking at the Three's forces. And you're going to help us."

"And why the hell would I do that?" Belle snarled at him, but the look that shone in the Captain's eyes silenced her rage.

"Because it's time we started taking back Equestria. And soon, Liberty's bell will let freedom ring!" Rogers replied while holding up his shield, the ponies all holding up their left arms like the Captain. "But in order to do so, I'm going to need a unicorn that is proficient with magic. And the only one here is you. So are you in?"

Belle wanted to say 'no', but a glance around at all of the determined and beaming faces made her let go of her hatred for a moment. "Fine Captain, I'll help you out. But I want you to understand now that I'm working with you, not for you. I don't follow your orders."

"Sure you don't. Until you're thrown up against something you can't fight by yourself," Rogers shot back with a smile. Belle's response was to shake her head and walk off, leaving the Captain to look upon his soldiers with pride.