Heroes For Hire #9 - February 2007

“We are the dumbest bunch of heroes on the planet,” Luke Cage muttered as he took in the site before him.

Luke had been the last one on the team to walk through the portal that the Master had opened up, despite his instincts screaming at him not to. They didn’t really have a choice in the matter, since Misty was in a bad way and the Master claimed to have Deathlok all tied up. Being a real hero meant having to do the right thing, no matter what.

“On your guard,” Iron Fist ordered. As the H4H’s team leader Danny Rand felt responsible for every decision made on the field, meaning he took full responsibility for their current predicament.

Upon exiting the portal the team had apparently been sent to different places. Luke and Danny stood back to back in a dark chamber that was lined with skeletons. Wherever they were, it looked like it had come directly from Stephen King’s mind, as the walls were pitch black and there was only one source of light emanating from the only doorway.

Even though the cards were certainly stacked again him, Luke Cage remained calm. He had been in worse situations than this and as long as he kept his cool they should have no problem figuring everything out. That’s what heroes did.

It was a little unsettling to see that laying on the floor at their feet was the self-proclaimed Master of the World, unconscious and possibly dead.

“What do you think s’going on?” Luke asked, keeping his eyes focused on the doorway.

The pair remained back to back, unmoving and apprehensive. This was no time to go barging into things. They needed to assess the situation and proceed with caution. As longtime partners they both had no doubt in each other’s abilities and knew that they could count on one another when it really mattered.

Silently, the pair crept forward with Luke slightly in the lead. His partial invulnerability would provide a decent shield against whatever was in the next chamber. Iron Fist strode forward half a step behind his partner, his upper torso stiff and ready to lash out.

After making sure the Master really was out cold, Luke and Danny stepped through the doorway to find themselves on top of a stone staircase. The chamber before them was massive and well illuminated with various torches that were attached to support pillars. The chamber was easily three or four stories high, with most of the space completely devoid of any obstruction. The impressive room only fazed the pair for a moment as their attention was quickly drawn to the exact center where a stone throne was holding their benefactor.

“Greetings,” the tall man said kindly. The shadows clung to him, keeping his face from their view. Swirling around his feet were silvery objects that seemed to slither along the floor, the casting light reflecting brilliantly off their hides. The man leaned forward, gently pushing one of the silvery creatures away from his leg. “Welcome to my abode.”

“Who the hell are you and where are our friends?” Luke blurted out. His fists were clenched together and he was ready to start swinging.

“You’re still very astute, I see.” The man rose from his throne and the silvery creatures quickly dispersed, choosing to cower behind the pillars supporting the massive roof over their heads. “Unfortunately, your wit and powers of observation will do little to stay my hand. The time has come for you to die, Daniel Rand, like you should have years ago.”

Iron Fist took in a deep breath. “There was once a fierce and deadly dragon named Chiantang. He was brother to the Dragon King, the mightiest of all dragons. This dragon was powerful enough to bring the great city of K’un Lun to its knees and has been branded as a bane to all its children. Luke, the man down there is not a man. He is the Black Dragon, Chiantang.”

The man clapped slowly, a look of disdain on his face. “Very good, Rand. Your memory serves you well. I am indeed Chiantang, although the moniker of the Black Dragon isn’t one I’m particularly proud of.”

“What’s going on?” Iron Fist demanded. He held his stance and began channeling his chi, his very life essence, into his enclosed fist.

“The Master sought to usurp my power,” Chiantang explained almost casually, as if it were a simple trivia question. “He sought wrong. We had been partners but I thought it best to end our mutual relationship before he decided to make his move. If you had not destroyed that idiot Casavan I would have done so myself. He who strikes first, stands last.”

“You twist the teachings,” Iron Fist accused. Luke saw a look of hatred on his partner’s face that he had never seen before.

“Do I? And what of you? You left the sacred city before finding out your true potential. I shall take your power and seek vengeance for my niece at the same time!”

