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Marvel: King of The Swarm Chapter 30: A New Challenger Approaches
🕑 Added 2025-06-10 04:20:58 +0000 UTCExhaling heavily through his nose Fisk stood upright with a grunt as he turned away from the bloody and disfigured body of the latest grunt selected to deliver the Kingpin news of his kingdom. News that unfortunately, for the poor grunts, was most often about another one of Fisk's business ventures being raided by the police, Spiderwoman, or the latest thorn that buried itself in his side.
"Scourge," Fisk growled out the word like a curse as he grabbed the towel lying across his desk, wiping the blood and bits of bone off his hands. The vigilante had remained at large for almost a month after bringing the trafficking ring, Fisk had heavily invested, into the crossights of the NYPD. Since then Scourge had been mercilessly attacking Fisk's operations, leaving his men in pieces but not a clue as to their identity or motive behind their vindictive slaughter.
Normally Fisk would have been more than happy to play the long game, set up a trap for the vigilante, or use his connections in the police to push for a manhunt. But right now Fisk could not afford to be perceived as weak or passive, 'For all I know this is just one of their own, testing my capabilities.'
Just then Fisk's office phone lit up and he walked over to press the answer button, "What is it?"
"Sir, you have a guest inquiring about a clean-up job, you arranged for?"
Fisk glanced at his watch noting the time, "Send them up, and make sure we aren't disturbed."
"Yes sir."
The call dropped and Fisk let out a breath as he collected himself, there was no room for a distracted mind when negotiating such delicate matters.
Less than a minute later the elevator at the end of Fisk's office dinged as the door slid open and the sole occupant of the elevator stepped out.
Her blue eyes briefly glanced at the cooling body on the floor before dismissing it and looking at the man who had contacted her, "Wilson Fisk, it's a pleasure to finally meet you in the flesh."
Standing in front of his desk Fisk stared at the Greek woman, with wavy black hair, and olive skin beautiful despite the unflattering trench coat she wore. But the knowledge of her history and capabilities prevented Fisk from feeling anything more than fleeting admiration, "Elektra Natchios, it's been a while."
"Indeed it has, but I still see that you still maintain some of your...proclivities," Elektra replied glancing pointedly at the body, "Though considering what I've heard it makes sense that you'd need to let off some steam. Someone has been making quite the mess for you."
Fisk's eyes narrowed, though it was barely noticeable, "Yes they have, and I want them dealt with, promptly."
"Then I want triple my standard rate," Elektra replied instantly a cold light shining in her blue eyes Fisk frowned as even for him that wasn't a negligible amount of money, "We both know that this Scourge character isn't your normal caped crusader, he's obviously superhuman and yet no one has heard of him or knows what's the source of his power."
"You've been looking into him yourself," Fisk said it as a statement, not a question.
Elektra shrugged, "With the amount of trouble they're causing I figured it was only a matter of time before we crossed paths. And you know I detested being caught unprepared."
"Do you really rate this figure so highly that you require such an extreme level of hazard pay," Fisk asked with a raised eyebrow as he interlaced his fingers.
"It's that fact that I can't rate them," Elektra countered her face serious, "Also from what I heard Scourge could belong to an organization, that always runs the risk of them placing a bounty on my head or sending one of their own to even the scores."
Fisk scoffed, "If you're talking about those white robes fools and their underground paradise then let me put you at ease, they're rumors nothing more nothing less."
"All rumors start from a seed of truth, they just need time to grow." Elektra countered not backing down, "And regardless of truth or not, I'm going in blind. And you need this handled sooner rather than later."
Fisk fell silent as he stared at Elektra for a long moment and when she didn't back down, the crime lord smiled, "You're right I do need this issue of mine handled, but I'm not the only one in this room with pressing problems in need of resolve."
While Elektra didn't react to Fisk's words he sensed the shift, the waves of discomfort that rolled off someone after being caught by surprise, "Don't make me spell it out, we both know that you're seeking asylum out of the city. That's why you really need the money. But why not cut out the middle man, when I can give you the safe passage that you seek?"
Elektra's jaw clenched as Fisk boxed her into an unfavorable position, "Double my standard rate and safe passage."
"Safe passage, a fifty percent pay increase, and then another bonus if you finish this business of ours by the end of the week." Fisk countered knowing that it was too good of an offer for Elektra to refuse.
After a second Elektra nodded once, "Deal but I'll need the locations of your remaining high-target operations."
With even blinking Fisk reached into his suit and pulled out a flash drive that he tossed to Elektra, "Everything you need is in there."
Catching the drive Elektra stashed it away in her coat before turning and walking toward the elevator, "A pleasure as always Wilson, I'll be in touch."
Watching Elektra walk away Fisk shook his head, disliking the fact that he had to introduce such an element into the ongoing equation, 'Everything will fall in place, given enough time...it must.'
---
Scourge sighed as the last echoing gunshot faded into blissful silence beside the pattering of rain and he stood up, surrounded by dismembered bodies scattered about the construction site. Picking up his head Scourge peered into the shadow cast by an I-beam dangling from the crane far overhead, "Have you seen enough to confront me yet? Or do you still want to try and invade my mind?"
Scourge's voice reverberated with an unnatural tremor as he addressed the shadow his glowing eyes piercing through the darkness, "It's interesting, I've never encountered someone capable of controlling their biosignature before. You almost escaped my gaze. Now step into the light before I force you out myself."
For a moment Scourge's threat went unanswered, but then the pocket of shadows rippled and Elektra emerged having discarded her trench coat in favor of her signature red attire consisting of a leotard, a cloth wrapping for her hair and legs, and cloth bands around her arms and thighs.
"I must say you were not what I was expecting," Elektra admitted as she reached behind her back and pulled out a pair of sai, the silver metal spokes gleaming in the rain, "And far more dangerous than I initially guessed. How were you able to resist my telepathy?"
Scourge's tendrils stirred restlessly behind him moving with minds of their own and responding to the threat against their host, "You tried to invade me without my knowing, assuming that I had no mental defenses. But even if you had attempted a full frontal assault it wouldn't have changed the outcome. Though I do have to thank you for trying."
"And why is that?" Elektra asked as her stance shifted, going from relaxed to on guard in an instant as she sensed a sudden change in Scourge's demeanor.
"Because now I know you're too valuable to let you walk away in one piece," Scourge growled as his eyes flashed and he suddenly lunged at Elektra cutting through the rain in a golden blur.
