Jinx-Jupiter, Part 1
The first half of a commission for r_jinx1, easily the coolest commissioners on FA XD
This is the story of his Tasmanian Wolf, Jupiter, who has a terrible temper. He loves to fight, and it gets him into a lot of trouble. In this half of the story, Jupiter is taken in by a man who runs a gym and trained to be a boxer. He meets the alluring kickboxer Sammie, and participates in his first fight.
I broke it up into halves because I know a lot of people hate reading 9-10k words stories here. XD
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Jupiter grimaced as his parents handed over his luggage. His mother threw her arms around his neck as though it was the last time she would see him and planted a slobbery kiss on his cheek. Embarrassed he pushed her away, glancing around to make sure no one had taken notice. The other students milled about them, oblivious to the typical display of parental affection. College was time-consuming enough without stopping to gawk at the new arrivals.
"C'mon, mom, stop."
He tried to push her away, but the doting woman would not be cowed. Thin and tall, Jupiter's mother was approaching her forty-fourth birthday and seemed as though she weren't a day over thirty. She was dressed in a very fine gown, her black hair pinned atop her head. She was quite the sight, outshining Jupiter's father like a star. His old man was dressed simply, in a pair of dress slacks and starched button-down top. They were attending a wedding that afternoon, and as such had severely overdressed for a simply college drop-off.
"I'm sorry, Jup, I'm just... I'm going to miss you so much!"
For a second she seemed to totter on her heels, but as he was used to his wife's theatrics David rushed to catch her. She fell into his arms and sniffled, content to mourn her child's education and absorb the comfort from her husband's embrace. Jupiter turned his gaze to his stoic father, wise in his years even though he was the polar opposite of his young son.
"Dad? Do you really think this is going to work? Do you really think I can do this? I'm not really the academic type..."
David smiled at his son and patted his shoulder reassuringly.
"Jupiter, I think you'll do just fine. You should go get your classes registered, you mother and I have to get going. We'll drive your car up later this week."
When a final teary goodbye the couple left, Jupiter staring after them with a grimace on his stern features as their Bentley pulled away. This was not how he wanted to spend his year.
Jupiter carried his suitcases up to the Registration tables lining the outside of the core campus building. Eyes followed him as he walked- they knew who he was, and they knew how strong he was. Women whispered as he passed, men refused to cross his path, and professors raised their eyebrows warily.
Behind the table for the sports section sat a rather dumpy-looking badger girl, her frazzled brown hair pulled back in a tight ponytail. The summer sunlight glinted off of her spectacles as she smiled up at him.
"Welcome to Harale University! Would you like to take some sports classes?"
Jupiter scowled down at her.
"Obviously. That's why I'm here. Do you guys have a football team?"
"Of course we do! Just sign right here."
She offered him a clipboard with a list of names and he slapped a hurried signature down.
"If you don't mind me asking... ah, Jupiter, what courses are you going to be taking? Medicine? Philosophy? History?"
"Look, I don't know, and if I did I wouldn't share that information with you. Can you tell me where I can find the dorms?"
The badger woman sighed and pointed towards a large building across the street.
"Yeah. In there. Good luck at tryouts..."
But Jupiter had already left.
Once Jupiter's classes were squared away he headed off to his dorm. He had a room all to himself, a stroke of luck that came from his parents plucking strings. He set down his luggage and collapsed on his bed, eager to begin the partying he had seen so much on the cinema screen.
A few hours later he awoke to the sound of knocking on his door. He grumbled as he stood and stretched, moving to answer the frantic thumping. A tall wolf with gray fur was standing in his doorway, dressed simply in a white shirt and jeans. He had a very athletic build that Jupiter, as a quarterback, noticed right off the bat.
"Hey, man, tryouts for the football team are in twenty. Be down at the field by then."
Jupiter quickly pulled on his shoes and headed down to the field where Harale alum tossed the pigskin around. There were about forty students in all, some of whom obviously didn't belong anywhere near a sport of any sort. Jupiter took his place in the lineup, towering over some of the other candidates.
