Chapter 10

Delsin sped towards me, propelled in a gust of wind to quicken his pace.

"Any conduits in there?" he asked casually.

I froze but managed a nod before I had time to think.

Delsin grinned and threw his palm onto a keypad beside the door and pumped a large charge of electricity into it. Then he used wind again to try and thrust open the doors, it wasn't as effective as he'd hoped the doors budged but not nearly enough to allow someone to pass through.

"Little help?" he strained at the limit of his power.

I complied and summoned gravity again and with the force of both of our powers eventually the door buckled. I couldn't believe the width of the door once we managed to crack it open no wonder it was a difficult task.

Delsin didn't hesitate he headed inside.

"Get away from me you freak!" Morris scrambled backwards.

Delsin lunged at the man and gripped his face in his hand but quickly pulled away when nothing happened. He glanced at his hand for a moment, he seemed puzzled - and then he looked at me and smirked - I could tell he'd come up with something - without warning he grabbed me and thrust me into Morris forcing my hand onto his arm. it was too quick and unexpected to prevent - physical contact was made.

My grip was locked onto Morris as if we were magnets and flashes of his consciousness invaded my own, I saw his daughter – I felt his happiness.. then ... and then the agony of losing her, I felt so unbelievably empty.. then ... then nothing – the invasion ended before it had really started and my own consciousness pushed it to the back of my mind and I felt a new surge of power coursing through me.

I could finally let go of Morris, who was on the floor holding his head and wailing - he was about to lose control - I was dazed and fell backward. Delsin again rushed toward him and gripped him but by the throat this time, I couldn't even shout out, I was in no state to intervene, but was he absorbing Morris' power too? – how? Moments ago it hadn't worked when he touched Morris - nothing had happened.

Morris managed to throw Delsin from him, but I think Delsin already had what he needed. I looked toward Morris in fear that his powers would manifest and he would be sent out of control and consumed by his powers like all of the others but he just lay there – I think he was unconscious now.

"So what do you think we got?" Delsin smirked referring to our new power, completely unfazed.

"What the hell just happened?!" I asked, stunned.

The building shook again, almost throwing us off our feet.

"I'll explain later," Delsin said "urgh, told Fetch not to go to town on this place until we were all out!"

Fetch? Wait – I swear I've heard that name somewhere before.

"Last one out the building is a rotten bio-terrorist!" Delsin shot away in a neon stream leaving me with Morris' to contend with, I had every reason to leave him behind - dammit - I sighed.

I went back to him, I hoped there was no harm in physical contact now. Luckily there wasn't, I attempted to pull him over my shoulder with a lot of aid from my gravity powers. It was a hell of a struggle but I got us out.

Once outside unable to hold Morris' weight anymore my legs buckled and I dropped him to the floor, I panted with exhaustion as I watched the building come down - I'd got us out just in time.

A gust of wind almost knocked me over and Delsin manifested from it. We watched as the Curdan Cay like construction came down in a display of firey neon.

"That will never get old!" Delsin laughed.

"Mind telling me what the hell is going on?!"

"I think you mean 'thank you for saving my ass again, Delsin,'" he sighed "what you have Stockholm syndrome or something? Don't like your freedom?"

I shook my head, "you promised me an explanation."

My explanation was disturbed by Morris' awakening, he lifted his torso but was too weak to stand "what the hell did you freaks do to me?"

"And you're welcome too," Delsin shook his head.

I fell to the floor, hands outstretched – and drained the gravity from the raw earth, it didn't seem to work too well through any man-made material, I felt so much better now. It hadn't gone unnoticed by Delsin.

"Ah ha," he grinned "so that's how you-" his speech was cut off by a small explosion from the ruined building, dying flames sprouted up between the piles of rubble - I hope all the conduits had made it out, "well no point in hanging around here," Delsin said, he had already began to wander away.

"I'll fucking kill you, I'll kill all of you," Morris coughed as he stood, it was sudden and he charged toward and went to swing for Delsin.

Delsin didn't need to lift a finger, the punch passed straight through his neon form and burned Morris' knuckles. Delsin didn't say a word when he retained his solid form, he just glared at the man who upon failing to hit Delsin turned to me, I wasn't quick enough and I stumbled backward as he punched me hard in the gut. Delsin immediately came to my aid, he quickly coated the man in a layer of concrete.

"Stop…" I was winded by the blow I struggled to get the words out, "don't hurt him..." several further inches of concrete crept up Morris' legs, "please."

Delsin hesitated, I could see that he was struggling with some inner turmoil before he eventually obeyed and lowered his hand. Morris didn't dare say another word – locked to the ground in concrete shackles that reached up to his knees. Delsin paid him no more mind, he turned to me and looked concerned, "can you stand?" he asked.

I answered with an exhausted stumble.

"Woah, woah," he lifted my arm over his shoulder "I got ya, I got ya."

He summoned a mini tornado and carried us away under a gust of wind – it was fast, what an amazing power! not as smooth as gravity but I wouldn't have minded this in my arsenal.

He dropped me down in a carpark beside a parked car, I'd already recovered.

"Fetch!" he yelled "Fetch!" louder "Abigaaaaail!" he exaggerated his yell for that last name as if it amused him "ah, she's probably gone ahead, let's go,"

"Where are we going?" I asked.

Delsin appeared to be weighing up the options between cars left abandoned in the car park - was he even listening?

I happened to spot one, doors open - keys in the ignition, engine still running - the owner must have been in a hurry to get to all the commotion - I didn't want to think about their fate now, "how about this car?" I asked.

