Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters.
Note: Hope you like it. It's my take on the last days of Regulus' life. Yes I took the title of this story from a Nine Inch Nails song.
The Mark has been Made.
The cave the two were trapped in had all cheer of a tomb. He couldn't help but realize with a sort of defeated sense of humor that at least their prison was quite haunting. It was a fitting end for his final days. Within the heart of this cave lay a vast pond, stretching on and on in a manner more fit for a lake. In the center stood a rocky outcropping, in which a tall stone basin rested. A faint greenish glow still emitted from the basin, a remainder from the vile and surely poisonous potion that had once filled it. Standing before this object was a short and stocky figure and, crumpled at his feet, was a tall, lanky one whose labored breathing rattled throughout the cave. The stocky man almost wished his victim would stop…each tortured gasp was a heart wrenching reminder of what he'd done. All that surrounded the two was the rickety boat they had arrived at this wretched outcropping in, the darkness of the cave and the currently silent dead that swarmed the inky waters around them.
The short stocky figure had his head bent low over the basin, and was frantically blinking back his tears. Uh-oh, here come the water works, you going to run to Mummy, little nancy boy? He could almost hear the taunting, aristocratic voice of his brother, and as harsh as it was it strengthened him. Regulus Black bit back his tears. He folded the tiny scrap of parchment once again - his suicide note, his death summons - and wedged it tightly into the small, gold locket. It had been his beloved mothers, and Regulus smiled weakly at the thought of how she'd always shown so much of her love for him, showered him with gifts and praise, but the simple act of giving him her treasured locket, in hopes that he'd one day pass it on to his own children, was most useful thing she'd ever done.
His fingers shivered as he shut the locket and dropped it unceremoniously into the basin, not surprised to see the emerald green, wretched potion replenish itself. He dripped his hand into the pocket of his black robes, and sought the true locket that had been so heavily guarded. This one was slightly bigger and heavier than the other, with the snake crest of Slytherin etched upon it. Not only was it an heirloom of the noble wizard Salazar Slytherin, but a Horcrux, an object that contained a portion of Lord Voldemort's soul. The destruction of this object meant that Lord Voldemort….the Dark Lord as Regulus had been forced to call him while he was stupid enough to serve him, would be just a bit closer to mortality, to meeting his end.
A tear slipped down his cheek as the potion flushed the false Horcrux he'd planted away from his sight. His fate was sealed.
Before his fear and sorrow could overpower him, Regulus bent low over the crumpled figure at his feet. For the first time in all his life he forgot to feel envious of his brother's handsome, sharp featured face, his longish and sleek black hair, not to mention his astonishing capability as a wizard. Regulus had always been the smart one, the apple of his parents eye and always an outlet for their heavy purses. However, no amount of parental doting could make up for the jealousy that burned in him. Regulus looked nothing like his brother; he was squat and chubby, his face very round and weak featured, his ears a bit too large and his hair consisted of tousled, mousy colored curls. His skills in magic were a little on the ordinary side, also. Certainly not what was expected of a pure blooded wizard such as himself.
"Sirius! Sirius wake up!" he called. His brother's eyes didn't so much as flicker. In a panic the memory of the terrible ordeal he'd put his brother through flashed through his mind. He was plagued with images of his usually unyielding brother slumped over the basin, pale as the Inferi surrounding him and hear his shrill screams, demanding Regulus kill him. And still he'd forced him to drink.
"C'mon…I got you into this, but I'll get you out…you've got to be okay, Siri, just say something! Wake up you….sodding prat!" he tried again, trying desperately to think of the insults Sirius had been so fond of using against him. Nothing.
In desperation he reached into his robes and withdrew his wand, "Ennervate!" he cried several times, red light striking his brother in the chest each time. After what may have been twelve attempts, Sirius Black woke with a gasp, his storm grey eyes met his brother's in a odd mingling of hate and fear. For a moment it looked as if his brother were going to reach up and strangle the life from Regulus before the Dark Lord could ever have the chance. Regulus wouldn't have tried to put up a fight if that were the case…a death at the hands of his own brother would be utterly merciful. However, in the next moment Sirius looked as if he were going to open his mouth and let out another gut wrenching scream as he begged Regulus to kill him yet again. But at last Sirius seemed to compromise and merely gasped in this odd hate/fear hybrid, "Water!"
