12126/A Quiet Night Uptown

A Quiet Night Uptown
Date of Scene:	23 July 2022
Location:	Bronx
Synopsis:	Gabby and Danny save some tourists, then compare lists.
Cast of Characters:	Danny Rand, Gabby Kinney

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Danny Rand has posed:
Every part of New York is an attraction in one sense or another, but this far uptown it isn't quite as glitzy or glamorous as its neighboring borough to the south. The urban decay here on the border with Manhattan is real, with a large number of condemned buildings. Still, people have to live somewhere and that means making their way home through unsafe streets at night.

A gang of young men wearing scuffed leather jackets - gangs still abide by themes around here, it seems - are posted up on the corner. Someone's phone plays a grindcore tune at an uncomfortable volume, echoing off the buildings and down the street. A young couple pause at the end of the street, momentarily looking for another way past but not finding it ...

Gabby Kinney has posed:
It wasn't the best area of the city but it was unfortunately a way to get from Point A to Point B for many. Usually at night it's just... avoided. Gabby was in a hurry though wanting to get back after having spent too much time outside for her senses to not be a bit tweaked. Even with her motorcycle helmet on and the visor down, she felt as if the city was starting to close in on her.

Which is why she's hurrying along on her motorcycle, a Honda Trail, heading down the road... Until she hits a stoplight. Coasting to a stop she kicks a foot out to balance while tapping her finger impatiently on the bars of her bike. It takes a moment to notice the gang. Another to scan over to the worried couple. And one last second to put two and two together about a potentially rough situation depending if these were a gang just 'policing the area' or if they were out looking for trouble.

"Fuuuuck okay," she mutters to herself as she waits to see how to act.

Danny Rand has posed:
The couple, perhaps in a fit of 'if not now, when?' attitude, begin to make their way down the street. When the gang pause to look at them, they hurriedly cross the road. Bad move, it seems, as the gang rise to their feet almost in unison and take a few steps out onto the sidewalk to get a closer look. They don't see anything, though a few cross the road a dozen or so feet ahead of the couple and give them pause as they block their way. It's going badly, that much is clear.

Frayed senses or no, they'll pick up movement on the fire escape above the gang where the building faces out onto the street. A man in a business shirt with the sleeves rolled up to his elbows, a pair of suit pants from which he seems to have discarded the shoes and socks. The strangest part is what looks like a knit cashmere scarf that's been wrapped about the upper half of his head and poked through with a couple eye-holes. He leans against the railing, peering down at the group below.

Gabby Kinney has posed:
Typical gang tactics. Pincher tactics. The light remains red if only because it didn't always trigger the sensor that someone was waiting for it to turn green when on a motorcycle. One of the downsides to such a ride, even if it had a lot of upsides as well. It does at least let her see that they are indeed up to no good--

And uptop? Her head tilts up to squint at the figure there with an emerging grin at the clearly 'newb' guy who was about to jump in to help. She shrugs a moment, and swings her bike off to the side of the sidewalk where she parks it to hop off.

The short girl wearing a Rebel tie-fighter decorated motorcycle helmet starts down the sidewalk to catch up to the gang trying to come up from behind the tourist couple. CLEARLY they were tourists. Dumb ones.

"Hey guys!" She greets cheerily, loudly, with her hand going up. "Fuck Darth Vader, amiright?"

Danny Rand has posed:
The two thugs closest to Gabby give pause for a moment, tilting their heads at the girl - the very slight, short girl - approaching them. The more headstrong of the pair steps forward, barrelling through the gap between the couple and reaching out to cup his hand under Gabby's chin through the helmet she wears.

"Hey, think you better take off, alright?"

The others still standing on the corner let out a gale of coarse laughter, all of them at attention and looking across the street with sneering grins on their faces.

Up above, the guy with the makeshift mask furrows his brow. His eyes close for a moment and ... wait, is his hand glowing?

