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.

9:20 PM

"This is Artemis Suites?"

Elizabeth keeps her voice low as the four of them step into Artemis Suites proper, casting her gaze skeptically across the foyer; part of the reason for coming here was to avoid the mob of Atlas supporters that block the path to the bathysphere, but this rundown apartment building looks to be no less dangerous than it had been out there. A Splicer or worse could come charging out of the darkness or decrepit apartments at any time.

Pillars and archways surround the open-air foyer of Artemis Suites, and there's a short distance between the entrance and the clearing up ahead. The stone walls, pillars and arches that make up the ground floor are all an oppressive, uniform gray, only the brightly colored Circus of Value machine breaking up the monotony, hawking its wares from its place against the partial wall that separates the entryway from the foyer.

Elizabeth can hardly believe such a place exists adjacent to Olympus Heights, the residents of Mercury Suites and Athena's Glory living in the lap of luxury while the people who dwell here do so in cramped squalor. "No wonder so many flock to Atlas' banner… well, it's not as bad as Shantytown was at least, but… I suppose Apollo Square's no Pauper's Drop, either…" Elizabeth had heard stories of that slum, built into the forgotten recesses of the Rapture Metro; rock bottom for the ambitious citizens of Rapture, and a nightmare for those folk.

There's a staircase leading to the upper floors of Artemis Suites, set into the wall on the left so there's no need for a mid-floor landing, one of the arches partly hiding the steps up. And as they step into the foyer, Elizabeth spies a door on each side of the floor, the pair to the left and right set near the entrance while the third is directly across from the entrance. This one has windows, though, and Elizabeth can see rows of bunk beds set up inside, far more than a single family would need. "Umm… Abigail?" Glancing over at her redheaded companion, Elizabeth keeps her voice low, not wanting to draw attention to herself, "Where did you say the apartment was?"

"It's on the sixth floor." A frown touches Abigail's lips, she looking up at the many levels overhead; she's still carrying the other, unconscious Elizabeth on her back, "We're… going' ta' have ta' do some climbin'…" Elizabeth nods slowly before looking up, taking in all eight stories of Artemis Suites before grimacing; though it won't be as bad as fleeing from the monstrous Gamma, and she doesn't have to carry someone on her back, the climb won't help her somewhat sore feet any.

"The other me, she used ta' live in this place, before the war broke out…"

Elizabeth listens quietly as Abigail leads them up the stairs. She's still on guard despite Abigail's easy manner, and as it turns out, so is Comstock; the Prophet's holding his shotgun at the ready and scanning the area, mostly likely looking for danger. "Suppose it's best he's trying to be useful…"

"I got the sense she used ta' live somewhere else… Cameron Suites, I think? Made her livin' as a lounge singer. But she had ta' retire when she got older, an' while she wasn't poor, she an' her family had ta' come live here ta' make ends meet…"

"Family?" Looking up at Abigail as they make the second floor, Elizabeth gives her a surprised, curious look, "You remember her family?" Elizabeth wonders what that's like, remembering a family she never had.

"That I do…" A frown touches Abigail's lips, she stopping at the top of the stairs for a moment. "She had two sons, an' a granddaughter." The frown vanishes, a troubled look settling in its place.

"What were their names?" Stepping up beside Abigail, Elizabeth gently puts a hand on her shoulder. She's not quite sure why she's asking; she's only known Abigail for less than a day, but something about her story piques Elizabeth's curiosity. "Probably because she knows Booker…" Thinking to herself, Elizabeth puts on a smile for the redhead.

"Who cares? Let's keep-"

Elizabeth shoots Comstock an angry glare, silencing him before he can finish. And that was likely a wise decision on his part; there's a murderous glint in Abigail's eye when Elizabeth turns back to her, she staring daggers back at Comstock. "Umm… their names?"

"I..." The anger in Abigail's demeanor leaves as quickly as it came, her gaze falling, "I don't know. The only name I got ta' rememberin' was the lass'… Rose, sweet girl. Redhead, like me…" Her voice trails off, Elizabeth waiting patiently for Abigail to continue. But she doesn't, Abigail shaking her head quickly, "Sorry, don't mean ta' be wastin' time. Let's go."

Unfortunately, the architects who designed Artemis Suites thought it wise to place the next staircase up on the opposite side of the floor, and Elizabeth can't help but get the mental imagine of the second story's walkway looking like a blocky C. "Sometimes I have to wonder about these people…"

And Abigail only takes a few steps from the stairs before stopping in her tracks, Elizabeth very nearly bumping into the back of her unconscious other self. "Umm… Abigail? What's wrong?"

