"Watch out for the left! Okay, jab! Jab!"

"I'm jabbing, I'm jabbing!"

"Don't look at me! Pay attention to the fight! JAB!"

"I AM jabbing Sid!"

"That's it kid! Keep jabbin'! Show em' what yer made of! They don't stand a chance against you with a jab like that!"

Kay's arm flew by the face of her opponent at record speed. Out, back. Out, back. Out, back. There was no way she'd be able to dodge these for much longer. Sooner or later her fist would connect, and then BAM! Just like that. Kay would be the winner, and she'd prove to Johnny once and for all that she could do it. She was for real, and she didn't want anyone thinking otherwise.

Out, back. Out, back. Out, CRACK! Kay's fist rammed itself into the nose of her opponent. The girl flew back in obvious pain and fell down on the mat.

"That's my girl!" shouted Sid to everyone in the tiny gym. "I trained her! I taught her that jab! Haha!"

Kay backed away, and watched as the girl's trainer run into the ring to inspect his prize fighter.

"Her nose is broken! You broke her nose!" he screamed angrily.

"No pain, no gain," chuckled Sid, as he walked through the ropes and into the ring. "Nice work kid. You're all right."

"Thanks," she replied, flashing a smile to her coach.

As Sid began taking off Kay's gloves, she subtly examined the girl lying on the blood stained mat in front of her. Sometimes she wondered why she even loved this brutal sport.

"All done. Let's get you cleaned up, eh?"

"What?"

"You're eye kid. You've got yourself a pretty nice little trophy to show off to all yer friends at school," he grinned.

Kay's hand slowly and painfully made its way up towards her eye. It stung when she touched it, and for the first time, she realized she couldn't even see through it.

"Yeah, I know. It's pretty swollen," he offered, "but it'll heal. Forget about it."

Grabbing her by the arm, Sid quickly led her down the stairs to her locker. Her face and arms were soaked with sweat and she glistened in the dimly lighted room. She grabbed the cleanest towel she could find, and sat down on the bench behind her.

"You fought good today kid. Not everyone can do it like you can ya know. You're a natural! I saw it in you the first time we met." He sat down next to her and pulled out the First Aid Kit. "Now let's take a look at that."

'Sid is old,' Kay suddenly thought as she felt him rub something over the lump that was now her eye. She'd never really noticed exactly how old until now. Of course, that didn't matter to her at all. Strange as it sounds, he was actually one of her closest friends; a confidant whom she could tell anything to. She would trust him with her life any day of the week, and she was sure he felt the same. Their relationship was more of a mentor/student type than anything else, but there was more to it than that. She was the daughter he never had, and she took pleasure in knowing how important she was to him.

He'd often brag to her about how good he was when he was her age, and she couldn't help but laugh at the thought. "I was the fighter in my day, kid," he informed her. "No one could beat me. Everyone wanted a piece of Sid Spectacular!"

It was hard to imagine someone as small as Sid pounding on men three times his size. However, once you got to know him, it became apparent that what he lacked in height and build, he made up for in stamina and determination. He was tough as nails, and in the world of boxing that's the only thing that really matters.

She'd often thought about what her friends and family would think if they ever saw her in a fight. Could you imagine the look on her mother's face? It would be a Kodak moment, that's for sure. 'But it can never happen,' she thought sadly. 'No one can ever find out about it. No one can ever know.'

She hid it relatively well. Arranging her schedule so that all her practices and fights wouldn't seem noticeable to anyone who asked where she was going. None of it was ever noticeable. She'd never even really been hurt until now. Lying her way out of this one would be tough, but she'd manage. She'd always managed somehow.

"All done. Now," said Sid as he stood up and put the kit back on the shelf, "remind me next time to work on a little ducking. You didn't even see that punch coming. Take a shower and get changed. I'll take you home."

Kay glanced up at the man she admired so. "Thanks."

"No problem kid. Anytime."

The short, athletic man made his way back upstairs to the tiny all night gym owned by his boss, Johnny Spencer. Now there was a guy you didn't want to meet in the ring. He'd eat you up and spit you out like nobody's business; one of the reasons why he was the man in charge around these parts. No matter what the circumstances, Johnny always came out on top. And he was always looking for fresh talent to attract paying customers.

"Hey Sid!" A large, muscular man wearing a muscle shirt and shorts ran up to him.

"What?"

"Man, I saw that fight earlier; you got quite a little boxer on your hands! She practically knocked that girl's nose off her face!"

"Yeah, I know. She's damn good. But I don't want her gettin' cocky. You, uhh... you think she's good enough for Johnny yet?"

"Are you kidding! Man, that girl has what it takes, no doubt about it."

The tiny bell attached to the top of the door began to chime, and Sid turned around in time to see an all too familiar sight walk through the door.

'Damn cops,' he thought angrily. 'Why can't they just leave us the hell alone?' Sid walked over to the man and gave him the most polite smile he could muster at the moment.

"Can I help you?" he asked.

"Yeah. Officer Lopez-Fitzgerald. I want to talk to you about someone I think you know."