December 7th 2013 - Starling City
Spent last night in an abandoned office near what I was informed was some place called the glades. The locks weren't hard to get past if you know and practice at least some basic lock picking skill, and carry a multitool style lock pick set. For whatever reason the water was left on, so I was able to wash up in one of the office bathroom sinks and managed to find an old executive office with a couch to sleep on. I swear I was being followed today, so I had to be extra careful getting back to my temporary base while I got myself sorted here.
Luckily, some things remain the same between realities. Craigslist exists here too, and finding various handyman and locksmith gigs isn't too difficult as long as you don't mind getting paid under the table. I made around two hundred bucks today, which bought me a meal and some needed amenities like a decent shaving kit. I stashed what I didn't use in one of the locking filing cabinets, picking the lock open wasn't hard the first time, and who requires keys anyway?. Unfortunately, it was as I got my meal, I ran into my first problem here. I don't know the sociopolitical landscape, and I certainly don't know anybody I could turn to in a pinch.
It was as I was sitting down at a place called Big Belly Burger, that my table was surrounded by 3 rude dudes, your typical gang mentality punks really. "Can I help you with something?" I asked as they walled in the corner booth I was sitting at, the position giving me a clear view of the doors, classic overwatch tactics. "Yeah, you've been moving in on our turf, and I have a problem with that." Figuring it was the table they were on about, I proceeded to try and get up to leave, only for one of them to put his hand on my shoulder and push me back down into the seat. "Look, whatever it is that's going on, I'm sure we can work this out peacefully." I tried to talk my way out of this sudden shakedown when the bigger one grabbed me by my coat and yanked me up out of the booth. "No such thing" I was quickly shoved backwards, slamming into a jukebox in the corner. I noticed a guy get up from the counter, but everyone else remained seated staring at the commotion. The other two were laughing at my misfortune as the bigger guy walked towards me, intimidation radiating off him like heat off an engine on a hot day.
My hand grasped around for purchase to get myself on my feet, accidentally hitting several buttons on the jukebox before TNT by AC/DC started playing. "Alright" I sighed, taking a calming breath while rolling my shoulders and taking a combat stance. The big lug swung first, my hands moving on instinct to deflect and grab his wrist before twisting his arm backward and throwing him into one of his friends. The other guy started charging at me, so I slid my left foot backward and placed my hand on his shoulder, tripping him with my right, so he'd face plant. By this point, the bigger guy was up again, not so amused anymore at having been shoved around so easily. "Bad move" he growled before pulling out a butterfly knife and flicking it open.
Now at this point he could make two actions, he could swipe at me or stab. Stabbing is usually the default, so when he went for my stomach I sidestepped again moving just out of the way and grabbing his wrist applying pressure to a pressure point that forces the hand to open against its owner's will and dropping the knife into my other hand before I twisted his arm behind his back again, this time putting him in a thumb lock and holding him there. One of the other guys was moving to help him when the guy who was previously sitting at the counter grabbed them and threw a hard punch, knocking the dude unconscious. Our eyes met briefly and for an instant I felt his intent as I threw the bigger guy towards the counter guy and brought my arm around, my elbow smacking face plant dude in the face causing him to back off holding his bloody nose which just left the big guy who was now being held in a choke hold by my sudden ally. I walked up to them and threw the hardest gut punch I could at the last remaining enemy as he fell to the ground gasping for air. Reaching into my coat I found the zip ties I keep on my person for securing things and tied his thumbs together before moving onto the other unconscious dude, the guy with the bloody nose, taking off.
"Thanks for the help Mr-" "Diggle, John Diggle." I flick my wrist to close the butterfly knife I'd confiscated before I set it down on the table and sat down to begin waiting for the police to show, apparently the owner had called the police at the first sign of trouble. After what felt like an eternity of answering questions I was let go with the officers pocketing the knife, no point in letting illegal goods remain on the street right? I'd managed to finish my meal and had spent the next short while talking with John about where I'd learned to fight, going into detail about how I was picked on in high school and was sent by my family to take martial arts classes while my grandfather taught me wrestling from his high school days. That coupled with sparring with my girlfriend who takes kickboxing, as well as picking up some judo and karate to help round out things at least made my unrefined self-defense style workable against your average idiot, the occasional bar fight probably helped too, part of growing up near the Rockies I guess?. I still couldn't believe I was talking to Oliver's right-hand man, he looked a little different from what I remembered, but then again this wasn't an actor, so there had to be some differences. Things had to be wrapped up though, apparently John was going back to a friend of his, and I needed to get back to my temporary shelter, though I might want to think of moving soon, I swear It felt like someone was watching me.
