Give It a Shot

"No... that was impossible! My power worked on everyone!!" Kilgrave broke down.

Compound V had long since given Wu Yanzu formidable mental resistance, and after the system's enhancements, only the Mind Stone might have had a chance of shaking his will.

Kilgrave achieved "mind control" by secreting special pheromones through his skin, but compared to the comics, he was nothing more than a mosquito's buzz to Homelander in this world.

"I order you—ah!!"

Before Kilgrave could finish, Jessica had already caught up to him and kicked his knee apart!

Crack!

"AAAAAHHH—!!" Kilgrave clutched his leg and rolled around on the floor.

"You bitch! I order you to love me! I order you to stop!!"

"Go to hell!! You almost ruined my life!!" Jessica grabbed his collar and slammed a fist into his face!

Bang!

Kilgrave's nose collapsed on the spot, blood covering his face.

"I order you... I... order..." Kilgrave had been beaten senseless, but he still tried to give commands.

"You're... so damn noisy." Wu Yanzu frowned. "Jessica, move aside."

Jessica stopped punching him and turned around, only to see Homelander's eyes... beginning to glow red.

"You... what are you going to do?"

"Me?" Wu Yanzu smiled. "I'm helping you... solve this problem forever."

Bzzzt—!

Before Jessica could react.

Two precise, dark crimson beams of Heat Vision shot out instantly!

"Hk... hk..."

Kilgrave's scream came to an abrupt halt.

He covered his throat in terror. There was no blood, only two charred black holes that had been instantly "welded" shut by the heat.

He opened his mouth wide and tried to scream with all his strength, but...

No sound came out.

His vocal cords, trachea, and surrounding nerve tissue had all been completely burned away.

"..."

Kilgrave opened his mouth, trying to scream, trying to beg for mercy.

"Hk... hk... hk..."

Thud.

Kilgrave's eyes rolled back from lack of air. He fell to the floor, twitching in silent terror.

The room fell silent in an instant.

"You..." Jessica's voice was hoarse. She did not know what to say. "You... killed him?"

"A power like that shouldn't exist in this world." Wu Yanzu wore that perfect smile again. "No prison could hold him, could it? And I don't have Arkham."

"But..." Jessica still wanted to say something.

"Jessica, you weren't his first victim. Think about it—what would have happened if I hadn't come? Your fists would have become his murder weapons."

Jessica said nothing.

She herself was a street vigilante who operated outside the law and dealt out her own justice.

Besides, that scumbag truly deserved to die.

Homelander walked over to Jessica, his X-Ray Vision sweeping over her body.

"Tsk, tsk... you've got quite the physique. Plenty of strength!"

"You... what do you want?" Jessica remained on guard. She had just escaped the tiger's den and did not want to fall into a wolf's lair.

"Me?" Wu Yanzu pointed at the eagle emblem on his uniform. "I'm Homelander. You've definitely seen me on TV."

"I want to build a team."

Wu Yanzu spread his arms as though embracing the entire New York nightscape.

"A... real superhero team. Not those lofty Avengers made up of so-called gods and billionaire playboys."

"But a team led by me, one that can truly protect this world."

He looked at Jessica and gave her a "sincere" smile.

"And you, ma'am, have great potential! You just... need a little packaging."

"...Me?" Jessica froze. "I... I'm just a..."

"Just what? A drunk? A freak?" Wu Yanzu cut her off. "No, you're a born hero! You just need an agent."

"Why... why should I believe you?"

"Because," Wu Yanzu said, pointing at Kilgrave's lifeless body on the floor, "I just saved your life. And... I can make you ten thousand times more dazzling than you are now."

"I don't need to be dazzling..."

"No, you do." Wu Yanzu's tone allowed no argument. "You crave acceptance. You want people to stop looking at you like you're a monster! You crave... popularity."

"..."

Jessica fell silent.

That bastard... was right.

"Alright..." Wu Yanzu held out his hand. "Tell me your title loud and clear, warrior!"

"...Jessica." Jessica hesitated. "Jessica Jones."

"Jessica Jones..." Wu Yanzu rubbed his chin, pretending to ponder.

"That name... is too plain. It doesn't have enough punch."

He looked Jessica up and down. She had an unyielding, rebellious air about her, the kind that would rather die than submit.

"With that temper, you're like a queen..."

"Got it." Wu Yanzu snapped his fingers.

"From now on, your codename will be... Queen Jones!"

"...What?" Jessica Jones rolled her eyes.

"That is... the dumbest fucking name I've ever heard."

"You'll get used to it." Wu Yanzu smiled and handed her a card.

It was pure black, with a golden letter "V" in the center.

It was a business card for his Vought International media company.

"Vought," Wu Yanzu said with a smile. "My media company. Call this number once you've thought it over. Stop hanging around garbage heaps like this, Queen. Your stage... should be bigger."

"As for now..." He glanced at Kilgrave on the floor. "The NYPD and S.H.I.E.L.D. will be here soon. Tell them how you bravely fought back and took down this dangerous mind-controlling criminal in self-defense. Don't worry, his criminal charges are longer than a phone book."

"...What about you?"

"Me?" Wu Yanzu smiled. "Heroes never steal other people's credit."

But I'm not a hero. I'm just an actor, he added inwardly.

With that, he turned around, his cape sweeping behind him.

"Don't forget, Queen. I'll be waiting for you at Vought."

Whoosh—!

He became a streak of blue light, shooting into the sky and vanishing into the night.

Jessica Jones stood in the wrecked suite, clutching that cold card with the letter "V" on it. Then she looked at the mute man on the floor, foam spilling from his mouth.

"...Queen Jones?"

She cursed under her breath.

"...Fuck! What an... arrogant bastard."

Yet for some reason, her heart, silent for ten years, felt a strange... warmth because of that "bastard's" appearance.

High in the sky.

Wu Yanzu sped through the clouds, in a very good mood.

Ding—!

The system notification sounded right on cue.

Special Popularity Points obtained: +20000!

Current remaining Special Popularity Points: 42000!

Wu Yanzu calculated silently. "Special Popularity Points... these are much harder to get than regular Popularity Points."

Just then, a golden flash crossed the system panel.

Congratulations, Host! Your accumulated Special Popularity Points have reached the required threshold!

New function unlocked: Superhero Blind Box!

Function description: This is a world that judges by appearances, and so is this system.

The Host may spend 30000 Special Popularity Points to make one Blind Box draw.

The Blind Box prize pool includes, but is not limited to: equipment and items, rare bloodlines, special abilities, single-use consumables, and special character summon cards!

"...A Blind Box?"

Wu Yanzu stopped atop the spire of the Empire State Building and looked down at the city.

"30000 per draw... I happen to have 42000."

An extremely excited smile curled across Wu Yanzu's lips.

"Then... let's give it a shot."