Blood on the Streets
I. THE WIDENING GYRE
Booker Dewitt felt the elevator come to a stop, and the door opened. The First´s Lady was there. It was not all that big, but things like that didn´t matter. What mattered was that, finally, he could get out of this madness and wipe away his debt. He took a step forward, pistol in hand.
"How did they knew you were coming, Booker?" Elizabeth said.
"Well, either they have a prophet on their side..." She laughed. Not for the first time, Booker found himself thinking that she had a nice laugth. If circustances had be different, he could see himself falling in love with her. Now, after everything, it just was not possible. And he doubted that, even if he wanted to, she could be open to a relationship. Still, it was a nice thougth. "Or then who hired me wrote also wrote them the signs."
"Why?"
"Beats me." He said, opened the door to the airship and stepped trougth. Elizabeth followed him.
"Maybe they didn´t have to. Maybe Comstock expected you. Did you do anything to him or something?"
"I saw him in for the first time when I came here, Elizabeth. There is no way I had done something to him." Suddenly, his head started hurting, and he felt something that almost made him puke, something that could only be described as the world folding on itself. He brougth his fingers to his nose, dizzingly, and they came away covered in blood. Fresh blood. His blood.
"Boo-Mister Bubbles, look, his at angel." For a split second, he saw a city in the water, felt the smell of the sea in everything, even himself. And somewher, far, far away, he heard a scream and a drill. Then, he loss his balance and felt agaist the desk, scaterring papers and figures and trowing some of them to the floor. Elizabeth´s hands went to his shoulders, but he was only vaguely aware of it. He gasped for air, and...
... He heard several loud knocks at the door of his office. He lay on the hard ground, besides his chair. In the city, a train blared past and faded into the distance. He tried to stand up, but he had to grab to his chair and then his desk to manage it. Booker closed his eyes, for a moment.
"Mister Dewitt!" Somebody screamed. It was the voice of a man, and he sounded familiar. Far too familiar. He knocked several times, again. "Mister Dewitt! We had a dealt, Dewitt!"
"Who are you? What do you want?" He felt himself saying, as he stumbled towards the door, grabbing the walls and bookcases for support.
"Dewitt!" The man shouted, like he hadn´t heard him. "Bring us the girl, and wipe away the debt!"
"Shut up!" Booker screamed, and grabbed the door. "What do you want with her? Why her? Why!"
He opened the door, and there was light. When he stepped through, he found himself not in front of Jack´s liquor store, but in a alleyway, and rain was falling. It took him a moment to realize that there was a man in front of him, running. No, no just running. Running from him. He was pursuing him. Booker saw the small bundle that man had in his arms, and all the pieces felt into place.
"Give me back my daughter, you son of a bitch!" He roared. "Give Anna back!"
Booker stumbled against something hard, and fell to the wet floor on his hand and knees. When he stood up again, he saw that man disappearing into the alley of the right and he followed him as fast as he could, his heart beating wildly in his chest. The man was not alone. There was another one with him, an old man with a long, grey beard. He was holding his daughter. He was of them, he thought. The ones who had taken his daughter from him.
"Hey, the dealt his off, you heard me?" He screamed as he ran to them, not even taking real notice of that strange hole in the wall, outlined in blue. The man looked at him, surprise plain on his face. "The deal his off! Give her back!"
Booker grabbed his daughter off with both hands, trying to take her for that bastard, but he struggled against him hard. His fingers were slipping, already.
"Give her back, you son of a bitch!" He screamed, then he was shoved away and the old man stepped through the portal. There was another person there, but that didn´t matter either. Only his daughter mattered. Booker grabbed Anna again, and even thought he was tired for running after that guy his first push nearly tore her from the hands of that man.
"No... no, no, no! No!" He was losing ground, fast. She was disappearing into that blue hole, disappearing as the hole got smaller and smaller. "Anna! Anna!"
"Shut down the machine, now!" Booker didn´t understand that, but he didn´t want to, either. He only understood that he needed her back, and they were standing on his way, all of them. He was going to save her, and then he could kill them all, sent them on fire like he did to so many people at Wounded Knee. They deserved that, and more.
