No. No. Nonono. This couldn't be. This...this was exactly what he tried to prevent.
Cole stood there, staring in horror at the screen that just flickered off. This idiot had just accused him of planting that bomb- hell, he accused him for murdering thousands of people.
How much longer did he have until the people around here would notice him? Would figure out he was the guy on that screen?
Trying to explain that he was just a parcel courier would be like talking to a brick wall- angry and starved people were hyenas. They would tear him to pieces from rage before he even managed to utter a single word. Hell, he couldn't even remember opening the package, or anything before he woke up- but who would have him deliver a bomb? That Kessler guy? For what? And why him?
His body froze when a pair of cold eyes settled on him. The guy from before, who had completely obliterated a pair of Reaper's heads, was glancing at him. Watching him closely. He had recognized him, that much was sure, but this entire guy was just wrong. Even though he didn't seem to think about attacking him outright, it wasn't right. The focus wasn't anywhere human.
He didn't even blink. He had easily obliterated two men without any care, and something told Cole he had been holding back the entire time. Cole's gut told him he wasn't someone to meddle with. And now he was staring at him like someone would stare at a piece of meat.
Holy shit.
He heard a choked sob and like a rubber band, his attention snapped to Trish. Trish- who just realized that he was the one who murdered her little sister Amy.
She stared at him with wide eyes, before she slowly took a step back. Cole moved to follow her, but he went rigid as he saw her eyes- large and pleading.
He couldn't walk any closer, couldn't tell her that it wasn't his fault. He only swallowed instead, watching her. Trish didn't look at him. She just turned on her heel and walked away, away from him. Out of his life.
He couldn't stop her.
By then, he picked up the chatter of the people around. He glanced over his shoulder, afraid what he'll find. They stared at him, whispering. Cole inhaled sharply. He saw it in their eyes- the recognition, the desperation, the hatred. Even Zeke was peeking at him over his glasses- suspicion clear on his features.
They knew. They realized he'd been amongst them.
Things were going to turn ugly.
Cole whipped around, staring at the guy from before. He hadn't moved, was still watching him- but not like the people. If anything, he was intrigued.
Cole realized he had to get away.
He stepped back, eyes wide. The single guy was more disturbing than the entire mob of people now slowly starting to close in on him. Cole knew he didn't have much time.
"Zeke", he hissed, startling his best friend. "If you think we shouldn't be here- then meet me at Stampton Bridge."
"You want to get out of the city?" Zeke whispered back, startled.
"You have a better plan?" He inched away from the approaching mob, moving his feet slightly. "We need to get away before all of this here explodes." He turned his attention to Zeke. "I wasn't responsible- you have to believe me!"
"I-I do, man", Zeke replied, "But they won't"
"That's why I have to get away. I have to find the guy who set this whole thing up."
He didn't hear Zeke's reply, because one of the civilians in the mob tried to make a grab for him. Cole dove to the side to avoid that guy, barreled past two more and started rushing away from the people. This whole thing turned into a nightmare too fast.
He heard shouts behind him, hoping Zeke would show up at Stampton Bridge, because right now he was a little short on friends.
The mob tried to chase after him, except for two- Zeke and the man with the blue eyes. And Cole still felt those eyes cling to his back as he ran.
----------------
Shaking the mob was easy enough- Cole had latched onto a rain drain and pulled his body upwards, then leapt off and clung to a windowsill on the building next to it, using it to reach the flat roof. He heard the people shout at him from beneath, but didn't pause to look because a few rocks had already been aimed at his general direction. He knew he had to get out of Empire fast. Until now, it were only those guys from the Archer Square who'd recognized him, plus maybe a few others who had watched the Voice of Survival. At the moment, the majority probably wouldn't notice him. He never stood in the center of attention, was just the guy who delivered a parcel and was gone the next moment. Not somebody you'd remember. This did come in handy at moments like this, but he didn't want to stay and figure out what would happen once this changed. His safest bet was to get out of Empire and try to find this Kessler person, to unveil this entire thing.
Kessler had been the one who called George about the parcel, Kessler had called him and told him to open the box, igniting the bomb. Which meant that Kessler was the key to everything. Cole just had to find him.
But he couldn't stay here to do this- to him it was much too dangerous, since he was effectively a wanted criminal now.
