Jude found himself stood on a raised platform, completely alone. There was another platform around fifty metres away from him, this one had a pedestal that housed a button. The light in the room was dim, the button was visible but between him and there Jude could not make out a single thing. The A.I. voice from the previous tests greeted him once more.

“Congratulations on passing the first test. The next tests that you will face will all be individual. Your previous test was to allow your team to compete in the first division. Your next challenges will assess the individual strength of the team and will assist the organisers in crafting the order of match fixtures.

“Your first individual test is the invisible bridge. In front of you is a gap that has a glass bridge across it. You must make your way to the other side and press the button to advance to the next challenge.”

There were a variety of options available to Jude, his alteration was so versatile he could have solved this problem many ways.

First was to simply use his control of air to float up and carry himself over the gap. That was easy, though he had not tried flying and had only done hovering before.

The second option was more fun, tested, and yet riskier; using fire he could create a burst of flames from the bottom of his feet and shoot himself like a cannonball to the other side. However, he might undershoot and fall, or overshoot and smash into the wall or even the ceiling if there’s too much upwards force.

Thirdly, water could be used to determine where the bridge was. By maintaining a constant layer of water, the bridge would become visible, and Jude could simply walk across. It would take a keen eye, especially in such low light. It could be done though.

But the option that Jude decided on, almost immediately, was the quickest, most effective and the one that required the least concentration. He simply took a step forward. As the sole of the boot came into contact with the floor below a bridge made of stone magically birthed itself from the caster. A light jog across the slab and Jude reached the button. Well, he had to jump off of the makeshift bridge because he had underestimated the distance slightly.

With a triumphant stance he slapped his palm into the button.

The floor below him disappeared. He hung there for a minute. His body had yet to realise it had nothing to stand on, but once it did, it too fell away. Not a second sooner Jude’s body ricocheted off of a giant slide. The slide transported him to the next stage.

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It was completely dark in the slide’s tube, until there was the sound of stone scraping against itself and slowly light began to pour in. Jude rapidly approached the light until the slide no longer existed under him and he scooted along the ground.

The small opening in which he had come through now closed behind him. He was in a tall cylindrical room with an immense number of square lights protruding from the wall around him. And almost simultaneously they turned off and yet again the robotic, androgenous voice echoed around him.

“In this room each of the lights you just witnessed is a button. However only one opens the door to the next and final stage of your qualification. You may begin.”

Unfortunately for this test Jude was a bit more limited, since he had chosen Earth only a minute before he still had four minutes until he could switch to anything else. So he was whittled down to three options. He pondered all three.

The first was to press every button he could and hope he got lucky sooner rather than later. Figure out if there had been a clue to figure out which of the buttons was to be used. Or the final and most simple answer.

Jude readied himself. Taking inspiration from watching AJ fight he got into a sturdy stance. Took a deep breath. Raised his foot. Then with an almighty slam into the floor a hollow cylinder of stone rose up around him. Jude steadied his breathing again.

With a forceful explosion outwards from his arms the cylinder expanded and repelled itself from his center and thus slammed itself into the wall around him. Instantly all buttons were simultaneously pressed.

He should have expected it. It had happened once but Jude was truly shocked when the floor gave out and another slide carried him to the next and final room of tests.

This was a long room with three targets at the end and a bar that cut the room horizontally. Jude stepped up to the bar, after dusting himself off, to find a bucket of tennis balls. Before the robotic companion could even explain to him what was going on, Jude acted.

There were three simultaneous clunks as chunks of rock slammed into the metallic targets handing near the end wall.

At las Jude had learnt his method of exit and prepared himself. As he sat onto the floor as it disappeared below him he thought about what these tests would be used for. Given that a gifted person, alteration or not, would have been able to pass them. As he landed on the slide, he could hear some murmurings below him. Which was explained when he skidded out of the slide into a circular room.

Within this circular room were other people who had passed the test. And as he landed, he heard a voice call out “Applicant number forty-four has passed the initial tests. Only twenty spaces remaining.”

Picking himself up for the last time, Jude felt sore all over his legs and backside. He probably got carpet burn from all the sliding, skidding, and bouncing. He scanned the room looking for someone he knew, when he felt an arm swing round his shoulders.

“Hey up buddy.” Jack called out with a big grin on his face.