At Avengers Tower, late at night, some members were gathered. They weren't the ones most inclined to brute force, but those who relied more on their minds than their muscles.
"What do we have?" asked Steve seriously.
Tony stood up and began pointing at files projected on the screen, like a detective following a case.
"According to what we know, there are four. Probably three men and one woman. Let's start with the first."
The image expanded: details of Leonardo's original painting.
"Many injured. Most of them seem to have been attacked by surprise, which suggests great agility or superhuman senses. But what's curious are their faces."
Tony zoomed in further on the images. With the technology, expressions that had gone unnoticed before could now be distinguished.
"Fear?" said Steve in confusion.
"Exactly. Not just fear… terror. Either they faced something terrifying, or someone with that reputation. Look: bullets fired, limbs broken. Whoever attacked them not only defeated them, but played with fear to turn them into easy prey."
"How are we supposed to find someone like that?" asked Rhodes from the side.
Clint Barton replied without hesitation.
"It's easier than you think. It's Daredevil, right?"
"The most likely suspect," Tony nodded. "Not only is it happening in his territory, but his methods match. Although, of course, we can't rule out someone with similar abilities."
Rhodes widened his eyes, surprised.
"Are you telling me there's a public, well-known superhero and I didn't know about him?"
Clint explained calmly:
"Because it's not official information. In Hell's Kitchen, Daredevil is not a man, he's a horror story. What parents tell their kids to make them go to bed early: 'If you take the wrong path, Daredevil will be waiting for you.'"
"Sounds like an urban legend," said Rhodes.
"And that's exactly what he wants," Tony intervened before moving on to the next case.
"Look at these scenes: full of bullet casings and traces of explosions… and yet, the targets are dead."
"Another agile one?" asked Steve.
"No. Look closely," Tony pointed at the projections. "The bullets hit something. The explosions didn't spread everywhere: they stopped as if they had collided with a wall… a wall of flesh and bone."
"Suspects?" asked Steve.
"Several. Sounds like someone with invulnerability or super resistance. Even someone with a serum like yours. But none of them usually operate in this area. These are the main suspects."
Three faces appeared on the screen.
A tall, blond man with metallic skin.
A stocky, dark-skinned man.
And a woman nearly two meters tall.
"I'm leaning toward the one in the middle," said Tony. "Luke Cage. His straightforward methods and lack of discretion fit too well."
"Let's move on to the next. Centralized explosions, originating from a single point. Not a long-range weapon, so it must be a gauntlet… or powers directly in his fists."
Tony smiled.
"Luckily for us, it's enough to search 'man with glowing hand' on the internet."
"Danny Rand," said Steve immediately. "Public figure, involved in supernatural affairs. Nicknamed Iron Fist."
"Exactly. And lastly, the girl. We can assume super strength from the type of damage, and flight from the impossible strikes from above. Also, many enemies seemed to stop fighting as soon as she approached. Most likely some kind of mental ability."
"Although the list is long, the powers narrow the suspects down to about ten," Tony concluded. "We'll have to investigate them all."
"Looks like we've got work ahead of us," Rhodes sighed. "And what about the enemy?"
"If I may intervene."
This time it was Vision who spoke. He stepped forward and drew everyone's attention.
"I have studied the organization known as The Hand for quite some time. According to my research, their existence dates back centuries. They operate in secrecy, from the shadows. The Yakuza are the visible face of Japanese crime, but the truly dark… is The Hand."
The silence in the room grew heavy as Vision continued.
"Their structure is ruthless. Ancient leaders, the Five Fingers, lead clans of operatives trained since childhood. Loyalty is not earned, it is imposed with rituals that surpass comprehension. I have seen their methods. They prefer traditional weapons and physical techniques, but the most disturbing aspect is their ability to return from death. Not as restored individuals, but as instruments bound to their will."
"In places like New York, their presence is nearly invisible. But the traces they leave suggest precision, control… and the use of fear as a weapon. The use of firearms is pragmatic, not essential. They can adapt to any situation."
"As for their objective, it doesn't seem to be mere chaos. I have reviewed past operations and, on multiple occasions, The Hand acted in places with no apparent reason… unless they were searching for something hidden underground."
He pointed at the projection, where the underground destruction became visible.
"If we analyze the pattern, we can deduce that they planted explosives beneath the city. And if their goal is not simply chaos, then it suggests a rudimentary method to unearth something large and valuable. Something worth the risk of destroying an entire urban zone."
He paused, looking at each of those present.
"Adding to this hypothesis is a troubling detail: most of the injured who faced these… defenders were low-ranking fighters, since only they use firearms. That indicates the elite members, the true core of the organization, are operating elsewhere. Most likely beneath the city."
"In short…" Rhodes broke the silence. "The Japanese Hydra is after something so valuable under the city that they don't care about destroying it? And this group of people wants to stop them?"
"Exactly," Tony nodded. "And this time we have the perfect excuse to take them down."
Steve stood up.
"It's no longer about preventing a disaster. Now we have the motive we needed. From this moment on, I declare: the Avengers will bring down The Hand."
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