Later that night, Dr. Zomboss had returned from the weapon labs to give Punk Zombie, Glitter Zombie, and MC Zom-B their new equipment.
"Here you are. These are your new weapons." Dr. Zomboss said, handing the weapons to each of the teens.
"I call this weapon the 'Punk Shot'. You attach it to your wrist. It is capable of firing metal piercings, as I promised." Dr. Zomboss told Punk.
"Nothing more punkish than a face full of metal!" Punk exclaimed, raising his arm and causing his weapon to make a satisfying click.
"Here are your rollerskates and your bracelets. I did not make very many changes to your rollerskates, only some motors and oil to make them extra speedy." Dr. Zomboss explained to Glitter.
"Thank you. These are really nice." Glitter replied.
""I have transformed your bracelets into an extraordinary weapon, which I have named 'Ring Boomerang'. I will attempt to explain them concisely. Your bracelets have been modified to be batteries that store plasmatic energy. This energy will be utilized as a dangerous boomerang weapon, as the energy you fire from these bracelets will fly forward for a short distance before returning back to your bracelets. Just flick your wrist, and watch the rings of energy decapitate any Plants unfortunate to stand in your way." Dr. Zomboss explained further.
"So I can shoot rings at Plants? Awesome!" Glitter cheered.
"Here is your microphone MC Zom-B. I did not make very many changes to it, except for equipping it with an electric fuse for shocking Plants and making the wire more flexible and elastic." Dr. Zomboss told MC.
"This weapon is so sick, I'm gonna have to call the doctor! I call this one the 'Mic Mace'!" MC cheered.
"Good to hear that you are satisfied with your weapons. Now is the time to test them out, as well as hone your skills and abilities. Follow me to the firing range!" Dr. Zomboss ordered.
The Zombie firing range was a vast field filled with nothing except dead grass and wood cutout targets that resembled Peashooters. Dr. Zomboss gave Punk Zombie some ammunition for his gun and stood from the side of the range to watch Punk Zombie, Glitter Zombie, and MC Zom-B try out their new weapons.
"I will stand over here in case one of you makes your weapon explode or something." Dr. Zomboss said.
"*scoffs* Watch me." Punk said as he approached the range with his Punk Shot.
Punk Zombie raised his arm and pointed his gauntlet weapon at the peashooter targets. He pressed a button on the gauntlet, causing a spread of piercings to fire from the barrel, and striking the target in front of him. He continued to do this for a few more targets before having to reload.
"God, if the others could see me now! Wait, there's another button here. What does it do?" Punk commented.
"Your weapon is capable of a secondary shot. Try it." Dr. Zomboss explained.
Punk Zombie aimed his weapon at another target before pressing the second button on his weapon. The weapon fired a large cluster of piercings with a powerful force, causing Punk Zombie to fly backward and land on his back. Glitter Zombie and MC Zom-B rushed over to him to see if he was hurt.
"Yo Punk! You alright homedog?" MC cried.
"I'm fine…I just…*groans* didn't expect that…" Punk groaned.
Punk Zombie stood up and aimed his weapon again, this time making certain that his feet were firmly planted in the ground. He fired another ball of piercings at a target, turning the target into sawdust. He continued firing shots until he was comfortable with the weapon's recoil.
"So awesome…" Punk muttered.
"Is it my turn now?" Glitter asked.
"Yes, you may try out your weapon." Dr. Zomboss said.
Glitter Zombie approached the range and glanced at her bracelets, preparing to use them.
"I would actually recommend putting one bracelet on each wrist. You will find it easier to launch energy rings that way. And don't worry about losing your bracelets. They won't come off no matter how you swing your arms." Dr. Zomboss spoke up.
"Oh, OK then…" Glitter said, doing as Dr. Zomboss instructed.
Glitter Zombie looked at her target and raised her arm. She flicked her wrist, causing a ring of energy to fly from the bracelet and slice through the wooden target. The energy ring then returned to Glitter Zombie's bracelet, flashing a spectrum of colors.
"Wow, this is amazing! Did that ring flash rainbow colors?" Glitter commented.
"I figured you would like that." Dr. Zomboss said with a grin.
Glitter Zombie continued practicing with her weapon, slicing through many targets. She would even destroy two targets at once by launching one ring at a target and having it boomerang back into another target. She stopped when the bracelets stopped launching energy.
"Uh, how do I reload?" Glitter asked Dr. Zomboss.
"Spin the bracelets around your wrists, and then click your wrists together. That should generate enough kinetic energy to recharge the plasma energy in them." Dr. Zomboss instructed.
Glitter Zombie did as Dr. Zomboss told and clicked her wrists together, generating a colorful flash of light.
