"DO SOMETHING YOU WORTHLESS PIECE OF TRASH!" "PATHETIC — ALL THAT TRAINING FOR THIS!"
The abuse of the leaders rang out across the bustling arena, somehow managing to reach Goliath over all the noise.
Damn it. Those fuckers — once I kill this freak, they're next. The first thought Goliath had. He could feel the unfamiliar feeling of rage building as he barely managed to block Lenz's dual lunge by crossing his arms together.
He tried to counter with a left-handed uppercut but Lenz simply sidestepped and ran his right hand across Goliath's side, causing him to grit his teeth.
"What's wrong, Mr. Fighter — all tired out?" Lenz said with a smile that pissed Goliath off even more. "If you give up and beg, I'll grant you a quicker death." He followed up with a right-handed uppercut that got through Goliath's block and cut him across the face.
While Lenz was off balance, Goliath went for a right body shot that connected and made him keel over. Goliath immediately followed with an uppercut sending Lenz flying back.
"Maybe not — I'm going to enjoy hearing those screams," Lenz said, dashing back in and aiming straight for Goliath's face.
Stupid freak. I'm going to present your head to your leader as a souvenir, Goliath thought as he met Lenz's fist head on.
They exchanged a flurry of blows, meeting each other's fists head on.
"What's wrong, hero — running out of steam?!" Lenz yelled out with manic glee as he pushed Goliath back.
Damn it, brat. Shut up, Goliath thought as he tried his hardest to regain ground.
The lack of response only served to make Lenz push harder for a reaction.
"COME ON, PEOPLE'S CHAMPION — CAN'T KEEP UP?!" he said as he laughed maniacally.
Shut up.
"YOU'RE SLIPPING, GO-LI-ATH." Lenz leaned back and with all his body weight brought his right hand up from the earth below.
"I SAID SHUT UP!!!" Goliath's voice rang out — filled with a hate he didn't even know he had — as he met Lenz's punch with his own overhead punch.
The two fists suspended there for what felt like minutes as the uncomfortable sound of metal and bone smashing against each other rang out.
"DAMMIT GOLIATH, STOP FOOLING AROUND!" "WE MADE YOU WHO YOU ARE AND THIS IS THE RESULT WE GET!" "EMBARRASSMENT TO EVERY NATION THAT FUNDED YOU!"
The more Goliath heard from the leaders the more it sounded like pigs squealing.
I'll make them all pay. They'll see how much of a weapon I a—
Goliath's own thoughts were cut off by the sound of his gauntlet breaking and the feeling of his arm being ripped in two like a piece of paper as Lenz's hand flew through the gauntlet and travelled all the way up to Goliath's shoulder.
The silence was loud. Almost deafening. It stretched on longer than it should've. Even Lenz seemed exhausted as both fighters stood there panting.
The pigs were the first to speak.
"USELESS!" "DISAPPOINTMENT!" "EMBARRASSMENT!"
Goliath heard them. Heard them loud and clear. His eyes darted over to them — the more he stared the more he saw them as beasts foaming at the mouth, judging his every move yet never once putting in the work he did.
Then Goliath made eye contact with Ethan.
He looked disgusted. Not at Goliath. At his wound.
That's when it hit him. His wound. Suddenly it was like time resumed and the pain arrived all at once. He let out a chilling scream as he gripped what remained of his shoulder.
That only stirred Lenz on more. He continued his assault — unleashing a barrage of hits that all connected — followed by a psychotic laugh.
"Come on Goliath, keep up, keep up!" Lenz's voice rang out as he shredded through Goliath's defenses to the point where bone and blood were decorating the sand.
"What's wrong — need a hand there, Champion?" Lenz said as he landed several hits to Goliath's vital points.
Goliath gritted his teeth. The pain he'd been avoiding all caught up to him at once. It hurt. Was he going to die? He didn't want to die. Not being known as some government asset. That thought alone was scarier to him than he'd expected.
