Warm water was something Theta hadn't felt in what seemed like years. She felt as if she was almost in a trance as the delightfully warm water flowed down her skin, taking various impurities with it.
Skin tingling as the water's temperature hovered on the edge of pain, Theta scrubbed savagely at her body, determined to get herself well and truly clean.
A brightly colored bottle caught Theta's attention; the unfamiliar word decorating it was hard for Theta to decipher. Shampoo…what was shampoo? Cautiously curious, Theta lifted the bright orange bottle to her face. The top of the container gave her a moment's pause before she managed to open the strange object.
An overpoweringly sweet smell flooded the confined space of the shower. Gagging in disgust, Theta tossed the foul mixture away closing it in midair with her powers. What in the world could the purpose of such a strong scented liquid be?
()
"How long have you been in the city?"
"I don't know…about a week?"
"How long were you alone?"
"A few hours, I don't know exactly. Some crazy bastard started chasing me the second I left the bathysphere. I stumbled onto a…slightly less crazy group of Splicers and they decided I might be an asset."
"Would this one do surfacer?" A hunched Splicer held up a somewhat wrinkled suit. It was dull grey, or possibly faded black. Other then its faded coloring and a few rips it was in remarkably good condition.
"Yeah I'll take it. Will it fit?"
Seemingly insulted by David's question the Splicer snorted in disgust before responding. "Yes I will tailor it to your measurements immediately. It won't be much longer then an hour, maybe two."
Oblivious to the feelings of the Splicer, David continued his questions. "Isn't that really quick? You sure you can finish-"
"Come Surfacer, I know a bar nearby where we can wait for your suit." Thompson interrupted, sensing the Splicer's growing agitation.
"A bar? Time for male bonding I take it?"
With a dry chuckle Thompson nodded, "Right Surfacer, of course."
()
Creaking slightly, the refrigerator opened, revealing its edible contents. Unfamiliar canisters filled nearly every inch of empty space, shocking in their diversity.
Blinking against the rush of cool air, Theta skeptically surveyed the contents. A vibrant orange container caught her wandering eye, dubious about its edibility she pulled it from the shelf on which it rested. Judging from the liquid she felt sloshing around the inside of the container this was some kind of beverage.
Curious about the nature of the liquid, Theta rotated the container so the label was facing her. Orange juice…orange juice, really? It's vibrantly orange! That much was readily apparent. What a truly informative name.
Loosing a frustrated huff, Theta loosened the container's top and was promptly overwhelmed with an incredibly acidic scent. Throat burning, Theta lapsed into an uncontrollable fit of coughing, allowing the forgotten container to fall to the ground, contents spilling across the kitchen floor.
Stinging eyes clenched shut and her hands clamped over her nose and mouth, Theta tried to stumble from the kitchen. Her first warning that it wouldn't be that easy was her right foot's sudden and unexpected loss of traction as it slipped in a puddle of the foul liquid.
With a crash and an alarmed shriek, Theta slammed into the tile floor of her kitchen. "Sissy! Sissy! Are you okay?" Still dazed and in pain, Theta purred softly and reassuringly for her sister to hear.
Readying herself to stand, Theta felt a most unwelcome sensation, a cool liquid brushing against her scalp. It appeared she was going to need another shower.
Stupid orange juice!
()
The Pit was quite aptly named as it turned out. It was a dingy bar located against the wall of the large cavern. Hidden underneath a rocky outcropping David would probably have missed it if Thompson hadn't guided him strait there. He found himself leaning against the counter of the bar, drinking from a mug that was quite possibly dirtier then the floor of this five star establishment.
The entire building was haphazardly thrown together from spare parts and scrap metal. The hulking bouncers that flanked the entrance, isolated patrons who sent David and Thompson hateful glares, and the one armed bartender all combined to form a downright hostile atmosphere.
The cleanest part of the bar was the grimy; rust covered counter, not that that was saying much. If the brewery was as rust coated as the rest of the building David felt he might need a tetanus shot after this was over. As if sensing his less then complementary thoughts about the establishment the bartender leered at him, rolling the necrotic stump that was all that remained of his arm menacingly.
Leaning away from the unfriendly proprietor David prepared himself to stand, only to be interrupted by his strange companion. "What happened to the Splicers that you worked with?"
