Chapter Text
Alicia lay in one of the infirmary’s many beds. Coincidentally, it was the same bed she had laid in few weeks prior when she was still in a coma.
She was being carefully monitored under the watchful eye of Agent Geetha.
Ali stood outside the infirmary. Most would assume he was guarding the doors to the infirmary, judging by how he’d shoot glares at anyone who attempted to approach him.
Truth is, he was kicked out by Agent Geetha. She had appraised him, upon him entering the infirmary unannounced, holding a knocked out Alicia in his arms, and immediately started her diagnosis.
Right after Ali laid Alicia on one of the infirmary beds, she had ordered him out, stating that he wasn’t in the right state of mind and that he needed to rest.
Ali couldn’t disagree, he was beyond exhausted and had pushed his body to its physical limits. His muscles ached and burned even as he stood still. It took every ounce of willpower he had left to keep himself from just straight up collapsing on the spot.
Still, he couldn’t bring himself to leave Alicia. Even if he couldn’t be by her side while she’s recovering, Ali would not rest until he was sure that Alicia was safe. His desire to ensure Alicia’s safety infinitely outweighed any pain he had to endure.
He had to make sure that Alicia was safe. That’s all that mattered anymore.
He gritted his teeth as he leaned back against the wall. All this time, he couldn’t bring himself to address the biggest issue in his life ever since the Cero incident. Alicia.
Ali had never entertained the possibility of losing his partner, his best friend. It was one that he had never really given enough thought purely because he didn’t want to allow it to manifest. He reasoned that if he actually thought about the absurd notion, it’d only plant the seeds of a fear that’d eventually overwhelm him.
Never could he imagine that it would actually come to reality.
The day that Alicia woke up was the same day that he lost her. He felt a part of him die the moment her wary eyes set their sights on him.
He had changed, that much was definitely true. He was no longer the stubborn, clumsy and airheaded boy that he had been. He had matured. But he had also grown colder. He isolated himself, from others and from his heart. It had become a vault that he had locked away and only he had the key to it.
He had abandoned his humanity, which had saved him the pain of continuing to live carrying all that grief, sorrow and guilt. Yet it also made him a hollow and empty shell.
A lifeless human, you might say.
Ali exhaled as he closed his eyes. His body screamed due to immense exhaustion, but Ali fought through the urge to collapse. He needed to stay strong…for Alicia.
Anyways, he had let himself dwell too much into things that didn’t matter. At least, not anymore. Seeing Alicia in danger, it had reignited a spark within him that he hadn’t felt in a while. Loyalty. The desire to protect and help those close to him.
And after all this time, even after everything that had happened between the two of them, Alicia was definitely still the closest agent, no, person, to Ali.
And he’d stop at nothing to keep her safe.
Ali hadn’t noticed how much time he had spent ruminating. He heard footsteps coming from the right. Sighing internally, cursing whoever had the audacity to approach him despite seeing his drained state. He cracked open one eye.
Oh…I guess I do sort of owe them some sort of explanation…
“Hi Ali!” Moon chirped whilst waving at him.
Ali managed a faint, but tired, smile as the group of young agents approached him.
“Hey guys…” He murmured faintly, his voice rough and strained.
He could tell that they were relieved but he could also see the remnants of fear in their eyes, in the looks they shared, in the way their body stiffened slightly upon hearing his voice, in the way they couldn’t quite meet his eyes. Except for Moon of course.
“So…you uh…you usually solo all ten Levels like that?” She asked, out of genuine curiosity.
Iman and Roza facepalmed as the others sighed. Ali merely scratched his cheek nervously as he laughed awkwardly.
“I…uhh…I mean…I’ve never tried before so…” Ali mumbled.
“Ohh…Ack!” Moon yelped as Iman elbowed her in the ribs.
“Stop being so insensitive! You’re such a nosy person sometimes!” Iman chided her.
Moon blinked. Realising her mistake, she turned to Ali with an apologetic look.
“I’m sorry! I didn’t mean too…umm…remind you of…that…” Moon rushed through her words.
Ali waved it off. “It’s fine…I wasn’t myself just now…I just…needed an outlet to vent…”
Jet chuckled and nudged Chris. “Look, it seems like Ali’s back to normal now. Anyways, how’s Alicia doing?”
Chris facepalmed and Jet’s jaw slacked as he stiffened up, realising his mistake. He glanced at the other agents around him, who were all silent shaking their heads, their eyes having gone wide upon hearing his words. He nervously turned his gaze to Ali.
The young tekno agent’s face had darkened slightly upon hearing Jet’s words, but it seemed that he was in control of himself this time around.
Ali’s left eye twitched slightly as his body tensed up at the mention of Alicia’s name. His hands shook as he clenched them, balling them into fists. Then, he exhaled softly, slowly unclenching his hands as he lifted one to cover his face. He swept his hair back and flashed a wan smile at them.