Regulus flinched and cursed his luck, "I thought you'd say that." He had no other choice but to seize the silver goblet that he'd set on the basin. He plunged the cup into the water and brought the nourishment to his brother, who drank it greedily. Regulus knew that his brother must be suffering from awful pain and weakness but Sirius kept his eyes open, boring hatefully into his brothers. "I am so sorry for this Sirius, but I promise you that it's well worth it, you're helping the Order more than you can possibly know, and when this is all over you won't remember a thing; any pain, fear or anything I've put you through…"
"Just like you," Sirius' voice wavered, "to get all sappy 'n brotherly after you almost fucking kill me!"
"Sirius, please you don't understand…"
"Stuff it!" he hissed, his voice failed and he collapsed back onto the outcropping, unconscious again.
Regulus hung his head in shame. Of course he could have never convinced Sirius to help him by civilized means. He'd had to force him here. He and his brother had not spoken a word to each other after Sirius had ran away from home at sixteen, and while he'd sworn a vow to his mother in blood that he would never again come near him, Regulus had become utterly desperate for help, and there was nobody else he knew in all the world with the same strength and resolve as his brother. Sirius was rebellious and dangerous but wholly good. He'd devoted his life to good. There was truly nobody more suited to Regulus' solemn duty.
Of course even if Regulus had had the courage to approach his brother after so many years of festering hate and bitter silence, he could not. He had little doubt Sirius would have thoughtlessly flicked his wand and killed him, in the name of the honor binding him to the Order.But once again fate was running with him, he'd been lucky enough to venture close enough in his last attack as a Death Eater to steal a strand of hair from his brothers best friend, James Potter. Then, by using a Polyjuice Potion to transform into the likeness of Jameshe cornered his brother on the street and performed the Imperius curse. It usually had very little effect on Sirius and he fought it off quite easily, but Regulus' will proved strong enough to dominate over his resistant brother, strong enough to force him into the cave and to down the potion guarding the Horcrux.
Regulus was pulled harshly back from his thoughts as he heard the waters around them start to churn, and he cursed himself again, knowing very well what terrors lurked within the waters. Human forms rose up in a macabre yet sickeningly majestic scene from the black water, their flesh as pallid as marble, the skin stretched tight over their creaking bones. Each dead and soulless gaze swivelled over to the two brothers and, lurching on their rotting limbs, the undead began to move toward them.
This time Regulus swallowed back his fear, held his wand high and shouted an incantation; strong and unwavering. A ring of fire billowed from this the tip of his wand, encircling both Sirius and himself in a perfect ring.
In an almost collective motion the nearest of the undead, the Inferi, withdrew from the flames, gasps of shock and something like pain hissing in their rotted lungs, and they threw themselves back down into the shelter of the water. Regulus managed to hold his fraying nerves together as he lifted the wand high into the air and with his free hand grasped Sirius by the collar of his robes, dragging him to where their boat waited, before heaving him inside. Regulus clamored back into the boat, huddling as close to Sirius as possible. For a moment he recalled his early childhood, before he ever learned the words "pureblood" and "unworthy", back when Sirius was his flawless and brave older brother. Countless thunderstorms flashed through his mind, followed by the times he'd scream and race directly into his brother's arms. Sirius wasn't afraid of anything, not thunderstorms, mountain trolls, dragons; Regulus doubted a boggart would even phase him. And Sirius never failed to assuage him with his fearlessness. They'd have these moments even after his parents' brain washing had begun, had them right up until Sirius ran away.
The boat sliced slowly through the waters, and it seemed to Regulus that minutes passed by like centuries. It come as a terrible shock when an icy hand slammed hard into his shoulder, and shoved him clear across the boat, which dipped ominously into the chilly water as he landed. He thrust his wand harshly at the source of the hand, then sighed in deep relief as he realized it has only been Sirius shoving him away. A moment later the cruelty of that action sank into his consciousness. "I am so sorry for everything," Regulus made to apologize.
"Right." The other made no movement to meet his eyes and the tone of his voice held no indication of forgiveness.
