*This chapter, while not much, is a thank you to everyone for the support along the way. I wish to specifically thank DragonConquer1 for being active and randomly chatting away with me :). Moving on, I hope you'll all enjoy, even if the pacing is a bit slow (I follow the game)*
With a fake cough, Mark went on to clear his throat.
"So, we'll do as follows: Chief Oleg needs a hand; I'm sure of it. Wildfire is in trouble, with too much on their plate and not enough manpower. This is where we step in," said Mark as he pointed to himself and the Express crew. "We have more than enough ability to solve a few issues here and there, so consider this some really good collaboration where we scratch your back and you scratch ours."
He took a deep breath, preparing himself to aim for the heart of the matter.
"In the not-so-long long run... we plan to open the passageway to the world above. Sure, the situation is shitty on both sides, so we need people to collaborate. You might not be aware, but Cocolia's choice isn't fully her own when it comes to sealing the Underworld. She's not exactly in her right mind..."
The gazes he got were one more confused than the other, with Seele not fully buying it, while Bronya was still processing his words on Cocolia's mental state. The Express crew was staring intently at his attempt to negotiate some terms and find the best course of action for all sides. He wasn't the best at it by any means, yet his words were honest, and honesty is a virtue that goes a long way, especially with those who see the value in it.
Reluctantly, Seele agreed with him.
"Fine, let's say that we agree to your terms. We'll take the help, but how are you even going to try and open the passageway?"
Mark gave a knowing smirk, speaking in a stern tone, avoiding any hint of sarcasm that he usually loved.
"We shall handle the Stellaron, the very thing that led to the planet freezing... but for that, we'll need your hand since we don't know it's location."
It was true. Even with his knowledge, whenever he'd try to forcefully pry that knowledge back into his mind, the sensation of vertigo and pain overcame him fiercely, threatening to rip his mind apart. Instead, he chose to follow the natural flow of things and allow some memories to come back when the time was right.
Sampo sighed, crossing his arms.
"My friend, I suggest we keep this story for the chief. Miss Seele here won't really understand it either way."
She nodded, actually agreeing with his words.
"Indeed. For now, we've run into some trouble at the Great Mine. Chef Oleg is there as well, so if you actually plan on lending a hand, you better come with me."
The whole group got a move on, yet Bronya seemed to be held back in place as the others began pacing away. Mark walked up to her, letting out a soft sigh. He placed a firm hand on her shoulder, prompting her to tear her gaze away from the ground and meet his.
"I know a lot of things don't really make sense, and I know that you genuinely care for the people, both those above and below... so, for the sake of both, lend us a hand, please. You're one of the few people who could actually try and talk Cocolia's mind back into the right place. So, please, Bronya... lend us your strength."
She held his gaze, a turmoil made up of emotions writhing inside of her, visible in her ashen brown eyes.
"I... I'm confused, alright? I should have been able to do something, and yet... all I could do was sit back and watch, trying to help however I was able to. I couldn't stand up to her, and I'm not sure I will ever-"
Mark was quick to cut her off, already aware of the things she was about to say.
"No, Bronya... you can, and you will. Have faith in yourself. I know you have it in you, and plus, you got us, you know? Sure, we might be strangers, but that's how friendships begin. So, let's get going, ok? The others aren't really waiting for us."
With that, he walked off. Her gaze lingered on his back for a moment, taking in the carefree way in which he walked, as if nothing mattered as long as you tried to do something about it. Still, his shoulders were slightly slouched, just a tiny bit. Hesitant, she chose to follow, and so they all walked to the entrance of the mine.
Once they had arrived, Stelle had to ask the obvious question that no one had bothered to address.
"So... what issues are exactly going on inside the mine?"
Seele sighed, her weariness evident in her tone.
"After something called the 'Fragmentum' corroded a lot of the other mines and even the turf of the vagrants. With that, a lot of miners were forced to work here due to the mine being safer, and the vagrants did the same. Sure, they're an honest bunch, but with such a large group, conflict and troublemakers are bound to appear. They've been stealing things from the miners and picking fights. That's not even the worst of it."
