CHAPTER FORTY-FIVE

…AND LOSS

Nick flipped through the newspaper, looking at the comics page.

Hmm...eh-ha-ha-haa! Oh, FoxTrot, how I love you!

It was early in the morning at "Uncle's Rare Finds" and pretty much everyone else except for him and Uncle was asleep. Captain Black was supposed to come visit today to select the next people to bring the bell piece back home. It was supposed to be a normal school day for Nick and Jade though, and-

What the?

"No…way…" Nick gasped.

Uncle walked back into the kitchen, sipping his tea. "Why is boy's mouth so open Uncle could fit pufferfish into it?"

"My-my old girlfriend from elementary school…Molly Porter, she's…she's here in San Francisco, it says…the newspaper says "New Addition to School: Overcoming the Impossible". It…it says her family fell apart, her father molested her, her brother died in an accident and she was even kidnapped once…and now she's coming to the school as a transfer student…she…she starts today!"

Uncle raised an eyebrow. "You dated girl who has-"

"No-no-no! That stuff never happened in MY world! Just…just like…"

Like David never died…

Nick found himself sniffling. He wiped his nose with a napkin after putting the newspaper down and looked at the picture of Molly. The picture of her was in clear color, she was wearing slightly Gothic-anarchist style clothing. She had dark brown hair that ended in dark red, a dye job obviously. She had dark lipstick and some dark eyeliner, but beneath all that was…was those eyes and those cute little cheeks and that…that faint hint of a smile.

Oh Molly…how I missed you…

The bus came about an hour later. Nick was anxious, eager, he HAD to see Molly. He had so much to ask her, so much he wanted to tell her…he might never get the chance back in HIS world, but in this one…

Drew and Hsi were sitting behind them on the bus, with Drago and Jade sitting with each other. Jade didn't want to make out with Drago, saying "she didn't feel like it so early". Nick sat in the only single-person seat in the back, looking out the window, his mind going back to second grade, to Squadron Line.

There…on the playground…

I really, really like her…

She really, really, likes me…

Oh wow, I…I feel so great, I…

I…

The tree, underneath that tree on those wood chips in the playground, my…my first kiss…OUR first kiss…

Nick sighed as he looked out the window, thinking out loud.

"It all seemed so long ago…young and happy, don't you know? Down by the creek I would show…fireflies to my girl…"

Nick sighed.

"But that was back when…she was nice… before her warm heart…turned to ice…but that...was long...ago…"

He laughed a little.

"The schoolyard, that's where we were…the first time I kissed her…"

"Hey buddy…was it tongue?" Drew asked.

"NO. And thankfully no retainer…" Nick said. Other people were beginning to listen.

"I remember her childhood home…and on the playground we would roam…"

"And did you talk upon the phone?" Nene asked.

"Yeah!…oh so long ago…I carved our initials on a tree…I loved her and she…loved…meeeee…but…"

"But?" Jade asked.

"That was…long ago. Back when she whispered in my ear…when I felt there was nothing to fear…"

"Any old feeling left at all?" Hsi Wu asked.

"Oh in true love I sure did fall…and now I wonder…is there hope left…for ussss?" Nick sang out softly. He took in a deep breath. "Though I have a love right now, I still think of Molly and of how...I wish I could say-"

"THAT IS IT. EVERYONE OFF THE BUS!" The bus driver hollered at him. Oops! They all hadn't been paying attention, they were at the school at last! Nick apologized and got off the bus, feeling hot. He entered the school and headed for homeroom.

Now then…what had the newspaper said? He'd brought it with him. Opening up his good old backpack he took it out. Let's see…she was a transfer student at the school, started her classes today…anything on homeroom? Nope. Anything on where she was living? Nope. Oh-wait…she had an "interest in art". Art class, he had that next period, right after homeroom!

"Hey Nick." Lily said, raising her eyebrows. She was sitting to his left. "How come you're shaking more than my daddy's bed during Valentine's Day?"

"Oh, er…well…"

Then it happened. A stroke of incredible luck.

"Students, I want you to meet your new classmate, Molly Porter."

"…hi." Molly said softly.

Those eyes…that hair…it WAS Molly. Nick's heart skipped a beat or two. He found himself tearing up a little, so he blinked quickly. Molly took the seat right of him and opened up her notebook, taking out a picture she was working on. It was of a cartoon of a couple.

The boy hugged the girl. "I love you."

The girl hugged him back. "I love you too!"

A little heart symbol floated in the air above them. Then the girl stepped back and plunged her hand into the boy's chest.

