Supporting the unconscious Treya and gently laying her on the ground, Abel's face turned cold, though his heart was burning with rage. However, his past battles with Death Eaters had taught him how to keep calm no matter how angry he became. His eyes glanced at the finished dishes resting on the nearby kitchen counter, and without hesitation, he stood up and headed to the familiar storage room. Finding a clean set of chef's clothes, he quickly changed, putting on a chef's hat and straightening his appearance. Abel then picked up the plated dishes and walked out of the kitchen.
With a composed expression, Abel stood outside the kitchen door and glanced slightly upward. His eyes caught sight of several waiters standing beside a central table where two guests were seated: one male and one female.
The man was dressed in a purple suit, eating and chatting casually with the dull-faced woman sitting beside him.
Abel's suspicions were confirmed. The man at the table was Kilgrave, known as the Purple Man—an individual with the terrifying ability to control others through his pheromones. Kilgrave's twisted morality led him to manipulate people for his amusement, often doing morally questionable things, though his actions hadn't caused enough harm to draw the attention of organizations like SHIELD or law enforcement.
But today, Kilgrave had unknowingly signed his own death warrant.
Abel moved toward Kilgrave's table, drawing a deep breath as he activated Occlumency. Although Occlumency was typically used to guard against memory intrusion through Legilimency, Abel could close off his mind entirely, protecting himself from any kind of mental manipulation. This was the key to countering Kilgrave's power.
His eyes grew hollow, as if his mind and thoughts were locked away behind an impenetrable door.
Abel reached Kilgrave's table and placed the dishes down in front of them.
Seeing the new dish, Kilgrave immediately turned to his companion and said, "Come on, Jessica, this is the restaurant's most famous dish. You have to try it."
He didn't even glance at Abel as he absentmindedly waved a hand. "Alright, you can leave now. Didn't you hear me? I said, go on!"
Kilgrave finally turned to look at Abel, curious as to why his command hadn't been obeyed. At that moment, Abel lunged, grabbing Kilgrave's throat to silence him.
Jessica, under Kilgrave's control, remained expressionless and continued eating, oblivious to what was happening.
Kilgrave struggled in Abel's grip, and in desperation, he pulled out a pistol and fired at Abel.
Boom!
Abel dodged the shot, causing the bullet to miss, embedding itself in the floor. Although Abel was unharmed, the distraction caused him to loosen his grip on Kilgrave's neck. Seizing the opportunity, Kilgrave coughed violently and rasped, "Jessica... k-k-kill him!"
Upon hearing Kilgrave's order, Jessica immediately stopped eating, her body tensing. With inhuman speed, she leaped toward Abel, her fist cocked back with strength far beyond that of an ordinary person.
Abel knew not to underestimate Jessica's superhuman abilities. As she came at him, he rolled to the side, narrowly avoiding her punch. His eyes caught the sight of the cracked floor where her fist had landed. Without hesitation, he raised his hand toward her and shouted, "Wingardium Leviosa!"
Jessica, who was about to charge again, was suddenly lifted off the ground. Though she struggled fiercely against the levitation, it had no effect.
Abel waved his hand outward, and Jessica's suspended form sped up, crashing through the restaurant window and landing outside. The sound of shattering glass caused pedestrians to scream in panic.
Kilgrave, realizing that Abel wasn't a normal person, quickly raised his gun again to shoot.
But Abel was faster. He cast the Levitation Charm on Kilgrave, sending him crashing into the ceiling before he fell back to the ground with a sickening thud, blood trickling from his mouth and nose as the gun slipped from his grasp.
"Cough... cough... Jessica... help me!" Kilgrave gasped.
Boom!
The restaurant's shattered window erupted as Jessica, unharmed by the glass, burst back inside. Her enhanced durability made such injuries insignificant.
Abel knew this was his chance to finish Kilgrave for good. He lifted Kilgrave with the Levitation Charm again, intending to slam him into the ceiling once more, but before he could act, Jessica, who had just broken through the glass, grabbed Kilgrave in her arms. With a powerful jump, she leaped out of the restaurant, taking Kilgrave with her before Abel could react.
Seeing them flee, Abel understood that he couldn't let them escape. If he did, they would come back for him and possibly seek revenge. While he wasn't too concerned for his own safety, his mother, Treya, was just an ordinary person. He couldn't allow her to be drawn into their malicious games.
Kilgrave had to die today.
Without wasting any time, Abel tore off the chef's uniform and hat, pulling a hood over his head to conceal his face. He rushed out of the restaurant, spotting Jessica and Kilgrave leaping across the road. Ignoring the shocked stares of passersby, he cast a Levitation Charm on himself, propelling his body upward to follow them.
As he soared above the street, Abel caught sight of pedestrians below, many of them filming with their phones. He grimaced but could do nothing about it; all he could do was conceal his face as much as possible.
Landing on a nearby rooftop, Abel continued chasing Jessica and Kilgrave. Jessica's physical abilities far exceeded those of ordinary people, making her leaps faster and more powerful than Abel's magic-enhanced pursuit.
Though the Levitation Charm gave him the ability to fly, Abel knew that if the chase continued, he might not be able to catch up. He needed a way to intercept them.