Transformers Infinite

by LuisJM

Due to an unfortunate attack, Sari, Jack, Miko, and Raf all got sucked through a ripped tear and into a sky city called Columbia. Now in order to escape a Prophet and the Vox, they must join forces with a private detective and a mysterious girl. (Transformers/Bioshock Infinite crossover) (LuisJM/FictionFan1024 collab) (Raf/Elizabeth pairing)

10. Tears

So yeah… Guess I have a lot of explaining to do. See, I haven't gone back to this story for a long time now. The last time I've updated was when almost two years ago. While some people might think that I've left this story unfinished, that would be wrong. I really wanted to continue this work to showcase how much better it is from the original game and be that it's a crossover. But the reason why this thing is taking too long is of one man. FactionFan1024, real name, Henry Cerro.

He and I were working on this as a collaboration, I do the writing and he does the editing and action scenes, along with certain other scenes. Unfortunately, he was doing less and less fanfiction work and the only thing he did as of late was a Steven Universe fanfiction, which he finished over a year ago. But all other stories he never got around, so the Transformer's Skystrikers story, which is still uncompleted, hasn't been updated. This is a serious problem because my crossover fanfiction involves the Skystrikers and he knows how to handle certain scenes I want him to do. It is becoming frustrating as I have four chapters, one of which I'm still working on, completed and I can't post them up without him fixing them up. I do tend to remind him of when I finished with the chapter and post it up on Gmail to show what I had done. But then there was one message that he sent to me that explained the reason why he was absent for a long period of time. Not to worry, this is his own writing. I didn't write it or change it around, this is his own letter he sent to me through Gmail. Here's what it says.

'Sorry, but I can't do cooperative stories any more. Too much pressure. With my health, I can only do my own stories very slowly, maybe one story over a year or two. I used to be able to do a chapter every couple of weeks, now I'm lucky to do a few sentences.

What's more, I'm not going to publish a story until the whole thing is done - I got very upset by people bugging me for the next chapter, so I won't do a chapter at a time any more; I can't take the pressure.

Sorry.'

Now I understand what he's going through. Between his job, health, and other issues going on with his life, he rarely has the time in handling Fanfiction work. I myself have a busy life too as well. I mean, I spend more time in New York for YAI events than at home. And giving that I am currently looking for actual work to do, I will be in the same position he is in, not having the time to do this hobby. So I can understand the pressure that he's in and having people bugging you on updates can be really frustrating. Trust me, I know.

So FictionFan…Henry…if you are reading this right now, I want to say that I am deeply sorry for what you're going through. Your busy schedule and poor health does take its toll on you and you can't get a break from all of this. If you don't want to collab with me, that's all right on my end. Still, I will be sending you gmails of my progress on this crossover we've been doing. But if you want time off, I'll make sure that you have all the time you want. I just hope that you will be better and wish you the best.

Now for this story. What am I going to do with this crossover, giving that FictionFan rarely goes on the site. For a while, I was trying to find a replacement for him to help with this, but none of the authors that I know don't have the time or interest to work with me or the product in general. There will be those that might say to remove the story entirely, but that is not the case.

See, I'm working on another crossover called BioTitans, which is a Teen Titans/Bioshock story with a few surprises here and there. You're welcomed to read it on my profile page if you like. Now my idea is to have both Transformers Infinite and BioTitans to lapse with one another in a certain chapter. And to do that, I want both stories presently active. I won't be spoiling anything, but it will make you read both stories to find out what's really going on. So, under this type of situation my decision is that I will be continueing with this story, even if it means doing the scenes I want Henry to do myself.

This will be slow going though as I have a very intricate stature of having one story lapping with the other one. What it means is that when I complete one story, I move on to the next one to finish and so one. Chapter will be updated normally, but there will be time that I will put one story on hold just to go back to a previous or next one. I'm sort of strange when I do these things.

Also, I purchased the Bioshock collection guide and Infinite art book to help me get some ideas. So expect certain things for both books one what I do.

I hope this clears things up for those who are wondering about this story. Let me be clear that I am not going to give up on this, not yet.

Moving on, the last chapter did some pretty fair responses after my long absense. I already got one review and over 200 hits. So I know that there are those that are following my work. There are two reviewers I had that are…a bit shrewed of my piece. There names are Harambegetsu and garystubatman and they had some unsettling things to say about me and my fanfiction story. Now I do tend to ignore flames and requests, but when people like them cuss you out and ask you to kill yourself, that gets me annoyed and want to remove them. So if you two are reading this and are planning to write more rude comments, let me be clear that this is my work and I do as I god damn please with it. If you don't like it, than don't read it. It's people like you two that give passionate writers like me a bad name. Grow up or shut up.

Now that all of that is out of the way, let's move on to our next chapter of Transformers Infinite. In this chapter, Booker, Elizabeth, and the Skystrikers have entered the Soldier's Field amusement park to reach the First Lady airship. But what they didn't know is that trouble would be afoot and they need to hurry before it's too late. Will they be able to make it out in time? Let's see where this little ride will go to.

Chapter Notes

In this chapter, it's going to take place in the Soldier's Field map of the original Bioshock Infinite game. While the mapping and plot will be the same, there will be some difference that you might notice. Keep on eye out for some surprises along the way. Also, I wanted to add certain movies, shows, and other forms of media into this story as a way to flesh out the Colubmia lore. For example, there will be a bit of a reference to a certain anime movie called Steam Boy. For those of you who didn't see the movie, Steam Boy is about a young boy in a steam punk world trying to stop a mad man from destroying London with a dangerous and volatile weapon. Can't get into the details as I haven't watched it in a while, but I got the gist of it. But on the actual chapter that I wrote a long time ago, it was clear that I knew more than I currently do. Be sure to spot that when you can.

Disclaimer: I don't own Transformers Prime or Bioshock Infinite

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Chapter Ten: Tears

Booker DeWitt's POV

Well, this simple assignment just got complicated. We were able to get the girl out of Monument Island, but now we need to find alternate transport if we are to leave Columbia. Since the gondola can only transport people around Columbia and not out, it would seem that airships are the way to go. And believe me when I say it, there's plenty of airships to go around. One in particular caught my eye though. It's suppose to be Comstock's prized airship called the First Lady. Looks sturdy enough to get us out of town. The only problem is how to bring the girl to New York. Thankfully I knew of a way.

Seeing… whatever I saw in the tower, I could tell that Elizabeth really wants to go to Paris. No clue on why, but at least she's insisted in going there. So I simply lied to her that I'll take her to Paris. I know it's a little wrong saying it, but as long as the girl listens to me, then she'll be loyal. Still, The Skystrikers doesn't know of my true intentions yet and are fooled by my lie. But Raf was suspicious about why I'm taking her to Paris. Thankfully, I gave him a good enough anecdote to keep him off the track. And it's a good thing too. If any of them find out about New York, then there will be questions regarding the mission. Best I keep my mouth shut, otherwise I would make more enemies than allies.

Of course, the plan of mine went along smoothly, until we got ambushed at ticketing. Some agents dressed as pedestrians got the jump on us and tried to take the girl from us. I, myself, was in worse shape as the damn ticket seller jabbed a knife into my hand. Fortunately, I managed to make an escape and we were able to dispose of agents and soldiers. Unfortunately, Elizabeth got traumatized over the whole deal as this was the first time she seen death in front of her eyes. She tried to run away from that experience, but we were fortunate enough to catch up to her and took a gondola up to Soldier's Field. Still, she was wreck and blamed us for killing them. She didn't even had a clue why we did that. Fortunately, Raf and I managed to calm her down and told her that these people think she was something out of the prophecy. Giving how desperate they were in bringing her back to Comstock, folks'll die for their beliefs. Or kill. Elizabeth managed to calm down and started to accept this new type of life, at least until we're out of the city. Regardless, I'm certain that it's not going to be the last time we will encounter something like that. From here on out, this will get worse, and until we can commandeer the First Lady, we're going to have to go through Hell to get out of that.

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In the Welcoming Center of Soldier's Field, it was completely empty as no participant wasn't within the building. Just then, the turnstiles at the entrance turned and a small group of people came in. That group of people comprised of Booker DeWitt, Elizabeth, and the Skystrikers. As they entered the building, they were amazed of how it all looked. It was a colorful atmosphere with flags draped over the ceiling, walls, and the night skyline, rows of more ticket stands that are shaped like a cartoonish bald eagles piloting cartoony battleships, a sign of the same bald eagle that said, 'Welcome to Soldier's Field', and in the center is an animatronic eagle decked in a military uniform holding a carbine in one wing and saluting with the other with little Duke soldiers marching around it. The stand started to play the theme song of Soldier's Field and it sounded cheerful and pleasing. The group looked looked at the site and was a little iffy about it.

"Man, there's something creepy about that statue there." Miko said with confusion. "You're sure this is the place?"

Booker turned to the Predacon hybrid and said to her, "Positive. From what the ads said, the First Lady Aerodrome is located within Soldier's Field. We head up there, we take the airship."

"And it will take us to Paris?" Elizabeth asked in conclusion.

DeWitt remained silent until he said, "Yeah… It will take us to Paris."

To that end, the group started to make their descent downstairs to get to main floor of the welcoming center. As they were walking, Sari approached Booker and asked about his hand.

"So, how's that hand of yours?" the captain said, "Feeling okay now."

Booker looked to his damaged hand and was thankful about it. "Better now." he answered to her, "I know that it was a flesh wound, but Elizabeth seemed to think it serious. She's a pretty good miracle worker when it comes to patching wounds up."

"Well, she did say that she studied medicine back at the tower." Sari continued, "Seems as though she practice all by herself. But I suppose she knows how to supply you with remedies."

DeWitt simply looked at his wrapped hand and could tell that the AD mark was covered up pretty good. "Yeah, plus the bandage she gave me conceals my mark. Should make it easier for us when it comes to walking about without anyone looking at it."

Sari turned to his bandaged hand and was curious about that mark he was referring to, saying, "You know, I've seen that mark on your hand from time to time but I never got a clue what's so special about. Can you tell us what it means?"

Booker remained quiet and knew that she still wants answers. Figuring to keep his past in the past, he decided to keep her in the dark. "Let's just say it's something from my past that I wish would never happen."

"Does it have something to do with Anna?" she asked.

Now that caught a nerve with DeWitt as he turned to her and said, "Listen, Sari, I could tell you're trying to comfort me by trying to get into my past, but its best you leave it at that. Some sins can never be cleansed and what I have done is the worst of it. If I didn't do what I did, I wouldn't of been here in the first place."

"Well a choice is better than none, Booker. No matter what the outcome." Sari said back in her words of wisdom.