This was ridiculous. He did had his few run-ins with the cops, but only for small crimes like vandalism and trespassing. Terrorism was so far from his usual behavior like Zeke and not flirting with women. Impossible. Ridiculous. Absolute bullshit.
He quickly hurried over the roof, dropping back down at the other end of the block to get out. His neck was crawling, and he did notice a few Reapers lurking around near the mouths of alleyways, but they held back. For now.
His phone chimed. "Uhh- Cole?" It was Zeke. "Listen man, I'm almost at the bridge." He paused, and Cole could almost hear him squirm. "It's not looking too good. Everybody here hates your guts, we gotta get out of town. Pronto-like."
Cole exhaled in relief. "I'll meet you there", he replied and he felt like a ton of worry dropping off his back, "Thanks for watching my back."
He really meant it. To be honest, he didn't expect Zeke to come with him, not after Trish...but he did. He was there, like he always had been.
Zeke chuckled. "Sure man" He paused, then added, "I ain't about do anything to piss you off. See ya." He clicked the phone off maybe a tad too fast. Cole frowned as he quickly mounted another building to avoid a group of passerby on the ground. Zeke- he was afraid of him. Those powers scared him, but Cole wondered whether his best friend really suspected him to have caused that explosion?
From all people, Zeke knew him best- Hell, he knew him like a brother, so he, of all people, should know that this whole show was just a farce.
"That's him!" Somebody shouted. Cole swore and ducked low, then lunged across the gap between two buildings to lose his chasers. He really shouldn't stick around- the emotions were starting to boil over. Empire was a keg of powder at the moment, just waiting to go off.
Better get out of there fast.
Is this really the right choice?
Cole faltered, glancing back. The people- they were desperate. Something had torn them from their peaceful life, something that had to do with him. The answers to this were in Empire, hidden somewhere. But he- he was running away like a coward.
Did he?
Whoever Kessler was, he probably wouldn't stick around Empire City. He just blew the place up, Cole wouldn't stay anywhere near that place of he had been in Kessler's shoes. And to find him, he couldn't afford being stuck in this place.
He snorted and continued running across the roofs, then dropped down to the street. The Stampton Bridge was in the south of the Neon, and he was almost there.
He noticed Zeke standing besides on of the support pillars for the railway system that ran over the streets. He checked both sides, then hurried over to him.
From here, they could see the large structure of the Stampton Bridge- and the heavy gates and fortified walls. Stern-looking riot cops lined the sides of the access road, holding a large group of angry protesters at bay. They weren't local cops, though. They've been brought in- and they didn't bother keeping the criminals in check.
Cole scowled at them. Zeke sighed. "Well, Stampton Bridge. Fastest way out of town." He glanced at Cole over the rim of his glasses. "That is, if you can get us past these baton-wielding goons."
"We're getting out of here", Cole growled. "One way or another." He started moving, glaring at the locked gates and the men in the distance. "Follow my lead."
At first, he was jogging at a slow pace, but then he sped up and barreled right past the protesters into the restricted area. The riot cops went ramrod straight, and a mechanical voice blared overhead.
"You have entered a restricted area", the voice warned, "Lethal Force may be used at any time. Please return to your homes. You will be notified when the quarantine has been lifted."
"Notify my ass", Cole growled. He rushed to the front, throwing his arms up. Three riot cops were smacked to the side by his shockwave.
Instantly, the remaining eight spun around and tried to crowd on him with their night sticks, but Cole was faster. He flung his arms out, creating arching bolts of lightning to fry five of them. The others staggered back in shock. Cole snarled and whipped around, swinging one leg to topple another one. He grabbed his shoulders and swung himself over his back to sink both feet into the sixth's chest.
The man choked and dropped back, while Cole threw a nasty uppercut into the fifth' jaw, downing him too. He grabbed the two remaining cops and slammed their heads together, stunning them, before he brought up one knee to first one's stomach to drop him. The other stumbled back in a daze. Cole whirled around and lunged at him, hitting him with his entire weight. The cop and him both tumbled down, and the man cracked his head against the asphalt, knocking himself out.
Cole remained as the only one standing. He panted as the adrenaline subsided, and slowly straightened his back. Wow. He had just taken out eleven armored guys, all of who had more experience in close combat than he had.
"Man! That was brutal!" Zeke cheered, jogging up to him. Cole glanced at his best friend, then towards the protesters. They were staring at the scene, whispering.