"No, I mean it, I am sorry for everything. You were right about it all. Right about the Dark Lord and the terrible things he'd make me do. You were right about our parents, right about how pureblooded wizards are no different than mud…mix blooded wizards and Muggleborns. You were right that our parents where brainwashing me to hate you because you don't despise mixed blood. You were right all those times toward the end when you said that I would never amount to anything in the world. I am sorry that I was the favorite with our parents, I am sorry I turned so harshly against you…they did brainwash me…might have even used a spell or potion to make me think you were so terrible…I don't remember what happened, but it's worn off now. I swear to it."
"Congratulations Reg, you've developed something human beings call a brain, now why not put it to good use and cast yourself amongst the Inferi?"
"Damn it!" he cursed, his voice breaking. "I am trying to apologize here!"
"I am not interested in apologies."
"Then I am here for amends, I want to put it all right, the way I've wasted my life, the way I treated you and all the terrible deeds I've done for the Dark Lord."
Sirius tossed back his longish black hair and glared at him, hate flashing behind his steely gaze. "Well you sure picked a good way to make amends, deceive me, put me under the Imperius curse, abduct me, and force me to drink some bloody potion that was so terrible I was screaming for you to kill me. Wonderful way to right wrongs."
"No….you don't understand. I had to, what that potion was guarding…I have to destroy it. I have to be up to full strength and clear headed to do it, I needed you…"
"Right, a bloody necklace is going to make a difference in the world?"
"Yes!" Regulus cried vehemently. "It can make the difference between life and death for everyone, especially you, especially for the entire Order…"
"You're sodding delusional," Sirius cut him off, signaling the end of the conversation.
Regulus hung his head, again defeated, overwhelmed by the memories flashing through his aching head. So this is what they must mean, when they say seeing your life flash before your eyes…I don't see much at all. Indeed Regulus saw what any man would see, his childhood, his school years, the first woman he'd loved and lost, his adulthood, but nothing worthy of remembering, nothing that even really stood out in his mind…suddenly very little of it was worth of remembering.
At last the Inferi stilled around them, and the boat scraped up against the shore. Carefully Regulus climbed out and rushed to help his brother. He wasn't surprised when he shoved his hand away and snapped, "Shove off!"
Sirius however, had failure written all over him before he ever began to set foot on the ground. His weakened body shook far too much for him to hold still, and the ancient boat shudderedas he raised his foot, and then capsized. Instantly, the waters began to churn as the hands of the Inferi snapped back to life and grasped for his brother, pulling him deeper into the water, already trying to tear at his limbs as he drowned. For a moment Regulus watched in utter terror, unable to help but noticing that, save for involuntary gasps for air, his brother didn't even try to struggle against the Inferi he merely fell lax in their grip, he didn't even scream.
At last the adrenaline rushed through Regulus and he leapt forward, plunging a hand into the water, seeking his brother's. Sirius' head was gone from sight, his whole body submerged now and Regulus could find his hand nowhere. Damn it! His hold on the Imperious curse flared brightly in his soul. GIVE ME YOUR HAND! His thoughts roared, and instantly he felt him grasp tight around his wrist. Pull yourself up! Sirius clawed his way up his forearm as Regulus pulled upwards and brought him gasping and choking to the surface.
Once back on dry land, the siblings fled as fast as their feet could carry them, heedless of the swarming Inferithat were again rising from the waters. When they reached the sealed archway Regulus plunged his hand into the pockets of his robes, desperately seeking a knife in which to free some of his blood.
"No," Sirius groaned weakly. He reached into his own robes, withdrew his wand and muttered a sharp incantation and whipped the wand hard across his open palm. Blood welled immediately and he smeared it on the doorway, which obediently cracked open and granted them entrance. Once through, Sirius turned again, dripped his blood across the top, and the stone sealed shut, trapping the Inferi
The rest of their flight passed in a blur for Regulus, it seemed as if one moment they were fleeing and the next they were safe, at least for a while. They lay on the top of nearby boulder; right outside the slender entrance to the cave. Regulus shivered in the night air, gazing listlessly at the stars, while his brother lay just as silently behind him. He hadn't said a word since he'd opened the doorway.
"Siri?" Regulus questioned, still not facing him.
"Yeah?" he answered softly.
"I didn't have you under Imperius when you opened the door for me. Why did you do that for me?"
"You know the answer to that," he answered simply.
"No, I really don't."
"Alright, if you're going to force it from me, then it's 'cause I love you lil' brother. Always have, even if I haven't shown it today or at all these past few years. And I believe you now, you've changed, otherwise you wouldn't have wanted to save me so badly."
