DEATH OF AN INNOCENT

Sneaking, David decided was not something he was particularly good at, though when compared to the mammoth Dennis, he might as well have been the god of sneaking.

CRUNCH! "Bloody 'ell! Why did all these idiots leave their shit where some enterprising person like me could step on it?"

Slinking silently from the shadows, Reggie huffed in annoyance. "Maybe if you looked where you were putting your oafishly large feet boss, you wouldn't crush every breakable object in this damn city."

"Watch it Twitchy! Or I might be forced to crush you!"

An irritated hiss was his only response.

Still feeling woefully under informed about the situation in general, David asked a question that had been buzzing around the back of his head for a while now. "So what exactly is a Daddy?"

With a disgusted huff Veronica turned towards him, not even trying to hide her contempt. "You don't know what a Daddy is? How the hell do you not know what a Daddy is? What rock did you crawl out of?"

"Umm, a rock with a lovely blue dome over it and wind, that I already really, really miss. Thank you very much."

The group paused to stare incredulously at David, that is except for Veronica. With a growl she pinned David to the wall. "You know how to get to the surface? Where's the exit? Take me there! Now!"

With a slight rumble deep in his chest, Dennis pried her off of David effortlessly. "Calm down Veronica! You and I both know that tryin to leave the city ends with you gettin blown the 'ell up by one of that blond hag Lamb's torpedoes!"

Flipping silently down from a rafter, Reggie paused looking at David with his one eye. "That's not right boss. Things entering Rapture also get blown to smithereens. How'd it get here? What entrance did it take?"

"I took the entrance at the lighthouse. Why?"

"That's the main entrance to Rapture. Ryan wanted that to be accessible to anyone who was 'worthy of a place in utopia'. That Bathysphere is untraceable by the torpedoes, it can't get shot down."

Rumbling slightly Dennis turned towards them. "If thas true, why didn't others leave that way?"

With an irritated hiss, Reggie turned towards the leader of this merry band of misfits. "Because that asshole Jack broke the lower control panel when he left that way, he wanted us to be stuck in this hell hole. Didn't think that the world could handle people of our power. However, now that it brought that bathysphere down to us…"

A grin split the craggy features of the brute. "We can use it to get outta this 'ell hole! Nice job Twitchy I can really see how much you chip in with the group!"

As Reggie jumped silently back up into the rafters, with an irritated hiss, Frankie nodded and stepped forward, "Boss that's a great idea and all but we can't just leave, we need Adam, and lots of it. We need to hit this Daddy, and at least two others. Worst of all, we'll need to save most of it for the surface. We all know how bad withdrawals are!"

"Right thas the plan then. We hit this Daddy, and find others. Only use enough Adam to take the edge off! We're takin the surface boys!"

Rubbing his temples in irritation David sighed. "That's all well and good guys, but can we please go back to my original question? What in God's name is a Daddy?"

"Christ, pretty boy you really are from up top! A Big Daddy's this big ol' guy in a diving suit. The Bouncer type, that we're hunting, is the bulkiest type o' Big Daddy, it's got this big ass drill attached to one hand, and it ain't afraid to use it. The problem with their design is that they got no ranged weapons, so's all you's got to do is attack it from range while I beat on it!"

Turning a corner David noticed the enormous sign looming over a medium sized doorway, a sign for Spencer's Tavern. "So this is it, right?"

Eyes narrowed in concentration, Dennis nodded his head. Glancing around the area he pointed towards a small alcove at the top of the stairs. "Frankie, up there, use yer crossbow. I want explosive bolts ready!"

Nodding, Frankie moved off, pulling his crossbow out and loading bolts with red paint on them into the chamber.

"Veronica, I want you behind that overturned dresser. Use yer Tommy gun, I want armor piercing rounds!"

Sighing, she nodded. "Right, just a second boss."

"Right, pretty boy I want you behind the dresser with Veronica. Get that shotgun ready with that electricity upgrade you got, you don't need no electric rounds. I'd say use those 'splosive rounds Frankie gave you."

"Yeah I'll be on that. What's Reggie doing?"

"What you mean Twitchy? 'es goin to get its attention, now move yer ass!"

"How will I know when he's got its attention?"

"Believe me, you'll know! Now MOVE!"

Jogging over to Veronic, he knelt down next to her. "So what's the plan when this thing attacks?"

Rolling her eyes Veronica sighed, "We shoot it and stay the hell out of its way! Trust me you don't want to be near it when it gets mad!"

The waiting was killing David, the nervous anticipation coiling around his stomach. It felt like it had been an hour, though it had only been a few minutes. Trying to expel some nervous energy he turned towards Veronica. "So how will we know when it's going to happen?"

"Shut up you idiot! Listen!" Pausing, David concentrated on his ears listening for anything out of the ordinary. An inhuman scream of rage pierced the silence, seconds later Reggie burst through a second story window, flipping through the air grabbing a rafter and scuttling away along the ceiling, cackling all the while.

