Okay, so here is another piece of Titans news. This of course is the bad one though, unlike the Teen Titans vs. the Justice League movie. This one is about a crossover between Teen Titans Go! and the new Powerpuff Girls, both of which new 'rebooted' shows Cartoon Network aired. Now I stopped watching Teen Titans Go! and I rarely watch Powerpuff Girls, because from what I learned after watching the first couple of episodes of TTG, that nostalgia can be a pain in the ass.
Now I did a rant of how Cartoon Network hasn't become the cartoon channel entity that it once was. If you want to see it, go to my YouTube page at luisanitrans. But I always have a problem with these reboots. While the original Teen Titans was a classic with action, great animation, and character building, TTG only focuses on the comedy, no character development, poor flash animation, and random pop culture references that go over a young viewer's head. Not to mention joking around on the fans of the original and how they feel with the rebooted show. It was like they were trolling the audience of the original. And when you troll the older demographic, you know that you have officially alienated half your demographic.
Now the Powerpuff Girls were one of my all time favorites back in the day. The fact that the young girls fight monsters, criminals, and villains in a cartoony yet dark world makes you think of what the girls are going through. This reboot however doesn't have much. Now I don't have a problem with the change of voice actors, unlike the others. But I do have a problem with how the show is presented. The animations felt like something out of Clearance or Steven Universe with the background characters. The removal of Ms. Bellum is a terrible decision as she was one of the main characters in the old show. And then there's the pop culture references… Good God… That's the true nightmare. There are people that reviewed this show that things such as Memes, Emoji's, and twerking, felt like the creator's of the show wanted to modernize it for the younger demographic. I mean seriously, little girls twerking? Is that what the kids are into? And yes, I understand that there's a lot of heat from one of the PPG episodes and one of these episodes involve unicorns. But I don't want to watch that show at all since it was still stupid.
Regardless, between Teen Titans Go!, Powerpuff Girls, and the soon to be released Ben 10 and Samurai Jack remakes, why are executives rebooting shows that had a legacy of their own and dumb it down for the generation of today? This is sort of a vain attempt in creating these shows to get faster ratings and to make a quick buck. Now granted, there are those reboots that work out well such as the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Scooby Doo Mystery Inc., and even My Little Pony. But when you reboot these shows for nothing but nostalgia, you are doomed from the start, especially when you fill in the timeslots with a specific show on a continuous basis because you're desperate for attention. I mean Transformers Robots in Disguise, which they pulled a third season from out of nowhere, thank God, had the qualities of a good show, yet you place it on one spot early in a Saturday morning when people are still sleeping and you can't repeat it a couple of times while Teen Titans Go! get more attention within CN. That's just criminal. Like a said before, we had to put a stop to all this and tell the cartoon executives that they should do better. We should ask these soulless bastards…
#WherearetheGoodCartoons?
Looking back to the last chapter, everything seems to be good. One review and around a hundred hits. Decent, but I know that people are reading this little crossover. Though I'm kind of hoping for more, I know that it will be slow going. Don't know what this chapter would bring, but I'll wait to see.
On this chapter of BioTitans, the Titans meet Atlas to understand the situation they are all in. But in exchange, Atlas wants them to help him and his men out of Rapture. Will they be able to accept his offer?
Chapter Notes
This chapter is going to be a relaxer before the next. So there's not going to be an action scene in there. I know, it's not much, but at least it leads to the buildup for the next one I'm saving up. Still, this gives a real good opportunity to let Atlas makes an appearance. Really like Atlas making an actual appearance in the second episode of Burial at Sea and I thought I could bring him back. Seems very fitting for my story.
Disclaimer: I don't own the Teen Titans or the Bioshock series.
Chapter Six: Atlas
'Those who make peaceful revolution impossible will make violent revolution inevitable.'
J. F. Kennedy
Deep underground, beneath the city, the long hallow tunnels were quiet and empty as not a soul was around. Not far though, a service elevator was making a noise, as a lift was descending downwards. Once it made a stop, the gate like doors opened up and a small group came out of it. That group was the Teen Titans with Saltonstall taking the lead. Up above, the team barely survived the splicer onslaught that was sent by the leader of Rapture, Andrew Ryan. But then, Salton and Johnny came to their rescue and kept the splicer horde at bay with sentry bots and their own arsenal. But they had to escape if they can survive for another day. That's when the two decided to take them to Atlas, to be safe. When they made the journey to the maintenance elevator as they all got in. But Johnny wasn't so lucky as he was swarmed by spider splicers and normal splicers and was brutally killed. Thankfully, the others made it out of that mess as they headed downwards to the underground passages. Now that they have finally got out of that predicament, they can now get to someplace safe. And that only safe place is Altas's headquarters. Once they reached the bottom, Saltonstall turned his lantern to the side and looked around the area. Once he knew that they were in the clear, he told the Titans to follow him.
Saltonstall: "Follow me… Just don't stray."
He soon went on ahead while the rest of the team looked on a little unsure. However, giving that he's the only person they can trust, they decided to follow him just to get to safety. So they continued to walk down the dark and lonely tunnels as they made a couple of turns through one tunnel to the next. By the time they've made a right, Beast Boy started to get tired and was groaning in agony.
Beast Boy: "Argh… Are we there yet? I could have sworn we've been going around in circles!"
Satltonstall turned to the changeling and told him that they were near.
Saltonstall: "We're almost there, kiddo. But once we get to the main gates, let me do the talking. Atlas's men are not kind to strangers, especially those that are from the surface."
The team listened to that and didn't like the sound of that."
Raven: "Typical…"
LM: "And why would we trust you? For all we know, you might be leading us to a trap."
Salton gave a chuckle as he explained a bit of this place.
Saltonstall: "Hardly… These old tunnels connect throughout Rapture and Ryan doesn't have security access to it. The older Big Daddies used these tunnels to move around materials during the construction of Rapture. Now they abandoned these tunnels as the new daddies go around the sea to maintain what's left of the city."
LM raised an eyebrow and was a little confused.
LM: "Big Daddies? What are they?"
Salton turned to him with surprise and turned back to explain about them.
Saltonstall: "Big Daddies are big, brutal, and downright deadly. You can send a horde of splicers to face one of them and none would live to tell the tale. You should know, you and your friends took down one back at the theater."
The rebel Titan stopped dead in his tracks and remembered that nightmare experience.
LM: "You mean that thing I faced was a Big Daddy?! Gee, thanks for bringing that memory up for me."
He soon picks up the pace and rejoined the others. At they were nearing their destination; Robin got next to Stall and asked of his leader.
Robin: "This Atlas and his men, who are they? Mercenaries? Resistance fighters?"
Salton turned to him and explained it all in detail.
Saltonstall: "Oh, just people that deserves a better future. See, Ryan built this city so that every man is free from those in power. Where everyone do and accomplish many things that the parasites deemed unfit on the surface. But then Ryan only cared for those of the higher class while the rest of us got the cold shoulder, struggling to make ends meet."
Starfire: "Sounds like the 'Only Man' that this Ryan speaks of is those of wealth. Correct?"
