Pleasant Surprises

Alvin sat on a Beach Chair by the sea, a Cigar dangling from his lips.

The girls and children had gone to the rides at Jurassic World. Aside from the Carousel, the attractions there weren't very friendly to Alvin, so he'd chosen to come sunbathe by the sea and show off his newly acquired Eight-Pack Abs.

The Red Energy the Golden Vine had transmitted to him when he sank beneath the Seabed with the Cruise Ship that day was finally beginning to show its effects.

The energy seemed to be meant to bring a person's body into its most perfect state. At first, the changes were mental; the body needed more time to adjust. Now, that time had nearly passed.

He whistled flirtatiously at a passing beauty in a bikini, then stretched out smugly on the Lounge Chair, showing off his perfect abs and drawing admiring and envious looks from all around.

Stark kept gulping down a huge glass of Cocktail. He was thoroughly fed up with Alvin. Ever since discovering that morning that he had abs, Alvin had refused to put a shirt on.

Watching Stark make disgusting noises in his glass with a straw, Alvin laughed and said, "Come on, don't be like that. They're just eight beautiful abs. It's not like I care that much.

"Sometimes that's just how things go. Good things always happen to people who don't want anything."

As he spoke, Alvin propped himself up on his elbows, making the definition of his muscles even more obvious. His pose drew a burst of squeals from a group of bikini-clad women gathered nearby.

He winked at them, then looked smugly at Stark, who was wearing a tank top and absolutely refused to take it off. "Honestly, this doesn't mean much to me. After all, I