Later, Danny is led by Lei Kung to a meeting room. The walls are round and made of stone. In the center is an equally round table.
"The Council and their champions meet here," Lei Kung tells him, "We'll discuss the nature of the tournament and you will get the chance to meet the other Immortal Weapons. Remember, they are your opponents. Now is a good time to study them."
"Think I'll make some new friends today," Danny mutters, "What does this tournament entail?"
"You will fight your opponent once and only registered weapons are allowed. The fight ends when one fighter is unconscious, dead, or otherwise immobile."
"Dead?"
"Don't worry. Purposefully killing your opponent is considered dishonorable."
"Great"
More figures enter from other parts of the room. First, Crane Mother enters with two of her Daughters. "That's Crane Mother, isn't it?," Danny whispers. Crane Mother stops and looks at Danny with a twisted smile, "So you are the new Iron Fist. Does K'un Lun detest its own citizens that they have to look to outsiders as their champions?" A hooded figure enters the room along with the Green Mist of Death, "That's enough Crane Mother. We don't have time for pettiness." They all sit with Danny eyeing the Green Mist. Fat Cobra enters along with equally large men in robes and, as usual, some of his women. Tiger's Beautiful Daughter (wearing a red robe and headdress) is next alongside her father and a few attendants. The Bride of Nine Spiders enters along with a person covered completely in a black veil from head to toe. And finally, Dog Brother #1 and an older man in a similar suit of armor and a few wolves enter the room.
"So we are all here?," Lei Kung asks, "The Council and their Immortal Weapons?"
"No, not all of us" Hua's father announces, "Crane Mother, where is your champion?"
She glances at Danny, "I assure you, I will have one by morning."
The hooded figure with the Green Mist shakes his head, "This is not acceptable! Without seven champions, we cannot hold the tournament. You know this!"
"If you'll remember, my champion was killed by Orson Randall," she looks back at Lei Kung and Danny, "You'll also remember that Orson Randall refused to enter the tournament, and we were unable to continue."
"I'm not going anywhere if that's what you're implying," Danny meets her glare, "You've had the Green Mist doing your dirty work for a while now, maybe he'll be your champion."
The Green Mist shoots to his feet but says nothing.
"Will the Immortal Weapons excuse us?," Lei Kung requests politely as he stands up, "We can discuss this matter further in private. Meanwhile, there is a banquet hall just beyond those doors."
"It's about time someone offered me food," Fat Cobra bellows as he makes his way ahead of everyone else.
Danny leans over to Lei Kung, "What's going on?"
"Nothing serious. If Crane Mother presents a champion, then the tournament will begin tomorrow."
"And if she doesn't?"
"It will be postponed again but this time, we will have no responsibility for it."
"That's reassuring."
Danny leaves him behind and goes into the next room. He opens the door and stops once he sees the torso of Fat Cobra in his path, his gaze rising until he meets Fat Cobra's eyes. The sumo-like warrior crosses his arms and continues to glare at him, but says nothing. Danny faces him with raised eyebrows, "Um,... Excuse me?" Fat Cobra continues to stare, a smile spreading across his face before he explodes with laughter and slaps Danny on the shoulder, "I like you!" Danny shakes his head and moves into the banquet hall where notices Green Mist sulking in the corner and keeping to himself, the Tiger's Beautiful Daughter sharpening her fan at another table, Dog Brother feeding some meat to one of his wolves, and Fat Cobra sitting back down with his women and an entire table of food. Danny sits down alone at the far end. Soon, he sees a spider crawling his way and quickly raises a hand to crush it, only to be stopped by a hissing voice, "Don't do that." He stops and turns to see Bride of Nine Spiders sitting on top of the table, "How would you like it if I squashed one of your children?" Danny half-smiles, then moves to the seat next to Dog Brother.
"I'm Dog Brother #1"
"Danny Rand."
"You were orphaned as a boy, weren't you?"
"How did you know that?"
" can tell. I'm from the Undercity. It's the kingdom of lost people."
"Well, I guess... that makes sense," Danny tells him, "So your name's Dog Brother #1. What's with the number? I guess you're the first?"
"Not at all," he says sadly, "There were others before me."
"Oh, it's the same for anyone who has the Iron Fist. Did you meet your predecessor too?"
"Yes,... I had to kill him. It's the only way the mantle can be passed"
"Oh," he responds awkwardly.
Fat Cobra plops down beside them, shoving two goblets of wine their way, "Hello, fellow warriors. I come offering drink!"
"I don't drink," Danny eyes the wine in front of him.
"What sort of man doesn't drink?," Fat Cobra laughs.
"Ignore him," Dog Brother tells him, "Fat Cobra has been around for over a hundred years but has yet to learn any manners."
