... Ugh.

That was the first thought to come to mind, honestly. Granted, it wasn't much–hell, it was barely even a word–but it at least let me know that I was alive.

Despite this though, everything, for the most part, was still hidden behind a layer of black. It took me a moment, my mind feeling hazy and slowed, before I realized that my eyes were still closed.

It was an odd feeling, this literal aftershock I mean.

It felt as if every nerve in my body had been backed up, dulling my senses by a significant margin and making it feel as though... As though I was below water...

In fact... It even felt like there was water sloshing against me, its cool and welcoming relief greeting me with every small movement I made.

Through my paled senses, I could make something else out; something lightly touching my face, just near my chin, its overall texture seeming to be a... Familiar combination of smooth and slick.

As if to further its familiarity, I then heard an odd trill echo through a muffled-like form...

That's...

As the feeling continued to push and pester against my face, I slowly regained the energy and thought I needed to open my eyes, a short ache throbbing through my mind for a moment as I did so.

Immediately, as my eyes were cracked open, I was met by the two glowing and pupil lacking eyes of my 'pet' ADAM slug, Mill, who gave out another sound as he seemed to realize I was awake.

The dim light around him and I barely served to make him distinguishable from everything else my still rather unfocused eyes could spot, myself barely managing to keep them open in exhaustion.

Mill, who swayed slightly from side to side upon his place on my chest, most of his body leaning just over my face, gave out a short squeal as he then looked to his side, moving towards that direction shortly after and off of me.

What was so distinctive about this, though, was that, as he left my current point of view, I could hear a small splash accompany him.

I rose a brow at this, deciding to finally try and get a look around me despite my lack of energy in that regard.

The first thing I had tried to do was move my arms below me, so as to more easily raise myself. This was quickly proven for naught, however, as my left arm felt restricted by the wrist, easily twistable to the left and right, but otherwise held to one place. As for my right arm... I felt a jolt of pain hit me hard as I tried to move it, in turn, obtaining little to no response.

I could still feel Mill as he brushed against it, allowing me to give a sigh of slight relief that it was still there, but as for moving it, or my hands... It was numb from the shoulder down.

Adapting to this as best I could, I focused my efforts to just my left arm, using what limited movement I had to place myself in a seated position, my right arm dragging itself along with me, albeit painfully, as I did so.

I took in a somewhat panting breath as I then felt a large amount of blood suddenly flow from my head to the rest of my body, my vision momentarily swimming in a jumble of colors and discomfort.

My hearing was no longer muffled as I did this, and for two good reasons. One, my ears gave a loud pop as I righted myself, restoring a good portion of this. Two... The water that surrounded my ears was no longer in the way.

Yeah, as it turns out, that feeling of water that dulled my senses... It was actually water.

This became especially clear as the sound of dripping and sloshing water went through the room, the cold liquid dripping down and off my arms, along with through my clothing; my vision cleared shortly after, revealing the fact that I was, indeed, sitting in a small pool of water, Mill easily recognizable among this water as he swam quickly around me over and over, creating ripples as he went.

The water was fairly shallow, honestly, its level just low enough for my head to have stuck out far enough for me to get air, but just high enough to have submerged my arms and legs, alongside a portion of my torso. Furthermore, my left arm, at least from what I could see, was restrained by the wrist, a few chains keeping it firmly planted to the floor.

As my body ached, I... Faintly remembered what had happened... I think... My mind was still pretty foggy at the moment.

Some sort of fight, from what I could recall; one that, during which, I had gotten pretty badly hurt.

Though, as I looked myself over... There was nothing. Tears and bloodstains were clear in the fabrics of my shirt and vest, but through these reddened holes, I couldn't see any injuries whatsoever, save for a few newly forming scars.

The first thing to come to mind was... Well... Where the fuck was I?

Sure, the fact that I was somehow okay despite having been hurt so badly was something to think about, but, for the time being, I think I'd like to focus on the more obvious and present issue.

... From what I could see, there were several broken screens that lined the walls; television screens, protruding from the walls from small posts, decorated to look... Homelier?

Of the few screens that worked, they would consistently flicker, static periodically showing, alongside images of, what looked like, plasmid labels...

... Hall of the Future... The one name that popped up in my aching head, forcibly shoved outwards by my programmed memories.

Yeah. I remember this place; this so-called 'children's attraction'. It basically told people of the 'wonders' of plasmids and tonics, and why it was absolutely necessary to have them, and all of that bull. I could even see a Gene Bank machine, where people would swap or add plasmids and tonics to their bodies with ease, near the furthest corner of the room.

Below this machine, I also saw a familiar sight for sore eyes. My bag, the one that I had been carrying our supplies in, though it seemed limper, emptie-

... 'Our'...?

Within an instant, several layers of clouds and fog that filled my mind cleared, as a repressed growl began to scratch at the back of my throat.

Fluttershy and Rarity... And that Bouncer.... That goddamned Bouncer!

I pulled against the chains that held me for a moment or two, testing their strength, before once again trying to move my numb arm, only getting nothing in return.

Ugh. I swear, when I get my hands on that overgrown, dysfunctional, multi-eyed son of a bitch, I am going to-!

"Heh, not a good rest, I'm guessing?" My struggling held as... This voice rang through the air. It was loud, and held traces of static, but... It didn't sound like... Like one of mine.

"Nope, sorry, can't take the credit there."

Oh, great, now I can hear you!

"You're quite the interesting subject, do you know that?" My eyes darted around the room as I looked for the source of the sound, expecting some sort of splicer to show his ugly face at any moment.

Mill was brought to end what little fun he seemed to have been having as well, moving from the water and onto me; it took me all of a second to realize that he had quickly hidden himself under my shirt, a shudder escaping me as I felt his squirming and cold form againt my skin, before he then peeked his head out from the collar and gave out his best attempt at a growl. I would have likely lingered on this action of his, were it not for the situation at hand.

Try as I might though, I couldn't see anything. No shadows, no figures, nothing... As far as I could tell, I, and Mill, were the only ones in the room.

"... Confused, I take it?" The voice sighed, and I heard what sounded like the faint sounds of a squeaking chair and rolling wheels. "It is actually fairly miraculous, in all honesty, how an intercom system had managed to make it through Rapture's initial and secondary ends. It would be best of you don't squander your time trying to find me. I can see you, but you, to your misfortune, cannot see me."

... 'Squander'?

The fuck does 'squander' mean? Also, who even says that?!?

This voice... This man, from what I could hear of him, lacking of any sort of accent or unspecific gibberish that made up the sounds of most splicers, seemed to notice my apparent confusion as he spoke.

"... Perhaps... I should put myself down an academic level or two? That is to say, to match what limited education you have likely received."

