A high-profile fundraising event was in full swing. Champagne flowed, laughter echoed, and wealthy elites whispered behind expensive glasses.
Then the fog rolled in. Thick, greenish mist slithered across the marble floors, wrapping around terrified guests like ghostly fingers. The music cut off. The chandeliers flickered. Gasps turned to screams.
From the mist emerged a caped figure in a shimmering fishbowl helmet.
"Ladies and gentlemen," Mysterio's voice boomed theatrically. "Your reality is a lie! Your fears are mine to command! And you-" He pointed a dramatic, gloved finger at the trembling senator. "are about to experience the most horrifying moments of your life!"
A hideous, towering demon with blazing red eyes materialized behind the senator. It roared, its fiery maw opening wide and then... it got dropkicked in the face.
The illusion shattered like bad CGI. A red-clad figure landed in its place, twirling his billy club.
"Wow," Daredevil said, stretching his neck. "That was... a lot. Ever consider getting a healthy hobby?"
Mysterio stiffened. "You dare mock Mysterio?! Fool! You will know the power of-"
The room erupted into chaos. Monsters sprang up from the mist, gruesome zombies, grotesque eldritch beings, blood-soaked killers.
The guests screamed. Daredevil just stood there. Arms crossed. Bored.
"…Really?" He sighed.
•Round 1 •
Mysterio's glowing hands wove intricate gestures. "What's wrong, hero? Do my illusions not terrify you?!"
Daredevil rubbed his chin. "Lemme check." He sniffed the air. "Hmmm. Smells like... cheap gas and bad perfume. Oh, and the floor's vibrating, so I'm guessing hidden projectors? And hold up." He tilted his head, listening.
Somewhere above them: Whirrrrrrr.
"…Drones. Lots of 'em."
Mysterio stiffened. "Oh, come on."
Daredevil grinned. "Yeah, dude, illusions don't work on me. Bad luck." He twirled his billy club. "So, plan B?"
Mysterio's fists clenched. "GOONS! KILL HIM!"
From the mist, armed thugs emerged. Bald guys in suits, classic henchmen #1 through #6.
Daredevil grinned. "Oh, thank God. For a second, I thought this was gonna be complicated."
•Round 2 •
The first thug swung a crowbar. Daredevil ducked, grabbed the guy's wrist mid-swing, and politely introduced his face to a dessert table.
THWACK!
The second thug lunged with a knife. Daredevil sidestepped, flicked his billy club, and knocked the weapon out of his hand. "Knives are bad, buddy." Then he kicked the guy straight through an ice sculpture.
CRASH!
Thug #3 tried to tackle him from behind. Daredevil simply moved. The guy ran straight into a pillar.
Thugs #4 and #5 rushed him together. Daredevil somersaulted over their heads, landed smoothly, and spun, smacking both with his billy club in one fluid motion.
Mysterio, watching from the stage, groaned. "Can one of you not get folded in under five seconds?!"
Thug #6 hesitated, then just ran.
"Smart choice," Daredevil nodded approvingly.
•Round 3•
Mysterio huffed. "Fine! If my men are useless, I'll do it myself!"
He snapped his fingers.
Above them, the overhead drones buzzed to life, locking onto Daredevil.
Daredevil cracked his knuckles. "Okay, now we're talking."
The first drone fired a laser. Daredevil dodged, the beam scorching a chair behind him. He flipped onto a table, kicked off, and threw his billy club at the nearest drone. CRACK! The metal shell sparked as it spiraled out of control.
Three more drones swarmed him.
Daredevil grabbed a fallen goon's gun, unloaded it and chucked it straight into a drone's rotors. BOOM! Sparks rained down as it crashed.
Mysterio was furious. "You're ruining my whole thing, man!"
"Your 'thing' sucks," Daredevil called back.
Mysterio pointed dramatically. "You will-"
Daredevil leaped straight at him.
Mysterio yelled. "OH, COME ON-"
WHACK!
Daredevil's punch landed square in the fishbowl. It cracked.
