From his vantage point in the sky, Hobgoblin seethed with anger. True, the plan to spread chaos and loot across the city was successful, but his new Sentinels were destroyed and that infernal bug managed to slip through his fingers! And with so many heroes around him now, there was no way he could swoop in and grab the kid himself.
A familiar, well dressed man with the devil's visage suddenly appeared on the roof next to where Hobgoblin was hovering. The villain noticed the arrival and, taking a deep breath, reluctantly lowered himself to talk.
"How did it go, sir?" Asked Azazel. Hobgoblin shrugged, "We hit a few bumps in the road, but we accomplished what was necessary. Have the boys reported back to headquarters?"
"Ja," he replied. "They returned with enough to restock our supplies for at least another 3 months." "Fine," said Hobgoblin. "They did their job. Tell 'em they can take their spoils and go home. We'll call if there's more work." "What about us, sir?" Asked the red villain.
At that moment, a news chopper flew by, taking in the destruction downtown. The cameraman noticed the two standing on the roof observing the chaos. Hobgoblin turned towards the camera and grinned, "Think of tonight as an advertisement, Azazel. After this, there'll be plenty begging to join our ranks. But now, we get to choose only the best. No more of that trash who could barely handle their own quirks, I'm talking real, tangible threats!"
"Do you think it will work?" Azazel turned towards the helicopter as well. "We'll see, that's tomorrow's problem," Hobgoblin began to hover up on his glider. "For now, let's just take in the beauty of the city night!!" Cackling like a madman, the villain flew towards the chopper, pulled out a pumpkin bomb, and threw it at the machine. The last thing transmitted back to the news station, was an explosion before cutting to black.
The next morning, a trio of teenage boys lay in hospital beds. Danny Rand's chest and left thigh were bandaged, and Peter Parker had stitches in his torso and shoulders, as well as some bruising. Roberto Reyes had no serious injuries, thanks to his quirk. But he insisted on staying the night with his classmates until Claire was able to come over.
"How're your wounds?" Reyes asked Peter. "Fine, as long as I don't touch them. It was hard enough trying to sleep," the boy grimaced slightly as he adjusted his position. "I'll be glad when Night Nurse gets a look, hopefully I won't have the stitches in for more than a day. But there'll probably be some scarring."
Danny looked down at his bandaged chest, "Yeah, me too..." "I'm glad things ended in our favor, but still, I'm amazed we made it out alive," Peter noted. "Did you hear about the other weapons they found in Punisher's van?"
Reyes nodded, "He could've done serious damage if he wanted to. Even with the weapons he did use, Punisher held back against us... Honestly, I'm amazed you both were able to face him alone with the killer intent he was showing."
"That's not it..." Danny muttered, looking at the floor. "I-" But the boy was cut off before he could say more as the door to their room opened. In walked Stick, tapping the floor with his cane. Shang-Chi followed close behind.
"Good, you're all here," said the old man. "Hiya Stick," Peter smiled brightly. "Come to see us?" "Ha ha, very funny," Stick made a face. "Ya can't tell, but I'm rolling my eyes behind these shades. I've got a few more things to say, but first, you've got a visitor." He indicated the doorway, and a man in a black suit walked in.
He had a slightly receding hairline and wore a pair of sunglasses, which he promptly removed. His overall demeanor was pretty serious, this was a man who meant business. Yet his face held a the softest of smiles.
Of the three boys, Reyes seemed to recognize him and promptly stood up. The other two began to move as well, but the stranger held up a hand. "Please, don't get up on my account, gentlemen," he said.
Peter looked hesitantly at the man, Who's this guy? "Now then, I think introductions are in order for a few of you," he continued. "My name is Phil Coulson, I'm an Agent of S.H.I.E.L.D. I've been sent here to speak with you three regarding the situation last night."
He looked to the standing boy, "It's nice to see you're doing well, Roberto." The future Ghost Rider gave a cool nod in return. "You know him, Robbie?" Asked Danny.
