MTLNOVEL Chapter 7: 7. We come in peace
(A few hours earlier)
Inside a condom factory, Gerald sat cross-legged atop a dusty box labeled Latex XL – Tactical Grade, sipping tea with the calmness of a monk. A book was open in his hand, and behind him, a few scrappy-looking men cleaned their firearms, each minding his own business. The vast, echoing space held a certain stillness—until that stillness shattered.
"GERALD!!"
The voice was a thunderclap. The kind that made you flinch, even if all he wanted was the salt.
Gerald didn't respond. He simply let out a long, weary sigh.
"GERALD!!" It came again, closer this time—like an avalanche approaching on foot.
He swiveled lazily to face the voice. "I'm here, Commander. There's no need to scream," he muttered.
Akira Fuji appeared, stomping in like a one-man parade. Towering at 6'2", bald, and wrapped in a dusty, patched-up military coat that had clearly lost a war with fashion. He adjusted his oversized glasses—glasses that begged for a cooler owner—and stroked his dramatic, villain-grade mustache with pride.
"Oh, there you are," he said with flair. "I was worried you'd vanished. Like... hope for mankind."
He began pacing with theatrical grace, mismatched boots thudding on tile. He glanced around at his men, struck a tragic pose, and sighed.
"This stillness—it makes me itchy. Like we're sexy, rugged, lonely ducks." His shoulders rolled like he'd just been possessed by the ghost of a Shakespearean actor.
"We've been here a week, sir," one of the men offered helpfully.
"GERALD!!"
"Yes, sir."
"Oh, never mind. ATTENTION!"
Everyone snapped awkwardly to attention. They weren't soldiers, not really—but Akira, self-proclaimed leader of the Scavengers, insisted on treating them like one.
"Men! Brothers! My beautiful, tragically handsome warriors!" he bellowed. "It has come to my attention that our squad… is missing a vital element in the battlefield of life: ladies."
Murmurs rippled through the group.
"That bastard Darren's hoarded them all and either turned them into his personal harem of servants or got the ones he found ugly murdered! As I'm speaking right now, this town is running out of females! While we are… stuck in a condom factory… with no women to use them on!. That's not just sad. That's strategic imbalance!"
He coughed, dramatically, then carried on.
"Don't get me wrong—I love all of you. Platonically. Mostly. But a base full of condoms and zero romance? It's like a love song with no melody! We must act, men! You must hunt women! And bring them back—not as trophies, but as equals, partners, hope-bearers!"
He pointed to Gerald, then Tony. "You two! Go forth, and bring women here!"
Then he grabbed a box of condoms and threw it at Gerald.
"If you meet a woman—show her these! She'll know we come in peace… and preparedness."
Gerald caught it with a deadpan face. "This is ridiculous."
"You mean ridiculously romantic! Now go, warriors! Bring us hope!"
With a long-suffering sigh, Gerald got up. Tony followed as they set out into the desolate city.
A few streets away, they spotted Elena, cornered by a group of thugs who seemed to be trying to rape her.
Without hesitation, Gerald and Tony jumped in to fight the attackers quickly.
Once the dust settled, they approached the terrified girl with what they believed were warm smiles.
But Elena didn't see warmth. She saw two strange men. One holding a box of condoms.
Gerald stepped forward, stretched his hand to her with a box of condoms like it was a peace treaty, and said, "Sorry, little miss… we come in peace."
Elena screamed and took off like a startled gazelle, sprinting toward the hospital building she had came to.
Gerald just sighed again, hands on hips.
"What do we do, sir?" Tony asked.
"Don't know."
"Chase her?"
"She'll run thinking we're bad guys."
"Don't chase her?"
"She'll still run."
He exhaled slowly. "Let's just catch her by force. Talking clearly isn't working."
Tony grinned. "On it."
Inside the hospital, Elena scoured every room for supplies, frustration mounting with every empty cabinet. Her heart raced. She knew they were behind her, but she had to at least find an insulin. At the very least, pain killers for Suzune.
But then, Tony found her.
As soon as he got inside, she quickly grabbed a plank that was on the floor and pointed it at him. "Stay back or I'll knock your teeth out!"
Tears were streaming down her face. All she could think about were the condoms. Were they here to have their way with her using condoms? The thought that these men could take her virginity made her joints weak.
Tony raised his hands, seeing how she was shaking in fear. "Easy. We don't mean harm. Our boss just wants to talk."
His eyes scanned the wrecked room. "You looking for meds?"
"That's none of your business!"
He sighed. "We've got everything at our base. We literally cleaned this hospital of every medication it had. Come with us. You might get what you need."
He stepped forward.
"I said stay BACK!" she screamed, hitting the wall behind her.
And then, Gerald finally walked in, cradling his forehead.
"What's taking so long? Just grab her so we can leave. I don't need the boss yelling my name again like I'm his lost puppy."
"I'm on it!" Tony lunged.
Elena swung her plank, but he caught the plank mid-air, twisted it from her grip, tackled her down, tied her up, and slung her over his shoulder like a sack of potatoes. She had tried fighting, but not only was she weak, but her strength was fading too, thanks to days of not eating anything.
"We should go." Tony said.
"Finally," Gerald muttered. "Maybe now I can stop making tea for that loud lunatic we call our commander!."
"I doubt it," Tony chuckled.
And just like that, the two gentlemen marched back toward their base—with a screaming woman, a box of condoms, and a mission successfully accomplished.
TBC