The Punisher groaned, throwing a hand over his face to block out the blinding light. It took a few seconds for him to gather himself, blinking against the brightness.
"Where the hell...?" he muttered, scanning the unfamiliar room.
He pushed off the bed and took in the small, dusty space. The furniture was old, the walls faded and worn, like no one had stepped foot inside for years.
Stepping into the hallway, he stopped. Rows of identical doors stretched in both directions. Recognition hit him like a punch to the gut.
"A convent," he muttered, piecing it together. The memories of this place were distant, but they came back all at once.
That bastard. His jaw tightened as fragments of the night before replayed in his head.
He hated that he'd been controlled so easily, reduced to a pawn with no will of his own.
The worst part? He remembered everything—guarding that manipulative scumbag, fighting under his orders, and finally getting taken out by that red hood.
"There's no way that guy is normal," he thought bitterly. His defeat still didn't sit right with him. It shouldn't have been that easy.
"You're awake," a voice interrupted, pulling him from his thoughts.
Punisher turned sharply to see Daredevil leaning against the hallway wall, still fully suited up, arms crossed.
"You brought me here?" Punisher asked, his voice low but laced with suspicion. His eyes darted around again, taking in the rundown surroundings.
"Yeah," Daredevil said evenly.
He didn't explain at first, but Punisher didn't need much to connect the dots.
Two years ago, this place made headlines. The entire church—the nuns, the priest, everyone—had died in one night. No signs of struggle, no evidence left behind. The NYPD had no leads, just rumors and ghost stories.
Some locals swore they saw a demon that night. Most people dismissed it as urban legend, but no one came back here. The place was left to decay.
For Daredevil, that made it perfect—isolated, forgotten, and well out of anyone's way. It was the only place he could think of to keep someone like Kilgrave contained.
"What happened to them?" Punisher asked suddenly, his voice rising. The anger was clear, not just from last night, but from everything
"Captured," Daredevil replied, keeping his tone steady.
"Good," Punisher said with a sharp nod, but his focus shifted almost immediately. "Who stopped her?"
"Not me," Daredevil answered, the words clipped but clear.
Punisher's jaw tightened as he pieced it together. After taking him down, that guy—Red Hood—must've handled the girl too.
Daredevil couldn't have taken her on alone, not in the state he'd been in. Even fully fit, she would've been a handful. Her strength was unreal—there was no mistaking she wasn't normal.
That girl's definitely a mutant, Punisher thought grimly, recalling her power and tenacity. Then there was the man who'd taken control of me—commanded me like a puppet, he seem like a mutant too.
And Red Hood? That guy had dealt with all of it like it was no big deal.
"Where is he?" Punisher asked, his tone sharp, impatient.
"Outside," Daredevil replied evenly. John had stepped out for a bit, likely to clear his head or scout the area.
Daredevil hesitated for a moment before asking, "How was it? Being controlled?" His tone was calm but deliberate. It wasn't mocking—Punisher could tell Daredevil was genuinely trying to understand.
Punisher closed his eyes briefly, letting out a slow exhale as the memories flooded back.
"Not good," he said, his voice low and laced with frustration. "It felt like... everything I did was my choice. My emotions, my actions—they all felt like mine, even though they weren't."
He opened his eyes, the anger simmering just below the surface. "And I remember it all. Every single thing I did under his control. Guarding that guy. Fighting for him. It wasn't just commands—it was like he was me. Like he rewrote who I was."
His fists clenched tightly at his sides. "That's the worst part. Knowing it wasn't me, but remembering it like it was."
Daredevil remained silent for a moment, his expression unreadable. He didn't press further. He didn't have to.
After a pause, Daredevil spoke. "Red Hood called him Kilgrave," he said, the name making Punisher's eyes narrow. "He's not a mutant. His got his ability...artificially. And the girl—she's not a mutant either."
Punisher's gaze sharpened, ignoring the background of those two he focus on other topic, his tone low but firm. "He knows them." It wasn't a question; it was a statement.
Daredevil gave a slight nod. "It seems that way. At least, he knows enough about them to not be surprised by what they could do."
Punisher's jaw clenched, his mind racing as pieces began to fall into place. If Red Hood knew Kilgrave and the girl, then this wasn't random. The guy had been ready—prepared, even.
"That explains why he was always one step ahead," Punisher muttered, his voice laced with frustration. "He knew exactly what he was dealing with."
Daredevil stayed quiet, watching as Punisher processed the implications.