Chapter Text
Four years. Had it really been that long? Four years since Seattle, since Augustine, since… Reggie. Delsin swallows down the sadness that’s building in his throat and stares at white marble, barely noticing the cold rain that’s soaked through his beanie and into his hair by this point. He hadn’t come out to the cemetery in a while, at least a couple months, and even after this long he still struggled with seeing the extra marker where there used to just be two. He carefully sits down on the wet grass, not caring how soaked his jeans are getting.
“Hey guys. Sorry I haven’t been out for a while, things have been super busy recently, and I just couldn’t get away” His voice is quiet, answered only by the drone of the rain.
It was an odd habit, for sure, talking to graves, especially when one of them was empty. They hadn’t been able to find his brother’s body under all the concrete in the Sound during the cleanup in Seattle, although a lot of it had been too difficult to remove and remained there to this day. He’d come out here one day, only a few months after the funeral, and had just started talking, as though Reggie was still right there, and had been surprised when he felt… better. Not good, not great, but better. He’d kept up the habit, visiting whenever he felt stressed or down, and simply talked. About anything and everything. Eugene and Fetch gave him his space when he came out here, something he was eternally grateful for. His two best friends, along with Betty, had been his saving grace the last few years, keeping him going, being so patient with him. They’d moved in after the first year, Fetch taking the spare room and Eugene taking over the basement. Delsin still had his old room, couldn’t bear going through his brother’s things, so Reggie’s room stayed shut and untouched. It had taken them eight years after their parents had died to go through their things, so he figured he still had time.
“So, what’s new since I last visited huh? Well, the Center finally got its building permit approved” he says with a small smile. The Seattle Conduit Center had been a dream in the making and took two years to get approved. At first, they’d been in a small office building, working to help the mess that was Seattle post-DUP crisis as conduit ambassadors. Eventually, they’d gained support from several different Senators and private investors and had bought an old apartment building which had been renovated. Now, the Center was part homeless shelter, part training facility, and part welfare services. Most of their initial clients were newly freed Curdun Cay inmates, but now they also helped any new conduit who may be struggling with controlling their powers or who may have been kicked out of home because of old prejudices. Last week, they’d officially been approved to build a brand-new facility on land donated outside the city by a private donor and were all over the moon for it.
There was also now an official Conduit registry, something that Eugene kept a very careful watch over, that included their names and powers. It was a blessing and a curse, but it had come in handy. And honestly, if it was what was required to allow Conduits access to extra aid and freedom, Delsin was willing to make concessions. Compromise.
“Oh, Eugene finally got his license. I think he’s gonna go with the Honda, Fetch thinks he’s going with the 360z.” He snorts and rests his chin on his hand “Truck’s hanging in there, doing fine. Don’t worry, I’m getting regular oil changes.”
While their pay as ambassadors was good, the three of them, and most of the former inmates at Curdun Cay, had also been given a substantial amount of money from the government as reparation. Delsin had been surprised to find out from Betty that the tribe had also received a sum, though she’d declined to tell him how much. The first thing Fetch had done after getting her license in order was buy an old Mustang and get it painted purple. She’d admitted to them later that it had always been Brent’s dream car, and she babied that thing to no end.
Not that Delsin had room to talk. They always took Fetch’s car or the bus into the city, as he had no trust in Seattle drivers and refused to risk damaging the truck. The former Deputy Jackson, now Sheriff Jackson, and Deputies Nelson and Wilkerson had, without him knowing, pooled together to finish paying off Reggie’s truck and given it to him a few weeks after the funeral. Delsin had never thought he’d miss seeing the stupid Sheriff decals or the red and blue lights. He couldn’t drive it for another three months after that without breaking down.
Things were still rough. There was still oppression, fear, and a ton of prejudice against conduits, but things were getting better. He was getting better. He talks until he runs out of things to say. When he gets to his feet, he pauses, gently running a hand over each stone. “I love you guys.” He turns and slowly makes his way back to the truck, feeling a little bit lighter.
