I land on the platform and the rust groans as I land on it.
“Down here is a bit sketchy,”
Moya responds.
“Maybe that’d help you get across faster,”
“You do know if I fall in the water I die, don’t you?”
“Just don’t fall,”
Her bluntness and complete disregard for my life is more frightening than being down here. She knows I’m helping her, right? Whatever, I need to get moving.
For any normal person, this would be hell, but I practiced urban exploration and I climbed buildings for a while with Zeke back in New Marais, when the streets were flooded. I just have to be careful, these pipes are rusted and bent to hell.
I leap towards the first pipe a few feet infront of me, luckily it was sturdy enough to support my weight. I scale the pipe to the end and then jump to the next, for the next few pipes. I reach the end of the last pipe. The next one infront of me is too far for me to jump to.
I look up and there are poles hanging up there. I shoot the rusted bolt, and the pole swings down from the sketchy looking hinge, but it’s all I got. The ends of the pole have a foothold on the bottom, makes it easier for me.
I jump onto the pole and it’s stronger than I expect it to be. Then I jump to the next pipe, then I hear creaking. I look to the right and the pipe is starting to crack on the right side.
I jump to the next pipe which starts cracking too. Looks like my only hope is that next platform up ahead.
I jump to the next pipes and It's looking good until the pipe just before the platform splits right under my foot. I reach up as quickly and as high as I can with my right hand. My fingers barely catch on the threading of the platform. The platform swings in a jerky manner and the 2 suspenders on the right snap with a loud crack.
I reach up and grab the edge of the platform as it dangles.
“Jesus, Moya. This place is a deathtrap,”
“Well, it’s the only way to get back to the city without getting shot,”
“Nothing is ever easy,”
“After getting those powers nothing will be,”
I climb up the hanging platform. When I get to the top, I shoot the rusted bolts of a few poles ahead so I could run through for a bit, then I jump.
In the middle of my jump, I get shot by 3 bullets. I grab onto a pole and then look up, some Reapers.
“You guys can’t accept one ass beating can you?”
I continue.
“The hell are you guys doin’ down here anyway?”
Behind them is a propane tank. They picked the wrong place to stand. I shot at the tank and it exploded sending them into the water below.
I jump between the next few poles and thank god that the next platform is secured into the foundation of the bridge.
Moya starts to speak.
”Cole, the water pressure has dropped in the main running under the bridge. What's going on?”
“Reapers were busting up some pipes. I dealt with them though,”
“Interesting — They have to have a motive. I'll see what I can find out,”
I notice a glowing blue shard sticking out of a sidewall.
“What’s this?”
“What’s what?”
“This glowing blue thing,”
“Oh, you must mean the supercharged shards of Earth from the blast,”
“Supercharged from the Ray Sphere?”
“Yeah, why?”
“Lemme try something,”
I walk towards the glowing shard and grab it. When I grab it, it glows and is absorbed into my body.
“Oh, that worked,”
“What did?”
“Since I got my powers from the blast, I should benefit from other things that were around it,”
“Good thinking Cole. Getting more of those might be useful,”
“Hell yeah they will,”
I add on.
“What would I call these?”
“What? I think supercharged shards of Earth from the blast has a nice ring to it,”
“How about…..blast shards,”
“Good name. Now get back to getting in the city,”
“You’re right”
I climb up and shimmy across the side of the scaffolding when randomly my eyes and nose start burning like crazy. I quickly move out the way and look up to see a vent spewing ‘something’ out of it.
“The hell? Where’s this stuff coming from anyway?”
“You must be talking about the chemical waste disposal,”
“I’d much rather it be called ‘something’,”
I continue to shimmy across the bridge’s foundation and get to the other side of the bridge’s foundation. From here I can see the edge of Empire City just ahead. I jump onto a pipe in front of me and as I did that it starts cracking. I start jogging across the pipes, one after another.
After I land on the last pipe, it starts to crack on both sides, so I have to haul ass or I’m dead. I scale across the pipe and jump before I slip off.
I land on the railing and vault over it.
As I’m climbing over the railing someone runs to me. It was Zeke.
“Cole? Man, is it good to see you,”
I joke with him.
“Nice work on that gate, wrecking ball,”
“Hell, lived through the fall no problem. But gettin' back to shore, well, let's just say I'm no Michael Phelps,''
“Yeah, that's an understatement,”
“Hey, take it easy, lightning rod. Anyway. How’d the hell you live through that, man? Bullets flyin' everywhere, all over the place, figured you were a goner,”
“Let's head home. I'll fill you in on the way,”
YOU ARE READING
The Legacy of Cole MacGrath
ActionOn another typical day in Empire City, a bike courier, Cole MacGrath, is delivering a package that would change his life permanently.
