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Doc spread the plans for the Voodoo machine out on his table, his expression focused to a laser-point. He’d spend so many sleepless nights perfecting just the blueprint, and he suspected he was finally nearing its completion. He smirked, a light of accomplishment sparking in his tired eyes. Nothing could stop him now, as long as there weren’t any unforeseen distracti-
“Hey, Doc!” Zedaph’s voice chirped behind him, starting Doc out of his villainous daze with a frankly embarrassing bleating noise. Doc quickly calmed himself, although his breath was still quite heavy. Doc adjusted his posture to look even taller than he was, a habit he couldn’t seem to shake. “Zed- how, wh-” Doc sputtered, his tail lashing. “This place is a secret! How did you-” Doc whipped around to see Zedaph sitting backwards on one of his chairs, the look on his face signalling that he was, as always, up to something.
Zedaph tapped his chin innocently. “Oh, it is? Sorry, Doc!” he chuckled, leaning forward. Zedaph hopped off the chair, starting towards Doc. “Well, while I’m here… I’ve always been curious about something, and this is the perfect opportunity to test it.” He circled Doc, before looking up and touching one of Doc’s curled horns. Doc pulled away from the touch, scoffing and rubbing the spot Zedaph had touched like he’d personally slighted him.
Zedaph chuckled nervously, pulling back and shaking his hand off. “Aaanyway…” he continued. “Y’know how sheep and goats fight with their horns? Well, I’ve never tried it, and I figured you’d be just the man to go to!”
Doc is many things, and worryingly competitive is one of those things at many opportunities. A smirk crept onto his face, and he let out a scoffing laugh. “Oh, please, with those puny things?” Doc gestured at the small horns growing out of Zedaph’s forehead. “You wouldn’t have a chance against me.” The taller goat beastkin stretched his arms over his head, his ears flicking. “But, if you're really eager… 10 diamond blocks if you can beat me.”
Zedaph thought for a second. He crossed his arms, a determined expression coming across his face. “15 and you don’t hold back.”
Doc’s voice dropped dangerously. “We have a deal.”
Zedaph adjusted his posture as he stared down Doc, who was standing on the other side of the room. He couldn’t lose his nerve now, even though he was far too in over his head. Doc’s mechanical eye flickered as it analyzed the situation in front of it for the perfect possible opening. His eyes hardened as he saw how nervous Zed was starting to get, and he gave the countdown.
“Drei, zwei, eins…”
The two charged at each other, meeting in the middle with a clash of horns. Zedaph knew Doc was much stronger than him, but he didn’t expect the sharp headache he’d get at the collision, his brain rattling in his skull from the force. Zedaph squeezed his eyes shut, trying in vain to hold Doc off him as Doc pushed him back. He felt the pressure on his head release as Doc let him go, a dangerously smug expression on his face. “You’re going to have to try a bit harder than that, lamb.” Doc taunted, giving Zed a moment to recover before charging again.
This time, Zedaph was prepared to counter, and he jerked his head up so the force spread out over his horns rather than focusing directly onto his forehead and nearly giving him a concussion. Doc stepped back, a bit stunned as Zed managed to push him back a bit. “Impressive…” he mused, before forcing Zed back again. Zed dug his hooves into the floor, stopping himself from being pinned against the wall just in time. He growled, putting all his force into gaining some ground against Doc, but it went about as well as you’d expect. Doc was very strong and broad, a wall of honed muscle and cybernetic parts, and Zed wasn’t exactly the most althletic hermit out of the bunch.
Zed bleated in frustration, and Doc responded with a rumbling chuckle. He gave another push, this time successfully forcing Zedaph against the wall of the lab. He stared down at Zed, knowing he’d come out on top. “And there we are. Guess you have to relent, huh, lamb? I won.”
But Zedaph still had one more trick up his sleeve. He smirked, and pulled back. Then, with all his remaining strength, he drove his horns upward, directly into the underside of Doc’s head. Doc’s eyes widened as his entire body was rattled. His vision blurred around the edges as he tried to regain balance, and Zed realized he might’ve headbutted him a bit too hard as he wobbled and passed out.
Doc awoke to Zedaph kneeling beside him, shaking him slightly, a worried expression on his face. One of Zedaph’s horns seemed to be cracked from the force he used to knock out Doc, but he paid it no mind, moreso worried about Doc and if he had accidentally given him a concussion.
Doc sat up, a hand pressed to his temple. He had a pounding headache and still felt quite off-balance, but other than that he was unharmed. He pushed himself to his feet using Zedaph’s shoulder, grumbling to himself. “That was… not fair,” he huffed. “But, I suppose you did… technically beat me.”
Zedaph stood, his tail starting to wag. The whole knocking Doc out and nearly giving him brain damage thing was not something he expected to work, not in the slightest. But, apparently, it did. As Doc left the lab to begrudgingly retrieve Zed’s agreed-upon prize, something popped up on Zed’s goggles.
Zedvancement complete!
Beat the G.O.A.T at his own game!