Talking with Fists – Part 1
"How do you infiltrate a place where some of the most respected heroes could be, possibly even more powerful than us?" a woman said, her expression lightly sarcastic and annoyed as she looked at the other two figures in front of her.
She was a woman with long black hair, dressed in leather, who always seemed to have an unfriendly look on her face, even though she was quite attractive.
In front of her stood one man who looked like a strange mix between a hippie and a businessman, with slightly messy hair and a beard, though still fairly young; the other was a tall, muscular, imposing man with dark skin, standing with his arms crossed, listening with absolute seriousness.
The three of them were none other than Jessica Jones, Danny Rand, and Luke Cage; also known as the Defenders, along with Matt Murdock.
At the moment, they were inside what appeared to be an abandoned factory, which served as a sort of improvised base for them.
On a table lay all kinds of data, including information on members of V.I.T.A.E., and on a phone nearby, a video played on loop showing Owen carrying Daredevil like a sack of potatoes, calmly walking down the street before disappearing in a red flash.
"We need to find a way to rescue him," Danny said with a serious expression.
"And possibly face the strongest super soldier in the world," she added, shaking her head, though without denying the fact that they had to save a friend.
"Super soldier or not, even without him, who is already a problem on his own, there are still the rest of V.I.T.A.E.'s members; and we do not even know where his possible prison is," Luke said in a low, heavy voice.
"To find out, the only option we have left is to infiltrate V.I.T.A.E.'s base; it is in plain sight of the world, and we can get the information from there," Danny said.
"The only one among us who was good at infiltration is no longer here; so we have a hard job ahead of us," Jessica said again.
Luke nodded slightly, unable to disagree with what she had just said.
"Or it is simpler if I just send you there," a voice suddenly said behind them, causing the three of them to turn around in guard almost immediately.
The moment they saw who had spoken, all three of them widened their eyes. Standing there was the same man who had captured Daredevil; Owen Colt, who was watching them with mild interest, as if he already knew exactly what they were going to do.
"It is good that the three of you are together; that simplifies many things," he said in a calm, almost cold tone, looking at them one by one.
"Where is Matt Murdock?" Jessica asked first, her gaze hard as it locked onto Owen; though a faint nervousness could be felt in her, knowing without a doubt that he was far stronger than the three of them combined.
"As an unregistered vigilante, he is obviously in prison," Owen replied simply.
"And you are not going to tell us where that prison is?" she asked with a sardonic smile.
"Why would I? You will be joining him soon enough; you can see it for yourselves," Owen answered with the same calm tone.
"Luke Cage, Jessica Jones, Daniel Rand. You did not register under the Superhuman Registration Act, did you?" Owen asked with complete tranquility.
Luke frowned, keeping his arms crossed. Danny, on the other hand, was visibly tense, clenching his fists as he looked at Owen, as if he could feel the difference in power just from his presence.
"For what? So you can put a leash around my neck and know where I am at all times; how many beers I drink a day, or who I sleep with?" she said sarcastically as she looked at him. "Where is your leash?" she added mockingly.
"On my finger; and it is called an engagement ring," Owen replied with a faint smile, which caught Jessica off guard for a moment. She had not expected an answer like that; especially not from a soldier, or rather, a super soldier.
"Matt is not a criminal for being arrested; neither are we," Luke said firmly, staring Owen straight in the eyes as he stepped in front of the other two.
"Anyone who acts outside the law is," Owen replied calmly. "Has that not always been the case?"
"He is just protecting people," Danny said immediately.
"So am I; all people," Owen answered, meeting his gaze before his expression hardened even further. The air around him seemed to grow colder. "Now, the three of you are under arrest. Do not resist, and you will be treated with—"
Luke was the first to move, throwing a punch without saying another word, not giving Owen time to finish.
Seeing that, even Jessica could not help but comment, "Well, that escalated pretty fast," before moving as well.
Danny felt the same as he rushed toward Owen.
Owen watched them come with complete calm. He seemed to let out an inner sigh as Luke's fist approached, almost in slow motion to him. He simply tilted his head to the side, dodging it with ease. Then he leaned his face back to avoid another strike from Jessica and raised a hand to stop Danny's incoming kick.
The moment it was stopped, Danny jumped, using his other leg to launch a kick toward Owen's head, while Luke's other fist came in from the opposite side.
Owen raised his arm almost instantly, taking the giant's punch right on the elbow, redirecting the blow into Danny's foot as it neared his face. At that moment, a red aura ran along his arm, from elbow to fist. On contact, Danny was sent flying, spinning through the air before hitting the ground and rolling to soften the fall. Even so, he faltered for a moment and ended up on one knee, pain surging through him as he quickly lifted his gaze toward Owen, serious.
Meanwhile, Owen easily avoided a kick to the stomach from Jessica and, with a simple movement of his hand, pushed her as if it were a gentle gesture. Even so, Jessica was sent flying and crashed into the table.
Then Owen raised his other hand and caught Luke's punch with absolute ease. Once again, the red aura surged from his hand across his entire body in an instant. With complete calm, he placed his palm against Luke's chest just as the aura reached its peak. The impact launched Luke into the ceiling, where he crashed into a metal beam before falling to the ground with a dull sound. The beam was left bent from the blow.
But almost immediately, Luke stood back up, looking as if he had taken no real damage. He stared straight at Owen, just like the other two, clearly realizing that Owen was not even using his full power against them.
"Are you done?" Owen asked coldly.
Danny looked at Owen, then at Luke, and nodded slightly. Then he looked at Jessica, while one of his fists began to glow faintly.
Owen, of course, noticed this and let out another sigh; heavier this time.
They were not a threat; it was that habit heroes had of never giving up. Something Owen did not reject… but something he did not have time to appreciate right now.