Ash and Embers
It felt like an eternity had passed since the Hotel's collapse though in reality it had likely only been a few hours, it didn't matter. In the course of those hours they had lost so much it almost didn't seem real, an Enemy they hadn't expected had so easily gotten through their defenses and even past the Protectors, it was like a nightmare they wished they could wake from. No matter how much the Survivors went over the gruesome events that happened they couldn't believe they actually had happened, they were now in more danger than they had ever been, and it was only getting worse. Everyone stood stock still, mourning their lost, defeat evident on their ash and soot covered faces. The only sounds present were the crackling of the fire as it continued to rage in the Hotel's ruins, the coughing and crying of the Survivors, and the whispering snarls of the NeoSplicers as they circled the border where the light of the Hotel flames brushed the darkness. It was ironic that the object of so much pain and death was now the Group's only source of survival. No one said a word, no one dared break the silent grieving that everyone took part in. Iota sat on her knees starring blankly at the Hotel's ruins as she rocked back and forth clutching her Mate's helmet to her chest, warm tears streaming from her illuminated eyes that had already carved trails through the dirt and soot on her cheeks. She was so overwhelmed with grief and guilt the only thing she was capable of was crying and breathing but even breathing felt like an impossible task. Anna was holding onto her Sister's side like a child seeking any kind of comfort possible, though there was none to be found. Suddenly it didn't matter if they made it out of Rapture anymore, they had lost everything in the blink of an eye. The Sisters blamed themselves for the deaths of their loved ones, Iota to the point of madness. She tormented herself with curses and unheard screams until she eventually stopped moving. She replayed the events over and over again in her mind, she had been the one to start the fire so everyone had a chance to escape without being overwhelmed by the NeoSplicer Horde. She had thrown the first flame, she had killed Omega and Lizzy. Now all she could do was stare into the inferno she had created, the inferno that had killed her Mate and her youngest Sister, two of her precious Family members whom she had sworn to protect at all costs.
The Humans were no better off, they sat in silence drinking the bottled water they had brought for their trip to Minerva's den, lucky that some of them had even thought to bring supplies during their escape. They were surrounded by darkness with God knows how many NeoSplicers ready to rip them apart, stalking the shadows with their insatiable lust for flesh. Joe sat smoking a cigar still coughing here and there from the smoke that had burned his lungs earlier, he starred at the cherry on the tip of the cigar, questioning if he could have acted in a way that would have saved everyone. Tenenbaum rubbed the burns on her hands, her mind drifting to her part in creating the damned City they were now suffering from. James and Vicki held each other and tried to imagine even a fraction of what Iota was going through having lost the one she loved along with her Sister. Mark sat with his legs open and his elbows on his knees, watching the NeoSplicers creep into the light only for them to back off once they got too close, he held his revolver in his right hand waiting, hoping one of the Beasts would creep close to him so he could put a bullet in it's disgusting head. Seline sat beside him and held his left hand in hers as she recalled the tragic events that had led to their current situation. They had escaped a fiery death only to find themselves threatened by an even bloodier death
"We need to go..." Joe's voice broke the silence as he spoke lowly.
"Go? Go where?" Mark asked with a scoff as he looked out into the sea of claws and teeth that surrounded them. They seemed endless, their rasping hisses and the clattering of their claws on the concrete filled the infinite darkness with a certain unnerving roar, a roar that made it impossible to judge just how many of the Monsters were out there. They crawled around seeking out anything they could possibly feed on, rats, rotten food, and even a Splicer judging by the horrified scream that echoed through the void an hour earlier. The worst was their stare, that piercing gaze they would direct at the Humans whenever they made the smallest movement, they could only hold it for a split second due to their light sensitivity but a split second was all it took for a cold chill to run up someone's spine. Most of the Creatures hid themselves in the darkness completely, waiting, watching silently for their next meal. The more courageous Beasts would lurk closer to the boundary of the Hotel's fire and the surrounding darkness. They were the ones Mark had been watching, and even then it was difficult to see them. He only caught short glimpses of them here and there, the white of their teeth as they opened their mouths to hiss, a small white flash of their normally black eyes as they moved a certain way that reflected the light of the fire.
"Anywhere but here." Joe responded bluntly earning another scoff from Mark as he pointed his pistol at one of the encroaching NeoSplicers, this one he could see clearly. It had crept up on them a few times and had worked Mark's already depleted nerves to their limit, it was actually the one he had been waiting for. When he pulled the trigger the booming gunshot caused the Human group members to jump at the sudden sound. The bold NeoSplicer fell limp as the bullet tore through it's eye and out the side of his head. They heard a collective hissing and screeching from the army of Monsters, the enormous sound echoing through the streets endlessly. Seline and Mark just watched as it's comrades pulled the corpse into the Horde and began feasting on their fallen Brother, cannibalizing it in a gory display of predation.
"He is right. We cannot survive if we stay here." Tenenbaum spoke up, her tone not matching her words, it was much darker, like she was trying to force herself to believe what she had just said.
