Lyric had kept getting beaten by Nessa. Now Lyric is laying on the floor, Adam walks back in.

"Nessa, that's enough."

"She can't give up! She'll die out here!"

Lyric felt the words like a slap in the face, she knew Nessa was right...she knew she had to fight...to grow some balls.

"Nessa calm the fuck down."

Nessa looks down at Lyric apologetically, she extends her hand, Lyric takes it and gets hoisted onto her feet.

"I'm sorry for losing my shit...years of dealing does that to a person."

"It's fine." Lyric says.

Nessa walks out of the room, Adam looks at her.

"Look kid, Nessa is one of my most top trained people."

"I can tell."

"But she is right about one thing."

Lyric stares back at him. She hated gang violence with every fiber in her being, she just tolerates it.

"I can tell you've been through a lot kiddo."

"That's why I'm going easy, but I have to warn you."

"Laying down and letting it happen to you isn't going to get you far...it'll get you killed."

"I know Adam."

"Of course you know, you've been jumped, shot at, what are the odds?"

"Aren't you afraid?" Lyric asks him.

He chuckles lowly, Lyric pinches her palm as he leans against the wall. Of course he was a gang member...or was.

"Didn't I tell you that I was a member of the Bronze Knox gang?" He asks her.

"Yeah..." Lyric says.

"I've been beaten to a bloody pulp seven times, shot twice, got arrested, and I had been tortured beyond belief."

"It's no joke."

"I'm not saying it is." Lyric says.

"Of course not, but these kids out here think it's fun and games until someone dies in a drive-by shooting."

"Then when people get kidnapped, I had to witness friends of mine kneel and get shot right in front of me, and I was forced to live on."

"I'm sorry-"

"Don't be kid, you've been through shit too."

"I know Omar is a powerful gang leader but he's a shitty father."

"H-how did you know?" Lyric asks him.

"I've seen him shove his son against the dumpster and spit on him."

Lyric's face went from sympathetic to anger. Not the anger that she's been abused by the same man...the fact that her brothers and sisters had to go through it.

"Where's the kid now?" Lyric asks.

"Somewhere, Omar's children are laying low since the Bloodhounds are painting this place red." Adam explains.

"What I'm trying to say is...Omar must've fought you before."

"Yeah..." Lyric admits.

Lyric didn't want to think of her hoarse screams as a child and the blood that was on her father's knuckles and Leo getting held back by her mother.

"How come the Bloodhounds didn't check this place out?"

"This place is my turf, full of ally gang members."

"Domino would be in a mess if he called a hit on this place."

"So this is a place full of arsonists?" Lyric asks.

"We're good people...at least I think so."

"You're a good woman Lyric, I'm surprised that you're still standing after you've been beaten numerous of times."

That's because I made a promise.

"Just promise me you'll become nothing like your father."

"Hell no." Lyric says.

"If you are in a gang, just use your head...and your heart."

"I always do." Lyric says.

"Out of everyone in the Copperheads...you're the only member that's actually a good person." He says.

"Thanks..."

"Alright, so...how does getting your ass kicked feel?"

"Don't know how to answer that." Lyric says.

"So what's the plan kid?"

"I'll be coming here a lot more."

"Good, come back tomorrow at one sharp, dealers usually be here at twelve so I don't want you to get into some shit."

"Got it."

"Want to train some more?" He asks her.

Lyric nods, she expects him to call Nessa back in the room but he stands in front of her, going into his fighting stance.

"You're tiny for a woman your age but that's alright." He says.

"They key is to-"

"Outsmart." Lyric answers.

"Show me what you got Lyric."

Lyric starts swinging punches, he dodges and grabs her arm.

"Never let your punches linger."

"You're fighting a gang member, he or she's defenses can be deadly."

"I dislocated a man's rib in a gang fight."

Lyric's eyes widen.

As they continue to train, Lyric is now laid on the floor, she pants heavily. Adam reaches out and helps her up.

"You need some work kid but you're alright for a rookie."

Lyric hears footsteps and Adam grins.

"Ace Williams, come here you son of a bitch!"

Lyric turns around to see Ace in a black jacket, he had a bandanna in his hands, his blonde hair was loose and he still had several bruises on his face.

Adam pulls him into a hug, they were both taller than Lyric so she had looked up at them.

"Gabe found some shady ass people around your car." Ace says lowly, Adam sighs, grabbing his baseball bat that laid beside the door.

"One o'clock Lyric!" Adam shouts as he walks out.

Ace just looks around, Lyric had nervously looked around.

"Lyric." Ace says lowly, his voice startling her a little. His voice has changed since they had met, Ace used to have that southern accent, now his voice sounds low and threatening.

He gets into his fighting stance, his bruised knuckles were bandaged.

"Show me what you've learned."

--

Alexander sits at the table with Carson by his side.

"The Bloodhounds are raising chaos in the city."

"This wouldn't have happened if you hadn't told everyone about who Omar's children were."

"Omar Reid is a man you don't want to cross."

"We need to stop this...the cops can't know about our deal."

"I have the police under control." Alexander says.

"I'm more concerned about my son." Alexander explains, he cracks his knuckles as he stares straight ahead.

"He's unfortunately a target of the Bloodhounds."