Ever since Lizzie came back, Danny had taken to fewer and fewer nights out doing his masked vigilante patrols. He had at one time quit completely for her. Though they had yet to discuss it since her return, it seemed an unspoken agreement that it was something Danny needed to continue to do, though not with the frequency or ferocity that he had when he first arrived in RhyDin.
It was no secret the city was in dire straits. Kesey itself was located in one of the more rundown and less affluent part of the town just near West End, earning it the nickname "Devil's Wake" from the residents of the area. It felt as if it was already written off by most of the city officials. Danny had frequently come into conflict with the Watch of the area, and had come to the conclusion the local precinct was filled with corrupt and disenchanted officers. Many of the crimes he came across involved them as well as the usual parasites who found Devil's Wake an open area in which to do their illegal and immoral activities.
Even funnier was the note he found on his couch one day. Some sort of summons about joining some sort of government sponsored civil defense team with a handwritten note reading "You and I could rule this city if this is the best they can come up with" upon it. The perfect handwriting gave away exactly who had delivered the note to him -- as well as the single letter it was signed with: "Z".
Danny himself found the idea ridiculous. It wouldn't fix the problems in Devil's Wake. It wouldn't weed out the scummy Watch members infesting the area. It wouldn't drive out the criminals who flocked to the dilapidated buildings and forced the local poor residents to live in fear. The people who lived in Devil's Wake couldn't afford to move. They were trapped. Surrounded and being taken advantage of by criminals on all sides. This wasn't something that a government team would ever help with. This wasn't something that any government official would fix. It required another solution.
The idea was set to the back of Danny's mind as he leaped across a chasm between rooftops toward the sounds of screams for help. It was getting worse. Used to be that if a person was loud enough, that alone would be enough to scare off their attackers. But not now. Not that it seemed there was nobody who would ever respond to their desperate pleas. Tonight, however, there was.
A group of four or five, all wearing Watch uniforms. Two girls set within some sort of pentagram -- they appeared unharmed but were delirious with fear. Could be because of the two men who lay a few feet away, bloody and carved. The circle the girls were in might have been made with the blood of those two poor souls. Danny couldn't tell from his vantage point on the four story apartment building. But that quick survey was enough for him.
A hop down the fire escape, the metal didn't even bend under his weight. A leap which landed him atop a dumpster, the lid not even creaking a sound. Silently running into the group of the Watch, his first priority the leader with the knife at the front. He grabbed the man's wrist as he spun back and behind him, twisting his arm along the way, and ending up forcefully stabbing the man in his back with his own knife before kicking the back of his kneecaps to drop him. Still holding the wrist as he spun to deliver a backhand to the blond man with the bandana, then releasing to elbow shiver his original target in the side of the temple to render him unconscious.
The hand was released just in time to catch a downward sword swing with his palms as they closed together inches from his masked face. A twist of his wrists snapped the blade in two and Danny turned on his right foot, extending his left in a straight side kick aimed at the swordman's jaw, sending him stumbling backwards. At the same time Danny bent his spine backward and moved his arms perpendicular to his body, depositing the end of the broken blade in the gut of the last assailant who attempted to hit him from behind.
Danny then regained his footing and crouched as the now disarmed swordsman shook his head out from the kick he had just received. Danny narrowed his eyes as the man went to a holster on his hip, no doubt looking to get the advantage with a sidearm. Both his fist and his jaw tightened at the mere thought of a gun in his presence, and the man learned that attempting a showdown with Daniel Brooks was one of the worst ideas that had ever crossed his feeble mind. Before the man knew it, he was hit with the force of a small hurricane, being sent sprawling through the air. He could have flown the size of a football field, and that would have been preferable to the alternative -- which was having his momentum stopped by the side of a brick wall, shattering most of the bones in his body.
Danny spun about, noticing the four men were down. The girls were still hysterical, their two companions were indeed dead. Getting them back home safely was first priority. "It's all right," Danny spoke quietly, attempting to set the women as ease as they huddled with each other and stared at him. "Let's get you out of here." He put his hands on their shoulders and began to guide them from the scene, toward the street.
It was then he felt the sting in his left shoulder, followed quickly by hearing the echo of a gunshot from the alley behind him. Another bullet hit one of the girls before he was able to toss them aside and out of danger. He spun around in time to put his right hand in front of his face. It was glowing brightly and a trail of white -- his focused chi -- was billowing like smoke as a bullet was caught in his palm. The blond haired member of the watch had played possum, it seemed, and tried to shoot them all from behind as he ran. Danny narrowed his eyes, a sneer coming to his lips as he watched the man flee. He would have pursued if he didn't have to take care of the injured girl first. The glow of his hand died as he tossed the flattened bullet on the ground, turning his attention to the wounded girl.
