Journey of the Iron Fist #3

[Spider-Man Beyond]

Journey of the Iron Fist #3
Shogun Dynasty
Part 3
The Main Event

Written by G. Brown
Edited by Daniel Dyer

My name is Colleen Wing. I own and operate Wing Restorations Inc. I’m quite proud of my business and until tonight led a simple if somewhat dangerous life. You see I’m not your average girl. I was raised as a Daddy’s girl, which sounds normal until I explain that my father is a retired Asian-American soldier turned mercenary. One of the best, he descended from a long line of Japanese warriors and was a prized son until he married a Gajun. That would be my American mother. Anyway I digress, never having a son, dear old dad did the next best thing and trained me as if I were a male. Being his first born was a special honor or so I’m told. Later came my younger sister, Crystal, but whereas Dad had already began to bestow the privilege of the family secrets to me, Mother demanded that Crystal be raised HER way. That is to say like a proper young woman. No Swords and Sais for Christmas for little Crystal, no sir, she would open Barbie dolls and pink porcelain ponies and such. Not that I’m complaining, not too much, my father turned me into a world class fighter and what hot blooded male isn’t looking for that in a partner. Sigh...

So I became a private investigator, among other things, and my sister went on to college, sororities, and the Desperate housewife scene. Fair enough, until her boss, a Daniel Rand, gave me a call yesterday and hired me to baby sit his girlfriend. A cop who has maybe made a few enemies, he said. Probably amount to nothing, he said. So because of little sis, and a great sum of money I might add, I took the job. Now not twenty four hours later I wish I never answered the phone. The cop was kidnaped on my watch and my sister’s and my boss now, Mr. Rand, was shot and almost killed. But wait it gets better!

Just as I rush to save poor boss man, I find another surprise under the tree. Seems Crystal’s jet setting, party boy, Brad Pitt look a like boss, just might be moonlighting as the urban legend known around this side of Manhattan as the Iron Fist! Makes me wish I was given a few more Barbie dolls growing up.

*

[Spider-Man Beyond]

Danny woke up rather calmly. Everything rushing back to him with a stark clarity. Shogun’s men had taken Misty and shot him. Only his reaction speed had allowed him to survive. Everything after that was a blank. He sat up on a king sized bed and looked around. He was in a large loft on the upper east side. A rather expensive one from the view of the Hudson from the huge glass windows. He was shirtless and his side was bandaged, quite effectively he noticed. The pellets only grazed, but the bruise was deep. It was night and the lights of the boroughs lit up New York like a million candles.

A woman walked in wearing a skin tight white jump suit. She had auburn hair cut severally short, almost in an Asian style, her eyes were a sparkling blue. The shape of those breathtaking eyes alluded to a mixed genealogy. As Danny looked her over more he noticed the resemblance to his secretary Crystal. Only Crystal was not nearly as striking or athletic.

“Ms. Wing, What happened to Misty?”

“No ‘Thank you Ms. Wing for saving my life?’ ‘Without you Ms. Wing I may be dead right now’...”

Danny rose to his feet, ignoring the pain in his side. Focusing his Chi until all that remained was a dull throbbing.

“You are right. Thank you Ms. Wing. To you I owe a great deal, but I am concerned for Mi.....”

Colleen turned abruptly to face him. “Why did you hire me, Mr. Rand? Or should I call you Iron Fist from now on. Everyone on the streets in this part of Manhattan has heard tell of that tattoo of yours.”

Danny subconsciously rubbed the scars from Shou-Loa the Undying. Tattoo indeed. If she only knew.

“Please call me Danny, and yes, I am known to many as Iron Fist, but I felt I couldn’t be with Misty all the time. I wished for you to have watch her back should I not be around.”

Colleen seemed to think this over, no emotion displayed on her face at all.

“Tell me... Danny... Why does a corporate CEO run around at night wearing a mask and tights? Are you a thrill seeker, a glory hound like that Spider guy the Bugle has recently took an interest in? You owe me some straight answers.”

Danny knew she was right. He had dragged her into this ever escalating situation blindly. She deserved the truth, but time was of the essence.

