CHAPTER 27: The Fight

"Wake up, stupid!"

Those were the words that sent me shocked and out of bed. "Ash." I growled as I glared at him.

"What the hell do you want from my God-forsaken life?"

"The boss wants to see you. Struggle a particle, and you'll wish that you weren't born. At all." Ash replied as he grabbed me and practically dragged me out of the cell.

Nobody had woken up yet, and all I could hear was my heavy breathing as Ash led me to God knows where. We went left, left, right, left, when finally, Ash stopped in front of an imposing office door. It had a newspaper article tacked up to the front, which practically screamed the headline 'Dr. Edgar George Zomboss ― World's Biggest Terrorist!'. I resisted the urge to roll my eyes ― who in their right mind would be proud of an unsavoury reputation? Ash sucked in a deep breath before knocking. As if Zomboss had been listening intently for a sound, he threw the door open the next second. He still had on his blood spattered lab coat (does he really wear it to sleep?), and as soon as his eyes fell upon Ash and I, his mouth formed a wicked smile.

"Ah. The weirdest duo. Come on in." I resisted the urge to stick out my tongue, for Ash's wish seemed to be getting to everybody's head.

Well, almost everybody's.

"Sit, Elyssia." Zomboss commanded as he grabbed a glass of icky green liquid and took a hearty gulp.

"No, thank you. I'll just stand . . ." I mumbled.

"Elyssia, if you know what's good for you, sit your ass down!" Ash growled as he grabbed my throat.

"Jesus . . . could you cut down on that?" I asked as I struggled to break free.

Ash released me, and I could feel his angry stare as I found a seat that was farthest from the evil duo, which I had to share with a sinister looking instrument.

"Now . . . you want to keep your hell-born life, don't you?" Zomboss asked.

"Well . . . it depends . . ." I answered, picking my words carefully.

"Say . . . would you like to . . . join Ash?" Zomboss suggested.

"Absolutely not!" I spat.

"What did you just say?" Ash growled as he grabbed a ruler from one of the desks.

"I said that I don't want to join forces with someone as evil as you!" I yelled.

Ash whacked me hard with the ruler, causing me to feel dizzy.

"Choose your words carefully, Elyssia. That's what I'd do if I wanted to keep that little heart beating." he snarled as he hit me with the ruler yet again, causing me to gasp in pain.

"You have no right ―"

"Right, schmight!" Ash yelled as he struck me even harder with the ruler, causing me to bleed.

"You know, this is how I love to see you. Suffering, bleeding . . . it makes my day." Zomboss murmured from his seat.

"It's just too bad that you'd transform from that adorable little doll into an ugly, blood-spattered freak!" Ash agreed, striking me yet again with the metal ruler, causing even more bleeding.

After that hit, I thought I was going to pass out for a second or two, when Ash pulled me up to my roots, his eyes blazing with anger.

"I don't care about your big fat words. The police have fled Toronto, Elyssia, or they've had their brains eaten. Either way, nobody'll get arrested, and the OPD have completely forgotten about Toronto!"

"I don't care!" I screamed as I slammed my leaf onto the desk.

"Listen. Let's say we make a deal."

"You are in absolutely no condition to negotiate, Elyssia." Ash laughed as he grabbed my cheeks.

"But still . . . say what you want."

I narrowed my eyes, and put as much hate into my glare as possible.

"You wanna hurt me, do it this way. Put me in an arena with all the plants that truly care about me. We'll have a mash up of the first and second world wars against the zombies. If my team loses, you can abuse me and do whatever you want to do with me. But if my team wins, my wishes are simple. Ash, I want you to stop currying up to me, because it pisses me off. And Zomboss, I want you to set us free."

Zomboss almost choked on his drink and dropped the glass, while Ash's face took on a look of intense loathing.

"What . . . wait . . . FINE!" Zomboss muttered as he began to become drowsy.

"Tell Ash when you wanna fight . . ."

And with that, he fell asleep, right there in his chair.

"Well, Elyssia, that ends our little visit." Ash said as he carted me out of the dingy office ― although he was a bit less harsh about it.

"Return to your cell, and tell the others the "good news." And please ― don't piss me off when you fight. Don't make me have to go out there and . . ."

I stopped dead in my tracks at those words. Taking this as a hint, Ash just rammed me into the wall.

"I won't say it."

