THE MARVEL KNIGHTS GROUP
PROUDLY PRESENTS...
ISSUE #4 written by Jeff Melton
THE K’UN L’UN CONNECTION, CHAPTER FOUR
“Snow Job!”
WHAT HAS COME BEFORE: Danny Rand and the beautiful Spider-Woman, fresh from their battle with Taskmaster, received an early morning visit from Luke Cage. Master Khan continued to work on reviving the villainous Tarantula! And Spider-Woman asked Danny to help her solve the disappearance of a friend of Danny’s father.
Monarch, Colorado. Located 157 miles from Denver, this quaint town features Monarch Mountain, which rises to 11,961 feet at its summit. The ski resort there covers 800 acres. And it is there that Danny (Iron Fist) Rand and Jessica (Spider-Woman) Drew have come—not to enjoy the skiing and the panoramic views, but to solve a mystery of a missing person.
Jessica, wearing skin-tight insulated pants with boots, walks towards a small shack. She is bundled up in a heavy parka, with a scarf wrapped around her lithe neck, even as her long, black hair drapes down over her shoulders and halfway down her back. Danny walks beside her, dressed in a parka, with boots and pants as well.
“Of all places to have to find someone!” Jessica remarks, shuddering under her parka.
“It reminds me a little of the area surrounding K’un Lun, actually,” Danny replies, looking around at the snow-covered mountain rising above them. “I used to ski in those mountains as a child.”
“You make more sense as an adult,” Jessica responds, with a smile, “moving to Miami.”
“Well,” Danny replies, returning her smile as they reach the door to the small building, “I have to admit that it’s paid off here lately.”
They walk into the wooden building, where they are greeted by the sight of clothing, ski equipment, snacks, and drinks. She looks over at Danny. “All in one shopping, Danny,” she remarks. “You can’t beat it.”
“Yeah,” Danny responds, taking in the shop and its patrons. Seated behind the counter, which is surrounded by small items for sale—from scarves and gloves to candy and chewing gum—is a thin man who looks to be in his early twenties. Leaning across the counter is a busty young woman in her early twenties, who is fit tightly into a sweater and jeans. She is reaching over, straightening up the merchandise there. There are currently only two customers in the store, and they are concentrating their attention on some skis towards the back of the store.
“Excuse me,” Jessica says, as she walks up to the young man behind the counter. He rises up, getting to his feet as she approaches. She reaches into her purse, pulling out a photo from it, as she proffers it to the young man behind the counter, who leans forward to look at it. “Have you seen this man?”
“Nah,” the young man mutters without much thought. “Ain’t doin’ nothing for me.” He looks across the counter, shouting at the young woman in the tight-fitting sweater. “Hey, Liz!”
Liz rolls her eyes, as she looks up. “Yes, Brad?” she asks icily, clearly annoyed by the intrusion.
“Have you seen this old guy?” he asks bluntly. “This lady here is looking for him,” he adds, nodding back towards Jessica, who at this point has her hands on her hips.
Liz shakes her head and again rolls her eyes, thinking about how irritated she is to be working with this young clown.
With that, Danny and Jessica walk over to Liz. Danny stands back slightly, as Jessica presents the picture she showed the other clerk a moment earlier. He looks away from the two lovely women, keeping his eyes on the two men on the other side of the store, who are looking alternatively at the drink cooler and at the counter.
“Those two have been at the drink counter for a while,” Danny thinks to himself, “But they keep looking up here…”
“….Danny?” Danny hears Jessica’s call out his name, but did not hear anything immediately preceding it. Instinctively, he turns around to face her, as she looks at him quizzically. “Haven’t you heard anything I’ve been saying?!”
“Actually, Jessica,” he responds, taking in both of the women, even as his thoughts are still on the two others in the store. “I was just…”
Before Danny can complete his sentence, he catches movement out of the corner of his eye—a flying object headed their way. Without a thought, he reaches out, grabbing the two women around the waist, as he leaps towards them, lifting them off the ground and pushing them forward, across the counter. They land on the other side of the counter, as he covers them both with his own body.
Danny’s actions were just in time, as the bottle rocket thrown by the two men on the other side of the store explodes at the counter—where they had been a mere split-second earlier. In its wake, tattered clothing, memorabilia, glass, and splinters of wood are sent flying in all directions, even as Danny continues to cover the women from harm with his own body.
