Homecoming | sequel of "Home" [✔️]

Chapter 7

For one note, Ali would have reconsidered giving them their freedom. On another, however, he silently hoped that the two agents were capable of surviving the acidic winds native the planet Suklinia, where he'd been notified of an extreme plummet in cadet survival rate.

Suklinia was a vile planet, harsh to outsiders. The air was acidic, smelling of rotting onions and boiling blood, perhaps even a hint of garlic on a good day. The water was highly flammable; a small spark easily setting off a fire storm, however, they were not here to testify this theory. The grounds were with jagged stones, built to impale organic flesh and inject small doses of poison.

There was no plant life, nor any animals that could survive naturally. Only the murky civilians of Suklinia resided here in the dark, their formless bodies having the consistency of thick slime and glue, lapping up chunks of debris in their bodies. They wandered their planet with no purpose, burbling languages that no one understood, remaining forever ignorant and without a form of civilization.

The sky was a toxic shade of green, with no clouds in sight, leading into gradients of emerald further into the atmosphere. Ali squinted above, sensing that there was no sun, as the lights were emitted from radiation in the atmosphere, lethal to any living creature.

Fortunately, Ali had began to develop a resistance to harsh surroundings, but he was not entirely immune just yet. However, despite being trained in the ways of endless combat, the agents have not experienced any form of alien terrain. They may have fought countless battles with their time in MATA, but it was nothing compared to the reality outside Earth's atmosphere, where common sense no longer applied to their travels.

Being a potential murder field, Ali originally decided against bringing the two agents with him on this deathly mission. He was here to investigate the cause of the decrease in organic survival rate, and he would have no time to mind for two others who were directly exposed to the planet's harsh conditions.

After hours of pondering, Ali consulted Boboiboy, who'd been formerly human for advice. The elemental manipulator merely told him to trust his instincts, as responsibility was not a trait to be given.

So now, Ali trudged through the muddy lands of Suklinia, turning his head behind to surveillance the two, in fear that they might escape. Their escape wasn't a burden to him, but he would be lying if he said he wasn't concerned for their lives, especially if they died under his care.

"Cadets reported an unknown creature wielding a power sphere," Ali muttered aloud, his eyes never leaving his tablet. He tapped into the speculation image, collecting data of every power sphere that fit the description. "Gasbot, maybe? Maybe ToxiBot? Two 6th generation power spheres that were rumored to be destroyed in the Power Sphere War..."

Behind him, the two agents struggled to keep up with the young boy, as their feet sank deep inside the slimes, each step wasted more strength to pull up and continue. The ground beneath was slippery, and they had tripped one too many times, having overestimated the amount of strength needed.

It was a difficult voyage, yet Ali was breezing through the obstacle, treating it like another day in the park. He barely showed any sign of struggle, his body never once tripping. However, he seemed to be too balanced, as if he was levitating.

"This is ridiculous," Bobby fumed, stomping slime. "This is our chance! We can jump the boy and take him back to Earth for trial."

"We don't have our weapons." Bakar frowned, not keen on the idea of attacking his nephew. "And we're in foreign lands."

After Bobby ensured that Ali was out of earshot, focused solely on his tablet, he leaned closer to Bakar, whispering. "I saw how he piloted the ship. I can handle it," he promised. "Besides, it's two of us, and one of him. If we don't escape now, they'll kill us in the future anyway."