Zeo: Served with Madness!

With his team torn apart, Tommy is left to face the towering burger monstrosities. Their pulsating forms echo with the tormented screams of his friends, driving him to the brink of sanity. The monsters toy with him, shattering his mind through shockwaves of mental torment and vivid visions of eternal entrapment in their greasy, writhing hell. With no hope of victory, Tommy is pushed to his breaking point. The leader who once stood as an unbreakable hero now faces a terrifying choice: madness or surrender.

Still think you can handle the heat, or have you finally been overcooked?

Special thanks to my loyal and royal patron friends:

泽凯 张

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俊介 星野

にとり 河城

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시우 성

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Daniel K

Mike020578

Five meat in a bun!

The scorched festival grounds stretched out like a graveyard of despair, littered with broken stalls, shattered concrete, and pools of boiling grease. Kat and Tommy stood at the center of it all, their bodies shivering despite the intense heat. The air reeked of burnt meat, melted cheese, and blood—a horrid fusion of terror and death. They barely held onto their weapons, fingers trembling, breath heaving under the crushing weight of fear.

The two grotesque burger monsters loomed like hellish titans, their massive bun-bodies pulsating with a sick, fleshy rhythm. Scalding grease veins throbbed beneath their surfaces, dripping fat and molten cheese onto the cracked pavement. The patties at their core churned grotesquely, as though alive. Kat froze, her vision blurring as she noticed faces—Adam, Tanya, Rocky—twisted in agony, pressed deep into the writhing flesh.

“Help… it won’t stop...” Adam’s distorted voice croaked, his face barely visible beneath a slick of boiling fat. His eyes rolled, trapped in a cycle of endless torment.
“Bones… breaking… no air…!” Tanya’s voice rasped from another patty, her mouth silently wailing, her jaw locked in terror.

Kat’s stomach lurched as Rocky’s muffled scream exploded from the second monster, distorted and panicked. "IT’S IN ME! HOT! EVERYTHING BOILING!"

The nightmare chorus of her friends’ voices surrounded her, suffocating her mind in waves of anguish and madness. Their distorted cries echoed endlessly, growing louder, more overlapping, more inhuman.

“GET IT OFF ME! IT’S PRESSING—IT WON’T STOP PRESSING!”
“CRUSHED! CRUSHED AND BURNT!”
“PLEASE! DON’T LEAVE ME IN HERE! DON’T LEAVE US!”

Kat stumbled, gagging on her own panic. “Oh God... I—I can’t... I can’t...”

Her legs buckled, her knees slamming into the grease-coated ground. Her hands clawed at her helmet, desperate to block out the sounds, but they only grew louder. Every scream seared itself into her mind, twisting in endless agony and terror. The faces churned and writhed, pushing against the meaty walls as if struggling to escape.

“Why did we—why are they—?!” Her voice cracked, her vision swimming with tears. "We were right here... They were screaming the whole time..."

Tommy’s hands shook as he tried to steady his sword. His heart pounded like a drum, his body numb. Sweat poured down his face, his eyes wide and unfocused. He heard every desperate plea, every broken cry, each scream searing his brain like acid.

“Tommy... no more... no more, please,” Kat whimpered, her voice barely audible through the rising cacophony. “They’re... stuck in there. They’ll never get out...”

The monsters laughed, their voices booming and layered with sadistic glee. “OH, YOU THINK THEY’RE DONE? THEY’LL BE SCREAMING FOREVER, BABY!”

One of the monsters bounced forward with a sickening thud, sending a wave of boiling grease across the ground. Kat shrieked as the splash hit her legs, the heat scalding through her armor. She collapsed face-first, convulsing in pain.

“AAAARGH—TOO HOT! I CAN’T—”

“Stay down, little Pink!” the monster jeered, stomping closer. “YOU’LL BE THE NEXT LAYER! ANOTHER SIZZLING STACK!”

Tommy staggered forward, trying to drag Kat up by her arm. “Kat! Move, come on, get up!”

Her eyes darted wildly as another scream echoed inside her mind—Tanya’s voice, hoarse and broken.
“BURYING ME! IT’S GRINDING ME TO NOTHING!”

“I hear them—I hear them!” Kat wailed, thrashing in hysteria. Her fingers dug into the ground, her entire body trembling violently. “They’re still there! Screaming inside the flesh—why—why didn’t we save them?!”

“They’re gone—they’re—” Tommy’s voice broke, and he choked on the words. He couldn’t deny it. He could see their faces embedded in the monster’s writhing patties, their cries still echoing in the oily heat.

