Love Struck Delusion

Chapter 298 - No more.

Zeta's POV.

"BANG!"

Using all I had, I tackled Raptor to the ground as the gun he held went off. The force behind my body that I used to reach him was enough to make the gun leave his hand the second we hit. My eyes were fully red from the venom I was using and like a scared child I looked up to see the hedgehog still breathing. Or at the very least he was trying. I knocked the wind out of him and by the time he realized he was still alive he tried to move for the gun that was only a few feet to my right. Scrambling I screamed.

"No Raptor stop!"

He was so far down the rabbit hole with his emotions that his body lost the sense of a coordinated next move. Instead he tried to roll with me on top, but I was ready to wrestle if the other option meant he'd try to take his life again. However he was still able to get himself rolled over even between my legs. I was panicking from all that was happening and I think that's why I wasn't able to hold him down forever.

Raptor then took a heavy leap once he had his hands set and his knees planted in the ground. Letting out another yelp as his hand made contact with the gun, I threw everything I had forward and attached myself to his back and managed to slip my right forearm just under his chin. Wrapping my left arm so I could control his head movement, I began to squeeze as hard as I could. With my fangs bared, I begged him.

"Stop…...Raptor!"

With his mouth unable to open due to my hold, I felt my body shift into a more defensive position when he began to flail from side to side in hopes of getting me to let go of him. I sank my boots into the concrete with all the power in my legs and had him mounted enough to begin really sinking in the chokehold I had going on. Raptor reacted by releasing a few gags before slipping off his knees and pressing his frontside back into the ground. However he quickly understood he was powerless and tried to reach back for my head while at the same time squeezing out a plea for me to hear.

"Just let me go!"

"No!" I barked into his ear as I felt his claws digging through the skin on the top of my head.

By now Raptor was losing his ability to fight back. His face was turning blue and purple from the lack of oxygen in his lungs. I began to feel like I almost had him, but out of nowhere he had one last idea. He barely had anything left to work with but still tried to turn the gun on himself from where he was. Undoing my hold on his neck so I could react, Raptor gasped for air. By the time he had his first breath I was already on top of the arm that held the gun doing everything I could to pry it free from his hand. When I managed to get it to drop, Raptor crawled backwards a foot behind me which gave me the chance to reach down and grab the weapon. Releasing the clip and tossing it and the weapon away, I widened my eyes when I felt him jump on my back a split second later.

"Raptor!" I shouted as I felt him take my HK 45 out from under my shirt. Unable to stop myself once I realized what his plans were, I swung back with my right arm hitting him directly in the right side of his head. My gun left his hand thank god and with it getting sent a few feet out onto the grass, I got back on top of him and engaged my choke for the second time. This time however I went for a complete take of his bodily function by wrapping both my legs around his waist and by pulling him back with me when I decided to go onto the ground. From there I closed my eyes and cried into his side.

"Please Raptor stop! Fucking stop!"

He wasn't going anywhere this time. He tried to reach back again to grab my head but each time he tried I moved out of the way. Up until I gave in and decided to latch my teeth into his right shoulder. I heard my teeth break skin as I begged with my mouth full.

"Please just fucking stop! You still have time to make things better! I'll help you! I swear to god! Just please stop fighting me!"

I held him down for nearly a minute straight. Twice he went limp and came back with another small burst of energy. Each one I withstood. By nearly a second minute he gave up. His arms went to his sides, both went flacid and his eyes had shut. It was at that moment I started to ease up by loosening my grip on his neck and by taking my teeth out of him. With tears pouring down my face, I whispered into his ear.

"Everything is gonna be okay. We're okay. Just breathe baby please. I'm not trying to lose you like this."

With his breathing coming to a near stop, I swiftly and carefully rolled us over till he was laying on his side. Keeping my hands on his chest, I begged him.

"Look at me. Raptor? Hey?"

Reopening his eyes to see me there in just as much pain, I told him next with all that pain on display.

"Everything is okay. I know it's hard but you need to believe me. We can get through this. You can get through this. You will get through it. You'll see the end, but not the same way Shadow did. I can't lose you. Do you hear what I'm saying?"

He was done. I knew what it looked like to be truly defeated. To be this exhausted after snapping. I was there once. However nothing else mattered. I just needed him to calm down. I needed him to relax. With his eyes locked onto mine, I watched as he began to cry again. This time he couldn't do anything other than that.

"Zeta I can't…! I can't...! I can't do this anymore! I just want the pain to stop hurting!"

Natural instinct gave me the ability to take him back down, but this time into a hug. A hug that I held so tight I thought I might break him as his body was nothing but jello after letting out so many tears.

"I'm sorry!" He wailed into my chest as I quickly whispered back in a soft voice.

