X's TERRITORY

Ali regained consciousness and saw Team QuickBae staring at him; he was in Smart's Lab Medical Faculty. His whole body was in immense pain, especially his head due to the over usage of the vision booster. Ali then raised up his upper body from the bed and rested his back;

Ali: What happened to me?

Dr Smart: Take it easy there, you are still very weak

Presh: You passed out due to the after effects of the vision booster and it took a toll on your mental health, but you should be fine after resting properly

Ali: Oh yeah! I remember now, I found him; I found Kayleb

Dr Smart: Yeah, you have told us that much already. Still, don't try to stress yourself too much. Like I said, you are still very weak and you need to rest

Ali: Arazona land, Off GOLDEN Bridge, 37th avenue, Singapore. That's the location I picked up from Kayleb's whereabouts

Dr Smart: Singapore! That is very far from Sterling City. It's about a week journey by air from here

Presh: Exactly! I even wonder how he got there in the first place. And if he is in Singapore, our satellite should have been able to pick up his location, like a long time ago. Plus, why didn't he just come back to us after being alive all this while?

Ali: When I found Kayleb, I could see that he was enslaved. I also couldn't feel any trace of his speed energy within him, as if it had been suspended somehow. Not to mention that the land he was, seemed to be a well hidden arid military zone. I don't think that satellites can pick up any signal coming from that area

Tee Kay: That explains a lot. So, why don't we go rescue Kayleb since he seems to be in danger?!

Ali: (struggling to stand up from the bed) Yes, I agree with that. We need to go....

But before Ali could complete his statement, he fell down on the bed and lost consciousness again. It turns out that Presh had injected him with some sedatives to make him rest properly;

Presh: (covering Ali with a blanket) Sorry Ali, but you are going to have to sit-in on this one. We will save Kayleb but without you. I am sure Kayleb would understand that you wanted to be there to help him

Dr Smart: Don't feel too bad Presh, what you did was for Ali's good. I am sure he will understand when he wakes up. That being said, we need to get prepared...we've got a friend to save!

Dr Smart, Presh and Tee Kay then took all the necessary stuff they needed for their rescue mission. They had with them a bunch of grenades and revolvers. They then headed for Smarts lab's helicopter at its take off point, boarded it and took off to Singapore. Before leaving, they had Aeres check in on Ali occasionally when she was done with her shift in the police department. Her best wishes were with team QuickBae before they embarked on their mission and she made them assure her that they would bring Kayleb back, at any cost. A week passed and team QuickBae finally reached Singapore. After a few hours, they approached Arazona land. Dr Smart then parked the helicopter outside the region of Arazona land in a place where it can't be easily noticed. He, Presh and Tee Kay then went over the plan to save Kayleb;

Dr Smart: Okay, listen up guys! According to the Intel Aeres gave us, this area has been restricted for about ten years now since the last Singapore war. So it means that the occupants of this land are here illegally, even though they seem military; that and the possibility that the occupants might also be a private cult that is being run by a single individual who is very influential and intimidating. So infiltrating won't be all that easy

Tee Kay: Can't we just go in there with our abilities, find Kayleb and get out of there A.S.A.P?

Presh: I wouldn't do that if I were you. Have you forgotten what Ali said earlier, about how Kayleb's speed was suspended somehow?! Obviously, we do not know how his speed was suspended. It could be a barrier that is not visible to us now until we attempt entering their territory, which will not only dampen our abilities, but single us out to the enemy..

Dr Smart: Presh is right! I wouldn't underestimate our foes. And also, we know how armed the members of this cult are, thanks to the Intel we got. Plus my intuition tells me that, this cult will be filled with a lot of members. So we need to think smart before infiltrating

Tee Kay: Infiltrating now seems harder than usual, what do we do then?

Presh: We could disguise ourselves as part of the cult and look for Kayleb from within, how does that sound?

Dr Smart: That isn't a bad idea at all. We will knock out some cult members and take their clothing and mask. Their sensors shouldn't be triggered if we look like members of the cult. Then we will all split up and look for Kayleb. Also, the both of you should take you ear pods with you so that we will be able to communicate with one another. If anyone of us finds Kayleb, we should notify the others and find a way to meet up somewhere within the land, so that we will all bust out of this territory together. Sound good?!

The other two nodded their heads in affirmative and the plan went into action. Team QuickBae then went into the cult's land and headed straight for the gates of the cult's hideout. The three successfully knocked out three guards who were guarding the gates without a hitch and wore their masks and clothing. Afterwards, they entered the Cults hideout. The three then split up and the search for Kayleb began.