With a slight sigh, David sat down and took another swig from his mug. "I had no idea what was going on and followed them. They said they were hunting a Big Daddy." Thompson's sharp intake of breathe gave David a mirthless grin. "I'm sure you can see where this is going."
Keenly watching the upset human, Thompson idly swirled his drink. "The Protector was sent to recover the stolen Adam?"
"Yeah she was. During her wanton slaughter of my…allies I stumbled upon Amanda. In my panic and uninformed ignorance I tried to "save" her from Samantha. The only reason Sam didn't disembowel me the second we met was because Amanda started screaming at her the second she tried."
"I'm still surprised it didn't just kill you. I've never heard of one even hesitating before."
"She isn't an it! And she isn't some mindless automaton!"
"It is one; that's what it was programmed for. It was made using almost the same techniques as a Mark 1 Protector, why would it miraculously have free will?"
Loosing an irritated sigh, David stood from the stool on which he had been perched. "I'm going to go grab my suit, it should be done by now." Turning to the menacing bartender, David winked. "Thank you very much for the amazing beverage, when I'm dieing of tetanus I'll be sure to think of you!"
Before the irritating doctor could continue his lecture, David turned and stormed out of the bar. He needed a drink.
()
Theta had learned what shampoo was used for; it had been quite effective at removing the foul smelling and sticky liquid from her hair. If she was being entirely truthful with herself she really could have gotten out of the shower several minutes ago, however the warm water was far too soothing for her to give up.
Unfortunately her stomach had other ideas, vocalizing its frustration it brought an end to her brief peace. With a rumbling sigh, Theta turned off the water and evaporated the rest off of her body. Pulling her robe on she entered her room and headed back for the kitchen. Telekinetically tossing the spilled orange juice down the drain, she opened the fridge once again.
Taking out cheese, meat, and some slightly moldy bread, Theta prepared herself to make a sandwich…after all how hard could it be?
()
It was raining, thunder crashed through the night sky, correction it was pouring. Not that he should feel surprised, it seemed like it was always raining in London. It had been over twenty years since he'd last been to this hell hole. The city had almost healed from the war, though some scars were still noticeable.
Recognizing a street from the instructions he'd received he pointed it out to the driver. "Turn right up there."
"You sure you know where you're going, sir? There's not much out that way."
Curiosity was not something he wanted from his driver. "I'm positive, and I'm not paying you to ask questions."
"Right you are."
The ride passed in an awkward silence for the next few minutes, allowing him to relive cherished memories.
()
"I love you"
Tony Gibbs smiled at the beautiful woman latched onto his arm. Cynthia had never looked more beautiful, it had been eight years to the day since he they had gotten married.
With a joyful laugh, Cynthia's hand found his as she pulled him deeper into their home, avoiding the sleeping form of their dog. "Come on!"
Laughing along with his wife, Tony allowed the far smaller woman to pull him through the hallways of his house. "Where are we going, love?"
Before she could respond they reached their destination. Pushing the bedroom door open Cynthia leaned against his shoulder. "Look at her, she's so beautiful."
"She takes after you, thank God. If our daughter looked like me I'd be very concerned."
"I don't know…she has your laugh and smile. Every time she laughs I'm reminded of you."
With a sultry laugh, Cynthia wrapped her arms around her husband. "Come on, I think I want another one."
Allowing the alcohol already in his system to do its work, Tony lifted his giggling wife off the ground and swept her to their bed.
()
Theta's sandwich might have been more accurate if it had been called a sandexplosion. How was she supposed to know mayonnaise could pop if it was squeezed too hard?
At least the shower was nice…again. Could an underwater city run out of hot water? Theta didn't know but she was planning to find out.
()
"Sir, I don't leave the city limits. If you want to get somewhere else you'll need to rent a car or catch a train."
Jerked out of his fond memories, Tony glared at the irritating Brit. "I'll pay you triple just get me where I'm going."
Spitting his cigarette out in astonishment the cab driver stared incredulously at Tony. "Triple? What are you sure?"
Hardly resisting the urge to just shoot the irritating man and be done with it, Tony glared at the driver. Barely keeping his voice from a furious yell, he responded. "Yes I'm sure! Just get me there or fuck off!"
