Chapter 21 Ivan’s Condition

"Yay!" Andrew jumped d kicked his feet against each other in the air and Jake squinted at him. "How did you do that?"

Finim Barboach led them to a room that held Ivan. Before the immobile bots bed was another kid who backed them. The high collared black trench coat gave nothing if his features except his boots gat were also black.

Ivan, however, looked at peace. Except that he was staring at the wall without blinking. Finim Barboach opened the door and they rushed to his side apart from Jacob and Tumunimi who walked. The former held the shoulder of the kid in the trench coat to see a familiar but scowling face.

"What happened to you?"

"Are you okay?"

*Talk to us!"

"What's wrong!'

Tumunomi Escaver noticed John but looked at Ivan after, staring at his empty eyes.

All was silent in the room but the beep of some machine they would not have known if they had not stuffed information into their heads after they had gotten the chips apparently it checked the heart rate.

Andrew was against the wall in horror but Jake had jumped over the bed to punch Jacob. Tumunimi Escaver was curious to see what the boy would do, but he did not respond. And after his initial disappointment, Jacob seemed even more of a threat

Tumunimi Escaver wanted to crush him all the more.

But it wasn't as bad as Derek. So ben if he felt a sliver of admiration for Jacob it was out of not knowing what he could do. But Derek's own was more of...

<Hey, Tumunomi Escaver>

The person in question jumped jumped back until he hit the door and for the first time in his life he was terrified.

Yeah he had crossed 10 meters like it was nothing but he had just heard a voice in his head.

In his head!

Could the chip be speaking?.

<Sorry, i wanted the effect to be stronger so held my silence.>

His eyes shrunk then snapped to Ivan.

<Yeah, it's cool isn't it?>

Everyone had turned to Tumunoni Escaver and had worry on their faces but he only peeled himself from the wall and approached Ican directly.

Looking at him up and down he spoke.

"Was the chip procedure too much for your body to handle?"

"That's what the doctor said," John spoke this time. "He was so much worse before."

It was only after he was done that Andrew jumped on John. Jake too let go of his grup on Jacob's neck and hugged John. But John felt... Way too hard. And with inhuman strength, he peeled them off like they were sheets of paper each by the neck.

"Missed you guys too."

That was too indifferent for the John they knew but still it was his face and his voice. Who else could it be?

<Guys. >

Now, Andrew squealed in fright while Jake took a fighting stance. Jacob made no surprised reactions and Tumunomi Escaver wanted to shoot the face off his head.

<i was told i might be like this forever.>

Andrew had not figured it out yet but Jake went to Ivan's sude and clutched his hand tight.

"We still love you brother."

<Love you too.>

"Yeah, you'll always be one of us." Andrew was surprised that this just came out of Tumunomi Escaver's lips but by now, he too caught on.

"Ivan... Ivan is that, you?"

<Yes, it is.>

Andrew tentatively reached out. It was tears of joy this time.

The doors opened and Jacob turned to see a doctor come in.

"Ivan! How are doing today?"

His cheery voice was meant to soothe patients but it disgusted Tumunomi Escaver. Plus, he had training to do. So, after clasping Ivans hands again, he left.

What he said had shocked even him. Was it because he had lost Derek? Why did he care? Anyways, he needed to train.

*****************************

"His rate of recovery surprised even me."

"He can't even move, what are you saying?" Jake looked at the man as if he were an idiot.

"The others... Most of them cannot even breathe without a machine. Some have half their bodies shut down. And the few that can also communicate telepathically can barely make sentences, some can't even speak words without slurring them." The doctor pointed to the patient. "He found a way to clear his mind and project his thoughts in the month he has been here. It is quite imoressive.'

Jake looked at him, "as is expected of my friend."

"even Tumunomi called him a brother, correct yourself."

Jake was taken aback by John's new frankness but he still retorted. "Not directly, he didn't."

"Yeah, but technically, he did," Andrew had been surprised at it.

<Technically. >

"Are you serious? And i punched him for you?" John pointed at Jacobe who solemnly answered with a bow thy had extreme etiquette and flourish.

"My deepest gratitude to you for blessing my cheek."

They all laughed.

*****************************

Under the same week, the batches were called out by a buzzing that rang painfully, even their dreams.

Tumunomi Escaver did his warmup, waiting for the others to shower first. When they were done, so was he and he got ready.

The 5 of them, because John had not come back to the room since, and Ivan was hospitalized - stepped out.

They were the team with the highest success rate but they also had the lowest numbers.

Jacob hoped it was not a team battle because although he could count for himself and Tumunomi, everyone available was about 3000 people. Meaning, at least, 2,904 enemies.

He did not like these odds.

He saw that while the staff were limed up against the wall directly across from their door, the batches were at he far end of the room so he decided Tumunomi Escaver in reaching there.

Their arrival had eyes on them because of their results in the first trial. These people had obviously worked extra hard not to fall behind or get ridden off.

Out of the door on their extreme right, John walked in. But instead of joining the batches, he walked straight to them.

"There is good news," Jake somewhat expected a smile on his face that almost touched his ears and full teeth shown but right now, only a ghost played on his visage. Andrew mist have felt it too because scrunched his brows.

"Ivan can be fixed."

Andrew's face bloomed like the sun, "awesome."

Jake punched Jacob's shoulder as the attacked boy smiled brightly Tumunomi Escaver kept on a straight look but he commented, "how?"