A chilling silence enveloped the once bustling streets of the Candy Kingdom. The former inhabitants shuffled around mindlessly as they searched for their next meal. Some gathered into small groups to feed off from one corpse, while others leaned forward in front of a wall and rested.
The goo monsters were always in pain. Their bodies ached from deterioration and their minds always throbbed with never-ending headaches. The only instances when they could remedy their own afflictions was whenever they consumed a victim. However, the pain would subside temporarily and return minutes later.
Most of the buildings in the residential areas were placed into lockdown. Doors were shut with furniture and windows were locked with iron bars and wooden planks. Some buildings on the other hand were left wide open. The occupants who resided in those said places were quickly snatched from the zombies before they could even set up defenses. As a result, streaks and splatters of blood graffitied the interior walls from the fallen bystanders.
At downtown, a faint echo of sirens was heard several blocks away. As time passed, the wailing became louder as a convoy of four cruisers pulled over to one of the barricades. Eight patrolmen emerged from the vehicles with their weapons drawn. Surprisingly, no zombies were present. The streets and nearby intersections were seemingly void from their absence and it baffled the officers.
The patrol group examined the other set of police vehicles that were parked perpendicular in the street.
"The distress call was made from this location," one of them said.
"Do you think they made it out?"
The patrolmen looked around their surroundings and discovered not a single body was left behind.
"I'd like to think so. There are no bodies or weapons lying around. Our guys must have fled to safety shortly after they called. They can't be too far from here."
"Alright, I better inform Root Beer Guy about this." One officer walked inside his cruiser to access the radio.
After he was finished with his report, he waited a few moments to receive his next set of orders.
"Do what you can to search for the missing unit," RBG instructed, "As soon as you find them, I want you to get your team out of there."
The guard nodded, "I read you, we'll be back soon, over and out."
As soon as he hung up the transponder, the door suddenly jerked open from his left. He was startled from the sudden action and looked out of reflex. To his surprise, a zombified patrolman dragged him by the shoulders and began gnawing at him.
The other officers in the group immediately faced the same direction when they heard their squad member howling in agony. They quickly raised their automatic crossbows to shoot the zombie that pinned their comrade down. Before they would get the chance however, ten goo monsters from both sides of the street emerged from the shadows and overwhelmed them almost instantly.
With another team defeated, the goo monsters gained more reinforcements at their disposal. As they feasted altogether at the street, Root Beer Guy was calling urgently from one of the transponders. He persisted for a few minutes, calling some of the team members directly by their names but was met with silence.
After the noise subsided, the zombies became less irritated and continued to eat their fallen foes. However, one of them in particular began to act more hostile as he viciously tore and consumed flesh at a rapid rate. This sudden notion made the others in the group pause as they watched their friend with confusion.
The former being began to shake uncontrollably as his body was experiencing a sudden transformation. Soon, his body mass grew extensively and dwarfed the others in comparison. He let out a monstrous roar as the transformation ended, then leapt near one of the rooftops towards a set destination.
"Your vengeance awaits," Maja's voice resonated in his mind.
Back at the maintenance tunnels, Finn and the survival group left the storage room through the ventilation shaft. They moved slowly and deliberately being sure not to attract any zombies that were nearby. As they crawled through the network, Finn and the others overheard the undead horde groaning collectively in pain.
"Geez, it sounds like there's hundreds of them out there," Finn thought to himself.
He continued to lead the way as his friends did their best not to make any sudden movements. As they crawled, their arms would twitch and shake as they heard the zombies randomly screech into the air. Finn's heart raced and sweat glistened his palms and face. Everyone else behind him felt relatively the same, especially since there was clearly no room to fight or flee for that matter.
Finally, after what seemed like ten minutes, Finn stopped over at a hatch that would drop them directly towards the floor. He motioned his friends to hold their position as he carefully undid the latches. Once the hatch was pried loose, he moved it aside and slowly peeked his head through the opening. To his relief, the room was apparently empty and he climbed outside the vent moments later along with the survivors.
Everyone darted their eyes left and right as they observed the room they were in. Despite the silence, Finn and his friends thoroughly inspected the area until they were sure it was officially safe.
Princess Bubblegum walked over to the desk with the camera feed and began typing on a nearby keyboard. As she typed, the others gathered next to her and anxiously waited for a response.
"What do you have, PB?" Finn whispered.
She whispered back as she continued to type, "Hold on, just give me a second... Ok, I think I found our way out."
The candy monarch typed a few more keystrokes before continuing, "Most of the goo monsters are gathered at the concession stands and main exits. There's no way we'll leave through there. However, the loading garage at the back seems to be the least crowded. The plan is simple: we take out anyone or anything standing in our way quietly and get into one of the trucks stationed there."
"What about the keys," Finn asked.
PB replied, "There's no time. I'll hot-wire the vehicle within a few moments and we'll be out of here before you know it."
Finn nodded, "Alright, the sooner we get out, the better. Hopefully our phones should work once we leave this place."
Just as the group began to mobilize, Bubblegum stopped them momentarily, "Wait!"
Finn asked, "What is it?"
