For new readers, this story is based off of and is tied into several other pieces of mine. If you're not sure where to start, I'd suggest finding Bioshock Infinite: Unbroken, as well as its prequel Unbroken: Song of Sorrow and the continuation Unbroken: I'm Home. The beginning of this story also has roots in chapter five of Those Left Behind. Thanks for checking it out.

Foreword: Sorry for the delay, it's just been one of those weeks so far.

Elizabeth can only stare in horror at the baleful crimson glow, the thing that had just burst through the wall of her apartment all but hidden from sight by the billowing dust cloud. And somehow, Elizabeth can tell that the creature is staring right back at her.

Another deep groan comes from the creature, reminiscent of a Big Daddy's but far more guttural, bestial. But just as the glowing visor begins to approach, a deep, thunderous roar of shotgun shakes Elizabeth from her shock, the deadly blast hurtling towards the thing in the dust. The sound of metal striking metal follows, nearly a dozen of them all in one instant, and Elizabeth scrambles towards Abigail and her other self as an enraged roar answers Comstock's shot.

"Son of a-Elizabeth! Run!"

That's all Comstock has time for, Elizabeth looking back just as Ryan's monster charges out of the dust cloud and directly at him. "It's… it's fast!" The monster doesn't come into sight right away, remnants of the dust cloud clinging to and enveloping it as it runs, and Elizabeth only gets a good look at the thing as it comes into arm's reach of Comstock. "What… what is that thing?!"

Ryan's monster looks to have a person's shape, but it's enormous compared to Comstock, the man not small by any means. Elizabeth wouldn't be surprised if it was a few feet taller than Comstock if it stood up straight. The creature's clad in a menacing, armored diving suit, passingly similar to the Big Daddy she'd seen downstairs and the one Comstock fought in the Toys Department. Elizabeth has never seen a Big Daddy like this one, but the glowing, crimson visor and massive mining drill on the thing's right arm gives it away. In its left hand, the thing holds an oversized spear gun, a coil attached to the spear and what looks like a reel.

And then the monster slams shoulder first into Comstock just as he fires again, the buckshot scattering off the Big Daddy's domed helmet harmlessly. The impact sends Comstock flying backwards into the wall and very nearly into the fridge, pain plainly visible in his shocked expression. "No shield… that had to hurt…" A frown crosses Elizabeth's face; the Vita-Chamber apparently doesn't play well with whatever Infusions are. But the whirring sound of the Big Daddy's drill spinning up interrupts her train of thought, the monster approaching Comstock with its weapon raised high.

But Comstock's not out of the fight yet, despite the ferocity of the blow; just before Big Daddy can plunge the drill through Comstock's back, he rolls over and brings up his crackling, obsidian crystal covered arm, tendrils of lightning lashing out at the metal-clad monster.

"Get outta there!" Abigail's words surprise Elizabeth, and the sight of her Hand Cannon coming up surprising her even more; Abigail looks as surprised as she does, muttering softly under her breath, "She says we need him… dammit!" And Comstock obliges without complaint, scrambling to his feet as the monster spasms under the effects of Shock jockey, snatching up the bag of provisions as he goes. Abigail's firing into the Big Daddy all the while, but neither her bullets nor Comstock's Plasmid seem to be inconveniencing it overly much; the electricity arcing across its body fades after only a couple seconds, the Big Daddy turning towards Elizabeth and roaring angrily.

But the creature's roar is cut short, the Big Daddy looking back and forth between Elizabeth and Abigail as Comstock makes it over to them; if she didn't know any better, Elizabeth would think it was confused. And she starts getting a sneaking suspicion as to why; the other Elizabeth is still being carried on Abigail's back, the redhead struggling to aim with one hand while holding onto her unconscious passenger with the other. "It's… is it after me? I mean… does it recognize me?"

"This creature before you is called Subject Gamma, the third prototype of the Alpha series of Protectors." Ryan's voice booms from outside, smug satisfaction thick in his tone, "A remarkable failure, but a failure nonetheless."

"Seems to work just fine to me." Grumbling quietly, Comstock winces as he holds his ribs.

"Gamma's conditioning proved entirely unsuitable for a Protector. But, one does not throw away a valuable asset. Rather, he will aggressively pursue whoever's genetic code he is 'bonded' to, returning them to me once acquired."

