Chapter 26

Jay's eyes fluttered open and he stared at a white ceiling. The air was sterile and cool unlike the summer heat . Like a functional hospital. He found himself laying in a bed .

An IV drip filled with God knows what being pumped into his system . And a clear glass full of water waiting at his bedside .

His clothes , had been washed and put back on him , meaning he was at one point in time fully stripped down . He felt violated , it didn't matter that he was still alive .

The smell of detergent and ethanol pervaded his senses .

Jay reached out to touch the part of his neck that had been sliced into . It has been patched up nicely , and he could barely feel the pain . He tried to get up , but he seemed to be attached to a smart bed , because it folded upwards with minor attempts. And it gave him a view of the room . It was the most sterile and neatest he'd ever seen . With white walls and appliances.

It was quiet . So seeing as he felt better he got off the bed in shaky steps and walked out .

He knew that Daniel was the reason he was still alive . So he wanted to thank him . Immediately after getting out did he feel that the inside of the room he came from was heaven . Outside was hot and suffocating the summer heat was something else.

And he heard the panting . That when he saw Daniel performing upside down push ups / downs , or was it a form of pull ups ? Jay was confused.

It also seemed like Daniel had grown even bigger . His muscle even more defined than when he last saw him . The faint visibility of muscle threads could be seen . The veins on the surface of the skin . The kind that was once in trend , but fazed out some years ago .

And his sweat falling of the ceiling like a light drizzle. Like always his entire attire now was those seductive shorts . Jay really didn't feel it was appropriate. When placed on a scale of fat to fit with skinny in between , both extremes wearing those shorts just looked naked .

If the skinny person wore them , maybe it could be perceived as a clothing. But fat or fit just made it seem like you were intruding on someone mid dress up.

And the fitter Daniel got the more those shorts were not going to hide anything. At least a body suit or sweatpants instead of shorts like fitness influencers .

He watched on for about five hours , going into 'heaven' to take breaks from the terrible heat and coming back until Daniel was done .

" Wanna eat something" Daniel asked him .

" Sure " Jay was not hungry , probably because of whatever had been pumped into his system by the IV.

" I'll be back " Daniel said before leaving

" I really need to find a girl , this situation reaks of romance" Jay made a gagging sound like it was the most disturbing thought . The scene at the warehouse was also running through his head over and over , one man , 15 women of various beauty standards . That Sam guy was really living the dream .

" Or I can build a harem ?" Jay thought even deeper

A few minutes later , a no more stinking Daniel came back with two cup noodles .

" I thought you'd be swallowing more living creatures" Jay tried to joke.

" Mm , I did , I saw a mutated white-tailed deer with white metal like antlers and a eastern cottontail rabbit with so much fur it basically flew though the air."

But Daniel ruined it by confessing to devouring whole animals.

Silence pervaded for sometime before Jay asked again looking at Daniels bandaged arm.

" How did that happen? You faught the all mighty Eric and didn't get scratched a single time , did something happen while I was passed out ? Is that the reason we aren't back at the building?" Jay asked .

" Hahahaha " Daniel laughed out loud , slurping down some cup noodles before seriously starting at Jay .

" No , it was exactly the group that put you in the coma"

Jay looked skeptically at Daniel .

" What do you mean ? , and what do you mean coma? "

" That group is dangerous, really dangerous. They have two powers we can't defend against. 'Hypnotism' and 'memory wipe' "

"WHAT ?!" Jay was shocked . How could be not be ? He wasn't dumb . Infact once upon a time, Daniel and him had a heated argument of what the most powerful power was .

Naturally Daniel went with the power family that could manipulate the laws of physics. He Jay however argued that the manipulation of human mind was the most powerful. Imagine having the power to blast the entire planet but loosing to a human who could only control one human at a time . Basically the equivalent to a punch from an average human.

Daniel argued that a human with the power to blast a planet wouldn't be easily controled .

" So did you feel that resistance? "

Daniel stopped slurping and for the first time seemed truly embarrassed. The only reason he could even notice something was wrong was because of the inconsistencies.

" No "

He admitted

" So we know who won" Jay said

" Don't proclaim yourself the winner just yet , if you weren't hurt , I'd have won "

" But honestly, what helped you , your strength or your brain?"

Daniel didn't answer. The answer was clear .

It pained him to say but literally controlling space and even having a body stronger than all baseline humans didn't help him at all .

In novels , those with strong wills are always resistant to mind fucks , apparently he didn't have a strong will.

" So why are we here instead of the building? "

Daniel begun to hum. His tone was heavier than last Jay heard him now that he paid even closer attention.

" You were injured . I can't nurse you back to health knowing that Eric could take advantage of the situation."

" So you left the others to die?"

" They won't die , afterall he wants us to keep a secret. Why would he kill the only thing close to a hostage that he has ? , plus he might not even go back to the building. "

Jay was concerned but he also understood Daniels logic .

" Where are we then?"

" Hutch . Quite far off from the 'building'"

" So far... Why though?"

" Ah , I never explained my hypothesis about Eric's power did I ?"

" What is there to explain? It's telekinesis isn't it? " Jay looked at Daniel strangely.

" Hmmmm, it's not that simple. Our former ally now enemy has the power called Omnipresence . Don't be deceived that his body occupies a visible span of a few meters .he has a wide range where he is all present within. A 5 mile radius! This could grow more the stronger he becomes , and I didn't know how long you were going to be in comatose for, so I had to travel as three times as far using his projected growth rate " Daniel stayed.

