Chapter Text
“Well, now that was spectacular!” Diamondback’s voice was not the first thing that Luke Cage had wanted to hear upon emerging from the river. It also wasn’t the second, third, or literally any other number on that list. Nevertheless, there he was and with a gaggle of his men to boot.
‘Great. That’s just what we need…’ Luke thought as he got back to his feet, standing alongside Danny.
“Now, refresh my memory here,” Diamondback said as he strode toward, rolling his fingers along the vibranium knuckles he wore, “but we had a deal, didn’t we, Cage?”
“Yeah, that’s right, Willis.” Luke said. “We did.”
“And just where is the Cat in question that has my book?” Diamondback asked.
“Right here.” Black Cat said, standing nearby alongside Tyrone and Tandy. “You’re right, the job is done.”
“Oh, believe me, I’m sure they saw that light show all the way over in Jersey!” Diamondback chuckled, holding out his hand. “Now… my book, if you would be so kind?”
Black Cat pulled the leather book out of one of the pouches on her belt, holding it up and then tossing it onto the ground at Diamondback’s feet.
“Don’t worry, I made sure to make a copy for myself.” Black Cat said. “Just in case you get any ideas about paying me back.”
Diamondback’s eyes narrowed into slits as he picked up the book and slipped it into his coat. “You owe me, bitch. Nobody blackmails Diamondback and gets to walk away.”
“I don’t owe you anything,” Black Cat snorted, crossing her arms over her chest, “the Maggia’s hold on Harlem is crippled, and you have endless opportunities now. You should be thanking me.”
“I mean, the rest of us helped.” Danny said.
“I stand by what I said.” Black Cat responded.
Diamondback’s glare did not relent. “We’ll see, Kitty. We’ll see… you know what they say about curiosity…”
He slinked away, heading off with his men just as quickly as they had arrived on the docks.
“...yeah, you could have had a better line to go out on.” Black Cat muttered.
“Well, I don’t know about you guys.” Luke said. “But I could use a drink.”
“I’ll second that.” Tyrone said.
“Not for another two years, kid.” Luke said, clapping him on the shoulder and giving him a cheeky smile.
******
The docks were a flurry of activity over the next few days, leading up to the U.S. Coast Guard office being visited by several individuals from higher-ups within their organization as well as S.H.I.E.L.D., and soon enough Admiral James Hayes was being led out in handcuffs by two agents from the Department of Homeland Security.
“Looks like the Feds found the anonymous tips from Nelson & Murdock very compelling.” Danny Rand commented as he, Luke, and Walter Nevell watched from the other side of the street as Hayes was maneuvered into the back seat of a van and driven off.
“I can’t believe I didn’t see it.” Walter chided himself, shaking his head. “I worked with that man for fifteen years. I was a groomsman at his wedding!”
“Don’t beat yourself up, Captain.” Luke said encouragingly. “It happens to the best of us. Ironically, betrayal is something you least expect from the people closest to you.”
“At least your record is squeaky clean and clear.” Danny said.
“That’s true.” Walter nodded. “Plus, I’m now leading up the Coast Guard work on the docks, so that’s something.”
“Couldn’t be a better guy at the head of the ship.” Luke said.
A portly, energetic man in a suit rushed up to them, wearing a smile.
“Ah, Walter Nevell,” Danny said, “meet our friend Foggy Nelson.”
“Pleasure to meet you, Captain.” Foggy said, shaking Walter’s hand. “Thank you for the service.”
“Likewise, Mr. Nelson.” Walter said. “Mr. Cage and Mr. Rand have told me you’re one of the two best lawyers in Hell’s Kitchen.”
“If I could get that in writing, that’d be great.” Foggy joked.
“Speaking of which, where is your partner?” Luke asked.
“Oh, Matt? He’s off in Manhattan working on a murder case.” Foggy said, but waved this off. “Anyway, so it looks like Red Moon Limited was a shell corporation just like the intel you got, full-on Maggia plant.”
“Looks that good, huh?” Luke asked.
“Oh, they’re gonna be in the red before they even get finished going through civil courts.” Foggy assured them. “I mean, the cleanup and repair is gonna be hell, but you guys aren’t culpable for any of it in the eyes of the law.”
“Fantastic.” Luke commented.
“Kind of wish I was running with the Union Allied Construction,” Foggy said, “they’re gonna be making the big bucks with the city’s reconstruction contracts.”
“Union Allied Construction, huh?” Luke asked. “Must be a pretty sweet gig.”
“Eh, well I didn’t get into this for the money.” Foggy said, adjusting his tie. “Speaking of which, I have some cases to get back to in Hell’s Kitchen.”
“Catch you later, Foggy.” Danny said, the three men waving the lawyer off as he rushed over to the street side and caught a cab.
“...did he come out here just to talk to you guys?” Walter asked once Foggy had left.
“He’s a very good lawyer.” Luke and Danny both said in unison.
Walter blinked, but decided to just go with it.
******
The Rand Corporation conference room was very spacious and minimalist. Danny Rand sat at the mahogany table, viewing a projected spread sheet while Felicia Hardy stood nearby leaning languidly against a window frame, wearing a sundress and letting her lengthy blonde hair fly free instead of being trapped under the white wig.
“I’m still trying to wrap my head around it,” Felicia said, “you broke through a firewall through mediation. It’s unreal.”
Danny laughed as he leaned back in his chair. “It’s not meditation, it’s focus. The Chi sees the underlying structure - the life force of the machine, if you will. I could use it to read what password the person’s intent had locked in.”
“So you didn’t see any of my passwords?” Felicia teased, pushing off the window and walking toward him, her movements fluid and provocative.
