Darkness...nothing but...

I don't know if I am still alive or slowly sinking deeper into unconsciousness...minus sinking down further in the Atlantic Ocean. Or I am minutes away of becoming deceased, maybe letting me live a little longer until I am a bull shark's next snack. I don't know, but I still feel my heart faintly tapping against my torso. The main question swirling within my brain is how did I end up in the ocean in the first place?

I can't let you know... was all I can remember before I can figure out who the mysterious, hooded figure is that said that just when I turned around to gaze at its piercing, glowing, green irises. Whoever that person might be must have a logical reason why he, or she, decided to push me over the cruise ship's rail. But I can't do that if I am slowly dying...

Slowly going deeper and deeper within the ocean's darkness, surrounding lights pierced through my eyelids, but I can't risk opening my eyes in salt water. I bet it must be a school of Angler fish waiting for me to lie on the ocean floor just to make me their prey, or leading a shark to me. That is until some shadow covered the light and I am my seriously being picked up. Who's there!? I whispered within my mind while I drift into nothingness.

"...nd back." I hear a faint, British-like voice coming from a distance...or so I think, in this ocean? I felt a few hard taps on my upper torso indicating a CPR method to revive me. I tried my hardest to wake myself back up, but why can't I? I can even feel a couple of cold spots on my neck. "Faint pulse, but she's not responding." The same voice echoed. "Omega, lend a hand?"

A low, eerie noise echoed to the left of me, followed by a low blow to the diaphragm causing my whole body to bend upwards. "OOF!" I yelped before I twist my upper body to the left as I began coughing uncontrollably, adding in the disgusting taste of salt water sputtering out of my lungs. Sure has been months since the last time I tasted ocean water without small fish swimming out of my gaping mouth. How long was I in the water? I used my right arm and wiped away the little drops of water out of the corner of my mouth. Just as soon as I lift my head up, I screamed at the sight of a tall, scuba wearing figure with a huge, cone shape drill on his right arm standing a couple of feet from the edge of the hospital bed. Just that thing was enough to lose my balance on the bed, causing me to fall on the floor. But I was quick to sit back up and scoot a few feet from it. "Wh-Wh-Who the fuck are you!?"

"Oh, don't mind Omega in front of you, Miss." I turned directly at a navy blue tux wearing adult with his dark gray hair swept back, and pale green eyes locked at mine. "He's just as harmless as a roach looking for scraps, but vicious as an elephant if you show just any amount of hostile activity to it. But other than that, you are in good hands." The huge thing whom is named Omega let out another groaning noise. Wish I knew if that's a good groan or a bad groan.

"Good hands!?" I yelled at the person. "What do you fucking mean I'm in good hands!? Where the hell an I!?" I looked around to see a small store looking room with shoes, shirts and whatnot on shelves and on the floor. Only thing that is out of place is the lone hospital bed next to a counter with small towels and coins.

The guy raised his hand up and smiled a little. "I know you've just woken up into mass hysteria, but there's no need to be frantic all of a sudden. I advise you to lay back down on the hospital bed and rest up a bit. Maybe a little of recuperation shall ease away your psychological trauma."

I blew a slight raspberry through my closed lips. "Pfft, trauma. As if I can't get enough of that, why should I need more? In fact, you haven't answered my first question about this place. Where the fuck am I?" I don't care what else the old man has to say, I just wanted to know where I am so I can find a way back home.

The old man shook his head and sighed. "You people from the surface are quite the impatient ones, are you?" When he said 'surface', it made an eyebrow of mine twitch up. "You are in a city called Rapture." He went quiet for a second. "Well, what's left of it, unfortunately..."

"E-Excuse me, what?" I flinched back.

"Rapture." The old man replied. "Such a grand underwater utopia this was in the last half century. Once a brilliant dream from one man, but such devastating outcomes it came across in the years onwards. So much happened here, and yet the city is all but ruins."

I pushed myself onto my feet...well, my bare feet. "Okay, where's my socks and shoes!?" I can also feel some water dripping down from my soaked clothing; consist of a black short-sleeved shirt and dark blue jeans and messy hair with some seaweed on it. "Also, what do you mean ruins, and how come I have never heard of this Rapture place before?" I wring a small portion of my shirt to drain the water out. "Is it like a city in a European country?"

The old man coughed a little. "Truth be told, it's an underwater city."