"You tore out my heart." The boy said.

"Can we still be friends?" The girl asked.

Hmm. Maybe talking to her would be harder than he thought.

Lily began snickering for some reason…

ELSEWHERE…

"Bai? Bai?" Xiao called out as he walked through the hospital. Finally he heard Head Nurse Sky Dog's voice and he followed it to his office. "Head Nurse, have you-what the!?!"

Bai and Sky Dog were looking dreamily at each other, with a photo of the two of them on a yacht together just to Bai's right. "What the heck is going on!?" Xiao wanted to know.

"I've finally found true love once again!" Bai said happily. "Head Nurse Sky Dog had called me in because he's retiring early, and he recommended me to be his replacement. So we got to talking about this when he called me in a couple days ago, then we started talking about our hobbies…"

"And as it turns out, both Bai and I really HATE beets, and we LOVE going on the sea, so I decided to take her on a trip on my yacht, and we really hit it off!"

"We're going out to dinner tomorrow!" Bai said, getting up and hugging Xiao. "Isn't that GREAT?!"

"I'm happy for you." Xiao said honestly. "Oh, here Bai. The results of the pap smear."

Xiao handed Bai a stack of papers in a large envelope. She looked through it and breathed a sigh of relief as he left. "Phew! All clear!"

Meanwhile, Xiao sighed as he headed back to his patients. Yeah, he was happy for Bai, but…

It would have been nice to…to have a love of his own now.

ELSEWHERE…

Drew looked around the parking lot. He took a breath and began pacing, trying not to work up into a frenzy as he did so. What had King told him and Drago's posse, who were doing THEIR part? "Just stay calm", right. And stick to the plan, stick to the plan, stick to the-

"Now you shall join your friends." He heard a voice said simply. He turned around and saw a dark-cloaked angel floating towards him, scythe held high. He ran, Azrael simply chased after him. "You cannot run from me. You cannot run from death, I AM death, I am your death. Just hold still, let this be quick. This is your fate."

However, just as Drew ran past a blue Honda in the parking lot and Azrael approached it and the SUV parked next to it, he stopped in midair, looking down. A sealing symbol was glowing bright red from beneath him, he was TRAPPED.

"What?" He remarked.

"That sign is designed to seal angels." King said, appearing from behind the SUV with Drago's posse. "We've been waiting for you, angel of death. We're prepared for you, and we're going to end you so that you can never end another life again." He held up a small cauldron and it hovered in the air at his command as Drew walked over to them.

Strikemaster Ice held up an egg. "Yo, check it and weep, we got the ingredients for a potion to take away ALL yo mad skillz, and they all be symbols for life! New life…" He put the egg inside.

"The life well lived…" DJ Cobra said, putting a cane into the cauldron.

"The sign of life trumping death." MC Fist finally said, putting in a sparkling, fiery feather that shimmered in the light…a downy feather from a firebird…a phoenix!

"Drew, summon the spider! He knows the spell to do it!" King shouted.

"Right!" Drew took out his spider token and held the golden item up. "ANANSI! Hear my call! Help a brother out, man!"

"Help a brother out?" King asked, raising an eyebrow.

Lighting split the sky. All became dark above them. And then a large spiderweb shot down from above, and Anansi quickly crawled down into the parking lot.

"What would you ask of me?" He asked.

"Can you call up the powers of life to remove Azrael's powers?" Drew asked.

Anansi looked over at Azrael and began chuckling. "Heh-heh-heh-heh-heh-heh. Yes...I can. You have the ingredients?" He asked.

King nodded. "In the cauldron…"

"Very well. I shall begin the spell." He walked over to the cauldron and raised his claws to the brim, closing each eye slowly and then chanting in a deep, low voice. The cauldron began to glow and shake with blinding light. Suddenly the sealing symbol vanished.

"Aw, f—k!" Drew shouted.

"As a side effect, in order for me to cast the spell I have to call upon and drain all magic around me. Keep Azrael at bay while I get to work!" Anansi informed them as Azrael advanced.

"We can do that!" Strikemaster Ice said. "King, hit us!"

"Right!" King said, thrusting his hands at them. "EMPOWER!"

A blue shine spread from his hands to them, and the clenched their fists and lunged at Azrael, forcing him back, now sharing chi energy with King, who fell to the ground, panting.

"Need…to rest…" He said. "Drew…you have shamanic talent…use it…help them…"

Drew nodded and took up a fighting pose, closing his eyes. Summon the power within, summon the power within…

Finally he rushed at Azrael, who had knocked the posse down. The archangel raised his scythe…

"Die now." He said simply.

