10

Across the ocean, the Raft hovers just beneath the surface. It's a prison. Superpowered criminals are held here. One time, the Raft almost incarcerated Jones's mother.

Somewhere out there, a hovercraft signals to it. The Raft surfaces itself. Water pours from its scuppers, and back into the ocean. The tarmac atop it is quite clear.

The hovercraft lands. Dinah Madani gets out. She flashes her DHS badge, of course. The guards take her below deck.

She enters a hallway. There are iron horizontal bars on both sides. There are many cells. A light flashes above the cell Madani's looking for...until she gets to it, and they turn it off.

Madani peers in. Prison life hasn't made Davos any softer. He still wants revenge against Danny Rand and Colleen Wing. Sadly, of course, that's not what Madani's here for.

Madani identifies herself. Davos doesn't respond.

She tells him that someone sighted him in Chinatown, and reported it. But the police records, of course, say that he's in the Raft.

Davos gives her a stony look. He shakes the metal bars of his cell, and asks her if she seriously thinks it's possible that he's been to town lately.

Madani isn't saying it was Davos. She's just here to ask him if he has any male relatives who look exactly like him.

Davos scoffs. He reminds her that even if he did, they all would've died when the Hand destroyed K'un-Lun. He kicks the walls of his cell, as he still blames Rand for his people's eradication. But Madani's just a DHS agent; she's not supposed to believe in that shit.

Madani smirks, and reminds him that if K'un-Lun does exist-or did exist, rather-and if its people came to the United States to attack it, her belief in it would be of no consequence. New York still remembers what Davos did to it back when he was the Iron Fist, and the DHS would react with whatever force they had to if such superpowered folk ever attacked American lives again.

Davos misses the point of Madani's monologue, and reminds her that American lives are the only one she cares about, and that the lives of K'un-Lun folk will never matter to her for that reason. And what's sad is that she's not even an American; she's naught more than an Iranian privateer whom Uncle Sam pays to wage a war against her own kin.

Certain that she's gotten the information she's come for, Madani leaves Davos in...peace. Except now she's going to have to find a way to explain to the NYPD that Davos is somehow in two places at once.

At Alias Investigations, the ER has gotten more traumatic. It's just admitted a new patient.

Johnson looks over Wong. He's been bitten pretty badly. He looks like he tried to pretend to be a statue while standing in an ant nest. Except there's...blackening, and depth...where there wouldn't be with, normal ant bites...she'd think...

Jones chuckles. She remarks that she's shocked Johnson wasn't raised in Africa, and doesn't know these things for sure.

Johnson gives her a cold stare. She reminds her that her mother was Black Mariah, and of course she's never been to Africa. With that, she scurries off to get some soap and water. Jones sits next to Wong's cot, and tries to talk to him.

Johnson does admit, though, that a weird Belgian man with a metal arm, who she once dated, once promised to take her to Africa and see the sights. Alas, a few relatively monotonous dates later, he stopped calling her.

He reminded her, in his own way, of Gollum in the Lord of the Rings...if Gollum were taller, Belgian, and a cyborg.

To Wong, Jones poses the basics. Why he's stealing books. Why he has so many. From where he stole all the others. Why there are mystical relics stacked in the warehouse as well. Why it feels so dizzying in that warehouse. Why she can fly while she's in it-and can't seem to do it right anywhere else. Why the dragon attacked him. Where the dragon came from. What he knows about Kilgrave's bastardess, or why she's riding the damn lizard. Who she's working with. Why the black ant attacked him...

Wong moans in pain. In his own cot, Murdock shakes his head. He's blindfolded. He's more conscious than before.

Murdock remarks that he doesn't think Wong's saying anything. And it's eerie, too. He can hear Wong screaming (TOO much, if he dares say so), but he can't tell Wong's in a cot next to him. It's like he's intangible and weightless.

