Part 12: surrounded
Ducking beneath a pair of razor sharp scythes that were aimed to take his head from his shoulders, David brought his fist up and into the attacker's stomach, feeling the Splicer's bones crunch under the force of the assault. Keeping his body moving, the former assassin swept his other hand down, slamming his palm into the back of the Splicer's skull with enough force to send the man to the ground. Before David had a chance to recover, another attacker launched himself through the air, aiming to cut the armored teen in half.
Snatching the Splicer's arm out of the air, the former assassin rolled the man, turning his momentum against him, and flinging the attacker into the nearest wall. While David was stronger, faster and more precise with his blows and movements, there were a lot of Splicers. He'd only managed to stave off death by constantly moving, making sure he engaged his opponent one or two at a time.
"David? What is happening? Where are you?" Responding to Tenenbaum's voice with a grunt, David took a running start toward the fallen chandelier. "I turned away for a moment. What happened?"
"I fell," David responded as he tried to regain his balance. Before he could, the former assassin was, yet again, set upon by a pair of attackers. One of them was the plaster covered Splicer who had knocked him into the abyss only moments ago. With a flick of his wrist, the armored teen sent a ball of Electro-Bolt into her partner, the resulting spray of red giving David a sadistic sense of satisfaction.
The world seemed to slow as the plaster covered Splicer tumbled through the air, turning her body into a spinning windmill of flashing blades. The former assassin timed his movements and, at the last second, dove to the ground, rolling under the Splicer's spinning arms. Coming to his feet, David brought his elbow back, guiding it by instinct rather than sight. He was rewarded with a happy crunch when the copper plated limb crashed into something.
"How far?" Tenenbaum asked, either ignorant or indifferent to his current predicaments. David gave a harsh rasp that was his laughter, once again setting his eyes on the chandelier. The doctor gave a loud, exasperated sigh. "Right. Give me a moment."
The smile that Tenenbaum's inquiry had put on his face vanished when he saw a trio of Splicers running toward him. Turning to the chandelier, David leapt into the air. His leap carried him halfway to the nearest foothold, and effigy of Andrew Ryan. Still air born, the armored teen grabbed one of the chain-bearing arms and used it to cartwheel onto Ryan's gold plated head. Whether it was the sea slug or Lamb's suit that gave him his new found agility, David didn't care. The feat of acrobatics had given the high ground and the Splicers the time and space needed to get ahead of one another. The closest had slammed a pair of scythes into the arm where the armor clad teen's hand had been only a breath earlier.
Forgoing tact and grace for raw power, David shot forward, driving one copper toed boot into the Splicer's face. Before the other two could retaliate, he tucked his arms in and fell between a pair of golden arms. Inside the cage that had been created by the chandelier, the former assassin was forced to immediately dodge backwards. A Splicer had stuck his arm between the arms, his blade passing within millimeters of David's chest.
Feeling the edge of exhaustion in his movements, the former assassin grabbed the Splicer's arm before slamming his elbow into the limb, breaking it at the joint. As the Splicer tried vainly to pull away, David planted one boot on the gold plated chandelier and yanked as hard as he could. The Splicer gave a gurgle as his face smashed into the one of the chain bearing arms. As he tried desperately to control his breathing, the armored clad teen used the chandelier as a base to launch himself feet first at the third Splicer.
Even though his full weight landed on the attacker's neck, David could still hear the man's labored breath when the pair came to a stop, the armored teen standing on the Splicer's chest and throat. Before he had a chance to rectify the situation, something slammed into him with what felt like the force of a runaway freight train. All at once another trio of Splicers had the armored teen pinned, one on each arm, and the third holding his legs.
Fighting down a panicked scream, David rolled his weight to one side. It was enough for him to free his right arm. With his newfound freedom, the former assassin brought his elbow into the Splicer that had been holding him to the floor. As the man's ribs cracked, David reached out with Telekinesis and brought a small piece of rubble into the man holding his other arm.
