The Legacy of Cole MacGrath

Chapter 13: Alden Strikes

I climb out of the sewer and watch as power flows through part of The Warren. My new power is just a super powerful bolt. Uses a ton of energy though.

Then my phone goes off, it’s Zeke.

“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,”

“I’m sorry, man,”

“I shoulda known better — she's always been like that. Ah no biggie, though. Frees me up to play the field, see what else is out there. Catch ya later,”

After the call ends, I hear a drone fly overhead.

Then I hear Moya start talking.

“I’ve been receiving reports of unauthorized drones patrolling the Warren. Since they're not ours, you should look into them. It also sounds like the Dust Men are planning a quarantine break,”

“Alright,”

“One other thing — tell your Zeke to be careful with what he investigates, he could get killed and I don’t want his blood on my hands,”

“What the hell Zeke..I can’t be losing you,”

I’ll go after the drones, since one just flew over me. Before I could go after it I hear a crash shortly followed by a cloud of smoke.

Moya starts talking.

“One of the UAVs patrolling the Warren crashed. Recover its flight recorder, and I’ll try to figure out who’s controlling them,”

I run towards it towards the plume of smoke.

When I reach it I search for its central computer and find an sd card.

“Use your phone to send me the contents of the flight recorder,”

I plug the sd card into my phone and send it over to Moya.

“Just what I thought: The First Sons are using drones to search for the Ray Sphere. They’ve narrowed their search to this area,” 

“They know anything we don’t?”

“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,”

“Okay,”

I look in the sky and there are about 5 drones.

It took me 30 minutes, but I got all the drones down.

But then my phone goes off. It’s from an unmarked number. I pick up.

“I want you to listen to something, Cole,”

It sounds like the guy that ambushed me back on the roof. The one who showed me the future.

Then I hear Sasha speak in a pained tone.

“Please..no more. I’ll do anything you want,”

I grimace at the thought of what he’s doing.

“Real tough guy aren’t you?”

“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?”