No matter if you are a pessimist or an optimist, Alex Smith's life wasn't a good one or a bad one. It was just a mediocre insignificant existence.

His parents were bipolar and abusive people, especially his father played a big role to change Alex's life.

During Alex's father's euphoric phase, he would work like a madman, but not having any talent either as a businessman or as a social climber, he was unable to be successful in establishing the right connections.

In his natural state, he did nothing, he was just a couch potato that would stand up and go to work just to avoid the blame and spite from neighbors and peers.

Whatever his mental condition was, he always was a perfect example of an abusive father.

Alex's mother was nothing less than his father, she was a non-supportive woman and always cursed her son for his existence, and she had no affection for Alex. She always compared him with other kids who were better than him in academics, sports, and etcetera. She was a working woman and used to work as a nurse in a city hospital.

In Alex's parent's eyes, Alex was a disgrace in their eyes.

He never studied hard enough, never was disciplined enough, nor did show enough respect.

And they were always there to remember him and how wrong he was.

They yelled at him for the slightest mistake, constantly reminding him that he was just a parasite that leeched off their hard work.

And when words weren't enough or when he did fail to meet their expectations with school grades or chores, there was no teacher like his father's leather belt.

He grew up watching and reading stories about heroes protecting the weak and upholding justice. But no hero ever appeared to save him.

So, he simply stopped believing in heroes, and instead of wasting time with prayers, he crammed.

The school was his only oasis, but that lasted only until the sixth grade.

Once in middle school, it didn't even take a month before the bullying started.

His cheap clothes and gloomy disposition made him the easiest target. He was used bullied and insulted that he didn't even bother trying to fight back.

For a long time, Alex had considered it the worst moment in his useless life. After a month, he knew he could not take any more of that, so he tried to make things better.

He reported his father's abuses to social services by calling, but things got worse, due to short of staff and proper evidence. Nothing happened to his father, but Alex got a lot of beating.

Then he tried to end the bullying by reporting their aggressors to a teacher, which in turn washed her hands by reporting it to the principal. The principal did not want to meddle with what he deemed as childish pranks, so he called Alex's parents to inform them of the problem, hoping they would let it slide. And at least his wish came true.

But nothing happened as he imagined, instead of getting things sorted, he got a beating from his father for not being brave enough to handle his matters on his own.

"Are you that stupid to never learn anything from me? Never delegate, if you want something done right, do it yourself!"

Alex had never felt so helpless, so he spent that night deeply thinking that what to do until he fell asleep.

The next day he felt different, clearheaded like never before. It was not the time for despair anymore, Alex had planned to join a dojo and learn how to fight back.

So, Alex asked his father to let him join a dojo and learn martial arts, and to his surprise, his father accepted it. His old man was glad that his weak and poor excuse of a child was finally interested in becoming a man.

Soon Alex joined a dojo called Tatsuo Dojo, and in that dojo, he started learning karate. The name of the teacher teaching there was Tatsuo. In the dojo, Alex learned that he have to call his teacher, sensei.

[Note-sensei is a teacher or master in Japanese]

Sensei Tatsuo saw potential in Alex so he started giving him more personal lessons, free of cost. Soon Alex started beating many students in battles and came out as the strongest student in the dojo.

Not only did Alex start practicing karate almost daily, but he would also start waking up three hours earlier every single day to build muscles by doing push-ups, squats sit-ups, and running until he was out of breath.

In a few months, he was finally able to do every day 500 push-ups, sit-ups, and squats, and run for at least 20 kilometers before going to school.

Karate was soon revealed to be a perfect choice for his situation. At low a level, it was mainly focused on self-defense but there was plenty of space for attacking and fighting dirty.

By practicing martial arts, he finally discovered something he was good at. He was not particularly nimble, nor a fast learner. His hand-to-eye coordination and spotting weak spots in the enemy's body were his strength.

Even when the sensei was teaching sword or tanto arts, Alex was always able to grasp the killing moves on his first try, sometimes even before the sensei completed the practical demonstration.

It was an exciting yet disappointing discovery since his only talent had no practical use. Even if karate was a sport with tournaments instead of discipline, hits to the groin, eyes, and trachea were universally forbidden.

For months Alex kept training hard while keeping a low profile at school, planning his next move.

Alex also started spending more time with sensei than at home, Alex was slowly getting fond of sensei because he was supportive and often asked him how his school was. Sensei often gave Alex life lessons.

Sensei also liked the company of Alex and he started giving him the love of a father. Sensei Tatsuo did not have any children or wife, he dedicated his life to martial arts and teaching them.

At the end of the first semester, Alex stopped hiding from the bullies and started replying in kind to every single insult they threw at him, using the best quick-witted roast lines he had found online. Alex paid attention to never going to the bathroom or remaining alone for too long, always keeping an adult witness in line of sight.

It did not even take a full day before his enemies were fuming and outraged. Only when the veins almost popped out of their necks, did e throw his bait?

"I have enough of your crap, you are starting to piss me off. Meet me in an hour behind the grocery shop between Benney and the 4th. Or are you too scared?" one kid said from the group of three

"Since you seek death, I will happily grant your wish, you fucker. It will only be you and the three of us, all right?" said a boy who was looking like their leader

Alex nodded without believing him in the least. And he was right.

When they entered the back alley, they had brought along two more people.

Alex was waiting for them and leaned against the wall at the end of the blind alley.

"There you are. I was starting to think you would stand me up."

They started laughing. "Sorry, we were late. Hope you do not mind us taking some friends for the party."

Alex shrugged, while a small grim showed on his face

"No problem. No matter how much, worthless trash is always trash. I chose this alley because it's fully equipped with enough dumpsters to accommodate all of your friends." Alex said with a smirk on his face

The last line hit a nerve so they charged at him blindly.

"Gang up on him, guys! Do not let him escape! Let's show him who the trash is."

And so, they fell into his trap. Alex had come here preparing the terrain and choosing the best spot for the fight. A blind alley to not make them escape, the end of the alley so they would not notice the trip wire due to the dim light.

The first two fell hard on the concrete, and those behind them were so worried about not trampling on their friends that never saw the steel pipe coming.

They did come in numbers, Alex had come fully armed. Using the pipe as a katana he quickly hit them on their heads, the side of the knee, in the groin. Only then he started hitting the two that were trying to get back on their feet.

While they were moaning and sobbing on the ground, he used a small knife to cut the trip wire, then he started beating them again and again with the metal pipe giving special attention to the nether regions.

Deep inside he knew what he was doing was wrong, but he could not care less. If the world was built to be unfair, the only possible course of action was to make it unfair to his advantage.

So, he took out the Taser that he borrowed from his father and tased them until unconscious. Then he stripped them completely and left them in front of the grocery store.