“I said come on!” Jack roared as he held his hand out in front of him.

An icy mist came from his palm. Before I could even assess what was going on, a giant wave of frozen mist shot out from Jack. The wave was so large that I couldn’t even see the sky anymore. I instinctively covered myself in armor and held my ground against the crashing wave of ice. It felt just like water crashing down on me, the only difference was the freezing effect it had on my armor. I had to make layers upon layers inside the huge Viking armor I summoned. I had to make sure my skin didn't freeze to the armor. But the longer the wave hit the more layers I lost to the frost. It was only a few seconds but it felt like hours.

Once I felt the waves stop, I dissipated all the armour around me and Immediately summoned dual blades. I began to pant heavily now, with one simple attack he already had me exhausted! What the hell was this guy!

I looked over to Zack who looked as tired as me. I knew he didn’t work off his physical energy like me, but he looked equally exhausted as I did.

“Good! You survived the first strike!” Jack cheered, which only agitated me.

This guy wasn’t even trying yet...

“Now for the rules! Since I clearly would steam roll you two, were gonna make it easier on ya!” He smirked and pointed up to the sky. I hesitantly took a look though, I was worried he was tricking us into something. “Go head I’ll let ya take a peak!” Jack cheered almost on cue.

I slowly lifted up my head, I hadn't even fully noticed yet. But our entire terrain was now ice! As I continued to check the surrounding area I could see a glimmering snowflake in the sky. It was floating in the sky, slowly gliding to the mountain behind me and Zack.

“Rules simple, get the snowflake.” Jack chimed as I shifted my focus back to Jack.

I suddenly heard a loud roar coming from behind me. I quickly turned to see Bean being frozen in mid-air. He was reaching out for the snowflake, from his waist down he was frozen in a block of ice.

“Bean!” Zack cried out to the sky. He had a petrified look in his eyes.

“Your a lot more clever than you let on, you noticed the snowflake and sent Bean to get

it during my wave.” Jack said smugly as Zack just grit his teeth.

Zack slowly turned back toward him with a nervous smile on his face. “Well I got news for ya Frosty. That’s not all the Destroyer of Worlds is capable of!” Zack roared as he summoned more fireballs.

He glared down Jack and took off at him. I didn’t have a lot of time to think. But clearly frontal assaults weren’t that great of an idea. We should be focusing on getting the snowflake!

I groaned and decided to just run in behind Zack. If I let him die this early on I might as well take the L too.

However, Jacks smile had me questioning my actions, it was like he was excited. I didn’t think too much of it and quickly passed up Zack.

As I came in at Jack I slashed my gladius at his neck. But he easily evaded my slash by jumping back. Zack quickly followed up by shooting a barrage of fireballs at us both. I quickly dove out the way as Jack simply made a wall of ice shoot up and protect him. We both stopped as the wall of ice crumbled down on the last hit from the fireball. Revealing a yawning Jack.

“I take back what I said, your just as reckless and thoughtless as I presumed.” Jack said stretching.

“Oh screw off you-” Zack began to yell but stopped mid sentence.

“Zack, close range tactics!” I roared out.

I figured it be self-explanatory, but clearly not. I took the lead again and quickly charged in at Jack.

I activated my eyes and aimed my blades for his chest. But he was too quick, it was like he was reading my movements before they happened. He was so fast, I wasn’t used to this speed.

Zack followed up with his hands lit ablaze like a falling star, aiming a jab at Jack’s face. I went in fast for a side slash at his waist. But he quickly dodged my strike, while blocking Zacks attacks with a frozen arm.

Me and Zack both gave our battle cries and relentlessly attacked him. But the guy was like a snake! Nothing connected! Even with my eyes I couldn’t touch him! Just the embers from Zack’s flames, and the air from my strikes could touch him.

Me and Zack both came in for a side strike to his waist, finally getting a handle on his movements. But as soon as we did, a wall of ice came up from the ground between us and him. I heard a loud thud come from the wall of ice, and soon as I heard that noise the wall shot forward.

