A full moon hung over Elwood City in a dark blue sky and was accompanied by thousands of white stars, all the size of tiny dots. A majority of the buildings throughout the area had lights on, signifying that there were a lot of people still awake, most likely watching a specific show on TV, whether it be a sitcom, a crime drama, or a long-awaited game of gridiron football. The people who weren't in bed were adults. Some of them weren't even in their homes, and were instead joining their friends or relatives at a restaurant, bar, or the park enjoying the night while it was young. The only adults who were sleeping were the parents of young children, ranging from the age of three months to ten years. To put it simply, everything was normal in Elwood City as far as anyone could see and hear.

Arthur was sure that a great serenity was hanging over the city. He was certain that his parents and sisters were at home in bed. They weren't worried sick about were he was; he specifically told them that he would spend time at a friend's house after school and he would be home as soon as he could. As he expected, his gullible parents bought the lie and thought nothing else of it. This pleased Arthur immensely as it did Sharkbite- neither of them wanted any pest showing up and ruining Arthur's chance to be dubbed the Youngest Boxer in the United States or any other positive title.

Although he was excited about competing in the boxing tournament, Arthur felt a hint of anger deep within him. Upon their arrival to the sports arena, he and Sharkbite noticed that his name was on the giant board outside the building that advertised the event. Under the title of the tournament were the names of the young boxers who would be participating in the competition and were already known to be professional. Arthur's name was under a title that read: "FEATURING SPECIAL NEWCOMERS". The aardvark was proud to see his name on the board, but the sensation of pride was instantly drained when he saw the name of another new competitor. The name was not only that of a character he knew all too well, it was the name of the kid who had attempted to suffocate him long ago.

Under the name of Arthur Read was the name of Binky Barnes.

Arthur simply couldn't believe his eyes. His mind absolutely could not accept what he has just seen. He clenched his fists as he growled through his teeth, also clenched so hard they were sure to crack.

Sharkbite took notice of Arthur's sudden change in moods and put a hand on his shoulder. "Is this Binky Barnes the kid who tried to murder you?" he inquired.

"He is," Arthur responded; his words were spiced with rage.

"I'd figured he would come back for revenge," Sharkbite stated. "If you're put in the ring with him, show him no mercy! You won't be able to choke him like he did with you, but you've had proper training. You can take that runt down!"

"Yes I can!" Arthur hollered in a confident voice.

Sharkbite guided Arthur though the sports arena and into a special room where they would wait for Arthur's first round. The 8-year old boxer was amazed by all of the memorabilia that was displayed in the main lobby. It had more photographs, commemorative plaques, and trophies than the boxing gym did. The room where Arthur and Sharkbite would be staying in for their breaks during the duration of the tournament had an impressive design as well. With his eyes focused on his new surroundings, the outrage Arthur felt when he learned that Binky was also in the competition completely diminished, and he prepared himself for the tough fighting ahead of him.

The actual event didn't start until 8 PM. By then, the arena was filled with boxing fans, impatiently waiting for the tournament to begin. When it finally did, a middle-aged monkey seated with a much younger rat at a table close to the boxing ring spoke to get the audience settled.

"Ladies and gentlemen, the hour has finally come!" the monkey said into the microphone of his headset, causing everyone in the bleachers to cheer. "I'm Wayne Hales!"

"And I'm Jeffrey Mark-Collins!" said the rat in the same tone of voice. "We're here live at Tony's Sport Arena in downtown Elwood City for the fifth annual Youth Boxing Tournament! Tonight we will see six young and daring boxers step into the ring before us and battle for the grand prize of one thousand dollars!"

"To be honest, Jeff," Wayne told his partner; "I thought that the prize would be higher and more competitors would come, but I guess that's because of budget cuts; eh?"

"That might be true, Wayne," Jeffrey replied; "but we still got our boxers here this evening and they are ready to fight for not only the money, but for the title of Best Young Boxer in the State!"

