Danny's voice carried the weight of personal revelation as he continued his story. "After returning to New York to reclaim the company my parents founded, I learned shocking information."
He paused, letting the audience lean forward with anticipation. "My parents' deaths weren't caused solely by my father's business partner. Behind Harold Meacham's betrayal stood an evil organization—the Hand."
Danny turned slightly toward the judges' table, his expression carrying genuine gratitude. "I'd like to thank someone here. Mr. Smith Doyle—before he became a household name as a superhero, he wiped out the Hand. An organization that had dominated the criminal underworld for centuries, destroyed by his actions."
Smith felt genuine surprise hearing Danny had investigated the Hand connection thoroughly. After so many years and with the organization's complete destruction, he'd assumed the trail would be too cold for anyone to follow. Apparently Danny's resources and determination had exceeded expectations.
Smith leaned toward his microphone. "With great power comes great responsibility. Fighting evil organizations has always been my life's work, so I'm pleased to have inadvertently helped you achieve justice for your parents."
He paused, then added more broadly, "As superheroes, I believe we all hope our actions bring peace and comfort to more people—that we make the world safer through our intervention."
The audience absorbed this exchange with visible appreciation. Smith Doyle had been combating crime and dismantling evil organizations even before his public emergence—a truly trustworthy champion of justice.
Danny nodded acknowledgment, then continued his philosophical statement. "Through my experiences since childhood, I've learned that evil and criminal intent often remain invisible to police and legal systems."
His tone grew more passionate. "Some people's crimes leave no conventional evidence. This is when enhanced individuals become necessary—superheroes who can severely crack down on these evil organizations through methods law enforcement cannot employ. We're a supplementary force addressing gaps in conventional justice."
He gestured toward the audience, including them in his vision. "Regarding superheroes, I think the more, the better. As Mr. Smith said, with great power comes great responsibility. But I hope ordinary people prioritize protecting themselves rather than risking their lives unnecessarily. You have families waiting for you at home—parents, spouses, children who need you."
Danny's expression softened. "Of course, I don't want people becoming indifferent to crime either. You can report information about criminals to superheroes through internet. I believe that after receiving and verifying intelligence, heroes will take appropriate action."
He straightened, delivering his closing statement with conviction. "As for me, whether or not I join this superhero team, I will dedicate myself to fighting crime and protecting innocents."
Applause greeted Danny's conclusion—warm and genuine, acknowledging both his abilities and his articulated principles.
The World Martial Arts Tournament Announcer bounded back to center stage. "Now that both candidates have presented themselves and expressed their philosophies, please welcome Xu Shang-Chi back to the stage!"
Shang-Chi emerged from backstage to renewed applause, taking position beside Danny. Both men maintained professional composure despite the tension of awaiting judgment.
"Now," the Announcer declared dramatically, "please invite our three judges to select the finalist!"
Tony studied both candidates carefully, weighing their respective merits. Honestly, both were suitable for the team. Each possessed formidable abilities and genuine commitment to heroic principles. But Eddie's format required choosing one from similar capability profiles.
Tony's mind circled back to his defeats against Wenwu—the tournament loss, the strategic maneuvering, the sense of being consistently outplayed by the thousand-year-old warlord. The memory carried lingering frustration.
Tony picked up the green approval sign. "Both candidates have excellent abilities. Both are ideal superhero material—people with genuine beliefs and ideals. I vote for Danny Rand."
The audience's attention immediately shifted to Smith, sitting in the center position. His vote would either decide the outcome or create a tie requiring Ivan's resolution.
Smith looked at both young men on stage, considering not just current capabilities but future potential. Shang-Chi's Dragon Heart was still developing, offering tremendous growth potential. And his relationship with Wenwu created strategic value for the Fraternity's broader initiatives.
"Both are talented individuals," Smith said carefully. "Choosing between them is genuinely difficult. No matter who is selected, I believe he'll become a prominent superhero in the future."
He raised his sign. "I vote for Xu Shang-Chi."
The score stood at one to one. Every eye in the venue turned toward Ivan Vanko, whose vote would determine the outcome. The weight of that deciding authority was palpable.
Ivan didn't hesitate or offer elaborate justification. He simply picked up his sign and announced clearly, "I support Shang-Chi. His ideas align more closely with our principles."
The decision hadn't been difficult for Ivan. The leader had voted for Shang-Chi, and Danny Rand hadn't demonstrated anything so exceptional that it warranted breaking from Smith's judgment. Following the leader's choice was both logical and appropriate.
The Announcer's voice boomed through the venue. "Congratulations, Mr. Xu Shang-Chi, for successfully becoming a member of The Paragons!"
He turned toward Danny with consoling warmth. "Don't be discouraged, Mr. Danny Rand. Although you didn't make the final team, I believe you'll go far on the path of superhero work and carry forward the Iron Fist legacy with distinction."
Danny absorbed the disappointment with visible effort.
He forced a gracious smile. "Thank you for the opportunity."
Turning to Shang-Chi, Danny extended his hand. "Congratulations, Shang-Chi. I hope we can spar someday—I'd like to experience your Tai Chi technique firsthand."
Relief flooded through Shang-Chi as he accepted the handshake. He'd felt genuine pressure throughout the evaluation. Danny was formidable, and Shang-Chi hadn't possessed any overwhelming advantages. His primary edge had probably been parental support and political connections—factors he wasn't entirely comfortable acknowledging but couldn't deny.
"You're also excellent," Shang-Chi replied diplomatically. "We can definitely arrange a sparring session if there's opportunity."
In the audience section, the Xu family radiated satisfaction. Ying Li's smile carried maternal pride, Xialing's expression mixed happiness for her brother with lingering disappointment about her own situation, and Wenwu looked thoroughly pleased with the outcome.
Wenwu privately acknowledged his visits to Eddie Brock and Ivan Vanko before the selection had been wise investments. Without those conversations and his Fraternity membership providing indirect influence, Shang-Chi's selection would have been far more uncertain.
The fundamental issue remained Shang-Chi's current strength—adequate but not overwhelming. If he'd been a direct Fraternity member, he could have secured an internal recommendation slot without this public competition. But the current result was entirely satisfactory.
With his children's futures arranged, Wenwu could finally focus on personal matters. The next few days would be just him and Ying Li—time they'd earned after years of separation and recent family obligations. His smile widened at the prospect.
Tony, despite voting for Danny, showed no resentment about the outcome. He applauded Shang-Chi's selection with genuine warmth, recognizing that both candidates had been worthy.
As the applause settled, the Announcer moved the program forward. "Six of The Paragons' seven members have been selected! Now we proceed to the competition for the final position!"
His voice rose with theatrical energy. "The last spot will be chosen between Vermillion and Frost-Byte. Who will claim it?"
He gestured dramatically toward the stage entrance. "Please welcome Vermillion—Chen Haoran!"
Chen Haoran, who'd been waiting backstage throughout the previous selection, emerged to applause.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Writing takes time, coffee, and a lot of love.If you'd like to support my work, join me at [email protected]/GoldenGaruda
You'll get early access to over 50 chapters, selection on new series, and the satisfaction of knowing your support directly fuels more stories.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~