The silence in the place was thick.
The ninja leader remained tied to the chair, leaning forward, breathing unevenly, whispering things in a broken language that didn't even sound like Japanese. More like… pure panic. His head twitched slightly, his eyes fluttered under closed lids.
Daredevil stepped forward, frowning.
"What the hell did they do to him?" he asked, sighing at the end of his sentence.
"…Depends," Jessica replied, arms crossed. "Do you want the short version or the 'Spider screaming like a horror movie girl' version?"
"HEY!" Spidey immediately jumped in. "It was a reasonable reaction. ANYONE would freak out if a space ghost suddenly breathed down your neck."
Elektra just rolled her eyes.
"Kids."
Danny closed his eyes, placing his hand on the prisoner's shoulder, extending his chi into him. A look of strangeness, then slight tension.
"He's trapped in something very deep, but I can't reach him. It's like… like another consciousness buried him inside his own body."
"God, give me patience," Matt muttered, bringing a hand to his forehead.
"So, are you going to explain or do I need to beg on the floor for an answer?"
Elektra to the side smiled, tracing a finger across her lower lip.
"You say that, but you did like to beg when we were alone."
The chatter of the young heroes stopped, turning their heads to Elektra and then back to the Scarlet Hero as they processed the new information.
"Not all forms of love are pure," Danny said, putting his hands together in an exaggeratedly solemn mudra in front of his chest, closing his eyes and tilting his head with an "enlightened" expression.
"Look what you did," Matt said, scolding Elektra with a "look," and she smiled faintly, having made the Red Devil look ridiculous.
When things calmed down, Peter raised a hand like a good student would in class.
"Okay, back on topic, quick summary: our friend," he pointed at the air, "turned into a SPACE GHOST. Went INSIDE the ninja. And now the ninja is living… I don't know, his worst horror documentary, I guess."
"And he screamed," added Jessica, as a formality.
"I DID NOT SCREAM. It was a tactical yell."
"Sure," Jewel nodded. "To scare ghosts."
Matt massaged his forehead.
"And now… what do we do?"
"I say," Peter raised his hand again, "exorcism. I even know an old priest in a suit with a briefcase and a hat who'd be willing to do it."
"Spiderman," Danny whispered, almost compassionately, "please."
Then they heard it.
The ninja leader whispered louder.
A shiver ran through the room.
Elektra tilted her head slightly.
And then…
As if an invisible glass layer broke, a spectral silhouette emerged from the ninja's body. A floating, distorted shape, like something occupying space but unidentifiable.
Spidey backed up three quick steps with a "NOPE NOPE NOPE."
A red light flickered for a moment, and Legion rematerialized before the group, immediately transforming into his human form.
He rose slowly, adjusting his clothes and breathing calmly, as the heroes watched.
"I had… a little chat with Kouki," he finally said, in a calm tone, almost as if discussing something routine. "I think he'll be willing to cooperate now."
Spiderman leaned slightly forward, hands clasped over his knees.
"'Little chat'? Does that include screaming, blood, and ghost stuff… or just coffee and cookies? I need details, Legion, it's for homework."
Legion barely raised an eyebrow behind his helmet as the others exchanged puzzled looks at Spiderman's joke.
"Kouki," Jewel said, inquisitively, looking at the still-tied ninja. "That's his name?"
"Yes," Legion nodded, glancing at Kouki, who kept his head down. "No last name—they take that away when kids pass the test… actually, his real name isn't even Kouki, but that's the name he was given."
At that moment, Kouki groaned and shifted in the chair, startled, as if waking from a nightmare. His eyes filled with tears and his voice trembled as he murmured:
"I'm… so sorry… p-please forgive me!"
Spiderman brought both hands to his face, muttering through clenched teeth.
"Whoa… a 180-degree turn. If he hadn't spit on Elektra a few minutes ago, I'd believe he's a completely different person."
The mentioned woman only frowned at the mention of that incident.
Jewel laughed, enjoying the terror in Kouki's eyes.
"That's fine, he deserves it. He was being a huge idiot. If it were me, all his joints would already be facing the wrong way."
Elektra, arms crossed, watched Kouki thoughtfully.
"I could've broken him like that," she said calmly, turning to Legion, "but it would've taken me at least a day. What did you do?"
Legion shrugged slightly, then lowered his shoulders.
"Last week, with Terrax and all those souls, they showed him what they had lived through, their suffering… I took that example and applied it to Kouki. I showed him everything his victims suffered. Yes, I improvised some things, but essentially… I made him feel what he himself had sown. There's no better way to empathize than to live it firsthand."
