Chapter 7: Say Goodbye

"There it is Haze! Crash into it!"

"Brace yourselves!" Hazel went into full speed ahead and as the car was about to crash into its third wall.

"NOW!"

Everyone jumped out of the car doors, and some even jumped out the windows, and as they rolled on the concrete, the background looked like an action scene from a movie. As the car crashed into the wall, yet again, blocks and bricks flew everywhere as the crusaders ran in.

"Show yourself! We know who you are!" Clarice screamed as her palms glowed a blue, resembling her water powers.

"Well...no point in hiding..." A man's familiar voice said as the shadow of the factory was still painted on him.

"There is no point in hiding cause we know who you are..."

"Mr. Kiorelli!"

As those words filled the room with its tone of betrayal and anger, the man stepped out of the shadow and it was none other than their own gym teacher.

"My my, look who decided to join our little party Ms. Colada..." He smiled as he held up Ms. Colada by her hands, who was tied up.

"Ms. Colada!" Kowun screamed in fear as Ms. Colada struggled to get out of the ropes.

"Of course it was you Mr. Kiorelli. You were the only teacher still conscious after everyone lost consciousness. You never actually ate a bite of the cupcake, you ripped a chunk out and pretended to collapse. When we left, it was you dragging Ms. Colada outside in your gym supply duffel bag. It also explains how Clari said you disappeared, and how you drove that car into the cafeteria. Your license plate "MRK-1200", your initials are MR. K, and 12:00 is the time we have gym on Wednesdays. Mike Rello was just another version of "Nicholas or Nich (Kio)Relli". Besides it said Mike Rello also worked as a teacher, and here you are, our own gym teacher betraying us." Clarice explained as Mr. Kiorelli just wore a smug smirk on his face.

"But how did she survive the sunset poison? She is supposed to still be knocked out!" Ben asked.

"Simple, I just made a shorter time length sunset poison for her." Mr. Kiorelli said.

"Why are you doing this?!" Ted questioned.

"Don't you see? I don't want to be in charge of just gym class! I WANT TO BE IN CHARGE OF AMERICA. And once the president and government see how I easily poisoned New York State, they'll have to give me the role of being president! If not, we can go two ways! Either they get poisoned form other foods, or they starve to death of paranoia!"

As Mr. Kiorelli announced this proudly, he realized he wasn't clutching a human body but a huge bar of frozen ice.

"Yeah, it's typical for the villain to foolishly reveal his plans and the hero isn't smart enough to solve the problem as the villain talks, but some heroes remember." Chris commented as Ms. Colada was out of the ropes and standing right by her students.

"Fine...you win. I'll just give up..." Mr. Kiorelli said in a peaceful and convincing tone, but it wasn't convincing enough for the crusaders to believe him.

"I'll just leave..." Mr. Kiorelli pulled something out of his pocket and,

BANG

A bullet went flying from the handgun as Mr. Kiorelli's finger was laid flat on the already pulled trigger. As the bullet was aiming for Ms. Colada too quickly, everyone feared for the worst. As the sound of a bullet piercing was heard, Ms. Colada wasn't injured. Something blocked Ms. Colada but no one exactly knew what. But as soon as the bullet struck, a specific feature instantly helped everyone realize what- or even who took the bullet. As blood bounced into the sky, a wave of emotions struck them again, this time it was main anger, shock, and sorrow.

For what blocked her, was none other than...

(Drawing can be found here = http://sta.sh/019e7q98a9py )

A Black Hoodie

(Drawing can be found here = http://sta.sh/0qevoduivi5 )

Everyone stare in awe as the girl in the black hoodie skidded across the floor, bleeding and in pain as tears and her body met the floor.

"Clari!"

Clarice got out of her position and ran, tears flooding her eyes as everyone stared in worry and sorrow, but Ms. Colada just stood there, trying to take in what had just happened.

"Clari! Why did you do that?! You could have just teleported!" Akimbo asked, rivers of oak

Tears Streaming down his cheeks one drop after another.

"I told you...I'm Clarice's future self. In the future our teacher got killed. Since we were all paralyzed in fear and disappointment, he was able to knock us all out, set a bomb here, leave and we all suffered the explosion. A bunch of us lost some body parts." She managed to say through gasps of pain and sorrow as she was being held by her past self.

"B-Besides," she stuttered, "I never told you guys...the only way to actually cure the sunset poison is human sacrifice, something that couldn't be accomplished in my time because mostly everyone was scared or dead. I never said anything because I know one of you guys would do it. But..."

Clarice looked up at her past team gently and kindly, like a mother to her child.

"I'll know I helped you guys change my terrible future. I know you guys are okay and happy and alive...and I'll be with my future team alive and well since my present self makes it. I'll be with my future deceased team, I'll be happy."

"But you have your team! You have us!" Ricardo screamed, trying to choke back his tears. He wasn't the only one however, as many people were holding in most of their tears, most of them failing as they were allowing droplets to stream down their face.

"Don't any of us have healing magic?! ONE OF US HAS TOO!" Wesley asked in worry, trying so hard to hold tears in but a few tears fell like rain droplets without him noticing. He had a short time joking rivalry with their team leader at the beginning of the year, but even though he just joined the team, he couldn't stop crying. Alex stared at the ground, tears dropping from his eyes and splashing on the ground.