Gabby Kinney has posed:
Chin cupped, Gabby's head tilts up to peer through the yellow tinted visor that can slide up and down on her helmet. It's at this angle the thug that is suggesting she leave is met with, of all things, a grin.

That's kind of the only warning he gets.

In one smooth motion her own hand shoots up to grab hold of his wrist pulling down. At the same time her opposite arm punches upward, open palmed, right into the guy's elbow seeking to dislocate it with one blow. And an unpleasant crunch of bone if she's successfull.

"Thanks for the warning, I'll be gentle."

Danny Rand has posed:
When Gabby unleashes the chaos, several things happen all at once.

Firstly, the man with the now painfully dislocated elbow collapses to his knees on the sidewalk and lets out a howl of pain. The couple turn tail and run with shouts of dismay, not so much as pausing to thank their rebel savior. Another ripple of laughter passes through the gang, the group of them now converging on Gabby with the clear belief that she might have some self-defense under her belt but a gang of them can still get at her.

And then, from up above, the man with the glowing hand descends several floors and lands without so much as a smack of bare feet on pavement.

"You're clearly not learning your lesson, fellas."

One leg lances out in a lightning-fast snap kick, catching one of the thugs in the stomach and sending him doubling over in breathless pain.

The fight is on!

Gabby Kinney has posed:
Gabby Kinney stretches her arms out to cross one over the other to, well, stretch as the rest of the gang approach. A step is taken over the fallen, moaning man to greet the oncomers.

"... Sure, yeah, get out of here civvies. YOU'RE WELCOME!" She calls out to the retreating pair before tipping a nod toward the 'disguised' fellow vigilante.

Small as she was, it's easy for her to duck under the range of an approaching thug to slam a fist into his solar plexus, followed with a quick kidney punch. It's all quickly done, and she steps to the side after to send one boot into his side to kick him toward another. The group was likely going to split their attention due to the arrival of the other guy, but for now she needed to regain some space.

Danny Rand has posed:
It's not a prolonged display of martial arts glory. The men are sorely outmatched and, as Gabby dismantles the few that crossed the road, the man in the four hundred dollar Burberry 'mask' makes quick work of the remaining few. A snap kick here, a falling elbow there, with the last man being struck so hard in the chest that he flies several feet through the air to land groaning in the gutter. That glow around his hand fades as he scratches the back of his head, frowning slightly at the fleeing civvies then looking back towards Gabby.

"Hey, thanks for that. Wasn't sure I had them when they split up like that."

Gabby Kinney has posed:
Gabby Kinney stops a moment to glance around at those that are down just to make sure none were trying to get back up to do more than run off. Or help each other out. The truly dumb ones would try to double down and make things worse for themselves. Thankfully that doesn't seem the case.

With a quick left and right glance she heads across the street reaching up to sweep her tinted visor up to grin at the Burberry Avenger.

"No problem. I was kind of worrying about that myself when I caught sight of them. Nice moves, by the way. You watch this part of town or just happened across it by chance?"

Danny Rand has posed:
"I kinda watch all of it," the masked man answers with a shrug of his shoulders, "I don't really do the whole ... 'this is my neighborhood' thing. I just jump in when it looks like I can help. Which is why I'm here with ... this charming ensemble and not my usual gear."

He steps over one of the fallen men, looking back at the prostrate figure with a wrinkled nose. Then he's focused on Gabby once again.

"Why'd you ask? Hope I'm not intruding on the turf protected by bad ass biker chick.

Gabby Kinney has posed:
Gabby Kinney lifts her hand to wave the thought aside with a shake of her head. "I was just passing through myself. Just thought I'd ask because I *do* know a few that do the whole 'this is my turf' thing." A slight roll of her eyes comes at that though. It didn't upset her.

"I help patrol in Gotham usually, but I have family in New York. I was visiting," she explains only to reach up and pinch the bridge of her nose with a little look of discomfort. And distaste.

"Ugh. One of these guys pissed himself... I can't..." Her hands scrub over her face a moment as she takes a half-step away seeming a bit off-kilter. It takes her a moment to rummage in a pocket and withdraw a handkercheif of all things that she thrusts up against her nose and mouth.

