Hey guys I don't much about how the politics work in this chapter, so spare me. This is just a filler, but it does play a role in the story so yeah, read it. Enjoy!

Filler chapter- 

(TYLER'S POV)

When people talk about their lives, you usually hear two contrasting things. It's either completely awesome, or a straight up nightmare. Yet, either way they're always hiding something. Good or bad. I too, have a secret. It was stupid really, but I'm sure my parents and friends would kill me if they found out I was getting beat every day. Or the fact that I was also doing the beating.

School had finished and I made my way to the abandoned alleyway I went to five days a week. All the times I've told my friends I had to do something; it was always the same.

I went to the door on the right and knocked. The slot slid open and the same gruff man appeared. "Password?"

"Lemon."

He opened the door and I walked back inside into the familiar gym. The password changes every week, since this was one of the shadiest places on the planet, which covered a lot of illegal stuff. I wasn't involved in all that though. I just came here to box in the ring.

I loved basketball, but I was more into boxing. It was passion of mine that had started with my now dead grandfather. He had served in the army, so you can imagine what kind of man he had been. He had broken his nose in the war. He always told me the same words, from when I was three years old-

"It doesn't matter how hard you get hit, boy. Or how much your opponent might get under your skin. The important thing is to never show it. Never let your expression give it away. Fight through the pain no matter what. Never show fear."

I've lived my entire life by these words, and when he passed away, I didn't know what to do. He was the one who had introduced me to the ring, which was amazingly badass. People always came to watch the fights and place bets to have fun. Every once in a while, we'd get a small celebrity. A politician or two. This was one of the most well-known underground boxing rings in the city. Shady as hell and far away from the police. I'm pretty sure my grandfather had been involved in some of this stuff. It didn't bother me though.

He brought me here the second I turned fourteen. He had trained me all my life, and now I trained even harder. Ever since the day of his death, I've pushed myself to the limit, forcing myself to hit the bag over and over until my knuckles bleed. I always covered the bruises and scars with makeup I had stolen from my mom's supply, so that no one ever knew the truth. It was a secret, just between me and grandpa.

"Hey Thompson! About time you showed up!"

"Hey!" I smiled and fist bumped my friend Luke. I couldn't even tell you the number of late nights I'd spent sparring with him in the ring, giving each other bruises. The reason he had joined the gym was that he used to get bullied for being gay, when he came out to his classmates as a sophomore. He had proven them wrong ever since, and no one dared to come near him anymore. He had a crazy scar across his left cheek, given to him by a psycho at his school carrying a knife. He was in a different school, so we never really knew each other outside the gym. Life had clearly hardened him though.

I dumped my bag on the bench and took out my boxing gloves. "No gloves today, Ty. Flint says he's got some other plans."

I groaned. "Don't tell me he's going to make us run again."

"No idea. Let's just go."

We walked towards the back together, past all the other men and women sparring and using the weights. Four of them were even playing a game of basketball in the corner. For a second I saw someone flash by who looked like someone I knew, but they didn't stay there long enough for me to register it.

We made it to where a few other teenagers were gathered. There were only two girls- Gina, and another scary girl who refused to tell us her real name, so we called her Puppet. Weird nickname, but yeah.

I didn't look where I was going, and stumbled right into my arch nemesis. He was too tall for my liking, nineteen-year-old freshman college kid with dirty blonde hair and tanned skin, always wearing an annoying smirk. He was the best boxer in the entire gym, including the full-grown adults. He was the only guy I hadn't been able to beat till date, which was why I was stuck at the number two position. Everything he did triggered a switch in me that I couldn't control and I hated him for it.

Stupid Asher Jennings.

(A/N: For those of you who forgot, Asher is the guy Alex works with in the froyo joint)

"Well well, if it isn't the great Tyler Thompson. Are you looking for your tampon? Spoiler alert, it's not here." He said, the same smirk back on his face. I growled, forcing myself not to launch at him. I supposed you could say I had some anger issues, but boxing helped me forget about all my problems. Stupid Asher just kept ruining it.

Luke put a hand on my shoulder, pulling me back. Asher just laughed. Before I could say anything else, Flint walked in, one of the scariest dudes in the gym. He was the trainer in charge of some of the teenagers, but he was no one to be messed with. I'm pretty sure he's a mafia leader or something. But I don't know. The one rule about this place, is that no one will ever tell you about their personal life. The fact that Luke was gay was like the only this I knew about him, because we were friends.

"All right losers." Flint started to speak. "Today we're going to do something more interesting, since I'm bored of watching you all punch a bag. In fact, we aren't going to be boxing at all."

Everybody looked at each other in confusion, wondering what on earth he had planned. Knowing Flint, it could be anything from baking cookies, to jumping off a moving train.