"GET THE HELL AWAY FROM ME!"
He swung wildly — cutting up his arm in the process — but his fist managed to connect with Lenz, sending him flying back.
Then, in a move that no one expected, instead of following up — Goliath ran.
I can get out of here while he's busy. Then I'll be free. Goliath ran to the closest wall and started hitting it wildly. I'll make them pay. I'll make them all pay. The years of abuse surfaced in his head as he swung.
"Sorry — can't let you leave," Lenz's voice rang out from behind him.
Goliath turned to face him.
"I still haven't presented your head to Lady Moe," Lenz said, approaching at a steady pace — which only heightened Goliath's fear.
"Get— get away."
Lenz kept approaching. Eventually he kicked up a dust storm to block Goliath's vision.
"No — stop. Go away." Goliath's voice rang out filled with nothing but fear as he swung wildly, trying to hit something while dust stung his eyes.
Somehow Lenz remained perfectly quiet. Which only made it worse. Goliath could feel his body being cut — methodical, deliberate, one wound at a time — like Lenz was drawing out his suffering. Like if the dust cleared he'd find a sick smile waiting for him.
Stop. Please. I want to live, Goliath thought as his knee gave out beneath him. Please. I don't deserve this.
The sand finally cleared. And so did Goliath's head.
He knew he was going to die here.
He looked at Ethan one last time.
"Save M—"
Lenz's fist plunged straight through Goliath's face and spattered against the wall behind him. The crowd let out a collective gasp of horror.
Lenz simply smirked. He lifted his hand, disconnected Goliath's head from his spine, walked to the Anthorian viewing box, knelt down and presented it like a marriage proposal.
"And with that shocking display of dominance — the first round goes to LENZ!!!" Ora's voice rang out across the colosseum as the Anthorian cheers echoed through the stadium.
"What a match." "I haven't felt like that in ages."
On the human side there was silence. Deafening silence. Then it all erupted at once — world leaders berating James while the invited civilians murmured amongst themselves.
"We're doomed." "It's over." "They were able to beat that monster?!"
James was hit the hardest. He sat there stunned. We just lost our best asset.
"You fool — look what your plan got us." "Now what? With Goliath gone how will we ever control the masses?"
Their words made Ethan want to strangle them. He was close to it.
He was interrupted by clapping. Gio's clapping.
"Ho ho! Wonderful — simply marvelous! Never in my life have I seen a species put up that much fight. I'm so excited for your next fighter!"
Next fighter. That was our best fighter, Ethan thought.
James simply nodded — still clearly shell shocked. "R-right. See you then." He walked off, leaving Ethan alone with Gio.
"Is he alright?" Gio said, stroking his beard.
"H-he's just thinking about who to send next," Ethan said, sweating.
"Ohhhh, I see. Well, I hope he picks a good one." Gio leaned in and whispered. "Don't tell anyone — but we're sending out the reigning champion next round."
Ethan's heart fell to his stomach. "S-sounds like it'll be a riveting match."
Gio chuckled, clasping both of Ethan's hands in his. "Yes it will! I can't wait to see who you send next!" He waved goodbye and left.
Ethan collapsed into a seat. The weight of everything landing on him at once.
"Oh fuck."
Back on Earth it was utter chaos — and nowhere more so than a certain orphanage, where kids were running around screaming and crying, climbing on furniture while teachers and older kids tried desperately to rally them.
One girl in particular stood completely still, staring at the television screen where they'd all been watching the fight.
Avery Mercer. Age 12. Currently shell shocked from watching the man she had an action figure of have his head ripped off.
Tears started to form. She was experiencing what the majority of the planet's population was experiencing at this exact moment — utter despair.
That was until she heard the director's office door open.
Everything went quiet. Not drowned-out quiet. Awe quiet.
She could hear his footsteps — calm and collected, as if the weight of the entire situation was nothing more than a five-pound dumbbell to him.
He squatted down. They made eye contact.
"Hey baby — what's wrong?"