22 Section 21: Newfound Companion

We spent a day doing nothing because of my illness, I'll try not to get sick next time. If I get sick, this might hinder our movements in the future. Joel has been taking care of me day and night. A few days have passed, two days more exact. The supplies in the hotel are starting to get thinner because we didn't go out for a while.

"Joel, what do we need?" I asked the man who sat next to my bed.

"We're running out of food supplies and I'm worried about the generator," he added. "I don't understand how to expand a generator life, we need someone who knows how".

That's true, we need to elaborate on our plan. This love hotel is already good enough for a base anyway. We already have what we need, but lack of manpower to defend and maintain our base. We had plenty of bedrooms for lots of people, the problem lies in me. That's right, I don't trust people that easily.

Adding manpower is great and all, but if they stabbed me from behind, I'm going to kill them.

"I'm already healthy, let's go and find some supplies" I sighed.

"Don't force yourself," Joel warned me.

"Sheesh, what is it with you? Stop being so caring to me, I'm a killer right?" I grinned sarcastically.

Joel frowned as he heard my sarcasm, he immediately shut his mouth afterward. I carried the knife with me, while Joel carried the metal bat. I glanced at his awkward figure.

"Joel, you're not using that gun you got?" I asked him.

"Ah, no," he remarked. "I want to save bullets".

He's right, using fewer guns might be the wise move for now. I'm surprised that Joel could grasp the situation better now, I thought he would go crazy with his newfound gun. We walked to our usual mini-market, where we looted for food. However, instead of food, I saw someone figure in there.

A tall man, wearing a dirty white shirt, stood in front of the mini-market as if he's confused about something.

"Hey-".

Joel wanted to greet him, thankfully enough I covered his mouth in time.

"Sssh, don't just greet anyone out of the blue like that" I growled.

Joel still couldn't figure out that human is way worse than those robots, they could torture and lie to you with no regrets, despite being a living thing. Sometimes I feel like those robots are way better than them. However, maybe it's just my inner thought.

"Not everyone can be trusted," I told him.

"So it's alright for me not to trust you?" Joel glared at me.

Joel's question somewhat astonished me, then again it's normal for him to ask that. I am a killer, someone who disregards life. I am not going to declare myself innocent, nor will I try to be stripped with guilt. I accepted what I did, the way it is. What I did was a sin that would probably haunt me for my entire life.

Then again, in a post-apocalypse city like this, anything can happen. I'm not going to stop what I'm doing just because it's immoral, it is the grey zone.

I sneaked on the confused man as Joel watched me from afar. I pulled his arm and turned him around. I threatened him with a knife on his throat, there's no smiley face on my expression that could calm the man down. The pallor man gasped as he could feel the sharpness of my knife on his throat.

"Who are you?" I snarled and threatened him.

"Wait, Aria?" the man looked at me, surprised.

He knows my name, then this man must be one of my acquaintances that I didn't remember. However, his idiotic smile, his pallor skin, and his bronze eyes made me realize who he is. He is one of Joel's friends, Adrian Steele.

"Adrian!" Joel ran to Adrian happily and immediately checked him worriedly. "You're alright? You're hurt!?".

"No, I'm fine Joel," Adrian smiled.

Joel glared at me, he seems to dislike the way I treated his friend.

"Aria, he's my friend! Put down the knife" Joel grabbed my hand.

"He's suspicious," I insisted.

"He's not! He's my friend!" Joel pushed me away from Adrian.

Joel lost his cool, more like his patience. All of a sudden he's turned violent, not the usual Joel I know. I get to see more of his bad side. Then again, who am I to talk? I can guess that I will receive this kind of treatment after I killed that innocent bystander Ellis.

"Don't kill him" he muttered silently so that I'm the only one who could hear him.

His words somewhat triggered me, I pushed Joel on the ground and sat on top of him as I pointed my knife at him.

"What do you think of me? A psychopath who kills everyone in my way!?" I snarled.

"But that's what you did!" Joel yelled angrily at me as he decided to push me back, now he's on top of me.

Seeing how we bickered like children on a street fight, Adrian decided to step in. He pulled Joel from me and calmed him down.

"Hey! Stop it, you guys! Seriously!" Adrian sighed.

He pulled us apart, trying to keep the peace. Joel crossed his arm and went behind Adrian back, angry about what I just did.

"I'm not the one who made it this way! Aria did!" Joel blamed me.

"Now you're blaming me!? You incompetent man!" I tried to approach him but Adrian stopped me from pushing that man head to the ground.

"No brawling! Please!" Adrian begged.

Joel and I keep our distances, away from each other. Adrian just stood there helplessly, not knowing why we conflict. He scratched his head and asked us with a wide smile.

"So you guys are getting chummy together, huh?" Adrian smirked. "Now, that's flash news! I gotta tell the others if I see them".

Adrian laughed as he looked at us glancing at each other in hostility.

"We're not!" Joel and I replied with a snarl.

Adrian laughed more when he saw how synced our answers are. He put his hands on both of our shoulders and smiled like a child.

"Tell me more, about you guys-".

"Like I said we're not!" I growled.

"Never!" Joel added.

Adrian's stomach growled loudly in hunger, he lowered his head maybe somewhat shy. He turned around to another direction, embarrassed with the loud sound his stomach made.

"Sorry" Adrian stuttered.

"No biggie, I can cook us some food from the mini-market, but first we need to fix that generator" Joel brows furrowed.

"Oh? Generator? I can fix it, no worries" Adrian grinned.

Wait, did we just leak the information about our base? I cursed Joel for his stupidity. However, I might do the same if it's Glass and my friends instead of him. I probably should try to believe in people more, otherwise, I wouldn't hear the end of Joel ramblings.