Ch. 17
The sound of battle faded to silence behind the two Protectors as they made their escape, Iota was exhausted from running while trying to hold her Brother's weight up with only one functioning arm. The Sister was starting to come down from her adrenaline rush and she could finally feel the intense pain of her dislocated shoulder, she could only imagine how Omega felt. The Big Sister stopped trying to catch her breath when Omega sat down against the wall of the Hallway and held his broken leg, Iota watched as he took a deep breath in and used the palm of his hand to hit a large piece of bone back into his leg with a loud crack. Omega gave a pained growl showing his teeth, once he was done he began panting slightly and Iota could tell he was in immense pain, Omega put his hand up to his closed eye to figure out why he couldn't open it when he was met with even more agony. When his gloved hand grazed the sharp piece of rock sticking out of his eye socked it sent shock waves of pain through him and he screeched in anger. Iota ripped her suit's left sleeve off and knelt down beside her Companion, she tried to tie the improvised bandage around her Brother's leg but couldn't due to her shoulder.
She cursed the Rogue Protector and the thought of him only infuriated her more, Omega saw her struggle and put a hand on her arm with the other on her shoulder, she looked into his only open eye as he nodded, she returned the gesture assuring him that she understood what was about to happen. With one quick motion from Omega and a sharp intake of air from Iota the Big Brother snapped her arm back in socket with a muffled crack as muscle and bone ground against one another, he began rotating it to help ease her torment and the Sister only whimpered as he did so. Once he was finished Iota quickly ripped her former sleeve in half and tied one of the strips loosely around his leg, looking around she found an old walking cane and a rust spotted pipe, she broke the curved handle off of the cane and began tying the two pieces of metal and wood to each side of Omega's leg to act as a splint, with one last hard yank and a pained grunt from her Partner she had finished. Omega started to sweat when she looked to the jagged piece of rubble sticking out of his eye socket, when the Sister reached for it her hand was quickly smacked away with a growl, this annoyed Iota who responded with a hiss showing her sharp K9's and causing Omega to do the same. After a few seconds of Iota starring at him he realized she wasn't going to give up and the Brother let out a sigh, he grabbed the broken handle of the cane and put it in between his teeth.
Iota gently placed her hand on his face so the piece of rubble was between her thumb and index fingers careful not to bump the sharp object, she wore an expression of total concentration as she grabbed the rock with her other hand, she looked to Omega who simply shut his other eye and bit down on the piece of cane in his mouth. The Female Protector pulled the foreign object out of Omega's eye as fast as she could, dark crimson blood shot out of the injury and hit the left side of her face before she covered the wound with her palm. Omega writhed and growled in pain, she could hear the cane handle crunching in his mouth and the scraping noise his boots made as he dug them into the floor. Omega sat back panting and pulled the piece of cane out of his mouth throwing it aside, Iota leaned his head back and raised her Harvester steadily to the wound placing the tip of the needle above his eye careful not to touch any of the raw meat with it, she turned a nob on the mount and a few drops of ADAM dripped into the wound. She then bandaged his eye with what was left of her left sleeve, instantly Omega could feel the warm relief the miracle drug offered. Iota did the same for the wound in his leg, when she was finished she helped her Partner to his feet and the duo shakily limped their way further into Dionysus Park hoping they wouldn't come across anymore opposition for a while.
. . .
"what do you think about all of this Mark?" Craig asked as he filled various gun magazines with bullets, Mark sat across from him in an old blue recliner as he helped the redhead with the task of refilling the ammunition.
"what do you mean?" Mark asked with an annoyed tone wishing he could have just a few precious moments of silence from Craig's babbling. "I mean what do you think about the plan Tenenbaum came up with, telling those Monsters about our base can't be good can it?" The freckled boy asked with a worried expression, causing Mark to sigh and glare at him. "first off, a few rotten wood Barricades and dwindling supplies hardly counts as a base and second, what have those "Monsters" done to you specifically? Nothing that's what, the way I see it is, we've been attacked and some of us have been killed by Splicers but we haven't been attacked by any Protectors yet so I would say they're already more help then those damn ADAM Junkies." The young man said with disdain clear in his tone.