Booker though didn't buy it and asked her, "Yeah? What if you woke up one day and realized you didn't like what you chose? Huh? What do you do when what you have done cannot be fixed? I'm certain you and your team been through all of that, when Comstock told you of your own dark pasts. Will you do anything to repair the damage you have caused?"

Sari gave off a deep sigh and said to him, "Maybe, but will we do any better if we change the things that we have done, or make them much worse. Indeed what Comstock said is true, I did stab a friend of mine in the chest because I abused my gift, but that was accidental, not on purpose. If I would go back in time before that moment, I would've fixed that in the heart beat. But in the end, there will be a question if that would make much of a difference or if it could alter the future in a different sense. If I didn't use this gift to turn me into who I am, I will never knew about where I really come from, what I'm capable of, the training I had to go through, when I stumbled into a new place with new friends, or even became a captain of this team. What I'm trying to say is that changing one part of your past would make your life far worse than it already is. Sometimes you need to accept what you've done and move on."

Booker listened to the captain's words and could understand what she meant. Altering anything in the past won't make it a better place, no matter how you slice it. However, his own past is something he can't accept or move on to, no matter how he remembers it. "Sometimes a past like mine, cannot be accepted." was all that Booker said.

As they walked past the Eagle statue, they approached the front doors and was greeted by another animatronic that looked like one of those vending machines they've encountered a couple of times. It had on a metal blue button shirt and a hat with blue and white star banner on the top of his head while the vending machine at the bottom had the traditional red, white, and blue flag design and lettering over it that says, 'Thank you'. The metal vendor looked to the group and said in a cheerful tone, 'Welcome one and all to Soldier's Field; where pint-sized patriots get to be the heroes of yesteryear. Please insert your tickets before entering.'

As soon as it said that, Jack turned to Booker and said to him, "Um… You did get the tickets, did you?"

Booker shrugged his shoulders and said to him, "Sorry, didn't get any. Was a little preoccupied in having my hand stabbed. Don't worry; I have another way into the park."

To that end, Booker lifted his hand up and charged it as a green female ghost flew around it. With a quick wave, the ghost flew to the ticket vendor and connected, going right into the machine. The vendor sparked a little bit and looked to the group saying, 'Why good evening to you Mr. Rombert. I see you brought your daughter and her friends with you as well. So nice to see fair people like you coming to our fairgrounds. Enjoy your stay!'

The others watch that reaction and was amazed by it. "Awesome!" Miko said with glee, "We got free admission!"

Booker laughed it off and told her, "Well this Possession Vigor certainly get us through things without any trouble. Had to use it with one of these vendors back at the Raffle and Fair and I got in with no problem."

Soon enough, the group walked past the vendor and through the gate to enter the park. Upon leaving the gate, Miko notice a wide poster that was in front of them and read it out loud. "Come visit the Hall of Heroes and try out the latest line of Vigors from Fink MFG: Old Man Winter and Shock Jockey. For a limited time only."

"Shock Jockey," Elizabeth said with little interest, "What's that?"

"Sounds like some fool's alternative to electricity." Booker said to her, "Seen one of the demonstrators showing it off when I came to Columbia, nothing but a little light show if you ask me."

Jack though remembered about this Vigor and turned to Booker, saying, "Don't think it's much of a light show. I remember getting hit by one from the officers. Trust me, it hurts like Hell. My guess is that they could be used for an offensive weapon."

"Hmm…" Booker pondered and realized that he does have a point, "Sounds kind of useful. I'll try it out once I find a bottle of that stuff."

They quickly walked around the sign wall and entered an octagon room that showcase a diagram display of a floating amusement park they were entering, posters promoting scholarships for different sections of military schools, the Hall of Heroes, and the First Lady Airship, a kinetoscope resting on one wall, and a dome like ceiling, and a golden plaque on the base of the display stand that Elizabeth reads.

"Soldier's Field, built in 1903 by the hand of our Prophet."

Miko looked to the plaque as well and was confused. "You mean Comstock, the man that's trying to kill us, built a theme park for children?" she asked, "Boy, and I thought Michael Jackson had it bad."

Booker looked to her a little confused and decided to ignore what she said. Looking back to the display, he asked "But what interest does a prophet have with a bunch of carnies and carousels?"

Elizabeth looked around the area and started to figure things out. "The place is themed to acquaint children with national service." she answered.

Raf turned to the girl and asked in surprise, "You mean to tell us that this little amusement park is actually a military school? Guess that would explain all these enrollment posters placed on the wall. He's pretty much enlisting future soldiers." He then turned his head away and remembered when MECH kidnapped him and forced him in enlisting, using the serum to grow him into a young adult super soldiers and brainwashing him.

Elizabeth sighed at this and said in a quote she read in one of her books. "Train up a child in the way he should go, even when he is old he will not depart from it."

Jack sighed and realized the deeper situation they are in. "Great…" he said with pure disgust, "Now we know that the soldiers that we've been attacking use to have been kids playing games and riding around Ferris Wheels. This day keeps getting better and better."

"Which is more the reason we leave this place." Booker said with even more distaste, "A racist city is one thing. Recruiting young children and brainwashing them into hardened soldiers, that's where I draw the line."

As everyone looked at the display, Raf notice something that was behind the kinetoscope. Approaching the device, he bent down to see what looks like another Voxophone resting behind the kinetoscope and was well hidden. Curious as to who would leave something like that behind, he picked it up and push the play button on it, thinking that whoever it belonged to, the voice would help him look for this person. As the record started to play, he could hear the voice of the same British woman he heard from Monument Island, complaining about the media's treatment with her work.

'These press reporters… They always asked the question of how these buildings float in the sky when they weigh a couple of tons. In their head and eyes they think that balloons and rockets are holding them up. I told them that it was quantum mechanics, they say it was a woman's intuition. Men… Always deluded to the notion that woman's looks is all about innovations. Regardless, the truth is that the idea of a floating city was actually inspired by the incident that happened in London's Great Exhibition in 1866. A man that goes by the name of Edward Steam created the Steam Castle, a mansion that runs on steam, hence the name. Sadly though, that Castle turned into a fortified building with soldiers and aerial bombers that turned that Exhibition into a warzone. But the one thing that had my attention was that the Sky Castle was floating up over London, truly a marvel of engineering. Reading about that in the archives, I concluded that if a man could bring a building to the sky, why not a city? Isaac Newton's theory of relativity would be shattered. The problem is how to make something like that float in the sky. Edward's idea was to use a special type of mineral water to create a special type of steam that would be harvested as a reliable power source. The problem is that with how big the Sky Castle is, it required so much steam to keep it afloat. Too many cooks can ruin the soup as too much steam could lead to an overload, resulting in a catastrophic freezing that almost brought London into the second Ice Age. I could not rely on that power source as it would spell a disaster. Which is why I had been working on an alternate source that can be accomplished on a molecular scale. The Lutece Field.'

The Voxophone immediately stopped playing as Raf listened in curiosity. "The Lutece Field…" he whispered to himself, "That sounds like what Elicia was experimenting with back in our world. How does this woman know about the field? Unless…" He was putting the pieces together until his eyes grew wide and realized something. Elicia's great grandmother was Rosalind Lutece and she was a physicist in her time, working on experiments such as this. Not only that, but the woman that was at the Blue Ribbon Restaurant and the pier at Battleship Bay seems like a striking resemblance of woman he saw in the picture Elicia showed them. Could that mean this woman is actually the great grandmother of Elicia, Rosalind? And who is the guy that was with her? She kept on referring to him as a brother, but Elicia never mentioned of Rosalind having a sibling. What is actually going on in this world? As he was looking for the answers, Miko broke his concentration as she yelled to him.

"Yo Raf!" she said out loud as he looked up to see the group already leaving. "Quite gazing and hurry up! You don't want to miss out on anything!"

The super soldier saw this and nodded, deciding to leave his investigation on hold until they could get out of the city. "Right." he said as he put away the Voxophone and got up, "On the way." He made a mad dash and managed to reunite with the team. The group soon left the octagon room and were back outside, walking to a bridge that leads them straight to well lighted sign that says, 'Welcome to Soldiers Field'. Upon passing the gate, they were amazed by atmosphere of the place. It almost like it takes something out of Main Street U.S.A. in the Disney resorts and blew it up ten fold with buildings stories tall, signs showcasing ice cream shops, books, and a hotel in front of them, and skyline tracks transporting crates to some unknown location. In the distance, they could see a Ferris Wheel in another island of floating buildings and fireworks were exploding in the distance, like folks were watching a show of some kind. It was a sight so marvelous to see. Sure they could see a few black people cleaning and sweeping, but that was a simple distraction compared to the sight. Just then, the ground started to shake as the group held their ground. Looking up, Booker could see a huge zeppelin hovering over their heads and flying straight forward. Seeing the look of the airship he knew what it was.

"There it is," he said, "The First Lady. That's our ticket out of the city."

Sari looked to The First Lady and noticed that it was heading towards a building high above with an elevator shaft that goes to the top and a sign with a picture of Lady Comstock on it that says, 'First Lady's Aerodrome'. "Looks like it's heading towards that building over there. The First Lady Aerodrome it says."

"Good." the Detective said, "Then we don't have to worry about walking too far. There's a gondola station straight ahead that will take us to the Aerodrome. We should head down there and hope there's a gondola waiting for us."

The others looked on and nodded in agreement. Elizabeth though looked around and noticed groups of people within the park having a good time. Checking the area out, she decided on taking an alternate option. "You know…" she said to them, "We could just walk around the boardwalk. I suppose a place like this might have much we might find useful. Plus, I haven't eaten much since we left the tower."

Jack turned to the girl and said, "Agreed, I haven't eaten anything since we got to Columbia and my little hot dog run didn't work out well for any of us."

Booker looked down to Elizabeth and was about to argue her case. Just then, his stomach started to rumble a little and he didn't eat much since he got to Columbia. Sure he had a few things to eat when he came to Columbia, but it wasn't enough. Looking to the building with a sign that says, 'Dimwit and Duke Ice Cream Shoppe' that was the picture of the two characters enjoying their ice cream, with Dimwit's ice cream on top of his head, and decided to follow their advice.

"Hmm… You two made some valid points." he said to them, "Can't leave this city over an empty stomach. Let's head to that ice cream parlor over there. I'm sure that they got something good to eat. Everyone stay close."

"Yes, Mr. DeWitt." Elizabeth said to him.

"Call me Booker." The detective corrected her.

"Or you can call him Book." Miko said to Elizabeth, "I always call him that and he seems to like it."

