Chapter 70: Goodbye, Cobb
A girl in a black tactical dress sprinted up the entire building's stairwell.
She pressed a button on the watch on her left wrist, and instantly transformed into a martial arts expert, leaping and kicking relentlessly, her strikes pummeling the parasitized hosts.
At least twenty Souls were knocked unconscious.
Jake wasn't idle either. Whenever someone with a firearm appeared, he flicked his wrists, two pistols sliding from his sleeves into his hands, which he then used to take them down from a distance.
This wasn't so much a battle as it was a training session for Matilda.
Jake knew the movie worlds would become increasingly difficult, and he couldn't rely on himself alone—a capable partner was essential.
The two pushed forward relentlessly, like twin juggernauts. Whatever enemies came their way were crushed and fell unconscious upon impact.
However, unlike Matilda's excitement, Jake was exhausted and drenched in sweat. He had to protect Matilda while also watching for threats from all angles, multitasking constantly, especially since these enemies were fearless zealots, which took considerable effort.
When the Seeker from the movie appeared—the relentless pursuer—Jake decisively shot her with a tranquilizer round.
After raiding the massive Soul distribution center, they collected an entire suitcase full of healing spray canisters.
Finally, their bold operation alerted all the alien "Souls" on Earth. White helicopters and pristine white SUVs surrounded them in multiple layers.
At Matilda's insistence, the two decided to exit in spectacular fashion. Then, standing back to back, they vanished in front of all the alien parasites.
That night, when Jake woke up on the sofa, he found Matilda sleeping soundly in his arms, as peaceful as a kitten, even nuzzling against his chest when he shifted.
With a gentle smile, Jake carefully lifted her small frame and carried her to the large bed in the bedroom. He then headed to the bathroom to shower and decompress.
He was considering which world he would visit next.
After witnessing the biotechnology in The Host universe, Jake had been mulling over an idea: could he integrate the advanced technology he obtained from other worlds into a cohesive system, instead of just collecting finished products?
However, to accomplish this, he needed to fill his knowledge gap by finding geniuses like Tony Stark from Iron Man, or the scientists who researched bioweapons in Resident Evil.
"Bioweapons?" Jake suddenly paused, then an idea struck him.
"Dr. Simms from The Tuxedo. If he could engineer the deadly water strider virus, he must be a genius in his own right."
In Jake's view, the defining characteristic of a true scientist was obsessive dedication. Only with enough passion and a deep love for science could someone become a genuine researcher.
And Dr. Simms was completely obsessed. Most people only noticed the impressive tuxedo, but the virus was the truly terrifying achievement.
A tuxedo could make one person a superhero, but a virus could kill every living thing that needed water!
"However, how to extract him from Banning's organization is still a problem. Even if he agrees to work with me, I wouldn't dare trust him easily—after all, he's a fanatic..."
Jake didn't dare casually bring such an obsessive scientist through dimensions. If he could completely win him over, then whether he was still a fanatic wouldn't matter.
"Make Dr. Simms my subordinate." Jake already had a solid plan forming.
...
"So, you came to find me?"
"That's part of it. I also wanted to see how you were doing."
Two men stood face to face on a city street, both handsome and well-dressed in suits, regarding each other coolly, like two male models shooting a fashion spread in downtown Los Angeles, attracting the attention of many passing women. Some even looked around for cameras.
Were they filming something?
Of course not. These two were Jake and Dom Cobb.
Jake looked directly at Cobb. Since learning dream extraction from Cobb last time, Jake thought they would never meet again. But he didn't expect he'd still need his help.
After all, the only method he currently possessed that could completely and silently alter a person's deepest convictions was subconscious inception through dream manipulation.
Jake hadn't learned this advanced technique, and Cobb hadn't taught it to him either.
"I'm doing really well now," Cobb said, looking up at the sky where wind swept the clouds. "I love this peaceful life, watching my kids grow up."
"Then forget it," Jake shook his head, sensing Cobb's refusal. "Although this person would be very useful to me, he's not essential. For someone like me with access to infinite worlds, talent isn't the scarcest resource."
"I've been meaning to tell you this," Cobb said, watching Jake slowly defy gravity, planting one foot on the wall, his body parallel to the ground. "Your abilities are extraordinary, even god-like. So never let ambition blind you."
"I'll be careful," Jake nodded seriously.
"When did you realize this was a dream?" Cobb suddenly asked.
Jake, as if he'd been waiting for this question, smiled slightly. "Would you only wake up if I cracked your skull open?"
Cobb rarely smiled. "See you in a moment." He stretched his hand toward the sky, and all the stones on the ground levitated, rising to the height of the clouds.
They plummeted like meteors!
The two were instantly engulfed in the cascade!
"Gasp!"
"Gasp!"
In an ordinary American suburban living room, the two suddenly sat up from the floor, both breathing heavily. It was Jake and Cobb. It turned out their entire conversation had taken place within a dream!
"Welcome back, Jake," Cobb offered him a hug.
The two embraced warmly.
"You still haven't told me when you realized it was a dream," Cobb said, looking at Jake's amused expression.
"Because of this." Jake casually extended his hand, his index finger and thumb pinching a small brass die.
"You don't roll dice every time you enter a new place, do you?"
"No," Jake shook his head. "I just wondered why I could suddenly walk on walls when I'd skipped several steps in the process."
"What do you mean?" Cobb asked, confused.
Jake extended his left hand and pressed several buttons on his watch with his right index finger. Suddenly, patterns appeared across his black suit, giving it a futuristic appearance.
Then he performed a forward flip, and gravity pressed him firmly against the ceiling!
"I must still be dreaming," Cobb said, pulling out his totem—a spinning top—and his pistol.
"You've been awake for a while now," Jake dropped down from the ceiling and snatched Cobb's gun away. He still needed Cobb's help and didn't want him shooting himself. "It's just that I can travel between different movie universes, and I acquired this."
"Really?" Cobb asked skeptically.
Jake gestured toward the coffee table with his right hand, indicating Cobb could verify it himself.
With a dubious attitude, Cobb spun his top. A minute later, the top wobbled and fell, proving everything was real.
"That suit is seriously badass!" Cobb exclaimed.
Since Jake could travel between different worlds—historical periods, modern settings, and even countless parallel universes—it wasn't impossible for him to possess advanced technology.
"Alright, let's wrap up the reunion," Jake sighed. "I might come back to visit you again in the future, old friend, but I need to head back and revise my plans now." Because of Cobb's refusal, Jake had to leave and think of alternative approaches, and his idea of building his own research team was temporarily shelved.
"Wait..." Cobb reached out toward Jake, who was about to turn away, only to find the man had already turned back around with a knowing smile.
"You knew I'd agree?" A hint of resignation appeared on Cobb's face.
"How could I?" Jake vehemently denied it. "I'm just grateful you're helping out. This time, your assistance won't be free—I'll give you substantial compensation."
"Do you have detailed information about this target?"
"Detailed intel? I don't need that." Jake shook his head. "The guy's a fanatic. We just need to grab him and forcibly implant a subconscious directive."
"But that's risky and prone to complications."
"If it goes wrong, I'll put a bullet in him." Jake said with a chilling smile, making Cobb's skin crawl.
"Ha, just kidding." The menace vanished from Jake's face, and he laughed, clapping Cobb's shoulder. "Should we go now? You need to pick up the kids from school later, right?"
Cobb raised his wrist to check his watch, then nodded. "I promised them I'd be there right when the bell rings."
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