Bioshock - Averting Fate

by Scepterfall

Only a world with Infinite possibilities can make a fictional world real. But why me? Why not Booker, or at least a capable soldier, not a wannabe. But they told me the story isn't complete, and Elizabeth nor Booker were meant to complete it. It's apparently my quest. I'm only hoping that I can save her in the end. Even if it means taking the wrench to my head at the end of it all.

2. Chapter 2

The doors were kicked wide open, and a tired yet still determined Ryan entered the tower. He looked around, expecting to find any sort of company, yet hoping he would not find any. In the game, the tower level was completely devoid of life, other than the 'specimen' herself. Yet when he first entered Columbia, some minor things were tweaked in order to make sense at the end. One of them being the people in the prayer chapels when he was in the Welcome Center. So, knowing that, realistically there would be people here in the tower. At most, Columbia's finest soldiers and/or enforcers, or at least the scientists here to study Elizabeth.

But alas, empty, and abandoned for what seems like at most, a few hours. Ryan wanders the room he is in, seeing strewn personal affections, caution signs everywhere, all of them in massive fonts. He could see the opened locker of Ty Bradley. Approaching it, Ryan sees his Voxophone, along with clothes, uniform, posters, he also spots a calendar for this year. Out of curiosity, Ryan picks it up. Upon opening the calendar, a note falls from it, and he picks it up as well.

"To all workers, due to the unstable nature of the work being done on Monument Island, there will be long periods of quarantine for the safety of all those who work here, and for the safety of our beloved city. Please mark these dates down." Ryan read out loud, as he then investigates the calendar. Sure enough, today is indeed one of those days that the tower must be under quarantine. "Oh, that makes sense. Huh, you learn something new I guess." He once again spoke to himself. Dropping the items back into the locker, he made his way forward.

Opening the set of doors led Ryan to the stretch of corridor, along the way there were machinery, all of which were short circuited and smoking. At the very end of the corridor showed a growth chart of the 'specimen,' from the age of one to seventeen.

"Specimen." Ryan scoffed, wondering how Elizabeth would react being called such a way.

He continued his way until he was met with one of the first of a few major sights in the base of the tower. The piece of machinery with 'Siphon Passive' above it. He didn't really know what this machine really did, other than create small tears that effected the three objects in their glass containers. Right now, standing before the Nikola Tesla looking device, Ryan still didn't really know what it is, but unlike before, he does have an answer… ish.

He approaches the first lever on the left and pulls it. A light shines on the object, showing itself being a brown teddy bear with the label 'age 4 Companion.'

"Whoa!" Ryan flinches as a burst of electricity hits the teddy bear. A small tear like that of the Lutece statue from earlier changes the teddy bear from brown to red. Ryan stares at it with wonder in his eyes. Sure, it wasn't as big as when Elizabeth opens a tear, but people will still stare at a firecracker with the same level of amusement as a firework, right? Well… he does at least… sparky-sparky, light-light.

Ryan shakes his head to concentrate and moves on to the next object. He pulls on the lever to reveal mahogany poetry book, a flash of electricity then turns it blue. Ryan was very much still amazed at it, even though it was still the same process as the teddy bear went through.

Lastly, he made his way to the menarche. Ryan cringed, remembering while playing that he didn't know what a menarche is, until he paused the game to google it.

"Creepy lab coats." Ryan muttered as he still pulled the lever, showing a bloodied piece of cloth. A small tear on it transposed it to a clean one later. Ryan still felt an uncomfortable shiver slither down his back. "So much for privacy, poor girl."

That statement couldn't have been truer, as Ryan went through another set of doors, to reveal the three rooms. He remembers the red room, but he first enters the immediate door on his left. Upon entering the room, he immediately felt the sensation of being a child in the dentist's office. A familiar red chair greeted in a glass room, with all sorts of medical appliances that made Ryan swell with unease. On the other side of the room, the same growth chart and a shelf with samples of both blood, nails and hair from…

"That's a definite nope." Ryan didn't even want to think about it as he left the room.

The next room was unsettling too, in a serial killer type of way. The red room was nothing special if you ignored the one thing Ryan felt disturbed about. The three pictures of Elizabeth hanged from above, the first showing a naked back side of Elizabeth, the next is a close up of the left side of her face, and the last being her finishing touches to her clothes. He didn't even want to look at the first one, he had a lot of respect for the girl who's gonna go through so much shit, that he felt like seeing her in such a way would violate her. So instead, while doing his best to cover the photo, Ryan plucked it out, and snapped his fingers. Like that a tiny flame erupted from his thumb, and carefully burned the photo.

"Don't wanna start another fire, even though half this place is going down." Ryan mumbled to himself as he made his way to leave for the next room.

The last room was the projector room, with chairs strewn about, and the projector itself still on and working. Ryan approached the projector and flipped the switch to the play position. There it shows one of the many lock picking attempts Elizabeth made, it only took a couple seconds before she storms off frame, her frustration apparent. Ryan chuckles as the next part shows her investigating codes.

"Damn, well with that much time, gotta do something." Ryan comments, seeing the pure concentration in Elizabeth's face. The next part shows Elizabeth painting the Eiffel Tower in Paris, bringing a smile to his face.

"Huh, never been Paris before. If we pull this off, it'll be the first for both of us." Ryan once again thinks out loud, seeing Elizabeth dutifully getting every minuscule detail into her painting. Putting her passion for Paris into the canvas, but before Ryan can get a decent look at the painting, due to vintage distortion of the film, it switches to the next part. Elizabeth singing has always been a highlight for Ryan, especially that extremely special moment at the bar in the shantytown. Then something occurred to him.

"Fuck… I don't know how to play the guitar." Ryan scolded himself. Wondering how he could find a way to show that moment to Elizabeth. Hell, he couldn't even sing, much less perform any sort of acapella. Even if his life depended on it. Then he pulled out his phone.

"I have the song, even the one performed by Courtnee Draper for Bioshock, but nothing purely instrumental. Curses!" Ryan quickly shook his head in surprise. He raised an eyebrow. "Curses? Who the hell still says that?"

…

"I do apparently." Ryan shook his head to refocus. He put his phone away to continue to watch the projector, but by then the film was already over. He approached the projector to press play again, by nothing happened.

"Huh?" He looked at the film reel and realized that he had to switch the reels over to replay the film again. "And that's a lot of work, that I'm not gonna do." Ryan said out loud as he exited the room, and into the next important chamber.

The main Siphon room was vibrant, and loud. Massive metal diaphragm-like disks pulsating with the energy to contain Elizabeth. Ahead of him, and in front of the main stem was a desk and a board. The board showing Elizabeth's power increasing as she grew older, she's getting powerful. On the board it says, 'facility unsafe.'

"Huh, maybe that's why this place is so deserted." Ryan commented. As he made his way, he suddenly felt… dizzy. A bit nauseous and dizzy, it wasn't the hemorrhages he felt when riding the skylines, if that were the case, he would've felt blood dripping from his nose. But no, he oddly felt, completely overwhelmed for no apparent reason, hit hurt his head, the sense became a bit too much to handle. Ryan collapsed onto the floor, gripping his head in a futile attempt to make it stop. After an excruciating minute or so, the pain did nullify, but its presence ever so remained.

"What the fuck was that?" Ryan muttered as he got up. But suddenly, something passed through him. "WHAT THE FUCK." Ryan backed away as ghostly image passed through him, coming from the way he did. Ryan fell on his ass, looking at the ghost that stopped, and admired the machines around. The ghost strangely looked familiar, in terms of clothes at least, and in weaponry as well.

Ryan got up to examine the ghostly image. The ghost was rather tall, a guy, big hands, had a vest, asco-

"BOOKER!?" Ryan exclaimed, realizing he'd been looking at the ghostly image of the man himself. The ghost didn't seem to react, still looking at the room around him, like Ryan himself wasn't even there next to him. It was strange to see, it looked like the Adam ghosts the people of Rapture would see from time to time. The Booker ghost then kept moving, towards the elevator at the end of the room, then just disappearing. Ryan just stood there, in complete shock, he just saw Booker! Booker DeWitt himself!

Ryan shook his head. "What the fuck is happening to me?"

---

An elevator ride later, and Ryan was met with the closed observation window. Lever in front of him, he pulled it to reveal the small side room dedicated to code deciphering and lock picking. Now that Ryan thought about it, that was as close of a video game for her, due to its challenge and puzzle-like solving.

"Huh, that's what happens when you have that much time in your hands. Wouldn't be surprised if she wrote fanfiction on the side." Ryan commented as he moved to the next window. The window peered into Elizabeth's bedroom, where she not only slept but played music, sang and danced. "Talk about that feeling of being watched…" He muttered under his breath, moving on. A panel ahead showed where Elizabeth was, but Ryan already knew where she was, always in the next room. But to humor himself, he just pressed the button.

The panel indicated that Elizabeth was in the dressing room. "Yup, holy shit I'm gonna see her." The shocking revelation hit hard, and anticipation grew within him. Although this time, the anticipation is even greater than for the view over Columbia. Its for the girl that he'll be with for a very long period of time, someone who's going to share his upcoming trials and tribulations. Someone, who unlike the game, someone who he may need to keep an eye on. Even though Elizabeth was perfectly capable to take care of herself in-game, this wasn't a game anymore. She is just as real as the threats ahead of her.

Ryan merely just shook his head to refocus. "If she's just as capable in-game, I really shouldn't worry." He reassured himself. "Hell, I'm pretty sure Booker relies more on her then the other way around… in terms of combat of course." Ryan kept moving forward, over the walkways and into the metal inner structure once more. There, he entered the small observation room, although this time, the blinking sign above showed that she's just on the other side of that glass.

Ryan didn't really know why his heartrate increased. He suddenly felt anxious in just, seeing her. Was it because he's gonna see the whole reason why he went on this ridiculous journey?

