Disclaimer: I don't own Ultimate Muscle/Kinnikuman II. That's the property of Yudetamago/Shueisha/Toei/4Kids Productions. We should all be aware of this by now.

Notes: Still not using the dub names. Please refer to the Terry Kenyan fic, "Texas-style Chili" for the notes on original names VS dub names. One more thing: Sunshine and Checkmate are great characters. I just felt like saying that.

Nice Shootin', Sunshine

By Son Rhandi

He found these two kids a few years ago¾ Well, 'a few' is too weak a term. 'Ten or eleven' would be more accurate. 'Eight or nine years', at the very least¾ that stood apart from all the rest. Of course, it wasn't exactly hard to miss them, they, the only children in a throng of sculpted, testosterone-pumped adult wrestlers. It was his plan to find and coach two potentials: two strapping, young individuals who could for him punch and grapple the way to the top of the dMp. What he found were those two boys, Rex Prince and Checkmate and, whatever the reason, he chose them…

They already had the basics down, probably from several times of watching the big boys go at it.

Rex Prince would be a wonderful heavyweight, maybe even a super heavyweight if he built up enough muscle. Unfortunately, the saurian preferred things cut-and-dry and really didn't have much resolve for matches, especially if they carried on for too long or if he didn't have the upper hand-- their practice matches reflected that much. Checkmate, however, seemed to thrive on the pungent smell of sweat and canvas, and so, he took a better liking to that human-looking child.

"Now, the key to success in the art of wrestling is a body that can take it. You've got to condition yourself beyond the limits of normal men. You've got to be faster, stronger, and smarter than even the best in the circuit. Remember, this isn't for some silly backyard bash back home. This is the IWF we're talkin'… The big leagues, boy! Come here, now, and show me what you've learned…"

Dark and dank was the training room. Not a room, exactly. More of a cave, a few floodlights arranged to make visible the ring, a three-sider. The little one threw his clenched fists at the aging man, who easily blocked them all but he tried his hardest, all the same. "Come now!" chided his coach. "Is that all I've taught you? If I had know you were this weak, I wouldn't have bothered with you!"

Checkmate ground his teeth at that remark. He charged Sunshine, sliding under him then in an attempt to make him buckle, kicked the back of his knee. He fell over wailing, clutching his leg and yowling like a cat in its final moments. Checkmate, that is. "You're still kind of little for that, my boy. Don't you know a Brick Colossus when you see one?" Sunshine chuckled despite the boy's cries. He lifted Checkmate to his feet. "Can you stand?"

"Yes…" He replied, reluctant to bear weight on the pained appendage but doing well on it, just the same.

"You're not like Rex or myself; your flesh is soft and easily damaged." Sunshine said, stroking his newly wrinkled chin. "I see now we'll have to work on your tolerance to pain…"

And so, the regimen began. The goal to toughen up the flesh creature, Checkmate, was set and it was no cakewalk to see it through. 'Feel the burn, burn the feeling' was the mantra of the Nightmares. Day in, day out, that chess boy was pushed to the brink and back, bearing thrice his weight in sandbags on his back, his abdominals aching as he did sit-ups for hours on end… When Rex Prince became Rex King, ten years had passed under the heavy arms of Sunshine. And Checkmate… Well, that chess set wrestling boy became a chess set wrestling man.

The prestigious Iron Arm Challenge: A free contest open to every man--from super heavyweights to lithe featherweights-- who thought he could handle it. That young man raised his arm to the cheering crowd, flashing a smile for the cameras. The odds were in Checkmate's favor, having just toppled the popular heavyweight, Ox Man. His worth at the bookie skyrocketed, crowds scrambling and shouting over each other to place their bets on the next match. Coming up was the final match against the returning champion, Harrison the Large, a full bearded man with the strength of ten steers and seven large-breed dogs, collectively.

"Checkmate, my boy, this is it!" Sunshine shouted ringside. "Just pummel this fool and claim your title!"

"Of course, Master Sunshine. This will be cake."

"You think you're pretty tough, eh?" Harrison placed his hands on his hips and smirked. "It's only by luck alone that you've made it this far. You won't be so confident when you're losing!"

Checkmate blinked, then turned to his coach. "Can we go out to dinner after I win?"

Sunshine slapped the mat and chortled. "Whatever you want, lad! It's all you! What restaurant would you like to go to?"

