shao_lao (shao_lao) wrote in oh_marvelous, @ 2011-02-01 00:46:00 |
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Characters: Danny Rand/ Narrative
Setting: The ruins of the School of Thunder, New York
Content: PG
Summary: Danny returns to a home he can barely recognize- but then a lot has happened in 8 months...
The storefronts lining the street told the tale of economic collapse. Foreclosure and for sale signs were the most popular, followed closely by eviction notices- all were replete with spray painted gang tags. The people on the street shuffled along, bundled in their winter clothes as they tried to get off the streets before nightfall. A few had no such worry- those with the feral glint of predators out for blood.
The rider turned his bike left, as he neared his destination. A vintage trenchcoat protected him from the cold, while a drab olive duffel-bag was slung over the back seat of the bike- a bike which any collector would gape at as a Vincent Black Shadow (though it looked barely fit to ride at present). He slowed the bike and pulled up onto the curb, killing the engine.
Danny Rand dismounted and stood staring at the demolition site before him. Mobile fencing units ringed the site on both sides, rust buildup denoting that it had been like this for some time. Danny moved forward without hesitating, easily vaulting the ten-foot fence and landing without a sound. The square-block was a mass of wreckage; crumbled masonry and woodwork, crushed tile, electrical wiring, plumbing, and more. Danny picked through the wreckage gingerly, stumbling upon a framed picture or destroyed piece of art. Anything he found of sentimental value he placed gingerly in his bag. After an hour Danny gave up and sat down on a pile of bricks. He gazed out over the ruins of what had once been his life.
The 6 story “School of Thunder” had been a dojo, Danny's home, and headquarters of the charity he had built from his family's vast fortune. Danny had spent his entire life working towards what the School represented- a centrepiece for an effort to revitalize the Neighbourhood, and a base for the worldwide charity devoted to donating millions of dollars to the need across the world.
Then the “Retribution” had happened. Aliens descended upon the cities of the world to seek revenge for some crime no one remembered committing. Harlem had been hit hard during the attack, and the building had been ravaged during the battle. In the days following Retribution, there had been a need for money to rebuild- and the Rand Foundation had responded. It was their money that had financed the rebuilding of schools and roads across New York, and across the world; that had built homes for the destitute and the needy; that had provided food and shelter for as many people who required it. The need had been so great that Jeryn Hogarth, the CEO, had spent every last cent on reconstruction and development in the places no-one else would. I drilled into them from day one that this money needed to be spent helping those who needed it, not sitting in a bank account somewhere. And when the time came, Jeryn stepped up
Danny blinked and sniffed slightly. He'd never been more proud of his friend than he had then- even though it broke his heart to see the price they had paid.
Rand money provided temporary shelters for the neighbourhood, on the promise that the Government would pick up the slack later on. They hadn't. The massive undertaking of reconstruction had meant that entire regions fell to the wayside as political careers were made and people got on with their lives. “Temporary” camps had become permanent, damaged buildings were condemned rather than repaired.
While the rest of New York had moved on, North Harlem had descended into despair. As stores and homes foreclosed, the crime rates soared. Danny didn't want to believe this was the Neighbourhood he had left a year ago. It was like a dark reflection of itself, familiar landmarks and stores still there, but now grimy and sinister in ways they never were before.
I wonder what happened to the kids Danny thought, sadly. His students. His teachers. His friends and colleagues. All scattered to the four winds now, just trying to find a way to survive. Like me
Danny climbed back over the fence and re-mounted his bike. He slung the bag over his shoulder and looked back at the ruins of the life he had built. Then he turned away, and sped off into the night.
He wondered where he could go- who he could call. Luke? Misty? Hell, Stark would even help me out. You buy that guy a drink once, you're set for life. Danny smirked a little as he sped through the city streets. He wondered what they would say when they saw him. Bearded and long-haired, emaciated from months of torture, scars of all size and variety now marking his body. He would have died of starvation within the first two weeks if not for the chi of Shao Lao. The Chi had sustained his body through the days and weeks of torture, of endless battles in the arena, of unending torment. But his heart had been sustained at the prospect of coming home. Of his school, of his friends. But his school was gone. And he realized that right now- whether by choice or circumstance- he had no friends.
Danny turning abruptly onto the curb. Pedestrians jumped back in shock and surprise as Danny tore past. His eyes glowed subtly as he tapped into power of Shao Lao- sharpening his senses and reflexes. Ahead the sidewalk fell away into a subway stairwell. The bike bounced down the stairs and Danny manoeuvred down the winding ramp onto the platform. He pulled up for a second looking at the people on the platform as they gaped at him. He winked at a cute girl, then revved his bike and vaulted onto the track, disappearing into down the tunnel...
--
Twenty minutes later he dismounted. Ancient subway tunnels had lead him to here- just as they had lead he and Orson Randall two years before. The Hypothetical Empire. A steampunk wet-dream Danny thought, gazing in admiration at the great antechamber. It looked like Grand Central Station if it had been built by Nikola Tesla. A network of machinery and chains, pneumatic tubes and steam engines- and trains. Locomotives and cars docked in berths all along the walls, with railway tunnels leading off in every direction. There could be an entire hidden train network under the city.
He made his way to a circuit box set into the wall. After a few failed attempts, Danny threw a huge circuit breaker (that looked like something out of “Frankenstein”) and there was light. Cobwebs and dust hung in the air, as bulbs popped and ancient machinery hummed to life. Danny looked around and nodded. “It worked for the Ninja Turtles, hopefully it'll work for me...” he said to himself.