The sound of waves hitting the docks echoed through the night.
The moon hung bright above the stars.
At a private port, people moved goods quietly, focused, efficient. They didn't talk much—just got the job done.
Atop a high perch, a man in red crouched, observing.
"The Hand," he muttered.
Every sound around him mapped itself in his mind.
He leapt down and parkoured toward a nearby container, leaning close to listen.
A steady noise hit him—like a beating heart.
Frowning, he realized they were trafficking people.
Nearby, containers labeled Steel Serpent caught his attention.
Suddenly, he turned sharply toward the port entrance. A woman appeared, clutching pictures and files.
His brow furrowed. An unknown variable.
The guards at the entrance noticed her and approached.
"This is private property…" one said.
The woman paused, silent for a moment, then walked away
He didn't pay much attention and quickly slipped into one of the guarded buildings through a back door, taking down the guard stationed there.
He dumped the man into a nearby trash can before heading inside.
He moved slowly, searching until he found the main room, where voices could be heard.
"Boss, the goods are moving efficiently. We expect to finish the delivery in two hours," one man said.
"Mhm," the other, presumably the boss, nodded.
"Two hours? I need to save them before they get moved," he muttered anxiously. Rushing to one of the crates, he beat up a key holder on the way and pulled open the container. Inside, a group of teenagers was tied up.
"What's the purpose of this?" he muttered, quickly removing the ropes binding them.
He tried to wake them, but they wouldn't move—he realized they were heavily sedated.
Before he could think further, a rough shout rang out. "Intruders!"
He sensed the noise coming from the south side of the port. Realizing he might have been caught, he quickly rushed to close the container door.
Then he heard a woman shouting from the south side, and another sound from the north.
"Shoot him!"
Gunfire erupted.
---
Surprised, the man froze for a moment, confused by the two distinct sources of noise echoing across the port. But there was no time to dwell on it. Instinctively, he moved toward another container where he heard steady breathing.
As he flung the doors open, a sudden swarm of ninjas leapt out from the inside, surrounding him. His eyes widened, but there was no time to think. He yanked his batons from his belt, spinning into a defensive stance.
"It's Daredevil! He's here!" someone shouted, and the clamor quickly drew more people toward the scene.
Outnumbered but determined, Daredevil didn't hesitate. He surged forward, breaking through the encirclement with precision and force. A swift side kick sent one ninja sprawling, and he bolted toward the north side, the path closer to safety.
"Don't let him get away!" a voice yelled, and the pursuit intensified.
Daredevil quickly reached the scene and immediately spotted a tall, broad-shouldered black man holding a car door like a shield. Bullets ricocheted off it harmlessly, and even those that hit his skin did not penetrate through, causing the attackers to gradually retreat under the man's unyielding defense.
Luke noticed Daredevil sprinting toward them. Without hesitation, he hurled the heavy car door toward the shooters, creating a momentary barrier. "Move!" he yelled, and Daredevil dashed through. The two bolted toward the west side of the port, ducking behind stacked containers to catch their breath.
"What's Daredevil doing here?" Luke panted.
"Hero of Harlem? I should be asking the same," Daredevil replied, senses scanning the chaos around them.
"My investigation led me here—the drugs spreading through Harlem," Luke said over the sounds of gunfire. He peeked out and grabbed a burning barrel, yanking a gun from a gang member's hand and smashing it into his face.
"The Hand is behind this! They're trafficking people!" Daredevil called while dispatching a wave of ninjas, smashing a baton into one man's torso and head with precise force.
"The Hand? What's that?!" Luke growled, landing a powerful punch to a gang member.
"First, we get out of here! There's someone on the south side too!" Daredevil warned, sending his baton spinning into another ninja before it returned seamlessly to his hand.
They sprinted together, Luke blazing a path forward unflinching in the face of speeding bullets, Daredevil covering the rear, dodging bullets with fluid, inhuman grace.
When they reached the south side, they saw a woman cornered by a group of ninjas. Around her, several open containers suggested that the enemies were hiding inside.
Surprisingly, the woman didn't look panicked—she simply waved her hands, sending several assailants flying across the dock with effortless force.
"That strength…" Luke muttered, genuinely shocked.
Before he could react further, more ninjas and gang members came rushing from the shadows.
"Let's go!" Daredevil shouted, signaling Jessica Jones.
"Huh?" Jessica blinked, confused by the sudden appearance of the two. She didn't argue; she noticed them gesturing for her to move toward the building entrance.
"What about the kids?" she asked, punching a gang member who hadn't realized he was in danger.
"I've already found them," Daredevil replied mid-fight. "We need to regroup first—can't risk exposing them. Bullets can pierce the containers; any stray shot could hit them."
Jessica didn't argue. Under the protective cover of Luke, who took bullets head-on without flinching, they made it into a nearby building.
Panting, the three paused to catch their breath. Daredevil finally spoke.
"I don't know if I should be thankful or mad that you two showed up."
"Why?" Jessica frowned.
Luke glanced over, then Daredevil explained, "I was here first, planning how to save the kids. But they were already sedated. I needed a plan to move them safely. So… thankfully—at least with you two here, we can get them out."
Luke saw the enemies rushing in and frowned.
"How do you plan on doing that?"
"First we—" Before Daredevil could finish, a sudden sound interrupted him.
"Ah!"
"Shoot them! Shoot them!"
Luke noticed and asked, "What happened?"
"Two more people joined in, let's go," Daredevil said, gripping both of his batons. The two others didn't say anything, just charged toward the commotion. Luke took the front, tanking bullets and blades, Daredevil knocked out anyone who slipped past, and Jessica sent attackers flying with every strike.
They reached the destination and saw a man with a glowing fist and a woman with a katana fighting side by side, taking down a group of ninjas.
"Another freak," Jessica said, before rushing over.
"Wait!" Daredevil shouted, but Jessica had already moved in.
Luke and Daredevil caught up and regrouped with Danny and Colleen, who were surrounded by gangsters holding guns and ninjas with swords.
Back-to-back, they scanned the scene.
"Great, now we're surrounded," Daredevil muttered.
Danny and Colleen looked surprised. "Who are you guys?"
Jessica pointed. "That's Daredevil, that's Tinman, and I'm Jessica. Now who are you?"
Luke frowned but stayed silent.
"This is Colleen Wing, and I'm—" Danny started, but before he could finish, the surrounding gang members parted, revealing two figures.
"Look who we have here?" said a masked man with a bullseye marking.
"A ragtag group of superheroes?" the other, with a scar on his face, added.
The gang members laughed at that, while the ninjas stayed silent.
The group remained silent, eyeing the two new opponents.
"Bullseye," Daredevil muttered, glancing at the masked man.
"Wilson's top assassin… what is he doing here?" he whispered under his breath. The others heard it but stayed quiet.
"Daredevil, we meet again," Bullseye said with a calm, cold tone.
The man with a scar glanced briefly behind, then bowed his head slightly.
"Madame." At the sound, the surrounding gang members—and even the ninjas—bowed toward the elderly woman who had appeared in the crowd.
The old Asian woman didn't even look at them. Her gaze was fixed directly on Danny.
"Iron Fist… Protector of K'un-L'un…" she said.
"Madame Gao," Danny replied, his expression solemn.