Chapter 27: Hit first, talk later
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The special unit and Melinda May, all seasoned professionals, knew that firing their weapons would endanger their teammates. They lowered their guns and removed their fingers from the triggers. But Phil Coulson, the only one left, drew his weapon. By the time he was done, Rex was already among them, like a tiger among a herd of deer.
Phil squinted, unable to fire for fear of hitting his own team. He watched in disbelief as Rex took down two soldiers in an instant. Within ten seconds, the entire special unit was unconscious on the floor.
Rex turned to Melinda May, who was regaining her sight. But it was too late. Rex had already disarmed her, and in hand-to-hand combat, she was no match for him. Two swift moves were all it took to subdue her, her neck under his control.
Rex tossed May's gun aside and glared at Phil. "Put your gun on the floor!"
With Melinda under Rex's control, Phil had no choice but to drop his pistol.
Rex kicked the gun away, then quickly released Melinda, pushing her toward Phil.
"Now, we can talk."
Rex walked to the table, taking a seat and pointing at the chair opposite him. "Please, have a seat."
Rex turned to Lorna, who had recovered her vision. "Lorna, go upstairs and don't come down unless I call you."
Lorna rubbed her eyes, looking at Rex with sorrow before heading up the stairs to the second floor.
After exchanging a look, Phil and Melinda took seats. "Mr. Lee, you know that attacking federal officers is a serious felony."
Rex gave Phil a withering look. "Alright, cut the crap! We both know you're not from the FBI. Why are you targeting me?"
"No...no...well, yes." Phil waved his hands. "We're not from the FBI, but we're part of a government department. We're not targeting you, just investigating."
Phil pulled out his credentials and placed them on the table. "We're with the Strategic Homeland Intervention Enforcement Logistics Division, specializing in supernatural cases. We're confidential, but we work for the federal government, just like the FBI."
"Strategic Homeland Intervention Enforcement Logistics Division?" Rex smiled. "Well, I'd believe that's true. I mean, Coulson, you seem smart. If you were lying, you'd probably come up with a better name."
"Uh..." Phil sighed. "Actually, we've confirmed you're not a mutant or an alien. This is something different. May, give me the tablet."
Phil took a tablet from May and showed Rex a video. "Can you explain what you did to Colleen Wing this afternoon?"
Rex frowned. "Wait! Were you following me?"
"At that point, we hadn't confirmed your identity. Monitoring your movements was standard procedure."
"Humph!" Rex sighed, considering. "This is complicated, going back hundreds of years. Are you sure you want to know? If I were you, I wouldn't get involved."
"Hundreds of years ago?" Phil was even more intrigued. "Please explain."
"Where to start?" Rex smiled. "Before we talk about Danny Rand, who's at the center of this, you should know that fifteen years ago, the Rand family's plane crashed in China. Danny's parents died, but Danny survived. He was rescued by the Monks of Kunlun."
"Kunlun?" Phil repeated.
"Kunlun is a hidden sacred place where martial arts are taught, similar to our Kame School. They've taught the use of Ki for thousands of years."
"I'm not affiliated with Kunlun. Can't tell you more, so ask Danny Rand later. After he was rescued, he stayed in Kunlun, learned their arts, and became the Iron Fist. Then...why are you raising your hand, Phil? I'm not giving a class!"
Phil lowered his hand, embarrassed. "Cough, cough. What's this Iron Fist?"
"You just need to know that the Iron Fist is Kunlun's greatest force. Again, I'm not from Kunlun, so I can't tell you more."
"Danny Rand left Kunlun and returned to New York, only to find traces of 'The Hand' here. You're probably wondering about them. The Hand is an underground organization created by five Kunlun traitors. They've been around for hundreds of years, spreading across the globe. They have countless minions and powerful members. You've probably guessed that the Hand and Kunlun are enemies. Rand, Kunlun's greatest force, is destined to face them. He ended up with Colleen helping him, and she almost got killed!"