Sterne is somewhat taken aback by this open and Frank admission, he himself had fought so hard to hide his abilities and yet here was Danny Rand, majority share holder of Rand enterprises, a very public figure, openly admitting he was....what? A mutant? An extraterrestrial?
What did he say...defender of Kun Lung?
Sterne has no idea what any of that meant but he knew one thing, this man would not be phased by their abilities, he seemed ready to embrace them.
Sterne clears his throat and says
I’m not sure what you mean by who we really are?
Daredevil didn’t tell us anything about you, he neglected to mention you had ...abilities.
I’m not sure what a living weapon is but I am who I say. Um..I’m not a ..hero or caped crusader or anything like that, I don’t have an alter ego. he says taking a breath.
I’m a Criminal psychologist, I work for the justice department. But I was born ....with abilities and very recently I decided enough was enough and I should use them to try and do some real good.
That led me to seek out this group and offer to help them
He deliberately avoided the use of the word Mutant, though he knew that is what he was it was still a word used more often than not in a derogatory fashion.
Spore looks back at Trystt with an unsure shrug before focusing his attention back to the Iron First. Spore knew a bit about being a living weapon, even though he considered himself more than just that. He kept an eye out for Danny's balance and the way he carried himself: you could tell a lot from that.
"The Immortal Iron Fist is a title. One I am proud to carry. But I'm just the last in a line of mighty warriors who carried the name."
He catches Trystt's look but says nothing of it. He had been met with the same incredulity from the moment he had stepped off the plane back in New York.
"I assumed that if you were associates of the Devil, there was more to you than meets the eye. Although the eye says a lot with some of you."
He turns to Lucas then and when he shakes his hand offers a small bow as well with consummate respect.
"A chemical compound? He mentioned that. I don't know much about science, but I have my R&D specialists on standby. I'm assured we can hold any substance here securely. When I first arrived Rand Enterprises had built a fortune on selling overpriced medications to people who couldn't afford them. I put a stop to that much to the board's annoyance - but the labs are all still fully functional and now that arm of the business operates as a non-profit."
"Don't worry, Mr. Rand. What you see here is just the tip of the iceberg. The weird goes a whole lot deeper."
Lucas holds up the rigged up sample container. "It's here. I'll be happy to take it to whereever your lab is. Your scientists need to be very careful with this. We don't know how dangerous it is or what it might do. I suggest them to use biohazard procedures." He puts the container down. "Once we have results, I would like to review them and then we may transmit them to an associate for analysis."
Ebon steps forward, his nerves seeming to have been push aside now and he has the face of someone determined to speak his mind. "I know of The Immortal Iron Fist, I know you came to Kun Lun after being found in the bitter cold at a young age. Kun Lun has missed you, it has missed it's protector." He nods. "I spent time there myself, I took part in the training I was going to be put to the test, but you beat me to it." He smiles and pulls aside his shirt and shows his dragon tattoo. "I remember when you took up the mantel, it was not time but you were brash and survived. You were chosen, I respect you for that you saw the need and you were right. But the times are bad, evil spreads through out the world Shou-Lao the Undying choose another, he parted onto me power not unlike yours."
With that Ebon bring up his fist as it starts to glow, not as bright as Iron Fists but it's clear they share the same power. "I was sent by Kun Lun to New York to train, but I was given the task of observing you and seeking you out to speak. Some speak of you abandoning us, but I see now. I understand your need for being here. The Hand is apart of this, they are building them self's up while we stand guard at Kun Lun and soon they will be to powerful to stop. So brother please help us, help us bring a stop to all this for Kun Lun and maybe even the world."
Danny Rand bows deeply to Ebon and is silent for a moment.
I thought I recognised you. Or if not you then the way you moved at least. I should have known better than to think you anything but the prodigy of Lei Kung the Thunderer. I can see it now. You are the Formidable Stormheart. Brother, it is good to see another member of our Order.
He turns to the others and says: Why didn't you mention you travelled with such a powerful warrior?
Before waiting for an answer he puts a hand on Ebon's shoulder and says;
The Hand were once a threat to Kun Lun, but now they threaten the world. Last year I thought I had put a stop to them in New York but this proves otherwise. If they are involved then you cannot discount that within that container is deadly magic. he says without a hint of irony.
He then moves to his desk and presses a button on the phone.
