After finishing his conversation with the girls, Alex thought about finally getting some rest. Sleep was the best remedy for the accumulated fatigue of recent days and would help ease his mental strain. However, after a brief moment of thought, he decided to stay and spend time with his friends, who were now deep in thought about his plans.
Out of boredom, Alex began braiding Rebecca's hair again, changing up her usual hairstyle. Normally, Rebecca either wore her hair loose or in two braids like Hestia. Alex had done the same with Hestia, occasionally changing her hairstyle, and now his new 'victim' was Rebecca, since the other girls in the family didn't have long enough hair for his experiments.
Noticing that Alex was once again working on her hair, Rebecca didn't mind, though some of his styles seemed strange to her. Satisfied with the final look, Alex even considered taking a picture of his 'masterpiece.' However, knowing Rebecca, he realized she'd fight him to the end to make him delete it.
«Congratulations, you're now a galactic princess,» Alex said, finishing her hairstyle in the style of Princess Leia from Star Wars.
The girls overheard him and turned to look at Rebecca with curiosity, unable to hold back their laughter — she truly looked a bit odd, as if wearing oversized headphones on her ears. Confused, Rebecca pulled a mirror out of her inventory to check herself, and, seeing her hair, she understood the reason for their laughter.
«Are you serious right now?» Rebecca asked, eyeing Alex with a mix of disbelief and irritation at her new 'look.'
Alex tilted his head, as if feigning innocence. Wasn't it fun? She should be glad he didn't go for something like a 'pineapple' or a 'palm tree' considering her hair length. Seeing his lack of reaction to her irritation, Rebecca decided to show her displeasure in her own way — by biting his cheek and giving it a good chew. Alex, used to her antics, calmly let her do it, only wiping the saliva off his face afterward.
After letting Alex go, Rebecca settled back into her seat, and Alex, reaching for the TV remote, asked G.I.R. to disconnect from the screen and take a break. G.I.R. immediately jumped off the table and headed to his cushion, taking his half-finished milkshake with him.
Alex turned on the TV, hoping to distract himself before bed, but seeing that it was on the news, he quickly turned it off. The girls noticed his swift reaction, puzzled as to why he'd so quickly turned away from watching.
«Why did you turn off the TV?» Lucy asked, giving him a suspicious look, sensing he was hiding something.
Alex averted his gaze, unwilling to explain. After all, he couldn't just tell them that every apartment he visited during the investigation had to be burned — not only to avoid the risk of infecting random people but also to throw the enemy off track. G.I.R. also understood what news was playing and, fearing for his new flamethrower, opted for a swift escape to the kitchen to avoid the conversation.
«Oh, it was just nothing interesting again; thought it'd be better to go to sleep,» Alex said with a slight smile, hoping to steer the conversation away.
Sensing it was time for a tactical retreat, he decided to make his exit. But before he could take a step, the TV switched back on, showing a news report about five fires across the city that had affected apartments previously owned by Arasaka employees. Lucy gave him a dry, demanding look, clearly expecting an explanation.
«Nothing you want to explain?» Gloria asked, watching him closely. «I can understand your jokes on the job, even the chaos you stirred up at Arasaka. But what about the burned apartments you visited?»
Following Freya's guidance, Gloria allowed Alex harmless mischief but kept in mind other warnings that prevented him from crossing the line. Realizing he couldn't dodge their questioning, Alex quickly came up with an excuse.
«It was necessary to avoid any random passersby getting infected. I mean, I can't exactly stash corpses in my inventory, so burning the apartments was the best option. Only those apartments were affected, the neighboring ones stayed untouched,» Alex said, giving a thumbs-up.
Lucy continued to look at Alex with a reserved expression, only half-convinced. She knew he could've used his magic to burn just the bodies and that it hadn't been strictly necessary to set entire apartments ablaze. However, she also saw that the first and last apartments probably needed to be destroyed completely.
Gloria sighed, deciding to believe Alex only partially, suspecting he might have just enjoyed causing fires. Alex realized he'd avoided a lecture about not torching others' apartments and exhaled in relief. But just as he thought the incident was behind him, he felt a disapproving gaze practically burning into his back.