"Don't be sorry. There's nothing to be sorry about. We're done. Okay? This is all done. Just take a minute to breathe and we'll get through this. I need you to be strong right now. I need you to be that man I know you are. Now shhhhhhhh….everything is okay. Shhhhhh…..?"

I came down with him so I could lay there and just focus on keeping him safe and comforted. His arms came around me in due time and together we just tried to relax.

"Everything is going to be alright. I have you. I'm not letting you go through this alone."

Raptor held onto me just about as tight as I was to him and for what felt like five minutes we just stayed there. Raptor wasn't able to form sentences with what was going on inside his head. I wish I was different in that regard.

With my focus on keeping him calm, I whispered to him softly in his ear.

"We're going back home. Okay? We're going back to the house. We shouldn't stay here."

Raptor didn't respond. He just kept crying into my chest.

"Come on now. Look at me." I begged him as I sat us up straight. His face was breaking my heart every second I witnessed it. I needed him right now. Keeping my voice dow,n I looked him dead in the eyes to say with a sense of urgency behind it.

"We need to go. Do you want people seeing you like this?"

Shaking his head, I went on to command.

"Let's get up. Come on. Lean with me."

I controlled most of the movement on the way back up. We still embraced as we held each other there. With his breathing beginning to relax, I escorted him back to the bench where I got him to sit back down. He took that as his moment to wipe his face with his shirt as I quickly located both the weapons that were in the grass. From there I unloaded the ammo from both pieces and tucked them behind my back. Once I had them covered up with my shirt, I went back to my boyfriend to find him silent. His head down and back hunched. Leaning over his head, I hugged him again and whispered.

"Come on. Please? Let's leave before someone gets here. Please Raptor."

I began to pick him back up. Thankfully once I had his ass off the bench he decided to cling and follow. As we began to exit the park he moaned out in a tone that warned me he was about to break down again.

"She never told me. Archer and her? Ghost he….?" Putting my foot down as we took our first step out of the park, I grabbed him by his face with both my hands latching to his cheeks. Raptor just cried harder as I stated to him directly and with all my courage.

"He was your son. It doesn't matter where he came from. Just like Midnight. You loved them both right? Did you or did you not love them?"

"I loved them! I loved them both! I loved them so much! But Archer….?!"

"Archer's dead!" I bluntly called out which got him to stop talking.

"He's gone. Along with all the people who did you wrong. I know it's hard to see it any other way, but what you did has provided you and thousands others with one of the greatest things to have when you live out of fear and borders. That's a chance to start over and make things better for yourself and the many generations that will follow. You don't have to fight anymore. You survived Raptor. Do you understand that? You have a chance to be happy again now that it's over. A chance to start fresh. A chance to make things better. To have kids of your own. Kids I want to give you."

I couldn't help but let my own tears come back after that. They silently came down my face as I proceeded to ask him deeply from down inside my heart.

"Don't you want that too? After everything we've been through Raptor, can we at least try and make the best of this? I want you to be happy. I want you to be the father of my children. I want this. I need this. I need you. I need you Raptor."

I took my chance to give him the affection I truly saw that he needed in that moment. Pressing my lips to his as hard as I could, I felt things change in the air when he began to kiss back. After three small pecks, I pulled away to tell him calmly.

"This didn't happen. No one has to know. Okay? We're going home and getting straight to bed. In the morning, we'll take a break from all the politics and go somewhere nice for a change. We'll take a break and when we get our shit together we'll come back better than ever. Take my hand." I went to order him as he knew he had no other choice but to listen. I wasn't going to leave his side. Not until I knew he was better. With his hand wrapping up in mine, I began to lead the long walk back.

By the time we got back to the house both of us were equally as tired, but thanks to the time we had to ourselves Raptor had stopped crying and managed to pick himself up from the slump just enough so he could at least speak with confidence. As I went to unlock the door, I whispered to him.

"Pepper and Molly are asleep on the couch. Don't wake them."

"Are they okay?" He wondered sadly as I got the door cracked open.

Looking inside the house, I felt my body ease up when I found them both still where I left them sound asleep. Reaching back and pulling him forward by his left hand, I replied.

"They're both okay. Come on. Up the stairs."

We did our best to be as quiet as possible and once we had reached the top, I guided him into the master bedroom. Once there, I turned around to make haste for the nearby dresser. Raptor sat down on the bed and watched from there as I collected our weapons and got them all together in one of my bags. I made sure to unload all the rounds and once I was confident there wouldn't be another problem, I turned my attention back on him. I didn't really know what to say at this moment. What more could I say about the situation?

As my mind raced for an answer to that very problem, I widened my eyes as he said to me as soft as a church mouse.

"I don't know what to do Zeta."

I came right down to sit next to him. Our legs were pressed together as I calmly suggested.

"We just stop. We take a break from all this."

"But what about you? What about Zeak?"

Now getting serious again, I replied.

