Disclaimer: I don't own Bioshock or any of the characters, but if my e-bay bid goes through I might soon own a team of computer hacking chimps. It's not like they can put up false adds on the internet right?
The hatchets clattered to the ground as he dropped down next to the fresh corpse. The man began searching every pocket, every hiding place, all in search of one precious drop of Adam. He didn't need much! It wasn't his fault the guy didn't want to share! Going on about how he didn't have any. The man wasn't fooled. He could smell it. The intoxicating aroma was something he knew all too well.
He didn't remember anything else. Not his past, not his family, not even his name. All that existed was the need for Adam. That beautiful, sumptuous substance. It was the only thing he knew now.
"Is this what you have been reduced to?"
The man jumped upright at the unexpected voice. Whipping around, he came face to face with a terrifying figure.
"W-W-What?"
The intruder stood six feet tall and was adorned in medieval armor. His image shimmered around the edges like some sort of hallucination. The most imposing part of him however, was his eyes. All seeing, all knowing, and all judging. They pierced his mind, seeing into the darkest parts of his soul. They were not impressed.
"Just another piece of filth in the city of fallen gods."
The figure spat the words as though they were a bitter drink. For reasons he couldn't understand, those words hurt the man unlike anything he had felt before.
"I-I-I can't help it!" He cried. "I need it! I can't live without it! Please! You have to help me!"
"Scum."
The single syllable cut deep into his heart. That one phrase was something that encompassed all the self-loathing he had felt during his descent into madness.
"You let the drug warp your mind. You seek to become another forgotten corpse in these empty halls."
"No! Not that, please!" He fell to his knees in front of the figure. "I'll do anything, just don't let me become like them!"
Those glaring eyes held no pity. They fell on him with as much judgment as the end of days.
"You seek redemption?"
He felt his heart skip a beat. "Yes!" He pleaded. "I'm begging you, just give me a chance!"
A cold smile split the figure's features.
"Take up your weapons. This city has fallen into ruin. For too long, it has taken the name of my people in vain. For too long, it has taken MY name in vain. I give you this task; cut away the cancer that is eating at the heart of Rapture."
His jaw fell in disbelief.
"How can I possibly do that?" He asked. "I'm just one man!"
"Not anymore." The figure's voice was absolute, holding no doubt or chance for dispute.
"You will take my name as your own. You will become the instrument of my will."
"Y-Your name?"
"Yes. You will find your redemption in an ocean of bloodshed. From this point forward; you are Ares. The god of war."
Epsilon couldn't help but pace restlessly. Even though the fight was over, she still couldn't shake the feeling that something was wrong. The others didn't seem to share her concern.
All around her, they were examining the grisly remains of splicers that had been harvested by the massive insects. Wren was happily continuing the work where they left off, her own needle slowly becoming coated in honey as she worked.
Archer was busy counting the bodies. It was slow work, and she had no idea what he was looking for, but the more he counted the less happy he looked.
Tomas and Gregory were both examining the dead queen. She could only make out a few words like "contamination" and "hazard area" but she was fairly sure that they didn't like what they were finding. She wondered why it even mattered. The bees were dead, so it wasn't like they still posed a threat right?
Shortly after the fighting had stopped, Davian had collapsed in a corner of the room drawing his arms around himself as though fighting off some sort of chill. That couldn't be right though. If he was cold, then surely he could just call up a flame to warm himself couldn't he? Epsilon was actually starting to get a bit worried about him. She hadn't seen him act like this before.
She didn't have time to ponder his condition. Without warning, her senses suddenly shot into high alert. Some part of her mind recognized a threat even though she couldn't consciously detect it.
It didn't take long for the others to notice her change in posture.
"What's wrong?" Tomas demanded, hoisting up his shotgun. Epsilon just growled in response. Something was coming. She could feel it.
Suddenly, the air was torn asunder by a shrieking wail. The protector felt her entire body stiffen in shock. It was a sound she had long since lost hope of hearing; it was the shriek of one of her battle sisters.
The scream echoed a second time, jolting the group out of their mutual silence.
"Is that what I think it is?" Archer asked, unsure whether to be worried or not.
Tomas turned towards Davian, who was struggling to rise to his feet.
"That's a big sister." He stated. "And it sounds like she's on her way here. Is this another friend of yours, or do we have a problem?"
The splicer looked confused for a second before the words sunk through.
"I only know one." He said. "Amelia? Did that sound familiar?"
Normally, she might have been annoyed that he had asked something so stupid. She had no way of knowing who it was until she saw them. All Mark 2 protectors sounded more or less the same.
Still, that wasn't what was important. All that mattered was that one of her sisters was alive! Epsilon felt her posture relax as the knowledge remained fixed in her mind. This day couldn't get any better.
The others reluctantly followed suit, lowering their weapons and watching for their newest guest. They still seemed tense, but she hardly noticed. All of her attention was devoted entirely towards waiting for her sibling. A nervous thrill ran through her system as she wondered who it was.
