Author's Note: Finally, an update! Yes, I know it took forever, but at least this is one of the longer chapters. Actually, I should be doing my homework right now, but this is just so much more fun then filling out budget sheets. Thank you so much to everybody who reviewed and to everyone nice enough to bear with me through these sporadic updates. Keep giving me feedback and ideas so I know what you guys think.

The Return

Chapter Eleven

After a few minutes of searching, Elektra found Abby sitting in the middle of one of the empty training platforms. Taking a seat next to her, Elektra waited to see if Abby would acknowledge her. Not surprisingly, the girl said nothing, which left Elektra the not so easy task of starting the conversation.

"Look, I know you're mad at me."

"I'm not mad."

Elektra opened her mouth to argue, but Abby beat her to it.

"I'm not mad about you and Matt. I just- I wasn't expecting it, that's all." Abby made sure to look Elektra straight in the eye so the older woman would know she was telling the truth.

Elektra scrutinized her for a long moment, searching for any indication that she was lying. She found nothing, which only confused her more. Seeing this, Abby rushed to explain herself.

"I was mad for about two minutes but…"

"But what?"

Abby shook her head, unsure how to voice what she was thinking, but Elektra wouldn't let it drop.

"Abby, if this isn't about Matt, then what's going on?"

The teenager forced herself to look up, barely managing to keep her voice from cracking.

"The man who killed Dad, he killed you too?"

Elektra was taken aback by the question, though it really shouldn't have surprised her at all. She'd been so focused on Abby's reaction to Matt that she'd somehow forgotten the argument that had probably caused the teenager to wake up in the first place.

Snapping back to reality, Elektra realized that Abby was still waiting for an answer. She didn't want to tell her the truth, didn't want her to find out about this so soon after losing Mark, but there seemed to be no alternative.

"Yes, he killed me too."

Abby had been expecting that, had already known what the answer would be, but it was still shocking. Elektra, the person who'd brought her back from the dead, the person she'd thought was all but invincible, had been dead herself.

There were a million questions whirling around in her mind, but her ability to speak seemed to have deserted her.

"I know this must seem insane to you, and I know there are things you don't understand."

She waited for Abby to nod an affirmative before going on. "I'll tell you everything you want to know, but on one condition."

The teenager immediately grew suspicious. "What's that?"

"You have to eat something. You're pale, you're starting to look dehydrated, and the last thing we need right now is for you to get sick."

Abby rolled her eyes in annoyance. "You worry too much."

"Humor me."

"The food tastes like garbage."

"I'll buy you a pizza later."

"Throw in fifty bucks and you've got a deal."


"And you actually said yes?" Matt didn't bother trying to contain his amusement.

Elektra stopped her pacing long enough to glare at him from where he lay sprawled out on the two cots they had pushed together earlier that night. "Of course I did. And is it really that funny to you?"

"Elektra, there aren't many things going on right now that I find even remotely funny. You bribing a fourteen year old is right at the top of that list."

Personally, Elektra found it more sad then amusing, but now wasn't the time to discuss it. "I told her everything."

Matt sobered instantly, all traces of humor gone. "Everything? Your parents, Bullseye, us? You told her all of it?"

"Yeah."

"And?"

"And I think she's still trying to process everything."

"Can you blame her? This whole thing is like a bad movie script."

"Well then I really wish someone would fire the writers."

Elektra resumed her pacing, moving across the room another few times before a loud sigh from Matt caught her attention. Pausing again, she raised a questioning eyebrow. "What?"

"Nothing, except for the fact that you've been wearing a trench in the floor ever since you got back."

"What's your point?"

"My point is that it's starting to make me nervous. Come and lay down for awhile."

"I'm not tired," she replied instantly.

"Then don't sleep. Just do me a favor and relax for a few minutes."

"There's no time for that. Bullseye is still out there."

"And we have absolutely no idea where he is."

"We both know he's heading for New York Matt. And I know that you're stalling so you can try and convince me not to go."

He couldn't deny that one, which meant the only option left was to change tactics. "There are millions of people in the city. How do you expect to find him?"

"I expect that he'll find us."

"And if he doesn't."

"You're the one with the superhearing."

Matt rolled his eyes at her description. "It doesn't work like that. I'd have to filter through a billion different sounds and there's still no guarantee that we'd find him."

"So what do you suggest? That we just sit here and wait for him to make the next move?"

"I don't know yet. What I do know is that we're both dead on our feet and that whatever we decide it won't be happening tonight."

Elektra was wavering. Yes she was tired, and yes there was no way they could get a flight back until at least tomorrow, but sleeping at a time like this seemed so out of the question.

"If something happens-"

"They'll wake us if it does."

Elektra gazed at him for a long moment before shaking her head in resignation. Crossing the room in two quick strides she climbed in next to him, settling herself against his chest.

"That wasn't fair you know."

"What wasn't fair?"

"That look."

"What look?"

"The 'poor little boy who can't afford food' look you used to get me over here."

"How do you think I win most of my court cases?"

