In The Twilight of Delta

I spent so much time on this. I hope you like it! i got a lot of help from multiple people! I thank them very much!

These events take place before Delta Episode.

I would love to hear your opinions! Have fun reading!

Song that fits good to the fanfic: Secret by The Birthday Massacre

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Since the day their mission had failed Courtney saw no trace of him. Since the day it all went downhill. Since the day where not only the sky burned, but their goals and visions of a better world as well. They too, had gone up in flames, nothing left but the pale ashes of disappointment.

No signs of him. No speeches. Not a single word. Nothing.

He had locked himself into his chambers. And every day she would pass by and lay her hand on the door and repeat his name again and again.

So she did today.

"Leader Maxie..." she called like usual. "Please answer me... Please..."

"Courtney."

Finally she heard his voice, but it sounded odd to her. Hoarse from lack of use.

"Leader Maxie!"

"Why do you both... keep coming back?" His voice was faint and powerless. Nothing like the great mentor and orator she knew. She had never heard him like this before and it caused her a stinging pain like a needle prick. "Why won't you... give up?"

"How could we... give up on you?" she replied desperately. "You are our leader. You always know a way... You never give up..."

The fear she had felt the last few days, flared up again in all its intensity. It almost cut off her breath. The anxiety of her, about to lose the grip on the last string keeping her from falling down into the dark abyss... it was devastating.

"I have failed in the worst possible way. Our goal was to progress humanity, to secure it... The world I promised to you all... The hope I have given you. Everything. I have burned it all to the ground. I almost killed all life on this planet in my ignorance... and this is a sin that I can never repent..." he said softly. He trailed off, as he often did when his thoughts got ahead of his tongue.

Her eyes prickled at his words, but she held back the tears. Her hand on the door closed into a fist. She breathed in sharply and then continued, her voice cracking.

"But what... what about our Team? Our goals? A better world... you promised it to us... "

Again, silence. Courtney swallowed once, the sound seeming to echo in the hallway, her throat tightening as she willed herself to breathe. She swallowed again in an attempt to keep herself collected, calm, to be the voice of reason he needed.

"Team Magma... is at its ending point. There's no hope anymore..."

The last string that barely held her heart together for the last few days, snapped. She felt it shattering into a thousand pieces. She fell down into the abyss of painful darkness.

Finally, tears broke out of her eyes while she covered her mouth to hold back the sobs. She wanted to say so many things. Say how much Team Magma meant to her... how much HE meant to her. That the world that he promised her had been her last hope. How much she loved and adored him and how hurt and broken she was now.

But her lips were as sealed as the door.

She ran down the corridor to her room, sight blinded by tears.

"Courtney!" she heard Tabitha's worried voice. "Cou-"

"Leave me... alone" she whimpered.

her sobs finally broke through when she arrived back to her quarters. In all her life, in all of the disappointment and pain she ever experienced, she had never felt this broken and lost. This world was the one that caused her all these bad experiences. She had given it a new chance and it crushed her in return.