THE ONE CALLED J

Chapter 38

Max's entourage began to phase through every object as fast as it could, Max stood transfixed on the spot, he didn't take his eye off Ivan.  Ivan grinned as he adjusted his tie, Max's right eyebrow shot up.

Ivan bent to the ground sharply, there was an invisible Max behind him whom was trying to stab him with a scimitar. Ivan rolled on the ground as he got to his feet evading the sneak attack, there was powder on his palm that had fallen from his tie when he adjusted it.  Quickly, he blew it in Max's direction. Max staggered back as the particles of the powder rested on his face. "What the hell?!" He thought to himself. "How the hell did he know where I was, I distracted him with an illusion in front of him."

"Never underestimate the reflexes of a Russian man," Ivan grins. "I knew the Max I was seeing earlier was possibly just an illusion, that's why I had kept circling to watch out for the wind current and air pressure, that was what I was referring to as the detail you don't know, it's impossible for anyone to know the exact wind current and air pressure without instruments as there is nearly an infinite particles in the air amongst some other phenomenon which determines that, it was the wind current and air pressure that had helped me to pinpoint your true location even while in the illusion, that was why I was able to evade your attack and pull off one of mine."

"You just sprayed powder on me," Max had cleaned what was on his face away, he looked quite agitated. "Do I look like I need make-up to you?"

"That's not just powder, haven't you noticed the grey color," Ivan explains. "It's made of the same material that was used to make the scimitar you hold, you can't use your entourage or its abilities anymore.  It will take a while for your lungs to properly expel the remnants of the powder that has been sprayed into your lungs and pending that time, you are just like any other human." Ivan grins as he removes his grey belt from his pant. "I heard U.S.A children lack manners but by the time I am done with you, you will be familiar with the term called etiquette."

"And when I am done with you," Max held his scimitar tightly. "You'd be familiar with the concept called failure."

Dave saw Joshua's body as it collapsed to the foot mat. "When J had sent Max out of the car, I had tossed the scimitar I took from the battle with Andrey to him, I had a feeling it would be useful, the entourage will appear soon, I have to answer the next question correctly, I just need to hang on till Max wins."

Whilst Dave was thinking, the entourage suddenly appeared before him but Dave noticed something about the entourage, its stomach was slightly arched and it took on a sloppy posture.  "Max must be in a heated confrontation with its owner, the entourage is more or less on default mode."

"Someone's Mother had four kids. North, South, and West are the name of the first three kids, What is the name of the fourth kid. Can you tell me the name of the fourth kid?"

"What," Dave answers him without missing a beat. "It's just as it had always occurred, without directions from its user, a long-range entourage becomes incompetent and sloppy, the next question will be far simpler."

The entourage vanished after Dave has answered the question.

Ivan's condescending look changed to one of annoyance. "The present Crescent Primordial managed to answer his second question, this is partly due to the fault of my entourage which becomes extremely ineffectual when left on auto."

Max ran towards him, he slashed his weapon at Ivan but Ivan stepped back as he parried with his belt. Everyone in the restaurant had surprised looks on their faces as they watched a teenager fight a man with a belt.

Ivan stretched his belt, it entangles around Max's left leg. He tugs on it, dragging Max towards him, fisting his other arm, he connects it to Max's face sending him sprawling backward. 

While Max was still staggering, Ivan swiped his belt as fast as he could hitting him on several parts of his body hastily.  Max fell to the ground, his body was red and sore.

"Just because your weapon is pointed doesn't mean you have the absolute advantage," Ivan grins at him as he turns his back at him. "You won't believe it but I am ninety-eight years of age."

Max was amazed as he looked up at Ivan, he looked like he was in his early twenties.

"I know you are surprised," Ivan grins as he brings his right arm up, he was admiring his skin color and texture. "It's a perk from my entourage, I gain every life force it takes from anyone unable to answer its questions correctly."

"Henry was the best adult I ever met," Max felt his legs trembling as he tried to get to his feet. "He didn't deserve what you did to him, he willingly left his family and all that he had ever known and loved just to follow a group of boys who were on a mission to rescue someone no one can even remember," Max could feel tears dropping from his eyes. "I have never seen J give his all to something but he did in this journey, Dave trusts me to defeat you, he always had high hopes for me and I never felt I could meet up but this is the fight where I prove myself," Max begin walking towards Ivan. "This is the only thing that matters at the moment, stopping you and protecting my friends. I am doing it for Henry, for J, for Dave, and more importantly, myself."