"I'm afraid none of us have it, and the wound is too deep since he used anti magic poisoned bullets..." He looked down as Amelia was just letting all her tears out, her palms still cupping her mouth as her hands ended up becoming stained with water.

"Guys...please don't be sad. I'm not your Clarice. I'm just the future one, another version. The real me is still here, she will still lead her team and continue to lead and live, so please don't cry over me. I don't want it to end like that, please smile." She whispered solemnly, not wanting to strain herself projecting her voice due to pain as Clarice couldn't take it anymore. She broke down, crying as she hugged Clari's body close to her, tears streaming down her chin as she gritted her teeth together.

"We can't smile! I know what I'm going to say is what everyone is thinking! But we don't CARE what world you're from! And we don't care HOW confusing this is, you're still me! You're their leader and our friends, even if you aren't the real me! Even if you were a different person, you're still our friend! You sacrificed so much of our life to help us and now as a final act of help you DIE?! OF COURSE IM CRYING HOW CAN I SMILE?!"

As Clarice was hugging her future self even tighter, ignoring the blood dripping down on the floor from her future self, her future self asked one more question.

"Can I see my team one more time please?"

Clarice lifted her future self up, and as she did, Clari revealed two surprises to them. The first surprise was under her right bang. As she moved her fingers towards her hair, she brushed away her hair and looked at them, gently gazing at them in the process.

(Drawing can be found here = http://sta.sh/016uhp8u4nk7 )

"You-You're eye...what happened to it?! Was this from the explosion?!" Abigail asked crying as Kowun, Hazel, & RosaMariéChe could say nothing due to the pain they felt. The second surprise?

A smile...

A flashback played through Camilla's head.

//Flashback//

"You're telling me you NEVER smiled since?" She asked Clari, who just looked down and sighed.

"Come on! Smile? Please? Banana?"

//Flashback ends//

As the flashback ended, Camilla looked at Clari, and as if by magic, a gentle and sweet smile was painted on Clari's face. As everyone recognized the smile, no one could hold back their tears anymore. But while everyone was crying, Camilla broke down as well.

"I wanted you to smile..." She muffled through chokes, tears and pain.

"But NOT LIKE THIS!"

As everyone sobbed, a few words were heard loud and clear through the silence.

"I always wanted more memories to have with you guys, but this is good enough, even if it's not my official team. Because I don't care if it's past, future, present, one thing is for sure...

I love my team."

She glanced them the same smile on her face except it was more of a grin for a few seconds until all of a sudden, the smile disappeared on her face. She fell to the floor, and her arm fell back to her stomach. She lost the fight for her life. All the pain was gone and all the worries were gone, because she was gone.

The blood continued to drip as her eyes and mouth were closed peacefully, as if she was asleep, but everyone knew that wasn't the case. When they no longer heard her breaths they knew...

She was dead.

(Drawing can be found here = http://sta.sh/016uhp8u4nk7 )

"She-she can't be...NO YOU CANT BE." Clarice was still sobbing, not wanting to believe anything that just happened as she hugged the body even tighter, hoping to hear her breaths, but all she heard was nothing. As she let go and still cradled her body in her hands, the body disintegrated into dust, leaving the cloak behind. As the dust floated into the air, a gentle and peaceful, yet saddened voice echoed throughout the room.

"I'm sorry I couldn't stay strong enough till the end of the mission. I'm not strong enough to do many things...but I can help you guys. I can cure the poison, but before I do, I wanted to say...Thank you. For every single moment I had with all of you..."

Clarice stared at the dust until she heard the dust whisper something as it passed by her ear

"Clarice, things will get better for you. For us. Stay strong and remember your friends are here for you and you must stay strong for them."

As the dust went through the roof and collided into a sparkling ball, it performed a sonic boom, the light shining everywhere as the poison in everyone was instantly cured. But nothing was curing the pain in everyone's hearts. As Clarice was clutching the cloak and the silver baton left behind, the baton began to crack. As soon as Clarice realized that all the gold bars are now black, a few words echoed in her mind.

"I love my team."

The sentence ended and the silver baton cracked into little chunks. Clarice stared at it for a few seconds, but as soon as she took in quickly what just happened, she gave out a loud cry as she hugged the broken baton and cloak close to her, staining them with her tears as everyone except the villain cried alongside her.

(Drawing can be found here = http://sta.sh/093iwpylvpk )

"Psh. Pathetic. You guys are crying over this girl...she was just another obstacle in my way." Mr. Kiorelli muttered as he stared at his handgun.

"To the underworld with your way! Why are you doing this? What pleasure do you find in killing innocent people?!" Quan asked, wiping tears and becoming more enraged by each second.

"Shut up! As long as you are all alive, my destiny will not become true!"

As Mr. Kiorelli was about to pull the trigger, Ms. Colada snapped.

"Then why don't you JUST GIVE UP AND SHUT UP?!"

She grabbed her sword as she jammed with the sharp end of her blade into the hand gun, causing an explosion of the gun to erupt. As Mr. Kiorelli slid back, Ms. Colada stood her ground.

"I won't let anyone kill my students for their own pleasures!"

As Mr. Kiorelli got up in the distance, she lifted her sword at him and began to show the tears flowing down her face.

"For all the memories..."

Those words echoed through her mind as her sword was raised at him.

"YOU'LL PAY FOR THIS."