Okumura Syndicate Ending 1

Chapter 166: Overcoming The Barrier

A few hundred metres away, Fleur was uncertain on what she needed to do. As the rising sun beckoned her into a new day, one real thing stood in her way, the ice wall. Though it was a daunting task to climb the barrier, Fleur was determined to help her subordinates, as well as lay the groundwork for Aster's return. "Fleur, you look exhausted.", remarked Craaq. "I am, but I'm not worried.", she whispered. She was clearly hiding her pain once more, her face sombre with resolve and focus. "Aster, Rou, Demitris, they're all people I failed to save, Vox won't fool me a second time!"

Viper walked up to the underboss "I can see it in your eyes! You're worried for Aster, you can handle what's to come. You took me on before the auction, before people took you seriously, you can do this Fleur! ", she encouraged. "I can", she conceded, looking at her teammate with misty eyes, "Have you ever felt like you'd die under the pressure", her voice choked up, she let out a sob and dabbed at her eyes with the cuff of her gloves. As the group finally approached the wall, and the adrenaline and anticipation heightened the heavy sense of foreboding felt in most of them.

Shiva got closer, feeling the wall with his hands. "It's too thick to break.", he remarked. Fleur took a few seconds to arrange her thoughts. "Shiva, you could teleport to the other side of the wall and meet us in the mansion library, I have a plan.", she instructed. "Good thinking, Fleur!", commented Sulena. "I may be able to follow Shiva and go over the wall if I used a web, but the rest of you guys wouldn't be able to use it, it's only suitable for people of spider blood to navigate.", she added. "Okay then, I guess we're splitting up then.", reflected Shiva.

Over the wall the pair went, leaving Fleur, Craaq and Viper in a pickle. "I hope they'll both be okay, I should've held on to Shiva while I still could...", said a worried Craaq. "You don't have to fret Craaq, if my mind doesn't deceive me, I think we have our way in.", Fleur reassured him. She began to head around the back of the mansion, tapping her feet on the ground every few metres, "It's got to be here somewhere.", she thought. Viper grew confused, "What's she doing", she questioned. "Trust me.", responded Craaq. "I can tell she knows what she's doing."

Fleur continued feeling around, until the tapping began to give off a different vibration,"Found it!", she declared. "I'm still not sure what's going on...", said Viper once more. "She knows the mansion better than any of us, she has to know some secrets.", Craaq presumed. Fleur knelt down and appeared to open up the grass beside her. "The mansion's underground tunnel! Of course!", enthused Viper, surprised she didn't realise sooner. "So, shall we go?", asked Fleur. The other two nodded, as they headed into the darkness.

Over in Tiliac, Aster was still on his journey, "I'm almost at base now, I need to find where they accessed the portal to the syndicate.", he thought. He remained calm, yet ignorant of the man behind him. "Hey! Are you listening to me?!", he screamed. Enzo was still following Aster in vengeance and wouldn't let it go. "There's no use Enzo, just give up, I'm of no use to you.", groaned Aster.

"YOU'RE WORTH NOTHING TO ME!", shouted Enzo, stabbing at Aster's mind with his voice. Aster turned and grabbed Enzo's throat, "Just go away! I don't need you, I don't need anyone if they're just going to hurt me!". Aster's eyes began to get puffy, "No, don't cry, he'll see your weakness!", he thought. Enzo heard a sniffle or two, "Look who finally regrets his decisions!", he enthused.

"I-it's not like that!", Aster began to stutter and desperately tried to cover his face. "Useless! You let yourself run out of fortitude! When I met you earlier, I thought you were stronger than that, considering what you did to Vanian!", Enzo taunted. Aster keeled on the floor and Enzo began kicking the boy as he did nothing to stop it. "Why did you do it?! Tell me!", Enzo continued to kick the boy. Aster crawled away, head down, tears rolling from his eyes. Enzo slapped him in the face, "What's wrong, why can't you answer me?!", he continued to yell.

"BECAUSE I'M BACK IN THIS DAMNED PLACE AND I CAN'T GET BACK!", Aster cried. Enzo stopped hurting him, "You...want to go home?, he looked down at his hands and feet and then over at Aster. "There was no 'home' for me here..." he continued. "Back there I didn't have a family to look after me, people to care about me, all I had was myself...AND IT WAS TOO DAMN BRUTAL!", he declared, letting out every emotion that was bottled up inside.

"I thought I found a home, but it got taken away from me by that shitty green man! I lost my friends, I lost Fleur, but I refuses to ask for help!", Aster emphasised. Enzo remained unfazed, "I'm afraid you have no choice in the matter...", he said blankly. Aster was unsure what he was going to do next. Finally, he spoke, "I'll take you to base, but don't blame me if they detain you.", he stated. "You really don't have to do that...", muttered Aster, but Enzo dragged him along anyway, towards his answers.