Punch-Out!

Chapter 36: The Dream Fight

Mr. Dream might have been an incredible fighter, Mac thought as he advanced toward his opponent. But that didn't mean that he was perfect, so all Mac had to do was test his defense and find the weakness just like all the others. So he took the careful approach, giving a quick jab here, and a fast hook there to see how his opponent handled it. Mr. Dream was able to perfectly block each one, which was expected, and Mac was about to try another approach, when his opponent threw out the quickest and most fluid uppercut that Mac had ever seen.

He was fast enough to block it, but the force of the blow simply threw Mac's arms out of the way, allowing it full access to his chin. Mac's head was rocketed backwards as he was completely knocked off his feet, crashing to the mat hard as the crowd went wild. He nearly rolled over backwards after landing, and by the time his vision came back into focus, the Referee was already at three of his count.

"Four – Five." The Referee counted. "Six."

Scrambling back to his feet, Mac was up by the time seven was called out, and like before, he was happy to receive the standing eight count before continuing. He had heard about the infamous Lullaby Uppercut, and it certainly lived up to its name, but Mac wasn't about to give his opponent another opportunity to use it. Taking the offensive this time, but no longer playing around, Mac rushed at him with the rapid punching attack he had learned from Piston Honda. Again, Mr. Dream was able to block all of his hits, but it wasn't as easy for him this time, and the legendary fighter was forced to take a step back after every couple punches.

Stopping suddenly in order to break through with a King Hippo haymaker, Mac was suddenly hit in the mouth as Mr. Dream came back with some quick jabs of his own. Backing off for a second to collect himself, Mac didn't get the chance as his opponent was immediately on him with more quick jabs. He tried to block them, but Mr. Dream was too fast, hitting him hard in the torso and face each time he tried to block the opposite. And then the next uppercut came from out of nowhere, sending Mac reeling backwards into the ropes. The elastic barrier then launched him forward again, making the crowd roar as Mac slammed down onto his face.

"Get up, Mac!" Doc yelled. "Get up!"

Well, he was certainly trying his best, but the Referee was to six this time before he was able to get up to his knees. Thankfully the ropes were nearby, because without them he never would have been able to get back up in time, standing up just as the number nine was called out. Looks like there was no standing eight count this time, and he had just been given the signal to continue, when he was able to sigh with relief as the bell rang. Round one was over, and Mac couldn't have been happier about that as he returned to his corner.

"Holy crap." He said as Doc toweled off his forehead. "I've fought some tough guys before, but this is on a whole new level."

"Well, kid, there's a reason he never lost." Doc replied. "But remember, he's not a machine; he's a man like you, and he makes mistakes. And even if he don't, it still takes time to throw a punch, so if he misses, you can get'em."

That was true, and it was a better plan than nothing, so now all he had to do was manage to avoid a punch, and that would be his time to counter attack. So the bell rang, and this time Mac used more caution as he approached his opponent. Now they slowly circled around, and Mac dodged a quick jab, but Mr. Dream was still able to block it when he came back with one of his own. Suddenly his opponent came forward with two quick jabs followed by an uppercut, and somehow Mac was able to avoid each one this time. Doc was right, it took Mr. Dream a lot of time to recover from the uppercut, and Mac didn't want to waste this opportunity, so he pulled back and gave the legendary fighter a Star Punch right in the mouth.

The crowd cheered as Mr. Dream stumbled backwards, and Mac didn't give him the chance to recover as he followed, letting out a battle cry as he hit his opponent with a King Hippo haymaker. Mr. Dream used another uppercut to stop the attacks, but Mac squatted down to avoid it, did a small hop forward, and came back up with an uppercut just like Bald Bull had done. This time his opponent was sent reeling backwards, and it looked like he was going to fall down, but then he stopped stumbling and appeared to regain his balance. Mac was too far away to continue this chain of attacks, so Mr. Dream was able to center himself by the time Mac got there.

Those blows might not have knocked him down, but they should have at least severely weakened his opponent. So Mac tried the same careful strategy again, but apparently Mr. Dream wasn't having it. He rushed forward, giving Mac a jab to the face before he could react, and continuing to drive him back with quick punches until Mac found his back up against the turnbuckle. The punches kept coming, and now that he had nowhere to run, Mac's only option was to try and block them. This was easier said than done, however, as Mr. Dream was able to take advantage of every opening, pummeling Mac until he was barely able to lift his gloves. Finally the uppercut came, striking Mac in the jaw, and making him slide down the turnbuckle to a sitting position on the mat.

It was even harder to get up this time, Mac's vision blurred and his ears ringing, but somehow he managed, and even Mr. Dream seemed shocked to see him get up before the count was finished. In fact, his opponent now looked angry, the perpetual smirk gone from his face and replaced by a scowl. Luckily for Mac, the bell rang just after the count was finished, so he was able to make his way back to the corner, where he nearly fell onto the stool.

