Chapter Text
Alex goes to bed knowing his world has ended.
Michael’s scream rings in his ears, long after he’s watched his blood trickle down the drain. There is no amount of water in the world that can fix what has happened. He’s gotten the person he loves hurt, his father did it because he’s weak. He cannot win the fight against himself, his desires, what hope does he have of winning against his father. He’s used to his father’s strikes, but those are blows his brothers have all suffered. His father suffered from his grandfather. They are normal. Taking a hammer to someone else is not normal, though, logically, Alex knows his father has killed people. His father guards his door the entire night, though Alex knows he can’t go after Michael. He also confiscates all of Alex’s electronics. All Alex can do is pray Michael doesn’t contact him either. He needs him to be safe.
He is surprised his door is unlocked when he gets out of bed in the morning. Carefully he makes his way into the kitchen, trying to ignore the pounding of his heart. He may be in trouble but he knows to take care of his basic needs. He cannot afford to add more weakness to the list. Coffee in hand, he follows the sound of the tv into the living room. It’s odd for the tv to be on at this hour. Much less to a channel that doesn’t follow his father’s political preferences. His father is sitting in front of it, looking satisfied. More satisfied than Alex can recall seeing him in a long time. He doesn’t even look over as Alex comes closer to the tv.
“Yes folks, you heard it right! We are not alone in the universe. In this exclusive video from Roswell, you can see the first sign of intelligent life!”
He drops the cup.
Michael is instantly recognizable. He stares at his own blood-soaked pillowcase, still wrapped around Michael’s hand. He’s silhouetted in front of the bright lights of an alien ship. His face is wet from tears and sweat. Dimly Alex thinks this is not how Michael would want people to see him. Next to him are the Evans twins. They are all staring up at the light. They don’t even look scared, they all look like they’re in shock.
Except then Max raises his hand and it’s glowing.
Alex falls into the couch. He stares at the redness in Max’s palm, praying to a god he doesn’t believe in that it’s some trick of the light. Max raises his glowing hand, Isobel follows suit and to his horror, Michael does the same. The video cuts out and the newscaster comes back on but Alex can’t hear anything over the roaring in his ears. Michael’s got a glowing hand. Michael, who he kissed in the UFO emporium, has a glowing hand and isn’t in shock, he’s surprised. He always found his friendship with the Evans twins odd, but like a brother suddenly means something more. The three of them are aliens.
“Shortly after the bodies of three locals were found,” the announcer continues, “whether these deaths are connected or not remains to be seen, but sources say all three had glowing handprints on their bodies.”
“Who were they?” He asks.
“Rosa Ortecho was one of them,” he says.
“I have to call Liz,” he says, thinking of his friend, “I need my phone—“
“Just watch,” his father says.
“The Roswell Attack had the lowest casualties of any event last night,” he says.
What follows is a montage of destruction. The firepower is devastating, Alex can barely wrap his head around it. People don’t even get the chance to scream. Michael’s scream is still ringing in his ears and these people don’t get a chance to make a sound. It’s not just Michael’s blood that stains his hands, it feels like all the blood spilled over the past few hours is there because of him. He always thought Michael was all talk about hating humanity, but each comment takes takes on a new meaning. Michael hates humanity for a variety of easily justifiable reasons. But now Alex is watching him destroy it. The attack is smart, it covers so many parts of the globe that it’s impossible to contain it. Everyone has to know. He has left them no choice. The tv goes black and his father turns to him.
“You are in a unique position,” he says, “you know more about these things than most,” he says, “Rosa was not the only sister who died last night,” he continues, “this is a declaration of war. We’ve spoken about you enlisting after graduation, but I will give you permission to join now.”
Alex stares at him. Saying he’ll think about it isn’t the same as agreeing, but he never had any intention of coming back here after his eighteenth birthday. Now the entire world has changed. He doesn’t know what has gone on with Michael, what role he had to play in this. But he knows Michael is one of them. He knows that what happened last night, it played a role in this. He finds himself nodding his consent like he’s a different person and his father’s pleased look makes him want to throw up. He cannot just obey his father though. Not if he’s about to go off to war. His weakness has to end now. He forces himself to stay sitting as his father stands and towers over him.
“They didn’t start this,” he says, “you started it last night,” he tells his father, “those deaths are on your hands. All of it is.”
“Change and let’s go to the recruiting office.”
“Did you hear what I said?” Alex demands.
“I don’t expect you to understand,” his father tells him, “this was inevitable.”
The smug look suddenly makes sense. He really is going to be sick. His father knew. The entire time he knew. His father knew Michael was an alien and he didn’t. He tastes bile and the closest thing to sympathy he’s ever seen crosses his father’s face. Jesse Manes doesn’t sit back down. But he does relax slightly, bringing his height slightly closer to Alex’s.
“It’s alright,” He says, “we both have a chance to make this right now. The sooner we end this, the fewer people have to die for our mistakes.”
When Alex went to bed, he thought his world had ended.
When he wakes up, he learns that it’s not just his.
But somehow both are his fault.