- "I don't know who he was. But when he hit me, it felt like a sledgehammer. He had this... this hand. I think it glowed."
"Glowed how?"
"I don't know. Just some skinny white kid." - ―Luke Cage and Claire Temple[src]
The Ambush at the Wall of the Chaste was an attempt by Sowande's crew to clean up the attack on the Chaste, which was interrupted due to Iron Fist and Luke Cage intervening.
Background[]
- "I don't know what he's up to, but they're doing some kind of clean-up work."
- ―Luke Cage to Claire Temple[src]
In order to replenish their supplies of the Resurrection Elixir, the Hand planned to excavate a dragon carcass from underneath New York City, which would destroy the city in the process.[4] In order to keep a low profile, Sowande recruited a number of young men from Harlem to do clean-up work after their operations, paying them a lot of money off the book. Sean Miller and Cole Miller took the job from Sowande to provide for their mother, as their sister died, however, Sean ended up being killed. The New York City Police Department investigated the situation, assuming that the Stokes Crime Family could be involved, although Misty Knight believed that something bigger was involved.
Being released from Seagate Penitentiary, Luke Cage returned to Harlem and was approached by Knight who informed him of the situation in the neighborhood. Cage offered his help to investigate but Knight instead suggested him to find Cole and speak to him, so he would not share his brother's fate. Cage approached Cole and talked to him about what happened to his brother, but Cole denied knowing anything, although he did take the same job as him. Cage warned him that if Cole does not leave, he will get himself hurt and urged Cole to think of his mother, offering his help. Cole replied that it was too late for that and he does not need any heroes to do anything for him.[5]
Proceeding with her plans, Alexandra Reid ordered Elektra to attack the Wall of the Chaste, having her successfully massacre every Chaste on the spot. Stick ended up being the only survivor of the massacre, being captured by the Hand and brought to Reid. She then ordered Sowande to cover up the aftermath of the Chaste massacre, sending his men for a clean up at the Wall.
Luke Cage interrogates Turk Barrett
Danny Rand and Colleen Wing returned to New York after their worldwide hunt for the Hand, as they encountered Shaft, a Chaste who recognized Rand and told him that he was needed in New York. Thinking about Shaft and their supposed allies in the war on the Hand, Wing recalled that he had a very specific Tsukamoto katana and she knew a workship in New York where Shaft could obtain it. Rand hesitated as they did not have the best luck trusting other people but did agree to check the lead with Wing. Meanwhile, Cage investigated the job the Miller brothers were taking and approached Turk Barrett at Trouble in a Pair-of-Dice, demanding him to talk. Threatened by Cage, Barrett spoke up on Sowande's activity in Harlem and told him where he saw him a few times before.[6]
Ambush[]
Danny Rand and Colleen Wing find the dead Chaste
- "He punched me."
"You punched first." - ―Luke Cage and Danny Rand[src]
Colleen Wing brought Danny Rand to a workshop, located at the Wall of the Chaste, where they found the same katana Shaft was wielding. However, they then spotted bloodstains of the floor and went in to check, finding a room full of corpses of the slaughtered Chaste. Checking the bodies, Rand noticed that some of them were still warm which meant that the attack happened not too long ago and Wing noticed that someone was dragged out of there. Rand realized that the Hand should be responsible for the killings and although he did not know who the Chaste were, he found a scroll depicting K'un-Lun on the wall.
Danny Rand attacks Cole Miller
Meanwhile, Sowande picked up his recruits to clean up at the Wall, unaware that Luke Cage was watching him from a distance and noticed that Cole Miller was among Sowande's crew. They arrived at the Wall and started with the clean up, while Rand and Wing took cover before attacking them. Rand and Wing easily overpowered the men who had no chance against their martial arts prowess, while Miller attempted to escape. Rand chased after Miller and cornered him in the alley, demanding him to tell whether or not he was working for the Hand, which he denied. Rand punched Miller a few times and told him to speak, so Miller confessed that he was in a cleanup crew but he did not know anything about the Hand.
Luke Cage confronts Danny Rand
Rand did not believe Miller and prepared to punch him in the face, however, Cage who was following the crew stepped in and stopped Rand, before checking on Miller. Rand quickly recovered and engaged in a fight with Cage, however, his punches could not do anything to his bulletproof skin. Cage blocked all of Rand's attacks and despite his resistance, he retaliated before throwing him out. Rand continued attacking Cage but his martial arts did not help, so Cage pinned him on the ground and told him to stay down. As Rand saw Miller trying to run away, he tried to push Cage away and pursue him, but Cage was able to stop him and attempted to punch Rand.