“It’s okay…I…I’m fine now…” Ali said reassuringly.
The young agents all let out the breath they had been unintentionally holding. Jet chuckled awkwardly and rubbed the back of his head.
“Phew! Sorry Ali…didn’t mean to oof–”
Chris had slapped the back of his head. “That’s what you get for being an insensitive doofus.”
“But seriously, are you really okay now, Ali?” Iman asked concernedly.
Despite everything that had happened, they were all really just concerned for their friend’s well-being. It would be a lie to say that they weren’t exactly worried about how Ali had been coping in the last few weeks.
Although they never voiced their concerns, they had noticed the drastic shifts in Ali’s behaviour, in the way he talked, how he started isolating himself and how he carried himself in his day-to-day activities.
Ali exhaled softly as he shifted his weight, pushing off the wall he had been leaning on to stand upright.
“To be honest…no…not really. I don’t think I ever will be ‘okay’ again. At least, not how I was back then. But…I have you guys…and…I’m sorry for pushing you all away…”
Mika waved it off. “Ah, it’s alright. It must’ve been difficult for you, especially since you were alone…”
Chris nodded. “Yeah…we’re sorry for not trying harder to reach out to you…”
“Yeah! Even though you were grieving, you shouldn’t have to face it alone! And we’re going to make sure you won’t have to anymore!” Moon chimed.
The rest voiced their agreement. For the first time in a while, Ali genuinely, sincerely, smiled. Not a tired smile. Not a fake, forced smile he had to put up every day. A real one.
The world suddenly seemed a little brighter, the colours just a tad bit more vivid, the sounds just faintly sharper. And Ali felt something. A slight, subtle shift within himself. A tiny, almost miniscule, spark in the deepest depths of his soul. Hope. Faint, but there.
Ali inhaled deeply and exhaled softly. “Thank you…really…”
Jet grinned. “Don’t mention it. Besides, that’s what friends are for!”
Ali would return his grin, but his everything hurt. Even stretching the facial muscles of his mouth takes a lot of effort for him.
“So…what do you guys want to–”
Ali was interrupted by the sound of the infirmary doors sliding open. Agent Geetha approached them.
Ali immediately spun on his heels, pivoting his entire body to face Agent Geetha. His heart thumped rapidly as his thoughts instantly jumped to Alicia.
“Is she–”
“Yes, Ali. Before you ask, Alicia is perfectly fine and in a stable condition. In fact, she’s awake right now.” Agent Geetha cut Ali off before he could even begin.
Ali closed his mouth. “Oh.”
Moon’s eyes had lit up upon hearing Agent Geetha’s words. “Alicia’s awake? Then what are we waiting for?! Let’s go!” She skipped past the tekno mentor, clapping her hands all the while.
Agent Geetha sent an inconspicuous glance at Ali before following Moon back inside.
Jet draped an arm around Ali’s shoulder, dragging him along. “C’mon, don’t just stand there. I’m sure she’ll be glad to meet you.”
Ali nodded absentmindedly. “Yeah…she’ll be glad…”
Alicia was sitting up, leaning back against the bed’s headboard when Moon spawned showed up by her bedside.
“Alicia!” The inviso agent chirped.
The General’s foster daughter was soon surrounded by her agent friends.
“Moon…you’re all here…” Alicia murmured.
Moon rolled her eyes. “Duh! Whaddya take us for? Heartless people who don’t give a damn about their friends?”
“We were worried about you y’know.” Roza said.
“Yeah! Oh, also…” Moon took a step closer and lightly flicked Alicia’s forehead.
“That’s what you get for locking us up in the observation deck!”
Alicia grimaced slightly. “Yeah…I deserve that…”
Rudy huffed. “You deserve more than that…but you did it because you didn’t want anyone else to interfere right?”
Alicia nodded slightly. “I wanted to confront…Ali alone…”
“Speaking of Ali, here he is!” Jet exclaimed, giving the tekno agent a slight shove forward.
Ali glared back at him before facing forward.
“Hey…” Ali said awkwardly.
After isolating himself from everyone for so long, especially Alicia, and specifically Alicia, it was certainly more than awkward for him to hold a conversation with the girl he had been trying so hard to avoid these past few weeks.
Alicia smiled slightly. “Ali…”
Ali's heart skipped a beat upon hearing her voice. Then, he silently chided himself. Sure, he no longer had to keep distancing himself from others…but some things won’t change. Like how Alicia…his Alicia…could never return. She was gone.
“So…how are you feeling now?” Ali asked softly.
Alicia tilted her head. “I’m better now, thanks to Agent Geetha. Thankfully, the simulation droids don’t do a lot of damage so it was just a slight concussion.”
Ali was glad. He had to explain to the General just now about how his daughter had got caught in the crossfire during his training. He really didn’t want to get into another lecture.
“So you’re safe.” Ali murmured.
