The Zombie Zone

The main room of the student center was a large auditorium with a stage, cafe, and a few doors to computer labs and conference rooms. It had a gaming corner, easily viewable through glass walls. Multiple circular tables and chairs covered the carpeted floor space. Numerous survivors, mainly college staff, were here. They watched the batch of panting cricket students stumble in. The entryway is where Theo and company collapsed after the close encounters with the undead and zombat.

"Somebody get Maria! We have an injury on our hands!" Tony yelled out into the center.

The one who responded to the call was a young Latino man. He nodded and ran towards one of the front corners, out of sight from the entryway.

"How was she hurt? Is she bit?" Laylie asked. The students removed their cricket armor as she rounded them and inspected from afar. Her gun was still drawn, "For that matter -- who else is wounded?"

"We're from the Martha Bowen building. She was hit by debris from the plane crash," Theo explained. As for everybody else, their wounds were superfluous. Many of them were banged up from falling or running into cars. Out of all the swimmers Theo didn't know, only two females survived. One of Lucija's knees was scraped pretty badly, after flying in and saving the day for Hanover. Even Ant, the visage of a post-apocalyptic outlander, didn't have any major injuries.

A woman rounded the corner from the wellness center. She wore a long white coat over a long paprika shirt and tight jeans. Her black, waterfall-like hair remained parted at the bangs, and framed a dolled-up face. Her nose was upturned, her cheeks were puffy, and her maturity matched Hanover's. The nurse sported a busty body, with extra latina heat to her curves. She wore a head band that kept her hair behind her, aside from the bangs.

The latina's eyes flashed at all the men. Lust drenched her expression. Her eyes were not normal; instead of pupils, she had layered circles that grew smaller the closer to the center they were. They partnered with a devious smile for a devilish countenance, "More survivors? And a treat they all are."

Name: Maria Mendoza

Height: 5'2 Weight: 159lbs Age: 40

Hair: Brushed straight and parted bangs

Body: Fully bodacious

"What's with her eyes?" Lucija asked, but kept the volume down.

"Homolatta tortum; it can do more than change ears," Jenah recognized.

"Please, help Hanover. She's lost a lot of blood," Theo begged. Him and Lucija raised the professor from the ground the same way they removed her from the Lamborghini.

Maria's energy shifted when she finally acknowledged Hanover. With disinterest, she addressed the young man who fetched her, "Help them out, Santiago."

"Yes, ma'am," Santiago eagerly stepped next to Theo. His body language spoke on his willingness to be helpful.

Name: Santiago Mendoza

Height: 5'6 Weight: 135lbs Age: 18

Hair: Brown, fluffy perm

Body: Average, somewhat lean

Tony and Santiago took the professor in place of Theo and Lucija. Theo thanked them, but became anxious about letting her go. Santiago gave a warm nod as a minimal form of comfort. They towed Hanover into the clinic. Maria went last, and gave Theo a knowing glance filled with desire.

Theo's company worked their way farther into the student center. Laylie hopped on her walkie talkie and radioed other officers still on campus. From the sounds of it, they were holed up in other locations. Jenah, Autumn, Hank, and Lucija sat at the nearest table to take a load off. The fight for their lives and zombat shook them beyond their imaginations. Ant lingered by the stage. He gazed up at the large frames promoting the different acts and performers who frequented the venue.

"You survived that plane crash?" Lorenzo stepped next to Theo. The two men glared at one another, but it wasn't the same as before the zombies. Theo got a read on Lorenzo's words; they sounded sympathetic.

"Yeah...barely," Theo sighed.

"That's crazy, man," Lorenzo sighed, too. He seemed uncomfortable and kept checking over his shoulder to the doors. He buried his hands in his pockets, "I never thought I'd help you out. You always..."

"Shut up. We're not friends," Theo spat his venom.

The rude interruption angered Lorenzo, "The hell's your issue?"

It blew Theo's mind that what he saw on the rooftop was only a few hours ago. His body and mind were no longer on a razor's edge. Each wanted a place to rest. Thus, he was cranky, "I won't become chummy with you. Go away."

Lorenzo cussed under his breath and marched over to a table nowhere near where Theo's friends were sitting. Snowdrop awaited him there. She tried to talk to him. He ignored her and instead grouched in his seat with a glare.

A person passed Lorenzo and headed right for Theo. She walked briskly, and her smile broke Theo's hard shell. He moved forward and met her next to his friends' table.

"You made it!" Susan practically tackled Theo with a hug.

