Animals We've Become/Joe Night

**Joe Night** is the sixteen episode in Animals We've Become.

## Plot

It had been two weeks since JT Myers had Jeremy Agner executed...or should I say, I executed. An act we would never forget, especially because he made sure to remind us everyday, by having Jeremy's reanimated body chained up in the cafeteria, causing a ruckus everyday. I felt bad because it was my fault that his body was still in the condition to be displayed like this. I didn't manage to fully decapitate Jeremy, because I'm scrawny and weak, unlike Jason and Ethan… No, Jason and Grayson. Blackwell once called Jeremy's walker "Nearly Headless Jeremy" and JT found that so funny that he insisted that everyone called him that from now on. I didn't like that name, it was disrespectful and to top it all it was a Harry Potter reference to boot. I don't like Harry Potter, it's babies' first fantasy series. Couldn't hold a candle to the works of Tolkien, if I'm being honest, specifically The Hobbit, which was my second favorite book after IT
from Stephen King, my idol, my hero, my man.

We were sitting at the cafeteria, eating breakfast all together. Me, AJ, Trace Oxford, Mark, Sonnie, Dutch and Amber Rose.

“You know what, I’ve always LOVED Harry Potter. I don’t like reading though, because it hurts my little eyes, and I don't want to wear glasses because they look kinda gay, so I always just listened to them on Audible. What house do you think you’d be in?” Trace Oxford asks. “I’d be in Ravenclaw!”

“H-H-H-Hufflepuff!” AJ Miller declared.

“Me too kid...me too kid.” Sonnie Hopper sulks. I don't think he really understood what was going on. He probably had brain damage from being slammed against JT's desk by Vlad last week. He was getting better, though.

“Why do you say that AJ?” Mark asks, being serious.

“B-b-b-ecause I’m always huffling around… a-a-and they called me P-p-p-pufferfish in s-school!”

"I always sympathized with Slytherin, if I'm being honest." said Dutch.

“Hehe! Me too!” Mark elbowed Dutch, in which Dutch winced as if it really hurt.

Sonnie shook his head and laughed, echoing through the empty jail halls. “No, no, Mark. You’re the epitome of a Gryffindor. Nice guy, a man of order. Courauogeoos.. You’re a Gryffster.”

Mark sighed and looked away. “Yeah, alright, fine.”

“This soup is real milky.” I said, trying to change the subject from this stupid debacle as soon as possible. I'm not going to lie, I lost a bit of respect for Trace Oxford and Dutch during this discussions.

“I used to breast feed you when you were a baby AJ, because your mother was too old to breastfeed you.” Amber Rose says. I immediately regret changing the subject.

Maybe that's why AJ grew up to be mentally challenged? His mother had him when she was too old to breastfeed him, so maybe there were complications in the baby's growth? I know his delivery wasn't the problem, AJ showed me the tapes and it all went perfect. The doctors did a good job delivering that baby.
Damn...lucky guy. Obviously Julia’s my primary target, after all she’s got those sleek white soules, but Amber is pretty much a perfectly crafted clay model of a mature beauty. If I do get with Julia I wouldn’t mind doing a pologamus relationship with Amber.
Anyways I’ve always been a bit weirded out by public breastfeeding. I sure hope Amber didn’t do that. Just stick to the formula stuff.

“W-W-Wow.” AJ mutters. “I didn’t know that.”

“I never knew my mother.” Sonnie reveals a somber expression on his face.

After breakfast, we were hosed by Lucas. After that, he tortured Donnie for about three hours, making us listen to everything. Frank teared up a bit. Little did he know, we were planning his downfall right under his nose. Sonnie and I were visited by two men while Donnie screamed and whelped.

"My name is Robert Welsh." Robert Welsh. "I worked with Jeremy and Katie. I was a part of JT's personal guard before he backstabbed me and locked me up with the rest of the prisoners. I want to get back at him for making me and my son Brett suffer this hell."

"How the hyuck did Lucas not know you were working with Jeremy?" Sonnie asked.

"Actually, Jeremy's downfall was our doing." said the other man. "We managed to uncover that he was working with a group called the 'Madmen' and was going to set us up as soon as we left Alcatraz. He intended on getting his hands on Robert's son as well. So we purposely fed Lucas information that led to his demise."

