Chapter 2
“We’re closed” The man working the front yelled, as the five walked in.
“Guys, this is a bad idea. I vote we keep walking,” Myk said, no one responding, just continuing to make the restaurant look shut. “Well, I have been outvoted. Very sorry Mr. Restaurant sir.”
“We need to kill the lights,” Masked Man observed, moving to close the blinds.
“How do you even know they’re on?” Jessica retorted.
“Hey, I said we’re closed!” The man said again, walking towards the group.
Danny walked forward, holding his hand up, “We just need to stay off the street for a bit.”
“So stay off them somewhere else, or I’m gonna call the police,” the man answered, pointing towards the door.
“No- you can’t do that. It would put the cops in danger” Luke reasoned, stepping toward the man.
“I’ll put you in danger!” The restaurant worker? Owner? said, pointing a finger at the group, causing Myk to let out a laugh.
Jessica sighed, motioning for Myk to move, before picking up the cabinet near the door and pushing it on its side, before placing it in front of the door. “I’m done explaining this.”
“This, right here,” Myk said, moving past Jessica to close the other side of the blinds, “Is why we locked the doors after closing at my old job.”
The man exclaimed, as Danny made a comment about Jessica’s strength.
“Sir,” the Masked Man said, “This is for your protection. We need to make this place look closed.”
Danny and the man started walking away to the back room, conversing as they walked.
“I can still head neon,” he said, moving near to Myk and closing another one of the blinds, as Myk walked over to the light switches, trying to find one that turned off the neon lights. Myk turned their head to look between him and Jessica, letting out a sigh and continuing to find the lights panel.
The man walked toward the back door, checking a few things before walking back to the group. Myk gave up with the switches, joining the three.
“Alright, back door’s clear,” he said, “Everything's locked. I think we’re safe for now.”
“So what? We’re just gonna wait it out here?” Luke said, giving Matt a look.
“You got a better plan?” He questioned.
Jessica rolled her eyes and sighed. “Is there a plan where I get my scarf?”
As the man replied, Myk nodded. “Grey is a good color. Very nice, very nice.”
“Just need it till this is over,” he reasoned, “What, do you to know each other?”
“I mean, you’re one to talk,” Myk muttered, pulling out a water bottle from their bag. He tilted his head in contemplation before shrugging.
“Yeah,” Jessica said. “We met, we drank, I uh, shot him in the head.”
“Goddamn” Myk said, as Luke raised his hand, waving it toward the man.
“Why are you still wearing that thing?” he asked, pointing to the scarf.
“Okay,” Danny interrupted, “He said we can stay,” earning a few odd looks from the group.
“What did you tell him?” Luke said.
“Just gave him my black card, agreed to pay the rent for the next six months.” He held a hand out to Jessica, as Myk let out a ‘God fucking damn dude.”
“Jessica” she replied.
“And you are?” Danny asked.
“No I can’t do this,” the man said, holding up a hand. “Look, whatever happened back there, we did what we had to, and we got out alive. The less we know about each other, the better. This, its too much already.”
“Okay,” Jessica said, reaching for the scarf.
“Don’t-” he said, reaching to grab her hand. “There are people I need to protect.”
“Alright, children, keep your hands to yourself please” Myk said.
“We all have people we need to protect” Luke mentioned.
“The organization we just fought is powerful,” he argued.
“According to this guy,” Myk said, pointing to Danny, “They’re something called ‘The Hand,’ whatever the fuck that means.”
“Who are you, anyways? How did you get involved? And how can you do that,” Luke waved his hand, “Weird shit.”
Myk gave him a stare, “Mykola. I was hired as an assistant, today was my first day. They tried to get me to fight this guy,” they said, pointing Danny, “But I said fuck no, and helped him out.”
Out of the corner of Myk’s eye, they saw Jessica stiffen, and look at them more closely, and her heart rate rose slightly. Myk pressed the nose of their mask, adjusting it slightly.
“He’s right, they’re called the Hand.” the masked man said, nodding at Danny once he asked if the Hand and him had crossed paths before. “It doesn’t matter.”
Jessica turned her gaze away from Myk to look at the man, “Bullshit it doesn’t matter,” she called, raising her voice.
“Yeah, I’m with her,” Luke said.
“We need to figure out our next move,” Danny said.
“There is no we,” Jessica said. “We fought our way out, call it professional curtousey, end of story.”
“These people,” Danny reasoned, leaning in, “they’re dangerous.”
“So am I,” Jessica said, staring him down. “Now somebody tell me what I need to know about ‘The Hand’, so I can go on my way.”
“Wait.” Myk said. “They know who we are now. Does that mean if we go home and try to go back to our lives, they’ll come after us?”
“Yes,” Danny said.
“Shit.” Myk replied.
“What is that?” Luke asked, pointing towards the restaurant staff bringing out several plates.
“Oh, as part of the deal, he made me order 4 of everything.” Danny said, giving them a grin, before turning to the server.
“We’re not here to eat!” Luke said, looking at Danny in disbelief.
“This guy really turned the stove back on, to make all this, and then have to close everything down again?” Myk asked, furrowing their brows, “Fuck, I mean yes money, but so much work.”
The masked man gave Myk an amused look. “I assume you work in a restaurant?”