A tall stallion dressed in the familiar colors of the university paced along the students, a clipboard in his hand as he looked over the assembled team hopefuls. He frowned as he looked down the line, obviously annoyed by the appearance of the scrawnier freshmen. Behind him stood five guys, large and broad, obviously members of the team left over from the previous year. They, of course, would not have to prove their worth.
"Half of you need to leave, now. I'm sure you can tell who you are. Bulk up some and maybe you can join us next year." A few moans and complaints rose from the crowd, but about fifteen people walked away with their heads hung low. The coach watched as they left, then turned his eyes to the remainder.
"Alright, you lot. We're going to start out by gauging your level of physical endurance. Line up at the end of the field. When I give my mark, I want you to begin running. Don't stop until you're at the opposite end. Go on, get ready."
The students jogged down to the end and gathered themselves to run. Jupiter leaned forward, one leg before the other, his hands on the ground beside him. The coach blew the whistle, and he pushed himself forward. The wind whipped against his striped fur as he ran, pumping his powerful thighs as he measured his breathing. He was oblivious to the others as he raced forward, the white-tipped spikes of his hair laying flat against his skull and the silver tags around his neck jingling pleasantly as his body moved. His claws dug at the earth beneath him while the line drew ever nearer.
As he crossed the white line, panting, he turned to look back toward the starting line. A few of the men were across the field at varying intervals, some a few yards behind Jupiter and others closer to the middle. Some people had left the field altogether, watching from the sidelines while they caught their breath. He was the only one that had made it.
The coach approached him, grinning and clapping as he neared.
"What's your name, boy?"
"My name's Jupiter."
"Do you have any sports experience? I'm guessing the answer's yes, but I'm just making sure."
"Yessir. I was a quarterback in high school."
The stallion nodded thoughtfully.
"We'll see how you do in the other exercises, but I'm pretty sure you're going to make the team. Follow me. We'll get you suited up for the tackles."
The rest of the tryouts went wonderfully in Jupiter's favor. He went back to his dorm several hours later, exhausted. He was confident that he'd made it, though, and as he smoked a cigarette before bed he felt a rush of pride in his abilities. He had no dreams, and when he awoke the next day he was ready to tackle his first class.
Jupiter was not very smart. He had no mind for memorization and he absolutely loathed books. Making quarterback for the team, though, coupled with the fact that his father was the foremost contributor to Harale University, ensured that he always scraped by with barely a passing grade. He hated knowing that he was receiving handouts, but at the same time his growing popularity made him forget his disgust. The cheerleaders loved him, the jocks loved him, and everyone else stayed out of his way. His nights were filled with drinking binges and rough one-night stands, and he wouldn't change it if he could. As the months passed and they racked up wins, he stopped caring about his schoolwork altogether.
The music pounded as he threw back another beer, sending the windows of the frat house rattling. Fog and colored lights filled the front room, giving the place a very club-like feel. The boys had outdone themselves this time. Jupiter stood in the kitchen, chatting with a few other members of the football team. He did not see the short badger girl watching him from the foyer, sipping at her Everclear with shaking hands, until his friends took their leave and she began walking toward him.
"Hey, Jupiter, I'm not sure if you remember me, but I helped you sign up for tryouts when you first arrived. I was wondering if you'd... well, I think you're really handsome, and..."
She trailed off, taking a large drink from her glass. Jupiter raised an eyebrow, watching her struggle to build the courage to finish her sentence.
"I was wondering if you'd be willing to go out with me sometime. We could catch a movie, or stay in and I could cook you something... It'd really mean a lot to me. I know I'm not a cheerleader or anything, but I think you'd like me if you took the time to get to know me..."
"I'm sorry, um..."
"Leah."
"Yeah, Leah. I'm sorry, but I'm not even the slightest bit interested. If you don't mind, I'd like to go back to drinking in peace."
