Whoo!

~~~~~

GAME OVER

Chapter 19 [The End]

~~~~~

"Adam, you're not serious are you? You're doing great, and you have decent--I mean great potential. Do you really want to quit like this?" Tyler tried to move in front of Adam to get a look at his face, "Come on kiddo, say something?"

"Whoa mans, why woulds yous want to quit?" Barney asked.

"You guys wouldn't understand. I'm just very clumsy and I screw up everything, I'm just a lousy human rank."

"Dont's says that mans, yous good fake players."

"I'm back!" Adam looked to see Jason saunter through the AHD towards his lab, "Did ya miss me?"

Tyler grabbed Adam by his arm and dragged him towards Jason, "Jason!"

Jason paused in his walk and glanced at Tyler, "Oh, it's you two. Yes?"

"Can you believe the nerve, Adam keeps claiming he wants to quit. You're not going to let him do that are you?!"

Adam looked sullenly towards the ground.

"You want to quit?" Jason asked Adam, in that moment Ross came out of the lab and Barney hurried to join Tyler.

Adam gulped before saying,"Yeah...I do. I don't think this is a good--Ow!" Adam gasped as Jason hopped and smacked Adam over the head, "Ow ow ow..."

"Yes, smack some sense into--" Tyler was cut off.

"You died a second time you idiot! I can tell, you thought I wasn't going to notice did ya! Is that why you want to leave?"

"N-no! I swear that isn't it, I just--"

"Fine."

"What," Tyler gasped, Adam's eyes widened.

"Go ahead."

"Nos ways, Adams yous can't quits!"

Jason turned away and was greeted by a dumbfounded Ross who had his mouth hanging open in shock, "Close your mouth, you look like a dying fish."

Ross regained his composure and simply nodded as he followed Jason who headed to his lab, "Jason, you're not seriously agreeing to this right?" Tyler let go of Adam who was just as surprised as Tyler was about this. He thought he would have to fight one nether of a battle to quit, but it was easier than he thought.

"It's fine, it goes against the contract he signed, but I already gathered the necessary data. There really is no more use of this experiment now, so it is fine...but there is one condition that needs to be met before I can let Adam go--Adam come here."

"O-ok."

~~~~~

Inside of Jason's dimly lit lab, Adam, Barney, Ross, Tyler, and Jason were all gathered, it was quiet for a few minutes before Jason spoke up, "First I'd like to start by asking, WHY ALL OF YOU ARE HERE!" Jason yelled, he was irritated by the number of people in his lab.

"Because I can't just let you do this, why are you so willing to let him go. Isn't he valuable to your research?" Tyler exclaimed.

"Was valuable, I already gathered all the information I needed. I just said this before coming in here, besides Adam is just a Human rank. There are others to replace him, more qualified ones too. What's the fuss?" Jason countered.

Jason looked to Barney, "Now why are you here? You're just a trainee, aren't you? Don't you have some sort of trainee chores to attend to? Shoo," Jason waved him away.

"Buts Adams is my--"

"Ah--those were orders. Shoo, I don't need some unqualified idiot in my lab, unless you are here on someone else's orders, leave."

Barney looked to Adam who gave him a look of sadness and pity, "Whats about us?" Barney whispered towards Adam before leaving.

Those three words shot through Adam's heart as he remembered that when he left he would be leaving his friends.... He would even be leaving Alesa... That's right, would she even want to talk to him if he just left like this? She'd probably think he was a coward... He wouldn't even be able to talk to her anymore.

"Ross, get me a coffee, I really need some. The capital doesn't have the best, hurry up."

Ross just nodded and left, he took only a split second to glance at Adam who didn't notice.

"Good, now it doesn't feel as crowded. Well, I'm fine with you quitting. Obviously you must return the amulet, but like I said before there is one condition."

"I'll do it."

"Ada--"

"Good! In a about a week or so the AHD is making a trip to the End. For gathering of resources and a mandatory check up reasons. What I need of you is to go there with me--"

"Holy Notch! Jason, you can't be serious! Adam isn't even close to being qualified for a trip to the End, you can't just send him there!"

"It'll be fine," Jason hissed, "Besides, he'll hardly be fighting. He'll simply help me gather some important resources. Those materials will allow me to replenish the amulet back to it's 10 lives max, and I'll still have plenty to spare for analysis."

"Is that all? I just have to go to the End and help you gather some materials?" Adam asked. Jason hummed and nodded. Well, that didn't sound so bad.

"Look, Adam. I get it, I recognize you want to quit, and you know what, fine. But why not stick around for a bit until you get stronger at least. Accepting and going to the End is suicide in your current level of skill. I mean it, it'll be better if you just st--"

"I'll do it!" Adam said in determination. He didn't know what this End place was, he's never heard of it in school or anything like that. But if this meant he could quietly sink back into his day to day life as a Human rank, he would do it.

"Perfect! Jason squealed. Just then Ross came back carrying two cups of hot coffee, both of them for Jason, "You can leave now. Make sure you're ready in 12 days for the expedition into the End."

"Yes sir," Adam said, before leaving. Ross nearly dropped both mugs of coffee when he heard Jason.

Adam left just before hearing Jason shout at Ross to be careful with those mugs and then Tyler arguing with Jason about his outrageous ask.

Maybe some people here didn't want him to go. Like Tyler, Barney, Jin, and maybe Alesa, but there were also people here who wouldn't even care if he left. Like Seto, Jason, Ross, Ty, and the rest of the AHD. Regardless of either of that, this was the right thing to do. He was only getting in people's way if he stayed here.

