- Cornell 'Cottonmouth' Stokes: There is honor amongst thieves, but you ain't no thief. Gave a speech at a church, knocked down a few doors in the projects and now you Harlem's Captain America? Nigga please. How they gonna feel about their folk hero when they find out he ain't nothing more but a goddamn hoodlum? You act like you better than me, you ain't better than me.
- Claire Temple: If people see that you're one of them, that's good. If you stand and fight, they'll follow you.
- Luke Cage: If I go to prison, who's gonna wanna follow me?
- Claire Temple: Half the people uptown have fathers, cousins, uncles, brothers in prison! You're no different than anybody else. You get your wish. You're not special. Instead of running, if you make a move and you take him down once and for all? You stop him, you save this community, and you free yourself.
- Cornell 'Cottonmouth' Stokes: Domingo got his guns back last night. Everyone else will fall in line. Jamaicans, Haitians, Dominicans. Hell even the Koreans. All loyal. We're all good. So when do I get my Judas?
- Hernan 'Shades' Alvarez: You don't. You're too hot right now. Luke Cage is a luxury, Cornell. He's, uh he's ice cream. And you need to keep steak on the table.
- Cornell 'Cottonmouth' Stokes: And how do I do that with Luke Cage around? All he has to do is SHOW UP and hoods scatter like roaches with the lights on! Guns, drugs, all street traffic is a mess right now because of him! Niggas act like he can walk on water.
- Hernan 'Shades' Alvarez: Can he?
- Claire Temple: Setbacks happen all the time. You can still do something about this.
- Luke Cage: Why me?
- Claire Temple: Because you're not afraid of Cottonmouth, and he's obviously afraid of you.
- Hernan 'Shades' Alvarez: I didn't have shit. I grew up in the street. But the one name that always rang out was "Stokes." You needed a Thanksgiving turkey? Go see Mama Mabel Stokes. School clothes? Mama Mabel Stokes. Your old man put his hands on you? See Mama Mabel Stokes and it would never, ever happen again.
- Luke Cage: Where are the guns?
- Domingo Colon: I don't know what you're talking about.
- Luke Cage: The ones you got back from Cottonmouth. The ones my friends died over.
- Domingo Colon: What, you think you can go after everyone?
- Luke Cage: I kinda do. I can pick you up walk you over to the bridge and throw your ass in the Hudson. And here's the thing. It's not the fall that kills you. It's the impact against the water. And when the water fills your lungs, right before you black out, you'll ask yourself "Why didn't I just give Luke Cage what he wanted?"
- Domingo Colon: ...The guns are downstairs.
- Luke Cage: Muchas gracias.
- Bailey: [Researching Luke] He is too damn clean. You know, he's so clean, it's it's freaky.
- Misty Knight: In what way?
- Bailey: He has, uh, no credit cards. No email address.
- Misty Knight: But he has a social security number.
- Bailey: Yeah, but no bank account. No Facebook. No porn.
- Misty Knight: Why do you find no porn so disturbing?
- Luke Cage: I didn't come to Harlem to be a hero, Claire. I came because I needed time to figure shit out.
- Claire Temple: So did I.
- Luke Cage: You're right. I can't keep running. But I want you to know what you're getting into. If Cottonmouth talks, or if anybody connects the dots that Luke Cage is Carl Lucas I go back to Seagate.
- Claire Temple: You knew the risks and you did it anyway. That's what makes you a hero.
- Luke Cage: Maybe I should get a mask after all.