Crimson Eyes

Iota was playing with Lizzy when the sound of Anna's speech had reached her eats, echoing over the intercom system in the hallways outside, easily audible with her advanced hearing, though she knew the Lizzy wouldn't be able to hear it, and all the better for it. Iota hadn't agreed with Anna's choice to do this, far from it in fact, but she reluctantly accepted it when she told her they would be able to get her Mate back this way. Iota trusted her younger sister, as well as any older sister could trust a younger, more inexperienced one. She growled at every other word her younger sister had said during the speech though. She had a new suit of armor now, regal, and as beautiful as it was deadly, but it didn't stop her from worrying for the younger Protector. It was her job to protect her, and her younger sister seemed to want to walk into unknown territory more and more with each passing day. It was a common problem with younger sisters that hadn't learned the way of the city yet, and Anna hadn't been a full Big Sister for very long at all, and that meant mistakes were bound to happen. After the speech she felt like puking, and Lizzy had picked up on her unease, choosing to silently play with her dolls as Iota sat cross legged in the living room, watching her but listening to the words Anna had spoken to the Faithful Rats. She could hear faint cheering and praying over the speakers in the hallway, and bit her lip so hard blood trickled into her mouth. After a few moments of authority stricken words, the speakers cut off, and a while later she could hear Anna in the hallway followed by Mark and Tokerev as they spoke calming words to her. She could hear Anna's snarling and breathing as they made their way to the Heralds suites. The eldest sister couldn't help but nod at the sounds of rage coming from her sister. Big Sisters were wild and impulsive by nature thanks to their conditioning, and she approved of her younger sister's rage. It was only natural that she should feel such hatred and anger, being surrounded by Splicers, the lowest of the low, beings that weren't fit to live let alone breath a word of reverence to them. She felt her anger rise as her jaw clenched shut. Even if Anna had chosen to speak to the vermin, even if she had done it in order to find Omega, it still filled her with anger for her sister having to be put in that position. Iota wasn't as angry with Anna as she was the humans, they had always schemed and come up with plans that she didn't like, claiming one way or another that it was the right choice, that it was the only choice. She had seen where listening to humans got them multiple times, trapped, hurt, and almost killed. Humans had poor instincts more often than not, and they always decided that their intuition was correct. It infuriated her to no end. Sometimes it was as if they acted like children, too afraid to do what needed to be done in order to survive or even thrive in Rapture. The thought made a low growl come to her throat that she quickly hushed when she looked to Lizzy as she played with her toys. There was no need to scare her with such noises, no matter how much the humans infuriated her.

She could hear her dear sister raging in the common room down the hall from their suite, her anger an inferno that she fed off of in unity with her. She heard every word her angered voice boomed, how she cursed Archer, how she raged at the Splicers, how she felt about them. Her feelings and voice gave words for Iota's own mindset where she had none. The sister sat there listening to her rant and rave with all of the passions of a young Protector, and when it finally grew silent, she let her own emotions calm, taking deep breaths. She was only able to hold her composure and not join Anna in her rage because Lizzy was there in front of her, giving her a focal point to calm her nerves and anger, or at least maintain them for the moment. Her Protector instincts forcing her to be still, to be gentle with the little girl in her presence. Lizzy hummed softly to herself, oblivious to the rage her older sisters felt as she played with dolls fashioned in the likeness of her Brother, Anna, and Iota. She even had a newly crafted one Iota had helped her with in the likeness of Subject Sigma, all fashioned from bits and pieces of rubbish that could be found in trashcans or around an apartment, or in this case a suite.

The girl giggled to herself as she played out scenarios of the dolls knocking down various bocks and small toys she imagined were Splicers, growling all the while in order to protect a small wooden carving of a teddy bear that she imagined was her. As Iota's anger died down watching the girl, she gave her a sweet, motherly smile that Lizzy returned with her own innocent one in kind.

"What would you do to stop the Monsters, Big Sister?" The girl asked, holding her doll of scrap parts that looked like Iota out toward her. Iota smiled as she gently took the doll from the girl's hands and began knocking the blocks and smaller toys down with it as she gave a broken, light hearted growl. That caused Lizzy to laugh, a piercing shriek of joy as she joined in with the dolls of Anna and Omega to knock the toys over. That's when a new sound reached Iota's ears, a crackling as the speakers of the suite came to life, and the television screen close to them sparked to light. The sudden sound caused her head to turn sharply as she listened, her muscles tensing in order to shield Lizzy if there was an attack, though none came. Time froze when she saw the black and white images on the television screen, finally looking up as she noticed a flash of light in the corner of her sight. Her eyes went wide with horror when she realized what she was seeing, and just as Lizzy noticed her, she turned her head to see what her sister was looking at.

"Iotaaaaaa." A man's voice echoed from the speakers in the living room, hunger and amusement clear in his disgusting tone as he sang her name. Iota's eyes went even wider, ice flowing through her veins.

"I have something to show you." The man said, revealing what he had been hiding as he faced the camera, an insanity filled expression of eagerness and sadistic pride on his disgusting face.

Before Lizzy had the chance to even look at the screen, Iota snatched her up and pressed her to her chest plate, tears already beginning to fall down the Protector's cheeks as she pressed Lizzy so hard to her chest she began to cry. "Ow! Big Sister you're hurting me!" The girl screamed, but Iota ignored her, she had to ignore her. She stood, sprinting to the bedroom with her Charge, using her telekinesis to crush the television screen in the bedroom to the size of a baseball as she held an outstretched hand, then clenched her fist. She sat the girl on the floor and gestured for her to stay there with frantic, screeching pleas. Lizzy was terrified, her eyes wide and mouth agape as she stared in horror at whatever had come over her sister. Iota pulled the door shut, and ignored the cries and sound of tiny fists banging on the other side as she locked it, melting the outline of brass and steel to seal it before blasting the frame with ice to hold it in place. She couldn't let Lizzy see what she had seen. She had to seal her away from that horror. The thought of doing that to Lizzy tore at her heart, but what she saw on the television screen was something so horrific she couldn't let the girl see it, her Protector instincts wouldn't let her. She ran, sprinted back to the T.V in the living room, sliding on her knees to a stop just in front of the screen as she took in the sight, staring with wide eyes at her Mate, strung up on a wall, covered in wounds of every kind.

Tears flowed freely from her glowing eyes as she looked at him, her heart feeling like it had shattered into a million shards of glass. She whimpered as she placed both gloved hands on the screen, cracking it with her strength, sobbing, begging the images to be fake. Lizzy's begging and screams of fear became a buzz in her ear as she watched the man in the fedora speak, her eyes fixated on her Mate as she shook in horror.

"I want you to listen very carefully Iota. I want you to bring me Doctor Tenenbaum, alive." The man explained, and the sister held onto every word as if it had been branded into her mind.

"I want you to bring me Doctor Tenenbaum, and I might let this... thing live long enough to say goodbye." The voice echoed in her head.

