The electrical web covering XLR8 crackled, wrapping him like a swarm of tiny lightning bolts.
The speedster tried to break free, but every time he moved a shock made him flinch, preventing any motion.
Daredevil, Elektra, Iron Fist, Jewel and Spider-Man regrouped into a defensive formation. Kouki, panting, stepped back a few paces, staring at the Sentinel with astonishment at the possibilities such a weapon would give the Order.
"Legion!" shouted Spider-Man. "Hold on, pal, I'll get you out of there in a second!"
The echo of metal and ritual drums mixed with a sound that chilled the blood. From the deepest shadows figures began to emerge… dozens, then hundreds. Hand ninjas poured out of tunnels, roofs and cracks like a living tide.
"Do you like the new acquisition?" Gorgon said, walking calmly, flanked by two armed shadows. "Our collaborator was very generous and shared one of the first prototypes before its official delivery. It's still in testing phase, but… promising, don't you think?"
Spider-Man raised an eyebrow, muttering under his breath, "'Collaborator'? Oh great, now villains are networking. What's next, the evil musketeers?"
Kouki clenched his jaw. Rage built in his chest like pressure. Gorgon looked at him with a half-smile.
"You… traitor," he said. "Don't worry, you won't die today. We'll tear out each thought, each memory… and when nothing remains, we'll bind your soul to a stone and sink it so deep that not even hell will want to claim you." He tilted his head slightly; his tone brushed sweetness. "That way you'll know the eternal silence of the damned."
"And what about me, Gorgon?" Elektra spat on the floor, looking at him with contempt. "Are you going to offer me that same hell disguised as purpose?"
Gorgon stopped and turned to her, studying her like a lost work of art. "Elektra Natchios… the brightest daughter of The Hand," he said with a hint of sincere pride. "You have no idea how long I've waited to see you again. All of this…" He spread his arms, indicating the altar, the monks, the Sentinel. "…could be yours, at my side. Where you always should have been." He smiled. "As my betrothed."
Elektra let out a short, humorless laugh. "I'd rather slit my throat," she said with icy calm. "Before I become your submissive dog."
Gorgon's smile didn't fade but hardened.
"What a pity…" he murmured. "I thought you'd matured."
Elektra stepped forward, her sais jangling with impatience.
"You killed Stick!" Her voice cracked for a moment, but hatred kept her steady. "And for that… I'll kill you!"
Gorgon watched her for a few seconds, expressionless. Then he inclined his head.
"Very well, my dear," he said slowly, his tone lower, laced with lethal irony. "That's something we can fix."
Silence lasted barely a heartbeat. Then the drums resumed, louder, more intense.
Daredevil moved first.
"Elektra, left!" he shouted, spinning his staff and throwing it like a projectile. The strike hit a charging ninja in the throat. Natchios slid under another, cutting his Achilles tendon and delivering a spinning kick that knocked him down instantly.
"Thanks," she said, dry.
"No problem," Matt replied, listening for the air behind her before kunais grazed his mask. "You know, I never thought marriage would suit you."
"If you could see me, you'd pay anything to see me in a wedding dress," she murmured, springing onto another enemy.
The Sentinel turned its metal head toward the nearest sound, Daredevil's collapsible staff striking the floor. A mechanical hum accompanied its advance, heavy but fast; its metal frame moved as it analyzed movements.
The Devil of Hell's Kitchen barely noticed the android approaching. Waiting for the precise moment when the Sentinel launched its attack, he twisted at the last second and hurled his extended staff straight at the machine's neck. The blow rang out, but only left a dent that quickly self-repaired.
Elektra took advantage, leaping from a column and, with a graceful twist, plunged her sais into the Sentinel's shoulders. Sparks flew, the metal groaned… but the machine did not stop.
The robot's left arm snapped with a click and caught Elektra's ankle in midair, flinging her against a wall like a rag. Daredevil slipped beneath the Sentinel's legs and struck the metal knee with all his strength. Nothing.
The Sentinel only leaned slightly, calculating.
"ANALYSIS COMPLETED AT SEVENTY PERCENT," it intoned hollowly. "PATTERN ANALYSIS: EVASION IN L, ENTRY FROM RIGHT, TIMING VARIATION 0.6 TO 0.8 SECONDS." A mechanical voice continued. "COUNTERMEASURES: DYNAMIC BLOCK AND SERVOMOTOR REALIGNMENT IN THREE POINTS. EXECUTING."
The machine spun with brutal speed. Its right arm extended, delivering a downward strike that forced Daredevil to roll; the impact cracked the stone floor as if it were cardboard. Matt rose and tried to use his staff as an anchor, throwing the cable to the ceiling for leverage, but the Sentinel intercepted with a violet energy beam that severed the cable mid-air.
Elektra returned to the attack, rolling to dodge a kick that would have shattered her ribs. She pushed off with one hand and buried both sais into the machine's flank, searching for a weak joint. The blades sparked on contact; the scent of burnt metal filled the air.
