Chapter 72: Daredevil and Purple Man. Enhanced Vulture! Totally Ineffective!
Since the client is a lawyer…
Ethan Lee speculated.
It's probably to ask Jessica to dig up evidence for some case…
Well, at least it's not another job about catching mistresses…
A lawyer was a rare customer for Jessica's detective agency.
After all, not many people knew that the woman running the agency was actually the superhero known as "Knight."
The locals were mostly worn-down, indifferent folks who didn't pay attention to the news.
And whenever Jessica was in the office,
She always wore a beret and plain glasses.
Her so-called "disguise."
Ethan had even tried out the detective look himself once.
Recalling it now…
Oh no…
Back then I just thought she was in the mood for roleplay.
I didn't expect to walk out of the detective agency only to find myself dragged back in.
I should let Jessica try it again tonight…
Tap–tuk—
Just then, a knock echoed at the door.
"Come in," Ethan said casually. "It's not locked."
Outside the door…
"..."
Matt Murdock—Daredevil—hesitated after knocking.
Why was there a man's voice…?
As a street-level hero long at odds with Kingpin,
Matt saw Kingpin's imprisonment as a rare opportunity.
He hoped to gather enough evidence to finally send the crime boss to a real prison—
Not the fake one Kingpin had practically built himself.
That's when Jessica's name came up. Her new detective agency had caught his attention.
He discovered Jessica's hidden identity as a superhero.
Unlike himself—the Daredevil, known only in Hell's Kitchen—
The "Knight" had gained quite a bit of traction online.
So Matt decided to visit her. Maybe she could help take Kingpin down.
But now… why was there a man's voice?
A new assistant?
Still, something didn't quite fit.
That voice wasn't one of a handyman or front-desk staff.
It had calm, confident undertones.
As a blind man with heightened senses, Matt picked up on these subtle cues.
He shook off the suspicion and stepped inside.
Ethan took one look at the red suit.
Tsk…
That red jumpsuit could only mean one thing:
—Daredevil.
Ethan still had a decent impression of Daredevil from the comics.
Marvel's lineup of heroes were famously miserable—
Always getting beaten, losing loved ones left and right.
And Matt Murdock? He was one of the most tragic cases.
Not only was he constantly tormented by Kingpin and his goons,
His ex-girlfriends had the worst fates imaginable.
His nemesis, Bullseye, had a habit of kidnapping or killing them.
Some of them ended up dead within days,
Others ended up in psychiatric wards.
Take Karen Page for example—
Once Matt's secretary, she later starred in adult films post-breakup.
Who knows where she is now?
In a way, Ethan thought:
The life he wanted…
Daredevil had the exact opposite.
This guy really lived a hard-knock life.
…
"Hello, sir," Ethan said coolly, crossing his legs without a care.
"Jessica's caught up at the moment. I'm her brother, Ethan Lee. I'll be speaking on her behalf.
Do you have a case to discuss?"
Her brother…?
They don't really look related…
Matt shook his head. "It's better if regular people stay out of this.
You probably already know who your sister really is."
He didn't want to involve civilians.
But Ethan had no intention of letting his good little sister get tangled up with the crew from The Defenders.
"Then you should also know…" Ethan sneered.
"Jessica's still a high school student. She has classes to attend."
"..."
That hit Matt hard.
Right—how could he forget?
She's just a kid. A minor.
Sure, the Knight fought for justice voluntarily,
But he had come to ask her to get involved.
No wonder her brother wasn't happy about this.
Realizing his mistake, Matt gave a sincere nod.
"I'm sorry. I wasn't thinking.
Please let her know I'm canceling the meeting."
Feeling a bit embarrassed, Matt turned to leave.
But suddenly—
He paused.
"…Someone's headed this way fast. Multiple people."
He pulled out his signature batons, spinning them expertly.
"They might be after me, Mr. Lee. You should hide."
His super-hearing had picked up on unusual movement several blocks away.
Ethan didn't move from his seat, frowning slightly.
Thinking about how to torture people again…
[Enemy of Destiny Detected: Jessica Lee's Nemesis, "Purple Man" – Zebediah Kilgrave.]
——
Meanwhile…
A graceful blonde squatted on an abandoned upper floor, peering through a high-tech telescope.
That red outfit… Daredevil, huh?
Barbara munched on a chicken leg she pulled from a family bucket beside her.
She'd finally caught Ethan without any girls around and had followed him here, curious.
But she didn't expect him to end up in Hell's Kitchen.
Feeling like something was off, she hung back to observe.
Sure enough…
Soon after, Daredevil showed up.
What's this? Recruiting new superheroes for his club?
Smells fishy…
With the Ghost Spider Club growing in fame—thanks to Gwen and the others—
Nick Fury had taken greater interest.
Barbara's job had gotten harder.
She was tasked with:
Investigating Ghost Spider
Contacting Jessica
Investigating Black Cat
Befriending Cindy
Getting close to Skye
And tailing Ethan Lee...
All at once.
The thought made Barbara seethe.
Damn Fury!
Can't he send help? Where's Natasha when I need her?
She took a savage bite of her chicken leg, crunching through the bones.
And Hill! Always acting like a hotshot in briefings. She should come investigate herself!