“Ms. Wing, I will explain everything to you at length and in detail. I will answer any and all of your questions this I promise, but Shogun has Misty and she is in grave danger. She was investigating him for use and distribution of X-Cell. She doesn’t have much time, he will kill her.”

Colleen nodded silently in agreement with him.

“So Dunston was the one using and pushing X-Cell, even I knew his students were hopped up on that stuff. Didn’t think he could afford it, but I guess he had a bigger racket going then I ever gave him credit for. Luckily, Danny you hired a professional. I dropped a tracer on the van as it sped by me earlier tonight. While you were recovering, rather quickly I might add, I located the van.”

She reached behind her to grab a black laptop computer from her bedside desk when she suddenly whirled around with cat like quickness and attacked Danny with a spinning backfist followed up with two more knife hand strikes. She was confident in her abilities enough to know that if the man couldn’t defend himself, she could stop her attack inches from hitting him. Much to her surprise, she never had to test that theory. Danny instantly blocked all three blows and gripped and twisted her arm after her last attempt in such a manner as to flip her end over end landing on the top of the great bed! Colleen landed unceremoniously on her backside looking up at a grinning Danny Rand from upside down. She blew the bangs from her eyes with a sigh noticing that Danny had hardly moved at all. The entire attack lasted less than seconds and she hardly saw him move. She slowly righted herself and stepped from the bed. Staring at him a little harder than before.

“I had to know if you were as good as I’ve heard or if you were just some rich weirdo with a thing for costumes.”

Danny had continued to smile at her. He liked this Colleen Wing, very different from her sister. A very fascinating woman.

“I assure you, I can take care of myself. The mask and uniform I wear are much, much more than a costume.”

She continued to look him over from top to bottom. As if she could decipher where he got his skill from by simply looking hard enough. Her father had trained her well over the years. She had mastered many martial arts, including secrets of the Ninja and the Kendo art of the Samurai and yet she didn’t even come close to touching this “Iron Fist”. In short, Colleen Wing hadn’t met too many men she considered an equal, if ever. Tonight was just full of surprises for her.

“As I was saying,” she stepped past him to get the laptop as if nothing had happened. Danny raised his hands in a defensive posture, grinning at her. She forced a fake smile at him, aware that he was teasing her.

“The van stopped outside of an abandoned crack house in Hell’s Kitchen. Its an old burned out factory. It hasn’t moved all night.”

“Then that is where I must go.”

“Where WE must go,” she added defiantly.

Danny turned to face her and was in her personal space before she even noticed it.

“Ms. Wing, I thank you for all you’ve done for me tonight, but I will go alone. Shogun will be expecting a rescue and his students are supernaturally lethal when using X-Cell. I have put you at risk enough already.”

Colleen’s face turned severe again, as was its natural position.

“I was hired to do a job, Iron Fist. I never leave a job undone. Misty Knight was my responsibility. I will be getting her back. It is a matter of honor.”

Danny took the words of honor to heart and slowly stepped back in deference to her coming along. Either she was a master manipulator or she meant what she said. He stared trying to decide which.

“And don’t worry, I’m a big girl. I can take care of myself.”

As she spoke she turned and opened an ornate dresser adorned with carvings of dragons along the edges. Inside the dresser was a veritable armory of martial weapons. She retrieved a Samurai Sword from its ceremonial stand in the center of the closet, as well as a pair of silver Sai and a leather belt she wrapped around her shoulder. The belt was laced with silver shurikens along its entire length.

Danny watched as she attached her weapons to her body suit. Whispering out loud.

“Daughters of the Dragon.”

“What did you say?”

“I apologize. Where I come from women are docile and put on pedestals, They never entertain combat. The only exception is an elite group of bodyguards and... ahh... companions for Yu Ti, our most honored Emperor. Yu Ti’s cadre of female warriors are as beautiful as they are deadly. They are known simply as the Daughters of the Dragon.”

Colleen smiled for the first time, it was a beautiful thing to see. She was sure he had meant that as a compliment even if he did compare her to a brothel of concubine warriors.

“Here, put this on. I found it in your briefcase.” Colleen threw him his Iron Fist garb. Danny shyly stepped behind a wall partition and changed. He stepped out tying his mask in place behind his head. He was in full Iron Fist mode.

