The Hand

The shift ended early today there weren't many customers and I headed to Colleen's with relief.

But as soon as I stepped inside, it was clear: something had gone wrong. Tension hung in the air, and the dojo looked like a fight had just taken place. Overturned furniture, wrecked equipment, and clear signs of a struggle.

I spotted Colleen she was alive but roughed up. Her face showed exhaustion, and her right arm was swollen, clearly broken.

"Why didn't you call me? I would've come right away!" I said.

Colleen gave a faint smile.

"I thought it wasn't that bad," she said, carefully pressing her arm against her chest as if trying to ease the pain.

"What happened?"

She nodded toward the office.

"Let's start with the fact that about a month ago, an unexpected guest showed up in my life."

I followed her gaze and noticed a young man standing in the doorway mid-twenties, at most.

"Who is he?"

Colleen looked at me, a small, ironic smile flickering on her lips.

"This is where you're gonna be surprised," she said quietly. "He claims to be Danny Rand. Though he prefers to call himself the Iron Fist if that rings a bell."

"I am Danny Rand!" he said irritably. "You said you believed me!"

"Relax," Colleen waved him off. "I was just messing with you. He has trouble with social skills. Grew up with old men on a mountain."

"They were the honored monks of K'un-Lun, not just old men!" Danny huffed.

"See?" Colleen smirked, shaking her head slightly.

"Was that… mockery?" Danny squinted suspiciously.

"Alright, back to the point. What happened here?" I asked, steering the conversation where it needed to go. My main concern was Colleen's condition and the wreck her dojo had become.

"I took him in for a while and hired him as my new janitor," she said, giving Danny a pointed look. "You worked here too, remember? Similar story lost guy, nowhere to go."

I shot her a displeased look, and with a sigh, she finally got to the heart of the matter.

"Can't let a girl joke around a little, huh?" she muttered. "Fine, listen up. He wanted to reclaim his company, but his uncle the former CEO turned out to have ties to The Hand. They found out Danny is the Iron Fist, and now they're hunting him. Apparently, they need him for something."

I frowned, sifting through my memory for major corporations. The name sounded familiar. If I remembered correctly, the company dealt with pharmaceuticals, but I hadn't heard much about it lately.

"So, this was their doing?" I asked, still scowling.

"Yeah. A show of strength," Colleen shook her head. "I used to be part of it, too. The organization is called The Hand. And, funnily enough, it really is run by five leaders. Each one controls a different sphere of influence and wields enormous power."

She glanced at Danny, but he just pressed his lips together in silence.

"He's their top priority now."

I crossed my arms over my chest.

"How strong are they?"

Colleen let out a heavy sigh.

"As strong as you can imagine. Their influence stretches across the globe. The Hand has existed for centuries, and some of its leaders have lived for over a hundred years though I don't have exact numbers. I was just a student, a pawn. Thankfully, I wised up and left. And I don't regret it one bit," she added firmly.

I studied her eyes carefully.

"So, you're a former cult member, huh?" I said quietly. "That explains a lot. Your fighting style, your habits. I always knew there was something… different about you. Looks like they trained you as an assassin."

Colleen clenched her jaw but didn't deny it.

"You're right," Colleen sighed, lowering her head.

"Don't worry," I said. "You're kind, and you've done a lot for me. I'll help you no matter what."

"Thank you," she replied quietly.

The Iron Fist crossed his arms over his chest.

"I don't mean to sound skeptical, but how exactly are you planning to help us?" he asked, looking at me. "They have hundreds of people, all trained fighters. One more warrior is nice, but I doubt we can stand against an army like that."

"Oh, trust me no matter how many warriors they have, they're not capable of defeating me. But why do they need Danny?" I asked, trying to understand their motives.

"I possess Chi energy, granted to me by Shou-Lao the Undying," Danny replied. "The Hand consists of former monks from K'un-Lun. They were once devoted but were exiled. They sought the source of life energy, but instead, they became outcasts and paid the price for it."

He paused before continuing.

"But if they manage to steal the power of the Iron Fist, they might actually become truly immortal."

I scoffed.

"Then our main goal is to make sure that doesn't happen. What do we know about them?" I asked.

"Madame Gao has arrived in New York," Colleen said. "One of The Hand's Fingers. A very influential woman. In Japan, her power is nearly absolute, but even here, in America, she has plenty of people under her command."

"How dangerous is she to me?" I asked.

