The Big Game

Luke Cage was led into the guarded back room of The Roaring 20s. The rattle of poker chips and the noxious fumes of blue cigar smoke filled the air. Sitting around a large oak table, with three of Hammerhead's cronies is a beautiful young redhead with a beehive hairdo shuffling a fresh deck of cards. Big Rock, Blackwing, and Gimlet. Hammerhead's personal associates. Gimlet was a top lieutenant who had been around since before Hammerhead came to lead the branch. Big rock, and Black wing, while their exact rank within the criminal organization was unknown, had quite the reputations. Gimlet, an older balding man in a fine olive suit rose to shake Luke's hand. "youse must be Sam! I hears you cut a mean deck. Sit down, let's get started." Gimlet said pointing towards a vacant. Seat between Big Rock and Blackwing. Luke's disguise seemed to be holding together.

Luke sat heavily between the two gangsters, an unseen woman carrying a tray of assorted alcoholic beverages appeared at Luke's side and asked him for his drink order, and he received a small bourbon on rocks. After taking a sip he placed his glass down on the conveniently already place coaster.

"You're gonna need some chips to play, Gimlet commented. "$10,000 buy in."

When Luke Cage had heard that this would be a high stakes game he had no idea just how high the stakes would actually be. But, everyone in that room was supposed to be a fairly wealthy man with plenty of dirty money to throw about in whatever direction they please. Luke reached into his pocket and withdrew his wallet. Careful to hide the inner ID card, which revealed his true identity, he emptied the leather holder to make the minimum amount of chips. The drink purveying waitress took his bills and handed him a small stack of 2 assorted chips. 1 was a stack of five white and blue$1,000 chips, with a single black and yellow $5,000 chip.

Once he had his chips before him on the table the game began. In a flurry of movement the dealer opened a fresh deck of cards and began dispensing each of the 4 players 2 cards face down. These were called the players' 'hole cards', and essentially their hand. The game appeared to be Texas Hold 'em. The most popular variant of poker and one of the most widely known card games amongst gamblers. Each of the players then slightly lifted an edge of their cards to check the value of their hand. Luke had a Jack of Hearts and a 6 of Spades before him.

During his multiple periods of incarceration in Blackgate prison amongst other places, Luke spent a lot of time learning and playing card games. It killed time and, depending on the game kept his mind active in a place where it was entirely to easy to completely atrophy. After literally hundreds upon hundreds of hands at Poker, Rummy, Cribbage, and Casino Luke got tired of all the shuffling and went on an impromptu hiatus from playing card games. However, it was his first opportunity to use what he had learned behind bars. He hoped he remembered enough to not lose his own ass before the end of the night. Jessica would be mad enough if she knew he had given a criminal organization $10,00 to play a few hands of Poker.

"Youse can start it, Sam." Gimlet nodded, meaning that it was on Luke to make the initial bet or the ''small blind' as it was referred to in the game.

Playing it safe on the first hand, Luke dropped a singular white and blue chip before his cards. Next, putting forth the big blind, Blackwing threw out 2 white and blue chips. Doubling up on Luke's bet and making the pot an odd $3,00. "So, where's your boss, Hammerhead at? Ain't he the reason I'm here?" luke asked Gimlet.

"He's on his way." Gimlet retorted. "Might as well play while we wait, huh? While we still got a chance at winning some money."

The other 2 goons laughed.

Then, Gimlet tossed out 2 white and blue chips of his own. Calling the bet. Big Rock peeked at his 2 cards once again and then shoved them towards the dealer, shaking his head in disapproval. A fold. With the initial betting actions made, then came 'the flop'. In the center of the table the dealer placed 3 cards face up for the 4 players to see, and one more face down beside the deck. A 10 of diamonds, a 7 of clubs, and a 2 of hearts. After the flop the action resumed to the left of the dealer, and Gimlet as well as Big Rock checked, meaning they had no desire to place anymore money on their hand just yet. Luke Cage looked at the men gathered around him. Notorious crooks and vicious card sharks. He couldn't afford to play a risky hand and be out of chips before Hammerhead even showed up. Considering this was only the first hand in what could be a long night, Luke Cage politely folded and bowed out if the hand. Blackwing however raised, doubling the last $2,000 bet with $4,000 of his own. The dealer collected the chips into a pot by the deck and performed 'the turn' in which a fourth card is laid face up for the players to use to construct their hand. A 4 of Spades. Gimlet boldly raised to a daring $8,000, which led Big Rock to fold and Blackwing to call. So, finally came 'The River', the point in which could completely change favor. Dealing the fifth and final face up card. An Ace of Hearts. Gimlet and Blackwing stared each other down and both eventually called. All bets placed and the hand over the two remaining players revealed their own two face up cards. Blackwing had a 3 of clubs and a 6 of hearts. Gimlet however flipped over a 10 of hearts and a 4 of spades, giving him two pairs and the hand. In a fit of greedy cackling Gimlet stretched across the table and slid the pot into his own pile, now $15,000 richer. Blackwing scowled angrily.