A series of heavy echoing footsteps began heading towards the doorway into the tavern. Following Veronica's example he propped his gun up against the top of the dresser, readying himself for whatever was heading there way.

The sudden silence from the tavern didn't ease David's nerves. "Where the hell is it, Veronica? Did it wander off?"

"The only way a Daddy gives up the chase is if it or its target is dead. Get ready!"

With a roar something mammoth shattered the entrance way. Blood coated drill revving, roaring a challenge, it began sprinting towards the group.

Roaring an answering challenge, Dennis yelled at the top of his lungs, "OPEN FIRE!" With that, he charged recklessly forward towards the metal behemoth.

()

Samantha sat in the fetal position, trying to ignore the corpse of her first kill as it lay on the ground. She had killed someone! Even if it was a Splicer she'd still killed it! No! She did nothing wrong! Splicers aren't human they're monsters! It deserved what it got!

Chocking back a sob she tried anything to block out the smell of the Splicers decaying body, not that it had smelled great to begin with. She had to leave! She couldn't stay here anymore.

Lurching to her feet she began stumbling towards her fort. She had to get home, home where she could loose herself in the memories of her time as a Little Sister. A time when everything was so much simpler, a time when she had been happily oblivious to the way the world really worked. A time when she had been a princess, when Rapture was her castle, and Mr. Bubbles was her knight in shining armor.

She found that above all she missed the sense of family. She missed the safety that Daddy had given her. She missed the easy friendship from the other Sisters. She missed the sense of belonging to something greater then herself.

Ending her slow shuffle towards home, she found herself surrounded by the faded but still colorful doodles drawn by her Sisters, the colorful sheets hanging from the rafters. Turning she saw her old vent and the doodles she had drawn of herself and Daddy, before Daddy had hurt her, and left her to die.

She could feel rage starting to bubble up inside her. It wasn't fair! Why had Daddy attacked her? She felt her skin heating up but blinded by rage she couldn't bring herself to care. Why hadn't he recognized her? She didn't notice the colorful sheets that had been her home for years burning around her. Why hadn't her Sister known she was a Sister as well? While her world burned around her, she didn't understand what had changed.

Her musings were interrupted by a piercing scream. "Mr. Bubbles! Mr. Bubbles please get up!" In an instant her directionless rage became a focused purpose. She might not be a Little Sister any longer but she was still part of that family even if they didn't recognize her, and she would let no one harm her family!

A vicious shriek tore from her lips as she darted towards the sounds of a young girl terrified for her life. As she ran she felt herself moving faster, she saw fire beginning to coarse around her arms. As she tore around the corner she saw a Splicer, a monster, towering over the crying form of a Little Sister, crying over her protectors body.

Shrieking again, she sent a focused blast of fire nailing the monster in the back and sending it flying into the wall with a sickening crunch, its neck bent at an awkward angle. She heard the bang from a gun, and on instinct flipped backwards barely avoiding the bullet. Another Shriek flew past her lips and she dove towards the she-monster brandishing a shotgun. Electricity coursing through her arms, she grabbed the monster by the head and ignoring its screams dug her thumbs into its eyes. After several seconds and with a final spasm it died.

Growling and casting her eyes around, she caught a burst of movement on the wall. She turned just in time to see a red hot meat hook flying towards her head. Knowing it would at best almost kill her, she extended her hands stopping it in mid air. Dropping the hook just in time to see the newest monster diving at her, she jumped towards it with a shriek and intercepted it in midair.

Ice forming around her hand turning it into a makeshift dagger, she sunk it into the chest of this newest monster. Allowing its momentum to knock her back, she tossed it over her head and into the wall. Jumping to her feet and quickly locating the monster's body as it began to get up. Eyes narrowed in determination, she shot a burst of lightning at the monster, causing it to writhe on the ground screaming. Allowing the lightning to continue coursing along her limbs she walked towards the monster that had tried to hurt her family.

Lowering herself so that she was face to face with it, she opened her mouth and said the last words she ever would. "I am not a terrified little girl anymore! Not like her! She is part of my family and I will not let you hurt my family!"

The monster's laughter was what made her realize that she had mad a mistake, starting to take a step back she suddenly found it hard to breath. Looking down she saw a meat hook buried up to the hilt in her chest. Glancing back at the monster in time to see it jump back to its feet and stab her with another meat hook, this one in her throat, feeling faint she started to collapse.

"Sorry beautiful, I don't really feel like dieing right now. And your little friend looks delicious right about now. I can smell the Adam on her." A sniff, "And you! Looks like I've got you for seconds!"

Her smile was what got the monster to loose its calm demeanor. "Why are you smiling? I'm going to gut you and that little brat!"

Twitching her hand she pulled the meat hook that she had deflected off of the ground through the air, and buried it into her attacker's temple.

She felt everything going dark. Her last thoughts were that she may be a monster like the Splicers, but at least she was a good monster. As if from a distance she felt herself being lifted off the ground.

"Is that a Sister?"

"It looks like it."

"Is it still alive?"

"I wouldn't be carrying it if it was dead."

"Why do you have her then?"