Cole grunted and turned to the locked gate. There was a lock to its side. Looked complicated, he probably needed a code for it.
Or...he could do this the simple way. He summoned a single lightning bolt and sent it into the locking mechanism, frying the tech inside and causing a short-circuit.
The gate rolled up, opening the way.
Cole didn't stop to gloat, instead he charged further across the bridge. A couple of freight containers were strewn across the street, blocking off the direct way. Two cops stood atop the first container. Cole stopped with a start, noticing the machine guns in their hands.
Shit.
The men opened fire. The protesters dove back behind the gate, but Cole remained where he was. He started moving fast, zig-zagging across the street to prevent them from shooting him, but couldn't dodge all the bullets. He bit back the pained yell when they hit him, and instead sent two lightning bolts at the guys on top of the crates to fry them. Once they were out for the count, he rushed to the corner of the freight container.
Something screamed at the inside of his mind, making him dig his heels into the ground to stop. He didn't like the...feeling of danger he was getting, so he very carefully peeked around the corner- only to pull back immediately when he saw a massive machine gun turret swing into his direction.
Okay. Change of plans.
"Man Cole!" Zeke panted as he and the protesters arrived near him, "That was wicked." He was about to head around the crate, when Cole pulled him back.
"Turret", he grunted. "Wait a moment." He charged up again and craned his arm around the corner, unleashing everything he had.
The screaming of the riot cop manning the turret and the sound it made as it exploded in a shower of sparks was like music to his ears. He didn't know where this aggressiveness came from, but it did make him feel better.
He rushed around the container, smacking another shockwave into a group of riot cops to clear the area briefly. He quickly turned his attention towards an outlet at the side, and drained it in a massive flood of lightning.
Then he continued towards the cops, electricity discharging all around him. The men backed away, fearful, only to be fried by his powers before they could give off a single shot. His senses warned him again, and he stopped behind another container. He focused on the electricity around, the ions in the air and the power surging through the nearby machinery to create a mental 'map' of his immediate surroundings.
Two more machine gun turrets stood on either side of the street, just behind the container. Trying to get past them would be suicide.
But Cole wouldn't need to get past them, if he could get over them.
He hopped off the floor, clung to the edge of the container and pulled himself up. He carefully crept towards the other side, then suddenly unleashed several strong lightning bolts against the two turrets to destroy them.
The riot cops operating them were knocked back, hitting the floor in unconscious heaps. He wasn't sure whether they were still alive or not- but somehow he couldn't find it in himself to care. If they hadn't shot him, they wouldn't have to deal with the consequences. Not his fault.
He snorted and continued moving. With the immediate danger gone, Cole jumped off the container and headed towards the second locked gate. He fried its lock too, making it jump open.
More containers and cops greeted them. Cole made short work of the closest men, then dove behind the first crate and focused again. This time, it was easier to map his surrounding. Three men stood atop the containers further down the bridge, holding machine guns.
They were ready to shoot and kill, and Cole no longer knew mercy. He latched onto the container and carefully pulled himself parallel to the upper edge, then just held his hand over the edge. Guided by his internal 'radar', he targeted the three soldiers and zapped them to drop them, then he pulled himself up and destroyed the turrets.
"This area is under strict quarantine", the mechanical voice blared, "Indiscriminate lethal force will be used against all unauthorized personnel. This is your last warning!"
As if. They were already intruding. Now there was only one way left- to the front. Cole snorted and dove off the crate, then rolled over the ground to avoid a barrage of gun shots coming from two soldiers down the street. He was upon them faster than they could react, smashing into them and slamming them against the container walls behind them with satisfying cracks.
Blood was trickling down his leg, though he only glanced at it in mild annoyance. He turned his attention to the spotlights and drained them, fixing himself right back up. Just a shame his clothes weren't made of the same stuff- but whatever, it were just a few holes at the moment.
The protesters and Zeke had caught up to him, surprised and slightly startled by the devastation he managed to cause within a few moments, but they were following him regardless. They had realized he was their ticket out.
Better not let them down then.
He took out two more turrets, then lunged at another riot cop. The man screamed in panic, tried to shoot him, but he was too slow. Cole smacked into him with enough force to knock him back.
Then the man suddenly dropped his weapon and ran away screaming at the top of his lungs. Cole watched after him in confusion. Huh. Guess not all of those riot cops are tough bastards.
