Chapter 3: Less Chat, More Combat

13 Years Earlier: New York's Capcom Muscle Bomber Arena (Backstage)

There was hardly a break for Cody and Jessica after the pair graduated from high school, just as she'd anticipated. Her father's wrestling career was winding down, but Mike "Macho" Haggar intended to go out with a bang. Because of his pending retirement, his demand skyrocketed over the summer, and Jessica insisted she be by his side so he wouldn't overextend himself. All of his remaining shows were sold out mere minutes after his grand announcement.

Being with her father on tours offered her the rare chance to travel the world - something she truly enjoyed as someone who grew up in the rough of Metro City. Knowing how much of the world there was to explore excited her.

Tonight's matches were taking place in their own hometown, and Jessica convinced her father to let her boyfriend come backstage with her that evening. Cody's passport was still processing after it took months to retrieve his vital records as a former ward of the court, so she figured what better time than now for him to experience life behind the scenes before it was all over?

After much reservation, her dear old dad was still adjusting to their newfound courtship, and figured it could be a genuine bonding opportunity with the young man that captured his daughter's heart after all this time. Jessica made the point that he was practically family at this point and that he was just going to have to live with it.

Cody wasn't particularly interested in impressing Haggar now that their relationship was out in the open, but he made it a point to be civil because Mike was the love of his life's father, after all. It was hard for him to hide his annoyance as simply blinking wrong would earn harsh critique from the old man. At the very least, both men agreed that Jessica's deep connection to their respective selves ought to exist in harmony instead of in competition.

You both love me and I love both of you - that's enough common ground, don't you think?, she'd say, threatening to get them to share a t-shirt for a day.

"All right, honey! I'll be quick — just gotta take a couple of photos with dad for his last promo, and we're outta here!" Jessica squealed as Cody held her close. "Can't wait to eat after this - I am starving!"

"You've got it! I really appreciate you takin' me out today, Jess."

"There's more fun to be had. I'll see you after this segment, my love," Jessica kissed him hard, squeezing his hand.

"Go get 'em, sweetheart!" he called out to her, grinning as she waved off. He could get used to this. Watching matches from the comfort of television was one thing, but being in the thick of production was definitely a different perspective. A perspective he hadn't considered until he could feel it in action.

Maybe the idea of being a full-time fighter wasn't as far off from reality as it seemed…while wrestling wasn't quite his thing, there were plenty of other opportunities as an expert martial artist! Tournaments, boxing, competitions…Cody's future suddenly got a lot more interesting. While he felt more at home on the streets than on a flashy stage, there couldn't be any harm in showcasing his skills to the world one way or another.

Cody was an inherently confident guy in all he did - he made it through hell and back, after all. Coupled with Jessica's ride-or-die devotion, he felt impervious. With her by his side, he was unstoppable. He could feel a new hope surging inside of him until the daydreams of his potential were cut short.

"Well, now…you're the guy Jessica ended up dating?" an incredulous tone echoed through the hallway, sharply interrupting his thoughts. Cody sensed the hostility from a mile away. Did his athletic physique just invite trouble wherever he went?

"What's it to you?" he replied coolly, the dread in his gut conflicting with his stoic exterior. That voice was painfully familiar. A wave of disappointment washed over him when he turned around. A recognizable, tall, muscular man was coming down the hallway, donned in wrestling boots and his signature bomber jacket, sporting tall, blond hair. This guy grew up in Slam Town, another city on the opposite coast of the country.

It was one of the wrestlers Mike trained personally - the Lucky Colt, known to the world as Gunloc.

Gunloc was a crowd favorite of the Capcom Professional Wrestling Association, but Cody, unfortunately, didn't have the pleasure of being starstruck in that moment. Jessica had mentioned something in passing about Gunloc being a "bit of a dick."

"What a joke. Now that I see you, it's no wonder she never brought you 'round these parts before," the celebrity cackled. Cody's instinct never steered him wrong - this guy was itching to provoke, and he was going for the jugular. "You're just some punk!"

This must have been the exact reason behind the adage, "never meet your heroes."

"What'd you just say?"

"You heard me, tough guy."

"I'm not here to start trouble, so you'd best quit fuckin' with me," Cody responded through gritted teeth. He could feel his blood getting hot, but he knew he had to cool down. He was not going to disappoint Jessica or Haggar at the source of their livelihood. He couldn't care less about his own reputation, but he would have a hard time living with himself if the Haggars had to deal with the fallout of him kicking this guy's ass, especially because Mike trained this guy himself.

