Final chapter coming next week.

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

…Show me…

Are you sure you want me to do that?

I need to know.

Need is such an overused word…

Stop dodging the issue. Show me.

You realize that once you've seen it you can't go back to your comfortable ignorance don't you?

…Yes.

Last chance to back out. Are you sure you want this?

…Yes. Hurry up and do it.

Don't say I didn't warn you.

This wasn't happening. It couldn't be. Davian struggled to deny it. Trembling, he repeatedly opened and closed his eyes in an attempt to dislodge the scene he was watching to no avail. The small, confines of the room he shared with his sister had never felt so suffocating as they did right now.

"Amelia…" He began timidly, hushed voice burning with the urgency that was consuming him. "We need to go. Please! We need to leave now! Before they come back!"

A broken fit of giggling, like the tinkling of shattered glass, was the only answer he got. His sister paid the terror creeping across his features no mind. Though barely strong enough to stand thanks to the Adam that was eating away at her body, she spun in slow circles, dancing to music only she could hear.

"It's so close Davian." She said airily, twirling the hem of her ruined dress with a distant smile. "He's coming for us. All of us. I can see his face when I close my eyes at night. He's coming to take us away from this place. From Rapture."

It couldn't be true. After having held together after the death of their parents, there was no way that she could have been claimed by that damned drug now.

"Amelia, listen to me!" Davian pleaded, grabbing her wrist and stopping her movements. "You told me you couldn't stand it here right? Remember what you said after my initiation? We can't stay here! These guys are just as bad as the rest! We need to leave!"

His voice cracked from the effort of staying quiet. It was killing him just seeing her like this. She was the one that had looked after him. She was the one that had bought their way into the Saturnine. All he'd done was follow her around like a useless infant. He might only be a child but he knew how much she'd done for him.

Amelia swayed slightly, observing him with a vacant look in her eyes. It was impossible to tell if she could even hear him anymore. Even so, he clung to her arm as though the contact could somehow draw her out of the addled haze that had consumed her mind.

"Leave…?"

Hope sprung up in Davian's chest at the single phrase. Nodding vigorously, he very nearly collapsed from the euphoric knowledge that she was still there.

"Yes." He said, his body shaking out of sheer relief. "Leave. Get away from here. Most of the others are off on a raid. If we sneak out now we can be gone before they get back. Only Nicholas and Samson are still here."

"Leave…" She repeated, seemingly trying the shape of the word out on her tongue and finding it not to her liking. Her lips turned down in a frown as her brows furrowed in concentration.

"We can't leave Davian." Amelia stated. "Weren't you listening? He's coming for us! We need to wait for him. Besides, it's so nice here. Why would you ever want to leave?"

"But you're the one who wanted to go so badly!" He insisted as forcefully as he could. "Every day you said that this place was going to kill us if we stayed here! Remember? You told me how horrible the Saturnine were after they forced-"

"Shhhhh."

One of her fingers came up to cut him off while a half-formed expression of sternness fixed itself on her features. It was a mockery of her 'serious' face. Something she'd always use when explaining the dangers of things he hardly understood.

"That was then and this is now." She said, dismissing his concerns. "I've felt it now. Adam. The sweet wonderful taste of Adam. You were right Davian. We should have tried it earlier. It's shown me so much that I couldn't see before."

Had he seen the shape that using the mixture would leave her in, he'd never have even thought about suggesting it in the first place.

"No."

Both of them were surprised by the weight in his voice as he spoke that single syllable.

"We're not staying." Davian insisted. He put every bit of conviction he could muster into his words. She WOULD see reason. She had to. "We're going and that's final. I'll find us somewhere else where we can stay. Y-You'll feel better once you're away from here."

Amelia stood staring at him with an uncomprehending gaze. When at last his words began to pierce the shroud that had taken hold of her mind, her face darkened.

"We are not leaving!" She shouted, her voice sounding terribly loud in the formerly quiet room. She spun on her heel, moving towards the door. "Nicholas! Where are you!? Help my brother see reason! He's lost his mind!"

Panic shot through Davian's system with blinding intensity. He'd seen what the members of the Saturnine did to those who tried to run away. Their sick rituals needed blood, and they didn't care who it came from.

"Amelia, stop!" He pleaded, running up to her in an attempt to slow her down. He grabbed at her arm only to have her try and twist away. Unwilling to let go for fear of letting her attract unwanted attention, he was twisted to the side and caused both of them to fall over in a jumbled heap.

