If you're wondering about location, this fic is set in kind of a free-for-all, so everyone is in close quarters. This is to make connections, travel, new/old characters arriving, and other such things much easier.
It was a cloudy day. Joe was wrapping his fists in the locker room. He had already dropped Katrina off to the children's room, and he was preparing to go into his twentieth match against a new opponent; Dingo Bone, he believed they called him.
After getting his fists inspected, his gloves on, and entering the ring, he was ready for the fight. Dingo Bone hopped over the ropes into the ring, eager to get going.
"In this corner, we have our old friend, the WVBA's trooper, Joseph Beaufort!" Joe shyly raised his fists as a sign of excitement.
"And in this corner; he's rough, he's tough, he's the ripper from down under, Dingo Bone!" Dingo Bone was bouncing enthusiastically. He couldn't wait to get going.
"Fight!"
The fight began. Dingo Bone began with a trio of jabs to the face. When Joe tried to retaliate with a hook, he hopped out of the way and hit him in the side, hard enough to knock him to the mat.
"1. ...2. ...3."
Joe got back up and hooked Dingo Bone. When he went back for a second, Dingo Bone pushed him back with an uppercut.
Aie. That was gonna hurt in the morning. He was a bit disorientated, so when Dingo Bone tried to hit him again, he just jumped out of the way, and Dingo Bone crashed onto the floor.
"1. ...2. ...3. ...4."
Dingo Bone wasn't giving up just yet. "C'mere, ya big yahoo!" Just when Joe was regaining his stance, he knocked him back down with a strong gut-punch.
Joe could barely hear Pierce's count over Dingo Bone's shouting. "Yeah, you stay down! Why do they even let you compete, you're pathetic!" Nevertheless, Joe hauled himself back up.
Time was running out. Dingo Bone had just 40 seconds to knock Joe down to get a TKO. He hopped around the ring to confuse him and build up strength for his signature move; the one he'd been practicing for months. Once Joe was sufficiently dazed, Dingo Bone delivered a Bone-Dry Hook right into his jaw. Joe went flying, and landed just at the ropes on the other side of the ring. TKO.
Dingo Bone smirked. "I bet you won't be trying me again anytime soon."
Joe didn't answer. He just put his head down.
"Sie sind ein temperamentvoller, nicht wahr?" (You're a feisty one, aren't you?)
Von Kaiser was watching Katrina while waiting for Joe to come back from the locker room. Katrina was pulling herself up with a bench. She was getting more mobile every day; Joe had mentioned the other day to him that he was anxious for her to start walking.
"I up," babbled Katrina, lifting one hand off the bench to show just how good she was at standing up.
Joe solemnly entered the room. Those words Dingo Bone said to him stung quite a bit. He cracked a small smile when he saw his close confidante and dear daughter.
"Da'y!" Katrina squealed when she saw her father. She let go of the bench, and-was she? Yes; she was toddling towards him, all by herself!
Joe and Von Kaiser's eyes went wide as they watched her walk towards her father. Joe's face lit up and he knelt down. "Ouais! Ouais, viens à papa, ma belle!" (Yeah! Yeah, come to Daddy, sweetie!)
Katrina beamed, and once she reached her father's outstretched arms, she fell into them! Joe picked her up and cuddled her. "Bon travail!" (Good job!)
Katrina squeal-giggled as Joe kissed her forehead. "Oh, tu as juste amélioré ma mauvaise journée, Katie." (Oh, you just made my bad day better, Katie.) She made Daddy happy! This was the best day ever!
Von Kaiser chuckled and ruffled Katrina's hair. "Pass bloß auf; Kinder sind wild." (You better watch out; kids are wild.)
Joe paid no mind to this comment; he was too proud of his little girl to listen.
