Love Struck Delusion
Chapter 234 - A lot at once.
Raptor's POV, Later that night.
It was well into the night. I've been up for hours and my clock read that it was nearing three in the morning. I was just sitting in my office. Pepper at my side and she was quiet ever since she got her interrogation done. From what I was told the kid lived to see another day. Pepper let him live and I blame that on what I said. She might have killed him otherwise, but that wasn't a concern. He was being escorted to my office and would be here in a few minutes.
Shadow's M1911 rested on top of the desk as I looked through what information Pepper had gathered. Afghanistan was more or less as locked down as I thought, but even all that was bound to change soon. Ying was leaving and Cody texted me not that long ago saying he was coming to visit me. I had a few hours till they got here but another reason to stay up and think. A lot was coming at me at once and I had to concern myself with the issues to come. Nothing major here but keeping Ying in the dark was my mission. Cody would do his part but I now had to do mine.
With minutes passing, I lost my focus on the papers and looked towards Shadow's gun. Very slowly I picked it up and Pepper, who was just doing her best not to fall asleep, looked up at me as I placed the barrel against the right side of my head. With my finger on the trigger I pulled it with closed eyes.
"Click!"
I knew it was empty but Pepper didn't. I swear she almost shit herself. Now awake she questioned as she ran forward to grab my wrist that held the gun up.
"What the fuck are you thinking?" She asked me as I calmly replied while lowering the same hand back down to the desk.
"You wouldn't understand."
Letting my wrist go free, I let go of the sidearm to listen to her growls. I knew she was taking this a different way, so I told her what my thoughts were behind it.
"Shadow was my best friend. This weapon took his life. He shot himself with it."
Pepper stopped her growling and listened as I went on to say.
"I know what it feels like to want to kill yourself and dispite my best efforts back then I managed to get inches away from the man before he managed to pull the trigger. I was a split second away from saving so much Pep. So much."
Looking back and up towards the wolf I finished.
"I guess I just wanted to see what his final moments were like. What it felt like. I already understand why he did it. I know what drove him to do it. I just…...I don't know. I'm not suicidal. Not now anyway."
Giving me this sigh Pepper replied.
"You shouldn't be ever. You have way too much to live for Raptor. Zeta is one of those things, believe it or not."
I started to chuckle as she went on to state.
"You mean too much to your country to just check out right now. You have promises to keep and people to liberate. You aren't dying now and you sure as shit aren't dying later. Not so long as I'm around to prevent it."
"You know I thought the same thing." I muttered back which got her to shut up and think. Gently tapping my fingers on the barrel of the gun, I sat back and whispered while cracking my neck.
"Sorry. I'm depressed, I know."
The wolf gave me this sigh back and looked back as the door to my office opened. In came two of my men who were in charge of escorting the captive to my office. The second he entered he locked eyes with Pepper to shout.
"Oh fuck you! Stay the fuck away from me you crazy bitch!"
The men held him there and shut the door as Pepper growled and backed up about a foot behind me to ask.
"What the hell is he doing here Raptor?"
Reaching down to my side, I grabbed the butt to my Glock and replied while getting a good grip.
"You didn't kill him. That's all."
Pepper picked up on my arm and her eyes went from me and to the gun as I pulled it out so fast, that the men holding the kid there jumped in place as I fired one round off into his head. The suppressed shot was still loud enough to echo throughout my office, but that wasn't the concern. The concern was to make sure I didn't wake anyone else up with my racket. However after I had placed a hole in the center between his eyes, the men regained their ability to think and used their combined strength to keep the body held up. Lowering my gun, I ordered them calmly.
"Put him with the others."
"Yes sir." One of them replied as they began to turn around. With the door opening and the men leaving just as fast as they had entered, I waited till it was shut once again to tell the wolf who was honestly stunned by the quick execution.
"I wasn't going to let him live either way. Much like you, I felt a certain level of redemption required for what he did to Zeta. You did your job Pepper. Don't let that hold you back."
With her weapons down she questioned.
"How can you just do that?"
In confusion I replied.
"Do what? Kill him? I just explained it to you."
Shaking her head the wolf restated her question.
"Do you feel anything? I mean seriously…...is killing that easy to you?"
I gave her a straight face to reply.
"Yes. I'm sorry if that shocks you."
The wolf gave me this huff and after hearing that I stood up to directly face her. She knew I was serious when I told her next to her face.
"I didn't grow up in a place of freedom. A place where everyone is free to be themselves and do what they want without repercussions. The place I was born to be in was a place where killing and murder was a daily thing to witness. I saw my first man get killed when I was three. I saw my sister get beat by strangers; just for walking ahead of them in public. I saw G.U.N take my home by force and I got to watch as it tore my family apart."
The girl stepped back with lowered ears and a motionless tail as I pressed on to state.
