A few days ago, after the Prime Minister's announcement about the existence of mutation cells and monsters, the public went into a panic. Many were afraid, realizing that anyone could transform into a monster and kill many people, and no one could fight against them.
But this time, the Royal Malaysian Police (PDRM) and the Malaysian Armed Forces were better prepared. Special units were established, and we were provided with weapons and equipment to combat the threat of mutant monsters. The unit under my command was among the selected teams to face this situation...
In just a few days, whenever there was a sighting or case of mutant monsters, the situation could be managed quickly and safely. Public trust slowly began to return, but many remained skeptical.
The increase in cases of mutated monsters was also due to the panic currently occurring. If, as many believe, the mutation cells activate under severe stress, this situation is not surprising...
But I think we are somewhat safe; even now, Khairul and Nasuha—two humans who can control themselves even though their mutation cells are active—are under my protection.
We find ourselves in this situation due to my naivety. I thought we were safe. If Khairul and Nasuha can control their mutation cells, who says there aren't others out there like them?
"Where's the other Mutant you mentioned?" Khalid asked, as they were all in a park. Rose checked her phone; Shaurya's location was on her screen, and he was approaching them.
"He's almost here," Rose replied. Nasuha hugged the Ms. Star plushie that Rose had won for her at the arcade earlier. Moments later, Shaurya's car stopped near their park, and Khairul and Shaurya quickly got out and rushed towards Rose, Nasuha, and Ehsan.
"Nasuha," Khairul called, and Nasuha turned to him with a relieved expression.
"Khai..."
"He's also a Mutant, Khalid," said the girl with red eyes, and Khalid nodded in understanding.
"It seems we're all here now. Follow us to meet 'him'," Khalid directed.
"Who are you?" Khairul asked.
"A person who has mutated and can control their powers, just like you. If you have more questions, save them," Khalid replied, and Khairul clenched his fists, still not trusting Khalid.
"We should just follow them, Khai. This is our chance to learn more about what's happening," Nasuha encouraged. Khairul exhaled deeply and lowered his hands.
"Chyou, take us there," Khalid requested, and the boy with hair covering both of his eyes moved forward.
"Touch any part of his body," Khalid instructed.
"Huh?" Khairul was confused.
"Just don't touch inappropriately."
Everyone present placed their hands on Chyou's body, and suddenly, they all moved swiftly through another realm and found themselves in a forest. Khalid's group appeared unfazed by what happened, but Nasuha's group was confused and bewildered.
"What happened?" Rose asked.
"That was Chyou's power, Teleport; he can take us to a location in the blink of an eye," Khalid explained, and Chyou hid behind the girl with red eyes again.
In front of them stood an abandoned and dilapidated house. Rose looked at the surrounding forest and then noticed something.
"This forest... it's not far from the park we were in earlier," Rose said.
"Chyou can't teleport too far. All Mutant powers have their limits," Khalid explained.
"You know a lot about these powers. Who exactly are you?" Khairul questioned Khalid again, skepticism returning.
"I just keep myself informed about what's really happening," Khalid replied as he and his group walked toward the old house and opened the door.
Under the sunlight streaming through the holes in the roof of the building, there was a round-shaped spacecraft and a blonde man sitting on a tattered and dirty sofa. He turned to greet his guests with a smile.
"Oh? Bringing new friends today, Khalid?" the man asked.
"Sui'ra, I've brought two more humans who can control their mutations. Explain to them what's happening," Khalid said. Sui'ra rested his head on his hand, observing Khairul and Nasuha, his eyes widening for a moment.
"I remember you two. You're the boy from that day. Do you remember the incident on the Ipoh highway last week? I was there; I saw your mutation activate," Sui'ra said, pointing his finger at Khairul.
"Huh? You were there?" Khairul asked in disbelief.
"Yes... I can see all the mutation activities happening around the world. Don't ask me how; that's my secret. Hmm? Oh, and two policemen? You're not Mutants," Sui'ra remarked, and Rose and Shaurya immediately tensed, hands ready at their holstered pistols.
"What are you?" Rose demanded.
"Whoa-whoa, I don't mean to make anyone angry. Alright, you came here for an explanation, and I will give it to you. Because I'm nice, unlike my friends who... hmm... are not as nice as I am," Sui'ra reassured, raising both hands.
"Tell us what's really happening right now. Why are there mutation cells that give powers and turn humans into monsters?" Nasuha pressed, stepping forward with a determined expression.