Booker though turned to the Predacon Hybrid and gave her a deep glare, not liking the name at all. Elizabeth could see his expression and decided not to call him what Miko says. "As much as I would like to, I prefer not to be on his side of his temper." was all she had to say. Soon enough the group headed to the Ice Cream Shoppe, just to grab a bite to eat.

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Meanwhile, in the Prime universe, Jazz was at Autobot Outpost one and was explaining to Optimus and his team on where Sari and the Skystrikers were located. In the human lounge, both Agent Fowler and Elicia Lutece were present and the Optimus Prime in Sari's world was on the vid com. Screen on the monitor, since his team returned to their world considering they have a city to protect. The cyber ninja told them everything that they need to know about what happened to them and was about done finishing up.

"So far, they remain in this sky city my former student was referring to and are still aiding this DeWitt on his own assignment. But that's all I can get from her as of right now."

The Optimus in the Prime world listened to every word he said and was pleased with the news. "You have done well, Jazz." he told him, "Now that we know where the Skystrikers are, it will be easy to pinpoint their location."

Jazz crossed his arms and responded back, "Even if that's the case, there is still the notion of what's going on in that world they are in. Sari told me that they've been getting distress signals of both Autobots and Decepticons down there and are locating their origin. Even if we find them, they still need to find those two factions somewhere in the city."

Optimus Prime heard this and decided to let him go. "That is a concerning issue, but I'm sure that they will look into it as soon as possible. Good work helping to find the team Jazz. You may return to your world whenever you want."

Jazz nodded and bowed to him. "Of course, bossbot. I will try and contact Sari again to see there progress when I have the chance and keep you posted."

With that said, Ratchet activated the ground bridge and pulled the lever, pinpointing to Sari's world. When the portal opened, Jazz transformed and and turned to the bridge, speeding right through it. Once he disappeared and the portal closed, Optimus turned to his team along with Sari's Optimus, Fowler, and Elicia and told them of the good news.

"It would seem that we now know where the team is currently located and that they are safe." he told them all.

Sari's Optimus sighed in relief and said, "That's good to hear. Bumblebee would be happy that his sparkmate is safe and sound."

Arcee turned back to him on the screen and responded, "You're not the only one. I'm glad that Jack is still alive after all that. Makes my spark beat happily. Just hope we find him and the others in time."

"You and me both, Arcee", June responded, feeling worried about her son. "It's one thing having him go out on a mission in space or in a battlefield. But having him gone off to another world in another time, that's something that would keep me up at night."

The Prime heard her and nodded, looking down to Lutece for an explanation. "Well, Ms. Lutece," he begins asking, "can you find this world the Jazz mentioned?"

Elicia gave it some thought and answered, "Hmm… It's a possibility. Once Sari's Bulkhead and her father finish with the repairs, we might be able to narrow down the search. The problem though is that even if we know where they are, the numbers of universes are still infinite, so there is a strong chance that there could be more than one of these Columbia's out there. Plus we still have rescue teams in other universes to bring back and those assigned to other worlds. It would still take some time to get that resolved."

Optimus heard her and told her, "Then it is best that you make haste. The more time wasted is the more time that team will remain in that world."

As he said that, he turned to Ratchet and was very silent about something. So he asked him of his silence. "Something troubling you, Ratchet."

The medic looked to him broke the silence. "Oh… Sorry, Optimus, I was just thinking of what Jazz said."

"And that is…?" he continued asking.

Ratch gave it some thought before he soon explained about what he gathered together. "From what Jazz said, it would seem that there are Transformers in this Columbia world the Skystrikers are in. But when he stated that the team has picked up distress signals from both factions, that confused me. During the Great War, no matter which universe, Autobots and Decepticons are mortal enemies to each other. The fact that they both send distress signals to the team is quite baffling."

The rest of the team heard this and was curious about it as well.

"You seem to have a point Ratchet." Bumblebee responded, "Autobots and Decepticons fought each other for control of Cybertron, ultimately leading Cybertron into a wasteland. The idea of both sides sending distress signals to Sari and the others raises a lot of red flags. Why would they both need help in that world."

Bulkhead thought of this and came up with a really good assumption. "Maybe it is because of that world. Jazz stated that the people in Columbia are a little aggressive when it comes to race. And sinc both factions are Cybertronians, it would mean the people there aren't too kind to them."

Optimus turned to them and told them, "Regardless, it is up to Sari and her team to locate them and get the answers they are looking for. For now, our part is to locate this Columbia and extract them once they find the two factions or finish helping this Booker Dewitt on his mission."

By the time he said that, Fowler heard the name and was curious about it. This DeWitt certainly is someone that is of importance. But where did he heard it from? Out of curiosity, he decided to look into it and turned to head to the elevator. Optimus noticed him leaving and asked where he was going.

"Agent Fowler, to where do you think you are going?" he asked him."

Fowler stopped and turned to the leader, answering, "Heading back to base for some research. This Booker DeWitt guy that Sari mentioned in her report has got to be someone of importance. I need to look him up and see if he had any next of kin, considering that he lived during the early 1900s. I'm certain there are records about him in the archives. I also need to speak to the families of Raf and Miko as well to let them know that their kids are safe and sound. Though I think it would be a lot to take in to the fact that they're in a dimension that is set in 1912."

Elicia heard him and decided to join him. "Allow me to go with you, Agent Fowler." she said to him, "I need to be back to the lab to work on the Lutece Tear and see if the repairs are complete."

Fowler heard her and decided to let her join in. "Sure thing, Prof. Lutece. We need to get to work on this situation."

The two soon approached the elevator as Lutece approached the lift. But before they could leave, Fowler turned to Optimus and told him, "Keep me posted on the Skystrikers, Prime. We need to know more of their location and any whereabouts of the Autobots and Decepticons in distress."

Optimus turned to him and gave a silent nod. "Understood, Agent Fowler. We'll let you know about anything that comes up from them."

To that end, Fowler turned to the elevator and entered it with Elicia inside. Once the doors closed to bring them up. The Optimus in Sari's world asked about what he had heard on the other end. "Tell me something Prime, if what Jazz said is true, you think something's going on in that dimension the team is in? The whole Autobot/Decepticon distress signals sounds completely far fetched, even for a Prime."

The leader turned to his counterpart and responded, "For now, my friend, it is best that we leave what we heard under speculation. Sari and the Skystrikers will look into this and find those two factions in that world. Our only hope is that they will get the answers we are looking for soon enough. Rest assure that this team and handle it."

---

Back in the Columbia universe, Booker, Elizabeth, and the Skystrikers were sitting in the Ice Cream Parlor enjoying their dinner. It was a pretty big room that had that classic Disney field with the spinning ceiling fans having little paper cutouts of the cartoon bald eagles flying a plane, littled up ice cream cones hanging on the pillars, and walls, an ordering board in the middle with the Duke and Dimwit characters saluting with ice cream on their hands (Dimwit using the saluting hand to hold his ice cream which resulted in dropping his), and shelves showcasing chocolates and, oddly enough, cigarettes. The group was sitting at one of the tables enjoying their meal comprised of hotdogs, fires, soda, and a few assortments of ice cream and chocolates. Thankfully, there was a hot dog cart across the way, otherwise they would be eating nothing but ice cream.

Miko was enjoying her hot dog, which was smothered all over in hot and spicy mustard, while Elizabeth looked to her very strangely. "Are you alright in eating all that?" she said to her, "That doesn't look healthy, especially with all that spicy mustard all over it."

Miko simply turned to her and said to her, "What can I say? I have quite a craving for spicy foods, one of the side effects from my Predacon nature. Though I wish they would've have something hotter than spicy mustard."

Jack sighed to himself and said to the hybrid, "Sorry Miko, but giving Columbia's xenophobia ruling, they don't have any tabasco sauce or anything hotter than that. So I had to make what's due."

Miko laughed it off and told him that it was all right. "It's cool. Besides, it's better than eating nothing in this upside down town, I'll give you that."

She continued to munch down on her meal and Elizabeth looked to her strangely. Turning to Raf, who was next to her, she said, "You're friend is a strange one."

The super soldier shrugged it off and told her, "That's our Miko. Strange as she is, she certainly knows how to cause trouble everywhere we go."

"At least she's on our side," Booker said drinking his beer, which was available from the hot dog cart for some random reason, "Don't want to know if she would turn on us."

The group remained quiet as they kept eating their meals. As they were chowing down, Elizabeth was quiet as didn't know what to say. Finally, she came up with an idea and told them, "Hey, since you saved me, I think I would like to know more about you."

Booker and the others turned to the girl and said to her, "Pardon…?"

The girl turned her eyes away and said a little sheepishly, "Well giving what I've witnessed back at the ticketing, I really wish you tell me about yourselves, since you're the only ones I can trust to leave this city and get to Paris. Why don't we start with you, Mr. DeWitt? Where do you come from? What do you do for a living?"

The Detective could tell that she wants to get the inside information and couldn't let her in on what he's really doing. But giving that he has to gain her trust, he has to roll with it and keep her in the dark of some things. "I'm from New York. As far as my life is concerned, I'm a… uh… Independent contractor. Used to work for the Pinkertons and such. Not something you'd want gracing a resume."

"Pinkertons?" she asked out of curiosity, "Weren't they the ones they'd call in to settle things when the workers took to striking?"

"Heh… Settle… Well, that's a word for it." he said acting a little quiet from that question.

Knowing he's not in a bit of a mood in talking, Elizabeth turns to the Skystrikers and asked the same thing. "What about the rest of you. What do you do for a living? I know you told me that you're a team meant to protect those in need, yet I do not know more of your exploits."

Sari just chuckled a little bit and decided to speak to her about that. "Well the Skystrikers are a bit of a strike force, hence the name. Our obligation is to protect humanity from any hostels on Earth or beyond. We all had some successful missions on our belts and working with teams from out of town, we do have strength in numbers."

Elizabeth listened in and was amazed by the sound of it. "Wow…" she started to say, "That's quite impressive. I bet you have amazing stories about your past exploits to speak about."

"Trust me, Elizabeth. What we speak about is never easy. We won some battles, we lost some battles, but all that matters is that we keep on improving over time and are strong as a team."

"Bet your family is proud of you." Elizabeth said to her.

Sari shrugged it off and said, "I have a father in Detroit. I'm sure he is happy about my line of work."

"You live in Detroit?" Elizabeth said in shock, "I thought for certain that by your skin color that you were somewhere in the Middle East."

Sari just laughed it off and said to her, "Yeah, well my father was born and raised in Detroit and he 'adopted' me years ago. Jack and Raf here lives in Jasper, Nevada, while Miko lives in Tokyo. So we're pretty much a global group with more group members within our disposal."

Elizabeth nodded and looked to the other three wondering about their parents. "What about the rest of you?" she asked them, "Are your families happy about you going on these adventures?"

