No Respite
As the four Siblings made their way through the new district trying to find their missing Allies, they noticed that the number of Splicers they encountered had risen drastically. When they traveled before they would always come across a few small groups of the insane denizens, but now, they could hardly cross a street or turn a corner before being fired upon or charged at. Anna stayed extremely close to Lizzy for her protection while Iota and Omega did most of the fighting, she only managed to kill a few Attackers as they emerged through windows or appeared from alleyways unexpectedly. They did what the Lunatics always seemed to do and emerged from every nook and cranny they could, it reminded Anna of Rats. Her Brother and Sister were doing their best to draw the Splicers attention but there were so many of them it was hard to keep all of them focused on them. It didn't bother Anna though, she was actually glad she was able to kill at least a few of them, otherwise she would just be bored, not to mention she had the most important job of all, protecting Lizzy. The four Protectors stood in the middle of the large street, Omega and Iota finishing off the last surviving Enemies they had come across while Anna scanned their surroundings from the sidewalk with Lizzy in the cage on her back. This District was no different from the others in the dying City, it was dirty, war torn, and had the scents of death, salt water, and mildew about it. As Anna scanned the large area her eyes instinctively swept across the boarded up shop windows and alleyways. She scanned the cobweb infested rooftops as well, making sure no one was watching them, waiting for them to become lax in their duties. The young Sister soon realized that no other threats were present, her Brother and Sister had taken care of that, her eyes and mind soon began to wander. She liked trying to picture the shining golden halls from her Little Sister mental conditioning, sometimes, when she focused really hard, she could see the bright lights, sparkling doors, and white carpets. It would never last long, but it was nice to see again. The dying groan from a Splicer knocked Anna's mind back on track however, Iota had stabbed a wounded Man in the chest causing him to moan in agony as his last breath abandoned him, Anna's day dreaming would have to wait.
"We've seen more and more of them lately. Lizz, how many does that make now?" Anna asked over her shoulder where Lizzy was riding in her suits carrying basket. Lizzy was the only one among them that could count higher than ten thanks to Tenenbaum and Grace's efforts, she was the only one among them that could actually read too... mostly.
The small girl wore a look of concentration as she scrunched her brow to think, using her fingers to help add up the number of tally marks she had drawn on Anna's back armor in chalk.
"um, there were five when we came through the tunnel, then six in front of the big window, and another nine when we passed the store buildings." Lizzy peaked over Anna's shoulder to get a better look at the fresh Corpses at her Brother and Sister's feet, plus the one behind Anna that she had dealt with. She couldn't quite make out how many bodies there were because they were laying on top of each other.
"Big Brother, Big Sister! How many Monsters are laying there?!" The young girl shouted as she pointed to the pile of Splicers at their feet, both Protectors looked down and started kicking them apart to get a better count. Iota held up four fingers and Lizzy drew four tally lines on Anna's armor.
"Plus four, Big Brother, how many did you count?!" She shouted, Omega kept looking down and around his feet in what seemed to be confusion. He reached down and picked up a severed arm that was covered in boils and held it up questioningly so Lizzy could see it.
"No we aren't counting pieces, just the Monsters themselves!" Omega looked down again, then back to Lizzy, then down again. He bent over once more and this time held up a Splicer that had been cut in half at the waist, he held the ankle of it's lower half in his left hand as it's intestines dangled to the floor, the top half he held by the arm because it's head was also missing. Lizzy sighed as she smacked her forehead with her tiny palm, she knew it wasn't her Brother's fault for not knowing how to count the pieces of them.
"The heads Brother, count the number of heads only." Anna said as the idea popped into her brain, no matter how badly they ripped them apart each Splicer still only had one head... unless he had crushed it... which was completely possible. Omega looked down and around him once more and then held up eight fingers in response.
"Lizz, what number is that called again?" Anna asked her youngest Sister.
"Um, five, plus three... eight! That's eight." Lizzy answered, only having to think for a few seconds. With her Brother's count now added she went to work drawing more tally marks and counting them.
"Thirty two, no! Thirty three!" She told them, Iota and Omega looked to each other for a few moments and then scanned the area around them. They couldn't say what they were thinking but Anna could tell by their body language something was wrong, like there was an unusual number of Splicers around even if they were closer to Minerva's Den. Not to mention the fact that they didn't know which way their Allies and Friends had gone, they had been following a trail of smoked cigar butts left by Joe but the trail ended a while ago, they were going off of scent alone now and with all of the Splicer activity in the area it made it difficult to track their Friends. Omega had been asleep for a long time, added with the time it took him to fully heal and the time it took them to make it this far... their Allies could be anywhere, or in any condition.
Iota and Omega made their way back to Anna and Lizzy, stepping over the fresh Corpses they had created, blood still wet up to their suit's elbows and knees, crimson splatters decorating the rest of their armor.
