Does anyone else think that Shiro from Deamdman Wonderland would make one heck of a Big Sister? No? Just me? Darn.
Disclaimer: Random comments aside, I still don't own Bioshock or any of the characters
An earsplitting shriek ripped through the air as Gamma launched forwards, her deadly harvester raised in preparation to run her opponent through. Flames burst into Davian's hands as he braced himself for her attack, but Epsilon didn't let her get that far. She shot off the spot, answering her sister's battle-scream with one of her own.
The two armored protectors streaked towards one another like living missiles. A split-second before they crashed into one another, Epsilon dropped down low and shoulder charged Gamma's legs out from underneath her. The attack sent the startled big sister toppling to the ground and left her wide open. Epsilon's foot came crashing down on her helmet but Gamma twisted an instant before it landed, causing the hit to glance off the side of the metal case and letting her sweep Epsilon off her feet with a swift kick to the ankle.
The big sisters where back up in an instant, facing one another in crouched positions. Neither budged an inch for fear of being caught off guard by their foe's move. A single distraction could prove terribly fatal in a confrontation between two protectors.
Epsilon's concentration was interrupted when a sudden buzzing noise reminded her that they were not the only ones in the room. In their tumble, the two sisters had swapped sides. Davian was now standing behind Gamma, which meant that the one behind Epsilon was…
Out of the corner of her eye, she spotted a large swarm of hornets rise into the air from Cain's palm and start flying directly for her. The slight shift in attention was all the opening Gamma needed. She lunged forwards, swinging her harvester at Epsilon's midsection. She was able to hastily parry the strike with her own needle, but the action left her off balance as Gamma's other hand shot out and slugged her in the stomach. The force of the blow would likely have crushed her internal organs had she not been wearing her armor. As it was, the hit was more than enough to throw her off her feet and send her sprawling backwards into the cloud of insects.
She hit the ground rolling, automatically shutting her eyes and covering her head in an attempt to keep the swarm off of her. Instead of feeling the biting, stinging, mass descend on her however, she was struck by a wave of heat and the crackling sound of an explosion. She opened her eyes just in time to see a fireball erupt in the midst of the flying hoard, blasting those in the epicenter to pieces and sending the outliers scattering in all directions.
"Come on now, two versus one isn't very fair." Davian said, teleporting between Cain and Epsilon. "If you keep that up I might start feeling left out."
The splicer only responded with a snarl, brandishing his knife and calling up a new swarm in his hand. Epsilon would have come to Davian's aid against the man but she knew that she needed to stay focused. Jumping back to her feet, she turned towards Gamma once again.
The crazed sister let out a low growl that reverberated through her suit. Weapon raised, she threw herself forwards with lethal intent.
Epsilon was fully prepared for the move.
Seeing the direct attack coming, she waited until the oversized needle was almost upon her. In the blink of an eye her foot shot out and kicked the deadly tool upwards, allowing her to follow up with her own strike.
As she twisted in place under her momentum Epsilon's harvester shot out like a striking serpent, aimed for Gamma's stomach where her Adam leech was located. If she it that the fight was as good as over. The attack was fast, but Gamma was faster. Her free hand caught the metal weapon near the tip, stopping it before it had a chance to puncture her suit. Her momentary noise of triumph was cut off when she realized that this was what Epsilon had been expecting.
The intent had been to distract rather than to wound, and while Gamma was focused on the obvious threat her free hand shot out and impacted the front of her helmet and cracking the crimson porthole. The big sister let out a sharp yelp of surprise as she lurched backwards under the weight of the hit. Her grip on the harvester kept her from going very far. With a forceful yank, Epsilon pulled her back again and struck out with another punch. Thoroughly off balance, Gamma wasn't able to do anything to avoid it.
The second blow hit much harder than the first. Her armored fist smashed into the already damaged visor covering Gamma's face, shattering the fractured glass and showering the girl behind it with tiny shards.
Gamma roared out in frustration, letting go of Epsilon's harvester and kicking away from the sister. She dashed backwards and nimbly leapt atop the train in the middle of the station in order to put distance between the two of them.
