Leo didn't answer. He dropped into a crouch. The puck was a blur of black plastic, hovering on a thin cushion of air that turned the heavy table into a friction-less vacuum.
The digital scoreboard flashed red. The fan died down as the timer hit zero. air hockey table
Leo gripped his red plastic striker until his knuckles turned white. Across the white, perforated tundra stood Jax, the undisputed king of the arcade. Jax didn't just play; he calculated. Leo didn't answer
For ten minutes, the only sound was the frantic thump-zip-thump of the game. The score was tied at 6-6. Next point won the night. The digital scoreboard flashed red
"Ready to lose your streak, kid?" Jax smirked, sliding the puck back and forth with a rhythmic clack-clack-clack .
Jax stared at the empty goal, then looked up at Leo. He didn't yell. Instead, he reached across the cold, smooth surface and offered a handshake. "Nice spin, kid," Jax muttered. "Table's yours."
Jax served—a lightning-fast bank shot that rattled off the side rails. Leo tracked it, his striker meeting the puck with a deafening crack . The puck didn't just slide; it soared, grazing the edge of the goal before Jax parried it away.