"What now? Which way could they have gone?" Anna asked as Iota wiped some blood from her helmet's porthole, Omega gave a last glance around to the different streets and tunnels and shrugged unknowingly. All they had to go on were Joe's cigar butts, when the butts ended, they followed the scent of their thick smoke that always clung to him, but now, they were simply too far away from them to follow the scent. So many new scents had mixed in for them to effectively track him, the smell of fresh and old blood, the scent of gunpowder from their attackers, smoke from still burning fire barrels, smoke from still burning Splicer bodies. They could only guess at what direction they had gone now, and so far they had a lot of options to pick from. Omega continued looking around the area, trying to pick up just one of their Friend's scents, any of their scents. Anna let Lizzy down but held onto her hand for safety while Iota dug around in the girl's backpack for something, she had taken it off in Anna's carrying cage because it was far too heavy now from all of the canned food and water they had scavenged, the added weight barely even noticed by Anna.
Iota retrieved an arm full of canned foods and fresh water giving a quick screech to Anna, her younger Sister only nodding in agreement.
"Yeah, food sounds good right now, and Lizz is probably hungry too." She acknowledged, Anna picked Lizzy back up jumped onto a store buildings roof so they could all eat in peace, Lizzy giving an excited squeal as they flew upward. Iota looked to her Mate who was still searching the area and gave him a chirping screech as well, earning a nod before he made his way back toward them. In a plume of red smoke and rose pedals Iota disappeared and reappeared on top of the derelict store building her younger Sisters had chosen as their lunch spot. Omega was making his way back to his Family when something made him stop in the middle of the street, a feeling, something... off. It felt like the air had changed, his instincts were telling him something wasn't right but what was it?
He stood in the street for a moment looking down one direction, he saw nothing, he turned his head and scanned down the other direction, again he saw nothing, he looked down at the ground beneath his feet and squinted his glowing eyes as he thought. The Brother removed his heavy helmet and again scanned the street, hoping that he could detect something without his senses being somewhat dulled by his headgear, but nothing was different. He looked down again, knelt to one knee and placed his palm to the concrete below. That's when he remembered what this feeling was, it was the same one he, Iota, and Lizzy had felt when they went on their walk before the Hotel's fall. Omega's eyes narrowed, NeoSplicers where close, he quickly scanned the alleyways and blackened windows of the shops around but found nothing. His concentration turned again to the concrete bellow him, he got down on his knees and put his ear to the pavement, and he heard it. The chorus of a thousand gnashing teeth, hundreds of sharp claws as they clicked on the concrete surfaces of the sewers beneath them.
As soon as he heard the sounds bellow his muscles tensed, Iota sensed something wasn't right through their bond and teleported down beside him, her helmet off with a look of speculation. She too got onto her knees and put her ear to the damp floor beside him, staring into her Mate's eyes as her own widened in realization of what was just below them all. She immediately looked up at the various lights that illuminated the district, no flickering or electrical problems, she wondered how long the Vermin had been beneath them and they didn't even know it. Omega stood first tucking his helmet beneath his arm, there was nothing they could do about the Enemies below, they didn't pose a threat as long as the lights were on and so far there were no signs that they would go out anytime soon. His mind flashed back to the audio recording they had listened to in the old apartment room, as long as no one turned off the power they would be okay, and as far as he knew, no one even knew they were in the district, or even alive for that matter. Reed Wahl certainly didn't or they would be swarmed by enemies, the Three Protectors had taken great care to avoid security cameras, they also silenced any and all Splicers they came across. They couldn't risk one of them escaping to tell Reed Wahl his three biggest problems were still around... and they were coming for him.
Omega stood up first, his Mate joining him after giving a short growl to the sounds beneath their feet, their search was a race against time anyway, the added pressure from NeoSplicers under their feet only pushed them to try harder. After giving one last look around the desolate streets the two Protectors joined their younger Siblings on the roof of the long abandoned shop, riddled with bullet holes and dust.
The rooftop was like most in Rapture, dirty, dark, cramped, it was the perfect safe spot for a break. It provided seclusion from the streets and made for an excellent observation point, as did most high places. Two mummified Corpses lay in the Sibling's presence, their bodies slumped next to the edge of the building surrounded by empty bullet casings, their rusted weapons still with them, dirty clothes now rotting and sticking to their tight brown skin. Death was a constant in the rotting City, ever present, the four Siblings regarded the Corpses much like they would a street lamp on the side of the road. Anna sat with her air tank and cage against an air conditioning duct, prying cans of preserved food open with her large diving knife, Lizzy helping with the cans that had tabs on the top, careful not to cut herself like Anna had taught her so long ago.
"Did you find any leads, a scent at least?" Anna asked, presuming Iota had went back down to the street because Omega had found something. The two older Siblings looked at each other and then shook their heads at her, Anna giving a small sigh of disappointment.
"Oh..." She said sadly, she knew the chances of finding them were slim, the chances of finding them alive even slimmer, but she had to try. She needed to apologize for how she acted when her sanity was shaken, braking in the same way a pipe did when it was put under too much pressure, the sorrow like water bursting out of the seems and cracks. She had been terrible to them, heartless, that wasn't the Anna she was, it wasn't the Anna she wanted to be to them, they were like Family to her.
