Unexpected {Ejen Ali Fanfic}

Change of Side

Ali was beyond confused at what he had just seen. Was that General Astor and Agent Geetha running past just now? What was it that they were running away from? Where were they going?

He exchanged a confused look with Iman, who also shrugged. But not a second later, IRIS had told him that a wave of Azurium energy was coming towards them, and hope inside him flared. 

A wave blue wave of energy swept past the two glass boxes, and immediately they crumpled, falling like a house of cards. Several muffled surprised screams could be heard as the walls collapsed, one by one.

"Urgh, these things are heavy," Jet grunted, as he pulled himself out from under one of the sheets and straightened himself up. 

Once everyone had gotten themselves free from under the sheets of collapsed glasses, General Astor and Agent Geetha returned from the entrance, putting on their gadgets back where they belonged.

"Sorry about that," General Astor said, sounding slightly out of breath. "We were just running from the Azurium thingy." 

"Where are the others?" Agent Zain asked urgently. 

"They're in the search for Agent Dayang," Agent Geetha replied, who was clutching her chest as it heaved rapidly up and down. 

"General Astor," someone called. "We've found Agent Dayang."

They all swiveled their heads to see Agents Bakar and Serporia supporting a weak-looking Agent Dayang. Agents Zain and Ganz immediately strode forwards to help.

"Thank you," Agent Dayang said feebly, as she was supported over towards a chair. 

"What are we supposed to do now?" Ali asked rather bluntly, though he knew it was just an empty question. Sure they had gotten themselves free from the traps, but now there wasn't any means of transportation to get out this forest. Not to mention, the Azurium energy that had exploded just now had also caused whatever electronic stuff in the range to be wiped out or deactivate (but for some reason IRIS 2.0 didn't, so he assumes that it was just the new feature). Let alone go to headquarters to save MATA.

"I can help."

Ali's skin nearly jumped from his skeleton when he heard that voice. Viktor was walking out of the hallway Bakar and Serporia had came through and seems to be dusting dirt from his suit. 

"Everyone stand back," Agent Zain ordered alarmingly, as he pulled out his pair of guns and pointed it threateningly at Viktor, who also jumped in shock. Agent Ganz started forwards and cracked his knuckles menacingly.

"Eh, wait, I'm here to help, I swear!" Viktor said desperately. To show that he wasn't about to attack them, he raised both his empty arms into the air.

"What can you do to help?" Rudy narrowed his eyes suspiciously while he leaned arrogantly against the table with Agent Dayang.

"I-I'm here by my own account," Viktor said nervously. "I've decided to change sides."

"Really now?" Jet sniffed disbelievingly. "And where's that partner of yours?"

"I got her locked in a room." Viktor shrugged casually, as though it was what someone would always do. "Really, I'm here to help!"

Zain slowly lowered his guns, but did not put them away or look away from him. 

"So, what is it that you can offer?" Zain said pompously. 

Viktor had led them deeper into the cave where the Numeros hid their transportation. They were nearly as fascinating as MATA's, though they were limited numbers of them. Compared to MATA's infinite floors of all sorts of transportation, this facility only had one. 

Their feet echoed in the large and damp cave as they stumbled over stones and puddles of water towards where the copters stood waiting. Viktor was the first to arrive, as he was leading the lot, and was already checking out each copter to find the most suitable one.

"Really looks like he wants to help, doesn't he?" General Astor raised an eyebrow as Viktor hopped down from one of the large copters. 

"This one should be enough to fit all of you in." Viktor jabbed his thumb back at copter he had came out from. "There are...?"

"Twelve of us," Serporia said coolly with her arms crossed. 

"Well, I think it can fit thirteen people. But then the copter-"

"You don't need to follow us," Rudy stated boldly, as the others boarded the copter. He gave him a fleetingly disgusted look before shouldering past him into the copter. 

The last was Ali, who stayed a little behind to talk to Viktor. 

"Er...Viktor. I don't mind if you join us. I trust you."

And he held out a hand for Viktor to hold, though Viktor hesitated a little before taking it. 

"How come you want to change sides all of a sudden?" Ali asked quite bluntly before he could stop himself, as the two of them emerged inside the copter's large interior, where the others which has entered earlier had already seated themselves comfortably. 

Ali and Viktor took places somewhere near the very back of the copter, so as not to be interrupted. Viktor took a moment before replying, "Well...I'm not really fond of being a Numeros after...you know...I found out you were involved in it too. I thought I was just helping out my dad with some weird stuff he had gotten wind of and rather be something he could be proud of. I didn't really cared what MATA was before this. But after learning that you were from MATA and the horrific effect about what my dad's and IRIS' goals were, I figured out myself that I couldn't let it happen. That's...why I wanted to change sides."

From the front, Ali could see Rudy shooting furtive glances back at them, though he dismissed it because it was usually what he would do. Viktor must have noticed Rudy constantly glancing at them too, because he said in a mutter, "They don't really accept me being here, do they?"

"Well- no. Not really. You can't really blame them after Jenny happened in MATA," Ali added as an afterthought. 

Nodding curtly, Viktor settled into silence. 

At the front, Ali could see that General Astor was talking very intently to Agent Geetha at the control panel. He seemed to be holding a long arrow that was glowing blue. As he watched, he extracted something blue, small and glowing from the tip of the arrow. IRIS told him that it was a small crystal shard of Azurium. But then wait- didn't he used that Azurium piece to wipe out the power supply of this facility? 

The arrow which General Astor had extracted the Azurium crystal from became dull. Astor shrunk the now useless arrow and stowed it away into his leg pouch one-handedly. Ali saw that Geetha gave a nod and said something and General Astor placing down the Azurium shard onto the control panel.

At once, the lights flickered on, the copter began to rattle and there was a loud humming coming from somewhere behind Ali.

"All done, Agent Zain." General Astor saluted.

"Good," Agent Zain replied, as he sat down on a seat nearest to those of the control panels, which sat Agents Dayang and Geetha. "Let's hope we are not too late."

Not long after, Ali was rather feeling the silent treatment Viktor was giving him was hard to live with, because there were so many things going on in his mind now he didn't know which to say out first. Not to mention, he felt unusually nervous rather than relaxed around with Viktor now that he found out too that he was an agent. 

He had taken such a long time to gather up his courage that next moment, they had already arrived at MATA's headquarters. Making sure to punch himself in the face the next opportunity he got to, he got down from the helicopter behind Serporia. 

"Oh, my God..." He heard Serporia gasp.

Everyone who had gotten down from the helicopter was now staring stunned at what was ahead. Ali tried to push past them to see what was so shocking, but they wouldn't budge, so Ali went around them to see what they were gaping at. But when he did, he found himself rooted to the spot as fear erupted in him.