“His son? Those fucks.” I mutter. “They’d mess with kids? That’s the one thing I don’t fuck with.”

"Not just the kids, but with animals as well…. Really fucked up shit, if you ask me". Robert.

"Anyway, first things first. We need to dethrone JT's Four Heavenly Kings if we want to take over this prison." The Man said. "Lucas, the Head Torturer. Blackwell, the Captain of the Guard. Jeb, the Head Jailer. And Chris. We need to systematically get rid of each one of them before we move on to JT. You're already on your way to getting close to Lucas through his sister, Julia. Good job, don't forget to use protection. The easiest one to get rid of will be Chris, I suspect he has something wrong with his brain."

“You guys should get back to your cells soon. If Vlad or Jeb see you, you’ll probably be beaten, tortured, starved, kicked, punched, who knows.” I said.

“Don’t worry about them. Robert over here put sleeping pills in Jeb’s morning waffles.” The Man reveals. “He won’t be up for a few hours.”

“Good thinking, My Man!" Sonnie elbowed The Man in the chest, playfully.

“One last thing.” The Man said. "My name is Schwann. They call me 'Schwann Quick'."

"Why's that?" I ask, confused.

"Cause Schwann’s quick. On his feet and on the trigger." Robert Welsh. “Anyways, we’ll catch you all later. Be safe in here.” Robert says. “Also Glenn, one more thing.”

“Yeah?”

“I know about Jeremy’s plan he gave you about Julia. Just be careful. The princess of New Alcatraz has some skeletons in her closet.”

“What does that mean? WHAT DOES THAT MEAN?!” I didn’t like this little implication from Robert. How could a sweet, innocent yet arousing little lamb be anything bad. Why would she have skeletons in her closet? Isn’t that meant for clothes? Where did she get them? Are they dead?

“She may be beautiful...but she’s still got the Myers blood in her.”

“Yeah, well I have the Richardson blood in me….I can handle it.” I respond.

Robert raised his eyebrows, while Schwann didn't change his cold expression.

“How old is your son?” I ask.

“Seven.” Robert.

“HEY! YOU TWO BUCKETBALLS!” Chris’ mighty roar came from the other end of the cell block.

“Dammit, I forgot about that asshole.” Schwann mutters. “Sorry, sorry. We just-”

“No butts, no cuts, no coconuts!” Chris shouts. “Get back in your cells before I make y'all eat my own SHIT!”

“Not again…” Robert mutters between his breath. “Fine, we’re coming…”

“S-s-s-s-stay s-safe!” AJ yells from the cell above us.

Robert turns and winks at him. AJ returns the wink but that may been a slight spasm.

Chris looks over at us, “And you all...for punishment for talking with prisoners out of their cells...You’re coming with me… I’ve got something real FUN for y’all… yum yum…in my tum tum.”

Chris led me, AJ, Sonnie and Trace Oxford through the musky, wet, dark halls. Only sounds of boots stepping in puddles filled the air as we were led to somewhere in silence. We didn’t dare to talk as Chris would probably give us an ass kicking if we uttered a peep. But of course AJ had to run his mouth.

“M-m-m-my shoes are w-w-wet! C-c-can I go change socks?”

Chris stopped, slowly turning with an icy glare. “WHO. Was that?”

“S-s-Sorry… I’m j-j-just really… s-s-s-s-s-scared.”

Chris shook his head. “No more PEEPS and SQUEAKS. But I understand your fright.” he continued walking again with us in his heels. Maybe he had a little soft spot in him after all. Through all of that hair and thick skull, maybe there was a good person in there somewhere.

"Leave them to me." Moyers said, opening the gate. "You're an unlucky batch, tonight is Joe night!" Moyers stands there with a scythe in hand and a blackish cloak. He looked like the god damn dark reaper!

"What the fuck does that mean, Greensleeves?" Sonnie asked.

“I told you not to speak to me, maggot." Moyers hits him with the butt butt of his gun. “That was a long time ago.”

I look over at this crazy hole. Surrounding the hole are a bunch of cells looking down at the hole. Around the hole, a chain link fence with fire and barbed wire surround it as well. I notice in the cells that they’re not filled with prisoners but instead biters!

“You got biters locked up?”

“L-l-l-looks like even walkers can’t escape the-the law.” AJ mutters. “Mark w-would be proud.”

