The Only Choice - Boboiboy Halilintar

Chapter 17

Hali had been pushing himself harder than usual. Since their team had been placed on standby with no new TapOps missions assigned, he felt restless. All he had left to do was train, strategize, and keep his mind sharp. It had been days of relentless workouts—sparring sessions, weightlifting, and honing his lightning abilities to their maximum potential. Hours had blended into nights, and his body ached, but he wouldn't stop. He couldn't stop.

His fists slammed into a punching bag for what felt like the hundredth time that day. Sweat dripped from his forehead as he moved with mechanical precision. Two hours passed, and his muscles finally began to give way to exhaustion. Hali decided to take a short break and grabbed a water bottle from the side, slumping into a chair.

As he took a sip of water, a sudden, sharp pain radiated from his chest. His face twisted in discomfort, but before he could react, he coughed violently, blood splattering from his mouth onto the floor. He clenched his teeth, frustration mounting.

"Ugh...could this day get any better?" he muttered sarcastically, wiping his mouth with the back of his hand.

Hali's vision blurred for a moment as he tried to steady his breath. He couldn't afford to look weak, not now. But before he could compose himself, a voice called his name.

"Hali!"

It was Gempa. Oh, just great.

Hali tried to cover his tracks, hoping Gempa hadn't seen anything. But from the way Gempa rushed over, Hali knew his brother had spotted the blood. "Damn it."

Gempa's eyes were wide with worry. Without wasting a second, he handed Hali a fresh bottle of water.

"Here, drink this. What's going on?" Gempa's voice was firm but laced with concern as Hali drank.

Hali gulped down the water, his expression annoyed. "I'm fine," he grumbled. "I was just training too hard. Maybe some dust got in my system." He tried to shrug it off, but Gempa wasn't buying it.

"You sure about that?" Gempa asked suspiciously, his eyes narrowing as he noticed Hali awkwardly trying to hide something behind his back.

Hali flinched slightly, stuttering, "It's nothing! Just some cuts from the training."

But Gempa wasn't fooled. He pushed Hali aside gently but firmly, eyes landing on a small puddle of blood on the floor. His face paled. "Hali... What the hell is this? You were coughing up blood?"

Hali tried to wave it off, his annoyance growing. "It's just a scratch! Seriously, it's nothing. Besides, I—uh—spilled some ketchup from breakfast. That's all." His explanation sounded ridiculous even to him, but he clung to it out of stubbornness.

Gempa's worried expression turned into something more serious. His eyes burned with frustration. "Why is my brother so damn careless?!" Without warning, he grabbed Hali by the ear.

"O-Oi! What are you doing?!" Hali winced as Gempa began dragging him out of the training room, his grip firm. "Let go, will you?!"

"You're going to the med bay right now," Gempa said sternly, his usual calm demeanor overtaken by genuine concern. "This isn't up for debate."

Hali, though taller and older, didn't complain much. He knew deep down Gempa had his best interests at heart. But that didn't stop him from feeling annoyed. He glanced around the hallway as Gempa pulled him along. Sure enough, his other brothers were watching from the common area.

Blaze, who had been leaning against the wall, snorted at the sight of Hali being dragged like a child. "What's the matter, Hali? Get caught trying to skip med bay again?" he teased with a smirk.