--Redline--
"Hey."

Not a good start, a cool greeting. No real affection present, just another one of Rebecca's cool greetings; as if Victor weren't any more special than a phone call from anyone else despite her having called him. However, [b]she[/b] did call [b]him[/b], so it was fairly obvious she wasn't particularly angry or upset about anything.

"Week from now, big dinner, fancy food, no cameras?"

This portion of her sudden call, lacking any hesitation after her initial 'hey', introduced a bit more emotion into her voice; a certain lilt that seemed both amused and hopeful, but also suitably restrained.

Of course, the phone buzzes as soon as she gets done prompting this hopeful question. The screen flashes with a message notification from a rather familiar fellow; Daniel Grimwald, otherwise known as Fancy Dan, enforcer of the Big Man.

--Joshua Xie--

Shifu lifted himself up and approached Joshua slowly, placing a hand on his shoulder as he placed himself behind the lad and faced the dojo.

"Be strong, boy, chaos has shifted and things will change. The triads finally have someone who will bring forth stability."

It sounded as if the older man was reciting the words rather than meaning them, but there was the unmistakable hint of fear in his voice. As he spoke, a form appeared in the doorway; they were thin and tall, and young- most importantly young- but carried themselves with an air of pure conviction and determination. The person's arm was held across his chest, gripping his shoulder tightly as blood blossomed from beneath his hand.

It would seem those gunshots Joshua had heard had been directed- and had even hit- this man, and yet he still walks.

"I present to you, Joshua...Han. His old name forsaken, he takes upon the title of Dragon younger than any before him, and in his first decree to the triads as its leader he has declared all uninitiated to be henceforth...initiated. Which means you'll be given a task now, today."

The man's words were hesitant as he neared the end, but the man addressed as 'Han' laughed. As he moved forward out of the dojo, it became apparent to Joshua that the man wasn't thin- that was a trick of the clothing he wore- but rather athletic and hard, and his height is the primary factor in his 'thinness'. He stopped by the broken form on the ground and looked to it wolfishly, before bringing a foot up and slamming it down onto the body's torso.

"Bullets cannot harm one whose conviction and dedication is true. This is just a flesh wound, my spirit surges more than ever." Han spoke to the body beneath his foot, the corpse being incapable of response. "Should my body fail, my spirit would inhabit another. I have no fear of death, only a dream for our brothers." As he spoke, an aura of power and control seemed to wash over him and it became apparent that the wound in his shoulder, which would have left most writhing in pain or even incapacitated, hardly affected him.

Two other, older, men emerged from behind 'Han' and eyed him warily. One of the duo had a pistol in their hand, but the man accompanying him placed a hand on the weapon and pushed it down with a shake of his head.

Joshua had never seen these men before, but they were instantly recognizable as the leaders of the various branches of the triads, and as Joshua's shifu lead him forth towards Han the corpse on the ground was also made readily recognizable as a man who had often visited with Joshua's Shifu during their trainings to consult. The situation was obvious to Joshua; 'Han' had just usurped a branch of the triad and catapulted himself into command, at an age that Joshua would guess was closer to his own than to any man who had controlled the Triads before him.

"Ah, yes." Han said, lifting his head and breathing in deeply. He slowly spread his arms as if embracing the world, then let his hands extend to Joshua. "For too long we have been held down by tradition that is older than even our oldest members. We've squabbled with civil war rather than solidifying our strength. We need youth, not corpses, to fill our ranks."-- the last comment warranted Han tilting his head and peering back at the two standing in the entrance of the dojo. "...However, co-operation trumps radicalism and brute force. I am not without wisdom, and I see that we must change with gradual progression rather than sudden transformations. I trust that you two will not hinder my dream for the Dragon?"

Neither man spoke, simply bowing their heads and stepping back into the dojo.

Han grinned wolfishly, and turned his attention back to Joshua.

"Good. Now, as for you...you get to do a special job as your initiation. Prove yourself loyal and useful and your future will be glorious. The Big Man and his...mafia...have proposed a joint operation that is immensely profitable and beneficial to all involved, and I've decided to send you as our representative."

Joshua's Shifu stiffened, but stayed silent.

--John Doe--

"The terms are like this; $15,000 up front just for saying yes, and a very considerable sum for operation completion. It's dangerous, but I can't give you any more information until I know you're on board. Confidentiality, son, is a standard of business. Just know you'll be hitting one of the big corps, but nothing government- purely private. That's all you're getting up front. If you're out, leave, if not let's discuss things further."

The Big Man was blunt and informal, but as displayed before he carried weight.

"I'll also tell you now that it's a team effort, and you'd never be able to do this alone."