Alex sat among the girls, eating breakfast at a leisurely pace while simultaneously reviewing satellite images and analyzing the current state of the world. Despite the fact that GIR and MIMI often goofed around and entertained themselves, they still performed their duties flawlessly, continuing to gather data from all over the globe.
As he studied the images, Alex let out a quiet sigh. He had predicted this outcome before, but even for him, it was unpleasant to see his forecasts coming true. As expected, a massive undead horde that had originated in China had begun a large-scale offensive, sweeping away everything in its path.
Although the Chinese government had managed to hold onto some cities and temporarily halt the advance, the horde grew with every fallen city. Soon, the rest would fall too — because the undead were no longer wandering aimlessly. They were under the control of demons.
Unfortunately, the satellite images couldn't determine which demons were leading the horde or how many of them were among the dead. Still, Alex understood perfectly: humanity had almost no chance of winning. Once China fell completely, the horde would continue its march across the world, reducing everything to ash.
What made things worse was the complete breakdown of trust between world governments. Thanks to the scheming of the Evil Corporation, suspicion and hostility had only grown stronger. This had become one of the key reasons for the global collapse. And even though the Chinese people were united, their country would fall — just as others had before them.
Alex had become so absorbed in analyzing the images that he hadn't even noticed he'd stopped eating.
"Alex, why are you just sitting there? What's so interesting in your phone this time?" Saya asked, glancing at his unmoving figure.
"Yeah, is there really something in that phone worth ignoring breakfast in the company of such lovely ladies?" Ada teased, raising an eyebrow.
All the girls turned toward Alex. He sat there staring at the phone screen, fork in hand, completely oblivious to the food and the attention. Brunhilde lazily nudged him under the table with her foot.
Only then did Alex look up and realize several pairs of eyes were staring at him. He looked a bit sheepish, realizing from their expressions that he'd clearly missed something.
"What?" he asked calmly, lowering the phone slightly.
"What are you looking at over there? More of your crazy plans, or something worse?" Valmet asked, pointing her fork at his phone.
"Oh, that... No, no evil schemes this time. Just satellite photos," Alex replied, putting his phone away and stretching a little.
Some of the girls immediately understood what he meant, while the others exchanged confused looks — they were already used to Alex regularly analyzing satellite imagery and assessing global risks.
"Wait… Satellites are still working?" Balalaika asked in surprise.
"Well, yeah. On the first day the zombie apocalypse started, GIR and MIMI hacked all operational satellites and took control of them. Since then, they've been constantly gathering data," Alex explained, nodding toward his assistants.
"Hold on… Are you saying those two took control of every satellite on the planet?" Revy repeated, staring at the robots in disbelief.
"Why are you even surprised?" Rebecca chimed in with a proud smirk. "My babies are the best in the world. They can do anything!"
GIR and MIMI raised their thumbs in perfect sync, showing off their superiority. Stitch, meanwhile, puffed out his cheeks in annoyance — after all, he wasn't a robot and couldn't do the same. In retaliation, he kicked GIR, then MIMI, and a scuffle was already starting to break out between them. But one threatening glare from Brunhilde quickly doused their fire — the trio immediately buried their faces in their plates… though they kept kicking each other under the table.
Rory, watching everything unfold, looked genuinely confused. She clearly had no idea what was going on or what these "satellites" even were. Alex noticed her expression and made a mental note to explain everything to her in more detail later.
Meanwhile, Balalaika and Revy couldn't take their eyes off GIR and MIMI — the thought that those two controlled the entire satellite network of Earth was just too overwhelming.
"What exactly did you see that made you freeze up like that?" Chun-Li asked, leaning forward with curiosity.
"The situation is escalating," Alex replied heavily. "The undead horde has begun its offensive. They're not just wandering anymore… they have a goal. And they're moving toward it, destroying every city in their path."
He flipped his phone over and activated a projection, showing the scale of the catastrophe.
Alex projected the satellite images so the girls could see everything for themselves. They set their utensils aside and focused on the display unfolding in the air above the table. The footage showed the path of the undead horde, tearing through everything with relentless fury, growing larger with each city it devoured.