In one swift motion Gamma wrenched her helmet off and threw it aside. Dropping to one knee, she began viciously spitting and rubbing at her face in order to dislodge the broken pieces of glass that had been cutting her. The sister's cheeks were covered in tiny red lines, and by the way she was squinting it looked like at least one piece had gotten in her eye. When most of the offending particles had been removed from her face, she glared murderously down at Epsilon.
The other protector hadn't been idly sitting by whilst he sister recovered. She'd used the momentary distraction to take better stock of the situation and had come to a disturbing conclusion. They couldn't stay here.
Standing atop the train as she was, Gamma posed a threat to more than just Epsilon's safety. If their fight got out of hand it would likely be more than the rusted piece of transportation could handle. Since much of Fort Frolic was now under water, no train meant no way out of here.
It was for that reason that she allowed her raven-haired sibling time to regain her bearings before making her next move. While she couldn't use words to taunt her foe into a rage, she had learned her fair share of insulting hand gestures from watching the other denizens of the underwater city. Searching her memory, she found one that should be sufficiently rage-inducing.
Gamma tensed, frowning in confusion at the sudden gesture. It took a moment for her to process it, but when she did she flinched back with an indignant squeal. Outrage flooded across her features and the yellow glow of her eyes took on a slightly red tinge.
A high-pitched wail of fury filled the room and prompted Epsilon to get moving. She launched off the spot, crossing the distance between the train and the doorway in a matter of seconds. Gamma was not far behind, leaping halfway across the room from her pedestal and hitting the ground at a dead sprint. She drove herself after her target with the kind of single-minded anger that only a big sister could truly harness.
Speeding through the entryway and into the glass hallways that connected nearby parts of the city, Epsilon could have laughed at how simple that had been. She'd known that, given Gamma's mental state, it would probably have worked out, but she hadn't guessed it'd work so effectively.
She hastily squeezed through the still opening porthole on the other end of the hall. Going as fast as she was, Epsilon scraped painfully against the sides of the doorway but managed to maintain most of her speed in the process. Wrapping an arm around a nearby pillar, she spun ninety degrees and took a hard left turn. She wasn't sure where this new path led, but so long as it was fairly open she'd make due.
Another scream of rage sounded behind her as Gamma tore through the path she'd just taken. The damaged protector skidded around the corner, losing precious seconds as she had to get up to speed once more.
Epsilon didn't pause to look over her shoulder. Her attention was entirely focused on the hall in front of her and the intricately designed archway at the end of it. Behind the entrance was a balcony, rising over a large amphitheater-style room. Not willing to slow down or look for an alternate path, she took a running jump and practically flew over the obstacle.
For a brief moment she was weightless, suspended high above the remains of what had used to be a dining area for the more aristocratic souls that inhabited Fort Frolic. The stage at the far end was smaller than the one in the middle of the main lobby, likely designed for musical performances and other such things to entertain guests while they ate. Much of the furniture had been rotted away, but a few tables and chairs still clung stubbornly to their meager existences.
Most importantly, it was large and had much room to maneuver. Exactly what she needed.
Epsilon hit the ground in a roll, letting her speed dissipate as she impacted the threadbare carpet that covered the wooden paneling. She was careful to ensure that her unprotected head didn't take any of the blow.
She rose back up using the last of her forward momentum and turned to face the balcony she'd just fallen from. Gamma ground to a halt above her, panting lightly as she clamped her hands down on the railing. Her expression had calmed slightly, enough to understand that she was being led on, but her desire to kill was still running full force. Seeing Epsilon standing patiently down below caused a feral smile to cut across her face.
With almost infantile eagerness she leapt down, choosing to land flat on her feet. The crash sounded painfully jarring, but her face showed no signs of discomfort.
Epsilon loosened her posture into a battle stance. It was time to end this.
After having spent the better part of his life fighting splicers, Davian had started to think that he was rather good at dispatching most kinds even if they were larger or more heavily armed than he was. He was starting to reevaluate that assumption right about now.
