First Chapter
"Welcome to the W.B.V.A tournament."
The announcement rang through the air like the sirens wailing out in the crowd. Many people gathered around the entrances and concessions – the air smelled like butter to some. This is no time for food. This is time for opportunity.
Mac was just getting over his victory as the world champion. He had never thought he'd defeat his final opponent with such speed and knowledge. He never would have imagined he'd win each one of his title defenses, either.
This was Mac's time to shine, but it was not Mac's time to win.
His crowd of fans lined the Star of Crowns Stadium inside and out. Inside the crowd was his opponent, pushing his way through to face the champion. Little would Mac know that this opponent was no macho hombre; nor was it the Russian wild boy. Instead, it was somebody from a time and place far from here.
"The Astro, Tinieblas!"
Mac looked up, and in the ring was a masked man wearing a sombrero and a poncho. The young boxer looked back at his coach, a lightly greying Doc Louis.
"Doc," Mac whispered, "this is the W.V.B.A number one contender?"
"Mac baby!" Louis yelled back, "this is C.W.A number one champion! His name is uh, uh…"
Doc Louis scrambled to get out a wrinkled poster of tonight's match. "… Scorpion, something or another – look Mac baby, just keep your distance, get the kid dancing, throw out an uppercut!"
Mac's other coach and previous W.V.B.A opponent, Von Kaiser interrupted, "ze uppercut! Ze uppercut!"
Mac and Louis looked despairingly at Von Kaiser.
"Just do what I told you to do, Mac, and you'll be fine!"
"Ze uppercut!"
Little Mac looked back at his opponent and grunted. This is just another opponent to him. The bell rang out, and the two opponents ran out from their corners. The end of the W.V.B.A tournament was finally under way!
The Scorpion used one of his trademark jumps. Mac was already taken off guard by the legendary luchador's agility – he turned around into a flying kick to the chest.
WHAM!
"Guh-uh…!" Little Mac let out as he slipped on one knee. He looked back up and did not see his opponent.
"Mac baby! Behind you! Behind –"
Von Kaiser pushed the coach out of the way. "Ze uppercut, Mac! Mac! Mac!"
Mac swung around and saw another kick headed his way. This one was much faster! Mac put up his arms when he had to dodge. Scorpion's foot went through Mac's defense and knocked him out on the canvas in a mere second. The crowd went silent. Mac's coaches blinked. Scorpion retained his posture.
The referee began counting. "One! Two! Three!"
"Mac!" Doc Louis cried out.
"Ze upper… Mac, Mac! What are you doing on the canvas?" Von Kaiser yelled out, pointing at an unconscious Mac.
"Four! Five! Six!"
Mac rose to one rope, and then a second rope. Scorpion watched as Mac stood back to his two feet.
"Nine – t…"
Mac turned around, put up his gloves, and looked at his opponent. Kicks aren't so welcome in his fights. It's time to pay!
"You're good, you're good?!" The referee called out. Mac nodded as one eye shut.
The fight commenced again. Scorpion took off against the ropes as Mac danced around the ring. Scorpion attempted one of his flying kicks, but just at the right time…
"Ze uppercut!"
Mac finally listened to the insane German boxer, throwing a fierce uppercut past the flying leg of the luchador. Although the crowd could not see the flyer's reaction, Mac saw his opponent's eyes and grinned as the punch smashed the jaw of the Spanish wrestler.
KA-PHOOM!
The luchador went flying backwards, flipping along the ring into his corner. The referee was about to take count when the wrestler flipped back onto his feet.
"Odio este boxeador!" Scorpion yelled out, throwing his sash out to the crowd. He threw off his vest and began to move quickly around Mac.
The next exchanges of punches were the fastest seen in W.B.V.A, Mac's fiercely accurate attacks matching the Scorpion's accurately fierce jabs. The two managed to nearly knock the other out when…
DING!
The two fighters withdrew to their corners. Scorpion's mask was badly damaged to the point the enigmatic fighter's face could be seen. Mac's body and face were bruised, his left cheek bleeding and his hair a mess.
"Mac, baby! Throw something hard before this guy does that again!"
"Ze uppercut!" Von Kaiser yelled out.
The bell rang out again. The fighters returned to the center. Scorpion took Mac off guard again, however – he jumped high into the air.
Doc Louis ran to the side of the ring and yelled out to Mac, "Mac, move to right! Move the right!"
Mac side-stepped to the right as his coach said, and the luchador hit the ground hard. Scorpion hit the canvas so hard that he didn't see a strong hook coming to knock him down.
"Me sorprendió! Me sorprendió!"
BAM! Scorpion took off flying! He hit the floor of the ring. His mask was nearly totally broken off.
"Uppercut!" Von Kaiser yelled out.
The referee counted out loud with a roaring crowd, "one! Two! Three! Four! Five! S…"
Counting was cut short when the luchador hopped back to his feet. He shook his head and raised his arms to his opponent. His hands glowed. The referee checked in with the fighter. Seems fine.
There came a running wrestler toward the small boxer. With sudden urgency and opportunity, Scorpion laid the boxer down to the floor. The punch sent Mac nearly out of the ring. Instead, he sat on the floor of the ring.
The referee began counting!
"One! Two! Three! Four!" He said.
Louis and Kaiser were right by Mac.
"Get up Mac! Get up!"
"Five! Six! Seven!"
"Ze uppercut!" Kaiser screamed, hysterically jumping up and down.
The referee counted down as Mac could barely get up. "Eight! Nine…!"