Jeffrey went on to introduce the names of the six boxers in the tournament and Wayne would give a small comment about each participant. The four boxers who had a well-known reputation were the first to be presented to the audience who would respond with whistles and cheers of all volumes. When Arthur and Binky were introduced to the crowd, the ovation was low at first but gradually rose as footage of the two new boxers was shown. The major difference was, the video of Arthur had a noticeably stronger acclamation. Sharkbite heard the audience when he left the room to take a peek at the packed arena and, when he became acquainted with the fact that everyone wanted to see Arthur brawl, he immediately returned to Arthur to tell him the news.

"Everyone already loves you, Arthur!" Sharkbite exclaimed as he entered the room. "They've only seen a video of your training and they've instantly fell in love with you!"

"Really?" Arthur asked in awe.

"I'm not kidding!" Sharkbite replied. "Didn't you hear the roar of excitement out there as they said your name? This is what I've always told you about! You my friend are definitely going places!"

Sharkbite's words injected more gratification into Arthur. The aardvark smiled as he began to imagine what the future had in store for him. He saw himself in a lavish mansion wearing a championship belt around his waist and surrounded by photos of him standing victorious in a boxing ring with his opponent lying on the floor bruised and unconscious. The good life was not so far away, but Arthur knew that, in order to get there, he had to be focused on defeating other boxers in various tournaments; and tonight was no exception.

Arthur started to mentally prepare himself for his first round. He took calm breaths and at intervals he said, "Focus, Arthur. Focus on the fame and fortune ahead of you. None of those bozos stand a chance against you. You don't need anyone to pin you down. You are number one. You will always be number one."

As Arthur was busy with his meditation excercise, the first official round of the tournament was well underway. Binky Barnes and another boxer were punching and dodging each other's blows to the very best of their abilities. All the while, the people in the stands watched as the two young boxers fought, cheering and encouraging one of them to knock the other out cold. Each round was split into three parts and, by the end of the third, Binky stood in the ring while his opponent laid flat on the floor, his right eye a bit swollen from the untold number of times Binky's gloved fist had struck.

Everyone in the crowd did not appreciate how particularly brutal Binky was. Although boxing was a very violent sport, the bulldog had attacked his rival in an exceptionally scathing fashion than most boxers would and left the young rabbit severely hurt. As the other competitor was led away with the help of his trainer and a couple medical professionals, Binky climbed out of the ring and went with Rattles to their room. They were bombarded with a negative reception from the crowd, filled with boos, insults, and even a few items thrown at them.

Binky, feeling quite afraid of the response he received, turned to Rattles and said accusingly: "You said this would show everybody how tough I am!"

"It is," Rattles replied.

"But everyone doesn't seem to like me!" Binky whined.

"Binky, you're losing your touch of toughness!" Rattles snapped at the bulldog. "You have to remember that, to be a Tough Customer, you must have an indestructible will to show your enemies that you mean big trouble if they mess with you! You really let us down by getting beat up by Arthur! This is your chance to show us if you truly deserve to be a Tough Customer again! Do you understand that?!"

"I do!" Binky sobbed.

"So stop your whining and man up!" Rattles ordered as escorted Binky away for a break.

The immense outcry of Binky's vicious fight had finally toned down as Wayne and Jeffrey announced the next boxing match between Arthur and the second renowned boxer. As the aardvark entered the arena accompanied by the rabbit who trained him, the boos and jeers changed into cheers and cries of motivation. Arthur wasn't wearing his glasses as he did not want them to fall and get broken during the match. It didn't matter though, he was able to make out the blurry figure of the opposing boxer in front of him.

The match between Arthur and the second boxer lasted just as long as the first one, and, while Binky won to the utter disgust of the onlookers for his brutality, Arthur defeated his first rival and the crowd cheered and applauded him as he didn't attack with the force of a savage beast. The aardvark also managed to swiftly get back up on his feet if the moose was able to knock him to the floor. Arthur's boxing abilities and sheer knowledge of proper moves earned him a standing ovation; even the losing boxer gave him a small nod as he left the arena, a move which no one would believe had possibly happened.

The rest of the boxing tournament went on with Arthur and Binky receiving their distinct responses from the crowd after each boxing round. Their brawls with the last two boxers were similar in the time it took for them to defeat them, but both the aardvark and bulldog were successful in conquering their adversaries. When Binky sent his bear opponent stumbling to the ground, the people all around him objected his immoral use of strength and physical harm. When Arthur's opponent, a tall and semi-muscular cat, couldn't fight anymore, everyone's reaction was the complete opposite and carried on long after he had gone back to relax and await the final round.

