Tobey chuckled. 'You ready?'

Spencer nodded. 'I'm ready.'

The crowds cheers roared loudly behind him as he took the first dribble...

Spencer kept his eyes fixed on Tobey. The thud-thud-thud of the basketball bouncing reverberated through his body. He looked around at the crowd.

The first person who caught his eye was Itsoku. Beneath his woollen hat, the man's brows were furrowed as he watched the game intently. At the sight of him watching, Spencer's heartbeat quickened. If the best basketball player of Oktara is watching, I can't disappoint!

Spencer's eyes shifted to his friends, to Lois, Shi, and Jake, who were together chanting "Red Rose!" at the top of their lungs. Spencer rolled his eyes. Apparently Jake's new nickname for him was catching on quick. Even Amelie, the tall, purple-haired behemoth, was watching the game, muttering under her breath - likely in French.

Spencer gritted his teeth turned to face Tobey, who ran a hand through his blonde locks, smirking. I'll show you what you get messing with Spencer Jackson!

He glared at Tobey and drove. The ball pounded against the ground.

Tobey sidestepped to meet him. Spencer crashed against his chest, pushing through the contact. Tobey kept grinning. Spencer's grunted, pressing his shoulder into Tobey's chest. He made his two steps and leaped into the air; Tobey sprang to block him, hitting into Spencer's chest with the force of a thousand elephants.

Spencer winced, taking the blow. He slammed the ball downwards and into the hoop, hanging on to the rim as Tobey fell back to the floor.

Spencer landed deftly beside him, brows furrowed, glaring down at the blonde-haired boy as a cacophony of cheers echoed through the park. Now it wasn't only his friends chanting "Red Rose", but the rest of the crowd also. Spencer caught Itsuko's eye; the man nodded appreciatively and smiled.

Tobey laughed, getting back to his feet. 'So, you have some fire to you, eh?' His eyes gleamed with mischief. 'You know what they say: fight fire with fire...'

Having scored on the previous possession, Spencer retained the ball. Upon his first bounce, Tobey was straight on him, pressing him tightly at the top of the "D". His hands flew everywhere, blocking Spencer's every move.

Spencer gritted his teeth. He's all over the place! I can't get away!

He was gradually being forced up the court, away from the "D" and away from the basket. The half-court line was looking close...Spencer's heart pounded.

'Come on Spencer!' he heard Shi cry over the bellows of the crowd. 'Don't forget your Khai powers!'

Spencer's eyes lit up. Of course! He smiled.

He raised his hand, and a bright light washed over the court. Tobey disappeared from sight behind a wall of white light as the minimised pulsar appeared in the palm of Spencer's hand. In the fringes of his vision, he could see the crowd exclaim and recoil, turning away as the bright light seared their retinas.

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Spencer's eyes locked on the basket, and still holding the pulsar in one hand, he dribbled towards the hoop. Tobey won't be able to see through this light - which gives me a prime opportunity to attack!

He reached the paint and took his two steps, but as he leapt into the air, he felt a sudden gust of wind blow from behind. Suddenly, he was spinning, twisting and twirling backwards away from the basket, dragged by the air. The air buffeted his ears, blanketing them from all sound but the roar of the wind. He closed his eyes, shielding them with his hands as debris swirled through the air. He had long since released the basketball.

With his concentration lost, the minimised pulsar disappeared - and the bright light with it. The wind released him from his grasp and he landed with a thud on the ground. Coughing as dust clouded around him, he opened his eyes. The sounds of the crowd, who were now exclaiming in shock, perforated his eardrums. Somewhere to his left, he heard the basketball thud against the ground, then roll to a stop.

A dark shadow loomed over him. Tobey.

'Aerial Vortex - a simple yet exceedingly effective tool as you can no doubt see,' he remarked. 'I think that's my ball.'

Spencer nodded dumbly, wincing as he got to his feet.

He glanced at the crowd at the side, who had hushed. One face, illuminated by her fiery locks of red hair, caught his eye. Lois looked genuinely fearful. She caught his eye and shook her head.

Spencer sighed. He gritted his teeth and glared at Tobey. 'I'm going to defeat you,' he growled, bunching his fists. 'No matter what it takes!'

Tobey's face twisted into a cocky half-smile. 'Are you now? You may be strong, but like I told you two days ago, I am the strongest first-year.'

Spencer's eyes once again rested on Lous. His heart pounded in his chest. He sighed, glancing at the floor before looking back up at Tobey as the blonde-haired wad of muscle took his position at the top of the "D".

Spencer crouched into a defensive position. He watched Tobey carefully as he dribbled the ball. He heard clapping and a voice - Jake's - shouting, 'Red Rose!'

Spencer caught Jake's eye and nodded. Jake cheered.

'Red Rose! Red Rose! Red Rose!' His friends' cheering grew louder, but so did the cheering of Tobey's teammates, stood on the other side of the court. Spencer spied Tobey's sister - Riley - screaming at the top of her lungs. Stood next to the tall frames of Year One Team One, many of whom were even bigger than Tobey, she looked tiny.

Tobey bounced the ball once, twice, three times as he approached Spencer. His eyes narrowed.

Swiftly and sleekly, he crossed the ball between his legs, then crossed it behind his back. He fakes left and drove right. Spencer stuck to him like glue.

Tobey came to a jump-stop near the hoop, with one foot in the paint and the other out. He turned around, pressing his back into Spencer's chest*. Spencer grunted but held his own, even as Tobey easily muscled through him.

Tobey bumped Spencer's chest with his shoulder, span one-eighty, and stepped back, leaping into the air. His wrist twisted downward as he released his shot.

Spencer leapt into the air, but felt the all-too-familiar tug of Tobey's Aerial Vortex, and found himself soon sprawled on the ground, groaning in pain.

Tobey dunked the ball, then walked back towards him. Leering over him, the big hulk grinned. 'Is that game, Jackson?'

Spencer groaned. But eh never got the chance to reply.

'All students, return ta the Academy!' boomed Dejarum, striding onto the court. 'The tournament is cancelled!'

Spencer frowned. The tournament's cancelled? What's going on?

*For those without a formal basketball education, this is known as a postup.

Sorry for the shortened chapter. I realised the momentum of this series was not going in the right direction, so I've cut down my writing time to brainstorm. The series will essentially be undergoing a soft reboot starting next week, so stay tuned!

Also be sure to join the Discord server - SecretWriter575's Writing Server (https://discord.gg/yEDHG4P28w) - where we are building a budding community of writers and the like!