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“I’m back,” said Zombieman as he walks into the living room.
Child Emperor sat on the couch but looking at different papers on a table.
“Oh! Hey, Z!” greeted CE.
Zombieman walked towards CE and looked at the papers.
“Have you been here the whole time? You haven’t figured it out yet?”
CE sighed. “Well, it’s harder than it looks, and I don’t have all the information. I’ll have to ask Sitch for more.”
Zombieman smiled and walked towards the kitchen. He opens the fridge to look at what he had.
“There’s leftover pizza from yesterday,” said CE without looking up.
“Oh, the one you ordered without asking me,” Zombieman said with a smirk.
“Hey! I ordered your favorite!”
Zombieman snickered and grabbed the pizza. He put it in the microwave and went back to the couch.
“So I heard that there’s a new movie that you might enjoy, so maybe tomorrow we can have a movie night,” said Zombieman.
“Oh, sweet! We haven’t done that for a while. I’ll see if I can finish this now so we can watch it tomorrow.”
“Cool,” replied Zombieman.
The microwave beeped, so Zombieman left to get his pizza.
*****
So much for movie night, he thought.
There were three monsters in front of him in a room. CE has sealed off the doors so no one can get in or out.
“Z! All the other monsters have been destroyed! These three are left,” CE informed Zombieman through a Bluetooth.
“Got it,” he answered.
One of the monsters lunged at Zombieman but missed as he ducked down. Then another tried to slice him, but he also moves, but it cut the beast behind him. As the monsters were occupied, Zombieman took his ax and swung at both of them, cutting their heads off.
As he was about to turn around, a claw went through his chest. Zombieman was unfazed by it and chopped it's hand off. The monster screamed as he retreated his hands. Zombieman turned around with a gun and shot the monster in the face. The corpse finally fell.
Zombieman sighed. He clicked the Bluetooth. “Well, kid, I got them.”
“Great job, Z! Let me inform the Association. If you hurry, we can still do movie night!” cheered CE.
Zombieman winced. “Alright, alright. Calm down. Your screaming in my ear, Emp.”
He could hear him chuckling. “Oops,” he said.
Zombieman smirked as the doors finally opened.
*****
Zombieman made it back to his place and took a quick shower. He knew CE didn’t like it when he stains almost anything.
He changed into more comfortable clothes that didn’t involve leather. He walked barefoot to the living room to put the movie on.
He heard a noise, and CE finally arrived.
“Hey, Z! I made popcorn, but it still in the microwave,” CE said as he sat on the couch.
Zombieman sighed but left to get the popcorn. As he went back, CE has already started the movie.
*****
There was a lot of screaming, blood, and murder. Just the way Zombieman liked his movies.
The movie ended as Zombieman stretch.
“It was good,” he said.
CE smiled. “I liked it too. It’s a lot better than the other one.”
“The weird ‘I’m not a vampire but totally is one?’” he asked.
“Yup that one. It looked so bad, and the deaths were so awkward,” admitted CE.
“And that random zoom-ins and the predictable jump scares,” Zombieman.
“Ugh, don’t get me started on the screaming,” CE groans.
They both laugh.
Zombieman stretched towards CE to ruffle his hair. “Well, at least I have someone to talk about these movies with me-”
Zombieman’s hand goes through CE’s head.
They both paused.
Zombieman took his hand back and looked away.
The hologram of CE looked at him.
Zombieman couldn’t look at him. “Sorry...force of habit.”
CE smiled sadly. “Maybe I can get a giant teddy bear so you can pat its head,” he joked.
Zombieman sighed but looked at him and smiled.
It has been months since the real Child Emperor has passed away. As Zombieman tried to figure what he was going to do with the lab, the hologram of the little boy appeared.
He made an ai to continue his research, but he also built the hologram.
It has been tough for Zombieman that CE was really gone. However, they still haven’t had a serious talk on why he built them. And Zombieman doesn’t want to talk now.
“Well, I’m going to sleep,” said Zombieman.
“Oh, I’ll clean up then,” said CE as robots came to pick up the bowls and clean any other mess.
Zombieman dragged himself to his room. He sat on the side of the bed and took a deep breath.
He’s gone, he thought. And yet with the hologram, he still believed that he’s still there.
Zombieman put his head in his hands.
He needs to get over it. He has to. But he’s never been so close to someone before. How can he forget about a little boy that he considers a brother? He was so young. He had a bright future only to be turned off by monsters.
Zombieman tried to lay on his bed and get comfortable, but he couldn’t. He tossed and turn, but nothing worked. He was faced down and punching his pillow. As he was done, he still couldn’t get those images and guilt out of his heart.
He could have saved him. He could have been alive. He could have still done his research. He still could have helped other people. And...they could have still had movie night.
But that didn’t happen, didn’t it?
Zombieman stared at the ceiling until he felt himself get drowsy.
One day he has to know that Child Emperor is gone. That he has to know that he wasn’t there. That he no longer has a little brother. That he had to face reality.
And with that, he fell asleep.