Humdeehum. Do me a favor and read all the way through this chapter before raeg quitting. Reviews are loved. We do not own Infamous.

My conscious fought with me all the way back to camp that day. The influx of new Conduits led to a few uncomfortable situations. More than once, new Conduits were destroyed, screaming that they hated the Beast, that they would never side with the Demon of Empire City. I didn't know what they meant; I didn't know the rumors the rest of the world had heard.

My old self protested that it was wrong, that these people didn't deserve to die, that what Cole was doing was wrong. That what he did to Connie and Kellen was wrong. That what he did to that little girl was wrong. But at the same time, I wanted to blind myself to his actions. He was doing this for the good of all of us. We all had the plague, and we would've all died anyways. Cole saved us. He saved the ones who mattered, and hastened the death of those who never had a chance to survive in the first place.

Wondering by myself wasn't going to help. I had to ask Cole himself. I had to ask him. Had to know what he felt.

As people settled in, the older Conduits comforting the new, I closed in on Cole. He was at the edge of camp, looking to Mayfield. It was far in the distance now, and the sun was just setting, glinting off the metal and casting shadows that stretched over the field.

"It's bright, isn't it?" Cole asked as I came up on his right side. "Twice as bright as I've ever seen."

I held my hand up to shield my eyes. "I guess." I turned my head to try and read his expression, not expecting to succeed, and was surprised to see that his eyes, for once, were stable. Crystal clear. Sorrow. That's what I saw. A pain I couldn't even begin to understand, a pain I tried desperately to understand and just couldn't.

"I had to Kovi. I hope you know that. I can't drag children like that into this world. It's better for them to go off peacefully," he said. "To save as many Conduits as I can...that's my mission, Kovi. I need to save as many people as I can from this plague. I can't create children Conduits though; it's just wrong. Teaching them from that age to fight. To kill."

Lightning sparked off his finger tips, red, as if tainted with the blood of his victims. Cliche maybe, but true.

"It's not like I'm much older than she is though."

"But you understand," Cole said, moving to sit down on the grass. "You understand the harsh realities of the world. You can make your own choices. You understand that things need to be sacrificed for the greater good. Everyone here does, but a child so young...no. All they would see is killing for no reason. It would be nice, to be so naive again."

My eyes trail over him, taking in the scars on his face, his arms, and hands. The tattoos. The sallow skin and darkened veins. He's seen more than I ever could hope to, and his body, his eyes, show the price. I wished there was something I could do, something I could say that convince him that he was doing the right thing.

There, in that moment, I knew I would follow Cole to the end of the earth. He was some sort've...twisted savior in my mind. Powerful, unbeatable, but sacrificing everything so that we could survive and become stronger, mentally and physically.

"I'll follow you," I said. "You...you saved me. You've begun to show me what it means to really be alive and I...I have to make it up to you somehow."

Cole looked up, and I was surprised to see that his eyes were still clear, and they still held that same emotion. "Good to hear that. I won't lead you wrong."

I was struck by the urge to kiss him, and not in the same way I wanted to kiss Sedona. No, this is entirely different, and I decided that it would be best if I just did it. It wasn't like he was going to hurt me; not after he saved me. I leaned in, but at the last moment, my ankle gave out, and I ended up smacking my forehead into his. I sprawled on the ground next to him, trying to fight down my intense blush as I pushed myself back up into a sitting position beside him, the moment entirely gone.

Cole had an eyebrow crooked up, lips twisted in an odd smile, but that clear look in his eyes is gone now, replaced once more by the torrent. "You're tired. Go get some rest. We need to make some distance tomorrow. Spending so much time off the grid like that...makes me thirsty. I'd rather not have a repeat performance."

I nodded, hoping maybe he hadn't noticed what I was going for. By the time I got back to camp and laid down on my cot, my heart had calmed down to a regular pace. I let my head rest on my arm, and drifted off to sleep.

