Gathering

As the city lights came on, Chinatown teemed with people. Tourists and local residents merged into a crowded tide, while a group of strange-looking people hurried through it like a small boat riding the waves, jolting forward through the sea of humanity.

"Make way!"

As if someone were chasing them, the group almost forcibly shoved aside nearby pedestrians. Their behavior immediately drew a wave of disgruntled complaints. Several burly male tourists tried to stop them, only to be effortlessly pushed away by a tall, black-haired woman, as though she were casually brushing aside building blocks.

"Oh, damn, that woman was insanely strong!" The shoved-aside tourists only came back to their senses after watching the group disappear into the crowd.

Boss He was a third-generation immigrant in New York. Using the cooking skills he had learned from his father, he had opened a Chinese restaurant in Chinatown. Thanks to its authentic flavors, it had always been popular with local Chinese immigrants and other foreigners who loved Chinese cuisine.

"Closing up." Boss He saw off the last batch of customers and hung up the "Closed" sign at the entrance, bringing another busy day to an end.

If business kept booming like this, perhaps he should hire a few more workers. Chinatown had plenty of young Chinese immigrants looking for work, after all.

Bang!

The restaurant door was pushed open, then slammed shut.

The intrusion of a group of uninvited guests interrupted Boss He's pleasant thoughts. They clearly did not look like they had come to eat: a tall black-haired woman, a curly-haired young man in a suit, a tall and muscular Black man, a burly man covered in weapons, and a strange fellow dressed in a red devil costume. This bizarre combination nearly made Boss He think he had run into a gang of insane robbers, and he hurriedly raised his hands in fear.

"We're closed already," Boss He said weakly when he saw that the group did not seem intent on robbing him.

The group that had barged in ignored the restaurant owner's reminder entirely. They stared tensely out the windows, while the tall black-haired woman directly lifted a heavy red-lacquered wooden cabinet with both hands and used it to block the restaurant entrance.

"She's really strong," the man dressed like a red devil remarked. "Sir, for your safety, we need to make this place look closed."

The curly-haired young man, meanwhile, explained to the owner in fluent Chinese, "We won't hurt you. We're only borrowing this place for a while." (Those who have watched the show, please ignore the part about fluent Chinese.)

The man in the red devil suit and mask pulled down the blinds. The Hand could appear at any moment. He listened intently, using his superhuman hearing to sense everything outside. The ninjas did not seem to have followed them.

"All right, this restaurant belongs to us for the time being." After the curly-haired young man spoke quietly with the owner for a few moments, the restaurant owner voluntarily left.

"What did you say to him?" the black-haired woman asked curiously.

"I just gave him my credit card and promised to pay the next six months of his rent," the curly-haired young man said casually. "My name is Danny. Danny Rand."

"Jessica," the black-haired woman said coolly. "I know you two: the Punisher and Daredevil from Hell's Kitchen."

"I thought people had more or less forgotten about me after I'd been gone for so long," Daredevil said self-mockingly.

He had originally gone with the Punisher to look for help. Unexpectedly, they had run into Jessica Jones while she was following a lead. After tailing the extraordinarily capable female private investigator, the three had arrived at the Hand's base, Midtown Circle Financial.

Danny Rand, the Iron Fist, had also entered the Hand's lair alone while investigating Luke Cage, who was looking into the mysterious disappearances of Black people in Harlem. He had likewise arrived at the real estate company controlled by the Hand. Five people chasing the same target had gathered through a series of coincidences, clashed with the Hand's lackeys, and only barely escaped after the street heroes used their respective abilities. They had then hidden in the crowded streets of Chinatown.

"I think it's time for some answers—" Jessica said with a cold expression. "First, can anyone tell me who those people chasing us were?"

"The Hand," Danny Rand and the Punisher answered at the same time.

After exchanging a glance, Danny Rand continued, "The Hand is an ancient criminal organization. They have always existed. Its members possess a fanatical ideology, and every one of them is willing to die defending their beliefs."