"Yeah well it's pretty obvious that we can't survive no matter where we go, if they can kill Omega what chance do we have?" James chimed in recalling how impossibly strong the Big Brother always was. His words cut like a knife, it made them think once more on just how much they had lost in such a short span of time. Grace had been their shoulder to cry on, her soft understanding nature made it easy for everyone to open up to her, seeking out her wisdom. She would tell stories of her travels on the surface and Rapture before it's fall, she was the closest thing any of them had to a Grandmother. Craig who was stubborn and crudely mannered but well meaning, mostly he was misunderstood but still a part of their Family, like the little Brother that couldn't keep his nose out of trouble. Lizzy, the light and heart of the Family, her cheerful charisma and innocence could put a smile on your face no matter the circumstance. She was always doing small things to help lighten everyone's moods, even as small a deed as bringing everyone homemade cookies to cheer them up, they tasted terrible but they put a massive smile on everybody's face. She was like the little Sister of the Family, a rare glimpse of sunshine in the dark and cruel world that Rapture was. Then there was Omega, like the protective older Brother he always seemed to know what to do, always knew what was best for everyone's safety, even if they didn't like it, willing to do anything and everything for his Family. Everyone wiped their eyes as they recalled memories of their fallen Family members once again.
"You're not helping James..." Seline whispered sorrowfully, she knew he was right but would never agree with him openly, she didn't have the heart to agree to something so cold when everyone was in so much pain.
"We need to take stock on what we have, everybody check your things." Joe ordered as he stood up and grabbed his shotgun to peer out into the darkness beyond the fire's light. He knew better than anyone how terrible an idle mind can be after such a traumatic experience. It would eat away at you with questions like: "Why me?", "Why am I alive and not them?", or "What could I have done differently?". He saw the defeated look on them, knew first hand what they felt like, he had to do something, anything to try and keep their minds in a better place, or at least keep them busy so they wouldn't think so much on it. Slowly everyone began doing as he ordered. Those that had brought a bag or backpack with them dumped the contents out and searched for anything useful, they counted their supplies and ammunition, when they had finished, they recounted them again just for a moment of peace, such as it was. All together they had enough water for everyone to get one bottle, they were a little short on food but nobody really felt like eating anytime soon. Their ammo supply was fine, they had enough to last them a good while, though certainly not enough to kill every NeoSplicer they came across, they would have to conserve every little bit they could. Spare flashlight batteries, clothes, a hand full of grenades and a few emergency flares were the last items they counted off into different piles. Joe stroked his beard as he thought deeply on how they might carve a path through the NeoSplicers and still be able to reach a light source before being picked off or running out of ammo. None of their options looked particularly good aside from using their Plasmids, but that would deplete their EVE Syringes in no time as well as exhaust them to no end. They weren't like the Big Sisters or Omega, they couldn't regenerate their EVE naturally so they would have to conserve their Plasmid use as much as possible.
"Joe, I think I have an idea!" Danny said urgently causing everyone to look at the technical whiz, it was the first time they had heard him speak since they escaped the flames of the Hotel, most of them had simply not noticed him while they were trapped inside their own thoughts. His voice was as enthusiastic as it could be in their current situation, everyone looked up at him in surprise, like he knew something no one else did.
"Go on, I'm up for damn near anything right now." Joe said as he rubbed his brow from stress.
"Security Bots!" Danny exclaimed with hopeful eyes. causing everyone to either scrunch their eyebrows or scoff at the idea all together.
"Power's out Dan, won't do a lick of good." Joe said dismissing the idea, Danny just shook his head.
"No it's not, that's the thing!" Danny said as he stood up and walked over to the larger Man. Danny scratched the stubble of his chin as he pointed along the side of the street to the abandoned shop buildings.
"A high dollar store would have a top tier security system! Even if the main power goes out they have a backup power source to activate security, even if a would be thief cut the power to the store the Bots could still activate and attack them!" Danny half shouted his epiphany, Joe looked surprised at his train of thought, he was unexpectedly impressed by the Geek's knowledge. Tenenbaum stood up and pulled a map of the district from her backpack and held it against the light so they could see.
"He may be on to something Joe. The entire District is lined with various stores that would have catered to the rich and prominent." Tenenbaum explained as she pointed to the many shopping centers that littered the map. At this point they had everyone interested in their possible strategy and the rest of their Friends gathered around them, all but Iota and Anna. They didn't move, they simply continued to silently watch the burning ruins of the Hotel in front of them.
"If we can trigger the security systems to send out Bots I can use my Security Command Plasmid to cut a path through the NeoSplicers and we can get out of here! Just like I did for Iota and Omega in Dionysus Park!" Danny shouted excitedly.
"That would be nice Danny, if the amount of EVE you'd have to inject didn't send you into a coma from overdose, we're talking about continuous use here, not just one shot every now and then, that shit could seriously mess you up." Joe said as they noted the distance to each of the District's exits. Danny shook his head and gave a crooked smile, don't worry EVE isn't like ADAM all it'll do is get me really high and knock me out for a little while, I'll be alright." Danny answered with a nod.
"If it means getting us the Hell out of here I'll take all the EVE in Rapture." Danny said, the truth was he didn't like the idea of overdosing but it was the only option they had at the moment aside from swimming that is, and no one but the Protectors would survive outside the City.
"So we use the flares and our Plasmids to get to the stores and from there we use the Bots to get to the exit, Danny your a Genius!" Joe yelled as he pulled Danny close and kissed him right on the mouth causing the young Scientist to push away and wipe his mouth with the back of his ash covered hand.
"Alright! You all heard the Man! It's a long shot but it's the only one we have, let's not waste it!" Joe yelled, his enthusiasm spreading rapidly, it was a small spark of hope but it was enough to rally everyone into action and out of their grim thoughts.
