Chapitre 93: Chapter 93: Beyond the Fight
The training in the warehouse stretched late into the night, with the sounds of fists hitting bags and feet shuffling across the floor reverberating through the space. Cole watched from the sidelines, his arms crossed, as his crew sparred relentlessly, preparing for whatever retaliation the underground might have in store.
The Reaper's defeat had sent ripples through the streets, and they all knew that it wouldn't be long before the underground hit back. But tonight, Cole's focus was split. He couldn't shake the feeling gnawing at him—not just about the fight, but about Lina.
As the warehouse slowly emptied, Lina stayed behind, cleaning up some gear. Cole leaned against the wall, watching her work. His mind had been turning over the same thoughts for days now. There was something between them—something that had been growing stronger with every fight, every shared moment of struggle. He could feel it, and he was pretty sure Lina could too. They had a connection that went beyond just the battlefield, beyond being comrades.
But Cole wasn't the type to let feelings simmer for too long. He believed in facing things head-on, whether it was in the ring or in life.
He pushed off the wall and walked over to where Lina was tidying up the gear. She didn't look up, but Cole could see a small smile tugging at the corner of her lips. She knew he was there, standing close. The tension between them had been building for a while, and it was time to break it.
"Lina," Cole said, his voice low but firm.
She glanced up, meeting his gaze with a raised brow. "What's up?"
He didn't hesitate. "We need to talk."
Lina straightened, wiping her hands on a towel before tossing it onto the nearby bench. "Talk about what?"
"Us," Cole said bluntly. He saw her expression shift slightly, but she didn't look away.
"Us?" she repeated, crossing her arms, her usual calm and composed demeanor still intact. "What about us?"
Cole stepped closer, his eyes locked on hers. "I'm not the kind of guy who beats around the bush, Lina. You know that. There's something between us, and I know you feel it too."
Lina's eyes flickered, but she didn't move back. She held his gaze, her face unreadable. "You're not wrong," she said after a moment, her voice steady. "But now? With everything going on?"
"Why not now?" Cole shot back, his tone direct but not harsh. "We've been through hell together. If anything, it's times like these that show you who's real. Who you can trust. And I trust you, Lina. More than anyone else."
For a moment, the warehouse seemed to fall completely silent, the weight of his words hanging in the air between them. Cole could see the gears turning in Lina's mind, could see the internal struggle she was having. But he wasn't going to back down. He had faced worse than rejection in his life, and he wasn't afraid to lay it all out there.
"Lina," he said, his voice softening but still strong. "I'm not asking for anything complicated. I just know what I feel. And I want you with me. Not just in this fight. But in everything."
Lina uncrossed her arms, her gaze softening just a fraction as she took a step closer to him. "You don't do anything halfway, do you?" she asked, a small smile playing on her lips.
Cole smirked. "Never have."
There was a beat of silence, and then Lina did something Cole wasn't expecting—she reached out and placed a hand on his chest, her fingers brushing against his shirt. It wasn't a dramatic gesture, but it was enough. It was real.
"I've been thinking about it too," she admitted, her voice barely above a whisper now. "But you know how dangerous this is, right? This fight, this life. We're not exactly living in a world where we get to… have normal things."
Cole placed his hand over hers, his grip firm but gentle. "I'm not asking for normal. I'm asking for real."
For a moment, they stood there, the weight of everything they had been through together pressing in on them. Cole could see it in her eyes—the same fear, the same doubt, but also the same strength. She was just as tough as he was, and that was one of the reasons he wanted her with him. She understood this life. She didn't need saving, and neither did he.
"I want this too," Lina finally said, her voice steady. "But if we do this, we don't let it get in the way. We don't let it mess with what we've built."
"It won't," Cole promised, his grip on her hand tightening just slightly. "We're in this together. Always."
Lina's lips curved into a real smile now, and without saying anything more, she leaned in and pressed her forehead against his, their breaths mingling in the quiet of the empty warehouse. For a moment, everything else fell away—the underground, the fights, the fear of what was coming. It was just the two of them, standing together, as they always had.
"I guess that's settled then," Lina murmured, her tone light but with an edge of seriousness. "No going back now."
"Wouldn't want to," Cole replied, his voice soft but sure.
And just like that, the tension that had been simmering between them for so long was broken, replaced with something real, something solid. Cole wasn't one to hide from his feelings, and now that they were out in the open, there was no more pretending. He had made his move, and she had met him there, in the middle of it all.
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The next day, the energy in the warehouse was different. Cole and Lina worked together like they always had, but now there was an unspoken understanding between them, a connection that had always been there but was now acknowledged. They didn't make a big deal of it—there was too much at stake for romantic drama—but it was clear to everyone around them that something had shifted.
Ty, ever the observant one, noticed it first. As they prepped for another day of training, he gave Cole a sidelong glance. "Something you want to tell me?" he asked with a knowing smirk.
Cole shot him a look, but there was no point in hiding it. "Nothing to tell," he said simply. "It is what it is."
Ty chuckled. "Yeah, I figured. About time, though."
Lina overheard, and as she passed by, she shot both of them a look that said she wasn't in the mood for teasing. "Get back to work, Ty," she said, though there was no real bite in her words.
The crew noticed too, but no one dared say anything. Cole and Lina had always been the backbone of the group, and now it just felt natural that their connection had become something more.
As the day wore on, and the training sessions continued, Cole couldn't help but feel a strange sense of calm settle over him. For the first time in a long time, things felt... right. He wasn't the type to get distracted by emotions, but having Lina by his side, knowing that she was with him in every sense of the word, gave him a strength he hadn't realized he needed.
The battles ahead were going to be brutal. The underground was gearing up for a war, and the fight was far from over. But now, Cole had something more to fight for—something beyond just survival. He had Lina, and he had his crew, and that was all the motivation he needed to keep pushing forward.
"Ready for what's next?" Lina asked later that evening, as they stood outside the warehouse, watching the city lights flicker in the distance.
"Always," Cole replied, glancing over at her with a grin. "We've got this."
Lina smiled, her hand brushing against his briefly, a simple but meaningful gesture. "Yeah. We do."
And with that, they turned back toward the warehouse, ready to face whatever came next. Together.
État de l’alimentation hebdomadaire
-- Classement
Power Stone 
-- Power
stone