Up the Vox zeppelins went, and up the giant monster climbed, red eye beaming upon its targeted airship. In return, most zeppelins fired at the giant monster, rockets bursting on it and the building, but it wasn't giving up anytime soon.
Inside the zeppelin were stacks of munitions and guns, allowing Booker, Zachary, and Pinkerton Elizabeth to resupply ammo. Old Elizabeth and young Elizabeth each took a belt with two holsters, and each took two Broadsider pistols for self-defence. Booker re-equipped two Hand Cannons at his sides and reloaded his Burstgun, and Zachary took a sniper rifle which he slung over the shoulder.
"Booker, catch!" blue Elizabeth said, tossing Booker a vial of Salts.
"Thanks."
Zachary sighed, "Dammit... I hope Sofia is still alive..."
Daisy stood at the front of the bridge, one hand on the window, looking down as exploding rockets flashed below.
"Your plan worked. So far, they still be stayin' away from the refugees. The horde's still runnin' blind all over the place," one of the Vox Beasts remarked.
"Yeah... Let's hope it stays that way. We'll keep outmanoeuvrin' 'em, lead 'em into ambushes, and slowly pick 'em off," Daisy replied, her skills and experience as a rebel still quite handy against monsters. "But damn, that huge thing really can take a beatin'!"
Scorched here and there, the giant monster continued climbing the skyscraper, and the zeppelins kept their distance, bombarding the beast and the horde. Once the monster reached the top of the skyscraper, the chains connected to its spinal cord rattled with greater vigour. It then raised its arms, grasping the chains connected to its back, then began climbing up.
"The hell's it doin'?" a sniper asked.
"Must be trying to get away," Zachary remarked.
Once able, the giant monster grasped more the mechanical lengths hanging from the sky, pulling itself up higher and higher, until the zeppelins had difficulty firing at it. The zeppelins would have to raise altitude to continue bombarding the giant monster, though none of them wanted to risk getting too close to those mechanical things.
After much heaving, the giant monster was perhaps fifty feet above most skyscrapers, holding onto the various mechanical lengths. It then positioned itself upside-down, hanging from the mechanical lengths, and began swaying. Relying on some swinging, the giant monster made its way upside-down across the sky.
"Dammit! It wants to attack us from above! He knows we ain't flyin' too close to them hangin' machinery!" Daisy exclaimed. She ran over to the PA, actually pushing the African-American announcer over. "Daisy here! All zeppelins, fly outta here, and stay low! Don't let that thing jump on ya!"
"Oh, great..." Booker groaned, Cindy clutching her Big Daddy doll nervously.
A few Beasts swung their heavy weaponry against the windows, shattering them. They aimed up and fired at the monster, other Vox rebels joining with their firearms.
"Is any of that going to do anything?" blue Elizabeth almost protested.
"Well, gotta do something!" Booker exclaimed.
"I'll do what I can atop the zeppelin!" Eleanor exclaimed, and promptly teleported, reappearing above the zeppelin. Feeling wind blowing her hair back, she began hurling fireballs at the monster. Though, no matter what anyone did, the horrid thing kept going.
The zeppelins spread out and flew down various streets, now bombarding the horde below. The monster swung with one hand, its great weight pulling down a dozen tonnes of mechanical lengths with it. It swooped down and swiped its free arm, striking a zeppelin and smashing the gondola apart, hurling bits of wood everywhere. Some occupants fell out, and the zeppelin began to tilt.
Leaning over the zeppelin, the monster lunged with a mighty groan, and snapped its gargantuan jaws over the envelope, breaking it open. The zeppelin plummeted, and the monster began climbing up again, a few other zeppelins launching more rockets at it while it was low enough to be shot at. Unfortunately, rockets, Eleanor's Plasmids, and Vox firearms did little, but the beast began bleeding profusely here and there, waterfalls of blood gushing down.
By the time the monster climbed back up and positioned itself upside down from the mechanical lengths, most zeppelins had flown a few hundred feet away in all directions. Nevertheless, the monster crawled after a specific zeppelin...
After a few minutes of flying down various streets, everyone overheard clunking and rattling echoing from the skies. Daisy looked out the side window, seeing a big red beam shining down from above. Eleanor's fiery Plasmids started flashing across the sky.
"Dammit! He's comin' after us!" Daisy warned, and instantly, the Vox pooled against the windows, and broke them open to fire at the incoming monster.
The giant monster increased its speed, its weight pulling down the mechanical lengths or sometimes ripping them off. Eye beaming red light that kept moving up and down as it crawled, the monster approached the zeppelin, its own chains chiming against the mechanical lengths.