She didn't even realize she was screaming. The suite shook with all of the pain, rage, and sorrow she felt. Her deafening screech piercing the air and shattering bottles, clocks, and glasses around the room. Her hands pawed uselessly at the screen as she watched the man stab her Mate in the eyes with large shards of glass, blinding him. The sounds of his rage and defiance echoed in her ears, along with the sounds of his pain. She felt something snap inside of her, a spring that had been wound tight in her mind suddenly breaking with enough force to make her jolt. The echo of what had broken left only two words screaming in her mind.

Tenenbaum, alive.

The Protector scratched at her left eye so hard it bled as she hyperventilated, her anxiety and rage filling her to a breaking point as she rose, her mind darting to the older woman she knew was across the hall. She latched her helmet to her head and stalked from the room, her heartbeat thundering in her ears as an all encompassing ringing filled her mind and body. All she could hear was the infernal ringing, and her heartbeat as she entered the Heralds common room. Her eyes fixated on the older woman as a look of pure terror washed over her. She ignored the other humans, and even Anna who sat on the floor sobbing, they became blurs to her, obstacles to ignore rather than people. She walked forward, grabbing the couch that blocked her path and flinging it across the room with one hand, growling desperate sobs as she made her way to the Doctor. The older woman was saying something to her but she didn't hear, couldn't hear, it was muffled, swallowed by the ringing in her ears as images of her lover flashed in her mind, suffering, dying. She reached out and grabbed the woman by the throat with a steel grip, panting with wide, feral eyes as she bared her fangs in rage, spittle seeping from the corners of her mouth as she clenched her jaw as well as her hand.

Others were in the room too, screaming something unintelligible at her but she didn't care, they were after images, blurs that surrounded the woman she held in her grip. Tenenbaum was the only one that mattered, the only one that could guarantee the sister could get close to the worm that had captured her Mate. She felt something grasp her arm, someone, and she struck out with her free hand, her fist batting at the blurred figure. She saw red as the figure fell to the floor, unmoving. Another figure approached her, grabbing at her wrist weakly, and just as swiftly she swatted the blurred shape away, her sole focus on the woman that would guarantee her Mate's freedom. She heard what sounded like a woman's screams as the blur she swatted away flew across the room, but it didn't concern her, all that concerned her was her Mate, and the pain he was in, the pain she could save him from. A single human's life for her Mate's wasn't even comparable, not to her.

The sister turned and walked toward the door, the older woman still in her grip, dragging her by the throat as she fought uselessly. A third figure appeared, arms outstretched in front of the doors, attempting to bar her path. The figure screamed at her with words she couldn't hear for the sound of the ringing in her head, the sound of her own ragged, heavy breathing and thunderous heartbeat. Her leg shot forward in a kick, hitting the figure squarely in the middle, sending it flying backward through the door to land on the floor.

She made her way to the elevator lobby, the woman in her grasp struggling in futility the entire time, choking from the grip she held around her throat as she dragged her along like a stuffed doll. The sister stopped when she reached the elevators, and a new, massive figure stood in front of her. A low groan bellowed as it raised it's hand, and her head dropped into a predatory glare as she dipped down into her combat ready stance. Nothing would stop her from reaching her Mate, nothing could stop her.

. . .


Archer looked down at the crowd gathered in the courtyard of the Faithful's military training compound, pleased with how things had gone between Anna and the Faithful. He had watched her fight her own basic instincts to follow his directions, and was equally thankful as well as amazed that she had actually managed to do it. Because of that he now looked down at awe inspired eyes as the masses of loose skin, yellow toothed, and balding Faithful gazed at him with adoration and worship. He gave his own orders, spur of the moment as they were with Anna cutting the speech so short, though he could hardly blame her. It hardly mattered now though, they had seen one of their Queens, had been given direction and purpose, and now they heard it from her own lips, they would obey and serve, and the Heralds were to be listened to as if the orders they gave came from the Queen's own mouths. Archer spoke with General Scorn for a time before handing the microphone over to him. He had better knowledge of what they needed supply-wise than he did. He decided to retire for the day back to the suites and celebrate with the others, hopefully they had managed to calm Anna down by now. He had watched her storm off with barely contained rage after the speech, and felt himself worrying over everyone in the hotel, though from her earlier rage toward him he was glad he had needed to stay behind and give out further instructions to the Faithful. He recognized the need for the Protectors, and how valuable they were, but it was hard for him to find comfort in them being so close. He realized that they were people, not just tools or weapons, but they were dangerous, far more dangerous than he would like to admit. They may look very similar to humans, but they were worlds apart as far as he could tell. They were cold, calculating, and quick tempered, and as stubborn as they were fierce. In simple terms, they were weapons, just as Lamb had forged them to be. They were unpredictable, though he doubted Lamb had intended that little aspect for them, but their brutality and deadliness were absolutely intentional, and it was no easy or stress free task working with them.

The danger had it's merits of course, and there was no way they were getting out of this damned city without them, or exterminating the NeoSplicer threat, but the danger was as terrifying as it was comforting. As he made his way down the building surrounded by Kraken honor guard, he exited the back and followed a trail of bodies back to the hotel, likely those too fervent to simply be content to sit in the courtyard and listen to their Queen's words. One of the Krakens confirmed his suspicions, and informed him that there had been fighting at the hotel as well. The man, Carter he thought his name was, had sounded troubled, but Archer chalked it up to worry for the Queens more than anything. He didn't really pay it any mind, if any of the fanatics did manage to get past the Kraken guard and into the hotel, Sigma would dissuade them on the top floor, and if they miraculously got past him, which he didn't put much idea behind, they would be met by the two most terrifying women he had ever met, both Iota and Anna. When he reached the hotel though, something felt off. The Kraken guards that had been posted there were gone, and bodies lay strewn about in puddles of blood, most were cleanly killed with blades, though a large number of them looked like they had been mauled by a monster. Heads, arms, and legs lay scattered in heaps around the area, and even crimson armored bodies joined them, their helmets crushed or chest pieces dented and broken. He felt a shiver crawl up his spine as he looked on the carnage behind hardened eyes. Very few things could cause such damage to a person, and he doubted it was NeoSplicers or Sigma.

The thought of the sisters spurred him to hurry, the honor guard following him close behind, even joining him in the elevator, four soldiers surrounding him as they rose to the top floor. When the elevator opened and the Krakens fanned out with weapons raised to secure the floor, his stomach sank. The floors and walls were covered in broken concrete, and scorch marks from plasmid use, and in the middle of it all, lay Sigma.

His porthole was dim, barely shining yellow, the sign of unconsciousness, and he lay in a puddle of his own blood on his back. Archer's eyes went wide as he rushed to the Big Daddy. One of the Kraken soldiers had reached him first and had already injected him with a first aid syringe, assuring Archer he would make it. His wounds weren't life threatening, but he had obviously taken a beating from whatever or whoever had attacked him. Archer's eyes went wide with horror when he looked down the hallway, and he felt his stomach sink again when he thought about what would be waiting for him. If Sigma had fallen, what would he find in the heralds suites?

