Chapter 5

Urgh my head, what the hell just happened?!

I was unsteady when I got to my feet and extremely confused about being stood in the middle of a large crater. Before I could question anything my attention was drawn to the conduit I was attempting to rescue moments before. His legs were being sucked into the ground and he was screaming.

"What the hell did you do to me!?" his arms flailing as he was sucked in further as if he was submerging in quick sand, "what the hell did you do?"

What did I do? - I focused on my hands and how they had tiny bits of debris circling them and I couldn't explain the – I dunno – the sensation, I buzzed with power.

He fell suddenly, being sucked further into the ground. It was his power. The ground around us shook furiously. I rushed to him, he was below now, and I grabbed a fragment of road with one hand and reached out to him with the other. He was terrified but I knew what to do and I knew how to do it.

I focused on the ground surrounding the trapped conduit and it felt like I was pushing it up – it's hard to describe but I was telling the ground below what to do and it obeyed, it came to me as easy as commanding my hand to make a fist. It was still a struggle as I was fighting against his uncontrollable downward push as if we were locked into some sort of conduit arm-wrestle of powers.

"Stop struggling!" I strained through gritted teeth, I was losing him "try to relax."

He nodded thankfully and his power dwindled momentarily, allowing me the upper hand. My power pushed him from the ground and pulled at him from the air and I could finally reach him. I gripped his hand tight, I pushed the ground beneath him with every ounce of strength I could muster and pulled his arm with all of my physical strength. I almost had him free.

Then – Boom!

Something hit, our hands were ripped from their grip and I was thrown backward. I yelled through the smoke and clouds thrown up from the explosion, I tossed aside rocks that had partially buried me and scrambled to my feet just in time to see the smoke clear a little and the conduit swallowed up into the ground by his own power.

I stood, doing nothing. I'd discovered my power but I was powerless. Another explosion and I was thrown backward again. Shit I had to get out of here. I didn't think – I only acted, through pure instinct I focused my inner strength and I was catapulted into the air.

I was high above it all now, it was frightening and exhilarating all at the same time. I could see all the chaos below but up here I was untouchable. I felt invincible. I steadied myself and looked around, debris had followed me up but it immediately fell when it strayed too far from the grasps of my power.

Gravity manipulation was as good a power as any, I would have celebrated my new found power but after what I'd just witnessed all I could think about was the conduit who was buried alive by his own power and I remembered his words – "What did you do to me?!" – what did he mean by that? What did I do? And what exactly happened to him? He wasn't sucked under by my power, I'm certain I would have known if it was me.

I'd dwelt too long, it was time to leave - but where to? Eugene was the only lead I had – his number must have been on the phone – the one I pulled out of pocket in bits with a shattered screen that wouldn't even turn on – dammit!

Nevermind – I could go to his basement for now, I needed somewhere to stay for tonight and I was sure Eugene wouldn't mind.

Now how do I control this thing?

I let my arms rest beside me. I revolved slowly in the sky, I could feel myself encased in my own power and I seemed to have two settings – pull or push. I could focus on an area and from there I could draw things in or push them away – maybe there was more to it but I'd need to experiment more to figure out what else I could do. My power was pretty subtle too compared to the other powers I'd seen up to now, no flashy neon lights, melting metal or oubursts of wind – I could use this to my advantage though – getting around without creating chaos would make it much easier to slip under the DUPs radar.

Ready to experiment, I placed my hands behind me and pushed with my power! I was flying! Holy shit I was flying! Slow and steady at first - scared that I'd catapult myself halfway around the world but as I sped up I was surprised by how easy it was, I just knew what to do – it was like riding a bike - with training wheels.

I navigated the sky easily, maybe not as gracefully as I could have done but practice makes perfect. The basement was below me now, time to pull myself back down. Easy, slowly – I frantically looked around – the coast was clear – slowly, slowly aaaaaaand – feet firmly back on the floor.

