InFamous Full Transcript

[On the main screen of the game we see an ordinary peaceful American city. As soon as we press Start a large-scale explosion occurs. Everything around is being destroyed. People run, scream and pray for help. In the center of the city, a giant funnel of electric current is formed.]

Man: (from a helicopter offscreen) Activation plus six minutes. Pulse is forty-five… respiration - ten. Looking good, Cole…

[Our hero comes to his senses in the epicenter of the explosion. By some miracle, he managed to survive.]

Cole: The hell happened? Oh, God…

Helicopter pilot: (via loudspeaker) Is someone alive down there? Hey! Get out of there! Head for the bridge.

Cole: Come on, Cole… Move.

[His best friend is calling him.]

Zeke: Cole, Cole, man, you there? C’mon, man, pick up!

Cole: Z-Zeke? What the hell is going on? I think there was an explosion.

Zeke: No shit there was an explosion! TV says terrorists are blowing stuff up all over the city. Meet me at the Fremont Bridge. We’ll get Trish and find someplace to hunker down.

[Cole is being electrocuted by a destroyed power station.]

Cole: Ugh. What the hell - should be dead. Oh, man. ААН! Whoa! What’s happening to me?

[He gains the ability to absorb electric current.]

Helicopter pilot: (via loudspeaker) If you’re able to walk, please evacuate across the bridge to the Neon. Remain calm, emergency personnel are en route.

Zeke: Cole! Over here, man! We gotta go!

[Cole gets electrocuted again and destroys some police cars and kills some people.]

Cole: God, no! No, no!

Zeke: Oh no, it’s the terrorists! Run for the bridge, Cole! C’mon! Move it! Move your ass, Cole! This whole bridge is comin’ down!

[He runs across to the other side of the bridge and faints.]

Trish: Cole!

Cole: (offscreen) While sliding into unconsciousness I could somehow, I don’t know… hear the voices of the dying. Thousands crushed by falling buildings, or burned alive in the fires. Trish lost her sister. Almost lost me. Zeke was always there, somehow sure that I’d wake up. Zeke was always there, somehow sure that I’d wake up. While outside, the city fell apart. A plague struck. Followed by rioting. Theft. Rapes. Civilisation committing suicide. In a bullshit attempt to contain the biological threat, the federal government locked down all access in and out of the city. Now we’re stuck in this cage with the psychos. Cops are all but gone off the streets. Either dead or too chickenshit to stand against the gangs that control things now. Outside, things were bad… but inside - inside me something was beginning. Scary as hell at first. Gotta understand there was no one to talk to, no experts to consult. But with time, I’m learning to control it. Master it. Just hope it’s not too late….

InFAMOUS

Empire City. Day 14 of the Quarantine.

First Glimpse

[Zeke and Cole are sitting on the roof of the building. Zeke organized a small apartment in the open air.]

Cole: I thought you were going to watch TV?

Zeke: Batteries are dead again … you mind puttin’ on the freak show?

Cole: Sure. Glad it’s good for something.

Zeke: Probably need to charge ’em all - TV’s a hog.

[Cole uses his new powers to charge the batteries.]

Zeke: That’s what I’m talkin’ about! Nice job man, boob tube’s workin’!

Cole: Weird, feels like I got more power.

Zeke: Yeah? Try fryin’ those dummies over there. With all the nut-balls runnin’ around, it’d be nice to see how much juice you’re packin’.

[Cole strikes some manikins.]

Zeke: Yeah! Lay into it, fry those suckers! Yeah! Whooo hooo! Whoo, you see that? Flyin’ so low, thought it was going to crash into us! Hey, it’s the TV jacker. I love this guy!

Cole: Told you they’d drop food.

Zeke: Man, you must be outta your mind. You think any of those pencil-necks gives a crap about us? This is a PR stunt.

Cole: That isn’t going to stop you from pigging out, though, is it?

Zeke: Hell no it ain’t. Zeke’s gotta eat!

Cole: You take the stairs. I’m using the express elevator.

Zeke: Man, you get to have all the fun.

[Cole jumps off the 5th floor.]

Cole: That’s what I’m talking about!

Zeke: Whoo, that was one hell of a jump, man. Wish I could do something like that - runnin’ down those stairs, that sucks donkey balls. Hey Cole, before we head over to Archer, I need to go pick up a new six shooter.

Cole: Here we go…

Zeke: Nah, that was bad-ass. The second you touched it, the electricity in your hands off the gun powder and the whole thing goes KA-BAM! The look on your face was priceless.

Cole: Damn near blew my hand off.

Zeke: Which is why you won’t be touching the new one. Traded this guy one of my home-made batteries for it.

Cole: The ones that explode when you use ’em?

Zeke: Hell he doesn’t know that. C’mon, told me he was going to leave the gun in a parking lot a few blocks from here. Hey Cole, you know what I miss? Pizza. A big sloppy slice drippin’ with grease and pepperoni. And payday. Havin’ a big, fat wad of bills in your pockets.

Cole: I’d settle for some hot water.

Zeke: Hey, remember that time we were comin’ home from Duffy’s and I had to take a leak? And that bike cop was yelling at me to put up my hands?

Cole: You pissed all over him.

Zeke: He told me to put up my hands! While he’s fumblin’ around, I jump back in and we take off. Awesome!

Cole: Yeah, awesome. Until we run into a wall of cops.

Zeke: Like I said, awesome! Bummer we won’t be able to do anything like that again.

Cole: Not unless some genius invents a car that doesn’t explode when I sit in it.

Zeke: Ah c’mon… he told me he was going to leave it under a car, figured there’d be only one. We’ll never find it.

Cole: Stand back, I got an idea.

[He pushes the cars away with a powerful electromagnetic wave.]

Zeke: Hellacious! Hell, I didn’t know you could do somethin’ like that.

Cole: Me neither… there was this surge…

Zeke: Hey man, you don’t look so hot.

Cole: Drained all of a sudden… hang on a sec…

[He draws electricity from the nearest source.]

Cole: Did you see that?

Zeke: Man you’re a walking battery! Must have to recharge whenever you fire off a bunch of juice.

Cole: I can feel the electricity surging through me, almost like I’m being healed by it.

Zeke: This rocks so hard. C’mon, let’s haul tail over to Archer Square ’fore someone takes all the brewskis.

Trish: (via phone) Cole, you there?

Cole: Hey, babe.

Trish: You hear they drop some food?

Cole: Yeah. Zeke and me are hanging over there.

Trish: How are you feeling?

Cole: All right, I guess. Powers are all over the place. Used to be could barely power a light bulb, now I’m jumping off of buildings and frying the junk on Zeke’s roof.

Trish: You jumped off a building? What were you thinking?

Cole: Relax, I’m fine.

Trish: Just take it easy. After what happened to Amy, I couldn’t…

Cole: Yeah.

Trish: See you guys at Archer Square. I love you.

Cole: You too.

[Having reached the square, the heroes realize that the food container is stuck on the tower.]

Bypasser: Whew, boy that’s stuck up there. I hate to say it pal, but you’re the only guy here who’d live from a fall like that. Gotta climb up there and knock that stuff free.

[Cole climbs up and frees the container.]

Zeke: Yeah! We are eatin’!

Damn. Too late. That’s when I caught my first sight… the Reapers. Before the blast, they were just a bunch of junkies dealing drugs. Now they own the Neon District… taking whatever they want. That changes today.

[He defeats a bunch of Reapers.]

Zeke: Dang, those freaks are brutal. Well there’s more on the way! Woohoo well that’s the last of them. It’s chow time!

[Moral choice.]

Cole: Enough to feed the three of us for weeks. Maybe longer. But if I fry a couple people in crowd, the rest will run away. The food will be all ours, but some of these guys might starve…

[He does nothing and gets a good reputation.]

Citizen: I got one open! Let’s eat!

Cole: Hey, Trish.

Trish: I’m so glad you got the food down. These poor people are starving.

Cole: Just doing what I can. Someone had to help them.

Zeke: Those idiots dropped us canned prunes. Now who the hell’d want to eat this crap? Cole, you’re up on the big screen!

Cole: (offscreen) Ever been called a terrorist? All I remember from that day is going to work… and then running for my life. That video, though. How’d I get that package? Why would I deliver a bomb? For who? Regardless, the consequences are everywhere. Whatever there’d been between Trish and me was gone. She didn’t say a word, no emotion, nothing. Just walked away. By then, people nearby were starting to recognize me. It was going to get ugly. Even Zeke was giving me weird looks. He and I made quick plans to meet up at Stampton Bridge, try to get out of town. Just hope he shows, cause right now I’m a little short on friends!

Cole: Dammit. I gave you the food! Leave me alone!

[He runs away.]

Zeke: (via phone) Listen man, I’m almost to the bridge. Since everyone here hates your guts, we gotta get out of town, pronto-like.

Cole: I’ll meet you there. And Zeke - thanks for watching my back.

Zeke: Ha, sure man, I ain’t about to do anything that might piss you off. See ya.

The Escape

Zeke: Stanton Bridge, the fastest way out of town. That is, if you can get us past those baton-wielding goons.

Cole: We’re getting out of here, one way or another. Follow my lead.

Police: You have entered a restricted area. Lethal force may be used at any time. Please return to your homes. You will be notified when the quarantine has been lifted.

[Moral choice.]

Cole: Going to have to get past those riot cops if we want out of here. If I fry a couple of the guards from inside in the crowd, I bet I can trigger a riot. Help keep the heat off Zeke and me… Course that means a lot of innocent people will get the hell kicked out of them…

[He doesn’t trigger a riot and gets a good reputation. He kicks the guard asses himself.]

Zeke: Eat some hot lead! Those barricades will make good cover! Keep it up brother! We got ’em on the run! Hey, watch out for those machine guns! Flank them if you have to! Hey man, hang from the top of that container and try shootin’ ’em. It’ll make you a harder target.

Police: This area is under strict quarantine. Indiscriminate lethal force will be used against all unauthorised personnel. This is your final warning.

Zeke: Hey man, head for the quarantine station! It’s our ticket out of here!

Cole: (offscreen) The gate opened to a wall of razor wire and machine guns. Zeke made a break of it, smashed in the gate to the Decontamination Unit… and fell headlong into the harbour. And I moved. Faster than I knew I could. I was greeted by name. This FBI agent, Moya, had seen the footage of me at Ground Zero and came here to wait. Figuring I’d try to escape, knowing I’d have powers. She explained that before the blast, her husband John had been assigned to infiltrate the First Sons… a shadowy group working on a project they called the "Ray Sphere". A device designed to drain the neuro-electric energy from a group of people and concentrate it into an individual. She’d lost contact with John the night of the blast… despite all her connections Moya was losing hope. Yet she’d found me, somehow believing I could be trusted, ready to make me an offer: I go back to the city, find John and the Ray Sphere… and she’ll get me out of the quarantine and clear my name. This whole Ray Sphere thing sounds crazy to me… but suddenly I’m a human light socket, so maybe I could cut her some slack.

[Despite the terrorist acts and the killing of cops, Cole is released. He descends to the bottom of the bridge and returns to the city.]

Moya: (via phone) Because of the riot topside, this Is the only way back Into the city. Given the state of our new "partnership", I’ve taken the liberty of cloning your phone’s frequency. I’ve got a lock on your GPS locator, and I can hear every word you say.

Cole: That’s super.

