Chapter 5

Let's Go For A Round, Coach! Roxanne took a short shower and then changed into her gym outfit, clothes she always kept in the gym since it was a bother bringing it in every day. After she was done, she went back to the training room, where her coach was still setting up the stage. She smiled, shaking her head slightly. Even at over forty, Donald still preferred doing things like these himself. She was fine with him doing some heavy lifting, but at this rate, he would just tire himself out before he did anything meaningful with her. 'Oh, don't look at me like that. This much is nothing. I can do this, train you, and still have energy to spare. She smirked at these words. 'Sure you can" She stepped forward to assist him with what he was doing. 'I'm serious. In my prime, I could do this all day all by myself. Truly a beast!" He grinned widely. 'Sure" Roxanne smiled as she rolled her eyes slightly. She wasn't sure about his prime, but the current him couldn't keep up with her, especially when she was this excited. He had to take breaks in between, alternate with another person, and also instruct her while he took his break. She had so much energy that it could be classified as a superpower at this point. [Moments Later] 'Looks like it's all set up. Let's do a little round before going into full-on training." Coach Donald said, entering into the ring. Now, Roxanne knew the basics of many sports and she was trained since childhood in various types. However… The one she knew best, and had the greatest passion for, the one she usually practised with her gym coach every day for the past three years… Was Boxing! The gym's ground floor was an everyday workout centre, but only the Regulars knew the true nature of the ‘PASSION OF LIFE' Gym. Separated into many rooms on the top floor, it was a place where Boxing was everything. Boxing, Roxanne's favourite sport, and the one she was the best at. Since the game demanded brute force, tact, and endurance more than anything else, she was practically built for it. Her coach as a former pro Boxer, at least according to him, was skilled enough to make it to national level his prime. For someone in a countryside like Oregon, that was an impressive feat. Roxanne didn't want to go into Pro Boxing. She just wanted to keep playing, keep fighting… Just like her father. As a Pro Boxer, she would attract too much attention, something she avoided desperately. She didn't want to stand out. She just wanted to fight strong opponents and keep getting better until she reached her limits which, by the looks of it, was still very far off. Roxanne entered the boxing ring as well, picking up her headgear and gloves as she put them on. 'Hope you're not too tired old man" She said with a teasing look. 'Old man? I'll show you!" Coach Donald said with his youthful smile. One thing that got Donald fired up more than anything else, was when he was called ‘old'. One of the other members of the Boxing club volunteered to be the referee of the match. As they both steadied themselves at their position, the both of them smiled. 'First Round. Begin!" The referee declared. Immediately, Roxanne left her position and launched her fist with a straight right hook aimed at Donald's nose. Donald quickly tilted his head, while taking a step back, dodging the first attack as the wind brushed across his face. Roxanne dashed back and started bouncing, raising her fists to guard both sides, while her eyes remained transfixed on her target. As an unspoken rule, neither of them talked when they were in a match. They both preferred the silence that enveloped them, making only their breathing and the taps of their feet heard. Donald used his eyes to scan through Roxanne's stance, a perfect gait, and posture, one with zero openings as usual. He had thought due to her excitement, she would slip up but it seemed he was wrong. The straight punch startled him a little, but such a basic move was not enough to land a hit on him, especially when it wasn't in succession or followed by another move. He had to admit though, her speed was impressive, and that power… It was dangerous as well. As he was still analysing her, Roxanne took the initiative once again and rushed to his right flank, giving him a right hook. Fortunately, he was able to block her hit, though he took another step back due to the shock. In quick succession, she gave another hook and then a left thrust to break his guard. However, Donald was sturdier than that, as he maintained his position after the initial hit she gave, holding his ground. As Roxanne withdrew her left fist after throwing it in a thrust, Donald quickly took a step forward and threw his first jab at Roxanne's face. Too focused on offence, she didn't see it coming until it was right in front of her. Her quick reflexes kicked in just in time, using her right hand to block the hit, though barely. 