Shifting Tides

Omega and Iota stood as still as stone, watching a sea of NeoSplicers wash over the Army that had been sent to kill them, their advanced night vision showing them all of the gory details of the event. They watched as the feral Beasts tore into the Splicers, gunfire and muzzle flashes could be heard and seen flickering like a hundred tiny sparks. They were flashes of light in an Ocean of darkness, teeth, and claws. A desperate stand against death, but it wasn't enough, they were simply too uncoordinated to form an effective defense, and even if they did manage it... it would never last, they had made sure of that. The two Protectors watched with proud smirks, their plan playing out to perfection. Iota laughed over the roaring sound of the slaughter, screams and screeching, the sound of wet meat being torn by rows of razor sharp teeth and claws alike. They didn't seem to like it when someone else shut off the power. An explosion lit up a large area, revealing a massive number of the bald, pinkish Monsters as they swarmed like ants over and through the jungle of impaling poles that hindered their swift victory. The Protectors were on high alert, in case any of the Vermin attempted to come after them, but there was no need, they had live, easy Prey available. They peered into the dark void, scattered resistance here and there was being overrun, like a tidal wave washing away toy soldiers that stood too long at the water's edge. Each second that passed was another life taken, on one side or the other. The Splicer Army had come in force, they had hoped to outnumber the Protectors and their Allies by a large margin, and now... the tables had turned. The two Titans enjoyed the view, as they knew they would, the thrill of a perfectly laid trap sent a wave of adrenaline and predatory glee through them. Machine gun fire tearing holes into a NeoSplicer caught their attention, and their gaze shifted. The gangly Man screamed in horror as each of his muzzle flashes exposed more and more teeth moving toward him, and then he stopped firing. Spider Splicers performed acrobatics, flipping and twirling as they launched their red hot hooks into the NeoSplicers, but one wrong move sent one of them into a group of the Beasts, and he was sucked down. A Houdini Splicer in red garb launched fireballs from his Incinerate Plasmid, lighting multiple NeoSplicers aflame as the fireballs boomed into their flesh, bouncing from one to the other. The NeoSplicers screeched from the light, and darted away from their suffering Comrades, only to circle around and catch the Assailant off guard, he too was pulled down below into the darkness. Brute Splicers hammered their Foes into dust, each massive blow from their fists crushing their Enemies to death with dangerous force. They were faring well, until Berserker NeoSplicers emerged from the swarm. Three of them, their heavy feet stomping over NeoSplicer and Splicer alike earning screams from both before their deaths. Omega gritted his teeth at the sight of them. The heavily armored shells glinting and glistening in the light of gunfire that surrounded their massive silhouettes, random bullets hitting them, and merely ricocheting off, sparks bounding off in different directions. They watched as the armored Monsters went head to head with the Brute Splicers, their strength was almost evenly matched, but the Berserkers had more armor, and weight. Scenes like this could be found all over the battlefield as screams and screeches echoed in the darkness, and the Protectors watched it all with a grim satisfaction. Omega patted his Mate's back, signaling that it was time to move, and the two headed back into the pitch black darkness. As they turned around, a single NeoSplicer caught sight of them, and thought it might snag some fresh meat, it thought wrong. It lunged at them from the side, but Iota was far faster. The Beast was dead before it could reach them, and she wiped it's dark blood off of her harvester before continuing to walk with her Mate, smiling with satisfaction the whole way. It was something they would remember forever. The day they turned the tide on Reed Wahl, and Minerva's Den as a whole. The day they reminded Rapture what true fear was. It was a turning point, and everyone knew it. They had been chased through the City, hunted, trapped, and bloodied... but not beaten, never beaten. They had withstood the tide of Splicers and NeoSplicers alike, and emerged wiser and stronger for it. They had learned from their past shortcomings, they had adapted, and they had gained the advantage. Everyone, Reed Wahl especially, thought they were nothing more than mindless Abominations, Automatons with no purpose but to be controlled or killed. They had proved them wrong. They would show the entire City what happened when you crossed Protectors, what happened when you earned their wrath and they were prepared to drown the entire City in blood to do so.

Iota turned her head back toward the carnage as they walked through the door back inside, she gave a broken chuckle, pure delight filling her as they slaughtered the Splicer Host. She would have preferred tearing them apart herself, but this was the next best thing. She bounced along behind her Mate as they made their way through the darkness, the random clattering of some wayward NeoSplicer somewhere in the Apartment building, the crunching glass under their boots, the desperate battle that took place outside in the streets. They could hear it all, Omega tilted his head back toward his Mate when he realized she was humming a joyful tune, when she looked up at him, he could tell through their bond that she was genuinely happy, she wanted more Splicers to die for what they had done, but she was happy. The two of them rounded a corner only to see the Corpse of an escaped Splicer lying in the hallway, the shadowy figures of the NeoSplicers ripping and tearing into the body with their teeth and claws. Both Omega and Iota began to growl as the Creatures looked up toward them, hissing as bloody spittle flew from their mouths. They still had a little ways to travel, and he had wanted to get there without drawing too much attention to themselves... That plan went out the window. Being mindful of their surroundings, and the raging battle outside, the two Protectors launched themselves forward toward the Pack of NeoSplicers.

