E L E C T R A|COMPLETED|

~E P I L O G U E~

Final update of Electra! 😢😭

~Electra~

Earlier today, with a heavy heart, I watched as the last of the Bliss was set aflame. It was clearly Braden's idea and not mine. I managed to piss off several of my business associates also when I told them I would no longer be doing business with them if they dealt with drugs. Artemisia was one of them. The Bliss and other narcotocics I shipped to Spain were no more. She wasn't too happy about the loss of inventory, however she accepted that I was trying to clean myself up and go down a better path. I was going clean. A new start. That's what Braden called it.
I glanced up at Braden from where he stood by my side as Bullseye and three other men lowered Serenity's white casket down into the newly dug grave on my property. Serenity insisted the casket be white despite my attempts to go for a mahogany or pine color, even black.
Artemisia was broken, devastated by Serenity's death that was caused by my hand. She hasn't spoken to me much these past two days after I have woken. She hasn't talked about it, but I believe she thinks I could have done more for Serenity. Perhaps I could have, however I was too blinded by pain and rage to see who the creature in front of me once had been.
Braden glanced down at me and offered me a small, sad smile while he gave my hand a reassuring squeeze. I turned my attention to Artemisia who stood beside me, her nearly black eyes burned into the white casket as they lowered it into the ground. Tears swelled and danced in her eyes, however none dared to fall onto the dark beauty's pale skin.
I forced my own eyes to look at the last glimpses of the casket as it disappeared into the grave. Artemisia's black skirts caught my attention and I watched as she neared where Serenity was being laid to rest. She dropped a single white rose down onto Serenity's coffin and stared down at it for a few long moments.
No birds sang. No wind blew. No sun parted through the dark clouds. No one spoke a word because there was nothing to be said. All was silent and all was still. Finally, Artemisia turned around and walked back to stop in front of me.
"I will be leaving now." She looked directly into my eyes."If it is not to much to ask, would you please put flowers on her grave for me?" Artemisia asked in a well kept, steady tone.
"Of course." I replied.
"Thank you." Artemisia murmered. "It was good seeing you again, Electra, I only wish it had been under better circumstances." She turned to look up at Braden. Electra was tall, taller than I, however Braden still made her look small. "It was a pleasure meeting you Braden and I hope you both will find happiness together."
"Thank you, we will." Braden gave my hand a small squeeze.
"Well, I have urgent business back home to attend to. Until, I see you again, Electra." Artemisia managed a small smile that didn't reach her dark eyes.
"Take care of yourself, Arty." I murmered and she only gave a small nod before walking past me, her men following suit after her like a small army of black suits.
"You think she's gonna be okay?" Braden asked as my eyes followed after Artemisia.
"She will be. She always is." I replied then turned back to watch as Bullseye and the men began to shovel dirt over Serenity's casket. This was all for the best. I wish Serenity was still alive, the old Serenity, however I did what had to be done.
No more drugs. No more being bad. The change would be hard, however Braden would be by my side the entire time and I knew we would both help each other through it. I had spent years building up my drug organization all just to see it literally go up in smoke. Braden talked me into this outrageous idea he had about how we could help the city. I absolutely did not want anything to do with it, but he seemed so excited that I opted to hear him out.
Apparently, he and this Agent Carter have been talking to one another since Serenity's death and the destruction of parts of the city. Hero. That's what Agent Carter told Braden people were calling me. They couldn't believe that Electra Volcov stuck her neck out and 'saved' the city. I didn't see the big deal about it, but Braden said people were calling me a hero.
Agent Carter asked Braden to rejoin the department, however Braden declined. When I asked him why he said that it wasn't for him anymore. He had changed too much to follow their rules and laws the way he used to.
After Serenity's funeral, time passed and Braden and I found ourselves helping out anyway we could by taking out ruthless gang leaders and drug kingpins. Braden was getting stronger and faster by the day and we had become a team of sorts. I nearly ripped his head off one day when he dared compare us to batman and robin. I still wasn't used to playing 'the good girl' because I was far from good, however it eased Braden's mind that I wasn't running a ring of 'illegal merchandise' anymore.
I'd given up that kind of life and changed so much that I didn't know what to do with myself, I didn't know if that was a good or bad thing. I did enjoy fighting against the gangs and bad guys of the city, but I was still getting used to trying to be a good citizen. It was all for Braden. I was trying to be good and make myself better for him.
He made me want to do good. He made me want to be good for him. This certainly wasn't an over night kind of thing, it would take work, but I was willing to better myself for him. I was willing to show him the darkest parts of me, the weakest ones.
I wasn't supposed to fall for him. This wasn't supposed to happen. I wasn't supposed to end up being some kind of vigilante, but Braden changed me. He tore me down just so he could build me up again and I'd let him do it all over again.
He set me free. He tore down the prison from my own hell and set me free. He was showing me that revenge, that hate, didn't have to dominate me. He was trying to show me that there was goodness in me, I doubted he would find any but it was worth a try.
Braden taught me that sometimes the world didn't need a hero, he taught me that sometimes all it needs is a monster. He may not know it, but he saved me from myself. He gave me a reason to live, a reason to want to change and find peace in helping people and not hurting them.
The world is a dark place, but Braden taught me that all men are not monsters. There is good in the world, it's a rare thing but it's there and it's worth protecting. I know that with my light by my side, I don't have to trek through the darkness by myself anymore. I know that if I crumble, if I fall, Braden will be right there to catch me. And, he knows that if anyone ever tries to take him from me again I'll f.ucking tear them apart. We're both torn and broken, there's no denying that, but together we're whole. Together, we're just what the other needed.

A/N: SORRY FOR THE SHIT EPILOGUE BUT I FELT THAT THE STORY KIND OF NEEDED A SMALL ONE. I WOULD LIKE TO THANK ALL OF YOU WHO HAVE STUCK WITH ME THROUGH THIS STORY. THANK YOU FOR YOUR PATIENCE AND YOUR TIME AND I HOPE YOU ALL DIDN'T THINK 'ELECTRA' WAS COMPLETE SHIT. THIS IS THE END OF 'ELECTRA', HOWEVER SHE AND BRADEN WILL MAKE AN APPEARANCE IN ANOTHER STORY I WILL BE BEGINNING SOON. I WILL BE WRITING A SPIN-OFF OF THIS STORY CALLED 'ARTEMISIA' SOMETIME IN AUGUST. IT MAY TAKE AWHILE THOUGH BECAUSE I WANT TO WORK ON MY OTHER STORIES. THANK YOU ALL AGAIN FOR TAKING TIME TO READ 'ELECTRA' AND I HOPE THAT THIS STORY HAS TAUGHT YOU THAT JUST BECAUSE SOMEONE DOES BAD THINGS IT DOESN'T MAKE THEM A BAD PERSON :)
~mia