“Casavan? Let’s shut this guy up, Danny” Luke murmured. “Dragon or not he’s just itching for a good beat down. If he was the sorcerer’s teacher then we need to end this quick.” *

Iron Fist stepped in front of Cage, finally breaking his stance. “What do you mean? What potential? And as for your neice, daughter to the Dragon King, her death is on your hands. Do not try to make excuses for yourself.” *

Chiantang smiled evilly, his toothy sneer covering the lower portion of his human face. He waved his hand and the silvery creatures rapidly slithered out of the room. The shadows began to disperse from his form as he stepped down from the throne and into the center of the chamber, an air of impressive strength about his person.

“My pets,” he began, “are a species called Warwolves. I bought them recently from a six-armed woman who was easily manipulated into selling before her kingdom was destroyed.* Now that I’ve stripped them of their intelligence they should serve well enough to destroy your friends.”

“I thought it best that we face each other, Daniel Rand, without the interference of your so-called Heroes. Your dark-skinned friend, however…he is a true ally, one that I have a similar grudge against when last we met. Consider his presence a gift from me, Rand. Before this night is through I shall rip out your heart and consume your power!”

As the last word dripped from Chiantang’s mouth his form began to shift and change into a grotesque creature. His arms elongated and thickened, his torso swelled and tore through his robes, and his head changed to a sickly green color as horns spring forth from his scalp. Before long massive wings erupted from his back, his transformation complete.

The Black Dragon roared in defiance of his enemies, shaking the very halls of the castle.

“Are you okay?” Photon asked feebly.

The energy avenger helped Misty Knight to her feet while the samurai Colleen Wing did the same for Diamond Dust. Strider ran his hands along the stone walls of their holding cell, searching for a way to escape. They had been transported to a strange location and separated from the others, unsure of what fate awaited them.

“Fine,” Misty curtly replied, ripping her bionic arm out of Photon’s grasp. It was obvious that she still held resentment toward Photon, her inflection anything but gracious.

“Any luck, babe?” Diamond inquired of her demon-possessed husband, attempting to take the attention off of the other two females. “We stuck in here or what.”

“I can’t find a door, a window, a vent…nothing,” Strider replied with a sigh. His black costume made him hard to make out in the dark confines of their prison but they could see his white teeth mashed together in frustration. “This room must have been built as a containment area. We’re totally trapped here unless we start busting the place down, and that might draw unwanted attention.”

“How about I just phase through and see what I can find?” Diamond Dust offered sarcastically. “Or did you forget I could do that?”

Strider raised an eyebrow and lowered his head forward. “Uh…maybe…”

“Men,” Colleen mumbled quietly.

Diamond Dust scoffed and shook her head. She loved her husband but he was so thick-headed at times, assuming that he had to be the one who freed them. It wasn’t chauvinism, just a strong sense of responsibility mixed with resentful helplessness. She pushed the thoughts from her mind and quickly concentrated on the effort of will needed to shift her body through the phases of matter, changing her density to intangibility.

Slipping between the atoms of the brick wall, Diamond Dust left the other heroes behind and passed into the next chamber. Then, just as fast as she had disappeared, she returned with a look of shock on her face.

“What did you see?” Misty asked urgently. “Any clue as to where the hell we are?”

Diamond Dust motioned for them to move back against the far wall. “Everyone get down!”

The brick wall she had just phased through suddenly ruptured, sending debris scattering through the air like shrapnel. Thick dust was coughed up from the floor from the result of the impacting bricks, filling up the heroes’ lungs with dirt and grime. Photon instinctively flashed into her energy form, her glowing body now casting illumination into the room.

A plethora of silvery beasts squirmed into the hole and gleamed at the heroes, looking almost hungry. Their skins were smooth and devoid of friction, their eyes blank and shadowy.

“Prepare yourselves!” Colleen Wig ordered loudly. She unsheathed her sword and readied herself to slice into the flesh of another being.