"Don't worry Anna, I'm sure we'll find them!" Lizzy said enthusiastically as she carefully pulled another lid from a can.
"Oh yeah?" Anna asked with a small smile, Lizzy was obviously trying to comfort her, Anna would at least let her think she did.
"Yeah! I mean, Big Brother and I found you and Big Sister again!" Lizzy smiled, just happy to be reunited with her Family once more. Anna gave a small smile and patted Lizzy's head gently, she was right about that, if she and Omega could survive possibly the most dangerous part of Rapture, then maybe with Sigma's help... their Friends were still alive.
Iota retrieved some of the large food cans her younger Sisters had opened and handed them to Omega who had perched himself atop a steel rafter a few feet above them so he could keep an eye on the streets below, even during their breaks he made sure to watch over them, it made Iota's heart fill with joy when he did so. They were on the front of his mind at every waking moment and she loved that about him. The Brother accepted her offering with a nod of thanks before quickly turning his attention back to the streets. He had chosen that particular spot because it was dark, his black armor and suit blended in so well it would be nearly impossible for any Enemies to see him from below, unless they noticed the two glowing eyes in the darkness, watching them with a piercing intent to kill.
Once Iota had made sure her Mate was taken care of she sat down and began opening her own food cans, both she and Omega scooping out their contents and shoveling them into their mouths with determination, ignoring the blood on their gloves. Anna watched them both as she used her knife to scoop out food like a makeshift spoon or fork, her two older Siblings both had looks of determination about them, she was sure if Lizzy wasn't with them they wouldn't have even stopped to eat. When they finished their food Iota jumped up above them to sit beside her Mate, waiting for Lizzy and Anna to finish eating, their Brother and Sister always finished eating first but never rushed the two of them. They knew nourishment was important for a growing little girl and equally growing Protector.
When Iota landed on the rafter above she flipped around to let her legs dangle as she balanced on it as Omega was, she gave him a sweet smile and shuffled closer until their shoulders were touching. Omega offered her his and she happily accepted it, lacing her fingers with his and laying her head on his shoulder, content to sit there with him and watch the empty streets below.
Lizzy looked up at her Siblings and smiled, giving a small giggle causing Anna to raise an eyebrow at what the small girl was thinking, When Lizzy noticed Anna's curious stare she giggled again.
"What's so funny?" Anna asked.
"I like it when Big Brother and Big Sister are happy! Being in the tunnels..." Lizzy's voice trailed off as she went silent, her eyes fixed somewhere far away as her face grew pained. Anna put her hand on her Sister's shoulder and smiled gently, it was enough to shake her out of her thoughts, Lizzy jumped a little bit and swallowed the food she had been chewing.
"I'm glad we're together again." Lizzy said quietly, Anna giving her another soft smile before wiping her messy mouth off.
"Well don't worry Lizz, we'll always be together, no matter what." She assured her Sister, Lizzy looked up at her with pleading eyes.
"Promise?" She asked, her voice trembling slightly.
"I promise, we'll always be here for you, and we'll always protect you. What you went through in the tunnels with Brother... We all love you just as much, I would've done the same thing if I were in his position. Iota definitely would have too." She told her seriously, Lizzy looked down toward the ground, her mind wondering again. A long silence filled the air, Lizzy pulled her knees up to her chest to hug them and even Iota and Omega had started listening in on their conversation now. After a few more moments of silence, Lizzy spoke again.
"I was scared..." She said in a whisper.
"It's okay to be scared Lizz." Anna replied to her as she rubbed her back in a slow circle. Lissy gave a pained smile as she recalled the traumatic events, her eyes began watering until tears slid down her cheeks, she sniffled and gave a small chuckle.
"Big Brother wasn't scared though! He's never scared!" Lizzy said with a sad smile as she wiped her tears from her eyes. Anna glanced up at her Brother who was watching Lizzy carefully, his Protector instincts focusing on her crying as Iota and Anna's were.
"He wasn't even scared when we found Danny!" Lizzy said as she let it all out, weeping at the memory of how badly he had been hurt, the sight of his broken, dying body. Anna's eyes went wide with shock, she didn't know about that, she looked up at Omega questioningly and all he did was nod toward Lizzy. Anna looked back at her, intensely focused on her story now more than ever.
"And what happened when you found Danny?" Anna asked gently, her voice hiding the horror in her mind.
"He... He was hurt bad... He looked like Big Brother did when we found you..." She said as she continued to cry, Anna's stomach sank, she hadn't even known he was in the sewers, she thought he was still with their Friends.
"What happened next Lizzy" Anna asked, this time her voice betraying her, clearly showing her shock and horror. Lizzy shook her head as she closed her eyes hard.
