#the cage fighter

[sugashook]

cage fighter wolverine

[forestshadow-wolf]

Don't be brash. Don't be flashy. And don't show off.

That's what Price explicitly told soap before he went in. It was a crude operation. An illegal cage fight organization that was a front for making off the books deals. They had been monitoring an HVT for months, he comes around for one night every couple weeks. Intel says he's supposed to be here tonight.

And now soap's here. And it's been a long night. With more still ahead of him.

In the not so hindsight it wasn't so weird to send him in. He used to get into only too many fights before Ghost held his collar, and even more so before Price leashed him. He could spar Ghost on the mats for hours on end. So it was quite befitting to have him locked in a fight cage circling with beasts bigger than Ghost, and crowds louder than a circus.

As he circled a monster of a man broader than him, taller than him, meaner looking than him, he felt it almost reminiscent of the first time he met price. His hair too, longer than it should have been. Overconfident but with fire to spare. Only last time ended with a dislocated knee and fractured patella, and Price was telling him he'd take care of him if he could only pull his head out of his ass. And this time Price had let him off his leash as he sidestepped the blow that would have put him on the ground, and was swinging bloody fists into flesh. The bell dinged as his opponent fell.

His fists were bloody, his face was bleeding, his ribs were bruised, and sweat had his hair flopping on his forehead, but the crowd cheered louder as he leaned against the chains caging him in. And Ghost came up beside him as they cleaned his dome and went in search of another contestant.

"Price and Gaz have eyes on the HVT. How much you got left in you?" He didn't flinch when Ghost came up from his blindspot.

"How long do you need?" He muttered, not looking at the man.

"Make it an hour and I give you a reward. Hour and a half and I'll make it better."

Oh?

How soap did love a good treat.

"Break a glass when you want me to throw." It would pain him deep in his soul to throw the match, but probably not as much as the blow to take him out.

---

He had no idea how long I'd been, he'd stopped keeping track a long time ago. Stopped noticing faces. But he must've pummled half a dozen men, at some point between talking to Ghost and they following fight, he'd accrued a group of challengers.

He was facing a big bloke, but hardly the biggest. Long since had the burn set into his muscles, but adrenaline dulled his aches to the buzz of excitement.

A crash and a commotion outside the cage.

That's his cue. He threw a right hook, too it clow in the redraw. It was good contact, but hardly the best. His opponent feigned an obvious left and he compensated, but only just too slow. It rattled his brain, and disorientation made him too slow to block the blows to his ribs. He let himself go down after that.

The bell dinged, and he made no attempt to push the assists off him as they dragged him out of the cage.

Ghost took him under the shoulder, and helped him through the pulsing, dizzying crowd. People were touching him, screaming, slapping him on the back. He collected his spoils, but they needed to get out. They had the package, and he was going to crash soon.

His eye was starting to swell shut, blood smeared his face, his knuckles were split and ugly, his ribs, arms, legs were all turning with bruises. The adrenaline trickled from his system and the colors and sprains and breaks began to throb and ache. He let Ghost take more of his weight the further they got.

[whore-ibly-hot]

Yan!Cage-Fighter x Fem!Reader

'Paying bills ain't easy'

18+ Minors DNI

Warnings: Toxic behavior, traditionally masculine roles, power dynamics, violence, murder, jealousy, subpar spanish, cursing, mentions of sex, description of unsafe neighborhoods.

(AN: I know I said I was working on the part two for the fae fic, and a fashion designer piece, but the idea for this guy hit me like a train. Apologies for any Spanish mistakes, I'm coming along in my learning!)

The sound of raucous cheering rings out throughout the crowd of the 'Dog Pit' Den, Harlem's most prolific underground fighting spot. Fighters from all over the city come here to try and earn a living wage. Backbreaking, degrading work, boxing, kicking, and spitting in the no-rules ring. A crack, a cheer, and the sound of a collapsing body, before the announcer yells that Matias Lopez has taken yet another challenger down. A sweaty, tanned man hops back and forth on his feet, arms raised in the air as he celebrates his victory.