"I can't win, Doc." He said between labored breaths. "This is nuts."

"Yes, you can, kid." Doc encouraged as he gave him water to spit. "Look at him, he's pissed off, right? But ask yourself why. It's because he's not used to someone lastin this long against him, and that anger's gonna make him sloppy. You got Mr. Dream angry and winded, look at him, that's more than anyone else ever did."

Mac looked over into the corner where his opponent was sitting, and Doc was right yet again. Mr. Dream was definitely angry and frustrated looking, and he was sweating really badly. The legendary fighter's chest was also heaving, meaning that he really was getting tired.

"Okay, kid, here's the plan." Doc continued. "Forget about defense, I want you to throw everything you've got left at this guy, just like Sandman did to you in the title fight, got it? This is the final round, and your last chance."

"Sure, Doc." Mac replied, willing to try anything at this point. "Anything you say."

The bell rang, and Mac ran forward like a lunatic, avoiding the uppercut that Mr. Dream threw out, only because his opponent had used it too late. Colliding with him, the force of Mac's run drove his opponent back into the turnbuckle, and he was now in too close for Mr. Dream to block, so he was able to strike him in the face and torso with hook, after hook, after hook. Mac was losing energy fast, so he needed to take the risk of backing up a step in order to make his final move. Moving sideways and hesitating for a second, Mac gave Mr. Dream one of Sandman's uppercuts.

The blow didn't floor him right away, nor was it expected to, which was why the move didn't end there. With another hesitation, the second uppercut struck his opponent in the jaw as well, this time making look really dizzy, and with the final hesitation the third uppercut was thrown. However, this was Mr. Dream's last chance as well, so he came forward, purposely walking right into the last uppercut so that he could hit Mac with a final one of his own. Both attacks hit their targets, and the two fighters were sent reeling backwards.

Mac stumbled all the way across the ring, where he fell against the turnbuckle, and slid to the mat. Mr. Dream, meanwhile, tripped over his own two feet while stumbling, and fell sideways right between the top two ropes and out of the ring, where he crashed to the hard floor. The crowd was so stunned by this that they fell silent, and even the Referee hesitated for a couple seconds before he was able to start the count that would disqualify both fighters if one of them didn't get up.

"One – two – three." He called out.

Mac had already started moving before then, but had only managed to get to his hands and knees. There was no sign of Mr. Dream yet, but he still had to somehow find the strength to get up, and he was so tired.

"Four – five – six." The Referee counted.

Then Mac saw it, a hand reaching up for the ropes from the outside of the ring, and attached to it was a red-faced Mr. Dream who appeared to be having just as much trouble getting up as Mac was. With great effort, Mac was able to get to his knees, and now all he had to do was pull himself up with the ropes before his opponent did. So he pulled and pulled, tied with Mr. Dream as they progressed inch by inch.

"Seven – eight - nine." The Referee counted.

They were both just about up, and it looked like the match was going to continue, in which case Mac didn't have a chance. But then it happened: Mr. Dream's hand slipped off the ropes, and he vanished from sight outside the ring just as Mac came to a standing position.

"Ten." The Referee counted before signaling for the bell.

Mac just stood there in a daze, shaking a little as he heard the bell, his mind not completely registering that the fight was over, even as the Referee raised his arm in victory. The crowd had recovered from their shock by this point, and began cheering as camera flashes started to appear.

"Ladies and Gentlemen, the winner by knockout." The Referee continued. "And undisputed greatest fighter in the history of the W.V.B.A., I give you – the legendary Little Mac!"

The crowd got louder as Doc came in through the ropes to hug him, but Mac was still in a daze as the ring quickly filled up with reporters and eager fans. Somehow Alice managed to work her way to the front of the crowd, and threw her arms around Mac, only to have to catch him as she almost knocked him over.

"Mac, I'm so proud of you!" She exclaimed as pictures were snapped of their hug. "You did it! You won! I knew you were the best, I just knew it!"

"I won?" He asked. "I – I really won? Does that mean we can go home now? I wanna go to bed."

She nodded, and Mac leaned heavily on her as the crowd slowly cleared a path for the best fighter in the W.V.B.A. Now it was Doc's turn to be stunned as he watched the two of them walk toward the exit, his mind filled with memories. Memories of a nobody kid who had the guts to reach for his dreams. Memories of long runs while ringing the bicycle bell to keep people out of the way. And most importantly, memories of never giving up no matter how tough things got, until that final prize was his.

"Way to go, kid." Doc said quietly as Mac and Alice left the arena. "Way to go."