Turning around, Alex saw Rebecca's hurt expression — as if he'd betrayed all their shared moments.
«How could you go around burning apartments without me? What, you don't love me anymore? What about all those promises that we'd cause chaos together?» she asked with feigned indignation, playing the role of an offended spouse.
Alex instantly understood that Rebecca was trying to coax something out of him. Normally, she'd ask him right away how he did it or which techniques he used, but now she was acting like a scorned wife. The other housemates also noticed Rebecca's little performance, sensing she was aiming to get something.
«All right, what do you want?» Alex asked, seeing through her game.
Rebecca realized her acting had worked and quickly hid her pleased smile, though everyone had already seen it. Her mind began racing through ideas of what she could ask for in exchange for his «betrayal.»
«How does your sword work? Can it create a portal anywhere?» she asked, before making her actual request.
Alex frowned slightly, realizing where Rebecca was going with this. He'd already explained Yamato's capabilities when the sword was still broken, but he remembered that Rebecca often tuned out anything that didn't involve destructive weapons.
«I already told you what my sword can do, or did you forget again, you forgetful potato,» he replied with a smile, giving her nose a light pinch.
Rebecca tensed, trying to recall, and vague memories surfaced of the day Alex revealed his true nature.
«Well… there was something like that,» she muttered, not entirely confident in her memories.
Alex smirked slightly — he knew he couldn't stay mad at Rebecca and adored her as she was, even if she often forgot anything unrelated to weapons.
«I remember you saying you could open a portal anywhere, even to the Moon,» Lucy noted, deciding to step in.
«Right, the Moon,» Alex repeated thoughtfully, nodding at her words. His eyes gleamed, and he turned to Gloria, who gave him a knowing smile. Alex recalled his promise to help Gloria save up for a ticket to the Moon, and even though troubling events had started in the city, he decided to fulfill her dream. Now, he just needed to make sure nothing would endanger the girls when they reached the Moon.
«Stay put, and call Valerie. I'll be back soon,» Alex said, summoning Yamato and opening a portal.
The girls were a bit puzzled but decided to call Valerie as Alex had asked. Stepping through the portal, Alex found himself on the Moon. He glanced at Earth, realizing that no movie could ever convey the view that now lay before him. In films, Earth often seems large, but the real distance paints a completely different picture.
Turning his gaze away, Alex began preparing for the girls' arrival. He knew he'd need to protect them from the solar radiation they'd be exposed to on the lunar surface. After creating protective barriers, he decided to add a touch of comfort, setting up a table and chairs to give them a place to sit. Once everything was ready, Alex opened a portal back to the living room and returned.
Upon his return, he saw that everyone was already gathered, including an annoyed Valerie, who had once again been pulled away from her favorite show. Rebecca, Lucy, Gloria, Kiwi, and even G.I.R, who had prudently retreated to the kitchen to keep his flamethrower safe, were now waiting for his explanation. Alex smirked and said, «Glad to see everyone's here. Follow me — there's a surprise waiting. Gloria, bring David along,» he added with a wide smile.
Alex stepped through the portal first, leaving the girls in the living room. They exchanged glances and followed him. Rebecca charged forward eagerly, with the others following close behind. Lucy, on her way through, tossed a reluctant G.I.R into the portal, saying that if everyone was going, he had to go too.
Just before vanishing, G.I.R cast a disgruntled look at Lucy, but she paid it no mind and stepped through as well. Valerie went in last, followed by Kiwi and Gloria, who lingered thoughtfully. She approached the urn with her son's ashes, took it gently, hesitated for a moment, and finally stepped through the portal, finding herself on the Moon — the place she had dreamed of for so long.
Looking around, she saw Rebecca and Valerie joyfully competing to see who could jump higher. Lucy and Kiwi, entranced by the sight of Earth, stood nearby, their gaze fixed on the distant blue orb. Gloria felt her dream had come true. She turned to meet Alex's warm gaze.
«I'm sorry, Gloria. I remember promising to save up for a ticket so you could go to the Moon, but with recent events, I thought it'd be better to make the dream happen this way,» Alex said, giving her a slightly apologetic smile.