Moya: Don’t forget who’s holding your leash, Cole. You find John and the Ray Sphere, and you out of there, no questions asked. But you double-cross me, or do something stupid, and I will throw you into a hole so deep that you won’t even know which way is up. Got it?

Cole: Yeah, I got it.

[He getting to the other side of the bridge.]

Zeke: Cole? Man, it’s good to see you.

Cole: Nice work on that gate, Wrecking Ball.

Zeke: Hell, lived through the fall, no problem. But gettin’ back to shore, well, let’s just say I’m no Michael Phelps.

Cole: Yeah, that’s an understatement.

Zeke: Hey, take it easy, Lightning Rod. So how the hell’d you live through that? Bullets flyin’ everywhere, all over the place - figured you were a goner.

Cole: Let’s head home. I’ll fill you in on the way.

"Any man can handle adversity. If you truly want to test a man’s character, give him power." -Abraham Lincoln

[On Zeke’s roof…]

Cole: …and it drains neuro-electric energy.

Zeke: I knew it! All the stuff I’ve been sayin, every word is true. Government’s in cahoots with a secret organisation, the Ray Sphere… damn, it all makes sense now.

Cole: Calm down. You’re going to hurt yourself.

Zeke: That Ray Sphere must dish out powers to anyone controlling it. You ’gotta bring it back here.

Cole: Sure, I could use a side-kick.

Zeke: Ah, hell with that. Zeke Jedediah Dunbar is his own man.

Cole: Your middle name is Jedediah?

Zeke: Yes it is, after my grandfather. Strong man for a man his size. Uh, I don’t know where Zeke comes from, but I’m certain —

Cole: You need to take a nap, and a bath. I got things to do.

Moya: (via phone) I’ve already got a couple of leads for you; the coordinates have been uploaded into your phone. Give me a call when you’re in position.

Mysterious Signals

Cole: All right, now what?

Moya: I’m picking up some weird interference from a rooftop not far from you. Need to find out its origin and purpose.

Cole: So what am I looking for?

Moya: Not really sure, probably a transmitter of some type. Call me when you get over there.

Cole: Found it. Looks like a portable audio drive is attached to this satellite dish.

Moya: See if you can listen to it with your phone.

Cole: Sounds like a bunch of garbage.

Moya: It’s an encrypted message, but I can’t break it. Look around, and see if you can find another one.

Cole: You hear that? Same thing as before.

Moya: I’m running the signals through a decryption program on this end. I’ve almost cracked it, but I need another sample. Look around for more of those files.

Cole: That’s the last one.

Moya: Give me a second — all right, that should do it. I’m uploading a decrypting algorithm into your phone. It should let you listen to the messages.

Message: I-I couldn’t stop Kessler from detonating the Ray Sphere… Damn thing took out five or six square blocks, killed god knows how many. Found the Ray Sphere in the blast crater, next to some kid. Dunno if he was dead or not, didn’t have time to check. I’m going to try and hole up somewhere. If anyone is even listening to these things, l need immediate extraction. Please. You’ve got to get me out of here before Kessler finds me.

Cole: You understand any of that?

Moya: I don’t believe it — that’s John. He must have used dead drops to communicate with his handlers.

Cole: Um, English.

Moya: It means there are probably more of those scattered around the city. You should try and find as many as you can; they might tell us where he took the Ray Sphere.

Cole: Find John and Ray Sphere, and I’m out, right?

Moya: I know the deal, Cole.

Cole: Just making sure.

Blood Trail

Cole: Okay Moya, what now?

Moya: One of my contacts, an electrician named Brandon Carey, didn’t check in last night. He’s pretty important, so you need to find him. He was last seen in the alley across the street from your location.

Cole: Your boy isn’t here, Moya - just a dead woman.

Moya: A woman? That doesn’t make any sense.

Cole: Hang on a second…

[He read the mind of a dead woman using his unlimited powers.]

Woman: …Reapers… no… leave my husband alone…where are you taking him… Brandon!

Cole: Whoa!

Moya: What just happened?

Cole: Had a vision… the Reapers kidnapped Brandon. This is his wife, Lynnae. I can see the echo of someone running away.

Moya: Follow it. We need to find out what happened.

Cole: Damn!

Zeke: Pick up your damned phone.

Cole: What’s up?

Zeke: The Feds, man, that’s what’s up. Watching our every move, even caught on scoping out the roof. Was leaning against the wall down there, eatin’ a fresh apple. Now you tell me, where the hell’d he get that?

Cole: I dunno Zeke, but if we want to be out of here, this is the way it’s got to be.

Zeke: C’mon man, don’t be stupid. They’ll ride you as long as they can but the second you’re no longer useful, BAM, you vanish. Permanently.

Cole: I think all that conspiracy stuff has rotted your brain.

Zeke: Don’t kill the messenger, brother. I’m just tellin’ it like it is - you watch your back.

[One of the Reapers explodes while talking out an electric station.]

Moya: What the hell happened? The entire Neon just went dark.

Cole: That’s cause one of those maniacs blew… up a whole sub-station… man, brain feels like it’s in a vise…

Moya: Your body must be reacting to the absence of electricity. You’re going to have to man up and find Carey. If we don’t restore the power, the Reapers will be unstoppable.

Cole: All right, I tracked the echo to the sewers.

Moya: The Reapers must’ve needed Carey’s help in shutting down the underground linear transformer. Find the transformer and figure out a way to get it back online. If they killed the circuit you’ll have to re-establish it.

[Cole restarts the substation and gets new healing/cuffing ability.]

Cole: Yeah!

Man: Please you’ve got to help me.

[Cole heals him.]

Man: Thank you. Hey Janet, you back there? Open the gate, this guy’s okay. You’ve got to stop the Reapers. They’re running around with some electrician, killing anyone they find down here.

Cole: The transformer is back on. Now what?

Moya: Restart the distribution substation by charging up the voltage regulator mounted to its front. That should be enough to get the power back on.

Zeke: Hey man, you there?

Cole: Yeah.

Zeke: Trish just stopped by and grabbed some of her stuff. She’d barely talk to me, and when I brought you up, whew, she damn near blew a gasket.

Cole: She thinks I killed her sister.

Zeke: Man, ain’t your fault that package was a bomb - hell, you’re lucky to be alive. She needs to see things for what they are.

Cole: Yeah, well I’m not holding my breath. I’ll catch you later.

Moya: Cole, are you having any problems finding your way around down there?

Cole: Nah, I got into urban exploration about four years ago. Crawled all over this city, so I know these sewers like the back of my hand.

Man: What are you doing here? Did they see you?

Cole: I need to turn on the substation.

Man: Are you out of your damn mind? The Reapers will kill my wife! No one is getting in here!

Cole: Open the door.

Man: Screw you! I’ve jammed this thing up tight. No one is getting in or out until she’s safe!

[Moral choice.]

Cole: (offscreen) Poor guy still thinks he’s protecting Lynnae - doesn’t change the fact that I need to get in there. I can either fry him and open the door that way… or tell him his wife is dead and see if that gets him to back off.

Cole: Lynnae is dead. They shot her.

Man: How do you know her name?!

Cole: I know this is hard … I saw her body. There’s nothing anyone could do.

Man: (crying) I knew I shouldn’t have trusted… I’m so sorry, Lynnae… Listen to me - I’ve seen what you can do. You have to kill them. All of them. Promise me.

Cole: I’ll do what I can.

[He restores the power and leaves the sewers.]

Moya: Nice work, looks like power is fully restored to North Beach. There are three more substations that are still offline, though. All mark them on your GPS as I find them.

Medical Emergency

Moya: Cole, I just got a call from an EMT in your area. The Reapers have overrun his makeshift medical Clinic, and he needs your help.

Cole: I can’t solve all the world’s problems, Moya,

Moya: Maybe not, but if you help him, he might return the favour.

[Near the clinic…]

Medic: The Reapers keep attacking the clinic I have down the street. Take care of them for me, would you?

[Cole kills the Reapers around the clinic. Now they can heal Cole then he’s wounded.]

Moya: There are other people around there who need help too. Keep an eye out for them.

High Ground

Cole: Hey Moya, I’m in position.

Moya: There should be a cell tower very close to you - find it and recharge it.

Cole: Afraid I’m going to bail on you?

Moya: Without that tower you’ll fall off the grid. I can’t allow that.

[Cole recharge the cell tower.]

Moya: Good, now you need to restore the electricity to this section of the Neon. Your GPS will show you where to go, but be careful - there are a lot of Reapers operating in the area.

Cole: Uh, those guys will slaughter me. I can barely see, and charging up that tower drained me dry.

Moya: Stick to the high ground and avoid them. If you have to fight, look around for emergency generators - there are probably some scattered across the rooftops.

Cole: You’re going to get me killed.

Moya: Call me when you’re in the sewer.

Cole: Okay. I’m in.

Moya: Same drill as before - re-establish the circuit on the underground transformer and then look for the distribution substation.

[Cole gets the ability to throw an electro grenades.]

Zeke: Hey man, everyone around here keeps carrying on about you delivering that bombs. Even George is runnin’ his mouth about it.

Cole: George? He’s the one who called me, said he’s got a package burning up all over his desk and that I needed to beeline it. So I pick it up and take off.

Zeke: Well, he claims that no one else could deliver it, that it had to be you.

Cole: That was a terrible job in the first place, pay sucked. And when I get there, someone calls and tells me to open the package. The next thing I know I’m waking up in a crater.

Zeke: Well, at least you got super powers out of it. And don’t worry about George and all those other idiots, I’ll cover for ya, man. They’re freakin’ gossip queens anyway.

[Cole leaves the sewers. The power in the district was restored.]

Moya: Nice work, Cole. So I figured out why the Reapers were destroying the water pipes under the bridge: By isolating the city’s water system, they can pump their plague into every home in the city. Anyone drinking that sludge will get sick. Or worse.

Cole: Great.

Moya: Yeah. And it gets better. I am getting reports that Smith Fountain is already polluted, and there are a lot of casualties. Head over there and confirm my intel, then we’ll figure out what we’re going to do.

Zeke: Hey man, you ain’t going to believe this one. You know of those areas of the city you’ve been clearin’ out? They’re crime free now, people are hanging up posters with your face on them.

Cole: I’m doing what I can, Zeke. No one needs to throw me a parade.

Zeke: I know, man, I know. Still, that’s pretty damn cool.

Mind Games

Cole: Not looking good, Moya. Sick people all over the place, and the water in the fountain is black.

Moya: All right, get over there. We need to find a way to stop this.

[Cole runs to the meeting place and spots his girlfriend trying to save people.]

Trish: C’mon, breathe! Breathe! What are you doing here?

Cole: Moya wanted me to see what’s going on with the fountain.

Trish: Who’s Moya?

Cole: Doesn’t matter. Look Trish, I know what that guy said about me.

Trish: My sister is dead because of you.

Cole: I swear, I didn’t know what was in that package.

Trish: I don’t want to hear it. You want to help? Fine. You can start by closing that valve over there-it’s jammed and I can’t turn it. That’s how the black tar is getting into the fountain.

[Cole turns the valve and gets a stream of black goo in his face.]

Cole: Ahhh!

Trish: It’s all over your eyes - I need to get a solvent out of my car. Follow me.

[Cole walks with his girlfriend. There is a ringing in his ears, and a black veil blurring his sight. A woman’s voice comes from somewhere.]

Woman: I’ve been watching you, Cole. Waiting for this moment. Anticipating it.

