This is an AU (Alternative Universe), everything is bound to be changed, and not everything will be the same. Here is all you need to know, Ali never got I.R.I.S., Alicia was the one who accidentally used I.R.I.S., and they are 22-23 years old here.

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"But Papa, I trained hard for this! Why wont you give me a chance?" A young, neuro agent asked, her tone almost falling into desperation as she spoke with the Genera, her father, in other words.

But the General kept a straight expression on, his eyes cold like serpents. "It's too dangerous, missions such as this are given to adults who can take care of themselves while ensuring the success of this mission. This is not some playground where you can meddle as you wish." He replied, crossing his arms in front of his beloved daughter.

They are currently in one of M.A.T.A.'s numerous briefing rooms in the academy, no one but the two of them were around, as the other members of the team had already left the room to proceed with their own planning on how they will attain victory in their mission.

"But I am also an adult, I'm already 22!" the young neuro tried to reason, only to hear a resounding stomp on the metallic flooring by the General.

"Capable adults, Alicia. You know its dangerous, as almost everyone of our enemies is after you." The General tried to reason with his daughter. "Especially, after they are well aware how you possess I.R.I.S." he continued soon after before pointing his fingers over to the woman's eyewear.

A spectacle of blue shone in the lenses of I.R.I.S. as it laid deactivated upon her mental command.

The woman, named Alicia, adverted her gaze after the mention of the gadget she wore.

It happened a long time ago, she was only a kid back then. The notorious enemy's henchmen; Dos and Trez, attempted to steal the abandoned project I.R.I.S. in one of M.A.T.A.'s laboratories. Due to dire situations with her comrades knocked unconscious, she had to think fast and activated the weapon even though it was against the protocol. It was the only way to protect I.R.I.S. from the hands of Dos and Trez.

Ever since then, I.R.I.S. was synched to her, and Agent Jenny suggested that she keeps for the sake of gathering information and possibly separating Alicia from the project completely at some point.

Years has gone by, and she still wore the gadget until today, mastering it to aid her in missions.

But after that one event where she was almost pulverized into Azurium energy back at the power plant, her father was keen to never allow her to partake in any mission at all.

"Fine." Alicia gave up, seeing the eye-twitching annoyance in her father's eyes. She has been begging him for years to let her participate, but until now, he is so keen in keeping her safe by preventing her from participating in missions.

So much for a neuro agent that she is, she can only do whatever she wants in her ordinary life, a Guinea pig to gain data from I.R.I.S. during her regular activities.

Her father turned to face the monitors behind him, no longer wanting to argue with his daughter any further.

Thus, the neuro agent released a sigh and left the room entirely, feeling the heavy sensation of disappointment weighing her chest.

"Agent Alicia, don't think too much about it. He just wants to keep you safe." Agent Rizwan spoke suddenly as he approached the female with sullen shoulders. He understands the female's concerns, however, her safety is on the line.

She wields I.R.I.S., which makes it more dangerous if she were to be captured by enemies.

"I know, Agent Rizwan. But what's the worth of a neuro agent who can't join missions?" she released a sigh once more. She understands her father's intentions, however, she also has her own life.

This includes, her own choices.

Agent Rizwan crossed his arms, consoling someone isn't his strength, but he couldn't help but pity the female. "In due time, your father will allow you to join. But this is Komeng and his gang we're talking about. Last time we encountered them, you nearly got caught if it weren't for Agent Bakar's presence." He reminded, his expression darkening as Alicia continued to express her utter disappointment.

"You don't have to remind me, Agent Rizwan." Alicia nearly sneered; that very same scenario being used against her over and over again, it was frustrating.

Without waiting for another word to leave Agent Rizwan's lips, she walked out of the scene and went down the elongated hallways of the base. She wants to get out of here, especially, when she doesn't even have a use here in the first place.

It wasn't a long trek to get to the elevators that leads to one of the secret entrances of the base to the city. The nano bots shot nanoparticles that clung onto her attire, and changed her yellow-themed agent outfit into her casual wear. A yellow shirt of the same shade and a pair of black leggings and black rubber shoes. Her yellow headband, now replaced with a green one.

She stepped out the place not long after, taking a whiff of the fresh air of the park as she left the shed in the corner garden. Another secret entrance which she used to go for all the time, especially, when she's called for nothing at all.

"Komeng and his Gang... so, that's their mission tonight..." Alicia mumbled under her breath, a slight grin forming over her frown from earlier. "No one needs to know." She mumbled under her breath once more before rushing off to run down the streets, all the way to her home in the city of Cyberaya.

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"Agent Bakar, surround the west of the harbor, I'll go around the east. Agent Rizwan, you search up south, and Geetha will scout the north." The beaming voice of Agent Leon was heard in one particular rendezvous point in the harbor as four agents were huddled up to discuss their plan. It appears, Komeng and his gang are planning to loot the C-tech equipment being shipped by boat that is bound to arrive in a few minutes at the port.

"Roger."

"Copy that."

"Affirmative."

Those were various response which the male neuro agent received before giving a subtle nod and detaching from the disbanding group to scout their assigned locations.

