Thrill of the Fight

Enterprise

Project QL Intern
Mar 3, 2006
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Newcastle, UK
Hey Everyone, here are the first 4 chapters of a fanfic I've been writing for the last couple of months - well re-writing to be honest, some of you may recognize the odd line as been off my first attempt at fanfic like, 6 months ago, but it's had major overhaul. More will follow soon! :D


Thrill of the Fight

By Simon Smith aka: Enterprise
Story copyright Simon Smith 2007


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~~~ The title ‘Quantum Leap’ and all characters portrayed in it are the copyrighted legal property of Universal Studios and this story is purely for fan entertainment, with no intention of personal profit. So please don’t sue! ~~~

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“Theorizing that one could time travel within his own lifetime, Dr. Sam Beckett stepped into the Quantum Leap Accelerator…..and vanished.”



“He awoke to find himself trapped in the past, facing mirror images that were not his own, and driven by an unknown force to change history for the better, his only guide on his journey is Al, an Observer from his own time who appears in the form of a Hologram that only Sam can see and hear, and so Dr. Beckett finds himself leaping from life to life, striving to put right what once went wrong, and hoping each time that his next leap…will be the Leap Home…”

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>>> Leap In <<<


As the familiar brilliant blue light erupted around Sam, he snapped out of his moment of pure bliss with Angelice, trying to stay in her arms, her flowing silky-brunette hair swaying in the gentle breeze of the glistening blue ocean to the east of them and sink deep into her beautiful hazel eyes…but his memory was already Swiss cheesing again, ''I lo__'', he was cut off, feeling himself being ripped from her and then in an instant he was gone. The memory fading as quickly as it had been created in Dr. Beckett's mind.

FLASH! Sam opened his eyes and the world came into focus, ''Uunngh...'', he raised his hand to his forehead to try and massage the throbbing pain from the leap - induced headache that he had suffered a million times previously.


''NO CHANCE!!'' a man screamed at him and before he knew it, Sam felt himself smacked in the stomach by a massive and powerful fist, slamming hard into his gut.

''Oooff...'' Sam doubled over, the wind knocked from him and terrible emptiness rushing in to fill its place, Camera flashes and cheering crowds drowned out his thoughts, Sam gasped for breath.

''The Sledge takes nothin' from no-one, no pain from anythang' and especially not nothin' from the likes of you!!'' the huge man swung the both his joint fists down to Sam’s back down with brute force and our hero was smacked down to the floor, his face thwacking against the floor. The crowd cheered and from the stage arena came a booming spray of fireworks, #GLAD-I-A-TORS!!#, and the announcer screamed, “It’s a Knock-Out!!!”


''Ohh Boy'', Sam drawled, before passing out to the screams of the taunting crowd.

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>>> Chapter 1 <<<


A nagging yet familiar voice awoke Sam from his unconsciousness,

“Saammm’’, the voice became more agitated “Saaammmm!’’, “Wake up Sam!’’,

Sam groaned, he rolled over and suddenly became aware of the intense pain in his back. He put his hand to his jaw and gave it a slight rub, yet it was still sensitive to the touch, where it had swollen his cheekbones.

“Aaargh’’, he looked up; a sense of wooziness flooded his senses.

“Al! What, where … huh?’’.

Al’s eyes opened wide, he did an exaggerated motion with his arms, puffs of cigar smoke following.

“Oh so sleeping beauty decides to wake up eh? I’ve been standing here for almost a half-hour! And in case you didn’t notice I’m in no position to throw some water on your big…big sleepy face!’’,

“Wha? Al?’’ Sam tutted with a slightly confused ‘get on with it’ look on his face.

“Oh ok fine’’ Al gave in, “Your name is Joe Steele or ‘The Bull’ if you like, you’re a big star, a wrestler for Gladiators and boy that guy really gave you a smack down!’’

“I guess that you saw?” Sam questioned, still grabbing his throbbing head, “Most probably…right whilst I was been KO’d in front of a crazy audience!!”

“Right down to the spit spray!” Al replied, looking delighted, before suddenly straightening his face and sinking into Admiral mode.

Sam looked on, the urge to kill Al filtered away when he realised he couldn’t actually touch him. Besides, it’s only Al’s sense of humour anyway.