"Sorry. I've got heightened senses, but I'm still learning how to cope in the city. It's new-ish to me."

Danny Rand has posed:
"Hey, no problem," Danny offers, taking several steps away from the piles of knocked down men and raising an arm to gesture for Gabby to follow him down the street, "We can talk over here? Or, I guess you can take off on your bike into the night? I don't know how this usually goes. I've been doing it for years but - as you can see - I still forget the basics like wearing a costume. Uniform. I don't know what you'd call it. Regalia? No, that sounds way too much."

He extends a hand to her once they're further away.

"I'm ... well, the official title is the Iron Fist - and no, I didn't come up with it - but I usually go by Danny."

He holds off the last name.

Gabby Kinney has posed:
"I usually just go with 'gear' or 'suit'," Gabby explains clearly grinning behind her handkercheif. Honestly she was super glad someone gave her the suggestion of this because it helped a TON. Were-critters had the best ideas

Following along after him, away from the guys, she relaxes a bit more. The offered hand is met with her own giving a firm shake for one so small. "I'm Gabby, aka Honey Badger. Nice to meet you Danny." With that greeting done she actually reaches up to take the helmet off, shaking out her dark hair and letting the old scars on her face be easily seen.

"Iron Fist is a good name. I mean I've known some worse ones for sure."

Danny Rand has posed:
"When you hear as many jokes about it as I have," Danny explains, returning the shake and tucking his hand back into the pocket of the suit pants he wears, "It helps to be pre-emptive, I guess."

He tilts his head to one side when the helmet comes off, smiling and reaching up to rub the side of his nose.

"I like it. Like Honey Badger don't care, Honey Badger don't give a shit?"

A pause.

"I was gone for a while. Been catching up on my memes."

Gabby Kinney has posed:
Gabby Kinney grins broadly as he apparently gets the gist of it. "Pretty much! It kind of goes along with the line of names my family has though. Wolverine and such." Not that they all did it, but she'd kept with it because it seemed right. "Plus the one who suggested it said it was because I can be really sweet when I'm not fighting. So it works."

"That's okay. At least you get memes. I mean, there's a ton of pop culture stuff I know nothing about. My friends gave me this list of movies I should watch and I never get around to it."

Danny Rand has posed:
"You've got a list too?" Danny asks, raising his eyebrows behind the mask, "So do I. I kind of spent ten years in a place that doesn't really get television or pop culture in general. When I got back, I had a lot of catching up to do. They give you these lists and expect you to just sit down and watch like twenty movies back to back, right? It's ridiculous."

"But yeah, I liked the Honey Badger meme, if I'm honest."

Gabby Kinney has posed:
"Omigod yes!" Gabby throws her hand in the air in exhasperation over it all. "I mean it does kind of help to gte some references, but still. So much to go over and some of it is just booring." Dropping her hands down to her sides again she lets out a sigh.

"I was just raised in an odd setting and not really allowed to socialize outside of the lab. I've been out for several years now though. So kind of better?" A grin is given, as well as a nod.

"Thanks! I think Iron Fist is kinda bad ass, but so many fisting jokes could be made there. I get how it might be annoying." She pauses before admitting, "It's kind of nice meeting someone who gets the whole 'list' thing."

Danny Rand has posed:
He cannot help but laugh at the fisting thing. He's heard it before, but it still tickles him. Must be something about being at peace with the universe ... or at least marginally so.

"Oh, I get it. I wasn't raised in a lab but the place I'm from kind of ... only exists sometimes. Believe me, that's the least confusing way I can explain it."

He glances around for a moment, looking thoughtful and then adding:

"So, Honey Badger, do you drink coffee? It's a bit late in the day for it, but it might be a nicer place to compare lists than standing next to a pile of beaten up dipshits."

