"Cmon Alex, get the win man! Burrito's on me!" Adrien cheered, waving a large cardboard sign of Alex's name. Alex had made a solid number of friends in the boxing club, they'd all happily agreed to chip in for glitter and sparkles.
The dazzilingly bright sign begged for attention. Evelyn scoffed and muttered something under her breath.
"Take him down Evie. Play to your strengths, he's bigger than you, stay light, stay agile." The head coach for the boxing team, a powerfully built forty something man with a military style haircut, placed a hand on Evelyn's shoulder and drew her attention away from the sign and the spectators and back to him.
The other coaches stood around the ring, some pretended to be focused on cleaning the equipment while others blatantly stood waiting with baited breath for the fight to start.
Jason, the men's captain watched from the door. His shirt was drenched with sweat and his eyes were fiery. He'd been training harder every day, pushing himself in the ring and in the gym.
He gritted his teeth, his fists, red from throwing hundreds of punches with sparring partners, balled up into fists. The rest of the crowd stood close to the ring, eager to get a good view of the action. No one heard him mutter under his breath, "Come on Evelyn."
Alex stood in his corner of the ring. His shirt was off and his perfectly sculpted muscles were on full display to the crowd. In a room full of athletes, washboard abs weren't uncommon, but a physique like Alex's was rare. The muscle groups were symmetrical down to the millimeter, as if some deity had taken out a ruler and carved them.
Alex breathed slowly, throwing out jabs and practicing his footwork. His attention was completely focused on the rythm of his breathing and the rotations of his hips and torso. He didn't look like someone about to have a fight that all odds dictated that he couldn't possibly win.
The boxing club had only just finished trials to select the newcomers with potential to join the university-representing team, Alex had ranked number one. It was tradition for one of the captains to face the best newcomer in the ring before training started for the year. Evelyn had won the coin toss.
Usually the captains approached the traditional newcomer match with a relaxed attitude. They'd earned their titles through hundreds of competitions and lengthy deliberations by the university coaches. This match was different. Alex wasn't like most newcomers.
The first time he'd stepped into the ring was only slightly more than a month ago. He'd shown solid dedication to the sport, he stuck squarely to the training plans drawn up by the coaches, he was in the gym three times a week and attended practice five times a week. The other newcomers hoping to secure a place in the official team all stuck rigidly to the same training plan, some of them even added additional sparring or gym sessions into their diaries.
The coaches watched the newcomers technique and power improving steadily. Hard work beats talent when talent doesn't work hard. But Alex had talent, and his work ethic was strong. The gap between him and the other newcomers motivated them to improve, the coaches had seen how even Jason's practices had gotten longer and more intense.
"Time! Let's go!" One of the coaches called out and stepped into the ring, around his neck rested a polished whistle.
"Let's go Evelyn, stay loose!" The head coach shouted above the cheers of the spectators.
Adrien's yelling didn't lose any ground against the other cheering voices, "Burritos as far as the eye can see! Guac, salsa, refried beans!"
Alex and Evelyn faced each other in the ring. The coach acting as the referee counted down.
Alex struck first, a fast jab with his right hand. Evelyn's guard held, but the force behind the punch pushed her back. Giving her time to recover would be an insult to her achievements, Alex followed up immediately. He shot after her, capitalising on her off-centred balance and throwing a right hook.
Embarassment and ego set about a wave of adrenaline in Evelyn's body. She took the right hook with her shoulder, ignoring the dull radiating pain that followed and responding with a hook of her own.
Alex swayed and the punch sailed harmlessly past his body. Eveyln's outstretched arm opened her up to attack. He struck with a jab, striking the shoulder she'd used to recieve the previous blow.
Evelyn retreated hastily, grimacing and feeling the weakness in her left arm. Alex's punches were like cannons, he was heavier than her and a few inches taller, the weight classes were tilted heavily in his favour.
She knew that even if she'd been taller and had more muscle, it might not have mattered. Alex's form was solid, he hit like someone who'd been training for a few years. It wasn't his form that gave him the edge, it was his body.
He hit like a heavyweight boxer, was as quick on his toes as a featherweight and had the stamina of an ox. In every area he outperformed her, she knew that her only advantage was experience.
The fight continued. From the door Jason watched on solemnly. He glanced at the head coach gripping the corner of the stage in Evelyn's corner. The coach's expression verged on giddiness. Jason knew why.
Talents like Alex couldn't be taught. By some twist of fate he'd walked into the gym and put on a pair of gloves. A year of training and he'd wipe the floor with any fighter he came across. The Michigan team peformed well in the inter-university cups, but they hadn't won it for over a decade. Alex could change that completely.
Evelyn's breathing was ragged. The fight could've ended within a minute or two, she knew it. Alex was drawing it out, giving her the chance to protect her reputation. Maybe the newcomers couldn't see it, maybe even some of the weaker members of the official team couldn't tell, but the coaches and the captains could.
Alex landed a heavy jab to Evelyn's stomach. Her eyes bulged and tears pricked the corners of her eyes. Instinct pulled her back, retreating unsteadily to the edge of the ring and raising her guard with shaking hands.
