Thirty thousand feet up in the air, a commercial airliner soared high above the continental heartland, making its way towards the west coast. The midday skies were clear and blue, with sparse patches of wispy clouds; perfect conditions for flying. More than halfway through the nearly six-hour trip, most of the plane's occupants had dozed off, nestled comfortably inside the cabin.
One of them, however, would not be falling asleep any time soon. Part of it was that this was his first flight, but more so it was the anticipation for the upcoming competition, for which he and his girlfriend were making the trip in the first place.
Jack turned to his right to look at Ashi, who was staring intently out the window at the speckled plains down below. Their hands were interlocked, initially to comfort Jack in his inexperience; now they were holding hands just because they liked to.
Ashi noticed Jack's reflection looking back at her in the window, so she turned to flash him a comforting smile. "You okay?" she asked quietly.
"Yes," he affirmed with a smile of his own, "My nerves have calmed down a bit, but I'm still rather anxious for what's to come… In a good way!" he quickly corrected.
"Really?" Ashi raised her eyebrows in pleasant surprise, "Usually you'd be really stressed out, especially given what's at stake here. Whether or not we win this thing determines how much longer we'll be owing our home to AKu…" she said solemnly, thinking aloud. In the back of her mind, Ashi was the one who was stressing. Most of her life had been spent trying to free herself from her Father's oppressive reputation, and that was now coming to a head. It was thanks to Jack that she had made it this far in the first place, but she couldn't help feeling a sliver of doubt about the whole thing—about who she was. Could she ever really escape being a daughter of AKu?
Jack squeezed her hand lightly in reassurance. "True. But lately, I've come to realize—no, I shouldn't say that, because I've always known. I remembered that, no matter how hopeless things may appear, there is always a way. Not that things are that hopeless, mind you; but I have faith in us that we will prevail, as we always have," he asserted, staring confidently ahead at the seat in front of him.
Ashi smiled, "You know, you've been sounding a lot more like that dorky kid with a top knot from karate class," she said, planting a kiss under his bearded chin before laying her head on his shoulder.
"That's a good thing…right?" Jack responded curiously, laying his head over hers.
"Yes, it is," Ashi affirmed, glancing at the sword charm hanging around Jack's neck, before closing her eyes to rest comfortable against him.
/
The following day after they arrived in Los Angeles, the time was finally upon them.
A massive domed stadium stood in the center of, an expansive parking lot. The building was dark brown, with a ring of thin orange windows lining the upper portion of it, and adorned with menacing spikes. Powerful searchlights surrounded the dome, flailing rhythmically back and forth, visible even in the daylight.
Inside, the arena looked even bigger. The small, tinted windows up above provided little light, only filling the interior with an oppressive orange glow. Instead, and entire array of bright stage lights were strung up in the fly space, some of which had colors or strobe effects, or were spotlights that surveyed the room continuously. Swarths of people were packed into the stands high above, surrounding the center stage area, bustling in anticipation of the coming action. Lively music played over the speakers to fill the dead air, along with the combined sound of the audience's indistinct conversations. Six vomitoria, evenly spread out around the room, were the only access to the arena floor from backstage.
Suddenly, everything stopped. The music and lights went dead, and the audience went silent accordingly. Then, spotlights situated between the vomitoria, focused the crowd's attention on at a large octagonal platform. Four large monitors faced out at the audience from over the large platform, and a distinctive man stood in the center dramatically.
The stout man wore a dark brown petticoat over an orange cotton shirt, adorned by a large frilled collar that cemented the colonial look. His hair matched the outfit, dark brown with a receding hairline, and colonial curls on each side. Dark green trousers hugged his stubby legs, with a pair of black dress shoes on his tiny feet.
A microphone hung down from the ceiling in front of him, which he snatched up and began to shout in a raspy British accent, "WELCOME, ONCE AGAIN, TO THE BATTLEFIELD OF BLOODIED BROWS AND BROKEN BONES; TO THE CIRCUS OF EVERLASTING PAIN AND TORMENT; TO A PLACE WHERE THOSE WHO DARE STEP FORWARD TO TEST THEIR METTLE ARE CRUSHED, ALONG WITH THEIR DREAMS OF VICTORY AND FORTUNE; THE ONE! THE ONLY! DOME! OF! DOOOOOOOOOOM!"
The crowd erupted into a frenzied celebration, all chanting the magic word, "DOOM! DOOM! DOOM! DOOM! DOOM!"
The man on the platform introduced himself, "As always, I am your esteemed host, Baron Von Gilliam! We are gathered here this evening to witness yet another futile attempt to conquer the Dome's deepest horrors and trials, all for the sake of our yet-to-be-claimed grand prize…" he pointed up at the ceiling in front of him, and the lights illuminated a shiny metallic briefcase hanging overhead, "One million dollars!"
The crowd roared again at the coveted prize money, eager to see the latest contenders struggle desperately to claim it.
"But, before we bring out our latest victims, let us reacquaint ourselves with those who have so loyally guarded the Dome's treasure! Here they are again, folks! I present to you… your champions!" the Baron gestured down at the northwest vomitorium, and the spotlights gathered at the entryway. One by one, the Dome champions trotted out into the arena, each wearing a set of black foam protective gear, and receiving a personal introduction.
"First, the newest edition to our ranks! The shredder of hope: Claw!" A man with a large, toothy smile and a very prominent lower jaw, ran out towards center stage, stopping a few times to stir up the crowd. Thick white sideburns framed the side of his face, and atop his head sat a neatly sloppily-trimmed mohawk.
"Next, the speeding fortress: Torto!" A stout, bulky man ran out and leapt into several somersaults, rolling surprisingly fast over to where the previous champion stood. He rolled to a stop next to Claw, landing on one knee in a flexing pose.
"The prince of darkness: Myotis!" A tall, lean man with pointed features came running out, arms at his sides as though he were flying. He leapt frightfully high into the air, and landed gracefully beside his fellow champions.
"Half-man, half machine: Mr. Roboto!" A much shorter, stockier man wearing a robot helmet jogged mechanically out onto the stage, and perform a very outdated dance routine when he stopped to join the other champions.
"The desert sage: Ghaneesh!" A sturdy, dark-skinned man wearing a turban did a dance of his own while moving towards the center. Straight out of a Bollywood musical, the breezy, swaying motions showcased how swiftly and mesmerizingly he could move his arms.
"The lizard lord: Rrrrreptor!" A man with strangely green skin crawled out onto the floor with frighteningly flexible movements, stopping to dart his face up at the crowd and stick out his long tongue menacingly.
"The Seven Ton Titan: Suuuumooootooooo!" A hulking, blubbery mass emerged, shaking the floor with each step. His hair was a scruffier version of Jack's old top knot, but balding at the top. His jawline resembled a chubby gorilla, and there was no safety armor covering his enormous gut.
"The underwater undertaker: Aqualizer!" A tall, imposing man wearing some sort of diving mask marched out, standing straight like a soldier once he reached the other champions.
"And finally, the savage predator, the feral enforcer, the king of all beasts: Gordo, the Gruesome!" A muscular man of above average height leapt onto the stage floor, with purple hair that resembled a lion's mane covering most of his face. He reared his head up and howled to the sky, setting the crowd off louder than ever.
"For years, these ruthless gladiators have guarded the Dome's precious treasure! Many challengers have stepped forward to claim it. All have been denied. To this day, none been able to overcome the might of our champions! But…" the Baron paused, letting dramatic tension fill the silence, "Will tonight be the night that this changes? Will our latest challengers be the first to conquer the Dome!?"
The boos and jeers from the crown indicated their disagreement.
"Whatever the outcome, only time will tell…" he said forebodingly, "Now, before we meet our ill-fated contestants, a word from our sponsors!" And with that, the Baron retreated back into the rafters as the music came on again, and the crowd resumed their idle murmuring. An advertisement started playing for "BUFFER", a brand of a protective, foam-like material used for various toys and equipment; these products were endorsed by the Dome of Doom, and special "BUFFER" safety gear was provided for the champions and contenders during challenges.
