The stadium was still filled with the excited screams of the crowd, their excitement only growing after the announcement of the superhuman android.
Yet on the field, the candidates remainedrgely unmoved, only exchanging cautious nces as if waiting for someone else to make the first move.
No one wanted to jump in blind, especially with something as unpredictable as an android meant to rival a ss A hero.
Dr. Gadget noticed the hesitation and, with a faint sigh, raised his voice once more. "A reminder," he said, his tone slightly firmer, "the reward will only be given to the *first* candidate who defeats the android."
He paused, his eyes flicking briefly back toward the VIP viewing area. Don caught the subtle gesture, but he couldn''t quite make out the meaning behind it. ''Something''s off here,'' Don thought, his instincts tingling.
This new piece of information had clearly shifted the dynamic on the field. The candidates had been waiting, biding their time to see how dangerous the android truly was beforemitting, but now the urgency had changed.
Only the first victory would be rewarded, which meant hesitation could cost them the prize.
Silverwing showed a sly smile in response to this information, while Starboy''s frown deepened further. Thunderp, who had been visibly irritated a moment ago, now looked more determined, his muscr arms crossed tightly over his broad chest.
Frostbite and Phantomstrike, on the other hand, remained impassive, their expressions unreadable.
Don brought a hand to his chin, feigning deep thought as if considering the challenge. In truth, his mind was already working through the possibilities, assessing the risk.
Dr. Gadget, sensing that the candidates were now showing a bit more interest, continued his exnation. "Each candidate will have three chances to fight. You may call for a time-out during the battle, and that will count as one attempt."
This new rule seemed to boost Thunderp''s confidence immediately. His irritation vanishedpletely, reced by a growing eagerness. He unfolded his arms and shifted his stance slightly, rolling his shoulders as if preparing for a fight. "Three chances, huh?" he muttered, grinning. "I only need one."
Meanwhile, Phantomstrike and Frostbite still stood silently. Silverwing, who was twirling a strand of his long silver hair between his fingers, moved his gaze toward Starboy with a mocking gleam in his eyes.
"3 chances? They''re being generous," Silverwing said lightly, his voice sounding amused. "Must be for your sake, Timothy. You know, after that little… humiliating debacle of yours earlier."
Silverwing''s words hung in the air, and the crowd fell silent, their attention shifting toward Starboy, anticipating his reaction. Silverwing''s gaze turned darker, more sinister, as if daring Starboy to explode in front of everyone.
Starboy''s jaw clenched and his blue eyes narrowed as he met Silverwing''s gaze with a vicious re.
But even through his anger, Starboy kept hisposure. He was too aware of the thousands of eyes on him, the cameras broadcasting his every move to even more people watching online. No matter how much he wanted tosh out, he knew this wasn''t the time.
Still, Silverwing''s words hit their mark. Starboy''s humiliation from earlier lingered in his mind, the sting of losing in front of so many people still fresh.
And although his reputation hadn''t taken a fatal blow, it was enough to make him furious. He couldn''t afford to let that stain on his record remain.
Without looking back at Silverwing, Starboy turned his attention to Dr. Gadget and spoke confidently. "Bring it out. I''ll only need one round to finish this."
The bold deration caused the crowd, which had begun to simmer down, to erupt once again in wild cheers. Starboy''s arrogance had reignited their excitement, and they shouted his name in support, eager to see him back up his words.
Thunderp, unwilling to be outshone, stepped forward and crossed his arms, ring at Starboy with a challenging look. "Who says you get to go first? I said I''d challenge it before you" he growled.
Silverwing, still amused, chimed in with a yful smile. "I suppose I''ll join as well, why not? If I win, I''ll even donate the money to the less fortunate of this beautiful city."
The crowd roared even louder, moved by the drama unfolding before them. Thementators, who had been momentarily taken aback by the sudden challenge, quickly jumped back in.
"Looks like we''re about to see something very exciting,dies and gentlemen!" the firstmentator shouted enthusiastically.
From somewhere in the stands, a loud voice suddenly yelled out, "I''m non-binary!"
Thementator paused, chuckling. "Apologies! I meant to say,dies, gentlemen, and others."
His co-host forced augh and added, "It''ll be a real exciting show."
On the field, Silverwing nced casually over at Frostbite and Phantomstrike, his smile lingering as he sized them up.
Neither of them seemed particrly eager to jump in, but Silverwing''s gaze eventuallynded on Don, his eyes gleaming with expectation. It was as if he was waiting for Don to make a move, to step forward and add fuel to the already fiery situation.
But where others saw an opportunity, Don saw an unnecessary risk. His reputation had already been elevated after the earlier exchange with Starboy. There was no need to risk that momentum on a challenge with unknown variables.
''The whole thing smells too good to be true,''
Don thought, his eyes narrowing slightly as he nced toward Dr. Gadget''s hovering form.
''If this android is really ss A, I''d be a fool to rush in without watching it first.''
Don remained still, his arms crossed loosely as he observed the others.
Silverwing''s smile faded slightly when he noticed Don remaining in ce alongside Frostbite and Phantomstrike.
A look of mild disappointment crossed his face as he sighed, muttering under his breath, "How boring." He then turned his gaze away from Don, clearly unimpressed.
Starboy, who had been scowling ever since Thunderp and Silverwing stepped forward, nced at Don as well—his expression filled with contempt, but he didn''t say anything, quickly turning his focus back to the challenge.
Dr. Gadget turned his attention to the remaining three candidates still standing in their positions and asked, "I take it you three won''t bepeting, then?"
Don shrugged his shoulders nonchntly. "If the ones who''ve agreed to participate fail, I''ll give it a try."
He said it casually, without any trace of malice, but something about the way he spoke made both Thunderp and Starboy frown. Thunderp''s eyes narrowed, while Starboy''s lips pressed into a tighter line. Silverwing, on the other hand, raised an eyebrow, as if intrigued by Don''s quiet confidence.
Dr. Gadget nodded thoughtfully at Don''s response. ''He''s smart not to want to go first. With their level of experience, I doubt any of them will seed,'' he thought, before letting out a soft sigh.
Clearing his throat, he addressed the three candidates who had agreed to participate. "In that case, each of you three will pick a number from one to three. The selected one will go first."
Almost immediately, Starboy spoke up, his voice loud. "One!" he yelled, not even giving the others a chance to react.
Thunderp, still frowning from Don''s earlierment, scowled and growled, "Two!" He crossed his arms defiantly, scoffing as if to say that he didn''t care about the oue.
Silverwing simply shrugged his shoulders, his usual yful demeanor back. "I guess that makes me three," he said, his voice rxed.
Dr. Gadget nodded and gestured toward therge jumbo screen at the far end of the stadium. A massive zero was disyed, glowing brightly. "And the one to start will be…"
His voice trailed off as the numbers on the screen began to randomize, cycling rapidly between one, two, and three. The crowd watched in anticipation, their eyes glued to the screen as the numbers slowed down, eventuallying to a stop.
The final number was
**2**
.
Dr. Gadget then finished his sentence. "Number two… Thunderp."