Ken's body healed at a faster pace than that of a normal human being. By how much?

Well, enough that a dragged out match would eventually come to Ken's advantage.

Both teens knew this. And both teens knew that the other knew this.

And so, as Max slightly clumsily skated in circles on the icy floor, his eyes locked onto Ken, only momentarily leaving this pose to make sure he didn't end up sliding way too far out of the iced floor, as that would end in a face full of stones.

Ken, on the other hand, didn't move one bit. He remained in place, thinking.

His thoughts around one thing. How to hit Max?

Ken: (thinking: On the one hand, Max won't be able to fire electric blasts as easily as before. But on the other hand... I know Max too well to believe he would make that easy.)

His thoughts then turned to the beginning of the fight.

Ken: (thinking: I knew Max would be tough. But this? Heh. At this point, I might really have to think things through before I land another hit.)

As for Max...

Max: (thinking: Ok. I think I got the hand of this. So maybe I can.... No, I definitely can.)

He raised his right hand, continuing to balance himself with his left hand.

Ken took notice.

Ken: (thinking: Well... no time to think.) Max?

Max turned back to Ken. He knew what that meant. He didn't have to have it explained to him.

Max: Yeah?

Ken: Let's finish this.

Max: Hmph.

Back with those watching...

Rose held her hands together in earnest anticipation.

Tiffany waited patiently, her hand ready to end the match at a moment's notice.

Luke, partially intrigued, and also partially waiting for the match to end.

And as for Max and Ken, Max's right hand was already charged up. And Ken's eyes were already red.

Ken: Ready?

Max: Y.....

It was at that point that something just occured to Max. Something that had, as a result of his understanding of balance, suddenly become an option. Said sudden understanding made Max pause, and said pause was not unnoticed by Ken.

Ken: (thinking: Did something just... happen?)

He looked closer at Max only to see him suddenly smirk cockily.

Max: Yeah.

Ken: Alright then. (thinking: So he has a plan.)

He immediately remembered Max's bout with Luke. He smiled right before he pulled the wool over his eyes.

Ken: (thinking: And as though that wasn't tough enough, knowing him, its probably something I won't be able to figure out immediately.)

Just in case, Ken thought through what Max might have been thinking of. After all, he knew better than anyone on the team, although perhaps not as well as his own mother, just what mischief that smile could bring.

As for those watching...

Luke: (thinking: Mmmmmm.... Watch out, Ken. Max is a tricky opponent.)

And back at the battle....

Max with his raised hand and Ken with red eyes....

And then suddenly..

Max and Ken: Its on!

Ken fired a few weaker laser blasts at Max. One after the other.

And Max dodged them all, albeit more narrowly than before.

There was a massive difference in the effort needed to dodge lasers when using super speed on solid ground versus while skating and balancing himself on ice.

It would be even harder to fire electric bolts.

And for Max?

Because Ken kept firing lasers, Max couldn't dodge them all as well as fire bolts back. That would prove too difficult for him.

Instead, Max did something far more interesting.

He simply didn't fire electric bolts at him.

His hand was raised before, true. However, as more lasers were fired, he soon went back to using it for balancing.

This was noted by Ken, who initially thought of it as a good reason to fire even more aggressively. But as this went on, he suddenly realised that something was amiss.

By all standards, because Max couldn't attack, he had the advantage. But then... why did Max smile?

That smile. That mischievous smirk.

Ken had initially believed that he wasn't firing electric bolts because he was struggling with keeping his balance to a greater degree than he'd earlier thought. In short, he thoight Max had over estimated himself.

But.... no.

Of course not.

Ken knew this instinctively. There was something he was missing.

And as for Max, the circle he was skating around Ken started to grow smaller.

This was also noted by Ken.

Ken: (thinking: Is he doing that on purpose?)

At that point, Ken paused to think.

Ken: (thinking: Just what...)

His eyes turned to the ground beneath him. It was still unfrozen.

He'd half expected Max to fire an electric bolt at him while he thought, but it didnt happen.

And then... mere seconds later, it happened.

Just as Ken was about to put two and two together.

Max wasn't trying to blast Ken. He was trying to bash into him.

And that he did, sending Ken straight into the icy floor....

Max: Take this!?

Ken: What the!?

... where he slid straight onto the ground, losing his balance, and falling flat on his back.

Max: Gotcha!

And those watching the match were equally intrigued.

Tiffany: That was...

Luke: Yeah.

Rose: Go Max!

Julianne: (thinking: Yep. That's ma boy.)