In the war room, Grime called upon a meeting. Everyone gathered around the table. "I called you here because we received an anonymous tip from a supporter of the Resistance regarding a gladiator match."

"So, what's so important about this," asked Anne. "There's always been one from what Sasha told me."

"This is an illegal arena. They call it the Dome of Doom. The owners send their goons to go around Amphibia, looking for potential gladiators. Then they capture them, enslave them, and force them to fight each other to the death."

"The owners are also funded by King Andrias," said Sasha. "The people they're making into slaves are supporters of the Resistance. Most of them aren't even warriors, but humble peasants. If we destroy the Dome of Doom, we'll free more innocent people from Andrias' grip."

"But I thought we were going to go after the marauders," asked Joan Jett. "They've been attacking caravans that have been aiding our group for days now. We don't even know who's in charge."

"That's why we're going to split up," said Sasha. "Joan Jett, you and Anne take a team and stop the marauders. JoJo, Grime, and I will put an end to the Dome of Doom."

"We are," asked Giorgio. "I mean, we are," he said more confidently.

"So, what's the plan," asked Grime.

"We'll carry it out when the sun sets," said Sasha. "So JoJo can be given free reign," she gestured to Giorgio. "We walk out in the open, and let them capture us." Grime and Giorgio gave her looks that said "You're joking, right?"

That night...

"Out of all the plans," said Grime as the three of them walked out of the tunnels and into the forest. "This is one of the stupidest!"

"I still don't get this plan, Sash," said Giorgio.

"We're going to use ourselves as bait. Grime specifically."

"I beg your pardon, I heard that!"

Giorgio asked Sasha, "So, why are we bait?"

"The hunters under the Dome of Doom's employee won't resist the chance to capture the legendary ex-gladiator Grime. It's the perfect crowd pleaser. Once they capture us, we'll destroy the Dome from the inside out."

"And when do you think they'll take the bait?"

"Any minute now..."

There was a moment's silence. Grime coughed a little as he tapped his fingers on Barrel's Warhammer's handle. "So, what did you two do on your date," he asked. Giorgio kicked him into a ditch.

Sasha cleared her throat. "Did you enjoy the date, any way?"

"Y-Yeah," said Giorgio. "A few hours at the shooting gallery, getting to know each other a little more, catching up with current events, shooting targets... Yeah, I liked it." He shuffled his foot in the ground. "I wouldn't mind going on a second date. I might know this restaurant we can eat at."

"Let's focus on the mission before you two lovers even think about..." Grime's voice trailed off. "I think your plan worked."

"What makes you say that," asked Sasha before turning around to see a bunch of toads pointing rifles at them. "Oh."

"Come hanno fatto a trovarci così in fretta?"

"I don't know what you said, JoJo."

The next thing the trio knew, they had their weapons confiscated and became part of a chain gang and forced to walk with other captives. One of the slave drivers cracked his whip. "Move it, slaves! Pick it up!"

Sasha growled at him. "Don't worry, you'll get used to it soon enough," said one of the captives.

"What do you mean," she asked.

"Silence!" The slave driver cracked his whip again. "No talking, slave!"

Questo ragazzo è appena entrato nella mia lista, thought Giorgio.

For several hours, the prisoners were forced to walk, enduring the cold nights. Sasha and Grime thought they were going to freeze to death before arriving at the Dome. But at last, they saw it up ahead: a huge colosseum with a dome-shaped roof covered in black metal spikes. The prisoners were led inside and placed in separate cells.

"Where-" Giorgio didn't get the chance to complete his sentence as the slave driver cracked his whip at him.

"No talking, slave!" Then he turned to look at Grime. "Well, well, well. The famous Captain Grime. Traitor of Amphibia. You're definitely going to be our number one slave." He leaned in and Grime could smell the bug mead on his breath. "I look forward to breaking you." Grime lunged to take a bite out of him, only to be kicked in the face and sent flying into a wall. "LIGHTS OUT!"

The cellblock's ceiling lamps shut off, leaving the moon outside being the only source of light.

"Grime," whispered Sasha. "Can you use your Toxic Avenger to get us out?"

"What do you think I'm trying," he whispered back. "But he won't come out!"

Giorgio tried to summon DARE, but it did't appear. "I can't summon my Stand either."