Gabby Kinney has posed:
Gabby Kinney looks back over to the pile of beaten up dipshits in question only to clear her throat. "This does look a little sus," she has to admit with a grin. "I'm totally up for coffee. Caffiene never bothered me anyway, and it never will." Ah the benefits and downsides of a healing factor!

"Where to? I can ride us there?" She offers, thumbing over to her motorcycle which was... Not the most flashy thing ever. A bit clunky, really, but it got the job done well. "I'll assume you know this area of the city a bit better than I do."

Danny Rand has posed:
"I know a good place a few blocks south," Danny answers with a nod, taking a few steps towards the bike before he pauses, "You know, I've got a ... kind of recognizable face. But I figure if you've got a list, then you probably aren't gonna know it. Plus, if you're out here beating up bad guys I figure you're kind enough to know why some folks in this position wear masks."

That said, he reaches up and unfurls the scarf from around his head. A blonde haired, blue-eyed man in his early to mid-twenties by the look of him.

"That's better. Phew, I think I might have an allergy. I've been holding back a sneeze this whole time."

Gabby Kinney has posed:
"I'm in the biz. I know a few people with secret identities, yeah. I don't bother much with a mask most of the time because I'm not really well known myself," Gabby assures only to watch as he does remove his scarf.

There's not a hint of recognition there either. "Nope, don't know you. Well I mean. I know you NOW but no worry of a secret identity reveal here," she assures with a quick laugh as she reaches up to pull the helmet on again. "That or maybe the scraf is just itchy?"

Mounting the bike, she kickstarts it and waits for him to get on the back. There was room at least. "South it is," she agrees waiting until he's settled to take off in that direction.

Danny Rand has posed:
Danny climbs onto the back of the bike, hands reaching around behind him to grasp the back of the seat. After all, the other option wouldn't be proper given that they've just met.

The shop isn't far. A quiet place open at night unlike a lot of others. It's busy as any storefront is in New York, which is to say there's always a few people around. He doesn't get many looks despite his rather rough exterior - most assume he's just having a night that got a little too fun.

After they make their orders at the counter, he leads the way to a booth and sits down like he owns the place (he does, along with a lot of the real estate in Manhattan, but that's not something he typically shares).

"I like your bike."

Gabby Kinney has posed:
The order for coffee from Gabby is actually very simple for once: An iced mocha. Usually she got the most off the wall thing on the menu. This place though seemed less fru-fru and more ready to supply caffiene to those who worked late nights. Mocha seemed a safe bet to still get a yummy fix.

Regarding the place with the curiosity borne of someone who hadn't been here before she glances around while following Danny to the booth. The helmet is deposited on the inside before she scooches in across from him.

"Thanks! It was my sixteenth birthday gift," she admits with a glance cast out the window to where she'd parked it alongside the curb. "It's been great for me. I know it's not super fancy, but it's mine. I love it." The last is said with a solemn nod as if she's just decided this were true.

"Plus it helps in getting from New York to Gotham and back pretty regularily without costing a ton on gas."

Danny Rand has posed:
"Maybe I ought to invest in a bike," Danny muses, "I mostly go rooftop to rooftop. I actually set up a bit of a network for myself up there - makes getting around the city a lot easier. I should show you some time. Give you an alternative if there's too much traffic for the bike."

His own order is an espresso, suggesting he fully intends to burn the midnight oil. He takes a sip of it, drumming his fingers on the table as he does.

"I wasn't expecting to run into anybody tonight. Not that I'm complaining."

Gabby Kinney has posed:
Gabby Kinney gives a nod at the familiarity of it all. The rooftop running. "We do that in Gotham, too. I mean. I ..." here she pauses, hesitating. "I work with a group that works with Batman. The rooftops are a thing big time. It's all built a little closer together there though. Plus grapple guns."

Her hand lifts to make a swooshy-swoop gesture to indicate precisely what grapple guns allow one to do. Swing! Again she grins broadly letting her hand drop down to snag her mocha for a sip.