"Nicholas! Help me! Davian has gone mad! You need to fix him! You-"

Out of sheer desperation to halt the stream of shouts, he did the only thing he could think of and clamped one of his hands firmly over her mouth. She struggled to pry the offending limb off, but the Adam in her system had not been kind to her. The drug had left much of her muscles weak and, though smaller than she was, Davian managed to hold on out of sheer determination.

"Stop it Amelia!" He begged, his heart racing with dread. "He's going to kill me if you tell him! Can't you see that!? If you'd just listen to what I'm- GAH!"

Pain surged up through his arm as his sister sunk her teeth into his palm. He reflexively jerked back his hand which came away with a spatter of crimson leaking from the bite. Beside him, he felt her take a deep breath.

She was going to scream. She was going to scream and they were going to come running. She'd tell them everything and they'd kill him. He was going to die because Amelia couldn't see what she was doing to him.

"Stop!"

Davian acted out of near-total panic, throwing his arms around her neck and squeezing as hard as he could to keep the damning scream from sounding. What would have been an earsplitting shriek turned into a choked cry of surprise.

"Stop it! Stop it! Stop!"

He didn't know why he was still begging her to relent while she was stuck in his grip. Each twist and turn she made only urged him to hold tighter for fear of what would happen if he let go.

"Stop! Please! Just stop!"

Flails turned to frantic clawing, which soon gave way to weak struggles. After a miniature eternity, her fighting stopped altogether. Panting and weary, Davian hesitantly released his hold.

"A-Amelia…?" He ventured. "Are you all right?"

She didn't answer. She didn't move. He reached forwards to shake her shoulder, but she didn't so much as twitch at the touch.

"Amelia!?"

He turned her over, searching for any signs of life. His heart all but stopped when he saw her.

Half-lidded eyes stared back up at him accusingly while her mouth hung open. There was no light in those sightless orbs.

Davian recoiled, rapidly backpedalling until he slammed into the far wall. Even that didn't stop him. He pushed himself against the barrier as hard as he could as though he'd be able to force himself through it with only effort.

"N-No… no…"

He couldn't have… She couldn't be… His mind rebelled against the idea, trying feverishly to deny the body lying still in front of him.

Davian trembled, a terrible scream stuck halfway up his throat. He'd killed her. He'd strangled his own sister to death. He was a murderer. In one moment of thoughtless idiocy, he'd done something unforgivable to the one who he cared about most.

"No!"

He shook his head violently, smashing it against the wall he was pinned to. This couldn't be happening! It wasn't true! He hadn't done it! There was no way that it could end like this! He couldn't! He wouldn't! He didn't! This wasn't real! It wasn't real it wasn't real itwasn'trealitwasn'trealitwasn'trealit-

Get up.

Two words cut across the sea of turmoil screaming throughout his mind, causing him to jump. Davian looked up again, staring blankly when he saw that the room was still empty.

I said, Get. Up.

Unable to even begin to process what was going on, the young boy rose numbly to his feet.

Now move.

He stumbled forwards, nearly tripping over his own feet as he did so. Thought left him. There was nothing to do but to follow. As he took the next step, a wave of crushing grief pierced his heart for reasons he didn't understand.

Stop. Don't look down.

He paused, shaking. How had the person speaking to him known he was about to look down? It didn't make sense. He didn't even know why he was about to do that, but he felt that there was something terribly important he needed to see.

Keep moving. Don't turn back.

Davian did as he was told. He crossed the room without incident, resting his fingers on the knob. But… something was wrong. He was forgetting someone. Amelia… he couldn't leave without Amelia… where was she?

You had to leave her behind.

His head jerked back as though he'd been struck. Leave her behind!? He couldn't do that! She was his sister! They were family!

There was no other choice.

He didn't want to believe it. He tried to rebel against the very notion, but the voice spoke with such surety and conviction that he couldn't think to do so.

It wasn't your fault.

It wasn't his fault. He didn't know why, but hearing that sent waves of bitter grief up and down his spine.

Now go. It's time to leave.

Davian's hand tightened around the knob unthinkingly, turning it and pushing the door open. He stepped through into the open hallway, surprised to find that he knew exactly where he needed to go.

He didn't turn back.

Davian's eyes opened to nothingness. Vast. Empty. Blank. In a way, it was almost like the non-space he entered whenever teleporting. Though unlike the red mists, this place held no color or sense of direction. Up, down, left, and right no longer existed.

Get it now?

