#Don Flamenco Angst

[fanfictiononeshotsareinthevoid]

Work In Progress #1

Black Thorns Are On Black Roses With Rotting Petals

CW: This work has a lot of Carmen Slander! The author does not hate Carmen! They like Carmen and they just like to see characters suffer. I apologize for any offense that you take for Carmen. Please keep in mind that these works are made for fun.

(Most of the CW was a joke, but I was serious about the Carmen Slander)

Don Flaminco is most known for his seemingly undying love for a woman. This woman's name is Carmen. She had been with quite a few people before she met Don. She knew that she could use her beauty to her advantage.

She had a circle of friends that have dated super popular celebrities and been known as the said celebrity's 'abusive ex'. Whenever they would laugh whenever they would get a random death threat. Carmen was slightly different. She would look for celebrities, YouTubers, streamers, and/or anyone popular that was way to egotistical and selfish and tone them down.

Carmen had handed a rose by Don which caught her off guard a bit. She made sure to keep the rose in mind.

The next few months passed by quickly. She was very loving and kind. Don was lovestruck. He was constantly all over her which was odd, but she decided to reciprocate as much as she could.

When Don started boxing, he would be out longer and tired more often. Carmen decided to start phase two. Carmen started to trap Don.

Don had introduced Carmen to his family really early on in the relationship. She made sure to get his siblings to trust her with everything. Carmen wanted Don to lose everything.

Don isn't entirely human. He isn't exactly all powerful either. He is something that has no name. He got his plant powers from his father. He hasn't seen his father ever since he was about seven years old. He is able to create roses subconsciously and those roses are closer physical symbolism than an actual rose. He has always had a rose with him, no matter what. His father was able to create roses as well, however his roses were white.

These powers don't have a definitive origin, however someone who is of spainish origin are more likely to have this power. This power only has a name in a unknown ancient language that translates to 'Rose Demon' or 'Rose Deity' depending on your source. Rose Demon can subconsciously grow a rose of various different colors. The color depends on where their feelings constantly reside or a default feeling. A Rose Demon's powers become active after they fall in love for the first time. Don's default rose color is red, which means that he is constantly in love and falls into romantic love super easily. Don's father's roses were white, which means that he often doesn't feel anything towards anyone and falling in romantic love is rare for him. Rotting roses are rare.

Carmen spread a bunch of things to friends of his family, things that could snap his family in half.

Carmen walked over to the rose in the kitchen. She looked at it and whispered to herself "I think that it's starting to die". She picked it up and touched its petals. Carmen put the flower back down and walked into the kitchen. Don was currently in a boxing match, so Carmen had the house to herself. She walked to her room and grabbed her phone. She texted some of her ex's and some of the people that she had rejected whithin the past three months. She smiled as her notifications flooded with thousands of messages that happily accepted her invitation. She started setting up dates that always landed when Don was out training or in a match.

During one of her one night stands with a friend who was extremely desperate, he mentioned that Don talked about her a lot during his matches. Carmen was pissed. She was mostly unknown to the media. She was often called by many names by her past partners who talked about her, 'that woman', 'my cheating ex', 'bitch', 'whore', 'the woman that I wished that I hadn't dated', etc. They all never said her actual name. She didn't want to be known at all.

"He lost?!" Carmen's voice echoed throughout the house. She got up off of the couch. She walked to the rose and took it out of the white vase that it was kept in. She placed it the marble countertop next to the vase and dumped out the vase's water. Don unlocked the door and walked into the house. His heavy footsteps made Carmen angrier as she heard him approach. "¡Hola Carmen!" He stopped and looked at the vase in Carmen's hands. "Carmen, Why are you washing the vase?" Carmen laughed quietly. She turned off the sink and walked over to Don. Don stood there. Carmen's silence was odd, but he was willing to wait for her to talk to him.

[desired-fantasy-writings]

Punch-Out Wii!! Masterlist

Please read the rules before requesting!

Doc Louis

Glass Joe

Von Kaiser

Disco Kid

King Hippo

Piston Hondo

Bear Hugger

Great Tiger

Don Flamenco

Aran Ryan

Soda Popinski

Super Macho Man

Bald Bull

Mr. Sandman

[bucketspammer4life]

☆ random punch out headcanons (depressing edition) ☆

here it comes

(tw for: drug use, mentions of abuse, death)

- bald bull loves his mom a lot, she was there when no one else was, she was with him through thick & thin, the first thing he did when he was under a lot of stress or overwhelmed was to call her and visit her, when she passed away it hit him hard & he considered just locking himself in his house and giving up since he had no one to hold onto, he couldnt sleep for days and lost appetite

- Glass Joe has considered taking steroids and other "substances" to help him, there was a moment during his golden years where he actually took said substances and steroids, he had to stop because his organs werent taking it well and he wanted to live, he volunteers at rehab to help others like him

- the reason bear hugger is so connected to animals is he had many pets of his mauled, lost or killed by the wildlife around him & reckless family members he loved too much to argue with, he does his best not to get attached to unattended animals out in the wild because he knows they'll just be gone one day and he cant change it

- the reason Don Flamenco dislikes Mac is he sees himself when he looks at him, he feels bitter about wasting his youth trying to please others instead of doing what he wanted to do from the start, he hates seeing Mac not go through that since he just thinks everyone needs to go through that to be "a proper fighter"

- Mac doesnt know the fact that his birth parents are dead, he just assumes they gave him away because they werent ready, hes constantly trying to get in contact with them,Doc refuses to tell him the truth since it would pretty much break him, anytime Mac mentions his birth parents Doc's heart sinks, thinking he finally learned the truth about them

- piston hondo doesnt know how to show affection since he grew up with his grandparents is because they were old-fashioned and didnt really believe in mutual respect, hes still trying to unlearn what they taught him and practices expressions in the mirror to not seem emotionless

- Aran has really bad hygiene thanks to him having neglectful parents, they didnt bother to teach him proper hygiene & care, he didnt know how to shower until he was in 5th grade, thanks to that + his mom insisting on that name, he was bullied recklessly, he wanted it to stop so he started to act like that and the habit stuck since its his defense mechanism

- great tiger learned how to clone himself to feel less lonely since he was a only child and his parents didnt really teach him how to make friends, he started to study magic at a young age to impress people & make friends, he eventually grew past the need for others and just started hanging out with him, himself and great tiger, he got praised for being self sufficient when he just gave up on making friends and accepted being alone

[rens-gardenpowiiartff]

Chapter 3: Much Needed Noise

CW: descriptions of social anxiety

Piston Hondo and Great Tiger were sitting in the WVBA locker room, not saying a word to each other. Hondo just stared at the black bag in his lap while endlessly thinking about a way to start a conversation with Tiger. Every opener that he thought about was pretty much shot down immediately.

This was Piston's first time meeting Tiger, in fact he was actually pretty intimidated by him. Neither of those helped his social anxiety.

Don Flaminco opened the locker room door. The door shut behind him, echoing throughout the room which emphasized the room's silence before Don walked in. Piston looked over at Don and asked "How was the fight?". Don smiled weakly and responded "It didn't go well ... "

Don changed and cleaned up. He was just bandaging some of the injuries on his stomach and hands. "Why are you two so quiet?" Don said calmly. Before Tiger could say anything, "I just don't know how to start a conversation in general." Piston said with a slight bit of nervousness in his voice. Great Tiger nodded in agreement.

Tiger, Piston, and Don started talking to each other over the next few weeks. They were pretty comfortable with each other within a month and a half.

One morning, Piston was just sitting in locker room, stuck in his thoughts. Every thought was a blur as he continued to focus and remove some of the clutter in his head. It was getting harder and harder as time passed on. He thought about going to go train, but his body just seemed like it didn't want to move from the locker room bench. It took him a while to stand up and attempt to leave the locker room. He wanted to leave so badly. He longer he stood in silence, the more overwhelmed he became. Piston put his hand on the door. He didn't push it. He didn't do anything. He just looked at it. Piston continued to scream at himself to move. To open the door. To do something.

Five minutes passed with little movement. His regrets and failures were the only thing that he could think about. He regretted everything that he had done. Everything was a failure. Nothing was good. He could have done better. He loved boxing and yet it didn't seem good enough. Why couldn't he have loved something else?

Thirty minutes passed. Piston sat back down and stared at the ground.

Tiger and Don decided to walk back to the locker room to take a well deserved break. Don ranted about his week went as they walked. Tiger would sometimes give a verbal response to whatever Don was talking about, he mostly just nod his head though. They walked in and Don asked "How was your week?". Tiger paused and started talking about his pretty normal week.

Piston looked up and smiled. He needed this. Just hearing them talk was enough.

[amporagirl]

Ined to fix the end but imtired </3 erm does the punch out fandom fw some don flamenco angst actually is the punch out fandom stillhere its been 15fuckign years

[sukipershipper]

Forgive and Forget...?

The former champion slammed his locker door shut, almost breaking it off its hinges and echoing throughout the locker room. He leaned his body against the locker and stared down at the floor. Tears stung his eyes as he held back angry sobs, only able to let out dry and heavy huffs. This couldn’t have just happened. He couldn’t have just lost his title! The one he had worked so hard for all those years. 

