WOOH Cutter's gonna get it now…this will bring all the excitement down now. Everyone, thanks for reviewing through out this story and of course I will giving ya your props by name in my last chap cuz that's what I like to do. (watch all these reviewers who didn't review before pop up now lol) Anyway time to read.

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Chapter 17

He ran at full speed through the long sharp grass blades away from the warehouse. His legs felt like heavy weights as he lifted them. The cold wind scraped his cheeks as he ran. His heartbeat pumped ferociously as his lungs struggled to breathe. His legs trembled with fear and he used all his energy to keep his balance. Sweat trickled from his body. He'd look back behind him for the slightest movements hidden beneath the grass and increased speed as he did. He held his gun close to him, trying to get as far as he could, far enough so that he would escape, escape the demon.

His heart jumped once he heard the ruffling in the grass behind him followed by a hungry growl. He gasped in fear as his running became swifter. His adrenaline pumped through his veins.

He couldn't see it but the sounds alone made him realize that it was behind him. He couldn't call it a he any more; it wasn't human enough to be called such a thing. He saw the way it's sharp claws sunk into countless bodies and the way it would pass its tongue along its sharp bloody fangs in pleasure. He saw death reflecting in its cold flickering onyx eyes. He saw the blood lust and the anger erupt once it laid its eyes on him, his prey.

He had crossed its territory, tried to kill its mate and now he regretted it. He regretted his plots for revenge and for power. He regretted not giving its woman back when he had the chance before it had transformed into some monster he'd never seen before. He had heard stories about a Dark Eco form before and that was why he made the main racer of Rayn's team one of his targets but he had no idea that there were two demons among the group. If he had known, he would've never crossed that path and angered it. He would've never provoked it to come after him. Now it was too late.

He felt like a small animal running helplessly through the wilderness with no one to come to his aid. His machine gun was almost out of ammo and he had left his knife behind. He heard its footsteps increasing and he knew that it was close, slowly stalking his prey, waiting until the right moment to pounce on him.

As his life flashed before his eyes along with his numerous regrets it was then that he heard it. He heard a loud animalistic roar echo around him and he stopped dead in his tracks, unsure of where it was coming from. He backed up against a tree trunk, looking around frantically. Suddenly a long white arm came rushing down from the branches above him, digging its sharp nails into his shoulder.

Cutter yelled out in pain. He couldn't move. His gun dropped beside him. Another claw grabbed his neck and he was lifted up into the darkness of the large tree. His eyes met a pair of glowing black eyes, flickering with lightning across its pupils. He watched its mouth grin and its white fangs come into view, crimson drops at its tips.

He waved his hands helplessly in front of him, "I'm sorry, I should've never kidnapped your governor. If you let me go, you'll never see my face again"

Torn could not talk in this form and kept his mind focused on controlling the demonic urges rising within him. He knew he needed to keep sane.

You didn't just kidnap her! You tried to kill her! You hurt her!

Cutter realized the monster wasn't responding, "She killed my brother, I needed to avenge his death" He was now angry and losing his fear.

Torn had heard the story about Guts, after all Ashelin shared her most darkest secrets and painful moments with him. He was the one who held her as she vented out her past to him, for the first time in her life. He was the only one she had told.

She didn't kill your brother! You did! He only tried to keep you out of trouble and he sacrificed his life willingly for his city, for his honor, for your sake!

"Even if you kill me now for what I've done, I know my brother would've wanted me to do what I did. To kill her for letting him die and betraying him!"

The only person that left him to die was you…it's a shame you'll never know. He was a good man.

"She deserved it! She deserved everything that was done to her! Living the princess life, having a city bow down to her along with its people! That bitch had it coming!" Cutter had lost all fear. He was now staring death in the face, literally.

You don't know anything about her! About the way she was mistreated growing up! How she watched her mother die and her father not give a damn, how she watched so many people die and faced death too many times to count! She bows down to the city's people, not the other way around! You know nothing!

"Go ahead and kill me! I don't care anymore because someone else, someday who shares a hatred for her just as I, will come and get her, come to kill her just as I have done"

Torn couldn't bear to hear anymore. He was losing control over his gruesome urges.

And if that day comes, I'll make sure I'll be by her side to kill the son of a bitch! I'm sorry Guts but your brother won't be meeting you in his death, I'm sending him to hell!