Cole: …who’s… doing this…

Woman: She hates you. Loathes you. Your power frightens her. She’ll never love you. I can make you forget about her. Everything you shared, gone like a whisper. No more pain, no more heartache.

Cole: …you’re… not real…

[He falls to the asphalt. Trish walks up to him with spray in her hand.]

Trish: Hold still.

Cole: Thanks…

Trish: That’s the only time I’m helping you, Cole. If you get that stuff on you again, you’re just going to have to wait for it to wear off.

Cole: (via phone) I took care of the fountain, Moya. Had to shut off the feeder pipe that led into it.

Moya: There are two more water mains in the area.

Cole: Gotcha. I’ll turn those off and see what happens.

[By turning the next valve, he again gets slurry in the face.]

Cole: Ugh-sonofa…

Woman: (telepathically) I feel your broken heart, Cole. So much emotion, bottled up with nowhere to go. Why do you love her? She’s beneath you. You deserve better.

Cole: …just… shut up…

Woman: (telepathically) You’re all alone, you know. No one cares about you. Not the girls, not the fat man on the roof, not the woman under the bridge. Only I love you. I’ve always loved you, Cole. Always and forever.

Cole: For god’s sake… get out!

[At the final valve Cole encounters the karma moment.]

Cole: If I tune that evolved, I’ll take another blast of crud to the face. Probably screw me up, send me on another mind trip. Or maybe I force this guy to do it for me…

[He decides to do it himself.]

Cole: Ahh!

Woman: (telepathically) You won’t be able to shut me out forever. Eventually, a crack will appear and that crack will spread, and grow larger, and then the wall comes down. It’s only a matter of time. And then the bastard will see what he lost.

Moya: Now that the valves are off, you need to figure out how those maniacs are getting that tar into the system. The only primary water line around there runs under Memorial Park - head into the tunnel and look for it.

Woman: (telepathically) You don’t know love. Not true love. But I will teach you. And then the bastard will see what he lost.

Cole: There’s a truck attached to the pipe down here.

Moya: That’s probably the source of the plague. Destroy it.

Cole: What the hell is that stuff?

Moya: Some kind of mind-control agent. It appears to be organic, but I don’t know how they’re producing it.

Cole: Ugh. Yeah, well, sure did a number on me. I’m heading back to Zeke’s - my head is killing me.

[He runs to Zeke’s roof.]

Zeke: Can’t turn that Ray Sphere over to the feds, man.

Cole: Do I have a choice?

Zeke: Man alive, you know what they’ll do with something like that? Especially if the Pentagon is wrapped up in all of this? It’s the ultimate weapon!

Cole: And what’s your suggestion, Jedediah? We hide it under your couch?

Zeke: Only my mama calls me Jedediah, but that’s not important right now. Listen, I say we crack that baby open and give everyone powers. It’s the only way to make sure we don’t get screwed.

Cole: Yeah, I think we’re already screwed.

DAY 15

[Cole wakes up.]

Moya: I’ve flagged the position of the next substation in your GPS, Cole.

Cole: Uh, shouldn’t be hunting for John and the Ray Sphere?

Moya: You need to look at the big picture: Every time you restore electricity to a section of the city, your powers escalate. I’d say that’s a valuable use of your time. I’ll be in touch once you get the substation back online.

The Good Stuff

[Cole jumps into the sewers.]

Cole: Hey Moya, I’m down in the sewers. Should have the power back on in no time.

Moya: Roger.

Zeke: (via phone) Dude.

Cole: Hey.

Zeke: You been payin’ attention to that TV jacker? Used to think he was pretty righteous, but now he spends half his time trashin’ you. Makes me think you should pay him a little visit.

Cole: Believe me, I’d love to. No idea where he’s hiding, though.

Zeke: Probably holed up in the old TV station over in the Historic District. You find him, you give him a taste of the good stuff. He’s gotta learn not to run his mouth all the time.

[Cole restores the power in the district and leaves the sewers.]

Moya: (via phone) Good work, Cole. When you’re ready, I’ve got a couple of things I’d like you to look into. One of them might lead us to John.

The Rescue

Moya: See that old rain? The Reapers have some people look up in it, collateral to keep the people of the Neon in line. More importantly, there’s a chance John is locked in there.

Cole: Want me to bust them out?

Moya: No. You’re in the heart of Reaper territory, and they’ll kill anyone trying to escape. You need to move the train and to a safe location.

Cole: How I am supposed to do that? Push?

Moya: You’re a living third rail - stay in contact with the lead car, and it should move.

Cole: Uh, the train’s stopping.

Moya: Reapers must have disengaged the low-voltage feeder box that’s mounted under the tracks. Charge it until it’s green across the board. That should get you moving again.

Cole: I’ll go look for it. Gotcha.

Moya: You’re almost there. I let everyone know that you’re bringing in the train, and they’ll be waiting at the station. Don’t let them down.

Cole: Here we go…

[Cole electrocutes all Reapers on the way and gets the train to the safe location.]

Cole: (off screen) The crowd was surprised to see the "terrorist" roll up and free their loved ones. Hypocrites. Yesterday if they want my head on a platter, now they act like I’m one of the family. Truth be told, it was nice, even for that short time. To be treated like a hero. Felt good. I scanned the crowd for John as people started to leave the station… he was nowhere to be seen.

Nemesis Revealed

Trish: This is like the fountain all over again. Why aren’t you stopping this?

Cole: I blew up a whole tanker full of that stuff under the park. Figured that would do it.

Trish: Well, it’s coming from somewhere - these people aren’t getting sick on their own, Cole.

Cole: I’ll find out what’s going on. (To the phone) Hey Moya, it’s that black tar again. There are sick people all over the place.

Moya: The only remaining source of water in that area is from the water towers on the rooftops.

Cole: All right, I’ll head up there and see what I can do.

[He gets to the roof of the nearby building.]

Cole: Reapers are all over the place up here, and there’s a weird metal keg attached to the water tower. Tar’s dripping out of it.

Moya: That must be how they’re polluting the water. Destroy it.

Cole: Uh… I think I just made things worse. Tried to overcharge the pump.

Moya: A lot of extra tar just got released into the system, and that is bad news. Next time, blow up the keg. You’ll take a bath in that crap, but it’ll save lives. Overcharging this pump will keep me high and dry. But it also means that everyone on this water main will get sick. Whose health means more, mine or theirs?

[Cole makes the right decision and blows the pump. He gets some more black liquid in his face.]

Cole: …ahh!

Moya: I know it hurts, Cole, but this is how it’s got to be. Too many people will get sick otherwise.

Cole: …it’s filling my throat… dammit!

[After a little walk, he meets a strange man in a white suit with a hood.]

Man: She’s going to be pretty pissed about this.

Cole: Who the hell are you?

Man: Just a concerned citizen. Now hold still.

Cole: (off screen) He leaped toward me, his icy fingers digging into my head. For a moment there was nothing, and then he started to show me things… horrible things… beyond description. And in that split second, I understood… he was showing me the future. Death and destruction on an unimaginable scale. As he released me, I knew that he was responsible for all of it. That he had opened Pandora’s Box, and it wasn’t ever gonna close… and that that damn Ray Sphere was somehow involved. And then he was gone…

Zeke: (via phone) Get on back here brotha. Cot some beverages chillin’ for ya.

Cole: On my way.

[He climbs to Zeke’s roof.]

Zeke: Been lookin’ into your new BFF Moya.

Cole: Find your magic eight-ball, did you?

Zeke: She’s real FBI. In fact, she’s big-time FBI. Highly decorated, the kind of person they send out when the shiola hits the fan and sprays all over everyone. About six months ago, she gets moved over to some new division called DEFENDER and the trail goes completely cold. Now one of my boys thinks she’s working for DARPA.

Cole: You have boys?

Zeke: I’m being serious here, man. You gotta pay attention. DARPA is the mother lode of black ops crap - it’s this secret Pentagon group that doesn’t answer to anybody. If she’s in with those clowns, you better watch out, son.

Cole: Yeah, yeah, yeah. And Santa Claus shot JFK. Hey, where are those drinks?

DAY 16

[Cole wakes up.]

Moya: (via phone) The location of the final substation in the Neon has been uploaded to your GPS. Head over there as soon as you can.

Zeke: (via phone) Hey, brother, you know what scares the hell out of me? The thought of the government gettin’ their hands on that Ray Sphere.

Cole: Didn’t we already have this conversation?

Zeke: I know, I know, you got caught pissin’ into the wind, but think about this for a second. If that thing dishes out super powers, what’s to stop ’ole Uncle Sam from juicing up the entire military? Or the cops? We’d have no defense against that.

Cole: Didn’t know we needed any.

Zeke: Shit, man, open your eyes. Take a look around! You see any Red Cross? Any National Guard? I sure as hell don’t. They lied about the whole thing on the bridge. They’ll do whatever it take to stay in power. You need to wake up, buddy. Before it’s too late!

No Protection

[Cole enters the sewers.]

Moya: Got some intel for you. The leader of the Reapers is a woman named Sasha. No last name. Until a few months ago, she was a high-ranking member of the First Sons. Spearheaded a lot of their research.

Cole: So you think she knows where John is?

Moya: There’s no way of knowing. But even if she doesn’t, you have to take her out; it’s the only way we’ll be able to get a handle on the plague. I’ll let you know when I’ve locked down her location.

Zeke: (via phone) Heard some people talking on the street, saying how you’re this big hero, that kind of thing. One girl said you look different, that you’ve got some kind of aura of goodness surrounds you.

Cole: You know I don’t care about that kind of stuff.

Zeke: I know, I know. But listen, keep it up. The chicks dig it, and I can use that to my advantage. I’ll catch ya later.

Trish: (via phone) Cole, you there?

Cole: Trish?

Trish: A plane just dropped a crate of medical supplies, and someone needs to protect it from the Reapers.

Cole: And you want me to do it.

Trish: You’re the only person I know with superpowers. Besides you owe me… all of us, for what you did. I’ll be in touch when the crate is safe.

Trish Reaches Out

[Cole walks to the place in one of the alleys. The Reapers immediately begin to scatter to the container.]

Cole: Here come the party crashers… Getting sick of you guys!

[He protects the container from the Reapers.]

Zeke: (via phone) Hey man, you got a sec? Been kickin’ an idea around and I want to talk to you about it.

Cole: Kind of got my hands full right now. Reapers are all over me.

Zeke: Those Idiots aren’t going anywhere. Besides, this is important. You know how you use that blast move to throw a guy into the air, and then shoot him while he’s floatin’ around? We need to name those kind of moves, man.

Cole: Now’s not really the time…

Zeke: I’m thinking we call it the Crippler. You know, cause no one’s comin’ back from that one. We can plaster it all over some t-shirts, make some serious cashola. Think about it, man. You’re the muscle, I’m the brains.

[Cole defeats all the scum. Trish comes running.]

Cole: Need any help moving that stuff?

Trish: We got it. And Cole? Thanks for your help.

Cole: This mean we’re talking again?

Trish: We’ll see.

Moya: (via phone) Cole, I pinned down Sasha’s location - she’s operating out of the Jefferson Tunnel. Head to the location marked on your GPS, and I’ll fill you in when you get there.

Dinner with Sasha

Cole: All right Moya, I’m across from the Jefferson Tunnel.

Moya: (via phone) Since the entrance is blocked, you’re going to have to figure out a way to get down there. Your best bet is to head into the compound across the street and look for a way to open the gate.

