I wrote this story in 2003, just after the movie came out... I had a bit of a Ben Affleck thing for a while - still do I guess.

When I first posted it on it only got 70 odd hits which I was a bit gutted about. I really like this story (even if I do say so myself) so I decided to re-edit it, change the name, because to be honest, "The Pain of Love" was a bit cheesy and now I have re-posted it.

If you like it, please review as nothing makes my day as much as a lovely bit of feedback.

Enjoy!

Supernoodle – 17/08/07.

-o-

Alone in the Dark

By Supernoodle

-o-

Matt saw her coming. As much as he saw anything.

He felt the vibration of her feet on the rooftop as she ran towards him, heard her heart pounding fiercely in her chest, smelled the delicate scent of the rose oil that she always wore.

Elektra.

His beautiful Elektra, the only woman he had ever loved in all his dark days was coming for him, and she was coming to end his life.

It could be no one else, yet his body trembled with a mixture of fear and anticipation. He knew that she would have only one thought in her brain as she came for him, and that thought would make her just as blind as he was...

Vengeance.

'Elektra, don't!' He yelled, parrying her first blow with his hand. Trying to grab her arms, hold her still for just a moment. A moment would be all he needed, a moment would be enough to make her listen, make her understand. He hadn't killed her father, he had tried to help for all the good that he had done.

'You murderer!' She screamed in reply, her agonised voice piercing his skull as painfully as would the blade of the sai that she wielded. 'You killed him!'

A heavy blow landed on his stomach, another across his jaw. She was so fast, her fury making her attack almost unblockable. He tried again to grab her, not wanting to hurt her but he had to stop her, had to make her listen to him.

'Elektra, it wasn't me!' Matt yelled. Gasping as a kick drove him to his knees. 'I didn't kill your father. It wasn't me!'

'Liar!' She screamed, lashing out and scoring a bloody gouge across his cheek. He winced in pain, smelling the sharp scent of his own blood. That was close, too close, and he attempted to grab her arms once more.

'Listen to me... It was Kingpin's assassin. It was Bullseye who killed your dad. I was trying to help you.' Matt yelled, panting with effort as she thrashed in his grip. But again she was too fast, too strong and she broke free once more, pulling Matt to his feet with her.

'Let go of me, you bastard!' She yelled, kicking out and catching him off balance, but he would not release his grip. While she was held close, he could control her attack, but he went sprawling backward, taking her with him and he went thumping down against the side of the building. The back of his head connected with the brick wall and momentarily dazed, he released her arm.

Big mistake. She only needed a second.

He heard the sai slice through the air and the grisly sound of flesh being torn open before he felt the pain. Elektra had taken her one window of opportunity to do her damage and had used it well. If he hadn't moved in the split second before she had struck, the blade would have pierced his heart. He would have been as dead as her father. As dead as his own.

She had put one of her sai through his shoulder with such force that it had gone straight through him, through skin, muscle and sinew and then had broken the glass of the window behind that he lay against.

The pain was immediate, shocking, and he cried out in agony as she slowly pulled the weapon from the hole she had made in his body. Blood began to flow heavily from the wound, filling his senses with the coppery scent.

'Now,' she said, her voice trembling with fury and triumph. 'Let me see the face of the bastard who killed my father.' And leaning forwards, she pulled the mask from Matt's face.

Hearing her gasp with shock, he reached up and took hold of her arm again, urging her to lower the sai she still brandished. 'It wasn't me, Elektra.' He told her once more. Hoping that now she knew who Daredevil was, she would realise that he would never do anything to hurt her. Never.

'Matt?' She cried in dismay. He heard her throat closing up with tears and the clatter of the sai falling to the cement beneath them. 'But how? I don't understand... You can't be the Daredevil... Y-You're blind!'

He gave her a tiny smile which quickly faded as a wave of dizziness washed through him. He was losing a lot of blood and in his experience that was never a good thing. 'It's a long story... Don't have t-time right now.' He told her, gritting his teeth against the pain. 'But you have to believe me. I didn't kill your Father. I would n-never do anything to hurt you... I... I love you'

Elektra wiped away the tears that slipped from her eyes and gently put her hands on his weakening body. 'I know you wouldn't, Matt.' she whispered, stroking his face, his hands. He felt so cold, and he was beginning to shiver violently as his body slowly went into shock.

