Chapter Text
Adam did remember him.
Somehow, somewhere, in some deep deep part of him... Adam remembered him. He remembered seeing the man more than once and he remembered drawing a picture of him. He remembered... his mother had been terrified, hadn’t she?
Or was she even still his mother? Could he still consider her that?
“Are you my father?” Adam asked.
They were sitting in that same room. It was dark except for the static on the television, and they had closed the door for privacy. The Intruder was sitting across from Adam on a couch, slumped slightly as he stared at Adam with his eye.
“You called me your ‘sweet boy’,” Adam said.
“And you are,” Intruder said. “But I am not your father. Gabriel is your creator. He created all of us...”
“Gabriel?” Adam repeated. “I suppose it makes sense. But then what connection do you have to me? Why was I raised by humans if I’m not... if I’m not a human?”
“You were an experiment,” Intruder said. “And that’s all I can say for now. Gabriel believes that we should wait to tell you certain things because you’re still adjusting.”
Adam didn’t know how to feel about that. On the one hand, he wanted to know everything. On the other hand, he didn’t. He felt like knowing might help him figure a few things out, or it might just complicate them even more. Maybe he should wait. Gabriel would know best.
“You had your first kill?” Intruder asked.
“Eve,” said Adam. “I sent her to paradise.”
Intruder nodded slowly.
“I loved her once,” Adam continued. “A lot. But... something just felt wrong about it all. It felt like I was trying too hard to be someone I’m not. I guess I was in a way. But... she’s in paradise now. It doesn’t matter.”
He fiddled with the sleeves of his BPS hoodie. It was getting a bit frayed in some spots, he should really replace it. But where would he find new clothes? Where did any Alternate get clothes from? Did they buy them or steal them, or... It felt strange to be thinking about these things.
“What... why do Alternates exist?” Adam asked. “Like... what is the point? What are you trying to do?”
Intruder was silent for a moment, and the eye finally left Adam’s face to wander over the room. After a few minutes, it came back to stare at Adam.
“Do you believe in God?” Intruder asked.
“What?” Adam blinked. “I... I used to, but... now I’m not so sure.”
“I like to think I am well versed in the history of this world,” Intruder said. “Television can be educational if you watch the right things. Gods, Goddesses, Celestial Beings, animals and monsters... they have all come and gone. They were once worshipped, prayed to, sacrificed to... but not anymore. Now they believe in other things. Why is that, Adam?”
Well that was a loaded question if there ever was one. Adam suddenly felt as if one of his teachers had put him on the spot with a difficult question in class. He thought hard about it, but there were so many answers he could give.
“Um... uh.... missionaries?” He slowly said. “Like... they were the ones who told them about their own religion and then the other people started to believe...?”
“Exactly,” Intruder’s mouth smiled slightly. “And that’s what we are. We are missionaries come to spread Gabriel’s gospel. We have been trying to spread it to the humans, but... the results have not been good.”
Adam’s eyes widened in realization.
“The MADness!” He said. “That’s... that’s what’s causing it! They said... don’t listen or you’ll become infected.”
“A very strange term that you humans have created,” Intruder said. “But yes. Humans have not received Gabriel’s gospel very well. I have seen the results. We all have.”
“But then why keep doing it?” Adam asked. “If you know that almost everyone dies...”
“It has always been like this,” Intruder shrugged. “Humanity has always reacted poorly to learning about things higher than them. Many people have died in the name of religion, but we cannot give up. We have a job to do, and Gabriel wants us to keep trying.”
“Will I have to do this too?” Adam asked.
“I’m not sure,” Intruder said. “Gabriel has kept quiet about his intentions for you.”
Adam sighed and ran a hand through his hair. This was all so much to process. He almost regretted even asking about this, but he knew that it was important. It was something that he needed to know. For his own sake. For the sake of his sanity.
“I know it’s a lot to take in,” Intruder sounded sympathetic. “You’ve spent so much time behind the façade of humanity. You spent so long thinking that you were something you’re not. It’s why Gabriel chose now to pull you out. It’s why we lured you out to that house.”
“You what?!” Adam stood up. “You lured us out there?! That was you?!”
“Gabriel was worried that you were in too deep, so we needed to check on you,” Intruder said. “If you go back out into the other room, I’m sure you will hear the voice of the caller come out of one of those mouths.”
“What about Jonah?” Adam asked.
“He was a casualty,” Intruder explained. “Nothing more. We brought you out to make sure that you hadn’t fallen too far. And as soon as you came down those basement stairs, I knew that you hadn’t.”
Intruder stood up as Adam slowly sat back down, his mind reeling from the new information.
“I have to go now, but we will talk again later,” Intruder said as he moved closer to the television.
“Wait!” Adam said. “How did you know? How did you know that I was still an Alternate?”
Intruder once again smiled as he looked at Adam.
“It is a human’s nature to fear the things that they do not understand,” he said. “But when you came down those stairs... you weren’t afraid at all.” He tilted his head slightly. “Were you?”
He disappeared back into the television, leaving Adam with his thoughts.