"Wonderful…" Elizabeth frowns at the genetic monstrosity as it approaches; the Big Daddy's not quite between them and the door, but she doubts they could get away from it, especially with Comstock's wounds and Abigail's passenger. "But if we don't… Comstock, can you…"

A sudden chill cuts Elizabeth off, sending a shiver down her spine. "Elizabeth…" Comstock's left hand is frozen over, spikes of ice erupting from his flesh, "Run!"

The Big Daddy charges the moment Comstock shouts, bringing its spear gun up and firing the deadly weapon directly at his chest. But the projectile doesn't quite make it; the frigid blast of Old Man Winter strikes the spear just as it's leaving the weapon, the Plasmid continuing onward to freeze it, the weapon and the wielder all at once.

Elizabeth, Abigail and her sleeping passenger are halfway to the door when Gamma turns into a living ice sculpture, both of them wanting to get as far as possible from the menacing Big Daddy. Elizabeth can hear Comstock running after them, his ragged breathing, frantic pace and the sound of tin cans being jostled against one another telling her he's only a few steps behind. But Comstock isn't who Elizabeth's listening for as she runs out onto the walkway. "Come on, stay frozen a little longer…"

But Gamma seems to have other ideas; the sound of ice shattering and an enraged, distorted roar comes the moment Comstock's out the door. He has to twist to avoid a spear launched after him, Comstock thrown off balance by the maneuver and losing a step as he scrambles to get his feet under him. And then Gamma emerges, the raging Big Daddy hot on his heels while its spear gun retracts the missed shot. "Go, go! I can't freeze this son of a bitch again without losing something!"

"Damn, he's right…" Glancing back as she and Abigail round the corner on the way to the ramp, Elizabeth grits her teeth; Comstock's still holding his shotgun and the bag of supplies, and he'd have to drop one or the other to use a Plasmid. And anything dropped is likely to be lost forever, beneath Gamma's giant metal boots. "If only we could… wait… Comstock! Throw me the gun!" Elizabeth manages to stop a few feet past the turn, shouting across the gap and the open air courtyard.

"Are ya' insane?!"

"Catch!" Comstock's shotgun is sailing through the air before Abigail can finish, Elizabeth having to lean over the railing to catch the weapon safely. And there's already ice forming on Comstock's hand as the weapon sails through the air, he aiming the Plasmid back at the enraged Gamma and freezing it solid. "I'm fresh out of EVE, won't be freezing this fella again anytime soon!"

"You can't escape Gamma, Ms. DeWitt. It can't be bargained with or reasoned it. It will look for you, and it will never stop. Sooner or later, he will find you, no matter where you hide."

"I wish this guy would just shut up…" Comstock grumbles as he catches up to Elizabeth and Abigail, taking his shotgun back quickly. And Abigail lets loose a loud, derisive laugh, at least as best she can while running for her life.

"You're one ta' talk! That's all ya' ever did back in Columbia!"

Abigail's barb draws a smirk from Elizabeth, and Comstock's scowl only seems to grow even worse. But the gravity of their situation wipes the smirk from her face all too quickly, and Elizabeth tries to catch her breath as they hurry down the ramp.

The ice seems to hold the Big Daddy for even less time than before, Gamma's deep, booming roar splits the air in the silent courtyard the moment it's free. And the three of them have only just made it to the second floor when the ice shatters, Elizabeth and Abigail both cringing as the noise echoes around them.

Bolting down the ramp, Elizabeth's mind races; they can run, but for how long? They can't stop so long as Gamma's giving chase, and fighting the Big Daddy has proven very fatal, so how can they shake it? She almost doesn't hear Comstock's surprised shout, the three of them just stepping onto the ground floor of Athena's Glory. "Son of a… not another one!"

Looking up, Elizabeth finds she's staring directly at the Big Daddy she'd spied before, this one the same lumbering, many-eyed model, the same type that killed her in Fontaine's. But this one doesn't seem to care, its multitude of eyes glowing a harmless yellow. And walking ahead of the Big Daddy is a brown-haired little girl in a dirty purple dress. Her blank eyes glow faintly, and Elizabeth realizes she's looking at a Little Sister.

