Chapter 17: [17] Japanese Demon Ninjas; The Hand Situation
Chapter 17: Japanese Demon Ninjas; The Hand Situation
—
"That was pretty cool, by the way. The speech, the comebacks, and the vibe of it all," Greer said as Enrique gently set her down in front of the villa.
It was early morning, and the sun was still rising in the eastern sky. The gentle rays reflected off Enrique's suit, making it shine like a gem. His indifferent, handsome, yet heroic face softened slightly into a small smile as he waved off her compliment.
But Greer Nelson had more on her mind. "But I can't help but worry. I've never heard of this Emma Frost woman before, but I do know about the Frost International group." Tigra crossed her arms, her brow furrowed. "This Emma is the CEO of that huge company; she's clearly a big deal. Was it wise to provoke her?"
Enrique thought for a moment before answering. "Emma Frost is a dangerous woman. She can either be a friend or a foe. I would have preferred to befriend her, but her personality doesn't allow her to trust someone she can't read the mind of."
"I see…" Tigra sighed, letting her arms fall to her sides. "What do you think she'll do, Enrique? Will she really sell us out to the Hand?"
"Does it matter? Are you scared of a group of mere ninjas even after spending a night with a superhero?" Enrique laughed, but her glare silenced him. "Alright, they're not 'mere' ninjas."
"Enrique, seriously, what will we do if they come for me and Ava tonight?"
"We kill them," Enrique said nonchalantly. "We send them a warning. They'll listen."
Greer opened her mouth to remind him that he was a superhero, but she closed it, recalling the conversation he had with Emma. He had threatened to harm children without flinching.
Instead, she asked, "...Why would they listen? To your threat, I mean."
Enrique frowned incredulously. "You ask that because you don't know anything about them. That clan of ninjas worships a magical, evil creature. They call it the Beast or Demon. They do whatever it wants. Now, if I make that creature realize it's up against a Goddess, it'll back off."
Greer blushed slightly. "Ah, a G-Goddess? Don't call me that, you silly big goril—"
"I'm talking about my mother, Mut," Enrique interrupted. "The one that big Egyptian statue in my living room represents."
"Oh," Greer's embarrassment vanished, replaced by a blank expression. "You should have been more clear."
As if the conversation was over, Greer turned and started walking toward the villa.
"Huh? What? Why are you leaving? I'm not done talking!" Enrique called after her, left standing in bafflement.
****
Murakami, one of the five leaders of the Hand, received a surprising call from Emma Frost, the infamous mutant and White Queen of the Hellfire Club. She offered the location of Tigra and White Tiger, whom the Hand had been searching for, without asking for anything in return.
That had surprised him greatly. Initially, he wasn't sure what she wished to achieve, but soon he realized why. Murakami understood that, for some reason, Emma wanted to harm these two women. That's why she was selling information for free.
Throughout the call, he realized that Emma's real target was Enrique Nova because it turned out that the two tiger women, Ava Ayala and Greer Nelson, were currently under the wing of that recent big bad Superhero. Emma wanted Supernova scared.
"Tonight," Emma Frost spoke from the other side of the phone. "Attack his home tonight." She spoke as if she was ordering him. That irritated Murakami.
Emma wasn't who Murakami followed, so her order didn't matter. She wasn't a part of the Hand. Murakami ended the call with the excuse that he needed to consult the other leaders.
If it were up to Murakami, he would have opted to avoid conflict with Supernova, given his power. But the decision rested with the Beast, the demon worshiped by the Hand, to whom Murakami went on to report the whole ordeal.
****
In a dimly lit room, Murakami knelt, his head touching the floor. A demonic creature waited before him, behind a veil, sitting on a throne, with its eyes glittering in the darkness.
"...I see," the round, blobby, frog-like demonic creature croaked after hearing the report, as Murakami kept his head touching the floor.
After a moment of contemplation, the Beast made its decision. "Attack tonight."
Murakami acknowledged the order. It would be hard, he noted, but not impossible. From the lone clip of Supernova defeating Magneto, that much was clear. But Murakami was confident.
