Part 8: Rumble with a Giant
No sooner had Cassidy's voice ceased than the wall next to David's head exploded. A hand, plated with copper and as large as his head, shot through the wall. A set of stubby singers wrapped themselves around his helmet. With a violent jerk, David was yanked through the wood and plaster, and into someone's kitchen. It took his addled brain several moments to comprehend what had just happened, why the world had turned upside down.
As he tried to right himself, the Bouncer that had pulled him through the wall turned bringing the massive, lethal drill back, ready to turn the armored teen into a pile of gore. Twisting, David rolled to his feet as the drill slammed into the ground where he'd lain a second before. The Bouncer had struck with such force that the floor jumped. In the space of a breath, the former assassin regained his footing, planted a foot on the drill and launched himself at the iron clad giant.
David put every pound in his body behind a vicious blow that connected his knee to the monster's domed faceplate. A loud gonging noise echoed through the room, and the Big Daddy stumbled backwards, with a roar of frustration. Landing behind the massive creature, the former assassin caught a glimpse of the Little Sister as she scrambled for cover. Before the Bouncer could regain his balance, David grabbed two handfuls of the giant's air tank and threw his weight back. When he planted his foot behind the Big Daddy's knee, the monster was tilted off balance and began to fall.
With a thunderous boom, the Bouncer slammed into the floor, smashing the tiles. Rolling clear of the impact, the former assassin darted forward again, hoping to stab the giant. Standing over the fallen Big Daddy, David cocked his arm back, ready to send the ADAM hypodermic needle into the creature's face. Before he could strike, the iron clad monster reached up and grabbed him by his helmeted head yet again.
The floor seemed to leap at his face as the Bouncer yanked him head first into the ground. Pinning him to the ground, the giant in a diving suit lifted himself to his feet, using David's head to help push himself upright. Before the monster had a chance to bring his drill to bear, the former assassin twisted his entire body, bring his copper shod boot around to smash into the giant's faceplate.
As he tried to roll away, David felt vice like fingers close around his ankle. Suddenly he was lifted into the air, like he'd learned the secret to flight, before he crashed with spine bending ferocity into a support beam hidden in the ceiling. However, the Bouncer had let go, and when gravity came back, the former assassin landed several feet away from the iron clad giant.
As David slowly dragged himself to his feet, the Big Daddy squared off against him, not moving to attack yet. It was a short lull, a moment for the two combatants to catch their breath, to take stock of injuries, to size their opponent up for weaknesses. The armored teen felt like he'd jumped inside a massive light bulb socket, his body trembling with shock. His spine sent blinding lances of pain into his spine, while his head felt like the victim of an avalanche. As he took stock of his own injuries, David looked the Big Daddy over, scanning for a weakness he could exploit. He found it on one of the small circles of light that dotted the Bouncer's domed faceplate. There was a small crack in the hardened glass. It was small, tiny, and once the giant started moving, it would be next to impossible to hut, but it was all he'd get.
With a roar, the Big Daddy stomped toward the armored teen. His blood roaring in his ears, David charged at the rolling avalanche of a monster. As the Bouncer brought his drill up to strike, the former assassin took flight, curling his legs in and priming the ADAM needle in one fluid motion. David stepped on the iron clad giant's drill arm before slamming his weight into the cracked porthole. The ADAM needle glanced off, making a noise like a bell was being tolled and sending another hairline crack through the glass.
Before the former assassin had a chance to recover, the Bouncer swiped his drill across David's chest and stomach. If it had been more than a glancing blow, if David hadn't been wearing armor, if the Big Daddy hadn't just been hit in the head and had struck harder, or even more accurately, the armored teen would have been cleaved in two. As it was the rotating drill simply slammed into his torso. Even though the diving suit seemed undamaged, he felt his skin tear, his muscles rend themselves apart and, despite the noise of the drill, David was sure he'd heard his ribs breaking like kindling. Sudden, roaring pain shot through the teenager's chest and lungs, like someone had lit his torso on fire.
In a knee-jerk reflex, the former assassin let a blast of Electro-Bolt fly. With a concussive blast, the Plasmid sent the Bouncer reeling. As the monster roared in frustration, and before the adrenaline left David's body, the armored teen darted at the giant again. Even off balance, the Big Daddy still took a swing at him with that monstrous drill. If he'd charged straight in, David would have been cut in half from head to toe. Instead, he ducked low, sliding under the Bouncer's legs and just past the lethal blow.
Grabbing the giant's air tanks, the former assassin used his momentum to swing himself onto the monster's back. Before the iron clad giant could grab him, or bring the drill to bear, David slammed the ADAM needle into the cracked faceplate again. There was a resounding crunch as the needle crashed through the glass and into the Bouncer's skull. Roaring like a dying animal, the doomed protector crashed to the floor and finally lay still.
Barely able to move, David rolled away from the dead monstrosity. His body was broken, his muscles limp and numb. Gasping like a fish out of water, the teenager crawled across the floor, one hand on his broken ribs as hot blood seeped through his fingers. Leaning against the nearest wall, David managed to sit upright, though as he did his left leg and arm became dead weights. As his vision rolled into and out of focus, and his hearing faded to a deafening roar, he could see the Little Sister move from the hallway to kneel next to him. She desperately tried to shake David back to consciousness, her mouth moving like she was pleading with him. However, his world went black, and he slipped into unconsciousness.