Jay was soo dumbfounded he just stared at Daniel . He didn't know how many times he'd been put in such a situation. he wasn't told this before .

" No privacy?" " None"

" I always wondered why he had such good eyesight" Jay made a deliberate decision to let it go . From that moment onwards.

" Then how long have I been out for?"

" Three days "

Jay wasn't expecting that , they spoke more and more about events that had occured from the start of the Apocalypse till date . Jay spoke about the pocket watch Daniel had fixed for him , and how it had become his remembrance of his parents.

Daniel had a heart to heart about how he missed his mother and sister the most how it hurt him every minute of every second that he wouldn't see his family again . This was the first time they really opened up to each other about their experiences. Including how their recent battles went .

" By the way you should know that outside, a couple of blocks away there is a shelter of about a couple of hundreds or so people "

" That many? " Jay replied suddenly before covering his mouth .

" I had the same reaction don't worry" Daniel laughed.

Had their experiences been ubiquitous, Kansas should have been empty.

Daniel at the start likened this apocalypse to a novel . But no , even if the rest of the world had it easier , Kansas could never be the same . The economic environment was ruined . Infrastructure abandoned entirely or in disarray. There were melovus crawling everywhere! And the average human couldn't do shit.

He had become fully aware of the gap that existed between those at the bottom ( baseline humans) and those at the top ( him and all superhumans) he once saw a group of ten run from a melovus with panicked expressions like it was their last day on earth .

All for an empty flick of a finger from him to explode the beasts head. Society would never be able to rebuild itself if those at the bottom couldn't kill a melovus on a one on one .

Back in the building, Daniel had left the 14 th floor ( his laboratory) in a' growth state'.

He was using bio organic material to reconstruct essential machinery . But it needed time to grow , so he wasn't in a hurry to get back . At first he was , afterall he wanted to witness the process and document it . But with Eric the way he was Daniel didn't feel like testing his luck.

The growing devices were all experimental, but he hoped for the best . His calculations and preparations were emaculate as far as he was concerned. These were a few of the major devices he was growing in his lab:

The Gene Weaver. An organism that splices DNA sequences with precision, capable of creating custom genomes by weaving genetic threads.

The Genetic Sculptor .A bio-organism designed to perform precise gene edits, akin to a sculptor shaping genetic material.

The Amplifying Enzyme .An organic entity that replicates DNA sequences rapidly, enhancing them for further study or application.

The Genome Reader .A symbiotic organism that reads and interprets DNA sequences, providing a detailed map of genetic information.

The Cell Incubator .A living system that grows and cultivates cells, tissues, or microorganisms, optimizing their environments for maximum yield.

The Nano Weaver . Tiny organic entities that assemble and manipulate structures at the nanometer scale, performing intricate tasks at the molecular level.

The Tissue Fuser . A biologically engineered organism that seamlessly integrates different tissues, enhancing their compatibility and function.

The Bio Lens. An organic ocular device that enhances the ability to see minute biological structures with exceptional clarity.

The Cell Separator A living system that segregates cellular components based on density through organic motion and natural forces.

The Bio Analyzer .An organic entity that dissects and analyzes molecular compositions, providing detailed breakdowns of biological samples. Similar to the genome reader.

Cell Counter An organism that counts and categorizes cells as they pass through its organic sensors, providing detailed profiles of cell populations.

The Genetic Streamer A bio-organism that separates DNA, RNA, or proteins by creating organic channels through which molecules migrate based on their properties.

The Gene Infuser A bio-organic system that introduces foreign DNA into cells, facilitating genetic modification and study.

The Growth Chamber .A living container that nurtures and supports the growth of tissues and cells in a controlled environment.

Some of these technologies shared functions, but each had their specializations. Daniel was just drooling at the prospect of getting his hands on his fully grown equipment.

The majority of the source he got the biomass to construct them from were , the bodies of the dead, plant based organisms , living animals and fungi .

He also wasn't worried that anyone would destroy the laboratory or even get a peak at it.

Why?

Because for anyone with no spacial abilities comparable to his , the 14 th floor just didn't exist .

It was the most perfect place to build his lab .

You couldn't destroy or infiltrate from the outside, and it didn't even register as being in existence on the inside .

He was afterall a genius . Specialized in spacial and bio technology.

" Have you spoken to them ? Introduced yourself at least ?" Jay asked drawing Daniel from his thoughts .

" Nah, you were in a coma , what if I left and you were stolen ?"

" I appreciate your concern , but you could have asked for professional help . What if you couldn't patch me up , would you let me die?" Jay asked.

' there is no one more professional than I you ungrateful bastard' Daniel thought but kept quite only to reply that he knew what he was doing.

In fact if not for him normal doctors would have almost certainly let him die . The slice into his neck was no 'minor ' injury , even though it looked small.

*Slurp*

" Ahhh, too cold "

" Why do you not like talking and eating at the same time."

" You need to learn etiquette "

" You need to learn time management " .

" Don't patronize me you antisocial jackass, you don't have a balanced life in the least "

" Stop talking like you know what a balanced life looks like. "

" Time management and multitasking isn't remotely connected,so you should shut it "

" If you cannot see their interconnectivity , then you are dumber than I suspected "

And they had a ' normal' banter as once upon a time .