Black and Blue and Orange

Date/Timing: 6 May 2017
Setting: Anchorage Shatterdome; Anchorage, AK, United States
.
Rangers Jackson and Logan Jones from Sydney, having come to Anchorage for OS work on /Vulcan Specter, will depart on a flight leaving in thirty minutes; Raleigh and Yancy link arms against the wind howling across the helipad, Jackson huddles in three /Vulcan black [jumpers, two pairs of trousers,] and his parka and still manages to make anyone who dares meet his eye feel like dirt, Logan—
「Oi, asshat!」
Yancy takes a deep breath, turns.
"Good afternoon, blockhead!"
And that is a Brit.
「Loser,」 taunts Logan.
"Blockheaded ... blockhead."
A Brit of Asian descent in orange, flowing robes hopping from the chopper.
「Idiot.」
"Blocky blockheaded ... person."
Is that ...?
[「That's all you've got?」]
"In English."
A Buddhist monk hugging that fucker Logan?
And Logan hugging him back?
"You know these guys?" Raleigh demands of Jackson.
Logan claps the monk on the back, pulls away.
"Yep," says Jackson.
Logan [shakes his head, continues, "I leave you alone for a /week and you forget /everything I've taught you]."
"[What did you expect? I didn't have you to practice on.]"
"[I didn't have /you and I did just fine]."
The other monk isn't impressed but offers a small, warm smile to Jackson.
And Jackson smiles back.
And then he says, "Raleigh, Yancy, these're a couple of our mates, Rangers Lin Chao and Lin Feng of /Shaolin Rogue, from the Shaolin Monastery in China." He bows, as do the novices (in perfect sync), and the Beckets snap to catch up.
"We shared a dormitory at the Academy," says Feng cheerfully.
"We are pleased to finally meet you," says Chao.
"With him?" Yancy points to Logan.
"With them," answers Chao. "We were training partners."
"You trained with Shaolin monks."
"Novices," corrects Chao.
"Kicked their asses, too," Jackson grins.
Feng agrees enthusiastically.
"On occasion," adds Chao.
The Beckets blink.
"/That impresses you?" asks Logan. "Not the way I smacked you both around? You wound me, Beckets."
"See you're still limping, Jones," growls Yancy.
Logan smirks. "Not looking much like a spring flower yourself, Fancy."
Chao and Jackson roll their eyes.
"You wanna start this again?"
"Sounds like /you do."
Raleigh looks to Yancy. "There time for this?"
Chao sighs. "Unfortunately, I believe there is."
Feng lights up. "If this is a vendetta, is there room for one more?"
"Sure thing, Drapes," says Logan. "If you can beat me to the Kwoon."
Feng grins and darts inside, Logan hot on his heels.
"I'll let the pilot know where you went," offers Chao.
"Thank you," replies Jackson. "I'll pull your brother outta whatever mess he's made and hang him by his toenails."
"Thank you," sighs Chao.
Jackson 'grins' at Yancy and Raleigh. "After you, gentlemen."
"So you won't get lost?" taunts Yancy, holding the door.
"Of course," says Jackson. "Also, this way I got a couple of human shields."
"Afraid a snowball'll get you?"
Jackson chuckles.
The debris field starts just outside the gym floor elevators: tools, papers, equipment, a caution sign, and a­ J-Tech officer trying to clean it up.
"They're in the Kwoon," she says dryly.
Jackson frowns. "Were you ...?"
"Ren, they just—they just left you here?" demands Raleigh.
Ren rattles a water bottle.
"They tried to help," says Yancy.
"That they did," Ren agrees.
"Florence Ginningham. You sat behind me in Circuitry," announces Jackson.
"Got it in one, Ranger Jones. Congratulations on your appointment, now go save your friend before he kills himself."
"Should be more worried for anyone in his path," says Jackson as they pick their way across.
"Thanks, Ren," says Raleigh.
"Have fun, guys."
Yancy snorts, opening the door. "With this clown?"
Nearly gets brained by a hanbo sailing across the room.
Feng cringes. "Sorry!"
Logan's doubled over laughing at the far end. "Your face, Fancy!"
Yancy grumbles, pulls of his boots, rolls his shoulders. "Ready to let loose, kid?"
Raleigh straightens from taking off his pair. "You bet."
Chao calls, "Little brother."
"Yes?"
A pointed look.
"Ah, of course." Feng starts on the pins and smiles apologetically. And then gets stuck pulling his shawl over his head.
Logan huffs and tries yanking him free only to get tangled himself and then Feng forgets where his feet are and falls into Logan.
Yancy catches Jackson's eye, curls his lip, 'It means nothing that he was your training partner'.
Chao strides over to the Feng-and-Logan ... thing.
Jackson smirks, crosses his arms and settles near the door, maybe projecting, 'Didn't partner up to learn mundane crap'.
