Port of New York, Pier 23.
The sea breeze carried a strange smell of salt, rust, and cheap diesel fuel.
This place is no longer a well-organized cargo transfer station.
It became a fortress.
An ugly fortress built from anger, despair, and out-of-control forces.
Dozens of dockworkers have taken over the area.
They used cranes and shipping containers to build a crude defensive fortification.
The man in the lead was named Frank.
A team leader who has worked here for twenty years, his hands covered in thick calluses.
Until last week, he was just an ordinary person complaining about his boss in bars and bragging about his strength when he was young.
Now, he can overturn a forklift with his anger.
We just want justice!
Frank stood on a container suspended in mid-air, roaring at the police officers who had set up a cordon in the distance.
His voice, hoarse and distorted, echoed through a dilapidated loudspeaker on the empty dock.
"We entrusted our lives to this company, but they won't even pay for our child's medical expenses!"
"Now that we have power, they call us thugs?!"
A blue shipping container slowly rose behind him, casting a huge Shadow.
That massive steel behemoth, weighing over twenty tons, was as light as a child's toy under his control.
This is the stage Hannibal chose for them.
This was also the first "funding" he gave to these radical members of the " Awakened Mutual Aid Society ".
Some catalysts that amplify their power, yet are extremely unstable.
Vought Tower, Public Relations and Brand Management Department.
Motoko Kusanagi temporarily chaired the meeting.
On the screen, live footage of the standoff at the dock was being played.
"The police's negotiations have failed three times."
An analyst reported.
" Frank's emotions are very unstable; his abilities are directly linked to his anger, and any provocation can lead to disastrous consequences."
"The media has labeled them 'super-powered thugs,' which has led to a slight increase in our stock price, and public support for the bill has risen by two percentage points. This is good news."
Motoko Kusanagi pulled up several hero files.
"The image of the Soldier Boy is too official and will exacerbate class conflict."
" The Starlight is too sacred to resonate with these workers wallowing in the mud."
Her finger finally stopped on a profile picture of a girl with short pink hair.
Wei.
"But sir, Wei's psychological evaluation report shows she has strong anti-authoritarian tendencies. Sending her to handle these grassroots protests carries risks..."
Her backstory is that she came from a poor background and used her fists to break down injustice.
Motoko Kusanagi interrupted him.
"Let her go. This is the perfect application of her public image."
She looked at everyone in the conference room.
"A former ally now stands on the side of order, personally ending another Riot that once belonged to him. This story is very persuasive. It tells everyone that it is not your birth that determines your worth, but your choices."
"Choosing Vought is choosing the light."
A cloud descended from the sky.
The roar of the Hextech Gauntlets hitting the ground put both sides on edge.
She stood up and looked around at the familiar scene before her.
Rusty sheet metal.
The ground was dirty.
The lingering stench of sweat in the air.
And the faces of those workers.
Dark and rough, it was filled with exhaustion and the madness of being driven to the brink of despair.
Wei's signature arrogant smile faded slightly without her noticing.
She thought back to her past.
In that dark underground city, people fought tooth and nail over half a piece of moldy bread.
Looking at those people who were so similar to her past self, something deep inside her was gently touched.
"Hello!"
She shouted at Frank on the container, her voice less provocative and more complex than usual.
"The company has heard your demands. There's no need to make things so ugly."
"Did you hear that?"
Frank let out a bitter, indignant laugh.
"They heard it, and then sent you? Vought's lackey!"
"You're just like us, you crawled out of the mud! But now you're on their side, ready to throw punches at us! Have you forgotten who you are?! Have you forgotten what it feels like to starve?!"
Vi clenched her fists instinctively. The Hextech Gauntlets emitted a slight hum, and the blue energy core flickered.
Just then, a gunshot rang out.
It was an overly stressed police officer who accidentally discharged his gun.
The bullet struck the container at Frank's feet, sending sparks flying.
That gunshot was the final straw that broke the camel's back.
"They're going to kill us!"
Frank's eyes were bloodshot; he was completely consumed by rage.
He maneuvered the blue container behind him, aimed at the outer edge of the police line where reporters and civilians were gathered in the distance, and smashed it hard!
Screams erupted.
Wei's pupils suddenly contracted.
She sprinted towards the container and punched the out-of-control steel behemoth with all her might.
"Thump--!"
Wei's fist collided with the container, producing a deafening roar.
Her punch pushed the small steel mountain to one side, sending it more than ten meters away.
The container eventually crashed into the sea, creating a massive wave.
Wei shook her arm, turned around, and her eyes gradually became somewhat sad.
Frank! I gave you a chance!
Battle breaks out.
Frank manipulated all the movable metal on the dock—abandoned cars, cranes, and blocks of reinforced concrete—and hurled them at Wei like Stormfront.
"Traitor! You damned traitor!"
Wei no longer held back.
Her figure darted through the steel at high speed, each punch shattering an incoming "weapon".
This was a battle that was broadcast live from beginning to end.
Viewers watching on television could not see Wei's inner struggle.
All they saw was a wild, pink-haired girl struggling against a monster capable of unleashing a tsunami of steel.
Wei punched a flying forklift, smashing it to pieces. The shattered parts grazed her cheek, leaving a trail of blood.
She simply charged forward silently, throwing punches.
Finally, Vi seized an opening and broke through the impenetrable barrage of metal bullets.
She leaped high into the air, the energy core of the Hextech Gauntlets shining brightly.
A punch landed squarely on Frank's chest.
Frank fell from the container and crashed to the ground, losing consciousness.
As he fell, all the suspended metal lost its power and crashed to the ground.
Wei stood in the middle of a scene of devastation.
She looked at her own invincible Iron Fist, then at the man on the ground who, like herself in the past, simply wanted justice.
There was no joy of victory in her eyes.
There was only a sense of bewilderment.
On the giant screen in Times Square.
The news anchor's voice was calm and authoritative.
"We've seen it; this is the power of losing control. Even if its initial intentions are sympathetic, it will ultimately only lead to an irreparable disaster."
The camera focused on Weina's dusty face, and the host concluded with admiration.
"And Vought is the rein that can rein in the Beast, the last line of defense protecting our fragile civilization."