InFamous: The Wrong Choices For The Right Reason

Chapter 4: Some Answers.

An inFamous Story

By The Vegna

Rating: (T)

Disclaimer: The main characters of this story are from the video game inFamous and therefore they are all owned by Sucker Punch. Others are my own original characters.

Catch up: Cole's decision to meet Alden has unveiled to him the First Sons, a strange group hiding people like him for their own safety. As Cole questions about the removal of his powers, the wizened man leads him and Zeke to an office. There he introduces his son, Samuel Tate.

The son stood beside his father, giving a creased look at Cole. As his father, his face was round and he shared Alden's brown eyes and shaven face, but his youth took away any other similarities.
His posture was relaxed, resting against the wall behind him and Alden, whilst his build was gently touched the waistcoat. His clothes were similar to Alden's but less kempt, along with black gloved hands as opposed to Alden's bare ones. His brown hair was thin, leaving the impression that it had recent grown out of a buzz cut.
As he saw Cole's observations, Samuel shifted his head towards the desk, returning Cole's attention to Alden and the locked box between them.

Alden pushed the box towards the pair, Zeke taking a cautious step back. 'Cole, we have a solution to your power surges that don't require you to perform such a ... hasty action. This is that solution.'
Cole didn't move from his spot, he just glared. With a growl, he stated, 'I don't want your solution, I want to be free.' He pushed the box back. Alden sighed; Samuel remained expressionless, watching his father.
'You're freer than you think, Cole. And impatient.' Alden turned the box to face him. 'Will you at least let me tell you, our one and only solution?' he asked. Cole turned to Zeke, his large friend giving him a nod in support. 'Ok.'

'Excellent.' Alden shifted the numbers on the lock quickly, the metal rod snapping out. Slowly lifting the lid, he presented the contents to a leaning Cole and Zeke.

Inside rested a small leather wrist strap, placed atop it was a rubber cube. Cole accused the old man, 'What the hell is that supposed to be?'

'A little wristband, that's your plan?' Zeke asked, picking the strap from out of its box.

Samuel shifted 'That wristband is the best method there is, for your friend to ever be able to swim again.' Moving forward, he took the leather from Zeke's large fingers, with a gloved hand. He turned its underside to face Cole, showing a small steel ring that sat bellow the cube and leather. 'Your problems with building up too much electricity, right?' Cole nodded, Samuel pointed at the circle. 'Well, inside the cube, is contained a super-small, super capacitor. It'll take all the spare juice you've got, until you can jump in the sea and hug a dolphin without killing it or yourself. The ring's so you can put in and take it all straight from your wrist at any time. Pretty cool, huh?'

Cole stared at the tiny square in disbelief, 'And you're just giving it to me?'

Alden smiled, 'Yes.'

'Why?'

'Well, I'm sure we both agree that you not destroying buildings with lightning, is a plus for everyone involved. Besides, we need to keep our kind as secret as possible. And because, whether or not you believe it, I am an generous man. It's a free gift for coming here today, take it.' Samuel tossed the leather back to Cole.
'Feel free to try in on for size.'

Cole turned the wristband over, looking at its plain design. Cautiously, he poked the metalic ring, feeding a small spark into it. The cube ate it without any reaction. 'I'll give it a proper use later,' Cole told the younger man, pocketing the device.

Alden leaned towards him 'Now Cole, I'm sure you'd like a talk on why you're here today?'

'It's because I'm a freak.' Alden's expression turned to one of pain, whilst his son's changed to anger.

'If you want to know a single thing from me, never use that word whilst you're in my home, Cole. Never. Now, what's your first question?' Cole didn't pause.

'Why the hell can I shoot lightning from my hands?'

'Hrmm, honestly Cole? We haven't an idea why we have these gifts. I mean sure, we can track our kind, know the power of our kind, but why? It'd take another hundred years before we figure it out, but for now we're guessing something in evolution sparked this random change in our DNA, though we do know for certain that it is genetic.'

'Ok then, what are I?'

'We've chosen the name 'conduit' for what we are, its means 'to channel' as we channel our gifts to their effects. We also know that conduit gifts occur earlier in relation to the number conduits that they are near regularly.' Alden chortled 'That's likely the reason why a two year old has learned to use his powers before you. '
'Hah' 'And how many conduits are there?'

'Oh, the numbers are growing, some haven't even displayed any power yet. Around one hundred down here, maybe twenty thousand in all of northern America.'

'And nobody knows?'

'Our bases are spread across the states, we take in any and all who need help. So far, we have managed to reach them before the government could find out.'