When he gets back to the house, he’s surprised to see Fetch’s Mustang in the gravel driveway, as well as a black SUV he doesn’t recognize. She and Eugene had both had work today and went into the city early this morning, while he had had the day off. He quicky parks and runs inside. Fetch and Eugene both look up from where they’re sitting at the dinner table when he bursts through the door, as do the two official looking men in suits that stand next to it.
“Ah, Mr. Rowe, good morning. Agent Donovan” The taller man, older, greying hair, but sharp eyes, greets him, holding out a hand, and Delsin is immediately wary. Given the three’s history with the Government, while Delsin is willing to play nice at work and in official settings, having them come into his home has him immediately on edge.
“Delsin, please.” Being called Mr. Rowe still made him feel weird, no matter how much he’d heard that or variations of it over the last few years. He keeps his arm crossed over his chest “What can I do for you gentlemen?”
Agent Donovan pulls his hand back awkwardly and clears his throat “Forgive the intrusion, as we were explaining to Ms. Walker and Mr. Sims, there is a matter of great importance that the Secretary of State would like to discuss with you. We are here to escort you to the Lewis-McChord base where we will be meeting up with Captain Clark, who I’m told you’re already acquainted with. From there we will be continuing to the Pentagon. While there is not a lot we can discuss here in an unsecured location, I’ll answer what questions I can.”
He stares at the man, eyes narrowing as he speaks. “Sorry, this sounds like the beginning of the action movie where the guy disappears under suspicious circumstances. What could the Secretary of State possibly want to talk about with me? What Agency are you from, Agent Donovan? And why involve Clark?”
Agent Donovan runs a hand through his hair, sighing “There’s a lot of classified information I can’t give at the moment. As for who we are, this is Agent Mann, FBI, and I’m CIA.” They both hold their badges out, and Delsin’s suspicion grows to alarm. “What I can tell you is, the FBI started doing investigations when families with conduit members reported they had never returned from Curdun Cay after the facility had officially been declared emptied and shut down. According to DUP records, there are over 100 conduits unaccounted for who should’ve been in the facility.”
That was news to Delsin. He exchanges concerned looks with Fetch and Eugene. “But we went through the digital records so we could report anyone who had died to their families. How could we miss over 100 people?” Eugene questions.
Agent Mann answers this time “They were erased from the digital database. We had to find the paper records kept at Augustine’s residence to discover the discrepancy. And unfortunately, more conduits have popped up missing over the last four years under mysterious circumstances. And not just in the US.” Agent Donovan gives him a warning look and Delsin gets the impression he told them more than he was supposed to. The older agent clears his throat again, a nervous tic if Delsin had to guess, and addresses them again “More will be explained when we get to the Pentagon. I’m sorry I can’t give you more answers now. But we need to leave immediately. Your offices have already been made aware of your absence and arrangements have been made to continue your projects during your time away.”
Delsin frowns sharply at him “Dude, you come in here, give us sketchy info, and expect us to just come with you, to the Pentagon, no questions asked? What the hell? How do we know you’re telling the truth and not just trying to get rid of us?”
Agent Donovan looks up at the ceiling and takes a deep breath before looking Delsin straight in the eye. “I know that everyone hears CIA and immediately gets nervous and given all you have been through you have a right to be wary. But if you refuse to come with us, a lot of people could be in danger. You are supposed to be the conduit hero, the Banner man” Delsin makes a face at the old nickname “Is that all talk? Or have you gone soft? Content to sit in an office and let someone else do the fighting?” He challenges.
Something angry and sharp sparks in Delsin’s chest, and the smoke conduit levels the Agent with a scowl. “I’ll always be willing to fight.”
“And besides, if you’re lying, and Do try to kidnap us or some shit, you already know that’ll end badly for ya.” Fetch snarks, standing and stretching. “Come on Gene, let’s go pack.” She nudges the video conduit, who had been lost in thought, scrambling out of his chair to follow. “We’ll give you 30 minutes.” Agent Mann says, stepping outside with Agent Donovan. Delsin breathes out a sigh of relief and sinks into a chair, thinking. Over a hundred conduits missing and Augustine still in custody. So who…? He shakes his head and gets up to pack. He’d get answers soon enough, one way or another.