()()()()()()

I awoke, gagged and bound to a tree in the middle of a forest. The nearest forest was a good few miles beyond Mayfield, so my location was puzzling. How I didn't wake up during the process was a wonder, but I didn't have time to think about it. From where the sun was, I'd say the Conduits had long ago moved out, leaving me...wherever here was. I twitched my fingers, glad to get some reaction out of them, though they tingled painfully at the action. I closed my eyes and took a deep breath the way Kuo had taught me when trying to access my powers.

Each time I did, the access came easier and easier, and the vines slid down my arms and wriggled up to twist about my face. I willed them to the gag, holding my head down as the vines twisted and pulled, which only served to make me wince as the rough cloth rubbed at my mouth. Eventually it loosened enough that I could spit it out, not that doing so would get me anywhere. What I really needed to do was break my bonds, but not matter how much I struggled, and no matter what I directed my vines to do, I could not undo the rope.

The sound of odd, mutated chattering reached my ears and I froze, eyes growing wide. The undergrowth crackled and popped, and out of the bushes, came a completely disgusting creature. It's skin was stretched taunt over it's muscles, and it had a vaguely humanoid shape about it, though the most off setting part about it were the serrated blades that served as its arms. Its glowing red eyes turned on me and it shuffled closer, mouth stretching wide as tentacle like pincers near its lips twisted together

I snapped to it then, my adrenaline waking within me power I hadn't been able to access before. With a shout, my bonds broke, thick vines protruding out of my arms as they twisted together. The ropes had snapped, unable to contain the widening appendages that were my arms, not that I could see them under the writhing mass of plant life. I didn't allow myself to think about it, instead just stretching them towards the bizarre creature that had decided that it was the perfect time to attack me.

The vines twisted into a point and drilled into the creature as it leapt up, piercing it's hide and dumping a thick, steaming green goo all over me. It squealed and writhed on the tip of my vine drill, finally going still. Panting, I slammed my arm down, flailing until the body flew off and hit a tree with a sickening crunch. I stared at the tip of my vines, startled at what I saw. Spiny thorns jutted out of the edges of the green vines, all wickedly sharp and now covered in the disgusting green goo that the creature had contained.

I began to panic then, unsure of how to retract the vines without causing serious injury to my own body.

"Well this is interesting."

I whirled around, stumbling at the new weight on my arms. Kuo stood there, hand on her hip as she looked at me, eyes practically glowing. "Uh..."

"How'd you end up all the way over here?" she asked. "We couldn't find you this morning, but we left anyways; Cole waits for no one, don't be offended." She circled around me, moving to tap her chin. "This is certainly odd. I've never seen you do this before, and I haven't seen one of those in...a long while." The ice Conduit turned to look at the creature, a troubled expression on her face, before turning to face me. "Well then, what are you waiting for?"

"How did you find me?" I asked, letting my arms fall. The thorns sunk into the ground. "I mean...I don't even know where I am."

Kuo looked at me with something akin to disbelief on her expression. "We heard the Corrupted. Cole sent me to check it out, because he knows I'd know how to deal with it. We were just guessing that's what it was really; he's going to be just as surprised to know there was one all the way out here."

"What do I do!" I didn't want to admit I was borderline hysteria, but she seemed to pick up on it from the way my voice cracked. "I don't know how I did this, it just sort've happened when that...thing, attacked me!"

"Just retract it back like you normally do," she said with a shrug. "I can't see why it would effect you any differently then before."

I closed my eyes tight and did as she ordered. The slithering feeling I had grown accustomed to didn't change, and the thorns slipped in without a hitch, the goo sliding off onto the ground before they fully retracted. I opened one eye and glanced down, half expecting to see my arm torn up and bleeding. I still got a surprise.

My veins had grown dark, and were visible as black lines beneath my skin, twisting around my forearms. Off the thicker lines, smaller ones branched off, in some cases sharpening to a point, and in others just tapering off into nothing.

"I...I think I'm going to be sick," I said, looking back up at Kuo.

She had an amused smile on her face. "If you don't pass out first."

"Wha-"

()()()()()()

I awoke for the second time being carried by Cole. I started when my eyes open, instantly struggling against the confining grip until Kuo put a cool hand to my head, startling me into stillness at the cold touch.

