It happened on a Thursday, late afternoon.
Blaze was wrapping his hands when the gym door slammed open like a gunshot.
Dez.
This time, he wasn't alone. A couple more guys rolled in behind him—older, tougher, all with that same lean, hungry look. Wolves, not dogs. Dez had brought his crew.
The whole gym stopped moving like someone hit pause on the world.
Blaze stood still. Kept wrapping his hands, loop over loop, thumb under, tight around the wrist.
"You thought that was it?" Dez said, voice loud enough to echo against the walls. "One lucky swing and you think you're in the club now?"
He stepped closer. Rico trailing him like a shadow, nervous but still loyal enough to grin at the right moments.
"I saw that little punch you landed on me," Dez said. "It's cute. But this ain't charity. You wanna stand here with us? You gotta earn it."
No one laughed this time. This wasn't about jokes anymore.
This was about territory.
Blaze straightened his back, heart steady. "You wanna go again?"
Dez's grin sharpened like broken glass. "Nah. Not here. You and me. Tomorrow night. Warehouse gym over on 9th. No Mason. No rules."
Rico muttered, "Street spar."
That was it, then.
No trainers. No pads. Just fists and reputation.
"Scared?" Dez asked.
Blaze shook his head. "Not scared."
"Good," Dez said. "'Cause you're gonna bleed for real this time."
Later That Night
Mason didn't yell when Blaze told him. Didn't argue. Just looked tired in that way old warriors get when they know another kid's about to walk into a storm he shouldn't have to face yet.
"You don't have to do this," Mason muttered.
"Yes, I do."
Mason looked at him like a blacksmith looks at metal—measuring, weighing. Finally: "Then you better not go in there thinking about survival."
"What then?"
Mason stepped closer, voice low and hard.
"You go in there to win. And if you can't win, you go in there to make that bastard remember you every time he takes a breath."
Silence between them. No more teacher and student. Just fighters.
Blaze nodded once. "Good."
Tomorrow, the warehouse gym.No lights. No trainers. No mercy.
Just two wolves, fighting over the same piece of ground.
And Blaze?He was done being prey.