On a bright and chilly day the small town of Seabrook, where humans and zombies and werewolves all lived in a messy sort of harmony, around the time of year autumn becomes winter, a young zombie sat in the student courtyard, unaware that his life was about to change forever.
At eighteen years old, Zed Necrodopolis had lived an unconventional, sometimes uncomfortable, life. Outside of being born undead, of course.
Everyone knows the stories of how the first Seabrook settlers stole the moonstone from the werewolves and used it to power their new town. Then, an accident involving the industrial strength Seabrook energy and lime soda created zombies. And of course, everyone knew that, until about four years ago, zombies were forced to stay within the barrier of their Zombietown. After one very productive city council meeting, though, zombie teenagers were allowed to attend Seabrook High, which is where Zed's story first started.
As a freshman breaking down barriers in Seabrook, Zed dreamed of playing football and showing humans that zombies weren't the scary, brain-eating monster they thought. It took a long time, a lot of unfortunate accidents that ended with decent enough solutions, and some Z-Band hacking, but Zed was the first zombie (hell, the first monster!) to ever participate in any Seabrook sport. And, after turning the previously sucky football team into a well-oiled winning machine, more zombies were allowed to participate in Seabrook extracurriculars.
And a year after the Zombietown integration, werewolves emerged from the depths of the Forbidden Forest in search of their powerful life source, the moonstone. There was a lot more conflict, and everyone was fighting — humans, zombies, and werewolves alike. But after a disastrous campaign for presidency to change things the 'right way', and a lot of reflection, Zed and his friends fought alongside the wolves, despite it breaking some rules. And they even managed to convince the wolves to give Seabrook living a try!
So now, years later, things were looking good for all Seabrook citizens. Everything is perfect, or as close to it as it can be, when you have a town full of humans and zombies and werewolves.
So, we begin again: On a bright and chilly day in early December, Zed sat with his friends, humans and zombies and werewolves alike. Eliza Zambie — his oldest friend, tech wizard, and Seabrook's favorite (and least favorite) monster rights activist — has been going on for at least five whole minutes about how she's finishing up applying to every college under the sun. Zed only half listens to his friend's ranting from across the picnic table, more focused on his lunch and drafting up some new plays for the team. Yup, he's gone from being the most hated football player to beloved captain, and there was a lot riding on their championship game in a few weeks.
"I mean, someone's gotta accept me, right!?" Eliza rants. "Not to brag, but I'm beyond Ivy League material!"
From her spot at the end of the table, sitting perching on the tabletop, Willa, leader of the werewolves, nods her head. Whenever Eliza gets into a 'higher education' rant, Willa is almost always the only person truly listening. Which means everyone else has time to eat their food and have smaller, quieter side conversations.
"Someone will, and if they don't I'm sure you'll find a loophole in!" Willa says. "I mean, Zed's working the football scholarship angle!"
Zed suddenly looks up from his brain-substitute sandwich (mostly egg-salad with a bit of a kick). Eliza pats his back and says with a grin, "Yeah. Once that recruiter sees you play, they'll have to let you in. And then, they can't deny the rest of us on the basis of being monsters!"
Zed grins, nodding his agreement, before returning to his lunch. Their next football game wouldn't be until after they returned from holiday break, which gave him almost a full month to freak out. It was unlikely that any of them would be accepted through regular admissions, which meant they'd need to count on loopholes and technicalities, like a football scholarship. All of monsterkind were counting on him to break down the barriers to higher ed and get them into college.
No pressure.
He swallows his food then says with a cocky smile, "And if that doesn't work I'll just win 'em over with my quick wit and charming smile."
His friend, Bonzo, chuckles, while everyone else around either just stares or groans. It doesn't faze him though. Besides Bonzo, the only person who's ever laughed at that joke has been his little sister.
"Point being," Eliza continues. "We're all getting into college." Her Z-Band buzzes indignantly and she quickly shuts off the alarm. "And with that, I'm outta here. Can't be late for work."