Cain sidestepped his fireball, crossing the distance between the two of them in three rapid steps. His knife whipped towards Davian's throat like the claws of an enraged animal. The young Houdini barely managed to focus on another point in time to teleport away from the glimmering edge. Even as he materialized on the other side of the room, his eyes sought out a new avenue of escape. A swarm of hornets was already on its way to reach him.
Sports Boost. Armored Shell. Judging by his choice in weapon, he's probably got something for close combat too.
Davian cursed silently as he sent a wave of flame to intercept the mass of insects. The blazing eruption had the desired effect, blasting them to cinders, but the momentary lapse in focus had given Cain the opportunity he needed to close in once more. Another swing, another near miss, another frantic disappearance to another part of the room.
In all his time spent in Rapture, Davian had never really been interested in stocking up on gene tonics. They were expensive, hard to find, and generally didn't have all that much of a noticeable effect. A luxury item. He was too busy focusing on the bare essentials to bother with them. Now however, it was painfully obvious that they could make someone infinitely more dangerous when used properly.
Seeing that Cain was readying another wave of insects, Davian beat him to the punch. A streak of flame launched from his palm and soared through the air. It struck the man dead center, exploding against his chest and covering him in hellish fire. For a moment Davian thought that he'd killed him. That hope was dashed when Cain strode calmly out of the blaze, brushing at his singed clothing and looking almost entirely unharmed.
Guess you can add Human Inferno to that list.
Couldn't you pick a better time for this? He thought bitterly, trying to gauge just how much punishment the tonic had absorbed. I'm kind of busy at the moment.
I've noticed.
Davian didn't have time to continue his silent conversation. Cain's hand became wreathed in a swirling air current. After a moment's delay, his entire body shot forwards as though launched out of a cannon. Davian backpedaled, nearly tripping over his own feet as he attempted to get out of the way. The blade was faster than he was. As he dodged to the side it swiped across his midsection, drawing a bloody trail over his stomach. He hastily vanished once again, narrowly avoiding a second swing from the sharp weapon.
Reappearing on the other side of the train, Davian nearly doubled over as he clutched the wound. Resounding waves of burning anguish tore through his system. As he clamped his hand down over it, he felt that the skin around the injury was ice cold almost to the point of being frostbitten.
Aero dash and Frozen Field. Now there's a pair you don't see every day.
He grit his teeth, working to block out the voice's irritating droning as he took stock of how bad his injury was. Deep, but not enough to hit anything vital. If it had struck any of his organs he'd be in a lot more pain than he was now.
"Are we playing hide-and-seek now?"
He flinched at the dark tone of Cain's voice. It was stern and disapproving, as though he were merely inconvenienced by the turn of events.
"I think you'll find I have an advantage in that game."
Davian leaned heavily on the metal frame of the underwater locomotive as the familiar sound of a thousand buzzing wings filled the air.
You look like you could use a hand.
Piss off!
Abandoning his cover, he looked up to see three separate clouds of insects descending towards him. A trio of explosions lit up the station as he fired into the masses. Panting from the repeated use of his plasmids in such a short period of time, Davian looked down to see another windstorm coursing across Cain's wrists.
You're not going to be able to keep this up. If you want to-
I said, piss the hell off!
Bracing himself, he prepared as the splicer hurled towards him at dizzying speed. Two jets of fire burst from his hands, bathing Cain in a shower if molten heat as he rapidly approached. When he was almost within striking distance, Davian teleported once again, leaving behind a cloud of smoke as he rematerialized on the other side of the tracks.
If he was getting frustrated by the dodgy game of chicken, Cain didn't show it. His face was etched in a sterile frown, showing nothing more than the annoyed purpose of one who was swatting a large fly.
A trail of sweat trickled down Davian's face as he stared down his opponent. Keeping up with this amount of pressure was beyond exhausting. The only other time he'd been forced to relocate so much was when he'd been fighting Amelia during their first meeting.
"Getting tired already?" Cain questioned, looking as calm and collected as he had when they started. "I'd anticipated more of a challenge, but I suppose the rumors about your potential were greatly exaggerated."
