A/N :

So this is a sequel for Colors (Crankiplier). Obviously, there will be no Crankiplier in this (just mentions), but don't worry, the story will go on. The first few chapters will be in Mark's POV, but then will shift, it shouldn't be too confusing but I prefer prefacing this here. Anyways, have a good read, I hope you enjoy this as much (if not more) as the first book!

Ps : The video I linked is actually a song, I recommend playing towards the end of this chapter, where Mark goes back to his tent. But it can be played at the beginning too, just be sure to restart it at the end since it adds more to the scene.

I cradled them in my arms, blinking two or twenty times to try and make the tears go away. But of course, they didn't.

I knew everyone was around me, looking at Ethan in various degrees of shock or grief, or both.

Their eyes were still open. They couldn't be dead if their eyes were still open, right?

I let my feet take me to the public place and, more specifically, to the stage that was still propped up there. After all this place already held so many bad memories, why not one more? Plus, I knew that it would be the best place to go to for us right now. Or for me I guess.

But no. Ethan couldn't be dead. I knew that in a second or two they were going to get up and laugh at their own little prank.
But there was so much blood... No. No no no.

I sat down at the edge of the stage, my legs dangling in the air. I sat Ethan down on my lap, holding their head close to my chest.

Maybe hearing my heartbeat would bring them back? Well, not back since they weren't gone, just asleep. They always did like waking up to my heartbeat; I knew it calmed them down.

"Come on Ethan. Wake up. This isn't funny anymore." Why weren't they answering?

"Mark?" I instinctively pulled Ethan closer to me. "Mark? It's me, Cry." Cry?

I slowly looked up from Ethan to Cry. Cry was wearing his mask so I couldn't see what he was thinking. Did he want to take Ethan from me? I pulled them even closer to me just in case.

"Are you ok?" Ok? Why wouldn't I be? "Of course I am."

Why was I still crying? And why was my voice wavering so damn much?

"You don't look it buddy." I shrugged and looked back down at Ethan. I slowly pushed the hair away from their eyes. They hated when it happened, but loved their somewhat long hair way too much to cut it. I had to say, longer hair did suit them bettet than short hair.

"You should close their eyes. Feels more right."

"Why should I?"

"Well... That's what you do when someone dies you know?" I felt my blood boil. "Ethan is not dead." Cry took a step back at my sudden outburst.

"Look, I understand." "You understand nothing! Nothing! Is Felix dead? No! Ethan's dead and there's nothing I could do! Nothing!" I was breathing way too heavily.

I concentrated on Ethan's face, trying to memorize it.

"I-" "No shut the fuck up Cry! Who are you to tell me what to do when you're too fucking scared to even show anyone your face! And all of that only because your mom didn't love-" "Enough!" I looked up, ready to tear into Cry, but stopped as I took in his appearance. He had his fists bawled up and was breathing heavily, his chest rising and falling in rapid succession.

"I know you're angry. I get that. But that's no reason to take it out on me." He was clearly trying to stay calm but I could tell he was beyond pissed.

"I'm sorry." I felt the familiar sting in my eyes and soon I was bawling my eyes out again.

"I'm so sorry."

Cry relaxed his shoulders and sat down next to me. "You're right. I'm a coward." I shrunk down on myself. "I didn't mean it. I'm sorry." I could see Cry smiling at me from under his mask.

"You're still right." Cry reached behind his head and undid the knot tying his mask to his face. He lowered it and let it rest between us.

"I think it's time we change. It's what they would have wanted." He said, pointedly looking at Ethan.

Cry slowly raised his hand towards him. "Can I?" I feebly nodded. Cry reached further and gently closed Ethan's eyes. I shakily breathed in.

Seeing them with their eyes closed like this made everything all the more real. "It'll be alright buddy." I wiped some of my tears that had fallen on Ethan's cheeks off.

"I don't want to forget them." I mumbled and Cry wrapped an arm around my shoulders and squeezed my arm. "When you... Later on. Meet me at my tent. I have some things to show you." I furrowed my brows but, judging by Cry's face, he wasn't about to tell me.

I heard someone walk up to me and looked up at Nate. He looked about as defeated as I felt. "I know now's not a good time." He looked like he had been crying too. He did love Ethan just like me. "But everyone's devastated." And Ethan had been a great leader, a great Chief for everyone.

I needed to start thinking like a leader again, and not just like Ethan's lover.

"They need a speech. And a good one." I huffed. I guess even Ethan's death wasn't enough to stop Nate from being rude. Guess that's why I'm the leader and not him.

"Can you hold them for me?" I asked silently, turning towards Cry who nodded. I would've asked Nate if he hadn't been rude. I handed him Ethan's body and he held them the best he could.

I looked up and suddenly noticed the hundreds of soldiers looking at us, at me. I took a deep breath. God, I was not one for speeches.

Ethan was.

Ethan was great at everything.

I shook my head and got up.

"Better know what you're going to say." Nate snickered and I glared at him.

"Have you no respect for your Chief?" Nate glared back.

"You're no Chief of mine."

"I wasn't talking about me." I didn't even need to look at Ethan for Nate to get what I was saying. He looked at Ethan's body and let his angry facade fall. He looked heartbroken.

I turned back to the soldiers in front of me. Everything was eerily quiet, as if everyone was holding their breath to hear what I would say next.

I sighed.

"Look. I'm not Ethan. I could never be who they were." I felt myself getting choked up and had to cough a bit to keep it together. "But that won't stop me from trying my damnest to be as good a leader as they were. To be as considerate, loving and understanding as they were."

