Chapter 9 - Shadow in the Storm

Mikael got home and took some time to put his parents worried at rest. After grabbing some dinner that was set aside he made his way to his room and put away his bag before he started to prepare for the night ahead of him. He changed into a set of dark clothes, black pants and shirt underneath a dark blue hoodie. He kept the neck gaiter on to kept his face obscure and grabbed a pair of black tactical gloves from when he played airsoft.

His preparation complete Mikael sat and meditated as he waited for his parents to go to sleep. Once he sensed they were asleep he opened his window and made his way out before closing it after him. He quickly found his way to the roof as he cloaked his presence and silenced his footsteps before beginning to leap across the rooftops towards Brooklyn. Within a couple of minutes he found himself standing on the roof of an apartment across the street from his destination.

As he looked down he quickly found the blue sedan he saw on in the recording. He scanned over the house, the blinds were closed and all the lights on the first floor were turned on. Mikael could barely make out two shadows through the closed blinds in one of the rooms. When Mikael didn't sense anyone else in the building and was about to leap across the street, he saw another call pull up into the driveway. He stopped and watched as a woman got out of the car and started to make her way to the door. Mikael then leaped from his perch and across the street landing soundlessly atop the roof as he watched from above as the woman unlocked the door and entered the house before calling out.

"Honey, I'm home!"

"Ah great, I'm in the living room. There's someone I want you to meet." Mikael heard a male voice answer the woman. He could sense the conflict buried within the words.

"Who is this honey?" The woman asked.

"This is mister Kilgrave. I've been telling him all about you and he's been looking forward to meeting you." The voice answered. As soon as Mikael heard the name spoken he dropped down to the front door. With a wave of his hand he tripped the main electrical breaker outside off all power inside.

"You there, go fix whatever that was while I get familiar with your lovely wife. Now then dear why don't you take a seat." Mikael heard another voice order before he heard footsteps heading towards the front door. As the door opened the man soon found himself face to face with the hooded figure of Mikael as he raised his head to look at the man with his green eyes that seemed to glow slightly against the night sky.

"Who-" The man tried to ask a question only to have Mikael's gloves hand latch over his mouth and he heard him speak.

"You are feeling tired, you will go to bed now and when you wake up you will not remember this moment or any interaction with Kilgrave." Mikael commanded as he pushed his will into the man's mind while erasing any commands Kilgrave had given him. Mikael slowly removed his hand as he watched the man's eyes grow heavy before he began to drowsily make his way upstairs while repeating his words. Mikael then walked into the living room where he saw the familiar man in a purple suit sitting on the couch with the woman seated next to him. Mikael could see the wicked smile on his face as he groped and touched the petrified woman. Mikael stepped forward into the center of the room as his back was illuminated by the little bit of moonlight that flooded in from through the cracks in the blinds.

Kilgrave quickly noticed the shadow that now obscured the moonlight and he looked up from the woman to see the dark figure with glowing green eyes.

"Who the hell are you?" Kilgrave asked as his smile turned into a scowl. Mikael ignored him as he turned to the woman.

"You're exhausted from work, you will go to bed now. When you wake up you will remember nothing of what happened tonight." Mikael told her as he repeated the process as he had with the man before she stood up and starting to walk out of the room while repeating his order. Mikael then expanded his power over the room cloaking it and preventing any noise from escaping.

"Hey! I didn't say you could leave! Come back here!" Kilgrave stood up and tried to walk past Mikael after the woman only to then see a small shadow approach his face. With a quick backhand Mikael sent Kilgrave tumbling over the top of the couch and into the dining room.

"You son of a bitch. Tell me who you are!" Kilgrave yelled out as he stood up wiping a trickle of blood from his nose.

"You are not worthy of my name." Mikael answered his tone even and cold as he crossed the living room to stand in front of Kilgrave. Mikael watched as he stumbled backwards and his scowl turned into shock.

"How? How are you-"

"Not affected by your power? It's quite simple really." Mikael leaned in closer before he whispered.

"Because you are beneath me." Mikael opened the back door with a glance before he struck Kilgrave's chest with his palm sending him flying into the back yard. Mikael walked out after him before waving his hand as the door shut behind him and the breakers turned back on. Kilgrave crawled to his knees as he slowly started to stand up.

"What do you want from me? Money? Women?" Kilgrave asked as he started looking around searching for a way out.

"What I want... Is for you to run." Mikael said as he gestured towards the street. "You have 10 seconds."

"What?" Kilgrave asked wide eyed.

"1...2...3." Mikael started to count causing Kilgrave to stumble as he made his around him as Mikael's eyes followed tracked him the entire time.

Kilgrave started to turned on the sidewalk and started to run as he started to scream out into the night.

"Help! Help me! Dammit can't any of you worthless shits hear me!?" He cried as he ran down the street. He started to slow down as he looked around. The streets were empty as though people were avoiding it. The clouds above grew dark as the moon began to disappear behind them. As he looked away from the skies he saw him. There on the ledge of the roof of a building Mikael stood staring down at him, his green eyes now seemed like the brightest light present in the darkness. Kilgrave felt an unfamiliar sensation run along his spine as the hair on his neck seemed to stand on end like the air around him was charged with static.

He tripped over his feet as he tried to turn and run in another direction. He breath grew ragged and sweat started to cover his back and face as he ran block after block. Each time he looked back he saw Mikael again perched atop a different roof like a statue. Soon he found himself weaving between trees before stopping in an opening as rain began to fall. He spun around in a circle scanning his surroundings but wherever he looked he seemed to see two green lights peering at him. From within the branches and bushes, from behind the trees, through the gaps in the benches, from the shadows of the restrooms and even from between the metal bars and toys of the empty playground nearby.

"What do you want from me?! Answer me! Just tell me what you want!" Kilgrave screamed out into the darkness. But as he stood there in the sarkness of the park he found himself in, he was answered only by the rumbles and growls of the mass of dark clouds that seemed to follow him.

"Who are you!? What are you!?" He screamed out again as he continued to spin around. The clouds began to crackle with sparks as the edge of his vision continued to be haunted by the piercing glow of those cold green eyes that now seemed to possess a shadow when illuminated by the occasional flash of lightning in the clouds.

As he spun back and forth in panic he heard the sounds of footsteps approaching from the distance. He spun around as he began to back away while he tried to see who it was. The figure continued to slowly approach and when a brief illuminated the clearing he saw a familiar hesitant but hate filled face.