With a shaking voice he ordered the Kraken soldier to stay with Sigma and tend to his wounds before rushing down the observational hallway with the three other Krakens following close behind, his heart pounding in his ears. When he turned the corner, he froze. Joe lay motionless against a window, blood oozing from his mouth and nose as he wheezed unsteadily. Another Kraken broke off to tend to him after pushing Archer away, telling him to check on the other Heralds inside and assuring him he would take care of the bearded man. Reluctantly he did so, stepping through the door to the common room, he walked into a horror scene.

Tokerev caught his eye first as the most familiar form, sprawled on the floor with blood around him on the plush carpet, unmoving. Mark lay some feet away in the same condition with Selene kneeling over him, weeping. Anna sat on her knees, unblinking crimson eyes staring at the black T.V screen above the fireplace, mouth moving wordlessly as she whispered something he couldn't make out. She hadn't been the cause like he feared, but something had shaken her so badly she was immobile.

"Help them..." Archer said in a dry whisper, panting from adrenaline and fear. The two Kraken soldiers moved in to check on Anna first, lifting her arms and checking her over, and Archer knew she was in bad shape just from the fact that she was letting them touch her, let alone be near her. When a helmeted voice told him she was unhurt, the soldiers moved to Mark and Tokerev. Selene screamed at one as she pushed him away, until she finally backed off and watched them inject her lover with a first aid syringe as they bandaged the deep gash in his head.

"Iota... Lizzy..." Archer whispered as his mind turned to the girls. He sprinted off to the Queens suite, terror gripping his heart at what he might find. When he entered the room, it was in shambles, furniture had been knocked over, the T.V screen in the living room had been crushed from a titan's grip, and he heard Lizzy crying from somewhere beyond. He found the source finally, a bedroom that had been melted shut with incinerate, and ice covered the weld. Without wasting any time he pulled his Thompson from his back and stood back a few paces.

"Lizzy, it's Archer! I need you to listen to me, Honey! I need you to go to the bathroom okay?!" He yelled through the door.

"Go to the bathroom, Sweetie! Go to the bathroom and cover your ears, okay?!" He yelled again, listening for a response.

"Okay!" Her terrified voice came from the other side. He heard her tiny feet move away and out of earshot before he waited another few moments and opened fire on the door. Splinters of metal and wood showered out around him, some bouncing off of his arms, chest, and legs as he held his hand over his eyes. When his magazine ran dry, he realized he had all but shredded the wooden obstacle, and shoulder charged it, forcing his way through. He clambered to his feet and looked around the large room.

"Lizzy?! Where are you, Sweetie?!" He yelled, frantic to find the girl. A tiny voice reached his ears and he turned, running down the hallway to his right toward the bathroom. Opening the door he found her in her white dress, curled into a ball and shaking in the corner under the sink. He dropped his Thompson and held his arms out toward her.

"Come here, Honey, you're okay." he said in as soothing a voice as he could manage, and she wept as she jumped toward him, sobbing. He held her there, stroking her hair until a Kraken guard came into the room, weapon raised until he saw Archer and Lizzy. The crimson clad soldier knelt with his Thompson to the face of his helmet, muttering words of reverence to Lizzy.

"Report!" Archer barked in annoyance, now was no time for prayer. The Kraken's muffled voice slammed into him.

"Subject Sigma is in critical condition, Herald, along with Heralds Joe, Mark, and Tokerev. They're being transported to the clinic as we speak under heavy guard. We dared not try to move Queen Anna, though she does not appear wounded. Queen Iota and Herald Tenenbaum are missing with signs of struggle, and Herald Selene is awake but unresponsive... She ordered us to leave her alone." The armored Kraken spoke, earning a nod from Archer as he tried to clear his mind and steady his nerves, thoughts and fears racing through his head.

"Secure the building, I don't want anyone inside, and post more guards around the Heralds en route to the clinic!" Archer barked, earning another bow from the man as he jumped to his feet and ran out of the room. He sat there panting, stroking Lizzy's hair as she hugged him tightly, for his benefit as much as hers.

"Lizzy, I need you to tell me what happened, I need you to tell me what you saw or heard." He stated, pulling the girl away to stand in front of him. Her red eyes were still leaking tears as her lip quivered, and his own face took on a pained expression.

"It was Big Sister... She saw something when the man's voice came over the speakers." She said as she cried.

"Man? What man? What did he say?" He asked hurriedly, swallowing hard.

"He said Big Sister's name, and said he had something to show her. I turned to see what she was looking at on the T.V, but she grabbed me and hugged me so hard it hurt my face! I heard Big Brother growling. I know it was him! I heard him be angry, and it sounded like he was hurt. There was a man laughing!" She cried, sniffling and rubbing her eyes with her small hands. Archer rubbed his hands up and down her sides trying to comfort her as he sat on his knees.

"Is there anything else? Anything you remember, please, it's important!" He said with a desperate voice, though he tried to remain calm and strong for her.

"I heard Big Sister crying, and then she screamed, and then it was quiet!" She choked out as she cried harder, and Archer pulled her into a tight hug again before picking her up and carrying her to the bed to sit down, petting her head as she wept on his shoulder, his mind racing trying to fill in blanks. Iota and Tenenbaum were missing, Iota had attacked everyone. Had she taken Tenenbaum? Why? What had Lizzy heard that had threw the Big Sister into such a rage? Why wasn't Anna responding to anyone?

His mind raced until he realized Lizzy had stopped crying, though she still hugged him she only sniffled. The poor girl was still shaking from fear and adrenaline. He pulled her back to look into her fearful eyes.

"You're sister's okay. Anna's okay, Lizzy. Why don't we go see if we can talk to her, huh? Do you want to talk to her?" He asked, and she shook her head vigorously as sad and fearful eyes bore through him.

"Okay, c'mon kiddo. Let's go find out what happened and see if we can figure this mess out." He said as he stood from his sitting position on the bed, pulling Lizzy close as he rose, making his way through the suite to the Heralds common room with her on his hip.

When he carried Lizzy past the two Kraken guards at the door to the Heralds suites, they saluted and bowed. One Kraken was standing nearby barking orders into a radio, trying to get more information as they passed. Inside the common room Selene was crouched next to Anna, hugging her with one arm as she sobbed, but the sister acted like she didn't even exist. Her eyes still wide with horror as they stared at the black screen above the fireplace, they were a light red, and Archer instinctively grimaced at the sight. The look she gave was disturbing, even to someone like him, and it made his stomach churn when he saw her lips moving silently. He carried Lizzy over to the two sitting women and got onto his knees. Lizzy immediately reached her arms out for Selene and the woman pulled her into a tight embrace.

"Oh, Lizzy! Thank God you're okay!" The one armed young woman exclaimed as she held her, stroking her head.

"Selene, what's going on?! I'm scared! Where's Big Sister?!" She began crying again.

"I don't know, Sweetie. We'll figure it out." She replied, holding back tears as she shook. She shot a piercing glare at Archer and stared at him as he blinked regretfully.

"Is Mark okay?" She asked, and he nodded reluctantly.

"He's in critical condition... but he's a Herald... so the Faithful will do whatever they can to help him..." He answered as he looked away. He saw her squeeze her eyes shut from the corner of his vision, fresh tears rolling down her cheeks. She didn't relish the thought of Splicer filth 'helping' her lover.

