The False Lamb
Songbird let his metallic body crash into the Tower that had once been both her home, her prison and the scientists laboratory. The angelic version of her splintered and rained down on Columbia, and the Siphon was sucked right into her body and she... she felt complete.
For the first time since long, she felt whole. The weak human labeled Elizabeth Comstock was no more. She was the Time Goddess. Or, rather, a result of Luteces experiment. None the less, she could feel it, she knew that she had complete and utter control of Timelines.
Elizabeth turned around and simply looked at Booker.
"Booker... are you afraid of God?" she heard the human version of herself echo.
"No. But I'm afraid of you." the echo of mr. Dewitt replied.
She nodded at him once in response. He looked confused. She opened a tear to the gateways, and she urged him along. He was reluctant, but did agree and followed her.
The tear closed around them, and they stood at the bottom of the sea in an abandoned city called Rapture.
- What is this? Booker asked her.
- It is a portal to all the possible timelines existing in the universe, she replied calmly.
They boarded a bathysphere and it started to head towards the surface.
- A city at the bottom of the sea? Huh, ridiculous... Booker spoke to himself as they left the underwater settlement.
Her gaze ravaged the man she was travelling with, haughtily. She saw what he had done, in every single of the universes. In those, where his daughter had died along with the mother at birth, he had dug deeper into debt, gambling and alcohol consumption, up until the day Robert Lutece had showed up to offer him to wipe away his debt. In those, where the mother had died and the daughter lived, Booker had tried to take care of the daughter. He had. But he constantly woke up during the night, haunted by nightmares of what had happened in the battle that soiled the fields with blood, the army's confrontation with the indians... And, him dreaming about sentencing his now dead wife to death when they created her.
And so, in every single universe where she survived her birth, Booker had decided to sell her to Comstock when Robert Lutece when he was given the chance. And thus, the debt had been payed.
They exited the bathysphere and walked up on the steps of the first lighthouse.
- It is beautiful, isn't it? she enquired.
- What, the stars? Booker replied stupidly.
She sighed mentally to herself.
- No. They're gateways to the different universes. Open the door, Booker.
The man who was supposed to have been her father opened the door to the lighthouse.
On the other side was a multitude of lighthouses, all leading to different realties. Booker walked on to one of them. She knew exactly what tear she would open for him next.
- These are all you tears? he asked her, sounding astounded.
- These are the different timelines. Open the door.
He did as he was asked to. They came to another passage, and she viewed as another version of herself and Booker walked on the opposite side, in the opposite direction.
- That's me, and you... Booker commented and they walked along unto the next door. Booker pulled it open.
They came to a clearing, and stood in a pond. There was baptism going on.
- I know this place, Booker said as he slowly walked up to the priest and the circle of people.
- Do you accept the forgiveness of the Lord? Do you accept to be born anew? Then come! I will aid you in your search to cleanse that unholy soul! the Priest preached and let out a hand, and Booker close in.
But Booker changed his mind, and ran in the other direction. She opened the next tear for him, and they entered. Everything was going according to plan.
Now, they were in Bookers home and office in New York. Robert Lutece was in the door, asking Booker for the girl.
And they entered the second room, where a baby-version of herself lay and waved with her legs happily in the air. Booker could not believe his eyes.
- There never was a baby.
- Pick her up.
- No!
- Do it Booker. You have to do it sooner or later, because you already did.
- I didn't have a daughter.
- But in this universe, and many others, you did. Now, pick her up.
He did as he was told, and he handed over the baby girl to Lutece with tears in his eyes.
- I sold my daughter, he said weakly.
She opened the next tear for him. The one that revealed what had happened to her finger. Even if she knew what would happen, she was curious to see it herself. And to watch puny Booker DeWitts reaction to the event.
As they entered, a man ran past them and roared with full lungs, joining in with the visiting Booker, melting together as one. They shouted that they would have their daughter back. Comstock, and Lutece, was there. Comstocks beard was brown at this time and he looked a lot, lot younger than when she had seen him about an hour ago as her human self before he died.
Booker attempted to snatch her baby self out of the arms of Comstock, but he had help from Lutece and they were entering the tear created by Lutece. She saw the baby Elizabeth reach out to say farewell to daddy with one arm. The finger that was deformed was caught in the tear and the tip was cut off. Clean and precise. Both Booker from the tear and her Booker fell down on his knees and picked up the stump, sobbing over it.
He had been... regretful. That was a constant. If she had survived her birth was a variable...
It could all be put up as an advanced algebra equation, with constants and variables if one wished. Then, there was the false solutions. She had the power to reveal those too.
Elizabeth did not have to consider it for long. Booker may have been regretful in those universes where he had sold her like any ware on the market, but that was not enough. She had suffered, for twenty years, locked in a tower being watched without knowing. Being drained from the power rightfully belonging to her.
She had decided. Booker DeWitt, all versions of him, must die. But he would not die easily. Then, he gave her the idea that was so brilliant, yet so simple, it couldn't possibly fail.
- Comstock. We must destroy him in his crib, kill all versions of him!
- Are you sure this is what you want, Booker? she managed to ask with acted care in her voice.
- Yes! That "Prophet" does not deserve to live! Open a tear to his birth!
Elizabeth smiled inwardly. She opened the tear.
They were back at the pond where Booker had refused the baptism. She told him a little lie about him accepting the baptism in some universes: becoming Comstock.
But it was a complete lie. Him refusing the baptism was a strong, unbreakable constant. As was the constant of him selling her to Comstock. He must die. All versions of him.
- I'm Zachary Hale Comstock, Booker told himself breathlessly, then commanded her to kill him.
Perfect. She called in shadows of herself, not real versions, and together they drowned their biological, nothing more, father. He died looking content. Elizabeth was content as she faded away. She had been redeemed.