Arc Ten. Chapter Two-Hundred Eighty-Two. Blood Diamond

“That is a very interesting suit of armour, War Machine was it?” As he levelled his wrist cannons at her, Emma raised both her hands in surrender, “now now, we don't want trouble.”

War Machine motioned to the wreckage, “yeah looks like it. Elektra Natchios, you are under arrest. Please come quietly.”

Elektra looked over at Emma, I cant feel his mind, what is that suit made of?

Emma mentally shrugged, as even trying to use her powers on it was futile. It was a strange alloy, capable of absorbing not just the telepathic energy she was giving off but the telekinetic as well.

“If you don’t want trouble then why are you here? Elektra is not an Augment, nor is she under arrest for any crimes. It seems to me you were looking for an excuse to come here. So. Under what authority are you making this arrest. If I recall the president's speech, All Enhanced, Armoured or Augments are not allowed to act on their own,” Emma pointed at the pile of scrapped Sentinels, “And those are only to target Augments, so. What's really your objective here?”

Laughter rang from the suit, “War Machine is a fully sanctioned Shield agent, acting within the authority of the ARCA to engage and detain dangerous Enhanced individuals, and if my X-Gene scanner is correct, you are an Augment, so you too.” The cannon on his shoulder swivelled and pointed at Emma. “Let's make this nice and peaceful. I'm not one of those tin cans, and I can defend myself if need be.”

Emma shook her head, “I don't have time for this. None of us has time for this.” While his armour seemed to be resistant to her powers, there were parts that weren’t. The pulse rifle on his wrist was coated in the energy resistant material, but not the barrels, and Emma took one with her mind and War Machine punched himself in the face with it. 

Emma stood, while both his arms failed and he staggered trying to regain control. As one lit up, rather than allowing him to fire, she pushed the gun to his arm and it flashed bright blue-white and left a dent in the armour. Even vibranium plating wasn't strong enough to resist a point-blank hit, and the armour cracked as the energy burned through it.

“I am so very sorry,” Emma said, and she could now grab and twist his cracked arm, swinging it around and constantly knocking the helmet until its faceplate cracked.

War Machine had shut off power to the guns, they were a liability but the missiles should be fine. There were vibranium coated, as they had known about Erik's powers over magnetism, and had prepared them as a countermeasure. They hadn't expected to find the mansion empty though and War Machine had been sent into the city to help with the other Enhanced that had been resistant to the new laws.

The shoulder launchers popped up and several pencil sized missiles whizzed out at high speed towards Emma and Elektra,

Emma raised a hand as they impacted against a telekinetic shield but they were both still blown back by the impacts,

I need you to help, I can only move his armour so much, Emma sent to Elektra, who was staring at the monster suit of armour in front of her, help damn you, Emma snapped at her and Elektra nodded, and Hades created a much larger two-handed Odachi.

Elektra nodded as she slid forwards and swung her blade, making Warmachine lean back. Emma took the extra momentum and pushed on the inside of the barrel, tipping him further back and making him fall. As War Machine knew he was about to get pummeled, he ignited his boots and sped backwards, letting more missiles launch at the pair.

He’s a tough one, even with the damage I can barely move it. It's that stupid metal Peter keeps giving everyone,

You should punish him when you get the chance, but I think he might enjoy it Elektra snickered in her mind,

Laugh it up darling, I know exactly how your tastes run as well, and I never hear Felicia complaining about all that fancy knotwork you made her learn.

War Machine shook his head to readjust his HUD. Doctor Octavious had done a great job, but the techs at Shield had been unhappy about leaving it alone and had been screwing around inside. Everything still worked fine, but it always felt off after they had finished. The two shoulder-mounted missile pods registered as empty so he retracted them and activated the suit melee combat system. He fired off two bolas, and they spun towards the woman in white, wrapping around her legs and chest, pinning her arms.

“I will use lethal force if you make me, but this doesn't have to go this way,” he said as the armour lifted off and zoomed away. They had very few files on Augments, other than the magnetic abilities of Erik, if her powers had a range then he needed to gain altitude, and it got him away from Elektra as well. Peter's powers might be impressive but he had nothing that could reach this high.

“Well, there he goes. Can I borrow your little friend?” Emma asked

“Hades? You want to take Hades?” Elektra asked surprised,

“I can fly, you can’t. So unless you want me to go up there defenceless against whatever else he has, then yes. And now’s not the time to be prudish. I already know what dirty little thoughts you have while Felicia is here.”

Elektra huffed, “She is not staying, but she agrees.” Holding out a hand, the red cloth slithered away and crawled up Emma’s arm. Taking off her jacket, she threw it at the now naked Elektra,

“Great, thank you. This covers so much,” she said, rolling her eyes and draping it over her front. “Don't take too long, it's freezing out here,” she shouted as Hades wrapped herself around Emma and they took to the skies.