Eleanor teleported back into the zeppelin.
"Eleanor! You're back!" Cindy almost cheered.
"Yes, but I'll need to go again," Eleanor replied, Cindy's mood dropping.
"I don't think we can take him out!" Booker said to Daisy, emptying a Burstgun he had equipped sometime ago. "Do it!" Booker yelled at blue Elizabeth.
"There!" Elizabeth shouted as she summoned a Gun Automaton atop the zeppelin's wing, and it turned around and began shooting at the monster. Although it would do little, desperate times caused desperate measures.
The giant monster continued crawling, but then growled, clearly irritated. It grasped a handful of mechanical lengths, ripping them out of the sky (or wherever the hell they came from). It then swung its handful of torn machinery, as if a series of metallic whips, striking the zeppelin and deforming the envelope, causing the airship to tilt for a few seconds, everyone inside staggering or falling to the floor, Eleanor grabbing Cindy.
"I'll go back out, and try to divert its attention!" Eleanor shouted. She then made eye contact with Cindy. "I'll be back," she said, and teleported away.
Eleanor reappeared above a skyscraper just outside, and knew she had to focus her Plasmids into a stronger medium. Putting her hands close together, she conjured a powerful stream of electricity, essentially a constant Electrobolt. Her Plasmid's electrical breakdown cause some trouble for the giant monster, the electricity travelling throughout adjacent mechanical lengths as well.
Shaking from electrocution, the giant monster's movement decreased. Suddenly, it swung its arm to the side, whipping its mechanical lengths at Eleanor. Her eye widened, then she teleported away just as the machinery slammed into and bounced off the building. She reappeared at a nearby skyscraper, and continued electrifying the monster.
Then, the monster paused, and turned its head, looking at Eleanor. As soon as its red spotlight shone upon her, Eleanor felt sharp, echoing static and tuning noises reverberate in her skull. Blood leaked out her nose and mouth, and she fell to her knees like an unstrung marionette. At that, the monster started turning around, and crawled towards Eleanor.
Meanwhile, the Vox noticed the monster's change of direction, and many of them exclaimed some relief.
"There he goes!" a Vox rebel remarked.
"Hunh? Where?" Zachary asked, rather rudely stepping through a couple Vox and leaning out the shattered glass. He looked around, and saw Eleanor on her knees atop a skyscraper not far off. "Dammit! That thing's after her! We gotta do something or he'll kill her!"
"What's wrong with her?" Pinkerton Elizabeth asked.
"She's hurt by him!" Cindy squeaked.
"Don't know, but, let me..." Booker said, trying to figure out what to do.
Booker turned his head, seeing blue Elizabeth step by, face focused. She kept looking at the mechanical lengths, a few of which reached the skyscrapers. Getting an idea, she slipped on her Sky-Hook, which she kept quiet hidden underneath her clothes. Sky-Hook equipped, Elizabeth aimed, and then suddenly jumped out the zeppelin, and with such force she actually flew several dozen feet out into the air.
"Elizabeth!" Booker, Zachary, and old Elizabeth shouted at the same time. A couple seconds later, they saw blue Elizabeth hanging on the end of one of the mechanical lengths, Sky-Hooker apparently working on it!
"Hunh, never thought of that..." Booker remarked. He equipped his Sky-Hook, and he was next to suddenly fly out the zeppelin, Sky-Hooking one of the mechanical lengths.
"Wish I still had my Air-Grabber..." Pinkerton Elizabeth mumbled.
Booker and Elizabeth used their Sky-Hooks to jump from hanging machine to machine, then they both landed nearby Eleanor, the giant monster closing in on them.
"Hey! Eleanor! Snap out of it!" Booker yelled, dropping his Burstgun, then gently grabbing Eleanor's head and giving it a few light smacks. Eleanor remained mostly limp, eye and eye socket beaming bright yellow.
Elizabeth summoned a Motorized Patriot atop an adjacent Skyscraper. This one looked just like the Abraham Lincoln Patriot she summoned last time.
"Columbia has fallen, but I return to face thee again!" the Patriot exclaimed, running to the ledge of the skyscraper while cranking his gun, unloading a stream of bullets upon his big foe.
The monster grunted, then whipped its handful of machinery at the Patriot, impact striking pieces off and knocking the Patriot over. He picked himself up, damaged, but still able to shoot.
"Eleanor! Eleanor! Dammit, she's not snapping out of it!" Booker yelled. He fired his Burstgun at the monster, then heard Elizabeth gasp.