'Oh? Not bad" The thought to himself. Not only her raw power and stamina were extraordinary, her speed was also something else entirely. Her reflexes and reaction speed far exceeded any other Regular in his gym, which made it all the more difficult for him to land a proper hit on her, even though he was clearly more experienced than she was. 'Let's just keep this up. Her only openings are when she attacks. When she throws a wide thrust, I'll make a comeback" Donald reasoned. He gritted his teeth and clenched his fist. Raising his guard up to remain on the defensive until his opportune time, his eyes solely focused on Roxanne as he patiently searched for openings. Even after throwing several of her attacks, Roxanne showed no sign of slowing down. She kept using her right fist for jabs and her left for hooks. Donald diligently dodged the ones he could, while blocking the rest. But… 'Crap, my limits are beginning to catch up to me… Dammit" Donald winced as he barely managed to dodge a volley from her right. He took a few steps back in retreat, unable to hit so many hits all at once in direct succession. He huffed as sweat dripped from his chin and his muscles ached from keeping his hands up for so long while receiving so many attacks at once. Roxanne dashed forward, not letting him catch his breath as she quickly raised her fist, and with a powerful thrust, launched it at Donald's face. 'Shit!" He thought. He quickly raised his guard, but even with that, he wasn't quick enough for a complete block. Most of the impact was sent to his body as he recoiled due to the shock. He remained stunned for a moment, giving Roxanne the opportunity to launch another full powered blow. This time, the hit landed on Donald's face, sending him crashing to the ground. In a powerful thud, his body landed on the staged platform. 'Donald down. Roxanne takes the first round." The referee declared. Roxanne smiled as she took deep breaths to calm herself. Perspiration covered her entire skin as she smiled, looking at Donald who winced due to the hit she landed. 'Sorry coach" She said, stretching her hands toward him. He grabbed it and smiled as she pulled him up, grunting a bit. 'Nah, don't be. I lost fair and square" He said, groaning a little while rubbing his jaw, the place most affected by the impact of her hit. 'That you did, heh." She grinned from ear to ear. 'Will you stop that? The match isn't decided yet, you know? We'll see how you fare during the second round." He said, bending to take the water he kept just outside the stage. 'Ooh, someone is a site loser" She smirked. 'Tch" He let out in a mock annoyed fashion. They both laughed as they took a short break in anticipation for the second round. As Roxanne gulped down her water, Donald stared at her. 'Such monstrous strength… Unbelievable. She's even more powerful than the last time." He thought within himself. Roxanne's great prowess was amazing, coupled with her growth speed which was beyond normal, to call the combination insane would be an understatement. Donald, as the owner and manager of the entire gym supervised many of his Regulars. However, Roxanne was the only one he personally practised with. Out of all the other coaches, he was the only one who handled her training. Why was that the case? Sure, he and Roxanne were very close, almost like family. However, the reason he was the only one who coached her and engaged in combat training with her was because… He was the only one with the ability to keep up with Roxanne. She far outclassed everyone else in the gym, all the regulars knew her and some had even fought with her. None of them came out unscathed. She won against them every single time. He was the only one who managed to win against her, but from the match he had with her today… It was evident that she would soon surpass him by far. Or maybe that was the case already. In any case, he was still her coach. As such, he had to always have something to teach her, and that meant he couldn't lose to her… Not yet. As he drank some more of his water, he closed his tired eyes. Next time for sure… He would win. Roxanne laid on her bed as she smiled. A slight bruise was on her cheek as she slightly rubbed it. 'Looks like I'm still no match for Coach" She said to herself. He managed to win, turning the tides against her at the last minute. A truly impressive man deserving of Roxanne's respect. After the match, they had regular training and did a few sets before she went home for the day, nothing out of the ordinary. She freshened up, ate, read for a while and chatted with her friend, Betty. Before she knew it so much time had passed. She looked out her window, it was dark out already. She didn't have to go anywhere for her escapades this night, so she appreciated the view of the night sky from her bed. The full moon glowed majestically as it seemed to draw her attention to it's strange glow. 'I wonder…" She smiled, cutting her thoughts short before she even began. As she closed her eyes, she felt all the exhaustion of the day suddenly begin to get lifted off of her as she felt a warm embrace permeate throughout her body. Slowly, she drifted off to sleep, unaware of the events that happened in the dead of night.