Delsin grinned and approached the driving side, "Still have things I need to do in Seattle sooo …" he finally replied "I mean you can stay here if you really want?"

I shook my head and opened the passenger side door.

Delsin got in and quickly familiarised himself with the interior, "You know I never did get round to getting my license," he reversed abruptly before speeding away, "heh, Reggie was always telling –" He ceased his speech suddenly and quickly concealed his solemn expression with a smirk.

Reggie? I didn't question anything – it was clearly a painful subject. I quickly pulled my seat belt closed.

At first neither of us spoke, Delsin strummed the driving wheel with his fingers and I got the impression he wanted me to speak up but when I didn't he turned on the radio.

- the bioterrorist known as Delsin Rowe is still at large and considered extremely dangerous -

Delsin changed the chanel

- regarding the bioterrorist threat, the president had this to say -

Delsin changed the channel

- the DUP are still regarded as the primary task force to -

Urgh Enough - I turned the radio off, "what happened back then?" I asked "in Eugene's basement, I'm sorry – I didn't mean –" of course I was referring to when I somehow sent Delsin's powers into overdrive – I thought I'd killed him.

"Sorry, what for?" Delsin replied "seriously? I should thank you,"

"Thank me?!"

"I just don't get why you didn't tell me about your true power to begin with,"

Because I didn't know – should I tell him? Can I trust him? "I don't fully understand my power yet," I didn't want to change the subject, "back in the basement - what happened?"

I saw Delsin's eyes widen but they remained firmly on the road, "well I mean, I completely lost control back there … but when I recovered I could do even more than before."

"What do you mean?" I asked.

"I guess … I levelled up?" Delsin grinned "You have more than one power I'm guessing," Delsin paused "you're like me, right?"

I nodded.

"But not only that," he continued "I think you can sort of amplify power or unlock it, am I right? Before I couldn't use more than one power at a time, as you can imagine that's pretty inconvenient – but now I can do whatever –whenever so long as I can drain from somewhere … And now when I absorb powers," Delsin appeared excited but quickly dropped this expression "actually - never mind – anyway I had Eugene look into it, we're going to see him now he can fill in the details, I've heard of a conduit before that had something similar to you –like buffing powers – I take it you've heard of 'the beast'?"

I shook my head.

"Have you lived your entire life under a rock?" He asked with an incredulous grin.

I didn't answer.

"I guess the Akomish actually do sort of live like that," he said.

I was taken aback - I looked at him – his expression was difficult to read it was almost as if his words were testing me - he knew I was Akomish? How could he possibly know?

"For what it's worth," he said "thank you for not talking back in Curdan Cay, you know - to Augustine. I heard that you went through hell and you had my back …so it's appreciated."

"Delsin," I sighed – screw it I thought, us both being Akomish had to stand for something, it did back in Curdun Cay when I refused to speak up after all and went through apparent hell - dammit I still remembered nothing, "I've lost my memory."

"Uhh," Delsin eyed me, it was the first time he'd took his eyes off the road, it was only for a second.

"I don't remember anything," I continued "before waking up in Curdun Cay the day you broke everybody out,"

"Man…" Delsin sighed, "that's pretty rough."

I didn't reply.

"Maybe we can help eachother," Delsin suggested.

"How?" I asked.

"I want to keep conduits safe, in order to do that I need power,"

"Don't you have enough power?"

Delsin shrugged "meh - can't have enough power," he smirked "and with you on side, we can power everyone up, unlock the others – we'd be unstoppable."

"I'm not interested in fighting."

"Not like you can ignore it, dude," Delsin replied "so are you really OK with the DUPs running around caging us up like animals? – killing us? Torturing us? – taking our memories?"

"How about the conduits you killed at Curdan Cay?" the words fell out of my mouth without thought – why the hell did I bring that up?

Delsin slammed the break suddenlt and we came to an abrupt halt. He looked at me menacingly for a split moment before relaxing his expression into what looked like a very deep seated guilt "have you ever…" he swung his pupils away, he was difficult to read - he looked off into the distance as if scouring the road for his words he composed himself and his eyes bore deep into mine, "have you ever just..." he sighed "snapped?"

I thought about it, and remembered - yeah I guess I had – I threw a DUP tank into a skyscraper without thought of any innocent people possibly caught in the array, it was so easy, so careless - I stayed quiet.

Delsin sighed and looked into his palms that had began irradiating small wisps of smoke which he toyed with between his fingers, "I always tried to do the right thing, ya know?" he paused thoughtfully, he clasped his hands - smoke extinguished, "my intention was to help. Always. My intention was to save them."

This conversation had certainly taken a dark and serious turn, I simply listened.

"Some people wont be helped, some people are ungrateful," the brief burst of anger quickly dissolved into what looked to be deep sadness, "no matter what you sacrifice," he muttered, his expression lightened and he gave a sad smile he looked at me with less intensity than the last glance, hidden deep within his eyes was pain. Was this really all about those two conduits?

Perhaps it was my imagination but it almost felt like he wanted to apologise - maybe for the conduits he's killed or maybe for worse atrocities he'd committed - I didn't know his background but he seemed very ... troubled.

Delsin continued "but back there just then I would have killed that conduit," he was referring to Morris "but you stopped me,"

Well he certainly seemed remorseful, and he was right – he did stop.

"I guess what I'm really saying here," Delsin shook himself into his more natural tone – the intensity seemed to just melt away as if it hadn't really ever been there, "with you around to keep me in check – I wont go messing any of this up … And I'll help you get your memories back," he smiled and pushed his fist forward "deal?"

we fist bumped and I returned a smile, "deal."