"Sounds like terrorists," Luke Cage said with a frown. He had lived in Harlem for so long, yet had never heard the organization's name.

"No. Terrorists want the world to know what they're doing. This organization is more secretive, more evil, and its reach spans the entire globe," Daredevil added. He had fought the Hand before and knew full well how terrifying it was.

"What exactly do they want, then? Why recruit young people in Harlem?" Luke Cage asked in confusion. He had tracked the real estate company because young Black people in Harlem had been continuously disappearing or dying recently.

"The Hand's objective is unclear for now, but they obviously came to New York for a reason. I feel like they may be looking for me." Danny Rand hesitated before revealing his identity. "I am the Immortal Iron Fist, guardian of K'un-Lun."

The room suddenly fell silent. Whether it was the Punisher gripping a 9mm Browning Automatic Pistol, Daredevil in his mask, Jessica with her ever-cool expression, or Luke Cage listening intently, they all stared at Danny Rand with strange looks in their eyes.

"What are you on? Lithium?" Jessica mocked mercilessly.

Danny Rand wanted to explain, but the Punisher interrupted him. "All right. Shouldn't we be discussing what we do next?"

The burly man, like a walking armory, gripped his Browning pistol as his cold gaze swept over everyone. "The Hand is planning something massive. In the basement of their lair—Midtown Circle Financial—there's a huge hole. I don't know what's inside, but one thing is certain: they caused the earthquake a week ago!"

"Whether it's the disappearances and deaths of Black people in Harlem that Luke mentioned, or the missing architects Jessica has been investigating, the Hand is inextricably tied to all of it! We have only two paths before us now: forget this, walk out of this restaurant, and abandon our previous investigations; or use our abilities to bring down this enormous organization!"

Everyone fell silent for a while, each of them thinking. This was different from the crises they had faced before. Their enemy was not some gang boss or street thug, but a colossal, tightly organized force.

"I want to protect Harlem's peace," Luke Cage gave his answer first. He had always been a hero to Harlem.

"Looks like I'm the first one to admit that this is a little beyond me. It's already outside my capabilities," Jessica replied. She refused the invitation to team up against the Hand.

After living through a disaster, Jessica only wanted to be an ordinary person. She had opened her own detective agency because she wanted to forget the terrible life she had once lived. No matter what, she did not want to get dragged into another fight against an evil organization.

"Oh, this is a perfect opportunity! I tried taking on the Hand alone, but I failed. Now we have so many extraordinary people here, and you're saying you don't want in?!" Danny Rand shouted in disappointment. The reason he had returned to New York was to wipe out the Hand completely and make those people experience the pain of losing everything.

"Not everyone wants to live this kind of life. When you choose to fight the darkness, it means you can no longer look after the friends and family around you. The people you want to protect may suffer misfortune because of that one decision."

Daredevil completely understood Jessica's mindset. He had once gone through the same phase. If he had not learned about Elektra, he might not have put the suit back on.

"Thanks. I think I should leave." Jessica gave Daredevil a rare smile, then stood up to go.

Just as Daredevil was about to say something, his expression suddenly turned grave. He listened carefully. Faint footsteps echoed along the street outside. The other person's heartbeat was powerful and forceful, like war drums beating out a thump, thump. Even through sound alone, Daredevil could sense the immense vitality within that person.

Creak.

The door blocked by the red-lacquered wooden cabinet was easily pushed open. A young man wearing a black mask walked in from outside. He slowly swept his gaze over the group standing ready, then smiled. "Everyone's here."

"Then... come at me together."

P.S. Uh, I had to visit graves for Qingming Festival, so there's only one update...

I forgot to mention it yesterday, but thanks to the big shot "l477423" for the donation. My first-ever Helm Master—I'm really excited...

As for extra chapters, my hands are too slow, so they'll be delayed until the weekend. I'll try to write a few more chapters (~￣▽￣)~