This is a Road Rovers/Bioshock Crossover; featuring characters from Phoenix710's canon.
Disclaimer: I do not claim rights to any of the characters or themes used in this story.
Road Rovers is copyrighted to Warner Brothers Studios.
Bioshock is copyrighted to 2K Games.
Alexander, Cassie, Kayla, Alek, Karina, Samantha, Kasha, and Ranger are copyrighted to Phoenix710 and are used with permission.
Enjoy the story!
Chapter Four: Debate In The Drop
Kayla braced herself as the train car entered the station platform; she was hoping that they wouldn't need to stop. Suddenly, there was a massive jolt and the car stopped at the platform.
"Attention…!" came Sophia Lamb's voice over the P.A. system, "Subject Delta and his accomplices are now trapped in Pauper's Drop. All rail car travel is suspended until they are found. Remember, the enemy is alone; we are the family!"
"Just perfect!" said Subject Delta, "Just like Lamb to lock down the first train station we reach."
"Not just the station, sport;" said Sinclair, "She's managed to lock down the whole city."
"Wow…" said Kayla, "She must be really powerful."
"It's just the way the Atlantic Express was built, Missy." said Sinclair, "Fortunately, there's a way to open the tunnels; all we need is the security override key."
"Great!" said Delta, "That's great! Got any spare override keys in your pocket, Sinclair?"
"No," said Sinclair, "Luckily, I know where one is in this part of the city. It's kept under lock by the local governor; a woman named Grace Holloway."
"Do you think she'll be willing to help us?" asked Kayla.
"Not likely," said Sinclair, "She's in cahoots with Sophia Lamb. She even kicked me out of my own hotel down here; the Sinclair Deluxe."
"Well…" said Delta, "I think it's time someone went and gave her an eviction notice!"
"I'm coming too!" said Kayla, "If you get hurt, you'll need me to heal you."
"You're a brave kid, Kayla;" said Sinclair, "But watch where you step; Ol' Pauper's Drop is the worst neighborhood in Rapture. It's built right under Atlantic Express's exclusive luxury passenger line, and there ain't a side of the tracks more wrong than under 'em."
"That's for sure." said Kayla. With that, Kayla and Delta exited the train car and made their way towards the entrance. When they got closer, they realized that the door was locked tight; but there was a panel to the side that looked like it was connected to it somehow. Kayla watched as Delta opened a small port and observed a small needle moving back and forth on a multicolored scale. When the needle was in the green zone, Delta pressed the button and almost instantly, the door unlocked. "Well that was easy;" Kayla remarked, "Nice to see that unlocking things isn't too hard."
"Yeah…" said Delta, "Can you imagine if we had to rearrange pipes or something?" And the two of them made their way into Pauper's Drop.
Soon after leaving the station, Kayla and Delta arrived in a massive town square. There was a diner in the center and various shops in the corners.
"I wonder which way the hotel is…" said Delta. Kayla looked around, and saw a rather extravagant building through one of the windows.
"That sure looks like a hotel;" she said, "Maybe we should go and check it out."
"If I were you, child, I'd check the hell out of this place!" said a voice over the P.A.
"Yipe!" cried Kayla as she dashed behind Delta.
"Who's there?" asked Delta.
"I've been waitin' a long time to see you again, Monster!" the voice replied, "I'm Grace Holloway; and you are not welcome in my neighborhood! I suggest you leave before I set the boys on you!"
"Wow…" said Kayla, "This place really needs to work on its tourist advertising."
"That's an understatement." said Delta. So the two made their way into the Sinclair Deluxe's lobby. But as soon as they entered, a huge splicer with massive arms jumped into their way. He gave a roar of fury and slammed his fists into the ground, causing part of the structure to collapse.
"What was that thing?" asked Kayla.
"A guy in need of anger management…" said Delta.
"Well, kids," said Sinclair, "I guess Gracie's home; but that big lug just dropped half of the lobby in your way. In order to safely get through it, you'll need the drill dash gene tonic."
"Where can we find one of those?" asked Kayla.
"In the same place you find plasmids;" said Sinclair, "The Gatherers Garden vending machines. Luckily gene tonics don't cost as much as plasmids."
