Raider Outpost
The rough crowd was losing it.
"DID YOU SEE CAPTAIN NAKAMURA?!" One raider nearly fell out of his chair. "THOSE EYES! THAT ARMOR!"
"Nah nah, Captain Rossi! That RED HAIR!" Another was practically drooling. "I'd let her arrest me ANY day!"
"Captain Xistrith looked like an ANGEL! Did you see those markings?!"
"I'M IN LOVE!"
"ME TOO!"
"ALL OF THEM!"
An older, scarred veteran raider stood up, slamming his drink on the table. "ARE YOU FUCKING KIDDING ME, BOYS?! THOSE ARE SQUAD CAPTAINS! THEY'D KILL YOU BEFORE YOU COULD BLINK! YOU'RE GONNA BE THE DEATH OF ME!"
"Worth it!"
"TOTALLY worth it!"
The veteran sat back down, muttering into his drink. "Idiots. All of them. We're doomed."
In his corner, Ragnar chuckled quietly beneath his hood.
Fighter Waiting Room
The energy was tense. Focused.
Lyrielle sat cross-legged, eyes closed. Meditating. Her bow rested across her lap. Her breathing was measured. Controlled.
Stone stood against a wall, his cybernetic systems running diagnostics. Blue light flickered across his mechanical arm. His natural eye focused inward. Calculating. Preparing.
Kade paced. His tail lashed with barely contained energy. His claws flexed repeatedly. Golden eyes burning.
Pam sat on a bench, her enhanced senses reaching out. Listening to the crowd. Feeling the vibrations. Mapping the arena in her mind.
Polo leaned against a corner, arms crossed. Dual pistols holstered. His black eyes stared at nothing. Empty. Cold. Waiting.
Nara filed her nails casually, crossbow beside her. But her leg bounced. Nervous energy disguised as confidence.
Javar hung upside down from a beam, wings folded. Eyes closed but ears twitching at every sound.
C'luppo was doing stretches, tentacles everywhere, muttering to himself in that thick accent. "Come on, lad. Ya got this. Just don't mess it up..."
All of them preparing. All of them knowing their moment was coming.
But no Juli. He was elsewhere. Doing whatever Juli did before a fight.
The Arena
"BEFORE WE BEGIN!" Larry's voice cut through the noise. "A quick word from our HOST CAPTAIN! The man himself! K.J. GOLDBERG!"
The crowd ROARED.
Goldberg stood from his seat. All three arms raised. His presence filled the entire arena despite the distance.
When he spoke, no microphone was needed. His voice BOOMED.
"WARRIORS! FIGHTERS! DREAMERS!" He gestured with all three arms. "Today, you witness HISTORY! These sixteen young souls have BLED for this moment! They've TRAINED! They've SUFFERED! They've CONQUERED!"
The crowd was hanging on every word.
"But MORE than that! They've shown us what it means to have PASSION! To have FIRE! To REFUSE to quit even when the odds are IMPOSSIBLE!" His golden-brown beard seemed to glow. "THAT is what makes a warrior! Not strength alone! Not skill alone! But the HEART! The SOUL! The REFUSAL TO SURRENDER!"
People were on their feet.
"So I say to you! To EVERY being watching across the galaxy! WITNESS GREATNESS! WITNESS COURAGE! WITNESS THE FUTURE OF ARMADA!" All three fists came together. "LET THE FINALS BEGIN!"
The arena EXPLODED. The sound was deafening. Primal. Pure energy unleashed.
Goldberg sat back down, satisfied.
Bianca leaned over. "Subtle as always, brother."
"Subtlety is for people without PASSION!"
She smiled despite herself.
Larry was vibrating. "WHAT A SPEECH! WHAT ENERGY! AND NOW! NOW WE BEGIN!"
The holographic display shifted. Showed the first matchup.
"ROUND OF SIXTEEN! FIRST MATCH!"
JULIAN WEIPER
VS
EDDIE GOODMAN
The arena lost its mind.
"THE BLONDE BRAWLER! THE RAGNAR SURVIVOR! NUMBER ONE SEED! JULIAN WEIPER!" Larry was screaming. "VERSUS THE UNDERDOG! THE LAST SEED! EDDIE GOODMAN!"
