Code Zulu Alpha: Nerd in the Apocalypse!

I just smiled as I put on my gloves and walked to the center of the gym.

Tatiana and I rushed at each other the moment the bell rang but I goaded her into attacking first. I made an imaginary circle with my head and I challenged myself not to leave that spot no matter what. It proved to be incredibly difficult because of the person attacking me and I had to take some hits in order to complete my challenge. She immediately noticed what I was doing so she lifted up from the ground, swiping her feet in the area I was supposed to be in twice, while still in mid-air.

I felt the force behind her kick as I ducked down but I tried to sweep her off her feet the moment she lands.

I missed the first time as Tatiana backed away but I suddenly switched it up by delivering another sweep from a different angle. My heel flew overhead coming from below as I turned my body while supporting myself with my hands. It grazed her shoulders and she was slightly knocked back but what surprised her was that it was just the opening move for launching myself in the air, delivering a wheel kick with my full weight after a side roll.

Tatiana tried guarding with her arms the moment she saw me wind up for the third time but it knocked her off her feet even when she successfully raised her arms. The dull sound it made after connecting resounded in the gym and everyone stopped what they were doing. All they saw was Tatiana on the floor while I was just about to get up. No one dared to make a sound and even the stereo stopped blasting music.

That was when Tatiana looked at me with a wicked smile before launching herself from the mat.

It was all too familiar.

Tatiana performed the same moves that I did but right as I raised my left arm to catch it, she twisted her body to an impossible angle as she easily nestled her leg above my right shoulder. I was too late to react once she jumped with her other foot and I felt my head getting locked between her thighs. The way she pinched her leg close and how she locked it with her other foot came too fast and from somewhere I didn't expect.

We were on the ground as I struggled to break free and all I could see was her grin from above.

Once she started applying pressure on my head, I knew it was over. I tried to break free but she was clamping me so tight, I barely had enough room to maneuver.

'She got me.'

I had a few things to get out of it but I wouldn't do it in a spar and with people around to witness it. I just accepted the loss and tapped Tatiana's thighs a few times before I got knocked out cold. The pressure immediately lifted as she immediately let go of my head and she kept her wicked grin as she helped me stood up. I forgot to show Chris the new thing he should work on but he should be able to pick up a few things just from watching two people fight.

Tatiana whispered as we were getting some water, "I thought you'd die from my crotch. In a sense, a better place to go, correct?"

I almost choked from my drink but I whispered back, "Nah, I got a lot of practice from you sitting on my face..."

"PFFTH!!! FUCK!!!"

"HAHAHAHAHA!!!"

The people close weren't able to hear our conversation but their heads turned the moment water sprayed from Tatiana's nose. She punched me a couple of times but I kept laughing so hard. I finally handed her my spare towel but she couldn't keep a straight face and all she could do was clutch it with her hands. After a while, more people approached us for pointers and we gave them a lesson after slamming their bodies on the mat.

It took a while before everything settled down but I finally managed to do my own workout.

After a couple of hours, I was the last one in the gym and the whole place was quiet. I was on the last set of my crunches and once I was done, I lifted myself from the ground by using my hands, then just my right arm, then finally with just my fingers. I could see the fruits of my labor from the reflection in the mirror and I held that position for a minute before standing normally.

'I still have a long way to go...'

I just closed my eyes and controlled my breathing as I sat down. A still image that was imprinted in my head slowly appeared then a faint smile appeared on my face. After a few minutes, I walked back to my room and discovered that everyone had already taken their showers and were either performing maintenance on our guns or were just idling about.

Tatiana turned her head towards me and smiled, "You took your time, I'm already feeling my arms getting numb from your kick earlier."

"Heh, I just have a little bit of energy I have to burn. Besides, I came late."

"Yeah~ You never cum first..."

"W-Wait, what?! Hold on a sec-"

"TATIANA!!!"

"PFFT!"

"WHAT WAS THAT ABOUT?! HAHAHAHAHA!!!"

"It's true, correct? What did I say wrong?!"

