Active Skill Card: Ikonn's Image (Blue) - Mordo:
"Upon casting, you gain near-infinite clones or countless additional limbs. The number of clones scales with energy consumption."
This was the sole fruit of Hong Fei's relentless half-day grind at Kamar-Taj.
The name "Ikonn's Image" might not ring any bells, but if you called it "Shadow Clone"—a skill with similar effects—recognition would skyrocket. Remember Infinity War? Doctor Strange used this spell to morph into a "Thousand-Hand Guanyin," scattering clones across the sky and momentarily baffling even Thanos.
Those clones didn't just linger; they unleashed another spell: "The Crimson Bands of Cyttorak." Hundreds, if not thousands, of mystical chains erupted, binding Thanos long enough to force him to tap into the Infinity Stones' power to break free.
Unlike Loki's Phantom Illusion, Ikonn's Image doesn't conjure mere illusions. These clones are nearly identical to the original body—solid, tangible, and capable of action. However, they're not permanent. Every second they exist, they drain the caster's magical energy. This ties back to the fundamental rule of magic: every spell demands a price.
All magical energy is borrowed, and the cost can be anything the sorcerer possesses—body, soul, or something else entirely. Ikonn's Image falls into the category of high-energy-demanding magic. Mastering it is one thing; deciding whether to deploy it in battle is another. Hong Fei's advice to Little Wong was simple: solve problems with fists or guns whenever possible.
Punch first. If that doesn't work, shoot. If shooting fails, bring out the cannon. Hong Fei, however, doesn't need to borrow energy from others to cast magic, making Ikonn's Image a skill of immense practical value for him. Imagine having extra hands at crucial moments—or even extra versions of yourself.
With enough energy, you could ensure your opponent is incapacitated for a full day—or longer. Of course, the prerequisite is sufficient energy reserves. But Hong Fei? He's never lacked for that.
Pushing open the door, Hong Fei stepped into the crisp air. After bidding farewell to the Ancient One, he departed without hesitation.
In Germany, a secret banquet was underway.
Upstairs, Alexander Pierce and Gideon Malick lounged with cigars in hand, leisurely exhaling smoke. Pierce, the former Director of S.H.I.E.L.D., and Gideon, a long-standing representative of the World Security Council, had been collaborators for years.
"He should be arriving soon," Pierce remarked casually.
Gideon nodded.
"Can you guarantee he won't be a problem?"
"No one can guarantee that," Pierce admitted, shaking his head. "But if he decides to turn on us, I'll give him something to think about. That hesitation will buy us time."
Gideon's expression darkened.
"I'm still uneasy. He's a superhero—one with a history of playing by his own rules. If he turns on us, he could wipe us out single-handedly."
"Relax," Pierce reassured him. "Whether he's sincere or a mole, as long as he's here tonight, we'll be foolproof."
Hearing this, Gideon suddenly sat up straight.
"You're planning to move tonight?"
"Not tonight," Pierce clarified. "I still need time for final testing. We know he used a portal-like ability in New York, so taking him head-on is nearly impossible. But we can dismantle everything from his past—and pin it all on him."
"That's just a threat."
"What if he doesn't accept the threat?"
Gideon's fingers tapped nervously against his knee.
"Then we're the ones in danger."
"I've brought enough men. Even if we can't take him down, we can buy time."
Pierce's gaze sharpened like a drawn blade.
"If he refuses, I won't bother testing him—I'll activate the Insight Project immediately. Wipe the threat list clean and take control of the entire world. By then, nothing he does will matter."
Pierce leaned forward, his voice dropping to a whisper.
"For every one of ours he kills, we'll slaughter an entire city. Let the world know those deaths are on his hands. Once those people become martyrs, even the Dragon King won't act so recklessly—and neither will his allies."
He waved a hand.
"But that's the nuclear option. I've got another play first."
"Oh?"
Gideon's pulse spiked. If those were last resorts, what could possibly restrain the Dragon King?
"Do you know where Nick Fury is right now?"
"Helping you push the Insight Project forward, isn't he?"
"Exactly."
Pierce's smile didn't reach his eyes.
