Maizen: Return of the Zombies

Chapter 9

"Everybody stick together." Mary instructed as they traveled through the vents. "I don't want anyone getting lost because curiosity got the best of them."

Right at that moment, Mikey was already starting to go in a different direction.

"Ooh, what's down here?" He asked, curiosity ironically getting the best of him. JJ had to drag him back before he got too far.

"Did you not just hear what she said?" JJ asked, having a feeling this would be a long journey as long as Mikey was with them.

"Huh?" Mikey sounded so confused that JJ honestly wanted to facepalm, but to be honest, he was pretty much used to him at his dumbfoundness at this point.

"Just... stay by me, and don't wander off." JJ said, and everyone continued to follow Mary through the vents. He hoped she at least knew some way out of here, even though she'd never tried to escape before. Considering her skills in navigating earlier, JJ had hope she would be able to pull this off. He just prayed it wasn't false hope.

Suddenly, a loud clanging noise was heard from below them. Next came a swarm of voices, and that's when JJ realized that it was the guards.

"Can't one thing go right today?" Mary raged. As she scanned her surroundings for the quickest escape route, she suddenly saw a familiar pathway.

"I know where this leads!" She exclaimed. "Guys, follow me!"

It led upwards, so it was significantly more difficult to climb through, but the eventually managed. And just in time too, because the guards were already getting closer. JJ was actually surprised with how fast they were going.

If they continued to navigate at this rate, they would be caught in minutes.

"This is bad..." JJ said. But suddenly, he got an idea. "Wait a second! Guys, I know what to do!"

"What? What is it?" Bob asked. Everyone else stared at JJ in anticipation.

"I'm going to do what I do best." JJ declared. But, nobody understood what he meant. Not even Mikey, who spends 90% of his time with him. They all just sat there looking confused.

"Which is...?" Mary pressed. JJ internally sighed and just revealed it straight up.

"Building security measures."

"Oh yeah!" Mikey said. "But, JJ, how will that help right now?"

"I've still got some resources from our journey here." JJ explained. "I was thinking I could set up a few traps in these vents... the guards would never see it coming."

Mary could feel his devious energy. "Okay smart guy," She said, having a smirk once more. "Do your magic."

-

"I swear to god I'm not lying. They did come down here."

"They better have, because if they didn't and we ended up running around the vents for hours looking in the wrong place, Commander Floss with have your head off!"

"I'm certain about this. Besides, why would I-"

"Up there!"

The two guards were now just below where JJ and the gang used to be. Using each other as leverage, they climbed up to the next floor. But before they could get even halfway up, arrows were shot right down on them.

They yelled in pain and started scrambling around to escape the dispensers' path, and they threw themselves away from them just before they could start shooting arrows again.

"God dammit!" One of them shouted. "How the hell did dispensers get in the vents?"

"I don't know." The other one said. "I think it was-"