The beasts launched themselves into the room, their claws slashing and swiping through the open air. Their snouts came to points and jabbed at each of the heroes, attempting to sever their ties with the mortal coil. They were fast and relentless, but not as quick as Strider.

Blue energy crackled around the speedster’s eyes as he zipped to the front of the fray, catching one of the Warwolves in midair. The beast was vicious but Strider managed to hold on, keeping the clapping jaws just far enough away from his head. The speedster suddenly stopped fighting back. The creature locked its blank and gaping eyes onto Strider’s, freezing him in place.

“Damn it!” Photon swore. “I remember these things from the Avengers’ files. Get that thing off of him! If these bastards latch their eyes onto yours it means they’re trying to rip your soul out!”

Two of the snarling beasts leapt at Photon, causing her to shoot up to the ceiling and blast them with a ray of condensed light. Colleen ran forward to help the fallen speedster but another pair of Warwolves blocked her path. With a quick stroke of her sword she slashed them away, twin shrieks of pain crying from their horrid throats.

Diamond Dust made it to her husband after phasing through one of the creatures. She cocked her fist back let it fly. Just before it connected with the side of the creature’s head she inverted her density and became as solid as the rare mineral she took part of her name from. The force of her blow was enough to loosen the mental hold the creature had over Strider, as he quickly shook his head and came to his senses.

“Thanks, sweetheart,” Strider commented as he kicked the creature off of him. “Damn thing had a grip on the demon inside me. Yuck.”

“Less talk; more ass-kicking,” she replied coolly.

“Yes, dear.”

Misty slammed her own bionic fist into one of the creature’s heads, sending it reeling into another. “I’ve heard of these things before. Aren’t they supposed to be smart? And a hell of a lot stronger?”

“I would wager that they’ve been toyed with,” Colleen theorized while slashing at the silvery beast Misty had just knocked down. “Stay with me, sister. We’ll cut these mongrels down to nothing!”

Photon chanced a look at the pair of women before firing off another volley of light at the floor. She couldn’t help but notice how strangely Colleen had been acting since the last time they had met. Of course, she and Misty weren’t on great terms these days, ever since the detective had somehow gotten a hold of photos showing her and Iron Fist in a slightly more than friendly situation. It stood to reason that Colleen harbored her ill will just like Misty. How exactly had Misty gotten those pictures was something Photon intended to find out.

The room was large but not large enough. Photon found herself unable to do much more than snipe from her position near the ceiling. With the jumble of Warwolves huddled around her teammates she was stuck since she couldn’t risk hitting of them. Even Strider’s speed was ineffective in such a confined space.

They were caught between a rock and a hard place. They needed help. They needed to find the others.

“Die, you insolent whelps!” Chiantang roared.

The towering dragon breathed a plume of fiery exhaust from his nostrils, drenching the gigantic hall in sizzling heat. Luke Cage began to sweat, not only from the warmth emanating from the Black Dragon, but from nerves. Taking down a mindless Gog had been one thing *, but he knew that fighting a powerful magic user like Chiantang would be anything but simple.

* [H4H #4-6 – D]

“Watch out!” Iron Fist screamed, leaping to Luke’s side and pushing him down. Chiantang’s massive tale swept over their heads, barely missing the pair.

“Thanks, partner,” Luke said after he caught his breath. “Let’s get to work!”

Iron Fist nodded and sprang up from his position on the ground, summoning all of his life essence into one striking blow. The energy that had been building since he first saw the Black Dragon finally reached a crescendo, ready to be unleashed in one powerful punch.

Luke stood up and lunged for the tail as it swung back around in an attempt to smack Iron Fist. With every fiber of his being, Cage clasped his arms around the thick tail and held fast, his impressive strength put to the test. The momentum of the collision with Chiantang’s tail shoved him back and his feet scraped along the stone floor. As sweat trickled down his cheeks he redoubled his efforts and held on for dear life, ensuring the appendage wouldn’t hit Iron Fist.