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The drive to the base is silent. The Agents had both made it clear at the house that they couldn’t say more. Eugene looked nervous the whole ride while Fetch looked agitated. Delsin wasn’t sure how to feel yet, although relief is the first thing to come to mind when the SUV comes to a stop. He steps out and is greeted by the sight of a tall, tan man with buzzed blonde hair dressed in military fatigues standing at parade rest by the entrance to the building they’ve parked next to. Delsin waves at him, a smile tugging up the corners of his lips “Hey Cap! Long time no see!”
Captain Alexander Clark was a down-to-earth, no-nonsense man with a dry sense of humor and a strong sense of Justice. He had discovered he was a conduit during a tour overseas two years ago, after jumping on a grenade to save some of his men. It had been a fight upon their return home, with the military and the US government torn on whether conduits should be allowed to serve or not. Delsin and Fetch had had their work cut out for them advocating for him and other service members, as well as allowing conduits to participate in jobs like nursing and firefighting, proving that they could be assets if allowed. Support from Captain Clark’s command, as well as other successful placements from the Center had eventually earned them a win, and a Supreme Court decision that Captain Clark and other conduits be allowed to work jobs like any other American citizen. The party had lasted a week and honestly Delsin didn’t remember most of it.
Captain Clark returns Delsin’s wave with a smile, walking over and shaking his hand, as well as Fetch and Eugene’s. “Rowe, Walker, Sims. Good to see all of you. Sorry the circumstances couldn’t be better.” He says as the two agents join them. “Have you already been briefed on this?” They all shake their heads, and he frowns “Damn. I was hoping somebody had an inkling of what’s going on.”
“I’m sorry, Captain. Are your men ready though?” Agent Donovan asks, tucking his hands in his coat pockets when a cold wind blows past them. Captain Clark nods “Yes sir, although you had my curiosity when you said you needed the full company. Knowing you needed it because it’s a company with conduits, and then you added three of the heaviest hitting conduits I’ve ever met on top of that, now you have my attention.”
The older agent nods “Once you understand the circumstances, you’ll see why you and your men were chosen for this mission.” Clark frowns but doesn’t question it, leading them inside. The place is a mad house, with soldiers everywhere, kitted out in tactical gear and looking like they’re about to step into a war zone. Delsin’s list of questions keeps growing. “Alright everyone, we are wheels up in 20!” Captain Clark barks out, shouldering his own ruck sack from a chair in the corner. A chorus of “Yes sir!” echoes through the building. Delsin glances at Agent Mann “How come we didn’t meet them at the airport?”
“We’ll be taking a non-commercial plane from the base to one of the airfields in DC. This mission needs to be kept as quiet as possible.” He explains. “Get ready for sore asses and even less leg room!” One of the soldiers nearby quips. Fetch groans “Sounds fucking fantastic.”
“At least you have short legs” Eugene points out helpfully, earning a glare from the neon- conduit.
All too soon, they’re out on the tarmac, heading towards one of the biggest planes Delsin has ever seen. A C5-B galaxy, if he heard Eugene correctly. Cargo was being loaded into the back, and the company was making their way in as well. Over the past few years, he’d been on a decent number of planes, but this one was the most unique, he notes as he steps inside and finds a seat next to Eugene, Fetch on his other side. Half the soldiers are already falling asleep, the other half have pulled out books or their phones. Delsin even spots a couple Gameboys. Eugene has his laptop out, and Fetch had earbuds in, watching some new anime already. He leans back and sighs. What a way to spend his day off.
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Delsin snaps awake when the plane jolts under him. His first thought is they’re being attacked. Thankfully, a quick glance at Fetch to his right soothes his nerves when he sees she’s completely calm and realizes it must be the plane’s landing gear. Sure enough, the rest of the plane’s occupants are waking up seat partners, putting away books, and stowing game devices. The plane soon comes to a stop, and they disembark. There’s a new set of black SUVs waiting on the tarmac that Delsin guesses are for them, accompanied by another pair of people in black suits. Delsin feels marginally better when Clark hops into the first SUV with them, the two agents going in the other. Delsin looks back out the heavily tinted windows at the soldiers and cargo still coming out of the plane and frowns “We’re just leaving them?” He asks.