Regulus turned to meet his brothers eyes, running his hand through his frazzled curls.
"Right…I've missed you so much, Siri. Even if I didn't let myself believe it, I have. And you have no idea how dull it's become at the house since you left, no jokes, no pranks, explosions, arguments, mortal danger…just me, Mum and Dad debating over our family tree and who should marry whom and how to keep the blood pure, memorizing family heirlooms….it's not the best existence."
Sirius smiled weakly, "Sounds like your type of life Reg…so what are you doing here then? Whatever it was you were doing in there, it isn't exactly a normal day for you, or any wizard for that matter."
Regulus hung his head, "Trying to help out the good…I've left the Dark Lord…or at least I am trying, but I know I'll be dead soon. That's the way they work: life service or else. You were right…I couldn't begin to fathom the evils they ask of me until I was the doing these terrible things. I thought it was just a fellowship for the pure blooded…I didn't dream I'd be doing the things they wanted from me. I couldn't bare it. I have to leave, even if it means my life. Before I fled I overheard this secret of this cave…I had to do something. What I have will weaken the Dark Lord undoubtedly. I couldn't have done this without your help." He swallowed hard, working up the courage he needed to ask him the most disturbing question on his mind, "Siri…why didn't you struggle? When the Inferihad you, how come you didn't even scream?"
For the first time in all his years, Regulus saw his brothers eyes grow dark, and hang his head as if in shame, "I am not afraid to die, Regulus. I don't want to, but I am not afraid of it. I am ready for it, I thought death was coming, therefore I didn't try to fight it."
"Well….why?" he questioned.
"It's the nature of what I have to do, Reg. Death constantly stalks those who are fighting for good and order amidst chaos. Your every breath could very well be your last. It's different for the other side, evil doesn't have anything to hide from because it is what is causing the pain. Good has no choice but to live this way, you have to relish every moment for fear that it might be the last you ever know. You make your peace with life, and when death finally comes for you, you're able to meet it fearlessly, look it in the eye and accept it's inevitability. You have to know that you've left your mark upon the world, and know that what you strove for was not in vain."
"I…"Regulus stuttered, shocked to his soul at the impact of his brother's words. "You're so right." He looked down at the bulge of the necklace in his robes. He waited for the tears to well in his eyes, and for the panic to grip him yet again as his mind at last accepted what he had to do, but they never came.
Calmly, Regulus reached in the pocket of his robes, fastened his hand around the slim gold chain and pulled the Horcrux into the moonlight. Fearless and confident, he lifted his hand high and brought the locket whipping downward hard, the air whistled shrilly as it fell, and it slammed hard with a loud thunk onto the rocky ground.
A flash of green burst from the medallion, both cried out and drew back from the flash of blinding light, screaming when it touched their flesh. The pain was both hot and cold, and for a few agonizing moments, it consumed every nerve of Regulus' body, before it faded away just as quickly. The locket lay unblemished on the stone. He edged closer to it and lightly touched the metal, lifting the hated relic. It felt just as heavy as before. He had no way of knowing if this had destroyed the Horcrux or if that was merely a punishment for attempting to destroy it, but he had every intention of keeping up its destruction. He would try every method of destruction known to wizard kind…everything until he ran out of time. He placed his death sentence back into his pocket and met Sirius' dark eyes.
No turning back…
He reached across and took his brother's hand, "Goodbye, Sirius. I've missed you terribly and I am sorry we'll never get to make our peace."
"What? I think I can forgive you with time, Reg. We've got a fair start…I can make my peace with you right now…I will."
"No, we never will, not in your mind. When you go back to the Order you'll have a new memory. You'll think you have just been simply stunned in a surprise Death Eater attack, I might even have it be me for credibility. When you wake you'll be lying in bed, safe with all your friends and loved ones at your side. I'll just be your idiot brother, soft enough to believe our blood-obsessed parents, who panicked when I got in too deep with the Dark Lord. It'll be easier this way, when the Dark Lord learns what I did he'll come looking for answers. He'll come to you, but I'll have obliterated all memory of this. You'll be safer then."
"What? No…what in the world are you talking about?"
"I am making my peace. You're the person I cared for the most in my pathetic life, the only person I have left to make peace with."
