Sunset Sharks vs Luke Cranston.

[Shadowheart]

The Sunset Sharks stood just behind the curtain, the arena buzzing with anticipation while Finn peeked out with a cheeky grin, watching the crowd file back to their seats after the last match.

"Oi, Klaus! Mate, look at this place! Packed to the rafters! You feelin’ it?!" Finn practically bounced on his heels, his grin growing as he turned to his older brother, Klaus, who was just finishing up his pre-match stretches. He glanced at Finn, a small smirk tugging at the edge of his lips. "Yeah, I’m feelin’ it, bro. But try to keep your head in the game, will ya? We ain't here for a day at the beach."

Just then, a signal came from someone in the backstage crew; their music was about to hit. Both brothers took a deep breath in unison, their broad chests rising as they prepared to make their LAW debut. They knew the odds were in their favor - it was a handicap match against some other new-ish guy - but this wasn’t just any debut. This was their shot to show LAW what the Sunset Sharks were all about.

And then... BOOM! Their theme song erupted through the speakers, a classic surf rock anthem, as the arena lights flickered like sunlight on water. The crowd came alive, and in that moment, the Sunset Sharks exploded through the curtain.

“Ladies and Gentlemen, brace yourselves because the following contest is a HANDICAP MATCH! Introducing first, at a combined weight of 325 pounds, making their debut here tonight... from the sun-scorched, wave-crashing beaches of of Australia… FINN! KLAUS! The SUNSET SHARKS!”

Spoiler

The announcer’s voice was drowned out by the roar of the crowd, with plenty of cheers from the ladies and die-hard fans who’d followed them since their surfing days. Klaus strutted down the ramp in his dark blue swim trunks, tropical leaves etched across them. Finn was beside him in his vibrant blue and green trunks as he threw high-fives to the people leaning over the barricade, and they even stopped for a quick selfie or two with some fans.

The brothers reached the ring and in one smooth motion slid under the ropes in perfect sync, popping up to their feet before they each hit opposite corners, climbing the turnbuckles, hands raised high as the crowd surged in approval.

"Let’s hear it for the Sharks, baby!" Finn shouted to the crowd, pumping them up even more, while Klaus simply raised one arm. They hopped down a moment later, regrouping in the center of the ring, shoulders bumping in a quick show of unity. Once their theme music began to fade, the two brothers made their way to their corner, bouncing lightly on their toes, waiting for their opponent.

[CaptainL]

"And their opponent!! Weighing in at 230 pounds, and coming to the ring from Staunton, Virginia! The one and only American Hercules, LUKE! CRANSTON!!"

The lights shone down on the stage once again, as everyone directed their attention to the curtains. Once again, two people would emerge from behind it. But this time, only one of them would be an active competitor...and he wasn't the least bit concerned about being outnumbered. Luke had enough faith in his own abilities to go up against two opponents and not even bat an eye. All he needed was the support of his wife, Flora - and luckily for him, she was coming down the rope at his side, hanging off his arm as the two of them waved to the cheering crowds!

Luke Cranston

Flora Biscoletti

As he took a step up onto the apron, Luke stood tall, puffing out his chest and flexing his arms to show off the well-sculpted physique he had attained in all his years of professional bodybuilding. Almost immediately, the arena echoed with applause. The Sharks had gotten plenty of high-pitched cheers thanks to their boyish good looks and muscular frames, but Luke clearly had his fair share of fans and admirers in the stands tonight too! All the same, he slipped off his cloak and turban before passing them over to Flora, who folded them neatly and set them on the ground. Still dressed in a classical-styled white chiton, he stepped into the ring, flashing another grin and flexing a bicep for good measure.

Spoiler

"Ladies, ladies, please...I appreciate all the attention, believe me, but the only woman I need in my life is the one here in my corner..." He leaned over to plant a kiss on Flora's lips, which she eagerly returned. Then, though, he folded his arms as he turned to face his opponents. "As for you two, though! I see you've made quite a stir. But I'm warning you right now, the two of you won't even hold a candle to one of me! I'll happily demonstrate that again, if you like..." He flexed his arms again, getting another cheer. "So, tell me, what do you boys think you can bring to the table to measure up?"

[Shadowheart]

Klaus and Finn hadn’t been nervous - until the music hit. The moment their opponent's theme blared through the speakers, the brothers' confidence faltered as out from the back strode a towering figure, muscles bulging like he’d been carved from stone, with a woman walking beside him, like they had both stepped straight out of some mythological story book.

Finn's jaw dropped slightly, a flicker of shock in his wide eyes. "Mate, he’s freakin' massive! I didn’t sign up to wrestle a human Greek statue!" Finn muttered, eyes glued to the walking wall of muscle making his way down the ramp. Sure, they’d taken on big opponents before, but this? This guy looked like he bench-pressed boulders for fun!

