Technology Pioneer

Tessa's home was close to Sean's, both properties belonging to the same real estate company. As she opened the door to her empty house, she shook her head, feeling a wave of disappointment. But she motioned for Ryan to follow her in. His constant presence was her only comfort, even if it was achieved by unconventional means.

Ryan's phone rang at that moment, but he remained by Tessa's side, showing no intention of answering it. Tessa knew it was Ryan's parents calling. He had been with her for a while now, not returning home, which naturally worried his family. But the thought of Ryan leaving her was unbearable.

"Ryan, hang up and turn off your phone," she commanded.

Obeying her order, Ryan immediately pulled out his phone, ended the call, and turned it off.

"I think it's better for you to let him go home, or his parents might call the police."

Startled by the unexpected voice, Tessa's face went pale. She spun around to see a figure shrouded in black smoke standing behind her. The figure's appearance was completely obscured, a shadowy form in a hooded robe made of smoke. Fear surged through her. She instinctively thought to run but quickly remembered she wasn't powerless anymore. This was her home, and she had her own abilities now.

The mysterious figure was, of course, Abel. He had followed her and was now certain that Tessa possessed Kilgrave's ability.

"Who… who are you?" Tessa stammered.

Abel wasn't in the mood for small talk. Ignoring her question, he asked directly, "Where did your ability come from?"

With his magic not yet fully restored, Abel couldn't use Legilimency to read Tessa's mind, so he had no choice but to ask directly.

Tessa's face turned even paler as she tried to deny everything. "I don't know what you're talking about. If you don't leave my house right now, I'll call the police!"

Abel didn't waste any time. He raised his wand and cast a Petrification spell on Ryan. The white light from the spell shot out and froze Ryan in place, turning him into a motionless statue.

Tessa gasped in horror, watching in disbelief as Ryan stood still, completely unresponsive. She glared at Abel and screamed, "Leave me alone! Get out! I order you to leave my house!"

Feeling the pull of her control, Abel quickly performed Occlumency to block Kilgrave's abilities, rendering him immune to Tessa's command. He stood his ground, letting her exert her influence in vain.

After several failed attempts to control him, Tessa's expression shifted to one of despair. She backed away slowly, fear evident in her eyes.

"Please... please don't hurt me," she pleaded, her voice trembling.

"Tell me where your ability comes from," Abel demanded. "If you tell me the truth, I'll let you and Ryan go unharmed."

"I... I..." Tessa hesitated, still fearful.

Seeing her reluctance, Abel waved his wand again, and a nearby vase exploded into pieces. Shards of glass rained down near Tessa, causing her to shriek in terror.

"I'll ask you one last time. Tell me the truth, or I'll make sure neither you nor your family is safe," Abel said coldly.

In a state of panic, Tessa finally broke. "I… I stole it from my father's company," she admitted shakily. "I found a file on his computer... the password was my mother's birthday. I didn't want to do this… I just wanted them to notice me more. So, I took a potion from his lab, and… I couldn't resist trying it."

Her explanation was disjointed, but Abel understood the gist. To get her father's attention, Tessa had stolen a potion from his lab—a potion that had given her Kilgrave's powers.

"Where is your father's company?" Abel pressed.

Tessa shrank back further, retreating until she was cornered. "Please… please don't hurt my father."

"If I wanted to hurt him, I would've done so already. I'm only interested in the potion. Now tell me where his company is, and I promise you and your family will be safe. Otherwise, I'll wait here for him, and you can watch what happens when he gets home."

Abel's patience was wearing thin. He longed for the days when he could simply use mind-reading, sparing him the effort of threats and interrogation.

"My father… he's the chief researcher at Pioneer Technologies..." Tessa finally confessed, her voice trembling.

Hearing her words, Abel felt a twinge of frustration. Threatening a frightened girl didn't bring him any satisfaction, but he needed answers.

Pioneer Technologies? Abel recalled it being a medium-sized tech company. How could they have developed a potion capable of granting Kilgrave's abilities? Were S.H.I.E.L.D. or Hydra involved?

"I hope you're telling me the truth," Abel warned. "If you are, we'll never meet again. But if you lie, I'll return. And I don't think I need to remind you what will happen if you talk about this to anyone, do I?"

Without waiting for her response, Abel turned and walked out the door, disappearing into the night.

Abel knew there was a chance Tessa might warn her father, but he had no time to lose. He needed to get to Pioneer Technologies and uncover the truth. A short taxi ride later, he arrived a block away from the company's building. After paying the driver, he stepped out, taking in the sight of the corporate headquarters.

It didn't matter what kind of potions or powers they were experimenting with. Abel had to find out if Kilgrave was truly dead, and if not, he would ensure that this time, Kilgrave was gone for good.