"Anna... I need you to listen to me, Anna. Lizzy is here, and she's scared. I need you to- We need you to come back to us." Selene spoke, her arm reaching out to cup the sister's tear stricken cheek in her hand, her mouth still moving wordlessly. Archer looked at her, then to Selene. "What's wrong with her? Why is she like this? Why won't she answer?" He asked, and Selene looked at him with eyes that could've melted steel.

"This is what happens when you push them too far!" She snapped, before huffing and taking a deep breath for Lizzy's sake. She shook her head ruefully as before turning back to him, her breath shaking as she spoke.

"I've seen it before, back when the Splicers turned off the lights to the district we were in at the time, you remember the story." She said, and Archer nodded. Joe had told him all about it when they first met in the fire station, with additions from Tenenbaum, Mark, and Selene.

"The trauma of losing one or more of their family members can send them into a kind of madness induced by their Protector instincts... From what Anna said back then, they feel shame and failure to such an extent that they go insane, and get trapped inside their own minds... or... something like that." She explained, and Archer grimaced yet again.

"Is there any way to pull them out of it? To snap them back? We need her, Selene... Now more than ever. If Iota took Tenenbaum, then they're walking right into a trap, and there's no way we can save them if Anna isn't here to help." He stated, causing her to look to the floor in thought, her eyes darting back and forth as they searched for an answer.

"The T.V suddenly turned on, and..." She glanced at Lizzy as she clung to her neck. She mouthed the words "A Splicer was torturing Omega... Badly." silently to Archer, who shut his eyes tight and nodded with a deep sigh.

"That's what sent Iota into a rage... What made her go mad... She stormed in here and took Tenenbaum like a hurricane snatching up a tree, and no amount of protest or reason could stop her." She explained, her eyes going distant as she remembered the fear she had felt for her own life, and the lives of Mark, Joe, and Tokerev.

"I don't know how they snapped out of it last time because we got separated, but I assume it had to do with Omega and Lizzy coming back to them." She explained, and Archer winced, clenching his jaw tightly.

"Can Lizzy bring her back?" He nodded to Anna, and Selene shook her head.

"I don't know. Maybe... But I don't know what'll happen if she does snap out of the madness." She said, holding Lizzy close to her.

"It didn't affect Omega last time because for all he knew his sisters were alive, and he had Lizzy to Protect in the tunnels after the Athena's Glory collapsed, but this time is different. Both sisters saw the video of... What happened, and both of them have gone mad just like last time, only, this time Omega isn't here to pull them out of it, there's only Lizzy." She explained. Archer cursed as he looked at her grimly.

"We have to try. We can't let Iota and Tenenbaum walk into that trap. Damn it!" He snapped.

"Any other time and Iota would probably be able to see that it's a trap, but that Splicer played them like a fiddle, brought their worst nightmare to life right in front of their eyes. If madness took hold of Iota like it has Anna, then she's marching blindly to her death and she's taking the Doctor with her. The only comfort is the fact that it looks like a few of the Krakens went with them, following after Iota to protect her, but if they reach Minerva's Den that won't be nearly enough." He stated, his eyes searching for a way out of this mess, or to at least make it better. Selene shook her head again. "No, she's not marching to her death, she's on a war path. She wouldn't just hand Tenenbaum over to them, she'd use the woman as a way to get close to them, and then burn Minerva's Den to the ground, likely destroying everything in the process. If what Tenenbaum said is true, that's just as bad as her marching to her death though, it means if she makes it to Minerva's Den, even if she gets killed, she'll do as much damage as possible along the way, and that could wreak havoc on the city." Selene stated as she looked back to Archer, his jaw clenching hard. She turned to Lizzy and gently rubbed her back with her hand.

"Lizzy, Baby. Could you try and talk to Anna? Could you try and pull her back to us?" Selene asked the girl clutching to her, her voice soft and gentle, though shaken. Lizzy took a moment to answer, but when she did she nodded into the girl's shoulder. After a moment she turned and reached for Anna, grabbing onto her as she wrapped her arms carefully around her armored neck, making sure not to cut herself on the spikes or blades that adorned her sister's new armored suit.

"Anna... We need your help! Big Sister took Aunt Tenenbaum to find Big Brother, and they might get hurt." Lizzy said to her, her tiny lips right next to her sister's ear as she spoke. The Protector didn't move, just stared wordlessly at the blank T.V screen with light red eyes, tears streaming down her face as her lips moved. Archer and Selene had to focus to hear what she was whispering.

"...Couldn't save him, hurt, suffering, because of me, dying, so much blood, my fault, all my fault..." She whispered lowly, on and on into a hundred different grim statements of broken madness.

"Anna! We need your help to save Big Sister, and Big Brother, and Aunt Tenenbaum!" Lizzy shouted into her sister's ear as she cried. Minutes passed as the same pleas echoed from the little girl's mouth, but still Anna didn't move, didn't even blink, and Archer began to give up hope, when suddenly she screamed.

"Annaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!" Lizzy's shrill voice shrieked through the common room, causing both Selene and Archer to jump in surprise. Anna's glowing eyes flickered bright red and yellow, and her lips stopped moving in whispers, her eyes searching some distant scene as if she only heard a faint echo of the girl's voice, even though she was right next to her head. Lizzy saw it too, and took in a deep breath of air, right next to the sister's ear.

"Heeeeeeeeeeelp!" She screamed at the top of her lungs, and Anna instantly jumped up, clutching Lizzy to her chest as she launched into a combat stance, both Archer and Selene backing away on their butts at the sudden movement. Anna's eyes were a piercing yellow now with white irises as she scanned the room for threats, her harvesting blade extending as she growled a feral rumble from deep in her throat, her fangs bared. If not for her demonic appearance both Archer and Selene would have jumped with joy. When the sister's glowing eyes settled on the two she blinked rapidly as she realized there were no threats, and recognized the two humans. The sister stood up straight now that she realized there were no other threats in the room, and her eyes darted between them.

"Wha- What happened? Where am I?" She asked in confusion, looking down on the two humans, and hefting Lizzy up higher on her side. Neither Archer or Selene wanted to explain the situation, but they knew they needed to. They told her about Iota's rampage first, and that caused her to sink to her knees, almost slipping back into the madness that had taken hold of her, but Lizzy's presence was able to stave it off this time, with some effort on the girl's part. They explained how Lizzy had snapped her out of the madness induced by her Protector instincts, and pulled her back to reality.

She had told them about the trap as well, how she was reliving watching her brother be tortured in an endless loop, Lizzy's eyes going wide with fresh fear and tears as she did so, causing her to wince at the pain she caused her little sister. They also told her how Iota had severely wounded Mark, Joe, Sigma, and Tokerev on her way out of the hotel, and they watched her bite a hole in her lip from frustration, blood trickling down her chin as she thought. Selene hadn't known about Sigma being wounded, and that brought a fresh wave of anxiety to the young woman.

"Damn Reed Wahl and his vermin!" The sister roared in rage. Now she was truly and utterly stuck. Should she run off to try and stop Iota? Should she take Lizz with her? Should she leave her here with only Archer and Selene to keep her safe against the army of Splicers? Could she even stop her sister? How far had they already gotten?