"It is hopeless," said one of the slaves sadly. "The owner of the dome is a Stand user, one whose Stand controls other Stands. He won't let you escape. He won't let anyone escape. When the matches start, you will fight...until you expire."

Sasha knelt down, frowning at the floor. Then she smirked. "They don't know who they're messing with," she whispered. "We've completed phase one..."

"Now we have to live long enough for phase two," Grime whispered back. "Which is going to be difficult without our Stands."

An hour later, Sasha, Grime, and Giorgio heard the sound of people cheering. The slave driver rattled on the cells' bars with a stick and shouted, "Come on! Wake up! It's showtime! Come on, wake up!"

The ceiling of one of the captives' cells opened and the floor raised its occupant up. "That must lead to the arena," said Giorgio.

A microphone buzzed before a sleazy, slurring voice shouted, "And now, without further delay, the first challenger of the night, weighing in at two hundred and eighty pounds, Poggle the Pitiful!" The audience booed. "Facing the twelve-time champion of the ring, the administer of agony, the baron of brutality, the coroner of carnage, Gordo the Gruesome!" The crowd cheered.

The sounds of screams and disemboweling were all everyone in the cell block heard next. The announcer said, "That was a pretty long round for Gordo the Gruesome. Bring out the next challenger." Another cell was raised up. "lntroducing our next opponent, weighing in at a mere-" The announcer didn't even get to finish his sentence before the sound of blood splattering was heard. "Well, there you have it, folks."

Suddenly, Sasha, Grime, and Giorgio felt their cells begin to rise. "Siamo i prossimi," said Giorgio.

The audience was packed full of people, none of them good-looking either. On a platform hanging from the ceiling was the announcer. He was a small red toad with orange hair and wearing a black suit with a ruff collar. He spoke into the microphone again, "Welcome...to the Dome of Doom."

"That's the Stand user who took our Stands," asked Sasha. "I expected someone uglier."

The announcer continued, "Our talent search has spread throughout Amphibia to bring you only the finest quality of challenger to battle the greatest of champions. No victory is too small. No wound is too great. No weapon is illegal."

Grime looked to the right and saw a horned frog covered in spiky armor. That must be Gordo, he thought. He doesn't look so tough. He looked to the left and saw weapons hanging from a rack, Giorgio's pistol sword, Barrel's Warhammer, and Sasha's twin swords amongst them.

"And now," continued the announcer. "We have a special challenge today! We have three members of the resistance who wish to challenge our good King Andrias!" The audience booed. "And one of them is no ordinary challenger! I give to you a veteran from gladiator times, the former captain of South Toad Tower, Grime!" Some people cheered and some people booed. "Gordo, we call upon you to destroy this vile villain and his two female ape things."

"Ape things," snapped Sasha. "Why, I oughta-"

"Wait, two female ape things," said Giorgio angrily. "DOES HE THINK I'M A GIRL?!"

Gordo stepped forward and pointed at Grime. "Prepare to suffer, Grime and ape things! l will beat you like a drum! l will hang you out like laundry!"

"And now, without any further-"

Gordo interrupted the announcer, "l am the master mechanic, the alpha and omega. l will put a hurting on you, slaves. l'm gonna tear you up into little shreds. Then l'll take those shreds and tear them into shreds. l will make your mother cry. l will make your Aunt Edna from Withershoot proper, south of Barnaby, cry."

POW!

Grime slammed his head into Gordo's face, sending him flying into a wall on the opposite side of the ring. "If you're going to kill somebody, kill them! Don't stand there talking about it!"

Gordo rubbed his chin, then charged at Grime, roaring angrily. Grime caught him and held him back as he shouted, "Sasha! JoJo! The weapons rack!" Giorgio and Sasha followed his gaze and saw their weapons. Nodding, they ran toward them. But Gordo had other plans. He tossed Grime aside and leaped in front of the two humans. He swiped his claws at them, but the two of them managed slide underneath him and grab their weapons.

Giorgio pointed the pistol sword at Gordo and fired at his left foot. He yelped in pain and hopped around, giving Sasha the distraction she needed to slam Gordo with both her swords' crossguards.

"Did you just use the murder-stroke on him," asked Giorgio.

"I learned it from our fight at Toad Tower," she replied. She chuckled and shook her head, "Great times, right? I'm being sarcastic, by the way."

"I know."

