Chapter 20 Papi

"Listen, Miss Diaz, can we play cat and mouse later? I just need to see your plants before they die, please?" I asked, and Sofia frowned at me but nodded.

"Follow me. I can see you mean business about the plants, but do you really think they are that important?" Sofia asked as I walked beside her.

She was no longer wearing her parka. Instead, a pair of thick black leggings rose just past her knees. Sofia also had on a brown flannel skirt and a gray knitted sweater with a white overcoat over top of it all.

"Yes, they are a key to our survival. Right now, I have the trees in the area growing up slowly to make a massive hundred-foot-tall tree. I have already made one that I am moving people into," I explained, and Sofia tried to stop in shock, but I dragged her forward by the shoulder of the coat, saying, "Stop getting distracted."

"It's hard when you say such wild, crazy and unbelievable things like this, Papi! You are making my heart flutter if what you say is true! I have spent my whole life trying to figure out the secrets of plants and the energy that they seem to have, just like some humans!" Sofia exclaimed as I dragged her behind me, not seeming to care that I was manhandling her.

"I might have to ask you to come work over with me if you would like. I would be interested in bouncing ideas back and forth with you about it," I said, and suddenly, Sofia broke from my grip and was standing in front of me abnormally fast.

"Do you really mean that? I could live at the top of the big tree on the far side of the city?! That was really you that made that?! Oh, baby, please let me; I want nothing more than to do that exact thing! I will even let you have a try on my luscious body!" Sofia said, pushing her chest into me, rubbing the front of my pants.

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Top tier service, and she was pretty, but I only needed this one's brains; the rest look like it came with a dump truck filled with problems. I have enough pretty girls already!

"No, thank you, I just need you to stop messing around and take me to the plants. I think you are pretty, but I have three, possibly four women in my life already. I need your brains, not your curvy body," I said but realized after that I really hadn't helped myself at all.

"Oh, you are already building a harem in the apocalypse? So quick! That means another one won't hurt, right, Papi?" Sofia asked and then reached into her bra to pull out a key.

"Is this the place?" I asked, and Sofia nodded but scowled at me.

"You are not very good at answering questions, aye Papi?" Sofia asked as she opened a locked door, and I shrugged.

"Maybe you just aren't asking the right ones. Now, give me some time with these, and then you and I will get going to deal with the last problem on my list, mostly," I said, thinking about how I was going to feed everyone and get water to them, but hopefully, Sofia would help with that.

"Fine, I will wait out here, so I don't bother you, but don't you go leaving me here! It's not safe for a delicious lady such as myself to hang around here without someone big and strong like you, okay, Papi?" Sofia told me, and I nodded as I went inside.

I would not be leaving an expert in theoretical plant science or whatever she did. While she seemed like a firecracker, I could tell that she wasn't stupid.

The lab was very small and dark, but the plants that were in here were still alive, thankfully.

[Look at you going with hotties just falling into your lap! Good gravy, you are quite the chick magnet with your tough and brooding look!]

"Are you talking or scanning?" I asked, crossing my arms.

Of course, I was brooding! I had so much going on in my damn head right now and hardly a minute to catch up.

There were people that would probably freeze to death tonight, but there was nothing that I could do about that. People were soon going to turn animalistic and start going in pace to hunt and steal other people's food and water.

Things all just happened so fast that there was no way to react. Warmer places would be better, but with villains all over the globe, it really didn't matter where you were.

[Scans of 10 new plants are complete.]

[Growth spurt activated!]

My body started to glow, and then I slightly filled out more, but not much. Then the light faded, but I could feel the trees outside surge up around me.

Screams, cheers, and cries rang out through the hospital, but suddenly I heard Sofia yelling.

"Let go of me, you monster!" Sofia cried, and I ran out of the room to find a massive man that looked like a biker grabbing her hand.

"Stop, and I'll let you live. She is with me," I said, and the big guy laughed at me.

"What are you gonna do about it, little runt?" The man asked me, and I walked over calmly and then drove my fist into his sternum.

My punch pushed him back, but this was a big guy, but I would grow. Thankfully it made him let go of Sofia, and I pointed at the lab.

"Get in there and lock the door; I'll be fine," I ordered, and Sofia ran without a word.

The big guy watched her and then laughed as the door closed. He turned to me, rubbing where I hit him with a grin.

"That tickled, and that door won't stop me. The world is falling apart, and nothing can stop me now! But first, I am going to kick the shit out of you to the last breath of your life. Then I'll make you watch me and your lady have some fun," The man growled, and I rolled my eyes.

"Shut the fuck up and come fight me, bitch!"