He couldn’t go back home like this. Empty handed. A nothing. A husk…what would his family think? That he lost all of his hard work, That he had failed in pursuit of his goal he boasted of with such pride…That his father was right…

What would Carmen think? What should she think of him now that she knew he was lying? 

He remembered what Tiger had screamed at him, during the fight that ended it all. He remembered seeing the pained and saddened face of Bear watching in the background while protecting a confused and slightly dazed Hondo on the floor. He remembered the growl in Tiger’s voice, how his eyes and gem glowed ever so slightly the angrier he got.

He remembered the scathing words Tiger had left with him, now imprinted in his mind. 

“I CAN’T BELIEVE I EVER FELT BAD FOR YOU! I HOPE YOU REALLY DO END UP LOSING, I HOPE YOU LOSE AND YOUR WHOLE PLAN BLOWS UP IN YOUR SELFISH FACE. I HOPE YOU LOSE AND THEN MAYBE YOU’LL REALIZE HOW ALONE YOU’VE JUST MADE YOURSELF BECAUSE YOU DON’T DESERVE ANYONE…NOT ANYMORE!!”

He shivered at the thought, knowing he was right. His anger had isolated him from his family, his jealousy tore him away from his friends and now his dishonesty was going to tear him from the woman he so desperately thought to keep…

He truly was all alone now.

He brought his hand up and clasped it over his mouth, trying in vain to muffle the sobs that escaped from his mouth. Alas, it wasn’t enough to hide them from a young boxer’s curious ears. 

-------

Mac had tried to dip away from the press and the overbearing support he was getting from his former opponents and friends on the side. Hell, even Doc’s affirmations were beginning to drive the boy a little nuts, despite how much he loved them. After this much attention, he began to feel quite overwhelmed, so he found himself making up an excuse to go and grab his gear from the locker rooms when he heard a loud slam coming from inside. 

He carefully made his way in, ears drawn to the sound of faint sobs and heavy breathing. He peeked around the corner to see his previous opponent leaning against the lockers, his whole body trembling. Mac’s eyes widened at the sight. Just before he had been fighting this man, he was proud, strong, he didn’t look like he had a fear in the world.

But looking at him now? This…this couldn’t be the same man.

Mac knew the guy was full of himself. He had heard many of the other Major Circuit fighters tell him about Don’s outbursts and cocky nature. He had witnessed a lot of it for himself in the ring…but a part of him didn’t want to leave him like this. He knew that it was going to be a lost cause, but he wanted to at least try.

He made his way around the corner, shuffling his feet slightly before wincing and announcing his presence. A bad idea as Don almost immediately turned around and nearly hooked him. Mac swiftly dodged the attack and his opponent’s fist instead collided with one of the locker doors. Don winced in pain as he growled at Mac, eyes red and flared as he glared at the boy. 

“¡Hijo de puta! ¿Qué demonios estás haciendo, chico?” he spoke through gritted teeth. Mac put his hands up defensively, “I-I’m sorry! I’m sorry! I didn’t mean to startle you…I…I just-” he began to explain before he was sharply cut off by Don.

“I don’t care! Leave me alone!” he yelled, turning away, “You’ve already ruined my life…what else do you hope to gain!?” 

“Ruined your…I’m sorry, I’m confused…” Mac said, caught off guard by Don’s words. He carefully approached the Spaniard, though still kept some distance between them in case Don chose to strike again. Don sighed, slumping back against the lockers and sliding downwards, his knees brought to his face as he tried to hide away from the boy. “Just…leave me alone…” he said, defeatedly. 

Mac shook his head, “Not until I learn what’s up with you…” he said, sitting down on the floor next to the other, crossing his legs and looking at Don with visible concern. Don didn't look back.

"Look, I came in here to check on ya…I-I don't wanna start any trouble…" Mac explained. Don scoffed at the comment, causing Mac's eyebrows to furrow. "Hey, I know we aren't on great terms but that's no excuse to lash out at your friends!" He exclaimed, "Don't think I didn't hear that scrap you had with the others earlier-"

"You know NOTHING of what happened there!"

"I know enough to know you were acting like a dickhead and now you've gone and lost your friends-"

Don slammed his fist against the locker and grabbed the boy by his collar, screaming "YOU THINK I DON'T KNOW THAT!?" He said, tears stinging his eyes once again.

"I HAVE NO ONE, NO FRIENDS, NO FAMILY, NO LOVE, I LOST IT ALL TONIGHT!!" He cried through sobs, "I CAME TO THIS PLACE TO MAKE MYSELF, TO PROVE TO MY FAMILY I COULD BE MORE…MORE THAN JUST…A dumb little matador who just feels like he's…nobody…" Don felt tears pour from his eyes as he loosened his grip on Mac's collar and leaned his head up against the lockers. Mac gently moved Don's hand off his shirt and leaned in to give the Spaniard a slightly awkward hug. 

It was like the hug your sibling would give you if you had gotten in trouble from your parents. Awkward and stiff, but admittedly comforting.

Even after everything, the minute Don felt Mac lean against him, he slowly brought his hand upwards and onto the boy's head, bringing him closer. 

Mac could feel Don's heart pounding against his chest, the way it moved as he took sharp breaths to try and calm himself down. Mac simply sat there, wrapping his arm as best as he could around Don. 

Don sniffled before looking down at the boy. "I-I'm…I'm so s-sorry, niño…" He said through his tears, "Lo siento por todo... N-No quería…"  He paused, shaking his head, "I just…wanted to prove I could be more…I wanted so badly to prove my dad wrong…he told me…Tú no eres nada…he called me nothing…"

Mac's eyes softened as he looked up at the older man. His heart hurt hearing that. How could someone call their own child nothing?

"That was when I told him I would take on boxing…almost five years ago now he had disowned me and…I had made my way to America with Mi abuelo…" Don continued, "...the people I had met here…my friends in the Major Circuit…Hugger gave me food, Tiger gave me a room…they took me in…they made me Don Flamenco…they gave me so much hope…so much drive!...I had never felt so happy, so satisfied a-and proud of my achievement!"

The older boxer sighed, looking upwards at the ceiling. "They gave me everything…and I turned my back on them…all because of…of a hairline and a record…" Don said through gritted teeth. Mac didn't say anything, he only continued to look upwards in thought.

There was quite a lot to unpack here. He had known Don's home life wasn't spectacular-- he'd heard of it through Aran though so he did take it with a grain of salt-- but hearing this now, what he went through, what he was called…it didn't excuse any of what he did but it definitely opened Mac's eyes to why.

He sighed, Mac parted away from the hug and cleared his throat. "Don," he began, grabbing the Spaniards attention, "Look…I…I can't excuse what you did…it's obviously something that you need to be held accountable for…"

Don sighed, nodding in agreement. "I know…" He mumbled. Mac hummed, "...however…I can't fault you for feeling like everything you worked hard for was coming undone…" He explained, "...you obviously know failure…and you're scared…scared of failing again…"

Don looked at the boy with widened eyes. He had never expected to hear such words from a boy his age…Doc obviously taught him that. 

"You don't want to fail again, so anytime you feel close to falling you lash out and bring others down to make you feel…some sense of power…make yourself feel like you are perfect…but all you do is lose who you really are…why you really do what you do…"

"What do you mean?"

"Well, the goal for all of us in the beginning is to prove our worth to the world…" Mac explained, "...to show we are worthy to fight…but the longer we work here the more we find that our goal can…change…and it's no longer to prove our worth to the world…but to ourselves…make new goals…new paths…"

"Psh, it's easy for you" Don scoffed, "You're still young! You have all the time left in the world! I’m 23 and I still don’t have my shit figured out!...” 

The older boxer scanned the younger one up and down. He gave a quick hum and turned away. “Eres un niño pequeño... no sabes lo que es tener el peso de tu mundo y de tu hogar sobre tus hombros…” he said, “...You don’t know the pressure WE have…us who grow up knowing nothing but perfection…setting a precedent…an example!...”

“Better to grow up knowing A life surrounded by SOMETHING than having nothing at all…”

“...Yeah…I know…”

The room fell silent for a while as the two boxers leaned back against the lockers. Mac looked slightly towards the older one. His eyes showed someone who was truly on his last legs, or as Don himself put it before: alone. 

It hurt Mac seeing this and despite the hostility earlier, he knew Don was hurting as well. The younger one wanted to help but as he went to speak, he turned his eyes upwards to the clock hanging on the wall just opposite to where they sat. It was getting late and Doc was probably gonna be looking for him. He had heard the man once joke about sending a search and rescue squad out for him but honestly, he did believe it to some extent. However, as much as he knew he should go, part of him wanted to stay behind and continue comforting his opponent. 

He started shuffling ever so slightly to let Don know he was getting up to leave. The other boxer only glanced at him with a saddened expression and huffed. “...Just go, Mac…I know you want to…” he said. Mac shook his head, “N-no, please don’t take it like-”

“It’s fine…” Don interrupted, “You’ve been good company for me…even after all that I said and did…” he turned finally to look at the boy, his eyes red from tears, his cheeks stained black from the mascara, and his lips turned into a small smile. Mac stared in surprise before his lips curled upwards into a grin, putting his hand out for the other to shake. Don didn’t move but soon he brought his hand outwards to meet the boys, firmly grasping it on his own and shaking it up and down.