"Suchong's…?"

Elizabeth recognizes that name, though she's not sure there's anyone in Rapture who doesn't; Yi Suchong, father of Plasmids. His renown's probably only eclipsed by Ryan and Tenenbaum's. "Or Fontaine and Atlas, if you're considering notoriety…"

Comstock had told her that he'd tied Suchong to a chair after Sally had disappeared, back on New Year's Eve and before their descent to Fontaine's Department Store, and Elizabeth's not sure she wants to know what had transpired during those fifteen hours. "Wait… how did he get his hands on the man in the first place…?" But Elizabeth just shakes her head; she doesn't care enough to ask, and Elizabeth's still curious as to why the biologist could have triggered such a reaction from Abigail. "Hey… are you alright?"

"That place…" Abigail seems a little shaken, and she has to swallow hard before continuing, "I… I think I remember somethin'… but... ah, I'll tell ya' later…"

The trek up to the sixth floor is hampered by the layout of Artemis Suites and a small problem on the third floor; the staircase up had collapsed, and the group had to spend some time climbing onto the next level. And nobody was happy about it; not Elizabeth or Abigail for having to rely on Comstock to lift the unconscious other Elizabeth to the next floor, and not Comstock for the entire venture upstairs.

And it turns out, the upper floors of Artemis Suites differ somewhat from the rest of the complex; each door leads to a small hallway, another door set on either side with a pair at the end. The side doors lead to the apartments proper, a slight upgrade from the completely shared rooms downstairs. The bathroom and kitchen at the far end of the hallways are still communal, however.

But as they approach the home of Abigail's other self, Elizabeth feels a noticeable drop in temperature; a thin layer rime coats the door and the portion of wall around it, the small company slowing as they come up to it. "Well… that doesn't look normal…"

"Hmph…" Comstock growls quietly, displeasure apparent in his voice, "I'm betting there's something on the other side, and it won't be happy to see us."

"Well, I'm goin' in anyway." Abigail, she reaching for the frosty doorknob and pulling the door open quickly. The hallway beyond is filled with swirling fog, frost coating the walls, floor and ceiling, at least as far as Elizabeth can see. And with that, Abigail steps inside, the other Elizabeth still on her back and drawing her weapon as she goes.

"Alright…" Taking a deep breath, Elizabeth follows Abigail into the frigid hallway, rubbing her arms to protect against the cold. "Why is it so cold in here, anyway? Is there a freezer nearby?"

"No…" Glancing back quickly, Abigail shakes her head, "I can't figure it out, either…" But something looms in the fog as Abigail's looking back at Elizabeth, and she practically jumps out of her skin when she turns back to see it, "Hell's bells! What in the…"

A mass of rime-coated rubble blocks the way forward. "How the…" Elizabeth steps up beside Abigail, scratching her head a little. It looks as if something collapsed the ceiling and part of the wall, Elizabeth able to see clearly into the floor above. "And the floor after that… how did that happen?"

"I think there was fightin' around here…" Abigail mutters a reply as she stares at the debris, a mixture of melancholy and apprehension in her voice. "There's got ta' be a way through…" The pile of debris is nearly as tall as Elizabeth is, high enough that one could try and climb onto the next floor from atop of it. But the ceiling doesn't look particularly stable, and neither does the rubble.

"The debris won't take someone climbing over it. Best find a way to clear it."

"Huh?" Both Elizabeth and Abigail turn to Comstock as he speaks, his suggestion surprising both of them. "I thought you didn't much care for this detour. Why the change of heart?"

"If you're intent on finding this home of hers, we'd best get it done quick. Before some spliced up lunatic finds us." Shrugging, Comstock glances back the way they came, "Either we're digging it out by hand, or we'll need to find something that'll do the job for us."

"I hate to admit it…" frowning, Elizabeth glances back at Abigail, "but he's right. You can't expect to climb to the other side, especially with her on your back…" Her redheaded companion nods somberly after a moment, a dejected look crossing her face. "Cheer up, we'll figure something out…"

"Thanks…" A sigh escapes Abigail, she holstering her weapon and running her gloved fingers through her hair, "But if we can't find anythin'… I suppose there's no helpin' it…"

With that, the trio begins to search the neighboring apartments, Elizabeth and Abigail sticking together while Comstock watches for Splicers or anything else that'd wish them ill. But while they're on the upper floors of the Artemis Suites, the inhabitants aren't exactly well off or prosperous. The apartments are empty thanks to the protestors in the Square, but there are no signs of tools that could be useful or anything of the like.

