Kilgrave's ability was undeniably dangerous—but it was dangerous because it targeted people directly. In the hands of a decent individual, it might turn them into a hero. But when someone immature like Tessa possessed it, she saw it as nothing more than a tool to control boys who didn't like her or to lash out at girls she resented.
However, when Kilgrave's insanity was paired with such a power, the result was pure chaos. Especially now—after Sebastian had humiliated him in the restaurant. If Kilgrave suspected Sebastian of being a spy, he would start his investigation there. And that meant Alisha could be forced to face some of the most dangerous criminals imaginable.
In the end, the power itself was secondary. What really mattered was whether Kilgrave lived or died. Sebastian didn't believe such an ability could be transferred easily to another person. Either the potion came with irreversible side effects, or the agent's effects were only temporary.
As he entered a narrow alley near the Technology Pioneer Company, Sebastian glanced around to confirm he was alone. Taking a deep breath, he drew his wand from his waist and slowly waved it in front of him, adjusting his magical output with precision. Then, gathering his focus, he channeled his full strength into casting the concealment spell.
"Camuflo Totalis."
The tip of his wand lightly tapped the crown of his head. It felt as though an egg had cracked over his scalp—an invisible, icy liquid flowed down his body. Within moments, Sebastian realized he had vanished. The Disillusionment Charm had worked perfectly—he couldn't even see his own hands.
"Sigh…"
Sebastian let out a sigh of relief. Originally, he had only wanted to test whether he could cast the Disillusionment Charm now. In fact, he had a backup plan ready—but clearly, his magical recovery was progressing faster than expected. The Disillusionment Charm, considered moderately difficult, had been successfully cast.
Shrouded under the spell, Sebastian didn't hesitate. He immediately headed toward the Technology Pioneer Company building. It wasn't midnight yet, and there were still employees working overtime inside, which made blending in much easier. He passed through the main gate and the security checkpoint without incident and entered the building.
Noticing a building layout diagram posted on the wall, Sebastian couldn't help but be thankful for the company's thoughtful design. It spared him the trouble of wandering aimlessly in search of his destination.
Just as he confirmed the floor he needed, he paused to consider whether to take the stairs. Right then, the nearby elevator dinged open. Two researchers stepped out and exited the building. The moment they left, an invisible figure—Sebastian—stepped silently into the elevator.
As the doors closed, Sebastian pressed the button for the 21st floor—the laboratory level. When the elevator doors opened again, he stepped out and walked past the two on-duty guards unnoticed. He moved quietly through the corridor, observing the dark, unoccupied labs on either side.
Eventually, he found the only lab still active—one with researchers working late into the night.
He slipped inside without a sound. One of the researchers seemed to sense something—he looked toward the lab entrance instinctively, but saw nothing. Shaking his head, he chalked it up to fatigue from overworking and turned back to his task.
Yawning and stretching, the researcher resumed his focus on the experiment. Meanwhile, Sebastian had quietly approached a desk near the edge of the lab. The computer hadn't been shut down, so he carefully moved the mouse and began scanning through the files.
After a quick read, Sebastian understood the project.
The higher-ups at Technology Pioneer had assigned their researchers a classified task: analyze a set of living cells and genes that were clearly different from those found in average humans. The objective? To identify the unique properties and, through that, develop pharmaceuticals capable of granting special abilities by modifying human cells and genes.
The result was, of course, a success. It must be said that although the scale of this Technology Pioneer Company was not large, the scientists working there were quite skilled. Not long after Sebastian had killed Kilgrave—just a few months, in fact—a preliminary research formula for a potion that could grant Kilgrave's power was already in place.
Of course, this potion came with significant side effects and was only effective for a limited time.
For those who used it, the secretion of body hormones and their physiological balance would be disrupted, making regulation difficult. They would likely suffer from various health issues as a result.
After consuming the potion, individuals could temporarily gain abilities similar to Kilgrave's. However, the strength of these abilities varied depending on the user's physique. The strong could approach Kilgrave's power level, while the weaker individuals could barely affect anyone at all.