“LISTEN TO THEM SCREAM!” the second burger howled in delight. Its onion-ring eyes burned brighter. “YOU CAN’T TURN AWAY! THEY’RE PART OF US NOW—AND YOU’RE NEXT!”

“STOP TALKING! JUST SHUT UP!” Tommy roared, slashing aimlessly at the air between them. He stumbled again, nearly slipping in the grease, his sword clanging uselessly against the ground. His limbs felt weak and cold, as if the voices were draining his strength.

“Help... It’s pulling me under...” Adam’s voice whispered again from within the patty, his mouth contorted in a silent scream.

“CAN’T... CAN’T MOVE! BURNING THROUGH MY BODY!” Rocky’s voice cracked, the sound like nails scraping inside Tommy’s mind.

Tommy clutched his head, shaking violently as the screams overwhelmed him. His breath came in rapid gasps, his vision narrowing into a tunnel of panic.

Kat convulsed beside him, tears streaming as she tried to rise. Her voice was raw, broken, her sobs blending with her words. “We can’t—we can’t survive this... They’ll take us too...”

“NO! No!” Tommy hissed, staggering back. His hands trembled uncontrollably, his sword shaking as though it would slip from his grip. He heard Adam’s final shrieks, Tanya’s wailing, Rocky choking... over and over.

The monsters bounced, their laughter vibrating through the cracked ground.

"OH, LOOK AT YOU TWO—CRUMBLING! A TASTE OF FEAR—SOOO PERFECT!”

Tommy barely kept himself standing as the ground quaked under their movements. His muscles burned with exhaustion, and panic tore through his chest like a knife.

Kat whispered faintly through gasping breaths, “We’re... next... They’ll grind us... just like...”

The monsters slowly advanced, bun-maws gaping, revealing churning patties slick with grease and agony. Their voices merged with the screams of the fallen Rangers, forming a demonic chorus of endless torment.

“JOIN THE FEAST!” the monsters bellowed in unison, their shadows stretching over Kat and Tommy.

“Kat! Get up! We have to move!” Tommy snarled, desperation flooding his voice. He grabbed her by the arm, but Kat was paralyzed, trapped in her spiraling panic. Tears streamed down her face inside her broken helmet, her entire body shaking from the terror clawing at her mind.

“I... I hear them... they're still in there! They’re screaming—I can’t take it!” Kat sobbed uncontrollably, her voice raw with regret and despair. She curled in on herself, her fingers clawing at her visor as if trying to rip the voices away from her thoughts.

“Kat!” Tommy’s voice cracked with frustration. He slapped her helmet, the sharp impact snapping her out of her convulsing panic for a moment. “Get it together! You can’t fall apart on me now!”

Kat’s head jerked from the blow, her wide, terror-filled eyes briefly locking with Tommy’s. He grabbed both her arms and tried dragging her backward, away from the advancing burger monsters, but the grease-slick ground made every step a battle.

“Come on—MOVE! We need to—”

Tommy and Kat sprinted through the ruins of the festival, the stench of grease and burning debris choking the air around them. They had no time to think. Their teammates—Adam, Tanya, Rocky—were gone, consumed by the monstrous burgers. Tommy's mind reeled, torn between terror and denial.

"Kat, we need to get out of here! NOW!" he yelled, his voice ragged.

Kat nodded frantically, her blaster clutched tightly in her hands. “We can’t... We can’t stop them! We have to get somewhere safe! We have to regroup!”

They pushed forward, each breath burning in their lungs. Tommy reached for his communicator, his trembling fingers desperate to call for any outside help—but just as his hand brushed the device, a high-pitched whirr sliced through the air.

SCHHRRRK!

Both Tommy and Kat cried out in shock as the pickle disc hurled past them, its razor-like edge slashing across their suits. Sparks erupted from their armor, sending both Rangers stumbling forward.

“WHAT THE—?!” Tommy gasped, glancing at the deep cut on his forearm. His blaster slipped from his weakened grip, clattering to the ground. His hand throbbed in pain as he staggered to his feet.

Kat yelped as a second slash grazed her thigh, sparks flying from the impact. She stumbled, her boots skidding on the greasy ground. "It—it’s slashing us! What IS that?!"

A shadow blurred overhead. The pickle disc, spinning like a bladed top, circled back around, humming ominously. Its glowing, greasy surface pulsed with energy, leaving a sizzling vapor trail in its wake.