Unknown to them, a certain masked menace was hiding in the darkness, overhearing every word that escaped Agent Leon's lips. The masked menace stealthily used I.R.I.S. to survey the area and found another hiding spot right at the center. No one will scout the center, since it is a common reaction for enemies to dissipate and escape at the boarders, where the adult agents will be waiting. She on the other hand, will intercept them right at the center. The numerous crates scattered in the harbor is enough to conceal her identity, and no one will find out that the masked menace, was indeed, Agent Alicia Kheng.

She mentally commanded her I.R.I.S. to survey the area once more, and here they are.

Her I.R.I.S. picked up on several of Komeng's men, roaming the area with their metallic bats and wrenches, all of them wearing motorbike helmets that are probably not at all effective in trying to protect them, but more of concealing their identity, just so they don't have to answer court cases if remaining incognito for the time being.

She gripped onto her Blastique as her other hand were fixated on the bullet holster right at her belt.

In a split second, she shot. Three bullets at a time flew into the darkness. The night sky concealing the projectiles, and all three of them hitting each of the three, helmeted men.

Considering the commotion, she has made, she leapt out her hiding spot and shot more bullets at the speed of light. One of the gang members with a metallic bat charged at Alicia, yet thanks to I.R.I.S., she was able to dodge it with ease and shoot a steel bullet right at the man's helmet, knocking him off his feet.

The other agents are handling the ones trying to escape the area with crates in hand, and none of them were aware of what's going on at the very center.

The fight was getting far more intense as blows after blows were delivered, and Alicia's mastery of I.R.I.S. and skill gave her an upper advantage.

But that was until more and more of Komeng's men were targeting her alone, and she was running out of steel bullets to shoot. I.R.I.S. was significantly draining her energy, and everything was becoming more and more tedious as time goes on.

Even so, the number of enemies approaching were increasing. She hasn't gotten any help, for no one knows that she was there in the first place.

Rather, no one knows that Alicia was the identity under that black helmet whose face lens is of a yellowish hue.

Unexpectedly, Alicia ran out of steel bullets, and the ones she previously launched were too far to be retrieved. She was almost cornered by a wall of crates, with more than 10 enemies lunging at her.

'This was a mistake.' Alicia thought bitterly as she received a painful blow on the side by one of Komeng's men, she couldn't move as fast as she used to, for I.R.I.S. will drain more of her leftover energy. She had to mentally shut it off or else she will pass out.

She tried her hardest to dodge, preserving as much energy as she has left, but it was no use. There were too many of them.

Perhaps, her father is right, she is not cut out for this. She thought she could do it, but she can't. I.R.I.S. is limiting her capability, she is aware of that fact, but she ignored it. Now, look where that has got her.

Pain.

She could hardly contain her grunt of pain as kick after kick did, she receive from the group of enemies.

She thought she would be done for at that moment, but numerous figures in the colors of monochrome, ocean and gold appeared and fought the men. The one in monochrome pulled the one who was kicking Alicia's side and knocked him out with a punch.

"Are you alright?" the man, Agent Rizwan, questioned and held a hand out to help the masked menace up.

But Alicia, having realized who the man is, simply slapped his hand away, got up in haste and ran away. Using what little energy, she has left to flee the area immediately.

'Crap! He almost caught me!' Alicia thought bitterly; she would rather Komeng catch her than M.A.T.A. agents. She is sure that her father WILL revoke her of her agent position if ever she was caught by them.

Finally, she managed to get away far enough to stop and catch her breath, her helmet still concealing her identity. She gazed over at her arms, her legs, anywhere, and saw bruises from where she was hit by a bat, kicked on the side and a few cuts that managed to pierce through her black body suit that disguised her in the dark.

She needs to get herself medical aid, but she feared that going to M.A.T.A.'s med bay will only get her caught. Especially, now that she can't really tell her father that she got all these injuries just by reading books at home like she was told to.

Glancing at the alleyways, she managed to spot a clinic nearby and rushed there in haste, slightly limping from the sprain she received when she was being cornered.

Her battered presence itself was enough to alarm some of the nurses as a tall man, wearing a doctor's long coat and a stethoscope immediately rushed to her aid and brought her to one of the clinical rooms.

The doctor didn't seem alarmed, he was calm when he began treating Alicia's wounds, he was very gentle in doing so, to the point that she could barely feel the usual sting of alcohol.

He was quick too, Alicia had to take off her black suit, where underneath was a thin shirt and a pair of shorts she wore. It was nothing revealing, as there is no gender in the eyes of doctors, only the thirst for giving medical assistance.

"Thanks." Alicia mumbled under her breath when the doctor told her that it was alright to put her black clothes back on, but advised her not to wear the helmet, as the darkness of the night might blind her vision on the road.

"It is my job. But I would like to know, if it's alright, how did you end up with so many wounds?" he inquired, sitting on his swivel chair to let Alicia have the space she needs by the medical bed where she sat.

Alicia was hesitant, she couldn't tell him anything about how the wounds came to be. As M.A.T.A. was supposed to be a secret, having others knowledgeable of its existence will only do her no good.

"I was motorbiking, I got into an accident." Alicia lied, adverting her gaze from the man. A common trait that she possesses whenever she is unwilling to tell the truth. She couldn't meet the eyes of those she lies to.

