Second Life
1
Elektra sat on a rock, meditating, in the middle of Central Park. Though in her mind she was on another rock on an island. Sighing she opened her eyes and rolled her neck as she watched those around her. She threw herself off of the rock and hit the ground running, keeping her eyes closed to practice her Kimagure to help her avoid other walkers and obstacles.
The past seven years have been full of travel for Elektra, but this time as a tourist and not as an assassin. She went to Thailand, Japan, Beijing, and Paris, Italy and all over Great Britain as well as all over the states. She had hoped that she would run into Abby and her father Mark while on her travels, but she never did. So now she had returned to New York City. She found a small studio apartment in the middle of Hell's Kitchen. The landlord was astounded that she would willing live alone in such a place, but he didn't know that she could defend herself.
Elektra used her untouched funds from her assassin days to pay rent as she roamed around the city until she knew it like the back of her hand. She amused herself by running and practicing her unarmed martial arts skills in central park. She finished her run and started to walk to slow down her heart rate before she stopped completely.
She was in the middle of her cool down stretches when she heard the sound; a stick running over the ground and occasionally hitting something. Elektra smiled as she closed her eyes and concentrated.
Matt.
She waited until he was right behind her before speaking. "Matt, what are you doing here in Central Park; aren't you normally in court right now?" She asked.
"I'm not even going to ask how you knew it was me. I don't have a client, so no court. As to what I'm doing here in central park, my reporter buddy who makes sure no one figures out who I am told me that he's seen a woman with brunette hair running and playing the martial artist here in the park. The third time he saw her he thought it was Elektra. Now that should have been impossible because Elektra was killed by Bullseye. So imagine my surprise when he told me to meet him in the park today to talk about suspicions of another reporter and instead I find a dead woman running. The real question is: what are you doing here Elektra?" His voice was soft, but it still carried an almost seductive tone to it. Elektra was enthralled with his voice until she heard another voice in her head.
Confused she turned around and found him with his cane and sunglasses wearing his traditional black.
"I'd rather not talk about it here. Do you have a safe place nearby?" She asked, her own voice soft.
"Yeah come on." Matt was cocky, but Elektra still shook her head and took his arm as they walked away. To anyone on the outside they would have looked like a couple, and Elektra knew that Matt would like them to be. But anytime she thought about Matt in that way an image of Mark and Abby popped in her head. He led her to his office and looked them in and led her to his desk where she sat on one side and he on the other.
"How are you alive, Elektra?" He was blunt, and stunned.
"Someone brought my body to Stick's training camp. He revived me and I trained there for a few years until he kicked me out, because I couldn't let go of my rage. I became a contract killer, one of the best. Until one of my targets, a young girl, reminded me of me; I couldn't kill them, but the people who hired me just sent another set of assassins. We ended up fleeing their home and coming to the city to get Stick to protect them as they were sought by a crime syndicate known as The Hand. Stick tricked me into protecting them. Running from a group of the leader's son's friends I almost died again and was brought back to the training camp. I challenged the son to a one on one fight and almost lost if it weren't for her, the girl. I was able to eventually beat him but I had lost Abby at the same time. She was dead, like I was. I brought her back to my childhood home and managed to revive her. That was in 2005. I've spent the last seven years traveling. Trying to find myself." Elektra spoke quickly and quietly, not entirely convinced that the office was secured.
She knew that Matt knew that she wasn't telling the whole truth, but the stuff she left out, she left out because they weren't her secrets to share.
"So now you're back in NYC." He commented, thinking that it meant that they could try again.
"For the time being. I'm leaving for Okinawa in a month." Elektra answered.
"Then we should have dinner before you leave, say next Friday?" He asked.
"As friends or dates?" Elektra asked quickly.
Matt was confused, he thought that she too would want to work back to where they were before Bullseye.
"Dates, Elektra." He said.
"No Matt, I'm sorry but I can't." She said bluntly then made to leave. She got as far as the door before his voice stopped her.
"Why?"
"I'm a totally different person, and whenever I think of anyone like that, all I can see is Abby and her father." She said and left.
A Month later.
Elektra was standing in the airport waiting until her boarding time was nearer. She had decided a month ago that she would start following her gut as soon as she picked up a new pair of Sai for herself and for Abby. To that effect, she'd called an old friend who lived in Naha on the island. She asked her to make two new pair of sai blades. She'd told Matt that she was going to come here, and that was true, it was just as a personal visit then, but now; now it felt like the first step in the journey to find Abby and Mark.
Finally it was a reasonable time to start moving through customs and security. She stood up and stretched while eyeing the crowd around her. She approached security and presented her boarding pass, American driver's license and her passport along with a permission to carry weapons in her suitcase to the security guard. He carefully checked each document and nodded at her and passed her through. The same permission was given to the guards looking over luggage as she stepped through the metal detectors. Finally she was in the compound. She quickly found her gate before moving on to buy food before the trip.
She was one of the first to board the plane and took her time settling into her seat. She was glad that no one was seated in the two remaining seats in her row. She popped a few sleeping pills after takeoff and slept until they landed in Honolulu for more fuel. She read newspapers and magazines for the remainder of the flight to Naha. She gets off the plane and picks up her suitcase and hails a taxi. She told the driver where to go in fluent Japanese.
She arrived to a large farm property about a half mile outside of Naha. The taxi driver helps her unload everything and she pays him and watches him turn back around and drive off. She then turns to the house and takes a deep breath before heading up the pathway. She gets to the door and its opened before she can knock.