"Sigma, can you show us the quickest route to Minerva's Den?" Tenenbaum asked the lumbering Giant, he responded with a deep groan and drew a line on the map with his large, gloved finger. Once everyone was ready Joe made his way over to the two Sisters who had remained eerily silent the entire time they went over their planning. The bearded Man knelt down in front of them and blocked their view of the Hotel's ruins, his shadow covering them, he frowned when he saw what color Iota's eyes were now that the fire wasn't reflecting off of them. They were a bright crimson, the sign he knew meant that a Big Sister's mind had broken, the same color that other Big Sisters and Alpha series Big Daddies had developed from years of psychological distress, hers had developed in mere hours. Joe sighed sorrowfully and focused his gaze to Anna instead, knowing there would be no reason to talk with the eldest Sister. The younger Sister's eyes were beginning to change as well, they were glowing a dim mix of yellow and red, giving them an almost orange tint, but they weren't red yet which meant he still had a chance of reaching her.
"Anna..." He said softly, his voice catching in his throat. He was about to ask something impossible of her and didn't know how. It took the younger Sister a moment to return his gaze but when she did he felt like even his world had begun crumbling. He could only see pain in her eyes, an endless sorrow that felt like it carried a thousand lifetimes of misery with it. Joe cleared his throat and forced himself to make the simplest statement he could manage.
"We need your help Kiddo... I-I know your hurting... So are we, and I don't think we can make it without you." He said, trying to keep his tone soft and caring.
"You lost your Brother and Sister... I can only imagine what your going thro-" He was cut off when he heard Anna's voice, devoid of color or life, she spoke slowly with an exhaustion filled tone.
"The thing about a Protector's instincts that you can't understand... it isn't just failure you feel when someone you were supposed to protect dies..." She said emotionless, her voice dry and cold. Joe gritted his teeth as he listened, trying to understand at least a little of what they were going through.
"When someone we are charged with protecting dies... a part of us dies with them... Imagine your whole world... your entire reason for living... died... that's how we feel, every time a Protector fails in their duty it chips away our sanity because the bonds we form are more powerful than anything Humans can feel... Tell me Joe, what color are my Sister's eyes?" Anna asked in a cold and regretful tone. Joe closed his eyes and took a shaking breath before answering.
"They're a bright red, almost pink color." He answered, he saw Anna's eyes flash crimson when she blinked.
"Do you know why they turn that color?" She asked.
"It means she's gone mad..." Joe answered her quietly.
"They turn that color when a Big Sister feels so much pain... so much guilt... that it drives them insane, we become trapped inside our own heads, tortured by the endless hallucinations of painful memories. Do you know what my Sister is likely seeing right now?" She asked him as she sat up and brushed the side of Iota's terror ridden face with her hand wiping some of the tears away.
"I don't know..." Joe stated in a low, cracking voice.
"She's probably trapped... blaming herself... reliving the last time she held my Brother close to her, or maybe the last time she played with Lizzy and I... it could be any number of things really... she could be remembering the time she found out all of her Sisters were dead... murdered while she survived because she was the only one that wasn't in Rapture when Delta attacked..." She said as she gently pressed her forehead against the side of her Sister's face and hugged her. Everyone that had been listening either had tears on their faces or were lost in thought trying to imagine how much pain a Protector felt when they fell to insanity. Everyone sat in a dense silence as they listened to her heartbreaking explanation. They had never known what it was like for Protectors to fail their duties, it was tragic, no one deserved that, especially those that were turned into Slaves against their will for one Person's greed. The fact that it had happened to Iota was even worse, she was always Protecting everyone though she didn't get close to anyone but her Family she still showed kindness at unexpected times. She always seemed to have a hop in her step when she was with Omega, Lizzy, and Anna. She was always smiling at them or humming soft lullabies with her broken voice to keep their spirits up, but now her step had halted, and she no longer hummed.
"If I were to guess... I would say she's imagining what my Brother's touch felt like... how warm it was... how gentle and sweet he could be when it came to the ones he loved... or how ferocious it became when he defended us." Anna finished, tears falling down her dirty cheeks as her eyes flashed bright red, even Tenenbaum had to wipe the tears from her eyes. Joe saw Anna's eyes go somewhere else, somewhere far away and he knew he had to pull her back, he had to keep her here with them or she would end up just like her Sister, lost, broken, consumed with grief.
"I'm... We're... so sorry Anna... If we could change any of it... we would, in an instant." Joe said softly as he took Anna's hand away from brushing her Sister's raven hair, it was enough to jolt her out of her head and back to the present but the look in her eyes told him that she would never fully return. She was right, it looked like a part of her had died, like she was trying to live half alive, barely hanging on to reality. Joe took a deep breath to steady himself before continuing.
"But we can't change the past... all we can do is try to change the future... can you help us? please... Without you..." Joe paused to look at everyone in the group.
"We'll die..." He finished with a sorrowful look. Anna looked to all of her Human Friends, they were all pleading with her, begging her to save them, but not with their words. She could see the desperation in their eyes, the way they stared at her like she was the difference between salvation and damnation, the way she had looked at her Brother and Sister many times before. She studied their dirt covered expressions for a long while, even after everything that had happened to them, all the pain they had suffered, they still wanted to live, to get out of Rapture and feel sunlight on their skin once more. Anna looked back at her Sister, her expression still the same traumatized, shocked look she had worn since they first watched the Hotel collapse and their Family taken from them, her mouth hung open slightly as the light of the fire danced off of her face.