Mysterio stumbled, clutching his fractured helmet. "My aesthetic!"
Daredevil kicked his legs out from under him. Mysterio hit the ground hard, groaning.
The last drone fired wildly, only for Daredevil to catch the incoming laser with his billy club, bouncing it straight into the drone itself. It exploded in midair.
Silence. The guests peeked from their hiding places.
Daredevil crouched while dusting off his suit and grabbed Mysterio by the collar. "Well, that was dramatic."
Mysterio groaned. "I hate you."
Daredevil smirked. "Yeah, I get that a lot."
It was a perfectly normal afternoon in Harlem. People were out shopping, kids were playing ball, and old folks were chilling on stoops, debating whether Muhammad Ali could take on Mike Tyson in their prime.
Then the eight foot wrecking machine known as Rhino came speeding down the street like an angry bull.
Cars flipped. Fire hydrants exploded. Pedestrians screamed as the Rhino stomped towards his target, a billionaire stepping out of his luxury car.
"DOUGLAS WINSLOW!" Rhino roared, pointing a thick finger. "YOU OWE ME MONEY!"
The billionaire, now pale and sweating, stammered, "W-W-What? I don't even know you!"
"FISK ASKED TO SEND A MESSAGE!" Rhino snorted. "And more importantly, you own that fancy AI company, right? Your robots stole my credit card info! Do you know how embarrassing it is for a supervillain to get locked out of Netflix?!"
Winslow blinked. "Wait… Fisk? Why me? this is about fraudulent charges?"
Rhino stomped closer, cracking the pavement. "I DIDN'T ORDER NO CUPCAKE SUBSCRIPTION BOX! THAT AIN'T TOUGH!"
Just as he raised a massive fist to smash Winslow, a deep voice cut in,"Yo, big guy. You ever try calling customer service first?"
Rhino turned.
Luke Cage stood in the middle of the street, arms crossed, wearing his signature yellow T-shirt. He looked unimpressed.
Rhino squinted. "Who the hell are you?"
Luke shrugged. "Name's Cage. You wreck Harlem, you deal with me."
Rhino paused, tilting his massive head. "You look familiar. Ain't you that Power Man guy?"
"Just Luke Cage, man."
Rhino scoffed. "Whatever. Step aside before I turn you into street pizza."
Luke smirked. "Man, I live here. You step aside before I turn you into a lawn ornament."
Rhino roared and charged.
•Round 1•
Rhino exploded forward like a tank on steroids. The pavement cracked beneath his weight.
Luke stood his ground.
BOOM! Rhino slammed into Luke full force.
The impact sent shockwaves through the street. Store windows shattered. Car alarms blared. Luke's boots dug into the asphalt.
And when the dust cleared… Luke was still standing.
Rhino blinked. "What."
Luke rolled his shoulders. "That it?"
Rhino growled. "Okay. Now I'm mad."
He swung a fist the size of a Thanksgiving turkey. Luke ducked, dodging just in time. Rhino's punch obliterated a mailbox.
"Man," Luke whistled, dodging another swing. "You punch like a truck."
Rhino smirked. "Damn right."
Luke ducked under another wild haymaker. "But you aim like a stormtrooper."
Rhino roared in frustration and charged again. Luke sidestepped. Rhino kept going... right into a parked bus.
CRASH!
The entire front half of the bus crumpled. Fortunately, passengers had already ran out in panic
Rhino groaned, getting himself up from the wreckage. "Stupid!"
Luke stepped up. "Surprise, sucker."
BOOM! Luke's right hook sent Rhino flying into a streetlamp.
Rhino hit the ground, groaning. "Oof!"
Luke grinned. "How we feeling?"
Rhino staggered to his feet. "…I'm fine."
Luke's smile dropped. "Man, you are annoying."
•Round 2•
Rhino cracked his neck. "Okay, no more games. I'm turning you into a pothole."
He charged again, but this time, Luke was ready.
Luke leaped over Rhino at the last second.
Rhino, too dumb to stop, bulldozed straight through a brick wall.
