C29: Brotherhood of Assassins
"Assassin Brotherhood?"
Jessica's eyes narrowed, clearly skeptical.
Of course, she hadn't heard of that name before. In the world she knew, one filled with vigilantes, aliens, and enhanced individuals, there was no such thing as the Assassin Brotherhood.
And she was right to question it. The so-called Assassin Brotherhood was a fabrication, born from Li Ran's need to explain his anomalous abilities without invoking the mystical Penglai, especially since the [Arc Ballistics] and [Adrenal Acceleration] skills he accessed through the [Wesley] persona bore no resemblance to the Eastern mysticism tied to Iron Fist or the Immortal Weapons of K'un-Lun.
Rather than force a contradiction into the narrative, Li Ran had improvised a completely new secret society. The name was inspired loosely by the League of Assassins, a well-known organization in the DC Universe led by Ra's al Ghul. But Li Ran had twisted it, rebranding it for his own purpose.
So it made sense that Jessica was lost when he mentioned it.
In the dim light of the antique shop, Li Ran subtly tilted his face downward by about fifteen degrees, casting shadows over his features. His voice dropped into a grave whisper, imitating the style of those who had once followed Ra's al Ghul or operated in SHIELD's black files.
"The Assassin Brotherhood is an ancient and clandestine order. Its roots can be traced back to the time of Julius Caesar, long before Hydra infiltrated SHIELD or the League of Shadows claimed dominion over Gotham. They've endured centuries of annihilation attempts, during Nero's Rome, the Crusades, even under the scrutiny of MI-13 during World War II and yet, they always rise from the ashes."
> [Famousness from Jessica Jones +15]
"Then why the hell haven't I heard of them?" Jessica asked, eyes narrowing. She was no novice, she'd tangled with Kilgrave, lived through the fallout of the Raft breakouts, and had friends who'd seen the secret files of the Avengers. Her instincts as a private investigator, however dulled by bourbon and trauma, were intact.
"Because the Brotherhood follows an ancient creed."
"Creed?"
"They have three immutable tenets," Li Ran replied solemnly. "First: never take an innocent life. Second: conceal yourself within society—'hide in plain sight.' Third: never betray the Brotherhood. These rules guide every action, every mission. Like the Order of St. Dumas or the Hand, they operate in shadows. But unlike them, the Brotherhood seeks balance, not domination. They believe in strategic removal of threats, killing one to save a thousand. They act on behalf of the powerless, waging silent war against corruption, not for glory, but for balance."
> [Famousness from Jessica Jones +35]
Jessica scoffed, arms crossed. "Sounds like another vigilante cult in a trench coat. I've seen enough of those."
"But you, are you in this Brotherhood?"
Though her tone was dismissive, her eyes remained locked on him, searching for tells.
Li Ran shook his head with a weary smile. "I wish I could be. But membership is reserved for those who have completed the Trials of Echo, missions designed to test not just your skills, but your will. I haven't passed them. I'm what they call a Custodian, maintaining this outpost, serving as a liaison, providing intelligence."
Jessica leaned forward on the counter, her expression hardening. "So how do I know this isn't just more BS? Maybe you're just the latest puppet from Kilgrave, spinning lies to earn my trust."
Her words stung but they were justified.
Li Ran didn't answer with words. Instead, he raised the pistol from behind the counter and fired directly at her.
It happened so fast even Jessica, who once went toe-to-toe with Luke Cage, couldn't react. The bullet should have hit her squarely in the face.
Instead, it veered off course just inches away, barely grazing a strand of her hair before striking a ceramic vase behind her.
CRASH.
She blinked, realizing she was still alive.
Then Li Ran's voice came, calm, deliberate. "That was [Arc Ballistics], a technique taught only to Brotherhood operatives. Mine's weak, my control's minimal but it's just enough to curve a bullet slightly. The elite can ricochet a shot around corners and hit targets through five walls. Compared to them… I'm just a beginner."
> [Famousness from Jessica Jones +115]
BOOM.
The counter exploded as Jessica's fist slammed into it, sending wooden fragments flying.
"I was demonstrating!" Li Ran yelped.
Jessica lowered her fist, exhaling slowly. "And I was reacting. Don't try that again, or next time it won't be the counter."
But now, she was looking at him differently. Not as some washed-up antique dealer in Hell's Kitchen but as something… else.
---
Manhattan – Kimberly Building
The jagged glass of the upper-floor windows had been recently replaced, though the cracks in the reputation of Wilson Fisk, known in the underworld as Kingpin, were harder to mend.
He stood near the glass, cane in hand, gazing out at the sprawl of the city.
"My operations in Midtown are bleeding," Fisk said coldly.
Behind him, a thug named Tony knelt, his body quaking. "There's a reason, someone new. A lunatic. Shows up, guns blazing. Our best men, shot down like dogs. He moves like Wesley Gibson. You remember that name, right?"
Fisk turned slowly, his bulk towering like a mountain. "I'm not interested in excuses. Only results. And what I see, Tony, is failure."
He seized the man by the neck and lifted him easily, a feat not surprising for someone who once fought Spider-Man hand-to-hand and lived.
"Do you know what I do to liabilities, Tony?"
Tony gasped, face purpling. "I-I understand… please…"
Fisk let him drop, reaching for a silk handkerchief to wipe his hands.
"I'm giving you one more chance," he said as the man wheezed on the floor. "But next time we meet… it won't be on this floor. It'll be in a grave. Get me results."
Tony didn't speak, he only nodded, too busy gulping air like it was his last.
---