And by work, she means her unpaid internship at Z-Corp, the maker of the Z-Bands. You know, the clunky bracelet all zombies have to wear to keep them from going all monster. Years ago, everyone was super touchy about the bands. But ever since they discovered Zed's secret to football greatness came from a little zom-boost, all the scientists and engineers spent their days working on ways to allow zombies to safely zombie-out.
"It is so not fair that you get to skip half the school day," Wynter whines.
"What I would give to miss calculus," Wyatt sighs.
Eliza stands, shaking her head. "I'm not 'skipping class,' okay? I am breaking both the glass ceiling and stereotypes! This zombie does not crave brains, she's got one, full of knowledge, and is reshaping Z-Corp as we speak."
Zed looks up at her, an eyebrow raised and his lip curled in mild disgust. "Third person? Really Eliza?"
She scrunches her face and flicks his nose. "Shut up. Point being, I'm not an football player," she gestures at both Zed and Wynter, "or a band geek," she glances at Bonzo, then turns to Wyatt and frowns, "or whatever it is you do."
"Mostly vibe."
Zed grins, holding back a chuckle. Interrupted Eliza while she was deep in an impassioned speech was just asking for trouble. "I am a woman of progress!" she continues. "And everyday I go to Z-Corp and show those snotty human scientists that I am just as capable as them! Hell, even more! We are breaking down barriers, people! And, soon that will include the gates to college! Right, Zed?"
He nods, because as much as he believes in Eliza's mass application spree, they all know the chances of a school overlooking her zombie-ism is slim to none. Which means he needs to be beyond amazing at their next game, get recruited, and break down the wall between monsters and college!
Eliza grins, unaware of Zed's constant state of panic around the thought of college. She shoulders her backpack, then says, "Alright, that's enough inspiration for one day."
"It was amazing," Willa deadpans.
Eliza smiles sweetly. "Alright, I'll see you guys…" She trails off, her smile quickly falling from her face as she stares behind Zed. Her eyes rapidly grow wider, her mouth falling open in shock.
As does Wyatt and Bonzo, even Bree. The sun quickly disappears, dark, gloomy shadows falling over all of Seabrook High.
Zed whips around, his heart sinking in his gut. A dark and glowing…thing covers the entire sky, descending over his hometown.
"Oh my god," he breathes, standing from his seat.
Everyone outside watches in amazed horror as the giant, daunting figure descends further from the stars. Buzzing blue and white lights dance around its vast circumference, a giant well of spiky blue crystals hanging below its center.
"I-It's a U-F-O!" Bree shrieks.
Electricity crackles from the well of crystals beneath it. Zed's eyes fly open. He barely manages to lunge out of the way before it hits the table he and his friends had been sitting at moments before.
Zed scrambles to his feet, frantically looking around until he finds his friends all scattered around the ashes of their table. All around them, Seabrook High students run in terror as the foreign space craft descends further and further. Red lights from Z-Patrol alerts flash all over the student courtyard, the grassy fields, even within the entire school.
Another bolt of electricity crackles above his head, hitting a post directly behind him. Zed ducks, covering his head as sparks rain down above him.
"Zed!" Eliza grabs his arm, dragging him sideways and away from the chaos. "What is going on!?" she cries frantically.
Zed looks from her face to the field the ship has stopped and hovered over.
From behind him, he hears second-year senior and cheer captain, Bucky Buchanan, cry out, "It's an alien invasion!"
Zed turns to Bucky, catching another bolt of electricity hitting the ground between them. Eliza grabs Zed and runs, except instead of ducking and hiding, they're running toward the alien spaceship. Despite the fear that pounds through his veins, he charges on, knowing that there aren't many people in Seabrook that would fight. At least, not without someone fighting for them first.
Soon, the Zombie Patrol will show up. But until then, it's up to him and Eliza, and whoever else was stupid enough to square up against an unknown, potentially lethal, alien invasion.
They stop at the edge of the football field, next to the three leaders of the wolf pack.
"Just making sure, you guys all see the big scary spaceship, right?" Wynter shouts over the rumble of engines and screams from all around them.
"Yup."
"Oh yeah."
Wyatt turns his head to Eliza and Zed, then to his sister, Willa. "What do we do!"