Stall peeked to see the Tameranean and nodded.
Saltonstall: "You could say that. Atlas is one of those people that wanted a better future. Use to have been part of Fontaine's crew till Fontaine got killed by a barrage of bullets. Atlas and what was left of Frank's men were either executed or sent to either Persephone or Fontaine's Department Store when Ryan sank it. Was one of those poor saps myself that got taken to that store. Atlas though managed to get us all out of that Hell with the help of that lab assistant Suchong to take back the city. But when we fired the first shot… Well… You saw the end result."
Robin nodded and saw what happened to the city when they arrived.
Robin: "Guess your liberty of freedom cost so much. I'm sorry for what happened to you."
Salton shrugged it off and told him that it was all right.
Saltonstall: "Hey, we were fighting a losing war to begin with. We never knew of this until it was too late. But don't mind Atlas, he's not a cold hearted as you think. He's a caring and thoughtful man who would do anything for his people."
By the time he finished, his story, he looked back and found the place.
Saltonstall: "Here we are."
The Titans looked ahead and saw what appears to be the entrance to Atlas's headquarters. There was a huge metal door in the front with two trashcans on fire to light the way and a make shift wall constructed from wood, metal scraps, and billboards that were left behind. Barb wire was placed at the bottom to prevent intruders from getting in while posters were placed on the makeshift wall of a man with the titles such as 'Who is Atlas?' and 'Atlas: Voice of the People'. LM looked to the posters and was unsure of what they said.
LM: "Right… Nothing says caring and thoughtful than a poster of yourself on the wall."
They then noticed something else that was at the entrance. It looked like handmade turrets that comprised of a movable spinning chair, a motor at the bottom with a wheel attached to it for moving back and forth, parts of a Tommy gun that were placed on the armrest with the nozzle poking out, and a box of ammo loaded into the gun with a belt connected in between. The two turrets looked to them, ready to shoot while the team was hesitant in continuing.
Terra: "Uh… Shouldn't we be worried about these turrets pointing at us?"
Salton turned to her and told her to calm down.
Saltonstall: "Relax… Those turrets are embedded with a DNA tracker to pick up anyone that isn't associated to Atlas's men."
The Earth bender turned to him and still wasn't happy with that.
Terra: "And that makes us feel better, how?"
Saltonstall: "Just as long as I'm with you, they won't shoot any of you unless it fires on me."
She nervously laughed when she heard that.
Terra: "Heh, heh… Great… That's very reassuring."
The team continued to walk down to the entrance in order to get in. Thankfully the turrets haven't fired on them as Salton's DNA was registered and keeping them from firing their guns. As soon as they reached the door, Saltonstall turned to them and asked for a quick favor.
Saltonstall: "Let me do the talking. They know me."
The team was quiet as Robin gave a deep nod.
Robin: "Go on ahead, we'll wait."
Salton nodded as he approached the door. After giving a couple of knocks, he waited for a little bit until the peephole opened up and someone looked through it to see the rebel fighter. That's when he said something was a bit random.
"Terrible weather we have huh?"
Salton nodded and responded.
Saltonstall: "Yes, but I always bring an umbrella when it rains."
The person behind the door enclosed the peephole, as the locks were unhooked on the other end. The team heard that and was confused by it. But LM knew this well as back when he was a freedom fighter himself, rebels of Zion always used codes as greetings or deliveries to mask their missions and assignments. As soon as the door opened, there was a man in his mid twenties was wearing a buttoned down shirt and raggedy pants with a top hat on his head and a shotgun strapped to his back. He had a smile on his face as he gave him a great big hug.
"Saltonstall, it's been a while. Haven't heard from you for the past few days. How are things in Rapture?"
Stall just smiled and told him how things are.
Saltonstall: "Oh, you know. Surviving… Hiding… Killing splicers anyway I could."
The person then looked around and noticed someone missing.
"Hey, where's Johnny? He's always with you."
Salton face changed, as he was quiet over this.
Saltonstall: "I'm sorry, but Johnny didn't make it. He stayed behind to hold off some splicers off. He was overwhelmed and didn't stand a chance. So sorry about the loss of your friend."
The person was saddened by this as he turned his head away from the loss. He soon turned back and decided to accept it.
"It's alright. Johnny knew the risk when he joined Atlas's crusade. We all knew it. At least he's gone to a special place."
As soon as he turned back, he noticed the Titans behind Salton and asked about it.
"Um… Who are these people?"
Salton turned to see them as well and spoke about it.
Saltonstall: "Remember of chatter of an unknown vessel entering Rapture? Well, these individuals came from that vessel."
The person looked back to the group and asked them something.
"If you're looking for some treats, Halloween is early."
The team looked to each other, as he knew what he meant. Cyborg then retorted back to him about it.
Cyborg: "At least we were the normal ones. What we've been through upstairs is when a haunted house meets a zombie apocalypse."
The person soon turned to Stall and complained about it.
"The Hell were you thinking bringing strangers into Atlas's HQ? Didn't you think clearly on what is going to happen?"
Saltonstall: "Hey, splicers were surrounding them and they have little chance of survival. Johnny and I had to do something to protect them."
"And it cost us my friend in the first place. You ever thought of that?"
Saltonstall: "He insisted in staying behind. I haven't told him anything! Anyways, I brought them here to speak with Atlas. Perhaps they could help us on the dilemma we're all in."
"And what if it's a trap? What if they work for Ryan and he's using them to kill us?"
Saltonstall: "Because it was Ryan that sent those splicers to kill them. I saw the whole thing. Please… They could be the only chance in escaping this hellhole."
The person listened and looked back and forth to the team. He didn't want anyone in the area, but since they were attacked by Ryan, he knew that they could be of some use. Taking a deep sigh, he decided to let them in.
"All right, fine… You want to bring them in, that's fine by me. But they have to go straight to Atlas first to ask for that favor. Got it?"
Salton nodded, as he understood it.
Saltonstall: "That won't be a problem."
The person soon turned to the team and told them on where to go.
"As for you guys, you wish to speak to the boss? Salton here will take you to him. Just go straight to his office and only there. And please keep your hands to yourselves. I don't want any thieves taking something that doesn't belong to them."
The others heard him and understood what he meant by it. Soon enough, they've managed to pass through the gate entrance and walked down a cave with bon fires coming out the trashcans and more Atlas posters dotting the walls. As they were walking down, they passed the end of the tunnel and were amazed at what they saw. What they saw is a small town underground with makeshift buildings that were made of various materials. There were multiple buildings for getting food, to a bar for drinks, to first aid, weaponry, a planning room, even quarters for people to sleep in. But then they noticed a lot of people within the area as they were going about their daily lives. Some of them had masks on to conceal their faces, but they weren't splicers. They even saw one Atlas supporter sitting on the steps leading up to the second floor quarter strumming his guitar and singing a little tune. By the time they walked past them, everyone stopped what they're doing and turned to see the Titans. Even the person who was at the bar throwing darts at a Rapture poster with Ryan's face on it turned to see them while missing a shot. The team could see Atlas's men starring at them and was a little worried about it.