"Wow…" muttered Spiderman, rubbing the back of his neck. "That… sounds intense. I've only seen people get dizzy with virtual reality."
"And you still dare to talk?" Jewel replied, laughing, getting into a small argument with Spiderman again.
Meanwhile, Elektra nodded slowly, understanding the method used, as Daredevil approached Kouki, now calmer, his voice low and firm.
"So… are you willing to talk to us now?"
Kouki took a deep breath, still with glassy eyes but an unexpected air of sincerity.
"Yes… I will. And if you allow me… I'll take you myself to the command center."
Daredevil looked at the group, assessing the situation, then turned to Legion, who smiled faintly, nodding.
"He's being honest about it. You can trust him with this."
Spiderman, grimacing and shrugging, concluded:
"Well… at least I learned something this week: never underestimate space ghosts. Good job, team. Now, new comrade Kouki," he turned to the prisoner, "tell us everything you know, commas and periods included."
What followed was a briefing by the now very cooperative ninja leader Kouki, mentioning locations, numbers of individuals, and different guard routes.
He also mentioned that for decades they've been cooperating with a secret worldwide agency, but its name and all related info are completely confidential; only the five fingers know. A sort of council where five people are leaders, operating jointly but with different methods.
He also said he didn't know the full purpose of the mission, mentioning the ritual required a powerful object to which many souls had to be sacrificed to activate it, and then his leader, Gorgon, would use it to take control of all New York from the shadows.
Then, reluctantly by Daredevil, Kouki's weapons were returned to him while Jewel promised to keep an eye on him, in her words:
"If he does anything suspicious, I'll break his legs."
Ready, the heroes and the two assassins set off, Kouki guiding them to the Hand's command center.
================================================================
Our heroes advanced single-file through a narrow crack Kouki had indicated, descending under dim light.
The tunnel smelled of dampness, old metal, and something else—a moisture with the scent of ancient rites, ash, and oils not used in cooking.
The entrance was semi-hidden among rubble; only someone who knew exactly where to step and which crack to push could open it without alerting half the city.
Kouki walked ahead, eyes hesitant but steady, nodding toward exits, gaps, and hidden traps.
"Through here," he whispered hoarsely. "The main chamber is three corridors down. Be careful—if the ritual is underway, security will have doubled. Guards in pairs and they use a special bell if something goes wrong."
Legion adjusted his helmet, scanning the environment, routes, and possible encounters as his companions prepared mentally.
Kouki led them through a labyrinth of galleries: iron-lined corridors, blocked ventilation shafts, a stretch with rusted rails for moving heavy objects to the central chamber.
They avoided any light and weak boards, each step carefully measured.
At a crossroads, Spiderman hung from the ceiling and whispered barely audibly:
"Hey, this is like playing Assassin's Creed, isn't it? Only instead of templars, we've got mystical ninjas."
The group stopped, looking at each other.
"Is that some kind of novel? The K'un-Lun library is outdated; if you recommend it, I can add it and give you my opinion later, Spiderman," Danny said, not quite understanding what his spider-friend meant.
"No, it's a video game. Don't mind him. He's a game-addicted geek," Jessica commented from behind. "Or a nerd… a nerdy geek."
Before Peter could reply, Legion interrupted.
"I suppose, yes. Though I don't remember them having superpowers like us, Spider. And at least I don't do parkour."
Not until later releases, at this point, they should be around Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood. I'll never surpass Basim's teleportation, he noted to himself.
"Oh, I didn't know you were one of us. Give me five, buddy," Spiderman whispered, hand raised.
Legion slowly brought his hand and tapped gently, shaking his head with a hidden smile behind his helmet.
The others just watched, puzzled. Some, like Jewel or Kouki, didn't expect the shape-shifting hero to have the tastes of a wall-crawling chatterbox.
================================================================
Almost without moving, Daredevil gave a low grunt signal—a patrol was coming down the left corridor.
Elektra melted into the shadows, slipping a small harpoon into the first guard's metallic throat, giving him no time to react.
The second guard turned, and Elektra grabbed the back of his neck in a sharp twist that left him unconscious.
Hell's Kitchen's Devil snapped his staff with a dry click, and in a fluid motion, struck precisely. The third fell, never even seeing the impact coming, a direct blow to the neck cutting off his air.
