As much as Alex tried to catch his breath, to stop the blood from pumping out of his body, he knew that it was futile even as he tried it. He was dying and nothing would change that and nothing would change the devastation that the ones he loved were about to go through. Or the devastation that the ones he loved were about to cause. Alex knew Michael and he knew Gabriel. He knew what they would do after his death, both to Whele and to the world at large. Neither would long out live him and while he could give two fucks for Whele, he did regret the world. There was little Alex could do about it though as he was well aware that he was dying. Whele had shot him well, ensuring his death and his suffering by shooting him in the gut.
Even with one of his lovers flying him, it was hours from any form of medicine. Alex was dead and after looking at Edward, he knew that so was his other love. Edward had tried to hard to prevent Whele from shooting him and when it had failed, Edward had jumped in front of the first bullet but not the second. Meaning that Claire was losing both of them and would soon face the wraith of two Archangels bent on their grief and rage to destroy all in their path. Alex regretted that just as much as he regretted Edward's death. Their relationship had been complicated and ...odd to say the least, what with Alex's's own relationship with his daughter but he did love Edward just as much as he loved Claire.
And Michael.
And Gabriel.
Alex had only ever loved Nora, Claire, Edward, Michael and Gabriel in his life and while each relationship was completely different from any of the others, he did love them all very much. Though as he lay dying, Alex could admit that he loved Michael far more. Michael and him had always been complicated and over the years Alex had hated him but there had never been a time that Alex hadn't also loved him in some form or other.
And now Alex was leaving him behind and he greatly regretted that, especially as Michael gathered him into his arms the moment that Michael and Gabriel had arrived.
"Alex, who did this?" Alex tried to speak but all that came out was blood that caused Gabriel to gasp and curse and trash the room that they were in while Michael's hold on him shook.
Edward winced at seeing Alex having blood coming out of him even more but managed to speak through the pain of his own body and the pain of knowing that Alex was dying. "Whele...He attacked Alex...angry over William's death and over his...supposed betrayal of the humans for being with Gabriel."
Michael spoke, fury radiating out of him."Whele did this...He hurt Alex." Alex knew that Michael would be the one to kill Whele, would be the one to make him pay for taking Alex from him. Looking at Gabriel, Alex knew that he would be the one to make the humans pay. Alex knew that he should try to prevent the last one but he needed to tell them something more important to him then that. Something that mattered more then anything else, something that Alex needed them to be aware of before he died and left their side forever.
Gabriel looked at Alex in despair while ignoring his brother and the human, as it did not matter to him who had killed Alex, all the humans would pay for it after all. For they were not worthy of Alex's death.
Gabriel let out a mewling sob. "Alex, you must fight...You can survive this.. You are the Chosen One. You have not saved the humans...You have so much to live for. Fight. "Alex smiled weakly at Gabriel, the one that he had never imagined that he could ever love but had ended up falling for during the months they had spent together trying to decode the markings. Then Alex looked at Michael and Edward. His loves. The three of them looked so devastated and desperate yet oddly resigned, for they like him knew that he was dying. Even if they would deny it but Alex could not, not anymore. Not when his body was going cold. It was ending. So he the one thing that truly mattered to him, the one thing that he needed them to know above all else.
"I...love...you all...Goodbye."
With that Alex breathed his last while Gabriel, Michael and Edward watched. Gabriel let out a yell of pure devastating grief and emptiness as sobs tore through his body. Edward silently watched Alex die with tears coursed down his face as his own life blood bled out of him after a failed attempt to protect Alex from Whele. He knew that he would swiftly die and follow Alex and he was content with that fact even while hoping that Claire would be alright without both of them. Michael simply looked down at Alex, caressed his face gently while ignoring Gabriel. Nothing mattered anymore but finishing his buisness on Earth as softly as possible.
"Do no stray to far, Alex...I will be with you shortly.' Michael pressed one last kiss on Alex's lips then he took to the air. He had a human to hunt down and kill before he returned to Heaven. Where he would remain for the rest of time, at Alex's side. It took Michael a week to hunt Whele down and to kill him in the most brutal and way he could manage. Then Michael returned to Heaven for the first time in twenty five years and went to Alex side, which he never left again.
It took Gabriel but a year to finish wiping out what remained of the human race, his grief and rage make it easy for him. Once done he yearned to go join his brother and their love but Gabriel found his way to Heaven blocked. All that he had done had forever blocked his entrance into Heaven, he was Fallen as much as his long since Fallen brother, Lucifer. Gabriel would mourn for all eternity the loss of Alex and their eternal separation.