"R-right, sorry boss, I uh I got to call my wife quickly." Sprinting from the car, the taxi driver stopped at a phone booth.
Mentally, Tony gauged the chance that the irritating little prick was calling to police. He'd seen the greedy glint in the little man's eyes; he seriously doubted he was the type to call the police. And even if he was, the pistol on his hip and light machine gun in his bag meant he wouldn't keep that notion long.
()
Sighing in exhaustion, David tossed his newly pilfered suit onto his bed. He'd barely made it out of Sam's place before she got out of the shower. He found himself hoping she didn't take his gift the wrong way, though knowing his luck she would.
Dismissively tossing his ruined shirt onto the floor, David collapsed onto his bed. He needed to get at least a few hours of sleep before that damn party.
What seemed like seconds before sleep would have claimed him in its restorative embrace; David heard slight movement and felt his bed shift. Blearily trying to open his eyes he turned his head towards the source of the disturbance.
An obnoxiously high pitched voice broke his blissful sleep. "Hey sailor…"
()
An inhuman yelp startled Tony from his restful slumber. Extricating himself from his wife's sleeping form, he leapt from his bed. With practiced ease he pulled his pistol from his nightstand. "What is it love?"
"Stay there Cynthia, I'm going to check it out. If I'm not back within two minutes call the police." Another thunk echoed from deeper in the house triggering Tony to stalk towards the door.
Tony's bare feet made no discernable noise on the carpeted hallway leading into the kitchen. An earsplitting crash signaled his Grandmother's ashes falling from their location on the mantle.
That was it! Tony spun around the corner, gun at the ready, screaming in rage. "That was my Grandmother you s-!" Tony stopped short, blood running cold. Some…thing was standing in his kitchen holding his struggling German Shepherd by the throat. "What the fuck? Put Rocky down you freak!"
A sharp crack caused Tony to visibly flinch as the creature violently wrenched Rocky's jaws apart before dropping the dead animal on the ground. Shocked by the suddenness of his dog's demise, Tony was unable to react as the armored creature lashed out with its metal clad boot, knocking him into the far wall.
Screaming in rage as the primal part of his brain took over; Tony leapt to his feet and charged at the surprised abomination. His massive bulk was enough to knock the unnatural freak on its back. Still screaming savagely he slammed his fists repeatedly into the creature's armored head until his hands bled.
Somehow he found a knife in his hands, still screaming at the injustice of his dog's death he raised it over his head. With all the strength in his massive body he brought it down on the freak's head, only for it to catch both his clenched fists in a surprisingly dainty hand.
In a shocking display of flexibility the monster managed to plant both its feet on his chest, displaying an inhuman amount of strength it gave a mighty shove and sent him flying across his living room only to land next to the fireplace.
The reverberating impacts of the creature's armor plated boots readily announced its rapid advance on his position. A surprisingly delicate hand grasped his throat in an iron grip. With as much effort as it took him to lift a book the monster hefted him off of his feet.
He'd thought he'd seen death in the war, he'd been wrong. Death itself was standing before him, blood red porthole staring unblinkingly into his eyes. The familiar sound of the hammer of his pistol being readied brought both his and the monster's attention to the trembling form of Cynthia.
"P-put him down! D-don't make me shoot you!" A sob passed her trembling lips. "P-please don't make me k-kill you. Just put him down."
For what seemed an eternity the unnatural entity and the two humans remained completely still. Tony released a chocked gurgle and the miniature lifetime passed. Faster then any human could react, the monster threw Tony towards the wall. As Cynthia's eyes tracked her husband's path through the air the monster charged. Shriek of the damned shattering all the glass in the house, the monster impaled Cynthia upon the spear like weapon grafted to its arm.
The last thing Tony saw before he lost consciousness was his wife's limp body falling to the floor as her murder calmly walked into their daughter's room, the lifeblood of the love of his life still dripping from its weapon.
()
"Lookit, Sissy, lookit! It's sooooo pretty!"
Unable to hold back a smile, Theta walked towards the bedroom, it appeared that her sister was awake again. Upon reaching her bedroom Theta stopped short, staring in shock at the beautiful object resting on her bed.
The dress, the blue dress that the she-hag had been obsessing over was lying on her bed! Theta's initial excitement faded into caution. Why was it here? Still keeping her distance Theta bent from the waist to survey the unfamiliar object.
