Challenge Accepted pt. 7
The atmosphere in the WVBA gym was a blend of focus and camaraderie. In one of the boxing rings, Von Kaiser was leading a youth class through a series of drills. The kids loved getting to train with a legend, especially when he put on his military instructor persona. Today, Von Kaiser was in rare form and the kids, boys and girls anywhere from 5 to 10 years old, were eating it up.
"Jab, jab, hook! Bereit?” Von Kaiser barked as if giving orders to troops.
“Ja, Coach!” The kids took their stances and called back in unison, big smiles on their faces.
“Sehr gut, meine kleinen Krieger,” he called back, his voice tinged with affection. “Und eins, und zwei, und drei…”
Elsewhere on the gym floor, Niki Binary was taking advantage of her rare day off. She was engrossed in her workout, her fists rhythmically striking a double-end bag as she danced around it, bobbing and weaving as the bag came back at her after her punches. Nearby, two young hopefuls, Tim and Emily, were working out at their own double-ended bags, both struggling a little.
Both were 15, under the minimum age for a boxer’s license in the WVBA, but both showed promise and were trainees in the Academy. Tim was a lanky kid with a mop of curly hair, while Emily was petite with a fierce determination in her eyes..
"Keep it up, you two," Niki encouraged, noticing their slight discouragement. "Stick and move, just like Coach Quarlow taught you. You can do it."
Tim tightened up his form. “T-t-thanks, Niki. It’s j-just so… I-I-I mean…”
“It’s stupid hard is what he’s tryin’ to say,” Emily spoke up, light on her feet around the bag as she worked on her rhythm. “But we ain’t quittin’. Come on, Tim, we’ve got this!”
Just then, the gym doors swung open with a flourish, and in walked Reina Adora, accompanied by her assistant Maria. Reina surveyed the room with an air of disdain, her eyes hidden behind her lucha mask.
"The facility is quite impressive, Señora," Maria remarked, her tone formal. “State of the art.”
Reina sighed, eyes scanning the room. "Adecuada. But it's still just a gym and I’ve seen better." Her eyes then landed on Niki, recognizing her from her orientation when Niki had been working reception. "Ah, you there, the receptionist. Where is Skye Ivy?"
Niki didn't immediately respond, her focus still on her workout. Reina, not accustomed to being ignored, grew impatient and approached Niki. Dropping her gym bag with a thud, Reina grabbed the double-end bag, halting its movement and forcing Niki to look at her. "I asked you a question, receptionist. Where is Skye Ivy?"
Niki took a deep breath, her eyes meeting Reina's masked gaze. "First of all, I'm not the receptionist. Secondly, I don’t keep tabs on people so I don’t know. And last but not least, I'm a fighter on the roster, just like you."
Reina burst into laughter, the sound echoing through the gym. “¿Una boxeadora? You? I question how good of a fighter you are if you have to moonlight as a receptionist."
Niki clenched her fists, her eyes narrowing. "I work in IT, but I fill in elsewhere as needed. It’s called being a team player. But I promise you, I can more than hold my own in the ring."
Reina smirked, clearly unimpressed. "¿No es linda? An IT specialist who moonlights as a fighter. How... quaint. Perhaps one day, you’ll get the chance to lose to me."
As Niki took a deep breath to steady herself, Von Kaiser, who had been watching the exchange from the ring, shouted across the gym, "Wenig Stahl, are you alright?"
Niki looked over at her coach and nodded. "I'm fine, Coach. Just a minor distraction." She then narrowed her gaze on Reina and dropped her voice for the luchadora to hear. “Very. Minor.”
“Lo deseas, pequeña.” Reina picked up her gym bag and tossed her hair back arrogantly. "Maria, since I'm here, I might as well get in a workout. Let me know when la corredora arrives."
“Sí, señora.” Maria followed dutifully behind as Reina sauntered toward the locker room.
Niki took a deep breath, her eyes meeting Von Kaiser's across the room. He gave her a nod of approval, and she returned to her double-end bag, her punches fueled by a renewed vigor and determination.
Niki just shook her head and returned to her workout, her fists hitting the double-end bag with renewed vigor. Tim and Emily, who had paused to watch the confrontation, resumed their own workouts, their eyes meeting Niki's for a brief moment.
“W-Wow. She’s a p-piece of w-w-work.” Tim resumed his work on his double-end bag.
Emily, likewise, started dancing around her bag. “For real! I don’t know if I could’ve handled that like you did, Niki.”
"Don't worry about her, guys," Niki said, her voice steady but supportive, "People like that are all talk. What matters is what you do in the ring."
The young hopefuls nodded, their spirits lifted. And as Reina disappeared into the locker room, Niki couldn't help but feel that, despite the arrogance and the posturing, the real fights—both in and out of the ring—were fought with heart, something she had in spades.
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Really autistic room tour?? 🔥🔥
And by that I mean just showing all the Punchout things I have. HERE WE GO.
This is the main attraction. The Joe Shrine, The Glass Temple, call it what you will. I think I started this in 2022?? Might've even been 2021! Point being, it's a staple of my room and it's HUGE.
Next up err, my bedside wall!
This is just stuff that doesn't go on the Joe Shrine essentially! 9 out of my 11 RavagingAngel keychains are up here, 10 and 11 are the catboy ones and they're on the Joe Shrine. Otherwise, it's just my art! Other than the occasional random meme things I only ever put my art up because I don't know if other artists would be comfortable with it. :]
This is a very special area of the Joe Shrine. The stickers were the first ones I ever ordered back when my interest in Punchout was beginning. The silly Joe above the light switch is actually a 3D model that I posed, and the lovely SuperionSoldier coloured in!! The framed Joe was a gift from my friend for my 16th birthday, she's really good with embroidery and she made it just for me. I love it so much. 😭😭😭
Finally, here's all my stickers! I bought these really early on so they're not in the greatest condition (and Hurricane I bought more recently which why he's just shoved down there lol). They're very special though, and they make the boring drawers look pretty!
I also have some on my wii and my laptop!
And that's it, my room. It might not be very exciting but it's still fun to share!! :]
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