Infamous 4: Aftermath

CHAPTER 1

It was the day of the ninth anniversary the D.U.P's original commission, the seventh year I had been in that cell which had become my life. The dream of boys and prom had become just a faint memory, more like a distant but pleasant dream. The cell door clunked as the guard coldly lead us into the enclosure. Just this once, I thought I would try my luck at a little humour: "Those breakfast eggs were great. To bad we're in here with this amazing hospitality and you're only the maid." I said to the guard with the slightest of smiles. He grunted through his thick black beard and slammed the door shut, "Well its more than we usually get out of chuckles. You get points for trying" the voice through the vent came softly. I thanked him and sat down on my bed. It was one of the two beds in the solely grey scale room. It held no features but for the vents in each wall and the heavy steal door I had just come through. By normal standards this was no more than a human zoo but we had all learned to accept it.

So how really was your breakfast, or was it really as "amazing" as you advertised? I just want to know what I'm in for." Wyatt joked.

"Awful. Just awful. We got cook Agnes and she serving mandatory watery scrambled eggs"

"Yum, I'll give her your compliments. Hell, I'll bring her up here and you can tell her yourself. "

We shared a laugh when it happened, freedom happened! There was a booming sound, something which we all could assume an explosion would sound like , being muffled by the thick walls, which was then followed by flurry of harsh "ta'tat'' sounds. Mimi grabbed me and forced me into a crouching position, like any scared animal would do for it's young. The following five minutes were filled with pure fear and confusion, with us flinching at every tat and scream, knowing that we could not do anything to help the matter. A pink light flashed by the door followed by the welcome clunk which indicated it is unlocking. Eyes unblinking, the two of us made our way to the door, Mimi taking the lead. Removing the dirty black hair from her eyes, she prepared herself with a deep breath and gave the door a firm push. It cracked open, along with the others in the block. It opened to a torrent of rushing bodies, all in the same grey jumpsuit we were in. we both stood stunned and confused, where were all these people coming from? And where were they going? And why was all this happening?

I couldn't help but scan the faces as they ran by, these were the people I had spent a third of my life with and I had never set my eyes on any of them. There was a second clunk sound as our cuffs seemed to magically fall away from our hands and to the floor. I rubbed my wrists to ease the pain. My left hand was grabbed and I was hauled in the direction of the current, causing me to hang on a little tighter to Mimi with my other hand. A tall dark skinned man dragged us both through the crowd keeping us afloat. His grip was strong, allowing me gather her my senses. I wizened up and with the same deep breath, I started running, for the first time in seven years. I could tell Mimi was in the same mindset as I could feel my pulling on her no longer needed. Three descending floors later we could see could literally see a light at the end of the tunnel. I had never experienced something so welcoming. The main doors lead out to an expanse of concrete, a courtyard surrounded by a pen of stone walls. For the first time, the entire population of Curdun Cay were breathing fresh air and were feeling the morning sun on their skin. It felt good. It was crisp , and cold and calm. I suddenly had the urge to spread my arms and spin , like that old movie with the living hills, and wait I can remember movies. And suddenly memories flooded in, flashbacks of family barbecues and grass and... having a family. A tear formed in my eye at the beauty of the thought. I could smell the sea, plants and the smell of hot tarmac. "Hi, so you're Mimi and Makaila?"

The same dark figure stood before me, extending a hand in greeting. I accepted his hand but all I could think was, oh, oh, he's muscular. The same dark figure stood before me, extending a hand in greeting. I accepted his hand but all I could think was, oh, oh, he's muscular, followed by the most immature of tingles. Mimi grinned at my hesitation and properly shook his hand, introducing us both.

"I'm Mimi, and I this is my kid sister Makaila. Its nice to finally meet you for real."

" OK good to know. Now do you guys have any clue as to why we're here?" his deep voice suddenly sounding deeper to me. And again with the tingle.

"May I have your attention, ladies and gentlemen."

All views were cast toward the prison's main gate, once two tall and proud steel obelisks, now reduced to two bent out of shape slabs on the ground. In the gateway stood a lean athletic man in denim and a cap , his arms spread wide and a defined swagger , commanding as much attention as possible.

"I am the amazing Delsin Rowe, the most powerful conduit of them all. You all may leave this hell but only if you do one thing for me, shake my hand as you go. Agreeable terms?"

I took a step forward but Mimi held me back:

"There's just some thing about him. Don't go Makaila, I don't trust him."

I didn't seem to sense the same foreboding , but the look on her face convinced me to stay and watch. The first droplet from the pool of conduits cautiously moved toward him.

"That's it. I'm not going to bite."

He extended soft words and his hand as the first volunteer did the same. Their hands connected. Rowe suddenly grabbed on tighter. The man who was his first victim doubled over in crippling pain and fell to the ground, writhing. I could see the grin on that devil's face as he did so and a strange light seemed to flow from the arm of the poor man into Delsin's shoulder and dissipate. The drained man fell limp on the ground, and then after a brief paused, seemed to pick himself up again and shake off the whole ordeal. He shouted back,

"Its OK everyone! It's painful but you come out of it stronger!"