The ladies started laughing while I shook my head in amusement. It didn't take long before one thing led to another and we all ended up in each other's arms. After a few hours, as we were preparing for bed, Micah decided to open up a conversation and ask a huge favor. The confident expression she was always carrying was replaced by worry and the rest of us needed to know more about what was it all about.

"Umm… I'd rather talk about this with him only… He c-could tell you after we talk but I want him to hear this first..."

Kaley glanced at us first before she signaled me to speak with Micah privately. After that, Micah and I excused ourselves to head to the roof and she was leaning on the railing before she turned to me. She was still adamant about speaking so I decided to move the would-be conversation forward.

"Can you tell me the problem now? You don't have to drag me here… you could trust Kaley and the rest of them with whatever secret you're about to tell me, okay? You already said I could tell them afterward so this premise of heading to the roof is kinda moot… Micah?"

"It's a little something I'm having trouble bringing up… it's actually the main reason I came here and I'm still working up the courage and the j-justification to ask you this… so… but- it's kinda similar to what has been happening from the report I heard from the port but t-this is more… c-consensual..."

"Umm..."

"J-Just hear me out… remember the girl group I formed back then?"

"Y-Yeah, you said that they're all in your care and- Wait, you're gonna bring them here?"

"A-About that… there's a little catch I want to ask you… a-about them..."

"Okay… lay it on me. You know I could take more people in but they gotta pull their weight. I won't ask them to clean out herds of the dead unless they're well-equipped but they gotta complete the course. They should be able to use and maintain a weapon, apply first-aid, drive and fix a vehicle, be assessed by Kaley's mom, be assigned a job-"

"Y-Yeah, it's the job description I want to have a talk to you about..."

"Yeah?"

"It's something legalized in some countries..."

"Stop right there."

"..."

"You're not asking me what I think you're asking me to do."

"..." Micah turned her back away from me.

I grabbed her shoulder and made her face me, "Micah?"

Micah suddenly slapped my hands with a frown, "I found about it too late, alright?! It's not like I could watch what they do 24/7, I'm busy teaching soldiers to fly helicopters while they teach me survival stuff in the meantime! There's also these meetings I have to attend with the president even if I have no say in it! At least here, I could voice out my opinions! How could I know that some of them would resort to… to… to-"

"Were they forced to do it? Left them with no choice?"

"..."

"Micah?"

"..."

"Micah."

"N-No… I'm not sure..."

"No? Not sure? What-"

"They chose to do it… Not all of them but- you know… Some of them were just around Cynthia's age and they know no better… I don't know, I'm not really- I tried to stop them but they're in too deep..."

"Too deep? How long has it been going on?"

"You have no idea how a… how a- for lack of a better term- a minor or an emerging celebrity would feel after their 15 minutes of fame. There would come a time when a 'deal' should be made in order to have that extra bit of air time. I'm… I'm just gonna say that I had to do a few of those 'deals' myself so I am where I am today. You just gotta be smart about it and be extra lucky because being in the industry isn't all rainbows and smiles… I learned that the hard way..."

"But still..."

"They're either gonna do it behind my back or I'll let them continue what they're doing. In any case, I'd only let them with the proper rules and regulations placed on them and their… partner... Check-ups, medical care, protection, and etc. in exchange for 'calming' a few folks with their sudden urges and lessening sex crimes to an extent. You think it's not happening here but let me tell you, sooner or later, it will. It's better to have control of it rather than letting it hit everyone in the face. I've talked to Rod about this before and he just brushed me off, telling me that it's not the priority..."

"Let me be blunt. So you're telling me that you're fine with them or anyone that would join this new brigade's work is spreading their legs as long as they're taken care of and have given consent? You do realize that way of thinking wouldn't be easily accepted here, right?"

"That's why I went to you first, I want to hear your opinion on it… I'm not just gonna sprang it suddenly and make you accept it..." Micah slowly looked down as she waited for my answer.

I brushed my hair and I rubbed my glabella before I began to think.