Mac stood up to leave, just as the locker room door opened and footsteps echoed across the floor. He quickly looked to his locker, putting in his combination and quickly opening it, grabbing his bag before he locked it again. In good time, as he saw the two oldest of the Major Circuit make their way in.

“Hey, Macky,” Bear Hugger began, his voice low and quiet, “Mind if we get a few minutes alone with Donny ‘ere? Yer old man is looking for ya anyhow, best go check on him, eh?” he asked with a small smile. Mac nodded, turning back to look at Don who didn’t dare to look at the newcomers, his eyes instead turned away in embarrassment and shame as he continued to gaze at the floor beside him. The young boy sighed, “Please,” he whispered, “Go easy on him”

“We make no promises…” Tiger said bluntly, resulting in a light nudge from Bear.

Don didn’t respond. 

Mac went to leave, but before he turned the corner he quickly called back to Don. “Hey, Flamenco!” he called, causing Don to finally turn his attention from the floor to the young boy. “Thank you for the match, I’m really honored to have fought alongside you…” he said, smiling at the Spaniard. Don slowly smiled back, saluting the boy as he spoke “...y lo mismo aquí, gracias por una lucha maravillosa…hermano…”

With that, Mac stepped out of the locker room, bag slung over his back and walking towards the exit where he saw Doc waiting, Disco stood beside him along with…a gangly looking red headed man? Who seemed to laugh maliciously as he saw him approach…

-----

Don simply sat on the floor, staring at his…ex-friends…

In his mind, he tried to think of the words to say. Something, anything that could fix what he had done…nothing more could come to mind but a simple ‘sorry’...it wasn’t good enough…it would never be good enough…not for what he put them through this whole time…

The older two watched as Don slowly rose from the ground. He held his elbows in his hands and stared at the three with woeful eyes. “Look,” he began, “I…” he trailed off, thinking of the best way to word what he wanted to say. “Words…words cannot express the sorrow and regret I feel right now…I know I don’t deserve your pity…but you absolutely deserve my apologies…” he said in a meek voice. 

“I never meant to drag my problem out this much…I never meant to cause this much harm to any of you!” He admitted, his voice raising ever so slightly. “I don’t expect you to forgive me or even talk to me anymore…I am not deserving of your friendship…but just know that…I am sorry, and I am going to change…I’m just upset it took me so long to admit it…”

At that moment, the world stood still. Don looked between the three men, who all shared their own looks of skepticism and pondered their next move. Luckily, the world began to speed up once again as Bear began to advance towards Don. The younger boy involuntarily flinched, wanting to recoil but found himself being swept into a hug, Bear Hugger’s arms pulling him in close. Don stood in shock as he tried to process what was happening. 

“E…Ellie?” he asked quietly, his voice like a whisper. Bear only hugged him more, sniffling with a smile as he whispered back “It’s okay…”

Don’s eyes widened and his face lit up as he heard those words, watching as Tiger soon came around the other side to hug him, “...just happy you finally found some sense” he joked as he parted from the hug and held Don’s head in his hand. Don took a moment, staring at the two in disbelief. As he stood there, his feelings soon overwhelmed him.

His cheeks became flushed as his body began to shudder and he leaned inwards to Tiger’s shoulder. “I-I’m so so-o-orry…!” he cried as he tried to hug the two, “I-I never m-meant to…oh god…!” he cried, his voice choked and quiet. “Hey, hey, hey,” Bear said, lifting the younger man’s head up with his hand, “We already forgave you…” he said softly, “...even Haru does…”

Tiger nodded profusely, “And we should’ve been a little more understanding…I-I didn’t mean to say what I said…you don’t deserve to be alone…no one ever does! I just-”

“No, no, you had every right to say what you did…I was horrible…my past does not excuse my actions and behavior in the present…but I really do mean it, I am going to work to be better…I realize my path now…” Don interrupted, smiling at the older two with gratitude. “...Thank you two…for being by me…despite everything I did…”

“We all have regrets kid…but we’re here for you, no matter what…” Bear said, tightening his embrace around the spaniard. Tiger did the same, hugging Don from the back, “...and we love you, little brother…we love you…”

Don gave a soft chuckle as he smiled, resting in the warm embrace of his friends. 

“I love you too…”

[oohbuggypie]

how much would yall hate me .

JUST KIDDING GUYS .. LOL ... WHAT ... ITS NOT ALREADY STARTED IN MY NOTEBOOK WHATT THATS CRAZY ... NO WAY .............

OH GOODNESS GRACIOUS i just had an art idea so visceral i got a lil shiver BULLDON U WILL PAY

[atypical-artisan]

Round and round again (8901 words) by Letmeread222 Chapters: 2/2 Fandom: Punch-Out!! (Video Games) Rating: Mature Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply Relationships: Glass Joe/Aran Ryan Characters: Glass Joe, Aran Ryan, Don Flamenco (Mentioned) Additional Tags: Hurt/Comfort, Emotional Baggage, hurt in chap 1 comfort in chap 2, dug through the ol inner darkness for this one folks, Past Abuse, Angst with a Happy Ending, Emotional Constipation, Self-Esteem Issues, Aran is fucking going through it, Emotional/Psychological Abuse, Injury Recovery, Joe Worries A lot, mentions of family, Aran is horny for .2 seconds, that gets shut down quickly, Nausea, Fainting, Internal Conflict, Established Relationship, mentions of vomit, I FINALLY GOT TO THE COMFORT WOO, Serious Injuries, Relationship Discussions, Medical Inaccuracies, probably, Glass Joe is a Good Boyfriend, Mentioned nudity, aran is naked for most of chapter 2, not in a sexy way he just is, Self-Hatred, Self-Worth Issues, joe loves him a lot tho, aran isn't magically fixed but he feels better :), injury care Series: Part 4 of Punch-out!! stories Summary: Aran gets a pretty bad beating from his latest match, leaving him frustrated, helpless, and forced to face some built up emotions. It's a good thing he has someone willing to take care of him.

YEEHAW CHAPTER TWO!!!

[wvba-ringside-gossip]

"OMG Hi, greetings from Australia mate! I'm not really a boxer of WVBA but I really like the organization boxers, especially Piston~

But...uhhh...enough about that, I also a big fan of your blog and gossip, and here a question that I gonna ask:

What was the most saddest thing that you found out on each boxer?

Like there gonna be something inside the closets and I feel the angst!"

~ @pistonhondofangirl

PS: Please don't type the disturbing ones ._.

"Hello there, Ms....uh Fangirl, is it? Unfortunately, Ruby and Robin are commentating or responding to other queries at this time. Luckily for you, I can give you a lowdown on each of the tragedies that have occurred in the lives of Branch A boxers, as I don't have much time to do the other branch, but if you'd like a follow-up to it, feel free to ask

Read at your own detriment, darling..." ((TW: UNCOMFORTABLE TOPICS AHEAD, READ AT YOUR OWN RISK))

Little Mac: Abandoned by both his parents. Was meant to go to Canada to live under the care of his uncle, but was kidnapped by a horrible lady that treated him like garbage. Ran off to the streets and was found by Giovanni (Pete Zapasta) and under his care until Doc found him. Glass Joe: Lived under the reign of a horrible mother and was always ridiculed by her, despite being highly gifted at a lot of things. Ran away and cut off all contact with his family. Years later, he'd become the uncle to a young child who lost all movement in her legs, after learning that every other member in his family passed away in a tragic house fire, of disease, or committed s****de.

Von Kaiser: Joined a gang in his younger years and saw nothing but death and destruction wherever he went. Found a newborn baby in a house by itself and took it in as his own to raise it, thus leaving the gang. However, due to a lack of experience, he ended up smothering it to d**th.

Disco Kid: Relatively normal life, but has been plagued with the lack of the knowledge that he has on his real father. Wishes he could've been a bigger part of it, and regrets growing up away from him for so long.

King Hippo: Has a large chunk of his own identity missing due to being found on the beach as an infant and lacking the ability to speak. When he tries to learn, he is met with a lot of uncertainty and ridiculed by others, and when he does eventually find a few people like him, they shun him and tell him he isn't worthy of being one of them, thus causing him to further distance himself from his culture.

Piston Hondo: His mother died right after he was born, and his father neglected him for the majority of his life. It caused him to develop odd habits and tendencies (Pyromania for example), as well as cementing this constant need for perfection in his brain.

Bear Hugger: Had to be the backbone for his grieving family after his mother died. Struggled to make friends due to his size and almost did until they asked him to shoot a young bear cub. He went to turn the gun on them but was startled by his father telling him to stop and shot him instead, crippling him.

Great Tiger: Came from a dirt-poor family, and struggled to make a decent income. He found a special pendant in a temple that gave him powers as well as a deadly parasite that drained his body the longer it stayed inside of him. His parents, instead of helping him, fled after asking him for money and left him and his younger siblings.

Don Flamenco: Grew up coming from a long prestigious line of Matadors, and was forced to be the Golden child of his family. Not only causing animosity between him and his older siblings but between his father and grandfather too, regarding his career path. Pressured to be perfect, he finally broke free when he discovered boxing. His father immediately disowned him and the two barely speak now.

Aran Ryan: Was born out of wedlock and was seen as the terror of the town. His father had left him, his mother and his siblings, which caused his mother to get a little crazy. He got a lot of bullying about his family's reputation and his name, causing him to be quite violent in school. He had to try and keep a steady head on for his siblings, as his mother would get quite angry and lash out unintentionally at the kids. Despite this, he is the only one in the family to still talk to his father.

