Note: Man, I did NOT like last week. Work is important, sure, but not when it's something as huge as doing major construction. Despite that, I managed to keep working on my stuff. Before we move on, I want to say something to two reviewers.

Big Bossk Man 92: The Intruder is a messed-up person, yes. Sad part is, there are a LOT of people with thoughts like his. We can only hope to never encounter them. As for Katt losing her telepathy, I highly doubt that Krystal would let her do what she did before. If she tried it, things might not go as well as it did the first time. I hope that you enjoy this chapter.

The White Wolf named Alex: Well, it's unknown if the report would clear Katt's name, but it might convince some to not blame her for what happened. I hope that you enjoy this chapter.

Now that I've said that, it's time for chapter ten.

Chapter 10: Stephanie Atkinson

On Monday, Katt entered the doors of the Corneria City Women's Boxing Gym, letting out a yawn. Considering how her ban was up, she was glad to be back in the building. As she walked through, the pink cat some of the other boxers at the gym looking at her in either fear or disgust. Ignoring them, the feline went to a punching bag and practiced on it. While doing so, she tried out her new strategy. After giving it a whirl, she thought about testing it out in her next fight.

While practicing, Katt thought about a call that she had received yesterday. It was from Steve, who was on his break at the time. The wolf told the pink cat that the ban had been lifted, telling her that she was allowed back at the gym. However, he also said that the autopsy on Michael Hill's body had not been released to the public yet. The General had told the lupine that it would take a few days for it to happen, but, when it did, things would be easier for Katt. While grateful, the feline admitted that it wouldn't have cleared her for adding fuel to the fire by punching him while he had a hemorrhage.

Deciding to take a break, Katt sat down at a bench. While she took a towel to her forehead, the pink cat sensed someone approaching her. Knowing that it was Mr. Simms, she expected him to be madder than a hornet. The tabby was actually surprised, if not a little intimidated. Katt continued to clean herself up, trying to look casual. However, that didn't stop the tomcat from approaching her.

"Katt?" Mr. Simms spoke. "You're back already?"

"Yeah, the ban was lifted!" Katt stated.

"I should've kept you out of here until people stopped being angry at you for your last match!" The tabby said.

"Didn't anyone tell you what Hill's autopsy said?" The pink cat said.

"I've seen it, but it's not going to change the fact that you punched him in the forehead!" The tomcat said.

"I know, but I hope that I'm allowed to fight again." The she-cat said.

"Of course, you are! But it will be hard for me to find someone who is willing to fight you, considering what happened to Hill!"

Katt only nodded her head, knowing that was true. After putting her towel on her shoulder, the pink cat walked off, deciding to practice again. While doing so, she could see two other members of the gym whispering something. Ignoring them, the feline continued pounding on the punching bag. She didn't even use her telepathy to scan their minds, not wanting anyone to get suspicious. Given how much trouble she was in, Katt didn't want to bring more unwanted attention to herself.

When the evening rolled around, Katt went home. The moment she stepped into her house, the pink cat decided to make herself some dinner. After eating it, she went to practice on her punching bag, doing another test of her new technique. Once she got done, the feline jumped in the shower and got dressed for bed. When everything was out of the way, Katt climbed into her bed. Closing her eyes, she fell asleep, helping her body recharge for the next day.


On Tuesday, Katt was at the gym, drinking out of her water bottle. The moment she sat it down, she saw Maria walking towards her. The Lucky Rabbit hadn't spoken to the pink cat for a while, so it surprised the latter to see the former again. Wanting to look nice, the feline smiled.

"Hi, Maria!" Katt greeted.

"Cut the crap, I need to talk to you!" Maria said.

"Talk to me about what?" The pink cat asked.

"Come with me!" The rabbit said.

Standing up, Katt wound up following Maria out of the gym. Once they were outside, the rabbit began to speak with her.

"Alright," Maria spoke, "there's something going on in the gym. I don't know how, but I think that some members of the gym are trying to kick you out!"

