CHAPTER 44 : BACK FROM ZERO

What... happened?My head hurts...I can't move...Nasuha woke up, her eyes slowly opening. Her entire body was bound by many roots, both her palms and feet completely covered. Beside her, Hazim and Nur, who were unconscious, were also tied up similarly.Memories of what happened played in Nasuha's mind: Khairul was lying on the street, bleeding, while Zaki pulled the blade from his arm. Nasuha tried to help, but she was hit by a laser attack and a piece of asphalt that struck her head.Am I... alive?"Awake, huh?" Zaki remarked, sitting in a chair without a shirt, revealing the deep wound on his chest from his previous fight with Khairul, still not fully healed and red.Nasuha glared at him sharply, Zaki touched his wound and then smirked at Nasuha."When I think about it, everything that happened is all your fault. Because Khairul met you..." Zaki said. Nasuha tried to move her body, but she was too weak, sweat dripping from her chin."What happened to Khai?" Nasuha asked."He's alive. Don't worry. You'll definitely see him again. I haven't finished torturing him," Zaki replied."What are you talking about? Torture him? What kind of father are you?! You've hurt Khai all this time, leaving his body full of scars!" Nasuha shouted angrily, the smile on Zaki's face fading."You don't know anything. That boy isn't a good child either. He only knows how to cause trouble. Since he was born, he has only brought misfortune. He killed his own mother, killed someone I loved," Zaki said, recalling when he beat Khairul after he was expelled from school and when Aina's lifeless body was in the morgue."Are you serious? Are you even listening to what you're saying? You're insane... Completely insane... How could Khairul kill his mother?! What happened was an accident; no one can control what happens!" Nasuha yelled, getting even more furious."Shut up, shut up, shut up!" Zaki stood up and began to choke Nasuha, his eyes changing like a wolf. Even while being choked, Nasuha only looked angry, not the slightest bit afraid of Zaki."You said you wouldn't kill her yet, Zaki," Syakir admonished. Zaki turned to him, released Nasuha's neck, and walked away."Ahem! Huck!" Nasuha coughed, and Zaki glanced back momentarily with a fierce look in his eyes."When the time comes for you... you will regret breathing, just like that useless kid," Zaki said before walking away again. Syakir sat in front of Nasuha."You too..." Nasuha sighed."Yes.""You guys think... you can win against HOPE? They will come, and you won't have a chance..." Nasuha challenged as wires extended from Syakir's fingers."We will win. Your people are sentimental; can they hurt you while you're under my control? You all will bow to me..." The wires from Syakir moved toward Nasuha."Don't!" Nasuha moved her head, trying to evade the wires."Where did your act of bravado go?" Syakir asked as his wires entered the back of Nasuha's head."Arh!" Nasuha's eyes emitted a bright light, her hair extending from the power of the light, causing more roots to bind her tightly so she couldn't escape. Lilly approached Syakir from behind, controlling the roots that replaced those burned by Nasuha's activated powers.Don't let him control you.Don't...Don't!Khai...Come.Help me.I... I'm scared.Mikael swung from one building to another, landing on a rooftop as his mask opened on its own. Kyoko flew toward him and appeared next to Mikael."We've seen everything down to the abyss here, no trace of Nasuha or anyone..." Kyoko sighed, while Mikael pulled out a cigarette and lit it."Calm down... If they didn't kill Nasuha yesterday, it means they want her alive. What we need to worry about is why they want Nasuha alive. To bait Khairul and us? Or is there another reason?" Mikael exhaled the smoke from his cigarette, and Kyoko approached him, crossing her arms and gazing at the empty city."A mutant with wire powers can control Strays and control me. I'm not sure how his power works, but from what Mei saw in Khairul's memories, he turned Khairul's friends into mutants as well. What I can see is that he wants Nasuha's powers, just like how he wanted my powers before," Kyoko explained."We also need to consider how they know our movements... How he hid from Mei's power detectors and Khairul's senses." Mikael turned to her, observing Kyoko before he thought of something, as if a light bulb had gone off in his mind."Kyoko... Use your powers quickly to check everything on my body and clothes. Find anything that seems off." Mikael instructed."Huh?" Kyoko was puzzled."Do it fast." Mikael replied."Don't get too handsy now, old man...""Not like that! Just hurry up, geez..." Mikael threw away his cigarette, visibly annoyed by Kyoko's reaction.Kyoko quickly used her lightning power to circle around and inspect Mikael. In an instant, she reappeared in front of him, showing a seed that had opened with small leaves and bloody roots."A seed?""I've seen this seed before... It belonged to one of the mutants that attacked us that day, a female mutant with the power to control seeds and roots," Kyoko said, and the seed in her hand died immediately."Where did you find it?" Mikael asked."On your back." Kyoko then reached into her shirt, pulling out another seed that was also on her back."What does this seed actually do?" Kyoko asked, puzzled, while Mikael observed the seed closely."This might be what's tracking us; he could use this seed to know our location... Just my theory," Mikael replied, and Kyoko clenched the seed with an angry expression."We need to regroup. Let's go to the hospital," Kyoko said.All the HOPE members gathered at the hospital. Upon arriving at Khairul's ward, Kyoko quickly examined their bodies and removed the seeds stuck to them. She collected them on a table beside Khairul's bed, and they all observed the seeds with various reactions, especially with curiosity and confusion."What made you think they planted something on us?" Khalid asked Mikael."Just like how the police put trackers, sometimes criminals do the same to track someone. From a safe distance, you can monitor them, sometimes even know what they're doing... I'm just thinking from my own experience," Mikael pointed to his head."The seeds also die