Fanfic: Zombies, Zombies, ALWAYS ZOMBIES! 🧟 Ep. 18: A Late Night Chat

Hey Poptropicans, this is a guest post by Magic Kid. Enjoy!

Hiya there! As you have guessed, it’s Magic Kid, back with the next episode in my fanfiction: Zombies, Zombies, ALWAYS ZOMBIES! If you have no idea what’s going on and want to start from the beginning, read the first episode here. But if you only just missed the last episode, catch that real quick quick right here.

Have fun reading this! (Y’all I feel so evil right now… >:D)

ZOMBIES, ZOMBIES, ALWAYS ZOMBIES!

A Zomberry Series

Episode Eighteen: A Late Night Chat

It was midnight. The darkness swallowed the island, just as Joe Puddy once swallowed those blueberries. The black clouds that constantly hung over the island were invisible against the starless sky.

The main city of Zomberry Island was dark. The only thing you could see was the occasional yellow eye from a wandering zombie. Groans and moans echoed in the fallen city, like some sort of eerie, off-key song of sorrow.

That was what the main city looked like, but if you went over a huge wall near the edge, you would see something far more interesting than a city of zombies. It looked like the grounds of a sinister hospital, dark buildings with windows that glowed purple, and occasionally green. People in neat suits, lab coats, or modern-core armor walked briskly with purpose from location to location.

Below all this in a prison with concrete walls and floors, the three friends waited in their cell. Waiting, waiting, waiting. What they were waiting for, they were unsure about. The note was vague but promised answers. It was the only hope they had.

Hawk (whispering)

Why hasn’t someone come? I would’ve thought that someone would be here by now.

Stone (whispering too)

Yeah, they said “tonight”, they didn’t say what time. It’s not like we have a clock in here, anyway.

Birdy (also whispering)

They can’t be much longer.

Hawk

Imagine if Pick was here with us.

Stone gave a soft chuckle.

Hawk (imitating)

“Cheese and crackers, where are they?!”

Birdy

Hee hee…

Stone

…We have to figure this out. All this. 

Hawk

Yes, but how?

Stone

Hopefully this mystery person will give us answers. And then we have to—

Birdy

SHHH! I think I hear someone coming!!

After a few more shushes from everyone, they were quiet.

Indeed, Stone and Hawk could hear careful footsteps from above, and then the footsteps continued quietly down the concrete stairs. 

The three friends held their breath. This must be the person who sent the note!

Indeed again! This mysterious Poptropican went up to the cell where the three were.

Unknown

You wanted answers, right?

There wasn’t a lot of light — the only light was from the large screen monitor at the end of the hall of cells. It was just enough to shine on the unknown Poptropican’s face.

You readers will recognize this face of Agent Thorn, but that was not the association that the other three made.

All three

HEY!

Hawk

I saw you before the play! Gentle Storm, right? You worked with the sponsor and you were the one that dropped off the smoothie machine!!

Stone

You put a smoothie machine on that boat I was working on at Mission Atlantis! You said your name was Mighty Claw?

Birdy

Let me add to all that: You were at Goofball Island too! When we were having that survivor meet-up! But you were a goth girl then…

Thorn

True, true, and true, I have many different names…

Stone (snarling)

Which one should I use?! Mighty Claw, Gentle Storm, Evil Villain?

Thorn

Ha! Cool down, you want answers about your little friend, right?

Birdy

You mean Pick? What do you know? Why was he like that?

The three friends looked at Thorn questioningly.

Thorn

Do you all know Samuel Brains? Well, he’s at it again, this time with a more organized way to gain power. Instead of relying on a couple little girls to sell his smoothie, he’s tried more effective ways of planting them on different islands. 

Hawk

But I thought the last apocalypse was an accident?

Thorn

Ha! That’s what HE said. Well, technically it was. He messed up, he meant to take over Poptropica, but instead some hero came along and saved the day before he could expand his project’s borders—

Stone

So he wants to take over all of Poptropica? 

Thorn

Yes. 

Stone

Why with zombies?

Thorn

It was his first attempt at mind-control, and I suppose the zombies will go where he orders them to go, but they aren’t intelligent.

They were quiet for a few seconds, processing all this information. Snores came from the cell across them.

Birdy

So— so what about Pick?

Thorn

Ah. How do I phrase this?

Thorn paused to gather her thoughts. 

Thorn

He’s a zombie 2.0— Smarter, more capable, but still under the control of Brains, or as Brains goes by now, Mr. Gambit. Brainwashed, just like nearly every employee here.

Birdy (whisper-screaming)

WHAT?!

Stone

Oh. Huh.

Hawk

W-what? Is there a way to fix it?

Thorn

Not yet. Mr. Gambit is having a team of people work on an antidote for emergencies, like if the wrong person gets zombied. He plans to lock it up securely when not in use, so it will be nearly impossible to get it from him.

Birdy

Oh dear. Oh dear, oh dear, oh dear.

Hawk put his hands on his face , frustrated.

Stone

Okay, but what’s YOUR deal?

Thorn

Excuse me?

Stone

How come you work for that Gambit dude, how come you know all this, and why do you tell us this? 

Thorn

I can’t answer the first two questions — I have to keep that under wraps for security. But the reason I tell you guys this? So you know, the plan will work better if you know—

Stone

WHAT PLAN?

Birdy

Shh, keep your voice down!!

Thorn

Just a plan~ Anyway, I must go now, it’s far too risky talking to you three.

