The competition had come to its final round. The organising committee had tacitly scheduled the dark horse of the competiton to be the last match. Over the past three days the crowd had cheered wildly from the moment Alex entered the ring.
He fought like one of the true all-time greats. He was fast, he was slippery and he threw punches that hit like missiles.
In the other corner of the ring, the opponent's coach muttered to his fighter, "Give him hell Roan."
The coaches of the other players who'd had to fight Alex had all shared the same bitter smile. The coach of Alex's final opponent was different.
Roan didn't react to his coach's sentence. His cold blue eyes were focused only on his opponent.
The referee called both fighters to the centre of the ring.
Roan was tall and wiry. His chest wasn't as well-muscled as Alex's, but his height gave him the advantage of greater reach. Since he started at university, Alex's height had been steadily climbing. He was less than half an inch away from reaching six foot.
Roan was four inches taller. He wouldn't have looked out of place on a university basketball team.
Roan's appearances in the ring had drawn cheers just as loud as Alex's. He was an unexpected entry to the competition. The fans who'd read the boxers' records knew that Roan had spent nearly all his life fighting in the heavyweight category. Some parents and fans in the crowd had watched him box last year in the same ring. The young man they saw today was skinnier with meaner eyes than the one they remembered.
Roan didn't look nervous and neither did his coach. Their composure made the Michigan head coach feel unsettled. He'd gotten used to the crestfallen expressions of the other side when they got matched up against Alex.
The fans roared with anticipation. The bell sounded urgently and the match begun.
The two fighters circled one another in the ring. In the crowd, Alex's parents watched with tense expressions. No one in the stadium was expecting an easy fight.
The two boxers were feeling each other out. Their rapid footsteps tested how quickly their opponent could move and react.
Alex was the first to break away. He advanced forwards and threw a fast jab. The punch sunk into Roan's waiting guard. The taller man's arms didn't budge.
The composure of his opponent didn't faze Alex. The head coach was scared his star boxer might lose, Alex didn't care about the scoreline. Facing an opponent who could truly challenge made his heart race and sent tingles down his spine.
Roan saw his opponent's lip twitch behind his guard. Before he had the chance to think any further a heavy cross forced him to react. The punch was followed in an instant by a series of rapid jabs and crosses. The rapid pace of the attacks made his guard unsteady. A few punches slipped through and struck him on the shoulder and in the side.
For the first time, Roan experienced personally the discomfort he'd seen on the faces of Alex's previous opponents as the punches landed.
The flurry of strikes didn't let up. Roan managed to get in a few solid strikes of his own, but he was being rapidly forced back to the ropes. He was taller and his reach was greater, but his longer arms needed more time to fully extend and generate power.
Roan's back hit the ropes. Alex's fists flew at him relentlessly. A heavy blow struck him in the side. Roan's coach heard his fighter groan with pain for the first time in the competiton.
Roan's coach yelled and banged his fists on the stage, "Hold him!"
Alex felt his opponent's arms wrap around him, squeezing his arms to his sides. He struggled fiercely and freed one arm, using it to slam violently into Roan's side.
The referee rushed over and shouted at the fighters to seperate. Alex let go immediately. The inexperience of the new fighter showed. Roan's eyes lit up, his fist swung like an ape's and slammed into Alex's unguarded side.
Alex stumbled backwards. Both hands clutched his side. Most people in the crowd didn't notice it, but a few of the old ex-boxers saw that the young man's face never changed. A blow like that hurt, a civillian would be on the ground screaming with pain.
Alex wasn't aware of the slip-up in his acting. He stared at his opponent and something in his eyes silently shifted. The fight was close, both of them were fighting well enough to dominate against last year's winner.
Every match he fought, Alex listened to his heart pump and send blood rushing through his veins and arteries. He percieved the hormones that coursed through his bloodstream, the neurons in his brain firing off like bolts of lightning. He felt everything with an acuity that no human could possibly imagine.
In the ring, with his adrenaline surging and heart racing, he felt exactly what it meant to be alive. Evolution had spent millions of years crafting the human body. Witnessing a small part of that greatness made Alex content to spend the whole day fighting in the ring.
He didn't fight to win, he fought to listen to biological symphonies that only he could hear. He realised after the referee pulled them apart that he'd been naieve to let go so early. Roan couldn't be blamed for his actions, he'd done what most fighter's would've. He'd spotted an opportunity and seized it.
Alex didn't blame him, not truly. But the punch had chipped a crack in the sportsmanship he'd always fought with. In university gym, the students stopped punching when the referee asked. But this wasn't there.
The round had another ten seconds to go. The fighters returned to the centre of the ring and circled each other slowly. The bell rang and the round ended. The score for the first round was 10-9.
The referee hadn't deducted any points for Roan's extra punch. He'd given a verbal warning and that was all. The Michigan head coach had raised his voice and argued the call, but he was only sticking up for his fighter like any coach would. The look he gave the assistant Michigan coach said silently that he agreed with the referee's judgement.
"You're fighting well kid! Real well! Hit him in the left shoulder again, his arm's hurting I can see it!" The Michigan coach wiped away the sweat from Alex's forehead and whispered in his ear.
