Code Zulu Alpha: Nerd in the Apocalypse!

Chapter 1045 Sad Reality - Strugglers I

Ignoring Mr. Crisologo's cries, I turned my attention to the party I brought with me: Kaley, Tatiana, Quinn, Jared, and Ibarra who were still by our vehicle waiting—though Jared's attention was watching the camera's feed through one of our tablets—but it seemed like Mimi caught wind that we had just arrived and stayed put for a few minutes.

I looked briefly at my watch as I turned to her, "It's past eight, what are you still doing here?"

"Dr. Lo— Dr. Nichols is still here too, you know? We usually clock out way~ later in the university, sometimes even in the morning. We're still getting used to things here too so the extra hours wouldn't hurt. Besides, we're used to this kind of stuff…"

"Don't push yourselves too hard…"

"S-Sure… U-Umm…" Mimi trailed as she was staring at the blood on my hands after briefly glancing at the door I came from.

"..." I didn't utter a word as I wiped the blood on my pants before I scratched the back of my head.

She then took a deep breath before she opened her mouth, "D-Did you… Did—"

"I killed three people today— Two, technically speaking, but that's why I have blood on my hands."

"..."

"..."

"Then… The place you drove—"

"Right. Technically speaking, I didn't kill more people but I still ordered a dozen or so deaths so it's pretty much the same thing. Other than that, there are now 50-ish people who are free from their grasp but they'll pretty much do the same thing but with higher incentives and better living conditions instead. I'll tell you the bad stuff and I'll tell you the good stuff. It'll be in the reports or said in the meeting tomorrow but that's just how this place goes."

"T-That's great, I guess…" Mimi trailed once again as she looked at the floor solemnly.

"Mimi— Look, I already told you what's happening outside the university and—"

She then waved me off with a different expression, "N-No— I'm not— H-Honestly, I-I'm not sure what to feel right now b-because it's different hearing the stories from you than seeing things in person b-because since I'm new here… I-I was one of the people who c-cleaned up… y-you know, that room earlier. One of us was assigned to clean the table b-but it seemed like he wanted me to do it instead but I-I'm not a pushover…"

"Name?"

"W-What?"

"Give me his name—"

"Huh?! Y-You're not— Just by not cleaning the table?!"

I almost smacked this bish, "You— What did you think I was gonna do to him, huh?!"

"Y-You know…" Mimi trailed as she waved one of her hands around like it was a knife, "T-That…"

At that moment, not only did I burst laughing at her actions but everyone else from my group had to let out a chuckle like Ibarra or a straight-up cackle from Quinn. Anyone else from the old world would've thought we were deranged human beings from laughing at the thought of murder but it was downright funny now especially if it was a misunderstanding from a friend who lived in a well.

Then I ruffled her hair for a moment before I answered, "I'm talking about a disciplinary action Mimi, not an execution. I won't kill people just from that but it's a bad look to me to see you get hazed a few days in—especially from your co-nurses. I thought it only happens in security detail or something similar…"

But Mimi got ticked off as she got barely right up in my face due to her height, "I-I can take care of myself, alright?! You don't have to always be there for me, it comes with my frame that they think that they could bully me but I'm tougher than I look! And stop ruffling my hair! Argh! You did it again!"

As she said that, I agree with all of her statements except for one thing:

Mimi could be tough as nails mentally but the brutal truth was that even if she built up some endurance from walking to and from our home and the university hospital, a good majority of people could physically push her around if they wanted to. So, I'd rather be there for her when she needed it rather than—you know how the saying goes.

I then grabbed the top of Mimi's head, ruining her hair even more, as I looked at her seriously, "Look… I know you're tough in this little ol' head of yours but you can't even stop me from ruining your hair—"

"B-But it's you, why would I—"

"What if that other guy starts doing it?"

"T-Then I'll kick his ass!"

"Then what if he fights back?"

"Then I'll aim for his nuts?"

"I'm serious here, Mimi. It's great for you to not be a pushover and be tough but you gotta be smart too. I got bullied like you when I was in high school but even if I was a pushover then, I know how to fight back. It's just that I didn't. I'm not comparing you to myself but what we both did was wrong. I should've fought back while you should put some safeties in place."

"I-I know the s-story… K-Kaley helped you…"

"Yes, that's right. And right now, you have everybody here to help you if things go south. A little bit of hazing works to toughen some of you up but it's bad when it goes too far. I won't behead him if he keeps pushing work on you but the moment I see you come home with so much as a tiny little scratch, heads will roll. Do you understand that?"

"I-I do… Thanks—"

Jared suddenly jumped from the roof of my truck as he pushed the tablet on my face:

"Bro! BRO! LOOK—"

"Don't push it too far onto my face!"

"But that fuck had already ripped his hand off! H-He's bleeding a lot! Wait… I thought the other guy already moved from y-you know… Why's he-it 'sleeping' again?"