The doctor nodded. "No one else was hurt?" he inquired.

"No, only me." She continued.

The doctor placed a finger under his chin. "I see, you should be more careful." He spoke and wrote something on a piece of paper before handing it over to Alicia. "This is my number; you can call me if you feel any discomfort. I can't prescribe you medicine just yet but if something's wrong, don't hesitate." He smiled.

Alicia lightly blushed at the man's words, concern flooding over his tone that it somehow lured her into a trance.

"I will, thanks... um..." Alicia wanted to thank him, her eyes looking over at his coat to see his nametag. "... Doctor Ali Ghazali." She ended; a smile plastered on her expression as she got off the bed.

"No problem, I already gave you some anti-inflammatory medicine, but you should lay off on motorbiking until your sprain and other bruises heal." He reminded, flipping open his folders to write down his findings for today, Alicia's name on top but she did not disclose her last name.

"I will... I'll be taking my leave now." Alicia motioned before heading to the door, turning to wave goodbye before leaving and closing the door after her.

As Alicia left, the doctor's smile slowly turned into a subtle frown. He then tapped twice on the earbuds of his stethoscope, as it was a hidden communicator. "General, Agent Alicia came by."

"She was hurt."

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"Where were you last night?" The General faced his daughter after calling her moments ago to the briefing room, and his keen eyes managed to spot a few bandages over her arms which was concealed thanks to her black, long-sleeved inner uniform.

"At home, studying." She blankly answered, not really fond of having to talk to her father more than a few minutes a day. Since most of the duration would just be about him, telling her to stay at the safe lines or scolding her for her rebellious actions.

"Are you certain? Agent Rizwan reported that a masked person was interfering with last night's mission. That person could be dangerous, I advise that you stay at home till we find that guy." The General warned, but Alicia didn't care.

That guy won't be able to hurt her, because she is the masked menace anyways.

"Yes, if that is all the concern for today, then, I'll be taking my leave." Alicia spoke in a low tone before leaving, not waiting for a response from her father anymore.

Since all his words are the same.

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"What? What happened? I'm on my way!" the resounding voice of Doctor Ali beamed with worry, he shut his laptop in an instant, grabbed his first aid kit and rushed out of his clinical office without a second thought. He had just received a call from Alicia, she was injured and had to stay home.

Of course, he will rush over to give aid, but why? What could she have done this time? He doesn't know, but whatever it is, it might be linked to her rebellious instances of going against enemies which she can't handle alone.

"Ali? Where are you going in such a rush?" Ali was stopped by his best friend, a doctor fairly the same height as he, only a few inches taller.

The man was holding his tablet while checking on the patient profiles when he caught wind of Ali being so hasty.

"Viktor, can you lend me your car? I have an emergency patient." Ali asked, trying to sound calm yet his panic was evident in his voice.

Viktor gave a weird look before grabbing ahold of his keys in the pocket of his white coat. "Here, just don't scratch it." He reminded, and Ali snatched the metallic objects from his best friend's hand before rushing to the parking lot.

Upon identifying the silver vehicle in the crowd of others, he rushed over, unlocked the door, got in, and revved the engine to life.

It took Ali only but 10 minutes flat to drive all the way to the residences of Cyberaya, managing to find Alicia's house from his phone GPS. The lights were off and not a soul could be seen on the sidewalk.

A storm was reported, and many citizens rushed over already to the comfort of their homes, while Ali was supposed to stay at the clinic to give aid in case someone gets hurt in the storm. But after Alicia called him, he figures that the clinic has enough doctors to tend to everyone.

He can't allow her to be hurt, the General won't be happy.

Ali won't be able to take it if Alicia were to remain hurt, it will break his heart.

Screeching to a stop, Ali hastily parked the car by the driveway, got out, slammed the door shut after turning the ignition off and knocked on the wooden door which serves as the main entrance to her house.

It didn't take long as no one answered the door, instead, his phone rang, a message popped up.

'There are spare keys under the mat.' The message said, sent by Alicia herself.

Ali reached down under the mat and indeed there was, a single key. He used it to open the door, and again, the interior was in the absence of light apart from the low brightness coming from the outside through the open door.

"Alicia? Are you alright?" Ali asked as he entered, kicking his shoes off to leave them outside and closed the door. His hand grasped around the surrounding wall to find a light switch, luckily, he felt one and flipped the switch, the light illuminating the main living room.

The area wasn't really extraordinary, it was as cozy as his own home, a mustard-colored couch at the center living room, a coffee table out of dark oak wood, and a flat screen TV along with other furniture that could be seen in a living room set up.

Ali didn't ponder about it any longer and rushed up the flight of stairs, assuming that the female was at her bedroom.

He knocked thrice before hearing a soft voice telling him to come in. He twisted the knob and entered the room.

He no longer took in mind the interior, he headed straight to the female's side after closing the door. He sat by a swivel chair nearby. The female was sitting on her bed, her blanket covering her lower half as she was holding a file in her hands.

"What happened?" Ali asked, seeing the newformed bruises and scratches on her arms, there were some on her face as well. He felt the sour feeling buried deep in his chest that throbbed as his thumb carefully traced the bruise by her left cheek, making sure not to hurt her.