. . .

Anna placed the microphone back onto the maintenance console as she, and her Human Allies watched the security cameras, and the gruesome display being shown on them. They were nervous, even Anna, who was smiling confidently, had a small look of worry in her eyes, a hidden gleam of concern for her Siblings that none of the others could see. The District had gone dark, no light was present save for the emergency lights in the Clinic they had hooked to a generator, incase the Splicers did somehow manage to knock out the power again. They had thought out every possible scenario and planned accordingly, they would never suffer a surprise attack like the Athena's Glory again.

Everyone watched the camera screens with bated breath, wondering where Omega and Iota were in the confusion, if they were alright. Joe watched the NeoSplicers and Splicers fight, if you could even call it that. He felt a grim joy from watching the Bastards that had killed his Brother be ripped to pieces themselves. He gave a small, approving nod, the Protectors had not only killed the Splicers... They had made them pay for what they had done to them in the Athena's Glory, and the Silver Barb. They had made them feel the same terrifying hopelessness they had felt when the power went out for them, and when the Bar had been attacked.

"Get ready to move." Anna said, her tone holding no room for debate. Tenenbaum and Joe looked to one another with questioning glances.

"Move where? We are trapped now." Tenenbaum stated, she held a small hint of annoyance in her voice, almost as if she wanted to tell the Protectors: "I told you so.".

Anna gave a small sigh as she turned to look at the Doctor, her eyebrow quirked up.

"We're not trapped, we have a clear path to Minerva's Den now, Doctor. You can't honestly believe we didn't plan this out before turning the power off on ourselves." Anna stated, making the older Woman seem ignorant for her statement. It was a new feeling, one Tenenbaum was not used to, certainly not from Anna. The Doctor's eyes narrowed in confusion before she remembered the path through the Tunnels Omega and Iota had found. She turned back to the screens in realization.

"You gathered bodies... Both living and dead... to distract the NeoSplicers." She said lowly. Anna smiled and nodded in return.

"We accomplished two victories with one stroke of the brush. We lured Reed Wahl's Army out of Minerva's Den, destroyed them, and cleared a path to his Fortress. He's sure to be in a panic now." The Sister laughed sinisterly, her white fangs glinting with sadistic amusement. Tenenbaum, Joe, and Mark were shocked at how well the Protectors had executed their plan.

"You made Minerva's Den defenseless..." Joe said, his mind going through the plan they had so perfectly set up, and executed. Anna turned back to the security screens and shook her head slightly.

"No. Not defenseless, just less defended. Reed Wahl is sure to have more Rats in his little nest, along with who knows what else. We'll be going in blind, as none of us have ever actually been there before, we don't know what to expect, or what we'll find... but we've leveled the playing field now." She stated as she put her hands on the Maintenance console, looking at the cameras in an attempt to find her Siblings, the longer they were out in the darkness, the more worried she became. She knew it was part of the plan, but she still didn't like the thought of them out there. Anna felt a tug at her armor, and looked down to see Lizzy's fearful gaze.

"Big Brother and Big Sister will be okay... won't they?" She asked quietly. Anna's Protector instinct kicked in and she flashed her a gentle smile.

"Don't worry Liz, they're fine, just making their way back here without drawing attention to themselves." She answered her, Lizzy nodded hesitantly as she put her arms up to her Sister. The young Protector picked her up and helped her into the cage on her back, her red backpack sitting next to her as she got comfortable, she had lined the bottom of Anna's cage with pillows so the metal wouldn't hurt her when she sat down, it also allowed her to sleep on long walks, since she often rode on Anna's back while Omega and Iota did most of the fighting.

The Group waited for what felt like an eternity before the sound of battle could be heard outside the Clinic doors, they turned just in time to see Iota enter the building, holding the door open for Omega as he backed in, his hand firing flames into the darkness as pained screeching echoed in from outside, a lone NeoSplicer clinging to his back, clawing at his armor fruitlessly. Once he was in, she slammed the door shut and pulled the heavy locking bar down into place. The Brother pulled the Creature off of his back, gripping the loose skin behind it's neck, blue flames rolled down his arm and onto the Beast as it screamed in pain. He dropped it and walked toward the rest of the Group as the tormented Monster thrashed wildly on the ground, it's head crushed by Iota's boot as she followed behind him. Everyone, Anna included, let out a sigh of relief as the two Titans walked over to them, as calm and collected as always.

"Ready to go?" Anna asked them, their nods signaling their answers as Omega pointed to the connecting room, the room that held their escape tunnel. Everyone gathered what supplies they could carry in duffel bags, strapping them onto their backs and shoulders as they prepared for the walk. They gathered at the maintenance hatch that led to the Tunnels below, Anna turning to address them.

