[center][img]http://vignette3.wikia.nocookie.net/marveldatabase/images/1/1d/The_Immortal_Iron_Fist_(2007).png/revision/latest?cb=20130523002657[/img][/center] Danny Rand leaned his forehead against the cool metal wall of the elevator taking him up to the penthouse apartment he shared with Joy Meachum. He...well to put it simply he was incredibly tired. It had been nearly two full weeks since his last encounter with the Cult of Khan and he was [i]still[/i] aching from the results. It was somewhat to be expected he supposed, that much qi based healing would tire out a specialist even with the Qi of Shou-Lao to draw upon and Danny was barely a dabbler in the art at best. His encounter with the fanatical cult of a dark and ancient god was nothing compared to adjusting to life as an American High School Student, though. At least as a student in The Thunderer's martial arts academy he knew if someone considered him an enemy, because their fists would usually be flying towards his face. At school all he got were mysterious mutterings and odd looks from those around him though as of yet no outright attempt to bully him physically had been made. He wasn't sure how he'd handle it if one occurred. The few so far who had attempted to approach him seemed mainly interested in his money, or else in one of the dozens of strange rumors that were swirling around about him. He supposed he shouldn't blame them, after all he was just as much an outsider here as he had been in K'un-L'un, maybe even stranger given that the heir to one of America's wealthiest families didn't normally show up out of the blue after ten years. Still, trying to navigate the social pitfalls of high school was far more exhausting than just winning over his fellow students with Kung Fu prowess. His life as Iron Fist was hardly going better. After that night they'd fought together he'd been inspired by White Tiger to turn more to the vigilante side of things rather than just using Chinatown's thugs to blow off steam and he had to admit it felt good at first. On the other hand, things had been escalating because of his efforts and the men Chiantang was rolling out seemed to get better and better trained and have increasingly dangerous equipment. Because of him, the streets were becoming more dangerous instead of less, or at least that's what it felt like. Besides that, he'd hardly put much of a dent in the Black Dragon's criminal empire yet, and the fact that it brought him no closer to his revenge after it had already eluded him wasn't really helping things. But tonight wasn't a night for thinking about any of that! Tonight Joy Meachum was back from some big business meeting in Star City and they were finally going to re-establish the often thwarted 'tradition' of family dinner. Well...Guardian-Ward dinner or something at least, although Danny supposed Joy really was one of the closest things he had left to family, but the point was tonight there would be no superhero-ing, no Kung Fu, no drama! Just Danny, Joy, a nice meal and- [b]*DING!*[/b] [color=magenta]"[b]Daniel!~[/b] Oh it's been forever!~ You're just in time to join us, I brought some lovely tea!~"[/color] and one of the most cunning enemies he had ever faced. Fa Lo Sui: The Cursed Lotus, Daughter of Darkness, Princess of the Golden Daggers... and his first love. Danny was so dumbstruck by her unexpected appearance that he didn't even realize he'd seated himself at the table across from her as Joy busied herself in their kitchenette. The conversation shot back and forth across the apartment in a way that was already slightly beyond his comprehension and he felt like a man drowning and grasping at driftwood as he tried to keep up. "Danny, you remember Zheng Bao Yu! She's Zheng Zu's daughter, you know from Oriental Expediters!? Apparently she and her father are in town and I guess she thought she'd go to all the trouble of coming by to see us on his behalf as sort of a goodwill gesture between business partners! Isn't that nice!" [color=seagreen]"Uh-huh..."[/color] Now that she mentioned it, Danny had briefly been dragged to a meeting where a girl who looked something like Fa Lo Sui had passed him in the waiting room but he thought he'd been imagining things then and they'd hardly said two words to each other... [color=magenta]"It was no trouble Ms.Meachum! After all both Father and I agree that our relationship to yourself and the Rand family is [i]very[/i] important to us! Plus, I get along [b]so[/b] well with Daniel!~"[/color] The way Fa Lo Sui watched him, intently with a big smile and half-lidded eyes as she said it reminded Danny of a snake watching a cowering mouse before it struck, or maybe a cat toying with its' prey. She looked like a schoolgirl, dressed up in some uniform with a modest skirt, white knee-socks, a badge on the front he didn't know, her long black hair pinned aside with what she probably assumed was a 'cutesy' yin-yang barrette. The wholesome everygirl look was a sham and he knew it but even so he was having trouble believing it was the same Fa Lo Sui. Still, her voice was unmistakable and that combined with just how convincing her bubbly innocence was confirmed his suspicions. No one was a better actor than the Cursed Lotus. He glared at her from across the table and whispered while Joy cooked on obliviously just out of sight, trusting that she'd be too oblivious to hear. [color=seagreen]"What are you [i][b]doing[/b][/i] here!? This is [i]not[/i] K'un-L'un, or anywhere within the scope of the [i]jianghu[/i]! My home and Joy Meachum are outside the bounds of the code of the martial arts underworld and I'm not going to tolerate another one of your tricks!"