[Final Part; the parts in quote brackets are thatoneawesomeguy's work; Redback is his character]
Red was surprised at her being able to sense him, and that translated into him teleporting a few feet away rapidly, holding his own knife ready. It was bothering him enough that he was fighting family, so he couldn’t bring himself to use the crossbow and shoot the solid steel bolt into her visor. At the same time, she now knew about him, and even if she reported him as just an armored splicer, it would still cause the Lamb women to send more to investigate, and he would have to leave again.
So he kept his crossbow on his back, and made a fist with his off hand, squeezing the trigger that caused the knife to pop out of the cover, while keeping his diver’s knife in his main hand. Even with her ready to move and kill him, he wasn’t going to make the first move.
It wasn’t because he hadn’t had a straight fight in months, and was slightly nervous, no that wasn’t it at all.
Then of course she spoke, in words that he could understand fully. Generally he could make out little from the Big Sisters screeched at him, which was probably better for his sanity, as it made it far easier to distance the connection of these feral protectors in dull pink from the Sisters he had once known and played with as a young boy.
Usually, when it comes to fighting, it takes about five seconds for a Big Sister to assess an opponent. Within those five seconds, a Big Sister figures out said opponent’s weaknesses, as well as what moves will result in that opponent’s coming end. For example, when dealing with Splicers, things are simple. They usually go down with a few throws of Incinerate, Winter Blast if they are really fast (especially when it comes to Teleport). Draining them of their ADAM is also effective.
With him, however, Orchid takes a lot longer. He is new, and this makes her feel confused—as well as curious. He hasn’t made any moves, other than activating his crossbow and holding that knife of his. Why? She’s made it clear that she intends to fight him, will probably kill him. Who is he? Where did he come from? Did the Lamb know about him? Speaking of which, should she radio the other Sisters? Subject Daisy did mention that she would be around Hephaestus this morning…
Subject Orchid knows that she should do just that, contact someone and tell them what she’s found—but it’s rare that something in Rapture surprises her, throws her off so much. Even in asylums, there is still a level of monotony and a desire to find something different.
So, though she braces herself for battle—harpoon, needle, and plasmids ready—Orchid can’t help but tilt her head.
“Who are you?” Orchid asks, putting ice into her voice.
The hand holding the diver’s knife flinches, but he makes no other movement. From under her helmet, Orchid narrows her eyes. Curious.
“I asked you a question,” she says, lifting her arm and ready to squeeze the trigger that will release her harpoons. “Give me your answer.”
The red light from his helmet glares straight back at her in silence. Though she sees no face, Orchid feels something akin to a connection to this boy in the diving suit. It isn’t anything compared to what she feels when she’s around other Sisters, but it is similar, even a little familiar. Her insides twist. Who is this boy?
“An old secret,” is the response, as if he’d read her mind—which is impossible, of course, but Orchid still feels a shock go through her. She immediately thinks of Andrew Ryan’s audio diary, the one she found earlier, and her insides twist. Her finger hardens against the trigger but doesn’t squeeze.
“I’m not a fan of secrets.”
After a beat, he laughs, or at least lets out something like it. “No-one is.”
Red had to repress laughter at the insanity of the situation, with him talking to one of the big sisters, with neither of them attacking each other. Of course, the little metal rod sticking up from the back of her helmet had him worried, as it looked suspiciously like a radio beacon part. While he was internally warring over the self preservation and paternal/fraternal instincts, he had no problem with teleporting between spots rapidly, his normal erratic pattern, before landing behind her and gripping the antennae, ripping it off and tossing it to the side, before she managed to land a hit with her needle.With both of them so close, it didn’t have a chance to do normal damage, though it did send him flying.
He landed on his feet, after smacking into one of the pipes, and he had to shake his head to get rid of the ringing in his ears, and helmet for that matter. Red thought about it for a moment, wondering if there was some way he could just get the tape and leave, as the smack on the head was joining with the internal debate and giving him a headache. This moment to think was thanks to the camouflage tonic giving him a moment to not be smacked repeatedly.
The teleport trick wouldn’t work again, and he really couldn’t let her deliver news of him to the other, lest his home be swarmed quickly. He groaned loudly, forgetting his predicament partially, cursing the one talking Big Sister that had to come around the one day he lost an audio diary.