"I'll get you as far as the exit... then you're on your own..." She answered coldly, Seline stepped forward to protest but Mark put his arm up to stop her.
"And what about you?" Mark asked as he narrowed his eyes.
"My Sister needs me... I'm the only one she has left, I'm going to stay with her." Anna answered him with a dry tone, it was an idiotic question. She wouldn't even consider the possibility of leaving Iota in such a place alone... not again.
"We can take her with us! Sigma can carry Iota!" Danny said hoping to find a work around to their problem.
"There's no point... we can't afford for Sigma to be weighed down, besides, I'm coming back to her. I won't leave her here." Anna stated.
"Please Anna, come with us! There's so much you still have to see, so much you need to experience on the surface, it's a whole other world up there!" Seline begged desperately but Anna shook her head.
"The Surface has nothing for me anymore...It's a World I want no part in..." She said with a bite in her voice.
"But-" Seline began to protest again before she was cut off.
"Better hurry Humans, time's running out." Anna stated as she hugged Iota tightly. "I'll be back Big Sister." Anna whispered softly into Iota's ear before standing and walking past everyone to the edge of the light. She took one last sorrowful look at her Sister, Iota never said a word, never even blinked. She just sat there clutching Omega's helmet, gently rocking back and forth with tears streaming down her face. Anna wiped her own tears as she placed her helmet back on her head and lit her left arm ablaze, she would help the Humans reach an exit, then she would come back and stay with her Sister until the Hotel's blazing fire went out and the Creatures came for them. Her mind drifted to Lizzy and how scared she must have been inside the Hotel during it's last moments and it made her chest shrink, she had been with Lizzy through everything, protected her through everything, and now she was gone. The one person that had given her the strength to keep fighting, even when insanity threatened to consume her... was gone. Omega and Iota, who had freed her from the prison in her mind... were gone. The thoughts rolled around in her head tormenting her, she was flooded with memories of them both good and bad, like watching her life flash before her eyes but only the parts with her Siblings, only the parts she cared about. Anna started breathing heavily as a sharp ringing slowly grew inside her head, she stood in front of the Ocean of NeoSplicers pacing through the darkness, but she didn't see or hear them, she only saw her mind's eye flashing back to her Siblings, the dull ringing steadily growing, spreading throughout her entire body. She could feel herself drifting away from the world until a strong hand on her shoulder snapped her back to reality, it was Joe.
"Anna, you okay?" He asked knowing she wasn't, and never would be again. Anna only nodded in response, her hand on her helmet as she did so. Joe studied the lighter than usual crimson color of her helmet's porthole and felt how heavily she was trembling, it filled him with shame and guilt. They were relying on a traumatized young Woman for their own survival, he couldn't help but feel ashamed.
Everyone reluctantly gathered behind Anna as they glanced back to Iota, her gentle rocking causing her shadow to sway on the floor below. It felt wrong to leave her there but what else could they do? In all honesty she was the safest right now, at least she had a light source that would hold the NeoSplicers at bay for a few more hours. They were about to try and wade through a veritable sea of the living Monstrosities.
"Here's the plan, stay close together, everyone shine your flashlights in their eyes if they get too close, we'll spread the flares out evenly between us. Anna, you lead the way with your Incinerate and Sigma, you'll get the rear since your helmet has flashlights build in. Nobody waste your ammo unless it's absolutely necessary. Got it?" Joe explained, no one argued, they were too tired for that, they simply agreed and prepared themselves for their trip into the endless darkness ahead. Everyone grouped up close and started their life or death journey through the dark. They huddled together using their emergency flares and flashlights to keep the Beast's away, Anna leading the group with her Incinerate as a natural light source and her Harvester as a deterrent against those that got too close.
The darkness seemed endless, with no other lights present it seemed like it could stretch out for miles, and the light that the group was creating seemed to suffocate in the expanse. No one made a sound other than the burning flares they held as they beamed out their crimson glow. Even if other sound was present no one would be able to hear it over the hissing and clamoring claws of the NeoSplicer horde as they circled the Survivors, waiting for one of them to get too close to the darkness so they could pull them in.
Time seemed to drag on as the group slowly and carefully made their way through the dead streets of the city, after what seemed like an eternity they finally came to the first jewelry store that still had some unopened display cases. Everyone halted as Anna used her telekinesis to rip the boards off the windows, she then picked up a large chunk of concrete and threw it effortlessly through one of the display cases causing the expensive decorations to fly through the air and scatter around the floor. A loud ringing alarm split through the void around them, when the Siren call started two Security Bots flew through access windows at the back of the store to investigate the disturbance. Danny concentrated as a light blue Polyp formed in his hand, it's gentle glow attracting the attention of the Security Bots inside the store. He tossed the Polyp ahead of the group and it splattered on the NeoSplicers in front of them showering the Monsters in a cerulean liquid. The Creatures hissed and growled before the Bots took aim with their built in machine guns and opened fire. The thunderous noise echoed through the swarm as their detection systems wired and rang at the sign of hostiles. The NeoSplicers flew into a rage and thinned out in front of the group as they began climbing the walls and store buildings to get closer to the Bots.