Suddenly something struck him in the back. Something sharp. He grunted and turned around, and saw Drew. His hands had large claws floating over them, like an…an oversoul, almost. His eyes glistened and glittered like black diamonds, and his muscles bulged.

"Come and get some." He said. "This is for all my niggas."

He rushed at Azrael and swiped at his chest. The archangel danced back as Drew continued to slash and slice. He suddenly jumped into the air, then zoomed at the angel of death, who barely blocked the blow in time with his scythe. The posse cheered him on, he was doing it, really doing it! They could win!

"Almost done!" Anansi called out.

Azrael would NOT have this. He swung his scythe, and it glowed with purple/black energy, sending Drew flying back. He rushed at Anansi, raising his scythe again, but this time the posse grabbed him and shoved him onto the ground. They then jumped on him and began punching him over and over while Drew helped himself up…

SCLHCKA!

He turned around and saw the posse fall to the ground, bleeding…dead. Azrael spun his scythe and pointed at Drew, advancing…

Too late though.

Anansi took the cauldron and swung it, and its contents flowed forth, blue and brown, striking Azrael and burying him in a flood of energy. He coughed and spluttered and was swept out of the parking lot, far, far away…

"It is done." The trickster spirit said. "I take my leave. I…am sorry you lost your allies."

King was closing the posse's eyes, gently crying onto their bodies, silent in his work. Drew rubbed his nose, taking deep breaths. "I'm…just glad I avenged my friends. Now he can't hurt nobody like he hurt me…"

Azrael soon found himself in an alley, cloak soaked, spluttering and coughing as he stood up, shakingly clutching his scythe.

"…annoying. But I shall return to Heaven and call the others-"

"No, you won't." A voice said from behind him.

Azrael turned to see the demonic embodiment of the elements grinning cruelly at him. "I don't think you deserve it. You lost to that kid and his friends, the very kid you wanted to annihilate. Now you're going to be on the receiving end of annihilation, archangel Azrael."

Azrael let a small smile appear on his features. "You think you can beat me? I may not be able to come back to life time and time again anymore, and my powers may be gone, but I am a trained warrior and my scythe hungers for more blood."

"Really? Well, I'd hate to disappoint your scythe. But it won't be splattered in MY blood." Snizzi said softly, dangerously. "Watch…watch and learn."

Azrael DID watch…in horror…and his eyes became wide, his mouth opening into a silent scream.

"I think we both know who is the true angel of death now." The towering form told the archangel as he raised his arms.

SCHLUCKA-SCHLUCKA!

Azrael's dead, limp body fell to the blood-splattered ground as his scythe clattered next to him, blood specks trickling down. The towering form changed and then…

Fifteen minutes later Snizzi left the alley, picking his teeth with his a toothpick in his gloved hand as he walked towards the parking lot where King and the others had been, though they had finally left.

"I'm not hungry anymore." He remarked.

ELSEWHERE…

"Well, that was easy." Valmont remarked as they got off the airplane in Russia. "One of my contacts already has the bell piece and he's meeting us right here in the café." He told Captain Black, Tso and Tchang. The café was a very nice place, it smelled of delicious Russian foods, with fine carpeting and lots and lots of tables to sit at.

"Now all we have to do is wait. Who wants a drink?" Valmont asked.

"Mocha espresso." Black said.

"Some lemon tea, I think." Tso thought out loud.

"Vodka. Lots of it." Tchang wanted.

"…waiter! Waiter!" Valmont called out.

A man walked over to him, all dressed up and looking quite stylish for a waiter. "Yes?" He asked in a thick Russian accent.

"Can we have a drink?"

"Sorry."

"Why?"

"Because in Russia, you serve WAITER!"

"WHAT?!?"

"Ha-ha-ha! Just a joke, just a joke. Now then, what would you like?"

"A mocha espresso, some lemon tea, a bottle of vodka and for me, eh…I'd like a scotch, single malt, speyside…and not on the rocks."

"Pretty classy drink, Valmont." Captain Black admitted.

"Ah, you are quite the man of taste. I'll be right back." The waiter walked off. As soon as he did, Valmont's cell phone rang. "Oh, hello dear! Yes, we're waiting for our contact to arrive in this café…no, no, I'm not wasting money, we only ordered drinks. What? Oh of course, go off and have fun with your friends, go ahead. I'll be-what? No, NO, I did the dishes last night!"

"Oh my." Tso remarked.

"Oh YEAH? Well YOU'RE the one who's wasting MY money to buy YOUR bloody crap-I am NOT a bad father! Th-that was NOT my fault!"