"Stay close to each other, and don't get separated, Sigma should be done clearing the traps to the Tunnel we'll be taking, but still... watch where you step." She instructed.

"Brother and Sister will be leading us through, Joe and Tenenbaum will come next, followed by Mark, who will be pushing Seline's gurny, myself and Lizzy, and finally Sigma to guard the rear. Understood?" She asked them all, they nodded, feeling the sinking dread of having to navigate the pitch black tunnels, though, having four Protectors escort them did make them feel much safer now. The Humans were impressed with Anna's strategic thinking, she had transformed from a frightened girl into a Warrior, and it showed with each passing day. The thought also hurt, that her innocence had died in the process, it couldn't be helped though. Rapture had a way of changing people, and no one was immune to it's effects.

After gathering what supplies they could take with them, they scurried down the hatch into the black Tunnels, they were met by Sigma's helmet lights as they reached the bottom of the ladder. He had been waiting for them having already disarmed what traps he could to make their path clear and safe. Everyone took up their positions in the place assigned by Anna, and they began their migration. Anna didn't know what they would find in Minerva's Den, she didn't even know if the slaughter of Reed Wahl's Army would count for anything, but whenever she felt that nagging ping of doubt, she would look ahead to her Brother and Sister, how they walked with confidence and purpose. They gave her strength, they gave all of them strength. Iota hadn't fully recovered from her mental breakdown, she could see that clearly, but she was getting better. Their trip in the dark Tunnels wasn't helping though. With every few minutes Anna could see her Sister take Omega's hand, as if she might lose him again. The Eldest Sister would look back, and shine her yellow port light over the Group, causing the Humans to squint at it's brightness. They might have thought she was checking on them, but Anna knew better. She was checking on her, and more importantly, Lizzy. Anna could only imagine what her Sister was going through, being in this dark silence again with her own thoughts, but something was different now, she could see that too. Every time Iota would look back for her and Lizzy, she would look back up to her Mate, as if he were saying something encouraging to her, or rather, sending her an encouraging feeling through their bond. She would nuzzle the side of her helmet into his arm, and they would press on.

No one spoke, no one wanted to break the silence of the darkness. They could hear the sounds of hundreds, possibly thousands of clicking claws above them on the City streets, joyfully consuming the Corpses the Protectors had provided for them as a distraction. The sounds of wet crunching were so intense, it caused everyone to pick up the pace, eager to get out of the labyrinth the NeoSplicers called home.

When they finally came to the Tunnel entrance they would need to take, neatly cut into the wall Sigma had barricaded, Omega and Iota tore down the boards as quietly as possible, trying to avoid any unwanted attention, the battle was dying down now, only a few random shots of gunfire, or explosions could be heard now, and almost all of the screaming had gone silent. The two Protectors worked slowly, carefully, each creak and crack of the rusted nails and rotting boards causing their Human Allies to look around, afraid that the NeoSplicers would hear them. Once they had cleared the way, they entered, everyone else following behind them. They continued their voyage, the Tunnel system narrowing the further they moved inward, Omega and Iota looked even larger than they already were when they had to bend down to walk, the tops of their helmets scrapping the low concrete roofing every once in a while. Every time the noise could be heard, the Humans all jumped from nervousness, the only light being that of Sigma, and Anna, unable to see past the two Protectors in front if an attack did come. Sigma was having a harder time than they were with his massive size, he was beginning to slow, his wide shoulders and heavy armor making it extremely difficult to navigate the narrowing Tunnels. If they got any smaller, he wouldn't be able to move.

Relief came when the service Tunnel opened up into a large circular room. It was a water drainage room designed to redirect the water from flooding into the various pumping stations that would send the seawater back outside. The water roared around them as they entered the room, four Big Daddy sized pipes allowed massive amounts of water to flow into the room, and down into the enormous funnel the room was built around. Omega gave the signal to break their silence, the roar of the rushing water would be impossible for NeoSplicers to hear them and pinpoint their locations now.

"God damn, I hope we don't have to spend too much time down here, it stinks like shit." Joe said, wafting his hand in front of his face.

"Not to mention the NeoSplicers own these tunnels." Mark added moving forward to peer over the edge of the walkway, into the black hole the water was being cycled into. When he put his hands on the railing to lean over and look, the ancient metal creaked and groaned as he put his weight on it, the rust caked bolts giving out with a loud crack.
Mark's eyes went wide and he yelped from the shock, expecting to fall head first into the black grave below, instead, he stayed suspended over the massive opening, Iota's hand firmly grasping the back of his shirt. She held his full weight with one arm as effortlessly as she would Lizzy, pulling him up and setting him back down on the walkway. He collected himself and nodded to the Sister.

"T-Thanks Iota." He said quietly, his cheeks flushed with embarrassment. The Sister simply smiled under her helmet and gave him a happy screech in reply.

Anna was looking at the map intensely. Her keen eyes studying it closely as she took note of where they were, and how far they had traveled. Lizzy peaking over her shoulder to look at the map, illuminated by the yellow glow of her Sister's helmet.