Jones scoffs, and tells Murdock not to be ridiculous. For all she cares, Murdock's been blind for so long that his remaining four senses have gotten so powerful that now they've gained the power to delude their owners into thinking that someone who isn't there really is.

Murdock shrugs, and admits that the Hand did once take him by surprise in that warehouse with the hole in it. And that as a matter of fact, he DOES have a vague memory of getting injured in that precise way...right after he thought he'd defeated the Owl...

Jones perks her ears, and asks about the Owl. Murdock elaborates, and says he was fighting the Owl before he got injured. He's very quiet, and he can glide short distances. Murdock doesn't think he's working alone.

Jones perks her ears when Murdock reveals that Owl can glide. This gives her a crazy idea...

But it'll have to wait. Reyes is waiting in her office, and he still doesn't know what's going on. Jones doesn't either, but... She leaves Wong and Murdock to rest, and attends to Reyes.

She sits at her desk. Reyes is admiring the selection of booze on her dresser. He remarks that she should try Crystal Head vodka. Or at least, he considers the skull-shaped bottles they come in as collectibles, for sure; personally, though, he's always admired teetotalers...

Jones asks him the basics. Where he came from. Where he got that Dodge Charger. Why he tried to fight the dragon alone. If he knew the dragon's rider could control minds. Why the dragon didn't attack him. How he can turn into a flaming skeleton. How he can empower chains like he does...

Reyes responds by saying that whenever interdimensional travel happens, he can sense it. He didn't know what to expect when he drove to the docks. He didn't know Knight, Wong, Kilgrave's bastardess, or Jones before that night. And, he tells her the story of the Ghost Rider-which she doesn't believe, of course.

Madani creeps in. Jones, who's getting bored with Reyes's story, points at her, and asks her what she wants. Madani says, plainly, she wants to hire her. Jones hold up her finger, and tells her to wait.

Jones doesn't believe in interdimensional travel. And she suspects that Reyes has more to do with this than he's talking about. Nonetheless, she owes him for the ambulance service. She asks him to name his price.

Reyes stands, and thanks her. As nice as this has been, there's a very dangerous dragon from an alternate reality out there who could hurt a lot of people if someone doesn't either tether him or send him back. And he doesn't expect this world to keep that beast tethered for long-not even with the Raft. He leaves Jones his contact info, in case that dragon decides to come back for more-and he surely will, seeing as he was clearly aiming for Wong, and seems very much aware that he missed.

Jones smiles, and waves goodbye-and suddenly remembers how much she misses Arocho. Fucking Latino charmers.

Reyes leaves. Madani takes his seat. She looks around, and smiles. "So," she remarks, "this is Alias Investigations."

Jones shrugs. "It's always a work in progress...but it works."

Madani reveals that they've never met. But naturally, she's heard of her work and what she can do, and that they might have a mutual connection with Karen Page.

Jones admits she doesn't know Page as well as Murdock, but that Page is the reason why she and Johnson are taking care of the injured Murdock, and not her. With that, Jones cuts the small talk and asks her what business the DHS wants with her.

Madani smiles, and reveals that she's actually here as a person. She acknowledges the Latino who just left. "Is that Oscar? He's cute!"

"Oh no!" Jones chuckles. "No, that's not Oscar. His... His name is Robbie Reyes. He," clears her throat, "sends people to hell."

But in a way Madani's problem is the DHS's, as it is New York's. Less than a year ago, the NYPD arrested a foreigner named Davos. He was convicted of mass murder and racketeering, and sentenced to the Raft. Madani just visited the Raft, and hence knows that Davos is still there. But here's the curveball: police departments all over New York have been reporting the sightings of a foreigner who looks a ghostly lot like Davos. And right now both the NYPD and the DHS are stumped, because they don't know how to tell the press that Davos is in jail AND on the streets at the same time.

Jones nods, and recalls Davos. She heard about how the Daughters of the Dragon took him down.