"Is it because of Hill's death?" Katt asked.

"Yes, because his autopsy couldn't change the minds of the higher-ups!" The rabbit said. "Mr. Simms can't even talk them out of their decision!"

"What about General Pepper?" The pink cat ventured. "Bill? Steve?"

"I've spoken to them about it, but they told me that the controversy surrounding you is so great, the other boxers are fearing you!" The doe said. "From what I can tell, it's going to take some time before you have another match!"

"Then I'll have to convince everyone that I'm not a killer!" The she-cat said. "I can show off my new strategy, and they'll see that I'm not going to kill another boxer! That will work, will it?"

"I can't promise that." The lepus said, looking off to the side. "Because, you have a competitor!"

Curious as to why Maria said that, Katt looked over to the side. By doing so, she was able to look into the gym's windows. Standing next to a punching bag was a Blue Jay with brown eyes. The avian threw punch after punch, hitting the punching bag with enough force to throw it back. Katt only tilted her head, believing that Teagan Blunstone had come back. However, something told her that she was wrong.

"Who is that?" Katt asked.

"Stephanie Atkinson." Maria said.

"Didn't she used to be a teacher?" The pink cat asked.

"Yeah, but she got fired after an outburst." The rabbit said. "Stephanie joined the tournament a day before you did, and she's had a few victories. Two of her recent ones happened while you were kicked out!"

As if she had noticed Katt and Maria, Atkinson stopped practicing at her punching bag. She walked off, heading towards the hallway that led to the arena.

"Maybe we should go back in." Katt said.

"Yeah, people will think we're crazy if we're standing out here and yelling." Maria stated.

Walking back in the gym, Katt went over to a punching bag, deciding to practice on it. However, before she could throw a single punch, she saw Mr. Simms approaching her.

"Katt, Stephanie came to me." He spoke. "She told me that she wants to spar with you tomorrow."

"Why?" Katt asked.

"The Hell, I know!" Mr. Simms stated. "But, she wants a piece of you. If you're unable to show her what you're made of, it counts as a loss."

"I'll be here." The pink cat said. "Don't worry, I won't be too hard on her. Who knows? We might even become friends!"


On Wednesday, outside classes were moved indoors, as it had started to rain. Despite that, the sparring match was still being held. Walking through the hallways of the gym, Katt found herself in the arena. Once she reached the room, she saw Stephanie Atkinson standing in the ring. In addition to that, certain boxers were sitting on the bleachers, spectating what was about to go down. Mr. Simms was even sitting on the bottom, holding a clipboard and a whistle.

Paying no mind to the others, Katt climbed into the ring. From there, she found herself looking Stephanie in the face. The Blue Jay had a look of scorn on her face, but she also looked confident. Knowing that her opponent was looking to beat her, the pink cat figured that she would need to give it her all. With her new strategy, the feline hoped that she would have it in the bag. In addition to that, she wanted to take Stephanie by surprise.

"Are you two loose ladies ready?!" Mr. Simms shouted.

"Ready!" Katt said.

"Ready." Stephanie said.

Upon hearing their answers, Mr. Simms blew his whistle, allowing the sparring match to begin. From there, Katt and Stephanie began to trade blows, eager to hit each other. In order to prepare herself for her strategy, Katt dodged each punch that was thrown at her. The pink cat then blocked another punch that Stephanie threw at her, pushing the attack out of the way. After that, the feline delivered a left hook to the Blue Jay's abdomen. Once she received the attack, the avian stumbled back.

Ready to deliver another punch, Katt walked towards Stephanie. She threw a jab at her opponent, intent on hitting her. However, upon seeing that she was about to hit the Blue Jay in the head, the pink cat froze. Upon seeing that, the avian hit her opponent with an uppercut. She followed it with a jab, which made her opponent stumble back. Grabbing onto the rope, Katt prevented herself from falling down.

"What am I doing?" She asked herself.

Stephanie approached Katt, ready to knock her down. The pink cat's telepathy was warning her, so she stood up. She faced the Blue Jay, holding up her fists.

