Chapter 33: Homeward Bound

(The next day)

(Cato's POV)

Last night, everyone had a celebration toast to the success in our mission. To be completely honest, I wasn't exactly feeling all good about it. I mean, I might have just gotten a bunch of innocent kids killed during all that. My mind just couldn't fathom with it even though everyone else told me there was nothing I could do. Maybe they're right.

For most of the celebration, I just stood outside with my phone trying to call Amber. I wanted to tell her everything was alright, that I'm okay. But for some reason, she's not picking up. I left her a text to tell her to call me when she reads it but she didn't even text me back until now. I started to get worried that something might've happened while I was gone. This is, after all, the first time we parted since she and her parents took me in nine years ago.

Besides me, Blu wasn't celebrating much either. A few minutes after we escaped the building, he asked about Red. Both me and Riki didn't have the guts to tell him that he died on our account, but he could tell from the look of our faces. He wasn't the same optimistic guy that we met the first time we got into this mess who keeps his rowdy brother in line. It's hard to lose someone you love.

Strike managed to put up the antidote he said he would make at the workbench. What's it made of, I don't really wanna know. He stayed up all night making it and by the looks of it, I can tell he was pretty bothered about celebrating while he was working. Guess he's the type who wants silence during work hours. He gave it to Kent who was talking to the general this morning and told them how to use it.

After that, the general talked to him about something. I still don't know what it is, because they still are. Right now, me and my friends are at the quarantine station looking after Anais while CJ looked after Eric along with Andrew. Everytime I look at Andrew, I wonder if Amy knew about any of this. Chances are Amber told her by now, but I haven't gotten anything from either of them.

"Is she gonna be alright?" Lexy asked.

"Strike said it'll take some time before she's back to full health. Once she does, it's as if all this never happened." I replied.

Gumball stayed silent. I don't exactly know what's going on in that weird brain of his, but I guess he was thinking about him leaving for four years.

Riki and Anna came into the room shortly after.

"Hey, Anna. How're you holding up?" I asked.

"A bit of post-traumatic stuff, but otherwise fine."

"What about her?" Riki asked, nodding towards Anais.

"Healing up." I look at the three siblings all together and, for whatever reason, makes me break inside. Guess this is how it feels to be separated from our siblings for a long time. "Did you check on all the other kids?"

"Most of them were traumatized and crying for home. I would expect it coming from little kids."

"Hey! I'm not a little kid!" Anna said, taking what Riki mentioned as an offense.

"You are to me, kiddo." Riki said back, putting his hand and rubbing the top of Anna's head making her purr silently.

Boy, everyone's having some family reunion shit going on today.

"How's Andrew doing?"

I looked towards Andrew and can see the sadness in his eyes. Having to see his best friend turn into something they would be against (or so he says). "I'll check on him later. He wants to be with Eric for awhile."

Anna went closer to Anais and stopped beside where Lexy was sitting. "Is she gonna be okay?" she asked again.

"Yeah, she's a tough kid. She'll be alright." Gumball answered, teary eyed and not even looking at Anna but focusing still on his little sister.

I nodded to Riki and Anna that we should give them some time alone. And we walked to CJ to check on her.

"How're you guys doing?" I asked them.

"Hey, bro. Doing alright." Andrew answered, although the crack in his voice suggests to me that he's lying and still traumatized. He was at the center of all the members of that dead organization after all and almost injected with the serum. Gumball told me he had to risk it and take the shot to save him and I'm really grateful for him doing so.

I turned to CJ who was still concerned about Eric. A whole year missing and this is what he's been doing, against his will. Eric, just like everyone else who was captured during the mission, was already injected with the antidote earlier. Though that didn't stop her from being so concerned about him.

Anna walked up behind her and put her arms around her, giving her a warm hug. "He'll be alright soon."

CJ returned the hug and started breaking into tears. Andrew looked at Anna giving CJ a hug, and it made him smile. At least until he saw me catching him staring at her. He turned away after.

"Uhh..Cato. Can I talk to you for a sec?" Andrew asked.

"Sure."

(Gumball's POV)

Anais is still sleeping there. Out cold. I couldn't help but feel guilty, that this is all my fault. Is it because I left her for four years? Is it because I couldn't save her at the airport that day? Questions and guilt start to fill me up inside.