Not everyone present knew that the horde was being controlled. Ordinary zombies could still be contained, but controlled undead were an entirely different matter. Stopping such a massive force would be far more difficult. As the images changed, the expressions on the girls' faces grew more serious. The scale of the threat was truly terrifying — even battle-hardened veterans involuntarily shuddered at the sheer size of this monstrous army.
"What's going on here? Why do you all look so grim this early in the morning?" came Lehm's voice as he approached with the other men.
Alex silently pointed at the projection. The guys stepped closer and, upon seeing the images, also fell silent. The size of the horde was almost impossible to believe — tens, maybe hundreds of millions of undead, moving like one colossal wave of destruction.
"Damn it, Alex… You couldn't wait until evening to ruin our morning?" Soap muttered, sighing heavily as he slumped onto a bench.
"No kidding. You sure know how to set the mood," Lehm added, lighting a cigarette.
"You asked what we were looking at, and now you're whining like kids. So what, a giant undead horde. Shit happens," Koko smirked, lightly kicking one of the guys under the table.
"She's right. We'll deal with it as it comes," Alex said calmly. "Anyway, has everyone finished breakfast? Ready to set sail?"
"Almost everything's packed. Just need to move the Kraken meat onto the carrier, and we're good to go," Price replied, patting Alex on the shoulder. "Kid, we're counting on you. You're the smartest and strongest one here, I'm sure you've got something up your sleeve."
"Of course, old man. I'll come up with something. Don't worry," Alex grinned and gave him a thumbs up.
Price chuckled and headed off with the others to move the gear onto the ship. Alex returned to his breakfast — but quickly felt a heavy, offended stare directed at him. He didn't have to guess who it was — it could only be old man Kensei, who had spent the entire night tied to a tree while everyone else had fun.
Alex simply raised an eyebrow in Kensei's direction, but the old man immediately got smacked on the head by his wife and rushed off to carry supplies. Madam Ma, watching Alex, Renka, and the girls peacefully sharing breakfast, smiled warmly at their "family" atmosphere. Inspired by the scene, she gently nudged her sons, subtly hinting that they should consider finding partners too. The boys just grunted, grabbed their gear, and quickly followed after their father.
Meanwhile, everyone was working tirelessly, hauling the Kraken meat onto the aircraft carrier. Even the kids, despite being sleepy, tried their best to help — no one wanted to stay on this island any longer than necessary. Though it was peaceful here, the climate wasn't suitable for long-term living. After finishing breakfast, Alex and the girls also joined in to help.
Once everything was ready, the crew gathered on deck, and GIR, MIMI, and Stitch immediately rushed to the bridge to begin preparations for departure.
"Chun-Li, Cammy, Chiquita — drop by my workshop later. I've got something for you," Alex said to the girls.
"Oh, engagement rings?" Chiquita teased with a wide grin.
"No, not rings yet," Alex replied calmly. "Energy shields. As for the rings… we'll talk about that later. The other girls already got theirs. You're next."
"So there will be rings," Cammy smirked. "Didn't even take us on a date, and you're already ready to propose. You move fast, Alex!"
Alex just chuckled, not clarifying how serious he was being. But from the girls' expressions, it was clear — he was more than just a friend to them.
He sighed, choosing not to argue. With a wave of his hand, he turned and walked off under the laughter of the three women.
On his way, Rory stopped him — she had clearly been waiting for him. When she saw Alex, she gave a sly smile and quickly stepped up close. Alex had to tilt his head slightly to meet her gaze.
"What, you want a ring too?" he asked with a smirk.
"Why not? If you're offering, I won't say no," Rory replied with the same mischievous expression.
"Heh, if you say so… But why didn't you go with the others? I thought you all got along pretty well last night," Alex asked, still smiling.
"I just decided to wait for you. Besides you, Brunhilde, and that green-haired one, no one really knows who I am. So I figured I'd stick close to those who do," Rory answered honestly.
