Dwindling Resources
Omega leaned against the wall with his arms crossed holding his helmet in one hand. Grace and Tenenbaum wanted him and Iota to show their faces as much as possible to ease some of the tension between the Humans and Protectors. He didn't like the idea of leaving his head exposed to possible attack but the Doctor said it would help the Humans trust them more, and if the Humans trusted them a little more they might not be prone to "accidentilly" shooting them while in combat.
Omega watched Iota show Anna and Lizzy the many trinkets and collectables she had gathered from their journey together. Small things that caught her interest or marked a specific event in her and Omega's time together, everything from brass cogs, rings, and various other items that she deemed worthy enough to snag. The three Sisters were sitting on a tattered couch with Iota in the middle, her helmet on the floor between her feet. She smiled as her Sisters took some of the trinkets to inspect them, He could tell she was happy, after all they had found more Family Members alive and well. It almost seemed like a dream, it probably seemed like a dream for the Humans in the room as well. Omega looked at the other side of the room to see all of the Human Survivors staring at the three Sisters in awkward surprise, whatever they had been doing before was suddenly halted when Iota took off her helmet to interact with her Sisters. They didn't even know that they were being sized up by Omega's watchful gaze, he watched the Humans out of the corner of his illuminated eyes , he may have an understanding with Tenenbaum and Grace but these other Humans were Strangers to him, and he wouldn't hesitate to end them if they even thought about harming his Family. They hadn't done anything threatening yet but that was the tricky thing about Humans, they were deceitful Creatures by nature, and trusting them completely would be a Fool's gambit. He especially didn't like the way the Blonde Female Human was glaring at Iota and Anna, Vicki he believed her name was.
The Survivors and Protectors gathered in the Hotel's lounge, their designated meeting room for a situational update from Tenenbaum. After another fifteen minutes of waiting the door slid open, and all attention focused from the Protectors to the newcomers. Tenenbaum came through the door, followed by Seline, she was taking her blood covered latex gloves off from working on Joe's wounds. After Seline threw her gloves away she noticed what everyone was staring at, the two Helmetless Protectors and their two Charges, though one of them was old enough to be a Protector herself. Seline smiled and walked calmly over to the three Sisters causing Omega to stand up from his leaning position against the water damaged wall, Iota looked up at the seemingly happy young Woman, curious as to what she wanted.
"He... Hello, my name is Seline. I didn't get to meet you earlier because I was looking after our wounded." The girl shyly confessed as she held out her hand, she had a soft voice, honest blue eyes, and a pony tail tying her dark brown hair out of her face. Iota's eyes opened wider when she realized she was doing the "Human greeting" Tenenbaum showed her. The Female Protector stood up to her full height, and looked down at the timid Brunnette before her. Everyone watched in shock as Iota smiled and took the girl's hand to shake it, Omega raised an eyebrow in confusion, was this Human not afraid of them? No. He could see her shaking and even from ten feet away he could hear the sound of her pounding Heart, she was afraid so why was she approaching them? What surprised Everyone was when Seline approached Omega next. She stood in front of the almost eight foot tall Protector as he stared down at her with a blank face, his glowing eyes were intimidating, cold, and calculated, causing her to look away several times before finally mustering the courage to speak to him directly.
"I...I'm sorry about your Sisters, I've lost Family too and I wouldn't wish it on anyone." She said as she looked to the ground sorrowfully. "B..But I'm sure they would be happy to know that you're still alive! That you're helping People!" The Girl said nervously as she looked into his illuminated eyes and reached her shaking hand out to him. This confussed Omega even more, Humans and Splicers alike had always thought of Protectors as nothing more than Monsters, so why was she treating them like People, like... Humans? Omega pondered her motives for a moment before slowly taking her hand to shake it, he marveled at how spectacularly frail her small Human hand felt in his, just as he had felt the same with Tenenbaum's. He could tell she wasn't a threat, and in no way meant him any harm or ill will just from the way she grasped his hand, gentle and warm, like she was afraid she would hurt him if she squeezed too hard, or perhaps she knew he could easily snap the bones in her hand if he wanted to. He could hear her Heartbeat more clearly now and realized that she had calmed down considerably after introducing herself to Iota, perhaps she wasn't afraid after all, perhaps she was just shy? He looked over to the other Humans who were still watching in amazement, it was almost comical to him that the most timid of their team was the first to volunterily interact with them since their arrival. In the Protector's eyes she earned a small amount of respect for her actions, it was unheard of for someone to approach a Protector and speak casually to them, especially when that Person was a weak Human, and she even did it twice. The other Humans would certainly have to step up their game. Seline took a seat in a chair between the couch the three Sisters were on and the wall Omega had now continued to lean on. He wanted to sit with his Family but decided instead to put himself in between them and the other Humans just in case any of them wanted to try anything, he didn't like the looks the blonde and red haired Humans were giving them. This "Craig" had already pointed a gun at them once before, and if he did it again they would be the last things he would ever point at.
Tenenbaum could see Omega glaring at both Craig and Vicki and decided to take everyone's attention away from each other. She cleared her sore throat as she began to speak.