"Watch out!" she cried, the monster pulling its arm back and ready to swipe its machinery at them. Elizabeth summoned a Rocket Automaton beside everyone. It fired a single rocket right before the monster whipped its machinery at them, the automaton serving as cover.
The monster's whipping attack destroyed the automaton and bounced past it, Booker's shields shattering and preventing certain death. The impact sent Booker, Elizabeth and Eleanor off their feet, but they were mostly unharmed. Eleanor remained partly unconscious.
The monster pulled its arm back, going for another attack, ignoring the Patriot's gunfire. Elizabeth grinned eagerly and excitedly.
"There! I feel it! Ha ha!" she almost cheered. Booker gave her a weird look, then rolled onto his back as the monster reared its arm.
"Ohhh-shhhit!" Booker shouted.
The monster swung its arm, whipping its mechanical lengths. Out of nowhere, a giant Tear formed in the path of the monster's arm. A portion of the mechanical lengths entered the Tear, causing the rest of the length to violently coil around the Tear from the whiplash. This confused the monster quite a bit, and when the Tear closed, it cut through the machinery, and most of it fell.
Booker knelt up and emptied his Burstgun at the monster, even though it did nothing. He then dropped it, slipped his Sky-Hook on his right hand, and got up. Grabbing Eleanor, he threw her over his left shoulder, the Patriot still firing away at the monster. Snapping out of its confusion, the monster began crawling upside-down from above, and extended an arm to Eleanor and Booker.
"Let's go!" Booker said, and he leapt up, Sky-Hook connecting to a mechanical length, avoiding the monster's immense hand, which slammed into the building, staggering Elizabeth.
Elizabeth regained her footing, and leapt as well, jumping over the monster's arm and connecting to a swaying mechanical length. Pushing her legs to give the machinery a good swing, she screamed and leapt to another one just as the monster's hand swung behind her, wind causing her to twirl.
"Elizabeth!" Booker yelled, turning his head.
"I'm fine! Keep going!" Elizabeth yelled back, regaining stability on her swing. "Aghh! I can smell that thing's hot breath flowing up my skirt! Ughh!" She tried not to retch and shiver.
The monster pulled itself after its tiny prey as they swung and leapt from column to column, opening and closing its jaws to click its teeth together. It clearly would not be giving up easily.
Booker struggled carrying Eleanor, feeling the tendons and muscles in his right arm stretch and burn, but he was a stubborn, tenacious man.
Up ahead, a dozen or so of those mechanical jellyfish-like things flew by. Elizabeth leapt, reaching out for the next mechanical length, but it decided to suddenly sway away from her.
"Oh-whoa wooah!" Elizabeth exclaimed, pawing at the air furiously. Down she fell, blood rushing up her face, and guts jumping into her throat.
Booker did not see Elizabeth fall, but she ended up landing on one of the mechanical jellyfish things, legs astraddle. It made a vibrating whirring noise, its mechanical arms flicking upward and hooking onto Elizabeth's sides.
"Oww!" she cried, writhing and ripping the things off her. She then leapt off the damn thing, Sky-Hook connecting to another mechanical length.
Meanwhile, the Motorized Patriot continued firing at the giant monster, but then one of the mechanical lengths suddenly slammed down upon him, breaking his right arm off. Another whipped down, taking his head off. Then, several more whipped at him, coiling around them. The machinery lifted him up, and pulled him apart, piece by piece, bolts and springs raining. He phased out of this reality.
The giant monster continued its pursuit, but by now, it became tired. It was obviously panting. Covered with holes from rocketry and gunfire, the constant bleeding inevitably led to blood loss. Weakness and tiredness affected its movement.
As Booker and Elizabeth leapt here and there, they heard rattling and clanking echoing overhead. Much to their terror, they realized that some mechanical lengths and chains began swinging at them. Like the arms of a squid or mollusc, clutches of machinery extended, reared, then lashed out at them. Most missed, as the two kept swinging and jumping, but it was quite unnerving to behold, especially with the giant monster crawling after them amidst the sky of machinery.
After Booker leapt, he cast Bucking Bronco through his Sky-Hook while midair, the anti-gravitational force stifling one clutch of incoming machinery and its chains. While hanging with one hand, Elizabeth withdrew one of her pistols and rather inaccurately fired at the mass of moving machinery, but the bullets just ricocheted off them. Since gunfire did nothing, she holstered her pistol, and the two continued leaping from column to column.
"Damn! This girl sure can sleep!" Booker exclaimed, feeling Eleanor's limbs and blood drops flopping around as he jumped, but she wasn't recovering.
"Keep going! The airship is right ahead!" Elizabeth called, then jumped to the next column, evading a chain that swung at her.