"I don't know! Danny told us how to get out of the tunnels but Big Brother made me shut my eyes, Danny said Big Brother was gonna help him feel better..." She continued, Anna's mind racing as she said so. She looked up to her Brother and immediately knew what she was talking about, Omega's face was stoic as always, he simply held up his harvester and then pointed to his heart. The young Protector's face saddened as she remembered how cruel she had been to him the last time she spoke to him... it was the last time she had spoken to him... the last time she would ever speak to him...
"When I opened my eyes again... he looked happy... then Big Brother buried him with fire and we ran..." Lizzy cried, Anna pulling her onto her lap and hugging her closely.
"shhhh, it's okay Lizz, you don't have to say anymore, everything's okay now." Anna said gently, she was saddened that all of that had happened, but she was happy her Brother had given Danny some comfort in his last moments, his very presence must've made him feel like everything would be okay, if not for him, then for his Friends. That's how Omega made her feel at least, he had given Danny a quick death, eased his pain, she looked up into her Brother's glowing eyes and silently mouthed a thank you. Omega simply closed his eyes and nodded, he was glad Anna was so understanding, she saw things from a Protectors perspective now. He didn't know how their Human Allies would react to the realization that he had been the last one to see Danny alive, and kill him.
After giving Lizzy some time to calm down the Protectors got ready to move again, Lizzy sitting on her blanket in Anna's cage basket, her red backpack next to her. Just as they were about to jump down to the streets to continue their search they felt a rumbling in the ground, the vibrations of a distant explosion, a very large explosion. Omega, Anna, and Iota quickly put their helmets on and locked them into place when they saw the lights in the district flicker, they held their breath, waiting for the darkness to envelop them completely... but it never did.
Once the lights stabilized everyone let out a sigh of relief and quickly realized the explosion must have been due to their Allies, Anna wanted more than anything to use her helmet's radio to call out to her friends, ask them where they were and if they were okay, but she knew if she did that then Reed Wahl could just as easily pick up the transmission and use the Thinker to form another plan to kill them. They needed the element of surprise, they needed everyone to believe they were dead, it was the only way they might be able to keep Lizzy safe and save their Friends.
Once they reached the street again Omega and Iota removed their helmets and began smelling the air, trying to pick up a scent of fresh smoke or the sounds of battle. They could hear the sounds of gunfire when they focused but it was far off, at this distance they couldn't accurately tell where it was coming from, the sound was probably echoing off of the tunnels and windows of Rapture in all directions. Iota pointed to a tunnel down the street and looked to her Mate questioningly, Omega nodded and the three Protectors began running, trying to find the source of the battle taking place.
"Lizz, hold on tight!" Anna warned her Sister as they took off at full speed, Lizzy grabbing onto the steel bars of the carrying cage.
"Okay Anna!" She replied as she bounced up and down in the cage on her Sister's back.
. . .
"This dusty old room needs more light." Saline said with a smile, she pulled the curtains open with a swift tug to let the light in and look at the street in front of the building.
Mark heard her give a sharp gasp as he looked up at her...
A hail of gunfire tore through the window and time slowed down for him as Mark watched his Lover fall. He didn't even realize he was screaming until he himself had been shot.
Downstairs the surprise attack had also come as a shock, bullets tore through the Bar's blinds, Sigma had been scanning the street beyond, but the gunfire wasn't coming from the street, it was coming from the boarded up windows of adjacent buildings and shops, he may have been a Protector, but he didn't have the senses of a Gen II Protector. He couldn't smell the Splicers coming, couldn't hear their footsteps in the derelict buildings across the street, or see into the darkness to detect movement. As soon as the bullets began flying however, he acted as a Protector should, he flipped a nearby table in front of the window directly facing his Teammates, shielding them from more damage, he then turned and returned fire with his Gatling gun.
Vicki was screaming uncontrollably as Joe picked her up and threw her over the bar for cover, he gave one quick glance to his younger Brother, his head laying flat on the bar itself, a pool of blood slowly oozing out as his eyes stilled. Joe gritted his teeth and tore himself away from the view and took shelter behind the thick wall of cover the old bar provided. The incoming fire soon stopped, likely the enemy was reloading, Vicki jumped up and attempted to pull James' body over to her before Joe wrapped his bleeding arm around her waist to pull her back down.
"James! James! Hold on Baby! We'll get you! We'll get to you! Hold on!" She screamed as tears ran down her face, Joe was doing everything in his power to keep her down behind cover, knowing full well what would happen if she was caught in the open during the attack.
"Dammit Vicki it's not over yet!" Joe yelled, pulling her back down just before another volley of bullets launched through the windows and table Sigma had put up. Joe knew the pause meant their Enemies had just reloaded, the loud impact of new bullets could be heard all around them, impacting the floorboards, walls, and his Brother's body that still sat on the bar stool slumped onto the bar itself. The bullets impacted the wall in front of them, shattering the various alcoholic bottles that were on the shelves, the exploding containers showering the three Survivors in glass, whiskey, brandy, or gin. It was hard to get a bearing on the situation, every time Joe tried to think of a plan, the gunfire distracted him, but he had to act fast or none of them would get out of there alive. He could hear screaming coming from upstairs, Mark's screaming, more dark thoughts flew through Joe's mind as he held onto Vicki to keep her down behind cover.
