what this wrestling thing is.’’ Balto admitted. Brent gave a small chuckle.

‘’That isn’t a problem Balto,’’ he replied, ‘’I know everything there is to know about the sport. I watched it on television all the time in 2025. I’ll teach you and Rail Wolf how to wrestle. But it won’t come easy. This tournament will stretch all our bodies to their limits, so we have to be prepared for the worst. Got that?’’

Balto nodded.

‘’Got it.’’ He answered. Brent turned to Rail Wolf. He hesitated, but gave a thumbs-up.

‘’I’m in.’’ he said. Brent smiled and remarked, ‘’well, first things first, let’s get back to my house. We have to start training.’’ Without any more discussion, the three headed for Brent’ house on the outskirts of Nome.

In Brent’s secret lab, Brent stood in front of a bare wall. As Balto and Rail Wolf watched, Brent grabbed a test tube and pulled it down. The wall lifted up, revealing a plain square-wrestling ring, with red ropes and black turnbuckles. Brent grabbed a whistle and explained, ‘’okay, let’s work on some basic moves. Balto, you and Rail Wolf get onto the outside of the ropes. I’ll get our test subject.’’

As Balto and Rail Wolf headed toward the ring, Brent opened a closet and pulled out a crash test dummy. But this one was different. It had an artificial intelligence, which made it react and counter any move. Brent set the dummy’s intelligence to Level One and carried it into the ring. Standing in the centre of the ring, Brent set the dummy into a standing position and called Balto inside. Balto climbed into the ring and stood at the ready. Brent shook his head and exclaimed, ‘’no, no, no! You have to have some safety equipment, unless you want to wind up with broken bones.’’

Balto sighed and asked, ‘’well, where is this safety equipment?’’

Brent pointed to a cardboard box near the turnbuckle to Balto’s left. Balto walked over and pulled out some wristbands, elbow and kneepads and a stylish neck-brace. Balto put on the equipment and got ready. Brent turned on the dummy and got outside the ring.

‘’Okay Balto,’’ he called, ‘’first are the basics. Grapples, weak strikes, and reversals! Okay, grapple the dummy. Just put both your hands onto his shoulder blades and grip tightly.’’

Balto nodded and did as he was asked.

‘’Now, let him go.’’

Balto released his grip and jumped back. The dummy shook its head and grappled Balto tightly. Brent saw this and yelled, ‘’now, reverse the grapple!’’

Balto took a deep breath and kneed the dummy in the chest, forcing it to release its grip. The dummy stepped back and lunged at Balto, who grappled it and jumped forward, landing a Takedown on the dummy. Brent clapped his hands and replied, ‘’very good Balto. Nice job! Now Rail Wolf, it’s your turn.’’

Balto wiped the sweat from his forehead and patted Rail Wolf on the shoulder.

‘’Good luck.’’ He remarked. Rail Wolf smiled and got into the ring. The dummy was the first to grapple, but this time, he grabbed Rail Wolf around the back. Rail Wolf grabbed the dummy’s shoulder and flipped it over him head. Balto and Brent watched in amazement as the dummy slammed into the mat with enough force to make it vibrate. The dummy got back onto its feet and lunged at Rail Wolf. He smiled grabbed the dummy by the neck, spun around quickly and landed a Swinging DDT on it. Brent blew his whistle and yelled, ‘’great guys. Now, let’s work on some advanced grapple moves.’’

Brent set the dummy to Level Two and replied, ‘’this guy is harder now. I will remind you, don’t try anything that you couldn’t do more than once.’’

Balto nodded as his test dummy was activated and the fight began. The dummy ran right at him and landed a hard punch. Balto got up and threw the dummy into the ropes. It bounced back and Balto grabbed it, spinning around and slamming its head right into the mat. Picking the dummy up, Balto grappled it and turned to Brent.

‘’How do you win a wrestling match anyway? You never told us that.’’ He asked. Brent slapped his forehead and replied, ‘’darn it, you’re right! You win a match either one of three ways. Pin, submission or TKO-or total knock out. Right now, a pin would be your best bet. Just put your opponent into a position where he can’t get out. But you have to beat him enough before you can get a three-count. Once I count three, you win.’’

