So, Marcus vanished a couple days ago. Sometimes it's hard to leave the Kitchen, never mind that he feels like he doesn't really want to intrude on Danny's home. She's nice, the first honestly nice person he's met since escaping Europe. She's also hot, so y'know, sometimes it's awkward for him. Anyways, he said something about going out and he hasn't been back in days. Funnily enough there was some kind of attack on mobsters in the Kitchen, and Marcus did say something how he had no problem smoking some mooks from time to time. So that might've set off some alarm bells.
Then there's that whole thing with the Hellmouth in Centeral Park, and who knows what's up with that. But there reports of a pillar of rising out of the park, thirty feet high. That could be just about anyone, but considering what he's said of his abilities, fire was stated as one of them. And then it happened again, something about a whole street being filled with demonhounds and eldritch horrors and a whole street got blasted and charred. Follow the trail of destruction and you might wind up finding something.
Which would be something along the lines of Marcus running away from a duo of vampires down an alley way. He's low on energy, most of it spent up earlier in the day from the earlier fight. And now he's got a pair of bloodsuckers flying after him. Eyes flare red, and a lance of white hot elemental fire shoots from his hand, the pair of them dodging and swooping in kicking Marcus in the back as he's running. This causes him to fly across the street into a dumpster. An impact might like might kill a normal person, but the elementalist just dents it, struggling to get up to his feet.
*
Something is extremely wrong with the city. And while Danny can't do much with her resources as someone with money, she can at least help people with boots on the ground. So when Marcus didn't come back, she put on the green and gold silk, tied on her mask, and ventured into the madness that was Hell's Kitchen to see if she could at least find her friend.
This wasn't exactly how she was planning on finding him.
"Marcus," she calls ahead of herself as she runs along a roofline. "You know, there's a point where you really need to make better plans."
*
It's the first time since Marcus has been hit so hard in his life. He's kinda bewildered at the fact that he was twenty feet across the street and put a massive Marcus-sized dent into a dumpter and didn't feel much more than a slap to the back. It does hurt, make no mistake, just not as much he thought. He should be dead. But when Danny gets in sight of him, he's looking rough. Like he's been running and/or fighting for the past couple of days. Or hiding in a sewer somewhere. He looks tired, worn out, but he had keep his wits about him because he's about to get dive-bombed fy a flying vampire, who's reaching out to him with nasty-looking claws. Reaching out, he grabs the creature by the arm and wrenching down, slamming it into a brick wall, creating a number of impact cracks, which only seems to daze it. ANother blast of fire, but it's quicker, coming at him with vicious swipes. Now, Marcus is a good hand-to-hand fighter, combine that with the super soldier serum that Hydra injected with and he's more than a match for any normal human when you account for the military training. But he's just not fast enough, his swings and strikes hitting nothing more than air. He's not the Iron Fist, not even in the same league. There's look up at the sound of her voice, trying to back off, eyes snapping to yellow, a torrent of sharp wind, knocking the creature back. "Open to suggest-" The other vampire slams into him, holding him against the wall. Which is find, just where he wants it. It's hissing shirek with open fangs is close enough, that he palms the creature's face. And skin begins to sizzle, even as the monster has him by the neck.
*
It's the first time since Marcus has been hit so hard in his life. He's kinda bewildered at the fact that he was twenty feet across the street and put a massive Marcus-sized dent into a dumpter and didn't feel much more than a slap to the back. It does hurt, make no mistake, just not as much he thought. He should be dead. But when Danny gets in sight of him, he's looking rough. Like he's been running and/or fighting for the past couple of days. Or hiding in a sewer somewhere. He looks tired, worn out, but he had keep his wits about him because he's about to get dive-bombed fy a flying vampire, who's reaching out to him with nasty-looking claws. Reaching out, he grabs the creature by the arm and wrenching down, slamming it into a brick wall, creating a number of impact cracks, which only seems to daze it. ANother blast of fire, but it's quicker, coming at him with vicious swipes. Now, Marcus is a good hand-to-hand fighter, combine that with the super soldier serum that Hydra injected with and he's more than a match for any normal human when you account for the military training.
