Zeo: Bun of the Damned!

The remaining Zeo Rangers arrive too late, searching for their missing teammate. But they are ambushed by a grotesque duo of gluttonous monsters, who now carry the echoes of Adam’s agony within their bloated, pulsating bodies. Tanya faces a brutal, crushing fate, leaving the team reeling in horror. Kat is next, targeted by a parasitic pickle that infiltrates her body and mind, turning her into a grotesque puppet. As her screams twist into gargled agony, her body becomes both a tool and a victim of the creature’s dark hunger. Desperation consumes the Rangers as they watch their friends become part of the grease-drenched nightmare.

Want fries with that despair?

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Continue the grill!

The fun fairgrounds were eerily silent except for the creaks of shattered stalls and the distant hum of malfunctioning lights. The Rangers stood tense, scanning the destruction around them. Burnt wreckage, broken food carts, and long, greasy trails covered the area. The vibrant atmosphere from earlier had been reduced to a wasteland.

“Still no sign of Adam,” Katherine said quietly, her voice trembling. “What
 what could’ve done all this?”

"Stay sharp," Tommy ordered, gripping his Zeo Power Sword tightly. His eyes swept the ruined fairgrounds, his senses on high alert. “We’ll find him. Just don’t get separated.”

“Man
 how is this place even still standing?” Rocky muttered. He kicked a charred piece of debris aside. “What are we even dealing with? A freakin’ burger demon?”

“No time to ask,” Tommy snapped. “If it already got Adam, we don’t—”

A deep rumble interrupted him. The ground beneath them began to quake, causing loose debris to shudder and crack.

“What the—?” Tanya gasped, barely keeping her balance. The tremor intensified as a massive shadow emerged ahead, partially obscured by a collapsed food stand. The Rangers tensed, their weapons raised, as a towering, grotesque figure came into full view.

The burger monster stood at the center of the ruins, its body pulsating and writhing with unnatural movement. Its glistening bun was swollen and grotesque, streaked with oily grime. Vein-like lettuce tendrils dangled from its sides, twitching as though alive. The patty beneath the bun squirmed, releasing thick, greasy steam.

"What the hell is that?!" Rocky exclaimed, his voice cracking with shock.

The monster’s glowing red eyes narrowed as it twisted its bloated body toward them. Then, a voice echoed from within—a voice that stopped the Rangers cold.

“Help me... please... Oh God, help me!” a voice cried out, panicked and frenzied.

The Rangers stiffened. It was Adam’s voice—wild, manic, and filled with unimaginable terror. The voice shuddered and cracked, repeating over and over, each plea more desperate than the last.

“GET ME OUT OF HERE! I—I CAN’T BREATHE! PLEASE!”

“No... Adam?” Tanya whispered, her voice trembling.

The patty split slightly, revealing a grotesque sight: Adam’s Green Ranger helmet, embedded deep in the pulsating meat, shuddering violently as if trapped in hell. His voice grew louder, frantic and incoherent.

“PLEASE—DON’T LET IT CRUSH ME! IT’S—IT’S EATING ME ALIVE!” His cries dissolved into frenzied, choking screams.

“Adam!” Tommy shouted, his voice faltering. “We’re here! Hold on! We’ll get you out of there!”

“HE CAN’T HEAR YOU!” the monster roared, its distorted voice layered with sadistic malice. “ALL HE HEARS IS THE SOUND OF HIS BONES SNAPPING! AND YOU—” It paused, chuckling wetly. “YOU’RE NEXT.”

The Rangers gasped as the monster’s massive maw twisted into a grotesque grin. Grease bubbled and oozed from its jagged teeth, dripping onto the ground in sizzling puddles. The creature’s entire body seemed to swell, inflating like a bloated corpse ready to explode.

"Adam... is still inside that thing," Katherine whispered in shock. Her face contorted with anguish, her body trembling. "He's being crushed... alive."

