Thunderclap's expression imdiately shifted from annoyance to excitent and a wide grin spread across his face as he stepped forward, clearly relishing the attention.
He flexed his muscular arms as he did this, causing the crowd to erupt in cheers. His massive biceps bulged as he struck a pose, showing off for the fans, who roared in approval.
Don, Frostbite, Phantomstrike, and the others all moved toward the edge of the field, giving Thunderclap the center stage.
As they walked, Don couldn't help but notice Silverwing flashing a knowing smile in his direction before turning back to the field.
'What's with this guy?'
Don thought, but he gave nothing away.
Thunderclap, now standing in the center of the field, soaked in the crowd's adoration. His confidence was at it's peak as he rubbed the back of his scruffy hair and chuckled. "Let's get this over with already" he stated mockingly, his gaze locked on the chanism rising from the ground on the opposite side of the field.
A massive steel platform began to rise, slowly lifting a large, lead-coated container from beneath the stadium floor.
The container was bulky and industrial-looking, with thick tal walls and several hissing pipes that released bursts of steam as it ascended. The crowd fell into silence and their attention shifted to the container as it ca to a stop at the center of the field.
With a chanical
**clank**
, the front of the container opened, revealing what everyone had been waiting for.
The android stepped out.
It was humanoid in shape, standing at roughly 7 feet tall, with a sleek yet powerful fra. Its body was made of dark tallic plating, each piece seamlessly connected to the next, giving it a polished and almost futuristic appearance.
But what caught everyone's attention the most was its face—or lack thereof. Instead of a typical human face, the android had a large smiley-face emoji for a head, glowing brightly in a neon yellow hue. The juxtaposition of the android's intimidating physique and the friendly emoji made it both unsettling and strangely approachable at the sa ti.
The first comntator broke the silence. "Well… it certainly has a rather unique look, doesn't it?"
The second comntator nodded, her voice uncertain. "Yes, it doesn't exactly scream 'super android,' but maybe that's the point? Perhaps they're trying to make it more… friendly-looking, like standard military androids."
"Maybe," the first comntator replied, "but Thunderclap clearly isn't impressed."
The cara zood in on Thunderclap, who was now scratching at his hair with a grin on his face. "Is that it?" he asked mockingly.
He then slamd his fist into his palm with a loud
**boom**
, sending a small shockwave rippling through the air. "This is gonna be child's play," he added with a laugh. "I'm ready whenever it is. I'll try not to break it, haha!"
The crowd chuckled at his arrogance, though so murmurs of doubt could be heard in the stands. Thunderclap's bravado was entertaining, but the uncertainty of the android's true capabilities made everyone slightly uneasy.
Dr. Gadget sighed softly, clearly less amused by Thunderclap's antics. He raised his hand and spoke in a commanding tone toward the strange machine. "Apex," he called out, "engage in controlled combat against the individual in front of you until they call for a ti out."
The android's eye sockets flashed green, and its smiley face briefly flickered before a robotic voice responded. "Voice command recognized. Scanning target…."
The android's head rotated slightly, its neon smiley face locking onto Thunderclap. "Target locked. Apex is ready to engage."
As soon as Dr. Gadget gave the android the command, Thunderclap grinned widely, opening his arms wide in preparation for one of his signature moves.
The air around him began to swirl as his muscles tensed up, the force building beneath him, causing the wind to pick up. He reveled in the mont, clearly eager to show off his power.
Without warning, Thunderclap slamd his hands together, creating a loud
**boom**
that resonated through the stadium like a bomb going off.
The blast unleashed a massive shockwave that rippled out from the center of the field. The impact was far stronger than the earlier shockwave he'd produced when he simply hit his palm with his fist.
This one was brutal, tearing up the ground around him and sending chunks of debris flying through the air.
Dust rose in thick clouds, the very ground cracking under the force of the sonic shock waves.
Even the candidates standing at the edge of the field had to shield themselves. Frostbite's white hair whipped wildly in the wind, while Phantomstrike's cape flared behind him.
Silverwing raised an arm casually, his expression still one of amusent, though his hair also moved around him in the violent gusts.
Don instinctively raised his hand to shield his eyes from the dust, feeling the tingle of the shockwave on his skin. Despite this, he kept his gaze fixed on the center of the field, watching closely for any sign of Thunderclap's success.
Beyond the force field that protected the audience, the fans erupted in wild cheers. They had no way of feeling the raw power of the blast, but they could see it. The purple, crackling energy of the sonic shockwave was visible as it shot forward, causing dust and debris to swirl violently in its wake.
To the crowd, it looked like an unstoppable wave of destruction heading straight for the android.