"Still hung up on what happened to Michael Hill?" Stephanie asked, her voice having a mocking tone. "Is the kitten still crying over the zebra who was stupid enough to fight her? Please, he deserved everything he had coming to him!"

Katt gritted her teeth, feeling angered by Stephanie's words. It was true that she was still sad about Hill's death, but her opponent had no right to badmouth him like that. The Blue Jay wasn't just taunting the pink cat for being unable to hit her in the head, she was also insulting a dead athlete. The zebra was a great man, and he was loved by everyone. The whole reason he had died was because his diet had triggered a hemorrhage, which wasn't helped by the fact he had come out of retirement to fight. With all that in mind, Katt wanted to make Stephanie suffer for what she had said.

"I can see why you were fired from being a teacher!" Katt spoke. "You're just a bitch who insults everyone and acts like she's better than the world!"

With a scowl forming on her face, Stephanie ran towards Katt, throwing a hook at her. With her telepathy sensing for it beforehand, Katt dodged the attack. The pink cat tried to jab her opponent in the abdomen, only to receive one to the face. Being knocked back, the feline was unable to dodge the next attack the Blue Jay threw at her. Getting an uppercut to the jaw, she was left disoriented. Seeing that, Stephanie grabbed her opponent by her shirt collar and lifted her up, dangling her over the edge of the ring.

"Say hello to Hill when you die." Stephanie said.

Getting a left hook to the face, Katt was knocked out. After that, Stephanie let go of the pink cat's shirt, causing her to hit the ground. Mr. Simms went over to the unconscious feline, checking to see if she was alright. He carefully carried her over to the bleachers, sitting her down. As that happened, some of the other boxers were whispering to each other. One even had a shocked expression on her face.

Opening her eyes, Katt saw that she was sitting on the bleachers. Mr. Simms was sitting next to her, writing in his clipboard.

"You were thrown out of the ring, Katt." He spoke. "That's an instant loss for you."

Katt didn't say anything. Rather, she stood up and walked out of the arena. Walking through the hallway, the pink cat found herself back in the workout room. The feline let out a sad sigh, heading over to a punching bag. Instead of practicing, she looked at it. Her hands shook as she took off her boxing gloves, having hurt them during the sparring.

"Katt, is that you?" A voice called out.

Turning around, Katt saw Maria walking towards her.

"Yeah, it's me, hon." Katt said.

"How did the sparring go?" Maria asked.

"Well, I was just trying to test out my new strategy, but it didn't work." The pink cat said.

"What happened?" The rabbit asked.

"I hit Stephanie in the abdomen, hoping that it would be enough, but it wasn't." The she-cat said. "When I threw another punch, I saw that I was about to hit her in the head. When I saw that, I just froze!"

"Hill's death is still on your mind, isn't it?" The doe asked.

"Yeah, but that's not the worst part of it!" The feline said. "Stephanie didn't just taunt me about Hill's death, she mocked him!"

"That bitch!" The lepus growled. "What the hell is her problem?!"

"She just has no respect, I guess."

"Well, someone needs to teach her some respect!"

"What do you mean?"

Maria then took out a pair of boxing gloves, causing Katt's eyes to widen.

"You're a boxer?" Katt asked.

"I'm another late addition to the tournament." Maria stated. "When I see Simms, I'm going to get him to set up a match between me and Atkinson! Once I'm in the ring, I won't be merciful!"

"But she might pummel you!" The pink cat warned.

"Believe me, I've dealt with worse." The rabbit said. "And, before you ask, the time I spent in prison doesn't count!"

Having nothing to say, Katt only nodded her head. In response, Maria walked off, going to speak to Mr. Simms. When the day was done, Katt went home, hoping to get some rest for the night. By the time she was in bed, the pink cat looked at the ceiling, thinking about what would happen if Maria fought Stephanie. She knew that the rabbit used to be a bounty hunter before General Pepper gave her a job, but she still had bad feelings about what would happen. The feline slowly fell asleep, her body not allowing her to stay awake for much longer.