Zeke moved towards the desk, 'I'm sorry, but how do you know they ain't figured you out already, I mean First Sons buildings across the states must attract a couple government check-ups?'

'Those crates you saw? Officially, we are a warehousing and transporting company known as 'Channelling Enterprises', with underground homes for all workers to stay active, twenty four-seven.' Alden smiled at Zeke's retraction.

'You've got this all figure out, haven't you?' Cole looked at Alden curiously, 'I'm guessing that you didn't do this by yourself.'

'Heh heh' 'Of course not, the First Sons have existed for hundreds of years. Forever outcasts to the populous, until my father, Richard Tate.'

Alden turned a photo frame on his desk, revealing a black and white image of his father. The man was around forty years old, his hair beginning to thin, though he's face was still smooth. Face shape was obviously a Tate trait, though his thin moustache changed the look slightly. The eyes behind the glasses, were as bright as Alden's had been when Cole met him, radiating his will.

'He made the First Sons what it is today, raised me to be gentle and listen to its members, as I hope to have taught my son.' With a sigh, he returned the image to its place. 'He was brilliant, gifted in power and mind. You know he even led our key science project, right from the start. He even wrote that book I gave you.' Cole slowly felt his pocket for the familiar bump, Alden didn't notice his movement.

Alden put his arms forward, across the desk. Looking Cole in the eye, he asked, 'So Cole, I've answered to your questions. Do you wish to join the First Sons, your friend Zeke is also entitled to join and bring any skills he has as well.' Zeke mouth was agape, 'Don't look so surprised. I've seen your courage to stay with your friend, despite all this. Plus a good handyman is hard to come by.'

'You'd just hire me like that?' Zeke removed his glasses to look straight at Alden.

'You know all that Cole does. It'd be the happiest way, for all, to keep you from talking, if we gave you a five figure salary to keep you happy about it.' He rolled open a desk drawer to his left, taking two pieces of paper from it. 'Here's Channelling Enterprises' official worker's detail, the name and job description is the only difference from what you'll be getting here.' The pieces slowly moved from his wrinkled hand across to suspend in front of Zeke and Cole. They grabbed a copy each from the air in front of them. Cole kept his in his pocket, whilst Zeke began to thumb through it.

'Is this the tour then?'Cole asked the attentive man.

Alden slowly rose from his chair, his son following suit from the wall. 'Sadly, yes. Samuel will take you back to the entrance.' He extended a smile and a shaking hand towards Cole, 'It was a pleasure to talk to you, Cole.'

With a forced smile, Cole shook it, 'You're welcome.'

'And you, Zeke.'

'Erm...thanks.'

'Just call us when you've decided. We will explain your job duties then. Now if you excuse me, I have another event to attend to.' With that, he strode out, the sound of his cane quickly fading.

Samuel motioned to the door, 'Let's get going then.' They returned to the corridor, Samuel leading the pair back towards the large hall, Cole's mind turning over Alden's words. 'Hey, Cole.' Zeke tapped the pamphlet in front of him, 'You get dental for the family too. These guys get everything.'
hrm 'You're really considering joining?'

'You're really considering joining?' Trish stared in disbelief. 'They live underground, for Christ's sake!'

'Trish, I'm not running to sign up, but I'm saying we aren't going to make the money we need, if I stay as a deliveryman. They couldn't pay me enough unless I ran the place.' Cole held the paper towards her, but she slapped it to the floor.

'We'll find a way, there's got to be another way.'

Cole sank into the aged sofa, rubbing his temples. He knew that she was more worried about him, than whatever the First Sons wanted. 'Even if I was promoted AND got a second job, we'd have enough to last a couple months. According to how much it took my folks to raise me, we'd never have for the kid and us both to get by on.'

'We'll think of something. We'll be fine. The hospital will be paying me bonus maternity pay.'

'Maternity pay for a nurse won't pay enough.'

'You said that they were going to promote you, at the mailers?'

Cole turned his head away from her gaze, 'They won't. I asked Dolman for a raise, but he said the credit crunch is tough on everyone, so it'll take time before that's possible, Cole. So sorry.'

'How could you lie?' Trish slumped into the armchair behind her.

'I couldn't tell you before the wedding, it was supposed to be your perfect day.'

'Then what, Cole? What are we going to do?'

'I...I just don't know.' Despair began to grip Cole. He was supposed to be able take care of his wife and child, it was what he promised in front of everyone. The First Sons were his only way out from the pit he was sinking into.
Trish picked up the leaflet and moved next to him. He pulled her closer, letting her head rest on his chest. Neither of them moved, the silence filling the space between them. She listened to his strong heartbeat, her resentment slowly drifting away. Cole rubbed his hand on his wife's dark hair slowly, as she began to stir.

