Disclaimer: I only own what is mine. My OCs and Ideas.

A/N: Yes, I did take some artistic liberty with changing some of the dialogue from the episode. I've probably done it with other chapters but this one I was consciously omitting dialogue became I wanted to make Danny's back-story more like the comics, which I understand is kind of depressing for a kid's show. Anyway, my version of Danny's backstory will be expanded upon before the end of this episode. So I think that's about it for now. Super excited for this chapter! Read, Review, and Enjoy!

Review:

Death Fury - Thank you!

TheImmortalDanny - Trust me I know how that goes. Thanks for keeping up and I hope you enjoy the upcoming Danny chapter! I'm really happy with how they turned out and I am looking forward to posting the rest in the next two weeks! Enjoy!

Chapter 17: Danny

"Daniel." Mistress Kavi's voice repeated my name as the bliss of sleep faded away. "Daniel. We will be arriving soon."

I blink my eyes a few times and sit up from leaning on the side of the plane. "Thank you, Mistress Kavi."

She nods as she goes back to sit down in her seat.

It feels… strange to be home. The past year has happened in the blink of an eye. So much has happened.

The plane lands roughly and shakes me out of my thoughts.

Once the scenery outside stops moving I stand up from my seat and wait for the Masters and Guards to leave first.

I hesitate for a moment before walking to the stairs and taking in my first breath of the crisp clean air.

I walk down the stairs slowly, my head spinning. So much has happened.

I get to the ground and take a look around.

Is that… Spider-Man?

It's not… it's crazy to think he would be here.

He wouldn't…

I look across the runway strip to where a moving red and blue figure is fighting with Scorpion.

"Masters, please excuse me for a moment." I address them as I take off in a sprint towards the fight.

The freezing snow-filled air is a wonderful shock to my lungs.

I've missed K'un-Lun dearly.

I slide in the snow as Scorpion raises his rope dart weapon to attack Spider-Man.

I dig my feet into the snow and strike Scorpion squarely in the stomach, sending him back into the snow.

"Stop! He's my guest."

"Iron Fist," Scorpion takes his time getting to his feet. "Glad to see you have not grown soft and plump in the outside world, brother."

"He's your brother?" Spider-Man asks, trembling in the cold wind.

"A brother in faith, not blood." I provide.

"You have forgotten yourself, Daniel, if you throw your lot in with this fool, you shall suffer the same fate." Scorpion warns me.

"Gladly," I invite him. I close my fingers into a fist and summon my chi; I move my free hand to block Spider-Man.

Scorpion adjusts his grip on his rope and swings it back to gain momentum for an attack.

Neither of us had noticed Master Zhang approach.

He catches the blade of the rope dart and flicks it in his wrist sending a shockwave that knocks Scorpion off balance.

"He did that with his fingers?" Spider-Man gawks. "Does everyone here excel in the tail kicking department?"

He steps close to see what is going on.

"You have forgotten yourself, Scorpion." Master Zhang addresses him as he gets back to his feet.

"Scorpion, oh! The tail and the angry and the-"

I look at him over my shoulder.

"I-I get it." He mutters and stops talking.

"The infidel is under Iron Fist's protection, we must honor this right by our own laws." Master Zhang finishes.

Dragon Lords, thank you for that law.

"Infidel is bad, right?" Spider-Man asks me.

"Depends on your point of view," I explain to him. "You have an uncanny skill for being in the wrong place at the wrong time, my friend." I take his arm and turn him, motioning him towards the monastery a good distance away.

"Uh, yeah, I'm also really good at listening to you tell me what is going on, but let's do it inside." Spider-Man shivers as he starts to walk to the monastery without waiting for anyone else.

It did not take long to get things arranged.

I had assumed I would be sleeping in the common quarters tonight after the contest, but Master Zhang had a young monk prepare a private room so that Spider-Man would not have to stay in the common area, and I would have to stay with him since he is my responsibility now.

Spider-Man was given a blanket by a young girl, and I had offered to take him to the meditation hall to warm up and explain things before the preparations were to begin.

"This is the monastery, the spiritual center of K'un-Lun," I explain as we walk down the main hallway of the monastery.

"And warm." Spider-Man hugs at the blanket around his shoulder. "Don't forget warm."

"Hello Daniel, Spider-Man."

I look over to see Dr. Strange's astral form floating by us while holding a measuring cup of sugar.

I smile to myself at the sight. I've missed K'un-Lun so much.

"Namaste, Doctor." I address him.

Spider-Man watches over his shoulder as Dr. Strange opens a portal and leaves. "Wait… that was Dr. Strange."

"We're astral plane neighbors; he comes by to borrow sugar," I explain with a shrug.

Spider-Man's eye plates drop as if he is frowning at me.

"Anyway," I go on as I walk down thy hallway.

"No 'anyway'!" Spider-Man chases after me as I walk into the abandoned meditation hall. "This may all seem normal to you, but to Spider-Infidel it's totally bananas. A ninja attacks us, you leave with a mystic sensei in a limo, you're secretly a billionaire that drank all of my orange soda, I'm in a hidden realm, and Doc Strange just pops in – to borrow sugar?"

I walk to the side of the large fireplace and pick up a golden fire iron with a dragon engraved on the handle. I walk back to the front of the fire and sit down where I can move the coals without too much stretching required.

"Pretty much? Yes." I confirm.

"Talk." Spider-Man demands.

"K'un-Lun is a very special place, the mystical heart of the world, and as such it has been protected from the outside for centuries. I was trained by the elders and told that one day, I would usher in an era of peace as the King of K'un-Lun." I explain while keeping my focus on the fireplace. "So I trained in the ways of honor and defeated the Dragon Shou-Lao, and earned the Iron Fist. But to be King, I have to leave the outside world forever. I was given one year to say my goodbyes and get my affairs settled; instead, I choose to learn with SHIELD and you. The monks don't trust the outside world. They believe it to be corrupt and without honor."