It probably should have been shocking to see another version of himself standing a short distance away, but he was beyond surprise at this point. It was almost like looking in a mirror, though there was one major difference between a reflection and the image standing before him. This doppelganger's eyes were anything but human. They were devoid of the weaker feelings such as empathy or care. They were a splicer's eyes.

Slowly sitting up before rising to his feet, Davian turned to face the voice.

"So that's what you look like, huh?" He asked, his question devoid of any real emotional investment. The voice shrugged in response.

I am what you see me as.

It was somewhat disconcerting to talk with him. Despite the fact that his mouth moved, his words seemed to be coming from inside Davian's head.

For a long while, they both stood silently watching one another. It was impossible to tell just how long the standoff lasted for in a place with no sense of time, but Davian was the one to eventually break it.

"Is this real?" He asked, swallowing heavily before going on. "…Or have I gone insane?"

His double raised an eyebrow.

You're standing in an empty vastness holding a conversation with a shattered piece of your own psyche. I think you've gone far beyond simply being 'insane'. Still, that doesn't mean it can't be real.

He nodded. The answer was more or less what he'd been expecting.

"I killed her then." He said, speaking to himself rather than the voice. "I didn't just leave her behind. I killed her. And you…"

…Had to be made in order to keep you from breaking down entirely.

The copy drew up closer to him, fixing him with a stern gaze.

You needed something to keep you going. Someone to make the hard decisions for you. And, at times, someone to blame when you couldn't bear to blame yourself. Like I said Davian, I can't do anything you don't let me do. There is no 'me'. Only 'you'.

He lapsed into silence once more, turning his gaze into the vast nothingness around them. After a pause, he sighed heavily. Some part of his mind had always know. Self-preservation and staying alive in a place like Rapture meant becoming just as bad as those you were hiding from. He'd just gone about it a different way.

"So what happens now?" He questioned, his words sounding hollow. "Am I dead? Is this where I'm going to be for the rest of eternity?"

The voice tilted his head slightly, leaning to one side despite there being no visible wall to support his weight.

Dead? Not quite, though very nearly. What happens next is up to you.

Davian laughed, a bitter, weary sound that held not even the slightest trace of mirth.

"Up to me?" He demanded. "Just what's that supposed to mean? Do I get to decide whether or not I get to keep breathing? I thought you were supposed to be some kind of drive for survival. What happened to all that?"

If his outburst had any effect on the voice's mood, he didn't show it.

I'm here to ensure your survival, but if you've given up there's nothing I can do to stop you. If you really want to die all you've got to do is stop trying. Your body's already teetering on the edge, so a tiny shove like that would be all you'd need to go over.

That was all there was to it then. He could just give up. It was really that easy. He'd tried so hard, fought for so long, but now he wondered if it was even worth it. He was tired. All the fighting, all the killing, all the pain, fear, and anger. Maybe this would be better. He didn't know if Hell actually existed, but it couldn't be much worse than Rapture had been. At least there he wouldn't have to worry about hurting those close to him.

"I…"

He saw his parents, cut down in the middle of nowhere by drug-addled psychopaths. He saw his older sister, the one who'd given him so much only to be murdered by his hand. He saw Joseph, Tomas, even all the nameless faces he'd watched lose their lives along the way. Friends. Enemies. They'd all died. What right did he have to go on when none of them could?

As his guilt started to wear him down, there was one image that refused to be ignored.

He saw Gwen. The child he'd looked after. The one who'd kept him sane with her presence. He saw Amelia, who'd become so precious to him in their short time together that he couldn't picture living without her. He saw Archer with all his sarcastic humor and annoying tendencies. His friends, the ones who'd been there by his side throughout the whole thing. They'd each lost their fair share. Innocence. Family. Purpose. But they didn't give in. They fought every step of the way, refusing to be left behind.

It was selfish. He wanted to deny what he knew, but there was no way he could do that any longer. Despite everything…

"I don't want to die." He said at last. "I want to live."

The copy nodded as though it was the answer he'd expected all along. Who knows? Maybe it was.

Then turn around and prove it.

Looking over his shoulder, Davian witnessed the empty span of nothing coalesce into something that resembled a doorway. A simple wooden structure with an ordinary brass knob.

Get going. You've got people waiting don't you?

He did. With a shuddering sigh, he reached forwards only to hesitate at the last moment. There was something he still needed to do. Something he couldn't leave here without accomplishing.

Something wrong?

He felt more than heard the voice walk up behind him. His hand still hovering just above the knob, he shrugged lightly.