INTERLUDE
K’un Lun. Master Khan walks into the laboratory, his hands clasped behind his back. On the table, leaning forward, is the villain known as the Tarantula. He is looking around, although there is a tired look in his eyes. Attached to his arms are IVs, as the scientist in Master Khan’s employ takes his vital signs.
“How is he progressing?” Master Khan asks, although there is much more than a question in his voice, which echoes with a demanding tone. He looks over at the scientist with a contemptuous gaze.
“He has made remarkable progress,” the scientist responds, removing the thermometer from the Tarantula’s mouth, shaking it slightly. “His vital signals are almost back to normal—assuming that they ever were normal. “
Master Khan nods and allows a slight smile to cross his lips. “Yes, perhaps his vitals signs were not precisely normal,” Master Khan allows, much to the relief of the scientist. This is the closest he has come to sharing anything with Khan, who has dictated to him, and threatened him mercilessly since he started his employ. It is a decision that he has often regretted.
“I am actually quite pleased with the progress he has made in the past few days,” the scientist continues, an uneasiness in his voice—perhaps due to the knowledge of his predecessor’s fate.* “His body has started the regeneration process, and he is healing at a phenomenal rate.”
[*Shown last issue.]
“Very good news,” Khan responds, nodding. “Of course, you realize that he is not here to remain in the hospital for an extended period of time. And he has been allowed sufficient time—in my estimation—to heal his wounds.”
“I want you to understand,” the scientist responds, “that this man was near death a short time ago. In fact, he was presumed dead after his last battle with Spider-Man.** The fact that he is breathing is little short of miraculous. Yet, he has also been subject to extensive training since that time, as per your instructions.”
[**Which took place in Amazing Spider-Man #236.]
Master Khan’s eyes burn back at the scientist. “Indeed,” he responds calmly. “That is of little interest to me. My principle concern at the moment is that he is ready to do my bidding. It is your responsibility to insure that he will be ready when I call him for battle. And I am well aware of his capabilities in that regard.”
“Yes,” the scientist responds quietly, almost under his breath. “You have made that quite clear.” He looks over at Tarantula, amazed that he is now breathing normally. “This man has just been in battle for two hours against your warriors. He has been performing admirably for someone who was just resurrected from the dead. Still, there will be additional time needed for a full recovery.”
“Perhaps you have forgotten your tenuous situation here,” Master Khan responds coldly. “I am not interested in your opinion regarding my plans. You know well your responsibilities—as you also know the consequences of failure on your part to do what you have been ordered to do.” Khan looks over at the scientist, who looks despondent, nodding slightly. “Very well, then. Have him ready when the time comes. And make sure that it is soon. I grow weary of your excuses.”
END OF INTERLUDE
In Colorado, Danny leaps across the counter, jumping over the lifeless body of the clerk, even as Jessica and the female clerk start to get to their feet, brushing debris off their bodies. Danny rushes through the debris-ridden store, scorched around the counter and along the floor nearby, looking for evidence of their attackers.
“I don’t see them here!” Danny shouts towards Jessica, as he rushes towards the door. “I’ll check outside!”
Danny rushes outside, where he sees one of the assailants running toward a black SUV. Danny fixes his eyes on the assailant, his face showing his own anger at the fact that this man nearly killed him and two women…and did kill another young man. Whoever these men are, they certainly don’t want Jessica and Danny finding out what they’re up to…which makes that all the more imperative.
The man opens the door to his SUV…a mere second before it is slammed shut again, shattering his knee in the process…as a result of Danny leaping the distance between them, kicking the door shut with his right foot.
The assailant staggers back from the door, both of his hands cupping his shattered left knee, even as his face turns into a mask of pain. He tries to keep his distance from Danny, who turns towards him, but it is a futile effort, given his sudden inability to move at great speeds.
“Who are you?!” Danny demands, grabbing the man by top of his sweater, inches beneath his neck. Danny effortlessly lifts the man in the air, even as the man’s face grimaces again, the sudden movement shooting pain up and down his leg. “And what were you doing trying to kill us?!”
The man is in his mid-twenties, with dirty blond hair, roughly combed. He is of slight build, but six feet tall. Danny slams him against the windshield of his truck, his upper back connecting ignominiously with the hard glass.
