The Golem League theme song started to play over the holoscreen in Pepper’s workshop and drowned out his and Andrea’s laughter as they gently swayed in his hammock. Princess Meg was snuggled up with Amprage in the recliner over in the corner, and life was good. They watched as JD and Nick arrived on screen.
Andrea giggled with a curious expression and nodded her head. “Who are they?”
Pepper sighed. “Well, maybe you just wait a minute and they’ll tell you.” He felt Andrea shake her head and instinctively knew she was rolling her eyes at him.
Nick was wearing a flashy navy-blue sport coat with a bold red tie over a white dress shirt. He pointed to the camera and smiled with his professional charisma. “Hello, golem fans, and welcome to today—the day we all look forward to and what it is all about. The final match of the season, which will declare who our Season 10 Golem Master will be.” Nick turned to his counterpart. “I have to say, JD, this matchup is one that could really be one for the history books.”
JD didn’t falter as Nick passed the moment over to him. He stared straight into the camera, but his sunglasses covered his eyes. He wore a black suit with a black tie over a white dress shirt. But JD’s shirt wasn’t buttoned at the top, and it looked like he had thrown on the outfit just seconds before they went live.
“Righty tighty, lefty loosey, squeeze me hard and call me juicy! This is going to be a sweet serving of Golem League action, Nick! Whoo!”
“Oh my gosh, who is he? He’s perfect,” Andrea exclaimed and started bubbling with laughter.
Pepper also laughed, and even Nick lost a portion of his composure and started to crack up. JD, on the other hand, didn’t miss a beat and went straight into the commentary. “You are right on, Nick—this is a history book matchup today. Our defending champion Panda Cakes going up against Astro Ape, a raging gorilla so ferocious that not even the universe can contain him.”
“It sounds like you’re predicting a knockdown drag-out fight here?” Nick chimed in.
“Oh, there’s no doubt about that, man. This is going to be some epic fighting action—the exact type of stuff our crazy viewers love to see. You know what I mean? The juice is going to be worth the squeeze. A Golem Master title on the line? Well, you know these two gladiators are not going to go down without giving it their all and then some,” JD proclaimed.
“I couldn’t have said it better myself, JD. But of course, the action and intensity doesn’t stop there. The Golem League is also giving their fans a surprise of epic proportions. For this championship bout is going to be fought in a new arena!”
“No way!” Pepper muttered and shifted in the hammock.
“Go ahead, JD. Tell our viewers what they can expect.” Nick handed off to his cohost.
“All right, folks, let’s get into it,” JD said and nodded towards the camera as the screen shifted to the drone cam.
The aerial view scanned over the arena, and Pepper’s eyes widened when he saw a dystopian metropolis in the distance. The drone flew closer and JD continued. “Welcome to Wiener, Austria. A—”
JD was cut off by his counterpart. “Correction, JD. That is Wiener Neustadt, Austria.”
“That’s what I said—Wiener Nutsack, Austria.”
Pepper could feel Andrea blush as she covered her face and worked to contain her laughter. “Oh my god, I want to just listen to these two read a dictionary to me,” she said.
“Anyways, like I was saying… this city was abandoned during the Rift Wars but has found a new purpose here in the Golem League. The exterior perimeter of the arena measures a massive three-mile radius. Here our gladiators will have to navigate the medium-size skyscrapers and scattered buildings around them.”
JD was looking at Nick but then turned back to the camera with a pointed finger of warning. “And don’t you forget about them curbs. This isn’t an ‘oopsie I hit the curb going seventy miles per hour and have now bent my tire rims.’ You’d better watch your step, or your golem could be tripping and falling all over this arena.” He turned back to his cohost. “You know what they say about bears, Nick?”
A look of surprise was on the Nick’s face. “Umm, no I can’t say that I do.”
“Bears be tripp’n. So don’t get ahead of yourself, Panda Cakes, because Astro Ape will try to take advantage of every opportunity that comes his way,” JD finished.
The city was a collection of modern skyscrapers with traditional clay-paneled rooftops. The streets looked as if ashes had been spread over them. Dust, dirt, and debris had covered them during the years of neglect.
“You’ll be there one day,” Andrea told him quietly.
He gave her a soft squeeze. “You think so?”
“I know so,” she replied.
The camera panned around to show Panda Cakes walking into the arena. The golem carried its signature staff, utilizing it as a walking stick. A grass hat covered its face, but it was powered up and ready to go.
The camera then showed a hovering platform with Brandon standing on it. The champion wore a baseball cap, and he turned it around so the bill faced backwards. He slowly put on his optic glasses, and the camera caught the purple glow that flashed when they powered on. Another switch of equipment—interesting, Pepper thought when he saw the glasses.
