HOTD: A New Dawn

In the meantime, Tysone's request to find special people turned out to be a bust. A complete bust, at that. There wasn't a single trace of anyone noteworthy. Not even a damn shadow. 

Saya and Mai had been on the lookout for months, but came up empty-handed. 

Everyone was as normal as they could be. Tysone didn't know if that was good news or not, after all it meant that there were likely to be less threats than he initially believed, but also less potential allies. Which meant he'd probably be on his own against Black Label or anyone that decided to stand in his way.

Saya and Mai were the only two characters he could fully trust. And it wasn't only because he had reason to believe those two harbored romantic interest towards him, but also due to how much time they spent together and the impact they had on each other's lives. 

To be fair, there was another person who had an impact on his life. Though, in this case, the connotation behind it was a negative one. 

Tysone yanked open the curtains. Outside, a shadow scrambled behind a streetlamp, like it had just been caught stealing cookies. The figure, looking like a half-hearted ripoff of Detective Conan's shady silhouette, darted around nervously, checking over its shoulder like it thought it was invisible.

Tysone saw it.

Or her.

Miku Yuuki.

'I should have expected this to happen.'

The last time he met her, or ran into her, or had that bizarre interaction where he threatened her for good reasons, was around a year ago. That had been their last contact and their last words together. Or so he believed, given that she wasn't the sort of person he'd easily forget.

She had been stalking him for a while.

Oh, he knew.

Of course, he knew.

Miku wasn't exactly subtle. But, she was sly and crafty in ways that did make her impossible to detect sometimes. Or perhaps that was due to him not taking her seriously.

To him, she had little importance to his life. 

As freaky as she was, Tysone wasn't scared. If all it took for him to be intimidated was a horny high-schooler with more boobs than brain, then he might as well get oiled up and offer himself to the zombies.

The thought made him shudder.

He pulled the curtains closed. 

Not even five minutes later, the rumbling of thunder followed by rain hammered onto his roof.

His smile was bitter.

'Of course.'

Why not add some cliches in.

Tysone headed back to his computer station to continue working. He had an USB drive plugged in, and he used it to download as much information as he could. When the apocalypse eventually wrecked the progress mankind made, he hoped that it would one day help rebuild what would be lost.

When the dawn of the apocalypse finally comes, Tysone would take whatever data or information he deemed valuable from the network and secure it on various devices. Even physical forms, though there was an obvious limitation, like storage and power, of what could be done in terms of carrying physical material around.

He focused on programs that have a vital role in the medical field, particularly antivirals and cancer treatments, as well as neurochemistry. He focused mostly on the newest data or findings of promising research. He didn't ignore the classics as he gathered those as well, the understanding of disease processes and mechanisms from centuries back will probably have a huge role in the apocalypse's future.

And not only. Anything from satellite imaging data to wildlife biology to ecology could be critical.

The problem was that there was literally too much for him to look out for, so he made sure to at least have the essentials covered.

Once the download was finished, Tysone unplugged the USB from his laptop, scribbled the word 'Medicine' on it, and stashed it away in his drawer, among a huge pile of other USBs of different shapes and colors, which also read different words, such as 'Chemistry', 'Economy', 'Marketing', 'Manufacturing', among many others. 

It was something he had been working on for a while. 

Hundreds of USB sticks filled with knowledge. 

"These will be our treasure."

Besides that, he also had been collecting anything electronic. 

Cell phones, batteries, tablets, solar panels, phones, mics, wires, flashlights. He had basically put the whole electronic aisle from an electronics and furniture store in one of his spare rooms. He'd been having fun dismantling them and understanding their parts.

He bought a tool kit and learned how to deconstruct a phone, as well as how to open a camera. He was nowhere close to being an expert, but even being a curious beginner was more than enough in an apocalypse world—he'd surrounded himself with people that were skilled in areas he wasn't.

Outside, the weather was getting worse and worse. The sound of water tapping against the windows grew stronger, as did the rumbling of distant thunder. In all of this, Tysone grew quite curious. "Hmm." It was an idle curiosity, really.

He got up from his chair and walked up to the window. He moved the curtains aside, and below the downpour of rain and lightning, a huddled figure pressed against the pole of the streetlamp.

'Miku.' Tysone could just faintly see the color of her hair. She looked up at him, shivering.

"..."

Tysone snapped the curtains shut, sighing. "That crazy girl..." He turned around, and hesitated for a moment. Imagine if she stood there all night, sopping wet and miserable. Could he even have a peaceful life like this?

"Well, let's have a nice little talk. Shall we?" He murmured as he went to grab his coat. "Though, I think a blanket might be necessary first."

He hated how she followed him everywhere. It made him feel like she might attempt something more sinister if left unchecked, though he couldn't deny that a side of him enjoyed this kind of sick devotion. It made him feel superior and appreciated in some twisted, deranged sort of way.

Tysone opened his wardrobe and rummaged through, before eventually finding a light blanket. Then he strode through his flat until he reached the main entrance.

The moment he swung the door open, the wind blasted his face with a rush of chilly, humid air, and thunder crashed loudly outside.

She stood under the faint halo of the streetlamp.

He walked up to her, his shoes squelching on the pavement. "You're a dumb bitch." He said, not a hint of pity in his tone. 

And she smiled, as if she found it more of a compliment than an insult. "You came."

Tysone wrapped the blanket around her, and she eagerly clung onto it. Though, with this much rain, the blanket might not have provided her much warmth. But at least her shivering ceased somewhat. "Yeah... isn't this what you wanted?" He sniped.

She shrunk underneath the blanket, wrapping tightly around her. "Hm-hm."

He put his hand on the small of her back and hurriedly guided her towards his apartment.

"Are you kidnapping me, oji-san?" She joked.

"Call me that again and I'm leaving your sorry ass here."

Miku chuckled, pressing against him. "Don't worry, I can handle this kind of cold."

"No one's worried about your safety." He replied, not wanting to look at her. This close to him, he could still feel the overwhelming smell of her soap.

She laughed softly. "Right."

It didn't take too long to reach his door. He rushed inside the flat, almost dragging Miku along with him. He then wasted no time in tossing her in a room. "Stay here." He ordered as he went to grab a few towels.

When he returned to where she stood, her hair dripping water on the floor and leaving a small puddle under her bare feet, she grinned widely. "There are no beds or anything else in this room."

"You should use the bathroom to change." He replied curtly, handing her one towel.

"Change?" Miku inquired, tilting her head slightly.

"Or take a warm bath." He elaborated. "Dry up first though, so you don't cause further messes. Also, there's a brush by the sink. You look a frightful mess."

She giggled.

"I like this caring side of you, Mr. Cold, Dark, and Handsome."

She looked at him expectantly, but the look on his face only grew colder. Miku nodded slowly, turning away from him and disappearing behind the bathroom door.

Tysone paced slowly around, listening to the sound of water gushing from the shower. A spur of the moment decision now had a new guest in his house. A troublesome one at that too.

But he wanted to talk to her, to set the record straight, at least. This shit couldn't go on anymore. It was unhealthy for her, and downright annoying for him.

With a sigh, he sat down on a nearby chair. If that woman came out of that door not dressed appropriately, it meant she wasn't taking him seriously. And if that was the case, he'd kick her out right away. 

A moment of kindness didn't translate into him being a doormat for her to step on.

Author's Note:

If you're enjoying the story and want to read ahead or support my work, you can check out my P@treon at [email protected]/LordCampione. But don't worry—all chapters will eventually be public. Just being here and reading means the world to me. Thank you for your time and support.