The championship belts glimmered overhead in the ring, swaying slightly under the lights like the trophy in the gladiator's arena. The crowd was already deafeningly loud before the entrants even made their way to the ring with every fan standing up as anticipation boiled over.
The Apex Predators were the first to charge down the ramp, Marcus Vane and Cal Bishop cut an intimidating presence with every step that they took. They did not acknowledge the crowd---they did not have to. Their eyes remained locked on the titles that dangled high overhead.
The Flashpoint Brothers made their entrance next, Axel and Jett had a nonstop bounce to them, slapping hands with the fans at the barricade. Their wild grins and flashy jackets gave a sense of youthful cockiness to them. The fans were loud in their approval despite their juvenile style.
Finally, there were the Steel Titans. Brock Steele and Hunter Locke sauntered down the ramp warily, like two warriors - heading to battle. Their sheer size dwarfed the other teams, and they elicited boos from the crowd.
The three teams stepped into the ring and immediately squared off. Six men, staring each other down, bodies tense and fists clenched. The referee didn't even get the chance to ring the bell.
The brawl broke out instantly.
Fists were flying in all directions, and the ring was shaking from the collision of six bodies at once. Marcus Vane was exchanging punches with Jett, and Cal Bishop was launching his shoulder into Axel's gut. The Titans were dominating both sides at first, pushing men down as if they were ragdolls, the size advantage clearly in their favor.
Before long, the fight spilled out of the ropes. Jett and Marcus were fighting next to the barricades, their forearms slapping against one another loudly in the arena. Axel had rolled under the bottom rope to avoid what was becoming a battering, but Cal followed him, slamming his head against the steel steps.
Fans were going crazy yelling and screaming, clearly as if they had dreamed this moment their entire lives.
Luke Hart leaned forward in his seat, almost yelling into Tony's ear. "Fifty bucks Predators win this."
Tony laughed. "You're out of your mind. Flashpoints have this. They're quicker, smarter. Look at them—" Tony pointed as Axel ducked under a swing from Cal and nailed him with a quick dropkick to his knee. "Ha! Told ya."
Inside the ring, relative calm had momentarily returned. Cal Bishop slipped back in under the ropes and saw his chance. The crowd started buzzing when he grabbed a ladder that was just laying around the ringside area. He tightened the legs of ladder, dragged it through the ropes, and with a loud metallic crash, slammed it into the center of the ring.
Noah: "Cal Bishop with the FIRST ladder of the night! And you KNOW what that means, Irvin!"
Irvin: "He's thinking smart. No more brawling--it's time to get that gold!"
The arena roared louder, and Cal set the ladder upright beneath the titles, and adjusted the ladder. That sight--the belts just sitting there, so tantalizingly close--sent chills through the entire arena.
But before Cal could make the first step of his ascent, Axel Flashpoint blasted into the ring. He clubbed Cal from behind, sending his body flying forward, and then proceeds to simply toss him through the ropes, sending Cal crashing to the outside.
The crowd became unglued.
Noah: "Axel Flashpoint just saved the match for his team!"
Axel looked up toward the belts, adrenaline pumping, grasped the ladder, steadied it, and started to climb. Step-by-step, the cheers grew louder.
Michael Myers, sitting in the middle of the audience, stood up. "He's gonna do it! Flashpoints are taking it home!"
Axel's fingers brushed the bottom of the belts. The crowd howled—
Marcus Vane slid into the ring, his mouth agape with rage. He scrambled up the opposite side of the ladder and started hammering punches into Axel's spine. The two wobbled near the top, their boots shaking the ladder with each move.
Axel continued to pull himself up, his fingers nearly grazing the gold again, while Marcus's fists hammered away. He lifted his arm one last time—
And that's when Jett sprang into action.
The younger Flashpoint sprinted off the ropes, jumping onto the ropes, springboarding off with pure efficiency, and with a spin elbowed Marcus smack in the jaw. The smack was loud, and Marcus tipped off sideways, falling hard onto the canvas.
The crowd exploded.
Noah: "Jett Flashpoint just rescued his brother! Marcus Vane is broken in half!"
Jett yanked Marcus by the hair and chucked him out of the ring and then turned, positioning himself protectively at the base of the ladder. He yelled for encouragement to Axel, who was inching toward the belts.
"Go get it, bro!" Jett yelled, his eyes darting around like a guard dog.
Axel reached up again, but his fingertips were close to the metal hanger. The belts swayed as if about to be pulled free—
And the tone shifted.
The Steel Titans entered the ring.
Brock Steele and Hunter Locke rushed into the ring like a wrecking crew—this sent the crowd into a frenzy, as the look of the arena shifted dramatically, but Jett was fighting valiantly, throwing punches and kicks to fend them off. Brave? Stupid? Heroic? Just one man against two machines.
Brock caught Jett's fist mid-swing and shoved him backward, right into Hunter's giant arms. Hunter scooped him up and slammed him into the mat.
The crowd gasped. Jett rolled in pain, holding his back.
Axel, still at the top of the ladder, looked down and freaked out. He started to climb back down, with the intention of helping his brother, but Hunter Locke had other ideas.
Hunter gripped the sides of the ladder, smiled wickedly, and with one big pull, he shoved the ladder forward.
The whole arena gasped as the ladder tipped. Axel, wide-eyed, flailed aimlessly. He smashed down, face-first onto the canvas, bounced awkwardly, then stumbled backward right into Brock Steele's waiting arms.
Noah: "Oh my god! Did you see the way Axel's face hit that mat?!"
Irvin: "That almost surely burst his nose! But he is now in Brock's arms and look what they are about to do!"
Brock held him down. Hunter came in, and the two Steel Titans delivered their combo finisher. Axel fell, rolling limply out of the ring.
People booed from all over, but the Titans didn't mind. They stood in the center of the ring, flexing and howling loud cheers of victory, waving as if they already had the belts.
Luke's jaw dropped. "No way. Titans just destroyed both of the brothers in less than sixty seconds."
Tony groaned, burying his face in his hands. "No. No, no, no. My bet's going down the drain."