Code Zulu Alpha: Nerd in the Apocalypse!

"Yeah, we should. Clearing this place every morning helps. Jay and his group could guard the people building the fence." I said.

"Why do we keep on building fences? When will we make a gate like what we have here?" Jared asked.

"Well, the plan is to make a huge gate at the elementary school and on the other end of the 1st road. We'd also need to seal a corner of the wall on the tight alley right after the water station since it could also lead to a few houses before the Pineda residence. However, we need to proceed gradually and not do all those things at the same time. Let's focus on building a fence at my old house that connects with the 3rd road first. Let's talk about this later in the meeting later, we'll head to the gym first." I said.

Kaley and I headed to our room but I felt someone following us from behind. I suddenly turned around but I saw no one. However, I could swear that I heard a dull clang earlier.

"That's weird, did you hear that?" I asked Kaley.

"Hmm? What?" she was startled.

"I think I heard a clang somewhere..." I trailed.

"My hearing is not as superhuman as yours, okay? A clang? It's probably someone dropped something." Kaley smiled.

We shook it off and we closed the door to our room. I was preparing my clothes but I noticed that Kaley was looking at me with a faint smile.

"Something on your mind?" I asked.

"Oh, ah- um… it's nothing... I'm just really happy." Kaley said, looking away.

"Oh~ It's because your parents are here, right? They're really still the same as back then." I said while I opened the other cabinet to get a set of towels.

"Yeah... that too. What happened when I left the room then?" she asked then she fidgetted.

I gave an exaggerated-disgruntled expression and said, "After you left me there alone to fend for myself? Hah! Not gonna tell you! That's punishment!"

Kaley was startled from my outburst then she pouted. However, I ruffled her hair but when she was trying to get away from me, there was a faint blush hidden under her expression.

"Stop ruining my hair!" Kaley hissed as she tried to fix it.

"Hah! Let's just say that I'm really an idiot when it comes to some things... she talked a few times while I just mostly listened." I said as I flapped my shirt before trying to wear it.

"..." she was silent but I couldn't see her from this angle now.

Kaley hugged me from behind before I managed to put my new shirt on. It was just on my arms and I wasn't even able to place it over my head.

I felt her warm embrace.

All of a sudden, we heard loud footsteps.

"AHA! What are you doing to my daughter?!" the door busted open and I heard Matthew's voice.

"Matthew James Payan! Stop disturbing those two!" I also heard Marisha's voice followed by a chuckle from a different person.

I looked behind and both of Kaley's parents are staring at the two of us while Olivia was at the edge of the door, smiling mischievously. I still don't have my shirt on and Kaley was hugging me from behind. I had a thought in my head and I smirked internally.

"Help~! Help~! She's been doing things to me ever since I- OW!" I tried to do something but Kaley pinched my ear that was still healing from the hook.

"Why are you half-naked!" Matthew shouted.

"We're just changing clothes." I replied as calm as ever.

"I can do what I want dad, and you should knock on the door before you open it. Didn't you teach that to us before? Hmm?" Kaley said, letting go of me.

"Umm, ah- I- uh- I'm just checking... you know. Something..." Matthew stammered.

"We're just getting ready since we'll be doing our daily workout. I suggest you with us dad to get rid of that belly of yours. Mom is still in shape while you're starting to let yourself go." Kaley snarkily said.

"OHHHHH!!! You just got burned Mr. Matthew!" I shouted in my head but I let out a small chuckle.

"What?! I'm just a little... husky. Besides, your mom likes me like this, right? Right? Ri...ght?" Matthew turned to his wife.

"Nope. I miss those days... Not everyone likes dad bods as the news says... Why do I even try..." Marisha said as she walked towards Olivia's room.

"W-Wait! Why didn't you tell me-" Matthew tried to stop Marisha but the door slammed in front of his face.

"You just got burned dad." Olivia said.

"Woof!" Zeus added.

"Oh! Whose dog is this?! It's so... so..." Matthew trailed then right as he was about to stop speaking, his daughters exhaled with derision.

"Just say cute dad, his name's Zeus. Your self-imposed manliness wouldn't dissipate if you call something what it is..." Kaley said and Olivia rubbed Zeus' head.

"...! Hmm! Well then, it really is... c-cute..." Matthew stuttered while the two laughed hysterically.

"Why is the image of Mr. Matthew from the first time I met him slowly disappearing?" I asked myself.