"Kind of." Davian admitted. Without warning he spun on his heel and swung a balled fist with all his strength. The punch struck his double directly in the middle of his face, causing him to lurch backwards and collapse the floor with a shocked cry.

"That was for being a dick to my friends."

Not bothering to wait for a response, he turned back to the doorway and pulled it open.

Awareness returned to Davian slowly. At first there was nothing but quiet, empty silence. It was a lot like being asleep. Or dead.

Little by little he became aware of a steady sound that echoed in his ears. It was a constant rhythm much like the beat of a drum. At length he realized that it was a heartbeat. A little more focus and he knew that it was his own. He was still alive at the very least.

That was when the pain hit him.

Wave after wave of torment running through his system and across his limbs like boiling water underneath his skin. It originated from his core and extended to every part of him. It became so intense at times that he was tempted to go back on his decision. He very nearly gave in simply to get away from the burning anguish that encompassed all of his awareness. Each time he was tempted to fall, he'd see the vivid image of his friends and allies who were still there waiting. He couldn't give up. They wouldn't give up. He'd hold on just a little longer.

Time passed without his knowledge as he drifted in an endless sea of suffering. Very slowly, almost too slowly to be perceptible, it began to change. Anguish dulled into sharp pain. That eventually gave way to a sort of constant soreness. His chest still hurt like mad, but the pain was becoming more bearable.

At great length, more of his awareness returned. He was laying on something soft. A bed most likely. The air was thick and stale like in most sections of the city, and every now and then he'd hear a voice. Whatever was being said was lost on him though. They sounded distorted as though they were talking from underwater.

Next came light. There was a bright one right above him, shining down on his face enough that he could feel the illumination on his closed eyelids. Probably a ceiling fixture.

Distantly, he felt a tiny hand interlace with his own. A voice like that of a child started speaking. She sounded concerned, squeezing his arm and shaking it every now and then. Then came a second voice. One that he didn't recognize. It was female, but had a strange quality to it that he couldn't place. Slowly, almost regretfully, the hand holding onto him released. Its owner didn't go far. He could still hear her talking.

Davian wanted to open his eyes. He could feel that Gwen, it had to be Gwen, was worried. He struggled to move or speak or do anything to try and assure her that he was all right. His efforts were wasted. Each attempt dried up what little energy reserves he still had until he was running on empty once more. Though he struggled against it, he eventually felt himself drift off.

When he woke up the pain in his chest had dimmed slightly. It no longer felt as though he was about to split open across the middle. His hearing had improved as well and he began to pick up on the sound of rapid movement that seemed to be coming from other rooms.

With a soft groan, he managed to pry one eye open. Light flooded in nearly causing him to close it again, but he forced it to stay open until he had a chance to adjust. Once the swirling colors dotting his vision settled into recognizable images, he could see that he was lying on his back looking up at the ceiling of the same hospital room he'd been in after the events of the Farmer's Market.

"What's that one?"

Gwen's voice caused him to open his other eye and turn towards it. The scene waiting for him seemed almost surreal in a place like Rapture.

The girl was seated on the lap of an older colored woman, peering intently at a large book that was being held open for her. The woman was in turn sitting in a large chair that looked as though it had been moved inside the room for the sole purpose of accommodating her. Amelia was leaning over the back of it, watching the book with the same interest as her younger counterpart.

"That un's back when I was singin' down at The Limbo Room." The woman answered, smiling down at Gwen. Her voice was thickly accented.

After a few moments, Amelia looked up and let out a small gasp at seeing Davian. Her reaction caused Gwen to look up as well.

"Mister M!" She shouted, all but leaping off the woman's lap and dashing up to his bedside. "You're awake!"

He had a split second to brace himself before she clambered up onto the bed and threw her arms around him. He was partially successful. Instead of screaming as his wound was disturbed, he only let out a strangled groan.

"Now, now." The woman chided, getting to her feet with the help of a cane that had been resting beside her chair. "Be careful with 'em. He's in here cuz he got cut up, remember?"

Gwen blushed sheepishly, drawing back enough to let him breathe but not relinquishing her grip entirely. Amelia made her way over to his other side, choosing to hold his hand so as to avoid jostling him. After several moments, Davian managed to work up enough energy to speak.

"What's going on?" He asked. "How did we end up back here?

The woman drew up to his bed, looking down at him appraisingly.

"From what the docta' been tellin' me, you had a nasty spill back there." She said. "Been out of it for three days. They had to stick ya with a load of needles just to keep you breathin."