Clark snorts. “I doubt the whole Company will fit inside the Pentagon’s secure meeting rooms. Don’t worry, they’ll be fine until we come back. And once we know the mission details, they’ll be briefed too. I’m not gonna let them walk in blind, Rowe. Give me more credit than that.” He says with a wry smile that eases some of the tension in the younger man’s shoulders. It’s a blessedly short ride to the Pentagon, which means his anxiety has less time to build up when they walk inside. Going through the stringent security is even worse than going into the Washington state capitol building and Eugene, despite having come quite far in dealing with his anxiety and issues with people the last few years, looks like he’s seconds away from losing it when they’re forced to give up their electronics before entering the room where their meeting is supposed to take place.
The door they walk through is heavy, Delsin notes, and if he had to hazard a guess, the room is probably sound-proofed. Inside the dimly lit room there’s a large round table with chairs placed around it and touch screens in front of each one, currently showing the Pentagon logo. He notices that there are already two men and a woman seated at the table, papers and folders in front of them. They look up when Delsin and the others enter, and the woman rises smoothly from her seat.
“Thank you all for coming. Please have a seat.” She gestures in front of her, waiting until everyone is seated to sit back down and resume speaking. “I am Hannah Devereux, Secretary of State for the President. With me here are Director Finch of the CIA and Director Sullivan of the FBI. I apologize for the secrecy involved in bringing you here, but time is of the essence. And please know, this information is to be kept confidential.” She explains, tapping the keyboard in front of her. Delsin’s attention is drawn to his touch screen, a list of names appearing on it.
Director Sullivan picks up after her “As Agent Mann has explained to you, several conduits went missing from Curdun Cay before the incident in Seattle four years ago. While our initial investigation began fairly soon after, it was slowed by DUP interference while the organization was being dismantled, as well as interference from those in Washington who are still firmly against conduit reintegration. Along the way, registered conduits also began to go missing, and we began receiving reports from European countries who had conduits go missing as well. The most recent was a 12-year-old girl from London. What we eventually discovered was that the initial disappearances all began around the same time that this woman was dismissed from the facility’s staff.” A picture appears on the screen and Delsin hears Eugene gasp sharply “Doctor Dubois?!”
All eyes turn to him “You knew her?” Delsin asks carefully, suddenly wondering if he should’ve come alone.
Eugene nods “She was brilliant, and a complete psychopath. Augustine was completely delusional of course, but she was functioning off the idea that she was keeping conduits safe in there, teaching us to protect ourselves. But Doctor Dubois? She thought conduits were subhuman, meant to be used as weapons or experiments.”
“I never met her, but I heard she got fired for experimenting on inmates. If she was crazy enough to make Augustine fire her, that should tell you something.” Fetch adds.
Director Finch hums “That unfortunately tracks with the rest of our investigation. And you two having some familiarity with her might help us in the end. I’ll let Director Sullivan finish his bit first though.”
“Thank you.” Director Sullivan says, though his tone holds no annoyance. “After she was removed from Curdun Cay’s staff, Doctor Dubois returned to France and as far as anyone could tell, wasn’t doing anything worth drawing attention. What we found though, was that after she left, all the inmates listed disappeared within the course of a few months. When we dug into it, we also noticed a trickle of DUP troops slowly but steadily resigning. It went unnoticed because these were unaltered troops, not the ones who were given partial powers of their own, and there were always tons of them signing up to replace the ones who left. The ones who resigned all started leaving the country, obtaining work visas for a company owned by Dubois.” He looks at Director Finch “You can go ahead.” The other director nods his thanks.
“Dubois’ father owns a pharmaceutical company, and all the DUP troops who obtained visas are on the company’s payroll but work at none of its physical facilities. We have been working a joint operation with French intelligence for the past several months to find out more. She lives in Corsica, but frequently stays at her family’s mansion in Loreze. It’s in the countryside, remote. We took thermal imaging using drones and what we found was surprising.” A new picture comes up, and it takes Delsin a second to figure out what exactly he’s looking at.