And while Elizabeth and Abigail run past the odd pair, Comstock just stands there. "What are you doing?!" Shouting as she runs, Elizabeth finds him glancing back as the Alpha gets closer and closer. He only starts to move again when Gamma's almost breathing down his neck, Comstock sprinting towards the other Big Daddy while holding the shotgun and bag to his chest.

The many-eyed Big Daddy rumbles a warning as Comstock sprints towards him, and Elizabeth slows to a stop at the exit. She isn't sure if the man's lost his mind or not; what good is it to anger the other Big Daddy? But she gets her answer a moment later; just before he would collide with the second Big Daddy, Comstock drops and manages to slide feet first between the Protector's legs, startling both Elizabeth and the Little Sister. And Gamma slams into the Big Daddy at full speed, a bellowing roar coming from it as the yellow eyes turn red.

The second Big Daddy's drill spins up as he turns on the offending Gamma, and Elizabeth cringes as the Alpha recognizes the new threat. "Big Daddy against another Big Daddy… they could level this place! Comstock…!"

"Hurt 'im, Mr. B! Hurt 'im!"

Elizabeth finds Comstock coming to a stop a few steps away, his gaze turned to the Little Sister cheering for her Big Daddy. Despite the danger of being so close to the clashing behemoths, despite the fear and uncertainty of being chased through a deranged city in the middle of a civil war, white hot anger flares to life within Elizabeth as she glares furiously at Comstock.

"Comstock! Don't ya dare lay a finger on the lass!" Abigail's shout only barely manages to pull her attention from Comstock, the fury in her voice at least matching Elizabeth's. And Comstock seems to jump as she roars, turning to face Elizabeth and Abigail quickly, "But…"

"I don't care!" The quiet 'click' of a revolver's hammer being drawn back comes from behind Elizabeth, and she glances back to find Abigail aiming it squarely at Comstock. Not that Elizabeth blames her. The impact of the two Big Daddies slamming into each other causes everyone to cringe, even Comstock, and he heaves a deep sigh after a moment.

"Whatever you say…" Abigail's already turning to leave as Comstock relents, and Elizabeth turns to follow after shaking her head, but not before catching him nodding gravely. She can't even look at him right now, Elizabeth's anger at Comstock still burning brightly. The man hasn't changed, has he…

Elizabeth and Abigale step out into the dimly lit tramway that connects Athena's Glory to the rest of Olympus Heights, Comstock coming up behind them slowly while the sound of metal crashing into metal and the roars of Big Daddies echoes from within the high-class apartment building. And the place is virtually deserted, the only signs of life coming from the slow-moving, automated trolley approaching Athena's Glory and the handful of people standing inside the pale blue, metal conveyance.

"We're… we're not taking that." Scowling, Elizabeth hops down onto the track running up the right side of the tramway as she shakes her head; she'd taken the trolley on several occasions when she'd been living here, but she usually found it faster to walk than rely on the sluggish trolley. " I think it unlikely that Gamma will accommodate us while we cross…" Comstock and Abigail join her on the tracks, the three of them and the unconscious other Elizabeth hurrying down the glass tunnel and away from Athena's Glory.

But the sounds of battle and distorted, bellowing roars of the Big Daddies doesn't fade as they put some distance between themselves and Athena's Glory, and the uproar within seems to be unnerving the trolley's passengers; Elizabeth's able to make out concerned murmurs coming from the well-to-do residents. "Elizabeth… does that sound like… it's getting' closer to ya'?" Worry's thick in Abigail's voice, Elizabeth finding her glancing back towards Athena's Glory.

But whatever Elizabeth might have said to reassure her is lost when something plows through the wall that separates the luxury apartment building from the rest of Olympus Heights, the sound of collapsing rubble and debris causing her, Abigail and Comstock to jump, all three of them turning on the source of the racket. What awaits her, however, does nothing to set Elizabeth's frayed nerves at ease; the many-eyed Big Daddy staggers from the dust and rubble, its Little Sister running around the dividing wall towards the wounded Protector. But her eyes are focused on what's behind the Big Daddy; the baleful crimson light of the Alpha's oval-shaped visor appears in the dust, Gamma crunching broken bits of the wall beneath its heavy boots.