Craig looked at him like he had just heard the stupidest sentence in the world. "yeah whatever they're probably just gonna kill us all anyway." The redhead replied with an attitude making Mark's skin practically crawl. "that remains to be seen but if they do lets hope they start with the redheads first." The dark haired young man replied as he loaded a magazine into a spare Tommy Gun. It took Craig a minute to realize he was the only redhead in the group but by the time he figured it out Mark was already walking out of the room with his weapon. "Hey Fuck you Mark you mother-" was all Mark heard as he shut the door behind him. He looked down the hallway to see Joe coming his way with a rather troubling look on his face, if something was troubling Joe it had to be serious.
"Joe, what's up." Mark asked barely snapping the large bearded man out of his daze, Joe looked at him and his expression changed suddenly. "Oh Mark, did you need something?" he asked clearly not hearing Mark's earlier question. "No just wondering why you look like a Splicer pissed in your cereal, something wrong?" The young man asked raising an eyebrow, he watched as Joe took out a Robertson's Cigar and bit the end off before lighting it. His Friend took a few puffs of the thick smoke before offering it to Mark, he turned it down for the simple fact that he didn't like the heavy smell staining his clothes and fingers. "No and yes, I don't especially like the plan Danny came up with to get the Protectors through the Proving Grounds but there's really nothing we can do about it because it's the only way to Fontaine Futuristics from Dionysus Park." The bearded man said as he took another puff of his Cigar and scratched his beard, Mark raised his eyebrow in curiosity. "what plan? and why do they have to go through the Proving Grounds?" Mark asked. "Follow me and I'll explain." Joe said as he began walking towards Danny's room waving for Mark to follow him.
Danny was starring at a few Computer Monitors at his desk when he heard his door whoosh as it slid open. He spun around in his chair to see Mark greet him with a slight wave, to his annoyance he also noticed the heavy smoke purmiating from Joe's Cigar. "Joe I've specifically told you many times I don't want that burning miasma in my room please put it out!" Danny said as he straightened his glasses. "hahahaha! sorry Danny I guess all this miasma's making me forgetful!" he laughed loudly causing Danny to glare daggers at him, he knew very well he wasn't supposed to smoke in there he just liked to get on the Scientists nerves. Joe took two large puffs of the Cigar before looking at it and smiling in satisfaction, he then slowly crushed it out in an ashtray near Danny's desk next to the other old Cigars he had smoked previously. "and I wish you would take that fowl smelling ashtray out of my room." Danny said with a large sigh, he knew the only reason Joe put it there was so he could continue his disgusting habit in his room. "Oh c'mon Danny it's not that bad." Joe laughed as Danny shook his head. "was there something you needed or did you just come in here to spread your Cancer cloud?" The Computer Genius asked realizing it was pointless to try and convince his Burly Friend. "Actually yes, I wanted to fill Mark in on our plan for the Proving Grounds." Joe said as he and Mark walked over to view one of the many Computer Monitors fixed on Danny's wall. "I've been tracking their progress to the best of my ability but Reed Whal's trying to use the Thinker to keep us in the dark, plus the fact that most of the Security Cameras in this Damnable City don't work is making my job ten times more infuriating." He said as he straightened his glasses once more, he quickly typed a series of Keys and pulled up various images of ranging quality, Mark was amazed at his speed, he could barely keep track of what keys he was typing.
"This is the last image we got before they headed toward Siren Alley and this one over here is Subject Sigma slowly making his way to us." Danny said as he pointed to the two pictures, the others were so distorted and fuzzy from Circuit damage the images only showed figures in a sea of static. Mark looked at Subject Sigma walking down a ruined street somewhere in the City and marveled at how large he was, he really did look like a walking Tank. The young Man's focus switched to the picture of Subjects Iota and Omega, he looked at the two wondering why their heads were tilted like they were, had they never seen a TV before? He examined the larger figure on the left of the screen and the image sent a chill down his spine, the "Big Brother" as Tenenbaum described him was exactly what one would think of when hearing the name, large, Intimidating, and ready to tear your limbs off if you messed with his little Siblings, the name definitely fit. Even though the TV didn't have color Mark could tell his armor was pitch black, his attention fixated on the large gash in the Protector's Helmet and he could see light coming from the inside. "If that image doesn't make you think our plan's insane then nothing will!" Joe said as he patted Mark on the back startling him. "They do look rather Menacing don't they?" Mark replied still fixated on the eerie photo. "like they're frozen in time, starring right through your soul." Danny added somberly. "anyway enough of that." The Computer Expert said as he pulled up a large Map of the area. "Assuming they made it to Siren Alley they'll be heading to Dionysus Park next, I would wager they're still in the Red Light District though." Danny explained as he twirled a pen in his fingers turning to his Friends.