Janice, could you show my guests to the R&D department please.
A moment later a well-dressed and professional looking lady enters the room and says
Would you follow me please?
He halts Ebon though and puts an arm around his shoulder;
You've got to tell me about what is happening back hom... oh by the way, has anyone shown you Netflix yet? Man, it's amazing. We didn't have anything like it back in the monestary.
Sterne watched the exchange between Rand and Ebon with interest.
He did not really understand much of it, he had never heard of Kun Lun and he wondered who or what Sho Lou was. What could impart abilities onto these men? There was so much about this group he didn’t know and the urge to delve deeper to understand who they were and what made them tick was very strong.
Leaning in toward Trystt he says
are you following this? Did you know Ebon was here to keep an eye on Rand?
Lucas looks back and forth between Rand and Akio. "What?" He raises his eyebrows when Akio opens his shirt to show off his dragon tattoo. He looks at Rand. "Are you telling me you can do what he does?"
"Powerful spirits, especially sentient ones, can empower many beings," Spore says, nodding along and seemingly unsurprised. It's clear his statement on the matter sums up the circumstances fully and completely- to him at least.
In the time he's spent with Ebon the last few days, meditating and fighting together in marathon sessions, he's come to understand Ebon's gifts more than he did before, recognizing similarities to his own in a number of ways.
Ebon smiles at the use of his title and of Lei Kung. "Lei Kung, sends his regards to his most gifted student, he cared more about your form losing its shape than what you were doing in New York. But Lord Tuan he wishes you would return home, but I understand why that would be impossible now." He relaxes as if he's talking to an old friend.
"Back home things aren't going so well, there are whispers The Hand is gearing up for something. It was another reason I was sent here, and now I think I've found out what they're into." He nods to the vial "I fought a high-level member he called himself Tattoo, he was overseeing a compound where they were doing tests. Sadly he got away."
He then moves to go long with the rest, stopping when Iron Fist puts an arm around his shoulder. "Netflix? I'll add it to my list, hanging out with these guys has opened my eyes to things I didn't get back in the monastery. But there isn't a lot of modern comforts at the Shaolin temple either." He smiles. "Maybe we can train together it would be good to go through old steps. I have quite the formidable training partner with Spore, I think he and you would enjoy testing each other."
He then looks at the others unsure what they're all looking at. "We should move along then, I'm glad DareDevil could set this up for us."
The Iron Fist is a mantle passed to the most worthy warriors, I'm honoured to carry it and use it to defeat our enemies. Rand answers without really answering at all. At the same time he is leaning over to Ebon and showing him Spotify on his iPhone.
I will return to our home, I promise. But I told Lei Kung and I will tell you. What good is protecting Kun Lun if the world itself is under threat? This was my father's company, and when I came back I swore I would find out what happened to my parents and at the same time make sure this company was something he would still be proud of. I'd like to think I've done that now. One thing I've learnt here from a few friends I've made is that you can defeat evil in more ways than just punching it.
well I’m pretty sure I couldn’t defeat any evil by punching it, at least not with my fist Sterne says with a smile it’s seems it’s a small world, you guys being from the same temple and sharing ...abilities he says with a smile it would be something to see You three fighting together. I can’t see there being much that would stand up to that he says indicating Danny, Akio and Spore.
so can you knock bullets out of the air too? he asks Danny as they walk out of the office Kun Lun must be one hell of a place
"Your mind punch is good, Doc" Spore says with a smile, patting Sterne on the shoulder with a vine.
Akio turns to Sterne. "We all have our strengths Sterne, the things you can do are very impressive. I couldn't do any of this without all of you."
"So we need to get back on this, and the next step is contacting Moira Mactaggert. I had thought a trip to Scotland was in order but luckily we now have a friend in Iron Fist and that saved us the long flight. I was going to ask our friend Mockingbird if she wanted to give us a lift, but maybe we can save that for another time." He ponders on where this vial will take them, this part of the investigation is not his strong point.
Sterne smiles up at the imposing plant like creature
thanks big guy he says as Spore pats him on the shoulder with a vine like appendage.
Turning to Ebon he nods and pulls out his phone and begins scrolling through his contacts.
ok let’s get this sorted out now. I’ve put it off long enough he says as he finds Moiras number it’s nearly 10 o’clock now...so should be about 3 in Scotland he says to himself as the phone begins to ring .
hello Moira...it’s Will, Will Sterne. I ...I know it’s been a long time but I need your help
Will! It's so nice to hear from you. This is unexpected, how are you keeping, everything ok?