Back in Burlington, the televised program had gone to a commercial break. Despite still being light out where the competition took place, the difference in time zones meant that here it was starting to get dark out. One viewer took the opportunity during the commercials to grab popcorn and a beer from the kitchen, and plop back down on his friends' couch. Their white dog sat on the floor in front of him, facing the television as if he acknowledged what was going on.
Jack and Ashi had asked Scotsman to watch their home while they were away, specifying that they could be gone for at least a week. Assuming they won the competition, they would use a portion of their winnings to extend their stay at the resort hotel, and spend more time in California having a real vacation. All Scotsman had to do was make sure Wolf was being fed, but he chose to get comfortable in the apartment again. And this time, Molly had no qualms with him being away from home.
Scotsman cracked open the beer and took a big swig, then let out a contented sigh as he leaned back against the couch. Taking a handful of popcorn next caused Wolf to turn his head back to look with intrigue. Scotsman picked up on the hint and tossed a few pieces of popcorn to the animal, which eagerly caught them with his mouth. As the dog chewed, Scotsman glanced at the beer in his hand, then back at the dog, "I don't suppose ya want some'a this too?"
Wolf barked defiantly in response.
"Didn't think so," said Scotsman, taking another sip.
Back at the arena, Jack and Ashi waited in a green room deep underneath the stadium for their call to come out. Wearing light workout clothes, they sat on the floor facing each other, cross-legged and eyes closed in meditation, mentally preparing for the upcoming challenge. Jack had tied his hair up into a tight ponytail to keep it out of his face.
There was a knock on the door, and a stagehand poked his head in to inform them, "It's almost time. You guys can head over to the… lift… now…" seeing them sitting there in complete silence threw him off.
They stood up from their spots on the floor, eyes still shut, and took one more deep breath to loosen up. Jack's eyes opened, and he looked at the stage hand with a confident smile, "We're ready."
Meanwhile, AKu and Scaramouche were watching TV and drinking wine in the mogul's office. The screen hung to the right of AKu's desk, and across from the couch his assistant was seated at. He swirled the wine around the glass in one hand, while absentmindedly passing channel after channel with the remote in the other.
"Uggghhhh, there is nothing on tonight…" groaned AKu.
"I hear ya, boss," replied Scaramouche, scrolling on his phone with his free hand, "Cable television just needs to bite the bullet already. Why watch something on their schedule when we can stream whenever we want? Why are we even bothering with this?" he asked.
"Ehhh, streaming kind of overwhelms me. So many shows that I want to watch, yet they're all require such a commitment. I always just end up watching something easy and accessible. Speaking of which, do you want to watch that show about the office? What's it called again…?"
Before Scaramouche could answer, the current program returned from its commercial break, catching his attention. "Oh, look! Dome of Doom is on! Let's watch it!" he called out, waving his hand frantically.
"Ahhh, it's been a while!" AKu remarked fondly, getting comfortable at his desk.
Scaramouche nodded enthusiastically, "Sure has, babe! Can't wait to see what poor saps are going to embarrass themselves tonight!"
Baron Von Gilliam came up on the screen, once again perched upon his platform overlooking the arena. "Now then, it is time for us to introduce tonight's competitors!" he looked down at a cue card in his hand, "Hailing all the way from Vermont, this couple owns and operates a martial arts dojo. Four decades worth of experience between them makes this dynamic duo a force to be reckoned with."
"Huh, why does that sound familiar…?" AKu wondered aloud as he took another sip.
The two figures rose slowly out of the hole in the center of the arena. "But, will their skills be enough to triumph? Please welcome, Jack and Ashi!" Baron exclaimed, as spotlights illuminated the two competitors.
AKu's eyes widened, and he spat up his mouthful of wine, "WHAT!?"
Scaramouche was stunned as well, his mouth rounding out into an O shape which curled upwards at the edges in amusement.
Standing there intensely, Jack and Ashi had been fitted with armor composed of the "BUFFER" safety foam, Jack's red and Ashi's blue.
The crowd roared in excitement at the two competitors, once again engaging in the Dome's trademark chant: "DOOM! DOOM! DOOM! DOOM! DOOM!"
After letting the crowd go wild for a minute or two, Baron spoke up again, "Let us turn now to our contenders to see what they have to say, courtesy of our trusted messenger, Dutch Livingston!"
Suddenly, a man in more modern formal attire descended from the ceiling on a much smaller, more mobile platform, landing right beside Jack and Ashi. A camera outstretched on a robotic arm focused in on them. He spoke into the microphone in his hand, "Thanks, Baron! Jack, Ashi, pleasure to meet you both! Now, Jack, are you excited to be here with us tonight? Do you think the two of you have what it takes to take home to gold tonight, a feat that no other contender has pulled off to date? And say you do win, what do you plan to do with the money?" he asked quickly without taking a breath.
Jack looked at the man dumbfounded, too in his own head to acknowledge the rapid-fire question. "O-Oh, uh… Well, we… I-I've never been on TV before, and—" he stammered, but was cut off when Ashi leaned in to speak on his behalf.
"Well, Dutch, Jack and I are very excited to be here, and are most definitely going to win that money, and we're going to use it to pay off the lease on our apartment!" she declared, shooting a smug grin into the camera at whoever might be watching.
Consequently, AKu sneered in anger as Scaramouche laughed silently to himself.
"Well, you two certainly seem to have things figured out! Let's see if you can follow through with that! Before we get started, Baron's going to give us a rundown on how this all works. Baron?" Dutch looked up at the suspended platform where his fellow announcer stood.
Baron cleared his throat as four large screens hanging above the platform lit up, showing a board of ten dollar values ranging from one thousand dollars up to one million. To the right of that were five vertical icons. "You will be competing in a total of 9 challenges at the minimum. In each challenge, one of you will be pitted against one of our champions in a particular contest. Victory will move you up by one spot on the board, but defeat will cost you a 'stock'," he explained, and the icons lit up briefly. "Losing all five stocks means 'game over', and all of your winnings will be lost! However, if you manage to retain at least one stock after completing all nine challenges, you will gain access to our infamous obstacle course, 'The Finisher'"! If you win, you double your prize money! But if you lose, your winnings will be halved…" the host chuckled with a sneer. "Only by conquering the Finisher can you hope to acquire the coveted grand prize of one million dollars, a feat that has yet to be accomplished by any of our contenders! We are eager to see if you are up for the task…" said Baron snidely, and the crowd began chanting again.
"Well, now that we're all clear on that, let's move onto the first challenge and see which champion you'll be facing!" Dutch announced excitedly, then turned to the couple, "First things first though: which of you will be competing to start?"
Ashi turned to Jack with a smile, and gestured him to go first. "That would be me," he stepped forward with his left hand raised.
"Fantastic! Come this way, please, both of you," Dutch led them to the edge of the arena, where they watched in awe as the stadium floor opened up in front of them, and a long octagonal court emerged to fill in the space. It looked like a basketball or tennis court, except for a single buoy-like basket in the middle of it, and two large baskets of colored balls on each end, one red and one blue.
"Your first challenge will be 'Battle Ball'! The rules are simple: score points by getting a colored ball that matches the current color shown into the center basket," he explained, as the floor around said basket lit up a bright red. "But, of course, your attempts to score will be impeded by the one and only: GORDO THE GRUESOME!" Upon hearing his name, the champion burst from the sidelines and leapt onto the court, emitting a loud howl as he flexed his muscles, which the crowd ate up. "A couple more things: You can only have one ball at a time, and if that ball touches the ground then it can't be used to score, and you will have to grab a new one from the basket. If you can score five points in three minutes, you'll be on the board with your first total at one thousand dollars!"
Jack was then directed onto the court himself, and stood on the red side with a hand over the ball repository; he wasn't allowed to touch them until the game officially began. Gordo stood menacingly on at the other end, baring his "fangs" at his challenger.