"If you try and walk, you'll fall," Cole said, not looking down at me. "And you've already caused enough trouble."

"I didn't-"

Kuo gave an exasperate sigh and covered my mouth. My eyes widened as ice split from her hand, sealing my mouth shut as she pulled her hand away. I twisted my head to glare indignantly at her, but she was already gone. I had no choice but to settle in to Cole's strangely comforting grip and remain silent, trying not to think about how cold my mouth was.

Nervous, I looked back down at my arms, shuddering when I saw the twisted vines still writhed on my arms, only now they were moving, albeit slowly, but moving all the same. Sensing my shudder, Cole looked down at me.

"You're becoming stronger. Being a Conduit can twist your appearance, and as you grow, and your powers expand, your body starts to conform to it," Cole said. "Don't be afraid. I know you want to be strong. I can see that hunger in your eyes."

I stared at him pointedly and he gave a chuckle.

"Kuo's back with the others, she won't notice," he said.

The ice shattered suddenly, splintering off and falling to the ground beneath us, crunching underfoot. "I don't want to be a freak."

"Never a freak, Kovi. No. Other people only call us that because they're jealous," Cole said, looking forward again. "Now. I said I didn't want any more trouble from you. Then again, you also warned me that you couldn't promise there wouldn't be anymore disturbances, so I can't really be angry. And...you have some new powers. So, I won't punish you."

"I'm sorry," I said, staring down at my mutated arms.

"Never apologize for power."

Cole walked ahead of the others, always, so we reached the edge of the forest before anyone else. He set me down without much warning, and I hit the ground with a thud, rolling onto my stomach and pushing myself up on trembling arms. I was able to stand after a few more moments, but my knees wobbled and my breath came in short gasps.

"What you fought were the Corrupted. I've only seen one or two outside of New Marias, and I didn't think we'd run into one out here," he said with a frown. "Do you think you can kill, Kovi?"

I swallowed thickly, staring out at the city that lay sprawling before us. We were still far enough away, and under the protection of the trees, that no alarms had been sounded about the Beast storming through, so we could talk for awhile. "I don't know. I think I'd be so scared I'd piss my pants first."

"Honest. Well done," he said. "I guess you'll have to wait until next time then."

"What do you mean?" I asked, looking up at him. "We're going to attack them today? But won't that mean we spend the night in there? It's almost noon, and the last city took hours."

"If we work fast, we'll be fine," Cole said with a shrug. "I'll ask you again. Do you think you can kill, Kovi?"

I turned my gaze back to the city. Could I kill those who fought against us? What if they were my age, younger? Could I bring myself to rob another of their life? "They...they think we're freaks, don't they? For having powers?"

"What, you want me to justify it for you?"

Cole rounded on me, gripping my arms tight. I gasped as pain shot up them once more, my flesh tender from their new mutations, and I struggled to meet his gaze. "How's this for justification? If you walked in there, right now, they would shoot you on sight. You wouldn't even have to harm a little hair on their heads. One look at these-" He brought my arm up, forcing me to look at the shifting lines beneath my skin, and I pulled away, wishing it wasn't a part of me. "And they'll shoot you. You have no reason to pity them; they're all going to die anyways! I'm doing them a favor. You'd be helping me. Don't you want to help me? Didn't you say you wanted to make it up to me?"

I took in a sharp breath, looking down at my arms. Sure...they were gross, but I guess I'd get used to it. And it was a sign of my power wasn't it? A sign that I was different, that I was significant? Could I kill though? Could I cast aside everything I had believed?

"Yeah. I did say that," I said quietly. "I can kill. I'll kill anyone who tries to hurt you, or me. We're doing humanity a favor."

Cole gave a small hum of satisfaction. "That's it Kovi. Now, you just came into your new powers, I know, but let me show you something." He grabbed my wrist, his grip much lighter, and tugged me down to sit next to the tree. "When I used to get hurt or tired, I would heal myself by absorbing the electricity of the machines around me. I would bet you could do the same. Absorb the life of the plants. Heal your body."