"Reg…NO!" he growled, "Let me take responsibility, I'll not have any brother of mine sacrifice himself to Voldemort…"
"It's too late. He'll find me and kill me sooner or later just for dropping his ranks. Goodbye, Sirius."
"THIS ISN'T GOODBYE!" he roared, "The Order can protect you, please, don't…"
"OBLIVIATE!" Regulus cried, a jet of light struck Sirius in the head, and the sound died immediately on his lips, all trace of memory of this night had been wiped away. "Finite Incantatem!" he said within his mind to remove what little trace of Imperio remained in his brother.
Instantly Sirius' face become a twisted mask of fury, "BASTARD!" he barked in feral rage and charged at him. Regulus grabbed his brother roughly by the arms, and wrestled him to the ground using his body weight. Sirius growled, writhed and kicked against him but Regulus proved stronger. Pinning him down, Regulus closed his eyes and Disapparated away from the solemn seaside cave, forcing Sirius along, and few seconds later reappeared at the street where he'd cornered his brother. Before Sirius could recover from the shock of the sudden disappearance, Regulus raised his wand and cried out, "Stupefy!", stunning him as promised.
He waved his wand at his unconscious brother once again, and replaced his memories. For a moment he thought of bending low over him and hugging him one last time, of saying one last goodbye, but time was against him. He turned and vanished once again.
Three Days Later
Regulus stared soberly up at the midday sun beating mercilessly down upon the mountains just before him, causing the lake below to shimmer as if it were made of liquid silver. I am going to die today…I just know it. At least it's beautiful here, can't think of anywhere else more peaceful to die. He folded his arms across his chest and smiled bitterly. He'd chosen the mountains surrounding the Black Lake as his place of death, and the irony wasn't lost on him. It was near Hogwarts, the one place he'd ever felt truly alive, at the lake bearing his own last name. Someone within his family tree had owned it at one time, and for once he could not recall whom. Death was far more pressing than his family's silly obsession with legacy. He looked to the flickering flames of his campfire, at the golden locket within its center. Even with the magically intensified flames the dreaded relic would not melt, it merely sent out the occasional burst of searing green light then lay dormant again.
He grabbed a long stick and pushed the locket out of the flames, thinking desperately of some means of destroying it that he'd not yet thought of, but his mind was blank. He'd tried every conceivable spell he could recall, dropping it, smashing it, everything he could manage but it only reacted as before. If he could not destroy it utterly his only chance was to hide it…but where? There wasn't a place in the world that the Dark Lord couldn't extend his powers to.
Once the metal had cooled he swept the locket back into his pocket.
He shivered although he wasn't cold, in the back of his mind he thought he understood. His soul knew it…soon…soon his life will be over. Soon the next would begin. I don't think I want to be a wizard again, seeing how this ended. I hope I'll see my brother again, somewhere down the path of life.
He clenched his hand tighter around the locket as the air around him filled with three resounding cracks, and the swirl of black robes. He recognized two of the Death Eaters before they took off their skull like masks by their long hair. One with silvery blonde hair was undoubtedly Lucius Malfoy, and the one with thick, shining black hair, so like his brother's, could only belong to his once beloved cousin, Bellatrix. He didn't know the third when he unmasked, a scrawny young boy with a thin face and thick blonde hair.
He faced his executioners fearlessly; while his mind wondered back, quite randomly landing on a memory he thought he'd long forgotten.
"Didn't know there were so many stars," Regulus breathed, shivering a bit in the chill night air.
Sirius sat up and took off his leather jacket, handing it to him, "Here lil' bro, forgot it's winter. Don't tell Mum I took you here so late, much less I took you on my bike. She'll have my arse for a trophy."
He slipped on the jacket, two times too big for him. Of course he expected this, Sirius was four years older than him and towered over even his own father. Much warmer, he lay back on the grass. It wasn't much of a place they'd come to, just a stretch of hillock and trees quite a way from the hectic world of London. But there were so many stars here…he'd never began to fathom just how many there really were. They literally blanketed the heavens.
"So…why did you take me here?"
"I wanted to show you something Reg, and tell you something." He took another long drag from his cigarette.
Regulus frowned at this habit, but knew if he said anything about it Sirius would likely snap and say he was old enough to do anything he wanted.
"I saw when you got in fight with that Williams boy a few days ago, back at Hogwarts."