Al chuckled to himself, his smile crept through the red and velvet crushed black rimmed jacket and stripey orange and black tie, the flowing baggy black striped pants and white-rimmed black shoes completed the look. A zany mix for some – or most for that matter - but nothing Sam wasn’t used to from his close friend.

“You’ve leapt into a TV star!’’, a childish face of glee beamed from his face.

Sam stirred from his dizziness, the pain in his lower back knocking some sense into him.

“What happened? There was a big guy… and a…?’’ Sam had a look of complete puzzlement on his face.

Al stepped around the foot of the bed, trying to catch a look at a pretty female nurse walking past the room’s window. With this action Sam saw his surroundings clearly for the first time. He was in a big comfy bed, kind of like a hospital room, with a mountain of pillows looking cosy to his dizzy head. The sunlight shone through some old blinds near the usual sterile white wall paper and a gentle breeze came through the open window, leaves rustling outside and the Nurse heading off, Al staring after her. Apart from the chattering and other bustle outside in the corridor, the room was empty.

Sam’s attention snapped back to a turning Al, who was taking a puff from his ever-present cigar.

“Ok…so, you’re in 1974, no… “Al smacked the hand link and a high pitched whine came from it, “1885! No… Ziggy! Don’t make me come in there!’’

“Al!’’ Sam interrupted

“Oh fine Miss rushy, rushy... Oh here we are, Tuesday, September 16th 1986 at 2:12 pm in LA at the Local Medical Clinic… only about 10 minutes from the GLADIATORS – or the WWE of 1986 - studios’’

Sam sat up, the pain fading but still prominent, he’d had enough experience to know how to handle it At least I think I do…

Sam turned to Al, “Hey I thought these fights weren’t real, all staged and phoney”, Sam looked puzzled.

“Yeah me too” Al replied, “But according to Ziggy the studio that Joe works for deals in the real thing”. Al shrugged. He muttered something about bigger ratings and trawled off.

Joe could do with some better health insurance he thought; I can’t see how he couldn’t need it.

Coming back to now, Sam questioned “What about the guy who hit me?”

“Uuh, OK, the Guy that hit you was Bruce ‘The Sledge’ Maverick, he is aaahhh…’’

Al smacked the hand link again, a satisfying whine coming from it

“Ziggy sounds a bit uncooperative today’’ Sam muttered under his breath.

Picking up on the reply, Al glanced up from the hand link,

“Yeah, it’s probably Sammy Jo, she tried to upload some information on your previous leaps, the data on you and me switching places probably made Ziggy go… a little Ca ca…’’ Al opened his arms, cigar smoke trailing from his hand behind the motion.

Sam listened but didn’t really take any of it in, only nodding but focused on the pain, “Al, why am I here?’’

“Well Ziggy says that this Sledge punk is your last piece of competition in the current Gladiators tournament, and you’ve just gotta win on this second chance that you’ve been granted on Friday before the fight airs to sort out what happened… oh’’, the expression on his face changed abruptly from cheery to solemn in one fluid sweep.

Sam looked up, in leaping; ‘Oh’ isn’t really a good thing.

“What is it Al? Is it bad?’’ Sam said with a genuine look of concern on his face.

Al looked up from the Hand link, “Well, it says that in the original history, that on Friday, Joe lost to this Bull guy – the reason we’re working on now, and died in an horrific car crash on Friday night heading home from the studio - there weren’t any suspicious circumstances’’

“No’’ Said Sam firmly, he’d had enough experience of people dying in his leaps. Sam looked away from Al, the hero inside kicking into top gear, “I won’t let this happen, a guy loses a fight and dies? There’s no justice in that!” he looked away for a second, trying to make sense of it all, and then a thought sprang to his mind “Hey! Do you think that if I beat this Sledge guy then Joe won’t ever get in the car to go home and I can stop this crash from ever happening?’’

“Yeah … that could work! … I’ll have Ziggy uhh run some tests and scenarios and check if there’s anything we mighta missed, I’ll get back to ya in a while, Sam, I don’t want this to happen as much as the next guy so I’ll be there to help you all the way’’

The observer punched some buttons on the hand link and the IC door opened up behind him, “Look Sam, I’ve been with you for what? Over 200 leaps now and each time you’ve come against the odds and come out the hero, with a bit of training you’ll do fine, and if not you can always do a bit of tae-kwon-do on him, worked before” he smiled before taking a step back into the glow of the IC doorway “Remember Sam, Big fight on Friday!’’ he hit the key to close the door and vanished.