A quick shift of the camera and they were shown Brandon’s opponent. Andrea tilted her head. “Who’s that?”
“That is Tom Rodrigo,” Pepper replied.
“He’s kinda cute,” she remarked.
“Hey.”
“What? I said kinda cute … Don’t worry, you’re still the cutest one of them all.” She smiled and rubbed his leg.
Tom stood on the platform, his black hair filled with product. He then put on a full-faced DIVII Storm Falcon interface. It blended with his slick hair, and it almost looked like he was wearing a helmet.
They watched as Tom shifted around like a boxer getting ready for their title fight. He tilted his head from side to side, rolled his shoulders, and finally tugged his leather jacket. He adjusted his fingerless biker gloves, and Pepper was able to see the Gladiator Vambrace XLs on his wrists. Figures… He looks like someone who would use those things, Pepper thought.
He considered this piece of equipment more of an antique than anything else. He had even tried them out two years back but hated the interface integration and felt it was too cumbersome—a clunky and unique style of commanding your golem that felt unnatural to him.
The camera was perfectly positioned so that they were able to see Tom standing on the platform on the right side of the screen. But then Astro Ape walked into the arena and stood directly behind Tom. The two seemed as if they were standing side by side, their heads at the same height.
The gorilla golem was obsidian black as its base color. But colorful streaks of the universe wrapped all around its body—pinks, magentas, blues, reds, and sparkles of white all over. The gorilla brought its hands up in front of its chest, and its right fist planted itself in the left palm of its upward-pointing hand. The golem performed a slight martial arts style bow towards the defending champion. Let’s go, Brandon! Pepper mentally cheered.
The countdown timer hit zero, the blaring horn declaring the start of the match roared to life, and the two golems glowed with the power surging through them. The runes on Panda Cakes’ staff immediately illuminated. Astro Ape’s skin flared to life with a wave of hot pink that moved as if there was an aurora borealis inside.
The golems stood at each end of a long roadway, a tribute to an old Western showdown, while a wisp of air swirled dirt across the street. Each fighter took a step forward. Panda Cakes twirled its staff in front of its body for a quick rotation or two, then snapped its wrist and brought the staff along its extended right arm. The end of the staff dragged across the ground as the golem moved forward.
“Look at this, JD—an entirely new strategy that Brandon is taking here today compared to his last matchup with James Dean,” Nick proclaimed.
Pepper watched as Astro Kong extended both its hands out to the sides. It leaned its head forward and let out a bellowing roar that echoed throughout the main street. The golem then made its first move and lunged downward, taking hold of a red car that was abandoned on the side of the road. In one fluid motion it picked up the car and launched it through the air.
The vehicle soared across the arena like a baseball. It closed the distance to Panda Cakes, but Brandon was ready. The bear’s staff snapped upwards at an angle. A quick shimmer of purple light rippled down the shaft, and in the blink of an eye the vehicle was sliced in half.
This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version.
Two giant chunks of metal went hurtling off and to the side with small particles scattering about. There was no time for Brandon to let down his guard; the huge gorilla found more ammunition and sent a new volley of vehicles flying through the air—a silver minivan followed by a blue pickup truck, another red sedan, and a bread delivery van.
Panda Cakes expertly displayed its mastery of the staff. The golem began a hasty maneuver that sent both it and the staff twirling around. The purple energy surrounding the staff made the massive creature look like an illuminated tornado. In seconds the panda snapped around and sliced each vehicle in half with its staff. A flash of purple color exploded with every impact.
“My goodness, JD! We are already off to a fantastic spectacle!” Nick continued.
“There are strap-ons and strap-ins, and let me tell you, Nick, this match is just getting started!” JD replied to his counterpart. “These vehicles are not the actual attack; they are the distraction for what is about to come.”
“Dear me, it looks like you’re right, JD.”
The camera panned around and narrowed in on Astro Ape. The energy waves inside it were now magnifying themselves with even greater intensity. The arms of the gorilla began to glow, and its hands were the focal point; the energy was clearly surging there. Astro Ape reached both hands up and brought them together. Without waiting another second, it shot a beam of energy outward.
Panda Cakes leapt to its left side. The golem made it to safety behind a large skyscraper, but not before the attack had clipped its right side. A few particles of granite could be seen falling off as the bear regained its footing.
The golem wasn’t safe by any means. Astro Ape shifted its energy beam attack to the right, following its target. The skyscraper initially shielded Panda Cakes, but the pure energy was too great.