"Good. Now try out your new rollerskates. You should be able to move significantly faster than normal rollerskates. Just do what you would normally do to propel yourself. Step into the range, and try not to bump into anything." Dr. Zomboss ordered.
Glitter Zombie climbed over the fence of the firing range and tightened the laces on her rollerskates. She propelled herself forward, quickly gaining speed on her modified rollerskates. Glitter quickly adjusted to the sudden speed and steered clear of all the targets, trailing a rainbow behind her as she accelerated.
"How does she do that?" Dr. Zomboss asked Punk and MC.
"I have no idea…" Punk replied.
"She can do that 'cause she's a supergirl! Pump up the Pop!" MC cheered.
Glitter Zombie slowed to a halt and climbed back over the fence.
"Alright, it's my turn now!" MC shouted.
"Remember that only the microphone itself will deal considerable damage. Consider the wire as your blind spot." Dr. Zomboss warned.
MC Zom-B approached the firing range and pulled his microphone out of his mouth. He started spinning the microphone around slowly before spinning it faster.
"Stand back now! Here comes a Hail Mary!" MC shouted.
MC Zom-B tossed the microphone at his target, keeping his grip on the wire. The microphone struck the wooden target, causing it to burst into splinters and sparks. MC Zom-B pulled the microphone back to him and caught it in his hand.
"Lemme try somethin' out. It's gonna be a showstopper!" MC said as he climbed over the fence into the range.
MC Zom-B walked to the middle of the range and spun his microphone. He suddenly began spinning around like a tornado, allowing his microphone to extend and strike many targets. As he spun faster, he extended the microphone further outward to strike even more targets in a wider radius. MC slowed down his spinning to a halt, allowed his dizziness to subside, and gazed at the destruction he had caused. Every target in a 3 meter radius had either been split in half or reduced to sawdust.
"Yo, death comes for all!" MC cheered, pocketing his microphone.
"You have all done very well today. Your weapons will serve you well in battle. But that is not enough to survive. You must also have at least 3 different skills, 3 abilities if you will." Dr. Zomboss stated.
"Abilities?" Glitter asked.
"Each of my soldiers have them. My Foot Soldiers can Rocket Jump or Rocket Leap, toss Stink Cloud grenades, and fire rockets from their ZPGs. My Scientists can warp through space, toss Sticky Bombs or Heal Bombs, and utilize Heal Beams or Healing Stations. The list goes on for each of my soldiers and units. For you three, we will work on your abilities another day. For now, you are free to do what you like, except for leaving Zomburbia." Dr. Zomboss rambled.
"Thanks, I guess…" Punk muttered.
"Oh, here. For your progress today, I have presents for all of you." Dr. Zomboss said, pulling out three objects from his lab coat pockets and giving one to each of the teens.
"What are these? Futuristic Walkmans?" Glitter asked.
"They are called 'Smartphones'. They are capable of many things, including phone calls, music playing, and instant messaging. I even have the phone cases customized for each of you. You are welcome. But don't expect me to be so generous and kind again, especially if you disappoint me. Now if you'll excuse me, I have work to do." Dr. Zomboss explained before returning to his lab.
Punk Zombie's smartphone was mostly black with a blue and pink streak and a skull and crossbones design on the back. Glitter Zombie's smartphone was rainbow colored and had a pink and purple star keychain. MC Zom-B's smartphone was navy blue and had a gold chain design on the back.
"Smartphones, huh? Well, I ain't got time for that, 'cause I'm almost done writing my rap!" MC said, pocketing his smartphone and pulling out his pen and paper to continue writing.
"How can a phone be smart? They're probably some cheap things he gave us just to make us behave." Punk said, skeptical of Dr. Zomboss's present.
"Actually, it's pretty sweet! It already has my number and your numbers! I wanna try out the music." Glitter said, opening the music player on the smartphone.
The phone began blaring loud Punk Rock music, causing Glitter Zombie to drop the phone in surprise. Punk Zombie heard the music, and irresistibly began dancing to it.
"YEAAAAAAAAAHHH! Crank that up!" Punk shouted.
"Sorry Punk, it's too loud for me." Glitter said, picking up her phone and turning off the music.
"Ah, that's OK. I know you're more into things like J-Pop and K-Pop. Hell, any kind of Pop." Punk said.
Glitter put on her headphones (white with rainbow concentric circles and a pop tart cat design on each end) and changed the song on the music player to a K-Pop song from the early 2000s. Her head bobbed up and down as she listened, a rainbow aura soon forming around her.
"I've never heard this one before. Pop songs from the future are so cool!" Glitter exclaimed.
"Hey guys, check it out! My rap is done…at least the main verse is." MC said, holding up his paper.
"Ok, let me see it." Punk said.
"But Punk, rap songs are for rappin', not readin'." MC said.