Victory didn't need to be ugly. Two skilled athletes had entered the ring, one had to win but the performances of both could still be applauded and celebrated.
The coach-referee grabbed Alex's hand and raised it high, "Victor!"
The match wasn't truly over. Evelyn would've needed to forefit to lose, but continuing the fight would've only worsened her injuries. The coach stepped in to end it prematurely. Evelyn was a strong fighter and a welterweight boxer, the university needed her to perform well to keep her ranking. Neither Alex or the coaches wanted to put a good fighter out of action over a friendly match.
Alex turned to Evelyn and nodded, "Good match."
Evelyn looked at him intensely. For a moment Alex wondered whether she might insist on finishing the fight. Then her shoulders loosened and she breathed out heavily, "Yeah, good match."
Alex nodded and stepped out of the ring. He smiled and raised his arms in front of his fans, "Burritos!"
Adrien was visibly shaking with excitement. He threw an arm over Alex's shoulder and faced the dozen or so friends who made up Alex's fan club for the fight.
"The king!" Adrien roared.
The fan club stomped their feet and shouted. They rushed up and threw Alex onto their shoulders, carrying him to the changing room and chanting.
Evelyn was alone in the ring. The head coach looked at her with a complicated expression, not quite knowing what to say.
"I would've lost too. Maybe I'd beat him if I was lucky, but if I fought him again I'd lose." Jason's voice broke the silence. He'd walked over from the door without anyone noticing.
He lifted the ropes on the ring and stepped in. Two large and calloused hands placed down on Evelyn's shoulders. Her eyes, reddened with burst capillaries and tears that had leaked out during the fight, lifted to meet his gaze.
"You fought like a champ." Jason said.
Evelyn looked into his eyes and knew he meant every word. The adrenaline was fading now, she could feel where every one of Alex's punches had landed. She swallowed back some blood from her bloodied lip, "He hits like a fucking train."
Jason smiled, half-reluctantly, half-admiring, "Like a fucking tank."
In the changing rooms Alex struggled to get changed while fending off sneaky jabs from his friends who'd watched the fight. His balance was as keen as humanly possible, without it he would've fallen on his ass as punches landed on his back and torso.
He rolled his eyes and said loudly, "Give it a rest will you?"
The boxers could hear the laughter suppressed beneath the frustration in his voice. They grinned and surrounded him.
Adrien cleared his throat and waved his hand in front of him with a flourish, "Oh good sir, we only wish that you might hasten so that we can attend the date of our dreams with the refried beans and pico de gallo."
Alex scoffed and finally managed to do up his laces without being pushed or kicked, "Not much luck with dates with real women huh?"
The boxers oooed in unison. Adrien was unfazed, "Love is fate my friend and fate cannot be rushed!"
Alex grinned as an idea struck him. He put his backpack onto his shoulders slowly and stretched. He faked a yawn, "Yeah, speaking of not rushing..."
The boxers waited to hear what he had to say.
"Cardio makes the meat taste better!" Alex yelled, pushing off the changing room floor and forcing his way through the circle. He accelerated like a sprinter, slamming through the changing room doors with a shoulder barge and out onto the street.
The boxers looked at each other for a moment. Then in unison they cursed and grabbed their bags as quickly as they could, chasing out onto the street after Alex.
The dozen or so hungry and muscular young men made the pretty quiet burrito place feel busy. Their Michigan brand training kits decorated with the boxing team logo immediately outed who they were.
They cheered as the manager added an extra scoop of steak to their burritos. The restaurants around the university campus often did promotions like that to attract customers. Hungry sports teams were reliable business and big-eaters.
That evening Alex was back in his room. On his desk was a pair of midnight-snack burritos bought for him by Adrien, he'd kept his word from the match.
Alex stretched out his hand and willed his skin to change. The skin undulated like dunes in the desert, all the way up to his shoulder. It had been more than a month since his powers appeared, what he was capable of had grown dramatically and his control was a world apart from what it had once been.
"Phase one complete." Alex said to himself.
The lengthy refining process had come to an end last night. He'd raised every physical index to the peak of what his body was capable of. With a bit of training he could compete at the Olympic level in any sport he wanted.
He had the stamina to be a long-distance runner, the strength to dominate his respective boxing weight-class, or the flexibility and dexterity to win gold in gymnastics.
Something on his desk vibrated. He picked up his phone and opened it, a notification from his banking app alerted him that a thousand dollars had been deposited into his account.
His email pinged and a preview popped up.
"Dear Alex,
The university is pleased to inform you that you have been selected for an elite scholarship in your respective sport: Boxing. The head coach for your sport has approved your application. The first payment has been made to your account.
On behalf of the faculty I wish you good luck in all upcoming competitions and training.
Kindly,
Dean Penelope Kimberly."
Alex grinned. He thought for a moment before forwarding the email to his parents. It had already gone ten pm and they were probably asleep in front of the TV. The email would be a nice surprise for them to wake up to in the morning. If he was lucky he might recieve another cash gift from a wealthy aunt or uncle.
The michigan university logo on his duvet had faded slightly after the first wash. He sank into it and looked up at the ceiling.
"What do I do next?" He whispered.