"I can't believe it", Zeke grinned, patting Cole's shoulder, "We're really making this."
Is it really the right way, though? Cole frowned at his best friend. Where they doing the right thing? Definitely. Because those bastards have locked them in with a bunch of psychos to let them starve. After seeing the turrets and the readiness of the men to use lethal violence, Cole had to agree with Zeke's thoughts. The supply drops were only PR moves, in truth the feds just wanted the problem to disappear without them having to work.
Breaking through the barricades was the right course of action. Once they were on the other side, Cole would take care to find this Kessler person, and show the world the real terrorist.
He turned back to the battlefield behind them with furrowed brows. Getting here was maybe a bit too easy, but then again, it was easy for him.
"What now? Don't you want to open that gate?" Zeke asked him.
"Wait a moment", Cole grunted. He activated his 'radar' again, checking the area.
Too much...disturbance. That meant, too much metal. He scowled. This smelled too much of a trap. Should they progress further? Getting back was off the table, not after the trouble getting here, but to the front it looked like danger lurked. He didn't like this one bit.
Maybe they should play it safe, and try it differently? He glanced up. It would be possible to climb the bridge and assault the guys from above.
The gate creaked and rolled up, followed by Zeke's enthusiastic whooping. Cole whirled, realizing that his friend had just hacked into the lock to open it. "See this, Cole? You don't need being able to shoot lightning to get this to work!"
"Zeke!" Cole hissed, but the protesters were already rushing into the open place behind the gate.
Nothing happened. "See?" Zeke claimed, "They never thought we'd ever get here." He nodded towards the massive wall of steel and concrete at the other end of the open place. "Over there's the quarantine station. That's our ticket out of here!"
He jogged off. Cole swore and rushed after him. His entire body was bristling with the sense of danger. They shouldn't be here- they shouldn't be here at all.
The open gate suddenly slammed shut with a resounding bang. Cole jerked back, seeing dozens of hatches open in front of them.
The world around them was drowned out in machine gun fire and screaming people.
Without hesitation, those bastards opened fire on the civilians below. They never stood a chance as they ended their lives in a hailstorm of bullets and naked panic. Zeke was screaming at Cole to follow him, and Cole just reacted. He couldn't believe that this was really happening (but then again, what had he been expecting, really), so he just followed blindly after his friend.
Zeke barreled headlong into the gate to the decontamination unit, smashed through it- and tumbled off the bridge, falling into the harbor. Cole screamed his name, but couldn't afford to slow down. Everything was falling apart around him, and he could only press forwards. He ran, faster than he ever ran before, jumping over the gap that swallowed Zeke, and leapt into a dark room at the other side. The door slammed shut behind him, throwing him into darkness.
--------------------
Cole didn't dare to move. All he could do was sit there in the darkness, listen to his own pants and occasional choking sob. He could still hear the shots explode out of the muzzles of the machine guns, he could still feel the bites of the bullets that hit him, he could still hear the panicked screams of the people. He could still smell the blood.
This was a mistake. All of it. He had failed. And because of it, dozens had died a senseless death. Because of it, Zeke was gone.
Why had he been such an idiot? There was no way he'd ever figure out what was going on, he didn't even know what that bomb had been. But he foolishly believed that by some magical happening, he'd figure out everything once they'd left Empire City.
Stupid, stupid-
"Cole MacGrath."
The light above flickered to life, making him blink to clear his vision of the spots. Another light went on, revealing a brunette woman sitting on the other side of a heavy-duty security window.
Cole stared at her, trying to work his jaw. "Who-who are you?"
The woman tilted her head. "My name is Moya Jones", she told him. "I'm with the FBI."
FBI. That was bad. Was she here because of that terrorism? Hell, that wasn't him, that was somebody else.
"I've seen the security footage", Moya told him, confirming his fears. "You've been at Ground Zero." She shrugged. "I waited here, knowing you'd have gained...unique abilities and would try to get out of the city."
Cole blinked, before it finally settled in what she said. She knew that this would have happened? She knew it?
He growled at her, slowly rising to his feet while lightning started to lash out of his skin. How much power would he need to smash through the glass? How much time would he have before there were soldiers on his ass?
"Please, settle down", Moya suddenly asked. "If this is about the blast- I had no idea he would even use that weapon."
"He?" Cole wanted to know. "Kessler?!"