"Fuck Zeak. That asshole isn't going to be a problem now that we're together. I could care less about going after that scumbag sellout. Pepper will see it that way too. We're done with that shit. Our names are cleared thanks to you and there is a good chance Zeak thinks we're already dead thanks to our business with Ying. We're keeping our heads down from now on. We need to focus on ourselves. Not some other problem. I'm not going anywhere. I'm staying right here. I promise. Okay?"

Leaning in, Raptor and I connected foreheads together. Reaching out to hold him again, I felt my heart warming up as he mumbled to me shortly after.

"Okay. We're done."

Starting to cry again I replied back happily.

"We're done."

I knew this was going to be rough going forward. Almost watching his brains get blown out had me more stressed than ever. I was just thankful to god that I was fast enough. I fear if I wasn't I would have shortly followed behind his trail.

The next day.

I woke to find Raptor asleep at my side. For a moment I was caught off guard as I wasn't used to sleeping in. However the moment I remembered what happened last night it had me focused on making sure we stuck to the plan. Which meant I needed to get ready and hopefully come up with an idea for how to proceed.

Thankfully I was capable of making sure I didn't wake him as I got out of bed and began to get dressed. By the time I was done, I knew I needed to get something going. I knew what he would be like when he woke up and I wanted to be ready. So once I had myself together, I went downstairs to find Molly and my sister both awake and watching TV.

"Braf! Braf!" I wish I could tell you that I reacted in a positive way when Molly came to me, but I couldn't really muster the attention to focus on her. All I could do was move for the kitchen and say as I walked on by them both.

"Morning."

Pepper had this weird look in her eyes as I knew she had to know I wasn't my normal self. So by the time I was in the kitchen with Molly she was already meeting me halfway there. When I turned around with a fresh bottle of water from the fridge, she looked at me to ask.

"What happened last night?"

"Nothing." I replied as I cracked the cap and took a drink.

Pepper looked dumbfounded at my response as I just stood there and tried to clear my throat. Halfway through she began to chuckle. Then she asked me with a small smile.

"Really? Excuse me ma'am, but I'd like to direct your attention to the basement."

Putting the cap back on my bottle, I begged her calmly.

"I don't want to talk about it. Please."

I attempted to walk by her now, but before I could get past; she put her hand out to stop me by my chest. Putting her voice down, she replied.

"Part of the stairs is missing. The bar too. By the time I woke up; you and him were in bed sound asleep."

My eyes darted away as I knew she was going to force me back into this. She saw my anxiety though and quickly stated to me.

"I remember that guy being there. The fox? We tried to go downstairs and next thing I knew I was on the couch with Molly and you were in bed with Raptor. The basement looks like a truck drove through it and I saw the blood."

Looking her back in the eyes, but not saying a word, she saw my hesitation and begged.

"Just tell me what happened. I'm not gonna say shit to anyone. Zeta?"

Biting my tongue for a few seconds, I soon let out a deep breath and replied.

"I don't really know what happened down there. Marcus was here to see him and we both know that. But I passed out. The same as you and the same as Molly."

"Braf!" Molly barked out as she heard her name from right between our legs. Reaching down and petting her, I went on to say.

"When I woke up both of you were still asleep. I went down there and Raptor was gone. But his scent remained and I followed it."

"Where to?" She wondered as I quickly replied.

"He walked downtown to Saint Andrew's Community Park. It's right next to the hospital."

"Why was he going there?" With her question soon in my head, I stood back up to reply in a whisper.

"He tried to kill himself."

Pepper's eyes went so wide when she heard me say that. Sensing she could go off at any moment, I begged her before taking a step out from the kitchen.

"Don't say anything to him when he wakes up. Don't say anything to anyone ever. We're keeping this a secret. I promised him that."

"But…..but why? What happened?" She asked as she chased after me.

With Molly sticking close by, I stopped at the first step going upstairs to again whisper.

"A lot. He's not good. I'm going to take him out for today. Get him away from all the military shit. Can you watch Molly?"

Nodding her head she replied.

"Yeah I can do that. But Zeta?"

I knew she wanted to understand why this all was happening, but I didn't have time. So keeping that in mind, I told her directly.

"When we get back and I know he's safe I'll tell you everything. For now Pep just please…..please don't say anything."

"I'm good." She replied as I nodded and made my way back up to the master bedroom. At this point Raptor was just waking up. I slipped inside to shut the door and I saw the moment his eyes opened to see me standing at the end of the bed. His voice seemed pretty harsh as he asked.

"What time is it?"

Looking to my phone, I replied while coming around to my side of the bed.

"Nine thirty. Here."

Handing him my water, I watched and waited as he sat up to take a sip. Just off instinct alone, I could tell by his face that he was still very upset about what happened. When he got done taking his drink, I asked him.

"How are you feeling?"

His eyes went down to his lap as I had a feeling he was thinking about something important.

mT Shadow.