User blog:The Christian Nerd/InFAMOUS Multiverse: "Old King Cole"

'''Note: First Installment in the InFAMOUS Extended Universe. However, rather than the main universe, this is the first installment in the InFAMOUS Multiverse series. Particularly the Condemnation Timeline. Gotta start somewhere. Anyway, on with the story, hope you like it.'''

Characters in this story:

Evil Cole MacGrath (Condemnation Timeline)

Moya Jones

Zeke Dunbar

Sasha

David Warner

Because of me, Empire City is a wasteland. I've taken this place down notch by notch, and it's never getting up again.. Kessler thought he was preparing me for some beast, that I'd be using my powers for the greater good. What an idiot. These powers are only good for one thing, and that's getting what I want, when I want. In a place with no law, the strong take what they want, and the weak are their slaves, their playthings. And no one's stronger than me…

The sky shone a deep blood-red, the light shining at just the right angle to make everything bright light and dark shadow only. Dark clouds stretched across the horizon, almost as if the heavens had been scarred. It was quite unnatural, as if some cosmic vandal had taken blood and smoke and painted over the clear blue that had been there before.

It was more than just the sky that had people on edge. You had but to turn an ear to notice what was really wrong. Silence. In a city of tens of millions, there was utter quiet. What people that actually braved the streets did so uneasily. They walked hunched, terrified. They walked like frightened animals sure that a hungry predator was about to jump around the corner and gobble them up.

They weren't entirely incorrect.

The few times the silence was broken, it was by the sharp retort of a gun or the chilling screams of the dying. Empire City was no longer a city, but a jungle. The masses huddled in fear and prayed for safety, as small pockets of gangs wandered the streets, trying to limp on despite being crippled by a much worse terror than them.

The Reapers, the Dust Men, the First Son. Each group held power. The Reapers with their plague of tar, mind control, and suicidal nature. The Dust Men with their telekinesis, junk armor, and legion of the desperate. The First Sons with their centuries-advanced technology and mentalist powers. In the hellish three weeks since The Blast, these three groups had become drunk on power, ruling their respective islands with iron fists.

But a blade of steel had come and decapitated each, brought them to ruin. Sasha, the mistress of the Reapers, had been kidnapped and imprisoned. Alden, the war hero of the Dust Men, had disappeared, presumed dead in his failed invasion of the Historic District. And Kessler, leader of the esoteric First Sons, had been killed by a weapon of his own making.

That weapon roamed the streets, spreading mayhem and misery whither he went. Before, he had been a nobody, just another citizen of Empire City. But The Blast had given him power. Power enough to capture the city back from the gangs single-handedly. Power that he had used to conquer, to replace chaos with his authority, and authority that killed all who dared oppose it.

Empire City had a king, and his name was Cole MacGrath.

I ran across the roof, feeling no fear of the drop. I leapt into the open space, allowing gravity to have me for a few short moments. Then I defied it, like I had so many laws. I open my hands, and electricity rushed out. The air beneath my arms became dense, excited by the electromagnetic energy rushing out of my body. I soared through the air, feeling the wind rush against me. I used to only be able to glide, but now thanks to using the Ray Sphere again, I can finally fly. I soared into the air high above the city before succumbing to gravity once again.

With the skill of long practice, I performed a somersault just moments before landing on one of the rundown rail lines. Lighting sprung up around my feet, latching onto the metal. The two equal forces repelled, lifting me oh so slightly off the surface. I sped across, magnetism my chariot as I moved faster than a lightning bolt over the ground.

I flared my senses, sending power out into the air. Information rushed into my brain. I knew that there was a generator on the roof of the building I was speeding towards. I knew that a Blast Shard was somewhere off to my left, the energy in the hunk of rock resonating on the same frequency as my own.

And I felt the presence of my target, just below me.

I leapt from the cable, momentum carrying me forward as I sped towards the ground. The impact would have killed me just a month ago. Now I didn't even fell it, my skin like invulnerable armor as it was completely unharmed by the impact.

I spun around, my eyes narrowing with focus as the world slow down. A Conduit of the First Sons faced me, frozen in a brief moment of shock at my sudden arrival. He wasn't invisible yet; I'd caught him off guard. A second later, he'd remember the giant riot gun in his hand and try to fruitlessly fire at me with bullets that would fell like needles. Then he'd focus his mind, bend the light around him with the aid of his suit to blend like a chameleon with the environment.

I didn't give him that second.

A narrow and intense bolt of lightning, black as my hardened heart, shot out of my readied hand. The raw electricity firmly impacted his gun. The gunpowder caught, and the shotgun exploded in the Conduit's hands. A cloud of shrapnel spread out, mostly hitting the Conduit. He roared in pain through his gas mask, meant to protect him from the tainted airs of the city.

