[IC] Maximum Comics: Dawn of Justice | REBRANDING - PLEASE STAY TUNED

[Gowi]

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March 20th, 2005

Chinatown, New York City (10:59 PM)

There’s no more dialogue, no more banter— only the clashing of fists and claws. I’m so involved as my body strikes fast and hard against the creature before me and my adrenaline and excitement feels like it is on fire. I’ve been in distraught combat scenarios before, and whilst I’ve never dealt with something “supernatural” or “mystical” as far as I know I do know about distraught scenarios where I’ve felt overwhelmed. But despite the overwhelming sense of combat before me I don’t feel the fear of death; but maybe that’s because of the taste of combat or the adrenaline of the moment… or even something completely unknown to me. What I do know though is that it is amazing. I’m so into the moment time has slowed to a crawl for me as the snarling beast fighting me doesn’t scare me anymore… all of it is so instinctive now and it feels like pure bliss.

The force of the beast hits my body and I feel my body get flung across the rooftop and collide with what must be a smokestack. Normally that would knock the wind out of me, but as my body collides my next response is instant as I jump on to my feet and then back at my enemy with no blaring pain in my body, which is pretty weird and makes no sense. But then again a lot of right now doesn’t make a lot of sense between the enemy coming down on me, the humming feeling in the air, and the whole “ninjas vs demons” kind of appeal to the point I feel like I’m in a old Hong Kong blockbuster from the mid-seventies… or a cartoon from the nineties. I guess I can relate more to the latter than the former. What a stupid thought to be having during a fight...

“Tch. Is that it? Where’s that power you’re supposed to have?! And you think you can defeat Iron Fist?”

I taunt as a loud ‘SNAP’ leaves the body of my enemy as I throw it down to the floor of the rooftop. There’s a howl of pain that echoes out of their gaping voice but no snarling mention of “the blood of Rand-Kai” for once. Speaking of that, why did it keep referring to Iron Fist as such?

And why does the name sound familiar to me?

“YOU DAAAAAAR-”

THNK!

The beast’s threat is cut short as I throw him into a bundle of the other enemies that had gathered on an adjacent rooftop in front of Iron Fist. I jump over to the rooftop, glaring down as under my mask I’m smirking.

“I dare.”

Putting my hands on my hips, I get ahead of myself a little bit.

“Give up, yet?”

[Dblade26]

New York City,
Chinatown
11:00 PM

Danny had no time to admire the raw instinctual kung fu duel that was raging on between the White Tiger and the wolf yaoguai, not when he had his own deadly dance of sorts to attend. Well, considering the number of eerily synchronized cultists maybe it was more like a deadly flash mob where he was the only one who hadn't been let in on the choreography. In which case he'd just have to make up his own moves as he went along.

Ha. Danny Rand-Kai, Master of Dance-Fu! Wait 'till Brother Shang hears about this!

The thought inspired him to perform a limbo-like power-slide under an out-thrust spear of shadow before vaulting off of a hand into a low to the ground, qi-fueled double kick that sent that particular cultist sprawling to the rooftop with shattered kneecaps. Immediately afterward he had to roll out of the path of an oversized meat-cleaver-like sword and beneath the flat and empty eyes of three more cultists, weapons upraised. Taking inspiration from an old Bruce Lee movie he had watched with his father, he spun into an almost break dancing sort of move on the ground, lashing out with feet and fists as he twirled. Neither technique had exactly been K'un-L'un approved, but Danny was sure that The Thunderer would have enjoyed the pragmatism of the movements.

With four cultists down there were still a seeming eternity more to go, and as he rose he found himself surrounded by even more of the slack-jawed, void eyed figures. Danny prepared to take on still more of the seemingly endless army, careful to avoid even the slightest scratch of their dark qi infused weaponry.

That is, until White Tiger sent the wolf demon bowling directly into the biggest mass of cultists and knocked them sprawling in all directions.

Finally, the opening Danny had needed all this time.

With the wolf demon and enough of the cultists temporarily out of it, he was finally able to find his center and call on the Qi of Shou-Lao. To open himself to the molten Heart of The Dragon, its' burning energy filling his body, collecting into his fist

Until it began to glow, to smolder, to burn.

