Two dark cars were parked under a building under construction. Four men and women in black suits and sunglasses got out of the cars. They walked quickly into the building and took the elevator to the roof.
They went straight to their companion who was wearing his coat over Jessica. The middle aged man with a slightly higher hairline in the lead nodded to his colleague and looked at Jessica.
"Jessica, we meet again."
Hearing the familiar voice Jessica looked up at the other party still looking slightly sad. She nodded.
"Agent Coulson, we meet again."
"Jessica, if I remember correctly you have been missing for at least half a year. I do not know what you have been up to in the past six months."
"The dead guy over there, his name is Kilgrave. Codenamed Purple Man. Your Strategic Homeland Intervention, Enforcement and Logistics Division... I am sorry, I do not remember the rest. Your name is too long. Anyway your organization is so powerful you should know who he is."
Coulson's expression grew serious. He nodded slowly.
"I know him. He was a former Yugoslav spy who was betrayed long ago. According to the information he seems to possess a powerful ability to control people's minds. Were you under his hypnosis?"
"That is not hypnosis but some kind of superpower. He can use his words to control everyone within a certain range. I was controlled by him for over half a year. During that time..."
Jessica choked up slightly but took a deep breath and continued.
"During that time I hurt many people under his control. I even killed some people until someone killed him just now and I was completely freed."
Think about it. There is a girl who has been manipulated and controlled. She is beautiful. Now imagine if you were in her place. What do you think could happen to her.
With a sigh Coulson squatted down and reached out. He gently patted Jessica's shoulder hesitating slightly.
"Jessica, he is dead and everything he caused you is gone. You are free now. As for the people you hurt it was not really you. It was all Kilgrave. You were just a tool in this matter and you had no control. So do not carry the burden."
"Just one thing. Do you know who killed Kilgrave? His ability to kill Kilgrave means he could resist Kilgrave's power of manipulation and it appears Kilgrave fell to his death. There were also witnesses who recorded a video earlier. The person suspected of killing Kilgrave seemed to have powers similar to yours. We cannot be sure whether he did it for justice or for some other reason. Can you tell us who the man who killed Kilgrave was?"
Jessica looked at Coulson. Coulson who had taken off his sunglasses stared back at her.
After holding each other's gaze for a while Jessica slowly shook her head.
"Sorry, he was wearing a hood and something was covering his face. I could not see what he looked like. All I know is that he suddenly appeared inside the restaurant. Under Kilgrave's control my memory is hazy. I cannot recall the man's face at all."
Jessica was not lying. Not just her. In fact everyone in the restaurant had been manipulated. While under Kilgrave's control the only thought in their minds was to serve him wholeheartedly like people fanatically devoted to a cause. They could not focus on anything or anyone else around them. And Sebastian had disguised himself well keeping his identity hidden.
Coulson did not press Jessica further. He simply nodded.
"Alright, we will leave it here for now. You will go back with our agents. We will arrange psychotherapy and intervention for you. It will help you recover from the shadows of the past more quickly."
Jessica wanted to refuse. Right now all she wanted was to hide away and tend to her wounds in peace.
But she had not told the whole truth. In fact she had a few guesses about Sebastian's identity especially when he killed Kilgrave and muttered something about Kilgrave hurting his family.
Still Sebastian had saved her pulling her from Kilgrave's grip. He had gone so far as to conceal his face clearly not wanting to be identified. Jessica did not say anything in case Coulson and his team ended up going after him and causing him trouble.
This is the only thing I can do for you right now. I do not know who you are but I will always be grateful. Thank you.
Holding that silent gratitude in her heart Jessica followed a female agent off the rooftop and got into one of the cars for a temporary rest.
Once she was gone Coulson walked over to the agent handling the body.
"We need to take Kilgrave's body. Maybe we will find something useful from him."
"Understood, sir."
"Alright, let us head out. We have got more leads to follow."
With that Coulson and his team left the rooftop.
At that moment the two staff members handling Kilgrave's body suddenly raised their heads and exchanged a glance. One subtly adjusted his position to block the other from view creating a blind spot.
Taking advantage of the cover the second staff member retrieved a flat box from a hidden compartment in the toolbox. With practiced subtlety he took a tissue sample from Kilgrave's body and secured the specimen. He placed it back inside the box.
After that the two resumed packing up Kilgrave's body and prepared it for transport.
The staff member who had secretly collected the tissue casually handed the toolbox to an agent. In a low voice he whispered.
"Hail Hydra."
"Hail Hydra."
With the exchange complete the two men split up and returned to their duties as if nothing had happened. The agent walked off with the toolbox and everything continued in silence.
At the same time Coulson and several agents stood in the restaurant's surveillance room staring at the wiped security footage and the missing master tapes. Coulson let out a helpless sigh.
"This unknown guy is far too cautious. He did not leave us a single clue. But we have other ways. Videos taken by passersby and surveillance from nearby blocks. Pull it all up. Let us see if we can uncover his identity. I do not believe for a second that he left no trace behind!"
After everything that happened at the restaurant continuing business as usual was out of the question. Once Coulson and his team had left the restaurant's upper management decided to close operations for a week. All employees were granted paid leave as compensation.
Although being mind controlled was deeply unsettling the prospect of a full week's paid vacation still made Alisha smile uncontrollably. She parked her car in the lot downstairs and greeted a few neighbors. She carried the groceries she had picked up from the supermarket back home. She planned to prepare a delicious meal for her son that evening to make up for lost time and reconnect with him.
Lately she had been swamped with work and often came home late. Alisha could not shake the feeling that Sebastian was hiding something from her. But considering his age it was not unusual. Teenage boys often had their own secrets.
To be honest after everything that happened that day Alisha seemed surprisingly unfazed. Whether that was a testament to her open mindedness or just a big hearted nature was anyone's guess.
Cradling the full kraft paper bag in her arms Alisha was just about to unlock the door when she ran into a delivery man. After signing for the package she walked inside. Sebastian stepped forward and took the items from her arms. He began placing everything neatly in the kitchen.
Alisha glanced at the parcel she had been holding. It had Sebastian's name written on it.