The champion called out with heavy gusto, "While I respect you out of principle for the beard, this is my court. Prepare yourself, challenger, for I will stomp you like a grape! I will crack you like an egg! I will mop the floor with you so hard that the janitor will be able to take a week's vacation! This challenge is over before it has begun! I am the beginning and the end! I am your destroyer! I will massacre you!" he roared, prompting more cheering from the crowd.
"Your threats do not phase me. A true warrior has no need for such gratuitous language," Jack asserted.
A referee stood on a pedestal over the court to direct the action. He held his hand out to Jack and asked, "Is the challenger ready?" Jack nodded. His other hand pointed at Gordo, "Is the Champion ready?" Gordo snarled. The referee's hand now hung over his head for a moment, before being brought down like an axe splitting wood as he shouted, "BEGIN!"
Jack instantly picked up a ball and made a break for the basket, while Gordo began rushing towards him. He was almost able to get the ball in, but Gordo tackled the basket, causing him to miss as it popped back up shakily with its rounded bottom. Seeing that the floor color hadn't changed Jack then doubled back to get another ball, but Gordo snatched his ankle from the ground as he passed, and he fell over.
"Where do you think you're going!?" the champion taunted.
Undeterred, Jack kicked himself free and managed to grab another ball. This time, he faked to the right, then to the left, then right again before spinning around the other way as Gordo dove to block. The champion took a tumble as Jack slammed the ball into the basket for his first point.
"Nice!" Ashi cheered from the sidelines.
The audience, however, was still on the challenger's side, booing Jack's fancy footwork.
The light changed to blue, so Jack started running for the blue balls on the opposite end of the court. Gordo rubbed his head, then angrily pushed himself off the ground to give chase. Jack picked up a ball and—sensing his pursuer behind him—leapt onto the side of the ball basket and backflipped over Gordo's head, who crashed into the metal bin. By the time he shook it off, Jack had scored again, and the color flipped back to red.
The audience booed again, but quieter this time.
Jack reached the other side and grabbed another ball, turning around to face off with his opponent. The Gruesome Gordo snarled, standing firmly between Jack and the goal basket. Jack sidestepped to the right a bit, then to the left, but Gordo stayed right in front of him with each movement. Thinking for a moment, Jack smirked and lobbed the ball over Gordo's head, seemingly going for the basket. Gordo was quick to intercept, backing up and diving to catch the ball before it landed in the basket. He laughed as he picked himself up, facing away from Jack, "Did you really think I'd let you get that…" only to turn and see Jack already standing next to the basket with another ball, "…in?" they dropped their balls simultaneously, Gordo's face falling as well while Jack's landed in the basket for his third point.
There was sparse laughter among the crowd.
With one minute to go, the color changed back to blue again. Jack started for the blue balls again, but found Gordo leaning against the basket with his arms outstretched along the rim. "Can't score if you don't have a ball!" he sneered triumphantly. Scowling, Jack reached out and grasped the champion's shoulders, firmly yanking him off and tossing him to the side. Not happy with being manhandled so easily, Gordo pulled himself up and intercepted Jack before he could double back towards the goal, tackling him and wrapping himself firmly around the challenger. "So, you wanna play rough, do ya?" Gordo taunted, getting Jack into a full nelson.
"Oh, this doesn't look good, folks!" Baron spoke up over the action, "No one has ever escaped one of Gordo's grapples! This might be the end for our challenger…"
Still holding onto the ball, Jack opened his eyes to see the basket within range. He put all of his strength into his legs, forcing himself onto his knees, then finally stood up with Gordo on his back. The champion was speechless as Jack dragged him along, trying to get the ball into the basket. His attempts to knock the ball from Jack's hand only loosened his hold, which allowed the challenger to free himself and score before Gordo could stop him.
The audience gasped, and Baron shared their shock, "That was unprecedented, folks! Our contender is only one point away from victory, but with only thirty seconds left to score!" Baron narrated excitedly, as Jack hustled to the red ball basket.
Gordo was visibly furious, and began beating his chest like an ape. The feral champion roared, catching everyone's attention as he stomped around angrily. Baron gasped, "Oh my, it looks like Gordo has gone primal on us! There's no telling what he'll do in this state, he's completely out of our control!" Naturally, the beastly Gordo began bashing the goal basket wildly, grunting with each swipe.
"That's not fair!" Ashi argued from the sidelines, and looked up to the ref for confirmation. "Is he allowed to do that?"
"He's running out the clock, which is perfectly legal. Anything goes in this arena except for skin-to-skin contact, so basically you can't punch anyone in the face… unless you're wearing BUFFER gear. Other than that, players can do whatever they please," the referee explained. Ashi turned to Jack curiously as he picked a red ball out of the basket and calmly walked up to face his opponent. With all of the options he had, and little time to choose, she wondered why he was moving so slow.
Jack stood patiently, staring his opponent dead-on, whose swatting slowed down to a steady rhythm. With only fifteen seconds left on the clock, the champion shot him a toothy grin, and a look that boasted complete confidence in the challenger's failure. Jack paused for a moment, then with a flick of his arm, launched the ball straight at Gordo's face. The ball struck him square in the forehead, bouncing up into the air while knocking the champion backwards and onto the floor. The crowd was fixated on the ball as it reached its apex in the air. The goal basket wobbled around for a few seconds, and reset itself straight up just as the ball came back down, landing right in the top. An airhorn went off as the light under the basket flashed its two colors back and forth rapidly over and over. The clock was stopped at only two seconds left.
The audience finally broke their unusual silence, erupting into thunderous celebration which was joined by Ashi on the sidelines, and Scotsman watching back home. AKu, on the other hand, crossed his arms and scoffed petulantly.
Jack looked around in bewilderment at the people cheering for him, and smiled sheepishly before running off of the court to receive a big hug from Ashi.
Baron looked upon the challengers with a subtle glare. "Well, that was certainly an impressive display from our challenger! He's earned them a place on the board, their first step towards the grand prize!" The host announced dramatically, as the bottom rung of the scoreboard lit up with a flashy effect. The Battle Ball court sank back into the ground, and Baron introduced the next event. "Now, it is time to see if our other contender can add to that, in our next challenge: Deadly Duel!" he shouted.
The crowd roared at the announcement, as two towering pillars arose from the depths. The surrounding floor receded to reveal an enormous tank of water below. Deadly Duel was a fan favorite because it meant the appearance of a particular champion. One of the two masked champions, his imposing stature made him the more intimidating of the two. There he was, emerging from the vomitorium opposite Jack and Ashi: The Aqualizer. Already holding the official dueling weapon—a long staff with BUFFER clubs on both ends—he raised his arms in response to the crowd's praise, as a platform came down in front of him on a robotic arm. He stepped on and it brought him to one of the pillars.
As they gazed upon the new arrangement, Jack turned to Ashi. "Looks like it's your turn, are you ready?" he asked.
Ashi smirked with a furrowed brow, punching into her palm, "Bring it." Jack wished her luck and kissed her on the cheek, replacing her confident grin with a rosy smile. A stagehand appeared and handed Ashi some BUFFER headgear and a dueling weapon of her own, as another platform landed in front of her. Eagerly, she accepted both and hopped onto the platform, being lifted onto the opposing pillar.
Baron spoke, "The challenger must attempt to knock our undefeated champion off his platform in order to claim the next spot on the board, and as always, nothing is off limits!" he exclaimed, and the audience screamed their approval.
Ashi watched the Aqualizer as she stepped onto the platform in front of her. It was difficult to read him through the mask, but he made his thoughts clear when he spoke up. "Little girl, it was foolish of you to come forward and face me. For I, a humble servant of this grand dome, have never been bested in a duel. For the glory of the dome, and for the sake of my loyal fans, your journey ends here!" he declared, pointing his weapon at her.
Ashi was unfazed, putting on the headgear as she calmly retorted, "Grandstand while you can, because I'm going to knock you off your pedestal!" She gripped her weapon and got into a ready stance.
The referee gestured to Ashi, "Is the contender ready?"
"Yes," she answered sternly.