~~~~~

When Adam went back down to his room and found Seto not in his base. He ignored that and flopped onto his bed and groaned. On his bedside table was his phone that Seto had gotten him. He decided he should send Alesa a message.

Adam: Hey Alesa. Sorry for this random message

It took a few moments but he saw Alesa's name pop up meaning she logged on.

Adam: I'm quitting... I'm sorry, I don't think this is the job for me.

Adam: I hope we can at least still be friends.

Alesa: Are you sure? I are positive this is what you want? Not what other people are pressuring you into?

Adam's response was delayed. His fingers hovered over the letters.

Adam: Yes.

~~~~~

Later in the evening in dorm F27. Barney was chatting with Jin and telling him about Adam's desire to quit.

"Theres must bes somes ways to stops him, come ons Jin, works with mes here!" Barney stressed.

"I'm just as worried as you are, but I don't know what we can do."

"We'res his friends! We must helps!"

Jin nodded, "Yeah, but we also don't know him that well. We all only get to hang out like once a week for the most part. Our training schedules focus on different things so what can we do when we don't know him that well. Maybe this is what he really wants--"

"Guys!" The door to the dorm slammed open and in came a panicked Ross, His fur was on end and his tail shook.

"Uhs, Ross?"

"Oh, hey...Ross," To Jin and Barney, they weren't on good terms with Ross. Despite their efforts to befriend him, Ross always pushed them away and was blatantly rude to them, "How's it going...I guess."

"Look, I know I'm an ass, but there are bigger things to worry about here!"

Ross stormed into their shared room, "Uh, what--"

"Shh! Don't talk! This is important! Adam just fucking decided he was going to the End, its the condition that Jason set for him in order to be able to quit!"

"Whats!"

"Holy Notch! Is he out of his mind!" Jin stood up in shock, "Adam's wants to go to the end, just so he can leave the AHD. Do you know how absurd that is!"

Jin started to pace in worry.

"Exactly! He's even more of an idiot than I thought, he's going to get himself killed!"

"HEY! SHUT UP, WE'RE TRYING TO SLEEP!" came a voice from the dorm next to them.

"Sorrys!" Barney shouted in reply, Jin took a seat again on the floor and Ross joined them, the spoke in harsh whispers this time.

"This is crazy, we have to stop him, the End is no place for an inexperienced guy like him."

"Agreed," Ross replied to Jin.

~~~~~

Who's ready for some drama next chapter ;)