"Run!" Anna yelled as the group darted ahead, stepping over the bodies of NeoSplicers that weren't lucky enough to evade the Security Bots' assault. When they heard the steady beating of rotor blades stop following explosions Anna put her hand up and the group huddled together once more. They continued to leapfrog through the darkness that way for quite some time, steadily and carefully walking their way to stores that still had working security systems and then using the Bots to clear a path for them so they could run to make better use of their time. If their flares went out before they could reach an exit then it was game over, they would be dead before they even thought to think of a knew plan, it was their last and best hope for survival, and it wouldn't last forever. After they had passed four separate stores and used the Security Bots to clear the way Danny had to stop and rest, he was using a tremendous amount of EVE since he was the only one with Security Command and his wrist was riddled with holes from how many syringes he had to use to replenish it.
"Wai- Wait!" Danny gasped as he tried to catch his breath once the group huddled up again after their latest sprint. Anna turned to see the young Scientist, he was sweating profusely and holding his chest as he gasped for air, swaying back and forth like he could lose consciousness at any moment.
"We don't have time for this we need to move." Anna said in a cold and uncaring tone, everyone else had been focusing on the threat around them but she had been focusing on the light of their flares. They had dimmed considerably since they left, and their flashlights weren't doing much better, she had also noticed how much closer the NeoSplicer were getting due to their dying lights. The Humans didn't seem to understand how much danger they were actually in, or they simply didn't care. She began to wonder why she even agreed to escort them, they didn't seem too keen on actually surviving at the moment.
"A moment please Anna." Tenenbaum pleaded as she rubbed Danny's back to check on him, everyone else looked at each other uneasily when they heard Anna's coldness. It was uncharacteristic of her, unnervingly so.
"We stop, you die." Anna stated as she looked toward the flares they were holding. She thought the Humans wanted to live and here they were wasting time in the middle of a life threatening situation, just like the Hotel. Anna gritted her teeth, when she saw Danny sit down on a large piece of concrete that had fallen from a nearby building, heat rose inside of her as she pushed her way through the group members that were on the outskirts watching the NeoSplicers in case they tried anything. The ringing she had heard from before was back now, louder, sharper, like someone was dragging rusty nails down a chalkboard and it filled her with rage. Anna grabbed Danny by his shirt and lifted him up close to the bright red glow of her helmet.
"I left my Sister alone back there, I left her alone because you formed a plan, because YOU said you could do it!" Anna growled in frustration, her grip stretching the terrified and exhausted Man's shirt. She gritted her teeth when she felt a hand on her shoulder and snapped her head toward it, it was Joe again. He looked sympathetic and caring, it annoyed her so she ignored him. He didn't say anything but she could tell what he wanted, what they all wanted, for her to release him. Anna's head twitched when she thought of them running toward the armory as her Siblings defended them and heat rose in her face. They were looking at her the way they had looked at her Siblings from time to time, like she was a problem, like she was a Monster. Everyone but Joe took a small step back when they saw the feral look her body language gave off.
"Can you keep going?" Anna asked with anger clear in her voice. Danny was panting and held an expression of pained exhaustion. Joe stepped in before Danny was forced to give an answer to her question. The bearded Man put his hand on Anna's forearm, his other holding her shoulder gently, he spoke softly as he tried to appeal to her. It felt like he was trying to defuse a bomb, and all he had to cut the wires with were spoons.
"He just needs a minute Kiddo, then he'll-" Anna's head jumped to look at him and he felt a spark of fear run down his spine when she showered him with the light red glow of her porthole.
"You asked me to help you, to keep you alive, do you still want my help?" Anna asked still holding Danny by the blue shirt under his lab coat.
"Yes." Joe responded without hesitation.
Anna leaned in closer to Joe as she growled darkly "Then leave him here." She released Danny to take up her position at the head of the group once more, they had wasted too much time already. Everyone looked shocked at Anna's suggestion, she had really proposed they leave one of their friends... one of their Family Members to die. Now they were sure Anna wasn't alright, it wasn't just the trauma of losing her Family, something was changing her rapidly, like part of her had died and something dark took it's place. Vicki, always the hot headed one spoke up when she heard Anna's coldness toward one of their Friends.
"We Humans don't leave our Friends to die!" She yelled as her temper flared, she purposefully put more emphasis on Humans. She was hoping she would shake Anna out of the bitter state she seemed to be in but her words didn't have the desired effect, Anna simply turned to look at them and sneered underneath her helmet.
"No, but you'll leave Protectors to die while you run... Don't lecture me on character... Coward!" Anna snarled darkly. The group was silent, her words cut like a knife and they couldn't even blame her for it, she was right. They left Omega and Iota to fight while they ran for safety, even left Lizzy, an innocent. They knew she was hurting more than they could ever know but the accuracy of her statement was too close for comfort. Anna's helmet started flickering lightly as she put her hand on her head and growled, her head twitching as she grunted and whimpered in pain.
Suddenly everyone wasn't shocked with her, or angry, they were scared. If Anna's mind had started deteriorating like Iota's had, and she blamed them for the deaths of her Siblings and Iota's own insanity, how long would it be until she decided to make them pay for it? In that moment no one was sure what would be worse, dealing with Anna's wrath, or being dragged into the darkness by NeoSplicers.
"Let's GO!" Anna roared as she turned and began walking away from the group, she needed to keep her mind off of the Humans, and their hypocrisy. Everyone looked at each other in concern before Mark and James handed their light sources to Vicki and Seline. The two young Men wrapped Danny's arms over their necks and started dragging him to catch up with Anna.
