Punching was the best theory for Romero had. It relieved so much much pent up anger and stress. He aimed his frustration towards punching the shit out of anything and everything. So much so his uncle had to turn his troubled addiction into something positive and taught him how to box.

He was never a violent or angry kid, he was actually was quite normal. Except the fact that him and his mother lived in fear of his father every single day since he was born. But his mother always did her best to shield him from his violent father. She protected her son taking the brunt of most of his angry outburst until she couldn't anymore. He was only 13 when he walked into the front door of his home and found his mother hanging from a ceiling fan in the family living.

After that he became a troublesome boy being suspended from school and staying after school for getting in fight with other kids. When asked why he gave no reason at all. He just needed to hit something or someone. After his mother died, he lived with his abusive dad for about another month until his mother brother Tony came to visit him saw the marks on his body. He quickly went into action of gaining custody of the young angered boy.

Tony quickly realized that he was angry with the way his mother left him and helped him cope with that loss. He became his dad. Though Alex never smiled or showed expression. He knew he was making progress and understanding more and more why his mother did what she did.

Romero was sweating buckets as he punched the punching bag with precise movements that never faltered. Norma showing up to his room was something he didn't expect at all and he didn't expect that her words would have such an effect of him. It made him feel like he was 13 years old again.

…...

"Oh good. You remember me. May I?"

Norma smiled kindly and gestured with head towards the inside his room and he allowed her in, not knowing she was trailing a cart of breakfast behind her.

"I just wanted to apologize about last night. We didn't mean to steal your cab. George is very protective. In a good way, of course." Norma said stopping in the middle of living area with the cart. "I brought you breakfast. On the house. I made it myself."

Romero looked out his ceiling to floor windows and saw blue sky. He looked at his watch, 10:30. He didn't realize that it was morning already when he answered his door, he felt like he just sat on the couch. He walked over the cart standing on opposite side of it.

"Thanks but really you didn't have to do that."

"No worries. I can afford it." She tossed her short curly hair out of her face as she smiled at him, "Considering, I own the place." Norma said like she just said she worked at McDonald's.

Romero was in trance over Normas kind smile until he heard the last part, he didn't react much except a head tilt. He then walked over to the door. He didn't know what she was up to, they only shared a cab ride. He opened the door to show her out without saying so.

"I'm late for training." Romero gruffed. "I'm not doing any endorsements."

Norma began walking towards the door but turned around. She seemed nervous as she worried her lip with her teeth. She pulled her sunglasses off finally actually looking the boxer in his eyes.

"I'm not here for that. I need your help." Norma whispered quietly, looking down somewhat shameful but played it off.

"My help." Romero scrunched up his eyebrows in confusion. "Honestly, Mrs . Bates. I don't know what I can help you with."

"I need you to teach me. How to fight." Norma said looking down the hall as if someone was watching her. Then in desperation she begged when she saw the expression cross his face. "I'll sleep with you." Did I mean that?

Romero eyes bugged out of his head. He definitely wasn't expecting her to say that.

"Just kidding. Look, I'll pay. I'll pay you." Norma tilted her head as she waited for him to say something, anything.

Romero just looked at her, she didn't seem like the type of woman that would get her hands dirty. He was sure she had bodyguards around her 24/7.

Off of his silence, she got serious. "Look. I think someone is trying to kill me."

"That guy? George?" Romero asked he could of almost chuckled if it weren't for the fear in Norma's eyes.

"No. My abusive husband. I told him I wanted to divorce. And that I can't keep living like that anymore. But still am. He doesn't want to let me go. He said if he can't have me…. He wants me dead and..."

Romero was now contently listening to her but he can't seem to believe a woman like millionaires Norma Bates is or was in abusive relationship. Not like his mother was. But the words she spoke were echoed in his head as if it was a broken record.

"You don't believe me." Norma stopped trying to explain feeling very foolish all of a sudden. No one would believe her. "You don't." She whispered quietly to herself.

"Forget it." Norma said determined. She quickly turned around walked down the hallway and quickly pushing the button of the elevator.

Romero watched her not knowing if he should run after her or not. She definitely seem like she was in trouble. He watched as she stepped into elevator wiping her tear. He was amazed as she shook off her sadness covering it with her dark sunglasses and straighten her once broken posture.

….

Now as Romero repeatedly hit the bag couldn't get his mother scared hazel eyes out of his mind. They seemed to transform into Norma's frighten bright blue ones. He believed her. He believed her paranoia was real, he's seen it first hand with his mother. But she had something his mother didn't seem to have. Fight.

"Ace!"

Romero turned around suddenly snapping out of his own head. His uncle was standing at the top of stair where they kept the office in their family owned gym.

"Yeah, Uncle T." He shouted from the gym floor

"We need to talk." Uncle Tony didn't sound very excited about this conversation they were about to have.

Romero walked over to a bench picking up his white towel, water bottle and made his way up the stairs. He wiped his face as he sat in front his uncle desk in a chair.

"What the fuck is this?!" Uncle asked as he threw a magazine on the desk that read, "BULLY STOIC AT IT AGAIN" it had a picture of Romero grabbing George by his shirt and shoving him against the cab.