Chapter 27: Escape

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Persephone, Rapture: ?


Ryan stared at Eleanor's armoured form for a while, cheeks turning red, "Look as much as I don't want to interrupt your family reunion, but the whole place is kind of, ya know, FALLING APART!" she screamed the last part at him. "Don't worry, I'll be ready in a second." said Daniel, walking into the small closet it was a few minutes before he returned, wearing a Big Daddy Rosie diver suit.


Ryan looked at his father questioningly, "One of my many attempts at trying to find you." he answered as he secured the helmet, the light inside turning on, he looked like an actual Rosie now, only smaller. "Great, now let's go." Eleanor said as she grabbed Ryan and practically dragged him out with Delta and Daniel following closely behind. Running through the halls of Persephone Ryan noticed the area was flooding. An odd occurrence since lamb tried to keep the place fairly dry.


"It's Gil, he's gone crazy. He's going to flood the whole place." Eleanor told him as she all but dragged Ryan "Wait... What about the Little Sisters?" Ryan asked, Eleanor ground to a stop. If she wasn't wearing a helmet Ryan would have seen her blushing in embarrassment. "Oh yeah..." she said sheepishly. He shook his head, chuckling.


They continued onward. Up ahead they heard a loud moan, peeking around the corner they saw a Big Daddy Rumbler moving along with his Little Sister, "Cindy." Ryan thought aloud, then added "Delta, Eleanor, you two go on ahead. I'll rescue the Little Sisters." "But Bub-" Eleanor began but cut herself off and sighed before continuing. "Make it out alive, because if you don't I swear when I cross to the other side I will kick your butt to the end of..." she stopped as he walked over and ran his hand along the side of her helmet. She couldn't feel it, in fact, the sound of his gauntlet grinding against her helmet was very cringe-worthy, but it was a very comforting move none the less.


"I promise." He said in a smoothing voice. Eleanor nodded before she began to walk away. As she did she felt tears build up in her eyes, why?


Seeing them leave Ryan looked back and saw the Rumbler lumber over. "Dad. Stay here, let me handle this." Ryan turned back and told his father, Daniel held his rivet gun at the ready, but nodded his understanding, it reminded Ryan of Darren. Looking again Ryan made sure there were no splicers before approaching the Big daddy, "Hey Hero." Ryan greeted. The Rumbler focused on him, stopping his rapid searching of possible Splicer hiding places, before taking a hand that held the rocket launcher off of it and thumped his chest.


"Mark Meltzer." Ryan muttered. Eleanor had a connection with the little sisters, Ryan had something similar. He had a connection, but not with Little sisters, although he was attached to them like glue, but his connection was with Big Daddies. Specifically the newer models. The Rumbler's body language shifted to confusion, like the little bit that is Mark was responding. It was just a slight lowering of his rocket launcher, but Ryan prided himself on being able to read armoured people rather well.


"Big brother!" Cindy exclaimed as she ran over and hugged him, "Hey Cindy." he greeted as he accepted the hug, The Big Daddy Rumbler, well... rumbled, making a sound reminiscent of a growl as his helmet light turned yellow. Letting go of Cindy Ryan put his hands up in the universal 'I mean no harm' gesture. "It's okay, I'm here to help you two." The Big Daddies light turned green again. Ryan approached the Big Daddy and took out one of the pure Adam injections his father made, "I don't know if this will work, but hopefully it will give you your humanity back. Because if not, we may have to put you down. You won't be able to go where we;re going like you are now." Ryan said grimly as he injected it into the Big Daddies arm, due to the armour of the Rumbler being extra heavy the joints were the only weak point to use the needle.


The big daddy groaned with discomfort. After roughly a minute Ryan noticed the Big daddy change. "Mark... Are you there?" Ryan asked. Much to Ryan, and Daniel's surprise the Big daddy spoke "Yessss" he hissed, his voice horse.


"Yes, I am." he said again with a clearer voice, Cindy slowly walked to her Big daddy, her father. "Daddy?" she asked, looking up at him.


"Cindy." said the ex-Rumbler, now Mark. Ryan walked over to Cindy, took her and placed her in his sphere cage. "Don't worry sir, we'll be leaving soon. Just follow me." he explained as he secured Cindy. They began to walk away in a hurry.


Smuggler's Cove, Rapture: ?


"Okay we're here." Ryan declared as he pointed to the huge hole on the ground filled with water, "What's in there?" asked Mark, "Its our ticket out, just follow me" Ryan answered before setting Cindy on the ground and telling her, "Cindy, I need you to fetch the other Little Sisters for me tell them Big Brother is going to take them to heaven, okay?" Cindy's eyes shone "Really? Will there be more angels?" she asked happily, "yep." Ryan still didn't know what 'taking them to heaven' meant, but they seemed to like the idea. So if it would get them here faster he could put up with it.


"Yay!" cheered Cindy before she ran to the nearest hidey-hole and disappeared into it. "Where is my daughter going?" Mark asked, both curious and just a little angry. Some of the Big Daddy programming was left over. And at the moment it was telling him Ryan was separating him from Cindy. "To fetch the other Little Sisters" answered Ryan, hearing the edge in the ex-Rumbler's voice he secretly hoped Cindy hurried.


After only a few short minutes Cindy came back out with ten other Little Sisters, all of them were practically jumping with joy. "Come on." said Ryan as he took four, Mark three and Daniel the last three. "Hold your breaths." Ryan announced as he jumped into the water. He knew it was pointless, Little Sisters didn't need air and everyone else was in suits designed to go underwater. Mark jumped next, followed quickly by Daniel.


Ryan swam with little difficulty for a little while before he looked up. He saw a light, glancing back at Mark and Daniel Ryan pointed up and swam to the light. It revealed a hidden room with the bathysphere in it.


After helping Mark and Daniel up Ryan walked over and opened the bathysphere. Tenenbuam, Gracey, Stanley Poole and the rest of the little girls were all inside the massive bathysphere. Before any of them could ask, Ryan cut them off with a quick, "No time." and lead the group he was with inside. Just before Ryan himself could enter the metal door slammed shut. Locking him out.


"What the-" *Boom!* There was a huge explosion, and anything that was flammable was on fire. Splicers began to pour in by the dozen.


Glancing back at the group of people in the bathysphere Ryan had a choice.


He could run, save himself and let the Splicers kill the group as he made his escape.


Or he could fight, giving them enough time to get out. The Splicer's numbered well over fifty by now and he didn't know if he could fight that many. He would almost certainly die.


Save himself... or save the others and perish.


To be continued...


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