“That facility looks enormous” Captain Clark had been so quiet that Delsin had almost forgotten he was there, his voice a shocked murmur.
“Yea and locked up tight. We’ve been searching for a way in for months and had no success.” Director Finch explains.
Delsin taps his finger on the table thoughtfully. “Is that why you called us here then? For a rescue mission? That seems simple for so much secrecy.”
The two directors share an uneasy look “Because unfortunately it isn’t that simple. Our intelligence has led us to believe that not only is she performing experiments on the conduits she is holding captive, there’s also a very high chance that some of them have been subjected to brainwashing or conditioning.”
Delsin stares at him in shock, feeling sick “What the hell would she do that for?”
“We found what we believe to be a list of buyers in her personal files. In essence, she’s turning them into weapons to be sold off to the highest bidder.” There’s silence in the room for a moment as Director Finch gives them a moment to digest this before he pushes on. “This gives us reason to believe our second issue is connected.”
“Oh do tell, not like this could possibly get any worse.” Delsin snaps, ignoring Fetch’s hard elbow jabbing into his side. The CIA director presses his lips into a thin line and several camera feeds and news reports pop up on Delsin’s screen. ‘New York Senator’s death possibly foul play.’ ‘Belgian UN Ambassador dead under mysterious circumstances.’ ‘American Ambassador to the UK’s death most likely linked to pro-conduit stance.’ Okay, maybe it can get worse. Delsin feels bile rise in his throat and taps on the video feeds. Each one plays a clip only a few seconds long, but in each he notices a little girl, somewhere around 12-14 years of age, walking along the street, sitting on a bench, sheltering from the rain against a storefront. She’s dressed in a turtleneck sweater, jeans, and sneakers, and Delsin notices the clothes are patchy, worn, and dirty. “In each of these clips, the dead Senator or Ambassador had walked by a few minutes prior.”
“She was following them” Fetch surmises, frowning. “Who is she? Is she the conduit responsible for killing them?”
Secretary Devereux shakes her head as a missing poster appears on the screen, showing a smiling picture of the same girl from the video. It reads Vanessa Jones, age 12. “Her conduit power is sound manipulation. The conduit we believe is responsible for these assassinations is some form of water manipulator.” A new feed appears, this one at night, and the girl appears again, sneaking into a dumpster. She pops back out a few minutes later, clutching a paper bag. She looks around and brings her fingers to her mouth. The video has no sound, but Delsin can guess she’s whistling. A tall, thin figure drops down from the roof above. The other person is barefoot, wearing jeans and a ragged dark hoodie with the hood up. They look male, although Delsin can’t really make out any defining features. They crouch down and the little girl eagerly shows off the bag, earning a gentle head pat. She beams, hopping onto their back for a piggyback carry. The figure straightens and holds out a hand. A stream of water bursts out of a nearby grate and attaches to the building, forming an icy ledge that they use to vault up and catch the edge of the roof, pulling themselves over the edge and disappearing. Delsin feels his stomach twist.
“We believe the girl is there to gather information on the target and report to the older conduit, who then carries out the assassination order. An adult, especially if this other conduit is male, would draw too much attention. We also think that Doctor Dubois sent them out as a ‘test run’. Show off to her buyers the effectiveness of her work.” Director Finch explains.
“Why do you think this water conduit is the one responsible?” Delsin wonders aloud.
“The first death was by drowning. In her bed. She was completely dry, but her lungs were filled with water. The second died of hypothermia, again in his bed at home. The third had all his fluids drained from his body, like someone had sucked them out with a straw.” Secretary Devereux answers, and Delsin winces when the crime scene photos come across the screen next.
“Geez, it’s like that scene from the Mummy” Fetch gags, wrinkling her nose.
“What exactly is our mission then? How can we help?” Delsin asks, trying to tamp down the ugly mixture of rage, pain, and disgust curling under his ribs.