"why do you say that?" Mark asked. "because when Subject Delta rampaged through the area there was an abundance of supplies there but Siren Alley was flooded somehow before he got to Dionysus Park, The water Pumps have been working overtime since then and the Alley only finished draining about a week ago, I would wager they're still there gathering supplies or ADAM but since the water destroyed all of the Cameras in the District and in Dionysus Park there's really no way of knowing where they are until they reach the Proving Grounds." Danny explained scratching his head in frustration. "why do they need to get to the Proving Grounds and what are the Proving Grounds for that matter?" Mark asked in confusion causing Joe and Danny to look at each other. "I guess it is a pretty well kept secret after all, the Proving Grounds are where Big Daddies, Big Sisters, and we assume the Big Brother were all trained, it's a large Museum converted into a training area for Protectors to be tested." Joe explained. " but that's not where they're going, they need to get to Point Prometheus for suit repairs and weapons, so they'll have to get through the large locked doors of the Proving Grounds, into Fontain Futuristics, and down into Point Prometheus." Danny added. "Once they have air tight suits again they'll be able to head straight towards us without having to navigate the maze of collapsed tunnels throughout the City." Joe finished explaining by clapping his hands and smiling. "so what's the problem?" Mark asked causing both Danny and Joe to sigh and rub their foreheads. "well beside the fact that we don't know where they are if they do manage to make it to the Proving Grounds each of the giant Steel doors require a Little Sister to open them." Danny said as he pointed to his large Bearded Friend. "On top of that they have Reed Whal's Men looking for them as well." Joe added rubbing the back of his neck with a troubled look on his face. "so what's the plan?" Mark asked looking to the two Men. "I assume their helmets aren't working or I would be able to tune in on their radio frequency and see through the built in cameras they have to guide them but since that's not the case all we can do is wait for them to get to the Proving Grounds to use the intercom system there, and since the only way to get through the doors is with a Little Sister..." Danny stopped not really wanting to voice the next stage of the plan.
"I thought all of the Little Sisters were gone, all except for Anna and I don't really think she'll be going anywhere for some time, do you have an idea?" Mark asked curious as to why Danny stopped suddenly. "well... you don't really need a Little Sister to get through the doors really, you just need someone small enough to fit through the air vents on the other side to unlock them." Joe remarked while he scratched his beard. "so send Lizzy" Mark said causing Joe and Danny some shock. "she's small enough to fit through the doors and it should be next to impossible for the Splicers to notice her if she's not carrying any ADAM." Mark said surprising the two Men, they thought he would be opposed to the idea but instead he only aided their argument. Danny still looked troubled about it. "well that was our plan but it would be too risky sending her by herself and we can't spare the manpower to have someone go with her." the Scientist said shaking his head. "If you're still not sure about it can't you hack the Security Bots in that area and use them to help her and the Protectors?" The young man added instantly stunning both Men. Joe suddenly burst into roaring laughter. "HAHAHAHA! I'll bet you didn't even think of that did you Mister Genius!?" he yelled at Danny as he picked Mark up in a Bear hug causing his back to pop in several places. Danny's face got red as he stuttered out an excuse. "that's not... it..." Danny fumbled with his words before he began typing at the speed of light on his Keyboard. "you have to be kidding me." He said as he sat back in his chair, his Monitor flashing green lights on the screen. "he's right, I can remote control the Security Bots from here, all I have to do now is send them into Siren Alley and Dionysus Park to find Iota and Omega then we should be able to get our plan underway." Danny explained with renewed confidence as he went to work completely forgetting he had company in his room. "I guess it's settled then, C'mon Mark lets go see what Lizzy thinks of this plan." Joe said turning to his younger Friend. "we'll have to convince Tenenbaum too don't forget about that." he replied trying to think of what they might say, Joe smiled and lit another Cigar as they left Danny's room. "Don't worry about that, after all she helped us map out the safest path through the air vents Lizzy is going to take."
