Participants:
| Scene Title | Sheets with Holes |
|---|---|
| Synopsis | Amadeus hits on Nora. The ghost shadows make a hit on Cardinal. Cardinal should really stop eating at this deli. |
| Date | March 19, 2011 |
TWO HOURS AGO
The yelling in Chinese could not have been more dramatic. "«We are not ready!»" Dong-tian practically screamed into his cell phone. "«They can't do it without me. They need my help!»"
Black loafers slap around the kitchen floor as the faux-Chinese man stalks the room. The phone held in between ear and shoulder. A pistol has the clip slapped into the back of it before it is holstered under one arm. "«He's well protected. We're wasting resources if we go head on at him like this!»" A pause as, Dong-tian lingers in the dimly lit room. "«Adynomine?»"
The cell phone is clicked to END, the phone slides into his slacks. The phone tucked away into the pocket. The man stares across his apartment at his 'twin' brother. Lips pressed into a thin line. One hand coming up to scrub at his features. "Listen. We're going to go play a game. I need you to follow the rules very carefully okay?" A deep breath is taken.
"We can't lose this game."
7:30 PM
The rain has been pouring most of the day now. Relentlessly sabotaging the plans of any who would have dreamed of taking a romantic stroll or tried to sell things out on the populus streets of New York City. Little Italy is no exception to the pouring rain. Those who are taking dinner or a very late lunch at Piccoli's Deliatessen get a front row seat to Mother Nature at work before their very eyes. A crack of illumination ignites on the horizon. A handful of moments later the thunder rolls by ominously, a loud quaking noise that cracks over Piccoli's. The streets are almost nearly vacated. Only the truly die hard messengers or partiers have braved the stormy street to go about their business on this Saturday night. A handful of headlights swing by the glass windows of the Delicatessen.
Because of the storm, or perhaps in spite of it, a few people have gathered inside the shop. The wait isn't too long tonight. Only a few dotting the eatery. An old man sitting near the window with an overly large dog that he hasn't seemed to touch for the last hour. A small group of young Asian men have dared the borders of Little Italy and occupy a table. Mostly sticking to themselves the group of twenty somethings sometimes get rowdy but mostly stay relatively quiet.
Richard Cardinal himself is at the lead of the line. His order finally finished and handed over the counter after the proper amount of currency is exchanged. The attractive young blonde woman behind Cardinal is smiling coyly every now and then, waiting for her turn at the counter.
Amadeus has his arm in a blue sling, wearing a red hooded raincoat with AC/DC written in magic marker on the front, and a pair of blue jeans and black Chucks. He's standing at the back of the line, occasionally staring over at the Asian men a bit nervously. Ghost Shadows? Who knows, he just makes a point of staying away from anyone who even resembles a gang he's not on the good side of.
The door opens and in steps Nora, looking a little like the proverbial drowned rat. The hood of her sweatshirt is shoved off her head, wet bangs plastered to her forehead, likewise damp, and she shivers a little — having underestimated the weather despite plenty of information available.
Her wet Converse, smaller twins of Amadeus', squeak on the tile as she steps up to take her place at the back of the line. Dark eyes sweep the deli to take note of who is present, though the backs of the people in front of her means she can't see their faces, before bringing her eyes up to the menu board above the counter.
Cardinal's well-known by the deli's staff; he's in here often for sandwiches and occasionally meets with people here. It's a weakness, really, going somewhere even semi-regularly, but even a man like him has something of a routine. Once the reuben sandwich is paid for and some general conversation exchanged with the cashier, he carries the sandwich in its basket and a bottle of water along through the little business towards one of the tables. Or at least that was the plan, before he happens upon Amadeus on his way.
"Amadeus," he greets bemusedly, brows raising a bit over the edge of his shades, "Been awhile."
The blonde woman steps past Cardinal to the cashier making her order. The blonde had apparently already made her oder. But there was a problem. The petite but rather pretty blonde smiles, waving a hand in dismissal. "No it's really no problem. If I could just get the two reubens to go."
The apology continues from the Cashier. "Oh I'm so sorry. We have one new guy, it's his first day. We'll get that right out to you."
"Again. No problem." The young woman parts from the counter, moving past Cardinal and Amadeus to make her way to her table. Going to settle and wait quietly for her order to be corrected.
The crowd of asian men glance over to Amadeus and Cardinal. A few members of the group watching one or both of them for a long period of time. Lingering gazes thrown over shoulders for one reason or another. Finally the line shortens and Amadeus arrives at the front of the line.