A hundred questions bombarded her mind until Archer spoke, pulling her back to the moment.

"From what I saw, Iota has an honor guard following her, most likely they tagged along for protection when she stormed out of the hotel. I'll see if General Scorn can get in touch with them. Maybe we can have them tell us what's going on, and keep track of her that way." He stated, standing up to run to the door. The two Kraken guards just outside jumped to attention and saluted when the door opened, and his eyes flipped between the two.

"Bring General Scorn here, now!" He ordered, and one of the soldiers saluted fist to chest before sprinting off, his heavy armor sending loud boot falls as he made his way down the hallway. He turned to the other soldier, the one that had found him in the bathroom with Lizzy. "How are the Heralds? Any word on their conditions?" He asked, and the man nodded. "Yes, Herald. They arrived at the clinic under heavy guard as ordered, and are being treated for their wounds." His muffled voice echoed from his helm. "Is the building secure?" He asked, already knowing the answer. "It is, Herald. Floors one through ten have been cleared by Krakens, and we hold both elevator lobbies. A crowd has gathered in front of the hotel, wondering what's going on, but we're keeping them back as ordered." The man's deep voice added. Archer nodded, "Good."

He returned to Selene, Anna, and Lizzy who had moved to the couches. Anna was rubbing Lizzy's back as she held her, and Selene was hugging herself as she stared at the floor. Moments later they heard the door slide open, and General Scorn strode in flanked by two of his personal guard, plumed helm bowing as his black and red cape flowed behind him.

"My Queen. Heralds." His booming voice echoed through the common room as he saluted, causing both Anna and Selene to stand. Archer started to open his mouth when Anna cut him off, her cold gaze fixed on the man and his guards. "General." She said, carrying Lizzy over to stand in front of him, eyeing the two guards with him. The three men knelt and bowed their heads.

"My sister left this hotel with one of the Heralds, and some of your men are with her. Get in touch with them and find out where they are, report back to me as soon as you have word from them. Go!" The sister boomed, and General Scorn nodded, stood to salute, and darted out of the room trailed by his bodyguard. Both Archer and Selene looked taken aback but she glared at them. "I have no time for long conversations, I need to find our sister and stop her as soon as possible." She stated harshly. They were more surprised that she had actually willingly given orders to the Splicers more than anything. She hated them it was true, but now with both of her siblings missing, she couldn't care less about the Splicers. She wouldn't lose both of them, even if she had to stop her sister herself. She balled her armored hands into fists and gritted her teeth, vowing the man responsible for this would die slowly, in agony, begging. Her brother had not begged, she knew he would never beg to a Splicer, no matter what they did to him, but the man responsible for hurting him would when she got her hands on him. The thought of Omega strung up somewhere in Minerva's Den ate at her still, but she had to look after Lizzy, especially now. With Iota gone, it was up to her to keep the girl safe, and it was the only thing keeping her sane.

Selene was still shaking and hugging herself as she remembered the events that took place, how Mark and the others had tried to talk some sense into Iota. Her heart had almost stopped when the sister hit him. He tumbled across the room like a limp doll, and she had screamed when she saw him laying across the room, unmoving. She looked over to where he had been laying, the blood on the carpet causing her breath to hitch in her chest.

"I have to go to the clinic..." She said lowly, causing both Anna and Archer to look at her. "I want to make sure Mark and the others are okay... or... to be there if..." She trailed off, her lip quivering. Anna nodded understandingly, and Archer grimaced. "The Krakens will escort you, they'll make sure no one gets close to you." He stated, and to his surprise she just nodded in acceptance. She rose from the couch and gave Anna an apologetic look before hugging both Protector and Charge. "I'm sorry, Selene... I know it doesn't help anything but... I don't want you to be angry with me, or my sister... You have to know... Have to understand that it wasn't her that did this to our friends... It was-" Anna tried to explain as she hugged her friend, but Selene cut her off. "I know, Anna... I know... It's not something you guys can help... but it doesn't stop me from being angry with her... She have killed the man I love..." The woman stated, looking up into the sister's eyes with both sorrow and anger, Anna could only nod with tight lips. Then Selene left the room, and her friends alone together.

As silence enveloped the room, broken now and then by Lizzy's sniffling, Archer looked around and took a deep breath. "A fine mess we've gotten ourselves into now, huh?" He said, more to himself than to Anna, but she glanced over to him and frowned as she rubbed Lizzy's back, still holding the girl as she paced slowly around the common room. "Thank you..." She finally said in a low, regretful tone. The sudden thanks causing the man's eyebrows to raise slightly in question. "For taking care of Lizz..." She added softly, her glowing eyes meeting his with both regret and gratitude.

"It was only right." He said lowly. "My heart nearly dropped when I went to your suite, and the place was wrecked. I didn't see Iota or Lizzy and I expected the worst... I'm just glad she was okay." He replied, causing the sister to nod as she hugged the girl tighter. Minutes passed in silence with Anna's heavy armored boots pacing back and forth on the carpet, until the hotels intercom system crackled to life, and General Scorn's deep voice echoed throughout the room.

"My Queen, we've located Queen Iota. Please come to the command tower as soon as possible." He said, just before the intercom clicked off. She had started moving before the announcement was even finished, and Archer sprinted to keep pace, her sudden jolt out pacing him in the blink of an eye. He reached the elevator just in time to make it inside as the doors closed, breathing heavily. The Kraken guards they had outrun were forced to take a separate elevator. On the way to the ground floor he looked up at her, worry and determination plain on her face as she eagerly watched the numbers of the floors tick down. When the elevator stopped and the doors opened, she was already gone, and Archer took off after her, easily outrun by the sister's impressive speed, despite wearing such heavy armor. A crowd had gathered outside the hotel, wondering what was going on, and Edward was there trying to calm them. They had seen wounded Heralds being transported on stretchers to the clinic, but Anna ignored them. She had one goal in mind, one singular mission to reach her sister and stop her before she could make her way to Minerva's Den, and straight into a trap. She wouldn't even recognize one until after it sprang, overwhelmed by grief as she was, and even if the trap was sprung, she would do far too much damage to the 'brain' of Rapture in the fighting. Anna clutched Lizzy tighter as she looked out over the crowds in front of the hotel, the little girl calming her mind, giving her a sense of purpose, holding her from rushing off to help her sister in retrieving their brother. She had to shut her eyes hard to stop the images of him being tortured from overwhelming her mind.

"Kneel!" She roared at the crowd, and they obeyed, dropping to their knees as they went silent. The sister swallowed down bile as she sprinted past them, Archer following the best he could as they made their way to the command tower, and General Scorn's office. When she reached the training compound guards knelt as she passed, and she crossed the now empty courtyard in seconds as she ran for the command tower. More soldiers knelt as she bounded up the stairs, clearing entire landings as she went. General Scorns bodyguard barely had time to open the doors for her when she reached his office she was moving so fast.

