A/N: So Trish kind of irritated me in the game. Cole needed someone to be there for him, and she wasn't. I mean, turning her back on him was a little harsh.
And then the good ending of the game just kind of made you depressed, with Cole being all sad and alone. Why do all superhero stories have to be depressing these days? Well, I say fuck that shit.
I struggled with this for months, so... I hope it's okay lol. I tried. Really!
Mature sexual content ahead.
"You really think this'll work?" Cole mumbled.
"I hope so," Shane's murmured, and he could see her shifting above him like she couldn't get comfortable on her invisible bed. She seemed to be running out of energy fast. "Now go to sleep! You were almost dead yesterday. You need rest."
Cole wasn't sure what made him say what he did next, but he said it anyway.
"Kinda hard without you singing. I'd gotten used to it."
"Hm," Shane said softly. "I guess I could do that..."
She seemed to ponder it for a moment, but it wasn't long before her sweet voice filled the tiny bedroom. Cole rolled over onto his back, looking up at the dark ceiling. He felt his mouth turning up in a smile.
Sing for me, baby... you are so goddamn amazing it should be illegal. Except for the whole disappearing at random thing, but hey, nobody's perfect.
He wasn't sure why he felt so strongly about her. Yes, he'd loved Trish, but she was gone, and he'd let her go... but now it was like he had a second chance to be with someone. So maybe that love at first sight thing had some truth to it after all. Because as soon as he'd seen her he'd felt something. Or maybe it was their powers...
Cole felt the smile fading from his face. Were they only so drawn to each other because they were in that explosion together? What if that radiation had caused some kind of connection between the two of them?
Then Cole wondered if he cared why they had this connection. If he pushed her away, he'd have nobody yet again. And if they went their separate ways, Cole knew he'd never be able to replace her.
He rolled over and sighed into the sweet smelling pillow. Was he a horrible person for wanting his love and his affections to be reciprocated? Because Trish had obviously stopped loving him... He was a human being with feelings, not a robot, and being tossed aside like that had really hurt.
You want her, just admit you do. You want to be the hero, you want to save her. And who says you can't?
Kessler had said he was enamored with her... Cole swallowed hard. As crazy as that guy was, he was right about that too, as much as Cole didn't want to admit it... He liked Shane a lot. But was he ready for another relationship so soon after losing Trish?
Cole lay there for quite some time, long after Shane stopped singing. He pondered asking her out for nearly an hour before he finally drifted off.
He wished he could stop dreaming for once...
He was back in a burning Empire City... bombs were falling, screams echoed in the distance. Fires burned in the windows of buildings... Were was Shane? He had to save her. Nothing else mattered anymore.
He ran into the smoke and fire, searching for her. She just had to be here...
But he was only half right. There, in the middle of Archer's Square, was his only friend.
And she was dead. Her tiny body was lying in an undignified heap on the ground.
Cole fell to his knees, heedless of the fires creeping closer and closer to him. How could this have happened? He lifted her tiny, limp body out of the dirt, cradling her in his lap.
Eventually he looked up, tears stinging his eyes. And in front of him was a familiar female spirit.
"You haven't changed anything," the spirit hissed. "His future is almost here."
This was it. This was Kessler's future... Shane dead, Empire City destroyed, Cole alone... He'd end up as Kessler's weapon, and he'd have no choice about it.
"Then tell me what to do!" Cole screamed through his tears. "What do I have to change?!"
This couldn't happen, he couldn't let it happen... He squeezed Shane's tiny body, brushing frantically at her long blonde hair, like that would bring her back... Smoke was burning in his lungs, slowly suffocating him.
After watching him for a moment, the spirit leaned down slowly. She reached into the pocket of a dead man and pulled out a single silver coin.
"Which side of the coin will you choose?" she whispered, holding it up for him to see. "Life? Or death?"
She flipped the coin into the air. The coin hit the pavement and rolled off into the smoke, leaving Cole dreading what side the coin would land on... Would this be how it would end?
"Life," Cole wheezed. "Please... That's what I want. Let her live."
The spirit looked at him like she felt sorry for him. A broken young man, cradling the body of another girl he was too late to save.
"It is not yet decided. You have squandered your time thus far... but you are nearing the end."
Cole almost felt like he could still hear the sound of that little coin rolling down the street, it hadn't stopped yet... When that coin came to a stop, the future would be decided.
Cole stared at the face of his dead friend. He couldn't let this be her fate.
