Arrow Hawk: Battle for the Ice - The Great NHL War (Book 4)

Battle #7: Gabriel Landeskog vs Patrick Kaleta

At the Swedish House in the Chicago Olympic Village,

"You're such a bloody show-off!" Gabriel Landeskog stood facing his opponent, Patrick Kaleta. They stood directly facing each other with nothing separating except thin air. Gabriel stared at the villain, who was playing around with a Zippo lighter, producing a fire flame from it and then making it disappear again. A sudden anger rose up in him at the sight of the man. The despicable goon! He's nothing but a threat and a rival! He must be destroyed, even if he is a hockey player like yourself! You can do this Gabriel.

Gabriel was wearing a long-sleeved black leather jacket over a black tank top with black jean pants. And he wore black boots and gloves on his hands and feet. He stood at the ready. Kaleta, on the other hand, wore a long-sleeved red leather jacket over a navy blue t-shirt and black pants. He had on his classic smug smirk.

Suddenly Gabriel leapt forward out of this spot and shot ice from his hands at Kaleta, who frowned and brought up his hands, shooting out fire to push the ice away. The two energies met and clashed with each other, shooting upward in the middle. A mixture of ice and fire. Kaleta quickly stepped forward, getting a better position and grip on his powers.

It reminded both of them of something like an arena, a small space clear of people so that two can fight while everyone watched from a distance, never interfering. Except no one was watching or cheering them on. It was just themselves and they were both furious.

Gabriel shot out ice and pushed against Kaleta's fire, but the villain, in return, pushed Gabriel's ice. The ice and fire met in the middle between the two, setting up a steam. Both pushed fiercely against each other.

Sweat ran down the two superhumans' faces as they pushed against each other's powers. Kaleta started pushing Gabriel's ice away. Kaleta gained more ground and he stepped forward. Gabriel panted as he tried to keep the fire away from him with his ice. Kaleta gained more and more ground, stepping forward and pushing the ice down. He pushed Gabriel down to the ground, gritting his teeth.

The only sound heard by them was the steam, the soft whisper of the ice, and the roaring fire. It was war.

Suddenly, Gabriel collapsed, accidentally stopping the ice flow. Kaleta quickly drew back his fire. He stared at the panting ice man on the cement. Gabriel gasped for air as he lay on the ground. He wasn't as strong in his power like the wicked ex-Sabre was. Kaleta looked at him calmly.

"You shouldn't bite off more than you can chew, Gabe the Babe! Whatsamatter, is my pyrokinesis too strong for your glaciokinesis?" Kaleta sneered, spitting to the ground. He controlled a kindled flame on his palm.

Kaleta knelt beside Gabriel Landeskog, the Swedish Colorado Avalanche captain. "Gabriel, I have no grudge against you, but you are weak and I was hand-picked by Avery to go against you. We were never friends and we will never be. None of you hockey heroes. The one thing that separates us, is our beliefs. You go your way and I'll go mine, got it?"

Gabriel blinked, confused. Kaleta stood and offered his hand. Gabriel took it and Kaleta hauled him to his feet. Gabriel frowned at Kaleta, not sold by Kaleta's niceness at all. Kaleta was as sly as a fox and tricky. But here he was, no tricks or meanness or sudden surprises. Just niceness...almost fairness.

"Why?" Gabriel asked, still keeping up his guard.

"Why what?" Kaleta asked.

"You aren't that type of person. I know you Kaleta, you're-"

"Gabriel...shut up." Kaleta cut in. "I'm not going to hurt you." He sort of creepily smiled.

Gabriel shook his head, amazed. "Don't you even want to question me for attacking you?"