"Then we better get moving;" said Delta, "I don't like this place at all."
No sooner had Kayla and Delta left the hotel than Delta spotted a little sister alongside a different type of big daddy.
"Hmm…" he said, "That one's got a pretty big gun; but I think I can take him."
"Do we have to?" asked Kayla.
"Well… yes;" said Delta, "We need the adam she's carrying for more plasmids and that drill dash tonic. And besides; I'm not gonna leave them here like that." Kayla's heart gave a leap as Delta said that.
"You mean you're gonna save all the little sisters we find?" she asked, hopefully.
"Yep!" said Delta, "Once we free them, they'll head somewhere where there's a lifeboat using the vents; that way we can save them and get them out of this underwater hell."
"That's wonderful!" said Kayla, "You really do have a heart, Delta."
"Yes I do;" Delta replied, "I only wish there was something we could do for those poor big daddies. Say, why don't you hack yourself a security bot or two and use them to scout out a Gatherer's Garden with a drill dash tonic?"
"All by myself?" asked Kayla, "I don't think I'm ready for that."
"Well…" said Delta, "Once I have the little sister, all the splicers in the area will more likely than not come in search of me. You don't have any adam on you, so they won't be able to smell you out; but if you're not comfortable with the idea, you can wait for me." Kayla thought for a moment and came to realize something. For a long time, she had been worried that she wouldn't be able to keep up with her friends and siblings, and Sophia Lamb was adding fuel to that fire; telling her that she was helpless to stop the family… or do anything. Delta didn't think that… He didn't think she was helpless; and now was the time to prove it. So she looked up at Delta and said,
"How do I hack the bots?"
"Just like I did;" said Delta, "There should be a panel that you can open on them, and inside you'll see a scale with colors on it. You want to stop the needle in the green area; and if you hit the blue area, that's even better. But if you hit white, you'll get a nasty shock; and red… that'll trigger the security alarm." Kayla gulped and said,
"Well… wish me luck!"
"Good luck, Kayla." said Delta, "If any splicers spot you, the security bot will take care of them."
"That's good;" said Kayla, "Good luck against that big daddy." And with that, she ran off to a security bot that was lying in the trash. The bot was a box with two helicopter blades on top and a machine gun underneath. She opened the panel and saw the needle moving back and forth on the scale; the colors were white, blue, and green. Gingerly, Kayla placed her finger on the button… and pressed. The needle stopped in the blue zone, and the security bot beeped and whirred to life; its lights a friendly green. Kayla had to admit, she was pleased with herself; and with her mechanical escort, she set off in search of a Gatherer's Garden machine.
As Kayla made her way down to another square, she noticed that a massive train car had fallen through the tracks and was lying in the square.
"I wonder what it was like when that happened…" she said to the security bot. Then she shook her head and said, "Oh my god… I'm talking to a robot; this place really does drive you crazy." Suddenly, Grace Holloway's voice was heard over the P.A. system again.
"Family!" she shouted, "That monster has taken another of our babies for his own! Tin Daddy is hollow like a jail cell that needs fillin' and he will never let her go unless you hunt him down!" Kayla guessed this was just propaganda to get the splicers to kill Delta; she wasn't really worried about him. As she rounded the corner, she saw another big daddy walking alone. After waiting until it had passed, she ran down an alleyway and came face to face with a giant man; probably the same kind that had stopped them at the hotel entrance. Kayla was worried, but did her best to suppress her fear. She could see that this man was holding something blue in a jar; maybe that was a gene tonic. Thinking quickly, Kayla picked up a stone and hid behind a newspaper stand. Then she threw her stone on the wall near the big man.
"Huh?" he said, "What was that noise?" He began to walk to where Kayla was standing. Kayla could feel his footsteps getting closer. When she was sure he was almost there, she shouted,
"ATTACK!" The security bot responded and began firing rounds at the big man. He roared in fury and started attacking the bot as though it were a big bee. Kayla retreated to a safe spot to watch the fight. Unfortunately, the bot seemed to be losing. The big man swatted it and it fell to the ground; but as it did, it exploded right in the man's face. He fell over backwards… and stopped moving. Kayla gingerly approached the giant man; to her relief, he was dead. She then examined the jar he had been carrying; to her relief, the label said, 'Drill Dash'. "Excellent!" she said, "Now I just have to get back to Delta." At that moment, Delta himself appeared in the alley with the little sister on his back.
