It was a moonless night, the wind cutting through the trees.
The damp forest teemed with life. Plants that had already mutated were growing at a crazed pace, undergoing shocking changes in the cover of darkness.
Buzzshock hovered in midair.
Below, a vivid green Peashooter stood rooted in the mud, its mouth compressing shot after shot before spitting them out in a steady stream, trying to knock Buzzshock out of the sky.
"Even a Peashooter showed up. Just don't tell me a Cherry Bomb's next…"
Buzzshock flickered aside, dodging the incoming peas.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
Those "harmless-looking" peas hit like artillery rounds, blasting through several large trees with ear-splitting booms.
Splintered wood and shredded leaves exploded outward, debris raining down onto the muddy ground.
Buzzshock raised a finger, aimed at the Peashooter, and fired a streak of teal lightning.
Zzzzt!
The crackling bolt twisted like a living serpent, snapping forward with blinding speed.
A flash of panic crossed the Peashooter's oddly intelligent eyes.
It immediately compressed its body and sprang away, barely dodging the strike.
Buzzshock froze for a beat. "It can dodge? Since when are these things allowed to move?"
So this wasn't Plants vs. Zombies.
Just like the carnivorous flower earlier, this Peashooter could move around freely instead of being stuck in place like in the game.
The Peashooter's mouth vibrated rapidly, then unleashed another torrent of shots, the pellets whipping toward Buzzshock.
Buzzshock thrust out his palm. A burst of dazzling electricity spread into a wide net, catching every incoming pea.
With a rapid crackle like beans popping in a pan, the green peas shattered under the current, turning into charred fragments that drifted down in scattered pieces.
The Peashooter jolted, about to fire again.
But the Buzzshock above it was gone.
In the next instant, a familiar electrical crackle sounded behind it.
Buzzshock's small hand clamped down on the Peashooter's stem.
A disturbingly human flicker of surprise surfaced in the Peashooter's eyes.
Its "neck" twisted a full three-sixty, locking onto Buzzshock behind it, ready to shoot—
But Buzzshock didn't give it the chance.
The moment it turned, Buzzshock's palm released a powerful surge, and the Peashooter was instantly paralyzed.
It stiffened in place, eyes wide.
Its bright green skin began to blacken, thick smoke pouring off it.
A moment later, all that remained in Buzzshock's hand was a scorched plant.
The Peashooter's firepower was nasty, but it was fragile. It couldn't withstand Buzzshock's electricity.
Buzzshock had barely exhaled when a wave of cold swept in from the side.
He instinctively darted away, narrowly avoiding a spray of icy liquid.
He turned, fists tightening.
Under a thick tree stood a blue Ice-shroom.
It was icy blue and crystal-clear, its cap bristling with sharp frost like hair standing on end. It had no limbs, and its stem wore a lazy, half-asleep expression.
"Ice Mushroom?" Buzzshock blinked.
The Ice-shroom puffed out its cheeks and spat out another stream. The liquid carried a biting chill as it shot straight at Buzzshock.
Buzzshock fired a bolt of electricity, canceling it out midair.
Then he raised his hand, condensed a crackling electric bomb, and hurled it at the Ice-shroom.
The Ice-shroom bounced frantically, trying to get away, but without legs it couldn't really run. The blast sent it flying.
With a heavy thud, it slammed into a solid boulder, its body left battered and scraped.
Buzzshock flashed and appeared right beside it.
While it was still alive, he reached out, meaning to get a closer look at this bizarre creature.
Suddenly, the Ice-shroom's body began to swell rapidly…