Captain Black groaned. He didn't like where this conversation was going.

Meanwhile, Nick had finally managed to see Molly in art class. The two were supposed to be working on a sculpture, a "Grecian Classical" sculpture.

"I'm warning you…" Lily told Nick before he walked over to join her. "She's emo."

"She's what?"

"Emo."

"Emotional?"

"No, EMO. Don't you know anything about them?"

"Er…no…what's an emo?"

"Fringy hair, tight t-shirts, studded belts, you know the type!"

"Not really." Nick said, walking off to talk with his former girlfriend-turned-art-partner. "Hey Molly." Nick said in a friendly manner as she looked at him. She blinked. "Nick?...is…that you?"

"Yes, Molly. It's me."

Molly allowed the flicker of a smile to pass on her face. "Hi Nick." She said. Her voice had gotten more tomboyish, more authoritative, but she was still Molly. "I didn't know you moved out of Connecticut-hey wait…I saw you on TV, you were that superhero…what's going on?"

"I'm not the Nick you know, well, sort of…I'm Nick Grey from another world. We still went to school, still played together as close friends, still…still kissed underneath the tree in second grade-"

"On the playground." Molly said slowly. "Yeah, I…I remember that. We-we'd better get to work." She said hastily, turning to the clay. "You can think up a design, right? I'm good with my hands, I'll do the carving, you can do the details…"

The sculpture took a while, but they managed to complete it in time. It was quite a nice little imitation of "The Thinker" and Molly looked pleased. "Not bad." She said. "I gotta get going, it-it was nice seeing you." She said quickly.

Nick however, had a lot he had to say. "Wait-" he began, reaching out. He tugged on her jacket's arm and a part of it ripped off revealing…

Scars…she'd been…she'd been carving her arm up!

"Molly, you…" Nick whispered.

Molly began crying and raced out of the room. Nick ran after her. "Molly! MOLLY!" He shouted.

DOWN IN HELL…

"This…is aggravating." Xan snarled to himself as he paced around in the lounge. Belial was there with Lucifer, and the two were sharing drinks.

"To friendship! To generosity! To lazy Sundays!" Belial laughed.

"Amen to THAT." Lucifer laughed.

"Would you two stop sipping that f—kin bottle of whatever it is you're drinking and think up something intelligent!?! I need to come up with a new plan. I need to…wait…something new, something…something new in an old way…one of the oldest tricks in the book…that's IT! I've GOT it!" He cackled and rubbed his hands. "Ooh, it's too perfect! Belial, go find your best buddy the Lord Demon of Sloth and bring him…" Xan snapped his fingers and a map with some coordinates appeared. He handed them to Belial. "HERE."

Belial took the map in his claws and looked it over, his draconic face studying it. His eyes widened. "Oh…very...very well." He said. "I...I shall fetch him."

Lucifer watched Belial walk off and rolled his eyes. "You seriously believe he shall succeed in defeating them? All the others failed…save for I and he, that is. And the Grand Master is constantly keeping Lillith with him."

"Every single Lord Demon has different talents. The plans before were too base…I needed to think up a better plan that will suit the needs of those participating in it. I didn't work to their talents as much as I am now. Besides, The Lord Demon of Sloth's a very…powerful character."

"Only when he's awake and angry." Lucifer said. And even then, not as powerful as I, he thought.

"Yes, but who better to make him awake and angry than the Chan clan and their friends?" Xan asked, grinning cruelly.

"…you are a sadistic, matricidal freak." Lucifer remarked.

"Thanks. I learned from the best."

ELSEWHERE…

Molly put the little razor to her arm in the teacher's bathroom. She'd run to it and had locked the door. "That's it…that's it…" she heard. "Do it nice and deep…"

The door to the bathroom suddenly began taking a beating from outside. "MOLLY! Molly, please, I have to talk to you!" Nick shouted from outside.

"Go away…" he heard a familiar voice call from within. "She wants rest now…"

"Molly, don't you DARE die! Not before I tell you!" He shouted. He thrust his hands at the door and focused. "HADOKEN!"

BA-BAM! The door came flying down. He rushed in and saw Lily with Molly…and Molly's blood was trickling down her arm, her eyes gray and hazy, almost unseeing. "LILY? What the…wait…you're not…you're not human." He said. "You're Lillith, aren't you?!"

