A Final Fantasy XIV and Bioshock: Infinite Crossover
The works of Final Fantasy XIV and Bioshock: Infinite all belong to their respective owners. Please note that because of its setting and atmosphere, Bioshock: Infinite has many themes of racism and white supremacy. I will do my best to tone these themes down.
Warning: Contains Final Fantasy XIV and Bioshock: Infinite spoilers.
How long have I floated idle, in this place? A year, maybe two? Or maybe I just arrived. Perhaps eternity already expired – at least my sense of time had. My thoughts wander as I drift across this endless space, cradled by eldritch powers. I recall and moments and memories, if only to not forget my identity. I remember the feeling of blood between my fingertips as I took life after life. I reveled in that nostalgic mayhem, for it was undeniable proof of my spirit as a warrior. As someone who could only acknowledge his existence on the battlefield, these memories preserved my mind like the magic of Althyk protected my body from the void surrounding me.
At some point, I came to realize this realm I drifted through existed between time and space. The revelation certainly didn't alleviate the boredom, however. And reminiscing could only last for so long. I grew bored of reliving my life – of fighting adversaries I've already slain. Like a good story told too many times or a book read one-hundred thousand times over, my memoirs began to grow stale and my mind began to stagnate.
I was aware of others who were sent to this place between realms. Like me, they were warriors who chose to stand against the Garlean Empire on Carteneau Flats. If only to occupy my mind with something tangible, I briefly wondered how they were coping with the eternal monotony. Perhaps they were aware of each excruciating second. Or maybe eternity passed for them in the blink of an eye. But at the end of my many musing, I could only acknowledge one thing: this endless boredom was slowly killing me. Eventually, my mind refused to continue the roundelay of memories, and I fell into a deep sleep akin to death.
So when a voice called out, I ignored it.
It came again, but pitched painfully high. My mind stirred at the familiar sound. It was the bloodcurdling scream of someone experiencing immense pain and suffering. At first, I thought I was simply reliving an old memory, but the volume and weight of the screams made them feel much more tangible than the wisps of familiar voices I grew accustomed to hearing.
"Mr. DeWitt! Booker! Booker! Don't die Booker, please!"
DeWitt? Booker? No, that wasn't my name. This endless abyss had yet to strip me of my sense of self.
"Someone help me… please…" The voice began to sob.
Despite my inane desire to remain dormant, I opened my eyes at the piteous whine and find myself sitting in a cushioned chair, in front of a large table full of alchemist equipment.
"Well, how unexpected." Came a male voice.
"Unexpected, but not improbable. M-Theory or Ultimate Ensemble?" Returned a female voice.
I drag my murky vision up toward the pair. Instinctively, one hand reaches for the hilt of my sword. I relax as my fingers grip familiar steel.
"Neither, I suspect. Does he even understand us?" Asked the male.
"I'm not deaf," I ground out, blinking hard as my eyes adjusted to the light.
"What language are we speaking, now?" He prodded.
"What else would we speak in Eorzea?" I spat back, my voice sandy and hoarse.
"Well, I imagine this experiment has become much more complicated. Shall we abandon this attempt?" The female suggested. Inwardly, I cringed at her nonchalance.
"But a change in constants may be what the experiment needs. If it fails, there's always next time. Perhaps he'll row. No, it's too late for that, I suspect. Pity. I am growing weary of rowing."
"Row?" I repeat, confused. "What are you talking about?" I hissed angrily, my voice gathering strength. "Who are you two? Where am I?" After another blink, my vision finally sharpens.
"I suspect he's very far from... home." The man motions to me, apparently ignoring my queries. "If you wish to return from whence you came, find the girl and bring her to Booker DeWitt."
Without another word, the woman handed me a wooden box. Curiosity overpowers my irritation. I open it and scowl at the first noticeable thing: a pistol. I wasn't fond of firearms. I turn it over in my hand and tuck it into my shirt before sifting through the rest of the contents. There wasn't much besides the gun: a picture of the girl, some silver coins, and a large key. I pocket them all and toss the box aside.
I stand, suddenly, intending to strangle the answers out of the pair when a sudden, bright light fills the room, blinding me once more. By the time my vision returns, the two are gone – vanished without a trace. I stared at the empty space before me and rubbed my head in exasperation.
"I hate magic."
After a long tirade at the Twelve, I took a few minutes to test my body with a brief stretch and a dozen sword swings. I feared my muscles had atrophied after an eternity of aimless drifting, but my body said otherwise. I was just feeling groggy, if anything. Satisfied, I made my way out of the room and gaped at the immense, metallic contraption that greeted my sight.
"Am I in Garlemald?" I asked the air.
I steer clear of the alien machinery and explore the rest of the house. It appeared to be abandoned and I felt no shame in taking a few untouched articles of clothing. I shed my chainmail in favor of a beige get-up similar to what the man from earlier wore. I never liked coatees or anything resembling formal wear, but I couldn't afford to draw unnecessary suspicion; being painted an Eorzean in Garlemald was the last thing I wanted. I couldn't recall any laws restricting public arms in the Empire, so against my better judgment, I decided to chance bearing my swords.
I scrounged around for a bit of coin and something to eat before finally stepping out of the house.
A trio of black men covered in blood stared wide-eyed as I emerged, but a giant red airship appeared overhead, catching everyone's attention. The airship sported the bust shot of another black woman who's voice echoed through the air like a lion's roar. I was vaguely aware that the picture was the one speaking. If I wasn't so dumbstruck by the alien display, I would have said something about giant moving pictures, dancing Mi'qote in the sky, and making barrels of coin.
"Did you see this coming, old man? 'The seed of the Prophet shall sit the throne?' Well, the Vox'll strap her to your damn throne and burn her on it! Come, Comstock! The Vox dares you to try and get her back! Come and die, Comstock!"
The image of a girl flashed across the side of the blimp. She was mounted on a stock and gagged.
"Hear tell they shoved that bitch back in her tower on Monument Island. No idea why we don't just kill her though. Rumor is she's all sorts of dangerous."
I turn my head curiously at the man. "Monument Island?"
"The giant angel-shaped tower, you idiot." He snapped. I narrowed my eyes.
"What's an angel?" I urge again.
"Wha-? Are you making a fool out of me, Cracker?!" He moved to draw but I was already several steps ahead of him.
My sword was halfway through his neck by the time his hand reached his gun. I howl in savage delight, licking the man's blood off my cheek as it spatters chaotically about. An infinite roundelay of memories could never hope to match the real thing! I grabbed the headless body and hurled it at the closest man to knock him over, then drew my pistol to plug a bullet between the eyes of the third.
As the last of the trio tried to scramble to his feet, I casually approached him and delivered a brutal stomp to his spine to keep him pinned to the ground. There was a satisfying crunch of bone as I drove my heel into his back. I rested the tip of my sword lightly against the man's carotid artery, drawing a thin line of blood.
"Now then," I hiss, my voice a deadly whisper. I lean down toward him, my sword scraping deeper into his flesh. "Tell me more about this girl and Monument Island."
Author's Notes: Had a random urge to write this after a few days of brooding over the ending of Bioshock: Infinite. I have a story mapped out, and we'll see where it goes from here! I hope you all enjoyed it and look forward to the next chapter! If the readers have any questions about the story, I'll provide a bit more background information via an Author's Note Info dump to prevent from any unnecessary exposition in the story unless it's called for by the other characters. I'm also looking for a Beta Reader, if anyone would like to step up and help! Feel free to send me any criticisms or comments! Thanks for reading!