The reason behind 'why even bother' going this far? That was because the Beast—the Demon wanted its hands on the White Tiger Amulet that Ava Ayala possessed.
That amulet, when brought together with the other body parts of the jade statue of the White Tiger, ushered great power upon the wielder. It was an incredible treasure.
****
Back at the villa, Greer joined the other two girls on the couch, occupying the couch in front of the television, as the three of them chatted amongst themselves in clear nervousness.
Leaving them to chat, Enrique brewed coffee in the kitchen, while listening to the voice of his Goddess, Mut, in his mind.
[Speaking of me and that 'Demon' twat,] Mut said, certainly referring to the Beast worshiped by the Hand. [Amongst his countless fake epithets, the one called 'Jackal's Son' is actually correct. He is my great-grandson's great-grandson, Anubis's, bastard child.]
"Oh," Enrique paused.
[You didn't know that?]
"I know of nothing, Goddess," Enrique replied. "I'm glad you think so highly of me, but I barely know anything. Feel free to enlighten me anytime. This particular information would have been useful against Emma Frost, but alas, you didn't tell me before."
[Hmm, I see. Apologies. You are, after all, a mortal in the end.] Mut said. ["Alright. From the next time, I will try to keep you in touch with things you are talking about."]
"Thank you," he said.
[Moving on. If the Hand attacks tonight, just defeat them. I'll take care of the rest. They won't bother you again.] Enrique nodded, understanding the plan. She probably wanted to contact the Demon and make some kind of deal with it. Mut quickly added, [In exchange for my gracious help, tell the two tiger girls to convert to my religion. Actually, just use your scumbag skills and threaten them, tell them that you'll help them rid of the Hand once and for all if they promise to convert."]
"Scumbag skills?" Enrique frowned. "What a rude term."
[What's true is true.]
He shrugged, "Fine. It's not a bad idea. Let me try persuading them. They still don't believe you're real, so it might be a bit hard."
As Mut hummed in satisfaction, scumbag Nova approached the three girls, who were chattering in front of the TV.
****
Though the TV had been playing for a while, the girls weren't focused on the soap opera. They were too busy discussing their situation, looking nervous as Greer explained what Emma had said.
"That witch-like woman suggested they'll come at night if they do come," Greer said. "It's mid-noon, already. Not much time remains, so I suggest we don't sleep tonight."
"Are they really that strong?" Anna asked. "Sorry, I don't mean to belittle your fear, but if they're just highly trained humans, we can take them on."
"Anna, they're Ninjas," Ava reminded. "They'll have crazy weapons. Also, they're attacking us in a normal house, while we're left to defend."
"Oh…"
Ava added, "They'll surround us and attack from all directions. We're strong, but none of us are invincible. Well, maybe Enrique is, but didn't he say he couldn't defeat them without good hand-to-hand training? It's only been a few days since Greer started his training."
"Mhm…"
"Why did he provoke her like that, haah?" Ava sighed, covering her face with her hands. "Should we just run?"
When Ava proposed that perhaps they should flee, Greer had opened her mouth to speak. But before anyone could speak, Enrique slipped into the conversation by standing right behind Anna and putting his arms around her neck.
"Hey girls, got a minute?"
All three of the girls jumped, startled by his sudden presence.
"Um, we weren't… planning to—" Greer began, remembering their earlier conversation about Enrique abandoning them if they left him alone.
Enrique interrupted her, unfazed. "The situation, as you all understand by now, is dangerous. We might die. But if we survive tonight, I can promise that this will be the last time the Hand bothers us. As long as you two, Ava and Greer, listen to what I have to say."
Both Ava and Greer's previous nervousness evaporated, replaced by uncertainty as they looked into Enrique's eyes.
"Listen to what exactly...?" they asked, their voices trembling as they saw the wide smile on Enrique's face.
X-x-X
Though the Demon, also known as the Beast, was the true leader of the Hand, it had five sub-leaders who managed the clan's operations.
