Chapter 37 Mecha Testing and Mecha Co-op

Tumunomi Escaver was moving slower than usual so Jacob threw a bubble of Ink towards him and cooled down his systems as he planned to give the Spider Mecha Soldier to Andrew.

"HOW WILL THE SPLITTING BE DECIDED?"

Jacob's Octopus Mecha Soldier announced at Iri's Insect Mecha Soldier.

"HAVE YOUR PEOPLE COME OUT AND WILL HAVE MINE DO THE SAME, THEN WE WILL BOTH WORK IT."

"I AM NOT COMFORTABLE HEARING THAT."

"WHY?"

"YOU MIGHT HAVE A LOT ON YOUR SIDE BUT I ONLY HAVE ONE MORE COMPANION."

"FINE I WILL ONLY SEND 10 OF MY PEOPLE."

"DON'T WORRY ABOUT IT.'

"…9 THEN."

"MAKE IT 4 OR 3."

Iri did not reply.

"THERE IS NO TRUST, YET YOU OLAN TO DIVIDE UP MY SPOILS? ARE YOU NOT ARROGANT AND IGNORANT!!?"

"YOU ARE SURROUNDED ON ALL SIDES"

Tumunomi Escaver looked from within the bubble to Iri's approximate location and spoke back.

"IGNORANCE BECAUSE YOU TRUST BLINDLY."

"WELL YOU WILL BE TAKEN DOWN."

"ARROGANT," he was looking at Jacob's Octopus Mecha Soldier, "BECAUSE YOU I ASSUME YOU HAE THE UPPER HAND!"

The Octopus Mecha Soldier laughed, "AND JUST WHAT CAN YOU DO IN YOUR STATE?"

Tumunomi Escaver had been struggling to move all this while. Instead of jumping from the get-go lile when he had been trapped before, now he crawled till he was sure he felt an edge.

Then, he launched a fully powered jumped.

The beam intended to hit him from Iri's almost instantaneous reaction crashed upon the black in of a bubble. And while the bubble had been popped and splattered, it did not burn to nothingness and instead showed a flame that resembled lava because it also seemed to be liquid.

It was like the ink and the flame had met to evolve.

Tumunomi Escaver did not keep his eyes on that as he launched another fully powered jump and was told by the Mecha Soldier's system that he could do only 2 more in a short time.

Black ink missed his mechanical bulk by imches as he crashed into the Octopus Mecha Soldiers head. Then, he began a fully powered roll, only succeeding in a tangle of 16 tentacles against 8 legs.

"HOW'S THAT?"

Sparks began to spray as the Octopos Mecha Soldier's legs became entwined an then bundled. So, Jacob swung out the tentacles as one and began whirling it above his head until it began spending kike a helicopters blades.

And Iri did not know if this action by Jacob was intentional or not but she shot at the incoming Spider Mecha Soldier coming in a curve. Then, unexpectedly, its curled legs stretched open, and almost as if the mechanical arachnid was gliding, it missed most of the beam.

KRRRRIIIINNNGGG!

However, that led Tumunomi Escaver to bump into Iri's Insect Mecha Soldier, and everyone inside fell to their belly, save Iri and the ones at the Workstation.

Tumunimi Escaver wondered what the fall will do to him. Then, his Spider Mecha Soldier began rolling in the air until he estimate it was enough. Stretching out his legs, he stayed aloft for a brief moment. But his momentum had been too much and he tilted to the side.

FWOOOOOOOM!!!!

A beam missed him by millimetres and he continued his roll, increasing his acceleration to the floor.

He fell until he was 14 meters of the ground where he then stretched his legs again.

Catching the wind better this time, he still crashed but nothing was damaged.

Jason was breathing hard and his hands were shaking.

"WAIT!"

Tumunomi Escaver retook his stance so that he was approximately between the Insect and the Octopus.

"WHAT IS IT?" Jacob sooke after Iri.

"YOU STILL WISH TO TEST MY GREATNESS?"

"SHUT UP, I AM SIMPLY LOOKING FOR PETER SO IF HE CAN BE FOUND I WILL NOT BOTHER YOU."

"WHO IS THIS PERSON?"

"NO!!!"

Tumunomi's bellow interrupted the negotiation.

"YOU GUYS HAVE BEEN DECIDING A LOT. SO, WHAT WILL HAPPEN NOW IS THAT WE WILL ALL STATE OUR NAMES AND THAT OF OUR TEAMMATES!"

"WHY IS THAT RELEVANT?"

"JUST DO IT!"

"WHY SHOULD WE LISTEN TO THIS G-"

"I THINK WE SHOULD, IT WILL HASTEN THE CHANCES OF HIM BEING FOUND."

Jacob sighed and Tumunomi Escaver began counting.

"3…2…1…NOW!"

From Tumumnomi Escaver's side a voice came out that was not his.

"JASON 1ST BATCH!"

From Jacob's side he too spoke.

"JACOB 7TH BATCH!"

Iri followed.

"IRI 6TH BATCH!"

