A young man about the age of 21 stands in front of a mirror in the bathroom, he stares at his voidish black eyes with tints of caramel. His smooth, clear face with big circular glasses. He rubs water on his short brown hair and starts pumping himself up.
"robby, Robbby, ROBBY. Wake up man it's time for you to start your interview with World Boxing, The biggest international boxing corporation since last year. 2027 started yesterday, and it's time for you, Yes, YOU, to be the next big name coach." - Robby Frank
Robby Frank is exactly how you think, a young man with big ambitions and he's just about to start his interview in 5 minutes. He's trying to get a sponsorship for his boxing gym passed down from his parents. Ramshackle and all but its great that he's trying, at least.
In 2023, the world completely changed with the integration with technology and boxing, boxers everywhere can get upgrades, increasing one's strength, speed or intelligence. With this integration the world completely changed. Cities were changing drastically. New building and roads popped out of nowhere creating a new life.
With this change, companies didn't wait even a second to control it, then World Boxing showed up, made by an anonymous man. They capitalized on everything, they became the most influential name around. The company then established a new boxing world. Claiming that whoever is the strongest in their franchise is the true strongest and everyone believed it. So much so that no one disagreed that World Boxing is the one and only real boxing corporation to sign with.
Robby Frank is one of the billions who believe it and now in 2027 he wants to put his families boxing gym to be placed on the map but the competition is steep. Here in Prime City which used to be New York City where everything has been changed for the better.
"Oh shit, oh SHIT, where the hell is the interview!!!" - Robby shouts as walks out of the restroom to be met with a building busier than can be. The crowd was so dense it looked like the sea, with Robby squirming his way through arriving at the receptionist desk.
"Hello there sir, how can I help you today?"
"Oh I'm here for an interview to be sponsored by World Boxing."
"Oh wow, well what's your full name and time of the appointment."
"My name is Robby Frank, the interview is supposed to start at 4:05."
The receptionist then typed in the information and clicks a button to pop up a hologram in front of Robby.
"What's this?!?!"
"That's a newer piece of technology that will get you to put your fingerprint as a signature, you know paper signing is so old now."
Robby is astonished by this technology as he still isn't too accustomed to it. He places his finger on the hologram and it imprints his finger to it. It does a little *ding* noise and pops away.
"Thank you sir now if you pass through that security to your right you will be guided by an arrow on the floor, good luck with your interview."
Robby grabs onto his bag filled with paper, he brushes his hair back and let's out a puff of air. He walks to what looks like a metal detector but it's guarded by fully equipped men. One of the men then pull up a circle in their hand, it plops out a hologram screen with a square in the middle. Robby proceeds to place his finger on it. The screen lights green and the guards allow him through.
Just like the receptionist said, blue pulsing lights flash on the ground pointing towards a hallway leading away from the crowd. He jogs through in a hurry, passing by glass corridors that enrapture the beautiful metropolis of a city outside. With no other businessmen in sight and a door at the end of the hall he knocks.
Once again a hologram of a square plops up, Robby repeats his action and the screen lights green and unlocks the door. As the door opens he hears voices slightly die down. A man at the end of a long rectangular table with about 20 others on each side says. "Robby Frank I presume."
"Y-yes, I am Robby Frank from the Frank boxing gym down by Corridor Road, I've come to ask for a sponsorship, my gym needs new equipment and better Tech placers." He grabbed the papers fall out of his briefcase, anxious and all.
A man at the very front of the table spoke in an arrogant voice. "Well why should we support a random boxing gym so close to the ghetto?" The man didn't even look at Frank's direction, instead looking towards his peers for an opinion.
"Well sir, my family has been training and creating great boxers our entire lives, I promise you that with the newer model Tech placers and overall better equipment, my boxers would do astonishingly well."
A man in the middle of the table spoke up with a confused tone. "The Frank gym is filled with bums who cant fight in this new generation, you might've had a chance before but with names like Arthur Kingston running around you won't have a shot." This man said it nonchalantly, while working on some papers.
