Rae and Marcus, May 4, 2513 Location, Location, Location

Marcus calls out to her. “Wwwait! Where are you staying? I’ll bring them to you.” She stops and looks back at him suspiciously. “Sure you will. What are you getting out of all this Marcus? People aren’t usually so nice.” He looks at her blankly for a moment, not sure how to answer; fortunately she seems to take that as a good sign for she answers his question. “I’m staying at the Blue Dragon Dojo. Don’t bring your brother. He’s not welcome around me.” She continues on her way without a backward glance.

He watches her back for a moment before going back into the shop. His brother quickly confronts him. “You let that diji jinu in our shop, she could have stolen us blind! I never thought you would be so sentimental about a woman.” He stands there holding a cold pack to his privates and is distracted enough that he doesn’t see it coming. The blow to his head sends him reeling to the floor. Marcus crouches over him as he lies on the floor, stunned. “Never question me again. Never disobey me again. Be thankful I have you here. Father would have you killed you by now you xiaoqi haizi. Have you learned nothing? Do you want to go back? Leave the girl alone. It is not your right to question what amuses me.” Matthew looks up at him a trace of anger still in his eyes as he tries to compose himself and answer him. “Yes brother. Yes brother. No brother. Yes brother.” He waits tensely for another blow to come, one hand to the side of his head.

Marcus stands up and turns from him. Going into the back and retrieving her shoes, when he returns he tells Matthew. “Watch the shop. Put a cold pack on your face.”

He leaves and slowly makes his way in the direction Rhiannon went, wondering where the Blue Dragon Dojo was.

He gets to a heavily crowded market and asks a few of the vendors. He is pointed in the correct direction. A good thirty minutes later he stands in front of a holo-window with an elaborate blue dragon on it. Taking a deep breath he steps inside, blinking at the gloom. Looking around Rhiannon is nowhere to be found. A short but heavily muscular man walks over to him. “Can I help you?” “Yes, I’m looking for Rhianon.” “Who?” “Rhiannon, she said she was staying here. Young, short, colorful hair?” “Oh you mean Rae, yeah, sure. You’d better talk to Estes.” He points out a tall muscular black man, with short crew cut hair chewing on a cigar and holding a weight bag for someone.

Marcus makes his way over and stops, waiting for the man to have a free moment. Estes looks at him and says around the cigar. “Yeah, what can I do for you? Spit it out.” Marcus lamely holds out the shoes. “I have Rhiannon’s shoes, she left them at my shop.” Estes holds up a hand at the man who was boxing but is now staring at Marcus with an odd expression. “You mean Rae. So, that’s where she was last night. You the one who put his hands on her?” Marcus puts the shoes down by his side again and nervously pushes up his glasses. “Wha, what? No, no I. She was, and I. Maybe you should ask her. I just want to return these. Is she here? Does she stay here.” Estes gives his cigar a good chew. “I reckon if you’re here she told you she did and she is. She’s getting cleaned up. Going to have to wrap those ribs of hers. Got a broken one. Course, you wouldn’t know anything bout that would you?” Marcus shakes his head. “No, I, I tried to get her to see a doctor, but.” He trails off.

The boxer looks from Estes to Marcus anxiously. He looks at Marcus and asks. “You spent the night with Rae?” Marcus flushes and pushes his glasses up again. “No, she just stayed there.” The boxer looks back at Estes as if to gauge his reaction, then states. “You are one yi dwei da buen chuo roh.” Estes looks at the boxer. The boxer slowly backs away and moves to another area of the gym to practice.