Marvel's The Defenders

- You okay? - Yeah, I mean...

my head's still attached.

- You didn't have to kill him. - Eh, it was him or the kid.

They could've stopped him.

Couldn't take the chance, especially now.

What do you mean, "Especially now"?

We got our answer.

He's what they've been after all along.

Yeah, well, we knew that.

We didn't know the Iron Fist was the key to what the Hand seeks.

The word isn't accidental.

You think he's a key? To what, their survival?

A key implies a lock.

- I assumed it was a metaphor. - It's not.

So you literally think Danny opens something?

And that something is worth dying for.

I'm a weapon. I'm not a key.

- That you know of. - What could I possibly open?

You tell me. Must be why they haven't killed you.

They haven't killed me because they want me on their side.

The Iron Fist's chi is a weapon. That's true.

But I've heard stories about it being used for more.

To seal things shut. Or opening them again.

So the Hand is in New York because he gives them access

or opens something up?

Come on, guys.

That's insane.

Well, it doesn't matter if you think it's true or not.

It's something they believe is true.

He was a member of the Hand.

An organization formed by lying psychopaths.

You can't trust a word he said.

I understand that, Danny,

but the way I see it, we only have one move.

Whoa. What do you mean?

To keep the Iron Fist as far from them as possible.

It sounds crazy, but I don't think we have any other way.

I dedicated my life to this fight. You need me.

We all need each other.

This is exactly how they work.

They divide us. They get into our heads. They weaken us.

They make you question the people you trust.

Danny, just take a deep breath and calm down.

Stop telling me to calm down, Luke! This is what they want!

- They want you to be distracted. - They want you to turn on me.

Sowande wasn't lying.

And how do you know?

His heartbeat didn't waver. Not for a second.

And where was his heartbeat when he came up behind me?

It's the Hand. You know how they can operate.

And now we know what they need. It's you, kid.

Stick, you're falling for their trap.

If Alexandra gets a hold of you, the war's lost.

I can't allow that.

Listen, Stick, maybe we should just... uh, let him lay low, or just...

Maybe we should just hide him.

We're running out of time!

They're hunting our friends, our families, and they're not gonna stop there.

You heard what he said. This ends with New York in ruins.

They want me on the sidelines 'cause I'm the only one who can destroy them.

Jess?

How do you suggest we hide him?

Fine.

I'll go back to doing this without you if I have to.

I've already lost one city. I'm not losing another.

Me neither.

Really?

You're gonna try and keep me here against my will?

I hear what you're saying, Danny, but...

And no one loves this city more than I do, but you can't leave this room.

Whatever.

- You sure you want to do this? - No, I don't want to, but if I have to.

Same way you had to keep your girlfriend secret?

- We're past that. - No, we're not.

- Danny, we're all on the same side here. - It doesn't feel like it.

- Not anymore. - Don't do this.

Hey, you guys seriously need to back off.

You just stay here. We can keep you safe, all right?

You just need to calm down.

Well, that's the problem, Matt.

I'm all out of calm.

Hey! Enough.

Don't make me use this.

Sorry about this.

Nice way to spend your time fresh out of prison.

Yeah.

I can't believe this is what it took for us to talk again.

I'm not good at keeping in touch. But you could've called.

Fair enough.

You think that'll hold?

Well, it's a constrictor knot. Harder he pulls, harder it cinches.

Rope's not your concern.

I'm gonna assume it's his Fist.

When he summons it, shit goes sideways.

How long do we have?

Hard to say. Eh, maybe an hour.

And we need to figure out what he's the key to.

Their headquarters is Midland Circle.

Yeah, we knew that.

Matty, you ever go back to that place?

Go back? What, have you been there before?

Yeah. Um, last year, when I was investigating the Hand,

the, uh, trail led me to a construction site,

which is now Midland Circle.

Uh, there was a hole there. Hundreds of feet deep.

In the middle of New York?

- Yeah. - And you're just now remembering this?

You sense anything at the bottom of that hole?

I don't think so. I kept tabs on it.

Once the building was finished, my sense was the hole was gone.

- You sure? - I'm not sure of anything anymore.

You didn't answer her question.

How come we are now just hearing about this?

- It wasn't important, Luke. - Try again.

What? No. We had enough to worry about.

What aren't you telling us?

I was with Elektra.

It was a mistake not telling you guys about her. I realize that...

The next time you conveniently forget shit that affects the rest of us...

You're not exactly an open book yourself, Jessica.

- What is that supposed to mean? - Well, no one's digging into your past.

My past is none of your goddamn business, and it's not actively trying to kill us.

- Clock is ticking. - So if we need more answers,

going back to Midland Circle is the only play.

We barely made it out last time, and they're gonna be waiting for us.

- Yeah, she's right. - So how do we find whatever he opens?

The architect?

My client's husband. The one your girlfriend tried to kill.

He designed the place.

What, you think he knows how Danny ties into this?

It's worth a shot.

Well, I guess you two better get going.

What about you?

Somebody's gotta stay and watch him.

Preferably somebody who can take a punch.

I know you're awake.

Yes, I am.

You've been sleeping for hours.

Thank you.

I like it here.

Back in New York?

No.

Back with you.

- Well, Danny's still knocked out. - Good.

You know, after years of tracking these assholes,

you hear about all the shit they've done.

And even after you take 'em off the count and they're dead...

it's still enough to keep you up at night.

Where'd you find this piece of shit?

Warehouse on 151st and Amsterdam.

He was hiring kids out of Harlem.

Using them as a cleanup crew.

Destroying bodies at an abandoned warehouse in Chinatown.

Our headquarters. Those bodies were the last of us.

Watch the kid. I'll take care of this.

What do you mean, take care of it?

I mean, Hand-related or not, that was a homicide, man.

You are right again. Less you know, the better.

What are you gonna do, get rid of the body?

Yeah. Something like that.

Yeah, you're right.

Less I know, the better.

So you wanna tell me how a pro bono lawyer

can afford a loft like this in New York City?

You can't tell now, but there's a neon billboard across the street.

Keeps most people up at night...

not me.

Got it.

Plus, I occasionally help the landlord out.

Not proud of it, but I put on the suit and rough up people late on rent.

I hope that's a joke.

Sorry about the mess.

It's all right. You should see my place.

What, do you work from home?

I used to have a partner. We had an office.

And?

Now we don't.

You ready?

Yeah.

Everything okay?

Yeah. Uh, yeah.

Let's go.

An operative discovered this at one of Sowande's warehouses.

Delivered, no doubt, by our old friend Stick.

Sowande has been with us since we departed K'un-Lun.

His loss will be felt throughout our entire organization.

It has happened.

This is what mortality looks like.

- A loss we could have prevented. - He got himself captured.

- We didn't even try to find him. - Oh, please.

- Let's not pretend to mourn this loss. - Pretend?

As if our time together has always been peaceful.

As if there's never been any discord.

As if we haven't all survived assassination attempts

by those across from us in this very room.

Now, more than ever, it's time to show unity.

We were unified.

Until you brought the Black Sky into the fold.

Where is she?

- She's safe. - What does that mean?