Cole: Rock ’n roll.

Sasha: (telepathically) Sweet, delicious Cole, coming home at last. I’ve been waiting for you, longing for you.

Cole: Just shut up.

[Cole fights his way through the tunnel.]

Cole: Getting sick of you guys!

Sasha: (telepathically) What’s this? No, that’s not possible. You lie!

Cole: …ugh… (via phone) Moya… I think I found where they’re making the Reapers. Bunch of people down here, locked in cages, machines spraying the black tar all over them.

Moya: Get them out of there and then deal with Sasha.

Cole: My pleasure.

Sasha: (telepathically) You think I don’t see her, the way you are parading her around like a common Jezebel? I see everything now, Kessler. All of it.

Cole: …damn, what’s your problem…

Sasha: (telepathically) Oh, you’re a tricky bastard. Playing your games, thinking you’re smarter than everyone else. You’re going to pay. Oh god yes.

[Finally Cole enters Sasha’s lair.]

Sasha: Darling! What took you? Was there traffic? I told you not to take the bridge, it’s always backed up at night. Get dressed, we have dinner plans tonight. Of course I told you. Silly man.

[Bossfight begins.]

Cole: You gotta be kidding me. Dammit… …hell…

Sasha: Stop trying to confuse me!

Cole: …keep talking.

Sasha: Ha-ha-ha!

Cole: …damn nutjobs.

Sasha: They’re expecting us at seven. Of course it’s formal wear. I laid out your tuxedo. And I made soup from the neighbour’s bones. You want a taste?

Cole: …hell… Now that she’s down, it’s time to get up close and personal.

Sasha: Yes, yes! I love it!

Cole: Hold still. …crap… …hell…

Sasha: Remember the weekend in Maine? We stayed in bed the entire time, and oh how you whispered to me. The promises you made!

Cole: Shut the hell up! …crap…

Sasha: Why, Kessler? Why do you love her? I’ll kill her, I swear it. I’ll wear her skin like a robe.

Cole: Grunts.

Sasha: Ha-ha-ha.

Cole: Crazy bitch. Dammit…

Sasha: You don’t know, do you? Of course not, how could you. But you’ll find out soon enough. And oh how you’ll weep.

Cole: Why don’t you just die!

Sasha: You’ll never control it, Cole. Look at me. Look at what it’s done. It controls you.

[Cole wins the fight.]

Come: (off screen) Sasha was a piece of shit before the blast… …but looking at her now… …is this what my powers are going to do to me? A warped body and twisted mind… …is that my future? Either way, she knows all about the First Sons and their Ray Sphere. If I’m going to dig myself out of this hole… …it starts with her talking, right now. They came in fast, smoke everywhere. Sasha got pulled out… …whoever they were, they were pros, trained for this kind of thing. There was no time to think… …Water was pouring in and the place was falling apart. With no way back, I went forward, into the slums of the Warren.

Moya: (via phone) Cole, what happened down there? Is Sasha dead?

Cole: I wish. Beat the living hell out of her, but some guys in masks came and grabbed her. Brought the whole tunnel down.

Moya: It was probably the First Sons. If we’re lucky, they’ll take care of her for us.

Cole: Yeah, that’d be swell. Listen, the power is out in this whole borough and I barely have the energy to walk. I’m going to get the nearest substation back online. Zeke, pick up.

Zeke: Hey, brother. Where the hell you been?

Cole: It’s a long story. Wanted to let you know I’m over in the Warren.

Zeke: The Warren? Damn man, that place was nightmare-central before the blast - hate to see what it’s like now.

Cole: Hasn’t gotten any better, that’s for sure. I’ll give you a call when I figure out how I’m going to get back home.

Zeke: Keep your nose to the wind, man.

Stranded

[Cole goes down the sewers.]

Moya: (via phone) Pulled some intel on the Warren. A couple of days after the blast, the homeless people living there banded together and seized control of the entire borough. They call themselves the Dust Man.

Cole: Guess that explains why they’re all wearing dress trash bags.

Moya: I suspect that they’re led by an extremely powerful conduit, so it’d be a big mistake to underestimate them.

Cole: I get it.

[Cole gets the ability to soar short distances.]

Cole: Oh hell yes.

[Restoring electricity supply in the area, Cole leaves the sewer.]

Zeke: (via phone) Hey Cole, you remember Dwight? Just ran into his sister and she thinks he’s in some kind of trouble. Wants to know If you look for him.

Cole: Dwight? Didn’t that guy steal your car and strip it down for parts?

Zeke: Yeah, yeah, yeah, he was a real tool. But you know I’ve dug his sister for real long time now, and uh, you’d be doing me a real solid with this one.

Cole: And you think if I find Dwight, she’ll "reward" you?

Zeke: Hell, It’s not like I can do anything from here. She says Dwight was hangin’ around the Chummy Chicken the last time they talked, guess he was workin’ over there. That might be a good place for you to start.

Trish: (via phone) Cole, are you there?

Cole: Hi, Trish.

Trish: It’s getting bad over here. People are dying, and there’s nothing I can do. I need to get a bus over to Bayview and see if it still has any supplies.

Cole: I came through the tunnel, and it’s trashed. Same with the Stone Canal Drawbridge.

Trish: You remember Roger Miller from Amy’s graduation? He’s a city engineer that used to work with my dad. If anyone can fix the bridge, it’d be him. He lives by Valentine Park.

Cole: I’ll try and find him.

Zeke’s Request

Cole: Dwight’s dead, Zeke. Someone really messed him up.

[Cole touches the corpse and sees the last moments of Dwight’s life.]

Dwight: What the hell? No, stay away from me!

Zeke: (via phone) You use that psychic vision-dealy to see the killer?

Cole: Hard to make out - looked like a man and a dog or something.

Zeke: Dwight was killed by a dog? Damn! Had a cousin that went the same way. Whew, shouldn’t have had an open casket, but ole Smitty wanted one. People were passing out, puking, you name it. It was horrible. Still haven’t recovered from that one.

[In pursuit of the killer’s electromagnetic trail, Cole meets a street artist.]

Street Artist: Holy crap, you’re him. It’s great what you’re doing, the way you’re cleaning up this place.

Cole: What’re those posters supposed to be for?

Street Artist: Just trying something out, you know, spreading the word about ya, what you’re doing. Which one do you like?

Cole: (thinking) Since this guy is going to hang those up anyway, I might as well decide how people should view me. Do I want them to love me - or fear me?

[He chooses the Loved poster.]

Cole: I like that one.

Street Artist: Right on! I’ll print up more of those and start hanging ’em all over the city! It’s going to be awesome!

Cole: Zeke is never gonna believe this one.

Zeke: (via phone) Any luck?

Cole: Not yet. Dealing with some crab-things that are running all over the place. I think the transients are making them from old parts.

Zeke: Keep looking, man. Gotta find that trash-bagger that killed Dwight.

Cole: Fricken junk monsters! (To the killer) Finally found your sorry ass.

[He kills the killer with an electric shock.]

Cole: (via phone) Hey Zeke, I took care of the guy that greased Dwight. And just so were clear, this was a one time deal. I’m not doing this to help you score.

Zeke: I hear you, brother. I owe you a big one.

An Old Friend

Cole: This doesn’t look good. Trish, I think I found Roger. He must’ve done something to piss these guys off, because they’re all over him.

Trish: (via phone) There’s a rumour going around that the transients are kidnapping engineers and mechanics, using them as slave labour. The worst part is that they publicly execute anyone who refuses to work. If they’ve got Roger, you have take them all out at the same time, or they’ll kill him.

Cole: Don’t worry, I’ll handle it.

[He saves the engineer.]

Engineer: You’re that guy, aren’t you? The one with the powers.

Cole: Yeah… listen, are you Roger Miller? Trish Dailey sent me, she’s hoping you can fix the Stone Canal Drawbridge.

Engineer: Trish? She’s stuck in the quarantine, too?

Cole: Afraid so.

Engineer: Hell. Used to go camping with them, you know. Kind of fell out of touch when her old man got transferred upstate. What about Amy? She make it out?

Cole: Uh - yeah, she did.

Engineer: Good, good. Hate to see both those girls stuck in here. Man, this is screwed up nine ways from Sunday. Watch my back, this is going to take a while. Guess they don’t want the bridge open. Damned circuits are fried.

Thug: Kill them! All of them!

Engineer: You about done over there?

Cole: Working as fast as I can. There we go.

Engineer: You’ve got to be kidding me! Hydraulics on the other side aren’t engaging.

Cole: Well, can you fix them?

Engineer: No, has to be done on the far side of the bridge. Hey, hold on, I know someone who might be able to help us. Lou, it’s Roger. The #4 hydraulic on the south side of SC isn’t engaging and I need your help getting it online. Where are you?

Lou: Memorial Park, near the bridge. But unless you’re carrying a gun, I’m not going anywhere - Reapers are swarming all over this place.

Engineer: Well, I’m sending something that’s better than a gun. See you in a bit.

[Cole runs to Memorial Park and saves Lou.]

Cole: Going to have to hit those guys fast. You all right?

Lou: Holy crap, that was insane. Did Roger send you?

Cole: Yeah. Let’s go. So what’d the Reapers want with you?

Lou: They heard the transients are looking for engineers to work on their tower, so they were going to trade me. Figured they’d get a reward or something.

Cole: Seems like a lot of work to build a monument to garbage.

Lou: All I know is that working on that thing is a death sentence - they work you until you drop and then they pop you in the head. Keep an eye out. Lots of Reapers roaming around. Here they come! They’re not giving up!

Cole: It’s safe now - get that thing fixed.

Lou: There’s more of them! Hey, need some help over here! Tell Roger I’m on my way.

Roger: I don’t think the transients are going to cause me any more problems. Better go check on Lou.

Lou: Dammit, everything checks out, but the power grid is under-voltage. There’s not enough juice to fire the hydraulics.

Cole: Stand back.

[He charges the control panel.]

Lou: Look, I’d love to stay and chat, but I gotta find someplace safe. See you around.

Roger: And to think, if I’d taken early retirement. I would’ve missed all of this. I need to have my head examined.

Cole: Thanks for helping with the bridge.

Roger: No sweat. Tell Trish I said hello.

[The bridge finally repaired! Cole’s trying to call and tell Trish about it.]

Trish: (voicemail) Hi, you’ve reached Trish Dailey’s voice mail. Please leave a message.

Cole: Trish, I just wanted to let you know that the drawbridge is down. I’ll give you a call later and see how things are going. Hey Zeke, you still on the roof?

Zeke: You know it, brother. Trying to hook up with Dwight’s sister. You swinging by a for a little siesta?

Cole: Yeah. See you in a bit.

[On Zeke’s roof.]

Zeke: This super-hero racket is great, man. Solvin’ crimes, getting some lovin’ from the ladies. I could get used to livin’ like this.

Cole: You’re not actually a super hero, Zeke.

Zeke: Hell, I know that. But it doesn’t change the fact that I’ve had a taste of the good life.

Cole: Having these powers isn’t exactly a walk in the park.

Zeke: Are you crazy? People around here, they worship you, man.

Cole: Fat lot of good it’s done me.

Zeke: Oh crap. I gotta go. Dwight’s sister is hot and ready to go, if you know what I mean.

DAY 17

Cole: (via phone) Hey Moya, I’m making a run on the next substation.

Moya: Its location is flagged on your GPS. I’m also tracking a couple new developments; I’ll be in touch once the power is back on.