Lily laughed cruelly. "Got it in one!" She laughed. "Molly's under MY direct influence, as per the order of the Grand Lord himself. Poor, poor girl…she deserves to rest, don't you think?" She kneeled down to Molly's level, now in full demon form, and gently stroked Molly's breasts. "Exquisite, isn't she? Such a lovely girl…no wonder you cared for her…"

"I CARED for her because I LOVED her!" Nick shouted.

Molly's eyes flickered from their hazy, grey color. "L-loved…me?"

"Yes." Nick said.

"Don't believe him." Lillith whispered harshly. "He doesn't, he can't…"

ELSEWHERE…

"Drago…can we talk?" Jade asked him as she led him to Hsi's room. The Sky Demon was surprised to see the two, but let them in.

"I…feel I gotta tell you this." She admitted. "The truth is that, I…I kind of actually…"

"Well FINE! Go ahead! I DON'T GIVE A BLOODY DAMN!" Julian snarled, slamming the cell phone onto the table and breaking it.

Tchang normally didn't care about anyone except his closest friends, and you could truly count them on one hand, yet he found himself asking "…you alright?"

Valmont took in few deep breaths. Finally he spoke. "No." He shook his head and buried his face in his hands. "I'm not, I…I'm single now…"

"Molly, I have to tell you. I…I still-"

"NOO-"

"I still feel love for you!" Nick blurted out.

"NOOOOO!!!" Lillith howled, grabbing at her head. She hollered and vanished in a burst of black light. Molly fell of the toilet and Nick caught her, lifting her up and bringing her out to the nurse's office.

When Molly awoke, she found Nick holding her hand as she lay back in one of the nurse's office beds. "I'm glad you're alright." He said. "I missed you so much, Molly."

"Nick…thank you." She said.

They began speaking a lot. Nick told her everything that had happened to him, she told him all about her own life. They talked about current events, their families, all of it.

"I'm really glad I got to-"

"Nick, I…don't like you that way." Molly admitted. "Not anymore."

Nick blinked a few times. "What?" He asked softly.

"I'm…I'm so glad that you helped me now, I'm glad you stayed by me, glad you were there back then and that you don't hate me for being so mean to you when I broke up with you in front of everyone, but…I don't love you…"

Nick looked down at his hands. He didn't say anything as she got up.

He guessed he'd learned something.

Love is different, changing all the time. And relationships can change in the blink of an eye.

BGM: Tell Her This, by Delemetri

Tell heerrr not to goo…I aiiin't holdin' on no mooore…

Tell her something in my mind…freezes up from time to time…

(Captain Black pats Valmont on the back as he walked him out of the cafeteria, Tso and Tchang just behind them.) Sometimes they just end after many years…

Tell heeerrr not to cry…I just got scaaared that's all…

Tell her I'll be by her side, all she has to do is call!

All she has to do is call!

(Jade begins speaking with Drago, but we can't hear what she's saying or his shocked/hurt exclamations, Hsi comes over and the three all hug.) Sometimes friends become lovers, and lovers become friends…

Tell heeerrr the chips are dooown! IIII drank too much and shouted it aloud!
Tell her something in my heart…needs her more than even clowns…

Need the laughter of the crowd!

(Molly slowly puts the jacket back on.) And sometimes…

Tell heeerrr what was wrong! I sometimes think too much but say nothing at all!

Tell her from this high terrain, I am ready now to fall!

I am ready now to fall!

"MOLLY!" Nick yelled out just before she left. She turned around and saw him teary-eyed.

Tell heerrr not to goo…
"Could I have a hug, for…old time's sake?" Nick asked.

I aiiin't holdin' on no mooore…

Molly smiled sadly. "…okay." She said, walking over.

Tell her nothing if not this…all I want to do is kiss…her…

The two embraced, and Nick cried gently into her shoulder. "You…you take good care of yourself, okay?!" Nick said shakily. "You'd better take REALLY good care!"

I guess…sometimes…you just have to say goodbye…

Molly smiled and hugged him back, then walked out of the room, leaving Nick alone.

Tell her something in my mind…freezes up from time to time…

Nick bit his lip and felt a tear go down his cheek.

"Goodbye Molly…I'll miss you…" He said softly.

(Music ends.)

Author's Note:

I spend the following weekend up in Vermont, skiing at Okemo! Woohoo! And I've almost got enough money for a Wii, and soon I shall have enough for SUPER SMASH BROS BRAWL! W00T!

I...I wrote this chapter because some loose ends needed to be tied up, or to begin being tied up. And because the bottom line is that relationships end in different ways, and all of those endings can sting. So here's to all of us and all who will and have experienced those stings. All I can say to you is where there is life, there is hope.