There would never come a time where Alex would admit to the fact that as he watched Michael's body, it was more devastating then when he watched his father burn. More so than any other time in his life, in fact. Anything that had ever happened to Alex, paled in comparison to this. Losing Michael was...simply beyond devastating, beyond agonizing and Alex didn't know how to cope with losing the one person...being that had always been there for him. That had come to mean so much to Alex in so many different ways. Michael had always been his teacher and protector, long before Alex had learned of the Chosen One, but over time he had become his friend, mentor and finally his lover. His everything. The love that Alex felt for Michael was all consuming and glorious fulfilling.

Unlike anything Alex has ever experienced before and now he was without it forever and he did not know what to do with himself. The memories of turning and seeing Michael stabbed by Furiad were tormenting him as he watches Michael burn. Just as the memories of carrying the dying Michael to the jeep, of kissing him as he strapped him in while begging him not to leave him. Pleading with him through his tears. The rest...The rest..

Alex would never admit that he didn't remember the drive back to Vega with the bleeding Michael, didn't remember the desperate struggle to keep Michael alive. But Alex does remember fighting to stay with Michael once they arrived in Vega as first doctors and then guards try to take him from Michael. Trying to drag him to jail for desertion. Trying to take him from Michael, which he would not allow in any circumstance. He remembered that they did not stop until he ripped his shirt off and bared his tattoos and then a lot of them bowed. Not stopping until he yelled at them to help Michael. Alex does remember holding onto Michael's hand as people worked around him trying to stop Michael from bleeding out once they removed the blade.

Alex does remember as Michael took his last shuddering breathe before going limp and how he lunged over Michael's body and attacked the doctor that declared it and didn't stop until four guards pulled him away. Then he clung to Michael's body, not allowing anyone near Michel again. Uncaring that he was covering in Michael's blood as he held tightly to his lover and protectors body. And the blade that killed him when he saw Throne try to take it. Alex would not let anyone touch what had taken Michael from him anymore than he would allow them to take Michael from him.

The hours that followed were blearily to Alex and though he has memories of suddenly being in the Stratosphere with Michael's body he has no idea how he got there. Just as he has vague memories of a woman being there with him briefly but he has no idea who that woman was. All he remembers is long blond hair and an odd sword strapped to her waist. The rest is meaningless, just endless grief and holding Michael's body close to him. Alex doesn't even remember Claire telling him about the hostage situation or how she convinced him to leave to deal with it.

Alex remembers walking into the agri-center though after Claire cleared the way for him and let Senator Frost see his tattoos, even if they were now covered in blood. Frost looked at the tattoos then at the man that was wearing them and couldn't help but to be doubtful. Even if he was extremely intimidated by the blood covering him and the dead expression on his face.

"Your the Chosen One. Truly."

"I'm all you have left...Michael is now dead. "It was the first time he had spoken those words, the first words he had spoken since Michael breathed his last and it was gut wrenching. Frost dropped the remote control, completly shocked.

Edward spoke. "WHAT? Michael is what?"

Whele made the very stupid mistake of opening his mouth. " Someone finally killed him." Alex hit him hard enough to send him flying across the room and started to follow him but Edward grabbed his arm. The fury he had felt left him, leaving him empty once again. Alex turned away and walked back out of the room, ignoring the gun shot behind him and returned to Michael's side in the Stratosphere, where he had brought the body.

Alex did not remember the days that followed until Edward was suddenly in the Stratosphere and dragging him away from Michael's body with the help of some of the Archangel Core. Alex struggled and brought most of them down before Edward managed to get him to stop.

"Alex, stop. Its time to let him go. Its been three days and...This is not healthy."

"Yeah, give us the body so we can figure out how he ticks." Then the Archangel Core had to struggle to hold him back from killing Whele.

"Alex, no. We will burn him...He deserves a proper funereal and a proper send off.:

"Risen, you go to far., What we can learn from his corpse.."

"Enough, Whele. Michael defended this city and humanity for twenty five years. He will be treated with respect."

Alex spoke for the first time. "I will stay with...with Michael..until you make the arrangement's. I will carry him down..No one else is to touch him."

"Okay...It will be tonight..." Whele left in disgust. "Why don't you shower?"

For the fist time since it had all happened, Alex actually realized that he was covered in Michael's blood and as much as Alex wanted to keep a part of Michael with him always, he knew that he had to .Though he couldn't bring himself to clean it all away so he just washed away what others could see then dressed in Michael's clothes. Thus feeling closer to his lover as he now had his blood and his scent surrounding him. Then Alex sat beside Michael's body and waited while holding his hand. When Edward came, Alex gathered Michael to him and carried his lover's body to the pyre that would consume him. It was difficult for Alex to actually place him on that pyre as Alex truly did not want to lose the body.

Alex knew that it wasnt Michael anymore but he still did not want to let the body go, to let go of the physical form of the man he loved. For once Michael was burned thanit truly was over with. There would be nothing left to cling onto and Alex was unsure of how to deal with that but finally he gently laid Michael on the pyre and it felt like he was placing himself. Alex didn't want to back away so Edward had to pull him away.

Alex watched as Michael's body burned to nothing but ash then watched as his ashes were gathered up and then moved to claim them. Ignoring the protests of all. Alex returned to the Stratosphere and placed the urn beside the bed that had just held Michael body and had once been the place where Alex had discovered the joy of Michael's body. Then he strapped on Michael's swords and his gun, grabbed the sword shard that had killed Michael and descend from Michael's...his nest. Edward was at the door leading up

"Where are you gong, Alex?"

"To hunt a dead man. "Alex tried to move past but was grabbed.

"Alex, I don't know who killed Michael but you can't go after him. Not by yourself."

":I can and I will. I have just lost everything and I will make him pay for it."13

"Alex."

At the pain in Edward's voice, Alex actually truly focused on something for the first time since Michael drew his last breath and truly looked at Edward. And for the first time since everything changed, since the day that Jeep died and Michel had fully claimed him, Alex saw Edward. Alex saw that their...fling had truly meant something to Edward. That Alex held his love as Claire did, as Alex had loved Michael. Edward had fallen in love with him and Alex had never realized. Edward loved Alex, only to watch as Alex fell in love with someone else, Michael, and had to watch as Alex sunk into his grief and rage and devastation and allowed it to consume him. Alex saw it all but knew it would not change a thing. Could not change a thing. Alex was to far gone and no longer cared about anything save vengeance. First Farad would die and then Gabriel. Edward could not change that and for that Alex actually felt some pity.

"I'm sorry, Edward. I didn't realize that you...What was going on...What you felt for me...I'm sorry that I cannot change it and ..would not.. This is all I have left to give...This is all that I am now. A Vessel of Revenge and Wrath."

Alex then swept away from a devastated Edward and was swiftly out of the city and hunting down the one that had stolen everything from him.