[/color] Her laughter was high, pure and sweet, the wind blowing through chimes on a spring day. [color=magenta]"I have no idea what you mean! I'm here to share dinner and tea and discuss the relationship between our two families! Nothing else!" [/color] Danny wasn't about to buy that even if she brought all the tea in China along with it, but he was stopped by Joy's emergence from the kitchen with a big smile and a steaming bowl of noodles. Thus began one of the most awkward, strained and pleasant dinners of Daniel Rand-Kai's young life. The conversation was so polite and pleasant that Danny had to wonder if they'd somehow scripted it out beforehand and the Cursed Lotus was clearly winning Joy over with every word as if she hadn't interrupted a family night to discuss business, or worse as if she was practically family herself. Danny would have never suspect there was any blend of Chinese tea that paired well with Italian food, but Fa Lo Sui had apparently done the impossible by finding one. Worse yet there was no obvious trap, no assassins bursting out from behind the curtains, no demons being summoned forth from the Daughter of Darkness' school bag, just his legal guardian, a girl he'd liked and a lingering taste of pesto and paranoia. By the time the meal was more or less over even Danny was wondering if he wasn't being a little too suspicious. Maybe it was possible that 'Zheng Bao Yu' wasn't here to cause trouble after all. If nothing else maybe she was just keeping up appearances as the sixteen year old daughter of a highly successful international businessman. Once he and Joy got up to clear the dishes he half expected the Cursed Lotus to offer to help clean them. "Well, this was unexpected but you've been a real pleasure to have over! Just give us a minute to straighten up and-" By the time he noticed Joy was falling Danny barely had time to catch her amid the sounds of shattering plates. She'd fainted dead away mid-sentence, her eyes closed and moving rapidly in their sockets as if she'd suddenly fell into a vivid nightmare. Fa Lo Sui looked on and adjusted herself in her seat with that same pleased, predatory smile on her face once again. [color=magenta]"Well, that certainly took long enough, although on the other hand it [i]was[/i] quite a lovely dinner. Do you happen to know where Joy learned to cook?" [/color] Danny gritted his teeth hard enough that he thought they would break, and only the need to check on Joy's vitals and ensure she was lowered safely onto the ground prevented him from flying at the girl in a rage. [color=seagreen][b]"What. Did. You. Do?!"[/b][/color] [color=magenta]"Why, exactly what I told you I was doing. I shared dinner and tea. It's not [i]my[/i] fault she's the only one at the table who hasn't trained her body to slow and eliminate the effects of toxins. I swear [i]Xiaolong[/i], you're always so touchy about these things."[/color] The use of his other name, the one from K'un-Lun, only made Danny angrier. [color=seagreen]"Of course this was all another one of your schemes, but like I said before I'm not playing around! Now give me the antidote or I swear by the Heart of the Dragon I'll throw you out the nearest window!"[/color] The Cursed Lotus didn't bother to rise from her seat despite the threat, only shifting slightly, a change in posture maybe, a rustle of cloth, nothing truly definable. Yet suddenly Danny was reminded that Fa Lo Sui was [b]the[/b] master of The Path of One Hundred and Eight Earthly Temptations and it took every ounce of mental discipline he had to hold onto his rage in the face of her abruptly very...distracting...presence. [color=Magenta]"Oh [i]Xiaolong[/i], is that any way to talk to your betrothed? Whatever happened to our love?"[/color] [color=seagreen]"We are NOT betrothed and I never loved you, so-"[/color] [color=magenta]"That's not what you said that night in the Garden of Heaven, with the fireflies flickering around us when you leaned in close and gave me-"[/color] [color=seagreen]"The Scrolls of Wulin? The ones that almost got me banished from K'un-L'un?"[/color] [color=magenta]"Well yes, among...[b]other[/b] things. You [b]said[/b] you were willing to risk it for me, the choice was entirely yours."[/color] [color=seagreen]"We were fourteen and more than foolish! Well, I have no idea how old [b]you[/b] actually are but at least I was only fourteen-"[/color] [color=magenta]"Yes and now you're sixteen and still equally blind! If you would become my consort I offer you anything you can dream of! Power, respect, [b]revenge[/b]...the world as your own...[b]anything[/b]."[/color] For a moment Danny had to fight not only the...particular charms...of Fa Lo Sui but the fantasy of all that she offered. Resources enough at his command to shape the world as he willed, hunt down the Cult Of Khan with ease, ensure that all of the crime he witnessed day in and day out came to an end, all of it if he only did as she wished... and then his sense of discipline was back, willed down over his heart and mind like a wall of iron. Sensual wiles were not the only aspect of the borderline hypnotic Path of One Hundred and Eight Temptations Fa Lo Sui had at her command. He would have to remember that, always. [color=seagreen]"No. Now give me the antidote and you can go in peace. I won't offer again."[/color] the Cursed Lotus smiled and held up her empty hands. [color=Magenta]"That's part of what I like about you, [i]Xiaolong[/i]. You're so much more of a challenge to manipulate compared to the bores I normally have to surround myself with. But sadly I don't have the antidote on me. The Death of Seven Dreams isn't so easy to counteract in any case. Luckily, it should also give you a fairly long period of time until she perishes. So, if you want to save your dear Joy Meachum you really [b]are[/b] going to have to do what I say." [/color] Danny tried to keep his own anger and frustration under control, knowing it would only give the Princess of the Golden Daggers an avenue to control him. [color=seagreen]"So...what is it I have to do?"[/color] Fa Lo Sui laughed again, although this time there was a cutting, jagged edge to her laughter. [color=magenta]"You'll be coming with me. We're going on a date!~"[/color]