July 15, 2018:
Danny and Luke have a serious talk about recent events involving Owen and Fisk.
Rand's House
Because Billionaires always have the best toys (and gaming system set-ups).
Characters
![class="image1"](http://cmbeta.wdfiles.com/local--resized-images//class="image1"/medium.jpg)
NPCs: None.
Mentions: Wilson Fisk, Owen Mercer, Emery Papsworth, Jessica Jones, Six, Matt Murdock
Plot:
Mood Music: [*\# None.]
Fade In…
Both of their lives have become increasingly busy with the crumbling of Hell's Kitchen, but Danny is also dealing with bad press that Luke has volunteered to bodyguard for when he's in the public eye, there is the bar and apartment building in its final spit shine stages, and Rand Enterprises still needs running. Still, they've carved aside some time just to sit down and play mindless video games for a while. They've burned through a first person shooter game, and now they're onto a thug style racing game where they both refuse to pick up the hookers and roll her for the money she earned.
There is no such thing as casual downtime though, not for long anyways. And their friendly banter turns to business along with the mashing of buttons on their controllers. It switches to their plans to make Danny (and his money) the bait for luring out one of the Princesses, and then to their efforts to continue helping the people of the Kitchen directly. It's mentioned that Matt needs Rand to get a good chunk of change available to be discussed at tomorrow's get together. Rand admits he's buying up property in the affected area to do something similar and keep the costs and rent low, and Luke suggests donating a couple of the unleased apartments out for six months to needy families in the Harlem building.
Which leads Cage to, "Mercer is getting one of the apartments at cost in return for helping me Super." Eyes flash briefly over to his ninja brother from another mother. "I heard you kicked him out the other night."
*
Danny is at a disadvantage when it comes to video games. He spent the years where young men are usually spending too much time button mashing instead carrying stones up hills, meditating, and punching rocks to strengthen his fists. So whenever they're head-to-head, Luke's kicking his ass. When it comes to cooperative games though, he's quite adept - which reflects the more communal way he learned to fight and live.
"I think I probably need to set up a foundation for the Hell's Kitchen stuff. I need to talk to the guys about that." By 'the guys' he means Nelson and Murdock. He eyes the screen and mashes a few buttons as his health meter takes a hit. His jaw is set already when Luke mentions Owen. "Yeah. Yeah." He exhales slowly. "You going to give me grief about that too?"
*
"Get that guy! Hit him with the car!" Luke makes an emphatic gesture at the TV, before he puts both hands on the controller. His tongue makes an appearance, poking out of the corner of his mouth in concentration as his pixeled car makes a sharp corner. Attention stays on the screen instead of pausing the game, which makes it easier to talk about such things. Perhaps it's Luke's way of trying to not be so confrontational on the subject, just conversational. "Owen thought I knew, so I played it off and didn't really get the details. Who's giving you grief?"
*
"Augh! Where'd he come from?!" Danny veers his controller to the side despite the fact that moving it does nothing to help his progress on the game. He's silent for a moment as he hits a few buttons to reload his in-game weapon. When he speaks, there's a bit of a sulk to his voice. "Emery. Wrote me this letter about how I need to forgive him."
*
"Yeah, I got one too." Luke isn't quite sure how he feels about his judging by his own tone, but it's not quite the sullen note in Danny's. "Not about Owen, but about not letting my hard decisions make me feel guilty or something, and I'm strong so I can endure it. I dunno, man." He risks letting go of his controller for a second to scratch at the underside of his nose with a rub of a knuckle. "Called me family, but it's like he's trying to be my daddy. Jess is looking after Kennis while he's gone doing…whatever he does when he's not making pancakes."
*
"He said that in my letter, too. The family thing," says Danny as he watches the screen. He's clearly not as into it as he was a few minutes ago. So when he suddenly gets hit and his health meter drops, he tosses the controller aside and scrubs at his face. "He went to work for Fisk. How can I have him in my house?"
*
When Danny tosses the controller aside, Luke hits pause on his own and then holds down the center button until the console switches off and the screen goes black except the bouncing screen saver of the televisions manufacture. He reaches out and with his big paw, fluffs Danny's hair with a rough ruffle. "Well, he's right about the family bit. But the rule about family is you don't shut them out. Look." He can't really turn sideways easily with his big frame, but he adjusts the angle of his knees so he's addressing Danny more directly. "He's battling with a relapse, probably drunk as a skunk, and he made a deal with the devil when he was high as shit. Kick him out, sure. You've got a kid and your friends staying here, and you're protecting them. But we have to protect him too." Luke gives a huff of breath that sounds like an aggravated sigh, "And I guarantee I hurt him worse."
*
"Emery's letter told me to let him back in, that he's going to tear himself apart if not. But I worry he's going to tear us apart if he stays. Luke, he's a junkie. I have sympathy for that. I know it's a sickness." Danny slumps back in his seat and reaches for his glass of water. He rolls it between both his hands and frowns at the bouncing logo. "But I also know that junkies make bad choices and hurt the people around them. We're vulnerable right now. He's a weak spot."