I closed my eyes, pressing my hands to the rough bark, and focused. It was much easier to focus now that Cole and I had talked. What he said made sense, and I knew that I would follow him, and if that meant going into a city and destroying the dissenters, then I would do that. I couldn't afford to doubt myself anymore. As we sat beneath that tree and I tapped myself into its energy, draining it slowly through my finger tips, I cast aside the old Kovi. I buried him beneath that tree. The weak Kovi. The Kovi who doubted himself, who thought he was insignificant, who could never do anything right, or anything of value. I buried him. Buried him alive. Watched as he struggled. Watched as the struggling ceased.

When I opened my eyes, I felt new, like I never had before. I felt like I could take on anything.

"Much better, isn't it?" Cole asked, his breath touching my ear.

I closed my eyes and shuddered, nodding. "Yeah. I can do this. I want to do this."

Cole stood up and extended a hand. I reached up and grabbed it, noting that their were more lines creating a patchwork on my arm as they twisted and writhed beneath the skin. Kellen, in all her perfection, would never be able to look at them. Humans...they wouldn't understand. Cole though. I looked up into Cole's eyes, saw his satisfaction, and grinned. Cole understood.

"Alright, let's go," Kuo said.

Naomi stood on her left. I had never seen her up close before, and was surprised to see that her eyes were nearly colorless, and completely lacked emotion as she stared at me. "What's he doing here?"

"Good question," Kuo said, arms folding across her chest. "Cole?"

"He's going to fight with us today," Cole said. "If he fails, well...let's hope he doesn't."

"Kovi?"

With Kuo and Naomi, the other Conduits had arrived, Sedona near the front. She stared at me, mouth opened as if she wanted to say something, eyes confused for a moment, then hurt. I looked away.

"Are we going to do this?" I asked.

"Hey, if he's going, I wanna go!" a new voice called.

"Davin, I said you couldn't use your powers for a week," Cole said, his voice angry. "And I'm not taking that back. You all know the drill. If you're new, you'll figure it out."

With that, he took off at a run, breaking cover of the trees and heading up onto the highway. I headed after him, surprised by how easily my legs carried me now. My endurance had been building up in the last weeks, but I think my near death experience more than anything had to do with my new strength.

Electricity crackled along Cole's arms as we ran, and the distinct sound of engines reached my ears. I looked up and nearly stopped as I saw the army trucks roll out, taking in the men with their machine guns along the top.

"What if they shoot us?" I asked.

"Don't let them get that close," Cole said. "Follow your instincts, Kovi!"

With that, he put on a burst of speed and pulled ahead, drawing his amp as he ran. A flash of cold air and Kuo was past me as well. The sound of machine guns snapped me out of my sense and I dropped to the ground on instinct, slapping my hands to the pavement. I gasped as power welled up underneath me, and my vines broke out of my skin all along where the lines were. They writhed and then burrowed into the pavement, cracking it open.

Pain ripped through me but I locked my mind down and did as Cole said. I followed my instincts. A ragged cry escaped my throat and I threw my head back. The sound of screams and exploding pavement made me force myself to look forward, and I watched in wonder as larger versions of my deadly spikes broke free of the ground, piercing the armored trucks as if they were paper, sending them flying into the air. Smaller vines broke off from them, and I focused my mind, urging them to catch the soldiers that were trying to escape.

I felt their life leave them as I snapped their necks and drove my thorns through their throats, could feel it drain through the vines and back into me, making me stronger, making me feel more alive. With a triumphant shout, I forced more vines up through the pavement, ensnaring more soldiers. In a few more minutes, the sound of machine gun fire had stopped and Naomi was standing beside my hunched over form.

"Good work. We barely had to do anything," she said. "But I'd break free somehow, because here comes the calvary."

As she spoke, the ground rocked and the sound of jet fighters taking the air reached my ears. I pulled back, wincing as the vines that had connected me the ground snapped and went limp on the ground. Naomi was already gone, spiraling into the air. I ran for the tree-like creations my vine drills had created, ignoring the dead bodies that lay strewn across the highway like so many rag dolls. Once I was beyond them, I could see Kuo and Cole heading into the heart of the city, mowing down anyone who stood in their way.