Zeke: (via phone) So Dwight’s sister just took off. Man, it was a disaster.

Cole: What? I thought you were golden?

Zeke: Wanted to treat her right you know? Show her a good time, let things simmer a bit. Any old idgit can land a one-nighter. I wanted something more, like what you and Trish had. Well anyway, she comes over and says she can only stay a minute or two. And starts talking about, uh, I don’t know, how she really digs me, but she sees me as a friend. "I’ll always be your friend, Zeke" - she actually say that to me.

Cole: Oh, man.

Zeke: Women are something else. Never will understand them.

Playing Hero

[Cole descends into sewers again.]

Zeke: (via phone) So I was walkin’ over to help Trish load up her bus, and I see Dwight’s sister hangin’ on some guy’s arm. She didn’t even look at me.

Cole: Sorry, man.

Zeke: I shoulda known better - she’s always been like that. No biggie, though. Frees me up to play the field, see what else is out there. Catch ya later.

[Cole is restoring electricity to another area. He leaves the sewers.]

Moya: (via phone) Been receiving reports of unauthorised drones patrolling the Warren. Since they are not ours, you should look into them. It also sounds like the Dust Men are planning a quarantine break.

Cole: All right.

Moya: One other thing - tell your friend Zeke to stop calling me. If he wants to play hero and track down "leads", that’s his business. But I don’t need to hear about it. (hangs up)

Cole: Zeke what the hell are you doing…

Alden Strikes

[Cole approaches the shipyard filled with containers and debris.]

Loudspeaker: You think you can come over here, doing what you please? Think again! We’ve got your fat friend - and we’re going to kill him real slow.

Cole: You idiots just made the biggest mistake of your lives.

Loudspeaker: This is my island! My home! You know how long I’ve waited for this? No one, no one will stop me.

Cole: Just keep on blathering. You’ll get yours.

Moya: (via phone) Cole, your GPS says that you’re at the shipyards. What are you doing?

Cole: Killing the bastards that kidnapped Zeke.

Moya: It’s his own fault. You can’t run out and rescue him every time he gets into trouble.

Cole: I don’t abandon my friends.

[He finds his fat friend.]

Cole: Zeke? Can you hear me? Zeke!

Zeke: Cole! Hey Cole, over here!

Cole: Hang in there, buddy. I’m coming.

Loudspeaker: You’re a persistent little bastard, aren’t you? Doesn’t matter. It’s nearly done, and once it is, all will bow before me. Just as my father wanted.

Zeke: Whew, there is close and then there was that.

Cole: What the hell were you doing down here?

Zeke: Just tryin’ to help out, man. Wanted to sneak in and see what the trash-baggers were up to.

Cole: Are you insane? You’re lucky they didn’t kill you!

Zeke: What are you saying? That old Zeke needs to go back to his roof and just chill? That he’s only good for a laugh and a beer, but when it’s go-time he ain’t worth a damn? That what you’re sayin’, Cole?

Cole: This isn’t a game, Zeke. Not anymore.

Zeke: Just ’cause you got powers doesn’t make you better than everyone else. Not by a long shot.

Spy Drones

Moya: (via phone) We just caught a big break - one of the UAVs patrolling the Warren has crashed. Recover its flight recorder, and I’ll try to figure out who’s controlling them.

Cole: All right, I found it.

Moya: Use your phone to send me the contents of the flight recorder. Just what I thought: The First Sons are using drones to search for the Ray Sphere. They’ve narrowed their search to this area.

Cole: They know anything we don’t?

Moya: No, but we can’t take any chances. Find the other drones in the area, shoot them down, and collect their flight-recorders. And Cole, that UAV was programmed to self-destruct if it crashes. Don’t know why it didn’t, but the other ones might. Once you shoot them down, you have to get to them right away.

[During the mission, Cole receives a call from an evil man in a white hood.]

Kessler: I want you to listen to something Cole.

Woman: Please, no more. I’ll do anything you want.

Cole: Real tough guy aren’t you?

Kessler: On the contrary. I’m weak, quite weak, in fact. Which is why you need to learn this lesson and learn it well - everyone has their breaking point. You, me, even dear, sweet Sasha. What separates the strong from the weak is the ability to take the beating - hell, to love the beating - no matter how great the pain, never wavering from what needs to be done. Think you can remember that?

Cole: Screw you.

[He destroys all three drones.]

Cole: That should be the last one.

Moya: (via phone) Your phone doesn’t have the bandwidth to transmit that much data, so you need to find a satellite uplink. There should be one on the roof of the old Coleridge building. Hopefully it still works.

[Cole transmits the data from drones.]

Cole: You should have everything.

Moya: It’s going to take awhile to sort through all of this. I’m let you know if I find anything of interest.

Cole: Just find that damn Sphere so I can get out of this shooting gallery.

Standard Protocol

Moya: (via phone) The Dust Men think if they load hostages on their boats, the military will back down and let them pass through the quarantine.

Cole: Let me guess, the guys with the guns aren’t going to play ball.

Moya: All forces positioned along the quarantine line have standing, shoot-on-sight orders. Any vessel attempting to cross the harbour will be destroyed, no questions asked. You’re going to have to find all of the hostage boats and disable their engines. If those boats leave, a lot of innocent people are going to die.

Cole: Listen, I don’t want their blood on my hands, Moya, but I really don’t see what this has to do with our deal.

Moya: If I can’t maintain control of this situation, I will be replaced. They’ll bomb the island, and you’ll be a fugitive. No deal, no nothing. You understand?

Cole: Yeah, sure.

Moya: Good. Don’t ever take that tone with me again.

[Cole reluctantly gets to work.]

Moya: (via phone) You need to disable the boat’s engine, Cole. Cole where are you going? Disable that engine!

[Cole shots the engine.]

Moya: Got some bad news, Cole. The military is mobilising several gunships, and they’re planning on attacking the Dust Men’s boats regardless of whether or not they’re still docked. I’m holding them off, but they’re not going to wait forever.

Cole: (smirks) I thought you said you had things under control? Maybe I should go make a deal with them.

Moya: They want results, Cole. That’s all that matters. If we don’t deliver, they’ll find someone who will.

[Cole calls his girlfriend.]

Cole: Hey Trish, how’s the hospital looking?

Trish: The outside is pretty trashed, but the inside is in surprisingly good shape. I’ve already moved a couple busloads of people over there.

Cole: Right on.

Trish: I’ve been thinking that we should sit down and talk sometime, figure out what happens once all of this is over.

Cole: Sure, whatever you want.

Trish: I’ll talk to you later.

Moya: Looks like there’s one more boat. Cole. Get over there right away.

Cole: What if I don’t? They going to start dropping bombs?

Moya: The President signed off on the order a week ago. If the plague reaches critical threat level, he’ll make the call. No questions asked.

Cole: And they’ll glass the whole city, just like that?

Moya: It’s standard protocol when it comes to containing biological threats. Like it or not, Cole, you’re in this all the way.

Cole: That was the last of the boats, Moya.

Moya: I know you’re not happy about the situation, Cole, but we have to play with the cards that we’re dealt. That’s just the way it is.

Trish: (via phone) Cole, I’ve got the last of my goer loaded onto the bus, but the Reapers are blocking the way to the hospital. I need your help getting past them.

Cole: Maybe once we get over there, we can sit down and have that talk.

Trish: We’ll see. Got a lot of sick people that need help. They come first, Cole. (hangs up)

Cole: Of course they do.

Kessler: (via phone) I’ve been keeping an eye on you, Cole. Watching you parade around like a damn peacock, showing off every chance you get. Pathetic.

Cole: That’s real tough talk from a guy who tortures people.

Kessler: You still don’t get it, do you? You don’t get any second chances. Every time you fail, someone’s world ends. Ends in the worst way imaginable. I learned that the hard way. And by god, you’re going to learn it too. One way or another.

Cole: Tell you what, crawl out of your hole and meet me somewhere. Then we can settle this once and for all.

Kessler: All in good time, Cole. All in good time.

Zeke: (via phone) Hey, brother. Sorry I was such a prick back at the shipyards. Really screwed the pooch on that one.

Cole: I know you mean well. Zeke, but the world is changing. You make a mistake now, and you’re as good as dead.

Zeke: Hell, I know that. But you know how it’s been for me, no family, broke all the damn time. When this quarantine went up, I thought it’d give me a fresh start. Let me really be something.

Cole: I know where you’re coming from, Zeke. But we have to be careful now. All of us.

Anything for Trish

[Cole finds Trish on the streets.]

Trish: The Reapers attacked me on my last trip-they must think I’m working with the Dust Men or something There’s no way I’ll make It back to the hospital on my own.

Cole: I’ll take care of them.

Trish: I had Roger rig up the roof of the bus with metal mesh, and a generator will keep it electrified. Should provide a non-stop source of energy for you.

Cole: Wow, that’s really smart.

Trish: They don’t let dumb-asses into med school, Cole. Once you’re up on top, we’ll head out. If you need to jump down, I’ll stop the bus and wait for you.

[Trish gets on the bus and Cole climbs onto the roof. The bus starts moving.]

Trish: Were taking damage! They’ve stopped attacking us!

Doctor: Let them fight it out, keep moving! Don’t stop! Dammit protect the bus!

Moya: (via phone) I got my hands on a picture of the Dust Men’s leader. No ID yet, but I’m going to run it through NGI. I’ll update you when I have a name.

Trish: We can’t survive another hit like that! Cole, clear the road! Blast that stuff off the road, Cole! The road’s blocked. Do something!

Cole: Floor it!

Trish: One more hit and we’re dead!

Cole: Keep going!

Trish: We made it!

Moya: (via phone) Cole, I have the results from the photo analysis - it’s Alden Tate, the son of Richard Tate. You paying attention? I’ve got a lot of ground to cover, and this is important.

[One if the garbage thugs shot a rocket to Cole.]

Cole: (off screen) I was transfixed… …Moya kept talking while I watched this man, this old, grizzled man… …lift a bus with his mind. I’m strong, but nowhere near that powerful. Alden was born to the leader of the First Sons. As a powerful mentalist, he was groomed from an early age to assume control. That is, until Kessler showed up. Alden disappeared into the streets, growing up scared and homeless. But there’s no fear in those eyes now. No. The blast has made him powerful. Gave him the tools to combat his paranoia. With a flick of his wrist, he threw the bus on top of the hospital… With Trish still inside that thing, I had to act fast… …not that I could anything to Alden. He was already gone.

Cole: Hang on, Trish. I’m coming. You just signed your death warrants! Think you guys would eventually learn! Get away from her!

[He climbs onto the roof of the hospital the bus landed on.]

Cole: Are you all right?

Trish: When he threw the bus up here, the only thing going through my head was you, and how things stand between us.

Cole: I’d never let anything happen to you, Trish.

Trish: (crying) I know you didn’t mean to kill Amy, Cole, that you’ve been trying to make things right. And I need to stop being angry at you, it’s just been hard for me. I want us to be together again. Like how it used to be.

DAY 18

Moya: (via phone) Tracking a couple developments, Cole. There are rumours that a large-scale conflict might erupt between the cops in the Warren and the Dust Men. Look into it.

Sasha: (telepathy) I can’t believe you, Cole, running back into her arms. She’s not a lover, not like me. Think of the things I could do. l’am pleasure.

The Arrest

Moya: (via phone) The remnants of the 43rd precinct have mounted an offensive against the Dust Men. My source says they’re going to try and arrest Alden.

