"It's precarious," Ishiah says, by way of being realistic. In the entirety of that wide world, there's only this small stretch of Manhattan, Ishiah knows, which sees any level of truce between the sides. And breaking out that space was one of the bloodiest efforts that he's ever seen to date, the result of a few who persevered and clung, and steeled themselves with the knowledge that they couldn't carve out that haven without losses. He lost more brothers in that effort than any other, and in the end, Manhattan is still as dangerous of a place as any.

But he can readily admit that it is unique.

"I wouldn't call it peace so much as a cease-fire," he adds. "Once they step outside of the boundary of the city, it's no holds barred."