NOVEL NEXT CHAPTER 35: The Wildcards
As the three men huddled together in the locker room, Trevor broke the silence.
“So, we’re really doing this? We’re going after Atlas?” His voice was steady, but his eyes betrayed a hint of uncertainty.
“Hell yeah, we are,” Javier responded, cracking his knuckles. “You scared?”
“No,” Trevor replied quickly, perhaps too quickly. “Just making sure we’re all on the same page. This guy’s no joke.”
Luke, who had been quietly tying his laces, looked up. “None of us are here because we’re scared. We’ve got a shot at $100,000. You know what that means? It means we don’t have to play by the rules. This isn’t about winning a season; it’s about making a name for ourselves. And we’re going to do it by taking down the biggest name there is.”
Javier grinned. “Damn right. But you notice something? None of the top 10 gyms are biting.”
Trevor nodded. “Yeah, no surprise there. Sword and Iron won’t touch this. None of those guys will. They’re too scared of looking like fools if they lose.”
“They’re too comfortable,” Luke added. “They’ve got their sponsors, their contracts. They’re not hungry like we are. Atlas is a wild card, and they know it. They don’t want to risk their reputations.”
Javier spat on the floor. “Cowards, the lot of them. But not us. We’ve got nothing to lose.”
Trevor punched his fist into his palm. “So what’s the plan? We all go in together?”
Luke shook his head. “No. We take him one at a time. Wear him down. But we’ve got to be smart about it. He’s not just strong; he’s got experience. We can’t go in there like a bunch of rookies.”
Javier cracked his neck, a menacing smile on his face. “Then let’s make sure we give him a fight he won’t forget.”
The men nodded in agreement. They knew the odds were against them, but that was nothing new. This was their shot to prove themselves, to show the world that they were more than just wildcards. And they were going to take it.
As they left the locker room, the tension in the air was heavy. They were about to face a fighter who had crushed every opponent he’d faced, but they weren’t backing down. They were ready to step into the ring, ready to take on Atlas and show everyone that the wildcards were a force to be reckoned with.
They had no idea what would happen next, but one thing was certain: win or lose, this fight could change everything.
The audience went into a frenzy when the three fighters came out. The decision to challenge Atlas in a consecutive tag team fight, rather than a 3v1 brawl, seemed honorable but somewhat short-sighted.
The audience had seen the draft and were amazed at how Atlas had dominated Arena seven.
***
Mr.T: What were they thinking? Seriously, did they NOT watch the draft? Atlas wrecked those other guys. Seriously, I pity those fools.
Rando: Yo yo yo, where my Atlas fans at? #atlaswascheated #atlas4thewin
Team Atlas: Here reporting!
Plus 1
Plus 2
…
Plus 1368
AirCanadasucks: Are you all just ignoring ALL THE OTHER guys? They aren’t scrubs like in the draft. These guys ALL MADE THE WILD!!! They were in the top four in their arenas too!
TooHotinCambodia: Smell the jealousy.
Hotnoods69: Follow me for tips on how to bet at onlinebets.betway.sponsored.com
USER HAS BEEN REMOVED FOR SPAM.
Nominee: Popcorn orders for VIP seat 3a please ;)
Berlinismycat: Meow meow
Atlaswife69: Hubby if you get tired, I can give you a massage after the fight. (Eggplant emoji)
PagodaCats (OFFICIAL): We would like to thank you all for supporting us by watching this fight. All of the money raised up to now—$127,070—will go towards fostering cats in Cambodia. Also, huge thanks to Atlas and Team Portal Crushers for putting this event together. P.S.: Hi Berlin!
Berlinismycat: Meow meow
Eager2fight: Ooh, looks like it’s starting… Shhh, shhh. Comments off.
The three fighters had come out and were standing in the ring, and that’s when the lights dimmed. Dry smoke bloomed from the entrance as the Portal Crusher Fight song blared through the arena.
---
**ARENA ENTRY ANTHEM**
*Verse*
We fight for ourselves
We fight for the team
We fight for humanity
Portal crushers
*Chorus*
Portal crushers
Portal crushers
Strength from the past
Nobody can stop us
*Verse 2*
With swords and shields
Maces in hand
We stand up tall
We take our stand
*Chorus*
Portal crushers
Portal crushers
Strength from the past
Nobody can stop us
*Bridge*
Through the battles
We will ride
With the power
Of our pride
*Chorus*
Portal crushers
Portal crushers
Strength from the past
Nobody can stop us
---
Atlas strode in, flanked by the rest of the Portal Crusher team. His presence commanded the attention of everyone in the arena.
After making his way to the center, the announcer passed him the microphone.
“Thank you all for coming tonight. I’m glad you’re here to support us. We want to prove that Team Portal Crusher deserves to be in the wild card division. Technicalities and paperwork might be holding us back, but what will get us there is your support!”
He looked at the three fighters facing him and said, “Thanks for taking up the challenge, guys.”
He shook their hands politely before adding with a wink, “Although I bet the chance to win $100k didn’t hurt.”
The crowd chuckled, but Atlas wasn’t done. He took a deep breath, his tone shifting from lighthearted to serious, “I know some people think I’m just out here swinging swords, but it’s more than that. For me, it’s about fighting when the odds and realities of the world don’t favour it. There’s a lot of bad out there, and I want to get rid of it. You know what I’m talking about.” He paused, scanning the crowd, making sure every word hit home, “But to do that, I need courage. Not just the courage to fight, but the courage to stand up when everything is stacked against you. Courage isn’t about being fearless—it’s about facing your fears head-on and saying, ‘Not today.’ And that’s what tonight is about. So let’s make it count.”
The crowd clapped as he handed the microphone back to the announcer.
“Ladies and Gentlemen! Welcome to this Charity Exhibition Match! In the red corner, we have our challengers:
Trevor ‘The Iron Fist’ Jacobs, wielding mace and shield from the Raging Bull gym;
Javier ‘El Toro’ Reyes, with his sword and dagger, representing The Crimson Vipers;
And Luke ‘Nightshade’ Carson with saber and shield from Midnight Sabers.
And in the blue corner, we have our hometown hero,
Atlas, ‘Team Captain,’ with his dual swords from Portal Crushers.
“Now remember, gentlemen, this is a consecutive team fight. This means anytime a challenger is knocked out, the next challenger can step into the ring immediately. There will be no breaks in between fighters, and any damage done will continue to be registered throughout the whole fight. Let’s have a good, clean duel. Gentlemen, touch weapons.”
Atlas and Trevor tapped each other’s weapons and headed back to their corners.
“Duel!” the announcer called out, and the match began.
As the duel began, Trevor's final thoughts swirled with a mixture of determination and doubt. *I’ve got to keep my guard up. Atlas may be a beast, but I’m not going down easy. If I can just land a solid hit, maybe I can slow him down for the others. We’ve trained for this. We can do this.*
Javier, standing in the wings and watching Trevor step forward, clenched his fists. *Trevor’s got to tire him out. If he can just hold on long enough, I’ll be able to find an opening. Atlas is strong, sure, but he’s not invincible. He’s never faced anyone like me. This is our shot. This is my shot.*
Luke, observing his teammates from the edge of the ring, kept his gaze locked on Atlas, analyzing his every move. *Stay sharp, stay focused. Atlas isn’t just another fighter; he’s a monster. But every monster has a weakness. If we work together, we can expose it. Just keep calm, and wait for the right moment. We can win this.*