Alex nodded. Yes, he, Brunhilde, and Rebecca did know who Rory really was — just as she knew who they were. It created a special connection between them, drawing them closer.
He placed a hand on her head, gently running his fingers through her hair. Rory squinted but then pushed his hand away with an annoyed snort — she didn't like being treated like a child.
Alex smirked and repeated the gesture, this time tousling her hair slightly. Rory responded with a grunt and punched him in the stomach — to no effect. He didn't even flinch, but he laughed.
Together, they headed back to the other girls, who were sorting through the beach gear.
The route was already set, and the next stop was China. Alex wanted to restock as quickly as possible: tools, construction materials, and other supplies — it would be much harder to find those in Alaska. Unless they took over an entire town to use as a base, but building their own settlement would be simpler in the long run.
"Alright, get some rest. I'm heading to the workshop. Time to finally finish your armor and weapons," Alex said, looking at the girls.
"Have fun, handsome. Even though you cured my hangover with your magic hands, that party still hit hard," Rika replied, flopping onto the couch.
"I'll just be lazy. All those tech gadgets aren't for me. Unless you're upgrading my gear — in that case, I'm in," Ada said lazily.
"No problem," Alex nodded, already used to their whims.
"And what about me? What did you make for me?" Shizuka asked excitedly.
"Something that'll stop you from accidentally blowing up the entire ship," Alex replied dryly.
The girls burst into laughter. Shizuka puffed up her cheeks and, with a pout, began hitting him on the chest. Everyone knew how clumsy she was and how dangerous it was to give her anything complicated or explosive. Alex smiled, gently took her face in his hands, and kissed her on the nose to stop her from sulking.
Since no other specific requests for the armor had been made, Alex headed to the workshop. Rory, of course, followed him.
"GIR, MIMI, Stitch, come by the workshop later," he called out before disappearing behind the door.
"Got it, Dad!" the trio responded cheerfully.
In the workshop, Alex immediately sat at the table, opened his laptop, and dove into his projects. The machines came to life: the assembly of armor, weapons, and ammo began. He no longer wanted to waste time, so he sped up the process with magic, but not so quickly that unnecessary questions would arise later about how he managed to do everything so fast.
Rory wasn't surprised. She had seen this before. But instead of sitting next to him, she comfortably settled on his lap. Alex looked at her in surprise, and she just smiled.
"Why did you call the trio to the workshop?" she asked, ignoring his gaze.
"I want GIR and MIMI to get their armor from the inventory. We'll pretend I just made it," Alex replied calmly.
"They even have armor? I wonder what kind..." Rory said, tapping her finger on his chin.
"You'll see soon. But for now, get comfortable since you decided to sit on my lap," he said, adjusting her posture.
"Oh, so my looks turned you on? Well, of course — I am quite the beauty," Rory cooed with a sly tone.
Alex gave Rory a blank, slightly tired look and adjusted her position again — she started squirming on his lap, as if deliberately testing his patience. At that moment, Zhang Ya silently emerged from his shadow. Her hair wrapped around Alex again, like a soft cocoon, and her arms embraced his neck. She silently stared at Rory.
A silent duel of gazes unfolded between the two women. Rory kept smiling, while Zhang Ya, in contrast, stared at her emotionlessly, as though evaluating her. Alex, absorbed in designing the armor, didn't intervene — he knew well that when two women are staring at each other in silence, it's better to just stay out of it.
Over time, the tension eased. Rory stopped the staring contest but didn't give up on her fun — she continued squirming on Alex's lap, trying to get some kind of reaction. In response, Zhang Ya tightened her grip around his neck with her hair, as if reminding him of her presence.
At that moment, GIR, MIMI, and Stitch entered the workshop.
"We're here!" GIR and MIMI announced in unison.
"We're here," Stitch added, lifting his paws above his head.
"Great. GIR, MIMI — get your armor out. And Stitch, I'll take your measurements now — your anatomy isn't exactly standard: two front pairs of paws and back ones," Alex turned to the trio, simultaneously gently moving Rory back to her seat.
