New Troy

Short little writing exercise.  Using a writing prompt from Reddit with the assignment being to write as if for a Roman Newspaper in a parallel universe in which Rome never fell and Gladiators still exist.


New Troy, West Major Italy
Feb 26th, 2018

The pain split him like a thunderbolt through an old oak, but Jan Vergison clinched the Gladius Crown once again, defeating Re'Bul Athinias by Certain Death.

Vergison, a 17 year veteran used his standard "Tri-Claw" to best Athinias' who controversially wielded his personal dual bladed Bo Staff that he calls "Molevelance instead of the state of the art battle ax "Adidioso Xoom"introduced this year by Adidias.

The match started off quickly with Vergison lunging into the middle of the arena to score a quick jab into the right abdomen of Athinias.  The jab nearly ended the match then and there as the "HumaScan" replay showed that Athinias nearly had his small intestine severed and ripped but the cut missed by just 8 millimeters.

"I just knew I had to get inside fast.  I work everyday on my quickness, because in the end that's what my opponents aren't ready for.  They know that I have the strength, the will and the tenacity, but I've always felt my speed is my real advantage."

Still even after being cut first, Athinias managed to come up with a brilliant counter offensive.  Swinging, at times, wildly, but none the less effectively, Athinias backed up the veteran into the North East quadrant, where the gravity effects would help slow his opponent down.

At post match, the LifeAfterDeath A.I. revealed Athinias was confident about his ability to keep space via his weapon choice.  "The best chance for me, I felt, was to keep distance and I had to back him up after his initial strike."

Still, Vergison, who had been placed into the Gladius Rights program at age 12 after pulling a toy gun on another student and was born with a level 24 mental rating, showed again his renowned tolerance for pain as well as a near suicidal level of risk tolerance. 

Despite being speared in his right clavicle, Vergison made a final charge and with a right uppercut split Athinias skull in two, plunging in the soft opening below his helmet and moving in an upward motion ending in victory.  The match lasted six minute

For winning, Vergison will be awarded 100 million dollars, and be allowed to live at least five more years should he retire.  His current wish, to once again live freely among the general public, will again not be granted.

While the inside of the match was one to behold for the sport, the Gladius Crown was again protested by a vocal group saying that it is time for a change, and that the sentencing of criminals to sport for the public's interest has led to slavery of the poor.

In total, the viewership was again down, as only 35% watched the blood sport.