*
"That's why I gave him the apartment with the caveat of a purpose. I'll keep him under my nose while still being able to keep him at arm's length. I'm vouching for him for our meeting with the others though, he wants to make it right. Make amends. And I think he deserves that chance. Without him, we wouldn't have this drug lead to follow." Luke puts his hand down on the cushion, feeling a lump that would have a sharp edge to anyone else. He pulls out a pink Lego piece, giving it a similar frown to the one Danny is giving the television. A reminder that Kennis is here. "I'll respect your wishes though, when it comes to your house. You're under enough of a microscope in the public's eye as it is."
*
Danny is still doing a lot of frowning at the bouncing logo. His jaw is tight, his nose slightly wrinkled. "I…don't know how to help someone like him. So much of what I've been taught is about honour and trust. He broke our trust, and he's done dishonourable things." He seems to remember just then that water is for drinking. He sips from the cup, but more just for the motion than out of thirst. "He knows so much about me. He could make me lose Rand."
*
"He won't." Luke seems to think that vehemently with how quickly and firmly he states it. "Owen had the opportunity to give up Matt or Six for an unlimited supply for his habit, and he didn't. Deep down, he's a good man. He just…has his brain clouded by chemicals. You said it yourself, you were taught honor and trust. Mercer was raised by criminals and never had that luxury. No one blames you for not trusting the guy, I'm not even letting him touch my bar again until he proves he's clean. But don't you think everyone deserves a chance to be taught the right way? That's on us, Dee. As his friends."
*
"I believe in redemption. I believe that the path to honour can be regained," Danny says that with confidence in his voice. "With reflection and meditation, and through deeds." There's always a certain way he speaks when it's clear he's reciting wisdom and other teachings from K'un L'un. "But I don't see how letting him have full access to this house before he's done any of that reflecting will help. I trust easily, Luke. You've seen that. But when that trust is broken…" he trails off. Once bitten, twice shy. He assumes the best in everyone, but that doesn't mean he's a pushover.
*
"Then don't. I'll make it clear to Mercer that Gramercy is off limits. But you can't shut the man out entirely, a'ight?" Luke asks the question in earnest, just as much for Owen as for himself. If something happened that shut Danny off from Luke, he'd no doubt survive as the hard wired man he is, but that'd be a whole chunk of himself that would just be gone from his life. He's already had enough of that. And once Jess finds out what he did… "I rubbed his nose in it, man. I held up one of those patches and burned it right in front of him. If he goes off the edge again, it won't be because he bounced him from your pad."
*
"I haven't talked to him since that night. And he was drunk." Danny frowns. "We haven't talked, but not because I was shutting him out. Things have been busy." Maybe not a shut-out, but definitely some avoidance. "I didn't see it. I didn't know he was an addict. I've only just started to learn about his criminal activities. But I didn't feel like I could judge him too harshly on that front. I mean…" he smiles a little dopily, "…what we do isn't exactly legal."
*
"True that." Luke tosses the Lego that he's been rolling around in his palm to the table and then leans back with a sigh. "I think when we're all in the same room together, he'll have his true Come To Jesus moment that'll set him back on the right path. Look, Dee. I'm sorry I brought that under your roof without giving you the heads up first." Even if Emery is probably closer to Owen, he's still going to fully take the blame on his broad shoulders. Like Emery said, he's strong enough to hold that guilt for everyone.
*
Danny stands up and crosses the room. He opens a small box on a shelf and pulls out an amulet with the same dragon that got mystically tattooed onto his chest. He carries it over to Luke and unfolds his hand. The dragon is glowing brightly. He passes it over to the other man and the glowing fades until it's black etching on the surface. "He brought me this. He was hired to steal it and had a fake made in its place."
*
Luke reaches out to take what's offered, brow furrowing as he examines it. He flips it over in his palm, and then again, thumb running over the shape of the dragon that he's seen inked on Danny's chest before when they're in the basement working out. "It's like the one you're sporting." He sort of holds it closer to Danny and then draws it back away, to see if the glowing resumes when it's closer to the curly haired man. "This have anything to do with your mojo being off? I noticed even when that guy came at you with the crowbar the other night, you didn't go all glowy."
*
Danny nods, "It's the symbol of the Iron Fist. Owen…" his jaw tightens, "…took a definite risk bringing it to me." Which is his way of saying that he's not going to completely give up on the guy. He takes the amulet back and the glowing resumes. "No, I…I just need to feel centred to use the Fist. I need to be balanced and feel confident." And he hasn't been feeling either of those things very much lately.
*
Luke wraps a finger into the chain, letting the amulet dangle from his grip as he passes it back to Danny, watching the disk spin so the Iron Fist symbol disappears and reappears as it turns. There's a nod about what Danny says about Owen, finding a bit of solace in that fact. "We'll get you back there, man. I can meditate every morning with you, if you think it'll help. But why is it here? Who hired him to steal it and why the hell would they want it?"
*
"That's the question," says Danny. He rubs the side of his neck. "But it's made me realize that I don't really know that much about my power. Other people might know more. And that's a dangerous thing."
*
"Well, how can we find out?" We. Luke has no problem interjecting himself into this situation, because if Danny is in danger he has no trouble putting himself in front of the literal and metaphorical bullet for the man. "'Cuz you know I got your back, brother."
*
"I think for now," says Danny, "…we concentrate on Fisk, and stopping Owen from destroying himself. Then we worry about mystical quests." Despite the heavy conversation, a little bit of his trademark mirth and optimism creeps back in.