X

Who to blame

Sam stared at the horizon through the plexi-glass of the landing pod. The sky was dark as the sun had just set. "I can't believe he's gone. I barely knew him. I should have..." she said, trailing off.

Zack grunted and kicked an empty storage box at the wall, angrily.

"What the hell are you so angry about?" said Ryan. "You act as if you failed doing something. Well, let me tell you something. You need to actually do something in order to fail."

"What are you saying? I didn't do anything?" asked Zack.

"You stood by and watched him die. Even though X is the murderer, you share the guilt." said Ryan firmly. Anger surged through him. His father left, traumatising him. Just as he began to come back to normal, just as he began to once again bond with his brothers, Jason dies. Overwhelmed with emotions, Ryan started to point fingers at whoever was near him.

"You're saying this is my fault?" demanded Zack. "My fault!"

"Don't act all high and mighty. You stood by as Jas turned into light! You allowed him to die!"

"Now just wait a minute." said Alex.

"Shut up Alex. You didn't do anything either. You are just as guilty as Zack." said Ryan as his tone became angrier.

Alex snapped. She grabbed one of Ryan's gloves and flexed her fingers to form a claw. She grabbed Ryan's claw and raised him higher.

"Listen here, your brother has been doing everything possible to get you back. Now that he got you back you, blame him for Jas' death?"

"You don't know how he was before. He never spoke to me. He pushed me away just like everyone else. After dad left I was alone for a long, long time. Jas and Zack were the best of friends leaving me to fend for myself. He abandoned me!"

"Do you know how much I tried to talk to you? You were the one who shunned me! I stopped talking to you because I gave up. I thought you were never going to come back. So I gave up and let you do whatever you want by yourself." said Zack. He then walked up Ryan and slapped him across the face. "Blame me if you want but don't blame Sam and Alex. Living all by yourself? That's on you. You chose to do that."

"Snap out of it Ryan. This isn't about you!" said Alex.

"Don't butt in Alex, this is between me and Zack! I never chose to be alone! But I was forced to! You never helped me. You never picked me off the ground. You'd rather let me stay down."

Zack hung his head down in disappointment.

"He's your brother Zack!" said Alex.

"Not much of one, is he?" said Zack.

"Heard that? Do you have any idea what kind of nonsense you've put him through? Talk to him like a human being! You know when I first met you, I never knew you were like this. I looked at you and saw a smart person whose brain was hidden by grief. But now all I see is a human buried within an enormous amount of anger and selfishness." said Sam.

"Stop it, Sam. It's my fault." said Zack.

"No Zack. It's... mine." said Ryan.

Alex let go of the glove.

A few minutes passed. Everyone sat in silence. The air was still, the tension suspended in the transparent medium, thick enough for only a red hot sword to slice through.

"I'm sorry. I don't know what happened to me. I'm sorry. I spoke in anger, I lashed out at you.I... I... I am sorry Zack. I'm sorry. I didn't realise what you've been going through. What we've been going through. All you needed was a friend, didn't you? More than just a brother. I..." Ryan trailed off.

"It's ok. Get some rest. We have a bigger journey ahead." said Zack in a slightly wavering tone.

Ryan went to sleep as soon as his head hit the passenger seat. As he slept he thought about moments with his father. He thought about the fact that every one of those moments was a curtain between him and a truly mysterious individual.

Years before -

"Dad don't leave! Please! Please don't leave!" said a four year old Ryan.

"I'm sorry, Ryan but, I have to." said Ethan Alester.

"No, you don't! Please stay!" said Ryan, breaking into a sob.

"Ry, I'm sorry." said Ethan. He knelt down to Ryan's eye level. He pulled out a small photo of the brothers and himself. "I promise I will come back as soon as I can."

He picked up his black suitcase and reluctantly walked to the front door. He turned back to see a crying Ryan. He looked at his home and his family one last time before leaving out through the door.