And with that, he walked away. I simply wandered the halls until I could find the cell that Peater and I shared. Unlocking the door with a stray stick that snapped soon afterwards, I walked in. A part of me wanted to whisper, "Out of there! This is our chance!" and escape with Peater and all of those plants who sacrificed so much just to be with me. But another part of me wanted to prove that I was truly a force to be reckoned with.

"Elyssia? Did Ash beat you up again?" Peater asked as I entered and closed the door behind me.

"Yes. But . . . I've got good news." I answered.

"I got a plan to escape!"

Peater groaned. "Please don't tell me that your plan is suicidal . . ."

I snorted and rolled my eyes.

"It ain't jailbreak, but . . . it's good. We'll just have to get into some arena and fight the zombies. If we win, we'll be free. If we lose, well . . . it's not gonna be on you." Peater shrugged.

"In any case . . . when will we have to get in? Until we're ready?" he asked.

I put a leaf on his cheek.

"If we waited until we were ready, we'd wait our whole lives out. Things weren't done when people ― and plants ― were good and ready." I whispered.

"So . . . I choose . . . today."

"You're choosing today to do the fighting?" Ash guffawed from the door.

I looked up, and surely enough, he was there, with an ugly leer on his face.

"Very well. I'll tell the boss, and we'll see who's stronger."

Peater sighed, and slapped me.

"What the hell did you get us into?"

I looked up at him, and recoiled in fear.

"If you're out, then I'll fight those zombies alone, and take as many with me as I can."

"Stand up." Peater ordered.

I did as I was told, not knowing what was in store. Then came the unexpected: a hug.

"Elyssia, of course I'm not mad at you. There's no way in hell that I'd let you die fighting in that arena." he whispered.

"I've almost lost you three times already. Don't leave me. I have no idea as to what I'd do if . . . if you truly left me." Then suddenly, he pulled away.

"I shouldn't be doing this . . ."

I bit my lip. Hoping that this was some mad delusion, I asked, "Why? Is it because you're . . . scared?" Peater nodded.

"Ash has a crush on you. A huge crush on you." I shrugged.

"I already know that he's taken with me. And I don't care."

Peater twiddled his leaves. "If he saw us, we'd probably never see the light of day again."

I hugged him once more. "I'll never leave you, no matter what, Peater. You're my last hope."

Just then, the creaking of a rusty hinge caused us to pull apart. I saw the same zombie that tried to eat me a while ago.

"Boss says to get out. The rest of your friends are on some bench somewhere." he muttered as he dragged Peater and I out of the cell and into a portal of some sort.

After a slight warping sensation, we were in Nathan Phillips Square. Zombies big and small were gathered around an area that had a LOT of sand. But the thing that surprised me the most was that there was a small section for plants. Plants I didn't recognize were sitting there, with Crazy Dave in front, mouthing words of encouragement.

"Elyssia, would you please explain the meaning of this?" Albert asked as he tapped my stem. I turned around, and there I saw Peater, Temi, Martin, Roosevelta, Carol, Albert, Brian and Mareya looking at me expectantly.

"I . . . this is our chance to get outta this hell. This is also our chance to prove that we plants aren't sacks of potatoes. We aren't weak; we are strong. No matter how much anybody denies, the truth stands strong. We win the fight, we can get outta here, and prove our worth." I explained, in the loudest voice I could muster.

"We shan't go quietly into the night. No; we will stand true to our names! Haliantherus, Dahria . . . it don't matter! We are strong. If we weren't we wouldn't survive! If anyone calls us weak, we'll just let 'em rot in hell until nothing but their rotting rot REMAINS!" I shouted, slamming my leaf down onto the bench beside me, creating a loud crack that echoed throughout the whole place.

First, Mareya clapped. Soon, the rest of the plants in my team joined in the applause. I took a silly curtsy, and the team's applause only increased in volume.

"We'll shock them dead!" Brian hooted.

I beamed, giving each member a hug.

We were truly strong.

The crackling of a microphone interrupted our thoughts.

"Fellow zombies," Zomboss began, before glaring at the section with plants.

"And other freakazoids, welcome to the first, and hopefully not the last big fat battle between plants and zombies. Here, all hell shall break loose, and . . . it just might be a rerun of World War Two, whatever the hell that is."

I glanced at my team.

Just then, "LET THE GAMES BEGIN!"

All hell definitely would break loose.