“Not just crushed,” the monster corrected, its eyes gleaming with perverse delight. “Absorbed. Every scream, every struggle, every last ounce of his fear and pain... becomes mine. And you’ll all feel the same... very soon.”

“Not a chance in hell!” Rocky roared, stepping forward with Zeo Blades raised. He lunged, slashing at a tendril that whipped toward him. Sparks flew as the blade connected, but the monster retaliated instantly, hurling him backward with a massive swipe of its bun-like arm. Rocky slammed into a broken food cart, groaning in pain as the grease-coated debris clung to him.

“Come then... Give me your best,” the monster taunted, its maw stretching wide to reveal jagged, greasy fangs dripping with oily fluid.

"Together!" Tommy commanded. "Now!"

The Rangers charged, their weapons gleaming as they aimed for the monster’s core. Tanya fired a volley of energy blasts from her Zeo Blaster, while Katherine lashed out with her Zeo Whip. Rocky’s blades sparked as he slashed through writhing tendrils, cutting chunks of flesh from the creature’s body.

For a moment, it seemed like they were gaining ground—until the monster’s eyes flashed, and it let out an earth-shaking roar.

“Enough! It’s my turn now!”

The ground erupted as the monster slammed its massive bulk onto the earth. The resulting shockwave tore through the fairgrounds, sending cracks racing outward. Explosive tremors hurled the Rangers violently into the air.

“AHHHH!” Rocky screamed as he was flung into a ruined food cart, splinters embedding in his armor.

Katherine crashed into a broken booth, coughing as debris rained down around her. “What... was that?!”

Tommy tumbled hard, his sword slipping from his grasp. He groaned, shaking his head to clear the dizziness. “Everyone okay?!”

“No!” Tanya cried. She had been thrown the farthest, landing near a collapsed food stand. She stumbled to her feet, only to freeze as the monster loomed over her, its body expanding grotesquely.

“Poor, isolated Yellow...” the monster hissed mockingly. “All alone... and ripe for the crushing.”

"Guys?! It's—it's coming for me!" Tanya shouted, panic rising in her voice.

As she readied her Zeo Blaster, a sudden blast of foul, hot grease erupted from the monster's rear like a flood of thick, oily urine. The flood spread rapidly, crashing into the other Rangers like a wave.

“Ugh—what is this?!” Rocky gagged as the grease flood slammed into him, knocking him off his feet. He skidded across the slick ground, struggling to find footing. The foul substance stuck to his armor, pulling at his limbs like living tar.

"Grease... It's everywhere!" Katherine gasped as the flood trapped her feet, the viscous liquid hardening around her boots and pinning her in place.

Tommy stumbled, his sword slipping from his grip as he tried to resist the pull of the grease. "We’re stuck! Tanya, get out of there!" Katherine and Rocky fought the thick sludge that pooled around them, their movements sluggish and desperate.

Tanya raised her Zeo Blaster, firing shot after shot. Each bolt exploded on the monster’s body, but it barely slowed. The creature snarled, lettuce tendrils snapping toward her with terrifying speed.

“NO!” Tanya screamed as one tendril wrapped around her arm and yanked her off her feet. She fired again, severing the tendril, but more fleshy appendages surged toward her.

The monster’s bun split wide, reshaping into a colossal crushing dome. Tanya’s eyes widened in terror as the greasy walls closed in.

“No! NO!” she screamed, thrashing wildly. “GET OFF ME!”

The tendril released Tanya momentarily, sending her stumbling backward, gasping for air. But before she could fully recover, the monster's bun halves expanded, grotesquely reshaping into two massive walls of flesh. The top bun split and rose ominously, casting a massive, suffocating shadow over her.

“YOU... WILL BE... THE PERFECT CRUNCH!” the monster shrieked with maddened delight.

“NO! NO—STAY AWAY!” Tanya screamed, terror surging through her as she aimed her Zeo Blaster and fired repeatedly. Energy bolts struck the monster's core, blasting chunks of oily patty and lettuce tendrils away, but the monster continued forward, unfazed.

