Even though Noah made the dirt useable to plant fruits and vegetables again, he had never been to the plantation. So when Zenix guided him through the hallway behind the kitchen to a staircase upward, he was confused.

"I know, I know, stairs? We have an elevator but the way up is unfortunately the stairs," Zenix said as they made their way up, at the top of the stairs Noah saw plastic curtains and something he hadn't seen in a long time, the sun. He pushed the curtains away and walked along a path between the vegetables.

Zenix took his upper arm, then took his hand away, "Sorry, some people don't like to be touched. If that bothered you in any please tell me now."

Noah shook his head, "No, I am fine with you touching me. You wanted to bring me somewhere right?"

Zenix smiled softly, "Yeah, it's just a bit further in this direction." They walked along a path full of dirt, water, and some kind of leaves. Further out where Zenix was walking with him was a grass field.

Zenix then jogged to the field and sat down, looking at Noah who was getting closer and closer. Noah sat down next to Zenix and looked ahead, he saw the most beautiful sight in such a broken world. A metal fence surrounded the whole plantation, but it still didn't hide the beauty of the red, orange, and yellow colors in the sky. It was a symphony out of the most precious colors. Even a slight breeze of fresh wind blew through the plants and produce around them, "I loved looking at this and feeling this. When were a trio. Maison probably already told you a bit, but let me explain it properly." Noah was surprised, he didn't let it show on the outside though, since he thought, the Dou thought their savior was Jay.

Zenix looked at the sky with a deep feeling of loss, "We were a trio once, Ben, me and Francis... In middle school a lot of shit happened to them both, Ben's sister was diagnosed with mid-stage cancer. It was curable, so his family and he worked hard to get the hospital and treatment fees. At the same time, Francis came out as non-binary, their parents didn't take well to that. Saying Francis had it all in their head and it was just a phase. That it wasn't real."

He sighed deeply, "There was a girl, but Anna wasn't just a girl. That bitch was the daughter of the principal, so she could do whatever she wanted whenever she wanted. And the school turned a blind eye, how threatening that was we knew when she bullied a transgirl into suicide just because she was trans. Her name was Tessa. No one did anything, the whole school knew she was the one who bullied her to death, but no one did anything. Even when the police came and some students, myself included said it was Anna, they did nothing." There was so much frustration in Zenix's eyes, Noah could even see his bawling fists.

Then Zenix took a deep breath to calm himself, "So after that, we tried to keep a low profile. Ben asked me to help him make some money, so after a lot of discussions I decided to join a gang with him. We didn't tell Francis, they would have just worried and maybe even got us to quit. Then after a month or so, we heard about another suicide. Gary Halligan, he was a good friend of mine, came out as gay a year before Tessa's death. When I heard he was dead, I almost killed her myself. I was in a gang for a month, I could get rid of her. But both Francis and Ben held me back. Said it was no use."

Noah could see how emotional it made him, Zenix had tears in his eyes that had yet to fall, "We were so preoccupied in the gang business, that we didn't realize that Anna's next victim was Francis. They didn't say anything either, not even to me and they knew they could talk to me I never had anything in the term of life going on. But they kept to themself, shut us both out and when we confronted them, they fired back, saying that we don't tell them where we go after school either. We knew we fucked up. We- fuck..." He cried, tears running down Zenix's face as he tried to calm himself by breathing slowly and looking in the sky, as to make the tears dry faster. Noah felt that it was a hard topic to talk about and laid a hand on Zenix's shoulder to show that he was there. That that time had passed, that he could talk about it.

Zenix cast him a grateful smile, "Thanks. On the day they killed himself, we just thought they had a good day. They were smiling the whole day, everything seemed normal and like time was turned back. Only in the evening, we got a message... In the message, they told us that we were their best of friends and that they knew we would stand behind them no matter what, but that they couldn't do it anymore. They couldn't take the torment anymore, and to give them our blessing. In the hopes of them finding a better life."

Zenix finished that sentence and put his head on his knees, he couldn't talk anymore he was in deep grief. His head was full with the last message, the last words of their third best friend.

Then Zenix continued in a dull voice, "We spammed them full with messages saying 'It's going to be okay', 'We can work through this' or 'We're always here for you'. But it wasn't enough, it wasn't enough..." The helplessness swept over him Noah could see how deep in the past zenix's memories were. How his body shiverred, and his hands figgeted.