These leaders were called the Five Fingers of the Hand.
Murakami was one such 'finger,' whose base of operations was in Japan, so he rarely left the country. The task of attacking Super-Nova fell to Alexandra Reid, the 'finger' operating in America.
In Hell's Kitchen, New York, on the top floor of the Midland Circle headquarters, Alexandra Reid sat in her office, rubbing her temples. "This is so foolish."
Among the Five Fingers, Alexandra was considered the leader, seeing herself as the smartest among her peers, despite all five having lived three lifetimes.
Alexandra wasn't an evil mastermind; she was a businesswoman and had planned to contact Super-Nova's civilian persona about his game company. Those plans were disrupted by a single call from Murakami, informing her of the Demon's recent decision.
Worst of all, this hasty plan was to be carried out that very night, disregarding her important business commitments.
"No, I am not going." Alexandra decided after a moment of thinking, gritting her teeth in frustration as she spoke to herself. I may be eternally youthful, but I am not immortal, this superhero might just kill me. That was a high possibility.
He easily defeated the Mutant Hero Magneto and then proceeded to change the weather of the entire city in his fight with Electro. No, she did not want to fight this person.
Her decision wouldn't face much opposition; as long as she sent enough soldiers, her absence wouldn't be an issue. "That Nobu Yoshioka who works under Murakami," Alexandra recalled. "He's nearby in Hell's Kitchen. He can lead a group of ninjas to attack the house."
She had no qualms if Murakami's lackeys bore the risk; if they died. "Fifty ninjas should suffice, I think." Alexandra paused, then shook her head. But wait, against four super-powered individuals, that may not work. One hundred, perhaps?
She believed that one hundred ninjas would be the right number for this mission. In her opinion, it would be a miracle if Enrique and his friends survived, given the stealth and precision of the attack. "Alright, let's get this through."
****
"At the very least, this would not be a surprise attack, though the Hand expects us to be oblivious to all this."
The Hand wasn't a part of Hellfire Club, and therefore it's not under Emma's control. So if Emma didn't want to look desperate on taking Enrique down, she possibly couldn't have revealed to the Hand that she had threatened him of not being able to sleep tonight; which if she had indeed revealed, the Hand would be less prone to attack in this night. If they do, then it would seem like they're following Emma's orders which would hurt their ego.
Therefore, the attack might not happen tonight; but if it does then Emma must have used some other trickery, possibly with her mind powers, to initiate the attack right on this night.
"Anyhow, we are assuming they are going to come tonight; therefore, we are taking precautions against them right away. The first procedure against this would be the gas masks in your hands."
Enrique declared as he looked at the girls sitting on the couch in front of him, while he stood with his arms crossed.
"As they are Ninjas, they'd want to finish us silently, so they'll attack at night when we should be asleep. But they would not want to take any chances of us being awake at night, so they would most certainly start the attack by spreading sleeping gas through the villa."
The three girls were listening to his words attentively, while behind them the glass window showed the setting sun in the dusk sky.
"It's evening, so we have a few hours in our hands since an optimal time for such an attack would be midnight or after," Enrique said. "For a small group such as ours, it would be optimal to send a similarly smaller group. However, let's not forget we are super-powered power-houses, so the attacker number is ought to be big. When they realize that we are indeed awake even after the spreading of the gas, thanks to your gas masks, they would attack us with full force, using their number to their advantage."
"As they are Ninjas, they wouldn't use guns but blades instead; Anna's bulletproof super-suit is useless against them. To them, Anna would be the easiest target since she has no powers. You two can't share powers with her since you two would be weakened in exchange; and she can't touch the Ninjas either, as they'd be mostly covered from head to toe."
Enrique looked at Anna. "However, these Ninjas do have minor powers thanks to something called the Substance that enhanced their physiology. So the plan is that Ava and Greer will keep Anna surrounded like a shield to keep her safe, and whenever you two manage to best an opponent you send her to Anna so that she can touch the slight open in their Ninja mask that gives access to skin. Therefore, mid-battle, when Anna is done touching a threshold of enemies, she would also be a strong force on our side."