"Just my luck to pass by a robbery. Helped the guy out and fought the bad guys, that's all." She lied once again; Ali could see the hesitation in her eyes that indicates it but did nothing to question it further, nor did he point out her obvious dishonesty.

In truth, he already knew what happened, M.A.T.A. has a spy at every corner, and one of them reported that Alicia raided Komeng and his Gang's hideout alone to retrieve an important file of C-tech secrets. Seeing the file in Alicia's hands gave him the idea that it is indeed the true occurrence, and she succeeded in her self-assigned task.

If only she could be more careful, she's making everyone worried about her well-being.

Ali gingerly opened his first aid kit which he carried from the hospital before gazing over at his stethoscope, the tool he uses as a communicator as well.

In times like this, he is told to always wear it, so, M.A.T.A. could hear whatever he hears. But this time, he decided not to touch it. He feels like he is betraying her just by carrying that around. Surely, Alicia didn't want her father, nor anyone in M.A.T.A. to interfere with whatever she does. The more they squeeze in on her privacy like this, the more rebellious she will become.

"Are you hurt elsewhere? Since you said you couldn't stand up." Ali began the conversation, dabbing a cotton in alcohol before proceeding to clean her wounds.

"It's not that I can't get up, its about to rain soon, I don't want to go out." she replied, her gaze looking over at the window by the bedside before looking back at Ali whom seemed focused on treating her wound. He was very gentle; she could barely feel the sting. "Sorry I made you rush over, that was uncalled for." She continued softly.

Ali stopped for a moment before meeting her hazel eyes with his pearl black ones, he smiled. "It's nothing big, don't worry about it." He replied, his eyes going back to where he was working and continued to treat her wounds gingerly.

They stayed like that in silence, Alicia couldn't help but feel her heart racing whenever she stared at the man beside her. He was so sweet and gentle, his eyes, his smile, everything about him was ideal for a man. So caring and gentle.

Something she would like to have in a potential boyfriend.

"How old are you?" Alicia spiked up a conversation, both due to curiosity and due to the fact that silence is somehow uneasy.

"Me? Oh, I'm 23, why?" Ali replied, placing the cotton down and proceeding to get some herbal cream for her bruises.

Alicia adverted her gaze shyly. "I see, I'm 22, I didn't know you were this young." She mumbled under her breath, but audible enough for Ali to hear.

"Why? Do I look old?" he released a hearty laugh as he spoke, rubbing his herbal cream-coated finger over Alicia's bruise near her elbow.

"I didn't say anything, I just got curious." Alicia replied, a playful smile over her face.

"Oh?" Ali looked up and met her eyes. "I think you're really pretty for a girl." He winked.

That statement itself was enough to wipe the playful smile over her expression and replace it with a deep blush that heated her entire face.

She just had to look away in sheer embarrassment. "Y-you're bluffing." She replied to his statement, lightly stuttering at the context.

But Ali wasn't fazed at all. "You know, I've seen many girls in my clinic office daily, most of them are asking for my number, or if I needed a girlfriend, I never answered them. But you? You managed to get my number without making an effort." He spoke with a curt smile.

Alicia rolled her eyes. "I didn't ask for it, you GAVE it." She made her point, but the fact that out of all girls, she was the only one given this special treatment. It made her heart flutter and summersault into horrendous leaps.

"And I'm done, I'll leave the herbal cream here in case your bruises hurt. Call me when anything else comes up." Ali closed his kit, left the container of cream by the night stand and stood up.

Yet before he could leave the room, Alicia stretched forward and grab ahold of his wrist. "No, don't go..." she mumbled lowly, yet it was audible enough for the man to hear.

Ali looked back questioningly. "Why? Is there something wrong?" he asked in concern.

"I like your company... who knows if... I rolled off the bed, I'll get even more hurt." She reasoned, hiding the blush that was slowly forming once again onto her peachy skin.

Ali was hesitating; he should be home already to report his daily observations and findings to the General via call, and returning Viktor's car but something makes him want to stay. Not just because its Alicia's request, but his own intuition.

Seeing her like this, he doesn't want to leave her side at all.

"Okay, I'll be by the couch downstairs if you need me then." He smiled, feeling Alicia's hand slowly lose her grip on Ali's wrist.

He glanced over at the clock in the room, it was nearing nighttime. "You should get dinner before going to bed, anything you want in particular?" he questioned, glancing over at the woman whom now seemed timid with shyness.

"W-well... anything is fine by me." She managed to speak out the rest of her words coherently, despite her earlier embarrassment.

The man smiled and took off his white medical coat, folding it neatly and setting it on the nightstand, he now wore a red shirt with blue designs and a pair of jeans, its way better than wearing that long coat all day.

It didn't take long before the man left her bedroom, leaving her to her total privacy.

And Alicia could only mentally scold herself of her stupidity, she let a young man into her room at night?! Oh, her father's going to kill her.

But the way he acts so gentle, sincere and caring, she couldn't help it. She wants the man to stay by her side, she wants his presence, its soothing, its comforting.

She likes it so much.

It didn't take long before the door once again opened, and there Ali was, carrying a tray as he entered the room. He used his right foot to lightly push the door shut and sat the tray by the table near her bedside.