"Then I still have time," Cole said, speaking to Shane's body. In death, she looked so fragile, so vulnerable. He smoothed back the hair he'd messed up.
Somebody in front of him laughed. Cole looked up, and the spirit had been replaced by Kessler. The man was smiling his twisted smile at the two of them.
"Time?" Kessler said with another laugh. "You were out of time from the moment the ray sphere landed in your hands, Cole MacGrath."
Cole stood up, preparing to run. He glanced behind him, and the fires had already cut off his retreat. Kessler's grin widened as he watched Cole back up as far as he could go.
"There's nowhere to run, Cole..." The madman held up the silver coin the spirit had tossed into the smoke. "Besides, she's already dead."
"No," Cole muttered, squeezing his friend's body. "It's not over yet."
Fire leaped between them, cutting him off from Kessler, from everything... At least that's what he thought, until Kessler stepped through the flames, completely unharmed. Kessler wrenched Shane's body from his arms and disappeared into the flames.
"No!" he screamed trying to decide which way to run, but the flames began climbing his legs as they closed in on him. "Shane!" he cried desperately. "Shane!"
Somebody was touching him.
"Cole!" yelled a female voice. "Cole, come on, snap out of it!"
A cool hand was on his forehead. Finally, his eyes snapped open to see a pale face hovering over him. A flood of relief washed over him. Seemingly without his permission, his hand reached up to touch her face. Shane's hand quickly covered his own.
"Hey, it's alright, I'm still here," she said softly.
Cole tried to form words, but they just wouldn't come. He wondered how she knew what he'd been seeing... Shane looked like she was trying to smile at him but was having trouble.
"You were saying my name in your sleep," she explained gently. "And, um, freaking out... Bad dreams?"
Cole was glad it was dark, because he could definitely feel his face burning again.
"I, well..." he began, wiping the sweat from his forehead with his free hand.
Shane swooped down and kissed his cheek. It was a very quick kiss, but Cole still got a sense of how soft her lips were... Suddenly, all his reasons for waiting to tell her how he felt seemed completely unimportant...
"It's fine," she said, grinning at him.
It suddenly hit him that he was looking at a flesh and blood human and not a spirit. He sat up, also uncomfortably aware that he'd been lying in a puddle of sweat. So much for nice smelling sheets.
"What are you doing? You said you'd stay in the air, you can't... be like this around me," he began, taking his hand back and backing up on the bed. "You have to go back to the way you were."
Shane frowned, lowering her hand. She tilted her head to one side just like she had when they had first met, like she wasn't sure what to make of him.
"Was that why you wanted me to stay in the air? You were afraid you'd hurt me?"
"You heard what he said!" Cole breathed, looking around for his shirt before remembering that it was being washed. "It... controls me. I could hurt you..."
"I don't think that's true," Shane said simply, edging onto the bed with him. Cole backed away further. "I was there that night with you, and I was human. And you didn't attack me."
Cole stared into those unnerving blue eyes, and he believed she was telling the truth. He vaguely remembered the angel kneeling by his side while he puked blood all over himself... She must have been human for a while there, helping him.
Shane was looking thoughtful.
"I don't think you were entirely out of control," she continued, her white fingers twisting her lap. For a moment, her image faded out of view... but then she reappeared, looking slightly shaken. But she hadn't finished yet. "You were just... angry. And afraid," she said quietly. "Anyone in that situation would fight back."
Cole just stared at her, but after a moment what she was saying started to sink in and he began to relax.
"Yeah?" he said slowly.
Shane's smile came more easily this time. She nodded her blonde head. Her hair was no longer spiky, she'd smoothed it back against her head after her shower.
"Yeah," she said simply.
Cole exhaled, taking in this new appearance... he'd never seen her out of her giant baggy sweat shirts and jackets... without those over-sized clothes, he could really appreciate how tiny she really was. Luke Hunter's dog tags were hanging around her neck, and there was a thick scar on her collar bone.
And he wanted her. He wanted her body, her scars, emotional baggage, and everything else about her. He wanted it all.
"So, I have some sleeping pills if you want to sleep some more," she said, crossing her legs on the bed. Cole shook his head. He'd only been sleeping for about two hours, but he knew looking at her exactly what he needed in order to get some restful sleep...
"Well, some tea or something then?" she offered.
Tea? Come on, girl, I don't need tea.