But he's just not fast enough, his swings and strikes hitting nothing more than air. He's not the Iron Fist, not even in the same league. There's look up at the sound of her voice, trying to back off, eyes snapping to yellow, a torrent of sharp wind, knocking the creature back. "Open to suggest-" The other vampire slams into him, holding him against the wall. Which is find, just where he wants it. It's hissing shirek with open fangs is close enough, that he palms the creature's face. And skin begins to sizzle, even as the monster has him by the neck.
*
"You could start with making any plans," Danny suggests, even as she throws herself off the edge of the roof. That doesn't seem like much of a plan. "Or call someone to, you know, help." The path of her fall takes her right into the vampire that's just getting off of the wall, putting the force of her body behind a kick to its chest.
"Why are we fighting vampires in Hell's Kitchen? What the hell, pardon the irony, is going on in this city right now?" She's fast, all right. It ought to be superhuman, but somehow it just…flows. The way she fights, though, it a double-edged sword. On the one thing, it's hard to use her sense of chi to tell where something that's undead is going to move. They just don't have chi to sense. On the other hand, when she pulls her own chi into her blows? It's pure life energy - anathema to something that isn't alive.
*
"I didn't want to bother you." Marcus, continuing to pour elemental fire through his hand and into the vampire that has a death grip on him, and he on it, and he's hurting it a helluva lot more than it is. Vampires and fire don't really mix. Pure elemental fire is all the worse. "You're the only person I know." his other hand starts to pry the clawed hand off his neck. He's stronger than any human. Not Captain America type stronge, but maybe in the ballpark. "Besides, I went for a walk trying to think of a decent way to ask you out. But I didn't think you'd want to go out with some guy with no cash and sleeping on your couch." He actually has to talk over the shrieking, as his eyes flare completely red, pupils and whites replaced by a glowing firey shade of crimson that glow, whisps of elemental magic wafting off it. "The Hellmouth, all sorts of…stuff is coming out. These two have been chasing me since the park. Also, it's making my powers act weird. So add to the fact that I don't understand, they're doing crazy shit."
As for the one dealing with Danny, it's kind of a one-sided fight, considering she's far faster than it can fight back. And that too scream an unhumanly screech when she hits, turning whatever part of it she strikes turns to ash, creating a hollowed crater of where undead flesh used to be.
*
"Why is it making your powers act weird?" Leave it to Danny to focus on that part of the discussion. Then again, that part is probably the most relevant part. The vampire is fast, and unable to read it, it's taking her a little longer than it might otherwise to come to grips.
The vampire strikes out and Danny sways to the side, hand snapping out to swat the strike aside. It's too fast for her to be able to strike out herself. She bides her time, though, the golden glow around her hands making the vampire hiss and wince whenever they come close to its face.
*
"Pick a reason, I don't know. Because it's magical? Because it's powerful? I don't know, I'm still new to this shit. I barely understand me right now." Marcus grumbles, crushing the vampire's head once it bursts into flame after searing it's for so long it can't take any more, which starts to turn to ash, following the rest of it's body. "I blew up a fucking street today, okay? I didn't even realize I did it, I had passed out. I wasn't in control, the brands were."
There's not much left of the other vampire by the time Danny is done with it, eventually giving one last crudling cry before it bursts at the last impact of her fist, disintegrating into ash as well. Marcus touches at his neck, not having realized that his neck had been scratched up, leaning against the wall. "I just left a couple hours ago." Pause. "Right?" No, Marcus, more like a couple days ago. Apparently, having powers out of flux is doing something to his sense of time.
*
"You've been gone for a couple days, Marcus," Danny points out, letting out a breath as she turns away from the ash. The golden glow around her hands fades, but she still stands at the ready, looking around before she moves toward him to get a look at his neck. "I was starting to wonder if you'd fallen into the damned thing. What do you mean, the brands were in control?"
The wrappings around her hands are stained and worn - he's not the only one who's been out on the streets, but Danny hasn't spent days out here. She's been careful, measured. There's more to being the Iron Fist than just being able to fight. There's also knowing when and how.
