C77: Shot
Under the dim torchlight, Jin Bing stood hunched over his cane—his massive frame shrouded in shadow like a villain straight out of a Daredevil back-alley story. Despite the ominous aura, his face was brutally grim.
His subordinates hesitated, backing away as they sensed their leader's unease.
In the Hand's stronghold hall—ringed by dozens of ninjas and organized crime thugs—a decrepit old man calmly read a newspaper. His sparse hair and tattered vest contrasted with the stark blue of his Birkenstock-style flip-flops.
Jin Bing's low voice cut the silence: "Are you certain? He is the one?"
Near him, Mrs. Gao shuffled forward with her crutch, clearing her throat croakily. "I've heard tales… you're the legendary killer, the Fire Cloud Evil God?"
The old man lowered the paper lazily. "That's just a name someone made up."
Bullseye leaned forward as a lean, dark-skinned guard stepped closer. "Old man," he sneered, "who do you think you are, talking like that here?"
The old man raised an eyebrow. Just words. That was his weapon.
Bang—
Before the thug could react, his punch met nothing but air—swatted aside with the precision of Iron Fist's wind blasts in Marvel comics. He staggered, enraged.
Mrs. Gao looked disapproving. Even Bullseye paused, reconsidering.
The old man continued, voice sleepy yet chilling: "Looks to me like you don't even belong to a gang. You're just pretending."
Bullseye's thug snapped. He drew his pistol, aiming at the old man's head.
In the next instant, the weapon outright flew from his hand—yanked into the old man's waiting grasp.
The ninjas drew swords. Some removed pistols from holsters.
Lights flared—every gun in the room fired in unison.
The old man moved like a blur—an echo of dispatches from Shang-Chi storylines or the DC Universe's Lady Shiva. He dodged every bullet and returned to his chair, sitting as if nothing had happened.
He made a dismissive gesture, trigger fingers still warm:
"All martial styles can be defeated… if you're faster than their limits."
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[Legend +265 from Mrs. Gao]
[Legend +195 from Jin Bing]
[Legend +275 from Bullseye]
[Legend +2 from Hand Ninja]
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A few days later, the Defenders still recovering from the Ziren ambush regrouped in Hell's Kitchen. Matt, finally feeling fit again, led the team toward an uncovered Hand stronghold.
Mid-battle, he sensed something off.
"Do you feel… they're different? Not frenetic, just…" Matt swung his cane at an incoming ninja, the strike precise.
Jessica, flipping through the air, replied, "Holding back."
Luke Cage caught a pistol by the barrel and twisted it aside, blowing the shooter backward. "Not surrender. They're stalling."
Jessica kicked a thug off-balance. "They've got secret weapons."
Wesley reloaded silently. "Stay focused."
Jessica rolled her eyes. "Thanks for the pep talk."
Matt called out, "Stay alert, everyone."
Jessica frowned, tightening her grip on her shield fragment as they swept deeper into the stronghold.
---
"Bullseye's here."
After clearing the lower levels, they headed upstairs. A familiar crack in the air cut through the tension—Matt shouted, "The old rules!"
It was the cue: Wesley triggered the [Arc Ballistics] suppression volley.
But Bullseye didn't flinch. He simply stood there, almost mocking them.
Luke paused mid-swing at a collapsing ninja before calling out, "Did he freeze?"
A ballistic arc drew near. Wesley's shot was impeccable—but instead of redirecting it, Bullseye watched it approach calmly.
Wesley couldn't believe it.
Suddenly, a hand emerged behind Bullseye and snatched the bullet from mid-air—two fingers, raw speed rivaling those seen in Flash comics or Superman grip feats.
[Legend +110 from Jessica]
[Legend +120 from Luke Cage]
The hand dropped the spent bullet to the floor. A sharply dressed figure stepped into view—his suit faintly glowing, reminiscent of the Imperial Guard's gleam from DC's Emerald City.
He surveyed the Defenders, cool and composed.
"Let's be frank," his voice was like silk over steel. "None of you are worth my shot."
If Li Ran could see this, he would be torn between rooting for Bullseye's headshot… and admiring the confidence of this new player in the room.
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"Who is he?" Jessica dropped from above, her tone cautious.
Matt's instincts sharpened. "I don't know—but he's lethal."
Wesley stepped over to them, solemn. "He caught my bullet."
Jessica nodded. "Yeah, that's…" She paused mid-thought. "But we've got one bulletproof guy here."
Luke took a breath, smirking slightly. "More like four—if he wants to hit us all, he's gonna need more bullets."
The tension in the Hand stronghold thickened. A face-off unlike any the Defenders had seen so far was unfolding—and this unknown combatant was the one to watch.
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