She smiled at him again, like she was convinced tea would fix him right up. It almost made him laugh. He decided right then that he didn't want to wait anymore. He didn't want to dance around the elephant in the room for one more second. They liked each other. Maybe it was sudden, maybe it was too soon, but if this was going to be the end for them... he wanted her to know that he tried for her. He wanted her to know that everything he did from this point on was because he cared for her.
You think you owe me, but I owe you way more.
"Come here," he said in a low voice, holding out his arms. Shane's eyes widened slightly, but she didn't seem too surprised. It was like she'd been waiting for him to just come out and admit it... She edged closer to him and then laid down on her side. Cole shifted towards her, wrapping one strong arm around her waist and pulling her into him. But he couldn't stay still... now that he actually had her in his arms in such an intimate way, he couldn't just sleep. His hand ended up trailing over her arm, feeling her cold porcelain skin. He just wanted to warm her up a little.
He heard her hum appreciatively. That didn't encourage him to stop.
As he was trailing his fingers over her arm, he pondered the truth of Shane's words... She was right, he'd been angry and afraid that night. And it was true that the thought of hurting Shane had never once crossed his mind. Had Kessler been lying when he said Cole's powers would control him? That seemed like something that prick would do, to try and manipulate him...
Because if he could trust himself to not go berserk, he could maybe show her just how much he wanted to be with her.
Shane rolled over to face him.
"Just a little while longer?" she whispered.
"Until what?" Cole muttered uncertainly. Did she know what he'd been thinking?
Shane blinked at him like she was wondering if he'd lost it.
"Until we leave," she elaborated. "I was thinking about what you said, and... we probably shouldn't stay here too long."
Her breath smelled nice too. Cole almost didn't want to say anything back. His mouth probably smelled the opposite of nice. He never thought he'd miss a toothbrush so much, but he'd left his backpack at Trish's apartment.
And he had things he needed to say, but he'd never been good at this kind of thing. Even after over a year of dating Trish, he almost never said "I love you" out loud. "I love you" was another one of those generic sentiments that always sounded hollow and insincere to him, especially when it was coming out of his mouth.
"Yeah," Cole said, after a hard swallow that hurt his healed but still sore throat. "But..."
The tiny girl didn't interrupt. She simply waited for him to get out what he was trying to say. He supposed she'd done a lot of that while she'd been following him around on the wind, waiting for him to get his thoughts together.
"Just wanted to say thanks for helping me," Cole mumbled.
Shane's body flickered again, and for a moment Cole's hand went right through her. His heart pounded. Every time he actually saw her beginning to disappear, he wanted to scream. It was just more evidence of how he'd accidentally ruined her life.
Shane still managed to smile, even though she obviously knew she was struggling to stay together.
"I told you, don't worry about it. It really is nice having somebody to talk to after all these days by myself."
Cole frowned. That was what she had said to him after he'd tried to thank her for rescuing him from the Reapers. He realized now that she had been alone for a long time, even before the bomb had gone off...
Cole could relate. He'd spent a lot of time alone himself.
"I still don't get why," he mumbled.
"Why what?" she whispered back faintly.
"Why you wanted to help me at all," Cole answered, drawing her close to him once more.
Shane blinked at him. Then she carefully readjusted herself against him so that they were lying more comfortably together.
"Well... Why not?" she said simply. "Does there have to be a big, elaborate reason? I helped you because I wanted to. Is that okay?"
Cole gave her a squeeze.
"I guess so," he said with a grin.
Shane obviously wanted him to sleep, but now that he had her in his arms, there was no way that was happening. He gazed into her bright eyes, and he saw no fear there, no worries, just trust. Before he could think that maybe he shouldn't be doing this, he'd moved forward slightly and pressed his mouth to hers.
Her lips were soft... this felt really goddamn good...Cole forgot all about wanting her to stay invisible for her own safety, he forgot about the madman hunting them, and he forgot about the possibility of losing control... The only thing that existed anymore was her mouth moving against his, warming up to his kiss.
He felt her lips part slightly. Cole slipped his tongue against hers... Shane moaned into his kiss. That set him off. He felt himself getting hard, but he had absolutely no desire to stop kissing this beautiful wisp of a girl.
Don't you dare disappear on me, Cole found himself thinking desperately.
Maybe Shane was feeling the same way he was, because she seemed to have no desire to stop either. She tried fighting with him for control, but he easily overpowered her.
Cole couldn't remember the last time he'd been kissed so passionately and with so much heat... Shane's skin had started out cool, but it was losing its chill just by being so close to him.