"Why am I making such a fuss?" He pulled the lever. The metal shutters opened, and instantly that violin cue played in Ryan's head. Immediately, she's there, in the flesh. Elizabeth, in all her beauty.

"Holy shit…" Holy shit indeed, and she perfectly encapsulates the miracle of character design. If you make a character look so beautiful in-game, just imagine how they'll look in real life. Cosplayers can have the potential, but nothing can beat the real deal. She looks just like Elizabeth in game yet, with more realistic features. Those features actually don't subtract from her overall appearance, as a matter of fact, it only serves to enhance her look. Ryan's eyes were wide, staring at the girl who brushes a bit of her hair before reacting to her thimble. He chuckled when she picked up the photo of the Eiffel tower, and reacted with such childlike glee, it made his heart swell. As the shutters close, she runs off towards the next room.

Ryan just stood there, amazed at how Elizabeth just appeared, a literal Disney Princess. "Well, minus the Disney, and minus the Princess. Well… minus the Princess-ish." He said, walking over to the next panel. Pressing it reveals Elizabeth to be in the Dinning room, the door opens as a response, and Ryan goes through. A trip through the walkways later, and he enters back into the inner metal structure. Greeted again by a closed shutter, Ryan opens it to reveal… an empty room.

"Wait… wha-" He was cut off when Elizabeth enters the room, still gleefully excited. She places the photo down and with a look determination, she turns to the painting of the Eiffel Tower behind her. Ryan takes a closer look, almost pressing his face on the glass, as Elizabeth got to work on the painting. Placing her hands near her painting, she attempts to force something wide open. She's opening a tear, Ryan's anticipation grew, seeing a literal tear, a real tear for the first time. Literally opening a hole within the fabric of space and time, he imagines how many physicists would die just to see this for themselves.

When the tear finally opens wide, the shockwave of the it opening was surprisingly powerful enough to push Ryan back from the glass, and onto his ass. The glass looked even more cracked then it did in game, but that didn't matter to him, as he quickly got up to peer into the tear. There he saw it, 1983 Paris, seeing that Return of the Jedi is playing in the theater. He couldn't really hear well cause of the glass, but he did faintly hear Tears for Fears' Everybody Wants to Rule the World. A nostalgic Ryan smiles at the music, his adoptive father loves these types of vintage jams. So, when he first played through this part, he enjoyed it even more due to how he quickly recognized the song playing, and who was singing it. Personally, he really likes 'Shout,' 'Sowing the Seeds of Love,' and…

"Woman in Chains…" Ryan muttered, as he looked at Elizabeth curiously looking out into the Paris nightlife. Then, he heard the sirens of a fire engine, Elizabeth panics, trying to close the tear. Right before the truck gets close, the tear closes, leaving a distraught Elizabeth, running out the room. Even with the shutters closed, Ryan's gaze remained fixed to where Elizabeth was.

"It's a world gone crazy, keeps woman in chains." Ryan sang the lyrics. There was always something so profound about that particular song to Ryan. Even when he was younger, that song stuck to him more than any other song by Tears for Fears. He couldn't place a finger on why, but whenever he heard that song, he felt like he needed to act, to do something, do something right.

'Who knows, it might've been some sort of premonition for this unexpected journey.' Ryan thought as he moved through the walkways. After the incline back into the metal inner structure, and up the stairs is where the last observation window is at. Pulling the lever revealed a rather lonely Elizabeth, humming the angelic tune of breaking a circle. It was rather heartbreaking to see her in such a state, a tragic character from the very beginning, and at the very end. That's when Ryan remembered the closing lyrics for that song.

"So free her." Ryan sang quietly, the significance of the song truly weighing down its importance on his shoulders. Yet all Ryan could do was smile, feeling so much more determination to make her happy at the end. With a smile that taunted the world, he made his way forward, ignoring the panel showing that Elizabeth was at the Library. At the end of a corridor, he turns a rather hard wheel to open the door, but upon opening the force of the winds closed it immediately. He pushes again with more force, there the door opens with a bit of difficulty, and passes through.

He sighs, remembering that he is on one of the tallest structures in a flying city. "Don't look down." He says to himself.

…

He looks down anyways.

Ryan moves away from the edge. He doesn't have a fear of heights, nor falling. But he doesn't have any interest in doing anything like that right now. Carefully and staying close to the wall, he makes it up to the cheek of the Angel of Columbia and enters the monument once more. Back inside, Ryan immediately gets cold feet once more. It was one thing to be nervous about seeing Elizabeth for the first time, but that was nothing compared to meeting her for the first time.

Ryan slowly approaches the gold-like chain platform that led into the library where Elizabeth was, his heart beating rapidly with no sign of slowing down. He eyed the door across from him, and the chain that he knew would break under his weight. He didn't really know if he was anxious about the fall, or anxious in meeting her for the first time. But Ryan didn't really have to think for long.

"Like the boat, I have to go eventually." Ryan places a foot on the platform, nothing happens.

"Yolo." He puts his complete weight on the platform, nothing happens.

"So far so-" But it was when he takes another step, is when something else happens. The chain doesn't break, instead… the platform actually lowers itself.

"Songbird? I didn't hear the… tune…" Ryan heard Elizabeth say, seeing her turn his way. Eventually, their eyes meet and lock. Elizabeth's eyes were wide, very wide. She tightly clutched the book she didn't realize was still in her hands.

What felt like an hour of just staring into each other's eyes, eventually Ryan broke the silence. "Uh… h-" A book abruptly slams onto his face.

"AAAHHH!" Elizabeth screams as Ryan fell off the platform, and onto the ground, unfortunately bouncing once as well.

"ARGH! FU-" Another encyclopedia plants itself on his face with a mighty slam. The force of the book causes him to hit his head on the floor again, he feebly raised an arm up to cover himself. "STOP!"

"Ugh!" Elizabeth throws another book, missing completely but scaring the absolute shit outta Ryan.

"Just stop! Please hear me out!" Ryan quickly peaks out seeing Elizabeth almost down the stairs, as she throws another book at him. "Just stop! Come on!" Elizabeth reaches ground level. She picks up another book and approaches him, all the while raising the book above her, ready to strike.

"Who are you?" She demands.

Ryan had a hand on his face, another raised to block any further attempts to assault him. "My name is Ryan Passerine! I've come to get you out of this tower!" He tries to reach out to her, but she flinches back.

"Get away!" She exclaims, as she tries to hit him. But being prepared for it, he blocks her surprisingly weak attempts to strike him with only his free hand. But eventually, she ceases her attack and looks at him in fascination.

"Are you real?" Elizabeth said as she reaches out to Ryan, a soft and gentle hand caresses his cheek.

"As real as you are." He responded while laying a hand over hers. Her tone, her voice, her first real contact from outside her tower that isn't a winged beast. Years of isolation, years without any social interaction outside of Songbird, was conveyed in those three words alone. Too bad the moment didn't last. The statue began playing the tune, Elizabeth looks at it and at Ryan in a panic.

"He's coming, you got t- your nose is bleeding." Elizabeth looked worried at him.

Ryan places his hand over his nose. "You got me good twice, would be surprised if it wasn't bleeding." On top of that, his head hurts as well. Ryan was growing worried on whether he had a concussion due to barrage of books that flew his way. If he did, what was coming next wouldn't improve his condition at all.

For a moment Elizabeth gave him a guilty look, to that he felt bad, but it quickly changed to panic once more. "Anyways, you have to g- Just a minute! I'm getting dressed!" She yelled out the way he came from.

"I have the key out." Ryan said as he made his way to the door.

"There is no key! There is no way out!" Desperate frustration was apparent in her voice, worried that not only she would be in trouble, but her guest would be as well. "Stop it, you're too impatient!" She again yells out towards the platform shaft above.

"You mean this key?" Ryan shows the key to her.

"Like I said, there is n- wait, give that to me!" She said as she swipes the key away from his grasp. Ryan didn't mind, instead the haunting calls of Songbird from above had his fullest attention. But before he knew it, he heard the locks on the door undoing itself, and it opens.

"A way out!" Elizabeth happily exclaims. She looks back at Ryan. "Come on, this way!"

Ryan was about to take a step towards her before the building violently shook, bringing him down on a knee. "Shit!" Ryan cursed, as he quickly got up and follows Elizabeth. They run down the stairs, the building still violently shaking like there was an earthquake, with Songbird screaming out in fury.

"Its his job to keep me locked up in here!" Elizabeth yelled out for her new acquaintance to hear, as the duo zoomed passed the long clean corridors.

"Don't worry, I know!" Ryan called, the tower still shaking rather violently with every attack from the winged beast.

"Who are you!? Why did you come here!?" Elizabeth exclaimed, while they ran through the wooden walkways.

"I'll answer what I know once we're out of this tower!" Ryan answered back, almost losing his balance after the most recent attack from Songbird.

"This way come on!" She desperately calls out as she made her way through the observation rooms, with Ryan not too far behind. She was quicker than he is, no doubt more excited and anxious to leave her prison then he is.

"Wait! Hold-SHIT" Ryan fell on the ground, there he witnessed Songbird scape the tower, the claw marks present from within the tower.

"You okay?" Elizabeth temporarily paused her escape to check on her rescuer.

"I'm fine! Just keep going!" He responds back, getting back up and running towards her.

"Come on, hurry!" Elizabeth grabs his hand to urge him forward. He runs with her but she out runs him, getting to the elevator first.

"Call the elevator!" Ryan calls out.

"The what!?" She questions out loud.

"Press the button going down!" He reaches her as she presses the right button, now all they can do is wait. Wait as the tower is being demolished by the winged Big Daddy.

Instead of focusing on the crumbling structure he found himself in, Ryan turned to the young woman. Elizabeth looked at the observation window, He could tell that she was shock and disgusted at revelation in front of her.

