Homecoming | sequel of "Home" [✔️]

Chapter 19

Sitting on the stiff mattress, letting the cold air surround his skin, he stared at the wall, made of concrete instead of metal. The blankets were neatly folded, untouched; the sheets barely creased, only reacting to the area around him.

Ali released a sigh from his nose, though it was calm, with no tone or emotion to it, just like a regular breath. Silence was all there was, and darkness was what he chose, the light switch turned off, never touched to begin with.

The room was only enough to accommodate a bed, with just enough space to stand. It was like a bunker, though the cameras were constantly studying his every movement, hidden in corners, their red dots just enough to glimpse, but not notice.

The walls were meant to be soundproof, yet Ali could hear things beyond his small space, given to him due to his situation and for surveillance. Even if he was technically allowed access back to MATA, this was no doubt a testing period to decide his fate. Otherwise, they wouldn't have allowed him to live, even with his weapon confiscated. Bobby would have given them his testimony, and so did Bakar.

There were no voices, no conversations; just sounds of objects moving, the snores of a sleeping teen. He'd almost forgotten that some agents resided in MATA permanently, where this dangerous life was all they knew.

Rudy was one of them. His room was just a few doors down, which was a fact Ali noticed on their way back here. It wasn't just Rudy, either—some agents prefer to stay here long term because of their personal lives. Mika, Khai, Iman, Jet; the list goes on and on. It was a wonder that they even let him stay near the other training agents.

His room was particularly isolated, and no one was to come close to his. The rooms around him were vacant, most likely preparing to minimize causalities if he turns traitor.

Ali sighed, this time out loud. His body fell backwards, collapsing on the mattress, the smell still new and unused. His untied hair spilled around him, covering a good portion of the white mattress.

He closed his eyes, still recalling Fang's words the day he failed his mission: next time, I won't let you be defeated. The statement didn't age well, did it? But Fang had done well to keep his promise, even for a while, because Ali was never the loser in any of his battles, always thriving to the top, giving him the honor to call himself an immortal by Boboiboy and Fang's side.

We'll see how far it goes.

The next morning, Rudy was the one that barged into his room. Ali turned his head away, irritated by the light. Of course he has the access key, he thought. He wasn't allowed out of his room unless his team allows him to. Now he knows that Rudy is one of them.

"We have a mission. Did you not get the memo?"

Ali pushed himself up, blowing his hair from his face, nose wrinkling.

"No."

Rudy groaned, turning his light on. He shirked as he noticed Ali's burnt hair and singed clothes. "Christ, go change."

"Let's go." Ali rose to his feet, and walked past Rudy, ignoring his glare entirely. He began to leave the Invisio agent behind, though he was quick to catch up, the door to Ali's room sliding shut as he left.

When Rudy grabbed Ali's shoulder, signaling him to stop, Ali turned around, and his appearance had changed entirely. His clothes were fixed, pristine and clean; his hair neatly cut, returning to its original glory, as if it had never been tampered with in the first place.

Ali turned and looked up to Rudy, his expression neutral like usual. "Don't touch me." He shook Rudy's hand off, ignoring his confused stare, and walked on.