"It’s that damn pickle!" Tommy snarled, tightening his grip on his sword. “It’s hunting us!”

The disc whistled as it swooped toward them again. Tommy swung his sword defensively, but the pickle twisted mid-air, dodging his strike and slamming into his side. Sparks exploded from his armor as he was knocked sideways, hitting the ground hard.

“Tommy!” Kat screamed, raising her blaster to fire at the disc. But the monster was too fast—by the time she aimed, it had already vanished into the shadows of the wreckage. She panted heavily, her hands trembling.

“We have to move!” she shouted, panic creeping into her voice. She grabbed Tommy’s arm, trying to pull him to his feet.

The pickle disc reemerged, spinning faster than before. It hovered for a moment, then dove toward them with terrifying speed.

Kat’s eyes widened in horror. “It’s coming back!”

Tommy struggled to steady himself. "I see it! Keep moving—don’t give it a clear shot!"

But the pickle had no intention of giving them a chance to regroup. It darted between them, slashing across Kat’s chest and Tommy’s thigh in rapid succession. Sparks erupted as both Rangers cried out in pain, forced to stumble apart.

Kat fired wildly at the disc, her shots scattering across the festival grounds. None of them hit.

“IT WON'T—IT WON'T STOP!” Kat screamed, her voice breaking. Her mind raced, her fear mounting with every missed attack. "It’s too fast! We’re... we’re not gonna make it!"

"Kat, focus! Stay with me!" Tommy yelled, swinging his sword again as the disc spun toward him. His blade missed by a hair’s breadth. The pickle twisted around, striking his wounded wrist with brutal precision. He hissed in pain, his grip failing as his sword clattered to the ground.

“GAH—damn it!” Tommy gasped, clutching his injured hand. His vision blurred from pain and exhaustion. He knew deep down that they were outmatched.

The pickle hovered ominously, circling them like a predator toying with its prey. The hissing sound of its spinning edges grated on their nerves, growing louder and more menacing.

“We... we can’t stop it...” Kat whispered, her eyes wide and unblinking. Her fingers tightened around her blaster as if it were her only lifeline. She fired another volley of desperate shots, but the disc evaded each one with unnatural precision.

It darted toward her again. Kat screamed and flinched, swinging her blaster wildly, but the pickle was too fast. It slammed into her leg, sending her sprawling onto her back. Sparks erupted as she hit the ground hard.

“NO—GET AWAY FROM ME!” she shrieked, scrambling backward. The disc hovered above her, its greasy surface pulsating as if taunting her. Her breathing grew rapid and shallow, her mind drowning in sheer panic.

Tommy stumbled to his feet, grabbing his sword with his good hand. "Kat, believe in—”

Before Tommy could finish, the second burger lunged, hurling a slimy, acid-coated pickle at him. The projectile slammed into his chest, sending him sprawling backward. He skidded across the ground, the wind knocked out of him. The acidic slime hissed as it burned into his chest armor, forcing him to writhe in pain as he struggled to scrape it off.

“AAAARGH—DAMN THING!” Tommy roared, slapping at the oozing pickle residue, steam rising as it corroded his armor.

"OUT OF THE WAY, RED!" the monster snarled gleefully. "WE’VE GOT A SPECIAL ORDER FOR PINK!"

"NO—NO! TOMMY!!!" Kat’s panicked shriek echoed through the festival grounds. Her gloved hands shaking as she reached for him, but the monster moved faster. Another slimy pickle shot forward, slamming into her helmet’s visor. The force knocked her backward, and she shrieked in shock.

The pickle latched onto her helmet’s cracked faceplate, wriggling violently as it burrowed through the broken visor. Kat screamed, her hands clawing desperately at her face as the acidic tendrils spread, searing her skin.

“NO! GET IT OFF ME!” Kat howled, her voice shrill with panic. The pickle vines wormed deeper into her helmet, coiling around her jaw and throat like a living noose. The front of her helmet shattered, exposing her face as the pickle forced itself into her mouth, gagging her violently.

“GUHHHHK—AAAARRRGH!” Kat choked, her eyes wide with blinding terror. The pickle burst deep down her throat, its slimy mass expanding inside her esophagus. Acidic pickle juice gushed into her mouth, coating her insides and burning every nerve it touched. Her eyes rolled back, pupils dilated with shock as her muscles spasmed uncontrollably.

Tommy stumbled to his feet, watching in horror as Kat’s body convulsed violently. "KAT! NO!"