The urge to just take the diary was lost when Orchid jumped at towards his person, most likely alerted by the groan. Self defense won out in that moment, and he grabbed one of the loose pipes near him with the telekinesis plasmid he had picked up, before hurling it at her, picking up another to use as a blunt weapon. The caring part had a minor victory, however, as the thrown pipe was not headed towards her head, which would probably be the best spot to hit, and he wasn’t using anything sharp at that point in time.
Cursing, Orchid barely dodges the pipe and continues to glare at him. Feeling furious, she lets out a loud, high pitched screech and summoned up Incinerate. She then begins to throw bursts of fire at him, tossing out heat again and again. No more talking, no more hesitating.
Glad that he had taken the time to pick up the second piece of pipe, he began using it like a bat in a sort of demented baseball game from hell, hitting the fireballs back toward her. When one landed a cry of ‘Home run!’ went unsuppressed. The pipe itself was getting a little too hot to hold, and he had to drop it, switching to his second of three plasmids, letting the creepy crawlies in and out of the ports he had along one arm for just such a purpose, and pointed it at Orchid, mentally commanding the bugs to get her.
Subject Orchid manages to dodge the first few fireballs that are repelled back at her, but one manages to land against her shoulder, the intense heat seeping in through the parts of her suit not protected with metal. She throws her head back and lets out another painful shriek. Just as she grabs her shoulder and starts to soothe the hurt, a group of bees shoot towards her and start buzzing around her head, trying to find areas to sting her.
“Damn it,” she hisses, swiping her free arm at the bugs--which, unfortunately, just irritates them more. Feeling rage build up in her again, she accesses Incinerate and starts throwing fire at them.
Just as the bugs start to dissipate, Orchid turns her focus back on her opponent--only to feel a hand sharply hit her on the side of her neck, right where the pressure point is.
Unlike many of her fellow Big Sisters, Subject Orchid doesn’t really have clear memories of her life as a Little Sister--but she does have dreams, dreams of what her childhood could have been.
Her dreams consist of golden halls full of people in clean, fancy clothing--people who laugh with each other, dance with each other, people who celebrate as if they are attending a party that never ends--and people who sleep on the golden floors, surrounded by roses that are a deep red (Angels…)
But the best part is him, her Knight with the warm embrace and soothing voice. Everything about him is shiny and great, and big, and everything just feels great when she’s around him. It’s so perfect, this bond between them. With him, she is safe. With him, she is home.
There are other Gatherers as well. Fellow little girls with playful voices, who always find something to laugh and sing about. One little girl in particular--one with long black hair put in two braids and a nice white dress--is painfully familiar to Orchid, but she has no idea why. In her dreams, Orchid and these girls are friends; they are united with a bond that Orchid thinks might be comparable to that between sisters.
In this dream, however, something is different. In this dream, there--in the far right corner of the room she and her fellow Little Sisters are playing in--is a boy. A rather small boy with hair as black as pitch, with bangs long enough to hide his eyes. He peeks over at everyone from behind the doorway, but doesn’t approach, though he clearly wants to.
There is something off about him, and yet familiar. He is not like the Little Sisters, and yet, he is the same. He is new, and yet also not, as if he’s been there the entire time, and has only been noticed this very moment.
But that can’t be right, Subject Orchid thinks, feeling lost. There is no...no Little Brother. There isn’t. I know there isn’t. Dr. Alexander would have mentioned him. Dr. Alexander doesn’t keep secrets.
No matter what Subject Orchid tells herself, however, the image of that little boy is what truly stays in her mind when she finally awakes in the deep center of Arcadia, surrounded by trees and flowers and no one else.
Feeling panic, she jumps up and checks her belongings. She still has her vial of ADAM, as well as other supplies. Then she lifts her harpoon and checks her surroundings, ready to fight when necessary--
But nothing and no one is here with her--except maybe Splicers, but they sound too far away to be a threat. No mysterious boy in a suit, no tape; nothing. Subject Orchid would be tempted to say it was a dream, but the pain in her shoulder is still sharp enough to make her twitch as she grasps the wound. Exhausted, she sits herself down on the grass and contemplates her next options, as well as the mysterious boy. Who is he? Why has no one told the Sisters (Little and Big) of him before? Does anyone else know? What other secrets are being kept from them?
And the most important: Should Subject Orchid report this new discovery to Lamb?
Orchid sighs and growls in frustration. Too many questions and no real answers, especially for that last one. She truly despises secrets, especially those that walk around.
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