While Luke has warmed up to the idea of being a hero of sorts, he hasn't completely bought into it. He realizes he has abilities that normal people don't have, and that puts him in a particularly special position to do some good. It's not that he didn't want to do good before, he just wanted to live his life. He didn't ask for these abilities. This was done to him.

After everything though, losing Pops and after what went down with the Hand, his life had come to focus in a whole new light. No, he didn't ask for this, and yes, he'd been dealt some shit cards. Now, though, Luke could see the good in the world again and all the people still worth loving and all the lives still worth living. He also saw the bad and how that bad threatened to swallow the good every day. He couldn't just stand by and watch that bad take hold when he was more than capable of doing something about it. He didn't ask for this power, but he has it now and he'd be damned if he didn't use to make the best possible impact.

He had to admit though, it was cold nights like these that he'd rather be at home with his lady and not out on the streets playing Power Man. He knows she'd probably prefer that too. While Claire understood very well the importance of what Luke did for Harlem, and really the entire city at this point, she also had developed more anxiety since what had happened to Matt Murdock.

"I know I can't stop you, just as much as I knew I couldn't stop Matt. And really I don't want to, because what you do is part of what makes you you and I love you for who you are, completely and wholly."

Claire had said to him before he left her apartment this evening, hands placed gently on both sides of his face.

"But that doesn't stop me from worrying."

L uke pulled her hands away from his face and held them together in his. He leaned down to let their foreheads touch.

"I know." He says. "But… as much respect as I have for Matt… I'm not him. Helping people is what I do, but it's not all I have. I have you. And I have every intention in coming back home to you. I wouldn't do anything to risk losing that. I love you."

A smile as beautiful as the sunrise lit up Claire's face and she leaned in for a kiss.

"Besides," He says. "I'm just going out to patrol and check things out in Murdock's neighborhood. You know how calm things have been lately, I just wanna try and keep it that way."

"I love you too." She says, but then her smile fades. "But that calm is exactly what I'm worried about. You know this city. There's crazy shit lurking around every corner."

Claire gripped his hands back tightly and gave them a little shake, and with that, her face suddenly grew stern.

"And you're damn right you're coming back home to me, even if I have to drag your super powered ass back myself."

Luke's eyebrows shot up in mock surprise. "Whoa, baby, now I believe you owe the swear jar…"

"Sshhhh…" Claire put a slender finger on his lips to quiet him.

"Just go get done what you need to so you can get back here to me." She turned to head toward the bedroom, then stopped just outside the threshold. She turned just enough for him see another one of those gorgeous smiles of hers.

"I'll be waiting…"

Luke warmed up with recent memory. Damn, he needed to get home.

But first, he had something to take care of…

He has found himself in Hell's Kitchen for the first in a while.

Things really had been relatively quiet the past several months since the Midland Circle incident. It was a much needed vacation from the action packed drama that had become his life. But he shared Claire's suspicions and found it almost unnerving. While he was glad to see that maybe his and all fellow crime fighters' efforts weren't in vain, he couldn't help but feel like he was just waiting for the other shoe to drop.

The streets had hardly even needed him lately. Luke had felt more like a mascot than anything. With the elimination of Cottonmouth, Mariah, Shades, the Hand, and the illegitimate brother he didn't even want to think about now, crime had been down. That didn't mean there wasn't the occasional dumb thug thinking they were smooth enough to get away with some petty crime, but lately all the criminals he'd encountered felt like small fish, especially after dealing with a syndicate as organized, ancient, and mystical as the Hand. Not the he was complaining. The quiet just made him feel more on edge.

The relative quiet in Harlem, however, allowed him to branch outside of that neighborhood a bit more. It gave him the opportunity to patrol Hell's Kitchen from time to time. It was the least he could do for Matt. He'd hardly known the guy, but he might admit he'd developed a slight bond with the fellow vigilante. And according to Danny, it had been the man's dying wish for them to protect his city.

Thinking of Danny, Luke wondered what the that goofy kid had been up to lately. Since what had happened at Midland Circle, Luke had put much of his focus on Claire and had taken the break to try and readjust to "normal" life.