Tenenbaum looked back nervously at Subject Sigma, she wanted desperately to tell him to be on guard incase Anna started attacking them but she knew if she said anything, even a whisper, Anna would hear it and that alone might be enough to light the fuse. The aging Doctor took a look around her at the NeoSplicers and chuckled dryly, even if he did manage to keep her from killing everyone there was no way they would survive the army of Monsters that resided in the darkness.
The group pressed on, hoping, praying, that Anna wouldn't decide to leave them, or kill them for that matter. They huddled even closer as time passed and their light sources grew even more dim, their only saving grace were the many bright flashlights that were built into Sigma's armor but they wouldn't be enough if the flares and flashlights died all together. When one of the flares Vicki was holding died Joe stepped closer to her and lit his Incinerate Plasmid to make up for the lost light. One by one the flares began to smolder out and fade, each one sizzling until it only produced smoke, by now even Sigma was using his Incinerate to light the surrounding area. The Survivors moved faster and faster when each light source failed until they were running for their lives. Mark and James were winded from dragging Danny, the poor Man was fading in and out of consciousness from the massive amount of EVE he had taken to keep his control over the Security Bots, mumbling incoherently with each step they took.
"Move!" Anna yelled as she cut down NeoSplicers that dared to creep close to her, they scratched her legs and arms as she stayed ahead of the group to act as a distraction, she didn't even react to the pain. The Big Sister was still reeling from the pain her heart and mind was being torn apart by, no physical affliction could even hope to reach that level.
The group struggled to keep up as they fired their weapons into the sea of living darkness around them, each muzzle flash illuminating a small area to reveal an endless number of black eyes starring back at them, their mouths snarling and teeth clicking together as they savored the fear they instilled in their soon to be Victims. They piled over one another like a living wave, eager and famished for their next squirming, screaming meal.
"The exit is just up ahead!" Tenenbaum yelled over the gunfire as she looked at the map in her hands. She was right, the exit was just up ahead... but it was closed. The Survivors stopped when they saw the large steel blast door had sealed them in... their gamble had been for nothing. Anna was the first one to the door and growled in rage as she slammed her fist against the barrier, the sound resonating throughout the darkness, over the sounds of hissing and gunfire, it rumbled through everyone's souls. Mark and James sat Danny down against one of the walls and turned to continue firing their weapons. Sigma used his Gatling gun to thin the massive number of Enemies coming toward them with the help of everyone that could fight.
"Doc, what happened!?" Mark yelled as he fired his Thompson into the crowd of NeoSplicers.
"The System runs on emergency power, the blast doors should stay open until a breech is detected, this doesn't make any sense!" Tenenbaum yelled while reloading her revolver.
"Anna what do we do!?" Seline screamed at the Big Sister, her words catching her off guard. What do we do!? The words echoed in her head... the same words she screamed to her Brother inside the Athena's Glory. She froze, the only sound she could hear was the heavy thumping of her own heart as her vision clouded. What do we do Big Brother!? Her head twitched when Omega's view came into light, she saw him again... standing in the burning Hallway... she was begging for his guidance. What do we do!? Big Brother!? I can't just leave you! What do we do!?
Anna's own voice screamed in her head as she recalled the image of Omega surrounded by flames, embers dancing around him and skipping off of his armor as he turned to face the NeoSplicer Berserker. He was... glorious, when she watched him walking toward the flames once more she knew what she had to do. Anna growled, shaking herself out of her vision as she jumped in front of everyone and created a wall of flames to hold the Monsters at bay, her Harvester shot out of it's compacted position with a metallic clank and she screamed a war cry at the Beasts, daring them to approach her.
When the first wave reached her she hacked and slashed each of them down with a Predatory aura around her, she could see Omega and Iota fighting the armored NeoSplicer again, feel how nervous she was when she saw the new threat. She could see the Hotel collapse, knowing her Brother and Sister were still inside... She could see Iota, her mind broken as she gently rocked herself in front of the Hotel's ruins, the look of absolute pain on her face... a pain so deep and so vicious it ripped her apart. Anna continued her onslaught as everyone behind her fired around her to keep the Monsters away. Mark and James were caught off guard when they heard something behind them and turned hoping Danny would be awake and ready to fight, but what they saw sent horror through them. Danny was still unconscious but three of the Creatures had crawled down the wall and were dragging him upward at an immense speed, their tails piercing his chest and stomach. The two young Men turned and fired at them but it was too late. They watched as another of their Friends was pulled into the darkness without so much as a scream.
"NO! GOD DAMNIT!" Mark yelled when Danny disappeared from sight.
"AAAAARRRRGGGHHH!" James joined him as he fired his machine gun.
When Sigma saw this he turned and created and arc of fire around the door behind them so no more of the Beasts would make it down to surprise them and went back to firing on the Horde in front. The smell of burning flesh and blood spread through the air, when the group saw the fire reflecting off of Anna's suit and armor they hesitated for a moment. She looked like a Demon, she was covered from head to toe in blood, countless NeoSplicers contributing to her sinister appearance. The thick red substance dripped down her helmet's bright red porthole, the light behind it causing the dark blood to seem black as it slid down the viewing window. She was slashing the NeoSplicers with her Harvester, kicking them, punching, stomping, and setting them on fire. With each kill her animalistic growls and screams became louder, like she was channeling all of her pain, anger, and sorrow into the fight. She was fighting like a different kind of Monster, she was fighting like... Omega. She was killing so many of the NeoSplicers that every enemy in the immediate vicinity focused on her now, they knew she was the biggest threat. As the Big Sister fought the numerous enemies that would otherwise be heading for her Friends it allowed them to reload and regain their breath.
