Chapter 7: Selena's Story
"When the battle started to get worse and Jackson was winning," said Selena. "I was hit by one of the reindeers' light sabers. It injured my win, so I wasn't able to fly for at least an hour--I lay stil on the ground and pretended to be dead, so the enemies wouldn't get to me."
"Oh, I'm sorry," said Snooper. "I thought you were really dead. Is that how you escaped from the battle scene?"
Selena continued, "You guys won, anyhow. I didn't want to desert you without you knowing it, so I shed most of my feathers and secretly made a decoy of my dead self--with that in mind, I was able to leave and find some peace, which I eventually found here in the Evergreen Forest. Being a bird, I was energized by the fact that my avian roots belonged in the trees above me. For a few years, I retrained myself, using even the most complicated of all survival skills and plenty of new kung fu moves to match. And before I knew it, I was ready. When I heard rumors that the Bomb Bandit escaped from jail and is now plotting to set the Evergreen Forest on fire, I was enraged--that's why I saved the lives of both Bert Jr. and Nose Marie."
"That was sort of surprising," said Bert. "But anyway, we're glad to have you back on our team. We'd be glad to tell you all the things that had happened after you deserted us, but we don't have much time. We've got to continue protecting the Evergreen Forest in any way we can or die trying."
"And we can use this cave as a fortress," said Hunter.
"That's right. As long as Gerry goes on hunting us down, we'll be safe behind these mighty walls of the Endless Echo Caverns!"
Silence reigned. Then, Tiny Tim raised his paw and said, "Um, Bert, can we ask you something?"
"Sure," replied Bert. "What do you want?"
"Since Selena has returned," said Nellie. "We have the greatest desire to form a team of our own. I'm not sure if we haven't met her before--all we know is that she's our sister-in-law, our brother's wife. So, would it be all right if...well...can we form a new team?"
"What new team?"
Snooper said, "Team 21--the Snoopers, led by me."
The TTC were surprised. Normally, their army consisted of only 20 teams, one from each famous cartoon or video game. But the Snoopers, the most less understood of all families in Canerica, to form a brand-new team? Maybe it would be nice to do something new for a change. Finally, Alex II said, "You have my approval, Snoop. You, your parents, wives, kids--they can be Team 21."
"Yeah," said Daisy. "It's a good thing Daddy taught all of us how to use laser swords."
Alex II said, "All right, team. It's getting late, and we'll have to be prepared for tomorrow. So, while we sleep, one of us has to stand outside and watch for danger or enemies."
Rocky said, "I'll do it."
"But are you sure you want to go through with this?" asked Bright Eyes nervously.
"Just chill it, sugar cheeks. I've been guarding everything ever since I was born."
"Yeah," joked Bert Jr., with a snicker. "When you tried to stop the doctors from cutting your umbilical cord."
Rocky groaned at hearing his older brother's sarcastic comment, but he just shrugged his shoulders and went outside to begin his night watch.
Back at the temple in South Africa, Chris heard that Gerry had failed--but he still wouldn't give up on his dream of conquering the TTC once and for all. He said, "It seems that Gerry will fail. Well, I need to get rid of loose ends if he fails me."
"Do you want me to kill him, Master?" said Dark Hunter, with Dark Bugs Bunny by his side.
"Yes, and tell them that you two will be next to face and tell them that it's too late." Gesturing to Belladonna, Rayian, and Rayian Fox Jr. (also known as Rayian II), he continued maliciously, "They're already here."
"Yes, Master."
And then Dark Hunter and Dark Bugs left. Chris turned to his newly revived allies and said, "Welcome, my allies--pretty soon we will have this world."
"Yes," said Rayian, with an evil smile on his face. "Indeed, we will." And they all laughed evilly.
Watching from his handheld magic mirror, Gerry was aghast with terror. First, he failed his plan of destroying the Evergreen Forest, and now Chris is going to kill him for it. What had he done wrong? All throughout his life, he had been obsessed with bombs or anything that had to do with bombs. He had been obsessed with a desire to destroy everything in his path. But where his desire for revenge had been, now in its place was remorse and sorrow for his horrific crimes. Being killed by the very master that he followed was far more worse than going back to jail.
"I can't go on making bombs any more," he whispered sadly. "I've done everything bad enough just to bring all this trouble upon me. But no...no, I won't let him have his way with my life. If there is anything I can do to make my life better for myself, to replace bad deeds with those that are good, I want to do the one thing that I was unable to do during the days of my criminal career." Noticing Rocky by the mouth of the cave, he continued hopefully, "That's it. I will apologize to those cops. I rest my hopes in knowing that they will forgive me..."