It was then that a loud metallic grinding sound began, seeming to emanate from below them. Suddenly, a trap door opened besides the patiently waiting and observing cocktail waitress. It lifted upwards and from a ladder crawled up the one and only Hammerhead, leader of the Hammerhead branch of the Maggia crime family. Below the room they were all now in was what Luke assumed was probably just a basement where they stores liquor and stock, but then it seemed perhaps that it was attached to the subway tunnels even deeper beneath the city. So Hammerhead could travel to and from his establishment without detection.

Hammerhead himself was quite the imposing figure. A behemoth of a man, even taller and more burly than the human tank Luke Cage. He wore a fine white and black pinstripe suit and a custom made fedora to fit over the unnaturally oversized skull which had garnered him his nickname. The story went that Hammerhead was once just a lowly Maggia enforcer, before someone much higher up the chain took pity on him. He had found Hammerhead left for dead in an alleyway with a skull that was practically shattered. Using the Maggia's seemingly endless pockets he had an entirely new skull of adamantium implanted and bonded with the little few remnants of his original. Given that he had already suffered from severe mental and emotional disorders, the intense trauma to his brain exacerbated these issues. In fact, Hammerhead was rumored to have woken up in that hospital bed as an almost complete amnesiac. With no memory whatsoever of his former identity. Also upon awakening, he became fixated on a 1920s movie poster, the last thing he remembers seeing prior to the brawl that destroyed his skull and from his former life. He adopted the self-created identity of the mobster 'Hammerhead' a character from the movie advertised on the poster, favoring 1920s clothing, weaponry, speech patterns, and behavior of criminals from that era.

Upon his arrival to the poker game his henchmen arose and greeted him with hugs and proffering him a seat as well as rushing the waitress to pour his drink. Hammerhead said very little, but chomped vigorously on the end of his fat cigar. Once seated comfortably the game recommenced with Hammerhead joining the ranks of player. From behind his smoking cigar Hammerhead spoke, "youse must be Sam Evans?" he asked without looking away from the cards.

"Sure am." Luke lied, as he tried to watch the game.

"It's a lot different out East than it is back in the windy city, ain't it?" Hammerhead asked.

"A lot." Luke replied.

"Look. I knows youse were sent here by the up-top for a lil Q&A, so why don't youse start with the Q's and I'll give youse your A's?" Hammerhead blatantly stated, swigging down The last of his scotch and being poured another.

"Right to the matter, eh?" Luke said, a bit confused.

"Well, i used to be just another hired gun, Sam. Youse wanna knows how i got to the top?"

"How's that, Hammerhead?"

"Head First!" he shouted and began a deep rolling laughter that his goons all joined in on. When he grew silent so did they. "So why don't youse just ask what they sent youse here to ask me?"

Hammerhead looked Luke directly in his eye as he asked this. Even to Luke Hammerhead carried a very imposing and intimidating demeanor. But, Luke kept his gaze and stared him back down. The dealer had just then began to deal yet another hand. Hammerhead started the betting with a solid $5,000 bet. Gimlet and Big Rock both called. Checking his hand Luke saw that he was holding an Ace and King of Spades. Luke raised, throwing in his full $10,000 buy in, leaving him with only another $4,000 accumulated in winnings from previous games. Blackwing folded. "So, what's this everyone's hearing about you stealing a book from the met?" Luke dared to ask.

The dealer took the initial bet of $25,000 into the pot. Dealing the flop, the dealer placed a 2 of diamonds, a 4 of hearts, and a jack of Spades. "Well, youse knows how it is--rumors is rumors. I didn't swipe no book. It's a frame-up. And youse let your boys back West knows that." Hammerhead answered, clearly responsible for answering to someone.

With that Luke Cage became confused. Hammerhead was denying the theft of the book. Not to just anyone, but to the organization he represented and to the men higher up on the criminal food chain than he. If he were caught deceiving the Maggia they would likely reclaim the adamantium implanted in his head and leave his head a mound of mush. Hammerhead might not have been rumored to be the brightest of the Hammerhead leaders, but he didn't seem suicidal. His loyalties had always been with the families. Luke believed he was telling the truth. But, if he hadn't stolen the book….

"who's trying to frame you up?" Luke pried.

Hammerhead looked at his cards again and called. "That's what i would like to knows!! I got a hunch though--some joker, calling himself Mister Fear."