"As you all kno-"
"They do that to you?" Vicki loudly cut the Doctor off when she saw the older Woman's bruised throat, she made sure Everyone could hear her. The attention in the room shifted from the Protectors to her. Both Iota and Omega looked up and sneered as she spoke, they knew of the anymosity she held towards them, though they didn't care as long as she wasn't a threat.
"Is now really the time Vic?" James asked as his Girlfriend continued to glare at Iota.
"Yes James, yes it is. We heard alot of shouting and commotion earlier and nobody is telling us anything. This is the Meeting Room, let's have a meeting." She replied sounding almost venomous. Iota's face went blank as she starred the brooding Girl down. Her gaze was intense enough to make Vicki look back to the Doctor, periodically checking to see if the deadly Predator was still eyeing her. Tenenbaum sighed because she knew where this conversation was going.
"We had a missunderstanding and-"
"I told you this would happen! That they were too dangerous to come here!" The younger Woman cut her off again. Omega and Iota simply watched in silence, this was the kind of Human response they were used to. Omega noticed Anna and Lizzy's looks of concern but as long as the rude Woman didn't try to harm them she could say whatever she wanted about the him and his Partner, they generally didn't care about the opinions of the weak, they had heard many insulting things... mostly before killing those that insulted them.
"Vicki please, they are hardly to blame. They were only-"
"Only what? Only doing what they were made to do?! Look at them! They're not even Human! They're just Freaks, Monsters!" For a split second Omega saw a flash of sorrow appear on his Partner's face and he could feel her discomfort through his Protector instincts. He didn't care about the opinions of sheep but if it caused Iota doubt or pain, even emotional, he would silence the petulant Girl. He leaned up from the wall and was about to walk over to Vicki when Seline passed him.
*SMACK*
Everyone's eyes got wider.
Vicki was instantly shut up when Seline slapped her across the face, She was surprised that her Bestfriend would do such a thing. She looked up in shock at her Friend who seemed like she was on the verge of tears. The Protectors took a special interest in the situation now, Omega had wondered what she was doing when she briskly walked past him with anger on her face, now he knew.
"That's enough Vicki! Blaming them for what happened to your Brother is just stupid!" The young Woman yelled at her Friend. Vicki stood up and prepared to fire back.
"and how do you know they didn't kill him, they've killed so many pe-"
*SMACK*
Seline hit her Friend again on the other cheek as tears streamed down her face. Her hands were stinging but she had more important things to worry about. The young Woman looked over to both Iota and Omega.
"Did you kill her Brother?!" she asked as she wiped some of the water out of her eyes. Both Protectors shook their heads. "Have you ever seen her or her Brother before?" Again both Protectors shook their heads. Seline looked back at her red cheeked Friend and stared at her for a moment.
"See, there's no reason to hold anymosity toward them, after all... we've killed People too..." She said as her tone softened and she looked to the ground. Even Tenenbaum was shocked at Seline's actions, she was usually very calm and nice to everyone. Vicki clinched her fists and stared at her Bestfriend, normaly Seline couldn't even tell Craig off let alone yell or slap him, maybe she had gone too far. Instead of yelling back again or slapping her smaller Friend Vicki simply rubbed her stinging red cheeks and chuckled. She had learned her lesson, she valued Seline's opinion enough to know she had crossed the line. She looked at her friend as she continued wiping tears from her eyes, she was the only person that could hit you and make you feel like you forced her to do it. Her innocence was one of the reasons Vicki was always looking out for her. Vicki shook her head and hugged her Friend.
"When are you going to grow up?" Vicki said jokingly.
"When you do." Seline replied with a small chuckle between sniffles.
Both Protectors were now literaly AND figurativly speechless, no Human had ever stood up for them before, especially not one with such anxious demeanor. Both Iota and Omega had to cover their mouths and look like they were deep in thought to hide the small, excited smiles that grew on their faces. These Humans were proving to be more entertaining than they initially thought. Maybe there was more to Humans than just physical weakness or lack of combat experience, they found themselves excited to see what the interesting Creatures would do next. After both Girls returned to their seats Tenenbaum was finally ready to start over.
"As you all know, we are running dangerously low on supplies, Even before the Splicers attacked but now it is exponentially worse. We have little Ammunition, we have to ration food, und we have only Bandages as far as first aid goes. If we are to break into one of the most heavily guarded places in Rapture we will need more of everything. Minerva's Den is a stronghold controlled by a madman, und we will not be getting in by using shoes as weapons." Everyone but Iota and Omega laughed at her last remark, their sense of humor was lost on the two Protectors. It would be difficult but both Protectors were sure they could use shoes as weapons if they absolutely had to.
"James, Mark, If you would please." Tenenbaum said as she gestured for them to join her up front. The two Men walked up to stand beside her so they could explain their plan, James crossed his arms as he waited for Mark to tell his portion.
"Alright here's the plan, and some of you aren't going to like it." Mark said with a sigh as he looked around the room at his dirty, exhausted friends.