The child of K’un Lun ran as fast as he legs would allow, closing the distance between himself and his enemy. A set of gaping claws swung low but Iron Fist was fast enough to somersault over them. At the apex of his jump he extended his hand and used the massive clawed fist under him as a springboard, adding height to his leap.

The Black Dragon bellowed and leaned forward, his huge neck providing more than enough flexibility to bring his jaws down to the heroes’ level. “I’ll consume your spirit, and with it, your power!”

Iron Fist ignored Chiantang, instead choosing to concentrate on the power building in his arm. Just as the evil dragon lord opened his enormous mouth, with saliva dripping off of the many rows of jagged teeth, Daniel Rand commanded the energy within his fist to unleash with the force of his punch. His knuckles connected with the Black Dragon’s snout with a satisfying crunch! and Chiantang pulled his head back in both surprise and pain.

The hall shook with the might of his roar and his body suddenly spasmed. Luke Cage tried to hold on to Chiantang’s tail but the ferocity of his movements were too much for the hired hero. Cage was sent flying through one of the support pillars, slamming up against the far wall. His vision went blurry as he slid down to the cool, welcoming ground.

The Black Dragon recovered from the striking blow and quickly grasped the martial artist who had struck him. “Swatting me with your limited abilities will do you no good, Son of the Sacred City.”

Iron Fist felt the air begin squeezed out of his lungs and couldn’t respond. He wanted to break free and make Chiantang pay for his crimes…but he was weak in comparison, too infantile to be able to fight against the choking fingers surrounding him.

“Good bye,” Chiantang stated coldly. “Your carcass will suffice my needs just as much as your living body would.”

Chiantang flung his fingers open and tossed Iron Fist away with enough force to shatter a concrete wall. The martial artist had just enough time to turn around before he crashed into the same wall Cage had been tossed against. Instead of halting his flight, however, the wall buckled and smashed open as he collided with it.

The last thing Iron Fist thought of before blacking out was that this was the end.

“Let’s play round-up!” Strider hollered over the battle.

Misty Knight elbowed one of the Warwolves in the gut after Colleen had deflected its claws with her sword. Leaning into the hit with all the force her bionic arm could muster, Misty knocked the creature over onto its side. Taking her queue from the speedster, Misty bent down and tried to roll the silvery beast toward the center of the room where the rest were being gathered, being careful to avoid its snapping jaws.

Photon gently floated down from the ceiling and unleashed a powerful, but thin, stream of energy at the floor, blasting a hole clear through. She had to be careful with her aim, since the floor was her actual target and not the beasts themselves. The center of the room caved in slightly but the mortar held most of the bricks in place, keeping the heroes safe on the outskirts of the cramped room.

The Warwolves fell through the opening, falling several dozen feet until they slammed into the room below. Diamond Dust peered over, her eyes taking stock in the defeated monsters. She breathed a sigh of relief and wiped imaginary sweat from her brow.

“Glad that’s over with,” she stated. “Friggin’ wannabe demons.”

“Might be time for us to start looking for the others,” Strider commented as he rubbed his wife’s back to relieve the tension. “Any ideas on where to start?”

Misty leaned over the hole and quickly pulled her head back. “How about down there?”

“Uh…I was thinking more along the lines of a place where there weren’t nasty creatures with the desire to eat my flesh,” Strider replied sarcastically, “but, yeah, sure, whatever.”

“I’m serious. Take a look for yourself.”

With a curious expression on his face Strider did as he was told, leaning over the opening to look down into the room underneath. There was barely any light to see by but what little of it there was reflected off of something shiny under the pile of unconscious Warwolves. It was something metallic and familiar.

“Holy shit,” Strider swore as soon as recognition clicked into place. “We just dropped a pack of monsters on top of Deathlok.”

TO BE CONTINUED

"JUSTIFIABLE"

Part Two

by D. Golightly