"Brigid!" Joe yelled over the roar of incoming fire, Tenenbaum was covering her ears and eyes, revolver still clutched in her hand.
"Brigid!" He yelled again trying to get her attention as he struggled to hold onto Vicki as she thrashed around in horror.
"What!?" She answered above the gunfire.
"They'll pause to reload again, that's when their charge will start, they'll hit us fast and close! I need you to get to Mark and Seline, make sure they're okay and bring them back down here!" Joe yelled, Tenenbaum looked at him in a confused, worried manner.
"How do you know they'll charge?! How do I get to th-" Tenenbaum was cut off as the Splicer's reload time came, a brief respite from the sea of bullets assaulting them.
"Go now!" Joe yelled as he let go of Vicki and stood up to fire his Shotgun into a Wrench wielding Splicer running toward the front window. The slug hit her in the chest collapsing her instantly, her insane cries muffled as she rolled onto the hard ground. In her frantic state Vicki reached over the counter and grabbed James' bloody form, dragging him over the barrier to the dirty floor with her.
Tenenbaum darted up the bullet ridden stairs as fast as she could, she hoped Mark and Seline were alright, she could hear Mark screaming and prepared for the worst. When she reached the top of the stairs she ducked low and opened the door on the left side of the hallway, bullets were still entering the room showering the place in wood chips and dust. Mark was holding Seline on the other side of the room behind an old mahogany dresser as he kept pressure on her bleeding wounds, when he saw the door open he yelled.
"Doc! Doc you gotta do something! Seline's hurt!" He yelled frantically.
"Don't worry Mark, I'll help her, but we have to get you out of there first!" She yelled in response over the bullets that separated the door from them.
"When they reload again, we'll come to you!" Mark yelled as more bullets buzzed by them to impact the bed and wall causing more wood chippings and bed cloth to fly into the already dusty air. Mark waited for his chance, once the bullets stopped he pulled Seline toward the door, dragging her using her armpits for grip. As soon as they reached the door to the Hallway more bullets sprayed the room, Tenenbaum closed the door behind them as Mark laid Seline flat on her back, the older Woman grimaced when she saw the state Seline was in. Her eyes were shut but had fragments of glass sticking out of them, a bullet wound in her stomach and leg that Mark had already bandaged using an old bed sheet, and her right arm was completely gone from the elbow down, Mark had tied his belt around her bicep to act as a tourniquet but she was still slowly bleeding to death.
"Pleas Doc, Help her!" Mark shouted frantically, she had never seen him so shaken before, it almost scared her, but it didn't take long for the Doctor to jump into action at his pleas.
"Hold pressure on her arm, as tight as you can, I'll get more bandages!" She ordered him, Mark followed her instructions to the letter, not questioning her even once, he knew she was his best chance at saving Seline's life. Tenenbaum darted off to another room but quickly returned with strips of sheeting she had ripped from other beds, she used them to bandage Seline's arm and carefully began removing the glass shards from the poor girl's eyes, she was thankful that she wasn't awake for any of this, otherwise she might go into shock and bleed out. After Tenenbaum had removed the glass from Seline's eyes she carefully bandaged her head up.
"Is she going to be alright Doc?! Will she be okay?!" Mark asked desperately searching for hope, the older Woman looked at him and sighed.
"I don't know Mark, we have to get her out of here and somewhere I can actually work on her." Tenenbaum responded causing Mark to grit his teeth in anger.
"God Damn fucking Splicers!" He yelled as he punched the wall in front of him.
"You're bleeding as well!" Tenenbaum said as she noticed the bullet wound in his shoulder.
"I'm fine, worry about Seline!" Mark said as he looked to his arm.
"Nonsense, I won't have you bleeding out, we need your help, Seline needs your help!" She stated as she began wrapping a makeshift bandage around his shoulder. Mark sighed and nodded, for all his anger, he knew she was right, the old crone was always right.
Vicki sat with her back to the wall, clutching James in her arms, holding his limp body for dear life, weeping uncontrollably. Her World had just ended, all she could do was hold him as the Splicers came in. Joe was not so easy to break, he focused on the Splicers rather than his fallen Brother, he would deal with that later, but he still had Friends to keep safe, still had Sigma trying to do the same by the door, he had to form a plan and soon, but the Splicers were making it hard with their attacks. He fired three more times into charging Splicers, killing two of them, the third dove onto Joe from over the bar knocking him onto his back. The large bearded Man fought with the knife wielding Splicer, holding the insane Man's weapon barely at bay, the Splicer's gene tonics were clearly in play, his strength matched Joe's even though he was smaller. The two of them growled at each other until Joe heard a lone gunshot, the Splicer's head tearing open in a cloud of red mist as warm blood impacted Joe's face. He threw the Man's corpse off of him and looked to his left expecting to see Vicki holding the gun, instead he saw James, blood leaking from his mouth onto Vicki's lap, a look of dying determination on his face. Joe had no time to rest, he heard more screaming Splicers and jumped back to his feet with his Shotgun.