"Do you think she'll ever forgive me?" I asked Lexy in a low voice.

"What do you mean? You saved her life, Gumball."

"Yeah but, I ran away for four years. Darwin told me how broken she was, how much she changed, how much she hated me while I was gone. You noticed it too, don't you?"

Lexy thought of it for a second. It's no doubt that I was right.

"True. She's had sad times and angry times when you were gone. I'll never forget the day she used her dolls as punching bags just to let off steam."

"You're not helping me." I said.

"What I'm getting at is you've made mistakes. Stupid and idiotic mistakes like you've always have. You just need to apologize and maybe she'll let up."

"I don't know, Lex. I know her. When she's angry, she takes awhile to let up."

"At least she does, better than not letting up at all."

I look down on the ground. I felt terrible doing all this. I wish I knew I was innocent back during the school explosion. I didn't have to run away, I didn't have to hurt her like this. I didn't have to hurt everyone like this.

Lexy puts an arm on my shoulder. "It's gonna be alright, Gumball. I know it."

Then, I heard moans coming from the bed. I look up and suddenly am both happy yet mortified at the same time.

"G- Gumball?" Anais finally woke up, trying to get up from the bed.

"Hey, hey, easy. It's me, I'm here. You need to lay down." I said.

"Gumball, why are you here? And how?"

"To come get you, dummy. The "how" question is a very long story."

We sat awkwardly while Lexy starts staring at me and Anais and back. She nudges me with her elbow and motions to Anais, who is now looking down on her bandages.

"Listen, Anais. I wa-"

Anais got up and wrapped her arms around me. She really caught me by surprise.

"I know you wanted to apologize for everything. I've been thinking about it when I was captured. I forgive you."

I'm still shocked in place, getting in of what's going on. I look at Lexy and she nodded slowly. I slowly put my arms around Anais and embrace. After she pulled back, I was caught by surprise again as a right hand was thrown right across my face and her expression changed like that.

"I'm still mad at you for those four years."

"Yeah, yeah, I deserved it." I say scratching the back of my head. After that, she settled down.

This is gonna be a story to tell back home.

And then, I heard someone yell and saw everyone gathering.

(Christine's POV)

I finally got him back. A year apart and I finally got him back. Why don't I feel happy, or glad at that fact? Why do I feel sad? I just got my brother back. My only family left. I should be happy, not sad.

Is it because I couldn't protect him enough? That I shouldn't have let him work at the gas station and LIVE THERE all the more in the first place? I gave him too much freedom and I had to suffer the consequences.

Not only that, I even failed to protect Anna. My own friend, slipped away from under my watch. She was with me at the park when she got kidnapped and a few guys jumped us. We tried to put up a fight, but I didn't show much. I can't protect my friend, how the hell am I going to protect my brother? Is this guilt?

It wasn't until then when I noticed I have tears running down my face, a few dropping on Eric's face right beside me. He still doesn't wake. Strike said it'll take some time for him to recover, but for how long though?

Anna looked at me and had a worried look on her face. "CJ? Are you alright?"

I tried to pull myself together. "Yeah...I'm fine."

"Are you still blaming yourself for letting both me and Eric get caught up in this?"

"Sis, not cool." Riki said, standing behind her.

"Emm..sorry."

"No, it's fine." I said. "I couldn't have put up much of a fight. You're right. I still do blame myself for letting that happen. Eventhough you two are now back and almost as if nothing's ever happened, I still feel guilty you were a part of it in the first place."

I turn around to look at Anna, her face as pure as I remembered. "I'm so so sorry, Anna."

Without missing a beat, Anna pulled me into a hug. It's somewhat comforting but it somehow feels like it's making me feel even worse.

"It's alright, CJ. You tried your best to protect me. And I have no doubt you tried protecting him too." Anna looks over to Eric. His face and body still covered in bandages from the rubble during the fight at the Assembly. "What's even better is you went your way into risking your life for both of us. You tried to make amends to your mistakes and you've done it. Please, don't be sad anymore."

I couldn't take it anymore. I pulled Anna into a hug this time and I cried my heart out. I know I should feel happy, but I just don't at the moment. I don't know why. Maybe the feeling will fade soon once we get back.

