Marvel Universe
June 15, 2012
Friday
New York City, Midtown High School
Seventeen-year-old Hawk was drenched in sweat inside the school's aging gymnasium.
Thump!
Thump, thump, thump!
One heavy blow after another echoed through the space as the suspended black sandbag took a relentless pounding from Hawk's fists. Every time the bag jerked upward, the metal chains groaned and screeched.
His hair was soaked, beads of sweat tracing his cheekbones, sliding along his tight jaw, and dripping onto the damp collar of his worn-out T-shirt.
But Hawk's eyes never left the bag.
It was his entire world.
"Nine thousand nine hundred and fifty-one!"
"Nine thousand nine hundred and fifty-two!"
With each strike, he adjusted his footing, weaving and sidestepping the sandbag's return swings with sharp precision. Left hook. Right cross. The leather grew more worn under the storm of blows.
Punch. Recover. Punch again.
Faster.
And faster.
Until
"Ten thousand!"
BOOM!
A surge of fiery energy burned in Hawk's eyes. His fist shot out like lightning, smashing into the bag with pinpoint force. The chain snapped, and the sandbag sailed through the air before crashing heavily to the floor.
Bang!
Huffing, Hawk stared at the collapsed bag. His breathing slowed, sweat dripping from his chin to the frayed hem of his sweatpants.
Of course, "cheap" clothes were relative. Twelve-dollar pants might be inexpensive to most but to Hawk, they were an expense.
He was an orphan. More than that, he was a reincarnated orphan in the Marvel Universe.
Without his scholarship to Midtown High, there was no way he could have afforded the tuition. Even with it, he lived frugally not by choice, but necessity.
Nothing like Gwen Stacy, the student assistant who enjoyed a full-ride scholarship, generous stipends, and prize money from academic competitions. Hawk's aid was tuition-only.
Still, it covered the most important thing school. As a registered orphan in the "Independent Transition Period," he received $800 a month from the government, plus $500 more from New York State for attending a prestigious school.
$1,300 a month. Not much for an adult, but plenty for a student with no rent or tuition.
He ate at school. He lived in government-subsidized housing. After $500 in expenses, he could save $800 a month.
Every day after classes, he'd hit the gym for his "ten thousand punches," shower, wash his clothes, and take the last shuttle home. No water bill, no electricity bill, no phone, no internet. If he needed to go online, the school library had free computers and printing.
Even as an orphan, Hawk felt he was doing alright. He had already saved over $30,000. Occasionally, he treated himself to a big bucket of fried chicken at a nearby budget diner though it would've been better if there were fewer other customers crowding the place.
After standing still for a moment, Hawk opened his eyes and looked "through" the sandbag at the translucent notification box only he could see.
[Microcosm Cultivation System]
[Current Status: Inactive]
[Activation Requirement: 10,000 punches daily for 1,000 consecutive days]
[Progress: 999 / 1000]
"So close. Almost there. Tomorrow… I can finally activate it."
The system had appeared when he was fifteen September 10, 2009 the same day the Hulk fought Abomination in New York.
Since then, he had never missed a single day of training. Ten thousand punches, no exceptions. Rain or shine. No excuses.
Food could wait.
Fists could not.
Now, after 999 days, the finish line was finally in sight.