Tumunomi Escaver turned with his own head toward the Octopus Mecha Soldier's direction.

He laughed and then launched a full powered jump but instead of vertical, it was horizontal.

BOMP-BOMP-BOMP-BOMP-BOMP-BOMP-BOMP-BOMP-BOMP-BOMP-BOMP-BOMP-BOMP-BOMP-BOMP-BOMP

When Jacob had reacted he had released 16 shots of Black Bubbles that moved like arrows. Trailing Tumunomi Escaver also was a beam that dragged across the sand and burnt it to ash.

ZOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOONG!!!

Now, Tumunomi Escaver found himself directly underneath the Insect Mecha Soldiers before he jumped again.

Just like how Jason had made bim loose balance when he had attacked the 1st Batch, Tumunomi Escaver flipped the direction of the legs and the head of his Mecha Soldier.

BANG!

Iri's pouring beam was interrupted and her Mecha Soldier was forced to tolt as both she and her teammates started activating cannons directly facing Tumunomi Escaver and where he had landed.

"FIRE!"

Then, just as the cannons were about to release their building rage, the Spider Mecha Soldier launched a full powered jump again, soaring over both the skies and Jacob with his legs outstretched.

One Ink bubble launched when Tumunomi Escaver was intending to jump on Iri's Mecha Soldier's bottom, hit Iri and she squealed like a oig being slaughtered which made her people jump.

"Get it off!"

They then began flying about the skies to shake the thick substance off while Tumunomi Escaver had rolled in a closing circle to reach Jacob.

And the Octopus Mecha Soldier waited until he saw Tumunomi Escaver switching from sideways rolling into a jump.

But it was not a ully powered jump. So, instead of 60 meters, Tumunomi Escaver only crossed 30. Meaning that, Jacob fired empty air with 16 Bubble shots and Tumunomi Escaver was closing in in him.

Bang!

It was a mess of 8 limbs and 16 tentacles until Tumunomi Escaver shouted.

"HEY, IDIOT IT IS ME!!!"

Their bodies were heaving and throwing sand about like it was an ocean in the middle of a storm.

"YOU WHO?"

Tentacles were surrounding Tumunomi Escaver now,so he began spinning on the spot which left them at a deadlock as limbs and tentacles were tight and shaking

"GUESS WHO TOOK BREAD FOR YOU??"

Jacob's eyes opened in shock but how could he trust just this? They had been flogged before everyone's eyes. So, this was an excuse that someone cunning could come up with.

"IS DEREK YOUR FANTASY OR YOUR ENEMY?"

Tumunomi Escaver laughed as both of the were still struggling and Irirl was flying haphazardly.

"DON'T MENTION HIS NAME SO FLIPPANTLY!"

Now Jacob was 80 percent sure but he needed more proof.

"WHEN WE ENTERED THIS TRIAL GROUNDS, WERE WE COMPLETE OR NOT? AND IF YES OR NO, WHO WAS MISSING?"

Tumunomi Escaver paused and was about to say no because John had met up with them, but what about…

"PETER WAS LEFT, HE DID NOT MAKE IT!"

The tentacles relaxed before the limbs and Tumunomi Escaver climbed off Jacob.

"TUMUNOMI ESCAVER."

"JACOB"

They laughed and then a command prompt entered directly into heir heads which made them both stare in shock before immediately accepting it.

When Iri was finally able to shake the ink off – as she had not dared to burn it which will combust it – she saw something she did not understand.

There was now only one Mecha Soldier.

But while it had 8 arms, the limbs where now thicker, the creature stood at least 10 meters taller and also had two faces – one up and one down. Finally, it had exactly 128 fat spikes all over its body.

"YOU JOINED FORCES!!?"

John and Jake were having the blast of their lives. They fet like they were in some cinema.

"WHO SAID WE COULDN'T?"

"Ask them if they know where Peter is."

"Yes," Jake continued John's suggestion. "It might stall them."

"CAN YOU HELP ME FIND PETER?"

The conjoined Mecha Soldier paused.

"HOW DO YOU KNOW PETER?"

"FROM THE 1ST PHASE AND THE ORPHANAGE. WHERE ELSE?"

"OKAY, THEN, WHY ARE YOU LOOKING FOR HIM?"

"I JUST WANT TO SEE HIM."

Tumunomi Escaver knew she was girl but he still thought she harboured motives.

Jacob, though, laughed and spoke.

"HE IS NOT WELL, HE… IS UNDER CARE AT THE MOMENT."

"DON'T LIE TO ME!"

"WHY WOULD I NEED TO LIE TO YOU. YOU MAKE IT SOUND AS IF YOU MA-"

"YOU KNOW WHAT? SCREW THIS! I'LL TAKE YOU DOWN THEN MAKE YOU GIVE ME ANSWERS."

"JUST THE WAY I LIKE IT!" He was grinning now. "BRING IT ON!"

Between Iri's comment and Tumunomi Escaver's reaction both Jacob and Jason could not help but laugh.