"Now I know we've been through Hell these past few days and everyone's tired but we still have work to do. Our main priority right now is food, Ammo, and Medical Supplies like the Doc was explaining. We have more problems then we can count right now so hear me out, you've all noticed that Sigma isn't with us right now, well that's because our defences were obliterated in the Splicer's attack so he's standing guard in the Lobby incase those Maniacs try to send a second wave. With Wallace dead though we've pretty much cut the head off the Snake... for now. Now is the safest time to venture out and gather Supplies since the Splicers are in dissarrey, the sooner we can get the Supplies the sooner we can all rest and recuperate, God knows we need it... some more than others." He said as he looked to the blood and dirt covered Protectors who had fought for weeks to get to them and even rescued them from certain death. James stepped forward to speak as he looked around the room to make sure everyone was paying attention.
"We're going to split into two Groups, Group A will be lead by Iota. Seline, Vicki and Myself will accompany her, our objective is Medical Supplies and food." James explained, he looked over to see Vicki glaring daggers at him, he knew her stance on Big Sisters which was exactly why he chose her to go along. She needed to learn to work with Iota, not against her. Vicki was a Hot Head but she was also good in a firefight, Seline on the other hand wasn't very good in a fight but she was the only one that knew what kind of Medical Supplies they needed besides Tenenbaum, and the Doc had to stay at the Base to monitor everything. James stepped back so Mark could gather his squad.
"Group B will be lead by Omega. Since Joe's injured and Danny is completely useless with anything other than a keyboard we're short two Men, but Omega's Combat experience and ferocity more than makes up for it. I also wanted Omega to lead this group because, no offense Iota but let's face it, He's alot stronger than you and what we're looking for is gonna be heavy. Our objective is Ammunition, and replacements for the defences the Splicers destroyed." Mark looked over to the Protectors expecting to see resistence about the layout of the teams, he was suprised to see they had none. Omega simply looked at Iota who smiled and nodded that she was okay with the plan, after all he was physically stronger than her, that and she didn't mind him doing the heavy lifting. Omega then looked back at Mark as he pointed to both Anna and Lizzy.
"Ah yes. Do not worry Omega, they will stay here with Grace, Sigma, Craig, Joe, und Myself. We will keep them safe. Tenenbaum chimed in to answer his question, Omega leaned forward off the wall and put his Helmet on before walking to the Human side of the room. He walked past everyone to the back of the room where Craig had been sitting silently the whole time. Everyone watched the Protector silently, they knew who he was going to. Omega had one thing he wanted to make clear, Craig noticed him coming as soon as he left the wall he had been on. The large Protector stopped in front of the freckled young Man to stare at him through his red visor. Craig's eyes were wide and he was sweating, his heart was pounding and he was visibly shaking. Omega leaned down slightly and pointed at the Man, he punched the palm of his hand then pointed to Anna and Lizzy. The Protector then pointed to himself, he stuck his thumb out and pulled it horizontally across his own neck, then slowly pointed to Craig and growled. Craig immediately understood what he was saying.
"I-If I hurt them, You'll k-kill Me... I'll stay away from them I S-SWEAR!" He half said, half shouted in fear of the Protectors promise. Omega stared at him for a few more seconds just to see him squirm before heading back over to his Sisters. Though Craig was the one Omega wanted to warn, the promise he made the young Man applied to everyone in the base, and they knew he would honor his promise of pain and death. Everyone watched Craig's panic attack play out, making mental notes on how they should definately not anger a Protector.
"Now that that's settled, Everyone get ready and meet in the Lobby in ten minutes." Mark said loudly so everyone could hear. Seline looked over at Iota and smiled.
"I'm not really good in fights but I'm excited to be in your team, I doubt you'll need it but I'll do my best to patch you up if you get hurt." Iota simply nodded, there would be no need, her healing abilities were far supperior to anything Seline could do, and she didn't plan on being injured. Omega walked past Mark and nodded, a sign that he was now ready to start the mission. Everyone headed out the door into the Hallway, as Iota exited the room she felt a hand pull her arm, she jumped when she realized it didn't feel like Omega's. Her head snapped around to see Anna's glowing eyes looking up at her. Omega walked out of the meeting room while Lizzy held his hand, they stopped and turned to watch Iota and Anna who were a little further down the hallway.
"Everyone has been taking care of me for so long, I don't want to be a burden, I want to help!" The younger Sister said with determination. Iota tilted her head and stared at her Sister through the porthole of her Helmet before shaking her head "No".
"I'm old enough to be a Big Sister Myself, I just never got to complete my training, Please Sister!" Iota could see how serious she was but her lack of Combat experience made her more of a liability than an asset, it was just too dangerous to bring her along. Again the Big Sister shook her head.
