"...Timeline Beta disappeared?" Dr. Zomboss asked in surprise.
"Worse than that. 'Disappear' implies that it has simply evaded our gaze and is simply invisible to us. Judging by the apparent energy remnants from where the timeline used to be, it has been eradicated." Future Zomboss elaborated as he pointed at his diagram.
Dr. Zomboss folded his hand together, attempting to take in this harrowing information, but uncertain of what to make of it.
"Did...did we make this happen?" Dr. Zomboss hesitantly asked.
"As powerful and intelligent as we are, I highly doubt that we are the sole cause of this destruction. However, make no mistake, temporal bridging is what caused Timeline Beta to rupture. Perhaps not our own, but that of a different Zomboss." Future Zomboss calmly answered.
"So what are you suggesting we do now? We can't very well stop our work."
"I am not saying we should cease our temporal bridging. Quite the opposite, in fact, because I can assure you the Plants will not stop either. The moment one side lets their guard down, the other side will ruthlessly decimate their enemies. But you don't need me to tell you that, right? Such is the nature of war, interdimensional or otherwise."
"Hmph. I wasn't planning on it. Crossing the interests of the Zombies was their first mistake, and I will make sure their plight only worsens for them!" Dr. Zomboss muttered.
"I concur. However, you must understand that I am going to cease the transportation of mercenaries for a good while. I must focus my attention on matters in my native timeline." Future Zomboss replied.
"Very well. I have more than enough to work with. Goodbye for now..." Dr. Zomboss said as he ended the video call.
After being transported by Hoodie to L.E.A.F. HQ, Crazy Dave, Penny, and all of the Plant soldiers stood among the L.E.A.F. agents in a large conference room watching Pops Corn and Druid Rose relaying information and commands to groups of mercenaries.
"Team Alpha, we are sending you to the Dark Age Era. Be sure to send Agent Vampire Flower on her way as well." Druid Rose instructed a group of agents.
"Team Sigma, you'll be reassigned to a new era, the Industrial Era. Go there and eliminate the high risk Zombie targets at all costs." Pops Corn commanded in a very formal tone, receiving salutes in response.
Druid Rose suddenly began receiving many calls from different eras and paused to answer them all.
"Hello, this is Agent Druid...yes, please do return to HQ. We've missed you as of late. Hello, Agent Druid here...very well, I am sending agents your way..."
Druid Rose continued on like this for a few more calls, all the while leaving Hoodie to explain the situation to the militia before them.
"You see now...L.E.A.F. is on high alert, and there is much to be done, but not much time to complete them all. Please await the instructions of Madam Druid and Sir Pops, they will inform you of your next missions." Hoodie calmly explained.
Fire Flower and Stuffy Flower stood together, feeling rather anxious. They may have had pleasant dreams the night before, but the news that an entire timeline has ceased to exist was a rather rude and unsettling awakening.
"I don't really have to tell you how bad this is, right Fire? The universe doesn't like it when things are this out-of-place." Stuffy Flower muttered to Fire Flower.
"I think anyone would be able to tell. Can you even fix something like that?" Fire Flower replied.
"That would be pretty incredible, huh? With Timeline Beta succumbing to its Time Snare, that doesn't bode well for the adjacent ones." Stuffy Flower continued to mutter.
"Which timeline are we in?"
"Timeline Alpha."
"Shit. That's really bad then. Do you have any idea what Druid is planning?"
"Based on protocol, I'm almost certain she will be focusing on protecting this timeline from any further damage by the Zombies. That means allocating resources and mercenaries to this timeline, of course. But unavoidably, that puts strain on the timeline as well. That's why L.E.A.F. is currently limiting its use of temporal portals right now, using them only when necessary." Stuffy explained.
Hoodie got the attention of the group and led them over to Druid Rose and Pops Corn, as they had finished sending out agents to eras in Timeline Alpha.
"Ah, Crazy Dave! Penny! Are you and your team prepared to receive their missions?" Druid Rose asked.
"Those Zombies are gonna be dining at a gourmet restaurant of organic justice! Ha ha ha ha!" Crazy Dave responded.
"That's the spirit! Now, the general idea we have laid out is to send you all to strategic and crucial locations along with the help of our agents. We'll avoid most forms of time travel for the time being, at least until we can establish an absolute necessity for it, like if a critical Zombie target is fleeing to another era." Druid Rose briefly explained.
Druid Rose motioned to a sort of holographic diagram to illustrate the current plan.
"Our current points of interest are primarily locations that are under threat of Zombie control, but have not yet been claimed. Points of interest are: Zen Peak, Sandy Sands, and Great White North. Sunflower, Metal Petal, Mystic Flower, Peashooter, Agent Pea, Law Pea, and Commando Pea can head for Zen Peak. Sun Pharaoh, Alien Flower, Kernel, and Chomper will be assigned to Sandy Sands. Fire Flower, Stuffy Flower, Cactus, Camo Cactus, and Citron go to Great White North."