Beast Boy: "Kay… Why do I get the feeling that these people are looking at us for a while."
Raven looked to him and retorted on that.
Raven: "Well, you are green. So you do stick out in the crowd."
The changeling glared at her and retorted back.
Beast Boy: "Look who's talking. Cyborg's half metal, Starfire's orange, and you're pale gray! The only ones that look close to normal is Robin, Terra, and LM, and the two dress normally."
Saltonstall heard them and told them to calm down.
Saltonstall: "Relax, they're harmless. They just didn't see surface dwellers of your kind in the city, especially those that are… What's the word…?"
That's when Robin started to say it.
Robin: "Unique…?"
Saltonstall: "Sure… Something like that…"
They continued to walk down the end of the town-like headquarters when they stopped at a door with a guard on watch with a carbine in his hands. It was obvious that this was Atlas's office as Salton got in front of the guard and demanded the boss.
Saltonstall: "I wish to seek an audience with Atlas. I got some folks from the surface that he wishes to see."
The guard looked down to the team and was quiet for the moment. By the time he saw them, he turned to the door and opened it to let himself in. As soon as the door closed, the Titans waited while Salton gave a bit of a warning.
Saltonstall: "Bit of advice. Atlas is kind, but he gets tough on his questioning and always asks for something in return. Be prepared for what he'll throw."
Robin nodded, as he was ready.
Robin: "I dealt with negotiations before. I can handle it."
Soon enough, the door opened and the guard came out partway to gesture to the team to come in. The group responded and entered the office. As soon as they were in, the guard closed the door and stood behind it on the inside. LM looked back and could guess that he's there in case things went sour, a part of which he hopes it does not happen. The team soon looked around and was amazed by the inside. There was a desk in the middle of the room with documents and blue prints scattered on top, two lamps on both sides, a record player in the corner playing 'Danny Boy' played by Mario Lanza, and a map of Rapture with photos and places and people with the words, 'deceased' on the bottom. Standing there looking at the map is a man in his thirties to forties wearing a buttoned beige shirt with sleeves rolled up to his elbows, blue pants with suspenders over the shoulders, a pair of loafers, and short dark brown hair that is parted to the side. Judging by the physique of this man, Robin knew that this was Atlas. Saltonstall approached him and greeted him as a friend.
Saltonstall: "Atlas! Old buddy! It's been a while. How are things?"
Atlas just stood there, looking at the map, and didn't say a word. Salton knew what he's doing and decided to explain something.
Saltonstall: "Okay… Look… I know that this was supposed to be a simple assignment, to salvage for supplies. But then things have taken a sudden turn as-"
But he was soon interrupted as Atlas asked something in an Irish accent.
Atlas: "Johnny's dead, is he?"
Salton stood there and was silent. So Atlas spoke again.
Atlas: "Answer the bloody question! Is he?"
He soon took a deep breath and told him the honest truth.
Saltonstall: "I'm sorry, sir. Johnny stayed behind to hold the splicers off while we made an escape. A bunch of Spider Splicers came from behind and… He didn't make it."
Atlas lowered his head and was greatly upset over this.
Atlas: "God Damn splicers. They never give up on their blood thirsty tirade, do they?"
Saltonstall: "Hey, it's Ryan that's to blame in all of this. He's controlling those splicers, he's the one that got us to where we are today. That bastard is the one that dragged the city into the pits of Hell."
Suddenly, Atlas turned to face him while pounding on the desk. This gave the team a real good look at him as he had a clean-shaven look and light blue eyes.
Atlas: "And whose fault was it that brought Rapture down to the point of no return? Sure, Ryan started this war, but I'm the one that made the situation worse. Now here we are underneath the city, surviving on what we can find. Meanwhile, the city is in shambles and Ryan has too big of an ego to know what's really going on. I'm certain it will be a matter of time before the damn place sinks to the ground."
He soon started to look to the side and noticed the team standing there with quiet expressions. Blinking for a little bit, he turned back to him and asks him about them.
Atlas: "Who are they? And why do they look like they're dressed for the Halloween Gala?"
Salton turned to them, then back to his leader for an explanation.
Saltonstall: "Remember that radio chatter of a sub entering the ship graveyard around Rapture? Well, these folks were in that sub and entered Rapture to handle something."
Atlas turned to them and was a little cautious before peeking back to his comrade.
Atlas: "You bring in younglings into this place? It's bad enough we are under staffed, it's worse now that you bring kids into the fold."
Saltonstall: "These are no ordinary kids, sir. They have special abilities we cannot understand. They fended off against those splicers Ryan sent to kill them. They even took down a Big Daddy, single handedly! They were something!"
Atlas: "And your point being…?"
Stall was silent for the moment until he came up with an idea.
Saltonstall: "I think they could be of some use to us in your plans."
Atlas was quiet and through this through, rubbing his chin in the process.
Atlas: "Hmm… They are no Ace in the Hole, but they will do quite nicely."
He soon gesture his friend to step aside as he looked to the team with curious observation.
Atlas: "Who's the leader of this rag tag group?"
Robin soon stepped in and answered his question.
Robin: "That would be me."
The rebel leader smiled and gestured him to come.
Atlas: "Come here. I want to speak to you about something."
The team looked to their leader and was a little worried of him going along. But Robin insisted as he stepped forward to speak to the rebel leader. Atlas started to sit on his chair, taking out a bunch of photos from the dware and skimming through it. But he didn't forget about the Titan leader in front of him as he started the conversation.
Atlas: "Salton here told me about you and your lot. Defending yourselves against the splicers, fighting and defeating a metal Daddy. You all got quite a reputation."
Robin was quiet on the whole thing and shrugged it off.
Robin: "Well, we have some experience of this on the surface."
Atlas looked up with a bit of a shock and didn't think that they can do that above ground.
Atlas: "So you say… What are your names, by the way?"
He looked back and continued to skim through the pictures again. Robin then introduced himself and the others.
Robin: "My name is Robin, leader of the Teen Titans."
He turned to the others and gave out the other introductions.
Robin: "This is Starfire, Cyborg, Raven, Beast Boy, Terra, and LM."
He soon turned back to Atlas and knew whom he was.
Robin: "And you must be Atlas, heard about you."
Atlas peeked up and was silent for the moment, before getting back to the pictures, skimming through them.
Atlas: "Do ya now. Well my name is infamous throughout Rapture. But that was a long time ago. So you are called the Titans, huh? Guess you didn't read one of Ryan's speeches. No gods, no kings, only man. You place a team name like Titan, you are asking for trouble. Still, a bit too young to be calling yourselves Titans. How old are you lot?"
He soon found a picture he was looking for and took out a marker to write something down. Robin kept going with the conversation by answering that question.
Robin: "Most of use have ages ranging from 16-20, few have reached young adult stages. Why?"
As soon as Atlas finished with the writing, he looked to the map and showed them.
Atlas: "You see this map up here? Where the pictures were placed? This represents the people that died throughout Rapture. Most of them were young tykes around the ages of you and your friends, wanting to make a name for themselves only to have their dreams shattered due to the war."
He soon turned the picture to the leader and showed a picture of Johnny's face with the 'deceased' written on it.
