For the first time, Scourge witnessed someone react in time to his immense speed, and he realized that Elektra's abilities went beyond her telepathic capabilities. The scarlet assassin rushed forward to meet Scourge her feet flying across the rain-slicked gravel like it was the most stable terrain on earth.
Once she was in reach Scourge lunged, moving more like an animal than a fighter, and as he pounced his hands transformed, growing into massive paws tipped with curved golden talons. The organic knives were several inches long gleaming with a razor-sharp edge and a hooked point that would snag into flesh preventing Scourge's chosen prey from fleeing, without them willing to part with a chunk of themselves.
Despite the menacing transformation, Elektra didn't hesitate to continue her frontal charge until the last second when she suddenly dropped, sliding across the ground and under Scourge's lunge. With inhuman reflexes and reaction speed, Elektra thrust up with her Sai intending to bury the gleaming edges into Scourge's gut and bleed the vigilante like a pig.
But her surprise attack hit nothing but air as Scourge's tendrils slammed against the ground pushing him into the air and out of harm's way. Having lost the element of surprise Elektra was forced to dodge and dance, as Scourge tried to swarm her with his tendrils that shot forward with blistering speed, and enough force behind them to punch into the ground like wet tissue paper.
However, the ground is all they hit as Elektra narrowly avoided each lancing attack, sometimes even using the prongs of her Sai to deflect the tendrils letting her emerge from the barrage unscathed.
Dropping back to the ground Scourge landed in a crouch and immediately ran at Elektra once more, but this time abandoning all semblance of human motion as he sprinted on all fours, his claws tearing at the earth and his tail acting as a counterbalance as he snaked back and forth.
Bending her knees Elektra held her ground as her eyes darted back and forth locking onto Scourge as he dashed back and forth evasively. However, Elektra's intense focus was suddenly split as the tendrils trailing from Scourge's back suddenly rose over his head and began to fire a barrage of golden barbs that sliced silently through the air.
Instead of trying to dodge or avoid the barbs, Elektra thrust out a hand and pulled on her reserves of mental energy generating a psionic blast of intangible force that ripped through the barbs sending them scattering in all directions.
The exchange happened in an instant but that was all Scourge needed to close the distance as he sunk his talons deep into the ground. With a surge of strength, Scourge used the leverage to launch himself like a missile, flying feet first into a dropkick that Elektra barely managed to block in time with crossed arms.
Still, the force of the blow sent her flying backward covering a few feet before she hit the ground and rolled coming up in a crouch. Still, the assassin wasn't given a moment of reprieve as Scourge was suddenly on her, his talons carving through the air as they sought out her flesh.
Elektra's danger sense and instinct, honed by years of training under the best martial artists in the world forced her body to move before her mind could fully process what was happening. She stood up and Scourge followed her his talons came from below but Elektra caught the golden blades in the guard of her left Sai that she twisted with all her strength hoping to snap the sharp but thin talons.
But it was to no avail as whatever material composed Scourge's talons refused to give. Instead, his hand clamped down on the weapon grabbing a hold of it as he pulled, attempting to draw Elektra in close.
Without hesitation, Elektra abandoned her weapon and she threw herself back just in time to avoid Scourge's other set of talons from clawing into the side of her face. Sliding back across the gravel Elektra watched as Scourge threw her Sai behind him leaving her with only one weapon.
For a moment their fight reached a lull and Elektra wasn't in any hurry to speed things along as she took stock of her options, "Tell me, why are you attacking the Kingpin? I can't seem to find any motive behind that bloodthirst of yours."
"Maybe that's all there is," Scourge replied as he raked his talons against the ground, "A hunter looking to perfect his craft."
Elektra shook her head, "Your hunts have been too targeted, you've established a pattern and that means there's intent behind it. Though maybe you're right, the intent doesn't have to be yours."
Scourge's golden orbs narrowed, "What are you implying?"
"I'm just wondering who holds your leash, and why they've set you loose on the Kingpin," Elektra goaded as stared Scourge down, "Tell me and I'll consider making your death a quick one."
Scourge's head cocked to the side at Elektra's boldness and a dry echoing laugh void of humor seeped through the air, "An interesting bargaining technique, but I'm afraid I must decline."
Elektra smirked her full lips pulling back to reveal gleaming white teeth, "I was hoping you would say that."
Then without any more preamble, Elektra charged wielding her one remaining Sai. Scourge was quick to follow, eager to finish the fight and hopefully claim Elektra's telepathic powers for his own.
Both ran straight for the other as the battle reached its climax, which would end when only one remained standing. So with a roar, Elektra jumped into the air grabbing her Sai with both hands intent on driving the weapon home like a stake.
Grinning at her decision Scourge thrust his hand forward bringing his talons together to form a collective speared point as all four of his tendrils shot forward as well caging Elektra in and preventing her from moving.
With no way to move in mid-air, it seemed as if Elektra was doomed when suddenly her lips suddenly pursed together and Scourge's danger sense flared as he sensed a surge of bioenergy from the assassin.
Scourge tried to react but it was too late as a wave of sonic sound exploded from Elektra's lips and slammed into Scourge driving him to one knee as he let out an inhuman wail and his tendrils spasmed unable to move.
Landing in front of the bloodthirsty hunter, Elektra held out her empty hand, and with a flex of mental energy her discarded sai shot back into her grasp as if it had never left.
With a trumpet grin, Elektra stared down at Scourge still writhing in pain, "You should have taken the bargain."
Two silver streaks cut through the rain brought down to plunge into either side of Scourge's neck. But instead of the soft slice of metal cutting through flesh, there was a loud snap followed by the raining of metal shards onto the gravel-covered ground.
Elektra's blood froze as she stared at the broken remnants of her blades, 'How?'
The question was never answered as Elektra felt a sharp sting sensation in the side of her neck that quickly robbed her of any feeling and then her consciousness as the world went black around her.
---
"Couldn't he wait at least a week after turning me before bringing another woman into our home?"
"Liz that isn't fair you know there are extenuating circumstances."
"But the outcome is the same."
"I don't think he intends to turn her into another queen. That means we can order her around at least."
Elektra groaned as she awoke to two voices softly conversing nearby, causing them to pause. Trying to pick up her head Elektra found that all her movements were sluggish and the faint throbbing pain in her neck reminded her of the sharp stin she had felt before being knocked out, 'Some type of tranquilizer? How potent was it to work so quickly even with my resistances.'
"Oh, she's awake."
"So soon? Where's King?"
"He's back at the lab, processing the genes he harvested from her."
Slowly panning her eyes over Elektra's gaze landed on two girls who like they were barely out of their teens. They lounged comfortably on a large fluid-filled sack covered in a thick but transparent golden film shading the light that shone from within. The duo wore next to nothing faulting their flawless bodies, and what little they did wore could barely be called clothing. In fact, it was almost as if their skin had transformed into a dark hardened purple slime that covered their privates and accentuated their curves.
And as the girls smiled at Elektra their lips pulled back to reveal sharpened teeth, long prehensile tounges while their golden eyes lit up with a hunger, in every sense of the word.