On the way home, Alfa drove through the rain at high speed. The time was nearing midnight, and a strange unease crept into his chest.
He glanced back at Sheila, still fast asleep in the back seat, just to be sure she hadn't woken up. But he didn't notice the large pothole ahead—
"Hoaaaam…" Sheila blinked groggily. "UWAAAH, WHY IS IT SO FAST?!" she shrieked, grabbing the front seat in panic.
"Hehehe. Sheila, hold on tight! The road's empty anyway," Alfa tried to calm her.
"WHY ARE YOU DRIVING LIKE THIS?! Don't freak me out! If I wasn't here, you'd be picking a fight with whoever's tailing us!" she barked.
Alfa checked the rearview mirror. A sleek black sports car had been tailing them for a while now.
"WATCH OUT, ALFA!!!" Sheila screamed as a truck suddenly passed across their path.
Alfa jerked the steering wheel and slammed the brakes. Tires screeched against the rain-slicked asphalt. The car spun out of control—skidding—and finally crashed into a wall.
Alfa had worn his seatbelt, so he only slammed against the wheel briefly. But Sheila, hit by the door on impact, had a bloody gash on her forehead and lost consciousness.
Dizzy and soaked from the rain, Alfa blinked against the pain, trying to focus. His vision blurred—until a figure stepped out of the black car.
"Bagas?" Alfa muttered.
He stumbled out of the car, still dazed. Before he could ask why Bagas was following him—
WHAM!
Bagas shoved Alfa hard against the wall.
CRACK!
A lightning bolt exploded in the distance, thunder rolling across the silent street.
The truck? Long gone.
Meanwhile, at Tata's house…
"I have a bad feeling... please be okay," Tata whispered. She stood by her window, rain pattering against the glass. She had seen a strange car following Alfa earlier—and her anxiety grew stronger by the second.
She snatched her phone. "Come on, pick up!"
She called Alfa. No answer.
"Sheila, maybe?" she tried.
Again—nothing.
The endless ringing only made her heart sink deeper.
Back at the crash site…
THUD!
Bagas threw a heavy punch at Alfa. "DO YOU KNOW WHAT YOU DID TO ME?! I BECAME A FREAKING EXPERIMENT BECAUSE OF YOU!"
Alfa winced. "What the hell are you talking about?!"
Another punch landed.
But now, Alfa's patience snapped. He retaliated—slamming his fist into Bagas's jaw.
"WHAT IS WRONG WITH YOU?!"
Bagas's face twisted into something fierce—consumed by rage and hatred.
BOOM!
Another crack of thunder split the sky.
Bagas stared into Alfa's eyes. Then suddenly—his irises glowed red.
Alfa's eyes widened. "Oh, shit. Bagas has powers… just like me?"
Bagas lunged. Alfa barely dodged. Bagas's blow shattered the wall behind him.
"Great! Now I'm complimenting someone mid-fight like a total idiot," Alfa thought bitterly. "Only way to win is to match him."
Alfa's eyes flickered greenish-turquoise.
In a blink, the two collided—red and green streaks flashing across the street like lightning. At that speed, they were just flashes of light to anyone watching.
"Alfa, don't use that power! Got it?" A memory of his father's voice echoed in his mind.
The warning made him hesitate.
Bagas didn't.
A devastating kick from above sent Alfa crashing into the pavement.
SPLAT!
Blood spurted from his mouth, dripping down his chin and neck. But he clung to consciousness.
SLAM!
Bagas pinned Alfa to the ground—knees locking his arms, hands crushing his throat.
Alfa gasped, vision blurring as he struggled to breathe.
"I wish my father never discovered the formula your father gave him," Bagas spat, loosening his grip for just a moment.
Raindrops and tears streamed from Bagas's face—dripping onto Alfa's.
A flash of pain flickered behind Bagas's eyes.
Then—he began to speak.
Bagas's POV
My life used to be perfect. Everything I had, I earned.
Until you—Alfa Alexander—took it all.
I still remember the moment. When you stole my top rank. I wasn't mad you beat me. I was mad my father stopped believing in me after that.
You didn't just win—you made him doubt me.
My father—no, my adoptive father—used to be proud. But that day, he snapped. That's when he remembered the past.
Did you know, Alfa? Our fathers were once partners in research. Real scientists. Friends.
And yes—your father was the genius. The one who created the formula. The one who stayed quiet when others tried to steal it. The one who died protecting it.
