Love Struck Delusion

Chapter 246 - Sniff it out.

Zeta's POV, two hours later.

This night was coming to a close. Pepper had the gear stowed away and starting tomorrow we'd have that armor completely torn apart and reconstructed. Thankfully all it was costing us was a few of Raptor's heirlooms from down in his basement. I'm hoping to god he would understand, but the plan was to go see how he was doing now. I just got done eating some food and after all that work I was nearing my end. I was ready to sleep and Peek and Cody were already doing the same out on the couch. I never saw a bird sleep and to no surprise it was as boring as I expected. Regardless it was cute to know that him and the fox had a thing. I'd like to picture Cody being the bottom, but I'm not about to ask him. Pepper would probably do that in time knowing her. I know she kinda liked the little shit back when we first met him. It must be driving her mad he hasn't said anything since then.

With my said sister making her way upstairs around the same time I was, I listened closely as she quietly asked me on the way up.

"You sleeping with him tonight?"

Giving her a smile I replied.

"I'd like a shower before that actually. You should get one too. You smell like shit."

"Ahhhh same to you." She chuckled as I then questioned.

"Draw straws?"

Slapping my arm she replied.

"No. Fuck you. I know what happens if you go first. No hot water for the next hour and I'd like to go to sleep in a reasonable amount of time, so I'm going first. Go check on your daddy."

Now I chuckled and managed to catch her on the cross as she passed me by for the bathroom. As she got herself in the room I urged her.

"Go fuck yourself."

Pepper gave me a snicker and shut the door shortly after. At which point I fixed my hair and turned for Raptor's door. Very carefully I turned the knob and peered inside to find Raptor asleep on his bed. He was laid out like a sack, but that wasn't what stopped me from moving at first. What did was the fact that there was another person here with us. He sat on the ledge of the window with both his legs laid out creating a bed for Molly who was actually asleep on his lap. About as slow as I managed to close the door behind me, did his eyes look over to see me there with my mask in my left hand and my rifle on my back. Without breaking even a smile he said to me.

"He's okay. Been asleep for the last two hours. Fucking guys' a brick when he wants to be."

I had no idea what to say to Marcus. Part of me was stumped and the other part of me was stuck on reality. There was a real god in this room with me and he just spoke to me. His voice was very calm and his eyes soft as he soon asked.

"You good? Don't tell me you're confused."

"What are you doing here?" I asked him as I stepped a foot forward to listen as he replied.

"I'm here because for the last two hours all of his "bodyguards" have been busy doing other things besides bodyguarding. The man just went through hell and we both know that venom in his blood is still a problem. I have to question why you guys are ignoring it."

"We're not ignoring it. We got him to bleed it out. He's fine."

Shaking his head he replied.

"He ain't fine Zeta. Look at him. Don't bullshit me. I know you're smart. So don't play dumb. You know he could be in trouble still."

Putting my mask down on the nightstand, I replied quietly so not to wake Raptor.

"I don't know anything right now. I haven't gone over the venom yet that Peek gave me. Why are you so sure he's in trouble? Do you know something?"

Looking me right in the eyes he replied.

"No. I just know he's in pain."

Taking a chance, I stepped back around the bed to approach the fox. At first I looked over his body. He was no bigger than Cody and he was in fact a god despite it. I didn't feel the need to be scared however. I was more interested in this chance to talk to him one on one. I think he knew that too cause he soon asked me as I was maybe five feet out from where he was.

"Are you scared of me?"

Without moving my head I questioned.

"Should I be?"

The fox gave me a soft chuckle as he was petting Molly over her head very slowly. The dog didn't move. She was gently sleeping and enjoying the attention it seemed that was coming from the god of death himself. Marcus kept himself focused on my question and as he looked down to Molly he replied.

"I wouldn't be. So far you're one of the only reasons Raptor here can keep going the way he does. He doesn't have a whole lot left besides the war. Did you know that his ex wife Alicia used to be in charge of handling the rebellion's financial department? What little money they had; she was in charge of spending. She's the reason the rebellion had anything more than sticks and stones to work with while fighting G.U.N back then."

Marcus's eyes looked back up to mine and I was just noticing now that they were green. I could hear Molly snoring as he allowed me to get close enough to touch him. I didn't dare do that however. I got to the edge of the window where his legs were resting and questioned as his words came to an end.

"No I didn't. I don't know much about her at all. Her or Julie. I don't know them or his kids. He doesn't speak about them."

"For good reason. You know that. You're in their place now. You and your sister. But let me tell you something that Raptor doesn't even know about them."

My eyes widened as he told me with a soft voice.

"Alicia wasn't a saint. Nor was Julie. Julie was in fact the better between the two girls he stuck himself by, but Alicia was a special case."

"How so?" I wondered as he calmly informed me.

"She was in charge of a lot of the rebellion's money. In the beginning, before she even knew Raptor; she was getting what little money they had involved in illegal arms trades. She secured a lot of G.U.N contraband using her contacts in the Afghanistan, Pakistan, and Iraqi airports. She would have people steal and sneak off with crates of government hardware. Weapons, armor, rations, it didn't really matter. She was supplying the rebellion's first war efforts using what she knew how to do. Handing money to the right people, and sleeping with those who she couldn't buy."

