"Henry, take Mike with you. The rest of you, clear a path to the vehicles. No matter what happens, keep moving forward and don't look back. Find the source of all this and take care of it. I trust you all to handle the rest. And please, don't hold Micheal responsible for what's happened. It's been a pleasure knowing each of you." With a broad grin, Yoshi addressed his friends, drawing his sword from a reaper's skull as he charged toward the oncoming Reapers, not pausing for a response.
"Yoshi, hold on!" Henry called out in an attempt to stop him, but Yoshi had already dashed into the sea of Reapers, unleashing his abilities to their fullest extent. He executed a combined attack, drawing on all the powers of the group that he had copied. With this strategy, all the Reapers appeared to charge at him to strike, as though he had attracted their attention.
"We can't leave him behind; we have to go back for him," Bai insisted, determined to assist Yoshi, but his brother restrained him, a sorrowful look on his face.
"Let go of me. Hey, if Mike were awake, he definitely wouldn't have allowed this," Bai said, pulling his grip away from his brother.
"Do whatever you can to fulfill the mission, those were Mike's orders. Yoshi made that choice because he assumed the role of captain; a captain does what he can to protect his teammates. You know as well as I do that Mike would have done the same without hesitation. Even though we fought often, Yoshi was our friend and partner, and I'll be damned if I let his sacrifice go to waste." Hei replied, grabbing his brother by the shoulders. His eyes watered as he looked him straight in the eyes and spoke, fond memories flowing through his mind. His words seemed to resonate deeply, as the next moment, his brother turned silent, reflecting on Hei's words.
"Let's go," Henry said quietly as he grabbed Mike's body and took off. Their path was now clear since most of the Reapers had been drawn to Yoshi, who valiantly battled off his enemies while the rest rushed to the vehicles, filled with mixed emotions.
"Get in, Greg. Please, could you grab the wheels since you know this place better than we do. Take us straight to the research base," Henry instructed. Greg nodded and took the driver's seat of the hovering car, one of the newest inventions since the apocalypse struck. It had a spacious interior, similar to a bus, allowing it to accommodate all of them. The team entered the car slowly, one by one. Bai, being the last, paused at the door and glanced to the side, where he saw the Reapers closing in on an exhausted Yoshi.
"Zhù Nǐ Yǒu Míng Yuè (Wishing you a bright journey)" Bai whispered before turning away and getting into the car. Moments after they had all settled in, the vehicle sped off, leaving behind a warrior whose sacrifice would be etched in the memories of the others.
*********************************************
"Ugh, my head is throbbing." After some time in the tunnel leading to the research base, Micheal gradually regained consciousness. He propped himself up, clutching his head and letting out a groan of discomfort. He initially surveyed his surroundings and then observed the somber expressions on his teammates' faces.
"Huh, how did we get here? Did I lose consciousness again?" Micheal asked with a frown, his gaze sweeping over his team, who remained silent. No one seemed inclined to respond.
"Where is Yoshi?" Micheal inquired upon noticing Yoshi's absence, a realization dawning on him, as he turned his gaze to the front seat where Greg and his
wife sat with somber expressions.
"You lost consciousness, and then another wave of Reapers emerged, prompting Yoshi to make a difficult choice—he sacrificed himself to buy us time to flee," Bai explained, drawing the attention of the rest of the team. He was the primary reason they had chosen to remain silent. Bai had been the one most affected by Yoshi's sacrifice. Despite their frequent verbal altercations, they remained friends.
"Yoshi made the ultimate sacrifice, and it's entirely my fault..." Micheal muttered in disbelief, clenching his fist as he struggled to process this new information.
"Dammit Mike, just stop, okay? Not everything is your fault. You don't need to blame yourself every time something bad happens. Besides, everyone knows you didn't intend to pass out; you're just as confused about this as we are," Bai replied with a sigh, his eyes still fixated on the bullet he held in his hand.
"But I..."
"Just let it rest, Mike. Yoshi's final words urged us to seek out the one responsible and put an end to this. If you're looking to ease that guilt you're carrying, we need to see this through. It's the only way to honor our fallen friend." Racheal interrupted Micheal before he could respond, her words plunging everyone in the car into silence; they all recognized that this was the only sensible decision to make after the recent events.