He looked Noah in his eyes, "When we... When we sent those messages they were already dead. So the whole time we thought if we came clean soon, if we never joined the gang maybe, just maybe this could have all been avoided. But... There are no ifs and whens because Francis has already left. He was gone." Noah hugged Zenix, he thought Zenix might need it more than anything right now. He did, Zenix hugged Noah and cried into his shoulder. They maintained that state for ten minutes or so before, Zenix wiped away his tears and apologized for getting Noah's shirt wet.

Ben looked at his best friend in the arms of Noah and he was crying too. He heard everything and wished he could have made Zenix talk about it to him first before telling this story to a stranger. Because that is what Noah was to Ben a stranger, and he was keeping his best friend away from him. Just like when he and Zenix were in a gang and didn't tell Francis, Zenix was doing the same thing again. Keeping something away from Ben, he was mad, at Zenix for keeping whatever it is a secret, and at Noah for keeping it a secret from him. Ben felt like he deserved to know, especially after what happened to Francis and to his sister. He sneaked into a better hiding spot and listened further.

Zenix looked embarrassed at the last bit of sun, "Sorry, it is just the first time I spoke about them. I... Ben didn't even speak about it and anytime I was like 'How do you cope?', he would interrupt me before I could finish the question. With a harsh, 'I don't want to talk about it' or 'I am fine'. But I know he wasn't, I know he thought about them any time we were alone. So when a loyalty test came and the target was Anna we were very ready to kill her. Then Maison came along, more like he was already there before, but it was the first time he talked to us. Saying stuff like we had a future ahead of us and we shouldn't go the extra step. Especially not for revenge, it would be wonderful for a moment he said, but it would haunt us for a lifetime. And even if we avenged Francis, they wouldn't be happy knowing we did it for them. It hit hard you know? The wound was still fresh, if it was a month later I don't know if that could have pulled us out. I think we would be too far along... So in this moment, where we didn't even process the grief yet. It was a wake-up call, for both of us. About a month after leaving Ben didn't have the money together so his sister died. We both wanted to start over, so we changed school mixed up Jay for Maison, and started a new life. The rest you know."

This story has been unlawfully obtained without the author's consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.

Noah could have never imagined that such a past was behind those two funny personalities.

"But isn't it counterproductive that you keep it a secret that you are working with me on a zombie cure? If keeping secrets is something you both know, isn't going to work. Why are you keeping it a secret from him?" Noah asked with genuine curiosity.

Zenix scratched his head, "Guess I never learn from my mistakes, let's tell him when we got the zombie talking okay? When we can be half sure of going in the right direction. So I can prove that it is not that dangerous."

"I guess, but after that zombie says his first clear word we are telling him. He deserves to know what his best friend has been up to," Noah demanded as he looked at Zenix's side profile. Zenix nodded, giving silent approval.

Seeing them get up Ben sneaked away, without either of them noticing.

As Zenix stood he looked at the stars that were forming in the sky, "You know I think they're watching from somewhere up there. Screaming at me to tell Ben already, but maybe I am not strong enough to face him and tell him that I've been keeping secrets." He gave Noah an awkward smile and walked in front of Noah to the stairs. As they walked down, Ben came up the stairs.

He smiled a carefree smile as if he didn't hear what was going on, "There you guys are, I've been looking everywhere for you two."

Ben scrunched his eyes and asked Zenix, "Did you cry? Your eyes are red, are you alright?"

Zenix coughed and pinched his nose bridge, "Of course, I am, just some pollen from the veggies and fruit flowers." Noah knew if Ben looked at the plantation the lie would be obvious as shit, but just nodded to support Zenix's lie. They went back to their room and slept.

...

In the lab after a few more test runs Noah and Zenix, were feeling ecstatic, the zombie could say two words after another.

"Want out," the zombie repeated, with every time it smashed against the glass it was kept behind. More violent each time, Noah was calm as he instructed Zenix to get another researcher. To ensure safety. Noah stood there face full on stone since Zenix left and observed the zombie. The decaying process stopped little by little as they fed it the crystal water, there was no healing going on though. It had gray skin, and the veins on its head were more visible though. The zombie had no clothes on, but even the genital area was not really seen or know what it could have been.

Besides the words 'Want' and 'Out', there were the normal zombie noises.

Thump, Thump, Thump, Crack

Noah looked at the fist pounding against the glass, little spiderweb cracks were forming and with every pound, they got bigger. He ran to Zenix and found Mills right with him.