Anybody watching the event who had a large amount of common sense would probably point out that it was entirely mediocre that one boxer would be acclaimed by all and the other would be taunted relentlessly. The notion of a certain player of any given sport getting all the attention was a topic that would be least debatable among all sport fans, but if such a thing was recognized in other sports, it would be at least talked about among small groups of fans.

What also made the fact that Arthur received the most acclaim by fans noticeable was the short summary Jeffrey gave to the audience before the tournament began. The rat stated that Arthur had defended himself against Binky when he assaulted him in the street, thus leaving a dark stain on Binky's reputation right before he entered the boxing ring. It should also be noted that the summary made no mention of a little sister who got punched by his older brother after she accidentally broke his model plane or the friends and family of the 8-year old boy who turned against him because he refused to say sorry to her. Arthur was not only relieved that nothing of the sort of mentioned, he was more confident than ever and ready for the final round.

The final round was the moment in the entire event everyone was waiting for. It was the fight every man and woman could not wait to see, whether they were at the arena or at home watching the tournament on TV. Arthur Read and Binky Barnes would go head to head in the ring and the last boxer standing would be named the Best Young Boxer in the State and walk home with one thousand dollars in his pocket.

As Sharkbite and Rattles got Arthur and Binky ready to fight each other, Wayne spoke into his headset to get the audience ready. "This is it, folks!" the monkey announced. "This is the moment that will truly rock the earth! A battle between the last two boxers in the competition! The final match that will determine who is strong and who is weak! A colossal fight between the barbaric ironclad Binky Barnes and the fearless combatant Arthur Read which will leave one kid with one thousand dollars and the other with a few cuts and bruises!"

Binky stared at Arthur as Rattles massaged his shoulders. "I can't believe I have to fight Arthur in front of all these people," he said to Rattles.

"Well, believe it or not, you still have to fight him," Rattles told Binky firmly. "You want to be a Tough Customer again, don't you?"

"Yeah," said Binky.

He was about to say something else but Rattles instantly stomped on his words. "Then you are going to beat Arthur! Understand?"

"Yes," Binky sighed.

From the opposite side, Arthur glared at Binky as Sharkbite rubbed his forehead. "So this is really how he's getting revenge on me?" he asked Sharkbite in a low, growling voice. "He thinks he can take me down after the police taught him a lesson?"

"Well, I can't read minds, Arthur," Sharkbite replied; "but I have to assume that's what he's planning to do. But remember this: you've had proper training. You know all too well how to can kick someone's ass. Show him that. Capiche?"

"Capiche," Arthur said with a nod.

The referee entered the ring, making it clear that the match was about to begin. Sharkbite and Rattles gave Arthur and Binky their mouth guards and the two boxers stepped forward. The referee leaned in and told the boys the rules of the final boxing match, which they were already familiar with; no hitting below the belt, only hit with the gloves, do not rabbit punch, and so on. After the boxers nodded to the referee, the last round officially commenced.

Arthur and Binky raised their gloved fists up and moved around the circle, awaiting for the first strike. Binky was clearly worried about hurting Arthur and getting booed out of the arena. Arthur took note of how scared his rival appeared and decided to use it against him.

Arthur started off by intimidating Binky with a few test jabs. The bulldog shied away from the aardvark each time before eventually gathering enough courage to throw a punch. Arthur blocked Binky's hit with his gloves and then threw his own blows at him. Binky staggered back as Arthur's fists struck him four times, much to the delight of the people watching from the bleachers. When the bulldog decided to stop acting like a coward and attacked his opponent, the aardvark saw it coming and fought back with jabs and various defense techniques.

Binky didn't know what to do anymore so he tried to force Arthur away from him, but it was difficult because of one particular rule that was put in play many others: you cannot push your opponent. Using as many punches as he knew and could do, the bulldog pathetically fought against the aardvark. At one point, when Binky made another crude attempt at punching Arthur in the face, Arthur did a counterpunch, successfully pounding Binky in the nose and causing him to collapse.