"Eat up before it gets cold, then, you can sleep." His soothing voice was alluringly calming, it almost lulled Alicia to sleep. Only, she didn't want to sleep while the boy was in her room, that will be rude and awkward.

She wasn't really too injured, its just that her bruises hurt whenever she moves. Maybe, it was a bad idea to barge in on Komeng's home base alone without any formal planning. But hey, she got the oh-so-important file that they've been nagging about.

The young boy sat by the edge of her bed, just right beside her. "You eat or I feed you?" he asked, smiling in return.

Alicia blushed slightly. "f-feed me?" she stuttered, unsure if she heard it right or her thoughts are playing mind games with her.

"Feed it is then." He replied, taking the bowl of porridge in hand, and the spoon with his other hand.

"W-wait, that's not what I meant!" she nearly blurted out as a deep blush crept onto her cheeks.

But Ali remained smiling. "There's nothing to be shy about, I'm a doctor, I personally feed my patients in the clinic. In this case, you're my patient." He explained, lightly stirring the hot porridge with the spoon before gesturing for the woman to open her mouth, spoon ready. "Now, come on, open up." He continued.

Alicia was at a loss of words; she was unsure if she should since she can eat by herself. But a glance over at her bruised arms made her think otherwise.

No one has ever taken such care of her as Ali did right now, the feeling was new, surreal even. She doesn't know how to react. Instead, she did as told and allowed the man to feed her.

They were both engulfed in complete silence, only the occasional sound of the spoon clinking against the ceramic bowl could be heard.

Ali didn't mind it though, he found it quite adorable. But on Alicia's end, however, she was in a great blushing mess. The warmth that surrounds them, it was comforting, it was lovely, but slightly awkward on Alicia's end.

Finally, what felt like decades but only a few minutes, they finished. Ali placed the spoon and emptied bowl by the tray and handed a glass of warm milk for Alicia.

The young neuro gave a questioning face. "Milk?" she said, expecting water to be something that will quench her thirst.

"Warm milk has sleep-promoting properties caused by an amino acid called tryptophan. It's an enriched component that improves sleep which plays an important role in the production of melatonin. And melatonin is a hormone that acts as a response to sleep in the circadian rhythms." Ali explained briefly, holding the glass of warm milk forward.

Alicia could only take the glass and drink her fill, no longer in the concern of understanding whatever Ali was mentioning. She understood but thinking too much in the nighttime is tiring.

Once finished, she gave the glass back to Ali, whom placed it back on the tray. "Get some sleep, I'll be downstairs." He mentioned, picking up the tray, shutting the lights and leaving the room.

It was silent once more, and Alicia couldn't help but release a big yawn. Drowsiness now invading her body, now that she was full and satisfied.

She feels the sensation of drowsiness invading her mind, and the dark and cool atmosphere of her room was soothing. It didn't take long before sleep finally invaded her mind completely.

*~*~

That night, rain began pouring down as a storm was nearing. The clouds are heavy and dark, rain falling down the earth below with immense power and velocity. It didn't take long before a loud crack of thunder woke a certain neuro agent from her peaceful shriek with a loud shriek of fright.

The noise was enough to startle her awake, the shriek of fright leaving her throat involuntarily, her eyes wide open.

She didn't know why, but tears that she never knew was there began falling down her cheeks. More of the thunderous crackling outside made her stressed that she had to cover her own ears with her hands, just to prevent herself from hearing such noise.

The door suddenly slammed open, and Ali stood panting in adrenalin. His hair was slightly disheveled as he just woke up, and he wore an ordinary set of comfortable clothes.

His eyes darted immediately to the frightened neuro agent and hurried to her side. Sitting on the side of the bed and pulled the neuro agent into a warm and comforting embrace like instinct.

"Shhh... it's just rain and thunder, its okay." He comforted her with his own words, lightly brushing his slender fingers through her short, black locks.

He was abruptly awakened due to a shriek from upstairs, doubled by the thunder clapping outside. He thought something bad happened, nearly tripping on the stairs by how fast he was moving.

"S-sorry... the thunder... was loud..." she mustered up to find the voice inside, and spoke out.

Ali didn't mind though, he kept her in his embrace, allowing her head to lean on his chest while his free hand brushed through her midnight black hair in a way to comfort her.

"T-the thunder is frightening... I feel... alone...." She muttered low, but it was loud enough for Ali to hear properly.

Yet Ali didn't do anything but continue the ministrations which calmed her down. "You know, I had a couple of fears myself, thunder is one of them. But I outgrew that fear since physics class made me study it." He spoke too, trying to use his voice to cover her hearing from the loud claps of thunder that continued to rage on outside.

"Father... he is always busy... he never held me like this, on a stormy night." She continued to burry her face in his chest, inhaling his scent that was surprisingly calming her down. "I don't need his stash of money; I want my father to hold me like this during a stormy night..." she continued her words, not knowing any longer what she's actually saying.

All she could think about is her father, how it would be nice to have her father to comfort her during a stormy night. Oftentimes, she would jolt awake at a thunderous clap, and to force herself to calm down. Sometimes, she waits for the thunderclaps to cease before sleeping, there are also times where she no longer resumes her nightly rest.

