Mia laughed, a real one. She reached over and offered a fist bump.

Crusher slammed into Samson —but didn’t push it. Instead, Crusher’s front blade slid right over Samson’s low slope. Then Samson moved. A single motor pulse turned it 20 degrees. Crusher , overcommitted, slid past, its wheels brushing the edge of the ring.

~600 The fluorescent lights of the community center hummed a low, nervous tune. Leo tapped his foot under the table, his eyes locked on the small, makeshift dohyo —a circular ring of black poster board taped to the floor.

The physics was brutal. Crusher , with its high center of gravity and rear-heavy weight, pivoted on one wheel. The tilt became a lean. The lean became a slide. And Little Samson , still calm as a toaster, simply rolled forward.