“Lets go get your girl back before sun breaks, Daniel-San. The Shogun won’t know what hit him.”

*

[Spider-Man Beyond]

Misty Knight sat tied to a wooden chair in the middle of a huge office. It was flanked by a wall of glass, the kind that overlooked a factory floor in old buildings. Misty mentally calculated her possible locations in Manhattan while catching blood from her busted lip with her tongue.

Shogun Dunston stood leering at her, his eyes taking in every inch of her evening gown that didn’t leave much to the imagination.

“Ummm, you are one foxy lady Misty Knight. Yeah, now you’re all angry and tough, but just last week you were all sweet and rubbing up on the Shogun. Maybe you don’t like the rope? Or is it that your finally showing your true colors? Get all the info you needed, Pig?”

He leaned close to her ear, as he spoke, sliding the back of his hand up the length of her dress brushing her hip and the outline of her breast.

“Yeah... when you were playing undercover sister, thinking I didn’t know the score, you were all kinds of sweetness. I knew all along... just enjoying your role playing. Really enjoying it. While we find ourselves waiting with nothing but time, foxy lady, maybe you can think of a reason for me not to just kill you? If your white knight doesn’t pay up you gonna have to work real hard to make me change my mind about you. Real hard.... That is if Danny Whitebread is even alive.”

Misty violently turned her head around and spit a mouthful of blood onto his face.

“Danny is twice the man you could ever dream of being.”

Shogun backhanded her hard across the mouth sending her chair and all to the ground.

“Damn you, five-o scank! Let me show you how much man I am.”

He is interrupted from storming over to her by a Shogun Academy student entering the room at just the wrong time.

“Shogun, No answer on Rand’s cell phone. Rand-Meachum won’t have anyone at the office until 8:00am. The Diamond Dragons and the East Side Boys have sent over like fifty men and the Academy’s best are spread among them. Everyone is out and about the factory.” He curiously looked from Misty to Shogun finally realizing what he had interrupted.

Shogun continued to stare at Misty, a combination of rage and lust in his eyes. The look faded as he slowly turned to the student.

“Good. Very good. Tell them to stand ready. Anyone enters the building, kill them! I don’t care if its her gook partner or the entire NYPD. Waste anyone!”

“Yes, Shogun.” The student bowed sharply and then hesitated before leaving. “There is no activity on the police scanners, but the boys said they saw that Wing woman at the restaurant when they grabbed the cop.”

Dunston slowly smiled. The shark was back.

“Must be my lucky day. Two nosy scanks for the price of one. If Samurai Jackie shows up let the Dragons and the Boys have her. Then we’ll see just how good she really is.”

The student turned to leave and stopped again.

“What if... you know, the Fist shows up?”

“If he can get past our men out there then he deserves a shot at the title.”

*

[Spider-Man Beyond]

Iron Fist and Colleen Wing moved silently around the old factory. Danny was impressed by Crystal’s older sister. She moved with grace and skill. Together they kept to the shadows, never making a sound. Through a broken window the pair entered, silent as a breeze. As soon as they stepped into the empty factory floor, Iron Fist knew they weren’t alone. His heightened sense of hearing and general combat awareness, never let him down and today was no different. He reached out to silently stop Colleen from moving ahead, but she was already too far. Several lights turned on from overhead. The entire floor was illuminated like a stadium at night. Colleen and Iron Fist stood exposed in the center of the floor surrounded by a mob of countless opponents.

Iron Fist cautiously inched closer to Colleen until they stood back to back. The sea of men and women slowly closed around them. Many carried a variety of martial arts weapons, Katanas, Nunchaku, Sais, Chains and a Mace or two. You name it , it was out there in the crowd.

“No guns. That’s a plus. I guess they don’t want to attract the police.”

“You were hoping to be rescued, Hero? You didn’t really think this would be easy did you?” Colleen asked him.

Iron Fist grinned at her cinema reference. Danny hadn’t seen too many movies, but Misty had showed him many Martial Arts films on DVD after learning of his interest in the art.

“It never is. I am just surprised that Dunston has so many friends.”

“Money and X-Cell can make a lot of friends.” Colleen answered as she slowly withdrew her Samurai Sword from its sheath on her back.