Balto nodded and kneed the dummy, making it fall. Grabbing it by the back of the legs, Balto spun around and jumped backward, slamming the dummy’s face into the mat. Balto then turned it over and lay on top of the dummy. Brent jumped in and slammed his paw on the mat, counting as he did.

‘’One, two, three! Pin fall!’’ Brent yelled. Balto got off the dummy and stood up. Rail Wolf then got into the ring. The dummy was reset and the match began. Rail Wolf grappled the dummy and landed a Suplex on it, making its head bounced upward from the impact. The dummy got back to its feet and grappled Rail Wolf. It kneed him in the groin (which didn’t hurt because Balto and Rail Wolf were given “extra” safety equipment.) Rail Wolf bent down and was slammed face first into the mat. The dummy lay on top of Rail Wolf and got a three count. He got up and walked to the outside of the ring. Balto put his paw on Rail Wolf’s shoulder and replied, ‘’you did your best. We just need practice.’’

And practice they got. A four-week program to be exact. By the end of it, Balto and Rail Wolf were experts in wrestling. But one last surprise came their way. Another letter was dropped off at Brent’s doorstep. It read;

DEAR BALTO,

THE TOURNAMENT IS TOMORROW AT THE NOME ARENA. IF YOU DON’T SHOW UP, WE WILL WIN BY DEFAULT. OH AND YOU NEED FOUR WRESTLES ON YOUR TEAM. GOOD LUCK FINDING ONE BY TOMORROW.

AMTRAK

Balto saw this and punched his test dummy almost across the ring.

‘’Great,’’ he exclaimed, ‘’where are we going to find another wrestler now?’’

Brent sighed and replied, ‘’I can’t tell you Balto. I don’t know.’’

Little did they know that a wrestler was sitting right under their noses.

In another secret makeshift ring, someone else was training. Having caught wind of this tournament, they had started to practice with what Brent had told Balto and Rail Wolf. She was athletic, flexible and very beautiful. It was someone neither Balto nor Brent nor Rail Wolf would have thought would be able to survive in a wrestling match. She wore a dark brown cloak that only exposed her eyes. Her muzzle and mouth made faint outlines in the fabric, which concealed her identity even more. She stepped back and bounced off the ropes, landing a strong lariat kick on a wooden figure of Steele. She broke the figure into hundreds of wooden fragments. She smiled.

‘’Now that my training is complete, time to see Balto about joining his team.’’

Brent’s doorbell rang, getting Brent’s attention. He turned to Balto and asked, ‘’wonder who that could be?’’

Balto shrugged and answered, ‘’I dunno. Better go and see.’’

Brent nodded and walked to his front door. Opening it, he saw a figure in a dark brown cloak.

‘’Yes,’’ Brent asked, ‘’can I help you?’’

‘’I have heard that you need a fourth team-mate. I want to join.’’

Brent did a small examination of the figure. She seemed to be a tad small to be a wrestler, and she also didn’t seem to be too strong.

‘’Well, I guess I could at least see what you are capable of. Come on in, but don’t breathe a word of my secret ring to anyone. Got it?’’

The figure nodded and followed Brent down the stairs into the ring. Balto and Rail Wolf saw the figure and gave Brent a confused look.

‘’Who the heck is that?’’ Rail Wolf questioned.

‘’She wants to join our team,’’ Brent then realised that he hadn’t got her name, ‘’wait, we haven’t been introduced. I’m Brent MacWolf, and these are my friends Balto and Rail Wolf. Who might you be?’’

‘’My name is Jessie. Jessie McMahon. I’m an expert in wrestling, and I challenge you to a match to prove my strength.’’

Brent smiled and shook his head.

‘’I pity you Jessie. I’m not going to go easy on you. I’m quite tough.’’

Brent put on some safety equipment and got ready. Balto blew the whistle and the match started. Brent bounced off the ropes and ran right at Jessie, launching himself in a full body assault. Jessie caught Brent in mid-air and threw him onto the ground. She then picked Brent’s dazed self off the mat and threw him into the turnbuckle. Jessie stepped back and ran right at the semi-conscious Brent and launched a flying kick. Brent rolled out of the way, causing Jessie to miss and fly right into the ropes. Brent got back into the centre of the ring and replied, ‘’the first thing you have to remember