Those words warmed Gloria's heart. She knew how hard he'd worked to make it happen the honest way, despite her urging him to take it easy and not wear himself out for this goal. Even if they'd arrived through magic, she was content — after all, she had once resigned herself to the thought that, with her income, this might remain only a dream.
«It's all right, Alex. I saw how hard you tried, and I'm grateful to be here now,» Gloria replied, gently squeezing his hand.
Alex smiled and squeezed her hand in return. They continued watching as Rebecca and Valerie tossed G.I.R back and forth like a ball, ignoring his desperate protests that he was meant to be an Ultramarine, not a toy.
Gloria, holding onto Alex's arm, sank into this rare, cozy atmosphere. It had all started that day when she found Alex in the alley, and since then, her life had transformed for the better. He'd helped her cope with the loss of her son and made her feel that she wasn't alone.
«Will you help me scatter David's ashes?» Gloria asked softly, looking at him with hope.
Alex noticed her expectant gaze. He understood how important it was for her to have him by her side in this moment, and, of course, he couldn't refuse.
«Of course, we'll do it together,» he replied, gripping her hand tightly.
Alex and Gloria stepped away from the others to scatter David's ashes. Pausing, Alex gave Gloria time to say her farewell. She looked sadly at the urn in her hands, at a loss for words. There was so much she wanted to say, to see him just once more, to hug him tightly and let him know she never wanted things to turn out this way.
She had dreamed of a better fate for him, but no one could have foreseen that David would fall victim to an evil god bent on destroying the universe. Taking one last look at the ashes, Gloria opened the urn and scattered them, silently speaking her final goodbye.
«Goodbye, David. I hope we meet again. I've found someone who might fulfill my selfish wish — to give us one more chance to meet,» Gloria whispered, holding back the tears that filled her eyes.
Alex stood by, silently supporting her. A wild idea grew in his mind, one he was willing to pursue, but he knew he first had to deal with the Mechanical Man, ensuring that no one would stand in his way. Watching Gloria say her farewell to David, he struggled to keep his own emotions in check.
«Gloria, I could make a pendant or ring for you with some of David's ashes, so he'll always be close by,» Alex suggested, looking into her sorrowful eyes.
She turned to him, meeting his gaze full of tenderness and care. Gloria hesitated; part of her knew she had to let go of the past, but another part of her couldn't completely leave it behind.
«I'm not sure, Alex… I know I need to let him go, but I want a part of him to stay with me,» Gloria whispered, looking at the urn.
Alex nodded silently, understanding her feelings, and with a touch of magic, he took a small portion of the ashes and crafted a pendant. For him, it was important that David's memory lived on; a person remains alive as long as they're remembered. This pendant would be a symbol of a boy named David Martinez, loved by his mother, Gloria Martinez. Alex placed the pendant around Gloria's neck and gently held her face, guiding her gaze to his.
«Gloria, as I've said before and I'll say again: David was and always will be your son, living in your heart. Let this pendant remind you that there was a young man named David, the beloved son of Gloria Martinez. Remember him with a smile,» Alex said, wiping away her tears.
Gloria listened to Alex's gentle words as he tried to comfort her. She attempted a smile, but tears continued to stream down her face, unstoppable. She had thought she'd be able to let David go, but it turned out to be far more difficult than she'd imagined. And Alex understood, which is why he created the pendant with a part of David's ashes — to give Gloria some peace in her heart.
At first, Alex only wanted to repay Gloria by helping her earn enough for a ticket to the Moon, but in the end, they had fallen in love. Because of this, Alex was willing to go to great lengths to ease Gloria's inner pain.
More than once, Alex had considered resurrecting David, but each time, his conscience reminded him of the potential consequences. Alex could be selfish, but he also had a conscience. He knew that the David he might bring back might not be the David, Gloria once knew, or he could even attempt a time-travel spell to capture David's soul and resurrect him.
If there were a proper reincarnation system in this world, Alex would have resurrected David long ago. But unfortunately, that doesn't exist here, and the universe itself is on the brink of destruction at the hands of an avatar of an outer god.
