[Two days after the Kingdom Stone Heist. Location: Jade Creek; Maria, Danny & Xander's house; Den]

Mid-morning, the phone rings. A few moments later, a still-sleepy Danny, wrapped in his bathrobe, trudges across the den and answers it.

"Hello… Speaking… Uh-huh… Really? ... You what? ... They'll be disappointed… Yeah, I'll handle it."

Danny hangs up and lets out a long exasperated sigh.

"Something wrong?" Hanna yawns as she enters the den, dressed in her bathrobe.

"Yeah," Danny replies dejectedly.

"Sounds serious."

"Yeah."

"Y'know, you could just tell me what's wrong."

"I'd rather wait until everyone's up."

"Don't know about the others, but Rob won't be up for a while," Hanna smirks.

"Why?" Danny asks. He then sees Hanna's smirk. "Actually, don't answer that," he adds with a knowing smile.


As Hanna implied, Rob is indeed the last to rise to find the others partway through a late breakfast.

"Hope you saved some for me," he greets.

"Sure," Hanna assures, making room on the chair for him to join her.

"Is it just me, or is the collective mood a little… dark this morning?" Rob asks, joining Hanna in the chair.

"Danny has some bad news, apparently," Maria mutters, "but he's being a meanie by not telling us until you got up."

"How bad?" Rob asks, his tone belying his sudden concern.

"Zao's not paying," Danny informs the group.

Total silence descends immediately, all eyes focussing on Danny.

"I wish I was joking," he continues, answering the question everyone wants to ask, but daren't, fearing the very answer they received.

"Never trust a politician," Hanna growls, barely able to conceal her anger and frustration.

"It's not Zao you should be blaming," Danny corrects. "It's Spade."

Total silence descends immediately, all eyes focussing on Danny once more.

"Turns out he was working the long-game," Danny explains. "The Stone's on its way to Shuigang."

"I don't like what you're implying," Rob warns.

"I'm certain Spade wouldn't betray his fellow Scarves," Danny assures swiftly. "His feelings towards Lilac and Carol-" Hanna starts growling again "-make it clear the last thing he'd do is betray us. However, his primary allegiance would surely be to his family. Maybe the only way he can find his father's killer requires Shuigang to have the Kingdom Stone."

"But it makes no sense!" Rob counters. "I… I mean… I can't even begin to theorise why Shuigang having the Stone would help!"

"It doesn't make sense to me either," Danny agrees.

"Well, I know what I'll be doing tonight," Hanna declares.

"Which means I know what I'll be doing tonight," Rob adds with a knowing smile.

"I'd advise against hitting anywhere in Shang Mu," Danny warns. "Or anywhere, for that matter: we should really be laying low until the whole Kingdom Stone thing blows over."

"Not gonna stop me," Hanna retorts.

"I know," Danny replies. "But don't be surprised if they've stepped up security."