Soda Popinsky: Soda grew up as a girl named Anya for the majority of his life. He and his mother lived in a small house, and had no good income, as his mother was only 16 and considered a wh*** so she couldn't land a job. Wanting to help he took on the name Nikolai and became a worker in a factory. Once he earned enough money for himself and his mother, he underwent a transition, which came with its own set of problems. He is constantly called a bastard and bitch (as well as other names) by older males every day, and can never catch a break, even as Russia's national champ.

Bald Bull: Grew up in a very unwelcome home. He had to take on a big fatherly role for his little brother while dealing with an abusive father and absent mother. One day, he had enough and smashed his father so hard into a brick wall, that he broke 3 walls behind it. Bull, despite hating the man, has never forgiven himself for it and always fears his strength around others, which is why he hates the paparazzi so much.

Macho Man: Was once proud of his heritage, but was constantly ridiculed by it as a child. He changed his whole identity and scraped his heritage and culture so he could feel accepted by the public. Years later, he would try and reconnect with it as an adult, but it would be too late.

"Unfortunately, Mr Sandman and Doc Louis' information around personal life is: [REDACTED], so I can't disclose any info on them to you."

[matt-imagines-popcorn]

Punch Out Masterlist

[RULES]

This is where all my writing related to Punch Out will be linked!

Ships

Cup of Tea [Glass Joe/Mr.Sandman]

Secret Admirer [Glass Joe/Aran Ryan]

The Claw [PT 2 of Secret Admirer] [Glass Joe/Aran Ryan]

Recipe (For Disaster) [Glass Joe/Von Kaiser] 

Glass Joe/Aran Ryan HCs

Holiday Break [Bear Hugger/Bald Bull]

Narcis Prince + Aran Ryan Angst [Workin’ on it boss!]

Characters

Glass Joe

Getting fluffy with Glass Joe

General Glass Joe HCs

Von Kaiser

Von Kaiser Romantic HCs

Gen Von Kaiser HCs

Disco Kid

Disco Kid Romantic HCs

Gen Disco Kid HCs

King Hippo

King Hippo Romantic HCs

Gen King Hippo HCs

Piston Honda

A/N

Bear Hugger

A/N

Great Tiger

Getting fluffy with Great Tiger

Don Flamenco

Getting fluffy with Don Flamenco

Aran Ryan

Aran Ryan Romantic HCs [Workin’ on it boss!]

Soda Popinski

A/N

Bald Bull

Gen Bald Bull HCs

Super Macho Man

Getting Fluffy with SMM

Mr. Sandman

A/N

Dragon Chan

First Date with Dragon Chan

OTHER

Haunting

General Bald Bull HCs

Need a Drink? [Soda + Bull]

Note: Some of these links will send you to Wattpad. I just don't want to post those all at once on Tumblr and overload the tags! You can request characters from SPO as well - just too lazy to list them all!

[fanfictiononeshotsareinthevoid]

Work In Progress #3

Four Pieces of the Same Overused Mask

CW/TW: Implied Drugging, Implied Rape, A shit ton of Angst

{I'm so sorry.}

Disco Kid had finally joined WVBA after about a year. He was ecstatic to finally talk to the people who got him there in the first place. On his way to speak to them, he ran into Don Flamenco. Disco has seen some of his fights, however he doesn't have much of an opinion on him. He knew that some boxers play things up for the crowd, so Don's arrogance didn't bother him the way that someone else's arrogance would. He greeted Don and asked where Don was going. Don said that he was going to talk someone named Piston Hondo. Disco Kid wasn't familiar with that name and asked who he was "Piston is one of the newer boxers. I only met him a few days ago, so I don't know much besides that." Don spoke very nonchalantly, which would be a shock if Disco took Don's act to heart.

Disco Kid walked into the minor circuit building and saw Glass Joe sitting on a bench off to the side. Joe was just staring at his phone. Disco blinked for a second. He didn't want to believe what his brain was telling him. 'He looks dead and empty. Why? No! He isn't like this! I'm seeing things! He-... That isn't Glass Joe! I'm hallucinating!' Disco Kid thought. He still saw Glass Joe and Von Kaiser through rose tinted glasses. He still saw them the way he used to. He was like a starry eyed kid who believed anyone they were a fan of was a god, a being that could do no wrong, that is always as they present. He saw them as something that he was bound to see them as. The last person that he was a fan of gave him trauma that he's stuck with. He can't even think about that time in his life without hating what happened. He knows that none of it was his fault. He was a child. He was just as easy to damage, traumatize, break, and ruin as any other kid. He can't help but think that he was to blame. He's still wearing those cracked rose tinted glasses. He wished that he understood why he was still wearing them. Those glasses are stuck to his face with super glue. He was a broken child and he's a broken man still picking the shards with tears in his eyes and blood covering his fingers. The endless blood from cuts that he got from shattering that would be bound to leave scars. He is still wearing rose tinted glasses whenever he thinks of his parents. One lense of those glasses is still intact, while the other is cracked to the point where its unusable. He is still a stupid child. He wished that those rose tinted glasses would disappear. He needed to see the world clearly.

Disco Kid sat next Glass Joe. "Joe, what's bothering you? If you don't mind me asking." Glass Joe looked at Disco Kid and smiled "I'm just getting death threats again."

Disco Kid was shocked. There was nothing online that would cause Joe to get death threats. The Internet should be better than that... Why did that seem like false hope? It's not better, is it?

"Why?" Glass Joe laughed "I used to date this guy. He was pretty popular online and he had fans that seemed to composed of obsessive maniacs, starry eyed children, and regular internet psychos that will murder someone for him. Honestly, dating someone like him was basically death sentence... I wish I knew who he was before I accepted his confession." Joe paused and sighed "He... He had almost killed me more than once. He was also my first relationship which made the way he treated me hit harder and leave a bigger scar. He told his fans about me... He made himself the victim and they all believed him." his smile faded. Disco Kid hated hearing that someone he adored was treated like this. The screen showed hundreds maybe even thousands of tweets with death threats and disbelief. Disco has seen this many times, which is the sad part about growing up with the internet in your lap. This wasn't the same. He cares about Glass Joe, unlike the other people that he's seen this happen to. He scrolled as memories of his trauma flooded back. Disco mentally shook his head and looked at Joe. Joe sighed and continued, his voice saddened with each word. "I shouldn't have expected them not to." Joe paused again. He grabbed his phone typed something and showed it to Disco Kid. He faked another smile "They all went after me. A few of his fans actually lived in my city, which he made public. I didn't leave my house for weeks. I honestly wanted to end things." He laughed weakly "That's one of the reasons why I'm never going to Paris again."

Disco Kid held back tears. The rose tinted glasses were cracking and leaving tiny remnants in his eyes. He knows that Joe is human. He knows that anyone can be manipulated. He knows that Joe faces the same if not more pain and suffering than he does... He doesn't want to believe what he knows. He was too attached to those rose tinted glasses. He was too attached to a false reality.

Don Flamenco opened the major circuit locker room door. It creaked as the room's light bled into the darker hallway. The silence made everything seem so empty and hollow. He walked into the room. His footsteps seemed so loud against the smooth gray floors. Piston Hondo was staring at the silver lockers with a blank expression. Don stared at him. The silence was even worse. The empty atmosphere made Don want to disappear. Piston shook his head and sighed. He looked at Don. The room fell into unbearable silence again.

Great Tiger slammed the door open. Piston and Don jumped at the sudden noise. He sat down next to Piston. "Do you know [REDACTED]?" Piston's eyes widened "Yeah... Why?". Don was confused and horrified. He did recognize that name. He has heard it a few times. He felt sick every time he heard it. "I think I saw him! I don't know entirely though." Don felt a little dizzy.

Don doesn't remember what happened entirely. He just knows that a strange man had picked him up when was around seven years old.

He was sitting on a sidewalk waiting for his mom to pick him up. A black car pulled up in front of him. He squinted and a man stepped out. He walked up to Don and whispered something in his ear. He gasped excitedly. He got the car. He swung his feet in passengers seat. The man stopped at a place that seemed like a bar. He just stared the bright sign above the small bar. The guy walked in and came back with a small glass. It had a cloudy white liquid that was fulled to the top of it. He handed him the glass. He happily drank it.

That's all that he remembers. He was told that this happened a few times. He also was super sick for few months after all of that happened.

Tiger continued to talk. He just tuned them out. He just thought about what happened during his childhood. He remembers getting bullied for a twitter post that [REDACTED] made about getting a child pregnant. The post is mostly just bragging and it included a picture of the kid. When Don was shown the tweet, he froze. Don was a senior in highschool when the post got huge traction despite its age. He joked that it kinda looked like him and then he was bullied severely the next day. The day after his graduation, he went to a party. He was invited by someone who had been behind most the physical bullying that he experienced. He declined and he almost died while walking home. He wanted to kill himself so badly. His sister was the only thing that he was living for. That girl had convinced someone to come by and shot up a house that she broke into. That house was where the party was held. He had seen someone walk in and load a gun. He ran into one of the bedrooms and opened one of the windows. He slid out of it and locked it from the outside. He ran for his life.

"Hello? Don? You okay?" Tiger said while poking Don's nose bridge. Don moved Tiger's hand off of his face.