The fourth barely turned, but Daredevil was already on him, deflecting his weapon with a staff spin and, using his momentum, slamming him backward into the wall with a dull thud.
"Four down," Daredevil murmured. "Let's move."
As they advanced, Kouki occasionally stopped to touch a mark on the wall, a small symbol carved precisely. These were the Hand's signs; his fingers marked the paths of his own.
Daredevil marked each one with distaste.
================================================================
The group moved silently, measured steps. Kouki led with Daredevil close behind, senses alert to every sound and shadow.
Behind him, Iron Fist and Elektra moved fluidly, accustomed to this type of terrain.
Spiderman, Legion, and Jewel covered the rear, attentive to any movement.
Occasionally, they encountered guards. If there was no way around, they neutralized them with precise, silent strikes. A couple of unconscious bodies remained behind, swallowed by the shadows as they descended deeper.
The silence became strange. Kouki, walking beside Legion, broke it with a low voice, almost a whisper.
"Hey… do you believe in the next life?" he asked, not looking at him.
Legion barely turned his face toward him.
"Why do you ask?"
"If all those people you showed me," Kouki said, voice tense, recalling the visions he had suffered, "the ones I… killed… do you think they're in a better place now?"
Legion didn't respond immediately. He continued forward slightly, watching a crossroad before answering.
"I don't know for sure. It depends on each one."
He paused, lowering his voice.
"I'm a man of God. I want to believe so. That they are in a better place, free from harm."
Daredevil, a few steps ahead, intervened without turning.
"They are," he said calmly. "Mercy doesn't always come in life."
Elektra let out a brief dry laugh.
"Please… killers like us shouldn't worry about that. Whatever the outcome, if there's a hell, our names are already engraved on its door. You should worry about yourself, not corpses."
Daredevil stopped, turning slightly to her, face invisible under the mask but voice firm.
"It's never too late to change. Not even for you, Elektra. And if you really want to… I'll be there to help, always."
She looked away, uncomfortable at the sudden display of affection.
"Always so sentimental, red…"
Kouki, watching them sideways, returned his gaze to Legion.
"And you? What would you say to someone like me?" he asked softly.
Legion kept his pace, answering firmly.
"Don't expect comfort." His words echoed through the damp walls. "The burden you feel now will never disappear. You must learn to carry it. And if you want to do something with it… make amends."
He paused, glancing at him.
"Do good, help people. Be better. So, even though your atrocities remain… your good deeds will too."
He lowered his voice.
"And when God looks at you, He will see you accept your guilt… and that you try to redeem yourself. That way, if the Lord's mercy allows it, you can apologize properly to everyone whose lives you took."
Kouki didn't respond, but something in his expression changed: a mix of sadness and reflection.
================================================================
They reached the edge of a large chamber. They opened a slit in a side grate and peered in. The open space was an immense cavern, with black columns spiraling upward into darkness and terraces on balconies: an underground theater.
In the center, raised on a stone platform, stood an altar carved with runes. Around it, rows of hooded figures moved with ritual cadence, and atop the pillar, a kind of wand, dark gold with metallic texture, covered in intricate arcane symbols along its surface.
At each end, two small demonic heads. Its light pulsed like a wounded heart, and around it, small sparks floated and burned in the air.
In front of the platform, aligned in perfect rows, about a hundred people knelt, bound. On their heads, metal diadems with glowing crystals pulsed with the rhythm of drums. Their voices joined in a hypnotic chant, a dark prayer rising to the ceiling like the murmur of lost souls.
The ritual was underway.
Spiderman was the first to speak.
"Looks like we've reached the heart of the party," he murmured, trying to relieve the tension in his shoulders.
"They've got everyone in some kind of… hypnotic trance," Jewel murmured, digging her nails into the wood.
Legion, observing, formulated a plan.
"I've got something. I go in as XLR8, the fast one, get them out in pairs, maximum a few minutes. Kouki, Spiderman, and Jewel cover me. Iron Fist, Daredevil, and Elektra take the front—don't let them flank us. If anything goes wrong, retreat to the side gallery and regroup."
Danny nodded. Matt clenched his fists, gauging the acoustics. Elektra stared at the altar, jaw tight.
"We can hold the front if you just need minutes. Once they've got everyone, we take care of this trash and find wherever Gorgon's hiding."
"In time," Daredevil replied. "Don't get lost in combat. Our mission is rescue, not cleanup. Clean exit, prioritize lives."
There was a brief silence, only the distant drums keeping time. Kouki adjusted the rope on his shoulder, like someone taking a breath before leaping into the void.