He'd tend his own wound later. It was a small price to pay for being able to have a small win tonight. But that's all it was. A small win in a sea of larger losses. Small comfort to Danny, and even less to the two girls who had been assaulted and the two men who had lost their lives.
It was no secret the city was in dire straits. Kesey itself was located in one of the more rundown and less affluent part of the town just near West End, earning it the nickname "Devil's Wake" from the residents of the area. It felt as if it was already written off by most of the city officials. Danny had frequently come into conflict with the Watch of the area, and had come to the conclusion the local precinct was filled with corrupt and disenchanted officers. Many of the crimes he came across involved them as well as the usual parasites who found Devil's Wake an open area in which to do their illegal and immoral activities.
Even funnier was the note he found on his couch one day. Some sort of summons about joining some sort of government sponsored civil defense team with a handwritten note reading "You and I could rule this city if this is the best they can come up with" upon it. The perfect handwriting gave away exactly who had delivered the note to him -- as well as the single letter it was signed with: "Z".
Danny himself found the idea ridiculous. It wouldn't fix the problems in Devil's Wake. It wouldn't weed out the scummy Watch members infesting the area. It wouldn't drive out the criminals who flocked to the dilapidated buildings and forced the local poor residents to live in fear. The people who lived in Devil's Wake couldn't afford to move. They were trapped. Surrounded and being taken advantage of by criminals on all sides. This wasn't something that a government team would ever help with. This wasn't something that any government official would fix. It required another solution.
The idea was set to the back of Danny's mind as he leaped across a chasm between rooftops toward the sounds of screams for help. It was getting worse. Used to be that if a person was loud enough, that alone would be enough to scare off their attackers. But not now. Not that it seemed there was nobody who would ever respond to their desperate pleas. Tonight, however, there was.
A group of four or five, all wearing Watch uniforms. Two girls set within some sort of pentagram -- they appeared unharmed but were delirious with fear. Could be because of the two men who lay a few feet away, bloody and carved. The circle the girls were in might have been made with the blood of those two poor souls. Danny couldn't tell from his vantage point on the four story apartment building. But that quick survey was enough for him.
A hop down the fire escape, the metal didn't even bend under his weight. A leap which landed him atop a dumpster, the lid not even creaking a sound. Silently running into the group of the Watch, his first priority the leader with the knife at the front. He grabbed the man's wrist as he spun back and behind him, twisting his arm along the way, and ending up forcefully stabbing the man in his back with his own knife before kicking the back of his kneecaps to drop him. Still holding the wrist as he spun to deliver a backhand to the blond man with the bandana, then releasing to elbow shiver his original target in the side of the temple to render him unconscious.
The hand was released just in time to catch a downward sword swing with his palms as they closed together inches from his masked face. A twist of his wrists snapped the blade in two and Danny turned on his right foot, extending his left in a straight side kick aimed at the swordman's jaw, sending him stumbling backwards. At the same time Danny bent his spine backward and moved his arms perpendicular to his body, depositing the end of the broken blade in the gut of the last assailant who attempted to hit him from behind.
Danny then regained his footing and crouched as the now disarmed swordsman shook his head out from the kick he had just received. Danny narrowed his eyes as the man went to a holster on his hip, no doubt looking to get the advantage with a sidearm. Both his fist and his jaw tightened at the mere thought of a gun in his presence, and the man learned that attempting a showdown with Daniel Brooks was one of the worst ideas that had ever crossed his feeble mind. Before the man knew it, he was hit with the force of a small hurricane, being sent sprawling through the air. He could have flown the size of a football field, and that would have been preferable to the alternative -- which was having his momentum stopped by the side of a brick wall, shattering most of the bones in his body.
Danny spun about, noticing the four men were down. The girls were still hysterical, their two companions were indeed dead. Getting them back home safely was first priority. "It's all right," Danny spoke quietly, attempting to set the women as ease as they huddled with each other and stared at him. "Let's get you out of here." He put his hands on their shoulders and began to guide them from the scene, toward the street.
It was then he felt the sting in his left shoulder, followed quickly by hearing the echo of a gunshot from the alley behind him. Another bullet hit one of the girls before he was able to toss them aside and out of danger. He spun around in time to put his right hand in front of his face. It was glowing brightly and a trail of white -- his focused chi -- was billowing like smoke as a bullet was caught in his palm. The blond haired member of the watch had played possum, it seemed, and tried to shoot them all from behind as he ran. Danny narrowed his eyes, a sneer coming to his lips as he watched the man flee. He would have pursued if he didn't have to take care of the injured girl first. The glow of his hand died as he tossed the flattened bullet on the ground, turning his attention to the wounded girl.
He'd tend his own wound later. It was a small price to pay for being able to have a small win tonight. But that's all it was. A small win in a sea of larger losses. Small comfort to Danny, and even less to the two girls who had been assaulted and the two men who had lost their lives.