"Ladies and gentleman, Matias 'The Mayhem' has taken down yet another challenger! You know what that means! Make some noise!" The announcer yells, and the room shakes with boos and cheers, the stomping of feet making the ground tremble. "Matias Lopez has won the 500 dollar Rookie Fighters Championship prize!" Another round of yells, and Matias spits on the ground. He makes his way out of the cage, kissing the rosary his mother always makes him wear, even when he's cracking skulls in an illegal cage-fighting circuit. To be fair, she doesn't know. He sighs, tearing his fist-wrappings off and running a hand through his sweaty locks. He changes out of his outfit, switching into a casual gray hoodie, a pair of sweats, and some slides. After reapplying deodorant, he hears someone outside. One of the guys who runs the 'Dog Pit' has come to give him his check.

"Yo, Matias, my man!" He greets, slapping a hand on Matias's toned shoulder. "Me and some of the 'execs' as we've taken to calling ourselves are gonna hit the club', you in?" Mattias, clicks his tongue, and shakes his head. "Nah man, not tonight. I gotta get home n' see my girl. I was supposed to be home earlier." He glances down at the floor. "Shit, alright man, here's your check. I'll see you later." Mattias nods as the man heads out, stuffing the check into his duffle bag, before sliding out the alley exit.

Matias and you have been dating for a little over a year now. Both of you met in a pretty rough part of town, he was working a day-job at a gas station, and you were a cafe worker. He'd come in occasionally, claiming that the gas station coffee just wasn't up to his standards. He scared you, at first. Mattias has a very tough exterior, tattoos and muscles, but an even tougher interior. He was kind of stoic when you first met, and you couldn't quite get a read on him. He wasn't outwardly flirty or affectionate, which is why it took six weeks of him stopping by the coffee shop for him to pull you aside and ask what he was doing wrong, and why you weren't picking up on his advances. You had explained, and shortly after that you began dating. It was only a month or so into dating when you had learned of his cage-fighting career, but he assured you that he was tough, and no guy was gonna hurt him. You both needed the money on the side, so you reluctantly agree. That's what leads up to where you are now, passed out on your couch, waiting for him to come home.

He heads towards your shared apartment as quickly as he can, taking the subway about 8 blocks east, before running up the fire escape to the flat's balcony. He knows you deadbolted the door any time past 8:00, and doesn't blame you. It's kind of a dangerous neighborhood, and he feels bad enough leaving his girl home alone as much as he does.

"Pobre mami, espero que no me haya esperado." (Poor mami, hope she didn't wait up for me.) He pulls up the window, making sure to slip in quietly, in case you had already gone to sleep. As he places one foot on the floor, the wood barely creaks beneath him, when he hears a soft groan coming from the couch.

"Matty?" You mumble, sitting up from the plush couch and rubbing your eyes, trying to make out his large silhouette. He sighs, tossing his bag to the side as he stretches "Hey, hermosa, did I wake you up?" He asks, looking at you with his usual hooded gaze. "I guess, I don't think I was asleep that long..." You run a hand through your hair. "How'd it go?" He smiles softly, chuckling. "You know me, baby, I don't lose." He sits on the arm of the couch. "Gotchu' five hundred dollars, gonna' get you something real pretty with it." You sigh, and shake your head. "You've got me plenty of gifts, what we should be doing is saving up for somewhere else to live." You explain. He shrugs. "Yeah, you right, you right. That's my bad." He puts his hands up in surrender. "Well, if you aren't gonna let me get you somethin' pretty, you outta lemme' take ya to bed." Before you can react, he scoops you up in his arms, causing you to squeak.

"Don't scare me like that, God!" You smack his chest, but your hand only bounces off his firm pecs. e chuckles. "Gonna' have to hit harder than that, mami." He flicks off the living room light as he carries you to your shared bed. He lays you down, gently this time as opposed to the times he throws you on the bed, usually to pin you down and tickle you, saying things like '¿Qué pasa, bonita? Solo empújame, no es tan difícil...' (What's wrong, Pretty? Just push me off, it's not that hard...). Sometimes though, his manhandling isn't that innocent. As you snuggle down into the bed, Matias strips off his hoodie, and you blush at the way the light coming in through the blinds hits his chest. He lets out a soft groan, as the plush mattress and soft bed sheets soothe his sore body. Matias bites his lips as his eyes trace over your sleepy form, and he rolls over onto his side, tucking an arm around your waist.

"Mmm, no Matias... m' too tired tonight." You whisper, your face scrunching up. Matias was never a very soft guy. Playful and devilish, sure, but soft? No. His hands were calloused from years of bruising skin and bloodying faces, working and scrounging every penny he can get to get a better life for himself. Deep down, he couldn't imagine placing these damaged, dangerous hands on something as soft and sweet as you. He could snap you in half if he desired, and the thought terrifies him.