'Careful, Cole.' heh 'I don't want to get the static shock look again.' With a smile, Cole brought the cube strap out of his pocket.

'That's not going to be a problem anymore.'

'Huh.' Trish looked curiously at the leather. Cole moved it closer, presenting it to her.

'They gave me a little gift. A battery, for my waste energy.'

'They just gave you something like that?'

'It's best for everyone if I don't light up the neighbourhood anymore. They don't seem to be bad people. Weird, but not bad.' Cole began to gently feed the cube energy, trying to keep the flow small.

Trish turned to look at the pamphlet, reading the back page. 'Did, you know, any flash red?'

'Not a dot, they don't want to hurt me. They even hired Zeke for his boy scout moves.' He cut the flow, hugging his wife gently. She nuzzled into him, turning a page.
'So...they get dental?'

Alden placed the phone back onto its rest, he turned to Samuel across the desk. 'Not a bad result. An engineer and a T-1 in one conversation. Anna will have to be pleased about this.' He stirred and took a sip of his tea, watching his son.

Samuel sneered at his father, resting his head on one hand. 'I think she'll see it the same way as me. This is a pretty sneaky way to finish the project, Dad. One's broke, the other's a conspiracy fanatic. Like they were gonna say no.'

'You will understand one day, Samuel, it took years of searching and persuasion to build our family.' He frowned at his son. 'You take it for granted how hard it was to gain new members when we had a history of mad men. My father saw this, as do I and so will you.'

Samuel grunted back. He stood up to depart. 'He gets to leave though, like everyone else, right?'

'I'll be sure to bring it up when we next see him,' taking another sip.

'I hope so.'

'God, I haven't driven in years, Zeke. Was it always this slow?' He punched the horn with the other forty, disgruntled drivers of the streets morning rush hour.

'haha' 'I guess the limo ride didn't give ya a real feel for Empire City's roads.' Quietly, Zeke thanked the traffic, not entirely secure on Cole's skills at high speeds. 'By the way, how come the engine didn't blow when you got in the limo.'

'Really far away from the engine.'

'Ah, well at least your eyesore cube works fine.' The strap was firmly clasped around Cole's left wrist, he hadn't seen it off him since Zeke had talked to him about joining the First Sons. He didn't plan on Cole going anywhere dangerous without backup, whether or not he said it looked safe.
It could've been worse for either of them though, Zeke was so glad that Sarah had taken it better than Trish apparently did, he loved that she was a conspiracy nut too. Resting his head against the dash board, he watched the dark-tinted scenery slowly pass by as he recognised the route to the warehouse.

Before long, they parked in an employee spot, beside a rust covered Channelling Enterprises emblazoned on the side of the building.
Knocking on the familiar front, they were greeted by the secretarial woman, sans bags and the bald man from earlier.
This time, their appearance had apparently earned a short, half smile, before guiding them through the warehouse with their sight sustained. Cole tried not to smirk or move too quickly, as he could already tell the route on his own.

Zeke removed his shades as they began the dimly-lit march, taking in the boxes. 'You keep anything in these things?' pointing to the crates with his thumb. She continued to look straight ahead, 'Our cover company delivers all sorts of objects for various companies. They know what's in there. Don't!'
Zeke quickly moved his curious hand away from the crate. He moved it to his pocket, wondering how much of this belonged to the First Sons themselves. The straight walk finally took its sharp right turn, after passing at least ten identical paths on either side, Zeke moving his shades back into their regular spot as they approached the steel door.

'Beep', the door opened in front of them, the familiar imposing figure was waiting for them on the other side of the doorway. He let them through, unharassed, but the smooth side of his face was smiling.
The woman gestured towards him. 'Mr Faraday here, will be giving you two your initiative training today.' And without a second look, she descended the stairs, leaving Zeke nervous.
He yelled down the steps, 'What the hell is that supposed to mean?'

'It means if you want to stay here, you'll have to be able to take care of yourself, in case of hostile environments.' Growled the man called Faraday.

'This wasn't in the pamphlet?' Zeke argued, presenting his copy from his jacket pocket.

'Page four.' The smooth side was still smiling.

Zeke hurried flicked open the paper, scanning the page. His eyes stopped at the phrase 'danger pay', scrunching the paper back into the jacket, with a 'Crap.'

Heh 'Sorry if it's too scary for you, Dunbar. We'll start you off easy, now let's go.'

