(Part 9)

Pulling Alan back from his shoulders, a playful voice barged his ears, "Found you~ hehe."

The voice a lot familiar to him, Alan collected his thoughts as sweat dripped his face.

"Come on now Ezekiel. You'll knock him out like that." Feng cautioned heading over beside Heber, Ryan, Adam and Azazel.

"Haha, I was just playing around. Don't take it seriously. Moreover, a world ranker like him won't be knocked out just like that, right Alan?" Ezekiel probed standing up.

"Whatever it is Ezekiel, it's still a bad habit. Don't do it again. One day you might even kill me while playing around." Heber rolled his eyes.

"Hey, Alan. We are here. Are you alright?" Adam asked beside Ryan who waved his hand before his eyes.

Not receiving a response for a while Azazel gasped assuming, "Don't tell me he really fainted?!"

"Hun? I don't think he fainted though..." Ezekiel replied.

All of a sudden Alan turning around snapped. "Are you out of your minds or something, you brats?!" he shrieked. Irritated and shaken at the same time his voice echoed throughout the tunnel.

The six of them wide-eyed and silent stared.

After a moment of complete silence, Ezekiel grinned, "See, I told you. He is all fine and kicking. Nothing to worry about."

Hearing his comment Alan gritted his teeth in disbelief while the others stared at him unamused.

"I seriously think it's the opposite, Ezekiel." Azazel whispered gulping.

"You brat, what do you mean by fine and kicking hun? Are you seriously planning to kill me something?!" Alan asked back in disbelief.

The six of them blinking at each other questioned instead, "Don't tell me we freaked you out?!"

"A world ranker?!" Heber added.

Shock and surprise casing their voices Alan smacked his forehead.

"Freaked out?! Moreover, it has got nothing to do with being a world ranker or not! Believe me, if I were to scare Rauf like that even he would be dead!" he claimed furious.

However, the six of them on the contrary smirked. "Haha! So that's how we can kill him hun? How great, it's like killing two birds with a single stone. We don't even have to do anything. I'll definitely try this method out!" Ezekiel schemed as the rest nodded.

"Yeah, count me in." Ryan exclaimed.

"Yeah! And, me too. I earnestly hate his guts." Adam added.

"I humbly suggest you do not! He would definitely blow your heads off with his bat." Alan interrupted advising instead.

Taking a deep breath, he shook his head. "Keeping all those jokes aside. What are you all doing here…?" he questioned curious. Eyeing them one by one an immediate realization hit him he added, "Moreover, it's the freshmen and the sophomores."

The six of them nodding back smiled. "You going in the tunnel bugged us a lot. So we followed. How's that? We are great right?" Heber asked tugging his arm over his shoulder who in turn rolled his eyes.

"Yeah, great." Alan responded sarcastic. Picking his gear bag up he walked forward, "I bet all your captains… oh no! Correct me, your holy highnesses are going to issue me an execution verdict thanks to you all running away."  Kenzo's deadly figure hovering his mind, Alan exhaled in disbelief.

"Pft! Haha!" Feng chuckled, "Don't worry, we didn't run away. We came here after taking permission."

Alan relieved after hearing him furrowed his brows. Azazel on the contrary pulled his phone out lighting the tunnel up.

"You still have charging left in it?" Ryan asked amazed.

"Yeah, I was using it with the battery saver mode on, so it might give me two more hours of life." Azazel replied relieved.

"Dear little Alan, We were afraid you might get into trouble, so we! Who have great hearts, followed you to help you out." Ezekiel declared proudly as Ryan and Azazel exhaled speechless.

"Yeah, first killing me and then exaggerating… I bet I am in twice the trouble now thanks to all your appearances." Alan thought on the contrary. 

"So Alan, do you know where it might lead out to? This tunnel I mean?" Adam asked, nibbling the banana he saved since their walk.