"You okay, Kayla?" he asked.
"I'm fine;" Kayla answered, "And guess what? I found the drill dash tonic!"
"Well done, Kayla!" said Delta, "This little sister's gathered all the adam she can hold, so I'm going to set her free." He lifted the girl off his back, placed his hand on her head, and the white light flashed. The next instant, the girl was reorienting herself. Once she had thanked Delta for saving her, she climbed into a vent and escaped.
"I guess old habits die hard; don't they, Monster!" came Grace's voice.
"What are you talking about, Holloway?" asked Delta.
"You know damn well what I mean!" she spat, "You stole that girl from the family just like you stole Eleanor from me!"
"What?" asked Kayla.
"All you care about is yourself!" Grace went on, "I'm willin' to bet you're gonna take that little freak show next to you and turn her into your new daughter just to have one! But the only family you'll ever see… is Doctor Lamb's family! And we're gonna melt you down and dance on your grave!"
"We'll see about that!" Delta yelled back. Then he looked at Kayla, who looked very angry. "Kayla…" he said, "I know she sounds mean…"
"How could you…?" Kayla asked.
"Uh… How could I what…?" asked Delta.
"How could you lie to me?" said Kayla, "You actually stole Eleanor and made her your daughter?"
"No!" said Delta, "I would never do anything like that!"
"You stole those little sisters from their 'daddies';" said Kayla, "Why should I believe that?"
"Because I'm trying to save them!" said Delta, "Just like I'm trying to save you!" Kayla looked deep into Delta's visor; but since she couldn't see his face, she couldn't tell if he was lying or not. Just then, Sinclair's voice came over the radio.
"Now what are you two squabblin' about?" he asked.
"I'm not helping Delta anymore!" said Kayla, firmly, "He stole Eleanor and made her his daughter! She's not really his!"
"Now you listen here, Missy!" said Sinclair, "You've got it all wrong; and so does Gracie! Delta here wasn't responsible for turnin' Eleanor into a little sister! Big Daddies are just slaves under mental control; and he only recently broke free." Kayla stopped and thought for a moment. She realized that Delta must have had the mind conditioning of those poor big daddies when he and Eleanor must have first met; she realized her mistake.
"I… I'm sorry, Delta…" she said as she handed him the drill dash tonic, "Can you please forgive me…?"
"Of course!" said Delta, "You didn't know; heck… I didn't even know."
"Good!" said Sinclair, "And it looks like you've picked up the drill dash tonic. Kid, you inject it into your arm; then all you gotta do is rev up that drill of yours and bust through the pile of junk in the lobby."
"Okay then!" said Delta, "C'mon, Kayla; it's time to confront Holloway."
"Okay." said Kayla as she fell in behind Delta and the two made their way back to the hotel.
Road Rover Headquarters…
Back at Road Rover Headquarters, Professor Hubert still hadn't located Kayla's position, so the other rovers were halfheartedly preparing for her birthday party. Ranger and Starlight were in the living room, wrapping the presents.
"Ranger…" said Starlight, "I just had this terrible thought…"
"What is it?" Ranger asked.
"Well…" said Starlight, "It's been only four months since you came to live with us, and now Kayla's been taken away. Is this some kind of sign that I'll always be short of the family I've dreamed about…?" She started to tear up.
"No, Starlight," said Ranger as he came over to hug her, "This was nothing more than an unfortunate circumstance that we couldn't have seen coming. It has nothing to do with you."
"I miss her so much…" said Starlight, "It seems like only last year I was holding her and helping to bottle feed her."
"I wish I could have been there to see her grow up;" said Ranger, "It would have been so wonderful seeing my grandchildren growing into who they are today, but it'll be just as wonderful seeing them grow into real Road Rovers. Don't worry, Starlight; we'll find her and we'll being her safely home."