"I killed my first man when I was ten. When G.U.N came to our home and tried to take my father away. Do you have any idea what that does to a kid? Do you?"
Pepper wasn't ready for my assault and replied with a choked voice.
"I…..I don't….?" I cut her off about as fast as I realized she was in no state to answer properly.
"You don't know. You look at me like I'm some monster, but the truth is killing has always been a common thing to me Pepper. I've grown up with it and ever since I got involved with the rebellion I've killed more men than you could imagine. At a point you just need to grow cold to it. You need to understand that in this part of the world you're always in danger and you must be prepared to fight. This isn't Russia. This isn't China. This is the middle east. So do me favor and cut me some slack. I'm not taking any chances. Not when I'm so close to fixing everything."
Slowly Pepper replied.
"I…...I'm sorry."
I took her words and backed up towards my seat again. From there I sat back down and asked her.
"Would you prefer I let him live?"
"No." She replied as I nodded and listened as she said next.
"Just warn a girl when you're about to level someone like that."
Her posture came back shortly after. I was focused on my door, but when she started to turn away I snapped my arm out to grab her by the tail. Her head flicked back as I looked over into her eyes to ask.
"We good?"
I couldn't see her face through that mask, but I assume she was smiling somewhat. Reaching down to pull my hand off her tail she replied.
"We're good. I just wasn't trying to get you riled up."
"I have buttons." I told her as a joke as I took my hand away. The girl laughed and went on to say.
"You sure do. Asshole."
Cody's POV, three hours later.
"You think they'll just let us drive on in?" The driver asked Ying as I kept my eyes on my gameboy. Peek was looking over my shoulder watching as Ying replied bluntly.
"They better. I'm sure they'll be concerned when a bunch of armed goons pull up in their humvees. We'll be fine. Just stop when they tell you to stop and let me do the talking."
"Yes sir." The driver replied as I took a second to look up. The border was within meters and very quickly I saved my game and sat up as Peek had his arm wrapped around my shoulder. Giving me a gentle shake he whispered into my ear.
"Let's have this go smoothly. No need for trouble."
I agreed a hundred percent with the bird and after a few moments we were getting stopped at the border itself. Ying prepared his voice by clearing his throat and when one of the nearest men approached he asked.
"How are you doing tonight?"
Thankfully the guy he was dealing with was young enough to not be a grizzled dick towards the snake. With a calm tone he replied as he reached his window.
"Pretty good. It's been quiet up till now. Gotta ask where you got these rides from?"
Ying reached for his vest which he had off and resting on the floor between his feet. With a small tug he pulled it up for him to see and replied back.
"My name is Hai Ying. I need to speak with Commander Voltz. Is he in?"
Very slowly the guy looked from Ying and towards our window. Peek kept his spirit up and gave the kid a wave of his hand. Carefully the rebellion soldier refocused on Ying to reply.
"Here on business I assume then sir?"
Ying chuckled and said back as I got out my phone to text Raptor. I just wanted to give him the heads up.
"Business. Yeah. Can we get an escort to the capital?"
The kid went to his comms and after about a minute he told us.
"Someone will drive you to the capital from here. Just head through and follow whoever it is. But I need to warn you. Weapons will be screened at the capital when you get there. Commander Voltz's orders."
"Not a problem." Ying replied as we were waved on through. Raptor by this point got my message and urged me to keep my voice turned off and my presence minimal in the conversation to come. As far as I was concerned this contract wasn't over till Ying left the middle east. So till that point I'll be sticking by his side like glue till we get there. As we got driving once more, I looked to my much taller friend to ask.
"How'd your training go by the way?"
Ying wasn't concerned with us and in seconds Peek looked back at me to reply.
"Well I'm alive so I can't complain."
"How do you feel? I heard rumors Jessup was testing it out on the few of us users. You feel any results?"
Peek proceeded to tap my leg and leaning in, he asked.
"You tell me."
For a moment his eyes went from gold to red. In the red however I watched as from the iris came these thin black veins. You had to be close to see it but it was noticeable since I was a user myself and could pick up on it. Leaning back after a few seconds, Peek stated.
"The training was easy. Getting the extra kick is what sucked. I was ready to pull out some feathers by the time it was done eating me alive inside."
"What happened?" I asked out of curiosity as he went back to normal to reply.
"I sat in a room and the eggheads shot me up with some special goo they call a masterpiece. I'll explain it like this. My blood never boiled that hard. I was warned of course, but it took a lot of time and all my effort to not go feral from it. Once I was in the clear I was asked a few questions regarding my condition and if I could display any changes."
"Could you?" I then wondered as he smiled and replied.
"Oh yeah."
"Like?" I pushed on as he quietly explained while looking forward as we got moving.
