Infamous Second Son: The Aftermath
The sensation of the hard mattress below me intruded into my awareness and I lifted my head, eyes snapped open and I forced them to adapt to the harsh strip lighting flickering behind thick glass above. I slowly sat up and peered around the room whilst I willed my lethargy away. My head pounded and my body ached.
Where the hell am I?
The room was so small and only contained myself and the bed I was sitting on. To the left an opaque glass wall, the same on the right and behind – opaque along the bottom half but it was too dark outside to make anything out. I got to my feet to inspect the door – thick steel and bolted shut. Was this a cell? Was I being detained? What for – where the hell am I?
Panic set in whilst I desperately tried to recall anything that would provide me any answers but nothing – not only could I not remember how I'd ended up here, I couldn't remember my name – I couldn't even remember what I looked like.
Whilst my mind raced and my eyes involuntarily shot around the room I spotted something else. I took several deep breaths to calm myself down and approached the two small holes in the wall. I could see they connected to some sort of machine on the outside of the cell – it looked like I should have slotted my hands in – so I did. I carefully pushed each hand through – there was a small blinking light on the machine but it didn't respond.
I didn't have time to think about my next move, there was what sounded to be a large explosion and my cell shook violently. I removed my hands as if they had been scolded and threw myself back onto the bed, clinging to it as if it would offer some sort of safety.
Everything went quiet again and I got to my feet. Suddenly a dozen people rushed by my cell, they paid me no mind – they were shouting and almost falling over each other in their bid to go wherever the hell they were in a hurry to get to. They all wore an orange jumpsuit, the same one that I was wearing – were they prisoners? Was I a prisoner?
There was more commotion and I wasn't going to let the opportunity pass me by. Several more people were approaching fast, I hammered the window of my cell. A few of them stopped in horror as if they hadn't expected me to be there. They all hesitated and then some ran off, two remained.
"Come on!" one yelled to the other as he too continued on.
"Don't leave me in here!" I wasn't even sure that it was me who yelled at first, my throat was so sore I wasn't even sure if the stranger heard it but it worked and he took sympathy on me.
"Stand back!" the prisoner extended his arm and I stood back.
I can't explain what happened next, the big steel reinforced door melted like metallic molten lava it was almost instantaneous. I couldn't move.
"How the hell did you do that?" I stammered and remained stuck to the spot.
"Don't just stand there!" he yelled "we gotta get out now!"
I couldn't, I froze. I eyed his frustration and his sympathy had diminished, with no further warning he bolted. After several moments I came to my senses, I took several quick sharp breaths and stepped over the puddle of metal that used to be the door. With very little option I began to sprint off in the direction everyone else had taken.
I ran and ran and didn't stop and still hadn't caught up, was I still running in the right direction? I had no idea what this place was but it was in ruins. Electric wires pulled from the walls and ceilings, the walls and carpets smouldered, there was paper everywhere and then blood. A lot of blood. Bodies – people in full armour strewn everywhere – burned, cut – I couldn't stop, all of my instincts were pressing me to continue.
I was panting exhausted, then I saw it – a line, a queue. Following all of the madness I'd just witnessed and now everyone was waiting patiently in a queue – What the hell was this?
I approached.
"What's going on?" I asked.
The girl in front looked me up and down spitefully, her arms were crossed and her fingers tapping – she seemed extremely agitated, she didn't answer. I asked again, louder this time in the hope that someone would answer me.
The man from earlier, who had somehow vaporised my door – I couldn't help but feel a little intimidated by his presence, "we're getting out!" he replied with an excited smile "Delsin Rowe has come for us!"
I didn't know the significance of either statements but I could sense emotions were running high and I didn't know these people, they wouldn't have appreciated all of the questions I needed answering. I leant out from the back of the queue as it slowly moved. There must have been about forty of us. Not many talking and everyone eagerly awaiting their chance to move up a spot.
"Screw this!" the impatient girl screamed out from in front of me "I'm not standing around just to be thrown back in here again!". Her whole body dissolved and she became a gust of wind that threw the whole queue into disarray.
