Carl's patience was hanging by a thread. He had now resorted to the most basic lessons in zombie combat, hoping that, somehow, Jenna and her gang would grasp at least the essentials. The idea of teaching them anything more complex felt like a fantasy.
"Stealth," Carl started, pointing at Jenna, who was currently kicking a loose piece of brick down the alley like it was a game. "Is about moving quietly. Quietly, Jenna. No noise, no sudden movements."
Jenna stopped kicking the brick and stared at Carl, blinking slowly as if trying to process the concept. "But... what if I need to grab something? I mean, if it's just lying there..."
Carl pinched the bridge of his nose. "You do not grab things mid-stealth. That defeats the whole purpose of being sneaky!"
Jenna's eyes wandered again, this time to a pile of rusty tools near the entrance of the alley. "But what if it's, like, really useful? For later?"
"No! Nothing is useful if you give yourself away!" Carl snapped. He sighed, realizing his tone was getting sharper. "Look, just follow my lead. We're going to sneak up on those humans and—"
Suddenly, Jenna crouched down dramatically behind a garbage can, her entire posture stiff and exaggerated. Carl blinked, unsure what she was doing. "What... are you doing?"
"Stealth!" she whispered loudly, her eyes darting back and forth. "Like a... a ninja zombie!"
Carl stared. "That... that's not even close."
Behind her, one of the zombies tripped over a loose board, crashing into a stack of crates with a loud bang. Carl closed his eyes, counting silently to keep from exploding in frustration.
But just as he opened his mouth to scold them, the humans they'd been stalking suddenly ran straight into the gang's chaotic ambush. Startled by the noise, the humans stumbled into each other, dropping their weapons. Jenna, still crouched behind the garbage can, accidentally opened her spatial space, and in the confusion, the humans' supplies disappeared into it.
Carl blinked. The humans had been completely disoriented and fled without a fight. "You... actually won...?"
Jenna stood up, scratching her head. "Did I do something... right?"
Carl couldn't help but sigh. "I don't know whether to be impressed or horrified."