For the past few weeks, I've settled in a routine. Take a package, deliver it, get paid, and report. I shaved off my hair, and I have been living on rooftops. I also learned of CPUs and their sisters. The nations and how things work. Thanks to FoB being one of my regular clients.
Now that I have the necessary information. What now? I figured I am Leanbox's CPU Candidate. Yet, I don't think it's something I can handle.Fighting giant monsters? Taking out conduits? Those are no problem. But leading a nation? It's out of my league. I know I'm gonna have to confront Vert. But not now, I don't deserve to be this important person. I only became important because of Kessler.
I'd rather just pack it all in, after everything I went through. Yet, I don't think I can. Because I forgot how to.
Cole is eating a sandwich while sitting on an apartment rooftop. Cole rubbed her now shaved, nearly bald head. Now her hair won't get in her eyes. Cole just finished a delivery.
She is quite well known amongst the common people and low tier guild agents. The higher ups don't know or don't care about her. They are more focused on large scale threats. While Cole handles the minor stuff.
She's pretty much Leanbox's delivery service. Which is just fine with Cole. FoB allowed Cole to use her computer. While she wore rubber gloves. It was a bit uncomfortable using a keyboard and mouse wearing gloves. At least she didn't fry it by touching it. Even with her immense control over her powers, has always been an issue
Cole's new phone rang, which has been put in a rubber case and electric proof screen protector. Cole saw it was FoB, and Cole pressed accept. She put the sandwich down and answered it.
"Hey Trish!" FoB exclaimed anxiously. She gave a sigh of relief. "What is it? Did Second Son graffiti the apartments again?" Cole asked. "No! The Oracle of Leanbox, Chika made an announcement on television! Did you get it?" She asked.
Cole did get a notification from her phone an hour ago. 'A message to all citizens' it said. Cole ignored it, because she was too busy getting her bearings in this world. And she didn't want any contact from the Basilicom, after escaping from it when she first appeared.
"Yes, I just didn't read it," Cole replied as she looked at the nation from her rooftop. She saw some people with mouse hoodies in alleyways. Some of them had different symbols. Cole began to frown, this is all sounding too familiar.
"Lady Green Heart has been missing for a week after leaving with the other goddesses! Now these ASIC people are running the streets! AND someone broke into and out of the Basilicom weeks ago!" FoB listed off in panic.
"Why did you call me?" Cole asked, he looked at two guys wearing the mouse hoodies, but with different symbols on the back were arguing. "I wanted to make sure those ASICs didn't hurt you. Please be careful alright?" FoB pleaded.
"Anything else?" Cole asked, and FoB made a deep inhale. "Leanbox is having a nation wide lockdown," FoB said and Cole dropped the phone next to him. "Trish? Trish? Trish are you alright?!" FoB was asking, and Cole hung up.
'This is Empire City all over again!' Cole grasped her head in anger. All the memories rushing back. The Ray Sphere, the blast, Moya The Reapers, Sasha, The Dust Men, Alden, Warner, The Invasion, The First Sons, Zeke's betrayal, and Kessler. Cole remembered Trish's final words to Cole.
That Trish was so ashamed at what Cole has become. That God had given her those powers, but she had squandered them. Hurting others and thinking only of herself.
Cole heard the sounds of conflict and she looked down. Those two men are fighting over chips. Cole created a pulse and found traces of electricity and something else in them. It felt like that giant orange crystal in the Basilicom.
Cole jumped down, green lightning roared across her body. She landed in a Thunder Drop. Killing those two guys instantly. Cole grabbed the chips and drained them. Suprisingly she drained both the electricity and the other energy. She feels far more energized than she would normally get. Like she was on a generator for a second.
'I should be on the lookout for these things,' Cole made that note to herself and crushed the chips in her hand. Some green sparks went to her hand. She opened her palm and she let ash sprinkle off her palm.
'These guys are part of different sects. If gangs back home taught me. Then there is someone at the head of each one. Sasha for The Reapers. Alden for The Dust Men. Kessler for The First Sons. Moya for the DARPA Invaders. Bertram for The Militia,' Cole thought back to her experience in gang warfare.
Cole looked behind her to see a guy and girl. Both of them wore the same mouse hoodies. Two different symbols on the front, and from what Cole has gathered, the back. Cole threw a Lightning Grenade. An explosion of green electricity was created at the two gang members' feet.
Cole walked up to the two of them. First she confiscated their chips four each, and drained one. Cole put the other three in her backpack. She's keeping some for emergencies. Cole placed Arc Restraints on them.
Arc Restraints last until someone of the law picks them up. The electricity drains them, kinda like Bio Leech. Except it only sedates them. Making them easy to pick up. Cole already hears sirens. She began to climb up the building.
She headed back to the rooftop she was eating lunch at. Cole picked up her sandwich and finished eating it. She then jumped onto a rail and began grinding.
Cole isn't, and will never be the leader of a nation. This however, cleaning up the streets is her specialty. She did it in Empire and New Marias. She'll do it again, and again. Empire City will never happen again.
Kessler's face entered Cole's brain. 'I won't make those mistakes again you bastard,' Cole cursed her future self. Then narrowed her eyes at a mugging. She jumped off the rail.
Cole used her Static Thrusters and dropped down in between the burglars and victim. The burglars are two guys on a girl. She gave one right hook to the jaw, then kneed him in the ribs. She felt them break against her force. He fell down, bleeding from the mouth. Cole saw some stray teeth on the ground.
The last man ran at Cole with a pipe. Cole ducked under the swing. Then grabbed his wrist with one hand to stop his movement. Cole used her other hand to grab the pipe. She removed one hand from his wrist. Then electricity flew from her body, up her arm, to the pipe, and into the poor sap. He fell to the ground in a smoking heap.
Cole turned to the stunned woman. She hugged Cole and thanked her over and over. Cole awkwardly patted her back. Then went over to Arc Restraint the bastards. Cole gave a two finger salute before moving on.
Already Cole has begun fighting in the streets for the rest of the day. She stopped robberies, shootings, bombs, shady deals, muggings, and other assortment of crime.
With the moon in the air and sky now black. Cole was on a roof of a Flea Market, she counted the chips she stole, and thought about everything she saw. Cole had fifteen chips, originally twenty, but had to use five. Cole used her backpack as a pillow. After an hour, she went to bed.
Empire City, I thought I would move past it many times. After I kill The Beast I can live a life. Take down Kessler, and live a life with Trish. Of course that was just me lying to myself.
Now history is repeating itself. And now this familiar sense of dread has been creeping up. I'm afraid i'll fail like I did the last time. But, I'll worry about that later. For now, I gotta deal with this ASIC.
During my raid on the ASIC yesterday. I learned there are four factions in this gang. Of course, I not only have to deal with a syndicate. But it's warring factions. Things can never be simple for once, now can they?
The factions go as follows; Guys with a gray worm on their hoodies, are called Graveminds. The sons of bitches with red flies on their hoodies are called Locusts. People with a blue 'DD', are known as the DateDynes. Finally, the bastards with a green 'KI', are called the Killer Instincts.
With the CPU gone, and me as Leanbox's Candidate. I have to step up somehow. And this is how I do it. By taking out the trash.