Sam looked on after his close friend, and got out of his bed.

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>>> Chapter 2 <<<
As Sam exited the bedroom he looked up and down the corridor, definitely some sort of clinic, aaahhh the sweet smell of a sterile environment Sam breathed it in, reminiscing – or attempting to at least with all the holes in his memory – of his time getting his PhD in medicine.

He’d found his clothes in the cupboard at the foot of his bed, extremely lary Hawaiian shirt, cream white pastel trousers and some blue-tinted shades to finish the look, his leather wallet, keys and huge 80’s mobile phone were next to them.

Sitting just in front of him was a small white guy, jittery but friendly and certainly a little overexcited – he literally leapt up out of his seat when he saw Sam.

“Hey! Steely Steel!!” his hand shot up for a high five and a huge grin spread across his face. Sam shot back a look that could drain the colour from rainbows. The man lowered it just a little embarrassed.

“Well Hey Joe, sooo your awake then so we’d better get going’’

Sam looked at the guy; he was about 5’ 2’’ with jet black hair covered by a Gladiators! baseball cap. He was wearing a blue striped white shirt and jeans with a well-used black pen in the chest pocket and a pager strapped to his belt.

“Uh sorry but … Who are you?” He’d said it many times before but that didn’t make it any better for him.

The man looked surprised, “Uh it’s Steve your PA, boy sledge musta hit you pre-ty hard.”

Great! I have a PA Sam thought to himself This Joe guy must have an easy life. Suddenly remembering the pain in his jaw and back he begged to differ.

Steve looked up in the kind of way a dog looks to it’s owner, “Come on Joe, let’s get a ride to the studio and cool off, you need to be ready for the fight in 3 days, it’s damn lucky that El Bosso Miguel and the rest of the judging panel have let you have another shot, as you can tell ‘The Bull’ isn’t just a little not annoyed”, he talked with worry in his voice.

“C’mon, the Infernus is out front”, said Steve glumly. He led Sam out of the clinic.

Sam felt the worry as well; despite Al’s reassurances of happiness, bunnies and rainbows at the fight he didn’t share the same enthusiasm.

“Uh, by the way can you take my phone”, he handed it over, “Weigh’s a tonne”.

“Really? Steve exclaimed, these newer ones are light as a feather!”, as he took it a tiny strain came from his face and he buckled. Sam chuckled.

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>>> Chapter 3 <<<
The car journey was a smooth one, Steve was a little over enthusiastic when Nena’s 99 Red Balloons blared out the radio but Sam shrugged it off, his main concern was trying to come up with a plan to see how - or if, he would win tomorrows big fight. A guy’s life rested on it.

Steve pulled the car up outside the ‘employee entrance’ to the side of the GLADIATORS studios, just almost clipping the kerb with the left wing-mirror, Sam released the drawn out breath he’d been holding.

“Great, we’re here!” Steve shouted, “Now I’ll call Big Dan the fitness man and get him to get the gym ‘All shook up!’ for ya to pump the big guns! Oh yeah!” he shot his arms back and forth in victory of his sentence; Sam raised his hand for the imminent high five. Slap!

Steve ran back to the car and grabbed a walkman from the car door, blasting it on and jotting notes on his pad “Big Dan will be down in five, don’t go nowheres! And i’ll wait here till your off”, a cheesy smile followed, then the singing began.

Sam fake smiled back and turned away to get a good look at the studios. It wasn’t to shabby, nice front sign exclaiming tackily ‘GLADIATORS – HERE TO ROCK YOUR UNIVERSE!!!’, with luminous pink neon burning his retinas out, yet still nice and smooth, some palm trees lined the white stone sidewalk and a crowded parking lot was opposite the double glass-doored front entrance. There were also plenty of ‘Big Fight 2 Nite’ posters in the windows of Joe to admire, Sam went up to the closest and had a good look in the mirror, strong jaw, a nose broken a couple of times, electric blue eyes and dark blonde hair in a razor sharp spike cut. The poster looked better.

Adds 20 pounds my ***”, Sam muttered under his breath.