Danny Rand hits Luke Cage with his Iron Fist
Rand managed to dodge and parry his strikes, however, his own attacks were still ineffective, so Cage was able to land a hit on Rand and take him down. With Cage standing over him, Rand started to gather his Chi and summoned the Iron Fist, which he used to land a devastating blow in his jaw. The Iron Fist was powerful enough to damage Cage despite his unbreakable skin and send him flying into the garage door. While Cage was getting up, the New York City Police Department arrived at the scene and apprehended Miller who surrendered immediately, while Cage and Rand both retreated from the scene.[6]
Aftermath[]
- "You're taking the war to the ones at the bottom, is that it? If I were in your shoes, I'd think twice about using that thing on people who are trying to feed their families."
- ―Luke Cage to Danny Rand[src]
Returning to Claire Temple, Luke Cage told her about his findings regarding Sowande and his cleanup business as well as Cole Miller who was arrested by the New York City Police Department, as Cage felt bad for leaving the young man behind. Temple noticed that Cage was hurt and he told her about his run-in with Danny Rand and his glowing fist that was able to land a serious strike on him. Temple recognized Rand from the description and called him, arranging for the two to meet at Chikara Dojo, although both Cage and Rand were not pleased to meet again. Rand and Colleen Wing told Cage about K'un-Lun and the Hand, and Temple suggested that Sowande could be with them.
Luke Cage calls out Danny Rand
Temple and Wing left the two to talk and sort out their problems with each other, and Rand said that he also wanted to help people, which was the reason why he came to the Wall of the Chaste. Cage took an issue with Rand beating Miller up and calling it help, but Rand insisted that the Hand was too dangerous and he could not take half-measures against them. Cage claimed that Miller had nothing to do with them, but Rand disagreed as Miller was working for them and him needing money was not an excuse. Cage angrily told Rand that him that no matter how he sees it, he was still a white, privileged billionaire using violence against a poor black kid for his personal vendetta against the Hand.
Luke Cage talks to Cole Miller
As the two parted ways, Cage arrived at a police station to visit Miller, as Misty Knight told Cage that he will be arraigned within 24 hours, so they do not have much time. Cage suggested Miller accepting a deal and said he knew a lawyer that could help him, but Miller said that there could not be any deal, since Miller was caught around dead bodies. Cage told Miller that he should not take the blame for what he was not responsible and tried to ask about those he worked for, but Miller told him to quit it, as the Hand had eyes and ears everywhere, and Cage speaking to him was a bad look. He then asked Cage to visit his mother and bring her lotto tickets, and Cage found some cash and a Midland Circle parking ticket in his belongings. At that time, the Hand had Miller killed and the police notified his mother of his death, which devastated her.
Danny Rand encounters the Hand
Meanwhile, Rand took Cage's words to heart and concurred that he had enough resources to fight the Hand in a different way, not taking the fight to a grunt workers that were caught in a crossfire. Rand and Wing came to Rand Enterprises and asked the accountant to check on the Hand's business holdings in New York City, as they had been within Rand Enterprises as well. The accountant found out that a number of small holdings connected to the Hand were liquidated on the same day and made a deposit to Midland Circle Financial, a company which Ward Meachum ordered to cut business with. Rand arrived at Midland Circle and requesting a meeting with their CEO, before being brought to the board of directors.
Danny Rand and Luke Cage fight the Hand
Rand stated that he was fully aware that Midland Circle Financial was only a front and he knew they were the Hand, before being approached by Alexandra Reid. Rand told Reid that he knew everything about the Hand's illegal operations around the globe and declared his intention to stop them at all costs as the Iron Fist and a defender of K'un-Lun. The Hand then proceeded to attack Rand, but Reid made it clear that he is needed alive, since the Iron Fist was a key to the dragon carcass they sought. As Rand was overwhelmed by the Hand, Cage broke arrived at Midland Circle and joined forces with Rand to take all of them down, before Jessica Jones and Matt Murdock arrived as well. The four confronted the Hand operatives and Elektra, before making their way out of the building[3] and taking a temporary refuge at the Royal Dragon Chinese Restaurant.[4]