Aside from meeting Jessica for drinks and Claire inviting Danny and Colleen over for dinner a couple times, he hadn't exactly stayed in touch with his super-powered "acquaintances". That was expected though, right? He didn't need to spell it out for Jessica. She knew and agreed completely, but he had told Danny bluntly that he wasn't looking for super friends.

Of coarse he'd gained more respect for the Iron Fist after everything they'd been through in such a short amount of time, but they were still just two very different people leading very different lives. As for Jessica, he'll always care deeply for her and he's more than forgiven her for everything, but there was way too much painful history there for them to see a whole lot of each other.

So here Luke Cage found himself, from time to time playing hero again. Mostly though he was just trying to guard and protect the calm waters he'd claimed after a long, hellish, freak storm… and hopefully move on with his life.

Right now he's in what is supposedly shadier part of town, and this particular area seems to be lacking in adequate lighting. It's dark and many of the buildings probably need to be condemned if they haven't been already. He wonders if this part of town had been hit by the Incident.

It definitely is quiet…. Luke thinks, and he's considering just calling it a night when...

Crash!

Maybe not?

The sound stops him in his tracks, but he's aware it could be anything. He needs to be sure though, so he remains paused for a moment to listen.

Clang!

He turns in the direction of the ruckus and listens for more. A man cries out in pain, and with that he immediately moves into action.

The commotion seems to be coming from a building just up ahead so he jogs the remaining distance. It's dark around the building, and it appears to be abandoned. An old warehouse, it appears.

Luke walks along the perimeter of the building, looking for the best way in. Many of the windows are boarded up, not that that's really a barrier for him, but he still prefers to use doors and to not bust through walls and windows.

Finally, he comes to a large metal door and he pries it open with only a little effort.
It's definitely dark in here and he can hardly see a thing. He could be walking into anything and not have a clue. Luke might be big and powerful, and generally smooth, but in the dark he feels vulnerable. He never thought he'd envy a blind man, but right now he wishes he had Daredevil's abilities. He's considering calling out, but he also thinks the element of surprise might work in his favor so the potential assailant isn't prepared for what's coming at him.

Shuffling along the concrete floor, the large, bulletproof man tries to avoid stumbling while remaining as stealthy as possible. His efforts nearly go out the window though when his foot catches on something and he does stumble, just a little. Luke looks down, trying to get his eyes to focus in the low light, but he can't make out what exactly it is. He nudges it with his foot and gets the nagging feeling that it might be a person, so he kneels and reaches down and feels that yes, it is indeed a person. Said person seems to be breathing, and from what he can tell, not bleeding, so he at least has that going for him.

"Hey…" Luke says quietly and gives the unconscious subject a gentle shake.

The sound of a scuffle somewhere over to his left alerts Luke again, and he decides he should handle the potential threat first. Standing again, he heads toward the noise preparing to insert himself in what sounds like an already active fight. He can make out two silhouettes, both moving so fast in the dark his eyes can hardly keep track of them. With the sound of a soft thud, he thinks that might at least be one less person to deal with, but he's not sure what side of the fight he's about to engage. The good or the bad? Are they both bad? And there's so much grey these days, who knows anymore.

The way the remaining shadowy figure seemed to move was reminiscent of how the Hand ninjas moved, but then again, aside from boxing, Luke was lost when it came to all the other martial arts so it could be anyone really. It's so dark, the only thing Luke can make out are the racing stripes down the sides of the guy's... track suit? For a ninja type, the guy really should learn to be more subtle. He does have a hood up though, casting an even darker shadow over his face and effectively hiding his identity.

"Hey man, we don't have to..." Luke starts, but is rudely interrupted by a foot flying toward his face.

He'd hate to admit he that he wasn't quite prepared for it, but really the foot just kind of bounces off him anyway. He was about to give mystery tracksuit ninja guy a fair warning before things get too out of hand, but apparently no one in this town is down for talking things out anymore and just go straight to fisticuffs.