Alan shaking his head replied, "God knows, never once in my life have I ever been to this place. So, it's just like a research tour. If the opening leads to a really different place, then we are heading back. This was my initial plan."

"Ah, so that was it…" Ryan murmured. Alan seeing him reassured questioned back, "Or what else did you thought?"

Feng smirking continued, "Oh, we thought you were running away. Pretty right?"

Alan's expression turning sullen and pissed he responded, "Right, I salute your reasoning's you little mischiefs. If I had to run away I wouldn't have even thought of coming here to save your buts in the first place."

"Hm… you're right." Azazel replied pondering over.

"Tch. you little punks…" Alan jinxed rolling his eyes while they chuckled at each other awkwardly.

Walking after a while, the six of them including Alan stood at a dead end. Amid a round space three path diverged into three different routes. Looking around they all stared at the paths and back at each other with unamused.

"Seriously wow… just wow…" Feng commented.

Alan smacked his forehead in disbelief. Not thinking for even a single second more he turned around, "Forget it, we are leaving. Let's go back."

"Whoa, whoa, whoa, wait just a minute. We came all the way here just to go back? Now that's not cool. How about we check it out completely if did we come here wasting all our energy?" Ezekiel suggested.

Alan eyed him discontented. "I don't want to." smacking the answer right back on his face.

"Neither, do I have the energy nor the time too. We are heading back. And, if you don't want to just stay here." he went back.

Azazel full of curiosity peeked inside the tunnel further towards the left said, "Who knows, we might find a short cut or something? I bet we try it out once. It might waste sometime but the results won't be futile." 

"Hm!" Ryan nodded. Adam clinging on his back too agreed.

"Yeah, let's check it out one by one Alan." Heber urged.

Alan stood stern.

"Come on now, pretty please. We came too far all the way here. Let's not just go back empty handed." Feng added.

Azazel beside him murmured, "Yeah… I think we should try it out once because something tells me… we'll find something really useful."

Alan hearing him blinked his eyes. Finally giving up and walking back towards the first path, he rubbed two agate stones in hands creating a nimble fire. "Alright, just as you say. And, Azazel… let's see if your hunch is right." he said, "However, the moment I see we are heading down the track. We'll head back. Got it?"

The six of them nodding swung into action, "Got it!"

Half of them waiting outside with the rest exploring different paths alongside Alan, the seven of them tried to figure a way out.

(International Cricket Training Camp of Pakistan for Juveniles [Stadium 1])

Sweat dripping their foreheads and hearts thumping wildly in their chests, the middle schoolers panted on their batting field.

Rauf stood with his arms crossed, his expression grim staring at the ground ceaselessly. "8 overs and 8 outs… with 41 runs made at most. 2 more overs or 2 more outs and the game is concluded. To think this would be their highest progress made in a whole month…?" he thought sighing helplessly, "Though their abilities might be surprising however, their resistance is unrealistic. All highschoolers can easily defend their every single attack making them vulnerable."

"So what they lack are not skills but a leader. Just by a single glance, they seem distorted and confused. So at this point… what will they do?" he continued to think curious. 

"Wow, they sure a holding their guards well." Noah smiled patting Isa's shoulder who nodded.

Ren standing at the gully point smirked. "Surely, this one is going out as well~" he pressured.

Damian standing on the batting crease panted thinking, "And, two more overs to go now. Our current target is extremely low, even lower than average while Theo is at his limits as well due to Aaron's confusing balling. Since, his over is now ending we might get a breath of relief and pull our target to 50 or above…"

"Up until now Orion's balling has injured 2 players of ours while Ren's professional play left the other batsman disordered beside Kazuna who was challenging since the very beginning. Who knows who will take the balling line next?" he thought restless.

"Zachariah!" Orion called out passing the ball over to him.

Hearing his name Theo and Damian both stood stunned.

Grasping the thrown ball, Zach eyed it silent.

"He- He- He… is coming?!" Aryan gulped baffled while the other middle schoolers resting in the pavilion froze.