There was an awkward silence that radiated in the air as Lincoln and Molly walked down the sidewalk of Royal Woods. The sun was beginning to set, signaling the nightlife to begin. Teens were out hanging with their friends, Kids where at Gus' games and grubs, and adults where heading to the local bars to drink their problems away. It seemed that everyone in the town of Royal Woods was taking advantage of the night, seeing as there would be no school or work for some people in the upcoming day. Everyone but Lincoln Loud, who moments ago finished his training with Martin, and was now walking with someone that he didn't complete trust. Although Molly seemed different from the rest of the Django gang, she still had a sadistic presence to her, and was still a high ranked member of the gang. Overseeing the sales and distribution of drugs, weapons and money, along with hosting the fights at the lounge, Lincoln still thought of her as a threat, yet was walking with her to talk about god only knows what.

The two didn't make any eye contact, or even acknowledge one another's existence, until Molly decided to break the silence. She took a deep sigh and looked over to boy next to her.

"We're going to this one coffee shop that I like to go too by the mall. Then I'll tell you what I need to tell you". Lincoln looked at her, and without saying a word, nodded his head in agreement.

After a couple of minutes of walking, the pair arrived at the café, which had a vintage look to it. The sign read "Rockin Café" with a half Vinyl record to the side of it. Upon entering, Lincoln gazed at the wall, which was covered in pictures and albums from rock and roll legends. The décor told Lincoln that this must've been a music themed café, which he confirmed upon seeing an empty stage in the back corner.

The café was rather empty, save for a young-looking girl that was working behind the counter. She had long brown hair, and eyebrow piercings. She wore a white polo, blue jeans and black converse. She also had on a brown overall and cap that read "Rockin Café".

Upon seeing Molly, the girl raised her head in surprise.

"Oh shit, what's up Molly?" the girl behind the counter exclaimed. She adjusted her uniform and began to head towards the coffee machine. "I didn't expect you to be here today since I thought you were at the fighting lounge. Well anyways, the shops pretty empty today, but in an hour, it's gonna to get packed since a couple of bands are gonna have a gig here tonight. So, I guess you came at a right time". The girl finished making a cup of coffee, which she then handed to Molly. She then shifted her eyes to Lincoln and cocked an eyebrow, then back at Molly.

"It's fine Christa, I just wanted to have a private conversation with this kid". Molly smiled and looked down to Lincoln, who was still gazing around the room. She then took a sip of her coffee and asked Lincoln "you want something to drink dude?"

Lincoln was taken a back by the question, but quickly regained his composure. "Water please."

"One water coming right up kid", Christa exclaimed, pouring a jug of water into a cup and handing it to the white-haired boy. "There you go kid", she said with a warming smile. Lincoln returned the smile and took the cup acceptingly. "Oh shit, hey y'all can take a booth and talk about…whatever the hell it is yalls gonna talk about. But I gotta get this place ready in an hour". With that, Christa turned head around, then reached in her pocket to dig out some earbuds. She then retreated to the back kitchen, disappearing from sight.

Molly and Lincoln turned around and headed for a booth near the main window where the mall was in view. Lincoln had to admit that the sight of Royal Woods mall at night was rather relaxing, as the pink LED lights shinned blissfully amongst the sky, which was now dark with scattered stars at this point, and the crowds of families and young friends that were heading into the compound. It all just added to a peaceful atmosphere that the boy found comfort in. Yet he started to feel a little a sad. Ever since the beginning of his training, he found himself spending less time with his friends and family, and besides the company of his trainer Martin, he felt lonely and greatly missed them all. Sure, he saw them every day, but not to the extent before his training. He began to ponder what his friends and family where doing. Maybe they were at that mall across the street, having a good fun time. Still, the sight relaxed Lincoln instead of worrying him. However, the moment was short lived, as Molly cleared her throat, which took the boys attention away from the view and towards the girl sitting in front of him.

"Look kid", Molly began, staring down at her cup of coffee. "I'm not going to beat around the fucking bushes, so I'm going to be honest with you and tell you something that I should've told you the moment you came back to the fighting lounge." She took a sip of her coffee and stared at Lincoln with an emotionless glare. "Stop all this training shit and cancel off the deal you made with my boss." Lincoln was a bit shocked at this request, yet he was kind of expecting it. The boy took a deep sigh and turned his head to face back out the window to continue staring at the mesmerizing sight before him.

"Molly…why are you part of that gang?" The white-haired boy asked, not taking his eyes off the mall. Molly's cold expression turned into a look of surprise. Although she was expecting the boy to ask that question, she didn't expect him to respond to her request with it. She gritted her teeth and clenched her eyes close in frustration.