"I know we will…" said Starlight as she looked into Ranger's eyes, "Things like this have happened before. But even when our son was on the verge of death, Colleen and all the others helped to save him; and I know we can do the same for Kayla. The two hugged and kissed before returning to the wrapping.
Over in the rec room, Hunter, Colleen, and all the kids were decorating. Hunter and Colleen were stretching a big banner that read, 'Happy Birthday, Kayla!' over the entrance to the room, Cassie and Alex were putting up hand drawn pictures on the wall, Karina was setting up the party hats and noise makers, and Alek was fixing up his slot car track so they could run races.
"This is terrible…" said Cassie, "I just don't feel the happiness that we usually feel when doing this."
"Grrrr…" muttered Alex, "That leather covered creep! I wish I could go kick its butt right now!"
"We all do, Son…" said Hunter, "We all do. But we can't do anything until we know for sure where she is. We need to know exactly where to go, otherwise we might be… we might be…" He stopped, not wanting to upset the kids or Colleen.
"Huntie…" said Colleen, "I'm so afraid… So much could happen to our baby girl…"
"Yeah…" said Hunter as he hung the banner in place, "But… I know one thing that's for sure."
"What's that?" asked Cassie. Hunter got down off the stepladder and faced his eldest daughter.
"You, your brother, and Kayla all have the same valiant heart that your mother and I do. I… can't say for certain, but I'm pretty sure that Kayla will find a way to look out for herself until we arrive to rescue her."
"That's right;" said Colleen, joining her husband, "Kayla has a big heart, and though she might get frightened, I'm sure she won't give up hope that we love her and will do everything we can to bring her home." Karina and Alek joined Cassie and Alex and gave Hunter and Colleen a hug. Hunter and Colleen hugged them back. For the time being, they could only hope that Kayla was okay.
Rapture…
CRASH! Delta broke straight through the debris in the lobby with his drill.
"Wow…" he said, "That drill dash is a powerful thing."
"You can say that again." said Kayla as she followed him in.
"Good work, Sport!" said Sinclair, "Now, as I recall… Gracie's room was on the top floor; but the elevators are bound to be booby trapped. I'd advise you take the stairs."
"Then we better get started;" said Kayla, "This place has 'ambush' written all over it." With that, the cano-sapien and the big daddy climbed the stairs to the first level and began to make their way through the halls. As they did, Grace's voice was heard again.
"Tin Daddy's headed up into the hotel, Family! He wants me so he can get to Eleanor! Do NOT let him get through!"
"Try and stop me!" grunted Delta as he led the way down the hall. Kayla followed behind him, making sure no one would try to jump them from the rear. Occasionally, splicers would jump out at them from the rooms on each side of the hall, but Delta would quickly dispatch them with his rivet gun. And when he did get hurt, Kayla was right there to heal him; she quickly learned that she could heal him from a small distance just by holding up her hands and concentrating on helping him. Working together, no splicer was a match for them; and Kayla was gaining more and more confidence as she went on with him. Eventually they came to a dark hallway that looked longer than it actually was.
"Gracie's room is just up ahead!" said Sinclair over the radio, "Now she's been sendin' all manners of unkindness your way, so I'm not particular as to how you take that key off of her. But… she's old… An' this grudge she's got against you is based on nothin' more than a misunderstandin'. Kayla and Delta looked at each other.
"What do you think…?" asked Kayla.
"Give me a moment…" said Delta, "I'd like to meet Miss Holloway before I make my choice.
It only took a minute for Kayla and Delta to reach Grace's apartment; and when they entered, there was no one inside.
"There's gotta be a secret compartment here somewhere!" said Kayla.
"You're right…" said Delta, "Look for anything that looks like a button or a lever or something." Whilst they were looking, Delta discovered the small room where little Eleanor had slept. He picked up a picture of her and her mother, Sophia Lamb. After looking at it for a minute, he placed it in his pocket, deciding to save it for his encounter with Sophia later. Kayla meanwhile discovered a button under a poster of Sophia. She pressed it, and the wall next to the poster opened up.