Anna rested an arm on my back, patting me slowly. She tries so hard to comfort me. I look up to see Riki just standing in place, smiling and his arms crossed across his chest. He knows Anna's purity more than anyone, and he sees this as if it's his normal everyday routine.

I just hope I feel better once we get home.

And then, I heard a yell and sees everyone gathering.

(Cato's POV)

We walked out of the quarantine area and towards the giant door leading to the outside world. The base is an old abandoned line of barracks which we first set on before the mission. We haven't left Cuba just yet.

"I was really scared, Cato." Andrew started, looking off into the distance. "I was right there, dead center of the assembly. Eric had the needle right at my throat, and I just sat there..helpless." He started to get teary again. "After the needle broke somehow and the roof blew up, I got dazed. The first thing I saw was...you, trying to get me up."

He turned to look at me. "Why were you there?"

I couldn't help but smile at his question. "Is that really a valid question? I came to save you, dumbass. I even had to face up with the red bulky guy talking me down..." I said mentioning about Red who died in the mission yesterday. "...and the general who was pretty skeptical about all of us." I pointed at the general who was still having a talk with Strike.

Andrew looked down. I kneeled down to look at him. "When you got kidnapped, right in front of my eyes, I couldn't help but to blame myself. I knew I could've done something to save you then, yet I couldn't. That was why I decided to chase after you. And the others did too."

"Do you think it was a bad idea?" he asked.

"Bad idea to do what?"

"For the three of us to split up."

I knew what he was talking about. Me, him, and Amy. After our parents died, we sort of split ways just to avoid getting into an orphanage and possibly get bullied every second of the day. That was my reason, at least.

I tried to put my words as best I can. "I don't really know, bro. But everything happens for a reason. It wasn't the wisest decision for us to go on separately and if Mom and Dad saw us now, they'd probably kick all of our butts more times than you'd expect. Everything happens for a reason."

I can tell I didn't answer his question and his face dropped to the ground. I wrapped my arms around him and probably startled him because he tumbled backwards a little.

"I'm just grateful that you're safe, Andrew. If anything were to happen to you, I don't think I would ever forgive myself and neither would Amy. You're our younger brother, we should've taken care of you better."

Andrew returns the hug and I hear sniffles coming from behind me. I'm guessing it's Andrew. I pulled him away and look at him straight in the face.

"You think you could move in with me?"

"What?"

"Come on, move in with me. It's kinda tiresome being the only mortal in a ghost house. I still got space in my room."

"I don't know, Cato. I don't wanna cause anyone trouble."

"Dude, you've caused me enough trouble for this. And I'm not giving you a choice. I'm taking better care of you whether you like it or not. Better me than Amy. You know how she can be."

He starts thinking over. He knows what will happen if he was under her care. Unlike the two of us, Amy's got our dad's fuming rage marathons that will go on until either she cools off or when the day is over.

He started thinking for too long and I had to play my trump card.

"I can get you enrolled at the high school there. Anna could be in the same class you're in, you know?"

His head suddenly perks up and he's completely filled with joy. I had to hold back a smirk and he looked away as if to hide what was shown in plain sight.

"Sure, if you can."

"I think I can pull enough strings."

Andrew looks back at me pulling a mischievous smile, looking into the distance. I look back at Andrew who starts to look concerned.

"Do I even have to ask what you got on Anna?"

"What gave it away?"

We both laughed. Andrew got up, walked out the giant steel doors of the barracks and started stretching out his muscles, feeling the fresh air. I missed these kinds of moments. Just laughing with my family like nothing is at stake. I should really stop getting into these weird shenanigans come to think of it. I just need a break from all of it and spend normal days with Amber. Amber..

My thoughts were disturbed by Andrew calling out to me. "Uhh dude, what's that?"

I got up and saw what he was looking at. At the side of the barracks, lies a man stripped off his uniform. He's left with his singlet underwear.

"What happened here?" I asked rhetorically.

Then I heard yelling coming from inside. We rushed back and saw a gathering of people.

We went to the circle of people swarming all the sudden and found the rest of the group.

"What's going on?" I asked.

"See for yourself." Gumball said, horror and terror fills his eyes.

I looked to where he was looking and see Strike on the ground face-first, a boot pressed on his back.

