Iron Mike was hugely happy to see both fighters from the upcoming quarter final bout Justice & LittleBunnyFooFoo putting in the work down at Iron Mikes Muscle Maker.

"DATS IT GUYTH. PUT IN THE WORK MAKE THE GAINZ. ALL KINDS OF GAINZ" screams Iron Mike at no one in particular.

He nods his respects to both & goes back to plotting how to win this weeks Chicago horse race.

Mike's muscle maker was well known around Detroit as THE place to be if you wanted to learn how to kick ass and chew bubble gum. Void had taken many beatings as of late. Many, many beatings. Some came from his arch fremesis, others came from detroitians whose pockets Void was all too fond to pick, but the majority of them came from MikeTyson himself. It was time for Void to learn how to defend himself when the fists come flying.

When he walked in he was slightly intimidated by the large amount of mobsters beating the snot out of varyingly sized bags of sand and the assault on his ear by the slapping noises. He almost got flashbacks to the beatings he himself had suffered the days before. The bag HeadCoach was pounding seemed to sport a picture of a shark, Void wasn't sure what that was about. Void spotted Mike to the side watching over his pummel imperium, and decided to walk up to him.

"Mike, I've been beaten bloody so many times now I've been unable to keep count anymore. The beatings have gone hazy, I can hardly remember when one has ended and when the next one began, it all seems to weave together into a continuous stream of getting my shit kicked in. I feel like I'm stuck in mug limbo to be frank."

"I need someone to make me remember the basics of CQC Mike. I want to be able to defend myself the next time my pocket-advances are met with a violent response. Just please don't get me on a puree'd broccoli diet or any other disgusting stuff like that. I may want to Make those Muscles but I have my limits too you know. Do you have any tips for what I can do to get started?"

Hobbs could not believe his eyes and ears. Before him Void was prostituting himself like the peace pervert he was looking for advice on how to be more sturdy. More manly. Hobbs was also offended that Void hadn't come to him for such an instruction.

"You don't need to use your muscles if you use your brain instead pal. If someone's attacking you sure you could hit them back. OR, you could set them on Fire*. Come see me over in Las Vegas if you want REAL instruction on how to be a REAL man. Okay, friend Void?."

Hobbs walked away back to the shadows of the gym where he came from whilst singing a song he'd just made up about Void on the fly like the creative maestro he was.

"LET'S GET DOWN TO BUSINESS, TO  DEFEAT, THE HOBBS.

DID YOU SEND ME DAUGHTERS, WHEN I ASKED, FOR VOID?

You're the saddest bunch I've ever met

But you can bet before we're through,

I'll make a man out of you."

He bowed as a crescendo of applause came from 180 to 200 loyal friends and associates. Hobbs was a great guy, unlike Void.

With the anticipation of my next fight I was going to do everything possible to be in great shape. I had heard of MikeTyson training center, Iron Mikes Muscle Maker over on Michigan Ave. I decided to check it out; especially since I heard Johnny-McIver my next opponent has trained there.

“Damn its dark in here” as I entered the gym. Then a musty, noisome smell hit my nose that made my eyes water.  

When I finally gained my composure and able to see, looking around the place was packed.  It was packed with just guys lifting weights, at punching bags, using preacher benches and talking a lot of shit to each other.

I kept thinking why it is as dark in here as I started to walk toward the sign that said office.  All of a sudden someone touch me from behind.  I turned around I swear the guy looked like the Gill-man from the Creature from the Black Lagoon, fucking scared me to death.  “You looking to get swole” he said.

I paid my $5 for the week and there I was in the middle of the world’s most smelly men. Mr. Gill worked me so hard the smell of my sweat became as common as those around me.

