She must have been about seven years old... There were two men, one was holding her still, the other had a sword... And looked like he was going to use it on her. Richard looked on in horror, everything seemed to be going far too fast for him to react and so he just stood, motionless. The girl screamed "Cover her mouth... We don't want a big daddy showing up" One of the men had spoken... Richard couldn't tell which one as the moment had already passed when he heard it... He was horribly aware that this should not be happening, then he remembered where he was.

He looked about, the decorations had always seemed a little over the top before... But now it seemed like his whole world. He glanced up at a chandelier and immediately wished he hadn't, something's intestines were strewn along the top like a grotesque party decoration, a drop of blood hit him on the cheek, but he never felt it. This was rapture... No, this was hell.

That was no girl, it was a little sister... And the only way to get her precious ADAM was to kill her. Richard didn't like it but he had no choice if he wanted to survive in Rapture... And that's why he had organised this.

Alex raised the sword above his head. It glinted in the light as Richard stared... The sword had originally been a decoration at one of the bars... Richard wasn't sure how sharp it was but Alex had assured him it was a useable weapon.

As for the man holding the sword Alex was a man of few words... He generally let his actions speak for him. Alex was emotionally distant from rapture, maybe that's the way they all should be. Richard just couldn't help caring.

But Alex was a useful ally, he had saved Richard from a group of Splicers once and lost an eye in the process... As much as Alex said it didn't matter Richard always felt he needed to repay him... Somehow.

At the last moment John pulled the girl out of the way, Alex swung at air and cut a neat line in the wood floor. Alex glanced up at John with his good eye, the other covered by a thick layer of bandages. "Please... She can't be ten years old..." John was on the brink of tears, he had found adjusting to life in hell difficult, and still hadn't got used to it.

"She is a little sister... Its necessary..." Alex protested emotionlessly

"But... She still has a right to life, right?"

Richard couldn't take any more, he could hear dull, metallic roaring in his head, he could smell the disgusting stench that lingers with a big daddy "FOR FUCKS SAKE JOHN, ITS HER OR US!" He shouted before he realised he had done it. John looked confused for a moment, then the girl screamed... His grip on her had weakened during the argument. He pulled her back, covering her mouth once more.

"Just close your eyes and hold her still, this will only take a second" Alex raised the sword again.

There was another roar, louder, at first Richard had thought it was in his head, but he had quickly realised from the reaction of the others this was not the case.

"Help Mr B!" the girl shouted, she broke free of Johns grip for a second, he chased her for a moment before he realised the floor was shaking, a drill burst into life nearby and a wall slowly gave way, another roar was heard in the room, louder this time. A big daddy stood at the hole in the wall, drill still whirring.

"RUN!" Alex shouted

Alex had been the first to react, Richard followed him as soon as he heard the yell. But John was slower, he begun to run shakily, almost tripping every time he took a step, Richard immediately had the feeling John wasn't going to live much longer.

The armour-plated monster swung at some furniture, sending it flying toward the three men. The furniture missed horribly but the Big daddy had already started to run, gaining momentum with each step. Within a few moments it was as fast as them, a moment later it was faster.

Alex rounded a sharp corner into a narrow corridor, Richard was still dazed and almost hit the wall, but turned narrowly, he was worried for John for a moment, but soon felt his presence behind him, the monster had to slow down for the turn, but was quickly gaining on them again.

Alex left the corridor, shouting "UP!" as he went, Richard tried to shout back but his lungs wouldn't allow it, he was suddenly aware that he was very tired. He didn't think he could run much further, but that... Thing... That could keep going all day.

Richard rounded the corner, it was another dimly lit room, larger than the first. This room could have been a restaurant once, there were a few tables and a counter on his current floor and a few more above. This was arranged so that the top floor overlapped the bottom one. But Richard was focused solely on the stairs, 'up'. He had lost sight of Alex and was aware that he was starting to slow down.

The big daddy slowed itself in time to turn the corner, Richard on the other hand almost ran into an overturned chair, and stumbling out of the way he tripped and fell, John looked at him in horror and froze, feeling as if reality had just collapsed.