Cole: Good, that psycho should be behind bars.

Moya: The battle has already started, so you better get moving. Your top priority is ensuring that Alden is captured. Once he’s in custody. I’ll send in an extraction team.

[Cole comes to the place and sees a dead policeman. He touches him and sees the last moments of his life.]

Policeman: Alden! Don’t move, you’re under arrest!

[Alden kills the policeman.]

Cole: I got a bead on Alden. Heading after him.

Moya: (via phone) Don’t let him escape, Cole. This could be our only shot.

[While following Alden’s trail, Cole sees several people hanging someone on a lamp post.]

Man: He stole my food! Kill him!

Cole: (thinking) Sighs. I probably shouldn’t get involved in this. Alden’s still running around, and if he gets away, Moya’s going to have my hide. I could zap that guy and cut him loose. Or maybe I just walk away and leave him there to rot.

[He cut the thief loose. The trail leads Cole to some big dump.]

Cole: What the hell? Hey Moya, have you seen this place? The Warren was never much to begin with, but this used to be a park. Now It’s a shanty town made out of junk. Can barely find my way through it.

Moya: (via phone) Alden started collecting scrap metal, junk, anything else he could get his hands on the moment the quarantine was put into place. Probably for use on that tower.

Cole: Why the hell is he building that thing?

Moya: No idea. As far as I can tell, there are no combustibles in it. so it’s not an explosive device. Maybe he’s overcompensating for something.

[In pursuit of Alden, Cole stumbles upon a trash golem.]

Police Loudspeaker: He’s trying to flank, suppressing fire! Ignore that golem! Focus all your fire on Tate!

Cole: Damn right.

[He destroys the golem.]

Police Loudspeaker: Attention all units, Tate is in custody. Enroute to the Eagle Point Penitentiary.

Cole: (via phone) Cops nabbed Alden Moya. They’re taking him to the pen.

Moya: I heard, and so have the Dust Men. They’re already rampaging through the streets of the Warren, shooting everyone in sight. Deal with them.

Terrorized Streets

Cole: (via phone) Damn, those maniacs have outfitted city buses with automatic weapons, they’re shooting everyone in sight.

Moya: We need to take control of this situation before the military catches wind of it. If they think the Dust Men might use those weapons to break through the quarantine, they will take action.

Cole: Do they just sit around all day, dreaming about blowing stuff up?

Moya: You know what to do, Cole.

[Cole destroys the bus terrorizing the streets.]

Cole: Yeah, eat it!

Zeke: (via phone) Hey, Cole. Just lettin’ you know that I’m over at the prison, helpin’ out the cops.

Zeke: You kidding me? I thought you hated cops?

Zeke: Like you said, things have changed. Besides, any lawman that’s stayed in this hell-hole is the real deal. Gotta respect that. I’ll catch you later.

Trish: (via phone) Cole, lots of gunshot victims are coming to the hospital. What’s going on out there?

Cole: Trash-baggers are shooting up the place. Bastards have really gone off the deep end this time.

Trish: I don’t have the supplies for this, Cole. You have to stop them before it gets worse.

Cole: I will.

[Cole destroys all the buses on the streets.]

Moya: (via phone) My extraction team is prepped and ready, but the military is dragging its feet with the clearances. Head for the prison and secure Alden until they get there. It won’t be long before the Dust Man try and break him out.

Alden in Chains

Cole: (via phone) I’m at the prison, Moya.

Moya: The Dust Men are going to hit it with everything they’ve got, and the extraction team is still twenty miles away. Do whatever it takes to keep Alden secure.

[Cole runs to Zeke.]

Zeke: The boys in blue need to move some lops to a more secure area of the prison. Gotta hold off the trash-baggers while they make the move.

Cole: What the hell is a lop?

Zeke: A prisoner, man. You know, a shank-holder. C’mon, get with the lingo! Oh and check it out, that walkway up there is crackin’ with juice. Little thing I whipped up.

Cole: Wow, thanks.

Zeke: Damn right.

Loudspeaker: Incoming fire! Get the prisoners to Cell Block D!

Zeke: Keep those things off us, Cole! Got all of the lops moved over to their new cell block. That was good work, brother.

Cole: Ah hell… Zeke, get out of here! Run!

Zeke: No way, man! My guns are locked and loaded!

Cole: These guys’Il kill you! Go help the cops lock down Alden!

Loudspeaker: They’ve breached the wall to the yard. Man the turrets!

Zeke: (via phone) We got Alden strapped to a set of box springs back here, 5000 watts surging through his sorry ass. Bastard’s out cold.

Cole: Was that your idea?

Zeke: Nah, Warden came up with it. Had to figure out a way to keep Alden from using his powers. Lucky it worked - dude was bad news.

Cole: If these guys flank me, you’ll get the full brunt of it. Be ready, Zeke. We can’t let them get Alden.

Zeke: I’m on it, brother. Crap on a stick, the trash-baggers killed the power you need to restart the generators on the roof before Alden wakes up! Alden’s comin’ to! Hurry up, man!

Loudspeaker: Here they come again! Form a defensive perimeter around Alden!

Zeke: (via phone) More trash-baggers, brother! Better high-tail it back down to the yard!

Moya: (via phone) Extraction team is nearly there ETA four minutes.

Loudspeaker: Fletcher and Sims are down!

Zeke: Time for some payback, bitches!

Cole: What the hell are you doing, Zeke! I told you to stay with Alden!

Zeke: That old man ain’t going nowhere. They got him dressed up like a spring goose.

Cole: (off screen) By the time I got inside it was too late… …place was slick with gore. Poor bastards never got any back-up. If Zeke kept his post, they’d be alive now. And Alden would still be in a cage. Not sure Zeke’s ever going to forgive himself for this… …don’t know that he should. That night, we could hear the screams from Tent City. They were drunk on power, proud of their victory over the cops… and over me. Now the Ray Sphere seems farther away than ever. Alden knows we’re coming, he’ll prepare.

DAY 19

Moya: (via phone) Where the hell have you been, Cole? I’ve been trying to reach you.

Cole: Alden’s gone, Moya. Transients busted him out and killed every cop in the prison.

Moya: This is unacceptable, Cole. You had explicit orders to keep him there. What the hell happened?

Cole: Look, don’t lay this on me, I did everything I could. Zeke is the one who blew it. I told him to stay back and help the cops, but he wouldn’t listen.

Moya: It’s time to cut him loose, Cole. He’s become a liability, and we have no margin for error, especially with Alden back on the streets.

Cole: I’m going to make a run on the next substation and beat the hell out of some bad guys.

Trish: (via phone) Cole, I’m at the hospital and Zeke is here. He’s really upset.

Cole: Well maybe he should check himself in for awhile. Might do him so good.

Trish: He keeps muttering stuff about the prison. What happened?

Cole: He was supposed to help the cops keep an eye on Alden, make sure he stayed locked up. But Zeke took off, and it all went to hell. Cops are dead and Alden’s free.

Trish: That’s horrible.

Cole: I know he means well, but this is serious business. People are dying, and I can’t protect everyone. Might be time for Zeke to take a seat on the bench. I’ll see you later.

Light In The Tunnel

[Cole descends into the sewers.]

Cole: Ah yeah, that’s the smell I know and love.

[He restores the power in the district and leaves the sewers.]

John: (via phone) Cole, my name is John White. We need to talk.

Secret Revealed

Cole: John? You here? John?

Helicopter Loudspeaker: John White, we’re here to extract you. Please maintain your current position.

John: You brought a chopper? I told you to come alone!

Cole: They’re not with me! I don’t know who they are!

John: Dammit!

Helicopter Loudspeaker: John, there’s no need to run, we’re here to help you.

Cole: (via phone) Why the hell did you send a chopper? John took off!

Moya: I didn’t send anything - if it’s the First Sons, you need to get to John before they do. Follow that chopper, and don’t let it out of your sight. One other thing - it looks like John is scrambling his signal because all I get is static. I’m trusting you on this one, Cole. Keep me informed.

Cole: Not like I got much of a choice.

Helicopter Loudspeaker: Stand down, John! This operation’s been terminated.

John: No one’s taking me in! (shots a gun)

Helicopter Loudspeaker: Dammit, John! Cease fire! We’re here to get you out!

[A junk golden appears.]

Cole: Why can’t anything be simple…

Cole: (thinking) That damn thing is going to throw the chopper’s gas tank at me. And even if it doesn’t score a direct hit, the explosion’s still going to mess me up. I could shoot the tank now, use it to blow off the golem’s arm. That’d make my life easier, but the explosion will incinerate all of those injured people.

[He takes the damage.]

Cole: Damn, talk about taking one for the team.

John: Destroy that thing!

Cole: What do you think I’m trying to do?!

John: It’s almost down! Hit it with everything you’ve got!

[Cole destroys the golem.]

Cole: John? John? Hey man, it’s clear.

John: Great. I save his life and he bails.

John: (via phone) We have two minutes, forty-five seconds before they can triangulate my position, and I plan on being gone before then. So keep your mouth shut and listen. I know you’re not with the agency. Too undisciplined, too cocky. But I also know that you want the same thing I do - the Ray Sphere. And you’re going to help me get it.

Cole: So you know where it’s at?

John: One of my UAVs spotted it on top of Alden’s tower. Find someone to help you retrieve it, someone you can trust. One minute, fifty-two seconds.

Cole: What do you want me to tell Moya?

John: Who the hell’s Moya?

Cole: Uh, your wife.

John: You’re getting played. I’ve never been married and don’t know anyone named Moya. One minute, nineteen seconds.

Cole: You’re screwing with me, right? She’s an FBI agent, just like you.

John: FBI agent? Yeah, that’d be the day. I hate those bastards. You won’t see me, but I know when you have the Ray Sphere. Once it’s in your possession, we’ll figure out how we’re going to destroy that damn thing.

Cole: (via phone) Zeke, you there?

Zeke: Hey.

Cole: Listen. I really need your help with something.

Zeke: That’a fact? You made it sound like I wasn’t worth a damn.

Cole: Look, we can’t talk about this over the phone. Just meet me over by that big tower the transients are building and I’ll fill you in. Cool?

Zeke: Sure, man. See ya there.

The Ray Sphere

Cole: Was a little worried you weren’t going to show.

Zeke: So what’s going on?

Cole: The Ray Sphere’s up at the top of this tower. Once we have it, we’re getting the hell out of here. You in?

Zeke: It’s up there? Hell yeah, I’m in.

Cole: C’mon, we need to climb up this damn thing. Head over to the elevator, and I’ll figure out a way to bring you up.

Zeke: So how’d you track down the Ray Sphere anyways?

Cole: Ran into John. He told me it’s up here.

Zeke: John? You mean Moya’s husband?

Cole: He’s says he’s not her husband. Never heard of her.

Zeke: What the hell does that mean?

Cole: That one of them is lying. Just don’t know which one.

Zeke: Dammit Cole. I told you not to trust the feds! You ain’t still thinkin’ about turning over the Ray Sphere to ’em, are you?

Cole: John says he wants me to help him destroy it. Seems like a good idea to me.

Zeke: Destroy it? Yeah, right. I’d bet my bottom dollar he just wants to fire that baby up. Or sell it off to someone for some serious cashola. Climb on up there, Cole. We’re runnin’ out of time. We ain’t got all day, Cole. C’mon, bring me up!

[Cole climbs up to the top of Alden’s Tower.]