We know you, Emma, we have tasted you from Octave, and you are-

Yes yes, a clone, I don't fucking care, if you knew then why?

Clone? Don’t care, you are a perfect mate for Peter, take him, we like the mind touches, we cannot, the Liv is the same, but we feel nothing, only Elektra, with you, we see and feel more.

And Elektra will have my hide if I keep you, no, I can't. Or we discuss this with Elektra after we kick this idiot's arse.

Hades shimmered and vanished,

As his radar scanned the sidewalk he felt his armour shift and a slight pain in his back. Behind him, the red symbiote woman, holding her blade was floating and she growled at him as the blade slid further into his armour.

The sharp pain faded and at first, he felt a cold numbness spreading with a feeling of wetness but it soon faded, and he realised that he couldn't feel his legs. His HUD was flashing red, registering that the main spinal column actuators to the legs had been severed and Rhodey realised that part ran directly over the pilot's spine.

The creature hissed and left the blade sticking from his back, spinning him around and he saw she was just floating there. She grabbed his arm as he raised it to fire, anything to get her away from him but she laughed and the cannon twisted and shattered, pulling the armoured gauntlet away with it. 

He tried to raise the other one but with the pain in one arm and the weakness from the blood loss he was seeing registered on his suit's sensors he knew this was over. He had been beaten. The cannon was ripped off, and with emergency power activating he knew the flight systems would be next.

She floated across from him, “We never wanted this.” but she grabbed his head and smashed hers against it his faceplate dented and the HUD went dark. light streamed in and James Rhodes saw the face of his attacker, “You made us do this,” 

He thought she was about to kill him, but instead, she gripped him close and feeling around the back, wrapped a claw around the arc reactor, “We wished to be left alone.” and as it crumpled the boosters on his feet cut out and he began to fall.

He was only a few hundred feet up, but with his injuries and the damage to the armour, it wouldn't matter. At that height he was dead, and he closed his eyes as he fell.

With the wind whistling, he could only see the sidewalk, and then Elektra, floating towards him, the thin jacket flying free as she grabbed him under the arms and landed with a huge thud as she collapsed under the weight of the armour.

“I know I have powers Emma, but he is still very heavy. And Hades, you are not allowed. That was uncalled for.”

Hades floated down and she held out a hand and slid back over to Elektra.

“Incapacitate him, not cripple or kill him.” Elektra chastised the pair, and as James lay, unable to move in his armour,

“Uh, can you call 911? I am really hurt here,” he asked, and the women tutted,

“Really? You are asking for us to call emergency services?”  Emma asked but Elektra batted her on the arm,

“He would not need them if you had behaved.” 

Emma shrugged, thankful Hades hadn't eaten her clothes, slightly upset that her jacket was flying its way down the street, but she could always bill Peter for another one later. “He wouldn't need them if he hadn't attacked me, what did you think I was going to do, kiss him and take him shopping?”

“I did not expect you to fly and make a giant sword. We are not killers Emma, well, we are not killers anymore. This is enough to lock you away.” Elektra chastised her,

Emma shrugged once more, “Oh? I don't think he knew who I was until you said my name darling, so maybe next time, “ but she paused as Elektra glared at her, “Fine, Fine.” she said as she raised her hands in surrender.

As she moved over to Rhodey she put a hand on his chest, “Sorry darling, I might have accidentally severed your spine. Don't move, everything else is fine though, some bruises, nothing major.” she said as Rhoddy glared at her. Rolling her eyes she pressed a finger to his forehead and psychically shocked him unconscious.

Elektra rubbed a hand over her forehead, “Severing his spine is a big deal Emma, I will wait until an ambulance arrives. Or his men.”

“Suit yourself, I knocked him out, for now, stopped the bleeding and used a piece of armour to bind his wound. You can bitch all you like but he attacked us, those weren't nerf darts darling, they were missiles.”

Elektra sighed, “I know, but I try really hard not to just murder way all my problems. It is a bad habit to get into.”

“Uh, do you mind? I am still hurt here.”

Elektra and Emma looked over. Rhodey was laying in the armour, glancing over at the pair,

“I thought you said you knocked him out?” Elektra asked,

Emma shrugged, “I did.”

“The armour has an emergency response unit, independent power supply, it zapped me awake after you knocked me out, but uh, that's really not important,” Rhodey explained, “I'm kinda hurt here, and we can discuss who’s to blame later, maybe after you get me to a hospital?”

Emma tutted, “I am not taking you anywhere. You send giant robots after us, attack us, and now you expect us to be nice? Your lucky I didn't aim higher.” and she smirked at him, “or lower.”

Elektra batted her on the arm, “What did I just say about being polite?” 

Emma rolled her eyes, “I don't care, I am off to find Peter. You can clean this mess up, I don't work for you.” With a smile and a small wave, Emma lifted herself off the ground and headed to the warehouse.