Atlas: "Johnny here was one of those people. You know what he dreamed of being? A fashion designer! We wanted to make the finest clothing for Rapture. Then when the war broke out and businesses shutdown, he was surviving on the streets until my boys fished him out. Would've made a fine soldier out of him. Until you came by and took his life."
The Titan leader heard that and tried to explain himself.
Robin: "It's not our fault! The splicers overwhelmed your comrade and-"
Atlas interrupted him as he got up and placed the photo on the wall map, where the welcoming center is located.
Atlas: "Oh, I'm fully aware of what happened. He would've survived if Ryan haven't had his sights set on ya. So what's the purpose in having you lot when you took one of my own?"
While placing the picture on the map, Robin looked down at the desk where there's a lot of files all over the place. He noticed that it was a mess and it was loaded with papers and photos. There were a few however that caught his eyes. One was a blueprint of some kind of prison with the title, 'Persephone' on it and the other were blurry photos of people. One looked like a woman with something written in red ink that said, 'backstabber' while the other is one of a man with a circle around his head and the title 'Ace?' on the side. As he was looking at the pictures, Atlas asked something else.
Atlas: "What brought you here to Rapture anyways, boyo? Certainly not for the sight seeing."
Robin looked up to him keeping the picture tight on the map. Hearing that, he explained about a few personal things.
Robin: "We picked up a faint distress signal coming from this city after we've survived a freak thunder storm. We went in to investigate the signal when we arrived into the city and got a warm welcome."
Atlas turned to him a little surprised by it.
Atlas: "You survived a storm over the Atlantic? Storms such as those are rare during this time. As far as that distress signal goes, it will be impossible because of two things. Either the person you are looking for is dead, or spliced up just like everyone else. You won't find any help in this city, only pain, and misery."
Everyone listened in and knew that it was a bad sign. Robin through was curious about this city and asked about it.
Robin: "This city… What happened to it? How did it get to the way it is?"
Atlas had that look as he told him what really happened.
Atlas: "What happened? Take a good look around, boyo! Civil War brought the downfall of the city. Andrew Ryan built Rapture for a single purpose, free will. He created this city so that scientists, artists, engineers, pretty much everyone can achieve greatness without governments, religions, or socialist dictators breathing down their necks. But just because a man built a city to be free, doesn't mean that it's equal. Turns out there are two types of classes in Rapture: the ones that live the high life, and the ones working their arse's off trying to make a meal. In short, the rich get fatter, while the poor gets hungrier. Because of this, it was a matter of time before the working class revolts. Fontaine was with those that got the short end of the stick and promised us a better tomorrow. But then he was attacked by Ryan's men and killed by a firing squad. He certainly left a legacy that ended badly."
The team listened to the conversation as Terra asked about him.
Terra: "And you? You took off where this Fontaine guy left off?"
Atlas turned to the Earth bender and explained about that.
Atlas: "You could say that. There was a time I believed in what was right. That there would be a future for people like me. Which is why the people choose me to pick up where Fontaine left off. 'Atlas: Voice of the People' they praised. But in reality, all that propaganda is just an excuse to kill a man. When Fontaine's department store rose from its grave, we decided to take the city back for the working man. To do that, we would deliver a message that was loud and clear."
Raven: "That message came straight from the Kashmir Restaurant, was it?"
The rebel leader turned to the telepath with silence as she continued.
Raven: "Some of us went down there and saw that hole on the floor. I took it that you've sent some men to crash the party."
Atlas gave a quick nod and continued.
Atlas: "In a way, yes. That was meant to be the first shot in the Civil War. Something that Ryan would get the message we've sent. But as time went on, this war escalated deeper into madness with no end in sight. Territories taken and retaken, bloodshed on both sides, businesses shut down for fears of riots. It wasn't a good war we were winning. Then it got worse as those that didn't pick a side had to do anything they can to survive. One of the main things they did was injecting themselves with as much Adam as they can hold, without feeling the consequences."
Cyborg heard this and remembered something when they arrived to the city.
Cyborg: "You know, we saw something when we came to Rapture. Some kind of store that sells these so called Plasmids. There seems to have been a raid of the place and we saw dead bodies and empty bottles and syringes. You don't think that has something to do with this?"
He turned to the hybrid and gave a quick nod.
Atlas: "You could say that. Inside of every Plasmid, whether it be injectable or drinkable, contains Adam. It's a genetic structure that keeps the gears of Rapture turning. Once consumed, it alters the DNA of the person, giving them powers that cannot be explained. The problem with these Plasmids is that it's a double edge sword. Sure they give you powers, but there are some serious side effects with them."
Terra: "Side effects? What side effects?"
Atlas: "Physical changes, mental aggression, seeing ghosts, all the bad stuff. Once the Plasmid enters the bloodstream, the old cells die out and then replace them with new unstable ones. That in turn led to a slow mutation of the body and mind. When the war broke out, folks that didn't pick a side kept getting more and more plasmids to survive. The thing is, not everyone pays attention to the warning label. Cause of this, they soon got addicted from the injectibles, even worse with the drinking bottles that carry ten times more. Soon enough, they started to mutate as they turned into monsters with a sensational thirst for Adam. Best friends butchering one another, babies strangled in cribs, it was all terrible. There were those that even thought that they can take on a Big Daddy, but we all knew that it was a fruitless endeavor."
LM rubbed the back of his head and remembered the fight pretty well.
LM: "Tell me about it. That thing was tough as nails and we had to throw everything at it, including the kitchen sink. And to think that happened when I was trying to protect that kid."
Atlas quickly turned to him was really confused.
Atlas: "Kid?"
The rebel Titan turned to him and gave the details.
LM: "Yeah… Young girl, seven to eight years of age, brown hair, raggedy dress, pale skin, yellow eyes, drinking blood off a corpse… Anyone you knew?"
The leader heard the description and slouched back with a deep sigh.
Atlas: "You think that was a child you were protecting?"
LM blinked as he responded in an obvious tone.
LM: "Well… Yeah… I mean the blood drinking thing caught me off guard, but she seems like a sweet innocent girl."
Atlas though looked to him and explained to him what he encountered.
Atlas: "That's not a little girl, not anymore. She's a Little Sister."
LM starred off in the distance and was a bit confused about that one.
LM: "Little Sister…? What's a Little Sister?"
It was then that Atlas explained about it in detail.
Atlas: "They are walking Adam factories is what they are. Someone turned girls like her into those abominations. The Little Sisters carry sea slugs in their bellies, slugs that feed off of that genetic substance. The Little Sister's job is to drain the Adam off a body of a dead corpse and drink it up to help preserve it. The Splicers though get drawn in to that stuff and usually kill the Little Sister to harvest their Adam."
Terra listened in as well and was concerned about that part.
Terra: "Harvest? You mean removal, right? I mean once this slug is removed from the body, the girls are back to normal?"
Atlas turned to her and shook her head.
Atlas: "Afraid not, girl. Once the slugs are embedded into the girl's stomach, they have a physical bond. If a slug is removed from the girl, the host dies from it. Those things are a part of the girl's lives and will remain like that until some poor sap gets their hands on them."
