The Miracle Clinic

Crunch Backson is a high schooler who just wants to do fun stuff. He tried doing a pencil black market but that wasn’t fun. It was only when The Miracle Clinic put an end to it did he have fun with it. But after that, he hasn’t been having much fun. School’s always the same, his best friend Suzy is always being a debbie downer, and nobody has really been giving him the time of day.

Which is why when he was told about a place that would be extremely fun, he had to visit it! Though what was the name of it? Club…Albert? Well, whatever Crunch thought the name was he had to agree to visit because it sounded cool.

And it totally was! He could dance on the dance floor all he wanted, show off his amazing hair flips, and even beat anyone he wanted in arm wrestling matches.

The only uncool thing about the place was the guy making drinks; Logan Stewart. He didn’t allow Crunch to drink any of the colorful-looking ones and just had him drink water.

But still, the place was fun, so much fun that even Elizabeth asked him to come with them there. First, he didn’t want to because he just went the night before so he just sent her the address of the place. But then he figured, what else is he gonna do today? So he went!

There were some people fighting all over the place outside and inside but he didn’t pay much mind because he just wanted to dance.

That was until two people got up in his face on the dance floor. That drink guy Logan Stewart and some random east side teen named Blanko Deck.

“I thought we didn't have any guests here tonight,” Logan remarks.

“We’re kind of in the middle of something dude,” Blanko sighs.

Instead of arguing with them that he was here first, Crunch decided to follow what his therapist told him and be the bigger man.

“Oh really my bad?” Crunch Backson, the man with lime green hair remarks, “You guys do your thing, I’m gonna dance the night away!”

So he decided to dance until those two people tried to fight each other, and they somehow managed to lunge at each other at the same time Crunch danced by them, causing him to be on the receiving end of both of their attacks.

“Sorry!” Blanko tries to say but the infuriated Crunch grabs the two by the heads and slams the two onto the dance floor.

“Fuck this shit, no more being nice,” Crunch begins to say, “I’m gonna have fun the old fashioned way… beating you up!”

Crunch goes to slam his foot down on Blanko’s head but Blanko manages to roll away and get back up on his feet. Crunch looks over to see Logan has also stood back up. The three all glance at each other, all not knowing who’s going to attack who next.

However, they won’t have to wait long as Blanko turns towards Crunch and starts to send a kick that goes careening toward Crunch’s right calf. However, Crunch jumps up, avoiding the attack. Crunch starts to get a smile on his face but that smile is broken when Blanko follows up his feint attack with an uppercut. The uppercut manages to land causing Crunch to rub his chin.

“Man that hurt!” Crunch hisses.

“Yeah, that’s what you get!” Blanko shouts.

Logan, realizing how this will be easier for him, decides to sit over by the bar and watch the two fight. Unaware of that, Blanko begins to send several jabs toward Crunch, however, he manages to dodge them all. Though it isn’t due to any innate fighting knowledge but one key difference for Crunch.

And that was the fact that he is extremely flexible, able to contort his body to avoid most attacks by Blanko. Crunch then performs a handstand and sends his legs toward Blanko’s face. The attack lands, causing Blanko to fall to the ground. Crunch then proceeds to hop into the air, perform a backflip, and land his feet directly into Blanko’s stomach.

“Come on, is this really how you’re gonna go out?” Crunch asks as he notices Blanko gasping for air.

Crunch steps aside as Blanko lays on the ground gasping for air. As he lays there, he begins to wonder… why? Why did he even come here to begin with? Why is he here getting his ass kicked?

He hates the North, sure he may have a ton of friends in the north side, but that’s like a needle in a stack of garbage. He heard from Vanessa that Dirty Fang was going to get attacked by this group, but he isn’t even fighting them! He’s fighting a complete nobody. Some guy who was dancing here and is now wiping the floor with him.

He trained so hard to get stronger; going to the gym, working at his family’s bodega & The East Side Express, trying to cook meals that would make him strong, completely failing at cooking and having to have Graham pick up fast food for him, he even cleaned the floor so many times he can’t even count.

And for what? He doesn’t even know why he was trying to get stronger, to begin with. All he knew was that it meant nothing. Everything he tried to do, it all crumbled away thanks to just one stranger’s unorthodox fighting.

As he begins to feel like falling into unconsciousness, he suddenly feels his body be lifted up. Startled, he sees that it’s Crunch lifting him up off the ground.

“What are you-” Blanko begins to say but is cut off by Crunch.

“Seeing you like that wasn’t fun,” Crunch begins to say, “I don’t like it when others aren’t having fun in a fight.”

