Chapter 6: The Compound - Zeus

My home was a whole compound that was approximately 300-400 meters on each side and it was enveloped by reinforced concrete that acted as its walls that were several inches thick and approximately 7 meters in height. And atop it, at certain points were CCTVs and Floodlights installed for added security.

The compound had a huge gate made of solid steel and it was divided into four parts vertically. It could only be opened from the inside and it had some weight in it.

Once it gets opened from the middle, the two inner parts could be folded inward to latch onto the outer parts and they could be folded once more so that they could hug and be secured onto the walls.

It was approximately 6 meters in height, 14 meters in width, and 4-5 inches thick, making each segment span 3.5 meters. However, the one on the furthest right was a little different because it had a small door that also opened from the inside through a locking mechanism.

This door had a small handle outside to push in with if the key you used worked on it and it also had a slit available for letters to be delivered.

With that said, before we even came to a full stop, we saw the gate being opened by Oscar and my cousin, Jared. Apparently, they knew we were right outside so they wasted no time in opening the gate for us.

And once we drove inside, Kaley and Olivia were still speechless as their eyes scanned around my property.

The first thing that they saw was the landscaping that was meticulously planned and executed properly, and even though it looked like everything was already laid out, a lot of space was still left for future projects.

"You seeing this, sis?!"

"Y-Yeah…"

Aside from that, five modern houses could be seen further in, and behind that was our backyard with a large pool that had everything needed for a picnic, a barbecue, or a meeting. Be it chairs, long benches, round or long tables, grills, etc., we have it.

The houses built in our compound looked quite similar but there were a few distinctions like an American flag planted on Oscar's house located on the left-most side or the artworks painted on the walls of the house located second to the right-most side.

With that said, we didn't even drive that close to my house which was in the middle of the five houses present since we have a parking area to the left—which was located several meters right after passing the gate—that already had a few vehicles sitting side by side: a blue sedan, a black SUV, a white minivan, and my motorcycle that was covered from top to bottom.

Furthermore, right by the corner where the left wall and the front wall meet, two boats and a jetski were mounted on the wall and covered by a large tarp, and a trailer was right below them in case we needed to bring them for a trip.

A few meters from our parking area was where our workshop was located and inside it was several tools and materials that could be used for woodworking, metalworking, etc. It looked like everything was untouched—because all of the tools and the materials available were displayed or stored neatly, but it was mostly because I'd ban anyone that uses it without cleaning after themselves.

On the other side of the compound, two structures were present. The closest one resembled a huge shed or a barn while the other one resembled a greenhouse where the surrounding walls were translucent.

They were obviously erected for taking care of animals and growing plants a certain way but we do have some trees— some of them fruit-bearing or simply just for shade, and shrubs or bushes for display, for growing flowers, or for bearing fruits, planted all around the compound. Right, one of the trees had a swing attached to it and it gave the best shade out of all the trees available.

'Home sweet home…'

Once we came to a full stop, we were parked right next to the white minivan but there was still a lot of space for a lot more vehicles that may or may not come.

After that, I just turned the engine off before hopping off the vehicle, beckoning Kaley and Olivia to follow after me. Their eyes were still wandering around the area but I went to the back of the ambulance to take care of their luggage. However, right when I placed my hand on the handle, I felt a quick strike to the back of my knees.

"Gotcha!"

'This motherfucker—'

My left knee instantly folded but I quickly twisted my body as I turned around, smiling wickedly as I threw an overhead kick at the perpetrator.

"Hey, bro— FUCK!"

The perp was none other than my cousin, Jared, but as soon as I noticed that his arms were rising up for a block, I twisted my knee to redirect my foot straight to his leg.

He wasn't able to react to the quick switch because not only was he caught off-guard by my sudden attack, his arms were obstructing his vision. My leg just sliced through the air before it landed on his leg, making him yelp out and rub his leg furiously.

"C'mon, bro! Can't you hold back, at least?! Sheesh!"

Jared was a head taller than me but I was older than him for a few years. He had an athletic body but his height made him look like he was a bit on the skinnier side. He had short black hair and a trimmed goatee, a fair complexion, and round eyes that made it look a little bit larger than usual.

The two of us just gave each other a fist bump before Oscar came in with an approving look.

"Ohoh~ still training, I see."

"When I have some free time, yeah."

Jared interjected while swinging a set of keys around his finger, "Bro, we were just about to head to Wilcon's Depot to buy building materials but we saw that ambulance coming in and Oscar said it was you. I can't believe you actually— you know what? Tell me later. Wanna come with us though?"

I looked around for a moment, "Umm, I think you guys could handle it. I'm going to have them settle here first. Where's the truck though?"

Jared glanced toward Kaley and Olivia for a short moment before he replied, "The truck? Our uncles drove them to Pulo, and they're probably hauling everything from there. They said they'll stop by the one in the Public Market too but they said to go for the farthest one first," as soon as he finished talking, he slowly walked sideways toward Kaley and Olivia with a mischievous look.

'Oh, boy...'

