Prologue
The smell was putrid, stinging every part of her body as she struggled through the darkness. Claustrophobia rebounded off the curving stone walls as they continued to re-enter the skin as goosebumps and chills prevented easy movement. This place wasn't built for easy travel and navigation, and most individuals would have avoided it. But a certain group were able to easily move through the disgusting remnants of what had been a thriving city. Tight black clothes, a withered and punctured jacket swinging behind along with her long hair, Augustine coughed and waded through the sewer towards her goal.
She had been contained, locked behind bars for what seemed months and already the world had changed for the worst. The DUP had been completely reformed and society had changed into something so forgiving and yet pathetic. Anger and adrenaline filled her body as she knew times had to change, and with no more distractions she could easily get to work at what was really at hand. Knowledge was power after all, and she had that along with pure brute strength.
Wiping the dripping water from her face she saw a small spark up ahead, a broken fuse or something much more? Coughing once again, Augustine hopped into the air as heavy rocks appeared to circle and carry her towards it in the distance. It felt good to use her own powers again after months of silence and boredom, but this time they would be put to good use, something better and more unique than ever before. Gliding expertly over the barely lit ground, water dripping from her heavy boots as the rocks continued to spiral around, the flicker of a bright spark returned into view once again. She was close, and Augustine was finally ready to learn more about what had happened in the past.
The Ray Field Inhibitor, RFI, had been activated several years back, completely obliterating New Marais and most of southern North America, but its true purpose had already been used. The stories were clear despite evidence destroyed by the government, but she had seen what the DUP had before her position was finally available. She had seen it, technology that had existed before they had invented it herself artificially, the RFI was the key for all conduits around the world now and they had no idea. Blast Shards and similar objects entered the Earth's orbit and dropped back down to earth where they provided a new sense of sustainable power, but yet nobody knew what its purpose was.
Augustine smiled as she finally reached her location a spark exploding from a small platform perched around the swirling sewerage water. Landing gracefully, and without a sound, she coughed again as it echoed throughout the chamber but she had found it. A single spark in a world so distracted, but it didn't bring light, but another wave of darkness to create something strong and more power. Bending over and licking her lips slowly, tasting old lipstick, she muttered, "Well...how long has this been down here?"
Illuminating immediately at her touch, its natural heat plunging past her black gloves as concrete appeared on her skin to fend off the pain, Augustine's eyes opened with a mixture of shock and pure curiosity. It was no larger than a small shard of glass, but it reverberated energy, and something she had seen so long ago but from afar. This was an image of the past, but was there more? Glancing around in the darkness, using the small shard to reveal more of the sewer, she saw nothing but now she could feel it. Continuing to glance at the small shard closely, Augustine spoke again, her voice now echoing back to her along the stonewalls, "There has to be more in here...there has to be."
Gliding again off the ground she began to increase her speed with the search now heightening and her interest gaining pace. Spiralling through different tunnels with the small shard flickering weakly and releasing surges of energy, but yet nothing appeared. The smell of excretion continued to waver in her mouth and senses, but curiosity had now reached peak. Where was it? Where was the remains of the RFI?
Returning to where the search had started, Augustine touched down again and raised her hands as concrete spluttered out in all directions. Immediately they sank into the water, repelling the need to move into space as the sodden dirt appeared below. Nothing. Absolutely nothing but this single shard that continued to spark and shine brightly, but why? She was hardly aware of the conduit threat when the 'electric-man' had first appeared in Empire City, but soon it had become a worldwide epidemic and his popularity grew. A real and true superhero with powers and a conscience to protect good and bury the bad into the ground. Augustine idolised him, and so attempted to follow in his steps, joining the military and eventually seeing the former threat of The Beast. Monstrous, pain and suffering was left behind in those weeks and months where everything had changed in her life. She didn't have to try any more, she was already one of them and soon she was a target and forced to join the overriding cause of just and anti-terrorism.
Her story was never truly told, but its was unimportant, but remained in the forefront of her mind was the small shard of crystal sparking in her concrete skinned hand. Silence and nothingness continued to fill the surrounding area before it finally appeared. Conduits, bio-terrorists, could feel the world more than the average human being with their heightened senses and obscene draw for power. The air had become heavier, and a slight whiff of cool air soon drifted lazily past her face as Augustine shivered and slowly turned around.
A darkened silhouette glided through the darkness, arms shimmering silver as it reflected off the still water below. Augustine was not scared, but in fact curious once again. The rumours were right, there was a conduit still in New Marais, and something had triggered its appearance right now. Gripping the shard in her hand, the water all around slowly crackling as it turned into a white sheet of ice, Augustine took a step back on the platform before rising herself into the air, concrete slabs surrounding her.
They both rose and awaited, in sheer silence, as they looked each other up and down with curiosity and interest. Augustine muttered, stroking her chin, "Ice. Natural ice. So you have powers?"
"Drop the shard, Augustine." Appearing into the minimal light abounding throughout the sewer, Augustine realised it was a female. Her voice cracked, husky in the cooler temperatures, but she looked weak as her body heaved over in the air, face completely unnoticeable. "This is not a place for you."
"Then why are you here? We are both the same, are we not?"
There was another bout of silence, precious seconds of the world ticked away as the air froze in place before the shattering began. The world seemed to slow down, from the moving ice to the wisp of air transforming elegantly into shining shards of ice and water, but Augustine had already sensed this. Two conduits meeting, battle imminent but death impossible. Instantly turning away, the concrete conduit raised large slabs in front of her, appearing out of thin air and busting from her skin as they radiated the oncoming blizzard. Ice met concrete, but the logical opponent had an instant advantage, and the latter would always prevail.
The sewer water, that had been frozen minutes before, had been crushed into dust as the darkness returned to the chamber, one conduit left floating in mid-air. Augustine called, "Weak, so incredibly weak. You obviously know my name, so why even try to attack?"
The response was from the darkness below, drips of water appearing from the ceiling and falling into the abyss. Her voice was much more feminine now, obviously the release of ice sending signals of adrenaline through her body, "Augustine...there are things you don't know about New Marais, and things you don't deserve to know."
Raising both of her gloved hands, the small shard still sparking in front, concrete began to spit from the ground again as the other conduit appeared. Sodden, damp and shivering from the cool water, Augustine brought her close with rocks surrounding them. Soon after softly landing on the only surface left available in a torn sewer chamber, the former DUP leader raised the shining shard and allowed its light to shine. Revelation and vision returned and Augustine smiled with understanding and new found knowledge. She knew who this person was as the jigsaw finally was complete, and the rumours and myths of the Ray Field Inhibitor were claimed to be false.
Augustine wiped her forehead, concrete still spilling into the water below, before laughing loudly and calling, "Who would have thought that you had survived? Lucy Kuo of the NSA, a forgotten government department. You have some explaining to do."
Kuo tried to escape, ice exploding around them into sheer pillars but Augustine shattered them instantly before flaring her nostril and eyes. Concrete trapped the much smaller conduit to the ground as it began to consume her entire body with Kuo screaming and struggling to break free. There was no time for diplomacy, it was time for answers.