Without needing to think too hard, William immediately deduced that the F-22 on his radar had to be Starscream. However, considering the 40,000-kilometer distance between them would take 18 minutes to close, he asked in confusion, "Normally, we can cover 20,000 kilometers in 12 minutes. Eighteen minutes is enough to cover 30,000 kilometers. Does that mean Starscream's speed is only one-third of ours?"
Sunday paused for two seconds before responding, "Your calculations are generally correct, but the other party has to overcome atmospheric drag, so their true speed cannot be determined at the moment."
That made sense. After thinking for a moment, William said, "Maintain our current course and speed. I'll go swap out the energy source, and then I'll play with this second-in-command Decepticon for a while."
He chuckled. "Perhaps I can use the excuse of not wanting to bring danger to Earth to make a trip to Mars. This might also give me a chance to deal with Alexander Pierce from S.H.I.E.L.D., who's probably been waiting too long and might stir up trouble."
With this plan in mind, William pretended to be unaware of Starscream's pursuit and maintained communication with London's Space Center, continuing his flight for another ten minutes.
When Starscream was only 10,000 kilometers away, William feigned panic and reported to the Space Center, "Why is my radar showing an F-22 speeding toward me at 34,000 kilometers per hour?"
"What?!"
Everyone at the Space Center had been anxiously and excitedly awaiting William's safe return. With just his landing left to complete, England was on the brink of becoming the second nation to successfully land on the moon. When they received the radar footage William sent, the entire command center went into chaos.
While trying to reassure William, several high-ranking English officials made immediate calls to their American counterparts. Without even bothering to figure out when the Americans developed fighter jets capable of such speeds, they unleashed a torrent of threats and ultimatums, even going so far as to prepare their lone aircraft carrier for deployment.
On the American side, initial disbelief quickly gave way to panic as the direct threats from their ally suggested they were ready to go to war. The Americans were furious yet also worried that someone might be acting against orders.
When their own radar picked up the contrail of a fighter jet flying at over 30,000 kilometers per hour, the generals at the American Aerospace Command were dumbfounded. A five-star general bellowed, "Find out whose fighter jet this is, and send a warning immediately! Demand their identification! If they refuse, we will launch missiles to shoot them down!"
But William didn't have time to wait for England and America to sort things out.
When Starscream was within 6,000 kilometers, William abruptly turned and flew toward outer space, ignoring the messages Starscream sent while posing as the Americans. He instructed Sunday to monitor Starscream's speed closely.
Sure enough, as soon as they exited Earth's atmosphere, Starscream's speed increased several times over.
Fortunately, William had anticipated this scenario. Back when he returned to Earth, he had replaced his ship's Ark Reactor with the energy crystals he had acquired from the Predator trade. With the new energy source, the ship's speed not only increased several times but also enabled it to initiate a space jump.
With the immediate threat neutralized, William composed a farewell message to London.
"I have confirmed that the fighter jet following me is an extraterrestrial technology. For the safety of Earth, I will lead it to Mars. During this period, I will maintain contact with the target to understand its intentions and try to resolve any misunderstandings or reach a necessary agreement. If negotiations fail, as a last resort, I will use the escape pod to land on Mars and detonate the ship's nuclear reactor to ensure mutual destruction with the alien.
"Now, I, William Devonshire, officially authorize my mother, Lena Devonshire, to take control of all assets belonging to the Devonshire family during my absence from Earth.
"If I am unexpectedly killed, my mother will inherit everything. Additionally, each of the five women in my life will receive 5% of the family's wealth as a gift.
"All right, if my luck holds out and my plan works, the ship's speed should increase by about seventy percent. This might allow me to lose the alien fighter trailing me, giving me the opportunity to negotiate. If this is the last transmission, I will attempt to contact you again five hours from now."
At the end of his message, William's eyes glistened with tears as he looked at Lena. "I'm sorry, Mom. I shouldn't have ignored your advice to live a carefree life as a playboy.
"Unfortunately, it's too late to regret now. All I can do is pray to God to help me get through this crisis safely." With that, he made the sign of the cross over his chest, took off his helmet, and nervously stroked it. After a brief pause, he said firmly, "I've killed so many bad guys and indirectly saved thousands of lives. God will surely bless me. Goodbye, Mom. Goodbye, my loves."
Abby, Jessie, Selene, and Nyssa were already sobbing uncontrollably. Only Ambrosia, excluded from Lena's inner circle, remained unaware of what was happening.
Lena had nearly fainted herself but was startled when William mentioned praying to God. At first, she couldn't tell if he was using a coded message to signal his safety or if he was genuinely praying in a moment of desperation.
But when she noticed William's fingers making a subtle gesture on his helmet and heard him reiterate his faith that God would protect him, she became certain he was secretly assuring her of his safety.
Fortunately, Lena's earlier collapse into Selene's arms had been genuine and didn't arouse suspicion. Regaining her composure, she patted Selene's hand and issued a stern order. "I know William entrusted some security measures to you and Nyssa. Now, I need you to activate the crisis protocol and protect me. Understood?"
"Of course," Selene and Nyssa nodded, exchanging a glance before Selene whispered in Lena's ear, "William has a blood bond with us. We can feel that he's not in any danger right now."
"Enough," Lena interrupted, squeezing Selene's hand tightly. "I understand what you mean. From now on, the Devonshire family's security is entirely in your hands. Anyone who disobeys you—whether they need to be dismissed or eliminated—is your call."
Lena's unflinching resolve sent shivers through those with ulterior motives. Hearing her declare that her priority was to protect the family's wealth in the absence of William made one thing clear: anyone plotting against them during this time would be treated as an enemy.
And for those enemies, Lena made it known that they would face the most direct consequences.
(End of Chapter)
[Get +20 Extra Chapters On — P@tr3on "Mutter"]
[Every 50 Power Stones = 1 Bonus Chapter Drop]
[Thanks for Reading!]