Without warning, the lower bun slammed into the ground beneath her, and the upper bun came crashing down like a collapsing building.

“NOOOOO!” Tanya shrieked at the top of her lungs, throwing her arms up in a desperate attempt to block the attack. The upper bun smashed down, pinning her between the two massive walls of greasy, pulsating flesh. The impact sent sparks flying from her armor as she was violently squeezed.

“IT’S CRUSHING ME! AAAAH—IT’S BREAKING MY RIBS!” Tanya screamed, her voice raw and filled with sheer terror. Her body twisted and thrashed, trying to free herself, but the bun walls pressed tighter and tighter.

“TANYA! NO!” Katherine cried out, tears streaming as she fought the sticky grease holding her in place. “WE’RE COMING! HOLD ON!”

“AAAAAAAHHHH! HELP! IT'S SMASHING ME—EVERYTHING IS CRACKING!” Tanya wailed, her limbs flailing uselessly as the greasy walls ground against her armor. The bun's crushing force sent shockwaves of pain through her body as joints popped and bones creaked under the pressure.

“TIME TO PRESS YOU FLAT!” the monster howled, cackling with maniacal joy.

She barely raised her arms before the colossal walls came crashing together, trapping her in an unrelenting fleshy press.

“AAAAAAARGH! IT’S... PRESSING ME—TOO TIGHT!” Tanya’s shriek tore through the fairgrounds as her armor plates buckled, sparks flying from her shoulders and torso. She struggled wildly, but the bun walls pinned her limbs, crushing them into unnatural angles. Joints popped as her arms were locked in place.

"TANYA!" Tommy roared from outside, hacking furiously at the greasy tendrils blocking his path. His voice strained with rage and desperation. "LET HER GO!"

“I CAN’T MOVE—IT’S SQUEEZING ME IN HALF!” Tanya screeched, her voice peaking in pure terror. Her ribs groaned under the increasing force, her back arching painfully. The crushing pressure felt like iron clamps, tightening with each agonizing second. Grease oozed around her, scalding the exposed sections of her cracked armor.

“KEEP SCREAMING! YOU'LL BE FLATTENED TO PERFECTION!” the monster taunted, its voice shrill and delighted. It bounced lightly, causing the ground to tremble as more hot grease sprayed across the battlefield.

“AAAAH! MY ARMOR—IT’S CRACKING! I CAN FEEL IT... CRUSHING ME!” Tanya howled, flailing as shards of armor burst from her torso and shoulders. Her body was pinned at a grotesque angle, and each movement sent another wave of searing pain through her limbs.

"TANYA! STAY WITH US!" Rocky yelled, his voice nearly drowned by the sound of gnashing flesh and sizzling grease.

“I’M COLLAPSING! MY RIBS—SNAPPED!” Tanya’s shriek echoed again, higher and more broken. Her armor buckled inward, forcing her to convulse violently. Another loud crack echoed as her spine shifted, and her legs twitched uncontrollably from the pressure.

The monster’s bun halves pressed closer, grinding her further into the oily core. Its eyes gleamed, flaring brighter as it absorbed her agony.

“PRESS! PRESS! GRIND HER TO THE CORE!” the monster roared, its voice a mix of mad laughter and primal hunger.

“AAAAAAHH! IT'S... IT’S BREAKING ME FROM THE INSIDE! MY BONES—SHATTERING!” Tanya shrieked in hysteria, her words dissolving into frantic howls. Her torso twisted under the pressure, her spine bending until she heard another sickening snap. Her legs spasmed violently, kicking in panic, though she could barely feel them anymore.

Grease continued to boil and spill around her. The bun halves tightened, pressing her torso and head deeper into the writhing patty.

“AAARGH! MY BACK! IT’S—RIPPING ME APART! I CAN’T—AAAAHHH!” Tanya’s eyes widened in shock and agony as her armor plates shattered along her waist. The bones in her lower back gave way entirely, sending a wave of crippling pain that ripped through her senses.

