Maizen: Return of the Zombies

Chapter 5

Two days passed, and nobody came.

"So much for "later," JJ thought. "It could take weeks before they even remember we're down here! I can't have that, we'll starve! Mikey needs help with his injuries, and I've got a team to reunite- why don't they understand we aren't going to hurt anyone?"

"JJ, do you have any food?" Mikey suddenly asked, slumping to the ground in exhaustion. "I'm soooo hungry..."

"Don't you think if I had food, we would have used it by now?" JJ pointed out, mildly annoyed at how many times he'd been asked this in the past two days. But this time, he didn't get a response.

"Mikey? Are you good?" JJ asked as the room suddenly went into an unnerving silence. Then, Mikey let out a weak cough.

"Soooo hungry..." He wheezed, before going silent again.

"Mikey?" JJ asked, starting to get concerned. Especially with two days having went by, starvation was setting in for the both of them.

It seemed that it claimed Mikey first.

In an instant, JJ was at his friend's side making sure he was alright. It turns out, he'd gone uncontious.

"No, no!" JJ shouted, feeling completely hopeless at this point. If they continued to be held captive in here, there was a chance that Mikey wouldn't wake up again, and JJ might suffer the same fate.

JJ started pounding on the iron bars in a futile attempt to get out, or at least alert somebody that they were here.

But it was no use. There wasn't going to be an "interrogation," they had just been left here to die. And it wouldn't be long before JJ would be motionless on the ground too, just like his friend. Starved to death. Treated like vermin for no other reason than simply coming here. That would be an even more pathetic death than bleeding out in his house due to an attack. In fact, that other death seemed way more dignified than this right about now.

The more JJ thought about dying here in this prison cell, the more it fueled his determination to escape. After all, he had broken out of prison with Mikey countless times.

He started looking for possible escape routes, but quickly grew disappointed. Most prison cells he'd been in had been larger and had more secret exits, but this one was clearly made to hold the lowest of prisoners; a title JJ and Mikey didn't deserve in the slightest.

Although he didn't want to give up, JJ eventually came to terms that there was no way out. It was made by the most advanced village out of them all, of course they wouldn't have any hidden exits or anything of the sort. JJ fell down in defeat, and quickly grew uncomfortable and nervous as he realized he was completely alone in here with Mikey unconscious.

Was this what he was supposed to do? Just sit, and wait for death? JJ felt straight up rage at the thought of dying this way, and he could hardly think properly because of it. A death as stupid and painful as this would be hard to accept.

Silence, silence, silence. That was it. The last thing he would hear before death. He knew that as long as they were kept here, Mikey wouldn't return from unconsciousness, and JJ himself was on the brink of dying from starvation. Anger from his situation and anxiety from being alone was a terrible combination, and JJ felt he was going to burst if he stayed here for another second.

But suddenly, a miracle happened - JJ heard the clinking noise of the cell being unlocked. In that moment, he started forming a plan on how to attack whoever was coming, but he was quickly interuppted by a familiar voice.

"You guys really need to stop getting yourselves arrested."

It was Mary, one of JJ's teammates from the killer clown takeover! JJ sprang up, but he did it too fast and his head started buzzing.

"Jesus, how long have you been in here?" Mary asked, and suddenly noticed Mikey lying on the ground. "And what happened to your boyfriend?"

As soon as JJ recovered, he gave her "the look."

"Friend, I mean-" She corrected herself. "Anyways, what happened?"

"We're both on the brink of death because your commander sentenced us to rot." JJ explained, still feeling a bit doozy. "But thank god you found us. How did you?"

"I overheard some people talking about "outsiders that have been captured" or something, so I went to have a look in the dungeon like the brave adventurer that I am, and found you guys. Glad I did, because-" Mary went from sounding prideful to concerned. "You guys look like you just came back from hell. If the ones in charge are just gonna leave you down here, then I can take you to my house until you recover. Because this is fucked up."

"How are you going to get past all the guards?" JJ asked, thankful for the offer but skeptical of its execution. As mentioned many times, this village had top tier security.

"I know tons of secret ways to around this place." Mary said, practically boasting at this point. "I sneak around a lot. It's my speciality."

"Okay then, show us." JJ said, using the last bit of his strength to carry Mikey along with him. Mary gave that "I totally ship them" smirk before leading them away, constantly making sure they were caught up with her due to knowing how weak they were.

At last, the plan was back on.