And the moment the passengers lay eyes on the Big Daddies, shouts and screams come from within the automated trolley as it draws closers to the battling behemoths, Rapture's upper crust panicking and scrambling to jump out. And it's fortunate that they all make it out by the time the tram reaches its destination, if only barely; the many-eyed Big Daddy backs up to the trolley and, with a might roar, slams into the back of the metal vessel with its entire body.

The trolley lurches from its place on the tracks and up onto the stone tile, the wheels being crushed beneath as the Big Daddy drives it towards Gamma like a massive battering ram. And Elizabeth can hardly believe her eyes as the derailed trolley plows into the Alpha series Big Daddy; she can't tell if it was caught by surprise or not, but Gamma still manages to stay on its feet, sparks flashing into existence beneath its metal feet and the trolley's underside. "I… I should be running…" The thought crosses Elizabeth's mind, but her feet slow of their own accord as she watches the spectacle.

But the contest of strength between the two Big Daddies is over in a heartbeat; with a roar of its own, Gamma wrenches the trolley to the side, the metal vessel tipping over and landing with a terrible crash. But despite this, the momentum of the trolley carries it into the entrance of Athena's Glory with Gamma beneath it. And the damage is too much; the entrance begins to collapse, burying Gamma and part of the trolley in rubble.

"Is it… is-ah!"

A hand grabs her by the shoulder and pulls her around, Elizabeth blinking as she finds an out of breath Abigail before her, the unconscious other Elizabeth still resting on her back. "C'mon! We've got ta' go!"

"What the hell are you thinking?!" Comstock appears beside Abigail, his blue eyes flashing with anger, "Elizabeth! That monster could have grabbed you! Or even worse, you could have gotten caught up in their fight!"

A mixture of anger and surprise shakes Elizabeth from her awe-inspired torpor; surprise because Comstock hasn't been able to say boo to her since their escape, and anger that he has the nerve to talk to her like Booker would. "Then you'd just have something else to feel guilty about, wouldn't you, Comstock?" He bristles at that, but Comstock holds his tongue, the now familiar, somber look returning as he takes a deep breath. Elizabeth breathes a sigh, shaking her head as she walks past him. "Fine, let's go."

Elizabeth, Abigail and Comstock leave the crashed trolley and wounded Big Daddy behind, the urgency that had spurred her on abating some. She's exhausted already despite sleeping for so long, and as Elizabeth spies the Central Square Bistro up ahead, she frowns dejectedly; the place caters to the wealthy, and the few dollars Comstock had scrounged up wouldn't afford them more than a glass of water. But as the trio trudge up the tram tunnel, Elizabeth stiffens as something faint catches her ear, setting the hair on the back of her neck on end; a high-pitched whine, like that of a drill.

8:55 PM

A loud 'clank' sounds as the heavy airlock door seals behind them, Elizabeth breathing a sigh of relief. She's leaning against the cold metal wall of the airlock while leaving Comstock to close the door, Elizabeth rubbing her aching feet; heels aren't meant to be worn while running for your life, and she's surprised she didn't roll her ankle in the process. "No matter how powerful Ryan's Alpha is, it can't break through solid steel walls… right?"

"Don't know. Suppose we'll find out sooner or later."

Elizabeth looks up from massaging her sore feet in mild surprise; her voice had been little more than a murmur, and she hadn't expected Comstock to hear her. But Elizabeth has no interest in striking up conversation with him, so she idly slips her stocking-clad foot back into her shoe and pushes herself away from the wall. Instead, she steps over to the corner Abigail rests with her back again, Elizabeth's other self resting on the floor before her.

"How's she doing?" Kneeling beside her other self, Elizabeth gives Abigail a cursory glance; even with her nap, Abigail's had a hell of an ordeal before passing through the Tear, and she still looks plenty exhausted.

"She's… well, she's sleepin'." Abigail shrugs, looking down at the sleeping, younger version of Elizabeth, "Don't know what ta' tell ya', otherwise. She's alright, I guess…"

"That's good…" Gently, Elizabeth brushes at her counterpart's brow; it's strange, seeing another Elizabeth like this. "I hope she can keep moving…" Abigail just nods, heaving a quiet sigh before carefully picking up the unconscious Elizabeth.

Another 'clank' echoes in the small airlock, Elizabeth looking up to find Comstock turning the hatch, the bulkhead to Apollo Square opening as he does. "Suppose that means it's time to go."

