Love Struck

Chapter 222 – Flare

Wreak's POV

"POP! WHEEEEEEWWWHHHH!"

Looking up in surprise we saw the bright red flare go off above our heads.

Looking at John he nodded and ordered Hannon's men who showed up with the gear to hurry and set us up. I would be going down with two others to help secure the commander and Major Raptor.

"Ready?!" I asked the man who was locking my line in.

"Your good to go!" He replied as I nodded and waited for my teammates.

"Good!" They both shouted as I nodded and looked back at John.

"Go!" He ordered as we nodded and leaped off the cliff.

Archer's POV

"Come on Raptor! I got you!" I stated as I helped him walk with Shadow still in my arms.

Raptor was dying out. The wounds on his body were too much for him too handle. We had to get him up soon otherwise he may go into a coma from what happened last time.

Looking up I smiled as I saw Wreak and two other men from my team.

"Archer!" He shouted as he and the two men ran on the side of the cliff till they finally hit the bottom where we waited.

I watched as Wreak and my buds undid themselves and immediately ran to help me out.

Wreak gently took Shadow and laid him down as the two soldiers helped Raptor.

In the mean time all we could do was stare at Shadow's cold body in front of us.

"Damn it." Said Wreak calmly as I said.

"We're getting him out of here."

Wreak nodded and replied.

"Don't worry we won't leave him here."

Smiling I lost it as he picked up Shadow.

"I'm sorry Archer." Cried Raptor as we all looked at him.

"It's ok. It's not your fault." Stated Wreak as Raptor shook his head.

"I let him die down here!"

"No you didn't!" I shouted as he stared at me.

"You did all you could for him Raptor! You tried and I'm sure he's proud of it."

Nodding slightly Wreak asked.

"Are you able to move well?"

Looking at my side I replied.

"Yeah I'm fine."

"Not you bro, I was asking the Major." Stated Wreak as Raptor shook his head.

"I can't make that alone."

Nodding Wreak looked at his friends.

"We have to even this out. Bobby you get Archer. Alex you get the Major. I'll take the Commander."

In agreement we went for the lines.

As I hooked up with my friend and Wreak got Shadow hooked in his arms Raptor stopped and asked.

"Wait! Where's my gun!?"

As he panicked and went to turn I shouted.

"Raptor!"

Looking back I waved his gun in front of me.

Letting a relief smile go along his face I tossed it to him and quickly he caught it and placed it in his side pouch.

"Thank you." He said happily as I nodded and replied.

"Let's get out of here."

Raptor nodded back and quickly got hooked in.

"Ready?!" Asked Wreak as we all nodded and tugged on the lines.

In seconds we began to get pulled up.

Raptor's POV 1 Hour Later

I sat next to my best friend while Archer and Alicia stood behind me watching as I held his hand tightly slowly stroking my fingers along the back of his palm.

"Raptor...?" Archer cut Alicia off as she went to touch me and she looked back at him as he nodded his head telling her to give me some room. That's really all I needed right now to be honest. Room.

"Get out please." I said as Alicia gave me a sad look.

"Come on Raptor please...I want you to please come...!"

"Leave now!" I shouted in tears as Archer took her and began to lead her out of the room.

As the door shut I remained sitting down but began to cry.

Placing my hand along my eyes I wiped up my tears and let out a moan of sadness.

Deep down for everyone they thought I wasn't the one who caused this to happen, but I did. They just don't want to arrest me for murder. I killed him down there in that cave. I let him die.

"Ahhhhh...ughhhhhh!" I groaned as I felt my back ache.

Marx managed to cover up my back and all my other wounds. He said it wasn't bad looking but the blood loss was enough to make me feel dead. I feel dead now anyway. What's the point? I know I have a kid coming and a women I love, but I feel incomplete without Shadow here to enjoy it with me.

Shadow's hand was freezing as I expected but it made me feel like I was the one who was frozen.

Looking back up with red filled eyes of tears I said.

"I'm sorry Shadow...I didn't want this to happen! I know before back when we were in here I said I wanted you dead, but I didn't really mean it to come true! I never wanted to kill you but it's all my fault your dead! If I would have never said that maybe you would still be alive! I'm so sorry!" I stated as tears dropped onto our hands.

"Click!"

Marx's POV

I stood at the door behind Raptor and watched as he cried.

Lowering my head in sadness I waited till he looked back to see me there.

"What?!" He asked in force as I shut the door.

Raptor wiped his face as I came forward and replied.

"I need to talk to you."

"Why?!" Asked Raptor as I raised my hand.

"Please relax. I need you to calm down." I stated as he shouted.

"Calm down!?"

Backing up I continued to listen as he yelled.

"He's dead because of me Marx! I killed him!"

"No you didn't Raptor."

"Then how did he die!?" He asked as I took a breath and approached him.