"Fine! I'll prove that I can be useful!" The frustrated Girl said loudly as she took a step back into a fighting stance, she moved her right leg back and put her fists in front of her face. Everyone that had been walking behind Omega stopped to investigate the commotion, the Brother felt Lizzy's tiny hand tighten, she was obviously not liking the situation. She looked up at him with a worried gaze, Omega gently rubbed the top of her head for reasurance. Anna started swinging at her older Sister, Iota quickly leaned back to avoid the sloppy attacks as her Sister kept stepping forward, after the third punch Iota side stepped and sweeped her younger Sister's legs out from under her sending her crashing to the hard ground below. Iota tilted her head as Anna rolled backwards over her shoulder and landed on her feet, like most Big Sisters she was fast and agile, but it wasn't enough. Mark moved to break up the fight but as he passed Omega put his left arm out in front of him, Mark looked at him but Omega's gaze never left the two Girl's. He decided to listen to the Protector, he obviously had his own reasons for not getting involved or he would have already broken the fight up himself. Mark didn't know what those reasons were but he, like everyone else, was curious as to what would happen. They had never seen a Protector's Charge try to fight them, how did they handle situations like that?
Anna began swinging at Iota again, this time faster than her previous attacks. Omega heard the Humans whisper how incredible the two Sister's speed was, but he knew better, speed was only a fraction of what went into the mechanics of a real fight, and this was nothing more than play for Iota. Give her a challange however, and that's when she really shines.
Iota nimbly dodged all of Anna's incoming attacks with ease, all while counting the number of openings she had, the number of times she could have killed her by now. She took notes on the Girl's posture, speed, consentration, balance, even the number of punches she threw. Iota saw a golden oppertunity that she had to capitalize on, Anna threw a roundhouse kick with her right leg, Iota noticed how off balance she was and immediately cought the Girl's right leg with her left hand. The force from the kick made a loud popping sound as Iota easily stopped her Sister's attack. The force from the impact was barely enough to make her hand sting, she had alot to learn. Iota lifted her Sister's leg higher to knock her futher off balance, she then kicked Anna's left leg with her own and sent her inexperienced Sister to the floor again. Iota screeched lightly as anna jumped back up to her feet, she was starting to get annoyed at the Girl's stubborn determination, but she had to admit she was very proud of her. Anna charged her older Sister again but instead of continuing Iota decided to end the fight, she had learned all she needed already and any further conflict would be pointless. As Anna swung at her more experienced Sister, Iota ducked and grabbed her arm. Before the Girl could figure out what was happening Iota had flipped her Sister over her shoulder and onto her back, the hard floor below knocking the air out of her. Before she could get up Iota placed her heavy steel boot on her stomach as she growled, leaving a large dirty footprint on the Girl's white night gown. Iota held her younger Sister in place as she struggled to break free, but Iota wanted to make it clear how outmatched she would be in a real fight. After all she was just one enemy, Protectors often had to fight more than just one enemy at a time while they all attacked simultaniously. Anna dropped her arms in defeat before covering her eyes with the back of her forearm, Iota tilted her head in curiosity until she heard her Sister's quiet sobs.
"I just want to help..." She whispered quietly as some of her tears escaped from under her arm. Iota suddenly felt bad for what she had done, but she did it to protect her, there was no reason to be upset about it.
"and you have to embarress me for it..." She sniffled as she quietly cried, when Iota heard her say that her stomach sank. She didn't mean to embarrass her, she only wanted to show her why going with them would be a bad idea. Iota removed her foot and kneeled down beside her Sister. Anna sat up and wiped her eyes, Iota put her hand on her shoulder to comfort her but she srugged it off. The younger Sister stood up and ran toward her room, Iota reached for her and gave a light screech for her to come back but it was no use. The older Sister turned and looked at the floor until she felt a hand on her own shoulder, she looked up to see Omega. She tried to wipe her watery eyes but forgot she was wearing her helmet until her hand bounced off the front. She stood up and put her arms in front of her as she leaned into her Partner's cold chest armor. She didn't know what she had done wrong, she only wanted to keep Anna safe. Omega put his arms around her for comfort, his Partner began lightly tapping her helmet against his chest. He could tell she was regretful that things had turned out the way they had but he would have done the same thing if he were in Iota's position, though he would have been much tougher on her. The Girl was inexperienced, sloppy, and let her emotions dictate her actions. If that were a real fight, she would have been seriously injured, or worse.
The Human spectators decided not to linger, instead choosing to gather what meager supplies they could for their mission. After ten minutes had passed Everyone tasked with supply gathering met in the Lobby of the Athena's Glory Hotel to wish each other luck. Mark and Seline wished each other luck as well as promises to make it back in one piece, Vicki and James had a heated debate as to why she was on the same team as a Big Sister and Iota was lost in thought about what to do with Anna.
"uum, Omega." The Protector heard a soft Female voice address him. He looked over to see Seline had slipped away from her Companions.
"I hope it's not too much to ask but... Please keep Mark and Danny safe. I'm probably worrying for nothing, after all I've seen you fight. It's amazing how strong you and Iota are, I know you'll keep them safe so... good luck!" She said happily as she smiled at the large Protector. Omega simply nodded and watched her walk back over to her Group, how curious the Human Girl is, of coarse he would keep them safe, the more Allies they had the more protection his Family got. Danny came strolling down the stairs past Subject Sigma with his hands in his lab coat's front pockets, he adjusted his glasses when he reached Omega. The Male Protector watched the smaller Man eye him up and down before smiling, the Protector knew the Man was about to start talking, Human's loved to talk for some reason.