Jack was the first to answer and said, "Somewhat... My mom had been taking good care of me since I was 'born' and she was a little weary over the fact that I have to protect the planet, but she knows that I have grown to handle these types of responsibilities. She's in a medical school way out of town after her... changes and learning a new type of medicine to help her get by. My father though left me when I was young and I've never heard from him until a few years ago after I discovered I wasn't normal and that my mom changed. He was a little upset about all of this, but he cooled his head soon after and he's back with us now, a complete family. So yeah, they are happy with me being part of the team."

Elizabeth then turned to Raf for an answer as he said, "Well, my family is pleased that I'm taking part in something that would protect the planet. And trust me, family with the Esquevel's is a bit of an understatement. My family is a HUGE one, and it's hard to handle something that large. Sometimes it's hard to speak when no one listens to you. But we work together though and through and we always look out for each other. So when I was going to take part in the Skystrikers, mamá does feel a little worried that I will be on my own. Yet I have a family of my own with this team and we do act as one. So she knows that I'm in good hands and I do visit my family in Jasper from time to time.

She then turned to Miko and wondered about her family as well. The Predacon hybrid just shrugged her shoulders and said to Elizabeth, "Meh… My family is a little more complicated. The family I have in Tokyo wants me to live a so-called perfect life, going to the best schools and taking piano lessons. But that type of life is such a bore and I want to live life to the edge. So I had to book it and headed to Jasper for Japan's little transfer program just to get an exciting life. Now how was I supposed to know that the brochure lied to me that Jasper, Nevada is the Entertainment Capital of the World and that my host parents are just plain stick in the muds. Thought I get back with my piano lessons… Then one day, I've met some new friends and it changed my life. Since that day, I've been through so many adventures and gone through many trials along the way. Now here I am with the Skystrikers and I'm whooping butt any way I see fit. I haven't looked back and both my parents and host parents are proud of what I'm doing, even if I'm pretty much a rough houser of the team."

As soon as she finishes, Elizabeth listened in and was amazed by their stories. "That's impressive!" she said, "I'm surprised that your families would accept the risks you're taking. You are all certainly brave young souls." The four just smiled and was pleased that she was happy for them. She then turned to Booker and asked about the same thing. "What about you, Mr. DeWitt?" she asked him, "Do you have a family?" Booker stopped drinking his beer midway the moment he heard it and placed the bottle down in deep silence. The others saw him act like that and was a little suspicious about his reaction. But Elizabeth didn't want to give up and asked another question. "What about a wife?" was her question, "Do you have a love of your life?"

Booker peeked his eyes to the girl and gave a deep sigh. Looking back to his bottle, he said in a sorrow manner, "There was… She died…"

Elizabeth heard that and has her hand over her mouth in complete shock while the others didn't expect him having a wife, let alone that she passed on. "I'm sorry…" she said feeling apologetic, "I didn't know."

Booker just waved it off and said, "It's okay. You didn't know it until you asked that question."

Elizabeth nodded and wished she had never asked that question. Still she was very curious of what happened to his wife. "How did she die?" she asked him out of curiosity.

Booker bowed his head down and answered, "Giving birth. We were expecting a child during our marriage. Now how should I know that the delivery would result in a vessel in her brain to erupt from the pressure."

"Oh…" Elizabeth said before asking another question, "What about the child? Did he or she survive? Did this child have a name?"

DeWitt's grip to his beer tighten as he was about to break it. On the verge of snapping, he immediately calmed down and told her, "Listen, I know you're trying to make friends with me like what you're doing with the others. But I'm just a man doing a simple job. It's best you don't make friends with me, for you're just part of the job. Trust me, the less you know about me, the better."

The girl listened in and decided to end the conversation abruptly. Giving how upset he was, it was best to not ask anymore questions about his past. But the rest of the team looked on at the conversation and was more and more curious about Booker's past.

"Man," Miko started, "I know this guy has some demons, but I never knew it was that serious."

"You said it," Jack said to her, "His wife died from giving birth and left with a child to raise. I feel for him. Mom had to raise me all by herself when my dad left us."

Raf though turned to the techno organic and said to him, "Jack, he didn't say anything about the child yet. For all we know this baby must've died as well after the birth. Or maybe he left this child at an orphanage or some other place since he can't take care of it himself."

Sari listened to all of this and was curious about it as well. "Maybe you're right, Raf. However, we don't know the full story of it yet. Just the little details. Whatever happened to him has something to do with Anna, whoever she is."

Jack turned to the captain and said, "Maybe we should talk to him about it, then maybe he would feel better.

"Perhaps, my Gakusei," Sari responded to him, "but giving the mood that he's in, I don't think it's a good idea speaking about it to him. Perhaps in the near future, we'll talk to him when cooler heads prevail. For now, we must focus on our own mission. The two factions we're looking for has to be somewhere in this city. Once we get a hold of the airship, then we can use it to search the city quicker and located their distress signals."

The others soon nodded in unison and decided to stick to the task at hand. They have to find the Autobots and Decepticons and figure out what happened to them before it's too late. What they didn't know is that something volutile is about to happen and it will come straight to the group.

---

Back in Finkton Proper, Fink was at his private quarters at the top floor of his factory while Flambeau was next to him holding a rectangular like container with both hands. Next to them is a green photo booth area with an animatronic dressed up as a barber complete with a cap and hairstyle. Inside this booth, a man was behind a lighted while curtain hair and shaving accessories were sprusing him up for a bit. As they were nearly finished, this person asked with a voice that belonged to Colonel Gregory Bishop.

"So, these new metal foreigners you've encounter. Exactly what to they look like and what weapons they possess. Need to know before I go straight into battle."

Fink gave a deep sigh and explained as much as he could. "It's difficult to say," he said from the start, "They were so skilled against the authorities and the military, I can only get vague descriptions from the survivors. The first one is a female of a young age dressed in a yellow and beige armored dress, equipped with blades, a shield, boosters to jump high, and weapons coming out of her hands. Second one is a male around the same age as the female with black and gray armor with similar weapons, except he has a sword instead of blades. Both of them have glowing blue eyes that are similar to half of the foreigners that came from the stars. The third one however is a dangerous one to beat. This person is a female demon, but her armor type and fighting style is familiar for some of the foreigners, more aggressive than others. She can breathe fire, has sheer strength, and a temper that could make an enraged wife blush. All three of them together are a force to be reckoned with. Some of Columbia's finest tried to end them, and some have failed."

"And so you came to me when all other options have been depleted." Bishop said with a smug sound of his voice, "You really are desperate in stopping these new foreigners."

"To be honest, colonel, are options have become limited. Are best cannot put a stop to them and Songbird failed in preventing them from taking the Lamb. And if it were up to me, I would've send in an army of Handymen to handle the job, but a part of me would say that it won't be enough. I'm just hoping, giving your experience with these cretons, that you will get the job done." Fink finished.

Just as he finished, the booth chimed as the the animatronic barber said, 'All done! That will be ten Silver Eagles for the shave and haircut, good sir.' As soon as he said that, the colonel stepped out through the curtain and revealed himself as a fresher man then what he once was back at Shantytown. His hair was cut short and slicked back with sideburns that went down to his cheeks while the rest of his face was completely shaven. He had on a uniform that was tailored made for him since his old one was raggedy and dirty after years in the slums and he had on the medals of honor he wore during his time in the military in Columbia and the Sodom Below. This included a recent medal he had after fending off against the Foreigners from the Stars.

Once he deposited ten Eagles into the dispenser, he turned to Fink and said, "Don't worry; like you said, these metal foreigners are the exact same size as us. I'll take care of them. I just hope Comstock keeps his end of the bargain."

Fink nodded and said back, "But of course! Once you take care of these foreigners, then Comstock will bring you and your son back to the Sodom Below, well paid and providing board to live in. Trust me, the prophet always keeps his promises."

"He better..." he started to threaten, "If I know Comstock, he always lie himself out of it."

Fink looked to him with curiosity and decided to let what he said slide. "Believe me, he's a man of his word." he said to him, "Now before you go, allow me the privilege to give to you your weapons to fight against these foreigners. Mr. Flambeau!"

Flambeau approached Bishop and presented him with a wooden case. "Here you go, Mr. Bishop. The tools needed to bring down the metal foreigners." he said to him.

The colonel looked to the wooden box and and took it from Flambeau's hands. Observing it, he could see it was wide enough to fit a few weapons and has a golden engrave on it that was written, 'Property of Gregory Bishop: Colonel, Invasion of the Foreigners from the Stars'. Curious about this, he spotted a small table close by and approached it to place the box on top of it. Opening the box, he noticed four weapons that he could use. Two of which was his trusty swords that has a curve on the blades that is similar to that of a pirates. Taking them out, he started to spin and twist them around as he was trained to handle close combat. "Yep. I still got it." he said as he placed his swords to the holsters on his sides.

Looking back to the box, he noticed other weapons he wasn't familiar of. The two almost look like that of the Broadsider Pistol and the Huntsman Carbine, but the designs were very different than the original models. They were made mostly of metal, but not that from Earth. The metal almost look alien to him and there was a glow in a few spots, mostly in their ammo clips. Looking to these weapons, Bishop was confused and asked Fink about them. "What are they?" he asked.

Fink looked to him and could tell that he's confused. "After the Invasion of the Metal Foreigners from the Stars," he started to explain, "I made the approval for some more advanced weaponry, just in case more of them arrive to begin searching for their kind. Giving how these foreigners possess such weaponries, we've taken the liberty in extracting their weapons and modifying them for military use. As you can see, we've made some strong strides in creating these new weapons."

The Colonel looked the head of FMG and then back to the weapons, noticing how familiar they are with the original weapons. "They almost look like the Huntsman carbine and and Broadsider pistol." he said to him.

"Indeed, they are." Fink continued, "But they were upgraded to handle any foreigners from the stars. The metal alloy and the ammunition came straight from them back at one of my private labs."

Bishop looked to him and was in complete shock. "You mean the same lab where you use the prisoners for this little project of yours?"

Fink gave off a bit of a sigh and answered, "In a way. The weaponry they have within their bodies are quite fascinating, and since we have to disarm any and all weapons to prevent them from making an escape while we extracted everything else from them. Please understand that it was what's best for Columbia."

"More like what's best for you and Comstock." he retorted.