Oooh what a doozy of a boxing career Justice had been having. Banging gavels by day and banging faces by night. Well not banging but punching, but that didn't make as good of a sentence. He liked sentences. Nice long, hard sentences. Mmmmm. Succulent. Snapping his thoughts back to training. He approached MikeTyson to gain some training. He'd already mastered the bags and pretend push ups, so he needed something to give him the edge in the upcoming fight. Mike was busy, so he looked around the gym. Spying a skipping rope, he decided to do a few rounds with one. Picking it up and swinging it overhead, it soon became tangled in his gown and he fell down face first. That'll surely add to the bruises he'd endured in the last fight. Giving up on the skipping rope, he decided to lay down on his back at the edge of the ring and place some weights hanging off his forehead. His neck was already well worked out, used to swivelling from defence to prosecution in the courtroom, but this would allow him to do it with more zealousness. Maybe it would also allow him to tank a punch that would previously have knocked him out. This was the perfect workout for him, lying down and not doing much. 

Void had trouble following the tone of Hobbs' oration. At one point it was full of hate and scorn, at another Hobbs broke out into passionate song and dance. The word FIRE* was pronounced with particular emphasis but never elaborated upon. It was full of confusion and mystery.

The song however was particularly touching and had Void brushing away a tear from the corner of one of his eyes. He was almost convinced to leave the Gym and follow Hobbs into a life of intellectual trickery as opposed to physical self-defense, but then Void remembered Spaghetti-gate. Void did not want another Spaghetti-gate. There was also another issue which didn't sit well with him...

"Hobbs the only way I will even begin to listen to your suggestions on how to become a man is if you drop that ridiculous Detroit jersey you've been wearing around town. It flies in the face of everything you preach, what will the Summerlin basketball players (who had gone into hiding) think when they see The Prince of Summerlin who forbade them to play ball walk around in that outfit? Do you think they will still respect/listen to your mandate? UN-BLOODY-LIKELY."

"Come Hobbs, seeing how Mike has refused to train this green Vegas Boy I guess we'll have to get into ring as-is. I have never in my life lost a boxing match (though I technically haven't wone any yet either). Let's settle this Detroit Jersey bollocks once and for all, I win you drop the Jersey. You win, and I'll make an appeal to twigs to ban basketball in The Strip as well.*"

*OOC: Dice tops bet decides the match.

"Nobody calls my ridiculous jersey ridiculous except me, capicshe pal? I've half a mind to slap you across the face with a large rainbow trout, except I'm worried you'd enjoy it too much. You. Pervert. I've already taken this Jersey off and set fire to it in public (My first ever public arson attack), but your words? Your words are fighting words."

Hobbs karate chopped the air and did the universal kung-fu fighting dance.

"I'm happy to settle this in the ring. Are you ready to go one on one with the great one?"

Hobbs stepped forward towards Void all menacing and intimidating like.

"Let's do three rounds sir. This one will not be settled by a lucky punch."

When initially Void had posed the challenge to the Detroit Faker, Hobbs quickly ran off into the locker room. Void thought this was because Hobbs was a SCARED WUSS but when he emerged no longer wearing the Detroit Jersey but instead sporting his iconic golden trunks and nothing else, Void was so taken aback that his breath cought in his throat.

"It makes me very glad to see that you turned your back on the coach's offer Hobbs, very glad indeed. You've seen the light it appears, I was really close to calling you "Turncloak Hobbs" for the rest of our sorry lives but you've made the right choice in the end. Welcome home."

"Now of course the boxing challenge is irreversible and I'm happy to still take you on, and your suggestion of a three-rounder is a welcome one, but I'm afraid you'll have to draw up new stakes. Mine still stands, if you win then I'll raise a petition to ban of basketball throughout all of Vegas to twigs but we need something new for you. I need motivation Hobbs, I beat my frenemies not for pleasure but for GAIN."

"I don't even wear a cloak, stupid. I'm not the Imperial Grand Chess Wizard twigs. How can I turn cloak if I don't own a cloak? Unbelievable. Did you leave all your brains to that stupid Parrot of yours?" 

Hobbs was half confused half infuriated by his latest struggle with his greatest friend. 

"Look I'll take the compliment for what it was. I am happy to be here too even if Giorgio and twigs don't want me. What we do need to do is lobby them for vengeance on our basketball colleagues, so I accept your offer of a boxing duel to the death.

