Chapitre 88: Chapter 88: Breaking Point
The night was quiet, unnervingly so. Cole stood by the entrance of the warehouse, his eyes scanning the darkness beyond. The weight of the upcoming confrontation with The Reaper pressed down on him like an anchor, heavy and unshakable. Every instinct screamed at him to stay alert, to be ready for anything. But no matter how prepared he thought they were, a nagging doubt gnawed at the edges of his mind.
Inside, the crew was restless. The tension in the air was palpable, thick with anticipation and fear. They had been training harder than ever, pushing their bodies to the brink, but the anxiety of facing The Reaper was taking its toll. Everyone knew what was at stake, and the fear of failure was creeping into their bones.
"Hey, you good?" Lina's voice pulled Cole out of his thoughts.
He turned to see her standing next to him, her arms crossed over her chest. She looked as tired as he felt, but her eyes were sharp, determined.
"Yeah," Cole muttered, though he wasn't sure if he believed it. "Just thinking."
Lina raised an eyebrow. "About The Reaper?"
Cole nodded, letting out a sigh. "I can't help it. We've been through a lot, but this feels different. It feels… bigger."
"It is bigger," Lina said, her voice steady. "But we're ready for this, Cole. We've trained for it. We've got a plan."
"A plan," Cole repeated, his tone tinged with doubt. "Plans don't always work."
Lina frowned. "Since when did you start second-guessing everything? You're the one who's been holding this whole thing together."
"I know," Cole admitted, running a hand through his hair. "But I can't shake the feeling that something's going to go wrong. The Reaper's different. He's not like anyone we've faced before."
Lina placed a hand on his shoulder, her touch grounding him. "We'll deal with him. Together. We've gotten this far because we trust each other, right?"
"Right," Cole said, though the weight in his chest didn't lighten.
Before they could continue, the sound of footsteps approached, and Ty emerged from the shadows, his face tight with worry.
"Guys, we've got a problem," Ty said, his voice low.
Cole's heart sank. "What is it?"
"Someone's hit us," Ty said, glancing back toward the warehouse. "We got attacked. One of the new recruits got ambushed on their way here."
"Ambushed?" Cole's voice was sharp, his fists clenching at his sides. "By who?"
Ty's expression darkened. "The underground. They've been watching us."
Cole swore under his breath, the knot in his stomach tightening. This wasn't just about The Reaper anymore. The underground had made their move.
"Are they okay?" Lina asked, her voice laced with concern.
Ty hesitated. "They're alive. Barely. But they're not going to be able to fight anytime soon."
Cole's blood boiled. The underground had crossed a line. They weren't just waiting for The Reaper to finish them off—they were actively picking them apart, trying to weaken them before the fight had even begun.
"We need to get everyone together," Cole said, his voice hard. "We can't afford to let this shake us."
---
The crew gathered in the center of the warehouse, the atmosphere tense and somber. Word had spread quickly about the ambush, and the faces around Cole were etched with fear and uncertainty. He could see it in their eyes—the doubt, the hesitation. The attack had rattled them more than he had anticipated.
"We need to talk," Cole said, addressing the group. "You've all heard what happened. The underground's trying to break us before the real fight even begins. They're scared of what we're building here, and they're trying to stop us before we can take them down."
There were murmurs of agreement, but the unease was still there, hanging in the air like a fog.
"They attacked one of our own," Cole continued, his voice growing firmer. "They're trying to send a message. But we're not going to let them scare us into backing down. We've come too far for that."
Zack, standing near the back, spoke up. "What if they come after more of us? We're already short on numbers. We can't afford to lose anyone else."
"We won't," Cole said, though he wasn't sure if he believed it. "We're going to stick together, and we're going to be ready for whatever they throw at us."
But even as he spoke, he could feel the cracks forming. The crew was holding on by a thread, and another attack like this could break them completely.
"Look, I know things are bad right now," Cole said, his voice softening. "But we've faced worse. We've been through hell together, and we've come out stronger every time. This is no different. We just need to trust each other and keep fighting."
Lina stepped forward, her gaze sweeping over the group. "Cole's right. We've always known the underground would try to stop us. But that doesn't mean we give up. It means we fight harder. We've got each other's backs, and that's what's going to get us through this."
The crew was quiet for a moment, the weight of her words sinking in. Slowly, they began to nod, the fire returning to their eyes.
"Alright," Marco said, his voice gruff but resolute. "Let's show them we're not backing down."
The tension in the room eased, but Cole knew the fear was still there, simmering beneath the surface. The attack had shaken them, and if they didn't find a way to counter it, things would only get worse.
---
Later that night, Cole sat in the corner of the warehouse, his mind racing. The ambush had changed everything. The underground wasn't going to wait for The Reaper to finish them off—they were going to tear the crew apart piece by piece.
He couldn't let that happen.
"Still thinking about the attack?" Lina asked, sitting down beside him.
"Yeah," Cole admitted, his voice heavy with frustration. "We're not ready. Not for this."
"We'll get through it," Lina said, though her voice was laced with uncertainty.
Cole shook his head. "I don't know if we can. They've already taken one of us out, and The Reaper's still out there. How do we fight back against that?"
Lina was silent for a moment, her eyes distant. "We don't fight alone."
"What do you mean?"
"We've got allies," Lina said, her voice growing stronger. "We've made connections with other fighters, people who want to see the underground taken down. We just need to reach out to them."
Cole frowned. "You think they'll help us?"
"I know they will," Lina said, her eyes locking with his. "This fight isn't just about us anymore. It's about everyone who's been trapped by the underground. If we fall, they lose hope. But if we stand together, we can take them down."
For the first time in what felt like days, Cole felt a flicker of hope. Maybe Lina was right. Maybe they weren't as alone as they thought.
"We'll need to move fast," Cole said, his mind already spinning with plans. "The underground won't stop with just one attack."
Lina nodded. "I'll start reaching out to our contacts. We'll get the support we need."
As she stood to leave, Cole grabbed her arm gently, stopping her for a moment. "Thanks, Lina. I don't think I could do this without you."
Lina smiled, her expression soft. "You don't have to."
---
The next few days were a whirlwind of activity. Lina had reached out to their allies, and one by one, fighters from all over the city began to show up at the warehouse. Some were old friends, others were strangers who had heard about the crew's fight against the underground and wanted in.
The warehouse, once empty and quiet, was now buzzing with energy. The sound of fists hitting bags, the shuffle of feet on concrete, the constant murmur of voices filled the space. The crew had grown, their numbers bolstered by the new recruits.
But even with the reinforcements, the fear of The Reaper still lingered.
Cole watched as Jaxon and Rina led a group of fighters through a brutal training session, their movements sharp and focused. The new recruits were strong, but they lacked the cohesion that the original crew had. They were still learning to trust each other, still figuring out how to fight as a unit.
As the days passed, Cole could feel the weight of leadership pressing down on him. Every decision felt like it could be their last. The pressure was suffocating, and the fear of making a mistake that could cost lives gnawed at him constantly.
But he couldn't afford to let that fear show.
They were on the edge of something big—he could feel it. The underground was tightening its grip, but the crew was growing stronger. They had allies now, people who believed in what they were fighting for.
But The Reaper was still out there, lurking in the shadows.
And Cole knew that when the time came, it would all come down to him.
---
État de l’alimentation hebdomadaire
-- Classement
Power Stone 
-- Power
stone