The referee ran over to Binky and started to count out loud. "One...two...three..."

The audience cheered for Arthur as if the round was over. "...four...five..."

"GET UP, BINKY!" an enraged Rattles shouted.

Fueled by the desire to be a member of the Tough Customer once again, Binky stumbled to his feet; all the while, dozens of people in the arena angrily urged him to fall back down. Once able to stand again, Binky noticed that there was a small stain of blood on his forearm. The blow from Arthur had damaged a tiny vein in his nose, allowing blood to course from his right nostril. Upon obtaining this knowledge, Binky stared furiously at Arthur before charging at him. He had quickly forgotten that Arthur was tougher than him and he didn't see the uppercut coming until Arthur's glove smashed into his nose again.

As the match rose in ferocity, everyone in the sport arena shouted with excitement every time Arthur punched Binky or prevented himself from getting hit by the enemy. Rattles looked on in amazement as the aardvark, who was shorter and lighter than the bulldog, displayed more confidence and skill than the past four boxers who had been defeated by the duo one at a time. Sharkbite watched his little student with immense satisfaction. It was this very event that highlighted Arthur's future career as a boxer. He couldn't be more happier than the first day of the aardvark's training, observing him day by day as he slowly became the perfect boxer- a young, intelligent, and vicious fighting machine. Now that he could see what all the work and toil had added up to, the rabbit could do nothing but grin.

Eventually, though, there came a moment in the round that nearly ended the tournament early. It was when Arthur was pounding Binky with all his might, and Binky was losing energy to fight back. Just as it seemed that the aardvark would conclude the match by pinning the bulldog on the floor, Binky managed to loosen Arthur's grip on him and he got back up. Arthur attempted to deliver another jab but Binky grabbed him by the armpits and harshly bashed his forehead into Arthur's. Upon letting him go, the crowd responded with a defeaning tumult and Arthur fell onto his knees.

The referee called Binky out for headbutting his competitor, which was deliberately against the rules, and Arthur carefully steadied himself to continue the fight. Binky's unexpected headbutt only stunned him for five seconds, and, once he fully recovered, the aardvark turned in the direction of the shamefaced bulldog. The rage within him was more powerful than it had ever been before. It was more stronger than when D.W. disobeyed him and destroyed his model plane. It was more sour than how emotionless his parents were when they reprimanded him for being a bully to his little sister. It was even more controlling than the three times he was viciously assaulted- first by Binky, then by D.W., and finally by his own father. All three violent fights had caused Arthur's hidden fury to jump to a higher level, and, because he was now near the end of the road to stardom, he finally allowed his concealed rage to possess him- to persuade him to do what Sharkbite ordered him to do to those who dared to challenge him: show them that he was a person not to be messed with and to be feared by enemies of all shapes and sizes.

Binky looked at Arthur as he slowly approached him. He gazed into his opponent's eyes and was convinced that the aardvark was being manipulated by a heartless, satanic entity based on his facial expression and physical movements. Because of the mouth guard, Binky was unable to talk to Arthur, to plead with him to stay back and stop the fight. Instead, the bulldog put his hands in front of him in an attempt to prevent him from getting hit. People in the crowd laughed loudly and taunted Binky for his cowardice; all of which turned to encouraging yells as Arthur snuck alongside him and then attacked with all the fury he had built up from the headbutt he received.

For the next thirty seconds, Arthur mercilessly punched Binky in the face again and again. Of course Binky would try to get Arthur to stop, but that was to no avail as the aardvark dodged and blocked the bulldog's throws every time. The entire arena watched in amazement as Binky was on the verge on defeat. It was made clear to everyone in the bleachers and the people watching at home that the match was about to end.

Binky finally fell onto his rear after Arthur gave him another jab to the cheek. As he covered his face in fear of yet another blow to the face, Binky prayed that Arthur wouldn't be so harsh with the final punch. Nothing happened. Binky hesitated for one brief moment before lowering his gloved hands. Arthur's fist smashed dead in his face and Binky's upper body slammed onto the floor of the boxing ring.

As the bulldog laid bruised and flat as a board, the referee ran up and again began to count. What was different this time was that the audience began to count along with the bear.