The first comntator's voice resonated through the stadium as he reacted. "Whoa! Now *that's* what I'm talking about! Thunderclap's signature sonic shockwaves—always a sight to behold!"
As the shockwave closed in on the android, Thunderclap smirked, already certain of his victory. But as the dust began to settle, revealing the android standing in the middle of the field unhard, the smirk quickly faded from his face.
Apex stood completely still. The smiley face emoji on its head flickered once before settling back into place. It hadn't moved, hadn't flinched.
The sonic shockwave that had torn up the ground around Thunderclap hadn't even fazed it. The android's tallic body remained unscathed, unlike the ground around it.
Thunderclap blinked in disbelief, but he wasn't about to back down. With a growl, he charged forward, his muscles bulging as he prepared to attack again.
This ti, he aid directly for Apex, throwing a massive punch infused with the sa sonic energy.
**Boom!**
His fist connected with Apex's torso, releasing another shockwave that echoed across the stadium. But Apex didn't budge. The android's body absorbed the impact effortlessly, and Thunderclap's face twisted in frustration.
He quickly stepped back, then launched a rapid series of punches, each one accompanied by a shockwave that cracked the ground beneath them.
But Apex began to dodge, also with ease, moving with a fluidity that made it seem almost human. Each ti Thunderclap threw a punch, the android sidestepped or blocked, its movents incredibly fast. There was no wasted energy, no unnecessary force—just pure control and efficiency.
From the edge of the field, Don watched carefully.
'It's practically toying with him,'
he thought. The android was clearly capable of overwhelming Thunderclap, but it was like it was holding back, testing him, analyzing his attacks.
The crowd began to murmur, their earlier cheers dying down as they realized Thunderclap wasn't making any progress. Each attack he launched was either dodged or absorbed, and the damage he had caused to the field now seed irrelevant in the face of Apex.
Starboy frowned, watching the scene unfold with increasing irritation. Silverwing chuckled under his breath. "I knew it wouldn't be so easy," he muttered to no one in particular, his gaze flicking toward Starboy for a mont.
Thunderclap, now visibly frustrated, unleashed a final attack, slamming his fists together once again to generate another sonic shockwave. The shockwave burst forward, but this ti, Apex reacted differently.
In one quick motion, Apex raised its arm, and with an almost effortless swipe, it cut through the shockwave, dissipating the energy before it could even reach it. The sheer ease with which the android had neutralized Thunderclap's attack left the crowd in stunned silence.
Dr. Gadget, still hovering above the field, sighed softly. He raised his hand and called out, "Thunderclap, it would be best if you stopped now, before you hurt yourself."
Despite that being the most wise choice he could make for now, Thunderclap wasn't ready to give up. His face was one of pure anger as he felt humiliated and taunted. "I'm not done yet!" He yelled out, before lunging at Apex, throwing his fists forward for another sonic-empowered strike.
**Thud.**
However, Apex moved faster than he could react. Within a single mont, the android's arm shot out, striking Thunderclap square in the chest.
The impact was devastating—Thunderclap's body jerked backward, his feet lifting off the ground as he was sent flying across the field. He crashed into the dirt, skidding to a stop several feet away, unmoving.
The crowd gasped in shock, their once excited cheer now replaced by stunned silence.
The second comntator, her voice shaking slightly, spoke up. "W-Well… that's… sothing you don't see every day. Thunderclap, one of our top candidates, knocked out cold I think."
The first comntator was equally taken aback. "I… I don't think anyone saw that coming. Folks, this android just took down Thunderclap like it was nothing. I wouldn't believe it if I didn't just see it with my own eyes."
On the field, Dr. Gadget hovered closer to Thunderclap's unconscious form, his expression hard to read. He shook his head slightly before raising his voice again. "dics, please attend to the candidate. And let this serve as a reminder to all—there's no sha in knowing when to stop."
In the VIP viewing area, the reaction was more subdued but just as telling. The various elites present exchanged quiet smiles, their expressions for the most part remaining controlled.
The most prominent smile belonged to Mr. Xiao, who watched the scene unfold with a gleam in his eye.
"Overconfidence, reliance on brute force, and no real strategy. He'd already lost the mont he started." Mr. Xiao said softly, more to himself than to anyone in particular.
Miss Claire, seated beside him, didn't react imdiately. She simply took another elegant sip from her glass of sparkling water, her deanor still calm.
"A sha your client doesn't seem interested in money," Mr. Xiao added lightly.
Miss Claire raised an eyebrow, setting her glass down gently. "It's more to with the the fact that he isn't a fool."
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