Terra heard that and was shocked by this news, turning her head away in disgust. Starfire comforts her and she thought that these Little Sisters are cursed souls.
Starfire: "So Rapture has these Little Sister running around sucking this Adam to feed on. That is so cruel."
The rebel leader turned to her and told her that life is cruel.
Atlas: "Believe me when I say this, sister. Whatever you think what's right or wrong in the surface, that don't mean much down here. Of course in order to keep the Little Sisters from getting killed, they would need a protector."
He soon looks back to LM and explained about what happened to him.
Atlas: "When you were facing one of those Big Daddies, that girl was there. The reason why he was fighting you is because he was protecting her. She gathers Adam, he keeps it safe."
LM heard this and palmed himself in the forehead, shocked to hear that he almost cost himself his life.
LM: "So all that time, I was fighting that thing when in reality it was looking after her. Man, had I been stupid."
Atlas crossed his arms and could tell that he was a bit dumb on that part.
Atlas: "Well those that enter the city should've learned that the hard way when you approached those abominations. Anyways, with the civil war, combined with the splicer outbreak, the city gone straight to Hell. Those that survived the mess either set up safe houses around the city or taken to the underground tunnels like myself and my group have. But this is unfortunately a last resort as Rapture is slowly dying. With most of the occupants spliced up, no one isn't caring for the city. The place is in disrepair and there are leaks through the pipes and glass. I'm certain in a couple of years or more, this whole city will be underwater both inside and out. We're all pretty much buried at sea."
The others soon heard this as Beast Boy decided to ask an important question.
Beast Boy: "Um… Dude… If you don't want to stay in this city, shouldn't you like… I don't know… Leave…"
Atlas turned to him in shock and was a little sarcastic.
Atlas: "Leave Rapture? Well that is an excellent idea. Why haven't I thought of it? Oh I know why, it's because we can't leave!"
He soon started to dig through another dware as he explained why he said something like that.
Atlas: "During the end of the Civil War, Andrew Ryan had the whole city on lock down. No one can leave Rapture for he feared that people leaving will expose the secrets and that the parasites, he calls them, will come in and take over. There are those that managed to find ways in getting out, but none managed to reach the surface."
He found what he was looking for and took it out and placed it on the table. Robin looked to the object and noticed that it was a recording device they've encountered a couple of times, but it looked rusty and had aquatic reefs grown to the sides. Atlas explained about it.
Atlas: "I had an underwater exploration team sent to get some fish for food. They found a downed bathysphere within the city that had two bodies inside. One of them was carrying this audio device on him. From what I've heard… Well… Have a listen."
He soon pushed play on the recording and the team listened in. The audio was working well, but what they heard some something they didn't expect.
'All right, Diary - last entry! ...Lizzy and I... we found a 'sphere and we're going home! Ain't that right, baby? Next stop, topside! Wooo!'
There was laughter between him and a woman that was with her.
'Oh, I love you. It was you who saved us, Sammy. It was you, button. I…'
Just then, the team heard the sound of sirens within the audio log as the woman name Lizzy was worried.
'Wh… What was that? What's that sound?'
The one name Sammy made a quick check and realized what it was.
'Oh no… He's seen us! It's Ryan! Torpedo! I'll try to-'
Before he could do anything, the team heard the explosion and the drowning death of the two before the audio diary stopped completely. Atlas then put the device away and explained what they've just heard.
Atlas: "Just as you heard through that diary, Ryan can track all the bathespheres trying to reach the surface. Anyone tried to pass the city limits; he will locate them and fire his torpedoes to prevent them from escaping. The same goes to any ship or plane topside, as they will foolishly enter the area and get shot down before they would notice. I'm certain you saw all the ships and planes around the city.
Everyone nodded and Raven realized that the mystery of the sea was a bit of a lie.
Raven: "The Frozen Triangle… What happened to those ships and planes is because of Ryan?"
Atlas turned to her and nodded.
Atlas: "In a way, yes. Whatever you've heard from the surface, Andrew Ryan is the responsible bastard that took those ships and planes, along with the lives in them. You all got lucky you survived through his defenses. No one every lived to tell that tale. And now here you all are, trapped in the damned nightmare that was once a proud and gracious city, surrounded by the monsters that were once normal everyday people that once lived their own lives. Congratulations!"
The team heard the rest of the story and soon realized what they've gotten themselves into. Not only that they've entered a city filled with loons and monsters, but also an egomaniacal leader that controls the city with an iron fist. Even if they could find the person, or persons, responsible for sending that distress signal, there is still a problem leaving the city. Not to mention Atlas and his men are still trapped inside and they can't get out of this city with Ryan having his finger on the trigger. LM though thought of something and asked the rebel leader about it.
LM: "If Ryan is making your lives miserable, why don't you overthrow him? You know, take back the power."
Atlas turned to him and told him that it was a no go from the start.
Atlas: "What made you think I started this Civil War? We were planning in taking over this city and put Ryan out of power. But then, with the set backs, the splicers, the Big Daddies, the security, even the lock down, it has become a losing battle for all of us. Ryan even put something in the air to keep the splicers under control. Pheromones he calls it. Makes them dance to his tune. Long story short, we soon lost the war the moment we've started it. Me? I'm done with fighting… I just want to see the sunlight again…"
He soon turned his head away and closed his eyes tightly, knowing that this is going to be a fruitless endeavor. Robin heard his plea and felt sorry for him.
Robin: "We're sorry you and your group is going through these troubled times, Atlas. I just wish there was someway in helping you."
Atlas heard him and soon realized something.
Atlas: "You know… Maybe there is!"
The team looked to him with confusion as Robin wondered what he was thinking.
Robin: "Come again?"
Atlas then started to explain about what the team did.
Atlas: "You all managed to bypass Ryan's defenses and entered the city unharmed, survived a splicer horde, and took down a Big Daddy single handedly. You all have power and abilities that can help you get by without a problem. If that's the case, then you can be of some use to us."
Raven finds that a bit off and asked about it.
Raven: "Use in what way…?"
Atlas then stood up and explained what he had in mind.
Atlas: "My boys and I were trying to get out of this city for years and Ryan always stopped us no matter what we do. Yet you've all managed to survive his wrath. Which makes you the perfect help needed. If you can help us get out of the city, then I'm forever in your debt."
The group looked to each other and were a little cautious about this. They just met with the revolutionary leader and now he needs their help. Feeling quiet, Robin looked to him and asked for a quick favor.
Robin: "Can you give us a second?"
Atlas nodded as he let them talk this over.
Atlas: "Take your time."
Quickly, everyone got to the corner and was in a huddle, discussing about this situation.
LM: "Well, this is a complication. We were supposed to find this person that sent that distract signal. Now we need to help some leader of a revolution to leave this city? That raises a few red flags in my personal opinion."
Starfire: "I could agree with LM. This Atlas sounds like a suspicious individual and hasn't given us the fuller detail."
Robin: "Maybe, but by the way he sounded, he seems like he's desperate in leaving, perhaps wanting to be free. We can't just leave him and his team behind."