"Hi, how can I help you?" The cashier asks.
"Yeah, it's been a while. I got shot and I ain't tryin' to get shot again. Those Chinese dudes are lookin' over here, and I don't get along with Ghost Shadows if they're it." Amadeus reaches into his pocket with his good arm and places a twenty on the table. "I want somethin' with fish and beef, don't care what."
Cardinal's greeting to Amadeus draws Nora's attention, and she looks at the man, tipping her head curiously before they shift to Amadeus. His comments about 'Chinese dudes' earns him a slight snort and a smirk, followed by a headshake at the order. Fish and beef.
A hand moves up to push her wet hair out of her face as she lifts it to the menu board again, then pulls a single, crumpled and slightly damp ten-dollar bill out of the back pocket of her skinny jeans.
Cardinal's about to say something, and then the other man's order sinks in. "Fish… and beef?" He looks slightly pained, his head shaking as he turns to walk away towards his table, "Jesus. Fish and beef. If there were ever two tastes that didn't go together…"
"Ahm." The Cashier murmurs, teeth pressing down on her lower lip for a moment. She glances up at Amadeus with a slightly perplexed look. The twenty is not yet accepted. Turning around she steps back to the window of the kitchen conferring lightly with one of the cooks approaching the window. A large tattoo'd Samoan looking man, leaning against it as he speaks softly with the Cashier woman.
Finally she comes back to the counter. "Okay. I think we can try to get something out for you." A little weak smile is offered as she goes to accept the twenty. Change is handed back. She slightly steps to the side to look to Nora.
"Hi!" A light smile. "Can I help you! We do have a menu."
The blonde sits quietly at her table, purse laid out and a book retrieved reading quietly. A glance sent up to Cardinal every now and then.
The group of meen are still exchanging glowers and stares every now and then, but now that Amadeus is looking back they have slowed down.
"Fish goes with everything, you learn shit after you've spent some time as a cat. Fish is like the fuckin' universal salt. And speakin' of fish." Amadeus looks over at Nora, sliding his hood down with a slight grin. "What's a sexy young thing like you doin' in… well alright I guess this restaurant is pretty fuckin' good, but damn you're hot."
"Can I get the…" Nora begins when Amadeus turns to regard her and her eyes narrow. "Did you just fucking say speaking of fish in reference to me?" she says, before shaking her head and rolling her eyes, returning her gaze to the cashier.
"I'll have the number three," she finishes her order, handing over the sad and damp bill, waiting for her small amount of change and taking the cup to go to the fountain, giving Amadeus a wide berth on the way. While filling her cup with Coke, she watches Amadeus and Cardinal curiously through the corners of her eyes.
Cardinal steps along over to his usual table near the back, sliding into a seat and setting the basket down before him; leaning back against the wall, he lifts the reuben up in both hands to take a bite. To all appearances, he's just a man enjoying his sandwich, making a contented sound as he chews and swallows.
The cashier, who we are going to call Jennifer, gives Nora an apologetic smile. Her eyes shifting uneasily over to Amadeus. Jennifer gives a warm smile, taking the bill and returning the dollar and change. Closing the cash register, she glances back up at Amadeus. A somewhat nervous smile is offered before she takes a few steps back to retreat into the kitchen away from the weirdest pickup lines in the history of Earth.
Everything is going quietly enough. Just a few people enjoying their meals or waiting for the same. The group of asian men are still glancing over often. Until finally one stands up, the group watching him in unison as he parts their company and starts to cross the room.
The blonde continues to read her book quietly, waiting for her order to be corrected.
"Chill out, I wasn't sayin' you look like a fish or somethin', I just meant, like, you know, vaginas and fish." Amadeus makes a weird gesture by smushing the space inbetween his thumbs and index fingers together. The gesture makes no sense and should mean nothing to anyone, so who knows what he's trying to convey. "Name's Amadeus, parents thought I was gonna be a genius."
"Did your mother have any children that lived?" Nora says coolly, finishing filling her soda and taking a sip, before returning her gaze to Amadeus and smiling sweetly as she waits for the joke to make it through.
The movement from the group of Asian men has her eyes shifting from him to them, and she moves back toward Amadeus and the counter to wait for her food. "Be ready to move," she says in a low voice. "This might mean trouble." She glances again at Cardinal's seat and then tips her head to where Jennifer has disappeared. "How much you dying for your surf and turf? I think maybe … we should go." She pushes Amadeus' shoulder with her hand toward the door.
