Russell didn't know exactly what Killgrave had done to Jessica in the past, but judging by her reaction, it must have left an indelible mark on her.
When it came to comforting others, he wasn't particurly skilled.
All he could do was quietly say, "Don't worry. It's all over now."
Only after hearing his words did Jessica, who had been tense since seeing Killgrave, finally begin to rex.
Watching Dr. Wilson conduct various tests and record data on Killgrave in the b, Jessica suddenly wore a despondent expression.
Her goal had always been to defeat the Killgrave, to kill the demon who had haunted her nightmares.
But she never expected that the target she had longed to destroy would be effortlessly subdued by someone else.
The sudden void left by the absence of her purpose left her at a loss.
"You don't need to overthink it," Russell said gncing at her, "Your life now is pretty good. Being able to do what you love freely is its own kind of happiness."
If it were him in her shoes, he'd feel the same way if a goal he had desperately pursued was easily achieved by another.
It had nothing to do with strength, it was purely psychological.
"Thank you," Jessica turned to him, her voice sincere, "Really… thank you."
But the next second, she did something Russell never expected... She suddenly stepped forward and hugged him, pressing her face against his chest.
With Russell's reflexes, he could have easily dodged this kind of 'ambush'.
But his instincts told him that avoiding it might lead to worse consequences.
So he said nothing, letting Jessica hold onto him as she leaned against him.
However, things took another unexpected turn.
Just as Russell was wondering how long she'd keep this up, he spotted a familiar, and currently unwelcome figure.
Heather, who almost never visited the 13th-floor b, had inexplicably shown up.
And she had just witnessed Jessica hugging him.
'Are you kidding me?! Even transmigrators are never victim to such clichés!'
As if sensing something, Jessica finally let go, but not before noticing Heather standing nearby.
For some reason, seeing Heather in that sharp suit, her face stormy, Jessica felt an urge to mess with her.
So she reached out, gently cupping Russell's chin in a way completely unlike her usual demeanor, then rose onto her tiptoes to whisper in his ear loud enough for Heather to hear:
"Thank you, Russell. I'll never forget you."
With that, she immediately reverted to her usual self and sauntered out of the b under Russell's stunned gaze and Heather's furious gre.
Watching Jessica disappear into the elevator, Russell suddenly realized something.
Just as he was about to expin himself to Heather, a familiar mechanical voice echoed in his mind.
[Host has met the conditions for Fate Points distribution...]
[Distributing Fate Points...]
[Current Fate Points: 1]
The sudden arrival of a Fate Point stunned Russell and cost him his best chance to expin.
Seeing that Russell made no move to crify, Heather shot him a gre and stormed off without another word.
By the time he snapped out of his daze, Heather had already vanished into the elevator.
'…Whatever. Time to roll the gacha.'
Back before transmigrating, Russell had heard a saying:
"There are two kinds of people in this world: those who open packages the moment they arrive, and those who wait until everything's delivered before unboxing."
He didn't know if it was true, but he was definitely the first type... the kind who ripped open deliveries immediately.
Russell couldn't stand hoarding surprises for some 'perfect moment'.
His philosophy was simple: 'When a surprise comes, enjoy it right away...'
So without hesitation, he initiated his third system draw.
As the icons representing different rewards fshed through his mind, Russell couldn't help but fantasize...
'Would it be Kryptonian DNA like Superman's? Or the Speed Force, the ultimate cheat code?'
'Maybe even Martian Manhunter's Swiss Army knife-like physiology?'
But then a ridiculous thought struck him.
'What if I draw Bruce Wayne's Superpower... being filthy rich?'
'How would the system even handle that? Would it just rain money on me, or…?'
Whether it was his imagination running wild or sheer luck, one of the reward icons bore a distinct 'Batman symbol'.
"Wait… did I actually get Wayne's wealth?"
That hope sted less than a second before the system crushed it.
The Batman symbol appeared, but what he got wasn't Bruce Wayne's fortune.
Nor was it any of his high-tech gadgets.
Instead, it was a person... Someone who had stood by Batman for decades...
[Draw complete!]
[Host has Obtained: The One True 'Batman'... Alfred Pennyworth...]
Last time, during his second draw, Russell had gotten 'Superman's Super Vision' complete with heat vision.
It made him wonder if his luck was finally turning, if he was ascending from 'cursed' to 'blessed'.
But reality proved him wrong...
Yes, Alfred Pennyworth (the legendary "Batman's Batman") was a reward Russell himself had added to the system.
And he couldn't deny Alfred's exceptional capabilities...
But the problem was he wanted combat-reted rewards right now, not a support-type butler...
Another major issue: In the game, Alfred could be summoned as an Apostle.
But this was the real world, not some game where you could conjure allies with magic circles.
Though disappointed, Russell quickly steadied his mood and focused on the reward's arrival.
[Reward dispatched...]
[Host, please be prepared to receive it...]
...
{T/N: The only time I recall Alfred being Batman on steroids was on DCeased...}