They followed Faraday down towards the large hall, however the doors opened to an almost completely different room. The faux sky and earth was still there, but all of the cooking areas and children's play areas, even the people, had all been removed.
Instead sat in the middle of the hall was a small, spherical object, attached to rods and meters, it was being tinkered with by a group of people wearing white lab coats. Strangely, they were also wearing black rubber gloves, boots and aprons, some even carrying suitcases or first aid boxes beside them.

Zeke noticed that a woman in a green coat was directing them, pointing at a part of the blue machine which two assistants would then attend to. She noticed the small group, removing a pair of dark goggles to greet them. She was a short blond woman, her hair cut ear-high so nothing touched her shoulders. The goggles had hidden a pair of crisp green eyes, as bright as Alden's, though they showed only excitability, rather than desire. Her toothy grin was much less intimidating, from the hungry or dark looks Cole had been receiving the past week.

With a soft shake of the hand, 'Anna Krozka, pleasure to meet you, Coole, and you Zeke. I'll be taking some of zeh preliminary tests of your abilities.'

'Erm, okay.' Cole was gently directed next to one of the rods, jutting from the sphere.

'Please stand on zeh rubber mats. We don't want to lose any energy by grounding, do we? Oh, and ze storage cube.' Anna handed Zeke a pair of goggles and boots of his own, gathering her colleagues to the device as he put them on. 'Okay Coole, give it all you've got.' The scientific goggles all faced the energy meters on the side of the sphere. Zeke tensed up, watching his friend stare at the rod. Cole placed his hand on the device, slowly pushing the energy through his fingers, a tiny bolt passed out his palm. The meter barely moved, though the scientists watched expectantly.

Cole coughed slightly, cutting the flow and turning the heads back towards him. 'What is it?' Anna asked.

'I don't know how to do it any bigger.' The scientists started to murmur, whilst Zeke let go of his breath.

Faraday just shook his head, turning to Anna, 'Help him out, I got tests of my own.'

'Fine' she nodded, turning to a self-conscious Cole. 'Alden told me you've arced electricity before, shorting out fuses every couple months.' He looked down to her focused expression.

'Yeah, but it was by accident, I've never tried to deliberately zap anything before.' For the first time in his life, Cole wished he knew how to use his powers, looking at his rough hands.

Sigh Her expression relaxed 'Don't worry, I'll show you how to do it, a little.' She stood beside Cole, pulling the sleeves on her coat up, showing her pale arms. 'Do feel your electricity, when you don't use it?'

'Yeah, it's like a dull buzz in me. Not annoying, but there.'

'Okay Coole, feel zat buzz inside you.'
Cole felt it, it stirred all around his body.

'Now feel it moving, its running down your arm.'
Cole push at it with his mind, it was feeling warmer down his arms.

'Now focus it, it is building in your palm'.
His right palm began to crackle, painless bolts moved between his fingers, Cole held it back from escaping.

'Now release it into ze poole, in zree'.
Anna began to step back from the glowing hand, placing her googles back on. 'Two.'
Pointing at the meters, her assistants moved to it. 'One.'
Cole's hand was sparking onto the floor. 'Now!'

HAH! Cole threw his hand towards the pole, a bright blue arc continued the flow, twisting and connecting the metal and Cole. Cole forced the power through his arm, keeping the flow going as the cackling lines fed into the machine.
'Keep it going man! You're doing great.' Zeke called encouragingly, as he watched the meters rocket.

Cole kept pushing every drop of power he could, ridding his body of its dangerous stores. The buzz had left his legs entirely, though he still forced the blue bolts to grow in ferocity, convulsing across his arm. As the stillness moved up to his chest, Cole's legs began to shake, steadying his right arm with his left. The arcs slowly began to shrink, retracting towards only his palm. The buzz had left him, all he felt now was the throbbing head ache.
'Okay Coole, you can stop.'
Thankful, he cut the lightning as his legs gave way under him. Cole fell backward, bouncing his shaved head against the rubber.

'Cole?' Zeke called to his silent friend. A short assistant moved towards Cole, opening his first aid box to reveal a defibrillator.

'NO! What have you bastards done?' He tried to move towards his friend, but a strong hand held Zeke's shoulder. He turned to see a frowning Faraday shaking his head at him. 'Just let them do their thing.' Zeke watched as the man rubbed the paddles, place them on either side of Cole's right arm. 'What the-?'

'Clear.' Cole's hand jumped, followed quickly by the rest of Cole, surprising the attendant.

'Christ, that's better!' Cole rubbed his smooth head, the headache was softer but still a little hazy.

