"Tell you what, you give me what I need and I'll get the old man to shave a few years off your time," Joe attempts bartering.
"Nice try."
"You don't think I'm telling the truth?"
"I think there is no way in hell that Paul agrees to that."
The prisoner gets up and starts walking towards the glass wall, facing Joe.
"You know why?"
"I don't really care, but sure. Why?" Joe humors him.
The long-haired prisoner with years' worth of untrimmed facial hair walks up all the way, just a few inches away from the glass, staring him dead in the eyes.
"Because he knows that as soon as I break out of this place, I'm coming for HIM."
"Oh, Adam, Adam," says Joe, clicking his tongue.
"That's not the type of attitude that's gonna get you under parole."
"How about this," Joe attempts bartering a second time.
"We remove all this psycho serial killer talk and in exchange I, maybe, a razor or something. 'Cause, you know, you look like a bozo."
"What do you want," Adam walks to the back of the room and sits down on the floor, back laid on the wall.
"No deal? Alright, your loss."
"As for what I want," Joe finally starts talking business. "I want to know what Crowe is thinking in that big, weird brain."
"And?" Adam is completely clueless at what Joe is pertaining to. "What does that have to do with the prisoner you've been keeping locked up under the ocean for over a decade?"
"Oh, come on, Adam. Let's not do this charade."
Adam gradually lets out a smile and chuckles.
"There we go," says Joe. "The whole 'I don't what you're talking about' bit is overdone. I'm glad you picked up on what I dropped. Now let's hear it."
"Crowe's making a move, isn't he?" Adam asked. Despite being locked up years prior to Crowe's activities being found out, he already had a gist on what was happening. His question was mainly just for confirmation.
"You mean he's making moves for the two of you?"
"The 'two of us'? You people think we're working together?"
Adam bursts into laughter.
"When will you people understand that I'm FAR from being the only person who knows the truth and wants to do the right thing about it?"
"Unleashing world-ending disasters is the right thing?" Joe retorts.
"And how exactly is letting a swarm of monsters plague the world for all eternity the 'better' thing??" Adam asks back.
"I'm not here to debate ideologies with you, Adam."
"You people must be VERY desperate to come here and ask from me. Things must be THAT bad outside, huh"
Joe doesn't respond.
"Hah, correct again," says Adam, smirking.
"For someone who's absolutely clueless about the outside world, I sure do know a lot about it, don't you think?" he adds.
"You and Crowe talk to each other telepathically? You guys do dirty talk, give each other jerk-off instructions, too?"
"You're barking up the wrong tree, Joe," Adam goes back to his bed.
"If I had someone as smart as Crowe for an accomplice, we wouldn't be here talking right now."
"AND, the world would be monster-free," Adam added.
"None of these answer my question, Adam."
"My mouth is getting tired saying the same thing again and again, Joe."
"Yeah, well, I got time. And you got ALL the time in the world."
"Has it not crossed your small, smooth brain that if I WAS working with Crowe and we're both the rebels that you think, then he would have busted me out by now?"
"Hell, now I WANT him to be my accomplice so he can get me out of this place and I can flay you, Paul, and the rest of the Circle Board."
"What if he's just finishing preparations," says Joe. "It's been over a decade, he must be nearly finished by now. He might even be on the way as we speak."
"I don't know, Joe, because WE'RE NOT WORKING TOGETHER."
"Is that what you came here to ask me?" asks Adam before bursting into laughter.
"Obviously, I have no fucking clue. I don't what Crowe is planning, I don't know what the fuck is happening outside, but I can guess."
Joe is completely silent.
"You don't know what that Nazi is doing, you don't know what he's planning. And guessing by your desperation and baseless accusations, I'm guessing he's doing some fucked up shit. Something related to what my plan was, but mine was straightforward. His plan involves a TON of messed-up stuff, doesn't it."
He sits up on his bed and looks at the silent interrogator.
"Well whaddaya know. Correct again."
"Adam, I would say that this is a wasted trip," Joe takes out his phone on his pocket.
"But seeing you in this miserable place," he dials a number and places the phone in his ear.
"A hundred percent worth it," he grins at the prisoner in front of him. The prisoner reciprocates.
"I'm done," he speaks into the phone.
