Thanks to everyone who reviewed the last chapter! It's nice to see that there are still readers sticking with me for the long haul! I hope you enjoy this chapter, because it's got a lot of consequences to it! Also, be warned, there is a bit more profanity than usual, but then again, the tensions are little bit higher this time around.

Chapter 10

How long had we been waiting? Minutes? Hours? It had felt like days. I was absolutely exhausted from my whole ordeal in Shantytown, and yet, I couldn't bear to fall asleep. Not when Comstock was on the verge of…No. I couldn't afford to think about it like that.

I must have looked like hell, with dirty clothes, red eyes, and a thousand yard stare. But then again, Elizabeth didn't seem to be doing much better. Even though she had done an admirable job of keeping her composure, I could still see that she was as pale as a ghost, and looked every bit as tired as I was.

"Booker, what are we going to do?" Elizabeth asked, burying her head in her hands and pulling her knees into her chest. God, it was hard to see her in this state, with her usual brilliant smile nowhere to be found. If only it was within my power to do something about this.

"I-I don't know." I replied, completely at a loss for words, for once in my life. I didn't have anything reassuring to tell Elizabeth. Hell, I couldn't even convince myself that everything was going to be fine. Because I knew that nothing was okay. Robert was kidnapped, the Vox were probably going to be coming out of whatever recesses of Columbia they had been hiding in, and the man who had essentially saved my life was now in a fight for his own. No, nothing was all right.

Leaning against the door, beyond which Comstock was currently struggling to stay alive, unable to do anything but to jam my hands in my pockets, I felt utterly powerless. I wasn't able to help Comstock, and I wasn't able to help Elizabeth.

But I guess that there was one thing that I actually could do.

"Elizabeth, I hate to say this, but I need to go after Robert." I said, "It's all that I can do for now."

I knew that it was just an excuse for me to try and escape from the reality that maybe, possibly, Comstock could end up dead, but honestly, I didn't know what else I could do in this situation. If there was anyone who could actually keep a level head about all of this, it would have been Robert. So, I supposed that I had no choice but to find him.

Moving to walk towards the exit, I felt Elizabeth's small hand grab my wrist tightly from behind, preventing from taking another step forward.

"I'm coming with you." Elizabeth said.

"No, it's too dangerous, and especially with the way things are right now…" I replied immediately, turning around to look at Elizabeth, with wet trails running down her cheeks and eyes, puffy and red. Instantly, my mouth went dry, and I lost the words on the tip of my tongue.

"Booker, I can't just sit here and do nothing while my father dies. Please, just let me help." Elizabeth said, staring me in the eyes, as helpless as I had ever seen her.

"Please." She whispered.

I knew that I was going to regret it, but I couldn't stop myself from doing anything else in that moment other than to nod my head softly and say, "All right."

Having thought of nowhere else I could start searching, I found myself once again standing inside of the metal cage that lead down to Shantytown, complete with the same gradual dimming of light, until there was total darkness, save for some trashcan fires illuminating a few lone figures brave enough to be out on the streets at night. Of course, this time, things were different, as I was reminded by the soft gasp that escaped Elizabeth's lips as we stepped outside of the elevator.

"People actually live down here?" She whispered, half to herself, half to me.

I crossed my arms, "More than you would like to think."

She turned to me, with eyes wide, "I can't believe that all these people could be living like this, and that Father hasn't done anything about it."

"There's only so much that one man can do," I sighed, "Besides, Fink is the one running this place. Not that I expect anything better from him."

"God, they must all feel so helpless." She said, eyeing a few bums huddled up by a flame.

"Down here, survival is all that matters, helplessness aside." I replied, images flashing before my eyes, of dimly streets not so unlike the ones we were now currently walking, along with the faint hum of a streetlamp. Over this, the words, "Someone help me!" reverberated through my mind, accompanied by the vision of a blood soaked woman, her eyes filled with dread, and, more than anything else, fear. Her clothes were disheveled, leaving no doubt as to what had transpired, although, at the time, I hadn't really realized it.

Strangely, even at this horrific vision, I felt like I was at peace. I felt like I was home once again. It was so odd, but I figured that I knew why I felt like this. Survival was the only thing I knew how to do. That was how I was raised, and where I made my home. I guess that, aside from our shithole apartment, it was the closest thing I had to a real home.

