Chapter 494: Sydney and Christopher Clash

Christopher stood frozen near the edge of the shore, staring at Sydney and Rachel as they faced each other in the shallow water.

The confrontation had escalated so quickly that he had barely processed what had happened. One moment, Sydney had been trying to force her way back toward the boat. The next, Rachel had shoved her away from the controls, and both of them were glaring at each other through the darkness.

Cold water rippled around Sydney’s legs. Her clothes were soaked from the waist down, and strands of wet hair clung to her face. Rachel remained inside the boat, her hands clenched at her sides, tears running freely down her cheeks.

Neither of them looked willing to back down.

Christopher’s chest tightened.

Only half an hour earlier, Ryan had pulled him and Lucy away from the others.

The worst-case scenario.

That was what Ryan had called it.

Christopher had wanted to curse him then. He wanted to curse him even more now.

Had Ryan somehow known this would happen?

The thought was unfair. Ryan had not caused any of this. He had not chosen to be captured. He had not deliberately placed himself in the hands of Gaspar and Callighan’s people.

Christopher knew that.

But knowing it did not make the situation hurt any less.

Ryan had predicted everything.

He had known that if he disappeared, Sydney, Cindy, and Rachel would want to rush back for him. He had known they would be too emotional to think clearly. That was why he had taken Christopher and Lucy aside. That was why he had asked Christopher to stop them if the worst happened.

And now Christopher was doing exactly what Ryan had asked.

He hated it.

He hated Ryan for putting him in this position.

He hated himself for understanding why Ryan had chosen him.

"Going back for Ryan right now is stupid, Sydney..." Christopher said.

"Christopher..."

Cindy turned toward him immediately. Her eyes were already red, and tears trembled on her cheeks. She looked as if she had not yet managed to process what had happened.

Ryan had been captured.

The words still felt impossible.

Cindy’s lips parted, but no sound came out.

She was scared. Christopher could see it clearly. If someone asked her what she wanted, she would probably say that she wanted to go back. She wanted to find Ryan and bring him home like Sydney.

She was terrified that she would never see him again.

Sydney slowly rose from the water.

Her fists were clenched so tightly that her knuckles had turned pale. She stared at Christopher with a mixture of fury, fear, and disbelief.

"What did you say?" She asked.

Christopher held her gaze.

"You heard me."

"What’s stupid?" Sydney demanded, taking a step toward the shore. "Not going back to rescue him? If the roles were reversed—"

"He wouldn’t have rushed in blindly either," Christopher interrupted.

Sydney’s expression twisted.

Christopher continued before she could shout over him.

"What do you think happened with Mei? She was trapped in Brigantine for nearly two weeks. Ryan could have stormed in there earlier, but he didn’t."

His eyes moved toward Mei.

She sat inside the boat, wrapped in Ryan’s jacket, her shoulders trembling. She looked exhausted and pale, but she was still staring toward the darkness where Ryan had vanished.

Christopher’s voice became harder.

"Why do you think he waited? Because he knew that charging into danger without a plan would make things worse. It would have gotten Mei killed, and it might have gotten him captured too."

"That isn’t the same thing!" Sydney snapped.

She swung one arm toward the dark water.

"Mei was a hostage! They had no reason to risk hurting her while they were using her. They won’t give Ryan the same consideration! Not when he’s already fought them! Especially not that yellow-haired asshole with the Symbiote!"

"You’re right," Christopher said.

His agreement made Sydney pause.

"That isn’t the same thing," he repeated. "Because Gaspar doesn’t want Ryan dead. At least we know that much. So we can assume Ryan is—"

Sydney crossed the remaining distance between them and seized the front of his shirt.

"Safe?" She hissed. "Is that what you were going to say? Safe?"

Her grip tightened.

"You really think they’re going to treat him kindly? You think they’ll give him a bed, candy, and breakfast every morning after everything he’s done to them?!"

Christopher’s expression hardened.

Sydney’s eyes were shining, but she did not blink.

"Do you remember Penny?" She asked. "You heard her talk about what Gaspar did to her. You heard her crying while she explained how he tortured her until she became obedient!"

Christopher stiffened.

How could he forget?

Penny’s trembling voice.

The broken pauses between her words.

The shame and fear in her eyes as she described what Gaspar had done to her.

Christopher had tried not to think about it too often. He had tried to bury it beneath everything else they had survived.

But now, with Ryan in Gaspar’s hands, the memory returned in full.

And Sydney was right.

If Gaspar had done that to Penny, what would he do to Ryan?

Ryan was a King Host. He carried another Symbiote inside him. He had fought Gaspar and escaped. He had become an obstacle that Gaspar could not simply ignore.

Christopher’s eyes shook slightly.

He was afraid for Ryan.

But fear did not change the truth.

No, he couldn’t let his emotions take over.

"Ryan is stronger than you think—"

"Fuck off!"

Sydney shoved him.