*
"I…" Marcus tries to explain, but ends up shaking his head. "I'm not really sure how explain it. It's like…I hadn't used the brands all that much. I didn't need to. It doesn't take a lot to take care of some hoods or mooks. Not a lot effort. But I saw this, well I guess it was an 'ad'. Read between the lines long enough and you get what the message was. I thought it was for a decent reason, showed up. And I cut loose. Majorly, like never before." Speaking of which, the fire sigil is glowing from under his hoodie. He really needs new clothes so he doesn't look like a hobo.
"And after I got out of there before the cops showed up, I felt dizzy. Confused. Some kind of haze. And it hurt, the sigils hurt. I didn't know where I was going, I just wandered the sewers for awhile until I wound up at central park. I was being drawn towards it. But not me, the sigils. And then…everything gets foggy. If that Doctor Strange or whatever his name was wasn't there…" then a shrug. "And then again today. Some other people were there. All they told me was that I charred a good portion of a street. I didn't even know I did it. I didn't know I could do that, I didn't think I could, but." Another shrug, as if he's trying to explain a feeling that he's not sure he's got the right words for. "Whatever Hydra did to me, there's more to it. I don't know, I don't think they really understood what they were doing to me. That Strange guy seemed concerned about it. And now, I'm just so damn tired. I feel drained." A blink, then looking at her. "Apparently, the sigils are getting larger. Like the long-term use causes a growth spurt or something. They're getting larger. Just sorta came to the conclusion that more I use this…stuff, the larger and more complex the sigils get. I don't know what that means."
*
"I feel like these are things you should probably know before you keep doing it," Danny grimaces, getting a look at the scratch before she steps back. "And if this Doctor Strange can help, then we should probably get his opinion. Although that sounds kind of like an evil doctor name, but what do I know about that stuff?"
She reaches back, tightening the knot in her mask. "Come on, let's get you out of here so you can get some rest and don't end up slipping into something ugly. And maybe take it easy on the fire, yeah?"
*
"I should, but what other choice do I have right now?" Marcus replies, looking at his more-dirty-than-usual clothes. Realizing that he's traipsing through sewers, getting shot at, and fighting hellhounds and shoggoth horrors. Hasn't shaved in days and sadly smells kinda ripe. Oh, and now he's covered in vampire ash, can't forget that. "I'm not the sort that just runs away if I can help. Yes, I know, I could become a danger if I lose control. I mean, I was told I created some kind of tornado. That was on fire. I'd be proud of it. If could remember it."
A nod, before he starts moving away, likely in whatever direction Danny's place is in. "I don't like disturbing your privacy." he finally remarks. "I'm not looking to be some kind of burden. Or that I'm not grateful." Another nod. "I will, but it tends to be pretty effective with most things. And that Strange guy. He's actually not so bad. He shut me down when I felt like I was going to burst. And then did. But it's only been when I'm around the Hellmouth. Now that I'm away from it, I feel…better."
*
"That's what I'm saying, Marcus," Danny shakes her head, staying at his side as she walks. "You don't know what you're doing or how you're doing it, and apparently it's affected by whatever the hell is going on here, which isn't super promising when it comes to knowing if it's good or bad. So yeah, it might for the best if you backed off of it for a little bit."
She gives him a long, searching look, taking in his current state. "Once we've got you cleaned up, you and I are going to do some meditation. See if we can help balance you out a little bit in the short term."
*
"And I'm no closer to answers than I was when I first escaped." Marcus grunts sourly, more than frustrated with the current situation. "I know it's magic. And frankly, if someone were to tell me last year…er, nineteen years ago that magic is real, I'd laugh at them. Now, well, kinda hard to deny the fact that I can create fire, wind, and have aspects of earth and water. Can't really explain any other way. And yes, it is, and I don't know. I still don't know what I am. And not one for being scared of much, but right now I'm terrified." The last seems to be more of an honest admission than he'd like to admit.