"Fuck that kid, this isn't about me! Look, just back out of this shit now before you get even fucking deeper in it then you already are, and never look back." Lincoln quickly snapped his head to Molly with a look of anger that was plastered on his face.

"NO, SCREW YOU, AS FAR AS I'M CONCERNED YOUR'E MY ENEMY, SO I DON'T NEED TO DO A DAMN THING YOU SAY", Lincoln shouted. Molly starred back at the boy completely unphased. For a girl who's worked in one of the deadliest gangs, and has operated countless illegal fights, outbursts and yelling have no effect on her. But still, she considered Lincolns words.

She closed her eyes and sighed. "You're right, I don't blame you for thinking I'm your enemy…but trust me when I say that I don't consider you my enemy. Not one bit". She opened her eyes to stare back at Lincoln, who was calming down and looking at her with a surprised yet understanding expression. "What you're trying to do for Chrystal, means a lot to me. I want her out of Ron's hands more than anything". She took a sip of her coffee, letting the liquid energize her for a bit. She then put the cup down and tilted her head downwards so she could stare at the cup. She then gave a light smile, not taking her eyes off the cup. "You know Lincoln, I remember the day Ron stole Chrystal from Martin. I yelled at him so much that night, that he actually beat me to a bloody pulp. Then I realized that this little girl wasn't going back to her parents ever again. Ever since that day, I've cared for her like a sister. She practically is my sister. I've tried so hard to keep her out of trouble. I've taken the blame for accidents she's done, and I've gotten punished for them so many times. But I didn't care, because as her big sister I would do anything to protect her". Molly's eyes began to water as she reminisced the past couple years with Chrystal. "Big sisters are supposed to protect their little ones". The words kept echoing in Lincolns mind, as he thought about his sisters. "Lincoln, I'm in that gang because I don't have a choice". Molly's tears began to fall, as she took a deep breath, trying to remember the painful memories that were planted in the back of her mind. "The fighting Lounge used to be an accounting office that my dad owned. Well, the entire building was. After my mom died, me and my father grew closer. I watched him work with money, and pretty soon I got the hang of it." A light smile gleamed across her face as she retold her story, but suddenly, it was replaced with a cold, dead stare. "But then…he came. Ron and his gang. He decided that he wanted our building for his headquarters, and he told my dad that he would be working as a personal financer. Of course, my dad said no to all of it…and…and." Molly began to choke on her words, as tears started to pour down her face. "And, Ron shot him in the head without any hesitation. He shot him right in front of me. That bastard killed my only family. Lincoln." At this point, Molly was full on crying, as Lincoln stared at her without muttering a word. After a couple of minutes, Molly regained her composure, and continued on with her story with red eyes. "After that, in exchange for my life, I agreed to be the account for the gang. A couple years later when the fights started, I agreed to work on that as well. Lincoln, that was 9 years ago. Ever since then I stayed by Ron's side". Molly gulped up the last bits of her coffee before staring back down at the table. "I know you're Lunas little brother, and this might be a surprise to you, but me and her are great friends. She's like a sister to me. Her and our other friends have gotten me through a lot of hard times, and even after I told her my story, and what I do, she still stood by my side. Her and all our friends did. That's why, even though I want Chrystal to be free, I can't allow you fight the gang Lincoln. I can't put my friends' little brother in danger. So please, I want you to back out of the fights". She continued to stare down, letting the guilt and pain wash over her.

Lincoln had a cold expression on his face, as he listened to every word that came out of Molly's mouth. His hair was covering his eyes, engulfing them in a shadow that made them nonvisible. He looked down at the palm of his hands, and then curled his fingers into a tight fist. "Listen Molly. Thank you for telling me this. But I'm not going to back out of the fight". Molly shot her head towards the white-haired boy in shock. "I'm going to beat the noble four, and free Chrystal from the gang. I promised Martin that, and that's what I'm going to do." Lincoln raised his head up to face Molly, removing his eyes from the shadow so he could stare at Molly. A determined smile shined across his face, as he tightened his fist. "Then after, I'm going to kick Ron's ass, and bring down is entire shitty empire…and free you". The words began to sink into Molly's head, as her eyes began to water again.

"Lincoln…" she whimpered.

The two stared at each other for a while, as Lincoln had a heart-warming smile with a look of determination, while Molly teared up, fighting back her urge to cry. For the first time in her life, she felt something that she never thought she would feel again. Hope.

After a couple of seconds, the twos train of thoughts were interrupted by the sound of the front door opening.

"Molly?...and LINCOLN?" Luna gasped.