That. Was. Awesome!

The sensation of my weight returning to me after feeling weightless was the oddest feeling but it only took a few seconds to recover and I gripped the door handles of the basement and wasted no time getting inside. As I went in deeper something felt very wrong and what a mess! What the hell had happened here?

"Eugene?" I called "hello?"

Nothing.

I cautiously crept in further amongst the smashed screens and broken glass, "anyone here?"

Nothing.

The place was completely trashed, the keyboard I'd used earlier was snapped in two and the screen above hung shattered from the wall. There was no way I was going to reach Eugene now. Who the hell did this? Those psycho DUP? – Maybe the other conduits? Considering the conduits were meant to be the ones wreaking all of this havoc, I hadn't bumped into many of them.

What could I do now? … I needed to sleep soon too - was it safe here? I yawned and my eyes struggled to remain open, so tired – guess all the flying around had taken it out of me. I doubted whoever trashed the place was coming back tonight – or I hoped not at least. I dug out a huge beanbag and carefully swept broken glass from it. I used the last of my strength to pull the beanbag along the floor and a little out of the way of all the chaos of the room, I fell into and closed my eyes.

Several hours later …

"Helllllooooooo!" a voice disturbed my sleep, I woke up a little each more with every foot step coming down the steps "Eugene? - anyone home?"

I threw my eyes open and a familiar face greeted me, it was sudden, I raised my hand to ready my defence.

"Oh wait, I remember you," Delsin said casually "what are you doing here?" he folded his arms and looked me up and down, resting his back on the doorframe.

I lowered my hand but I didn't answer.

"So…" he pressed himself away from the door and approached "seeing as you're here -you must have met Eugene? Do you know where he is?"

"I haven't."

Delsin cupped his ear encouraging me to repeat myself.

"I haven't," I said again louder – it wasn't strictly the truth but not a lie either, "I needed a place to stay, I found this place."

Delsin nodded, I'm not sure if he believed me or if he really cared, he'd started sifting through some loose papers spread a top a messy desk as if he was looking for something "ya know," he began "I've been looking for you too."

I got to my feet, I remained silent.

"I was thinking about Curdan Cay, you wouldn't believe some of the badass tricks I picked up the other day," he grinned and his attention was on me again "shadow, electricity – big fan, let's see – ice, water, fire …" he counted each ability on his fingers "I'm playing with glass at the moment," he demonstrated with his outstretched hand and each finger sprouted shards of thick glass – he looked at me, menacingly – for a split moment, and then he smiled, dropped his hand and allowed the glass to fall and smash onto the floor "I'm still finding new things all the time, I really should have made a checklist or something."

I nodded, not knowing where he was going with any of this.

"Anyway," he sighed and glanced about the room "Things is," he paused and his eyes bore into mine, "I don't think I got any powers from you."

My eyes widened. What did that mean? He didn't get gravity?

"What's your power?" he asked.

I hesitated but thought I'd play along for now, "Gravity,"

He gave a slow nod and I could see him calculating the possibilities, "sweet, I think I can work with that… well I mean as soon as I figure out where the hell you drain gravity from."

Drain it? What did that mean? I just used it I don't recall 'draining' it from anywhere.

"Can you demonstrate?" he asked, crossing his arms again. "you know – show me how it works?"

"What?" I replied "right now?"

"How dangerous can it be, right?" the idea seemed to excite him.

I looked around, I probably could do something relatively safe right here. I extended my arm locked my sights on to the broken glass, he'd cast from his fingertips just before and carefully I pulled it toward my fingers as if it was attached to small strings. It trembled and began to lift at my command, I even threw in a few rotations just to show off – but I was as surprised as Delsin looked, it was all still very new to me – the glass lifted slowly and smoothly until the shards barely touched my hand and I allowed them to fall – I still couldn't believe how natural my ability felt.

Delsin clapped "you have got to teach me!" he said with a huge grin.