There was trouble written all over the situation - he had to avoid it.

"Whatever. You shouldn't be here to begin with. I should have known Jessica's taste in guys was abysmal. Her loss."

"Don't even think her name again," Cody fumed, shoulders tightening. Gunloc was really grinding his heel into his nerves, and any ounce of respect he thought he had for him deflated long ago.

"Or what? Her big, bad boyfriend's gonna hit me?" Gunloc scoffed, running his fingers through his spiky hair. "Right. Like it would even been a competition. Get outta here, loser."

The moment Cody felt his nostrils flaring, an image of his training partner, Guy, popped up in his mind, telling him to take a deep breath. It is best to avoid any and all conflict that does not concern us in the great journey of vanquishing evil, he'd repeat during their daily training, probably one of his many Bushinryu mantras. He had no idea why that particular teaching sprang up for him just now as it never made sense then - or now.

In this moment, Cody chose to rely on his favorite teaching (much to Guy's chagrin): if you know neither the enemy nor yourself, you will succumb in every battle. In this instance, Cody knew there was no way he could lose this one as Gunloc was firmly cementing himself as a grade A asshole.

Cody couldn't understand why Guy consistently preached about "picking one's battles" when all you had to do to get them out of the way was to do exactly that. A battle's won was always a battle's worth fighting, right? Perhaps this was one of the world's many opportunities presenting itself to him, but he'd give resistance a try…for the sake of the few who cared for him...

"Don't need to waste my time with the likes of you," Cody clenched his jaw and made the active, and difficult decision to walk away. He promised Jessica - no more unnecessary fighting. If Guy were here, he'd likely go into one of his lectures to support the sentiment. He was making an effort to learn…even though every cell in his body was screaming to put this guy through the ground.

"That's what I thought. Broads like her are simple enough to fall for a punk like you," Gunloc laughed as Cody felt his fist tighten involuntarily. He shrugged and headed back to the entrance. "Figures."

Cody hated the idea that his promise to Jessica and wisdom from Guy was about to go out the window, but this dude was asking for it.

"Say that again," before Gunloc knew it, Cody strode up to him in one step, the beginnings of his fury palpable as he grabbed his shoulder to swing him around. Gunloc was grinning. He knew he couldn't resist - he was from the streets, too. The brawler's simmering rage blocked any threat of intimidation despite Gunloc's clear height and build advantage.

"She's. A. Broad. Need me to spell it out for you?" Before he finished his question, Gunloc found himself stumbling backward, smelling blood. The superstar didn't expect the punk to hit that hard and fast.

"Son of a bitch!" he hissed as he reached up to his bruised, bloodied nose. "I'm on in like 10 minutes, you bastard!" Gunloc growled, lunging toward him. He was met with a block, as Cody skipped backward to create some distance. He was gonna learn today.

"Tick tock," Cody beckoned as he got into position, thumbing his nose. "Bring it."

They grappled each other as it became a fistfight. Cody broke loose in an attempt to swing a hook toward Gunloc's jaw, wanting to leave his mark for the world to see. No one was going to talk about Jessica and not pay for it.

Unfortunately for Cody, the wrestler jumped back swiftly, making Cody whiff by a mere inch and lunged forward to counter with his signature Sonic Fist. Cody had seen the flurry of punches countless times on television, but to experience their targeted precision on the receiving end was another story.

Gunloc hit hard and fast, getting him on his head, shoulders, chest and stomach.

There was no wrestling mat to spare Cody for what was to come next. The wind was knocked out of him for a minute, disorienting him as Gunloc hoisted him into the air and slammed him into the concrete.

Cody howled as he arched his back in pain, stars obscuring his vision, barely recovering from the punches he endured just a second ago.

Gunloc towered over him as he focused the doubling bright lights on the ceiling. A distinct stinging formed at the side of his head - he got him good there. As his vision focused, a flash of the wrestler's smarmy smile came into view.

Cody had to check his rage. He might not have been a pro wrestler, but he was not losing to this jackass.

The brawler focused his effort on his abdomen as he thrust his foot square into Gunloc's chin, popping up into position followed by a sharp uppercut right into his eye. Perhaps Guy's training in patience, tactical recovery and deliberation was paying off after all.

