The packed dirt crunched underfoot, and the arena felt larger than normal while he approached the center, staring down the hulking mass that was Kriger. The bastard of a gurgian stood, his lone pincer protruding from his back and looping over his shoulder while his massive arms heaved with every breath. There was a calm about Kriger that made Coop’s blood boil, especially after that display with those poor boys from Luna that he tore apart. He didn’t owe any of those bastards from the Luna training center a damned thing, but he’d make sure their suffering wasn’t for nothing. The weight of humanity’s galactic aspirations on his shoulders in what was a foolish bloodsport whose weight in galactic politics was far beyond what it should be on his shoulders, he shrugged in a symbolic gesture, the Earth flag that was draped over his shoulders fell to the ground behind him, the crowd gasping. Heel dug into the dirt behind him. Coop swung the bat a few times, flicking on the power while it sparked in a fearsome display that only got a chortle from Kriger.

Whatever sounds came overhead came across distorted by the roar of the crowd, the announcer’s shouts and the throbbing in his head. This was it. The buzzer blared over all of it, cutting through and alerting the fighters it was time. The mighty gurgian stood ready, shaking his massive head and baring his fangs while Coop inhaled, poised himself and let out a mighty roar, rushing forward.

Kriger’s claim to fame was not needing weapons and Coop’s plan was making him pay for that, The gurgian was expecting the overhead slash from the bat and leaned back, the pincer ready to catch the blow, only for Coop to plant the toe of his boot into the soft underbelly, catching him off guard. The alien buckled, Coop bringing the bat up in an arc that caught him flush on the chin, an explosion following with a spray of the deep, black blood from his lips. The crowd gasped. Never thinking Coop would get such a powerful first blow in against Kriger. He couldn’t relent now, hefting the bat up high over his head and slamming it down hard against the ridge of his forehead with such force that Kriger fell face-first into the dirt. Remaining calm was crucial here, not getting overzealous. This wasn’t some scrub on the outer rim circuit he could finish off in a minute flat, this was Kriger. Boot planted against the nap of his neck, Cooper stabbed Guy down toward the back of Kriger’s head, the pincer catching him unaware and stabbing him in the shoulder with a piercing pain that made him see red for a moment, staggering backward before the blow could land. The tail came next, sweeping out Coop’s feet from under him, sending him crashing to his back and losing his grip on Guy. Scrambling for his bat, he rolled to his stomach and avoided a stomp from Kriger, leaping to catch the bat and rolling onto his back just in time to deflect the blow from Kriger’s fist, smacking it away with a powerful explosive shot from the bat that made Kriger howl in pain.

Coop’s shoulder throbbed in agony, a blossoming red flower of blood stretching out from where the pincer had punctured him. With each passing moment the pain grew and grew, Cooper knowing there was a narrowing window for his ability to land blows to end this. Another blow came from Kriger’s other fist, Cooper swinging the bat up and around the arm, catching the tip to trap the gurgian’s wrist in the bat, using his momentum to pull himself back up to his feet. Considering Kriger’s arm was thicker than the necks of most beings, he pulled like he was choking the life out of him, knowing if he could damage both arms enough it would leave the pincer and legs as the principal threats. The pincer thrust downward, Cooper dodging it, turning inward under Kriger’s arm, the pincer burying itself int the dirt. While he struggled to free it, Cooper took the open window as a chance to stomp against it. The gurgian pincers were powerful thrusting tools, but weak when attacked from the sides. The bloodcurdling scream that erupted from Kriger at the blow told him all he needed to know. Still holding the bat in place for dear life, he kicked at the pincer again. Another scream and Cooper’s adrenaline was pumping now. There was a clear path to victory emerging through this. In one clean motion he pulled the bat free, a black mist spraying out from the wounds on Kriger’s arm and the bat smashing down in all its explosive glory against the gnarled pincer buried in the dirt. When the backfist came Cooper was expecting it, ducking under and planting a kick into Kriger’s midsection, only for the other arm to smash down against the back of his neck and shoulder, shooting ribbons of pain through his body and staggering him forward.

Only Guy kept him upright, burying the bat into the ground like a cane, still dazed enough to not see the whip-like tail coming straight for him, smashing against his check and sending him crashing to the ground. Cooper didn’t relent his grip on Guy this time, though, bringing the bat up in time to deflect the next blow from the tail, although it still knocked him off balance enough to not see the vice-like hand jut out and grasp him around the neck, pulling him up high off the ground, up over Kriger’s head even, the bat still in his hand.

All Cooper could manage was a series of half-hearted flicks with the bat, not even enough to trigger the explosives, but he was aiming for his eyes, scraping it along Kriger’s face while the arena blurred.

“I told you this was foolish, human,” Kriger groaned. The twisted pincer dangled above him, too damaged to use, which was his only saving grace. The neck vice’s usual accompaniment meant being peppered with blows from the pincer until the victim collapsed in his hand. That wouldn’t be Cooper, though. Not this time. Never.

“F-fuck... you,” he cried, bringing the bat up and driving it down across the brow of the warrior, sparks shooting out. The bat was lodged deep into his head, blood squirting out all over Cooper and obscuring his already-blurring vision. Kriger screeched out and Cooper’s stomach dropped, unable to pull Guy free from Kriger’s skull and downward momentum faster than he could prepare for, his shoulders and skull smashing against the ground in a huff, almost blacking out at the impact. Before he knew what was happening, the grip still around his neck, Kriger hefted him up again and slammed him down, the arena melting through the bursts of pain around him, until it all disappeared.