"We've met," Reyes replied simply. Peter looked over at him knowingly. Given what the boy told him at the Sports Festival, this was likely one of the agents whom he dealt with when he lost control of his Quirk.
Coulson cleared his throat, "I understand you had quite the harrowing experience. Truthfully, I'm impressed you were able to take down someone as deadly as Mr. Castle. He has quite the body count to his name."
"Yeah, I heard at the scene that he was in the armed forces," Peter replied. "Yes," replied Coulson. "Prior to working as a weapon specialist with NYPD SWAT, Frank Castle was a decorated member of the US Marine Corps. He served 3 tours overseas in active war zones."
"You came a long way from the Triskellion," Reyes butted in. "And I know it wasn't to tell us an origin story. What is it you want?" Coulson gave a half smile, "Blunt as always, Mr. Reyes... I came here because I thought you'd like to know what happened to the man. As a result of your fight, he had some fairly serious injuries, including burns and broken bones. He's currently receiving treatment in a secured location outside the city."
The S.H.I.E.L.D agent's expression turned more serious, "More importantly, I wanted to discuss your involvement in his apprehension. As M.A. students, you're not authorized to use your Quirks in public without going through the proper channels. For an untrained individual to use force and power that could harm or even kill others, it could lead to chaos and unmitigated disaster. Even against an individual like The Punisher, for uncertified individuals to cause injury with their Quirks, without the specific instruction from their guardian or supervisors, it is a clear violation of the laws we have in place..."
Peter wasn't too surprised at this, given the lecture he'd already had from Daredevil that summer. His mentor, however, had something to say. "Wait a Goddamn minute," Stick whirled around. "I told the kid to fight when our bus was attacked by that giant, flying, tin can! In case you hadn't noticed, a good chunk of the city went to shit last night! The only reason he came across that nut job was because we were separated!!"
"He's right," Reyes stated. "If Peter hadn't done anything, Danny and Frog-Man would've been killed. And if I hadn't found them, then he might've been killed. We didn't know the Punisher was out there. Are you saying we should've followed the rules and just let people die??"
"Let me continue," Coulson replied calmly. "I recognize that you and Mr. Parker were authorized to use your Quirks at that time by your respective mentors. In fact, you both acted within the bounds the Citywide Crisis Accords. As such, I commend you for your actions."
The agent turned to Danny, "Mr. Rand, however, left his mentors in the middle of an attack on the city and actively sought out The Punisher. By his own admission, the boy's intention was revenge, plain and simple. This can not be simply overlooked." Danny looked down at the floor in shame. His future as a hero seemed to be over.
"Therefore, the following actions will be taken," he continued. "Mr. Rand will be suspended from Marvel Academy for a period not to exceed two weeks. He will be given the opportunity to return to classes upon completing 300 hours of community service, and will be required to attend therapy on a bi-weekly basis."
Peter turned towards Danny, who looked up in shock. "I-I'm not expelled?" He asked, hesitantly. "Your actions, while I cannot condone them, I understand given your emotional state following the attack on your adoptive father," Coulson replied, referring to Orson. "Fortunately, nobody save a few members of local law enforcement know what happened last night. A certain friend of yours is making sure it stays that way."
The boy nodded, understanding his situation. It definitely could've been much worse. Peter looked over at him, confused. "A 'friend'?" He asked. "Captain George Stacy," Danny replied softly. "Gwen's dad. He's been with the NYPD for almost 20 years. Next to Orson, he's the best man I know."
Coulson addressed the other teenagers, "Of course, you'll both need to keep quiet on this as well. The release we gave to the press was that Ghost Rider caught The Punisher."
He nods to Reyes, "Technically it's not untrue, although we strongly implied the adult one. Given his presence at the scene and the fact that Mr. Castle had burns on him, I don't think anyone will dig too deeply. If, however, news were to spread that a trio of students fought and captured him, the consequences for your classmate would unfortunately be much more severe. This is the best I can do for him..."