The stairs creaked as the monster started to ascend, a board of wood broke, the creature wobbled for a moment but remained on the stairs, it took another step.

Please don't make it

The creature kept going, the wood whined with each step...

Please don't make it

...Half way there...

Please don't make it

...A section of the stairs collapsed, the creature shook but stayed. It placed one foot on the top of the stairs.

Shit

Richard looked at the monster, it looked straight back, it roared, as if in triumph from its ascent of the stairs. Richard closed his eyes, at least if it was over soon he wouldn't have to live another day in rapture.

John shouted and threw himself at the thing. Maybe it was caught off guard by Johns speed or his stupidity, wither way, it didn't react as John pushed his revolver into, what was presumably, its face and fired. The creature stumbled clumsily backwards, its drill arm flailing into the banister on the stairs, destroying it instantly, its other hand caught John by the arm and grabber him, John fired another two shots and they both fell, demolishing the remains of the stairs in the process.

Richard crawled over to the edge, too confused to stand. The big daddy roared and made a desperate attempt to get back to its feet, John was stood at the bottom shouting something, Richard couldn't make out what. John reached up to him and Richard unconsciously reached down, John was too far away by a fingertip, Richard reached a little further over the edge and unbalanced, he flailed out his arms sensing he was about to fall. Alex caught one of the arms and pulled him back.

There was the whirring of a drill and John screamed. It was too late to save him now.

"You know, I wasn't going to come back for you..." Alex said.

The drill spun into life again, the cracking and splintering of wood being hit by a giant armoured creature could be heard from below, Alex immediately knew what was happening, the big daddy was trying to demolish the platform they were stood on. Richard was too shaken to understand and Alex had to pull him most of the way, they ran into a nearby corridor, a moment later the platform behind them collapsed.

"Stubborn bastard..." Alex taunted the big daddy, though he was aware it probably couldn't tell what he was saying.

Richard looked down on the splintered wood, it moved a little, then a little more, then a lot. The big daddy emerged from the rubble and roared with anger.

With the platform cleared Richard could clearly see John from his current position, or at least, what was left of him. The drill had first been directed at his stomach, He had screamed for a moment but 

as the drill shredded through his insides the screaming stopped. When John fell the creature pushed the drill into his face, even without the drill spinning the force at which it was thrust caused it to penetrate Johns skull and go through the other side, turning the drill on caused the remains of the head to explode, showering the nearby are with blood and brain matter. Richard watched helpless as it happened again and again in his own mind, each time there was some extra grotesque detail. The only thing that remained the same was the sense of powerlessness in the brief period of time before it happened again.

"BASTARD!" Richard shouted, pulling his makeshift crossbow on the armoured creature. He fired but the shot went wide, embedding itself in the wall, The monster had no means of retaliating and thus Richard was able to load and fire a second crossbow bolt. The bolt, like the crossbow, had been made by Richard with the help of a U-Invent machine, this specific bolt was little more than a large nail he had found, but it did its job. The bolt struck a weak point in the armour and sank into the big daddies flesh, penetrating the arm and sinking to the bone. This only made the already enraged big daddy even angrier.

Richard searched for a third crossbow but was unable to find one, he was forced to take off his backpack and look inside, hoping the Big daddy didn't move while he got his equipment in order.

"Richard..."

Richard found one, this bolt looked considerably more like a regular crossbow bolt.

"Richard."

He loaded the bolt, and raised the crossbow to fire.

"RICHARD!"

Richard looked up to see a small table approaching him rapidly, the big daddy had obviously thrown it to him and it was now too late to move out of the way, he held up his hand in desperation.

Nothing.

The table stopped in the air, turning slowly. In the confusion Richard had almost forgotten he had got that plasmid, but he had managed to get it from the little bit of ADAM he was able to acquire. His genetic structure had been altered, tapping into his already powerful brain, he could now move objects with only the power of his mind.

Richard fired the table back, the monster swatted at it in the air and by the time the table reached its armour there was little left other than splinters. There was no more time for revenge, with one look back at his fallen friend Richard left, Alex following behind. They left the big daddy to its duty.