Cyborg: "But are you sure we could trust him? The last time we faced someone by the name of Atlas was when you guys were trapped as trophies and I had to push my limits to beat him. Wasn't a comforting site, I tell ya?"
Robin thought that more and told them that they'll just roll with it.
Robin: "Look, I know most of you don't like this as much as I do. But what choice do we have? We need to help Atlas and his team out. Help them get out of this city. And until we know more of Atlas, we will assist them with whatever they need."
Raven: "And what about the distress signal? What about what we came here to do in the first place? We cannot ignore that."
Robin looked to the telepath and realized that she does have a point.
Robin: "We'll worry about that later. Right now, we got to help them."
Once they were all in agreement, the got out of the huddle as Robin got in front to clear his throat. He looked to Atlas and made the final decision.
Robin: "We'll help you out with anything we can."
Atlas smiled and was delighted with the news.
Atlas: "Outstanding… I assure you that you won't be disappointed. Now we should focus on getting out of Rapture. Since maybe if you can open up the docks at the Welcoming Center, maybe that will be our first objective."
The team looked to each other and were very quiet on the whole thing. That's when Beast Boy raised his hand and explained about the flaw of that plan.
Beast Boy: "Um… Yeah… About that… We came from that place and we were nearly killed by those Splicers. Not to mention they could be still looking for us after we've escaped."
Terra then stepped in and addressed the other elephant in the room.
Terra: "Plus, we nearly got ourselves blown to bits by Ryan's torpedoes. You think we can get out now after what we had to go through? Even if you use all the other subs, Ryan will still shoot them down since he can track them all."
Atlas rubbed his chin and understood their explanation.
Atlas: "Hmm… You all made very valid points. Ryan would blast us out of the sea if he finds a few spheres leaving the city grounds. This will certainly complicate things."
Robin stepped in and asked if there's another way.
Robin: "There has to be some other way in getting out of this city without Ryan noticing you leaving."
The rebel leader gave it some serious thought and wondered what to do next. Just then, an idea came to mind as his eyes were wide and had a pleasant smile on his face.
Atlas: "Maybe, there is another way out of this city."
A few minutes later, the team was at the war room that had a circular table with a map of Rapture on it and a few photos showing places of interest. Atlas and Saltonstall were on one side with someone else next to them. On the other side are the Titans as they were eating some food and drinks that Atlas's men had salvaged. Course, Beast Boy asked for something that's not meat related, so they gave him some canned fruits for his diet. Atlas then introduced them to the stranger that was in front of him.
Atlas: "Titans, allow me to introduce to you Felix Molley. He's our strategist and knows everything about Rapture."
Felix gave the tip of his hat and greeted the team.
Felix Molley: "How ya doin'?"
Robin nodded and greeted back.
Robin: "It's good to see you too."
Atlas then decided to start explaining about what he has in mind.
Atlas: "Now, as you said before, we cannot get out of this city because Ryan would track any bathesphere leaving the city and will fire the torpedoes if we get too far. There is however one sub that he couldn't track. Felix?"
Felix nodded as he explained about the rumors.
Felix Molley: "There is a sub that is located within an underground smuggling operation. Smugglers used that sub to transfer sensitive materials."
Everyone listened in as Robin asked about it.
Robin: "Sensitive materials? What kind?"
Felix shrugged it off and answered it.
Felix Molley: "You know… Crosses, holy bibles, prayers recorded on audiotapes. Anything that is religious. Just because Ryan says that religion isn't allowed in the city, doesn't mean that there are still people that don't want to abandon what they believe in."
Atlas then explained the details of the vessel that they are looking for.
Atlas: "The smugglers built this sub and equipped it with a scrambler to block off the city's tracking system. So there is no way Ryan will locate it coming back and forth through the city and launch his torpedoes at it. It is our only meal ticket out of this decaying utopia."
When they heard this, they were relieved that there is a way out. Looking to the leader, Robin asked about it.
Robin: "So you want us to find this sub and help you guys to get out of Rapture?"
Atlas nodded and responded back.
Atlas: "That's the plan. Though we don't know of this for sure if the sub is in the city or not. Its just rumors circulating about it, but we need to be sure that the sub is located in the city so we can leave."
Robin thought this through and decided to accept this mission.
Robin: "Okay… We'll help you in finding this sub. Just tell us where we need to go."
It was then that Felix explained to the team on where to go and pointed to the one area on the map that has the title that says, 'Port Neptune'.
Felix Molley: "There's a smuggler hideout located underneath Fontaine Fisheries at Neptune's Bounty. We have reason to believe that that's where they have the sub hidden."
Atlas: "You are to head down to the fisheries and speak to the smugglers. Though I do not know if they will be kind of your presence."
Robin crossed his arms and told him that they got it.
Robin: "We'll take our chances."
Raven though stood up and asked on how to reach Neptune.
Raven: "So… How are we going to get down to this port? It's not like we can return to that Welcoming Center where all those bathyspheres can take us to different parts of the city. Those splicers could still be waiting for us back there."
Atlas heard that and knew the way back wasn't the answer. That's when Felix knew of an alternate way.
Felix Molley: "There is another way to get there. There's an emergency bathysphere located in the security wing of Medical Pavilion. It will take you straight to Neptune. Would be a short way from there."
The others listened and understood it as LM approached the two and asked for a quick favor.
LM: "I'm game. There is however one thing I need before we leave."
Atlas looked to him and wondered what he wants.
Atlas: "And what would that be?"
LM smiled as he said it straight away.
LM: "I need a weapon."
A few minutes later, LM was at the armory with Atlas and another individual that looked Asian and wore a vest with two ammo belts in an X formation. The rebel leader introduced him to the new person.
Atlas: "This is Chen-Lin Jr. He used to have been a gunsmith providing weapons for Rapture's military. Of course he did smuggle some weapons for Fontaine and was arrested because of it. Was in Fontaine's Department Store with me and was useful in his weaponry. Takes up after his father."
LM looked to him and offered his hand.
LM: "A pleasure to meet you."
Chen-Lin looked to him and respectfully bowed.
Chen-Lin Jr.: "Please, the honor is mine…"
The rebel Titan starred for a few short seconds before embarrassingly got his hand away and laughed it off. Atlas then told Chen about the situation.
Atlas: "Mr. Lin, a team of his is going to Medical to reach Port Neptune and this fellow here is in need of some weaponry. You got something that could ease his fancy?"
Lin looked to the rebel and came up with a few ideas.
Chen-Lin Jr.: "Hmm… I think I got something that would please him. Give me a moment."
He headed to the gun racks behind the counter and searched for some reliable weapons necessary for the rebel Titan.
Chen-Lin Jr.: "Let's see… There's got to be something that could be useful for you… Ah! Here we go!"
LM heard that and approaches him wondering what he has, with Atlas joining beside him. It was then that Lin turned to them and placed the said weapons.
Chen-Lin Jr.: "Here you go. A good old fashion Tommy gun, a shotgun, and two revolvers."
LM looked to the weapons on the tabletop and was a little impressed.
LM: "Just those, huh? I was kind of hoping on something powerful than that."
