Meanwhile, in Mavuika's apartment, Thor was staring blankly at a new toy.
It was a mobile phone.
Mavuika had bought it for him that afternoon, the same model as Loki's.
Thor held the small rectangular block, turning it over and over in his hands, his face full of confusion.
"Big Sister, how do I use this thing?"
Mavuika was reading a book and didn't even look up as she spoke. "Press that button on the side to turn it on."
Thor pressed it, and the screen lit up.
Loki chuckled softly beside him.
Thor glared at him. "What are you laughing at?"
Loki shrugged.
"Nothing."
Thor ignored him and continued to study the phone.
"This thing is really interesting!" he said excitedly. "It has everything in it!"
This time, he opened the camera.
He pointed the lens at himself, and his face appeared on the screen.
Thor was stunned.
"This... this is me?"
Loki finally couldn't help but burst out laughing.
"That's the camera. It's for taking photos."
Thor didn't quite understand, but he found it very amusing.
Holding the phone up, he started taking pictures all over the living room.
The sofa, the coffee table, the bookshelf, the flowers on the balcony, Mavuika in the kitchen...
"Big Sister! Look here!"
Mavuika looked up.
Click.
Thor looked at the photo on the screen and grinned.
"This is called 'taking a photo,' right? I like this!"
Mavuika shook her head helplessly.
Loki leaned over and glanced at the photo—the moment Mavuika looked at the lens, her expression was a bit helpless, but the corners of her mouth were slightly upturned.
"This one's not bad," he said. "Send it to me."
Thor scratched his head. "How do I send it?"
Loki took his phone and taught him how to transfer photos.
Two minutes later, Loki's phone had dozens more of Thor's "masterpieces"—blurry, tilted, nonsensical, everything.
But one was surprisingly well-shot.
It was a candid shot Thor had taken—Mavuika was standing on the balcony, her long golden-red hair fluttering gently in the sunset, the lines of her profile gentle and serene.
The background was the Manhattan skyline, and the entire photo was bathed in golden light.
Loki looked at this photo and was silent for a few seconds.
Then he set it as his phone wallpaper.
...
Washington, S.H.I.E.L.D. Headquarters.
Fury stood in his office, looking at the holographic projection in front of him.
The projection showed a map of New York, with a location in Manhattan's Upper West Side circled in red—Mavuika's Villa.
Coulson stood beside him.
"Director, Kingpin's people had a small conflict with Ms. Mavuika and the others," he said.
Fury frowned.
"Kingpin? How did he end up provoking Mavuika?"
Coulson briefly recounted the sequence of events.
Fury's eyes narrowed.
"Fool... Has Kingpin made any moves?"
Coulson looked at him.
"Not yet, Director. Should we intervene?"
Fury was silent for a moment.
He thought about it. He naturally wasn't worried about Mavuika, even though that fellow Kingpin had built his muscles to an exaggerated degree, almost reaching the human limit.
But in the end, that still fell within the human category.
Not long ago, Abomination could have crushed him with one hand, and Mavuika could likewise crush Abomination with one hand.
The two sides were simply not on the same level.
"No need," he finally said. "Since he hasn't made a move, let's just watch for now."
Coulson was a bit surprised.
"But—"
Fury raised his hand to interrupt him.
"Kingpin's connections run too deep; it's always been difficult for us to move against him." He looked at the red circle on the holographic projection.
"Now is actually an opportunity. If Mavuika can help us solve this problem..."
He didn't finish his sentence.
But Coulson understood.
"Understood, Director."
However, Coulson still had some concerns.
"But Director, will this erode Ms. Mavuika's trust in us..."
Fury hesitated for a moment upon hearing this, but still shook his head.
"It's fine. Keep monitoring. If they really start fighting... it won't be too late to make a decision then."
...
The next evening.
Below Mavuika's apartment building, a man in a purple suit appeared.
He stood on the street corner, looking up at the lit window on the fourth floor, a strange smile hanging on his lips.
Purple Man, Zebediah Killgrave.
His ability was simple: he could release chemical pheromones that, once absorbed through someone's skin, allowed him to control them.
Kingpin had sent him.
"Three people..." he murmured. "Interesting."
Standing beside him were several men and women with hollow eyes—his "toys," people under his control.
There was a strong homeless man, an ordinary office worker, and a young woman in a leather jacket.
Purple Man looked at them and nodded with satisfaction.
"Go. Make some noise downstairs and lure those three out."
Those puppet-like people nodded and walked toward the Villa.
Inside the Villa.
The three siblings were having dinner—Mavuika had made beef stew today, served with mashed potatoes and a vegetable salad.
Thor was buried in his food, his spoon scraping the plate with a clatter.
Loki was elegantly cutting his beef when suddenly, his hand stopped.
Thor noticed his abnormality.
"What's wrong?"
Loki put down his knife and fork and looked out the window.
"There's something," he said, his voice very light.
"magic...? No, not magic. It's some kind of... mental power."
Thor looked up, his mouth still stuffed with beef.
"What mental power?"
Loki ignored him and stood up to walk to the window.
He looked down.
At the street corner, a man in a purple suit stood there, looking up at their window.
Downstairs, several people with hollow eyes were approaching the apartment entrance.
Loki's eyes narrowed slightly.
"Interesting," he whispered. "Mortals can use mind control too?"
Mavuika walked to his side and also looked down.
She saw the man in purple and the puppet-like people.
Her expression remained calm.
"Likely Kingpin's people," she said.
Thor leaned over, still chewing beef.
"Who's this? Looks pretty strange."
Loki chuckled softly.
"An interesting fellow," he said.
"I'll handle it."
Mavuika glanced at him.
"Don't go too far."
Loki smiled.
"Don't worry, Big Sister."
The three went downstairs.
As soon as they reached the door, the controlled people surrounded them.
Their eyes were hollow, their movements stiff, and they repeated the orders Purple Man had given them.
"Take them down... Take them down..."
Thor frowned.
"What's wrong with these people?"
Loki didn't answer.
He simply raised his hand and gave it a light wave.
A flash of green magical light flickered.
The eyes of those people instantly cleared.
They stood there in a daze, looking around and then at themselves, completely unaware of what had happened.
After a brief moment of panic, they immediately scattered and fled, leaving the area.
Purple Man watched all this from the street corner, his pupils shrinking violently.
His control... had been broken?