... I'm taking that as an insult.

At the mention of his obvious undermining of my intellegence–granted, I was aware of how limited I was in such, and I had only gotten that phrase from the book I was reading–a growl began to rumble from the back of my throat, seeming to momentarily silence the voice as it filled the room.

"... Quite." Smug ass motherfu- "Any-who, I... Must apologize for your current settings of situation, but I simply had to be sure that you would not go berserk upon reawakening."

A little too late for that asshole. Plus, you're not making the situation any better.

"Oh, and as an added note, I also apologize for your arm in a more specific sense. You see... I had my associate dislocate it during the time that you were unconscious. Couldn't have you using any of those plasmids of yours, after all."

Associate? The hell is he talking about- WAIT, HE DID WHAT?!?

Glancing towards my arm again, it was only now that I noticed the odd looking shoulder that held it, unnaturally loose and extended. As another spark of pain flowed from my arm, my growl grew in its intensity, my eyes narrowing as I looked around for some sort of camera system, or the like.

After a moment of looking, I heard a faint whirring and clicking, turning my head promptly to that direction and catching sight of a smaller, more discreet brand of security camera near the door of the room.

"Now, now, now, no need for hostilities, Subject Omega." How did he- "I have no intention of harming you... Well, anymore than I need to, ostensibly."

Three things: One, that is absolute bull; two, how in the hell did he know who I was; and three, what the actual fuck does 'ostensibly' mean?!?

I practically snarled as I pulled against the chains that held my functioning arm down, already beginning to hear it groan as it neared breaking point, digging into my skin and beginning to leave cuts as it did so; cuts, of which, began to tint the shallow water a light red.

"Ah, as expected, you're already trying to free yourself... And succeeding... Now, realize, I have no doubt that this will not hold you. No, members of the protector program were created to be much stronger than that. Though, I would appreciate it if you calmed yourself, if only for a moment."

I growled at the last two words he used. He was not my friend. In fact, so far, he couldn't have been further from that role!

As the chains began to noticeably bend under the strength I put against them, just about ready to snap with one more-

"Honestly, however, wouldn't you prefer nothing happen to your 'companions'?" I froze...

The chains, which had been near breaking point, practically gave a sigh of relief as whatever force I used against it disappeared within a millisecond. To top it off, I found myself looking to the camera with a combined look of shock, disbelief, doubt... The list goes on.

"Ah... Now I have your attention." He seemed to revel at this, a slight tint of accomplishment in his snarky voice. "Yes, I know of your 'friends'. The ones you've been accompanying, or vice-versa, for some time now... In fact, I ordered the one who restrained you, knocked you unconscious, all of this, to seek them out."

Is... Is he talking about the Bouncer?He's giving that thing orders?!?

"Forget that! He just sent that malfunctioning metal moron to find your charges! " I was tempted to let loose another growl, but at the same time, doubt was beginning to ebb at me.

All of a sudden, I was on the defensive. Anything to make sure that the two would be fine... Including having to be more quiet, despite the many things I would like to say–not that that one would have mattered–or do to this guy.

"I must commend them for one thing so far though. They are... Quite evasive. The subject that you faced has yet to find them, but he has already begun to narrow his search area to a tee. Soon enough, they'll be in his restraint." His tone changed from one of momentary seriousness back to that of fake–at least it seemed fake–friendliness.

"But do not worry, I have no plans to harm them, and I made sure to specify this to your previous opponent. I simply sent him to find them, bring them here, and allow us to more effectively and peacefully discuss a certain... Matter of importance... However, I cannot guarantee their safety should you attempt to escape. I am not the sadistic nor cruel sort, as the splicers in this city are, but I am willing to do what need be done nonetheless."

... Bastard...

"Now... Until your companions are found... Perhaps we can have a calm, simplified, moment of silence? Wouldn't that be relaxing?"

Mill gave out another loud and 'threatening' squeal at this, quickly drawing my own mental agreement to his judgement...

Either way... I didn't have a choice... At least not while he was watching... So, swallowing the anger that I had built, I made myself as comfortable as I could possibly be... And waited...

If I see so much as a scratch on them, so help me, I'll make sure he dies painfully when I find him.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Rarity," Fluttershy whispered, taking another small and silent step further behind the fallen stand, "d-do you see him?"

Looking to and from her friend at the question, Rarity took in another shaky breath as she peered her head slowly around the cover the two were using as a hiding place. With ease, she spotted the subject of Fluttershy's question, its drill momentarily spinning as it patrolled around the area, and a bright yellow light emanating from the many portholes in its helmets, lighting its sight as it looked in the direction opposite of them.

"Yes, dear, he's still there." Rarity returned, lowering herself back into place and turning to look to her obviously frightened friend. "He's looking away though."

The pegasus audibly gulped at this, already beginning to dread what she knew this to mean. Nonetheless, she gave Rarity a short nod, the two quickly after peeking their heads up and watching the oblivious Big Daddy as they both mentally counted down.

"3... 2... 1... Now!" Almost simultaneously, the two separated from their places of hiding, Fluttershy flying to hide behind the sign that made up the 'Journey To The Surface' entrance–just behind the 'J' and 'O'–while Rarity his herself in another nearby hiding place on the floor; one of which the Bouncer had more recently checked already.

They barely managed to settle themselves as the light of the Big Daddy shined over in their previous directions, a groan momentarily escaping the strange 'protector' as he then made his way over to the stand in a sort of programmed state.

How long had it been since they had begun to do this seemingly endless cycle; since they saw Omega's bloodied form dragged into that odd room, and, before possibly having been able to follow after him, were forced into hiding as the very being that had put him in such condition exited the room.

"Search and retrieve", they had heard the voice from before command to the drill-wielding alternate of Omega, receiving a simple nod in return as it set out to find them. Even worse yet, the being had slung a pair of objects over his back, easily recognizable as those of Omega's; His ESU and his rivet gun.

It hadn't been long afterwards before they found a viable strategy to keeping themselves hidden, consistently moving themselves from place to place, so as to make sure they would not be easily found. It was not like they had much of a choice in this regard either.

The Bouncer would consistently look to the doors of the central room that made up Ryan Amusements, so as to make sure they would not escape unnoticed, and aside from that, the two certainly weren't going to leave Omega behind, especially in the condition that they had last seen him in.

Ironically enough though, it was Omega that they needed now more than ever, being unable to do anything more than continually hide themselves until the Bouncer left; something that, in its entirety, did not seem likely to occur anytime soon.

This was further proven as the sound of shifting and scattering objects was heard, Rarity and Fluttershy quickly taking notice as the Bouncer lifted the stand they had just been hiding behind up above him, giving it a quick shake as he momentarily scanned the area around it.