"What is all this? They were watching me? All this time… why? Why did they put me in here? What am I? What am I?" Elizabeth asked him, anger flaring from her. Negative feelings conflicting with one another, venting some at her rescuer, while also hoping to get answers. As for Ryan, he didn't really know how to respond, and at the same time, he didn't know what's going though her mind. The only response he could come up with, was Booker's response.

"You're the girl who's getting out of this tower!" As if on cue, Songbird punched through the elevator door. With everything happening around him, it gave him an utter heart attack. "JESUS FUCKING CHRIST!

The glowing eye of the Songbird peered into the entryway, and starts ramming its head, trying to get in. Elizabeth starts panicking, screaming as the room violently shakes with the bird's forced entry. Around this time of the game, Ryan remembers shooting Songbird, only to add the dramatic flare and intensity of the moment. On top of that, its something Booker would definitely do. But this isn't the game, its real, shooting the bird would definitely spook Elizabeth into not trusting Ryan. Having a gun and shooting in a confined space, yeah, that's smart. So, against his urge to shoot the bird, Ryan held onto the wall behind, staying as far away from the bird as possible.

Eventually, the elevator pushed the bird down, leading to a convenient exit for the both of them. Ryan looked through the elevator shaft, seeing the metal supports lining up as a path towards the other side of the elevator shaft.

"Come on Elizabeth! This way!" Ryan called out as he went through. In no time Elizabeth followed him, they start to scale the staircase up.

"We have to keep moving! He'll tear the building apart!" She exclaims, running faster and pass him. She trips on a step.

Ryan run ups to her and catches her before she loses her balance. "Careful Elizabeth."

She looks up at him, worried. "How do you know my name?"

Ryan quickly urges her to get up. "Once we're out, then I'll spill, come on!" With that the duo gets to the top, a tightly locked door blocks their escape. Ryan struggles with turning the wheel, he looks over to Elizabeth. "Help me out!"

She nods and helps him turn the wheel. The door slightly opens, and Ryan gestures her to move first. She complies and then Ryan opens the door even more to let himself out. Now facing against the cold wind, he and Elizabeth runs to the top, having nowhere else to go but up. Over to the left, Ryan sees the silhouette of the Songbird, and it isn't until now, that he realizes how truly massive this beast is. It's terrifying enough that it exists, but even more so that it's after him. Pass all the cutscenes of Songbird in-game, Ryan wonders how he will truly fight against it.

But that doesn't matter now, Ryan puts his goggles on, and readies his Skyhook. He reaches the top to Elizabeth, who looks at him worriedly.

"What no-" Songbird flew above them, and the force of his flyby was enough to push him and Elizabeth off the tower.

The two went up, twisting and turning, it was jarring enough that Ryan could've easily threw up. Instead, he used every fiber of his being to reach for Elizabeth, who was desperately trying to do the same to him. What felt like an eternity turned out to be only a few seconds, Ryan was able to grab hold of Elizabeth, who in turn grabbed his arm with both her hands. He pulled her closer to him, and instinctively she hugged his neck and wrapped her legs around him, while his free arm wrapped around her waist.

Remembering the Skyline, Ryan used his hook and triggered the magnet. His Skyhook gravitated to the line, and they were attached! They flew through the lines, and wind against their faces and through their hairs. Before they pass a flying barge, Songbird crashes through it like it's nothing, and tiny bits of debris did manage to hit them but didn't injure them. The line turns to face the tower, and the duo witness the fall of the Monument. Massive pieces, including its head fell onto the bridge it happened to be next to. Elizabeth gasps and screams, all that is happening around her clearly too overwhelming for the poor girl. The turns the line took did not help her at all, as they were too abrupt and jarring, they shook violently, the momentum being way too much that they flung around like marionettes on a string. Songbird flew pass them once more, Ryan seeing it with a bit more detail this time, its mechanical features, its brown leathery suit, and yellow glowing eyes. The Skyline literally shook Ryan out of his musings, seeing the ride almost at its end.

"Oh shit…" Ryan said, the Skyline shaking and his Hook becoming lose. Elizabeth hugs Ryan with all her might, screaming into Ryan's ears. Ryan starts screaming too, and with nothing else he could do he hugs Elizabeth as tightly as he could. They were twisting and turning as they fell, Ryan had no orientation, so sense of what's up and down, it was nauseating to him. But glimpses of the bottom showed that they were going to hit water, so Ryan did his best to orient himself, so he'll hit the water, and hopefully cushion Elizabeth with himself.

With the combination of how fast they were falling, and Elizabeth's weight on him, Ryan hit the water hard. Enough so that he lost his grip on Elizabeth instantaneously. She's struggling to get a hold on to him, while also swimming to the surface. Ryan felt weak, and on the verge of losing consciousness. On top of that he was struggling to breathe, he felt like he was going to die.

Not a moment too soon, the bird slammed into the water, claws out towards him, ready to take his already struggling life. But before anything could happen, Songbird struggles as well, it couldn't take the water, much like himself, and bird looks at him, its right eye cracking. The bird quickly escapes the water, holding onto its own head.

Ryan's eyes were struggling to remain open, he felt calm as he sank deeper into the water. He was too weak to swim, too weak for anything, the days events took every ounce of strength away from him. He felt a hand grip his shirt, and amidst the growing darkness of dreamscape, Elizabeth with pleading eyes appears before him. With futile effort to shake him back into the land of the living, Elizabeth tries to get him to stay awake. But the darkness was too tempting, too alluring. Ryan closes his eyes, embracing the darkness that finally succumbs him.

---

"It's a lovely day, isn't?"

"Yes, it is indeed a lovely day."

The man laughs. "You don't have to be so formal about. Come on, just breathe in the cool summer breeze. What ever comes to you mind, just say it, don't think too hard about it."

She closes her eyes, breathes in through her nose, and out her mouth. Opening them, she smiles at the vista before her. The man smiles at her.

"Come on, let loose, and enjoy the weather."

"I usually don't have the time to appreciate what's in front of me. There is always something for me to think about. What comes next, what did I miss, am I correct?"

"Usually?"

"Yes usually. But right now, people close to me are just telling me to relax. To be honest, I have been trying to find ways to 'relax,' and I haven't found the reason why I've been feeling so… incomplete."

"Well, I don't have the answers for that. But I can provide an ear to talk to, I'm a great listener."

"And why would I spill something like that to a complete stranger?"

"I dunno, I'm just trying to be friendly, I guess. I don't mean to pry."

The duo remained in silence, just enjoying the bright and breezy day around them.

---

Ryan gasps, trying to breathe once more. He coughs, it hurts to breathe but he can't help it, he felt like he was suffocating. Above him, Elizabeth was trying to bring him back to consciousness, she smiles at him, seeing his opened eyes. He closes his eyes once more, finally being able to breathe, he rests his head on the sand beneath him.

Not a moment too soon, Ryan groans, and opens his eyes once. He still sees Elizabeth above him, her eyes filled with sympathy and concern.

"Hey, Mr. Passerine? Are you alright?" She asks him, and gentle hand on his chest.

Ryan weakly nods at her. "Thanks…"

She looks at him inquisitively. "Not that I don't appreciate it but, what are you thanking me for?"

"Saving my life."

She chuckles. "Me? I should be thanking you for getting me out of that tower."

He shakes his head, still wanting to get a moments rest. "Nah, if it weren't for you, I'd be sleeping with the fishes." She lets out a harmonious laugh, to which Ryan couldn't help but smile at.

She reaches out for him. "Come on, you almost drowned, I need to get you up." He tried his best to get up, but his body refused to follow.

"Ah, ah shhh- shit! I can't, I can't, I can't, it really hurts to get up." Ryan told her, as she attempts to get him up.

She looks at him with concern. "I have to give you proper medical attention, you almost drowned." Elizabeth pleaded to him. But as much as he wants to get up, he was far too weak to do so.

Ryan shook his head. "I'll be fine, trust me. The days events are just catching up to me, I want to stay still for a moment." She gave him a concern frown, but that morphed into a gleeful smile, hearing pleasant music. She looks at him a bright smile.

"Do you hear that? Its music." Ryan smiled at her, and gestures her to go ahead.

"Go on, I'll be fine." She gets up and looks at the direction where the music is coming from. She looks down to him.

"Okay, I-I-I-I won't be long. I won't be long Mr. Passerine." With that, Elizabeth rushed away from his line of sight, and Ryan just closes his eyes. But after about five minutes, with sleep nowhere in sight, Ryan finally decides to get up. Shaking the sand off him, he looks around. He certainly felt out of place, as everyone around him were dressed to swim. He looked down to examine himself, still wet and now covered in a decent amount of sand.

"I'm wet again…" Ryan sighed, not much has changed in a couple of hours, drying was still a pain. "Oh FUCK!" He rushes to his pocket… his phone is one again wet. "Christ, I'll need a new phone after this." He looks around hoping to find a towel to dry himself off with. He approaches a man sitting by himself.

"Excuse me? Do you have a spare towel?"

The man looked at him bitterly. "Is this some sort of sales pitch? Because I am not interested." If there's one thing about Ryan, is that he usually doesn't pick fights, and would often try to avoid any attention. But with everything that happened to him today, and the fact that he's currently not in the best health, he couldn't take attitude.

Ryan snaps. "I was just asking for a towel dipshit, no need to be rude."

The man sneers. "Look who's talking. Get out of my sight and leave me alone."

'He isn't worth the effort.' Ryan reigns his emotions in, knowing that there's no use to arguing with a random man. Even though he so desperately wants to. He moves to the next group of people.

This time, he approaches a lone woman. "Excuse me, do-"

"Here you go!" The woman happily gives her towel to him. Ryan gingerly takes the towel, showing shy gratitude.

"Thank you, that was awfully quick." Ryan nervously smiles.

"I overheard you speaking to that rude man earlier. Do pardon him and spend some time with me? I'm without and escort if you're looking to pass the time!" She excitedly proclaims, and Ryan timidly smiles back.