The voice on the other end of the phone is warm and welcoming. The accent is thick and for some Sterne knows, difficult to understand. But he always found is somehow comforting.
Lucas watches Sterne as he's talking to Moira. He wonders if he's using his mental powers over the phone, or if they even work over that medium. He motions for the man's attention and then clutches his head, miming mental control and then indicating the phone. Then he turns up his shoulders questioningly.
It's like a horrible attempt at charades.
Sterne half turns and seeing Napalms almost comical mime he shakes his head with a frown.
i know, Its a bit out of the blue. I should have contacted you sooner, to apologise if nothing else. You were right, I can see that now but at the time... he trails off remembering the past, as Moiras acceptance and support for people with abilities clashed with his fathers narrow minded views on the so called mutants.
I’m well, really well. I have been using my abilities to help a group of people look into something big. There’s a lot to explain but we managed to obtain a sample of an unknown chemical compound they have been developing. Problem is we have no idea what it is. We have tried to analyse it but we hit a brick wall and I know it’s alot to ask but we have to find out what this stuff is so we can work out what they are going to do with it Sterne says as he explains a little about what is going on if anyone can work out what this compound is, it’s you. I need your expertise and your advice
Ok. she pauses. Sure, ok. For you Will, of course I will take a look. I don't know if I can add anything but if I can, I will.
After you explain where you are, she says:
You're at Rand? Wow. Yeah we've done some work with them over the last year or two. Is he... you know... is he as weird as they say? she asks hesitantly. Did you ever meet Meg Gwynn when you were here - goes by the name 'Pixie?' Well she's all over social media, never misses a thing. She showed me a video someone took of a man stopping a speeding lorry with a single punch. She insists it was Rand going by the name Iron Fist. I said it's more likely someone like Wonder Man going incognito... sorry, I'm rambling.
Their lab has an RSET - remote spectrograph electrotachometer. Don't worry about using it, just ask the techs there to load a sample and they can transmit it to my lab, I can analyse it from here.
After about half an hour, Moira calls back.
Will, this is serious. I don't know what it is just yet but this is some incredibly complex chemistry. It's inert, almost looks like it has destabilised and is breaking down. Did you mix it with something? I can think of only a few labs able to synthesise something like this.
You hear her shout over her shoulder to someone else:
Sarah... yeah... yep... Sarah, clear my afternoon will you.... who is it? Charles? Oh he will understand. Honestly, he probably already knows you're going to call and cancel.
She comes back to the phone:
Will, where on Earth did you get this?
Sterne holds the phone up and puts the call on loud speaker sobeveryone can hear her.
I’ve got you on loud speaker so the others can hear you.
We didn’t mix the compound with anything but it was kept in a temperature controlled compartment when we found it. We haven’t been able to keep it as cold since, maybe that’s why it is inert. he says looking to Napalm to see if what he is saying is correct.
theres a lot going on here Moira, we are messed up in something big, there’s a criminal organisation calling themselves the Hand, they were transporting this stuff in secret on a train. We managed to get that one vial, the rest is at the bottom of a lake, along with most of the train he says explaining briefly how they got the vial.
Lucas nods, then realizes Moira can't see the gesture. "Dr. MacTaggert, I'm Lucas. I'm the resident chemical and biological expert here. Sterne is correct. We've had intermittent temperature variations with the sample. I suspect that's the cause of the destabilization. Unfortunately, we could not leave it the primary temperature control stasis."
"I believe it has something to do with mutant biology, either as a catalyst or some sort of vector. But I wasn't able to make heads or tails of the test results. I was hoping that you could help. It's an honor to work with you, Dr. MacTaggert. I've followed your research since I was in graduate school."
"Hello Dr MacTaggert, my names Ebon. You seem pretty clued up on all this with heroes and how it all works but I just want to say Dr Doom is involved in this, on that train we got the sample and then he showed up and throw the train into a river." He looks around at the others.
"This is serious stuff, as Sterne said. The Hand are a part of this and their an ancient organisation whatever they have their hand in isn't good for this world."