I know about the accident. I know it wasn't random. I know it was about that formula.
But my adoptive father didn't stop. He recreated the formula from scratch.
And I was the lab rat.
Tied to a bed, drugged, helpless. "This is for your happiness," he said.
But I knew better.
It was for his pride.
For his obsession.
To create the perfect superhuman.
To prove that he, not your father, was the true genius.
I screamed. Cried. Begged.
But no one listened.
The drugs dulled everything—my strength, my voice, even my fear. All I could do was watch as he injected me, again and again. Burning. Numbness. Heat. Darkness.
Every time I opened my eyes, I wasn't sure if I was still me.
Days passed—maybe weeks. The pain never stopped. My body changed. My mind cracked. He kept calling it progress.
But it wasn't.
It was a curse.
That formula your father created? It wasn't meant for this. It wasn't meant for pride, or power. But my father twisted it. He wanted to prove the world wrong. To stand above the man he once called his best friend.
To destroy your father's legacy by turning me into something unrecognizable.
And now, here I am.
Look at me.
Stronger? Maybe.
But human?
I'm not so sure anymore.
Back to Alfa – Present Time
Alfa's vision pulsed—rain, tears, blood—all blending together. Bagas's hands were trembling. His face was soaked. Not just from the storm… but from grief.
Alfa gasped, his voice hoarse. "Bagas… I didn't know."
"OF COURSE YOU DIDN'T!" Bagas roared, shaking him. "You lived free. You had your father's love. His protection. I had a monster whispering in my ear about formulas and perfection and sacrifice!"
CRACK!
A bolt of lightning illuminated the entire street, painting them both in white light.
Bagas's expression shifted. Fury cracked into something else. Something broken.
"I didn't want this," he whispered.
Then—Bagas let go.
Alfa coughed, rolling to the side, sucking in ragged breaths. His body screamed in pain, but he pushed himself upright.
"Bagas…" he said, slowly. "This power… it's not who we are."
Bagas looked up, eyes still glowing faintly red.
"Maybe not. But it's what we were made into."
They stared at each other—two sons of scientists, caught in a war started by men they called father.
Silence.
Then—
CRACK!Gunfire.
Both of them turned.
From the shadows emerged three figures in black suits, faces hidden under visors. One of them held a sleek rifle, still smoking from the warning shot.
"We've found them," one of the agents spoke into a comm. "Targets: Bagas and Alfa. Confirmed awakened."
Bagas's jaw clenched. "Shit."
Alfa backed away slowly. "Who the hell are they?"
"Not with me," Bagas muttered. "Not anymore."
The lead agent raised his weapon again. "Stand down. Both of you."
Alfa glanced at Bagas. "You still got fight left?"
Bagas's lips twitched. Not a smile. Just resolve. "Always."
In a blur, they moved.
Alfa went left—Bagas to the right. Two bolts of red and green, slicing through the rain, crashing into the agents like living storms.
A whirlwind of motion—punches, blocks, blasts of energy—lit the night like fireworks. The agents fought hard, but they weren't ready for this.
Not for two broken sons.
Not for the power forged from trauma.
One by one, the agents fell.
Breathing heavy, soaked and battered, Alfa and Bagas stood side by side in the street.
"Still think I'm the enemy?" Alfa asked, panting.
Bagas didn't answer at first.
Then, softly: "We were never enemies, Alfa. Just... victims."
Another silence.
Then—Sheila groaned from the wrecked car.
Alfa turned instantly. "Sheila!"
He rushed to her, lifting her gently. Her head was bleeding, but she was conscious—barely.
"Alfa… what… what happened?" she whispered.
"It's okay. I've got you," he said, voice trembling.
Bagas watched from a distance, his hands clenched into fists.
"I never wanted to hurt her," he muttered. "I just wanted answers."
"And you'll get them," Alfa said, not looking back. "But next time, you ask."
Sirens echoed in the distance. Police. Emergency services. Or worse—whoever those agents reported to.
Alfa met Bagas's eyes one last time.
"You coming with me?"
Bagas shook his head. "Not yet. Too much to fix. Too many ghosts."
Alfa nodded.
They didn't need words.
The rain kept falling as Bagas vanished into the shadows.
And Alfa, holding Sheila close, walked toward the flashing lights—toward the future neither of them chose, but would have to face together.