The journey from Pauper's Drop hadn't been easy for Grace.
It had been a strange experience, leaving the Drop for the first time in years. Though she had seen Rapture as cages within a cage, it felt oddly liberating to finally travel from one district to another. Perhaps she'd been down there too long; that she'd forgotten how far she used to be able to travel back up on the Surface, and that her world and the way she perceived space had simply shrunk.
She now stepped out of the bathysphere into the musty air of a Metro-Station so old that no one could remember its name; yet another secret reclaimed by time. She walked forward, her cane grasped tightly in her hand as she forced her legs to walk. Since when had walking become this hard for her? Sure, she'd been using a cane for a while, but in all her years with it, it'd never been this hard. She felt as though she were walking through treacle, each step a labor.
Grace glanced over her shoulder, making sure that her companions were keeping up. To her right, Frederick walked as slowly as his body would allow, restraining his usual lumbering gait as not to overtake. Grace had found him smashing up chunks of concrete near the Limbo Room, excusing him from his duties and asking him to accompany her to the Medical Pavilion. After all, she was only one old woman making her way across Rapture; it didn't hurt to have some form of protection. Better it were a Brute than anyone else.
Grace didn't need to check her other side to tell that her other companion was present. She could hear the mechanical noises the robot made; the clank as metal struck metal and the grinding sound its rusty joints made with every step it took. She'd been shocked at first, seeing the little clockwork girl waiting for her outside of the Fishbowl. Grace hadn't been sure of what she'd been expecting, but a tin child hadn't been it. Grace didn't understand it as Alpha had explained that Thinker was somehow…using her body to see and hear through.
Perhaps it was best she didn't understand. After all, if she were a scientist she wouldn't have been flaunting her voice in The Limbo whilst Rapture crumbled.
"Fredrick, you go on ahead and check if it's safe for me, would you?" Grace asked. Fredrick instantly thundered forward in response, moving quickly ahead and through the door at the end.
"Is that clever G-G-Grace?" Alpha asked. Grace had figured out when Thinker was using Alpha or not; he always used full names when addressing or referring to someone. That, and Alpha's ear light changed color.
"It's fine Alpha. No one's been in this here station for-"
Grace heard Fredrick yell in the distance as something large crashed into something, followed by the tinkle of shattered glass; Grace felt the shockwaves through the floor. She froze, waiting to hear the screams and explosions of combat. After she had counted to ten, she released her breath and continued walking.
"Yeah, you'll be f-fine!" Alpha giggled several paces ahead, her voice sounding just like that sarcastic little girl that shouted from those Plasmid machines.
Robot's givin' me lip now…
Though Alpha hadn't stopped walking, her legs were still quite short and she occasionally seized up as she moved, providing ample opportunity for Grace to walk back in front and continue towards the exit.
"Alpha, could you get me Thinker?" Grace asked, stepping though as the exit door slid up into its frame.
"Sure thing GRACE!" Alpha screeched the last word as her neck sparked slightly. She froze, her earpiece blinking rapidly. Grace waited patiently at the threshold as Alpha's earpiece faded from blinding white to a dull green, indicating that Thinker had inhabited her body. The robot began to walk again as though nothing had happened, marching to catch up with Grace.
"Grace Holloway," Thinker greeted, "What has happened?"
"Hey Thinker, I just needed to ask if you got hold of Becky yet? I'm getting' worried 'bout her…"
"I'm afraid I haven't been able to contact Rebecca Langford."
Grace pursed her lips in agitation. It'd been two hours since she'd last heard from Becky. A lot could have happened in that time.
"Just try and find her, okay? Search through the cameras, just so I know she's safe, or even alive. You never kn-…what in the world!?"
Grace had descended down a flight of stairs, facing another flight that converged in the middle. The bottom section that allowed pedestrians to walk to the lower level was entirely missing, creating a miniature waterfall from the water that cascaded from sections of the roof (which Grace had done her best to avoid).
Fredrick stood directly under the stairs, allowing the water to wash over his body. On the opposite side of the room, a clock half the size of a train car had recently been flung into the wall; dust was only just settling from the impact she had heard earlier.
"Fredrick, are you alright?" Grace called down. She'd noticed that the water had started to run red as it ran over the lower half of his body on the right side.
"Nothin' to trouble yourself with, boss. Just a little nick," Fredrick grumbled back. He stepped out from under the water and beckoned Grace closer, offering her his hands as platforms.
"I'm getting' to old for this town," Grace muttered, shuffling forward and allowing Fredrick to lower her to the ground.