"Shit!." The young Protector shouted with an amplified tone, her strong voice easily penetrating the constant roar of the surrounding water drains, and her annoyance drawing the attention of her Allies. The Group looked over to her, curious as to what had caused her sudden outburst. They looked back and forth between one another with questioning glances, worried to ask in case their situation had gotten worse. They were sick of things not going right, but in Rapture, it seemed like the only way things could ever go was wrong. Anna bit her lip, her uneasy expression hidden behind her helmet. She could feel the eyes of her Allies and Siblings on her as she studied the map again and again. Joe finally let out a sigh and put his hand in his pocket to rub the scorched golden lighter within.

"What is it now?" He asked, already prepared for the worst, as everyone else had done mentally. Anna shook her head and whispered another curse under her breath as she looked up to the large drainage pipes in the room. They weren't supposed to be there. There were supposed to be four tunnels leading out of the room they occupied, the one they came from, and three others, but they weren't there in reality. Instead of maintenance tunnels, there were drainage pipes large enough to fit a Big Daddy inside, and they were angled wrong as well. The maintenance tunnels they were looking for should have been placed in between where the Pipes jutted out from the walls, but it was only more wall, which meant either the map was outdated, or that particular plan for the tunnel was changed before it ever got built. Anna didn't know which one it was, but she didn't care, neither reason was ideal for their situation.

"This map is wrong." She spat, slapping the paper with the back of her gloved hand as she looked back at the Group, the yellow caution light from her porthole washing over them causing them to squint in the bright light.

"What do you mean it's wrong?" Mark asked, glancing down at Seline's unconscious form. Anna caught herself almost snapping at him in her frustration, until she saw the worry in his eyes. He was scared, not for himself, but for her, and Anna couldn't be annoyed at him for that. Her Human side cooled her Big Sister temper. There would be no reason in getting an attitude with them, they were all just scared, and snapping at them wouldn't help them in the slightest. The entire situation was no one's fault but the ones that built the damnable place to begin with. Anna took a deep breath to calm her nerves before giving any kind of response.

"The map is wrong, look here." She pointed to the room they were in on the map.

"There should be access tunnels like the one we just came through lining these walls. They're not there, which means this map is useless as of right now." She explained.

"Perhaps not." Tenenbaum spoke up, drawing their attention to her. The older Woman stepped over to the youngest Protector and held out her hand.

"May I, Dear?" She asked, Anna simply nodded and handed her the map, curious to see how the brilliant Doctor would handle this mystery. Tenenbaum took the map and held it up in the Sister's yellow light to see, she studied it for a long moment before looking to Omega and Iota.

"Omega, Iota. In what general direction is the Athena's Glory Hotel?" She asked, having lost track of where they were long ago. Without a second of hesitation, both Protectors raised their arms in unison, fingers outstretched toward a wall, and angled slightly upward.

"Very good, and Fontaine Futuristics?" She asked them, they held up their hands in another direction, though this time they had to contemplate the answer, still, they replied in unison, with zero doubt. The Doctor studied the map again and began drawing lines with her fingers. The aging Woman glanced back and forth between each of the four massive rusting pipes.

"We can rule out these two, as they clearly lead back into the heart of the City." She told them, pointing to the two pipes nearest to them. If they were to follow them, they would simply be backtracking in the direction they had just come from. Tenenbaum bit at the skin of her fingernail, as she often did when confronted with a difficult decision. Which of the two remaining pipes could they take? Which one would lead them to their destination, and which one would lead them to a random part of the City all together? She was about to consult with the Group when the dark room suddenly flashed a deep crimson. It took Tenenbaum far too long to realize the red glow was coming from Omega and Iota's helmet lights. The Brother's head shot up toward the tunnel they had just come from, his Mate's attention following his own.

"Brother, Sister, what is it? NeoSplicers?" Anna asked, her fist clenching as she prepared for a fight.

Before anyone could react, Omega and Iota had shoved them out of the way of the tunnel. Iota knelt down on one armored knee as she sprayed flames down the tunnel, Omega standing just behind her doing the same. A chorus of screeching pain echoed through the tunnel.

"Damn are they fast!" Joe yelled.

"Doc, you gotta get us out of here, which way do we go?!" Mark asked frantically, pushing Seline's gurney away from the tunnel that spat flames. They heard an even louder screech, Iota's, telling them to hurry up and decide. Anna scanned the pipes more closely, her Protector instincts leading her though process. Two pipes, identical in nature, both rusted, one pouring water out at ankle deep levels, the other dry and clear.

"This one! We take this one!" The youngest Protector yelled, grabbing the railing of Seline's compact clinic bed, dragging it over to the pipe that was draining the ankle deep water. She pulled the bed so fast, and with so little warning that it almost pulled Mark to the ground as he tried to hold on. She heard gunfire ring through the room, bright flashes of light dancing around as the sound of spent ammo cartridges pinged off of the floor. She turned to see Subject Sigma firing down the tunnel with his large Gatling gun, both her Brother and Sister kneeling side by side as he fired over their heads, their flames still pouring down the opening.

