"Punisher. I think I've heard his name before."
Pressing a finger to her temple, Chun-Li pondered.
On her way to Hell's Kitchen, she'd heard the name from a few sleazy thugs she'd casually dealt with.
"That's right, though I don't agree with some of his methods."
Matt shook his head with a bitter smile and took another large gulp of beer.
Clearly, something unpleasant had happened between them.
When he fell silent, Chun-Li didn't press him. Instead, she looked toward a corner in the northwest of the bar.
There seemed to be some kind of altercation going on.
A woman in a black top was holding a bottle and arguing with several men.
She looked drunk, swaying on her feet, but she showed no fear despite facing nine grown men alone.
The situation changed quickly. One of the men raised his fist and, cursing, swung at her face.
The woman had long black hair and wore blue jeans. Though she staggered drunkenly, she dodged the attack in an instant and gently pushed out with one palm.
The movement looked so ridiculously gentle that her attacker's companions couldn't help laughing like pigs.
But the result left everyone dumbfounded. A burly man weighing nearly two hundred pounds was sent flying by that light push, like a trash bag. He knocked over several tables before passing out, foam spilling from his mouth.
Seeing their companion's sorry state, the men were shocked, but with alcohol in their systems, they weren't about to back down. They rolled up their sleeves, grabbed bottles and chairs, and charged in, shouting.
But once again, the result was unexpected.
The attacks that landed on the woman seemed to have no effect at all. With a casual wave of her hand, she sent the men flying like bowling pins.
A security guard rushed over, seemingly to throw her out, but she grabbed him by the collar and tossed him into a wall.
The trouble kept escalating, and Matt finally snapped out of it.
He stood up quickly, drew his billy club, and bounded over to the woman, trying to stop her from carrying on.
But the woman clearly wouldn't listen, and before long, she and Matt were fighting.
As soon as they exchanged blows, Matt was at a disadvantage.
His attacks barely fazed the woman, while the force of her strikes kept tearing at his palms through his billy club.
On top of that, the bar's music and noisy atmosphere seriously interfered with his radar sense. It dulled his fighting skills and slowed his reactions.
Seeing Matt on the back foot, Chun-Li simply joined the fight.
The three of them battled fiercely, darting all over the bar. In the owner's despairing gaze, they were like a demolition crew, wrecking everything they came near.
"Bitch, take this!"
"Qi Blast!"
Bam!
Fist and palm met in a draw. Using the recoil, Chun-Li pulled Matt back with her as they leaped away.
That woman's physical abilities are incredible. It seems she hasn't even used her full strength.
Looking at her opponent's unremarkable build, Chun-Li was secretly astonished.
Where did these two come from? And especially that blue-clad woman with her hair in buns—what's that? East Country kung fu?
At the same time, the woman realized how difficult the other two were to deal with.
The two sides stopped fighting and eyed each other warily, both surprised by the other's strength.
Suddenly, the three of them seemed to realize something and turned toward the bar's entrance.
A man in a purple suit stood there, smiling at everyone. No one knew when he'd arrived.
Only then did everyone notice that the noisy bar had gone strangely quiet. Even the music had stopped without anyone realizing.
The onlookers had fallen silent too, standing still like Scarecrows.
Chun-Li and Matt exchanged a glance, both sensing danger.
But on the other side—
"Zebediah Kilgrave!!"
The woman suddenly shouted in fury.
"Oh, so it's you, my dear Jessica~"
His real name was Zebediah Kilgrave, and his alias was Purple Man.
He was Jessica's nightmare, and the abyss she had fallen into.
After using his powers to control Jessica, Purple Man had made her attack several police officers and imprisoned her, inflicting both physical and psychological trauma.
"Ugh..."
Her dark nightmare had been awakened once more. Jessica Jones trembled all over, clutched her head, screamed, and charged at him with her fists raised.
But she had barely made it halfway before she stopped abruptly.
The light faded from her eyes. She stood there, dazed and silent as a statue.
Chun-Li and Matt were startled. They both took up defensive stances.
Hypnosis, or some kind of power?
Matt thought furiously.
But Purple Man clearly wasn't going to give him time to think.
He merely gave a cruel smile, then ordered Jessica to attack them.
"Kill them."
Jessica obeyed without question, charging forward with a blank expression.
Matt tried to bring her back to her senses, but it was no use. He could only fend her off while trying to get Chun-Li to leave.
"Naive."
Seeing Chun-Li crash through a window and escape, Purple Man hurriedly activated his superpower.
His body could release pheromones. When a target absorbed them through their skin, he could control them with his words, exerting a powerful hypnotic effect.
And in a fight, losing focus could be fatal.
Matt's indomitable will let him withstand the hypnotic pressure, but the interference left him unable to dodge Jessica's incoming punch.
As the punch whistled toward Daredevil, Purple Man leered perversely, thrusting his hips as if he were about to applaud with delight.
"Wonderful, Jessica~"
"Qi Blast!!"
Boom!
A blue figure suddenly rushed in, knocking Matt aside and meeting Jessica's attack head-on.
Fist met palm, and a gust of air burst outward.
The wooden floor groaned and caved in.
Leaning forward, Chun-Li stepped out with her left foot and pivoted. As her waist twisted, she pulled a talisman from her belt and slapped it onto Jessica.
[Calming Talisman]
This talisman from a world of immortal cultivation took effect the instant it touched her.
A burst of azure light flared from the talisman, dispelling the negative effects on Jessica's mind in a single breath.
It was like being doused with a bucket of ice water on a scorching summer day. Jessica shuddered and came fully back to her senses.
At the same time, Chun-Li didn't stop. She bent low and charged toward Purple Man with the speed of a leopard.
"Don't overestimate yourself!"
Laughing mockingly, Purple Man repeatedly unleashed his superpower at Chun-Li.
Buzz—
The talisman on her body flashed with azure light. As Purple Man stared in disbelief, Chun-Li's jab shot up from below and slammed into his face.
Smack!!
Purple Man was down for the count.
[Emotional value +666 from Zebediah Kilgrave]
The moment Purple Man hit the ground, the bystanders in the bar also collapsed.
Matt checked on everyone and saw they'd only passed out. He let out a sigh of relief and joined Chun-Li.
"What was that yellow paper you used just now?"
"That was a talisman, made by an immortal sect."
[Emotional value +177 from Matt Murdock]