Cole's hands started to wander, feeling every little curve that he'd wanted to touch. He felt her now warm hands slipping over his chest, feathering over his sore muscles, relaxing them more than any amount of sleep ever could.
That was when things began escalating quickly. Without breaking their kiss, Shane's tiny hands had moved to the waistband of his pants. Cole eagerly assisted her in removing them. He definitely wasn't shy, and as Shane had said a few days ago, he'd already stripped in front of her anyway.
As soon as he'd kicked his jeans off, he reclaimed the girl's sweet little mouth. He'd never been with someone so much smaller than him. He almost stopped them right then and there, afraid that he would break her in half if he so much as hugged her too tightly, but Shane didn't seem like she was going to let him stop. She was kissing him back, inflaming his passions.
His big, rough hands had moved to her shirt. He wanted to take her clothes off... His cock was rubbing against her through his underwear.
"Shannon," Cole murmured, in a brief moment as she paused for breath. Shane hummed, resting her forehead on his.
"Yes, Cole?" she whispered back to him. Her cold hands rested on his chest.
He locked eyes with her. He tugged on her tiny tank top...
Can I take this off?
Shane apparently could read his mind, because her shirt was gone in an instant. Cole's heart skipped a beat. Underneath that shirt was a lacy black bra... he wondered if her panties matched her bra.
Cole wasted no time... they were becoming more frantic, more desperate to see each other. The man was soon sliding her skinny jeans down her stick-like legs, revealing more perfect porcelain skin... not to mention the black lace thong that matched that bra. He wanted to stop right then, but only to admire her body. Because at that moment, Cole had no problem believing that she was the angel.
Without those her clothes, he could really appreciate how tiny she was. And how almost perfect she was... He assumed that she was taking him in too, until he noticed her shallow breathing.
Her hand clenched his forearm as she straddled him. Her silhouette began to blur. She closed her eyes, seemingly trying to cling to him.
Cole reacted instinctively. He was still able to touch her, so he grabbed her waist, easing her quickly but gently beneath his bulk. He wasn't trying to trap her, but trying to help her keep herself together. If he could heal people, maybe he could lend her some of his strength.
"Stay here," Cole whispered, pressing her body against his. He dug into the power in his gut, letting it seep into him and eventually crawl over his skin and onto her. Her skin glowed briefly as his strength oozed into her body. She held onto him, and after a moment, the blue glow faded and her breathing came more evenly. She relaxed against him.
After another minute or two of her body pressed up against his, Cole felt her lips on his neck.
"I'm still here," she mumbled, her fingers tickling his sides. Cole jolted away from her.
"That is hitting below the belt," Cole growled, but he couldn't stop himself from grinning. Because there it was: proof that he could help. He lowered her down onto the bed, only to see a mischievous smile on her face.
"Speaking of things that are below the belt..." she whispered, and before Cole could react, her tiny hands were touching him through his underwear. Cole was instantly hard again... When was the last time a woman had touched him like this? Not because he'd practically begged for it, but because she wanted to.
That was enough... just the knowledge that this girl cared about him, wanted him... Was it so wrong to want to be in a functional relationship with someone? It was only now that he was around a woman who cared about him that he realized just how toxic his relationship with Trish had really become over the last year...
Her little hands dived into his boxers, fingers trailing over his bare skin. He lifted his hips slightly to allow her to push his underwear down his thighs. When they were down far enough, he kicked them off. His member brushed against her stomach.
Cole felt like he was barely holding himself together at this point. He'd never wanted anyone so badly in his life. Letting his cock rest between her legs, he carefully unhooked her bra, freeing up those small, perky breasts. He let out a low groan before descending to let his lips feather kisses over those soft mounds of flesh...
Shane's arms came up around his shoulders, clinging to him as he carefully kissed and massaged those perfect breasts. Slowly, teasingly, he trailed kisses further down her chest, and then down the flat expanse that was her stomach... Shane shivered each and every time his lips met her skin.
When he finally got down between her legs, he looked back up at her.
"Don't stop!" she whispered insistently.
"Wasn't planning on it," Cole murmured in response.
Content with the knowledge that she wanted him to keep going, he hooked his thumbs into Shane's tiny lace thong, easing it down her thighs. She was perfectly hairless... It had been far too long since he'd gone down on a girl. He couldn't even begin to imagine what such a perfect creature would taste like, but he needed to know. But first, he had to get her wet... One of his thick, scarred fingers rubbed the soft folds between her legs and Shannon hummed appreciatively.
