Marvelous Martial Arts (A Marvel Story)

The next day, Mason decided to push his training session with Steve and Bobbi back a couple of hours at his dojo because he had something more important to do in the morning.

Things were moving fast on the Fisk front, especially after Mason told them the ‘government’ would help, but they would still need a few more days to iron out the details and present it to the state. Or maybe directly to SHIELD, now that Mason thought about it.

No, what Mason needed to do was much simpler: visit his family.

It had not been long since he had seen them, not even two weeks, but those had not exactly been the most ordinary of weeks. Besides, he intended to leave the country for an unknown period of time, presumably a long one, so he owed them a visit now that he was no longer wanted.

He went early in the morning because timing did not favor him; it was a weekday, meaning they all had lives to get to, so his only choice was to get there earlier than they would leave.

Unfortunately, as he approached his family home, Mason only felt two presences inside: that of Audrey and Elena. That could only mean his parents had not slept at home, which was curious.

Mason knocked at the door, and it was Elena who came to answer. She opened the door with a cautious look, which made Mason himself tense, before she recognized him. A flutter of emotions flashed on her face: relief, worry, consternation, anger. Before she could properly settle on one, she harshly whispered, ”What are you doing here, you moron?! The house is obviously watched!”

Mason smiled, nodding in the direction of the car watching them. ”It’s alright; they’re not moving, because I’ve been proven innocent.”

”You… did? How? Dad was saying-”

”Dad was probably right, but it was the deep state government itself that framed me, then pardoned me. It’s a whole thing, most of it confidential, but it’s fine. Say, where are Mom and Dad?”

Elena was about to answer when Audrey walked in as well, looking half asleep as she asked tiredly, ”Who is it, Elena?”

She stopped as she reached the door, staring at Mason for a moment before rubbing her eyes, and only when she confirmed Mason was not a figment of her imagination did she erupt, ”Mason!”

Elena immediately placed a hand on her head, pinning her in place as she said, ”He was framed and proven innocent, so calm down.” Then she added to Mason, ”Dad has been working with Uncle Tony on your case, and Mom has been at work a lot. I’ll call them. And come in; don’t just stand outside the door, you’re weirding me out.”

Mason walked in, while Elena started by calling their father.

When he picked up, his voice sounded excited, which was rare, as Eric always kept a level voice. ”Hey sweetie, I was about to call you. You won’t believe what happened!”

Elena smiled happily, asking, ”Would it have anything to do with Mason somehow getting pardoned overnight?”

Eric paused, and Tony’s voice suddenly perked up from his side. ”The little shit is already home, isn’t he? Ruined the surprise! Is he listening to us?”

Mason replied, ”I am. Thanks for the effort; it means a lot.”

Tony scoffed, ”Clearly not enough. Did you meet with Fury?”

Mason hummed, ignoring the puzzled glances from his sisters. ”I did. I take it he also made you the offer?”

”He did. I blew him off. Don’t tell me you accepted for a get-out-of-jail card?! The scandal!”

Mason shared a look with his older sister, smiling at her inquisitive glare as he replied into the phone, ”No, these were separate matters. I did not get pardoned; the faked charges against me were dropped. Not sure how they will spin this thing, though.”

Eric cut in, ”I already called your mom; she’s on her way over. So will I.”

Tony added right before Eric could hang up, ”So will we! I worked my ass off; I get to be part of the tearful reunion!”

As the phone was hung up, Audrey finally propelled herself into Mason, squealing, ”I’m glad you’re okay! I knew you were being framed! You couldn’t have killed all those people. How did they even fake that video?”

Mason, who had been about to hug her back and comfort her, paused before sighing, ”It’s more complicated than that.”

Elena immediately gave him warning eyes, but Mason ignored her, looking into Audrey’s eyes instead as she recoiled, asking cautiously, ”What do you mean it’s more complicated?”

Mason knew that it was easier to lie to kids, and Audrey was only 14. Telling her everything had been false would be the easiest solution, but that just did not sit well with Mason. Moreover, it would be worse if he lied to her and she later discovered it.

So he explained calmly, ”You’re right about those people at the construction site. I didn’t kill them, and I wouldn’t have. But that video was true.”

Audrey looked at him with wide eyes, trying to see if he was making a joke in bad taste, but all she found was a solemn and honest face. And it horrified her.

Seeing her little sister’s face morphing, Elena tried to say, ”Mason, now isn’t the time to-”

He held up a hand, adding, ”You should know that those people were controlled by a demon, and that they will be brought back to life.”

Audrey finally burst out, ”And that makes it okay to kill them? You’re supposed to be a hero, not a murderer!”

Mason was taken aback by the intensity of her feelings, as he felt genuine betrayal oozing out of her.

”I didn’t really have a choice here, Audrey. They were trying to kill Minx and me.”

She pointed an accusing finger at him, stabbing his chest with it as she condemned his actions. ”Then what are your powers for, looking pretty? You said yourself they were possessed; do you really think the right thing to do is kill them? You exorcise them, you save them, you don’t just murder them!”

Mason suppressed a sigh, the argument feeling pointless to him. ”Listen, I don’t want to kill people, but sometimes you just need to. Even if I had knocked them out, they would have tried again, targeting any of you to get to me. The only way to protect you was to kill them.”

The argument only served to make her angrier, her finger becoming more forceful. ”Don’t you dare use us to excuse murdering people! We didn’t ask you to, nor did anyone attack us. You assumed, and just decided to kill people for it. And even if they did, I don’t want you using me as an excuse to kill people.”

At this point, Mason could not help but raise his voice a little, his frustration seeping through. ”So what would you have me do? Sit around doing nothing? Cuddle them until the day one slips and manages to get to you? What do you think this is, Disneyland? I’m fighting brainwashed killers, not some freak who thinks he’s a bird!”

He stopped her stabbing finger with a hand, pointing outside with the other as he asked loudly, ”I planned to wait a little to tell you, but I’ll be leaving for Japan to face that demon who’s plotting to unleash literal Hell on Earth. I was planning on killing the thing, but that would make me a monster in your eyes, wouldn’t it? So what, you think I can reason a literal demon into leaving our world alone?”

Audrey gritted her teeth, tears coming from her eyes now as she retrieved her finger, and shouted while punching at Mason’s chest, ”I hate you!”

Mason suddenly felt an intense sense of danger, one that inexplicably came from his little sister’s fist. Although taken completely off guard, Mason acted on instinct, replicating a move taught to him by the old man as he gently deviated Audrey’s wrist, more afraid he would hurt her than anything in the moment.

But as Mason’s hand pushed Audrey’s wrist to the side, he felt a distinct prickling sensation, like he was touching a live wire, and a bright golden energy suddenly coated her fist.

With Mason’s redirection, Audrey’s fist barely missed Mason, sailing over his shoulder.

Her arm was not particularly fast, nor did it pose much resistance when Mason moved it, but as it reached the end of its path, a huge burst of energy was released, blasting through the wall behind him and continuing in a golden stream of light into the sky, where it finally exploded in a shower of golden sparks.

Mason and Elena both froze, watching the sky with wide-open eyes, before they heard Audrey hit the floor, unconscious.