Mutants & Death Ray Guns Report: Judge Dredd & Tweak - "2T(FRU)T" - Part Two

“The story so far… Finding Mega-City One once again threatened by the deadly 2T(FRU)T virus, Judge Dredd, Tweak, Judge Giant (Senior) and Judge Hershey have travelled down into the metropolis' Undercity in order to recover some vaccine crates. However, the virus has already spread to the ruinous landscape's denizens, and after an attack by the frenzied horde Joe's furry extra-terrestrial friend has been infected himself..."

Mutants & Death Ray Guns Report: Judge Dredd & Tweak - "2T(FRU)T"

THE TABLETOP - THE UNDERCITY

Already starting to struggle from the symptoms of the 2T(FRU)T virus, Tweak returned to the open entrance of Dai's Den. The alien momentarily turned at the sound of Judge Giant still futilely banging on the stubborn front door to Zabadak House. Seeing her Justice Department colleague's problem, Hershey moved over to give John Clay's son a much-needed hand. Dredd meanwhile, had had no such issues kicking down another interior door within Martin Cooke Apartment Block, and now had one more between him and his vaccine-filled prize.

To the north the 'search & recovery team' could just make out the low rasp of someone muttering "Tooty Fruity", but the sound was still someway off. Clearly the death of their homicidal leader by Tweak had shaken the local inhabitants of the Undercity, despite their manic madness...

HERSHEY AND GIANT'S SEARCH STALLS OUTSIDE ZABADAK HOUSE

With a big boot, Judge Dredd split asunder a pair of double doors in Martin Cooke Apartment Block, and wrenched open the crate before him. There was enough antidote serum inside the eagle-insignia covered box for half his city's needs, so the search for more vaccine would need to go on.

Aware that the door to Zabadak House was taking far too long to physically break open, Giant pulled out his lawgiver and blasted the lock apart. Hershey immediately rushed inside the building, but came to a jarring halt as she put her shoulder to an interior door and ignominiously came off second best...

Outside, the increased noises emanating from the surrounding darkness indicated that the insane dwellers of these ruins were becoming braver. Indeed, a ghoulish-green figure suddenly emerged near the town centre from the north, whilst another denizen appeared approaching from the west.

MEGA-CITY ONE'S TOUGHEST LAWMAN DOMINATES THE TOWN CENTRE

Hearing the disturbance, Joe Dredd rushed outside from Martin Cooke Apartment Block and placed himself near a half-empty dumpster, which was located in the middle of the street. From here the senior judge had some protection from any missile attacks, and could easily cover anything thinking of sneaking up behind his colleagues in Zabadak House.

Deep inside the aforementioned building, both Hershey and Giant blazed away at the interior door before them. But clearly both law officers needed to spend some more time at the Academy of Justice's firing range, and neither judge managed to destroy the obstinate lock. Tweak meanwhile staggered towards a bed located between himself and another vaccine crate in Dai's Den.

Chattering excitedly, a 'Tooty Fruity' infected reached a battered blue mail box just north west of Dredd and prepared to launch himself at Mega-City One's toughest lawman. The Judge Fargo clone's eyes narrowed as he spotted a further two of the crazed killers rushing towards his location from the western end of the street as well. It was time for the maniacs to taste Justice Department lead...

DREDD FACES THE 'TOOTY FRUITY' INFECTED AS GIANT DISCOVERS MORE VACCINE

Dredd took aim at the loon by the mail box with his lawgiver, and disconcertingly watched as his shot simply caused his target to back away into the surrounding darkness. Hearing the senior judge, Hershey finally managed to break down the door hindering her progress through Zabadak House, and gesturing to her companion to carry on without her, rushed back outside. With no further impediments before him, Judge Giant ripped open the lid of another vaccine crate, and grimaced at the amount of antidote inside. The Justice Department needed just a little more serum before they had recovered enough to thwart the 2T(FRU)T outbreak in the metropolis. Tweak meanwhile rested himself against the bed... it was becoming hard for the furry alien to even gather his wits...

Incensed by Dredd's bullet wound the insane Undercity resident rushed towards the lawman as fast as his legs would allow. Soon his teeth would taste Justice Department flesh... The other 'Tooty Fruity' infected to the west, slowly moved ever closer themselves, almost as if they were waiting to see whether their comrade-in-insanity would manage to bring the senior judge down alone.

THE JUSTICE DEPARTMENT SUCCEED AS MORE CRIMINALLY INSANE CITIZENS APPEAR

Tweak, finally succumbing to the effects of his contagion, collapsed in front of the crate inside Dai's Den, his pincers twitching just inches from his wood-packaged prize. Sensing his Cursed Earth companion's poor condition, Judge Dredd yelled for Hershey to take out the demented denizen before him, and with one shot, Barbara did just that; albeit her lawgiver jammed in the process. With no 'Tooty Fruity' zombies close to his position, Joe rushed into Dai's Den, past his friend's failing body, and tore off the vaccine crate's lid. There was just enough serum inside to enable the judges to inoculate Mega-City One's population. They'd done it...