Diesel has always had a knack for getting himself in trouble. From schoolyard scuffles to hot-wiring his first car at thirteen, he quickly became familiar with law enforcement. After a six-month stint in juvenile detention, Diesel scraped by to graduate high school. Unable to get into Vanguard University, he returned to petty crimes to get by.

Selling stolen televisions, he found himself in the middle of a shootout between the buy and the cops. While fleeing, an officer shot a barrel containing an unknown substance. Caught in the explosion, Diesel escaped, but days later, he discovered he could create fire in the palms of his hands. Now with powers, Diesel started working as an enforcer for one of the crime bosses. 

When he meets Richard, he attempts to back off his criminal activity. Wanting to be free and not involve his boyfriend, he agrees to one last job killing a second-rate hero. The hit goes sideways and ultimately he kills the hero to prevent going to prison. But when the crime boss is captured, he strikes a plead deal that leaves Diesel the fall guy for the crime. His lawyers assured him he’d be found innocent until the prosecution summoned Richard to testify. This leads to his incarceration in a powered detention center.

While in lockup, Diesel swore he’d turn his life around. Letting go of the anger that landed him in lockup, he works toward his associate’s degree in business. Seeing his efforts, the Warden offers him a detail working as a cook in the mess hall. There he discovers his passion for food and begins an obsessive love affair with the Cooking channel. Ten years into a twenty-year sentence, LaToya offers his freedom, and he takes it without a second thought.