1657/Power Man & Iron Fist

Power Man & Iron Fist
Date of Scene:	26 July 2017
Location:	Unknown
Synopsis:	Summary needed
Cast of Characters:	Iron Fist, Luke Cage

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Iron Fist has posed:
The night is warm and full of rodents. Big ones, small ones, they skitter and scamper through the city's legendary sewer system. They steal food and send people fleeing to the safety of high-backed chairs. They seethe in alleys like this one.

Even as a literal rat darts from the shadows to crawl over one of the Iron Fist's leather boots, the masked martial artist has his mind on more metaphorical targets. He hangs back just shy of the mouth of the alley, eyes peeled across the street.

A diner, lights on. Two people, sitting by the window in full view of the street, drinking coffee. These, out of the all the people working and eating and drinking in the establishment, are the ones the Iron Fist watches. Silently, carefully, from his shrouded, Hell's Kitchen rat alley.

Luke Cage has posed:
Hell's Kitchen ain't exactly his turf but the Power Man: Luke Cage is traversing through this part of the city for some reason or another. That reason probably has more to do with the huge bag he's carrying over his shoulder than anything else. It's a duffle bag that's probably filled with more t-shirts and hoodies than he probably should own. The bag is decidedly 'Thrift Shop' which should probably explain why it's in the hand of Luke Cage.

The overstuffed bag doesn't seem to be a problem for the big guy as he wanders down the street and in the general direction of the diner that's poppin' with only the least amount of customers. For a moment, Luke's movements slow down as if he's pondering grabbing something to eat before he catches the train back to Harlem. Though, his mind is changed when he realizes it might be too awkward for him to go in there and not rob the place like a stereotypically designed version of himself would.

Especially, those two people just sitting in the window and drinking coffee. Weird.

Iron Fist has posed:
If those two people sipping coffee by the window have any clue they're being watched, they don't let on about it. Their conversation continues, naturally, and it looks to be a pleasant one. There's even laughter and smiling as a bored-looking waitress walks over to top them off. Someone cracks a joke and up sparks a streak of polite laughter. Then some more sipping.

In the alley, the Iron Fist feels boredom set in, even as Luke Cage comes into view and briefly draws his attention. That bag - no way; too obvious. That's what he's thinking when one of the coffee drinkers goes white, eyes bugging. He misses the moment and hisses, "Not now!"

The costumed vigilante runs out of the alley, stopping just as he enters the street to watch the diner collapse and see people verge on panicking. Down the street, a parked car turns on, flips its lights on, and peels out.

Luke Cage has posed:
There's a lot that happens all at once that Luke Cage isn't particularly fond of. Or understanding. He's just trying to make his way to the train station with all these clothes so that he can get some laundry done. He's got to wash these shirts and hoodies before he adds them to his collection, after all. Which is why he doesn't 'get' what's going on. He's kind of thinking about what he's going to be doing when he gets back to the shop.

That's about the same moment when a car peels out and one of those crazy masked fools come out of an alley. Out of his peripheral, Cage notices the diner collapsing and this all becomes way too much for him to handle at this exact moment. There's a lot going on and Cage responds by dropping the heavy bag down to the floor with a heavy thud.

He doesn't say anything but his attention is focused on the masked one. He looks like the obvious choice as the cause for what's going on. Masks breed assumptions. Well, there's also the fact that he's running out of the alley. That helps.

Iron Fist has posed:
The diner gets help from her companion and the waitress while others either get on their phones to call for help (the minority) or send tweets (the other chunk). Most of the action, being indoors, can only be assumed, though. Outside, it's a different story.

The Iron Fist, having given up his location, seems to be making a choice, hesitating between remaining outside and perhaps leaping through the diner window to provide assistance. Why would a mask use a door, after all? The decision he settles on, apparently, is to turn his full attention on the approaching vehicle.

The dark, four-door sedan builds up speed as it races north on the street. There's a flash of something in the windows, maybe, or a piece of intuition that the Iron Fist catches onto, because not only does the martial artist focus on the apparent getaway vehicle, he moves to engage it with a balled-up, glowing fist. Not before shouting to Luke, though. "Move!"

There's the squeal of rubber on pavement, then the crash-crunch of metal as the two collide.

Luke Cage has posed:
Oh Hell No.

Luke Cage doesn't move. There's no reason for him to move. Not when there's so much going on out here that he doesn't even realize what's going on inside. Maybe he does but he's focused on the Masked One and the fact that he's about to try and fight a freaking car. He frowns as he spots the glowing fist and clocks a mental speed of the car heading towards the Masked One at Too Fast.

The collision is what spurs Cage into action. He leaps off the sidewalk and away from the diner right into the street. There's a quick few stomping steps to get him off towards the collision site in which Cage is already attempting to look worried. "Crazy fool." is muttered to himself as he's pretty sure he's going to uncover some kind of dead body. However, there's one thing that he needs to do before he checks on the guy that probably just killed himself trying to stop a car with his fist.

