THE SWEETEST SCIENCE

Valerie_Cross: Just as Charlie said the rear door to Pop's Gym is unlocked. It's 11:30 pm and I can't believe I'm actually here. It's only been about 6 hours since I challenged Charlie and now in about 30 minutes we're going to box. I open the door and step into the early 20th century! Faded hardwood floors, dust, ancient lighting all five the gym an "olde tyme" feel. The ring looks like it was last used in 1910 but it's in good shape. I see a note pinned to a beam from Charlie. He says he's getting ready and I should do the same, my changing area is off to the left. My heart races.......I'm excited and terrified but I push it all down and head to get changed. As he stated, he left me a traditional canvas pair of shorts that stop mid thigh and are secured with a red sash. I pull off my sweatshirt and remain in my grey sports bra. I find the faded leather 8 oz gloves and pull them on, securing them tightly. My reddish hair is pulled high.....I'm set. I head into the gym and climb into the ring and go to the far corner, the excitement building!

Charlie_Milner: As I finish wrapping my hands, I kept thinking about how this night came about. Mouthy gym rat spewing baseless comments, getting in my face, and then the challenge. It happened so fast and before I knew it, the fight…. Settled on when, where, and the rules. I slip on my vintage 8-ounce everlast boxing gloves, and then role my neck and shoulders. I smack my gloves together when I then hear the squeaks and creaks of the ring floor. “She’s here.” I say in my head. I take a deep breath, pop my mouth guard into my trunk elastic, and …. Exit the locker room doors toward the ring apron. I get there and realize, “Damn, she’s much taller than I remembered from today.” A sudden reality sets in. I better be on my ‘A’ game cuz this girl looks like a buzzsaw. I slip through the ropes and give you a cold stare. “Didn’t think you’d show” as I take in the old gym vibe. My black hair already a bit matted from sweat warming up in the locker room, I get the adrenaline rush I wanted. I go to my corner, lean in the corner pad, quip “You ready for that beating I promised you?” smirk and pop my mouthguard in. Heart racing now, oh… it’s on.

Charlie_Milner:

Valerie_Cross: I grin as he enters the gym. Despite the mix of excitement and fear I am eager to get this match started. I see the look of determination in his eyes, I've seen him on the gym and I know what he can do so I definitely cannot take him lightly. "Of course I showed up. I promised YOU a beating didn't I?" I say with as much bravado as I can muster. I get up and slip my mouth guard in and pound my gloves together. I roll my shoulders and head to the middle of the ring. "So, as agreed, nonstop boxing until one of us is knocked out cold..... correct?"

Charlie_Milner: I can't help but smile at your continued overconfidence, in my view. But with my mouth guard already in place, I just nod at your 'clarity' question, smack my gloves and give you the stoic look. I slowwalk to center ring and basically get close.....

Charlie_Milner:

Charlie_Milner:

Charlie_Milner: I extend my gloves and look for you to touch gloves.

Charlie_Milner:

Charlie_Milner: ...and DING!!!! It's on. Gloves up and circling, I try to get a quick look at you knowing your height and reach advantage cannot be overlooked. So, I need to stay outside that reach and look for signs. Your stance is solid, your movement as well. It's all real now. Time to go to work.

Charlie_Milner:

Valerie_Cross: And it's on! Charlie is a pro, I see it on his stance and positioning. He knows the size advantages I have so he'll definitely be cagy and look to counter punch so I have to make sure not to overextend and expose myself. I circle and slide into my reach and pop a lead left jab, doubling it up to test his guard as I aim at his chin. I keep my punches crisp and try to pull back into my guard.

Charlie_Milner: It’s as if I had ‘read this story’ before as Valerie shows what I can only call the Boxing 101 phase of the fight. Typical start looking to make the first impression, first move, first contact, and set the pace. Why do boxers feel the need to ‘test’ their opponent. It’s only, in my view because they aren’t sure what their opponent’s skill level is. Or, it’s simply habit. Well I am NOT a creature of habit, and can only note the obvious and predictable first salvo when I react. The first jab popped, does nothing other than graze my right glove a bit as I am already moving. When the second one comes, I slip it moving my head and some shoulder right going outside the glove and step AT you. I then shift my footing a bit and bring my ‘counter’ holding nothing back, driving with my right shoulder and torso a heavy right hook looking to pound that body at your left obliques. Psssh…. Then quickly reload it and look to do it again… pssssh!.... this time looking to go beltline wanting to pound and hurt your body before stepping in and driving the left uppercut coming for your solar plexus wanting to suck your breath from you immediately. Ussssh!

