Snow Gives Way, part 03 of 04
Jul. 20th, 2018 11:42 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
touched_by_fireDanny spent the day in the public library, learning what he can of the accident that orphaned him and what has become of Rand Enterprises. Not much beyond what he already knew about the plane crash is in the public record, not even a cause for the accident, but Rand Enterprises has definitely expanded since his father’s day. They have stakes in many different industries, from polymers to pharmaceuticals. In fact, their holdings are so wide spread Danny quickly gets lost. One thing is perfectly clear however, Rand Enterprises is a billion dollar company.
Once the library closes, he heads south towards China town and Chikara dojo, Colleen’s business. He waits while she finishes a class and is impressed with the discipline she wields over her students.
After her class clears out, she gives him a skeptical look. “Hi. Here for a lesson?”
“What can two dollars get me?” Danny replies, holding up the bills she’d given him in the park yesterday morning.
She smiles but her body language is closed. “Cup of coffee down the street?”
“Never really liked coffee.”
“Or maybe a pair of flip-flops at one of the stalls.”
“I’m okay.”
They banter back and forth for a few minutes, Danny trying to find work but after the encounter with Joy, deciding not to push too far before he gives way and turns to leave.
“I apologize for any inconvenience,” he says from the door with a bow, before turning to leave.
“Hey,” Colleen calls out, stopping him. “Here.” She tosses him a pair of lightweight tabi shoes an old student had left.
“Thank you.”
Out on the sidewalk, Danny sits to put the shoes on. As he is standing, he is attacked and he responds immediately. The attack is brutal and no quarter is given, so Danny responds in kind, aiming blows to incapacite as quickly as possible with no worry for injuries. The two who attack are armed with guns and though he takes them out, five more are running towards him.
He runs to find a better place for the fight, looking for a place where their guns will not be an advantage. He can’t count on every gunman to be foolish enough to get close enough for him to reach them after all.
Unnoticed by Danny or his attackers, Colleen watches from her dojo’s window above. When Danny runs away, she climbs out after with a katana
Turning into an alley, he is faced with a fifteen foot fence. As he bounces form corner to wall to scale it, he can hear the curses of his pursuers as they split up to try and corner him. Landing with a light laugh, he is nearly caught off guard by a shout of another gunman. This one is smart and keeps his distance, but is surprised into freezing when Danny charges him. A quick disarm and strike, and the man is down and unconscious. Danny pauses only long enough to release the gun's clip, tossing it into the trash and then dropping the gun into a puddle.
Hearing the sounds of a parade, Danny runs that way. Once there, he blends in with the festival. Keeping an eye out, he quickly notes the positions of his attackers and moves to turn the hunt to his favor, taking each down in turn until he disarms the last. Holding him in a joint lock, he recognizes the man as Shannon, one of the security guards who'd kicked him out of Rand Enterprises.
"Who sent you?!?" Danny demands.
The guard glares at him, lips pressed tight. Danny twists the arm painfully, pointing out how easily he could break or push it out of joint.
"Ward. Ward Meachum," Shannon gasps. Satisfied, Danny strikes and knocks the man unconscious before running off.
Back at the park and still riled up from the fight, Danny taps on Big Al’s tent and calls out for him. He wants to tell Al about the attackers, how they were Rand security, the very ones he’d fought through the other day to get to the executive suites, and get Al’s insight. Not getting an answer, he looks around finds Al leaning against the tree.
Coming over, a growing concern grips Danny as he realizes Al isn’t focusing on him or moving. Is he even breathing? Danny touches his chest careful, in case the big man is sleeping, but nothing. He touches his face next and then notices the needle sticking out of his arm. Rocking back on his heels, Danny nearly cries in grief. Carefully pulling the needle out, Danny notices a tattoo of a hawk in flight, and is reminded of the hawk that showed him the path out of K’un Lun was open.
Danny sets Al’s hands in his lap and recites a Buddhist prayer for the dead.
Once the library closes, he heads south towards China town and Chikara dojo, Colleen’s business. He waits while she finishes a class and is impressed with the discipline she wields over her students.
After her class clears out, she gives him a skeptical look. “Hi. Here for a lesson?”
“What can two dollars get me?” Danny replies, holding up the bills she’d given him in the park yesterday morning.
She smiles but her body language is closed. “Cup of coffee down the street?”
“Never really liked coffee.”
“Or maybe a pair of flip-flops at one of the stalls.”
“I’m okay.”
They banter back and forth for a few minutes, Danny trying to find work but after the encounter with Joy, deciding not to push too far before he gives way and turns to leave.
“I apologize for any inconvenience,” he says from the door with a bow, before turning to leave.
“Hey,” Colleen calls out, stopping him. “Here.” She tosses him a pair of lightweight tabi shoes an old student had left.
“Thank you.”
Out on the sidewalk, Danny sits to put the shoes on. As he is standing, he is attacked and he responds immediately. The attack is brutal and no quarter is given, so Danny responds in kind, aiming blows to incapacite as quickly as possible with no worry for injuries. The two who attack are armed with guns and though he takes them out, five more are running towards him.
He runs to find a better place for the fight, looking for a place where their guns will not be an advantage. He can’t count on every gunman to be foolish enough to get close enough for him to reach them after all.
Unnoticed by Danny or his attackers, Colleen watches from her dojo’s window above. When Danny runs away, she climbs out after with a katana
Turning into an alley, he is faced with a fifteen foot fence. As he bounces form corner to wall to scale it, he can hear the curses of his pursuers as they split up to try and corner him. Landing with a light laugh, he is nearly caught off guard by a shout of another gunman. This one is smart and keeps his distance, but is surprised into freezing when Danny charges him. A quick disarm and strike, and the man is down and unconscious. Danny pauses only long enough to release the gun's clip, tossing it into the trash and then dropping the gun into a puddle.
Hearing the sounds of a parade, Danny runs that way. Once there, he blends in with the festival. Keeping an eye out, he quickly notes the positions of his attackers and moves to turn the hunt to his favor, taking each down in turn until he disarms the last. Holding him in a joint lock, he recognizes the man as Shannon, one of the security guards who'd kicked him out of Rand Enterprises.
"Who sent you?!?" Danny demands.
The guard glares at him, lips pressed tight. Danny twists the arm painfully, pointing out how easily he could break or push it out of joint.
"Ward. Ward Meachum," Shannon gasps. Satisfied, Danny strikes and knocks the man unconscious before running off.
Back at the park and still riled up from the fight, Danny taps on Big Al’s tent and calls out for him. He wants to tell Al about the attackers, how they were Rand security, the very ones he’d fought through the other day to get to the executive suites, and get Al’s insight. Not getting an answer, he looks around finds Al leaning against the tree.
Coming over, a growing concern grips Danny as he realizes Al isn’t focusing on him or moving. Is he even breathing? Danny touches his chest careful, in case the big man is sleeping, but nothing. He touches his face next and then notices the needle sticking out of his arm. Rocking back on his heels, Danny nearly cries in grief. Carefully pulling the needle out, Danny notices a tattoo of a hawk in flight, and is reminded of the hawk that showed him the path out of K’un Lun was open.
Danny sets Al’s hands in his lap and recites a Buddhist prayer for the dead.