He then took a closer look at the guns and noticed some differences. For example the two pistols had a wider barrel clip with bullets exposed on the sides, a contraption on the side with something glowing and a few rotator gears on the side near the triggers. The Tommy gun had a bigger clip at the bottom that was misshaped, a piece of curved metal on the nozzle connected with wires that goes to a cylinder like device, and a glowing device in the back that looks warm. And the shotgun had three canisters on the side with pipes connecting to the other end of the gun, rotating gears near the base that were slowly spinning, and a new style of clips with the shells exposed. Looking to these weapons, the rebel raised an eyebrow and was already interested.
LM: "Hmm… It looks like you made some modifications with these weapons."
Atlas chuckled and told him that it was Lin's job.
Atlas: "That's our Chen-Lin, he never disappoints when it comes to weaponry. Explain to him of the modifications."
The gunsmith nodded and started to explain.
Chen-Lin Jr.: "But of course. Now these weapons are all well and good, but it wouldn't be enough to take on an army of splicers. So I made some modifications to help you survive an onslaught. These revolvers have an extended clip so you can shoot twelve slugs at a time rather then a mere six. The heater on the side can increase the damage of the bullet by 25%, so make sure you hit right at the head. And those rotator gears on the side can automatically shoot without pulling the back end of the guns. The Tommy gun's improvements include an extended clip for you to fire 120 rounds than 60, though the design is a little wonky. Still, that was a work in progress. However, the other improvements are more effective. One is a recoil reduction so that it reduces the kickback of the gun, so you won't have to worry about any bullets flying everywhere but the one target while you are holding the trigger. The heater on the back end increases the damage of the bullets by 25%, so you can take out the splicers easily. And the shotgun's modifications are simpler. Such as the extended clip that not only gives you an extra four shells, but also a clip on so you won't have to worry about reloading one shell at a time. The canisters are filled with a powerful force so not only the damage is increased by 25%, but only enhances the spread of the buckshot. And the rotator gear near the base makes the firing automatic, meaning you can fire away without a single pump on the gun. All and all, these little upgrades can help you get through a full on firefight with Ryan's hoard of splicers."
LM looked to these guns was impressed by the enhancements. He soon picked up one of the pistol and deeply examined it. He soon turned to a discarded beer bottles left on the chair and decided to use a little target practice. Taking aim at the bottle, he pulled the trigger and the gun fired multiple shots at the bottle by the automatic upgrade. The bullets hit the bottle and it shattered into a million pieces. The two saw this and was amazed on how he handled something like that. LM though looked to the gun and was pleased with the improvements.
LM: "Hmm… Not bad. This could be very useful throughout the city."
Atlas then went to his side and patted him on his shoulder.
Atlas: "That's just the half of it, my friend. There's more for you to handle."
He turned to Lin and told him to give LM the rest of the surprises.
Atlas: "Mr. Lin, give him the munitions for the weapons."
Chen nodded as he got down under the counter and took out what looks like a belt with two straps and loaded with ammo for the three guns along with tin cans on the side. Placing it on the counter, he explained to LM of the ammo for the said guns.
Chen-Lin Jr.: "Even if you have these upgrades, it won't be much without the munitions. Which is why I'm giving you this beauty. This ammo belt contains the munitions needed to get by anything that comes at you. That includes specific ammo types for any enemies."
LM raised an eyebrow and was a bit confused over that.
LM: "Specific ammo types…?"
He turned to Atlas for a quick explanation. Atlas laughed a little and explained about it.
Atlas: "There are different types of ammo varieties to help you get through with different types of enemies, be the splicers or Big Daddies. They could be useful when it comes to taking on any kind of threat."
That's when Chen-Lin explained the different ammo varieties, getting to the pistol rounds on the left strap and the three Tommy gun drums on the left side of the belt.
Chen-Lin Jr.: "Now you do have your regular ammo for your pistol and Tommy gun, but there are two different varieties to help you out. First one is the antipersonnel rounds that are more damaging then the regular, enough to kill a splicer in a matter of seconds, especially with the damage upgrades. The other ammo variant is armor piercing rounds. This can be useful when you need to take down any turrets, security camera, or a Big Daddy if you ever cross one."
The rebel was quiet as he remembered the encounter with his first Big Daddy.
LM: "Don't worry; after what I had to go through, I won't be going near those monstrosities. As long as I don't go near one of those Little Sisters."
Chen-Lin chuckled as he continued on with the rest of the munitions.
Chen-Lin Jr.: "Now on the right strap, you got a variety of shells in fashionable order. Now you do have your plain six bucks, but below it are other shells with different varieties. You got your electric bucks just to give your enemies a static shock. You can also shoot it on water so you can electrocute the splicers on the ground, and with the city leaking everywhere, it could give you a really good advantage. Then you got your Exploding Bucks as one shot can set a splicer on fire and has a really good spread range. Then you have your Solid Slug as one shot can instantly kill your target, even at far enough distances. Lastly, there's the Phosphorus Buck as they are like the Explosive, but different. See the shell contains small firework sparks from within. Firing it, the shell releases the sparks and land on any surface. Once it lands on the surface, they will ignite and catch anything on fire. Could be very useful for quick escapes or to continuously firing any anyone and watch as they struggle to put the flames out."
LM looked to all the ammo on the belt and was speechless.
LM: "That's a lot of ammunition. You're sure all of this is necessary?"
Atlas then stepped in and told him that it was mandatory.
Atlas: "This is your first rodeo in Rapture. You're going to need it."
Chen-Lin Jr.: "And to get you out of any hairy situations, you have these little beauties."
He then patted on the tin cans on the right side of the ammo belt. LM looked to those and was confused by that.
LM: "Coffee cans? You want me to hand them out fresh cup of Joes? What's next, throwing fruit cans to humanoid shrimp?"
Lin listened to that remark and ignored it, moving onto the reason behind those cans.
Chen-Lin Jr.: "These are no ordinary coffee cans. These cans contain a combination of gunpowder, glycerin, and samples of Incinerate and Devil's Kiss. The string on the top ignites it. All you need to do is to light it up and throw it to a hoard of splicers. They will blow them up and kill them at a five foot wide radius."
LM heard this and knew what they are.
LM: "So these are grenades. Homemade grenades no less. Got to say, that's some creativity. Still, I don't know if this will be enough for me."
That when Atlas digs into his pockets and handed him some money.
Atlas: "Here's $500. There are vending machines scattered throughout the city that will give you medical supplies, food, and ammo for your weapons. This will be enough to help you get by. But if you don't have money or ammo, I suggest checking the pockets of the corpses or dead splicers you see to find anything useful."
The Rebel Titan looked to the money and decided to take it anyways. After all, the team might need some of it to get by. Putting it in his wallet, he turned to him and was ready.
LM: "All right then, let's get going."
Minutes later, the Teen Titans were walking back to the entrance they came in with Atlas taking the lead. Behind them is LM as he has his now acquired weaponry for battle and the ammo belt buckled underneath his jacket and the two pistols in the holsters. As they were walking, Atlas explained on where to go.