Zed looks around the area. For the most part, it seems that the alien ship has stopped firing on them. It's stopped moving entirely, although trees and benches all around have already suffered the damage from the initial attack. It doesn't look like anybody is seriously injured though.
The immediate danger is gone, so Zed tries to think rationally. As much as he's terrified of what this could mean, what dangers could come, he knows he can't label them as bad. He did that with the werewolves, who are now some of his closest friends!
"This could be the start of something new! Maybe they're…friendly, scary, aliens" Zed points out.
"Or they're trying to kill us!" Willa counters. "We need to rally everybody — stand our ground! We will not be forced into the woods again!"
Wyatt and Wynter nod their agreement. "They've come to take over our town," Wyatt growls. His eyes glow a threatening gold, the rage of a generation of anger flooding his soul.
From the crystal core of the ship, a bright flash of blue and white blinds the teenagers. A burst of energy hits them, so powerful it sends them flying backyards.
Zed slams backyards into a fence, denting the firm metal with the force of the blast. He groans, his ears ringing a horrible tune, even his head pounding. It takes a moment for him to recover, then to pick out his friends, all thankfully still conscious, although scattered around the football field.
Okay, potential friendship be damned.
Standing in the center of the grass, directly below the crystal core of the spaceship, is a group of twenty, maybe thirty, people…of sorts. Each of them is covered in silver and blue, with bright blue hair and metallic face shields covering their faces. The strangest part, though, are the tails that hang behind each of them, perfectly still, with long antennae sticking out of each of their heads.
Just over the ringing in his ears, Zed can make out a strange, harmonious kind of humming. It takes a few seconds to realize it's coming from the aliens, and even longer before he can make out the high pitched words.
"We come in peace, we mean no harm. We come in peace, don't be alarmed."
"What the…"
The group of them move in perfect harmony, sharp straight lines and precise movements. They finally stop, some kneeling on the ground, some standing, all in the shape of a triangle or pyramid or something, all of them holding up their right hand with three fingers raised.
Zed stands. He finds himself unconsciously walking towards them — something about the strangers beamed down from the sky draws him in. And with a quick look around, he notices he's not the only one. Willa, Wyatt, and Wynter, as well as Eliza, and even Bree and a few cheerleaders (Zed thinks they're called the Aceys, he's not super sure) have all made their way onto the field.
They stop with several feet between them and the unexpected visitors. In the center of their strange formation, three aliens remove their silver visors, revealing almost human-like faces, except their skin was covered in faint white lines and patterns.
The one in the middle steps forward, toward Zed, and smiles. "Greetings, earthlings! I am A-Spen, leader of the Alkeri."
Zed glances at Eliza, who stands beside him with her fists raised, ready to fight if necessary. At his look, she shrugs.
Willa, forever a step ahead of Zed, howls toward the sky. "Wolves!" she calls.
Zed turns, watching the entirety of the wolf pack preparing for an attack, claws drawn, growling, the energy of their moonstones coursing through their blood.
"Don't make another move," Willa threatens. "Or you won't live to see the night."
The wail of sirens echoes in the distance, quickly growing closer. A-Spen jumps backwards at Willa's threat, the two aliens closest to them grabbing their shoulders and pulling them further back.
From the back of the aliens, a bright and light, commanding voice calls, "Wait!" And, completely ignoring Willa's previous threat, another alien comes running forward.
She pushes through A-Spen and their lackeys, her bright blue and white curls bouncing around her shoulders as she rushes up to the front. Unlike the other aliens, her antennae stand high above her head, vibrating a curious shade of yellow that matches the subtle hue that overtakes the markings on her face.
Zed watches her move with an amazed confusion. Even her tail swishes around behind her. Despite looking a lot like the other aliens, her entire mannerisms are completely different from the other aliens around her. She stops, standing a few feet in front of them, almost evenly split between Zed and Willa. Her eyes land on Zed and she smiles — bright and dazzling — and his entire world stops.
Woah.