“I…can’t…” the man responds through gritted teeth. Waves of nausea rush through his throat, from the pain in his shattered knee.
“Wrong answer!” Danny exclaims, his fist trailing with energy, as it slams into the truck’s windshield, a mere inch from his face. The windshield shatters, as glass crumbles under the impact of the blow. “I’d suggest you start talking.”
“But…I don’t…”
“Look,” Danny responds sharply. “I’m not playing here. You killed a kid in that store, and nearly killed four people. Who hired you?”
“Man, you don’t understand,” the assailant responds, even as his lower lip quivers, nearly uncontrollably. “I don’t know who paid us…or even what was going on.”
“I think you need to explain that,” Danny says, glaring at the man, who is still bent backwards across the hood of his car, although he has slumped down to just beneath the windshield now.
“No, buddy…!” a voice from behind draws Danny’s attention. He releases the pain-wracked assailant, letting him fall across the hood of the car, where he struggles to retain consciousness. As Danny turns around, he sees the other assailant, standing ten feet away, pointing a .38 caliber handgun at Danny menacingly. “You need to just forget you ever saw us…unless you want to take a dirt nap!”
“How original,” Danny sarcastically comments, taking a step towards the gunman. “You and your nervous buddy are out of your league. You know that, don’t you?!”
“What I know, buddy, is that you’re running your mouth to a guy with a gun in his hand!” the gunman angrily remarks. There is a fire in his eyes, although Danny notes a tinge of nervousness in his voice, and involuntary shaking in his hands. The gun moves slightly up and down, as he tries to control it, to hide his own fear.
“Yeah, I see that,” Danny replies. “But I guess you don’t think this is the first time I’ve been in this position?” Danny takes another step towards the gunman, even as he moves the gun upward quickly, nervously trying to keep Danny at bay.
“I don’t care!” the gunman shouts back. “Take another step and you die!”
“I think I’ll take my chances!” Danny responds, leaping into the air towards the young gunman, who fires a series of shots at the spot where Danny was a mere split-second ago. The bullets cut through the air, and shatter the remainder of the windshield on the car, some of them also imbedding themselves in the hood and side of the car, perhaps a foot above the head of the gunman’s unconscious accomplice.
Danny flips through the air, bouncing off a car to the right of the gunman, before leaping towards him again. The gunman turns around to face Danny, but cannot get his gun up in time. Danny spins his body in mid-air, kicking the gunman in the face, jerking his head back with the impact from the blow, even as his gun flies from his hand, landing in the snow several feet away.
Gracefully, Danny lands on the ground beside the now disarmed gunman. He turns around to face the gunman, who is even now crawling through the snow in search of his gun. “Got to get to my gun,” the man mutters, mostly under his breath.
“I don’t see that happening!” Danny remarks, grabbing the man by the back of his neck, and pulling him back towards him. “The way I see it, you and your friend are in a lot of trouble.” Danny pulls the gunman towards him with his left hand, while slamming his right elbow into his chest.
“Now, maybe you’d like to tell me what this is all about?” Danny asks, glaring at the disarmed gunman, kneeling before him, held back by Danny’s elbow, which continues to bore into his chest. “You and your pal over there tried to kill me and three other people. Who hired you…and why?!”
“Man, I don’t know!” the gunman nervously responds, even as he grimaces in pain, from Danny’s elbow boring into his chest. “We were told to watch for you and the brunette, and toss that bottle at you. We didn’t even know what was in it!”
“Yeah,” Danny retorts sarcastically. “You get approached to be on the lookout for us, and throw an improvised pipe bomb at us, and you tell me you didn’t know what you were doing?!”
“Look, man,” the gunman responds, as he leans back on his knees. “I’m not saying that. I just don’t know what this is all about.”
Danny backhands the gunman, jerking his head violently back, as a red imprint of his hand appears on the side of the gunman’s face. “You’d better find some answers…and quick!” Danny warns.
As Danny grabs the gunman from the ground, he notices that Jessica is rushing his way, even as paramedics are looking over the young female clerk who was in the store during the explosion. She is running up from behind the gunman, as the remnants of the store now smolder in the background, a contrast against the clear white snow.