As the one asian man starts approaching the table, Cardinal's gaze flickers up from his meal to watch his approach… although it's hard to tell, really, from behind his sunglasses. He just takes another bite of the reuben sandwich, chewing slowly as the sandwich is set down and he reaches over to unscrew the top of his bottle of water.
Plus one. A lean man with a long face and a gingery scuff of an anchor beard shoulders in through the door alone, long black coat and knit cap black as the street is in the rain. Calvin's less immediately identifiable with his mane temporarily tamed out've sight, the high turn of his collar further suffering to muddy his presence for all that the eyeliner he's wearing has more the opposite effect.
Checks and balances. Or something. Anyway, he's here for all that he's also late, brow knit when he stops up a bit short to size up the Amadeus-being-pushed-for-the-door-by-Nora situation. Not a coupling he could've predicted, as evidenced by his baffled, "…Seriously?"
The asian sensation going on in the background hasn't quite registered yet. It's a sandwich shop. What's the worst that could happen?
The asian man cuts the distance in half, rapidly growing shorter. It looks like he is on path for Cardinal's table and then. Pause. The young asian man stops in front of Amadeus, weight shifting onto one fit. Arms dangling to the side as he greets Amadeus with a slow lopsided smile. "Hey~" He murmurs a musical lilt to his tone. It's quite… friendly.
Oh.
And suddenly the asian group's characteristics become abundantly clearer. Hilighted tips. Sunglasses resting on top of the head. And awesome scarves. The young man pauses in front of Amadeus. Smiling brightly. "My name's Jay."
Back in the kitchen, Jennifer is waving off the new guy. He has to leave early. The large Samoan looking man takes his apron off, he heads out of the kitchen throwing it in the locker as he moves down the hallway. Arms covered in tattoos he goes to visit the bathroom before departing.
"I don't know who you are, but I never say no to a hot chick, unless she has a cold sore." Amadeus starts heading to the door with her, raising an eyebrow at Calvin. That guy looks familiar somehow. Then when Jay introduces himself, there's a nervous smile as he holds his hands up. "Name's Michael Cera, I'm, uh, gonna go to the Goodwill so I can study for a role, then I'm gonna bang Juno and do turtle stuff." Chinese people can't tell white people apart, right?! His entire plan is relying on this vital piece of trivia!
As Calvin enters the deli, Nora arches brows and gives a shrug of her shoulders, cheeks growing a little rosy as if caught doing something wrong. As "Jay" stops in front of them, the teen takes a step to the left and away, pushing Amadeus along in front of her and toward Calvin.
"Turtle stuff…" she echoes with a shake of her head. "Come on, Casanova."
As the flamboyant asian fellow diverts his course to hit on Amadeus, Cardinal nods to himself absently. "Now I know why he was living with Satoru in a van," he murmurs against the mouth of his water bottle, taking a hefty swig and lowering it with a slow shake of his head, "I should've guessed." He relaxes a bit, setting the bottle down and reaching into his jacket to pull out his phone, thumbing through his messages.
Jay glances back over his shoulder, letting up a light smile. The group of men behind him talking amongst each other and even letting out a few chuckles amongst themselves. Jay, scratches his head, shaking his head some. "Um. Nice to meet you then." A little smile and a wave of his hand. He obviously has no idea what the hell Amadeus is saying. But it's a good thing he doesn't have to.
The leaving cook has exited the bathroom. Without washing his hands which is required by all food serving institutions in the state of New York. The large man pauses in front of the bathroom. Brushing his hands off. He pauses, stretching his large arms from side to side. One step spreads him out. The large man postures up, facing the lobby of the delicatessen. A subtle nod is gifted towards the lobby.
The blonde at the table behind Cardinal stands up, purse flung over her shoulder. The woman makes her way for the door after the sharp sound of tink tink rings out from the ground. A cannister has been dropped there as the pretty woman leaves the delicatessen.
The door closes.
And smoke immediately begins to flood out of the cannister, immersing the lobby of the delicatessen in a obscuring fog.
More skeptical than directly admonishing, Calvin eases off a hair when Nora's cheeks color and a gay chinaman starts running interference on Amadeus. Everything as it should be such that he relaxes enough to say, "Hullo," just in time for that metal canister to land tink tink on the floor next to him once the blonde woman has passed.
He tips his scruffy chin down. Looks at it.
