Maizen: Return of the Zombies

Chapter 26

"I should get back now." JJ thought. "I bet everyone's wondering where I am. In fact, I'm suprised they let me be out for this long."

"JJ! JJ!" He suddenly heard Mikey calling for him from down the hall. "Bob knows what you did! He's coming!"

"What?" JJ hardly had time to react before Mikey was inside the room and huddling him into a corner. "Don't worry JJ, I'll protect you!"

Mikey got in front of him just as Bob charged in. He paused his attack when he saw JJ being guarded.

"I don't like hurting people, but if I have to, I'll do it to protect JJ!" Mikey threatened. He didn't have any weapons on him, so he wasn't even the least bit intimidating. But still, Bob hesitated.

"Why are you defending him?" His voice starting to crack. "He hurts people! I remember that night you guys came back after you went missing, and he went into grave detail about how he brutally murdered that Captain Spike guy! I know he deserved it, but it sounded to me like JJ enjoyed stabbing him until he choked on his own blood!"

"I didn't, I swear!" JJ exclaimed, even though he was lying.

"See, he feels bad!" Mikey suddenly pulled him into a fierce hug. "Right, JJ?"

"Yeah, yeah!"

Bob seemed to be going through complicated emotions as he debated what to do. Finally, he reached forward and opened the door that he'd previously slammed behind him in order to keep his quarrel private.

"Fine, fine. Just go."

"You're doing the right thing, thank you." Mikey released JJ and walked out the of the room. Bob kept his head down as JJ passed him, and for a minute, he couldn't believe he'd just gotten off the hook. Maybe it was because he didn't want to end up decapitating someone again.

"Thank god for that. With how strong Bob is, I would've ended up a bloody pulp with just three punches." JJ thought, starting to feel better. The less fighting, the easier it'll be to focus on the mission.

But, just as JJ was about to leave the room, Bob gripped his sleeve.

"This isn't over." He growled, and JJ was thrown to the ground seconds later. Mikey definitely heard that, and Bob knew that too. He shut the door and locked it, and there was a frantic pounding from behind it less than a second later.

"You said we could leave!" JJ tried getting up, but he was quickly held down by his throat.

"I would be no better than you if I'd just let you leave without paying for what you did!" Bob shouted. "I had to lie so that Mikey would leave; you've brainwashed him into being endlessly loyal to you to the point where he lost his damn mind! No doubt if he was in his right one he wouldn't have just accepted that you killed an entire population!"

Before JJ could make up another lie to save himself, he was met with a harsh sock to the jaw. He didn't even get the chance to breathe before he was repeatedly punched in the face, and eventually he was being jabbed in the throat.

Just when JJ thought he would pass out, the door suddenly flew open, and Mikey instantly threw himself on Bob, trying to dislodge him. In a fit of rage, Bob threw Mikey right back off, and he hit the wall and didn't get back up. Bob suddenly looked guilt-ridden once he realized he'd hurt the wrong person, and while he was distracted, JJ got out his sword and attempted to stab him with it. But it was caught before it could do any damage, and the attack only seemed to enrage Bob even further. JJ ditched the plan and ran away, going in a different direction.

He ended up in what looked like some sort of experimental room, most likely for science purposes. He stopped once he realized he'd apparently hit a dead end, and he didn't have time to think up a new plan before Bob was on him again. But he came in too fast, and they ended up rolling across the floor. JJ thought he would hit the wall, but suprisingly opened up because of there being secret doors. Sliding doors, in fact. As if JJ wasn't afraid enough, it only got worse when he suddenly heard a chorus of groaning coming from right below them. The platform they were now on dropped off just a few feet ahead, and presumably, the horde that everyone had heard earlier was right below them.

Just before they stopped rolling, JJ made an attempt to throw him off by kicking with his back legs. Due to the previous speed, Bob hadn't had as strong of a grip as he originally did, and it worked. Bob tumbled off of him, and he was now less than a foot away from the drop off.

Since JJ was both heavily bruised and scratched, blood was getting into his eyes and blurring his vision. But with the vulnerable state Bob was in, JJ refused to not take advantage of it. He got out his sword again, and Bob tried his best to shove it away, but he ended up slipping in his efforts, and he ended up clinging to the edge. But with how strong he was, he could easily climb back up, despite his condition.

To stop him, JJ tried shoving him off using his sword. But Bob used one of his hands to keep it back, the blade shredding his hand in the process. It was getting harder for him to hang on with only one hand.

JJ was suprised to see genuine fear in his eyes. It gave him a sense of power, and it made him feel good. And not long after, he started feeling malicious. Someone's life was in his hands, and he was going to do with his fate as he liked.

"I-I overreacted, okay?" Bob spoke over the clamor below. "I shouldn't have been that violent towards you, violence is never the answer! I- just let me get up, please! I'm sorry!"

JJ took in the apology. Then:

"Fine, fine. Just go."

Bob huffed in relief, and easily hoisted himself back up as JJ distanced his sword. He started walking back, looking stressed as ever.

Suddenly, JJ stabbed the sword straight into his back. Bob fell right down, and a rush of adrenaline flew through JJ was he easily overpowered someone who used to be the strongest in the team.

"This isn't over." JJ growled, and used his adrenaline to shove Bob right off the edge. He tried scrambling up, only to hit his head on the metal before tumbling straight down to the hoarde below.

The excitement JJ had previously felt faded away as Bob's scream was no longer heard. He put his blood-stainted sword away, and went to check on Mikey.

"I did the right thing." JJ assured himself, just as uncertainty started to creep in. "It was my life, or his. And I'm the only one who is capable of finding the cure to end all of this. The only thing Bob could do was rip the heads off of innocent people."