Cole: (to Zeke) You know, I really wish this had never happened to me. I’m nothing but a damn errand boy, same as before. Going where people tell me, when they tell me. And I’m starting to think that’s never going to change.

Zeke: No way, man. Once we get that Ray Sphere, nobody will say as much as "boo" to ether one of us. You can mark my words on that one.

Cole: I hope you’re right, Zeke. I really do.

Zeke: Climb on up there. Cole. We’re runnin’ out of time. Hey, what the hell’s going on? There’s no one even up here.

Alden: I know you! Both of you! Locked me up like an animal, tied to me to that bed, tried to electrocute me! I showed you, though. You and those pigs.

[Bossfight begins.]

Cole: Zeke, stay back there. When I give the word, you go for the Ray Sphere. I’ll keep Alden off you. Let’s do this.

Alden: I know why you’re here, what you want. Nobody’s taking a damn thing from me!

Cole: My only way out of this hellhole runs through you, Alden and by god you’re not stopping me.

Alden: You’re a fool, boy. Only seeing what others show you. But you learn soon enough.

Cole: Zeke, do it! Go!

[Zeke begins pulling the Sphere out of Alden’s mechanism. Cole fights off the thugs attacking him.]

Cole: You really have a thing for trash monsters, don’t you?

Alden: When my tower is completar I will be reborn. This tired, old, body will be gone, replaced by cold steel and concrete. And then my destiny. By god, I’ll take what’s mine.

Zeke: Damn thing won’t budge. Need more time! Keep it up brother! Almost got it!

[A helicopter arrives from which an evil man in a white hood jumps out.]

Alden: Kessler! You stole my childhood, my home! You dare come here!

Kessler: Poor, poor Alden. All that potential, squandered. Your father would’ve been so disappointed.

Alden: You dare mention my father! I’ll kill you, all of you! Tear you from limb to limb!

Cole: Zeke, get out of here! Run!

Cole: (off screen) Zeke yanked the Ray Sphere out of its cradle and was caught between Alden and Kessler. It was definitely time to escape, but he just stood there. Petrified. You see, through the fear he realised that the key to his dreams… …the tool to make him super-powered, was right between his hands. Asshole makes the choice to kill thousands… …stealing their lives so that he’ll be transformed. And then… …nothing. Everyone’s fine. No change at all. Kessler’s first the grasp the situation, claims to know what’s wrong. If Zeke brings him the Ray Sphere, Kessler will able to give Zeke the powers he craves. My best friend looks me in the eye and then makes his second mistake. Alden goes ballistic at the loss of the Sphere. The tower shakes, and it starts to rip apart. I was just dumfounded. Barely felt the impact.

John: (via phone) I told you to pick someone you could trust. Ninety-three seconds.

Cole: Zeke’s my best friend, like a brother to me. He’s about the only person I do trust. Or did, anyway.

John: Well, you blew it. And now Alden’s on a Killing spree, and Kessler has the Ray Sphere. We need to resolve both situations. Sixty-three seconds.

Cole: I’m starting to think none of this is my problem. Maybel should let those two slug it out, and then swoop in and nab the Sphere when the dust settles.

John: What if one of them activates it and kills another ten thousand people in the process? And who the hell knows what that Moya person wants with it. No, this is the only way. Thirty-eight seconds.

Cole: You’d better be serious about destroying it. I’m in no mood.

John: You have my word. Alden’s heading into the Historic District. Catch up to him, take him out, and then look for Kessler. I’ll be in touch.

Alden’s Rampage

John: (via phone) Alden’s tearing across that bridge, heading for the Historic District. Stop him before he reaches the other side.

Cole: I’m on it.

Moya: (via phone) Cole, what the hell is going on? There’s something wrong with your phone - every time I try and call you, I get disconnected.

Cole: I don’t have time to run tech support for you, Moya. Figure it out yourself. Later.

Alden: I know you’re back there, electric-man! You won’t stop me! No one will!

Cole: Alden! This ends, now!

[But Alden already transforms himself into a giant garbage golem.]

Cole: Holy shit.

Alden: Ignorant piss-ant! This is what my father wanted - me, governing all that I could see. My destiny will be fulfilled! You’re like Kessler, craving what doesn’t belong to you. None of you understand, see the truth. But I do. I see it all.

[Bossfight begins.]

Alden: Aarggh! You ain’t stopping me! This is my birthright, my destiny! You think you can hurt me? Nothing can compare with what I’ve endured, what I’ve survived. You and Kessler are one and the same.

Cole: You’ve got some serious issues, you know that?

[Cole defeats Alden.]

Alden: I’ll kill you, that whore, and your thief of a friend! All of you!

Cole: (off screen) Alden no longer seemed like a threat to anyone… …just some old guy howling about how Kessler had stolen his First Son birthright. Then he changed his tone. Claimed he wanted to work with me to get revenge, to join forces and kill Kessler. Guy must have felt my hesitation, cause in that moment of indecision… …he jumped. No normal man could have survived that fall, but Alden’s a Conduit. Same rules don’t apply. Either way, this thing’s coming to a head. My enemies are all gathered here in the Historic District. Kessler’s preparing them for the final battle. Yeah, this is the finish line. Just wish I wasn’t crossing it alone.

The Price

John: (via phone) Now that Alden’s out of the way, it’s time to move against Kessler. Strategically, though, he’s got you pinned in the Historic District. Head over to the 19th Street Drawbridge and open it. That way you have an out in case things go haywire. Twenty seconds.

Cole: Where are you going to be?

John: I’ll be there when you need me. Five seconds.

Cole: Heard that one before.

Kessler: (via phone) Our time together is drawing to a close, Cole. And I fear that you’re still not ready to face what is coming. So I’ve decided to accelerate things. Evolve or die, as they say. Shall we begin? I know what Trish means to you, Cole. How much you love her. But we all have our part to play, even her. And that’s why she’s sitting here next to me. I’ve planted a series of bombs across the city, and each is on a timer. Fail to disarm any of them before they detonate, and she dies.

Trish: Cole!

Cole: You bastard.

Kessler: I’ve engaged the timer on the first bomb. You don’t have much time. That’s five people now. Five people that will see another sunrise. But I wonder, did you save them because it was the right thing to do, or because you’re trying to protect Trish? I’ve started the timer on the next bomb. It’s amazing the things you forget. The smell of someone, the way their eyes light up when they’re happy. Those are the things to cherish, Cole. Tick, tock, tick, tock. The final bomb is counting down. And it comes down to this - your final test. From one roof hangs Trish. The love of your life. From the other, six doctors. Think of all of the good they’ll be able to do, the thousands of lives they’ll save. Which is more important, Cole? The life of one, or the lives of many? Bombs are attached to each platform. You have time to save one, but not both. Choose.

[Cole chooses six lives over one.]

Kessler: I wish there was some other way, that Trish didn’t have to die. She’s such a special woman. But in times of war, crisis, one must learn to ignore their feelings and do what benefits the whole, not the individual. No matter how painful.

[Trish falls to her doom.]

Trish: Cole!

Cole: Trish!

Cole: (off screen) Time slowed down as Trish fell. All my powers, and I couldn’t do a thing. For a second, she sprung to life… …just long enough to say that she was proud of me for what I’d become. Proud that I was helping people with my powers. And that she loved me for it. I buried her in the park, alongside others who’d died since the blast. Kessler’s going to pay for this. I’m gonna find that sick bastard. And I’m gonna kill him.

DAY 20

John: (via phone) I saw what Kessler put you through. Hell of a thing. Every minute that mad dog walks the planet, all of our lives are at risk. Seventy-five seconds.

Cole: Where the hell were you? If you’d only helped out, Trish might still be alive.

John: Nothing I could do. She was dead the second Kessler got his claws on her. Fifty-one seconds.

Cole: Spare me that crap. You just didn’t want to put your neck on the line.

John: Expose myself to save one person? I don’t think so. But I can help you get some payback. The power grid on the southern half of this island never got updated so it still uses the old external substations. Turn on all three, and you restore power to the rest of the island. Fifteen seconds.

Cole: And give myself a new power in the process.

John: Exactly.

Vengeance

[By turning on the power supply on the island of Cole receives a new ability - the powerful discharges of lightning, destroying everything on its path.]

Cole: Ho, ho, yeah! Fry, you bastards!

Moya: (via phone) Cole, we need to talk. I know what John’s been telling you.

Cole: I got nothing to say to you, Moya. You’ve lied to me from the very beginning.

Moya: I didn’t have any other choice. I had to make myself appear sympathetic, get you to help me. The Ray Sphere can’t fall into the wrong hands.

Cole: So what was your real plane I find John and the Sphere, and then you take them and leave me to the wolves?

Moya: I would’ve done everything I could to get you out of there.

Cole: Goodbye, Moya.

John: (via phone) Those substations are old, so they’re going to come online in fits and starts. You’re going to have to defend each one until it powers up.

[Cole enjoys his new mighty power.]

Cole: Yeah, bring it on! You bastards!

John: Need more time, still powering up. Almost powered up. That one’s good to go.

John: So how much did Moya know about me? Fifty-two seconds.

Cole: Hell if I know. Is it really that important?

John: She works for a different agency and knew I was undercover. That means the NSA has been compromised, that someone is outing agents. Our entire national security apparatus could be exposed. Twenty-nine seconds.

Cole: I think we’ve got more important things to worry about right now. We can deal with that other stuff once we’ve taken care of Kessler.

John: Seeing lots of enemy movement in your area. Get ready for a fight.

Cole: Die!

John: Still powering up.

Cole: You clowns never learn.

John: Just a bit longer. That one’s powered up.

Kessler: (via phone) I saw what you did for Trish. Believe it or not, I know how hard it is to bury someone you love. Especially someone as special as Trish.

Cole: I’m going to kill you, Kessler. I’m going to tear you apart, piece by piece.

Kessler: Yes, you probably will. In fact, I hope you do. I’ve been at this for a very long time now, and I’m tired. Worn out. Won’t be much longer now.

John: (via phone) Looks like they’re hitting you really hard. Defend that substation, Cole. Still powering up. Need more time, still powering up.

[All three substations are now charged. The district lights up.]

John: Just found out what Kessler wanted with Sasha - he’s milking, her like a damned cow, turning her mind-control tar into a gas-based toxin. Forty-one seconds.

Cole: Those two psychos were made for each other.

John: Yeah, they’re freaks. Believe me, I know. But if Kessler succeeds in spraying the city with his toxin, he could take control of every person still here. And send them after you. Eighteen seconds.

Cole: Story of my life.

John: I think he’s going to try and deliver it via balloons. Head over to the old Blue Canyon Building. A couple of engineers just strung a power line from the Historic District back over to the Neon. Should make it easier for you to move around.

Against the World

John: (via phone) Should be a balloon near your location. Seventy-four seconds.

Cole: Yeah, I see it.

John: Damn things are spraying toxin all over the place, turning people into maniacs. In order to stop them, you’re going to have to destroy the UAV circling it, then figure out a way to disable the balloon’s shield. After you kill the shield, jump onto the platform and detach it from the balloon. Without that ballast, it’ll just drift away. Forty-six seconds.

Cole: Then we go after Kessler.

John: First things first, Cole.

Cole: Cough, cough. Gas is making everyone nuts.

John: Get out of the gas cloud! Looks like the shield regenerates after a minute or so. You’re going to have to move fast once you disable it.