Madani needs Jones to find this Davos, and try to talk to him. Madani would do it herself, except she's afraid that Free Davos is going to run-or try to kill her-if he finds out she's a DHS agent. Plus, as a DHS agent, Madani has orders to follow. And she can't swear to her boss that Free Davos is a threat to homeland security as long as all he's done is look like Raft Davos.

Jones admits that she was working on two cases. But seeing as she's pretty certain that they both got solved by the chaos at the docks, she agrees to take Madani's case.

They shake hands. Madani passes along to Jones what she knows: photos of where Free Davos has been. She also adds that more than once, Free Davos has committed some minor crime-which he was later bailed for. The police stations have security photos of the people who pay the bail-which Madani also delivers-but no ID on them.

Jones assures her that she'll get to work on it. She'll also let Wing and Knight know that there's another Davos in New York. They won't be happy to find out, Jones is sure-but in the long term, at least, they'll be better off knowing. She sends Knight a text.

Madani thanks Jones, leaves her her DHS card, and leaves. Jones is tempted to drown the card in booze and light it aflame, as a means of cursing the federal government-but decides against it. Madani is abominable-but she's not that bad at making deals. And professionally, Jones must assume that Madani is a good girl until proven a bitch.

Jones assesses the police's info on Free Davos. She deduces, based on Free Davos's apparent behavior, that Chinatown is the best place to start her hunt for him. So once again, she leaves Johnson to her duties at her apartment, while she pays Chinatown a visit. Madani-forbid if she meets a cokey bloke named Smokey who shows her how to kick the gong around...

Damn, Jones misses Cab Calloway. How come Luke hasn't met his protege already?

The main building of Rand Enterprises towers over Chinatown. Jones parks in its lot, while searching for Free Davos on foot.

Wing's dojo looks nice. It's a good thing the public can't tell, from out here, that Wing and Knight are holding an old man against his will inside.

Jones goes to a Chinese botanical garden, which Free Davos was reported to have been at, and eavesdrops. He was here, alright. And he acted weird, too. She hears someone say that he drank from the koi pond.

Free Davos is a foreigner, alright. And yet, from what Jones remembers hearing about him, he was MUCH more civilized when Wing and Knight apprehended his Raft-incarcerated counterpart.

An old Japanese man sits on the bench next to Jones. Jones tries not to notice him. He doesn't speak. He...seems to be here for the same reason she is.

Jones doesn't usually do this, but she tries to make small talk. It suddenly occurs to her that this man might not know English.

Jones hesitates. She looks the man up and down. She's seen him before, she thinks. But she can't quite remember where...

She asks him about it. He merely hides his face, and tries to look clueless.

Jones admits that she gets a lot of Asian clients. She ends up not being able to help many of them, alas. She doesn't know many other languages besides English. She's thought of learning Spanish for Arocho's sake, but...she's figured that as long as he clearly loves her for who she is, there's no foreseeable need...

The man says goodbye, in Japanese, and scurries away. Jones shrugs, and returns to tracking Free Davos.

Her phone buzzes. She checks it. It's Owlsley. He's wondering why she hasn't called.

Jones smiles, and texts back. She tells him she's solved his case. She's found his missing books, but hasn't reported them yet. Life's been too crazy. She texts him the warehouse's address at the docks. Owlsley thanks him-with a text balloon with multiple hearts in it.

Jones smiles, and puts her phone away. She thinks she might be falling for Owlsley...but isn't sure.

She continues her hunt. The sun gets low. It sets. She keeps her ears open. As often as Free Davos has been making the news, he won't likely keep quiet for long. She listens.

Interesting; this suburb seems devoid of Free Davos. Jones doesn't get it. Maybe someone's gotten to him first? But who? Who else is there? Has he met a beautiful Jewish princess who's refined him, or something?

Jones senses she's not alone. Something keeps gleaming from the top of a building. It's dark; there shouldn't be any light up there. There shouldn't be anyone up there...