Pepper watched as the pink, magenta, white, and blue blended together and poured with even greater intensity into the structure. The building started to give way and collapse as its pillars were severed bit by bit. The structure buckled, and then the top portion of the building tilted downwards and started to fall. The cameras caught a brief flash of purple before a huge cloud of brown and gray smoke billowed into the air.
There was an audible gasp over the broadcast, and Pepper couldn’t help but feel the anxiety and tension build within him. It didn’t help that Andrea was fixated on the match, and her fingers clamped down on his arm as the suspense grew.
The smoke was still lingering when Nick continued. “I have to admit, JD, I have some concerns for Panda Cakes… I’m not seeing any movement down there, mate.”
“Two championship gladiators duking it out, Nick; it ain’t over till the fat lady sings, you know what I mean?” JD countered.
As if the commentator had a key instinct for timing, the camera zoomed in and was able to capture a few concrete blocks shifting about. Just a second or two later, bright purple beams of energy started to seep upwards. Then a loud thunderclap rang out, and chunks of the building and debris erupted.
There, standing in the center of a small crater, was Panda Cakes. A deep purple sphere of energy had formed all around the golem, and it held its staff above its head, powering the force field. The gladiator started to shift its foot, but before it could take a step out of the crater, it braced for impact.
On the right side of the screen, Astro Ape dashed in and slammed its fists down upon the barrier. The shield’s energy began to ripple, dissipating the attacking energy. The gorilla’s hands were covered with the astro energy, and it continued to pummel the purple barrier without mercy.
“For Pete’s sake, JD, which one is going to buckle first?” Nick said with a slight hint of panic in his voice.
The moment he commented was the exact same moment that one of the gorilla’s strikes looked as if it made a crack in the force field. Astro Ape roared and brought both clawed hands down on the sphere. Pepper could see that it was clenching down on the shield, and then, with a quick twist of its hips, it turned and launched the entire orb across the arena.
Pepper’s eyes widened in shock at the sheer strength Astro Ape wielded to accomplish such a feat. The purple orb with the panda golem inside landed with a crash and rolled around like a massive hamster ball. Panda Cakes, rolling around inside, planted its feet for stability and finally came to a stop. It brought its staff to a horizontal position in its hands. Purple energy sprang out of the staff and launched itself like a razor blade. It sliced through everything as it cut across the field of battle—everything except Astro Ape.
The sheer force of the magical energy was so great that the attack ripped part of the blacktop and concrete right off the ground. But… Astro Ape had already disappeared. It was now concealed by the few remaining structures and out of view of Brandon.
“Pretty sure Wiener town is going to need a grant to become fully erect again when these two are done. You know what I mean, Nick?” JD commented.
“It’s certainly going to take a little more than a paint job, that’s for sure.”
Pepper and Andrea both chuckled at the comment, but Pepper’s eyes remained glued on Panda Cakes. The golem had remained in its previous attack position, analyzing what it would do next while simultaneously working to anticipate its opponent. The panda bear finally returned to a ready position and began to walk slowly down the street.
The golem’s large feet flattened the ripped surface back down as it went. Small wisps of smoke lofted up from the scorched ground—a clear warning of just how powerful the energy beam attack had been. The ghost town was nothing short of eerie, and a cold tingling sensation scattered down Pepper’s spine as he waited for the next move from either of the two fighters.
Panda Cakes continued to stalk down the road, hesitantly looking down each side street. Nothing. The golem began to twirl its staff in its hand, a purple glow emanating from the weapon as it swished around. The drone began to slowly zoom out and show the wider area of the arena.
Pepper could feel Andrea’s tense reaction, and even his heart skipped a beat when he saw where Astro Ape had gone. The gorilla had climbed up one side of a tall building and was peering down at Panda Cakes from above. Tom had worked tactfully to ensure the gorilla scaled the building while hiding its presence from Brandon’s view.
The gorilla then released its grip from the building. It went soaring downwards with its fists outstretched and clenched tight. Brandon had finally crested the edge of the structure enough to see the gorilla in the nick of time and commanded his golem to respond.
Panda Cakes lifted its staff and braced itself for the oncoming impact. Astro Ape came down hands first and slammed into the staff. The two sources of energy clashed, and a multitude of colors sparked off the weapon. An intense struggle occurred between the two fighters until the gorilla reared its head back and whipped it forward.
The headbutt smashed into Panda Cakes and cut the entire front section of its hat free. In what looked like a desperate move, the bear took a hand off its staff and shoved its open hand forward. A deep purple light sprang out of its palm and a wall of purple energy slammed into the gorilla, sending it flying backward.
