The Ranch

Wakey Wakey (2)

Finishing the forth shape, the ceiling that was about to crush Kai stops. As the pressure fades, the fatigues starts to set in and he collapses and falls asleep.

Kai wakes up on his bed, drenched in sweat," So that was a trial...I guess I managed to pass? Oh! I wonder if the others have already taken theirs?" Ignoring the sticky feeling, Kai calls them on his communication watch that he received a few days ago.

Lucien and Sherlock enter the call. Kai speaks  up first," Hey! Did you guys go though your trial?"

"Yeah, we just got back. You too?" Sherlock answered.

"What was yours about?"

"I asked around and it seems like everyone was given the same type of trial. An individual trial, where one basically had to solve a puzzle under a time constraint. Through, the details differ from person to person, like the location and specific puzzle. Oh! What happened with Tih?"

Kai glances at the comatose Tih," Still unconscious. They must have skipped his trial, I wonder what that'll mean for his future trials. So, all the new recruits had the trial at the same time with the same contents. Was there anyone that didn't pass?"

"Tih's still asleep huh....whoever manages the trials will decide what happens with Tih's trial. The two most likely possibilities are giving Tih a trial right when he wakes up or just letting him pass along with everyone else. I'm more inclined to the latter. Considering they made all the newbies go at the same time, they probably have a system in place. It's only our second trial, so they probably won't go through all the effort of giving Tih a new trial." Sherlock explains.

Lucien jumps in,"...There's also the question of what level of difficulty they'll give Tih during next month's trial."

"Right...they might give him a level three trial even though he hasn't taken the second trial yet."

Kai shrugs," Well, knowing Tih, he be able to pass even if this was the twentieth trial." Tih's monstrous strength has been ingrained into Kai's mind at this point.

"You said he's really strong, but the trials also rely on wits?" Sherlock explains.

"Yeah, but if Tih were in my trial, I can imagine him crushing the walls and walking out..." The more Kai thinks about it, the more he realizes

how amazing Tih is, to the point of idolization.

Sherlock and Lucien don't know what to say. They remember Kai saying the walls were made out of concrete. Can a normal human create a hole in concrete?!

The two have yet to see any of the many inhuman feats Tih has accomplished during the couple days he was on the island, before he became unconscious. If they knew all the new rumors circulating around have mostly been one person, Tih, then the would surely believe Kai.

Ignoring Kai's fanaticism, Sherlock answers Kai's second question," I'm not sure of the exact punishment of failure. A small percentage of the new recruits have disappeared after we had the trial. I assume they are the ones that failed, but I don't have any evidence to come to a conclusion about their current whereabouts." Sherlock's brows knit together.

"Around ten percent to be exact." Lucien says.

"How did you know?" Asks Kai.

"I hacked into one of the electronic boards. But I only got an estimate. If I stayed any longer, I would've been found out."

"Apparently, the new recruits that disappeared have been erased from the database." Sherlock adds on.

"Can you try to find out what happened to them?"

"Yeah, I'll try. It'll be pretty busy with the Newbie Tournament around the corner. It'll make it easier for me to move unnoticed." Sherlock agrees. Solving mysteries is what he's always been best at.

"I'll look into some things too." Lucien decides to join.

"Ah! But don't forget, we still might have to join our parkour class for the tournament."

"That's only if Instructor Henri picks us as representatives to fight the class battle. We weren't the physical types in the first place, I doubt he has any reason to choose us." Sherlock denies.

"You're probably right. Well we still have to participate in the test that will decide the representatives tomorrow. Meet up in the cafeteria, same place as usual?"

"Of course." The three day their goodbyes and hang up.

The sticky feeling of sweat returns to Kai. He cringes at the gross feeling and moves to take a shower. Living with a comatose patient is the same as living alone. He continues to switch out the fluids feeding Tih, but that's it. It's almost the same as having a pet cat. Over the past month, Kai has gotten used to living by himself. He's also gained new habits over the past month. One such habit is walking out of the shower half-naked.

With only a towel wrapped around his waist and another drying his hair, Kai walks out of the bathroom with water dripping down his tan skin. Ruffling his wavy wet hair with the towel, he walks into the back to his bed to grab some clothes to see a dazed Tih sitting up on his bed.

Kai's eyes light up as he rushes over and tackles Tih. The bed softens the blow as Kai continues to bear hug Tih, his wet skin dampens Tih's shirt, which is one of the shirts Phillip bought him.

Tih wakes up from the sudden gesture, the sleepiness from his eyes disappear. He stares at the tan child attached to his body. Tih notices his body is firmer, showing slight traces of muscle. He wonders how Kong's he's been sleeping.

As if reading his mind, Kai shouts," I'd thought you were going to be like that forever ya'know! Sleeping in that half dead state! Scared me half to death! The doc said you'd be up eventually but a month passed and nothing!" Kai looks Tih in his emotionless eyes before realizing how close they are. He backs up to put on some clothes.

"...Well it's good that you're awake now. We had our trial today, I'm not sure what they're going to do in your case. Sherlock says they might just let you pass, cuz it'd be too much of a bother to set up a trial for you. Ah, the newbie tournament is the day after tomorrow. We're having tryouts for the representatives of our- AH! You've been asleep for the past month!" Kai stares at Tih, wide-eyed. He calms himself and sighs,"...You might be in for a round of torture or two, but better late than never. The parkour instructor seems like a decent..till you get to meet him. I suspect he's a sadist. Likes torturing us to the extreme. Makes us do altitude training, hurts like crazy. Also, the things he makes us do aren't exactly...safe, but with your abilities, even though you missed a month of training, you could probably beat everyone in our class, haha! Ahh, the joy I'll get when I smugly show you off to the Instructor. It'll be great! Ah..umm, I'm a little tired from the trial today so I'm going to sleep now...good night."

Kai gets under the covers, facing away from Tih so he can hide the blush on his face.

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ARGHH!!!! What the he11s wrong with me!

Why was I genuinely happy when I saw he woke up?!? He a tool! Nothing but a tool!

Right...that's right. Use them before they can use me, and when they're no longer of any use, we throw them away. That's the only way...to...survive.....

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Kai's snoring can be heard from one bed. The other is filled with silence. At some point, Tih has left the apartment.