S.P.E.C.T.O.R – [A Sci-fi space adventure with fantasy elements]

It turned out that the majority of people who stood behind Revi were her ministers and for the next several minutes, each one of them was introduced to Adam and the others.

Naturally, they were all far more enthusiastic when it came to them greeting Tephe compared to the rest of them and quickly surrounded her.

Rowena leaned in close to Revi before asking, “I’m assuming they don’t know the truth?”

Revi smirked before saying quietly, “Do you think they would be as restrained as they are if they learned that she is the same white dragon as back then? Not to mention that they are in the presence of the black knight.”

“Begs the question of why you haven’t even told your own ministers the truth,” Adam, who had overheard them, asked while pinching the bridge of his nose.

“Are you feeling dizzy again?” Rowena asked in concern.

“Dizzy? Are you ok?” Revi asked in concern.

“It’s just a headache. I don’t think it’s anything to be concerned about,” Adam replied before adding, “Dealing with those people again was probably more mentally taxing than I realised.”

Revi studied Adam with concern before saying, “Perhaps you should get checked out.”

“It’s fine, as I said, it’s just a headache and not even really a bad one. I probably just need some rest,” Adam stated.

“That’s probably a good idea, you didn’t get to rest much while waiting for the family heads to clear your name. You were on edge the entire time in case they tried something,” Lorelie said in a concerned tone as she joined their conversation.

“I just couldn’t get the idea out of my head that they might try something and that perhaps I should do to them what I did to the Sokolov family,” Adam replied.

“Don’t you think that would be a bit extreme?” Emma asked.

“Perhaps,” Adam replied.

“Speaking of that, I would like to discuss that with you after you get some rest,” Revi stated.

“Why?” Adam asked.

“Just to understand your reasoning,” Revi replied.

“My reasoning?” Adam asked with a frown before adding, “My reasoning is because they fired a cruise missile at those I care about.” 

“I know that and I understand why you did it, I’m just trying to understand why you went about it in that way,” Revi replied before adding, “After all, it was so out of character for you.”

“Out of character?” Adam asked in confusion.

“She has a point,” Stacey remarked before adding, “You’re normally not that bloodthirsty.”

“Agreed, normally you would warn them beforehand so that any innocents could evacuate, that’s what you did in the past,” Rowena noted.

“Also, sorry to be blunt, but your attitude during that whole situation was not like the Adam Spencer I’m familiar with,” Emma added.

“The me you’re familiar with?” Adam asked before saying with a frown, “We hardly know each other.”

“No, you hardly know me,” Emma replied before continuing. “I know everything there is to know about you before you left Earth and I have watched your streams for quite a while and witnessed how you have changed.”

The other women, with the exception of Tephe, who was still surrounded by ministers, listened in with interest as Emma continued.

“Prior to Jenny Downs tragic murder, you were what one would describe as the model student with no criminal record.

The death of Jenny Downs at the hands of Viktor Morose changed you; you became colder and went on a revenge hunt, which is not surprising since you were framed for her murder.

After that, you left Earth and travelled out into the universe and although you still killed people, you always had a reason for your actions. Admittedly, some innocents got caught in the crossfire, but that is unfortunately to be expected of war, though, as Rowena stated, in many cases, you gave innocents time to evacuate.

This time, however, your actions were the complete opposite as you openly killed who knows how many innocents.”

At this point, Emma hesitated as she wanted to point something out, but was worried about what consequences it could bring; she knew very well that it could ruin her chances of getting closer to Adam.

Rowena raised an eyebrow as she noticed Emma’s hesitation and said,” Feel free to speak your mind, Emma. You’re part of the group now and you’re also going to be in charge of all business-related things in the future.

You can’t be afraid of telling us where and when we mess up, otherwise we won’t learn from our mistakes or be able to fix them.”

I understand, I guess I’m just not used to working for someone else yet,” Emma replied before turning back to Adam and saying in a more nervous tone

“Don’t you think your actions of destroying all those buildings without giving anyone time to evacuate were hypocritical?”

“What! Hypercritical?” Adam exclaimed in surprise and anger as the girls noticed that he was getting angrier and angrier.