Everything seemed to stop for a moment. Marcus shut his mouth as I looked back at Raptor to check and see if he was awake yet to hear any of this. However he was out cold as Marcus informed me.

"He's not gonna wake up. Trust me."

Taking off my rifle from my back, Marcus watched closely as I rested it down against the wall. After which, I questioned him in full concern for Raptor's past.

"What are you talking about? He never said anything about this to me."

"He's not going to. Mainly because he doesn't know. Zeta, listen to me. If he knew the truth about what Alicia did to make sure the rebellion could stay on its feet back then, he would have lost more of his mind well before Shadow offed himself. Alicia was never gonna say shit. She was sleeping with two dudes before they tried to have Ghost."

Widening my eyes I asked the fox in complete confusion.

"What? Who?"

Taking a moment to breathe, the fox slowly replied while looking down to Molly again.

"First was a guy named Carver. Still alive and kicking surprisingly. He'd be dead if Raptor knew he had a side gig fucking his wife. The other person is long dead, but his name was Alex. He was an arms dealer way back when Shadow was still alive. The guy had no sides. He sold to everyone, but when it came to the rebellion he didn't want their money because he knew they were fucking broke. But Alicia was kicking his turf around when she started stealing cargo out of the airport. He found out and they had to get together to figure things out. Only thing that was figured out was just how far she was willing to go for her country. Even if that meant letting one of the middle east's most feared arms dealers nut in her as a sort of truce and partnership. Alex didn't kill her because she was agreeing to fuck him and pay him a small fee on the side in return for the hardware she was stealing. He only died after Shadow accidentally stumbled across an ongoing trade between him and some other goons Alicia had her hands on. It was a fucked up side mission she was on, but it got real easy when Alex was dead and not able to say much of anything after."

"Alicia was providing for her country." I stated as Marcus chuckled and replied.

"Sure. Tell that to him."

My eyes went back to Raptor and then back to Marcus who now was looking up at me. Keeping my mouth shut he told me.

"Julie also cheated her way around. Expect she wasn't involved with anything he was. She kept her scandal secret and only went out when Raptor wasn't around; and that happened to be a lot."

"And he doesn't know any of this?" I asked him as he nodded and replied.

"Nope, and so far Zeta you're the most loyal person he's had in his life enter it. Question is how long till you turn away?"

Shifting my emotions to anger, I told the fox bluntly.

"I'm not going to. Do you have any idea what he's done for me?"

"He's done the same thing for you that he's done for Alicia and Julie. He's offering you his life and in return he's doing his best to keep you alive throughout all this."

"I don't know what you know, but I know who I am. I'm not Julie. I'm not Alicia. I'm me and I'm not just going to walk away from a man who had every right to turn me away. I know what you are and I know what you can do, but please don't question my loyalty. Raptor doesn't deserve it and if what you said is true then he needs all he can get right now."

Marcus was just looking at me. He seemed calm still despite me telling him what to do. Things were quiet from his side for a few moments. Then I started to think he was okay with that request and decided to lean in to pet Molly. His hands pulled away as I took the moment to get closer than ever to the fox. Our eyes never left each other as I asked him out of curiosity.

"Are you really a god?"

Instantly he let out a chuckle to the question. I was still leaned over and basically a slapping distance away from him, as he gently put his hands under Molly. I leaned back up and watched as he slipped out from under her and proceeded to rest her on the window sill. Molly didn't even wake up as he was now standing up with me only a foot away. His eyes slowly came back to me as I waited for my answer. In time he asked me.

"What do you think I am?"

For a moment my mind was blank, then I felt the urge to reach out. Marcus's focus went to my hand as I leaned in to place it on his chest. I felt him and it was colder than ice. Feeling my breath almost leave my lungs, I managed to reply.

"I think you're real."

Taking my hand down, I went on to state.

"And I know I'm not crazy."

The fox proceeded to smile and shortly after replied.

"Then you shouldn't have to ask."

All I could do was nod my head once as I watched him turn to approach the bed. All he did was look at him. Then he looked back at me to say.

"I'm always watching this man. He's a big part of what I'm doing right now and much like you, I need him and I plan to help out where I can to make sure he stays afloat. But you know just as well as me that I can't be around all the time to clean up whatever mess comes along. Do what you want to do Zeta, but you need to be there when I can't be. Your job is the same as mine. Only difference is you're too smart for your own good. You get distracted. That can't happen. Not when things are so close to being done."

"So what do you want from me then?"

"I just want you to be something Alicia and Julie weren't. Better. That starts by telling me you understand what I'm asking."

"I do." I replied as he smiled and looked back at me to start a slow pace back towards me. I felt my body stop moving and to be honest my heart was kicking as he now had this playful look on his face. Stopping just before me, he whispered.

"Then do me a favor and relax."

I was about as relaxed as I could get at this moment and that wasn't much as he went on to say.

"This isn't going to hurt. Trust me. In fact, you're going to feel a lot better."

