CATHARSIS

 by Zucca

     Doc Mallory strode into the locker room outside the ring, his body glistening with the sweat of a hard fight.

     But not so nearly as hard as what was going on inside.

     He stared at his reflection in the mirror, his eyes boring into themselves.

     "The sheer unmitigated gall!"  He struck his reflection, and the mirror's surface became as fractured as his mind as a spiderweb crept out from the point of impact, accentuated a trickle of blood.

     And pain.

     Sharp, focusing, clarifying pain.

     He grinned hysterically and swung around, his fist's slamming into a locker, caving the surface in.

     Glauss was the name on it.  Good.  The bastard.

     Doc head-butted a lamp, causing a gushing head wound and adding to the satisfying he could not inflict on the source of his ire.

     Yeah...that's right.  If this was YOU, I'd be properly fuckin' you up, lad... 

     He bit down hon his arm until the skin under his fur turned black and red and he tasted the coppery flavor of blood.  To put a crown jewel on this rampage, he body-slammed the coffee table in the break room, turning it from oak, glass, and pure class into shards of glass and splinters aplenty.  He laid in the middle of the carnage, feeling icy cool relief washing over him.

     "Do I even want to know?"

     Doc's brow furrowed.  "Back off, Old Man."

     "That bad, huh?"

     "I don't want to talk about it."

     "He asked you to do something.  Didn't he?"

     "My bastard opponent wanted me to throw the fight.  Was gonna pay out big.  Told him to piss off.  He indirectly threatened Squire.  Said pre-schoolers have accidents all the time.  Turns out, this ask had the ring boss's blessing, nay, encouragement!"

      "Was it just tonight?"

      "It's been a lot of irritations mounting up to this."

      "You won the fight, though..."

      "You bet your half-metal head I did.  I have my honor.  And I know as long as one of us is alive, nothing's happening the Squire.  It's the principle of the thing."

       Zucca offered Doc a hand, lifting him up to his feet.

       "Gahtren and Kolo are going to meet us at the Black Spar.  You need a drink or five."

       "Patch me up first, Old Man.  I'm leaking like a sieve."

       "Very good, Doc."