Jeremiah could tell that he's getting a little angry and tried to reason with him. "Please listen to reason Colonel Bishop. Comstock wanted the parts necessary to create this project to dispel the Vox completely, just in case this uprising of theirs goes awry. Strictly for emergency purposes of course. Though we have to keep it in the dark of some higher ups, just so they don't know what we've been really going on. However, there are those that got awfully suspicious of my work. Lutece is the most persistent, trying to get into my factory and asking why I sent my workers all over the city to modify what she created. She even found what I was doing in the lab and nearly went public on this if I don't cease on this project. Good thing she and her brother are long gone. Anyways, these weapons can help you dispel most of the False Shepherd's flock. Trust me, they will come in handy."

Bishop finished listening to him and look down at the weapons in the box. His first thought was to not take them as they use to belong to half of those that wish to help, only for him to go berserk after the death of his wife. But giving he's facing new foreigners that resemble that of a human, then he shouldn't take any chances. Picking up the upgraded pistol, he further inspected it and removed the clip to see the ammunition, which was just filled with the blue enerenic liquid. Putting the clip back in, he looked around and noticed a head bust of Washington on the stand. Pointing his pistol at it, he pulled the trigger and fired a few energy projectiles at the bust. Those said shots hit the bust squarely on the forehead and brought it down to the floor. Finkton was in a bit of a shock as he didn't expect the colonel to shoot at one of his busts. Bishop though look to the pistol and couldn't help but to feel pleased with the weapon.

"Nice…" he said with a wicked grin, "I could get use to this."

He then put his upgraded pistol into the holster before taking out his upgraded rifle and strapped it over his back. Fink immediately calmed down after what happened to one of his busts and cleared his throat to say something else. "Well then… Now that you are armed for battle, allow me to take you to your team."

Gregory turned to the head of Fink MFG and was a little confused. "A team?" he asked him with a bit of distaste in his mouth, "I thought I was suppose to hunt for these foreigners alone."

"True…" Fink continued, "But these metal foreigners have sided with the False Shepherd, along with this inhuman Mexican. Trust me, you're going to need some extra hands if you are to hold up against all of them."

Bishop listened to him and was a little unsure of this team. He can handle three human size metal foreigners himself and don't need much of an assist. But if this False Shepherd and the Mexican he heard from Fink are dangerous, then maybe he could get a bit of help. Turning to Jeremiah, he told him in a demanding voice, "Show me…"

---

Meanwhile, back at the Soldier's Field, Elizabeth was having a great time at the park as she was experiencing everything for the first time. Never in her life that she would leave her tower and look at the beauties of the outside. Now that she's finally out, she can see what she was missing out on. Sure things got rocky after that little ambush at the ticket counter, but she still has some high spirits and is eager to see what else they have in the outside world. And besides, she still can't wait to get to Paris, even if she has to get use to the this new type of normal. As she and the team was walking around the park, mostly to find something useful, she saw something with a pleasant smile and rushed to that location. The others looked to her leaving and hurried after her incase another trap is sprung. Once they got to her, they saw her looking at a stage with a lighted sign that says, 'Duke & Dimwit Stage Revue!' On this stage were a pair of actors dressed as the actual characters of the vending machines and dolls, one saluting the little kids while the other looked all gloomy. Elizabeth was enjoying the show as she said to the others, "Look! Duke and Dimwit!"

Booker turned to the girl and asked, "Who?"

Elizabeth look to him with a bit of shock and said, "You know… 'Remember, boys and girls, don't be a Dimwit!' How could you not know that?"

Booker turned to the stage and could see the two men dressed as cartoon characters. "You mean those two nincumputs?" he asked her, "Must be particular to Columbia."

Jack went to his side and told him about those two. "Well their faces are on pretty much everywhere in the park. Good guess, they are simply mascots telling kids what to do in Columbia, preferably for military reasons."

Booker heard that and grunted to himself, knowing what he meant. "I see… So Comstock teaches kids to kill and haras using cartoon characters as visual aid. Just when I thought he could stoop much lower."

"Oh, I don't see why you are all being negative over Duke and Dimwit." Elizabeth complained, "I loved those stories when I was a kid. Songbird brings me a new book when they come out."

Slowly, Booker and the Skystrikers turned to the girl and gave her a deep glare, thinking she must've been brainwashed. However she took a quick sigh and said to them, "But they are...they a bit...off-putting."

The group took a breather and was glad she didn't get hooked into this type of propaganda. Miko though placed her hands on her hips and said, "Off-putting? Girl, this little dance and show brainwashes the youths of today in thinking that everyone of different color is an enemy and it's all right to attack them. There's nothing 'off-putting' about it."

Booker decided to leave before Elizabeth gets too engrossed to the show. "Come on, let's leave before we all get brainwashed." he ordered the group.

Elizabeth was a little upset and said, "But the show isn't over yet."

Booker then grabbed Elizabeth by the wrist and told her to keep moving.

"I said let's go!" he said as he pulled the girl away as she said out loud, "Hey!"

The team followed them as Miko looked to the detective and said, "Boy… This guy is in a cheerful mood. Wonder what his childhood is like?"

Sari ignored her and told her, "Just keep walking, Miko. We don't want to be too suspicious."

Miko sighed to herself and said back to her, "Yes, headmistress."

The group soon walked down the end of the boardwalk until they stopped in between a carousel and a store with a sign over it that says, 'Outfitters: Toy Soldiers. Pint Sized Firearms'. As they were walking, Elizabeth rushed to the carousel where a bunch of kids were riding while their families watched and was curious about something.

"Hmm…"

The others soon approached her as Booker turned to say, "What?"

"I was just imagining you... on the carousel." she stated.

Booker looked to it and decided to pass on that offer.

"Thanks, but no thanks." he said to her, "As much as I want to ride it, I'm a little too old for something like that."

Elizabeth gave a deep sigh and knew that he won't be interested. As that was happening, Miko approached the carousel and could tell that it was as old school as the horses don't bob up and down, let alone has additional characters or a bench to sit in. Thinking of passing it, she listened to the music the attraction was playing and knew she heard it from somewhere. Though different as it is, the way it sounded is the same as…

"Hey! Wait a minute!" she said with sudden realization, "That song almost sounds like Melt."

The detective turned to the Predacon hybrid and was a little confused of what she said. "Melt? What's that?"

She soon turned to DeWitt and told him about it. "Melt is one of the famous songs performed by Hatsune Miku. She's a Vocaloid character with a synthesizing voice that is a mascot for some autotune computer programming software. She has a wide variety of hits, yearly concerts, and a strong fan base. There are even other Vocaloid characters that Crypton added to create a band like franchise, but Miku is the first Vocaloid that started this new musical revolution."

Booker listened to her, but didn't get a lick of what she was saying. In fact, he never has a single clue of all these random people and things that he has never heard before in his life. "I see…" was all he could muster.

Sari could see that Booker is getting awfully suspicious about the Skystrickers and decided to break it up now before he could come to any conclusions. Getting between the two, she said to them, "Perhaps we should get going to the First Lady. The entrance to the Aerodrome is very close." She then pointed to the direction of where the entrance is located as Booker turned his head to see a well lighted archway sign that says, 'Gondola to the First Lady Aerodome'.

Seeing this, he grunted and said, "Yeah… I suppose that we need to get going. We stayed in this park long enough and we need to get into that airship before the park closes."

Raf though turned to the store next to the carousel and was curious about something. "Say Booker," he started to ask him, "Why don't we check that store out first before we leave? Pretty sure there is something useful in there we can use."

Booker turned to the store the super soldier was talking about and said, "Yeah, that sounds like a good idea. We could really use some firepower, if they even have some." He soon turned to the others and asked for a favor. "Raf and I are going to see if we can get some weapons in case things go down south. Think you three go on ahead and wait for us at the entrance?"

Sari looked back to the entrance and turned to the detective saying, "Don't worry, Booker. We got this."

Booker smiled and said, "Good. Try not to get suspicious when you arrive." He then turned to Elizabeth and told her, "Elizabeth, you're with us."

The girl turned to Book and said, "Yes, Mr. DeWitt."

"Booker." he corrected her again.

Elizabeth realized what she said and apologize once more, "Sorry. Booker…"

Soon enough, the three went their separate ways as they went into two different directions. Sari, Jack, and Miko went to the entrance to the Gondola station while Booker, Raf, and Elizabeth headed to the shop close by. When those three approached the entrance of the store they saw a store clerk outside smoking a cigarette after a slow night. "Hello." Elizabeth said to him. The clerk though had a sour look and said back, "Hello yourself. Keep your hands where I can see them." Elizabeth look to him very oddly and find his response to be a bit rude. However, she ignored that and entered the store along with Booker and Raf.

Raf saw the clerk's expression and was a little unsure about him tipping his hat down to make sure that he doesn't look at his features. "What's up with him?" he asked the detective, "Sounds like he's not in the mood to talk." Booker witnessed it as well and was curious. "Probably not enough customers in his shop." was what he responded with, "Who could blame him? This place does look like something intended for kids."

Indeed, the store was more of a toy shop for children to buy. There were dolls of Duke and Dimwit along with Lil' Miss Columbia dolls for the girls, toy soldiers, ships and blimps, marionettes, a toy train that goes around a miniature version of songbird, preferably another doll, and lil' Motorize Patriots. Nothing of use for the two adults, but Elizabeth seems to be enjoying it.

"Oh look! It's Lil' Miss Columbia!" she said as she was hugging it, "I've always wanted to have one when I was young. You can never find one in stores though and Songbird did try to get one for me."

Booker just shrugged it off and told her that it's a little too late for that. "No means to disrespect you Elizabeth, but you are a little too old to be holding a doll."

The girl simply sighed in defeat as she put it away. She then approached a Songbird doll that's on one of the display cases and was surprised that it was closely resembles that of her Songbird. But when what was about to touch it, the doll soon activated with a high shriek that gave her quite a scare, backing away and patting her heart to calm herself down.

'Hello patriot. No reason to fear! I will protect you!' the doll soon said.

The owner of the store returned to the cashier desk after his cigarette break and saw her getting scared by a Songbird doll. "Ahhh, ah. I see you found our best seller." he said to her, "Those Songbird dolls are a little creepy, but the children love them. Makes them feel safe when they go to bed at night."

Booker though approached the cashier and has something to say about that doll after his first experience with the actual songbird. "Hey, no offence pal, but those dolls are just as scary as the real thing."

The clerk turned to him and said back, "Well, the songbird is the protector of the Lamb. Guess some kids feel like they want a songbird of their own to keep them well protected from these Vox exertions. Hell, heard on the news that Monument Island was destroyed today and the Songbird was present when the attack happened. Word around Columbia says that the False Shepherd and his flock found a way in and took the lamb. There were even some that says Songbird was fighting off what looked like some kind of metal dragon. Crazy huh?"

