A Flick to the Forehead

Jessica turned around and saw the man.

With a British accent, a purple suit, and decent looks, he nevertheless radiated an... indescribable strangeness.

"I don't know you." Jessica was on guard.

"My name is Kilgrave." The man smiled and sat beside her. "Last night... I saw you in the alley. You're special, Jessica."

Jessica instantly sobered up halfway.

"You followed me?" Her hand tightened around her glass.

"No, no, no." Kilgrave raised both hands, putting on an innocent look. "It was fate. I just happened to pass by. You... don't you think this world is awful? Don't you feel like no one understands you?"

Those words struck precisely at Jessica's softest spot.

She froze.

"You..."

"I know." Kilgrave's voice seemed to carry magic as his eyes deepened. "I know your loneliness, Jessica. You don't have to be so tired. You don't have to resist."

He leaned closer and whispered a few words into her ear:

"You only need to... fall in love with me."

Jessica's pupils instantly dilated, and her tightly clenched fist slowly relaxed.

She looked at Kilgrave, her gaze shifting from vigilance and anger to... infatuation.

"I..."

"You love me," Kilgrave repeated, savoring her transformation. "Now, stand up and come with me... you want to do this."

"...Yes." Jessica stood up, her eyes vacant yet carrying a strange sense of happiness. "I... I want to go with you."

Jack, the bartender, frowned. "Hey, Jessica, are you okay? You don't know this guy!"

Kilgrave turned and looked at the bartender, smiling.

"Jack? You think your greatest wish in life is to jump onto the bar and imitate a chicken for five minutes."

"...What?"

"Cluck... cluck-cluck! Cluck-cluck—!!" Bartender Jack suddenly jumped onto the bar, wildly flapping his arms and letting out loud chicken noises.

The bar descended into chaos.

Kilgrave, meanwhile, wrapped an arm around Jessica Jones and walked out the door.

"See, Jessica." He stroked her hair. "This world is my playground. And you... are my most beautiful toy."

Marriott Hotel, top-floor suite.

Jessica Jones stood in the middle of the room like a puppet.

Her consciousness was trapped inside a deep-purple cage. She could hear and see, but she could not control her body.

It was a terror deeper than death.

"You're so beautiful, Jessica."

Kilgrave loosened his tie and poured two glasses of red wine.

"Do you know how long I've been looking for you? I saw your video from the Battle of New York on Facebook. The way you smashed that alien... was so captivating!"

Holding a wineglass, he walked over to Jessica and admired his "masterpiece."

"They call that blond bastard 'Homelander,' and they call Stark 'Iron Man.' But they're all clowns."

"And I..." He gently lifted Jessica's chin. "I am a god. Jessica, you are my goddess."

He greedily inhaled the scent of her hair.

"Now... smile. Give me your sweetest smile."

The corners of Jessica's mouth pulled upward against her will, revealing a stiff smile.

"Perfect." Kilgrave's breathing quickened. "Now... take off your jacket. You want to do this for me."

Jessica's hands began to tremble.

Her consciousness screamed, cried, and fought back.

"No... no... no!!!... Please... let me go..."

"Yes, just like that..." An excited flush appeared on Kilgrave's face.

Just then.

"Knock, knock, knock."

Three polite knocks on the window... came from the floor-to-ceiling balcony doors.

Kilgrave's excitement was interrupted, and he turned back in annoyance.

"Who the fuck..."

He saw the figure who had been appearing on every major screen lately.

"Homelander."

Wu Yanzu hovered outside the balcony, wearing a perfectly polished commercial smile. His Stars and Stripes cape snapped in the night wind.

Fuck, this was the sixtieth floor!

"Good evening." Wu Yanzu punched through the glass and landed inside the room. "Sorry to interrupt. I was flying overhead just now, and I think I heard this lady... saying 'no'?"

"This is none of your business! Get lost!" Kilgrave's face instantly twisted.

That blond bastard actually dared to ruin his perfect night?!

"Can't you understand human speech?!" Kilgrave pointed at Wu Yanzu and issued his cruelest command to Jessica beside him:

"Jessica! Kill him! Twist his head right off his neck!!"

Jessica's gaze instantly changed from "infatuation" to "murder."

"Yes."

She spun around abruptly and charged at Wu Yanzu like an enraged beast, swinging a heavy punch at him.

That punch carried enough force to send a truck flying.

Bang—!

A dull impact rang out.

Jessica's fist struck Wu Yanzu squarely in the chest.

Wu Yanzu did not move at all. He looked down at the fist against his chest, then at Jessica's struggling face, and gave her an "encouraging" smile. "Not bad strength, but it's not enough."

"What are you waiting for?! Kill him!!" Kilgrave screamed hysterically from behind.

"Ma'am, sorry about this."

Wu Yanzu raised his right hand, formed an orchid-finger gesture, and gave Jessica's forehead a light...

Thunk!

A crisp flick to the forehead, accompanied by a faint sting, instantly traveled through her forehead and jolted her brain!

Buzz—!

Jessica Jones felt her vision go black, and Kilgrave's damned voice instantly cut off from her mind!

She suddenly woke up. Her body went limp, and she fell backward.

Wu Yanzu reached out and caught her.

"You..." Jessica gasped for breath, drenched in cold sweat. She suddenly whipped around in terror toward the figure in the purple shirt.

"Kilgrave—!!!!"

The fear, anger, and humiliation she had suppressed all this time erupted completely at that moment!

"I'm going to kill you!!" Jessica charged at Kilgrave like an enraged lioness.

"No! No! Jessica! Stop! I order you to stop!!" Kilgrave fled in utter panic.

But his orders had no effect whatsoever on Jessica, who had been forcibly awakened!

"I order you! Homelander!!" Seeing that he could not stop Jessica, Kilgrave turned to Wu Yanzu for help. "Protect me! Hurry! Protect me! Kill her!!"

Wu Yanzu stood where he was, arms folded, as though watching a farce.

"You... why... aren't you moving?!" Kilgrave looked at Homelander in terror.

Wu Yanzu picked at his ear.

"You're too loud."