The Cheating Champ, and his dirty tricks!

Years ago, back when Silver Seal Academy was in its glory days, the academy began to enter a dry spell with concerns to their basketball team. The players weren’t bad, it was simply that the other teams were far better in comparison. The result was our school being on the receiving end of a terrible losing streak. The players began to lose heart and half the team quit, the result was the school almost having to shut the team down. It was in this era of darkness that a hero arrived, that hero being Marcus. Marcus was actually a weak and scrawny freshman at first, however by the time he reached his junior year it was like he was a different person. He had more charisma, his body was that of an olympian and his athletic sense was in a different league. When he saw the basketball team, he decided to grace them with his presence.

After he joined the team faced a game that they shouldn’t have been able to win. It was their team versus the opposing team, their six members versus the opposing teams 20. To keep things equal the game had a handicap of a 4 on 4 instead of the usual 8 on 8. The opponents thought they had the upper hand, then they met Marcus. The score of the game was 81-14, our team received an overwhelming victory. After that game, new applicants started flooding in to join the basketball team and the enemy teams began fearing Marcus. Eventually our school would make it to nationals, with Marcus leading the team on as captain. In the semi-finals, Marcus seemed to meet his match against a rival he made along the way. This led to him asking the coach to give him some time to recharge in the locker room during half time. With Marcus gone it was an intense back and forth, the coach sent the water boy to go grab Marcus. The water boy obliged and went to get the team's secret weapon, however upon entering the locker room the water boy froze. He caught Marcus doping, using steroids to strengthen himself. He also noticed something, without the bandages he usually wore on his wrists he could see Marcus’ visible injection marks. They were almost like scars, meaning he’d been doping for a long time. That’s when the waterboy realized it, Marcus’ power was due to him cheating through the use of drugs. The waterboy ran to call the coach, only to get grabbed by Marcus. Marcus proceeded to beat the waterboy to a pulp, after a while Marcus held the water boy against the wall. He then proceeded to tell him if he told anyone he’d kill him for real, however fate had other plans.

“WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON!”

Marcus turned to see two of the team's younger members had come inside to check on things, they saw what he did to the water boy and what he was doing to himself. The two members grappled with Marcus giving the water boy time to escape and tell the coach. Being a man of honor, the coach let the referee know what was going on. The game ended in favor of the opposing team and Marcus was brought out by the two members that grappled him. The auditorium went silent as they saw his body and his bloodshot eyes, the purity ponies could only look away in shame and frustration. It wasn’t long before someone threw a cup of half full cola at Marcus, after that the boos started. Marcus was dragged out by his teammates as the purity ponies left nationals in shame.

It was revealed that Marcus didn’t work hard for his gains, he got them via steroids the whole time, his cousin had connections apparently. Marcus was sent to a hospital, and forced into harsh rehabilitation as punishment. The result was Marcus losing his beautiful body and turning into a human mummy. His eyes were deep in their sockets, his arms were weak and flabby, and mind was practically gone. Despite that he still tried to enjoy the same life he had prior, but no one cared for him anymore. His groupies thought he was gross, his teammates didn’t idolize him anymore, and those who looked up to him hated him. To make matters worse, after what he did the school was banned from participating in nationals ever again. Despite that Marcus still claimed to be the school champion, this would garner him the title of “Cheating Champ”.

He was eventually expelled due to his spiraling behavior, but he would still enter the school grounds. This eventually led to his tragic end.

It was the afternoon, and Sienna was hit with some of the worst rain its seen in years. Marcus was outside in the rain, standing in his old uniform. He tried doing all sorts of tricks in the rain, as students going to class or watching from the upper floors watched and laughed. Towards the end he attempted a pole vault routine, only for him to slip in the mud and fall only his back. The pole in his right hand would then pierce his right eye, he screamed for someone to help, but they all assumed he was faking it. Eventually he bled out on the grass, when he stopped moving someone finally questioned it that something was wrong. Upon checking his body, they realized he was gone.

A small funeral was held, and due to the details surrounding his demise everyone decided to just forget about him. Especially since they could’ve saved him if they worked fast enough, if only someone believed him maybe he could’ve been saved. Thus ending the tragic tale of Cheating Champ Marcus.

****

“So yeah, that’s how his story goes!”

“....”

Did Nina really just tell this guy's whole backstory, all while doing a cheer routine involving five cartwheels and 2 backflips? I look over at Marcus, he looked like he was about to blow a fuse.

“...I didn’t do it…”

“Huh?”

“I didn’t do it…I didn’t do it…I didn’t do it…I didn’t do it…I didn’t do it…”

Marcus kept on saying that, it was like he was a broken record.

“I didn’t do it…I didn’t do it…I didn’t do it…I didn’t do it…I didn’t do it…I didn’t do it…I didn’t do it…I didn’t do it…I didn’t do it…I didn’t do it…I didn’t do it…I didn’t do it…I didn’t do it…I didn’t do it…I didn’t do it…I didn’t do it…I didn’t do it…I didn’t do it…I didn’t do it…I didn’t do it…I DIDN’T DO IT!!!!!!!!!!!!”