"I'm fine, really. The towel will suffice, thank you." With that he got to work, again. He first dries his phone, which somehow still works, but it isn't like he's gonna question it. Then himself, which was a chore on its own.

"What is that?" The woman below him asks.

"What's what?" Ryan looks at her.

She pointed at his phone. "That black rectangle thing you so vigorously dried. It must hold some value if you dried that over yourself."

Ryan looked at his now dried phone which he hopes to remain permanently dried. "Oh yeah it is pretty valuable. Its, ah… um…" Its not like she'll know what this is. She'll either look at him strangely, which is a big no-no to Ryan, or she'll be more inquisitive about it.

"It's a memento from my… my parents!" Ryan exclaimed. "I don't exactly know what it is, but I keep it on me to remind me of them."

"Aw that's so sweet. Can I see it?"

"Ah its good." She looked disappointed. "Oh, and um, here's your towel, here. Thank you so much for your charity. Here." Ryan gave her a couple of Silver Eagles from his pouch.

"Oh, why thank you sir!" She smiles at him and Ryan sets off. Luckily, he knows where Elizabeth would be, so he wouldn't have to ask around for her location.

Ryan moves into the structure; there he was greeted with the ad of The First Lady airship. He knew it was supposedly Booker's way out of Columbia, but after a series of unfortunate events led the airship crashing down to Emporia, Ryan knew the airship was just a way to progress the story.

"Wish it were that easy." Ryan muttered, shaking his head and moving pass the ad. He passed by a carriage, where looking inside it yielded ammo for his pistol. With the sudden realization, Ryan's hand immediately went to his holster, where he felt the familiar pistol grip of his C96. He sighed in relief, knowing he lost his machine gun during their dip in the water.

Going through to the other side, a gust of wind blew a beach umbrella to the water. But Ryan just stood at the precipice of the beach of Battleship Bay, one of the many visual highlights of Bioshock Infinite. One he really loved for its joyous atmosphere, and Elizabeth's demeanor throughout. Although the air smelled artificial, it reminded him of just any sort of painting. Smells like artificial chemicals, yet it looks amazing.

Ryan made his way to the music, which sounded just as lively, if not more so, than the game. Although he had to pass some people with rather… old views of the world, the music and a dancing Elizabeth kept him rather happy and joyous. He approached the pier, seeing a dancing Elizabeth celebrating her newfound freedom. The way she danced with the people around her, her untamed enthusiasm was simply contagious, and as much as he wanted to join in, Ryan was very much an introvert. Not that he disliked company, but he did find peace in solitude. But on top of his introverted tendencies, he couldn't dance, even if his life depended on it.

Ryan slowly approaches the dancing group. "Hey? Elizabeth?" He calls out, but the music certainly drowned him out. "Heh, drowned out…" Ryan scoffed, considering what nearly happened to him.

As he approached the dancing group, they single out Elizabeth, as she danced at the middle while everyone clapped her on. The way she danced, her expression, her mannerisms all screamed 'free at last.' Like a bird finally out of its cage, able to spread their wings far and wide.

Ryan was now in front of her. "Hey, Elizabeth?"

She looks at him, eyes wide with pure, unadulterated glee. It is so infectious that Ryan genuinely smiles with her. "Hello! Oh, this is wonderful! Oh, come dance with me, Mr. Passerine."

Ryan takes a step back while holding his hands up, yet still he smiles. "Nah, nonono, I can't dance even if my life depended on it."

Elizabeth laughs at his response. "I'm quite sure you are not as bad you say. Come on!" She grabs his hands and pulls me into the crowd. They cheer for Ryan and Elizabeth, as she had a hand on his shoulder, and the other with his hand in the air. They 'danced' around the pier, but it was mostly just skipping and a fair amount of jumping, yet no one seemed to care. Everyone was just having fun. Elizabeth looks at Ryan, a thankful smile to him as she kept skipping around with him on tow. To his surprise, he did have a lot of fun, until his injuries crept up. As much as he tried to hide it, his smile still faltered to a wince, and Elizabeth notice.

"Excuse us." She says to the dancers and pulled Ryan to the side. "Oh no! I completely fo-"

"I'm okay Elizabeth, really I am." Ryan said as he leaned onto the wooden barrier. "Why don't you keep dancing, don't worry about me, I prefer the sidelines."

She smiles sadly to him. "Aw, that is so sweet of you. But your wellbeing is much more important than my entertainment right now. Come on, let's go somewhere more private so I can get a look at you." She excuses herself from the dancing group, and the duo goes back to the structure that separated the two beaches. There beside the baby carriage she examines him from the toes up. Luckily, no broken bones, the worse comes from some serious bruises and a few cuts.

"So, where are we heading to? And why did you rescue me?" Elizabeth gave Ryan a helping hand up, to which he graciously accepted.

Knowing that The First Lady airship must have passed as they were dancing, Ryan pointed at the ad for the ship. "We're heading for that airship and leaving Columbia."

That when Elizabeth's eyes once again shined bright. "C-Can, can… can we-?"

Ryan nodded to her with a reassuring smile of his own. "Yeah, we can go to Paris. I haven't been there myself so its gonna be a first for both of us."

"Thank you!" Elizabeth exclaims as she suddenly hugs him. Ryan cries out in pain, and Elizabeth immediately peddles away. "Sorry!" Her hands flew to her mouth, worried she might've hurt him more then necessary.

Yet Ryan wore a brave face and smiled back. "I'm fine, don't worry about, I'm good."

She smiles back at him in relief. But a nagging question remained unanswered. "Why did you break me out of my tower?"

That gave Ryan a moment to pause, as he never really reasoned an answer for this inevitable question. Sure, Rosalind said he can be honest, but besides rescuing the girl, he doesn't really know why he's truly here in Columbia.

"I um… that's um… that's a pretty complicated answer." She looked curiously at him.

"How so?" She asks.

"Well um, the basic summary is that I was 'hired' to get you out of Columbia, and somewhere safe. Someone is interested in your wellbeing." Ryan explained, using air quotes for hired.

"Hired?" Elizabeth narrowed her eyes as she mimicked his air quotes.

Ryan shrugged. "Well due to circumstance, I really wasn't given much of a choice. And honestly even if I were, I'd still go out to get you out."

She looked at him curiously. "And why is that Mr. Passerine?"

"Because a cell with luxury is still a cell. Why would they lock up someone like you for as long as they have? Seems cruel to me." Ryan responded, and although he knew why she was locked up, even without her powers she'll still be in that tower to be groomed into the heiress of a crazy prophet. But on top of that he was still trying to keep the whole video game aspect away from her, it would avoid a lot of unnecessary confusion. Elizabeth sighed, followed by an expression that is best described as sad relief.

"Thank you, so much Mr. Passerine for everything you've done so far. I-I, I can't even…" She started to get emotional, as the feeling of all those years locked up in a tower starts to truly burden her at this moment. During her time in the tower, she never wanted to admit it; but she truly felt like a prisoner.

Elizabeth then felt a gentle hand on her shoulder. "Hey, don't cry. If you cry, you're gonna make me cry." They both laugh at what Ryan said. It was also enough for her to wipe her tears away with a few sniffles. "And on top of that, don't thank me yet. We're still not out of Columbia. You can thank me once you see the Eiffel Tower, pinnnnk-" Ryan caught himself before making a potentially offensive promise, to which Elizabeth definitely noticed.

"Pinnnnk…?" She knew what he was about to say, she just wanted to see if he would recover.

"Eh... eeeehhhh- capiche?" He held his arm up, ready for a shake.

"Uh-huh, sure." She grinned as she shook his hand. "You're not getting off that easily."

Ryan smiled. "You shook my hand, I'm off."

They both entered Battleship Bay once more. Elizabeth breathed in the air around her. She just needed the reminder that she's outside, finally outside. Amongst people like her, and they were all having fun, playing music, dancing, playing, it felt like a dream to her. Well, it literally felt like a dream come true.

"I'm out. It's hard to believe but it's true, isn't it?" Elizabeth took a deep a deep breath through her nose, smelling the air around her. "Oh, can you smell that? I've never smelled anything like that before, have you?" She looks back at Ryan, to which he raises an eyebrow.

"Smelled a painting before?" He asks.

She adorably tilted her head to the side, giving him a confused expression. "Yes, I have actually. But what does that have to do with this?"

"A painting smells like paint, smells chemical, artificial, but it also looks great too. So much like a painting, this beach looks far better than any beach that I've ever been to. But it doesn't have the most authentic smell."

Elizabeth giggles at him. "You sound like an expert on beaches." To which Ryan couldn't help but laugh at as well.

"Ha… I did, didn't I? Even had that pompous, know-it-all tone, right?" He asked but Elizabeth quickly corrected.

"More like the passionate expert who really loves what they know."

Ryan kept a smile. "Well, to be honest real beaches really don't smell like this."

Elizabeth also still had a smile. "I'll add to the list, right under Paris then."

"Just remind me to bring swimwear next time."

They kept their brisk pace through the beach, seeing everyone relaxing under the sun or in the water. Elizabeth wanted to explore everything, do everything. Ryan remembered how in-game, he did all available Elizabeth interactions with the world, especially in Battleship Bay.

They did pass by a couple of ladies, and for some reason Ryan did remember what they said in-game.

"Hm… look at him Ladies. It's a crime someone doesn't get him in a nice set of trunks." To which they laugh, Ryan blushes and quickly scurries away with Elizabeth in toe.

She giggles at his reaction. "Bashful?"

The blush started to wear down as Ryan responded. "Something like that I guess."

"Lemme guess, there's someone already waiting for you? Or there's someone in your mind?" Elizabeth teasingly pried.

Ryan grinned at the question. "Actually, no to both."

But Elizabeth wasn't having it. "I don't believe it, I mean, you are handsome."

Ryan paused as that comment still lingered in the air. But it only took Elizabeth a couple of seconds to realized what she had just said, as she blushed and quickly turned her back to him. Ryan couldn't pass up the moment.

