Love Struck Delusion
Chapter 241 - I try not to end a generation.
Zeta's POV, Two hours later.
"Hmmmm?" My head turned to look at the bed to see Raptor finally waking up. My first reaction was to stand up from my corner of the room to greet him. His eyes were flickering as he attempted to collect himself before sitting up himself. When he got around to noticing me I asked.
"How are you feeling?"
With a hand on the back of his head he replied.
"Sick and tired of getting nearly killed. What happened?"
Marx wasn't in the room and that was because Pepper managed to scare him off the last time she was here. I knew what that girl was trying to do and god damn was she more than capable of it. Looking back to Raptor who was still catching his breath, I replied while handing him his M1911 I was spending these last few hours looking over.
"You got shot in the back of your head there hun. Leo managed to get a shot off during the comotion and lucky for you there was half a riot going on when it happened. Barely anyone noticed. Apart from Pepper, Cody, the bird and me of course."
"Lucky? What do you mean Zeta?" He asked me as he checked the clip to his weapon. Once he put it back in his holister I replied.
"I mean no one noticed you got clapped up. We were able to close the cap on the shit show before anyone could notice."
"What happened then? How am I alive?"
Offering him my hand up, I told him as he got his feet together.
"You're best friend just so happened to be nearby."
Raptor gave me this confused look for a moment then realized what I meant to reply.
"Marcus. God damn it."
"You'd rather be dead?" I questioned as he began to walk. As I followed him out he replied.
"No. I'd just rather not owe that man anything more than I already do."
"Sounds to me like you owe him your life." I told him back as he mumbled back after we got into the hallway.
"I already gave him that. Fuck it. Just do me a favor and shut your mouth for now about it. I'm not about to be sweet to you."
His tone had changed. I knew that one from before. He was mad. If not pissed off and I could understand why. The way he was walking gave it all away as he asked me next.
"What happened while I was out?"
People were looking at us because it was clear Raptor was walking with purpose now. I kept my pace with my M4 on my back and replied as we left medical.
"Cody, Peek, and half that mess hall got Black and his buddies taken down and arrested. Hoffer had them transferred to holding till you were up on your feet and now everyone is awaiting orders. You okay?"
"No. His response was blunt and I feared what was to come. Raptor made his way outside and once there he reached a hand back at me as we walked for the holding area. I was confused for a second, but knew what he wanted. Reaching behind for my rifle, I handed it forward and without missing a beat he took it and allowed it to rest on his side using his left hand. Then he went and pulled out his phone. We stopped just before the entrance as he got someone on the line. I kept my eyes out for any trouble as I heard him say.
"Sorry for the delay in getting back to you. How soon can we do the exchange?"
Raptor turned to face me and for a second I hadn't noticed it. His eyes were red and almost immediately I wanted to say something. I doubt he even noticed as he soon said to the man on the other end of the phone.
"I'll be on the road with them in a few minutes. We'll meet at the same spot."
With his hand on the door, he then finished up by saying.
"Okay. See you soon."
Just before he went to open it, I put a hand on his shoulder to get his attention.
"What is it?"
"Your eyes. Their red."
It was almost like he gave up on caring. Because his response was this.
"So what? Let's go."
I was catching on quick to his emotions. He really was pissed. As we walked in, it was almost instantly we were greeted by my sister and Cody who were manning the entrance. Both of which saw his eyes and his notion for not giving a shit. Even as Cody went to say something he disregarded it fully and just walked by. However I was listening as Cody said.
"Their calm and under control boss. A little beaten down, but alive."
Cody ran to catch up as my sister stopped me to ask.
"What's wrong?"
In confusion I replied.
"I don't know. Come on."
We weren't there yet, but in seconds we heard someone scream. It was then made clear who it was as we entered the holding cell to find Leo on the ground with a cracked open skull from my M4's butt being slammed into the side of his head. All three of them had their hands and feet bound with cables and that didn't help their chances as this went on.
"Stop Raptor!" Black shouted as Raptor turned to smack him next; dropping both men to the ground just under his feet. As Pepper and I stood by the door to the cell with Peek at our backs, we listened as Peek whispered.
"He doesn't fuck around when he's pissed."
Cody was just behind the only standing asshole left and Tap was in awe for how to react. All he could do as Raptor's focus shifted to him was shout.
