Chapter 3 · The Fight Club Years

Bug's Average Week at Fight Club

Aug 30, 2026

As Bug settled in as a Regular, it was clear that while he might have had other supporters keeping him alive and fighting, he didn't have a permanent home. What he did have was a pretty solid routine — tied to the seasons and weather, but during Spring, Summer, and Fall, we could pretty much count on him showing up just before dusk and announcing his presence to the magic door, AKA the Ring doorbell. He'd get his food and water, do his "goodbye and thank you" routine, then head out — always in the same direction: down the concrete walkway, down the driveway, across the street after a quick pause to listen (he wasn't a rookie), then up the neighbor's driveway and into their backyard, woods, and out of sight. We don't know where he went after that — it was a secret — but we do know that whenever he showed up the next day, he never retraced his steps. He always came to the porch from the other side of the house, to the point where all eight pounds of him wore a tiny path through the grass. He didn't kill it, just enough regular walking in the same spot to leave a visible impression. He was essentially walking the same daily circle, or maybe a square — which I think is a common behavior for tomcats. What is a tomcat, anyway? As stated, we don't know exactly where he went, because it was a secret. But we do know it was Fight Club. That much was painfully obvious — he was banged up more often than not. Missing fur, a bloody nose, scratched eyes, scratches on his head, sometimes a limp. After one particularly bad brawl, the wife snapped and decided he wasn't allowed to go to Fight Club anymore. Read the next chapter for details on the kidnapping, and how it went down.