Tiger's story is a bit different when it comes to [REDACTED]. Tiger had met him at a party.

[desired-fantasy-writings]

Don Flamenco Masterlist

Please read the rules before requesting!

Headcanons

(Request) (Fluff) Don Flamenco with S/O who’s introverted and not good at relationships

[NSFW] Don Flamenco NSFW Headcanons

[oohbuggypie]

"and as he wept, he wept and said, 'Oh, my.. Oh, my.. Would to God I had died for He'"

this is fully inspired by @goferwashere 's PO!! Monster Hunter AU 🩷 depicted is Don Flamenco in his monster form being held in his last moments by Joe. the writing that describes their fight, Don's death, and Joe's regret are all below the cut as its very long. but WOW i just could not get this idea out of my head . thank u soo much Gofer for the amazing AU and thank u to the whole community for being my courage to be brave and release something a little less cutesie than usual ! 🥹 additional details i rlly want to be known::

-the tattoo on Don' torso is an altered version of that in the regular PO!! universe; the one depicted reads "COLOSSIANS 3:2" :: the verse's meaning is "Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things". this is meant to reflect his disdain for humans, and how he views them as lesser

-the stab wound placement is below Don's right pectoral; this is in reflection of Jesus Christ's 5th wound he suffered whilst being crucified. additionally, it is said that what seeped from the wound wasn't only blood, but water as well; i found this very fitting for his character for obvious reasons lol

-the lyrics above the drawing are a condensed / altered version from the choral piece "David's Lamentation", one of my favorite songs ever !

phewph okay writing time ! unfortunately i have never written angst, let alone fighting OR death .. this is also being released about half an hour shy of midnight on bad sleep so proofreading is out of the question.. this is prob a hard read but I STAY CONFIDENT ! here we gooo 🩷::

-------------------------------------------------------

Don hissed and swung his fist in an aimless direction, hearing the collision's result come in the form of an agonized grunt from the man near him. Blind rage mingled with fear consumed Don's body in a way God himself forbade, yet he continued to batter any flesh that came into contact with his.

Joe's entire being ached, his eye now burning from the knuckles that dug into it just moments ago. He clenched it shut and let the obscurity of his vision drive his instincts to wherever they were necessary. He aimed to return the punch with his own fist plunging to meet Don's stomach, momentarily knocking the air from his lungs. As Don's arms instinctively lowered to gaurd where his sore flesh was struck, Joe snarled and drew his left arm back to slam a fist into Don's cheek. The siren felt a coursing agony not only externally, but through his heart. He knew what would come, yet he continued to bare his teeth. He ripped apart anything which bothered him and felt no haunting ring in his mind. Though this time, he feared that the bells would toll.

Joe took full advantage of the temporary stun he inflicted upon Don and wrapped his hands around the man's throat. Joe kicked Don's ankle in so that he buckled beneath his own weight, dropping them both to meet the floor. Joe felt a shake within his bones, like the structures in his own body didn't want him to do this. He didn't want to. This wasn't how it was supposed to be. Yet his body moved now without his mind, pressing his entire weight into the neck of the helpless man below him. Don couldn't stand the desperation that racked his body, and above that distaste, he couldn't bare to look up at the deathly eyes staring into his own. The man who he called a friend held less semblance to a human and now closer to a wraith, some wretched figure distorted by horror. His skin appeared a sickly gray in the darkness of the gym's room, and had his hands always been this coarse and cold? Nonetheless, for the present time Don disregarded the friend he once had and viewed him now as a step above a pet; competition.

Don snarled and thrashed beneath the body of Joe and locked his hands around the arms above. His brain felt like a searing gas within his head, but that lack of consciousness was immediately replaced by instinct. Don slid his hands down to grip Joe's wrists and ripped them outwards with a fell swipe. Joe wasn't spared a second to process the motion before his nose was slammed by Don's forehead. A pained cry was all his voice could manage before his vision flickered black.

-----

When he awoke, only seconds has passed since he blacked out. With a horrified start, Joe began to thrash his arms through the water engulfing him. His legs kicked in the same motion, his left heel slamming into an excruciating pressure seeming to bind his right ankle. The force released as soon as it felt his bruising strike against it. Joe desperately made strokes with his arms upwards, looking for any form of light to signify what differentiated the surface from the bottom. Joe felt a darkness reigning upon him as another figure trailed close behind, its presence growing heavier with each struggling wave of his arms throughout the pool.

Joe's face broke the surface. Without a second to catch his breath, he began scanning the area with bewildered eyes for the nearest edge. His loafers felt like bricks tied to his ankles, and the turtleneck he donned was quickly becoming suffocating. A short distance behind him, a splash breaking the water's tension drove Joe into fight or flight. His arms clawed in front of him with strokes large enough to leave his arms aching the next day, yet that same pain was his drive to reach the edge quicker. He gripped the ledge of the hard floor and hoisted himself above the edge, rushing into a position where his knees and one arm balanced his body upright. With his unoccupied hand, he reached where the bells tolled and the colors sank. Joe frantically patted his pocket for where the knife's sheath bulged.

Don arose from the water he resided in just seconds after his former partner. Joe ripped the leather from his pocket and reached into it, gripping the handle as if he was warding death itself away. His knuckles were white with pressure, and his wide eyes locked on the man inches from himself. Don's eyes were sickly and no longer passing as human; the bags beneath them were a bruised purple, and where the whites of his eyes should be were replaced by a glassy blue. His brows dug wrinkles into his forehead like malicious scars upon skin. And the worst of it all was the death-like frown that crumpled his entire facial structure; it drew his eyes in a downward spiral, and his lips curled against his flesh like desperate hands digging into anything for hold.

With his chest exposed and either arms beside him as means to lift himself, Joe raised his blade and drudged it into Don's flesh.

Don's eyes fell like the world's light upon an empty room, and the sharp inhale in his throat thrummed akin to the death rattle. Despite the metal lodged deep within his chest, he managed the strength to drag himself from his home's grasp and to lay on the freezing tile below him. Joe's hands left his mouth as he let out some visceral shout that made cherubs above weep. He scurried across the soaked floor to examine the man before him. Joe slammed himself down upon the floor and struggled to lift him, eventually draping Don's being across his own. Don's arms rested against Joe's bent knees, and his head tilted into his chest with slowing breaths beating against his sweater. The remaining warmth of his breath settling on his own shoulder resembled the comfort of a blanket upon a child's cold body. Joe felt static piercing through his brain and throughout his ears.

He slid his trembling hand to grab the hilt of his blade, yanking it from between Don's ribs with a crumbling expression upon his face. Where the stab wound remained open, Joe rested his hand on its opening and let the blood seep onto his skin. He lowered them to graze the rest of Don's torso, creating an up and down rhythm almost as if to comfort him. He felt a dread in his stomach nothing in his life had ever compared to; he had killed numerous times before this, and for pettier reasons. But the understanding of what he had just done settled upon him like the smothering embrace of a rotting being. Joe lost any remaining thoughts in his mind as small, breaking moans passed the pursing lips of Don.

Don's body felt washed by shades of baby blue. His eyed fixated on an empty and quickly fading horizon. The right side of his body held a sensation that reminded him of familiarity; dripping water and warm waves caressing his flesh. Though this time, the sea seemed to be accompanied by rainfall. Don couldn't muster the strength to look up, let alone turn his head, but he felt warm droplets fall upon his hair. The fog that began swallowing his mind didn't allow him to understand where the water's source was coming from. They dropped rapidly now, dripping enough so that they slid across his own cheeks; they made up for the lack of his own tears. The air that was becoming increasingly hard to keep in his grasp now filled with a tune, a rhythm similar to those he practiced when dancing.

"Je suis désolé, je suis vraiment désolé, oh..."

Don couldn't understand the words, couldn't sing along to the beautiful tune that seemed to hail from Heaven itself. It broke his heart a bit, seeing that one of his greatest attributes was his ethereal singing voice. But the words soothed his soul, and held this wonderous ability to make his eyes feel comfortable closing.

"Oh, mon Dieu... Oh, mon Dieu, pardonne-moi... Pardonne-lui aussi..." Joe heaved, his hands clutching the bloodied skin of Don's torso. His body shook with a might that caused Don's own body to tremor along with his.

Don wished he knew what those words meant. Don wished he could hear the voice sing in his ears forever, let the melody echo throughout the chambers of his fading mind every second of every waking moment. Don's face fell cold, and his body felt as if it was losing its occupation; but fear never crossed his mind when his vision finally began to fade. He loved the hands running up and down his body, loved the warmth cascading against his side, loved the song, he loved this moment. He let his breath soften and slip from his mind's priorities, and now focused on shutting his eyes to rest.

The last thing Don truly felt was the slipping of beads across his collar bones.

-----

Joe removed the rosary from around Don's neck and let its wooden roses slide into a pile inside his unused pocket. He vowed that the blade would make no contact with the necklace.

Joe couldn't and didn't think as he laid the body of his sweet friend down to rest away from his own. He looked once more into the drained yet softened features of Don's face; his lips looked soft against his chin, and his brows no longer furrowed in such a dreadful way. Joe stood for moments, spending minutes staring down at the body now devoid of life on the floor. The worst sight of the entire night was the wound beneath the right side of Don's chest. And even upon staring at it, running his eyes over it again and again, Joe just couldn't think deeper about it.