The door to the getaway vehicle gets yanked off with a single and swift movement and tossed aside without a care in the world. The next movement has Luke reaching inside to grab whatever criminal element is inside and yanking them out for some angry staring.

Iron Fist has posed:
The car door thuds against the pavement, rocks a few times on its slight curve, then goes still. From the hole it leaves behind comes the blare of a carhorn, followed by a middle-aged man in a black suit, bleeding from the head. The other three doors to the vehicle open in unison and more men spill out, four in total and all in black. Each draws a newly-sharpened katana from a simple wooden sheath.

At the front of the car, Iron Fist stands with his feet apart, knees bent, and glowing fist stuck in the crumpled grill of the vehicle. Smoke pours out of the ruined hood. His arm shakes as he pulls his arm back and the glow in the fist dims to nothing. "I can handle them," he growls to Luke, apparently having missed the impressive removal of the car door. "Just get out of here."

Of course, all of this has caught the attention of the nearby diner, the people inside of which now torn between two spectacles.

Luke Cage has posed:
Cage rolls his eyes and has forgotten all about what's going on in the diner. Mostly because he's busy with the the fact that there are dudes with katanas driving around Hell's Kitchen. He's going to have to talk to some people about this. Y'know, when he actually meets them. So he can tell them about their neighborhoods!

"Four of them. One of you." Cage says without even paying attention to any weapons that may be headed in his direction. He actually has time to diss Iron Fist. "Your fist ain't even glowin' no more." Just in case Iron Fist needs to understand why he's lingering around to help.

Y'know, if standing there like an Unbreakable Bastard is helping.

Iron Fist has posed:
The Iron Fist has long known about these men in katanas, but their proliferation in New York City is only just starting to sink in. They're everywhere, and they're dangerous. He tries not to let on how much seeing them here, now, worries him. Thank god for the mask.

As the katana-wielding baddies raise their weapons and advance, the Iron Fist turns to truly consider the man sticking around for this. His mouth is a hard line tempered by concern, but he seems to give in to the stranger's presence. "I'll be fine," he says, emphasis on the word /fine/. Whether he means being outnumbered or no longer wielding an empowered fist, he doesn't get the chance to explain. "There are usually even more of them."

Two of the Hand operatives go after the Iron Fist. One lunges with his blade and the other takes several measured steps over the hull of the vehicle to strike from above. The others make a move for Luke.

Luke Cage has posed:
"I'll bet."

Cage doesn't sound like he believes the words coming out of the Iron Fist's mouth because he saw the glow fade and there's now a bunch of katana-wielding people running around like they ain't got no damn sense. Which, if you ask Cage, they don't. Which is why he stands his ground without being worried in the least if they are going to be attacking him or not.

Cage just turns slightly, putting his back in the general direction of Iron Fist while he keeps an eye on the ninja blade squad that's headed in his direction. He's a brick. So whatever blades come swinging in his direction, he's ready and willing to tank. "Just let me handle this. /I/ know what /I'm/ doin'." That's right. He's been doing this for quite some time now. Fighting crooks is kind of this thing.

Iron Fist has posed:
Both of the blades headed for Iron Fist slice through air and nothing more as the living weapon nimbly moves among them. Ducking to the side of the lunge, he delivers a swift punch to his attacker's side, knocking the man's air out. The second attack, from above, he ducks under, following up with a back kick to the spine. He swivels and brings his fists up, facing the two men - and Luke Cage - from the rear end of the car now.

"Yeah?" he asks, attention wandering from Luke to the two recovering ninjas on his side of the sedan. "Well, don't try and impress me with all that standing around you're doing," he says sarcastically, before going on the offensive.
From the diner, there is mixed concern for the fatality inside and the battery lives on the phones recording tonight's street brawl.

Luke Cage has posed:
Luke has been so busy talking ish to Iron Fist that he hasn't even realized that he's been getting sliced, chopped, punched and kicked by ninjas du jour. "Man, you handle yours..." Cage takes a moment to look back at the fools that have been going to town on his body and reaches out with a quick hand to slap one upside the head. He catches the blade of the other and then moves with a quick swipe to slap that one upside the head too.

Both fall to the ground and allow Cage to finish up his quipping, "... and I'll handle mine." Cage crushes the blade of the katana in his hand and the turns to look at the Iron Fist. But first, he notices how messed up his hoodie is now.

"... you owe me a hoodie, man."

Iron Fist has posed:
The Iron Fist isn't as heavy-handed as Luke, though he's equally effective. He plays of the swordsmen's attacks, inching them both dangerously cose to one another as he jumps, dips, and dodges the flurry. When a sword from one ninja comes in contact with the other, both jump back and open enough for Iron Fist to attack.

"Consider," he says before breaking a nose with a quick jab, "them -" followed by a kick to the groin, "handled." A jumping spin kick knocks one out as the other moans on the floor. Not the most graceful fight, but it works.

"Come on," he tells Luke. "There's bound to be more and nothing else we can do for her." He nods to the diner, then makes a break for it, already forgeting about the hoodie.