"What's happening on Earth now has happened on many other planets before. Even though I look like a human now, this is not my true form. My name is Sui'ra, and I'm from Planet Zotura," Sui'ra explained, causing Nasuha's group to grow even more confused.
"My race, Zoturian. Our technology is millions of years ahead of any other planet. Our greatest invention, Uhuj' Far-ghi, or what humans call 'Mutant Cell', is part of my mission with my friends to spread it on Earth to create a new population for Zotura. The strongest beings in the entire galaxy..." Sui'ra continued.
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"Create the strongest beings in the galaxy?" Nasuha stared at Sui'ra, increasingly perplexed by the explanation.
"Yes... Humans are among the special cases. You don't know about the existence of other beings in outer space, but I'm not surprised. Human technology is indeed the weakest and millions of years behind compared to other planets," Sui'ra responded.
"So what? Many humans are dying because of the Mutant Cell. You're destroying so much, and you say you have friends? Where are they?!" Rose demanded angrily.
"There are five Zoturians on Earth right now, each with their own human appearance... We don't want to scare humans with our true forms."
"You're ignoring the important questions," Rose shot him a sharp glare.
"We know many humans will die. There's a possibility that humanity will be extinct in about four to five years if humans don't find a way to control the Mutant Cells..." Sui'ra placed his hand on his chin.
"We are not your test subjects!" Khairul shouted, looking equally frustrated.
"Haha. You have a reaction almost the same as Khalid when I first explained this to him," Sui'ra laughed, while Khairul clenched his fists. Suddenly, Rose shot Sui'ra.
"I am of the Zotura race. We are the strongest beings in this galaxy... Human bullets cannot harm us." Sui'ra wiped his forehead where Rose had shot him, a small wisp of smoke rising from the bullet's impact, but he was not hurt at all.
"Enough. We've tried to fight him, even with our Mutant powers, we lost. Don't try it..." a woman with purple hair admonished, and Rose lowered her gun, looking disappointed.
"Shit..."
"Let me continue my explanation... The powers given by the Mutant Cell are the powers and abilities desired by the humans activating it. The Mutant Cells that enter a human body learn everything about the person they inhabit, as if peering directly into the soul of that human..."
"Powers we desire? Since when did I ask to have a blade come out of my arm?!" Khairul questioned, lifting his right arm.
"You may not realize it. That's your true self. The blade in your arm reveals something about the true desires of your heart," Sui'ra said, smirking at Khairul.
"If all humans have the Mutant Cell, why aren't all humans Mutants or mutated monsters right now?" Shaurya finally spoke up.
"Not all humans can activate it. The Mutant Cells we spread across the Earth were specifically created for humans, so other creatures like animals cannot activate them. The Mutant Cells choose which humans they will grant powers... They have their own characteristics."
"From everything you're saying, in the end, many humans will die because of your race's desires," Rose sighed.
"We only spread the Mutant Cells; what happens afterward is entirely in the hands of humanity. My friends and I will only observe, as you said, this is indeed an experiment. What will happen to humans when they are given extraordinary powers? That is our hypothesis," Sui'ra said as he sat back down on his sofa, looking at them all with a smirk.
"My group exists to ensure the safety of the public. We Mutants have the ability to control ourselves. Join us, Nasuha... Khai. We will stop this alien plan," Khalid offered, stepping forward between Nasuha and Khairul and Sui'ra.
"Let me introduce myself again; my name is Khalid. My power is Armored Hero, yes, we need to name our own powers. The girl with purple hair is named Kyoko; she can generate and control lightning from her body. Chyou, you already know his power is Teleportation, but he's unique with two powers: Invincibility, where he can make himself invisible like a chameleon. Lastly, Chyou's sister, Mei. Her powers are Psychic and Telepathy; she can control objects with her mind and influence the minds of others." Khalid introduced all the members of his mutant group.
"Together, we can protect many people. We can teach you to fully control your powers. In no time, we've mastered our powers, thanks to Mei; she can provide us training through the Mind Dimension." Khalid extended his hand towards Nasuha and Khairul.
"Hey, don't forget. Those two are under my protection. The reason why the police haven't raided this place yet is because of me. What benefits will we get if we join you?" Rose stepped forward.
