A DAY IN THE LIFE OF THE DEFENDERS: AN AFTER-THE-GREAT-AMALGAMATION CRISIS STORY
The room was full of objects.
"What is this?" Daniel "Iron Fist" Rand asked.
"One of several rooms in my house that require one to be careful," Dr. Strange said.
Rand was drawn to a pair of stone dragons, each the size of an adult housecat. One white, one black. The white one was heavy. "It's beautiful," he said. Suddenly, it wasn't heavy.
"What—"
"Dragons are vain," Strange said, "praise them, they like you. They might even save your life one day."
He stared at the Sorcerer Supreme. "Do they compete for praise?"
"Good question. Yes."
"Why did you bring me here?"
"You are a warrior Daniel Rand," Stephen Strange said, "but your only weapon is the Iron Fist. There are things you can take from here and use, but if you choose anything…choose wisely."
"How—"
"You grew to manhood in K'un L'un," Strange said, "you will know."
He put the white stone dragon down, stroked it and moved on. A pair of rings grabbed his eyes. One was plain metal, silvery, the other a reddish stone. Both warm to the touch.
CHOOSE US!
"Why?"
"Why not?" the metal ring said out loud."
"What are you?"
"A ring, silly!" The silvery ring sounded female, young, almost California Valley Girl.
"You have a name? I'm Daniel."
"Sil", the ring said, "short for Silver."
"Your maker's imagination was small," he muttered.
Sil laughed. "Put me on!" He did.
"You're safe with me Danny!"
"Yeah?"
"Nobody will ever take the Iron Fist from you again."
He smiled. "Works for me." He picked up the other ring.
"Call me Blood," the reddish stone ring said.
"Blood?" Rand muttered, "what do you do?"
"For a little blood, I make you strong."
"A little blood?"
"The blood of your enemies."
He left the ring on the table and moved to a 5' tall staff made of wood and metal intertwined. He lifted it, caressed it. It was hard to distinguish metal from wood by touch.
"Interesting."
"Yes," two male voices said, "we are."
"What do I call you?"
"The Brothers." He held a 2-1/2 foot long wooden staff in one hand, one of metal in the other.
"Brother metal," the metal one said, "and of course my Brother Wood."
"What do you do?"
"We can be one", and they were again, "or two. We can help you attack and defend. More we will not say today."
"I'm a good student."
"We know."
He turned to Strange. "I think that's enough."
"Good choices."
They left the room. Rand realized the Ghost Rider hadn't said a single word. "I'll show you some bedrooms," Strange said.
Rand chose the first one, or it chose him. There was a speed bag in one corner, a happy face grinning from it. A bowl of sand sat on the mirrored dresser. He walked over and slammed the ringless fist into it. It felt deep and hard, like the Sand of Strength he punched in K'un L'un so much.
"Take me off if you're gonna pound sand," Sil said.
"I will." He liked the thick wooden platform strewn with bedspreads. It seemed to like him back.
"This room."
"Dinner is in an hour." Strange and the Ghost Rider left the room.
"That guy scares me," Sil said.
"Which one?"
"The Ghost Rider."
"I've fought with, and against, worse."
"No you haven't."
Rand shrugged and sat on the floor to meditate za-zen.