Once Klaus caught his brother’s gawking, he snapped him back to reality with a quick jab to the ribs. "Oi! Focus, Finn! Stop starin' like you're at some bodybuilding competition! He’s our opponent, not a monument." Finn quickly blinked, shaking his head like he was snapping out of a daze. "Right, right. We got this..." Though his words were confident, there was a bit of uncertainty in his tone.

The crowd roared as the giant of a man reached the ring, stepping onto the apron with ease and flexing those ridiculous muscles, showing off for the fans before stepping into the squared circle. He proceeded to kiss the woman at his side - until his gaze locked onto the Sharks, and without so much as a "hello," he started taunting them, flexing those boulder-sized arms again, like he was making it crystal clear he didn’t see the Sunset Sharks as any kind of threat.

Both brothers watched in silence, Finn’s usual grin faltering for a split second, but then, like a switch flipped, he shook it off and marched toward the center of the ring, the canvas rattling under his bare feet. "Well, first off, big fella, it's two-on-one!" The blonde declared, stepping right up to the mountain of a man as Klaus followed behind, rolling his eyes, not exactly thrilled with Finn's approach but sticking close to his brother.

"I mean, unless your missus there’s plannin' on gettin' involved…" Finn added, tossing a glance at the woman with a cheeky grin, "--which, y’know, would be a bad move, 'cause that's against the rules."

"And," Finn then threw his arms up into an exaggerated flex, mimicking the man’s earlier pose, though his muscles didn't even come close to measuring up. "Look at us, mate! We’re shredded too, yeah?"

Klaus sighed, clearly thinking this was a terrible idea, but he reluctantly played along. "Finn…" he muttered under his breath, but when Finn shot him a look, he sighed again and raised his own arms into a half-hearted flex. The two brothers stood there, looking more like they were a couple of Abercrombie & Fitch models rather than professional wrestlers, trying - and probably failing - to look somewhat intimidating. The crowd chuckled, and a few fans even cheered for their effort, but it was clear they were not that impressed.

[CaptainL]

Luke might have made the transition to the world of wrestling, but that didn't mean he wouldn't bring the lessons he'd learned from bodybuilding to the squared circle. Even if wrestling put more demands on his strength and endurance, it didn't mean he couldn't look good doing it - and in fact, he made it a priority to do just that whenever he came to the ring! It never failed to tickle his ego when he saw the whole arena cheering on his physique - and when he saw that his opponents seemed just as wowed as anyone else, it just made him smirk with growing confidence. He had certainly made an impression - and he intended to deliver on his promises too!

Luke's opponents tried to put on a little display of their own, but it was clear the strongman wasn't the least bit intimidated. The cocky smirk on his face never fell; he just crossed his arms and stood tall, taking in the scene before him. "Hate to break it to you guys, but you wouldn't last a single round on stage in a bodybuilding contest - and believe me, I'd know," Luke explained. "Even if there's two of you, I'd go so far as to say I'm double the man either of you are - so where I stand, we're even!"

A cry of "Ooooh" could be heard through the crowd at Luke's comments as he stepped back into his corner, doing a few last-minute stretches before the match. Flora leaned over to rub at his shoulders, but her gaze still flit between him and his opponents, and she bit her lip nervously. Even if no one really seemed all that convinced that they could put up much of a fight against Luke - certainly not Luke himself - she still couldn't help but take in a gulp knowing that her husband would be going into this match outnumbered. "Just...please don't get too cocky with them," she warned.

But Luke's response was just a smirk and a wink. "Not cockiness if it's true," he said.

*DING DING DING*

With that, the bell rang, and the match was officially underway! Flora broke away from Luke, who stood back up straight and stepped out to the center of the ring. "All right, which one of you boys wants a crack at me first?"

[Shadowheart]

The crowd wasn't really buying what the Sunset Sharks were selling. Their attempt at flexing had fallen flat, drawing a few chuckles and jeers from Luke's fans instead of the hype they were hoping for. Even Luke himself didn't seem phased at all, just standing there with his massive arms crossed and that stupid smirk plastered on his face. It wasn't that the brothers were out of shape - far from it - but next to a bodybuilder? Yeah, they definitely didn't look impressive at all. Once realizing their intimidation tactic had backfired, the brothers quickly dropped their poses, letting their arms fall awkwardly to their sides while the crowd roared with approval at Luke's confident taunts.

Finn scanned the arena, feeling a sting of betrayal at the crowd's reaction, but Klaus wasn't about to let the audience, or their opponent, shake him. He pointed directly at Luke, taking a step forward. "Oi, keep runnin' your mouth, big guy! Just makes it all the sweeter when we shut you up in front of all these people!" He said, though his voice was barely audible over the deafening cheers before the brothers also backed off, heading toward their corner.