"Well, I must say I had my concerns about leaving the Base in such a small team but with you on our side I'm sure we'll be fine!" The Man laughed, Omega simply stared at him with his arms crossed. The Brother didn't perticularly care for non-combatants, being raised in a strictly Combat oriented lifestyle he couldn't understand why someone wouldn't or couldn't fight.
"It's about time you got here Danny, we've been waiting for you, what took so long?" Mark asked as he joined his squad from talking with the others.
"Had to jot down a list of all the things we need to restore our defences." Danny replied as he showed Mark and Omega a slip of notebook paper with various scribblings on it. Underneath his helmet Omega wore the same confussed expression Mark did, neither of them knew what most of the items on the list were.
"Alright listen up!" James yelled from across the lobby drawing Everyone's attention.
"The Doc gave each team a radio so we could comunicate, Iota and Omega, you guys have them built into your Helmets so you can listen too. Everybody turn the Radios on and tune them to channel three for a sound check." James explained as Mark took out his Radio and followed his Friend's instructions. Omega and Iota switched the radios on the back of their Helmets on and clicked a small dial three times until the static got quiet.
"Doc, this is James, can you hear me? Over." Omega heard the Man say over his Radio.
"This is Mark, we're all good here. Over." Mark said as he took his finger off the Radio.
"I can hear you, can our Protector Friends hears us as well? Over." They heard Tenenbaum respond. Everyone looked at Omega as he nodded, Iota put her thumb up for comfirmation.
"Yeah Doc, everything's good on our end. Over." Mark answered her as he listened for a response.
"excellent! Everyone may continue the Mission, und I will keep you updated if anything happens. Over." She said as Mark and James nodded to each other, it was time to gather some well needed supplies. Iota jogged over to give Omega a quick hug before rejoining her Group, a "Be careful, see you in a little bit" of sorts. Everyone gathered the large duffle bags they had brought with them to carry the supplies with and headed out to complete their objectives. As Sigma watched them leave from his seat on the stairs he wiped the caked blood from the massive Drill attached to his arm.
. . .
After an hour of walking in silence Group A had finally reached their destination, which was the City's thiry fourth District: Headen's Plaza. As soon as the Group exited the airlock tunnel into the Plaza Iota jumped to high alert, Protectors were always on guard, especially when they entered an area they were unfamiliar with. Iota stuck her hand out to tell her three Companions to wait while she made sure the area was clear, she stepped out of the Tunnel onto the large street. Her careful eye scanning every back Alley and rooftop for any signs of an ambush. The only movement she could see was the light from a fire someone had lit in an old steel trashcan for warmth. Iota motioned for the group to follow once more, James, vicki, and Seline looked at each other as they proceeded behind the deadly Guardian. The Group continued walking, gazing at the many ruined Buildings on both sides of the Street, each with a horrific story of their own. The large walkway they followed was illuminated by a massive skylight made of thick pressure resistant glass and steel beams, it was shaped like a dome and resembled the top of an old bird cage. The light that shone through the massive portal gave the streets before them an almost ghostly appearance, all was silent, still, dead. Every now and then Iota would glance back at her Human Companions to make sure they hadn't wandered off or lost their nerve, James and Vicki had positioned Seline between them for added protection, they too were on high alert. Seline was looking around the broken District nervously, Iota couldn't blame the timid Girl after all she felt like she was being watched as well. The Group stopped in front of an old clothing Store when they heard the distinct sound of broken glass crunching under the weight of a footstep, Iota's head shot toward the Alley it had come from. She waited for the threat to reveal itself, instead of coming from the Alleyway footsteps were heard just to their left from the old store they had stopped at. A Female Thuggish Splicer wearing a worn white dress and purple butterfly mask was weilding a peice of broken glass and charging the small Group, another Male Splicer rushed out of the Alleyway towards Iota. James pulled Seline behind him and Vicki as the Couple raised their submachineguns, Seline pointing her Revolver, the three of them fired a hail of bullets into the Woman, staining her tattered white dress with blood as she hit the cold concrete walkway. The three Humans looked over to Iota who had already taken care of the Male Splicer that attacked her, he was on his stomach trying to crawl away when Iota stomped her heavy boot on the mid of his back, her Human Teammates winced when they heard his spine snap under her foot. The Splicer began screamin, crying, and begging for mercy. Iota tilted her head curiously as she stuck her three foot Harvesting needle through his back and into his stomach, she lifted him up and impaled him on the deadly weapon as she drained all of the ADAM in his belly. James, Vicki, and Seline wore varying looks of disgust as the Protector dropped the screaming Man and stomped on his head to finish him off. She looked at the ADAM she had gathered and gave an excited squeel, she was sure the amount she had collected would make Omega proud. Iota looked back at her Team who were still at a loss for words, she tilted her head and issued a small chirp like screech. Everyone snapped out of their daze and looked at each other, unsure how to address the situation. They knew Splicers were Monsters but Protectors were on a whole other level in their crualty, there was a reason they were the Apex Predators of Rapture. Vicki passed the Protector without a word, as James walked by her he gave a slight smile. "Glad you're on our side, Splicers are like flies to you." He said as he stepped over Iota's Victim. Next Seline approached her still unable to take her eyes off of the Corpse until Iota put her hand on the Girl's shoulder, Seline jumped still shaken from the conflict
The few random Splicers the Group encountered on the way there had either been crushed like bugs by Iota or had run as soon as they saw her. The small Group stood in front of the rundown Hospital to examine the many broken or boarded up windows. Some had been shattered from fires that had broken out inside, leaving nothing but jagged glass in the seals and black soot at the top of the openings. The concrete was littered with bullet holes from years of conflict, and the Hospital's sign was now laying in a pile of rubble where it had fallen some time ago.