Tension's quick to shock through his shoulders after that — he startles and sidesteps away as one would from a cockroach the size of a rat moving through a sliver of peripheral vision. Not a typical reaction for someone purported to have no ability. He only seems to recognize as much after it's too late anyway, a hard blink a clench at his teeth evidence of the resolve it takes to hold his ground and reach for Nora while the deli's thoroughly fogged. "S'this something we're expecting, muffin?"
Nora too shrinks away from the canister before realizing it's just smoke. "Surprise party from what I can tell," she murmurs to Calvin, letting him pull her closer to him. One hand is still curled around her soda as she watches Jay through narrowed eyes that then flit toward the door — fight or flight instincts at war with one another.
"Good to see you," she says in an aside, before jerking her head toward the man eating the rueben sandwich. "Party's for him, I think."
"Wait…" Cardinal's brow furrows into tight lines as he stares at his phone, leaning in a little and then back as if having difficulty focusing, "…what's…" Then there's a sudden weight at his side, where his gun's usually kept relatively incorporeal, as it becomes a little too much for the back of his mind to hold onto. He doesn't have time to react to his sudden realization of what's happening before he hears that tink-tink and hits the floor, his chair clattering to one side.
At least it's just smoke, rather than a grenade. Sudden grenading always ruins everyone's day.
Jay is glancing down at the voluminous amounts of smoke and immediately fleeing back to his group of friends. Who are also standing and pushing themselves to the sides of the table. Backing away into the wall, fear evident as the smoke begins to fill up. Because smoke isn't normal. Generally.
%t At the counter Jennifer is looking over her shoulder, immediately calling for her manager. Placing her hands on the bar and gripping she frowns deeply. "Should I call the police?" She yells out with concern.
The Samoan looking man that got off is lowering as if getting ready to run. Glaring into the smoke, one large leg swings forward. Leaning forward the man starts to lumber towards Cardinal, gaining momentum slowly as he rushes. Speed increasing gradually as he crosses the distance in the delicatessen between he and Richard. It may not be a grenade. But there is something much worse at least for Cardinal heading over rapidly.
Unfortunately, Jay is caught up in the large man's path and, with the impact is flung out of the way unnaturally. The running man doesn't react, doesn't slow, doesn't even stumble from literally runing over an other man. As a matter of fact, nothing stops the man. Practically running through one of the tables it goes skittering away from the man's path.
Arms opening up wide, the large man hunkers down as he continues on. Rather than perform an old school Mufasa style trampling stampede on the man, the giant goes to scoop Cardinal up in his wide grip. Shoulders dipping, his head ducks down. The wall that Cardinal was leaning against is bust through cleanly. Barely slowing the man down as he charges through. Once he does charge through his steps slow down, gait brought to a stumble, Cardinal is dropped unceremoniously as the big man brings one hand to touch against his forehead wobbily. Plaster and sheetrock decorating his shoulders, the trail from the man-sized hole in the wall scattered behind him.
"And you," says Calvin, also in an aside that's a little retardedly (exaggeratedly) lovey-dovey through a turn of his shoulders and a downard tilt at his chin that's — punctuated by the crash of the largish man through the wall with a smaller one.
Goodness.
Either this sort of thing happens often where he's from or he has steelier nerves than his initial flinch from the cannister suggested.
"Goodness," he says aloud, then, right arm wound more comfortably round her waist once it seems clear that the cannister wasn't meant expressly for them, "is that Richard ~fucking~ Cardinal? Do you think he'll sign my chest?"
"If you ask nicely," quips Nora even as she watches the destruction of the wall, head tilted as she chews her lower in concentration — Calvin will recognize it as a sign she's listening for anything in the area, and possibly contemplating intervening. After a moment, she shakes her head, clearing her throat a bit at the irritation caused by the mostly harmless smoke.
"C'mon. You can only get your chest signed if you get close enough," she says teasingly to Calvin, moving forward and picking her way through the rubble to get closer to the fray that's now outside.
And then walls were added to the list of things that Richard (fucking) Cardinal is able to pass through. Of course, he might prefer if it wasn't via using him to bash it down but, you know, beggars can't be choosers.