"You still with us little Brother?!" Joe yelled as he fired on more invading Splicers.
"Ba-Barely!" James wheezed out over the sound of gunfire.
"You're gonna be okay James, You'll be alright!" Vicki chimed in as she held onto him.
"How bad is it?" Joe said loudly as he ducked back down to reload his weapon, he looked to James' bloody form as he shook his head.
"N-Not good!" James wheezed, he was out of breath, the wounds he had sustained were taking their toll.
"Don't worry, I'll think of some-" Joe was cut off as a large explostion tore through the building causing his ears to ring, the Splicers were using grenades now. Joe peeked over the counter to see Sigma still next to the door, bullets pinging off of his armor with sparks in tow, firing his weapon through the now non-existing door. Tenenbaum came rushing down the stairs as the next break in fire came, Mark followed behind her carrying Seline in his arms, they took cover behind the bar with them and Joe realized just how bad things were when he saw their wounds. Mark had been shot in the shoulder, Tenenbaum had bandaged it up but he could see the red stain of blood coming through, Seline was what really worried him. The poor girl was unconscious, her head had been bandaged covering her eyes, her stomach and left leg had also been treated by the old Doctor, her right arm now ended at the elbow, ripped clean off by the gunfire they had encountered. Tenenbaum had done her best to stop the bleeding but if they didn't get out of there soon, she would die.
"Fuck." James whispered.
"Seline! Are you okay?! What happened?!" Vicki screamed, Mark answered her.
"Fucking Splicers! Didn't have time to react, didn't even have time to get our weapons!" He growled.
"Can you still fight Mark?" Joe yelled over more gunfire, he was still standing, firing at another wave of Splicers.
"I'm still in the Fight!" Mark yelled as he grabbed Vicki's Thompson from the floor and stood to help Joe cover the attack.
"Fuck You!" The young man yelled at the deformed attackers as his fire ripped through several of the deranged Enemies.
"Tenenbaum! Are there any other exits out of here?!" Joe yelled, she had been treating Seline's wounds when she heard him.
"No! Only a storage Caller beneath us! I found it this morning but there's no way out!" She yelled in response as she covered Seline with her own body to shelter her from more shattering bottles that rained glass down on them.
"It's our only choice, get everyone down there now, we'll cover you!" Mark yelled as he looked toward his dying best friend and wounded Lover. This wasn't how things were supposed to go, Rapture had a way of kicking you when you were down and it only served to enrage Mark more.
"I have a plan..." James said faintly, no one but Vicki heard him at first until she repeated his statement louder.
"James has a plan!" She shouted with desperation in her voice, Joe and Mark ducked back down to reload and looked to James.
"You all get o-out, I'll stay and ho- hold them back." James wheezed, dark blood pouring from his lips onto Vicki.
"Not happening! We're all getting out of here!" Mark yelled at his best friend, Joe remained quiet as he stared at his younger Brother's wounds.
"Just listen to m-me Mark... I'm not going a-anywhere, you need to-" He was cut off by Mark, his angry tone causing Vicki to hold James tighter.
"No you fucking listen to me James! we're all getting ou-"
"Can you do it?..." Joe's deep voice cut through the fighting, everyone looked at him with shock that he would even consider it.
"Yes." James said with certainty.
"Joe you can't seriously be consideri-"
"Shut up." Joe silenced Mark, he knew James better than anyone, so if he wanted to do something Joe trusted him, even if he wouldn't like the outcome.
"What's the plan little Brother?" Joe asked. James nodded and began explaining as best he could.
"This bar used to be a smuggling d-den for Fontaine." James said causing Mark and Joe to look at each other suspiciously.
"The red hand p-print on that poster over there." James pointed to a Rapture ball poster on the staircase, with a red hand print painted on the front.
"That means there's most likely a s-smuggling tunnel in the ce-cellar. Turn on the gas lines... find the cellar... and get yourselves out of here!" James coughed up more crimson blood onto Vicki's lap. Joe gritted his teeth before standing up to fire at more charging Splicers.
"James... We can't just leave you here alone." Mark said, tears stinging his eyes. James looked over to his best friend and gave him a tired smile.
"Omega, Iota, and Anna t-taught me that s-sometimes... you have to sacrifice the g-good of the few for the good of th-the many." Mark choked back his tears as he looked toward the ground in defeat, he knew James wasn't getting out of there, Seline probably wasn't either, but he hated that this is how things had to happen.
"Besides, I w-won't be alone... will I Vicki?" James said as he smiled up at Vicki, her gaunt eyes fixed on his in sorrow and acceptance. Joe ducked back down to look at the two.
"What does that mean? What does he mean Vicki?" Joe asked, finally noticing the dark circles under Vicki's eyes, she simply smiled as she lifted up her shirt to reveal a large bullet wound in her stomach, the blood that had been oozing out of James' mouth and onto her had hidden it before, but not anymore.