Franks isnt a fool, he knows when he isnt being taken serious. "Trust me sirs, I have very promising men who can take about 4 Tech pieces each, with my training techniques and wit I can make them put fear in Arthur's shoes."
The table of men start muttering about with this bold statement as Arthur Kingston is a new generation fighter who hasn't lost a single bout and sits on an Golden Throne leagues above anyone.
The man at the center of the table spoke in a clear and calm manner. "You shouldn't disrespect the new legend of our generation like that, we have supported him since his first fight and supported him in his 20th fight last night." This man wasn't like the rest, ever since Frank slammed into the room his sight was towards Frank's eyes.
"I'm sorry about that sir, but I know my men can give a good fighting chance, they can really surprise you. I'll make sure of it!" With conviction in his voice and a foot forward the entire table couldn't do anything but take him seriously.
A book flies toward Robby hitting him square in the face. The book slaps on the ground and blood flows from his nose. A man amongst the table says. "Look at this arrogant punk, he couldn't even dodge a book thrown by an old man like me and expects his fighters to be any better?"
Laughter starts to rile up from the group of men and women. Robby looks up as he sees giant people staring him down, pointing, laughing and calling him names. Just a minute ago he had confidence, where is it Frank.
A woman from the table speaks up and clears the laughter. "It is one thing to make a point about his skills and another to make a mockery of it, Robby, you are a young man, go find an office job and relax." She was gentle but firm, it was as if she was telling Frank that this isn't the life he should want.
The main man speaks up again, all eyes are on him. "Robby Frank, I will give you a proposal, make any of your fighters into the Bronze Bracket of our ranks and we will give you a sponsorship, do whatever it takes you."
"T-thank you, I will not fail you all, I truly appreciate this opportunity." Robby says and he bows down to the table. As he turns around to leave he hears the laughter ensue as he also hears a pair of footsteps walk away. The doors clam down behind him and the sound of the laughter leaves.
Robby rubs his eyes. "Fuck fuck fuck." The laughter weighed on him, the humiliation of begging hurt his pride and tears slowly fell down.
"HOW IN THE HELL AM I SUPPOSED TO GET TO THE BRONZE BRACKET!?!?!!!" Robby shouts at a bartender. Robby takes another sip of the bottle of vodka. Robby's tongue starts to slur.
"Ya fuckin know how many boxer over Tech and flatline nowadays with this steep ass competition?!?"
"Calm down now." The bartender replies as she polishes some glass cup, Robby starts getting gazes at him. Robby at this point unbuttons his shirt and throws off his tie, his bag is on the floor and papers are falling out.
"Ay bartender lady, gimme another bottle of your finest." Robby slurs out as he hiccups from the final sips of his bottle.
"Sir, this is your fourth bottle, I cannot legally serve you anymore unless you have a designated driver with you." The bartender replies of course she starts getting irritated.
A young Asian man walks out from the back of the bar with his uniform on. He looks around and sees his coworker furiously cleaning a cup that's already sparkling.
"Hey there friend, how can I help you in our fine little establishment." The man askws to Robby who is barely half conscious.
"Woah man you look beefy as fuck, you box or something cuz I got to get your routine and whip my people into shape if their asses want a chance out of the ghetto." Robby says as he keeps trying to drink from an empty bottle of beer.
Robby then reaches across the counter to grab another bottle. The man grabs his arm and tells him. "My friend you cannot go over the counter, I will ask you to kindly find your way home."
Robby shouts out at the man. "Well my homes the fucking gym down Corridor road and your ass ain't kicking me outta here with out a fight!!!"
Robby then pulls back his arm, quickly grabs his empty beer bottle and breaks it on the counter, Robby then gestures at the man. The man walks around the counter and toward Robby. Robby jabs the bottle at the man but the man moves out of the way while grabbing the bottle from Robby's hands, Robby stumbles a bit and falls down unconscious on the floor.
Someone from a table from the bar shouts "Ya still got it in ya Mr.Jet."
The female bartender walks up to the man who stands over Robby who snores on the floor. She then just talks to the man. "Eli, are you gonna call him a cab or something."
"Jaime, Corridor Road is like 20 blocks down east right?"