Hawk

Can I ask one more question?

Thorn

Just did, but go ahead.

Hawk

What’s your REAL name?

Thorn was now stealthy-walking down the hall to go back up the stairs.

Thorn (calling back in a whisper)

Anita— but don’t repeat that!

…

The next morning, the lights in the hallway turned on, extremely bright it seemed considering the hours they had spent in darkness. Breakfast came (Zombie Toothpick was not a part of this group of guards) — it was blueberry pancakes and eggs. 

Across from the cell, the chaos trio was cheering on Ashley Lange, because from the monitor down the hall of cells, they could see she was fighting off a hoard of zombies. This apparently was normal entertainment.

Hawk

Sooo, what’s the plan?

Stone was separating the pancake and the egg on different sides of the take-out box.

Stone

With Toothpick, with zombies, with prison?

Hawk

Yeah. I honestly have no idea what to do.

Birdy

Didn’t Anita say that Mr. Gambit was working on a cure?

Hawk

Yeah, but how do we break out of here, find it, steal some without him noticing, and return to here, without anyone noticing? It’s impossible.

Birdy

Nothing’s impossible, we live in Poptropica. But still…

Stone

Prison’s not meant to be broken out of. But this prison is run by the near equivalent of zombies—

Hawk

Should we try?

Birdy

Yes! Of course we should try to break out! Mr. Gambit’s empire cannot be the downfall of Poptropica, we can’t let it happen!

A loud cheer came from the chaos trio in the cell across from them, where they were still cheering on Ashley Lange.

Dragon

GO, LANGE, GO!!

---

Meanwhile, a lab scientist was busy.

He was carefully pouring a bright yellow liquid into a vial. Other scientists were around him, but they were focused on doing less important things, like paperwork.

The Scientist sparingly poured a few drops on the tip of a carrot, and then set the carrot inside a small cage on his desk. Inside the cage was an indigo bunny rabbit, obviously zombied. The bunny wandered over to the carrot and nibbled at it.

The Scientist waited with bated breath. The dark blue fur on the bunny faded into a caramel-brown color and its nose twitched. It hopped around the cage a bit, and continued munching at the carrot.

The Scientist

I can’t believe it! It worked!

The Scientist grabbed what was remaining in the little vial and sped out of the lab. Out on the grounds, a few employees glanced, concerned at his excitement. He ran into the tallest building of them all, and came across an elevator and stairs. Which one would be faster?

He jammed the up button on the elevator and waited a few seconds, then bounced in. The elevator shot up like a cork and in a few more seconds he was outside Mr. Gambit’s door.

He scanned one of his cards and went in, to find Mr. Gambit reviewing some papers.

The Scientist

SIR! I FOUND THE ANTIDOTE!

Mr. Gambit

Are you quite sure? 

The Scientist nodded, showing the yellow vial.

Mr. Gambit

Gather it all at once, and give it to me. What lab are you from?

The Scientist

I’m from Lab E and yessir, I’ll go get it!

The Scientist hurried back down the elevator and he was crossing the courtyard when he bumped into—

Anita (AKA Agent Thorn)

Hey, what are you doing?

The Scientist

I found a cure! Mr. Gambit wants all of it right now!

A flash of something passed through Anita’s face.

Anita

Dr. Romero, do you need some help with that?

Dr. Romero (The Scientist)

Yes, please! Come on!

He bounded into Lab E.

Anita

Woah, maybe you should stay off those energy drinks, you’re not young anymore!

Dr. Romero

HA! Never!

Once they were both in the lab, Dr. Romero gestured to a big vat of the yellow liquid and a box full of empty vials.

Dr. Romero

First we got to sort this into all these vials, and then take it over to him!

While they were sorting, Anita asked Dr. Romero a few questions.

Anita

Does it work?

Dr. Romero

Yep! A couple drops for a rabbit, and I assume you’d need a lot more for a zombie, I’m not quite sure how much exactly though.

Dr. Romero turned to fill a vial, while Anita slipped a couple in her pocket for later without him noticing.

Anita 

You probably wouldn’t need a lot to free a semi-zombie—

Dr. Romero

A semi-zombie?

While Dr. Romero was busy picking up an empty vial he dropped, Anita put quite a few drops of the antidote into the open energy drink on his desk.

Dr. Romero (standing back up)

And it’ll be good that Mr. Gambit locks it up! We don’t want any zombies turning back into humans!

He took a swig from the energy drink and filled up the last vial. Anita waited.

Dr. Romero

And that should do it! I’ll go give it to— hold on. Wait. Why am I gonna give the zombie cure to Mr. Gambit? He’ll just lock it up. Wait, he’s the bad guy, I work for the bad guy. UMMM—

Anita

Aha! I thought you were one of the semi-zombies!

Dr. Romero

Thorn, I don’t know why I’m here— hold up. Your name’s not Thorn, I know you, it’s An—

Anita

SHHHHH! No one’s supposed to know. Now that you’re back to normal, un-brainwashed, I need you to help me with a few things.

Dr. Romero

But we need to stop Mr. Gambit!

Anita

We will, but it won’t be that easy. Hang tight, I got a plan.

TO BE CONTINUED

---

Hope you enjoyed this guest post by Magic Kid. If you did, you might also enjoy their Pop Quiz: Which Pop Character Are You? post.

The Poptropica Help Blog welcomes interesting Poptropica insights from anyone in the Poptropica community with thoughts to share. Interested in writing for the PHB? We’d love to hear from you!