Anna's helmet radio flicked to life and a voice mumbled nonsense in her ears, but she never heard it, all she could hear was the terribly painful ringing in her ears. Ringing that she couldn't escape from and filled her with an endless destructive rage, starving for more death.
"There you are!" The deep voice of a Man cut through the sound of combat. Tenenbaum stopped firing to listen to her radio, she could barely hear over the sound of gunfire and Anna's rage filled screams. Tenenbaum sighed in relief when she did indeed hear the voice again.
"I'm opening the Blast Door, Hurry!" The voice yelled as the large steel door behind them grinded and screeched before slowly raising up. Everyone scrambled under, James, Joe, and Mark laying down to fend the NeoSplicers off until everyone had made it through. Everyone except Anna who was still fighting.
"Anna come on!" Joe yelled to her hoping she would hear him and snap out of the feral state she had entered.
It didn't work, she never responded, in one swift motion she created another massive wall of fire and turned slowly toward the door her Friends had crawled under and stared at them. Their eyes widened, the flames licking at her blood covered armor as she raised her Harvester with a sinister giggleing, her head jerking slightly. The sound came from underneath her helmet and sent a shockwave of fear through them, it wasn't Anna anymore. She tilted her head as she inspected the light on the other side of the door, She could see the Humans laying down with their guns drawn... The same Humans that had left her Brother and Sisters to die, just as they were doing to her now. She giggled again when the beautiful image of her disemboweling them flooded into her mind, she licked her lips as she walked toward the door stepping over Corpses and fire alike, savoring the look of fear on their faces, she would enjoy seeing their fear double as she gutted them alive.
"Close the Door Porter, NOW!" Tenenbaum yelled into her radio.
"Give me a second, I don't have full control of the system." The Man's voice said through the speaker.
"Now Porter!" Tenenbaum yelled as Anna picked up her pace into a jog and finally a full sprint, her heavy foot falls thundering toward them. Just as Anna reached the door it slammed and all they could hear was loud banging coming from the other side. Tenenbaum turned her radio to Anna's helmet frequency and everyone froze, they could hear heavy breathing in the silence, pained grunts and rage filled screams that matched the banging on the door. The Doctor took in a shaking breath as she quickly turned the radio off, hearing Anna's animalistic noises was enough to weaken even her knees. After a few more seconds they could once again hear the sounds of combat pick up. She had gone back to the only other living things in that District. Everyone breathed a sigh of relief when they heard the sounds of Anna's fighting moving further and further away.
"I've had enough of this fucking place, Who are you!? What do you want!?" James yelled into the radio as he stood up, his eyes adjusting to the new light coming from above them in the tunnel. The stress causing him to lash out at whoever this Porter person was.
"My name is Charles Milton Porter, son, and I need your help, but for now just take it easy and catch your breath." Porter said calmly over the radio causing James to sigh as he sat against one of the Tunnel's windows, he put his shaking hands on his face and wiped the dirt, blood, and tears away.
"Fuck! FUUUUUCK!" He screamed into his hands, everyone shared his opinion though only he voiced it. Vicki sat beside him as he buried his head in his hands, images of Danny's unconscious body being dragged up the wall right in front of him flashed through his mind. Vicki put her arms around him and shushed him gently. Mark stood across the hall with his arm against the window, he rested his forehead on it as he too shared in James' pain, Seline simply stared at the light above them like it was the most beautiful thing she had ever seen, warm tears running down her face, her body trembling from their near death experience and trauma they had gone through.
No one noticed how exhausted they were until now, first the sleepless night in the Hotel, then the attack on the Hotel itself, and now their journey through an adrenaline pumping life or death situation. Everyone sat down to try and calm their racing hearts and troubled minds, even Sigma needed to rest. They had gone from near death to as safe as anyone can be in Rapture in mere seconds and had abandoned three more of their Allies... their Friends. Danny was dead, Iota's mind was shattered, and Anna had now joined her, the sound of fighting that moved away indicated that she was on her way back to Iota, driven by whatever remained of the poor girl. if she didn't get killed before she could reach Iota again who knows what she would do.
As everyone rested a deep silence filled the air, each Survivor quietly counting their dwindling numbers. Only seven of them remained now, and who knew how long that would last, they hadn't even made it to Minerva's Den yet.
"Why?... Why did she do it?" Seline's sorrow laced voice broke the silence around them, she wiped her eyes with the loose sleeves of her sweater as Mark looked over at her.
"She knew she would die if she stayed, so... why?" She asked, her voice trembling. Everyone pictured Anna fighting her way back to Iota and grimaced.
"They're Family, Seline. Hell, they're the closest Family I've ever seen and they aren't even related to one another." Joe answered her with a wry smile. Seline bit her lip and shook her head.
"You saw Anna struggling with her own deteriorating mind, she stayed for a number of reasons. She couldn't leave Iota alone, trapped in that darkness by herself with nothing but the Hotel's fire to defend her, and you saw how she snapped, she was ready to tear us to pieces." Joe added as he lit another of his thick cigars, the heavy smoke spreading throughout the tunnel they sat in.
. . .