"I'm sorry, I didn't hear that with the music and all. What did you say?"

There wasn't an immediate response, but a response, nonetheless. "idontknowwhatyouretalkingabout."

"Ah… but you do, something about being-" Elizabeth crouched, grabbed a handful if sand, and threw it to his face. "ACCKK, AAAACCCKKK! WHY!?"

"Hey look, you have some sand on your face!" Elizabeth innocently said, disregarding what happened earlier.

"No kidding! I wonder how it got there!" Ryan enthusiastically yet sarcastically said out loud.

Elizabeth laughed as she took his hand. "Come on Mr. Passerine, we still have a lot of the beach to explore!"

Luckily for Ryan, she had an immediate interest in a green bucket with skippable rocks. But before approaching the bucket, she had an immediate interest in the massive medicine balls.

"Don't break your back." Ryan called out as Elizabeth reached down for one.

"They can't be that heavy." They were, and after a few attempts, she concedes. "Don't lau-"

"Pffff, ah-ha-ha! Ha, h-ACCCKK, AACCCK! STOP THROWING SAND AT ME!" Ryan brushed his face as Elizabeth started giggle but ended up laughing out loud. Ryan shook his head in amusement, as he then made his way to the water to rinse the sand out.

Elizabeth followed, but stopped on the bucket of stones. She immediately tried it out for herself but failed in her first attempt. But every attempt afterwards showed much improvement. On the water, Ryan was rinsing the sand from his face, but generally around his head. He made sure that he took his shoes and socks off, then pulled his pants up as much as possible. On top of that, he made sure he never lowered himself too much, risking his phone's life.

Ryan looked over to Elizabeth, who seemed very concentrated and committed to her rock skipping. The look on her face showed that of pure immersion to the sport at hand, and a slight addictive mannerism similar to that of gambling of sorts.

"You good there Elizabeth?" He called out to her.

"I'm fine. Just a few more and we can get going." Ryan nodded as he finished up rinsing himself. He then realized something, he turned to look at Elizabeth, and at the water around him.

"Hey Elizabeth? Wanna see something cool?" To that, her eyes shined with naïve curiosity.

"What is it?" She said as she got on her tippy toes to see what Ryan wanted to show her, without getting in the water.

But he gestured her to come over to him. "Come here, you gotta see it for yourself."

Elizabeth showed hesitance, but her thirst for knowledge proved too great. She lifted her skirt enough to walk in water with only her boots getting wet. She approached him with anticipation.

"What is AH!" Ryan splashed some water at her, to which she got decently soaked by. She lets go of her skirt, realizing she got wet, nonetheless. Her eyes, a mix between anger, frustration, excitement, and determination. "You did not just do that."

Ryan just smiled. "Should've thought about it before you threw sand at me. We're even by the way."

But clearly by her face, she wasn't done with him yet. "Oh, ha, ha. Two can definitely play that game." But before she can make a move to splash him back, Ryan backed off immediately towards the beach.

"Whoa, whoawhoa! Hold your fire there ma'am! I got something that isn't waterproof on me."

But Elizabeth wasn't having it. "Should've thought about that about that before you splashed water on me, good sir!" With that, the water wars began.

Seeing the imminent strike coming, Ryan tossed his phone towards the green bucket where Elizabeth was skipping rocks. Luckily, it landed rather gently next to it as he then participated in a fight for his bragging rights. They both laughed as they both splashed water at each other. Within seconds, they were both completely drench, but that didn't matter to them, because Elizabeth was having the time of her life. Eventually, the fight came to an end as Ryan approached her and hugged her from behind to prevent her from splashing anymore. They both continued to laugh as they then fell onto the shallow water. Elizabeth then extracted herself from him, but sat in the shallow water across from him, and they both looked at each other, still giggling and chuckling from their fight.

"I can never do something like that in the tower. The bathtub was getting smaller as I grew up. Naturally." Elizabeth said, as they grew quiet and into comfortable silence.

"Makes sense." Ryan simply said, not knowing how to proceed after that. "But hey, you're out here now, don't live in the past."

She smiled. "Yes, I'm out. A part of me still can't believe it, I'm outside. For nineteen long years I've been inside." She then felt embarrassed. "Oh, I'm so sorry. I keep bringing up my tower and my newfound freedom. I must sound like a broken gramophone."

But Ryan shakes it off. "No, no. Don't feel bad, its perfectly natural, and it makes sense too. You've been in that tower for so long, you can only pull experiences from that tower into the forefront."

Elizabeth smiles at him. "Thank you for understanding Mr. Passerine."

"Just call me Ryan. I don't mind being called Mr. Passerine, but I can tell it can be inconvenient and annoying if we kept to Mr. Passerine." Ryan clarified to her, to which she nodded in agreement.

"Ryan, okay, sounds good."

With they kept to the water, still feeling relaxed and comfortable in silence. But eventually, they had to keep moving.

"Come on Elizabeth, we still have an airship to catch." Ryan said as he for up and lent he a helping hand. She accepted, as they then moved to the beach to get dried.

---

"Mr. Passerine! Come look at this!" Elizabeth called out to Ryan, to which he sighed at the name.

"It's Ryan, Ryan is just fine, remember?"

"Just come here! These nice people are giving something to us!" She excitedly waved at Ryan and gestured him over to her. He turned away from the mouth-watering sweet caramel, and immediately recognized the people Elizabeth was accepting the gift from.

He approached the three. "Oh um… take whatever you want Elizabeth, I'm sure you'll like whatever you choose." He did remember how indecisive she was in-game to the point of asking Booker which one he'd preferred. But now, Elizabeth is giving him a look of confusion.

"What do you mean? The nice man is giving me the bird, while-"

"Here." Rosalind approached Ryan with the cage brooch and extended it to him. Ryan only stared down at the brooch and at Rosalind in confusion.

"Wait… why are you giving this to me?" He asked Rosalind.

She was about to give an answer, but Elizabeth beat her to it. "Why not? We would be matching in a sense!" She enthusiastically said, unaware of the symbolic nature of the Bird and the Cage. Ryan couldn't help but let the gears in his head do its wonders, cause these brooches could've been easily switched around for the entirely same output. Yet he was being offered the Cage, a symbol for not only the tower that Elizabeth was imprisoned in for almost the entirety of her life. But also, as the means to control the Songbird. Or maybe he was just thinking too much into this, overthinking it. But at the same time, this is Bioshock Infinite! The smallest details reveal so much about the world, its stories and its characters.

"You're thinking too much into it." Rosalind smiled at an obviously baffled Ryan. He was still extremely hesitant in picking the brooch up, wondering what it all meant. "You could easily turn it down if you wished Mr. Passerine. Although I do not know what the girl's reaction would be."

At the mention of the girl, he immediately glanced at Elizabeth, who was too busy admiring the brooch now attached to her choker.

But seeing as he was taking his time, Rosalind took matters into her hands. She took the brooch from the box, grabbed his hand, and placed the brooch in the palm of his hand. Ryan was stunned at the sudden action, but she kept a grip on his hand, enclosing it around the brooch.

He looked at her with unease. "Just take it. As a keepsake, okay?" She said, but with a forced smile. She released his hand, but he kept the grip on the brooch. Rosalind backed away with Robert mimicking her, as they then vanished out of view.

"Where'd they go?" Elizabeth now realizing the sudden disappearance of the two strange individuals. She turned to Ryan, noticing his frozen and dazed expression. "Is everything okay? You look… rather disturbed."

He turned to her, with his still frozen expression. "I don't know, everything is just, weird. I can't explain it." He said while opening his hand up, seeing the brooch with the Cage.

His tone seemed disturbed, like seeing a ghost yet still conflicted. Elizabeth didn't want to see him in such a negative mood, so she turned to the brooch in his hand.

"That's a nice brooch, there's something so somber about it. But I can tell that there's something special about it. What're going to do with it?"

Ryan shook his head. "I don't really know. I don't have anything that could let me put it on, you want it?"

Elizabeth shook her head. "It's okay, it looks like they gave it to you for a reason. Even if I wanted it, I don't have the pockets for it."

"But you d-"

"The pockets you see are too big and loose. If I move too much, I'll lose it." She interrupted Ryan as she kept going in her explanation.

Ryan just kept quiet, still thinking about the brooch, and the out of character interactions he's having with Rosalind.

"Yeah… but I'm still trying to figure that part out."

Elizabeth gave him a weird look. "Figure what part out? Why my pockets are big and loose?" She joked, to which he shook his head.

"Why they gave this to me."

---

"Ow!"

"Sorry! You weren't paying attention!"

Ryan rubbed his left temple, it still stung from being hit with a Silver Eagle. "You know, you've got a helluva arm. The encyclopedias you threw at me nearly gave me a concussion."

Elizabeth blushed at the mention of their first meeting. "Oh… I just remembered that I didn't properly apologize for hitting you with my books."

But Ryan shrugged it off. "It's fine, really. To be fair, it's a very appropriate reaction."

They both laughed, now finding their first meeting to be more humorous if anything. But Elizabeth walked up to pick up the fallen Silver Eagle.

"But in all seriousness, we don't have anything that can further treat your injuries. Like I was saying earlier, but you were too distracted by the Dollar Bill machine…"

"Sorry." Ryan cringed at himself, hearing the scolding tone Elizabeth was using.

"Yes, you should be sorry. But like I said earlier, we need to use everything we can get our hands on to help us. I found this Silver Eagle on the ground, you can use the machine to get something to eat, get your strength back up. Unfortunately, we don't have enough for a first aid kit, I don't know why they wouldn't give it for free but, that's the circumstance that's faces us right now." Elizabeth explain, while looking over the menu of this specific Dollar Bill.

Ryan approached the machine, with the coin in hand. "Well, it would help if we had a bunch of Silver Eagles now, would it?"