Yancy snorts, moves to help, says jokingly, "Are you really sure this is the brother of yours from the Shaolin Monastery?"
Feng quips, "Brother asks himself that on a fairly regular basis," and oh look he missed a pin and now he's on the floor in orange pants and a tank top and Chao's retrieving the bundle of wool and silk from Logan who's winding up and landing a sucker punch around him to the side of Yancy's head.
He staggers—
Raleigh lunges—
Chao twirls out of the way—
—trips over Feng—
—also trips over Feng but gets an arm around Logan's middle—
—back beside Jackson.
—and then over Raleigh—
—but Logan grabs his hand, drops into a somersault, doesn't land on Feng, and twists it up behind him—
—and kicks Logan in the face—
And then this tiny marigold whirlwind flies out of nowhere, peppering Raleigh and Yancy (and Logan) with dozens of strikes; Logan finds his footing, plants his feet, and whacks at whichever Becket wanders into range and they happily attack with no coordination between them whatsoever, but when Raleigh and Yancy pull off a combo, which they manage thrice, they land harder hits separately than Logan and Feng combined.
(For instance, Feng rolls with punch ... halfway across the room.)
Meanwhile, Jackson leans against the wall, loudly projecting 'this is a waste of time', and Chao stares at the ceiling, trying to come up with grand [designs] that would explain why the universe stuck him with this particular brother.
And then Feng mangles a pirouette, takes out Logan and Raleigh who, while falling, also knocks over Yancy.
"Found any answers?" asks Jackson as the combatants groan (Yancy), laugh (Feng), snicker (Logan), and wheeze (Raleigh).
"Not a one."
"Oh, loser,” chuckles Feng, "I rescued another cat."
"Since when am I a loser?"
"My foot is four centimeters from your testicles."
Logan pulls Feng's ankle onto his stomach.
"'Another' cat?" asks Yancy.
"Yes, this is number fifty-nine. Would you like to see a picture?"
"If anyone else asked that, I'd say they're crackers," mutters Logan.
"Brother, may I have the brick, please?"
Chao digs out their phone and tosses it over.
"Who got the case?" asks Logan as Feng pokes at the screen.
Chao sighs, "Our mother."
"Here you are."
"Fuck!"
"Rangers," greets Pentecost.
Chao snaps a bow. "Marshal."
Jackson nods.
Yancy and Raleigh try figuring out how to get up.
Logan, rubbing his eye, 'waves'.
"My apologies for remaining on the floor, sir," says Feng. "Ranger Jones is wisely keeping my extremities where they won't cause him undo harm."
"That's fine, Ranger Lin, however, Rangers Jones, your pilot is asking for you."
"Yes, sir," says Jackson.
Logan gets himself free and stands. "Up," he tells Feng.
"I doubt the Marshal would appreciate a handstand."
Logan drops Feng's feet onto Yancy.
What little progress Yancy had made to stand up is now moot.
The three manage to extricate themselves with only one elbow (Feng's) to the ribs (Raleigh's).
"Marshal," greets Yancy.
Raleigh tries to smile.
Logan grabs his boots, saunters right by Pentecost.
Feng scoops up his shoes and bows. "Good afternoon, sir," and beams at his brother as Chao redrapes his robe.
"Good afternoon, Ranger."
"Would a caphfff!"
Chao pins the shawl shut, steps back, refolding the block of silk.
"Thank you, brother. Marshal, would a cat sanctuary be an acCK!"
"C'mon, ye crazy cat person," grumbles Logan, towing him by the shawl into the empty hallway.
The elevator opens immediately and closes on the two of them standing shoulder to shoulder.
Logan puts Feng in a headlock and pinches his nose. "Ye hafta work on yer trash talk. In English."
Feng bats at the side of Logan's head, replies, "Ye hafta work on yer trash talk. In Cantonese."
「Blockhead.」
"Asshat."
Logan rolls his eyes, pushes him against the wall.
Feng laughs.
Category:Ficlet
Category:Yancy
Category:Yancy's POV
Category:Yancy (ficlet)
Category:Anchorage Shatterdome (setting)
Category:Jackson
Category:Jackson (ficlet)
Category:Jackson is always cold
Category:Logan
Category:Logan (ficlet)
Category:Logan is multilingual
Category:Raleigh
Category:Raleigh (ficlet
Category:Feng
Category:Feng (ficlet)
Category:Feng (description)
Category:Ren
Category:Ren (ficlet)
Category:Feng is a marigold disaster
Category:Chao
Category:Chao (ficlet)
Category:Feng's cats
Category:Feng (wardrobe)
Category:Stacker
Category:Stacker (ficlet)
Category:Odd Couple
Category:Cats of Lin (mention)
Category:Ficlets with images
Category:Images in need of Captions
Category:Icing and Heat storyline