Chapter 2: Beatdown from the Boondocks
**Manhattan, New York – 3 Months Later**
It had been a long, grueling process for Little Mac as he trained under Mr. Sandman's supervision, but in the process, he had become a lot stronger both physically and mentally, in addition to adding a few new moves to his arsenal.
It was "a whole new game he was stepping into" as Mr. Sandman put it and he wanted to be ready for whatever was thrown his way.
Mr. Sandman's limousine pulled up outside a large building with the CBF logo on the front. Little Mac had expected a throng of reporters to be waiting outside given the arrival of two former world heavyweight boxing champions, yet there was no one.
Mr. Sandman stepped out first and removed his sunglasses before taking a deep breath.
"Just like old times, huh?" he asked as Little Mac stepped out behind him.
Little Mac didn't respond and just stared hard at the building, again still feeling a bit awkward without Doc at his side. Granted, he seemed to have a reliable cornerman in the form of Mr. Sandman, yet it still felt far too different from what he was used to.
He was shaken from his daydream by a familiar, meaty palm clamping down on his shoulder.
"Yo' Mac, you still with me?" Sandman asked with a slight shake.
"Oh! Oh yeah...sure. Let's get inside," Mac replied.
"C'mon kid, ya' gotta keep your head in the game," Sandman spoke as they made their way into a spacious lobby where a few workers milled about.
"I know...it's just that I thought I'd hung my gloves up for good, but here I am again...at the very bottom," Mac replied as they approached the front desk, where a lone receptionist typed away at her computer.
"And you're gonna claw your way back up to the top, thanks to yours truly," Mr. Sandman answered with a wink.
"Hello gentlemen, how may I help you today?" the receptionist asked, giving what appeared to be a forced smile.
"I'm here for the fight. Little Mac!" the former champ answered.
"Ah yes, Little Mac!" she replied before returning to her computer, "It's been a long time since you've been around here. I hope retirement hasn't slowed you down any."
"It hasn't. Don't worry," Little Mac nodded.
"Just so you know, we do things differently here with the CBF. You have been entered into the Bronze Circuit and your first opponent should be arriving shortly. Good luck to you!" the woman chimed.
"Sure, thanks," Little Mac said as he and Mr. Sandman walked towards the locker rooms.
It wasn't long before they bumped into a familiar man with reddish-brown hair and a rather weak looking chin, yet he was now clad in a grimy industrial jumper and pushing a cart filled with cleaning products, a rather forlorn expression etched into his features.
"Glass Joe?" Mac blurted out.
The Frenchman's head perked up at the mention of his name and his eyes widened upon noticing the two men standing before him.
"Oh? Little Mac! C'est vous! (Oh? Little Mac! It is you!)" he blurted out.
"What are you doing here?" he asked, knowing the Frenchman could at least understand some English.
He was met by a deep sigh and the man's shoulders slumping in the defeat he knew all too well.
"Vous semblez avoir bien géré, mais cela n'a pas été si facile pour le reste d'entre nous...(You seem to have managed well, but it hasn't been that easy for the rest of us...)" he spoke, his tone darkening as he continued, "Nous venons tous d'être jetés comme de vulgaires ordures au profit de nouveaux combattants...Certains d'entre nous ont connu des difficultés. Personne n'a voulu m'embaucher. J'ai dû prendre un travail ici, nettoyer les dégâts de tout le monde. (All of us just thrown out like common garbage in favor of new fighters...some of us have struggled. Nobody would hire me. I had to take a job here, cleaning up everybody else's messes.)"
"Wow...I'm sorry," Mac gasped looking over to Mr. Sandman and then back to Glass Joe, "Well, I'm back to fighting and I'm hoping to climb the ranks all over again."
"Vraiment?! (Really?!)" Joe blurted out, looking up to Mac. A small smile crept onto his features, "C'est incroyable! (That's incredible!)" he said clapping his hands heartily, "Je vous souhaite bonne chance! S'il vous plaît, sachez que je vous soutiendrai! (I wish you the best of luck! Please know that I will be rooting for you!)" he called out in excitement, so enthused he almost knocked over his cart and had to struggle to keep it upright before catching himself.
"Si vous voulez bien m'excuser, il faut que je me remette au travail! (If you'll excuse me, I need to get back to work!)" Joe said looking around before hurriedly resuming his duties.
"Wow, you weren't kidding around, Sandman. This sounds like too much...even for poor Glass Joe," Mac spoke.