I summoned some armor over me as the ice wall crashed into and sent me flying. I was airborne for a moment, before I crashed on the ground and bounced like a pinball, eventually started rolling. I tried to stop myself from rolling, but I was suddenly snatched up by my ankle. It felt like some kind of vine, and it slammed me hard into the icy ground.

I groaned and sat up slowly, I looked in the direction I was heading and saw the whole forest was turned into a scene from Frozen. With Jack still having his hand held out toward there, an icy mist washing over him slightly from the attack he did. I looked down and noticed a vine that was wrapped around my leg. I turned to look at Zack lying on the ground, with his hand held out toward me.

“Didn’t I tell you guys!? Come at me with everything you got!” Jack yelled over to us, sounding pretty agitated.

I forced myself up and glared over to him. This guy was really insane. How the hell were we supp-

“You know he’s right. If you keep holding back like this, training isn’t gonna do a damn thing. And with all these huge baddies that are gonna be coming, I think you need to stop screwing around.” Zack said bluntly.

“What are you talking about!? Of course I’m-” I started but Zack interrupted me.

“Then why haven't you used your super strength yet. ”

I felt a shiver run over me, I didn’t think he noticed, or would even think about it. I wasn’t really sure what to say.

“I promised to make a place where my sister could walk around freely, together with you. And if I’m gonna do that, I need you to take this seriously Dammit!” Zack roared, finally looking over at me.

He had that determined look in his eyes, that oh so rare look. I felt guilty, Zack was giving his all right now. And here I am scared of my powers. I looked over at my hand and then back over to him.

“Zack I’m sorry, I-”

“I don’t want your damn apology! Give it to me after we kick his butt.” Zack cheered now with a smile. “Now activate that strength of yours!”

I looked down at my hands again, I was honestly scared. The only person I’ve actually gone all out on was stone. Even with the gang leader, I was hesitant. Jack wasn’t a bad guy, and with super strength... I could really do some damage. What if I lost control? What if I-

“Stryder look out!” I heard Zack yell.

I quickly looked up and saw Jack sending shards of ice my way. I quickly summoned a shield and blocked the ice. That’s when a huge explosion went off next to me, I looked over and saw Zack shooting up into the sky and dropping in front of me.

“Zack what are you-”

“You know, Annual has a lot of faith in you.” He said as he summoned vines out in front of us. Blocking the rest of Jacks on coming shards of ice. “ So did your mom, and so do I. I know you're scared. But Stryder, your mom didn’t die so she could become shackles! So stop letting her hold you down, and help me. Help me make a future that Annual can live, that we all can live!” He activated his fire and blasted at the shards his vines were missing.

I looked down to the icy floor, I felt this pit in my stomach form. What was I doing? Memories of my mom flashed in my mind, then the memory of her grave. I promised her I be the hero I know I can be. Annual, I promised her I protect her, that I would change things. And Zack, here protecting me from Jack, not able to lean on me at all.

I balled my fist and close my eyes, taking in a deep breath. I thought about activating my strength, and focused on it. I felt this odd cold sensation slowly coursing through my body, like it was slowly freezing me on the inside. I let it consume every inch of me, and then, I opened my eyes. I could see Zack smiling big at me. I looked down at my body, and I could see I was secreting this blue mist. It was just like the mist that appeared when I dissipated, or create my weapons.

“That’s what I’m talking about!” Zack cheered.

I gave Zack a smirk and then looked over to Jack.

“Is your soap opera episode over yet!?” He yelled over at us.

“Come on Zack, Let’s go create that future.” I said stepping forward.

“Well I see someone learned to use their super strength! Well come on! Let’s see what it can do!” Jack yelled out to us. I smirked at him and got ready, summoning new light armor over me.

“Zack, let’s take em down!” I dug my feet through the ice and into the ground and propelled myself forward, charging at Jack.

Jack stood his ground with a smirk, ready for me to co

I summoned a single long sword and charged him. Zack road in quickly from behind on his vine, he held his hand out and shot a rain of fire down at Jack. I didn't even bother focusing on them, I trusted Zack a bit more now.