Kat’s back arched sharply, her entire frame jerking and twisting like a puppet on broken strings. She gagged and coughed, drool mixed with acidic slime streaming down her chin. Her limbs stiffened, locking in place as the pickle’s control took full hold of her nervous system.

“GGGUHHH—CAN’T BREATHE! CAN’T—STOP IT!” she shrieked, writhing on the ground, her voice garbled and muffled by the foreign mass choking her. The acidic juice continued to burn through her, sending waves of blinding pain through her body.

“Kat, hold on!” Tommy yelled, staggering toward her. His mind raced, unable to comprehend the horrific sight before him. Kat’s body spasmed violently, her back bending to an impossible angle, her legs stiffening as she was forced upright by the pickle’s tendrils.

“MMMMMMHHH—AARGHH!” Kat’s scream turned guttural and animalistic, her tear-filled eyes rolling back as her body jerked to full attention. Her head twitched erratically as her arms snapped to her sides, then slowly raised into an aggressive stance.

“Perfectly seasoned now!” the monster cackled. “CONTROLLED... AND READY TO SERVE!”

Kat’s hands seized her blaster, her fingers trembling as she struggled against the puppet-like movements. Her face contorted in pain, her jaw twitching as she tried to spit out the pickle, but it had fused too deep inside her throat.

“Can’t—I can’t stop it!” she sobbed, her voice breaking with despair. "It’s inside! I’m... choking to death!”

“FIGHT IT, KAT!” Tommy yelled, his voice desperate, but he froze when she turned her blaster on him. Her hands shook violently, her entire body jerking as she tried to stop herself.

Her eyes were filled with horror and helplessness. “Please... stop me! I—I don’t want to do this!” she cried out, tears streaming as her finger involuntarily pulled the trigger.

A blast of energy shot toward Tommy. He barely rolled out of the way, the beam scorching the ground where he had stood.

“Kat—don’t!” Tommy shouted, dodging another blast. Kat’s movements became erratic, her body writhing in a twisted combination of resistance and control. She screamed incoherently, gagging on the pickle lodged deep in her throat, her mind unraveling under the pressure of pain and control.

“FINISH HIM!” the monster commanded gleefully, its bun-maw snapping open with anticipation.

“I CAN’T... I CAN’T FIGHT IT!” Kat shrieked, her legs stiffening further, locking her stance as her blaster fired again. Tommy dove behind a pile of debris, his heart pounding.

Kat’s entire frame trembled violently as the pickle vines pulsed, tightening their grip around her neck and chest. Every breath she took was shallow, forced, and painful. She cried out in desperation, her voice hoarse and barely coherent. “HELP... ME!... I can’t... I can’t breathe anymore!”

Tommy’s mind screamed for a solution, but he was trapped between panic and helplessness, watching as Kat’s body deteriorated under the monster’s control. The acidic slime dripped from her mouth, hissing as it hit the ground.

The parasite latched deep onto Kat’s face. Thick, slimy tendrils quickly coiled around her neck and jaw, opening her mouth wide. The main core pushed itself deeper into her throat, a disgusting, choking mass that sent acidic slime gushing down her esophagus. Her body seized violently, her head snapping back.

“GUHHH—AAAAAH! IT’S—CHOKING ME! HUUURK!” Kat gagged, convulsing uncontrollably. Her eyes bulged, pupils dilated with terror, as acidic pickle juice bubbled from her mouth. It hissed and sizzled as it dripped onto her armor, eating through the plating. She clawed at her throat, choking, but the pickle tendrils tightened their grip, refusing to let go.

“GAAAAGHHH! IT BURNS! GET IT—GET IT OUT!” she screamed, her voice garbled by gurgling slime. Her muscles jerked, spasming as though electric shocks were running through her entire body. She arched her back, writhing as if trying to expel the invasive parasite.

“KAT! HOLD ON!” Tommy shouted in horror. He staggered forward, his eyes wide with shock as he watched Kat’s twitching body collapse onto the grease-coated ground. Her face was now fully exposed, her visor shattered to pieces, her tear-drenched eyes locked onto him in desperation.

Tommy staggered forward, sword clutched in his trembling hand. Kat's garbled screams echoed, but he couldn't reach her—not fast enough. His pulse was deafening in his ears. He couldn't let her become another victim. Not like the others.

But before he could take another step, the ground shook violently beneath him.

BOOM!

