Disclaimer - I don't own ZOMBIES or any of the characters involved. Copyright to Walt Disney Studios. Names of BG zombies are mine, characters themselves aren't. The song How Far This Can Go is by Bowling For Soup.

You might want to read Limelight if you haven't already for the context behind this story!

This was inspired by a writing prompt I found on Tumblr about a month ago which spiralled into a full story that will probably break your heart. I'm calling this an AU because while it could happen on the same timeline as Limelight, I just don't want my boys to have to go through this so it's a separate thing, but everything in Limelight before this still applies. OK? OK

Warning for some gore in just this chapter

Chapter 1

This is gonna be our year...!

The past year had been amazing. The zombie integration had begun and was progressing more and more with every single day. They were no longer made to wear uniforms, their curfew had been pushed back to midnight, and the barrier was open during the day with a patrol officer on guard to monitor who came in and out so zombies and humans alike had no problems visiting friends on the other side of town. There were plans to renovate parts of Zombie Town, as well: the plaza would once again be fully open and the council was discussing turning the old power plant into some kind of recreational facility – an actually official one – and possibly even naming it a historical landmark.

Zephyr and Alonzo had been together for nine, going on ten months. Roz and Keira were nearing eight months. Zach's love life still didn't seem to be going anywhere but he could live with that. BFZ was regularly performing at the zombie mash. A few of the zombies were looking forward to being able to join more of the formerly human-only teams and clubs at school soon, Zephyr being among them with his heart set on the football team.

The zombies' second year at Seabrook High School was about to begin.

And this one could be over before it even started.

– TATTOOED MISTAKES –

It was a clear night late in August when it happened. Band practice had finished some time ago but Zephyr and Alonzo were still out on the streets, taking their time walking back to Zephyr's house. They had been practicing at Alonzo's and Zephyr had left his guitar there so they had nothing to weigh them down, walking hand-in-hand as the sky turned dark. It didn't seem like anybody else was around. Zephyr's mom and dad would both be working up until curfew that night and Rizzo wouldn't start to worry about them until an hour or so before. There was no rush to be anywhere.

They were joking and laughing back and forth, mostly about that day's practice, and every now and then, one would peck the other's cheek, or the corner of his mouth. After a few minutes, the silence was too tempting and Alonzo was singing out loud.

"Let's take it fast or slow, hold our breaths and jump into whatever this is," he looped his arm around Zephyr's shoulders, still holding his hand, and pulled him closer, "Grab a coat and let it all rain down!"

Zephyr chuckled and tilted his head just the slightest bit to kiss him, then he joined in the song, "If we never stop believing, it's gonna be alright, but if we don't try, we may never know how far this can go!"

He smiled as Alonzo's lips grazed his but before he could kiss him again, they were interrupted by an unfamiliar voice.

"Disgusting..." the voice mumbled, just barely audible and coming from a nearby alleyway, "Filthy, rotting..." then trailed off into slurred gibberish. Whoever it was sounded drunk, and angry. The boys completely froze for a second and Zephyr craned his neck to look for the owner of the voice. Alonzo squeezed his hand.

"Zeph, be careful."

A human man half-stepped, half-tripped out of the alley, sending an empty can of beer rolling across the ground.

"You lost or something, man?" Zephyr asked sarcastically, "Sounds like you're on the wrong side of town."

The man's drooping eyes landed on Zephyr and Alonzo's joined hands, "As if we needed another reason to get ridda you zombies..." he sneered and Zephyr instinctively pulled Al behind him, taking a protective stance. He didn't seem to have any kind of weapon or anything on him. Alonzo tried to get Zephyr to move away, to just leave, but he stood his ground.

"Go on, we don't need your kind around here."

"No, no, no, we don't need your kind 'round here! None of you! The whole..." he staggered forward and gestured broadly up and down the street, "Whole zombie race needs to be eradicated. Wiped out! Gone! Like you should have been fifty years ago!"

Pushing Alonzo back, Zephyr took a few cautious steps towards the human.

"Zeph?" Al was getting more and more frightened by the second, "What are you doing?"

But when Zephyr turned back with a reassuring look to tell him "Don't worry, I can handle this," Alonzo barely even noticed. He was looking straight past Zephyr at the human, who was charging towards them. It was like he'd sobered up in a matter of seconds and Al realised too late he must have been faking. This was planned. The man grabbed Zephyr from behind, catching him completely off guard, and dragged him backwards into the alleyway.

"No!" Alonzo screamed and went to reach out for him but the human got Zephyr in a headlock.

"One more step and he dies."