"I know Fury too well. After we forced him out last time, I expected him to lay low. Instead, he came to me begging to accelerate the Project. And when we discuss the Dragon King?"
Pierce mimed an explosion with his fingers.
"That man shows zero fear."
Gideon's eyebrows shot up.
"Really?"
"It's unnatural."
Pierce steepled his fingers.
"Not just Fury—you, me, all of HYDRA. We've got confidence, sure, but we're not stupid enough to think we can handle the Dragon King easily. Hell, I'm still worried he might slaughter us all at tonight's banquet. That's the terror his power inspires."
Gideon nodded slowly.
"A man like that breeds fear. Only a god could stand against him."
He meant Hive, their ancient leader.
Pierce barely concealed his sneer.
"Here's what's interesting—every time the Dragon King targets S.H.I.E.L.D., I've gone to Fury. The Dark Invasion, every provocation. You know what I see in that one good eye of his?"
He paused dramatically.
"Not fear. Like he's holding a royal flush against the devil himself."
Gideon stayed silent, waiting.
"At first I tested him."
Pierce sprawled back on the sofa, staring at the ceiling.
"Put on the concerned act. Fury played along, but I could tell—he wasn't scared. After the Dark Invasion? Still nothing. When I threatened to suspend Insight, that's when he slipped."
A dry chuckle escaped him.
"The man practically vibrated with determination. And this time? He wanted me to see it."
Pierce suddenly barked a laugh. "A non-HYDRA agent more terrified than I am about delaying Insight? The bastard was born for this!"
His mirth faded as quickly as it came.
"Here's the kicker—when we proposed the Superpower Foundation, Fury warned me. Said the Dragon King wants to swallow S.H.I.E.L.D. whole. An unaffiliated powerhouse with no oversight?"
He mimed a noose tightening.
"We either dismantle that foundation or bring him under the Council's thumb."
"I had Stern leak the news quietly. Every clue points to one thing—Fury's got a play against the Dragon King. Maybe even a winning hand."
Therefore, a way must be found to abolish this foundation, or else bring him under the jurisdiction of the World Security Council.
Gideon crushed his cigar between his fingers, his face hardening.
"You're certain about this? I don't doubt you, but we're talking about something monumental here. If he wields that kind of power against the Dragon King, we could be next."
Pierce's smile never wavered.
"At first I had doubts. Now I don't."
The air in the room thickened with silence. After a long pause, Gideon exhaled sharply.
"Can you uncover his secret?"
"I already have. Think about it—why wouldn't Fury fear someone like the Dragon King? A man with that much personal power standing against him?"
Pierce leaned forward, his voice dropping.
"I dug through Fury's past and found something buried so deep, most have forgotten it ever existed."
He locked eyes with Gideon.
"Search your memory. In all our classified files—or the World Security Council's—has there ever been another like the Dragon King?"
Gideon shook his head automatically.
"Not that I—"
"1995."
Pierce cut him off.
"Fury accessed the Project Pegasus archives. Then his work logs go dark for weeks. Later, I traced his location to a crash site—an alien ship had gone down just before he arrived."
"That same year, Maria—a S.W.O.R.D. operative—reported strange signals at her home. Neighbors described unnatural lights, signs of a fight. And in Earth's orbit? A flash so bright half the planet's observatories recorded it."
Pierce tapped the table.
"Our records tell a different story. We tracked objects resembling warships—until something from Earth's surface hit them. Obliterated them. We came within hours of annihilation that year."
Gideon's jaw went slack.
"These records are ancient," Pierce continued. "Without our backups, you'd find no trace in S.H.I.E.L.D.'s databases. Cross-reference them, and you'll see the data vanished right after Fury took directorship."
"He erased it?"
"Exactly."
Pierce's calm finally cracked, his voice tightening.
"I assembled a team to investigate. Every scrap of evidence confirms our backups are genuine. Even without them, eyewitness accounts from '95 line up perfectly."
An even more startling discovery is that we eventually determined the light that erupted from Earth—the one that destroyed that fleet—wasn't just energy."
Gideon's breath caught.
"Then what was it?"
Pierce's lips curled into a humorless smile.
"A person."