Unexpected {Ejen Ali Fanfic}

Responsible Man

Ali's eyes fluttered open. His weak form was lying on a comfortable bed. His mind says home but his surroundings says safe house. 

"He's awake, General," a soothing female voice said.

He groaned to roll on his side. Sharp spikes of pain shot up his nerves, and he was forced to curl on the bed, letting out a moan of agony. 

"Ali!" Sapphire said warningly, hurrying over to Ali. She looked down as her eyes met Ali's. "Please don't move! You've sustained several damage to yourself, your muscles need to rest."

"Where's...Quarto..." he muttered weakly.

"Don't worry about him." Sapphire comforted. "He's not what you should be worrying about."

"Alicia?" 

"She's gone back home already. Ali, you've passed out for seven hours."

"What?!" With a sudden jolt, he jumped up to a sitting position, wincing at once for the pain at his stomach and back. 

"Chill, Ali. You'll need to go back home immediately after this."

She led him to the Control Room, where General Rama, displayed on the large screen, glared at him over his nose. Sapphire instantly fell silent, and suddenly found interest on the floor.

"How can this happen again..." General Rama fumed.

"W-what happen?" Ali asked innocently.

"HOW CAN IRIS CONTROL YOU AGAIN?" he shouted out loud. 

Sapphire and Ali both had let out a terrified squeak at this. General Rama's left eye seemed to be twitching, the first sign of anger.

"S-sorry, General," Ali said quietly into his lap.

"The last time this has happened was three years ago," he said, trying to calm himself. "Why can it happen now?"

Ali opened his mouth to speak, but found that he had no point to argue with, and closed it again.

"IRIS will be left with us for now." General Rama breathed.

"W-what?!" Ali stammered, aghast at his sudden demand to take IRIS away from his possession. He found it hard when he had to be separated from this thing that has helped him for years, but at the same time, this was the General he was talking about. 

"You can trust us, Ali," Sapphire said kindly, putting an encouraging hand in his shoulder.

Ali looked down sadly, and mustered his all the courage he had in him (that is if he still has), and muttered, "OK, General..."

He trudged out of the Control Room looking down at his feet. Once General Rama made sure he was not to be overheard, he burst into speech.

"Sapphire, have you checked on IRIS' data?"

Sapphire nodded. "Yes, General."

General Rama grunted. "The advantage is in our hands now. Quarto's identity is revealed against his will. Who is it, Sapphire?"

Sapphire looked like she was selecting the best words to say, as if the news was really bad, and she didn't want to let the General down.

"Quarto is..."

***

The next day was a Saturday, and Ali was found oversleeping, buried in his homework on his bed. Only when his father, Ghazali, came in to check on him, did he got woken up.

"Ali." he said clearly. 

"I. Wanna. Sleep." Ali murmured weakly, and fell asleep again.

"I'll call you up when breakfast's ready, yeah. By the way, Alicia's coming for a visit."

With a second jolt in 24 hours, he bounced onto a sitting position just as Ghazali closed the door behind him. On the floor laid Comot, mewing softly, for it had just been flipped off the bed when Ali jumped.

"Are you sure it's Alicia?!" he shouted. But no reply came. 

He bet his dad was already in the kitchen, where sound was too far to travel from his bedroom to there. If it was true, why the hell did Alicia wanted to come to his house, just to talk to him? If she was here, then he must look his best. This was his house and he must show that he is the king here. 

Putting some responsibility into himself, he got up to brush his teeth, making sure that those teeth sparkle, and a quick, clean shower. But by then, his dad haven't even finish making breakfast yet. So he took this opportunity to clean up the racket in his bedroom, as Comot watched curiously about what he was doing.

And after a long and hardworking fifteen minutes, his room was gleaming and neat from every angle he could see. 

"Ali," Ghazali called, opening the door a little to let his voice get carried in. "Breakfast is-"

But at the glimpse of his room, Ghazali gave a surprised gasp and looked proudly everywhere. Embarrassed, Ali tried to steer the conversation away from this matter that Ghazali can't stop gaping at. 

"OK, I'll go down now," he said distractedly. 

He made to leave but Ghazali didn't even seem to have heard what he had just told him.

"Is this your work?" he asked, not looking at him, but eyes still transfixed at the room.

"Maybe..." Ali replied uncertainly.

Finally he tore his eyes from the room, and looked at Ali as if he had never seen anything so amazing. For Ali wasn't one who would actually admire tidiness. 

"I am so proud of you, son."  A wide grin spread across his face. "You are becoming a true man."

"T-thanks, dad." He blushed, and headed down the stairs as quick as possible, emerging in the living room, and headed straight for the kitchen, not even waiting for his dad to come down.

Comot, realising that Ali had went down, found no purpose to be upstairs anymore, and went downstairs, where it curled up on the mat.

The wafting smell of bacon and eggs invited him as he stepped in the kitchen, and it wiped out every thought he had on his mind. His father's cooking is honestly the best you can ever have. The eggs were cooked until they have a perfect skin texture, and the bacon wasn't raw or overcooked. Following the smell of delicacy, he sat down at the table and held up his fork and spoon in the air high, and savoured on it. 

Ghazali was smiling to himself and wandering what has gone into Ali that has made him so responsible. As he walked down the stairs, his hand sliding down the railings, taking in every feeling he felt now. He could hear the scrapings of metal against plate coming from the kitchen, he was sure Ali enjoyed his meal. If only his wife would know, she would be very proud of Ali now...

The door bell rang in the silence and he heard the scrapings stop. Ali must be listening intently for any sound of conversation.

Ghazali slid open the glass door, revealing Alicia standing there.