7 MAY 18
I've added a lot more to this chapter… and it still hurts more than you'll ever know! This was the hardest chapter for me to write and I want to make sure it comes out right.
PART TWO
The Great Falls
Reaper's party made it to the site finding the land was scorched with bodies littered all over. The men with Asuka said she was up ahead 200 meters to give them some breathing room in the rear.
Most of the fight was one-sided as the Reaper's destroyed everything the enemies sent them, the opposing front only had numbers on their side. That didn't bother the Major one bit, she enjoyed knowing she was outnumbered.
The Sergeant offered Reaper her map and the men that were able to follow him up to Asuka's location.
"Sir… stay safe up there, those fuckers are playing dirty now that war is over…" Reaper slaps her hand and pulls the women into a hug.
"I'll bring back that loud mouth in one piece, don't you worry. Now get some rest and we'll be back to take you guys home!" They part as the medic works on her wounds some more.
"I'LL HOLD YOU TO IT REAPER! Oh… helloooo morphine… nice to meet you mmmmmm…" The woman lays down and enjoys her treatment.
"Let's go, guys keep it tight!" Marco leads his new team to the frontline on foot.
He started to smell burning flesh and could hear the sounds of swords clashing together in the distance. The sounds of men and women taking their last breath can be heard clear as a bell as they keep moving forward.
He was able to talk down some of the enemies they passed by, but most chose to die in battle. Reaper was able to find Asuka as she put on a show for him on killing 12 men.
"Things were pretty bad before you guys showed up, glad you took your sweet ass time!" She was a mess, but looked happier than ever to see him.
"ASUKA… THE WAR IS OVER… WE WON!?" His voice was the loudest thing that could be heard on the battlefield, his team stand behind him watching the most formidable members of their unit together and happy.
"What? We… we… did it? It's really over?" She looked back at him in complete shock as he jogs up to her.
"Yes, we did it…" He wipes off some blood that was dripping from his hair, everything around them looked, for the most part, dead as can be.
She starts to run and jumps on him into a tight hug, "It's really over?" Asuka closes her eyes feeling him wrap his arms around her just as tight. She buries her face into his neck loving the smell that came from him.
There was no way she could let this feeling walk out of her life, nothing will take him away from her… never.
"That's what I said!" They start to laugh, Reaper was so happy to find her. What the hell has this woman done to him? It has been almost 2 years now with them going at it all the time, now happy and holding each other.
He will never let her go...
Asuka opens her eyes to see an arrow screaming it's way to Marco's back.
No one else saw it but, her.
Her lingering smiles tunes into disbelief.
Nothing was going to stop the arrow unless she did something.
The Major reaches her right arm around him.
She places him behind her with both arms extended out to keep him safe.
The arrow makes contact with her chest plate directly on top of her heart.
It was a sharp painful experience, it was all worth it to keep him safe… that was her job… always!
It passes through her with the other end opening the scar over his heart.
Marco feels the burning sensation brought on by the pain, but doesn't understand what's happening.
Her whole body weight collapses on top of him as they both hit the ground. Reaper's arms wrapped around her tight to stay safe.
He's able to see a half exposed arrow sticking out of her.
Miia finds the attacker that was hiding under some dead bodies, she stabs the man in the side of his neck as he rolls around drowning in his own blood.
The sounds coming from the attackers was horrible as he held onto his neck trying to stop the bleeding.
"NONONONONONONO!?" Marco pulls himself from under Asuka.
"REA… REA… REAPER…" With each word, blood rushes out her mouth and starts to cover her pretty face.
"SHUT UP!? DON'T MOVE… MEDICCCCCC!?" He breaks off the exposed end of the arrow and removes her armor.
The wound pours out blood at an unbelievable rate of speed, he places his hand tightly over it.
"Reaper… I'm… I'm… I'm dying…" Her voice was growing soft with each word.
"NO YOUR NOT DAMN IT, YOU'RE GOING TO BE ALRIGHT!?" Where the hell is the medic?
She gives him a weak smile as one hand reaches to his face.
"GET ME A FUCKING MEDIC RIGHT FUCKING NOW!?" He looks back at the small number of men near him. Reaper pulls her hand that's in the air to his face as the tears flow out of him not believing what just happened.
"It's al… alright… I got… to… to… have you…" Asuka coughs blood onto his face as she choking, she can't breathe looking up at him with fear in her eyes.
"ASUKA… STAY WITH ME! PLEASE I NEED YOU, I NEEEEEEEEEEEEEED YOU! DON'T DO THIS TO ME… PLEASE! I'M BEGGING YOU!?" Marco uses his other hand to hold her head up as his check passes along her's.