Alex's eyes didn't leave his opponent. He responded slower than he usually did, "Yes coach."
The head coach followed Alex's eyes to the other corner of the ring. Roan was facing away to the fans on the other side.
The head coach was silent for a few seconds. Then he patted Alex on the shoulder, "Fuck him up kid."
This time Alex looked away from his opponent and up at his coach. The mouth guard made his usually handsome smile look ugly and cruel, "Yes coach!"
The bell rang and the fighters returned to the centre of the ring. The referee looked between the two fighters. The tension was sharp enough to cut glass.
"Box!"
Alex didn't circle his opponent or throw any testing jabs. He charged forwards and hurled a violent right hook. The hook struck harshly against Roan's guard.
Roan stepped back and took the blow. His eyes were fiery. His long arm swung and struck Alex in the chin with a jab.
Alex's eyes didn't change. He didn't even pretend like the blow hurt.
Roan's eyes widened. A jab like that to the chin should've brought him some time. Opponents would force them to retreat and shake off the dizziness of a blow to the head.
Alex's fist knifed through the air. The glove curved round Roan's guard and struck him in the cheek. Roan's pain tolerance was impressive, but he couldn't disregard a blow like that. His face throbbed and he tightened his guard to his body.
A jab struck Roan in the forearm. If his guard wasn't raised, the punch would've given him a black eye. Alex threw another jab, and then another. His chest was heaving up and down. The crowd waited for his punches to slow down as he tired. They were left waiting.
Alex's lungs burned. He wasn't using his powers, he was still only using his optimized body to fight. The blow to his jaw had hurt, but pain could be ignored. Tiredness could be pushed through.
Soldiers trained their willpower with effort and dedication. A group of recruits could all go through the same basic training, but some would invariably display more willpower than others.
Alex's performance in the ring was extraordinary. His tolerance for pain was exceptional and tiredness seemed irrelevant against his blazing spirit. He was incredible. The crowd howled with delight.
Roan's ears were ringing. The blow to his cheek made his stomach churn with nausea. He gritted his teeth and swore under his breath.
The round continued. Alex landed punch after punch, Roan hit back fiercely, but Alex's nerves seemed numb to pain. His expression never changed. Roan's anxiousness grew.
"10-9!"
The bell sounded. The fighters returned to their corners. Roan's coach frantically whispered tactics in his fighter's ear.
On the other side of the ring, the Michigan head coach handed Alex a water bottle and said hardly anything at all, "Keep going."
The match resumed. Another round ended 10-9. The crowd watched Roan stagger back to his corner. His hands and feet swayed unsteadily with every step.
The fourth ring began. Roan was barely holding on. The crowd could see it. They cheered Alex's name wildly.
Finally it happened. A fierce hook from Alex made Roan spin. The Michigan head coach stamped his foot, "Now!"
The cross was devestating. Roan's eyes rolled back in their sockets. His tall and wiry frame fell like a tree toppling in the forest. His head bounced against the padded ring floor. The impact didn't wake him. He lay there breathing quietly. His cheeks were purpleish-yellow with bruises.
The ref hurried to Roan's side and kneeled beside him. He counted out loudly. The crowd's cheers didn't wake the sleeping fighter.
The referee stepped aside as Roan's coach jumped into the ring and tried to wake the fighter.
The coach's hands slapping his shoulders gradually roused Roan. He came to consciousness again just in time to see the referee raise Alex's hand in victory.
"That was amazing honey!" Amanda grinned and hugged her son tightly.
Alex had just changed out of his boxing shoes and shorts and into jeans and a t-shirt. The whole boxing team and a number of friends and family walked happily together to a nearby restaurant booked by the head coach.
The head coach had been speaking rapidly into his phone for the last ten minutes, animatedly discussing the team's victories and explaining why diverting more funds to the boxing team was actually in the university's best interests.
The group arrived at the restaurant and the head coach reluctantly put away his phone. The smiling manager personally welcomed the fifty or so strong party and lead them to their tables. The group took up nearly every seat in the restaurant.
Alex was seated at a table with his parents, Evelyn and her parents and the head coach. Jason was sat with them as well. The men's captain had gradually come to terms with the fact his status had been taken by the talented newcomer. He'd fought well in the tournament, losing in the pre-final knockouts to Roan, but putting up a good fight.
Alex's presence had ignited a fire in his heart that he hadn't felt in years, he was training harder than ever and improving every week. In some ways he was almost grateful.
The groups' meals arrived quickly. Jack and Amanda endlessly told stories from when their son was younger and the table shook with laughter for the entire meal. Eveyln's parents joined in the fond remembering and she blushed and begged them to stop as they recounted a bathtime where she'd accidentally swallowed her own poop.
Jack had insisted that Alex order a steak, citing that a winner deserved the very best. He'd also quietly slipped his son a hundred dollars, placing a finger to his lips in the shh gesture and tilting his head towards Amanda.
To Alex's immense amusement, Amanda had seperately nudged his shoulder and handed him a rolled up circle of ten dollar bills.
