Chapter 63: The Purple Man (Part 2)

"Don't thank me too much, Jessica," Daniel Davis said as he changed his clothes and equipped himself, watching the holographic image displaying Kilgrave's location.

Kilgrave, also known as the Purple Man in the Marvel Universe, gained his abilities from being injected with an experimental virus as a child, granting him the power to control others. Though his control only lasted for a day and then weakened, it was terrifying enough, especially since he could control continuously.

After gaining his mind control abilities, Kilgrave didn't become overly arrogant or high-profile. Instead, he remained as low-key as ever, occasionally controlling ordinary people to kill each other just for fun.

This was America, a country with one of the highest crime rates in the world. It wasn't unusual for conflicts to escalate into violence. Kilgrave was very smart, so no one ever suspected him. Even S.H.I.E.L.D. only paid attention to large-scale conflicts.

With his mind control abilities, Kilgrave lived a very wealthy life. If he ran out of money, he could simply control a rich person and get a lot of cash. The same went for women; he had slept with countless women using his powers.

Until he met Jessica Jones and became obsessed with her, controlling her continuously. This experience ruined Jessica's life afterward.

For someone like Kilgrave, if Daniel lacked the power, he might let it slide. But since he had the ability, he wanted to deal with Kilgrave in advance. Using the Red Queen's capabilities, Daniel hacked into the Department of Defense's satellites to search for Kilgrave. Using his name and the rough criteria of the Purple Man, he finally located him.

Having an AI system like the Red Queen was indeed convenient. Without her, finding Kilgrave amidst the vast data would have taken a long time, though not impossible.

Daniel wanted to deal with Kilgrave partly to change Jessica's fate and partly because he simply found Kilgrave repulsive.

"Too bad I can't learn Metamorphmagus abilities," Daniel muttered, applying some potions to his face for a simple disguise to avoid revealing his identity.

Daniel had a simpler method to change his appearance: Polyjuice Potion. This potion could be prepared in advance, and a hair from the person you wanted to transform into would be added at the moment of use. However, the potion tasted extremely unpleasant, so Daniel ruled it out.

Metamorphmagus abilities allowed one to change appearance at will, but it was a genetic trait and couldn't be learned. As for Animagus, it was a very complex spell that only allowed transformation into a specific animal. With so much to learn, Daniel didn't have the time for this.

The wizarding world had another method: the Transfiguration spell. Unfortunately, this spell could generally only be used on others or objects, such as turning someone into a pig or sheep. Draco Malfoy was once turned into a ferret.

Using the spell on oneself was extremely difficult. If it were easy, there would be no need for Animagus. So far, only one person in the wizarding world could transform into others using Transfiguration without being detected—Grindelwald.

Others, including Dumbledore and Voldemort, had to rely on Polyjuice Potion to disguise themselves.

Whoosh.

After gearing up and grabbing his smartphone, Daniel Apparated from his villa to an alley behind the upscale café where Kilgrave was located.

Thanks to the relatively few surveillance cameras in the US, he wasn't worried about being caught on camera.

"This guy sure knows how to enjoy life," Daniel muttered as he entered the café and found a seat where he could observe Kilgrave. Seeing the elegant white-collar woman flirting with Kilgrave annoyed him.

As a super-rich individual, Daniel didn't have the leisure to casually flirt with women. Yet, a mere criminal was living so lavishly.

To be fair, Kilgrave was quite handsome, especially by Western standards. Even without mind control, he could probably attract some women.

"Room," Daniel whispered, activating his Ope-Ope Fruit ability to cover Kilgrave and the woman with a transparent sphere.

"This guy is truly scum," Daniel thought, observing Kilgrave's mind control. He used a neurotoxin to affect people's brains and control them. This worked on ordinary people, but not on those with strong wills, like top agents such as Black Widow or Ada Wong.

The control weakened with repeated use, much like how the body builds resistance to drugs, becoming resistant to the neurotoxin over time.

Since the neurotoxin was colorless and odorless and would dissipate completely over time, detecting it in a hospital was nearly impossible unless tested immediately after control.

"Good thing this guy stayed low-key and wasn't discovered by Hydra; that would have been troublesome," Daniel thought. He had considered a simple solution: informing S.H.I.E.L.D. and letting them handle Kilgrave.

But this was just a thought. If Kilgrave were caught by S.H.I.E.L.D., he'd be handed over to Hydra, given the infiltration. An individual like Ivchenko had already advanced Hydra's hypnosis techniques significantly. If Hydra got their hands on the Purple Man, they wouldn't need him directly—just analyzing the virus he emitted would allow them to replicate it. Combining this with their hypnosis would be a huge problem.

Perhaps sensing Daniel's gaze, Kilgrave glanced warily at him before leaving the café with the woman. Daniel immediately followed.

Daniel boldly tailed Kilgrave on the street, which made Kilgrave frown. After arranging to meet the woman the next day, he and the woman parted ways.

Kilgrave then headed for a secluded area, and Daniel continued to follow.

"He's releasing the virus," Daniel noted, unaffected by Kilgrave's tricks, which might have controlled someone else.

"Who are you? Why are you following me?" Kilgrave demanded coldly when they reached a dead-end alley.

Bang.

In response, Daniel fired a shot, hitting Kilgrave's hand, leaving it mangled and bloody. Kilgrave fell to his knees, screaming in pain.

"Kilgrave, it wasn't easy finding you," Daniel said, smiling and holding a Desert Eagle.

"You—"

Bang.

Daniel fired again, this time at Kilgrave's right foot, blowing it apart. The Desert Eagle's power was immense.