My thoughts were instantly shattered by the grating voice of the same man I had seen upon my last visit. I saw that he was on top of the same crate, although this time, he had quite a few other workers gathered around his perch,

"Ah! Back once again, I see! Lucky for you, you have arrived just in time to be witness!" The man proclaimed proudly, with a stomp of his foot, while all eyes turned to me and Elizabeth.

"Witness to what?" Elizabeth asked, before I could turn to her and shush her.

"Witness to the uprising, of course!" The man cackled uncontrollably, to the applause of the small crowd that was assembled.

While Elizabeth seemed a little more at ease with this, I felt a great deal of anxiousness at his words. Although we hadn't been outright attacked by the Vox Populi down here, I knew that we probably didn't have many allies either, especially once the residents of Shantytown realized who we were, and whom we were working for. I had learned pretty soon that people down here didn't exactly have the highest opinion of the Founders, and for good reason.

Even I wasn't sure about how I felt about them.

"Let's keep moving." I whispered to Elizabeth, who nodded and followed me as I treaded down the path to the same bar that I had visited the last time. If anyone had a clue as to where Robert had been taken, it would be that bartender.

We walked into the bar, to find it as empty as before, although I definitely didn't mind that. The same radio blared out a different song, this one more of a melancholy tune about lost love and heartbreak.

The man tending the counter looked up at me, and instantly whipped out a mug from behind the counter.

"Let me pay you back for those Silver Eagles." He said, topping off the mug with the amber liquid that I knew all too well.

"Maybe next time. I shouldn't be drinking right now." I said, walking up and pulling out a seat for Elizabeth, who gingerly sat down and observed the bartender, who looked a little confused. I guess he wasn't used to getting any attention from women as beautiful as Elizabeth was.

"All right, then. I suppose that you're after that man that the Vox Populi have been parading around?" The man said, moving the filled mug off to the side.

My eyebrows raised in surprise, "So you saw the Vox bring him down here?"

The man shook his head, "I didn't need to. That was all that anyone was talking about in here. I practically got a thousand versions of the same story."

"So do you know where they took him?" I asked.

Before the man could answer, the door creaked open, to reveal two men, both dressed from head to toe in red, walking inside. However, my eyes were first drawn to the weapons that they had hanging from their belts and form around their necks. There was no doubt about it, those two were Vox Populi.

"Say, could you two go to the storage room and pick up some more mugs? I think I ran out up here." The bartender asked loudly, making sure to project his voice across the room, while shooting me and Elizabeth looks.

"Sure thing!" I replied just as loudly, grabbing Elizabeth by the wrist and leading her into the storage room.

"Booker, what was that?" Elizabeth asked as we walked inside of the storage room, prompting a child who looked to be snagging an apple to drop the fruit and to scurry away from us.

"The bartender just gave us a chance to escape, and I intend for us to take full advantage of it." I replied, just as Elizabeth stopped and looked at the child. Realizing what she was going to do, I shook my head in frustration.

"Elizabeth, there isn't any time to be doing this!"

Elizabeth glared at me, "Booker, there's always time."

She bent down and picked an apple off of the crate, handing it to the boy, who merely stared at it for a moment, before he tentatively plucked it out of Elizabeth's hand and ducked back to his original hiding position.

"There." She said, rising up to her feet once more.

I sighed. Elizabeth could be so stubborn about certain things…but I guess that was why I truly admired her. Even in a situation like this, she could find the time to help out a child. Maybe Columbia did have a chance, with people like her around.

"I'm going to find a way out of here." I said, glancing around at the storage room, which didn't really seem to have any other way of exiting, probably to make sure that no thieves or anything could sneak in without being seen by the bartender. Although the child had found his way inside, so perhaps it wasn't as impregnable as it currently seemed.

"Wait, Booker, can you let me try something?" Elizabeth suddenly asked, walking over to one wall of the room.

"You have a plan?" I asked, cocking one eyebrow as I watched her run her hand along the red brick currently trapping us. Unless she planned to blow open the wall or something, I didn't exactly see how she was expecting us to escape.

