[Yashida Castle, Shikoku Island, Japan]
Young people now a days gain powers overnight, and suddenly they believe they're invincible. The world's vastness becomes an afterthought. No backup, no plan, just pure, blinding heroism. To Madame Gao, it was the worst kind of stupidity.
Daisy Johnson was a walking embodiment of that flaw, and Madame Gao didn't just dislike her anymore—she loathed her.
Four hundred years of relentless discipline, hardship, and cultivation—never missing a day, never yielding to weakness. And then some green-eyed brat gets gifted power because her DNA decided to be fancy? The injustice of it grated on Gao like sandpaper on bone. Yet she had to admit—Daisy was powerful, and that made her dangerous. If Daisy was coming to rescue her comrades, Gao was determined to keep her. One way or another.
To that end, she mobilized her network—Hand loyalists, assassins. Though the Hand had global roots like Hydra, it hadn't grown nearly as strong. The organization was fractured, with each of the Five Fingers clawing for dominance. Gao could spare only so much strength for Daisy—most had to be kept in reserve to protect her flank from her so-called allies.
Time crawled. The feast had started over two hours ago. The roasted boar was cold, the lanterns flickered low—and still, no Daisy.
Shingen Yashida was dissatisfied. He thought bitterly. Am I not an ally worth rescuing?
Mariko, on the other hand, was quietly relieved. Good, she thought. She didn't fall for the trap. Smart woman.
Wolverine? He couldn't care less. He was strapped down, growling low. If Daisy came? Great. If not? Well, he'd tear his way out eventually. He wasn't exactly the 'damsel' type.
Just as Madame Gao sighed, preparing to pack up the party and move the prisoners, a ninja in red stumbled into the main hall. His limbs wobbled unnaturally, like a puppet with its strings cut. He collapsed face-first.
A moment later, green liquid oozed from his skin, sizzling against the wooden floor. The smell was foul, like rotting leaves mixed with death.
"Poison," Gao hissed.
Her centuries of experience snapped into focus. She bolted backward without hesitation, instinctively seeking shelter.
A rustling chorus of fabric followed the thud—a dozen green-clad ninjas emerged from the shadows. Silent, deadly, bows drawn. In one smooth volley, a rain of arrows soared toward Gao.
With a sharp pivot, the old woman drew her left leg back and swiped her palm across the air. A burst of invisible chi exploded outward, an air wall that sent arrows splintering in midair.
But she didn't stick around to gloat. She tumbled behind a pillar, narrowly dodging the various bullets that followed.. Gone was the gentle elder façade. This was the dragon beneath the kimono.
She ditched her cane and barked a harsh order. "Viper, is that you? You only dare to play these little tricks of poisoning!
She reacted quickly, shouting and calling on her men. "Put blades to prisoners throats! We captured them with effort—let's not waste it."
Immediately, her guards dragged blades against Wolverine's neck and Shingen's ribs. Logan snarled, his healing factor crackling under the blade, but he didn't move. Shingen looked offended more than afraid.
Viper and Daisy remained hidden, watching it all unfold. They weren't reckless enough to charge in.
"Is this how your alliances usually go?" Daisy muttered in the comms.
Viper responded coolly, "It's going better than expected."
Daisy raised an eyebrow. "Your standards are low."
With a soft whisper over the comm, Viper issued orders to her troops. Her motley crew surged into action from all sides. Mercenaries, yakuza, rogue ninjas—like a circus of chaos, each group fought on their own terms. It wasn't unity. It was useful anarchy.
Madame Gao's forces responded, but they were equally fragmented. Her traps, carefully laid over hours, failed to spring properly. Friendly fire and poor coordination rendered them useless.
It didn't help that the red and green ninjas had a blood feud older than YouTube. Some of the mercenaries present knew each other and fought relatively restrainedly. But these two groups of ninjas, one in red and one in green, were like seeing the murderer of their father when they met. Whatever the original reason, they now fought with suicidal fury, tossing shurikens and smoke bombs like it was a Mortal Kombat tournament.
Daisy squinted from the shadows, watching a green ninja and a red one stab each other simultaneously.
She was really confused looking at these ninjas. This is not ancient times, and there was no Iga and Koga ninja war. Why do people fight to the death in modern society?
"They know each other?" she asked.
"Probably cousins," Viper muttered. "Ninja politics are a mess."
"Do they have a union or something?" Daisy mused.
"If they do, it's the worst one I've seen."
Both women had changed into combat gear. Sort of.
Daisy wore a standard-issue S.H.I.E.L.D. combat uniform. Functional, matte black, a little worn but armored.
Viper, on the other hand...
Let's just say her outfit could cause a diplomatic incident.
It was a dark green polymer ensemble that looked like it had been stitched together by a seductive AI with boundary issues. A bellyband connected to pants, showing off her shoulders, spine, and upper chest, while oddly covering her palms and thighs.
From the back, the suit framed her bare waist like an art piece. No bra. No shame.
To Daisy, Viper's suit does not protect where it should, and covers where it should not.
"Seriously?" Daisy murmured, eyeing the outfit. "Is that made of melted jelly beans?"
"It's breathable," Viper replied smugly.
"It's barely wearable."
"I make it work."
"Barely," Daisy muttered again.
When Viper offered her a matching suit, Daisy declined so fast it nearly created a sonic boom.
"I'll take the SHIELD gear, thanks. At least this has armor. Your costume's one wardrobe malfunction away from becoming performance art."
On the battlefield, chaos escalated. Grenade launchers began to roar. Sniper shots cracked through the courtyard. A small-time ninja commander on Viper's side took a bullet to the brain. Gao's bearded right-hand man met a grislier fate—blown to pieces by a cluster grenade.
In the dark, Gao shouted new orders, attempting to salvage control.
Back in the shadows, Daisy and Viper debated their next move.
"You teleport in and bait them while I ambush them." Viper offered.
"You have the poison. You bait them," Daisy countered. "Didn't you hear the old hag yelling your name?"
"She's not my biggest fan."
"And I'm her favorite, clearly."
Eventually, Viper sighed. "Fine. I'll draw her out. But if I get hit, you owe me a new outfit."
"Gladly," Daisy smirked. "Preferably one with more actual fabric."
Viper stepped out onto the stone path like she was entering a gala.
"Madame Gao," she called with syrupy disdain. "We meet again. You stole the Yashida fortune. That wasn't very neighborly of you."
From the shadows, Gao's expression twisted with hatred.
First Daisy, now this green-clad vixen?
She couldn't believe her luck.
She didn't think SHIELD would ever stoop to working with Viper, which is why she didn't believe the two were collaborating. In her mind, Viper was simply drawn by the scent of unclaimed wealth.
"Vultures," Gao muttered.
But she wasn't worried about Viper's looks or her venomous curves. Charm didn't work on Gao. Poison? She could purge that with her chi.
No, Gao was already eyeing her next move.
If I kill her, she thought, Maybe Daisy will show herself.
The old woman's narrow eyes glinted. Murder gleamed in her gaze.
To Be Continued...
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[POWER STONES AND REVIEWS PLS]