The three girls nodded attentively while looking quite a bit impressed. He had already planned everything based on so little information? —they thought. Though Ava Ayala hid her impressed expression quite nicely, embarrassed to admit it on her face.
After a moment of silence, as the girls went over the plan in their heads, Anna Marie looked at Enrique and asked worriedly.
"What about you?"
"The sleeping gas, I thought, would be somewhat of a problem because of the increase in my smelling powers," Enrique said. "But my Goddess said it's fine, that my body's natural antibody will fight against the gas to prevent me from sleeping. She claims she would know since her stepdaughter is Bast, the Panther Goddess of Egypt."
"However, if my beast powers fail me, there is no need to worry since my invisible mask that you guys have never seen would work like a gas mask too." Enrique finished.
Enrique yawned a little as he rubbed his eyes.
"In any case, I didn't get much sleep last night thanks to Greer being loud, so I will go take a nap. Greer, you should too. Don't worry, my Goddess will wake me up in a second if she senses anything suspicious. Everyone comes to my room, we better stick together."
****
Nobu Yoshioka has been dealing with the criminal world of New York. That had been his job since he came here a few years ago. However, today there was a change in his pace.
Ordered by his boss, Murakami, he was to lead a group of one hundred Ninjas to attack the villa of the recent star, Super-Nova.
To most, this might sound like a dangerous mission; to make anyone take a back step. However, as an immortal who had consumed the Substance, Nobu feared nothing. Moreover, there were going to be a hundred more soldiers by his side, what was to worry about here?
In the evening, Nobu met up with his fellow Ninjas, all of them ranked below him, and explained the mission one more time.
"At midnight we go."
That was the final decision, and everyone prepared in their own way while waiting for that time to come.
Hours later, it was finally midnight. So, the clan of Ninjas started to move under the night sky of New York, reaching Highland Park where the targeted villa was located.
….
When the Hand Ninjas reached the villa rented by Enrique, they surrounded it in a big circle of hundreds of people. Nobu observed the villa from behind a bush as he found most of the lights turned off excluding the light in the front yard.
"... Group A, get that thing turned off," Nobu ordered, gesturing to a dozen ninjas who moved to shut down the power system. The lights flickered off, plunging the area into darkness.
The job was done in a minute, and the lights in the front yard flickered out. The Hand Ninjas who were trained to fight at night, had vision that worked great in the darkness. But with no lights, Nobu believed the four supers inside would have a very hard time.
"Group B, spread the sleeping gas."
Two dozen ninjas moved to the villa's corners, opening windows and dropping small bombs inside. The bombs silently released a thick green gas, quickly spreading through the villa.
"It's going well," Nobu nodded. "Now we wait. Five minutes."
The minutes felt longer than usual, even for seasoned ninjas. Finally, Nobu gave the order. "Let's go in."
Nobu ordered and with a nod, all of the 100 soldiers and Nobu ran close to the villa, quickly putting their backs against the wall of the building.
"Group-C, you dozen people go inside and back and report asap."
The 12 members of Group-C all nodded at once and then swiftly, but silently, made their way inside the house through its windows.
Nobu waited for a minute, then two, and then three, but the ninjas didn't return.
"...Not good." Nobu took a deep breath and announced loudly. "Initiate Plan B. The targets are awake and are fighting back. Everyone, rush inside!"
Like a domino effect, the 88 remaining ninjas who were surrounding the villa in a circle all moved inside it, one after another, with their alert hyper high.
****
When Nobu entered the villa, it was dark as expected since the lights were off.
Swiftly, the Ninjas moved from one door to another to check the rooms, but every time only one report came back.
"Empty!"
In a minute, the first floor of the villa was reported empty, so everyone was sure the targets were on the second floor.
"Be cautious. Go up!"
Nobu ordered the men and they listened without any hesitation.
They all ran up the stairs one behind the other, and that's when things went bright white.