Valerie_Cross: Son of a bitch this guy is good! Not many think boxing is a chess match but it is and Charlie is clearly plotting moves ahead. It's like he knew I was going to test him and I pay the price. The first hook connects solidly into my side and I can only grit my teeth and take it as pain spreads along my ribs and oblique muscles. I drop my elbow and absorb the second, harder hook and my arm feels the sting. The uppercut catches my gloves but the impact is felt nonetheless. Thankfully I got my guard up quickly or I'd be sucking wind early. Alright, my turn. He might think I'm going to try to reestablish my reach but instead I step into him and crack a right hook up at his chin, twisting my torso and putting my whole body into it... PSSSSHHHH....I then cock my left and drive my legs into an uppercut driving it at his abs just above the belt. I thrust my hips, tensing my ass to add as much steam as I can on my punches

Charlie_Milner: Oh how I love first contact as my glove crashes into Val’s obliques, and being inside I can’t miss seeing that face cringe as she looks like she bites down hard on her mouthpiece. The feeling of my leather to her flesh is so gratifying. She knows I can throw with power now, no more surprises there for me. I may be lanky, but I am clearly capable and know my body’s strengths and weaknesses. She shows her defensive prowess as her arms and elbows tighten absorbing most of the reloaded right and left uppercut but, she’s in MY wheelhouse already. And she didn’t even know it. I love working from the inside. In close, I take some of her power away as she can’t extend those longer limbs. That doesn’t mean she’s not dangerous inside too. Her left occupied with guarding her body leaves her right the only option. When she steps into the pocket tighter, I shift right and lean back a bit, and “woosh” that right sweeps by barely missing my chin. The left comes inside too, but with my body shift, I see you want to go body. I quickly sweep my right hand and look to parry the blow wanting to chop it away with my right hand and forearm. This leaves your face and chin horribly exposed. I counter with a fast and nasty straight left pivoting my feet and driving it with my shoulder and torso again… “iiishh!”… looking to crash it into your face dead center and then go back downstairs shifting my weight for a right hook looking to again pound that body hard and dig it in hoping to take a chunk of your 'flank' with it …. “Ussssh!” Taking your reach advantage away fighting inside gives me open targets somewhere. I just have be right more than you. And my bet’s…. ON ME!

Valerie_Cross: Damnit!! I watch in slow motion as my hook sails useless past his chin. Then to my horror he easily blocks my uppercut and I realize to late I'm exposed. I try to stay calm and brace for the counter and it comes at me in aces!! UHHG..his left plasters my face, I taste the leather as I feel my nose flatten and my head snaps back. Sweat sprays as my hair gets a bit loose. I can feel my head pound but I'm not out of it by a longshot. I instinctively drop my left and guard my flank and his hook rattles me. Damn he is strong. I'm sweaty. The air is thick and humid but I can't stop. My heart pounds as my body tenses, everywhere. Blood flowing I have to respond. I shove both gloves into him and try to make space and follow it with a hard right cross aiming to put my fist through his head...pssshhh... And I use my momentum and drive a left uppercut aiming to rocket his head into orbit

Charlie_Milner: The rush up my left arm when it connects and seeing Val’s face basically implode around the blow is as awesome a feeling and sight as you can have in boxing. When her gloves move to guard her body as I unload the hook, surprised by her instincts, (damn, good defense again) the glove pops her arm but, see that she now realizes size is deceiving. I know how to throw power punches and use my body right, showing anyone is dangerous in the ring. She look flustered early and shoves me back stretching those arms out as she tries to get some room to move…’nmff’... But, I see what seems like desperation accompanying that rattled, flustered look, and then she shows just that, not aware of her skill or experience in the ring, I get the sense that this could be untested fighter feels the NEED to do something. Instead of resetting, she comes hard and fast at me after the shove and telegraphs a huge right cross as I step back AT you and shift my body and head slightly right and back as my natural momentum from the push helped a bit. Another ‘SWOOSH’ from the right going harmlessly by me and thank God. Had it connected, I would have been in big trouble. Her follow looks even more obvious as she clearly wants to change the direction of the fight and go head hunting. That perceived inexperience in the ring wasn’t expecting this, clearly. I lean back on my back foot and the uppercut just grazes my left cheek. I feel a slight singe from the power behind it, and had THAT one landed, I’d be in SERIOUS trouble. But as boxing shows us, everything is a matter of inches. As your uppercut extends, I lean forward now and stay in the pocket. This time, with your left side open and I shift and pivot looking to bury a brutal right uppercut into that solar plexus of yours to take your breath from you, driving it with my shoulder and hips…. “yuuuush!”…. then send a swift text book left-right hook follow to rattle that jawline and put you on your back feet and really hurt you….”psssh psssh!”

Valerie_Cross: Shit!! I'm utterly helpless as I watch both blows miss, well the uppercut but barely grazed him but it might as well be a miss. WHUMP!! I freeze as a hard glove punctures my solar plexus and breathing becomes impossible for several seconds. Instinct tells me to cover up and I feel two heavy blows echo off my gloves and jar my body. The air is thick, my breathing a bit labored as my tits heave with the effort. I shuffle back, I need to get space and buy time. I slide back and keep my guard up, making my way to the middle of the ring, sweat pouring off of me, chest heaving as I try to buy time.