With his arms freed, the former assassin grabbed the third Splicer by the shoulders and head-butted him. The copper-plated sphere that encased David's head rung out like a bell as it made contact with his assailant's head. Before he had a chance to climb to his feet, someone took hold of his air tank, spun him and sent him sprawling toward the massive window. The former assassin managed to turn so that he hit the reinforced glass with his back rather than his head. Despite this, his head still bounced off the inside of his helmet when he slammed into the window.
Gasping for air, and blinking away spots in the momentary lull in the fight, David took stock of his opponents and his injuries. He'd left more than half a dozen of them on the ground, most of them dead, the others completely incapacitated. However, at least another twenty still remained, all of them glaring at the armored teen with raw, seething hatred. At their forefront, just as when they had started only minutes ago, the plaster covered Splicer stood ready to attack, her right eye a ruined mess of gore and blood.
However, unlike when this had first started, David was on his last leg. He'd was beaten and bruised, his legs and arms feeling like jelly. He was leaning against the glass knowing that soon they'd mob him, and rip him to pieces. The question became: who would go first? While they would certainly win, crushing the armored teen under sheer numbers, the first to attempt would surly lose their life.
"Okay, I am having solution. I know how you can get back to Ryan's home." David grunted in response, trying to determine which Splicer would attack first. He wondered if Tenenbaum was aware of the situation, if she was paying any attention to the mob of Splicers that surrounded him. If she was, she'd realize that he wouldn't make it another ten feet, let alone back to the top of Zeus's Crown. "You need to get to the nearest airlock and…oh."
"One moment," David rasped. When Tenenbaum had said airlock, a plan had begun to form in his mind. Holding his left hand up so that it was visible, he let a ball of electricity form there. The reaction among the Splicers was visible, as they took a hesitant step back. The plaster covered Splicer was the one who understood first.
"NO!" She charged forward, ready to cut David down the middle. Before she could get close enough, he pivoted and slammed the ball of electricity into the reinforced glass behind him. The resulting explosion knocked the armor clad teen to one side, sending him into the questionable shelter made by the overhanging balcony. With a sickening crack, a hairline splinter formed in the glass. Then, a chunk the size of a basketball shot from the window followed by a jet of water. At last the heavy window gave way completely and the weight of the ocean came crashing into the banquet hall.
Vaulting over a lamp that hung from the wall, David propelled himself onto the second floor balcony as water rushed in behind him. A few of the Splicer managed similar feats, but most were caught in the sudden torrent of water and were crushed against the far wall. The room was suddenly filled with screams as the Splicers tried vainly to keep their heads above the water as it sloshed and churned.
Still alive and seething, the plaster-covered Splicer ran at David, her eyes seething with hatred. With a smirk, the armored teen leaned backwards, over the railing and splashed into the water below. For a terrifying moment, he was caught in the violent current. Then, the heavy copper and spun brass took hold and pulled his boots to the floor. Beneath the churning madness above, it was quiet, still. He couldn't hear the Splicers' screams or the sounds of their bodies being crashed against the walls.
It took a great deal of effort to pull his exhausted body from the building and into the ocean. There he let the icy waters calm his frantic heartbeat and relax his shaking muscles. Once outside, he looked up at the building he'd just left. Floor by floor, the few lights went out, plunging the building into darkness. Soon only the topmost floors remained lit, the lights going from Ryan's train station to the peak of Zeus's Crown.
"That was very good David," Tenenbaum said softly. David couldn't help but smile at the validation. "You will be needing to make your way to The Muse's Inspiration now. Pan to your left." As he obeyed, the armored teen wondered if at some point he'd ever get a chance to rest his weary body. "There, from there you will be able to get to Ryan's home." David whistled, awed by the looming structure. It was close enough for Ryan to go to and from in a short time, and built like a massive opera house. Most impressive were the windows that lined the top of the short and squat building. Even from a distance, David was sure they were at least two floors high, lit by flickering light.
"I am needing you to hurry, David." Doing as he was told, the armored teen began to press forward, through the ocean. "Another little one is needing your assistance."