“We have reason to believe their next target is the Austrian Ambassador for the UN. Our mission is three-fold. First, we need to stop that assassination by any possible means. The Austrian people cannot know we were there. The Austrian Chancellor has agreed to our presence so long as we remain covert. We get in and get out. The Ambassador will also be made aware of the situation. Our hope is to capture the two conduits in the process. If capture is impossible or unlikely, get a tracker on them. If they don’t return to the facility, we can find them later. The second part of our mission is to raid the facility. We have a joint operation planned with Frances’ special forces division. Capturing Colette Dubois and freeing the conduits inside are our main priority there. The last part of our mission will be carried out by two of Captain Clark’s platoons with aid from the French army. They will be looking for any remaining DUP forces under her control that were not at the facility and detaining them. Here in the states, the FBI will be doing the same. I know you all arrived in DC only an hour ago, but you’ll be leaving again in a couple of hours.” Director Finch finishes and runs a hand through his hair, looking worn. “Anyone have any questions? You will also be provided with a dossier with all this information so that you can review it later, but remember it is classified information. It needs to stay with you or be destroyed.”
Fetch raises her hand “I have one. Do we have any idea when this attempt might take place?”
“Based on the prior attempts, I would estimate within the next three days. Getting to Vienna will take 22 hours. That leaves you two days to find them.” Director Sullivan answers, shifting through his notes.
Everyone looks at Delsin, who stares at his tablet, watching the feeds again, a frown on his face. “Ambassador Rowe? Anything to add?” Secretary Devereux prompts gently, pulling his gaze up.
“All this time, all these resources. Four years ago, we were bio-terrorists, now you’re pulling strings with other nations to get them back. Why? People can change, but I dunno if I believe anyone changes that quickly. Especially in DC.”
“You’re right. But the UN and many other people in positions of power realize that what happened in Curdun Cay was inhumane. Some of the individuals involved in making this mission happen have their own interests to serve, some want to improve their political image. I frankly don’t care how or why they help, so long as they do.” She answers.
“Why?” He presses.
“….Senator Sims.” She finally admits. That was not the answer he was expecting.
“My mom?” Eugene asks sharply, aghast.
“Yes. We met in college, used to be friends, and then I watched what kind of politician she became. I watched her use what happened to you, her own son, as an excuse to further her political goals. And when you were freed, she tried to make it all about her. So yes, it might be petty, and fueled by the wrong reasons, but I want to help conduits to spite your mother.” She admits.
Eugene blinks, jaw agape, and then busts out laughing. “Oh my God. You know what? I’m cool with that reason.” He finally says when he can breathe again, wiping away tears. Delsin shrugs “If Eugene’s cool with it, and you’re able to call the shots, then sweet. Let’s do this.”
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Twenty-two hours doesn’t seem like much in the grand scheme of things. But when you’re crammed like a sardine on a plane for 8 hours, race around France as soon you land to get shit set up, and then get crammed into a cargo van for another 12-13 hours, it’s a lot. By the time they reach Vienna, it’s well past dusk. The air is colder here than back in the States, and Delsin’s glad he grabbed his gloves. The group on this mission is small, including himself, Fetch and Eugene of course, Captain Clark, and one of his Lieutenants for backup. They park the van on a back road outside the city and hike the last few miles. Once they make it into the city, it’s a matter of navigating back alleys to avoid detection until they find a spot to get up to the rooftops. While Fetch and Delsin could easily make it up with their powers, they dare not risk drawing attention. Once everyone is up, Eugene checks the GPS. “The Ambassador’s residence is two streets over, and one street down. Should be pretty easy to find.” He pockets it and they make quick but silent work of moving over the rooftops, keeping back from the edges to avoid detection. There’re still people out and about despite the late hour, and if this mission were anything else, Delsin wouldn’t worry about being careful. He was loud and proud, normally, and when they got inside that facility later those DUPs were going to feel the brunt of his anger.
Eugene stops them eventually and points across the street. “That’s it right there.” Lieutenant Sanders peers at their surroundings and hums thoughtfully. “I’d say either there or there would be a good place for the Captain and I to set up overwatch, and for us to draw them out.”
