We continue to train our elements, we go to Joey's house any time we can to train. Soon, we stop having unplanned breakouts in classes, and we can access our elements without concentrating for long times. Joey decided to name each of our elements. Mine is fire, which is pretty self-explanatory. His is lightning, mostly because he thought electricity wasn't as cool. Joey decided to call Adam's powers earth and Aaron's technology. Aaron has found out that he can control other robotic structures by giving them a blast of his power, which is really awesome. Max's powers are snow, and Felix's are sound.
Joey was a little stumped on what to call Nick's powers. He could teleport and his black power could absorb different objects and upgrade them. In the end, Joey decided to call his powers phantom energy, and only because he didn't know what else to call them, and phantom was a cool word.
"Who's next?" I ask as I stand in one corner of Joey's backyard. The rest of the X-Team is off to the right, in front of the tree house. It was cold outside, so we were all wearing jackets. Leaves had started falling, and there was a thin coat of dead leaves on the ground. Hector sits next to Joey. We introduced Hector to Max and Felix, and they were freaked out.
"Uh, Nick can!" Joey pushes Nick toward the center of the yard. Nick walks to the other end of the yard, opposite from me.
"I'm going to mop the floor with you," Nick threatens.
"Not if I can do it first," I say, smiling.
"First ever elemental duel starts . . . NOW!" Joey shouts as both of us drop into a fighting stance. I run up to him, making the first move. I set my fists on fire and punch at Nick. He continuously blocks them with his palms. I then kick his feet out from under him, and blow fire at his shoes, melting them. Nick shoots a blast of phantom energy at me, and I dodge it. He shoots another one and it hits me in the chest, projecting me backward. I land on my back and look back up. I fire another blast at him, and Nick counters it with another blast of his power.
As he does this, the fire coming from my hands becomes corrupted and dark as night. Nick sucks all of the power into his hands and then lights his hand on fire. But his fire is pitch black.
"Elemental Absorption?" Aaron asks in amazement. And in the pause, I throw a ball of fire at Nick and it catches him off-guard. He quickly teleports and appears behind me. I quickly duck and a ball of black fire shoots over my head. I spin around and into a kick, my foot connecting with Nick's stomach. He flies backward and skids to a stop on his feet, pulling up clumps of dirt and grass. He runs at me and jumps, his hands blazing with black fire. I create a wall of fire to protect me, and he teleports onto me, and I collapse. He gets up and stands next to me, holding his hand out. I grab it and he helps me up.
"You fighting skills have improved," Aaron states. "Last time, you couldn't teleport in the air."
"Or absorb powers!" Joey exclaims, running up to him.
"I know. It's almost like I have too many additions to this element," Nick agrees, starting a ball of dark fire in his hand. I study the fire. Its flame was black, just like the phantom energy he has, and it didn't look as strong as mine can be. Interesting.
"Nick wins, and that puts him in the lead," Adam says, writing something on the clipboard we have.
"Who's second?" Elliot asks him, looking over his shoulder.
"Uh, looks like Max is in second, with me right behind him," Adam informs Elliot.
"I'm so bad at this," I say, looking at the clipboard.
"Not as bad as me," Felix states. "I'm still in dead last."
"So that means you versus Joey next," Aaron tells them.
"Alright! Get ready to lose!" Joey exclaims, running to his end of the yard.
"Not this time, Johnathan," Felix says, cracking his knuckles.
"No one calls me Johnathan!" Joey tells him, and at that, the battle began.
