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16. Fight And Protect

2019.

One winter morning, Lewis hit up Matt to join him for a workout at one of the gyms in Lionwest. Matt jumped at the chance, stoked to have some company. He'd been feeling kinda burnt out training solo; maybe what he really needed was a workout buddy to push him past his limits. Little did he know, that day he'd run into Frederick, a dude who was gonna leave a serious mark on his life.

«Yo, Matt, I gotta introduce you to my boy,» Lewis said, swinging open the gym door and glancing back at Matt as he headed toward the weights area.

«Yo, Matt, I gotta introduce you to my boy,» Lewis said, swinging open the gym door and glancing back at Matt as he headed toward the weights area [https://img.wattpad.com/9f7f41ad130542145fb2f452cd65ac6ea5d6bb9f/68747470733a2f2f73332e616d617a6f6e6177732e636f6d2f776174747061642d6d656469612d736572766963652f53746f7279496d6167652f5379736262447032444270756f513d3d2d313439323637353539342e313830636339616262646464383739353930313739373530333534312e6a7067?s=fit&w=1280&h=1280]

«He's one of the strongest dudes here. Check out those biceps!» Lewis exclaimed.

Looking around, Matt spotted Frederick chilling on a red bench. Frederick was a tall guy with dark hair slicked back, a nearly clean-shaven face, a chiseled jawline, and bright blue eyes. He was wearing a tight tank top that showed off his broad shoulders and ripped chest.

Lewis was decked out in a snug grey Nike tee and joggers [https://img.wattpad.com/0fd763ac546bf3f7eb777f02c4f7ef5da7253f21/68747470733a2f2f73332e616d617a6f6e6177732e636f6d2f776174747061642d6d656469612d736572766963652f53746f7279496d6167652f39796e3771395774397539696b673d3d2d313439323637353539342e313830636339623361613565376137343835383833323833333537342e6a7067?s=fit&w=1280&h=1280]

Lewis was decked out in a snug grey Nike tee and joggers. Matt, instead, was in a burgundy workout shirt and training pants. Lewis and Frederick had been tight since they were teens and had been hitting the gym together for years.

Despite being a beast physically, Frederick had been struggling with a weed addiction for years, which had messed with a lot of parts of his life. But he found it super hard to quit, and the thought of living without weed freaked him out.

«What's he up to? Haha,» Matt said, glancing at Lewis while eyeing Frederick holding a syringe [https://img.wattpad.com/d876a7f78d44c3aece299f2bce4e27a7881a1fb6/68747470733a2f2f73332e616d617a6f6e6177732e636f6d2f776174747061642d6d656469612d736572766963652f53746f7279496d6167652f76796679676c3477704f7a6756773d3d2d313439323637353539342e313830636339623934386133376266343636353039353237323032322e6a7067?s=fit&w=1280&h=1280]

«What's he up to? Haha,» Matt said, glancing at Lewis while eyeing Frederick holding a syringe.

«Oh, just a little doping,» Lewis replied with a grin, plopping down next to Frederick.

«Doping? No way!» Matt shot back, eyes wide and neck craning back a bit.

«Chill, dude, no biggie,» Frederick reassured, smiling at him as he stood up. «Just a little boost for our workout. What's your name?» he asked, leaning forward.

«Matt,» he said, shifting his gaze to Frederick's right arm. «Those biceps are fuckin' huge, bro, haha. How long you been hitting the gym?» Matt asked, edging closer to the weights.

«For a good while, you can call me Fred if you want,» Frederick responded, smiling back and pumping his right arm up and down with a weight in hand. «Bodybuilding comps are coming up, and this time I'm aiming to take home some serious cash,» he added, dropping the weight to the floor after his set.

«How long you been working out?»

Matt flashed a smile and rolled up the sleeves of his shirt to show off his muscles.

«A few years, but I've got a long way to go to get on your level, Fred!» he said, flexing his right arm.

«Don't sweat it, we're gonna turn you into a gym beast!» Lewis joked, giving Matt a friendly nudge on the shoulder.

«But, like, no steroids or anything, right?» Frederick added, winking.

Matt nodded and shrugged a little, then scanned the gym for a spot to do push-ups.

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«Thanks, guys! I can't wait to kick off our workout!» he said, grinning and heading over.

The three of them started training hard and gave it their all. Even though Matt would never consider doping, he appreciated the motivation from his friends.

After crashing down on a bench to catch his breath, Frederick watched Matt busting out some push-ups.

«What kind of workouts do you dig, Matt?» he asked, resting an elbow on the bench.