It’s funny he thought, Out of all the leaps I still can’t get used to this, just once I’d like to see myself looking back, just once… he snapped back into focus for the familiar sound of the IC door whizzing open.

“Al, oh god am I glad to see you….. this guy is so annoying! Please can I ditch him?” – Sam practically begged in his eyes.

Al jumped back, speeding his voice as he spoke and baring at Sam with a look of urgency, “Sam, now here’s the thing, you can’t, I checked with Ziggy and this uuuhhh, Steve Rosenberg guy, well he’s about to become the reason you lose the fight!!”

“How?! What?” Sam snapped a puzzled look at Steve,

“The Truck!!” Al waved his arms and shouted at Sam to haul *** over to where he was looking. A huge, 18-wheeler trailer truck was hurtling out of control, the driver screaming about spilt-lap-coffee, the truck was slamming to the left and almost tipping over, the enormous pressure of weight and gravity causing it to grind uncontrollably on it’s side, it was smashing through a lamppost with ease straight toward the car, sparks flying from the grinding asphalt and tiny yet countless shards of glass and dirt been shot up from under it in a violent spray of danger.

“Oh Boy!” Sam jumped and sped toward Steve, “Watch Out!!!” screamed Al.

“In 6 seconds that truck’s gonna hit him Sam!” Al shot a point and jumped a look at the immense 18-wheeler down the drive to the east of the studio parking lot, about 20 metres from Steve’s car with Steve singing to his walkman and completely oblivious to the danger.

Sam was already running at him as the van closed in and dived for Steve, pushing him out of the way just in the nick of time and just grazing the back of his shirt. A speeding gust of wind kicked back to his head and he fell to the ground, banging his knee on the floor.

Steve swung around, “Jesus! You… I... the…” he was in major shock and breathing heavily. The truck was already away up the road, not even slowing down.

Sam let out a gasp and pulled himself from the ground to turn to Al, who’d transported via hand link beside him. Some people from around the studio were running in to see what just happened and a woman came running out of the studio entrance, clearly shocked.

Al breathed a sigh of relief, “Close one Sam; you see I just looked up the newspaper and police records for around the fight – you know just for background and leads and stuff - and found that Steve got hurt real bad by that accident…” Al looked like he was keeping something from Sam, and he thought he knew what it was.

“I reckon Joe blamed himself for what happened, and lost his concentration on the re-training for the fight, so he wasn’t ready and made a complete mess outta’ things and lost and then died in a car crash from all the stress and yeah it was bad”, he took a breath.

“AL! Take five!” Sam exclaimed, “So you’re saying I’ve just saved the guys life? So I can leap right? No fight?” Puppy eyes followed.

“Nada, sorry Sam but Ziggy’s saying that to leap you have to win the fight”, he shrugged his shoulders.

The woman literally screeched to a stop beside them “Oh-my-god Joe! Honey are you alright? I was sure it’d hit you!” she looked terrified, yet still happy to see he was OK, her shock was clearly fading. The crowd that has ran over was talking See that? ... Yeah I could have done it too … Who is this guy? Joe who? Ooooooohhhhhh...

“Don’t worry about me, I’m fine, not even a scratch…” wheezed Steve, who was slowly clambering to his feet, panic stricken and colourless from the dive and clutching his wrist, “Yeah I’m fresh as a daisy” then without another word he looked to the sky and fainted. Some shocked bystanders ran over and crowded him. Sam was stuck with the woman, now clutching tight to him.

“Errr, you should get that, yeahhh I’m gonna leave” with a runaway-now kind of look on his face, Al stepped back and disappeared into the IC behind Sam.

“Oh great! Just take off!” exclaimed Sam, before suddenly realising the large group of people around him.

“Okkkkkk”, said the woman, obviously startled by Sam’s sudden bout of the crazies.

“Well anyway c’mon Joe, lets get him inside, I need to talk to you anyway about, you know … the thing…” she looked at him happily with those deep hazel eyes, Sam was clueless what ‘the thing’ was but knew he had to go along, if not to ‘be Joe’ for the next couple of days until the fight

Sam snapped his attention back to her “Yes, Steve, lift…” he went over to the unconscious Steve, and with the help of some others, dragged him inside.

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To be Continued...
 
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