Cole: Are you nuts? If your lightning ignites the hydrogen in the balloon you’ll be killed. There’s another balloon in your area. Get over there before this whole thing spins out of control.

Zeke: (via phone) Listen man, I didn’t know what was going to happen with Trish. I swear it.You there? C’mon Cole, say somethin’. Guess I’m the last person you want to talk to right now. Anyway, I’m really sorry. Nothing happened like I thought it was going to. Story of my life, I guess.

John: Good work, that’ll slow the spread of gas in this borough. Kessler still has two more balloons deployed in the Neon. He must’ve drained Sasha dry to produce that much toxin.

Sasha: (telepathy) This could be so much easier for you, Cole. If you only helped me, I could’ve exerted control over those people, kept them from attacking you. But It’s not too late. I can still be yours if you kill Kessler.

Moya: (via phone) Listen to me, Cole. I know you’re angry, but this is bigger than you. Bigger than all of us. The fate of our country, maybe even our world, depends on what happens with the Ray Sphere.

Cole: Spare me, Moya.

Moya: Imagine if it fell into the hands of a terrorist organization, what they’d do with it? The Ray Sphere isn’t a weapon of mass destruction. It’s a weapon of ultimate destruction. You’ve got to find it and give it to me. I can lock it up, make sure no one gets their hands on it.

Cole: Deal’s off, Moya. Find another lapdog.

[He destroys another balloon with gas.]

John: (via phone) Nice work. Only one left. You know, I think it’s time we went on the offensive. I’ve managed to rig up an old police chopper with some surveillance gear, should help us pinpoint the Ray Sphere’s location. Forty-three seconds.

Cole: You sure that’s going to work?

John: Look, I spent months following Kessler around, copying his notes. With the rig I’ve got on this chopper, and you riding shotgun, yeah, we’ll find It. Meet me by the old Ashford Building in the Historic District. Sixteen seconds.

Cole: I’m on my way.

Hunt for the Ray Sphere

[Cole climbs on the roof of the building. John flies on a helicopter with a platform attached to it.]

John: Hey! Get on! Threw a generator in back of the chopper - should keep that platform charged up.

Cole: Quite the setup you’ve got going here.

John: Kessler’s positioned a mobile jammer on each island, and the damn things are cloaked. They mask the frequency emitted by the Ray Sphere, which is why no one can find it. The dishes along the bottom of the platform are set to find the jammers. As I find each one, I’ll feed you its location - then you can go down and destroy it. Cole, don’t get off the platform unless I tell you to. We need to time this right if we make a single mistake, Kessler will move the jammers and we’re back to square one.

Cole: Understood.

John: As I scan for each jammer, we’ll have to be pretty close to the ground, so be sure to watch our backs. Once I have its location, we’ll be able to speed up.

Cole: Don’t worry, I’ll take of anyone that crosses our path.

John: All right. I’ve found the first jammer. Head down and destroy it. Looks like the jammer’s cloaking shield is absorbing whatever you throw at it. Try overloading the shield with a blast of energy.

Cole: I took care of the jammer.

John: Good, get back up here so we can look for the next one. I’ve finished scanning for the next jammer - we’re heading to its location. Probably don’t know this, but I was chasing you the day of the blast. Tried to stop you from opening the package. If I’d been a minute faster, we wouldn’t even be here.

Cole: So what happened?

John: Lost me when you ran a red light. Amazing, isn’t it? One red light, and look what happens. So what’s your plan for getting out of the city?

Cole: Hell if I know.

John: Well, you’d better come up with something. If you think they’re going to let someone as powerful as you just run around, you’d better think again.

Cole: I appreciate the concern, but I’m not really worried about it.

John: You should be worried. Very worried. You think they’re not going to try and re-create the Ray Sphere? I gave them copies of every schematic I could get my hands on. But even if that fails, they still have you. Their own personal WMD. My guess is that they’ll capture you and lock you up, only letting you out when they need somebody wiped off the man.

Cole: Well at least I’m good for something.

John: Go find the jammer. Come back to the chopper. We need to keep moving. Only one location left.

Zeke: (via phone) Cole, c’mon man. I know you’re there. Please pick up.

Cole: I’ve got nothing to say to you, Zeke. As far as I’m concerned, you killed Trish. If you hadn’t taken off with Kessler, she’d still be alive, and we’d be out of this damn city.

Zeke: What do you want me to say? That I’m sorry?

Cole: I don’t want you to say anything - I want you to disappear. Because if I find you things are going to get ugly.

John: The last jammer is somewhere in the garage, but I can’t pinpoint its location. You’re going to have to head down there and find it. Looks like the jammer’s cloaking shield is absorbing, whatever you throw at it. Try overloading the shield with a blast of energy.

Cole: Found the jammer. It’s out of the picture.

John: I need to get some things ready before we go after the Ray Sphere, so try and get some sleep. When we make our move, Kessler’s going to hit us with everything he’s got.

Cole: Don’t you worry, I’ll be ready.

End of the Road

DAY 21

[Cole wakes up in the cemetery… near Trish’s grave.]

John: (via phone) It looks like Kessler’s keeping the Ray Sphere in the old Examiner Building. Going to be a bitch getting to it, though. Seventy-eight seconds.

Cole: So what’s the plan?

John: I’ve got a canister of fentanyl rigged to the bottom of the chopper, should incapacitate everyone inside. Unfortunately, Kessler’s get anti-air guns on the surrounding buildings, and they’ll tear me apart long before I get into position. Fifty-seven seconds.

Cole: So I take out the guns, you gas those bastards, and we go in and get the Sphere?

John: Exactly. We only get one shot at this. Get over there and destroy those guns.

Moya: (via phone) See those jets, Cole? They’re hitting targets all across the city, preparing the way for a ground invasion. I warned you that if I lost control, they’d escalate things. You shouldn’t have reneged on our deal.

Cole: You’re not pinning this on me, Moya.

Moya: I already have.

John: (via phone) I don’t have enough fentanyl to make another bomb, so this is our only chance. Take out those guns before they blow me out of the sky. Dammit, I’m getting blown apart up here! They hit the fuel line! Take out those guns! One more hit, and I’m finished! Ah hell, I’m going down! That’s the last of them. Get away from the building - I don’t want you breathing in this crap. Dammit, we weren’t fast enough. They loaded the Ray Sphere onto a truck - now I’m going to keep them in my sights. You follow as quickly as you can. Get it in gear! C’mon Cole, you’ve got to move. Get the lead out! They’ve getting away! Move it! They’ve got a boat inbound, probably trying to take advantage of the fact that water will kill you. I’ve got fuel leaking all over the place, so you’ve got to catch up to us or we’re going to lose the Sphere again.

Cole: Damn gas grenades. Yeah, bring it on!

John: (via phone) This thing is running on vapours, so l’ve got to put it down. Get your ass down there and stop them. I’ll follow you on foot as soon as I can.

[Cole and John find the Sphere…]

John: You know, I had that thing in my hands once. Kessler asked me to hold it while he adjusted some cables during a test. I could feel it pulsing, like something was inside of it, trying to get out. It’s not right.

Cole: And everyone wants it.

John: That big lightning strike of yours should destroy its protective container. Then we can blow the Sphere sky high.

Cole: (thinking) Sighs. How many lives has that thing destroyed, corrupted? I can’t risk it falling into the wrong hands. But it gave me powers once before. If I use it again, it could make me twice as strong. And then no one would dare challenge me.

[Cole chooses to destroy the Ray Sphere.]

Cole: (off screen) Trish’s crumbled body flashes through my head. I think of Amy, Zeke. And I hit that Sphere with everything I’ve got. But something goes wrong. The Ray Sphere cracks open, creating a vortex of energy. John’s pulled in… and it tears him apart. And I run. John and the Ray Sphere are gone, reduced to ashes. Nothing went according to plan, but at least the Ray Sphere’s out of the picture.

Kessler: (via phone) I’m disappointed, Cole. The Ray Sphere was the catalyst of your powers, and it could’ve strengthened you even more. But you rejected it. I, for one, wouldn’t have done the same thing.

Cole: Yeah, well I’m not like you. It took me awhile, but I finally realized that this isn’t about me, about what I want. Not anymore. It’s about keeping this city safe. And once you’re dead, no one will ever threaten it again.

Kessler: (laughs) That remains to be seen. Meet me at the Station Building,

The Truth

Kessler: And here we are, back where it all started. I was so worried, that you weren’t going to live through the blast. But you were fine. More than fine, actually.

Cole: I remember your voice now. You were there after the bomb went off.

Kessler: I’ve always been there, Cole. Every step of your life.

[The final battle begins.]

Kessler: Your mother is ashamed of you. She lies, tells people you’re a teacher. No one respects a bike messenger. You’re not going anywhere. Chuckles.

Cole: You’re not worming your way out this time, Kessler.

Kessler: You’re weak, a failure. All of this has been for nothing.

[Suddenly Zeke enters the ruins of the Station Building. He’s carrying a gun.]

Zeke: Get your hands offa him! Cole, make a run for it! I’ll take care of this gas-bag!

Kessler: This doesn’t concern you, fat man.

Zeke: АНН!

Kessler: No one is going to save you this time.

Cole: You’re not going to be so glib when I ram my foot up your ass.

Kessler: Where do you think you’re going? That the best you can do? Your old man carried a picture of Trish in his wallet, telling people she was the daughter he never had. Did you know that he couldn’t wait for you to marry her.

Cole: You rotten son-of-a-bitch. You bastard… Die!

[He defeats Kessler and strikes him with lightning.]

Cole: (off screen) I looked down at Kessler, revelling in my victory. And then I heard him whisper: "Trish, I love you. Please forgive me." Then he was on me, fingers digging into my face. As Kessler’s secrets played out in my head, I finally began to understand. I saw his nemesis, a beast intent on extinguishing all life. In those early days Kessler could’ve used his powers to stop it… …but instead he fled with his family, leaving others to fend for themselves. Hunted for years, Kessler and his family watched as the rest of the world went to hell… …and then it was too late, too late to fight, too late to save anyone. In that moment of failure and grief, he used his newest and most dangerous power… …he went on a one way trip back in time. Attempting to rewrite history… …Kessler seized control of the First Sons and accelerated the Ray Sphere’s development. Decades spent plotting the blast, organizing the quarantine, finding me. Yet the thing that drove him forward, Kessler’s sole link to the past, was a picture from his wedding day… …When he married Trish, with Zeke as his best man. My brain lurched, unable to accept that Kessler and I were the same person… …that he’d come back in time to mould me into the savior he failed to be. Going so far as to kill the woman he loved, I loved, so that I wouldn’t be tied down by emotions. No, Kessler wanted me strong, ruthless… …so that when I faced the beast I’d be capable of making impossible decisions… …all for the common good. And then Kessler fell back, dead. His final message, my final message, burned into my brain. I take one last look down at myself, my future self, and turn away, the rage curdling inside. I hate everything about Kessler. But when the time comes, I will be ready.

THE END

Cole: (off screen) I thought this would be the end, that once Kessler and the Ray Sphere were gone, my life would go back to normal. But now I understand that this is my life, that there’s no going back. That the "gift" of these powers will be my burden until the day I die. The people around here, they love me. But how long will that last? What’s going to happen the first time they expect me to be there for them and I’m not? I don’t even know who to trust. Moya is still running around, planning god-knows-what. And Zeke… …I don’t know what to think. I’ve never been more alone…

[CREDITS]