"Susan," Theo reciprocated the hug. They tilted side-to-side, and held one another for a short bit. He eventually released, but didn't pull away fully, "Are you okay?"

"I should be asking you that, dumbie. You had me worried with your bravado texts," Susan laughed and wiped her wet eyes. "'Not for long'? You're such a dork."

"Susan!" Hank bounced out of his seat. She beamed at him, and the two also shared a hug.

"I'm so glad you're okay, too!"

"How have you been holding up?" Theo asked.

"Fresh as can be. I...oh, you changed shirts," Susan noticed Theo's undershirt. She gave a half-nod, "Turquoise looks good on you."

Theo blushed, "Thanks, but enough about me."

"I've been helping the kids..." Susan whirled around and pointed towards the cafe. Two little ones were eating hotdogs and applesauce at a table. They must have been five or so. Susan explained, "Their mom came to apply for next semester. She brought them along because dad's at work. Now they're stuck here during all this."

"Poor timing," Hank pitied the sprites.

"With all of you, that makes twenty-six we have here. More and more keep coming in. Three made it right before you guys," Susan nodded over to another cafe table.

The three survivors who chowed down on portions of food were two student women and a middle-aged coach. Theo and Hank gawked, and became irate. At the same time, Ashem, Samantha, and Neptune noticed their scalding eyes.

"Where the hell are the others?" Hank asked, though he sounded like he knew the answer.

"Where else..." Theo recalled the corpses in the sports building. He didn't give it a second thought; he stomped towards the cafe.

"Theodore?" Susan's tone dropped.

Ashem kicked his chair back when he stood, and he blurted out with a mouth full of food. He, too, stepped forward and held a hand out, "Hey! Officer! Stop this man! He's the asshole we were talking about!"

"That's the guy who got our classmates and friends killed!" Neptune shrieked. The rest of the swim team barked back at the trio, but Samantha and Neptune were as loud as them. It greatly confused and worried the rest of the survivors.

Laylie lowered her radio after calling for Tony. The male officer jogged out of the wellness center, and then the two of them moved to intervene in the rising tension. Ashem and Neptune's attitude and accusations made the student center shoot Theo ugly and judgemental looks.

He didn't falter.

"Officer Zenzer, I'd like this man arrested for the murder of all of my precious students," Ashem got out before Theo and him closed the distance. Ashem shifted from being a weasel to Mr. Tough Guy. He spoke in a nasty whisper, "Go ahead and do something, punk. I'll have you..."

Theo smashed a fist against Ashem's chin. The uppercut sent the douchebag crashing to the ground. A couple of teeth clattered out, along with some blood. The student center let out gasps, the kids ran away from the cafe, and shouts were levied. Samantha and Neptune weren't too keen to get close to Theo, and abandoned their beloved coach. Ashem, shaking in horror, stared at Theo's shitty dental work. He growled in pain, "Gah! How dare you?!"

"I'm..." Theo didn't say much, as an electrical surge momentarily stunned him. His muscles failed and he dropped like a sack of potatoes. Laylie, the user of the taser, clicked the switch to firing mode and aimed it down at Theo. Tony dropped to Theo and started handcuffing his hands behind his back.

"Don't move!" Laylie enforced.

Ant jumped onto a table where a few college professors were sitting and minding their own business. He unleashed chaos by punting one of their faces. He nailed another in the chin, and then the third ran away. However, Ant didn't let them escape. He jumped onto them like a chimpanzee. He howled, "Hell yeah! Moshpit, my dudes! Ow ow!"

The safe haven quickly descended into bedlam. Laylie disengaged with Theo once Tony had him secured to apprehend the wild man. Tony hoisted Theo up and shoved him towards the gaming corner. They both heard Ant yell out, before being abruptly silenced, "Lightning courses through my synapses! I am immune to your magic, wi..."

The video game room was split into two sections: one with PC desks and a lounge with a variety of console systems. Video game posters and action figures lined most of the walls. Small tower bookcases stored game cases and nerd-adjacent items.

Tony guided Theo and made him sit in a gaming chair in the PC section. Tony undid one of the cuffs, and then locked it onto the gaming desk leg. It was bolted to the ground, which meant Theo wasn't going anywhere.

"What the hell is your problem? You can't just assault somebody like that!" Tony scolded.

Theo, sapped by the taser, lulled his glare up. It was enough to make Tony retract some of his aggression. The doors burst open. Laylie brought in Ant. She kept her taser on his back, fully prepared to zap him again if needed. When they reached Theo and Tony, she pushed Ant to the floor. Tony fluidly removed Laylie's handcuffs from her belt and used them to secure Ant to the desk leg, too.