"Hey, I don't care about attention," Peter said, raising his hands defensively. "If it keeps Danny in school, I won't say anything!" "Right..." added Reyes, not wanting to add further trouble onto Danny. "I'm glad to hear it," the Agent replied. "To be honest, I hate the idea of derailing a promising young student over one mistake. Of course, it also helped that someone was willing to speak up on your behalf..."
Coulson nodded to Shang-Chi, who stepped towards Danny. "I'm a lousy mentor," he said. "I saw the signs, but I should've done more to counsel you when you clearly needed it. Allow me to repent for my inadequacy." He extended a hand to the boy, "If you're willing, I'd like for you to serve out your community hours by working with my agency. You won't be patrolling with me, but we can still work together and-"
The Martial Arts Hero is cut off as Danny hugged him. Shang awkwardly brought his arms down and reciprocated the action, "It's gonna be alright, kiddo." The boy moved back, somewhat embarrassed and attempted to recompose himself with a bow.
"Please forgive me for my previous disobedience," Danny said. "I'll be in your care, Sensei Shang." The hero chuckled lightly and placed a hand on Danny's shoulder, "You don't need to call me that, just promise you won't run off again, alright?" The boy nodded in response.
"For what it's worth, I do understand the unfairness you boys are probably feeling," Agent Coulson put in. "You won't receive the public praise or adulation you deserve for your actions. So please, as a member of law enforcement..." The man extended his hand, "On behalf of S.H.I.E.L.D, and the City of New York, allow me to say 'thank you'."
Peter smiled, a bit embarrassed at the praise and took the agent's hand in his own, shaking it. "Keep up the good work, Mr. Parker," he said with a kind smile. "I look forward to seeing the hero you'll become."
Coulson then moved on to Reyes. "Maybe start with the 'thanks' next time, Phil?" The boy remarked. "I gotta keep you on your toes, kid," the agent replied. "How's your brother doing? Is the treatment helping at all?" "...He's fine," said the boy, reluctant to show gratitude.
"And Mr. Rand," Coulson turned to the last of the three. "Can we count on you to use better judgment from here on out?" Danny nodded, "Yessir." And he extended his own hand to shake the older man's.
Suddenly, the door burst open and a distressed looking blonde rushed past Stick, Shang and Coulson to wrap Danny in a tight bear hug. "DANNY!!!" The two fell backwards onto the hospital bed as a woman with pink skin and a green costume hurried in.
"Gwen, I told you not to run off without me..." She said, panting slightly. Coulson seemed to recognize her, "Hello, Blink. This your new intern?" "That's one way to describe her," Blink snarked. "She insisted on coming to visit her classmate, wouldn't take no for an answer."
"Owowowowow, Gwen!!" He exclaimed, feeling the pain on his chest as his friend quickly released him. "Ohmygosh, I'm so sorry!!!" She said hurriedly, leaning back off him. There were tears in her eyes, "I heard you were here, so I came straight over!! Are you hurt!? Are you dying!?" The boy looked over at Peter, who shrugged, "Don't look at me, I left my phone in my clothes..."
"I'm your emergency contact, ya goof!" Gwen looked into Danny's eyes, lightly bopping him on top of the head, "Remember when we filled out applications for the internships together? With Orson still recovering, you left your section blank. So I put in my number."
"You did?" Danny asked, somewhat confused. "Why?" "Like I told you at the bus station," Gwen held his cheeks gently in her hands, "I will always be here for you." She lightly kissed his nose, smiling broadly.
A blush grew on Danny's face, "Y-yeah, that's right." He leaned forward, his forehead touching hers. "Thank you, Gwen. I'm sorry I made you worry..." The two had matching blushes and smiles on their faces. The adults looked at each other, clearly this was something that didn't need their presence. With a final nod to the boys, Coulson left the room with the heroes.