"Asclepius Memorial Hospital, let's hope most of the Medical Supplies are still inside and usable." Seline said quietly, the Building had always intimidated her, it looked more like a haunted tourest attraction than a Hospital. She would never think twice about going in alone, she didn't even like the idea of going in with a Group of her Friends, but necessity outweighed fear for the moment.
"Alright let's head inside, Everybody stay close and don't get lost." James ordered as he raised his Thomson to clear the lobby, Vicki followed his example as they waited for Iota to take the lead. The inside of the Hospital was in even worse condition than the outside, more bullet holes decorated the walls as patches of dried blood spattered different patterns alongside them. The smell of ash and burnt meat was heavy in the air from the fire that had broken out on the upper floors long ago. The Group knew what the smell meant but they chose not to dwell on it, It was safe to say that whatever had happened in the Building was gruesome to say the least. Dozens of Skeletons lay in various positions around the room, stripped of clothing and anything valuable. Iota noticed Seline's somber look as she gazed to a nearby corner of the room. The Female Protector walked over to see what the Girl was looking at, when she stood beside her she realized what had caught her attention. Sitting in the Corner was a mummified Corpse with long silver hair, it was cuddling a smaller Corpse in it's lap. Iota looked at Seline whos eyes had become watery, she bit her lip as she let out a short breath.
"I've been in this Hospital three times... and It's horrible every. Single. Time." The young Woman said as she wiped her eyes. Iota tilted her head and put her hand on the Girl's shoulder to offer what little comfort she could, The Protector didn't know what the Girl was going through. Protectors didn't feel sympathy for the Dead, not Strangers at least, the most they could do was question why it had happened, and channel their anger towards those that caused it. Seline, Vicki, and James watched quietly as Iota walked over to the two Corpses, she knelt down and they could see light flashing on the wall in front of her. When she turned and rejoined Seline they could see she had placed a fireball in the lap of the smaller Corpse, they watched as the flames quickly turned the two deceased Denizens to ash. It wasn't much but a Protector's burial was all she could do for the Victims.
"How Noble of you." Vicki said sarcastically as she began rumaging through the old reception desk in the middle of the room. Seline turned to Iota as she looked to the ground.
"Thank you..." Her voice was quiet and laced with sorrow, it may not be much but as far as Funerals went in Rapture it was Certainly better than most got. Iota simply nodded before walking over to the others
"C'mon Seline lets keep looking." James said quietly, shaking the Girl from her thoughts. Seline nodded and quickly jogged to catch up with everyone. The Cafateria was on the first floor so they would search that first, followed by the Medical Supplies on the upper levels. Each Member of their Group spread out through the Hospital's dining area and Kitchen to gather cans of preserved Meat, vegitables, and snack foods. Iota squeeled happily everytime she found anything edible causing everyone but Vicki to chuckle. When they finished their hunt they were surprised at how much food they had actually found, two large duffel bags full was enough to keep everyone fed for weeks! Iota decided to carry the Bags since they were almost too heavy for her Human Teamates As the Group exited the Cafeteria they made their acent up the stairs, they could hear the Building creak and moan, they continued past the second floor which overlooked the lobby and stopped on the third floor. They began their trek through the third floor passing several more Corpses and makeshift Barricades throughout the dark Hallways, Seline had to lead them to the most promising place to find what they needed.
"The Supply Cabinets are on this floor but they're locked up tight, that's why-" The group heard loud cracking and saw a large hole open in the floor to swallow the young Woman, they heard her scream as she dissapeared. A flash of black passed Vicki and James before they could even react to the situation. They heard a screech and saw Iota dive, sliding on her stomach next to the hole as Seline dropped, Iota dug her diving knife into the floor behind her as her right arm shot into the darkness below. Everything happened so fast the only thing James or Vicki could do was let their hearts skip a beat, when they snapped out of their shock they quickly ran over to the Big Sister who had begun pulling their Friend back out of the large hole that had taken her. Iota pulled the smaller Human up with one arm, her gloved hand locked securely around the Girl's wrist. Seline's eyes were wide with shock as Iota pulled her back to safety, when she was safely back on the floor she clutched her Savior's chest as she panted.