"I smell that bad, huh." he offers with a small smile. His clothes are starting to turn into tatters at this point, but it's the exact same clothes she met him in. "Meditation? I ah, don't know much about that, actually. But, I'm not near the Hellmouth now, it's not affecting. I can…feel it's pull, but I'm not drawn towards it. Maybe whatever magics the brands get excited by the presence of other intense magic? I don't know, I can't say I'm an expect I'm just…guessing." Perhaps in an effort to try and lighten the mood just a little, he smiles a little. "So I suppose this isn't the best time to be asking you out for a drink, eh? Not with all this going on."
*
"You need to learn how to balance yourself, Marcus." Danny keeps her attention on the streets around them. "Whatever the power is, however it works? Elements are meant to be in balance. People are meant to be in balance. If you have elements inside a person, then it's all the more important that both parts be in balance"
"And yes, you smell that bad," she smirks over her shoulder at him. "I'm not talking about getting drinks while you smell like you crawled out of a special hell. Once you don't, though, I guess you'd just have to get the balls to ask, wouldn't you?"
*
"I'm not really sure I know how. I still don't have my memory back." Marcus frowns. "It's still just bits and pieces. Fragments." Danny can worry about the situation around them, it's enough that he's putting one foot infront of the other right now. "Okay, so they're supposed to be in balance. That sounds reasonable, but think we can both already tell that I'm pretty much the opposite of that. Stange said they were dangerous. Got the feeling that this is some kind of 'pure magic'. Like I've been tapped into a power source where all other magic comes from. Like I'm some kind of battery for it. So okay, balance. How exactly do I do that?"
He sniffs at his should, making a face. "Yeah, alright. I hadn't really noticed until just now. Been busy. I've been going through the sewers twice now. I didn't want to come back to your place because…I didn't really want to bring this on your doorstep. You've done plenty for me so far." Then a nod. "I suppose I would. Maybe I will. If I'm lucky, maybe you might even say yes."
*
"Magic's not really my thing," Danny admits, looking over with a flicker of a crooked smile. "But energy, that's a different story. This?" She holds up her hands and that golden glow flickers around them again, seeming warm even though it doesn't give off any actual heat. "This is my chi. My life energy. It comes from being in touch with myself, with the world around me. It took years of practice, meditation, and work to get here."
Lowering her hands, the glow fades. "There are exercises you can do. Maybe it won't help the magic. I don't know, I…That isn't my skill set. But they'll help you regardless, and that makes it worthwhile."
*
"I'm not saying I don't have control over this, I've played around with it, when I realized what it was." Marcus offers after a moment, looking at her hand, studying it for a long, pondering moment. "If I didn't, I probably wouldn't blown myself up by now." When she starts to lower her hand, to reaches out for it, grabbing it. Flames start to lick at their hands, but it burns neither of them, it even starts to curl down her arm like a snake, but it doesn't singe her clothing. It's warm sure, but it doesn't burn. His eyes have turned red, as expected, seeming to change on whatever element he's currently tapping into.
"It's just, near something like Hellmouth, I lose it and the energy goes wild and then…things happen." The firesnake retreats, pulling away back to his hand, then letting go of her's before it vanishes entirely. "But you're right, it's not balanced. I don't even think it's focused. And likely what you do, your chi, takes a lot more training to really master. I only know a couple of things, barely anything. Whatever I've done in the park? I could never do on my own. Release that kind of power." Well, he did do it, maybe he just doesn't know how to without losing control of his own faculties. "I think it will help. I need to master this, not let them," he means the sigils, "just make me their plaything. Just wasn't something I really considered. Because I've been on my own with this stuff."
*
Danny doesn't flinch away from the fire. When she trained to face the dragon, she submitted her hands to as much, for as long as she could. She watches it, though. And opens herself up to it, as much as she can, trying to feel if any of it contains his own chi, or if it's the sort of thing that's coming only through him and not from him. When the fire fades, she looks back up at him, nodding once.
"Well, you and I can work on you. And if this Strange guy knows something, then we'll find him too, see what he can show you. There's too much you don't know. But Marcus, with as much as you don't know? Be careful with all this weirdness. You don't want to turn into something's pawn."