"Ready," murmured Legion. "If you see a red flash, let's hope it's not the situation. I'll provide covering fire, but I can't carry people, so my spot should be taken by Jewel. She's the fastest."
Spiderman rolled his eyes and muttered quietly, more to himself than the group:
"Don't be so nervous. This mission will be quick, rookie. In and out."
Jewel half-smiled; even in that abyss, a touch of levity felt like a brief parenthesis against the tension.
"Hope you don't regret saying that, because you just raised a flag," Legion warned, twisting the Omnitrix dial.
In a blink, his figure transformed—XLR8, sleek blue profile, a flash of light, a whisper of wind as he disappeared into the shadows and reappeared next to the first row of prisoners while his companions advanced to position according to plan.
The first hostage was nearly a ghost as XLR8 grabbed his elbow and pushed him into the shadows toward the side exit.
Then everything changed in a heartbeat.
A blast—faster than any guard they'd ever seen—cut the corridor between Legion and the exit.
It was as if the shadow itself had taken form, a slender figure wrapped in dark mist vibrating with energy, sliding in front of XLR8.
It moved so fast the air seemed marked by a trail of heat.
The figure registered to Legion like a speeding truck. The opponent wasn't human, but a black robot, agile, solid, with two glowing eyes.
"What the hell is a Sentinel from the Future Past doing here?" thought the hero, panicked at the sight of every mutant's nightmare.
It seemed designed to neutralize speed, displacing micro-gravitational bubbles that slowed external inertia.
XLR8 braked, but in his panic, momentum made him collide with the machine.
The figure brushed him with a gesture so slight it seemed a whisper, and a web of energy filaments wrapped around XLR8, stopping him.
The person he carried fell to the ground, still in trance.
The alien speedster tried to recover, but the energy biting his muscles, controlled discharges shocking him whenever he tried to move, snapping his speed in jerks.
"It's a trap!" Daredevil shouted just as the deep voice filled the chamber from the shadows.
A silhouette rose behind the sentinel.
Gorgon appeared like a human monolith. He advanced slowly, and with each step, the monks rose, as if his presence activated obedience.
His red and white mantle fluttered lightly; the sword on his back seemed to absorb light. He raised a hand in a polite salute, and his tempered, sharp voice pierced the drum murmur.
"I recommend avoiding touching the sacrifices," he said with biting calm. "It would be a shame for so many people to die in vain, wouldn't it? Their souls are already in trance; breaking the connection would just make them vanish into nothingness."
The heroes froze mid-step. Kouki leaned in the shadows; Jewel with fists ready to spring; Spiderman half-hanging from the ceiling; XLR8 restrained by the energy net, gasping and jerking like a spring without release.
Elektra, recognizing the voice, locked her gaze like steel. Gorgon's greeting made her feel indescribable disgust.
Gorgon, now at the altar, looked at everyone calmly, finally fixing his gaze on Natchios.
"I've been waiting for you… the prodigal daughter," Gorgon continued, looking at Elektra with a mix of cold reverence. "The best assassin of the new generation."
The villain smiled maliciously, opening his arms in a gesture of welcome.
"My wife is back."
"I-t-told you d-d-damn it," Legion cursed at Spiderman on the floor as the discharges prevented his muscles from reacting.
================================================================
HEY GUYS, HOPE YOU'RE DOING WELL
I TOOK A LITTLE LONG WITH THE CHAPTER, I KNOW, THIS WEEK WORK DRAINED MY ENERGY LIKE IT HASN'T IN A LONG TIME
I'VE BEEN THINKING, AND FOR NOW, I THINK I CAN OFFER 2 CHAPTERS PER WEEK. IF I SEE A LOT OF SUPPORT, MAYBE A THIRD ONE TO KEEP YOU HAPPY
THAT'S IT FOR TODAY'S CHAPTER. WHAT DO YOU THINK WILL HAPPEN? WHY IS THERE A FUTURE SENTINEL WITH THE HAND MEMBERS? IS ELEKTRA GORGON'S WIFE? WHAT WILL THE OBJECT GORGON DESIRES DO? IF SOMEONE GUESS WHAT IT IS AND WHAT IT DOES, I'LL GIVE THEM A LITTLE STAR AS RECOGNITION AND A SPECIAL MENTION IN THE NEXT CHAPTER
THAT'S ALL FOR NOW, TAKE CARE AND SEE YOU IN THE NEXT CHAPTER
KISSES :)