Ethan might even like those long legs of hers—
—Huh?
Her lens caught a group of people closing in fast on the detective agency.
She stopped chewing.
Zooming in, the facial recognition kicked in.
[Identified: Super Criminal "Purple Man" – Zebediah Kilgrave.]
[Ability: Mass Hypnosis and Mind Control.]
[Crimes include sexual assault, manipulation, and widespread criminal control.]
Barbara's face paled.
Even with her resistance training, she was wary of Kilgrave.
He wasn't just dangerous to women.
He was a monster, period.
That means…
Ethan Lee is in serious danger.
She debated.
Should she alert Gwen and the others?
Call in S.H.I.E.L.D. backup?
Or handle it solo?
Daredevil was still inside—maybe he could handle it?
In the end, she requested support from HQ just in case,
Ready to jump in herself or notify the team if things got dicey.
That—was professional protocol.
Feeling smug, she reached into the bucket, grabbed a piece of popcorn, and popped it in her mouth.
Crunch.
"…Burnt."
"Hmph. Not buying from this place again."
"This is it… My little beauty~"
A strange man in a purple suit strolled through the crowded street, drawing no attention despite his bizarre appearance. His skin was purple too.
A group of armed men followed him closely, but none of the passersby seemed to notice. If one observed carefully, they'd notice that anyone who passed by the purple man would briefly go blank-eyed, only regaining clarity once they were a fair distance away.
The men around him walked like puppets, their vacant expressions giving them away—they were clearly under hypnosis.
"I'm here~"
Kilgrave had discovered that the newly opened detective agency was run by a stunning young woman, and as usual, his twisted mind decided she would be his next plaything. He hypnotized a group of men and marched straight over.
The infamous Purple Man had used his mind-control powers to assault many women in the past. He saw no reason why this would be any different.
"Such a shame. You can blame your location… Too far from Heaven, and way too close to Hell's Kitchen."
He found the agency's door unlocked and smiled, ready to meet his "new toy"—
—but as he reached out, something felt off.
He paused. Someone was behind the door.
Instinctively, Kilgrave backed up and motioned his hypnotized men to step in front of him.
The door suddenly burst open—an arm wrapped in red fabric shoved it aside, revealing Matt Murdock, armed with his twin batons.
"Purple Man?"
"Daredevil?!"
Kilgrave's eyes narrowed as he backed off further, letting more of his hypnotized goons shield him.
"Why are you here?!"
Kilgrave had good reason to be wary. His abilities didn't work on everyone. Individuals with strong wills or unique physiological traits could resist him.
And Matt Murdock, with his heightened senses and iron resolve, was one of the few who were immune.
Why am I here?
Matt was confused at first. Kilgrave wasn't here for him?
But his quick thinking kicked in.
[Of course… Kilgrave's a sick freak among super-criminals.]
[He probably doesn't know who the "pretty detective" really is.]
Matt tightened his grip on his batons. Regardless of the target, this was a criminal act. He wasn't going to let it slide.
With a practiced flick, his red baton extended into a segmented weapon connected by steel wire. The ends whipped out, expertly disarming or knocking down the hypnotized gunmen.
Kilgrave's face twisted with frustration.
He ordered his men to fire.
Gunshots rang out—rat-tat-tat!
Daredevil dodged, weaving with impossible precision, guided by his echolocation. But this wasn't nighttime, and the open street didn't favor his stealth. There were too many enemies and too many bullets.
And Kilgrave was hiding behind human shields again.
Daredevil's no-kill rule limited his options—each blow had to be calculated, precise, non-lethal.
Inside the agency, Ethan Lee watched the chaos unfold, unimpressed.
"Tying yourself down like this…"
[No wonder he keeps getting wrecked by villains.]
---
"Daredevil!"
As the tide turned in his favor, Kilgrave grinned.
"You rat of the night! You don't belong in the daylight!"
[Oh great, now he's barking.]
Ethan had seen enough.
He slid his finger across the sleek, black bracelet on his wrist. A quiet pulse responded.
The bracelet spun—shifting him out of visible space.
He vanished. No one noticed—not even Daredevil.
---
BOOM—!
High above, the clouds tore open as a metal object plummeted from the sky.
With a loud click, metallic wings unfolded and stabilizers roared to life.
It was the Vulture—summoned by Ethan.
"What the hell is that?!"
Kilgrave saw the descending birdman and immediately ordered his minions to shoot it down.
Bullets tore through the air—
Ding ding ding!
But the Vulture Armor, now enhanced by Ethan with the Rat Talisman, was far beyond normal firepower. The gangster-grade bullets bounced harmlessly off its wings.
Kilgrave tried to control the machine mentally—but nothing happened.
It didn't resist… it simply ignored him.
The Vulture was emotionless, will-less. A machine—immune to Kilgrave's power.
And it was closing in.
"No!!"
Desperate, Kilgrave shoved more hypnotized bodies in front of him, hoping the attacker would hesitate.
But the massive silver talons pierced through them with zero hesitation, ripping into Kilgrave's shoulders and lifting him off the ground.
The Vulture soared skyward, carrying him away into the distance—whrrrRRRRRRRRR~
Down below, Daredevil was left speechless.
Who the hell was that?