"Give me back my daughter!" He screamed, and then the old man gave one last push and Anna was no longer on his hands. She was extending her arms towards him; she needed him. Booker nearly lost his balance right there, but he steadied himself and reached with one hand into that portal, who now was just a tiny circle, thinking about pulling her away before it closed, thinking that this was not happening, that it simply couldn´t happen, and, most of all, that it was all a dream or an illusion or something...
Then, the portal closed, just has as he had be about to touch it. Booker saw her daughter's finger fall for it, and he felt to his knees. He was alone. There was only the rain, and the cars and people talking and the knowledge that he had failed, puked it, that in the end she had be right, he was a...
...bad father, Booker dizzily thought, staring at Elizabeth´s worried face above him. The worst one. He noticed that she was shaking, and that not only her eyes were a little misty but she had be crying. For him? He didn´t understand. He didn´t deserve her tears, didn´t deserve anything but death.
"Booker!" Elizabeth screamed, voice breaking. "Booker, what happened? Just... what happened? What happened?"
"Don´t worry." He grunted. "I am fine."
"No, you are not! You were shaking so much, and muttering, m-muttering something's I didn´t understand. You looked like you were having a seizure, for god sake! Of course you are not fine!"
"I..." It was Comstock, he thought. The one that had took his daughter away for him. And that man that he had been chasing, that woman who was in that strange hole that was really a Tear-they were the ones who made him go to Columbia. For Elizabeth. Or, maybe... Maybe it was for Anna. His daughter. He raised his hand to her cheek, and softly stroked it.
"Booker, what..." She muttered, blushing. She didn´t look much like her, but she had be a baby when she had be taken from him so I didn´t mean anything. He still didn´t knew what happened, didn´t have all the pieces, but she was Anna and that was what mattered. He could protect her, and make her happy. They could go to Paris together, and he would make her forget about this fucking city. Anna moved her head to the right.
"You heard that?"
"No, I..." But then he heard it, the sound of another ship. Booker took his hand away, and stood up. Beyond the window, he saw a ship with soldiers on the deck. They fired at the ship, and he had to go down to avoid the hail of bullets and broken glass. Anna did the same.
"Booker..."
"Stay here." He said, sounding calm, but on the inside he was anything but calm. His daughter was lying over broken glass; she shouldn´t have do something like that. It was bad he know to know that his daughter had spent her life locked in a tower, with that damned bird as her jailor, knowing that they had examined her like a lab rat and that she only had the illusion of privacy, but this was just too much. Enough was enough. They couldn´t leave her alone, but he could make them. "And don´t worry. I kill them. I kill every last one of them."
"Booker, wait!" She was calling him back, but he couldn´t do that. He just couldn´t. Booker stood up, went to the door, trusting the shield to adsorb the bullets and kicked it open. His clothes flapped in the wind. He jumped through the air, Sky Hook flaring and held onto the hook right above the deck of the ship. The soldiers stared, stunned, but their surprise didn´t last long. Just long enough to equip his third vigor, and send the murder of crows after them. They soon overwhelmed the soldiers, and began tearing off their flesh. It wouldn´t last for long, but it was more than enough. He jumped down into the ship and equipped the Devil´s Kiss, sending a ball of fire right in the middle of the mess. It exploded, killing the soldiers, and the murder of crow's disappeared without a trance.
When he was about to turn around, something hit in the back of the head, hard and he barely managed to grab the rail and not fall to his death. The impact had shattered his already weakened shield, and his ears rang painfully. He turned around, and slammed the Sky-Hook into the soldiers head, tearing his face apart. Then, he sent the corpse flying with a trust. The shield had regenerated a little, just enough for the soldiers to not kill him while he was executing the other one, but he hurried into cover, anyway. It was about to break, and he couldn´t die now, not when he had found his daughter again.
