11187/Strange Things Are Afoot...

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Strange Things Are Afoot...
Date of Scene: 16 May 2022
Location: Al's Corner Store
Synopsis: Danny and Daimon find clues regarding the disappearance of the Eel and demonic incursions.
Cast of Characters: Daimon Hellstrom, Danny Rand




Daimon Hellstrom has posed:
    20 minutes ago: A text was sent to Danny Rand's cell phone with a picture. It was from 'unknown' and read, "Iron Fist, this is Daimon Hellstrom. Paranormal investigator. I discovered something that may interest you. <address>."

    Now: Not actually inside the Corner Store itself, but behind it in the closed off alleyway. A secluded paved area (10'x10') that once served as the terminus of an alleyway. No egress. Just the back side of several businesses. The area is surrounded by 4 story(ie) buildings with various doors and windows. The concrete it wet, has multiple drain holes and there's articles of refuse here and there. But the one thing that stands out is a pentagram drawn upon the floor of the 10'x10' square. It appears to be in blood. Each point of the pentagram has a burnt out melted black candle. The lines of the pentagram appear to be drawn in blood. It appears that there was to be a sacrifice, ritual, or summoning, however, no additional blood or occult trinkets were found. The only thing that truly stands out is a blue and magenta costume and the item seen in the picture sent to Rand's phone. The item is an ancient Chinese mystical artifact linked to the great city of K'un-Lun. A small dragon statue of gold. It's located in the center of the pentagram. The uniform is off to the side.

    A detective in a cheap grey suit is speaking to a tall redheaded man wearing a very expensive black suit with a gold pentagram on his lapel. Uniformed officers are standing inside the store itself and will allow Danny back into the scene. (uniform: https://comicvine.gamespot.com/a/uploads/original/11/117763/2880407-ohotmu_defenders__1___page_14.jpg , statue: https://i5.walmartimages.com/asr/2738f642-45b4-40b2-859f-7e8383ce07a5_1.4b128a89217bc0df5fef14f4bcff518d.jpeg )

Danny Rand has posed:
K'un-Lun is a city that loves its secrecy. It only survives via anonymity. When knowledge reaches Danny that there's an artifact from his home in Hell's Kitchen? Everything else can wait. It had been a boring shareholder's meeting, anyway.

A quick change into his suit (read: green and hold tracksuit, because comfort and mobility is key), and he spirited himself away from Manhattan to one of the more crime-stricken buroughs.

Approaching the scene, Danny slips under the Crime Scene tape and begins to close the distance between himself and the pentagram. His senses aren't superhuman for the most part, but he's got a fine nose for traces of magic and chi, and this place seems to be fit to bursting with both. Iron Fist's eyes land on Daimon for a moment before he's addressing the police officer.

"What in the world is going on here?" Pentagrams and statues of Shou-Lao the Undying don't usually run in the same circles.

Daimon Hellstrom has posed:
    There is a sense of 'infernal' magic blended with the hints of 'chi' energy that lingers within the small alcove. Especially in the walls and the pentagram itself. As if there was a blended or conflicting explosion. The other thing of interest, if Danny can tell, Daimon is definitely infernal in nature.

    Words coming from Daimon's mouth as Danny enters earshot, "Most I can tell is that there was a body that was consumed by Hell's maw."

    And the detective responds, "I've got to follow procedure; no body, no hints of foul play, no blood, no murder."

    When Danny enters and poses his question, both Daimon and the detective turn. Hellstrom takes the initiative and states, "Iron Fist, glad you could come. I'm Daimon Hellstrom, this is detective German. As noted in my text, I thought you would be interested in this mystery - considering that." and he points down to the statue in the middle of the pentagram. The statue is about the size of a breadbox and quite heavy. Solid gold.

    The detective gives a nod and states, "From what we have discerned, thanks to Mr Hellstrom's aptitude and skills. There was some nefarious ritual here. Either summoning or deal making with a demonic presence."

    Daimon interjects, "However, it went awry. The statue remains, the body does not. However, there is a costume.." and he indicates the costume.

Danny Rand has posed:
The Hand. Danny shakes his head in an attempt to keep himself from jumping to conclusions. There are far more foul things in existence aside from the league of ninjas that seem to plague him at every turn. Have to keep an open mind.

Danny walks over to one of the neaby walls and presses a hand to it, feeling the energies spread about it. Chi is a hard thing to trace, its very nature that of a flowing river that courses through all things, living and dead. If its source isn't someone he knows dearly, this exercise is likely for nought.

His hand drops from the wall and he smiles at Daimon. "I appreciate the heads up. It's a pleasure to meet you both," he offers, complete with a shallow bow to the two of them.

"Leo what have you done this time?" he asks, kneeling down next to the empty costume. "It belongs to Leo Stryke," he informs the detective, not sure if the man recognizes it or not. "I've turned him in a few times. When was the last time he made bail?" he asks, looking up at the man.