“TANYA! TANYA!” Katherine’s desperate voice crackled from outside. Tears streamed down her face as she clawed at the sticky grease tendrils trapping her. "We're here! Just hang on!"

“IT WON’T—IT’S TOO... IT’S SQUASHING ME! AAAAH—MY CHEST!” Tanya's screeches grew hoarse and frantic, her breath shortening as the walls pressed against her lungs. Ribs cracked again, sharp bursts of pain making her entire body convulse.

“MORE! MORE CRUNCHES—NO ESCAPE, NO RELIEF!” the monster screamed in savage ecstasy. Its bun walls ground together repeatedly, savoring every fractured sound.

"WE CAN'T REACH HER!" Tommy roared, struggling harder, his sword clashing with the tendrils pulling him back.

"AAAAAAAAAAAHHH! EVERYTHING'S... BURSTING!" Tanya's voice hit an unbearable pitch as sparks flew from her mangled frame. Her vision blurred, her senses drowned in unrelenting waves of agony. The heat suffocated her, every nerve aflame.

The bun halves closed with a final, deafening crunch, splintering her torso and spine completely. Her scream cut off in a horrific silence, leaving only the sound of boiling grease and the monster’s deep, guttural laughter.

The upper bun lifted, revealing Tanya’s broken form, partially fused into the patty. Her shattered armor hung from the writhing surface, her face frozen in unspeakable torment.

"PERFECTLY... CRUSHED," the monster hissed, its eyes blazing with triumph. “NEXT! WHO’S READY FOR THE GRILL?!”

The remaining Rangers stood in horrified shock, unable to comprehend the brutality of what had just happened. The stench of grease, scorched flesh, and burning metal filled the air around them.

Katherine fell to her knees, sobbing uncontrollably. "No... no, Tanya..."

Tommy’s hands clenched into fists, trembling with uncontrolled rage. “You... bastard...”

The monster stomped forward, releasing thick clouds of steam. It grinned hideously, towering over them like a demon of unrelenting hunger.

***

The three remaining Rangers stood in stunned silence, their bodies trembling. The echo of Tanya’s scream still rang in their ears, each moment of her agony seared into their minds.

Adam’s and now Tanya’s helmets, grotesquely fused into the monster’s pulsating patty, shuddered violently. Their distorted voices, filled with manic screams and despair, reverberated across the broken fairgrounds.

“HELP ME! LET ME OUT! IT’S KILLING ME!”
"TOMMY—IT'S—IT’S CRUSHING ME!" Tanya's scream twisted into a chorus of pained echoes, overlapping with Adam's.

“No... make it stop...” Katherine gasped, stumbling backward. She clutched her helmet as if trying to block out the sound, her breaths coming in ragged gasps.

“Adam
 Tanya
 They’re still... screaming,” Rocky muttered, shaking his head. His hands clawed at his visor, overwhelmed by the terror. He dropped to his knees, his blades clattering uselessly to the ground. “We couldn’t... we couldn’t save them.”

“Focus!” Tommy roared, though his own voice cracked with anguish. He was struggling just as much. His fists clenched tight as the echo of their screams pounded in his skull. Two of his friends were gone—consumed by this nightmarish monstrosity. But they couldn’t afford to break now.

“We
 we have to fight! They wouldn’t want us to fall apart!” Tommy growled through gritted teeth. He forced himself to stand, though his legs felt like lead.

The monster loomed over them, savoring their despair. Its bun-shaped maw twisted into a mocking grin, greasy steam hissing from its cracked body.

“Oh, such lovely suffering... I’ve barely even begun. Their screams will stay with you... forever,” it taunted, stepping forward. The ground shook beneath its bulk.

“I won’t let this... break us,” Tommy muttered, raising his Zeo Power Sword with trembling hands. “We’ll stop you. No matter what.”

But before they could act, a sickening rumble sounded from behind them. Another massive figure rose from the shadows of the ruined fairgrounds. The ground quaked again as a second burger monster, just as colossal, emerged from a pool of thick grease. Its bloated form twitched, its eyes glowing with malicious glee.

