If anyone had said "things can't get worse", the universe heard it, laughed, and threw the worst at them...
The upgraded mutants burst out of the shadows .... taller, stronger, glowing veins crawling under their skin like electric roots. One roar shook the entire lab.
"OKAY," Tim screamed, "WHO ORDERED THE ULTRA-DELUXE ZOMBIE REMASTERED PACK!?"
Nobody answered.
Everybody ran.
The hallway shook as dozens, no, hundreds or even thousands , of mutants tore through the wall behind them.
Pluto grabbed Luna's wrist. "RUN FASTER RUN FASTER RUN FASTER!"
"I'M ALREADY SPRINTING AT GODSPEED," Luna yelled back.
Siara's sword glowed. Emmanuel fired rapid blasts. Tanya swung her frying pan like she was avenging her ancestors. Asuka stabbed anything that came too close.
But it wasn't enough.
The mutants kept coming.
The lights flickered violently as the group reached the emergency bridge leading to the exit chamber.
"WE CAN MAKE IT!" Tim shouted.
Yeah. Famous last words.
The bridge snapped.
Half the metal walkway fell, leaving only a narrow beam connecting them to the exit.
"We jump!" Tango said.
" ARE YOU INSANE?!" Pluto screamed.
But they did.
All of them jumped.
All except Luna.
Because right then.....
a giant mutant burst from the floor behind them.
It swiped its claw toward the group.
Pluto stumbled. Tim tripped. Tanya froze.
And Luna… moved.
She shoved them all forward, hard.
They landed across the broken bridge.
She didn't.
The claw ripped across her side, throwing her backwards into the collapsing platform. She slid, grabbing onto the edge with one shaking hand.
"LUNA!" Pluto's voice cracked so hard it sounded like it broke.
Tim dropped to his knees, reaching out with both hands. "TAKE MY HAND!"
Luna looked at them.
And she smiled .... small, sad, but brave.
"You guys have to go."
"NO!" Pluto screamed. "NO NO NO NO ; DON'T YOU DARE ; WE'RE NOT LEAVING YOU.!"
Tim was already crying, tears streaking down his face, voice shaking like a broken radio. "LUNA, COME ON! PULL UP! YOU ALWAYS SAID YOU HAD 'MAIN CHARACTER ENERGY,SO ACT LIKE IT!"
The mutant roared behind her, getting ready for another strike.
Luna's hand slipped.
"GUYS…" she whispered, breath trembling.
"Thank you… for… everything."
The platform gave way.
She fell.
"LUNA!" Tim screamed on the top of his lungs
He slammed his fists against the ground.
"No no no NO!LUNA GET UP!LUNA YOU!YOU PIECE OF TUNA!YOU DARE NOT DIE OR ELSE... OR ELSE... I WILL FINISH EVERY BIT OF YOUR EXPENSIVE DUBAI CHOCOLATE!!YOU HEAR ME!!!YOU COWARD...GET UP,GET UP,PLEASE....."
Pluto wasn't even pretending to be strong anymore.
He was bawling, face buried in his hands, shoulders shaking uncontrollably.
Asuka looked away, biting her lip so hard it bled.
Tanya sobbed openly.
Tango froze, expression blank but tears sliding silently down his eyes.
Siara dropped her sword.
Emmanuel closed his eyes, jaw tight....
Tim crawled forward until he could peer into the darkness below.
Nothing.
Just silent, glowing blue fog.
She was gone.
Pluto punched the wall, knuckles bleeding. "She saved us. She...she literally...she..."
His voice cracked again.
"Why… why would she do that...?"
Tim grabbed him in a tight hug, both of them crying so hard they couldn't breathe properly.
"She's Luna," he whispered shakily. "She always… saves us."
Silence fell like a blanket of grief.
Siara stepped forward quietly.
"We have to go. If we stay… we die too."
Tim wiped his face, shaking violently.
"Fine," he whispered.
"But we're coming back for her."
Pluto wiped a tear with his sleeve, eyes red and furious.
"And whoever did this… whoever started all this…"
His voice turned cold, something breaking inside him.
"We're ending them."
The group slowly walked toward the exit, broken and silent.
Behind them, the empty pit where Luna fell glowed softly.
A faint shimmer of blue light pulsed in the darkness.
Alive?
Dead?
Something else entirely?
No one knew.
Tim whispering into the void:
"We're coming back for you.
So don't you dare stay dead."