- So that's what happened. The fight in that alleyway, while brief, ended with nobody knowing what had really happened. The rumor mill of course began to circulate, but reports were vague enough that there was no clear answer. In the end, the general public didn't care who did it, they were just glad that a serial killer was off the street. But his influence would begin to eat at us without anyone being the wiser... -
Across town at an abandoned bar, a certain villain was watching the news as he stirred up a cocktail, mixing in some crushed up medication. He turned up the volume slightly as the reporters began to recap the events of the previous night.
"Several individuals were arrested last night during the citywide rioting," said a male anchor as video clips begin to play. "The sudden turmoil began with the appearance of six large robots, flying and attacking at random. Given their distinctive appearance, coinciding with brief footage of two individuals surveying the chaos, it's believed they're connected to the League of Villains that attacked M.A. High School two months ago."
"Indeed, however thanks to the efforts of local heroes Shang-Chi, Ghost Rider, and even several M.A interns, the mechanical monstrosities referred to as 'Sentinels' were ultimately brought down. And with that, the surrounding rioting was gradually subdued," added a female newswoman.
Behind her, cell phone footage of Spider-Man steering a flying Sentinel away from a building played as she spoke. Harry glared intensely, recognizing the intern from his mask, and took a big gulp of his drink in frustration. The next clip showed Roberto Reyes using his chains to restrain another while Ghost Rider shot hellfire from his mouth, melting the robot's head.
"Coincidentally enough, another grave threat to our fair city was apprehended last night," the newswoman went on, as the skull logo of the Punisher went up. "The notorious 'Punisher', better known as Frank Castle, was captured in a coordinated effort between law enforcement and several hero agencies." Osborn gave a rueful chuckle at this, knowing the truth from what Vulture had told him.
"The armed vigilante has killed more people on his own since the disbanding of the Avengers than any other individual criminal. While he initially began his reign of terror hunting down other criminals, his string of attacks on costumed heroes has led to Mr. Castle being given a new nickname by the public at large; the 'Hero Killer'."
"With any luck, the news of his arrest will allow New Yorkers to-" The tv was switched off by a somewhat disgruntled Harry Osborn. "Even after all that work, the big thing everyone's talking about is the Punisher," he commented, taking another swig of his concoction.
"Still, it wasn't for nothing, mein junge," Azazel noted, cleaning a glass behind the bar. "The world has seen you now, and it knows you're dangerous. Several interested parties have already made contact. They will be here to speak with you this afternoon."
"Good," Osborn replied. "It's about time we had someone competent to work with." He yelled over to an open door, "Hey Tinkerer, I've got another one for ya. I'm thinking, bladed projectiles!! Make 'em look like bats!!" From the other room, a loud groan of frustration could be heard.
Back at the hospital, Peter scrolled through his class's group chat. While his involvement in the capture of Punisher was hushed up, the brief footage of him and Reyes battling Sentinels alongside the pros was out there. Naturally, their classmates wanted details and were blowing up their respective phones.
@Brains'nBRAWN - Damn @Reyes, what's it like working with Ghost Rider?
@Reyes - Hot.
@DrawZilla - ...You sure paint a picture with words. What about @WebHead riding the Sentinel like he was in freaking Darling in the FranXX!?
@SpeedyG - Right? Dude, I spat out my drink when I saw you on that thing!! What were you doing up there??
@WebHead - I had to stop it from crashing into a skyscraper! Couldn't think of anything else at the time except that scene from Top Gun (Xp)
@WpnXtreme - We should change your nickname in the chat to 'Maverick' lol
@Simba - Regardless, you should consider yourself fortunate that these new Sentinels were not as durable as the previous one.
@PowerMan - So what about @PunchyBoi? I heard his mentor was near the action as well. Is he ok? Haven't seen him in the chat.
@GPiddy - I actually just spoke to him, he's taking a sabbatical from class. After everything that happened with Sensei Randall, he needs time to figure things out and get his head back on straight. We probably won't hear from him for a while...