Booker stared him down and could tell that he was speaking about the incident back at Monument Island and when Miko was battling the Songbird. Thankfully, he was referring to the team and himself and he was lucky that Elizabeth bandaged up his wounded hand that has the AD mark. So he decided to play along and continued with the conversation. "Yeah. Sure is crazy. I think I heard that Comstock's officials were able to escort the girl back."

The clerk looked on and found that to be a bit off. "That's funny, I never heard of something like that."

"Well it was on the news late this afternoon." Booker continued, "I'm sure you didn't hear from that yet."

As the conversation went on, Raf was looking around the store to see if there was anything that could be of some use. But all he could see is nothing but toys and dolls. He was going to give up and leave the store, but turning to the end of the store, he spotted something of some interest. In between the statues of Duke and Dimwit, there's what looked like a shotgun hung on the wall that is similar to that of of the China Broom shotgun, but was slightly different. It was wrapped in red cloth on the handle and base of the weapon and has a wide muzzle at the end of it. Raf looked up to the wall to see a sign that says, 'Working Heater'

"Wow… Now we're talking." he said with intrigue.

The owner turned to see the super soldier gaping at the weapon and said, "Beauty isn't it? That's called a Heater, one of the early weapons the Vox used when the uprising started. Had one of those radicals trying to steal my store and wrestled over it. Guess who won that scruffle? Now I have it set up there for people to buy."

Raf heard that and was very interested over this gun. Turning to the clerk, he asked, "Can I hold it?"

The clerk crossed his arms and chuckled, saying, "As long as you don't run out of my store with that, you go on ahead."

Upon approval, Raf approached the Heater and picked it up, adjusting to the weight of it. "Whoa… This is a little heavy."

"Yeah… It's leather action, but it handles pretty well. The Vox modified that shotgun to create more damage than the original. Sadly though, the ammo capacity can hold up to one shell, but the shell contains a powerful explosive filled with Devil's Kiss. One shot at close range, can unleash complete and utter Hell to the enemies."

Booker watched the super soldier holding the gun and was impressed by it. "Nice look kid. Really suits you."

Raf looked to the detective and was happy that he's letting him keep it. The only problem is the price as Raf turned to the clerk and ask, "How much is the Heater?"

The owner looked to the weapon while rubbing his chin. "Let's see…" he pondered, "With a rare weapon quite like that, normally the price should be 500 Silver Eagles. But since you really like that weapon so much, and being that no one is interested in carry Vox weaponry, I'll cut the price down to 250 tops. I can even throw in the extra shells for the gun, free of charge."

Raf took a good look at the Heater and was smiling wide, wanting to use this weapon. "I'll take it!" he said as he turned to Booker for some help. "Hey Booker, you wouldn't happen to have 250 Silver Eagles on, would you?"

Booker turned to him and was a bit silent. He thought for sure that the super soldier would buy the gun for himself. But since he and the team came to Columbia and that they haven't gotten money of their own, he wouldn't be able to afford on. Plus, Raf has a bit of Mexican qualities and that would raise some questions. So he shrugged if off and said, "Sure thing Rafael, I do believe I got enough." He quickly dig into his pockets and took out a silver bar, placing it on the table. "Here you go pal." he said to the store clerk, "This would cover the weapon for my friend."

The clerk looked to the silver bar and was pleased that this would be enough. But then he looked up to the detective and was curious of something. "Your name is Booker, right?"

He looked up to the clerk and responded, "Yeah, that's my name."

The clerk started to get curious and continued asking "What's your last name?"

Booker looked to him strangely and find that question a bit off. Still, he answered it anyways the best he could, "It's DeWitt. Booker DeWitt. Why? Is there something wrong?"

The store owner remained quiet and looked at though he knows something. But he smiled and said back to him, "It's nothing really. Just wanted to know my customers when they pay in my store." Grabbing the silver bar from the desk, he placed it under the counter and took out of box of shells that's painted red to mark of Vox weapon. "Here you go. Twelve cases of shells for the Heater, absolutely free." he said with enthusiasm, "Though I suggest you conserve your munitions wisely. A gun like this doesn't have much ammo to go around. Unless you ask a member of the Vox Populi nicely." He then laughed it off as a really good joke.

Booker though wasn't amused as he said to him, "Sure thing pal. Whatever you say." He then turned to Raf and Elizabeth and told them, "Come on. The others must've got the gondola to the First Lady by now. Let's go."

Both Elizabeth and Raf, who was still admiring his newly purchased weapon, looked up to the detective and nodded to head on out. As they were leaving, the store clerk waved them off and said, "Have a patriotic day at Soldier's Field. And you good sir, have fun with that new weapon. Just don't burn down Columbia with that beauty."

Raf turned to the store clerk and tipped his hat, saying, "Thanks. I'll take good care of it."

Soon enough, the three walked out of the store to return with the rest of the team. With them gone, the clerk looked under the desk and picked up an old fashioned telephone connected with a private line. When he started to dial in a certain number, he waited for someone on the other line to pick up. After a few quick rings, someone picked it up as the store clerk told the mysterious caller what just happened.

"Cornelius Slate, it's me. You'll never going to believe who wandered into my store just about now."

---

As soon as Booker and the others left the store, the other half of the Skystrikers headed to the Gondola docks that will take them to the First Lady Aerodome. As they walked under the arch entrance, Sari turned to Miko and argued to her of what happened back at the carousel.

"Miko, didn't I mention to you to not discuss on things that didn't exist yet? You know we can't let Booker or Elizabeth know that we're from a distant time."

Miko just shrugged it off and said to her captain, "Sorry about that, Headmistress. Didn't really mean to cause a fuss. But I swore that music playing on that merry go round is similar to that of Miku's."

The captain looked to her oddly and said, "Really? Well I'm certain that it was just some carnie song that was placed in the carousel to entertain the kids. Pretty sure that folks behind Miku must've discovered that song and used it to create Melt. I'm certain that it's nothing for you to worry about."

Jack though listened to the conversation and decided to join in. "Don't be too sure about it Sensei." he stated, "When we came to Columbia, that barber shop quartet did a rendition of a Beach Boys song. And then at Battleship Bay, that organ was playing something from Cyndi Lauper. So I find it highly convincing that those songs came from artists that haven't existed in this time period."

Sari sighed to herself and decided to leave this underwraps. "Even if what you said is true, we can't come to the conclusion unless we have some form of evidence. So whatever you were thinking about the music, don't. Cause that's not our concern.

Both Jack and Miko gave a deep groan as they decided to follow her advice. "Yes ma'am…" they both said in unison.

The two kept walking to the docks until they reach the end of it. When they got to the end of the port, they looked around and noticed that there were no gondolas present at the time. Sari scratched the back of her head and was confused by this. "Well, the port is here. But no sign of any Gondolas." she said as she looked at the suspended cable tracks in the air and saw a building with a steel tower that goes up to the First Lady Airship that's parked above and a sign that says, 'Aerodome' "Hmm… Looks like the gondolas are all the way up that building where the First Lady is located."

Miko got next to her captain and placed her hands on her hips, complaining, "Seriously? The only way we can get out of this city is all the way up there? Whoever constructed this city certainly like to glitch us over."

Jack looked around the place to see if there is some other way in getting up there. Turning to his front, he saw a lever with an old fashioned contraption with a glass spear that was holding a morphing crystal sparking with electricity. Approaching it, he looked to the lever and said to the two, "Looks like these controls summon the the gondola down here, almost like an elevator."

Sari and Miko looked to the controls and thought it was the logical choice in getting to the building. "Well, what are you waiting for?" she asked him, "Pull the lever so we can get going."

Jack turned to her and said, "Me? Why must I do it? Can you two do it as well, Sensei?"

Both girls looked to each other before turning back to the techno organic with Sari saying, "Because servants don't pull levers unless we're spoken too."

Jack was silent about it and decided to handle the lever pulling. "Fine…" he said in defeat, "I'll pull the lever…" He then approached the lever and pulled it to the the left to summon the gondola. Just as he pulled the lever, the crystals in the glass sphere glowed brightly and lightning bolts sparked around it. Jack backed away quickly as he was nearly blinded by the unexpected event. In a matter of seconds, the crystals inside exploded and remnants of sparks came down, evaporating completely. The three looked on as they didn't know what happened.

"Uh…" Miko started to say in confusion, "Was that supposed to happen?"

Sari saw this too and wasn't sure about it either. "No, I don't think so. Whatever happened didn't bring the Gondola back to us. Wonder what happened?"

As they were trying to figure it out, they heard a voice of one of the patrons. "You three are new in town?"

The three turned to the voice and saw a male civilian looking at them with curiosity. Jack, being the only one in the group that is the same ethnicity as him, approached him and said, "Well yes, yes we are. We were going to see the First Lady and this device here nearly blew up in front of my face."

The person turned to the device in with the glass sphere empty. Looking to it, he smiled and said, "Oh… Looks like the Shock Jockey fizzled out. It happens from time to time. Fink creates an alternative source to power up a few machines and they tend to get hiccups."

Jack raised an eyebrow and was curious about that. "Shock Jockey?" he asked him while remembering his experience with it the first time they came to Columbia, "I thought that stuff was used to stun people."

The civilian gave a bit of a chuckle, saying, "Oh, that's not true. Turns out you can use these Shock Jockey's on pretty much anything. From defending against Vox rebels to lighting up a home. Yep, these beauties are one of a kind. Shame that Fink didn't came up with a way in containing that power in those contraptions of his. Can be a bother for the staff the recharge it. Guess there's nothing they can do until then. Wait until the morning and they'll get the gondola station back up before you know it."

Jack and the others heard that and was shocked to know that help won't come until tomorrow. "But we can't wait until tomorrow, we have to get to the First Lady now!"

The person shrugged his shoulders and said, "Sorry, but unless a worker from Fink MFG is here to power that generator up, the First Lady Aerodome will be closed until tomorrow morning. You all have a good day."

He then tipped his hat and walked away, knowing that he too won't get to the First Lady either. As soon as he was away, Jack approached the girls and said, "Well, we're screwed. Our only way to the First Lady is out and we have to wait until the morning."

Sari lowered her head and knew this was true. "Indeed, my Gakusei. With the gondolas now inoperable, our chances in searching for the Autobots and Decepticons has been grind to a halt. Booker's not going to like this."

Just as they were going to to think of an alternate strategy, they heard a familiar voice from behind.

"I'm not going to like what?"

The three soon turned to the voice behind them and saw Booker, Raf, and Elizabeth standing there with a look of concern. Sari stepped in and said, "Booker, you're here already! What a surprise."

The detective shrugged his shoulders and said, "Well, we were at a toy store. Nothing useful in there… well… except for a weapon your friend laid eyes upon." He soon pointed to the super soldier as he was holding the Heater that was strapped to his back.

