Hey guys, Ciaus here! So... a little change in plan. Instead of adding a new chapter, I just added to this one. I figured this would look better than two shorter chapters. I am done with college for the moment, so look forward to some new content in the near future. Anyways, enjoy this little add-on and thanks for being so patient. Ciaus Falkreath out!
After a few minutes of awkward silence, the group split into two. Sam and Bentley headed back towards the command center to relocate it as the remaining group proceeded on foot towards the other bridge. Among the five, the awkward silence continued to fill the air. Ryan, who walked alongside Zeke removed his hood, revealing his light short brown curly hair and darker skin. As the two walked by, Zeke shook his head.
"How was I supposed to know it was them?" Ryan whispered furiously.
"You weren't, that's why you have to always come to me first," Zeke snapped, just above a whisper.
"Look, they're after the Ray Sphere, and if they find it—"
"Ryan," Zeke interrupted, "I know how you're feeling about this, but these people have the best intentions in mind." Ryan backed away from Zeke and teleported off to the distance. Zeke sighed and looked to the group behind him.
"I'm… sorry 'bout all this. It was supposed to be under better circumstances."
"What do you mean?" Delsin asked.
"Our meeting. I had envisioned it with a little more grandeur," he explained, "I wanted it to be in D.C. sharing a meal with the president. We'd all be sitting down and having a nice juicy steak. And then, after he wiped his mouth with his fancy napkin, the president would say to us 'I just wanted to thank you for your incredible service to this country.' And I'd say, 'Mr. President, you're goddamn welcome.'"
"Is that really how you pictured it?" Fetch asked, chuckling.
"More or less, as long as it wasn't in this hell hole I would've been fine." Delsin couldn't help but look around at his surroundings while taking his comment into consideration.
"Why are you here?" Delsin asked.
"Despite it all… it's home," he answered.
"Home?" Fetch asked.
"Hell yeah, believe it or not, this was one of the best cities to live in up east. Rent was cheap and most of the people knew you by name. Damn good times."
The trio once again took a long look at their surroundings, trying to imagine such a city. Suddenly, they heard honking from behind them. The truck hauling the M.C.C. drove right up to the group, and all four hopped into the command center. As they took their seats around the table, a thought came to Delsin.
"What's wrong with Ryan?"
"You mean Reaper," Fetch corrected coldly, still sour about their encounter
"He had uh… troubles… growin' up," Zeke answered.
"Tell him to join the club," Fetch snapped.
"Look, don't take what he did to you guys too hard. He was doing his job, protecting all of us," Zeke pleaded.
"All of us?" Delsin questioned.
"Yep, just wait and see."
A few minutes later, they had crossed the bridge and made it to the Memorial Hospital, or what was left of it. The majority of the walls were still standing. However, the ceilings were replaced with cloth roofs and tents surrounded the outside of it. The trailer pulled in and people walked up to it. Some did so out of curiosity, others out of fear. Everyone poured out of the two combined vehicles, with Zeke leading the charge.
"What is this place," Delsin asked, dumbfounded.
"I call it The Hideout. It's a refuge for conduits and the like to rest after bein' chased down by Augustine," Zeke explained.
"Wait, these conduits escaped Augustine?" Fetch asked.
"Yep, some of 'em even escaped Curdun Cay," Zeke added.
"I thought we were the only ones, why didn't we know about them?" Fetch asked.
"Nobody knew," Zeke explained.
"It would've been bad for her image," Sam added, "But when the government went to transport conduits, that's when Augustine could admit something. She could easily blame the government and swoop in to save the day."
"How many conduits are here?" Fetch asked.
"Six identified, a dozen or so who may be, as well as a few conduit supporters."
"How'd they escape?" Delsin asked.
"Ryan."
Delsin immediately turned to Fetch, who looked away. After a few moments of silence, the group stopped at a door that led to the only intact room of the hospital. Meanwhile, Fetch looked back where they came and saw Ryan sitting in a crumbled corner of the building.
"I'll be right back," Fetch spoke out. Delsin looked back in time to see her walking towards Ryan.
"She'll be fine," Sam replied as he held the door open for Delsin.
"It's not her I'm worried about," Delsin told him.
As they all entered, they gathered around a table. Zeke sighed heavily before speaking to the group.
"So… you after the Ray Sphere I take it?"
"That's correct, do you know where it is?" Bentley asked.
"Unfortunately no. Hell, I didn't even know it was here, until the dupes started snoopin' around. Didn't look like they knew either."
"That's because they didn't," Sam explained.
"The D.U.P. created a tracking device that detected a gamma signature only comparable to the Ray Sphere," Bentley added.
"What's the issue then?" Zeke asked.
"There's something blocking the signal. Because of that, we can't pinpoint its exact location," Zeke added.
"I see."
"And our friend Eugene hear managed to locate the jammer," Delsin concluded, patting Eugene on the back. This elicited a sigh from Zeke.
"I know exactly what y'all talking about. Unfortunately, I can't help you."
"Why not?" Delsin asked.
"That same jammer is what's keeping these conduits hidden. It disrupts communications and satellite imaging," Zeke explained.
"We're here to destroy the Ray Sphere, surely you can do something?" Bentley pleaded.
"Look, as much as I want this thing gone, I'm not gonna' let all these other people be hunted down!"
"What if we set it on a timer or something?" Delsin suggested.
"That… might work," Eugene commented, "We only need to turn it off in the time to find it, right? We shut it down, use our tracker to find the Ray Sphere, and turn it back on."
"You can do all that?" Zeke asked, dubious towards Eugene's plan.
He nodded.
"Alright then, but I swear to God if any of these people get—"
"Nothing," Sam interrupted, "Is going to happen to these conduits."
"Let's get to work," Bentley told the group.
Meanwhile
As Fetch approached Ryan, she noticed something that was off about him. He wasn't the cocky prick that they fought. If anything he looked… distressed. She slowly walked until she was just in front of him.
"Hey," she spoke, causing Ryan to look up, "Mind if I sit?"
Ryan gestured towards a pile of rubble next to him and she sat down.
"So… Zeke told me you helped saved these conduits."
"I'm trying to atone," he said blankly.
"For what?" Fetch asked.
"Everyone keeps throwing on this science crap when it comes to conduits, but I think it's more than that."
"You think you're being punished?" Fetch pieced together.
He sighed.
"After the blast, everyone I knew was gone. My friends, my family… they were just… gone. Then they found me, the Reapers. They came for me. Dragged me out of the dust and to some woman. I can't explain it, but she controlled me."
"Was she a conduit?"
"Yeah, she threw this oil stuff at me and suddenly… I wasn't… me. When I came around, everyone else had the same powers as me. She gave them my powers, and they used them to hurt people. I realized then it was my fault."
"How? You didn't have a choice," Fetch argued.
Ryan stood up.
"We always have a choice. I could've fought back," he retaliated, before teleporting away.
For a few minutes, Fetch just sat there. She sighed heavily just as Delsin approached.
"Fetch, you okay?" he asked.
"Yeah, I'm fine," she answered while standing up.
"Good, cuz' we have a plan."