Without a second thought Torn stabbed his claws into Cutter's chest. Cutter's eyes bulged and blood coughed from his gasping lips. Torn snarled as his claws sunk deeper into the warmth of him, through his skin, through his muscles and finally piercing his lungs. Their eyes stood locked in hatred until Cutter's golden eyes rolled back revealing the lifeless white flesh beyond his pupils. He was dead. He'd never come to harm Ashelin again.

Torn released his claws from the lifeless body and jumped out from the tree. He left Cutter's body hanging from the branches, leaving it as supper for the vultures. His body wasn't worth retrieving for a proper burial.

As the murderous intent and adrenaline slowly wore off, the pain in his body began to return. He raised his claw to his leaking chest wound from earlier as he felt the burning inside of his lungs and the thrashing in his stomach. He was feeling the effects of the Dark Eco more now. His vision began to blur as he approached the warehouse. It seemed the sounds of war had vanished. He didn't know who won or who was alive. He couldn't tell if the human shapes of blur approaching him were on his side or his enemy. All he knew for sure was that his body was growing weak with each passing step.

A few feet from the warehouse his body crashed into the soft patches of grass. His body slowly melted down into human form as he gasped for clear breaths of air. His blue eyes looked up at the white speckles across the indigo sky. The breeze cooled the sweat on his face. His hand weakly reached up into the air and was unexpectedly grasped by someone else's hand.

"Torn! What's wrong?" the frantic female voice called out to him.

He turned his face to look up at her, kneeling beside his body but his eyes only allowed him to see a blur of colors. He recognized the mixture of crimson and the black curves on the woman's face. He saw her lips quiver slightly as she squeezed his hand to the warmth of her damp cheek.

Man, I've never seen her shed so many tears so openly. I feel like kicking myself in the ass now…

"Ash, I'm glad you're ok" Those were his last words to her before his eyelids fell. Her screams and sobs once again echoed in his mind until he heard no more.

He didn't know how long he was dwelling within the darkness of his own unconsciousness, but in time, his eyelids lifted heavily open. A bright light made his eyes squint and his head throb. All he could make out was the white sheets covering his body and the people shuffling past him in white coats. He heard unfamiliar voices. He perked his ears up slightly to listen.

It's amazing how he made it.

Yeah after we had to purge the Eco from his blood stream, he could've died if they didn't bring him in on time.

Still…I'm surprised his body was able to withstand that long. Normally he should've died before even reaching the transformation stages.

He should've gone insane even after transforming but somehow he controlled his animal instincts. That's a very rare case. However unlike that other fellow that came in with him, he'll be unable to transform at his own will. There wasn't enough Eco to give him that ability and I'm sure if he took a higher dosage, he definitely would've been dead.

Not to mention the gunshot wound to his chest made everything worse. Seems like the lucky bastard escaped death more than once. Wonder what kept him going?

Torn was too weak to smile. He thought to himself. It was Ashelin that kept him going. He held onto every breath of life and every drop of energy in him until he knew that she was safe. His eyelids grew heavy again and now that he knew he was alive, he let them fall willingly. He hoped that the next time he opened his eyes; it would be Ashelin by his side.

As Torn drifted into deep sleep, he dreamed of her. He revisited their memories in his dreams. A familiar warmth greeted his cheek and caused him to open his eyes once again. This time there was no light to blind him and the room seemed dark. An electronic beeping was heard next to him. The pale moonlight shone through the large window by the hospital bed. His body shifted slightly within the white sheets as he turned his face towards the warmth. His vision cleared as it gazed upon a shape laid out in front of him. He tried to form a weak smile with whatever energy he could stir up within him.

"Nice to see you awake commander" Ashelin smiled at him as her palm cupped his cheek. His blue eyes held bags beneath them and his smile was weak but sincere. He didn't make any effort to move much. The medications and the IV in his arm soothed many of the pains in him but she was sure he was too tired to even notice.

"Ash…" He looked up at her smiling lips and her bright jade eyes that had now glistened with a bit of hope. They were no longer the sobbing, lifeless eyes he had seen when she was tied up in the warehouse. She was back in uniform except her top now covered her navel and she had a bandage wrapped around her head.

He weakly raised his hand to her cheek and she grabbed his hand before he could. He gave her a look of concern, "Your head…"

She laughed slightly. "Don't worry, it's just a slight concussion but I'm ok now. How are you feeling?"