The broad shouldered man was leaning over his desk when she found him, both hands palms down on the wood as he stared at a map of the city. She stomped across the office and stopped in front of his desk, determined eyes staring into the slits of his plumed helmet.

"Where is she?" The sister asked, and the General pointed to the map with a gloved finger. "She's here, my Queen, making her way to Minerva's Den. She isn't moving as fast with Herald Tenenbaum with her but..." He stated before he went silent in contemplation, the hand still on the desk flexing. Archer entered the room then, panting and sweating as he tried to keep up, and the General's bodyguard closed the door behind him as he made his way to stand beside the sister.

"But, what?!" She demanded, and he shook his head as he turned his gaze toward her. "She's in the neighboring district... But she's heading toward a dark zone." He added. She didn't need an explanation to what that meant, she already knew. Looking at the map it was clear what she was doing. Iota was going to cut through a district that had lost power in order to take the shortest route to Minerva's Den, regardless of the fact that it had likely been overrun by NeoSplicers. Anna's eyes narrowed as she studied the map, and Archer's voice broke the silence.

"General you have men stationed at an outpost just outside that district right? Can you radio them and have them try to stop her?" Archer asked, and for a moment General Scorn went stiff at the thought of trying to stop a Queen from doing what she wanted. It would be blasphemy to do so, but another Queen was standing right in front of him. He took a moment to answer.

"I... could do that... yes... If my Queen commanded me to..." He said reluctantly, looking to Anna. "But I fear they will only slow her down at best, and if she kills those men, the outpost will be left unmanned." He said finally.

"Send reinforcements to the outpost. I'm going there to get my sister back." Anna commanded. Both Scorn and Archer tried to tell her to take a contingent of Krakens with her but she refused, stating that she could move faster alone, and she would need all the speed she could get in order to catch up with her sister. As she turned to dart out of the room, Archer took her arm, and she whirled on him with a growl.

"Anna, you know you can't take Lizzy in there..." He told her, a pleading expression on his face, and she froze as she held her sister in her arms, her stomach sinking. He was right, but would she be able to make it to Iota without Lizzy's presence to keep her sane? Would she be able to break through to Iota without her? Archer was the only human she knew still standing, the only one here anyway, and he wouldn't be able to catch up to Iota no matter how fast he ran, leaving both Lizzy and him vulnerable if she darted ahead. Her eyes darted back and forth as she thought of some way out of this.

"Let me take care of her." Archer said, and Anna stared into his eyes.

"I can keep her safe until you get back, with General Scorn and his men." He nodded to her. She eyed the General as he bowed his head, but she didn't move.

"We'll keep her safe, Anna. General Scorn and I can keep her safe." He said seriously, and for all she saw in his eyes he wasn't lying, but she didn't trust Scorn. He was a Splicer, no matter how sane he seemed. Her jaw clenched tightly as she held Lizzy close to her chest, questioning what decision was the right one. That's when General Scorn moved around the desk to stand in front of her. He knelt and removed his plumed helmet, and her eyes went wide as she looked down on him.

"You?...How?..." She whispered, as an unmutated face stared back at her.

"I swear on all that I am, that I will keep Lizzy safe." He said, emerald eyes staring up at her unblinking. Anna swallowed in disbelief as she dropped to her knees, pulling Lizzy from her chest and planting the girl's feet on the floor in front of her. She held her hands clasped to her chest as fearful eyes stared at her.

"Lizzy, I'm going to get our sister back. I need you to stay here and do exactly what Archer says, okay?" She told the girl, and Lizzy's lip quivered as she nodded her head, her ponytail bouncing behind her.

"I love you. You know that right?" She asked, and again the girl nodded quickly as tears rolled down her cheeks.

"Okay, I'll be back soon" Anna croaked out as she pulled the girl into a tight hug and kissed the top of her head. She glanced at General Scorn for a moment as he replaced his helmet, then spoke to both men.

"If anything happens to her... Anything at all... I will feed you your own entrails." She promised, letting them see her fangs. Both men nodded, promising she wouldn't have to do that, and glanced at each other worriedly.

"I swear we'll keep her safe, Anna, but you need to go stop Iota, she's walking into something she can't handle on her own, at least not without causing more damage to the city." Archer stated, and with that she pulled away from Lizzy, giving her a gentle smile before standing.

"Be good for Archer and... General Scorn, Lizzy." She told her sister as she glanced at the ornately armored man suspiciously, and then she was gone, darting back down the stairs as she cleared landings with ease. As she exited the gates to the fortress, she heard General Scorn's deep voice boom over the intercom speakers.

"This is General Scorn. Lockdown is in effect, I repeat, lockdown is in effect. All fireteams report to your assigned posts by order of the Queens. Lockdown is in effect." His voice boomed as Anna ran, seeing the heavy gates to the fortress close behind her as Krakens took up firing positions on the rooftops and ramparts between the buildings of the compound. She silently begged to anyone that might be listening to keep Lizzy safe until she got back, if she got back.

Anna sprinted as fast as her legs would carry her, pulling her ornate helm from her belt and strapping it onto her head. Her sister was carrying Tenenbaum, which meant she would be moving far slower than if she were alone, if Tenenbaum were still alive that is. She shook her head, her long hair swaying behind her as it flowed out of her helmet. She had to be alive, that's what the man on the T.V had said. He wanted her alive, which meant Reed Wahl wanted her alive. Her heavy boots thudded on the concrete as she rounded a street corner, multiple bodies lay sprawled out before her in the street. She didn't know if they were members of the Faithful or not, she didn't care. All she cared about was reaching her sister, and bringing her back safely. She still had no idea how she would do that, had no idea if she would even listen to reason if the madness had taken her again. It was different from last time.

When the Athena's Glory had collapsed in flames, she thought Omega and Lizz were dead, they both had. Iota had collapsed with the building just outside on her knees, clutching Omega's helmet to her chest as she wept silently, trapped within her own shattered mind, but this time she knew he was alive, and suffering. Anna put a hand on her helmet as she felt her own mind slip, stopping in the middle of the street to try and bring herself back to reality. Just the thought of him captured and treated like that made her want to snap, and the fact that Iota had already snapped made it even worse. She focused on Lizzy, the thought of her in the midst of those fanatical Splicers, and she managed to reign in her own madness. The man she loved would want her to protect Lizzy and Iota more than anything. He would want her to keep Iota from coming to him, she knew that. Iota knew that too, but the madness that had taken hold of her wouldn't let her think clearly. Anna knew that all too well. She herself had tried to kill her friends when her own mind snapped in the darkness as they fled the Athena's Glory, and it was something that she regretted dearly, but it was also something she had no control over. She hadn't even realized she had gone mad until she snapped out of it when Omega and Lizzy found them.

Anna focused on Lizzy, and busied her mind by examining the corpses that littered the street around her. Some were mauled, ripped to pieces by her sister, she knew that by how badly they had been torn apart. Only a Protector could inflict that kind of damage on someone, and it made her stomach drop at the thought of having to possibly fight her sister in order to stop her and bring her back to reason and sanity, if she even could. Other bodies had clean cuts through their clothing and flesh, or bullet wounds, and she knew that must be the Krakens following Iota, trying to protect her as she made her mad dash for Minerva's Den.

