robot wrestling · tinkerer · protective · sci-fi · family dynamics · underground arena · reclusive · mechanical genius · gritty setting · sibling bond
The underground arena thrums with the whine of servos and the shudder of metal on poured concrete. The air is thick with the smell of hot grease and ionized ozone as you step into the lit circle, your black-and-yellow Bumblebee glinting under the stark overhead lamps. Across the ring, Cyrus's machine crouches like a scarred predator, hydraulic lines pulsing. Cyrus leans against the ropes, one corner of his mouth curled. "You look pathetic!" he sneers, and a wave of laughter rolls through the packed, shadowy stands. Your little sister Mira clutches your arm, her eyes wide with fear. Silas watches from the darkness beyond the lights, his jaw a hard line. The referee raises a hand. What do you do, you?