GIR and MIMI obediently pulled their armor out of their inventories and carefully laid it out on the rack. Stitch, with a satisfied crack, released an extra pair of paws — as if to say, "Ready."
Alex approached him, quickly scanned his body, and, once finished, added:
"And one more thing. Take out all your weapons. For show. Not everything, of course, don't turn this place into another Armageddon arsenal."
The trio began pulling out their gear, but noticing how quickly the pile was growing, Alex hurriedly stopped the flow.
"Alright, alright, that's enough. I can already tell that your arsenal could fuel another Crusade."
He took a step back, squinted, and with a slight smirk added:
"And now — you have a mission."
"A mission?" Stitch asked, tilting his head.
"What kind of work, Dad?" MIMI clarified, tugging at his pants leg.
"Your task is to conduct 'rehabilitation talks' with certain members of the Cosa Nostra mafia. But... be good kids. No self-harm. Well, as much as possible." Alex spoke calmly, but his eyes narrowed slightly in a playful way.
"It will be done! I swear by the light of the Emperor, these unbelievers will see His radiance!" GIR declared solemnly.
"Do whatever you want. Turn them into fanatics if you must, just be careful. No unnecessary noise. And most importantly — don't get caught by your mom Brunhilde. You know how she is... she's strict with us." Alex gave them a stern look.
"Yes, sir!" the trio saluted in unison.
"Alright, march out of here. And Stitch — when your armor is ready, I'll expect you for a fitting."
Stitch bared his sharp teeth and grinned widely. He really loved this strange, noisy family. He had never been loved. He was born only for destruction. But now, alongside Alex and Rebecca, he knew what it was like to be part of something important. To be not just a weapon, but... a member of the family.
When the trio left the workshop, Alex shook his head slightly, sympathizing with the poor souls who would fall into the "good hands" of his assistants. He was certain: someone would definitely disappear from their quarters tonight. Or perhaps had already disappeared...
"What did you ask them to do, exactly?" Rory asked, surprised. "And who is this Emperor? Does the monarchy still exist in this world? Or do you want to take the throne yourself?"
Alex looked at her with a crooked smile and shrugged.
"Long story."
"We've got time, so you can tell it. While you work — tell me about this mysterious Emperor," Rory smiled, settling back comfortably.
Alex shrugged, gently lifted Rory, and placed her back on his lap. He figured it was time to tell her how everything began. Rory got comfortable, swung her leg over his, and stared at him with interest, ready to listen.
Alex began slowly, from the very beginning — the moment he decided to create GIR, intending him to be a protective robot. But, as often happens, everything went off plan. In the end, GIR turned into a fanatic, obsessed with the "Emperor." MIMI experienced something similar, and then, eventually, they pulled Stitch into it.
Although Rory was far from understanding all these technologies, she still grasped the gist of it. She kept chuckling as she imagined Alex's little crazy assistants, and in the end, she couldn't hold back her laughter.
Nevertheless, in his story, she caught something important — Alex wasn't just creating weapons or robots, he was sponsoring orphanages, taking care of children, giving them a chance at a better future. This touched her. She became curious — what kind of worlds had he visited?
Alex continued telling his story at his own pace. Work proceeded as usual, and his conversation with Rory didn't interfere with his focus.
"So, those blessings from the gods that I feel on you… are they from your goddess wives?" Rory suddenly asked, noticing an interesting detail.
"Exactly. After this world, I think I'll head home and take a short vacation. My head's about to smoke, and the girls need a break too. And... I need to spend more time with family," Alex said with a slight smile.
"I'm curious..." Rory cheerfully swung her legs. "How do the blessings from your gods differ from the one Emroy gave me? And... can I receive a blessing from one of yours?"
"Hmm, interesting question... Theoretically — yes, it's possible. But I'm not sure. You're still connected to Emroy. And I don't want your god knocking on my door, claiming I've stolen his Apostle," Alex smirked.
"And what if Emroy does show up? What will you do then?" Rory asked with interest, narrowing her eyes.
