As Spectra confronted Agent Jack, his voice was calm but laced with tension."I thought you'd remember me by my voice, Jack."
Jack raised an eyebrow, puzzled."I know you're some kind of superhero, but I'm pretty sure this is our first meeting. What's your name?"
Spectra took a step closer, his gaze sharp."The name's Spectra. How could you forget? It's been four years. Last time I saw you… you were still playing FBI, weren't you? Agent Jack."
Jack's expression shifted confused at first, then stunned."You… You're not one of those wannabe hero kids… are you?"
Four Years Ago
Thirteen-year-old Hamza wandered through the quiet halls of the museum his father owned, eyes wide with curiosity. He stopped in front of a strange alien artifact—sleek, cold, and unlike anything he'd ever seen. His mother stood beside him, gently holding his hand.
Then, everything changed.
Time froze.Literally.
The artifact began to glow with a strange, pulsing blue light. A low hum filled the room as a red beam burst from its center, locking directly onto Hamza. It scanned him from head to toe, and in that moment, he felt it—
Every atom in his body twisted, split apart, then violently pulled itself back together.
And then darkness.
The artifact dimmed, but a lingering energy radiated from it drawing attention from the wrong eyes. Time resumed. And Hamza collapsed to the ground.
"Hamza!" his mother cried, dropping to her knees. "Son, what happened?! Oh no, oh no…"
She shakily dialed emergency services as museum staff rushed over.
Hospital – Hours Later
Hamza lay motionless, surrounded by machines and wires. The doctors had run every test possible.
One of them turned to Hamza's parents with a heavy expression."We've done everything. Physically, he's perfectly fine. No internal damage, no head trauma, no signs of anything abnormal. But… he's unresponsive. As of now, we believe he's fallen into a coma. Though, truthfully, we have no idea what caused it."
Then…
Hamza's eyes opened.
"…Mom… Dad… where am I?" he whispered.
His mother gasped, rushing to his side and pulling him into a tight hug, her voice trembling."You'll be fine… you'll be fine… you'll be fine," she repeated like a prayer.
His father stepped forward and rested a hand on her shoulder."He'll be okay. Don't worry. Our son's strong."
The Next Five Days
Hamza could barely move. His limbs felt heavy, his thoughts cloudy. All he could do was sleep or stare blankly out the window.
He called it"five days of depression."
No energy. No answers. Just silence.
Then, on the sixth day, everything changed.
A sudden surge of energy pulsed through his body. He sat up—quickly. Too quickly. He felt… powerful. His muscles didn't ache. His reflexes were faster. He clenched his fists and felt strength he'd never known before.
"...Okay," he muttered, grinning to himself."But I don't feel any smarter."
He chuckled softly and pressed the nurse call button.
A nurse peeked her head in."Do you need something?"
Hamza shrugged."Actually, I think I'm fine now. Can I go home?"
"We'll do one last check. If everything's clear, we'll call your parents."
"Alright. I'll wait."
Back Home – The Next Day
As soon as he stepped into his room, Hamza face-planted into his bed.
"Ahhh, finally," he groaned in relief.
From the hallway, his mom called out, "You've got school tomorrow! Make sure you ask your teachers and friends what you missed!"
Hamza turned his head and groaned."Nooooo…"
Tbc