"Is the Champion ready?"
The Aqualizer swung his weapon in response, signifying a yes.
The referee brought his arm down, "Begin!"
Immediately, the Aqualizer brought his weapon up and went for an overhead strike, which Ashi readily blocked. He then swung at her left side, then attacked the other with the opposite end of the weapon, both deflected as well. Slightly impressed, the champion began twirling his weapon around in his hands, rolling it over his head and around his body like he was spinning a sign in front of a store. Whatever he was selling, the crowd was buying it in bulk, whooping and hollering as he showed off his "skills". Ashi, however, was not impressed by the display; nor was she distracted as was intended, allowing her to easily defend against several abrupt attacks that came after.
"Hmph! Well done, challenger. You may be adept at intercepting my strikes, but you'll need to do more than that if you wish to—hey!" the Aqualizer's monologue was interrupted by Ashi's retaliation, forcing him to block her version of his overhead strike from earlier.
Ashi then spun her weapon in her hands, much faster and more effortlessly than her opponent, before dismissing his threats, "Between your fighting and your monologuing, you've got a better chance at putting me to sleep!" she tore into him figuratively as she attacked the champion literally from every angle with her weapon.
Her relentless assault forced him to the very edge of the platform, and his face behind the mask was one of worry upon feeling his back foot about to slip off. As she reared back for a final swing to knock him off, the Aqualizer took advantage of a stage hazard only he was aware off: his opponent's platform was not properly attached to the pillar, and a firm jolt would cause it to wobble unsteadily. With a hidden smirk, he smacked the platform she stood on, causing the entire platform to shake. Ashi was forced to abandon her swing just to keep her balance, and she didn't have much time for that before the Aqualizer went at her again.
Ashi was still able to block, but her footing was off, and was now herself being forced to the edge of her platform by the opponent's blows. His weapon was pressed hard against hers, pushing her back into a lean. With a worried look, she could see the clear water down just by turning her head.
"Oh my, our poor contender is pinned down! Is she going to take the plunge?" Baron asked with exaggerated concern, secretly hoping so.
"No!" Scotsman shouted.
"Yes!" AKu cheered.
"Ashi, don't give up! I know you can win!" Jack screamed from the sidelines.
Hearing his voice lit a fire in Ashi, and her brow furrowed again as she pushed with all her might to win back her footing while throwing off her opponent's. The Aqualizer stumbled a bit, but quickly recovered. The two were now locked in a fierce volley of attacks, blocking and retaliating back and forth.
The crowd watched the two opponents with complete enrapture. They had seen the Aqualizer fight this hard before, nor have they seen anyone able to keep up with him in the first place.
Finally, they swung at the same time and their weapons clanked hard, causing them both to stagger. At this point, the Aqualizer decided to exploit the faulty platform again, and rose his weapon to slam it hard enough to catapult her off. However, Ashi anticipated this, and leapt up just as his weapon came down, while bringing hers over her head. She came down hard on the champion, landing an overhead strike right on his diving mask, causing it to ring like a bell. He clutched his head in pain at the vibration, but had no time to recover before Ashi unleashed an onslaught of blows, smacking him from every direction. She finished with a forward thrust that nailed him square in the chest, sending him flying off the pedestal and into the water below.
An air horn sounded, as flashing lights lit up around the arena. "Winner: Contender!" the referee shouted and gestured at Ashi, who removed her headgear and raised her weapon high in triumph.
The crowd erupted once again, astounded by the challenger's success, while the champion splashed angrily down below.
Jack cheered proudly, "Way to go!" as the suspended platform carried Ashi back down to him. She jumped off and immediately dropped the equipment to double high-five him, fingers interlocking upon contact, then proceeded to push his hands back so their lips would meet.
"Well, this is unprecedented, folks. Both of our challengers have proven their mettle against two of our fiercest challengers, reaching the next spot on the board!" Baron announced, pointing at the board which lit up the next amount from the bottom: two thousand and five hundred dollars.
Suddenly, a siren went off, and Jack and Ashi looked around in confusion.
Baron gasped, "Oh my, this is quite the treat! Folks, you all know what that sound means, don't you?" he asked presumptuously.
The audience proved him right, yelling in unison, "TAG! TEAM! TUSSLEEEEE!"
Jack and Ashi looked at each other in continued confusion, "Tag team tussle…?" they repeated simultaneously.
"Yes, a Tag Team Tussle! Our two contestants will compete together against two of our champions in their next challenge!" Baron explained, "Both of them will succeed, or neither; it is time to put their teamwork to the test!"
They looked at each other again, this time sharing a confident smirk, and an arm wrestle handshake.
"When we return, we will find out which champions our duo will face, in what challenge, and if they can continue their already impressive streak! Stay tuned!" Baron addressed the cameras, signing off for another commercial break.
/
"How disappointing," AKu lamented, watching the playback footage Ashi's performance that played before the program went to commercial. "But not surprising. After all, she has my blood, so it's to be expected that she would be victorious. Still…"
Scaramouche chimed in, finishing the thought, "It's too bad Ashi was never that driven when she was on your side, eh? Guess that Samurai really brings out the best in her!"
AKu grimaced, "Bah! What a waste! She has so much potential, yet she squanders it by following the foolish Samurai around like a lovesick pup! If only there were a way to get the good part of Ashi without all those feelings of hers getting in the way... Eh, I'll worry about it later," AKu dismissed with a wave of his hand. "What matters now is making sure those lovebirds don't win that grand prize!"
"How exactly are we gonna do that, Boss? They're already there, the show is happening as we speak," Scaramouche pointed out.
AKu smiled, pulling out his cell phone, "Ah, but even spinning wheels can still be stopped with the right brakes…"
Meanwhile, Baron Von Gilliam sat in his personal green room, freshening up his attire when his cell phone went off. Instinctively, he picked it up and answered the caller immediately, "Yes?"
"Hello there, Mr. Gilliam!" AKu spoke into the phone with a gleeful tone, "It is I, AKu, the shapeshifting master of politics! And I have a proposition for you…"
Baron's eyes widened, and he shot up from his chair to pace around as he greeted the mogul, "O-Oh my, this is quite the honor, sir! To what do I owe this, er… pleasantly unexpected call?"
"Well, Mr. Gilliam—may I call you Baron? Well, Baron, I have a favor to ask of you. You see, your two contestants competing right now, well… I don't particularly feel like rooting for them, and I was wondering if, perhaps, you'd be willing to 'intervene', if you catch my drift… just a little!" AKu innocently suggested, while Scaramouche leaned in to eavesdrop.
Baron scratched his head, "I'm not so sure that would be wise, sir. You see, while I'm not opposed to interfering, I'm already on thin ice with the network. Let's just say there's a reason there aren't any female champions…"
AKu and Scaramouche shot a skeeved look at each other, then the former responded, "Oh, come now, surely there is something you could do to make the competition a bit more interesting, yes? You see, I am a prominent stockholder in the company which sponsors your program. If you do this favor for me, perhaps I could negotiate for you a better contract… one that involves several scantily clad women under your employ…?" AKu sneakily suggested.
Just the thought of that made Baron begin to sweat. He took out a handkerchief and wiped his brow, "Well… m-my champions are not unwilling to play dirty, perhaps I could… persuade them to be a little rougher on the contenders."
"Yes, now we're getting somewhere!" AKu encouraged.
"Is there…anyone in particular you'd like me to send out?" asked Baron.
AKu tapped his chin in contemplation, "Hmm… I'd like someone large…"
"Large how?" Baron inquired.
"What?"
"What kind of large?"
"Huh?"
"You know, different builds! All of our champions are large in some way. Large as in tall? Buff? Or do you mean large large?"
"EXTRA THICK!" AKu emphasized.
Baron nodded, "Well then, you're going to want Sumoto. By far, the 'thickest' champion we have!"
"Excellent!" the mogul cheered.
"And who else would you like? The next challenge is a tag team," Baron pointed out.