"Eli you really are too kind these days, be careful, that's in the ghetto."
Eli then piggybacks Robby and proceeds to walk out and toward Corridor road. The power of gentrification took effect on these roads, you could see the technological advancements slowly decay from the surrounding area. Step by step, the houses fell apart. The sun began to set and the street lights flickered on.
When Eli turned the corner of Abbey lane he saw the 200 foot long Corridor road. With barely 4 buildings on the road on each side. The four were such neighbors that they didn't let each other have the luxury of having an alley way nor could they welcome in more than a single car on the road before problems could arise.
"Ugh baab blah, oh I'm home heh." Robby slips out of his mouth as continues sleeping.
Eli looks towards a run down building with large letters painted above the door, "ank oing ym." Eli could only guess what it really said. The windows of the building were yellow and ready to crumble back into sand at any point. There were fliers all over them, "Welcome to the Frank Boxing Gym, where champions are made."
There were flyers ripped off so badly torn off you could just tell an hobo used it for either toilet paper or fire wood. Eli looked past the breaks and cracks around him. He opens up the door, you could feel the age of the room.
The floor was caved in where anyone stepped on, the tattered bags held up by rusty chains, the bags were used so much there were dozens of layers of duct tape holding them together. Then you see the emptiness of the gym. Not a single man or woman training their heart out, but just three people talking to each other like it's a picnic.
"Hey, I got Robby here can you guys take care of him for me?" Eli shouts at the couple of so called fighters in the back.
"Who the hell you shouting at, bitch chink." A woman the size of a child shouts with the flair of fire.
Eli tries to calm down the troublesome youngsters. "Let's calm down and take it slow, I'll leave Robby here in that room over there." Eli puts out his hand like he is controlling animals while gesturing towards a door past a rundown ring.
"Huh, you wanna get past the ring without fighting us? You've got something else coming for you then." Calmly spoken by a large dark skinned man with cuts all over his arms shown by his clothing choice of a tank top.
"Yea yea yea, tryna take all of us or sum?" Skittered out by a well dressed white man. He seems out of ordinary from the bunch. Eli once again attempts to avoid the fight by facing his back toward the wall and slowly walks past the worn down equipment.
The dark skinned man calmly walks to two pairs of gloves that stuck out as they were the only things around that looked new and throws a pair in front of Eli who backs up from the sight and slightly slams into the wall waking up Robby.
"What's goooing on?" Robby slips out while dazed and confused. He looks around the room and notices the dark skinned man putting on his lavish white gloves with black straps. He bites on his second one's strap to tighten it.
"J-Johnson stopp!! We are not going to fight." Robby shouts as runs towards the dark skinned man named Johnson Clay.
"Move back." Johnson says as he pushes back Robby with his industrial pipe sized arm that encompasses Robby's whole body.
Johnson calmly steps toward Eli, the Goliath of a man looks down at Eli with a seven inch height difference. But Johnson doesn't meet eyes with Eli.
Eli stares at the white strapped gloves at his feet. The quality of the gloves reminded him of his poor background, the difference of the gloves and floor was black and white. He starts to have flashbacks of glaring lights at him. Eli starts hyperventilating, huffing and puffing at the sight of gloves.
Robby runs in front of the confrontation, the clacking of his expensive shoes reminds Eli of someone. Eli looks up from the gloves to see a small old man's back but then sees the back of Robby's head.
Eli's eyes flash up and down at Johnson and the gloves on the floor. "Fine, just one round, Ok, 3 minutes and that's it." Johnson lets out a bit of a smirk and immediately throws a thunderous hook towards Eli's head. Eli ducks below it, moves away from the wall and takes Robby with him. Eli holds Robby in his arm like he is carrying a log of wood.
Johnson recomposes himself and faces towards Jet. Robby is placed down by Eli and jogs away. He takes out his phone and starts a three minute timer. The crowd of rascals start riling up. "Cmon Johnny boy beat his ass!!!!!!" Shouts the young lady with a fiery attitude.
So then it began, a fight that could alter the world, the leader of a place unknown to the world and a man who is now unknown to the world.