"I've got a stick for situations like that," Alex chuckled. "A god from another world will become another victim of the idiot's stick."
Rory froze for a second... and then burst into laughter. She even imagined the scene: Emroy angrily storms into Alex's world, starts shouting, and Alex silently pulls out the stick... and does what he does best. Alex laughed too — after all, no one escapes the punishment of the idiot's stick. No one.
Zhang Ya, who had been watching them, silently sat to the side. But she felt neither jealousy nor resentment. Her hair was softly wrapped around Alex's body, and through their connection, she could feel his emotions, his warmth — that was enough for her.
They stayed in the workshop until evening. It was time to gather and return to the others. Before leaving, Zhang Ya briefly locked eyes with Alex, as if trying to make some decision... but in the end, without saying a word, she returned to his shadow.
Alex and Rory left just as Kiriko came to call them for dinner. Alex noticed that Miu had already joined the others and was spending time with the girls her age. This pleased him — it seemed like Miu had blended in well with the group. Or perhaps it was all thanks to the party they had thrown the previous night.
During dinner, Chun-Li, Cammy, and Chikita dropped by. The girls came to pick up their energy shields.
"Are we interrupting? Or can we join?" Chun-Li asked with a light smile.
"There's enough room for everyone. Sit down," Miu replied, waving toward the empty spots.
"Why so late? I've been waiting for you all day. And now you show up!" Alex said with an arched eyebrow, looking at the trio.
"Oh, you were waiting for us? Want me to comfort you?" Chikita asked with a squint, leaning in closer.
"I'm eating. This can wait," Alex responded calmly, not taking the bait.
Chun-Li, Cammy, and Chikita took their seats at the table and decided to have dinner with the others. As usual, Alex finished eating first and went to the workshop. After returning with three energy shields, he placed them on the table and immediately explained how to use them.
After a brief instruction, the girls attached the shields to their belts, but it seemed they weren't planning to leave. They stayed to just spend the evening with Alex and the others, and no one objected. The atmosphere was warm, almost familial — exactly how Alex wanted it.
The next morning, Alex woke up to a strange feeling — something was on his face. When he opened his eyes, he immediately met Rory's mischievous gaze, and she was smiling at him, clearly pleased. It became clear: this slightly overexcited Apostle had been kissing him while he was asleep.
He just sighed, pulled her close, kissed her on the lips, and then carefully got out of bed. Alice was peacefully sleeping next to him, but the trio of "disturbers" was nowhere to be seen. Alex immediately understood where they were — they had probably carried out a nighttime raid, kidnapped a couple of members of the Cosa Nostra, and started their "rehabilitation" therapy with the new patients.
"Good morning," he said, glancing at Rory.
"And that's it?" she pouted. "I was expecting some passion, not just a 'good morning' and a kiss. What a disappointment!"
"First coffee. Then passion. And please, don't wake anyone up, the others are still asleep," Alex said, pressing his finger to her lips.
Rory smirked and licked his finger. Alex's eye twitched — another gremlin had entered his life. Now, along with Rebecca, Rory would be making perverted jokes and trying to drag him into bed at every opportunity.
"Did you just think something dirty about me?" she asked, narrowing her eyes.
"Kind of. I thought you were a horny gremlin," Alex answered shamelessly, poking her nose with his finger and carefully removing her from his lap.
Rory didn't expect such honesty — but Alex really only wanted coffee. While he was making his morning drink, Chun-Li unexpectedly leaned against him from behind, half asleep, using him as a support.
"And for me, coffee, please… with cream, if you can," she mumbled, not even opening her eyes.
"You shouldn't have been watching that series with the others until late last night," Alex remarked, without turning around.
"At least I finally figured out what kind of 'demon banishment ritual' you were doing with Rebecca and Coco," Chun-Li said with a smirk.
"Looks like you've already blended in," he replied, then turned to Rory: "Would you like something to drink?"
"Tea, please. And a pastry," she answered with a smile, pulling on her stockings.
