Toss Up (Danny Rand)

Double Shift (Part 3)

"Sneaking up on people is rude, you know."

I brace myself as he lifts me, swinging me around and bashing me into the metal walls, and all at once I lose my breath. He gives me no time to recover as he pins me against them by my waist, the goblin gas making it easy for him. He squeezes and I let out a cry of pain, my wounds from earlier not fully recovered and I taste the coppery tang of blood bubble up in my throat.

I fight through the pain, gritting my teeth. With my arms still free, I try to sneak the antidote, but he easily catches my hand with his free one and tosses the inoculator aside. I watch helplessly as it skids away into the darkness and he tightens his grip, activating his chi and I scream as his aura eats away at me.

He laughs cruelly, watching me as I claw at his arms to let me go. "If you would just give in, none of this would have happened. Now, look at you... all alone with no one coming to save you."

I struggle against his hold, looking down at his masked face, chillingly illuminated by his chi. If I use my blades... "I won't... I won't give up, damn it! Danny, I know you're in there... please..!" my voice weakens as I try to get in any air I can get.

"Your pleading falls on deaf ears." he grins. "As soon as you lose consciousness, you'll be reborn—reborn as a Goblin!"

"You swore to help people... no matter what!"

"Foolish words from a naïve boy. The Goblin will always win! We are Goblin now!"

Black spots dance around my vision as it blurs, and I know I'm running out of time. "N-No you're not... you're Daniel Rand. You're the kindest person I've ever met... you hold our team together, Danny! We need you—I need you!" I cry, my mask soaking up my tears, and I swallow another scream as he amplifies his chi and my body slumps forward.

"Then you should have stayed." I hear him growl, my unfocused eyes looking down at the ground as I start to lose consciousness.

I can't pass out... Spidey and the others... they're counting on me.

As my eyes shut, my body feels weightless for a moment before a familiar sensation pulls at me from the back of my mind. Finding the strength to look up, Danny disappears from in front of me and in his place sits a large four-tailed fox, her dark coat shining like starlight.

"Mes... qa?" I whisper as her large eyes study me for a moment before they close and I'm snapped back to the present. Iron Fist's eyes are wide as his grip loosens, something pulling him from me.

"What are you doing?!" he cried as he's yanked away from me and I drop to the cold wet floor like a rock. I gasp for breath, turning to rest on my side as every lungful of air burns at my throat.

Letting out a shaky breath, I try to keep myself from vomiting as I look up to see tendrils of shadows from the room binding him and bringing him down to his knees. I look back up to see a large part of the ceiling missing; the moonlight cutting through the darkness.

My eyes dart over to the inoculator that sits just a few ways from me now, and I lean over painfully to grab it. I hear some part of me crack and I hiss as I hold my side. Yup, definitely my ribs.

He thrashes against the bindings as I hobble my way up to my feet, limping over to him. "No! Your pathetic antidote won't work! The Goblin makes us strong! The Goblin—!" he stops when I inject the antidote into his neck, fighting the shadows even harder, and the more he struggles, the worse I feel. Whatever this technique is, it's burning away at the little energy I have left.

He lets out an inhuman screech, and I shut my eyes. I can't bear to see him in so much pain, even though I know it has to be done to cure him.

Dropping to my knees, I try to focus on anything else but his screaming as the antidote works through his system.