The force was stronger than he expected. Christopher stumbled backward, but Cindy quickly caught his arm and steadied him.

Sydney turned away, fists trembling at her sides.

For a moment, nobody spoke.

The only sound was the soft movement of water against the shore.

Christopher looked at Sydney’s back.

Then he forced himself to say the words Ryan had entrusted to him.

"Ryan knew this could happen, Sydney."

She did not turn around.

"He told me to stop you from doing something stupid if he was captured," Christopher continued. "He told me to stop you from jumping into danger and getting yourselves caught too."

Sydney let out a short, bitter laugh.

Then she turned around.

"Right," she said. "Of course he did!"

Her eyes moved from Christopher to Rachel and Cindy.

"He told you again! He spoke to you about something like this again, didn’t he? He prepared you for this, but he didn’t say anything to us as always!"

Rachel lowered her gaze.

Cindy did the same.

Their silence confirmed it.

Sydney’s lips twisted.

"Because he knew what all of you would do!" Christopher shouted.

Sydney’s eyes narrowed.

"Yeah?! What would I do?!"

She stepped closer.

"What would I do, Christopher?! I’d go and get him! That’s what I would do! I’d bring his ass back here! I wouldn’t leave him in that place to be tortured!"

Christopher felt his anger rising as well.

"So you’re going to join him in the torture chamber?!" He snarled. "What a touching reunion. You can both suffer together!"

Sydney flinched.

Christopher did not stop.

"No, you’re going to get yourself killed before you even reach him. Or worse, you’re going to get captured too, and then Ryan’s sacrifice will mean nothing!"

Sydney’s face twisted with rage.

"You don’t even give a shit about him, do you?"

She approached until she was directly in front of him.

"You’re standing here telling us to leave him behind like he doesn’t matter!"

Christopher’s temper finally broke.

He grabbed the front of Sydney’s shirt and pulled her to a stop.

"I give a shit about what Ryan thinks!"

Sydney froze.

Christopher’s grip tightened.

"Ryan is my best friend," he said. "Not my girlfriend. Not someone I’m going to blindly chase into an enemy grounds because I’m too emotional to listen to him."

His voice shook with anger, but also with pain.

"That is exactly why he came to me instead of you. He knew I would listen. He knew I would prioritize his wishes instead of making everything worse."

Sydney stared at him.

For a moment, it seemed as if she might hit him.

Then the anger collapsed.

Tears slipped down her cheeks, catching the faint light from the boat.

"His wishes..." She whispered.

She slapped Christopher’s hand away and stepped back.

"What about my wishes?! What about what I want?!"

Christopher said nothing.

Sydney wiped at her face, but more tears followed.

"What about our wishes?!" She shouted, looking toward Rachel and Cindy. "What about what we want?"

Rachel’s expression crumpled.

Cindy covered her mouth with both hands as a quiet sob escaped her.

Sydney’s fists trembled beside her.

"Ryan always decides everything alone," she continued. "He decides who gets protected. He decides who gets left behind. He decides what everyone else is allowed to know."

Her eyes moved toward the dark stretch of water.

"And then he expects us to sit here while he gets hurt for us."

Nobody answered.

Because none of them could deny it.

Christopher released a slow breath. The anger inside him had already begun to fade, leaving only exhaustion behind.

"I know," he said quietly.

Sydney looked at him through her tears.

"I know you want him back," Christopher continued. "I do too. All of us do."

His gaze moved toward the distant darkness.

"But Ryan didn’t ask us to stop caring about him. He asked us not to throw away everyone else’s lives trying to save him without a plan."

Sydney shook her head.

"He should have trusted us enough to tell us himself."

"He trusted us enough to prepare us," Christopher replied. "That’s different."

The words seemed to hurt her even more.

Christopher looked toward the boat, where Mei sat shivering beneath Ryan’s jacket. Tommy remained beside her, exhausted and silent. Keith was still injured. Emily had not even regained consciousness.

They had escaped Brigantine because Ryan had stayed behind.

If they went back now, Ryan’s decision would have protected nobody.

They would all be captured, or killed.

Christopher hated the logic of it.

He hated that Ryan had been right.

But the darkness across the water remained silent, and somewhere beyond it, Ryan was alone with Gaspar.

That was the part Christopher could not accept.

"Listen to me," he said, lowering his voice. "We are not abandoning him forever."

Sydney stared at him.

"We are going to plan," Christopher continued. "We are going to talk to Marlon. We are going to find out how to bring them down and save Ryan but rushing without plans is stupid."

Silence followed Christopher’s words.

Nobody knew what to say. Nobody knew how to make the situation less painful.

Ryan was gone.

Somewhere across the water, inside Brigantine, he was in the hands of Gaspar and Callighan’s people.

And there was nothing they could do about it.

After a long moment, Sydney finally moved.

She turned away from the others, her wet clothes clinging to her body as she stepped toward the road. Her shoulders were stiff, and her fists remained clenched. She had stopped arguing, but the fury inside her had not disappeared.