Matthew then disappeared to Olivia's room, well, their room for now and we headed to the gym upstairs. Tatiana was already waiting for Kaley and then Matthew followed after. He was still giving me the stink-eye but I started my daily workout not minding him. It was very uneventful but seeing Matthew doing crunches in a corner was very amusing. He finished earlier than us because he didn't go too hard the first time. I sparred with Tatiana again and I studied her techniques once more.

"Some of them are not taught from the Army. Well, as far as I know." I thought to myself.

I found a counter for that Tatiana's technique though, more speed. I preferred control over everything else but as they say in the martial world, speed trumps everything. No matter how strong or weird your technique was, if you couldn't connect it, it didn't matter. None of us held the mitts today and we just wore gloves. However, they were the more padded ones used for boxing. When I was slowly getting an inkling to Tatiana's technique, she noticed and used her feet.

Tatiana's leg sliced the air.

I tilted my head to avoid it and I threw a confused look at Tatiana. She grinned with a raised eyebrow then she shrugged her shoulders.

"Kaley gave me a tip. It's to never let you focus on me too much. She said that you have a way of looking at people that lets you analyze them bit by bit." Tatiana raised her guard once more, bobbing up and down.

"That's for not telling me what my mom said to you earlier..." I heard Kaley mutter.

"What?!" I exclaimed.

The air was sliced once more.

Tatiana threw another kick and she lifted up in the air. I followed her movements and I jumped as well. I caught her leg while we were still airborne and I managed to lock her ankle as we hit the ground. I could instinctively feel that she could remove herself from the lock but she immediately gave up.

*tap* *tap* *tap*

Tatiana tapped my leg and then I let go.

"You know locks too, correct?" Tatiana said with a smirk.

"I dabble." I replied.

"You're really getting me more interested in you." Tatiana said with a smile.

"Hah! I told you I'm with Kaley already." I shrugged my shoulders.

"I am getting interested in her too. I think I'm slowly finding more about her. She's really hiding something, but what is it? I could only hope that her aim here is not something bad. If I started to rattle that cage, it would be dangerous to the group since I'm still in the dark about her." I thought to myself while I dodged another kick.

"Can't hurt to ask, correct?" Tatiana said as she threw a roundhouse kick.

When her right foot was about to land after I dodged, I quickly slid my left foot to where her foot would land to throw her off-balance. We were just barefoot so I didn't mind getting stepped on.

Tatiana's footing was obstructed.

Tatiana was caught off-guard so I used the momentum of stepping in with my left foot to throw a body blow with my right fist. She saw it coming so she lowered her elbow to block it. However, her foot that was still stepping over me got thrown off. It was because I slid my left foot to throw her off balance. I only needed a small opening and Tatiana standing on one foot was enough of an advantage.

I clenched my toe and applied power on that incoming body blow.

I could feel my veins protruding from clenching my fist.

*THUD*

Tatiana lost balance and she almost fell on her ass. However, she steadied herself as she jumped back to lessen the force of the blow.

"I yield, let's stop for now." Tatiana said, shaking her head.

"Hah! Let's just end the spar for now then, it's almost dinner." I replied with a smile.

Kaley finished her workout as well and I could subtly notice a slight difference from her physique. We three showered again and we headed down to eat dinner with everyone.

We had a hearty noodle soup tonight with vegetables but what surprised me was the smoked boar on the side. Turns out, Matthew hunted a few of them on their trip and a few other animals. He smoked them there and he stored them properly. They brought several pounds of meat that was ready for eating.

"This is good!" I exclaimed as I took a bite.

"Hah! You won't flatter me with those words." Matthew retorted as he patted Zeus in the head. He seemed to like Zeus the same as Olivia.

"Ohoh~? Zeus, come here." I took Zeus' attention.

"Woof!" Zeus responded and he stood guard on my side.

"That's not fair!" Matthew lost it while everybody laughed.

"It's his dog dad, what can you do?" Olivia said, chuckling.

We then finished eating and then we cleaned up for the meeting.

"Before we start, I'd like you all to officially welcome Kaley and Olivia's parents. They managed to reach this place with huge effort and they were the ones who brought that smoked meat. I don't know about you guys but I'd nibble on that every single day. Well, enough talking for me since I'll do a lot later. Can you two introduce yourselves for a bit?" I said as I took a step back.