"I know where you've been with this before. If it sucks to read, it sucks to rap. Now give it to me." Punk said, taking the paper from MC's hand and reading it.
"MC, what is this? It's just the word brainz written over and over!" Punk exclaimed.
"Yeah, each word is said with a different inflection." MC said.
"MC, I like brainz, but this is a joke of a song. You can do a lot better than this." Punk said, shaking his head.
"Punk, you gotta understand. I'm a rapper ahead of his time! Not to mention, I've been to the future! I'll bet some other rapper has already used this idea before, and they must be making bank vaults of money!" MC explained.
"Yeah, well just because a song is popular or makes a lot of money doesn't make it a good song. I've heard some shit in my time. How can such trash be so popular?" Punk said with disgust.
"Brainz, brainz, brainz, brainz, brainz, brainz, brainz, brainz…" MC rapped.
"Shut up MC!" Punk said, annoyed by MC's rapping.
"Hey I'm just playin', homeboy! I promise I'll write a real song. A good one!" MC said.
Punk Zombie sighed, irritated by MC's jokes while also knowing that MC was always true to his word.
"Hey guys?" Glitter asked Punk and MC.
"Yeah homegirl?" MC said.
"Where are we gonna sleep?" Glitter asked further.
"Dr. Zomboss didn't even show us where we were going to live! What the hell?!" Punk cried out.
"It's fine, we'll just ask him." Glitter said.
"He better have a place for us, or I'm going back to the 80s!" Punk growled.
"Do you even live with your parents anymore?" MC asked Punk.
"What? Of course I do. I don't have a job so I can pay rent for an apartment." Punk answered.
"Are your parents cool? Or are they uncool?" MC asked further.
"My dad still hates me, as usual. Calls me 'a disappointment'. My mom's cool though. She's a total punk like I am." Punk said with a grin, recalling how much his mother meant to him.
"Hey, guess it runs in the family!" MC said with a smile.
Glitter Zombie glanced away in sadness as she was reminded of her mother.
"I meant to ask you, Glitter. Do you still have that gold chain I gave you?" MC asked Glitter.
"No. My dad got rid of it…" Glitter said quietly.
"He did? Aw man, that was real gold too! I paid good money for that!" MC said in a disappointed tone.
"It's fine…it's the thought that counts, right?" Glitter said, also disappointed that her dad would throw away gold.
"Hell yeah!" MC cheered.
"Come on guys. Let's go to Dr. Zomboss and make sure we have a place to stay." Punk said to Glitter and MC.
"I apologize for that. Completely slipped my mind. Here is the key to your shared home in Zomburbia. I can transport you there if you like." Dr. Zomboss told the three teens.
"Thank you doctor." Glitter said.
"Step into the transporter tube to my right. I will send each of you one at a time. Feel free to use it to be transported to my lab and back, but only when it is turned on." Dr. Zomboss instructed.
Glitter Zombie stepped into the transporter tube first, waiting for Dr. Zomboss to enter the transportation coordinates. Dr. Zomboss activated the transporter, sending Glitter Zombie to her destination in a flash of purple light. Punk Zombie and MC Zom-B followed, and they too were transported to their new home.
"Well, here we are." Glitter said as Punk and MC were transported in.
Their new home was a one story complex with a small dining area, a small kitchen, one bathroom, one laundry room with a washer and dryer, and one bedroom. It was a very minimal home, yet it still accommodated for every basic need.
"This place is a trash hole…and yet it's like a mansion to me." Punk commented.
"You have no idea. My home is probably worse than yours. I like this place!" Glitter responded.
"We can make this like a personal penthouse! I can live with this." MC said.
Punk Zombie looked around the room and approached the kitchen area. It was also very minimal, containing a small sink, a couple cabinets to store plates and utensils, and a storage rack for knives and other kitchen tools.
"You can cook, right Glitter?" Punk asked Glitter.
"Sort of…" Glitter replied.
"It's fine if you can't. We'll probably just order pizza and Chinese takeout." Punk said.
"Hey guys! Check this out!" MC called out, standing in an empty area in the dining room.
"The dining table's so small, there's so much empty space around it. Think about it. This would be the SWEETEST place for a DJ system. Dontcha think so?" MC said excitedly.
"Go crazy MC. We'll just eat in our rooms." Punk responded.
"You eat in your bedroom?" Glitter said in a surprised tone.
"You think I eat with my parents? Not when dad's home!" Punk explained.
"Oh, I see." Glitter said, trying to stifle her giggling.
"Let's check out our rooms!" MC said.
"Sure." Punk said, walking with Glitter to the only bedroom in the house.
Punk opened to door to the bedroom, revealing two beds with sheets, a nightstand with a lamp on top, a closet, and an assortment of trash and clothing strewn about the room.