Mills asked, "What is going on? I heard from Zenix that there is a kind of rouge zombie?" Noah nodded and furrowed his eyebrows for a worried look, "It will break out any second, you guys have to go, there is an emergency gun under every table. But you guys should go to safety, this big boy is ours so we take him out ourselves too." Mills saluted to Noah as they ran to evacuate the lab. Noah and Zenix ran to their table and got the gun. Zenix took it and Noah found another one under the table right next to theirs and put the gun behind in his pants. Zenix loaded the gun and pointed it with a steady hand to the door the zombie would soon walk out of. Back in his gang days, Zenix never missed a shot. The zombie walked out slowly and as it spotted both Noah and Zenix it walked to them. Zenix already fired his first shots, all of them landed in the brain but the zombie still walked. A miracle happened, as the zombie's head with 2 bullet holes healed up right before their eyes. Where once were three bullet holes, where even puss leaked out, now there only was smooth gray skin. Even the puss spot that was on there vanished as if the zombie had sucked it back in through it's skin.

Zenix's eyes went big as he fired another three shots, this time one to the heart and two to the head, one in each eye. He thought if he chose different spots and difficult spots maybe the healing would be slowed. Grey goo was ouzing out, it looked disgusting. Then it seemed like the goo was sucked back in and the wound was gone.

"We need to write this down when we're done!" As he was loudly stating that the zombie raised an arm and flung Zenix against a wall.

Ben ran out of his hiding spot yelling, "Telekeneses!" Noah crouched as soon as that zombie flung Zenix to the wall, not that it did anything as the zombie threw all the tables over the room and to the walls. Ben threw a thunderbolt at the zombie, but it caught the bolt with his hand before guiding it to the ground with the hand.

Zenix who groaned as he got up, "Did that thing just thunderbend?!" Ben tried it a few more times, some of his attacks hit and left scars that the zombie couldn't heal. Most of them were ineffective though, the zombie leaped at Noah. He was about to pull his gun and shoot that thing in the leg right where the scar was but a voice interrupted his actions.

"Don't do anything. Look in front of you," it was that annoying raven, everything was in slow motion as he looked in front he saw Zenix throwing himself in the attack of the zombie.

"Let him die for you!" Void demanded, "If you do you will get benefits, I'll unlock a memory for you."

Noah shook his head, 'He is my friend, I can't just let him die.'

His hand went to his pants wanting to get the gun, "You already did enough, he was supposed to die much earlier. Let him die!" Void said in angrily.

'NO,' but the control of his body was not his own, he felt like he was just looking at 'Noah's' body. Time resumed normally and the zombie bit deep in his shoulder and pierced into his stomach with his claws.

Ben watched and went ballistic, "NOOOOOOO." His powers were out of control, the energy from the lights and all other electronic devices flickered as Ben drew all the power. Focusing it on the zombie, the zombie couldn't take that much electricity and was burned to a crisp. But that didn't matter to Ben, he fell next to Zenix's body. He pulled Zenix's upper body in his lab and tried to stop the blood from oozing out.

Zenix looked at Ben, "Sorry, sorry I didn't tell you... Ahg I knew there were supposed to be no more secrets. But you know how- arg!"

The tears were flowing down Ben's face, "Shh, you don't have to explain anything. Hold on, I'll get help. WHAT ARE YOU SITTING THERE FOR?" Noah who took control again, was scrambling to get up.

"No.. I know it's too late for me. Even- Even if you save me what would it bring? I'd be infected anyway..." Zenix said as he tried to point to his bite wound, Ben took that hand and enclosed it too.

"There are so many ways I could have died, but to a zombie? I like it, a warrior to the end. I'll send your regards to Francis... I'm sorry..."

Ben watched as the life slowly drifted away, out of Zenix's eyes and his body went limp.

Ben who held him cried, "No, No, No. NOOOOO. Zen come on, this is just a cruel joke right?!" He felt like he couldn't breathe, the grip this sorrow had was like a boulder. Noah who witnessed this, was feeling guilty and so lost. The first friend he had made, was dead. The first friend he felt comfortable with was gone, and it was his fault. He could have saved him, but his body wouldn't move.

'That damn crow!!' he thought.

Ben looked up from his grief, his face was wet with tears, and even snot ran down his nose, "IT. IS. ALL. YOUR. FAULT!!!"