"Today, there are no rules! Boxing isn't just about using your arms. You have to have strength in your entire body. No gloves and no mouth guards. You're all going to be fighting each other in pairs, with calculated moves in any way you want. No stupid things like biting and scratching, I want to see real skill."

Everyone started murmuring among themselves at this new assignment. Not only was it downright dangerous, but involved all sorts of moves besides punching. I hadn't really been trained in any other marshal art, but hopefully my basketball training would help.

"-Puppet and Evanson, Luke and Gina and... Tyler and Asher."

Aw, hell no.

I glanced at Asher, to find him already staring at me with a triumphant smirk, like he'd already won. The sight made me want to punch that look right off his face.

I waited in anticipation as everyone else fought. Some moments it was pathetic, and it was horrifying the next. Puppet defeated Evanson easily, almost crushing his head in her hand. It was freaky.

Luke did really well too, hesitant about hitting a girl at first, but Flint yelled equal fights equal rights, and they fought on. Five minutes later she was lying on the floor, holding her nose with blood on her hands. Luke gave her an apologetic smile and came back to the side.

The other fights were also interesting, and before I knew it, the time had come for me and Asher to fight. A lot of spectators had gathered at this point, people stopping their training to see the fight. Great, more people to see my embarrassment.

I walked into the center of the circle, facing Asher. I stared right into his eyes, not letting my face give anything away. It was well known around the ring about our rivalry, and our matches brought the most bets. He prevails every single time and it kills me.

"Ready you two?" Flint asked, and we both nodded. He gave the signal and the match started.

Strike first, as hard as you can. I heard my grandfather's words echoing through my head. I ran at him and threw a punch but he dodged it easily. While I stumbled forward like an idiot, he kicked me in the back and I went crashing onto the ground. The crowed erupted in cheers and laughter. I forced my face to remain neutral.

"Well Thompson, you move like your grandpa!" Asher taunted, laughing with his arms folded. I stood back up and stared him down. Soon enough he got impatient and tried to round house kick me. I ducked, leaning backwards and twisting to the floor, sweeping my leg behind me and tripping him over.

Now it was my turn to smile as I stood up and watched him on the floor. His cool, teasing look turned into a scowl, and he lashed out unexpectedly, kicking me right in the gut.

Wincing, I stumbled but managed to remain upright. I had barely recovered, before he ran at me again, swinging his arm out to punch me. I tried to hit him back, but he moved so fast that his entire body was a blur. He seemed to be able to calculate every move I made. No matter what I did, he kicked, punched and bruised me until I was on the floor groaning.

The crowd cheered as he held his arms up in triumph, but I wasn't done yet. I managed to push myself off the floor using my knuckles, and the crowed oohed. Asher was too busy celebrating, thinking he had won.

I ran up from behind and tackled him, and he fell on the floor with an oof. Instead of getting angry, he laughed. He actually laughed.

"Really Thompson? That's all you got? I really thought you'd put up more of a fight. Like grandfather, like grandson. Both pathetic and weak."

I growled in my throat, trying the absolute hardest to not let anything show in my face. He was just trying to get under my skin and make me loose my focus. I punched him square in the jaw and he went down. He still remained unsullied, getting back up and hitting me square on the shoulder, almost dislocating it. I winced.

"When will you learn that you can never beat me? I'm going to send you to the grave, just like your good old grandad. I remember seeing you training here with him, walking in here like you owned the place. How pathetic. He couldn't even walk properly, and his face looked like it had been smashed in by a cantaloupe."

"Shut up." I muttered, unable to keep my anger under the surface. I felt dangerously close to just exploding, and becoming a raving lunatic. How dare the son of a bitch insult my grandfather.

"What's the matter?" Asher sneered. "Don't like it when I talk about that fuckwit?"

That's when I completely lost it.

I screamed, launching myself at Asher and pinning him to the ground. I lifted my fist and punched him in the face, over and over until my knuckles were red with bruises. Soon enough, blood was leaking out of his mouth, but I didn't stop.

"Shut. Your. Fucking. Mouth." I yelled out angrily, each word with one punch. I kept beating him, unable to stop myself. The cheering from the crowd had turned into worried shouts, but I could barely hear them. All I saw was Asher. All I heard was Asher. And all I wanted to do was make him pay.

"Hey! Hey! Thompson quit it!" Flint yelled, running into the middle of the circle. I didn't stop, but stood up and kicked Asher right in the face with a horrible crunch when he tried to life his head. I pressed my foot down on his chest to suffocate him, and soon enough he couldn't breathe, gasping, his eyes wide open in horror. I think I had bruised his ribs.

"Thompson!" Flint yelled again, grabbing my waist harshly and pulling me off Asher. I tried to pull back but he was much stronger than me. I took one last look at the blonde boy as everyone surrounded him, the ground around him covered in his blood, his hair now stained red and his face contorted in pain. My mind went blank.

Oh my god, what have I done.