. . .
Iota and Omega rested in an old tea shop while they recovered from their wounds, Iota pulled the cap off of a first aid syringe and gently eased the needle into her Partner's neck. Omega sat in a rusted chair that seemed too small for him, he propped his wounded leg on two more chairs lined up in front of him. Iota found a few first aid bandages behind the shop's counter and began carefully removing the improvised bandages from Omega's injuries, she took the bandage off of his eye and examined it. It still had raw meat and a chunk of his eye was missing but she could tell it was healing at an incredible rate, she shuttered to think of what would have happened had she not gathered ADAM from their earlier battle and since ADAM boosted all aspects of their regeneration she wouldn't need to worry about cleaning the wound, she was thankful for being able to skip the lengthy process and they could move much faster if they only had to change bandages every few hours. Iota began rotating her arm and massaging her shoulder when she noticed her Partner's gaze, it was distant and cold as stone. Iota watched him grab a bag of chips from the table his arm was resting on, he fumbled with the bag trying to get it open. Why was he having so much trouble opening a bag? she wondered to herself when she remembered the earlier fight, Omega had punched the Alpha's heavy steel helmet a few times and his knuckles were probably still in pain or sore. The Sister watched him stretch his fingers then curl them into a fist with a pained sigh, she stood up from the table she was sitting on and made her way to her partner. When she reached him she reached for the bag but her hand was swatted away, she tried again and her hand was swatted away a second time, she started to get annoyed. She was only trying to help, why wouldn't he let her?
Iota quickly grabbed the bag before Omega had a chance to block her hands and tried to yank it from his grasp, when she did the bag exploded it's salty contents onto Omega's lap and the floor causing the Male Protector even more anger. Iota's eyes went wide when she saw the chips fall to the floor, she knelt down to pick up the food but before she could she felt Omega's hand push her away. The Sister fell backwards landing on her butt as she caught herself with her hands, now she was infuriated, how dare he treat her that way for just wanting to help! Iota stood up and kicked one of the chair legs Omega was sitting on causing him to crush the old piece of furniture and fall to the floor. He staggered his way upright with impressive speed for a wounded man and faced Iota who was still growling. Omega moved in closer, fists clenched and roared an anger filled screech at her. Iota backed up as she felt the intense sound resonate through to her core and her instincts screamed at her to back down but she wouldn't listen, once her vision was clear again she stepped forward and issued her own higher pitched scream, both Protector's noses were bleeding from the intense sound of their spat. Their eyes locked and they began growling at each other, Iota wanted him to hit her, to throw the first punch so she could show him the error of his ways.
Omega wished the same, he was at his limit in terms of patience and waited anxiously for her to assault him, he was wounded and in a VERY bad mood, she even had the audacity to try and open a bag of chips for him like she thought he was useless! tensions ran high as the two deadly Predators glared at each other, they were both frustrated with the current situation but neither of them would hurt the other intentionally, certainly not out of anger. It went against all of their instincts as Guardians and comrades. Sparring was a different story however, Mother encouraged a good sparring match every now and then between Sisters who had their nerves stretched to their limits to relieve stress and pent up anger. Iota remembered many brawls from her past between her and her Sisters, it was a practice like no other to determine the winner of an argument, who got possesion over a certain item such as new gear. Many of the Sisters had even challenged Omega to show off their Mate potential but none could ever prove themselves strong enough to beat him or even become his equal.