"Yeah, me either, but it's always great to meet new people in the biz. Or not in the biz. I just like meeting people in general. Though it *is* nicer when I don't have to watch what I say quite so much." Tilting her head she inquires, "What got you into this in the first place?"

Danny Rand has posed:
"Batman, huh?" Danny raises his eyebrows with a broad smile, "Didn't know I was hanging out with someone who was part of a bonafide legend. I feel like I should be bowing to you or something."

The question gives him pause, and he looks thoughtful before answering.

"I passed a test. A long time ago. Because I did, they made me the Iron Fist. I decided the Iron Fist should stand for more than just protecting a city that people can't even access most of the time, you know?"

Gabby Kinney has posed:
Gabby Kinney pffts a little at the mere suggestion of being part of a legend. "Not directly. More I work with one of his proteges," she points out with a warm laugh as she tries to reassure she's nothing special. "Still good but not that good. I just ... Meet a lot of people," she reasons with a little shrug.

When he talks of the test though she nods thoughtfully as her eyes focus on him. Taking it all in she actually listens while taking another sip of her coffee. "Hmm. Makes sense. Plus it's probably way less boring than guarding somewhere people can't go. What, is it in the astral plane or something?"

Danny Rand has posed:
"You know what? I never asked."

Danny laughs a little at that, placing his espresso back down on the table as he leans back against the cushioned seat.

"Something like that. Another dimensions. Only opens every ten years. It feels weird to talk about, but then you've got some weird baggage yourself so I figure we're even."

That said, he tilts his head to ask: "So, what do you do for fun when you're not out saving tourists?"

Gabby Kinney has posed:
"Fair enough! And yeah, I've got that to say the least. It's okay though--Makes things interesting." Gabby lifts her cup in salute before she shifts to lean into the booth seat a bit more comfortably. Her legs are drawn up to sit cross-legged on the booth ignoring the fact that meant her feet were on the seat.

"Me? Fun, huh." That wasn't something she'd ever been asked before, really. "I usually visit friends, or my siblings. I've done karaoke before. Camping can be fun, oh and swimming. I don't realy go to clubs much anymore, though I used to." Her hand lifts to tap her ear pointedly. "I play video games sometimes but not much. Oh, and I go running every morning. Just doesn't feel right not to."

Danny Rand has posed:
"Sounds like you've got it down," Danny answers, "Between work and the whole midnight punching bad guys thing, I don't really do much. I know a guy who owns a bar, so I suppose that could count as something to do. That's a recommendation - make friends with someone who owns a bar."

"Oh, and I like to go view hunting. Plenty of pretty sights if you're willing to climb around on the roof looking for them."

Gabby Kinney has posed:
Gabby Kinney grins at the suggestion. "I'll keep that in mind. I know a few people but not bar owners," she has to admit with a chuckle. "I've been doing this for years, really. I was kind of raised to do it." Her eyes drop to her cup considering just how much to get into.

"The rest of that is my attempt to just enjoy life in general." Looking back up she grins broadly, "Views are good! Honestly I love finding hole in the wall places to eat that are great, too. There's still SO much I haven't gotten to try out there."

Danny Rand has posed:
"You should visit Tokyo," Danny answers, pointing at her with a half-smile, "I went a few months ago. The place is absolutely full of hole-in-the-wall places to eat. You'd love it ... if you haven't already been, that is."

He finishes off his espresso, sighing quietly.

Gabby Kinney has posed:
Gabby Kinney sinks her chin down onto her hand with a dreamy sort of grin. "I haven't. I've been a few places, but not there. Sounds amazing though. ... We pretty much lived off of oatmeal and vitamin enriched meal replacement crap growing up. I'm really not understating how much I love food."

"Except oatmeal. Screw oatmeal," she sticks her tongue out with a 'bleh' expression only to grin again. "Sounds like a great place to visit, Danny."

"So." Sitting up she regards his sighing figure and the emptied espresso. "I guess I should let you get back to your night time routine before that wears off." Even as she says this she's already fishing her phone out of her pocket. "Want to trade deets?"