The Grave Digger

A Suicide Mission

"How'd you get hired? Seems unlikely to me." Jade grins at Fayre, holding out her wounded arm for the doctor to inspect.

"Well," Fayre wraps her hand around a long cactus needle lodged inside her patient's flesh, "three years ago, the boss broke me out of jail, the day before my trial. I've been working in this same laboratory ever since."

"What were you in for?" Jade grimaces, feeling the barbs on the needle hug her muscle as Fayre wiggles it.

Tearing out the object with one swift movement, the doctor chuckles. "Illegal human experimentation, of course," she pauses, lost in the moment, "my, my, it was worth the consequences."

"Knowing you, I can see that," gritting her teeth together, Jade watches her personal physician pull out another.

"How the hell did this happen?" Fayre shoves a wad of cotton in a gaping hole, the aftermath of what had to be a nasty fight. The white swab quickly bleeds to red.

"One second the coast was clear, then they just popped up. Out of nowhere." Patrols have always been Jade's least favorite assignment. Especially with an enemy that was always one step ahead of her.

"I yanked out a few before I came in." The wounded woman grabs some more cotton wads, stuffing them in several cavities near her stomach.

"I can see you did a sloppy job," she grunts as she tears out the last needle, setting it in a stack with the others. "Despite your miraculous survival, you'll definitely be chided for ruining that suit."

"I know," Jade sighs.

"Especially since he just got it tailored."

--

"Do you think this will work?"

"Of course it will, Patrice, just look at him." Nate gestures to an unconscious man laying on a table across from them. Layers of toxic fungus cover his body, leaving only small patches of skin visible.

The girl shifts uncomfortably, looking down at the plant-human amalgamation in front of her. Witnessing an innocent man transform into a malformed monster struck an empathetic chord in her heart.

"He's perfect. You saw what he did to that troop."  He turns to Patrice, beaming.

"I did." She averts her eyes from their newest ally, turning towards Nate. "How will he stand against Zomboss's new pet?"

"That girl doesn't stand a chance, Patrice," he flashes an amused look at her. "Believe in him."

"It just seems more like a suicide mission to me."

--

Shutting the tall gate behind her, Jade wanders out of Zomboss Manor. Buzzed and rather tired, she makes her way into downtown Neighborville.

The moon casts haunting shadows along the streets, providing ideal cover for Jade to slink through. She wears a more casual outfit, trying not to draw attention to herself. Hidden on her side is an emergency handgun.

Weaving her way through the darkness, Jade lurks between mutilated buildings, mind fixated on the peir. Light footsteps occasionally tickle the back of her ears, sending shivers of uneasiness through her nerves.

Eventually, the roof of the abandoned lighthouse pokes above the others, guiding Jade to its doorstep. Finding a place to sit beside the building, the off-duty general plops down on the sand.

She tosses a smooth stone into the waves, watching as they inhale it like a starving dog. White foam swirls in its place, contrasting the dark ocean.