Episode 1: How It Was
(ABDO 2.0 walks through the corridor of his aircraft, which is currently traversing the void between dimensions, finding its way to yet another Shockwave Gem. His steps echo through the lonely corridor as he enters a small room, where Heavy Metal waits, cuffed up and tied to a chair.)
Heavy Metal: 2.0… thank you for accepting my request.
(ABDO 2.0 turns his back on him, making a dismissive grunt, which causes Heavy Metal’s expression to soften more.)
ABDO 2.0: (annoyed) You said you wanted to speak to me. What is it?
Heavy Metal: I… I just wanted to talk about us.
ABDO 2.0: Hmph. And here I thought that you had something tolerable to say for once.
Heavy Metal: Please, brother. We still have time to talk about it.
ABDO 2.0: Have I not made this clear a long time ago? You cannot remedy this situation with mere discourse.
Heavy Metal: You said it yourself: there’s nothing personal between us anymore.
(ABDO 2.0 finds himself in a lost of words, unable to explain what he truly meant by that and why he said it.)
ABDO 2.0: Th-Th-That… that was a bluff. A mere lapse of judgment from my part.
Heavy Metal: (with a sorrowful voice) I see. But… how? How did it come to this? What exactly do you want? Why do you keep going on? I know you won’t understand any of us, and we’ve got no right to ask you to try; even so, I really want to understand you. Please… talk to me. I’ll listen to everything you say. I won’t interrupt.
(ABDO 2.0 hesitates to leave, appearing to be touched by Heavy Metal’s words. He then unties Heavy Metal and removes his cuffs. He then grabs a seat and a table, taking his seat and placing his elbows on the table. Heavy Metal reluctantly does the same.)
Heavy Metal: Thank you… ABDO 2.0. I appreciate it.
ABDO 2.0: (trying to compose himself) Enough of this. Now we talk.
Heavy Metal: Well then… when did it begin? Your… your transformation?
ABDO 2.0: (sighs deeply, appearing to be melancholic) It began a lot sooner than you can recall… about… about 10 years ago.
(Let’s turn back the clock to 10 years ago. During a joyful, sunny day, two 5-year old kids are racing around the park on their bikes: Omar and Abdo. Abdo pedals with all his might, but Omar always makes it to the finish line first, with unbelievable ease as well; that was always how it goes, and that day was no exception.)
Omar: And Omar takes the win!
Abdo: (gets off his bike, panting) How… how are you so fast?
Omar: (chuckles and nudges Abdo) Don’t be discouraged, bro! You know you’re getting better with time! I mean… you’ve been struggling with balance a while ago, but now you’re rocking it.
Abdo: You… you really think so?
Omar: I know so! I’m sure that one day you’ll finally beat me!
(Abdo makes a genuine smile and hugs Omar, who hugs him back with a warm smile. After a while, Mr. Ahmed is finally done with the barbecue, and he shouts for Omar and Abdo to come over.)
Mr. Ahmed: (loudly) Food’s ready, boys! Come over!
Abdo: In a minute, dad! (to Omar) First one to reach Dad gets the loser’s share.
(Abdo immediately starts running, to Omar’s amusement, who chuckles and chases after Abdo. Despite starting later than Abdo, he reaches Dad first, to Abdo’s annoyance.)
Omar: Reached first! Now gimme your share, Abdo!
Abdo: Come on! You know I was kidding!
Omar: (playfully smirking) Fine fine, I’ll let you off the hook this time.
Mrs. Eman: If you boys keep on with that, none of you’s getting his share.
Both: Sorry, mom!
(Mr. Ahmed gives each of the boys his share, and their mouths water at the sight of the juicy, tender kebabs. Abdo takes one bite of it, and he goes on to thoroughly devour the plate in pure ecstasy. The others chuckle lightly at the sight of this. That day at the park ends, and they all pack their bags and get in the car. Abdo takes a good look at the sunset as the car takes off, a smile forming on his face.)
That very moment was one of very few memories that I so deeply hold onto. The sheer beauty of it… it was something I could never forget; how could I? After all, that was the last moment I spent with my family. Just like all that I cherished, it was taken from me…
(During one stormy midnight, while Abdo and his brother were sleeping in their own room and their parents were asleep in the master bedroom, a doorbell’s ringing sound pierces through the silence. This wakes up Abdo, who slowly gets up and heads to his apartment’s door as the ringing keeps on coming.)
Abdo: (while trembling) Who’s here?
???: Does that happen to be Mr. Ahmed’s apartment?
Abdo: You mean Dad? Yeah, that’s his apartment.
???: Good. Can you open up? We want to have a word with your father.
Abdo: Is something wrong, sir?
???: No, it’s all fine.
Abdo: Well, he’s sleeping right now. Can you come some other time?
???: I’m afraid I can’t. The matter is quite urgent, and I’m sure your father is expecting us.