Daimon Hellstrom has posed:
    Daimon gives a nod of acceptance.

    The detective has no clue when he answers, "I wasn't aware. I'm homicide. I was about to call in a detective from the metahuman division based on the costume. There are way too many of you people to keep up with who is in and out of jail, and who wears what costumes." The detective does however write down the name Leo Stryke in his note pad.

    Daimon queries, "Then it was a friend of yours who got himself involved in something he shouldn't have? Sounds like a common theme."

Danny Rand has posed:
"Not a friend, really. Just a guy who was dealt a bad hand and felt he didn't have any other way out," Danny says, shaking his head and moving to stand up, eyes still on the statue.

The hairs on the back of his neck stand on end, though, and Iron Fist is looking up towards the tops of the buildings surrounding them. "Detective, you don't have anyone on the roof, do you?"

Daimon Hellstrom has posed:
    The detective shakes his head. Doing his best not to look up. "Not at all."

    Daimon looks to Danny and mutters, "West side.. I'll go long, get behind them." He then leaps, straight up, a blur of motion.

    The detective steps back, stunned with the motion. The rooftop is 4 floors above. Brick surrounds the alleyway with ledges and edges to leap from if need be.

    On the rooftop above, a woman peers over the edge at the assumed crime scene < https://comicvine.gamespot.com/a/uploads/original/0/5332/2268450-asp.jpg > She wears a costume of green and white with her raven black hair.

Danny Rand has posed:
A deep intake of breath is taken and Danny's hunching down, corded muscles flexing and twisting before they release that chi-infused energy and send him sailing upwards, his feet landing about halfway up the fire escape and launching him again. In almost no time at all, he's managed to scale the building, landing in a superhero pose on the rooftop, exhaling slowly. He has to be careful with those reserves.

He stands up slowly and strikes a defensive pose, eyes on the lookout for the mysterious woman.

Daimon Hellstrom has posed:
    She backs away from from the super heroic landing of Iron Fist. Twenty feet behind her stands the dapper Daimon as he adjusts his cufflinks. He clears his throat, she turns and sees him and then turns back to Iron Fist who stands around 10 feet in front of her. She says in a confident voice, "Easy boys, I'm not here to fight."

Danny Rand has posed:
Danny spies Daimon and offers a nod of his head to the man before his attention turns to the woman. He takes her at her word, and his raised leg falls back to the ground, his fists unclenching.

"Then I think it's time you explained what you know about all this," Danny says. "Specifically that statue," he adds, hands moving to rest on his hips as he watches her. If she says she's not a threat, she's clearly not a threat, right?"

Daimon Hellstrom has posed:
    She notes, "The statue is why I'm here." She glances back to Daimon who remains unmoved. He gives her a look with a raised eyebrow. She turns back to Iron Fist and states, "I was hired to recover the artifact. I was following up on hearing that the Eel stole it. I was tracking him last night and lost him until the flash of light." she trails off and looks back at the opening to the top of the alcove.

Danny Rand has posed:
Danny's lips flatten at the explanation, his curiosity piqued, but his wariness not quite eschewed. He turns and looks back down at the crime scene for a moment before he's looking back to her and Daimon. "Hired by who?" he asks, tone a little less gentle. The more people that know about K'un-Lun, the less safe it is, after all.

Daimon Hellstrom has posed:
    "I'd rather not say. It's in my best interest not to. However, I can tell you who possessed it prior to the Eel's theft. A man calling himself Abbot Thanademos. He lives in Westchester County. A collector of rare antiquities and a cult leader. I don't know how long he's been in possession of the artifact, nor what he was using it for. However, I know he is a twisted, and very dangerous man. I do not know why the Eel stole the item. I was under the impression that he was going to fence it for money. I heard it was broke and trying to get back on his feet. But when I found this scene... I was totally confused. And took off."

Danny Rand has posed:
"Well..." Danny trails off, once more looking back down at the crime scene. "I can't let you take the artifact, but you can tell your employer that it's in good hands. It will be returned to where it's supposed to be," Danny explains.

"Is Leo dead? Did you see what happened?" he asks, returning his attention to the woman under interrogation. "Sure looks like he might be."

Daimon Hellstrom has posed:
    Asp is pensive, anxious, and about ready to attack and/or run. Though the puts up a good front, seems confident (self assured), but knows that things could go sideways at any second - especially if the cops come up to the roof, things would get stupid. Further, she knows she's outgunned.

    Daimon's eyes have a flame like glow about them.

    Asp states in a quiet, almost fearful tone, "When I... When I got here, I saw his costume on the ground. A lot of weird fire. And." She shudders. Then says, "And some sort of demon looking mutant. It bent down to pick up the statue, but there was some weird flash and the mutant was knocked back. It roared in pain, looked up and saw me. I ran. I couldn't stop running. I ended up at Battery Park with nowhere else to run and stood there shivering for who knows how long." There is actual fear in her voice as she recounts the events. It's obvious she came back here to face her fears (in the daylight).

