Maizen: Return of the Zombies

Chapter 19

When JJ woke up, he noticed something was off. Upon checking to see what it was, he noticed that Mikey was completely gone.

"Not again!" JJ instinctively started panicking, but he stopped himself. "Wait, just think for a minute. If I was Mikey, where would I go?"

Suddenly, it hit him. JJ quickly grew annoyed as he went and opened the door to the cake room, and found Mikey dousing himself with cake and cookies. As per usual.

This was seriously starting to get on his nerves. JJ was hardly able to keep his cool as he tried explaining why having snacks first thing in the morning, or midday, or whatever time it was wasn't a good thing.

"...Mikey, you need breakfast food in the morning, not this shi-"

"Huh?" Mikey got jumpscared by his presence, and fell back into the stacks and stacks of cake. This only annoyed JJ further, and he couldn't resist the urge to scold him over it.

"Do you remember the time you became fat? Do you want that to happen again? Because it looks to me like you want health problems during the middle of the zombie apocolapyse."

"Not true!" Mikey protested. "It's just that I can't resist! The cakes are so good! Plus, Spike said this was all for me, and it would be rude to waste it just because you think I'll turn fat."

"He said all that, huh?" JJ remembered how Captain Spike had convinently had all that cake, just for Mikey. What good would ever come out of someone eating that much? He'd definetely know that. "Well, what if Captain Spike wants you to get like this?"

"Why would he do that? I swear JJ, you're always so-"

"Because," JJ interuppted, refusing to have his suspicions minimized again. "Once you gain weight, you're generally weaker. The weaker you are, the easier it'll be to kill you, and the more resources he'll get from you. Have you ever read Hansel and Gretel?"

"I think so, but I kinda forgot what it was about-"

"Well, it's about a couple of complete dumbasses that fall for a witch's very obvious tricks, and almost get eaten because of it." JJ explained, subtly trying to jab at Mikey in the process. But of course, Mikey didn't notice. "And that applies to right now. I want you to actually listen to me for once, Mikey. There's something off about Captain Spike; I feel like he's going to do something bad to us. Like with him giving you all the excessive cake for exam-"

"JJ, just stop it," Mikey interuppted, sending JJ off the edge. "Feeding me cake is not a sign that he's evil. You know what? Maybe you should try being more relaxed and carefree, like me. Maybe then you wouldn't complain so much, and learn to appreciate what you have."

"Like you?" JJ had had it. He was done. The way he would so casually interuppt and act like everything he said was right, oh no, JJ had to put this guy in his place. "Oh man, if I threw all caution down the drain like you do, I wouldn't last a day. Without my common sense, you would have been dead a long time ago! It's always me that's right about everything, and yet you always act like I'm overreacting! How long will it take for you to realize that I'm never wrong?"

"Well, you're wrong right now." Mikey said, continuing to be stubborn. "All Spike is trying to do is be nice, and you're just being mean. His friends even died, and you don't care! Just try to chill out for once, and maybe then you'll realize not everything is as big of a deal as you make it out to be."

Before JJ could begin another rant, he noticed Mikey grabbing a cake, and he started shoveling it in his mouth as he waited for JJ to start talking again with a generally dissapointed look. After everything he'd just said about the cake, and this motherfucker was still ignoring him.

"I said to stop eating the damn cake!" JJ snapped, and smacking it away with such force that it came apart upon impact. "God dammit, what did I just say? Listen to what I'm saying for once!"

Mikey was geniunely suprised at first, but he then became mad at turned away from JJ. "I'm not listening to someone who's being rude. Talk to me again when you're nicer and ready to apologize."

"Apologize?" JJ repeated, not believing the gual this guy had. "I have nothing to apologize for! It's you that's being unsafe and deliberately ignoring what I'm saying! No wonder I always have to save you from everything!"

"I'm sure I'd be fine saving myself." Mikey stated blandly. "At least I wouldn't be rude to people and go on to kill them after."

JJ was apalled beyond belief. "And you're telling me to be appreciative? God dammit Mikey, do you know how many times I risked my life just for you?"

He didn't respond.

"Are you even listening?"

Still nothing.

"I can't believe I'm with someone like this!" JJ burst out. "Everything I did, and you're disregarding it all because you're mad over cake!"

"It's not the cake. It's you." Mikey finally spoke. "You're acting ridiculous. Captain Spike isn't evil, JJ. Get a grip."

"You're the one that needs a grip!" JJ shot back. "You can hardly see this guy's clear act, you can never see danger when it's right in front of you, you can hardly remember things that happened yesterday, and you can't even process your surroundings sometimes! You're a complete dumbass!"

Mikey flinched. Clearly the insult had hurt him, but he wasn't about to show weakness right now.

"You're mean, JJ."

"I guess I am."

There was nothing else to say. With that, JJ left the room to avoid sitting the thick tension that had been gathering since the arguement began.

"Mikey can have all the cake he wants," JJ thought. "I don't give a fuck anymore."

-

After a few long moments of the room being quiet, the door opened again. Mikey thought it was JJ coming back to berate him again, but instead, it was Captain Spike.

"I couldn't help but overhear your little dispute..." He began, just as Mikey started to sniffle from the emotions building up inside him. "I see both sides, but, if you don't mind me inserting my humble opinion - there was no need for such insulting on JJ's end."

Just then, Mikey started breaking down. Thankfully, Captain Spike was right there to comfort him.

"He thinks you're evil!" Mikey burst out. "He thinks that about everyone he doesn't know! It's so unfair!"

"I know, but JJ has the right not to trust me. The last time we encountered, I had nasty intentions, and we had fought with each other, which had presumably ended fatally. But despite him having a respectable opinion of me, I see no reason to insult someone for simply thinking otherwise. As much as I strive to prove myself to be a better person who has truly changed since then, I cannot force everyone to believe in me. Your friend JJ is one of those people. Perhaps it'll take time. After all, I have a feeling you two will stay long enough for it to happen."

"..."

"If it's feeling better you desire, do come with me. You can relax, and we can talk as friends do. It'll be good for you while your friend calms down."

"Sure..." Mikey said, and followed Captain Spike back to the room where he'd communicated with his friends for the last time. Once inside, he saw tons of screens. Screens that captured presumably every room in the building.

"I use these to make sure nothing goes wrong while you two are exploring." Captain Spike assured. Suddenly, he noticed JJ searching one of the rooms the security cameras were placed in.

"That's in the west wing... usually I prefer that area is not heavily searched, for it contains many private things of mine. But then again, I did say he could go anywhere he wanted. Oh well, if he finds something he doesn't like, it is what it is."

Even before Captain Spike explained what the security cameras were used for, Mikey didn't see anything wrong with them. He was just silently munching on some cookies he had previously stored with him, while Captain Spike continued to carefully observe JJ as he decended further down the west wing.

"Perhaps I should have put a restriction on that area. There are truly, very personal things down there..."