Some of the flying metal came my way. It hit an invisible wall, disintegrating as I converted it's mass into energy to fuel my ever growing power. I dropped the shield, walking forward towards the dazed Conduit, who stumbled as he tried to pathetically run away. With my right arm surging with the power of a black and red electrical blade, I sliced his chest clean open with one strike. The Conduit flew through the air, screaming in pain as the gaping, cauterized slash across his chest surged with paralyzing electricity.

The guy landed, utterly helpless. Between the shrapnel and having his chest cut open, he was out. I casually walked toward him, letting lighting arc around my palms absentmindedly. I crouched down and ripped the mask right off the Conduit.

He was middle-aged, the brown of his air slowly losing the war against grey, lines creeping into his face. His eyes held fear, and I reveled in it. It was such a rush, knowing that you were in control, that you could change the world around you however you wanted, make people do whatever you wanted. Kessler had wanted me to make 'impossible' decisions. 'Impossible' only means shit when you have morals.

I looked the man in the eye, letting him see me and realize his life was in my hands. I'd seen my reflection a few times. Even I'll admit it's a bit creepy. My skin had paled until it was pallid as a corpse, the lightning shaping me from within to reflect my nature. My clothes with caked with dirt and blood that would never come out. My eyes were flat and almost reptilian with their lack of emotion. And to top it all off, dead, black flesh covered my head and neck and pretty much my entire body with patterns like lightning bolts.

Sure, in the right lighting and minus all the clothes, I'd probably look like some kind of avenging angel. I killed that thought off almost as soon as I had it. I couldn't let that affect me.

I grabbed the man's head, holding it between my hands. I let just enough electricity leak through to make him uncomfortable. "Here's how it's going to work," I said, making myself as menacing as I could. The guy looked like he was about to wet himself. "You're going to tell me what I want to know. All you get to decide is how painful I'm going to make it."

The man gulped, but he was a fanatic. The First Sons was practically a cult, and cult's are all about the secrecy. "D-Do you're worst, monster," he said. He probably tried to sound defiant, but all I heard was a guy hoping for a quick death.

I grinned, and he broke out into a cold sweat. "Alright, then." Standing up, I brought energy to my hands and lowered them towards his chest. The pulse flew out, the electricity reaching out and healing his gaping chest as it did for me.

The man's eyes widened with surprise. I let him feel hope for a small moment, before I kicked him right in the ribs. He flew through the air, hissing in pain. I walked forward, my hands glowing once more. Again I healed him. He looked at me with confusion as he tried to get to his feet. Then electrocuted him.

And on it went. I healed him, then hurt him, then healed him again. It was a vicious cycle, and one that I could keep up forever. I inflicted pain with one hand, and took it away with the other. Oh so slowly, the man would come to fear the healing. It would sink into his brain that the ending of the pain only promised more. He would fight it, but his mind would eventually snap under my endless torture. And just before he cracked, the instant before he came to long for the pain and run from the healing, that's when he would tell me what I wanted. Or I'd just kill him and suck the info out of his dead brain. Whichever was more fun.

We were in an alley, my new friend and I. We weren't going to be interrupted, though. Any First Son that tried to save their comrade would die before they could do anything, and the regular citizens had long learned that trying to stone me ended with extreme levels of pain.

It took about an hour. I watched as the man started to weep, crying in defeat and utter vulnerability as I continued to drive him to death's door and back. He started moaning around the half-hour mark. At forty-five, he started to whisper "Please stopstopstopstopstop," I stopped once he started whimpering like an animal.

I put my foot on his foot and threw power down at him. In an instant, he was held down with my lightning, chained by magnetism to the metal beneath our feet. I gripped his head for the second time, jerking his head to make him face me. His eyes were so wide I could probably have seen the whites from a roof. His pupils were fully dilated, and they shook with jittery hysteria. There was still reason there, but just barely.

"Let's try this again," I said, this time casually. He was so close to the edge that any attempt at extra scariness might make him tip over. "Can I ask you something? Tell me the truth, and I'll make it stop."

The man was too weak to nod, but he tried. I tightened my grip subconsciously. I'd done this routine twice already. I'd been banking on the idea that since this guy was a Conduit, he'd have more of a clue than the cannon fodder. If he didn't, then I'd be out of luck. Which was bad. If I didn't find out what I needed, then shit would really hit the fan. Oh, and I might throw a tantrum and go on a killing spree.

"Where is Sasha?" I asked.

I walked down the streets, enjoying the way the people who saw me cowered and ran away. I'd gotten what I wanted from the Conduit. Then I vaporized his head with a bolt. Bastard didn't feel a thing. But, hey, he'd never hurt again. As it turned out, Sasha had been stored in the same complex as the Ray Sphere. She'd been kept in an airtight room, with concrete walls and a burglar door, the kind with steel backing that can stop a battering ram. She was hooked up to an oxygen mask when Kessler was milking her for his blimps, so she was probably still alive after John's gas attack.

