Training Day 71
 
>Each day, you wake up to continue your training routine with no deviations at all. Your body becomes conditioned to the training as you push yourself to your limits on a regular basis and then push yourself a little farther
>The twice a day workout routine has become easy by now, you can do it without even thinking about it
>Your physique can not only withstand it but it can withstand even more
>Your performance at work has doubled.
>You now find you have the strength to not simply push your cart around at idle speed but rather to run with twice the cargo that you used to carry.
>Its proving to be an excellent way to develop additional power. Far more than what the basic training can provide, even if you do find yourself coughing occasionally while working your shifts
>Applejack has even taken notice
>She asks you one day
>“Anon, when did you start caring about your job”
>You attempt to answer but a wild cough cuts in
>After you finish your cough and regain your composure, you respond to Jack in a raspy somewhat sarcastic voice
Never you mind, Jack.
>“I oughta sometimes”
>Later that night, you stare yourself down in the mirror
>Its hard to believe that Anon is still underneath the new wall of amassed muscle
>Dash, standing next to you, joins you in your observing and adds her comments
>“I’m proud of you, Anon”
Thanks, Dash.
>You Really wish you had more to say than that but its all you have for now
>“Come down to the basement, I got you something”
>As you enter the basement, you find your makeshift equipment has been removed
>and in the middle of the floor lies a group of amorphous objects huddled together underneath a blanket
>Dash steps over to the blanket, she pauses and smiles at you, Taking a moment to admire your progress before revealing her gift.
>She bites the corner of the blanket and tosses it off to the side
>“Ta-dah!” she says as you lay your eyes on new equipment
>Focus mitts, two bags (a speed bag and a heavy bag) wrist wraps and gloves.
>All of it proper and bona fide, not the improvised rags you’ve been training with thus far
>Dash continues her smiles
>“Ready to train the right way?”
Yup
>“Let me get a stool, I’ll help you hang that heavy-”
>Before she can finish her sentence, you lift the heavy bag up and hang it from the rafters with very little effort. This would not have been possible three months ago but it is now thanks to her training
>Dash, quite possibly for the first time since you’ve known her, is genuinely and wholly impressed
>“A-alright then. Let’s train”
>Dash helps you put on your new wraps and gloves. Not having any hands does limit her capacity for assisting but you’re not going to make any unnecessary remarks about it and she’s happy to help anyway
>You begin punching on the bag. It has actual mass and density to it, Unlike that rolled canvas you were using.
>Although striking the bag does hurt your hands, you’re not concerned over it. Your concern lies simply in the gratification of slugging that bag senselessly.
>You lose yourself in the sensation. Pain, frustration, anxiety, None of it matters.
>You lose yourself so much, that after only mere minutes of punching you tear a rip in the side of your brand new gloves
>You cease your assault to turn your wrist over and inspect the exposed padding inside.
>You’re worried Dash might be upset that you tore a rip in your brand new equipment but she’s not. She simply pats some duck tape over the rip and proceeds to smile at you some more
>“Its time, Anon. We’re getting you a fight”
 
Round 5
>You collapse in your stool to consult with your faithful coach, as usual
>“Anon, I don’t think your going to be able to take him face-to-face”
>She read your mind. Good to see the both of you are on the same page
What do I do, Dash? I’ll tire myself out before I beat him like that
>“You need to tire HIM out. Look at him, he’s loosing steam.
>Dash’s observations are as sharp as always. Will is taking a toll from both the mistakes he’s made and the exhaustion of going into what’s about to be the 5th round. It’s very uncommon for his fights to go on this long
>“Keep hitting him in the ribs, Knock the wind out of him, Take his lung capacity away!”
Dash, I can’t just go at him directly!
>Dash sighs. She stops her loud barking and leans in close to you
>In a calm and relaxing voice, she guides you
>“Anon. Watch his movement closely…”
>Her voice helps relieve your tension that’s been high strung the entire night
>“He makes so many mistakes. His punches may be powerful, but they’re slow, they’re very easy to see coming and they leave him completely open for a counter. Watch his body movement”
>You meditate on her words as she continues
>“Keep taking shots at his ribs. Make him chase you around. That will tire him out …Alright?”
>Her relaxation rubs off on you. You now know what to do.
Yeah…Alright, Dash
>The bell rings and round five begins
>As Will does his usual routine of closing in, you remain both relaxed yet focused.
>You assume your stance but rather than scurrying in rapidly, you take a moment to analyze your foe just as he is in sweeping distance
>He’s tired, He’s dazed but what will his next move be?