BOOM! Dust filled the air. A second later, Rhino stumbled out, covered in bricks.
Luke whistled. "Y'know, I hear red light means stop."
Rhino snarled. "You think you funny?!"
"Little bit."
Rhino went for a grab. Luke dodged, barely. But Rhino faked his next move and sucker-punched Luke in the ribs.
WHAM!
Luke flew back, slamming into a parked SUV. The vehicle crushed like a soda can. For a second, Luke just lay there.
"…Okay," he groaned. "That hurt a little."
Rhino cracked his knuckles. "Told ya."
Luke sat up. "Gotta admit, you hit hard. But y'know the difference between us?"
Rhino frowned. "What?"
Luke stood up, brushing himself off.
"I can take it."
And then he rushed Rhino.
•Round 3•
Luke feinted left. Rhino swung wildly and missed. Luke dodged again. Rhino charged.
Luke sidestepped at the last second. Rhino couldn't stop in time.
Another BOOM!
He slammed into a lamppost, horn first. The metal bent around his head. Rhino groaned. "Not again…"
Luke casually walked up. "Bro, you really need a turn signal."
Rhino pulled himself free, only for Luke to hit him with a full-power uppercut.
WHAM!
Rhino lifted off the ground.
He flew twenty feet straight into a hot dog stand.
Silence.
The hot dog guy peeked over the cart. "Uh… he dead?"
Luke sighed. "Nah. Just nap time."
The crowd cheered.
Cops arrived a moment later, cuffing the groaning Rhino.
Luke cracked his knuckles. "Yeah, Harlem's closed for rampages, man. Try Brooklyn."
The neon lights of Chinatown flickered as the scent of dumplings and stir fry filled the air. It was supposed to be a quiet night.
Then, BOOM!
A parked scooter flew through the air, smashing into a street cart full of roasted ducks. The vendor screamed as his ducks rolled down the street.
"MY DUCKS! MY BEAUTIFUL DUCKS!"
Right in the middle of the chaos, two costumed villains stood: Scorpia, her massive mechanical scorpion tail swinging behind her, flexing enthusiastically like a teenager who did his first few push ups. And Lady Beetle, hovering in the air with her sleek wings, inspecting her gauntlets.
Their target was Johnny Wu, a well-dressed tech CEO in very expensive shoes, currently running for his life down Canal Street.
"You can run, Johnny," Scorpia purred, her tail cracking the pavement, "but you can't hide."
Lady Beetle sighed. "Can we not do the scary movie dialogue? Just grab him so we can get paid."
Before they could pounce SLAM!
A red motorcycle skidded into the scene, tires screeching. On it was Colleen Wing, katana resting on her shoulder.
Next to her, stepping out of a sleek black car, was Misty Knight, her bionic arm gleaming under the streetlights.
Misty adjusted her leather jacket. "Alright, ladies. You got two choices. Walk away now… or leave with medical bills."
Colleen smirked. "Pick wisely."
Lady Beetle rolled her eyes. "Oh, look. It's the B-list heroes."
Scorpia grinned. "Yeah? Well, I always wanted to fight the 'Iron Fist's sidekick.'"
Colleen's smile vanished. "…Excuse me?"
Misty cracked her knuckles. "Ooooh. You done messed up now."
And just like that, the fight was on.
•ROUND 1•
Scorpia charged first, tail lashing out like a battering ram.
Colleen dodged effortlessly, flipping over the attack. "Seriously? You're fighting me with a tail? I literally trained against people with swords."
Scorpia swung again. Colleen ducked, then sliced the tail mid-air. Sparks flew.
Scorpia hissed. "You!"
Colleen kicked her in the stomach, sending her crashing through a fruit stand. Oranges rained from the sky.
The vendor yelled, "THIS IS WHY WE CAN'T HAVE NICE THINGS!"
Scorpia growled, flipping back up. "Okay. No more playing around."
Her tail lunged, this time faster, striking like a cobra.
Colleen blocked it with her sword, sparks flying again. The two clashed, tail against steel, before Colleen used the tail's momentum to flip herself over Scorpia's head.