Beta-03 had always been resourceful. Had her skills allowed her to survive Delta's rampage?
Or maybe it was Eta-01. Her attitude used to get on Epsilon's nerves, but right now she would gladly accept a bit of frustration to see her again.
What about the Iota sisters? By far the youngest of the Mark 2s, they had been a beacon of light to Epsilon and several others who had set themselves up as their mentors. But that couldn't be right… Those two always fought together, and there had only been one hunting call.
Determined not to let her losses ruin the joy of seeing a surviving sibling, she forced herself only to focus on the positives. One of her sisters was back, and no matter who it was she would welcome them with open arms.
Even if it was Eta.
…
So long as she apologized for filling Epsilon's boots with rotten eggs that one time.
A third and final war cry announced the arrival of the big sister. One of the three entrances to the room shot open, barley parting in time to avoid being blasted apart by the enraged protector. It was one of the last people she had expected to see.
Standing in the open doorway, harvester raised in a battle stance, was Gamma-02. She had been assigned to Mother's elites during the time of Delta. From what Epsilon had heard, she'd fallen trying to keep the monstrous daddy from reaching the Persephone Penal Colony.
Something was very wrong.
Gamma's furious gaze swept over the room, taking in everything. Barely contained rage poured out of every movement. Finally, her glare fixed on Epsilon. Instead of calming down at the sight of one of her sisters, it seemed to push her over the edge.
Letting loose a bloodcurdling scream, she launched herself at her stunned sibling.
Combat instinct and muscle memory were the only things that saved her. Throwing herself to the side, Epsilon narrowly avoided being impaled on the end of Gamma's needle.
What was she doing!? Had she gone completely insane? They were sisters! They shouldn't-
Gamma's boot shot out at lightning speed, catching her midsection and forcibly propelling her backwards into a pile of thickened honeycombs.
Before the maddened protector could follow up on her attack, Tomas struck back. His shotgun fired off a sharp retort. Gamma jerked backwards, spasm uncontrollably as the electric buckshot coursed through her system with enough amplitude to kill a grown man. For a big sister however, it was only enough to piss her off further.
A fresh scream of rage tore itself from her throat as she turned on the unarmored members of the group. Tomas tried to fire off a second shell, but she was already in motion. The shot impacted one of the walls causing a massive shower of sparks. He didn't get time for a second.
Gamma crossed the distance between them in the blink of an eye. The deadly needle attached to her arm shot out, intending to skewer him through the middle. Thankfully for him, he was faster than he looked.
Tomas let his legs fold underneath him. Dropping to the ground, the harvester scraped across his scalp instead of impaling him. He didn't waste his opening. Bringing his shotgun to bear, he emptied three rounds point-blank into Gamma's midsection. The force of the blasts sent her spiraling backwards.
"Archer! Now!"
At the signal, the young man fired off his crossbow. The convulsing sister couldn't have avoided it if she tried. A bolt streaked through the air, ending its flight by stabbing into Gamma's thigh. While it didn't penetrate the thick armor, it did hold fast long enough for the charges within to go off.
The resulting explosion blew her off her feet and sent her crashing to the ground. Epsilon wrenched her body out of the waxy prison, jumping to her feet at the same time as Gamma. The insane girl was rushing towards Archer, but there was no way Epsilon would let her get that far. She flew forward at breakneck speed on an intercept course.
Both of them collided only a hand's-breadth away from the human.
Epsilon's momentum sent them skidding across the floor. Her hands tried to pin down her crazed sister, but Gamma was too quick for that. Her fist shot upwards, striking Epsilon's helmet in a brutal uppercut. The blow left her wide open for the follow up attack.
Before she had a chance to recover, pain exploded in her midsection. Gamma's harvester had pierced her armor with ease. It was pure panic that gave her the strength she needed to force herself backwards, a fresh wave of agony coursing through her system as she pulled away from the deadly tool. And not a second too soon.
The moment she managed to pull herself off the needle, it activated. While it only succeeded in pulling in air, the sickening sound told the story of what could have happened.
Epsilon's mind froze. She could only stare down at the bleeding wound in disbelief. This wasn't some angry mood swing; she was actually trying to kill her.
"Stop!" Wren shouted, running forwards in an attempt to hold back the big sister. That was when Gamma made a very big mistake. She lashed out at the little girl, swinging her harvester dangerously close to her throat. She didn't connect but the message was clear.
Seeing Wren in danger shocked Epsilon's thoughts into place. Gamma was a threat. This thing was not her sister.
Darting forward, she leapt at her target, hitting her with a flying kick. The rogue sister barely had time to register what was coming her way before the impact struck her dead on. Still, she didn't survive this long by having poor reflexes.
The moment Gamma hit the ground she rolled, allowing her momentum to carry her back up into a standing position.
Both sisters glared murderously at one another. There would be no more hesitation. This was a fight to the death.
Davian tried to step forward, but Gregory held him back. A shake of the old man's head was enough to convey his warning. This was not a fight they could do much in. If they tried to interfere they would only get in the way.
Gamma and Epsilon circled like sharks. Both of them looking for even the smallest opening to exploit.
A single twitch was enough to set the battle off.
Both sisters launched towards one another at breakneck speed, harvesters aimed for vital organs. Epsilon waited until the very last moment before dropping down into a roll underneath the attack, and swinging her needle towards her exposed opponent. She only succeeded in striking air.
Gamma jumped backwards, putting distance between them once more. She started sprinting forward once more but her opponent was ready.
Epsilon willed the plasmids in her body to activate. Once her fallen sibling charged, she let loose a massive wall of telekinetic force directly at the human-shaped projectile.
Unstoppable force and immovable object collided, creating a miniature shock-wave that shook the structure of the room. She wasn't done yet.
As Gamma was blown of her feet, Epsilon used her telekinesis to hoist her opponent high in the air before slamming her down against the ground like a ragdoll held by an angry child. She smashed into the floor with enough force to crack the metal plating.
She didn't stay down long.
Unlike Epsilon, the crazed sister was practically swimming in Adam. She hardly felt the horrendous damage that she had sustained from the attack. The broken bones and dislocated joints only served as a minor inconvenience. If she wanted to play with plasmids, Gamma was happy to oblige.
The air started to shimmer as an ungodly amount of Adam worked through her system. Her murdering, family killing, home wrecking, BITCH of a sister seemed to sense the danger, but she was entirely unprepared for what came next.
With a scream of hatred, she launched a wave of force that dwarfed the previous one several times over.
Epsilon's eyes widened behind her porthole mask. There was no time to avoid the attack. In an instinctive attempt to ward off the brunt of it, she raised her arms in front of her face.
The wave hit her like a train, wiping out any conscious thought as it blasted her across the room. For a brief moment, her entire world was a weightless existence of rushing air and all-consuming pain.
The wall ended that soon enough.
She hit with so much force that the cage on her back shattered into pieces and her oxygen tanks were all but flattened, their tops shooting off as the air was forced out of them. Epsilon was held against the wall for a split second before gravity tore her down and sent her crashing to the ground.
Her ears were ringing. Her head was spinning. No part of her body responded with anything other than wave after wave of pain. She could hardly see through the haze that encompassed her so completely. Was this what dying felt like?
Through sheer force of will she managed to turn her head enough to see Gamma advancing. Her limbs were like lead, refusing to budge despite the immediate threat to her life.
Suddenly, through the deafening sound of her own agony, a sharp noise pierced the veil.
Cracking.
All eyes immediately turned to the wall she had impacted, only to find that it wasn't a wall at all. The honeycombs that had been splattered aside had been hiding the glass observational window that had once attracted so many to this part of the Farmer's Market.
And now, it was breaking.
Hairline fractures crept out from the epicenter of her impact zone. The seemingly harmless spider-web design quickly spread as the ocean started seeping through. Drop by drop, little by little, the water pushed aside the cracks, splitting open the carcass of the dead city.
Normally, to Epsilon at least, this wouldn't have been an issue. Her suit was designed to survive at massive depths. Now however, her armor had been opened up in multiple areas. If the water came rushing in…
Terror gave her the willpower she needed to stumble to her feet. Already, Archer and Tomas were making a break for the nearest exit. Gregory had stopped to grab Wren before sprinting for another.
Those escape routes were too far away. Epsilon's only option lay behind the big sister she had been fighting. Sensing her desperation, Gamma spread her arms in a mocking gesture. Her suit was still water-tight.
Suddenly, another figure materialized in front of her. Before either of the sisters could react, Davian grabbed a hold of her arm.
"Hang on!"
Gamma ran forward with a cry of anger, but she was too late. Reality seemed to tear open as Epsilon was pulled into a world of red smoke. She felt herself move, but no sound or sensation was around to confirm it. She was speeding along at blinding speeds and yet motionless at the same time.
As quickly as it had started, the ride ended. The world opened up once more and spat the two of them out like some vile substance. It took a moment for Epsilon to realize that they were standing at the door.
Davian yanked her forwards, through the open bulkhead. They made it past just in time.
Security systems alerted all the doors in the room that there had been a breach in the structure. Following protocols installed by those who had built the city, the open doorways slammed shut in order to prevent the rest of the city from being flooded.
With a metallic clang, the room was sealed off behind them. The rushing water hammered at the barrier before doubling back on itself. Once it became clear that they were safe, both Davian and Epsilon immediately collapsed to the ground in a breathless heap.
She could hardly believe that she was still alive. By rights, she should have died right there. It was strange; she'd never had someone help her like that in so long that she'd almost forgotten what gratitude felt like.
"Hey Amelia?" Davian asked, lying on his back. "Don't take this the wrong way, but I really don't want to meet anymore of your family today."
For once, she was inclined to agree with him.