Hobbs was very solemn when he said this. It would be a bloody battle with fists and eyes and gloves and whatever else boxers did. He wasn't even put off by his 0/3 official boxing record.

"If I win, you lobby twigs to ban basketball in all districts."

Hobbs paused, carefully and considered.

"If you win, I will.... stop calling you a pervert? What say you, worm?".

Hobbs tapped his fingers impatiently

"Though I sincerely doubt that me winning would actually stop you from calling me a pervert I accept your bet nonetheless. At least then I'll have something to wag in your face when you do so, I suppose. Alright Hobbs let's do this. The gloves are uhh... on.."

After a quick round-trip to the locker rooms by Void the angry rivals both got into the ring situated in the corner of Mike's gym. Void was not used to this sporting stuff and didn't have the proper atire for it so he was wearing naught but his swimming trunks.

"Alright Hobbs three rounds. No punches below the belt please. PLEASE." Lacking a proper referee Void had instead wound up a kitchen timer and set it down on the ground in the middle of the ring. ticktickticktick..... The men touched gloves and the battle began.

Void was moving around swiftly throwing a few quick jabs here and there. Hobbs on the other hand went for agressive hooks and other more power-packing moves. Eventually Void yelled "Look behind you Hobbs, Alina's here to deliver your share of the lottery win!" as Hobbs was turned around Void shortened the distance, as Hobbs swung back around after sensing the trickery he got hit square in the ribs by a hook from Void. The timer sounded and Hobbs stumbled back wheezing like an old man.

The timer was wound up once more and the duel continued into the second round. Hobbs was pissed, really really pissed and did not wait for Void to make the first strike. The LV jersey was ripped off and a violent flurry of jabs and punches came Void's way. He could fend off the first few but was quickly overwhelmed. Void's defence fell and he got socked in the jaw so hard that he came crashing down onto the floor. Void crawled away bloody while Hobbs snickered.

After Void had gotten up the timer was rewound one last time for the third round but the match was a done deal. Void stumbled forward and attempted to get a hit in but still being dazed from the previous round he was too slow. Hobbs deftly dodged it and once again sent Void tumbling down with a powerful gut-punch. Void was bent over on the floor coughing whilst Hobbs maniacally laughed.

Hobbs had scored his first boxing win and figuratively lit Void's ass on FIRE*.

The match was settled and Void managed to lose from the man with an 0/3 record, the shame from this loss was suffocating him more than the gut-punch did. Hobbs could be seen at the far end of the ring motioning to one of his henchmen for a pan of cold soggy spaghetti. Void whimpered "Oh no. Everything but that."

Hobbs sunk down to his knees in elation both arms held aloft to the sky in victory. In the background a chorus of a song singing 'We Are The Champions' seemed to play in celebration. A cannon went off showering red, white and blue confetti around the entire gym.

"YOU ESS AAY. USA. USA" came the adoring cheers of Hobbs 180 to 200 friends, confidants and bodyguards. Was this what glory tasted of? Beside him lay Void, his dreams shattered to dust next to his jaw bone. What a comeback. What a victory.

The spaghetti bowl came out. A crown fit for a King. There was no Daiquiri to save the day this time

"HOBBS, HOBBS, HOBBS"

Hobbs wasn't sure where the cheers began and the effigy chanting around the corner ended. On this day it did not matter. The Peace Pervert was vanquished and soon basketball would be banned.

While Mai was out and about cruising the town, getting acquainted with the areas she saw Iron Mikes Muscle Maker.  She remembers reading in her mother’s journals how she went there to get “swole”.  She wrote she was so scared to enter the building but needed help getting prepare for an upcoming boxing match.  Her mother’s brother was a professional boxer and she must have thought she could follow in his footsteps.  She wrote that the place was dark and very musky.

Mai stopped her car in front.  She didn’t know if it was still open or close, she didn’t see any people going in or out.  She started to get out the car and go inside just to take a look.  But she lost her nerve and decided perhaps another time.