He turned away from her, doing his best to be polite as he shot her down. The woman grew more insistent, slurring her words worse as she begged and pleaded with him. Finally he shouted at her to go swallow a razorblade, his eyes burning with anger and frustration. She tossed her drink at him, covering his face and chest with the near-medicinal strength alcohol.
Jupiter's face twisted into a snarl as he rounded upon the drunken badger, swinging a powerful fist toward her snout. As he connected with her he heard a crunch, as of bone shattering. She fell to the ground, screaming, cowering from the powerful man as he rained blow after blow down upon her. Blood and fur flew with every hit, until her mangled head was resting in a pool of crimson. Jupiter was unaware of the other team members grabbing him, six of them dragging him away for the twitching form of young Leah. All he could see was a dark red mist, all he could hear was the blood pounding a battle anthem in his ears.
Red and blue lights flashed on the edge of his vision. He snapped back to himself almost instantly, his rage immediately replaced by a crippling fear. He pulled himself away from the men restraining him and began to run, focusing his breathing and racing off down the road toward the nearby city of Sauldry. He was dimly aware of the students calling after him, but he couldn't make out their words. He was focused entirely on escape, the blood on his knuckles damning him for his actions. Every inch of him screamed at him to get somewhere and lay low, and he understood that he could never go back. Some part of his mind wondered if he had killed the poor girl- the image of her body twitching, her brown eyes locked on him like a terrified animal, refused to leave him. He had really fucked up this time.
The watch on his wrist marked the passage of time as hours as he ran, before the city lights began to loom into view. A stitch began to form in his side as he passed the Sauldry limits, and he knew he had reached the end of his endurance. It was easy for him to find an alley and duck into it, as the outer ghettos were riddled with the tiny side passages. He sunk to the ground, his back against a dirty brick wall, his buzz completely gone. His dark fur was matted with sweat and blood, and as his heart rate slowed he became painfully away of the chill autumn wind freezing his wet fur to the bone.
He sat there for half an hour, still and silent in the dark, straining his ears to pick up the sound of sirens. Jupiter could hear them in the distance, but they did not seem to be drawing closer. He loosed a sigh of relief and got to his feet, determined to find his way to some form of bar. After the night he'd had, he felt the only remedy was more excessive drinking.
He didn't have to walk far to find a seedy little dive bar, in the form of the cleverly-named "Sportz" roughly a block from his hideout. He went through the glass door and cut immediately to the bathroom, to was the blood from his body. It was no easy task, but somehow Jupiter managed to get the most visible areas clean. When he felt he was sufficiently presentable, he left the restroom and took a seat at the bar.
"One Jack and Coke, please."
The bartender looked at him with piercing eyes, scrutinizing his haggard and wet appearance, but obliged him the drink. Jupiter tossed back the drink in a single gulp and offered his glass for more. When the bartender appeared skeptical, Jupiter pulled out his wallet and slapped a fifty down in front of him. The drinks would flow well that night.
As Jupiter sat drinking in silence, a shadow towered over him. He turned his head to find himself staring at a large black bear, his green eyes glaring down at the spiky-haired Tasmanian wolf. There was a large ruby ring on the man's right hand- it sent pinpoints of light flashing in Jupiter's orange eyes. They did nothing to help his mood.
"If you're going to be flashing around that kinda cash, maybe you better buy us all some drinks."
The bear's voice was low and rough, almost gravelly. It carried a tone that seemed to say he was used to bullying his way into things. Unfortunately for him, so was Jupiter.
Jupiter turned on his stool to eye the large man, drinking his Jack with a calm demeanor.
"I might, if you asked politely. Go on, big man. I'm sure your momma raised you right. Ask me nicely, and I won't have to get rough with you."
Their eyes locked, a combat of the wills ensuring that neither could back down and retain their dignity.
The bear swung first, catching Jupiter off guard. The glimmering ring collided with the left side of Jupiter's face, splitting the skin and opening a jagged gash across his visage. The wolf was having absolutely no more of that.