He smiled wider, "I feel like shit"

She laughed again, "I'm glad you're feeling anything, even if it is shit"

There was a moment of silence as they looked at each other through the darkness of the room, with only the moonlight to shine on their faces. Ashelin held his hand on her lap as she sat next to him on the side of his hospital bed.

"Wha- what happened? How did I make it?"

She turned away and rolled her eyes, "Trust me, you don't wanna know"

He squeezed her hand gently in his, "No, tell me. I wanna know"

She faced him again, "Well it seemed that we got a get away ride just in time to rush you to the hospital" He raised a confused brow at her and she finished, "Razer came crashing through the warehouse walls in his Havoc, shooting down every last scumbag left alive with his smug little laugh and grin. He was like Don't get me wrong; I'm only here following Boss' orders. I only do whatever pleases her. I really didn't wanna get in the car but since you were already unconscious and your pulse was slowing I had no choice. Jak and Jinx were already busy tending to the injured"

Torn cringed, "Now I wish I never asked. I would've rather died than owe that asshole my life"

"Oh don't worry. He said you didn't owe him anything except to keep your filthy rude cigar smoking soldier away from his lady," she laughed. It seemed that Razer was talking about Jinx who he had heard was hitting on Rayn on their last mission to Kras City. That was Jinx for you, a ladies man where ever he went.

"How long have I been out?"

"About four days"

Torn's eyes widened, "Shit, four days. You know how much still needs to be done! Who's out there while we're in-" her finger pressed gently on his lips to hush his rambling. She leaned closer toward his face.

"Don't worry. The rest of the FL along with Jak and Jinx are doing just fine taking care of the city while we recover"

Torn's body relaxed as he let his head sink into the pillow. She removed her finger from his lips and down to tickle beneath his chin. There was another long silence.

"Torn…"

He turned his head to her once again in question. She leaned her forehead to press against his. He felt her bandages on his forehead and the heat of her breathing upon his face. Her lips began to quiver slightly as she gazed into him.

"Thank you" Her eyes closed, trying to contain tears from welling up.

Torn raised his hand to her cheek. "Ash, you don't have to- Come on, you know crying ain't you-"

She raised her finger to hush him again so she could continue, "I know- it's just that…I thought you were dead. And even when you came back I thought you had gone insane and from going insane I thought you were going to die again and I-"

Torn didn't want to hear it anymore. He was still too weak to lift his heavy throbbing head from the pillow so instead he pulled her down to him. He pressed his lips against hers to stop the words from spilling out of them. After a few moments of sinking into the mood of their loving kiss, he broke away and whispered between them, "I couldn't die until I knew you were safe. I wanted to stay true to my word. I promised you that"

She nodded and he continued, "Now that it's all over and even after I recover, I want you to know that no matter what, even when you're being stubborn or whatever the odds are, I will never die. I will not die unless you are right beside me"

She titled her head as she looked at him. She smiled, "Torn, I love you"

Those were words only shared between them in the privacy of their bed sheets, hidden from prying eyes. Yet even though they both had their pride and their images to maintain in the FL, that was now the least of their concerns. After nearing death so much within the past few days, they had forgotten their old ways and here they were, openly expressing their love to one another.

"I love you too Ash" Torn smiled back. He grunted painfully as he struggled to shift his body over and even though Ashelin seemed to object at first, she allowed it. She turned around and lifted her legs into the sheets beside him, slipping off her hospital slippers in the process. He covered her in the sheet with his free arm and she rested her arm on his crimson stained bandages wrapped on his chest and abdomen. Her head rested on his shoulder and his arm draped around her shoulder, tickling the side of her ruby hair.

"Are you sure this is ok? Don't you think the doctors might freak out a bit with the discovery of their city's governor sleeping beside her commander" he teased her.

She shrugged, "F-ck it" She tickled his chest with her fingertips as they closed their eyes. It was so good to be back home and most of all be alive. Torn took one last gaze on her sleeping curves and peaceful face before he slipped back into slumber. She had finally let her guard down and let him be what he should've been to her all along, he was the man, the man who'd protect his woman always.

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HEY the story ain't over yet so you better not stop reading Lol. You still don't know what happens to Anya and Seij, Myke and Jigs and so many other characters. The next chap will be the last so look forward to it! You like how I threw Razer in there huh? He's Torn's lifesaver and now he's pissed ahahaha. Yay Torn's alive and with his ruby mamasita! There's so cute together aren't they?