Shoulder to shoulder, Finn leaned in close, lowering his voice. "Bro, there's no way we're losin' to that meathead tonight. You see how he's lookin' at us? Like we're just bait 'cause he's packin' some extra muscle? Bet half of it's fake anyway." Finn's frustration was clear, but Klaus tried to stay calm.

"Relax. He's huge, yeah, but, come on - there's no way he's takin' both of us down." He rolled his shoulders before the two turned to face Luke again, watching him stretch out those ridiculous muscles and limbs before the ref signaled for the bell and the crowd quickly erupted, eager to see how the Sharks would fare against the massive former bodybuilder.

The sound of the bell barely finished ringing before Finn, already itching to prove something, stepped forward. "I'm up first, mate. Gonna make this bloke eat his words," The blonde said, slapping his brother's shoulder. Klaus gave a quick nod and stepped through the ropes, taking his place on the apron while gripping the top rope. "Just... try not to do anything stupid, yeah?" He called out, but Finn was already too fired up to hear him.

With a cocky grin, the blonde walked straight toward Luke, eyes gleaming with mischief. "Alright, big man. Let's see if you’re ready for the Sharks' bite!" He raised his arms, lowering into a stance as he started circling his opponent, sizing him up. Finn knew there was no way he'd win a test of strength against this guy, but that didn't mean he couldn’t fake it, right?

With that in mind, he wiggled his fingers in the air, baiting Luke into a test of strength. A clear trap, though - one Finn was sure Luke wouldn't be able to resist. As soon as the giant stepped in to lock hands however, the blonde swiftly ducked low, slipping around behind him with a slick drop step. If it worked, he'd quickly spring back up and, with a loud shout, drive his forearm hard into Luke's back with a solid smash! "How's that feel, huh?!" He grinned wide, backing up a step to admire his work, blue eyes gleaming as he waited to see if the big man would buckle under the surprise hit.

[CaptainL]

Whoever stepped up to the plate first, between Finn and Klaus, it wouldn't really matter to Luke. In fact, he had all but convinced himself that he could take on both of them at once if he so wanted to, and he would happily do just that if it meant showing off what he was capable of! Even if the two Australians tried to talk tough, he would just meet it all with a smirk on his face, standing at the ready. The ball was in their court to impress him, and only time would tell if they could.

When Finn came forward and extended his arms like he was going for a test of strength, Luke just chuckled a little to himself. If they thought they could stand a chance against his sheer mass and physique, they had to be making a grave mistake! Many would've been suspicious at the sight of such an offer when the balance between them was so clearly lopsided. But for better or worse, that wasn't going to slow Luke down. To him, this was an opportunity. At the end of the day, he was here to show off - he had no qualms about that. If he could so easily overpower Finn in a test of strength without breaking a sweat, it would make a statement about what he had to show to the world!

However, the moment Luke reached in to grab for Finn's hands, the Australian quickly ducked behind him! It all happened so quickly, Luke barely even had time to gasp. But the next thing he knew, Finn swung out with a forearm that caught him in the back! A loud crack echoed through the air; a few people in the crowd winced at the thought of how hard a blow it had been, and Flora had to avert her gaze from the sight. Finn, evidently, was quicker on his feet and with his wits than Luke had given him any credit for, and the stinging sensation in his back wasn't going away any time soon. He had doubled over forward with a groan, bent at the knees and with his feet spread apart, but he was still on his feet. In the end, it was going to take more than that to bring the American Hercules down.

Panting a few times, Luke nonetheless glanced back over his shoulder at his opponent. "Okay...not a bad start, I'll give you that," he conceded. "But if you're gonna start a fight...I should hope you came prepared!" Two could play at that game, after all. And Luke would soon demonstrate that, when he threw an elbow back behind him, aimed at Finn's chest with the force of a battering ram!

[Shadowheart]

Nice start. Klaus thought, watching his brother pull off the fake-out flawlessly. For a moment there, he had worried Finn might actually try to match strength with a former bodybuilder - but thankfully, his brother had more sense than that. He breathed a small sigh of relief, glad he didn't have to step in to bail him out just yet, though part of him knew that time would probably come sooner or later.

"You got him, bro!" Klaus shouted from the corner, clapping his hands to fire his brother up as the sound of his forearm smashing into Luke's back echoed through the arena. The move landed even better than expected, causing Luke to double over in pain. Confidence surged through Finn, and he wasted no time soaking it in, throwing his arms up to flex again, mimicking Luke's earlier pose once more just to add salt to the wound.

"Thought you were tougher than that!" The blonde taunted, grinning as the cameras zoomed in on him, his flex displayed on the big screens for everyone to see. Boos rained down from his opponent's loyal fans, but Finn just lapped it up, feeding off the moment.