Ali frowned at that, he is well-aware of Alicia's identity, and the identity of her father as well. He wants to badly to tell her that her father is only doing this for her own good, but he shouldn't compromise his identity, he can't let her find out that he himself knows everything.

"It sounds frightening indeed, but you can do it. Since you can do it, then, you will." He tightened his hold onto her, the thunderous noise now ceasing but not because the storm was passing, but because Alicia's mind focused solely on Ali's voice and the rhythm of his own beating heart as her head laid on his chest.

"You know, I used to be afraid of the thunderclaps too. My mother used to hold me like this during a stormy night, but..." Ali sighed. "She's no longer with me." He added.

Alicia listened with intent as he spoke, her own body now succumbing into relaxation after her previous fright.

"My parents are geniuses, and I somehow inherited their intelligence. Because of that, I was often bullied, a nerd, they call me." He laughed to himself, lightening up the atmosphere with his smile. "I found a cat once; the cat was being bullied by my classmates. I gave the cat proper aid and took care of her until she's nursed back to health. Helping others is what I want, that's why I'm a doctor." He continued.

He smiled at the distant memory which formed in his mind, the white cat that he helped before. He wonders if she's alright now, for he knew what happened to her after so, she's not an ordinary cat, after all.

"You should be getting some sleep, I'll stay here, don't worry." He ushered lowly in a soft voice.

He remembered this tune, a lullaby that his mother would always hum when he dozes off to sleep. He remembers the tune so well, he hums it quietly, audible enough for Alicia to hear.

He continued his motions, brushing her hair with his fingers, and humming the tune that soon lulled Alicia to sleep.

It wasn't long until he heard her quiet breathing, her very light snores, and her peaceful expression as she slept. Ali smiled more upon seeing her delicate expression. 'So pure...' he thought, who could have known that a rebellious girl who beats bad guys are actually as pure as her?

He gently laid Alicia down on her bed, tucked her in with her blanket, and went over to lay down on the mini couch in her room. He supposed, that the woman would find it hard to wake up without his presence, not after the storm that is still raging on.

And he himself, drifted off to sleep.

*~*~

The next morning, Alicia groggily woke up thanks to the shining beams of warm sunlight that seeped through her windows and thin curtains, and basked her face with warmth that stirred her awake.

She sighed and swung her legs off the bed and stood, glancing around the room she is currently in.

It suddenly occurred to her that Ali was here last night, she rushed downstairs to check over the living room, it was empty.

She headed for the kitchen and saw a freshly cooked meal under a meal cover allured her nostrils to take a bite. But then again, Ali isn't here. His shoes and bags aren't here as well, did he leave?

It made Alicia frown, she was actually looking forward to waking up and seeing the man here.

"Why am I looking for him... he's nice but... why do I like him so much..." she muttered to herself and sighed before going over to finish the meal which lured her in with the tasty aroma.

Just as she finished eating and went to wash her utensils and dishes, her phone beeped aggressively as her screen flashed green, the infamous M.A.T.A. symbol making itself known.

Alicia hurriedly finished whatever she needed to finish, took a 5-minute bath and got into her usual clothes before dashing off to get to the safehouse base with not less than a second to spare.

It actually took her 10 minutes to arrive, her clothes now changed into her M.A.T.A. uniform.

Everyone was there, Agent Bakar, Agent Rizwan, Agent Jenny, and her father, the General himself on the monitor.

"All here? Good. An emergency came up, and H.Q. assigned all of you to take care of it. Data shows that Dos and Trez are planning to cause a ruckus and steal the Azurium crystals at the powerplant. Regrettably, we need I.R.I.S. to locate all the crystals to secure them, as some of the crystals are well hidden." He explained, his eyes darting to his daughter.

Alicia nodded in return, but internally, she was beaming with joy. Finally, a mission where she is included.

It was a matter of time before the General finishes his statements and additional instructions before they were dispatched to proceed with their mission.

"Be careful." Agent Jenny reminded her. "We wouldn't want anything bad to happen to you and I.R.I.S." she added with a smile.

Alicia paid no mind, not really liking Agent Jenny from the start due to her secretive actions and plastic smiles. But she smiled back in return, not wanting to look rude.

Once there, they stood at the bridge of the powerplant that separates the reactor from the condenser, Agent Rizwan scanned the area briefly. "Agent Alicia, you go with Agent Bakar, I'll check the main controls for any clues on where the hidden Azurium crystals are." He spoke strictly.

In a matter of seconds, Agent Rizwan disappeared after going to a different direction, while Alicia and Agent Bakar were left in their own accord.

Their search for the other crystals was cut short when Agent Bakar was suddenly knocked down on the ground by a well-familiar bulky figure.

"Trez." Alicia sneered, her I.R.I.S. sensing the danger from a mile away. She clutched her Blastique and got into a fighting stance, her I.R.I.S. waiting for the enemy's possible attacks.

Agent Bakar quickly got back onto his feet and lunged fist to fist with his common enemy, Alicia shooting numerous bullets along her way. But somehow, Trez has this armor that easily deflects her magnetic field bombs.

Trez's attention suddenly shifted to Alicia, knocking his fists on the ground to send a tremor wave down her path which she evaded in haste. The bulky man seeing Alicia wearing I.R.I.S., he has to get it.