Emma steeled her resolve at the sight of Adam’s anger before adding, “If what you did on Earth can’t be called hypercritical, what can be? I ask this because you have become exactly what you were angry at the five families for falsely accusing you of being… a mass murderer.”

As Emma finished speaking, there was silence in the group as they let her words sink in until Lorelie finally said.

“She has a point.”

“What?” Adam asked as he stared at Lorelie in shock.

“I didn’t see it before because orbital bombardments are not all that uncommon in the universe, especially during war. But from an earthling’s perspective, what you did could indeed be classified as mass murder,” Lorelie explained.

“No, no. I did it because they fired a cruise missile at you all,” Adam replied while shaking his head.

“And we love you for wanting to get revenge for us, but the way you did it wasn’t in your character,” Rowena replied with a smile before adding, “You normally go out of your way to make sure as many innocents as possible survive.”

“They tried to take you from me, they tried to take the ones I care about,” Adam replied before he added, “Never, never again will I allow someone I love to be taken from me.”

“Someone you love? You finally admitted that you love us?” Stacey asked in surprise before she, Lorelie and Rowena all smiled happily.

Adam, however, didn’t seem to hear her words or see their smiles as he suddenly clutched his head as he continued to talk.

“Never again, never again.”

“Babe, are you ok?” Lorelie asked in concern as she and the others realised something was wrong.

“Never again, never again, I can’t lose Jenny again.”

“What do you mean you can’t lose her again?” Stacey asked in concern.

“Jenny, Stacey, Lorelie, Rowena, I can’t lose them, I wont. Anyone who tries to take them from me will die, I will but there planets, burn their solar system, burn their galaxy.

No, no, no, doing that would make me no better than them.

So what, anyone who takes my loved ones needs to pay for it and pay for it in the worst way possible.

Not when it involves innocents, that would make me no better than those with power I have always despised.”

“What’s wrong with him?” Emma asked in alarm.

“It’s almost like he’s arguing with himself,” Revi replied in concern.

“Adam,” Rowena said in a soft voice as she reached out to gently grab his arm.

Adam, however, didn’t seem to notice the contact at all as he continued to hold his head and argue with himself.

“UGGGHHHHH, it fucking hurts, why does my head hurt so much.

“Kill all those who would take our loved ones from us, eradicate their entire solar system with a solar bomb.”

[[ALERT.]]

[[Operators brain functionality has jumped to dangerous levels.]]

“Solar bomb!” Revi repeated in shock.

“What’s a solar bomb?” Eri asked as she looked at Adam with concern.

“Spector, what’s happening?” Rowena asked since she had heard Spector’s announcement through the earring she was still wearing.

[[Operator’s neural implant has detected that his brain’s functionality has jumped to dangerous levels. It is advised that you calm the operator down lest permanent damage be done to his brain.]]

“Fuck!” Rowena said in alarm before she said in a panicked tone, “Adam, Adam, listen to me. Calm down, I need you to calm down.”

“No, no, no time, they all need to die, they all need to die,” Adam replied before saying, ”Spector, arm Solar Bomb.”

[[Unable to comply. Operator’s mental stability is in a questionable state.]]

“No, not a Solar Bomb, now here,” Revi said as her face drained of colour.

“Calm down, Revi, Spector refused Adam’s orders since he’s obviously not well right now,” Rowena replied.

“Babe, babe, what’s wrong? Speak to me, babe,” Stacey said as she grabbed hold of Adam’s other arm.

“We need to get him medical help,” Lorelie said as tears filled her eyes.

“Enemies, enemies everywhere, kill them, kill them all.

No, we can’t, we can’t become a mass murderer.

Mass murderer, those fucking family heads framed us as a mass murderer, kill them, kill them all.

We are already mass murderers; we killed all those innocents.”

As Adam’s form of self-arguing reached this point, his body seemed to freeze and he stopped talking.

“Is it over?” Aphrodite asked hopefully.

“I don’t know,” Lorelie replied before asking in a gentle tone, “Adam.”

Adam turned to Lorelie with dead eyes that made her cover her mouth with her hands before he said, “Lorelie, my love, I did it, didn’t I? I went against my principles and killed all those innocents.”

After he finished speaking, he lost consciousness and collapsed onto the floor of the hangar.

“ADAM!”