He threw himself at the bear, tackling the giant to the ground and digging his knees into his opponent's ribs. He drew back his already wounded fists and began pummeling the other man's face. Blow after blow landed with sickening accuracy, breaking the beat's nose and jaw as teeth and blood flew. Jupiter's vision has clouded red again.
Wounded and bleeding, the bear was not giving up without a fight. He lifted a dangerous claw and dug it into Jupiter's side, using it to fling the wolf away. He collided with a nearby table, sending drinks flying. It was around this time that two large crocodile bouncers came and seized him around the wrists. The bear was being handled by a third, and was being treated infinitely more gently than Jupiter. The bouncers kicked the door open and tossed the buzzed student outside. Ignoring the blood gumming on his face, Jupiter screamed and shouted profanities after the pair long after the door was shut against him.
Drunk and angry, Jupiter stormed down the street, looking for any excuse to beat the ever-loving hell out of anyone he laid eyes on. Luckily for the denizens of Sauldry, no one was out on the walkways that late. With no went to vent his rage, the bleeding Jupiter eventually sunk to the ground and began beating his fists against the concrete. Fresh jolts of agony shot up his hands, reopening the cuts he had made brawling earlier. He did not care. He was so absorbed in trying to break the sidewalk that he did not ear the soft approach of feet behind him until a large hand was placed on his shoulder.
Jupiter turned. Through his swollen, blood-caked eyes he could see a tall hare, his white fur gleaming beneath the street lamps. He was wiry and muscular, obviously an athlete of some form. He had a look of pity on his face that enraged Jupiter, but before he could speak the man had rapped him on the top of the skull.
"There'll be none of that, boy. I know you're strong, and you obviously have a temper to boot. My name is Rick, I'm a boxer, and I run my own gym. Wanna take a walk with me?"
Jupiter looked at him, not sure to trust this man or run for the hills. He always wanted to be a fighter- his powerful attacks were the fruits of many years of self-training. This could be the chance he was looking for. He took the hare's outstretched hand and got to his feet, limping a little as they headed west.
They walked in silence for what seemed like ages, until Rick held up a hand and stopped Jupiter in his tracks. They stood in front of a gray-and-white building with two windows near the door. The only sign was two crossed boxing gloves expertly painted on the wall. Rick smiled at the young fighter and motioned for him to follow. He led Jupiter inside and flicked on the lights, revealing a pristine white interior loaded with workout equipment. In the very center of the large room was a padded ring lined with red ropes. There were speed bags, punching bags and weight lifting equipment to the north of the room, strength training and treadmills to the south, and two branching rooms to the east and west- obviously men and women's locker rooms and showers.
Jupiter looked around with an eyebrow raised, impressed but skeptical.
"Why bring me here?"
Rick looked at him, no expression on his fine features.
"What's your name, kid?"
"Jupiter."
"Jupiter, you need training. I can offer you that. When you came into the bar tonight, you reeked of trouble. I don't know what you did, but I saw the blood. You need a place to lay low, and I can offer that as well. I can shape you into a damn fine boxer, Jupiter. You've shown you have the raw strength, and the endurance, but you need the discipline. If you do choose to take my offer, it will be hard. You will start at the bottom, like everyone else. You will follow orders, and you will check that temper of yours. DO you understand?"
Jupiter nodded weakly.
"Good. Let me ask you officially, then. Jupiter, would you like to train here?"
"Of course."
Rick smiled at him, obviously pleased.
"Let's get you cleaned up, you look like shit."
A week into his training and Jupiter was ready to quit. The laps around the gym weren't that bad- he was used to running himself ragged during football games, and his endurance was fantastic. The hardest part for him was training with the heavy bag. He was fast, and he was a hard hitter, but after three days of slamming his fists against the resistant sack of sand his entire arms burned with pain. Taking pity on him Rick moved him on to the speed bag, which proved to be difficult in the fact that Jupiter wasn't used to the lightweight tool after so long at its heavier cousin. It took some getting used to, but once he learned to check his power he was able to master the fast-flung punches quite readily.