Miko noticed it and whistled to herself on it. "Sweet gun you got there, Raf!" she said to him.

Raf smirked and said, "Thanks. Got a really good deal on it too. Could be useful for close quarters fighting."

DeWitt decided to cut to the chase and asked, "So, what happened? Did you get the gondola down here or not?"

Sari rubbed the back of her head and explained to him the situation. "Yeah… About that… See, we tried to summon the gondola but that machine back there fizzled out the Shock Jockey and locked the tracks up." She soon pointed to the machine at the end as soon as she discussed the problem.

Elizabeth notice this and walked over to the device to inspect it. Once she was done inspecting, she said, "Hmm… This looks like a Fink electric generator. I read about those in the Columbia's Science and Innovations article. They were built to as back up power over a few devices and it runs exclusively on Shock Jockey crystals. Heard that they were prototypes as they couldn't figure out how to make the Jockey last in those glass spheres and had to have a worker come in and repower the thing at any giving time."

Jack then approached the girl and told her, "Yeah, that's what happened to us. I pulled the lever there to summon the gondola, only to get nearly blinded by the small flash in that sphere. One of the patrons said that the Shock Jockey in there got burned out and we have to wait until the morning for that Fink worker to come in and repower the thing."

Booker listened to all of that and didn't like the odds. "Perfect… Our only way up to the First Lady is blocked off temporarily and we don't have any other options in getting there."

Miko though came up with a really good idea and said, "No problem. I'll go full Predacon and I'll carry all of you up to that building."

Booker soon turned to her and didn't like that idea. "And have all of Columbia's military see a metal dragon in the park?" he asked her, "Hmph… Sorry girl, but I prefer to be in one piece than a million."

Sari soon join the detective and said, "He does have a point, Miko. With Columbia's authority now marking us as dangerous felons, we can't take the risk in having more eyewitnesses. The results could be extremely fatal."

The Predacon hybrid placed her hands on her hips and argued back to the captain, "With all due respect, Headmistress, but I don't see you coming up with a better plan than that. Exactly what to you have in mind? You're going to use the P-O-M?"

Sari rubbed her chin and gave it some thought. "Hmm… Maybe… But that would take a whole lot of concentration to get that Gondola down to us and bring it back up again. And with me in my human mode, it could take longer. Even with Jack helping me out, I don't think we can do that without getting attention from the law."

As everyone was figuring out what to do, Elizabeth came up with an easier suggestion and said, "You know, there's is a simpler way in getting up there."

Everyone soon turned to the girl and was curious of her plan. "Oh yeah?" Booker asked, "What do you have in mind?"

She soon turned to the detective and asked him, "This device runs solely on Shock Jockey, correct?"

"Yeah." Booker answered, "And?"

"Well one of the posters we saw when we were entering Soldier's Field stated that the Hall of Heroes is selling it." Elizabeth continued, "If we can head up there and purchase one of them, then we might restart the power and summon the gondola."

The group listened to her option and realized she has a strong point. Hall of Heroes were offering vigors and Shock Jockey is one of them. If they can get their hands on that vigor, it can give them a chance in getting to the First Lady without waiting for the morning to come. Booker thought that as well and said, "Hmm… Sounds like the plan. But where do we find the Hall of Heroes?"

That's when Sari stepped in and said, "You know, there was a huge sign near Founder's Books that said it was the entrance to the place. I guess that's the way in."

"Then what are we waiting for?" he asked the team, "Let's go get the Shock Jockey!"

Soon enough, the group left port and backtracked through the park to get to the Hall of Heroes. Just as they were walking, they could hear a ding through the speakers before an announcement was heard.

"Attention young patriots! Due to recent events in Monument Island, Soldiers Field will close early tonight. All guests must leave the park in fifteen minutes. All patrons young and old should exit through the front gate at this time. Thank you for coming to Soldiers Field! Have a very patriotic day!"

As soon as the announcement was over, Sari heard it and could tell it was bad. "Looks like the park is closing early because of what we did."

Jack though decided to correct his teacher. "Actually, it's something Miko did. She was the one that ripped that statue to pieces. We were on that gondola and we told her not to get into a fight."

The Predacon hybrid turned to him and argued her case. "Hold up! You're telling me this is my fault? Songbird was heading to Book and Raf's position! I had to intervene and fight that thing!"

"And you and Songbird turned Monument Island into a demolition derby. We tried to stop you but you want to take the risk in the first place!"

"Hey! How was I supposed to know that Songbird was a badass?!" she asked the young techno organic. "You can imagine how hard it is to take that abomination down!"

Sari heard the two bickering again and decided to end the conversation. "Enough you two. We don't want to attract too much attention, remember? Still, this does raise a serious problem. With the park closing early, security will notice us around the park after hours."

"Not a problem." Booker said to her, "If we get caught, we'll just tell them that we got lost looking for the bathroom."

Sari look to him with a 'really' look and said, "And that actually works?"

"Mostly…" was all that Booker said.

Miko heard this and didn't like the sound of it. "Great…" she said, "If we're in trouble, we'll tell everyone that we need to take a shit. That's a some good excuse…"

The detective turned back to the Predacon Hybrid and said in an annoying tone, "I don't see you coming up with a good excuse."

Miko listened to him and said, "I'll think of something, Book."

Booker cringed when he heard that nickname and wished she would say his full name. As they were walking, they approached an area they didn't went to. In front of them is a huge archway with the huge wooden sign over it that says 'Hall of Heroes: This Way' with the same cartoon eagle that's over the sign while two long flag banisters on the left and right of the pillars. The group looked to the sign as Booker said, "That must be the way to the Hall of Heroes. Let's get going."

The group kept on walking to the entry to the Hall of Heroes as they were going to get in. But when they did, they spotted something else they didn't expect. There was a police barricade blocking the path and there was Columbian soldier on the stool that looks like he was sleeping. The group at this and were surprised by the sudden blockade. "What the…" Jack said in surprise, "What's the deal? Why's the path blocked off?"

Booker looked to this as well and don't know why is the path blocked off. "Don't know… Maybe it's just a temporary thing."

"Don't count on it." Elizabeth said as she went away with the group to see one of the ads on the picture. "Look at this sign."

The team turned to the girl and saw the ad as well. Approaching it, they noticed a sticker plastered on the billboard as Sari read outloud, "Hall of Heroes. Closed until further notice? The place is closed down. Now what?"

Booker though decided to continue with the mission. "We're still going down there. There is no way we have to wait in the morning for someone to power up that gondola. We really need to get that Shock Jockey and fast. At least we don't have to wait around in any lines to get in."

Miko though turned back to the soldier snoozing and was a little nervous. "If it's closed, then why is there a soldier sitting there? Doesn't look like this place is closed for renovation."

Elizabeth look to him too and was curious as to why the guard didn't react to them. Walking to him, she waved her hand and notice that he wasn't budging at all. "Huh…" she said out of curiosity, "Looks like the guard is completely out." The others witnessed it too and soon realized that she has a strong point.

Booker then approached the guard and noticed what looks like a flask that was laying on the floor. Picking it up, he took a whiff at it and could tell that it smelled very strong. Turning his head away, he said, "Looks like this poor chum been drinking too much booze that he passed out from intoxication. I should know, I had experience drinking this stuff."

Miko soon turned to him and was a little surprised by that statement. "You drink, Book?" she asked with a chirp in her voice.

DeWitt cringed at that name and ignored it, saying, "You could say that. Sometimes tough cases like this could get a little rough and I need to unwind from time to time. Usually a bit… too much."

Miko curled his lips in a grin and said, "You are so going to owe me a cocktail when this is over with."

Sari turned to her and had that look on her face when Miko gets out of line. "Miko…"

The Predacon hybrid turned around and said to the captain, "What? I'm just saying. I'm hoping that Book offers."

Booker though ignored that and decided to take this as an opening to proceed. "C'mon." he said to the team and Elizabeth, "Closed or not, we have to get to the Hall of Heroes. That Shock Jockey can't come to us, now can it?"

Sari could see him making his leave and wanted to stop him. However, there is no other way in getting the Vigor, other than stealing it. After all, ever since entering Columbia, they have been doing illegal activity just to get by. Sighing to herself, she decided to follow him while saying, "You heard him, Skystrikers. Let's get to the Hall of Heroes."

So everyone went over the barricade and headed up a set of steps that would take them up to an access elevator. The looked around and noticed stacks of boxes set up filled with munitions and supplies. Jack looked to this and said, "Something tells me this stuff isn't meant for renovation. It's more like a war. Question is, against who."

"As long as it's not us, I'm alright with that." Booker said with a bit of confidence, "Looks like this elevator is operable. Let's head inside."

The group soon enough entered the elevator as Booker pushed the button that would take them down. The door soon closed as the elevator made a slow descent to the lower level of the park. As they were going down, DeWitt was getting awfully suspicious about the team and the way they speak of things he doesn't know about. Since the trip downwards is slow going, he decided to say it and turned to the captain about it.

"Okay…" he started, "There is something I'm confused about you four."

Sari turned to the detective and asked, "What do you mean?"

"Well I've seen my share to strange folks in my time, you four are the most strangest yet." Booker continued, "Ever since I met you, you speak about things I don't know about, people I've never heard of, and your behavior is the very unusual, especially with the Oriental over there. Now I know that all of you aren't from around here, but I got the feeling that none of you have been anywhere I been too. So please tell me, where do you four really come from? I really want to know."

Now the team was in the hot seat as Booker was now getting awfully suspicious about them. Turning to the team, Sari could tell that they were hesitant in giving him an answer, because it was extremely complicated. After all, they came through an accidental portal while trying to save the Unit: E lab. Looking back to the detective, the captain took a deep breath and said, "Even if we speak to you about where we're from, you wouldn't believe us."

DeWitt then slowly walked to the captain and gave her a cold deep stare, saying, "Try me."

Then suddenly, the elevator started to shake as the lights began to flicker on and off, before turning off completely. The team was started for a moment as Elizabeth looked to be in a bit of a panic. "Is something wrong?" she asked.

Booker sighed and decided to focus on one thing at a time. "Ahhh, nothin' I can't fix." Looking around, he spotted a fuse box on one side of one of the elevator doors and approached it to see what the problem is. Opening it up, he carefully looked for a way to open the metal plating and pried it up with both hands. There, he noticed four fuses connected to the board that operates the elevator. One of them was much darker than the others. Taking it out, he inspected it and groaned. "Great…" he said, "A blown fuse. No way this elevator will get us down."

Miko crossed her arms and said, "So? Get a new fuse and put it in."

Booker looked to the bottom of the fuse box and around it and noticed no extra ones around. "Can't. The place is cleaned out. Whoever was using this elevator must've burned the fuses out as of late. We're pretty much stuck here."

