A police car pulled up at an abandoned construction site, its siren off. The engine idled quietly as a tall black man stepped out.
He looked around first, scanning the area, before slowly approaching the site.
Inside, he saw a man tied to a chair.
Disheveled. Burn marks on his clothes. A scar across his face.
Unconscious—but breathing.
Morales stopped in front of Fire Scar and let out a low sigh.
"…Great."
He reached into his pocket, pulling out a cigarette along with a lighter. For a moment, he was about to flick it open—
But he paused.
His eyes shifted to Fire Scar.
Then he slowly lowered his hand.
"…Yeah. Better safe than sorry."
---
Gu Xing stood inside his room, then stepped out onto the balcony. The moonlight shone on his face, highlighting his sharp jawline.
His brown eyes looked deep and focused as he processed everything he had learned.
The Axe Gang…
In this case, it wasn't just a street gang.
It was created by Madame Gao.
A tool.
An extension of the Hand.
They blinded people for the production of the Steel Serpent…
And abducted teenagers.
For what reason—
Fire Scar didn't know.
But Gu Xing could guess.
"…Resurrection Elixir."
If that was true, then things were far worse than they seemed.
He also learned something more troubling.
Most of the police force—
Were on Kingpin's payroll.
And Kingpin… had an alliance with the Hand.
That meant one thing.
He couldn't trust the system.
Only people he knew.
Gu Xing picked up his phone, his expression firm.
If they were moving in the shadows—
Then he would strike first.
---
Inside the martial arts hall, everyone had gathered.
Matt. Jessica. Luke. Danny. Colleen.
And Misty.
They were waiting for Gu Xing to come down.
While waiting, they exchanged information, piecing together what they had learned.
Jessica was the first to speak.
"The Hand is abducting kids… specifically healthy teenagers, for some reason."
Luke looked at everyone, his expression serious. "Steel Serpent—the drug—is being manufactured, and the Hand is blinding people."
Matt shook his head. "The information I gathered is that, that night, there were more kids."
"We didn't save them all."
The group heard this and remained silent.
The air turned solemn and tense.
Before it could linger any longer, Gu Xing stepped forward. "That's right, it was a trap. The goal was to get rid of Daredevil and you two." He pointed at Danny and Colleen.
"But two unexpected people appeared, changing their plan," he continued, now looking at Jessica and Luke. "So they created that distraction to take the majority of the kids."
Jessica frowned slightly, understanding what he meant.
"Their goal is to create a resurrection elixir," Gu Xing added.
The group was visibly shocked.
"Resurrection?" Misty asked, clearly confused.
Gu Xing sighed before explaining, "The Hand is an evil organization, originally from Kun L'un." He briefly glanced at Danny, who already had a solemn expression.
"They perverted the teachings and were cast out. They've existed for a long time, and their original leaders are still alive because of this elixir."
The group was shocked to hear that. Matt quickly recovered before asking, "Why did you call us here?"
Gu Xing looked at them. "The Hand will act again. They will appear three days from now at Midland Circle. It seems their plan is near completion. I want you guys to lie low and recuperate from your injuries."
"Is this true?" Misty asked, her tone serious.
"Yes," Gu Xing replied. "Make sure the police arrive after the fight is over. I don't want them to interfere."
Misty hesitated. "It would be better to leave this to us."
Matt immediately intercepted. "Most of the police are under Kingpin's control. They'll just let them escape."
Misty opened her mouth to argue, but Luke placed a hand on her shoulder. She looked at him, and he slowly shook his head.
"…Okay," she sighed.
The group then began planning their approach, discussing positions and timing before eventually dispersing.
Three days passed quickly.
The group gathered as planned and infiltrated Midland Circle under the cover of night. Moving carefully, they avoided alerting the guards and made their way inside without raising suspicion. The deeper they went, the quieter it became, until they finally reached the lower levels of the building.
That was when everything changed.
The moment they stepped onto the bottom floor, the atmosphere shifted—and the fight escalated instantly. Groups of ninjas armed with swords emerged from the shadows, surrounding them before rushing in without hesitation.
Steel clashed. Movements blurred.
The battle began.
Surprisingly, there were no Axe Gang members in sight. Gu Xing noticed it immediately, but didn't dwell on it for long. Right now, the situation doesn't allow distractions.
Then—
Bullseye appeared.
Like a phantom, he entered the battlefield and immediately locked onto Daredevil. Their fight broke off from the main group, fast and precise, forcing Matt to focus entirely on him.
At the same time, another figure stepped forward.
Fire Scar.
Gu Xing's eyes narrowed slightly in surprise, but the realization came just as quickly.
"…Kingpin's doing."
It made sense. If the Hand and Kingpin were working together, then his presence here wasn't unexpected.
Everything pointed to one thing—
The Hand was ready.
This wasn't just an ambush.
It was preparation.
This also explained why infiltrating the building had been so easy. They weren't sneaking in unnoticed.
They were being allowed in.
In the dim surroundings, chaos unfolded. Fights broke out across the floor—Danny's glowing fist clashing against waves of ninjas, Colleen moving with sharp precision, Luke tanking hits as Jessica tore through enemies with brute force.
But in the middle of it all—
Gu Xing didn't move much.
He stood calmly, observing.
Waiting.
His gaze shifted slightly, scanning the battlefield, sensing the flow of the fight rather than joining it fully.
He knew this wasn't the real confrontation.
Not yet.
"…Come out already," he muttered under his breath.
He was waiting for them.
The leaders.
Because he knew—
All of them would appear.
They had to.
If they wanted to successfully retrieve the dragon bones.
Suddenly, five figures stepped out from the shadows. Their presence alone caused the entire battlefield to freeze, as if an invisible weight pressed down on everyone at once. The clashing of steel halted, movements slowed, and all eyes instinctively turned toward them.
"Hm." Gu Xing glanced at the newcomers, his expression calm but his eyes sharp. He could already feel it—the pressure, the difference. This would not be like the others. This would be difficult.
And yet, the corner of his lips lifted slightly.
It had been a long time since he felt this kind of excitement.
Madame Gao's gaze swept across the group before settling on him. "You should be the one who defeated Fire Scar multiple times."
Gu Xing smiled lightly. "That is me."
Her expression didn't change. "You've interfered with our plans time and time again."
Another of the leaders stepped forward, his voice cold. "It's time for all of you to disappear."
The group of heroes remained silent, but their stances shifted subtly—ready, tense, prepared for what was coming.
Gu Xing spoke first. "Leave the five fossils to me."
Luke frowned, glancing at him. "You sure?"
Danny's expression turned serious, his eyes fixed on the five figures. "They're strong. Based on what you said, they should all be at the Qi Nurturing level."
Gu Xing gave him a brief glance, then nodded. "Then you have nothing to fear."
Jessica scoffed quietly but didn't argue. Colleen tightened her grip on her blade, her gaze steady.
The air grew heavier.
"You guys will be my opponents," Gu Xing said, stepping forward slowly, his footsteps echoing across the floor.
"Arrogant!" the Japanese leader snapped, his hand slicing through the air.
At his signal, the surrounding ninjas surged forward once more, flooding the battlefield like a black tide.
But this time—
The real fight was about to begin.