Pepper could see two embedded lines in the earth, the gorilla’s feet carving a path as the force shoved it to a safe distance. Panda Cakes didn’t hesitate but began to reach towards the heavens. It looked like an enchantment was beginning to form over the golem’s head.
But a split second before it had an opportunity to launch its attack, Astro Ape brought its two fists together, smashing them into each other with an intensity so great that thunderclaps rang out. On the third repetition, the gorilla stretched out its arms and there was a roar. Pepper could see a rift in the very fabric of the sky. In an instant the entire arena’s light was sucked out through the rift, and all that was left was the sensation that they were now floating in the vacuum of space.
The drone panned around to take in the view. A majestic sight of the universe surrounded the arena, and though it was within the chaos of combat, one could not help but marvel at the beauty for the slightest of seconds. It was only when JD’s voice cried out that the camera operator realized he needed to refocus on the gorilla.
“This could be bad for Panda Cakes! He needs to do something quickly before Astro Ape absorbs all this universal essence and becomes too powerful.”
Pepper watched as Astro Ape’s body grew with glowing intensity. The light that had been scattered around its body when the match first begun now surged outward. It was as if the golem was a reactor of power and was on the verge of being unable to contain the power it now held within itself.
Panda Cakes dashed to one side and dove for cover, now in a dead sprint and working to conceal itself as best as possible. A quick adjustment of the drone allowed the viewers to see how Panda Cakes was navigating the side streets as best as it could with its large frame.
The drone repositioned itself and allowed the viewers to see that Astro Ape had brought its hands together. Without further delay, it unleashed a new beam of aura energy. In a flash the beam shot out and eviscerated everything in its path. The gorilla shifted its hands and launched another beam, then another.
It fired blindly into the city center, hoping it would hit its target. The entire time, Panda Cakes had barely dodged the deadly attack and found a way to sneak into a different area. Though Pepper was in his hammock, he felt like he was on the edge of a cliff.
“Oh my! That one almost hit Panda Cakes, JD!”
“The golem is running so fast, it looks like it just told its girlfriend that her sister was prettier!” JD countered.
Panda Cakes, in a surprising move, doubled back. The tactic appeared to work, as Astro Ape fired beams sporadically and appeared to still not know where its opponent was. The panda didn’t slow down but continued to carefully navigate the debris and mounds of rubble left behind. A haze of destruction was now blanketing the far side of the arena where the gorilla had launched its attack.
The cloudy veil was so thick that the only thing the drone could see was the disturbance made by Panda Cakes as it ran through it. The camera was just able to catch when the golem came to an abrupt stop in the smoke. But the instant glow of deep purple warned everyone of the powerful attack that was about to take place.
Tom immediately caught sight of his opponent’s location and worked to command Astro Ape to home in and launch a new aurora beam. The gorilla’s arms tensed, but just as it was starting to launch a beam, a low rumbling sound could be heard in the arena.
A massive gong sound smashed to life, and the camera showed the sound wave that surged out across the arena floor. The force launched the smoke away from Panda Cakes. Pepper could see that the golem had what looked like purple chains wrapped around its ankles, securing it to the ground. Pepper’s eyes widened when he saw that Astro Ape was launched upwards in suspension at the same time.
“That has to be the most powerful gravity rune attack I’ve ever seen, Nick!” JD’s voice sounded more shocked than ever before.
The gorilla now floating in the air appeared powerless as it struggled to find a way to target its beam. The bear then began to twirl its staff around with an incredibly speed. It appeared to be generating as much power as possible, and Pepper recalled the same process when Brandon had faced James.
In the blink of an eye Panda Cakes slashed its staff at different angles. Purple streaks of light soared through the sky and sliced directly through the gorilla like a hot knife through butter. Brandon didn’t stop attacking his opponent until the final streak sliced clean through its power core, causing an explosion that looked like a mini nuclear blast. The detonation sent beams of light in every direction, while the shockwave sent debris flying.
Panda Cakes held his ground and withstood the blast. Once the explosion had finished and the intense energy had been released back into the universe, the arena faded back into daylight. It now looked like a far greater destroyed city, but that only lasted for a second before Panda Cakes lifted its staff towards the heavens. Purple energy sprang off it and launched into a grand display of celebratory fireworks.
Pepper was unsure where they had actually come from, but streamers and confetti flew into the arena. The victory horn cried out and the Golem League began to pump in the noise of cheering crowds from all over the world. The camera cut to a multitude of watch parties from all around the world, flipping to them one at a time. The entire world celebrated as the reigning Golem Master was crowned once again.