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, the group was listening to Enzo. "I'm here whenever Vanian needs me, and that's why I chased him up. I'm not here to turn anyone in.", the cyan haired man clarified. "A boy in love huh? Reminds me of someone from the syndicate...", Aster sighed. Julia glanced over at him, "Aster, are you alright?", she asked. Aster turned away.
"Well aren't you a rude one!", shouted Enzo, stabbing at Aster's mind with his voice. Vanian signalled at him to be quiet and went up to Aster, "Sorry about him. Do you need anything?" Aster didn't know how to respond, sympathetic people in Tiliac, it seemed like a trance. As things dawned on him, Aster's eyes began to get puffy, "No, don't cry, they'll see your weakness!", he thought. Enzo heard a sniffle or two, "Why's he crying?", he asked Vanian.
"I think he might be losing hope...", the ginger responded. Aster began to stutter and desperately tried to cover his face. "Aster, is there anything, anything at all we can do to help you?", Julia pondered, trying to maintain a smiling face to keep Aster calm. Aster keeled on the floor and continued to cry, "What's the point of all this? I'm burdening you as it is!", he sniffed. "Aster, why the sudden outburst?", asked Vanian.
"BECAUSE I'M BACK IN THIS DAMNED PLACE AND I CAN'T GET BACK!", Aster cried. Enzo walked toward, confused about everything that was going on but wanting to help, "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 refused to ask for help!", Aster emphasised. "I...never knew that you were in that much pain. I'm so sorry for being ignorant...". Enzo offered his hand and let Aster get up, "I'll take you to base, and if they try to detain you, I'll kill them.", he stated. "You really don't have to do that...", muttered Aster, but Enzo dragged him along anyway, towards his answers.
"Enzo, I never knew you to be so kind.", remarked Vanian. "Seeing you guys fawning over this guy kind of showed me how important it was. After all, a friend of yours is a friend of mine.", Enzo replied. "We'll be at base by late afternoon, let's go! All justice will be served!", Julia enthused. Aster turned to his companions, "Well I guess I'm doing this...", he thought as the four of them walked off into sunset.