Costa Crew: Our Turn To Die

Chapter 17: Recollection

Becky started running towards them. She was still in disbelief. What had just happened... it couldn't have happened, right? Everything within her wanted Sou to jump up, the knife still in his face, and say "Haha, you can't kill me!". Unfortunately, this was reality. There was no world in which that would happen. So, she ran. She ran towards her friend Ted to quickly talk with him. Because it was going to be the last time, she could talk to him.

Amelia reached him first, tagging Sou's body before running away as fast as her legs could take her. Ted looked relieved. His plan had been for Sou to be tagged successfully had clearly worked.

"Ted what the heck!?" Hannah screamed, reaching Ted next. "When I said immobilise, I meant stab his arms and legs, not kill him."

"I know," Ted replied. "But there was always the chance he could get back up unless I did. I wanted to make sure there was no way this asshole escaped."

"But you just killed him!" Becky cried, finally catching up. "You know that means-"

"That I'll die?" Ted finished. "I know that. I just... I had to save them. I couldn't sit doing nothing. And when I figured out how to help, I needed to. No matter the cost."

Hannah couldn't say anything. The initial anger she had felt at him was gone. Tears were now welling up in her eyes. Becky was still in a stunned silence

"I can't lose you," Hannah said, softly. She dropped down to Ted and hugged him.

"You're not going to," he replied. "Sure, maybe I'm not going to be here anymore. Physically. And I'm going to miss that. You give great hugs. But I will always be with you in your memories. And I don't know what happens here. Maybe I go to a cool hell party with Bruce. Maybe I spend my time here, as some sort of spirit. All I know is, I'm going to be watching over you guys. And if I can do anything to keep you all safe, I'm going to do it. Even if it costs me a second life. If I could do what I have just done all over again just to save all of you, I would. I'm not letting you guys die, okay?"

Becky dropped down and joined the group hug.

"Surely there's something we can do!" Becky wept. "There has to be something. Some puzzle or trick or-"

"Becky" Ted interrupted, a smile on his face despite the tear rolling down his cheek. "Don't worry about it. You've done so much for me. It might be difficult for your maths brain to comprehend, but sometimes there's just no easy solution to a problem. Like when the discriminant is greater than zero. But I'll be fine. I know that Bruce has saved me a spot, wherever we'll be, so it's all going to work out."

Becky was too lost for words to correct Ted's blatantly incorrect maths. She wondered if he had done it deliberately, to try and help take her mind off the current situation,

"Hey," Hero said, approaching the group. "Thanks Ted. What you did today, I don't even know how to repay it. Giving up your life to save others. It's really admirable. I promise you; I'll do the same if it means getting everyone out of here-"

"Don't," Ted said, halting his speech. "You're not dying. No-one else is, okay? You all have to make it out of here alive, okay? I don't want to hear about any more death here. I'll have the power to haunt you all you know, so you better not die."

"Notice that?" Amelia said from afar. "The last coffin hasn't been destroyed. It's been over a minute by now. We've won. Ted, you won it for us.

Ted laughed. "All in a day's wor-"

His sentence was cut off by a sudden vomiting. Blood again. Sou once again approached the group, taking a moment to admire the Sou on the ground with the knife in its face.