"Underwha-?" I twist my head, hearing a couple of pops, to the guy who happens to be pointing at the windows to the left of me, passed the creepy looking scuba thing. I walked carefully passed the monster, hugging myself while my teeth chattered, and became instantly flabbergasted at the tall skyscrapers standing yards, even miles from where I'm at. I see some schools of fish swimming around the coral, crabs skittering through the sand, and two of those scuba wearing things repairing an individual building yards apart. "Un...under...water..." I paled, my breathing frantically increased as I started walking backwards until I bumped against something that let out the same groan. I even paled more after noticing my back on the things torso. My fucking god it's just around my height...only a few inches taller.

"Omega, don't worry." The old man appeared into my view. "She didn't mean to bump into you like that." He turned to me. "I can understand that those of the surface may have a fear of the sudden thought of drowning, but these walls are reinforced with strong metal and bulletproof glass. Like I mentioned before, you're in good hands, Miss."

I stepped away from the creature and groaned at the old man. "I do have a name instead of 'Miss'. Name's Marie Cameron."

"My apologies, Ms. Marie." He stroked his gray mustache a few time. "I didn't realize we haven't formally introduced ourselves since our minds were focused on this city. I am Davidson Schmidt, and I am one of Rapture's last known humans to have ever thrived in this utopia."

"Last known?" I repeated.

Davidson nodded. "Sadly. Human are relatively scarce nowadays than what it was more than half a century ago. With the civil war that happened decades ago, many splicers running amok, and humans dying off one by one. I happened to be one of the lucky few to make this department store my sanctuary, for now. And I owe it to Omega for protecting me from the years on." Omega turned to Davidson with another low groan, making Davidson huffed. "If you wish to state a complaint, you can take off your headwear..."

Omega raised its arms up, twisting the headwear to the left and lift it up. "You damn well know I do..." The monotonous voice escaped out of the lips of an annoyed male that looked like he's around my age. Blonde hair, blackish brown sclera surrounding the bright yellow irises of his eyes, and some patches of blakish brown on the edge of his jaw line, temples, and neck. "You know she can't stay here for long while those fucking splicers are still running around in this graveyard!"

"You know how many times I have to tell you about profanity in front of me." Davidson warned, placing both his arms behind his back. "That's not the way I created and raised you."

Omega rolled his eyes. "So fucking what. Those splicers out there can curse up a storm like no tomorrow. And I am old enough to make my own decisions."

Davidson shook his head. "Not while you're still with me, Omega."

Omega let out a snarl, raising a portion of his upper lip up. "Can you fucking stop calling me that! Everytime you call me that, it makes others think I'm a weakling!" The massive drill on his right arm whirled. "You know I have given myself a name!"

Davidson exhaled again. "Yes, you have, Willis Baxter. But I don't understand why you took just two random pieces of paper with both those names you found on another part of this city and made that your name. Adolescent times was tough for me to keep you contained from wandering off alone. If it hadn't been for me, you'd be a splicer's next target.

"Okay," I had to intervene for a moment. "both of you are not making any sense as to why I am in here in the first place. All you're doing is avoiding the main subject, and I want answers right away. Why am I here, how did I got here, and how to get back home?"

"You sure are quick to make rash decisions." Willis hissed at me. "You're lucky I didn't use my drill and kill you right here and let you bleed, as my creator only instruct me to eradicate those that pose an immediate threat to him or me."

"Creator...?" I glared at Willis...or Omega, whomever anybody calls him. "And what are you suppose to be, Iron Giant: a mad scientist's experiment that he's trying to hide from the world? Sheesh, if you're some sort of weapon of mass destruction to the U.S, you know the military is going to be on that in a matter of seconds."

Willis began to growl at me, making his drill turn slowly while the point is just inches from my forehead. "Watch it, bitch. Test me again with your words and it's curtains for you!"

"Enough you two!" Davidson shouted. "There is no need for a fight to commence over some ridiculous nonsense. And as for Ms. Marie's question, that is a very long story to say. If you're willing to sit down and have a little history lesson on my creation, ma-"

"I don't have time for that, Davidson!" I barked. "All I want is to head back up to the surface and find my family! Is there some sort of submarine around here you can escort me out of this place? Being enclosed at the bottom of the ocean is kicking in a couplw of my phobias."

Davidson walked up to me and placed a hand on one of my shoulders. "I'm afraid there is of no such vehicle like that around here, unless we can find parts to recreate one from another building."

"Then how did I get here in the first place?" I asked.

"If you must know," he point his thumb at Willis."Omega here was the one that found you floating down and brought you in here. Don't know how you manage to survive that, but it is quite a miracle that you're still alive now. But before I can answer more of your questions, I believe we need to get moving."

I noticed how my teeth are chattering uncontrollably due to the chilly atmosphere around me, possibly from me being soaked. "W-w-w-what...do y-y-y-you m-m-mean...!?" Fuck, now I'm shivering like crazy.