When he looked up, he saw a black woman with a red scarf, a sniper rifle on her hands, and he tensed, ready to kill her or dodge or anything. Then, he realized she was not aiming at him but at the airship, and his fear turned to fury. He stood up, without caring for the consequences, and sent the possession vigor at her, screaming:
"Stay away for my daughter, you bitch!" The green energy surrounded her, and she froze up. With a trust of his hand, he made the woman put the barrel of the gun against her temple.
"Daisy!" Somebody screamed-one of the soldiers. That´s when he realized who they were. The Vox Populi. And he had their leader under his control. Perfect.
"Everybody, drop your weapons! Drop your weapons!" Another one screamed, and a second later several dull tucks told him that, indeed, they listened to that soldier. Booker turned towards them.
"Listen here, and listen well. I am going. If you shot at me, I will make her blown her own head off or just throw herself out of the ship. So don´t move, don´t do anything and let us go in peace. Are we clear?" The soldiers nodded, slowly. "Good. Very good."
Booker turned his back on them, still keeping up the effect of the vigor and jumped to the open door of the airship, which had advance a little bit since he dropped off. He closed the door behind him, hurriedly. Anna was there, on the ground, eyes half closed. She looked at him.
"Booker? Is over?"
"Yes; I took care of it. You can get up now." He said, and she did, dusting off her skirt.
"What...?" She began to said, but then he crossed the distance and hugged against his chest. Anna squeaked in embarrassment, but didn´t resist. After a while, she said: "What´s happening to you?"
"Nothing much." Booker said, laughed and then broke out the hug. It was hard, far too hard, but he didn´t want to weird out his daughter. He couldn´t stand that. "I just felt good, that´s all."
Booker landed The First Lady on an empty patch of grassland, far for any village or city. He had no choice. If normal people found about it, there could be a lot of uncomfortable questions. They got out the ship, and when Anna just stood there, looking around with a smile on her face, he let her. He thought about a person finding them with the ship while they were standing around, but that concern seemed so small compared to her smile. He loved how she smiled. Anna turned towards him, and hugged him, hard.
"Thank you." She said, in a small voice, like a child. Booker hugged her back. They were like that for a few minutes, and when he separated for her it was as hard as the first time. Together, they sent off for the nearest city. He noticed her underlining fear, but still Anna practically glowed, looking around like she was seeking everything for the first time. It was cute. And heartbreaking. But mostly cute.
Booker stopped a taxi, after sometime walking and they entered inside. He paid the guy to take them to the Paris, which should be only a few hours ride. The taxis tried to start a conversation, and they played along, but it was kind of awkward. Or maybe, it just seemed like than to him. Anna certainly had no qualms about bombarding the guy with questions about his job and the people he had meet and whatever cached her curiosity. Which were a lot of things. Booker found himself smiling the whole ride. He still had some money of him, so he paid the taxis up front and they got out of the car.
He had chosen to take The First Lady as near Parias as he could, while still being inconspicuous, mostly because Anna wanted to. But now he had his doubts. They had kept her on that tower, watched constantly. He had seen the painting of the Eiffel Tower on Monument Island and the other´s should know about that, too. That´s was enough sing of how much Anna liked Paris, and I was only the one he had actually seen. Who knew how many were there? Enough to make them look into Paris, first, maybe. And no just Comstock and his zealots, but also those who hired him. They could be a problem, as well. He had weasel out of the dealt, and he very much doubted those twins could just let them live their life's in pace. Maybe it could be better to go somewhere else, and hide. Assume a fake identity, and let the mess short out by itself.
"Booker?" He turned to her. She had a hand on her arm, and looked anxious.
"Yes?"
"Why... Why did you save me? I... I had been locked up all my life, but I am not idiot. You are a good man, I can see that, but I don´t think anybody can be that good. This... This can´t be just for the kindness of your heart. So why? Why could you risk your life to save me?"
"Does it matter? You are free now."
"Of course it matters. Please, Booker. Tell me." He looked away for her. He wanted to stay by her side, make her happy, but telling her the truth was making him nervous.
"You... You are..."
"I am what?"
"You are..." Booker sighed. "You are not Comstock´s daughter."