"Hmm…The Legato would be nice. I'm in the mood for pasta."

His coached glanced at his watch. "Well you'd better hurry up. It closes in two hours."

"What?! But it takes at least an hour to get there from here!"

"H-Hey! Don't ignore me!" The large, bearded man blustered. His rant was cut short as the bell sounded the start of the match. Checkmate didn't seem to hear it, however, as he kept his back turned to the larger man, mulling over the possibility of not being able to go to his favorite restaurant. In a rage, Harrison charged the chess set wrestler, wrapping his arms around his shoulders and setting him up for a reverse suplex. The chess set wrestler snapped back into reality.

"I don't have time for your foolishness!"

Reaching back, Checkmate grabbed Harrison's shoulders then swung his body up, doing a perfect handstand. He then let himself fall back a bit before swinging his legs and slamming his knees into his opponent's back. Harrison fell to his knees then face flat on the mat while the chess set wrestler made a nice, straight-legged landing. The super heavyweight rubbed his face, cursing and growling.

"Checkmate! Show 'im that new combo of yours!"

"My thoughts, exactly, Master Sunshine!" With that, he pressed the buttons on both his shoulders and took on all three of the king, the knight, and the rook. "The Legato serves the best linguini in the universe and it's not often I get to eat there! I'm not about to miss out because of your buffoonery! Have a Grand Slam, fool!"

Before Harrison had a chance to stand, Checkmate galloped to him, bounding over his person and bucked with his rear legs, sending him into the air. Leaping to pass the man, he locked his front legs to the soles of Harrison's feet, setting him up for a Pile Driver (Stallion Style). Fifty tons of stone horse led slamming him to the mat led the human to his defeat--nearly to his death--in possibly the shortest match in the Iron Man Challenge's history. Of course, life with him--that is, that Brick Colossus--was not all fighting. There were some moments, few and far between, that were spent only in conversation, quiet nights of dining after a hard day's training, and a history lesson or two…

"Master Sunshine…"

"I'd like to know of the old dMp. Will you speak of them to me?"

"Yeah, we were great," the Brick Colossus settled in his seat, smiling. "We could have ruled the world, if not for constant power struggles. A few even joined the Muscle League, if you can believe it."

"Muscle League? But were they not your rivals?"

"Yes, yes. Horribly goody-goody but undeniably outstanding opponents. It's important that we three of the Nightmares defeat them to show the world that we are the greatest wrestling faction in the universe, to get revenge on our enemies… That's all for tonight. Go and rest now."

Little known to his protégées was the fact that all the years of grueling regimens was to chisel him a space back into the ranks of the dMp, to avenge the originals. He was sure, Sunshine was, if they learned all this was mostly for his own advancement, there would be some trouble. Once Checkmate was retired for the night., Sunshine pulled out a photograph from long, long ago: he, big and strong and in his prime, standing with the rest of his former comrades, even his dearest friend, Ashura, who years ago left him to side with Kinnikuman and his. He swore his revenge against them, the Muscle League, on that day, that day when everything fell… I'm crumbling more and more each day, he said to himself, pawing at his smile lines. I was… so great then. But now, I have to leave it up to the younger men to carry out my dreams, my ambitions…

He looked upon his prized pupil, sleeping peacefully on his futon, Rex King--that lazy oaf who opted not to enter--resting on his own, and in the same position he was in when they'd left that afternoon. His crown and two shoulder pieces were strewn about the floor, as were the red long vest and head cover he wore in the ring. Sunshine had never known him to be messy, even as a child. He left it up to Check being too tired to care and left it at that. As he turned to leave the room, that aging Brick Colossus stole a look over his shoulder once more to that humanoid, who gave a little sigh and snuggled into his pillow, stealing away into a deeper sleep.

My boy, you've grown so much, you've made me so proud… You're the only one who can do this for me now. I'm not expecting much from Rex there, so I'm placing all my confidence in you. Please, we of the old dMp are counting on you. Don't let us down… Don't let me down.

You've raised a fine, young man, Sunshine, a seemingly invincible wrestler who is not subject to feelings of pain. It's a shame you didn't instruct him to develop his heart to be as strong as his body. You could have saved both yourself and your pupil a world of hurt.

Heal quickly, my boy. Heal quickly.