It wasn't long before he felt a sweet, slick wetness coating his fingers... but he hesitated when it came to pushing inside her. He didn't know what had come over him, he'd never been so hesitant about touching a girl before...
As he was lying there struggling with his desire, Shane put her hand between her legs, letting it rest on top of his.
"You're worried that you're going to hurt me, aren't you?" Shane whispered, and Cole glanced up to see her grinning playfully at him.
"Mm, nope," Cole responded. And before he could say more, she had eased one of his fingers into that slick, tight opening between her legs. Cole took over from there. He'd wanted this, and her permission was all the encouragement he needed.
She was so wet, he easily stroked the inside of her. He felt her leg twitching as she gasped softly against him. He felt her muscles clenching around him... If he wanted, he could get her off this way...
Maybe he should... Shane was so tiny. He'd heard of guys who worried they were too big for their girls. Cole had always thought of that as machismo bullshit, but... he was a big guy. He weighed nearly twice what she did. Besides, his cock was bigger than a finger... and she felt tight already just with his finger inside. He'd didn't want to tear her up.
Still, he wanted to see her squirm more. This was the best part of sex in his opinion... making your woman squirm with pleasure. His fingers still buried in her, he lowered his mouth to her sweet, wet opening, letting his tongue flick over her folds. She jumped at that, but Cole held her still, taking her soft moans as an indication that she was liking it.
She tasted amazing, like heaven... his tongue trailed over her most sensitive area, taking in her essence, letting it coat his lips. He wanted her to come, but he also wanted to be inside her...
But she didn't seem to notice his reluctance. She had wiggled out from underneath him and positioned him against the headboard. Cole happily went along with her. Grasping his length gently, she climbed into his lap, positioning him at her entrance.
"Ready?" she whispered, hovering over him.
"Yeah," Cole gasped, letting his hands roam down her thighs until he was gripping her little butt.
Shane slowly lowered himself onto him and Cole almost lost it. He felt his cock pushing past her tiny lips, filling the inside of her so perfectly... To keep himself from coming right then and there, he leaned forward and claimed her mouth once again. To his surprise, Shane seemed to take him pretty easily, though she felt so amazingly tight... She started sliding up and down on his shaft, steadily riding him, her breasts brushing against his chest...
He lost track of time. How long had they been joined like this now? All that existed anymore was the feeling of her warmth surrounding him, her arms as they held him tight, her breasts as they rubbed against his broad chest.
He was deep inside her, too deep... as he held her close, pieces of thoughts that weren't his flashed in his head. He saw an engagement ring, a young man in army fatigues, a body in a coffin... Then it dawned on him. These weren't exactly thoughts. They were memories, her memories.
Strangely, that experience of being in her memories didn't impede his desire. It only made him want her more. He shifted his hands to her thighs, helping to lift her up and then lower her back onto him. At this point, every single one of her movements was a kind of exquisite torture.
I think I love you. I can't even explain why, I know I barely know you, but... God, this is crazy. Here, you can have my memories too...
His own memories played in his head. He saw glimpses of his parents as they closed the door on him, the darkness of the sewers, a body falling from the sky... Shane's fingernails dug into his shoulders, and Cole knew she could see it too... But she didn't pull away or stop to question him, simply feathered her lips up his neck.
This was it, this was what he'd been missing in his life. And now that he had it, there was no way he was going to let it go.
He was close now, so close... But first he had to get her there, he needed to hear her scream. Cole reached down to the place where they joined, swirling his thumb around her little clit. He was rewarded when he felt her muscles clench down on him hard. He couldn't let Shane down, he had to send her over the edge...
He pressed a little harder on her clit and she inhaled sharply. With just a little more encouragement from his fingers, she began to shake in his arms, shuddering as her orgasm overcame her... Cole held her up so she wouldn't fall back onto the bed.
But as soon as the peak had passed, she kept going, seemingly trying to extend her pleasure...
Oh, God...
"H-hey, I'm gonna..." he began, but the girl silenced him with another kiss. The message was clear: Don't talk, just feel me.
And that was it. Cole's orgasm overwhelmed him and he came deep inside her, savoring the way her muscles still clenched down on him like she couldn't bear to release him. Even when he had come down from his peak, he still didn't want to pull out of her just yet.
Still panting slightly, Shane simply sat there with her head on his shoulder and her arms around his neck. Cole could feel fluids seeping down his thighs, but at the moment he didn't give a damn.
When they had both begun to relax, Cole reached for the box of tissues on the nightstand. He eased himself out of her, carefully wiping up the mess he'd made.