«I love working out outside,» Matt replied, getting back up and striding toward the pull-up bar. «I'm into climbing, push-ups, pull-ups, running, and jump roping,» he continued, turning to Lewis and Frederick.

«I'm down for outdoor workouts too, but I usually hit the gym for lifting weights. Find 'em more challengin',» Lewis chimed in, dropping the weight on the floor.

Frederick strolled over to the chest press machine on the left side of the pull-up bar.

«Yeah, the gym's great for building muscle, but have you ever thought about trying boxing, Matt?» he asked, turning to his new buddy. «That's a killer way to blow off steam, plus it can boost your self-defense skills and confidence.»

At the mention of self-defense, Matt paused for a second and remembered that rough run-in with those two punks on the street and his tough times back in school.

«Ah,» he said, stepping down from the bar and biting his lip a little. «But I'm not sure I'm strong enough for boxing,» he added, looking away.

After a few more exercises and minutes of chatting, Matt started feeling comfortable and decided to open up about his rough school years.

«I was so weak I couldn't even stand up for myself,» Matt explained, spreading his arms a bit. «But since then, I've started training and gaining strength and confidence.»

«You did the right thing, Matt, but don't let bullying define you,» Frederick said, standing up from the bench and looking him straight in the eyes. «Boxing can help you feel stronger and more confident, and it also teaches you discipline in everyday life.»

«Hey, you know what?» Frederick then said, turning to Lewis, who was doing a lat pull exercise. «After we wrap up here, we should all go check out that Mike Tyson movie together,» he suggested. «It came out a few days ago and might inspire you to give boxing a shot,» Frederick continued, turning back to Matt.

Lewis finished his set and moved next to Matt, exchanging a glance.

«Why not? Tyson's a legendary champ, and his story's super inspiring...» Lewis agreed, taking a swig from his water bottle.

«Alright, guys, I'm down-no plans tonight!» Matt said, shoving his hands in his sweats.

After showering up, the three of them bounced out of the gym, snagged tickets online for the nearest theater, and hopped into Frederick's ride. During the movie, they went through Tyson's early life, including his tough childhood and his first steps into boxing. Matt found himself really vibing with Tyson's story, even though he'd never been that into boxing itself.

After they left the theater and headed towards the car, Matt turned to Lewis and Frederick.

«Guys, that movie was epic! Did you see how Tyson was dropping those other fighters? He was like a tank!» Matt said, mouth agape in awe.

«Yeah, that was impressive,» Frederick replied as he lit up a joint, leaning against a car. «I knew he was strong, but not like that!»

«Yeah,» Matt said, leaning in too. «Tyson showed that you can overcome anything with discipline.»

«For real, Matt,» Lewis agreed, putting on his shades. «He was a prime example of how sacrifice leads to success!»

«Totally, and we can take that same mindset into our lives,» Matt said, taking a hit from Frederick's joint. «Thanks for bringing me here; it really inspired me!»

After their convo wrapped up, Frederick tossed the roach to the ground and stubbed it out with his shoe.

«Alright, guys, time to head home,» he said, opening the door to his ride. Matt and Lewis hopped in the backseat.

As they cruised along, Frederick cranked up the stereo with rock jams. Still buzzing from the movie, Matt couldn't stop raving about Tyson. Lewis nodded along, grinning as they watched the city zip by.

Once they said their goodbyes, Matt made his way home.

Finally found my role model, he thought as he stepped into the lobby of his building.

I wanna be just like him, I wanna be able to protect Martine and the others, he kept thinking before grabbing his keys and heading inside.

Matt signed up for the boxing gym in his neighborhood the next day, and over time, his dedication to training grew. It took just three weeks to master the fundamentals of boxing. Then he decided to dive into the Peekaboo style, the one Tyson used. It was a unique boxing technique focused on explosive power and stamina.

It emphasized closing the distance, dropping low to load up punches using strength from his legs, and slipping to dodge blows [https://img.wattpad.com/7c6a31840f17c146989d872820dde83d88a62731/68747470733a2f2f73332e616d617a6f6e6177732e636f6d2f776174747061642d6d656469612d736572766963652f53746f7279496d6167652f4571596834657265705a714877413d3d2d313439323637353539342e313830636339626638363763373834373833343831363430323631352e6a7067?s=fit&w=1280&h=1280]

It emphasized closing the distance, dropping low to load up punches using strength from his legs, and slipping to dodge blows.

When it came to street fighting, it was the perfect strategy. Matt started throwing stronger, more precise punches, moving more fluidly, and executing his moves with way more accuracy. By training with other boxers, he picked up counter techniques and distance control skills that he adapted to his fighting philosophy.

He was ready now.