The others soon heard that and didn't like the sound of it. With the elevator out, there's no way for them to continue their objective. That's when Sari came up with the idea and said, "Let me try something."

She then stepped in as Booker took a step aside to see what she was planning. Extending her hand out, she gestured the detective on giving her the blown out fuse. Booker reluctantly gave it to as she placed it back into the socket. Flexing her hand, Booker and Elizabeth saw something unexpected. Placing her hand on the circuit board, her fingers started to open up and revealed a bunch of prods that penetrated through the circuit board. She close her eyes just seconds before opening them up, revealing a white glow as she was looking into the problem and repairing it.

"Whoa!" Booker got started, "The hell…? How did you…"

Sari replied while continuing the repairs. "It's one of the many abilities I can do. I'm looking into the problem of the circuit board and making immediate repairs to get it up and running. Might be weird, I know, but it's very useful."

DeWitt rolled his eyes around and said, "All of you are full of surprises, huh?"

"Well, you can imagine what else I got." Sari replied.

The detective then picked up where he left off as he said, "Well, while you are busy, can you at least tell me this. You said to me moments ago that if you tell me, I wouldn't believe you. Why's that?"

Sari kept on repairing the board as she explained as much as she could. "Let me ask you this. Have you ever wondered if there was another world that is similar to Earth, but is much different than the one you live in?"

Booker raised an eyebrow and find that question to be really off. Thinking it is a joke, he said very sarcastically, "Oh sure, I've always wondered about that everyday of my life. Why?"

Sari took a deep breath and said, "Well, what if I told you that we came from another world? What will you say?"

Now that caught him in a loop as he responded, "I think you're insane."

"Am I?" she continued, "After what you seen when you met us, that's a compliment. How is it that four individuals can obtained such weapons, armor, and abilities that are highly advanced? Don't you ever thought of that?"

DeWitt remained quiet as he still find it highly doubtful. "To be honest, I'm still wrapping my head around a city floating by giant balloons. But I'll leave what you said under consideration." he said to her before threatening her, "However, if what you said is nothing but a white lie you told me…"

Before he could even finish, they could hear Elizabeth yelping while the sound of buzzing was heard.

"Agh! Oh! It's a bee. I- I hate these things!"

Miko turned to her and groaned to herself, saying, "Seesh… You don't like them, just swat them away."

"No, it'll sting me!" Elizabeth said to the Predacon hybrid.

"It's just a Bee, Liz!" she said to her, "It's not threatening."

Jack looked to the hybrid with a sly smile and said, "Said the girl that has a complete fear of spiders."

Miko quickly turned to her friend and argued, "Hey! They are scary when they crawl around with those legs and when they get on you. They are very frightening!"

"Yeah…" Jack kept poking to her, "Especially when you turn into a Predacon that can crush anything, including little spiders. Or should I remind you of the time that you freaked out over a spider web that you nearly torched that building we were in on a scouting run."

Miko remembered that time and understood what he meant by that. "I said I was sorry…" she said to him.

"And you were lucky I was in bot mode, otherwise I would've been well done." Jack finished saying.

"Oh sure, go ahead and start pointing fingers on me." Miko said with an annoyed look. "Whenever things go wrong, blame Miko."

Raf then turned to her and said, "Well, you did turn us into fugitives in Columbia thanks to your antics. You truly are our little trouble maker no matter where we go." The predacon hybrid's response was turning to the super soldier and gave him a quick raspberry while a little flame spit out of her tongue.

During the argument, Elizabeth shewed her hand left and right to get the bee off of her, but failing miserably. Hearing them arguing, she decided to interfere and said, "Look, I hate to interrupt this little squavel, but I can't take this bee buzzing around me no more.

Booker decided to turn to the girl and said, "Just kill it already… It's not like we can get it out of the elevator since everything's closed off until this elevator is up and running."

Elizabeth sighed as she couldn't take the insect any longer. But when she looked back to a Songbird poster, she noticed something and came up with an idea in getting rid of that bee.

While she was doing that, Sari isolated the problem in the fuse box and made the immediate repairs. Once she was able to finish it, the burnt out fuse lighted up again and it looked operational. She then removed the prods out of the circuit board and they retracted back into her fingers while her glowing white eyes returned to their Cybertronian blue color. "There." she said in success, "That about did it." Seeing the lever on the right side of the circuit board, she pulled it down and the elevator hummed back to life as the light came back on.

Booker watched her doing all of that and couldn't help but to whistle about it. "Not too shabby missy." he said with an impressive look, "Never really thought you can do all of that without that armor of yours."

Sari looked to him and said, "Well some of my mods in me can work in both my human and bot modes, so it's convenient for me to work around my abilities whether it be in combat or in everyday life."

"Just do me a favor." DeWitt told her, "Don't do anything like that in front of the public. The last thing I want is for us getting too much-"

As soon as he was about to finish, they could hear Elizabeth grunting and turned to see what she was doing. What they saw is her doing something near the Songbird poster and was confused by what she's up to. Booker then approached her and asked, "What are you doing?"

Elizabeth, almost succeeding in something, answered, "I'm opening a tear!" Just like that, her arms opened wide as a strange looking portal appeared in front of the team. What was once a poster was now an open window of someone's house as the bee that was around Elizabeth flew out of that said window and was away. Those that got close to her stepped back and was startled by this unknown phenomenon.

"Whoa!"

"What the-"

"By the Primes?!"

"Shit!"

Booker, who saw this with Raf, was calm to the whole thing and could tell that this wasn't normal at all. "What is that?" was all Book asked Elizabeth. The girl turned to him and said back, "It's a tear. I used to open them all the time in my tower."

The group looked on in amazement as they were shocked to see something as marvelous is that. Sari then remembered something like this back at Elicia's lab and could tell that it was similar to what she did, "A tear huh?" she asked her with interest, "Since how long have to done that for?"

Elizabeth looked to her and said, "I don't know. I think I used to have done that since I was young. I never knew how I have this power, but it happens on instinct."

Booker though was even more confused as he kept asking, "B- What is a tear?"

"It's like a…" Elizabeth started to explain as best as she could, "a window. A window to another world. Most of the time they're dull as dishwater; a different colored towel, or tea instead of coffee. Other times there are some things that appear that shouldn't even existed, whether it be random objects and the like. But sometimes? Sometimes I see something amazing. And I pull it through." She then approached the open window and picked out a red rose from the bush as the image got a little distorted. "There." she said as she gently placed it through her hair.

The others looked to this and was still surprised by what they've just witnessed. Miko especially as she turned to the girl and said, "Wow Liz! That's totally wicked! Forgive me for saying this but, HOLY SHIT!"

"For once, I could agree with our little firecracker here." Booker responded and ask for a favor. "I don't suppose you've got an airship in there, or a Shock Jockey bottle? Could save us the trouble."

"I don't think so." Elizabeth said as the sky through the window got darker and something big whizzed by it. The girl noticed it at the corner of her eye and and investigate it. "But there is… th- there is something… I-" Suddenly, everyone heard a familiar shriek from afar as Elizabeth gasped and backed away, saying, "Oh no!"

The others soon reacted to it as Sari and Jack glowed quickly to change into their bot modes while claws appeared on Miko's hands. "Great… Tweety's back!"

Booker took his shotgun out and said to her, "Well then perhaps you can close it?!"

Elizabeth nodded as she tried to close the tear she created. Songbird came by again, only it was getting closer as the light in his eyes glowed creepily yellow. Raf got his pistol out and didn't like the odds in their favor. "Anytime Elizabeth!" he said to her.

"I- I'm trying!" she yelled.

"CLOSE IT!" Booker screamed to her in a demanding voice.

Songbird was now much closer as he flew towards the window. The team got ready for another fight on their hands until Elizabeth closed her arms together and the portal closed completely, showing the Songbird poster yet again. The group relaxed as Sari took a breather and said, "Phew… That was too close for comfort."

Elizabeth got back after closing her tear and leaned on the elevator door, trying to catch her breath. Booker on the other hand looked down to her and said in a harsh tone, "I don't understand what I just saw just now. But it sure as Hell looks like a shortcut to getting us killed."

The girl finally caught her breath and told the detective, "But I can help…"

"I can handle whatever comes along." he said back to her, "Trust me."

Elizabeth just simply shrugged her shoulders and responded in a kind gesture, "Have it your way, I suppose."

As soon as that was all over with, Sari got to her teammates and spoke to Raf quietly. "Raf?" she started.

"Yes, captain?" the super soldier whispered back.

"What we saw just moments ago." she continued, "Is that what you were referring to when you said that she had some kind of ability?"

Rafael nodded and said, "Pretty much. From what I saw in Monument Island is that she can open portals with a wave of her hand. In fact, those portals look similar to that of the Lutece Tear Elicia showed us in her lab. Somehow, this girl can manipulate these tears all by herself without the aid of any device."

Miko listened in and stopped him there. "Hold up. You're telling me this girl Book is freeing is a walking portal opener? Man, that explains a lot."

"Not all, Miko." the super soldier continued, "While it's amazing to know that she to open tears, there is still the question of how she can do it without a device of any kind. Where do her powers come from? Was it something she was born from or just some random chance?"

Sari pondered about this too while looking at her with intent. "One thing at a time, Raf." she said, "If what you said is true and this girl can create portals to other worlds..."

Jack then realized what she was going to say next and said, "Then she can get us back to our world!"

Sari still wasn't sure about this as she said, "Hmm… Maybe… But we can't just ask her that on a whim. Even if we do, Elicia and the science team are still searching for us and it would be a matter of time before they could get to us. We need to first see about her limits and hope that her powers don't have any restraint. What we saw could mean that she has no control over it."

The team nodded as they looked to the girl standing up and stretching while Booker checked his weapons before getting to the lower level. They don't know who this girl is and what was so important. But by the time that they saw her open that tear, they knew they have their ticket out of this world. All they need to do is check how much potential she has.

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So that ends chapter Ten of Transformers Infinite. Nothing much to say about it, just the little slice of life type of chapter I had to set up before the actual fights starts. Again, I would like to apologize of the long wait. Considering that FictionFan doesn't feel like to Fanfictions anymore due to many reasons, my only chance is to handle the chapters by myself until he feels all right. Though the next chapter will be updated when I handle other stories. It's my twisted little idea in handling my works. But at least I haven't given up on this, yet. But we'll wait and see for the next chapter where Booker and the Skystrikers head to the Hall of Heroes to find the Shock Jockey. But when they get there, they would soon find out that there is trouble a foot and a familiar face of Booker's past comes to haunt him. Please Review. #WherearetheGoodCartoons?