Knowing they would be fine, I fell back to my vine drills, wondering if maybe I could extend them up into the skies to help Naomi out. An explosion rocked the ground and I knew she had already taken one out. Working fast, I began to scale the vine drill, using the thorns and spikes as footholds to reach the top. Vines twisted out and created an odd chair for me sit in as I gripped the very tip with one hand and then held my other arm out.

Three jet fighters were in the air, and they let loose a stream of gunfire at Naomi. With barely a thought, another drill fired from my hand, extending farther than I thought possible and tearing right through the metal of the jet fighter. The weight nearly made me topple over, but since my other hand gripped my deformed tree, I was able to force more vines to twist out and hold me tight so I wouldn't fall. The weight of the jet was nothing like the weight of the creature from before, and I could hear the vines holding me upright groaning from the strain. Unable to keep my arm up, I let it drop to the ground, drill and all.

The resulting explosion ended up toppling me from my seat and I hit the pavement with a jarring thud. The vine drill broke off, and I stood up on shaky legs, staring in wonder at the vine drill that had extended from me at least a mile out to where it pierced the flaming jet. Gunfire split the air and I moved without thinking, ducking as it wailed overhead.

I turned my gaze down the highway to see five or sick soldiers approaching me. All over, my body stung, but I ignored it as anger over took me. Did they think they could do anything to us? Didn't they understand we were saving all of humanity? With a shout, I extended my arms. Thinner vines shot forward and wrapped around two of the men. I snapped their necks and with a contented sigh, absorbed their energy. The stinging I had felt melted away and I turned my vines on the remaining three, heading into the city as they fell. My vines retracted, the movement feeling more natural then it ever had before.

"Wait," Naomi shouted, landing beside me. She was panting and holding her side, blood seeping through her fingers and splattering on the ground. "We wait here, for Cole to do what he needs to do."

I looked down the main road into the city. It was barren, the corpses of those who had stood in Cole and Kuo's way forever silenced. I could hear the screams of those still inside, but all at once it stopped. The air seemed to grow dead, then all at once, the screams began once more, in unison this time, grating against my ears as they crescendoed together. A wave of heat radiated out and engulfed me, and I couldn't help but fall to my knees as the power overwhelmed me.

It was like nothing I had ever felt before. Being around Cole had shown me what true power was, but this...this was something I wanted with every fiber of my being. It occurred to me as the power washed over me, ripping through my soul, that this was only a fraction of what Cole felt, what Cole contained within himself. I had thought I was powerful when I had taken down those jets, but this was what true power was.

The wave of heat tapered off, and soon, it was just me and Naomi sitting on the ground, panting with exhilaration. I looked over at her, saw that same mix of joy and delirium on her face, more emotion in those colorless eyes then I had seen before.

"It's amazing, isn't it?" she asked softly, blond hair falling in her face. "It's like being reborn again, every time."

"Yeah," I agreed, looking into the city. "How was I even alive before?"

She snorted. "You weren't. This...this is living."

()()()()()()

After awhile, the other Conduits swarmed the city and we began to look for survivors. Naomi stumbled off on her own, and I found it hard to walk straight as well. It was like being drunk on power, not that I was able to keep it. Unlike the energy I had taken from the soldiers, this was slowly leeching off of me, and within an hour, I was back to feeling normal.

I could see now, why Cole didn't have the Conduits take the city by storm. Having that many people wandering around like Naomi and I did would be disastrous. When I finally became aware of what I was doing, I noticed Sedona was walking beside me, kicking a rock as we meandered down the street. We were in the residential area around a school at this point, and without speaking, I led the way into one of the houses. Sedona followed, head down, and I paused at the entrance, hand on the door knob.

"Sedona?"

"Yes?"

I turned to face her. "I did what I felt was right, okay?"