One eyebrow arched. "I see, you know about him then?"
"I only know that he was the one who set me up with that package", Cole snapped, "The thing that blew up."
"It's called Ray Sphere." Moya said calmly. Cole blinked.
"Ray Sphere?"
"The object- the bomb you carried", she explained. She paused and grabbed a folder off a low table, pulling a photography from it. It showed the orb that had been in the package.
"This is the Ray Sphere", Moya explained. "You see- the FBI has learnt about it. It is a weapon, powerful, that's why we need to get to it before he does. We have to prevent another blast."
"What has this to do with me?" Cole growled, "With those powers?"
Moya smiled, a cold smile. It reminded him of a snake, ready to lunge at him. "You see, this weapon has a single purpose: It activates ordinary people as conduits."
"Conduits?"
"You are one, Cole", Moya explained. "People with power- or people who can display powers. It's rare, and only a few people have what we call a 'Conduit Gene'. Anybody who has one however, would be activated by the Ray Sphere blast."
This Ray Sphere- it gave him his powers?
"You see", Moya continued, "The Ray Sphere works by drawing the neuroelectrical energy from non-conduits and transfers them into conduits- in other words, from normal people to you, Cole. You have been given powers, everybody else died."
Cole jerked back, staring wide-eyed at the FBI agent. "What?!" He gasped, "This Kessler- he murdered people just because so I can have these powers?!"
"Exactly", Moya replied. "His plan was to activate your powers." She shrugged. "I don't know why though, maybe it had been an experiment or something."
Cole swallowed. If this was true- then they had to prevent Kessler from doing it again. He glanced at Moya, clenching his fists. "What-what do you want me to do?"
"Oh, it's great you asked", Moya smiled that snake smile again. "You see- my husband John White, he went to infiltrate the First Sons. The First Sons are Kessler's private army. John was supposed to get the Ray Sphere." She sighed and pulled out another photography, looking defeated all the while. The picture showed a dark-skinned man with short hair and a stern expression. "I haven't heard of him since the blast. I am certain he is still alive, and he still has the Sphere. So, your job is it to find him, find the Ray Sphere and get them both back to me."
Cole frowned. The reason sounded solid- and it seemed easy enough. Just find a guy who was hiding from the real terrorist. "What do I get in return?" He wanted to know.
"Your freedom", Moya explained. "I will make sure you get out of Empire, plus I would have my boys clear your name."
Cole furrowed his brows even more. This sounded...good. Too good, actually.
"Remember Cole", she continued, "You get what you want, I get what I want. Easy, right? All you have to do is find John."
He inclined his head, turning that thought over in his head. It was a plan, a good way to get his name cleared. Moya knew Kessler, and she had connections.
"Now?"
Cole snorted. "You know- I would think you're crazy. This whole thing is crazy. Those super powers are crazy." He shrugged. "But suddenly I am a human light socket- so I guess you're telling the truth."
"Do we have a deal?"
"We have."
"Splendid" Moya got up and pressed a button at the wall. A hatch popped open besides Cole.
"Your way back", she explained when she noticed his expression. "Because of that riot topside, it's the only way back into the city." She smiled. "Also, given the state of our partnership, I've taken the liberty of cloning your phone's frequency. I've got a lock on your GPS locater and can hear every word you say."
Cole flinched and stared at her. Really? One minute into their alliance, and he is already beginning to regret it. He was already preparing to tell her off, but she cut him off.
"Don't forget who's holding your leash, Cole", Moya said. "You find John and the Ray Sphere, and I get you out. No questions asked." She leaned to the front, eyes turning cold. "If you try to double-cross me, or do something stupid, I will throw you in a hole so deep you won't even know which way is up, got it?"
Cole scowled at her. He didn't like the sort of blackmail she was using, but he didn't really have a choice in this matter. She held all the cards, she knew how this game was played- and she had the means he didn't. He really, really was going to regret this.
"Got it", he growled. Then he dropped through the hatch.
------------------
Cole ended up on the underside of the bridge. Steel grates and pipes were all that cut him off from the water beneath.
He exhaled through his nose, trying to figure out how to get back to the dry land.
He noticed the emergency lighting beneath the bridge- they were hanging on solid thick cables and were attached to the upper decks via a rather brittle looking clamp. He aimed his hand and shot a lightning bolt, breaking the clamp and making the light drop down.