"Something of the sort." Elizabeth replied, before she suddenly swung her arm across her body, and, instantly, the wall was gone. Just gone, as if it had just up and vanished into thin air. Rubbing my eyes to confirm that it wasn't an illusion, I had any remaining doubts shattered by Elizabeth, who walked through the now disappeared wall and onto the street outside.

"I'll explain along the way." She said, as I snapped out of my stupor, and followed behind, trying to comprehend what I had just saw. Remembering faintly that I had seen Elizabeth do something similar back inside of the tower. But that had been what looked like some little portal, no bigger than a piece of paper.

This was different. For God's sake, she made a wall disappear!

"Elizabeth, you- "

I was cut off as I stepped straight into a vicious fist that sent me tumbling to the ground, as I heard Elizabeth scream faintly, as the world faded in and out of blackness.

"So, what happened to buying a drink?" A voice asked, as my chin was lifted up so that I was face to face with a set of rotten teeth, curled up in a disgusting grin. Even in my disorientated state, I knew that I was dealing with the same group of thugs who had tried to rob me last time. Only, with Elizabeth here, the stakes were completely different.

Wait, Elizabeth!

I looked over to see Elizabeth struggling with the two remaining men, who were having a tough time actually restraining her, with her constant flailing.

"What the hell?" The man turned to look at his comrades, who were no closer to keeping Elizabeth in check than they had been earlier.

Allowing me to tumble back onto the floor, I watched helplessly as the man walked up and slapped Elizabeth across the face, the smack echoing through the street. At this, I saw Elizabeth's eyes flicker over to me, and I realized that her eyes were filled with dread, and more than anything else, fear. With the familiar image of a bloodied woman flashing across my mind, only with her face exchanged with Elizabeth's, I felt a sense of desperation power my limbs, but that was quickly overwhelmed by my desire to just close my eyes and to allow the blackness of unconsciousness claim me.

"Booker!"

My eyes snapped open at the sound of a monstrous voice with a tinny quality to it. That was a voice that I would recognize anywhere.

Almost in slow motion, I saw the three men turn their attention away from Elizabeth, only to be hurled in every which direction by the Handyman to which I owed my life to several times over.

"Samuel!" Elizabeth exclaimed, as he stood protectively over her. She looked over at me, and I saw that her expression suddenly became one of shock. What was going on?

"Booker, are you okay?" Another voice that I would recognize anywhere asked me, as I slowly turned my head towards its owner.

My eyes widened as I realized that Robert Lutece was now standing over me, one hand outstretched to help me to my feet. His face was discolored by a series of bruises, and his normally well-combed hair was unkempt, as were his clothes. However, despite his appearance, I could see that his demeanor had not changed in the slightest. He really was a remarkable man.

"Robert!" I managed, barely able to contain my utter shock at his appearance. Wasn't he supposed to be captured by the Vox Populi? Then how was standing in front of me, apparently no worse for wear?

Robert nodded, "Yes, I know that you are surprised to see me. Samuel managed to free me from my captors."

"I was sent out as soon as we got the news that he was missing, even before Father Comstock was informed." Samuel added, explaining why he was down in Shantytown in the first place.

"Now that we have this matter settled, we have to take care to hurry back. We don't have any time to waste." Robert said, helping me to my feet, as I dusted myself off.

"What's wrong?" I asked, not that there was anything unusual about Robert wanting to get out of here. If I was in his shoes, I would have wanted to do the same. But his tone of urgency was something that I had never seen before, and I needed to know what could have brought it on.

"The security around me was too lax. I don't think that I was ever the intended target. I think that you were." Robert said, pointing a finger at me.

My brow furrowed in confusion, "Wait, me? Why?"

"Because they knew that if you came after me, that would make Comstock an easier target." Robert sighed, gesturing to Samuel, "Bring one of those men over here."

Nodding, Samuel stomped off, returning a minute later with one of the thugs who had attacked us, blood gushing from an open wound on his head.

"Are you working for the Vox Populi?" Robert asked the man, who glared at the two of us, before he nodded, "Yes. And you're too late. Fitzroy is probably pulling the trigger on Comstock as we speak."

He followed his words with a triumphant grin that I gladly wiped off of his face with a right hook straight to his jaw. As I wrung some of his blood off of my hand, I couldn't help but to think that revenge was sweet.