"Joe, Tenenbaum, help Mark get Seline into the pipe!" She yelled, making her way to the other three Protectors.

"There's water coming from this pipe, Anna! Shouldn't we take the one without water?!" Mark asked, frantically waiting for Joe and Tenenbaum to help him lift the bed into the large pipe.

"No! There's no water coming from that pipe because it's sealed at the end, which means it's a dead end! When have you known any part of Rapture to not be leaking? We take the one with water in it!" The Sister yelled back at him as Joe and the Doctor reached him, trying to help him lift the bed into the opening. Anna made her way to the tunnel Defenders, stopping just next to the largest of them.

"Grenades, Sigma!" She shouted, Lizzy screaming in shock as one of the Monsters almost slipped through the tunnel, only to be calmly grabbed by Iota. She placed the squealing Beast beneath her knee with her free hand and applied enough pressure to snap it's neck, her other hand still spewing fire, the armor of her gauntlet beginning to glow red from the immense heat. Sigma reached down and pulled a leather satchel from his belt, handing it to Anna as requested. She opened the pack and inspected it, counting the number of explosives inside. There were four, she hoped it would be enough to make her plan worth while. The Sister reached into the back and grabbed one of the makeshift bombs, pulled the pin, and dropped the explosive back into the bag.

"Move now!" She screamed over the sound of rushing flames, painful screeching, and continuous gunfire. All four Protectors darted separate ways as she threw the live bag of explosives down the tunnel, smacking one of the NeoSplicers in the open mouth as it bounded over countless others trying to make their way through the tunnel. The resulting explosion of the combined Grenades launched dust, smoke, and debris through the opening toward them, rattling the entire room causing the Humans among them to drop Seline's Gurney back to the floor to cover their ears in pain, before they knew what had happened, the Protectors were already lifting them, practically throwing them into the Pipe they needed to travel down. Iota took the lead, leaping over them into the pipe to make sure it was clear. Omega grabbed Joe and Mark by the back of their shirts, one in each massive hand, he tossed them inside with ease as they struggled to regain their senses, the world a muffled blur for all but their inhuman counterparts.

Anna helped the Doctor up and pushed her into the pipe before climbing in, Sigma still watching the pile of rubble that now blocked the tunnel of NeoSplicers. The Brother picked up Seline's Gurney with two hands and lifted it longways into the pipe before jumping inside himself. He turned, reaching his hand out for Sigma, who took it and climbed into the pipe with some effort, Omega's immense strength pulling him inside to make up for the Big Daddies lack of mobility.

"That's not going to hold them for long, we need to move!" Joe shouted as he still held his ears, a trail of blood trickling down his dirty face and beard. The Humans managed to get to their feet with the help of Anna and Iota. Sigma and Omega used their Winter blast Plasmids to form a large wall of ice behind them, making sure it would be even more difficult for the Horde to follow them inside the pipe, they knew that too would not last. Once the NeoSplicers were in, they would be impossible to force out, they could only hope to delay them long enough to reach the exit, and they had no idea how long the pipe even was. The Group began moving again, making their way down the pitch black pipe that housed them, their feet splashing through the ice cold water as they ran. Iota leading the pack, followed by Anna, then Joe, Tenenbaum, Seline's bed, Mark, Omega, and Sigma. The two Male Protectors stopping every now and then to lay another sheet of ice wall in the pipe, or freeze the water behind them to keep the NeoSplicers from gaining traction on the slick surface. The sound of the approaching Beasts could be heard echoing through the tunnel as they scratched and burst through the ice walls behind the group. The Protectors were moving slower in order to not leave their Human Companions, and Anna couldn't help but wish they were also Protectors. If they were, their trials throughout the City would be a minor inconvenience at best. Having the power of eight Protectors, Lizzy not included, would make quick work of just about any situation that presented itself. Anna shrugged off her wishful thinking as another loud bang echoed behind them, the signal that the wave of NeoSplicers had broken through another frozen wall. She wished they all could at least move faster, even if they didn't have the rest of a Protector's perks. The Group ran for what seemed like hours all while being chased and hounded by the encroaching flood of teeth and claws, the echoes of the Horde screaming behind them, enraged at their hindered progress through the pipe, their Prey seeming just out of reach from them now.

Small amounts of dim light trickled down into the large pipe as they ran, smaller connecting pipes dripping water inside from somewhere above them. They could never fit through any of the smaller drainage ducts, they needed to find the source, the largest drain, the exit. More and more connecting pipes could be seen, their circular shapes painting rays of low iridescent light onto the floor of the main pipe sending ripples of light all around them as the water's surface deflected the rays. They were getting closer to their destination, everyone could feel it. Just ahead in the darkness, Iota and Anna could see their target. Grating with bright lights shining down into the end of the pipe, water pouring in at a steady pace.

"I see light!" Lizzy shouted excitedly, eager to leave the darkness of the tunnels, her voice sending a wave of relief through the other Humans in the Group.

