After dropping Zack and Karim and his friends in their neighbourhood, Xavier and Connor headed back.

And as they did, Connor very eagerly asked Xavier about when he could fight in the Wild Dog Fight Club.

"Are you sure...?"

"Yes, I already said I wanted to. But when is the question?"

"To be honest, there's no better way to learn than through actual combat, but first we should make sure you at least have the fundamentals down."

"And how long do you think that will take?"

"With some grilling from Achara, Sam and I, we can whip you up into shape in a few days. And you have your own way of fighting that is different to the rest of us, so it's best for you to develop it by yourself."

"Which is...?"

"Which is fighting without worrying much about defence. Of course, you block as many strikes as you can, but you don't have to waste energy and time evading attacks. Your muscular density grants you incredible durability, so you don't have to worry about getting injured. That allows you to charge forwards towards an opponent and if you are able to land even one clean blow, you would instantly gain the upper hand."

Listening to Xavier's explanation, Connor was nodding his head and everything he was saying made sense, but it was easier said than done.

Once the adrenaline rush kicked in, of course, it became easier, but he still wanted to be as mentally prepared as possible.

"Any other tips?" he asked, eager to learn, which was one of his best qualities.

"Well, if I was to take one of your strikes to the head, you would most likely knock me out because of the size, weight and strength difference. But I also think you should work on grappling and wrestling in general. Similar to the Juggernaut."

"The Juggernaut?"

"Oh, it's just some guy that I fought. The big guy that I told you about."

They carried on talking nonstop about fighting until they reached Xavier's home, and throughout, Xavier could see that Connor was itching to get into the fight club.

And one opponent he really wanted to face was none other than the Juggernaut that Xavier had previously faced, and through fighting him, he would be able to practice his grappling and face someone his own size.

Who, as a matter of fact, was even bigger than him.

"Then it's settled. I'll try to get you that fight with the Juggernaut at the end of the week, after you've trained and prepared. And you might as well quit your job while you're at it."

Unlike what Xavier was expecting from Connor, who always put his sisters first and wanted to give them stability in their lives, he nodded his head and said, "I was already planning on doing that."

After hearing that amount that Xavier and Achara had made in a single night through their fights and the bets Achara had placed, he was gob smacked, and it made his daily wage feel like chump change.

Then, seeing how joyous his sisters were after being spoiled by Xavier, he wanted to be able to do that for them and anybody else he wanted.

And he was placing his full trust in Xavier and the Outlaw Gang, believing in it more and more after watching how things were going so far.

-

The Outlaw Gang was yet to achieve anything yet, but the foundations they had laid were solid and it was the first time that Connor had felt passionate about anything since quitting American Football.

And unlike American Football, he wasn't going to give up on the Outlaw Gang and it would better his own life and that of his sisters.

-

Knocking on the door, they were greeted by three giddy little girls and a woman who appeared to be drained and tired after looking after them for so long.

The hyper children appeared to have taken their toll on her, but the smile on her face didn't fade, and it was a very wholesome scene.

"Come on, gather up everything we are taking back home with us. Xavier and his mother need some rest now," Connor said to his sisters.

And they were surprisingly obedient, unlike they would usually be, also appearing to be starting to get tired.

Of course, all of them were still elated after Xavier took them out shopping and they all thanked him one last time before leaving with Connor, who received a wink from Xavier.

"Next time, it'll be your turn to spend on us, and I won't be holding back."

Connor smiled and was carrying too many bags to count, which was especially straining after all the training he had just done, as he struggled to get out of the door and out of the building.

Sure that he would be fine to get home by himself, Xavier quickly cleaned himself up and dozed off despite how hungry he was.

His entire body was aching and the light training he had done only added to his pain.

But sleep was the best way to recover quickly, with it allowing his body to shut down and for the Rapid Recovery to take place at an even faster pace.

Placing a blanket over Xavier, his mother didn't know what to think as she sat beside her sleeping son with a slight smile on her face.

Of course, she was glad that things seemed to be going well, but knowing her son, she was pretty sure that he wouldn't actually rely on a woman to pay him for things.

And she could also tell that he seemed quite battered.

Mothers almost had a sixth sense when it came to their children, and she had seen how good Xavier was at kickboxing after winning the regional tournament and thought that maybe he had won a tournament or something.

That would explain the money and the state he was in.

But she decided not to pry too much and was just hoping that Xavier was staying safe and wasn't biting off more than he could chew.

Sitting there deep in thought and thinking about her past, she couldn't help but cry to herself silently as she uttered a name, "Malissa."

Xavier was deep asleep but with his Gangster Instincts was still aware of his surroundings and didn't know anyone called Malissa, but decided to forget about it and not ask who that was.

His mother had many struggles in her past and he didn't want to bring them up if he could avoid it, just wanting to be able to move on and give her the happy, carefree life she deserved.

And upon waking up, he ate the breakfast that his mother prepared, and suffered the consequences of the Rapid Recovery in the toilet, before heading back over to the dojo.