While Alex was making tea, one by one, the other girls started waking up, demanding coffee and tea from him. Fortunately, there were some responsible ones among them — they offered Alex a helping hand. The rest, the lazier ones, pretended to be asleep until the last moment. Alex even had to personally approach each of them and wake them up with a kiss, or else these "sleeping princesses" wouldn't have bothered getting up from the couch.
During breakfast, the girls finally woke up and started coming around.
"Alex, remind me, why do we need to stop in China?" Ada asked while sipping her coffee.
"We need to start stocking up on tools and building materials. Or do you want us to build the houses by hand back home?" Alex smirked and pinched her cheek.
"But can't you use your thing with wood and bam! — everyone has houses?" Shizuka asked, pressing her finger to her lips.
"I can, but I won't," Alex shook his head.
"Why not? Isn't it easier? Everyone will have a place to live, and no one will have to worry," Miu interjected, a slight embarrassment in her voice.
"That's so nobody relies only on Alex," Brunhild said for him. "Even if he builds the houses, they'll be made of wood. And living in them in a cold climate isn't the most pleasant experience."
"That makes sense. Then we need to make a list of what's needed for the houses," Renka nodded.
"Right, girls," Yuriko picked up, throwing a sly glance at Alex. "What if one of us gets pregnant, and we have kids? We need to think about that in advance."
After Yuriko's words, the room fell silent — all the girls stared at Alex at once. He involuntarily flinched under their intense, suggestive gazes. Mentioning children and pregnancy was like a shot, and pretending he hadn't heard it was no longer possible.
"Alright... Discuss the house layout," he said, clearly trying to shift the conversation. "I'll take care of the construction."
Like a master of confident retreat, Alex skillfully evaded the dangerous topic while the girls began discussing potential names for the children. He practically ran out of the room, as if being chased by an enraged dragon. Brunhild watched him with a smile, shook her head, and turned back to the others.
"Okay, let's come up with a plan for a normal house. No chocolate waterfalls, rotating beds, or other madness, alright?"
Meanwhile, Alex stepped out onto the deck, took out a cigarette, and lit it, taking a deep breath. He didn't deny the idea of having children — on the contrary, he understood that it could become inevitable. But with that came consequences: he needed to speed up the work, rethink the strategy, and finish off the two idiots who decided to destroy this universe. After that, he'd take the girls back to his home world, so they could safely have children without worrying about their safety.
He also knew very well how Freya would react when she found out that he had fathered a child with another girl. He knew exactly how it would end. He'd be locked in the basement with her until she got pregnant herself and then let him go. And the same situation would happen with other Goddesses who wanted to have children.
"Don't you want children?" came a monotone voice from behind.
Alex turned around and saw Shigure, who had quietly approached and was standing there, looking at him seriously.
"I do," he replied with a slight smile, placing his hand on her head. "I just... need to be sure they'll be safe. That we'll raise them in a normal, warm, and protected environment."
"Mmm... children should be safe. A parent who doesn't protect their child..." Shigure paused for a moment, "...is a bad parent."
"I agree. Shall we go? Let's warm up in the sun for a bit while we wait?" he suggested, pulling her into a gentle hug.
"Mmm... let's go," she replied softly, burying her face in his chest.
Smiling, Alex carefully lifted her by the hips and cradled her in his arms. Shigure gave a slight smile as he made his way toward the part of the ship where he felt the most at peace — the bow of the aircraft carrier, where he liked to sit, basking in the sun.
When they arrived, Shigure, like a fluffy little animal, climbed onto his shoulders and settled comfortably there. Alex wasn't in a hurry — he knew that ahead of them were the deserted cities of China, possibly with a few surviving humans... and, of course, the undead. But for now, it was a moment of peace.
He lowered Shigure onto the deck, and they sat down next to each other. Without a second thought, she laid her head in his lap. Alex began to gently stroke her hair. In response, Shigure squinted in satisfaction and, like a cat, rubbed her cheek against his thigh.
He smiled. Sometimes, even in a world full of dangers and uncertainties, one could find a place for warm silence.
To be continued...
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