The two giant burgers slammed down onto the festival grounds, their impact sending a shockwave that cracked the earth and sent a tremor through Tommy’s entire body. He barely had time to cry out before the force hurled him backward, his sword spinning out of his grip. He landed hard on his back, skidding through slick pools of boiling grease as debris rained down around him.

“NNGH—DAMN IT!” he gasped, trying to push himself up, but his arms gave out under the relentless shaking. His head throbbed, his vision swimming as the tremor continued to reverberate through the ground.

The laughter of the monstrous burgers boomed across the wreckage.

Tommy forced himself upright, his entire body shaking from the shockwave's impact. His mind was a storm of terror and fury. Kat's choked screams echoed faintly, but he couldn’t focus—his surroundings shifted into a grotesque, pulsating nightmare.

The two monstrous burgers towered over the shattered festival grounds, grease and sauce dripping from their open, snapping buns. Their red onion-ring eyes gleamed with sadistic hunger.

“HA! LOOK AT HIM!” one burger bellowed, stomping forward with a deep, echoing boom. “ALL THAT BRAVADO, AND HE’S DONE!”

“BROKEN RANGERS MAKE THE TASTIEST MEALS!” the second monster hissed, laughing wildly.

Tommy barely registered their voices before his vision twisted. He was no longer in the ruined fairground. Instead, he stood in a hellscape of searing patty flesh, walls of churning meat pulsing with molten cheese veins. Grease hissed and bubbled beneath his feet, thick and suffocating, threatening to pull him under.

The screams hit him like a hammer to the skull.

“TOMMY! WE CAN’T STOP SCREAMING!” Adam’s voice tore through the air, sharp and agonizing.

“WHY DID YOU LEAVE US?!” Tanya’s voice followed, shrill and laced with panic. “YOU LET THIS HAPPEN!”

“IT HURTS! GRINDING—TWISTING—BURNING!” Rocky’s voice shrieked, raw and broken.

Tommy stumbled back, clutching his head. “No... Stop...”

“YOU DID THIS!” Adam’s face pushed through the patty wall, his armor half-fused with the greasy meat. His bloodshot eyes stared directly at Tommy, wild with torment.

“I’M TRAPPED IN THIS HELL!” Adam screamed, his mouth contorting grotesquely.

“IT’S TEARING US APART!” Tanya’s warped visage emerged beside Adam’s, half-dissolved, her jaw twisting at unnatural angles. “TOMMY, WE’RE DYING EVERY SECOND!”

“GET US OUT! WE CAN’T TAKE THIS—IT’S ALL PAIN!” Rocky howled, his face forming and melting away in the churning meat.

The screams overlapped, a cacophony of agony that echoed endlessly. Tommy clawed at his helmet, his breaths ragged and uneven.

“SHUT UP!” he screamed, his voice cracking. His hands trembled as he pressed them harder against his visor, as though he could block out the voices. “You’re not real! You can’t be real!”

The patty walls quivered, the faces of his teammates dissolving and reforming like tortured phantoms. Their eyes locked onto him, filled with rage and despair.

“YOU CAN’T SAVE ANYONE!”

“JOIN US, TOMMY! SCREAM FOREVER!”

The greasy ground bubbled and surged beneath him, thick tendrils of molten cheese wrapping around his boots, anchoring him in place. He staggered, unable to breathe, the heat and stench overwhelming his senses.

“HELP US—HELP ME!” Kat's voice broke through, warped and distant. He turned wildly, only to see her broken, slime-covered face appear in the churning wall of meat.

The image of Kat shattered like glass, replaced by more twisting, grotesque faces screaming at him in overlapping bursts.

“WE’RE SCREAMING—AND YOU’LL SCREAM TOO!”

“NO ESCAPE—EVER!”

The visions consumed his mind, each scream tearing through his psyche like jagged knives. He felt his sanity cracking, every part of him crumbling under the weight of endless torment.

The visions snapped away as suddenly as they had come. Tommy was back in the ruined fairgrounds, lying in a slick pool of grease. His entire body shook uncontrollably, his chest heaving as he gasped for air.

The giant burgers loomed over him, laughing cruelly.

“LOOK AT YOU, RED... NOTHING BUT A SCARED, SHAKING FOOL!”

“HELP ME, TOMMY—AAAAAAAH! IT’S—INSIDE ME—CAN’T BREATHE!” the real Kat shrieked, her voice cracking into an incoherent howl of agony. Acidic slime spilled from her mouth and nostrils, making her choke and sputter. Her body convulsed, her limbs flailing wildly as the pickle pulsed and writhed within her throat.