"REAPER… AH… DON'T… AH… LET ME GO… AH… I… AH I… AH… I… I… I... lo-" She slowly stops moving.
He pulls away to stare into her eyes as she stares at him wide-eyed full of tears, they slowly start to lose the bright yellowness now fading gray.
"ASUKA… ASUKA… SAY SOMETHING… ASUKA…STAY WITH ME PLEASE …NO… DON'T… DON'T DO THIS TO ME… ASUKAAAAAA!?" He starts to lightly shake her body.
Her eyes shed one more tear.
He reaches both his hands behind her head and pulls her tight to him, her arms lay limp on the ground beside.
Marco starts to rock both of their bodies together as the tears pour out of him.
His whole face is covered in her blood.
"I tried to save you, I tried to save you, I tried to save you, I tried to save you..."
He repeats this over and over kissing her face.
Two Hours later
Marco hasn't moved from the same spot as he holds Asuka's body for dear life.
"Commander… let my men take care… of her body…" Ryoko reaches down to Asuka.
"DON'T FUCKING TOUCH HER… I'll... I'll take her back with me…" He lays her on the ground gently and places her sword on his back, he takes one more look at her smiling face and closes her eyes. Marco places her in his arms bride style and stands up.
"I'm going to walk… tell the men to leave me behind." Marco looks passed Ryoko with the thousand yard stare.
"Sir… the men want to stay with you… we want to stay with you!" She points back to Miia.
He couldn't hear what she just said as he starts to walk back.
Next Day
"Reaper… everyone is waiting for you." The General was in the doorway.
Marco cleaned off her body and then dressed her in a new set of battle armor. He had taken Asuka's body back to her room and laid her on the bed. He sat on a chair holding her hand the whole night.
"Why do you need me, I'm busy Henry…" He didn't take his eyes off Asuka's face.
"The enemies Supreme Leader surrender to your men, this is how we end wars honorably." How The General wished this didn't happen to him.
He looks back at him, "I'm leaving after this and taking Asuka, my part here is over!" He stands up and stares down The General.
"You can't go out there like that… you're still covered in her blood!" Reaper was a mess still covered in their blood. It was the last thing he had to feel close to her...
"This isn't up for debate, you want me to do this fucking thing, so I'm going out there like this… those savages can see the blood my men have shed for this war!" He walks passed The General and out to the ceremony.
Outside in the large field with almost every Soldier standing out in formation with a small group of enemies disarmed. Marco and The General stand on a stage at the center of it for everyone to take witness to what will happen.
The foe Supreme Leader marches to Marco and draws his sword, he inspects it then takes a knee and presents it to him with the blade over his head."You have taken me prisoner with all my warriors… you are the victors to this war Commander..."
Marco looks down at him wanting nothing more than to end his life with his very own weapon. He takes the item away from his nemesis he's never seen and gets a better look at the weapon. Its never seen a day of war in its life.
Just as he expected… this bastard never spent a day on the battlefield, he just sent men to their death. Reaper could kill him right now and there wouldn't be nothing anyone could do about it. Henry could see it in Marco's eyes.
They're pitch black and he had to stop him before doing something stupid, "*cough*... move it along Reaper…"
The human lets the words linger a little longer as the enemy starts to sweat feeling like his life could end right this moment, "You are dismissed!"
He then passes the weapon to The General, The Supreme Leader stands and then nods his head at them while the four men guard team escorts him off the stage.
Marco then yells out, "CAPTAIN MIIA AND CAPTAIN RYOKO… POST!"
The CO's looked at each other and then makes their way to him. They stand before him and salute as they take notice that he's still covered in blood and look terrible.
"These will be my last orders as your Commander." The women gasp hearing this.
"Ryoko, you will assist me on escorting Asuka's body back home..." He kept a straight face when saying that, but his eyes betrayed him by showing emotion.
She nods her head, "As you wish, my Commander."
"Captain Miia… from this day forward you will be addressed by Commander." He removes his rank and places on her chest, her previous rank is placed in his pocket.
She looks up at him in shock, "Sir… no, I can't-"
"You will Commander… take care of Reaper Squadron… let's go, Captain!" Marco starts to walk off the stage.
Few Hours Later
Word spread quickly of Marco leaving, his men set up two horses and each one had a wagon attached. One was gear and supply with the other for Asuka's body.
Ryoko forced him into taking a shower before setting off. He spent an hour with the water running over his body thinking back his time with her. Sometimes he laughed, sometimes he yelled, but mostly silent crying came out of him.