"Carla!" Metal man screamed after her as he gave chase.
The queue disintegrated and everyone burst through the doors and congregated in a heaped mess outside.
"The hell are you doing?" The voice came from the man they were all here eagerly queuing up for – Delsin Rowe. He lifted his hand into the air and caught the impatient girl – mid gust and metal man in a neon bubble. Everyone froze in shock, "you've been stuck rotting in here for who knows how long and you couldn't wait a few extra minutes?" Delsin squeezed his palm shut and the neon bubble obliterated the two in an instant – their neon ashes scattered away in the wind.
Everyone fell silent, but immediately formed a queue again without instruction. I remained at the back – I couldn't believe what I just saw – all of my senses were telling me to run but if I did that I would have just met the same fate.
I watched one by one as each prisoner approached, stated their name and something else – so far I'd heard 'fire, water, , shadow'… the list continued – were these abilities? Did all these people possess super powers? After what I'd witnessed the notion wasn't too crazy.
I was sixth in the queue and could hear the short conversations between Delsin and the others now. A man stepped forward.
"Brandon Mathers," he said nervously.
"So, what can you do Brandon Mathers?" Delsin asked.
"Electricity," it almost sounded as though it was a question, he appeared so nervous.
"Seriously?" Delsin grinned "oh you do not know how long I've wanted to go Cole McGrath on the DUPs!"
Another name were the relevance was lost on me. He grabbed the man's hand and clenched it in what looked like an innocent handshake. I watched intently as both appeared to become uncomfortable and contact was broken.
Delsin smiled "Enjoy your powers."
Brandon Mathers beamed from ear to ear, "thank you!" he wasted no more time – not even looking back at the queue as he sprinted away.
The same thing occurred with everyone else, it was my turn next and it dawned on me – I couldn't even tell him my name, let alone my ability – wait, did I even have an ability? I don't know what he was doing with the whole handshake thing but perhaps he could tell me what I wanted to know?
It was my turn and I hesitated, he motioned for me to step forward and after a brief moment, I did – didn't want to end up like the two from earlier who everyone else had seemed to blissfully forget about.
"Name?" he said as I stood directly in front of him.
Our eyes locked and I said nothing. His eyes squinted and he cocked his head, I don't know if it was paranoia but it almost suggested that he may have recognised me.
"Well, whatever man," he thrust his hand forward to encourage a handshake.
What option did I have – I slowly extended my arm and he clenched onto my fingers tight. He closed his eyes in apparent concentration – I didn't know what he was doing but I could see he was struggling. I closed my eyes too – It was brief and I can't explain what I was seeing but it was almost like a photo album full of faces I felt I should know and then the pages stopped flicking and there was one face that was more prominent than the rest and all I could think of was the name 'Reggie'. After several moments he threw my hand away and stumbled slightly on the spot.
"Wait, do I know you?" he panted, and looked me square in the eyes, "I couldn't see you– what's your power? What can you do?"
"I don't know!" I replied panicked, "I don't know!"
"The hell is that supposed to mean?" Delsin slowly composed himself and gave a groan. He closed his eyes again but I could see his pupils moving about beneath them as if he was searching. He opened his eyes and looked me up and down suspiciously and then sighed, "seems like Curdun Cay really did a number on you."
I didn't answer, I had no answers.
"So errr I guess you're the last one?" he said.
"I think so," I replied.
"Awesome," Delsin adjusted his beanie hat "I think I've had my fill, I'm beat." He didn't give me a second thought as he turned to leave.
"Wait, where do I go? What do I do now?" I asked, it was desperate and needy but that's exactly how I felt right now.
"Wherever and whatever," Delsin grinned "you have your freedom, dude, and this is our city now."
He paid me no more attention, whilst he looked about, as if searching - then he smiled triumphantly, he must have found whatever it was. I watched as he approached a cracked TV screen, that was barely clinging onto the wall, he pressed his palm against it and with no warning he sprouted holographic looking wings and took off into the sky, "Adiós," he yelled before he sped away at tremendous speed.