Mister Fear. Luke had heard that name before, and knew that it came with geim connotations. He has never personally encountered the masked criminal before, but had heard of a horrible run-in that Daredevil had had with him in the past. If he remembered correctly he could have sworn that Daredevil had been responsible for his incarceration. Perhaps he had returned to his life of crime upon release.

"Mister Fear?" Luke Cage asked more to himself than to Hammerhead, but still Hammerhead responded.

"yeah! Ain't that a joke?! Some of my spies tell me he's operating a new gang--on my turf!! Call themselves the faces of fear, like it's still Halloween or somethin'."

The Flop was a queen of Spades. Luke saw the makings of a royal flush in his hand with the Ace and King sitting comfortably face down before him. However, the trick to poker is in what is revealed by the players. He would not let on that he had the makings of a golden hand, or Hammerhead and the others would fold and tho he would win the pot it wouldn't grow anymore before that moment. If Hammerhead and his men thought they still had a shot at claiming the pot they would keep their hand in the game. Hammerhead didn't look at his cards that time, but instead slid $20,000 in chips onto the board. Raising Luke's last bet. Gimlet called, but Big Rock folded. Luke then called and Blackwing folded as well.

"But get this!" Hammerhead added. Lighting his 5th cigar that night with a wood match. "I got a cute lil note from him this morning! It said something like: 'Be at the Washington Square Arch at Midnight, and you'll get what you want.' i guess he means the book. But, i got a surprise for this Mr. Fear."

Hammerhead then looked at his watch and began to laugh again with his deep resonating roll of laughter. "Yup, a real super surprise."

Looking at his own golden Seiko, Luke saw that it was already 11:20 PM and already approaching midnight. If Hammerhead was not the real thief, then Luke and the Heroes For Hire had been misled. Not only misled but led towards who could've been another potential target for the true culprit. Then, if this Mister Fear had stolen the book and was attempting to lead Hammerhead to his own demise, would he be bold enough to arrive in person at the Arch? Maybe he did not really want to kill Hammerhead but wished to propose a union. Even a small group of ragtag gangbangers could be a real problem with financing from the Maggia. Even if he still had an assassination planned for that time, there was still the unknown of catastrophe that was about to occur at the Arch. Something had to be done.

Finally, the river came into play. An Ace of Hearts. Hammerhead smirked and pushed all of his chips out onto the table, going all in and betting all of his chips. "Head First!" Hammerhead said, glaring at Luke menacingly.

Gimlet folded immediately, smacking his cards down angrily on the table. "I'm out!" he whined at his surrender.

It was just between Luke and Hammerhead, with over $100,000 in the pot. Both men poured sweat and sat anxiously in the suspense. Luke called, without the money to raise any further. So, the dealer culled the pot and the two remaining players were to reveal their cards. Flipping one over with the other Hammerhead revealed a Queen of hearts and an 4 of clubs, revealing a simple two pairs. Luke Cage flipped over his Ace and King of spades to reveal a royal flush in Spades. The king in the hierarchy of poker hands, and Luke had been holding onto it since the flop. Hammerhead and his goons' jaws all dropped to the floor simultaneously. Then, the dealer declared Luke the winner and pushed him his winnings. All $165,000 of it. Checking the time again Luke attempted to devise a tactic to excuse himself. "Well, fellas, it's been real. It's been nice. Heck, it's even been real nice. But, I've heard all i need to hear and taken all the money from you boys i can bare to shame you with. I do believe i hear The windy city crying my name. I've got to go. Thank you for your time and the game. It's been a pleasure. Gotta go!"

As he cashed out his chips and left the room he could hear one of Hammerhead's goons making a joke about going head first followed by thumps and thuds. With a fistful of Maggia cash and a date at the Washington Square Arch Luke began running once he left the roaring 20s. Despite Black Widow's assistance in the La Guardia airport Luke had believed he would be able to find the book and retrieve it from the Roaring 20s by himself. Given the turn of events, and what was likely to be going down at the Arch Luke decided he would need some more help. Unfortunately, there was only one of his contacts' addresses between the roaring 20s and the arch.

-

Danny Rand sat up from his cross-legged position at his laptop on the floor in the Thunder Dojo and walked to the front entrance to see who had knocked so urgently. He slid open the door to see his old friend Luke Cage standing before him wrapped in a sweat-drenched 3-piece suit that had stacks of bills bulging from its vest pockets. "Hey! What's up, Luke?" Danny asked curiously as he scratched his armpit.

"Danny, I need you to come with me to The Washington Square Arch. There's some major fiddle-faddle about to go down!" Luke pleaded.

"Does this mean we're back together?" Danny asked.