>You take note of his body. Legs are standing parallel, his arms are positioned so that his hands cover his face just below his eyes. There are no real dead giveaways
>However, you recall the preceding round and remember that he started off last round’s offensive with a double jab. As best as you can figure, he’ll go for that again
>Both your analyzing an decisions are made within the blink of an eye
>Will has hardly moved a hair while you were making your on-the-fly battle plan. >Deciding it best to avoid a punch all-together as opposed to blocking or taking it, you execute your plan before he even begins his attack
>You veer off to the right of him. Will goes on with his predictable plan of right jab but its thrown well after you’re out of the line of fire
>Not having anticipated (or yet realized) that you‘ve anticipated his attacks, he follows up with the second jab despite the fact you’re out of harm’s way
>Elsewhere, you tighten your left fist and throw a hook right into his ribcage
>It lands head on. Will’s skin ripples outward from ground zero as he is now just realizing you are not where his increasing sluggishness had told him where you were a second ago
>Yet, he still hasn’t retracted his arm fully. With that in mind, you throw another powerful left hand hook into his ribs
>You take another heartbeat to contemplate his next move. As best you can figure, he’ll counter your left hooks with one of his own (Despite slower punches leading to disasters for him in past experiences)
>with the simple retraction of his of his left arm, you’re speculation is confirmed
>You throw a right jab into his solar plexus, determined to get off one last attack before retreating from his immanent retaliation
>He doesn’t take quite as much retraction to throw his hook as he had before but nonetheless you duck right under it again and follow up with a right handed hook on the other side of his ribs.
>As his failed hook sails over your head once more, you throw two more jabs into his solar plexus
>He tries to throw an straight punch at your face but you lunge back and watch him lose his balance again
>With his guard down, you lunge in forward and slug him in the stomach with a powerful uppercut.
>Will, not having any guard at the moment, gasps for air upon the blow impacting his gut.
>Between your power and the force from his own forward motion, You’ve literally knocked the air out of him
>He’ll soon be attempting to refill his lungs with air but you’re not going to let him. Before he can take a breath, you unleash a flurry of hooks into his ribs and stomach. He stands breathless in the ring, unable to get any air back into him.
>Obviously, he lowers his arms to protect his body but in the process, forgets that he has a face that is now completely vulnerable.
>You’re quick to respond with a straight punch right into his jaw. A stream of spit sprays outward on impact and Will staggers backwards, finally putting some distance between the two of you.
>In what little time there is distance he manages to suck in a haggard breath, gasping for as much as air as possible in as little time as possible
>You remember Dash’s advice to make him chase you in an attempt to sap his energy out
>You step in just slightly…
>…Slightly enough that he will pursue but not so close that he can land blows. As for now, there is no need for you to attack, you can drain him just by baiting.
>He’s hesitant to resume his assault, pondering if there is a devious counter awaiting him.
>After a second’s pass, he steps in to attack. Just as he’s in arm’s reach, you’re already backing away before he’s punch is thrown yet not so early that he decides against throwing it
>He hastens his advancement in response to your dodging.
>But that’s exactly what you want. There is no way he’ll be able to move at high speeds without draining himself.
>You kite him around the ring continuously, occasionally standing still just long enough for him to throw a punch but not long enough for it to land.
>His energy is draining right before your very eyes, you’re gaining the upper hand just by movement
>As his movement slows down to nearly a snail’s pace, you decide to let him exhaust himself by throwing more unsuccessful punches.
>With your hands guarding your face, you step in and watch for the ensuing attack
>As predictable as always, Will throws his usual jab/jab/Hook combo
>You in turn dodge it with a rightward veer/leftward veer/Ducking combo, avoiding his attack completely
>Likewise you mimic his exact move, but contrastingly both of your jabs are direct hits on his ribs and your hook is a semi direct hit with part of it being blocked
>In a panic, Will tosses a wild punch that impacts the side of your head
>Had you not been beating on him, you may have been able to avoid it
>After it lands, you assess it’s potency; His punches have certainly regained some of their power since the last round.
>It’s somewhere between how powerful they before he smashed into the post and how powerful they were after he smashed into the post. Sort of a “75% punch” if you would
>All in all the end result is something you want to avoid, especially when taken to the temple
>You stagger back as The bell rings and the round ends.
>Will retreats to his corner
>as you recuperate from the temple shot, You stand tall knowing this is the turning tide of the game.
>He may have power, He may have endurance and he may have one hell of a chin but you’re chipping away at him faster and faster. This game is finally in your favor
>Still…It ain’t over till it’s over