Danny slowly lowered his hands, exhaling a mouthful of turbid air. The golden glow of the Iron Fist faded, leaving the courtyard in partial darkness. The scene of Sowanda—an immortal warlord of The Hand—being launched into a brick wall like a ragdoll caused a ripple of silence. Even the excavation laborers paused in their digging.
It was a temporary truce born of shock.
Jessica Jones, tired of being a human target practice dummy, dropped from the sky and landed beside Luke Cage. Danny joined them, his chest heaving. Opposite them, the remaining Fingers regrouped. Murakami helped a groaning Sowanda to his feet. Alexandra kept her rifle trained on the trio, her finger hovering over the trigger.
Madame Gao stepped forward, her expression unreadable.
"I was wondering who had the audacity to sneak into my castle," Gao said, her voice dry as parchment. "So, it is you."
She looked at Danny with a mixture of pity and amusement. "The former Master of the Rand Estate. Danny Rand. Tell me, child... are you still pining for my property?"
Danny's jaw tightened. "It's not your property," Danny spat. "You stole it. You poisoned my friends to get it."
"Desperation is a tool, Mr. Rand. I merely used it," Gao smiled thinly. "And now you stand here, righteous and angry, trespassing on land that legally belongs to me. How... uncivilized."
Danny took a step forward, his temper flaring. In K'un-Lun, combat was honorable. Here, it was a muddy game of lies and contracts. He didn't know how to fight a war where the enemy used the law as a shield.
"Calm down, Danny," Luke murmured, placing a heavy hand on Danny's shoulder. "That look on your face? That's exactly what she wants. Don't lose focus."
Danny took a breath, centering his Chi. Luke was right. They weren't here to debate property law. They were here to stop whatever The Hand was digging up.
"We don't need to talk," Luke said, his muscles tensing. "We need to control the board."
He looked at the Hand leaders. Five of them. Three Defenders. "Don't just stand there," Luke growled. "Take them down."
Luke launched himself forward, a yellow battering ram aimed at Madame Gao.
CLICK. CLACK.
The sound was mechanical, precise, and deafening in the silence. Luke froze mid-stride. He looked up. The balconies, the windows, the roof of the castle—they were suddenly lined with shadows. Dozens of red laser sights cut through the gloom, painting dots on Danny's forehead, Jessica's heart, and Luke's eyes.
High-caliber sniper rifles. Even Luke Cage had soft spots—his eyes. And Jessica and Danny were mortal.
"Checkmate," Alexandra whispered.
[The Castle Dungeon]
The air was damp and smelled of mold and centuries of misery.
"Whoa," Jessica's voice echoed in the stone cell. "I didn't know your castle came with a dungeon, Danny."
She tried to move her arms, but heavy chains bound her to the wall. "Nice decor. Very 'medieval torture chic'. I hope we aren't the first guests to leave a Yelp review."
Danny hung his head. He was chained opposite her, with Luke on his right.
"I'm sorry," Danny whispered. "I dragged you into this. Again."
"Stop it," Luke grunted, testing the strength of the chains. They held. "We chose to come."
"I have a question," Luke said, looking at the heavy iron door. "Why didn't they just kill us? Why lock us up?"
"Because we're leverage," Jessica rolled her eyes. "Or battery packs. Or sacrifices. Take your pick. It's The Hand. It's always weird."
Danny grimaced, clutching his chest. A sharp, wriggling sensation moved beneath his sternum. Upon capture, Madame Gao hadn't taken chances. She hadn't used the spiritual rot from before—she knew Danny could cure that. She had forced them to swallow something else. A black, wax-coated pill.
[Gu]
Living, parasitic insects.
Danny had tried to use the Iron Fist to purge them, but the Chi only agitated the bugs, causing excruciating pain. They weren't toxins; they were living creatures, burrowing into their organs.
Creak.
The heavy iron door groaned open. Madame Gao walked in, her cane tapping on the flagstones. She stopped outside the bars, looking at her prizes.
"Danny," she said softly. "You have no idea of your own value. How could I kill the key to the door?"
"I know Fongji invited you to join us," Gao continued. "He was... clumsy. But I am officially inviting you now. Join The Hand, Danny Rand. Take your rightful place. This is your last chance."
Danny didn't even look up. He kept his eyes closed, meditating through the pain of the Gu worm.
"Go to hell," Danny whispered.
"A pity," Gao sighed. "Sixty-six Iron Fists before you, and all of them just as stubborn."
She reached into her robe and pulled out a rolled document. She tossed it through the bars. It landed at Danny's feet.
"This is a binding vow," Gao said. "Sign it. Pledge your Chi to the opening of the Black Sky, and I will dissolve the worms in your friends' hearts. I will let them go."
Jessica stared at the paper. Then she looked at Gao. "Your credit score is trash, lady," Jessica spat. She extended her leg and kicked the document into the dirty water of the drain. "And you're a bitch."
Gao's face hardened. The grandmotherly mask slipped, revealing the ancient monster beneath.
"Very well," Gao raised her hand, forming a seal. "Let the worms feed."
She was about to activate the Gu.
BANG! BANG! BANG!
Urgent, frantic knocking hammered against the dungeon door. A Hand soldier burst in, his face pale, sweat dripping down his forehead. He ignored the prisoners and rushed to Gao's side, whispering frantically.
"Madam Gao!"
"We have a problem. The perimeter is breached."
"There's an intruder!"
Gao frowned. "The Police? The Devil?"
"No, Madam," the soldier swallowed hard, his eyes wide with terror. "It's... Him."
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