Code Zulu Alpha: Nerd in the Apocalypse!

Mikhail's expression changed because this was his moment of redemption. When I first met them, I made a sneak attack and I managed to knock him out with Alexei and Nikolas. It was not as honorable as some people would say but doing that was one of the few ways I could win against trained soldiers especially with someone a few weight classes above me. Not to mention, it was a free-for-all before where I could use anything but this time, only our fists would do that talking.

I was at a definite disadvantage especially because of how monstrously strong he is but I am not one to simply back down in a fight.

Tatiana was now the referee between us and the only advantage given to me by the rules I said earlier was I could wear thinner gloves compared to him. Mikhail was already in position but I removed my shirt, my jogging pants, and my shoes. I was only wearing my shorts and my finger-cut gloves when Tatiana rang the bell.

I was slightly weaving in place while Mikhail had his feet planted on the mat. Both of us were just staring at one another, waiting for the other person to make the first move.

"You could surrender now." I joked.

"Hmm. Not today boss." Mikhail just chuckled as he slowly inched closer.

When we both got into striking distance, I opened up with a crisp jab. Mikhail managed to block it with his forearms but I quickly circled to his right side. I threw three jabs in the process but he blocked them all. Furthermore, it seemed that I didn't do enough damage and now a compact left hook came for my temple.

I dodged at the right moment but the air it produced was like a full-blown swing.

"Fucking handicap with the gloves my ass… I should be fucking wearing gloves with a horseshoe inside of them!" I grumbled inwardly.

Mikhail pivoted his body and he started his rush of attacks.

He threw a right straight.

Followed with a left uppercut after stepping forward.

Another right straight.

Then a two solid jabs and right hook.

I managed to dodge everything but the sad part was I couldn't grasp a good opening because all of his punches were compact yet it was enough to knock every living soul out. I was in the backpedal watching his every movement, in a very dangerous distance.

"My legs have done more work compared to my arms..." I thought to myself.

I was tempted to trip him or give a nasty low kick but we already decided on the rules beforehand. I could as easily turn my situation around by being given more options but this was the hand I was dealt with. I had to find a solution with the cards I have on hand or else I'll be eating one of his fists.

"I'll just watch him more first..." I started to formulate a plan.

Instead of simply running away, I kept close distance while he was throwing punch after punch. I was trying to grasp his limit for each rush and how long could his breath last for. I was also looking for angles he was comfortable with and what was the probability of each punch being used after a certain punch was thrown. I even gave him small and big openings to see what he would go for. He went for each one and he made me block a punch instead of dodging.

"He's not as dull as his brother Nikolas, I'll give him that." I thought to myself.

I started to throw jabs at dead angles but he was looking for an exchange. The power difference was evident and I would be on the losing side if I exchanged my jab with any of his punches. However, that was one of the things I could bank on.

The bell rang without any of us getting a solid hit in but my arms were aching when I received one of his attacks. My breathing was still stable but unfortunately, he was almost in the same state as me after throwing punches nonstop. He was looking at me with a serious expression and it seemed that he was analyzing my movements as well.

"He's more troublesome than I thought. Let me try something then..." I decided to probe a little more in the second round.

There was something that no matter how hard you try, you wouldn't be able to grow muscle on them. I balled my fists differently then I aimed at the side of his torso. My toes were curled and I twisted my hips but a left hook was about to come for my head as I hit him squarely. I reacted by catching it with the left side of my face, twisting my neck towards its trajectory, minimizing the damage by an ample amount.

I made a dangerous head slip and my head felt like it would roll off at any moment from the pain. It was a guaranteed knockout if I was hit dead-on. However, the bet paid off and I managed to sneak an overhead punch at his right temple. He already grimaced from the left body blow and I saw his expression change from the other attack that followed.

Mikhail's ears should be ringing by now so I didn't let the chance slip by.

He was about to step back but I followed with a left hook and right hook at his jaw, then I twisted my left arm before driving it straight to his nose. Mikhail swung his right arm towards me but I gave him the exchange he was looking for.

I lifted up from the ground as I used the whole weight of my body to send a right overhead punch to his jaw once more. His right swing was going straight for my face but I ducked my head a few centimeters so he would connect my forehead instead. When my fist connected, he was already unconscious before his body hit the mat.

My head was aching so bad and the knuckle of my middle finger was bruised. It was due to the two blows I received even if I wasn't hit dead-on and the way I balled my fist earlier. The knuckle of my middle finger was slightly protruding to fish for his internal organs. It was a way to aim for them but his muscles were so thick I needed to apply extra power. There was a red mark on his torso when I glanced at him and he was being brought to consciousness by Tatiana.

"I need to sleep this off..." I thought inwardly.

It was a few seconds before the crowd managed to catch their breath then the cheers erupted. I was happy for the win but my head was getting worse because of the noise. Mikhail finally woke up and we gave each other a strong handshake. He was still clutching his sides and his head and we both took a dose of Ibuprofen.

"You know Boss, you're a bit stronger than Ilya but I'm not so sure about Captain. It's a 50-50 I guess?" Mikhail mentioned.

"Artem?" I asked.

"Yes, Boss."

"Hmm, I'll probably heal up some more before I challenge him when he arrives. My head is aching, you know?!"

"Hah! I was hoping to knock you out with one shot but a large swing would easily be avoided by you. I could do it with other people but not you Boss. I guess the only way I'll win next time is through grappling." Mikhail rubbed his chin.

"I'll probably tap on the first chance you get ahold of me. I bet my bones would be powder after a few seconds!"

"I don't know about powder but I could snap someone's arm as easily as a matchstick!"

"I'll remember to oil up when we fight again..."

"That's cheating Boss!"

"Want me to use spit instead? It would be weirder!"

"Hah! Please no, that would be fucking worse!"

The two of us started laughing while we watched a few more of our people challenging each other after a short break.

The excitement got real when the ladies' division started, especially for the closet perverts. It was a close call when Kaley landed a clean hit on Tatiana on the final round but Tatiana was still unstoppable. Her expression never turned serious even when she fought Cynthia and Kaley separately. However, we never got to see Kaley and Cynthia fight because they were on separate brackets.

I just learned that Cynthia was more agile than an ordinary person but I had flashbacks when she pulled Kaley and Tatiana without issue when she was drunk. She even defeated Vera early in the rounds and it was a surprise to everybody. Well, Vera was always still venting out because of Alexei so I didn't get to see her real fighting style.

More fights followed but I decided to excuse myself to clean myself up and sleep early for once. I almost fell asleep in the hot tub but I was woken up by my headache. I just wore simple clothes and I left the door unlocked for Kaley when she decided to sleep.

However, I felt someone going on top of me and she went right up on my face, "Hey~ I won, correct? Where's my reward?!"

"What? Tatiana? Are you drunk?"

"Just a little~ I already asked Kaley and she said we could start early~"

"What? Tatiana... my head hurts..."

"Aww~ It's okay~ I'll do it all if I have to~"

"Hngh~ Winning the rewards means you have to beat me too..." I lied.

"Beat you? *giggle* I know one way~"

"Oh~ You do? I have something even better... turn around and lay on my side..."

"Hmm? Like this?"

"Yep."

"Then what?"

"Just let me..."

"Ooh~ I thought your head still hurts?"

"No no, I'll make an exception this time..."

I wrapped my arms around her and then I placed her in a rear-naked choke. I applied a little bit of pressure and she was sleeping soundly after a few moments.

I covered her with a blanket and I decided to sleep.