What if Maria's not as ready as she thinks? Katt thought to herself.


On Saturday evening, Katt entered the arena, desperate to find a seat. The match between Maria and Atkinson had been set up, and it was being held in the evening. It was only an hour before it began, so neither fighter was in the ring yet. Despite that, the bleachers were full. With that in mind, Katt found that getting a seat would be hard. She had been invited by Steve to attend on Maria's behalf, but it didn't seem to matter to everyone else in the room.

"Katt!" A voice called.

It didn't take telepathy for Katt to know who was calling her. Looking up to where the voice was coming from, the pink cat saw Krystal sitting in the bleachers, surrounded by Fox, Slippy, Fara, Sabre, Fay, Miyu, and Bill. There was a spot open near them, with Fox's hand blocking it. Knowing that it was okay, Katt went up to her friends, eager to speak to them.

"Hey guys, thanks for saving a seat for me!" She spoke.

"Well, we saw you wandering around like you were lost, so we figured that you needed somewhere to sit." Fox said.

Feeling grateful, Katt walked on over to the seat that was saved for her. Upon sitting down, she heard someone tapping on a microphone, presumably the Announcer doing a test on it. Looking down, the pink cat saw two people approaching the ring. Knowing that they were the fighters, the feline waited for the match to begin. The lights dimmed over the spectators, with a bright light shining over the ring. The Referee stood in the middle, waiting for the fighters to enter.

"Ladies and Gentlemen," the Announcer spoke, "welcome to the seventh match of the Corneria City Women's Boxing Tournament! Tonight, we have two fighters who have competed before, but didn't advance to the end of the tournament! Standing in the right corner, we have a former teacher and a fighter from last season! Please welcome Stephanie Atkinson!"

Katt saw Stephanie taking off her jacket and tossing it aside. The Blue Jay walked up to the Referee, cracking her knuckles. As that happened, Katt could hear applause from the audience. However, there was also jeering and booing. From that, the pink cat could figure that the hecklers were the families of the children who had Stephanie as a teacher in the past. Stephanie only glared at those in the audience, annoyed by what they were saying.

"Atkinson?" Slippy asked. "Where do we know that name from?"

"She was a teacher at Corneria City Elementary." Krystal said. "She was also a bully to her students, up until she got fired."

"With that in mind, I hope that she gets pummeled by her opponent!" Fay said.

Down in the ring, Stephanie's opponent got up from her seat. She slowly pulled off her jacket, tossing it aside like how the Blue Jay had. Once the jacket was off her, Maria raised her fist. Upon seeing her, some in the audience had gasped. There was also cheering from other members of the audience.

"And in the left corner, we welcome Maria Fairweather!" The Announcer spoke. "She competed in the tournament during her Junior year at high school, but only placed fifth! After spending some time as a bounty hunter, then as a member of the CDF, the Lucky Rabbit has now stepped into the ring, being a late addition to the roster of the tournament!"

Back in the bleachers, Katt smiled as she saw Maria heading towards the Referee. The Lucky Rabbit bumped her gloves with Stephanie, beginning the match. The Blue Jay threw punch after punch, with two of them hitting her opponent in the face. The rabbit wasn't throwing a punch, only blocking and dodging each attack that came her way. In response, the avian delivered an uppercut to her opponent, only for it to get blocked. The lepus kept dodging and blocking her fists, to the point where it looked like she was too fast for her.

"The Lucky Rabbit is a boxer?" Fay asked.

"Yeah," Miyu spoke, "if you can call her that! She's not even throwing a single punch!"

"She has to, otherwise this match will go on forever!" Slippy said.

"Hold on, she might be planning something." Krystal said.

"How can you be sure?" Sabre asked.

"She wouldn't be blocking and dodging so much if she didn't have a strategy on hand." The cobalt vixen said.