"Greg, how much longer 'til we reach the base?"
Micheal inquired, his tone unexpectedly serene.
"Without any hitches, we'll arrive in 3 hours at most. Sit back, everyone; it's going to be a long ride," Greg replied, taking a deep breath. Upon hearing his words, the team eased their tension and leaned back. Although they hadn't eaten for nearly two days, hunger was the last thing on their minds; all they craved at that moment was revenge.
"I understand that we're all preoccupied with our thoughts, but Racheal is correct; the only way for this to conclude properly is to eliminate the source of our troubles, ensuring everyone else can escape safely. However, we cannot achieve that if we are hungry and thirsty, so please eat and regain your strength. I have a feeling that what we are about to face is unlike anything we have ever encountered." Micheal spoke, then retrieved some food to regain his strength; the others followed suit, recognizing the truth in his words. They were intent on their mission, but they understood that they couldn't pursue it on an empty stomach.
After consuming what he could, Micheal reclined on the ground and closed his eyes, appearing to drift off into a nap. Some of the others looked at him in disbelief, astonished at his ability to sleep amidst the chaos, yet they kept their opinions to themselves, aware that they had more pressing matters to attend to.
*********************************************
The car moved effortlessly through the underground tunnel, encountering no obstacles or adversaries, resulting in a remarkably smooth journey. This was meant to soothe the group, yet in their present circumstances, it only heightened their anxiety, as they realized it was clearly part of the scheme devised by the sinister figure orchestrating events from the shadows.
"We are finally here," Greg said after three hours of moving. They halted in front of the tunnel's end, where a small control room was situated alongside a ladder that the group believed ascended to the surface.
"Before we leave, I wish to share a few words with you guys," Michael suddenly said as the team was about to disembark from the car. This made them pause and exchange glances before moving toward him.
"When we embarked on this mission, we understood the risks involved. I made a commitment to myself to do everything in my power to protect all of you and ensure we complete this mission, bringing everyone back safely. However, it seems I have already failed one of you. I will not let that happen again. From this point forward, we will seek out whoever is responsible for this and hold them accountable for what they did to our friend. I am determined to see this through, even if it costs me my life. Let us not allow Yoshi's loss to weigh us down or diminish our resolve. Instead, let's transform this grief into the strength needed to confront whoever or whatever is behind this. We are Taskforce Spongbob, and we will show this enemy that no one messes with Spongbob, in honor of Yoshi." Micheal stretched his hand forward and spoke with such confidence that the sad expressions on his team's faces vanished. His words were powerful, achieving precisely what they were meant to do.
"For Yoshi," Henry said, placing his hand on Michael's.
"For Yoshi," Racheal said, extending her hands forward.
"For Yoshi" Hei glanced at his brother and said before placing his hand on the heap as well.
"Sigh." Bai sighed and inhaled deeply, closing his eyes. He then exhaled and opened his eyes, now brimming with determination. In a confident voice, he declared, "For Yoshi."
"Yes, that is the confidence I'm talking about, Taskforce Spongbob fall out," Micheal replied with a broad smile that was mirrored by the rest of the team.
"Can we join in?" From the driver's seat, Greg's voice sounded, reminding the team of their presence, which they had momentarily overlooked.
"Of course, you're welcome to join us. You're now part of the team. Let me begin again. When we initially embarked on this mission-"
Henry interrupted Micheal, saying, "Just skip to the ending; there's no need for another long speech.'"
"Yeah, you're right. No time. Taskforce Spongebob, and Greg and Anna, fall out," Michael said once again, prompting Bai and his brother to facepalm.
"You don't need to include Greg and Anna's names at the end; since they are already members of this
Taskforce," Racheal corrected with a sigh.
"Oh, sure, let's give it another go, Taskforce Spongebob...." Micheal extended his hand once again, and the others followed suit. The only difference this time was that Greg and Anna joined in as well. With a wide smile, Micheal said, "....fall out."