Chapter 13: Vigors, Lies, and Cornelius Slate

Some time later, an exhausted Booker and an equally exhausted Elizabeth came to a stop in what appeared to be a souvenir shop near the Hall of Heroes.

"I think we can sit down and take stock now, Mr. DeWitt."

"No. We've got to keep moving before those soldiers find us."

Up ahead, the two ran into a colossal steel door. Booker lifted it up, allowing Elizabeth to slide underneath it.

"Now what about me?" Booker asked.

Elizabeth opened a tear and produced a jack.

"Clever girl."

Elizabeth blushed. A few minutes later, Booker was on the other side of the door. Before his eyes was a crate with more Vigor bottles. The stoppers were shaped like horses' heads. He reached for a bottle and read the label.

"Bucking Bronco."

He removed the stopper and drank. Another nightmarish scene ensued as Booker heard the neighing of a horse and watched as his skin cracked. Like the other Vigors, the scene soon ended.

"Let's get that Shock Jockey, Mr. DeWitt!"

The two stepped out into a plaza. Just then, soldiers descended upon them.

"Mr. DeWitt, I think Comstock's forces-"

"These aren't Comstock's soldiers! They've got different uniforms!"

"Come on, you apes! Do you want to live forever, or do you want to die at the hands of the tin men?" a soldier yelled.

Tin men? That's what Slate called- wait a minute. Slate's here?

Booker brandished his carbine and fired. One by one, the soldiers fell as bullets pierced their hearts. To liven things up, Booker opted to use Bucking Bronco. He fired off the Vigor and was thunderstruck when it launched six soldiers skyward, making them easy pickings for the carbine.

"This doesn't get us any closer to the Shock Jockey, Mr. DeWitt!"

"Well, how the hell do we get to the Hall of Heroes?"

Elizabeth turned around and noticed something.

"Ten Silver Eagles says we can ride that Skyline up!"

Booker looked out of the corner of his eye. Elizabeth was right. Unfortunately, some large freight was blocking the line.

"Elizabeth! Get that cargo off the rail!"

Elizabeth began running toward the Skyline, dodging carbine and machine gun fire the whole way. Finally, she reached the control panel for that particular Skyline. A quick look at the panel yielded little except for a "move cargo" lever. She took a deep breath and pulled it. Suddenly, the cargo moved up the rail and out of the way.

"Clear!"

"Good! Let's get the hell out of here!"

Booker readied his Skyhook, while Elizabeth opened a tear and got one of her own. The two leaped onto the rail, started up their hooks, and began racing up to the Hall of Heroes. A few minutes later, they arrived. Booker hit the ground first, readying his carbine. Sure enough, Slate's men came running. As bullets flew and soldiers fell, Booker and Elizabeth slowly advanced toward the Hall. Out of the corner of her eye, Elizabeth noticed the outline of a very long gun on a nearby rooftop. A similar gun was on the ground nearby.

"Catch!"

Booker caught the incoming gun and examined it.

A sniper's rifle? What would I need-

From said rooftop, a sniper fired off a shot and missed.

Jesus H. Christ!

Booker put the scope to his eye and fired. Apparently, luck was a lady that night because Booker's shot pierced the enemy sniper's head right between the eyes. Suddenly, a voice came roaring out of the loudspeakers.

"DeWitt! Get your dopy ass in here and give my men a soldier's death!"

Booker and Elizabeth ran into the Hall of Heroes, or as Elizabeth noticed from a vandalized sign, the "Hall of Whores".