Blanko is confused by Crunch’s reasoning. This stranger is fighting him…for fun? No other reason than that?

Regaining his standing Blanko sighs as he says, “But that’s a stupid reason!”

“Nuh-uh!” Crunch yells back, “I like being able to go all out! I like being able to communicate with someone without needing to speak! Do I need some grandiose reason for doing anything?! I JUST WANT TO HAVE FUN!”

It was hearing those words that Blanko began to think back. Back to when he first met decided to seriously work out and improve his strength. He did it because he saw Alex do it, and initially thought he wanted to surpass him. But despite that rivalry, every time they trained together. Every time Blanko got tips from other gym members, and every time he tried and failed to make a protein shake…

He had fun. If that wasn’t fun for him, then he wouldn’t have kept doing it.

“Is that so then?” Blanko smirks as he looks over to Logan, who’s sitting over by the bar, “Well then. You wanna have fun beating the fuck out of that guy?”

“YOU KNOW IT!” Crunch shouts.

Logan, who was in the middle of eating some popcorn, quickly tosses it aside and tries to get into a fighting stance but can’t. He can’t move his arms. Because Crunch has already gotten to him. And instead of attacking him, he’s holding him in place.

“FUCK HIM UP LIL BRO!” Crunch screams.

Logan looks to see Blanko rushing towards him, and he then proceeds to send out every kickboxing move he’s ever learned before onto him. It didn’t matter if he only tried it once. It didn’t matter if the attack didn’t land perfectly. What mattered to Blanko was that in that moment. He was having fun!

After a while, Crunch lets go of Logan causing him to fall to the ground. Blanko looks down at him and he can’t help but have a wide grin on his face.

“I DID IT!” Blanko shouts as he pumps fists in the air and then turns around to Crunch and says, “Thanks so much stranger!”

“Don’t mention it, fellow stranger,” Crunch says as he waves at him, “Though if we ever meet again. You better provide me with a better fight.”

Blanko gives him a thumbs-up and says, “Of course! But first I’m gonna try and see how my friends are holding up.”

As Blanko excitedly walks away, trying to find where the others went. Crunch looks down at the ground to where Logan is lying. Only to see Logan Stewart open his eyes.

“So you’re still up?” Crunch asks.

“Are you going to try and beat me?” Logan asks.

“Eh nah, you don’t seem like it would be fun to beat up,” Crunch affirms.

“Oh really? And why’s that?” Logan questions as he stands up.

“It’s simple, you’re holding back way too much,” Crunch remarks before asking, “Why did you fake getting knocked out?”

Logan begins to walk toward behind the bar where there is a secondary exit and he explains, “Because I needed to get going soon, and that kid looked like he needed a win.”

As Logan leaves, Crunch wonders where he’s going. However, he decides not to follow him because with him gone he can now do the one thing he never did before at this club.

Drink all of those colorful fancy-looking drinks!

As Crunch gets behind the bar he grabs a glass bottle with some clear liquid and takes a sip of it. Only to spit it out and toss the bottle onto the ground.

“Ew this shit is fucking awful,” Crunch grumbles as he begins to make his way towards the main exit, “Fuck this, I’m just gonna hang out with Suzy.”

________________________

Ever since he was a baby, life for Cal Hound has been easy. He was popular in elementary school, charismatic in middle school, and charming to most in high school. That’s why when he was invited to a party at Club Azure, he thought it was going to be fine. But the more he went there, the more he grew dependent on everything it provided; drugs, an escape from reality, and the feeling of power.

In order to get more, he had to work for them. All he had to do was exploit others and get them involved with the Club. Which he did have issues with, but any of those issues were subsided by the rewards he was given.

And now he’s here, in one of the Club’s VIP rooms, trying to fight a complete stranger. Does he know the girl? No. Does he care? No. All he knows is that she wants to take what he’s been given away from him, and he will make sure that doesn’t happen.

“Hey, I don’t like hitting girls too much,” Cal Hound remarks, “So if you don’t want that pretty face of yours roughed up, then get lost.”

“Was that supposed to be flattering?” Vanessa says as she steps forward, “Please, all it made you look like is that you’re scared of getting your ass kicked.”

Hearing that Cal sighs before saying, “You asked for it.”

Suddenly, Cal charges at Vanessa and uses his left hand to try and punch her; however, she ducts underneath the punch and throws a counter punch at Cal. As Cal begins to try and attack her, Vanessa anticipates his attacks and counters them. Her ability to counter and react to her opponent is her biggest strength. She may not be as physically strong as her opponents, but she makes up for it by having them use most of their energy trying to attack her.