He jumped off the grate and latched onto the thick cable, then scrambled upwards to shoot off the next one. His fingers were sweaty, and his pulse was going too fast.
One slip and he would fall into the harbor, electrocute himself and drown. Better not think about it.
He was the only one who could prevent another explosion from happening. So he fought down that feeling of fear and continued climbing along the emergency lights and some maintenance grates. Rusty and fragile-looking pipes were also amongst the only possible ways to continue. Cole swallowed, eying them. They didn't look like they would be able to hold his weight, but he had to try.
He carefully climbed on top of the first pipe and quickly made his way over, wary of every creak they made.
Clunk
Cole paused, listening. This didn't sound like the groan of metal. This sounded...more like a sledgehammer?
Clunk
Cole hopped over a few more pipes, glancing at the underbelly of the bridge in front of him.
He saw something red, some figures beneath the bridge.
It weren't maintenance workers, though.
It were Reapers.
He grit his teeth, carefully making his way closer. One of the reapers suddenly whipped around, snarling. In an instant, the others had their weapons up and were taking aim at him.
Oh Hell no!
Cole fired several bolts of lightning, hitting the Reapers. They shrieked in pain when they were knocked back and sent hurtling down into the water. Cole landed on the grate they've been one, frowning at the sledgehammer wedged into a pipe.
Water was trickling out of it.
"Cole?" Moya asked, "The water pressure has dropped in the main running under the bridge. What's going on down there?"
"Reapers were busting up some pipes", he replied.
"Interesting", Moya trailed off. "I'll see what I can find out. You worry about getting back into the city."
Easier said than done. Cole scowled at the apparent dead end he found himself in. However...He glanced to the side, finding a thin pipe running around the side of the support pillar there. Oh Hell. Why not? He climbed on it, thanking whoever was up there that it held his weight.
As he inched over the narrow piece of metal, he tried to keep his breathing even. He had his hands pressed flat against the smooth steel, but if he slipped and fell, he would have nothing to hold to.
But there were also exhausts giving off hot gas on top of it all, forcing him to stay pressed to the wall until they weren't spewing the stuff. Somewhere, he was sure, somebody was laughing at his misery. Probably Moya. She could easily have him escorted back to the city via street level, but no, she insisted on him climbing along the lower side of the bridge and risk his neck.
She was so off his Christmas card list.
He broke down more of those emergency lights and jumped off the grate, landing on a pipe.
CRACK
The pipe snapped under his weight. Cole swore and just barely managed to jump off it and clung to the thick wire. Okay, he would not repeat that.
He made his way across the pipes, startled to realize that all of them had been damaged so badly they snapped under his weight. He ran, praying silently that he wouldn't trip while every single pipe broke with a solid crack.
He messed up the last jump. He swore, trying to reach the harbor wall somehow, but only smacked against it. In that short moment of panic, he managed to scrabble his hands up and cling to the edge, but he had no real position, or a real hold.
His fingers slipped.
Cole swore loudly as he lost his hold- but then a soppy wet hand shot out and seized his forearm. His head snapped up, eyes wide at the recognition of Zeke's visage above him. "I got you!"
"Z-Zeke?!"
"Yeah", Zeke grinned, then gasped. "Uh- no offense, but you are heavier than you look- and I can't really hold you any more."
Cole blinked, then scrambled his feet against the wall until he managed to get enough grip and allow Zeke to pull him up.
They both ended up in an undignified heap on the street, Zeke huffing out when Cole dropped on him. Cole groaned and rolled off his best friend to lie on his back.
"Holy shit", he finally managed to press out. "That was intense."
"This whole day had been shit", Zeke agreed.
Cole grinned. "Nice work on the gate, Wrecking Ball."
Zeke snorted. "The fall was scary", he said, "But Hell- lived through it no problem. But gettin' back to the shore-" He paused, and his voice lowered to a whisper. "Let's just say I'm no Michael Phelps."
Cole barked a genuine laughter. "Yeah", he smirked, "That's an understatement."
"Hey. Take it easy, Lightning Rod", Zeke replied with a weak punch into his ribs. They both slowly sat up, staring at the bridge. "So, how the Hell'd you live through that? Bullets flyin' everywhere, all over the place-" He glanced at him worried. "Thought you were a goner."
