"That is enough," yelled Eleanor. She created a huge ball of fire and chucked it at Lucy who playfully dodged it by a paper's width. A few hairs got singed but Lucy did not take notice. Eleanor felt drained by the attack and wiped her nose to find blood.
Fred shivered with rage, anger, and pure dread. He had killed his Claire. Not by killing her but by abandoning her heart.
His revolver now remained steady aiming at the spider splicer. Fred was going to end her life. He squeezed the trigger but barrel didn't move because Eleanor was holding it. He glared at her.
"Why are you getting in my way?"
"This is wrong," Eleanor stated. "Killing in defense is one thing but this kind of killing won't help. I don't know why but it just won't."
Stanley, how had been watching the entire scene from his corner, knew the reason Eleanor felt this. It was the same choice her father, Delta, had taken. Even though she did not remember her father his will still acted as a conscious to her. Stanley felt he had to do something so neither of them would get hurt. He spied the dart gun the female Houdini splicer was carrying. He quietly creped to where it lay and picked it up. All the steel darts were used up but there were still a couple trap darts left. He suddenly thought of an idea and knew what he had to do.
"I don't care. That whore has done enough already to die a thousand times."
Lucy waved a finger in Fred's direction. "What are you going to do big boy? You can't hurt me."
"No! But I can," Stanley yelled. He fired two bolts that struck Lucy in the shoulder and chest.
Lucy grimaced in pain. "You'll pay for that you bastard."
"Maybe I will but not now," replied Stanley dodging out of the way.
The bolts implanted on her chest shot hooks out the other end. The wire stretched across the room and out the entrance seeking something solid. The moment they did Lucy shook as the electricity surged through the wires. She seethed in anger. She wanted to scream, to yell, to murder, to-
"Roooooaaaaar," bellowed the big daddy down the hallway. He had been slowly clomping away when two hooks had pierced his butt and electrocuted him. He was angry. He grabbed the two dead wires and tugged on them. On the other end, Lucy fell forward as the big daddy pulled. She got to her feet only to be rammed by the stampeding Rosie. Lucy coughed up blood and spit out a tooth. She would have to kill them later or be killed by the enraged big daddy.
"I will kill you in your sleep," Lucy screamed as she ran down the hallways of Arcadia, dodging the Rosie's attacks.
Stanley dropped the bolt gun and sighed relief. The next thing he knew, Eleanor was hugging him.
"That was pure brilliance," she exclaimed.
"It was really only a fluke," he replied blushing. "I thought the shock would kill her."
While Eleanor was praising Stanley, Fred walked towards them. His fist curled back and swung at Stanley who flinched. The fist was caught by Eleanor who frowned upon him.
"You stole my chance to end that whore's life," shouted Fred.
"I couldn't- I could not let you do that." Stanley held up his arms expecting another blow. "This kind of killing only leads to more killing. Just think of your kid!"
Fred rushed Stanley but Eleanor got between them adamant about not letting the fight start. Fred threw up his hands in defeat then pointed at Stanley. "Don't you dare talk about my child." Fred then jutted his thumb into his chest. "I love him. Something a scumbag like you wouldn't understand."
Stanley wiped his runny nose. His nose always ran when he was frightened. He knew the Fred was hurt so he did not take those words personally. "It's true, I used to be a scumbag but no more. And as for love… no I am ashamed to say I have never felt it. But when I see how Eleanor looks up to you and how fiercely loyal you are to her I think I see it."
Eleanor felt a tear roll down her face. Half of her pitied the man while the other realized the truth in his words. Fred had become a sort of father to her if not a friend she could look up to. She silently prayed his words would reach Fred.
"And if you had killed that spider-splicer just now," Stanley continued, "I get the feeling you would have killed a part of yourself that you didn't want to face. And it would have affected your relationship with Eleanor and your child. You can't just run away. I did that once but it didn't work out like I planned. But Del- someone gave me a second chance to correct my wrongs. You can't bury the past."
As Stanley finished his speech the room grew silent except for the bathysphere that rocked in the water. Eleanor saw this as an indication and clapped her hands together.
"I thinks it is time to leave then. Shall we? Where's are next destination Stanley"
Stanley came out of his trance and shook his head. "It's uh, it's Siren's alley then to Fontaine's Futuristics."
"Why can't we just take the bathysphere to Fontaine's Futuristics?"
"Ah, well you see a the bathysphere's can't go there but we can take the submergible tram car that will take us straight there. Just a layover really."
Eleanor shrugged and followed Stanley with Fred trudging behind them. She sighed in relief when the door closed and the bathysphere began sinking. But as she lay on her seat Eleanor tasted iron in her mouth and put a finger in her mouth. When she took it out she saw it covered in saliva and a little blood. It seemed that not all her worries were over. If only she could get her answers sooner.
Author's Notes: I hope no one feels that there as too much dialogue in this one. A lot of plot points and character growth came out. And LUCY SHALL RETURN. Oh and i always wondered if you could actually shoot a splicer with a trap bolt in such a way where the wire hits a big daddy causing the guy to kill the splicer. That would be awesome.