"What... So why... why was I... Did my father, my real father, hire you to take me back?"
"No." He closed his eyes, and tried to calm himself down because, really, there was nothing to worry about. Everything was going to be fine. "I am... I am your father."
"Booker?" She asked, hesitantly, like she thought it was a joke.
"I am serious. I am your father." He looked at her again. Too him, it seemed like the world had banished around them. "And your name is not Elizabeth, either. Not the name we gave you, anyway. Your name is Anna. Anna Dewitt."
"Why? If it's true, why? Why didn´t you tell me? Why was in that tower, and not with you? Why?"
"Comstock... he..." No. It was nice lie, and it would roll off out of this tongue nicely, but he couldn´t start his new life with his daughter by lying to her. And, anyway, even if he didn´t tell her now, someday-maybe not tomorrow or the next week, but someday- the guilt could consume him and he tell her anyway. So it was better to do it now. For both of them. "I... I sold you."
"You... You sold me?" She repeated, stunned, her eyes misty. Then, she sharply turned on one heel and walked away. Booker followed, and got in her way.
"Please, please, listen to me. You can decide what you want after that, but please, listen."
"Stay away for me." Anna said, calmly. "If you don´t, I scream rape and... and we see how you dealt with that."
Booker hesitated, just for a second, and then he put his hands on her shoulders. Anna tried to jerk away for him, but he didn´t let her.
"Listen to me. I was... in debt. A lot of debt. And this guy... Remember the one who had the box with bird pendant, after we escaped Monument Island? It was that guy. He said... Bring us the girl, and wipe away the debt. I was drunk, and desperate and my wife had died not so long ago... so I did what he wanted. But I-I regretted it. I chased after him, in the rain, up to an alley. And I saw a tear in the wall, Comstock with you on his arms. I tried, Anna. I tried. But he was stronger than me. That´s... That´s was when you lost the finger." She looked down at hand. "The tear closed on your finger."
"And then what?" She said, near tears. "You forgot about me, and you lived your own life until you felt guilty and you went to rescue, like you were some knight in shining armor?"
"No. I searched for you. For that guy. I head an investigation business, you see. I am not exactly a slouch in that department. But I didn´t find him. I didn´t find you." He held out his hand to her, and she grabbed it, looking at the letters he had engraved there.
"What... What is this, Booker?"
"You. A.D. Anna Dewitt. The mark of the False Shepard, according to Comstock. But is just an admission that I am worthless guy, and nothing more."
"Booker..."
"I remember that day, clearly. Everything else is kind of fuzzy, but I remember that. I went to a tattoo shop, and asked the guy to engrave these two letters on my right hand. I told him it was the initials of my wife. And is kind of true; her name was Alexis. But it was you who I had in mind. So I couldn´t forget what I had done. So I couldn´t forget what wiping away my debt cost me." Anna clenched his hand. Maybe it was just pity for him, but he took him as a reassuring gesture. He had to, or he couldn´t have to courage to say another word. "These twins... they hired me, to rescue you. I didn´t know it was you. I had forgotten about everything. But it came back to me, on that airship. So... I know I am far for an ideal father. I know that you suffered far too much, and that is all my fault, but I-I love you. Please. Even if you don´t want to stay with me, at least let me give you some money so you can live on your own. I don´t have much, but is more than enough to get you started, at least."
And then he looked at her, awaiting her answer with hope and dread, trying to calm down his breathing. This is it, he thought. This will change everything. They spend several minutes in silence, without moving at itch.
"Daddy..." Anna said at last, voice breaking, and hugged him, pressing her head against his chest, her tears spilling down his shirt. Muffled, she repeated: "Daddy."
Booker hugged her back.
Author´s Notes
At first, I thought I shouldn't upload this story. I am writing another one and, even though it seems to be normal on this site, I don´t want to write various stories at the same time. That makes it very hard to get updates on time... if you manage it at all. But this was just sitting on my computer, so I ended up uploading it anyway. I won´t concentrate on this story until my previous one, No Heroes Here, is finished. However, there is only one or two chapters left for that story, so is not going to take long.