Doom? she sounds shocked. Will you must be very careful here. You have no idea how powerful Doom is. He decimated Charles Xavier's School ten years ago and nearly killed Colossus in the process. Charles himself thought Colossus was impervious to harm, Will, you must be extremely careful in this if you're determined to follow up on it.
Lucas, please, call me Moira. If you're friends of Will's then you're friends of mine.
Give me time with this. I think your hypothesis is right, Lucas, this is certainly a compound used in gene manipulation, my first thought is that it is a 'cure' for the mutant gene. I've seen something similar years ago, work carried out by General Striker as part of his crusade against mutants. But this is much more sophisticated than that.
The hours drag by until daylight comes and goes and you are left illuminated by the harsh fluorescent light of the lab. Will leaves during the afternoon and returns with coffees and pizza.
Rand has not made an appearance since this morning, making an excuse that he needs to catch up with your 'mutual friend.' But he leave a message with his secretary to cover the costs of dinner for you all.
Finally, the phone rings again. By this time you realise it must be deep into the early hours of the morning for Moira, but when she speaks she still has that crisp, professional tone you heard earlier.
Hello? Oh good, you're still there. I'm going to email over my results. The summary is not good news. she says seriously. This is certainly a compound intended to alter DNA at it's most fundamental level. It would have a dramatic effect on the atoms that make up those strands - destroying some, replacing others. There's.... there's something quite unique about this.
I mentioned that I had seen something similar. Well, aside from the complexity of the chemical bonds in this compound... there's traces of something I would never have anticipated. Will, this compound is completely infused with Vibranium!
Now, I still can't say definitively what it was intended for. But whatever it is would have an enormous and possibly catastrophic effect on mutant-kind.... I think... I don't think it's a cure.... at this stage I think it's a weapon.
Ebon try's his best to follow along, and is one of the first to speak up. "I don't pretend to understand all this Doctor. But you say it's a weapon, so it will kill all mutants?" Ebon look confused trying to realisation it all. "I don't understand I expected it to be some way of granting people power, I'm just trying to work out why the Hand would be apart of all this and how it gains them any power or foothold."
Spore grunts and growls an unintelligible reply in his native tongue, and grows actual thorns in response to Trystt's statement— clearly a show of support. It's obvious to everyone that the idea of a bioweapon angers him greatly.
"Vibranium?! How would..." Lucas grows quiet as he tries to process the information. "A biological weapon. That's what I feared. If Doom created this, it could do anything."
He refocuses on the phone. "Moira, do you think this could be synthesized with normal pharmaceutical equipment? Or would you need something more specialized? We know ActivPharma was part of this, but they didn't seem to have anything out of the ordinary...." Lucas trails off again.
"Oh my god. The missing people. They could be test subjects, or... Or worse. What if they were infected and then released into the general population? Did they have any connection with mutants?" The scientist's mind seems to be spinning.
No, I don't think your standard lab could work on something like this. The components themselves maybe... but the vibranium.... that changes everything. she replies.
Wakanda recently came to the attention of the world as a nation founded and almost entirely reliant on vibranium. That was my first thought. But then why would a nation so insular be working on a bio-weapon? Why not just remain hidden from the world's attention?
You can hear her voice change, a slight quake in the tone and you realise she is nervous, possibly even afraid.
I think I know exactly where this came from.... During the Ultron incident the Avengers attacked a research station run by HYDRA in Sokovia. Don't ask me how I know, I have connections even you don't know about Will. The accounts according to Tony Stark were that it was incredibly advanced and working on genetic manipulation.
The Ultron robot infused an enormous section of the city with energy derived from vibranium. When it fell from the sky, thousands died and it led to nearly a quarter of Sokovia being deemed 'uninhabitable' for fear of radiation, sickness and who knows what. It was akin to Chernobyl, but worse.
I think DOOM has found the wreckage of that HYDRA base and used the technology there. With the area so infused with Vibranium..... it's possible he found a way to synthesise and weaponise it.
"Vibranium?! How would..." Lucas grows quiet as he tries to process the information. "A biological weapon. That's what I feared. If Doom created this, it could do anything."
He refocuses on the phone. "Moira, do you think this could be synthesized with normal pharmaceutical equipment? Or would you need something more specialized? We know ActivPharma was part of this, but they didn't seem to have anything out of the ordinary...." Lucas trails off again.
"Oh my god. The missing people. They could be test subjects, or... Or worse. What if they were infected and then released into the general population? Did they have any connection with mutants?" The scientist's mind seems to be spinning.