It takes a few minutes to get the unconscious Elizabeth securely onto Abigail's back again, and the trio slowly makes their way into the darkened district. And the place is even more deserted than the tramway was, the only sound coming from a peculiar device to the right as they step out onto cracked stone tile; it only take Elizabeth a moment to recognize the Vita-Chamber, and so does Comstock. "Don't much care for the idea of letting Ryan know we're here, best keep clear of it…"

Elizabeth nods slowly, the group turning away from the Vita-Chamber to climb the stairs on their left. But all they find at the top is another segment of the Rapture Metro, the railway and trams sitting unused with trash strewn around the area. "Rapture's not doin' that well, huh?"

"You got that right…" Whispering as they creep through the dark tramway, Elizabeth keeps an eye peeled for Splicers or worse; Apollo Square's a hotbed of Atlas' supporters, and from the rumors she'd overheard on the way to Olympus Heights, the police have started rounding up dissidents and throwing them in here. "Not surprising that there's nobody on the streets…" Elizabeth would have much preferred using the bathysphere in the Adonis Luxury Resort, but that path had been blocked off by Atlas' goons, if the talk she'd overheard outside Athena's Glory was to be believed.

But the silence quickly gives way to a multitude of voices as they approach the eponymous Apollo Square, the hub of Rapture's transportation routes located at the middle of the district. "Ah, hell…" Elizabeth finds herself echoing her father as they step into the dimly lit Square; a mass of workers and residents are crowded in the mouth of the passage leading to the Metro and Bathysphere station. "Protestors, from the looks of it… and all in with Atlas, too."

The crowd carries signs denouncing Ryan, demanding equality or supporting Atlas' uprising, and Elizabeth wouldn't be surprised if a number of the psychopath's men were intermixed among the protestors. There are a couple of Rapture's law enforcement on hand, but nowhere near enough to contain a mob of this size.

"We aren't getting through there…" Comstock, the man unslinging the shotgun from his back, "Uh… how the hell are we going to do this…?"

"Uh…"

"Hmm? What is it, Abigail?" Elizabeth turns to the redheaded woman, the uncertainty in her voice piquing her curiosity.

"I think… I think I know this place…" Her voice quavers a little as she points to an empty passageway, Abigail's gaze fixed on a sign reading Artemis Suites, "I think I… er…" Abigail's voice trails off as she takes a step towards the Artemis Suites, and Elizabeth's eyes go wide as she spots a flash of red where there shouldn't be.

"Abigail, you're bleeding…" Putting a hand on Abigail's shoulder, Elizabeth stops her long enough to retrieve a handkerchief. "That means… Abigail, was there another…?"

"Yeah… an old lady…" Shaking her head, Abigail heaves a sigh; it's obvious her thoughts are in a jumble, something Elizabeth's seen all too often. "I… remembered this place when I came through with Booker. Never thought I'd ever come here…"

Comstock snorts and shakes his head, and Elizabeth shoots him a glare before turning back to Abigail, "Why don't we go there… it's not as if we have anything better to do." She offers the handkerchief to Abigail, the redhead taking it gladly. Turning to Comstock, Elizabeth gives him a steely glare, "We're going, and that's final."

He shrugs, slinging his shotgun onto his back again, "Sure, if that's what you're set on."

But as the three of them cross the Square and approach the tunnel to the Artemis Suites, Elizabeth can't help but glance back over her shoulder in the direction they'd come from. The railway they'd left is all gloom and shadows, and Elizabeth can imagine the monster Ryan sent after them stealing towards them in the darkness.

Author's Note: Oh look, Delta's big brother came out to play; nothing was ever mentioned of what happened to Alpha, Beta and Gamma, after all. And now they're in Apollo's Square, ground zero for Atlas' rebellion and an even more hostile place for Elizabeth and company to be. Also, the chapter title is sort of a play on what each person/thing in the apartment is incidentally: Abigail, Tinker; Elizabeth(s), Tailor, Comstock, Soldier (used to be); Gamma, Slayer (so much killing in a Big Daddy's duties.) Hopefully, the flight from the Alpha series and the fight between Gamma and the Bouncer came off well.

Thanks for reading, and I hope you enjoyed the chapter.