“No,” Danny smiled, meeting her gaze, “but if you ever need hand - say - opening some old K’un Lun mechanical traps, my services are available. For a negotiable fee.”
“Oh, Danny Rand.” Felicia chuckled. “I might have to break the law just to see what you charge.”
The moment hung there - light, electric, and likely going all of nowhere.
“Speaking of charges,” Danny said, turning back to the spreadsheet, “nothing in the files was able to link Red Moon directly to Silvermane, but I did find something I thought you should see.”
“And what’s that?” Felicia asked. Danny gestured for her to come closer, giving her his seat at the table in front of the computer monitor he had been using. The hard drive taken from the warehouse had been plugged into it, and Felicia saw a file marked ‘Cat’. “Oh, Manfredi is obsessed with me, is she?” She laughed, clicking on the file and it opened up to a single image file and a written report on ‘The Cat’.
She froze as she saw the image, much as Danny thought she might.
“That’s…” Felicia started, once she was able to start finding words again.
“I know.” Danny nodded. The image was a PDF of an invoice, a payment from Silvio Manfredi that was made out to…
Anastasia Hardy.
“Why… Why would Silvermane pay my mother?” Felicia asked, more thinking aloud than asking the question. She looked through the invoice, and found the date. Fourteen years ago… a week after the day Walter Hardy had first been reported missing.
Her father… and then a week later, Silvermane had been paying her mother.
Something… something wasn’t adding up.
She looked at Danny, who merely shrugged, and then she turned back to stare at the monitor.
******
The air in the abandoned, dusty boxing gym still smelled faintly of sweat and leather. Luke Cage reached up and yanked an ancient, water-stained bag from its ceiling hook, a surprisingly gentle look on his face.
Tandy Bowen, Tyrone Johnson, and Walter Nevell all in their civilian clothes walked in, looking over the place.
“Um, Mr. Cage,” Tandy said, “this place is kind of depressing.”
“It’s got character,” Luke said, “I still remember when Battlin’ Jack would sweep the floor in this very ring every Tuesday.” He looked at the three of them. “Besides, it’s available and the rent is near to zero.” He dropped the bag down onto the floor, landing it with a loud thud.
“It is zero, actually.” Danny Rand’s voice came from outside as he walked in from the street, as did a blonde woman in a flowing black top and skin-tight jeans.
“What do you mean, Danny?” Luke asked.
“Well, I just got out of a board meeting.” Danny said. “They voted unanimously. The Rand Corporation is going to fund the lease, utilities, new gear budget - you name it, we got it!”
“A philanthropic gesture to the community, huh?” Walter asked.
“That is how I pitched it at the meeting, yes.” Danny smirked. “There was only one caveat… the name.”
“Oh, no…” Luke groaned.
“The Heroes for Hire,” Danny said, moving his hand like he was pointing out the words on an old-style theatre marque, “we use the name, or they walk.”
“They’re not gonna walk if we don’t use the name, are they?” Luke asked.
“They are not.” Danny grinned.
“You just want to use the name, don’t you, Danny?” Luke asked.
His friend’s grin widened. “I do.”
“It’s a good name.” Tyrone said.
“Don’t encourage him.” Luke protested weakly.
“And that brings us to the other investor in our business venture.” Danny said, gesturing to the blonde woman. “Everyone, this is Felicia Hardy of the Hardy Foundation.”
“We’ve met, actually.” Felicia said. It was then that Luke noticed the pin on her shirt near her neckline.
A jeweled black cat.
“Ah, I see.” Luke said, nodding.
“The Hardy Foundation has decided to split all costs down the middle with the Rand Corporation,” Felicia said, “in short, we like the work you’re doing for the community and we’d like to be a part of it.” She extended her hand to him. “What do you say, Mr. Cage?”
“I say, we’re in business, Miss Hardy.” Luke said, shaking her hand. The two shared a smile.
The six looked around this old gym, the place that would be their new headquarters.
“Heroes for Hire,” Danny said, once more testing how the words felt on his tongue. After a moment, he nodded as he clapped his hands together, “let’s hit it!”
“That is not going to be our catchphrase.” Luke said.
******
Willis Stryker had gotten back to his home that night and was filled with rage a second time. Opening the book that the Black Cat had given back to him, he had flipped to the first page, then the second, then the third, then the tenth.
He’d found every line he had written had been hit with an overabundance of white-out, rendering every entry illegible.
The man had sworn and yelled for days; it felt like his rage was boiling over again and again. Everything he had sacrificed in the little hero group’s coup of the Maggia holds on Harlem, and he had nothing except for a blank book to show for his work.
It was around a week later, and he had spent almost all of it in his old brownstone, sulking after his anger had tired him out.
Not that that had been a quick or easy process, as a few of his men too stupid to keep their distance had learned.
Now, he drank his cognac and stared blankly into the fireplace. He hadn’t destroyed or erased the book, he hadn’t had the heart to do so just yet. Now, though, as he drank, he picked it up again.
“Bitch thought she was so clever,” He muttered, irritated at the very thought of her once more, “thought she’d get a leg up on me. Me! I’m the King. She’ll see… they’ll all see!” Standing up, Diamondback felt the liquid of the cognac burn down into his stomach as he downed it, then threw the book into the fireplace. He watched, unblinking, as the book started to unravel within the flames, blackening and burning away.
“I’m gonna take those heroes, and I’m gonna rip down their little castle. Brick by brick…” He whispered to the fire, a silent promise that he would come back from this, that he would take back what was his and more.
******
THE END
******
The Heroes for Hire Will Return