Anna bit her lip as she remembered the map General Scorn had shown her. Iota was heading straight for a district that had lost power, straight for a horde of gnashing teeth, razor sharp claws, and monsters that dwelled in the darkest reaches of the city. She had to find her, had to stop her from going in there. With Iota in her mad state, she wouldn't be able to asses the danger properly, wouldn't be able to keep Tenenbaum or herself safe if she tried to go through it.

. . .


Selene sprinted toward the Trainyard. The Kraken honor guard's heavy boots thundering on the concrete around her as they passed shops and apartment buildings along the way. When she entered the Trainyard she spotted a large crowd just outside of the clinic, and gritted her teeth as she eyed the soldiers around her, they were watching the crowd as well, weapons held in tight grips as they poised themselves for a fight. They knew as well as she did that she was going inside, and they steeled themselves for the push. A push that came with her darting toward the crowd. She began pushing her way through before a heavily armored Splicer made his way in front of her when the crowd realized another Herald was among them and turned on her. She felt cold armor against her back, holding people at bay as she was pushed into the soldier in front of her, her hand coming up to brace herself against the cold armor of his back. They shouted and barked angrily as they fought through the crowd of reaching masses, all begging and shouting for answers. They were wondering why so many Heralds were wounded, why Sigma was wounded, what had happened, and if the Queens were displeased with them.

Selene fought her way through the crowd in front of the clinic, ignoring pleas for an explanation from Splicers all around her. The soldiers that surrounded her were beating people into submission as she made her way to the interior of the medical facility, two more crimson armored guards fighting off a mob of the Faithful as she entered, placing their armored backs to the door as they beat or killed those trying to follow her.

Her heart sank when she saw Mark, Joe, and Tokerev all hooked to respirators, and she ran to her lover's bedside with tears in her eyes. He was hooked to a life support machine and her eyes darted over the tubes and wires that were hooked all around his body, listening to him breath with the assistance of machinery. An I.V bag dripped pain killers as well as saline into his arm, and the heartbeat monitor hooked to his finger beeped with the steady pulse of his heart. She bent over him, her head laying on his stomach as she wept uncontrollably. His face was gaunt and he had dark rings under his eyes, his pale lips slightly open as the machine helped him breathe.

She felt a hand rest limply on her head, and she turned, wide eyed to see Mark's eyes lidded but open as he gave her a weak smile.

"Mark?..." She gasped, just before he began coughing, blood filling the inside of his respirator mask as he convulsed, eyes rolling to the back of his head.

"Mark!" She screamed, holding the side of his face with her hand, feeling how cold his skin was. She was pulled away by a nurse with sagging, boil covered skin and receding lips as his heartbeat monitor ringed a sharp, continuous beep.

"Get the trauma cart!" A Doctor in black yelled as he ran over to check the dying man, two more Doctors and Nurses surrounded the bed, and she heard the whirring of shock paddles coming to life. She held her hand to her mouth, wanting to scream as the nurse hugged her and held her back.

"Let them work, dear Herald. It'll be okay, they'll take care of him." The nurse said, before adding "He's the baby and their the daddies!" as she chuckled insanely trying to calm her. Selene was thrashing, fighting against the half mad woman. She sat back on a chair against the wall, her hearing fading as she watched the Splicer Doctors work to try and save Mark's life. Their voices, mumblings, and insane laughter were a muted hum mixed with the buzzing of the crowd outside still fighting to get into the clinic. She heard gunfire and screaming from outside, laughter and musings of delusions mixed with the bark of a pistol, but it didn't affect her, she was focused on Mark, focused on his pale face, and the half open eyes that stared into nothing.

She drew herself up into the chair and hugged her knees with one arm, burying her face in them, weeping, wishing this was all a bad dream, a nightmare she could wake up from. She didn't know how much time passed in between the Doctors operating on Mark and now, but when she snapped back to her senses the clinic was dark, and the noise from the crowd outside was gone. Dim white lights illuminated the clinic beds above all three of her friends, and Mark's heartbeat monitor once again beeped a steady rhythm.

A lone Doctor was making rounds to various wounded patients throughout the room with a clipboard, and a large, broad shouldered crimson soldier stood with his arms crossed against the back wall, watching the doors she sat next to. She didn't know if he had been there the whole time, or if he had entered sometime earlier. Her head moved to Mark and she pulled her chair over to him, the metal legs squeaking across the floor as she dragged it behind her. The Doctor looked in her direction but ignored the sound when he realized it was a Herald that was making it.

She sat next to Mark's bed and reached out to gently take his cold hand, eying the white covers he slept under, and the blue medical gown he wore. She rubbed his rough hand, tracing her thumb over his knuckles, tendons, and veins, gently massaging the back of his hand with sorrowful eyes. A Nurse approached her from the right, and she recognized her as the woman who had held her back earlier.

"May I get you anything, dear Herald? Some food, or water perhaps?" She asked, giving a quiet giggle of madness. Selene blinked tiredly before shaking her head. "No... Thank you..." She said hoarsely. She didn't even have the energy to be angry at the Splicer for coming near her. She took a deep breath as she eyed the departing Nurse, as well as the Doctor, closely watching the other patients and speaking sentences that made no sense now and again. They had saved Mark, as much as she hated them, as much as they disgusted her, they had save him.

. . .


Omega wheezed a strained breath as he jolted awake, feeling a sharp sensation in his neck once again. He recognized it as the warming bliss of ADAM entering his veins, and the warm relief of numbness washed over him before sharp pain tore into his hand. He felt the spike that held his left hand in place being pulled out of the wall, and he grunted weakly from the pain. He opened his eyes but was still blind from the large glass shards that had been shoved into his closed eyes. The old woman had removed them but they would be slow to heal for a time. He knew the spike being pulled from his hand had to be the old woman. There was no one else in this place that had treated as anything other than a monster or captive. The dozens of faces he'd seen since his incarceration had been one of two categories, terror, or contempt. No one but the old woman would dare get close to him, aside from Simon, but if it was Simon he would be feeling more pain, not relief.

"I'm going to get you out of here, and in return, you are going to get me out of this city. You will take me to Doctor Tenenbaum, and let me leave with you when you go. Do we have a deal?" She asked in a cold whisper as she wiggled another spike free. He considered her proposal. Was this another trap set by Reed Wahl, or Simon? Some kind of mind game to make him think he was going to escape, only to reel him back into a worse situation that before, an attempt to break his will, his determination and hope? He didn't know, but he had been there for a week, suffering under Simon's knife with hardly any rest. Even if it were a trap it would offer a better chance at escape.

"Do we have a deal, boy?" She grunted again. Omega managed a single weak nod as his mind raced, and she had to have seen it, because all she said was, "Good." in her icy tone as she continued to pry the spikes from his limbs.