The sparring matches helped them cope with the lack of verbal communication but now was neither the time or the place for such things, both Omega and herself were wounded, tired, stressed and angry, the time would come just not yet. While both Protectors were so focused on each other they failed to notice the buzz of electricity and the chopping of rotors getting closer to them. When they realized the sound was coming near they broke from their stare down and went straight into action, Iota ran and pressed her back up against one of the two pillars beside the door and closed it, Omega limped his way to the opposite pillar and did the same. They slowly peeked out to see a lone Security Bot flying past the shop but why was it there? They heard no alarms going off, no screams or gunfire and there was only one. Security Bots were deployed in groups of two or three at a time so why was this one alone?
Both Protectors waited until they couldn't hear the flying weapon anymore before stepping back out into the street, it was deathly silent, so much so that they could hear water rushing through the pipes high overhead, the wet drips as some of the liquid escaped a loose pipe. The Duo began their journey again with distance between them, normally they would walk side by side but instead of carrying on their tradition Omega limped ahead, Iota started gritting her teeth, he was so stubborn he would rather limp in pain then accept her help again! so be it, she would let him limp and brood over his failure!
Iota's eyes went wide and she put her hand over her mouth, "Failure", was that why he was so agitated? She thought back to Arcadia when he lowered his head to her next to the graves of their Sisters, he was clearly apologizing. The Female Protector started silently cursing herself for not figuring it out earlier. He felt guilty... guilty for having to flee the earlier battle... and guilty for not being able to Protect their Family when they needed it most. Her chest began to tighten again as she watched him limping ahead with his fists clenched and his head looking at the floor. She wanted to find out... she needed to know... what happened in the short time of Delta's attack? If Omega had faced the Alpha she had no doubt her Brother could beat him, so why didn't he? She couldn't believe he would just sit back and watch their Family be destroyed without taking action, it just wasn't possible. So there had to be a reason but what was it? Iota decided to give her Brother some space by walking a short distance behind him still lost in her own thoughts, whenever he would stop walking to rest so would she but she constantly stayed behind. She wasn't sorry for what she did to him because he was rude to her and deserved it! She was sorry they had fought though, she knew that both of them just needed to cool their heads and the best way to do that was for them to be separated for a while
. . .
"Do you understand the plan little one?" Tenenbaum asked Lizzy as Joe, Danny, Mark, and Grace all circled the girl. Lizzy simply smiled as she fiddled with the grey dress she was wearing. "Don't worry Ma'am I know what to do!" she chirped flashing the group a smile.
"sure you're not scared kiddo?" Mark asked with a playful tone giving a sly smirk. "nope, I know the vents like the back of my hand and the safest place in the whole City is with Big Sister AND Big Brother!" she yelled happily, it was one of the features Mark admired about the young girl. She was childish but she was also very smart and fiendishly clever.
"Danny have you found Iota and Omega on the security Cameras or Bots?" Joe asked.
"No but there were signs of heavy combat in the center of Dionysus Park, the kind of death and damage only a Protector can inflict. I would imagine they've been avoiding the Security Bots because they don't know we have control of them." The Scientist replied as he rubbed his chin in thought.
"If there are signs they've been to the center of the Park then they are more than likely close to the Proving Grounds entrance by now." Joe said before looking to the small girl that would be going on the dangerous mission.
"C'mon Liz let's get you to those vents, Mark you're with me, Danny have your Security Bots on high alert, we'll use the Vents in the Lobby." The bearded man said as he rested a Shotgun over his shoulder and started for the door.
"I still don't like this plan Doctor, sending a little Girl out there alone, I could never forgive myself if something happened to her." Grace said as she watched the three leave the meeting room.
"I understand Grace Und believe me when I say I wish there was another way but with the Splicers after Omega und Iota it puts us on a time limit. If we attempted to send a group to help them then the Hotel would be defenseless und they would be gunned down before they could reach them, they would be trapped outside the Proving Grounds with damaged armor, dangerously low supplies, und no means of escape." The German Woman replied seriously.
"It really is the only way, that poor Baby." Grace said somberly as she walked towards the door. "If you need me Doctor, I'll be with Anna like always, the Poor thing's been tossin and turnin something fierce lately." She said.
"Thank you Grace, I will keep you updated on Lizzy und don't worry too much, it's like the Little one said, once she reaches Iota und Omega she'll be the safest Person in the entire City." Tenenbaum remarked as Grace exited the room trying to convince herself that her words were true, even though she knew better than anyone that nothing in Rapture was certain.
