Beyond the Barrier: Zombie Town One-shots

Runs In The Family

(Wow, it's been a while since I've posted a BtB one-shot! Sorry about that, I've been more invested in the series and Limelight lately. But the next chapter of Another Way is coming...! I meant to have it up before episode 3 of the series fic but I hit a block. I'm getting there, tho~ Anyway, this is pretty much just a short, self-indulgent little story. I wanted to have this established in a fic since I talk about it Tumblr a lot. Some nice family bonding between Bonzo and Izabelle, set just after A Helping Hack ^^ )

"So, did she fix your Z-band?"

Bonzo looked up from his canvas to see Izabelle standing above him with her hands in her pockets. He shook his head, going back to his work. He was on his hands and knees, taping off sections of the canvas in curving patterns to be painted.

"Zon zrag." No need.

It had barely been a day since he went to Eliza asking her to hack into his Z-band. He'd refused to give her computer back to her until she gave in and let him come over to continue researching. It was hours later when he finally went back home. Straight to his room; he wasn't quite ready to bring this up to his parents. He didn't even know how to yet. But Izabelle was way easier to talk to about these things.

She crouched beside him, wrapping her arms around her knees and resting her chin on them. Her eyes stayed fixated on the canvas as he spoke.

"Zon ag zer-garzand. Ag garzedd." It's not my Z-band. It's my brain.

Izabelle frowned and tilted her head but kept her eyes on his hands, as did Bonzo.

"Garzedd?" she asked. She tended to fall into Zombie-tongue when speaking with him.

"Za. Elizaka grep zrudge," Eliza helped me research, he stuck down the last piece of tape and sat back, "Garzedd bragan. Magra." It's a mental disability. Maybe.

Now that made Izabelle turn to look at him.

"Bragan? Ru agrap grodge," You're taking it well, she said and he shrugged, "Ru garzedd-zig deh Engraz?" Do you know the English?

Bonzo took a second or two to think, "Autism."

"Autism," Izabelle repeated, testing the word. Disabilities and mental illnesses weren't really discussed so much in Zombie Town, and there were no specific terms in Zombie for them. But they were, at least, acknowledged. Nothing else, though. Just acknowledged. Any kind of treatment or therapy they could possibly get was only available at the containment facility, and they wouldn't get much sympathy there. Izabelle was glad Bonzo had managed to avoid it.

"Greh, gozay ru garzedd-zig?" So, how do you know?

Now, he had a chance to talk about it. Explain it and get his thoughts straight. He listed off symptoms and traits he had read about. Senses, speech, empathy, stims, special interests... Everything that hadn't made sense before but was finally starting to. And Izabelle couldn't help thinking it over.

She sat there for what seemed like hours.

"Janook zegrere zama? Za?"

Her voice was so soft, which was practically unheard of for her, and it alarmed her cousin. His head snapped up. They were close enough that he could normally read her expression reasonably well, but the question alone was plenty.

Does it run in families?

He felt strangely hopeful. Was she saying what he thought she was saying...? He cautiously tipped his head forward.

"Ru?"

Izabelle nodded, "Za. Garzedd-zig. Magra..." I think. Maybe...

She didn't have time to elaborate because Bonzo was already enveloping her in a hug and rocking her back and forth. She pretended to be mad for barely a second before she returned the hug. And that was rare for Izabelle.

Bonzo didn't think he could love his cousin any more than he already did but there it was.

They were in this together.