On the surface, things weren't going any better than before. The two trucks lay destroyed alongside the helicopter; the recruits were scattered and disorganized, and there weren't enough of them left to keep fighting. Similarly, the veterans were exhausted, with torn clothes and covered in sweat.
The alligator hadn't gotten that far in its destruction without taking a few wounds. Its body showed numerous cuts oozing sauce, the leg attacked by Wilbur with such ferocity had lost all its toes. The pieces of its tendrils were scattered all over the street. One of its eyes was gone, replaced by a large dent that covered most of its head. But its stamina didn't seem affected. It kept fighting to free its body and make it to the streets, a task that was now easier since it no longer had to deal with the constant attacks from its enemies. It would be free soon.
"It's been a long time since I've seen a tomato that tough," said Mary Jo.
"We're going to need something bigger than this to prune that thing," added Sam, lifting his destroyed pruning shears.
Wilbur stood firm, feeling his second wind of the night. He wasn't willing to give up their ground to the enemy.
"Regroup the troops. I'll buy you some time."
Without adding more, he charged forward with his sword raised, ready to keep fighting even if he was at his limit. The alligator noticed his attack and launched one of its remaining tendrils. It did so quickly that before the human realized its intentions, a green rope had wrapped itself around his waist. The beast lifted him above its head with such force that the paratrooper lost his sword, leaving him defenseless.
The deadly jaws opened while the tendril, moving like a tentacle, placed the veteran over them. But far from being intimidated by the prospect of a dark and viscous tunnel lined with teeth, he raised a threatening fist.
"You may devour me, but I'll make sure to destroy your stomach with my bare hands, overgrown fruit."
Before the tragedy could occur, the beast's nostrils flared, and a heavy inhalation was heard. Then another and another. The tomato was sniffing something. Its tongue clicked, and to the amazed gaze of the presents, its enormous body began to retreat. The creature was returning to the sewers.
And it was taking Wilbur with it, still trapped in the tendril.
Before that could happen, Mary Jo arrived running and with a swift karate chop cut the stem, freeing her commander, who fell to the ground. Sam and Floyd rushed over.
"Finletter! Are you okay?"
"Nothing that a slice of pizza won't fix. But that will have to wait. What just happened?"
"I'd say the tomato caught a whiff of something more interesting than us," Mary Jo said, looking through the large hole left by the monster.
Although it was getting farther away, they could hear the creature moving towards its new target. The situation was perfect for regrouping and preparing a better plan of action now that they knew what they were up against. But no one could suggest that before Wilbur picked up his sword from the ground, red with rage and clenching his teeth.
"How dare it?! No dirty tomato gives Wilbur Finletter the cold shoulder! Charge!"
And shouting, he threw himself into the sewer while his companions could only watch. At the same time, they reproached themselves for not foreseeing that their commander would do exactly that.
Meanwhile, already at a good distance, the alligator moved through his territory with a fixed desire in the brain. He had perceived that special aroma, the one emitted by the substance that had strengthened him. He didn't understand anything about it other than the needed for it. His body yearned for it, aware of the effect it had on it. If he had access to this sooner, he would not have gone to the surface in search of a new source of nutrients. That's why, faced with the familiarity of that miraculous food, his brain had completely forgotten the humans who had hurt him. A blind thirst drove it, screaming to be satiated.
Or at least that's how it was until a voice resonated beside him. It came from one of the transverse tunnels. It wasn't the voice that freed him for an instant from that need for food, but the aroma associated with that voice. The voice sounded like someone imitating an Australian accent.
"G'day, kid, a big fella like you must get bored in a place like this, with so little space and fertilizer. Besides, this town is a bit of a lunatic asylum, if you ask me."
If he hadn't been blind, the alligator would have seen Zoltan and the band of five. They all wore wide-brimmed black hats decorated with small plastic crocodile teeth.
"If you have a moment, I'd like to make you a proposition. An offer you can't refuse. You see, we have this crazy... Angry boss. And he'd be delighted to have your muscles for a... Let's say, small project of world domination."
The alligator turned the head to confront his fellow tomatoes. His entire snout trembled in a tense hiss.
"Looks like I've got his attention," Zoltan said, pleased.
One of his tomatoes, the dull green one, who had once been called Mummato, approached his leader. He murmured some quick words that made Zoltan look at him intrigued.
"What do you mean you recognize this guy?"
A flashback was triggered, blurring the screen and transporting everything back to a day five years ago. The Tomato Troopers were lined up, firm and straight, before their commander Zoltan, who bounced in front of them with a severe look.
"Listen up, second-rate vegetables! We won't tolerate any more failures from now on. The final battle against humans is approaching, and it's imperative that everyone does their part. If anyone can't do it, I'll personally see to it that their next assignment is in a ketchup bottle. Got it?"
The tomatoes grunted in acceptance, which pleased Zoltan. But his satisfaction was short-lived, as he noticed a small grunt, barely perceptible among those of his comrades. That's when he discovered him between two regular Tomato Troopers; a little killer tomato. Killer, yes, but cherry-sized.
"What the...?"
At first, it was brief incredulity, and then the commander's laughter exploded like never before. He lost all composure and began to roll on the ground with tears bursting from his eye. The troops were confused, not knowing how to react to this. The spectacle was so striking that the gang of five appeared to see what was happening. Upon discovering the small cherry, they soon joined in their leader's laughter.
And with that, seeing that there was no obligation to maintain discipline, all the troops joined in the collective laughter. The small cherry, feeling humiliated, bounced up to Zoltan, giving all sorts of furious shrieks. But without noticing his presence, the commander, who was still rolling on the ground, hit him with one of his tendrils, launching him into the air and to the mouth of a sewer while the rest of the tomatoes continued laughing.
The flashback ended, replaced by the enraged face of the alligator. Now it had its jaws open, showing its rows of teeth. In contrast, Zoltan and his followers trembled with fear.
"I think he recognizes us too... Unfortunately."
The now-gigantic tomato lunged forward, and the preys barely had time to scream before disappearing into his jaws. The beast savored that unexpected revenge for a few seconds before swallowing. Then the memory of the miraculous food returned to claim all its attention.