Joe and Mark were making their way down the many flights of stairs in the Hotel, Lizzy rode on Marks shoulders as she hummed a gentle tune to herself. "That's a catchy tune Liz, what's it from?" He asked curiously.
"it's called the House of Upside Down! it's one of my favorites!" The young Girl said excited that someone finally asked her about it.
"The House of Upside Down? I don't think I've ever heard of that." Joe said looking up to the Girl on Mark's shoulders. "Me either, how does it go?" Mark asked raising his eyebrow at the Girl. Lizzy smile as she leaned down to look at Mark only too happy to teach her Friends her song.
"In the House of Upside-Down: cellar's top floor, attic's ground. In the House of Upside-Down: laughing cries, and smiles frown. In the House of Upside-Down: found is lost, and lost-is found…" she sang softly before going silent.
Mark continued to walk as his mind wandered while she sang, he focused on every word and the low and high notes of the somber tune. "It's a sad song isn't it, almost like it describes the City itself." Mark noted to no one in particular.
"Mark..." Joe said quietly looking to Lizzy who was wiping tears from her eyes, the Girl sniffled and Mark knew immediately she was on the verge of tears. "You okay Liz?" Mark questioned. "Yeah... just miss my friends is all..." she replied through a series of sniffles. "Don't worry Lizzy you'll see your Friends again once we get to the surface!" Joe laughed as his booming voice carried the comforting sound down the stairwell. "Re... Really?" Lizzy asked looking to him as he smiled. "no doubt!" he yelled back before laughing some more.
Joe's laugh was something Lizzy found comforting, it gave her confidence that hope was still there, Mark on the other hand could see through his amazing acting. The Raven haired young Man glanced over to Joe. Mark knew he wasn't certain, how could he be? at best Lizzy's Friends were back with their Families, worst case was they never made it out of Rapture in the first place. He wasn't angry at Joe and understood why he had to lie to the Girl, He couldn't have her undertake a dangerous task with her mind clouded by doubt, they needed all the help they could get and having doubt was a distraction, one that could get her killed.
After a few more minutes of walking the Trio made it to the Lobby floor, Mark took Lizzy off of his shoulders and placed her on the ground behind him putting his finger in front of his lips to let her know not to say anything. The three of them had taken the stairs so no one could ambush them inside the elevator when it opened. Mark took his sub-machine gun off safety and lined up behind Joe as he checked the Lobby for threats. When he didn't see anything but Danny's automatic Turrets he motioned for Mark to move up and secure the entrance to the Hotel, Mark ran and took cover behind a Piller and watched the entrance for any unwanted guests, he motioned to Joe that he could see one target. Joe moved along the wall with Lizzy close behind him until he could peek out the shattered window to the Lobby. One Splicer was sitting next to a trashcan that had a fire inside of it, the man was clearly drunk from the various empty bottles around the old brass chair. He was drunk and they knew he probably wouldn't wake up for a while, the Trio silently walked to the air vent in the Lobby.
"I'm guessing he's there to keep tabs on us if we try to leave?" Mark whispered quietly to Joe who nodded in agreement. "Lizzy you remember the plan right?" The bearded man asked her softly. "get through the Vents to Big Brother and Big Sister, unlock the doors in the Proving Grounds and then come back." she whispered with a smile, Joe nodded as Mark crouched beside her. "alright Kid, we're depending on you so don't let us down alright?" he said with a soft smile as he playfully rubbed her head slightly messing up her hair. "and above all else... be careful." he added. Lizzy hugged both Men before Mark helped her climb into the air vent. When they were finished Joe and Mark took the elevator back up stairs.
The Elevator groaned and creaked it's way up the shaft as the two Men stood in near darkness, the speakers barely worked and old elevator music could be heard crackling through the ageing device giving it an eerie sound. "Splicers haven't tried anything lately, think they finally gave up?" Mark asked jokingly, knowing the Maniacs would never give up. "they're waiting..." Joe replied. "they're waiting for the right time to attack and it's gonna be soon." he said seriously as the dim amber lighting shone on his face.