"It's about damn time!" Joe remarked, panting as he ran shotgun in hand.

"We have to hurry, they sound close!" Mark yelled.

The Protectors weren't so easy to soothe, even with the promise of an exit, and light. They didn't know what would be on the other side of that grate, there could be anything. They didn't even know what District they would be entering, or what condition it was in. They didn't know if there would be Splicers, NeoSplicers, or worse beyond the veil of light, but for now the light was enough. They would handle whatever else they found when they came to it.

As they reached the grating on the ceiling of the large Pipe, Iota and Anna looked up through the spaces of the bars. They both braced themselves in solid stances, suddenly shooting their arms up to hit the metal blockade. When they did, the force of their combined strength lifted the cover from it's place in the concrete and metal. The lid shot off of the housing in a plume of dust and smaller chunks of rubble, it impacted somewhere in the distance with a loud clanking before coming to a rest, no match for the combined strength of two Big Sisters. Before it had even hit the ground, the two Sisters were out of the pipe and in their combat stances on the surface. A bright light washing over them as they scanned the area for threats, they found none. Anna turned, leaving her Sister to stand guard over the entrance of the drainage system, she began pulling her Human Friends out of the pipe one by one, laying on the concrete and reaching down for them as they jumped up to grab her outstretched hand. She could see light coming from inside the tunnel now, then she heard the gunfire from Sigma's Gatling gun. She peaked her head into the pipe to see her Brother and Sigma holding back the Horde once more, their combined strength holding the shadows at bay, Omega with both arms outstretched, covered in blue flames, Sigma firing his Gatling gun with one massive arm, the other stretched out as well, orange fire mixing with blue as it scorched any who entered the inferno.

"Brother, get Seline!" Anna shouted, Omega looked back to see her bed bathed in the blue light of the surface, Sigma gave him a low groan, letting him know he could handle the advance of NeoSplicers as he saved the Human. The Brother turned, running to Seline's bedside. He pulled on the straps that held her in place, making sure they were secure, he then pressed two of the buttons on each side of the Gurney releasing it from it's legs and wheels. The bed had become a stretcher. He lifted the stretcher from the railing on the sides and aimed Seline's head through the pipe entrance, Anna took hold of it and pulled her the rest of the way, leaving her Brother to return to Sigma's side to aid the Big Daddy. The Brother began launching fire from his arms again, a huge inferno washing over the Corpses that began piling up in the pipe, the copper smell of blood mixed with charred flesh to create an overwhelming stench of death that the Brother reveled in. He looked to Sigma and gave a deep screech, his head nodding back toward the pipe exit. The Brother took in a deep breath and let out an impossibly loud howl into the enclosed pipe, the immense sound causing everyone above to cover their ears in pain once again. Even Sigma staggered, falling against the wall of the pipe as the sound breached his thick helmet, his vision blurring, stars flickering into view.

The war howl had achieved it's purpose, the impossibly loud sound echoing through the tunnel, hitting the NeoSplicers like a brick wall. Their advanced hearing causing them so much pain they couldn't help but to writhe in agony, no longer able to focus on their targets, they were stunned for the time being. They seized up, shaking and screaming, clawing at the earholes on the side of their heads as they flailed about. Omega took the reprieve to grab Sigma's massive arm, lifting him to his feet shakily. The two of them made their way back to the exit, Omega helping the Big Daddy move through his own dazed state. Once they reached their destination, Omega kicked the legs of Seline's stretcher out of the way and turned to face Sigma, just under the lip of the pipe exit. He locked his fingers together and put them down in front of him to give the Protector a boost up, he took it, placing his massive boot in Omega's hands, his arms reaching up to grab the rim of the pipe above. Omega peered around the Big Daddy's massive frame to see the Horde of NeoSplicers recovering and clenched his jaw. He couldn't wait for Sigma to climb out, he didn't have the time. With Anna's help from above, the Brother practically threw the massive Protector from the hole, a wall of teeth and claws reaching for him. As soon as Sigma cleared the exit, the Brother was already in the air.

Omega jumped, leaping through the hole to the surface just as the Horde reached him, teeth and claws slamming into the wall of the pipe with enough force to shake the flooring, their rage growing as they missed the chance to feed on flesh meat once again. As Omega landed, he could see Sigma already carrying the massive pipe cover back toward the hole, clawed arms reaching out to scratch at everyone present. Joe and Mark gathered around the hole, firing into it, Joe with his shotgun, and Mark with his Thompson, more enraged screeching and hissing echoed from the pipe as a shower of gunfire pelted them from above, Anna joining in with her Incinerate, flames raining down on the Horde. Iota had also pitched in, Big Sisters firing flames into the darkness, trying to keep the Monsters inside. Sigma nudged Joe out of the way and lifted the large metal cover over his head before slamming it down into it's original place in the floor. As Omega got to his feet, he watched the three Protectors use their Incinerate Plasmids to effectively weld the gate shut, claws and angry screeching coming from the now sealed pipe.

