The next morning, Eli was woken up by the sound of a door opening somewhere in the store, His eyes snapped open.
"…Damn," he muttered, squinting at the ceiling. "It's morning already? Couldn't they wait like… another hour?"
He groaned and sat up, stretching his arms until the bed springs beneath him squeaked in protest.
"Alright, fine," he said to the empty store.
"I'm awake. No need to be dramatic."
He slid off the display bed and quietly crept toward the exit of the furniture section.
The mall was still mostly empty.
A few workers were opening stores, rolling up metal shutters and turning on lights.
Eli casually walked into a nearby bathroom, checked that no one else was inside, and then dropped his invisibility.
He stared at his reflection for a second, Long white hair, Pale blue eyes and The scar over his left eye.
"…Yeah," he sighed.
"I'm never beating the 'pretty girl' allegations."
He shook his head and walked out of the mall.
Once outside, he slipped into a nearby alley.
Then he looked around, bent his knees slightly and shot into the sky.
The air exploded beneath him as he rocketed upward.
"Okay!" Eli shouted as the wind rushed past him. "Flying still hasn't stopped being awesome!"
He angled himself eastward. America, Specifically…New York.
But halfway across the ocean, something caught his eye.
A small deserted island sat quietly in the water below.
Eli slowed down.
"…Training spot."
He hovered for a moment.
"…Also if I accidentally destroy something, nobody will complain."
He immediately dropped down toward it.
Eli landed lightly on the sand.
The island was small—just a few trees, scattered rocks, and patches of grass.
Some of the rocks were huge, about the size of small cars, Others were no bigger than his fist.
Eli rubbed his hands together and said "Perfect."
He cracked his neck.
"Alright powers… let's see what you can really do."
Eli raised his hand.
The air in front of him began to tremble and swirl.
He shaped the wind into several hand-sized spikes.
Then he flicked his wrist.
The spikes shot forward and slammed into a tree.
Wood splintered.
Leaves exploded outward.
Eli squinted.
"…Too slow."
He crossed his arms.
"Anyone with decent reflexes could dodge that."
He sighed.
"Okay. Version two."
This time he compressed the air harder.
The wind spike shrank until it was barely visible.
He snapped his fingers.
The spike shot forward like a bullet and punched straight through the tree trunk and the tree collapsed a second later.
Eli blinked "…Okay." the he nodded slowly. "That one works."
Next, he lifted both hands cold energy spread across the ground, frost raced across the sand like a living thing.
Then suddenly ICE ERUPTED a wave of frozen spikes shot across the ground in a ten-meter radius.
The nearby trees froze solid from the roots up.
Eli grinned.
"Oh that's nice."
He looked at the frozen trees.
"Very dramatic."
He tapped his chin.
"Needs a name though…"
He raised one finger.
"Ice Wave Prison."
He nodded proudly.
"Yes."
"Very superhero."
Ice Grenades
Eli crouched down and formed several small ice spheres.
Then he wrapped compressed air around them.
The air pressure held the spheres together like a shell.
Finally, he sealed the whole thing in a thin outer layer of ice.
He tossed it toward a cluster of rocks.
"…And now we test physics."
The grenade hit the ground.
A second later
BOOM
The compressed air detonated outward.
Ice shards exploded in every direction, shredding the rocks like shrapnel.
Eli blinked.
"…That might be illegal in several countries."
He grinned.
"I like it."
Wind Blades
Next, Eli experimented with something new he flattened compressed air into thin arcs then he swung his arm.
The invisible blades shot forward, three rocks were sliced clean in half.
Eli stared at them.
"…Okay."
He raised an eyebrow.
"That's terrifying."
Ice Bullets
Then he condensed tiny ice shards and accelerated them with compressed air.
He fired them at a distant rock.
CRACK CRACK CRACK
The rock exploded into fragments.
Eli whistled.
"Sniper mode unlocked."
The EK Missile
Then Eli decided to test his most dangerous idea.
He called it: EK Missile, short for Eli Keakabetse Missile.
"…The name might need work," he admitted "But the concept is solid."
He began absorbing energy into his body.
Thanks to the vibranium power, his cells could store massive amounts of energy.
Thanks to the fridge ability, that energy stayed stable.
The air around him began vibrating.
Eli slowly floated into the sky, higher and higher. then he looked down at the island. "…Okay...Worst case scenario I accidentally create a new island."
He took a deep breath. Then dove.His body rocketed downward at supersonic speed.
Wind screamed around him and just before impact he released the stored energy.
BOOOOOOOOM
A massive shockwave exploded across the island.
Sand blasted outward.
Trees bent violently.
The ocean itself rippled from the force.
Eli landed in the center of the crater smoke drifted around him. he looked at the destruction, then looked at his hands.
"…Yeah." he nodded seriously. "I should only use that on villains." Another pause then contenud "…Or aliens."
Eli spent the rest of the day experimenting.
He practiced at flying at high speeds, firing wind bullets while moving, freezing targets mid-flight and combining air pressure with ice attacks
At one point he accidentally launched himself backward into the ocean.
When he crawled back onto the beach he muttered: "Note to self…Don't test shockwave recoil without bracing."
By sunset, the island looked like it had been attacked by three different natural disasters.
Eli collapsed on the sand and said "Productive day." He stared at the stars.
"…Also I may have violated several environmental laws." and within minutes he fell asleep.
The Next Morning when Eli woke up again, the sun was already high in the sky. He sat up instantly.
"…Oh no." He looked at the sky. "Did I oversleep?"
Then it hit him "The invasion!" He jumped to his feet. "Today is the day!"
Without wasting another second, Eli launched himself into the sky.
He accelerated rapidly.
Mach 1.
Mach 2.
Then he pushed harder , with the help of aerokinesis, he forced the wind behind him like a jet engine.
Mach 3.
Sonic booms exploded behind him as he tore through the clouds.
"At this speed…" he muttered. "I should reach New York in about an hour and a half."
He frowned slightly and thought"Let's just hope I'm not late."
He flew higher into the clouds.
Then a random thought appeared in his head.
Eli slowed slightly and looked at the giant cloud around him.
"…You know…"
He scratched his chin thoughtfully.
"If I wasn't on my way to stop an alien invasion…"
He poked the cloud with his finger.
"…I'd definitely try smelting this." he stared at it a moment longer."…I wonder if clouds give weather powers."
Then he shook his head.
"Focus, Eli, save the city first than teal meteorological powers later."
And with that he blasted forward toward New York.
The battle for Earth was about to begin.