Unfortunately, I didn't have much time to dwell on that, as I realized that every second that we were in Shantytown, Fitzroy was getting closer to Comstock.

Evidently, Robert had realized this as well, because he turned to me, "We don't have much time to waste here."

As soon as we crossed the bridge to Comstock house, we knew that we were all too late.

Bullets were flying in every which way, and it definitely didn't look like the Founders were faring very well against the waves of red bearing down on them with everything that they had. However, as much as my eyes scanned, I could not find the figure of Daisy Fitzroy.

"She must already be inside." Robert said with gritted teeth, a sight that almost made me double take.

"Booker, I'll try to clear a path for you. Just get Robert and Elizabeth there safely." Samuel said, rushing forward to do just that, tossing aside a few Vox as he did so.

Luckily, the fact that a Handyman was wreaking havoc distracted most of the Vox soldiers, who turned their efforts towards stopping Samuel as he tore through their lines, displaying a ferocity that I had never seen before from him. I had to remind myself to never get on his bad side.

The few Vox that didn't have their backs turned to us were quickly disposed of, courtesy of my Hand Cannon, and before I knew it, we were at the front doors of Comstock House, along with the remnants of the guards who were unfortunate enough to be caught in this mess.

"Guardian!" One of them exclaimed as I ran by. I noticed that he was one of the younger guards that I had seen, and although he looked like he had just been through hell and back, he still had a hopeful glint in his eyes, one that reminded me of a certain girl who was currently trailing behind me.

As much as I wanted to stay and help the men fend off the Vox, I knew that I couldn't afford to waste any more time getting to Comstock. Any longer, and he would be a dead man.

Luckily, it seemed that the fighting had not reached the interior of Comstock House, and so, we were able to make it to the doors of Comstock's private quarters in record time.

Throwing open the doors, I was shocked to find myself staring down the barrel of a Hand Cannon.

"Don't take another step, or the old man gets it." Daisy Fitzroy said, moving the gun away from my head, and pointing it straight at Comstock, who lay in his bed, seemingly too weak to even sit up.

"Now, put down your gun." She ordered, and I complied, slowly pulling my own gun out of its holster, and allowing it to drop to the ground with a clang. Putting my hands up in surrender, I nervously tried to step forward, but my action was met with a glare, and I quickly stepped back to my original position.

"What do you want?" I asked, my mind racing at a million miles an hour as I tried to think of a way to disarm her, without getting Comstock, Elizabeth, or Robert hurt.

Fitzroy chuckled, "You know what I want. I want to put the common man on top, where he belongs. We've been pushed down for long enough. I want these Founders bastards to see what they've done to the citizens of Columbia. I want freedom. And I know that you want the same."

"And how does killing an innocent old man accomplish anything?" I asked. Even though I knew what Fitzroy was saying was true. Hell, I had lived it. But that didn't excuse the fact that what she was doing was murder, something that I had lived as well. It wasn't right to murder at Little Bighorn, and it sure as hell wasn't right to murder now.

"Innocent?" Fitzroy shook her head, "Oh, you have no idea."

Her words took me aback, "What are you saying?"

"Booker, Comstock is playing you for a fool. Look at this." Daisy said, sliding an envelope in my direction. My eyes met hers, and she gestured towards the envelope, prompting me to go down to one knee.

"What is this?" I asked, picking up the envelope and eyeing it suspiciously.

"It contains a letter from Comstock that I found while digging around his room. The son of a bitch didn't even try to hide it. He wants you to think that he's your friend, when really, he's been trying to control you all this time!" Daisy said, as I peeled open the envelope and pulled out the letter, written in a fine handwriting that I recognized as being Comstock's.

"No, Booker, don't believe her!" Comstock cut in, wincing in pain as he did so.

I have seen the future, and it is glorious! My Columbia, my ark in the sky, it can be completed! I've enlisted the aid of a woman named Rosalind Lutece, and she has shown me what can and will be completed by me.

It is a utopia, with a perfect race of people in a perfect city, governed by a perfect man and a perfect religion.

But, as with any good thing, there are those who will decry it, and attempt to pervert its idyllic nature. You have to understand that I was shocked when I realized that the man who was fated to destroy my dream was none other than Booker DeWitt, my past self.