"One...two...three...four...five...six...seven...eight...nine...ten!"

The ovation from the entire crowd was overwhelming. The screams and cheers from everyone was at such a high volume that almost no one could hear Wayne say, "Ladies and gentlemen, we have found our newest, youngest boxer in the entire state! Walking home with that title and one thousand dollars in cash is the courageous, fearless, and powerful Arthur Read!"

There was another ear-splitting roar from the crowd as Arthur raised his fists straight into the air and strided in the center of the ring. Photographers snapped dozens of photos and Jeffrey entered the ring with a handheld microphone. "Congratulations, Arthur, you are the champion of the fifth annual Youth Boxing Tournament!" the rat said with pride. "You are going home tonight with one thousand dollars in cash! How do you feel?"

Jeffrey moved the microphone close to Arthur who replied, "I've never felt so alive in all my life! It's fantastic!"

Sharkbite appeared along his right side to congratulate Arthur. Jeffrey noticed the rabbit and asked, "To my understanding, you are Arthur's trainer?"

"I most certainly am," Sharkbite responded.

"Tell me, was it easy or hard to get this kid in shape; because Arthur definitely has the mind of a pro!" Jeffrey inquired.

"It wasn't hard at all," Sharkbite stated. "Arthur knew exactly what to do, when to do, and, you're not wrong at all, Arthur is a pro in every way possible!"

Arthur and Sharkbite shared a good laugh before exiting the arena with the audience still cheering for them. A few people on the other hand were laughing and mocking Binky as Rattles and two medical professionals escorted him away. Blood and tears cascaded down the bulldog's face as he was led backstage to clean him up and check if he was injured in any way.

After they collected the money and Arthur showered and changed into his second pair of clothes, the duo departed from the sport arena and began the journey home. It was three minutes after 9 PM, and while Arthur was exhausted, he was still exceedingly active as he and Sharkbite strolled through the parking lot, which was only in the beginning of being cleared out.

"This was the greatest day in my life, Sharkbite!" the aardvark exclaimed.

"I know," Sharkbite replied. "You kicked that bully's ass so hard he won't step ten feet towards you for as long as he lives!"

"That would be good for the rest of my ex-friends," said Arthur. "Of course, that won't happen once word spreads around school."

"Yeah, but let's hope that no one says this to their parents," Sharkbite told the aardvark; "because if they know, they'll freak out and call the cops."

"I'm sure that won't happen either," Arthur replied.

Sharkbite patted the side of his jacket where he kept the money. He asked, "You want to keep all the money or do you want to split it between us? Five hundred for you and five hundred for me?"

"Yeah, I'll take five hundred," Arthur responded. "It is fair, especially since you're the one who taught me all I needed to know about boxing."

"That's nice of you to say that," Sharkbite said. "You know, you're a really good kid apart from your viciousness in the ring. If only your parents could understand that."

As if on cue, a pair of headlights crept up behind them and a car horn startled Arthur and Sharkbite. "What the hell?!" Sharkbite yelled as he and Arthur turned to look behind them.

In the red station wagon behind the duo was Jane and David- Jane was at the steering wheel while David sat in the passenger seat. Jane instantly recognized the teenager who was with their son and her eyes grew twice their size. David shrunk back in his seat. He knew exactly who the rabbit was and what he and Arthur did to him days ago. He did not want to get out of the car and confront him, but, at the house, Jane insisted that they had to do whatever possible to get their eldest child in the car and back home safely.

Jane and David popped out of the car and stepped forward toward the boys. "Arthur, come here this minute!" Jane ordered her son.

Arthur didn't obey. He remained by Sharkbite's side and the look he gave his mother was completely emotionless.

This only infuriated Jane. "I said, come here!" she snarled.

Once more, Arthur refused to move and he showed no fear of future punishment.

Jane could no longer tolerate her son's behavior and marched straight toward him. Right before she could grab his arm and drag him back to the car, Arthur propped his arms out with his clenched fists pointing directly at his mother. Jane immediately stepped back in shock.

"Mom, I don't want to fight you," Arthur told his mother; "but I'll have to if you're going to put one up."