Anna looked judgingly at the startled friend. 'Like we'd kill him, zis way's just better zan any coffee we've got.' She walked towards the dazed man, waving at him to gain his attention. 'Impressive, Coole. Your total output was over 10 gigajoules, zough I'm sure zat zat figure will increase over time. Come on, here.'

With surprising strength for her size, Anna picked up Cole by the shoulder and lifted him onto his feet. 'It'll pass, give it a while. I'm my zoughts are correct, you subconsciously absorb small amounts of electrical energy, so you should stand next to ze sphere. It will help you quicker.'

Massaging his shoulder, Cole moved towards the sphere as Anna returned to the results. Remembering the cube, he quickly brought it to his hand, draining the relatively small charge that he had gathered inside it. His head cleared, as the cube soon emptied its precious contents into his palm.

With a thought, Cole turned. 'That help you gave me, are you a conduit too?' he asked the analysing woman.
She turned her head with a sly grin, raising her left hand that was carrying a pen. With a ripple across the skin, the hand vanished, pen with it, leaving only an empty, but taught coat sleeve.

Anna wave the empty sleeve at Cole, demonstrating its complete effect. 'T-1 Cloaker, zey put me down as. Zough, to be honest, how much more useful is a person who is completely invisible, if zey can't see when zey are invisible.' Her hand rippled back into vision, returning to writing down her findings.

'You can't see when you use your power?' Cole queried.

'Well, if I bend ze light so I can't be seen, zen what light is supposed to go to my eyes.' Heh 'Even a T-1, like me, hasn't figured out how to go around as two little black dots only. Zough, I'll figure out a way around it anyway.' She tapped the side of her head, eyes still glued to the meters. 'I'm zinking goggles will be ze way.'

Nodding, Cole looked around the device, searching for his large chum. 'Did you see where Zeke went?'

'I zink Jak is giving him his own test.' Pointing towards the other side of the sphere. Cole shifted around, to spot his friend and the other man on a set of foam mats. Zeke and Faraday when putting on mouth guards and rapping bandages around their fists.

'Oh no, Zeke.' Slowly walking towards the two, Cole watched Zeke remove his old jacket, revealing his yellow shirt and the black twisting tattoo across his right arm. He'd told Cole it was a prison tattoo, but Zeke had never had anything worse that his usual warning for 'disturbing the peace', when he'd found a new conspiracy, the past eight years Cole had known him. Faraday stayed in his white vest and combats, sizing Zeke up.

'Nice artwork.' Faraday grunted, before putting in his mouth guard.

'Thanks, I'll give ya the guy's number.' Biting into his own.

They knocked hands and moved into their guards.
Zeke moved his arms parallel, protecting his chin, Faraday moved his fist in a circle pattern, walking around Zeke.

Zeke dashed forward, moving under the jab aimed at him, launching a hook square into his opponent's ribs.
Faraday grunted, moving back to jab again, Zeke ducking, bringing himself up with an uppercut to the jaw.
A slug rolled across Zeke's arm, narrowly missing his mouth.
Shifting around him, the short man dug into the titan's ribs. A jab across the cheek stopped the attacks, bring his hands up to guard his face.

Cole stood in awe, this was a guy who'd change paths to try and avoid teenagers in baggy clothes, but he was somehow moving toe to toe with this goliath.

Sweat was dripping from Zeke's face, as he twisted around the body of his foe, hooking the ribs again and again.
Faraday's smooth side was beginning to grimace.
Turning to match his challenger, he shifted his weight, throwing a massive slug into Zeke's chin.
The proverbial David staggered at the blow, trying to move closer, but his chance was lost.
Faraday jabbed his nose, stopping Zeke's tracks, then another massive blow to the chest.
Zeke gasped for air, as he fell to his knees winded.

He stopped as Zeke picked himself onto his legs, breath much shorter than before.
With a growl, Zeke charged low, trying to get another uppercut in.
Faraday was ready this time, with a side step, he hooked Zeke's vulnerable ribs.
The hit was too much, Zeke fell to ground clutching his side.

Jak offered his fallen challenger a hand, helping Zeke slowly up.
Cole shifted closer to his friend. 'When were you going to tell me, that you were Mike Tyson?' he asked, patting Zeke's back.

Jak left them as he removed his bandages.

Heh Heh 'I'm not. But,' he touched his right arm 'This is a prison tattoo though. Whew, I think I'll take five. Maybe the lab guys have a cooler around here or something.' Zeke began to slowly make his way back to the metal orb, Cole beginning to follow him.

'Cole.' Cole turned his body back to the boxing victor. Jak wasn't removing the bandages, he was putting on fresh ones. He threw a fresh roll across to him. 'It's your turn now. Time for your physical combat test.'