At first, I had been heartened by the results. One hundred and twenty two times, he came and failed to take away my Elizabeth. But then, on the one hundred and twenty third time, something changed. This Booker DeWitt wasn't like any other, for he succeeded where the others failed, and made off with my daughter, and allowed my Columbia to spiral into violence and darkness.

I know that the same fate is to befall me soon. In but twenty years, Booker DeWitt will come and attempt to destroy my city. But I shall not let him. He will not succeed in this universe, no matter how he tries. I have observed for countless hours, witnessing again and again, the folly of my other selves. However, now, I have resolved to change my fate. I will stop Booker DeWitt. Not with armies or weapons, but with kindness and trust.

Booker DeWitt will trust me, and he will become my own weapon against fate.

Zachary Comstock-1892

What I was reading was making no sense. Why would Comstock try to stop me from taking away Elizabeth? I was saving her, wasn't I? And why would I have wanted to destroy Columbia? None of it made sense.

"Why the hell should I believe that anything in this letter is true?" I yelled, throwing the paper to the ground.

"Because I know what it's like to be controlled, to be forced along a path that wasn't really mine. That's why I broke away from that path. That's why I created the Vox Populi, to make sure that no one else would have to walk that path! Join me, and destroy Comstock's Columbia!" Fitzroy screamed back, tossing me the Hand Cannon.

"Booker." Comstock managed, taking ragged breaths between each word, "I trust you. You will do what you must."

Daisy nodded, "You're damn right he will. Booker, do the right thing, and end Comstock's tyranny. Columbia deserves better."

I mulled over her words, and looked to Elizabeth, who stared back, fear in her eyes. Whether it was fear because of Fitzroy, or because I hadn't said a word, I had no idea. But in that moment, I knew that I had already made my choice. I had made my choice the moment I tumbled into Elizabeth's tower, and saw those beautiful cerulean eyes.

I lifted up my Hand Cannon, and took two shots.

Fitzroy howled as both of my bullets found their marks, burying themselves inside of both of her knees. Her body collapsed to the ground, like she was a ragdoll. There was no way that she would ever be able to walk again after this, although, I seriously doubted that walking was among her main concerns right now.

"Elizabeth, take Robert, and run away. I don't want you to be here to see what I'm about to do." I said, stepping protectively in front of Elizabeth, my eyes meeting hers for a brief second, "Trust me."

"I do." Elizabeth breathed back, before she turned, moving as fast as she could while Robert quickly followed.

I eyed Fitzroy, as she desperately struggled to lift her upper torso off of the ground.

"Fitzroy, I'm warning you now. If you think that you can get away with this, you've got another thing coming. You've hurt Elizabeth more than you will ever know with what you've done, and I can't stand for that. I know that she's too good of a person to actually go after you, but I'm not like that. Not by a long shot." I said, punching the woman across the face, causing her to slam onto the floor with an echoing smack.

"Booker, you're making a mistake! Think about it! You don't even have any idea of who you actually are! Comstock's lied to you about everything!" Fitzroy shouted, but I merely went down on one knee, and stared her straight in the eyes, as I placed my Hand Cannon up against her forehead.

"You've seen what I'm capable of. I'm the monster that Elizabeth is too pure to ever become. I'm the vengeance that will hunt you down to the ends for what you've done to her. I'm the one who will squash out you rebellion, along with anyone unfortunate enough to get in my path as I do so. I'm the fucking Guardian of Columbia." I growled.

Without even the slightest hesitation, I pulled the trigger.

Hopefully, that ending didn't seem too crazy. I hope that at this point, it's pretty clear that Booker's loyalties lie with Elizabeth, and he will do whatever it takes to protect her, which includes dirtying his hands for her sake. While I know that killing Fitzroy really made Elizabeth mature over the course of the game, I'd rather not have a cynical Elizabeth at this point in the story, just because somebody in Columbia needs to have hope, and that somebody definitely isn't Booker.

Also, just so you guys know, I originally saw this story as being somewhere between 15-20 chapters, so consider this the halfway-point, because from here on out, things will be different, for everyone involved. Next chapter will really be about the repercussions of these last two chapters, so I was considering doing about half of the chapter from Elizabeth's perspective, and the other half from Booker's.

Are you guys supportive of that idea? Please let me know, either in a review, or PM. Thanks for reading!