"She's a promising candidate for the protector mark two trials, if she lives. Gilbert said we should keep an eye out for any adolescent Sisters."

()

The unfamiliar kick of the shotgun almost resulted in David losing his grip on the gun the first time he fired it. Quickly adjusting his grip on the gun, he almost missed the yelled order. "MOVE!"

David dove out of the way just in time for the metal abomination to decimate the dresser, and backhand Veronica into the wall roaring with rage. Not even a second later the two titans slammed into each other, one metal the other flesh.

"Fuck you metal head!" Ducking under the Daddy's drill and delivering a punishing uppercut in return, Dennis roared at the metal creature, who roared back.

"Get clear!" Shoving the drill wielding abomination away, Dennis jumped backwards, as a red bolt zipped past and punctured its shoulder before exploding. As it screamed in pain, Dennis dove back at it, digging his hand into the gap in the creature's flesh he began ripping with all his strength. Even as it screamed in pain it managed to pull its drill back and sink it into Dennis' shoulder. As Dennis reeled back, shocked by the pain, it darted forward head butting him, before tossing him into the wall.

It turned towards David emitting a low rumbling growl. Realizing he was about to die, he shot at it. The creature didn't even react to the attack, just upped the volume of its growl and began walking towards him. David backed away, shooting at it desperately, despite its lack of reaction, he refused to die here.

Making an almost chuckling noise it reached forward and effortlessly pushed David over. Planting a boot on his chest it raised and started to rev the mammoth drill. Bracing himself to die, he caught a slight movement above the creature on the ceiling.

Dropping from the ceiling and onto the Daddy's back, Reggie sunk his meat hooks into the monster beneath him, one hook in one of the many eye holes, and the other in the creature's oxygen tank puncturing it. Laughing insanely, Reggie began hacking at the creature beneath him rapidly, causing the Daddy to begin bucking back and forth in an attempt to rid itself of the irritant riding on its back. Roaring in rage, the Daddy began to run backwards in an attempt to crush Reggie.

Springing off of its back and diving out of its reach, Reggie turned towards David. "Shoot it you idiot! In the shoulder, damn it!" Aiming as best he could David shot the creature in the shoulder causing it to jerk and roar in pain, as several thousand volts ran through its body.

"Frankie, shoot its tank!" Before he had even finished his sentence he saw a blur flying towards the creature's back. The explosive bolt impacted the previously punctured oxygen tank; the resulting explosion obliterated a large section of the beast's upper body ending the metallic abomination's unnatural life.

Frankie walked casually over to the prone form of Veronica before kicking her in the chest. "Wake up you idiot. You aren't that hurt. The boss on the other hand is, get going!"

Groaning as she slowly got to her feet, Veronica stumbled over to Dennis' prone form and reaching into her pack she pulled some type of med kit and broke it open over Dennis. The red liquid that oozed out flowed into his wounds quickly sealing them.

Lifting himself slowly of the ground, Dennis shook his head, before glancing blearily around. "Bloody 'ell, that was quite unpleasant! Fun, but unpleasant. So maybe next time we could… wait where's the brat?"

A second later a little girl who couldn't be more then eight was dropped from the ceiling as Reggie landed next to her. "Little shit tried to run away, I got it though."

Eyes widening as he saw them manhandling a child David started to step forward, but stopped when it lurched forward reaching for the creature they had just killed. "Daddy! Daddy get up! Daddy please get up! Daddy I need you!" A sob broke past her lips. "Daddy please. I don't want to be alone."

Her desperate sobs rooted David in his spot. "What are you going to do to the child?"

Veronica chuckled darkly, "That thing isn't a child! It's a bloodsucking little monster, and its got our Adam!"

Reggie stepped forward raising his hooks, before he was interrupted by Dennis. "No, the tike's mine Twitchy. I'm the leader, and I get the kill!"

Grumbling, Reggie stepped back. "Fine boss, but I get the next one!"

A dark chuckle escaped Dennis' lips. "Fine Twitchy, fair enough."

Pushing Veronica out of the way, Dennis knelt down next to the child grabbing it around the neck. "P-please, I just want Daddy again! Give me my Daddy, please."

For a split second David saw a look of pity flash across the giant's face. "Don't worry little tike, you'll be with yer Daddy soon enough. I promise."

With a crack he effortlessly snapped the child's neck before breaking open its chest, and after a second of fishing around inside pulling some kind of leech out. Sounding surprisingly sad he turned towards Veronica. "Give me those vials would you dear?"

With a slight nod she reached into her pack and handed him four vials. Vials that Dennis filled with a dark liquid the leech had begun vomiting up. Once they were filled he handed one to each of his Splicer group members. "Remember only use the minimum amount, we's got to stock up for the surface."

Turning from the bodies of the child and her protector with a sad sigh and a shake of his head, Dennis motioned for the others to follow. "C'mon lads, lets get 'ome." He sighed quietly. "I need a drink." Dennis and his followers wandered off towards their home, leaving a horrified David to catch up, and come to terms with assisting in the death of a child.