Evo and Other Short Stories (Because I'm an idiot and lost the old account)

Fight to the Death

Description: Mini and Grian fight to the death.

Nine Evolutionists stood on the top of a stone brick coliseum, staring down at the bottom floor. There were no seats, but no one would have sat in them anyway. The fight was too long-awaited to 'sit back and relax.'

The ones actually fighting, Mini and Grian, stood on the ground floor. Mini was pacing back and forth like a wild pack animal, his eyes glowing with a savage fire. The infamous leader of the Mafia was ready for vengeance.

Grian, on the other hand, was afraid. Very afraid. None of his pranks had ever ended like this. Knees shaking, he wondered how he got himself in this mess. His head was muddled, his thoughts cloudy, and he couldn't remember any of the fighting tips that were painstakingly taught to him in his last few moments of freedom before he entered the arena. The others stood above them, their shadows marking the sands like puddles of dried blood.

"So, who are you rooting for?" Martyn asked the others, all of whom were completely aware of the mix of emotions down on the ground floor.

"As much as I dislike anyone in The Mafia, I'm gonna have to root for Mini." Timmy answered, his eyes fixed on Grian, who Mini was circling like roadkill. Like an animal that was already dead.

"Yeah, I know we shouldn't be rooting for a Mafia member," Martyn said, "but we'd look like total idiots if we didn't go for the obvious winner. Tom, Salem, what do you think?"

They both answered "Mini!" without a second thought. Big B surprised everyone with his response.

"I'm rooting for Grian."

"Wait, but why, mate? It's so obvious Mini will win. He has the strength and bloodthirst that Grian lacks." Timmy asked.

"Because Grian's smart. Sure, he doesn't have the raw power or the bloodlust Mini has, but hasn't he proven you don't necessarily need that to win? Haven't you taken the brunt of his pranks, and died because of them?" Big B countered. Timmy looked away, glancing in the direction of the Grain Station.

There was an awkward silence, broken by Martyn asking, "What about you, Netty?"

"I'm the judge. I have to remain unbiased, remember? That's the point of judges." She replied, but deep down, she knew Mini would best Grian, and she just wanted Grian to not tarnish his reputation anymore.

"I'm cheering for Grian." Pearl said.

"Of course you are. He's the reason you're on this server." Timmy said, unimpressed.

"Dude, you do not know how to shut up," Zee told him.

"HOW DARE YOU-" Timmy started, but Pearl calmly cut him off by replying,

"What reason would I have to back someone who tried to bribe and threaten me into their shadowy-at-best revolution that has yet to happen?"

Another awkward silence.

"I'm definitely cheering for Grian," Taurtis said, breaking the silence. "What about you, Zee?" he asked, a teasing smirk playing on his lips, "You hoping your boyfriend Mini will win?"

Zee blushed and jerked his head back a little. Taurtis' jab worked, and everyone was expecting Zee's poorly thought out response.

"So what if I am? He'll totally beat your little boyfriend in a heartbeat!"

Taurtis gasped, taking offense to that statement. "Oh, you did not! Grian's definitely going to win because I'm going to cheer for him as hard as I possibly can!" he yelled, completely overreacting in normal Taurtis fashion.

"Not if I cheer harder!" Zee challenged.

Pearl backed away with her calm, elegant demeanor. She didn't want to be associated with Taurtis and regretted announcing sides. Timmy, however, had the best response. "Stop it, ladies, you'll both get to go shopping soon," he said, jumping in between them. All three girls on the server shot him murderous glares.

This stopped Taurtis and Zee, however, and they both sulked to opposite sides of the stadium to cheer for their respective significant others.

Grian was going to need all the cheering he was going to get, which Tarutis was all too willing to provide. Facing off against a bloodthirsty Mini Muka was one of the last things he wanted to do today, but The Emperor had no choice about the matter now. Actually, he'd never had a choice. As soon as he received the notification that Mini had challenged him to a fight, he knew he couldn't back out without looking like a wimp, and the Empire was all about reputation. All he could do now was wait for Netty to start the round and see how long he'd last in this fight.

It seemed like an eternity of Mini glaring at him and planning his destruction before Netty started explaining the rules. "Hello everyone, and welcome to the second battle of the Evo Arena!" There was a smattering of applause. Netty waited for the prolonged cheers to end before continuing. "Here are the rules. Both contestants only have full leather armor, a wooden sword, a bow, and 10 arrows. If I see either of them use anything else, I will splash a potion of weakness on them and allow their opponent to kill them. Basically a more painful way of forfeiting. Leaving is an automatic loss. Whoever dies is the loser. Gentlemen, are you both ready?"

"Ready!" Mini's roar echoed through the immense space.

In a shaky voice, Grian called, "Ready."

"Then begin!"

Mini charged at Grain, who raised his bow in defense. He fired 8 arrows at mid-strength as Mini rose his sword to block. Mini only took 12 points of damage before he was close enough to freak out Grian. The Emperor lowered his bow, took out his sword, which excited the healing Mini, and hightailed it out of there. Mini, angered by this, chased him around the stadium. Then Grian's sword slipped out of his hand. He stopped running and turned around to see Mini standing by the sword, waiting.

"Come on, pick it up," Mini shouted.

"Grian! Get the sword!" Taurtis cried desperately.

Grian did not go near Mini. He did not trust this gesture of kindness.

"I said pick it up!"

Grian ran to the other side of the arena, and Mini, who had given up on being honorable and letting his opponent have his weapon back, chased him down.

Grian then took a sharp turn when he hit a dead end and ran back to pick up his sword. He turned and waited for Mini to draw closer, something new in his eyes. Once Mini was only a block away, Grian leaped at him, slashing upward with his sword. Mini blocked, taking only four hearts of damage from the two hits and lowered his sword to take a swing at Grian, knocking him back into the wall. Mini struck six more times, not letting Grian move at all before Grian finally went down with a flash of searing light.

Grian spawned in his Downtown Evo home, body and pride aching. 'Revenge will come,' he kept telling himself, but right now, he had to go. He couldn't be that defenseless ever again. 'And I won't' he thought to himself as he walked all the way back to the Distant Kingdom.