Pluto and Omega practically crashed back into the main camp area under the bridge....panting, muddy, and looking like they'd just fought a tornado.
Tanya blinked. "Where were you two? You look like rejected background actors from The Walking Dead."
Pluto: "TIM. IS. A. ZOMBIE."
Asuka: "Huh?"
Tango: "Repeat that again, but slower."
Omega pointed behind them. "He joined the horde. Like… actually joined. He's walking with them. Wearing Luna's hoodie."
Everyone stared.
Then Tanya slapped her forehead. "OF COURSE. OF COURSE TIM WOULD BE THE FIRST PERSON TO GET ZOMBIFIED BECAUSE HE TRIPPED OVER A ROCK OR SOMETHING."
Pluto yelled, "HE DIDN'T TRIP.....HE GOT JUMPSCARED."
Tango nodded seriously. "As a man who has also been jumpscared by butterflies, I understand."
Asuka unsheathed her knife. "We're going after him."
Pluto blinked. "You're not… mad?"
Asuka shrugged. "I mean, yeah I'm emotionally damaged, but I'm also bored, so adventure?"
Tanya climbed onto a boulder. "ALRIGHT TROOPS; WE ARE GOING TO KIDNAP TIM BACK FROM AN ARMY OF UNDEAD. ANYONE GOT A PROBLEM WITH THAT?"
Tango raised his hand. "I do. Because my legs hurt."
Tanya: "Denied."
Omega stepped forward. "Zombies are moving east. If we hurry, we can catch them before they reach the abandoned metro tunnels."
Tanya pumped her fist. "LET'S GOO !!"
ROAR.
They froze.
A new wave of zombies appeared from the right.....not walking.RUNNING!
Asuka screamed, "WHY ARE THEY FASTER NOW?! WHO UPGRADED THEIR SETTINGS?!"
Tango yelled, "EVERYBODY MOVE THEY'RE ON SOME FAST MODE!"
The group BURST into action.
Zombies leaped over broken cars......slid down collapsed highway ramps like they were in a zombie Olympics.One even rolled like it trained in gymnastics.
Tanya smacked one mid-air with her frying pan. "NOT TODAY, YOU DISCOUNT HALLOWEEN DECORATION!"
Pluto vaulted over a barrel, yelling, "WHERE IS TIM?! WHICH ONE OF YOU IS HIM ; SHOW YOURSELF YOU UNWASHED CORPSES!"
Omega pointed at the front of the horde."THERE, THE ONE WITH THE PINK HOODIE!"
And there he was.
Zombie Tim.Dragging one leg.Blank stare.Luna's hoodie flapping in the wind like some tragic flag.
Tango yelled, "BRO LOOKS LIKE AN NPC WHO GLITCHED."
The group sprinted.
Tim snarled and raised his arms like he was about to zombie-hug them into the afterlife.
Pluto: "DON'T YOU DARE.....YOU ARE GROUNDED!"
Tim screeched.
Tanya: "HE UNDERSTOOD THAT. DO IT AGAIN."
Pluto: "TIMOTHY. YOU SIT DOWN RIGHT NOW."
Tim paused.
Tilted his head.
Then started running toward them.
Tango yelled, "ABORT ABORT HE DID NOT LIKE THAT COMMAND !!"
The chase turned WILD.
Pluto and Tim were basically playing tag.Omega acted like a coach, yelling instructions.Tanya was swinging her frying pan like Thor with no aim.Asuka stabbed zombies like she was slicing vegetables.Tango tripped six times.
Finally Pluto managed to grab Tim's hoodie sleeve.....
But Zombie Tim YEETED Pluto into a pile of bushes.
Tanya gasped. "OH MY ! HE'S A VIOLENT LITTLE DUDE."
Tango nodded respectfully. "Honestly, impressive strength."
Omega grabbed Pluto out of the shrubs. "Tim doesn't recognize us. We need the antidote ready."
Asuka pointed ahead. "Metro tunnels. They'll go down there. That's where the mega-horde is."
Everyone shared one look.
Tanya whispered:"So basically… we follow hundreds of zombies into a dark tunnel with zero plan?"
Pluto nodded, brushing leaves out of his hair."Yeah."
Tango sighed. "Of course."
Omega cracked his knuckles."Let's bring him home."
The group ran toward the tunnel entrance...
And deep inside, Tim's figure vanished with the horde.
The mission had officially begun:
Operation: Steal The Zombie Back.