Standing over Strike is a mysterious person with black spiky hair. His face is completely filled with scars as if he was a war veteran. By the look of his face, he looks madly serious. He's wearing the uniform everyone else is wearing. Maybe he's the one who stole the man's uniform outside the barracks. He isn't one of us. Some men have guns drawn on him, but most are standing in shock.

What really caught my attention is what he's holding on his hand and what he has on his back. He's holding open a pair of metallic crocodile clippers and has a complicated looking device filled with a bunch of wires.

It took me awhile to put the pieces together. He's carrying a bomb.

"This boy right here used to be one of us. Such pitiful display that even you welcome him with open arms." The man said. "CR1M3 was a secret organization under build, but you - all of you - had to interfere with progress!"

The man takes out a familiar orange helmet and we stood in shock. It was Nova's helmet.

That can only mean..

"I am Nova! Leader of CR1M3!"

We got so hooked up on celebrating our success in the mission and taking down CR1M3's headquarters that we thought Nova went down with it. We should've finished the job.

"You all have ruined my life's work. And now, I'm going to take ALL of your lives!" He yelled out, holding his hand carrying the crocodile clippers higher. "Once these clippers close, we all go down! This is the consequence of interfering with CR1M3's progress! When we go down, everyone goes down!"

Strike begins to grunt below Nova's boot. His boot climbs up to the back of his neck and he begins to gasp for air.

"And as for you, you pitiful creature.." Nova continues. "You don't deserve to live either. You have betrayed what used to be your home. I intend to end you as well."

Strike is now losing it down there. He begins struggling against Nova's boot for air as well as making sure Nova doesn't trip over because that might make him lose grip on the crocodile clippers.

"This is the day of CR1M3's retribution! It's final act! Now, it is time to e-"

Nova's speech was interrupted by the sound of a gun shooting. A new bloody hole appears in the middle of his uniform, right on Nova's chest, his eyes now wide open.

Everyone ducked, as if that'll stop the blast from hitting them. Or it was instinct, because I did the same.

But nothing happened.

One by one, we start to look up. A figure is now standing over Nova's now collapsed body. A green wolf. Eric.

"For a year, you filled me with lies. You said you could give me hope. You said you my sister is dead. You said you would bring peace to this world. You're nothing more than a lying piece of shit." Eric cocked his gun and pointed it on Nova's forehead. "You deserve to die alone."

BANG!

Eric's face is full of hatred, revenge, and zero remorse. He turned Nova's body and looked at the sophisticated pile of wires dangled around the bomb. He grabbed every single wire and - with his teeth - cuts all of them at once.

He looks around. Everyone is still in shock. Silence filled the giant room. Eric threw the gun down and all everyone could hear is the sound of the gun clashing against the concrete floor.

Finally, Christine stood up slowly. Eric turned to see her and started walking to her just as slow. Everyone followed suit, standing back up knowing the threat is now dead on the floor in front of everyone.

Eric is now in front of Christine. If Eric were a few inches taller, they'd be face-to-face right now. Christine, now teary-eyed, threw her arms around Eric. Eric returned the favor and hugged her back.

Everyone cooled off a few minutes after and started to break up as if nothing happened. Four guys were carrying Nova's motionless body off to somewhere. Me and the group were still around Eric and Christine, celebrating their short reunion.

"I don't get it. How did that bomb not detonate?" I asked Eric.

"EMP, dude. Bunch of wires and a pair of crocodile clippers means that bomb needs electric current to work. I just threw a small EMP grenade right there." He said, pointing to the small piece of grenade on the ground near the quarantine area. "Pretty handy they put my stuff under my bed."

"Now that's the Haywire I know." Strike said from behind the group.

Eric pulled a nervous smile and scratched the back of his head. "Uhh..just call me Eric from now on. I don't wanna relive my Haywire days."

"Eric huh? That's the first time I've ever heard you say your real name."

"Speaking of real names.." Gumball said. "What's yours, Strike?"

"Thunder." he answered. Silence instantly fills the void between the group and a bead of sweat now runs down his forehead. "Why? What's wrong with my name?"

"Strike, Thunder. Yeah, I can see the irony." Lexy said.

"It's not irony! They just gave me that name!" he yelled out.

We all laughed at him and he started blushing embarrassingly. We spent rest of the day resting before it was time to go home...