"Sydney," Rachel called.

Sydney stopped.

For a brief second, Christopher thought she might turn around. Maybe she would say something. Maybe she would finally admit that Rachel was right and allow the others to help her.

Instead, Sydney looked over her shoulder.

"I’m not leaving!" She snapped."I get it! Fine! Let’s just wait, right? Let’s stand here and let him suffer because that’s what he wanted!"

Cindy cried hearing that reaching out her hand.

"Sydney—"

The name barely left her mouth before blue light erupted around Sydney’s body.

It flashed across the shoreline like a spark caught in the wind.

In the next instant, Sydney vanished.

The light disappeared with her, leaving only damp footprints near the water and a faint ripple spreading across the shallow edge.

Nobody spoke.

Rachel remained motionless inside the boat, staring at the place where Sydney had disappeared. Her face was still wet with tears, and her hands trembled against the side of the boat.

Cindy lowered her head.

Another silence lingered until Lucy finally moved.

She stepped toward Keith, who was leaning heavily against the side of the boat. His face had gone pale, and one hand was pressed against his arm.

"Hold on," Lucy said.

She reached beneath his uninjured arm and helped him stand.

Keith gritted his teeth as he rose. His knees shook slightly, but he managed to remain upright.

"Yeah," he muttered. "I’m fine."

"You’re not fine," Lucy replied.

Keith glanced down at his arm.

The bullet was still lodged inside.

The wound had stopped bleeding heavily, but the pain had not faded. Every movement sent another sharp pulse through his body, and the blood soaking through his clothing made it obvious that he needed proper treatment.

"Can you walk?" Lucy asked.

Keith took one careful step.

His face tightened.

"Yeah."

"Then lean on me."

"I can manage."

"Keith."

Keith looked at her for a moment, then gave a weak nod. He shifted his weight against her, and Lucy wrapped one arm around his back to support him.

The two of them began moving away from the boat.

Keith’s boots dragged slightly over the wet ground. He tried to hide how much pain he was in, but Lucy noticed every hesitation.

Behind them, Tommy climbed into the boat and carefully lifted Emily into his arms. She remained unconscious, her body limp against him. Her face was pale, and strands of hair clung to her forehead.

"Careful," Rachel said quietly.

Tommy nodded.

"I’ve got her."

He carried Emily away from the boat, moving slowly so he would not jostle her injuries. His own breathing remained strained from the escape, and one hand occasionally pressed against his side, but he did not complain.

He had already pushed himself beyond his limits tonight.

That no longer mattered.

Emily needed medical attention.

Keith needed a doctor.

Tommy carried Emily toward the road, disappearing gradually into the darkness.

Mei remained sitting inside the boat.

She had not moved since returning to the shore.

Ryan’s jacket was still wrapped around her shoulders. She held the fabric tightly in both hands, pressing it against her chest.

Her eyes remained fixed on the opposite shore.

On Brigantine.

On the place where Ryan had disappeared.

Rachel finally climbed out of the boat and walked toward her.

"Mei."

Mei did not respond.

Rachel stopped beside her and placed a hand on her shoulder. She tried to sound reassuring, even though her own voice was broken.

"Mei, we need to go."

Mei shuddered.

Her fingers tightened around Ryan’s jacket.

For several seconds, she remained completely still.

Then she slowly stood.

Her knees nearly gave way, and Rachel caught her arm before she could fall.

"I’m fine," Mei whispered.

Rachel did not believe her.

But she did not argue.

"Come on," Rachel said softly.

Mei stared toward Brigantine one last time.

The dark outline of the town remained unchanged. No lights moved along the shoreline. No boats crossed the water. No figure appeared to bring Ryan back.

Nothing.

Mei lowered her gaze.

Then she allowed Rachel to guide her away.

Rebecca followed them almost immediately, one arm wrapped around Daisy’s shoulders. Daisy was crying quietly, trying to keep her sobs under control, but she could not hide how frightened she was.

She was clearly timid about what she felt but Ryan was obviously someone very important for her and if Rebecca had to say it, Daisy probably liked Ryan though she wasn’t even aware of it herself.

Cindy followed silently, her face pale and her eyes fixed on the ground.

Eventually, only Christopher remained.

The boats rocked gently behind him.

The others had disappeared along the road, but their footsteps still seemed to linger in the darkness. He stood alone near the water, staring across the empty distance toward Brigantine.

He turned back toward the boat.

The rectangular case containing the Resonance Disruptor remained near the shore. Christopher crouched and picked it up. The case was heavy, and the weight of the weapon inside seemed to carry more meaning now than it had earlier.

Christopher gripped the handle tightly.

He looked toward Brigantine one final time and gritted his teeth.

"Fuck you, man..."

The words were bitter, but there was no hatred behind them.

Only pain.

He turned away from the water and began walking.