"Yeah…" he whispered ashamed.
"You had every right to stand up to him Reg, he was talking pretty harshly about you, but you didn't. You just sat there and took it, you let him defeat you, morally and physically. You've still got a black eye from it."
"Well…I wanted to but…Mum would have…"
"Sod Mum. That's what you've got to realize. There is nobody in control of your destiny but yourself. I don't suppose Mum has ever told you the story of your name?"
"No."
Sirius gestured with this ciggie toward a rather bright star in a constellation with a sickle shape to it. "It's somewhat of a Black tradition to name children after the stars. That's your star, Regulus. There's mine." he pointed to a brilliant shimmering one, then to a dimmer one not far from it, "that's Bellatrix, and there is an Andromeda but that's a galaxy, not easy to see with the naked eye. But anyway, back to your star, look at the stars around it, do they look like anything to you?"
He studied it. "It looks a bit like an animal, a wonky one."
"It's supposed to be a lion. Leo the Lion, it's called. A powerful constellation in astrology, the Ancient Egyptians built their Sphinx to honor Leo.
"You see Reg, before you were born, Mum's pregnancy was plagued with problems; she started getting quite sick then. She was in St. Mungo's all the time, and the healers were constantly telling her that you could never survive her womb. At first I was grateful, I didn't want a little brother hogging what little attention they gave me. But when you pushed on and were born, my attitude change. The first month of your life was terrible, Reg. You were sick constantly, you were always screaming, you didn't eat right. How you survived that first day utterly amazed me. I figured, like me, you must have the power of the stars within in you. Mum sometimes told me mythological stories back then, particularly ones of the constellations. You reminded me of the lion, so I was the one who named you Regulus. I was utterly inspired by your bravery, and your courage, you had the heart of a lion. That why I brought you here, to tell you this story and to remind you that you're far braver than you know. You cannot let anyone take control of your fate. You must do that yourself, face the consequences and face them fearlessly. Only then will you ever leave a mark upon the world."
"Well well." The slow drawl of Lucius Malfoy dragged him from his memory. "Black. I daresay your kind has been quite meddlesome to the Dark Lord. We've had to contend with that marauding brother of yours from day one, but now, you turn against us. The Dark Lord was so disgusted and infuriated with you that he didn't want to get his wand within fifty feet of you."
"Too bad you don't practice that same precaution, Malfoy. I hate to think what disease you've got jabbing your wand into Narcissa," Regulus replied with a snark more characteristic of his brother than himself.
Malfoy hissed, "I assume you know the penalty for this petty mutiny, Black?"
"Of course, but tell it to me again because it's just so interesting."
"Cruciatus, hanging, drawing and quartering, consuming your flesh and blood because after all we are Death Eaters. We consume the bodies of our enemies for their power…"
"Can't say I am going to miss that. No matter what they say, human flesh just does not taste like chicken."
"Will you not beg, Black? Come now…makes our job so much sweeter."
"Sorry," he shrugged.
"I want his head," came the vicious voice of Bellatrix. "I need a birthday present for your dear brother, Black. Do you think he'll be surprised? Your head on a pike?"
He said nothing. Gods I am so sorry, Sirius.
"His body…lets not eat it all, he hasn't much power anyway. We should send it to his dear mother…they're quite close you know," Bellatrix cackled with a hollow laugh.
Relief flooded him and he fought not to grasp the Horcrux in his pocket. If they kept his robes on then the Horcrux just might be safe in his house, at least for a while. It was unplottable, and Voldemort just may never think to look there. Slyly he reached into the pocket of his robes, grabbed his wand and silently screamed the incantation for a permanent sticking charm. The effect was instantaneous, he felt his robes adhere tight against his body. His executioners mistook this oddity as him shrinking back with fear.
"Well..."Regulus sighed, glaring with his steely grey eyes at his death harbingers fearlessly. "What's the matter? Have you lost your nerve?"
I like that…good last words. Fitting of a lion.
Malfoy snarled and looked over to the unknown blonde boy. "Crouch, would you like to begin the honors?"
The robed figure stepped forth, his wand raised to the sky and cried out, "MORSMORDRE!"
A jet of green arched into the sky and exploded, taking the glittering shape of the fanged skull and writing serpent, the Dark Mark.
Regulus smiled. His death would not be in vain. His mark had been made.