Raider Outpost
"IT'S STARTING! HE'S FIGHTING FIRST!"
"TEN THOUSAND MORE ON WEIPER!"
"EASY MONEY!"
Several raiders were already dancing. Drinks spilling. Chaos erupting.
Ragnar leaned forward. His golden eyes intense. Focused.
Show me, boy. Show me how much you've grown.
Outer Rim, Small Colony Home
Mary and Juno sat on the couch, eyes glued to the holographic display.
"IS THAT JULI?!" Juno was bouncing. "IS HE FIGHTING FIRST?!"
"Looks like it, sweetheart." Mary smiled, but her hands were clasped tight. Nervous. Proud. Terrified.
The doorbell rang.
Both turned.
A voice came through, muffled. Old. Gravelly. "Mail delivery! Got a package for Mary Weiper!"
The accent was TERRIBLE. Like someone doing a bad impression of an elderly mailman.
Mary's eyes widened. Then she grinned. That same cheeky grin Juli had inherited.
That rascal.
"Juno, honey. Stay here. Mommy will get the door."
"But the match is starting!"
"I'll be quick. Promise."
Mary walked to the door, her heart racing. She knew that voice. Knew it better than her own.
She opened the door.
And there he stood.
Pietro Rossi.
The uniform was MAGNIFICENT. Red and black, tailored perfectly to his frame. Regal didn't begin to describe it. It was the uniform of legends. Of titans. Red dominated, with black accents that made the red seem to burn brighter. Medals lined his chest. Achievements, commendations, battles won. A cape flowed from his shoulders, black on the outside, red on the inside. It moved with him like it was alive.
His red hair was long but not excessive. It framed a face that was... impossibly handsome. Ethereal. Sharp jawline. Kind eyes. That smile that could light up entire sectors. He had a bouquet of beautiful flowers in his hand. A present for his wife.
He was exactly as she remembered. Exactly as he'd always been.
Mary stared. Just for a moment. Taking him in. This man. This titan. This impossible, wonderful, infuriating man who'd stolen her heart years ago.
"Welcome home, Pietro," she said, her grin matching his.
Pietro didn't waste a second.
He stepped forward, cupped her face, and kissed her. Deep. Affectionate. Years of longing and separation compressed into that single moment. His arms wrapped around her waist, pulling her close. She melted into him, hands finding his shoulders.
The door was still open. The galaxy could see. He didn't care.
"DADDY!"
They broke apart. Both breathing hard.
Juno came RUNNING down the hallway, red hair bouncing with each step. Her eyes were HUGE. Excited. "YOU'RE HOME! YOU'RE ACTUALLY HOME!"
Pietro's face transformed. That cheeky grin became something warmer. Softer.
"Did you think I'd miss my son's big moment?" He knelt down, arms spread wide. "Come here, little star!"
Juno LAUNCHED herself at him.
Pietro caught her mid-air, spinning once before pulling her into a tight hug. "There's my girl."
"You're so warm!" Juno buried her face in his chest. "Like a big heater!"
"That's because I've got a big heart," Pietro said, winking at Mary. "Full of love for my two favorite people."
Mary joined them. Pietro stood, wrapping one arm around her while holding Juno with the other. All three embracing in the doorway.
"I hope I'm not too late," Pietro said, that beautiful cheeky grin returning. "Wouldn't want to miss the show."
Mary looked up at him. "You're just in time."
Juno pulled back, still in his arms. "Juli's fighting FIRST! We have to hurry!"
"Is he now?" Pietro's eyes gleamed. Pride. Excitement. "Then we better get inside. Can't miss this."
They moved as one unit, closing the door behind them. A family. Complete. Together.
As they settled on the couch—Juno between them, Mary leaning against Pietro's shoulder, his arm around both of them. The holographic display showed the arena.
The crowd chanting.
The fighters emerging.
And Pietro watched with the intensity of a man who'd bet everything on a single boy's potential.
Show them, Juli. Show them what I saw in you all those years ago.
The finals had begun.
And a Titan had come home to watch his legacy unfold.