Charlie_Milner: YES! Oh that look on her face as she eats the body shot flush. There is no better result…. With the exception of her ability to somehow get those gloves up protecting herself.... DAMN! A fighter that is resilient is always a challenge. However, the sound that leaves Val's lips when my glove connected is intoxicating. I KNOW she’s hurt with the audible hitch in her breathing and the semi-deliberate backpedaling trying to shake me loose and find some distance. NO WAY am I letting that happen. She is near center ring, turtled up, doing the “I just need a moment of time” parade route, but that ain’t gonna happen. I immediately shuffle and skip step to her snapping a left jab at her gloved coverup to keep them there. Then instantly shifting my weight, plant my feet and bring a big heavy right and left hook sweeping around her turtled arms and elbows looking for meat on her sides….. “usssh yuussh” driving the blows with my hips and torso again wanting to punish and pound her body for trying to get away, with me trying to drive her to the ropes finishing with an attempted elbow splitting left uppercut looking to snap that hopefully available chin straight up while continuing to drive her toward the ropes…. “yyeeuuh!”

Valerie_Cross: Fuck! He's relentless as he charges, clearly he's still fresh, of course he is I haven't even tagged him. The jab hits my gloves and before I can drop my elbows in defense I feel the hard sting as two hooks stole my sides hard in rapid succession. UGHHH.....I wince in pain as my flank and ribs ache and breathing is becoming difficult, my mouth must be open and breathing hard. I feel sweat pouring down my tits and down my belly and legs. The air is thick and I try to keep pace. WHUMP!! My head snaps up and back as a hard uppercut rocks my jaw and my knees buckle. Shit!!y head is swimming and my heart pounding and my cock is just getting harder!! I try to loop my right arm around his side and pin his left arm as I'm desperate to clinch and try to slow him down. If I can I'm going to lean on him and try and dig my left into his ribs

Charlie_Milner: Mmmm ,.,,, MMMMM yes! Digging for body gold is a success as the pained look on her face is clear. The uppercut crashes home and the sight of her now open head is all I need to see; the pained look, the groggy, blank looking stare. The knees about to go and give way. I don’t give her ANY room, staying right inside the pocket seeking openings. And then… she gives me one. Oh what a gift. Her right arm comes for a clinch and I shift quickly and bring a stiff nasty left hook ….’uussh’….looking to crash it into her open right side of her face, where that arm should be, wanting to plaster her into those ropes, trying to cut off the ring. Then, the follow immediately as I snap a hard straight right …“nnnyuh!” …looking for her face and cheek wanting to punish her wilting form that tries to lean into me.

Valerie_Cross: My attempt at a clinch fails miserably as my head violently twists to the side as his hook rocks me. My brain short circuits and my limbs go limp and I'm a sitting 🦆. I feel my body sunk into the ropes as the straight plows into my face ..WHUMP!! I taste blood as either my nose or a cut under my eye or both opens and begins to drain. I let out a groan and struggle to get my gloves up but they feel like lead. My vision is hazy, and Charlie appears fuzzy...

Charlie_Milner: My brain goes on adrenaline overdrive as my gloves hammer into her jaw and face, the hook landing flush deforming her face as her body ragdolls. The ropes become her ‘lifeline’ as my right implodes into her face while she crashes into the ropes. Oh that groan, overloading my senses when her gloves look like their too heavy. Her eyes seem to drift. As much as I want to enjoy the view, my boxer instinct says NO WAY. I slide step right in front of Val and look to punish her compromised form… I’m gonna bust her up. I step into the pocket and snap a double left jab toward her face and cheeks looking to swell and work those eyes…. “pfft pffft”… wanting to start closing them to impair her already limiting vision..driving those jabs with the shoulder driving through….. then a nasty 1-2 left jab straight right…”pssh psssh”…. wanting to snap that groggy head back and keep her groggy, hurt, but up wanting to now drag out the punishment. I let out a sneer-partnered snarky growl as I finish the flurry with wanting to bury a left hook deep into her core at her trunkline… “uuush”… and a brutal right cross coming for her jawline and left eye socket….”yuuush!”