'I'm so sorry, I didn't know it was you. I would never do anything to hurt you either.' She whispered. And leaning forwards, she kissed him gently on the lips. Pulling away in horror as she tasted the faint trace of his blood in his mouth.

'I've gotta get you some help, Matt.' She told him, clutching his shaking hands tightly. Her own shaking just as badly. "Look what I've done to you.'

'You didn't know.' Matt gasped in reply, reaching out until he found her face. Her beautiful face. He would give anything to be able to see her, really see her, just once. 'You couldn't know it was me in this costume.'

He was getting weaker by the second, the strength leaving his body with every beat of his heart that pushed more blood from the wound in his shoulder. His brain struggled to keep clear, to keep awake. They were still in danger; he still had work to do. He still had to protect her. Bad ass as she was, she still needed his help. Bullseye was out there, somewhere, coming for her. Then suddenly, out of the darkness came a voice.

'Hello Orphan!'

Matt grabbed her hands tightly, pulling her into his arms. 'That's him... That's Bullseye.' He told her, pushing himself up.

He felt her tense up, heard her pick up the sai she had stabbed him with and then she was pulling away from him.

'Don't go. Stay with me... He'll kill you.' Matt yelled, but he knew there was nothing he could say to keep her with him and a moment later she was gone from his side. Gone to fight a fight he knew she could not win.

'Elektra!' He yelled, mustering all his strength. He had to get up, had to help her. Bullseye was crazy. A madman. And there was no way she was going to be able to beat him; she was totally out of her depth.

'Elektra, please...' He cried out into the darkness, then collapsed back to the ground. She was not the only one in trouble.

-o-

Elektra crossed the roof to meet the man who had stolen her world from her. Bullseye, Kingpin's hired killer. Matt's words ringing in her ears as she ran.

'I'll rip your heart out, you piece of shit.' She cursed under her breath and raising her sai, she attacked.

'Ho ho...'Bullseye chuckled, effortlessly dodging her lightening quick lunges. 'Daddy's girl thinks she can beat me, does she? How wrong can one dumb chick be?' And grabbing her arm, he wrenched the blade from her hand and used it to block her blows. 'You've got no chance, girly... Just like your dear old Dad.'

'Don't be so sure.' She cried. Landing a punch on his jaw that sent him a few steps backwards.

'Well done to you.' The assassin told her, righting himself before she could continue her attack. And as she came in again, he wrenched the other sai from her grip.

'Give your Daddy my regards, bitch.' He sneered. Then plunged the weapon into her chest.

-o-

Matt heard her agonized gasps as she crawled towards him and ignoring the pain and weakness of his own body, he dragged himself up to meet her. Smelling the coppery smell of her blood as it mingled with his own.

'Elektra?' He gasped. But she didn't answer him straight away, instead she just clutched at his arms, his hands. Christ, he should have been there when she needed him the most, should have been able to protect her. For all the hundreds of people he had helped, he hadn't even been there for the woman he loved.

'Matt?' She sobbed, and then collapsed into his arms.

'I'm sorry...' He told her, feeling her body shudder. He could see the vibration of her heart beating in her chest, could see it becoming weaker, the rhythm uneven. She was dying and there was nothing he could do about it.

'I love you, Elektra.' He whispered. Then her heart stopped and there was nothing but silence.

-o-

The city had always been full of noise to him. It hurt his head sometimes, and on occasion he would have happily deafened himself to escape it. But now he heard nothing apart from the deafening silence of death. She was gone, she had left him. Alone. The Kingpin had killed the only two people he had ever loved and the pain in his heart made the agony of his shoulder disappear.

'I'm going to kill you, Bullseye.' He muttered under his breath, holding Elektra's lifeless body in his arms, rocking her gently back and forth.

Then the scream of sirens sliced the silent air and Matt was gone.

Alone in the darkness once more.