"We're in!" she said.
"Good job!" Delta praised her. The two of them walked into the small compartment and saw a door with a fogged up window. Delta wiped the fog away, and there sat a slightly aged black woman wearing an old governess's dress. She had a microphone in front of her, which she used to make her broadcasts. Delta took his left fist and banged on the door. "Knock-knock!" he said. The woman looked up at the door, and upon seeing Delta, simply said,
"I know what you're here for, Monster." With that, she took a key out of her pocket and placed it on the desk. "Go on and take it!" she said, "There's nothing I can do for myself anymore."
"You're Grace Holloway, aren't you?" asked Kayla.
"That's me…" said the woman, "And today… today is the day I die…"
"What do you mean?" asked Kayla.
"Just look up at him, Child;" said Grace; Kayla assumed she was talking about Delta, "That thing's a big mean killin' machine. He doesn't care who or what he has to destroy to get his way!"
"That's an unfair judgement!" said Delta, "Who are you to judge who I really am?"
"I'll tell you who I am…!" said Grace as she got up from her seat and walked to the door, "I'm the one Doctor Lamb trusted to look after her baby girl. But Eleanor disappeared; and then… one day… I saw her walking next to you… Lookin' wrong!" Delta's visor turned orange, showing that he was getting angry. Kayla took one step away from him; no telling what he would do next. Grace went on, "And when I tried to hold the poor girl… you knocked me down! Broke my jaw and ended my singin' career for good. Ever since Doctor Lamb told me you were comin' she told me you'd stop at nothing 'till you got Eleanor. And I tried to stop you, but here you are… So I'm ready, you damn monster! Come on in and finish the job!" The door to the room opened and Grace stepped back and held a defiant pose. Delta entered the room and looked her right in the eyes. Kayla was worried… what would Delta do…? After a tense moment, Delta made a move.
"I'll take THAT if you don't mind!" he said as he picked the key off of the desk, "Now if you will excuse me… I have a daughter to save…!" With that, he turned around and left the room, shutting the door behind him.
"To hell with you then!" snapped Grace, "Go on!" Kayla looked at the door in absolute disgust, but she couldn't think of anything good to say, so she just walked away with Delta. She couldn't believe that he hadn't done something violent to her after the way she had spoken to him. At that moment, Sinclair came on the radio again.
"You're a bigger man than I am, Chief;" he said, "If I'd been in your boots, I'd have knocked her down sure as sugar. Maybe now she'll learn to not point fingers before all the facts are in. Come on back to the train station; time's a wastin'!"
"Roger that, Sinclair;" said Delta, "We're on our way. C'mon, Kayla."
"That Grace wasn't very nice; was she…?" Kayla said.
"I know…" said Delta, "But… I wasn't going to be what she called me… I'm not just one of those things anymore. I can think… I can feel… And thanks to you, I can talk."
"I'm glad I could help you with that;" said Kayla. Suddenly, the radio switched on, and Grace's voice was heard from it.
"You had me under that drill of yours… and you just walk away…?" she asked; sounding puzzled, "No monster I've ever met just turns around from an easy kill; No monster does that…! A thinkin' man does that…"
"Oh…!" said Delta, sarcastically, "You're only just realizing this?"
"Listen to me!" Grace said, firmly, "I've known Doctor Lamb for a long time and she's no liar, but she's got to be wrong about you! It just doesn't seem right now… lettin' you walk into that bushwhack that's waitin' for you…"
"WHAT?" Delta cried as he and Kayla stopped.
"Yeah, I thought you might want to know about that." said Grace, "I can't call off the family, but I can whisper a bit and improve your odds of gettin' out." At that moment, there was a beeping sound and two security bots equipped with rocket launchers flew down to them through a hole in the ceiling. "These whirlybirds are custom jobs by an old friend;" said Grace, "They'll take you as far as the train station. I'm afraid this is all I can do for now. Good luck, you two."
"Well, Delta," said Kayla, "I guess she really does know that you have a heart."
