<div class="floatleft">(http://www.filmofilia.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/08/Expendables-2_02.jpg)</div><br/><br/><br/><br/><br/><strong>Name:</strong>Luke Cage<br/><strong>Alias:</strong>Still Luke Cage[Sometimes Power Man]<br/><strong>Time/Date:</strong>TBD/Evening<br/><strong>Location:</strong>Luke's - Harlem, NY<br/><strong>Tagging:</strong>NPCs, Open<strong>Mentioned:</strong>Jessica Jones, Danny Rand<br/><strong>Warning:</strong>A normal night so far...<br/><strong>Music:</strong>Smokestack Lightnin' (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9Ri7TcukAJ8) > Contagious (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hvMjaCGc4rk)<br/><hr/><div align="center">(http://cdn.movieweb.com/img.news.tops/NEtgCZIgzcZgxu_2_b.jpg)</div><hr/>Luke stood behind the bar, polishing a stout glass until it was clear as crystal. It was the fifth in a row. Tonight was a slow one, but he didn't mind. Even in a new location, the customers he'd had were loyal enough to still stop by, and the new location meant new people all the time. Well maybe not<em>all</em>the time, but he had enough turnover to not complain, nor did he have to worry about bills. Especially since business with Danny was doing a lot better than either of them had hoped when they decided to use their combined amazing abilities to help people who couldn't help themselves...for a modest fee of course. He'd just started on polishing a sixth cup, when one of his regulars Rico stood up and went over to the jukebox.<br/><br/>Luke had a sound setup that played music from either a playlist he set up, XM radio, or even requests. But whenever someone put money in the jukebox, that was what everyone listened to. He picked a blues classic, then shambled back over to his lonely spot at the bar. Usually he was full of life, always laughing and buying rounds for the bar. He had a pretty good job as a real estate agent. And a good realtor in New York was a very wealthy person. He also had a smokin' hot wife who he was madly in love with and thought the world of. So tonight something seemed really off. Taking the newly polished glass, he held it under the tap until it was full of ice cold, frothy beer. Then he walked over and placed it right in front of one of his regulars.<strong>" Sup', Rico? You lookin' a lil uh...what's the word? Forlorn tonight.<br/><br/> Have one on the house while you say what's on ya mind."</strong>The man sighed, looking down and out before grabbing the glass and gulping half of it down before remembering to say "Cheers." When he looked up, Luke could see his eyes for the first time tonight. They were red, and puffy. "She uh...I caught her, man. I caught Melody with some<em>fuck</em>she used to hang out with back in college." He started to stew a bit, and Luke held up a finger, then went under the bar only to come back up with a double shot glass and a bottle of goldschlager. The good stuff for a good man having a shitty day. After filling the cup, he passed it, nodded, and waited for him to drink.<strong>"Shit, man. I...I don't know what to say. Five years and nothin' but good times. And just outta nowhere?"</strong>The entire glass was emptied, and his shoulders started to shudder. Luke poured another glass just as the song switched to something...<em>worse</em>.<br/><br/>And the bad thing was, that was one of the rules of Luke's. You paid for the jukebox, your song got played. Luke shrugged because Rico knew his rules were usually ironclad. He accepted it and continued. "I uh, I actually found out from that lady you referred me to. Jessica Jones?" Even though he and Jess were...he didn't know what they were right now. But she was a good PI, so he threw business her way when he could for whatever reason. If he remembered, Rico had only asked him about checking on potential buyers and stuff to make sure they were legit. Apparently he had concerns he kept close to his chest.<br/><br/>"She told me she couldn't find anything conclusive, but she had a hunch. And her hunches were usually right. So...I decided to put some fire back in the relationship just in case. So today, I closed a niiiice loft over in Manhattan. 20k commission on a 1,200 square foot box. So I got excited, rushed home to take her out to a nice dinner, a night of dancin'. You know, spontaneous, romantic. Tonight, Luke. Tonight was gonna be the start of me doing better for any bad. Making her my queen again. I wanted to make sure I would never lose her." Luke nodded, and filled the glass again. Rico had more than enough to pay for his drinks, so Luke giving them to him for free showed his concern.