CHAPTER 45 : RESPONSIBILITIES

Rose was walking down the hospital corridor, carrying a plastic bag filled with food. With every step, she thought about everything that had happened: Khairul's severe injuries, Nasuha who was missing, the Special Force searching for HOPE, and the situation with the White Tigers.This is madness; it all started with two high school kids running away from home.I put them in this dangerous world...I'm responsible for everything.How long am I going to let these two kids bear such a heavy burden? I should be doing something right now.Protect them..."Mr. Ehsan?" Rose stopped in her tracks when she bumped into Ehsan; they were both in front of Khairul's ward."Rose." Ehsan's face immediately appeared somber."Here to try to get him to move again?" Rose asked. Ehsan turned his gaze away and remained silent."Nasuha is my responsibility. Don't burden Khairul any further... HOPE is currently trying to find Nasuha, and I'm conducting my own investigation. Khairul has already given us what we need," Rose explained, and Ehsan let out a long sigh."I want to blame everything... Blame you, blame that group of mutants, blame that damn kid, but I realize that I allowed Nasuha to do what she did... I don't know how to stop her; I'm just an ordinary man, and Nasuha has become something beyond understanding. I just want to fix everything with my daughter," Ehsan lamented."Same here... I wish I could fix everything. Not involve Khairul and Nasuha in this world. Let them be ordinary high school kids. But at the same time, they both made their own choices... What can we do to stop them?" Rose asked. Ehsan clenched his hands, tapping his chest a few times to calm himself.Rose opened the door to Khairul's ward, but her eyes widened when she saw that Khairul was not in bed. She rushed inside, placing the plastic bag down and looking around."Where? Where is Khairul?" Rose panicked, and Ehsan followed her inside, searching for Khairul as well."No... No... Khai... Don't." Rose held her head, imagining Khairul out there searching for Nasuha, looking for his father again. She quickly pulled out her phone and called Shaurya.Ehsan sat down beside Khairul's bed, looking at the unmade blanket and the scattered pillows. He smiled faintly."Find Nasuha and bring her back, Khairul..."Shaurya was waiting in the police car when Rose rushed in and slammed the door shut. She tried calling Khalid but got no answer, and Mikael also didn't respond to her calls, making Rose tug at her hair in frustration."What are they thinking? Making Khairul fight again? Are they crazy?!" Rose shouted, and Shaurya turned to her with a worried expression."Shaurya... We have to find them and bring Khairul back. I won't let him fight again," Rose insisted."But sis... How? We have no way to find them," Shaurya replied, and Rose only looked increasingly irritated."Just do whatever we can! I don't care how!" Rose yelled, poking Shaurya in the chest with her finger. Realizing what she was doing, Rose sat back down and took a deep breath."Just drive the car... Shaurya," Rose pleaded. Shaurya nodded and started the police car's engine.Where are you guys? Please don't let Khairul suffer any more. Don't let them stay in this world any longer...Mikael swung himself using the black liquid that came from his palms, twisting his body in mid-air before releasing more black liquid to latch onto another building and landing on the roof.He followed the trail of light created by Mei's powers, leading him to an apartment building. Mikael entered a dark house, which was cluttered. He looked around and saw picture frames scattered on the floor.Mikael carefully picked one up; it was a photo of Lilly with a younger boy and girl, both smaller than her, smiling sweetly in the picture.In one room, there were many rotting roots with seeds scattered on the floor. Mikael picked up a seed; it was almost identical to the seeds that had once stuck to their bodies.Meanwhile, Khairul and Chyou arrived at Hazim's house, which was sealed with police tape. Khairul stepped inside, followed by Chyou, and they noticed Hazim's damaged van was left abandoned."Nothing much is left here..." Khairul sighed after he and Chyou searched the entire house. He crossed his arms and exhaled deeply."Khairul... Are you... Ah... Are you really okay? Don't feel... like your head is here... now..." Chyou asked, sounding nervous and awkward. Khairul turned to him and clenched his fists."Of course I'm not okay, but I have to try to do something. Even if my father kills me... I will save Nasuha," Khairul declared. Chyou just