She creeps up the fire escape. It seems to be the only way up. OTOH, Murdock did tell her something about an evil vigilante in the area who can glide short distances. She flexes her bare arms, and proceeds...

Someone's up here, alright. They're dressed up, and perched on a rail.

Jones sighs, and marches halfway across the roof. She asks her what her business is up here.

The overdressed person gets off the rail, puts her arms up, and turns. She removes her balaclava.

In a way, she looks like Trish. But as long as Jones has known Walker, she knows, to her relief, that this is a different person.

Jones asks her the basics. What she's doing up here. Why she's dressed like a hunter. What business a blonde chick with blue eyes has in Chinatown, of all places.

She tells Jones to ease up on the racism. The place is called Chinatown; anyone can live here if they have to.

Jones acknowledges this, and apologizes. But it still seems queer.

She identifies herself as Typhoid Walker. She's here because word in the streets is that there's someone back on them who she needs to settle a score with.

Jones, of course, notes this as unfortunate. Not only does this woman look like Trish; she's got the same last name. Quicksilver-forbid if they have the same Zodiac sign. Not that Jones keeps up with that sort of thing, or anything...

Walker apologizes if her attire looks weird. She wore rags like these all the time in the US Army. She was a sergeant. Nowadays, though, she's just a hit man for hire.

Jones asks her who her target is. Walker grins, and reminds her she doesn't have to tell her that.

Jones charges her. She takes her by the throat, and threatens to drop her into the alley.

Walker reacts, of course. She shouts, thrashes, and begs Jones to put her down. By some miracle, Jones puts her down. There's just something about the way Walker begs that scares her, somewhat...

Walker apologizes for her recklessness. It's just that she's just become aware of a sister of hers, and this seems like the kind of circumstances that would...

Jones asks her about her "sister." Walker shakes her head, and tells her that her target's name is Davos.

Jones's eyes bug. She's almost tempted to make a deal with Walker...

They're not alone. Jones looks around. Someone's standing nearby. It's a man...and he's foreign.

Walker narrows her eyes, and draws twin machetes. Davos responds by clapping his hands, and lighting his fists. They glow red. He's the Steel Serpent, and he wields the Serpent's Sting.

Walker rests her machetes, slightly. Jones flexes her bare arms, and asks him what he's doing in two places at the same time.

"I always knew there were other possibilities," he says. "I just never thought I'd live long enough to embrace them."

"I fought you," Walker sneers. "I saw you go to jail!"

He stares at her. "I'm sorry...have we met?"

She screams, and charges him. Davos hammers his fists together, and creates powerful sound waves. They knock Walker off-balance, and knock her over. Jones has to cover her ears.

"You've been following me," he says. "What is it?"

Jones tells him that his twin, or whoever he is, is in prison. He needs to go back.

"I'm right where I belong," he says. "Now if you don't mind," he lights up his fists again, "I have some business here to attend to, so if all you two chicks are going to do is follow me..."

A portal opens. A sorcerer falls through it. Aloft, the portal closes. Jones has seen those boots before...

He takes a club from his robes, and extracts it into a staff. Walker and Jones look around, confused. Davos rests his fists. The sorcerer holds his staff over his shoulder and smiles.

"I appreciate your interest in my dragon expert," he says. "But as the man said, he's got places to be."

Jones looks him up and down. She KNOWS she's seen those boots before.

"I've seen you," she says. "You were at the border crossing, with..." She flexes her bare arms, and faces him. "Where is she?!"

"You'll soon meet her." Mordo swings his staff around. Jones doesn't remember how, but she gets knocked out. Nearby, Walker does too.

He opens two portals, which they both fall through. He closes them, and bows towards Davos.

"Thank you for alerting me, Master Davos. I'd hate to think what would've happened if those two ladies robbed me of my precious dragon expert."

Davos chuckles. "There were two of them...and they didn't seem to have an advantage as it was."