"I'd say something clever to that, but I'm a bit surprised that there are any rumors about me to begin with." Davian panted. Surprisingly enough, the quip actually raised a slight chuckle from the man across from him.
"Nothing glamorous, I assure you." He explained. "One of my associates was quite fixated on killing you. I imagine he'll be rather upset when he finds that I was the one to end your life instead."
How long are you going to ignore me for?
Davian frowned in irritation at the voice's presence. It was being unusually persistent; though that might have been due to the large amounts of Adam he was burning through in such a short time.
"Having difficulties?" Cain asked, raising an eyebrow as he noticed the gesture. The Houdini chose not to respond, instead reigniting the flames in his hands.
Davian was sick of playing keep away. It was time to go on the offensive.
Bursting into the void outside of reality, he propelled himself forwards towards the man. He rematerialized above him, clamping both his hands together into large fist and shaping a miniature inferno in-between them. Letting gravity do most of the work, he angled the condensed explosion towards his opponent's head.
Cain proved too quick to let him connect. Swinging to the side, he was out of the way an instant before Davian's attack landed. Instead of blasting the man's skull apart, his hands slammed painfully into the ground before erupting in a blinding detonation. He reeled back, silently cursing his miscalculation.
He didn't have long to recover. Having shielded his eyes from the display, Cain was instantly on the attack. His knife flew towards Davian's stomach, missing by inches as he clumsily threw his weight to one side. He was still seeing stars from his own botched strike and could do little other than duck and weave to avoid being gutted.
What do you think you're doing? You can't win if you just let him do all the fighting.
If he'd had any room to breathe without being cut open by the blade that was arcing towards him, he might have blown out an exasperated sigh. As it was, he was hardly able to manage a grimace as he ducked another swing.
Sorry, but I like my insides to stay inside. Davian shot back, drawing in a sharp breath as Cain's knife nicked his left shoulder.
If you want to live, you're going to have to take some risks. You won't be able to last if you can't take a hit or two.
I wouldn't expect you to understand, but those of us with bodies tend to die when they get cut up too much.
He twisted left in order to avoid a vertical swipe from blade. Using his momentum to carry him around full circle, he balled his left hand into a fist and punched Cain in the side of the head with as much force as he could muster. He might as well have tried punching a big daddy.
A strained scream ripped from Davian's chest as he felt two of his fingers break on impact. The man hardly even reacted to the hit, taking the opening to backhand him and send him sprawling to the ground.
We've already established that he had Armored Shell. What good did you think punching him would do?
Will you shut the hell up!?
Davian vanished just in time to avoid having his throat stomped on by his opponent's heavy boot. As he reappeared near the entrance, his beleaguered body was already shaping a pair of fire blasts upon hearing the incessant sound of buzzing wings.
Turning in place, he didn't even need to look in order to judge where the swarm was coming from. It darted towards him in a straight line, blindly flying right into his retaliatory attack. Another explosion rocked the station as the hornets were consumed in the raging flames.
In his flagging state, Davian was caught completely off guard by Cain's follow up. A streak of silver shot through the veil of smoke and burning chitin, headed directly for him. He put up his hands in an unconscious attempt to ward it off, but the projectile slipped between them and struck his midsection directly under his ribcage.
Pain, pure, raw, and undiluted, flooded across his system. He opened his mouth to scream, but no sound came out. He could only take a stumbling step backwards as he looked down at the knife handle extending from his abdomen.
This is what happens when you let the other guy dictate the fight. You can't dodge forever.
Davian fell to his knees, lacking the strength to even try and think of something to say to the criticism. A freezing numbness was radiating through his body from the stab wound, turning his blood to ice and sending agonizing shivers up his spine. His hands closed around the shaft with the intention to pull it out, but simply touching it chilled them to the bone and robbed them of any strength to follow through.
As the last ounce of feeling left his limbs, he collapsed to the side and struck the ground with a hard smack. The sensation of his skull hitting the floor sent a momentary jolt through him, but it was almost instantly drowned out by the all-consuming cold.