immediately after we pull them off our bodies. There's no doubt that the tree-powered mutant has been tracking us all along. They attacked Khairul and Nasuha right after our big fight with the White Tigers," Kyoko supported.Khairul raised his body slightly, just looking at the dead seeds."I... couldn't sense any danger. When my father attacked me, I couldn't hear or feel him. My danger sense didn't detect him at all..." Khairul slapped his face, running his fingers down to his cheek."Maybe the seeds have other properties that distorts our powers, which is why Khairul and I couldn't detect them all this time," Mei said, resting her hand on her chin while Khairul let out a small sigh."It seems like you all are getting closer to finding Nasuha... That's good. Save her," Khairul said, smiling slightly as he covered his face."You talk like you don't want to help," Kyoko shot back at him."Help? Are you joking? What can I do, Kyoko? Just tell me..." Khairul retorted, glaring back at Kyoko."You all..." Khalid interjected as he stepped forward."How long are you going to waste time feeling sorry for yourself? Do you even care about Nasuha?" Kyoko shouted, moving closer to Khairul, but Khalid stopped her."Enough... That's enough...""I can't win? Don't you understand yet? Don't drag me into this again... Just leave. Why did you bring all this to me? To motivate me to fight back? I won't... I'm not a mutant. Not anymore," Khairul replied, and all the HOPE members fell silent. Mikael just watched Khairul, his expression sorrowful.Not long after, they all left the ward, leaving Khairul behind. He leaned back, memories of when he first met Nasuha playing in his head. Nasuha's clothes were dirty from food that Syauqi had dropped, and Khairul's face was covered in cuts and bruises.Don't even think about it... You've failed.You've failed many times...Just stop.Just die quickly...A red light emanated from Mei's clenched hand; she, Khalid, Kyoko, and Chyou were on the roof of the hospital building. When Mei opened her hand, many trails of light emerged from her palm, and the seeds were in her hand.The trails of light coming from Mei's hand moved in multiple directions, and Khalid, Kyoko, and Chyou stepped forward."We need to follow each trail until we find her, huh?" Khalid asked."There's a lot..." Kyoko sighed."These seeds leave behind small mutant cells from the owner's power. These trails show where their powers have been active over the past few days," Mei explained, her irises changing to red."We need to find Nasuha quickly, so we'll move separately. Remember, we just want to locate her first, not to fight... Don't act alone," Khalid advised, looking at Kyoko and Chyou."If I get the chance, am I just going to leave Nasuha in danger for long? I'll save her," Kyoko replied."I understand, but they are strong; we can't deny that. You'll put yourself in danger if you act recklessly," Khalid said, and Kyoko fell silent, shifting her gaze."I'll go first..." Chyou moved ahead, jumping off the roof of the hospital. Kyoko followed, flying with her lightning powers."Be careful, Khalid," Mei warned."Before that... Where's Mikael?" Khalid asked, looking around with a confused expression."Hey kid," Mikael called out. Khairul turned to him with a blank face. Mikael walked into Khairul's ward, the entire room bathed in orange from the setting sun."What now?" Khairul sighed."Listen, I agree that you shouldn't join in to help Nasuha. After what happened, I don't want you to fight anymore... It's true; you don't have your powers right now. You'll just be a burden during a fight," Mikael said. Khairul turned away, hiding his face under the blanket as Mikael stepped closer."You're just a kid in a fight you shouldn't be in. Just like Nasuha... You both should just be kids, go to school, do stupid things, go do whatever high school kids do. Not fighting monsters, fighting thugs, or even fighting your own father," Mikael continued, standing by Khairul's bedside."You're not wrong, Khairul." Mikael gently touched Khairul's shoulder."What... What am I supposed to do... old man?" Khairul asked, and Mikael simply looked at him as Khairul's body began to tremble, pulling the blanket tighter around himself."I-I don't know... I don't know what... Ugh! Ah! I... I can't..." Khairul cried, Mikael softly stroked Khairul's head, his own eyes glistening with tears. He was reminded of his own daughter, recalling how he had stroked Farah's head in the same way. Mikael let out a long sigh."Do you love Nasuha, kid?" Mikael asked."I... I... I love her... but I can't do anything... I can't protect Nasuha, I can't protect anyone... I always fail... I'm the reason others... suffer... It's all because I'm weak..." Khairul replied, and Mikael lifted Khairul from his shoulders, making him face him. Their faces met, tears streaming down Khairul's face, snot running from his nose, and Mikael looked at him with determination."You can't change the past. You can't predict the future accurately. What you have is only the present... Don't live with regrets for not doing something now, my son," Mikael advised, and Khairul clenched his fists.My life is painful. I hurt others...I'm weak... I'm useless... I'm no good at all...But those are just excuses. Excuses so I don't have to move my body.It doesn't matter if I'm a mutant or just a kid.Nasuha is in danger because of me...Don't run away. Don't look back...Save Nasuha even if you die!"Sorry for the delay... I got help," Mikael said, and Mei and Khalid turned to him. Mikael walked towards them with Khairul following closely behind."Khai..." Khalid looked surprised."I'm here now." Khairul's eyes were slightly red from crying earlier, and Khalid smiled faintly."Um... Welcome back, Khairul," Khalid said. Khairul gazed out over the city from the hospital roof, clenched his fists, and let out a long breath before turning to Mikael."Old man... You can give me a weapon with your powers, right?" Khairul asked."I can try," Mikael replied. Khairul unwrapped the bandage on his arm, revealing his palm and the bare skin of his arm where his blades should be."Give me a weapon. I don't care what it is... I want to fight my own father," Khairul pleaded.Back from zero, Khairul.