"I met someone", Cole sighed. "FBI lady named Moya." He exhaled, rubbing the back of his neck. "Shit, she's a scary piece, but she has all the possibilities, Zek."
Zeke frowned. "What kind of possibilities?"
"She just wants me to find her husband. Him and that bomb. Then she'll clear my name."
"Sounds like a trap, man."
"I know. And she's a real bossy bitch too." Cole sighed again (knowing fully well she could hear him). "But there's no choice. I'll play along."
"I don't like that", Zeke repeated.
"Me neither. But at the time? She's the best lead I have." He slapped Zeke's shoulder, wincing at the soggy sound it made and the sparks flashing across his arm. "Let's get you home and into dry clothes, I'll fill you in."
--------------
Alex had easily delivered the crate to the clinic sitting in central Neon. He had cleaned himself back up by consuming whatever had been left of the Reapers, but didn't bother doing the same to the crate.
Dana didn't complain though. She was just glad to get that food.
Alex sat besides her in the break room. Dana moaned as she stretched out, balancing a plate with beans on her knees. "God. I fucking hate this shit."
"We survived worse", Alex muttered, "These are just a bunch of idiots with guns, not slavering monsters."
"I know", Dana sighed, "But they're people, Alex. They shouldn't do shit like that."
"They're not. Not anymore", he replied.
"No?"
"Their brains...they're gone. Like mentally." He shook his head. "Haven't seen anything like that before, but it seems to have been caused by a prolonged exposure to some sort of...tar."
Dana frowned, pushing a bang out of her face. She was pale and had dark rings under her eyes, Alex noticed. She really shouldn't push herself any further- but so many people needed help. The Reapers were getting bolder and more aggressive.
He just hoped that they would get the message if he took out a few more of them.
"Where are the guns coming from, anyways?" Dana asked. "I mean, shit like that- it's not exactly easy to get."
"Tried to figure it out", Alex replied, "But all I got were...flashes. Nothing certain."
"What about the serial numbers?" Dana asked, "I mean, with all the bureaucracy going on, somebody is bound to know where the stuff comes from."
Alex blinked, understanding slowly trickling in. She was right- he had been too occupied trying to figure out how to crack this with his abilities, he forgot how humans do it.
"Jim's going to figure that one out", Dana added with a smile, "He works this job, right?"
"He's not going to be happy", Alex pointed out.
"Eh. He's never happy. He is Heller, after all."
Alex actually smiled at that. Well, tried to, anyways. Coming up with a smile on Mercer's face was pretty hard. He could do it no problem with other faces- they knew how to smile, so to speak, but Mercer didn't.
His gaze fell on the television set. It was off.
"Dana?" He asked, "Why is the TV off?"
"Why should it be running?" She asked back, "I mean, all that's running is static or that 'Voice of Survival' crap."
He furrowed his brows. "You never called it like that."
Dana threw up her arms. "The info about the drops is good- but it doesn't make up for the rest of the shit he's spewing." She lowered her arms. "I mean, the whole crap about the government leaving us to starve? Hell-ooo. I already knew that. You don't need to be a genius to figure that one out. And the new stuff is just bullshit."
"The terrorism story?"
"Yup. I mean, c'mon. That fucker doesn't know what's going on and organizes a manhunt? Geez- he just has to use his brain once in a while."
"The guy's name is Cole, right?" Alex queried.
"Yup. And he's a courier. Couriers usually carry packages of all kinds. He just got unlucky to have the one with the bomb in it."
"He did get powers, though", he pointed out. "I've seen them. Some sort of electro-manipulation", he added.
Dana shot him a long hard look. "You did too", she said. "You got called a terrorist too- you know how it is. Fuckers are just looking for an easy scapegoat to brush all their dirt under a convenient rug made of lies."
"Just in my case it was actually true. Sort of."
"But not in this." She paused, frowning. "You will get to the bottom of this, won't you?"
Alex pulled his lips up in a smirk. "I will"
"I was afraid you'd say this", she sighed. "Just- just try to work a bit more subtle, okay? Blackwatch shouldn't know you're here."
"Don't worry", Alex replied. "I have noticed that there are a lot of people suddenly displaying...unusual powers. I doubt my strength will be noticeable much."
"Yeah, but leave the claws for the night."
"Don't worry." He got up, glancing outside. "I'll check the area again, make sure nothing is going to get to you."