"Stop making noise," Ivan scoffs. He swiped his belt as fast as he could, it connected with Max on his nose sending him cold to the ground. Max sneezed as he got to the ground. "I was in the Russian army for roughly ten years, I am versed in several martial arts, you don't stand a chance against me."

The entourage appeared before Dave. It wore an annoyed look on its face but Dave kept a blank face. He never lost his cool no matter how tense the situation got.

"What's the meaning of life?" It asks.

"Life is like any newly discovered word," Dave answers him without missing a beat. "It's meaning is defined by the person who owns it. It doesn't have a specific meaning or purpose, it's just as we decide to do with it."

Ivan was extremely angry. "What the f**k?!" He thought to himself.  "How the hell was he able to get that question, it took me sixty years to finally reach that explanation. How did a mere fifteen-year-old schooler easily get it, it's impossible."

"I have answered your three questions," Dave continues as he looks over at his shoulder, the paw print which was etched there had vanished. He wanted to sigh out of relief but he continued talking. "I am guessing this is the part where what was taken from my friends and I are returned."

"Byhahahhhhhahahahha!!!!!" The entourage laughed as it shot Dave a predatory look. "I don't recall us coming to that conclusion. What I told you initially was that if you are unable to answer any of my three questions, I would then be able to take something from you, I never informed you of what would happen after," the entourage grinned more cruelly. "Your time restore and time skip abilities are cool, it would be nice to first test them on the user, a few moments ago. You were traumatized about the pain you felt when I had phased my hand through yours, first. How about you relive that," it ended as it stretched his hand towards Dave but just as it was about to reach him.  Dave muttered a command causing the car to suddenly swerve. The sudden swerve caused Joshua's deflated body to shoot up from the mat where it was towards the outstretched arm of the entourage. 

"J already gave me access to use his vehicle with my voice, he did that between the period of when he got your second question and when you had appeared to ask him your third," Dave says blankly. While he was speaking, Joshua's body got in contact with the entourage's arm. Joshua's body was slowly regaining its color and texture. "Also, you had the intention of returning me to how I was roughly about thirty minutes ago and that same thirty minutes ago, J was hale and hearty."

Joshua had fully recovered as he wore his haughtiest smile. "Nice one, Dave."

"I should be telling you that,"

"Now, for a bit of ode ode," Joshua grinned maliciously as he stretched his arms, his entourage materialized at his right-hand side, the paw print on his arm too had disappeared.  The entourage had a terrified look on its face as it spotted Joshua looking wickedly in its direction.

"This time," Joshua grins evilly. "I am gonna keep punching you and I won't stop."

The entourage wanted to phase away through the vehicle but Joshua's entourage grabbed it by its weirdly shaped head. It slammed it on the ground repeatedly before throwing it in the air. While it was in the air, Joshua's entourage detaches its two arms scoring hits on Ivan's entourage as it staggers backward in the air.  The detached arms revert to the full body as the entourage dashes towards Ivan's entourage with its hands fisted, it was ready to deal damage!

"ODE ODE ODE ODE ODE ODE ODE ODE ODE ODE ODE ODE ODE ODE ODE ODE ODE ODE ODE ODE ODE ODE ODE ODE!!!!!!!!!!!!" Joshua's entourage screamed as loudly as it could as it unleashed a barrage of punches on Ivan's entourage malevolently.

Ivan couldn't help but bite his lower lip, he wasn't happy with how it had all turned out, he wasn't expecting the new development. "While Max is unconscious, I will make a fast break out of here. Then later, I will restart..."

Ivan stopped talking as he felt an arm rip through his stomach.  Slowly, he turned to his right side. Glaring at him was Max's entourage, it had impaled his right arm in his stomach. He looked at the place where he had knocked Max cold, Max was standing, he had a confident look on his face. "How?" He asked sadly trying to endure the pain, blood slowly dripping from the newly-made hole in his stomach.

"I knew there was no way I could beat you on a one on one, I have never been good at physical fights even though I am tall for my age," Max explains. "But the only reason I was unable to use my entourage was because of the powder which was sprayed into my lungs, that's why when you hit me with your belt the last time, I used that momentum to sneeze as hard as I could, expelling all the powder particles out."

"You...." Ivan was about to complete his sentence but Max's entourage pulls its arm out.  Ivan collapsed to the ground in a pool of his blood; he was dead.