“Jessica, are you all right?” Danny asks, while still holding onto the stunned gunman by the collar of his shirt. She has some tatters in her jacket, along the shoulders, but appears otherwise unharmed.
“I’m fine, Danny,” she responds. She looks down at the gunman, then back at Danny. “Has he told you anything?”
“Not yet,” Danny responds, looking down at the gunman, who looks over at each of them nervously. “But he’s getting ready to start spilling…aren’t you?”
“I told you,” the gunman starts again, “I don’t know much…”
Jessica places her hands on his shoulders. She nods down at Danny, who releases him just as she releases a jolt of energy that surges through his body, causing him to shake uncontrollably, as he falls to the ground.
Danny lifts him off the ground, noting that his clothing is warm to the touch. “Maybe you’d like to be more cooperative now?”
“O-okay,” he stutters, as his body starts to calm down from the electric shock. “W-what do you want to know?”
Later, Danny lies in bed, dressed only in his boxer shorts, the covers draped away from him, towards the middle of the bed. He is holding his hands behind his head, as he watches the nightly news on the television before him. In the bathroom, located beside his bed, he can hear the water from the shower beyond the walls.
When he hears the water stop running, he lowers the volume on the television, even as he hears Jessica speaking to him from behind the closed door of the bathroom. “I’m glad we were able to finish our interrogation of that kid before the police arrived to cart him off,” she says.
“I’m just glad that you weren’t hurt in the explosion,” Danny returns, raising his voice so that Jessica can hear him behind the door to the bathroom. “But, yes, I’m glad we got some information from the little creep.”
“There are still plenty of unanswered questions,” Jessica adds.
“True,” Danny returns, “but at least we got an important lead from him. He was scheduled to meet the apparently mastermind behind this tomorrow, for his payoff.”
“I still don’t understand where our man’s brother is either,” Jessica remarks. “He disappeared about as quickly as his brother.”
“I know,” Danny agrees, even as he hears the door to the bathroom open. “The whole thing makes no sense…other than the fact that his wife knows more than she’s letting on. One thing’s for sure…we’ve got a big day ahead of us tomorrow.”
“That’s tomorrow,” Jessica responds. Danny looks at her, taking her in for a moment. She is dressed in a very low-cut nightgown, which drops down to four inches beneath the waist. She lowers herself onto the bed, placing each of her knees on either side of Danny’s legs, as she lowers herself down towards Danny, their faces nearly touching. “What about tonight?”
Danny smiles, placing his hands on her back, pulling her closer to him, as their lips meet. “That’s another story.”
TO BE CONTINUED...
MARTIAL MISSIVES
When I was first asked to do Iron Fist for Marvel Knights, I wasn’t sure how the actual writing of the character would come about, but I’ve found that he’s a lot of fun to write. He’s got a good cast, and I’ve only scratched the surface of that, with the brief appearance of Luke Cage last issue. I do plan to have plenty more with his cast—and the new additions I’m making to his cast as well. Hopefully, you’ll enjoy what I have in store for the character, particularly the old fans of Danny’s. And, I’d certainly like to introduce new fans to the character, because I’ve always been fond of him, and certainly believe that he has a lot of potential. As always, your comments, suggestions, and questions are welcome and appreciated at earth2jsa@yahoo.com. Here are some comments I’ve received thus far…
[Iron Fist #1] I wasn't real familiar with the Iron Fist character, but this first issue brought me back to the series and got me iterested in Mr. Danny Rand.
[Iron Fist #2] Wow! Nice fight here, I enjoy the way it extends throughout the issue. The interlude was well placed and a nice sneak peak at what's to come.
[Iron Fist #3] I really enjoyed seeing Luke Cage here. I'm wondering if he didn't have some other reason for flying down to Miami, but we'll see. Can't wait to see the Tarantula in action. Keep up the good work Jeff!
Johnny Montgomery
Thanks for reading these issues, and for taking the time to send me your comments. I’m glad that you’re enjoying my take on the character. I certainly enjoy writing fight scenes, and you can expect to see more. I’m glad you liked the fight with Taskmaster. As for Luke Cage, he’ll not be a stranger to this series. He and Danny have a long-standing friendship. I hope you continue to read (and hopefully enjoy) the series, and feel free to drop me a line to let me know what you think. Thanks again for reading, and for your kind comments.
-Jeff Melton