Scaramouche then tapped his boss on the shoulder, gesturing that he wanted to talk to Baron. AKu explained, "Hold on, my assistant would like a word," before handing the phone off to him.
"How's it goin', Von G? Let me ask you, who's the most eccentric champion?" Scaramouche asked, "And I mean eccentric in like a 'he's so entertaining to watch' kind of way, not a 'I am genuinely afraid he is going to hurt someone' way."
Baron thought for a moment, "Well, there's always the Claw; he fits both of those categories, and I get the feeling you're in the market for someone like that…"
"Uh huh, uh huh…" Scaramouche nodded, "What else can you tell me about him?"
"Let's see: he's Australian, he likes sharp objects, and… that's about it, really."
"Sold. You had me at Australian, babe!"
Baron nodded, "Very well, I shall add those two to the lineup for the next challenge. I must be off now; the commercial break is almost over. Thank you for you input, gentlemen. I hope you enjoy the rest of the competition!"
"Indeed, I will…" AKu said with a grin, and hung up the phone.
Minutes later, the door opened to the champion locker room, and Baron peeked his head in to call the next two. "Sumoto! Claw! You're up!" he barked, and the two men obediently headed over. He pulled them in for a quick huddle, "By the way, I have a special request… from AKu," the champions looked at each other in surprise, then back at Baron to hear the request.
"Crush them."
/
Jack and Ashi emerged from the southwest vomitorium just as the intermission ended. The arena began to transform again, this time into a long hexagonal platform over the water, with three separate platforms branching out from each side. Each platform had a large lever sticking out from the floor.
Baron stepped out onto his balcony and took hold of the microphone again. "Welcome back to the Dome of Doom! Now, it is time to see if our resilient contenders can continue their winning streak—in our tag team tussle challenge, Hexa-Gauntlet!" The crowd enthusiastically voiced their approval. "Dutch, why don't you break this one down for us? Baron suggested.
"My pleasure!" Dutch answered, flying in on his energetic platform. "Our contenders will have to flip each of the six levers surrounding the arena, then once they've done that, both of them need to put themselves in the light that appears in the center—or part of them, even just a hand will do. Only the levers that are lit up can be flipped, and only two light up at a time, so they have to go in the correct order. If they can evade or subdue our champions to accomplish this task before time runs out, they win!" he explained.
Listening from the sidelines, Jack remarked, "Seems simple enough."
"I just wish they didn't have to handicap us like this," complained Ashi, fidgeting with the red foam safety gloves they were ordered to wear. "Guess the challenge would be over too quickly otherwise," she joked.
"Everyone has to wear them, so at least we'll be on even terms. Still, I don't think making our blow less potent will do them any good," Jack playfully boasted.
Ashi smiled confidently back at him, and affirmed the notion with a fist bump. "So, the plan: Take out the champions first—one for each of us—then worry about the levers. Right?"
Jack nodded, "Right."
Baron then spoke up again, "Now, let us introduce the two champions who shall be opposing our brave challengers this time! First, the wonder from down under; a cut above the rest; the only man for whom 'sharp' is a literal description: The Claw!" The champion emerged from the northeast vomitorium. The crowd greeted with boos and jeers, which the champion seemed to relish in as he stepped on to the platform which brought him over to the main arena. "Ahh, it seems our viewers aren't too pleased with the Claw after his last performance. If you'll recall, our champion was a little too liberal with that day's contender, and their challenge came to an abrupt and tragic end…" Baron recounted somberly.
Dutch chimed in, "You said it. I'd hate to see the man who would keep going with their leg looking like that…"
"Now then, for our second champion… a man big enough to be a team all on his own!" The entire arena shuttered lightly, then again, and again, each time shaking more violently, as a massive shadow emerged the northwest vomitorium, "The gluttonous goliath; the whopping warrior; making his tag team debut: Sumoto!" The hulking mass stepped out, almost completely filling out the entryway from which he came. The crowd went wild at the silent, stoic sumo wrestler, as two of the suspended platforms came down to try and get him over to the arena. With one foot on each, the mechanisms were visibly struggling to support the impressive weight, but managed to get him across the gap before giving out.
"Woah, he's… a lot bigger in person," Ashi gawked, briefly hesitating at the immense size of their opponent.
Jack blinked looking at the behemoth, "…Perhaps we should take him one on together."
Ashi had already dispelled her doubts, "Nah, I can take him."
"Are you sure about that?" Jack asked, shooting her a skeptical side glance, "I remember you sounded confident about something like this once before, and that didn't go quite the way you intended."
Ashi crossed her arms defiantly, "This is different! We're not dealing with a robotic ape man this time around, just a big fat guy. Not at all the same thing," she argued.
Jack sighed as the platform arrived to bring them over to the arena, "If you say so…"
Baron narrated as Jack and Ashi made their way to center stage, "Our challengers have already proven their mettle individually. Now, let us find out if their teamwork will amplify that prowess—or hinder it—as they face off against two of our most infamous champions!" The audience roared in excitement for the upcoming bout. "Three minutes on the clock, let's see what happens…" said Baron, relinquishing his spotlights to the referee as the players got in position.
The contestants and champions faced off with one another, as the levers directly behind the latter lit up with a blue light. Attention was called again to the referee, who performed the preliminary check-in with the athletes. "Challengers, ready?" Jack and Ashi nodded, "Champions, ready?" The Claw nodded with a menacing grin, while Sumoto slapped his gut, "…BEGIN!" the referee shouted, signaling to start the event and the timer.
Jack immediately sprang for the first switch, but his path was blocked by the Claw, who snickered at the contestant. "Haeng aun thair, mite," he greeted in a thick Australian accent, "Een sauch a rush t' get ahn weeth tha cawnteest, aw see! Wheel, we in't gonna lit ya jast skeep ahn deewn theese little bridge here een pull thaht levah! Yer gonna heff t' gao through me an' tha beeg fella," Claw pointed at Sumoto behind him, "Haupe yer reday t' git buggered!"
"Uhh… what?" Jack raised an eyebrow in confusion at the Aussie slang, only to be immediately assaulted by the champion's ferocious attacks. Jack dodged the first few attacks, then blocked the next swing, but he felt a stinging pain upon contact with his forearm, causing him to recoil. Claw didn't give him any breathing room and kept swinging, leaving small cuts in Jack's side, outer thigh, and finally his cheek before the two split up to face each other down. Jack touched the cut on his face and hissed, then noticed the tiny glimmer's coming from all over his opponent's body. The Claw had tiny razors sticking out of his armor!
The Claw grinned, "Whassa matta? Nuthin' wraung weeth a little accessorizin'! Tha's jast tha way'a tha Dohme! But nao worries, mite, I'll troy not t' scrape ya up sao much!" before lunging at Jack again.
Meanwhile, Ashi faced down (or up) the behemoth, Sumoto, without batting an eyelash. "Aren't you a healthy boy?" she taunted. He only grunted in response. "Well, you know what they say: The bigger they are…" Ashi charged, raising her fists to deal the first blow, "The harder they FALL!" she shouted, and unleashed a barrage on her opponent's massive gut. But the blows had little effect, only making ripples on the belly like raindrops in a puddle. The champion laughed heartily at her ineffectual attacks.
Now fired up, Ashi leapt to Sumoto's height and delivered a single powerful punch square into his face—just as squishy as his stomach—leaving a small crater in place of his features. Once it popped back into form, the champion's face contorted in pure rage. Ashi flinched at his sudden change in demeanor, and her guarded stance proved worthless when Sumoto gut checked her. The immense force sent her flying back, and she landed on the floor with a skid.
Ashi got up on her hands and knees, and blew a stray hair out of her face, annoyed. "Whoever came up with that expression really needed to explain a bit further…" she muttered under her breath.
Suddenly, a massive shadow loomed over Ashi. She didn't even get a chance to turn her head before being picked up by Sumoto, and bear hugged tightly against his chest. The thick flesh engulfed her from all sides as she struggled vainly to free herself from the smothering grip. "You know, if it weren't for these stupid mitts, you'd be so out right now!" Ashi yelled angrily, still trying to wriggle free. Sumoto just grinned down at her flailing wildly against his blubber. "JACK!" she called out, finally relenting, "I could use a hand over here!"