– Bzzt~
The ninja who was ahead of everyone on the stairs—stopped in his tracks as a person suddenly stood in front of him like a white pillar of marble.
An aura of electricity flared into life around the person; at the same time, his body started to change, transforming into the predator that all prey feared.
"Actually, girls,"
Super-Nova said, addressing the three girls who stood right behind him, as he fully transformed into his mutant, Tiger-Form, with large claws on his wrist and elbow.
"You just watch. From the twelve before, I am pretty sure I can handle them all."
Saying so, the hero flew down from the top of the stairs, electricity shocking anyone to death who happened to get touched by him or the aura around him.
****
Enrique's big black claws were merciless as they cut through the Ninjas like a hot knife through butter; his claws indeed were hot as he passed hypercharged electricity through them.
In a second, all the Ninjas who were climbing the stairs were either shocked to death, or severed in two, and for some unlucky individuals, both cases applied.
Enrique dropped to the ground, causing the Ninjas to freeze in thought for a moment, and then they started to rush towards Enrique; Enrique however, had the sole goal of keeping anyone from climbing the stairs. So the second someone got close to him, he punched them with the full force of his beast form.
– Bam!
– Bam!
– Bam!
Each punch released a shockwave of wind and electricity that touched the ninjas nearby; so when Enrique took down a person by punching them—destroying the part he punched—another enemy got paralyzed on the side.
The Ninjas swarmed at him from all sides, and Enrique just grabbed one of them by the throat, immediately killing him as the claw on his wrist penetrated the enemy. He moved his other hand from one side to another to slice across multiple enemies at once.
No ninjas could touch him either, the aura of electricity shocking them every time they tried, and that same aura released a whip of energy every few seconds that stunned any unlucky Ninja who got caught in it.
Blood, fried meat, and cut body parts littered the floor in just a few seconds as Enrique went all out with his powers. He growled like a beast, sometimes losing control as he kept punching a person continuously, causing brain matter to paint the house horrid.
One after another, as the brainwashed Ninjas ran to him, Enrique Nova sliced, shocked, or crushed them dead.
53 seconds into the fight, only 13 ninjas remained.
After a short silence of exchanging glances, twelve of them ran at Enrique all at once. But this time, Enrique decided not to raise his claws. He spread his arms as if to welcome the enemies, and then his body went blindingly bright.
[Thunder Bolt!]
Whips of supercharged electricity leaped from the aura that surrounded Enrique and struck twelve of the thirteen enemies; shocking them and turning their skin into charcoal.
They fell to their faces a second later, dead.
A minute finally passed and Enrique's Cloak of Lightning ran out of its fume.
However, the fight hadn't ended yet.
A Ninja still remained.
A few meters in front of him, a Ninja who wore the same red outfit as the other ones, excluding a barely visible dark red arrow mark on his chest. That was a first and given he hadn't attacked yet and just watched from the sideline, Enrique theorized he was the one leading this mission.
"As you saw here, I needed a minute to take down a hundred ninjas,"
Enrique said the facts of what just happened here.
"Therefore, I hope you know what'd happen if you tried to attack me."
This person, according to Goddess Mut, was not to be killed. He needed to return alive, to report to his boss who would report to the Demon.
"I have a job for you, that if you agree to do, you get to return home alive."
Enrique said, with his voice way more gruff and harsh than usual, due to his transformation.
"Report to your boss, and tell him that his boss better contact his great-great-great grandmother in time," Enrique warned. "Otherwise, the Hand may fall apart."
As the dazed and stunned Murakami, who was fearful of death for once, nodded quickly before swiftly running away, Enrique asserted that the fight had ended. He had won, easily at that.
The Hand was dealt with; to never bother him and these girls.
Now, he should pay a visit to the White Queen, to live by his end of the agreement.
The agreement was that—since Enrique didn't get to sleep properly tonight, he would rather be Emma's nightmare for the rest of the night.
**
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Author Note: Got caught into some crazy situations, but I'm back now.
Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
stone