@HexGirl - After all that Danny's been through, it's not a bad idea. I hope he's doing better now that Punisher's in jail. Let him know we're all here for him if he needs anything!
"Wanda says everyone's here for you," Peter addressed his classmate, nodded in response. The boy had just walked back into the room after going to stretch his legs. "The doctors looked over Danny while you were gone," Reyes said. Peter looked over, concern on his face.
"Night Nurse's Quirk was able to heal most of it, but even if I'm able to focus my chi, the scar tissue likely wont heal so easily. The wound was deep," Danny looked at his rebandaged chest, placing a hand on it. "But maybe it's for the best..." Peter looked confused, "What do you mean?"
"To keep me from behaving foolishly again," he replied. "After everything that's happened, I think I need this... It's a reminder of what could happen should I stray from the righteous path again..." Danny lowered his hand to his side, sitting down on his bed.
"Can I... ask you something?" Peter asked warily. Danny nodded in response. "I get the obvious motive of wanting to avenge your dad, but there was something else going on when you went after Punisher, wasn't there?" Reyes looked over, intrigued by the observation.
"...What do you know about K'un-Lun?" Danny asked. "Less than I probably should in this case," Peter admitted. "It's the school where Orson came from and trained," the boy explained. "To be chosen as the Iron Fist is the greatest honor, it's like being the Number One Hero out there... Anyway, after a while each Iron Fist eventually chooses an apprentice who knows how to master his chi, and he personally trains him to become the next Iron Fist."
"Ok, I'm following so far..." Peter said. "The thing about the Iron Fists is, they never live long enough to die of old age," Danny went on. "Sure, they had their chi to rid them of disease and slow their aging, but they were constantly active and facing down enemies. When an Iron Fist finally stops, it's usually because they were severely injured or killed in action. With that, the next Iron Fist can only inherit the title if he defeats the one who'd beaten his predecessor."
He motioned towards Reyes' phone, which had an article on the gunman's capture up. "In my case, that was him... But when I found the Punisher, my head just went blank," the boy continued. "The first thing I should've done was told Shang or Katy. But instead, I allowed my rage to overtake me, it made me reckless... sloppy... foolish. To lose myself in hatred and seek to fulfill my own desires, it's the furthest thing from what a hero should do, tradition or otherwise. Even he saw that..."
Danny looked up, "I hate him, but he spoke the truth. Even though I played a part in his capture, I don't feel like I'm truly worthy of the mantle of Iron Fist..."
There was a somewhat awkward silence in the air before someone finally spoke up. "Danny..." Reyes said, "We've all make stupid choices in our lives, the best thing we can do is to learn from them and not repeat what happened."
"Exactly," Peter added. "One learns little from success, but there's much to learn from failure." Danny raised an eyebrow, "Have you been reading Sun Tzu?" The boy grinned and held up slip of paper between his fingers, "Fortune cookie. Someone left Chinese takeout in the cafeteria."
There was a pause, before Danny began to chuckle, with Peter joining in. It quickly turned to full fledged laughter. Reyes only slightly smiled, although he was also amused by this. "Hahahaowww, it hurts to laugh," Danny wiped a tear from his eye, his laughter subsiding.
"But seriously, Robbie has a point," Peter settled down as well. "If we're gonna make mistakes, it's best to get them out of the way now, while we're young and can still learn from them." He holds his hand out, "There's still plenty of room for us to grow. So let's get stronger... together."
Danny was taken aback by the gesture, but smiled determinedly and took his hand. "Hey Spooky," Peter said to Reyes, "Get over here, we're making this a team thing!" Robbie was a bit hesitant though, "I'm not sure, Araña. It feels like every time I involved... someone gets hurt."
"Reyes, we're heroes in training. It's a given that we're gonna get hurt," Peter replied with a shrug. "It's not on you, man. We're all friends here. Now come on, don't make me ask twice!" Reyes gave a small, but genuine smile at this and stepped towards his classmates. Friends, huh? He thought, placing his hand atop the other two. I guess it's worth a try...