"Adam here said he needs some time alone. I think 80 years will suffice."
Joe hangs up the call.
"Well, chief. Looks like you won't be getting that parole after all," he tells Adam.
"Gloat all you want. When I get out of here, I'm putting Paul and your head on a spike."
"You know, that would have been scary if you didn't look like homeless Santa and you were actually able to take me on in a fight."
"Lower this glass and let's see."
"HAHA!" Joe exclaims.
"You know, I'm a bit insulted that you think I'm stupid and gullible enough to fall for that."
"We're not in high school, Adam. You're gonna need a better provocation tactic than that," he adds.
"But I'm sure you know that already because what high schooler goes to prison, am I right?" Joe proceeds taunting Adam.
Adam heads back to his bed. He wasn't going to partake in this childish banter.
"We could have fought this battle together, Adam," Joe's tone and demeanor shifts.
"What you did wasn't the way. And you know it."
"What I did, what I tried to do, was the only way. And I'm THE ONLY ONE who knows it," Adam replies.
"Or at least I'm the only one who has the guts to act on it. And now, Crowe, too, apparently," he adds.
"And this 'battle' that you're saying, it's never going to end. You people can kill me. You can kill Crowe and end whatever bullshit is happening outside now, but all that's going to do is increase the number of the dead."
"You're going to keep doing this until you replace Paul and someone replaces you, and you're going to quit and someone replaces you again. And it's just going to keep going again and again and again, the wheel is just gonna keep on spinning until you break it or it breaks on its own."
"You know it's going to break on its own eventually, right?" Adam asks.
Joe doesn't answer.
"Of course you do, because you people are breaking it bit by bit. It doesn't even need to break on its own, you people are already doing that. Slowly but surely."
"How much of it is still left?" he asks again. And again, Joe doesn't respond.
"Yeah, you can't tell me. I know. But before you people threw me in this place, it was still at around 80%. A decade has passed already and I refuse to believe that you people chipped away at it less than before. If anything, you must have chipped it even more so now, it's probably at 70 or the high 60's."
Adam who was laying in bed and looking at the white ceiling the entire time sits up and looks at Joe.
"You people can't stop taking your fragments from it. You NEED it. And how much more do you think you can take until the Core just gives out?"
Deafening silence from Joe who was yapping nonstop just a few minutes ago.
"You, Paul, ALL OF YOU are hypocrites!! You judge me, imprison me, take away my life, and then you turn around and do the same thing I did only slower!"
"What you did is try to start a calamity that we are by no means, prepared for. What we're doing is enhancing our forces to battle the current threats and prepare for what's about to come," Joe finally utters some words.
"And let's not forget that you butchered the entire Ice Sheet facility. You're not some martyr, Adam. You're a delusional mass murderer."
"Then, now, in the future, WHAT DIFFERENCE DOES IT FUCKING MAKE WHEN THEY COME??!!" Adam is now irate.
"If one of those things appeared RIGHT NOW, are you prepared for it??!! You can't tell me 'no' because you said it yourself, you're PREPARING. It's been over a decade, Joe! Are you prepared RIGHT NOW??!!!"
"YOU'RE NOT!! AND YOU NEVER WILL BE BECAUSE NONE OF US CAN PREPARE FOR THESE THINGS!!! THESE THINGS WILL COME NO MATTER HOW MUCH YOU DELAY IT AND IT'S FIGHT OR DIE!"
The vault door opens, Kirk has finally arrived to let Joe out.
"Was he behaved?" Kirk asks.
"Nuh-uh. He was berating me up until you arrived," Joe answers jokingly.
"I really think you should take his potty privileges. You know, teach him some manners."
"Good idea."
"Well, Adam, this has been quite a conversation. Worthless, I'd say, but good to see you, old friend. I'll see you again in, I don't know, probably never. This place is depressing," he looks at Kirk. "No offense."
"None taken."
"See ya never, buddy," says Joe as he makes his way to the prison exit.
"I'm delivering both of you to hell as soon as I'm done with Paul. Then I'm telling your precious agents the truth and we'll do what you cowards won't! WE WILL END THIS PLAGUE ONCE AND FOR A—"
Adam was still rambling even after the vault door closed.
"Get what you came here for?" Kirk asks.
"Not even close."