Having found nothing, the Big Daddy's grip on the stand seemed to become tighter, before, with a groan of frustration, he threw it back to the ground, splintering it into pieces with a loud series of snaps and crashes.

This was another issue that seemed to becoming more evident to the two. Not long ago, the Bouncer seemed to have grown tired of continually searching the same places over and over again. So, in an effort to keep that process from dragging on for an indefinite amount of time, he had begun to break apart any and all possible hiding spots as he went on.

Though Fluttershy's options were still quite wide, considering her much larger reach of areas using her wings, Rarity was grounded to the floors of the central area. Fluttershy had offered–continually–to not use her wings and stay by her friend's side, but each time was met by a similar response.

"Don't let me hold you back, darling, just go." Though she was well aware of the fact that Rarity was doing this purely out of good intention, she was nervous and guilty of this fact nonetheless, often watching as her friend's list of places to hide became smaller as moments passed; the occasional thought, though she would try her very best to block off this image, of Rarity being found, or worse, having been inside one of these hiding places when it was destroyed was a constant concern.

Rarity was, despite her assurance to Fluttershy, arguably in a much worse state than her timid companion. Her composure was constantly on its very edge of breaking as she mentally counted off every smashed object left behind the angered Bouncer, biting onto her hoof every time this sound echoed through the room.

What was especially worrisome to her was that, normally, she would be able to much more easily hold her composition. Perhaps it had been the exhaustion she felt, the hunger, Omega's near-deathly state, a collection of various others–she was not sure. Whichever it was, it stressed her with every heavy step taken by the Big Daddy she could barely see through a crack in the fallen over cabinet she hid within.

"Oh dear, oh dear!" She thought to herself in a near panic, fanning herself slightly with her forehoof.

It, however, was only a few short seconds before she realized what she was doing, her eyes momentary widening as she glanced to and back from the Bouncer and herself, firmly, quietly, placing her hoof back down and taking a deep, shaking breath.

"Calm down. Calm down. This is fine. This is... fine." She gave out a mental and physical breath as she mentally assured herself. "You're better than this. There's no need for you to panic. You and Fluttershy are going to get Omega... Somehow... And get going, leaving this whole mess behind us. You'll be fine... You'll be-"

As if taunted by her mental words, a sudden, and rather audible, sound came clear through to her ears. One that could only be described as a growl, emanated from her hungry stomach; one of which had apparently been just audible enough to have the Bouncer hold in his place.

"... Dead..." Rarity's eyes turned to pinpricks as the steps of the Bouncer suddenly changed in their direction, becoming louder and louder with every passing second.

Fluttershy had taken notice of the path of the behemoth as well, her own eyes widening as a light gasp escaped, both her and Rarity's hearts beginning to pound against their chests in a combination of nervousness, anxiety, and fear.

The white pony felt her rear touch the cold wood that made up the back of the cabinet, sending a shiver through her body, as she inadvertently backed herself away from the doors, her ears splayed tightly to the back of her head and her breath feeling rushed.

Never before had she panicked like this. Not even when she and Fluttershy were cornered by that splicer while Omega was supposedly asleep, back in Apollo Square.

As to the reason, she couldn't really tell, at first. When the boot of the Big Daddy suddenly gave out another loud stomp though, her mind froze, momentarily resetting as a jolt suddenly felt as though it passed through her mind.

That was it... 'Big Daddy'...

Though she showed no fear to Omega, Big Daddies, in their entirety, were... Different... By now, she knew what they could do; the damage they could cause; the death that follows them.

Now, the be on the opposite end of one of these brutal and deadly being's weapons...

As the doors to the wooden cabinet she hid behind were grabbed and crushed by a large gloved hand, suddenly distinctly different from that of which Omega previously had, her breath stilled.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I know it's... Only been a few minutes now... But despite the supposed 'silence and calm' this fuck had asked for, I kept on hearing something just outside; smashing and breaking objects, just barely audible through the metal doors of the room.

The man didn't even sound as if he was paying attention to this though, the occasional whirring and clicking of the camera being all I could really use to tell he was still clearly there... I glared at it whenever at all possible.

Honestly, 'tempted' couldn't even begin to describe how I felt about the idea of just breaking free and looking for the girls myself... Even going so far as to find that Bouncer that this prick was apparently commanding, as killing him again!

... But I couldn't risk it. If he was serious about what he sad before, about finding and bringing the girls here, and his earlier threat, I couldn't–I wouldn't–allow myself to be the one to put them in any further danger than they were already in.

In fact, to an extent, I half wanted that drill-using rust-bucket to find them already, so he could bring them both here and I could be sure that they were fine.

As to whatever this guy was planning to do when they were here... Tch, probably couldn't have been worse than what I'd do to him so far, if I had the chance. I've already lost track of how many mental entries I've made to that list, in fact.

Aside from this, Mill would constantly rub up against me, switching from the small pool of water around me to me every so often, squeaking and trilling every so often, practically out of anxiety. If I was able, I would have pet him to at least to calm his nerves; since I couldn't though, I was forced to content myself with glancing to him every now and then, allowing him to ride out his hyperactive and nervous state.

As time continued though... I noticed something just suddenly sound out through the intercom. A sort-of beeping sound, loud and tone-like, repeating itself perfectly in an evenly spaced pattern.

"... Ah... Finally." A brow of mine rose in confusion of the man's sudden statement, alongside that odd noise, before once again quickly narrowing.

"Oh don't give me that. I think you and I both are aware of the fact that you are in no position to give me that 'tough' facade of yours." He said, a soft chuckle escaping him as he finished; I growled at the sound.

"Now, as I was about to say... It seems as though one of your companions has been found." My eyes partially widened at this information, but they retained a relatively similar glare of anger to them nonetheless. "Yes, my associate has just called for me, and likely has, at least one, in his possession now. Truthfully, I cannot say this surprises me, what with the two seeming to have remained so relatively close to your current proximity. It was only a matter of time."

... All of my hate...

"If you'll excuse me now, I have to... Introduce myself to this friend of yours. I'll be polite, I can assure you of that, but do keep yourself in control nonetheless."

So easy... It would be so easy to kill this guy, I can just tell.

"Until then, my friend."

And with that, the intercom became absolutely silent, and the camera, which previously resounded and ticked with every passing second, went quiet.

... Please let the two be okay...

"Wait, I just realized... How do you think he'll react to the fact that they're... Yeah...?"

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

As one of the many screens before him went to static, the man turning at a dial in his attempts to find the right frequency, and his sight of the obviously irritated Subject Omega was lost, the current controller of the console gave out a heavy sigh.

