It was bothering him more than it should. It's no secret that boxers mostly retire at the age of 30 or 40, but the tone in which Glass Joe spoke to him was something to worry about. It was the first time that Kaiser heard him sound so defeated and, to a certain point, guilty. The thing the concerned him the most was not knowing the reason for his sudden retirement. The German was well aware of the red-head's passion for boxing; he was a seasoned athlete with more than a hundred matches and twenty years of experience, it just didn't make sense for him to quit without a valid reason. And he, Viktor von Kaiser, was determined to find out why his freund made such rash decision.
It was early in the morning, the light spring breeze caressed his face as he stood in front of the aparment complex Joe lived in. Just as he was about to enter, his phone rang. It was strange since he didn't receive calls often, much less in the morning.
"Hallo, Von Kaiser spreche."
"Moshi moshi, Kaiser-sama. I am sorry to call so early, but Bosu-sama wants everyone to attend an emergency meeting at the Association's gym."
The German stayed quiet for awhile as he rapidly walked back to his car. Deep down he knew what the reunion was going to be about, yet he hoped it wasn't too late.
"Danke, Hondo. Any idea what's going on?"
"I'm afraid not. Bosu refuses to tell us until everyone is present. By the looks of it, it must be a very important matter.."
"Hm.. Is Glass Joe there?.."
"Īe. The only ones that have yet to arrive are Lil' Mac, Aran Ryan, Glass Joe and yourself. Is something wrong? You sound distressed."
"Ja... I'll tell you when I get there, but right now I need to drive."
"Alright, see you soon."
"Likewise."
Moments later, Viktor found himself walking in a fast pace towards the meeting room. As soon as he opened the door, he was greeted by the CEO of the W. V. B. A., Douglas Gerbasi. He was quite a stubby man with italian heritage coursing through his veins, yet he was highly respected in the bussiness of boxing. He was usually a chirpier man, but at that moment he looked rather gloom.
"Glad ya can make it Vic. Let me tell ya somethin'. This mornin' has been hell for me. Almost had a heartattack with the news I received."
"I don't mean to pry.. But this is about Joe, ja?..."
"How did ya find out?.."
"He called me late last night. Didn't sound like himself. He hanged up im middle of the conversation and I haven't been able to reach him since.."
"Ay... I hope that whatever is happening to him isn't as serious as we paint it to be.."
"I really hope so t/"
At that very instance, the hyper Irish boxer burst trough the door, wide it. Behind him was Lil' Mac and Doc, staring at him in confusion a long with everyone else that was in the room.
"EVERYONE SHUT YER TRAPS AND PUT ON THE NEWS!"