"Come on, red!" she panted. "Now!"
Daredevil leapt, aiming at the gap she had opened. His staff fell like a hammer, striking between the joints… an explosion of sparks, a high-pitched sound — but the Sentinel did not fall. Instead, its hand moved so fast it was a blur.
A direct punch to Matt's chest hurled him several meters back. The next blow caught Elektra before she could react; a mechanical claw seized her arm and hoisted her off the ground. She screamed, driving her sais into the metal that held her, but the machine repaired itself as it resisted.
"SEQUENCE ADAPTED," announced the Sentinel. "INCREASING POWER."
The robot's fist advanced with overwhelming force toward Elektra's chest while she, desperate, continued to sink her weapons into the arm restraining her. The blow would have exploded her torso… if not for a shockwave that struck the Sentinel from the side so hard that it was sent flying.
Iron Fist charged straight at the metallic enemy.
The machine shifted target quickly, calculating ways to address the threat. The first strike was an energy mace; Danny raised his forearm, channeling chi. The impact dragged him a few meters but did not topple him.
"Alright, bucket of bolts," he muttered, flexing his shoulders. "Let's see how much you can stand against Iron Fist."
His second blow landed — a punch to the metallic torso, an energy wave that made the ground vibrate. The Sentinel stepped back a pace, recalibrating.
Danny rolled, dodging a descending attack and unleashed another burst, this time aimed at the right arm. A metallic snap and the limb spat sparks.
"Handle the rest, I've got this!" Danny shouted to Matt and Elektra as he braced for another exchange.
The two exchanged glances, nodded, and recomposed themselves, breathing hard as they stood back-to-back, repelling incoming strikes and incapacitating attackers.
==============================================================
Meanwhile, Spider-Man, Jewel and Kouki fought their way toward Legion. Spidey swung swiftly, slamming ninjas into columns and barely dodging enemy strikes thanks to his spider-sense; Jewel crushed foes with brute force, advancing like an earthquake; Kouki, with more disciplined moves, cleared corners with his sword.
"Legion! Easy, kid, I got you!" Spider-Man exclaimed, kneeling by the electrical net. "This thing looks like it has the voltage of a power plant. How the hell are you not fried?"
Jessica tried to pull him, but the energy pushed her back with a jolt. "Ugh, damn! No, that's not going to work. Hey brainiac, what do we do? Can you shut it off or something?"
"No, but I can 'convince' it," Peter said, opening a compartment in his belt. "I have something I use when Electro gets cranky."
He pulled out a silver capsule. "Dielectric gel. It insulates currents and cuts pulses. If I apply it to the nodes, the grid might short."
"It might?" Kouki repeated.
"Uh… ninety percent chance of success. The other ten… everything blows."
"Perfect." Kouki stepped forward and raised his sword. "Cover me."
Spider-Man grinned under his mask.
"That's my guy, optimism first."
He tossed the capsule. It burst into a white cloud that coated the web with a thick, frothy layer. The discharges began to fluctuate. Jewel grabbed Legion by the shoulders, trying to drag him while the electricity coursed through his body.
"Come on, Spider!"
"Almost, almost! I need another push…"
He set a reinforced web on the main nodes, grounded it and channeled negative energy through his web-shooter, redirecting it to the wall.
After a few seconds, the web cut out with a snap. Legion lay on the ground, gasping, smoke still rising from his suit.
"Welcome back, speedster," Spider-Man said, helping him up.
"Thanks…" Legion replied hoarsely. "I don't want to do that again. I'll punch that scrap so hard its circuits will beg for mercy."
"Never doubted it," Peter said, flinging another web at an approaching ninja.
Legion fumbled a bit in his suit, took out a small circular device, pressed it to his chest, and then handed three more to his teammates.
"They're force fields," he said. "Once activated they last ten minutes before the energy runs out. Use them if you're in a pinch." He touched his own, then turned to Jessica. "And relax, I know, but I have someone much better for this situation." He glanced between his charging watch and the Sentinel in the distance.
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The metallic roar echoed through the chamber when the Sentinel turned to its new target. Its ocular sensors lit up with a crimson glow, focusing on the Kun-Lun monk. Danny advanced without hesitation, breathing controlled, chi flowing through him like a calm river.
The Sentinel released a downward strike that would have pulverized an I-beam, but Danny pivoted on one foot, deflecting the charge with his forearm and countering with a punch to the side of the robot's head.
The impact rang with a dry crack; the Sentinel staggered momentarily, recalibrating its gyros.
Danny pressed the advantage. He struck once, twice, three times, each blow imbued with chi, denting the metal plates of the Sentinel's torso inward.
"Come on, tin can, move!" he whispered, dodging another thrust and launching a spinning kick that sent the robot to its knees.
For a moment it seemed Danny had it; the robot tried to hit back, but each attempt was redirected or blocked by the martial artist's skill. Even though the Sentinel self-repaired and looked fine on the outside, the chi-enhanced blows had shredded its internals.