And then it began. The bold and confident came first. Each sure they could take the pair down by themselves. No weapons with these first bunch, they felt they didn’t need them. The group screamed like a wild mob and charged in unison. Iron Fist leaped forward rather than step backward. He blocked the first fist, spinning into his opponents body and dropping him with a backfist to the attacker’s temple. The next attacked with a side kick, which he caught and brought his own elbow down on the knee. The blow could have shattered timber. Iron Fist used just enough pressure to break the knee. Each attacker was blocked and countered by Iron Fist, every counter move from Danny was a finishing blow. He leaped and attacked like a whirlwind, blocking with every body part available. An arm, a leg, a knee, an elbow all blocking an attack from a different angle. After each stop, Iron Fist followed with a counter attack that shot out like a snake bite, lightning fast. Iron Fist was the epitome of efficiency, one block followed by an attack and an opponent down!

To the outside observer the flurry of the attack would seem instantaneous, as if many men attacked at once, but to Iron Fist it was as if each attacker took their turn. He was the Iron Fist, the Pride of K’un L’un, a Living Weapon forged by the hands of Lei Kung the Thunderer. In hand to hand combat he knew no equal. Each opponent seemed to be moving slower than he, it was more of a dance to Danny. A dance of death and he took the lead with the ease of a Master.

Colleen was holding her end as well. She flashed her Katanna with ease, speed and precision. Each parry an economic move, no wasted energy or movement. Each strike meant to incapacitate or kill. Colleen was focused on survival, her attackers took their chances. Her blade blocked and cut. Calves, backs of knees, stomachs, arms, each flash of steel drew blood. Some a slight cut, others deeper, but always blood. Warriors dropped liked flies. Colleen flipping, spinning and back flipping like a cheerleader from hell!

*

[Spider-Man Beyond]

Up above from the glass window overlook, Shogun’s men observed the battle.

“God Damn...”

“Those two are bad ass! I can’t even see Iron Fist move and the Wing lady ain’t messing around. She’s straight slicing and dicing dudes!”

“Shogun, you need to come see this.”

Dunston walked over to the glass and watched the scene unfold alongside his two best students. Below him Colleen’s white jumpsuit could be seen splattered with blood as she seemed to begin to slow down and tire. Iron Fist on the other hand was spinning, ducking and twirling. Every movement followed by an attack. Men fell like leaves from a tree and Iron Fist the machete.

“Amazing.....” The Shogun smiled broadly as even he was impressed by the sight below. “You two get down there and help. I have to get ready for the main event.” Dunston rubbed his massive arms turning his back from the window, his men and Misty. He seemed to be gathering his energy. Focusing for what he knew would be coming.

*

[Spider-Man Beyond]

The swarm of martial artists slowed for a second. A look of surprise or disbelief spreading throughout the crowd.

Iron Fist took advantage of the reprieve and closed the gap between him and Colleen. She was covered in blood splashes, none her own, and sweating profusely. Her hair was matted to her neck. The floor was littered with the defeated or worse. Thirty or more bodies lie broken and beaten all over the open area. The pause in action wasn’t going to last long. A new wave of attackers was gaining confidence. They were the ones brandishing weapons. They began to step forward.

The carnage had left a clear path to the stairwell leading to the overhead office. Iron Fist had seen the Shogun’s men watching from on high during the combat.

“Head upstairs and see if you can get Misty to safety. I’ll handle this.”

Colleen was winded and in no shape for another round so soon. She saw him in action and knew he was not exaggerating. Although she hated to leave him, she knew she needed the break.

“Be careful.” She tossed him the pair of Sai from the back of her belt.

Iron Fist caught the blades in air and smiled. “Hurry, I’ll be right behind you.”

As she ran upstairs and out of view, Iron Fist turned slowly to face the oncoming warriors. He gripped the small blades in his hands. He was a master of all weapons, but as the Iron Fist he rarely used them. Lei Kung had always taught that before one could use a weapon one must become one. A weapon is only an extension of the hand. Danny despised taking a life. He felt that anyone could kill, but it took a truly skilled warrior to render his enemy defeated and alive. As they encircled him, he decided the group could do with an object lesson.