I grinned. Though Sasha had once tried to kill me, she'd paid me back twice over. She'd comforted me, helped me take over the city with her minions even as her body was imprisoned. I owed her, and she would be damn useful in keeping the city in check. I pictured Moya trying to storm the city, only to meet an army of Reapers.

My grin disappeared. Moya. She'd used me, manipulated me so she could get her hands on the Ray Sphere. Too bad for her that it was gone with her 'husband'. Oh yeah, I was going to hunt her down. And then she'd pay. From there, I'd find out who was calling her shots, and kill them too. Maybe it was DARPA like Zeke said.

I looked down, my body stopping as I coped with the emotions that surged through me as I thought of Zeke. The man was practically family. We'd met through work, and we'd bonded almost immediately. His sloppiness and conspiracy theories were funny, and his antics were a great way to spice up a boring day. Hell, it'd been Zeke that introduced him to Trish. Well, dragging me to the hospital for treatment after a climbing accident wasn't exactly the best introduction, but it had been Zeke's efforts that led to me meeting Trish.

But Zeke had burned me. When the Ray Sphere was in his hands, he'd let his jealousy and insecurities take over. He'd abandoned me, just when I'd needed him most. And then he'd stuck by Kessler as Trish fell to her death.

My mind flashed to the closet in my apartment. I remembered the dinky little engagement ring I'd hidden under the floorboards. I was going to propose on her birthday. And then all this had happened. I felt shame, but also anger. I'd done all of this for her! I'd killed crime, secured food, chosen her life over the lives of thousands! And she thought I'd been selfish. Maybe I had been, but I'd been selfish for her. Trish had been mine, goddamn it.

I pushed Trish out of my head. Things were shaky with Zeke, but the guy had risked his life for me. He'd walked out with a gun towards Kessler, the one man in Empire City more powerful than me, all to help me out. Cause that's what friends do. It would take a while to forgive him, and there'd probably always be some part of me that felt bitter. But Zeke was my friend, the same way this was my city. Call me possessive, but I take care of what's mine.

I gave a dry laugh at that thought. Well, maybe I was abusive with that care. But it was still care.

I was just about to get moving again when the sting for US News sounded from the TV store across the street. I headed over, curious to see what vainglorious bullshit version of what really happened the government was going to feed today. The logo flashed across the screen, before a pretty redhead with too little make-up popped up on the screen.

"The CDC announced today that a cure has been developed for the Empire City Plague. The cure has shown a ninety-nine percent success rate, and the side effects are comparatively mild. The government has announced that the cure, administered through a single shot, will be given to the citizens of Empire City tomorrow. The quarantine is expected to be lifted in just one short week. Don't worry Empire City, the end is near!" With that, the screen went dark.

A chill went up my spine. There was no way the government would let the people go. They knew too much, and the Voice of Survival had filled their heads with mistrust. Moya wouldn't allow it. In a flash, I remembered the jets being hit by the AA guns along with John when we'd gone for the Ray Sphere. Strange, I knew it was only yesterday, but it felt like a lifetime ago. Focusing, I remembered Moya's call. She'd said the jets had been clearing the way… the way for an invasion.

So that was the cure. And the news lady had been right: it did only take one shot to fix the problem. One gunshot.

I ran for the train tracks. All of a sudden, finding Sasha was a lot more urgent than I expected.

I walked right into the building. Apparently, a gas attack is a very strong deterrent to maintaining a base. There wasn't a soul in sight. I wandered through the rooms, waiting for some clue as to where Sasha was. Out of nowhere, a familiar smothering feeling covered me. How loving you are to me, Cole. You've come to rescue me. So come, sweep me off my feet. I'm right at the end of the hall.

My head cleared. In a way, I hated that feeling. I hated feeling like I'd lost control, but I had no choice to when Sasha got into my head like that.

Well, them's the breaks.

I spied the door. It looked about as solid as a bank vault, utterly locked and impregnable. Smirking to myself, I took aim. I gathered energy into a solid sphere, and launched it forward. The ball hit the door, expanding on contact as the energy negated the electron bonds of the door's structure, destroying on a subatomic level and making it seem like it never existed.

I walked forward into the room beyond, and there she was.

Sasha was lean and statuesque in a way you only really see in 'special' dreams. Her red cloak clung to her like an erotic costume, covering just enough to escape indecency while daring you to see what was beneath. Her eyes were wide, dilated until I could barely see any whites at all. She licked her lips as I came in, her collection of four tongues were long and oddly pointed.

She was strapped to a metal table, the kind you see in sci-fi movies, with seemingly unnesessary lights and buttons. Her hands were bound by a pair of air-tight metal shackles attached to the corners of the table. Tubes were stuck all over her body, leeching a deep black sludge, the tar that let her into people's heads.