"Like I said, we need to get to the bottom of this. But right now, you've got a fight to prepare for," Mr. Sandman replied and the two of them made their way for the locker room.
**A Few Hours Later**
Boxer Stats: Little Mac
Rank: Bronze Circuit #5
Fight Record: 0-0 (0 KO)
Age: 19
Height: 5' 7"
Weight: 107 lbs.
From: Bronx, NY USA
Little Mac stood dressed for battle, clad in a black tanktop, his green trunks with a white waistband and orange trim, black boots, and his iconic green gloves. He threw a few quick practice punches while Mr. Sandman stood a few feet away.
"Alright Mac baby, you ready for this?" the former champ barked.
Mac nodded before throwing another practice combo, "It's game time. Little Mac is back in action!"
"That's the spirit, kid!" Mr. Sandman nodded and both men bumped fists, "You got this!"
Both men made their way through the curtain and into a packed arena with the crowd cheering for the fight to start. Mac couldn't help but smile as he made his way down the aisle, almost having forgotten the rush he would get when it was him marching down with Doc Lewis at his side.
"I'm doing this for you, Doc," he told himself as he made his way into the ring, where his opponent was already waiting for him. He was a young man slightly older than Mac with shaggy brown hair and big brown eyes, possessing a rather skinny build, a narrow face and two prominent buck teeth. He wore a tattered pair of blue jeans held up by a rope used as a makeshift belt, a pair of scuffed up brown work boots with the front ends split open, and a pair of brown boxing gloves. Mac took one sniff and recoiled, realizing this man hadn't bathed in quite a while...or if he even understood the concept of taking one.
"I hope this kid brushed his teeth, 'cause its bedtime for him!" Sandman chuckled while Mac got into position, putting on his game face as he approached his opponent.
Boxer Stats: Billy Bob Bashem
Rank: Bronze Circuit #4
Fight Record: 0-0 (0 KO)
Age: 20
Height: 6' 0
Weight: 105 lbs.
From: Bumpus Mills, Tennessee, USA
Signature Move: Mule Punch
Rendition of Punch Out Theme: Square dancing cover with fast-paced fiddles and clapping hands
- Pre-Fight Slideshow -
Scene 1: Billy Bob is shown sitting on a wooden pier with a fishing rod in hand.
Scene 2: Billy Bob is shown trying to catch a hog in its pig pen as others look on.
Scene 3: Billy Bob is shown sitting at a long table with his parents, 7 brothers and 7 sisters.
Scene 4: Billy Bob is shown walking away from his family's shack with a bindle over his shoulder while his family waves goodbye to him.
- End Slideshow -
Billy Bob stepped up and attempted to scratch his head, even with his boxing gloves on. "Well gee golly! I can' believe I'm here wit' da' Little Mac! I hope Maw-Maw and Paw-Paw are watchin' this! Huh huh!" he called out in a thick Southern accent before stepping back and raising his fists.
The referee then stepped in and yelled out "Fight!"
"Durr!" Billy Bob cried out as he attempted to throw a jab at Little Mac, who effortlessly dodged the attack and followed up with a punch of his own that caught the country bumpkin off guard before following up with another punching combo which sent horseshoes flying around his head. With his opponent already reeling, he followed up with a few body blows while the man staggered.
Billy Bob staggered back and shook out the cobwebs before catching himself and raising his fists. "Dat smarts!" he blurted out before he tapped his fists together and threw a right-handed jab, followed by a left-handed one, both of which were blocked by Little Mac. He then tried for an uppercut, but Mac was quicker and countered with a quick hook.
Star Count: 1
Billy Bob again somehow managed to shake the attack off and reared back, "Hee..." he called out, shooting both his fists forward, only for Mac to dodge the blow, "Dang!" he gasped before Mac followed up with four more punches.
Star Count: 2
Billy Bob stumbled backwards before catching himself and again reared back for his double fisted punch, "Hee.." he called out before Mac again dodged his attack, "Dang!" Mac followed up with five quick punches before concentrating his energy into his sixth for his trademark Star Punch. The uppercut struck Billy Bob dead on and he let out a loud "Guffaw!" before his whole body twirled and he fell face first to the mat.
Star Count: 0
Billy Bob Bashem Knockdowns: 1
Round Time Left: 2:07
1! 2! 3! 4!
Billy Bob pushed himself back to his feet and wobbled a bit before wildly shaking his head, a shiner forming over his right eye and his left cheek left swollen.
"Come on, come on! Fight!" the referee called.
