Rebel Defenders (Book 6): The Mandalorian and The Spectacular Spider-Man

Don't Feel Right

Author's Note

Misty Knight losing her arm is a storyline from Marvel Cinematic Universe Canon in Marvel Defenders. It's also an event in my Marvel Star Wars Universe. You can read more about in my book Rebel Defenders (Book 4): Fighting the Framework on my profile in Wattpad.

The song Don't Feel Right refers to how it doesn't feel right that people are comfortable with powerful people benefitting from injustice. This can apply to members of the Empire in this story.

Mando didn't like Mariah Dillard. He made that determination very quickly. Mando didn't like small talk or light conversation. He didn't see the point. At the end of the day he had a mission to accomplish and a payment he needed for that mission. Conversation played no direct role in the outcome of a mission or his payment. Not once did an employer pay extra for small talk. He wasn't an UBER driver.

But Mariah Dillard loved to talk. More specifically she loved to hear herself talk and used the responses from others as filler. He'd only been on this job for two days and Mando wanted to scream in frustration. She talked about so many things and nothing at all at the same time. Mando always hated politicians. He remembered as a child the politician for the Seperatist Count Dooku making promises to his clan to give them resources and protection from the United Republic before they became the Empire. The excuses for when Dooku failed to deliver was long and numerous
to the point the leader of his clan left to go to a different part of Concordia one of the moons of Mandalore. When Dooku and his Separatist forces lost the Clone Wars to the United Republic the Empire took over. The Imps loved to talk more than Dooku ever did. This was the case with Mariah Dillard.

Yet Mando didn't leave this job. The elegant beauty of the nightclub Harlem's Paradise kept him in Mariah's employ. Not because he cared about the music establishment's history or aesthetics (Mando hated the hideous painting of two oddly shaped faces with crowns behind Mariah's desk) but because this was proof Mariah had lots of money. In Mando's mind money mattered more than words.

"I'm going to triple your pay because I have a second job for you Mando but first I think you've earned an opportunity to relax. Sit down and have some Bushmaster Rum. It's an old family recipe and it's the best rum on the planet." Mariah offered

Mando refused to sit down. He didn't see the point. Mando just wanted to know what this second job is so he could say yes to it or no to it. Mando just didn't get why the people with money cared so much for pomp and circumstance. He saw one of Mariah's big bodyguards named Sugar twitch in fear. Mando noticed Comanche another employee of Mariah's suppress a grin. Mando disliked Mariah and he thought Sugar despite his large size was soft yet he didn't trust Comanche. He could tell Shades was the only reason Comanche hadn't been intensely interrogated by Mariah after being released from prison. Comanche loved to start trouble.

Shades spoke and Comanche's small grin disappeared, "Forgive Mariah she's not used to dealing with Mandalorians like you. You're all business I get it. You've been here almost three days and you haven't removed your helmet once. Heard stories that there's a group of Mando's like yourself that never take off their helmet. I always thought it was hyperspit but you're proof the stories are true. We need you to find out who killed one of Mariah's potential business partners. Dontrelle "Cockroach" Hamilton. We think the killer wants to challenge Mariah's claim to control Harlem."

"Cockroach? Seriously?" Mando asked incredulous

"You need to understand Mando brother's in this neighborhood have street names. They don't go by the name of their birth. I mean you a mudscuffer that doesn't take off their helmet but you gonna take issue with a man having the name Cockroach. A dead man at that?" Mariah asked incredulous