Gunloc shouted with fury realizing he may have underestimated this fellow, elbowing Cody in the torso, causing him to stumble backward. He hissed in rage before he got up and hit him with a sudden hook, knocking Gunloc off balance despite the burning in his chest.

Cody yanked him up by his jacket's collar before he could fall completely, pulling his arm back to aim another straight punch to his face, letting him fall this time. How's that for being camera-ready?

"I can do this all day!" Cody shouted, blood running down the side of his head and splashing brightly onto his white t-shirt. Damn it, he thought. He knew everything was gonna hurt in the morning, but there was no way he could hide the results of his actions anymore. Might as well go all in.

"At least I'm makin' it out here and not freeloadin' off of a wrestler's daughter," the spiky blond fired back as he leaped up. "I'll end you!"

Now Cody was seeing red. Gunloc sure was talking a whole lot about nothing. He jumped up to deliver a double roundhouse kick square into Gunloc's chest, the impact making his jacket fly off. The wrestler flew far, crashing into a lone service cart that toppled over.

Cody took a half second to catch his breath as he was pleased the kick he'd been practicing connected so cleanly - yet had no shame in getting down and dirty. He sprinted forward and got on the ground to start pummeling the wrestler. Gunloc blocked the repeat punches but he knew he was caught in the corner.

"What's goin' on back here?!" a security guard ran in suddenly. Cody ignored him.

"Cody!" Jessica called out from behind security, pushing past them to go to her raging boyfriend. "Cody, STOP!"

Cody turned around, clearly in a compromising position. There was no way he could explain himself out of this one as he jumped off of the wrestler, both of them panting heavily.

"What's gotten into the both of you?!" Haggar bellowed as he surged right past security and ahead of his daughter, seeing evidence of the altercation between two young men he knew ought to know better. "Really, Lucky? On the job? And Cody, you really couldn't go without for just one minute?!"

"Self-defense in my case!" Gunloc exclaimed, his eye bruising and welts forming. "That guy's lost it!"

"You were talkin' shit about Jessica!" Cody shouted back, regretting even engaging this guy as if they were in a schoolyard. He immediately felt like the kid Mike would always refer to him as. He just refused to see him as a man and this bothered him deeply. This was gonna be tough to live down.

Haggar's eyes darted back to Gunloc, who realized his grave error all too soon.

"What's this about Jessica, now?"

Cody was ready to finish what he started when Haggar lifted him suddenly by the collar to physically separate the two of them before any more damage could be done.

"Get outta here. We're gonna have a nice chat later," Haggar threatened as he dropped him at the opposite arm's length toward the exit door.

"Fine. Not gonna waste anyone's time here," Cody said, wanting to spare additional embarrassment to himself or his girlfriend and definitely wanting to be out of there before Haggar's inevitable tirade. Be the bigger man, be the bigger man, kept ringing through his tinnitus. "I'll see myself out."

"Lucky, you asshole!" Jessica cried, knowing that Cody had to have been provoked, even though it would be hard to convince her father otherwise. "Cody, wait!" Jessica called out, following hot on his heels. Something was off - he was just fine a moment ago.

Haggar walked up to Gunloc, helping him up - but not letting go of his wrist.

"You've got 5 minutes before you're on. Now what's this about Jessica?" Haggar repeated, narrowing his eyes straight into Gunloc's soul. The young man gulped.

Meanwhile, Jessica ran after Cody. She had no idea what could have happened in the few minutes she was away, but she trusted that Cody would never willingly put himself in such a position, not after all they'd been through. Thankfully, she knew the back of the stage better than he did. She found him already at the furthest point toward the venue's exit. He sure could walk fast without breaking a sweat. He stopped suddenly.

"Damn it!" Cody's fist dented the metal door as he pulled away sharply, shaking his hand from the pain. He paced back and forth, heaving through his nose. Even when he tried to do the right thing, he always got dragged down to the mud. He began to wonder if it was worth trying to resist anymore.

"You're giving me a run for my money in these heels, Cody!" Jessica panted as she caught up to him. "You're bleeding! What the hell happened back there?!"

Cody didn't want to give any power to Gunloc's words and he hated when Jessica had to witness him at his low points. His pace picked up as he pushed on the exit door, despite the stinging pain in his back. "It was nothin'. I just overreacted is all. Just need to cool down. Sorry for embarrassin' ya and your dad."

