The Gladiator lunged forward, armor clanging like a war drum.
Fez's eyes went wide—he didn't even have time to think.
"MOM!!" he shrieked, voice cracking in panic."MOOOM!!!"
His feet skidded across the arena floor as he turned and bolted, the Gladiator's heavy footsteps pounding after him, shaking the dust loose from the ceiling beams.
Gasps and laughter erupted in the stands—some people cheering, others jeering.
The Gladiator said nothing—he didn't need to. That relentless, silent pursuit was worse than any taunt.
The voices from the stands crashed over Fez like a wave:
"Who's that clown?!" someone bellowed, laughter bubbling up.
"Who even let him in here?" another scoffed.
A little boy clutched his mother's sleeve, peering over the railing with wide eyes."Mom…does he have superpowers?"
His mother hesitated, then pressed her lips into a thin line."…I…don't think so, sweetheart."
The Gladiator kept advancing—wordless, unstoppable.
Fez's heart hammered so hard it felt like it might burst.
The brown-skinned boy—leaning against the far wall, arms folded—watched Fez scramble in panic.
His frown deepened, confusion flickering across his face.
"…Ha? Is this the same boy who stopped my attack…?"
He straightened a little, eyes narrowing, as if trying to reconcile the memory of that reflex with the spectacle unfolding now.
Ren watched, her expression unreadable.
Beside her, the rubber man rested a hand on his chin, almost teasing:
"Maybe he's just…hiding his powers?"
Tch…that giant's making me look like a fool. Fez gritted his teeth.
His breath came in ragged gasps. Huff…huff…I've got to do something before he crushes me
He kept running, circling the arena—until, all at once, an idea sparked behind his eyes.
To think like a hero…"
Fez's legs coiled beneath him.
"…you've gotta be one of them!"
With a wild yell, he leapt straight into the Gladiator's oncoming fist—closing the distance in a heartbeat and hurling himself into the giant's arms just as that massive punch came down.
Fez scrambled up the Gladiator's massive arm, feet pounding like he was sprinting across some absurd track.
But this wasn't a fairy tale.
With a grunt, the Gladiator simply lifted one thick finger—
—and nudged him off.
Fez felt the world tilt before he hit the arena floor with a dull thud, like a bug flicked aside.
Fez gasped, clutching his lower back.
"Ah—!! My back!! It hurts—!"
But even as pain throbbed up his spine, he scrambled to his feet and took off running again, one hand pressed to the sore spot.
Behind him, the Gladiator rumbled with a low, amused laugh that made the arena walls vibrate.
The Gladiator's laughter cut off as abruptly as it had begun.
A deep breath—then the colossal arm swung forward, fist blurring through the air in a straight, crushing punch.
Fez froze.His heart didn't even have time to speed up.
So…this is the end, huh?
He let his shoulders fall, everything inside him going quiet.
He closed his eyes.
Sorry, Mom…sorry, Milenda…sorry, Zack…
A slow exhale.
Grek…I'll follow you.
The wind from the incoming blow hit his face like the front edge of a storm.
Silence flooded the arena.
Not a single voice rose from the crowd—only the settling dust and the hollow echo of crumbling stone.
High in the seats, the man with the pipe exhaled a thin plume of smoke.
His tired eyes stayed fixed on the boy below.
"…That's neat," he murmured, voice almost a whisper. "Just like I expected."
Wayne let out a low, amused laugh, the first real break in his composed demeanor all day.
Beside him, his secretary adjusted his glasses with a sigh.
"The wall's expences…We'll add it to the budget, sir."
Then—like a dam breaking—the silent audience that had been laughing at him moments before erupted.
Cheers and wild applause thundered through the arena, a storm of voices and clapping echoing off the high walls.
"I don't know what he did—but I liked it!" someone shouted, voice ragged with excitement.
"He's cool—he's so cool!!" another cried, hands cupped around their mouth.
In the front row, the little boy who'd asked if Fez had any powers leaned close to his mother, whispering in awe:
"…Hero…"
Then his voice cracked—and he burst into tears, clutching her arm.
"M-Mom… It's our next hero!"
"...He made him feel…just like me," Ren murmured, her eyes narrowing with a suspicious edge as she stared down at the arena.
Across the floor, the brown-skinned boy let out a low, incredulous laugh, shaking his head.
From the PA system, the commentator's voice boomed, nearly swallowed by the roar of the crowd:
"AND OUR WINNER FOR THE SECOND MATCH ISS—FEZZZZZZZZZZZZZ!!!"
The audience erupted again, voices colliding in a chaos of cheers and clapping.
Below them, Fez's eyes slowly lost their inky darkness, fading back to normal.
His chest heaved as he struggled to catch his breath.
Then, voice rough and small, he whispered—
"…ZEF…is that you?"