Chapter Five
Memories of Lyfe
Darkness. Nothingness. Darkness surrounded Elektra as she felt as though she were floating upwards on a cloud of air. She wore her black leather outfit as though nothing had changed.
A light appeared around her. She saw large, circular mirrors lifting upward, a bit faster than she was. She gazed into a rising mirror and saw a small, almost unnoticeable red line, not even two inches long, across her neck.
She grazed her hand over it. She felt no pain from it. The mirrors shattered, but made no noise before falling back downward into the darkness.
She watched as the darkness became gray and the gray became white.
An endless landscape of light appeared, stretching in all directions. A large, shining gold gate stood before her.
The sun shone off of it, casting brilliant colors onto the pure white of the sky.
A disembodied voice echoed from all corners of the infinite place. "Elektra Natchios." Elektra breathed in and nodded. "You must now account for all the deeds of your life." The voice was deep and rich, filling Elektra with a sense of belonging and happiness.
The light slowly faded away and Elektra found herself in large room, with ceilings twenty feet high and exquisite furniture. The walls were pristinely painted and the carpet was perfectly cleaned.
Someone sat in a red velvet seat, rocking back and forth. Elektra walked towards her in wonderment. She slowly rounded the chair and observed the one in it.
A woman... with dark, flowing hair. It was straight and fell serenely to the upper middle of her back, swaying in the wind.
She was cradling something in her arms... A bundle of blankets. Elektra looked confused as she tried to think of a time in her life like this.
She approached the bundle and pulled back a blanket revealing a tiny hairless baby, cooing and wriggling. It smiled and giggled and flailed it's arms back and forth.
Elektra smiled. "It's... me!"
A burst of cold air entered the room and all went black. For a moment, time seemed frozen, and then she stood in an alleyway.
A little girl, probably about ten years old came running down the alley right past her, not sparing a glance. Elektra seemed to be invisible to the people in her memories.
Behind the girl ran a woman, much like the one from the last memory, although she appeared older, gaining some gray colors in her hair.
Then a group a men dressed in black with coverings over their faces ran after the two.
"Mommy!" The little girl cried.
Elektra closed her eyes as a gunshot echoed through the streets.
She smelled the sweet fragrance of a rose as it fell to the ground.
She gulped and waited for the burst of air once more.
The world became black as the air blasted once more.
Now, she was standing in the middle of a street. Cars drove right through her as though she were a projection.
She watched as her own self walked down road talking with Matt. She thought of how soon after this memory, she would end up perpetually killing him.
She walked up to them listening to their conversation: "Wow, how can you fight like that?" Matt asked her.
"My father." She replied. "He had me train with a different sensei each month."
Matt, adorned with sunglasses to cover his blind eyes continued, "Sounds like he was trying to turn you into some kinda warrior."
"No..." She sighed. "Just not a victim."
The darkness resumed and she found herself on a grassy hill with men and women stationed around her. She watched as the memory gripped a long, wooden staff. A man in a white robe stepped forward.
The memory bowed and began attacking the robed man. She pushed the staff into his gut and tripped him, making him fall backwards.
Then she placed the staff on his throat.
Darkness surrounded her once more.
Then, she reappeared inside an ancient, temple like building with the same men and women surrounding her.
An older man stepped forward. "If you cannot control your abilities, we have no choice. Goodbye Elektra." With that, the memory walked away, heading down a long, dusty road towards the sea... towards new opportunities. (Guess where she ends up? Port of Entry!)
(...Bring Me To Life... by Evanescence begins.)
The darkness resumed, pushing her forward into a large, wood floored, empty room. Lightning and thunder collided outside.
...How can you see into my eyes like open doors?...
The memory crouched down on the ground and slowly spread her arms to a wide radius. She began to rise to her feet, facing a wall.
...Leading you down into my core, where I've become so numb...
The memory, wearing a black tank top and sweatpants, suddenly, flipped two Sais upward.
...Without a soul.... My spirit's sleeping somewhere cold...
She whirled around and spun the Sais back and forth threateningly. She took a step forward just a sandbag fell from the ceiling and stabbed directly into it. She took two more steps and slashed to bags before flipping the Sais upside down. Holding onto the blade, she hooked the ends onto the ropes supporting the sandbags.
...Until you find it there and lead it back......
With finesse, she back flipped with the help of the supporting ropes and Sais, her long braided hair flying through the air.
...Home...
She breathed heavily, Sais still attached to the ropes as she landed on her feet.
...Wake me up...
Regaining her breath, she leapt into the air and kicked a bag, slashing it as it swung back towards here, making sand spill out.
...Wake me up inside!...
She high kicked a bag and did an armless cartwheel, kicking two sandbags in the air.
...Call my name and save me from the dark...
A piece of hair fell into her face. She stabbed a sandbag and then stabbed the same one with the other sai, before ripping them out making an "X" shape.
...Bid my blood to run, before I come undone. Save me from the nothing I've become...
A bag dropped from the ceiling with a crudely painted red devil face. Elektra spun the sai and threw it, landing it seamlessly between the devil's eyes.
...Bring me to Life! ...
She stood before a mirror, labored breathing and stared at herself.
The room went dark as one final lightning beam flashed.
Then, she witnessed the rooftop she had been on not fifteen minutes earlier. She watched as her memory attacked Matt. The real Elektra cried to the memory "Stop! Wait! He didn't do it!" But it was no use. She didn't really exist in the time she was seeing, she was simply forced to stand by and watch.
She saw the battle progress and then Bullseye's advancement. Watching one's own death was enough to drive some insane. Elektra simply closed her eyes. She had been trained by hundreds of sensei, and she knew how to be strong through even the worst events.
The city went black and the darkness and wind appeared once again.
She was back before the golden gate. A voice, as though in summary of the events, spoke. "Elektra Natchios. Few are worthy of another chance. Even fewer receive that chance. You have looked upon the face of God and lived. You are indeed special. And so are you're friends. And so... I send you back to them. Good Luck."
Elektra didn't have time to understand before another voice spoke, one that sounded distant and earthly... Not the radiant voice of the one she had just spoken to.
"This will not be easy. I can only request it. It is in God's own hands."
"You understand of course..." An older man said, as Kit, Anna and Spiderman gathered around a table with white linens. On the table was Elektra. "Only a warrior can come back from death. And even then, the second life is never quite like the first."
They nodded, paying more attention to the cut on her neck and the wound through her stomach. "Listen 'Stick' we brought you here like she said and I don't know why, so just do whatever it is she wanted you here for."
"Please." The man said, "Join me in the prayer."
"Dear Lord, unto you do we commend the spirit of this lowly mortal. Her work was not finished, her spirit cannot rest. Deliver unto us this mortal, that she may have another chance at your wondrous gift of life." He placed one hand on her forehead and another on her stomach.
"We ask this through the holy word of God, Amen." He quickly removed his hand from her. Suddenly, she sat up, gasping as the table beneath her lit up.
Kit leapt on top of her and hugged her.
She winced and then slowly wrapped her arms around him.
"Are you real?" He asked, still embracing her.
A tear dripped down her cheek. "I think so." She said.
"Welcome home." Anna said.
She smiled. "Yes... Home."