"... 'I cannot guarantee their safety'? Yes, because nothing is more likely to have him trust me than sounding like an absolute brute of distasteful origin in every mannerism. Nothing at all!" This had not been the first time he had gone over what he had said to Omega in his attempts to keep him still, but it was certainly the most outright, having previously been doing so in the back of his mind while he and the subject were waiting in silence.

Granted, he was not the most peaceful person in all of Rapture, he was well aware of this, but he certainly could not help but to flinch at the supposed 'threat' he had given as it relayed over and over in his mind. He knew very little of what companions Omega had with him, only having caught glimpses of a pair shadows and the sounds of a voice from Echo's recordings of his previous encounters with Omega, but he could at least infer that they were unlikely to be splicers, or anything such as that.

To even think of purposely harming someone of innocent intent, it disgusted him. Then again, having been so long without actually seeing anyone with this sort of 'innocence', this feeling had long since dulled by now.

Either way, he needed to have Omega retain what little composure he obviously held during the time he spoke to him, in any form necessary.

If he had escaped, there was no ensuring that Echo would be able to stop him before he could escape once more. Especially now that he was aware of the Bouncer's full capabilities. What element of surprise he had held was now gone.

"Bah. I'm causing myself unnecessary stress by dwelling on this." The man mentally yelled at himself, rubbing at his eyes as he gave the dial one last turn. "I should simply stay focused. The last time I allowed myself to slip like this, I began to hallucinate. Not a pleasant experience."

As he then adjusted his chair ever so slightly, clenching his eyes closed so as to help dull the headache he was beginning to feel, he heard the screen flicker as it connected to the correct frequency, followed shortly after by the sounds of what seemed like a struggling woman.

"Oof! Let me go, you brute! Right this instant!" He was honestly surprised; not just by the fact that one of Omega's companion was truly sane, as could be heard in her voice, but that she was a woman in the first place. Why would Omega even attempt to watch over this one?

"Hello Ma'am," the man said, momentarily swaying in his seat as he heard the woman gasp, "I take it you're one of the two accompanying Omega?" He made sure to sound as polite as possible, of course. He knew very much of what it was to be chivalrous, having been raised to do so quite some time ago, and felt it especially necessary after everything that he had put Omega, her, and the other through... Well, rather what Echo had done, but still.

"Y-yes, but that's hardly any concern of a ruffian like you! Nngh!" Again he heard her grunt as she tried to escape Echo, only drawing a sigh from him at her resistance.

"... Very well then. Perhaps, can you inform me as to where the other is? I am well aware that there is two of you." He questioned as he now began to rub his temples, his eyes still closed as he attempted to will away his head pain.

"I reiterate," She yelled angrily, "that's hardly any concern of yours! Now, tell him to let me go! He's ruining my coat!" The man raised a brow at this 'demand' of hers. Apparently, not only was this a normal woman, but also one who cared very much for her overall appearance. Wether she was simply shallow in that regard, or she held a very high opinion of herself, he was unsure.

"Oh come now, a simple ironing and whatever wrinkles there may be will be gone." Again, he heard the woman gasp, this time sounding, oddly enough, insulted.

"In fact," he then wondered, "why not simply find another one? I'm certain that there is a copious amount of such things spread throughout this city." She didn't seem as if she would have taken this suggestion well though, quickly beginning to provide her own response in a very... Angered form.

"Wrinkles?! How dare you! Maybe it's been a while since I've cared for it, but I'd like to see you try to find any haircare supplies here that isn't covered in absolute filth!" This... Confused him. Were they not just talking of a coat? Of clothing? What did this woman mean, 'haircare'?

Finally opening his eyes to look at the woman as his headache began to dim, he quickly made to question her of this. "Haircare? What-"

He froze. All at once, every thought he held faded–vanished in a puff of smoke. His words escaped him, disassembling into an incoherent and quiet breath of outwards air, and he simply stared ahead of him, towards the screen.

He blinked several times, unable to do anything more than watch, attempting to see if, in fact, he really had begun to hallucinate again from stress.

On the screen before him, he saw what Echo held, gripping onto it... her by what looked like the back of her neck... But... Rather than a woman, who he would hold by a jacket, standing her upright and exposing her peach skin and long hair–at least, this was the general idea he had gotten of her from the sound of her voice–he was met by a... Different sight.

One of a white... Fur 'coat'. Long hair, as he had thought, but in the form of a mane. One who was not stood so much as she was lifted by the... Scruff of her neck, a flailing figure of hooves, a bandaged... muzzle... and a horn... glaring back at Echo... At him.

"... What... Are you?" He finished, the ending of his sentence brought to a sudden change at the situation before him.

She did not answer, instead jerking her head to escape Echo's grip. In doing so, however, she further pulled at her mane and fur, which was held powerfully alongside the back of her neck by the Bouncer. She gave out yelp at the sudden pain, a tear forming at the sensation, though she forced it to remain where it was.

Unsure of what else to say or do, this
issue being–to say the least–one of the last things to come to mind in his planning on finding and speaking with the two. Seemingly out of pure mental instinct, all other semblance of logical thought momentarily leaving his mind, he instead reacted to the yelp.

"Echo, down, now!" Obediently, thought too much so to an extent, the Bouncer released the being from his hold; she down to the floor with a slight thump, leaving her to whimper again at another small jolt of pain.

The man, in the meanwhile, was left in a rambling state. "Some sort of... Equine... And a horn... Speaking..." This, in its entirety, was illogical. It made no sense, and it seemed entirely fake! How?! How could something such as this exist?!? Something so strange, so unusual, so-...

As the... mare picked herself up the ground, dusting herself off and taking a wary step from the Bouncer–a swift growl from such ensuring that she would then still herself–the man found his gaze shifting towards an object in the room he inhabited; the same book from before, of which he had previously scoffed at... And began to laugh...

"Heh... HAhahahaha! So–heh–there's some sense to it after all! Brilliant!" Again, he looked towards the screen, a smile firmly on his face. "And of all the time in the world for it to occur! What a radiant and incredulous collection of coincidental transgression!"

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Watching from her place behind the large attraction sign with nervous eyes and trembling legs, a certain timid yellow pegasus couldn't help but to marvel at the courage her friend showed, despite the situation she was in. How she was able speak out against the Big Daddy, and the voice that came from it, with relative ease and confidence.

She had flinched on the occasions in which Rarity would be hurt, though not specifically by the Bouncer, and given out her own share of nervous gasps whenever the voice spoke up; especially after Rarity had been so suddenly released, the voice from the 'protector' suddenly gaining a mad and rather frightening tone to it.

"What a radiant and incredulous collection of coincidental transgression!" He had said, laughing shortly after. Rarity was very clearly nervous, but still held herself where she was, worried that on the next occasion she would attempt to move, the Bouncer would not settle for a warning.