Spider-Man lets out a deep breath in what I can only assume is disbelief. "That's ridiculous. We have the greatest heroes. I mean they're outnumbered five to one by villains. But we... we have some good TV and the corndogs…"

I feel dizzy again; perhaps I am too close to the fire. "There is much to learn from the outside. But the monks are said in their ways and I am honor bound to-to-"

I could feel my heart racing and a pulsing in my neck. I dropped the fire iron from my hand and groan weakly.

The feeling had washed over me very quickly. I rested my forearms on my knees and tried to catch my breath.

"Danny?" Spider-Man asked behind me. "You don't look so hot."

"…take the throne." I stood up and tried to step away from the fire.

Spider-Man was holding his arms out to catch me as if he touch I was going to fall.

Black spots claim parts of my vision.

"Worse, if I don't Scorpion is next in line. K'un-Lun would fall under his rule." My words feel strained. "He has turned greedy and self-centered and-"

I know I'm doing to fall before I even do, but there's nothing I can do to stop it. I clench my eyes shut in pain, as the ground seems to slip out from under me.

"Danny!" Spider-Man grabs me and gently lets me knell on the ground. "What's wrong?"

"Don't know," I reply. I open my eyes and blink hoping they will adjust. "I cannot see, it's all dark."

Oh no…

"Spider-Man, I'm blind."

Mistress Kavi had come to get me ready for the contest not long after the blindness had taken effect.

Spider-Man had wanted to go get help, but I convinced him to stay put with me and wait. Someone would come for us and I did not need him wandering around alone.

From the sounds of it, there were many people in the room now. Scorpion included as Master Zhang looked over my condition.

"Daniel's blindness is only temporary; however he cannot enter the contest." Master Zhang assesses as I sit on my knees in the meditation hall.

"Contest? Now there's a contest? Man, you guys have a lot of rules." Spider-Man's voice echoes but I can pinpoint that he is above me, likely hanging from the ceiling.

"The Return of Shou-Lao. It's the final test to prove I am worthy to be King." I speak up to explain it.

"Or that you are not." Scorpion is off to the left judging by his voice. "If my brother cannot face the trail then I become king by default."

Think… think…

"Masters," I address, "am I not allowed to choose a champion to fight in my place?"

"Of course you are!" Scorpion mocks, "If you can find someone foolish enough to face me."

I bit lightly on my tongue. He's right.

No one in K'un-Lun will be willing to face him, at least no one I would be allowed to choose. He is infamous for being underhanded and ruthless.

Spider-Man jumps down to the ground. The sound of him landing confirms he was hanging upside down by his webs.

He hesitantly touches my shoulder and grabs my arm, helping me get to my feet.

Peter…

He… he wouldn't decline if I choose him to face Scorpion. He might just be my best option.

He posses good qualities that would represent me well… he's not scared of Scorpion either… fear would not control his actions during the trail.

"Choose your warrior," Master Zhang instructs. "And choose wisely."

"I choose Spider-Man as my champion," I announce, keeping my composer serious.

That is my choice.

"Who's talking about what now?" Spider-Man asks besides me.

"This is an outrage!" Scorpion shouts at me. I can hear the clanking of his weapon and Spider-Man flinches as he holds my arm. "Outsiders have neither the purity, honor, nor skill to compete!"

"But I have chosen, and the law is the law." I counter.

"Agreed," Master Zhang cuts in before Scorpion can argue with me. "The Spider faces the Scorpion in the Return to Shou-Lao."

"Sounds K'un-Lun-atatic," Spider-Man mutters beside me, quiet enough I suspect only I can hear him.

"Daniel, Spider," Mistress Kavi's voice is calm and patient. "Come with me please."

"Sure," Spider-Man replies as he gives my arm a pull.

We walk for a while in silence before Spider-Man finally speaks up. "So… where are we going?"

"The contest starts in a few hours." Mistress Kavi explains to him. "You need to prepare for what is to come."

"Danny, did she just say a few hours?"

"She did," I confirm.

"Don't take it personally, you're, uh…"

"Infidel?" Spider-Man asks besides me. "Yeah, got it."

"It's alright. You will do fine." I assure him.

"It's not like everything is riding on this…" Spider-Man goes on.

"All I ask is that you remember who you are as you compete. This contest, it's not as straightforward as everyone thinks it is."

"What does that-?" Spider-Man stops talking.

I listen carefully and pick up on footsteps approaching us.

"First you taint the ceremony, now you taint our traditions?" Scorpion. "Your suit is offensive."

"So is your breath, but do I complain? No, because I am polite." Spider-Man responds with his usual confidence.

I picked him because he's not scared of Scorpion. I pray that will serve him well.

"Daniel," Mistress Kavi's voice is behind me. "Come with me, the contest is about to begin."

I nod my head as she takes my arm carefully and leads me away from Spider-Man.

"Good luck."

"Thanks."

"Warriors, remember that The Return of Shou-Lao exposes the heart of any man, through both physical and mystical trials. May you face them all with honor and courage." Master Zhang's voice echoes.

The gong sounds and the cheering erupts from the gathered population of K'un-Lun.

"Mn." I squeeze my eyes shut at the sudden bright lights.

"Is something wrong, Daniel?" Mistress Kavi stops walking and hold my arm a little tighter. "Are you alright?"

"It's not completely dark anymore," I explain. "I can see some light, it took me off guard."

"That is good news, but it still might take some time for you to fully regain your sight." She says carefully. She touches my face, I assume moving it so she can look at my eyes. "The cloudiness is not as server as it was this morning."

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