Kayleb on the other hand, was sitting at a bonfire with a beautiful woman who had short orange hair and dark gorgeous eyes. She was as tall as Kayleb and it seemed like the two were both slaves of the Cult. The two then continued their usual conversation;

Kayleb: Well, my friends are the best you see. We have been colleagues for the past seven years now and we have always had the upmost respect for one another. And then, there is our boss, Dr Smart Wilson. He has always had our backs all the time

Hafsat: Wow! Your friends seem amazing Kayleb. You know, I am a bit envious that you have such cool friends. All my life, I haven't known anyone I can call a true friend. In fact, I have spent my whole life in this place so I don't even really know where I come from

Kayleb: Don't worry about that. Because I assure you; when I get the chance, I will bust us out of here and then, we can go meet my friends and find out where you come from. Sound good?!

Hafsat: (looking at Kayleb in amazement) Yeah, I'd like that. Thank you Kayleb

Kayleb: You don't have to thank me. You know, I should be thanking you instead. Ever since I found myself here, about two and a half years ago, you are the only true friend I have made and the only I can trust. You helped me with my loneliness and you even helped me regain my memory after I lost part of it. Though I can't say that I remember some of it but the fact that I remember my friends is plenty enough for me

Hafsat: Yeah. When you first arrived here, some people rumored that you were found outside the gates of this land. And that, X took you in and made you a slave. I don't know how true that is but I am glad you and I became friends. So, do you think your friends might have forgotten about you? I mean there is a chance of that because they might all think that you died.....you know, disappearing on them and all that

Kayleb: (looking sad) Yeah, you might be right! There is a reason why I disappeared back then and how I got here, is still a mystery to me. But if my friends believed that I was still alive, they would have probably found me by now. So yeah, you might be right after all.....if not, they would have surely found me

Hafsat: When you lost your memory after your arrival, I suspected that X had conducted experiments on you. Then you told me back then that he was actually doing that....that is, when we started getting to know each other

Kayleb: Yeah, I remember. I also remember the risk you took in helping me regain my memory.....You drugged and disguised yourslef as X's Physicians who was assigned to conducting the experiments on me and changed my medication

Hafsat: Well I couldn't allow them continue messing up with your brain

Kayleb: (smiling) And thanks to that, instead of forgetting who I was, I remembered who I am

Hafsat: (smiling) When I think about it, that Physician is dumb. I mean not only did he not realise that your medication had been tempered with, he also didn't realise that he himself, had been drugged. I am still glad that the Physician didn't end up spilling the beans on us. He thought that he fell asleep. He couldn't allow X hear of "such incompetence"

The two then laughed and a guard cleared his throat close to the two. Kayleb and Hafsat then noticed the guard behind them who seemed to have been listening in on their conversation;

Kayleb: We were just talking about....

Hafsat: (interrupting) you know we are allowed to stay together, right?! I mean, it is the one time of the week we get to see each other because it's general duty day. So what's the problem if Kayleb and I are seen together today? We have been doing it in the past and none of you guards seemed to have had any problems with it

The guard: (Confused) what are you talking about? Oh I forgot, the mask is still on my face

The guard then revealed his face to the two and Kayleb's eyes filled with tears;

Kayleb: Dr Smart!

Hafsat: Wait, Really! Dr Smart Wilson, the guy you are always talking about?!

Kayleb: Yes, he is the one

Dr Smart: (covering his face back with the mask) Quick, we will catch up later. We have to leave, like right now!

Dr Smart then silently removed the cuffs that were on both Kayleb and Hafsat's wrists and led the two to where Tee Kay and Presh were waiting for them on Smart's instruction; after finding Kayleb. It was a tunnel Tee Kay had found in the cult's hideout.

When the three got there, Presh was delighted to see Kayleb again;

Presh: It's been a while Kayleb!

Kayleb: Hello Presh, I have really missed you! (hugging Presh)

Presh: Likewise Kayleb. And who is she? (Noticing a tall woman with Orange hair and black eyes beside Kayleb)

Kayleb: Oh, her name is Hafsat. She's an ally

Presh: Oh I see. Then that must mean that she is a friend as well

Kayleb: (nodding his head) Yeah, she is

Presh: (Now talking to Hafsat) Hi, I am...…

Hafsat: (cutting in) Presh, yeah I know. Kayleb has told me a lot about you guys. It's a pleasure to finally meet y'all in person

Presh: I like her already Kayleb. And the pleasure is reciprocated

Hafsat: (now referring to Dr Smart) Sorry I over reacted earlier. I had no idea you were the one behind the mask. You see, it's general duty day and every once a week, both male and female slaves are allowed to be seen together, mostly to work. But after working, they can both sit together around the bonfire and rest a little while chatting. So i was a bit pissed when you showed up, that is earlier...

