This was the third "recruitment" Shade had handled this week, and it was by far his favorite part of the job. No messy fights, no complications. Just watching the awe and surprise on a potential recruit's face when the Knights made their offer. It was a thrill. Today's target, according to the dossier, was a self-styled vigilante dubbed "Jewel." The file was thin—superhuman strength, durability, a stubborn personality—but it marked her as a prime candidate for the public-facing program.
The walk-up apartment building in New York City smelled of stale beer and damp concrete. Shade, with two of his Delta-U operatives flanking him, entered the building. The Knights' emblem on his long coat was enough to make the few residents in the lobby look away quickly. His team on a nearby rooftop confirmed via drone. "Target is on the top floor. With a male, designated 'Kevin.'"
'Good enough', Shade thought. He reached the apartment door and rang the bell.
The man who answered fit the file photo of Kevin Thompson. He looked Shade up and down, a smug, assessing glint in his eye. Shade felt a faint, instinctual warning, but his confidence in the Knights' reputation...and his own abilities, dismissed it.
"Mr. Kevin. We're from the Knights. We're here to speak with Ms. Jessica Jones regarding a potential employment opportunity. Is she available?"
Kevin's smile widened. "My, my. I suppose with her... elegance and strength, it was only a matter of time. But no. You can't see her."
Shade kept his professional smile plastered on. "It won't take long, sir."
Kevin's face flickered with irritation before settling back into a smarmy grin. "You know what would be so much more interesting? Get inside."
Shade and his two men stepped across the threshold. It wasn't until the door clicked shut behind them that a cold realization dawned: their actions hadn't been entirely voluntary.
"Where is Ms. Jessica?" Shade asked, his voice tighter now.
Kevin stepped in front of them, his demeanor shifting to one of absolute control. "No, you won't be seeing her. I have a much bigger purpose for you. Stop talking."
The command hit Shade's brain like a physical blow. The question he was about to ask died in his throat, his vocal cords locking up. He tried to tap his comms to alert the overwatch team, but his arms refused to obey. His two operatives stood equally frozen, trapped in their own bodies.
"Stop moving," Kevin commanded casually. "Now, sit."
They sat on a worn-out sofa, prisoners in their own armor.
"You know," Kevin mused, pacing before them like a lecturer. "I hear about these 'Knights' everywhere now. It's starting to get irritating. So, let's make this meeting useful. Tell me about your headquarters. Security layouts. The extent of Knights's resources. Does your leader have any... personal weaknesses?"
Shade felt the compulsion build, an unbearable pressure to open his mouth and spill every secret he knew. His jaw began to unclench against his will.
But as he did, something else happened. A thick, black, tar-like aura spilled from his lips, quickly spreading to cover his entire head, crawling over his face and skull for a second before receding back into his mouth as suddenly as it appeared.
Kevin stumbled back, his smugness replaced by shock and confusion. "What the hell was—"
Before he could finish, the same black aura erupted from the mouths of the other two Knights and retreated.
The unnatural grip on Shade's mind shattered. He gasped a breath, his body his own again. One of his operatives, moving on pure instinct, already had his pistol drawn and aimed at Kevin's head.
"Don't kill him!" Shade barked, his voice raw. "Tie him up! Stuff his mouth! He's a telepath!"
The two operatives moved with brutal efficiency, tackling Kevin to the ground. As they wrestled a gag into his mouth, he managed to shout a single, muffled name: "Jessica!"
A door down the hall slammed open. A young woman—tall, with dark hair and a hollow, vacant look in her eyes—stumbled out. Her movements awkwardly mimicked those of a trained fighter, like a rough imitation of a skilled dance.
"Take them down!" Kevin grunted through the gag.
Jessica surged forward with a lurching, superhuman speed, charging them. What should have been the smooth, instinctive grace of her movements was twisted into something unnatural. Her every step radiated strength, but none of it felt like hers. The sight was painful: a warrior's elegance grotesquely repurposed into a weapon by another's control.
Shade and one operative sidestepped, drawing their non-lethal tasers. Two barbed probes hit Jessica in the chest. Blue electricity arced across her body. She screamed, a raw sound of pain and confusion, and dropped to her knees, muscles spasming. She struggled to rise, the current barely containing her.
The third operative finished securing and gagging a thrashing Kevin.
"Wait... stop..." Jessica groaned from the floor, her eyes beginning to clear.