"Thanks," Shane whispered, throwing the blankets over them and snuggling up to his broad side.
You're in deep now, MacGrath. You've got to keep your promise to protect her. If you don't, you're nothing but a failure.
"Cole?" Shane asked after a minute.
Cole looked down into Shane's big blue eyes. It was easier to meet her gaze now.
"Yeah?"
"Did you see...?" she began hesitantly.
Cole nodded.
"Yeah," he said again, his heart in his throat. "I did."
Shane exhaled, and he felt her shudder. Cole hugged her tightly, nuzzling her like a puppy to make her smile. Shane giggled and looked up at him.
"Oh... and stop worrying," she said simply before letting her head drop back down on his chest. Cole chuckled, letting his hands drift over her back.
"How do you know I'm worrying?" he asked, wrapping the blankets more tightly around them.
"Dunno," she whispered, her breath tickling his chest. "I just do. But don't worry, okay? We're going to make it out."
"You think so?"
"Mhm..." she murmured, her lips curving up into a smile. "Yeah, I do."
Cole was still worried, but he did his best to push that away. He decided to just enjoy this moment... Kessler apparently didn't know where they were, so he felt as if they could relax tonight and worry about getting out tomorrow.
/
When Cole woke up a few hours later, he was pleasantly surprised to find that he was sleeping with his arms around a beautiful girl. No wonder he'd been sleeping so well...
Cole pulled Shannon into his chest, feeling like the luckiest guy in the world, even if they were going to get blown up in... what was it, four days now?
Yeah, who cares? Cole thought happily. I'm going to get us out of here before that happens. And we're going to live happily ever after like this was the end of some twisted, fucked up fairy tale.
Because at the moment, Cole felt all but invincible. Something had happened when they were together. Exactly how it had happened he had no idea, but he knew Shane had seen it too... He'd seen little pieces of her past... her mother, her brother, her father... everyone she'd ever lost. And he'd offered up part of his past in return.
He smiled at the tiger lily tattoo on her hip. He'd noticed it while kissing her stomach last night and it suited her perfectly.
"So," Shane whispered, nuzzling his neck. "You want some coffee?"
Cole glanced at the clock.
"It's barely six in the morning," Cole pointed out. Not that he cared. Really, he just didn't want to let go of her just yet.
Cole felt cold fingers fingers trailing over his chest, sending shivers down his spine.
"Yeah, and I'm usually at work right now," Shane said cheerfully. "That means it's coffee time!"
"Ugh," Cole groaned. "You're a morning person, aren't you?"
Shane giggled before swiftly kissing him on the lips. She then slipped out from between his arms and began searching through her dresser for clothes. She pulled on a sexy black thong and then a silky black slip. Cole rolled over so she wouldn't see the fact that he'd gotten hard again.
"Just give me a minute!" she said happily before scampering into the kitchen.
Cole reluctantly rolled out of bed and began searching for his underwear. As he was pulling them on, he heard a muffled shriek and a thumping sound coming from the kitchen.
"Shane?" Cole called, frowning in the direction of the kitchen. No answer.
"Hey, are you...?" Cole began again, throwing open the bedroom door. And what he saw almost stopped his heart.
Kessler was standing there in Shane's little kitchen, looking immensely pleased. And dangling from his right hand was a tiny girl in a black slip. There was a gleaming metal collar around Shane's neck that Kessler was using to hold her up. Her hands were scrabbling desperately at the collar.
She looked terrified. Her form was flickering weakly, but she wasn't dissolving into silver mist.
"So sorry to interrupt, Cole..." Kessler said easily. "But this little mistake belongs to me now."
Shane sputtered helplessly, her skinny legs kicking out at random like she couldn't control them.
"Let her go!" Cole roared. And before Kessler could respond, Cole let power flow into his hands and hurled himself at the madman.
That was when his vision went black and Cole slammed into what felt like the kitchen's island.
Fuck, I'm blind!
"Don't worry, it's only temporary. I planted a darkness in your mind," Kessler's harsh voice hit his ears. "Honestly, Cole, you didn't think I was going to let you simply walk away from this, did you?"
But Cole had absolutely no desire to talk to this asshole. He just wanted his woman back.
"Shane!" Cole called desperately, throwing his electrified hands out in front of him. "Where are you?"
A weak squeaking sound met his ears.
"Quiet now, little girl," Cole heard Kessler hiss. "The men are talking."