Alicia…is safe…
Alicia nodded silently. She glanced at Agent Geetha, who returned her glance with a smile.
She shifted her gaze back to Ali before raising her fist to him.
“I’m glad to see you…partner…”
Ali’s whole world froze. Ali stared at her in shock. Everyone else was too stunned to speak. His heartbeat throbbed painfully loud in his ears.
No…No…No way…How…
It had been weeks…No. It had been so long…so, so long…but Ali could still remember that day. When Alicia woke up, and stared into him with those hauntingly familiar eyes, those words that had pierced his heart.
And now…it was like he was witnessing a miracle.
Was it…was it an illusion? A…a…dream? Some twisted, distorted fantasy? It couldn’t be reality…It just couldn’t…
Ali had grieved. He had mourned. And he had lived, with a part of him buried along with his Alicia. But then…who was she? The girl who sat before him. In the same infirmary bed, in the hospital gown.
Ali’s mind spun as his heart thumped wildly. Ali swallowed, licking his dry lips.
“A…A…Alicia…” He voiced out, scared off what her reply would be.
Was it another trick? Another false hope? Another impossible dream?
Alicia let out a dry laugh. “It’s me Ali. I’m here.”
Ali let out a sob, his body shaking violently as he raised a trembling fist to meet Alicia’s. Tears streamed down his cheeks uncontrollably as Ali cried.
Alicia merely smiled as she watched her best friend, her partner, break right in front of her. She spread open her arms, gesturing to him to come closer.
Desperately, Ali lurched forward, clinging to Alicia as he shook, unable to stop the tears that spilled from his eyes.
“Alicia…oh god Alicia…” Ali choked out.
Alicia gently stroked his head, murmuring soft assurances. “It’s okay Ali…it’s okay…everything’s okay…”
After a while, Ali calmed down. The shock of Alicia regaining her memories faded as well, the other young agents regaining their senses.
Moon bounced up and down happily. “Alicia! You got all your memories back?!?!”
Alicia let out a slight chuckle. “Yeah…I did…”
Ali pulled away, wiping his tear-stained cheeks. “I don’t care how that happened…I’m just glad…”
Agent Geetha clapped her hands together. “Well…from my diagnosis, it appeared that whatever happened with the malfunctioning droid in the simulation arena had messed with the neurons in Alicia’s brain. Fortunately, there was no severe damage caused. However, it did affect Alicia’s memory. In this case, we were lucky enough that the effects were positive.”
“That’s good to hea…”
Ali’s voice trailed off.
Alicia turned to him. “Ali?”
Ali’s whole body shook from exhaustion. His vision grew blurry, his breathing became laboured as his legs folded beneath him. He fell forward towards the bed that Alicia was on. Alicia caught him and gently laid his head on her lap.
She frowned as she stared down at the unconscious tekno agent’s face.
Agent Geetha let out a sigh. “It seems that Ali didn’t heed my advice to rest. He must have been severely depleted after everything that has happened. I’m sure that he has reached his physical limit.”
Alicia huffed exasperatedly.
“You idiot…” She murmured softly.
Roza elbowed Moon. “I think we should let them rest.”
Moon, taking the hint, nodded, her mouth splitting into a cheeky smile. “Yeah. C’mon guys!”
Moon happily bounded towards the infirmary’s doors as the rest of the young agents began to leave as well. Iman waved goodbye to Alicia and Jet sent two finger guns at the duo whilst smirking.
Alicia rolled her eyes silently.
“I too will take my leave now. Make sure that Ali rests, okay?” Agent Geetha said before following after the young agents out.
The doors slid closed after Agent Geetha exited the infirmary. Silence soon befell the nearly empty room.
Alicia smiled. “We’re alone now…”
She stroked Ali’s hair gently. “You must have gone through a lot while I was gone? Well, now I’m back and you’d better not stay all broody.”
Ali mumbled in his sleep. “Alicia…”
Alicia's breath hitched slightly. “You really missed me, huh?”
Ali snuggled closer to Alicia, whispering incoherently in his sleep.
Alicia let out a breath, almost a chuckle.
“Now I'm back…” She muttered softly.
Ali hummed softly, almost in agreement. Alicia let out a slight laugh.
“Okay, okay. That's enough for now. Go and sleep you stubborn boy.” Alicia chided lightheartedly.
Ali fell into a deeper slumber as Alicia continued stroking his head.
The infirmary was empty, except for two young agents, the two best agents that M.A.T.A. had. Best friends. Partners.
One had brought himself to the very limit of physical exertion, all for the sake of the safety of the other.
The other, having fully recovered her memories, hummed softly as she collected her thoughts, piecing together the full picture.
And yet, despite all that had happened, everything that they had gone through, the future, their future, seemed a little brighter now.
Whilst each individual was capable of great things, it was only together, side by side, were they able to spin miracles.
And that maybe, just maybe, they could move forward now. Together.