Davidson took his dark blue tux top off and placed it over my shoudlers. "I'm terribly sorry I have not searched for a dry, set of clothing as your life was dearly important. Once we head forth to a different destination, we, Omega and I, shall see what we can find."

"And by we, you mean I?" Willis groaned. "I've done more of a better job at finding things and protect you while you sip on your afternoon drink!" He held up his huge drill. "And if you think my drill has already dealt with enough damage from rebuilding Rapture alone, you're sadly mistaken, you old coot."

Davidson placed his hands on the drill to lower it. "Now now, Omega-"

"IT'S WILLIS, YOU OLD BAT!" Willis bellowed. His voice echoed through the hallways to the left, back, and front of us. Then in return, a set of footsteps and voices trailed back to our location. "Fuck, this is not good..."

"What's going on? Who's coming over here?" I asked Davidson, now feeling more warmer thanks to his tux jacket.

Davidson reached into his pocket for some kind of glowing, double vial looking syringe with a long needle, giving me a shivering sensation down my spine. "Seems like we are surrounded." He handed the item to Willis. "Shall we show our new companion your strategy for our upcoming company?" Davidson brought out a small hand gun from his other pocket.

"Excuse me," I spoke, avoiding the sight of the needle Willis now has a hold of. "can any one of you tell me who or what is coming!?

Willis took his left, brown glove off to expose his patchy hand near the needle, giving me a more queasy feeling all over my upper body and spine. "Old man," he stabbed the needle part on his wrist, bringing the plunger down to let the light blue fluid into his veins. "get her the fuck out of here. Unless you want to use your electric plasmid to make her into a crispy corpse..."

"WATCH OUT!" Davidson brought me behind him as he fired off a couple of round to a group of people coming out of the South door. "Omega, use your plasmid!" He yelled, firing off more shots at the quick figures.

Willis huffed and lift his left hand up with the glove back on. "Whatever." His hand lit up with fire, launching a couple of blasts at the group. "Pathetic. But at least they show more courage than the girl behind you, old man!" He chuckled.

"WHAT!?" I shrieked. And before I know it, I got tackled down by something from above. "Ouch..." I groaned. My whole body became petrified on the floor when I noticed a disfigured face of a man with tattered clothing and a couple of orange glowing blades against my neck. "What th-"

"My, my!" The creep-o above me sneered, showing off his grotesque teeth. "What do we have here? Could it be one of those long lost Little Sisters all grown up?" He licked his deformed lips. "Yummy, what a gal you are!" His expression changed from the clicking sound of Davidson's gun pointed directly at his head. "Heh, if it ain't Old Coot Schmidt. Thought you'd be dead, you decrepit bastard." It chuckled.

Davidson pulled the hammer back, staring coldly at the thing. "You traveling splicers...never cease to amaze me at how maniacal and vile you creatures are." Just when the splicer thing was about to speak, Davidson pulled the trigger that instantly killed it. "Omega, grab our friend and let's get moving!" He grabbed my hand and brought me up to my feet before I noticed a small surge of electricity spark through his left hand. "I'll stay behind you and keep them at bay!"

"You can't be fucking serious!" Willis growled through his teeth, but was replied with an intense glare from his creator. "Guh...fiiiine..." He groaned, using his thumb to point at his back at me. "I hope you're not that heavy to ride on my back..."

I gave him an annoyed expression. "If you're able to wear that heavy suit of scuba gear, I think you can carry me!" I walked behind him, scanning his back to see anything for me to cling onto. What am I suppose to hang onto?

"Whatever you just said, this is no such scuba-whatever suit thing you said." He turned to me, his piercing golden eyes glowing directly at me. "I'm a Big Daddy hybrid!" He gave off a crooked smile which somehow made my heart fluttered rapidly. "I'm a bad ass son-of-a-bitch when it comes to threats like those weak splicers. Just watch me, bug!" He breathed out an intimidating chuckle.

I swallowed an imaginary lump in my throat and shook my head. I glared back at him and growled a little. "If you think your so called charm is going to hypnotize me like that, you got another thing coming, bud!"

Willis laughed loudly. "Is that suppose to be a threat!? As if, bitch!" That last word made me balled up my fists.

"No time to chat, you two." Davidson warned, launching electricity at the console switch to bring the door behind us down. "We need to get going!"

Before I can answer, Willis, with his head wear on, propped me onto his back as we made a run for it through the door to our west. "Where are we going?" I asked Davidson behind me. Just feeling Willis's sprinting through the floor made it almost like he is about to conjure up an earthquake.

"A place called Fontaine's Plasmids!" Davidson answered.