Energy flared in Danny's fists, glowing golden. But the Sentinel's eyes narrowed.
"ANALYSIS COMPLETE, COMBAT PATTERN ASSIMILATED, INITIATING COUNTERMEASURES," it announced.
The servomotors roared like a beast. The Sentinel caught Danny's punch mid-strike, blocking it with precision. With the other hand it grabbed his torso and threw him against a stone column. Danny crashed into it, raising a cloud of dust.
He tried to rise, but the Sentinel was already on him. A direct blow grazed his face; another pushed him further back. Danny attempted to redirect the force, but the robot had adapted, anticipating each move. Every attack that had once flowed like water now hit an immovable wall, as if the machine knew his actions before he made them.
Danny focused his energy; chi lit his right arm like a contained sun. "Alright… let's see if you can handle this."
The Sentinel analyzed him in real time; sensors vibrating. Danny unleashed the Iron Fist — a punch so powerful the air crackled — but the robot didn't even try to dodge. Its structure reshaped minutely, absorbing the enormous impact like a mere hit. An electric discharge ran through its chassis, dissipating the excess chi as if it were steam.
"KINETIC ENERGY ABSORBED, ADAPTATION COMPLETE."
The Sentinel's next blow was brutal. It lifted him off the ground and hurled him meters away, making him tumble across the floor. Danny gasped, regaining his guard; the arm still thrummed from the collision.
He smiled through the pain, wiping blood from his lip. "Well… you're not scrap after all."
The Sentinel tilted its head, eyes burning with an inhuman calm only a machine could possess.
"IDENTIFICATION: GEN X INACTIVE. CONFIRMATION: THREAT LEVEL LOW. NEUTRALIZATION EFFECTIVE."
"Threat level low?" Danny snorted as he recovered. "I'll make you rethink that."
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The Sentinel had seized the rhythm of the fight. Danny was pushed back, blow after blow, trying to find a weak point that no longer existed. Each move was anticipated, each impulse absorbed, and yet he remained standing, breathing hard, eyes fixed on the immovable machine.
From the altar's shadow, Gorgon watched with terrifying calm, arms crossed, his garments fluttering slightly from the heroes' movements. His voice carried across the chamber, clear and steady without needing to be loud.
"Do you like technology, Danny Rand?" he asked in an almost cordial tone. "Unlike Kun-Lun, which clings to the old, to the antiquated… we at The Hand welcome progress."
Danny managed a grunt while dodging another blow that shoved him back several steps. "My collaborator asked that I let this machine work," Gorgon continued, sweeping his gaze over the combat zone as if describing an experiment. "It has an impressive adaptability capacity. It observes, learns… and adjusts. Unfortunately he didn't share with me the secret behind its changing ability."
Danny spun, attempting a descending chi strike, but the Sentinel caught him again and slammed him against the wall.
"It still has its flaws, of course, due to lack of data," Gorgon said. "But that's nothing a little time and constant combat can't solve. And what better opponent than the greatest martial artist alive…"
Danny breathed deeply, each impact leaving him more spent. His legs trembled, his senses at the limit, but determination burned in his eyes.
"Impressed?" Gorgon continued, crossing the room slowly, watching Danny's every move. "It's not just strength… it's adaptability, learning, efficiency. Every blow you deliver, every technique you apply, the machine analyzes and improves. Soon there will be no room for error."
Danny turned his head slightly toward him, jaw clenched.
"You never shut up, do you?" he muttered, aware Gorgon's voice was getting under his skin.
Gorgon smiled faintly without taking his eyes off the fight.
"I merely observe. And admire. After all, even the greatest of warriors must learn that not everything can be solved with tradition and discipline."
His fingers laced behind his back. Calmly he added
"Your resilience is touching. But sooner or later… all resistance is extinguished."
His gaze moved to Elektra, who spun among enemies with almost superhuman agility. "And when that happens… you will return to me."
Elektra, soaked in blood and sweat, shot him a smile thick with contempt. "Then you'll have to kill me first."
Gorgon barely tilted his head; a cold smile formed. "That was the plan, darling."
What no one saw as this unfolded was a sort of black slime racing toward the Sentinel from the ceiling at high speed.
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Hi folks, how are you? Hope you're well.
Well, with this we've got two chapters, just in time hehe. Next week I'll try to split them so I can maybe fit a third if I see good reception — maybe I can measure it with the Power Stones?
That's all for now. The Sentinel prototype seems to have put the heroes in trouble — what do you think will happen? How will they beat it? What will Gorgon do? And don't forget the ritual still in progress.
So many things and so little time, I'm excited.
Sadly nobody tried to guess the object so F :( I won't mention anyone.
And you know, if there's any mistake I've missed, let me know so I can correct it.
Take care, folks — the issue that came up in Brazil has us all on alert here in Argentina.