"Yes, If only." Elizabeth then heard jiggling from behind her. She turned to see Ryan with a purse filled to the brim with Silver Eagles. Her eyes were wide. "Where'd you get this much money!?" She asked, both in fascination and in concern.

But Ryan brushed off her concern. "Relax, I got this from my 'employers,' in case we need it in our journey."

She sighed in relief. "Okay then, what'd you want?"

Ryan looked at the menu. Considering the condition, the machine is in, and the fact that they were in the 'Colored and Irish washrooms,' the item worth selling weren't very much.

"Why are there two different types of first aid kits? Why not one?" Ryan complained.

"I dunno… seems greedy if you ask me." She responded, equally disturbed as Ryan.

Ryan sighed. "Ergh, whatever, let's just get the better one. Clearly the cheaper one only gets you so far, might as well go full."

"Alright, here can I try?" She said, raising her hands up for the coins.

Ryan completely forgot that Elizabeth was fresh out of her tower. So, anything, any action, no matter how big or small, is an experience for her. It luckily only took him a couple brief seconds to understand, as he nodded and gave her the Silver Eagles needed for the purchase. She slotted the coins in, and the big first aid dropped in the chute rather unceremoniously.

"That was anti-climactic." Disappointment clear in her voice.

"It's a vending machine."

"I know, but I was expecting something more…"

"More…?"

"I don't know… livelier?"

Ryan leaned in a bit and scoffed. "A vending machine?"

"Alright lets just go!" Elizabeth said while tugging at him to go. But Ryan resisted.

"Whoa, whoa wait a minute. You have to help me out here. I'm still not great."

"Oh, I forgot! Here, lets go over here." She said as she placed his arm around her shoulders. Elizabeth assisted him in walking, as they rounded the corner to see two familiar faces. Familiar to Ryan at least.

"Hey, its you!" The bride called out joyously.

"Hey, I know you guys. How'd you escape?" Ryan said as the bride and the groom hugged each other mode tightly.

"When the panic started, nobody cared to notice us. Thank you for standing up for us and helping us escape. We couldn't have done it without you." The groom said as he stepped forward to give Ryan a handful of coins. "Here, it may not be much, but it's the thought that counts, right?"

Ryan shook his head. "Its fine, really, I don't need the money. Instead, why don't you help me and my friend out? I need to get patched up."

"Are you sure you don't need the money?" The groom asked, pressing the money towards him. Instead, Ryan reached out to the groom, and enclosed his hand over the coins.

"I'm fine, you guys seriously need it more then I do. Plus, if you really want to repay me, just help me out, please?" Ryan asked, to which the couple jumped at.

"Certainly, mister!" The bride approached Ryan, and helped Elizabeth get him on the table.

It only took a couple of minutes to treat Ryan's injuries. Apply ointment where needed, wrap certain area in bandages, and so on. Elizabeth's knowledge proved valuable, her hands moving across his body with swift expertise. 'Its amazing how well she taught herself.' Ryan thought, genuinely surprised by her skill.

"So… how did Mr. Pas-"

"Ryan."

"Ryan…" Elizabeth corrected herself and glancing back at Ryan. "…help you two out?" She looked back at the couple, who were now returning some supplies into the medical bag.

"Well, you know about the raffle, right?" The groomed asked, to which Elizabeth knew who they were.

"Oh no, I heard about the raffle in the books I've read! They're so barbaric, and if what you said to Ryan is anything to go by, you two were the victims of the baseball throwing." Elizabeth grimly said, but the bride corrected her.

"More like, potential victims. The kind sir threw his baseball at Mr. Finkton! The resulting chaos allowed us to escape!" She happily said, hugging her husband with her right arm.

"Huh." Elizabeth turned to face Ryan. "You just go around saving everyone, now?"

To that, Ryan vividly remembered the Chinese man he couldn't save from the Fraternal Order. He expression turned dark, to which Elizabeth noticed.

"Everyone I can at least." He responded. Elizabeth didn't really know how to move on with that, and an awkward silence fell on the four. But Elizabeth recovered.

"Okay, thank you two for helping me patch up my friend! I really appreciate it, and I'm sure Ryan does too."

"I do."

The groom looked at both of them, then to Ryan. "You saved our lives and defended us from humiliation. That's something we can't fully pay back."

"You just did." Ryan said as he jumped down from the table he was sitting on. "We're fine, you helped me a lot right now, and I really appreciate it." He started walking towards the doors leading into the arcade, with Elizabeth following closely behind him. She had a proud smile, looking adoringly at the man who rescued her as well.

But before he opened the door, he turned to them. "Do me a favor and take care of yourselves."

---

"Kind sir, would you happen to have the time?"

"Its about… 7:30" Elizabeth happily replied.

"Oh… thank you."

'The hell?' Ryan thought as he moved away and toward the cabinets. Much like in the game, they were just automated puppet shows to further spread Comstock's propaganda. There was nothing interactive about them, just a big red button to activate the mini show.

"Hey! Its Flawless Flintlock! The newest one in the series! I heard it was delayed three times!" Elizabeth excitedly ran towards the machine and activated it. Ryan went up beside her as she watched with mild interest.

"You know, for someone who heard about the horrendous nature around the Columbia Raffle and Fair, you seem excited to see Duke and Dimwit." Ryan commented as the mini show continued.

But Elizabeth just shrugged. "I guess it's the nostalgia. When you're a child, everything seems right to you, even a book with silly looking characters. Looking back at it now, it doesn't teach the best of lessons."

"Hm, yeah." Ryan said as he watched the puppet characters dance around the frame. "Newest one in the series and it was delayed three times, right?"

"Yup."

Ryan scoffed. "Bioshock Infinite." He muttered to himself, he had to watch a YouTube video to figure that Easter egg out.

Since they were close to each other, Elizabeth did hear what Ryan muttered. "What was that?"

Ryan raised a confused eyebrow. "What was what?"

"Bioshock Infinite?"

'Oh crap.' Ryan didn't know what to do. He had two options, reveal everything to her confusion or…

"It's kinda like Duke and Dimwit, but more extravagant and better messaging." Or that.

Elizabeth eyes were wide with wonder. "Is it like a play?"

"Egh… sort of. Once we're out of Columbia, I'll show it to you."

"Pinkie promise?" She held out her right pinkie with the thimble on top.

Ryan hesitated and looked at her. "If I pinkie promise, you won't get offended?"

She laughed at him. "I pinkie promise to not get offended, when you pinkie promise me to show me Bioshock Infinite." She happily said with a smile that could brighten an entire planet.

Ryan laughed. "Well, that means two pinkie promises." He wrapped his right pinkie around the thimble and raised his left pinkie up above their right arms. Elizabeth laughed and she wrapped her left pinkie with his. They held onto their pinkies for a couple moments until they both let go, still smiling at their double pinkie promise.

"Cotton candy! Cotton candy! Get your cotton candy here!"

"Hey, what is that?" Almost immediately Elizabeth passed Ryan and towards the man giving away cotton candy.

"Hey, here you go little miss. Cotton candy here! Get your cotton candy!" The vendor continued to call out. With cotton candy in hand, she reproaches Ryan, staring at the bundle of sweetness in her hand.

"So, it's candy?" She said, looking at Ryan confusingly.

"Yup, don't worry, it's perfectly safe to eat." With that said, he took a big piece of it.

"Hey!" Elizabeth called out and moved what's left of the cotton candy away from him. Ryan stuffed it into his mouth. It instantly melted in his mouth; the sweetness of the treat was enough to give diabetes.

"Hey yourself, you were taking too long." Ryan defended himself, as Elizabeth took a small bite out of the snack. Instantly she forgot what Ryan did, and looked over at him with pure delight.

"Mmmm, mmm! This is amazing! How have I never tried this? I can't believe how much I missed!" She took another bite, her face contorting into pure euphoria. Ryan smiled at her happy demeanor and decided to go explore the arcade more.

They walked around the arcade, for Elizabeth, she was enjoying everything this place had to offer. Being trapped within the same rooms, walls, furniture and everything made her deeply appreciate her newfound surroundings. Everything looks vibrant and new to her because it is. She looked out the window into the still bustling beaches, all the while treating herself with what's left of her cotton candy.

"I didn't take that much!"

"You did!" She snapped back.

As for Ryan, he too was enjoying the surroundings, but not as much as Elizabeth. He noticed the racism openly present and couldn't help but feel uncomfortable. For all the sights and sounds, to him the quietest of voices often spoke the loudest.

It didn't help that the life-sized motorized patriot behind glass was spouting out God knows what. He watched with unease, seeing the porcelain masked figure of George Washington attempt to mimic human behavior. He dreaded fighting such a metal beast, it was bad enough to fight enemies such as the fireman and the zealots, but later enemies will blend with each other. All of it culminating to the Hand of Prophet.

"How the hell am I gonna survive this?"

---

"Annabelle?"

"Excuse me?" Elizabeth responded to the mysterious woman calling out to her.

"Annabelle, it's me, Esther!" She insisted.

"Oh no. I'm not Annabelle." Elizabeth reassured her.

But she wasn't easily swayed. "Are you sure?"

To that, Elizabeth couldn't help but feel weirded out by this entire interaction. "My name is Elizabeth. Do I know you?"

"Elizabeth? Isn't that a lovely name?" With that, the woman walks away from them, as if nothing had happened.

"That was odd." Elizabeth turned to Ryan, but was surprised to see how tense he looked, as if he were ready for a fight. "Hey Ryan, are you okay?"

He turned to look at her, with concerned that was clear as day. "I uh, I need to talk to you, in private."

Elizabeth was taken aback at the sudden serious attitude of her rescuer. Minus the events about their escape from Monument Island, she had enjoyed her time with him. She had constantly seen him as a happy, and noble person who has taken everything with relative ease. So, to see him in such a cautious way made her worried.