He turned his back from the death that loomed behind him and exited through the double doors of the room. Joe stalked off into the night, letting the world's air solidify the agonizing tears that stained his cheeks, down to his neck.

END !! thanks 4 reading if u did and thank u 2 anybody who sees this !! now im gonna go ahead and pass out it's 11:45 PM and im sick 🩷

[bucketspammer4life]

the boxers after an argument

blasting you all with the angst beam

Glass joe - sobs quietly from anger & some guilt since he doesnt wanna make you feel bad about him crying, if he doesnt get a apology he'll usually write/text you "im sorry" since he cant really make eye contact with people he argues with

Von Kaiser - Just hides out somewhere and tries to calm down usually by doing chores or exercising or reads books, if he wants to apologize first since he'll feel better that way

Disco Kid - hides away and listens to music while crying a bit, will usually hide under some blankets to calm down a bit, if he wants to apologize he'll text you

King Hippo - sobbing, tried to stay quiet but since hes naturally loud it doesnt work much, he'll cook up some comfortable food for you if he wants apologize

Piston Hondo - reads books and does some meditating while drinking tea, he usually writes you a note if he wants to apologize

Bear Hugger - goes out for a walk to cool down, chops some trees and consults mrs bear for advice (shes actually a profesional in couples therapy, its true bears have a lot of experience in that) and usually carves you a little statue to apologize, after that he'lk ask if you want to consult mrs bear about it

Great Tiger - usually summons his clones and asks them for advice, which can range from "yeah, youre wrong actually" to "You are literally correct how dare they do that??" And he usually apologizes by getting you little trinkets

Don Flamenco - he cries when angry so its pretty much impossible to see him not crying during a argument so he just runs away and hides, he usually calls up a relative (mainly his aunt) for advice, he apologizes by leaving you gifts (a rose, perfume, etc etc)

Aran Ryan - gets riled up easily with arguments so he'll just leave and stroll for a while, he'll probably smoke a bit and come back when he feels like apologizing, he usually says sorry by calling you sweet names

Soda Popinski - He gets really tense about arguments so he'll just go get some fresh air and drink some soda before coming in to apologize to you, he apologizes by making a drink for you

Bald Bull - He gets absolutely HORRID during & after arguments, he'll usually storm off and lift weights when angry and punch his punching bag (no wonder hes ripped) and cuts up some fruit for you to apologize

Super Macho Man - gets frustrated after arguments so he just goes for a drive, if he wants to apologize he'll buy you something and ask if you want to talk it out

Mr Sandman - usually quiets down and goes about his day, chores, etc. He doesnt forgive people very easily so he has to consider it a bit, when he wants to apologize he'll say it directly to your face since it wont sit right with him otherwise

[sukipershipper]

Sometimes, Perfection creates more Thorns than Roses...

(TW: NUDITY AND BLOOD)

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.

.

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Don has always been someone held on such a high pedestal by family and fans alike. Although he was meant to love the attention, he wonders if it's really all worth it at the end of the day...if it holds him back from being himself...is it really worth enduring the thorns for the roses to bloom?

[sukipershipper]

La douleur est beauté || CHAPTER 2

A/N: Sorry for such a long wait! I've I've swarmed with school shit but now we're finishing up I have lots of time in-between my studies to upload stuff. Here's your juice!

TW: Mentions of Death, Abuse and Suicide

CHAPTER 2: All Alone Now

That night, Joe simply laid in bed, wrapping his arms around one of his pillows. His eyes were misty, but he dared not to cry. He just wanted to forget this ever happened. He wanted to forget he had ever heard any of this. Hearing that his beloved little sister had passed…and he had left her behind…

He was a monster. He wasn’t a brother, he wasn’t a compatriot, he was a terrible man who hurt those he loved and then left them. ‘Poor Amelie’ were the only words that seemed to circle in his head. He couldn’t stop thinking about what he could’ve done for her…for them. In his deep thought, he also began to wonder what would’ve happened to his other sisters, what of his poor father too? He couldn’t have given a rat’s ass about his mother, but everyone else? What became of them?

What was he gonna do now? What could he do? How could he help them? If they were still out there, there had to be a way he could help…right? He couldn’t let anyone he loved down…not again. He wanted to be there for them now. Just then, the door slowly creaked open. Joe shot up from the bed and quickly turned to the door, light slowly peeking in. Kaiser and Sandman had walked in, eyes drawn in worry as they looked at the state their friend was in. His hair was a scraggly mess compared to his usual updo, and his face was flustered.

“Joseph” Kaiser began as he sat down on the bed next to him. Sandman kept standing in the doorway, leaning against the frame. He had a suspicion that if he sat down, he’d break the bed, so he’d rather not risk it. The older man placed a reassuring hand on his friend’s shoulder, “Are…are you ok?” he asked. Joe shot him a look, and Kaiser bit his lip realizing that was a stupid question. He sighed, “I just…zhis is a lot for you but…you seem more…I don't know zhe vord-"

"Broken?" Sandman interjected. Both men looked to the champ with narrowed eyes. “I…I suppose zhat’s the best vord for it at zhis stage” Kaiser said, clicking his tongue. Joe only sighed as he leaned backwards and fell onto the bed. “I can’t believe this has happened” Joe said, “I…I can’t believe I didn’t do anything sooner!” he brought his hands to his face and let out a small yell of annoyance. Mainly directed at himself. He brought his hands away and stared up at the ceiling. “Aran’s right…” he said softly, “...It’s all my fault…I am the one to blame…I didn’t stick around for them…if…if o-only I ha-a-ad-”

“You were scared, Joe,” Sandman interjected once again, “You didn’t want to be hurt by your mother again, no one’s gonna blame you for that…a-and the fact that Amelie still chose you to look after…whatever her name is-”

“Belle?”

“Yeah, yeah, Belle…the fact she still picked you obviously means something…it means she still loves you…” Sandman said, trying to lighten the mood. Joe sat back up and gave a weak smile before turning his gaze to the floor. Both men shared a worried look. It wasn’t out of it to see Joe be a little disappointed, but this was different. He truly looked miserable, disheveled…broken…

Just then, a cough was heard outside the door. Sandman turned his head to see Aran and a few others standing outside. The champion huffed and crossed his arms as he turned his body to face them, “Not now, Ryan” he growled. “Sorry, Mason, but Frenchie there owes me a story”, Aran replied as he tried to shove his way past, but Sandman stood in the way.

“Mason, MOVE!” Aran demanded. Sandman snarled, “No,” he said firmly, “He isn’t ready to talk”

“Well, I am ready to hear what that fecker ‘as to say!”

“VELL, TOO BAD!!” Kaiser shouted, shooting up from the bed and standing beside Sandman in the doorway, pointing a finger at the Irish rat’s face. “HE NEEDS TIME TO PROCESS VHAT HAS HAPPENED! OR DO YOU NOT UNDERSTAND HOW GRIEVING VORKS!? DUMKOPF!!”

“I KNOW PLENTY ‘BOUT GREIVIN’ AN ‘E’S DONE ENOUGH O’ IT!” Aran retorted. The other boxers watched as this happened. “Here we go again,” Hugger said, rolling his eyes as he tried to look away from the situation, but the symphony of Irish and German screaming was just too much for all of them. Joe peeked out the door, catching a glimpse of all of his boys standing out there, watching uncomfortably as the cacophony of fighting grew louder and louder between the two.

Soda clenched his hands to his sides, Bull giving him small pats and side hugs to try and soothe him. Hondo, who was already someone who hated noise, found himself burying his face into Don’s shoulder in annoyance. The Spaniard was tiredly trying to comfort both him and Mac, who was hiding behind him like a frightened kid. Not surprising in Joe’s mind, given what happened last month. Then there was Hugger and Tiger, one trying to block out the noise through his magic while the other covered his ears, both to no avail. Disco looked done; he switched on his music in an attempt to block it out. Only Hippo and Macho seemed not too phased by the fighting, though the Californian occasionally looked at Sandman with concern.

Joe bit his lip, looking at the crowd. He needed to talk. “Enough!” Joe said, standing up from the bed and walking to the door frame, pushing both men aside. His face was drawn with a disapproving frown. “Feckin’ finally!” Aran said as Joe made his way out of the room. “Sit down, Ryan” Joe said firmly, pushing past the rat and pulling out one of the chairs from the dining table for him to sit on.

“Joe,” Sandman began, “You don’t need to”

“No, Mason”, Joe interrupted, “This needs to be done sooner rather than later,” he said. Aran only smirked as he turned to Sandman, “Yeah! See?” he said, “Let me get my story now, ye- YOW! HEY!”

Aran’s ear was being pulled tightly by Joe’s slender fingers. The latter couldn’t lie; it felt good to put the bastard in his place. “I SAID SIT DOWN!” Joe yelled, throwing Aran onto the chair. Mac stifled a snicker, resulting in Aran flashing him a glare. A quick snap of Joe’s fingers was enough to get the man to pay attention as Joe pulled out a picture from his boxing bag (which had been hastily thrown in the corner), and held it in front of Aran’s face. The picture was one of Joe, possibly in his pre-teens, with 4 younger girls, one on his left, two on his right, and the baby being held in his arms. Despite being surrounded by family, Joe looked very uncomfortable in the picture.

