Universal Collision

All the Bullets in the world

Old Alex met Alex and Elizabeth at the bridge where he and his younger counterpart had met the day before.

"Are you two ready?" He asked them.

Elizabeth handed him the note she'd found earlier that morning.

"He's already found Emma."

Old Alex traced his thumb along the edge of the page. "That's strange."

"Why?"

Old Alex slid the note into his pocket. "Didn't you say that you could feel him before?"

"Yeah, I could feel him and my spawn," At that moment, she caught on. "I couldn't feel him last night. Though it's clear that he was in our house last night. Maybe he sent a proxy in his place?"

Old Alex shrugged. "It's possible, but I doubt it. Our Rapture prefers to do things himself."

Elizabeth cursed to herself and slammed a tendril against the asphalt. "So my worst fear is confirmed. There's no way for us to see him coming."

Alex drew his guns and took aim at something behind Old Alex. "Hold still, old me."

Old Alex disobeyed and turned around to see his son, Ezekiel, standing with a pair of full-auto pistols aimed at Alex and Elizabeth. "I thought I said to lay low."

Ezekiel holstered his guns. "I don't like to wait. We should be taking the fight to him, not waiting for him to bring it to us."

Old Alex shook his head. "That's what killed everybody else. We can't do that. The sooner you get that through your thick skull, the better."

Ezekiel rolled his eyes. "You're so annoying sometimes."

"Tank is dead."

Ezekiel's eyes widened. "What?"

"Garna killed him last night. As it stands, you and I are the only ones left to fight back."

Ezekiel cursed loudly and punched the rail. "That bastard has taken everything from us! And you're just going to stand around like a sack of rocks?"

"Ezekiel, listen to me. We can still save Rhia and Acalagua. With luck, Isabelle as well, but we can't do that if you're acting like this."

Ezekiel punched his father in the face. "No. I'm done standing around."

Alex stepped between them. "This is exactly what he wants, Ezekiel. For us to turn on each other. You need to calm down."

Ezekiel laughed. "To hell with you!" He punched Alex, then back-fisted him against the rail.

Alex drew a gun and shot him in the leg before kicking him in the face. Ezekiel hit the ground, clutching at his leg and screaming curses. Alex aimed at his other leg. "One more word of your nonsense and I'll put a bullet through your other leg."

Ezekiel reached for his guns, but Alex shot his arm, making him scream even louder. "Next one goes through your skull. Don't do anything stupid."

Ezekiel laid back and passed out. Alex holstered his gun.

Elizabeth brandished a tendril to heal his wounds, but Old Alex stopped her. "He'll be fine. Give him an hour and there won't even be a scar there. You'll never know he shot him."

Elizabeth nodded and retracted the tendril. "Let's go."