"Jesus Christ Seline! We thought we lost you!" Vicki yelled as she crouched next to the two Girls. Everyone gave a huge sigh of relief when their adrenaline let them breathe again.
"Great job Iota, I don't know what we would've done without you." James said shakily as he took a few deep breathes.
"Iota... Thank you!" Vicki said sincerily as she watched the Protector through tear stung eyes. Iota gently wiped dust and dirt from Seline's head and face as she held the shaking Girl. Seline simply nodded vigorously still at a loss for words. Her Savior simply nodded and gave a small happy screech relieved that she had made it in time.
. . .
"and from the amount of Electricity flowing through the wires they were all but fried from the start! I never even knew until I saw the break in the casing!" Danny laughed as he gathered more circuit boards, and components from the storage closet. Omege sighed, the Man hadn't shut up since they left the Hotel and he was ready to rip his tongue out. He was hoping some Splicers would start shooting at them so he could at least vent his frustration.
"Danny, you do know that Omega has no clue as to what your talking about right? Neither do I for that matter." Mark said as he exited the cafateria dropping an arm full of canned food into his duffle bag.
"Yes, well, He is an excelant conversationalist, unlike Joe!" Danny remarked as he laughed again.
"That's because Joe would've told you to shut the Hell up by now, Omega can't." Mark replied, stuffing more preserved fish and fruit into the available parts of his bag. Omega was glad that Mark could tell the annoying Man to be quiet, he was almost at his limit. He had no idea searching Fontaine Futuristics could be so mentally demanding. Fontaine Futuristics had heavy security so it was the best place to get replacement parts and turrets for the Base, after the Group's armored Escort had destroyed the remaining active turrets it was only a matter of gathering the parts. Since Omega knew nothing about electrical components of mechanics he gathered the surplus of Ammunition from the now destroyed Turrets and an old Ammo Bandito Vending Machine that no longer had power, when Omega ripped the front of the machine open he was pleasantly surprised to find it full of various kinds of Ammo.
Out of nowhere the Group heard a loud bang, causing Danny to almost jump out of his lab coat, Omega started growling loudly causing the other two Men to look his way. They could see a smoking hole in his arm as blood began dripping from his fingers. When they looked to the door they could see five Splicers standing there in shock. Omega stood up and pushed Danny with his right arm, the force sent the smaller Man sliding ten feet into cover behind an old Circus of Values Vending Machine at the other end of the room. Omega cracked his neck to the side thankful that someone was finally shooting at him again. Mark took cover behind an old battle torn Pillar as he raised his Thomson at the frozen Splicers. The Men finally came to their insane senses and raised their weapons, the loud howling screech Omega let loose caused all other Occupants to cover their ears. Two Splicers ran and hid behind a large counter at the front of the room as the other three charged the Protector with their Melee weapons. Mark began firing his submachine gun at the two Splicers that had ranged weapons, he wanted to pin them down so Omega wouldn't have to worry about incoming fire as he dealt with the close range enemies. The first Splicer to reach Omega was wielding an old scratched up Baseball Bat that was likely his main choice of weapon judging from the amount of caked blood and scars it held. Omega let out a screechingly sinister laugh as he caught the bat in his left hand and ripped it from the Man's grasp, a follow up front kick sent his attacker into a concrete Pillar with a loud crunch turning the Man's insides into liquids. Omega fliped the Bat around and smashed it into his second Victim's head. The force of the swing shattered the Bat sending wood chips through the air with a booming crack, the Splicer behind her was now covered in blood and bits of Brain as he stared at the Demon before him. Omega wore a Predatory smile underneath his Helm as he snatched the man up by his throat.
Mark managed to distract the two Splicers from shooting at Omega, but now they were shooting at him. Mark heard the sound of hissing and metal rolling on tile, when he looked at his feet he was horrified. One of the Splicers had thrown a Grenade at him, without thinking Mark kicked the Explosive. Omega watched sparks and smoke fly behind the Counter where the Splicers were hiding, followed by a loud explosion and screams. He watched with intrigue as Mark darted out from behind his Cover towards the Enemy. When the raven haired young Man reached their Cover he jumped over the Counter using his hand as support, as soon as he touched the ground he pointed his Gun down and opened fire. Omega grinned until he felt a sharp pain in his chest, he looked down to see a boil covered hand holding a knife. The blade was deep, the Splicer had managed to hit an unprotected spot in his armor between his thick chest piece and heavy shoulder pauldrons. The Protector growled loudly as he slowly looked up and his Prey. Mark looked up just in time to see Omega squeeze the Man's wrist with enough force to break it, a loud crunch could be heard as the Splicer started screaming in pain. Danny, who had been watching the events play out, gasped when Omega yanked the Man's arm downward with enough force to rip it off. The loud sound of tearing meat, tendon, and bone was enough to make the young Scientist throw up on the ground next to him. Mark watched the Splicer continue to scream until Omega crushed his neck with his right hand. Mark made his way to the Protector as he dropped the Splicer's arm and Corpse, he then turned to the young Man as he dug the knife from his chest with a growl.