At this point, more of the younger boxers, who had never seen the picture, came around Aran to have a gander for themselves. They thought the reason for Joe’s expression had more to do with what he was wearing. An outfit that looked like it belonged on a doll. However, as they looked a little longer, the real reason became much more apparent. Behind him stood a woman, her face slender and quite ugly, and her dress, though gorgeous, seemed to stand out so much from the rest of the photo. It almost looked unreal. One of her hands was clenched on one of Joe’s shoulders tightly while the other wielded a broken bottle of wine.

“My mother was a witch”, Joe finally said, the attention of the younger boxers turning from the picture to the Frenchman as he sat on the edge of the couch. “She was someone who strived for perfection, as most mothers do…but her methods of going about it…” he trailed off, looking at his hip before he sighed, “...they were…not pleasant…I can’t remember a single night in that house I didn’t spend from being five to at least nineteen crying in my bed from her beatings and her…her words…”

Qui ne vaux rien

The taunts echoed again. Joe held a tired hand to his head and groaned in annoyance. “I went into town one night, riding my father’s horse, Silver,” Joe explained, “...a-and that’s where I first caught word of the WVBA…Jordan and Bailey were there to promote the company, as there weren’t a lot of people who had signed on with the LFB at the time and-”

“-You were smitten with dad, so you joined to impress him?” Disco asked with a smirk. Joe shot him a look before lightly chuckling and shaking his head. “Well, that was…partially why…it was mainly to try something new! I had never gotten chances to really…prove myself in endurance and physical activities, so I saw this as an opportunity to expand my abilities…and spite my mother,” he said with a cheeky smile. “I get that,” Don said, “I mainly took this on to spite my papa; oh, his face of agony was glorious,” he said with a laugh. The group burst into a small fit of chuckles before the attention turned back to Joe.

The Frenchman let out a sigh as he straightened himself up to finish his story, “I signed on almost immediately; they explained they could take me to the main facility straight away to get some training in and that I could debut in a couple of months! I was so excited…even if I knew it would mean I’d have to tell my family…”

“Gonna go off on a limb an’ say yer mum didn’ take it too well?”

“Non…” Joe said flatly, “She flew off the handle at me and…I think I finally snapped. I lashed out at her like none of us had ever done and then stormed out with my bags…I never wanted to leave my sisters behind with such a woman…but I couldn’t take them with me; my youngest was barely making it through school, and to throw her into such a new environment…I couldn’t do that to them” The room went into silence. Joe turned his gaze back to the floor, “I know what I did wasn’t right…but…I just wanted to leave that life behind…I never intended to leave them too”

“But you did,” Soda said softly. Joe turned his gaze upwards to the man, his eyes like windows into his now shattered soul, knowing that someone he truly cared about was gone. Soda gently pushed past Bull and sat beside Joe, pulling the man into a gentle side hug. “I…I never wanted to leave them…I didn’t want them to hurt this way…” Joe said softly. Soda gave a soft nod, “We know”, he said, rubbing the man's shoulder.

“Well…what are you going to do now?” Bull asked, “What about your niece?” Joe looked back down to the floor and thought, “I don’t know yet…I’m not sure if I’m ready to be a caretaker yet…and how am I supposed to take care of her when I’m boxing?” he asked aloud. “What about your other sisters?” Hondo suggested; Joe shrugged, “I mean…I guess they could take her in?”

“But didn’t Desire say that Amelie wanted Joe to look after her?” Tiger interjected, “If she wanted her sisters to do it, then she would’ve asked them instead”

“But if he can’t, then-” Hondo began before he was cut off sharply by Tiger.

“If he can’t, it doesn’t mean he should pawn her off to his sisters!”

“I’m not saying he should! But he can’t just bring her along EVERY week he has a match!”

“I don’t see why not; Hugger brings Chip!”

“He doesn’t count!”

“Can we maybe NOT argue about a squirrel and focus more on THIS, please?” Sandman yelled, gesturing to Joe, who was still deep in thought. The two shared a look between each other before mumbling ‘sorry…’ and turning their attention to Joe once again. “I think it would be best to talk to your sisters about it”, Don proposed, “Maybe they can offer some support for her while you’re away. I mean, they’re probably already doing so”

Joe pulled away from Soda and looked at the Spaniard before nodding. “I think that may be the best thing to do,” he said. “And your sisters would be alright with it?” Hondo asked. Joe gave a short shrug, “I…I guess? Maybe if they could just bring her back to my apartment until I get back…that would be the best way,” he said. He pulled out his phone from his back pocket and flicked it on. He scrolled all the way to the end of his contact list. He stopped once he highlighted the name ‘Annette’. The eldest of his sisters. His finger hovered over the confirm button, and he stared at the name. Flashes of the gorgeous, taller girl appeared in his head. Her eyes…her tired eyes…her tired, longing eyes…

Longing for something…someone…

Joe felt his finger tremble as he tried to find the power in himself to push the button. He suddenly recoiled and turned his phone over on his leg. “I-I can’t!” he yelled, distressed, “I can’t do it!” he flung the phone onto the floor, causing shocked looks from the others. “She will be so pissed with me!” Joe said in a panic, “What would she say!?... Oh gosh, What if mother heard!?”

“Joey,” Sandman said, trying to calm his friend down, “You need to breathe, just relax-”

“I CAN’T!” Joe yelled, “I-I CAN’T! DON’T MAKE ME!” he grabbed at his hair, his gaze turned to the ground. His breathing became faster and faster as vivid images flashed more and more in his eyes. The cries of his sisters. The taunts of his mother. The breaking of glass. It was all too much. Sandy pushed past the boys to Joe’s side and held him in a tight hug. “It’s ok, Joey, It’s ok…” he tried to reassure him. Joe’s eyes were shut tight, and he didn’t even acknowledge the hug as he felt himself fall deeper and deeper into a panic.

Aran grumbled, “For feck’s sake,” he growled and snatched the phone off the ground, “Look, how’s about I do it, hm?” he asked. Joe felt his eyes flung open as a panicked expression drew across his face, he dashed for the Irishman, but it was too late. Aran had pushed the confirm button, and the number was dialled. Joe sprung out of the hold and lunged at Aran, “GIVE IT TO ME!” he cried. Aran shoved him away, clawed fingers digging into his face, “PISS OFF YE FECKIN’ LOONY!” he yelled. The two soon got into a full-on scrap, nearly knocking themselves into Mac, who had dashed behind Disco for cover.

Many of the older boxers tried to pull them apart, but to no avail, as the two kept scratching at each other's faces, Joe clawing desperately for his phone as it kept ringing. “JUST GIVE IT TO ME!” he cried; Aran snarled, his teeth bared as if he was going to bite down on the man’s arm, “YER A FECKIN’ PANSY! I’M TRYING TO FECKIN’ HELP YA! YA CUNT!” he snapped.

“AND THIS IS WHAT YOU CALL HELPING! YOU SELFISH FUCK!?!” Joe snapped back.

“I’M SELFISH!? YER THE ONE WHO ABANDONED YER SISTERS!!”

“I COULDN’T PULL MYSELF TO TAKE THEM AWAY INTO A NEW LIFE THEY COULD NEVER BE READY FOR! I ONLY WANTED TO PROTECT THEM!!”

“AND A GOOD LOT OF THAT YA DID!!”

“SHUT YOUR FUCKING MOUTH RYAN!!”

“YER A FECKIN’ SHIT EXCUSE FOR BROTHER!! YER A COWARD! A LIAR!!”

“I SAID SHUT UP!!”

“FECKIN’ PATHETIC!!”

At that word, Joe felt himself lose control as his hand balled into a fish and socked Aran right on the jaw, a tooth falling out. “I SAID SHUT THE FUCK UP!! YOU INSIGNIFICANT PIECE OF SHIT!” Joe screamed. The room fell silent as Aran only stared out into nothing before he snarled and turned his attention back to Frenchman. His wide eyes soon narrowed as he bared his teeth once again, “Ye wanna play dirty old man?” he snarled, “Fine!”

He balled his hand into a fist and raised it above the Frenchman's head, “LET’S PLAY FECKIN’ DIRTY!” Joe closed his eyes tight, waiting for the punch to hit his face again. As it so often had before. Before it did, though, he felt a tight yank of his hair pull him back and apart from Aran. Aran also felt the same tug. He went to throw a punch until his icy gaze was met with a very annoyed scowl.

“THAT’S ENOUGH! BOTH OF YA ARE ACTING LIKE RIGHT HOSERS! AND IT’S PISSING ME THE HELL OFF!!” Hugger yelled, his voice a growl. Joe felt his heart drop and his eyes widen as he stared at the larger man. It was so rare he ever got to hear that tone of voice from him. It was rare that ANYONE would ever hear that tone. So the fact that they were hearing a usually cheerful person being so uncharacteristically aggressive…meant they were truly out of line. Aran only stared in shock, unable to really mutter another word as he and Joe were set down.

The large man sighed, looking back at the others, who were shocked, but understanding. A firm nod from Sandman was all he needed as confirmation to keep going. “Listen, this is all new to all of us, but ya can’t keep butting heads over this,” he said, a little calmer, before turning to Aran, “Especially you, ya Hoser”

Aran spluttered, “WHA- BUT I-”

“NO BUT’S ARAN!” Hugger yelled again. Sandman came up beside them and put a hand on Aran’s shoulder, “Look, I know it’s frustrating for you, knowing what you and your siblings went through; trust me, most of us know that feeling”, he said, looking up at Bull and Don. Both nodded in agreement.