"James wasn't the only one hit when the fighting started..." Vicki gave a pained chuckle and smiled at Joe. He felt so stupid, there was reason he shouldn't have known, and the large pool of blood under the two of them was more than one person could make and still survive, they had both been bleeding together this whole time, that's why Vicki hadn't been fighting... she couldn't.
"Why didn't you tell me?!" Joe asked in shock. Vicki shrugged with a weak smile.
"I guess... after what happened to James... maybe I didn't want to escape." Vicki said as she ran her bloody fingers through James' dirty hair. Joe bit his lip and growled as he and Mark stood back up to keep firing at their Enemies before ducking back down. The break in gunfire came but it wasn't what they thought it would be. They heard the voice system on a microphone click to life, followed by the nasally voice of a Splicer.
"Attention Cocksuckers! You have no way out! Send us the Tin Daddy, and the old Bitch and we'll let the rest of you go! You have five minutes! If they ain't out by then... We're gonna come in there and skin you all alive!"
Mark stood up upon hearing the message.
"Eat shit you fucking ADAM Sluts!" The young Man yelled before ducking back down to avoid more bullets
"What the Hell do you think you're doing?!" Joe yelled at his younger Friend. Mark simply stared back at him.
"We're going with James' plan right? Then we want to make them as mad as possible so they'll all swarm in." Mark said calmly, Joe couldn't respond, after all, Mark was right.
"Get moving on that e-exit and gas lines... we don't ha-have much more time." James whispered out causing Joe and Mark to nod.
"Mark you and the Doc get Seline downstairs and find the smuggling exit, I'll get the gas lines!" Joe said, he watched Mark sling his Thompson onto his shoulder and began lifting Seline to carry her.
"Sigma! Get over here we have a plan!" Joe yelled to the Big Daddy who was taking cover behind a wall next to the door, he wasn't looking so good either. Sigma's thundering boots made their way to the bar and the Protector knelt down to listen to what Joe had to say.
"James and Vicki are staying behind, there's a secret tunnel out of here somewhere in the Cellar that the Doc and Mark are trying to find. Can you hold off the Splicers from here while I take care of the gas?" Joe asked, Sigma nodded with a whale like groan as he took up position behind the bar to defend his Allies. Joe took off into the kitchen sparing a quick glance at the hatch leading to the Cellar that Mark and Tenenbaum had left open, that was their way out. He quickly made his way to the large steel stove and turned the gas on, he made his way to another one but the stove had been crushed in some previous battle, so he knocked the gas line loose with the butt of his shotgun and allowed the sour smelling fumes to fill the air. The bearded Man made his way back to Sigma, Vicki, and James, ducking behind the bar to check on them.
"The gas is on James." Joe said to his dying Brother, he wasn't looking good at all, he knew he only had a few more minutes of life left in him, Vicki didn't look much better.
"Good... Good... You two get out of here... we... we can take care of the rest..." James said weakly, Vicki smiling and nodding at Joe as well. Joe couldn't hold back his sorrow any longer, he knew the time to say goodbye had come, he made his way to them and hugged them both before kissing each of them on their cold foreheads.
"Joe... Please... whatever you do, get Seline and Mark out of this shithole, they deserve to be free from here." Vicki said softly, a pleading look in her eyes, Joe nodded somberly as he wiped his running nose on the back of his hand.
"It's been a lon-long ride Big Bro, I'm glad you were the one I-I went through it with. I wo-wouldn't have had it any other way." James said faintly as he closed his eyes to rest.
"I'm sorry... I wish I could've kept my promise..." Joe said sadly causing Vicki to shake her head.
"You can still keep part of it Joe... Get the others out of here." She said as tears slowly ran down her cheeks, Joe nodded as he stood back up, he tapped Sigma on the shoulder and the two of them made their way to the Cellar.
They climbed down the stairs to see Tenenbaum and Mark still searching the dusty basement full of large whiskey barrels. They hadn't found the exit yet and were running out of time fast.
"You haven't found the tunnel yet?" Joe asked causing Tenenbaum and Mark to stop looking and shake their heads.
"Well we better hurry or we're not getting out of here." Joe responded.
"We can't find anything that looks like a door or tunnel anywhere, nothing but old dusty barrels." Mark replied as he looked around the Cellar.
"Look for anything out of place, something that doesn't belong, or maybe the red hand print James pointed out. The four Survivors began searching all around the dust covered whiskey barrels and crates that lined the walls when suddenly an idea struck Mark like a bolt of lightning.
"Wait!" He shouted causing everyone to stop and turn toward him.
"Maybe we aren't suppose to be looking for the red hand print! What if..." Mark stopped mid sentence and ran over to a large painting that was propped up against the stone wall of the Cellar, the painting depicted the Rapture ball, he pulled his knife from his belt sheath and stabbed it into the painting ripping downward.