Iron Fist twirled the silver knives in his hands slowly at first. They spun around in neat circles, perfect and flawlessly sliding around his hands and fingers. The speed increased as the arc of the spinning grew wider, the blades flashed seamlessly from his hands to down his arms, then around his waist and back. Soon the blades were moving so fast that they seemed like silver flashes of light flying all over his upper torso. They would appear in his hands for a moment only to disappear again, reappearing on a completely opposite side of his body and back again!

The crowd of opponents had paused to witness this display of skill. Almost in unison the crowd moved their heads in time with the ebb and flow of the weapons. They seemed almost hypnotized by the speed and grace as they attempted in vain to follow the path of the blades. Without warning Iron Fist stopped and threw the blades at the feet of his two closest enemies. Each blade penetrated the footwear of its owner, pinning the shoe to the wooden floor it stood on the blades passing between each man’s toes! No one had seen him stop until they heard the thud of the sais.

He then twirled his arms around his head and took a defensive stance, left arm outstretched toward the throng. With a simple gesture of his up turned palm he urged them to come on. He challenged the lot of them! The look on their collective faces and their hesitation told Iron Fist all he needed to know. They were beaten already.

*

[Spider-Man Beyond]

Colleen had began to get her second wind. She had controlled her breathing and silently entered the upper office. Her sword defensively held before her. She saw Misty tied to an overturned chair. The woman’s back was facing her, so Colleen couldn’t tell if she were alive or not. Knowing better, but needing to know, she stepped gingerly into the room. Suddenly from behind the door Shogun attacked! His punches launched at her with unbelievable speed. She flashed her sword through the air to ward off his blows, only to see sparks fly from the contact with his arms! Instead of flesh, her blade only clashed with even harder steel!

“Why the surprise, Ms. Wing? I know your pretty ass didn’t think you could kill the Shogun!”

He gave Colleen his shark smile and resumed his attack. His arms again striking with a supernatural speed. He attacked with a speed unmatched by even Iron Fist! Was it the X-Cell? Colleen thought that was just the tip of the iceberg. When his fists found their mark, she felt like she was hit with an aluminum bat, only harder. She was hit first in the chest and then under the chin. Both blows were devastating! She lost her wind and felt something break. Her sword fell to the floor and her body followed. Two deadly instruments lying useless on the ground.

“I told you girl, No one can beat the Shogun.”

He ripped off his sleeves, cut and tattered from Colleen’s sword work. Underneath she could see the skin had been sliced off where she had made contact, but instead of flesh and blood she could see solid metal! The Shogun’s arms were mechanical! Colleen squinted to focus through the ever growing haze, wondering how much of him was man and how much machine.

“Now both you nosy witches are gonna get what you’ve got coming....”

He advanced on Colleen first when the glass from the overview shattered inwardly!

“Kiaii!!!!!!!”

Iron Fist followed the rain of glass into the upper room! He crashed the glass with a flying kick that connected squarely with the Shogun’s chest! The sidekick propelled the Shogun into the back wall with a terrifying crash!

Iron Fist landed in a cat stance in the center of the room. He was now sweating and the collar of his uniform was ripped from the battle downstairs. He turned his attention from Dunston to the women to see if they were alive and that was when the Shogun attacked. His arms moving like a blur, striking out at Iron Fist. Danny amazingly dodged the first arm, but the second strike hit him directly in the side wound from the shotgun attack. Iron Fist absorbed the attack concentrating in order to bury the pain coursing through him. He responded with a reverse punch sure to connect with Dunston’s head, when with unbelievable speed, the Shogun simply caught Iron Fist’s hand within his bionic own! With a twist of mechanical strength, Shogun cracked a bone in Iron Fist’s arm. The sound of bone breaking could be heard throughout the room. Danny screamed! The free bionic arm punched again into Iron Fist’s wounded side. He almost blacked out, but instead fell to his knees. The pain from his arm and side combining with the effort from the downstairs battle was almost too much for him to bear. On his knees, left arm hanging useless at his side, Danny looked up into the shark like eyes of Dunston.

“Now ladies, watch as Iron Fist meets his Master!”

To be concluded