Gordo grabbed a war scythe and tried to slash them, but Giorgio blocked the attacks with the pistol sword and kicked him repeatedly in the face. "MUDA, MUDA, MUDA, MUDA, MUDA, MUDA, MUDA, MUDA, MUDA, MUDA, MUDA, MUDA, MUDA, MUDA, MUDA!" Gordo fell flat on his back.

The crowd booed in response. The announcer said, "This- This is unprecedented. But wait." Gordo's eyes suddenly turned red as his muscles began to grow in size. "Oh, yes. lt looks like he's gone primal on us, folks. This is it."

Gordo let out a screech as he charged at the kids, who proceeded to block his attacks with their swords. Grime saw his chance and grabbed Barrel's Warhammer from the weapons rack. "Hey!" Gordo turned around just in time and grabbed the Warhammer's head before it could smash into him. Grime responded with a roundhouse kick, followed by a slam to the face. Gordo fell to the ground and did not get back up.

The announcer gasped. "Oh, this is unwitnessable. Nobody has ever knocked down Gordo. He's out! l- l have nothing to say. Except...bring out the next champion!"

A new warrior slowly rose up from the floor. "That guy in the cells wasn't kidding," said Giorgio. "They're gonna keep making us fight until we die from exhaustion."

"If we're not dismembered first," said Grime.

The new warrior stepped forward. It was an axolotl wearing a scuba diver version of Darth Vader's armor. In his right hand he carried a spear and in his left he carried a laser gun with a shield. The announcer introduced him, "Deep from within the deepest abyss of the seventh ocean of Amalgamous (He made that up.)...arose a champion of unimaginable proportions. Half machine, half flesh, all terror. The Aqualizer."

The Aqualizer raised his spear and shouted in a deep garbled voice, "Dome of Doom, once more have you summoned. To answer your call, l have risen from the depths of the abyss to conquer the ring and to put an end to this washed-up has-been and these two lowly amateurs."

"Washed-up," asked Grime, offended. "I still got it!" He slammed the Warhammer at the Aqualizer's helmet, making a clanging sound. The Aqualizer tried to impale Grime with the spear, but he blocked and dodged it. "Sasha! The air tank on his back," Grime shouted.

Sasha leaped up and tried to cut the air pipes, but the Aqualizer quickly turned around and blocked her with his shield. The crowd booed at her. The Aqualizer shouted, "Do not fear. l have traveled the seven seas and conquered far greater foes than these mere contenders." He pointed his hand at Sasha, turned it into a harpoon and fired at her, but his aim was a bit off as it merely grazed her side. She yelped and grabbed her wound.

"Sasha, are you alright," shouted Giorgio.

Sasha looked down at her blood. Then she glared at the Aqualizer and said, "It's fine, JoJo. I've had worse."

The Aqualizer fired his laser cannon at her, but she quickly dodged it, then she ran up to him, kicked him in the back, and sliced off his right arm, revealing it to be cybernetic. "Your turn, JoJo!"

"You got it, Sash!"

The Aqualizer turned his shield into a buzz saw and tried to slice Giorgio's head off, but he managed to dodge it and deliver a round of punches to the Aqualizer's head. The Aqualizer responded by cutting into Giorgio's leg, but to his shock, the wound healed itself. "Great, there goes that deposit on these pants," said Giorgio. Then he leaped up, grabbed the saw arm, yanked it out of its socket and sliced off the Aqualizer's helmet.

What he saw under the helmet shocked him and Sasha. "Help me," squealed the Aqualizer. "Help!"

Grime let out a laugh. "This is the champion of unimaginable proportions? He's puny!"

The crowd began to chant "KILL! KILL! KILL! KILL!" The announcer pointed at Giorgio and said, "The crowd calls upon you, ape thing, to put the doom on the Aqualizer."

But instead of killing him, Giorgio threw the saw at the announcer. "No! I may be a mafioso, but I won't kill someone for a bunch of sickos' entertainment!

"That's right," said Sasha. "We're here to put an end to your Dome of Doom and free everyone here!"

Everyone in the audience began jeering and throwing garbage at them. But Giorgio put an end to it by firing the pistol sword in the air. "Anyone got a problem with that?" he asked

"So cool," whispered Sasha.

"Did you say something," said Grime.

"NO!"

