The portcullis shuddered open and Jack entered the tunnel. Stood there were his friends waiting to congratulate him. Rin offered a hand for a high five. The moment the satisfying clap of a near perfect high five started echoing Damian grabbed Jack and gave him a big hug. Kuna nodded in acknowledgement. Jude smiled and held out a fist. “How was the computer science assignment?”

“I got a low first. But it’s the best damn code the professor’s ever seen. But my commenting was shit so I got marked down.” Jack replied with a smile and fist bumping Jude. “Good luck on your match buddy. I gotta go ring my dad. Thanks for welcome fellas.” Jack said before dashing off to gain some privacy.

“You got a plan Jude?” Rin asked looking out the portcullis, the grid of light interlaced with the thick lines of shadows threw themselves across the room and their bodies.

“Always got one. Unfortunately I doubt it’ll be as flash as Jack’s fight.”

“Jack is trending on Twitter.” Damian piped up holding his phone out in front of himself.

“Don’t tell him. He’ll be annoying.” Kuna said without looking up from his game, the statement caused the rest of the boys to break into laughter.

Jude looked back at his friends who were here to wish him well: Rin had his hands in his pockets, leaning slightly backwards, a big goofy grin on his face; Damian was still wrapped up in his hig coat a half smile whilst his sweat gave away his discomfort; Kuna looked up from his game and tried to smile but it was forced and wobbly, something he wasn’t used to. He knew Jack would be here if he didn’t have more important things to do. Everyone up there was probably rooting for him.

As the metal gate behind him rose he stepped out to face his opponent. Ruby was stood across from him, they actually shared a mathematics class with each other and whilst she was pleasant enough to speak to she couldn’t not chew gum loudly. That was the crux of it, chewing gum is fine it was the volume at which it was done. However, give Jude’s new knowledge that she was chewing on weapons it was far more understandable. But that very knowledgeable was what gave him the advantage here. He knew her power and could guess it’s limitations.

The moment the match began it played similarly to Ruby’s previous encounter the floor turned into a tar like substance and she went to throw what happened to be a military style knife this time.

But it was not until she had thrown it that she saw something unexpected. When behaviours become commonplace and habitual it’s hard to change them even if you know it’s the incorrect thing to do. Like a table tennis player going for a smash shot even though they know that it won’t cross the net unless they leave it for an extra half a second.

But no, the knife was already heading to Jude. Who not only was he not sinking in the floor he was knelt down and holding his left arm as he aimed a finger pistol. When he used his Air Bullet: Burst Fire move to deflect the knife and attack Ruby.

Air Bullet was the move Jude had adapted for using his wind powers. It requires him to place his hand in a finger gun position, then to coalesce and compress air at the point of his finger into a pellet sized ball. The longer he holds and compresses the ‘bullet’ for the faster it fires.

From this simple premise he had devised multiple modes and ‘bullet types’. The one he used here was Burst Fire where he fires three bullets in very quick succession. Whilst not the most powerful it’s a move perfect when you have multiple targets to hit; such as using one to deflect a projectile and the other two to hit your opponent.

The first pinged into the knife sending it spiralling into the tar floor. The second hit it’s mark of Ruby’s shoulder. The third was about to hit Ruby’s head except it started to slow down and the air began to distort. Then it suddenly shot back and hit Jude in the stomach. Anyone who has been hit with a paintball or a air powered pellet knows it’s not a fun experience nor is it particularly pleasant. For Ruby it causes her to twist and hurt her shoulder. For Jude it knocked the wind of our him and caused a sick feeling to well up inside him; and nearly outside him too.

Jude had been stood on a platform of air and the shot nearly made him lose concentration and make it dissipate. But it had confirmed a suspicion for him: Air can be elasticated.

Realising she couldn’t move now that she was trapped Ruby released her transmutation of the ground. This activated another part of her power: if any object inside the one she elasticated will be flung out with some force. The knife spun in front of Jude’s face covering Ruby’s escape.

She exploded upward and then hit another bit of air that she had elasticated. But as she hung there for a second Jude noticed a very small hole in her shoe. Suspicion number 2 confirmed: she has to touch the object with skin contact to activate her power.

She sprung forward and headed for the ground. On her way down she grabbed the spinning knife, now holding it like a weapon rather than a projectile. She landed about ten metres away from Jude on a spring of air. She was about to jump at him with the knife.