Katt watched as Maria dodged another punch from Stephanie, nearly causing her to trip on her feet. When the Blue Jay threw a left hook at her opponent, it wound up getting blocked. After pushing the attack aside, the Lucky Rabbit threw a jab, hitting her opponent in the head. Before the avian could move, she received an uppercut to the jaw and a few jabs to her body. She couldn't get away from the doe, as she was immediately on her tail. It went on until the end of the first round, where the bell caused them to walk away from each other.

"The first round has ended in a tie!" The Announcer spoke. "So far, it has been an unexpected show from the fighters, as Fairweather whipped out a few devastating punches after managing to get her opponent off her guard! It seems like Atkinson will need to be more careful for the rest of the match!"

Katt watched as Maria got herself ready for the second round, drinking out of a water bottle. From what she could tell, Stephanie was wiping blood off her face, having gotten minor wounds from the punches she had received. Once she was done, the Blue Jay glared at the rabbit, cracking her knuckles. While Katt couldn't see the lepus' face, her telepathy told her that she was also glaring. The two fighters stood up, indicating that they were ready to begin the next round. They walked up to the Referee, ready to pummel each other again.

Before the second round could begin, Katt saw Stephanie tapping on the Referee's shoulder and whispering into his ear. He handed her a microphone, allowing her to speak up.

"I know that people are still grieving for Michael Hill, but I want to tell you something!" Stephanie spoke. "If you want my honest opinion, here it is: I don't give a damn! Hill was nothing more than a meathead who didn't know when to stop! He was a waste, and we should be glad that he's gone! Now that he's gone, and due to Katt Monroe having lost the chance to fight me, I can prove that I'm better!"

All around her, Katt heard the audience boo at what Stephanie said. They were all angered at what the Blue Jay had to say, considering how she had the gall to say something like that. Before the match could begin for real, Maria took the microphone.

"Michael Hill was a national treasure, and you have the nerve to insult him?!" The Lucky Rabbit spoke. "You ought to be beaten to a pulp for that, and I'm happy to oblige!"

Giving the microphone back to the Referee, Maria allowed him to blow his whistle. Once the second round began, Stephanie threw punches at her opponent, desperate to hit her. However, the rabbit dodged each attack, occasionally stepping to the side. Katt watched as the Blue Jay became angry, becoming annoyed with her opponent's agility. Maria just kept dodging the punches that were thrown her way, even blocking some of them. From that alone, the audience could see that she was about to attack.

Before Stephanie could throw another punch, Maria delivered a hook to her face. Quickly recovering from it, the Blue Jay threw a punch at her opponent. However, the rabbit threw a punch of her own, causing them to get caught in a Cross Counter. The avian jabbed the lepus in the abdomen, causing her to stumble back. Shaking it off, the doe blocked the next punch that came her way. After doing that, she delivered an uppercut to Stephanie, hitting her in the chin.

After stumbling back, Stephanie angrily charged towards Maria, her fists ready for a punch. While she succeeded in hitting the Lucky Rabbit in the chest, she was unprepared for the attack that came her way. Receiving a left hook to her face, the Blue Jay was knocked back. Maria then followed it up with a few hooks, a jab, and two uppercuts. Each attack hit her opponent head-on, with the jab making the avian cough up blood.

Having received so many attacks, Stephanie became dazed. This left her unable to stop Maria from unleashing whatever she had left. From within the audience, Katt saw the doe punch her opponent in the gut and the face. This caused the Blue Jay to collapse, which got the attention of the Referee. Going to the avian, he did his countdown, all while the audience waited in anticipation. Once he got to one, there was no response from Stephanie, making the outcome of the match unanimous.

"And our winner for tonight is Maria Fairweather!" The Announcer spoke. "Stephanie Atkinson tried what she could, but nothing she threw had any effect on the Lucky Rabbit! Miss Fairweather is amazing, folks!"

The audience then burst into applause, cheering and clapping their hands. Katt smiled as she saw Maria's hand being lifted by the Referee, glad that the Lucky Rabbit had won. As for Stephanie, she was escorted out of the ring by her team, having put her jacket on. Once Maria was out of the ring, Katt went down to speak with her. The rabbit saw the pink cat walking down to her, looking excited.