Everyone looked at her questioningly as she walked over to a nearby cabinet. As she approached it, she began to input an override code to unlock it. "Use these crossbows first to take out the opposition. We can't afford to attract unwanted attention if we are to make a clean getaway."
"Oh, thanks PB," Finn said as he grabbed one for himself. The others did the same as they looked at their weapons with skepticism.
"I never would have thought I'd be using this," Marceline chuckled.
"Me neither," FP concurred.
"It's only temporary," Bubblegum reassured the group. "I have no doubt your powers are far superior compared to this kind of firepower."
"Understood, PB," Finn said as he looked over to the others. "You guys know how to use these right?"
FP scoffed, "Of course, Finn. Don't be ridiculous!"
He lifted one hand in defense as he gave a cheeky smile, "Ok, I'm just asking."
The group made final checks with their weapons and gathered all the arrows they could carry. Once done, they finally left the room and proceeded to make their escape. Everyone moved briskly at a crouching stance as they traveled down one of the halls. So far, no zombies were spotted in their field of view. All they ever ran into for the moment were several plastic bins and small tray carts.
As they turned left to enter the next hallway, the group stopped at the door to discover a few maintenance workers were blocking their path. "I count at least three of them," Finn whispered. He pulled away and looked among the group, "Ok, here's the plan: Marcy, Bubblegum, and myself will take out those guys and move forward. Flame, Simon, and Betty, you three stay here and cover the rear. I'll signal you to fall in once were good."
FQ and the others nodded, "Got it."
Marceline used her powers to turn invisible to get into position, while Finn and PB snuck behind a few supply crates. As they settled in cover, Finn adjusted his crossbow sights and targeted the farthest zombie on the left. Bubblegum readied hers on the center, while Marcy did the same for the right. The zombies themselves did not notice their approach and continued to stand idly.
After a few moments, Finn fired the first shot and killed the enemy instantly with a headshot. PB and Marcy followed suit seconds later as they synchronized their takedowns. As a result, the zombies dropped on the floor lifeless once more without uttering screams. Finn smiled to himself in satisfaction then motioned the other three to regroup.
"So far so good," Finn whispered. "The loading bay is near. Stay close." As they ventured into a different corridor they encountered a larger group of approximately 30 zombies obstructing their path.
"Great," FQ huffed. "There's no way we'll be able to sneak past them." She withdrew her weapon and began to power her fists.
Noticing this, Finn eased her to stand down, "Wait, we can still make this work." He surveyed the area for a few moments until he faced the group, "There's a vending machine we went past earlier that could be very useful for our needs."
"Finn, I don't think getting a refreshing drink is going to help with the situation," Simon said as the others nodded.
The hero face-palmed himself, "That's not what I meant! What I mean is that we'll use the machine as bait to draw them away from our path."
"Oh... I see. So, how are we going to pull this off?"
"Only one of us needs to create the distraction while the rest hides behind this closet," Finn ushered.
Marceline spoke up, "I'll do it. I can just turn invisible and fly on the way back to meet you guys."
Simon faced her with concern, "You're going to be alright with this?"
She nodded with a determined expression, "I'll be fine. I'm not the helpless, little girl like I used to be all those years ago."
"Be careful, Marcy," PB said.
"I will Bonnie. Just wait here until I let you know the coast is clear," she instructed.
While everyone else walked inside the small room, Marcy proceeded with the plan and approached the vending machine. She noticed it was slightly opened already and grabbed one red can inside for herself. Apparently the local vendor was in the middle of restocking the drinks before the zombie outbreak. After Marceline finished her soda with a contented sigh, she looked closer inside the machine and pulled the pin that held the drinks in place. The noise was loud and audible as dozens of cans plopped onto the ground fizzing. Then, she quickly flew close to the ceiling while staying invisible.
"That's right. Free drinks for everyone," Marceline thought to herself as she watched the goo monsters move at a light jogging pace.
With the doors to the loading bay no longer obstructed, the vampire returned to her group's hiding place and whispered, "We're good."
"Good job, I guess this will be easier than I thought," Finn said.
She chuckled, "Yeah, and then the next thing you know we'll be distracting zombies with TV."
"Heh, that'll be the day," Flame Queen commented.
Not wasting any time, Finn lead the way as he cautiously opened the doors towards their destination. Unlike the public garage they ran into earlier, this one had only a small group of zombies in which Finn and his friends took down with ease. With the area being clear, the young hero motioned his friends to seal the door from where they entered with pallets of crates then gathered near one of the getaway vehicles.
"Ok, better get this started," Bubblegum said as she placed her weapon down and walked towards the driver's side.
"Wait," Marcy stopped her. "Don't you watch the movies? We need to check the back first in case there's any of them lurking by."
PB was flustered, "Guess I got ahead of myself for a second there. Thanks Marcy."
"Just looking out for ya," she said nodding.
"And what about underneath," Finn questioned before anyone did anything.
FQ sighed to herself, "Here, I'll just save ourselves the trouble." She spun around using her heat sense abilities. "It's clean, let's go."
"Thanks Flame," Finn said as he and the others surrounded the vehicle.
"I'm hot-wiring the truck. This should take a few moments," PB said.