Al obeyed. Eyes wide with fear, Zephyr clawed at the arms around his neck. He opened his mouth but couldn't get any words out. The human glared down at him and threw him hard against the wall of the alley. Zephyr dropped to the ground, coughing and groaning. Alonzo took a single step closer but Zephyr was pulled up again and he stopped. He didn't want to make this any worse.

"I thought you freaks could take a little extra pain," the man chuckled cruelly and shook Zephyr around, "Not so tough now, huh?"

There was a thud in Alonzo's chest. His mind went blank as a warning flashed on his Z-band and it began to beep, slowly at first. He was panting heavily, adrenaline coursing through his body, but with no clue what to do, he found himself frozen stiff. Even as Zephyr was slammed into the brick wall a second time, all he could do was scream again and again.

"Stop!" his voice was growing hoarse and he choked on tears, "Please, just stop...!"

But the man didn't. His arm was crushing Zephyr's windpipe and he gasped for breath, but he still made an attempt to speak.

"Al... Al, run! Get help...! Call som-"

He was cut off as the human hoisted him off the ground by his throat to pull him further into the alley, and that's when Alonzo saw what looked like a pile of rope just barely visible on the ground. Now he was really panicking. He forced his right hand towards his Z-band; if he couldn't find his own voice, calling the patrol, or anyone for that matter, would at least let them hear what was happening. But he couldn't even so much as tap the screen, too frazzled and unfocused, and unable to take his eyes off his boyfriend for the fear he'd be gone when he looked back up. The human loosened his grip around Zephyr's neck ever so slightly to reach for the rope and the two zombies' eyes locked, Zephyr's pleading and Alonzo's desperate. Zephyr could manage to talk now.

"Call the patrol! Rizzo! Anyone!"

"Shut up!" the man roared into his ear and tightened his hold on him again, turning his eyes on Al, "You're not callin' anybody, ya hear?"

He couldn't anyway. His fingers slipped across the screen and he still refused to lose sight of Zephyr for even a second. Then his nails fell into the crack between the two panels which concealed the clasp locking it onto his wrist. A wave of realisation came over him.

Well, what else could he do?

Zephyr seemed to read his mind and shouted his name but was quickly silenced by a hand over his mouth. He bit down, hard, until the man swore in pain and pulled his hand away. Zephyr kept crying out to Al. Alonzo, however, ignored Zephyr's warnings and kept digging his nails into the locked clasp of his Z-band. He had to be able to work it open, he had to, but it was no use.

"Al, don't, it's not worth it..." he could vaguely hear Zephyr begging him but his ears were ringing. His fingertips burned but that was the least of his concerns, he wasn't going to stop now. Eventually, the panels came apart, the clasp not quite opening but unhinging enough that he might he able to slip his hand out of it.

That wouldn't he necessary, though, because with the band hanging loose from his wrist, the pulses couldn't fully reach him and he could feel his consciousness slipping away. His vision swam and the roaring in his ears grew louder, blocking out Zephyr's desperate pleas and the now frantic beeping of the still-activated band. Alonzo's arm dropped to his side and the band clattered to the ground as he slowly lifted his head. His veins darkened, bulging against his skin, and his eyes seemed to sink deeper into his skull, wild and hungry. His jaw hung open, teeth bared, and he fixed his sights on the human.

Alonzo surged forward, a low, guttural growl escaping from his throat and his hands outstretched in claws, seeking his victim. The human dropped Zephyr and tried to back away but the only place he had to go was further into the alleyway. Zephyr scrambled across the ground until his back was pressed against the wall. It wasn't much longer before Alonzo caught up to the human and grabbed him, just as he had done to Zephyr.

"Alonzo!"

It was hopeless, there was no chance Zephyr could get through to him now. His nails scratched the human's face as he held him in a vice-like grip, snarling and drooling.

"Ag... garzi'ka...!"

Zephyr's heart broke. Was it better or worse that Alonzo was still conscious of why he was attacking the human? He struggled to his feet, leaning on the wall until he could find his balance.

"Al..." he breathed, not nearly loud enough for Alonzo to hear even if he had been listening, "Al, I'm fine, I'm here! You can stop, you don't have to...!" He stumbled towards him but he quickly came to a halt when it was clear Al was too far gone.

The human, stuck in Alonzo's grasp, stared up at him, babbling incoherently in pure fear. Zephyr could only assume he was begging for mercy, which he certainly was not going to get. In one sharp movement, his neck was snapped. Alonzo gnashed his teeth hungrily and everything seemed to slow down as Zephyr witnessed his boyfriend, feral and bloodthirsty, bring the human's head crashing down onto the sidewalk until the skull cracked open as easily as an egg. He flinched and looked away but the sound echoed in his ears. When he could bare to look back at Alonzo, he had pulled the exposed brain up to his mouth. Zephyr gulped.