Maybe ActivaPharm are a distribution arm, the compound making it's way into regular medication, maybe they are involved in the final processing of it. Without an intact sample of the compound I can't say for sure.
"I've seen what happened in Sokovia, that was an unwinnable fight. I'm impressed with what the Avengers did there." He pauses a moment, thinking of a question he's had since it was revealed as a weapon. "Do you think from what you have this is anywhere near ready to be used? Should we be worried it could be used on some of us?" He looks around the group."Also does this mean we have to find this lab? Could it still be in Sokovia? it would seem like a good place to hold a secret lab. It's starting to feel like we need more help on this."
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"Yes, Ebon, we do need to find it. This stuff is rather unstable, right? So, it's more likely that it's made relatively locally. That train was originally headed to the Staten Island lab as I recall. If we can cross-check its point of origin with ActivaPharm records of corporate flights, or internal memos, or something, then we can maybe rescue the kidnapping victims and scrub the world clean of the research. Napalm, could that work?"
"Do we take all we've found to SHIELD? Is there anyone we can trust there? Mockingbird. I think we can trust her, but SHIELD is a secret organisation we have no idea who could tip off Dr Doom or the Hand." He seems lost and frustrated. "I don't want this to get put away, or taken over by someone else we have to run with this we found this. The experts here seem worried so I think it's save to say we all should be."
"Damn, I had hoped you said we were going to Wakanda. I was getting excited."
He nods at Trystt. "Yeah, finding out where the train came from would work, though they've been very good at covering their tracks. And there's a chance it's origin had nothing to do with ActivPharma. It's possible with shipments being loaded and unloaded, it could be a dozen things to track down."
"You know Mockingbird? I mean, she could get us some resources. Perhaps help get us to Sokovia if that's where we're going. I agree we need to keep this thing tight-lipped. If you trust her and then we bring Maggie in, maybe we have enough support to get in and check out the city."
Will, I'm sorry, it' really very late here. I can barely see straight after looking at these numbers for so long. Moira apologises. I need to get some sleep but I will be in touch. Take care, all of you. she hangs up and you are left with the information she provided and seemingly some difficult choices.
Sterne stands quietly trying to take all this in, a mutant bio weapon, sokovia, vibranium. This thing had suddenly became a whole lot more real. He could see his old life being blown apart by all this. There was no way he was going to be able to keep it separate from this. Could he?
He had no idea but he was not about to step away from this it was too important, he knew he had to do everything he could to help no matter the cost.
thank you Moira, get some rest we have a lot to think about. We will talk again soon Sterne says as he hangs up and pockets his phone.
if we bring SHIELD in on this officially then it’s game over, they will take over completely, Ebon is right. We need to deal with this, how do we find this Hydra base. Can one of you access SHIELD records and find its location?
Lucas nods. "Yeah probably." He sighs. "I need to bring in Maggie on this. She's worked for SHIELD longer than I have. She has a higher security clearance. Plus, she has friends in network security. If we have any hope of finding the files on the Hydra base, I have to talk to my wife."
"Thank you for all your help Doctor MacTaggert, we'll take it from here you have a good nights sleep." Ebon then ponders a moment. "I think we can trust Mockingbird, she's not like the suited agents. They seem born in those suits." He smiles. "But we need someone and Maggie is the closest person we can trust."
"I guess so." He turns to Ebon. "Maybe you should talk to Mockingbird again. Get a sense of her loyalty to SHIELD as a whole. I thought I heard she walked out on them before. Maybe she's open to something off-book? If we trust her, then we have to trust her with all of this. You need to be sure."
"Anybody know where..." He trails off, looking at Spore. Then he grins. "Hey buddy. If I need a huge bouquet of roses for Maggie, can you help me out?"
"She gave me her number, I will text her." He then bring out his ancient phone and starts typing into it slowly. "I trust her and she has been grounded so I think she would be more up for this. We need her."
"Let's just remember, Daredevil trusted us here. He called us in when Punisher was sure someone on the inside of government was apart of all this we need to be careful. I just hope he doesn't think we're now going to SHEILD and telling them everything he told us."
He then finishes sending off a text to Mockingbird. "There I told her we need to spare with her having so much down time, when she comes back to me I'll make sure to get her to meet us."