"Shit went south back there commander! We didn't….!?"
"Shut your fucking mouth!" Raptor ordered him with a taste of the rifle's butt to his stomach.
Tap went down and shortly after Raptor asked them.
"You didn't mean to say that my family disowned me!? You didn't mean to say that I was the reason they all were fucking executed!?"
I wasn't there to hear all that, but Cody and Peek both seemed to agree with it as Raptor looked back to Black to ask him.
"Go on Black? Tell me what you meant to say?"
We just watched as he kicked the guy in the gut with all he had and screamed.
"Say it!"
Black gagged up in response.
"Fuck you!"
Raptor lost all and I was not about to get in his way. Looking back to Leo, he got down to grab him by the back of his neck to ask in a concerned tone.
"That looks like it hurts Leo? What's wrong? You thought you'd be the big fucking man and shoot me in the back? Was that your fucking plan?"
Shaking his head Leo replied.
"I just….?"
Raptor began to choke him so hard he couldn't even finish his response. Instead he just slammed the guy back down onto the floor and shouted.
"You should have just took my offer and made a fucking choice! Now you guys are fucked."
Releasing his neck, Raptor stood back up to face us. Pointing to the men on the ground in pain he ordered.
"Get them loaded up. We're leaving."
Raptor came walking right back to me and he handed me back my gun to ask.
"You good for this?"
I nodded and replied bluntly.
"Of course. Are you?"
With those red eyes still a thing, Raptor smiled wide and proceeded to walk back the way we came. Pepper and the others got the three of them back on their feet and together we got them outside and to a truck. At which point Peek asked me.
"We all going together?"
Shaking my head I replied while pointing to another truck just down the ways of the main courtyard.
"Nah. You and Pepper are taking the rear. Cody, Raptor and I will be leading the way. Load in once they're secure."
The bird gave me a nod and once it was all said and done I found myself on the road. Black was in the back seat with me as Cody sat up front with Raptor driving. With my eyes watching Black as he was barely able to open his right eye he asked Raptor.
"Where are we going?"
Raptor was silent as the other hedgehog shouted.
"Raptor!"
"I gave you a chance Black. You guys threw that away and took it upon yourselves to become another one of my problems."
"I'm sorry! I didn't mean to….?!"
"Shut the fuck up!" Raptor ordered him as he went on to say.
"I gave you a chance and the only fucking reason I did was because of your sister! Because of what she meant to Shadow! Because I thought you'd be capable of seeing reason and being able to corporate when shit needed to get done! Now all I see is that I was wrong for giving you that much faith! You! Your men! You fucked yourselves and now you get to shit back and watch as I take that chance and make a choice for you! So just shut your fucking mouth before I decide to stop this fucking truck and shoot you!"
Black had this look on his face that I could describe as disappointment and not with Raptor or what he said. It was disappointment for himself and his place in the world now. After a moment he tried to say in a sentimental voice.
"Don't do this. Raptor…...please."
"Zeta!" Raptor shouted as I nodded and sent my rifle into the side of his head. Black was knocked out almost instantly and his body slumped over into the car door. Cody began to whistle to himself as Raptor growled.
"Thank you."
"Mhm." I replied as I began to clean my gun off of blood with part of my cloak.
Now came the point of the ride where things would be quiet. At least for now.
Raptor's POV, Pakistan, some time later.
This trip was nearing its end and right about now I could feel my body calming down. I knew something was wrong the second I woke up back in that bed. I didn't even have to ask. Someone gave me venom while I was out and I can only assume it was Peek or Cody or both. It didn't matter though. The only thing it did was make me more mad. Not mad that they did it, but just mad in general. The drug was enough to crack through some part of my brain and I can only assume it's a side effect to taking it in the first place. I wasn't trained to be a user and I was willing to bet everyone in this car knew that was the main reason for my outburst back at the capital. Yet again I did not care. All that mattered was what came up ahead. I chose this spot for a reason.
As we neared the spot, I looked up ahead with Cody as we saw a G.U.N humvee. Standing outside it were a few soldiers, but more importantly Linnen. He was by himself over by the place of interest just looking down. As we pulled up he turned to smile. I stepped out immediately from my spot to approach. His men had their weapons down as he asked me from a few meters away.
"How was the drive?"