"JOE NIGHT IS BEST NIGHT! WHO'S WITH ME, HUH?!" Joe shouted. I look down in the pit and see a man named Joe standing around shirtless with two tomahawks.

“Hoo hooo….it’s not bad. Didn’t we used to call it something else though?” David King mutters.

"WHO SAID THAT?!! WHO THE **FUCK** SAID THAT?!" Joe explodes in anger. “SPEAK WHEN YOU’RE SPOKEN TO!”

“Hoo hooo...we’ll you’re talking to me now...so” David King mumbles.

“YOU WANT ME TO COME UP THERE, PIMPLE NUTS?!”

David King stands looking down into the pit. “No.” David looks over at Chris, “So like, I don’t even care but when am I getting an invite to the four kings?”

“You’re not, pizza face. You’re a prisoner here!”

"Everyone shut the fuck up! It’s Joe Time!" Moyers shouted in a megaphone. "Tonight, our Joe Brown is going to face FOUR prisoners in a biter deathmatch! It's JOE - VERSUS - GLENN, AJ, TRACE OXFORD AND WINSTON! SONNIE! HOPPEEEEEEEEEEEEER!"

“What are we? Gladiators?!” I shout.

"Precisely." JT Myers says. We look over at a balcony on top of the pit, where JT, Lucas and Blackwell watched on. "Have fun, gentlemen. I know I will."
Right next to them was my future bride standing next to him. She looked completely terrified, of the biters and of the brutish man they called Joe Brown… She looked kind of cute, and I'd love to see that expression again in private, but now was not the time for that. She noticed I was looking at her and waved me a stealthy wave, trying not to get caught by that brother of hers, that was standing behind her, so close that he could probably smell the sweet nectar of her hair. I did not like that. Lucas was a creepy man and I wanted him nowhere near my woman.

“Let the games begin!” Moyers shouted, pushing AJ, Trace Oxford, Sonnie and I into the pit with this menace of a man.

Joe swung his tomahawks around, impressing JT and Moyers. “You four! Pick up your weapons, let’s get to business!”

I grab a nightstick that had been lying on the sand covered pit. I read the handle, and it says "JB". JB? Joe Brown… I was going to beat him with his own weapon! Perfect! I see Sonnie grabs a macuahuitl off the ground. He holds it like a baseball club. Baseball club? I wonder what happened to Ethan’s bat we used at the bank. It was probably still at the Truck Yard after Collin and Brent confiscated it from Ethan's hands, before they chopped one of them off. Poor Ethan, he didn't deserve what happened to him… AH! Not now Glenn, FOCUS!

Trace Oxford grabbed a wooden plank with a nail in it and looked terrified. “This isn’t what I signed up for!”

“But I did!” Joe shouts. "NEVER SHOULD HAVE COME HERE!"

AJ slowly gets up with his crutches. “T-T-This is just cr-crazy. This is just n-n-nuts.”

Joe swings his tomahawk at me and right before it hits me, Sonnie blocks it with his macuahuitl. “If you wanna get to Richardson, you’re gonna have to eat the Meatloaf first!”

JT rolled his eyes, obviously annoyed at the mention of their old friendship.

"THEN PAY WITH YOUR BLOOD!!" Joe roared with extreme anger.

Sonnie pushes him back and Joe knocks into Trace Oxford, causing the rusty nail in the board to pierce his shoulder. Joe looks over at a terrified Trace Oxford and ripped the nail from his body effortlessly with a blood soaked grin. He grabs Trace IOxford by the collar of his blue prisoner suit and throws him into the concrete wall as biters bite the air attempting to sink their teeth into his male flesh. Trace Oxford was out of the fight, he was unconscious.

"TRACE WILLIAM OXFORD NO!" Dutch screams from the audience.

“NOOOOO!” Sonnie screams as he rushes Joe. He swings his macuahuitl but is blocked by Joe’s twin tomahawks. He pushes Sonnie back and does a front flip over
Sonnie. Sonnie predicted this and swings his macuahuitl but Joe predicted that and effortlessly blocks it with one tomahawk.

“Gonan have to be faster than that old man.”

“Old man?! I was a soldier in Iraq, ballbuster!”

“Must’ve been a cook then.” He laughed.

“He wasn’t!” I yell. Joe looks over at me as I swing my nightstick at Joe. “He killed Muhammad Al-Jafar-Qatar! The World’s Most Wanted! HE'S A GODDAMN HERO!”