"Bring coffee if you find some", Dana called out as he walked through the door.
------------------
The district was like a kicked nest of hornets. He could hear their voices, he could hear them gossiping about what the Voice of Survival said. The courier was their scapegoat, their target. They wanted to get him.
But what for? Alex had seen good people turn into a rabid lynch mob for no reason. He doubted the guy was in any real danger from them, but this piece of human mind was more than known to him. Paranoia and hysteria had caused riots and uprisings since the ancient times. Witches had been burnt, black people hanged, alleged terrorists beaten dead. If fear grabbed the people and mixed with ignorance, then it was laughable easy to destroy an entire group of humans. He'd tried it out a few times in Blackwatch Bases, having pointed out somebody and called them his own name. Their friends wasted no time putting a bullet into their brain, and even after that they never seemed to wisen up when he did the same trick over and over again.
Humans were pathethic like that.
He paused, listening to distant shouts and...machine gun fire.
In an instant, he moved over to where he heard it.
Stampton Bridge. His eyes narrowed. He noticed lightning lash out across the building, and shots crack out. The locked-down gates were wide open, and there were bodies strewn across the ground. Without getting closer, he couldn't recognize whether they were dead, but the implications were clear: The courier attempted to break through the lockdown.
It was not as foolish as it seemed. He had impressive abilities, and a single man might be able to get through the quarantine.
To him, it certainly was, even without stealing one of the soldier's faces. The Manhattan lockdown wouldn't have kept him in anyways if he really set his mind into it. The turrets were easily destroyed with a single Whipfist swing, tanks pulped with the Hammerfists, soldiers killed by simply punching the floor next to them and let the resulting shockwave do the rest. The only thing holding him back in Manhattan and here was the same: Dana.
Somebody was screaming, running towards his current position. Alex frowned, watching how a single riot cop came running through the barricades.
Blacklight inclined his head, then shifted his arm into the Whipfist. He shot it to the front, pronged claws glintening in the sunlight as they crossed the distance of a hundred feet within the blink of an eye. And certainly too fast for the man to react.
He wasn't very hungry, but he was curious.
The man's breath was punched from his lungs when Alex dragged him back, reeling in his catch.
His eyes widened instantly, his hands clawing at the talon holding him captive, begging for his life all the time. Pleas that he could frightfully easy ignore. Alex slammed his free hand into the man's throat, cutting off his voice and snapping his neck, before his body split into many tendrils that dragged everything inside.
As a new set of memories bloomed in his mind, Alex understood.
The man he just grabbed- he used to be in Manhattan. Blacklight chuckled in face of the ridiculous coincidence. He was one of the Marines, one that had seen the infection from the beginning to the end. He had seen him tear through his companions, had seen how everything went to shit. He walked out of Manhattan a changed man, estranged by his family. He went to the riot business. He had managed to keep up a strong facade, but when he faced a man who was near unstoppable that displayed inhuman powers, his old buried panic resurfaced. He fled the place, seeking his salvation in escape- only to run directly into the nightmare he never wanted to see again.
But through him, Alex learnt a few important facts: The courier was what the riot cop's bosses called a conduit. And the one in charge was called Moya. He didn't know much about the woman, only that she had some serious back-up in the form of a General named Bridges.
Alex flinched at the sound of gunfire and screaming. His keen sense of smell picked up the scent of blood, of gunpowder, of metal.
He didn't need to look to understand what happened.
The lock down was working. And they just gunned down everybody who tried to escape.
He felt no pity for the humans who had foolishly believed they could escape so easily. Killing civilians was wrong, even in his book, but he had long since learnt that stupid civilians deserved every bullet into their direction. People who lingered in areas that were clearly hazardous for their health, people who tried to run down a tank with their fists- all such things. It just made Alex realize how stupid humans were.
At the same time, however, the rage inside him was building. Stupid people were one thing- but soldiers opening fire at their own species, at humans who were only afraid and desperate, reminded him too much of Blackwatch. Of how they laughed when they burnt families alive.
He scowled. He couldn't go down there though, he couldn't tear through their turrets and show them who they made their enemy.
He promised Dana, after all.
With a low growl, he turned away from the massacre on Stampton Bridge. There were better things to do than watch humans kill each other over nothing more than an idea. They did this way too often anyways.
He just hoped the courier wasn't among the idiots, because that would be a pity.