Currently flat on his back, Jack was having problems of his own. He was pinned down by his opponent, holding the champion back with his legs as he swiped violently like a rabid mongoose. "One moment, please!" he shouted back. It would be some time before he could come to her rescue, and a minute had already passed.
Ashi was still sunk into the mass of flesh, her arms pinned to her sides. Her only options were to kick her legs ineffectively, or shake her head back and forth with equal payoff, and she tried both in desperation. As she moved her head from side to side, her tuft of hair was brushing across Sumoto's skin like a feather. The sensation caused his stoic expression to falter; his brow loosened, his lips upturned, his raspy voice began bubbling up in a low murmur, which evolved into giggles that gradually became more and more intense. He was ticklish! Realizing this, Ashi shook her head even faster, making Sumoto laugh even harder, his hold on her starting to loosen.
Meanwhile, Jack finally managed to push the Claw off him completely. Knocked onto his own back, the champion quickly hopped to his feet, but just in time to receive a right hook from Jack, ignoring the prickly armor, followed by a gut punch and an uppercut, putting him right back onto the floor. The champion staggered to his feet, rubbing his large chin, then with a scowl he charged at Jack again with his claws outstretched. Jack sidestepped in anticipation and hooked one of the champions arms in the crook of his elbow, clenching his teeth as the sharp edges dug into him. Spinning him around, Jack tossed Claw back in the direction he came, who was sent spinning wildly towards the edge of the arena. He teetered on the edge, flailing his arms to keep balance, but wasn't able to stop himself from slipping off. He did manage to cling to the side and keep himself from landing in the water below, but he was out of the challenger's way for the time being.
With his opponent gone, Jack rushed over to Ashi's aid, just as she was able to slip out of Sumoto's grip. "Ashi, I'm here! How can I—" Jack was interrupted by Ashi plucking the hair tie off of his head, allowing his long hair to come spilling out over his face as it usually did, "…help?"
"Perfect, thank you!" Ashi pecked him on the cheek quickly before running off to stop Sumoto from catching his breath.
Jack blinked, "You're welcome…?" as he watched Ashi tickle the helpless champion into submission.
Once the champion was properly exhausted, she sauntered over to Jack with a grin, handed the hair tie over triumphantly and said, "Told you I could take him."
Jack rolled his eyes playfully, then switched back into serious mode, "We've bought ourselves some time, let's get to those levers!" he urged, tying his hair back into a tight bun.
"Way ahead of you!" Ashi quipped, already turning to go for the first switch.
The bridges leading to the separate platforms were long and narrow, wide enough to only accommodate one person at a time. Still, they were easy for Jack and Ashi to cross. The first two switches were completely opposite from each other, and pulling the levers actually took a considerable amount of force. Ashi got to hers first, then Jack flipped his. As they went back and forth to flip their switches, the Claw clawed his way back onto the arena, while Sumoto tried to roll himself onto his feet.
Once Ashi had flipped her third switch, she turned back towards the center platform and started over the bridge only to cry out and fall forward when her legs didn't follow along. Ashi turned back to see the Claw, clinging tightly to her legs with a sneer, and found out about the razors the hard way.
Jack, meanwhile, had finally flipped his last switch, and now the light in the center of the arena had appeared. He turned and headed for across the bridge for it, but stopped when he caught sight of Sumoto pulling himself up. Their eyes locked onto each other, and it became a standoff between the two men with similar hairstyle preferences. Jack quickly glanced at the goal light, then flicked his eyes back to his opponent to maintain the stare down.
Ashi was now dragging herself and the Claw, who was gripping her legs tightly, along the ground towards the goal. She could see the bright light towering off into the ceiling, becoming lost in the swarm of even brighter rays from the stadium lights overhead, and kept pulling towards it. The champion was now using his own feet to anchor himself, trying to halt her progress, but she was persistant, even with the razors digging into her skin. Inch by inch, the beam of light drew ever closer.
Immediately, Jack sprinted for the safety of the light, but Sumoto was surprisingly quick. He barreled in the direction of Jack's path like a freight train rumbling down the tracks, and stopped for a moment to launch his titanic weight into the air for a crushing swan dive. Jack dove himself to close the distance just as Ashi reached her hand into the circle of light, but was caught just shy by the meteoric Sumoto, disappearing under his bulk. The entire stadium felt the tremor from the landing.
"No!" Ashi cried out from across the circle.
There was an audible gasp, then the crowd went silent, save for sparse murmurs.
Scotsman stared at the screen with his mouth agape.
"BWAAAHAAAHAAHAAHAHAHAHAAAA!" AKu laughed out of pure joy at seeing his nemesis obliterated.
Scaramouche winced at the screen, "Oooh, that's gotta hurt! Guess he's 'Samurai Flapjack' now! AAAHAHAHAHAHA…uh" his laughter trailed off in response to his boss's deadpan stare.
"Oh dear! It looks like our challengers have finally met their match, folks. I've yet to meet the man that could walk off one of Sumoto's signature body slams, and our poor, flattened contender only has thirty seconds to come to…" Baron lamented with faux sincerity. "One can only imagine the sheer agony our challenger must be feeling underneath the tremendous weight. His horribly mangled body writhing in—" his graphic depiction was interrupted by the sirens of victory, sounding off to everyone's surprise.
Ashi ceased her mourning and lifted her head to see Jack's hand lying flat against the goal, having weaseled its way out from under the mound of flesh.
Baron was aghast, "Wha…I-Inconceivable!"
The crowd, having gone through a spectrum of emotions just now, exploded once again into a frenzy of cheers and applause.
Scotsman joined them in their celebration, "ATTA BOY, LADDIE!" while Wolf wagged his tail excitedly.
Speechless, AKu's arms spazzed out as he searched frantically for the words to express his anger, finally choosing to down the entire glass of wine he had just poured for himself.
Once Sumoto finally managed to pick himself up off the ground, Ashi ran over to help peel Jack out of the life-size imprint he had left behind. Still groggy, she helped him to his knees as he stood up. "Jack! I was so worried! Are you okay!?"
"A little…flatter," he winced, straightening out his spine, "But I'll live." Ashi then hugged him just a little too hard, but he didn't mind the pain and reciprocated regardless.
Suddenly, the large scoreboard caught their attention, as the next tier lit up worth five thousand dollars. Jack and Ashi were slightly discouraged by how little they had amassed so far, despite their efforts. Still, they had no intention of quitting, and were willing to face whatever trials lie ahead in the coming challenges.
"Well, folks, we're going to take another quick break to give out contenders time to recover," Baron explained somewhat hastily, then signed off with a "Stay tuned!"
/
An hour later, and one last commercial break stood between the contenders and the final challenge. Jack and Ashi fought hard to reach this point, overcoming six more challenges and champions along the way, switching off for each.
Jack trounced Torto in "Boulderdash", where the contestant had to race across a narrow bridge with wrecking balls being swung back and forth to knock them off.
Ashi sniped Mr. Roboto in "Hide, Seek, and Destroy", a game in which she had to avoid the champion firing down at her atop a turret, and amass pieces of a weapon she could use to retaliate.
Jack out played Reptor in "Hang in There, Baby!" which involved avoiding the champion while traversing an array of gymnastics rings to score points.
Ashi outraced Myotis in "Skyrail", a race involving special hand cranks attached to a hanging rail system. The harder you cranked, the faster you went.
Jack slaughtered Ghaneesh in "Volley Brawl", a tennis-like game where the object was to strike the opponent with a ball launched by a large, slim paddle.
And finally, Ashi embarrassed Gordo further in a game of "Rock N' Rumble", a grappling match on a hanging platform suspended over the water.
Through their trials, not only had Jack and Ashi won the hearts of the crowd and the viewers, they had also amassed the second highest possible winnings, five hundred thousand dollars. Few had ever reached this point, and all of them ended up with their winnings halved by failing the final challenge, an obstacle course known as "The Executioner".