Hank, Autumn, and Susan followed the officers in, but Laylie wasn't having any of it, "No! Not now! We are going to keep them separated until everybody calms down."

"Please, officer, you don't understand..." Autumn started.

"I understand we saved your lives, and your friend chose to throw hands!"

"He has good reason!" Autumn defended Theo.

"It has to be better than a good reason," Tony warned. "Coach Ashem told us his class was kicked to the curb by this guy, and that he's very violent. Kinda hard to argue with that so far."

"Coach Ashem sexually assaulted Professor Hanover," Hank dropped.

The temperature in the room dropped. Tony and Laylie searched Hank's face and Theo's dejection. Susan covered her mouth, shocked by the news. Outside, the other survivors crowded near Ashem to check on him. He seemed to be throwing a fit. He didn't even let Neptune or Samantha coddle him. He pushed through the people, clasping his bloody mouth, and made his way to the restrooms in the cafe. The officers saw that out of everyone, the swim team scowled at the coach.

With their mouths shut and ears open, Autumn explained what happened between Hanover and Ashem. He dodged around the more grotesque details.

"Jesus, just when I thought things couldn't get worse..." Laylie deflated.

"That's a serious allegation," Tony wanted confirmation, "When he and the two girls arrived, he talked about how they were mistreated. They were in tears and everything."

"Ask Hanover and the swim team yourself," Hank sent them to the source.

Tony recoiled and sucked in his lips out of disgust. Theo grunted out, "You'd best keep me hooked up here, because the moment you uncuff me, I'm getting my hands on that bastard."

"Theo..." Susan, scared, uttered.

Tony asked Laylie, "What did Captain Gerrard say? I was too busy helping the Mendozas to hear his response."

"He said they had two more deaths, and not a word from Peyton. I'm starting to think something might have happened..." Laylie showed pessimism.

"What does all that mean?" Susan asked.

"It means we're on our own for the foreseeable future," Tony answered, but much of him didn't want to.

Tony and Laylie reflected for a moment. She was first to speak, with newfound condemnation, "If this is true, we need to detain Mr. Ashem, too. We can't have him roaming about in the middle of this crisis assaulting people. Especially...those girls out there. They're stuck to his hip like he's their sugar daddy."

"Sure, I'll talk to Hanover," Tony accepted the responsibility. With that, Laylie left. He then turned to all the undetained students, "Please, you can't stay here. Until things simmer down, I don't want anybody bothering them. Especially since they want to incite violence. It sounds like you've all been through a lot. There's food in the cafe. Please, take care of yourselves."

"Yes, sir," Autumn bowed a little. He then said to Theo, "I'll bring you some food. You need your strength."

Autumn, Hank, and Susan left the game corner at the same time Tony did. The student center was buzzing with the attacks, Theo's name, and the three professors assaulted by Ant. Santiago came out to provide aid, but told everyone that his mom was busy helping Hanover. Theo's friends all let out simultaneous sighs.

"I'm going to grab that food," Autumn dismissed himself.

"Thanks, Autumn," Susan flashed a smile.

Hank switched subjects, "So, seeing as how everybody wants to avoid causing trouble...did you get all the material I texted you about?"

Susan shot him scalding judgement, "What do I look like? An amateur? Everything's in the storage behind the kitchen. I told them we needed it for later use."

"Shweet! Out of all the women in my life, you are my favorite!"

"I'm pretty sure that's supposed to be reserved for your mom."

"Hmm? Never heard of her," Hank played dumb.

Susan giggled; something she missed doing, "Glad to see that not even the apocalypse can kill your mood, Hank."

"Jokes are my copium. Everybody needs to catch their breath after all the jacked up stuff we went through. I'll go work on my project and grab a bite. Wanna join? We have a ton of things to catch up on," Hank scrolled through all the pictures and videos he recorded.

"Might as well," Susan agreed. Hank trotted off, and she lingered outside the gaming corner's glass. She stared at Theo with a pained heart. He slouched forward, either tired, or plotting. She expressed her broken heart, "Oh, Theo...why do you have to think with your fists first?"

Theo raised his head in time to see Susan walking away. He trailed her, and saw her make a pitstop at the table where the kids were with their mother. Susan bestowed them a smile and, by their reactions, thoughtful words. He'd work so hard to get to her, yet landed himself in handcuffs. His head fell again, "Fuckin' idiot..."