Luke never gets the chance to get another word out as tack ninja doesn't even wait a beat before continuing to strike hard and fast and now the shadowy figure is a nothing but a flurry of fists and feet coming at him.

Luke bothers to block a few hits just out of instinct, but he has to admit the guy is skilled and quick and he can't seem to keep up with him or catch him. He feels a lot like a gorilla trying to swat a humming bird. After a moment, something about the way this shadow moves clicks with Luke, and it dawns on the bigger man who he might very well be fighting in the dark.

"Sweet sister..." Luke mutters under his breath and shakes his head after stopping and holding on the guy's fist going in for a left hook, the other man freezing. For a moment the only sounds are the fighter's rapid breaths. Luke wants to roll his eyes and laugh at the ridiculousness of this situation, not even knowing for sure but almost positive he's engaged in a fight in the pitch black with a certain hotheaded former ally. Funny, considering how they met the first time.

They should really both learn to communicate verbally more. Claire had made a remark before, something about vigilantes and how sanctimonious they can be but they can't communicate like a normal, functioning human being in order to avoid conflict.

Luke smiles a little too himself, but the smile quickly fades when he receives a definite answer to his question with the telltale yellow glow of Danny Rand's right fist. Danny has it reeled back and ready to strike and suddenly this isn't funny to Luke anymore. It's all fun and games until the kid's fist glows, and Luke knows from experience that it can and definitely will hurt.

The moment seems to be playing out in slow motion as the power of the Iron Fist comes towards him and without even thinking Luke surprises himself in reacting to the threat in a timely manner. The older man can see the instant recognition flashes in the kid's eyes, his fist lighting up Luke's profile, but they both know its too late to go back now. Luke's acting in the pure instinct of self defense and simply moves just enough to the side to clear Danny's fist.

Also out of instinct and without thought, in the same motion of dodging the hit, he throws a strong hand out of his own and gives a healthy shove in the center Danny's chest. The move is awkward and just graceful enough to save Luke's chiseled face, but it's also powerful enough to send the Immortal Iron Fist flying 20 or so feet in opposite direction, landing in a heap in a now broken and shattered pile of old crates.

He can't speak for Danny, and at this point maybe Danny can't even speak for Danny, but he's a little stunned by his own quick reflexes.

Danny gasps and coughs, Luke's hit apparently having knocked the air out of him. Luke snaps out his brief shock and approaches the younger man, feeling a little guilty. He'd gotten better at understanding and controlling his strength over the years out of fear of breaking things and hurting people, but in an instance like this he's scared to admit he might lose that control. He could've really hurt Danny.

"We've gotta stop meeting like this, brother"

"Luke?" The bigger man winces as Danny practically coughs out the name. Luke can still barely make out his face in the dark but the kid is looking up at him from his uncomfortable position lying in the rubble of broken crates.

Luke extends a hand to help him up.

"Yeah, sorry about that man. I saw your fist coming at me and just kinda reacted."

Danny just blinks at him for a moment as he's still trying to process everything and catch his breath.

"You ok?" Luke waves his hand a little.

Danny seems to catch up to speed and gives a little nod.

"Uh, heh... Uh yeah totally. Yeah I'm fine." He stammers as he reaches out and grips Luke's hand.

The bigger man pulls him to his feet effortlessly and Danny immediately recoils and holds a hand to his chest.

"Shit..." He hisses.

Luke grips his shoulder to steady him.

"You sure?"

Danny straightens a little and manages to regain some composure. "I'll live."

Luke scoffs and shakes his head.

"You're damn lucky to. What the hell are you thinking, attacking people in the dark! It could've been anybody! Boy, you need to stop punching first and asking questions later before someone gets hurt."

The younger man rubs his chest and looks at the ground.

"Sorry, I guess I just got caught up in the moment. I thought you were one of them." He waves a hand in the general direction of where the other person he'd been fighting was knocked out.

"Well I don't know how things worked in…. mystical Kung Fu land..."

"K'un Lun..."

"… whatever man… but here in the real world, aside from all that Hand nonsense, there isn't typically a crazy horde of ninjas just popping off a conveyer belt somewhere, made for you to fight. There are other people in this city… regular, mortal human beings that you can seriously hurt, if you're not careful. You've gotta learn to calm down and control yourself."