"DON'T FORGET MEEEEEEE!" Alpha sang, unexpectedly skipping forward and jumping spread-eagled off the edge before Fredrick could turn around to catch her. She fell like a stone, landing face first on the floor with a crunch.
Grace shook her head and turned away, making for the entrance of the Medical Pavilion.
"Come on, stupid," Fredrick snorted, picking Alpha up around her waist with one hand as though she were a doll.
"I'm…yyyyyOKAY!" Alpha shouted, her voice speeding up slightly. Grace glared over her shoulder at the little robot-girl. Maybe she hadn't understood how she worked, but it didn't mean it was the smarted invention created.
She'd have to talk to Thinker about this. If there were others out in Rapture, they could have an episode and accidentally cause more damage.
Darkness, more darkness than she had ever experienced before. And she had seen so much of that red liquid that was actually angel petals that she used to drink. It was everywhere; coating the cracked tiles that felt cold under her feet, smeared across dirty walls where velvet curtains used to hang.
Blood.
That's what they called it, the monsters. Blood. And she drank it, and she drank blood and it made her tummy hurt and her head scream with confusion when she thought about it. Where were the petals? Had she done something wrong? Is that why the angels refused to show themselves to her now? Was it because she had stopped gathering?
I'm a bad girl.
"Ahh, you must be Grace! I see you've decided to turn up at last."
Holly heard noise but didn't listen to the words. Where was she? Where had her Prince taken her?!
The ground was soft and furry to touch, and there were strange beds with lids that they shut you in and there were flowers, but those were the wrong kind of petals. They weren't kisses.
"Let's get acquainted later…Belladonna. Is it true, what I hear about this little one?"
The things she'd seen. She's seen the monsters putting more monsters into a metal box and the smell hurt her nose and she remembered heat, so much heat.
The flames… the dust…the screams…
"I'm afraid so. My followers haven't found anymore. Well, I say anymore…"
Who was speaking? Holly turned around and clasped her hands to her mouth.
Two pairs of eyes, both locked on her. A woman with strange dark skin, holding an elongated stick in her hand. A woman with strange unearthly white skin, a mask made of squiggly lines and marks on her arms.
"What do you mean by that?"
"There were bodies. Just like her, but with their mid sections savagely torn open."
Sadness, she heard sadness. Not much, but it made her feel cold. But then she remembered the flames she'd seen and that made her feel feverish.
WHERE WAS HER PRINCE?!
"My…who could have done such a thing?"
"Spider Splicers? They have the weaponry for it, not to mention the motive."
"I guess that makes sense…"
"So, I assume you know what this implies?"
"Yes, damn it I know what this implies!"
Holly froze. She knew they were talking about her. She looked at them slowly, her eyes wide with fear. The way they spoke and how they looked at her…it made her miss her Daddy. He would have gotten them away. The one on the left, the one with the weird squiggly face and no mouth crouched lower. She offered her hand.
"Come here, child."
Holly was rooted to the spot. She didn't know what to do. What should she do? Daddy would know. He was always there, 'till the monsters pulled him down.
Monsters like her.
Holly shook her head and made no attempt to move.
"Stubborn brat…," the monster cooed softly. Holly had never heard these words before, but the way the monster said it surprised her. It had been soft, almost like Mother had been. Like Mother Lamb had talked to her when she gave Holly her daddy.
Tentatively, Holly took a step towards the monster.
"But this is…this is monstrous. I can't allow this, no matter the cost. To do this to a child…"
"She isn't just a child, she's a Little Sister and she's the only one. There's no more ADAM left, and the Splicers are starting to feel it. So tell me, Grace, what else would you suggest?!"
Angry. The monster was no longer Lamb, she was the monster again and she was angry. The other one looked Holly strait in the eyes, and Holly saw something in them that reminded her of something, but she couldn't remember exactly what. A memory…a woman who looked at her in the same way? But…when was that? It tickled at the back of her head like the butterflies that she used to see, fluttering just beyond reach.
Holly couldn't remember.
After what felt like a long time, the woman looked to the floor.
"She'll have to provide for the entire population."
"You forget again, Grace, what she is. She isn't like us you know. All she will be doing is her job."
Another long pause. Longer than the last.
"…Fine. You win, Belladonna. Just…make sure she doesn't suffer."
A/N: I am so sorry i haven't uploaded in a while guys. Honestly, half of it was laziness, but i have my English Literature A-Level exam next week and Theatre Studies the week after. Urgh, I've managed to plan the next two chapters, but no promises. Hopefully, they'll be out before summer...