The story began like any other day. It was a balmy afternoon in MacLaren's Pub, the gang's usual haunt. Ted was on one of his romantic escapades, Robin was busy being her usual cool self, Marshall and Lily were their usual adorable selves, and Barney... well, Barney was being Barney.

The Set-up

As Ted was recounting his latest romantic endeavor, Barney was planning the perfect play for another one of his legendary nights. He had his eyes on a beautiful brunette at the other side of the bar. His plan was simple: the Fake Marriage Play, one of his most infamous plays, outlined in the Playbook. Dodging between Ted's romantic sob story and Marshall and Lily's recounting of their latest couple's adventure, he was ready to execute his plan.

Just when he was about to approach the brunette and start the play, a strapping young man, bulky, with an imposing swagger step walked into the bar. He was staring intensely at Barney. When Barney, having finally left his friends, approached his target, the muscular stranger took one step forward, blocking his path, and punched Barney right in the face.

Barney's Reaction

Stunned and humiliated, Barney tried to keep his cool. After all, he was Barney Stinson; he often survived worse. He retaliated by trying to stand up and fight back. Finding out quickly that the stranger was well built and clearly outmatched Barney in a physical fight, Barney decided to use his wits instead.

Barney's quick-minded humor and charm had always been his strengths, but this time, they fell flat. The punches continued to rain down, much to the shock of the gang and the enjoyment of the bar crowd.

The Plot Twist

Just when things seemed to get really nasty, Robin, being the hasty journalist that she is, decided to intervene. She snuck behind the muscular man and kicked him in the back of the knees. He toppled over and Barney landed on top of him, making it look like Barney had overcome his attacker.

The bombshell of the evening? The bulky man was actually a scorned lover from one of Barney’s numerous past flings. Fearing for her best friend’s safety, Robin enlisted the help of Crazy Eyes (a recurring character on the show) to teach Barney a lesson on treating women better.

Conclusion

So what lesson did Barney learn from this incident? Well, he seemed to understand that his actions have consequences. But it was Barney after all. He got up and dusted himself off, with a line that said, "The suit was not designed for the physical endurance. I need to get a suit that's punch-proof."

He went back to his seat, dusted off his suit and with a smirk on his face, asked Lily to fetch him a "pity beer". The gang rolled their eyes, but they loved Barney and his insane resilience. It turned out to be just another classic night at MacLaren's Pub.

FAQ

Q1: Which episode did Barney get attacked in?
This is a fanfiction story, the event did not actually happen in the television show.

Q2: Why did Barney get attacked?
In this fanfiction, Barney was attacked by a scorned lover from a past fling, as a lesson on respect for women.

Q3: Did Barney ever learn his lesson about respect for women?
Barney Stinson's character arcs throughout the series, and it is clear that he learns about love and respect, especially when he falls for Robin in later seasons.

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