Chapter 32 Phase 2 (10)

They had been out in the cold and when the boy wanted to start a fire, Tumunomi Escaver slapped him away.

"You want to let them know where we are?"

"N-no." The boy stammered, since the moment of his capture he jad not dared to eve let out a fart.

"Hmph! You better get used to the shivering."

The boy nodded in despair before he was asked a question.

"What is the situation?"

The boy did not understand what Tumunomi Escaver meant. So, he stared in silence until Jacob's team leader was about to punch him.

"What situation?"

"I was passed out, update me."

"W-we were told that the desert has two sections to it."

"And?"

"The first was the trial of weather. As we go in, the elements will get harsher and harsher."

"The 2nd part?"

"Oh, one side is to find bases and the other is to successfully raid them."

"What else?"

"The voice said something about instruments."

"Instruments or weapons?"

"Instruments."

"Okay?"

"It said instruments that could help us almost instantly win are laying here to be discovered."

Tumunomi Escaver frowned, and hoped Jacob was alright. As long as he had woken up, he had not heard anything about any of them getting eliminated. He hoped they had ket with each other, though.

Or, had they even made it into this Phase?

Tumunomi Escaver let his mind wonder as the other boy shivered

Instruments…

Jacob had been able to make it through the light. He and andrew both. They had jumped at the last minute and entered the final phase.

"Do you think our team leader made it too?" Andrew stood up and stretched his legs.

"Heh, I don't doubt that. Not even the slightest bit."

"True dat."

All around them was sand and with no coordinates or other person. It was almost as if they had jumped at a similar scenario but ended up in different places.

But ideally, they should have been separated.

Was this the power of space?

Jacob was so much into wondering that he did not notice Andrew wander away.

By the time he came to he looked for a dune and found the boy chasing trails of RestorativeBalms and CavityBracelets.

"What, is that guy do-"

Out from where Andrew was about to step next, a depression appeared and someone jumped out of it.

Jacob almost instantly lay flat on his belly.

"Wait, could it also be that time too that was messed with?"

Then, he saw the boy look around and tap his arm, camouflaging into his srroundings.

Jacob had the mjnd to toss a Shockwave Bomb in that direction but what will happen to Andrew?

Wait…

Reaching into his CavityBracelet he threw the explosive orb at Andrew's general direction and watched something that was supposed to be sand, suddenly stand up and start running.

No, it wasn't running at all. It was dragging an unconscious body and waving a ProjectileGun around.

Damn Andrew…

…

John and Jake had gor in and long been hiding by the dunes. In fact, as soon as they had touched the sands, someone was hurled their way and John got a few more points after forcing his eviction.

Jake smiled and spoke to him.

"We are invincible aren't we?"

"Don't let your guard down."

"I don't understand," the boy shrugged. "Everywhere we have been we have conquered."

"It's just been one phase of the same trial. Keep your head up."

He missed the old John and sighed, maybe the additions were useful but they made him feel like a stranger.

He admitted to himself that power was a beautiful thing but at what price?

Shakung his head he spoke again.

"How long do you think until we find Tumunomi Escaver."

John paused, actually doing the calculations in his head. "1 in 498 chances."

Jake looked up.

"If you don't count the both of us then you have 498 other people. So, yeah."

"Not only your mind was destroyed but your personality."

"It was not exactly my choice."

"I know, but like you feel more robot than man."

"I am both."

No one spoke for a while.

"Well, I'm glad I survived."

"I am glad that you did."

…

In Tumunomin Escavers' hands was a map. It showed a blinking dot and s few explored areas. The G.P.SExploration map was more than useful.

It had followed Patrick's movement, all the way to only reveal places where he and his team had been.

How many days had been gone for?

"What day is this?"

The other boy shrugged, "I don't know."

Tumunomk Escaver hissed through his teeth and stared hard.

"What are these markers?"

"Those are approximate locations of other bases."

At the back of Tumunomi Escaver's mind, he was happy for a lot of hings that Derek had shown him. For instance, this made him feel like he was in some movie.

He would pass through each of these bases, hopefully getting his teammates along the way.

Something came to his mind and he voices it.

"How do you guys communicate?"

"Oh PagerIntercoms were shaed among squad leaders."

Tumunomi Escaver paused. "You mean the guy who I made transparent."

The oher boy shivered and nodded

"So, it is possible to get another one by simply finding a Squad Leader?"