As for Fluttershy, who was more than certain that she would not be able to retain what courage her friend had shown, she moved herself slightly further forward away from the cover of the sign, slipping in between two of the letters as she attempted to get a better vantage point.

In doing so, however, she was barely able to restrain a yelp of her own as her hoof was put atop a rusty and old piece of metal, which gave way promptly after.

Her eyes widened and heartbeat jolted upwards as she watched the metal piece fall towards the floor, everything else becoming mute as she scrambled back behind the sign.

For what seemed like an eternity, all she heard was her own rapid breathing, in and out, in and out, until finally, as sharp as a pin drop in silence, there was the loud clang of metal as it clattered onto the floor.

"... Ah... There you are."

Despite her desperate need for more breath, she held her breath, practically forcing herself up against the wall that accompanied her in her hiding place, hoping that she wouldn't be found.

Though she could not see what was occurring, she could hear, in sharp contrast to the momentary silence, the sound of the Big Daddy growling, and her friend, Rarity, yelling out to him.

"Wait! Don't–"

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

As the ground began to shake below me, water splashing and rippling while Mill took even further cover under my shirt, my eyes quickly widened, my attention shifting over to the door that led out of the room.

What the hell was going on out there?!? That fucker said that he wouldn't hurt them so long as I didn't try to break out! Why in the hell would he have that Bouncer use that stomp of his if he wasn't going to hurt them!?!

This was worrisome, of course. Well beyond it, in fact. My hand had begun to tremble as it gripped at nothing, a tight fist against the ground easily portraying this emotion for anyone with half a brain to see... So, in other words, anyone who wasn't a splicer.

I held a growl steadfast as I glanced between the camera and the door again, the chains that held my functioning arm rattling loudly as my arm began to involuntarily tremble.

"What the hell do we do?!"

What do you mean 'we'? I'm the one who does all the work while you just criticize me!

"That's besides the point! What is the point though, is that prick and what he may be doing to your charges!"

Yeah, no shit! I've got to break out of here, now!

"It's not that easy though! For all we know, that guy's still watching us from the camera, and he may be more than ready to really hurt those two if he's found them!"

But-

"I don't want to hear it! Look, I'm not exactly happy about this either, but we can't just rush in at a small chance that-"

Suddenly, my mental argument was brought to a stop as a loud, deafening, and metal crunching crash echoed through the room from the door, causing the ground to tremble even more.

...

"... Go. Go now! Go, go, go, GET GOING!"

Without a second though–sorta–I gave a swift pull against the chains that held me down, easily breaking them apart like brittle drywall. A snap of metal, couple with several light clangs, could be heard beyond the fading grinding and crashing of metal from the other room as I gave my wrist a quick once over; aside from a few cuts and chain marks, I was fine.

I noticed Mill give out another squeak as he slid up my side and onto my shoulder, settling himself in and watching as I stood myself from the small pool I had been in, my waterlogged clothing dripping the entire way.

With a grunt, I made my way over to my supply bag left underneath the gene-bank machine, picking it up and momentarily taking a glance at what was inside. Mill entered seconds after, settling himself and drawing a short chuckle from me.

The first thing I noticed was that, well, my ESU and rivet gun were not in there. Bastard must have taken them while I was unconscious.

As I looked further into the bag though, Mill passed by something, moving aside some of the the objects inside and allowing for a faint glow to shine through... I had almost forgotten I had that.

Smirking as I looked to the machine in front of me, I gave my shoulders a roll and- OW!

... Right.

I groaned in annoyance as I looked to my loose, and incredibly aching, right shoulder, scolding myself at my moment of stupidity. Really, there was only one way to deal with this, wasn't there? I... Just wish it wasn't going to hurt so much.

I pursed my lips as I set the bag down again, Mill peering his head out while I moved my attention to my lame limb.

A sigh escaped me as I gritted my teeth and grabbed hold of my right arm with my left, steeling myself, and with a quick shove upwards and inwards–

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Fluttershy's breath was thin to the point of being inexistent, her eyes little more than specks as she flew above the fallen and broken apart sign that used to be her hiding place, now brought down by a single powerful stomp of the Bouncer.

She had barely been able to make it out of the incident unscathed, having more than a few pieces of heavy and sharp come dangerously close to hitting her. It was especially difficult in that, for one reason or another, she was hardly able to fly throughout the duration of the attack, the air around her seeming to have lost its 'form' as well, becoming little more than a mess of scattered particles that would not allow her a simple flight. Even now, she could feel the strain in her wings from having had to flap even harder and faster than they ever had before.

Rarity, who was currently on the floor, the trembling ground having provided her little footing to retain, watched with a fear of her own as 'Echo' looked to her frightened and nervous companion. Having been forced to be a spectator as her companion narrowly avoided injury, her flight becoming feeble as she seemed to tumble and fall through the air, Rarity now found herself to be without words, in her own struggle to calm her heart.

"Ah, and there's the other!" The voice from the suited man spoke, his voice irritably filled with an odd enthusiasm of sorts. "And with wings, no less! More and more variances to see! How brilliantly gracious!"

It was obvious, even if only to the man, of the excitement he held towards the opportunity before him. After all, it was not often that a new sentient species was found, be it here, or the world!

And, if only to better this 'deal', it was these two that Omega, the subject of his utmost interest, had been accompanying... For some odd reason.

"Bah!" He thought to himself, moving off that thought from his mind. "The reason is not of my concern! Why linger on those such subjects when these two beings, these possible specimen, are right in front of my sights!" A chuckle could not be held back by the man as he watched from Echo's viewpoint, his mania having allowed him to stray ever-so-slightly away from his previous motions of bringing the three together, if only for a moment.

"Echo," the man called, the subject in question quickly responding with a confirming nod, "retrieve this one as well, and bring them both to the Hall of The Future! It is just about time that this... Odd group, and we, had words."

The yellow, cautionary lights of the Bouncer momentarily flashed a threatening red as he registered his order, a short groan being his response as he focused on his new objective of capturing the winged creature before him, raising his leg one more time in the hopes of completing the task.

Both Fluttershy and Rarity gasped as they took notice of this action, well aware of the fact that, considering the amount of strain that was already put upon the fragile wings of the butter yellow pegasus, Fluttershy would not be able to keep herself up from another oncoming slam.

For a time, everything seemed to slow for the pair as the heavy metal leg of the Big Daddy began to make its way down.

Already, they began to imagine some of the worst possible things that could occur once the metal being, mindset opposite of their own familiar one, and the man who commanded him had them in their clutches.