I still wasn't in the mood to be friendly about this; so I just waited as Zeta and the others got Black and his men out of the trucks. At this point Black was awake again to see the problem he had coming.
As I closed in to Linnen, I replied.
"Tense. How was the wait?"
Offering me his hand he replied as I took it.
"Tense."
At this point I trusted Drake and once we let go he turned his attention to Black to ask me.
"Had some trouble?"
I too had my focus on them and replied.
"Miscommunication. They're alive. Just like you wanted."
Drake's hands went to his vest and once there he pulled out a cigar and handed it to me. I took it as Zeta and the others threw Black and his friends in the sand just before our feet. With the soldiers and my friends all aimed on them, Drake asked me while going to his hip to pull out his sidearm.
"You know why I wanted them alive right?"
I nodded and got the cigar in my mouth. At which point one of Drake's men came over to light it for me. Drake on the other hand had his hand wrapped around a 44. Magnum and making sure it was loaded he muttered through a calm voice.
"I've been waiting to deal with them properly this whole time."
"You can't be serious. I thought this was a hand off? Raptor you said you were handing us over with Gabe so that he could be buried." Leo said in a tone of complete loss and utter confusion.
I took a good puff of the cigar and during which Linnen told them bluntly.
"This is a hand off Leo. Just not what you were thinking. Raptor here lied to you. You guys wouldn't come along if he told you otherwise right? I mean you tried to kill me Black. You guys ran from your duties and your country. There is no coming back from that. You don't just get to kill your own soldiers and come back after you realize shit is bad. That's not how this world works."
"You fucking selfish son of a bitch." Black was so mad he was just giving me the coldest glare he could muster as he said that. Linnen looked to me to see if I would respond and that I did as I handed him back the cigar.
"I tried to help. To give you a chance. At first I was gonna try to talk Linnen out of just shooting you three. But then you brought up my family."
Black lost his glare as I went on to say.
"You fucked yourselves. I gave you everything. I tried to do my part to make sure you boys could go home to your families after this was all done and over with. Now plans have changed. The war took a turn I was not expecting before this. I never planned to be here now. In fact I wanted to die well over a month ago. Before all this shit. But now I'm all that's left for the middle east. I'm the only hope the world has to make things better. To make things right. That means making tough choices and being a bad guy from time to time. This is one of those times."
Drake got done his puff and right after he ordered one of his men.
"Leo first. Black gets the honors of going last."
The guy tried to scramble himself away as he heard his name, but was instantly overpowered and forced up onto his feet. Black watched as Tap screamed in rage.
"Let him go you sick fucks! You can't do this! We're on your side!"
With Leo being guided by us, Drake handed me back the cigar and replied.
"Not anymore son. Now you're just dead weight."
I took another drag and remained where I was as Drake turned to begin following his comrade to the very edge of my last life. Once there Leo was forced to look down and with his end near begged.
"Don't do this! I have a kid!"
Drake wasn't listening. His man stripped what remained of his gear and tossed it to the side where Cody and Peek were standing. Drake took another moment to cough and once a foot away, raised his magnum and replied to the scared father.
"Should have thought about that before. Too late now I'm afraid. But hey? Smile. Your country thanks you for your service."
My eyes watched on from that point as Drake raised his gun and pumped a round right through his head.
"BANG!"
The shot echoed throughout the dunes as Leo's head snapped back from the force. Not a second too soon the soldier holding him steady threw him off the edge and down the pit. The same pit that nearly claimed my life all those years ago.
You could hear his body hitting the bottom and when it did Tap screamed as loud as he could at us.
"You motherfuckers! You won't get away with this! You're gonna rot in hell you sadistic animals!"
By this point I was enjoying the cigar and Drake had turned to head back my way with his comrade. The same man went for Tap since he was next in line. It was no shocker when he began to struggle and make things as hard as humanly possible for the poor guy in charge of holding him steady and getting his gear all off.
"Let me go!" He ordered as he was dragged away from Black and over to where we were. Drake kept himself smiling and at the ready as the time had come to shut him up once and for all. Giving me that grin he asked.
"You're turn?"
I simply turned to approach the firing line. Tap was still doing his best to squirm but that didn't matter.
Giving the guy a few more seconds to try, I grabbed onto Shadow's M1911 and aimed.
"You're going to die, you two faced motherfucker! I swear you won't…..!"
"BANG!"
mT Shadow.