With Agent Bakar currently down on the ground after the fist fight, Alicia could only do so much as to run a distance away while shooting her bullet bombs, which sadly seemed to have no effect against the bulky man's armor.

Due to her worried thoughts of losing, she was unable to focus on I.R.I.S. for a brief moment and got knocked off her feet from one of Trez's tremor shocks.

The bulky man was about to lunge towards the distracted female for another attack, but Agent Bakar lunged from behind and pulled the enemy back. "Run!" he shouted towards Alicia, managing to hold Trez back for a moment of time.

The neuro agent spent no second less as she stood and ran off. Her primary objective is to find all the Azurium crystals and secure them, she can't idle any longer for enemies are clearly in pursuit of I.R.I.S. as well.

Not to mention, she forgot to apply the healing cream which Ali gave previously, her bruises from before which was covered by her M.A.T.A. agent suit was numbing, causing her performance to decrease greatly.

However, luck was not on her side this time when a certain, needle-like projectile was detected by I.R.I.S., she stopped, the projectile nearly missing her by an inch from stabbing her right across the cheek.

She glanced towards where it came from, and there stood another enemy which she really didn't want to face right now.

Dos.

"So, Daddy finally allowed you join in the fun?" she snickered and got on stance, her magnetic bracelets recalled the needle back to her and got ready to fight.

Alicia didn't really feel like fighting, her own previous injuries were hurting. Continuing in this fight would only cause her more pain and inevitable defeat. She should have stayed home!

And that's the beginning of a fight between ladies.

Alicia's slender figure was agile enough to evade most of the projectiles aimed towards her, she could only dodge Dos' needles and shoot bullet bombs of her own. Sadly, none of them managed to land a hit since her arms felt like they were burning whenever she pulled the string back, and the muscles on her arms compressed.

"That's all you got? No wonder your father never lets you fight; your training means nothing!" Dos shouted, managing to use her holographic wrist blades to attack and land a hit, a clear cut was made on the neuro agent's cheek, it felt like it was being burned.

Alicia tried to leap backwards in an attempt of creating a significant space between the enemy and herself, not wanting to be injured any further. Droplets of blood leaked from the wound on her cheek, it hurts, but she needs to focus.

She tried so hard to fight back, but she was hurting, not just physically, but mentally. Whenever Dos gets a clear hit towards her, the enemy would insult her. The enemy told her how useless she was as an agent, how she cannot follow instructions, and how she cannot even fight against one enemy alone.

But one insult made her stop completely.

"Have you ever wondered? Your failures are what is keeping your father from caring about you! No one would want a useless child!" that insult burnt her like a moth drawn straight to the rustling inferno.

That opportunity alone was open for Dos to knock the girl out and take I.R.I.S.

Yet before she could even launch another attack against the motionless girl, a small, needle-like projectile was launched, and the projectile stabbed right onto her fingers, aiming straight for her root meridians.

She hissed and held her injured hand, pulling the needle off, only to discover that her injured finger was paralyzed.

"Don't touch her." A familiar voice spoke after the needle was thrown, Alicia briefly looked up to see who it was, only for her to almost gasp in shock to see someone whom she least expected to see.

There stood a familiar young man, his hair was combed upwards, he wore a long-coat lab uniform of a tekno agent that resembled his doctor's coat, and his left hand extended towards Dos' way, a needle still held briefly through his fingers.

But how? Why? How could he?

Numerous questions flooded Alicia's mind; Dr. Ali was an agent all along?!

And she didn't know a thing?!

"I have tolerated you long enough, Dos." His voice became low and slightly sinister as he got on stance, needles were between his fingers, ready for launch.

The man realized that Alicia was in daze of shock, which led him to lunge forward and throw his signature needles, some of them barely missing Dos by a centimeter as the two of them went hand-in-hand combat.

Ali was good, his reflexes and agility was exquisite, none of Dos' holographic blades were able to land even a single cut towards his way. The cloth dragging behind of his coat flowed freely alongside his movements, synchronizing them in a fierce yet calculated way.

As if he had I.R.I.S.

"Don't listen to her, you can and you will defeat her!" Ali shouted in Alicia's direction as he leaped backwards to dodge Dos' incoming attack.

He knew he could defeat the agile woman with his keen senses and medical knowledge, but he wants Alicia to do it. He wants Alicia to believe that she could do it, that whatever Dos was saying earlier was nothing but a bluff and a lie.

He could only do so much as to stall her, until Alicia could gather herself together.

Alicia gave a determined expression, stood back onto her feet with her Blastique ready.

Then, they worked together. Ali using his skills to distract Dos with hand-to-hand combat while Alicia shot at Dos' weak spots when she is unsuspecting.

It didn't take long before half of Dos' active motor skills were paralyzed due to Ali's attacks at her meridians, the man cutting the blood flow briefly that numbs the body and makes it immobile for a period of time.

Alicia was about to deliver the final blow when an explosion occurred not far from them, a beam of light shone from where Dos is, blinding everyone in sight.

When the light dissipated, she was gone, so is Trez. Alicia presumes, they escaped once again using Dos' light crystal.