Well she was until the platform below her suddenly vanished. From her perspective it had vanished but instead it had just moved horizontally away from under her. Catching her feet and sending her tumbling onto the sandy ground below. Suspicion three confirmed: Jude can move the elasticated sections of air with his powers.

Ruby had stood up, grains of sand still clinging to her face. Then she felt the same pain she had in her shoulder begin emanate from her left leg. But how had he managed to shoot behind her, he was still where he was. Then it struck her; ricochet off the air she used to go forward. She looked up and saw it still hanging there. Suspicion four: you can use the air to ricochet.

She quickly encased herself in elasticated air to get a moment to breathe and think the situation through. Stupidly Jude had fired another bullet. It passed through the gum like air bubble and began to slow as it created a deep impression in it. But then the air popped like an overly eager balloon. And the air that had been compressed and elasticated exploded outwards sending Ruby backwards. Suspicion five confirmed: the air can be popped like bubble gum.

How had Jude done that? It’d had already been proved that the Air Bullet would just ricochet. He had used Air Bullet: A.P. round. Instead of the usual pellet shape it was turned into a pointed round resembling a screw. Whilst taking longer to create than the regular bullet due to its more complex shape, it was far more effective at dealing damage and breaking through defences.

Now he had confirmed all five of his suspicions it was time for him to end this.

The first thing he did whilst Ruby recovered from being sent a few metres back and onto the ground was position the bits of air she had affected. There were three in total and if he could position them he could add some unpredictability to his bullets. Next the moment he noticed that she had elasticated the air he would reposition it to benefit his random bullets.

Then he began to unleash his burst fire shots and put his plan into action. Ruby eventually realised the mistake of changing the air but by then she had already done it four or five times, each one only adding to her misery. Now with at least seven bouncing pads for his bullet spread and dozens of bullets spraying around Ruby, Jude was able to charge his final attack.

Air Bullet: Bazooka – an attack that requires around a minute of charge Jude compresses a vast amount of air and makes a giant bullet. The idea is not to fire it and create damage like the bullets but once it hits it explodes and releases all the air that had been put into it like the bit Jude popped earlier.

He waited until the bullets had stopped bouncing and found their place of rest and then move the bouncing pads out of the way. He had been charging the bazooka shot down by his right hip, he threw his arms forward and splayed his hands sending the giant shot out.

Ruby, in immense pain only saw red at this point. The giant ball of air that moved towards her was the enemy. With a powerful stride and a strong twist she punched the ball. When one knows they’re near death they gain extreme senses and this was apparent for Ruby. The moment she came into the most miniscule contact with the ball she elasticated it. Thus, her punch went into the now rubber ball of air. The force redirected through it and sent it back towards Jude.

Not one to slack he was already running. The giant ball hiding his presence. Earlier when Ruby was sent back by the air wall popping she had dropped her knife, perfect to grab. Scooping the blade up Jude slid under the ball.

By the time he was in Ruby’s sight he had used his wind powers to boost his body off the ground and send him airborne. All he had to do now was position himself. Once he felt he’d reached the correct position in the air he twisted and threw the knife at the ball. If a pointed bit of air was enough to burst air then a knife definitely was.

The air exploded causing even those in the stands to get a big draft, some even lost their hats. Jude was obviously pushed back the most, being the closest to the ball. But he’d positioned himself, not perfectly but right enough, to crash into Ruby and send her flying out the ring instead of himself.

Jude felt his body hit the ground. He laid there like a starfish. “I’ve won” he though. His limbs began to sink into the quicksand like floor he now lay on. Ruby had decided that she’d rather try and make the air bouncy if she was going out anyways. She stood over Jude. The knife had landed next to where he had laid. She reached down and with a squelch she yanked it from the gooey ground. Then she was hit. Right on the back of the neck, knocking her out and making her fall face first into her own tar trap.

Within a minute she was teleported out to stop her suffocation.

Jude had moved onto the quarterfinal.

“How’d you know where she’d be stood?” Rin asked.

“Oh I didn’t, I shot about twelve whilst the bazooka was moving long and she managed to stand under one.” Jude said with a laugh.

“Jesus Christ man, that’s a hellova gamble.” Jack said putting his arm round his friend.