inFAMOUS Creed: Electric Eden Ch.29

Chapter 29: Chance for Reunions

Sequence 13M3: Guilty Conscious

One week later

Cole and Luisella stayed inside the hideout while the rest of the group went to locate the second target.

Cole was sitting by the window, watching as the civilians walked about, tending to their daily lives. In the distance, he spotted a group of guards removing the corpses from Mercato Vecchio. They planned to give them a proper burial at the river. Cole could tell that they were sad to lose fellow comrades, friends. He could only imagine the reactions of the families.

How many lives had to be slaughtered for the sake of the people?

"Cole, are you alright?" Luisella walked to Cole and sat by him. "You're rarely this quiet."

Cole sighed. "Just thinking."

Luisella raised a brow. "What about?"

"What we're doing; what we've done. What I've done."

"What do you mean?"

"I understand that we are at war and lives must be shed in the name of freedom but…it just eats at me that we may be killing those who may not even be Templars. They were just doing their jobs."

"Cole, the Templars need to die. You know that."

"The Templars I understand. But them," Cole pointed to the guards patrolling the street. "I cannot."

"Cole-"

"Those men could very well have no part in this war at all. Only doing this because it makes their purses larger. They could be someone's brother, husband, father."

"It's a great sacrifice that we're giving here. We could possibly be tearing families apart, but as long as the Templars continue to thrive, we are not the only ones at fault. Templars seek to enslave us, but we serve to keep the basic human right alive. Just as long we don't slaughter those that have no affiliation with either side, your conscious should remain clear."

"That's a contradiction."

At this moment, Teo had walked back into the hideout. "Good news. We have located the second target."

"Who?" Lusiella asked.

"Lazzaro Fracasso. He is currently conducting a bonfire ceremony at Il Santa Trinita."

Cole sighed. "Very well."

"Cole, wait."

"What is it?"

"I should warn you…he is conducting a rather…unorthodox bonfire ceremony."

"What do you mean?"

"The guards are rounding up those who thought to be not true believers of Savonarola's vision. Then Lazzaro proceeds to…"

"He burns them?!" Luisella exclaimed.

"Si. And he burned his wife and his ten year old daughter to start. A large crowd gathers in fear, hoping their feigned support would grant them immunity. It's beginning to fail."

Cole growled. "He must be stopped."

"Couldn't have said it better myself. Now the rest of the group, save for Gabriella won't be joining us for this mission."

"Why?" Luisella asked.

"For one, Gabriella is struggling to remove Cole's name and face from the town, seeing as Savonarola possesses the Apple along with Christopher running amuck. My advice for you would be to carry this out from a distance, from the rooftops."

"Bene, I can arrange that."

"The rest are keeping an eye on Christopher. We picked up that he has plans to go Roma and may leave any time now. We are trying to figure out why."

Luisella walked over to Cole and gently took a hold of his hand. "We're still here Cole. Anything, just give the signal."

Cole smiled softly and kissed Luisella on the cheek. He squeezed her hand one last time before walking out of the hideout.

"I overheard the conversation you two were having."

Luisella's eyes widened.

"It's okay. I had those thoughts myself when I first joined the order. Cole may have been part of the brotherhood for over ten years now but there is a difference between now and then. He didn't truly take in the sacrifices we have to make. Now that he is aware, acceptance will soon be on the way."

"Are you sure he will accept? What if he rejects?" Luisella asked,

"It can take time. The possibility exists that he may not truly accept it until he is of old age. But he will." Teo spoke. "Now come, he needs us."

~AC~IF~

Cole arrived at the Santa Trinita church and watched from the rooftop. He watched as guards brought yet another civilian forward to Lazzaro.

"Another sinner. We cannot enter a new era of purity with your kind mucking about." Lazzaro exclaimed.

"Please! Have mercy! I believe, I believe!"

"We shall see if you are truly worthy of mercy…" Lazzaro waved his hand, signaling the guard to bring the civilian to a large bonfire.

"Please! I am a believer! I am a believ-". The man was cut off as he was tossed into the flames with the others, the flame growing larger. Cole took a look and saw Teo and Luisella on the rooftops nearby. There were no guards on the rooftops so there was no need to disguise themselves.

The thoughts he had earlier crept back into his mind. Now he was unsure if he should kill this man. If he killed him, he wouldn't be killing someone's husband or father, but he is still of some value to someone somewhere. But if he didn't kill him, more people would die by his hand.

Cole's conscious could live with having one man die. But it could not survive knowing that hundreds, possibly thousands could die because he stayed his hand.

Cole raised his hand and aimed for Lazzaro's back. One quick shot to make this as quick and painless as possible.

Cole fired his shot and everything began to move in slow motion. Everything else had begun to fade away.

The lightning pierced straight through Lazzro's back, exiting out the front of his chest. Lazzaro let out a silent scream as he fell to his knees and to the ground.

Cole jumped down and walked towards a mortally wounded Lazzaro. Lazzaro had started silently whimpering and shaking, placing a hand on his heavily bloodied chest. He brought it closer to his face.

Tears had begun to fall as Cole knelt beside him.

"What? What has happened?" He said between sobs.

"You tell me. Burning civilians because they were non believers, sinners?"

"Me? That couldn't have been me. I was just…I don't know…"

"You played your part and played it well. You did all of this."

"I do not understand. How has this come to be? I am just a commoner, just trying to get by in my life. I have a wife and beautiful daughter..."

"Both of them dead. Dead by your hand."

Images of his actions began flashing in Lazzaro's mind. Right up to the point where he threw his wife and daughter into a fire and watched them as they burned. "No...no...no, no, no. Dio mio. What have I done?" Lazzaro exclaimed, tears streaming freely down his face. "It wasn't me!"

"Christopher lured you in and deceived you."

Lazzaro began to cry harder.

"It's okay. God will forgive you. You are free of this life. Go on and join your family. They're waiting for you."

Cole looked to his left and saw a woman in a white dress holding the hand of a young girl by her side. Both of them smiling softly.

"I'm so sorry..." Lazzaro fell back on the ground with his eyes open, tears still pouring out.

Cole reached up and closed Lazzaro's eyes, finally putting him at peace. "Requiescat in Pace."

Cole stood up and looked around. Everything was in chaos. There were no guards in the area, but the crowd had grown into a frenzy. Within in the crowd, Cole spotted a man in light brown robes and a familiar woman standing beside him.

"La Volpe? Paola?"

Cole could not afford to stick around. In the distance, he spotted a group of guards running towards the commotion.

He spotted Teo and Luisella in a nearby alleyway and they beckoned for him to make his escape there. As he ran, he couldn't help but smile as he came to another realization.

Even if he killed those who were family of others, the seemingly permanent separation was really only temporary.

There's always a chance for a reunion.

~*Memory 3 Synched*~

Synchronization rate: 80%