So, it stood to reason that by the end of that first week, every muscle in his body screamed in protest as he pushed himself to the very edge of his physical limits. It was a Monday, as he sat soaking in the Jacuzzi tucked away into the men's locker room, when he first laid eyes on Sammie.
Rick was sitting along the edge, his feet resting in the boiling water, chatting to Jupiter about moving on to sparring when the snow leopard placed a slender hand on his shoulder.
"Rick, I need you to unlock the showers for me, unless you want me to take up lock-picking."
She smiled at him, her pearly fangs showing. The action seemed to light up her icy blue eyes, and Jupiter found himself hard-pressed to look away. The woman was dressed in tight nylon shorts and a sports bra, showing off her exquisitely toned figure. He crossed his legs unconsciously and cleared his throat.
"Oh, Sammie, this is Jupiter, our newest fighter."
Jupiter smiled, an expression foreign to his facial muscles, sending the jagged scar down his eye wrinkling comically. Sammie glanced at him, her smile fading, and nodded.
"Welcome."
She turned to leave, without so much as a glance back. Rick exited after her, throwing Jupiter an apologetic shrug as he disappeared around the corner.
There was no denying it. He wanted her.
The sparring was more difficult than Jupiter expected. Brawling against drunk kids and inexperienced fighters was one thing; pulling punches and dodging blows from experienced fighters was an entirely different world. On more than one occasion he was laid flat, usually by Rick himself, although sometimes the other fighters pulled one over on him. Sammie never sparred with him, though he often watched her practicing during his bouts. Staring at her body while she unleashed powerful kicks on the heavy bag was the most common cause of his injuries. It was hard to stay focused with her around.
His training continued for months, with his skill improving remarkably as time wore on. By February, not even Rick could land a blow on him. He had noticed Sammie watching his spars more recently, and it filled him with pride and recklessness. He began showing off more, pulling flashier moves in hopes to garner her favor. It didn't seem to work, though. She remained as distant as ever, content to simply ignore Jupiter's existence at all times, save for his sparring matches. He knew he had to make a move, or he'd never win her over. Jupiter endeavored to speak with her one Friday evening, as they were both leaving the gym.
"Hey, Sammie, wait up."
She turned her indifferent gaze to him, one shapely eyebrow raised skeptically.
"Do you have any plans tonight? I'd like to take you out for a drink."
She shook her head.
"Sorry, kid. My night is booked full. Maybe some other time."
Sammie pushed past him and began heading to her car, her white hair blowing in the chill winter air. Jupiter watched the shapely woman leave, vowing silently to himself that he would win her, somehow, no matter what it took.
Jupiter's first fight came that April. Rick approached him as he punched at the heavy bag, clearing his throat to announce his presence. Jupiter tuned his scarred face toward the hair, one eyebrow raised quizzically.
"What's up, coach?"
"You have a fight lined up, Jup. Thursday, at the Underground. Think you're up to the challenge?"
Jupiter's eyes widened in surprise.
"Hell yeah! I've been itching to fight!"
Rick smiled at his student, happy for his enthusiasm.
"Good. We'll head out of here at six. You've got three days to prepare."
The rest of the week couldn't pass faster for the striped wolf. He threw himself headfirst into his training, his gusto eliciting a deep sense of pride in his hare trainer. Everywhere he went, the other athletes whispered about his odds, placing bets whenever his scowling gaze was turned elsewhere. His ego was obviously inflated by the whole deal, but it didn't bother most. They were used to Jupiter's mood swings by then. His energy, though, was contagious. The only person who seemed immune to the fever was Sammie, who went about her normal regimen as usual.