Druid Rose conjured a notebook tablet to refer to her notes and check on the status of some agents.
"Agent Vampire Flower, Agent Future Cactus, and Agent Mob Cob are all pending return to this era. We will start from there, when they arrive. Ah, here they come now!" Druid Rose stated.
Some nearby temporal portals began opening up, and from the other side came the L.E.A.F. agents Druid Rose had listed off. Vampire Flower, a Gothic sunflower from the Dark Ages that had mastered sanguine magic that allowed her to leech vitality from her enemies, walked up to Druid Rose and gave her a curtsy.
"Wonderful to see you again, madam!" Vampire Flower greeted, noticeably pronouncing her "w" as a "v".
Future Cactus stepped through her portal from the Prohibition Era, greeting Citron in the distance with a knowing nod. Mob Cob arrived through the same portal, taking a sip from a prohibited bottle of whiskey.
"Hey, Druid! What's the status? I've got an urge to pop some kernels in some Zombie heads!" Mob Cob mumbled in a drunken stupor.
Druid Rose sighed before responding to her comrade.
"You should know the situation is dire, Agent Mob Cob. How was your mission in the Prohibition Era? Did your team eliminate the Zombie target?"
"No madam...the Computer Scientist fled the scene. Took down some of our men while he was at it. Wait until I get my cobs on that son of a bitch..." Mob Cob grumbled as he tossed his empty whiskey bottle across the room.
"Agent Mob Cob, you are far too inebriated to continue. Retreat to your quarters until you are sober." Druid Rose ordered as she facepalmed at Mob Cob's condition.
"I'll be back...*hic*...I'm sure no one's gonna miss me while I'm gone...especially not you."
"Get over it, Agent Mob Cob! That fling ended years ago!"
Druid turned back to the mercenaries, her face visibly turning a darker shade of red than usual.
"I...am terribly sorry you all had to witness that. Pay it no mind, please."
Fire Flower whispered to Stuffy Flower, her curiosity getting the better of her.
"What's up with Druid and that Mob Cob guy?"
"Hush...we don't talk about Madam Druid and Sir Mob..." Stuffy replied, her voice even quieter than Fire's.
Fire Flower left it at that, understanding the sensitivity of the subject.
Druid Rose conjured a small slip of paper and handed it to Hoodie, whispering discreetly. Hoodie nodded and addressed the Plant militia.
"You can find the designated drop ships on the floor above us. Simply enter the portal labeled with your mission location, and you will be transported inside."
As the mercenaries followed Hoodie's instructions, Rose and Shadow Flower stepped up to Hoodie and Druid Rose.
"Um...what about us? Where will we be assigned?" Shadow Flower asked Druid Rose.
"For you, Shadow Flower...we have a special task for you. I believe you will find this assignment interesting. Agent Hoodie will be your ally, and she will take you to the mission location." Druid Rose answered, a knowing grin creasing underneath her mask.
"And how about me? How may I be of assistance?" Rose inquired.
"You will come along with me. We will rendezvous with two other Rose agents. Their magical research and reconnaissance will prove important." Druid Rose replied, sending a message through her tablet.
Shadow Flower walked alongside Hoodie as the two prepared to be transported to their destination.
"So, you and me are working together! That's cool!" Shadow Flower chimed.
"Yeah...sure. Cool..." Hoodie deadpanned.
"Something wrong?"
"Of course not. And even if there were, it is not important."
"If you say so..."
There was a moment of awkward silence between the two before Hoodie spoke again.
"I apologize. I'm used to working by myself. There are a lot of responsibilities that rest solely with me."
"Don't worry about it. I get that. Where are we going by the way?"
"This is going to be an infiltration mission. We are going to the moon."
"The moon?! You mean, the Zombies have taken the moon too?"
"It was a well-kept secret for a long time. The only reason L.E.A.F. knows about it now is because it was extracted from an interrogation."
"And now you want me to go there and retrieve more intel on whatever is happening on their moon base."
"How intuitive of you."
Hoodie held out their leaves as they conjured a temporal portal, calibrated to transport them to the moon.
"Are you ready, Shadow Flower?"
"I think this timeline knew I was ready before I was even born!"
Shadow Flower and Hoodie stepped through the portal, and with a flash of blue, they had departed.
AUTHOR'S NOTE (7/5/20): Time to dust off this old thing. It's been a long time coming, but here's another chapter to add. Not just one, but two, because you all deserve it. If anyone is still around to read this story, I commend and thank you for your patience. Needless to say, 2020 has been a tumultuous year, and it has definitely hurt my productivity in many areas. In between college classes, learning animation and video editing, and practicing my art, it sometimes feels as if time has slowed to a crawl, and nothing ever gets done. Kind of like a time snare. I have no idea when I'll finish this story or Heroic Hearts, but be at ease with the fact that it is a matter of when, not if. I have no intention of leaving either story unfinished, but I can't make any promises beyond that. I don't have much else to say except, enjoy.