"Hi! I am Addison!" she says. "Of A'Kali, and of earth!" Earth? That meant…no, it couldn't. There was no way aliens had been to earth and no one knew about it. "My people and I have been here once before, and we have returned because we wish to make this planet our permanent home!"
She smiles, looking at the people before her. None of which make any movement over her declaration.
Luckily, and unluckily, the Z-Patrol arrive, ending the stalemate the students of Seabrook High and the people of A'Kali have found themselves in.
Dozens of cars surround the scene, officers rushing out with the highly charged weapons drawn. Addison looks around at them all, still smiling. She's practically bouncing with energy.
Zed watches her for a moment longer. She seems genuinely happy to be here, and not very threatening, despite her interesting differences in anatomy.
Despite himself and every unknown possibility with the arrival of the aliens, he steps forward. He relaxes his shoulders, putting down his own defenses as he stops in front of the alien girl.
She looks up at him, her arms crossed behind her back, and smiles another breathtaking smile. Yeah, he's not scared in the slightest. Not of her, at least. He doesn't think he ever could be.
"Hello! It is nice to meet you!" she greets. "We mean you earthlings no harm."
Zed can't help but smirk a little. He gestures at the chaos around them, the teenagers all on high alert, even the Z-Patrol waiting to pounce on them. "I mean, you guys did kinda blow up the school. Not exactly friendly behavior."
Addison peers around him, her smile melting away. Strangely enough, her antennae fade from yellow to a faint blue, dropping downwards.
"Oh, our apologies. Our ship had some difficulties adjusting to your atmosphere…it seems we caused a small, somewhat destructive energy surge."
Behind her, the alien to A-Spen's right pipes up, "But we can fix it! As a courtesy, and a token of appreciation."
Addison nods at Zed. "All we wish is to join your society. Nothing else."
He raises an eyebrow, then turns and glances at Eliza. Again, she shrugs, although she's dropping her fighting stance. He shifts and looks at Willa, still glowering at the aliens. And the Z-Patrol, still ready to attack.
Then he looks at Addison, still smiling at him. And even though it's not his place, he turns around and shrugs his shoulders, then says, "I think we should give them a chance. The more the merrier, right?"
The humans and zombies stare at him in confusion for a few more seconds, before slowly relaxing at his announcement. The wolves aren't so quick to accept, something Zed can clearly read on their faces. But none of them protest his support of the alien species.
"Yay!" Zed turns around again at Addison's cheering. He can't help the smile that spreads across his face at her joy. Or the pounding of his undead heart whenever he sees her smile.
What was wrong with him?
He clears his head. One thing at a time, "I'm Zed, by the way. Nice to officially meet you."
She grins even brighter. Around them, the Z-Patrol have started taking account of the incident, aliens have started their work on restoring the school, and students have started getting back to their normal daily routine, although the energy around them all had shifted with their new guests.
"It is very nice to meet you, Zed," she says with a smile. "I hope our arrival did not disrupt your day too much."
"Oh this? This kinda stuff happens all the time. You should've seen me on my first day. Messy introductions are sorta my thang."
She giggles, her antennae vibrating above her head. He watches them move and glow, completely fascinated by them — and by extension, Addison.
From behind them, an alien calls, "Addison!"
She stiffens, then looks at Zed apologetically. "Excuse me. I should help in our cleaning efforts. But I hope to see you again soon?"
He smiles and nods enthusiastically. "Yeah, totally! I'll see you later, Addison!"
She smiles at him one last time, before turning and running toward the person that had called her. Zed wants to get the memory of her smile tattooed in his brain.
Willa grabs his shoulder, snapping him out of his dopey daze and dragging him back towards the school. "What the hell are you thinking, Zed?" she whispers harshly. "We don't know what they really want? Why they're really here!"
"What? They just wanna go to school like us." He smiles and adds, "'Tis the season to be merry and bright. Gotta spread kindness!"
She rolls her eyes. "When something stupidly dangerous happens, that's on you, Necrodopolis."
This time, Zed rolls his eyes.
"I don't trust them," she says. Her words fall on deaf ears, though, Zed's eyes and attention focused on a bouncing blue-haired angel, off in the distance.