She braced herself for it, looking towards the inside of the mine.
"For two days now, huge clashes have been breaking out between the vagrants and the miners. It isn't pretty. Come on, let's go in; chief Oleg is inside."
Bronya let out a soft scoff.
"It's about time I got to meet the leader of the Underworld."
Seele nearly mocked her, yet Mark's gaze fixed on her, sort of cutting down her appetite for mischief. With that, she made her way in, followed by the entire group. Once inside, the commotion was already visible, with the large group of people gathered together and Natasha being there.
"Isn't that the doctor lady?" asked March. Seele merely watched, a disturbed expression on her face.
"What's Natasha doing here? Things must be worse than I thought."
Mark looked around, noticing that Sampo had seemingly vanished already. As Seele discussed the situation with Natasha, he simply stood back and listened about the ongoing conflict caused by the newly discovered Geomarrow vein, one of the largest in thirty years. Mark already had an idea about what had happened, so he didn't really bother to listen much, seemingly waiting for the action to happen. In the meantime, he kept his senses sharp, looking around in case conflict would ignite again.
"So, seeing as you're looking for Oleg, I believe you're here to help, right?"
Seele turned to look over the group.
"They're here because they need to speak with chief Oleg. Still, that big-mouthed oaf did say something about lending a hand, so I believe that they're more than ready to help."
Mark crossed his arms, trying his hardest not to hit her on the head with his metal pipe, which he carried by his side, not letting go of it no matter what. Everyone chuckled, and even Dan Heng smiled a tiny bit. Mark waved a dismissive hand.
"Sure, call me whatever, as long as we can make it work. Yeah, we're here to lend a hand, so lead the way, tiny lady with your tiny shorts."
She didn't take well to the comment, nearly reaching for her scythe herself, yet both just let the tension linger in the air, not acting on it. Natasha chuckled, her hand gesturing toward them.
"I'm glad to know that we have some extra helping hands. It's a truly valuable resource, so thank you for the help."
Stelle spoke up, a tiny smile on her face.
"Don't worry about that. We'll try our best."
Seele took the lead, still trying to bury the resentment she felt towards Mark for making fun of her.
"The Geomarrow vein... I think that's where the conflicts must be centered. Come on, let's get to higher ground and take a look."
Quick to move, everyone took after her, following closely. They found an unconscious person on the side of the road, which was a large, rusted metallic bridge.
"That person up ahead... is he asleep?"
Mark chuckled at March's question.
"Yeah, March, he sure is sleeping on the job in such a dangerous situation. Let's just check up on him."
As they got closer, the sound of snoring grew louder. Mark looked over to March.
"Gotta apologize. I sure was wrong. Didn't expect him to actually sleep on the job like that."
March chuckled, brushing it off as nothing important. She chose to try to wake him up.
"Hey, wakey-wakey! You'll get mushrooms growing on your head."
The man stood up, mumbling something.
"Hm...? Wha...? Mushroom bread? I don't see it on the menu... Ah, Miss Seele!?"
She scoffed, crossing her arms again.
"Are you serious? Do you have a death wish or something sleeping here? Go back to safety and take shelter!"
The man finally snapped out of it properly.
"I remember now. Those guys came out of nowhere and got into a fight with the mining team. I was fatigued, and they nearly caught me. If it weren't for Wildfire, they would have stolen even the clothes on my back."
Stelle glanced deeper into the unknown mine, the place that, for them, was as unfamiliar as hostile.
"Where did Wildfire go?"
The man looked in the same direction.
"Further in, I guess. Those thugs have long since taken control over the vein. They're fully armed, and we defenseless folks have no chance against them."
Mark nodded, already heading in.
"We're wasting time at this point. Thanks for the information. Now go back and rest properly, got it?"
Along the path lingered more people that Seele knew, and of course, they had to go check up on everyone. Mark smiled slightly, yet he was worried that the situation on the inside might be growing unstable.
"I can't fully recall what's about to happen, yet I don't even need to force myself to. Conflict, that's for sure. I better get ready to be attacked from some blind spot further in."