Dany's POV
I stood in front of Madame Gao.
"I'm genuinely curious as to why you and the people from the Hand organization do this. From what you mentioned the other day, many of you were even once elders from the respected world of K'un-Lun."
She laughed, seemingly amused.
"The elders of K'un-Lun are hypocrites. Rules that don't help society, forced isolation, restrictions, and even torture in the name of progress. And let's not forget the unfair selection of ancient arts and, especially, the power of the dragon."
"Of course, you're different. You received privileges—even coming from the outside—but you inherited the power of the ancient dragon. Still, I'm sure some harbor resentment toward you because of this, especially for abandoning your duties."
Her words reminded me of my brother, as well as the warning from one of the elders about the possible temporary awakening of Shou-Lao. Even though it would awaken weakened, its madness could be destructive to the village. However, it was supposed to take a few weeks before it happened.
I cleared my mind and spoke.
"These are issues I shouldn't worry about right now. Please, let's focus on the current fight."
I took a proper fighting stance and took a deep breath. She smiled and spoke in a relaxed tone.
"Young and impatient. You still need training."
As soon as she finished speaking, with swift, skilled movements, she struck a box in front of her. The box, as if propelled by a powerful force, flew toward me. I jumped high and dodged it, quickly running toward her with rapid movements. Despite her seemingly older appearance, I attacked her with swift punches and kicks. She defended them with her cane and her palm—she clearly had the ability to use Chi, just like me.
Soon, she drew her sword and attacked me directly with it. I dodged, but still received a small cut on the side of my chest.
And so, we continued our confrontation. During the fight, I felt conflicted; though she was clearly my enemy, she seemed to be training me and even trying to draw out the power of my fist.
Then, she began talking about the death of my parents, mentioning Harold's involvement and even Ward's recent participation in certain events. All of it infuriated me, and in the end, my fist began to glow yellow with strong, tyrannical Chi.
"Silence!" I shouted, striking toward her face with all my strength, as if intending to kill her. I could see her eyes go white, her body trembling with fear; it felt as though her blood and life were already in my hands.
*Boom!*
In the end, a nearby wall was left with a massive hole, a shocking level of destruction caused by sheer power.
"Don't meddle with my family's affairs... and don't you dare come near those who matter to me."
I saw her swallow nervously, and I slowly stepped back. I still had wounds all over my body that would need time and healing.
"Ha, the Iron Fist, just like the individuals in K'un-Lun. Oppressing everyone to serve their own will and desires."
I clenched my fist and didn't respond, my mind set on finding my friends and allies.
A gust of wind brushed my cheeks, and I heard a familiar voice.
"You're quite bold, Madame Gao. What drives that? Your long lifespan beyond human norms? Confidence in strength?… No, that shouldn't be it, not to mention the fear the power of the dragon's energy causes you—I should already have you worried."
Looking to the side, I saw my friend Adrian, better known as the Immortal, appear. He seemed relaxed and uninjured, at least as far as I could tell, given his clothing and the strange mist around him.
"Immortal, where are the others? How are they?"
---
MC's POV
I was impressed by the power of the fist. Watching it in action again, I could see Danny's limitations in wielding it. I sensed that this unique Qi could cause even more destruction than it had now, and not just that—its potential felt mystical. It was likely he could use it for healing, long-distance attacks, and countless other techniques, though due to its differences from my own, I couldn't fully comprehend them.
"I bet the sorcerers would have better insight… but this kid definitely needs more training… though he's only recently received his power," I murmured. The magic, powers, and even the internal energy of this world followed different laws than mine; though we could exchange inspiration and experiences, some other technologies would be impossible to fully interact with.
It's best to make some exchanges, just as I did with Iceman, sharing knowledge about ice elements and properties.
My feet touched the ground, and when I heard Danny's question about the others, I answered calmly.
"Misty had some difficulties, but she's okay. Miss Colleen is also fine; they've both finished their fights. And I ended all mine without too much trouble." Indeed, the situation got dangerous with her, but fortunately, my shadow slime defended him at just the right moment.
"Great!" He seemed clearly happy and almost jumped for joy, but as he did, fatigue hit his body. I steadied him with my arm and made him stay still.
"You've taken a lot of physical damage, and especially, the excessive and still uncontrolled use of your fist's energy has caused even greater exhaustion, both physically and spiritually."
"I understand…"
"No."
I lifted his gaze to meet mine, my cold eyes from an ancient, divine lineage staring into his.
"Danny, I don't care about your responsibilities as the guardian of K'un-Lun. But if you want to join my group in the future—or even without that—having such power and not using it well is pointless. I'll try to help you learn to use it a bit, but beyond that, the mastery of your power will depend on you."
"I—" He seemed like he wanted to say something, and I had a good idea of what it was, so I cut him off.
"Control what is already yours, and above all, understand why it belongs to you and how you can use it—not for your own benefit, and maybe not even for K'un-Lun. Find a purpose. Don't think in terms of possibilities; it's already yours."
My firm words, carrying traces of my mental power and tunist voice, made him fall silent and even enter a slight trance. Without giving him more time, and with one last glance at Madame Gao, I moved on to check on the other two. Small drones still buzzed around her, of course.
---
About five days had passed.
At that moment, I was sitting atop a rock, watching the leaves fall, feeling the essence of nature, the calm of the environment itself. After the events with Danny, they returned home, and the days went by. Luke and Randy joined the Guardian Sword, and during these days, they assisted me, along with Daredevil and Peter, in taking down Hand bases and some of their allies.
The mission was not easy, and it was becoming increasingly difficult to find clues revealing their locations. Madame Gao also seemed to be trying to stay hidden. However, Daredevil seemed to be on a lead; he's also getting a bit of help from the others and should update me soon.
My boyfriend has been investigating a strange scientist and something resembling a mutant or a modified creature that looks like a rhinoceros, but he took a break to travel to Florida because Aunt May's friend passed away. I offered to go with him, but Aunt May asked me to stay here. My parents are still traveling, and it could be a few more months before they return. I'm not exactly sure what they're doing, as they seem to be pursuing various things, though I know that part of it involves small missions for mutants and for S.H.I.E.L.D.
But I know well that their main mission is not that, and it seems to be tied to my father's past.
"Adrian! Let's go. Help me get the boys ready."
"Coming, Aunt!"
I stood up and headed in the direction of her call. In front of me were kids aged 12 to 14, dressed in green scout uniforms. We were all in a small forest.