Three days. No wonder he felt like he'd been used run over by a train. As he opened his mouth to ask more questions, a knock came at the door.

"Hey! Grace!" Archer called, stepping inside. "Tenenbaum's got everything ready. She said she wanted you to head up to the sub as soon as he's- oh, hey. Good timing."

Davian looked up at the young man warily. He was standing in the doorway with a foolish smile on his face, practically radiating energy. Something big was happening, and knowing the kind of track record he had Davian probably wasn't going to enjoy it.

"Well I shouldn't keep her waitin." Grace said, making her way over to the exit. As she passed by Archer, she looked back over her shoulder. "You take good care a' that little 'un ya hear? If ya don't, I'll be payin you a visit ya won't much like."

As she departed Archer turned to him once more, that stupid grin never leaving his face.

"All right." He began. "You've gotta tell me the whole story. I've only been able to get the tail end of it from the guys that dragged you back here. What went down between you and the splicer in the train station!?"

Davian sighed, pushing himself into a sitting position next to Gwen.

"It wasn't a big deal." He said. "We fought. I won. That's all there is to it really."

"Not a big deal!? He gutted you and you teleported him into a fu-"

Archer caught himself at the sharp glare he got, coughing lightly as he remembered that there was a child present.

"-into a fricking wall. That sounds like a pretty big deal to me. It's bad enough your girlfriend here can't fill me in on her fight with the other sister, so you're not getting off the hook that easy."

Davian reached up to rub one of his eyes, blinking away the fatigue that was still weighing him down.

"…It seemed like a good idea at the time." He offered. "That's all I've got for you right now. Would you mind explaining to me what's going on out there? Sounds like they're tearing this place down."

Judging by the look on his face, Archer was loath to change the subject after such an unsatisfying description. Fortunately, he shook his head and relented.

"That's not far from the truth." He said. "In case you've forgotten, we got the codes we needed. The sub's ready to go. Everyone's doing some last minute packing for the trip ahead. That noise out there? That's the sound of us getting ready to leave this place for good. Speaking of which…"

Without giving Davian a chance to react, he snaked one of his arms forwards around the Houdini's shoulder and pulled him forwards. Davian shouted as he was unwillingly yanked to his feet, nearly knocking over Gwen who had to crawl out of the way.

"What are you doing!?" The battered splicer demanded, struggling to avoid collapsing. On the other end of the bed Amelia let out a sound of angry protest, running around to grab his free arm and help him stand.

"Sorry pal, doctor's orders." Archer replied, half-supporting half-dragging him forwards while Gwen hopped down behind them. "She want's everyone up and moving as soon as possible so unless you're about to die from a walk we need to be going. Good idea angry eyes, you get his other side."

The big sister glowered across at him, hissing at the nickname. Davian couldn't help but worry for his safety standing between the two of them.

"You know Archer, there's such a thing as tact." He growled, clenching his teeth at the pain that was being reignited in his center.

"Suck it up princess. They stitched you back together so you don't need to worry about tearing anything. Right now, we've got a one way ticket out of this place so we've gotta get going while the going's good."

Out. The word hit him with so much force that it nearly knocked him off his feet. It hadn't really registered up to this point, but they were getting out. They were leaving Rapture.

"Hold on." He said breathlessly. "Give me a second. I can walk; just… give me a second…"

The others all gave him a concerned look at the sudden change in his demeanor, but they did as he asked. Archer stopped pulling, and when it looked like Davian was stable both he and Amelia hesitantly let go.

"You all right?" Archer questioned, hands partially raised to catch him should he tip over.

"Yea… I'm fine." Davian replied, keeping one hand over his injury. "Sorry for the delay. This is just… I need to do this."

He took one step forwards, tensing as it sent a burning spark through his system. Amelia and Gwen were both watching him carefully for any sign of trouble. He didn't want to worry them, but he knew this was important. With a deep breath, he took another step. Then another. Then another until he was standing in front of the door.

He slowly reached out, wrapping his fingers around the doorknob.

Davian lay on his back, looking up at the ceiling. His throat was raw from the tears that had been shaking his body. The image of their burning apartment was still flash-frozen beneath his eyelids. After a moment, a comforting hand was placed on his shoulder.

"It'll be all right." Amelia assured, wiping the child's cheek with her other hand. "You'll see. No matter what happens, it'll be all right in the end."

"Really?" Davian asked, hardly daring to hope for such a thing after having lost the only home they'd ever known.

"Yes. It will. We'll find a way to make it better. I promise."

Turning the handle, he opened the doorway and stepped through.