...Rewind forty minutes earlier, outside the Chinatown restaurant...
Sean stood facing off against Elektra, her katana gleaming under the streetlights.
Watching the black Passat drive away, the young man couldn't help but ask, "You're the Hand's Black Sky?"
His scrutinizing gaze swept over the red-clad woman before him...
Her expression was blank, like that of a beautifully crafted doll. Yet her dark eyes burned with a feral cruelty, as if a vicious beast had taken residence within that exquisite frame.
A razor-sharp blade sliced through the air. Elektra remained silent. As the vessel for the Black Sky, she retained only the most basic human behaviors, everything else was just pure untamed savagery.
The longer the Black Sky dwelled within her, the more Elektra's original personality faded, until nothing remained but the Beast's primal instincts.
Sean dodged with precise footwork as he silently observed the legendary living weapon in action.
Her black hair whipped like a storm as she attacked relentlessly. Sean frowned, weaving through her frenzied strikes. Each flash of steel traced lethal arcs... one misstep, and that blade would carve through flesh and bone with terrifying ease.
Just as expected, the Black Sky had transformed Elektra into a perfect killing machine.
Worse, her strength and speed escalated visibly as the fight progressed. Her red-clad form darted like a ghost as she closed the distance in an instant.
The katana flashed upward in a silver streak, aiming to split Sean in two!
A chill shot down his spine. His fist, imbued with crushing force, slammed against the blade's flat, deflecting the deadly strike.
Seizing the opening, he pressed forward, his imposing frame radiating dominance. A brutal punch sank into Elektra's abdomen, folding her like a crushed shrimp.
A devastating roundhouse kick sent her flying.
*Bam!*
Her body smashed into a parked car, the door caving inward on impact. Glass shattered, scattering glittering shards across the pavement.
Sean stood tall as watched Elektra struggle to her feet, "Incredible resilience. A beast wearing human skin?" he mused.
Even Luke Cage with his bulletproof hide would've stayed down after that combo. Yet the disheveled Elektra braced herself on the katana, barely pausing before readying another attack.
Devoid of pain, those animalistic eyes locked onto Sean, driven solely by bloodlust and instinct.
The katana became a blur, slicing through the air with a bone-chilling whistle. A streetlamp toppled, its severed base smooth as polished glass... a testament to the terrifying power behind each swing.
"We should talk, Elektra." Sean's voice wove between strikes, fading in and out like a specter, "You can control it. Any power can be mastered with enough will... Don't become its slave."
Elektra gave no reply. A flicker of something human passed through her dark eyes before vanishing. The katana's silver light danced wildly in a deadly storm of slashes.
Sean's chest rose and fell as energy surged within him...
Time seemed to slow. His form blurred as he evaded the blade's edge by millimeters. One hand shot out, and steel hard fingers clamped around Elektra's slender throat.
"Elektra Natchios..." He casually knocked the katana from her grip, leaning close to that striking Eurasian face, "Raised by Stick, Daredevil's mentor. Later placed with a Greek diplomat's family. At university, you met Matt Murdock, a charming blind man. You fell in love..."
His low voice poured into her ears.
A struggle flickered in her hollow eyes. The Beast within roared, sending waves of agony through her mind.
Sean tightened his grip until her breath hitched...
Staring into the eyes of this possessed woman, he said coolly, "You remember... How you died... How they resurrected you... How that monster stole your body... Elektra, you have a name, a family, and a lover... That beast doesn't own you!"
Elektra's legs kicked weakly, teetering on the edge of consciousness. The man's voice echoed distantly, stirring long-buried emotions and memories.
Sean studied her contorted expression.
Then he softly asked, "Tell me, who are you?"
Thirty seconds passed...
As Elektra gasped soundlessly, Sean's gaze hardened. With a regretful sigh, he prepared to snuff out this crimson rose.
"...Elektra... Natchios." The strangled whisper escaped her lips.
"Good girl." Sean released her.
The red-clad woman collapsed to her knees and gulped air like a drowning swimmer.
Sean tilted Elektra's chin up, then he smiled approvingly, "Now, it's time for revenge."
.....
~Present, Midland Circle conference room~
"You all look... disappointed to see me." Sean spread his hands as stepped beside Elektra, "You overestimated the Black Sky... You underestimated human willpower."
Alexandra's composure shattered, and she shrieked, "Elektra, kill him!"
Centuries of Hand history held no record of a Black Sky breaking free... how could frail human will resist the Beast's power?!
"My name... is Elektra Natchios." The katana flashed.
Alexandra's head toppled from her shoulders, followed by blood fountaining upward.
Crimson droplets speckled Elektra's porcelain face as she licked her lips slowly. A hauntingly beautiful smile curved her mouth as ecstasy gleamed in her eyes.
Killing thrilled her. Blood brought her joy.
"Let us welcome the Hand's new leader." Sean clapped, steering Elektra toward the head seat.
His amused gaze swept over the remaining four fingers, "All in favor?"