"What, no baby... I'm not tryna' smash at-" He looks over at the clock. "Shit, 1:00 am already? Jesus Christo..." He turns back to you. "Just wanna hold you, mami." He presses his long torso up against the curve of your back, pressing his face into your curls and inhaling your scent. "You feeling okay?" You ask. He knows he doesn't. He knows he should have been home for you sooner, and it didn't help that he had to make a stop on the way back home.

He feels a sense of dread in his stomach. You won't ever know about the stop he made, you were asleep. Besides, he comes home late all the time. What you will learn about is your bloodied new co-worker being found with his skull smashed in, just a few blocks from the cafe. Due to the graphic scene he left behind, it's sure to be on the morning news. Matias hadn't expected your new friend to be working the late shift, but he was still on an adrenaline high from the fight, and god... he couldn't stand the idea of that bitch getting to spend more time with you than him. He wants to be home for you more, he does, but he can't. Still, that doesn't mean he's going to let any other guy fill that void. Hell no.

"I'm fine, Hermosa. Just sore from the fight, wanna' hold my baby." He whispers, placing a chapped kiss on the shell of your ear, making you flinch. "That tickles..." You giggle. He smiles, and squeezes you gently. "C'mon, stop being silly. Necesitas descansar, especialmente después de quedarte despierto para mí." (You need to sleep, especially after staying up for me.) He scolds. You roll over to face him, and tuck your head into the crook of his neck. "Love you, Matty." You sleepily coo, before drifting off in his arms. He freezes, his breath labored for a minute as he looks down at you. Even now, after dating for so long, he can't process the softness of you juxtaposed with the beatings he both takes and gives every other weeknight. It's a transition he sometimes struggles to handle. He feels a smile creep onto his face, and he curls your small form into him, practically cradling you against his broad chest. God, he'll take on an extra five challengers next time, all for you.

"Gonna get you a penthouse baby, real nice neighborhood too. Somewhere safe, somewhere that makes me feel better about leavin' you all alone..." He whispers, knowing you can't really hear him. "Better not have anyone but me over, no fucker's from work, aight'? I'll kick the shit out of any of em' just for you..."

[edenianleena]

Mileena and Juri.💜🩷✨️

✨️✨️✨️

[dubiousdisco]

so THIS was mk1 huh

[raccoon-in-the-danger-room]

if I had to fancast someone as butchverine it'd be WWE champion Rhea Ripley

[pancrasefighter69]

Cagefighters...now that it is over 👊👊👊

[kakyjama]

im

[unreliable-narrator-chilaios]

another one of my aus; semi-modern setting, laios is an illegal cage fighter and chilchuck is a gambler

[s0fter-sin]

rewatching s1 and in ep2 w*ndigo, dean makes a joke about not bringing provisions into the woods just to pull out a bag of peanut butter m&m’s and stick with me here, it’s why the later seasons’ “goofy dean” loses me

this moment is clearly a joke but if you think about it too much, it also makes some sense; a family size bag of peanut m&m’s is calorie dense and even the high sugar is good to keep you moving which they need on an overnight hunt. it also shows how due to their upbringing, they’ve had to eat lower quality food, things they always had access to that was cheap and also in bulk

what does dean eating ghost pepper jerky then tipping water on himself exist for other than to be a cringy joke? what does smelling old chinese food, testing to see if it's still good then shaking his head with cabbage hanging out his mouth when it isn't serve? it's just to make him look stupid and contrast sam's healthy/clean diet (and superiority but that’s another conversation) which has always existed but it used to be nuanced and natural

we see dean as a child give up the food he wanted to eat so sam could eat it. (“i’m sick of spaghetti-os,” “you’re the one who wanted them,” … “i want lucky charms!” “… there’s only enough for one bowl and i haven’t had any yet!” proceeds to give them to sam, 1x18) we know he hustled and stole food to ensure sam ate. (“so, what’d he take?” “get this- peanut butter and bread.” 9x07)

we also see throughout the early seasons dean teasing sam about his salad or healthy choice while he eats some form of burger or other fast food (or notably, cheerfully eating prison food that sam won’t touch, 2x19). it's typical sibling teasing but it also shows that it isn't new for sam to eat like that and for dean to know he eats like that