I bonk him on the head but he barely reacts. With a powerful horse like kick he launches me back into the wall. God, his legs must’ve been powerful. He was strong like a horse. I could barely move after that horsepower.

“Bastard!” Sonnie shouts as the two continue to duel.

"Tomahawk chop is my death blow!!" Joe shouts.

Joe slices into Sonnie’s chest and headbutts him to the ground. He looks around as the biters roar out in hunger.

"FUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUCK!!!" Sonnie lets out

“WHO’S YOUR DADDY NOW?!" Joe screams.

“Not you….” David King mutters. “But like, I don’t even really care.”

"WHAT THE FUCK DID YOU JUST SAY, KING?!" Joe exploded. "I'M COMING UP THERE RIGHT AFTER I BEAT THESE DUMMIES!!"

“N-N-Not so fast.” AJ says standing in front of the door to the pit.

“Out of my way cripple!” Joe shouts, shoving AJ to the side.

Not AJ….anyone but him. Not my best friend.

I slowly get up, despite my injury. I look up at the kaiju-like man with bloodied vision. Blood was obstructing my eyes. My eyes were bloody. Suddenly a familiar voice shakes me to my core.

“G-G-Glenn…” AJ. “My-my crutches!”

“Not now AJ!” I yell back. "I'm kinda busy at this moment!!!!"

“No! Tr-Trust me!” AJ throws both of us crutches at me, I jump in the air and grab them.

“What do I do now?!”

“Pull the-the string! I made some improvements of my own!”

I notice a piece of string on each of his crutches. I pull them both and suddenly two metal blades pierce out from the ends. They’re serrated and look to be extremely sharp. “AJ? Did you do this?”

“Y-Yah. I call them Des and Troy. Because together… They DesTroy. I didn’t get into the Bronx High School of Science for my-my wicked good looks.” He smiles before Joe kicks him in the ribs.

“Stay down, fatbutt!”

“Don’t call him a fatbutt!” I shout as I twirl around with the blades like General Grievous from Star Wars: Attack of the Clones. He’s barely able to block them.

“What in tarnation?! You’re stronger than I thought!” Joe shouts. “Time to get serious!” We duel for what seems like hours. Sweat pouring from my face like a fountain. I could see Joe’s veins nearly popping out of his skin.

Suddenly Joe knocks one of AJ’s crutches from my hands and kicks me to the floor. Seemingly defeated.

“What’d you say your name was again? Bitchardson?”

I look up at him. Jason flashbacks. Anger filling my soul. “My name’s RICHARDSON!” I kick him back and swing AJ’s crutchblade, cutting off Joe’s right hand. Joe screams out in agony.

“MY HAND! MY FUCKING HAND! YOU CHIMP!!”

“If I’m a chimp, that makes you a BABOON!” I shouted, kicking him to the floor. Victorious.

Julia is the first to start clapping with her perfect, soft little squishy hands. She stops for a bit when she notices Lucas glaring at her with tremendous anger. Then, JT gets up and starts clapping, confusing Lucas profusely. After JT, Blackwell followed and then the entire audience, making Julia start clapping again. She yells in approval, leaving Lucas red faced with fury.

"With these upgrades, you never stood a chance." I spit on Joe's hand.

“That’s my boy. My gosh darn boy.” Sonnie says getting up.

"Sonnie don't move! We need to get you to a hospital!" Trace Oxford yelled.

"I'm fine, son." Sonnie reassured Trace Oxford.

Son?

“Good Glenn...good. Kill him.” JT says.

“I shouldn’t.” I mutter.

"Do it." JT orders.

"Daddy, stop!" Julia squeals, grabbing onto JT's arms. Blackwell grabs her and throws her aside.

"Watch it, thick bastard!" Lucas shouted, helping his sister up.

“I won’t let you make me kill again!” I shout. “I’m a hero...just like my father before me.” I look at Sonnie.

JT sighs. “Such a disappointment. Moyers, Chris. Take them away."

"Your glory days are over, Joe." Moyers said. "I'm so sorry."

“No sympathy for the prisoners!” JT orders.

“Yes sir.” Moyer replies.

Chris comes down into the pit with a SCAR-L. “Let’s go!”

We survived another day in hell. At this rate though, I don’t know how much longer we can last.