As I came in I aimed to slice at his neck, but Jack dodged my slash with ease by ducking, he went to jump back and away from me and the rain of fire. I quickly jumped back and switched to a spear, and launched it at him. Then back to my dual blades, not wasting any time as I landed and went back at him. He summoned a wall of ice to block the fire, so I skidded to a stop and jumped up using my strength. I easily leapt over the wall and came down on him. He didn’t even seem to notice me.

As I came down on him he quickly jumped away, I crashed into the floor and activated my eyes. My blades sliding into the ground and out as I ran forward. Zack soon came around the corner with his hands lit a blaze and swung at Jack. Jack barely managed to dodge by weaving the blast, that’s when I caught him off guard. I quickly slashed for his chest as the floor below us rumbled. A vine shooting out from the ground I assumed.

Then, Jack suddenly vanished. I panicked and stomped on the floor to stop myself. The vines shooting up where he was once was, trying to grasp him. Then he reappeared just as fast as he vanished, right below Zack. He leaned back and punched Zack in the gut, a block of ice covering his fist. As he made contact, the block of ice exploded against Zack, blasting him back.

I didn’t waste time and charged him again. I went for a double downward slash at his head, but he quickly weaved my slash and I came back up from below with another. He couldn't dodge this one, and held his hands out as if to catch it. Ice formed in his palms as my blade made contact with it, stopping all my momentum.

“How are you so fast and strong! My strength and my eyes aren’t even working!” I groaned as I pushed against his ice.

“Remember my lesson earlier on physical stats? My senses, reaction time, strength, speed; they’re pretty much maxed out to the best of a human's potential. However, you are still stronger than me. I’m pretty sure I fractured my arms stopping this attack.” Jack chuckled.

I could hear a cracking sound coming from under my blades, I assumed I was breaking through. Oh, how horribly wrong I was.

The ice in his hands exploded with a surprising amount of force, my blades shattered and I stumbled backwards. Just as I was trying to catch my footing and get my bearings straight. I felt what I assumed to be a cannon blasting me in my stomach. I heaved over and almost hurled. He must of shot through my armor! I looked up only for a moment, and I saw Jack. I could see what I thought was a blast from a cannon, was actually his fist. I could hear the sound of crackling ice, and the cold sensation growing against my stomach. He gave me a mischievous smirk, as the feeling of fear began to sweep over me.

“Not bad kid, but not good enough.” He chuckled out.

Then BOOM! I was blasted away by an explosion from his fist, I could feel shards of ice lodged into my gut as I was knocked away. But it wasn’t over yet. I suddenly felt a barrage of hits coming from all around, my head, my back, my stomach, it was relentless. Each just as hard as the punch he delivered to my stomach.

I eventually braved opening my eyes against the onslaught. Then some things began to make more sense, he was vanishing and reappearing all around me. Something I barely managed to notice was his figure coming from the ice.

The shards, the icy floor he made, and the whipping snow and tiny shards of ice that flew around us. He was traveling between each one! Before I could even fathom what I might do with this info, I felt him grab my face like a vice grip and ram it into what felt like a boulder. I was stunned, my vision faded and the only thing on my mind was this blistering pain that was coming from the back of my head. I felt his grip on my face lessen as he eventually let me go. I dropped and fell to my knees, then face first onto the ground. This guy, this guy was unreal!

I could tell just from the look in his eyes, we haven’t even seen his serious face yet. Was this it then? Should me and Zack just admit defeat? I could feel the welts and sores all over my body from his barrage of attacks just now. Plus the cold sensation from the ice shards that blasted right through my armor. I had no plans, no comebacks. This feeling was familiar to one I had fighting stone, at least this time around I could tap out. It wasn’t a battle to the death.

Just when I was about to say uncle, I heard a slight rumble coming from both sides of me. I looked over slightly, but not directly at it. I could see two big green vines popping out from the dirt next to me. This had to be Zack, I smiled slightly. I see he hasn’t given up yet, if that’s the case. I can get back up.

One more go then.