Beginning a Strange Friendship

Note: I've decided to use the second-person point of view from now on. You can imagine yourself as a character in these one shots. Again, feedback is appreciated.

You just punched somebody, and you don't know what to feel.

It's not really your fault per se. He asked you to.

"Just hit me already," he practically begged you. "Hit me with all your strength."

At first, the thought horrified you. The two of you hit it off instantly when you struck up some small talk with him in the diner. He seemed a little lonely, a little sad, and a little left out. When he started talking, you started listening. Then you realized that you understood his predicament. You were the middle child, helplessly sandwiched in between the bossy, know-it-all older sibling and the spoiled, demanding younger siblings. They gobbled up the attention like the last slice of apple pie and left you with not even a crumb. Your stellar grades and prestigious degrees were shoved aside in favor of theirs. So, when this guy you've known for only ten minutes told you that he's always passed up for accolades in favor of his big-shot brother, it was only natural that you felt something for him.

You shared a bite to eat and some drinks, trading life stories and whatnot, and then you decided to pay the bill and get some fresh air. Whilst idling in the emptying parking lot, he turned to you and made his startling request—to hit him.

Your reaction was to look at him as if he was from another galaxy. Was he bluffing? You couldn't hit such an innocent-looking guy with the celebrity brother—that was asking for a death wish! But on the other hand, you were such a good listener back in that diner, and seeing that you felt his pain, you sort of owed it to him. You wanted to make him feel better, and maybe this would, in a twisted way.

A second or two to plan the trajectory, and then boom. He was on the ground, gasping in shock, blood leaking from his nose and lip. You stood over him, knuckles throbbing, unsure of what to do and scared that you seriously injured him. Instinct kicked in, and you knelt beside him to see if he was okay. Then…

POW!

His uppercut lifted you at least three feet off the ground, doing 25% damage. The impact of his gloved fist reverberated across the lot, and then you crashed back to the floor, legs wobbly, heart racing, a strange excitement tingling in your brain. Adrenaline shot full force into your system, and you realized that you really wanted to hit him again. You were having it rough at the moment, and the second your new acquaintance asked you to take a swing at him, he actually presented you with an opportunity. And when opportunity knocked, you answered.

He was back on his feet, and so were you. You summoned all of your might and energy into your fist and swung again. This time, he was ready for you and dodged. You followed up, and this time, it was a clean hit, administering about 15% damage. He charged at you, wildly flailing his fists, eyes closed. Your arms shielded all seven hits, and you chuckled. "Is that all you've g..?"

That was when a powerful dropkick dealt out 8% damage, sending you spinning. Quickly, you recovered, ready to counterattack, smelling one heck of a fight ahead. With a flick of his wrist, he launched green fireballs in your direction. You attempted to evade as many as you could, but several still managed to hit. Soon, you had enough and ended his little barrage with a right cross (21% damage). With acrobatic ability, he jumped, slamming you with a drill kick (16% damage).

Picking yourself up, you noticed him lying on his stomach, fully erect, arms at his sides. Initially, you thought something was wrong, but then you slowly realized that he was taunting you. Without hesitation, you taunted back, beckoning to him in a "come and get it" pose. He accepted your challenge by dashing at you again.

And oh, he gave it everything he had! Aerials, punches, kicks, throws, head-butts—all with varying degrees of damage and knockback. He'd grab you and effortlessly fling you this way and that; he'd slam you onto the cement and then sit on you; he'd spin around like a cyclone, battering you relentlessly and launching you away. But being a fair and just person, you gave just as good as you got, maybe more. Blows, shouts, grunts and cries of pain now echoed into the starless night, into infinity, as your brawn and agility clashed with his. A normal person would have been tired out after only a few minutes, but not you. You steadily released all of the stress and anxiety you kept bellied inside of you for weeks. After you flunked that exam a while back, you were going crazy with emotions, but the tension drained away with each moment you spent fighting. You felt good. You felt free. You felt powerful. And you felt as if no silly little exam would bring you down ever again.

You were really going at it, thinking that victory was ahead, when suddenly a Green Missile slammed into you—a misfired one, that is. It propelled you through the air and knocked you against the side of a car. Hopefully, the driver had good insurance, but that was the least on your mind right now. You just took a whopping 25% damage, and you struggled to clear your head, hearing your opponent taunt again. You were going to wipe that smile off his face if it killed you. Then you got up and lunged.

You exchanged more blows for a good fifteen minutes before you both decided to finish it. By now, you were both sweaty and hot, and had sustained heavy damage. Hoping for a quick finish, you maneuvered for your final blow, but he was faster. First tripping you with a breakdance-like kick and while you were stunned, he seemed to surge as much power as he could into his arm before lashing out with an open hand stab, briefly knocking the wind from you and dealing out 22% damage. Once again, you were propelled off the ground, and it felt as if you were hurtling through space—but actually it was a K.O.

GAME!

Afterward, you sat together like old chums and cooled off with some more drinks, marveling at the glorious aftereffects of your encounter in the parking lot. You felt a billion pounds lighter, and he was visibly less tense then when you first saw him. Alas, it was time to get home to face another day, so you exchanged goodbyes, but not before promising to meet up again someday.

One month later, you pulled up your grades, but now you got into an argument with your best friend since childhood, and your eldest sibling chose to brag that he was the new captain of his football team. You escaped to your favorite coffee shop, and then your eye fell upon a familiar green cap bobbing around in the crowd.

Well, you knew exactly how you were going to spend tonight!

If there are any Smash fans reading this, please make sure the percentages I put down are correct. Thank you for reading.