"Cody, please!" Jessica cried as she cut him off when he didn't bother to turn around. She swung around in front of him, blocking him from leaving with a determined glint in her eye and an obstinate pout. She could sense that Cody was hurt beyond his physical bruises as she saw his hunched shoulders relax. She wanted badly to know exactly what triggered him to lose his cool, as he kept avoiding her gaze.

Her face softened as she reached up to touch the side of his head without hesitation, his blood staining her hands. "Talk to me. We've gotta get you cleaned up, so quit callin' yourself an embarrassment, would ya? Lucky's a jackass, so I'll believe every word coming out of your mouth. I refuse to let papa rant and rave on you all night…I trust you, Cody."

This might have been easier for him to deal with if she didn't.

"Don't worry about it, Jess. You don't need all the drama and shame of bein' seen with me right now," he groaned, sitting on the ground against the door. "I just need to cool down." Jessica shook her head, sitting down next to him. She was going to have to miss this next match. Something wasn't right, and she was determined to figure it out. As much as she wanted to take his word on it, she knew he had a tendency to go on guard when it came to the deepest layer of his feelings. She chalked it up to him living in survival mode almost his entire life…

"Cody…do you really think I'm ashamed to be with you? Where'd that come from?" Jessica asked, as it was evident that words were exchanged. "Come on, now. Did you forget that my dad is the King of Embarrassing? You can talk to me. What did Lucky say? I'm a big girl. I can make him eat his words…"

The brawler let out a sharp sigh, the effects of his adrenaline surge waning as the sting of his injuries started to surface. "Just some crap about you choosin' a street rat like me over an established guy with a career," he mumbled.

Jessica knew that had to hurt more than he was letting on as she knew Gunloc had quite a similar upbringing but was clearly on a different path. Her boyfriend was still bleeding, but she didn't have a first aid kit on hand this time. It had been unnecessary lately because they'd been so focused on each other these last few months…nothing could shake them down.

He grunted as he stood up suddenly, still feeling the lingering effects of that rapid-fire punch earlier. "I'm sorry Jess, but you know I'm not the type of guy to take that standin' down." He turned around. "I tried."

"I know that," Jessica stood up and swiftly moved in front of him again to meet his eyes. "You don't need to prove yourself to me or to anyone for that matter," she insisted, resting both of her hands against his chest. "You don't owe it to anyone but yourself. Anyone from a mile away can see that you're so strong—insecure guys like Lucky get threatened by your mere existence. But if anyone really knew you, they'd also know you're the most talented, sweetest, funniest, and thoughtful man I've ever had the pleasure of meeting in this life," as she lifted a hand to stroke the clean side of his face.

"It just pisses me off when people think they have any right to judge us," Cody growled, his rage dissipating with her touch, her words. "No one knows what we've been through…they don't know a damn thing."

"I know, Cody," Jessica squeezed him, locking her arms around his waist as she buried her head in his chest. "I know."

All they needed was a minute…she could hear his breathing finally start to steady as his nerves settled, and all she wanted in that moment was for him to feel better.

Jessica let go and started to turn around, and took in a deep breath.

"I don't care what anyone thinks of you, Cody Travers," she echoed loudly to no one in particular, knowing her voice would carry down the halls for the entire crew to hear. "I love you!"

Cody hadn't expected to feel as touched as he did, so he didn't know if the lump that was forming in his throat was from the intensity of her words, her actions, her devotion or the lingering pain from his fist.

Jessica ran back into his arms, squeezing him tightly, not giving a care who came looking for her, even if it was her father. Cody meant the world to her, and everyone was going to know it.

"I love you," she whispered again, and she tiptoed to kiss his bruised lip, as a few hollers and claps coming from staff who were ready for the next act cheering on the unlikely couple.

"I love you, too, Jess," he couldn't help but grin, the throbbing ache in his back easing as quickly as it formed as his adoration for her took over. He was hardly embarrassed that a tear came loose. He hugged her tightly, the fluttery sensation in his core was overwhelming. "I'd move the universe for you."

"C'mon," she smiled. "Let's go get cleaned up. You need to get that looked at…"

Current Day: City Hall Broadway Junction

"Ayo! If it isn't Mayor Cody Travers himself!" A young man exclaimed, hollering from across the street. Cody was used to being called out, but this voice didn't sound like a Metro City resident.