“NO! NO! KAT, DON’T GIVE!” Tommy shouted, stumbling toward her. His voice cracked, filled with raw fear. He couldn’t believe what he was seeing—Kat, who had always been strong and composed, reduced to a gurgling, spasming wreck, her body contorted in pain. The pickle’s acidic slime hissed on her armor, burning through layer after layer as she twitched violently.

Kat let out a piercing scream, her back arching sharply again. “AAAAAAHHHH—IT’S CRUSHING—IT’S CRUSHING ME FROM INSIDE! PLEASE—HUUURK—IT’S MELTING ME! I CAN’T—CAN’T MOVE!”

The pickle tendrils tightened further around her abdomen and throat, pulling her upright in an unnatural, jerky stance. Her head snapped forward, her mouth still forced open as she gagged repeatedly.

“NNNGGHH—H-HAAAAAAAHHH! GET THIS THING OUT!” she wailed, her eyes rolling as her face twitched uncontrollably. Her body stiffened as if caught in paralyzing shocks.

“KAT, DON’T GIVE IN! KEEP—KEEP FIGHTING!” Tommy yelled, trying to drag her away. But the pickle pulsed again before he could reach her, sending another jolt through her system. Kat's arms flailed before locking rigidly at her sides.

“GUUUHHH! NOOO! IT’S—LOCKING ME UP! CAN’T... BREATHE... ROASTING!” she sobbed, her voice breaking into desperate screeches. Her blaster snapped into her hands without her will, and her legs moved mechanically, pulling her forward in jerking, unnatural strides.

Tommy froze, horrified by the sight before him. He could hear the monster’s voice, booming with mocking delight.

“LOOK AT HER, RED! SHE’S OURS NOW! NOTHING BUT A SCREAMING SLAVE—JUST LIKE THE OTHERS!”

Kat’s eyes widened, filled with frenzied terror. Her mouth gaped as she tried to scream again but could only choke out gargled sobs, thick with slime. She twitched violently, her body lurching forward as she raised the blaster toward Tommy.

“NNGGH—TOMMY, PLEASE! I CAN’T... CAN’T CONTROL IT!” Kat shrieked. “HELP MEEEEE!”

She screamed louder as her finger involuntarily squeezed the trigger. A blast of energy tore toward Tommy, narrowly missing his head as he dived to the ground.

“STOP! STOP—IT’S ME!” Tommy shouted, rolling behind a pile of debris. He panted heavily, his mind racing in panic. He could hear Kat’s sobbing voice, broken and filled with raw terror.

“I—CAN’T... PLEASE... STOP ME...! AAAAAHHH! IT’S MAKING ME—HUUURK!”

Kat’s arms jerked again, her body twitching like a puppet on strings. Her blaster fired repeatedly, forcing Tommy to dodge and roll with every shot. Her eyes darted wildly, tears streaming as she tried to resist.

“I CAN’T TAKE IT! IT’S MELTING THROUGH ME—AAAAARGH!” Kat shrieked. Her movements became increasingly erratic, her legs stiffening, locking her stance as though she were being electrocuted.

Tommy crawled out from behind cover, his heart pounding. He tried to steady his voice, though it trembled with fear. “Kat, please! Just try—try to—”

Another violent jolt wracked her body. Her head snapped to the side, her mouth opening in a final, agonized scream. “NOOOOOO! IT’S PULLING ME APART! HELP ME, PLEASE!”

Her face contorted, stuck in a grotesque mask of pain as the pickle tendrils pulsed one last time. Kat’s body froze, her eyes rolling back, her mouth trembling. She collapsed to her knees, gasping and sobbing incoherently.

“GET OUT—CAN’T... CAN’T... BREATHE!”

“THAT’S IT!” the monster roared, bouncing closer. "SHE’S JUST LIKE THE REST! TRAPPED... FOREVER!"

Kat’s frozen, twitching form slowly rose to stand again, rigid and lifeless. Tommy barely held himself together as he watched her stand like a puppet. Her tear-drenched eyes stared blankly ahead, her expression stuck in wide-eyed terror, lips trembling as though still trying to beg for help.

“NO! NO, KAT!” Tommy screamed, stepping forward before a grease-coated tendril lashed at him, knocking him to the ground. He coughed and struggled to get back up, but his vision blurred with tears.

Kat twitched once more, her mouth gurgling, as she aimed at him again. The monster’s laughter echoed, booming across the broken battlefield.

“THREE RANGERS DOWN... OR IS IT FIVE?!”