Dr Smart: That makes sense and no problem. Now I am even more curious, where and what is this place?

Kayleb: They call this place X's territory. It is a cult led by a single influential and intimidating individual named X, who enslaves people to work as his servants and makes some he feels worthy, his personal guards and assistants. He has people from different backgrounds, working for him with certain degrees of specializations; some of which includes Intel and data collection. They are a unit who is skilled with softwares and programming language; that is how this hideout has been masked off from satellites in Arazona land because that unit keeps it that way through the use of super computers

Dr Smart: So I guess most of the Intel we got and my intuition, were correct huh!

Tee Kay: And your abilities, what about it?!

Kayleb: About that, it was....wait a minute, who are you? And how do you know I have abilities?! (Just noticing Tee Kay)

Dr Smart: Don't worry, he is also an ally

Tee Kay: Plus, I am just like you

After saying this, Tee Kay touched Kayleb's shoulders and Kayleb could instantly identify the energy emitted by Tee Kay;

Kayleb: I see, you are like Dr Smart and Alternate; right?!

Tee Kay: Yeah

Hafsat: What does he mean by "your abilities" Kayleb?

Kayleb: Oh, I guess it's time I tell you....I am also known as Sterling city's greatest hero of all time

Hafsat: No way, QuickBae!

Kayleb: (chuckling) Oh, so you have heard of me?

Hafsat: Who hasn't?! We may be slaves around here but even we know of "QuickBae of Sterling City". But if you are a speedster, why didn't you just use your speed to bust us out of here?

Kayleb: That is the part I am getting to. When I regained consciousness, about two and a half years ago, I realized I was on a bed deep within X's territory. It was X's experiment room. The leader of this cult, that is X, realized somehow that I was a speedster back then. Although I don't know whether or not he realized I was QuickBae, but he then branded me as a "special experiment" and had one of his Scientists insert a microchip behind my neck to suspend my speed temporarily. Then he made me work all day and night to drain me and gradually, cut of my connection to my speed energy. But lately, even with my speed suspended, I have been getting in contact with my speed energy again and that is all thanks to Hafsat who at times, shares my work with me; making it easier on my part. Then, while recuperating, I tap into my speed energy gradually to ensure that I don't lose its connection forever

Hafsat: But this was all before they wanted you to forget who you are, right?

Kayleb: Actually, part of the experiment which was meant to suspend my speed, was also to make me lose my memory. But they only succeeded in suspending my speed since you helped me regain my memory

Presh: So Ali's theory was right as well, about how your speed energy was suspended when he found you

Dr Smart: And thanks to your effort to save your speed energy, Tee Kay and I were being attracted to it unconsciously. That is how we found your location

Kayleb: (Smiling) Ali huh, how is he by the way?

Presh: He wanted to be here but he over used his abilities in finding you, which had quite the impact on him. So he had to lay back and rest

Kayleb: That Ali! Already mastered his skills, that's quite impressive

Presh: You even need to see him in action; he's one of Sterling City's heroes called Le Vibe. He has now learnt to use his ability to open portals by tearing open the energy in space and linking it to another different space throug a portal medium; in an open space. He can also feel the vibrational energies of not just people, but certain objects too

Kayleb: Dr Smart did say back then that Ali's powers are limitless. I am not surprised

Dr Smart: Not just Ali, but even Presh now has better control of her subconscious mind. She is also what you would call "an impressive hero"

Kayleb: I expected nothing less from my friends. What about you, uhmm..(referring to Tee Kay)

Tee Kay: The name's Tee Kay, also known as Kid Bae

Kayleb: Kid Bae huh, not a bad name. Let me guess, that was all Ali?

Tee kay: Yeah!

Kayleb: Anyways, how were you able to master your skill? You are also a hero of Sterling City now, right?!

Tee Kay: Yeah, I am. And I had help from Dr Smart

Kayleb: He is the best, isn't he?!

Tee Kay: Yeah, but I also heard that you were the best as well, Kayleb. So I look forward to learning from you

Kayleb: The pleasure is all mine, Kid Bae!

Dr Smart: That will be nice and all but not now. Right now, we need to use this tunnel to escape from X's territory. Afterwards, we will all catch up some more, hmm?!

The whole group nodded their heads in affirmative and all of them started walking down the tunnels that led outside Arazona land.