CHAPTER 46: CHAPTER 46: JAVIER VS WELLS II

The bell clanged through the venue like salvation. Wells walked calmly to his corner, barely breathing hard, acknowledging his supporters with a slight nod. Javier trudged back on unsteady legs, his face flushed with effort and embarrassment.

Javier dropped onto his stool heavily, his legs feeling like rubber. His breathing came in sharp, ragged gasps despite only two minutes of action. Sweat poured down his face, stinging his eyes and mixing with the petroleum jelly Miguel had applied.

Miguel didn’t panic or show disappointment. He spoke steadily while checking Javier’s face methodically for cuts or swelling. "You’re trying too hard to force everything. Relax and let your boxing happen naturally. Stop chasing him around - make him come to you."

Javier could barely speak between desperate gulps of water. "He’s too good, Miguel. I can’t touch him clean. Every time I throw, he’s already gone." His voice carried defeat that hadn’t been there before the fight started.

"You caught him clean with that hook to the ribs. He felt it - I saw his face. You belong in this ring - just box smarter, not harder." Miguel applied fresh petroleum jelly to Javier’s face.

"Two more minutes. Give me two minutes of intelligent boxing."

The Marcus Garvey section looked genuinely worried now. Dr. Vasquez clutched her hands together, knuckles white with tension. Kevin and David waved their signs less enthusiastically, uncertainty creeping into their young faces.

Across the ring, Wells sat relaxed on his stool, receiving minimal instruction from his corner. His breathing was completely controlled, his confidence obvious in every movement. He glanced over at Javier with professional assessment, not malice - just sizing up a problem he’d already solved.

Tommy pressed against the barrier, his voice hoarse from shouting. "You got this, Javi! One round at a time! Box like we practiced!" His recent victory gave his words extra weight.

The ten-second warning buzzer sounded through the venue. Miguel pulled the stool away and gripped Javier’s shoulders firmly, looking directly into his eyes. "Trust everything we’ve worked on. Box smart, not hard. You’ve got the skills - just use them."

[ENDURANCE: 0/100 → 3/100]

[READY FOR ROUND 2]

The bell rang and Wells came out with increased confidence. He’d completely solved Javier’s puzzle in round one and now planned to dominate even more systematically.

Wells opened immediately with a sharp three-punch combination that flowed together beautifully - jab, cross, hook. All three shots found their mark. Jab to Javier’s forehead, cross to his chest protector, hook that scraped across his temple. Javier stumbled backward, his guard already beginning to break down.

[ENDURANCE: 3/100 → 1/100]

Javier’s punches became increasingly wild and uncontrolled. He swung a looping right hand that missed by six inches, throwing him off balance. His left hook caught nothing but air, spinning him slightly. Wells countered each miss with clean, precise shots that landed exactly where intended.

[CROSS SKILL +0.1]

[CURRENT: 19.5/100]

[HOOK SKILL +0.1]

[CURRENT: 17.4/100]

[ENDURANCE: 1/100 → 0/100]

Wells pressed his advantage ruthlessly, trapping Javier in the corner with superior footwork. Once there, he went to work methodically like a craftsman. Body shot to the ribs, head shot to the temple, body shot again to the opposite side. Each punch landed with increasing authority.

[ENDURANCE: 0/100]

[CONDITION: CRITICAL]

Javier covered up desperately, pressing his gloves against his temples in the defensive shell Miguel had taught him. But shots kept finding gaps in his defense. Wells drove a hard right hand into Javier’s ribs that made him gasp audibly and double over slightly.

Javier’s breathing became ragged and panicked. His legs felt increasingly heavy with each shot absorbed. Every punch Wells threw seemed to land clean while his own shots hit nothing but air. He was fighting desperately not to lose badly rather than fighting to win.

Javier tried to grab and hold, seeking any relief from the systematic beating. Wells pushed him off easily and immediately fired an uppercut that grazed Javier’s chin through his headgear, lifting him slightly to his toes.

[ENDURANCE: 0/100]

[CONDITION: NEAR COLLAPSE]

Just as Wells loaded up for another devastating combination, Vicente materialized dramatically at ringside. The ghost looked absolutely furious, his form more solid and commanding than it had been in weeks.

"JAVIER! GET YOUR DAMN FORM TOGETHER! STOP SWINGING LIKE A STREET FIGHTER!" Vicente’s voice cut through everything like a blade, though only Javier could hear the supernatural guidance.

Javier’s eyes widened slightly as he saw Vicente clearly for the first time in days. The ghost moved around the ring with purpose, positioning himself where Javier could see him clearly.

"BREATHE, YOU IDIOT! PLANT YOUR FEET! JAB FIRST, EVERYTHING ELSE FOLLOWS!" Vicente demonstrated perfect textbook form, his ghostly hands moving in beautiful combinations that flowed like water.

Wells noticed Javier’s momentary distraction and pressed his advantage immediately, throwing a hard right cross with bad intentions. But Javier, following Vicente’s urgent instruction, dropped his level perfectly and the punch whistled harmlessly over his head.

[DEFENSE SKILL +0.1]

[CURRENT: 16.6/100]

[AGILITY +0.1]

[CURRENT: 16.1/100]

Vicente’s presence seemed to center Javier immediately and dramatically. His breathing slowed and became more controlled. His feet found their proper stance automatically. His hands returned to correct guard position like muscle memory kicking in.

"STAY BEHIND YOUR JAB! MAKE HIM RESPECT IT FIRST!" Vicente shouted from ringside, his form solid and commanding, moving around the ring to stay in Javier’s peripheral vision.

[TECHNIQUE +0.1]

[CURRENT: 14.1/100]

[ENDURANCE: 0/100 → 2/100]

Javier snapped out a clean, crisp jab that caught Wells square on his headgear with a satisfying pop. Wells’s head jerked back sharply - the first time all fight he’d been tagged cleanly and decisively. The crowd stirred with renewed hope and energy.

Wells blinked hard, genuinely surprised by the sudden dramatic change in Javier’s technique and approach. The wild, desperate swinging was completely gone, replaced by proper boxing fundamentals that he actually had to respect.

[JAB SKILL +0.1]

[CURRENT: 22.3/100]

[CONFIDENCE: BUILDING]

Following Vicente’s detailed guidance, Javier stayed disciplined behind his jab and started systematically finding his range. Another sharp jab landed clean on Wells’s nose. Then a quick, efficient jab-cross combination that backed Wells up a full step for the first time in the fight.

"NOW THE BODY! WORK THE DAMN BODY! HE DROPS HIS LEFT WHEN HE THROWS THE RIGHT!" Vicente moved around the ring like a conductor, always visible to Javier, demonstrating combinations with perfect technical form.