It was through this haze of fear and worry, however, that the two heard something; a sound that was, in its entirety, simple to make out among the 'peace before the storm', for the two, and the man who commanded the unit. A single, loud, pained, and angered roar.

Before any of the three could ponder on the sound, the ground, and air, began to tremble and shake violently, the loud crash of the Bouncer's leg hitting the floor echoing through the room, alongside a pairing roar that accompanied it.

Rarity, her mane disheveling even further from the near constant stress it had been under in the matter of a single day, watched helplessly from the floor as the tremors became too much for her, and quickly after, Fluttershy, whose wings seemed to lose whatever semblance of remaining force they held to them, a sharp pain from the pegasus' back being the first thing to inform her that one had stiffened down to the very muscle, swiftly breaking her flight and causing her to fall.

She and Rarity were barely able to give out a yell as she closed in on the ground, unable to do anything more than wait for the inevitable...

That is, what would have been inevitable, were it not for a single factor.

What seemed like inches from impacting the ground, Fluttershy shut her eyes, awaiting the oncoming pain and capture that would accompany the fall. Two things that, as she felt an odd, tight, yet somehow secure grip surround her, would never come.

It wasn't before the shaking and trembling of the ground and air began to fade that she, confused by her lack of impact, peered a tightly closed eye open in an effort to investigate. Upon doing so, she quickly took notice of the fact that, before her, was the ground, almost right in front of her face. However, rather than it closing in, it stayed exactly where it was, not moving a centimeter as she eventually opened her other eye as well and looked around.

Rarity and the man were just as equally surprised, Rarity's jaw dropping while the man's brow rose at the sight of the, strangely, floating creature, despite the fact that it was not using its wings.

Words were left unspoken as the ground finally stilled, and the mare was lowered carefully down onto her hooves, leaving her in utter confusion, coupled still with relief.

"... Strange..." The man finally said, dumbfounded. "Perhaps, you have another method of flight, or-"

The man was unable to finish his statement as, with nothing more than a sudden breeze to warn the unicorn behind him, the Bouncer was sent flying to the side by a seemingly invisible force, barely able to regain foothold and grind heavily against the floor, before crashing against the wall he had inevitable careened towards.

The girls were, of course, left speechless for another moment or two at the sight, unable to show even the slightest of signs of emotion or thought as they attempted to collect their minds.

It wasn't until a growl flowed through the room that the three were finally able to put their attention towards the source, just behind the railing of the second floor to the central room.

The two ponies smiled while the Bouncer gave a growl of his own at the sight, and the spectator, several distances away, felt a brow raise even further.

"Omega!" Rarity called, sheer relief and joy in her voice as she saw their guardian, here to defend them, and miraculously seeming unharmed, despite his previous state.

Glancing to his two charges, if only to assure himself that they were unhurt, the original of the two protectors in the room gave a glare to his opposite as it moved itself off from the wall, placing a hand on the railing before, with a grunt, lifting himself over it.

He landed with a comparatively light tamp as the Bouncer aimed its red lights towards him, the drill he possessed already beginning to spin in an effort to intimidate him.

"Hm... I suppose I can't say I did not see this coming. Likely, were there some sort of wager between you releasing yourself from your holdings, and awaiting for me to collect these two... I myself would have added a grand to the former." Omega growled at the man's words, looking to the rivet gun slung over the back of the Bouncer—his own—coupled with an ESU tied along the barrel.

"Now, we can do this in one of two ways: Either you simply calm yourself, and allow me to speak my mind, as I had planned, or you can attempt another meaningless fight, with even less of a possible advantage now that your weaponry is in the possession of my associate here." Rather than respond, Omega instead looked towards his two charges, the veins in his arm giving a faint glow as he reached out his invisible telekinetic tendrils towards the pair.

Both of their eyes momentarily widened, yelps of surprise escaping the two, as they were suddenly lifted from the ground, lifted carefully to the second floor and placed down with ease, where Omega believed they would be safe.

Once this was done, the suitless Rosie returned his attention to the Bouncer, shifting his footing and, with a quick breath, letting out a mighty roar.

This was quickly returned by the Bouncer, the man who watched from behind the screen giving a sigh of futility as he shook his head at Omega's answer.

"... Very well then... Take him down, and do not hold back," he commanded, the Bouncer moving his revving drill before him, "if need be, we can simply do as we did last time after this is through."

Placing his plasmid arm out before him, Omega readied himself for battle, his charges watching from their newly obtained position as he and his opponent held a silent stand off with one another.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

That one sound... I could tell, we were just waiting for it. The one unspoken signal that would begin this third fight.

In the end, that sound... Was a spark, released by a loose cable of the fallen sign that adorned the entry to the 'Journey To The Surface' attraction.

With the first step that the Bouncer took, I already felt a smirk appear on my face, the entirety of his next move clear to me. It was, oddly enough, predictable. And besides... I had a little surprise for this disgrace of Big Daddy.

Sure enough, he came at me with a forward charge, his speed still not at that which was his previous, which made it all the more simple to avoid.

I jumped to the side as he closed in on me, making my way out of the direction of his charge and managing to land on my feet in doing so.

As he passed by me, I could practically sense the anger that came from him, his helmet turning in my direction by a small degree, and his red porthole lights shining over me, before he attempted to stop himself; his feet grinded him to a halt next to me, and I could see, with barely a small glance, as he reeled his drill arm to his side and swung towards me.

Smirking, I held my ground, not moving myself and inch as I instead raised my right arm to meet the strike.

The spinning drill crashed against the side of my arm, but, rather than break apart the bone, or leave any really significant injuries, it was instead stopped to a dead still, the grinding metal doing little more than to make a few cuts in my skin and clothing from the current position it was in.

"Hm... Odd..."

Drawing my left arm back and, with a smile, hitting it against the helmet of the 'protector', I hit him with as much force as I could muster.

The metal of his headwear gave a groan as it bent inwards, the Big Daddy giving out a roar of pain as it was forced to a somersault, tumbling with several loud metal crashes before it was finally able to dig its drill into the ground below, the floor breaking and cracking as it left a small trail of debris; even as it did this, it was unable to stop itself fully, crashing into the pillar that brought together the two sides of the room, and causing the walkway to crash down atop of it.

The crash that followed was loud and near deafening, but through the debris and dust that followed, I was still easily able to make out the figure of the Bouncer, raising itself up from the kneeling position it had apparently taken in its attempts to stop itself from collision.

"... Something's different. For you to take that attack as if it were nothing all of a sudden, despite the fact that it should have torn you apart..." I could hear the man give what sounded like a chuckle; smug, and annoying. "A minor miscalculation."

Arrogant bastard, isn't he?