"Durr!" Billy Bob shouted as he threw out another jab, which Mac again dodged. However, he quickly followed up with an overhead punch that took Mac by surprise.
The blow knocked Mac backward, but otherwise he wasn't too fazed. "He hits harder than Glass Joe, though."
Billy Bob tried following up with another uppercut, yet Mac dodged and countered with another hook.
Star Count: 1
"Dag nabbit!" Billy Bob cried out, only to halt himself and look terrified of some unseen force before putting up his dukes again. He tried a hook punch this time, but Little Mac again dodged and delivered a trio of punches that knocked him backward before he again reared back.
"Ol' Gertie showed me this! Hee..." he called out before going for his Mule Punch and this time connecting, "HAW!"
The blow hit Mac hard, yet he quickly shook it off in time to deliver another jab thrown his way and dodged another overhead punch directed at him.
"Time to break out a new move Mr. Sandman taught me," Mac thought before winking at his opponent and throwing an extremely fast uppercut that caught Billy Bob on the chin.
Star Count: 2
Billy Bob wobbled around, yet managed to catch himself and reared back, indicating he was going for another Mule Punch, yet Mac paid attention and dodged the attempted attack, "Dang!" He followed up with an 8-hit combo that made the hillbilly twitch from every blow and then ended with a delayed overhead punch, also taught to him by Mr. Sandman.
Star Count: 3
"Durr!" Billy Bob attempted another hard jab, yet Mac dodged it and laid in five more punches on him. He tried another overhead punch that was easily dodged before six more punches from Mac followed. "Dat smarts!" he blurted out as he staggered backward and tried to for another Mule Punch, but Mac saw him coming from a mile way and responded with a Winking Uppercut that caught the bumpkin right on the chin and sent him falling to the mat.
"Guffaw!" he blurted out before the referee started his count.
Billy Bob Bashem Knockdowns: 2
Round Time Left: 0:48
1! 2! 3! 4!
Billy Bob tried pushing himself to his feet, yet stumbled again before falling back to the mat.
5! 6! 7! 8!
Billy Bob finally pushed himself back to his feet, yet his right eye spun around in its socket and his left cheek was even more swollen. It took more time before he resumed his fighting stance.
"Come on, come on! Fight!" the referee shouted.
"Hee..." Billy Bob called out in desperation, yet again found himself missing by a long shot while Little Mac followed up with six more punches.
With the clock running down, he needed to finish this guy off fast and began gathering the star power into his fist. It was then he executed another Star Punch, the blow striking Billy Bob upside the head and causing him to twirl around in place while kicking his legs out in some kind of folksy dance before he finally collapsed to the mat.
"I...sorry Maw-Maw...and Paw-Paw..." he groaned before passing out.
TKO!
"Yeah!" Little Mac cried out while raising his fists into the air in triumph.
"Way to go, Champ!" Mr. Sandman whooped as he clapped his charge on the shoulder, "You're back on track!"
Victory by TKO! (1st Round with 0:25 remaining)
Fight Record: 1-0 (1 KO)
New Rank: Bronze Circuit #4
XXXXXX
Unused Quotes
Intermission:
"Boy, this sure is fun! I can' wait ta' tell Maw-Maw and Paw-Paw about this!"
"Ya' don' need ta' be soft on me, Mac. I wrestle mah brothers and sisters all the time!"
New Round Start:
Billy Bob leaps up and swings his fists, "Whoo-ee! It's time ta' have ourselves a real slobber knocker!
Win Match:
Billy Bob performs a small dance in victory before calling out "Maw-Maw, Paw-Paw, ah did it! I did it!" He bounces up and down until slipping on the mat.
Mr. Sandman Tips:
"He leaves himself too far open when going for his overhead punch. Use that to your advantage and leave him seeing stars afterward."
"He comes from the backwoods, but now ya' gotta show him how we do things here in the big city!"
"That Mule Punch looks nasty, but it's slower than molasses in January."
"This kid ain't too bright. How 'bout you enlighten him with your Star Punch?"
"This kid's a rookie? Then make him feel welcome with his first KO!"
XXXXXX
Author's Note: We are off to a promising start with Billy Bob Bashem being sent back to the boonies in disgrace. How will Little Mac fare as he tries to climb the ladder all over again? Stay tuned to find out as he takes on his next challenger!
This is my first attempt at an actual fight and I'm trying to make it feel as if the reader is playing the actual "Punch-Out!" game. Hopefully I can keep this going.
Until then, read and review! This is Metal Harbinger saying KEEP IT FUCKING METAL!