The announcer's lip twitched before he said, "This is a dark moment indeed. Not only have they insulted the ring, they have insulted us. We will show no more mercy to these heathens." A third champion rose from the floor. "Introducing the champion to end all champions. Weighing in at a mere 700 tons, l give you...Sumoto."

Sumoto was a giant cane toad garbed in a sumo wrestler's mawashi loin cloth.

"Oh, frog me, that guy is huge," said Grime. "Bigger than King Andrias!"

"Hey, did you call me fat," snarled Sumoto.

"Uh...no."

Sumoto stomped toward the three of them, causing the whole arena to shake.

"Way to go, Grimesy," snarled Sasha.

"I told you not to call me that!"

"Wait, if Grime apologizes, will you spare us," Giorgio asked hopefully.

"If I don't kill you, he'll..." Sumoto gestured to the announcer. "...kill us all. Rule of the arena. Nothing personal. Well, maybe it is a bit personal," he said as he glared at Grime. Then he leaped up into the air, almost hitting the ceiling.

The announcer said, "lt's the Sumoto Swan Dive! No challenger has ever survived it!"

"You got a plan now," Grime asked Giorgio.

"Uh...pray?"

Sumoto came crashing down on the trio, causing an earthquake. The announcer smiled wickedly and said, "Thank you, Sumoto for putting the doom back in the Dome of Doom." Then he saw something that made him exclaim, "WHAT'S THIS?!"

Giorgio was holding Sumoto up, keeping him from crushing Sasha and Grime. His eyes were clenched shut and he was sweating up a storm. "This guy is heavy, even for me! Get going, guys!"

Sasha and Grime ran out from under Sumoto. "Now what," asked Grime. "We gotta get that fat tub of lard from crushing JoJo!"

"Well, we can't do it without killing him," said Sasha. "As much as I hate to say it." She thought it over, then got an idea. She whispered it to Grime who said, "You can't be serious."

"Just do it!"

"Fine!"

Sasha and Grime rushed over to Sumoto's side and began...tickling him? Well, it seemed to work as he began to giggle, then chuckle, then burst out laughing. The announcer couldn't believe his eyes. He said, "This- This can't be. lt looks like Sumoto is...ticklish." Sumoto continued to laugh, then rolled to the side, finally relieving Giorgio of the heavy weight.

Sasha helped him up and he said, "Thanks, Sash."

"You're welcome, JoJo."

Giorgio grinned at Sumoto. "Shall we," he asked.

"Let's," said Grime.

All three of them tickled Sumoto and he laughed, and laughed, and laughed, and laughed until he passed out. The announcer's eyes twitched with rage. "This is incongruous, inconceivable, inexcusable. Very well then. lf no one champion can bring them down, then bring out all the champions." A whole bunch of gladiators stepped into the ring. "May l present Torto. Maotis. The Claw. Raptor. Mr. Roboto. And finally, Ganeesh. LET THE CARNAGE BEGIN!"

Giorgio, Grime and Sasha made unimpressed looks. "Shall we get this over with," Giorgio asked.

"Let's," said Sasha as she activated her Calamity powers. With a single wave of her sword, she shot an energy beam that sent all the gladiators flying out the windows. The announcer blinked, and muttered, "Oh." Then he smiled and said, "I suppose this makes you three our new champions. Congratulations. But before we give you the reward, I present to you your final opponents." A puppet control appeared in his hand. Strings stretched out and pulled out the puppets it controlled.

"No way," said Sasha, shocked. "It's..."

"Our Stands," exclaimed Giorgio.

"Oh, the irony," said the announcer. "Your final opponents will be yourselves! Slash, DARE, Toxic Avenger! Destroy the users who have taken advantage of you for so long!"

The three Stands then charged at their respective owners. Sasha tried to block Slash's attacks, but the Stand's sword phased right through hers and began cutting her up, making her scream in pain. Meanwhile, Grime pointed Barrel's Warhammer at Toxic Avenger and shouted, "Now listen to me! I am your user! You don't listen to that little wimp! You listen to me!" Toxic Avenger responded by trapping him in an acidic bubble; he let out a yell of pain as he struggled to get out. At the same time, Giorgio fled for his life from DARE. He knew one touch was all it took for DARE to work its magic on him and he couldn't let that happen. Unfortunately, it did. DARE punched Giorgio in the face and his hearing was amplified ten thousand fold. DARE clanged a bell and Giorgio screamed in agony as he fell to his knees and his ears began to bleed.