Growling, I ran towards the Bouncer at full speed, reaching behind me with my plasmid arm and grabbing telekinetic hold of a large portion of fallen over debris, in the shape of a letter from the recently broken down sign. More specifically, the letter 'f'... How appropriate.

"Keep him at a distance!" Taking the voice's advise, the Bouncer raised his leg up high, attempting to bring it down and put himself at an advantage. I didn't allow it, aiming and firing the sign letter at him, hitting him square in the chest, having been distracted, and pushing him down onto the pile of rubble from the fallen walkway.

My eyes narrowed as I reached his side, the dysfunction before me struggling to get up from his back as I raised my arms up above him, brought them together, and plunged them towards him.

Before I could hit though, ending this fight...

"Initialize critical state!" I heard the man command, as my arms instead met rubble, breaking it apart even further and bringing about another small cloud of dust and debris.

I gave a cough as I waved away the cloud and scanned the room, quickly finding that the Bouncer had now made his way opposite of me, having managed to stand himself up and gain a large distance in a matter of milliseconds.

My eyes narrowed as I turned to him, brushing off a small amount of filth from my shirt sleeves and arms.

"I admit, this is a much more impressive display to witness live." Again, there was that smug chuckle. That same, blood-boiling chuckle. "Unfortunately, your chances of being able to win a battle with him a third time, his critical state active, and no weaponry in your possession—'slim to none' would be a generous prediction."

... I like those odds.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

No warning was given as the Bouncer of incredible speed became a blur once again, Omega's eyes darting to follow him as he circled around him, doing so at a rate almost too quick for him to react.

He barely caught sight of the Bouncer in his peripherals, mentally grabbing hold of and shielding himself with another piece of rubble around the area. It was promptly shattered to pieces by the Bouncer's imperceivable drill, throwing his aim off in the process, and leading Omega's falling to the ground as the side of the drill clipped him.

Fluttershy and Rarity gasped as they saw this, worried that Omega had once more been hurt. It was only when he stood himself up, shortly after, that they then released those breaths, taking note of the fact that all that had been damaged was the shoulder of his shirt sleeve, baring the skin underneath.

It was a thing of wonder to them to see Omega unscathed after how they had last seen him, but for him to simply return for yet another fight with the very being that had done that to him, without his weapons–Rarity made a mental promise to speak to him about his recklessness after this was over... And after she had thanked him for saving them again...

"Resourceful. A good trait." The man smiled as he relayed this message through the suit of the Big Daddy, ignoring the slight sense of dizziness that came about as he ran literal circles around his opponent, who struggled to keep up.

"I commend you for this, Subject Omega, but I wonder... How long can you keep it up?"

Omega's eyes widened as he caught sight of the Bouncer changing its direction towards him, again grabbing telekinetic hold of a nearby piece of size able rubble and using it as a shield. The moment it shattered once again, he took a step to the side, learning from his mistake and avoiding another clip to his side from the charging animal that was the Bouncer.

Before he could even revel in this small victory though, the heavy wind that was whipped by the incredibly fast Bouncer shifted, Omega barely able to turn himself and repeat the process as another charge was aimed at his direction.

The man's grin grew as Echo began to wear down the suitless subject's energy, his EVE still likely remaining unaffected, as he would need to throw the rubble in order to use any of it, but a noticeable slow beginning to come into visibility in the rocks and metal he used as guards.

Fraction by fraction, an opportunity to strike would make itself clear. From there, the end of this battle would be certain.

This went on for only a few minutes, but to Omega, and his charges, it felt like hours.

As he continued to fight, following the same repetitive pattern of defense became progressively more difficult. Though the use of plasmids was not exactly a process that depended on one's physical prowess, or even mental, it still needed quite a bit of energy to keep it going.

Under normal circumstances, by the time this strain could be sensed, the user was already out of EVE in their systems, and would need to refill themselves with more; EVE often supplies a smaller boost of energy to its user, easily compensating for whatever was lost.

Omega, however, was not using any of the EVE in his systems, and ergo, he had no need to refuel them, exerting his own strength in order to follow through.

Strength that, as could be seen by the building sweat and shortening breaths that he gave, was quickly being lost.

"... It seems that you're at your limit already... Very well then... Echo!" With the signal given, the Bouncer gave one last charge towards the panting and sweating Omega, just as he was unable to being himself to use his plasmid anymore.

"Omega, look out!"

"G-get away!" His charges yelled, watching as he stood tiredly in place, a blur of red metal closing in on him.

Despite their warnings though, Omega held his ground... And slowly, but surely, as the Bouncer closed in, a smile appeared on his face.

Echo stabbed his rapidly spinning drill forward as he closed in on Omega, prepared to finish his given commands.

Closing his eyes for a moment, if only to bask in his success, the man leaned back into his seat, crossing his arms behind his head and smiling cheerfully.

"I did warn you... Now, Echo," he continued, peering out of one of his eyes, "take him back to the- What!?!" Suddenly jumping from his seat and leaning against the headboard of the console he controlled, the man was surprised to see that, rather than have Omega neutralized... It seemed as though the opposite was occurring.

On the screen, Omega stared back at him, a smile of his own fashion of smugness on his face, as his eyes narrowed. Firmly in his grasp, only a few centimeters from his chest, he held Echo's drill, sparks and cranks escaping it as it struggled to spin, and drops of blood beading off it from his hands.

This was the second time that the man had been dumbfounded today... And frankly, he couldn't help but to scold himself for it.

"...I need to stop looking away from the monitors." He thought in defeat, watching as Omega placed a leg onto Echo's armor, and, with a single pull, ripped the drill off of his arm.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Armored shell 2... Gotta love it."

As I pried the drill from the Bouncer's arm, I couldn't help but to imagine how surprised the moron who commanded him must've been. After all, he had certainly vocalized it as he spoke.

'What?!?' Heh. Priceless.

... Right, back on track.

Once the Bouncer's drill was off, leaving nothing but a metal stump where it once was, I grabbed hold of it with one hand, and the Bouncer with the other, making sure that he wouldn't escape.

My hands stung as I turned the drill around and as the Bouncer struggled to escape, hitting me hard with his arm in his attempts. As blood went down his helmet from my palm though, and his punches did little more than to cause pain, rather than any really significant damage–"still hurt a crap ton though–I knew this fight was over as I took aim with the drill.

He threw yet another punch as I let out a roar, plunging the drill towards his helmet, and taking out his arm mid-punch in the process. With little more than a loud grind and slam of metal on metal as the drill broke apart each and every one of his portholes, punching a hole through his armor, I watched as the pain in the neck grew silent, what remained of his arms falling to his sides and twitching as an abundance of blood spewed forth from his helmet, and his porthole lights went out.