The heavy steel door closed behind the Humans with a thunderous roar as it shook the ground beneath her feet. Anna beat on the door, wanting more than anything to rip it down and destroy the Vermin on the other side. The ringing in her ears driving her mad, she needed to kill something, anything. That's when she remembered where she was and turned, she stared through the darkness with her illuminated eyes as she gazed over the endless sea of NeoSplicers still waiting on the other side of the fire wall she had created. She chuckled darkly when the smell of blood caught her attention, she could see the NeoSplicers on the opposite side of the fire, hissing, pacing... breathing. Their hearts still beating, a new sensation filled her, the will to rip out their hearts and feel their necks snap in her hands. She began walking toward them as she heated the blade of her Harvester with Incinerate causing it to glow red hot. She wanted to deal as much pain as possible, to swim in a sea of agony and suffering, like the sea she had been made to swim in. Anna had almost reached the fire when she stopped, a single image flashed in her broken mind and froze her in place... Iota. Anna's head twitched when she saw the image as clear as the flames in front of her. Her Sister, she was her... Sister, and she had left her... alone. She was still sitting on her knees, still drowning in pain and guilt. Anna felt a deep pain in her chest, one that had numbed when the terrible ringing started flooding her ears and rage took over... sorrow.
Anna felt tears leave her eyes as the ringing died into a low hum. How could she do that, how could she leave the only Family she had left? It seemed unthinkable now, she began to panic, her heart raced and her mind sped up as the overwhelming urge to see her Sister again filled her entire being. She had to get back to her, had to see her again, to hold her close and never let her go.
Anna braced herself, she got low and plotted the path she would take, straight ahead, then left, up on an old fountain, down, alleyway, rooftop. She went over her route twice in her head and when the flames had died down she bolted forward spraying more fire from her outstretched hand to push the NeoSplicers out of her path, she no longer had the desire to kill them, she simply needed to get back to Iota. Anna's legs moved with the speed of lightning as she climbed over obstacles, buildings, and various other obstructions when the NeoSplicer Horde blocked her path. She ignored the pain in her legs and the deep gashes that were caused from her earlier fighting, or when a NeoSplicer would get lucky enough to take a swipe at her while she ran. She was making impressive time regardless, without the Humans there to slow her down she could reach her Sister in half the time it took their group to escape, she just prayed nothing had happen to her.
The young Sister Sprinted through the lightless Streets of Rapture with all of her might, images of her Sister flashing through her mind, pushing her, driving her to ignore the exhaustion and pain she felt. With every step she took, every hurdle she jumped, and every NeoSplicer she killed she felt more pain, physical and mental. Hundreds of scratches littered her arms, legs, and torso. They seemed to match how her mind felt, mirroring the unbearable grief that weighed on her, threatening to suffocate her at any given moment. It felt like the entire Universe had looked at her and her Family and said "No, you aren't allowed happiness! You aren't allowed to exist in this World!"
When Anna past the last corner and reached the Hotel's ruins she let out a somewhat relieved sigh, Iota was still in front of the flames on her knees, but the fire had dimmed even more, the darkness had almost reached her back. Anna saw the NeoSplicers inching closer and closer, she continued running and jumped between them as she ignited the Beasts in an inferno of blazing death. The NeoSplicers screeched and hissed as their flesh sizzled and popped, Anna simply growled in response.
She turned to her Older Sister and removed her helmet to wipe the sweat from her face, she knelt down beside her Sister and laid her helmet down next to her older Sister's. The younger Sister hugged Iota fiercely as she began to weep, Anna knew it was her last few moments of life and she was content to just spend it with the only Family she had left. She laid her head on Iota's lap and together they watched the Hotel ruins burn, Anna cried into her Sister's lap as she held onto her, but Iota never moved, she just sat there stock still, like a statue, like a Corpse. The younger Sister began humming the Lullaby that Iota always hummed with her broken voice, the lullaby that always set her and Lizzy at ease. They watched the fire together until Anna could hear the NeoSplicers just behind them, she sat up and wiped her eyes to see them merely a few feet away, waiting for the fire to die so they could consume their next meals. Anna gritted her teeth in anger, she wouldn't give them the satisfaction.
"Big Sister..." She whispered as she looked at Iota's face, frozen in that horrified expression as the tears poured down her pale cheeks and dripped off her chin. Anna brushed some of her Sister's black hair away from her eye and tucked it behind her ear the way she always wore it when she was around Omega.
"Thank you..." She said softly as her eyes flickered a pinkish red. She could hear the ringing returning along with the rage that had consumed her earlier.
"Thank you for always being there for us, thank you for giving us some notion of safety and joy in this Hell... Thank you for being my Sister..." Anna said as she gently kissed Iota's cheek and buried her head into the crook of her Sister's neck, Anna extended her Harvesting Needle and began to weep. A cold chill ran down her spine and she felt like she was going to vomit, but she wouldn't let the NeoSplicers get their claws on Iota, she would end her torment instantly... it was the least she could do for someone that had saved her and given her new life.
She placed the tip of her Harvester against Iota's stomach where she knew her ADAM Slug would be and drew in a deep shaking breath, every instinct in her body screaming at her to stop.
"I love you..." Anna whispered as she gritted her teeth and tightened the muscles in her arm.
She trembled as she thrust her Harvester forward toward her Sister's stomach.
A/N: I hope everyone is still enjoying the Story (don't know why you made it this far if you aren't) Let me know your thoughts in a review or PM, and stay tuned for the next chapter!