"Yo," Cody turned to see who was addressing him. He didn't anticipate seeing a rather built, young gentleman who donned his dogtags proudly, strutting through the crosswalk exuding a level of confidence he hadn't witnessed in a while. The young man had distinctive scars across his face, their marks telling a powerful story all on their own with no detail to spare.

"You serve? It's an honor," he said as they exchanged a firm handshake.

"Used to serve. The name's Luke Sullivan. I'm actually in town this weekend because of the tournament, but I didn't expect to run into THE Mayor ex-con!" Luke exclaimed with a bit more joy than Cody personally attributed to his previous predicament. He sweatdropped.

"Uh, sure. To what do I owe the pleasure?"

"I heard that you knocked out the whole town, overnight, for your girl back in the day!" he whooped as Cody rubbed the back of his head sheepishly. Cody's story was quite well-known, but no one ever put it in quite those simple terms.

"I can't imagine having that kinda fire to carry you through the entire night without stopping," he said thoughtfully. "You musta been pissed."

Cody hadn't expected this kid to rehash these memories that replayed in his head almost daily in casual conversation.

"I was," he said, raising a brow and crossing his arms. It wasn't a day he liked to relive. He was on the brink of losing complete control with unbridled rage at the time, which was far from a pleasant memory. All that mattered is that he did what he had to do. "What is it that you need from me, Luke?"

"C'mon, Mayor," Luke shook his head, placing a gloved hand on his shoulder, a mischievous grin playing at the corners of his widening smile. "You don't have to front with me - what I'm saying is that I know that you know what it's like to take care of business with your fists!" Luke hopped back, pounding his fists together. "So, I wanna fight you! One-on-one! Put our skills to the test! 'Cause fighting me's the best kinda community service!"

Now Cody's interest was piqued. He recognized a fighter when he saw one, and this kid cut right to the chase. He was almost impressed, as not many folks genuinely perceived fighting as something that could be considered fun. It was violent. Gratuitous. Bloody. Painful. But everyone had their reasons, didn't they? Whether it be to defend others, to survive, to live, to avenge, for revenge…sure! But for fun? It was harder to justify that sentiment to the general public.

"I appreciate the challenge, but I actually have to run to a meeting in a few…"

"Don't tell me becoming the mayor's made you go all soft!" Luke almost whined. That wasn't the first time he'd heard that before. He wasn't soft, just…deliberate. "I heard that you live for the fight! And don't try to give me any crap about it 'not being part of your mayoral duty' - I know Macho Mike fought too! So let's go! Unless you just don't have what it takes anymore, pops."

Pops?! "Are you tryin' to piss me off, kid?" Cody narrowed his eyes. Live for the fight, huh? He hadn't even met this fiery individual before, but somehow…he saw a little of himself in him.

"No, sir. I just know a real fighter when I see one," Luke beamed. There it was - the spark. A spark he hadn't experienced in a long time. "So whaddya say?"

Damn, he was persistent.

"All right then," Cody adjusted his necktie as Luke's eyes widened in anticipation. "You can schedule an appointment with my office."

"Aww, come ON!" Luke groaned, attention already drawing to the both of them. Luke wasn't the only one who knew about Cody's penchant for fighting - the entire city did. Punishment by fist was a policy he carried over from the previous mayor, after all. "I thought we were getting somewhere! Let's go, right here, right now! Or do you want me to piss you off? If that'll get you to fight me, I could roast you for days, old man," he smirked, pounding his fists together.

The mayor pinched the bridge of his nose - he didn't doubt that. Balancing his preference for fighting and his responsibilities to the city were getting more challenging by the day - but he could handle it. He would have been lying to himself if he didn't prefer to take on this smart aleck than to go back to more meetings. Marlowe always did say that he had good instincts…

"Okay," Cody resigned. "Come on." He motioned over to Tom's Uptown Gym. They were going to have to make it quick, indoors. Construction was happening on that block in a few, and he didn't want that to be delayed because of his shenanigans. "This fight better be worth my time - I do have a city to run, after all."

"YES! Let's do it! I'm always ready for a fight!" Luke whooped, his excitement palpable. Cody rolled his eyes, but couldn't suppress his grin because the thrill of their upcoming battle was significantly preferable to the dread of his upcoming meetings. Surely Marlowe would understand he just had an emergency meeting with one of his many constituents…

Is this what I was like back then? he thought to himself as they headed toward the gym. No wonder Mike thought I was a pain in the ass.