"I offered you wine, didn't I? Hell, you are both invited to share two of my concubines tonight if you desire."
"No thanks," Danny apologizes again, "I have a girlfriend."
"What kind of man practices monogamy?"
"Maybe he's afraid if he indulges himself too much, he'll grow as fat and as sluggish as you," Dog Brother tells him.
"Fat, I may be, but I am far from sluggish," Fat Cobra gets a rare serious tone, "I assure you, I am the fastest person in this room."
"I'd like to see you prove that claim."
"So I've met the two of you," Danny begins, "And I had the pleasure of meeting the Green Mist of Death over there," he motions toward the Green Mist, "Who's the goth chick?," he motions toward the Bride who plays with spiders at the next table.
"The Bride of Nine Spiders," Fat Cobra mentions, "I think she is even older than me. She doesn't say much about herself."
"And that one?"
"That's Hua," Fat Cobra says as he turns, "Her mother was the champion of her kingdom and called herself the Tiger. So she now refers to herself as The Tiger's Beautiful Daughter," he leans in close, "I don't think she likes men."
"No, I just don't like you," Hua says as she glances his way.
Lei Kung enters the room with the rest of the Council except Crane Mother. The Immortal Weapons rise at attention with Danny being the last to stand. "We have reached a decision," he tells them, "The tournament will commence." Later that night, he Lei Kung walk through a garden together.
"I know this was not your choosing, Daniel," Lei Kung tells him, "I am sorry."
"Even after living in Kún Lun for ten years, I don't understand everything," he hesitates, "Maybe I never will."
"We do admire you, though. I have watched you grow from a boy to a brave and noble man. You have earned the right to be an Immortal Weapon."
"Thank you," he hesitates for a moment and continues, "And once again,... I am sorry for what happened to Davos."
"I do not hold you in contempt for what you did," he says in a hushed tone, "The two of you did not get along but I know that it was not an easy decision to make."
They stop at a small stone house.
"These are your quarters," he tells him, "Perhaps not as grand as your home on Earth."
"No, but believe it or not, I actually prefer this."
"We will contact you in the morning," he leads Danny into the small room which has a mat to sleep on and a single window, "Sleep well."
"Good night," Danny is left alone, so he sits on the floor, pulls the Book of Iron Fist from his bag, and begins studying. As Lei Kung leaves, Crane Mother watches from a dark alley nearby.
Danny studies the Book of the Iron Fist by candlelight. "As the Iron Fist has the power to destroy, it can also heal," he reads aloud. He looks at the small cut still on his shoulder from his fight with Crane Mother's Daughters and sits back, ready to test it out. His right hand produces a faint glow and he lays the tips of his fingers against the cut, then concentrates as the cut begins to fade sightly. His concentration is soon broken by...
"You have formidable powers," Crane Mother tells him as she steps out of the darkness.
"What the...?," Danny leaps to his feet and takes a fighting stance, "You take one more step - ".
"We have rules to follow remember."
"Do those rules involve sneaking into bedrooms?"
"I have something for you to see," she produces the bloody dagger, "Does it look familiar?"
"Yeah, that's the reason I have this cut on my shoulder. It belongs to one of your daughters."
She paces around, studying the dagger, "There is much that can be seen in the blood. Did you know there is another soul inside of you?¨
"That's nice," Danny points to the door, "Leave."
She raises her hands and Danny suddenly finds his arms stretched out and his neck tightened. She turns her palm over and he's lifted through telekinetic force off the ground. He grits his teeth and struggles against it, but it is no use. "Not long ago, a man took the Iron Fist from you," she curls her fingers and he begins to float toward her, "You reclaimed that power and killed him, didn't you?," he stops in front of her, "His body was destroyed but his essence remained inside you due to the bond you shared." Danny struggles to say something as his face changes to an expression of horror and anger. She places her hand against the Mark of Shou-Lao on his chest, "I am sorry but I need a champion if this contest is to begin."
The Mark begins to glow and Danny screams in agony as it gets brighter. Crane Mother smiles sadistically, her face illuminated by a blue glow that gets more intense. She digs her fingers in and seems to pull something invisible out of him. The glow becomes brighter, Danny screams louder, then they are both thrown back by the force, which is strong enough to also put out the candles. There is darkness and silence. Danny remains slumped against the wall as a violet light begins to emerge, illuminating the room. He opens his eyes and looks up in horror as steam rolls along the floor. A naked figure sits crouched in the middle of the room and slowly stands to his feet, his back turned toward Danny. He is a bald, muscular man and as he rises, the steam covers his lower half. Crane Mother grins as she stands. The man turns, revealing the face of Davos who now has a twisted, serpentine scar on his chest. "Hello, Daniel Rand-Kái."