He spoke in a "whisper" but it was still loud enough for everyone to hear, "Hey, what's up? I'm Jared, his sane cousin. Wink once if you're being taken hostage, twice if you're not real, and thrice if you're robots sent from the future—"

I shook my head as I interjected, "Sane one, huh? You do know I could hear you, right—"

Jared cut me off with the same smile, "Hey, bro. You do know that kidnapping's a crime, right? I know we're cousins and all but if you don't bring them back where you— Ack— Wait! I'm— Ow! Oscar! Just a sec— You're choking me! How can you grab on my whole neck?!"

Oscar was already halfway to his SUV while keeping a firm grasp on Jared's neck but we could hear him grumble and complain about Jared wasting time.

"Bah! We're in a hurry and you just had to take your sweet-ass time, eh? Where the fuck is Lois?! He's supposed to close the gate for us! Right!" then Oscar shouted at the top of his lungs so we could hear him better, "Kid! I already talked to the others! They're coming but I said that you need to talk to them later! Could you close the gate for us?!"

I chuckled before I replied, "I could hear you fine earlier! Sure, I'll close the gate!"

"Alright! See you soon!"

I left Kaley and Olivia by the ambulance for a short minute and as Oscar drove outside with Jared, I began to close the gate for them. However, I saw a figure come from behind me and it was a sleepy kid in his teens, holding a piece of bread in his mouth. He just greeted me by moving his eyebrows upward before helping me with closing the gate fully.

It was my other cousin and Jared's younger brother, Lois.

He was the same height as me but our builds were completely different. Well, he wasn't scrawny or anything but let's just say he was active enough to play sports on a regular basis in his high school, but certain hobbies interfered with that. He had long and curly hair, a darker skin tone, a clear face, and he had this carefree and aloof vibe going on

"Just woke up?"

"Nope. I haven't slept yet, bro. I'm pretending that I just woke up, don't tell mom."

"Heh, sure."

"What I heard from Oscar, is it true?"

"Yeah…"

"..."

Lois just went completely silent for a moment, just looking at my face before he sighed heavily.

After that, he just made his way back to their house, giving Kaley and Olivia a small greeting when they met eyes. The two just looked at each other before letting out an amused expression and I assumed it was from Lois' behavior. I didn't put it to mind and I just beckoned them to grab a bag and follow me to my house, which was the biggest of the five.

'Now, where's Zeus—'

Right as we stepped onto my porch, a huge Golden Retriever popped out of nowhere and his tail was wagging like a propeller. I was just about to call out to him but it seemed like he wanted to give me a surprise. He never looked so happy seeing me back but I couldn't pet him because of the number of bags I had on me. He was trying to jump on me and kiss me while I was having a hard time reaching for my keys.

"Kaley, can you—"

"WOOF! WOOF! WOOF!" My good boi was too fucking excited. He was even unintentionally pushing Kaley and Olivia away from me as he circled around but that didn't matter because the two were instantly in love with my golden goofball.

"W-What's his name?!"

"Is he a boy?! C'mere doggy!"

"His name's— wait a sec. Zeus, sit!"

Right when I gave Zeus a command, Zeus instantly sat down like a good boi but his tail was still wagging nonstop. I thought I was finally able to fish out my keys from my pocket but the two suddenly pushed me aside.

'Beaten by a dog…'

"He's so cute!"

"Hi, Zeus!"

"Take a picture with me~!"

"Who's a good boy~?"

"Woof!"

"Who is it?"

"Woof!"

"Yes! It's you! Come here!"

"He's so smart!"

For some reason, hearts appeared on Kaley and Olivia's pupils as they pet Zeus nonstop, and he was just laying on the floor, kicking his foot in the air with his tongue out, visibly happy from what the two were doing to him.

I was finally able to open my door and place the bags that I was carrying inside but there were still more in the back of the ambulance so I went back to get them. Olivia stayed with Zeus but I noticed that Kaley followed me from behind.

We were quiet on the way to the vehicle but she said softly, "Hey, thank you again."

I just gave Kaley a faint smile but she gave me a sideways hug. Surprised, I ruffled her hair, getting her ponytail slightly loose. She let out a small hiss but then she pulled the tie off, letting her hair dangle once more. She was cutely pouting when she jabbed my shoulder but she went ahead and picked up a few more bags to carry.

"Doofus..."

As we walked back, the screen door from the 2nd house to the right creaked open. A little girl with long flowing hair, wearing glasses and a simple attire walked out and looked right at us, a little confused at first but her lips slowly formed a bright smile.

It was Lois and Jared's youngest sister, Aya.

"Oh! Hi, Sky! Hi, umm— pretty lady! Mom~! Sky's here! Sky's here!"

Aya waved at us briefly before going back to their house and after that, an older woman walked outside and gave us a short greeting. She looked exactly like my cousins because she was their mother and my aunt, Sharon.

"Welcome back! Haa~ Lois just walked outside then went back, never mentioning that you arrived. Good thing Aya saw you, that kid doesn't have a care in the world sometimes."

Her eyes then shifted to Kaley then she gave me the same fucking smile Jared did. Aya also came out, smiling at the two of us.

