[1] After exposing Mayor Williams's corruption and helping in the arrest of his partner Panther, Frank Vega has opened a community boxing center, becoming a coach to kids in the ring and outside of it.
News reaches Frank, who is heartbroken and later attends Manny's memorial at his house comforting his mom Rosaria and little sister Julia.
Frank fights them off saving Bernie, he later learns from his friend Officer Malark that Manny had narcotic pills on him indicating he died due to drug dealing.
Frank interrogates Tucson who reveals Manny sold the pills for a few months to support his family but was going to quit after his pro debut match.
Bernie was a talented hockey player in the minor leagues whose dream was to be the first African-American to play in the National Hockey League but was forced to retire early due to an injury, later on, he developed a rare liver disease and can't be put on a donor list due to his age giving him six months at most to live.
Bernie takes Frank to his old Ford Bronco II to drive, but it is broken down from years of neglect forcing them to use the city bus to the dealers' apartment.
The place is cleared out, so Frank decides to ask his friend Carmen (a flirtatious police officer) to give him Manny's belongings from the evidence room.
They are caught, tortured, and left to die in a freezer till Frank uses a charm bracelet, Julia gave to him to cut his and Bernie's bindings.
Rosaria is returned, and she tries to warn Frank that Leandro has a hidden gunman in his vehicle, but Bernie kills him at the last second with his old gun from the truck’s glove compartment he thought was unusable.