“What... there’s two of them?!” Rocky gasped, scrambling to his feet.

The second monster let out a grinding, guttural growl, thick tendrils of patty and lettuce snapping outward like twisted limbs. Its mouth opened unnaturally wide, revealing rows of jagged, greasy teeth, and a warped, slurred voice spoke from deep inside.

“Two sides of terror
 We'll crush you between us. Like meat in a bun
”

The heroes spun around, trapped between the two massive monstrosities. Grease began pooling rapidly at their feet, hardening like living sludge, pinning them in place. Their legs slipped as the foul fluid wrapped around their boots, pulling them into the growing swamp.

“No... no way,” Katherine whimpered, panic rising as she pulled at her legs, struggling to free herself. "There's no way...!"

"We can’t... we can't win this..." Rocky muttered, his voice hollow.

“Don’t you dare think like that!” Tommy barked, forcing himself to move. He swung his sword in a wide arc, slicing through one of the approaching tendrils, sparks flying from the impact. “We’re Rangers! We fight! No matter how bad it looks!”

“Oh, how courageous...” the first monster sneered, its voice dripping with mockery. “Too bad courage doesn’t taste any better than fear. I’ll grind both into the meat of your defeat.”

The second monster slammed the ground, sending another shockwave rippling outward. The Rangers were hurled off their feet once more, crashing into broken debris. Tendrils from both monsters shot forward, wrapping around their limbs and torsos, pinning them.

“GET OFF ME!” Rocky screamed, slashing at the tendrils with his Zeo Blades, but the greasy appendages only tightened, squeezing his arms until his armor cracked.

Katherine screamed as lettuce tendrils ensnared her throat and legs, pulling her toward the second monster’s gaping maw. "No! No, let me go!"

Tommy struggled against the tendrils binding his wrists and legs, his sword falling from his grasp. He grunted as the pressure built, his armor creaking ominously.

“Do you feel it? The helplessness, the pain?” the first monster hissed, stepping closer. "It’s suffocating, isn’t it? Crushing, all-consuming... Just like your friends felt."

“I swear... we’ll stop you,” Tommy growled, his voice hoarse. He strained against the tendrils, muscles burning with effort. But even he knew the odds were impossibly grim. They were trapped, surrounded, and overwhelmed.

The second monster laughed darkly, its voice distorted and guttural. "Oh, you’ll try... And you’ll scream for them to hear you... just like they screamed for you.”

The tendrils tightened further, dragging the Rangers closer to the crushing grip of their nightmarish captors. Grease hissed and bubbled around them, choking the air with rancid fumes. The echoes of Adam and Tanya’s voices grew louder in their helmets, a haunting reminder of the fate that awaited them.

“HELP ME! HELP! IT HURTS—IT WON’T STOP!”
“TOMMY—TOMMY, I CAN’T BREATHE—”
Their distorted screams layered over each other, driving into the remaining Rangers' minds like a relentless, suffocating nightmare.

“No... no more...” Katherine sobbed, her voice cracking. “I can’t... I can’t hear them anymore!”

“Pull it together!” Tommy shouted, though his own voice wavered. He couldn’t block out the screams either. They clawed at his mind, growing louder, more agonizing with each second.

But deep down, a chilling truth began to settle over them all.

There were only three of them left.

***

Grease hissed and bubbled around the Rangers as they stumbled forward, trying to escape the scalding flood left by the monstrous burgers. Their armor was slick with boiling fat, every movement agonizing as they tried to blast their way free from the trap.

“Keep firing!” Tommy ordered, slashing at the bubbling sludge with his Zeo Power Sword. The others followed suit, their blasters and weapons tearing through the grease. A shockwave burst freed their legs, sending them stumbling awkwardly to firmer ground.

“We barely made it!” Kat gasped, wiping her visor clear. "I thought we were done for
"

Rocky panted, struggling to keep up. "We almost were! This whole place is a death trap—where’s the opening to teleport?"