"Maria!" Katt called. "Maria!"

"Slow down, you'll trip!" Maria warned.

"Sorry, hon, I'm just happy that you won!" The pink cat stated.

Once Katt was near her, Maria found herself smiling. The two had a small conversation, knowing that they were in the clear to do so.

"Krystal wasn't kidding when she said that you might've had a strategy." Katt spoke.

"Well, I figured that I would apply my skills to the match." Maria said. "Besides, someone needed to put that bitch in her place!"

"Hopefully, she doesn't trash talk like that ever again!" The pink cat said.

"It's not the only reason I took her out, though." The rabbit said.

"What do you mean?" The feline asked.

"Atkinson was also part of a plan to get you kicked out of the gym." The lepus said. "Mr. Simms' coworkers had her challenge you in a sparring match in order to keep you down. If you had fought tonight, the battle would've decided whether you were still in the tournament or not!"

"I'm glad that you took her out, Maria. Thank you! Thank you very much!"

"No need to thank me, I was just giving some creep what she deserved. Now get out of the way, I have to go home!"

Stepping aside, Katt watched as Maria walked down the hallway, exciting the arena. Once that was out of the way, the pink cat went outside, eager to get back to her ship. Taking an elevator to the roof of a building she parked on, the feline climbed into the Cat's Paw and got it ready for launch. The moment she took off, she thought about the outcome of the match. Maria was already skilled as both a bounty hunter and a soldier of the CDF, but her skills as a boxer were incredible!

I wonder who she'll fight next! Katt thought to herself as she flew back home.


Back at the Great Fox, Falco was in his room, laying on his bed. He was holding his communicator in his hands, having received a call moments ago. The pheasant's face was wet, tears having gone down his cheeks. In addition to that, he was forlorn, to the point where he didn't want to leave his room.

"Hello?" A voice called, joined by a knock on the door.

Knowing who it was, Falco sat up and wiped his face.

"What is it, Peppy?" He asked.

"Did you see the results of the match tonight?" Peppy's voice came through the door.

"No, I haven't." Falco said, letting out a sniffle. "I'll look it up later, okay?"

There was a moment of silence, with Peppy not saying anything. Closing his eyes and shaking his head, Falco became annoyed, with tears running down his face. It was bad enough that he had gotten yet another bad phone call, but now Peppy wasn't saying anything. The hare undoubtedly knew what was wrong, but he wasn't saying anything. The pheasant only stood up, hanging his head in sorrow. It was to the point where he didn't notice Peppy knocking on the door again.

"Falco," Peppy spoke, "if there's anything that you want to talk about, you can tell the team. We're here for you in case you need something, okay?"

Being unable to speak, Falco only let out a grunt. Despite it not being a good answer, it was enough for Peppy to walk away, letting out a sad sigh. Once he was gone, Falco sat back down on his bed. The pheasant wiped his eyes again, trying to cheer himself up. However, with the bad news that he had gotten, he didn't find himself cheering up anytime soon. The avian figured that his teammates would feel the same way if he told them, but they wouldn't be as down as he was.

Due to the phone call causing him to feel worse, Falco felt that it would be better if he told everyone what the call was about. The rest of the team would be back at any moment, so he decided to tell them when he had the opportunity. However, there was one person that he forgot about: Katt. The pheasant had been avoiding her because of everything that had happened. While he would've put her aside back then, it wouldn't feel good if he did so now. The pink cat was his girlfriend, and she deserved to know.

How would she react if I told her? Falco thought to himself. Would she be inconsolable, or would she be okay? It was bad enough that I had to receive the news, so now I have to tell everyone! I hope that they understand.

Note: Yeah, this chapter had a double whammy, didn't it? Not only did Maria win her match, but Falco received another devastating call. Can you guess what the call was about? What part of the chapter had a greater impact for you? Until next time, guys, this is Newcomer24, signing off. Peace!