sam being picky isn't just a character trait they chose for him, it's a result of how dean raised him; he raised him to like and want healthy food and be food secure enough to reject food he didn't want

but dean eats anything he is given and seeks out unhealthy - cheap, plentiful, filling - food

he is the opposite of picky to the point of it being a consistent bit; they show him multiple times eating when it's socially frowned upon to do so eg. questioning a grieving victim when they're trying to be discreet (1x14, 2x15, 2x18)

a similar moment to the chinese food is in 4x19; dean wakes up in the car while sam brushes his teeth outside and is hungry. sam says there's a sandwich in the backseat, dean smells it and recoils bc it's an old tuna sandwich. the moment is funny on its own but it also exists as a comparison of their lives to adam's; he has a loving mother, goes to school and importantly, a steady stable childhood

it’s a joke with a purpose

it also supports dean's food insecurity; he wakes up and is immediately hungry, enough to complain about it and seek out food before anything else

dean is always hungry bc he never has access to nutritionally rich foods bc he got used to using the money he earned to buy sam's more expensive food. he got used to his cheaper, denser foods and grew up with (and continues to live with) intermittent access to said foods. think of how long it takes to drive from one state to another; how many hours it can take to see another town that offers food, if you arrive at a reasonable enough time for anything to be open. also think how they can’t keep any food beyond what fits in an esky; nothing that needs defrosting, nothing can be heated up. it’s bags and jars and take out for as long as they can trust it

then they get the bunker which has its own kitchen

dean even describes himself as "nesting" when he decorates his room, something he hasn't had since he was four years old, and he uses said kitchen to cook a burger from scratch that he is proud of. he is food secure for the first time in his life and it shows in how often he cooks for both himself and sam

so these moments where they have him acting goofy regarding food are no longer character driven and only exist as a joke which is why they come across as cringy and out of character compared to similar earlier moments

a lot of my issues with dean's characterisation started when they introduced the bunker. the argument can and is made that the reason these jokes happen is bc he feels safe in the bunker, that bc he now has a home he can relax and unmask but that still doesn't feel sufficient. they crank up these sillier moments for both of them, giving them a sort of playing house comedy vibe of two roommates with completely different personalities but it doesn't feel like an authentic progression. it feels forced; an attempt at humour for humour's sake

food stopped being an informed part of their characters and their trauma and instead became flanderised; sam is the judgy vegetarian health nut and dean is his borderline slovenly carnivore counterpart

[saturnsorbits]

Boyfriend Sakura who has grown up and away from Makochi…

He’s calmed down heaps, carries a bit more muscle in his shoulders and only blushes at every other thing you say these days. He’s a stand-up boyfriend. He was taught well, but the most surprising thing is he doesn’t fight… Not really.

The days of him being in a gang are distant, he can’t even remember the last time he punched someone. There’s been no need. Since meeting you, his life has been content, calm: peaceful.

So, when you come home with bloody knuckles from socking a guy in a car park for being grabby, it’s a big fucking surprise when he starts to wash and dress your hands with an expertise you didn’t know he had.

And it’s even more of a surprise, when you find yourself in the same position the week after. Sakura’s cheek bone is bruised, but he looks well. There’s a glimmer in his eyes and a couple of scratches on his hands, but you don’t miss the glee in his voice when he tells you: ‘That guy won’t be bothering you anymore, don’t worry.’

[eggydaxy]

ending fgc wars with this image

(ref below)

[biggest-vi-defender]

okay but let’s talk about vi’s absolute lack of self worth and how she only sees value in herself when it comes to the ppl she loves, and how it’s also always her downfall, especially in S2 during her cage fighting era.

[cosmosrebellion]

Shout out to characters in fighting games who homage martial arts movie stars. Gotta be one of my favorite genders.

[evren-d]

That awkward moment when the show doesn’t tell us what to call emo vi and we all agree on pit fighter vi but the marketing department didn’t look into the future and see that so they release merch that says cage fighter vi 😓

But yeah, them actually saying cage*pit fighter, street punk gives wings to my Blue October’s “I’ve been a drunk, disrespectful little street punk, unlock the back of my trunk, you see, you take this bat and bash my head into the street again, no-ones around so I keep eating it” heart 🖤🖤🖤

[crimescrimson]

Johnny Cage & Sonya Blade in Mortal Kombat 1 (Closed Beta, thoughts in tags)