"Probably not too much," Colleen shrugged. "Their real problem is the immortal warriors. They don't feel pain, they don't fear death, and they can heal and regenerate. But if you cut off their heads, that's the end of them."

"Then they're not so scary after all," I smirked, feeling some relief.

Colleen shook her head.

"If I'm not mistaken, they have connections to dark forces and the supernatural. They can summon demons when needed for a certain sacrifice. But I don't know much about that. I've only heard rumors, and honestly, it sounds like a myth to me," she added.

"Don't worry so much," I said with a grin. "I took down a demon not too long ago. It wasn't that hard."

Colleen raised an eyebrow in surprise.

"And what about the night?"

I smirked.

"Don't worry. I've got an ace up my sleeve for that too."

******************

Port of New York. Basement.

An elderly woman sat in an ornate chair, leaning on her cane. Her sharp gaze was fixed on the flickering candle flame. The small fire trembled, casting shadows on the walls that came alive, twisting and writhing in a silent dance.

Madame Gao had always strived for more. She wasn't content with the role of a simple monk, doomed to spend her life reciting useless prayers. No, she wanted to be the one people prayed to. To stand above all. To live for as long as she desired.

She had broken her vows to the temple of K'un-Lun and never regretted it. Beyond the known world, she had discovered forbidden knowledge, ancient rituals, and power no one was ever meant to wield. Gods, demons, realms that bordered on their own she had touched them all.

But there was one thing she had never truly mastered her own body. As if the universe itself rejected her, denying her the path to ultimate power.

A muffled voice echoed through the silence.

"They have found an ally," the shadow whispered.

Madame Gao didn't move.

"Who is it?" she asked, never taking her eyes off the candle.

"Escanor. The Child of the Sun. Unstoppable and invincible."

The woman closed her eyes as if savoring the words.

"A troublesome opponent. But not invincible," Madame Gao said calmly.

"It would be wise to be cautious with him," the shadow whispered. "No one can match his strength at noon."

"We don't need to fight him during the day," Madame Gao replied evenly. "He can be killed at night."

"We believe it would be better to avoid him altogether," the demon suggested carefully.

Madame Gao slowly turned her head toward her companion.

"I am your mistress, and you obey me," she said with disdain. "It will be as I say. Do not forget, wretched spawn of darkness you are nothing more than a servant."

"Yes, mistress," the demon hissed.

The contract bound its will, preventing it from using magic against her.

"He is just as mortal as the rest," Gao continued. "A mere boy who was given power he does not deserve. But if I play this right… I will rip it from his chest and take it for myself."

"That is dangerous," the demon warned. "His soul belongs to no one but himself. If he dies, it dies with him."

"Then he will simply die, and the power of the Iron Fist will pass to me," Madame Gao stated coldly.

"As you command, mistress," the shadow hissed before vanishing.

Over the many years she had spent in power, her vision had dulled slightly. Yes, she possessed incredible strength, but even she was not omnipotent.

*****************************

POV Escanor

"Why at night?" I asked, without much enthusiasm.

"If we expose their supply routes through the port and cut off their resources in New York, they'll leave the city for a long time. Their main income comes from illegal smuggling at the docks," Colleen explained.

"And yet, does the time of day really matter that much?" I clarified.

"Yes. The port security that works for them at night operates legally and officially during the day, so no one can touch them. But at night, everything changes. Are you not used to being weak? You love the daylight when no one dares to challenge you, when you are the strongest person around? Don't worry, I'll protect you if necessary," Colleen said with a small smile.

She wouldn't be able to protect me her arm was broken, and when the fight came, it would be me and Danny who did the battling.

But she had a point. I am the strongest in the world during the day. If I were to strike at full power at noon, the earth itself might crack. I had never unleashed my full strength before.

"I'm not defenseless at night either," I said.

"Let's go. I've found them," said the Iron Fist. He was trying to stay composed, but I could see the anger constraining him. It was easier for me to call him Danny rather than Iron Fist.

We moved carefully between the containers, avoiding the guards. When we reached our destination, we stopped in front of one of the containers.

"Here's The Hand's mark," Danny said, pointing to a symbol in the corner of the container. It was subtle, barely distinguishable from dirt five fingerprints, arranged in a pattern.

"Let's see what they're transporting," Colleen said, breaking the lock and opening the container. Inside, rows of neatly stacked boxes lay undisturbed. When we opened one, it was filled with packages of baby formula. But upon closer inspection, it was clearly something else.

