In memorandum
'It's been two years since the end of the war, two years since I seen my friend sacrifice himself, two years since I seen my father turn to dust right in front of my eyes, two years since I took the life of the Locust Queen. Two damn fucking years and I still feel the same way I always have, fucking dead when it comes to thinking about Dominic. First brother I lost was Carlos, the second Dominic that day apart of myself died with him and that part of me will never comeback.'
Marcus Fenix as he tells Bernadette Mataki on route to Mercy.
18 A.E
On the mainland of Sera was the small town of Mercy after the war against the horde it was rebuilt and refurbished and everyone has been going back to a life they long left behind, in some cases not known at all. Since then the small towns have been the first to be rebuilt, new towns and settlements will follow as some are already starting strong and building population. Mercy was lucky, probably being a few miles from the cost people flocked there because of its distance.
But the cities that were destroyed and turned to ash will always remain, they will always be a scar on humanity and be there to remind that the Locust didn't do all the monstrous shit. We played a part in that, we destroyed millions of our own in desperation. All it brought was more terror and needles death, all those people gone because of the Hammer Of Dawn. Marcus didn't really know how his father could live with it all, all that life extinguished because of him. Fuck, maybe the Locust Queen was right; "Nothing but weapons of mass Destruction". All this research on Azura, all of it redemption for himself. Was it worth it? We have to be the outcome of that, we have to take that second chance we fought so hard for. Shit, maybe he injected himself not wanting to see the holocaust he was responsible for, Marcus never really thought about it, he didn't want to.
"You sure you can do this?" Anya staring in to those dark war torn eyes that had seen everything no one wanted to see. "I have too, I have to do this. He was my brother Anya, the only family I ever had after mine fell apart. He was so close to this, so close to seeing the end and being here.", his voice was calm and mono, his natural tone free of stress and threat of danger. Walking to a small graveyard he seen a headstone that what was put down in 17 A.E in memory of Dom, the very one Damon, Gus, Anya and Bernie visited whenever they could. It read 'Dominic Santiago, dear brother and friend forever in our hearts.' Marcus never visited the grave, this would be his first and last time before he put it all behind him and continue with his life.
"Anya I need to do this alone, please" that voice came back, the one he used before shit was about to hit the fan. That voice when he was about to blow a Locust Drone to hell with his Gnasher. Silently nodding she walked back to where Bernadette stood alone, watching in sadness at another fallen kid who lost his life in that fight for survival. "Are you OK Bernadette? " Anya asked quietly and with some hesitation. "Yeah, I am Anya. I feel worse for Marcus. Nothing could separate those two. They went through hell more than once and came out together. The poor sod, he lost almost everyone", "Almost?" Bernie gave Anya her 'are you fucking serious' look. The one that Victor knew all to well."He has you, you're the only thing that's keeping him from destroying what's left of himself. I doubt that you'll back down, your mam would have been proud of what you have become. She was a good person Anya. Helena fought for you and she loved you, now do what you have to do. Be there for Marcus."
Marcus was silently looking at the grave of Dom, One-hundered meters away he began the walk toward it. Everything in the past that brought him and Dom together was going through his mind Marcus fought against impossible odds, the Immulsion wars, E-day, Ephrya, Jacinto and the Hollow itself. He never failed at battle but this was the hardest thing he's ever had to do, this walk to where the last physical tribute to Dom lies at the very town he fell. "Hey Dom, we did it. We wiped out the Locust and the Lambent and I killed that bitch Queen with your knife, I still have it by the way." Marcus felt a strange sense of happiness, the last thing he'd think he'd fucking feel in this place. He took a deep breath and continued. "Sera's still a mess but we're coping a lot better than we did during the war, and now, well we're here.
A lot of us are setting up along here. Not all of us though me and Anya are sticking together. Sam and Damon have a kid now no one seen that shit coming, Bernie had fun with that. Cole moved back to Hanover to rebuild there with the survivors, and we're all trying to create that life we had before all of this. As for me and Anya, we are going back to Ephrya's outskirts to live there with a few others." Marcus still had his C.O.G tags, he placed his right hand in his pocket and pulled them out. "Before I go I'm going leave these here." Marcus placed his tags on the gravestone of his fallen friend. "I'll never forget you Dominic, I love you like you were my brother I never had. You're with your family now." And with one last deep breath he turned around and started walking away from his friends grave for the first and the very last time.