They passed by a shoe shiner and kept going. Elizabeth heard say something to them, but she didn't stick around to hear her out, she was much more worried about her companion. They reach the gondola station but instead of heading into the room, Ryan kept going straight, back down another set of stairs that looped around to where they were before. Only instead of back to where the shoe shiner was, they were behind the locked gate. Due to how secluded they were, this area offered maximum privacy.

"Ryan, what's going on? You're making me nervous." Elizabeth asked, not liking where this was going.

"Honestly, Elizabeth, you really should be nervous." Ryan said as he looked over himself, seeing that he had everything he needed. He pulled out his Skyhook to see if it was still functioning.

"Why s-should I? Wh-what's happening?" Elizabeth was stumbling over words.

"I'm gonna ask you a question. What do authorities do when a prisoner has escaped." At first Elizabeth didn't realized what that question had to do with their predicament.

"They hunt them down." But it only took a couple brief moments until she realized what he was saying. She then saw him pull out a gun from his back, and Elizabeth started to hyperventilate.

"Elizabeth, please calm down." Ryan calmly said to her, but all she could do was rest her back on the wall behind her. "Elizabeth, Elizabeth, Eliz-"He tried to get her attention but she was stuck in her own world.

"Ryan! Can't we just reason with them!? Tell them what we been through? What I've been through for nineteen years!?" Elizabeth hopelessly tried to not really reason with Ryan, but reason with herself.

"Remember when we were escaping your tower? You saw all the walls behind your home. The mirrors merely being used as observation windows, cameras used to record you without your consent. They went through all that just to keep you in. To keep you contained. So, imagine-"

"Imagine how far they'll go to catch me…" She interrupted with the grim realization. Her gazed returned to the gun Ryan was inspecting, she heard him cock it, readying for a potential fight. "What am I? What do they want with me? I haven't done anything wrong!"

"And I know that." Ryan suddenly said, as Elizabeth turned to face him. Her face contorted into frustration and confusion. "Why'd you think I'm here? I know you're a victim to this place, an innocent girl caught in the middle by unfortunate circumstance. I came to this city to get you out, no matter what." He holstered his pistol and placed his hands on her shoulders. "I know we've only met like a couple hours ago, and you have all the reasons to not trust me. But I genuinely want you out of this city as much as you do. I'm willing to do everything I can to do so. I'll keep you safe, okay?"

Elizabeth didn't know what to feel. She was stuck in-between two unknowns, the city around her and the man in front of her. A city that may soon be hell-bent on putting her back in the tower she so desperately wanted to escape from. And the man in front of her, the man who got her out, who seems like a nice friend to have, but has clearly done some unsavory things by the way he handled the gun he has. All of this was so overwhelming, and only a mere couple minutes ago she was in fantasyland, enjoying the beauteous sights and sounds around her. To now, being introduced to a world of violence. This whole day has too much for her, and now she doesn't even know if she can trust the man she's been accompanying for the majority of her time outside the tower.

"I-I-I don't know, I… want… I don't know what I want… I… uh, um." Her mind was racing, her words garbled to show for it. Everything was happening at once and they were just.

"Just breathe Elizabeth, just breathe." Ryan breathed in with his nose, and out from his mouth. Elizabeth followed his example and did the same. Eventually she only calms down by a tad bit, but enough so that she could speak clearly.

"We were never going to just… waltz on out, were we?" She asked, to which Ryan shook his head.

"Hell, I didn't even waltz on in to get you out. Remember the bride and groom we spoke to like, forty-five minutes back?" She nodded, remembering the two that helped her medically treat Ryan. "How do you think they go out? I created a ruckus when standing up for them. Cops came at me and I had to fight back…" Ryan paused, remembering the fight way too vividly. "It was the first time I have ever taken a life."

Elizabeth looked at him in shock, her eyes had the held a certain sadness for him. "Oh, I'm so sorry."

"That, um… that happened a couple hours before I broke you out of the tower. That's why I was so exhausted at the beach, not just physically but-"

"Mentally." She finished his sentence. It was clear to her now that there was no clear way out of the city. No matter how they wanted to leave, it wasn't going to be easy. "Whatever is going to happen, it won't be the end, until I'm out of the city, is it?" She cautiously.

"I hope it would end. But it won't, it'll just be the beginning."

Elizabeth grimly nodded, as she stood back up from leaning against the wall. "Just… just stay safe, okay?"

He looked at her grimly. "I'll certainly try." With their concerns laid bare on the table, they kept went back up to the gondola station.

Almost instantly, after their talk about the dangers of their journey, Elizabeth felt like a wanted woman. Everyone in the room was unnaturally stiff, and it was quiet except for the man playing the violin. She felt every single gaze on her and Ryan, and it wasn't because she was paranoid. Every time she looked at someone, they'd instantly turn back to whatever they were doing, they were avoiding her gaze.

"Stay close to me Elizabeth." Ryan said, and she immediately did. She was sticking close to Ryan while holding on to his left hand.

As for Ryan, he was sweating bullets. He remembered this part of the game rather well, seeing how unnatural everyone seemed. It was even more prevalent in person, the man asking for sauerkraut made it too painfully obvious. He felt too out of place, that subtle feeling of the world coming to get him now legitimately pressing itself around him. He had to fight the urge to reach for his gun, he already scared Elizabeth when he had that talk with her, it wouldn't help the trust between them if he was the one who started the fight.

"Fucking hate this." He muttered under his breath.

The approached the mysteriously only active ticket booth. The man on the phone had his back to them, no doubt talking to his superiors. Elizabeth wasn't doing the best job of remaining composer, not that Ryan was doing any better. Her hands were shaking, she remained extremely close to him while wildly looking at all those who were practically gazing at them.

"Um… excuse me? Can I get two tickets to the First Lady Airship?" Ryan politely asked, his voice only slightly trembling.

"Yeah, just a minute pal." The clerk responded to him. But he soon returned to his call. "Yeah, I have it. How do you want to proceed?"

The choices at that moment now more prevalent to Ryan then ever. At hand he could draw his gun, instigate the violence. It wasn't how he would like to do things, it wasn't in his character. He knew he wouldn't have the guts to draw first. But literally on the other hand, he could have a knife through it. It'll hurt like hell, and unlike in the game, it would hurt for the rest of the journey. Ryan's thoughts raced, not knowing how he would do. Then, Elizabeth's words echoed in his head.

"Can't we just reason with them!? Tell them what we been through? What I've been through for nineteen years!?"

'Might as well try it out.' Ryan thought, clearing his voice. Time was of the essence, as much as he hated public speaking, he had to make sure he was talking out-loud for the whole lobby to hear.

"I just want you to know, the girl came willingly with me. She wasn't forced out of her tower, and I did not destroy it. She was a prisoner, held against her will. Locked up for nineteen years of her life, years she will never get back. That's no way to treat someone as innocent as her. So I don't care what you think, I'm getting her out of the city, free from those who locked her up in her tower. Understand?"

There was a moment of silence, everyone looking at the duo. Only it seemed that what Ryan said had only made them more upset. Their faces more contorted into disgust, and anger, long forgotten their masks they held before. But Elizabeth got closer to Ryan, now holding his hand.

The man behind the booth only looked at him for that same moment, before he sprung into action. He moved to impale Ryan's hand, but Ryan knew it was coming, and quickly moved his hand away.

"Ah h-AAHHH" Ryan celebrated too early, as the man threw a knife a Ryan, embedding itself in his left shoulder. Ryan fell down and another man swooped in to grab Elizabeth.

"GET OFF OF ME!" Elizabeth kicked her handler right in-between his leg. The man collapsed onto the ground, clutching his bruised ego. Around the duo, people raised their guns against them.

"Don't hit the girl!" Esther exclaimed, pulling out a pistol herself. Elizabeth moved quick to get Ryan behind cover, right before the shooting started.

"Ryan-"

"Not now!" Ryan attempted to move his left arm. Although he can, it hurt immensely. "ARGH FUCK!" Elizabeth flinched when she heard him swear, more so then when she heard guns firing. Ryan raised his left arm, much to his pain. His left hand formed into crow-like feather and claw, he raised his arm and aimed it at their assailants. He made the gesture, and instantly crow came out of nowhere and towards the ground of undercover funders. Elizabeth covered her ears, but it proved fruitless when she still heard the screaming and shooting.

Ryan shakily stood up, pulled out his pistol, and started firing. With his enemies flailing around from the crows, he easily ended their suffering with a single shot to their heads. His last target was that of Esther, still swinging her arms and moving her body away from the pecking crows. Ryan hesitated for a moment, watching the woman flail around. He didn't know why he was hesitating; it wasn't like Esther was a special case. So instead, he called off the crows. The woman stood still for a moment, panting and trying to get her bearings. She looked down at herself, seeing the bloodied mess of herself. She then looked at Ryan, her face bloodied with cuts and bite marks. Her whole face turned to righteous anger, as she raised her gun at him. But Ryan's gun never left her, so he simply shot her straight in the head. She dropped unceremoniously on the ground, the silence after the fight almost deafening.

"Is it over?" Ryan heard Elizabeth ask. As if to answer her, the lights were cut, the alarm was sounded, and the gates shut close.

"Keep your head down Elizabeth." Ryan didn't wait for a response as he rushed to the corpse with a machine gun. He picked up the gun, ran towards the gates, laid the Murder of Crows trap and a possession trap, got to cover then aimed it at the closed off gates. He heard the whistle, as Columbian soldiers showed themselves behind the close gate. But before they can even open the gates up, Ryan let loose a barrage of bullets. He managed to take down two before they opened the gates.

The gates opened and instantly the first one through stepped on the crow trap. Crows flew out of the trap, overwhelming the soldier who stepped on it. Another soldier attempted to shoot the crows, but by maneuvering around he stepped on the possession trap. He instantly possessed, and instead of helping his comrade he gunned him down with his might shotgun. The rest of the firefight ended quick, with Ryan and the possessed soldier dealing with the rest of the soldiers with relative ease. Again, the silence was deafening, and painful. With his adrenaline pumping, Ryan forgot about the knife embedded in his left shoulder. With the reminder came the pain, he grunted as he attempted to pull the knife out.