There's a pained grunt as he's dropped down to the pavement outside, rolling slightly with one hand sliding to his stomach and chest under his jacket, squinting a bit against light that's suddenly far too bright for his own liking too. "God— damn it— "
The rain pours down hard and the smoke suddenly wafts out as the shelter of the delicatessen is immediately invaded by the monster that Mother Nature is currently unleashing on Little Italy. The storm pours down harshly on the large Chinese Samoan whatever man who peers down at Cardinal. A groan is let down from him as the black van slides up alongside the eatery. The big man takes a few steps over, the back doors of the black van are flung open.
Bending, the big man goes to throw his hands at the back of Cardinal's collar. Pulling him against the slippery surface of the street, he is taken towards the vehicle. Two more Chinese men hopping out of the back. These men are Ghost Shadows. Finally come to collect on the hit out on Richard Cardinal. Snapping is made in cantonese as weapons are trained on the Shadow Mimic. Twin 9s watching the man carefully as the large Battering Ram goes to place his other hand on the waistband of Cardinal's pants.
"But Nora," Calvin is already whining, nasal voice rising a little sharp in her wake as she picks her way through the rubble after them. He remains behind inside for a long beat, washed out in lingering smoke in his cap and coat and suffocating apathy to the cause she seems intent on taking up. Can't they just go for a coffee? Or a movie?
Or a tooth extraction?
At length, and with a reluctantly fleet kind of grace, he navigates his way out into the hiss of cold rain and chuffing engine to squint (nastily and sidelong) after the ongoing ruckus of like. Execution or whatever.
Unfortunately, when the van doors close (and they do close, on their own, whether or not they were meant to) they do not re-open. There's a subtle crimp in the frame that keeps them locked fast, which is made all the more irritating when one of the guys who just hopped out of it and pulled a gun aims it abruptly at his companion. Or at least — can't quite let go of the grip quick enough to make it look otherwise when the gun aims itself.
The van and ghost shadows hopping out have Nora backtracking; she doesn't have a gun on her, after all, and what promised to be an entertaining fight between a big thug and a shadow isn't as entertaining when bullets are involved.
At least in her mind.
She steps back until she bumps into Calvin coming up behind her, and her eyes narrow as she tips her head in one direction. "They called it in; closest unit is ten blocks away," she murmurs quietly.
A sharp grunt escapes Cardinal as he's hauled up from the pavement and into the air, his eyes squinting a little behind his shades as he tries to focus on what - to him - is a dreadfully colour-inverted world for the moment. "Good afternoon," he offers in a forcibly cheerful tone, "I'm guessing you're upset about something. The guns were kind of a — hey! Hands away from the jewels, Andre — "
The big man is hefting Cardinal up. Heaving him backwards, Cardinal is then hurled towards the open cavernous back of the van. But then the open van becomes a closed van. Rather quickly. The hurled Cardinal still en route for the van. Ops. The big man looks a little alarmed, eyes widen. The Ghost Shadow on the left is holding his nine at the Ghost Shadow on the right. Who doesn't seem particularly thrilled by this fact. His own weapon pulled up in a sort of standoff way. Shouting in Chinese is abundant. At the front of the van shouting is also running rampant, thumping can be heard against the door.
The squealing of tires can be heard around the corner, water exploding from under the tires as a black sedan rapidly approaches. The two Ghost Shadows in stand off are still yelling, until finally the one who had started the gun show simply releases his weapon. The second Ghost Shadow points his weapon down at Richard Cardinal. Looking like he's ready to fire the weapon right there.
The gun is released; the gun falls. It doesn't fire until its butt hits the ground and the live round in the chamber goes all ricochet plink plong ptew with sparks off a nearby lamp post. There's a lot of shouting in Chinese meanwhile and it's up there with a five year old learning to play piano, so with at least 3/4s of the situation resolved, Calvin's quick to soak Nora's bump back into him with another (damper) wrap around her waist.
The better to guide her away, this time, where the pop of a round in to Richard Cardina's brains will or won't paint the street behind them briefly bright with muzle flash. "Probably best to get a move on then. Unless you want to spend the rest of your evening as part of a preliminary investigation."
The teen does duck when the gun hits the ground and fires, and she nods in agreement with Calvin's words — there's another sedan screeching toward the bit of sidewalk they stand on, and with police incoming, and without a gun, there isn't much she can do but stay clear of trouble — even if she willingly followed it outside.
"Right. That'd be bad, given… you know… circumstances." She lets herself be steered away though she does throw a worried look over her shoulder, before offering Calvin her cup of soda. "Thirsty?" she asks as she begins to move down the sidewalk, away from the chaos.
THONK— FFTHMF.