The boy did not like the direction of the questioning, but he did ot also dare voice his opinion. "Of course."

"Can you lead me to one."

He stammered then found an excuse "They would know.

"How?"

The boy could not answer.

"Do they do shifts?"

He also did not answer

"Lile, do they hav times when people watch and times when the people watching first switch out with people wat hing out later?"

"Oh, yeah."

"Then, you don't need to worry."

He smiled sheepishly and tears cane to his eyes.

Why was he stuck with this mad man?

…

Jacob watched a fire in the middle of broken down walls and an open roof that might have once been a good house.

Watches had been assigned and it was obvious that whoever headed this team had a chip in their skulls.

But hus focus was on one of the teams as Andrew had been bundled up. And this did not make sense because ending hkm would gain them points.

Which meant that, this person intended to speak with Tumunomi Escaver.

Anyways, Jacob crawled around using the walls to his advantage and jumped to their midst as he threw sand to the fire. And with vision suddenly gutted out, he targeted the back of their necks. They passed put instantly but anyone who had bee noticing would have called out by now.

"ALARM!"

BOOM!

Throwing a ShockwaveBomb, Jacob aimed the opposite direction and got their attentions by adding in a few more Flashbang Grenades and shots from a stolen Projectile Gun from the previous phase.

BOOM!

BOOM!

"INTRUDER"

Jacob had looked at the knocked out faces and their team did not ring a bell to his memory at all.

But he quickly ducked sbd looked at Andrew's position that was now more guarded, eve though the weapons were beng pointed away from his position.

He sighed and then tossed it directly at Andrew who jad been bundled like a worm, but leapt to his feet in amole reaction time and used his scalp to send it higher into the air.

BOOM!

They kids watching him scattered at first but pointed back to him before crouching low and scanning around with laser dots.

Jacob had already met the farthest and sent him into good sleep. Then changing clothes, he acted like them and searched about fir a while until they all huddled together again to guard their hostage.

When no one saw, Timunomi Escaver hurled all the Shockwave Bombs where he saw gathered groups he had in one direction and cut the ropes holding Andrew in the next breath.

By the time Andrew hsd realised he was free, Jacob was kicking him forward. And by the time he was running, bullets trailed after them

…

They had woken early that night, which had been horrible for Patrick because he had not been able to sleep in the cold. Back at camp, they had even gotten blankets.

Anyways, he was now up early and following Tumunomi Escaver who was so unbothered by the chace he escape that he onew he would be shot the instant he tried.

Seconds dragged on and they crawled into minutes where they crouched at every sound and surprisingly did not attack anyone who passed by.

Minutes became hours and even Patrick was surprised that there was till no rising sun.

Overall though, they had succeeded in getting closer and closer.

Eventually they reached a camp with open walls and roofs that resembled an after-war scene. Watches stood in different batches.

But what got Tumunomi Escaver was the fact that they kept shouting a name he found familiar.

The first was Jacob

And the second was Andrew.

Apparently, chaos had been caused and hat was made their movement so easy. So, they headed deep into the camo as Tumunomu Escaver cursed about how he had missed them.

Crawl, stand, crouch, roll.

Wall, sand, roof, dune.

When they saw the most complete building around, Tumunomi Escaver stayed far away so that the 8 groups of people posted in 8 cardinal directions from the incomplete building.

"You had one job, just one job!"

"Sorry, sir Jeon I really woke up wth pain ringing at the back of my skull."

Someone tsked and then fell silent.

"They are pretty good anyway so you would not get shot." The boy let a aigh of relief and sank to his knees, bowing in gratitude. "The only way to catch their attention now would be to go out in style and force a surrender."

He did not seem to be talking to the boy with a bowed head. Maybe to himself?

Either way, Tumunomi Escaver did not need to see his face, he only threw Shockwave Bombs in one direction as he opened fre in another.

BOOM!

"Man the turret! Man the turret!"

BOOM!

They have not left, yet!"

BOOM!

"Search the premises, capture alive I repeat, capture alive!"

BOOM!

"Gwen, Julio and Fin on me!"

BOOM!

Jason's voice was getting away, so Tumunomu Escaver had to scale over the dune they were hiding behind.

"Patrick, I am going to come back here and find you with a PagerIntercom, do hear me!??"

Coruching and shaking, he nodded before Tumunomi Escaver jumped over the dune.