Through the Eyes

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For the next few days Ali lived in the fear that he would not be going to missions anymore for the rest of his life. IRIS had managed to control him three times so far, and twice in a week, and he didn't know why. It would have been reasonable if it had always been in life threatening situations, but his third happening didn't prove that.

When he came back to school for the first day, everyone was most curious about his face now. Pointing and whispering behind their hands as he went. He supposed it was his new scars given to him after the incident with the toxic. He only supposed he jinxed it when he said he would be jumping into the toxic, but he was simply joking. At least it had healed after Sapphire did some hocus pocus with them, but that didn't stop him getting a lot of people's attention.

It wasn't until a month later he heard anything from MATA.

He was halfway through an extremely boring history class when he was called by none other than the discipline teacher.

"May I borrow Ali for a moment, Ms Erine?" the discipline teacher, Mr Umar, requested.

"Sure, whatever you like, Mr Umar," Ms Erine said coolly.

Ali cautiously rose up from his chair to reach the front of the class. It felt odd doing so. He could feel every eye of his classmates on his back as he approached the front. Mr Umar then turned on his heel and marched Ali to his narrow office.

"We have a special appointment for you this afternoon, Ali," he said exasperatedly, taking a seat behind his table as he beckoned Ali to sit on the opposite. "Someone called Mr Bidin will be picking you up early. As a matter of fact, now."

The door to the office creaked open. A dull, tired man stood in its place. He wore a peach coloured long sleeve shirt which has been folded up at the elbows and black trousers. His hair was slightly out of place that it helped him look even more shabby.

"A-Agent Kar-?" Ali stammered, before having his mouth clamped shut by the sober-looking man.

"Ali," Mr Umar said loudly, as though he hadn't heard him splutter, or simply dismissed it. "This is Mr Bidin. Mr Bidin, I will leave Ali to you now."

"Yes, Mr Umar," Agent Karya said, nodding curtly.

He went out of the office. Ali didn't know what to do. He looked at the discipline teacher for help.

"Go lah," he said irritably.

Stumbling, Ali got out of the office too. Agent Karya was already some few feet away, walking with his hands hanging limply by his side.

"Where are we going, Agent Karya?" Ali asked him, once he had caught up. They were now walking into the building and up the stairs.

"MATA's safe house. The General requested me to come in an emergency, and I came almost immediately," he said smoothly.

Once they had reached the second floor, they walked over to another staircase which doors were shut. Agent Karya looked in the direction of a CCTV hanging from the ceiling and smiled at it. The CCTV beeped red for a fraction of a second before the doors to the hidden lift clicked open, allowing Ali and Agent Karya to step in.

They arrived in the Control Room, fully dressed in their agents suits. Ali was most surprised to see that no one was there.

"I have specially asked them to remove any distractions from the room," Agent Karya said, bowing him to a single hovering chair.

Ali sat down, facing the opposite of him, across the holographic platform, sat Agent Karya.

"Now," he said, taking off his round sunglasses, and casting them aside. "Before we start, I want you to clear your mind."

"Clear my mind? What are we going to do?" Ali asked worriedly.

"I'm going to go into your mind," he said, flashing a stunning grin.

Ali gulped most loudly.

"Now," Agent Karya said seriously. "Empty your mind. This isn't going to be the same as how I penetrated your mind when you first stepped into that academy three years ago. This time, it is going to be different.

"Are you ready?"

Ali closed his eyes, trying to wipe out all thoughts. But it was difficult when he knew that someone is going to go poking around your mind soon. He concentrated as hard as he could, but he just couldn't shake off the fear that something might go wrong.

"Ready?" came Agent Karya's voice.

He opened his eyes, looking determinedly right ahead at the brown eyes of Agent Karya's. Agent Karya smiled once more before closing his eyes. When he had opened them again, it had became grey, and Ali felt his mind being dragged closer, and closer, and closer...

"Do you have my fullest attention, Ali?" Agent Karya inquired at the hypnotised agent.

"Yes, butter kaya..." Ali droned.

Agent Karya smirked. "I like that nickname. Now, can you tell me how did IRIS controlled you?"

"No idea..." Ali said slowly and dully.

"Alright then," Agent Karya went on casually, as though it was precisely this that he wanted to hear. "Do you find it entertaining when it controls you?"

"No...it's confusing...I lose memories...I can't control..."

"Very well. Lastly, before I end the hypnosis on you, who is Quarto?"

"I don't know...but he looks familiar...I think I've met him before..."

This made Agent Karya's eyes flash suddenly viciously.

"Is he an agent of MATA? Is it possible he has been in any MATA facilities before?"

"No...I don't think so..." Ali murmured indifferently.

"Very well then," Agent Karya said, his biting his lips, before snapping his fingers.

Ali woke up of the hypnosis with a start.

"How did I do?" he asked nervously.

"You did your best, kid," Agent Karya said, smiling at him, and putting on his sunglasses. "Just for your safety, I have maintained a very mild hypnosis so that it would prevent your mind from going overload."

"Huh? Why?" Ali questioned.

"Just in case IRIS controls you again."

When Ali looked uncertain, Agent Karya chuckled.

"Don't worry, I won't be able to look into your mind."

Ali returned him a weak grin before making to leave the Control Room. The doors that led to the narrow passageway had opened, however, when Agent Karya spoke to him again.

"A message from the General," he said, lowering his glasses, so that Ali could see his sassy brown eyes. "You have a mission."

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