Now that the threat had been dealt with, the Group stood panted, observing their surroundings more closely. They were in some sort of maintenance area, bright iridescent lights lining the room. It seemed like the entire left half of the room had simply been built into the rock foundation of the Sea floor, the ceiling, walls, and floor connecting with the rock to secure them in place with massive steel pillers. Flood lights were pointed at the drain pipe they had just come from. Putting two and two together, Joe squinted his eyes.

"Somebody was expecting the NeoSplicers to come through here." Joe stated, looking to the construction lights that illuminated the large pipe drain. Anna nodded and pointed to the lights lining the room, all of them shining brightly.

"I agree. How often do you see an entire room in Rapture with every light bright and working?" She asked.

"Someone knows about the NeoSplicers, and they're sane enough to try and stop them." Tenenbaum added.

"Come on, Doc. There's no such thing as sanity in Rapture, just different levels of insane." Mark chimed in as he knelt next to Seline's stretcher, he was checking her bandages and wounds, making sure she was alright. Everyone respected him for that, he had been by her side ever since she was wounded at the Silver Barb, tending to her, and helping Tenenbaum keep her alive in any way he could.

"Stay alert." Anna said, moving her gaze from Mark and Seline, she pointed to a doorway with stairs leading up to the next level, it was designed simply, no room for flashy design or shining metal. It was beneath the City proper, and therefore it was beneath the rich and decadent people that lived there. Only the poor working class would ever see this side of Rapture before it's fall, and it was one of the main reasons for the Civil war. The Sister took a step toward the staircase before hands stopped her, one on her left shoulder, the other on her left leg. She turned her head to see her Brother, holding her in place from moving even a full step. She immediately froze, balancing perfectly on one leg as he held her.

"Nobody move an inch!" She said, keeping her eyes fixed on her Brother. She knew if he had stopped her, then he had a good reason. She watched him crouch down to the floor, his head turning from left to right, slowly scanning the dirty ground, the crimson glow from his helmet illuminating the damp and filthy floor. That's when she noticed it, a thin wire crossing the room. She cursed herself for not noticing it sooner. She could see her Brother's helmet light reflecting off of it at a certain angle, she looked over to her Sister, who had held everyone else back as well. The Group watched Omega stand up, his demonic looking helmet still shining a red light on the floor as he looked around slowly, carefully. He stepped over the wire, pivoting to avoid another one. The Humans could only watch in suspense as he made his way to the other side of the room, tip toeing his way around wires. Anna nervously looked around at her feet, looking closely to make sure she hadn't just accidently missed others until then. Iota put her hand up and pointed to Lizzy as she watched on from Anna's cage, the Elder Sister put up a hand telling Anna to wait, and she nodded in agreement. The Sister began stepping lightly over the wires on the floor as her Mate had done, he had reached his destination at the wall being only a short distance away from it in the first place. He was gently removing an old overturned cardboard box from the floor, an explosive charge armed and ready sat underneath, hidden by the old trash. Iota had much farther to travel in order to get to the other side of the room, many more wires stretching in that direction.

Iota made her way to the opposite side of the room, she took a long step to avoid a cluster of the tripwires that criss crossed her path, it looked like she was attempting to do a split, but wasn't flexible enough, everyone there knew she was though. As if to prove the point, she pushed off of the floor with her back leg, launching herself up to balance on her left. She scanned the floor, plotting out her course through the almost invisible wires. She leaned down in front of her, both hands occupying safe places on the floor, lifting her legs up as she held her body up in a hand stand, her balance was perfect. She rotated, one leg coming down to catch her before she cartwheeled back over. A single hand catching her and holding her up as she balanced with surgical precision, looking at the floor and scanning it. She eased herself down slowly as she found another open spot for her free hand. She stiffened her body into a horizontal plank and pushed herself backwards to stand up, one more easy step, and she had reached the wall. She leaned around a large steel beam to see the explosive charge hidden on the inside and went to work diffusing it. Everyone had been holding their breath watching her stunning display of acrobatics, Lizzy and Anna practically had stars in their eyes for her. They watched and waited as the two Elder Siblings diffused bombs, navigated the deadly wires, and attempted to make the room safe. When they diffused one bomb, they would slowly, gently pull the useless wires back toward them, rolling them up in spools and placing them inside their belt pouches.

"Who the Hell booby traps an entire room?" Mark asked as he watched the Protectors work.

"Someone very clever, and very prepared." Joe stated.

"We should be careful in this place, we don't know how long these traps have been here, or who set them." Anna chimed in.

"Perhaps there are more Survivors?" Tenenbaum asked quietly.