"He froze down there. He lost his legs from the fall and nearly sliced himself in half from a drop to the ground. Blood loss and that cold night you were forced to spend alone in a cave was just enough to kill him." I stated as he let go of his hand and turned to me while standing up.

"I killed him, not the cold! I failed to protect him!" He stated as he came at me.

Backing up I replied.

"You did your best Raptor! You know that!"

Pushing me to the wall I stopped as he screamed.

"I could have saved him!"

Reaching out and taking his arm I replied.

"You were on the verge of dying there too! You did everything you could have down there in that situation!"

Raptor lowered his head as I said.

"Your a soldier Raptor. The best we have now and you out of everyone should know you can't save them all."

Raptor cried harder as Hannon came in.

I stared at Raptor as he stepped towards us.

Gently he felt Raptor's shoulder and in tears he turned back into his arms.

Relaxing now I watched as Raptor was being held by Hannon.

"It's not your fault Raptor." Stated Hannon as Raptor continued to cry.

Death's POV 1:00am

"WAKE THE FUCK UP RIGHT NOW! IF YOU DON'T YOU'LL BE BURIED! I KNOW YOU CAN HEAR ME SHADOW THE HEDGEHOG AND I SWEAR YOU BETTER OPEN THOSE BIG FUCKING EARS OF YOURS AND LISTEN TO ME BEFORE IT'S TOO LATE!"

"Beat!"

"THERE YOU GO! NOW KEEP IT GOING!"

"Beat! Beat!"

"WAKE THE FUCK UP! EVERYONE IS ASLEEP AND NOW IS YOUR CHANCE! WAKE UP AND GET OUT OF THERE! LISTEN TO ME IF YOU WANT TO LIVE! I KNOW YOU DO AND YOU WILL LISTEN!"

"Beat! Beat! Beat!"

"YOUR NOT DEAD AND YOU KNOW WHY! FINISH WHAT YOU STARTED, DO IT ALONE IF YOU MUST, BUT GET IT DONE! IT ALL RESTS ON YOUR NEXT MOVE! NOW WAKE UP!"

Shadow's POV

"AGHHH!" Opening my eyes all I saw was black.

I was in something black and tight! I was sweating and I don't know why!

"AHHHH!" Panicking I began to try and move and I couldn't go more then an inch.

I was in a body bag I think! Why!? I'm not dead!

In fear of suffocation I began to bite the bag's zipper.

Sinking my teeth in it's edge I pierced the outside, but was unable to reach it with my hands.

Biting more and more I began to cause a hole. In force I tried to push my head up through it.

"AGHHHH!" I screamed like a baby losing it's bottle as I began to feel fresh air.

The hole wasn't big enough! I had to keep biting it.

Using my teeth I began to bite more and more hoping to make a dent.

As I bit down as hard as I could I saw the bag rip.

In heat I pushed my head back up at it.

Sweat rolled down my face as I felt my ears poke out.

I pushed with all I had and as I use my strength I was caught off guard as my head went all the way out and I managed to fall off the table I was on.

I landed right on my face and in pain I attempted to move my hands up.

The bag had become more open and I managed to make it to where my chin was.

Taking hold of the bag's slit I tore it apart and tossed my whole body through kicking the bag under the table as I panicked and crawled to the wall in fear.

"Ahhhh! Ahhhh! Ahhhh!" I breathed in the air scared as I looked around to see I was in the morgue.

Next thing I saw was the door to my left.

Panicking I remembered my legs were broken and I had no way of getting on my feet.

I had one hope.

Crawling to the door I reached for the nob and got it open to find the halls empty and black.

Crawling into the darkness I went down the hall in pain to Marx's office.

Finding the door locked I took my black grip glove off and used my nail to picked it open.

The door opened quietly and in pain I entered and shut it tight.

Next was the key card.

I made my way to Marx's chair and began to search his desk.

Inside I found nothing but paper.

"Damn it!" I shouted to myself as I went to crawl away.

I had to get into his room and get it out of his safe, but to do that I first need to get out of here.

Opening the door I reentered the hall to make my way to the administration desk. Opening the door I found it empty.

"Please be in here." I begged as I crawled to the counter.

Looking at the draw I picked the lock with my nail to find the key I needed to open the door.

Placing it in my mouth I made my way to the door and began to make my way to the entrance of the research wing.

As soon as I got there I found it locked and took the key out of my mouth and placed it up in the lock.

I let a huge breath out as the door unlocked and in seconds I began to crawl down the halls.

My side was in bandages and all I felt was pain as I crawled into the barracks.

Looking around I saw every door locked tight and as I crawled further I heard one open.

In reaction I rolled into the wall and stayed still as I heard whoever it was moving down the hall the opposite way I was.

Quickly looking back I saw it was just a soldier.

Quickly I began to make my way to Marx's door.

Knowing it was locked I went to pick it to actually find it open.

In confusion I looked inside to see he was gone.