However just as Vanessa begins to get the upper hand, she feels Cal’s left elbow smashing into her face. As she stumbles onto the couch, Cal uses the advantage to slam his elbows into her face again and again.

“I TRIED TO WARN YOU!” Cal begins to yell.

As Vanessa tries to get the upper hand she realizes that she forgot to take something into account. All of her attacks wouldn’t be as painful to Cal since he’s under the influence of drugs. Though Cal’s attacks are too fast and Vanessa can’t find a way out.

“You were sent here thanks to Cameron, right? I don’t get why you’re here to save him, he likes it here,” Cal roars.

“Besides,” Cal hisses, “It’s his fault for being so easy to manipulate. The way he acted, heh, you’d think he was asking for i-”

Before Cal can finish what he was saying, Vanessa, using the blood in her mouth, spits into Cal’s eye. Cal screams as he tries to wipe his eyes and stumbles back. With the scales being now tipped into her favor, Vanessa seizes the opportunity as she snakes her way to be behind Cal. With a swift motion she kicks his leg in while wrapping her arms around his neck, placing him into a rear naked choke.

As Cal tries to get out of the chokehold, Vanessa sneers, “You may be more numb to pain, but how good does that do when you can’t breathe!”

Cal begins to squirm as he’s losing more and more oxygen while Vanessa continues to sneer, “Listen to me, I’ve known guys like you my whole life. You think you can just get away with anything you want and nobody will ever fight back. Guess what? You’re wrong. As soon as you even think of harming anyone ever again, you know what I’ll do to you? I’ll take your broken remains, tie bricks to your legs, and toss you into the lake. And you know what? Nobody will ever care. Because who would care about a waste of space like you?”

As Cal Hound begins to lose consciousness, he no longer sees the person he faced today as human. No, what he came face-to-face with was a demon.

With Cal finally unconscious, Vanessa lets go of his body and walks out of the VIP Room.

Now that she’s out in the main area, she sees Blanko rush over to her with a huge grin on his face.

“Yo Vanessa! Glad to see you doing well,” Blanko yells before murmuring, “Though your head is a bit of a mess.”

Vanessa looks at a glass door and notices through her reflection that her face is bloody and bruised.

“I can get some first aid from…well, I don’t know where but I can get it,” Blanko begins to say.

“It’s fine,” Vanessa says with a faint smile, “I wasn’t that hurt.”

As she says that, Blanko looks over to see the unconscious body of Cal Hound in the VIP room. Blanko asks, “So how’d you take that guy out?”

“He said some stuff that got me riled up. Without even thinking I decided to fight like two heads of Dirty Fang,” Vanessa says as she wipes some of the blood dripping down from her mouth.

Blanko looks at Vanesa stunned for a moment, he goes to reach out and place a hand on her shoulder, but Vanessa walks forward towards the entrance to the employee-only section of the club.

“We don’t have time to worry about that,” Vanessa remarks as she places her hand on the door handle, “We still have a job to finish.”

“Guess you’re right,” Blanko admits, “Alright let’s show those higher ups how we do it on the east si-”

CRASH!

Vanessa & Blanko turn to look behind them to see Tim has fallen down to the bottom of the stairs as several more Club Azure gang members begin to make their way down the steps.

“Damn it,” Tim remarks as Blanko & Vanessa rush over.

“Are you alright? What’s going on up there?” Vanessa asks.

“Tom & I just got done taking care of the bouncers when the whole entourage showed up,” Tim says, “All the gang members that were out working at the other businesses Club Azure own, they all showed up!”

Vanessa & Blanko’s eyes widen as they witness the sea of people entering the nightclub.

“Tom’s still outside holding a few off,” Tim remarks as he gets back up, “But if we don’t get back out there and help him we’re all done for.”

“Guess we have no other choice then,” Vanessa says as she gets ready to fight once more, “Let’s hope the others can hold their weight while we take care of these guys.”

“And if they can’t?” Blanko asks.

“Then we’ll have to finish the job ourselves.”

________________________

Ronnie Everst reaches the door to the CEO’s office and opens the door. In there he sees that the floor and walls are made of stained wood, there’s a taxidermy rug of a tiger on the ground as well as several heads of animals put on the walls of the Club. And sitting in the center at a desk is the CEO himself, Jerry Pitt.

“It’s been a while Ronnie Everst,” Jerry Pitt begins to say, “How about you sit down and have a little chat?”

See You Next Chapter!~