Until... his celebration was cut short.

Finn turned back to Luke just a second too late, his eyes widening as a massive elbow rocketed toward him. "Wha—" The words caught in his throat, replaced by a sharp grunt as the elbow crashed directly into his chest! The crowd collectively winced, Klaus included, but most erupted in cheers as the blonde dropped to his knees upon impact, gasping for air and clutching his chest. The advantage he thought he had vanished in an instant as the force of the bodybuilder's elbow felt like it had blown a hole straight through his chest, leaving the surfer struggling to comprehend what just hit him.

[CaptainL]

Finn, to his credit, was learning quickly. He realized there was no way he could last his own in a straight-up contest of physical prowess between him and a former professional bodybuilder, so he was going to take an alternative approach, using mobility to his advantage and throwing a few tricks in Luke's path to throw him off his trail. Maybe, Luke thought to himself, this match wouldn't be quite so one-sided after all...but regardless, he was still convinced that he was going to win. Finn had caught him off-guard with that sudden elbow strike, but Luke was convinced it couldn't possibly compare to anything he was capable of dishing out. And that was something he was going to demonstrate, when he swung an elbow of his own behind him, straight toward Finn!

The blow landed with a crack, causing Finn to reel backward as a few gasps and cheers rang out at the sight of how much power Luke was capable of putting behind his strikes. Turning back around to face his foe, Luke smirked a contented smirk before he rolled his neck back and forth across his shoulders to loosen up his joints. "Yeah, that's about what I figured," he chuckled. "And don't expect those tricks to work on me again!"

Now that Finn was still reeling from the brunt of the blow, Luke was eager to press the advantage! Taking a few strides closer, he would move to throw his arm between Finn's legs, going to lift him off the ground and set up a scoop slam; if that worked, he would hurl him straight down into the ground as though it were effortless! Luke didn't just want to take his opponent down - he wanted to show just how easy he could make it look!

[Shadowheart]

"C'mon, bro, focus up!" Klaus shouted from the corner, concern written all over his features as he watched his brother reel from that rather brutal elbow to the chest. He knew keeping focus was easier said than done, especially when the guy delivering the hit looked like he was carved out of granite. But he also knew that if his younger brother didn't recover quickly, things were about to spiral out of control.

The blonde, however, was still stunned, already regretting his decision to taunt instead of pressing the attack when he had the advantage. In his defense, it felt pretty great to show off after landing a hit on a guy Luke's size - who wouldn't take a victory lap? He figured he was about to pay the price now, though, as the ground beneath his bare feet seemed to tremble with every heavy step his opponent took in his direction.

Clearly not able to fully gather his bearings fast enough, he soon felt that massive arm slip between his legs, scooping him up like he weighed absolutely nothing. Blue eyes went wide, legs kicking helplessly in the air while Luke wasted no time in swinging him right into position with frightening ease.

"Wait, wait, wait!" The surfer tried to protest, shaking his head sideways desperately, but his pleas fell on deaf ears before the former bodybuilder unceremoniously slammed him down hard into the mat! "Agh!!" A groan immediately escaped him, his body bouncing once from the sheer force of the impact while the crowd roared at Luke's display of raw strength, their excited screams filling the whole arena! Once he settled on the mat, Finn arched his back in pain, slowly rolling onto his side as he clutched his spine and writhed on the mat in front of his opponent.

[CaptainL]

Finn was no slouch himself. He had a powerful build of his own, and his well-sculpted physique had played no small part of winning the attention of more than one young lady in the crowd (as well as some that weren't young, or weren't ladies). But all that was dwarfed when he was put next to a titan like Luke - not only when the two stood side by side, but when Luke managed to effortlessly hoist him up into the air! The sight of Luke tossing Finn around like it meant nothing was already enough to win several gasps and cheers from the crowd - it was a display of the former bodybuilder's strength, and one he was happy to play up. But the cheers would only get louder a moment later, when Luke hurled Finn to the ground with a canvas-shaking thud!

Luke looked up with a grin as the arena went wild. Finn was laying there limp on the mat, still reeling from the impact - which meant he had his moment to do as he pleased. Never one to pass up the opportunity to gloat, Luke took a step forward, panting a foot against his prone opponent as he flexed two biceps for the flashing cameras all around him. Even before this match was over, he was using Finn as proof of his indomitable might. But of course, this match wasn't over. And Luke wasn't done with him, either!

Now that Finn was down, Luke stepped around to get behind him, looming over him from above. He grabbed for one of his legs and tried to wrap it behind his own to hold things in place - if that worked, he would drop down on top of him, throwing his arm around his throat to pull it back in an STF and contort his spine in two directions!

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