"Elektra." The voice belonged to her younger, by about 10 years, friend.
"Kai. It's been a long time." Elektra replied.
"Yes it has, last time I saw you; you had just been expelled after being resurrected by Stick. You here to pick up the two pairs of Sai blades?" She asked as she helped Elektra with her luggage and brought her into the house.
"Yup." Elektra was busy looking around the spacious entry way. The whole house was one level, typical of what she'd seen on the taxi drive over. The whole floor plan was open with wide doorways and holes in the walls like windows that allowed you to see pretty much everywhere in the house at once.
"You like?" Kai asked bluntly.
"I do, nice and open space feels welcoming, but also allows you to see almost everywhere. The house is what looks like one level and because you can see everything its easily defendable." Elektra commented.
"Still the warrior I see. Or is it still the assassin?" Kai asked.
"Still the warrior. I haven't taken a hit in almost seven years." Elektra replied.
"Okay, then tell me why you wanted me to make you more sais? What happened to the two pairs I gave you?" Kai countered.
"Lost the first pair trying to kill Stone, the second pair exploded with Typhoid and Kirigi. I haven't used a pair of them since then." Elektra was starting to relax as much as she possibly could.
"So why do you want them now?"
"One pair is for me. The other pair is for the Treasure." Elektra replied.
"You mean both pairs are for you?"
"No only one like I said."
"But you said the others were for 'The Treasure?'"
"Yup."
"But you're the treasure."
"Different generation." Elektra replied.
"Do you know how often a treasure is born?" Kai asked, sensing that her friend was indeed different.
"I don't."
"The Hand believes that a new Treasure is born every generation. Not true. A new Treasure is born every ten years. So going from you, ten years before you is Typhoid, generation before that is Tattoo, generation before that is Kirigi." Kai started.
"Then what gives, gave, those three the appearance of being younger than me?" Elektra interrupted.
"The powers that The Hand is allied with, demonic powers; that is what gives them the appearance of youth." Kai answered as the moved into the kitchen.
"Okay, after me."
"Ten years after you is me, then is a young girl named Abby. . ." Kai trailed off as she caught the small smile. "Abby is who the sai are for." She stated confidently. Elektra smiled.
"I meet Abby and her father seven years ago. She is why I killed Kirigi and Typhoid, as well as Stone and Tattoo." Elektra smiled softly and Kai nodded before moving to start the tea.
"What was an assassin doing protecting a life or lives instead of taking them?" Kai asked.
"Abby reminded me of me. The first day I meet her she broke into the house I was staying in and stole my mother's necklace. Then she lied to me with a dinner invite. The next day I learned that her and her father were my next hits; I couldn't do it. Then The Hand sent two other assassins. I confronted them and then saved them. I got them out of the house and off the island and to the city and Stick, I was tricked into staying with them and took them McCabe's. They followed us and McCabe dead but they still found us. That's when Stone and Kinko died, and my sai's broke. Typhoid was able to give me her kiss of death. Stick rescued us and I lured Kirigi to my childhood home to battle. I almost died but Abby saved me. We got out of the house and ran into the hedge maze. We were separated and Tattoo summoned a horde of snakes to catch her; I broke Sai's neck. Then Kirigi and I fought again.
"This time I was able to anticipate his speed and stabbed him with a sai. The Sai and him blew up when I threw him in the well at the center of the maze. The second Sai; I threw towards Typhoid and Abby; trying to prevent Typhoid from killing Abby. I was too late.
"Abby was dead when I got to her. I brought her back to the house and to the room my mother died. I brought her back." Elektra said.
"And after that?" Elektra asked.
"I gained my second life and did what I told Abby to do; travel and see the world."
"And now?"
"I went back to New York, and ran into Matt. He tried to rekindle the relationship we had before I left/died. But I couldn't do that. I don't love him anymore. I think I'm in love with Mark, Abby's father." Elektra answered.
"So you want to find them." Kai stated, not questioned.
"Yes."
"Then I'll help you Elektra. But first I need to finish the sais."
"What, you're not finished yet?" Elektra asked.
"I've finished one pair of sai; you can check them out tomorrow. I just need to put a salve over the second pair. Then they're yours after a final sharpening and once over." Kai answered.
"How long will that take?" Elektra wanted to find them and make sure she wasn't too late.
"Anywhere from three days to a week." Kai replied seeing the impatience to get moving on her friends face. "Elektra, use this opportunity to rest, you can train with me, rest and then you can plan where to go from here. Going off half-cocked will only get you so far. Use this time to plan." Kai insisted.
Elektra nodded, knowing that her friend was right.
"Good, now do you want to stay in my room or a guest room?" Kai asked.
"Guest room, I'm not kicking you out of your own bed." Elektra replied. Kai nodded before cleaning up the tea cups and kettle putting them in the sink before grabbing Elektra's bags and bringing them into a guest room. "okay, this will be your room, bathroom is down the hall; it has its own shower because the bath house is in town. My room is on the other side of the bathroom. Outside is a pool for lap swimming and a nice open space to train. Then on the other side is my forge area. I'll either be outside or in the forge tomorrow morning it just depends on what time it is." Kai lead her around the house and backyard before they both turned in for the night.
Elektra slept peacefully; like she had since Kirigi had died and the mystery of her mother's death solved.