That, as it turns out, is the sound that Richard Cardinal makes when hitting a van's closed doors and dropping in a heap before them when they turn out to be closed rather suddenly. "Why… do you people… keep hitting things with me!" One hand splays against wet pavement, pushing up a bit and not seeming to see the gun pointed at him as he straightens a little…
…and fires his own gun with his other hand straight through the material of his jacket towards his would-be executioner, throwing himself to one side in a tumble over an already bruised shoulder ("ow fuck ow") in the hopes of avoiding return fire.
He just wanted a sandwich. God damn it.
The Ghost Shadow on the right is shot straight through the chest. Bullet cleaving meat easily as the young gangster stumbles backward. His gun dropping to the side of Cardinal's head. Hopefully it doesn't go off all ricochet plong ptew-y like the other one. Stumbling back, the young gangster drops to the ground, the rain quickly sweeping up the blood leaking from his chest and carrying it away to a gutter.
The ghost shadow on the left is watching with wide eyes, he jumped when his own gun went off. And then again when Cardinal's gun goes off. His arms going up as if to protect himself. Then his compatriot goes down, Cardinal is starting to get up. His eyes leap to the big man, then down to Cardinal, over to the departing couple, then down to his own gun. Dropping to one knee the gun is picked up. Standing up quickly the gun is trained on Cardinal, and despite his rolling tumbling it doesn't take the best shot to put him down at this point.
The Battering Ram is also bearing down. Legs spread out, body mass lowering. The big man is prepared once again to bulldoze over Cardinal. Two more threats placed against Richard Fudging Cardinal.
In Calvin and Nora's wake there is a muzzle flash and the sound of another bang. Accompanied by a screech and a loud thump followed by a dull thud of flesh against ground. Should the couple turn about to witness the scene:
The remaining Ghost Shadow falls with a bullet implanted into his head. Dropping lifelessly, the big man rests next to the dead shadow. Unconscious from the car that just power slid into him. The passenger door of the car is flung open. Dong-tian sitting in the driver seat, leaning over to peer at Cardinal. "Get in!" He yells.
"Not really," says Calvin, who looks at least moderately put out about the sheer amount that he's being rained on while he walks at her side. The guns say pew and pew and pew but he doesn't look back, resigned to the assumption that more than one shot fired means Cardinal's alive to not die another day. "Thank you, though."
The sirens in the distance alert them to the fact the squad car is no longer ten blocks away but now just couple, and the cup gets thrown into a nearby trash can before Nora's hand slips into Calvin's. "Let's get out of here." Her hand is cold and wet in his as she squeezes it lightly.
"We still have an hour before everything's closed, and I spent my last money on a sandwich I didn't get to eat," she complains, glaring up at the sky before throwing one more glance over her shoulder. "Looks like he'll be okay." Not that it'll make Calvin's night to know that.
"I thought this stupid— god damn— hit team bullshit was over and done with! Goddamnit, I have better things to do than worry about a bunch of honourless asian thugs— " Yes, Cardinal is bitching about murderers being sent after him. His heart's beating a thousand miles a minute, he just came a sliver from death, and he's mostly annoyed about it.
Of course, that doesn't mean he isn't scrambling into Dong-Tian's car as swiftly as possible, though. He's bruised up, annoyed and quite probably insane, but he's not stupid.
…arguably.
"Yeah. We need to talk about that." Dong-tian is murmuring as Cardinal scrambles into the car. As the door slams behind him, the vehicle is thrown back into drive. Vacating the scene immediately. Tires squealing once again, leaving the fallen Triad to sit in the horrendous rain. The Enforcer behind the wheel stares through the windshield. Steady breathing heard quietly, the radio giving them a gentle background music. It's soon obvious that there is another man present in the car. An exact copy of Dong-Tian in the back seat. Sitting there with a too-large smile.
Dong-tian flashes Cardinal an apologetic smile. "Things are ah.. Well things have changed. Quite a bit actually. It doesn't really matter if the hits on or not. But I'll explain that all when you wake up." He murmurs, gripping the wheel. "Okay buddy!" He chirps, happily. "Start the game!"
From behind Cardinal, Xue places the tranquilizer gun against Cardinal's neck. The trigger being pulled quickly. Then the weapon is pulled back, a happy smile plastered on his face.
"Good job!" Dong-tian calls before looking back over to Cardinal. "Don't worry. This is just because you wouldn't agree to this if I asked you. Ahm.. Everything will probably be fine."
Arguably.