Like unto a thing of Iron didn't do it justice. Enraged at finally having his enemies within his sights, at the personal, psychological cruelty embodied by the wolf demon, at finally having a real target after ten long years, he drew on still more power. His burning fist glowed like a beacon, then roared into a blaze like a bonfire that seemed to consume the entire right side of his body. With this much power, this much rage flowing through him, he no longer saw the enemies before him. It was no longer about them. This next blow wasn't struck against this horde of foes...no, it was intended to be the first strike against the being who took his family away. So When he struck there was no banter no joke no proper kiai, just one long syllable full of ten-years repressed rage.

"KHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAN!"

The explosion of golden fire that followed lit up Chinatown like a signal fire.

So it was a little cheesy, and nearly blowing up a rooftop was maybe a little much, but the world of mystical kung fu was not known for its' subtleties. It got the point across, and if his stunt at the fight club hadn't gotten word out, well the whole of New York's mystical martial arts scene would know there was an Iron Fist in town now. Besides, Danny Rand had never learned about Star Trek.

More importantly, there didn't seem to be a single cultist left conscious, although Danny noted with as much irritation as he could muster that the wolf demon was suddenly conspicuously absent. On the other hand that irritation was driven out of his mind as the effort he had expended sent him collapsing to his hands and knees, head spinning for a minute. Two uses of the Iron Fist in one night were straining enough, but he had never tapped that level of power for it before. He would need some serious rest.

For now though he preemptively waved off any attempt by White Tiger to check on him, although he didn't rise.

"I'll just be a minute. Exploding a small army of kung fu demons off of a rooftop takes...considerable tolls.

He would probably have to explain a few things to her, about what his connection to all of this was, the deal with the Iron Fist and her own abilities, the community she was technically part of as the bearer of the Jade Tiger Amulet...

Later. Right now he just wanted to throw up, maybe cry a little.

[Gowi]

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March 20th, 2005

Chinatown, New York City (11:01 PM)

Well, that’s one way to close up the night— if it’s even over at this point. Was this what my brother dealt with every night of his life since he donned the mantle of the White Tiger? I’m not sure, but if it was then I don’t know how I’m going to be able to deal with the constance of this level of problems. Keeping the Bronx safe is one thing, but this is a completely different beast. I mean, I will have to and with allies like this Iron Fist I think I have a chance to get used to it; and there’s a lot that Iron Fist seems to know that I don’t based on our conversation leading up to this regarding his familiarity with our enemies. My brother didn’t have allies like this… maybe if he did I wouldn’t be here donned in ebony fighting ninjas and whatever the heck that was that I just humiliated.

I’m tired… no, exhausted— but I’m still standing. Which is more than I can say about Iron Fist. Maybe if he hadn’t screamed ‘KHAAAAAN’ like a cartoon character he’d have more energy… but then again he did release… what did he call it? Qi?

I look over to him.

“I'll just be a minute. Exploding a small army of kung fu demons off of a rooftop takes...considerable tolls.”

“I’m sure.”

“I would have been utterly overwhelmed without you.... I want to thank you. Especially since we got off on such a bad foot.”

Probably not the time to do this, but screw it.

“Heck of a night, though. What was it exactly that I was fighting?”

[Dblade26]

New York City,
Chinatown
11:02 PM

Danny rose to his feet, moving shakily for just a second before his K'un-L'un training kicked in, finding his center and letting iron resolve from within steady his weakened body. It was enough for now, provided there were no more attacks likely tonight. The young warrior found that possibility somewhat unlikely given the rather spectacular beating and retreat the two of them had forced onto their enemies. The forces of darkness would need time to re-assess, plan, recuperate.

Then again so would the two of them.

"No thanks are necessary. We were ultimately after the same enemy, after all. I should be thanking you first, after I froze up the way I did, honestly."

Then came the question he'd been dreading, the one about the wolf spirit.

"It was...something that shouldn't exist. A yaoguai, a malevolent spirit entity. There are whole textbooks dedicated just to cataloging the various types, but I think this one was custom-crafted..." he shivered as he battled with the memories before forcing them back down again "...in order to hunt me and hurt me, on a very personal level." It didn't get more personal than un-personing someone after all, with the ghost of the very same group of animals that ate your parent.