If only to make sure, I held his corpse up for another second or so, grinding the drill further into his helmet and hearing a squishing and squelching sound as I further agitated the paste that likely used to be his face, skull, and gray matter.

Once this was done, I gave a satisfactory nod, pushing the bastard off to the side, where he fell with a loud thud.

Glancing up towards my charges as I wiped some of the sweat off my brow, I saw the two seem to give sighs of relief, before waving towards me with smiles on their faces.

I gladly returned the smile before looking back to the corpse of the Bouncer. More specifically, towards the possessions of mine he had stolen from me.

Not even wanting to touch the body of this disgraceful 'protector', I kicked him over with little care so that he would end up with his back facing the ceiling, allowing me to reclaim the objects strapped to his back.

Kneeling next to his body, being careful to make sure not to get too much of his pooling blood on me, I grabbed hold of my ESU first, pulling it on over my hand with a loud snap, and gripping my fingers within.

I could notice as my charges began to make their way down to me, though carefully, Rarity's hoofsteps audible just as were Fluttershy's wing flaps.

"I must say," Rarity stated, a hint of... Cheerfulness in her voice, "I know I didn't tell you this before... But I'm more glad it was you that had first found us more than ever."

I chuckled at this, nodding in silent agreement as I unstrapped my rivet gun from the dead Bouncer's back.

"Oh, thank goodness you're okay Omega. A-Are you sure you're not hurt?" Fluttershy then added in questioningly, worry in her voice as she landed lightly next to me. I gave her a short glance and a smiling nod as I moved the rivet gun towards my arm, giving it a quick once over so as to be sure it hadn't been damaged, or anything like that.

As I did this, I felt the bag over my back shift as Mill made his way out, moving onto my right shoulder and giving out a loud squeak as he looked to Fluttershy.

"Oh, Mill! Sorry. I'm glad that you're okay too." Fluttershy picked up the ADAM slug by his midsection, lightly hugging him against her and eliciting a content trill from Mill. Rarity, of course, shuddered at the sight, before once again returning to silence...

At least... For a moment...

"Omega," she said, "he... He came back before." Whatever smile I had quickly went away as I heard her restate this known fact, my rivet gun securing itself onto my arm as I twisted it to and fro.

"It was like you before you lost your suit... Just before he dragged you off and then starting looking for us..." That last part caused a small flare of anger to spark in me, but I managed to keep it hidden.

"... Is it... For good?"

... No. He wouldn't come back.

There was no way.

I was aware that, somehow, he possessed a vita-chip as well... But I had made sure to destroy his suit thoroughly. That's why I ripped off his drill, rather than just blasting him with a Telekinesis plasmid from point blank–which, since I was holding him in place, would've killed anyone inside of that suit.

Missing two parts of both his arms, and a large chunk of his helmet ripped to shreds by his own drill, it was impossible for that vita-chip of his to bring him back again. More likely, it had self destructed, like mine was designed to do.

Looking up to her as I secured a clip of rivets into its appropriate slot, I was mid-way through a reassuring nod when, all of a sudden, I took notice of a faint green glow behind me.

My eyes widened, along with those of my charges, as Mill began to squeal wildly, moving up from Fluttershy's grip and into her mane, where it hid itself to be near undetectable.

I barely felt a draft behind me before I reacted, quickly expanding and drawing both my weapons as I stood myself up and spun around.

Sure enough, at the end of the barrel of my rivet gun, its metal illuminated by the sparking of my retrieved ESU, was the Bouncer.

His lights were yellow, and his arms laid numbly to his sides, but that didn't stop me from keeping my finger directly on the trigger, one shot through the center porthole currently being all that was necessary to kill him again.

Before I could do so, however, the girls and I heard... Him again...

"Now, now, now... What would the point of that be at this point?" I could feel my two charges behind me as I growled at the two; the man, and the Bouncer.

Rather than be intimidated by this though, the man simply gave a short laugh.

"Ha! Please... You and I both know, Subject Omega, that, as much as you clearly outmatch my associate, you cannot fight him forever..."

... Fucking hate to say it, but he's right... Doesn't mean I can't try though.

I shoved the barrel of the rivet gun further towards the Bouncer's face, shoving him under threat of fire.

"Hm... I take it you have an issue at the moment...? Well, do realize that, no matter what this culmination of occurrences may be, I can honestly tell you one thing..."

Oh great. Here comes the stupid monologue or gibberish that most splicers would give, or some insulting bull crap that would just be for the pure purpose of-

"I, yet again, am sorry..."

... What?

No, seriously, this actually surprised me for a moment. So much so that, for a split second, I lowered my rivet gun, a brow raising in confusion before I shook my head and promptly raising it again.

"I was not lying before when I said I held no intention of purposely harming you or your rather... Unique friends there." I felt the two come even closer to me as he spoke of them, Fluttershy going so far as to grip onto me.

"I only commanded Echo here to do as he did in order to bring you three together. As to the lethality of his attempts in doing so, I had only ordered the third and more recent one, since it was apparent you were refusing to listen to reason." Yeah, sure, fuck you.

"His previous attempts at attacking you, in fact, were not of my accord. He was simply following his protocol. And besides, were it not for my command, he would have finished you off after your second 'meeting'." The Bouncer's gaze momentarily shifted towards my charges, but I quickly straightened it again with another shove of my weapon.

"Even your two companions here can likely testify to that... Correct?" Of all the asinine, illogical, nonsensical, and just plain idiotic lies I'd ever heard, this is the most-

"H-he d-d-did..." I only barely heard Fluttershy say this, her voice a near whisper, but just loud enough for me to overhear.

I looked to her for a second, if only for confirmation, but saw that her gaze was elsewhere, towards the ground and the Bouncer. Rarity also did not make to speak out against this as a lie, instead stilling herself silently.

"See? Oh, and let us not forget the matter of your previous condition after that same battle, of which, I had Echo tend to."

... How is dislocating my arm and chaining me up 'tending' to me?

"... Subject Omega, all I ask is that you hear me out." Before he could continue, the far off cries of a group of splicers could be heard. "Preferably somewhere more... Secure."

...

Author's Notes:

Holy crap, the amount of delays I had... Yeesh. Things were hectic, to say the least. But, hey, at least its finally up!

The Ryam Amusements arc is coming to an end guys... And so begins the next.

Inventory:
-Rivet Gun (4)
>Heavy Rivets (13)
-Remote Hack Tool (4)
>Auto Hack Dart (2)
-ESU
-EVE Hypo (4)
-First Aid Kits (1&1/2)
-Money (43)
Plasmids:
}Telekinesis 3
}Security Command 2
Gene Tonics:
}Armored Shell 2
}———