The announcer chuckled. "My Stand, I've Got No Strings, controls other Stands! As you know, the only thing that can destroy a Stand is another Stand, but how can you hope to destroy my Stand when yours won't listen to you? The Dome of Doom will be your grave!"

Wincing in pain, Giorgio looked up and his eyes widened with horror when he saw DARE about to take off the helmet. If it activated the Superhuman Laser, it would be the end of them all. Giorgio then realized, if he couldn't stop the announcer's Stand, he'll stop the announcer. "S-Sasha," he weakly called out. "...my pistol sword...shoot him!"

Sasha, who covered in cuts at this point, grabbed the discarded pistol sword and fired at the announcer. He paused for a few moments, then let out a scream of agony as he grabbed his bleeding arm. "IT HURTS! IT HURTS!" He lost his concentration and I Got No Strings lost its power over the three Stands.

"Pathetic," said Giorgio. "All it took was one bullet to take him down."

Slash floated up to Sasha with an apologetic look. Sasha smiled and said, "I forgive you, girlfriend."

"DON'T EVER ATTACK YOUR OWN USER AGAIN," Grime shouted at Toxic Avenger, who was hiding its face in shame.

Giorgio slowly got up, then launched himself up to the announcer's platform. He grabbed him by the throat, plunged his fingers into his flesh, and slowly very began draining his blood. "N-No...please..." choked the announcer.

"I swore that I wouldn't drink the blood of people," snarled Giorgio. "But after today, I'm gonna start making exceptions!"

"Please! Let me go! I'll go away! Far away! Where you won't see me again!"

Giorgio stared into his eyes...then let him go. "Stop sniveling. I only needed enough blood to heal my wounds. You'll go. But first, you'll let the slaves free and shut down this dome! Tell King Andrias and his supporters from now on, there will be no more fighting for your entertainment."

True to his word, the announcer ordered the slave drivers to let the captives free. One of them cracked his whip and made shoo-shoo gestures. "You heard him, you're free. Now get out of here. Go on, get."

"You..." Giorgio growled before he grabbed him by the throat and drained him dry. "That's for being an asshole."

Grime shuddered. "I won't get used to that."

Sasha nodded. "But, look on the bright side. We got the Dome of Doom shut down and we robbed Andrias of another of his supporters."

"Then let's get these people home," said Grime. "And return to base and tell Anne we did a job well done."

"Yeah. I hope she and Joan Jett are okay."

The two of them took a snail and were about to leave when Sasha realized something. "Wait. Where's JoJo?" Giorgio was standing in the Dome of Doom's entryway in the shade. "Why aren't you coming with us?"

"It's morning. I can't go out in the sun," reminded Giorgio.

"Oh. Right. Does anyone have an umbrella? A very big one?"

Both Sasha and Giorgio stayed together under the umbrella the whole ride home.

"We're back," called out Sasha when they returned to the base. "We shut down the Dome of Doom, and we gained a whole lot more supporters. How were things on your end, Anne?"

"Let's see," said Anne. "Turns out Barry was the leader of the marauders."

"Barry," asked Giorgio. "That berry salesman Maddie turned into a chicken?"

"Yep, and guess who kicked their butts?"

Sasha asked, "Joan Jett?" Anne shook her head. "Polly?" Anne shook her head. "Mrs. Croaker?" Anne shook her head. "Wally?"

"JUST TELL US ALREADY!" shouted Grime.

"This little guy," Anne said as she held up Toadie. Grime, Sasha, and Giorgio gave looks of surprise. "I know," said Toadie. "Even I find it hard to believe! Who knew I had it in me."

"You always did," said Joan Jett. "It took getting imprisoned by Barry's gang to push you out of your comfort zone." She smirked and said, "I'm proud of you."

"So, how did things go on your end," Anne asked Sasha.

"Pretty good, all things considered, but dang, we missed so much!"

"I'll tell you the whole thing later, as long as you do the same."

⬅ To be continued...

Stand: I've Got No Strings

User: Baron K

Power: E

Speed: E

Range: A

Durability: E

Precision: C

Potential: E

Ability: Takes the form of a puppet controller whose strings controls people, objects, and even Stands. Taking control of Stands requires a lot of concentration, and if it is broken even in the slightest, the strings will be cut.