Atlas: "Medical Pavilion is not far from this hideout. There's a maintenance elevator that could take you up to the maintenance hall and will lead you to security. Just make a right and walked on straight through the tunnel. It would be a long walk, but could see the elevator when you pass by. It will take you up there. Once you get to the security console to unlock the gate, take that bathesphere to Port Neptune. I'll contact you once you get there to tell you where you want to go."
Robin listened in and understood his plan. Yet he wanted to ask one more thing.
Robin: "That's great and all, still, you are not going to come with us?"
Atlas shook his head and explained about that.
Atlas: "Wish I could. But my group and myself need to pack up and prepare to leave this Hell of a city. If there's a chance that sub is still within the Smuggler's Hideout, then it would be our only hope in escaping. Once you reach Neptune's Bounty and contact us, we'll be ready to leave. It will be a long walk, but we'll be safe underground."
Raven rolled her eyes around and was very silent over all of this.
Raven: "So you're going to stay put while we head into danger. Why am I not surprised?"
Beast Boy was next to her and told her that it was all right.
Beast Boy: "Don't sweat it Rae. We've been through worse than this. After all, we know what we're up against this time and we are far prepared then last time. No way we won't slip up again."
Just as he said that, an arm came out of the darkness and grabbed BB by the arm. The changeling panicked and jumped back from the unexpected grab. The others soon turned to see him backing up as the mysterious shadow underneath one of the dorm buildings said something.
"You're heading down to Medical Pavilion, are you?"
The group looked to him and was silent over him. The stranger soon got out of the darkness and his face was covered with a wooden cutout of a clown mask that was on the vending machine. Atlas could see him standing there and told him to stay put.
Atlas: "Johnson, stay out of it. They're just going there to get to the bathysphere in security. Nothing more."
Johnson looked to Atlas with a stern look and looked back to the team and gave him a fair warning.
Johnson: "Word to the wise… If you are heading down there, stay away from Steinman."
Robin looked to him with curiosity and asked about what he said.
Robin: "Steinman…?"
Johnson nodded as he explained about it.
Johnson: "Yes… He's the ringleader within the Pavilion. The bastard's a real psychopath. Those who have entered that damn place never make it out of there alive. And those you have survived… Well…"
He looked back and slowly removed the mask off his face and was extremely silent. Turning back, the team saw this and was horrified at the actual face. It had scars dotted left and right and was disfigured with a bad eye on the left side and mouth completely drooped. The team was a little sick over this as Johnson finished what he was saying.
Johnson: "Really wish they didn't…"
They all stood there in silence as Atlas decided to end this little chitchat.
Atlas: "That's enough from you, Johnson. They already had been through enough as it is."
Johnson turned to the rebel leader and nodded, putting his mask back on. He soon walked away as Atlas apologized of what happened.
Atlas: "I'm so sorry about that. Johnson gets paranoid over Medical. He had been through so much after that."
Robin looked to Atlas and wanted to know some explanation.
Robin: "It's all right. We've seen some crazies in our time. But who is this Steinman your friend is referring to?"
Atlas lowered his eyebrows and explained a bit of it.
Atlas: "Just a famous surgeon in Rapture that's in charge of Medical Pavilion. Now he lost his mind just like everyone else in Rapture, all drugged up in Adam and extremely crazy. He's desperate in perfection and would cut anyone to achieve something like that. Lucky for you, your concern isn't with the doctor. After all, the security station is far from him. You won't have to worry about that mad man. Let's get going."
He soon walked ahead as the team looked on with bewilderment.
LM: "Okay… Why do I get the feeling that we're in over our heads?"
Robin turned to the rebel Titan and told him to keep trusting him.
Robin: "As long as Atlas knows what he's doing, we'll be fine. Come on. Let's get this over with."
The group soon followed him and they left the little village/HQ and are back in the tunnel. As they approached the steel door, Atlas explained to them the plan again.
Atlas: "All right, remember to head down to security in Medical to get to the bathesphere at emergency access. It will take you straight to Port Neptune. Once you get there, contact me and my friends will get to the Smuggler's hideout another way."
Robin listened to him and nodded, understanding what he wants to do. But before he and his team leave, he decided to give him something. Getting into his compartments on his utility belt, he took that something and decided to give it to Atlas.
Robin: "Here, take this."
Atlas looked to him and wondered what he's going to give him. Opening his hand, the Titan leader showed him a round yellow object with an antennae on the topside and a T in the middle. He looked to it with a bit of confusion and asked the leader what it was.
Atlas: "What is this?"
Rob then explained to him about what he was holding.
Robin: "This is a T Communicator. It's a communication device that we Titans use to communicate with each other. It's our one little contraption that no one would breach through. Could come in handy if we speak to you of any situations that we come across."
Atlas looked to the communicator and was silent about it all. Thinking this through, he decided to take it anyways.
Atlas: "Might as well… With Ryan having access within most of the short wave radios, it would be nice to have something he can't get to."
He then took the communicator and placed it in the holster on his belt. Once he got it in his possession, he started to speak to the team of the idea.
Atlas: "Once you get into the Bathysphere and into Neptune's Bounty, contact me and we'll make our leave. Be quick about it though. Ryan knows you're in the city, which means that he'll do anything in his power to stop you."
The team looked on and got the idea of what they're up against. Once they were set for the mission, Atlas turned to the door guard and told him to open the door.
Atlas: "Open the door! Let them out!"
The doorman nodded as he started to unlock the hinges and pads before pulling to door back. As soon as it was opened, the team went on ahead to get to Medical Pavilion while Robin remained to say his final promise.
Robin: "Not to worry, Atlas. My team and I have been through this situation before. We can handle whatever Ryan throws at us."
Atlas heard that and gave a small smirk, knowing that they would succeed.
Atlas: "For your sake, you better survive out there. Good luck, you're going to need it."
Robin gave a quick nod before leaving the safe house and catching up with the others. Once they were all gone, the doorman closed the door and locked it up tight. Just then, Saltonstall came to Atlas side and asked something.
Saltonstall: "Do they know of what your true intentions are…? That you're focus isn't with the sub?"
Atlas turned to him and let him know that everything is under control.
Atlas: "Don't worry… They don't have a clue on what we're really trying to accomplish…."
And that does it with chapter six of this story. Now I know what you guys are going to ask me… 'Why didn't I bring the Atlas family story line like in the original game?' Well, I was thinking about that angle a long time ago when it was in my head. But playing the Burial at Sea DLC and how the whole series has gone full circle, I thought of a much different approach. Besides, if I did put together the whole family stick, there will be a few uneventful scenarios. One which includes Raven using telepathy to figure out that he was lying. Or Robin getting awfully suspicious on his behavior. Those could be barriers I have to bypass somehow. But this option seems like the easiest one I can come up with. So yeah, far better option than the family part. Anyways, the next chapter will have the Titans entering Medical Pavilion where they try to get to the emergency bathesphere. But they were caught in a roadblock as they have to journey through the twisted hospital and a sociopath of a surgeon. Will they find a way to get to Port Neptune? Stay tune to see. Please Review. #WherearetheGoodCartoons?