I grinned too, it was pretty amazing.

"So I didn't catch your name" Delsin said.

"It's Miles," I replied – my name still didn't conjure up any memories.

"Miles," he replied muttering it "Miles," again.

The conversation had taken a serious turn, "Yeah," I replied. Well, my last name at least, my first name began with the letter 'A', according to my prison outfit, but I still couldn't remember anything.

"Huh," his eyes narrowed – did he know me? I'm sure his response would have been more significant if he did.

I thought about telling him about my amnesia, if he knew my last name – maybe he knew my first name, maybe he knew my family, where I came from – I dunno, something. But I quickly remembered the two conduits he so casually executed at Curdan Cay simply because they were a little too eager for their freedom – and then there were the audio logs, and that DUP agent recording them certainly didn't paint the best picture. I decided against telling him.

"Well if Eugene isn't here, I guess I gotta search someplace else," Delsin sighed.

I was somewhat relieved.

Delsin extended his hand to prompt a handshake, "was good to see you again, man."

I accepted and grasped his hand, I caught him smirk before my vision became blurred.

What the fuck?!

What was this!? I felt like my insides were being prized from me - I resisted, my vision sharpened once more in time to see the smirk fall from Delsin's face, whatever he had intended to do - it was not going to plan.

Earlier – with that conduit buried in the ground, when I had grabbed his hand, our hands locked and I couldn't let go – this time we were thrown apart – quite dramatically to opposite sides of the room. I didn't recover straight away. My mind was swimming – and then the images again.

Face after face after face, I could've sworn I knew some of them – and then there he was again – the last face the same as last time – Reggie. I shook it off and got to my knees it was all that I could manage.

"Who's Reggie?" I didn't mean to say it out loud. Through strained eyes I caught a glimpse of Delsin sitting upright, crushed into a shelf at the other side of the room. His face was overflowing with panic, he held his upright palms in front of him and he looked to be struggling to keep his powers under control.

"NO .. NO .. NO!" he yelled out body covered in glass "make it stop!" electricity sparks "Arghh!" shadow, grass, wood, ice, water – the powers were flicking in and out so quickly I could hardly make sense out of what I was seeing – wire, light, air, paper, neon, lazers, vapour, fire and lastly smoke and it was at that point he lost it.

He screamed out fighting his power manifestations trying desperately to cling onto his physical form, he became engulfed in flames and the shelf behind him set ablaze and the whole room was quickly submerged with thick smoke.

Shit I couldn't get near him – it was like the other conduit all over 'd lost control, I couldn't see it again – I couldn't see another conduit swallowed up in their own powers. It was cowardly, it was fight or flight and I chose flight. I left. I threw the doors open when I reached the top of the stairs, I could barely see through the plumes of smoke.

I turned around, I immediately regretted leaving him behind, I'd made a huge mistake "Delsin!" I yelled "shit!" I held my head in my hands "Delsin!"

It was no use, fire licked up around the entrance doors now, there was no way I could get in – no way he could get out. I tried to throw the fire away using gravity – it wasn't working – I was just making it worse. I stopped, hand over my mouth.

What the fuck just happened?!

I looked around for anyway I could help but again I was powerless. I landed on my knees and just sat there – helplessly and cowardly staring into the flames that devoured the doors.

And just to continue a theme – a DUP SUV came rolling around the corner, I hadn't even noticed until the machine gun began shooting several rounds my way. I didn't even try to protect myself but my powers did, the bullets froze a couple of feet away from me as if I was behind an invisible, impenetrable wall.

I stood. I was distraught, I was angry – I unleashed my power and sent the bullets sailing into the sky – but I didn't stop there, I raised my hand and hurled the SUV propelling into a skyscraper and watched as the building tumbled like a castle made of playing cards.

And I just watched.

Moments passed.

I came to my senses.

What if there were people in there? What if I'd hurt someone else? This was all too much – I threw myself into the sky and fled as fast as I could.