Elektra smiled despite herself, trying valiantly to keep her eyes open. Usually she could go much longer then this with a minimum amount of sleep, but only if she kept moving, kept focusing on her next objective. And right now the emotional strain of the last few days was starting to win out. Just as she was starting to drift off, Matt's voice came to her ear, barely above a whisper.

"I need you to do something for me."

"Matt, if you're going to ask me to stay here-"

"I'm not. God knows I want to, but I know you never would, no matter what I said. But you have to promise me that you'll let me help, that you won't try and face him by yourself."

There was the smallest of hesitations. Then, "All right."

Matt blinked several times in the darkness; surprised by the lack of argument on her part. "Just like that?"

"Just like that," she confirmed.

"Why?"

"Does it really matter?"

"No, I guess it doesn't."

Matt didn't press any further. Yes he was confused and somewhat suspicious as to why she'd agreed so fast, but her heart rate was steady, which meant that she wasn't simply telling him what he wanted to hear. Either way it made him feel a little better knowing that Elektra was safe for at least one more night.


He wasn't sure how long they slept; only that something had woken him. Checking the Braille watch he hadn't bothered to remove, he learned that it was just after three in the morning. Matt listened for several moments before pinpointing the source of his unscheduled wake up call. When he did locate it, he remained where he was for almost a full minute, unsure about what should be done.

Elektra was still sleeping peacefully beside him and he wanted to avoid waking her if possible. The problem was that if he tried handling it himself there was a good chance he'd make things worse. Ignoring it wasn't an option either. He was awake now and there was no way he could possibly tune out what he was hearing.

Reaching a decision, Matt carefully removed Elektra's arms from his waist, soundlessly climbing off the cot. He slipped on a pair of shoes and grabbed his sunglasses before leaving the cabin, choosing to forego his walking stick. He'd already memorized the layout of The Compound, and felt confident that he could reach his destination without the use of the cane.

She was standing outside her cabin when he got there, facing away from him. The crying had mostly stopped by then, though Matt still caught the occasional sniffle, could still smell the salt of her tears.

Hearing his approach, Abby wiped her face quickly, but didn't turn to look at him. He stopped next to keeping his eyes locked on the area straight ahead.

"You okay?"

It was a stupid question. Of course she wasn't okay, but it was the only thing he could think to say.

"Yeah, Fine. Just had a nightmare."

"I know."

Silence hung between them, Matt wondered, not for the first time, how wise this had been. He was probably making her uncomfortable; what did he expect to do? How did he expect to make this even the slightest bit easier?"

"I'm sorry."

Abby blurted it out before she could stop herself, the statement coming out of nowhere.

"There's nothing to apologize for."

She ignored his dismissal, plowing ahead anyway. "I know I was rude to you. I kind of have a tendency to do that sometimes."

"It's not a problem." Suddenly realizing the best way to get through to her, Matt turned the conversation toward the one thing the two of them had in common.

"I assume Elektra told you about what happened when we first met?"

"Yeah, she said that she kicked your ass."

Matt scoffed at that. "She exaggerates. My original point was that you being less then cordial to me was nothing compared to her trying to twist my arm off."

Abby managed a small laugh at that, but Matt could tell something was going on. Her heartbeat was a little too fast, though he couldn't tell what was causing it. Her next words answered his question.

"Did you find out anything about Bullseye?"

"Nothing concrete. I went to see Stick for awhile while you and Elektra were talking, but he hasn't been able to locate him."

"But you think you know where he is."

Matt bit his lip, unsure if he should be telling her this, but then again she was bound to find out soon enough. "There's a good chance he's heading back to New York."

"And you guys are going after him."

"Yes. And before you ask, no, you're not coming with us."

Abby looked at him in surprise. "How'd you know I was going to say that?"

"Call it a gift."

Abby decided not to argue the point with him, at least not right now..

"Do you think he could do it again? Kill her again?"

He answered without thinking, his only goal to take away the pain he heard in her voice. "No."

"Why not? He did it once before."

This time he did consider his answer, carefully measuring his words. "When it happened before I think…I think she thought that she had nothing to lose. Her father was gone and she thought he was the only one who cared about her."

"But you were there. She had to know that you cared."

"Oh she knew, but she didn't know how much. Now it's different because she knows what would happen, what it would do to you and I if she died. That's probably the only reason she hasn't gone off looking for him yet. She realizes that keeping herself alive for the people who need her is more important then getting revenge."

Another pause, this one longer, before Abby whispered so quietly that no normal person would be able to hear it. "I just don't want to lose anyone else."

Tentatively, Matt reached over and squeezed her shoulder, grateful that she accepted the gesture without protest. "You won't, I promise."

It had likely been a mistake to say that. The last time he'd made that type of statement, Elektra's father had wound up dead. But he didn't care. He didn't care that he had no full proof way of keeping that promise. All he cared about right then was the fact that another girl had lost her father, and that at least some of the blame fell on his shoulders. If he'd killed Bullseye when he had the chance, then none of this would have happened. Now however, there was nothing he could do but stop the man once and for all and finally put an end to this.