They had escaped the bloodbath of their temporary fortress, shadows and teeth annihilating every living thing within. They had laid a perfect trap, and executed the lure with absolute efficiency, and now they found themselves in someone else's trap, even if it hadn't been laid for them specifically, they were still caught in it. It was a strange feeling for everyone as they watched the Protectors work, making them safe once again. Who had set the trap? Where were they? Were they watching right now? Were they on their way there to attack them? The unknown sank in, uncertainty creeping in like water into the City, they simply didn't know. They had gone from the safety of their Fortress of Horrors to a completely unknown part of the City, with unknown Enemies. The feeling only grew with every minute that the Protectors spent diffusing the bombs, everyone else forced to sit idly by with their thoughts. Tenenbaum held up the map again, useless now that they were past the drainage intersection, but she found it comforting to look over, far more comforting that being left alone with her thoughts like everyone else. Joe took out the scorched gold plated lighter he had given to Vicki in her last moments, the lighter that had killed her, and buried her along with his Brother. His mind replayed the events of the Bar assault over and over in his head, the painful memory plaguing him, as it had since he first experienced it... and as it would for the rest of his life. Mark brushed Seline's hair from her face, messy and cold from sweat. He wiped dirt and debris from her face with a cloth he had soaked with a water bottle. Sigma's gaze shifted from everyone in the Group, including the two Protectors as they made their way to different points in the room, and to different charges. Anna watched her Siblings carefully, taking mental notes as she always did. She studied how they navigated the maze of wires, what they did when they diffused different bombs, and how they planned out just how to reach the next piece of deadly ordinance, then executing that plan to perfection. Each step placed carefully, each pivot and rotation performed with precision. She began to wonder if there was anything the Siblings couldn't do. She had watched them overcome every trial they had been put through, she had watched them suffer unbelievably, only to rise again to meet the next challenge. She felt nothing but admiration for them, and Lizzy felt just the same.

Nearly an hour passed as the Protectors worked, everyone else standing stock still to avoid a very bloody, very messy death. When they had finished with the last two bombs, Iota let out a low screech that signaled the all clear and the Group moved forward hesitantly, all but Anna and Lizzy. They trusted their Siblings without question, and knew if they had given the all clear, then it was all clear. Anna pointed to the safe explosives and turned her head back toward the Group.

"Grab the explosives, we might need them in the future." She commanded. Sigma began gathering them, hooking them onto his belt for later use if needed. Joe and Mark picked up the stretcher Seline was lying on, her unconscious form oblivious to the many life threatening events that had led them there since the bar explosion. As they made their way to the door leading to the next level, Anna put her back, and the cage that held Lizzy to the wall. She held up her fist before anyone else got close, and slipped her head around the corner to look up the stairs. As soon as she did so, she heard mechanical beeping and jerked her head back behind the concrete wall, machine gun fire spraying the area where her head had been just one second before. The bullets knocked junks of debris from the wall as a cloud of dirt and dust flew from it. Lizzy screamed from the surprise, fearful for her Sister's safety.

"I'm okay, Liz!" Anna told her, reaching back to hold her hand, letting her know she was alright. Omega and Iota approached, looking at her expectantly. She nodded toward the staircase, and pointed with her thumb.

"Sentry Turret, thirty caliber, fifteen feet. It's on a small landing platform with more stairs leading down to it from the left. I'm almost positive there will be another one at the top of those as well." She explained, her Brother and Sister nodding that they understood. Everyone looked back and forth to each other, amazed at the speed she had gathered so much information. Anna stepped aside and allowed Omega to take her place next to the wall, he crouched down in a ready position and waited. Iota's arms began to ripple with electricity as she took shelter on the opposite side of the doorway. She peeked her head around the wall at the same time as her arm and launched a streak of lightning up the stairs, the turret never even fired. As soon as the blue bolt of energy left her arm, Omega was up the stairs. Iota looked around the corner again just in time to see him grab the barrel of the mounted gun and rip it from the electrical circuits she had just fried, being careful not to extend his arm past the corner for the next possible Sentry to fire at. When he ripped the gun from it's mount, he tossed the Turret down the stairs. It came to a sliding halt just before the rest of the Group, the end of the barrel bent and depressed in the form of the Brother's hand.

"There's some ammo for you, Sigma." Anna stated, earning a nod from the Big Daddy. She moved back to her place on the door and looked up to see her Brother peeking around the corner to the next landing. As soon as his head was shown, another beeping rang out, but instead of a continuous stream of gunfire, they only heard one loud bang, and hissing. Instead of diving back down the stairs, the Brother jumped out of cover and put his arm up, catching the rocket with an invisible psychic hand. The explosive projectile stopped in front of him and he launched it back toward the Turret. An explosion rang out through the staircase, bits of rubble and metal showering down toward the victorious Protector as he gave a low screech, signaling the all clear once more.

"My God. What did we ever do without you guys?" Joe shook his head in amazement yet again, the Protectors living up to their names and exceeding everyone's expectations. They were good at that, just when everyone thought they couldn't top a miraculous feat, the Protectors would prove them wrong with another, but they weren't complaining. Surviving in Rapture as Splicer was hard enough, as a Human it was virtually impossible, but with their Guardians now present, it was doable.

The Group proceeded forward, eager to find out just where exactly they were, and who had set that elaborate trap for the NeoSplicers.