"You let her go right now or I swear..." Cole growled, honing in on where the voice was coming from.
"Ah, Cole... if only you could see what I have..." Kessler said, sounding almost wistful. "Our future is just over the horizon... You and I will carve a new path for humanity. I waited years for such an opportunity to be presented to me."
"You're fucking pathetic!" Cole snarled, disregarding Kessler's proclamations. "Making me blind... What's the matter, afraid I'll kick your ass?"
"Afraid?" Kessler laughed. "Are you sure you're not the one who's afraid, Cole? Does your fate still frighten you? You haven't accepted it yet, have you? Here, let me show you..."
The darkness in his mind cleared for a moment and he saw himself strolling down the city streets, lights flickering out as he passed... He knew he was taking the power for himself. He saw himself walk to the center of town, holding the city's entire power supply in the palm of his hand, and then... he tore the city apart. Buildings fell like they were made of toy blocks. Streets cracked open and trees caught fire.
But the worst part was the expression on his face... He was wearing a sick, twisted grin that matched Kessler's, like was enjoying all the death and destruction.
Cole clutched what felt like the back of Shane's couch as he tried to banish that vision from his head...He needed to concentrate...
Shane, think of Shane... She needs you right now.
And then that vision faded. And for just a few moments, Cole saw something else. There was a moonlit country lane, completely deserted until two figures appeared out of nowhere... Cole recognized himself as he ran down the lane, holding hands with a tiny, silver haired girl who was sprinting along beside him. The girl stumbled, but Cole merely scooped her up and kept running...
What were they running from?
To his dismay, that image broke apart too, and he was left with nothing but empty blackness in his mind.
"It's magnificent, isn't it?" Kessler mused over Shane's weak whimpering. "The changes you could make in the world..."
Cole wondered if Kessler knew everything he'd seen...
"I don't fucking care!" Cole roared, partly to intimidate and partly to cover his confusion. But then he tripped over something as he tried charging again.
"You should care," Kessler's voice came again, but now... it was behind him somehow. Cole spun around. "Fate chose you to help me achieve this. We just need to remove this little distraction first..."
Something in the way Kessler was speaking tipped Cole off.
"You don't know how to kill her," Cole said, almost laughing with relief. "You're a goddamn liar! You said you were going to, but you don't know how!"
"I wouldn't go that far," Kessler said mildly. Cole drew more electricity into his skin. He just had to make contact with the guy... "I am the one who made you, after all... Really, how hard could disposing of one little girl be?"
Cole had just locked onto where the voice was coming from when he involuntarily stumbled. A sudden, piercing pain had hit him right in his chest. He felt as if he'd been impaled through the rib cage with a red hot sword. Cole let out a low groan, putting a single hand over his heart.
"Hm?" Kessler said. "What is this?"
Silence. Cole, still unable to see anything, had a sudden stroke of inspiration. As he pushed down this unexpected and inexplicable pain, he reached out his electrical senses. Electrical currents pulsed in the walls around him, but that wasn't what he was looking for...
"You little slut!" Kessler hissed furiously. "You let him have... part of you."
Cole heard another weak whimper from Shane. Just that one sound tore at his heartstrings, but he did his best to swallow his heartache.
"What the hell would you know about it?" Cole spat, drawing power from a nearby electrical outlet, hoping to ease his pain. "It's none of your fucking business!"
"Well, this is a twist in our tale that even I didn't anticipate..." Kessler mused, and Cole could hear the silent fury building as he spoke. "My perfect weapon, tainted..."
"You're crazy," Cole said through clenched teeth. "I'm not going to be your weapon. And I want Shane back!"
There was huge bang then, and what sounded like all of Shane's furniture being thrown against the walls. Kessler was getting away with his girl!
Cole stumbled after them, barefoot and in his underwear. The pain in his chest wasn't getting any better... absorbing more power hadn't helped anything. He smashed into a wall, crushing his little toe, which only added to the physical anguish he was in.
"This is quite amusing," came Kessler's voice. "I wonder, do you normally go out in your underwear?"
"I'd go out buck naked!" Cole snarled. "Just watch me!"
There were going to be stairs around here somewhere... Cole started treading more carefully. He really didn't need to fall down the stairs and break his legs. That would just slow him down more.
"You have so much untapped potential..." Cole could hear Kessler musing, but now it sounded further away. Not good. "You've barely pushed the limits on what you can do. Storms, lightning, healing... those are all very nice, Cole. Very nice. But I wonder, have you tried to do more? Or do you fear that as well?"