<br/><br/>"I walked in happy and shit and...and I thought she wasn't home, but her car was outside. So I get a beer from the fridge, and I hear music. R&B shit, real soft and slow and sensual. My heart dropped immediately, Luke. You just don't know." Luke knew all too well. He'd lost a wife too; for different reasons, but getting your heart snatched out kinda felt the same regardless of the reasons. He let his friend speak though; now through tears starting to stream down his face. "I got my phone out because I knew. I just fucking<em>knew</em>, ya know? And I put it on record, and I snuck in our bedroom. The bedroom we shared for eight years, five as husband and wife.<br/><br/>And there she was, face down, ass up, trying not to moan his fucking name. I recorded for...fuck I dunno. Twenty minutes? I'm not a cuck, I'm not Luke! But I had to get evidence for court." It was going to be a long night, so Luke got a full bottle from behind the bar and stepped out, then he took Rico over to a booth and sat across from him. He only had about six people tonight. And Roy was behind the bar too so he could handle anyone else who came in. Luke was glad Roy decided to come back after he rebuilt the bar. He was a good worker, and loyal too. For that he got paid a good deal more than most bartenders. Luke was loyal too.<br/><br/><strong>"You drink free tonight. So drown your sorrows and get it off your chest before you do somethin' crazy. Hell if you want, we can go out back and you can blow off some steam with the bat."</strong>Rico just nodded, and slammed back another shot.<strong>"Hey Roy. Can you get my man a pastrami over here? He's gonna be 90% liquor by the time the nights over."</strong>"Will do, boss." They'd started serving food now. Even without the new customers, the food brought in a lot more cash. "I sat there and watched her Luke. Through a crack in the door like some fuckin' pervert. I watched him fuck the shit outta my wife while she called his name, called him daddy, said he was the best she ever had. Like the ring still wasn't on her fuckin' finger.<br/><br/>After it got to the point I couldn't stand it, I busted in and told her it was over. And that I was coming here. And if he wasn't gone by the time I counted to ten, he was done. After he left, I told her if her, or any of her shit was still there when I got back...it would be bad. That was about...5 this afternoon? I think she's smart enough to be at her mothers or one of her slut friends houses by now." He slammed back another shot. "I fucking loved her man," he finally uttered out at barely more than a whisper. Now the tears flowed freely.<strong>"I know, man. I know. Let it all out."</strong>This was another reason Luke's was getting popular. Luke Cage actually cared about his community, and the people in it. If he got to know you, he got to know you, remembered your name, treated you like family.<br/><br/>For another two hours the men sat and talked and shot the shit. Until Rico started to slur his words and after going to the bathroom, nearly tripped coming back. "Luke...m'drunk man. I think I'm drunk. I...I'm sleepy too. I'ma go home. I'll be back tomorruh, maybe take that slugger out back and shee how I make it ash a demo man, hahahah." Before Luke could put his bottle back on the bar, Rico was already staggering outside.<strong>"Rico. Rico, hold on now!"</strong>Shaking his head, he jogged out after the man. No way he'd let him drive home as hammered as he was. His fears were for nothing though. Rico's sleek black Benz had a neon yellow, dingy boot on the tire. He'd parked in a no parking zone in his anger, and he'd been at the bar for hours. "Shit! Now I got a damn boot on muh car. Fuck me, huh?! Just fuck me!"<br/><br/>Luke reached out and grabbed his shoulder to keep him from freaking out, then held up his hand.<strong>"Rico. Calm down. I'm gonna call you an Uber to take you home. Leave me your car keys and I'll take care of the boot, park it out back. You come back and get it tomorrow. Cool?"</strong>"Cool", the man huffed. He fumbled around and got his keys, then headed back inside while Luke called him a ride. Once they showed up, he helped him into the car, tipped the guy a $100 and told him Rico's address. After the car was nothing but tail lights in the distance, Luke looked around before opening the car and putting the keys in the ignition. Setting the car to neutral, he got in front of the car, leaned down and clamped his hands under the frame.<br/><br/>Standing up, he locked his arms with the car behind him and pulled it by the front end into the parking alley behind the bar. He set the car down, then after putting it back in park, he locked it and grabbed the boot. He squeezed, crimping it and causing it to fall right off, then he crumpled the boot into a ball and tossed it into the dumpster. Problem solved. When he finally walked back into the inside, he washed his hands and went back behind the bar. "Everything okay, boss?"<strong>"Fine, Healy,"</strong>Luke said as he grabbed another glass and started polishing.<strong>"Just another night of good people gettin' shit on for no good reason."</strong>