"You are one tough Bastard you know that?" Mark chuckled darkly, he had seen Omega's destructive power once before and it still amazed him. Omega gave a short, deep screech as he lightly punched Mark in the shoulder causing him to take a step back. He pointed to the Counter where Mark had killed the other two Splicers and balled his hand into a fist nodding his approval of the Human's Combat effectiveness. He underestimated the Lean young Man's skill, the Splicers would have died painfully either way but he was glad Mark killed them. Mark proved that he could fight and that he could keep a level head in battle, Danny on the other hand was not deserving of such praise. Omega had heard the sound of his lunch hitting the floor, the Male Protector looked over at the Man as he peeked out from behind the old Vending Machine. Omega simply shook his head in dissaproval before picking up his two full duffle bags of Ammo.
"What's wrong Danny, you were so talkative earlier!" Mark grinned as he watched Danny come out from his hiding place.
"Yes, well, that was before I saw Omega kill two People and rip the third's arm off, oh yes, and snap his neck with one hand." Danny replied still shaken from the scene he had witnessed.
"You signed up for this Man, and they're not People... Not anymore, they're nothing more than Monsters now." Mark said unsympathetically as he kicked one of Omega's mangled Victims. Danny gathered his duffle bag full of parts as Mark stripped the dead Splicers of their ammo, once they were finished the Group headed back to the Athena's Glory Hotel for some much needed rest.
"Doc, James, We're all done on our end. I hope you had better luck with food than we did but we have plenty of Ammo now. Over." Mark said over his Radio, and awaited a response from his Allies.
"Good to hear, We just got a ton of Medical Supplies thanks to Iota's unGodly super strength, and don't worry, We have enough Food to last us a while now! Over. They could hear James on the other end of the Radio.
"Everything is fine here as well, Joe is up und walking around. I trust the six of you did not run into too much trouble? Over." Tenenbaum chimed in on the line.
"Just some... architectural problems, we'll tell you more about it when we get back. Over" James responded. Making Mark chuckle, that was all they had to deal with?
"We had some... uninvited Guests, but we handled them. Over." Mark said waiting for James to ask the inevitable.
"We haven't seen shit in terms of Splicers, you guys alright? Over." James asked.
"WE'RE fine, but They won't be walking it off anytime soon... or ever. Over." Mark answered with a smile.
"Good to hear, we're almost back to the base now so you Guys hurry up and get your asses Home. We'll be waiting. Over." James stated.
Mark smiled as the three Men continued walking back toward the Base.
. . .
When Iota's Group reached the Hotel and saw Sigma still sitting in the same spot they breathed a sigh of relief. Iota's shoulders were starting to ache from carrying two duffle bags worth of canned food. As the Group passed Sigma Iota stopped and looked back down at the Protector's back, she wanted to thank him for keeping the Hotel Safe while they were gone but how? The young Protector walked back down the stairs and stood in front of him, Sigma leaned up to look at her, wondering what she was doing. Iota dug a large Can from the duffle bag on her right shoulder and shook it next to her head, listening closely. She repeated the action two more times before giving a high pitched screech and handing the Can of Mystery food to Sigma, He looked at the Can and back to her before taking it, he gave a deep groaning bellow as thanks. Iota chirped as she started climbing the stairs again. Sigma stared at the Can for a few seconds before prying the lid off, inside the Can were large, golden slices of perfectly preserved Peaches.
Inside the Base the Group met with Tenenbaum to show her everything they had collected. As James finished briefing Tenenbaum and the now walking Joe on their Mission, Iota was partially listening, partially looking down the hallway eagerly for her Partner to return. She was beginning to get worried, her team had traveled further than his so why wasn't he there yet? Her worries were put to ease when she heard Mark and Danny talking as they exited the stairwell at the end of the hall, the two young men turned the corner past the elevator into view but Omega was no where in sight. Iota briskly walked over to the men and looked at both of them before giving a worried screech, Mark imediately knew what she was asking just from the tone of the noise. "Don't worry Iota he's just getting Sigma some more ammo, he'll be up in a minute." Mark said giving her a smile. She continued standing in the middle of the hallway as the two men passed her to meet Tenenbaum, James, and Joe to show them the goodies they had collected. After another few minutes Omega turned the corner carrying two large duffle bags that were clearly very heavy. Iota jogged up to him and gave the Protector a quick hug before taking one of the duffle bags to ease his burden, Omega made a low screeching noise as thanks. She was glad to have him back, that was the most time they had spent apart since the start of their journey nearly two months ago, she didn't like not being by his side. They looked out for each other the way only Protectors can, and they carried each others burdens the way only Protectors do.
"Good, now that we have supplies again, it's time to count and organize everything you collected!" Joe laughed as he rubbed the wound on his leg.
Both Protectors sighed, they were starting to regret the sheer amount of supplies they had gathered.
A/N: Don't forget to let me know what you think in a Review! :D