Valerie_Cross: I'm on a stupor, I know it but I can't do anything about it. The sweat is just flowing off of me, my heart is thumping in my chest like a jackhammer and my nipples and cock are rock hard, I'm hoping Charlie doesn't notice..... Charlie... where is he? THUNK....THUNK...POP....WHUMP!! I feel my face get pulverized, feel my cheeks swelling, blood trickling from a welt that's opened under my left eye which is now about half open. I try to cover up but my arms move like they're in molasses. By the time I get them up...WHUNK!! I cough up bloody spit as a fist nearly ruptured my colon!! I gurgle and groan...FUCK!! DEFENSE!! I move my arms but the next punch rips across my face .. CRACK!! I feel my nose break!! "FUCK!!" I yelp in agony as I sag into the ropes

Charlie_Milner: I watch coldly as I cause you agony with my fists, opening you up for more with my well placed blows. I can hear you struggle as it’s obvious you're in no condition to fight back. I'm at this point, now carrying this fight out on instinct. With another opening, I seize the chance to rattle your brain with a right handed uppercut to bludgeon your chin, driving the power through my toes and springing up slightly with the punch. I follow this up by tracking wherever your head may have ended up, my left hook pursuing your right cheek with brutal intent. Not swinging completely at full strength but still quite savagely given that I don’t want to miss the mark while you sag during my attempts to pick you apart. The damage I am getting off might be enough to completely finish you, with your gloves all but non-existent, they seem heavy and I don't think you can raise them fast enough to guard against the sudden shaking left uppercut I aim at your chin, then the partnered right looking to cave your navel and belly. My right curls around in another right hook to the cheek. I stay in close, fists primed for offense and punishing you as promised.

Valerie_Cross: My left eye is nearly swollen shut and I can taste the blood dripping from my nose. My vision is hazy, my head throbbing and I feel ally muscles shutting down. CRACK!! My head snaps up and I feel my body starting to crumble. Time move slow, my vision swimming with stars and blackness....I feel sledgehammer after sledgehammer crack into my jaw, my head, as I feel my knees sinking. The pain changes to my stomach getting pulverized and I shut down. I feel another blow land but I'm already like a redwood tree that's just been sawed.....I teeter, stumbling forward, my hands out to try and catch myself

Charlie_Milner: She teeters, she sways.... I shove back. "Get back on those ropes" driving my left glove into her right breast to keep her up and stuck on them dangerously close to her own corner. She looks clearly as if she's having a hard time standing, but she's taken more than some of my opponents without going down. I'm impressed but I won't let her know it, seeing her listlessly teetering near the ropes, I skip in behind a double left jab to her right eye socket, …“pffft pfffft”… this time I carefully tee off my right hook, swinging my whole upper body into it, trying to whip her head around and dim if not put out her lights entirely. I press into her on the ropes, stabbing another merciless uppercut into her stomach at her navel…”uuuush”…. from my left. She signed up for this, and I have no intention of easing up now. At this point, the ring is all that is holding her up, seeing her in a sweaty, bruising heap on the ropes. She's teetering like a drunkard, as she can't escape, trapped like an exhausted rat. Did she even catch just a glimpse of me moving in, before a quick snapping jab to the mouth….”pssssh”…sets her up for a primed right handed uppercut, my lithe arm bulging at the bicep as it unfurls one of my biggest punches yet to her invitingly open chin…”ussssh!”. I want to put her down in her own corner. If she remains conscious, I want her to fear getting back up, my fists reset, ready to unload more if need be, steel blue eyes scanning her battered form and taking stock of the damage I've done to it. A silent focus on the open targets in front of me even still. I've been described as ruthless before, but its just an utter efficiency. I won't stop punching until she's knocked out cold. I let my hands just go, exploding into an aggressive combo, a double jab from my left smacks those closing eyes….”pshhh pshhh”... A right cross to the jaw “psssh”, a pair of uppercuts to the stomach “usssh usssh”…, one from each hand, followed by a head turning left hook to the cheek.

Valerie_Cross: I'm flung back and leaning on my own corner as the onslaught continues. Punches seem to come from every angle, the first, more of a shove... pancakes my tit and I groan, God I must look pathetic doing that! My head snaps back, side to side, every which way as the blows land and my mind turns to liquid as my left eye is closed fully, the right not far behind. The blows to my abs continue as well and I can only breathe in short painful gasps .. ..I sink back on the corner, semi standing with gloves at my sides, groaning, trying hard not to cry at this point....

Charlie_Milner: You eat leather like you haven't had a meal in weeks. I smile as you lean into your corner, helpless, defenseless, and I smile as I literally spit my mouth guard out.

Valerie_Cross: I feel my head snaps back and my feet lift up as everything fades to black. My body stiffens a bit then crumbles like those buildings you see getting demolished as my knees fold then my ass drops like a rock and slams to the mat as my torso flops over, my face landing on Charlie's feet

Charlie_Milner: I watch as you crash to the canvas ragdolling to my feet. Appropriate as you clearly weren't prepared. Maybe next time you will be. I remove my gloves and leave next to your old cold body to remind you who did this to you. I then quietly exit the ring leaving your formerly cocky arrogant form there.

Charlie_Milner:

Charlie_Milner: