Disclaimer: I don't own Bioshock or any of the characters

Cain was not a man who accepted failure. Having to rethink his plans due to the inadequacy of others was utterly infuriating. To say he was unimpressed by his companions' abilities would have been a gross understatement.

The mission had been a disaster. Isabelle was dead, and Hammer had been maimed. In truth, this wasn't much of an issue. He'd sent both of them against Tomas knowing that they would likely be killed. Since they were too loyal to Hawthorn, it was essentially killing two birds with one stone. At best, they dealt with an irritating threat. At worst, they fell and removed a barrier to his plans. Their ineptitude wasn't what got under his skin.

Jericho and Ares had been the ones he'd depended on. They were more than well-equipped enough to deal with a half-dead protector and a deranged splicer, and yet they'd failed so utterly that he was tempted to kill the both of them himself.

Jericho was currently 'recovering' from his injuries. The big sister had buried him underneath a pile of rubble that any competent fighter should have been able to avoid. He was suffering from a broken arm, two cracked ribs, a twisted ankle, and a moderate concussion. Cain had no pity on the injured man, sticking him with a first aid syringe and sending back to work almost immediately.

He'd had a bit more tact when confronting Ares.

The Houdini was livid. Cain had found him furiously hacking away at a dead Rosie. From Jericho's slurred description of the events that had transpired, Ares and Davian had teleported away. The leading splicer didn't bother asking what had happened after that. It was obvious that Ares had let him escape and that was all that mattered.

All in all they'd lost a member and had two badly wounded, only managing to kill a single old man. He should have been outraged, but right now the failure seemed small in comparison to the single triumph that had risen from this venture.

"It must have been positively terrible for you…" Cain said, smooth sympathy thick in his tone as the blood red porthole watched him intently. "Coming home to see such devastation. Believe me; the loss of your loved ones will not go unavenged. I've been hunting the monsters that did this, and I think we can do great things together."

Subject M2 Gamma-02. Officially proclaimed deceased after failing to stop Delta's rampage through the city. The protector had been in terrible condition, both physically and mentally, when Cain found her. For whatever reason, she'd latched onto the bees that had inhabited the Farmer's Market like she would a gatherer. He'd have to do a bit of research into what had happened to her later, but right now all his effort was focused on convincing her join him. If she'd survived, who knows how many others could be out there?

"I know that you're angry, but you must listen to what I'm telling you for the moment." She didn't move in the slightest. In all likelihood, the only thing that kept her from killing him on the spot was the small group of hornets that crawled along his arms. That was fine. He could work around such behavior.

"You see, your sister is not to blame for this tragedy." That got her attention. Gamma's hands curled into fists, and a bloodcurdling growl rumbled from beneath her helmet. She wanted to kill Epsilon no doubt, but he couldn't allow it. The only thing better than having a big sister under his control was having two.

"I know, I know. What she did to your family was utterly unforgivable." He bowed his head, as though paying respects to the dead. "But she is not in control of her own actions. The splicer that travels with her. Davian. He's the one that caused this. He has enthralled your sister with his wicked powers, and, even now, drives her to serve his will. It was he that caused this. He is the one you need to kill to avenge your fallen siblings."

Whether she believed him fully or not was irrelevant. From the tilt of her head he knew she was considering what he'd told her, and that would be enough. He could turn those slight doubts to his advantage easily.

A buzzing noise filled the room, signaling the arrival of another hornet. It was the same one he'd sent out earlier to monitor another asset that would soon work for him.

The insect made its way through the air quickly, landing on his outstretched hand. Cain placed his other palm over the top of the insect to block out the view of what was about to happen. He knew that subject Gamma wouldn't react well if she saw it.

Obeying his silent command, the hornet punctured his hand and injected the small dose of Adam that it had been carrying. The drug quickly worked its way through his system, burning straight into his mind as it showed him what he was looking for. The images that the hornet had seen played out before his eyes in a rapid-fire slideshow that depicted Stanley Poole being incapacitated and captured by Jericho, Hammer, and Ares.

Having deposited the one source of fuel that had been sustaining it, the hornet expired. Cain quickly stowed the husk of the insect away in his sleeve to avoid any misinterpretation from his guest. Putting a pleasant smile on his face, he turned back to Gamma.

"If you would be so kind, I would like you to remain here for the time being." He offered. "Your injuries were severe and I simply couldn't forgive myself if anything bad happened to you due to negligence on my part. Rest assured though, the time to strike will be coming soon."

As per usual, she remained silent as she watched him. The glowing mask of her helmet followed his movements all the way to the door, and kept watching it long after he'd left. It was difficult to tell if she could actually understand what he'd been telling her.

Cain let out a sigh of satisfaction as he strolled through the building they'd taken shelter in. With a big sister on his side, and a man who'd spent a fair amount of time inside the colony soon to be in his custody, his plans for the next step were coming together nicely.

The time to strike would be coming soon.

Very soon.

The walk back to the hospital room was one of the longest of Davian's life. Amelia, the imposing, indomitable, figure that had been more fact of nature than mortal being was clinging to him like a terrified child.

Every few seconds she'd clench his shoulder painfully, digging her feet into the ground as though she couldn't bear to take another step. He'd wait. It was all he could do. Just stand there silently, hoping that what little reassurances he could offer were enough.

Seeing her like this frightened him more than when she'd had that blade up against his chest.

He'd thought she was going to kill him. It was the obvious course of action. All this time he was under the assumption that she saw him as nothing more than a bit of insurance to protect Wren from those who would do her harm. And yet, when that barrier had been taken down she'd let him live. He couldn't tell why.

Archer led the way in silence. After Amelia's flight from the room, he'd insisted that he come with Davian as backup. Right now, he was looking like he regretted that decision. He couldn't help but feel like he was intruding on a private moment.

"We're here." He commented, looking back at the two. It was strange hearing him with such a serious tone. "Are you ready to go back inside?"

Davian felt Amelia tense up at his side. She was afraid, and that scared him worse than he cared to admit. Still, there was a child waiting for them and one of them was going to have to be brave here. It might as well be him.

"Yea. Open the door." He surprised himself by keeping his voice steady while saying that. It was a minor victory in a bad situation.

Walking into the room felt like entering a battlefield with a hidden enemy. Fear coursed through his veins as he stepped inside. Joseph was standing off to one side, looking thoroughly uncomfortable. He gave a small nod as they arrived; sending a questioning look at Archer when he saw the state Amelia was in.

In response, the older brother gave a hand signal that plainly said they should give the group some private time. Archer and Joseph silently stepped out of the door and gently closed it behind them.

Davian ignored them for the most part. Instead, he slowly made his way over to the small figure sitting on the bed with Amelia coming along about as willingly as a calf being led to the slaughterhouse.

Wren looked slightly different than before. He could only see her shoulders and head thanks to the fact that she had a blanket wrapped tightly around her body, but even that showed a large difference.

To say it plainly, she looked older. Not physically, but there was a feeling about her that spoke of one who had seen far too much for their age. When she looked up and saw them approaching, she let out a small gasp. Davian wasn't sure if that was a good or bad thing.

Drawing up to the side of the bed, he sat down. An action that forced Amelia to do the same. For a second, he and Wren sat regarding each other in silence.

Are you just going to sit there, or are you going to say something? He thought to himself. You never accomplish anything by waiting for someone else to do it for you.

Sending up a silent prayer to powers he didn't fully believe in, Davian broke the silence.

"Hey there." He greeted softly. It wasn't the most original introduction, but it had the desired effect. "How are you feeling?"

Wren looked back and forth between him and Amelia, gulping slightly before offering a shy smile.

"I'm ok" Her voice was quiet and dry, giving the impression of someone who had just woken up after a terrible dream.

"That's good to hear." Davian said. For a moment, silence returned thick and heavy. He wasn't sure how to approach this situation. It wasn't every day that you had to reintroduce yourself to someone you had known for years.

Looking down, and biting the inside of his cheek, he struggled to find the right words. He had to say something. Anything to break through the air of tension that was building up again. Anything to see… to see just how much damage had been done.

It came as a shock when he felt a tiny hand reach out to take his own. Fighting back the urge to jump at the unexpected contact, he turned his gaze up once more. Wren's eyes said everything. She was afraid too. She was afraid, and yet she'd chosen to reach out in an attempt to help. The same way he'd done for her when they'd first met.

With a soft sigh, Davian leaned forward and pulled the girl into a hug. She didn't pull back. She didn't try to run, or scream, or hit him like he'd been afraid she would. She leaned forward also, burying her head in his chest. It was like a terrible weight lifted off his shoulders as she did that.

"I'm glad you're all right Wren." The relief in his voice spoke volumes about how he'd expected this encounter to go. However, the difficulty was far from over.

He felt her tense suddenly at the mention of her name.

"What's wrong?"

She looked anxious, drawing back slightly and refusing to look him in the eye. After a few seconds of hesitation, she voiced the issue that had arisen.

"That's not my name…"

Davian felt as though he'd been stabbed. An icy cold knife pierced his heart as he heard those words. He'd known. All along, he'd known that it wasn't her real name. He'd been fully aware of the fact, and yet hearing her say that hurt. It had been the first thing that linked them together when she'd been a little sister and he'd been just a splicer with slightly-above-average lucidity.

Regardless of his personal feelings, he refused to allow it to show on his face. He didn't want her to think that her actions had hurt him. It was his fault, not hers.

"What is your name then?" He asked, fighting to keep his tone even. It was an absurdly hard battle, but he managed to force the word out without showing too much distress.

She hesitated, as though fearful of what his reaction might be. No… not his reaction he realized. She was currently glancing timidly at the big sister that was sitting beside him. As strange as it sounds, Davian had almost forgotten about Amelia.

The protector was crushing the edge of the bed in a white-knuckled grip. The fabric had already been shredded by the strength of her grasp, and he was willing to bet that the metal springs inside weren't fairing much better. Her face looked like she couldn't settle on one particular emotion. Anger, fear, and a dozen other expressions blinked in and out of existence with no individual one managing to survive for more than a second.

Steeling his resolve, Davian placed a hand on her shoulder. She turned towards him sharply, but didn't tear the limb off. That was a good start.

"Amelia." He started cautiously. He knew that she could be dangerous given how raw her emotions were right now. "Please. You're scaring her."

The big sister flinched as though she'd been struck. Looking down, she seemed to realize for the first time just how hard she'd been holding onto the bed. Slowly, she forced her fingers to open back up again. The bed creaked painfully as the stranglehold was released.

Amelia's eyes found the floor and refused to rise again. He was worried about her. He really was. He'd known that this whole situation would be terrible, but he hadn't expected it to go like this.

He find a way to make this right again. He owed her that much. But right now there was one thing he needed to know. Turning back to the child next to him, he nodded for her to go on. With a few quiet breaths she nodded back.

"Gwen." She said. "My name is Gwen."

Gwen. So similar, and yet infinitely different. Short, simple, and to the point. It wasn't as bright or outgoing as her other name had been, but it did seem to suit her.

"Well." He said, giving her hand a reassuring squeeze. "It's nice to meet you Gwen. "

The mock formality elicited a small giggle from her. The sound was so nice that Davian couldn't help but smile back down at her. Amelia's expression was still hidden from view, but her shoulder felt ever so slightly less tense. After a small pause, Gwen looked up at him as though she wanted to ask something but was too embarrassed to follow through.

"Need something?" He questioned. She'd probably be hungry after what had just happened. He knew that having plasmids re-write your genetics burned a lot of calories. It was one of the lesser known side effects of the drug.

"Umm, I-I just…" Her discomfort set a knot of unease in his gut. What was she worried about? Was it something serious? Was it something he did? Damn it, did he mess this up already?

"C-C-Could I still call you mister M?"

He simply sat, staring in silent disbelief. Eventually he broke down; laughing in relief once he realized there was no major issue.

"Yes." He replied, trying to get back in control of his voice. "Yes you can."

Tenenbaum pulled the edges of her lab coat tighter around her body as she stood at the entrance to Pauper's Drop. She was getting older, and the chill of the city was getting harder to ignore. Normally, she'd have stationed someone else to keep watch here, but this was too important to wait for. It was the most crucial step towards their escape since the construction of the life boat had started.

She didn't have to wait long.

The sound of footsteps on the cold metal floor signaled the return of a scavenger troop she'd sent on a very specific mission. However, there was a problem. She could only hear a single set of footsteps, and she'd sent eight colonists out on the mission.

With grim expectations, Tenenbaum stepped forward and made for the returning individual. As she walked into the open she laid eyes on her. A middle aged woman, carrying a battered tommy-gun, was slowly approaching the entrance. She waved her free hand in a half-hearted greeting upon seeing the doctor.

"Emma." She hailed, waving back to the woman. "What happened to the others? Did you manage to find the codes?"

Emma shook her head sadly.

"It was a shit storm in there doc." She replied bitterly, recalling the events. "We broke into Ryan's old office just like you told us to, but the codes were gone. Before we knew what was happening, everything went straight to hell. They were crawling out of the god damn walls!"

"Who was?" Tenenbaum questioned, putting a steadying hand on her shoulder. "Nobody should have been able to get in there except for you."

In response, the woman pulled an item off her belt and handed it over. It was a mask. Broken down, and almost unrecognizable, it was once the image of a rabbit's face. The very same kind of mask that had often been seen on some of the more deranged inhabitants of the fallen city.

"Spiders." She stated. "Crawling out of the vents. The splicers dragged off Harley and Brianna before we could even start shooting back. They were waiting for us. He's got the codes now. I don't know what he wants them for, but I know he has them. We won't be able to shut down the torpedoes unless we get them from him."

Tenenbaum knew exactly who she was talking about. The only man whose followers still wore those wretched masks. The only man Sophia Lamb had deemed 'too dangerous' to hunt down when she'd taken over Rapture. The only man who could command the loyalty of the Spiders, the most twisted and mutated of the splicer variants.

"Sander Cohen."