This one is a bit lengthy, but that happens. Also, there may be a short hiatus because school is starting up soon for me, so I will have even less time to work on this story. I'll try to get them up as soon as I complete the next on. Comments! Reviews! Suggestions! All are welcome as long as you're nice about it!
Hal followed Orion throughout the tunnels closely, not wanting the get lost. As they walked, Hal noticed several signs at various intersections. Neptune's bounty, Fort Frolic…I've only heard about these places by eavesdropping on Splicers. Hal thought to himself as bits of memory blinked through his head, slowing down to examine a sign pointed towards Arcadia. A flicker of recognition flashed through Halcyon's mind. He took a half step towards the tunnel before Orion's voice stopped him.
"What are you waiting for, an ADAM soaked invitation? Let's get going!" He called out. Hal looked over at him. He was facing back at him with his arms crossed and his foot was tapping impatiently. It made for a rather interesting sight. Hal glanced back at the tunnel before shaking his head and stepping away from the entrance.
"Yeah, okay." Hal responded, slipping into a light jog. In two steps he passed Orion and he took another two before realizing he had. Hal planted his feet and skidded to a halt, throwing up sparks and tiny rocks off the tunnel floor. Orion ran up to him.
"What was that all about?" Orion questioned. Hal shrugged, just as perturbed as his Brother.
"I don't know, I just wanted to catch up to you. I only took four steps." Hal replied.
"Four?" Orion asked, astonished. Hal nodded and Orion shrugged. "Let's just get going."
"Where are we going?" Hal asked, falling into step beside Orion.
"A place referred to as Minerva's Den. That's where the Big Sisters started to gather once Sophia Lamb left with Subject Delta and her daughter Eleanor. The remaining Little Sisters are there too and any surviving Big Daddies pass by once in a while." Orion explained, pausing at a sound. Hal paused too, some unknown instinct telling him to unsheathe the needles and blade. Hal fell into a defensive stance, blade arm forward and gleaming needles cocked back, ready to attack. An animalistic growl escaped his throat unbidden. Orion turned around to see the howling wolf etched into the mask of Halcyon harshly illuminated by the crimson light glaring form the eye ports.
"Hey, it's alright. It's just a rat, see?" Orion said, pointing down the tunnel. A feminine hand clad in an armored suit batted Orion's hand away, surprising the Big Brother.
"I don't like being called a rat Orion." The Big Sister said, stepping into the dim light of the flickering overhead lights from the darkened hall.
"Jana! What are you doing here?" Orion asked, recovering from his shock. Hal growled again, fixing his sight on the unknown figure in front of him. The figure jerked and flicked out its own needle.
"Orion, what the hell is this?" The feminine figure asked, also dropping low and a ball of flame flaring to life. Hal focused on the flame and roared, calling into his genes and igniting a maelstrom of fire around his blade. Orion quickly stepped between the two and held up his hands.
"Hal calm down, she's a friend! Her name is Jana. She's a Big Sister!" Orion yelled above the roaring flames. "Jana, this is Halcyon! He's a new Big Brother, like me! He's a friend also!" Jana lowered her needle slightly and the flame in her off hand grew smaller.
"He's a friend?" She questioned. Orion nodded. She was still for a moment, then stood and sheathed her needle in a single fluid movement. Hal watched her every move, carefully analyzing her ever step and breath. When she stood up and her body language said she was non-hostile, Hal released the flames and also stood, sheathing the blade and needles in the same fluid movement as Jana.
"A friend?" Hal asked, eyeing the Big Sister warily. Orion nodded again. Hal relaxed, his eye ports fading to black. Jana noticed this.
"Orion, is he asleep?" She asked incredulously. Hal shook his head, surprising her.
"Why would I be?" He asked curiously. Jana cocked her head, her spherical helmet tilting to the side.
"Never mind. Orion, Emma wants to talk to you about what happened a few days ago in the Adonis Luxury resort. Bring him along as well." Jana said, turning and slipping into the shadows. She disappeared from hearing a few moments later. Orion turned to Hal.
"That was Jana, as I said. She is quite possibly the one of the best we have in stealth and silent killing, next to Mav and Fay. Those two are unbelievable. Mav once took out a Splicer in the center of a group and the group didn't even notice he was dead until she was long gone. That right there my friend, is skill." Orion said, motioning for Hal to follow him. Hal complied, something about treading through the dark and silence flashing back to him. He remembered stalking though dark corridors, scavenging what he could whilst avoiding Splicers.
"Hey, are you alright?" Orion asked, tapping his plated shoulder. It echoed with a ting through the tunnels. Hal snapped out of it and nodded.
"I'm fine, let's just get going. I don't like this place." He replied, motioning for Orion to lead the way.
"You got it." Orion said, starting off into the dark tunnel. Hal followed closely after, footsteps silent on the concrete floor. Orion turned back slightly, jumping when he saw Hal so close.
"What?" Hal asked, glancing around. Orion shook his head.
"You're quite. I thought you were still a little ways back. I didn't hear you start after me." Orion replied, turning back and starting off again. Hal remained silent for the rest of the trip, thinking over what he had remembered. It was strange. If he was a Big Brother, why would he have hidden from Splicers? He could have just sliced through them with ease and drained their lifeless corpses of the ADAM. He shook his head and followed behind Orion quietly until they reached a large door labeled Minerva's Den in thick white block letters. Orion glanced back at Hal, the green of his eye ports throwing a soft glow across Halcyon's form.
"Welcome to the Den of the most dangerous creatures in Rapture. The Big Sisters, and now, Big Brothers." Orion said, pushing the thick door open with a screech.