Marcus proceeded to reach out and the second his hands touched my face, I felt all the feeling in my body vanish. My vision left my eyes and before I knew it I felt something change. My body was weightless, but my vision was still dark. I couldn't see anything and I knew they were open. It took maybe a minute of just mindless thought before I saw a light.

The moment my eyes made contact with it everything once again changed. I felt the ground under my feet come back and I was once again staring into Marcus's eyes. But something wasn't normal. His hands released me and for a moment he let me try and figure out what happened. I looked to the bed to find Raptor gone but his clock on the nightstand. The time wasn't moving and as my eyes looked back to Marcus I felt every fiber in my mind shatter when the person standing in front of me was a completely different fox. One my heart snapped at seeing in the living flesh. Our eyes were transfixed on one another and almost as fast as my thoughts came back to me the fox in front of me came to life questioning in a lost and utterly confused tone.

"Zeta?"

It was Raze. She was right here. In front of me only inches away. When her voice hit me I felt my legs buckle and I stumbled back towards the window questioning.

"Raze? What the hell is going on? How are you here?"

"I don't know." She replied as she came forward to grab me by my arms. When she touched me all I felt was the same cold touch Marcus had to him. But she was crying and she brought me into this hug that had me questioning everything. She was dead. Everyone told me she died. How is this possible? I asked myself as she held me tight crying into my chest.

"I was so scared Zeta! I had no idea what was going on! I was with Tusk and Blitz, then I heard gunfire! I didn't know this would happen! I'm so sorry!"

I couldn't speak. No words could be formed as she went on to ask.

"What happened? Am I dead?"

Very slowly she pulled off her hug to stare into my eyes. With her hands locked around me I replied.

"I don't know. Raze?"

Her soft eyes were enough to get me to start breaking. I couldn't hold it back any longer as she questioned.

"Zeta what happened to me? Where am I? How am I here? Where is everyone?"

Marcus's POV.

My hands left Zeta and at first I watched as she was now standing perfectly still. Almost like she was lost in a trance. She was breathing and her eyes were looking at me, but they were glossed over from what I've done.

I took a step back and sat down on the bed. Raptor at this moment felt me and with his eyes opening up, we stared at one another. The first thing he said came out as a question.

"What are you doing here?"

Shrugging my shoulders I replied.

"I was just making sure you were okay. You've had it rough the last few days."

Raptor took that answer for what it was. Slowly he sat up and I saw the moment his attitude changed. His eyes crossed me and went right to the wolf standing just before his bedside. In utter confusion Raptor questioned.

"Zeta? When did you get here?"

Zeta's mouth did even move. In fact I knew she couldn't hear him. So silence was all she gave back. However Raptor quickly realized something was happening. His gaze came back to me as he asked.

"What's going on? What did you do?"

"Nothing bad. Well….I guess that depends on how she feels about it, but don't worry she's perfectly alright. She's just not here right now to hear us."

Raptor was now sitting up perfectly. His hands reached out to feel his girlfriend. I watched with a smile as he felt her back and slowly grabbed her tail. He gave it a gentle yank just to see if something would happen, then he stood up to stand right in front of her. In confusion Raptor mumbled.

"What the fuck did you do to her? This is weird."

"I felt for the girl. She came in not that long ago to check on you, but you were asleep so we just talked. Surprisingly she can keep a cool head on her shoulders. She was scared of me sure, but she wasn't running. I like that."

"Is she okay?" He then asked as I nodded my head and replied.

"She's fine. I just know she's important to you and to be honest she wasn't in any good place of mind after what happened to her friend. She never saw her. She couldn't do anything about what happened and you might not have noticed Raptor, but she was breaking apart slowly. Her eyes gave it away as we talked."

"So what did you do?" Raptor then asked me as he began to try and tickle the wolf, by scratching just under her chin. Zeta again didn't react as I told him.

"I gave her closure."

Raptor went completely silent. His mind shifted all it's focus towards my words, then very slowly he turned to look back at me. In utter loss for words he questioned.

"You can do that?"

Nodding I replied.

"I can do anything. I told you I could have you and Shadow together again if you wanted me to. You could talk. Just cause he's dead in body, doesn't mean his mind just disappeared."

"You mean his soul?"

Again I nodded and looked back to Zeta. Watching her eyes I told Raptor.

"She's getting the one thing she was punishing herself over for not getting before it was all too late. She's going to be fine and when she's done she'll come back to us. After that? Well I can't tell you how she'll feel. That's for her to express."

"Could you bring Alicia back? Could I talk to her again?"

Looking Raptor right in the eyes I replied.

"I can do anything Raptor. But ask yourself this? Is that something you really want right now?"

Raptor lowered his gaze and replied back.

"I never got to hear her last words. What she wanted to say. I'd like to know what that was she wanted to say. But….?"

Looking back to Zeta he finished.

"But your right. Right now isn't the time. And it might be for the best not to know. I just….?"

"I know." I told him as he went silent and felt Zeta's right hand.

Giving him a smile I urged.

"Leave her alone. She'll be back soon. Rest your head."

The man seemed to agree with me and very carefully he sat back down on the bed. I remained seated as he laid back once again. This time his eyes were however on me as I chuckled and now proceeded to wait and see how this would end.

mT Shadow.