"First, you'll get Mutants who can fight Strays without sacrificing the police. Second, Khai and Nasuha can learn to control their powers better. Third, you can study us and find a way to combat the Mutant Cells." Kyoko interjected, and Khalid's group looked at each other.
"We don't want to become enemies of humanity; our only desire is to protect those we love. Isn't that the reason for you too? Your powers emerged because you wanted to protect someone as well, right?" Khalid asked, and Khairul glanced at Nasuha while she looked at Khairul and Ehsan.
"Please," Khalid's eyes turned soft.
"I agree to join your group, Khalid. Khai?" Nasuha smiled and then looked at Khairul.
"I... I'll follow Nasuha," Khairul replied.
"Thank you, Nasuha... Khai." Khalid smiled in relief and immediately shook Khairul's hand.
"We're not that close. Don't call me 'Khai'." Khairul pulled his hand away from Khalid's handshake.
"Ah, okay, got it." Khalid scratched his cheek, looking awkward.
"Sister Rose." Shaurya gently tapped Rose's shoulder. She turned to him, and Shaurya nodded slightly, then smiled, signaling Rose to make her choice.
"Alright. As long as you provide information, help Khairul and Nasuha, and then give me a little control, I agree." Rose said.
"We have no problem compromising." Khalid turned to Rose and Shaurya, giving a thumbs up, agreeing to Rose's request.
"So what now?" Khairul asked. Everyone there turned to him, and Khalid smiled, placing his hand on his chest.
Sui'ra watched them, appearing excited by what was happening.
"Let them fight, let them suffer, humans. Show me something interesting. How far will Uhuj' Far-ghi evolve with the human race? A new era begins, and without you realizing it, the next evolution for humanity..."
Khalid: This is the WhatsApp group for us all to share information and everything related to our mission to eradicate Strays and find a way to stop the Zoturan alien plan.
Rose: How old are you all, actually?
Rose: Seriously? A WhatsApp group?!
Kyoko: It's easy to communicate using WhatsApp; almost everyone has a phone and WhatsApp... Do you expect us to use burner phones like in the movies?
Kyoko: Sorry, Sister Rose, we're still ordinary humans when it comes to our lives. We don't have much money to find other ways to communicate.
Nasuha chuckled as she looked at her phone and the messages sent in the WhatsApp group that Khalid had created for all of them.
Khalid: Since we're like a superhero group, we need to come up with a group name.
Khalid: If one day people find out about our existence, they'll need a name that gives them hope.
Rose: You guys are serious about becoming superheroes? Go ahead, all you young folks...
Nasuha: A group name, huh? I have no ideas at all.
Kyoko: Same here.
Mei: Yeah, we never really think about it.
Khalid: Never mind. We'll think of it later.
Khalid: What's important now is Khairul and Nasuha. Come to the location I'll send tomorrow; we'll help you train to use your powers.
Nasuha: Alright, boss!
Nasuha lay back on the sofa while looking at her phone, recalling everything that had happened so far, and let out a long sigh.
Everything started when a boy noticed me crying behind the school, and now, in just a short time, my life has changed completely, beyond what I had imagined.
There must be something bigger than me happening. It makes the problems I faced before seem small, but the weight I feel from both issues still feels the same.
"Nasuha." Khairul called, pulling Nasuha out of her daydream.
"Ah? Khai... Yes?" She sat up straight, noticing that Khairul was sitting on the sofa beside her, looking troubled.
"W-What's wrong?" Nasuha asked, worried.
"I wanted to talk. I know I upset you when I was rude to your father. I'm sorry." Khairul said, and Nasuha looked relieved, a sweet smile forming on her face.
"Yeah, yeah... I forgive you. Just go apologize to my dad; don't fight with him."
"I'll try. He reminds me a bit of my old man. That's why I don't like him much, but he's not as bad as my dad. I'll try not to be rude to him." Khairul replied.
"Okay, I understand. Anyway, let's do our best together in becoming superheroes." Nasuha clenched her fist and directed it toward Khairul.
"Becoming superheroes, huh? Ugh... I don't understand what's going on, but if you want us to use our powers to protect others, I'll follow you, Nasuha. This power of mine is for you." Khairul stared at his right arm with a vacant look.
"Don't say that, Khai..." Nasuha's hand fell, and she reached for Khairul's hand.
"Your Mutant Cell activated because you want to protect me... I appreciate that you're thinking of me, but you need to think of yourself too, Khai. Make your own choices." Nasuha said.
"I'll try."