observed him before walking outside again."Let's... go find... another place," Chyou suggested, and Khairul touched his shoulder. They both teleported away from the area.My power... allows me to control things. Objects, tools, and even other creatures. With the control I have, I can choose the actions and feelings of someone. Turning them into my instruments.Changing someone into a mutant is easy with my powers. Especially for those with high Mutant Cells. The higher the level of Mutant Cells, the stronger the mutation...Lilly has powerful mutant abilities due to the high Mutant Cells in her body. The two—her brother and sister—don't have high Mutant Cells, and I can't manipulate them to gain any useful powers, but what they have is sufficient..."Now... she won't resist much," said Syakir, as the wires on his fingers shortened again. Zaki stood by with a satisfied smile. Before them was Nasuha, bound by numerous roots, her expression and eyes empty, devoid of emotion."Completely killing her emotions, huh? Interesting... I'm impressed; this is the best way to hurt that girl." Zaki's smile turned sinister as Syakir exhaled deeply.This crazy old man. He's willing to do anything to make his child's life miserable. I think I understand a bit, but I don't care about that... HOPE will fall into my hands...Instruments like them will provide me with good resources.Don't think you're out of my sight either, you crazy old man. You will fall too. I'll make sure of it.Syakir shot a glance at Zaki."Syakir. I can't trace HOPE anymore. I think they've noticed my seeds," Lilly remarked, and Syakir turned to her."They must be moving to find us too... Don't worry; this is part of our plan. Once again, we wait for them to walk into our trap. Their weakness is that they pretend to be heroes, which makes them hesitant to hurt others, especially those they love. We will win against those foolish idealists," Zaki explained as he walked away from Syakir and Lilly."Prepare your roots and seeds for battle if they start attacking," Syakir instructed Lilly."I know. I've already placed the roots all around this area to detect if they come," Lilly replied."Good... You're becoming a useful tool," Syakir praised, and Lilly simply averted her gaze, which had turned melancholic."Ah... okay...""Calls from Rose... A lot too." Khalid looked at his phone, his expression changed to worry. He and Mei were in the Furioswheels, hiding in an empty, dimly lit underground parking lot."She sent me a message too. It seems she doesn't want Khairul to join the mission to save Nasuha," Mei also checked her phone. Khalid put his phone away and placed his hand on the steering wheel."Sorry, Rose, but this is what Khai wants," Khalid said before speeding out of the parking space he was in.In the sky, a purple lightning bolt shot rapidly through the clouds. A Stray in the form of a bird was flying in the air, with human bones and flesh still attached to its legs.Kyoko sped up and pierced through the body of the Stray, killing it instantly. She landed on the roof of a building, holding the human bones from the Stray's legs in her left hand.She placed them on the roof and looked at them with disgust. Kyoko quickly covered her mouth, feeling nauseous and almost throwing up."I can't... get used to things like this," Kyoko sighed as the Stray she had killed fell behind her. The sound of sirens echoed in the distance; Kyoko turned towards the noise and saw two Special Force tanks on the nearby road."I need to find Nasuha. Fast," Kyoko monologued and took to the sky again, resembling a flash of purple lightning."Look up there... Superhuman or mutated monster?" asked one of the Special Force members who noticed the purple flash in the sky."Feels like I've seen it before..." replied the partner sitting next to him.Kyoko continued to follow the trail of red light, quickly scanning various areas. However, her clothes and some parts of her body were slightly burned from using her powers excessively, but she kept moving.The lightning struck near the area where Zaki, Syakir, and Lilly were located. Zaki sniffed the air, a smile forming on his face."Someone is nearby... a mutant with lightning powers," Zaki said. Nasuha remained unresponsive, her face still blank.Kyoko burst through the glass ceiling of the building like a lightning bolt, producing black smoke from her body. She looked ahead, her eyes widening in horror as she saw Nasuha bound against the wall by roots."Nasuha!" Kyoko shouted, but the thorny roots surged from the floor. Kyoko quickly dodged before the roots could ensnare her, channeling