"ARGH, FUCK!" He couldn't do in one motion, so he tried again, this time biting into his sleeve, making sure he didn't bite into his arm. "HRRGM…" With much difficulty, he managed to pull the knife out, and blood started to seep out. Not knowing how to treat such a wound, he made his way to a cowering Elizabeth.

"Hey? You okay?" Ryan gently said. Elizabeth looked up to see a totally different man. Ryan looked defeated, although they won the engagement. The nice and playful Ryan was replaced by a downtrodden and battle-worn man. A far cry from the knight in shining armor that she saw him as.

"I-I don't know…" And she meant it. How could she feel at the moment, everything felt just numb to her. "Numb, I guess? What should I feel? People just tried to kidnap me and kill you; how should I feel?"

"Your guess is as good as mine. I-I… I don't even know. But we have to keep moving, more will come if we stay here." Ryan held out a hand for Elizabeth. To Ryan's concern, she hesitated for a split second, before taking it. Ryan gently pulled her up, and she instantly saw the carnage that Ryan had created. Blood pools on the floor, corpses with bullet holes, crows pecking at the dead flesh of the dead. She wanted to vomit and would if it wasn't for her empty stomach. "Just don't look at them. Keep your eyes trained ahead."

Unfortunately, 'ahead' still had corpses to the ground. She glared at Ryan, to which he didn't react to. So instead she kept her eyes on the possessed soldier just beyond the gate. Although he soldier then began to lose his green luster.

"Oh SHIT!" Ryan exclaimed as he moved Elizabeth away from the sight of the soldier and covered her ears. But a panicked Elizabeth still heard the shogun going off.

"RYAN! RYAN!? What's happening? Are you okay?" Elizabeth asked in a panicked manner. To her relief, he was fine.

"I'm okay, but just keep walking, just close your eyes." She did so immediately, not wanting to look at the corpses any longer.

"What happened? Why did your turn me away? Who fired?" Elizabeth asked as Ryan guided her away from the carnage in the gondola station.

Ryan hesitated to respond, but she would find out eventually, he might as well explain it than show it. "Possession has a nasty side effect when it wears off. The soldier just off himself."

"Oh my God…" Elizabeth said, as she covers her mouth. When they passed the soldier who killed himself, Ryan decided to grab his bloodied shotgun. "Ryan? Where are you?" Elizabeth said with her eyes closed, he momentarily had to leave her to grab the gun.

"I'm here, don't worry." He said as he held onto a blind Elizabeth. As soon as they were in the hallway leading to the gondola, Elizabeth extracted herself from Ryan grasp, and ran ahead. "Elizabeth, wait!" As he started to run, Elizabeth screamed. He quickens his pace, and as soon as he rounded the corner, he saw Elizabeth, and the clerk from behind the booth.

The man held Elizabeth in a hostage style, a baton threateningly close to her face. "I'm taking her with me. I don't care about you say! You only spout lies to deceive us, like yo-" Ryan shot the man in the head, blood sprayed Elizabeth's face. The man collapsed onto the ground, while Elizabeth still stood, dazed and shaken.

"Eliza- WAIT!" She ran to the gondola, with Ryan trailing behind her. Elizabeth made it to the gondola first, and when Ryan arrived, he found her on the ground. Her legs close to her chest and hugging them tightly with her head down. Before Ryan moved to comfort her, he activated the gondola. "Eliza-"

"You killed those people." She interrupted him, to which he couldn't answer to. She let her legs slide down to the floor, her arms rested to her sides and she looked at him. The sadness, confusion, her innocence breaking at the seams, it was heartbreaking to see. "What do they want from me!? WHAT DID I DO TO THEM!?" She angerly stood up, turned to face the cityscape.

"Nothing." Elizabeth turned to face him; is clear with the way she looks at him that she wanted clarification. "You didn't do anything."

"That doesn't make any sense. If I didn't do anything, why lock me up in that tower for nineteen years of my life!?" She paused as she leaned onto the railing, it wasn't until she looked back at him that she realized the knife wound Ryan was trying to cover up, and the excessive amount of blood staining his clothes. "Oh my God- Ryan your- "

"I could use a little help." He simply said, and without another word, Elizabeth rushed to his side, treating the nasty wound before it could become worse. As Elizabeth was bandaging Ryan, he took her right hand. Elizabeth paused to look at him. "You're special Elizabeth, more then special. You are literally one of a kind powerful, but that's only half reason why you were locked up."

"You know about my powers? The tears?" Ryan only nodded, to which Elizabeth suddenly became self-conscience. "You must think that I'm some sort of freak of nature."

"No, no, no." Ryan shook in his head. "To be honest its pretty cool. I mean, who wants to be normal? Normal is boring." Elizabeth chuckled at Ryan's reason. He couldn't help but smile, relieved to see that Elizabeth hasn't been completely devastated but what has transpired so far. Then again, same thing happened in-game. But Ryan was trying to minimize or completely abolish all the bad that happened in-game. Sure, he wasn't always successful, like the Chinese man and now the knife in his left shoulder instead of through his hand. But at least he was trying.

"What's the other half?" She asked, he voice showing how desperate she is for answers.

Ryan answered her through a single quote. "Do you know that quote? 'The Seed of the Prophet shall-"

"-Sit the throne and drown in flames the mountains of man.' I've seen in through billboards from my tower and it was always in my books about the Prophet. Why do you ask?" Elizabeth said to Ryan. But he only gave her a grim look. Elizabeth herself never paid much attention to Comstock, because she was largely isolated from the outside world. It wasn't until now that she really delve into all that she has read about the man. Something did stick out though, she has seen the quote but nothing in her books mentions anything about an heir. She looks confusingly to Ryan. "I-I-I don't understand. The books I've read about him never mentions his offspring, or anything like that about him-"

"Because you are." She looks at him, the shocking revelation making her tremble. Even though Ryan wanted to correct her, say that her true father was Booker and not Comstock, he also didn't want to further complicated things. "When he passes, you are to take up his mantle, and do as he says."

"No, no, nonono… that can't be." Elizabeth started to deny it but Ryan kept going.

"He wants you to follow in his footsteps."

"Well I want a puppy but the doesn't mean I'm gonna get one!" Elizabeth exclaimed.

"That's why I'm here." Ryan said, but Elizabeth confusingly turned to him.

"To get me a puppy?"

"What? No!" Elizabeth deflated a bit at the response. "Wait, do you really want a puppy?" Elizabeth looked at him. "Hold on, that's not the point. The point is, is that you are important to some powerful people. Yet, you're in the crossfire between Comstock and fate."

"And you're here to get me out." Elizabeth concluded. Ryan nodded, but Elizabeth still had questions. "But that doesn't explain you." Ryan looked questioningly at her, and she further clarified. "Who hired you to break me out of my tower, and escort me out of Columbia?"

Ryan cringed in the inside. He committed himself into not telling Elizabeth about the whole video game aspect yet right now, it could come in handy. In a sense, Booker didn't really know who hired him, as his memory kept getting more unreliable until he learned to adapt. But Ryan knew exactly who hired him, he luckily still remembered why he was here. The only thing he couldn't justify was why he was here. But in relation to what Elizabeth, he could probably get away with half the truth. Rosalind and Robert genuine did work to get not only Elizabeth out of the city but reunite her with her father. But in hindsight, they did do it to get back at Comstock. With Robert seeing that Comstock was going too far with their technology. With that, Ryan had an answer.

"The people who hired me have something against Comstock." Before Elizabeth can interject, he continued. "But I genuinely want to hep you. Please know that I am on your side, and that I want to see you be free of this place."

"I see." Elizabeth's questioning gaze only intensified, as she narrowed her eyes at Ryan. "Then who are you? Since you know about my powers, and who I am, what do you want with me?"

Ryan sighed; he didn't even know why he was here. But what he does know, is that he legitimately wants to help her.

'We're all buried at sea.'

'SUCHONG'S CLINIC!'

'I can see all the doors… and what's behind all the doors.'

'If I was so smart, if I saw so much, why just send myself to the slaughter!?'

'Amazingly… I see him.'

It's not fair, that's why he's here.

"If you see someone who needs help, do you just walk you and pretend you didn't see anything? Or do you do anything you can, anything in your power to help those in need?" Elizabeth heard pure conviction in his voice, which surprised her to no end. She has heard him say that he wants to help her but the tone of utter determination in his voice only served to strengthen his claim.

"You really want to help me that bad?" Ryan didn't trust is words to convey his feelings, so he nodded without even looking at her. Elizabeth sighed, now choosing to at least put some faith to her new companion. She stepped beside him, looking at the platform closing in on them.

"I'll promise you one more thing, that at the end of this… journey. Everything will make sense. Okay?" Ryan said, the gondola chiming meaning they reached their destination.

"Pinky promise?" Elizabeth raised her right hand, her thimble pointing at him.

"Pinky promise." Ryan wraps his right pinky around her thimble, and both smile at each other. Both hoping that the other has their back in this perilous journey.

---

Note: This took way longer to make then necessary. But nonetheless I hope you enjoyed this Chapter. I now do realize how long this story will be. The next chapter will be Everything in Soldiers' Field and Hall of Heroes. The chapter after that would be the entirety of Finkton Factory. I'm still debating on whether the next after Finkton would be just Emporia, or the rest of the game.

Anyways, I still hope you enjoyed this chapter, I apologized if you encounter any spelling or grammatical error. I hope I can bring the next chapter soon. Until then, peace out.

P.S. If you are curious, seriously check out the song 'Woman in Chains' by Tear for Fears. It's a fantastic song, and fits not only this story, but Bioshock Infinite in general. It's amazing, and I only found that out when making this chapter.