"Certainly seems that way," said Delta, "But I'm not counting my biscuits before they're cooked. Let's get the hell out of here." As the two of them reached the top of the stairs, a group of splicers stood in the flooded lobby, training their guns on the big daddy. Delta summoned his electro bolt and shocked the water they were standing in; all of them were electrocuted instantly. Once downstairs, the security bots took out a pair of turrets that the splicers had set up to kill Delta. And as they made their way into the square, the bots flew into a whole mess of splicers, blasting and distracting them while Delta and Kayla made their escape. As they were heading to the station, Kayla said,
"Grace was true to her word, wasn't she?"
"She sure was…" said Delta, "I have to admit it… I think I misjudged her too." With that, he called Grace on the radio, saying, "Gracie… Thanks for that escort you gave us; we wouldn't have made it out without it."
"Well you're welcome, sir…" Grace replied, "I just don't know what to call you now."
"Delta…" the big daddy said, "Just call me Delta."
"Okay then, Delta;" said Grace, "You've done more than just spare my life; you've opened my eyes. I need to ask Doctor Lamb a few questions."
"Take care, Grace;" said Kayla, "We'll miss you."
"Don't you worry about me, Child!" said Grace, "Hope you get out of this nasty place; Rapture's no place for a wonderful child like you." Kayla couldn't see her, but she was sure Grace was smiling. Delta looked down at Kayla and said,
"C'mon; don't want to keep Sinclair waiting."
"Right!" she said. So the two of them made their way back to the station. Once there, Delta inserted the key into the slot in the security booth, and the system became unlocked.
"Well, well, Delta…" said a voice on the radio, "I knew you were a threat to the family; I didn't know you were weak…"
"Don't you dare call me weak, Sophia Lamb!" Delta growled, "I'm strong enough to know when not to kill someone innocent!"
"Do you seek do gain my trust by allowing Grace to live when you easily could have killed her…?" Sophia asked, "A futile effort. You cannot mask your true intentions of stealing Eleanor from her duty to the people; you are both doomed to die alone…" Delta chose not to reply, so as to not have to listen to more of her blabbing.
"Wow…" said Kayla, "Dad's told me a lot about the bad guys he and Mom face; but I don't think they've ever faced anyone like Doctor Lamb."
"Are you two done?" called Sinclair, "Just hop on and start the train! Don't make me pull the whistle!"
"Okay! We're coming!" said Delta. And he and Kayla boarded and started the train.
Minutes later, the train was speeding towards the next stop, Dionysus Park. Kayla couldn't help but marvel at the beauty of the ocean floor. Delta looked down at her and said,
"So… Looking forward to going home?"
"I sure am;" said Kayla, "My family is really wonderful; not at all like Doctor Lamb's so-called family."
"True that;" said Delta, "What's it like?" Kayla smiled and began to explain.
"I've got my mom and dad;" she said, "And Cassie and Alex; my older sister and brother. There's also my grandma and grandpa; and my Aunts, Kasha and Samantha; and my uncles, Exile, Blitz, and Shag. Then there's my best friend, Karina, and my other best friend, Alek; and the Master and Professor Hubert; they're all part of our family."
"That sounds wonderful;" said Delta, "You're so lucky to have a whole family that loves and cares for you. Me…? I… I have nobody…" His visor turned blue, indicating sadness. Kayla reached out and placed her hand in Delta's own.
"You have Eleanor;" she said, "And if no one else… you have me." Delta responded by wrapping his arm around Kayla and gently patting her shoulder.
"Thanks, Kayla." he said. Suddenly, his radio crackled to life, and a strange and hostile voice was heard.
"Hear me!" the voice said, "O ye who would murder the Lamb of God; ye shall never reach her garden!" Then a whirring noise was heard. Kayla looked out the front of the train and saw a torpedo heading straight for them!
"OH CRUD!" cried Delta as he shielded Kayla with his body. BANG! There was a massive explosion and a sudden rush of freezing water! And it was all Kayla knew before blacking out.
OH NO! The train's been blown to kingdom come!
Delta can take the pressure of the Atlantic Ocean, but can he get Kayla to safety? And if he can, will she have survived?
Answers incoming… in Chapter 5: Wales of Siren Alley!