“There’s no time to think!” Tommy snapped. "We need to get out now! Tanya and Adam are gone—we can’t save them if we die here!"

The words stung. The images of their lost teammates—Tanya crushed within the monstrous bun and Adam swallowed screaming—haunted all of them. The thought of leaving without them was unbearable, but the ground rumbled ominously behind them.

Kat hesitated, her hands shaking. "We can’t just abandon—"

"We have no choice!" Tommy interrupted. “We’ll regroup. Get moving before—”

A deafening roar echoed across the ruins, shaking the ground violently. Both massive burgers reared up at the same time, their bulging bun forms quivering with delight.

“LEAVING SO SOON?” the larger burger sneered, its onion-ring eyes blazing. “WE STILL HAVE MORE MEAT TO GRIND!”

The second burger burst forward, shaking its bun violently, releasing a rain of sesame seed bombs. The small, crackling spheres exploded on impact, sending blinding smoke and greasy shrapnel flying across the battlefield.

“Look out!” Tommy yelled as the first explosion threw him backward.

Kat screamed, her legs slipping on grease-slicked debris as another blast erupted near her. “They’re—everywhere! I can’t—”

“AAAGH!” Rocky was hurled to the ground, landing hard on his back as a wave of shrapnel tore across his armor. Sparks erupted from his shoulder plates, and his visor cracked from the impact.

“STAY TOGETHER!” Tommy shouted, trying to locate his team in the chaos. His communicator crackled with static as another explosion went off nearby, filling the air with thick, choking steam.

The burgers laughed hysterically. “No escape, no teleport—just how we like it!”

“Dammit—Kat! Rocky! Report!” Tommy coughed, waving smoke from his face as he struggled to see through the haze.

“I’m here!” Kat called out weakly, her voice trembling. “I can’t see anything—Rocky?”

“Rocky, where are you?” Tommy demanded.

Silence.

“ROCKY!” Kat shouted, panic rising in her voice.

Meanwhile, far from his teammates, Rocky groaned, disoriented and coughing from the impact. His helmet's display flickered with error warnings. He tried to move, but pain shot through his legs and chest.

“I’m—ugh—I’m okay! Just got knocked back!” Rocky gasped, trying to push himself to his feet. His limbs felt sluggish, the slick grease coating his armor making every movement a struggle.

Before he could fully rise, a dark shadow loomed over him. The second burger monster towered above, glistening with boiling fat and dripping melted cheese. Its patty face pulsed, and Adam’s distorted visage twitched faintly within, his voice echoing softly.

"Rocky
 don’t
 they got me
"

“NO! NO, YOU’RE NOT REAL!” Rocky shouted, stumbling back in terror. "You're just a monster using their faces—stay away!"

“Oh, but we’re VERY real,” the monster chuckled. "Two Rangers already in the bun. And you... are about to be our next delicious topping!"

“Hell no!” Rocky yelled, raising his weapon and firing a barrage of blasts. The energy strikes hit the patty, sending chunks of meat and grease flying, but the monster shrugged it off, its laughter booming louder.

“That tickles! How cute—you actually think you can stop me?!"

Rocky’s heart pounded as the monster lunged forward. He barely rolled out of the way as thick, scalding streams of ketchup and mustard blasted from the monster’s maw, sizzling through the ground where he had stood.

Rocky stumbled forward, his breathing ragged, the air thick with grease and heat. Through the flickering smoke, he caught a glimpse of his teammates—Tommy and Kat—desperately trying to reach him. Their visors glinted as they hurried across the wreckage.

“ROCKY!” Tommy’s voice broke through the static.

“Almost there!” Kat yelled, her voice breaking in panic. “You’re right in front of us—don’t stop!”

“Still here!” Rocky panted. “But it’s—”

But the ground rumbled violently behind Rocky. His eyes widened as he heard the monster's thunderous laughter echo from above.

“WHERE DO YOU THINK YOU’RE GOING? THE SAUCE IS JUST GETTING WARMED UP!”

