Ejen Ali One Shots {CLOSED REQUESTS}

Never Again

A/N: SPOILER ALERT FOR EJEN ALI: THE MOVIE BEYOND. READ AT YOUR OWN RISK.

***

How long had she been here?

Niki sighed. She had lost track of how many days had passed ever since MATA arrested her after she nearly killed the Datuk for her own selfish needs. 

Every day, she repeated the same thing. Eat, sleep, exercise. Eat, sleep, exercise. Years could have passed for all she knew. Nevertheless, she never tried to escape. Not even once, despite knowing that she was fully capable of disarming their lousy ‘security’ robots or any MATA agents, for that matter. 

Was it because she was tired? Or was it because she had accepted her fate?

Or maybe Aliya had been right all along? Perhaps she was the one who had been too stubborn to listen instead of Aliya. 

It was to her surprise when she was suddenly called out from her cell. It wasn’t time for breakfast, lunch, or dinner yet. Maybe it was finally time they decided to kill her. However, she reminded herself to not jump to conclusions and find out what they wanted from her first hand. 

The MATA robot guided her to an empty interrogation room. The dim light made the shadows in the corner of the room appear occupied by malicious creatures - ready to pounce at any time. Resisting a shiver, she did as she was told by the robot and sat down on a creaky wooden chair at the table. The robot stood ready at the door which she came through to ensure that escape was impossible. This left her to stare at the door in front of her, where she could hear one - no, two - pair of footsteps.

There was obviously a disagreement by the people on the other side. Raised voices carried themselves even through the thick steel door. Niki cocked an eyebrow. Were they arguing about her?

With a beep, the door opposite slid open. There, on the threshold, stood Aliya’s child. Ali.

Before Niki could get a glimpse of who Ali was arguing with, the door slid close, much to the yelling of the other person on the other side. Ali huffed irritably. When he saw Niki, however, his expression hardened. 

“You may leave, droid,” Ali commanded. 

Niki heard the door behind her open followed by the clanking footsteps of the robot. There was another beep and the door slid close, though she dare not look. 

Ali. Oh, Aliya, you would be so proud if you could see your son right now. 

Compared to the last time Niki saw Ali, the boy had grown to a remarkably normal height as of any teenager. His voice was even slightly lower now, and he was growing out of his chubby cheeks. 

Although, he was still wearing the same agent suit and wore the expression he had when he had told Niki to stand down. 

“Niki,” Ali said emotionlessly, like this was the first time they met.

Niki, taken aback, only replied with, “What?”

Ali rubbed his forehead. Geez, what did the boy go through to get him so pressured? The Ali Niki knew straight up threw himself into anything that bothered him, rather than thinking it through or stressing over it. Huh. This is new.

“I have only two questions for you, and you’re gonna have to answer it honestly, please,” Ali stated exasperatedly.

The tired condition of the boy perked Niki’s interest. If the boy begged, she guessed it was something pretty serious.

“I’ll try,” Niki said, just to be safe. 

Ali didn’t even react to her vague promise. He straight up asked, “Why did you not kill me the moment you realised who I was? As Aliya’s son. Why did you bother to take me in?”

It took a moment for Niki’s brain to process what he had just said. She then realised he was talking about the time when they first met, when Niki was still obsessed with stealing for the good of the people of Pinggiran. 

“I-” Niki found herself at a loss. Why did she take him in? That was a good question too, if she could say it herself. She doesn’t even know if she had the right answer to it. 

Ali’s unwavering stare dug into her like drills. 

Not knowing what to do, she decided to speak her heart. 

“I suppose…I wanted to atone for what I did. To Liya. After taking her life, I left her son to grow up without a mother. A friend can be replaced, yes. But never a mother.”

The words drove spikes into her own heart. In her mind, flashes of her mom being crushed under tons worth of rubble made tears well up in her eyes. She had not thought of her mom - her parents - for so long. Every time she did, she burst into tears.

Ali seemed to notice her fragility and sighed. He stood up.

“W-where are you going?” Niki tried to sound tough, but the crack in her voice suggested otherwise.

Ali, who was already at the door opposite her, gave her a final glance. Those hazel eyes - so much like Aliya’s - appeared to pierce through her soul.

“You’ll see, sooner or later,” Ali said. 

That was the last she heard before the doors slid shut, leaving her in the dark, oppressing room; alone with her sins that danced like shadows.

What happened the next day was a miracle. 

For the first time in what felt like forever, she was made to change out of the prison’s standard orange jumpsuit and allowed to wear casual clothes and jeans. She was even returned her old headband Aliya bought her as her twentieth birthday present. 

As she finally stepped out of the prison, she was greeted by a blinding sight. She had to shield her eyes to block out the sun which she had not seen in a long time. However, once her eyes adjusted, she found in front of her Aliya’s son again. 

A gentle smile was on his lips. The stress he had displayed in their previous meeting was non-existent. Behind him, Aliya’s younger brother, Bakar, and three other agents eyed her cautiously.

Niki ignored them. The only one she had her attention to was Ali, was grinning stupidly like a child who had succeeded in getting an ice cream.

“I’m glad they let you out, Niki,” Ali said, raising his arms like for a hug.

“Y-you did this?” Niki spluttered. She took a step back. The idea was ridiculous. He of all people should have hated him the most. “But why?”

Ali frowned, his arms sagging. “You wanted another chance, didn’t you? So I’m giving you one here. I’m sure my mom would have done the same. She probably wouldn’t have liked her friend rotting in prison, too. So what do you say?”

His hand was right in front of her. Niki felt beyond ashamed. What had she done to deserve such kindness, what’s more from the one that had suffered the most, the one she had been determined to beat into a pulp, for her own selfish cause?

But here she was. Given another chance that she was undeserving of. From the looks of the other agents, Niki deduced that they thought the same too.

However, this was Ali. He will get his way no matter what he wanted - and it appeared he had kept his ways over time. 

As Niki took Ali’s hand, as the boy’s grin stretched wider, Niki thought to herself:

I will make sure I will atone for Aliya’s death. I will never fail or betray Ali ever again.

***

A/N: Hi, readers!! It's been some time since I've been posting eh? It's been, what, a year? Ahaha, my apologies. Hope you enjoyed this one-shot, though!

On another note, requests are not open! So I wouldn't be able to fulfill your requests unless if by coincidence I happen to want to write something related to it. Writing commissions, though, are open!

The pricings can be view through this link: https://docs.google.com/document/d/11T3GP5z_qQb6DBYcmWWG7C2_AtToFtZx5Df4_t0wJV4/edit?usp=drivesdk

I sincerely hope you can commission me as a token of support!