Everyone was nodding to themselves.

I needed to motivate them.

"We wouldn't be here today, so close to our victory, without the sacrifice of many of our friends, significant others, or even family." I looked back at Ethan, almost begging them to tell me what to say next.

And then I remembered what they had told me. What they had... last told me.

Honor Andrew.

I smiled and turned back to the crowd. "There's one soldier I'd like to honor in particular. This soldier didn't always make the best of decisions and his hot temperament often clouded his judgement. But it's because of him that we are here today. As many of you know, the red team leader, Andrew, was the one to detonate the multiple bombs that destroyed not only the many tunnels under the ground known as The Underground, but also every ACH camp." I purposefully left out the part about how Ethan was the one supposed to die and how Andrew's sacrifice had been pretty useless in the end to help keep him high in everyone's mind.

"Because of his sacrifice, we are now one huge step closer to ending this dictatorship." People were looking proud. Be it of how far we had come or of Andrew, it didn't matter.

I'd managed to get their spirits up and honor Andrew's memory at the same time. I bet Ethan would have been proud of me.

I almost turned back to see if they were smiling at me. With the corners of their eyes crinkling. And their pearly whites showing.

I really almost did.

But then I remembered why I was making this speech in the first place and quickly jotted that down.

The people were waiting for me to continue my speech. I guess I probably should explain how I planned on being a good Chief. That would probably calm them down.

"Speaking of Andrew, one of the last thing he told Ethan," my voice cracked as I pronounced their name, "was that what made them a great Chief, amongst other things, was their ability to forgive everyone and anyone. Well, I think that in order to be a great Chief, you need to move past this and be tougher mentally. We can't afford to forgive everyone when our enemies are so close." Everyone looked at each other, clearly not believing what I was saying.

"Well, if we follow your logic, Ethan shouldn't have forgiven you." Nate snarked and I shrugged. "Maybe they shouldn't have."

I didn't see Cry and Nate's concerned glance at each other, my eyes were focused on Ethan.

I shook my head.

"Either way, we need to be stricter so that what happened today never happens again. We also need to recruit more soldiers. Now, with the ACH almost dismantled, we're more powerful than ever. We need to use this to our advantage."

"Ok I think that's enough for today." I glared at Nate. Fuck he really could be a pain in the ass when he wanted to. Why would Ethan want me to take him as my lieutenant?

Oh! Right. I almost forgot.

"One last thing. I name Nate as my right hand man." This shocked the audience (as well as Nate) and I raised a brow.

"I'm only doing this because it was what Ethan wanted. Don't get your hopes up." Nate glared at me and, for a split second, I thought he was going to take a swing with his fist at me. However, Cry stepped up between the both of us. He was still carrying Ethan's limp body in his arms.
The sight made me shiver.

"We need to give them a proper burial. They're the reason most of us even joined the rebellion. They never stopped believing in us. Nor in our ability to win the war. They deserve the best." I glared at Cry. "Well go ahead since you seem to think that you know better than me anyways. Next you're going to say that Ethan should've made you Chief!" Cry was staring at me in astonishment.

I huffed and walked away from the scene to Ethan and I's -errr... To my tent, I guess.

I slipped in and tried to regulate my breathing. I had almost ran here and, even with all the training I had been doing to stay fit, the sand dust flying everywhere (especially with me running and kicking some up even more) was heavy on my lungs. I coughed a few times and soon, I was back to breathing normally.

The tent smelled like Ethan.

I barely had any time to process the information before I was bursting into tears, sobs painfully racking through my body. But it was nothing compared to the pain in my heart.

How could I move on? How could I do anything without them? Without Ethan?

I grabbed a fistful of my hair and tugged on it to try and calm myself. I didn't even feel the sting. I wanted to scream. But my throat seemed to have shut down, the only things breaking through being my ugly sobs.

Why did they have to leave me? Why now? I wobbled to the bed as best as I could. I think I was shaking. But I wasn't really aware of my surroundings. Well. Except for the overwhelming scent of Ethan. Everything reminded me of them.

I could almost see them sat at his desk, working like a slave for hours on end. Or sat on the table because 'chairs are so last year.' Or brewing me some coffee even though they hated the smell, but still did it because they knew it made me happy.

The bed smelled like them.

I knew I probably shouldn't have been cradling the things that smelled like them if I wanted them to keep their smell, but right now, the thought barely registered.

I plunged my head into their pillow and filled my nostrils with their smell. I hugged the damn thing as tight against my face as I could. I almost couldn't breathe, but, if I died, at least I'd get to see Ethan.

The thought was tempting, alluring almost. But I knew that they would have wanted me to go on.

I knew they were supposed to die today. But it wasn't supposed to end like this.

Not with them losing all of their blood in my arms.
Not with them scared but too stubborn to admit it.

And now I was left alone with an entire team that I had to lead in this war on my arms. Of course, I knew how to be a leader, I had been one in the past after all. But it wasn't the same.

My job was easy, we had the upper hand. I could get my lieutenant to do everything for me. As long as I took the hard decisions.

And now, having Nate as my lieutenant really wasn't the best of things. He would never help me. Not in a million years.

I knew that Ethan always took great decisions.
But this time, they might not have.

A/N :

Are you as excited as I am? Btw, I know exactly what will happen in this story and I'm very eager to see how everyone will react to it, so by all means, don't hesitate to write some comments (even to ask something, those are the best), vote and read the rest of this once I'll post it, thank you so much! ? ﾟﾘﾊ