Brotherhood

Fallout

Blake blinked, coming back to himself as Adam's powerful, painful memory lost its grip and reality returned. His heart pounded, and his face was wet with tears. The memory of Adam's screams still rang in his ears. Blake would have gladly given up five years of his own life or gone through it all himself rather than have Adam go through that. Worse, he'd just had to go through it again, re-experiencing his own memory as if living through it for the first time. Blake's eyes, fixed on Adam's face, could see the pale, stricken expression, the horror in the hazel eyes, and the tears that streaked his cheeks in the light of the rising sun. Adam shuddered and closed his eyes. His fists clenched. He took a deep breath and mopped at his face with his sleeve.

"He did it for me," Five insisted. "Six slit her own throat to kill herself. I was right there, trying to heal her, but she resisted me. I'd never had anyone actively try to block my healing before, didn't even know it was possible. So I was there, trying to use my power on her when she died. One and I both felt her go, but only I could really sense what happened with her body. I felt how everything shut down, how her life ebbed away, and I understood it. After she died, I got away from Breaker, got to One, but I was right back to being this zombie again, even with One there. We both knew what we'd lost. One had experienced what it was to lose an empath twice, but for all my physical strength, I was never as strong as he is. I couldn't stop thinking about what had happened to Six, and how she was free of this. It wasn't a conscious effort to commit suicide, not really. But I started to reproduce the changes that I'd sensed when she died in my own body. I just didn't care anymore, didn't want to go on like that, numb, empty. That's why One did it, Seven, Blake, don't you understand? He couldn't be alone again. He was desperate to save me!" His blue eyes pleaded with them for understanding. "It's my fault, not his!"

"No. I did it, and the blame is mine. It always has been. Seven?" One's voice was small, barely even a whisper. "Do you hate me now, brother? I couldn't blame you if you did."

"What?" Adam turned to regard the telepath. "One, what have you done?"

"You saw what I did! I expanded Unum's mind, hollowed out parts of it to make it possible for him to create Father. And because of that, you were forced into integration. You lost everything because of me, brother! And then, once you became Shard Seven, I don't understand why, but you immediately fell for Unum. So I even took away the man you really loved!" Pain-filled grey eyes turned to Blake. "I'm so sorry, Blake. Because of what I've done, even now, when my brother knows he really loves you, it can't last. Once the repairs are made, we'll be recalled to LB1 and reintegrated, and then Seven will love Unum again. And he wants to marry my brother now! He'll do it, once we're reintegrated he'll marry Seven and Five and I will agree with it and by the time we drop out of alignment and realize it's wrong it will be too late and you'll have lost him forever and..."

Blake grabbed One's shoulders and gave him a shake. "Stop!"

One immediately grew silent, following Blake's eyes as he looked at Adam. Adam's pale face had gone even paler. Without a word, he stood up, wrapping his arms protectively around himself, and walked a few steps away. He turned, put his back to one of the posts of the gazebo, and leaned against it with his side to the others. With his head bowed, he stared at the ground.

Blake leaned closer to One and spoke quietly so that Adam couldn't hear. "Listen to me. I don't hate you, alright? But your brother needs a moment. He just had one hell of a blow, but I honestly don't believe that you caused it, buddy. Will you let me talk to him for a moment?"

One nodded. Blake got up, pulled One to his feet, and gently steered him towards Five. Five quickly pulled One to the bench next to him and put a comforting arm around his shoulder, nodding to Blake. Blake nodded back. Then he moved to Adam.