“Amigo, no todas las familias son iguales”, Don explained, making his way beside Aran as well, “Sometimes there are just issues that…aren’t easy to work out, ay?”

“But it’s not fair!” He protested, “It isn’t fair on them! T-that they have to go through that and ‘e gets off on feckin' easy street!!” he said, his voice trembling as he pointed an accusing finger at Joe. The Frenchman only retorted with a firm grasp of the man's finger and got right into his face, “I did NOT get off easy!! I had to carry that burden for YEARS! You think I didn’t want to go back!? I did! I ALWAYS did! But the fear of being faced with her held me back, and I am ASHAMED OF IT!” he cried, his eyes misty once again, but no tears came out. “I am ashamed of my cowardice, and hearing what I have heard today, I am even MORE SO! But how DARE you assume I got off easy and pushed them away! I am distressed and grieving! And I don’t need some insignificant little FARM BOY telling me I have it easy! YOU HAVE A LOVING MOTHER! AND A WELCOME HOME! I DON’T HAVE THAT ANYMORE! BE FUCKING GRATEFUL, AND STOP COMPLAINING ABOUT MY LIFE AND MY DECISIONS!! YOU PIECE OF SHIT!”

A lulling silence drew over them. Aran only stared at Joe with wide eyes. Wide, teary eyes. Joe took a moment to realize what he had said before he clasped his hands over his mouth. He tried to muster something, but Aran shoved past him and threw his phone on the couch, still ringing. He held his hand up to his eyes and stormed off out of the room down the complex hallway. Joe only watched as he left, unable to form any words of his own as he stormed back to his room, phone in hand. He slammed the door behind him and locked it shut, leaning his back against it as he slid down to the floor. He brought his knees to his face and wrapped his arms around them tightly. His breath was shaky as he eyed the wall across from him.

He could hear the faint murmurs outside his door, coupled with his breathing and his phone still ringing. He just wanted to go to sleep after all of this. Just then, his phone stopped ringing. Instead, what came on was a faint, monotone voice that said:

“We’re sorry, the number you have dialled is no longer in service”

The voice paused before it repeated the same sentence. Joe could only stare as he brought the phone into his view. “Q…Quoi?” he asked himself quietly, staring at the name as the voice kept repeating itself. What did it mean? No longer in service? He kept thinking as he clicked his phone shut.

The murmur of voices was heard outside once again, discussing him no doubt.

“But are we just gonna ignore what he said to Aran?”

“He deserved it! Aran vas zhe vone who provoked him! He had every right to snap back!”

“It was still a bit harsh, do you not think?”

“Can we not go one month without there being SOME family drama? First, it was Kid Quick, and Now it’s Joey!”

“We can’t prevent drama from happening, eh? We…we need to learn to handle it better”

“Well, we’re clearly far off from that, if those two aptallar are anything to go off…iyi misin Nikolai?”

“Не правда, у меня так голова кружится…why can’t we just have a normal day?”

“In the WVBA? You’re kidding, right?”

A few chuckles were heard at the end; Joe chuckled with them. Disco did have a way of lighting up the situation. It didn’t lessen that guilt, though. He didn’t want to snap at Aran. He was a good man, and he knew he was protective of his family. As any good brother should. In the heat of the moment, however? Joe didn’t see that. He saw someone ridiculing him for not being good enough. For not being strong enough. It was the sort of thing he had heard almost all his life.

Yes, he heard just as many good things. But those good were easily outweighed by the bad. The bad things were what drove him to fight every match, even if he did lose. But right now, the bad was driving him to be powerless, scared…confused… this wasn’t him. He needed to be strong. If not for himself, then for the young girl he was meant to take in as his own.

Just then, his phone went off again. He looked at his phone and flicked it open. It was Desire calling. That couldn’t be good. He clicked the green button and brought the phone to his ear.

"B-Bonjour?" He answered hesitantly. "Joseph, is that you?" A voice replied on the other end. It wasn't Desire.

The voice was raspier and…accented.

"Monsieur Dupont!" Joe exclaimed, gripping the phone tighter, he stammered as he answered "Wh-What are you-"

"Apologies, Monsieur Durand, but I believe that this news was very urgent for me to relay to you" The voice replied on the other end. "I had to fly in to tell you myself cause…I felt it would be better for you to know face to face, but Desire had told me you had already left when I arrived. I am too tired to drive in and see you so I thought a phone call would be the best way to go"

"I am sorry for that, sir, but…know what, exactly?"

"...You're going to need to sit down for this…"

-----------

"Vell…is anyone going to talk to Aran?" Kaiser asked, looking around the room. None of the boys's really made a move as they were busy looking around, waiting for someone else to. Eventually, Kaiser himself sighed and pushed his way towards the door, "Don't everybody run off at vonce…" He grumbled as he exited the room and entered the hall. As much as he despised Aran, he didn't want to let him run off alone.

He didn't have to go far until he saw the Irishman sitting on the hallway floor. A pack of cigarettes in one hand and a lit one in the other. His eyes were red, and his face looked wet. The man's heart almost broke seeing it. Kaiser approached carefully as he cleared his throat, catching the younger one's attention. Aran looked up at the man and snarled, "Tha' feck do ya want?" he snapped, “Ya here ta yell at me too?”

“I vill not beat around zhe bush; both of you vere in zhe wrong. He shouldn’t have snapped so violently, and you should’ve left him to deal vith his grief” Kaiser said bluntly, moving closer to sit next to Aran. “He is upset and vhat he vent through…from my understanding…vasn’t easy…it certainly vouldn’t have been any easier on him,” he continued, holding his hand out for a cigarette. Aran slid one out and lit it for him, placing it in his hand. Kaiser took a puff and sighed, “You need to give him time…zhis vill all be sorted out soon”

“I…don’t understand how someone can just…up an’ leave their family!...” Aran said weakly, taking another puff. He coughed before he spoke again, “It’s not fair on ‘em…it’s not fair on anyone…to lose someone important to ya…because they decided to walk out on ya…”

“Familiar feeling, ja?”

“...Me dad left us when Daisy was a wee one…it ruined our family…and our mum…” Aran said, “But I pulled us out of that…gave us a secon’ chance, yeah?…and now hearing that someone who could’a saved ‘em just left ‘em to a banshee-”

“Joe vould’ve gone back for zhem in a heartbeat!...he has learned…and he has changed from zhe naive little teenager he vas before…” Kaiser interjected, “...He is zhere for us vhen ve are in need, he vould be where for YOU if you vere in trouble!” Aran scoffed. “Wouldn’t be there fer me now…I’m a gobshite to ‘im”

“Nein, nein, you are not a…vhatever you said, he cares about you…even if you piss him off, ja?” Kaiser said, looking at the man. Aran didn’t look back. His eyes were glued to the ground. Fingers tightly gripped his cigarette as the smoke drifted in the air. Kaiser rolled his eyes, “Pazhetic…” he scoffed.

Just then, there was an opening of a door. Both turned their heads up to see a panicked Don leaning out of the Minor Circuit’s room. “KAISER!” he called, “HOMBRE, YOU NEED TO GET HERE. IT’S JOE!” Kaiser immediately shot up as he heard his friend's name. He gave one last look at Aran before shaking his head. “Door is open, Aran,” he said, “Come back vhen you’re done acting like a baby” with that, he dashed off towards the room.

As soon as he walked through the open door, his heart dropped. The boxers had all crowded around Joe’s room, and he could hear nothing but panicked hushing and violent, choked sobs. He quickly made his way to the group. He shoved past them, “Josep- Joe…Joseph!” he exclaimed as he tried to push through the crowd, his eyes widening at the sight of Joe on the floor, both Disco and Sandman on the floor with him, the former holding him in a gentle hug and trying to console his friend, while the other held his hand gently. “Joseph!” he said, kneeling beside the Frenchman. He looked towards Disco, who gave a confused shrug, “I-I don’t know what’s wrong….he just…screamed and we found him kneeling on the ground with the phone still going” he explained, “It was Desire’s number”

“Wasn’t Desire though…” Sandman added, “...Some…some French Guy called…” he said. Kaiser shook his head in confusion, “Ok but vhat exactly did he say?” he asked.

“MY FAMILY IS DEAD!!” Joe finally cried out. The whole room went silent. The only noise that could be heard were the pants and cries of Joe as he clung to Disco Kid. The latter only looked up at Kaiser with shocked eyes. “But…” Kaiser began, “...How can zhis be?...”

“Mother died of a lung disease, Father offed himself and my sisters all died in a car crash…” Joe said, his voice breaking, “That was 4 years ago!” Kaiser only stared in shock at the news. He tried to say something but was cut off sharply by a cough behind him. The group turned to see Aran standing behind them, a cigarette in one hand as he leaned back against the dining table and crossed his arms.

“Well, well…look what’s ‘appened now…” Aran said, “...All those years of missed conversation come back to bit ya in the arse…”

“Aran, shut up!” Sandman yelled. But the man continued.

“Now look at ya…” he said, gesturing to Joe on the floor, “Ya got no one…ya have nothin’....

…yer all alone now, Joey…”