Within a few minutes -an orderly queue had been established, with the end of the line being an excruciating moment followed by a walk to freedom. It seemed like a good idea at the time. If this man was strong enough to overcome the D.U.P then he could just stop them if he wanted to. However, Rowe had not accounted for one of the guards to still be conscience. One of the many knocked out bodies on the courtyard floor stumbled to a stand. He rushed towards Rowe, a metal glint between his cupped hands. He charged at Rowe yelling at the top of his lungs.

"I will finish this you son of a..."

He was cut off by talon like fingers digging into his skull, cracking the armour like tin. Delsin was on him. The soldier dropped the knife and writhed in pain in much the same way, but instead of simply falling to the ground, he spontaneously burst into flames. I could hear the crackle of metal armour and flesh being burnt and boiled, accompanied by the most grim of cries for help. Finally, he did fall but as a smoking assortment of burnt bones.

A deafening silence fell over the Courtyard. the only sound which resided was of a slight wind whistling through the battlements and cracks in the fortified walls. For a moment, the demon stood over the corpse like mound, with a look on his face which conveyed a twisted sense of accomplishment. Our makeshift community did not seem to see it this way. In a single moment, what was supposed to be our saviour shifted and became what looked like our demise. I felt myself wishing the protective isolation of the dark cell. He looked back at the once orderly queue , sensing the ever growing unease. His face again changed as easily as you would operate a light switch, to the previous kindly nurturing smile which once offered freedom.

"I know what you are all thinking, but that only happens to "normal" people.

Here re-assumed his position at the front of the queue and the process once again but the unease still lingered.

We were five people from Rowe. I grabbed Mimi's arm, hiding behind her like a scared child, in a vein effort to cower away from our fate. 'What's wrong?" she sounded concerned.

We were four people from Rowe.

"Did you see what he did to that guard? what going to stop him doing that to us? We are not conduits Mimi , we were wrongly convicted , or do you not remember that?"

We were three people from Rowe.

She lowered her voice to a harsh whisper,

"I do remember, but really? what can we do?"

"Run, just run away!"

"Don't do it, he will just catch us."

We were just two other people from Rowe. I held tighter to her arm, the only lifeline I had.

"Don't do it! " she insisted .

I was next in line and as I looked death in the face, I tried to take Mimi's advice to stay put, I really tried, but just couldn't...

Like a scared rabbit being hunted by a super powered fox, I turned tail and ran as fast as my legs could take me. But the fox made no effort to pursue, and then I learned why they were named bio-terrorists. He did nothing but lift his hand as if to say stop, but then it started to glow, a fiery crimson , and from the palm of his hand, released a shot, like a fist sized missile of flames. As I ran, I could see my rapidly shrinking shadow against the ochre light. But this was then intersected by a second shadow. I turned to find a limp body fall into me backwards, their shoulder hitting my chin and bursting my lip, and we both fell to the ground. I looked down at the warm titching body in my arms and there lay Mimi, her torso and neck covered in burns, her clothes seared onto her skin. And again, my world stopped. The whole community looked on as Mimi struggled to look up at me, the big green eyes we shared fading and her beauty smeared by blood stains. She raised one weak hand to my cheek, her warm thumb wiping away one of the many tears which flooded my face, and attempted to utter her last words. Through the bloody, breathless , choking I could make out just eleven words.

"I love you, sister, and I'm sure going to miss you."

And the light left her eyes.

My body hunched over her, as if subconsciously trying to protect her from any more harm. And I cried, my ash blonde hair now her funeral shroud. And the gods called time of death, 10:32 am in an unmarked prison yard. Every onlooker thought the same thing, all rallying against Delsin Rowe. I could feel every one of their thoughts, and I could feel them fill me with strength. I lifted my head, the rage in my eyes directed soley at the monster before me. I raised my hand like he did with only one thought on my mind, if the DUP was ever going to be right, and I was a conduit, this would be the perfect time for it to manifest itself. I poured all of my strength and willpower into my palm and screamed at the top of my lungs.

My whole hand burned with brightest of white lights and giant arrows of equal radiance flew from my beacon, like shining divine birds just let free from captivity. The light blinded me. From where I sat, I could only just make out silhouettes rushing for cover from the light. When the light faded I was left gasping for breathe. The action had drained me. But what I left in my wake was shocking. There were craters scattered all over the ground, and the walls which stood surrounding the courtyard, now still stood, but were no longer walls, but more like stone monuments to Swiss cheese.

With the whole area engulfed in a dust cloud, panic ensued. The once quiet pool of conduits became a disorganised flurry. Everyone seemed to pick a different hole in the wall and made a break for freedom. The entire population of Curdun Cay spilled from the facility and into the unknown. A familiar muscular arm found itself around my waist, and pulled me away from the sibling shaped hole my soul and towards a new hole in the wall behind me. Looking back on Wyatt's path, I could see Delsin in one of the craters I had left. He looked unconscious, covered in injuries and I hoped to god he was dead. A second pink light burst from the main door of the facility building and quickly streamed over to Delsin and seemed to deposit a girl with pink hair and a green overcoat. She fell on to him, attempting to tend to his wounds. She angrily scanned the cloud for the culprit who had hurt him. When our eyes met I recognised a face from my past. She was older now, and had died her hair, but it was definitely the face of my captive cousin, Abigail, Abigail Walker. With this realisation, I had no choice but to succumb my tiredness and be carried by Wyatt to safety. I didn't even have enough energy to wipe away my tears.