The infamous course spanned the entire arena floor, beginning at one corner and circling inward towards a center tower reaching up to the coveted briefcase. Contestants had six minutes to complete the entire course, which seemed like a manageable feat at first glance, but two factors made it nearly impossible: the obstacles were constantly updated, switched out, and rearranged to sabotage any preparation, and the contestants were already exhausted from the nine challenges prior. No one knew exactly how the obstacles were chosen, but there were rumors of a secret committee that watched every challenge live, and formulated the perfect foil course based on contestants' strengths and weaknesses.
Back in their green room during the commercial, Jack and Ashi were feeling the fatigue. Jack was leaning his elbows on his knees and breathing deeply, while Ashi fanned herself off, her hair still in a ponytail after her last solo challenge. They had been switching off with Jack's hair tie throughout the last six challenges, since Ashi's hair was starting to stick to her face.
As Ashi removed the hair tie one last time, Jack spoke up. "This has actually been quite grueling," he admitted.
"Yes, we've had a few too many close calls," Ashi agreed reluctantly, then tried to turn it around, "But we're so close now, we've come so far! It's not going to be easy, but you and I are going to see this through to the end," she assured, handing over the hair tie with a smile.
Jack looked up from his shoegazing and met her eyes, changing his expression to match her confidence. "You're right, we can do this," instead of accepting the hair tie, he put his hand over hers and gently pushed it down, not breaking eye contact, "Together."
After a few moments, the stagehand came in to break the silence. "Commercial's over, you're on!" he urged. Jack and Ashi nodded, and followed him to their places.
They emerged from the southeast vomitorium, upon an elevated column in the corner of the obstacle course. Just ahead on a wide balcony was a set of zipline's, which would take them to the first obstacle. Spotlights encircled them as the crowd celebrated their arrival, and Baron's voice came up over the loud speakers shortly after.
"Well, folks, it all comes down to this! Our contenders have, against all odds, bested every one of our champions in each challenge they faced, and have reached the highest tier on our prize board! Never before has a team of contenders succeeded quite so thoroughly. Truly, this is a momentous occasion," Baron's theatrical enthusiasm belied a hollow praise. Aside from AKu's bribery, the host was already banking on Jack and Ashi failing, as so many other contestants had before, but they proved to be peerless among the so-called champions at his employ. The Dome of Doom's biggest draw was its reputation for being unforgivingly harsh to even the most skilled athletes. The viewers got their kicks from seeing competitors fail, so even one contender having a flawless run would be damaging to the show's popularity. "The Executioner", with its own unbeatable record, was his last hope of preserving this accolade. Baron continued his diatribe, "BUT! It is time for them to go head-to-head with the Dome itself!
Meanwhile, AKu was more than a little intoxicated, now swigging the wine straight from the bottle. Eager to see his nemeses defeated, each of the previous challenges was more disappointing than the last, and he hoped the red wine would remedy that. "Boooo!" he slurred, swinging the bottle dismissively.
Scaramouche, who was back to absentmindedly scrolling through his phone, responded with a slight "Hm" without even looking up.
"Before we begin," Baron chimed in again, "Let's see if our contestants have any final thoughts before this last, merciless trial. Dutch?"
The co-host swooped in beside Jack and Ashi on his platform, along with his camera companion. "Well, Jack, Ashi, it all comes down to this! One more victory stands between you and the grand prize, and a special place in Dome history! Do you have anything to say before tackling the Finisher?" he asked enthusiastically.
"Nope," Jack and Ashi responded in unison, not looking up from their intense glaring at the trial ahead.
"Oh…" Dutch responded, slightly surprised, but quickly returned to his cheerful showbiz demeanor, "Well, best of luck!"
Jack and Ashi got into a ready stance, as the referee began a countdown.
"Three!"
"Two!"
"One!"
"GO!" the referee shouted one last time. The two contenders darted forward and latched onto their respective ziplines, zooming down to tackle the Finisher.
The first obstacle was traversing a teetering balance beam. They stepped on from the one side, walked carefully up the incline, and braced themselves as the beam tipped over before making it across. Next, a set of gymnastics rings hanging over a pit, which Jack and Ashi used to quickly clear the gap.
Around the first corner was a large wall, with two ropes hanging off the side. Naturally, they each grabbed one of the ropes and scaled the impressive wall, side by side. Up ahead was another wall of identical height, but this one had no ropes attached, and was separated from the first wall by the pool of water which was too long to leap across. There was, however, a large gap underneath the wall in the water. Jack and Ashi quickly caught on, diving into the pool below and swimming underneath the barrier, then climbing up onto a corner platform on the other side.
Up next was an array of small circular pillars, each one able to accommodate only one foot at a time. Carefully, Jack and Ashi stepped onto the stepping stones, and were surprised to see the ones up ahead begin to rise and fall at seemingly random intervals. Regardless, they pushed onwards, maintaining their balance amidst the abrupt movement of the pillars, and only once or twice did one of them have reach out and help the other keep balance.
Once that was cleared, the couple had to run along a slanted wall rounding the last corner to reach the final obstacle before the center tower: a long and slightly narrow treading moving in the opposing direction, with slim gaps at both ends. Hurdles arose from the further end and hurried towards the contenders, falling into the gap at the starting end and cycling back to come back up again. Additionally, several turrets lined the walkway, each one armed with a supply of sizeable BUFFER projectiles, and manned by one of the champions, eager to get another shot at the contenders. Jack and Ashi sprung ahead to tackle the obstacle, leaping every hurdle, dodging every projectile shot at them, and eventually they reached the other side.
The rectangular center tower was topped by a three-layer ziggurat, with the highest peak reaching the grand prize suitcase, but there was no visible way to scale the structure. The only noticeable thing was a large indent in the wall facing them, which stretched all the way up to the top, but had no visible means of climbing.
The couple analyzed the obstacle, unsure at first how to approach it without some sort of ladder. Ashi wandered into the space, put her hand against the side and looked up. Jack followed suit shortly after, and they stayed like this for a few moments before the same realization popped into their heads. Standing inside the space, back to back, they hooked onto each other's elbows and pushed as they brought their legs against the walls, and began walking up by pressing against each other.
Since it was so rare that the contenders got this far into the Finisher, the audience was not familiar with this final obstacle. No one had any idea how to climb the tower, so seeing Jack and Ashi figure it drove them wild. The effort was exhaustive for the contenders at this point, but the crowd cheered them on the entire time, allowing them to push through.
Though it felt much longer for Jack and Ashi, the climb was short, and as soon as they breached the top of the tower, they took a moment to catch their breath. Just then, they looked up to see the coveted briefcase of money hanging just above their heads. Their faces lit up, and they cleared the final two hurdles to stand at the highest peak above the stage and grasp the case from both sides, setting off the final and most extravagant victory siren.
Baron shrieked into the microphone in pure sorrow, which he attempted to play off as unbridled celebration, "THEY'VE DONE IT, THEY'VE CONQUERED THE DOME OF DOOM! AAAAUUGGGHHH HUH HUH HUH HUHHHH, I'M S-SO H-HAPPY FOR THEM…" he sobbed, lamenting the loss of his show's glorious record.
Meanwhile, the crowd cheered and applauded the couple with excitement and enthusiasm. Usually elated to see contenders fail, Jack and Ashi had won the fickle crowd over with their skill and sportsmanship, and they now celebrated the first victory they had ever seen over the Dome.
"YYYES! WAY TO GO, YA TWO! I KNEW YA HAD IT IN YA!" Scotsman roared proudly seeing his friends succeed, inviting Wolf to join in on the excitement with a triumphant howl.
Dutch then swooped in on his platform, genuinely happy to see contestants win for once. He paused to wait for the celebration to die down a bit, then cut in on the celebration. "Jack! Ashi! You two are the first challengers in the history of the Dome to win every challenge, conquer every champion, and come out of the Finisher with the grand prize of one million dollars! Tell us, how does it feel!?" he asked excitedly, holding the mic out for them to answer.
