Marvel: Unlimited Possession

C72: Purple Man Strikes Again

In the antique store tucked between two narrow Harlem alleys, Li Ran stared at the flickering data panel floating in midair, his sharp eyes reflecting the golden numbers.

Only 2,480 more Legend Points were needed to unlock the [Bronze Treasure Chest], and that milestone felt within reach. A single well-played move could net him enough reputation to redeem a new C-rank character card—one that, hopefully, wouldn't turn out like the last.

He still remembered his first C-rank pull: [Mizuki], a minor villain from Naruto with barely any narrative weight. While Mizuki's [Three Body Technique] had helped create clones that served as decoys and distractions in battle, the rest of his arsenal was pitiful. His only trump card, [Curse Seal Fragmentation], came with excessive side effects and a drastic cost to appearance—almost like the Orochimaru-lite knockoff he'd been portrayed as.

"You deserved your early elimination," Li Ran muttered, remembering how Mizuki had been taken out of commission in the first Naruto arc like a glorified tutorial boss.

He could only hope the next C-rank pull wouldn't be another letdown.

…

Days later, while gathering fame points by letting his [Xie Lu] clone vend gourmet snacks outside Stark Tower, Li Ran received a message through Jessica's burner line.

Matt Murdock—Daredevil—had recovered faster than expected and was planning to restructure the Defenders.

Li Ran raised an eyebrow. He had personally seen the bruises and lacerations from Matt's last run-in with the Hand's enforcers. Even with Claire Temple's patchwork care and Matt's enhanced healing (accelerated only slightly beyond human norms due to years of conditioning), a recovery this fast was…suspicious.

Still, if it meant more fame, he couldn't say no.

…

"Why this dump?" Jessica Jones muttered, eyeing the abandoned warehouse on 52nd Street near Hell's Kitchen. Chunks of debris littered the floor, graffiti covered the walls, and weeds peeked through cracked concrete.

"I'm getting Arkham Asylum basement vibes from this."

Wesley Gibson gave a sharp whistle, glancing around. "Looks more like something out of Punisher War Journal, minus the dead bodies."

"It's for security," Luke Cage said, his voice low and steady. "After our last ambush outside Metro-General, I realized we can't risk familiar places anymore. Fisk and what's left of the Hand are getting bold. They might go after our allies—Claire, Karen, even Foggy."

Jessica cocked an eyebrow. "You think meeting in this horror-show of a warehouse makes us less of a target?"

Luke gave a rare smile. "It's temporary."

Wesley tilted his head. "And Matt?"

"He's on the way."

As Luke turned toward the shadows at the far end of the warehouse, his expression flickered just for a second into something…off.

Inside the antique store, Li Ran watched the clone's shared vision closely.

Something about Luke Cage didn't sit right. His gait, his tone—it was all almost perfect, but not quite. Li Ran had sparred with Luke once using the Phantom Thief Kid card; his muscle memory was too familiar to mistake.

This wasn't the real Luke Cage.

He remained quiet, allowing [Xie Lu] to stay in-character as the silent food truck chef.

…

Moments later, the echo of a cane tapping against concrete announced Matt's arrival.

Dressed in his usual charcoal-gray suit and red-tinted glasses, the lawyer-turned-vigilante looked worse for wear. His injuries—sustained during their last assault on the Hand's Chinatown base were clearly still healing.

"Luke," Matt said, stopping just a few steps inside, "you said it was urgent."

"You called us," Jessica added, narrowing her eyes. "But Luke said you called him. So which is it?"

"I called both of you," Luke replied smoothly, the deep voice betraying no emotion. "We needed to regroup."

That was when Matt froze.

His hypersensitive radar senses picked it up first—the subtle heartbeat fluctuations, the faint chemical alteration in the air. Something was wrong.

Then the dizziness hit.

Matt staggered slightly, gripping his cane harder.

And that's when the footsteps echoed from the far end of the warehouse.

"Well, well," said a velvet-smooth voice. "You're all exactly where I hoped you'd be."

A figure in a tailored purple suit stepped into the fluorescent spill of light—Kilgrave, the Purple Man.

Jessica's eyes widened, her lips curling in disgust. "Kilgrave…"

"Jessica," Kilgrave said with a faux-sweet smile. "Missed me?"

In the antique store, Li Ran's eyes narrowed.

Zebediah Kilgrave. A classic manipulator. In the comics, his pheromone-based mind control had driven people—Jessica included—to unspeakable acts. While his Netflix counterpart had been less overtly costumed, the danger he posed was no less real.

Kilgrave stepped forward, and "Luke" stepped back—obediently.

So it was a fake. Or worse… the real Luke under Kilgrave's control.

"I've always said you were special," Kilgrave continued, addressing Jessica. "But I underestimated your friends. A man with skin like carbon steel. A blind vigilante who fights by sound. And now… a man who's been watching me very closely."

He glanced at [Xie Lu], his smirk widening.

"I know you're not just a chef," he added, almost conversationally. "You see, I've had… eyes on me. Watching. Studying. Even judging."

Jessica trembled, clenching her fists. She could feel the compulsion creeping in again, the familiar tug at her willpower.

"What… do you want?" she spat through gritted teeth.

Kilgrave looked thoughtful. "I'm not quite sure yet. Maybe a stroll down to a quaint antique store in Harlem. Say hello to its mysterious owner. Maybe test just how much willpower he has before I make him give away all his little secrets."

And with that, he raised one purple-gloved hand and pointed toward [Xie Lu].

The trap had been sprung.

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