"Can't believe I'd see the day you'd take a fine woman home! Aren't you going to introduce me? Hmm?" Aunt Sharon snickered as I facepalmed.

"It's not like that! Kaley, forgive my aunt and the rest of them. My relatives are a crazy bunch. Aunt Sharon, Aya, this is Kaley, the one over there still petting Zeus is her younger sister, Olivia," and right as I introduced them, Olivia noticed and waved at my aunt and my little cousin, "Right, Kaley, Olivia, that little one is Aya and that crazy old lady is my aunt, Aunt Sharon."

Each of them gave pleasantries but it didn't take long before Aunt Sharon's face turned solemn.

"Oscar said there will be a small meeting later? Is it really happening?"

"Yeah… I hope everyone believes me now. Even so, I hope they come here safely."

Kaley gave me a look of a person wanting to ask a few questions but she stopped herself and we continued to walk back to my house. Olivia opened the door for us and I gave them a small tour.

"This first floor here is the living room and I have space here in the corner for Zeus. We could say that the living room is actually his room and he likes to watch the TV with someone accompanying him. A couple of steps here are the kitchen and the dining area. That door at the end leads to the backyard and this door right by the stairs leads to the comfort room. You could help yourself with anything in the fridge and the cabinets— Oh, we also have a pantry here where we store other food supplies."

"Oh~ Wait, where does this lead to?" Olivia pointed at the stairs heading down.

"That leads to the basement that I use as a storage area. It's bigger than it looks from here but let's go upstairs. That's where your rooms will be."

"We get separate rooms?!"

"Yeah?"

Kaley shook her head, "We got separate rooms at home, what's your— Wait, is that okay?"

I replied, "What do you mean?"

"You'll have more people coming here, right? Don't worry, we could share a room. To be honest, we almost always do that when she starts watching horror films alone. I'd be sleeping soundly and she'd just barge in unannounced."

"Hey! I thought we'd keep that a secret! W-Well, doesn't matter now, I'll let you bunk with me so I won't get lost."

Kaley just rolled her eyes and wore an amused expression as we made our way upstairs.

"The second floor is much simpler, the first door here is my room while the other two here are free spaces, obviously. You could pick from any of the two and— Oh, this door here leads to another comfort room. Upstairs is just the gym and above that is the rooftop. You'll be free to explore them later but I guess you two need to rest for a bit. So, room number 2 or number 3?"

"We'll take the one in the middle!" Olivia exclaimed.

Kaley scratched her head, "Sorry, she's just too loud sometimes. Scratch that, she always is—"

"Wha— I'm not loud! AM I?!"

"See?"

"That's okay," I chuckled and shook my head as I handed Kaley a set of keys, "Here's the key for that room and these are the keys for the front door, the back door, and the front gate. I don't want you two going outside without me but I am giving these to you just in case."

"No worries."

Olivia nudged me, "Can we check the inside now?"

"Sure. You have the keys to it, right? I'll give you a short tour so you'll know where everything's at."

"Sis—"

"I know, I know! Just a sec."

It didn't take long before Kaley opened their room and the two were once again speechless from what they saw. The room they chose wasn't exactly high-end or suite-quality but the way everything was arranged was fucking immaculate.

Their room had more than enough space for two people since it was bigger than their rooms combined.

"Okay, everything here is free to use and you could unpack in any way you want. The cabinets over there just have sheets, towels, and blankets, but the dressers are empty. Oh! The remotes for the AC and the TV are in that drawer, and the outlets are over there, there, and there, but if it's still too far, the extension cords are over here. Don't worry about using too much electricity because we run everything here on solar power."

"You weren't kidding when you said you have something better…"

"Something like that… Anyway, if you need anything, just tell me and I'll see what I can do. I'm sorry about the bathroom situation but it was done in a way so we'd have hot water on each floor. It works in the shower and in the tub but be careful turning the knobs too far."

Olivia's eyes lit up, "You have hot water?! And a tub?! Sis, did you hear that?!"

"I did, I did… I think I might need to clean myself up, I'm kinda sweaty…" Kaley was starting to get more and more embarrassed by Olivia's antics but she looked like she wanted to get in the hot tub first.

"Hey! I'm going in the tub first! I call dibs!"

"You! D'you have any idea—"

'Well, that's much better than being stressed…'

I waved them off, "The tub is big enough for you two…"

"Ah..."

"Oh..."

I got a little surprised from the way they responded, "A-Anyway, if you want to get cleaned up now, I'll just use the showers on the third floor. I'll leave you two alone for a while and I'll ask Aunt Sharon to include us for lunch. I'll just call you two when it's ready."

"O-Okay!" Olivia was already going through her things so she could soak in the tub.

"Alright, I'll leave you two—"

I was just about to leave when Kaley called out to me.

"Wait…"

"Hmm—"

"T-Thank you again…"

I thought I'd receive a handshake or a fist bump but Kaley gave me a full-on hug.

She hugged me tightly for about 10 Mississippi's and counting, and I couldn't help but get a whiff of her sweet scent. Her arms were wrapped around my torso, her chest was pressed against mine, and her head was on the side of my cheek.