That is, until Abigail calls out to Elizabeth, she hurrying over with something in hand, "Elizabeth, look at this." She holds a hypo of glowing, nearly translucent liquid in her hand, "This one of those Plasmids?"

"I think so…" Looking the bottle over, Elizabeth touches her chin thoughtfully, "Do you want it, Abigail? I'm not sure I like the idea of giving Comstock another Plasmid, and I really don't care to have any ADAM in me…"

"Sure… umm, here goes nothin'…" Abigail looks down at the hypo's syringe with a touch of trepidation, and she carefully lowers her sleeping passenger onto the floor before placing the needle to her left wrist. And a curse escapes Abigail when the needle plunges into her skin, "Agh! Hell's bells, that hurts!"

Elizabeth watches as the Plasmid works, Abigail's left arm twitching and spasming while grayish light visibly courses through her veins. She doesn't look to be all that happy, either, Abigail's teeth grit and her eyes screwed shut. Watching Abigail suffer through the Plasmid's side effects, Elizabeth recalls all too well how Booker reacted whenever he found a new Vigor; Bucking Bronco in particular comes to mind, back when they were on the way to the Hall of Heroes.

And just like that, Abigail gasps as the Plasmid settles within her. "I'll never get used ta' that…" She flexes her fingers, staring at her left hand for a moment before pulling her blue sleeve back down.

"So…" Looking Abigail up and down, Elizabeth crosses her arms, "What sort of Plasmid is it? Will it help us get through?"

"It's… the Plasmid's named Sonic Boom… yeah, it'll be gettin' us back there, alright." A smile teases at Abigail's lips, "Bet nobody back in Columbia's seen anythin' quite like this…"

"Good, then let's get back." Elizabeth helps Abigail pick up her unconscious other self, and the three of them make their way back to the frigid hallway. Comstock's waiting for them outside, and he falls in behind them without a word.

While the hallway is just as cold as when they'd left, Elizabeth still shivers as they step through the door, "Ah… why is this place so cold, anyway?"

Neither Abigail nor Comstock offers an answer, the former stepping up to the rime-coated rubble. And as Abigail looks over the obstruction, Elizabeth has to wonder just how this Plasmid works; she'd never heard of Sonic Boom, though she hadn't paid Plasmid advertisements much mind before. "Okay… you might be wantin' ta' step back some…" Abigail glances back while muttering, her breath misting a little in the cold.

Elizabeth obliges, but Comstock just stands his ground, the man still carrying both his shotgun and the bag of supplies. "Okay… here we go!" Abigail holds her open palm towards the debris, Elizabeth imagining the Plasmid coming to life as she goes.

An intense blast of air comes from Abigail's hand, and the frigid debris doesn't hold up to the Plasmid's onslaught; most of the rubble's knocked away by the blast, clattering loudly against the walls and floor beyond. And while Elizabeth's a touch impressed by the display, she can't help but notice Abigail's gaze shifting to something on the floor. The body of an elderly woman lies amidst the debris, preserved by the cold. "It's her…"

"Huh? Abigail? Did you say…?" Elizabeth's eyes widen as she comprehends what the other woman had said, Abigail staring somberly down at her other self. "Did you know she'd be here?" Abigail just nods slowly, a shiver visibly running through her body. And Elizabeth's sure that it's not the cold that's caused it.

"It's…" Abigail shakes her head slowly, a dejected sigh escaping her, "It's not why I wanted ta' come here… we should get a move on…" Stepping carefully around her other self, Abigail moves down the hallway, seeming to want to put some distance between herself and the other her. And Elizabeth and Comstock share a curious look, following after a moment.

"So, this was her home?" Stepping through the door Abigail disappeared into, Elizabeth finds her standing in the middle of a small bedroom, a radio and television before her. "What are-?"

"Who's there?!" A distorted, tinny voice splits the air as something crashes through the door behind them, Elizabeth whirling around only to find the same sort of monster she'd seen in the Rapture on Ice down in Fontaine's.

"Move!"

Comstock's pushing her aside and bringing his shotgun up the moment the frost-coated Splicer screeched, Elizabeth stumbling into the apartment. The shotgun thunders, Elizabeth managing to turn around as she gets her feet under her only to find Comstock struggling with the Splicer; it's caught the barrel of Comstock's weapon in its frigid hand.

"Get down!" Another intense gust of air flies past Elizabeth, slamming into Comstock's back and throwing both him and the Splicer out into the hallway. And while Comstock had been thrown for a loop by the blast, it also helped him get the upper hand; with the Splicer pinned beneath him, Comstock grabs the mutated man by the head while his hand begins to crackle with electricity. The Splicer begins to spasm, screaming and smoking as Comstock pours Shock Jockey into the insane creature, and he wrenches the shotgun free from its hand.