"What if we were suppose to look for what the hand print was ON?" He said as he ripped the paper away from it's golden frame to reveal a hole in the wall, he stuck his hand through it and felt around. Sure enough, in the very back of the hole was a handle, he quickly turned it and they all heard a release of pressurized air followed by a creaking sound. Mark pulled his hand free and saw that an empty part of wall on the other side of the room had a door shaped crack in it. Joe ran over and pushed on the bricks to reveal a tunnel that led into the adjacent building's basement.
"This is it! Let's move!" Joe yelled as Mark picked up Seline and the four of them made their way out of the Cellar.
"We have to get out of the District Fast!" Tenenbaum yelled as they ran.
"Why?!" Mark asked.
"Because the Bar is located next to a structural strong point, once it ignites... the District will flood and we will drown!" Tenenbaum answered causing everyone to pick up the pace. They ran as fast as they could through the Smuggling tunnels, through different buildings and basements, trying desperately to escape.
Vicki continued to run her fingers through James's hair, tears streaming out of her eyes as the scent of gas filled the bar they inhabited. She was scared, more scared than she had ever been in all of her battles, it was different now, she knew she was about to die, and no matter how prepared she thought she was, it meant nothing.
"Vicki?..." James whispered weakly causing her to choke up a little at how bad he sounded.
"Yes baby?" She answered.
"I can't s-see anymore... I think... I think this is it..." Vicki began crying again as she held him, she took a large gulp of blood filled spit and smiled.
"I know sweetie, I know... It's okay..." She said softly, James' hand held something up to her weakly, when he opened his hand, he revealed Joe's gold plated lighter covered in blood, Vicki took it in her hand and held it tight.
"I'm scared..." She whispered to him as she shook.
"I'm scared too..." James responded softly.
"I love you James..." Vicki whispered to him.
"And I love you... more than anything in t-the world..." James said faintly.
"Attention Cocksuckers! TIME'S UP!" They heard the megaphone Splicer announce, Vicki looked to James, he wasn't moving now, wasn't breathing. Vicki opened the golden lighter and laid her head on James' as the sounds of thundering footsteps got louder and louder.
"Goodbye James... I love you..." Vicki whispered one last time as she flicked the lighter on.
. . .
The three Guardians ran as fast as they could while also scanning the area for threats and trying to pick up more of a trail that would lead them closer to their Allies, as they ran they could hear the sounds of combat getting closer and closer, which also meant that danger was getting closer and closer. The three Protectors kept their senses focused on their surroundings as always, the sounds of combat in Rapture meant there was something valuable to be fought over, and the only thing the dying City valued now was ADAM. The gunfire would attract Splicer and NeoSplicer alike, they would swarm like rats if they thought ADAM was at stake. The Siblings would have to be careful, they had spent so long trying to get Lizzy away from danger, it now seemed like the opposite, they were taking her directly toward the danger. It didn't matter though, they would do what they always had, they would sacrifice life and limb to keep her safe, to keep each other safe, and to get out of the City while they still could.
Just as the three sprinting Siblings rounded a corner nearing the sounds of fighting, they laid eyes on a group of Splicers that were likely making their way to the same destination, they turned to see the red glow of the Siblings' helmets and instinctively raised their weapons to fire, a volley of gunfire met the Protectors, some buzzing by them, others dinging off of their armor sending a flurry of sparks around them in the dim light. The Protectors did as Protectors do, they engaged.
Omega and Iota met their targets first, the Brother reaching is large hand forward to grab a deformed Woman, wrapping his fingers around her face and slamming her into the brick wall on his left, chunks of brick, brain, and skull splattered him as he kept running. Iota reached her target at the same time, she jumped to the side of him, stabbing her Harvesting needle into his left side piercing his heart instantly in a show of elegance and finesse, she too kept moving. The last Splicer they left for Anna, knowing she would handle him as they had handled theirs. As the confused Splicer turned to fire at the two Protectors that had killed his Companions, Anna reached him. She maintained her high speed as she flew past him, wrapping her left arm around to grab the bottom half of his face, she then spun hard and fast as she turned a full circle, snapping the Man's neck in one fluid motion.
The Protectors continued running at full speed as they followed the sounds of combat, closer and closer. They came across another group, dispatching them with the same speed and efficiency as the first, Iota's quick stab, Omega's brute strength, and Anna's knife. The sounds of battle were just up ahead now, one more tunnel bridge and they would be there to rescue their Allies and Friends. The four Siblings had just crossed under the first bulkhead gate and entered the tunnel when a massive explosion shook the ground causing them to stop, they felt the ground rumbling beneath them and heard the sound of thunder that Omega and Iota knew all too well. Before Lizzy or Anna had a chance to ask what was happening, Iota turned and launched a heavy roundhouse kick into Anna's stomach knocking the air out of her lungs from surprise and fracturing, if not breaking two of her ribs. The younger Sister went wide eyed as she flew back out of the tunnel, the door closing behind her in an instant, the last thing she saw was a massive wall of water crashing through the tunnel toward her Brother and Sister, Iota had protected Lizzy.