"A-anyway, I don't think they were expecting you to be able to use the Jade Tiger Amulet as well as you did. Figured while it was busy gorging on my corpse you could just get taken out by these brainwashed shells. That reminds me, now that you've had your first real rooftop battle with shadowy assassins and demons, welcome to the community! There's sort of a secret mystical martial arts underworld and I'm pretty sure you're more or less stuck in it now. I'll have to introduce you to-"

EVERYBODY WAS KUNG-FU FIGHTING!~
THOSE FISTS WERE FAST AS LIGHTNING!~
IN FACT IT WAS A LITTLE BIT-
*sigh*
*Click*

Danny took several steps over and sat down on a twitching cultist

"Yes, I know I'm not home yet...yes I know what time it is...I ran into a little bit of trouble on my way back from the Chinese Takeout place. Just-just relax I'm alright, it wasn't anything serious. It...look can we talk about this later? Yes mom I will come right home! Wait Heather I didn't-"

Danny sighed again, even more weary this time.

All things considered, not the way he would have liked to wrap up the night. Danny looked over at White Tiger, apparently having forgotten about her along with the fact that he was on a Chinatown rooftop surrounded by the unconscious bodies of a score or more of brainwashed cultists. The Living Weapon gave her his best attempt at an apologetic smile.

"I'm really sorry about this, but provided you think you can get back to wherever home is without being kidnapped by ninjas I have to go. If you need me for anything...just focus that need through the amulet and call out, I guess? That's the best I can do at explaining it in a short amount of time. Otherwise I'll find you...this business works out funny that way."

With that K'un-Lun's champion flung himself off the rooftop and began the journey back to the penthouse.

Out of the frying pan...

New York City,
Rand-Meachum Penthouse
11:32 PM
...well, 'into the fire' didn't quite do the level of danger justice.

Even with qi-boosted speed-running at its' maximum it had taken Danny too long to get back home, not to mention change out of his costume and go in through the front door. Joy's lecture made facing down demons and shadowy assassins seem downright tame, and it had been all he could do to scrounge up some excuse about stopping some punks from tormenting a cat while hiding the fact that his back was just one big bruise. Actually, at the end of the night it was really all he could do to collapse miserable into bed.

There would be fallout to this...all of this, eventually.

But for now, he just wanted to rest.

The Dread Palace of Khan
Time and Location Unknown
The palace of a fallen inter-dimensional Sorceror-God is hardly a hospitable place, tending to incorporate elements of a spike-filled, gloomy and generally unfriendly nature all throughout it's architecture. Oh naturally once it might have been a gleaming citadel of glory and splendor but time had tarnished its' shine and cracked it through to the foundations, and now bleached and worn by millennium after millennium of wear and neglect the only color was found in old shadows and fresh bloodstains.

In the darkness within the crumbling stone structure there were only two sources of light. The first came from torches set into the walls, orange flickers sending weak illuminations to light the corners of the drafty room through a haze of smoke. The second was in the center of the room itself and much brighter, almost blinding as it cut through the dimness surrounding it. It was the light of what looked like a blade forged of pure energy which was currently just a hair's length from pressing against the throat of a beaten and whimpering wolf-demon, held by a youth clothed all in red and black form-fitting clothes somewhat similar to those of an Iron Fist, though he wore no mask to hide the rage on his face as he spoke.

"You were created with one purpose! Only one! To kill the fledgling Iron Fist Daniel Rand-Kai! Yet somehow you have failed us! Worse yet, you returned without the Jade Tiger Amulet! Tell me Fera, how is it that two children were able to defeat not only you but an army of our Master's servants armed with weapons forged of his very essence? How do you intend to explain such incompet-"

ENOUGH.

The word echoed throughout the whole palace, instantly silencing the young man's tirade and causing the demon he was threatening to cower further still, yet no human throat could host such a voice. In that voice was the finality of a mausoleum door grinding shut, the despair of a young corpse's death rattle, the inevitable emptiness of the last star in the universe winking out for the rest of eternity. It was the death of hope. It was the voice of Khan.

As the Master of Darkness spoke every torch simultaneously blinked out and even the young man's blazing, crackling sword seemed to grow dimmer. As he sheathed the energy blade in order to prostrate himself on the floor, the room remained lit by a faint red glow that coalesced into a pair of gleaming eyes. The shadows in the room seemed to gather up about them until they formed a pulsing and swirling outline of a man.

We know now that the girl-child is truly capable of wielding the Jade Tiger Amulet. When we next choose to retrieve it, I shall not send mere pawns to acquire it. As for this...Daniel Rand-Kai...have no doubt that I shall find a way to break him as I broke his father and that after I do...he shall suffer the torments of the damned.