Abdo: Um… okay. If you say so. Lemme just tell Dad that you’re here.
(Suddenly, the door opens, and four burglars break in, one of them holding Abdo captive. Abdo is about to scream in horror, but a thug silences him.)
Thug 1A: (smirking) Don’t scream just now, little boy. You’re only gonna make it worse. We’re just here for you and your brother. Now lead us to him.
(Abdo trembles, finding himself at a loss of words. However, as one of the thugs points a gun at him, he reluctantly nods. As he heads to his bedroom and opens the door, Omar suddenly kicks one of the thugs in the groin and, taking Abdo’s hand, runs away from the thugs.)
Abdo: Mom! Dad! Help!
(Mr. Ahmed and Mrs. Eman immediately arrive, and Omar and Abdo take cover behind them.)
Mr. Ahmed: What do you want?!
Thug 1B: (chuckles) No sudden movements. We just want the kids. No need to spill any blood.
Abdo: (trembling) Mom… Dad… why do they want us?
Mrs. Eman: (placing a warm hand on Abdo’s back) It’s gonna be okay, sweetie. Don’t worry.
Thug 1C: (mockingly) Yeah, quite reassuring. Is it that hard to tell your kids the truth, ma’am? Just hand the kids over; we’ll take good care of ’em.
(Mr. Ahmed lurches at a thug and knocks down the gun from his hand. Mrs. Eman then tries to take the kids to cover, but a thug manages to shoot her arm.)
Abdo: (tearfully) Mom!
(Mrs. Eman manages to grab a knife and stab the approaching thug in the chest, and the blood reaches Abdo’s face, who appears to be truly horrified, and he starts to tear up out of immense fear. Omar tries to grab something to stop the bleeding from his mom’s arm, but he can’t find anything, all while Mrs. Eman tries her best to resist the pain. Abdo watches as his father is beaten up by the other three thugs, and he sees a gun in the ground. He reluctantly picks it up and aims at one of the thugs his father is taking care of.)
Omar: Abdo! Pull the trigger! Shoot him!
(Abdo can’t bring himself to pull the trigger, and his hand trembles as he tightens his grip on the gun.)
Omar: Come on, Abdo! Do it!
(With a battle cry, Abdo shoots at a thug, but to his horror, he realizes that he missed. The thug looks at him and shoves his beaten-up father aside, approaching him with a wide, terrifying grin on his face.)
Thug 1A: You already holdin’ a glock, kid? You sure got it in ya. Heh. I’ll be satisfied with sparing your family if you come with me.
Mrs. Eman: (enraged) Leave my son alone, you dirty bastard!
(Mrs. Eman stands in the thug’s way, and the latter slaps her across the face, to the kids’ horror.)
Thug 1A: Tch. Mothers. Now… where were we, kiddos?
(Mr. Ahmed, having gotten up again and shoved the other two thugs aside, stands in the thug’s way and punches him in the face. He and Mrs. Eman then take on the thugs and signal their kids to run and get outta here.)
Mr. Ahmed: Omar! Abdo! Get outta here! Now!
Abdo: D-D-D-Dad!
Mrs. Eman: No time! Just run!
Abdo: (sobbing) BUT WHAT ABOUT YOU?! YOU MIGHT… YOU MIGHT DIE!!!
(Omar also appears to be crying, but he grabs Abdo and runs towards the door, while Abdo tries to resist.)
Abdo: MOM! DAD! NO!!!
(Mr. Ahmed and Mrs. Eman give their kids one last smile as they descend the stairs, to the thugs’ frustration.)
Thug 1A: Don’t let the kids escape!
(Mr. Ahmed punches him in the face and kicks him in the gut, only for the thug to pull a knife and stab him in the gut.)
Mrs. Eman: Ahmed!
(Another thug shoots Mrs. Eman in the chest three times, and she falls into the ground, her lifeless body bleeding in the ground. Mr. Ahmed, laying on the ground, desperately reaches out to Eman, and the moment he grabs her hand, he gets shot in the head.)
Thug 1A: Such a pain in the ass.
(The thugs descend the stairs and leave the apartment — which has turned into a bloody, horrific scene — to search for Omar and Abdo. However, they’re unable to find them at all.)
Thug 1A: (grumbles) Damn it! (sighs deeply) C’mon, boys. We’re gonna forget this ever happened. Today’s been quite a hassle.
(Meanwhile, Omar and Abdo are sitting down in a dark alley, sobbing, their cries complemented by the severe rains and the loud thunder.)
I couldn’t take it at the time. At such a young age, I have witnessed a bloodbath. You were here, too, slightly more composed than I was, yet sobbing all the same. Living in my head was one question: Why? Why were we of all people the ones to witness this? Why were we of all people the ones to lose all we cherish? Make no mistake, Heavy Metal… this very moment… that was the catalyst.
End of Episode 1
