The Breaking Point

Chapter 2

Packing was an immediate task. There was no clear reason to stay on the Liacott Islands if Axel wasn't there. It passed without commentary or any of that sort. Words were only used for necessities; and although the silence plunged deep into their hearts, it somehow felt better than talking. The ride to the airport and the plane ride were no different: silent and agonizing.

By the time they arrived in Japan, the thickness of the atmosphere was driving the driver to a dead end. He turned on the radio but he quickly regretted his decision. "Brazil's The Kingdom arrives home Victorious after Inazuma Japan forfeits the FFI finals due to the collapse of their Flame Striker-" The driver turned it off hurriedly but the damage was already done, and for the rest of the ride he heard the sound of soft sniffles instead of pure silence.

Everyone got dropped off in turn by distance, making Mark the first. It felt good to be home but he wasn't sure 'good' was a suitable word to describe how he felt at the moment. He reached into his pocket for the key and unlocked the front door. His mother greeted him with open arms. "Oh Mark, I'm so sorry." She grabbed him into her hug. At first Mark didn't react but seeing this as a chance to confine in someone trusted, he accepted the hug and burst into tears.

For the past three days, he had been the comfort to his entire team. It was his job as a captain and he did it proudly, but he hadn't noticed how good it felt to pour out his stress and grief for once. His mother took exceptional care of him: carrying him everywhere he went despite his weight, cooking him a ton of rice balls, and tucking him into bed. If she had added the diapers and baby powder, the teenage goalkeeper would have transformed back into a two-year-old baby.

When Mark woke up the next morning, he had an entire schedule filled with only one thing: rest. But he had much more work than that. He brushed his teeth, showered, and put on his most respectable suit. After settling for a toast as breakfast, Mark ran out to school. He rushed through the gate, across the schoolyard, and towards the clubhouse. The moment he turned the handle, he was greeted by a chorus of tears. His team collapsed on him, asking a million questions a minute about both Axel and the team. They had all heard about it over the news.

Mark served the role of a brave captain offering words of encouragement to Steve, Jim, and Max; and he served the role of a tissue towards Timmy, Sam and Todd. He stayed for nearly an hour, forcing a smile on his face, re-explaining the entire occurrence and answering the toughest of questions. He bid his beloved team mates good bye after that, hoping he could manage to rest before his second errand, but he had a different surprise waiting for him at home.

Edgar had traveled back to England and then to Japan to condole him. The blue haired captain of the English team was sitting in Mark's living room when the brunette entered. "Edgar?" Mark asked in confusion, "What are you doing here?"

Edgar gave a tiny smile. "I think you mean what are we doing here." Edgar motioned to his right, where on the same couch, Orpheus' captain sat. Then, on another chair was the Empire's captain. Another couch held all four main members of America's Unicorn. Not to mention Little Gigant's captain on Edgar's left. Mark's eyes widened in surprise. "Guys? What? I don't understand." They all stood up, letting Edgar take the lead.

"I apologize for your loss."

Mark blinked. "What?"

"We came to offer our condolences," Edgar explained.

"You traveled all the way from the Liacott Islands just to do that?"