Ashi detached herself from Jack's side to speak, "Dutch, it feels absolutely—!"
Her thought was interrupted when Jack abruptly snatched the mic from Dutch and stepped in front of them. Looking the camera dead in the eye, he snatched Ashi's waist with his other arm and pulled her in close, then shouted aggressively, "I LOVE THIS WOMAN!" before dropping the microphone and bringing her in for a passionate kiss, practically bending her backwards. Once she got over the initial shock of Jack's assertive action, she eagerly reciprocated.
Dutch merely gawked at the display with wide eyes, and then turned to the camera with the same expression.
AKu, drunk beyond comprehension, saw the kiss and bellowed a wild, "OOOOOOOOOOOOO!" like a studio audience before taking one last big swig of the wine bottle, leaning back so far that his chair fell over. Scaramouche looked up from his phone at the noise and peeked over curiously, then snapped a photo of the drunken mess with a wry grin.
Since Baron was still distraught, Dutch picked up his microphone and took the opportunity to sign off. "Well, that's all the time we have, folks! I'm Dutch Livingston, and that's Baron Von Gilliam," he gestured to the host who was on his hands and knees, pounding on the floor in despair. "We'll see you next time on the one and only…" Dutch paused to invite the crowd to join in, and they did.
"DOME!"
"OF!"
"DOOOOOOOM!"
Watching from a vomitorium, the remaining champions looked upon the contenders with great displeasure before turning and walking away with their scowls.
The camera focused for one last time on Jack and Ashi, still making out atop the tower, and slowly zoomed out as the closing credits started rolling.
/
About a half hour after the show ended, Jack and Ashi were on the way out of the stadium, their briefcase of winnings in tow. They were told to leave through the parking garage, opposite the guest entrance, so that they could avoid the traffic of the departing crowds.
As they discussed where to go for dinner, the sound of footsteps caught their attention. Suddenly, Gordo appeared in front of them from between the parked cars, stopping them in their path.
"Oh, it's you," Jack exclaimed, flashing a friendly smile. "I am sorry we didn't get the chance to speak before our departure, but I would like to say that I enjoyed our bout today. You were indeed a fierce opponent," Jack was about to step forward for a handshake, but stopped as he noticed the other champions emerge, forming a circle around them.
"I don't think he's here to see us off…" Ashi remarked warily.
"Got that right!" Gordo growled, "We're not letting you walk outta here with that case; it belongs to the Dome! Just because you won it in a few silly games doesn't mean we have to let you keep it!"
Standing to his right, the Aqualizer spoke up through his mask. "You may have humiliated each of us individually, but you stand little chance against all of us at once. Your success was a fluke, and now it is time for you to fall like the rest. We shall reclaim the lost dignity of the Dome!" he shouted.
"S'right!" The Claw interjected from behind them, "Yer lacky we lit ya 'ave yer little moment'a glory up there, but naow it's toime fauh tha gloves t' cam off, n' fer aas t' reelee mike ya blade!" he barked, holding up a pair of brass knuckle claws. It was obvious by his wild expression that he'd been waiting a long time for the chance to pull them out.
"And this time…" Gordo spoke up menacingly, cracking his knuckles, "There ain't no rules to protect you…"
The ambush hardly caught the couple off guard. Ashi turned to face the opposite half of the circle as Jack gently placed the briefcase on the ground beside him.
"Very well…" he clenched his fists decisively, then assumed a fighting stance, "However, you should know that you are mistaken…"
Ashi interjected on cue, "Those rules were in place to protect you."
The champions stood there menacingly, ready to attack at any moment. Jack and Ashi remained motionless, watching carefully for one of them to make the first move. Silence filled the air; seconds felt like minutes as time slowed to a crawl, the stillness permeating the concrete foundation on which they stood. A single bead of sweat traced the side of Ashi's face and fell to the ground, the drop echoing throughout the garage.
Suddenly, all at once, the circle closed in on them as the champions began their assault. Jack and Ashi were able to intercept the first of the attacks, backs to each other as they diverted punches and repelled the rushing opponents. Finally, they split up to avoid Gordo, the Aqualizer, and Myotis all tackling at once, leaving behind a miniature dogpile.
Jack was then faced with Reptor, Ghaneesh, and the gargantuan Sumoto. Ghaneesh came at him first, swinging at him as though he had six arms, but none of them could penetrate Jack's defenses. The champion then used his fancy arm movements to distract Jack as Reptor snuck up behind him, but it was no use. Jack struck the lizard man in the face with a back fist, then grabbed and flung him into the approaching Sumoto. Jack then intercepted Ghaneesh's next attack, catching his arm and countering with multiple palm strikes before holding him at Reptor, who came hurtling back after bouncing off of Sumoto's stomach and knocking the former back. Ghaneesh and Reptor collided with great force, knocking out both champions.
Meanwhile, Ashi had landed an uppercut right on Torto's chin, followed by a high kick into Mr. Roboto's mask to her left, then dodged a downward swipe from the Claw. He followed up the attack again and again, forcing Ashi back into a concrete support beam. Instead of backing into it, Ashi used it to flip herself over the champion's head as he stabbed with his left claw, driving it into the pillar. Unable to dislodge it from the stone, he slipped his hand out and turned to attack with the right one, only for Ashi to anticipate and catch him with a hard knee to his gut, folding him over. She finished with an elbow to the back of the head, and the Claw was down for the count.
Sumoto recovered from his stagger and ran at Jack, who easily swept the giant's stubby legs, sending him flying onto his stomach. Just then, the dogpile had dispersed and was headed towards him. Jack then used the giant's body as a springboard to leap over their heads, knocking the Aqualizer's and Myotis' heads along the way, the latter knocked out by the hard diving helmet.
Mr. Roboto swung at Ashi, but she dodged and slipped behind him. Wrapped her arms around his waist, she flipped him over with a suplex, denting the helmet and knocking him out. Ashi looked over to see Jack stuck between Gordo and the Aqualizer, playing keep away with the briefcase. After making sure Torto stayed down with a swift kick, she rushed over to help him.
Jack was using the briefcase as a makeshift weapon, switching back and forth between blocking attacks and striking his opponents with it. Before the Aqualizer could attack again, Ashi struck the back of his knee and he collapsed onto them; Jack then thrusted the briefcase behind him to knock the Aqualizer back, and Ashi slammed his helmeted head against the car next to them. The mask being wedged into the freshly dented car kept the unconscious champion sitting up.
Now, only Gordo was left standing. Jack grabbed Ashi's wrist, swung her towards the opponent, and she leaned into the momentum to launch at Gordo like a missile. He was just barely able to duck the flying dropkick, but the champion was now pinned between the two contenders. tried to block himself from both sides but was ultimately overwhelmed by their coordinated attacks. Jack punched Gordo across the face, and Ashi did the same once he spun in her direction, sending him back. A blow to the gut, a kick to the back of the head; they volleyed him back and forth before delivering simultaneous, powerful right hooks, a final climactic strike to the face and back of the head. Gordo spun around clockwise, slowing down by the second rotation, and wobbled groggily in place for several moments. His last act was to throw a sloppy punch at the air in front of himself, knocking himself over.
Suddenly, the towering Sumoto appeared again after finally hoisting himself back onto his feet. After looking to each other in understanding, Jack and Ashi ran straight at their opponent. Still in perfect mirrored synch, they leapt high enough that they almost reached the garage ceiling, before coming down on Sumoto's face with flying jump kicks. The giant toppled over, finally down for good, as Jack and Ashi stuck the landing behind him.
Surrounded by the fallen champions, Jack and Ashi stood up and calmly acknowledged their victory. Aqualizer's mask dislodged itself, and the sound of the metal from the champion's body hitting the concrete echoed in the now silent garage.
Jack picked up the briefcase with his right hand, and took Ashi's with his left, as the couple continued on their way out.
—END CHAPTER—
AN: Only five chapters to go. Thanks for sticking with me!