"The power is a bit too much; I'll need smaller caliber pistols in the future," Daniel mused. He preferred the Desert Eagle for its effectiveness against zombies.

For others, using the Desert Eagle presented problems: its recoil and loud noise. But for Daniel, this was a minor issue easily solved with a Silencing Charm.

"Don't try any tricks; your abilities won't work on me," Daniel warned. Kilgrave, despite his pain, increased the virus release.

"Do you know why I sought you out? Controlling others and watching them kill each other is fun, isn't it?" Daniel said, shooting Kilgrave's left leg.

To deal with scum, Daniel believed in using evil to fight evil, much like the Punisher. He used to only think this way, but now he could act on it.

"Don't worry; I won't let you die so easily. Your abilities are interesting. I wonder what dissecting you would reveal." Unfortunately, Kilgrave didn't hear Daniel's last words because he had fainted.

"Such a killjoy," Daniel muttered, grabbing Kilgrave's intact arm and using a fire spell to incinerate the scene before Apparating away.

"Awake already?" Daniel greeted Kilgrave, who was strapped to a surgical table, holding a scalpel.

"What are you doing? Let me go! Let me go!" Kilgrave screamed, struggling violently despite the pain, but couldn't break free.

"What are you afraid of? Don't worry, it won't hurt," Daniel said with a sinister laugh, pressing the scalpel to Kilgrave's chest.

"He fainted from fear. How boring," Daniel said, putting down the scalpel. He had already completed his tasks while Kilgrave was unconscious and was just indulging in some dark humor.

Though Daniel believed in using evil to fight evil, he wouldn't go as far as Whitehall. He wasn't a bloodthirsty psychopath.

During his medical studies, dissecting cadavers was his limit. Live dissection was out of the question.

"So many viruses in this world," Daniel muttered, looking at the container storing the neurotoxin extracted from Kilgrave.

He could neutralize Kilgrave's abilities with an injection, removing his mind control powers.

If Coulson handled this, Kilgrave would likely be stripped of his powers and thrown in prison, as S.H.I.E.L.D. handled things by the book.

But Daniel wasn't Coulson, nor was he a government agent.

"Transfiguration." Daniel waved his wand, turning the unconscious Kilgrave into a small sheep.

Transfiguration was dangerous and not allowed on humans until one reached a certain skill level. In the Harry Potter world, Daniel had never used this spell on people, but Kilgrave was a perfect test subject.

Transfiguration, when mastered, was a powerful combat skill. Professor McGonagall, though seemingly unassuming, was one of Hogwarts' top duelists.

Turning the ground into eagles, tables into tigers, and so on were all possible combat uses of Transfiguration.

Turning people into sheep or pigs was different from Animagus transformations. An Animagus retained magical abilities and could use magic, but someone hit by Transfiguration couldn't.

"Hello again," Daniel greeted when Kilgrave woke up, finding himself reduced to just a head in a glass case.

"What did you do, you monster?" Kilgrave screamed, realizing his predicament.

"Did he go mad? Unbelievable," Daniel remarked, seeing Kilgrave's vacant eyes. He had meant it as a joke, using the painless Ope-Ope Fruit ability to disassemble and reassemble him. But Kilgrave, a mind controller, had gone insane.

"Is it really that scary?" Daniel asked, perplexed by Kilgrave's gradual silence.

To Daniel, the Ope-Ope Fruit's abilities were normal. But for those unaware of its powers, seeing themselves reduced to just a head was terrifying. For agents like Ada Wong or Black Widow, it might be manageable. However, Kilgrave, despite his mind control abilities, was still an ordinary person. Coupled with Daniel's mad scientist act, his mind broke.

"Body, come here." Daniel opened the glass case, and with a wave of his hand, Kilgrave's body flew over and reassembled. This wasn't a spell but the Ope-Ope Fruit's ability to control surgery at will.

"Even if you're mad, you won't live," Daniel said, opening the Mirror Dimension and tossing Kilgrave inside. Waving his wand, he summoned Fiendfyre. The cursed fire consumed Kilgrave entirely, leaving nothing but ashes.

"Jessica, I've changed your fate. I wonder if she and Luke Cage will still meet. As for Matt, you can continue your game with Kingpin." Daniel mused, thinking about how his actions would ripple through the lives of these heroes.

Returning from the Mirror Dimension, Daniel felt a sense of accomplishment. Kilgrave was a dangerous individual whose continued existence posed a threat to many. By eliminating him, Daniel not only protected potential victims but also reshaped the future in a significant way.

Back at his villa, Daniel reviewed the footage captured by the Red Queen. Kilgrave's neurotoxin, the basis of his mind control, was safely stored for analysis. While S.H.I.E.L.D. or Hydra might have used it for furthering their agendas, Daniel intended to ensure it wouldn't be misused.

As he sat on his deck, watching the waves crash against the shore, Daniel couldn't help but think about the complexities of the world he was navigating. Balancing his wizarding skills with the advanced technology of the Marvel Universe provided him with unique advantages, but it also came with its own set of challenges.

He knew that his actions, though justified in his mind, could have unforeseen consequences. The balance of power was delicate, and every decision he made had the potential to tip the scales. However, Daniel was resolved to use his abilities for what he believed was the greater good, even if it meant walking a fine line between hero and vigilante.

As the sun set, casting a golden hue over the ocean, Daniel felt a sense of calm. He had the power to make a difference and the knowledge to navigate this intricate world. With Kilgrave dealt with, he turned his attention to the next challenge, knowing that his journey was far from over.

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