Before I could say anything, she slapped me, brown eyes watering. "I didn't know where you were! I thought you were dead! I thought Davin had killed you, or Cole, or...dammit Kovi! You just vanished, and when Kuo dragged you back to camp, I thought you were poisoned again, or that maybe you had been punished. And then Cole just carried you away. I didn't know if I was going to see you again, and then...and then you just...you just killed all those people.

"I watched you, Kovi! I can see energy, and I watched you drain them. You had no right! You didn't even look at me when I saw you. You've changed...it's only been a few weeks and you've changed more then any of us. And it's disgusting."

She took a deep breath and stepped back, eyes darting to my arms and then flicking back up. I couldn't help but see her discomfort.

"I don't...I don't understand what happened, alright? I fell asleep, and when I woke up I was tied to a tree. I fought for my life against some rabid creature and gained some pretty freaking scary powers. And I also came to terms with all of this," I said. "I'll figure out what happened later, but for now...for now I know I'm with Cole. And I'm going to always be on Cole's side, okay? I'm not sorry about it either. Cole is doing what's right."

"Killing children is right?" Sedona demanded.

"I can't...I can't do this," I said, pushing past her. "I'll talk to you later, alright?"

"Fine! Just run away from it, Kovi!" she shouted after me.

I clamped down on my emotions and kept walking. I knew I was right. I wasn't going to let her change me.

Sedona ended up avoiding me for the rest of the day. We finished clearing out the city and moved on without any major incidents, and I found myself traveling alongside Kuo instead of Sedona like I usually did.

I learned a lot from Kuo. It was as if today I had proven myself, and now she had decided I was no longer an obnoxious brat that needed to be pushed aside. She told me about how Cole had gained his powers, some explosion with something called a Ray Sphere. She said they didn't exist anymore, and that the way Cole awakened powers for the Conduits was a lot less painful then what the Ray Sphere did. It only convinced me more that Cole and Kuo were doing the right thing.

It helped the Kuo wasn't scared of me. She didn't see my arms and turn away like Sedona did. I had seen Sedona's scared look when she saw the vines twisting beneath my skin, as if I were no longer human, as if that were wrong. Kuo understood that it wasn't. Kuo understood that it was right, that it was a display of power. I had only to look at her arms to know she understood.

Evening came, and with it, training. I was pleased that Kuo paired me up with Naomi, saying she would be able to teach me how to fight in hand to hand combat, which was something that I would be able to combine with my powers. I got my ass kicked, a lot, but knowing that it was all going to pay off in the end kept me from getting angry.

Not once did I hear from Davin again. Maybe he had decided it wasn't worth picking a fight with me, after what I had done. That would be fine with me. Before, I had only just barely managed to hold him off, but after this afternoon, I was on Naomi's level in their eyes, and that was an alright place to be.

Once we broke to sleep, Sedona approached me. She wordlessly took my hand, her grip loose, as if she didn't want to touch me, and she led me away from the others. We had to go quite a ways away to get out of hearing range, having camped out in a narrow strip of woods instead of a wide forest that covered acres of land like before, but eventually we were alone. For awhile, she didn't speak, sitting down on a log and keeping her back to me. In the moonlight, I could clearly see her red hair and pale skin; she really was pretty.

I was mad that we had argued, and I wanted more than anything to make it up to her. She was my first friend, and she had saved my life two times over. It wouldn't be right if I just left things like this. I stepped towards her and laid a hand on her shoulder, frowning when she leapt away as if stung. She refused to meet my eyes, keeping them down on the ground.

"Kovi...I don't feel right keeping it from you. I know...I know that we don't exactly agree on everything but I know you wouldn't do anything to hurt me. I trust you, really," she said.

Given her reaction, I wasn't sure if I believed her. "What's up?"

"I did it again," she mumbled, twisting her hands together. "I found a Conduit, but I didn't wake her up, and I didn't take her to Cole. It was in that house you left me at. She was just so small, and she was barely breathing. I don't think she would've lived much longer anyways, but I didn't...I didn't want..."

I was torn between my desire to shake her and hug her as she began to cry, cradling her face in her hands as she wept. "Sedona...you know I have to tell Cole. You can't do things like that. It's not right."