"My, you look lovely. Your look, it just gives me… tingles." Her voice was low and sultry, like a cat's purr. My only reaction was disgust, as it was mixed with tar that gurgled within her throat, which she then coughed up into the air and unto herself like vomit. I nearly did so myself at the sight.

I got a hold of myself. Focusing, I strode forward. Her eyes watched me the whole way, intent in a way that was admittedly unnerving. There wasn't any reason in those eyes. Maybe there never had been.

I went to her side, and reached out. I held her face between my hands. She purred. "My, so forward. I like that. But could you be a dear and get these annoying things off? I swear, I'll make it up to you." She strained against her bonds to make a point.

I smiled darkly… before digging my fingers into her face. Her eyes widened as I brought my power to bear, causing goose bumps to rise up across her skin. "You've been very nice to me, Sasha," I said, before looking her in the eye. I stopped the act and showed her exactly what I was: not an obedient puppy, but a violent ruler. She shivered.

"But we have to work some things in our relationship out. I know you're used to calling the shots, but that isn't going to happen. I'm in charge here, not you. I may be king, but you're not my queen. I'm never gonna share power with you. You serve me. Got it?" I grinned evilly. Now I see where all those rapists come from. There was a deep, dark thrill in threatening her, in imposing my will over hers to get what I want.

Sasha didn't take it well. To be more accurate, she screamed at me, her tongues splitting into quarters inhumanly, and her mind rushed out to crush mine. "YOU'RE JUST LIKE HIM! KESSLER DIDN'T DO WHAT HE WAS TOLD EITHER! WHY? YOU DO WHAT I SAY! THAT'S THE WAY IT HAS TO BE!"

In reaction, I tightened my grip. I focused through the haze, and suddenly I could feel Sasha's thoughts. It was nothing like when I got visions off people. My brain was suddenly in contact with hers, and I could feel how her mind work. I saw her insanity, how it skewed her thoughts and warped her mind. I saw her memories of her abusive dad and druggie mom. I felt how the tar ran through her body and how it worked with her. I knew, simply knew in a way too simple to explain, how Sasha worked. In that moment, I knew everything about her as if I was her myself.

But the mind is nothing but the way electricity moves through your brain. Electricity was my domain.

Sasha hissed at the connection between our brains, and the traces of tar in my body surged once more, carrying her will right into my body, skewing my control and focus. "NO! THAT'S NOT HOW IT WORKS! I'M IN CHARGE!"

"Charge this, bitch," I snarled, before digging my fingers so hard I drew blood. And then I sent power in. I reached out with lightning and changed the way Sasha thought. I'm no brain surgeon, but most of it was instinctual. I couldn't care less on the scientific explanation to what I was doing.

I forced control into Sasha. I rewired her brain quickly and ruthlessly, beating down her will and replacing it with mine. I put a collar on her mind, one more binding than any chains in the material world could duplicate. I made her mine, made her loyal to me, more loyal than a dog to his master. She would do what I said, when I said. I took any idea of defiance right out of her head. And the best part was that she couldn't fight it. It came from inside her.

Guess I can add 'instant brainwashing' to the list of powers.

Her struggles ceased, the tar's influence ending as my influence surpassed it. Her eyes remained dilated, but they became still. Calm. Waiting for instructions. I could feel the bond between us, almost, no, exactly like a leash. Where once her tar linked her to me, now it linked me to her. A pathway existed between our minds, like two radios on the same frequency.

I threw my head back, enjoying the thrill of victory. Like I'd said, I was the strongest in Empire City. And no one was going to tell me what to do.

"Sasha, dear," I said, and her head snapped to me. I knew how her mind worked now, so I used the words she would have used. Side effect, I guess. "Tell your lovelies to get ready. There's going to be visitors tomorrow, and we'd hate to be bad hosts, wouldn't we?"

"Indeed, Cole. I'll tell them to pull out all the stops. We must treat our guests well." Her voice was still soft, still coy, but the edge was gone. Free will leeches the personality right out of you apparently. Her eyes closed, and I could feel her working through the leash. She touched the tar with her mind, and used it as a gateway into every Reaper's head. Long story short, she told them to arm up to the teeth and assemble at the Stampton Bridge.

While she did this, I got rid of the restraints. She didn't move though. I hadn't told her to. Gotta say, I am beginning to like this version of Sasha infinitely better than previously.

"Get up, Sasha. We're going to prepare the ground troops."

"Yes, Cole."

Sasha followed me out the building and we made our way to get the Reapers ready for the war to come. Tomorrow, Moya's going to hit us with everything she's got. Unfortunately for her, I have Sasha and the Reapers at my command, as well as my doubled power from the Ray Sphere. She can throw whatever she wants at me.

It won't do her any good.

TO BE CONTINUED...