The shotgun thunders again, this time finding purchase in the Splicer's chest. And while one shot isn't quite enough to put the frozen Splicer down, the next three do the trick just fine, the shotgun going 'click' as the weapon runs out of ammo. "Son of a bitch… well, now we know why this place looks like an ice rink." Comstock gives Abigail a sideways glance, "Hrm… thanks for the help…"

Abigail doesn't reply right away, instead turning back to look around the apartment. "Can I… can I have a moment alone?"

"Sure…" Elizabeth glances back at Abigail while stepping towards the door, "We'll be right outside… is there anything you need?"

"No… uh, wait, actually… before ya' go, there's somethin' I have ta' tell ya', about Suchong's place." Elizabeth gives Abigail a curious look, wondering why she's feeling a need to talk about that now. And Abigail grins a little, "I think ya' will be interested in hearing what happened in that place…"

10:20 PM

Elizabeth and Comstock wait outside the apartment, Abigail still inside with the other Elizabeth resting on an armchair. It's been about ten minutes since Abigail had told Elizabeth about what happened in Suchong's 'Free Clinic' and the laboratory it hides. The place where the real Elizabeth was supposed to die, and where she and Booker were reunited. And the place that has another bathysphere on the other side.

And Elizabeth keeps mulling over what she'd learned, only half listening for Abigail. "At least we know where to go next…" The thought of going into that place leaves Elizabeth with a touch of dread, however; it is the place that she was supposed to die, after all, and who knows what could be waiting for them in those dark, abandoned halls?

"How much longer is she going to be?"

Comstock doesn't sound especially pleased with waiting, but at least he keeps his voice low. "I don't know, but we're going to wait for her, alright?" She's still none too pleased with having to speak with Comstock, but she still has to rely on the man, and refusing to speak is just a little childish.

"Fine, but-"

Elizabeth's about to hiss a curse at Comstock when a familiar sound interrupts them both; that of a Tear opening, Elizabeth's eyes going wide in surprise as a surprised, startled cry comes from Abigail. And there's a touch of dread; why would a Tear open in this abandoned, slowly warming Rapture apartment, and why now? "Abigail!"

But what Elizabeth finds as she steps into the doorway doesn't help to set her at ease any; the Tear has opened around the sleeping Elizabeth, and Abigail's run into the portal between worlds after her unconscious ward. And the Tear closes before Elizabeth can say or do anything else.

And just like that, Elizabeth's all alone in Rapture with Comstock, Abigail and her unconscious other self disappearing, as if they'd never existed here in the first place. For some reason that eludes Elizabeth, the thought alone makes her want to cry.

"Come on." Comstock's voice comes a moment later, his voice soft and low like how Booker would speak to her from time to time. He does seem a touch shaken up, but Comstock looks to be trying to not let the Tear's appearance get to him. "They're gone. We have to get out of here."

"We have to… really? You're going to…" Elizabeth trails off, unsure of what to say or do; sure, the bathysphere beyond Suchong's lab is the best place for them to go, but where after that? "There's nowhere for us to go! Even if we make it to the bathysphere…"

"Wait, what? The bathysphere?" A scowl touches Elizabeth's features as Comstock asks; she hadn't meant to tell him about it until they were under way. "There's another bathysphere?"

"It doesn't matter… where are we going to go even if we get there?" Elizabeth turns back to look into the now empty apartment; even with her burden, having Abigail around was both a comfort and a help, despite how sudden her appearance had been.

"If we stay here, that thing is going to find you again, Elizabeth. If not that, then Ryan's security or Atlas' Splicers will."

"But… how did the Tear open? Only the Luteces could… wait, could it be?" Looking into the room again, Elizabeth breathes a quiet sigh when she doesn't find the redheaded twins, "I suppose they'd show up now, it is their way, after all…" Still, Elizabeth's certain that the Tear opening on the other Elizabeth and Abigail wasn't a coincidence, and she can't shake the feeling that the twins are involved somehow.

Author's Note: So Abigail's disappeared from Rapture now along with the other Elizabeth. Any guesses on where they went? I couldn't think up a better chapter title than what's there. Not much else to talk about this time, so I'll just leave it at that. So, does anyone think Elizabeth's trip through Suchong's clinic and lab is going to be uneventful?

I'll give the chapter another look over at a later time. Thanks for reading, and I hope you enjoyed the chapter.