"No, Kovi. What you're doing isn't right," Sedona said, pointing a finger as she looked at me. The moonlight reflected off her tears and I glanced away, unable to stand the thought that I was the one who had made her cry. "Don't you see what you're becoming? You're...you're losing yourself Kovi. Before long, you'll just be killing anyone, for no reason. You won't have a purpose."

"You don't understand Sedona. I do have a purpose," I said, backing away from her. "And I can't have you trying to mess that up. I'm sorry."

"Kovi...what are you doing?" she asked, taking a step towards me.

"I have to tell Cole," I said.

"Kovi! Don't," she said.

I took a deep breath, then closed my eyes. Leaves scattered as tree roots twisted up out of the ground and wrapped around Sedona's legs, securing her to the ground. Ignoring her sobs and small cries of anger, I headed back towards camp, confident I was doing the right thing. She didn't understand. And someone who didn't understand that what we were doing was right was dangerous to the cause; I knew that, she knew that. She knew what she was saying.

It wasn't like she was blind.

Before I got back to camp, I ran into Cole.

"Kovi?"

"Um...Cole? I need to tell you something," I said.

His eyes glowed even stronger in the night, and it made it that much harder to look him in the eyes. "What is it?"

"Just...follow me," I said, unable to bring the words to my lips that Sedona had betrayed us, betrayed me.

Not yet.

The walk back to where I had rooted Sedona down was quicker than I would've liked, as I had not yet formed the words I wanted to say, but Sedona said it for me as we approached.

"You monster! I hate you!" she yelled, struggling against the roots. "You both...you're both disgusting! I can't believe you would be okay with killing those people. I admit it, Cole! I left two Conduits behind, one in Mayfield, another yesterday. They're both alive. I knew you would kill the youngest one...so I didn't tell you, didn't tell anyone."

"She told me because we...we're friends," I said quietly.

Cole looked at me, eyes boring into mind. "You are?"

I looked at Sedona, looked at her red hair, such a contrast to her skin, her brown eyes. It really was an odd combination. Seeing her tears made me want to say yes, leap to her defense. Say that we were friends, that he should forgive her, and she was just being emotional. That everything was going to be okay.

"Kovi...Kovi please," she whispered. "I know you're human. I know you aren't like him...please Kovi."

"No. We aren't," I said. "She's a traitor to our cause."

The sound of metal against metal slid through the air as Cole drew his amp, electricity crackling. I looked away from Sedona, not wanting to see that fear in her big brown eyes. I wished...I wished it wasn't like this. I wish Sedona would just understand, but it was impossible. I couldn't keep dead weight around if I wanted to get stronger. I had buried the old Kovi earlier. Now I would just have to bury my last traitorous thoughts with Sedona.

"Kovi don't let him do this! Kovi! I know you're better than him," she shouted. "Kovi please! Kovi! Let me go Kovi!"

"We can't have people like you around. I'm sorry it has to be this way," Cole said.

The amp crackled as he raised it up over his head, no more than a foot away from Sedona.

"Kovi...don't forget me. Don't forget...don't forget that you're human, Kovi."

The amp swung down.

And that was it.

I don't know what Cole did with her body. Despite my earlier determination, I broke, half muffled sobs tearing free of my chest. I lost track of time, wiping my eyes only to have more tears flood down my face. Deep inside, I was blissfully numb, like my body was feeling all the emotional pain without the rest of me.

"Kovi."

I pressed the heels of my palms against my eyes, trying to get rid of the disgusting display of weakness my body was insistent on showing. "Did I...did I do the right thing?"

There was a ruffling of leaves as Cole sat down next to me. When had I sat in the first place? "Yes. You remember when I said the name Zeke, don't you?"

I nodded. At the time, I hadn't thought he knew Sedona and I had heard him speaking with Kuo.

"He was my best friend." Cole wasn't looking at me as he spoke, turning his face up to the moonlight instead. "No. He was more. A brother. But he didn't agree with my mission, so in the end, I had to remove him. I had to remove a lot of important people in my life." Cole turned then, strong hand grabbing my wrist and pinning it to the ground. "Do you see what I'm saying, Kovi? You have to understand that nothing gets in the way of our mission."

