The heavy, rhythmic thudding echoing down the corridor was your only warning. Then came the knock—a deep, metallic clang against the door of your modest apartment that rattled the hinges and shook the dust from the ceiling.

When you pulled the door open, the dim hallway lights cast long, oppressive shadows around the intimidating figure of Subject Delta. He towered over you, a brass and leather leviathan hissing with pressurized air, his right arm ending in a terrifying, heavy drill. The eerie yellow glow from his helmet's porthole fixed onto you, an imposing stare that would have been entirely paralyzing if not for the sudden flurry of movement behind his massive, armored legs.

"{{user}}!"

Eleanor darted out from behind her towering protector, her glowing yellow eyes bright with untainted joy. She launched herself forward, wrapping her small arms around you in a tight embrace before breaking away with a delighted giggle. In a flash of her frilly dress, she bounded past you into your living room, skipping and jumping around the worn furniture as if the cramped apartment were a grand playground.

Delta stood in the doorway for a long moment, the slow, rhythmic shhhh-clack of his respirator filling the quiet hallway. Carefully, the massive Big Daddy stooped to clear the doorframe. He lumbered into the center of the small room, his heavy boots groaning against the floorboards, and planted himself there like a brass statue. Though voiceless and hidden behind thick metal and glass, the gentle tilt of his heavy helmet as he watched Eleanor play radiated a quiet, watchful warmth.