Rocky spun around just as the massive burger monster lunged, its mouth wide. A torrent of scalding ketchup and mustard exploded from its maw in a searing wave.

“NO—AAAHHHHH!” Rocky screamed as the boiling liquids engulfed him, coating his entire body. The viscous heat penetrated every inch of his armor, sizzling as it hardened on contact. His legs locked in place as the sauces cemented him to the ground, his muscles burning beneath the layers of scalding residue.

"ROCKY!" Tommy roared, surging forward, only to be stopped as thick grease tendrils erupted from the ground, halting his advance.

“IT’S COOKING ME—BURNING THROUGH ME!” Rocky shrieked, his voice cracking from the sheer intensity of the pain. His arms flailed desperately as he tried to break free, but the hardened sauce shell held him fast. Steam billowed around him, distorting his vision as his helmet display flashed with critical damage warnings.

“ROCKY, HANG ON!” Kat screamed. “WE’RE RIGHT HERE!”

“I CAN’T—IT’S MELTING THROUGH! I CAN FEEL IT—AAAAAAAH!” Rocky's voice rose to an inhuman shriek, his legs trembling uncontrollably as the pressure of the scalding sauces increased. Every step was agony as the residue cracked and tightened around his joints, locking him further in place.

Kat sobbed as she struggled to break through the tendrils blocking their path. “He’s so close! We can’t lose him!”

Rocky turned his head, desperation in his eyes. “TOMMY! KAT! PLEASE—GET THIS STUFF OFF ME!”

Tommy growled in fury, slashing wildly at the tendrils, breaking through one only for another to lash around his legs. “Stay with us, Rocky! We’ll get you out of there!”

But the monster wasn’t finished. It reared back with a delighted cackle. “TIME FOR THE FINAL TOUCH! A CREAMY FINISH!”

A jet of viscous white mayonnaise blasted from the monster's maw, punching through Rocky’s visor like a cannon. The thick substance flooded his helmet, filling his mouth and throat instantly. He gagged violently, choking as he clawed at his faceplate.

“GAAHH—CAN’T BREATHE! IT’S IN—INSIDE—AAAAAAH!” Rocky’s voice broke into panicked, gurgling gasps as the mayo filled every crevice of his helmet, sealing him in.

“NO! NO, ROCKY!” Kat screamed, frozen in terror as she watched him convulse, his arms jerking uncontrollably. His screams became muffled, drowned out by the thick white mass suffocating him.

“DAMN IT!” Tommy roared, slashing at the tendrils around him. He could hear Rocky's distorted, choking sounds through the communicator. “ROCKY! STAY WITH US! FIGHT IT!”

“IT’S
 TOO MUCH! BURNING! CHOKING—CAN’T MOVE! AAAAAHH!” Rocky’s voice cracked in agony, his words becoming more incoherent as the pressure built inside his helmet. His body twitched and shuddered, trapped in the encasing sauces and mayonnaise.

“NO! ROCKY, DON’T GIVE IN!” Kat cried, tears streaming inside her helmet. “You’re stronger than this!”

Rocky let out a final, strangled scream, his body going rigid. The monster’s pulsating maw descended, engulfing him in one swift motion. Kat and Tommy could only watch in horrified shock as Rocky was swallowed whole, the sizzling remains of his armor vanishing into the monstrous bun.

“DONE! AND PERFECTLY SAUCED!” the monster howled with glee, bouncing in place as grease splattered across the ground.

Kat collapsed to her knees, sobbing uncontrollably. "No... no... Rocky... he's gone...!"

Tommy stood frozen, his fists trembling as the weight of the loss crashed down on him. He could still hear Rocky’s faint, distorted cries echoing from within the monster's flesh.

“Tommy... help me... it’s... burning...”

“THAT’S THREE RANGERS DOWN!” the larger burger taunted. “WHO WANTS TO BE NEXT?”

Kat’s voice trembled as she whispered, “We
 we can’t stop them
”