*
There's…something there. It's not entirely elemental. It could be chi, but it could be something else too. It's fair too faint to get a complete grip on. Maybe with more focus, more complete control over what he's doing, she might be able to get a better idea of what's really going on. But clearly, he can prevent the fire from burning if he wants it to. But yes, for little as she can detect something else in the background, something that might be him, a lot of it is flowing through him. As if he's tapped into the leyline of the elements itself. And there's this sinking suspicion Hydra may not of exactly realized what they were tapping into when they branded him.
"He has a place I can visit him at, he told me where it is. When I go, I'd like you to come with me. Because, it's not that I don't trust him, it's more that I don't know him. And I know when I'm outclassed when it comes to beating the crap out of stuff. So…yeah, I would feel safer if you were there." he puts his hands into his pockets. "You've gone out on me limb for me so far, one day I'll have to make it up to you."
*
"Yeah, I'll go with you," Danny nods without hesitation. "I'd at least like to know where it's at so I can find you easier if you go missing again," she smirks over at him. "Save us both some time we could spend doing more useful things. We should get to it soon. I don't know what's going on with all of this, but portals between places? They're not meant to stay open. Something's going to change, somewhere, somehow. It'd be good to have a grip on this before it does, in case it goes in a bad direction."
*
Marcus gives a snort. "Alright, alright. I'm sorry I made you worry enough that you had to go out looking for me. The Kitchen was just hard to leave. Went back because…eh, I don't even know why. Maybe I wasn't sure about stuff. That was the only 'home' I've known. And I shouldn't be complaining, your couch is pretty comfortable. Better than pavement. Having creature comforts, hard to get used to. And you've been generous enough by letting me stay with you." There's a moment where he grits his teeth, as if he's trying to force himself to ask her something, but doesn't. Because the talk of the Hellmouth has him nodding. "I don't know whats going on either. Or why, but I've suddenly found myself dragged into it. And I want to close it, because it doesn't feel right. Never mind the effect it has on me, that should be enough. And if I want to try and stop it, yeah, you're right. I need to have a grip on things." That said, he frowns, getting back to that other thought. "Shit, I really hate to ask but…I could use some, er, cltohes." Apparently he hates asking his only friend in New York for a favor.
*
"Not a problem. Wouldn't be the first time Jeryn brought some over." It's hard to tell behind the mask, but Danny doesn't seem the least bit ashamed about that, either. In fact, she sounds amused. "I would've made sure you had some earlier, but I didn't want you to feel like too much of a charity case," she admits. "I'll give him a call when we get back. He'll probably whine about how crazy the city is, but he'll make sure it gets taken care of."
*
"Wouldn't be the first time?" Marcus looks over at her. "What, I'm not the first homeless guy you brought to your couch?" he chuckles lightly, perhaps not really aware of how she spends her free time. He has been trying to not be in the way. He keeps whatever space she's given him neat and tidy. Militaristic, even. It's what he knows. About all he knows, right now. "I know, and thanks for that. I'd rather be friend than a charity case, really. So the fact that you didn't, it says something. But, I can't really argue that what I'm wearing now is about ready to fall to pieces on me and I won't deny that I've become mildly self-concious about how I look without a shirt on." Because of the brands, obviously.
*
"They're usually not homeless," Danny laughs. "But the clothes aren't always in great shape when we're done, either." They've just about reached the edge of Hell's Kitchen now, and Danny pauses at the border. "You go on ahead," she says, heading for a fire escape. "Should be safe to move on from here. I'll meet you back at the apartment. Usually don't go in the front door like this."
*
Now that makes Marcus stop, not just because they've reached the edge of the Kitchen. "Uh." He false starts, then considering her. Like really considering her. Kinda hard not to when you've been living with someone like her. Bravado and confidence are certainly attractive. "So, D-" he cuts himself off. Right the costume. "Dragon Lady." He does remember her talking about the dragon, since she never actually told him what she goes by in the costume. "You're hot. And even if I do smell like a drainage ditch, I still want to take you out. And then possibly get my clothes ripped off, because that sounds like a lot of fun. So there's me being ballsy."
*
Danny flashes a grin as she heads up the fire escape. "Ask me again when you're clean," she calls back. "Then we'll see." With that, she disappears along the rooftop, headed back through the city in her own way.
*