«Thank you for being here,» Gloria whispered, wiping away her tears. «I'm glad I didn't leave you in that alley back then. You've been a light in my darkest days, when my life seemed to be falling apart. I don't know what would have happened to me if I hadn't met you. I love you, my Demon King.»
She smiled, stood on her tiptoes, and kissed Alex, pouring all the depth of her feelings into it.
Alex returned her kiss, feeling the intensity of Gloria's emotions. But their moment was abruptly interrupted when G.I.R flew toward them, loudly complaining about injustice and threatening to file a complaint with animal protection services. Without changing his expression, Alex caught G.I.R by the head. He glanced over at the girls, who looked sheepishly in their direction, then shifted his gaze to G.I.R, who looked back pleadingly, hoping for Alex's support. Alex recalled how G.I.R had betrayed him, running away when Alex had to explain the cause of a fire that damaged five apartments.
«So, the great and mighty G.I.R has become the victim of two girls who used him as a ball?» Alex teased with a smirk.
Hearing the taunt, G.I.R immediately started waving his arms, attempting to attack Alex in a vengeful outburst. But Alex, understanding that this «little nuisance» had far too much energy, simply tossed him back to Valerie and Rebecca. The girls quickly caught G.I.R, who once again started wailing about the injustice. Gloria, seeing his reaction, laughed, finally feeling a sense of relief after fulfilling her wish to say goodbye to her son alongside the one she loved.
«You shouldn't have treated him like that; he's already been through enough with Valerie and Rebecca,» Gloria said with a smile, holding Alex's hand.
«Let this be a lesson for his betrayal,» Alex chuckled, watching the girls start to toss G.I.R around again. «He should be grateful I didn't take away all his weapons and snacks.»
They both laughed, then turned to admire the view of Earth sparkling in the distance. Alex had always found the sight beautiful, especially after his lone trip to space, where everything around him had been empty and lifeless. This moment felt entirely different. He put his arm around Gloria, standing beside her and watching the slowly rotating planet. After a while, Gloria suggested they return to the others, and Alex nodded, taking her hand.
As they approached the group, a lunar buggy zoomed by. Rebecca, sitting behind the wheel, sped along like a mad racer, with Valerie and G.I.R shouting next to her, begging not to let Rebecca drive again. Alex shook his head with a smile and let them have their fun, knowing that he had set up protective barriers in case of any unforeseen circumstances.
«I think Rebecca's having fun,» Gloria remarked, watching their race with a smile.
«She is, but I'm not so sure about Valerie and G.I.R,» Alex replied with a slight smirk.
They reached the table where Lucy and Kiwi were discussing their impressions of being on the Moon, sipping drinks and enjoying snacks. Seeing Alex and Gloria holding hands, Lucy thought about how much she wanted to thank him for everything but knew he would probably brush off her words with something like, «Why not take a trip to the Moon, right?»
Alex and Gloria joined the conversation, and Kiwi immediately asked how they could breathe on the Moon, not freeze, or get burned.
«It's simple,» Alex shrugged. «I created a magical barrier that mimics Earth's atmosphere.»
«This time, you explained it shorter,» Lucy smirked, rolling her eyes. «Where's your long and boring explanation that would take hours to explain how everything works?»
Alex couldn't help but smirk. He knew that long explanations always tired them out, but the short ones rarely satisfied anyone. So, in response to Lucy's remark, he just grinned and playfully tugged at her nose.
They continued discussing potential worlds and topics for their travels until Rebecca and Valerie joined them, with Valerie holding G.I.R.
G.I.R looked like he had been through a long war, and upon seeing Gloria, he stretched out his hands hopefully. Gloria smiled and picked him up, comforting him, while Alex watched the scene with a satisfied grin, knowing he hadn't brought them here in vain. He had helped Gloria say goodbye to David, fulfilled Lucy's dream, and created unforgettable moments for the whole group, whom he considered family.
Right now, Alex felt free from the thoughts of what needed to be done. This break had given him much-needed relief and helped release the tension of the past few days. But soon, he would have to muster all his strength to protect his family and friends.
To be continued...