her lightning power around her, causing the lights in the building to flicker."Come out! Kuso yaro!" Kyoko shouted angrily. Lilly appeared first, releasing red seeds that exploded right in front of Kyoko's face."Slow!" Kyoko suddenly appeared in front of Lilly, striking her with lightning that sent her flying backward."Bahahahahahargh!" Zaki then emerged in his monstrous form. Kyoko dodged his claws and struck him with lightning, but she couldn't push Zaki away."That doesn't hurt at all!" A kick landed on Kyoko's side, dragging her across the floor, while several roots attacked her."Arh!" Kyoko pushed away the approaching roots using her lightning power."What did you do!?" Kyoko shouted, seeing Zaki and Lilly standing in front of her. Behind them were Nasuha, Hazim, and Nur, all with blank, emotionless faces bound by numerous roots."They're under my control now. Merely tools, weapons for me to use. You will join them soon," Syakir announced as he appeared, wires from his fingers penetrating the backs of Nasuha, Hazim, and Nur's heads."You..." Kyoko grew more furious at the sight of Syakir."Aaaahhh!" Suddenly, Nasuha screamed, her powers activated and she crushed the roots binding her. Her hair grew long from the energy of her light, and she flew forward, glaring at Kyoko with glowing eyes."Nasuha... It's me, Kyoko. He's controlling you. Wake up!" Kyoko pleaded."There's no point. I've killed her emotions and mind," Syakir replied. Kyoko gritted her teeth and reactivated her lightning power."Hang in there, Nasuha... I will save you."Zaki moved to attack first, but Kyoko managed to dodge his strike again. Lilly came from the side, swinging several roots at her. Kyoko generated a lightning wave that shocked both of them, causing Zaki and Lilly to stop moving."Star... Beam!" Nasuha released a Star Beam towards Kyoko. She dodged the attack, but the red laser shot rapidly towards her, grazing Kyoko's shoulder.Smoke emerged from Hazim's eyes after unleashing his powers; the red light returned to his eyes before he fired the red laser again. Kyoko turned her body and shocked Hazim, stopping his attack."Aaaarrrhhhh!" Nur attacked, gathering earth around her body, her hands transforming into massive rocks as she tried to smash Kyoko. However, Kyoko easily dodged her slow strike.Kyoko tried to strike Nur with lightning, but Nur's earth powers made Kyoko's lightning attack ineffective."Tch!" Kyoko dodged various attacks. Thanks to the speed of her lightning powers, she managed to evade, but the relentless onslaught from multiple directions made it difficult for Kyoko to counterattack. Eventually, she flew out to the roof of the building.Don't be foolish trying to fight a battle you can't win.I need help from someone else...Kyoko shattered the eye pearl she had brought, producing a red light before it disappeared. Zaki jumped and landed in front of her, a sinister smile still on his face. Nasuha flew behind Zaki, radiant light emanating from both her palms."How long are you going to keep running away?" Zaki asked."I'm not an idiot. Unlike you guys, trying to pick a fight and take on a battle you can't win!" Kyoko shot back with a confident smile, causing Zaki's grin to fade and his expression to turn angry.Roots rose and surrounded the entire building as Lilly used them to lift Syakir, Hazim, and Nur onto the roof. The wind blew softly for a moment while Kyoko gathered lightning in both her hands.With a loud 'pof!' sound, Chyou appeared next to Kyoko, pulling out a folding knife."Where's Khai?" Kyoko asked."He's here," Chyou replied."Ah... You had time to call for help, huh?" Zaki remarked, but his expression quickly changed to shock as he caught a familiar scent.From the sky, Khairul fell down, landing among them all, causing the entire building to tremble and debris from the roof to fly into the air."You came back earlier than I expect!" Zaki shouted with a sneer. Khairul shot him a sharp glare."Give Nasuha back!" Khairul yelled."Try doing it yourself, you bastard!" Zaki taunted, his monstrous form becoming uglier and more muscular.This time, I won't hesitate anymore.I won't fail again...Even if I die, I..."Nasuha, let's go home." Khairul looked at Nasuha, who hovered in the air for a moment. Their eyes met, but Nasuha did not react at all.Khairul clenched his hands, the bandages around his arms torn, as two black blades emerged from his hands. The two blades were formed from the shadow powers of Mikael, and Khairul shot Zaki another glare."Let's kill each other, Khairul!" Zaki taunted, revealing his claw-like hands."I will kill you, old man!"