"I-"

"Don't tell me now," Cole said, his gaze intense as our eyes met. "Think about it. Really think. In the morning, give me your answer. If you want to leave, you can. I won't...I won't stop you."

"Now or later, I know my choice," I said, leaning closer so he could look in my eyes and know I was telling the truth. "I'm staying with you. You changed...everything."

Like before, the urge to kiss him pressed down on me, and I didn't fight it. Unlike before, I actually met his lips with my own, the touch feather light. So into the moment was I, that when he responded I barely started, instead drinking in his taste. The power tainted even that, and I couldn't help but shiver. It was like kissing batteries.

The end came too soon, but Cole had a sly grin on his lips, and a satisfied look in his eye. "Your loyalty is unlike the other's Kovi. You truly understand that all the sacrifices we make are for a reason." He stood then, looking back towards camp. "Stay here and think for awhile. You need it."

Then he was gone, leaving me alone in the cold forest. My first instinct was to simply follow, but I fought it down and folded my arms across my chest, turning my gaze to the moon. Sighing, I pressed my hands to the ground, feeling the energy flowing through the roots of the trees and letting it slide through me. I wasn't draining them, only giving the energy someplace else to flow.

Feeling calmer, I brought my thoughts back to Sedona. Like those of my old life, I knew I would have to bury them here, bury them and never look back. I poured through the memories I had of her, picking out every detail and letting it flow out and into the trees. Every emotion, every thought, I boxed neatly and let it slip out in the well of energy all around me until I felt clean again. When I walked back to camp, all thoughts of Sedona were gone.

Cole's POV

The city was beautiful tonight. It made me think of things long past, things that I should never remember.

When Kovi walked up, my mind was clearer than usual. The fog that usually covered it, the struggle that constantly consumed me, was lifted tonight. I already knew what was in his thoughts – the killing of that poor child. He was young yet. He did not understand the necessity of it.

He was still weak in so many ways.

I explained to him my reasoning. I'm not sure why I wanted him to understand. Maybe it was because I felt as though he wanted to understand. Most people that join don't try to see my logic but Kovi was different. Kovi questioned the things I did – and when my explanation soothed him I was pleased. It made me feel more confident in my actions, that another person agreed with me.

I should not be so weak. I knew this.

When he tried to kiss me – and I am not a fool, his intentions were clear – I realized that, perhaps, he did not understand me as well as I had hoped. Yet I could use that fact to my advantage.

This thought invited the chaos back into my mind and I couldn't stop a smile from escaping.

Then Kovi went off and got attacked. Kuo tells me it's the Corrupted. I'm not sure how that's possible anymore. It feels like Bertrand was a thousand years ago. Could it be that another with his powers has appeared? Are they one of us? The shapeshifter we had went insane – then again, Bertrand wasn't exactly stable. To think I might have to deal with those monsters again…I don't want reminders of the past clouding my judgment.

Kovi always asks questions. He's always afraid. Why can't he see that we're something different, something better? How dare he think for one instant that those who would stop us are better or have any right to judge us? I think he's truly beginning to see the truth of my actions and that brought satisfaction, and that satisfaction placed Kovi into the battle.

I knew Kovi was loyal. I had phrased my responses to make him so, dragged him along. I never lied, no, and I stayed true to my cause. In Kovi I sense potential that I could use to my advantage.

I must do everything I can. Even if that means using his powers to further my mission.

When he brought me to Sedona, I knew I was close to winning him over completely. I offered to let him go, always the true test of loyalty – and he refused. I cannot help but feel pleased at this.

I mentioned Zeke to him. Why? Why would I say his name? A terrible, important sacrifice. Would my life be filled with nothing but sacrifices?

The second time, his attempt to kiss me was much more obvious. I let him, the action innocent and naïve, his lips chapped and uncertain. I didn't feel any pleasure as he kissed me, only determination. If this was the way to make his loyalties certain, to ground him permanently to my cause, then so be it.

I will destroy anyone who gets in my way.