"Are you with us?" Shade asked, his taser still aimed.
She nodded weakly, pushing herself up on her elbows. "Yeah... I'm... I'm me."
Shade immediately keyed his comms, reporting the situation to command. The order came back crisp and immediate: Bring them both in.
During transport to K.A.N.E. HQ, Jessica sat in the reinforced van, shivering despite the heat. Her hands were bound, but the real restraint was the trauma etched on her face.
"How long?" she asked suddenly, her voice hoarse.
Shade glanced back from the passenger seat. "How long what?"
"How long was I..." She stopped, swallowing hard. "How long was I not me?"
The question hung in the air. Shade exchanged a look with the driver before answering quietly, "We're still piecing that together."
Jessica's hands curled into fists despite the restraints. "I remember everything. Every sick thing he made me do." Her voice cracked. "I was screaming inside my own head, but my body just... obeyed."f
"That's over now," Shade said firmly.
"Is it?" Jessica's gaze flickered past Shade to the small, reinforced cage strapped behind the seats, where Kevin sat mute and bound. "How do I know you're not just another version of him?" she whispered, eyes never leaving Kevin's vacant stare. The van fell silent except for the hum of the engine—no one offered an answer.
←—→
Deep within K.A.N.E. HQ, an entire medical lab had been evacuated and sealed. Inside, Kevin Thompson lay sedated and securely restrained on a central examination table, visible through a large plexiglass window.
Alex listened to Shade's report, his arms crossed, his expression unreadable.
"So, after he began asking for operational details, this 'black substance' manifested and broke his control?" Alex inquired, his voice cool and analytical.
"Yes, sir," Shade replied, standing at attention. "We were aware of the compromise when our bodies froze. But we had no idea what was happening. We weren't able to break free until that moment."
Alex's focus turned inward. 'System, the Eternal Scroll's description didn't mention protection from mind control. Do you know about this?'
A soft chime echoed in Alex's mind, followed by a brief pause before the message formed.
[ …The Eternal Scroll is a semi-sentient artifact of immense power, designed to enforce universal edicts. It doesn't control the contractor's voluntary actions but safeguards foundational loyalty. Since the compelled actions would have violated the core oath, the Scroll intervened to maintain the contract's integrity.]
The explanation was clinical and only partially satisfying. 'What are its limits?' Alex asked.
The System offered no further reply. The silence that followed was a question in itself: the Eternal Scroll had its own rules. And Alex was only just beginning to grasp the full extent of the power he had bound his Knights to.
Richard, standing beside him, broke the silence. "What's the plan for him, Alex?"
Alex didn't take his eyes off the sedated man. "This thing has been operating with impunity for who knows how long. We need to understand how his ability works. Tell Maya to prioritize this research—I want to know exactly what we're dealing with. We'll decide his ultimate fate after we have answers."
He finally turned to Shade. "Since you and your team are apparently protected from breaking your oaths by his influence, you will form his permanent guard detail. You are to remain in this lab at all times. Do not obey a single command from him—no matter what he says. If he so much as twitches in a way you don't like, you are authorized to neutralize him. And make it clear to him—if he tries to use his voice on anyone, I will personally cut out his tongue."
With that, Alex turned and walked away, the pressure of countless threats feeling like a physical weight. The capture of this "Kevin" was a small victory, a single piece seized on a chaotic board.
He hadn't waited for Maya. He'd been avoiding her. The memory of their last night together was a blur of released frustration, an intensity that had left even her enhanced body struggling to keep up. She hadn't complained, but the distance between them since was his own doing.
'System, display abilities for mental defense.' He never thought of this skill before, but since someone like Kevin existed, it's better to have a skill to protect his mind.
A list materialized in his vision. The cheapest options started at a staggering 750,000 SP. His eyes settled on one for 900,000. With some hesitation, he purchased it, leaving his balance at a mere 30,000 SP.
[Clarity: A mental discipline that grants resistance to mind-affecting effects, illusions, and manipulative influences. Allows the user to perceive reality with greater accuracy, discern hidden intentions, and maintain control over their thoughts and actions.]
A cold, focused calm settled over his mind. The world was getting more complicated, and his accumulation of SP was slowing as the timeline stabilized around his presence. He needed a major catalyst, a significant event, to amass the power required for what was to come.
He little knew that the catalyst had already been set in motion.
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