In mid air, she struck, SLASH!
Scorpia's armor sparked as Colleen's blade tore a chunk off.
Scorpia stumbled back. "What the hell is that sword made of?!"
Colleen twirled it. "The real question is.."
WHAM!
She kicked Scorpia in the face, sending her flying into a noodle shop. "..how badly do you want to keep fighting?"
•ROUND 2•
While Colleen was handling Scorpia, Misty had her own problems.
Lady Beetle hovered above her, missiles primed. "Cybernetic arm, huh? Cute. But I fly."
Misty smirked. "And yet, you still can't get a job and had to be a street tier villain."
"EXCUSE ME?!"
Lady Beetle fired. Misty dodged, rolling behind a parked car as explosions lit up the street.
"Alright. No more nice Misty." She grabbed the car and yeeted it at Lady Beetle like she was throwing a dodgeball.
Lady Beetle barely dodged. "WHAT KIND OF STRENGTH IS THAT?!"
Misty grinned, flexing her cybernetic fist. "The 'you about to get your ass whooped' kind."
She leaped onto a fire escape, then jumped mid-air, grabbing onto Lady Beetle's leg.
"OH, COME ON!"
Misty swung herself up and punched Lady Beetle square in the jaw.
Lady Beetle spiraled, crashing onto a delivery truck.
Misty landed next to her. "You good? Need a minute?"
Lady Beetle groaned. "I hate you."
Misty grabbed her by the collar. "Mutual."
And with that, she suplexed Lady Beetle through the truck.
•Round 3•
Scorpia and Lady Beetle, both bruised and looking very done with this fight, stumbled next to each other in the middle of the ruined street.
Colleen and Misty stood opposite them, battle ready.
"Alright," Misty said, rolling her shoulders. "Last chance. You surrender, we all go home. Maybe grab some dumplings. No more broken bones."
Scorpia spat blood onto the pavement. "Screw. You."
Lady Beetle groaned, adjusting her cracked helmet. "I hate you heroes. You people just don't quit."
Colleen grinned. "We drink a lot of coffee."
Then, BAM!
Scorpia launched herself forward, tail striking like a spear.
Misty grabbed it mid-air with her cybernetic arm.
CRACK!
She snapped it backward like a whip, sending Scorpia flying into a row of trash cans.
A very confused raccoon scurried away, chittering angrily.
Scorpia groaned. "I hate New York…"
Meanwhile, Lady Beetle rocketed into the air, aiming her wrist blasters at Colleen.
"I've had ENOUGH of you two!" she yelled, unleashing a barrage of energy blasts.
Colleen dodged and weaved between them, flipping over a parked scooter. She dashed up a fire escape and WHOOSH!
A shuriken flew from her belt, smacking Lady Beetle's wing pack. Sparks erupted.
Lady Beetle wobbled mid-air. "Oh, come on!"
Colleen jumped. Spinning in mid air. KATANA SLASH!
She sliced one of Lady Beetle's wings clean off.
Lady Beetle's eyes widened. "Oh, son of a-"
She spiraled downward like a malfunctioning drone, smashing face-first into a fruit stand.
It rained more oranges. Everywhere.
From under the pile, Lady Beetle groaned, "I hate oranges…"
Colleen landed gracefully, flicking her katana to the side. "I don't know, I think they're a solid fruit."
Misty chuckled. "You just had to throw in a pun."
Scorpia pulled herself from the trash pile, staggering at sight of destruction around them. Her tail was broken. Lady Beetle was down. Cops were closing in.
She sighed. "Okay. This was a bad idea."
Misty cracked her knuckles. "You're just now figuring that out?"
Scorpia lifted her hands in surrender. "Yeah, yeah. You win."
Colleen sheathed her sword. "Good choice."
As the sirens blared and officers swarmed the street, Misty leaned toward Colleen. "So… dumplings?"
Colleen nodded. "Absolutely."
And with that, the Daughters of the Dragon walked off.
To be continued...
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