As Thursday dawned, Jupiter found himself a nervous wreck. He sat outside the gym, smoking with shaking hands as he watched other fighters enter and exit Rick's sanctum. The nicotine wasn't calming his nerves. As he leaned against the wall, lighting his third cigarette in ten minutes, Sammie's familiar car pulled into the lot. She got out, her gym bag slung over her shoulder, and approached the exit. As she passed by the nervous Jupiter she placed a hand on his shoulder and whispered a simple 'Good Luck' before walking through the door. Jupiter found that the prospect of the fight seemed less scary, somehow. He crushed out his cigarette and headed back inside, eager to find Rick and get this over with.
Rick was easy enough to locate, a small white towel slung around his neck. He was watching a young jackal boy practice his punches, and giving him advice when needed. At Jupiter's approach he excused himself and beckoned the Tasmanian wolf over to his office. Jupiter took a chair and waited.
"Are you ready, Jupiter?"
He nodded, the action sending his dog tags jingling.
"Good. Grab your things, it's time to go,"
The Underground, as it turned out, was an underground parking lot that had fallen into disrepair over the years. The painted lines on the concrete were faded beyond recognition, and the whole place smelled damp. Jupiter didn't care, though. He was too full of energy to be disgusted. He could feel it- this was where he belonged. He exited Rick's Toyota and began wrapping his fists with the athletic tape stored in his bag. It was to be a bare-knuckle fight.
He found his opponent almost immediately. It was a tall, wiry ferret with ropey muscles and deep red fur. He sat wrapping his fists, oblivious to the new arrivals. His brown eyes remained resolutely focused on the task before him. Jupiter saw the faint chalk outline that marked the ring etched on the floor. Two chairs were set up, on in either corner of the north and south sides of the ring. Rick directed him to his and faded into the crowd. The ferret stood and took his seat, eyes locked on Jupiter.
The referee came out, a graying badger in a black polo, and raised his hand. Silence fell over the crowd.
"Ladies and Gentlemen! Tonight we welcome newcomer Jupiter to our ring! Weighing in at 225 pounds, the Tasmanian Terror is itching to dampen his fists! We also welcome returning fighter Nicolai! Weighing in at 180, this ferocious ferret is a speed demon when backed into a corner. Fighters, are you prepared to begin?"
Both nodded at him grimly.
"Then let's get this started! On my count. One... Two... BEGIN!"
He rapped a small piece of wood against a cowbell, and the ferret rose with ridiculous speed. In an instant his fist was flying toward Jupiter's face, but the wolf recovered from his surprise fairly quickly. He held up his forearms to block the blow and ducked down, aiming an uppercut at his opponent's chest.
Nicolai leapt backward and lashed out with his feet, kicking toward Jup's knees. He made contact and Jupiter went down, snarling. He brought a fist up and made contact with the ferret's groin. Nicolai hissed and fell to his knees, bringing him down to Jupiter's level. Jupiter fell upon him, punching as hard as he could, smashing his fists into his opponent's face and chest. Bleeding, but not out, Nicolai, bucked his hips and flipped the wolf off of him. He whipped around and brought his foot down on Jupiter's wrist. The sound of snapping was audible even over the frantic screaming, cheering, and jeering of the wild crowd. Jupiter bit back a scream and narrowed his eyes at the unsmiling ferret.
He howled and pounced, keeping his broken wrist close to his body as he lashed out with his right arm. He brought the ferret to the cold, hard cement and resumed punching, saliva dripping from his snarling, rage-clouded visage. Hit after hit landed with a sickening thud, blood and teeth flying, until the red-furred ferret slapped his hand weekly against the concrete.
The badger rushed in and pulled Jupiter off of the ferret, simultaneously raising his unharmed hand in victory.
"Ladies and gentlemen! WE HAVE A WINNER!"
The sound of cheering was loud enough to hurt Jupiter's ears. His arm was on fire; the pain was nearly unbearable. He didn't care, though- winning was pure ecstasy, shoving the pain to the back of his mind as he exulted in his victory.
He had won. He came out on top. He was the best.