"I'm sick of everyone telling me to calm down, and I have plenty of control!"

"Obviously."

Danny huffs. Luke can tell he wants to defend himself more, but he sounds tired and maybe just doesn't have the energy, so instead he grows quiet. It's off-putting to the bigger man.

Luke takes a deep breath and decides to let it go for the moment. He looks around for whoever it was Danny was fighting in the first place.

"So….. who's them anyway?"

Danny seems to come back to himself more.

"That's what I was trying to figure out, but they didn't seem to want to share that with me." He starts in the direction of the latest fallen man, back towards where he and Luke had been fighting before the Power Man knocked him clear across the room. Luke follows.

"Shit, where did he go?" Danny's scanning the floor, but neither of them can really see.

"Here, how 'bout some light." Luke pulls his phone out and turns on the flashlight app and scans the area himself.

"May I?" Danny reaches for the phone and Luke lets him have. He looks around for his supposedly beaten opponents.

"He was just right here!"

"You sure he was really out?"

"He was literally just here…" Danny's becoming frantic in his search.

Luke walks in the direction of the first guy he'd literally stumbled upon and isn't all that surprised to find there's nobody there.

"Well, they're both gone now. How many were there to begin with?"

Not wanting to let it go, Danny continues to look around.

"Uh, two? I think?" He mutters distractedly.

Luke looks around from his spot. While he can't see much when Danny has control of the light, he has a feeling they're the only two people around. He throws up his hands.

"There's no one else here Danny. They must've recovered and took off when we were fighting."

"Then I need to find them." Sounding determined, he heads for the nearest exit, which at this point is the door that Luke had pried open. He notices Danny's still holding a hand to his chest.

He hands Luke his phone as he passes, but before he can get much further, the bigger man grabs his shoulder.

"Wait a minute."

"What?" Danny snaps.

"I don't know what's going on with you, but I think you need to give it a rest for the night."

"They're still out there Luke, I can't just let them get away." He shrugs off the older man's hand.

"I get that, but….. going back out there injured and exhausted isn't going to do anyone any favors. I'm not tryna' rag on you, I'm just saying you're putting yourself in unnecessary danger….. if not, someone else."

Danny shakes his head. "Thanks Dad, but we're going our separate paths. Remember?"

He turns back toward door.

"You know, maybe people wouldn't treat you like a child if you didn't act like one so often?" Luke wants to say, but he thinks better of it and bites his tongue. He may not know the guy that well, but if he knows anything about him, it's to not antagonize him. Besides, he can tell he's just worn out. Apparently, Danny had taken Matt's charge very seriously.

Luke shoves past the initial annoyance from the comment and then suddenly feels very shitty for what he'd told the younger man when they were first getting to know each other. He really did want to push Danny away in the beginning, but now, having him here in front of him, he just felt bad. Just like how he'd felt like he had a responsibility to use his powers for good, he also all of the sudden feels responsible for counseling the young vigilante.

"Just listen to me for a moment, Danny." He says as he follows him outside into the alley.

Danny ignores him though and continues walking.

"I know what I said about parting ways after defeating The Hand. A lot happened after we had that discussion at the Royal Dragon though, and I'm not saying we should be the New Avengers or anything, but maybe having each other's backs isn't such a bad idea."

Danny stops, and while still facing away from Luke he bows his head.

"Come on man, don't we have to fight enough as it is without having to fight each other? It was wrong of me to think we couldn't be useful together." Luke stops and shrugs. "… at least on some level."

The blonde turns to face him finally and sighs. They stare at each other for a moment and Danny looks like he wants to say something, but he can't seem to find the words, so Luke jumps back in.

"Look, we can talk about this more later, but right now… what do you say you come back to Claire's with me so she can check you out? I'm sure she'd like to see you anyway."

Danny thinks it over a moment before giving him a nod.

"Yeah, ok."

Luke's relieved to call it a night, but he also still can't shake the feeling that he's about to hear that other shoe drop.