Giving her bed a quick once over, Theta noticed something she'd missed earlier. The foul high heeled shoes were resting next to her dress along with something else. A note, there was a note on her pillow. A flick of her wrist pulled it through the air, only to come to a stop hovering before her eyes.
I figured that you were probably going to wear your loverly armor to the feast. Being that we are in fact trying not to die, I thought that might send the wrong message. If this assumption was wrong, sorry. You can give me the dress back and I can give it to that jackass of a tailor, can you believe he actually accused me of cross dressing?
David.
Snorting in amusement at the mental image of David in a dress, Theta picked the beautiful gown up. It was actually made of silk! Unable to resist a girlish squeal she prepared to take her robe off.
Muffled yells halted her preparation; there was some sort of struggle going on somewhere in the building. After a moment's pause she came to the conclusion that it wasn't a cause of worry.
A commotion in the hallway stopped her progress once again, this time before it could begin. Whatever the commotion was, it was getting closer. Snatching the horrid shoes from the bed, Theta stalked towards the entrance. If she wasn't going to wear them at least she could chuck them at the monster's causing the commotion.
A sudden thud echoed through her room as something hit her door, a thud immediately followed by rapid pounding. That's it! She was going to jam the heels of these shoes into the monster's eyes!
Tearing the door open Theta raised the shoe over her head, only to pause in confusion at the disheveled human standing before her. David was standing in the doorway, shirtless, with a black eye and several scratch marks on his chest and shoulder. What in the world is going on?
"Move!" Shoving Theta out of the way David dove behind her kitchen counter. "Close the damn door!" Thoroughly perplexed, Theta did as she was told. Padding softly over to the counter, she leaned over and looked at the hiding human.
"No! Shhh! Don't look at me! Pretend I'm not here!" What was going on? Growing frustrated, Theta flailed her arm and stamped a foot. He was going to explain what the hell was going on!
Once again pounding echoed through her room. Sighing in frustration, Theta left the human where he was and moved to the door. "No don't open it!"
Ready to rip something limb from limb, Theta tore the door open. "Hi! Have you seen David? We were doing something and he just ran off." Stupid, loathsome, foul-smelling, giggly, lecherous…ugly…hag…thing! It wasn't fair! Why'd the she-monster have to be here?
"So, have you seen David?" Eyes narrowed in hate, Theta shook her head. "Oh, if you see him could you tell me?" Hateful glare now accompanied with a growl, Theta shook her head once again. "What? Why?" Eager to get rid of the irritating entity, Theta shoved the foul shoes into its face. "Oh! Where'd you get these?" Slamming the door shut Theta turned to the smirking human.
"Hmm…that worked well didn't it? Wait a minute…have you always had red hair?" A sigh rumbled up from Theta's throat, as she nodded resignedly. "Wow, how dirty was your hair?" Theta really wanted to glare at the human once again; the beautiful dress on her bed ruined that plan though.
With a resigned sigh, Theta allowed herself to settle for an affectionate thwack to the forehead.
()
"Here we are boss. You want me to wait for you?"
Slamming the taxi's door as he stood, Tony shook his head. "No, I'm fine."
"Right boss, see you around."
After the taxi had left his line of sight, Tony pulled his trusty Johnson LMG. Double checking the familiar weapon, he stormed towards the nondescript warehouse. The message had been cryptic to say the least; if the people who had his daughter were there he was going to kill them…slowly.
Roaring in rage, Tony kicked the door in LMG at the ready. To his surprise there was no malicious crime boss surrounded by hulking cronies, no armor plated freaks ready to ruin his life once again. There were four people standing around a lit table. The one nearest him was a small man with a pinched face and sad demeanor. Another was a tiny young woman with a knowing smirk and mischievous eyes.
Standing on the far side of the table was a fairly tall man with piercing brown eyes, Tony might never have met him but he could recognize a fellow soldier when he saw one. As the unfamiliar man crossed his arms, Tony caught a glimpse of some kind of tattoo on his wrists.
The final person was an older woman with intelligent, infinitely sad eyes. She was the first to speak, breaking the tense situation. "That weapon won't be necessary Mr. Gibbs. My name is Brigid Tenenbaum and I can help you save your daughter."