Prologue: Is the war ever really over?
The Fixer and Mentallo had tried to flee the battle in the confusion created by the detonation, but had been apprehended shortly after by Mockingbird, Hawkeye, and Black Widow.
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Although Cameron Seaver had aided and abetted Fu Manchu, the police had decided to not press charges against him, as he did so under extreme duress. After being returned home, the child prodigy soon returned to work for Roxxon Oil after the events. However, he absolutely refused to continue his work on Project: TODE.
Roxxon officials claimed the secretive Project: TODE was considered a complete failure and all work in progressing it was halted. At least, in an official capacity. Whether motivated by some latent mental command from the insidiousFu Manchu, or more altrustic intentions, Cameron Seavers soon started building a new device that he claimed could potentially bring spirits back from the dead.
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Although he was relieved that the Celestial One was now gone and Project: TODE had been cancelled, Hiram Jones took an early retirement from the oil company and moved to upstate New York. No criminal charges were ever filed against him.
However, Roxxon was aware that Hiram Jones knew as much about Cameron about Project: TODE. They hired reserve members of Heroes For Hire as his protection against a terrorist faction, had learned of the project and wished to weaponize it.
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As the threat of catastrophic damage to the Long Island coast drew closer, the mayor of New York called upon the aid of the Avengers to resolve the issue.
Unknown to all, a large group of Atlanteans had taken exceptional offense to the oil polluting their world. Led by Attuma, the Atlanteans quickly escalated tensions between them and the inhabitants of New York.
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After their judgement of the Heroes For Hire's exceptional role in their endeavours to end the Gang War, The Avengers extended an offer to start and lead a new Avengers franchise in another city to Misty Knight, who politely refused in regards to her already established position within Heroes For Hire.
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With Fu Manchu and the Faces Of Fear eliminated from the competition pool, Hammerhead and his branch of the Maggia Family returned to its "normal" activities.
However, Hammerhead could not shake the notion that the heroes for Hire posed a threat to him and his organization. He believed that Luke Cage and Iron Fist could not be satisfied with eliminating the Celestial One, and might return their sights to him. He knew the best course of option was to kill them, before they could kill him. He certainly had a recently incarcerated ally, who matched his desire for revenge --Atlas!
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Wilson Fisk was very disappointed that the broiling gang war had come to such a premature end. His hopes of filling the gap created by the absence of the Maggia and the Faces of Fear had been seemingly dashed.
So, he hired Spymaster to discover the secret identities of anyone affiliated with the Heroes For Hire. His plan would be to use this information to bring the franchise under his power, by kidnapping their loved ones or extorting them with their own deepest, darkest secrets. Once he had them under his sway, he would force them to capture the leaders of the Maggia. Thus, his original plans of replacing the leadership of Maggia and Faces of Fear would come to fruition. The gargantuan man wrung his hands as he contenplated his newest malicious scheme.
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having captured The Fixer and Mentallo, the Heroes For Hire garnered police Lieutenant Lamont's undying respect and loyalty. He now had a media scapegoat-- The Fixer and Mentallo.
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Mr. Maximillian Pride, Curator of the Metropolitan museum of modern history, was very grateful for all the help provided by the heroes For Hire. He provided the franchise a reward of $50,000 for the return of the book.
However, this was not in actuality the tome. Only a clever counterfeit, that had been created by Black Talon, and used by Moon Knight.
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Moon Knight stood alone in a dark alleyeway, being whipped by stinging winds and pelted with fat rain drops. He stared mesmerized into the open flame of a garbage bin burn. He held the tome over the starving flames that hungrily licked up at his hands a d the fuel in the pages. He contemplated the command of the rulers of the Nether realm and their threats for disobedience.
He then contemplated the words of Black Talon, the mystically inclined member of the Night Shift whom had held the tome when all this had begun. Black Talon had informed Moon Knight of a very specific cantrip within the contents of the book. A spell that could not only free one from the influence of a god, but could be harnessed to even murder the deity.
Marc Spector contemplated killing Knoshu and freeing himself…