As for the duration of the effect, the maximum was about a month, while the minimum could be less than a week. In short, this was a very rudimentary drug, far from ready for mass use.
Because of this, the initial version of the potion wasn't considered a priority. This oversight allowed Tessa, who had come to visit her father, to steal a sample and use it herself.
While there were no direct explanations provided, this situation had a subtle undertone that suggested an underlying connection, possibly with Hydra.
Of course, what was worth mentioning here was that the documents indicated that the cells and genes used in the research had come from the corpse of a deceased power user. While the name was not explicitly stated, Sebastian knew very well that the body belonged to Kilgrave.
He breathed a sigh of relief. As long as Kilgrave was truly dead, there would be no problem.
If Hydra had provided Kilgrave's cells and genes, it meant that Kilgrave's body had indeed been taken by S.H.I.E.L.D.
Sure enough, his previous act of killing Kilgrave had been reckless. It was impossible for S.H.I.E.L.D. to ignore such a bold action. They would have certainly intervened, and Kilgrave's body would have been contained by them. This also meant that Hydra had obtained Kilgrave's body tissues, cells, and genes.
Although there was no direct evidence to support his theory, Sebastian was fairly certain that this was the case.
Now, a question lingered in his mind:
Since Kilgrave's body wasn't here, should he just leave? Or should he destroy this place completely, hindering Hydra's research on Kilgrave's abilities?
According to the data, the plan to study Kilgrave's ability was not given much importance by the leaders of Tech Pioneer.
The project itself had been researched before, and it was believed that it was impossible to replicate Kilgrave's power. Because of this, the project was discarded and handed over to the researchers at Tech Pioneer, a mid-sized company.
However, due to an unexpected turn of events, a breakthrough was actually made, but the result came with major flaws and required further development.
The researchers at the institute all agreed to keep this a secret to prevent the higher-ups from intercepting their work.
When the researchers below make progress, the higher-ups tend to take over the successful projects, pushing for rapid implementation without the necessary improvements.
On the surface, there seemed to be no progress, but in reality, a significant breakthrough had occurred. This is also why Tessa was able to steal a potion right under her father's nose.
How could a few scientists focused on their research possibly pay attention to a child?
If the project had been taken more seriously by Tech Pioneer, there wouldn't have been a chance for Tessa to steal the potion. Even if she had stolen it, it would have likely been discovered and recovered quickly.
Referring to the clues revealed by the information in the computer, Sebastian wanted to understand the key here and made a decision.
He didn't plan to leave silently like this, nor did he plan to destroy everything here. He wanted to take all the information and defective potions as his own!
Recently, in Sebastian's recovery potion plan, he listed some of the most important potions, which were also the most difficult to recover. The top three were the Félix Felicis, Amortentia, and Veritaserum!
The effects of these three potions could be described as irreplaceable and powerful, but they were also extremely difficult to recover in this world. When combined, they required a lot of materials that were not available in this world, making them almost impossible to replicate.
However, the research on Kilgrave's cellular abilities made Sebastian feel a sense of familiarity. Perhaps he could take it back and study it to replace one or several materials in the Veritaserum.
In fact, as Sebastian guessed, the true master behind the technology pioneer was Hydra, hidden within S.H.I.E.L.D. After obtaining Kilgrave's body tissue, someone inside Hydra proposed the idea to study Kilgrave's abilities to replicate them in their own Hydra warriors.
But the mind of this part of Hydra was focused on the Insight Project. Its leader, Alexander Pierce, the former director of S.H.I.E.L.D., didn't value the project to study Kilgrave's ability. Most of the scientific research power was placed on the Insight Project, which made the Kilgrave research plan just a mere side project and eventually abandoned.
Like throwing away unwanted items, it was handed off to the numerous technology companies Hydra secretly controlled. They were just mid-tier technology pioneers who continued the research, and as a result, due to a series of coincidences, Sebastian stumbled upon a great opportunity.