After desert had been eaten the group paid their bill and stood up to leave. The university had covered the boxers' meals and subsidised the cost for their friend's and family. The mood was high and a group of parents, Alex's included, happily discussed where to go for a round of drinks afterwards.
Evelyn's parents had come down to the competition the year before and knew a good bar nearby. The group began to split off as some of the boxers headed home. The head and assistant coaches happily wished everyone goodnight. The moment they turned around their phones started to dial and they began eagerly persuading whoever was on the other end of the phone.
Alex and Evelyn's parents had quickly become friends. They proudly discussed their child's respective academics, medicine and mechanical engineering. The conversation swiftly progressed to what grades they'd gotten in high school and how old they began to walk.
Alex and Evelyn sat at a table aside from their parents' and rolled their eyes. They chatted while sharing a plate of fries.
Alex suddenly heard something that made his smile crack, "Evelyn's fantastic, she's kind and smart and damn funny too! Your kid he's something special as well, our girl tells us he fought a wolf the other day! That's gotta be an incredible feeling, to be the parents who raised a wolf-fighter!"
Evelyn's dad's cheeks were slightly flushed. His posture was relaxed and his arm rested across his wife's shoulder.
Evelyn's mother eagerly added to the conversation, "Just incredible! We saw it on the news! Wish they would've showed a photo of the thing! Apparently it was ugly as sin! Dr-Dr-what's his name?"
Her husband stroked his chin. He thought for a moment and then yelled delightedly, "Splice!"
Evelyn's mother nodded rapidly in succession, "That's it! Dr Splice! Some beastie from his lab escaped and your little hero fought it off and saved an entire school trip!"
"He might've gotten a girlfriend out of it too." Evelyn added with a teasing smile.
Eveyln's parents waited for Alex's to smile and accept their son's incredible achievement. The wait grew long enough that they frowned and looked at one another awkardly.
Amanda and Jack stared at their son like he'd punched a baby in the throat.
Eveyln's face changed, her mouth widened into an o-shape and she clamped a hand over her mouth.
Her parents realised what had happened almost simultaneously and the three of them shared exactly the same thought. 'Shit! They didn't know.'
Amanda smiled, the muscles in her face seemed completely unwilling to move her lips anymore than a few millimeters, "Honey, what are they talking about?"
Jack looked up from his phone. His eyes were bulging. He slammed it down on the table and a clip of a GDA agent addressing a room of reporters began to play.
"No serious injuries to any members of the group. The national park service..." Amanda snatched up the phone and swiped, hurriedly scrolling the article.
Jack's hands tightly gripped the edge of the table. He leaned forwards and said angrily, "You fought a fucking wolf and you didn't tell us?"
Alex sighed and rubbed his temple, "I was going to tell you."
Amanda's brow twitched frantically, "You were going to tell us? You were going to tell us?"
Alex held up a fry and pointed it at his parents, "I was going to tell you, but the two of you planned a surprise welcome home and our entire family is at our house. I'm sharing a room with grandad, the whole family would be in bed with me crying if I'd told you."
Alex's parents blinked and looked at one another. The anger and confusion in their chests cooled slightly. Amanda shook her head, "But-"
Alex cut her off, his voice was gentle, "The GDA asked me, they asked everyone, not to tell anyone. They didn't lift the restriction till a couple days ago when the article came out.
I was always going to tell you guys. I just wanted to do it in person. I've got the debrief from the GDA in my suitcase, I was going to let you guys read the whole thing."
Amanda and Jacked look at one another. Their hands found one another's under the table. Amanda placed her hand on her son's cheek, "Oh honey, we're sorry we didn't mean to..."
Her sentence trailed off. Jack cleared his throat and placed his hand reassuringly on Alex's shoulder, "Sorry kiddo, we didn't mean to shout at you."
Alex smiled and shook his head, "No it's okay, I get it. I promise though, I wasn't hiding this from you guys."
The words made something in his chest throb painfully. He had never intended to lie about the experiment's attack, but he'd been ready to lie about something else.
He'd thought that keeping his powers a secret from his parents was best for their safety. Seeing their worried faces now made that decision waver.
"But there's something else we should talk about, at home." He said.
Alex's parents squeezed each other's hands tighter. They stood up and put on their coats.
Amanda smiled at Eveyln and her parents. The atmosphere was still awkward, but her words eased it slightly, "Lovely to meet you all. I-uh-I'm sure we'll see you guys again at another one of these."
Jack smiled as well, "Night guys."
He paused before chuckling and saying, "Thanks for the heads up too. Every day this boy surprises us!"
The sentence was followed by an overly forceful rustling of Alex's hair.
The group laughed and the tension relaxed further. Eveyln's mother hastily scribbled a phone number on a napkin and handed it to Amanda, "Keep in touch! We can keep an eye on them for each other."
Amanda laughed and put the napkin in her purse. Leaving behind Evelyn and her parents to gawk at one another, the family of three left the restaurant.
"What is it honey? Is everything okay?" Amanda squeezed her son's arm and asked worriedly.
Alex smiled and nodded, "Everything's fine. It's not drugs or anything and I'm not part of a cult. It's just-"
He paused and tried to find the words, "-it's easier if I show you."