Myk smiled, nodding. “Used to, at least. Then y’know, some shit happened, and when I got back I was like ‘lets go for a higher paying job’ and, now we’re here.” Myk pulled their hair out of the ponytail it was in, ruffling it around, before loosing their tie and tucking it in their bag.
“Are those pork?” Danny asked.
The man turned away from Myk for a moment to answer Danny. “Those are shrimp,” He pointed to the next row of platters, “Those are pork.” He turned back to Myk, “I’ve always found restaurants to be chaotic. Too much noise.”
Myk laughed. “Oh I agree. Between the noise, the smell, and the really harsh lights we have in the front to make the food look good- it is a serious combo.”
“Back to the important things,” Danny said. “The Hand is an ancient criminal organization,” Danny said, grabbing some of the food.
“Define ancient” Luke said, pulling up a chair and sitting down.
“They live forever.”
“No shot” Myk said, as Jessica replied “Try that again.”
“He’s not wrong. They live by a fanatical ideology and every member is willing to die for the cause.” The masked man sat down, tugging the face mask on even tighter.
“So they’re terrorists” Luke said, Jessica joining the three.
“No. Terrorists want the world to know what they’re doing. This is more secretive, more evil” he said.
“And, they’re global.” Danny added.
“So, what do they do?” Luke asked. “Including the recruitment of young men in Harlem?”
“Everything,” Danny replied. “They're in New York for a reason, but I don’t know why.”
“Okay, so what do they want, and how can we stop them?” Myk asked.
“Immortality. Power and influence across the world. And, I think they want me. As to how to stop them? We have to work together.”
“No offense dude, but why you? They’ve got plenty of money, or so it seems.” Myk said.
“I’m the Immortal Iron Fist. Sworn protector of K’un Lun.”
“Come again?” he asked.
“What, are you on lithium?” Jessica asked.
“Whatever you are on,” Myk said, finally joining them at the table, “I hope you brought enough to share with the class, cause we need to be on the same page right now.”
“And who was the woman with the sword?” Luke said with a look of confusion.
“I’m not sure. But I fought her in Cambodia,” Danny offered.
“Yeah, she was the one who came after my client” Jessica shared. When she received a look of surprise, she asked, “Why, do you know her?”
“No,” he said firmly, “No I don’t.”
“Lie,” Myk said, leaning forward. “No offense, but I heard you back at Midland. You said ‘Elektra’. You recognized her.”
“It wasn’t her, it-” he huffed for a moment, before continuing- “It couldn’t have been. And shouldn’t you be home by now?” he replied, standing. “This was a mistake, I cant be here. I can’t be a part of this,” he said, waving a finger around.
“If you ask me, you already are,” Luke said, joining Matt away from the table, raising his hands up in a placating way. “You need to put it all on the table before its too late.”
Matt scoffed, pushing away from the table. “I don’t know you man- I don’t owe you anything.” As Luke placed a hand on Matt’s shoulder, Matt sucking in a breath. “You wanna take your hand off my shoulder?”
“Okay,” Myk said, ‘I can sense a little infighting-”
“Take off the mask,” Luke said, before turning his head towards Myk. “You too.”
Myk took in a breath, “Hhhhh, uh its a medical mask sir, thank you very fucking much. I’ll fucking tell you my name though.”
He turned his attention back to Matt, who let out a quiet reply. “You’re not gonna like where this is heading.”
“Try me,” Luke whispered back.
“Okay dude,” Myk said, standing up, before Jessica raised a hand in a ‘hold on a second’ way towards Myk, before walking over to Matt.
“Counselor, a word?” She said, leading Matt away for a moment.
Luke turned towards Myk, giving them a stare. Myk shrunk in their seat. “I will take off my mask once everyone's back, for like two seconds, but then its going back on.” They got a plate, picking up different pieces of food. “Pass something over here, please. I need energy to deal with this bullshit.”
“You should take the mask off.” Danny said, “We need to be able to trust each other.”
Myk took in a hiss of air, before removing the mask. “Fine, fuckwads, I took off the mask. Goes back on though, when other people are around. No face, no case, as some people say.”
“How old are you,” Luke said, looking at Myk’s face. “You look 12.”
“18, thank you very much.” Myk said.
“Pretty young,” Luke replied.
“18 isn’t young. I started defending K’un Lun much younger than that,” Danny offered. “We’re gonna need all the help that we can get, if we want to defeat the Hand.”
Jessica walked back over to the group, looking between the three, before her eyes landed on Myk’s face. She stood up straighter for a moment, looking in disbelief, before shaking her head, looking back at Matt, who removed his mask and walked over.
“My name is Matthew,” he said, handing the scarf back to Jessica. Myk stared at him, jaw open, before quickly looking away and muttering to themselves. Danny and Luke also looked back and forth between the three, before giving each other a look.
“So, are we not gonna mention the elephant in the room here?” Luke said, pointing at the three.
Myk raised their hand to their mouth, biting one of the finger nails. “I dunno. I think we all know the answer to the question, but just don’t know how to fucking say it. How about we leave it at exchanging names and phone numbers?”
“I think that would be a good idea,” Matt said. “As much as I would like to have that conversation,” he let out a cough for a moment, “which really, really needs to be had, I think, we do have a more pressing matter at hand.”