Marcus entered a rage and immediately threw his basketball cart into the stage of the gymnasium. I could feel something sinister in the air as I watched him lift his right hand and motion his finger like a puppeteer. Immediately several basketballs lifted in the air, as I watched in amazement I could hear the apparition across from me start laughing.

“Hahahahaha! So boy, you wish to encroach on my domain! Then allow this king to show you some courtesy! And to my jester in the back!”

“HUH!?!”

Nina didn’t like being called a jester at all, but that didn’t stop Marcus from giving his orders.

“Give me your finest routine, and finish it off with an earth splitting split!”

“YOU CREEP! There’s no way I’m- AAAHHHHHHH!!!!”

Despite her protests, Nina’s body forced her to follow the order she was given. I couldn’t help but pity her, the least I could do was finish this guy before she became anymore humiliated. I prepared my fist to punish this stubborn spirit, only to be met with a mocking voice.

“Oh? You wish to pummel me don’t you? Sorry wise guy, but that’s not happening!”

One after the other, basketballs started flying towards me. They were fast, but still slow enough for me to dodge. I managed to slip past each shot, then I closed in on Marcus and went for a punch. Marcus began to sweat watching me get close.

“Wait, DON’T YOU DARE!”

“So long, Cheating Champ!”

My fist closed in on his face, that’s when Marcus shocked expression turned to delight. He didn’t put up his guard or anything, he simply crossed his arms and prepared to take it. I was surprised by this but I don’t have time to waste, upon my fist reaching his face…

…I felt nothing.

“What!?!”

“You thought it would be easy to reach this king’s vestige!”

I continued to aim for his face, but none of my punches were meeting their mark. Instead they’d phase through his body, of course they would he’s a damn ghost. I have no other options though so I kept trying. This only got on Marcus’ nerves.

“Hey dweeb, let me give you some advice.”

“Wh-Gack!”

“This is what a real punch looks like!”

Marcus gut punches me, sending me back to where I was initially. That punch was pretty strong, but I’m able to walk it off. Marcus yawns and finally starts sending balls my way, I try to dodge the basketballs like before, but they're faster this time. I give up dodging and instead focus on guarding, meanwhile Nina was having the worst time of her life.

“Hurry up and do something, I’m starting to feel the worst sensation in my bones.”

“Working on it, princess!”

“Watch the sarcasm, you wise ass!”

We kept arguing with each other, almost like two people arguing over who has it worse. Marcus found himself amused with our banter and started laughing.

“Hahahaha, it’s been a while since I felt this good. Tell you what dweeb, let me show you the technique I developed in my post mortem.”

Technique? What is this bastard about to do? Suddenly the basketballs stopped coming towards me, leaving Marcus open again. I began to rush towards him, but something felt off. That’s when I realized I forgot something, I tried to perceive the mana in the room. As expected, the gym was filled with hazy dark mana. However, I noticed something else, in the balls and surrounding Nina was a ghastly purple mass of mana. I see, so he's been controlling Nina while we fought. That’s when I felt a sensation close to the roof, I looked up to see two Basketball’s spiraling. To the point that steam starting rising off of them. Marcus then decided to address me.

“Watch this, I call this the Stallion Maneuver!"

The basketballs shot down at me like two lightning bolts, I tried to dash out of the way but one of the balls caught my leg. The other bay shot under me and ricocheted into my falling body. The ball then carried me into the air, allowing Marcus to land the finishing blow. I watched from midair and Marcus filled his hand with that purple mana, the same mana controlling Nina and the basketballs. He then summoned down on of his hovering basketballs and punched it towards me. I was unable to dodge and took a shot to the head, after that I fell to the gymnasium floor.

“TOM, GET UP!”

I forced myself to stay awake, Nina was on the verge of doing that split but managed to fight it. I’m starting to feel the pain now, what do I do to beat this guy? Wait a minute, that thing he did before. The way he sent mana into his had before he attacked me, is it possible for me to do that too? As I thought to myself, Marcus yawned again and sent all the balls he had into the air.

“*Yawn* I’m bored now, this next shot will finish you.”

“Don’t just stand there, do something!”

Marcus sent a barrage of basketballs my way, and Nina shouted for me to spring into action. While this was happening I focused my mana perception, not on my surroundings but myself. I felt the mana I had sitting inside my body and tried moving it towards my hand, I felt a static feeling surge up my arm. As the balls came flying towards me, I discharged the built up mana into the Gymnasium floor.

*BOOM*

“WHAT!”

“Huh? What was-Hey! I’m back to normal now-Aack!”

Marcus shouted in shock, and Nina managed to regain control of her body. Watching me must’ve broke his focus, that said every ball he had is now lying on the ground popped.

“Well now, king might you honor me with a rematch.”