"This is cocaine," Colleen said.

"But who is it for? If I remember correctly, the ones controlling the trade in the city were Kingpin and Silvermane. There's no organization in Hell's Kitchen or all of New York capable of distributing shipments this big. Are they selling it themselves?" I asked.

"No, the Triad doesn't deal in street-level sales," Colleen replied.

"Then someone else must have taken over the supply chain," Danny added.

I had only one theory. Either Kingpin's imprisonment didn't truly mark the end of his influence, or a new player had emerged. Someone operating so discreetly that even the streets didn't yet know his name.

"We'll take this opened box and report it to the police," Colleen said.

Thud.

A dull impact echoed against the container near us. I turned around but saw nothing.

Thud.

"Above," Danny said.

I looked up. In the moonlight, several silhouettes appeared. Dressed entirely in black, swords strapped to their backs.

"They're Hand warriors. They're immortal. The only way to stop them is to destroy the head," Colleen reminded us.

One question lingered in my mind why do they use swords instead of firearms? Guns would be more practical and efficient.

A silent assassin leaped down, somersaulting gracefully through the air before launching toward us. The solar power surged within me, filling my body with strength.

Power: 5000

The blade sliced through the air, aiming straight for my head. At the last moment, I raised my arm, and the sword bit into my flesh, cutting slightly through the skin. The assassin tried to yank the blade free, but I grabbed his throat and squeezed. A sickening crack echoed as his head twisted at an unnatural angle. Yet even then, he did not die. He wrenched his sword, attempting another strike. I drove my palm into his skull. Only then did his body go still and collapse.

Two more lunged at me. I swiftly dodged backward, but one managed to graze me, the tip of his blade slicing a thin, bloody line across my side. Good metal. Even my skin, which could withstand bullets, wasn't impervious to their weapons.

I sidestepped another strike. Channeling my full strength, my fist shot forward, meeting no resistance as it crushed through the assassins' heads.

Their blood was thick and black I could tell they weren't truly alive.

"What have they become?" I asked.

We had dealt with them all, their bodies now lying in heaps around us.

"They're just empty shells now," Colleen answered. "Nothing remains but blind obedience. We need to leave. Reinforcements will arrive soon, and by the time we report this, they'll already be gone."

"How did they find us so quickly?" Danny frowned. "We weren't being followed."

"I don't know. I didn't notice anyone either. There was no one nearby before they appeared," Colleen said.

"Could there have been some kind of transmitter or signal on the container?" I suggested.

"Unlikely. I didn't see anything like that," Colleen replied.

"What if it wasn't technology but something else? Like magic?" I said.

Colleen froze for a moment, realization flashing in her eyes.

"Why didn't I think of that?" she muttered. "I've heard rumors that the Hand can manipulate dark forces, but I never put much stock in them. However, if the Iron Fist clearly has mystical power beyond just martial skill, then their abilities might be more than we assume. This makes things much more complicated."

"They are evil incarnate. They wield corrupted power," Danny said, clenching his fist. His hand briefly glowed with golden energy.

"So what's our next move? Now that they know we were targeting their finances, they'll hide their supply routes well," I said.

"Then we should track who's receiving the shipments," Colleen suggested.

Finding the person behind these operations would be damn difficult. Without the help of Matt and Castle, we'd struggle to reach the source. I hadn't crossed paths with them in a while. After we took down most of the city's crime, they stopped turning to me. Only Daredevil still fought against the smaller gangs, trying to hold them back.

Castle had found the people responsible for his family's murder. Now he was in a state of depression. He had achieved his goal, and it seemed he didn't know where to go from there. But one thing was certain he was still dangerous. And maybe, just maybe, he'd return to his old ways. The question was when.

I hadn't seen them in a long time. It was time to pay a visit.

"I'll call you when I find something," I said, stepping away.

"Alright," Colleen nodded.

Walking a few steps away, I pulled off my mask and discarded my jacket.

On my way home, I couldn't shake the feeling of being watched. I turned around, but the street was empty. Yet something deep inside told me I wasn't alone. My gaze instinctively focused on a shadow it seemed unnaturally elongated.

The sun flared in my hand, and the shadow shuddered before vanishing. A chilling wail echoed through the street.

"Damn magic," I muttered.

Ensuring no one was following me, I continued home.