Jane was utterly appalled by her son's warning. Even when she was unable to regard the threat as either real or childish, she had to remember that she and David were the adults and that Arthur and Sharkbite were children. Jane boldly took a step forward and tried to escort Arthur to the car. She was met with Arthur's fist which struck her shoulder, causing her to stagger back. David made attempt to help his wife; he was too afraid of what could happen to him if he was to intervene.

"STOP!"

Sharkbite's voice made Arthur and Jane cease fighting. Arthur obeyed the rabbit as he always did, but Jane stopped when she saw that he right eye was extremely close to the tip of a switch blade that Sharkbite hid inside his jacket.

"Back off, lady!" Sharkbite barked, pointing the weapon close to Jane's cheek.

Horrified that she and her husband were truly being threatened, Jane was forced to comply and walked backwards with her hands up.

"Please don't hurt me!" Jane begged.

"Then keep yourself at a distance!" Sharkbite growled loudly.

Jane complied again and backed away further. David joined her side as it appeared they were now at a standoff between their son and Sharkbite.

"Let Arthur come home with us; please," David said with as much courage as he could summon.

"Not until you listen to what I have to say!" Sharkbite roared, holding the switch blade straight at him.

"We'll listen!" David and Jane cried in unison.

"I hope you do, because it'll save your life if you try and make a wrong move!" Sharkbite began. "You two think that you can tell Arthur how to live his life? You both honestly think that you can simply barge in on whatever Arthur's doing and disown him for the littlest things? You think that you can control Arthur like a puppet and make him do whatever you think he should do?! Do you?!"

David and Jane were scared by the presence of the switch blade and didn't know how to answer the rabbit.

"You're not going to answer me? Good, don't talk!" Sharkbite continued. "You both have done nothing to Arthur but villainize him. His friends have done just the same. Have either of you ever stopped to think about what you've done to him? Of course not, you're too busy protecting a spoiled, unsympathetic little bitch!

"Something like punching a little kid or anything else on this line is unacceptable, but, from what I've heard from Arthur, you didn't care about him or what everyone else would think! No; all you cared about was keeping Arthur in his place and nothing else! People say they don't know the type of parents who would do that, but I can proudly say 'I do', there's two of them right here in front of me!"

Sharkbite's words bombarded David and Jane. They understood what the rabbit was telling them, they just couldn't comprehend it. All the bitterness in Sharkbite's statement attacked the adult aardvarks with no mercy. David could hardly stand and Jane could feel tears prickling her eyes.

"You may have control of Arthur at your house," Sharkbite concluded; "but when he's with me, I give the orders, and he does what he's told without a question asked! That's something you should know when Arthur gets to be my age: once out on his own, all he needs is himself and only himself! No one should get in his way! And, based on the facts I was given, that shouldn't be too much of a problem!"

Sharkbite put the switch blade back in his jacket and, from a pocket on the front of his jacket, he withdrew five hundred dollars and handed it to Arthur. "Here's five hundred, just as you asked," said Sharkbite.

"Thanks," Arthur replied. "I'll see you later."

Sharkbite nodded and walked away, not without giving David and Jane a sharp glare to remind them of what he said.

Arthur climbed into the station wagon and buckled up. David and Jane switched seats and David drove out of the arena parking lot. On the drive home, Jane softly wept to herself. All that she and her husband wanted to do was help Arthur, to get him to understand what actions were right and which ones were wrong. She couldn't get over the fact that they had not seen any signs that something was not right with their son, and now, after what occurred in the parking lot, it was evident that they were too late.

David glanced up in the rear view mirror to glimpse at the 8-year old aardvark staring blankly ahead of him. There were a few noticeable bruises on his face but he didn't seem to care that they were there. With his eyes back on the road, David felt shame and self-hatred collide in his mind to create a new emotion. While he and Jane tried to work together to come up with a solution to communicate with their son, Arthur was a mile or so away training to become a boxer. No one had stop to ponder if something was going on with the aardvark, he was so quiet and normal that no one saw right through his facade. Even if he had caught his son acting a bit out of the ordinary, David would have still talked to Arthur about it, but that sadly didn't mean anything to him anymore.

David and Jane were completely convinced that they had allowed their beloved son, Arthur Read, to morph into a monster.