They agree on a tall rooftop across the street from the Ambassador’s residence, with a good view of the surrounding area and direct line of sight into the windows. They set up their gear and hunker down, Sanders taking the first watch. Delsin pulls the file out of his bag, looking at the stills from the feed again. He feels Fetch sit down next to him and sigh “Some pretty fucked up shit, isn’t it, D?”
“Very,” he grumbles under his breath. “Eugene was only 14, this girl was 12. How much younger is it gonna go?”
Her hand settles onto his shoulder and squeezes comfortingly. “We’ll get her back. Don’t worry. No more kids are going to end up like this. We’ll make sure that the people like her, like Augustine, don’t happen again.”
He smiles at her. “Thanks Fetch.”
“Psh, don’t worry about it. You can’t be a boundless optimist all the time. I think I’d puke” she teases, laying down and resting her head on her bag. “Get some sleep. Who knows how much we might get the next few days.”
He glances over to check on Eugene and finds him on his phone on her other side, curled up against his backpack, playing whatever phone game he’s fixated on now. He hadn’t realized how often he checked up on his friends after his brother had died until Betty had mentioned it in passing. He couldn’t help it though. They were all each other had left. He takes one last look at the file before placing it at the bottom of his bag and getting comfortable. Whatever it takes, they’re going to fix this. Whatever it takes.
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The night passes quietly, and Delsin’s turn for watch comes at dawn. Thankfully it’s wholly uneventful. The two soldiers spend their time sleeping and double-checking their gear, while he and Fetch play as many card games as he can think up, munching on chex mix and peanuts. Eugene joins in for a few, but mostly keeps to himself in the corner. Delsin knows how he deals with stress and lets him have his space, tossing him packs of snacks every few hours. It’s about an hour before sunset when he sees Sanders stiffen out of the corner of his eye. “Captain, I got eyes on one of our targets.” He keeps his voice low, gaze fixed below them. Fetch quickly cleans up their stuff while Delsin joins the Lieutenant and Captain by the roof’s edge, staying crouched. The little girl, Vanessa, is standing in the alleyway two buildings down from the Ambassador’s home. She’s watching it, and soon enough Delsin sees a car drive up in front. Bodyguards step out first, followed by the Ambassador. Delsin’s eyes are scanning everywhere for the other conduit when Eugene crouches beside him “I don’t think they’re gonna come out until it gets dark, all the other attempts were after the victims were in bed” Eugene whispers.
“You may have a point” Captain Clark whispers back “Sims, how long can you go invisible?”
“Indefinitely” the video conduit answers, brow furrowing “Why?”
“Follow the Ambassador inside. Watch him. Keep your comm on, they shouldn’t be able to hear it in-ear so long as the volume is turned down low. If we don’t see anything by midnight, Rowe will swap out with you.” He answers. Eugene hesitates for a moment, working up his courage and grabbing his bag. He disappears in a shower of pixels and Delsin’s anxiety kicks up a notch, forcing him to remind himself Eugene is one of the most powerful conduits he knows, even if he is still a bit of a shy nerd. “Sanders, watch the girl. If she moves, tell me. Rowe, Walker, be on the lookout for our other target.” The captain is in full command mode now, taking up a spot on the other edge of the roof.
At quarter to midnight, when the street is deserted, Delsin hears a whistle, and creeps back over next to Sanders. “Cap, I think we’re about to have company” the lieutenant murmurs. Delsin’s thankful for the bright streetlights, the cloud covered moon offering no extra illumination. The girl, Vanessa, Delsin reminds himself, is standing by a manhole in the street. It lifts, slides to one side, and their missing target slips out, carefully putting the manhole back in place. “Fucking of course a water conduit would hide out in the sewers, why didn’t we think of that?” Fetch hisses, and Delsin can’t help but agree. They were under their feet the whole time.
“Rowe, prepare to intercept.” Captain Clark tells him quietly. Delsin nods and is about to smoke dash down to the street when Vanessa makes a quiet but high-pitched noise that leaves Delsin’s ears ringing, making him wince and distracting him long enough that by the time he looks back down, the water conduit has disappeared.