    Daimon says (Asp looks back to him), "A demon like mutant? Likely a true demon. Considering the infernal energies within the alcove. I would actually speculate that it would be a class II demon."

Danny Rand has posed:
"A Class II demon? That's about two classes out of my wheelhouse, Daimon. Is there any chance of stopping it?" Danny asks. "K'un-Lun is warded against the infernal, so it doesn't surprise me that the statue itself had an affect on him, but that's about as far as my knowledge goes."

Danny idly toys with the zipper on the front of his jacket, a shiver creeping up his spine as he realizes just how out of his depth he really is.

Daimon Hellstrom has posed:
    Asp walks a few feet perpendicular to the straight line between Iron Fist and Daimon. Creating a shallow triangle. She looks back and forth between the two as they speak.

    Daimon states, "Demons are nothing more than a different species. Type II represents a Hell Lord. Someone who rules over their own little parcel of interdimensional land. It could be something as powerful as my father, Mephisto, or something as powerful as our friendly neighborhood Spider-man. Depending on how many mortal followers it has, along with the amount of dimensional land, where the land is located, and if it has any souls within that land to feed it power. It can be defeated, just like anyone. In respect to your Chi power, you could definitely do damage to any category or rank of demon. It boils down to where you hit it, and how much focus you have versus its own power level."

Danny Rand has posed:
Danny's hand drops back to his side and he nods to Daimon, apparently a little more self-assured now that he knows he has at least some semblance of a chance at stopping the thing. "And what about...reversing it? Is it Leo? Or did it *consume* Leo?" he asks, apparently very much interested in narrowing down what exactly their next steps are.

Daimon Hellstrom has posed:
    Daimon responds, "I've the impression that Leo was taken from this plane. Though, odd his costume was left behind. The demon must have an affinity for nudity. I can do some checking to follow up on finding his body, or soul.

    Asp arrrooos and her facial expression twists confused. Then she says, "It wasn't wearing clothing.. I don't think." She wishes she had pockets, she really wants to put her hands somewhere. They roll over one another, perhaps nervously. She was traumatized by the sight of, and further reveal of it being a demon.

Danny Rand has posed:
Danny bites at his lip and 'hrmm's. "Doesn't sound like things are looking good for him, then," he notes, though Asp's revelation sparks that little flame of hope he still has.

"We don't have enough information to do anything just yet. Daimon, I'll see what I can dig up about this statue and try to figure out what that Thanademon guy was doing with it. You try to figure out just what exactly we're dealing with. And you..." he says, looking at Asp. "Well, you seem like you might just need a hot bath and a cup of coffee."

Daimon Hellstrom has posed:
    Daimon offers a knowing smile, yet says nothing regarding Iron Fist's remark. As if he has ways to obtain information through preternatural means.

    Asp nods and takes a step back. She states, "Just as long as I don't run into any more demons; I'm good."

    Daimon notes, "Then perhaps you should take your leave, Asp. As others are on their way." (she never said her name). Daimon snaps the fingers on his left hand and dropping down from a cloud is a three demon horse pulled chariot. http://www.marvunapp.com/Appendix4/demon_steeds_hell.htm . It circles the rooftop and descends toward the trio.

Danny Rand has posed:
Danny rolls his shoulders and stretches out his arms, nodding to Daimon. He's about to leap back down to the alley when Daimon's chariot bursts through the clouds. "Huh," he notes, before a smile creeps to his face. "Now that's riding in style, friend. I normally just take the subway, but now you're putting ideas in my head," he says, grinning widely and doing a backflip off of the roof to go collect that statue before it ends up in the wrong hands again.

Daimon Hellstrom has posed:
    Upon touchdown. The detective is talking on his cell phone. A uniformed officer is standing with a camera taking photographs of the scene. The detective dismisses himself from the call and hangs up to approach Iron Fist. He says, "I spoke to the metahuman division. You are free to take the statue. It's asked that you be available for followup questions. Have you a cell phone or a means to contact?"

Danny Rand has posed:
Danny smiles broadly at the detective and leans down to pick up the artfully crafted rendition of Shou-Lao. "I do. We're in the phonebook under 'Heroes for Hire'," he says, with a salute to the man and another big smile, feet glowing a pale orange he tucks the statue under his arm and leaps back up the side of the building, on a path back to Manhattan. There's work to be done!

Daimon Hellstrom has posed:
    In his departure, Iron Fist will feel something itchy within the backside of his glove. If he withdraws it, he'll find a card that reads, "Daimon Hellstrom, PhD / Exorcist, Paranormal Detective / Occultist / <phone number>". A black card with gold lettering and a red pentagram.

    Iron Fist departs.