"I'm faster. By only a little but it's enough. I'm also a bit stronger with the swings. Nearly knocked one of the scientists on his ass when he asked me to swing on him. If it wasn't for the pads he had on he might have gone down. But the main difference I noticed is my healing time. It's dramatic Cody. If you shot me in that stage the bullet would be out in a second and sealed. I don't know what it's really doing to go that fast, but it had something to do with cellular reproduction according to the eggheads. I have about the same amount of time to use the power as I do normally, but I noticed I'm a lot more foggy after. Like dizziness even, but it's worth it."
"Can you fly yet?" I asked him with a nudge to his leg. Giving me a much louder laugh that got even Ying's attention he replied.
"Hahah! No not yet. Still figuring that one out, but you'll be the first to know when I do. I promise."
I chuckled alongside his happiness and shortly after Ying asked.
"What's the deal with you two?"
For a second I had gone blank. I didn't know what to say to that for some reason. Thank god the bird next to me replied while nuding my side with his whole right shoulder.
"Been at this for years together. Went through training and basically life together. I consider this little dude my little brother. Haven't had the pleasure of seeing him for a few weeks now. Just getting back on track. He's been on the east side of the world while I've been in the very north. Oh and I do mean the very north. Not a place I enjoyed."
"Huh? Where?" Ying questioned as I looked at my phone. At which point Peek replied.
"The pole. The north pole. Believe it or not I had a contract there. Cold as shit. Now I'm as far east as I can go and it's fucking hot as balls out. I can't catch a break."
Ying actually let out a small laugh which made me feel good that we weren't all serious yet. After which he asked me.
"Which begs me to ask but why the hell are you wearing all that kid? You got to be overheating."
Sitting up I replied.
"Just some extra protection I was sent. I was unsure if we were going to be in the shit or not back in Afghanistan. Didn't want to chance anything. I'll change when you're out of the country sir. I promise."
"Just looks like it's a lot for an easy gig this close to the end. But suit yourself." Ying urged me as I nodded and looked over to Peek. We crossed eyes before Ying said to us.
"From this point out I should be okay. So long as Voltz plays nice and let's me get some answers. However I'd want you two to relax. My men will stand guard. Just chill out when we get there if you can and once I'm done with Voltz we'll head to the airport and hitch a ride back."
Peek quickly told him.
"By that point we'll be going separate ways sir. We have other business to attend to here."
Ying gave us this concerned look to ask.
"Are you going after Archer? I'm sure Jessup told you about the contract."
Peek looked to me to encourage me to answer this one. At which point I replied.
"We're going to see what we can do about him sir. It's not confirmed if we'll be going through with it or not. Depends on the situation and what happens going forward. Regardless of how things work it'll still be two of us. Which may not be enough."
Ying nodded and once that was out of the way he stated.
"Well keep in mind I'm asking for his head. I mean literally. I want his head. That bastard deserves it."
"Yes sir." I replied as he went silent.
From there we just went silent. The conversation ended and slowly but surely I found myself back at the capital. It took only a few minutes but we were cleared and were soon falling out of the trucks with rebellion all over us the second they saw Ying and his men. As I got out, I looked towards the door to the capital to see Raptor just standing there watching all by himself. He nodded his head towards me and with that I looked over to Peek who was just getting an idea for the area he was now in. Again people were looking at him because he was a bird, but I knew for a fact he didn't really care. He was just focused on his position alongside me. Ying began to talk with some of his men, then he was directed to where Raptor was. I decided it was best to listen to Ying and just remain where I was. Peek who was looking towards Raptor asked me calmly.
"That the guy?"
I nodded and got my rifle rested. Once Ying was far enough away from us I said to my friend.
"We're gonna stay here till they're done."
"Then what?" Peek wondered as he sat back down in the backseat of the truck. Leaning up alongside him I replied.
"I guess we can decide on what we want to do next. You want to go after Archer?"
Peek looked back up to me to question.
"Do you?"
Gently I let out a sigh and took my time to think about the answer. Peek remained watching me as I did. In time I replied.
"No. Not really. I'm content staying here and letting the rebellion handle him. They got G.U.N at their backs and I know a bad mission when I see it. We shouldn't get involved. It's too risky."
Peek nodded and I was expecting retaliation, but surprisingly I got back from the tall guy.
"Then we don't bother. Let's just get Ying out of the country and come back here."
"Are you staying?" I then asked as he checked his watch to reply.
"I was thinking about it. At least until Jessup finds something else for me to do. I'm going to assume once you tell him our plans he'll have me bring him back the mark seven. God knows he'll want it back safe and sound in time."
I nodded and with time passing by, I decided to look up at the sun. It was fucking hot and after a few more moments of silence I urged him with a gentle pat to his side.
"Move in so I can grab a seat."
Peek moved and as I got in he leaned up to turn on the AC. It was going to take time but soon I would be happy to just be cold again. I miss Alaska.
mT Shadow.