It was Cloak & Dagger, after midnight and the narrow, twisting streets of Chinatown were still awake with a hubbub of bustling activity. The restaurants and food stores were doing a brisk nighttime trade. Squids, crabs and clattering buckets of lobster glistened under the neon lights.
Through the throng of pedestrians Cloak & Dagger saw the familiar emblem of the Dragonlords, an S-shaped serpent, on the jackets of 3 street punks. They quickly disappeared into a dark alley.
Cloak & Dagger quickly pursued. Looking down the alley, they saw the Dragonlords speaking with a haggard young homeless man. Money and packets of white powder were exchanged under the flickering sepia of the streetlamp - a drug deal was going down.
The Maggia has paid a rogue Brazilian scientist (known mysteriously as "The Chemist") to develop a cheaper, yet more potent form of Crack, which is an extremely addictive and often lethal derivative of another deadly organic drug called Cocaine. The chemist began synthesizing Oxi. A highly addictive and hallucinogenic blend of cocaine paste, gasoline, kerosene and quicklime (calcium oxide) that is wreaking havoc across the Amazon region. Oxi, or oxidado – "rust" – is the latest drug to surface in the Amazon. It is reputedly twice as powerful as crack cocaine and just a fifth of the price. It was being distributed by the Dragonlords. Chinatown was the "American Testing ground" for the new drug.
The Dragonlords were selling Oxi to an addict named Harry Yoram. When they notice Cloak & Dagger they flee instead of trying to oppose them.
Although he is sick and afraid, Harry Yoram converses with Cloak & Dagger. While they speak with him, Harry shakes violently and looks about nervously. Crack had nearly killed him several times, and permanently damaged his brain and his heart. Any time he used his drug could be the last.
"Where are those punks getting the drugs?" Tyron asked.
"Rumor on the street is they're working with the Maggia. I don't know where the Maggia gets their stuff, but it's south American stuff so they've gotta have a strong smuggling connection in Manhattan." Harry spills.
"Where do those guys who tried to sell you this stuff like ro hang out?" Tandy then questioned.
"I don't know. I know They've got a trap-house by the waterfront, but i cant remember where it is." Harry said as he scratched his head.
"Why dont you stop smoking this crap, Harry?" Tyrone yelled.
Harry tells Cloak & Dagger that his brother, Luke, and he had tried to quit on numerous occasions. They knew the crack and Oxi was killing them, but they couldn't stop smoking it. Once they tried it, they were hooked until they died.
While Cloak & Dagger spoke with Harry Yoram they were interrupted by the screams of "Help!!" and "Somebody call an ambulance!".
-
"On the street adjacent to the alley, a crowd had gathered in front of the window of a shop called 'Tong's Electronics'. Pushing through spectators, they saw that a young man was lying on the sidewalk. His body writhed in agony as he was wracked with severe convulsions.
When Harry saw the youth he screamed, "Luke! Oh no, what's wrong with you?!"
Harry cradled his brother in his arms. Luke's thrashing about stopped and his body became very calm...too calm. Above the two brothers in the window of the electronics store, a row of televisions blared into the night. Ominously, a newswoman droned on, "...Drug related deaths in Chinatown on the increase! Rehabilitation clinics are nearly filled to capacity. Authorities report that a new form of synthetic crack is also on the rise in the streets. God help us all!"
With tears streaking down his grimy face, Harry clutched his dead brother in his arms and cried "This crack is killin' us, Man!!!! You gotta do something! You gotta help us!!"
-
Luke died, but Cloak & Dagger wanted to help Luke. They attempted to escort him to a rehabilitation center, but he refused to go claiming that he wanted to be with his brother. After visiting the hospital for a health check, and then being permitted to visit the body of his deceased brother Harry was eventually persuaded to commit himself to a rehab facility that would be paid for by Cloak & Dagger.