Al's Z-band lay abandoned on the sidewalk a few feet away, still beeping at regular intervals. Zephyr shook himself from his stupor and rushed to pick it up. The screen was flashing back and forth between an orange 'WARNING' and, surprisingly, the normal green 'ONLINE'. Then again, nothing had been done to destabilise the band or put it offline. He didn't have time to think about it, though, and went to kneel down beside Alonzo.

He tried hard to ignore the sloppy, wet sounds of chewing and the occasional snap of sinew and wrenched Al away from the body by his shoulders. Al growled at him a little but when their eyes met, it was clear he recognised him perfectly well. He wasn't going to hurt him, he just wanted to be free to eat in peace. Zephyr had to hold him still to get the Z-band onto his wrist and once he did, he pressed it against his skin to make sure the pulses could get through properly. It was still online, which meant the electromagnetic current was still flowing, but there was also the problem of the unhinged clasp. Despite that, the band was at least doing its job; the beeping came to a stop and Alonzo's breath was starting to even out. Zephyr needed more than that, though, to be convinced he was alright.

"Al? Al, come back to me, c'mon...!" Zephyr fumbled with the band, trying to get the panels to slide back into place while simultaneously caressing Alonzo's face. When they finally clicked he sighed in relief and held them there for a moment just to be sure. Alonzo's dark veins had already slowly started to recede and Zephyr brought his other hand to his face, turning Al's head to meet his eyes, "Alonzka... Garzi'ka? Zav. Droz zav." Love? It's over. It's all over.

He was still growling lowly but his voice sounded more normal now, "Garz... Garzi'ka...?"

"Za, za, Alonzka," Zephyr brushed his thumb over Alonzo's cheek, "Ag grodge. Droz grodge." I'm alright. Everything's alright.

"Grodge?" His skin was back to its usual pale grey and he blinked in confusion.

"Za!"

Alonzo frowned, bringing a hand to his head, and looked around but immediately flinched back at the sight of the carnage. Blood was splattered across the sidewalk and the human's body was unrecognisable. Red and pink and black oozed everywhere and the shattered remains of a skull were cast in disarray around what used to be a head. Alonzo stared in horror, unable to look away no matter how much Zephyr tried to make him. Then he tasted blood on his tongue and felt something wedged between his teeth and it suddenly dawned on him. Bile began to rise in his throat and he shoved Zephyr off to fall on his hands and knees and vomit. Zephyr rested his hands on Alonzo's back and arm and he soon sat up, only to look back at the gory scene he was responsible for.

"D-did I...?" He knew the answer. He couldn't deny it.

Zephyr stared at him, not sure what he was feeling, "... You saved me..." he whispered.

"But, I-I..." Alonzo had to spit out the words, disgusted at himself, "I killed hi-"

With one hand on Al's cheek, Zephyr forced him to look away from the body and focus on him instead, "You saved me."

Alonzo could only gape in shock.

"I just killed somebody, Zephyr!"

His other hand clamped onto Al's arm like it was a lifeline, "Would you rather he killed me? He could've killed more zombies! You stopped him."

Both of them sat there in silence, Alonzo looking completely lost, terrified and close to tears. Still with his hand on Al's face, Zephyr leaned closer and kissed his cheek but got no response. And when he dared to edge towards his lips, Alonzo jerked away.

"Don't, I'm covered i..."

Alonzo trailed off, scared to finish his sentence. He licked his lips but that just made him throw up again, retching and heaving while Zephyr brushed back his hair and did what he could to comfort him. Once he was done, Zephyr risked turning back to the mutilated corpse to tear a piece of fabric from its clothes. He crouched beside Alonzo to gently wipe his face with it and although it still left an obvious streak of blood around his mouth, Zephyr kissed him.

"I love you. OK?"

He held Alonzo's face in his hands, keeping him from looking back at the body, and Al held onto his arm.

"Zephyr..." His voice shook.

"I love you."

"Zeph?" Tears were forming in his eyes.

"Alonzo, listen to me. You saved me. Just remember that. We need to get out of here, though."

"I don't... Zeph, what are we supposed to do?"

"Sshh..." Zephyr caressed his face, "One step at a time, Al. We need to get you somewhere safe first."

"I-I can't go home...!"

"I know, I know, we can't let your mom see you like this. But my parents are working late tonight. You can stay with me, no-one'll suspect a thing and we can figure this out, OK?"

Alonzo nodded weakly, "OK..."

Zephyr helped him to his feet and led him home.