Marvel: Playing Iron Man, Falling In and Out of Love with Jinx

"One shot, one promise."

Duke fine-tuned the sight on his toy gun, gently rotating the outer ring of the trigger before pointing it toward the scoreboard.

"Whoever hits the most targets using the fewest rounds wins. Sound good to you?"

"Of course!" Jinx (still Bomb-Bomb in her own mind) chirped excitedly as she loaded her toy gun with paint pellets. Who would ever want to leave if they could stay?

"Well then…" Duke stepped aside with a smirk. "Ladies first."

"Hmph! Don't underestimate me!"

Jinx stood tall at the counter, raising her right arm in perfect aim, her left resting at her side. Her eyes widened, locking onto the swiftly moving targets ahead.

"Go ahead," Duke said, his voice soft and coaxing like one would use with a child.

With a click, Jinx pulled the trigger. One by one, the targets were struck, each metal plate spinning wildly. In mere seconds, she had hit every last one.

Proud of her flawless performance, she rested the toy gun on her shoulder and gave Duke a cocky glare. He leaned casually against the counter and smiled.

"Well done, little sharpshooter."

"Your turn, and don't forget your promise!"

"Of course."

Duke narrowed his eyes and took in a deep breath, slowly exhaling as the targets lined up before him, both stationary and moving. In his mind's eye, he mapped out a geometric projection of every target's location, sensing the wind flow and even the humidity in the air.

Once all the variables were processed, he squeezed the trigger three times.

The first shot struck a spinning plate. As it twirled, the second and third shots crossed paths mid-air, ricocheted, and each found their mark on separate targets.

In the blink of an eye, every single plate was spinning, and Duke had only used three rounds.

Clatter.

Jinx's toy gun fell from her hands.

She stared at the spinning targets, mouth agape.

"H-How did you do that?!"

"Aim, pull the trigger… and hit every target," Duke replied coolly, setting his gun down on the counter. He hopped up and patted the spot beside him.

Jinx hesitated, then slowly climbed up and sat next to him. They now faced the array of targets together.

"Wanna learn how?"

She swallowed nervously, then nodded.

"Now, from this angle," Duke said, pointing out a tricky position, "what do you see?"

Jinx followed his finger.

"They… line up?"

"Exactly," Duke said, ruffling her hair. "But there's more to it."

"Let me break it down for you."

"To pull off what I just did, you only need to calculate the trajectory and direction of each shot, account for wind speed, understand how every target moves, and use your mind to model all possible paths. Then you select the optimal firing angle."

He pointed to the spot where he had fired.

"See this? With the right angle, understanding the flexibility of the ammo, and using geometry and probability, you can do exactly what I did."

"This technique," he said with a grin, "I call Gun Kata."

"But… isn't that impossible? Just math and angles can't do all that…"

"That," Duke replied, "is the power of knowledge."

He handed the gun back to Jinx.

"Try it. Like I showed you."

She pulled the trigger carefully, and her shot landed just as Duke had described.

"That's… amazing!"

"That's why learning helps us grow, Jinx."

Duke gently took the toy gun from her hands and placed it aside.

"You need to look at things from a wider perspective. Don't be narrow-minded or reactive."

"Take this situation, for example. Vander asked me to take you to Piltover. Do you really think it's just because they don't want you anymore?"

"But… they're giving up on me! They think I'm a burden!"

"Going to Piltover with me doesn't mean you can't come back."

Jinx blinked and chuckled awkwardly.

"I didn't think of that…"

"That's why you can't let illusions cloud your view. Learn to see the truth behind things."

He wrapped an arm around her small shoulders, nodding toward the targets.

"You've got incredible talent. At your age, without any formal training, you've reached a level few in either city could dream of."

"You're a genius, Jinx."

"But I ruin everything… the tavern, the old factory… everything I touch…"

She hugged her knees, eyes dim. Duke shook his head and gently tousled her hair.

"That's because you're doing everything on instinct. That's not sustainable."

"Everyone needs help, Jinx. Even me. And with talent like yours, you have to grow it. That's why Vander and Vi are sending you to Piltover, they want to see you reach your full potential."

"But… but… but…"

She tried to argue, but the words wouldn't come. Duke rested his hand on her head.

"All you need to do is come with me. Learn. Sharpen your skills. And when you're ready, come back to Zaun."

"Come back and protect the ones you love."

"What do you think?"

Duke fell silent, leaving the choice to her. From the corner of his eye, he caught a glimpse of pink, it was Vi, clearly eavesdropping behind the arcade door.

"If I go to the topside… I can protect Vi and the others?"

"That's up to you."

Duke gave her a knowing smile.

"No one gets to decide your future. Not me, not you, not even Janna. Only your choices will shape that."

"…Alright. I know what to do now."

"Good."

Duke hopped down from the counter.

"Then go pack your things."

"Oh, and we need to give you a new name."

"New name?" Jinx tilted her head.

"But I already have a name!"

"A family nickname won't work for school registration."

He patted her head again, pretending to think deeply.

"Now, what should we call you…"

Jinx stared up at him expectantly.

"Can I pick it myself?"

"Sorry, I'm more of a 'name-it-myself' type."

He gently karate-chopped her head.

"Ah! Got it!"

"What do you think of… Jinx?"

"Jinx?!" she repeated in disbelief.

"That means misfortune! Bad luck! That's a terrible name!"

"I don't want it!"

"Actually," Duke said, smiling, "I think it suits you."

"Jinx will become the nightmare of everyone who mocked her. And more importantly, she'll be the guardian of her friends and family."

"Don't you think that's a name worth having?"

He bent down, eye to eye with the little girl.

"Jinx."

To be continued...