Suddenly, the doors the group blocked off earlier were banging audibly. After a few initial strikes, the doors finally gave out and bursted high in the air along with the barricade. Bubblegum stopped with her work to look at the commotion and showed a terrified expression, "J-James?!"
"PRINCESS," the monstrous beast bellowed. Unlike his former appearance, the zombified pastry took on a muscular, humanoid appearance. His fingers were sharpened and elongated which made his hands resemble a pair of claws. The only thing that stayed relatively the same were his facial features.
"Positions people. Stay calm and protect PB," Finn ordered. He and the others immediately holstered their crossbows and charged their powers. Once done, Finn, Flame Queen, and Marceline used pyro-kinesis while Simon and Betty used cryo-kinesis.
James roared in pain as his body was struck rapidly with fire and ice beams across the upper torso and back. Despite withstanding the elemental-based attacks, James did not freeze nor catch on fire. The physical force emitted from the blasts simply slowed down his movements. After a few moments however, he clenched his teeth and made a mad dash towards Finn. Once he was close, the beast attempted to swipe with his right claw, only to miss.
"Keep your distance," Finn ordered to the group as he recovered from a barrel roll. When James missed his target, he began to sprint towards the next person until he was within striking distance. As he closed in on his target, he raised both of his fists and slammed them onto the ground.
Betty backpedaled a few steps and dove sideways as she dodged the attack. After recovering, she continued to shoot James with a concentrated stream of ice from both of her hands. "He's not going down easily like the others," she exclaimed.
"Flame, help me provide covering fire," Finn shouted. James turned his gaze towards Simon and began to charge again with brute force. Bewildered, Finn called to Marceline, "Marcy, he's got a bead on Simon!"
The vampire immediately ceased fire and turned her gaze to her Simon. Once she spotted him, she quickly flew towards her father-figure and grabbed him to safety.
Noticing that the battle was drawing attention for more zombies, Marceline set Simon down and transformed into her bat form and grabbed one of the parked vehicles. As she lifted the truck with ease, she quickly told her friends to move away and threw it. Everything felt like it happened in slow motion as James realized at the last second he was smushed against the wall from the sudden weight. Unlike the average zombie though, James smiled grotesquely and began to push the truck away from his body.
"I'm sorry, James," Finn solemnly said as he powered a fireball in his right hand. Once it was charged, he pitched it hard and struck the nearby gas panel. The resulting explosion sent several scraps of metal flying in multiple directions. Before they could confirm the kill, Finn and the others noticed a large mob of goo monsters were already rushing towards their location.
"The truck's ready, let's go," Bubblegum shouted. Once everyone got inside, the candy monarch shifted gears and floored the gas pedal. As she headed for the exit, she realized something at the last second, "The garage door's sealed, I need an opening!"
"I got this," Marceline said as she flew out of the vehicle and ahead of the group. She transformed into her bat form again and conjured a large fireball and chucked it with both hands. The blast sent a massive explosion upon impact, creating a wide gap for the group to escape. Marcy then quickly changed back to normal and flew back inside the truck bed.
"Don't stop for anything," Finn shouted.
Bubblegum yelled as she gripped the steering wheel and drove outside of the stadium complex. Once they were on the streets, PB swerved the vehicle left and right occasionally to evade the parked cars that blocked their path. During the whole process, PB also plowed through a large crowd of zombies as she kept her foot down on the accelerator without a second thought.
The zombies trailed after the speeding vehicle only to stop eventually as they realized it was futile. After groaning altogether in disappointment, they went back into a passive state and shuffled aimlessly around the streets to find any other victims.
With the chase finally over, Bubblegum eased her foot on the gas pedal while Finn pulled out his phone to call for help.
"It's about time we got out of there," he thought to himself. He was about to dial a few numbers when suddenly, he dropped his cell and his nose started to bleed.
Over at the kingdom's outskirts, Peppermint Butler was inside a command post tent with several banana guards. They were studying the map layout of their homeland, being sure the quarantine was completely secure.
"I don't want anymore surprises," Peppermint said. "Make sure none of the refugees are showing any signs of infection."
"What should we find," one of them asked.
"I'm guessing bites, abnormal behavior, or anything that seems off. I know in the past cases the zombifications were usually instant, but I don't want to take any chances."
One guard nodded, "Yes sir!"
As they left, Root Beer Guy walked inside and approached him with a solemn expression, "I lost contact with another team."
Peppermint sighed, "Another?"
"Yeah it's pretty bad. One moment everything's fine and then the next thing it's just radio silence."
He looked down in disappointment, "We're losing more than we're gaining." Then, he lifted his gaze back to the captain, "You've done all you could. I need you and the rest of the men to reinforce the perimeter, at least for now. We'll have to be on the defensive for a while until we're sure what exactly we're dealing with."
"By your command." RBG placed his fist against his heart and dismissed himself.
Peppermint was alone now as he looked back at the map. "(sigh) Hang in there, guys," he said to himself.
His thoughts were interrupted when one guard called him from outside, "Sir, the aerial calvalier unit from the Fire Kingdom is approaching!"
He nodded, "Alright, I'll be out there in a second."