He could hear her grunting as she used some kind of metal tool to remove the spikes that held him in place on the wall, wiggling them out of his flesh and muscle, and causing yet more pain, but also a sensation of relief, like pulling a thorn from your hand. Two more spikes were ripped from the wall, one from his forearm and one from his bicep, and his left arm fell to his side. Aching muscles burned from staying in one place for a week straight. His joints were stiff, locked up and unresponsive. He tried to move his arm, but it was dead weight, he couldn't even control his fingers with how stiff they had become due to atrophy. He continued to wheeze as his legs were freed one after the other, then his right arm, and finally he collapsed forward limply, expecting to hit the cold tile floor but instead falling into some kind of cart. He had twisted when he fell, knocked over to land on his butt as his side hit the wall of the cart, panting just as he heard the woman's voice over him.

"Now I'm going to remove this muzzle they put on you, but you have to stay silent until I say so. Do you understand, boy?" She asked, and he nodded weakly once more, eyes still closed as they continued to heal ever so slowly. He gave a weak nod and felt the steel muzzle being unlatched from the back of his head, and felt cool air hit his cheeks and mouth for the first time in a long time. He took a deep wheezing breath as he tasted the stale air of the cell, filled with the scent of sweat, waste, and hatred. It was the first unhindered breath he had taken in far too long, and the cold air made him cough lightly.

"I would give you some water but we don't have time, I was barely able to retrieve your suit for you, damned heavy thing that it is." He heard her say coldly. She waited for him to stop coughing before speaking again.

"Now stay quiet, boy. I'm getting us both out of here." He heard the old woman tell him, she sounded both hopeful and aggravated at the statement, as if it troubled her as much as him. He was too weak to give even a full nod of agreement, all he could do was nod slightly and try to breath. Pieces of fabric were thrown in on top of him. He knew that from the feeling of rough cloth that suddenly covered him, and he felt his head lean limply against the bottom of the cart as it began to move, his head spinning from fatigue and drunken pain. He faded into unconsciousness as they began moving, his mind too exhausted to remain awake as his augmented body tried to heal him and compensate for all of the trauma he had been through before his release.

He would awake now and then to barely audible conversations. The older woman's voice telling a man to step aside and let her pass, the man refusing, her threatening him with some kind of punishment directed from Reed Wahl, and then they were moving again, and he drifted into the void. He awoke again, this time to the sound of a shrill alarm blaring loudly from the direction they were moving away from. He could feel them moving faster, hear the woman pushing the cart, breathing heavily as her feet ran across the hard ground. He faded again, and woke to the sound of gunfire chasing after them, the sound of plasmids being used, and then, he was tumbling, flipping out of the cart and rolling across the hard ground.

"Boy! I need you to scream as loud as you can, right now! Scream or we're both going to die!" He heard her shout at him, he heard bullets impacting something hard just behind him, and realized they were behind some kind of barrier. He heard her gun bark back at the attackers, a revolver from the sound of it.

"Scream, boy! Scream and pray this works!" She shouted as the gunfire got closer and closer, the sound of laughter and insane ramblings moving toward them at a slow, steady pace. He tried to force his arms and legs to work, tried to roll onto his back, and finally, with considerable effort, he was able to limply roll over. He took in a deep, blissfully long breath of air, and howled so loud he thought his throat would bleed. He heard the gunfire cease for a moment as he panted, his own ears ringing from the intensity of his howling screech.

And then he heard it. An answering screech echoed from somewhere behind them, a Big Sister's screech. His mind shot to Iota, she had come for him, just like he knew she would. That thought brought both joy and worry to him, she had come for him, and he had wanted her to stay as far away as possible for her own safety. He wondered if Anna and Lizzy were with her, or if she had come on her own. He hoped she hadn't brought the two girls, hoped they hadn't followed her.

The screech came again, louder, longer, and closer this time. A beautiful sound that shot fear into any Splicers that heard it. Then the gunfire picked up again and he felt the old woman's hand on his forehead.

"Remember our deal, boy. It's the least you can do now. I have to get out of here before she arrives... but she'll take care of you and get you to safety. I have to be far away from you when she gets here, or she'll likely kill me too." He heard her say, just before she sprinted off away from the gunfire and shouting for him to remember their deal as she ran. He heard her shoot a few more rounds at her attackers as her footsteps echoed off into the distance. He heard footsteps running up to chase her, then he heard unfamiliar voices filled with madness.

"Hurry! We have to get him back into Minerva's Den before-" Was all he heard before another sharp screech shook the ground, far closer this time. He heard panic enter the voices of the Splicers as some ran, and others tried to grab at him, pulling him in desperation as they attempted to drag his weight and flee at the same time. He heard heavy footsteps closing in, and the hands that were trying to drag him by his arms and legs let go. Screams filled his ears, screams from the Splicers and rage filled growling from Iota that accompanied the sound of flesh and clothing being torn apart, wet meaty impacts landing on the hard ground all around him. He panted as he felt himself slipping away again, and before he knew it he felt arms around him, a hand running down his face and feeling his neck, chest, and arms, heavy breathing in his ear. He reached out through his bond with his Mate, trying to convey the sense of urgency to her, trying to tell her they needed to get away from Minerva's Den before she was taken too.

His mouth hung open. He could feel Iota's presence in the bond, but she was still too far away to feel anything else. His heart began beating rapidly, and his mouth tried to swallow dryly. The sister that had found him, wasn't Iota. That's when the mystery sister's scent reached him, her pheromones filling him with a warming sensation. He heard her give a questioning screech, desperate and filled with what he could only describe as a begging tone with her broken voice. Omega reached toward the sound with a limp hand, his blind eyes causing him to grit his teeth in both frustration and pain. His hand hit something metal, and he knew the familiar feeling. He brushed his fingers across the Big Sister's helmet, leaving streaks of blood on her porthole before his arm fell again to his side. He felt himself slipping back into the void, her scent and the warming sensation it had on him the first comforting thing he had felt in so long. She shook him gently, another sharp, pleading screech echoing faintly to his ears as the sound fled away from him, as if he were being pulled away from it.

He awoke suddenly sometime after, being dragged from under his arms across the cold floor, or pulled up stairs. He could hear the sister panting desperately every time he came back to conscious thought. At one point he felt her pressing down on his chest before he coughed and took in deep breaths. Then he heard gunfire, plasmids being used, screaming, and finally he felt a piercing pain in his stomach and the blissful release of ADAM into his gut. He felt these things from an outside perspective, more of a viewing than a feeling, everything was so distant from him, as if he existed outside of his own body as he floated in a sea of darkness. When he awoke next he felt his head burning from the headache inside of his skull, but he could feel his body again. He opened his eyes, but blurry vision was all he could see as his eyes tried to heal themselves, colors and different shades of light were the only thing present whenever he opened his eyes. He saw the unmistakable shape of a Big Sister's helmet though, and the circular porthole glowing a bright yellow looking down on him, and then he faded once more, his cloudy vision zooming out as he fell, and darkness overtook him once again as heavy eye lids fluttered.


A/N: Massive thank you to everyone that reviews my story and offers encouragement! I read all of my reviews and enjoy seeing all of you get excited about my story. It might not be worth an Author's note but I can't reply to reviews and I want everyone that's made it this far to know how grateful I am, especially those who comment often, glad you're still around and enjoying the story, thank you!