In a hurry I entered and shut the door then made my way to the safe which was next to his desk.

Finding it locked I had to figure out the code.

I had no idea.

Quickly I placed my ear on the safe door and listened as I turned the dial.

"Click!"

Smiling I went to the left and listened as I heard.

"Click!"

"One more." I stated to myself as I went back to the right.

"Click!"

"Yes." I said quietly as I opened the door to see the card there.

Taking it, I shut the door and went for the exit to widened my eyes in shock as Marx opened the door.

Instantly I rolled behind the door and watched as he walked in shutting it behind him.

Not seeing me he entered the bathroom and quickly I opened the door and slipped through shutting it behind me.

Letting out a sigh I began to head back to the research wing.

Opening the door with the key I crawled back to room I was in and went further down till I saw the room I was placed in when I had that heart attack. The metal door stood no chance against my key card and shutting it behind me I went to the closet to find my small silver case inside.

Grabbing it I moved my back against the wall and opened it to find the last shot of Viper Venom inside.

Staring at it I had second thoughts about what I was going to do.

Slowly I pulled the shot into my right hand and brought it up to my face.

Staring at the gray liquid inside I thought about it. If I did this I would have no idea what was going to happen. I already took one way back months ago, but I don't know if two can do anything different then it did last time. I have the chance of losing memory and maybe my life, but I had no other choice. I have to get this done and I'm not waiting another month for my legs to get better. I'm going for it.

In pain I smashed the needle in my neck pushing down letting the drug enter my system.

"Ughhh!" I gagged instantly grabbing my neck letting the empty needle hit the floor on my side.

Agony rushed my head as I began to see a large amount of red roll in front of my eyes. Seeing nothing but the color I began to panic and blood began to come up from my mouth. It dripped out onto the floor and in seconds I felt my legs snap.

"AGHHH!" I screamed as I felt the bones snap back into place and in severe pain I fell over to my side and watched as my side began to burn.

I quickly grabbed the bandage protecting it and ripped it off letting it land next to the my boot.

As red filled my vision I looked to see the gash healing.

"GHAAAAA!" The skin pulled together and I felt all the movement of my organs as the intestines got back in place.

The burn stopped as it closed shut but my vision remained red.

As I began to relax all the cuts I had began to burn and there were at least twenty on me.

I held my mouth shut as they all healed and in anger I began to punch the wall. I knew it wasn't me who was mad it was the drug making me.

As the burning stopped I relaxed and waited as my vision went back to normal.

Seeing other colors besides red I let out huge breaths and stared up at the darkness as I attempted to stand up.

"Snap! Snap! Crack! Snap! Crack!"

My legs made all kinds of noises as I held my ground along the wall.

Standing still I went to walk.

My legs had to get back to the effort of moving but I was able to move them perfectly.

In pain I made it to the door and unlocked it.

Looking into the hall I went back to the morgue an approached the table I was once on.

Looking around I found a clipboard and ripped off a piece of paper while taking the pen that hung on it's side.

In thought I wrote down a quick note and made my way out and to the entrance.

Walking through the door I walked through the dark halls and to the base's entrance to find the guard there facing the door.

Giving a solid look I went the other way and towards the secondary armory.

Taking my nail I picked the lock and entered to shut the door behind me and reach for the lights.

Hitting the them all the room turned on and I smiled as I saw everything.

All I needed to take down Reacher.

Normal POV

"As you read this I understand your first thought may be confusion or anger of why I didn't wake anyone, but understand this is it for me. I'm ending this tonight. Make it or not it doesn't matter. All that does is that you know who I am. My name is Shadow The Hedgehog and tonight I change the world."

Armor, ammo, and guns covered the old G.U.N sniper's body as he checked his gear one last time.

His brown boots, his brown BDU combat pants with black knee pads, along with a single black undershirt and a solid pair of black body armor along with black elbow pads; held his body's strong figure showing more then I'm a soldier.

Shadow The Hedgehog was not the soldier who stood there and waited for shit to happen. He was the one to get the shit done and done his way so long as it got done in the end. After losing so much along with so many people, today he found it finally within himself to take it to the next step and attempt to finish a war alone. He was going to do it even if it killed him in the end.

Wrapping the MP5 along his side and tossing the Barrett 50. over his back he took his grenades and placed them along his side belt and made sure he had enough ammo to kill all the men who were waiting at the G.U.N base. Taking a few flash bangs with him he loaded up his weapons and checked the combat knife he had ready waiting in the side of his body armor.

Smiling at the blade he turned and went for the bag of C4 he packed and opened the door exiting through a window on the second floor.

As he landed he got on his feet and went to the warehouse to take one single quad out and make his way out of the base quietly and onto the road that lead out of the city and right towards where Reacher was waiting for him. Too bad he had no idea what was coming.

Smiling the black and red hedgehog exited the boarder and drove off into the desert.