(Evening)

We were sent back to Elmore in a humvee driven by Kent. When we got out of Cuba and back to main base, we were given some sort of medals of valor or something from the commander. Probably not gonna say much after a few weeks. Once the news dies down, it'll be as if nothing happened and my medal would probably get lost somewhere in my laundry and Amber finds it.

I still couldn't stop thinking about Amber. I'm both excited and nervous to see her again, yet petrified as hell wondering why she still hasn't called.

I'll see her in a few minutes...

We finally made it back to Elmore in mere minutes after the sun came down. Gumball and Riki already told their families that they'd finally be coming back. They must be worried sick whilst they were gone into inevitable conditions.

Gumball mentioned that Darwin would call Amy too and tell her that me and Andrew were alright. According to Darwin, Amy came to the Wattersons' house to come see me. After hearing the news about us going off into probably a suicide mission, she lost her mind and started breaking things back home.

When I said that Amy had Dad's fuming rage marathons, I was not joking. We're both in for it once we get back.

The army boys had to bring the kids who were taken to their respective police stations first. Andrew, Anna and Eric stayed with us.

Finally, we're back home at Elmore.

Darwin, Jake and Kelsey were the first to greet us. They were sitting at the doorstep outside of the Wattersons' house. Looks like they were hanging out today.

As we got off the truck, Darwin shouted something towards the guys inside the house and just like that, people started swarming out of the house. We saw Amy run up to us and before we could do anything, she wrapped us in a bear hug.

"You two are gonna be in so much trouble!" She said as she snuggled her head on both our hair.

Amy has grown a few inches over the years but her body shape has appeared curvier than before. When she wrapped us in a bear hug, both me and Andrew got our faces stuck to Amy's chest. As I pulled away, I saw some snickers coming from Kelsey while both Jake and Dante shook their heads, smiling.

I look ahead and saw Gumball and Lexy being huddled by their family whilst Riki and Anna are still standing beside, their parents nowhere to be found. I nodded at Riki with a brow raised.

"Probably waiting at home. We best be going." Riki said.

We bid him farewell and I turned back to see Carrie standing by me looking at Gumball.

"Umm..Cato?" she said. "Amber's at the park."

"What's she doing at the park?" I asked.

"She said she wanted some alone time.." She puts her head down a little. "..and wanted to talk to you in private."

I didn't know what to do for a second. Actually, I felt like I lost my balance. After the sudden vertigo was over, I turned to Andrew. "You stay here for awhile. I gotta go find Amber."

"You mean that ghost chick you used to hang with while we were kids?"

I furrowed my eyebrows at the mention 'ghost chick'. "What do you mean by that?"

"I'm just kidding. You go ahead." he said as he went to Gumball before he beckoned to come inside.

(Amber's POV)

(Park)

Keep my composure. Keep it cool, Amber. You've only been separated for about one or two weeks and he's finally coming back safe and sound.

But why do I feel so regretful?

It's as if I did something wrong but I don't even know what I did. Or maybe it's because I just simply miss him. The only person who cares and understands me deep within myself. Even Carrie couldn't dig down deep enough of myself.

I don't even know what I'm blabbering about sometimes. I look down and pulled out something from under my shirt. Tucked under it, lies my necklace locket Cato gave me that other day at the Elmore Hill. I opened it to reveal the two of our faces, one on each side. It was an amateur's work, our pictures being the latest photo from the last Picture Day at school. He probably paid the photographer to get these.

Nonetheless, I cherished the gift. If Cato were to really leave me forever, this would be the last piece I have of him. He looks handsome there, the same goatee bearded look wearing the same old hoodie jacket. I smiled and looked up into the sunset. The lake in front of me as calm as it can be. The sunset so beautiful, reminding me of the sunset the day Cato gave me this.

Suddenly, I heard a voice from behind me. "A nice sunset, huh beautiful?"

And that wraps up this chapter. Probably the longest chapter I've written for a ridiculous amount of time spent. I wanted things to die down from this entire CR1M3 endeavor and I hope I really stick to that and my mind wouldn't come up with any other weird fantasies, I'm also trying to put up some love scene for Cato and Amber, in which I am very not good at. Anyway lemme know what you think down below. I'll see you guys in the next chapter. Peace out!