The Exam

The Exam is the tenth episode of Fantendo - Gaiden, and the tenth episode of Season 1. In this episode, Logia takes his first exam with F.A.N.T, and asks Skett for help training hard, which he reluctantly agrees to. Reception has been very positive.
==Plot==
In 2014, Skett is training at Boltzmann University when he recieves a phone call. Skett takes it, and learns of his mother's death at his father's hands. Although others around him try to comfort him, he storms off, knocking them away. Skett walks outside into an open grassy expanse and begins beating the ground with his bare hands until they're bloody.
The episode then shows Skett hard at work training. He nearly destroys the punching bag, until Carter walks by him, causing him to stop. Carter laughs at how he stops immediately when she walks by, with Skett responding that he doesn't want to show her his bad side. Carter responds that she knows Skett is a great man, underneath the shield he puts up. Skett tells Carter she's too nice.
Meanwhile, Logia is watching an agent undergoing an exam. The agent is first attacked by a sweeping mechanism, which he leaps over and breaks with a single well-time chop. Then, he has to climb up a tall wall while tranquilizer darts are fired. The agent not only avoids these, but does so with excellent time. The agent, having passed his exam, is sent off. Logia is amazed as Sinn walks by to sit with him.
Sinn asks if Logia thinks he's ready for his first exam, with Logia saying that he's not nearly as good as the agent. Sinn tells Logia that he saved their lives at least once, and that Logia has the makings of a great agent. Logia dismisses it as flattery, but Sinn tells Logia he's really not one for flattery, and that he only compliments those he truly believes in. Logia tells Sinn he appreciates it, but doesn't know if he can pass the exam.
Back in 2014 at Boltzmann University, the students are preparing for their big exam for the semester, a one on one duel. While Skett's friends ask him to train with them, he coldly says he'll work alone. Skett then heads to his room, where he smashes a punching bag with all the fury he has, breaking it. His friends go to check on him, but he snaps at them, causing them to walk away quietly.
Back on the plane, Logia constantly trains, using every moment that they aren't eating or sleeping to hone his skills. Although skilled and powerful, Logia still doubts himself. As Sinn heads to bed that night, Logia asks him to help train in a practice match. Sinn reassures Logia that he's skilled, but complies just so Logia will stop. Logia does well at first, dodging Sinn's attacks and using his abilities, but gets nervous and slips up, allowing Sinn to knock him down. Sinn assures him it means nothing, but Logia is worried nonetheless.
After getting little sleep, Logia wakes up the next day and gets an idea, realizing he might only be able to beat it with help from the relentless and brutal Skett. Logia excitedly runs to ask Skett, and finds Skett training incredibly hard. Logia doesn't interrupt him, but when Skett sees him he stops, asking Logia what he wants. Logia nervously asks Skett to help him train, with Skett immediately turning him down.
Logia asks why, and Skett tells him that training is a good thing to do, but Skett always takes it too far. Logia accepts and sadly walks away. Logia sees Zabrent, and asks him to spar with him. Zabrent happily accepts, and the two find themselves pretty evenly-matched, but Logia doubts himself once more, pausing for a moment. This allows Zabrent to zap him, knocking him down.
Zabrent tells Logia to stop doubting himself, and Logia responds that he'd like to stop, but just can't. Zabrent says that maybe Skett could get him to stop, but Logia responds that Skett refuses. Zabrent tells Logia that he's good with people, and says he'll talk Skett into it. Logia resumes training, and thanks Zabrent.
As soon as Zabrent approaches Skett, he is immediately turned down. Zabrent tells Skett to stop being so defensive, but Skett replies that that's the only thing he knows how to be. Zabrent tells Skett that he knows Skett was in a worse place before he joined the squad, and that someone helped him out of it. Zabrent tells Skett that helping is a virtue, getting Skett to think.
Back in 2014, Skett walks into the one on one duel, ready to win. The opponent teases him and attacks, with Skett taking none of it. Skett then charges into the opponent, knocking them down. With his foe dazed, Skett mercilessly beats his opponent, leaving them bloody and groaning in pain as Skett is carried away to the office of The Fan, who tells Skett his behavior is erratic and wild.
Skett responds that he simply did the duel as best he could, but The Fan tells Skett that he needs to be more merciful. Skett, angered, drops out and leaves Boltzmann University, finding himself alone with nowhere to go. Skett then sees a news broadcast showing F.A.N.T agents saving lives. Skett realizes he could do well there, and goes to sign-up.
Skett easily passes the entry exam, tearing through it. Word travels quickly of Skett's amazing performance, and he eventually meets Rizzo. Rizzo tells Skett that her skills impress him, but she knows about his troubled past. Skett says he understands if Rizzo doesn't want to have him in F.A.N.T, but she sees great potential and allows him in.
Skett realizes how much that help mattered, and heads off to train Logia, who is estatic about it. Logia does well, but like always, doubts himself and slips up. Skett then beats Logia down, and tells him he'll always get beat down if he doesn't start believing in himself. As they train for hours and hours, Logia eventually gathers himself and doesn't slip, punching Skett in the chest and knocking him down. Skett smiles at him for once, and Logia heads off for the exam.
Logia easily passes over the sweeping mechanism and uses telekinesis to dismantle it. As he heads to climb the wall, he gets nervous, but looks at the glass to see the squad watching him. Sinn and Zabrent smile as Carter cheers for him. Skett simply looks at Logia and nods. This gives him the motivation to pass the exam easily.
Logia runs up to hug Skett, who shakes his hand firmly. The squad all celebrates by drinking, with rounds on Logia. Sometime later, Skett and Carter leave. Skett tells Carter that he is glad he helped Logia when he is kissed mid-sentence. Carter and Skett embrace in a kiss, as Zabrent watches and tells himself he knew it.
In the Stinger, a crew of support agents go into the 410 plane and replace Skett's punching bag. They comment on how strong a person must be to do that, with one of them telling the other that in this job, it's best not to ask.
==Quotes==
==Reception==
Reception has been very positive, with extra praise going towards the Skarter shipping.
==Trivia==
*The agent who is doing the exam is the agent from the previous episode who warns Rizzo.
*The support agents are made up of different creatures from the Fantendoverse, such as a Smiley.
Category:Fantendo - Gaiden