"What is this? This room's been used! That cheap son of a bitch, Dr. Zomboss!" Punk exclaimed.
"Hey, it's cool! We'll just throw this stuff away." MC said, keeping his optimism.
The three teens entered the room and closed the door behind them. Glitter glanced around the room, observing the mediocre quality.
"Hey guys! Look at this poster!" Glitter said, pointing out a poster hanging on the back of the bedroom door.
"The Zombats? They look like a futuristic Punk Rock group." Punk commented.
"We'll keep it then!" Glitter said with a grin.
MC Zom-B laid down on the bed on the left side of the room, close to the closet. Punk Zombie and Glitter Zombie took the other bed, next to a wall with posters of Z-Pop idols hanging on it.
"Guess we're gonna have to share this bed." Punk said.
"It's fine with me." Glitter said, untying the laces on her rollerskates and removing them.
"You say that a lot. 'It's fine' or 'I'm fine'. Are you really fine, or do you just say that?" Punk asked, concerned about Glitter's emotional health.
"Most of the time, I am fine. Especially when I'm with you guys. But sometimes…I say that to hide the fact that I feel dead inside." Glitter answered.
"Well, of course you feel dead inside. We're Zombies!" MC spoke up.
"Ha, I guess you're right." Glitter said with a smile.
"Hey Glitter. Listen…" Punk said to Glitter.
"Yeah?" Glitter responded.
"All those things that were bothering you back home, your dad, your classmates, those bullies. They're all gone, away in a different time and place. We're in a better place and time now. You'll never have to see them again." Punk rambled.
"Maybe that's good and bad. I kind of miss my other friends." Glitter replied.
"How good of friends were they? They made fun of you so much, calling you girly and old-fashioned." Punk questioned.
"You guys do that too, sometimes. That's what friends do." Glitter said.
"Well, if they're that important to you, you can always call them." Punk said, staring at the wall.
"You guys are my top priority though! I'm sticking with you two no matter what!" Glitter said with a smile.
"Great to hear that, homegirl! Same goes for us." MC said, giving a thumbs-up.
Punk Zombie removed his fingerless gloves and tossed them into a corner. He glanced at Glitter Zombie's pink ankle socks, an idea striking him.
"Maybe you shouldn't take off your rollerskates." Punk said slyly.
"What are you talking abou-" Glitter began to say before Punk Zombie grabbed her feet and tickled them.
"AHHHH, HAHA! Hey! You suck!" Glitter jeered as she giggled.
"No wonder you never take off your rollerskates! You're more ticklish than a baby!" Punk taunted as he continued to tickle Glitter's feet.
Glitter Zombie continued laughing and giggling in delight, attempting to resist Punk Zombie. Punk Zombie only laughed and continued, knowing Glitter hadn't been this happy in a long time.
"Aw man, get a room you two!" MC cried, embarrassed by Punk and Glitter's display of affection.
"You get a room, killjoy! There's only one room in this house anyway." Punk scoffed.
"I'm kidding, homie! You two are the cutest!" MC replied with a grin.
Punk Zombie finally ceased his tickling, allowing Glitter Zombie to catch her breath and give Punk Zombie a hug. Glitter Zombie cuddled Punk Zombie and smiled, causing Punk Zombie to smile as well.
"You're fine the way you are, Glitter. I hope you know that." Punk whispered to Glitter.
"I know. Thank you, Punk." Glitter whispered in response.
Glitter Zombie had become very comfortable with Punk Zombie, to the point where she closed her eyes and fell asleep. Punk Zombie and MC Zom-B were left to themselves, and they struck up a small conversation.
"Do you think the others would laugh at us? Me and Glitter, I mean." Punk asked MC.
"Who cares what they think as long as you two are happy? Am I right?" MC answered.
"Couldn't have said it better myself." Punk said, cuddling Glitter tighter.
AUTHOR'S NOTE: I finished this as quickly as I could because I wasn't quite satisfied with the last chapter. This one should finish what the last chapter started. I have done a lot of new things. First, my profile page is up, so feel free to check it out every once in a while. I'll update it when I need to ;). Second, I want to announce that I am completely open to PMs. You can ask me anything you want, and I will read it. I will answer them all as much as I can. Third, and this is for future reference, I will NOT be taking requests for characters, settings, events, etc. I appreciate anyone who enjoys the story and wants to contribute to it, but if I need suggestions, I will post a poll on the profile page for that purpose. You can also send me such ideas through PMs if you wish, but understand that I will not implement requests unless I want to. Thank you for understanding. Enjoy another chapter from the Zombie perspective. I will be switching back to the Plant perspective for the next chapter. Timeman63, logging out!
