Chapter 314 - 314. Signature Moves

Jane and Asher couldn't help but laugh after hearing Jackson's fear of Sammy. They all knew she couldn't make a tornado. "You already know Sammy would never hurt anyone. You should be more worried that Louis might zap you. Although, I'm the one that beat him." Asher chuckled a little but realized that Louis was definitely going to challenge him again soon. 

"Wait, you beat Louis? I'm not the only one getting kicked out." Jackson felt a little better but remembered the point of his conversation and worried. "You don't get it though. She got really angry that she couldn't push me back in the end when I pinned her. After the match was announced the wind didn't die down at all. The barrier was put back up and she made a huge gust of wind before she finally stopped. It was enough to make the barrier crack and push me back in to it." 

"Really? I knew Sammy was stronger than she allowed herself to be but that is a surprise." Jane had her own theories about Sammy. 

"You think she unintentionally holds back?" Asher could see this as being the simple truth. 

"Sammy is super nice and sweet. She might argue with Louis but both of them are always concerned for everyone and each other. But I think they are a lot like nature that way. They are peaceful and nice until they get pushed. Then they show their real power." Jane had always known this was the case with Louis's lightning body super power. But the theory that Sammy had the same with her win was now clear as well. 

"That makes so much more sense. Louis had his break through while we fought and he definitely wielded the whole power of lightning thing." Asher could only imagine the stories and mythology about lightning gods that could now be related to Louis. 

"So they are like me! They try and hold back but really don't know their true strength." Jackson had been training with Sammy a lot and was easily related to her. This was another reason that he was so afraid that she was going to hate him now. They had been working to well and closely together for some time. 

"I'm pretty sure you won't lose your training partner even if Sammy is angry at you. Just make sure you go and check up on her after the tournament. If you don't then you will really be kicked out." Asher said this casually while starting to stretch a little. He had a feeling that the next matches were where things got serious. 

"By the way, where is Art? I haven't seen him at all. Laura at least pops up here or there talking to people." Jane was curious. This was the only person none of them had really spoken to. 

"Not sure, I did see that he brought all the ankle and arm weights with the small metal beads in them though. I figure he is going to use his super power for the first time in a sparring match. He had me tape his hands twice this morning to make sure they were properly done." Asher sounded annoyed because he had undone and taped them again. However, it was clear that he was glad Art was more relaxed having them just right. 

"Do you mean he is doing those super weired slow then fast punch combos? Or do you mean the bead storm thing?" Jackson had bad memories of Art's new killer move he had deemed bead storm. 

Just as the bracelets they were given signaled them to leave to their next match circle, Art had found himself already in it. He had unfortunately ended up on the far corner of the gym without any of his friends in sight. He had also been paired with the boxing club captain and now the martial arts club captain. 

"I might be the junior varsity captain, but I am still a force to be reckoned with. I was given the position early because they see my potential." The boy wasn't much bigger than Art but it was clear that he had worked himself to the bone. He had almost no body fat which caused his muscles to be well defined. 

"And you know you're facing me, right? The mirage boxer? Did you even see the tournament?" Art had grown to love the nickname he had been given. It made him feel mysterious and showed that his super power was not what made him strong. This also was a constant insult to his brother that had tried to hide away his super power against him. 

"This is the only tournament that matters. Plus, who cares about others. I can't punch stuff if I spend all my time watching pointless television shows. They will one day chase me to record me but I won't watch a single one." The boy was arrogant, to say the least. However, Art could not look down on the fact that the boy spent the time training instead of other things. It was very similar to what he and the group did on a daily basis. 

"Punching things...yeah sure. That's the point to life buddy." Art couldn't help the instinctual response. It was just too easy to let roll off his tongue. 

"Whatever. I will crush you now. Then I will have more reason for the coach to put me on varsity. I'm going to be the youngest member of the varsity and go to states!" The boy rushed forward with a strange sound of stretching coming over the ring. 

Art watched as the boys' muscles seemed to be under pressure. The sound of stretching only increased until the punch shot out at incredible speeds. Art could only compare it to a bullet hitting him on his arm which he was barely able to move in to place to block the punch. 

"Oho, been a while since someone that wasn't a junior or senior was able to block my super power. How does a bullet punch taste? I can compress all my muscles and fore them like bullets." This made Art narrow his eyes and focus up. He was watching at the oy was starting t slowly tighten and compress his leg muscles which trying to hide it from Art. 

The moment he saw the boys' eyelid twitch Art dove to the side and watched as the punch hit only the air. "You didn't think that I would miss the fact that you were about to use that super power of yours to jump forward and punch me? Did you?" Art taunted his opponent a little and saw that it didn't tempt a movement at all. On the contrary, the boy was seemingly frozen with a slightly pained expression on his face. 

Art began to realize that this was the cost of compressing his muscles. The boy would not be able to move right away with whatever muscles he had just used. The muscles would naturally be titled or damaged from being forced to compress in this way. Especially if the release missed the target it was aimed at. 

Art flexed his hands and moved in. He was able to get off a jab before the by moved away with his cheek not reddened from Art's hit. Art watched the next punch wind up and used his arm to deflect it as soon as it came. He had no chance of completely dodging it but he could easily deflect it. 

This unfortunately broke the arm weight that was hanging from his wrist. Art had planned to use the metal beads to speed up his next punch. Yet, when they spilled on to the floor he was too tempted to use his new move. 

"You just had to go and break my training weights. I was trying to keep them perfect so I could keep working out while we battle. I guess I will have to show off my super power too now." Art shrugged and motioned for the metal beads to rise. 

The boy was stunned. He had not expected that Art would come out of nowhere with such a controlled and precise super power. Every single metal bead was shining in the light. Art smirked and waved a hand while pushing forward himself. His stance was the same weird mix of others' styles but it was even harder to predict with the metal bids hitting the boy constantly. They were not hitting him hard ut stung none the less. 

Art was in front of him in the blink of an eye and unloaded a solid combo using his weightless hand to jab and his weighted hand to deliver heavy and speed punches. The boy couldn't stand it in the least and fell to his knees under the assault. "I give, You win. I give. You are better than me for now!" Art heard this and saw no reason not to hold out a hand to offer the boy some help up. 

"You come off as pretty arrogant, but if you can admit your loss you are pretty smart. That and your legs kicking off with a punch almost got me. I'm lucky I noticed you slowly preparing." Art didn't even need to lie. It was all true.. He had been impressed.