"We are not in Russia. Not anymore..." Ant came to, or at the very least, felt comfortable speaking again. He searched around the game corner, rattled his cuffs a bit before gnawing on them, and fidgeted like a restless child.

Theo, with nothing better to do, asked, "Who are you exactly? Are you a student or a professor?"

"I am," Ant answered.

"That's not an answer."

"Ah, but it is when you look from outside the box," Ant spoke like a philosopher. "I am but a student on the road of life, learning and absorbing all that is on the way to a dead end. I'm also a professor, imparting the wisdom that mistakes and successes have forged in my head over the years."

"I'm sorry for asking..." Theo decided to end the conversation.

Ant continued, "Ah, but you are righteous, my friend. The spider's strings don't constrain you. You find purpose being trapped. You take charge and die your own way. It is admirable."

The speaking pattern, restlessness, and manic behavior cued Theo onto a suspicion. He leaned over a bit and stared into the wide eyes of the wild man. They were bloodshot, and his pupils were dilated. As he guessed, "You're on drugs."

"A drug called life!" Ant confirmed the suspicion.

In the cafe, Autumn found cooks and baristas chillinf at a table. They provided the survivors trays of hotdogs, fries, and applesauce cups. He asked for multiple so he can serve his group. They were happy to oblige. When he began his food delivery trek, he heard one of the staff say, "She's sweet."

"Hehe, you know it," Autumn's face brightened. He walked through the tables back to the swim team. On the way there, he caught Lorenzo watching him. Snowdrop sat next to him on her phone, with one of his arms draped around her shoulder. The staring made Autumn uncomfortable, so he stared forward until he reached his table. He made multiple round trips. Each time he could feel Lorenzo's leer. He didn't dare check.

"Are you okay, Autumn?" Lucija asked on Autumn's third visit. He dropped off his tray of food, with the other going to Theo.

Autumn played it down, "Yeah, yeah, I'm just tired. I think a bit of food and a nap will do me wonders. I bet I look like a mess."

Lucija bought it, "I am in agreement. We have to take care of our health at every step. If you find a spot to tuck in, please let me know. Before that, though, I wanted to ask a question."

"Uh, sure, what's up?"

Lucija stared towards the kitchen, "Who is that woman who hugged Hank? They seem like good friends."

"That's Susan Genesis. She's old friends with Theo and Hank. You can usually find them all hanging out together," Autumn explained.

Lucija didn't respond, but her eyes were locked in on the cafe. Autumn felt like maybe he said something wrong, and the stress compounded.

"You're vexed and it's obvious," Jenah said. She swirled her applesauce with a spoon, and didn't even bother looking up.

"Me?" Autumn and Lucija asked at the same time. They both blushed at their self-report. Jenah held back a knowing smile, but pointed her utensil at Autumn.

"It is? Oh, I'm sorry. It's just...anxiety. I'm sorry," Autumn turned on his heels and double-timed it to the game corner. The pressure of his group, the student center drama, and Lorenzo were too much.

Autumn entered the game corner. Theo and Ant rose their heads. They both looked equally hungry and haggard.

"Oh, shoot dang it. I should've brought a second tray," Autumn apologized to them.

Ant shook his head, "No, brother, I do not eat anything that isn't green. Feed Theo the slop."

Theo grumbled, "Just leave it; he and I can share. Thanks, Autumn."

"No problem," Autumn laid the tray on the desk. He gasped, and began doing a little dance. Ant joined in with head banging, but Theo raised an eyebrow. Autumn whined, "I gotta pee!"

Autumn skedaddled out of the gaming corner. Ant bellowed a laugh, "That's a wonderful idea!"

"Don't!" Theo stopped the mad man.

Tony entered the game corner next, and watched Autumn dart away with some confusion. He approached the detainees, "What's she in a hurry for?"

"Restroom. How's Hanover?" Theo asked.

Tony let out a sigh and placed his hands on his hips. He looked ashamed, "I owe you an apology. Hanover explained what happened, and everything else up to your arrival."

"I want to know how she is," Theo didn't care about his public image.

Tony picked up on the thug's focus. He took out his keys and undid the handcuff keeping Theo chained, "She's resting. Maria doesn't want her disturbed. However, Hanover told me you've taken a hit to the head, and your hand is likely broken."

Theo checked the knuckles he punched Ashem with. He hadn't noticed in his rage, but they were swollen and red, "Oh, damn."

"Maria wants to check you out. It'd be best to do it now while my partner deals with Mr. Ashem. Once we have both sides of the story, we'll more than likely detain him. Considering the state of Hansel right now, things are complicated," Tony gave Theo the rundown.