He cleared out his and Asuka's room. As he steps out, he finds the entire Squadron as far as the eye can see waiting for him. Some of them take the items from him and load them into the wagon.
Reaper walks back into the room for her body, his hands tremble as they make their way to her. Slowly he pulls her up to him and walks out the room. Some men gasp while others cry, he ever so lightly places her in the wagon and then crosses her arm.
Marco rubs her cold cheek feeling a tear falling off his face, "All these men are here for you… you made them so proud… God, I miss you so much…" He turns to find Miia next to him.
"Sir… the men wanted to wish you and Asuka farewell as you left the camp!" She gives him a hug with tears in her eyes also.
"Thank you… I'm going to miss you all just as much..." He talks into Miia's chest.
She starts to cry, "You… will always have a home… here with us… never forget that… Reaper!"
They part ways as Ryoko and Marco mount up. They leave the camp with rows of men on each side giving them their final salute.
Few Day Later
Ryoko and Marco stand before Asuka's headstone they made together, the town people learned of her tales by them, he wanted to make sure she would never be forgotten. She was buried with her weapon ready to fight in the next life.
"I think she would like it." Ryoko wipes away some tears.
"I should be the one in there… it wasn't her time..." Marco didn't have any more tears to let fall.
"You're wrong… she knew what she did would end her life… to ensure you lived. Don't ever disrespect her memory like that again Sir…" She kept looking at the headstone.
"Yes, Captain." Marco removes the boot knife Asuka gave him and looks it over. He places a hand over her name.
"Sir?" Ryoko didn't like any of this, he was no longer the men she knew. All that was left was a shell...
They had made a hole in the top of the headstone, he leans forward and places the knife in it to show Asuka's name.
"I rather she keeps it… maybe one day I can come back for it." They look at one another, then back to the headstone. Marco readies the next orders.
"Position of attention, MOVE!" They lock their heels together while keeping their fist at the sides and standing tall.
"Present, ARM!" Slowly they salute her.
…
…
"Order, ARM!" Slowly they returned to their side.
…
"It's been an honor to serve you Reaper…" Ryoko places her hand on his shoulder
…
"Marco wakes up in a bed that isn't his own, he looks down to find his babies lying on his chest while the women held his sides and hip. Slowly he brings the palms of his hands to his eyes and starts to whimper. His whole memories played in his head like a movie with all the emotions following it. The crying starts to pick up as his kids wake up.
"Daddy?" Each one says as they start to wake up, the girls get off him scared they might have hurt him.
"I… I… I…" He pulls his legs to his chest as the women wake up to find the state he's in.
"Marco… baby what's the matter… you gotta talk to us, we're right here. You're safe and we're not going to leave your side, just look at me okay?" Star was the first to realize he was having a panic attack again. She jumps up and wraps his head into her chest.
"I… I… Star?" Where did he know that name from?
"That's right honey, I'm right here and so is everybody else. You're going to be fine just breathe okay" She starts to kiss the top of his head hoping he will calm down.
"I'm… I'm… home?" Mewni… he's babies all around, it started to click for him then.
Janna comes up and pulls his hands to her chest, "You're always at home when you're with us!"
He looks around the room, "I'm… safe?"
Hekapoo comes on the other side of Star and starts to rub his back, "No one can hurt you when we're together!" She kisses the side of his face trying to snap him out of this trance.
"I… need to go…!" He tries to get up, but they hold him tighter.
"It's okay Marco, just stay here!" Star knew this wasn't like the ones he had when we was 14. His whole body was shaking in fear as tried to pull himself into a ball or tried and escape.
The babies weaseled between their mother's making sure Marco wouldn't go anywhere "Da… daddy *sniff* we… we missed you so *sniff* so much!" Gidget was the first one to come up with words.
"Please don't le… *sniff* leave us like that again *sniff*" Maria lays on top of her oldest sister and looks into his eyes that looked different.
Ember walks up to him on her knees not able to say anything and crying her eyes out " DADDYYYYYY WAHHHHHHH"
That made the other girls cry even harder until he pulled his middle child into his chest, "I'm… so sorry…"
How long was he gone? What happen? Are we okay? Is he okay?
The women feel the fear building up in him, "Shhhhh, shhhh don't worry, we love you so much, Marco!" Hekapoo wasn't ashamed to let her tears fall joining with the rest of the family.
OK… this hurt a lot… like really. I want to say more but I'm kinda fucked over here ready to ball my ass off. I'll say more on the next chapter.
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