Carlo's partner ca through the treatnt clean. Carlo paid without complaint, and on his way out he bought a rifle. The way he held it leaving the shop, he'd be back.
"All right. Gloria, want to co check out the boxing club with us?"
Jackie invited her.
"No, I'll stay with the shop. Fighting venues aren't really my thing."
"Fair enough. I'll have soone drop Vik's goods off later. Just have them put it in the back warehouse. Thanks!"
Gloria waved them off.
They arrived at the Devil's Boxing Club and found Vik in a corner, speaking quietly with a coach nad Fred.
"Hey, Vik. How've you been?"
Vito went over.
Vik pulled him into a hug.
"Getting along. Watch boxing, fix cyberware. An old man's days."
Coach Fred saw Vito and ca straight over.
"You're Vito? The Vito?"
Vito spread his hands.
"It's Vito. The famous part is debatable."
Fred was excited. He grabbed Vito's arm.
"I am so glad you're here. Last ti you ca to the club I happened to be out. You have no idea."
Vito gently removed Fred's hand from his arm.
"Slow down. Tell what's going on first. Today's my second ti at this club. I don't see how I'm involved."
Fred explained.
"You know Night City is running this tournant? Not like the old underground bouts. Bigger crowds, bigger prize money, bigger betting pools. To make it worth watching, certain cyberware has been restricted from the fights. You know what that ans?"
Vito gave him the line.
"What does it an?"
"It ans every fighter with real technique and no high-end chro is going to co out of the woodwork and enter."
"So?"
"So, Vito, you have to compete. Jackie told you kicked a cyberpsycho clean out of the air in a live fight. Full heavy chro, Sandevistan and Mantis Blades. You have to represent this club. I will personally be your championship coach."
Jackie, who had been listening nearby, was not satisfied.
"Hey! Old Fred. Your ssage said I was absolutely the one who was going to win this. When did it beco Vito?"
Fred patted Jackie's shoulder.
"Sorry. You know how it is. Vito's the biggest na in Heywood right now."
Jackie couldn't argue with that. He exhaled.
"Fine. What can I say about my own choom. But Vito, you and later. All chro off. The real thing."
Vito laughed.
"As you wish, Mr. Welles."
When most of the club mbers had arrived, Fred drew up the bracket. The champion would represent Heywood at the city championship.
A round of cheering, and the matches started across the rings.
The field was a mix: gang mbers, rcs, a handful of amateurs. Vito spotted two NCPD officers in the lineup.
Jackie put his opponent away. He'd been a club regular long enough that the result wasn't a surprise, and his opponent could be said to have survived six rounds before it ended.
Vito was faster. He spent the first round reading his opponent. In the second he found the opening and put him down.
The selection ran into the evening. Then the final match started, the one the whole room had been waiting for. Jackie Welles vs. Vito.
Vito ca out full throttle in round one. Fast punches landing one after another on Jackie's guard.
Jackie could only keep adjusting, keep blocking. By the end of round one, Jackie was completely on the back foot.
In the corners, Vik was working as Jackie's temporary coach.
"Jackie. You can't just stand there and defend. Your footwork has to co with it. Move your head."
Jackie was breathing hard.
"His punches are fast and heavy. The force coming through my gloves is too much. It scattered my whole ga plan before I could set anything up. All I could do was keep my guard up to protect my head."
Vik put both hands on his shoulders.
"Relax. Vito wants to end this fast. Don't let him shake you. Use your feet. You have to punch back too, or under that kind of sustained pressure even the strongest defense eventually breaks."
"Got it."
Across the ring.
"Hell yes, Vito. Just like that."
Fred had the look of a player who'd figured out the current ta and was watching his opponent run ancient tactics. No adjustnts needed. No strategy required. Nothing to do but watch.
What stats? All I see is talent and hard work.
Ding.
Round two.
Jackie changed his approach. He worked a butterfly step, keeping constant movent, jabbing forward when the angle opened.
Then Vito simply stopped moving.
Jackie's plan had been to drag him into a movent fight. Vito stood still and refused to co along.
Jackie ca in with a combination: jab, cross, lead hook, rear uppercut. Vito stood his ground and slipped every punch with head movent alone.
Jackie was getting urgent. His eyes were locked on Vito's face. He wanted to land one punch. Just once.
"Jackie, don't take the bait!"
Vik's shout from ringside was one second late.
Vito dropped hard into a crouch and drove a left hook into Jackie's completely unguarded stomach. Jackie's body folded. Then the right uppercut ca through Jackie's dropped guard and caught him on the chin.
Thud.
Jackie went down on the canvas. The referee stepped in and counted.
"Eight! Nine! Ten!"
Both arms crossed. Fight over.
The room filled with noise. Everyone had assud that with Jackie's size advantage it would at least be competitive. Instead it was over before two full rounds.
Vik shook his head with a wry smile and climbed up to check on Jackie.
A strong opponent is one thing. A strong opponent who also outthinks you is sothing else entirely.
Jackie shook his head and pushed himself up slowly. Vito was pulling his gloves off and went over to help him.
"Hell, mano. Your hands hit like actual artillery shells."
Fred's face was all the way open.
"Everyone's watching you, Vito. They can feel it. They know you're going to be the champion."
Vito helped Jackie to his feet.
"Take it easy for a bit. Let's take a few days off and decompress. If you put all your bets on , we might have enough for a new motorcycle. I heard there's a retro collector's edition out right now called the Shintaro. We can't miss it."
Jackie took a few minutes. He made peace with losing to Vito quickly enough. He could feel it clearly: in a straight fight, Vito was operating at a level that deserved its own category.
"If you put in a performance like that every match, I'll have enough left over to renovate the Wild Wolf."
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