Ali was about to ask if Alicia was okay, but the girl responded by leaning onto him.

She could no longer see straight after being blinded by the light, I.R.I.S. indicated long ago that her energy was critically in one digit left. Her vision blurred, and a headache began forming on her head, she swayed—losing balance before leaning onto Ali.

She could vaguely hear voices around her before her vison turned dark.

*~*~*~

A young neuro agent grunted, stirring awake from the sound of chattering, voices raising and falling from certain instances. The moment she opened her eyes, a bright light met her gaze, causing her to blink several times before adjusting to the brightness. She looked both sides to see she was in the medbay infirmary in one of the safehouses. On her right side, she saw him.

Dr. Ali, he wore a lab coat that had imprints and designs fit for a tekno agent's uniform. His hair was styled differently, and his gaze was cold as he conversed with the other tekno agents that majored in medicine.

She thought it was a dream, but no, it wasn't. She still felt the stinging pain from her injuries which were covered in bandages, including the old ones. Dr. Ali was standing there, he's an agent too, a tekno agent.

How could she have not known sooner? How could she be blind? How could she have not noticed how attentive he was.

She saw how Dr. Ali gazed over at her briefly, dismissing the other tekno agents when he saw her awake. He then walked towards her bed, checking the vitals on the screen by the wall.

"I'm glad to know you're okay. But going on missions while injured is unacceptable." He explained, sighing. He should have told the General about her injuries. But then again, he doesn't want Alicia to feel like she's being watched, and he knew she trusted him to an extent that he will never forgive himself to betray her.

Alicia stayed quiet for a couple of seconds. "Is that why?" she spoke lowly, though audible enough for the man to hear.

Ali raised a brow. "What do you mean?" he inquired, placing the clipboard which he held down on the table nearby.

"Is that why you're so caring? Because you knew I'm an agent too? Let me guess, my father sent you?" she spoke out, disappointment clear in her expression. Either way, she felt betrayed.

Was he only that caring, because her father told him to? Were his words all but a lie? Was it all just because it was his 'assigned task'?

Was his care... not genuine?

"Alicia..." he sighed, sitting on the hovering chairs right beside him. "Indeed, your father assigned me to help you, since you refuse to seek medical aid from M.A.T.A. directly." He paused soon after, his eyes downcast.

"But believe me, I didn't do this just because I was told to, Alicia. When I saw you walk through the clinic's doors, I couldn't take it, I know, I just had to help you no matter what. When I saw you last night, I couldn't leave you even if you didn't want me there. Alicia, I don't know what you did to me, but I can't let you go..." he continued after his pause, his eyes were gleaming with unspoken sincerity.

Alicia was touched, a slight blush creeping to her cheeks. These words... it was the first time someone tells her something as sincere was this. It made her feel strangely warm...

"Alicia, you're strong. When I said that, I mean it. I know that you can, and you will. The General instructed me only to be your medic, but I broke that instruction. I followed you, in missions, in everything, I want to keep you safe. When I saw Dos attacking, I was hesitating whether to keep hidden or to save you. But when I saw her insulting you, I couldn't stand idle. I had to save you; I care about you." He continued his monologue of genuine sincerity, speaking finally what was in his heart, no longer what he knows about his actions being justifiable. He had to speak straight from the depths of his heart, his once cold heart, melted by this woman.

"You're precious to me... you made me feel things that I never felt before... I don't know what to call this; care? Admiration?" he trailed off, finally lifting his eyes to meet Alicia's hazel orbs. "Love...?" he spoke lowly yet audible for the woman to hear.

Alicia was in trance; she was left speechless. She didn't know what to say. Everything is going on too fast, even her critical mind wasn't able to process this information in a fast pace.

She feels the same, she knows that. The security and longing for someone, she felt it all from Ali. She felt it well, she felt the care and sincerity, his tender gentleness.

His love.

"Dr. Ali Ghazali, MD., are you confessing to me?" Alicia spoke frankly, causing the tekno agent to advert his gaze and break eye contact, a blush creeping onto his face once more.

"W-well... if you will give me a chance... I'm not fond of human psychology, there are things that I don't understand." He replied, taking his time before gathering what courage he has to look up at her once again.

Alicia could only smile, a blush also on hers. "Hey, I don't have high standards. That is, if my father would approve, of course." She spoke softly.

Ali could only smile. "Why ask permission? If you can do things discreetly. After all, you're a rebellious little girl." He nearly snickered.

Alicia could only roll her eyes. "Oh, so, Dr. Ali is telling me to rebel? How lovely." She lets out a slight giggle, the blush on Ali slightly reddening.

"I'm sure we can negotiate things our way. You, accepting me, is the only thing that matters." Ali's words were like gentle fingers on a golden harp, as gentle as the evening breeze, as light as the morning sun, as soft as a feather.

With that, Ali got up to sit beside Alicia on the side of her bed and wrapped his arms around her into a gentle hug.

That was all they need, each other's warmth and comfort.

Each other's love.

*~*~* Hours Later *~*~*

Ali's phone rang, it was a quiet evening by then, and he would have enjoyed it if his phone wasn't ruining things. "Hello?" he answered.

"Ali Bin Ghazali! Where the hell is my car?!"

"Oh shit."

THE END.