Cole didn't respond. There were about a million things he wanted to shout back, but all of them paled in comparison to the one thought that was ravaging his mind.
Please, please don't hurt her! That really will kill me when nothing else could.
He'd never thought that he could care so much about one person. And he'd never felt more useless. Kessler was right... because he feared his power, he hadn't experimented with it as much as he could have. Maybe if he'd used his power instead of struggling against it so much, he'd have the ability to save Shane right now. Instead he was stumbling around in the dark...
Cole could hear Shane's weak sputtering getting fainter and fainter... He tripped down the first set of stairs, grabbing the railing to keep from falling face first into it. He had to do something other than tripping and breaking some bones.
"Please!" Cole screamed. "Just let her go! I'll do it! I'll be your weapon! Leave her alone!"
"You most certainly will," Kessler agreed, but his voice was now so faint Cole had to strain to hear it. "But it doesn't change anything, Mr. MacGrath. She's a distraction. She's a mistake. She was never meant to exist."
I'll do anything!
"And now look what you've done!" Kessler growled. "Gone and bonded yourself to a doomed little girl..."
Cole kept on tripping down the stairs, following the faint electrical currents in the air.
"Shane!" Cole screamed, still scrambling blindly down the stairs, "I'm coming!"
You can't be doomed, because that would mean I am too! And he doesn't want me dead!
Cole heard Kessler chuckling, like Cole's desperate calls were an amusing joke.
"Is this what you're really afraid of, Cole? Being alone? Is that why you thought you had the marry the first one? Well, that feeling will fade. We will be powerful, you and I... what more could you possibly want, hm?"
"What more could I want?" he snarled as he bounced around a corner. "You never fucking asked me what I wanted! You don't know me!"
The feeling of Shane's life force was getting fainter and fainter... the pain in Cole's chest was making it harder and harder for him to breathe.
"We'll just have to find out then, won't we?" came Kessler's final response. "Well, come and find her, Cole... if you can."
Then there was nothing. He couldn't hear Kessler's rough breathing, or Shane's weak whimpers... They were gone.
Cole jumped as his vision suddenly came back, like a switch had been flipped in his head. He was about halfway down the stairwell. In a flash, Cole had reoriented himself and began leaping down the stairs until he burst through the front door of the building. Not even caring that he was in his underwear, Cole staggered out into the snowy street.
But there was no one there.
"No," Cole whispered to himself, turning on the spot, hoping to see any evidence of where they might have gone...
Nothing. Nothing but his own footprints.
And still, that inexplicable pain in his chest... Cole clenched a hand over his heart, sucking in labored breaths through his teeth. The pain wasn't going anywhere, if anything it was only getting worse, like he now had a second sword being stabbed through his ribs, prying him apart.
You gave him... part of you. That was what Kessler had said. And he'd been pissed.
That was it. When they'd been together, they hadn't just exchanged memories, they'd formed some sort of connection with their powers. He was feeling Shane's pain.
Kessler's an idiot, Cole thought furiously. He fucked around with our lives, giving us these powers when he didn't know everything that could happen with them...
The only thing that offered Cole a small bit of comfort was the fact that there was no way Kessler could kill Shane now. Not unless he found some way to sever the connection between them. At this point, Cole was certain that if Kessler killed Shane, that would be signing his death warrant as well.
You must change the future.
Have I changed anything? Cole wondered. I saw two different visions in my mind. I saw what he wants... but what was that other scene? What does it mean? Does it even mean anything?
Then he decided none of that mattered. He wasn't about to let anything that asshole said deter him from his goal. It was like in his dream... all that mattered was saving Shane and getting out of this hell hole.
I have to get her back before Kessler can kill her, and before the bombs start falling. Yeah... this is the end, all right.
He'd been standing in the snow, stunned, for so long that his feet were numb. Slowly, his heart in his stomach, he turned and started walking back into the apartment building. It was really sinking in now... Shane was gone, and if he failed now, she might be gone for good. Bitter, angry emotions started rising in his throat, making him feel like he might throw up.
Lightning crackled in the sky above him and he froze.
No... no, no, no... You can't do this right now. You can't lose it. Keep it together. Losing your shit right now won't help Shane.
Cole clenched his fists, looking down at the pavement to try and focus... A silver quarter was lying at his feet, glinting in the snow. On a whim, he bent down to pick it up...
Tails.
Shit!
Cole fled back into the apartment to get dressed.