“Shit! You guys get the girl, I’ll deal with them. Eugene, get ready, I might need your help” He shifts and quickly crosses the gap between the two buildings, using a vent on the roof to get inside, reforming in the upstairs hallway. It’s almost pitch-black inside. He looks over the railing, straining to hear any hint of where the other conduit might be. A sudden commotion behind the door at the end of the hall draws his attention. He bolts down the hall and crashes through the door. He’s greeted by the sight of Eugene standing between Ambassador’s bed and the entrance to his bathroom, hurling pixel swords at the water conduit, who is batting them away with tendrils of water pulled from the broken pipes around them. The Ambassador and his wife are pressed against the opposite wall of the bedroom, looking up at Delsin in shock when he enters. “Go, now!” Delsin barks, and thankfully they don’t need to be told twice, running from the room. Their assailant throws up a hand to attack but Eugene intercepts them with a barrage of pixels, forcing them to bring a wave of water up to block it. Delsin taps his comm “Sanders, the Ambassador and his wife are coming out, get them somewhere safe” he orders. As soon as Eugene stops his barrage, the wave comes down, but Delsin doesn’t give them a moment, firing off a sulfur headshot that leaves them stumbling back and coughing, hunched over, disoriented.
“We don’t want to hurt you, okay? We’re here to try and help you and the girl outside,” Delsin says, approaching them carefully, trying to get a glimpse of their face. They’re tense, the watery tendrils behind them hovering. They’re also extremely thin, he can tell that much in the soft glow of the pixels that haven’t faded yet, the filthy, ragged clothes hanging off them like a scarecrow, although the body shape would lead Delsin to guess male. The hood keeps too much shadow on their face, and Delsin is about to ask Eugene for more light when there’s a scream from outside.
“NIX! Feral!”
It has a similar high-pitched note to it that leaves Delsin’s ears ringing. The water conduit’s head snaps around towards the window so fast Delsin’s surprised he doesn’t hear it crack. They hurl several icicles at him and Eugene and bolt towards the large bathroom window, smashing right through it. Delsin dodges the sharp ice with a quick shift into smoke and races after them, leaping out the window and landing on the street below, Eugene right on his heels. Fetch and Captain Clark are both on the ground, hands clamped over their ears, Vanessa and the other conduit already a ways down the street. Eugene waves him on, staying to help the other two up, and so Delsin gives chase. The water conduit grabs Vanessa’s arm and hauls her up onto their back, not stopping or slowing the entire time, which tells Delsin they’ve done this before. Probably not against another conduit though, he thinks as they dart through back alleys and side streets. He’s hesitant to shoot anything at them, not knowing if the little girl’s healing factor was at the same level as older conduits yet.
Luckily, Fetch apparently either has no similar concerns or decides it’s worth the risk, as he spots a neon bolt shooting past his head right as they come out onto a dark side-street. They both go down hard and roll several more feet. Delsin slows to a stop and glances down as Fetch runs up next to him. Eugene glides down on his other side, Captain Clark in tow. “Sorry we took so long.” Delsin shakes his head “It’s ok. Let’s try this again. Fetch, can you give me some light?”
Fetch nods and runs a loose circle around them, creating a neon trail that lights up the dark street. The other two are slowly getting to their feet as Delsin approaches carefully, keeping his hands up and open. Vanessa still shrinks back fearfully, pressing into the water conduit’s leg.
“I promise, we’re not here to hurt you, or your… friend…” Whatever else Delsin was going to say dies on his tongue when he finally gets a look at the other conduit’s face. The hood came down in the fall, where they, no he, must have tucked away the dark, greasy hair that spills down to his shoulders, framing gaunt cheeks, and cracked lips peeled back in a snarl. But it’s the eyes that catch Delsin’s attention. Dark brown, almost black in the lighting, and so achingly familiar, yet they hold no spark of recognition, and Delsin feels as if the world has been pulled out from under him.
“Reggie?”