"Oh-whoa!" Booker exclaimed, his Sky-Hook slipping out the next column, and he slid off it. Elizabeth gasped.
"Booker!" Elizabeth screamed, reaching down for him, but unable to do anything. Her skin became like brittle ice, and she held her breath.
Booker fell. His blood and stomach slipped up into his mouth, but he kept holding onto the girl, a habit he could not let go. Without thinking, Booker did the only thing he could think of. He cast...Murder of Crows? The flock of powerful, murderous crows viciously flew around.
As if understanding Booker's predicament, the crows swooped under him, beating their wings as quickly as they could, flying upward against him. A black cloud of crows formed, slowing his fall.
Elizabeth saw the numerous crows, and needed two seconds to regain her senses. Then, everything became red, so she looked up. The monster's eye beamed upon her.
"Wait! I'm not her!" Elizabeth squeaked as the monster extended an arm toward her, though she was not affected by it. She looked around frantically, but couldn't find any mechanical columns or chains. "Euuhnnn-neee!" Elizabeth wheezed, writhing away from the giant hand, anything to get a little farther away from it.
Suddenly, Elizabeth aimed up and leapt off the mechanical length, reaching for the higher ones, escaping the monster's clutches. Up Elizabeth went, her ascension soon slowing down. She clawed at the air with her Sky-Hook, though couldn't reach the next columns or chains. Once she reached the top of her airborne arc, she fell, and landed hard on her ass...on the underside of the monster's chin. She paused for a second.
"Oh!" Elizabeth exclaimed, raising her arms and shoulders from the unpleasant revelation. She felt the monster repeatedly open and close its jaw, causing her to roll back toward the neck and then bounce about. "Wuh-wuh-whoa-wuh-wah!"
Elizabeth kept trying to stabilize herself and so jump to one of the mechanical things, but the moving jaw kept making her fall down. Amidst her turmoil, Elizabeth thought she heard something screaming.
The monster stopped crawling, growling, and swiped an arm across its front. Elizabeth heard a heavy whooshing sound, followed by a loud wet crunch, causing the monster to rear and hiss.
Elizabeth lifted her chin, finally not bouncing around, hearing wet ripping noises. The monster began shaking its head and growling vigorously, causing Elizabeth to roll to and fro again. Then, the monster field its head to the side, causing Elizabeth to roll backwards over the shoulder, and off the head.
"Yeek!" Elizabeth squeaked, and an eyeblink later, she landed on her back against something hard and metallic. She blinked, and saw her big friend tilt his head to the side, looking back at her. He had caught her with his palm while clutching the monster's face. His eyes turned green as he leaned over Elizabeth.
"Songbird, you're back..." Elizabeth whispered, glad that he managed to free himself.
After a second, Songbird curled his claws around Elizabeth, then jumped off the monster, diving down with Elizabeth cupped in his hands. The skull-monster swiped its arm at Songbird, but the buzzard suddenly swerved, dragging its clawed feet along the monster's forearm and ripping it open.
Spreading his wings, Songbird swooped down and then lifted, creating distance from the giant monster. His eyes turned yellow.
"There! Down there!" Elizabeth cried, pointing down to where she last saw Booker and Eleanor fall. So, Songbird swooped down yet again, landing hard against the road. He gently placed the squirming Elizabeth down.
"Booker? Booker!" Elizabeth called, raising her hands to her mouth. There was no reply. She bit her lip, then saw a few dead fleshy monsters lying across the road, one of them smoking. "Booker!"
Elizabeth ran around looking for Booker, and then overheard gunfire and howling off in the distance. Songbird cocked his head, and walked along with Elizabeth.
The gunfire and roaring intensified, followed by screaming and howling. Elizabeth clenched her teeth, but felt safe with Songbird, who lowered a wing to shield her. She felt safer, but was still nervous.
"Never stop! Always crush!" a bellowing voice echoed, followed by slamming and more howling.
Elizabeth gasped as she saw several fleshy monster fly around the corner of a building, smashing into a building. Then, a Vox Handyman jumped into view, slamming his mechanical hands against the fleshy monster repeatedly. The fleshy monsters hissed and groaned as they were beaten, the Handyman's hands bloodied.
More howling. A few dozen fleshy monsters ran to the scene, ten of them leaping upon the Handyman and clawing and biting him, even though it was foolish.
"Can't hurt me! But I do to you, what you do to me!" the Handyman yelled, and he started jumping around and swinging his mighty arms. He fought perhaps forty fleshy monsters on his own, knocking them around and sometimes shocking them.
A portion of fleshy monsters crawled or sprinted past the Handyman, running towards Elizabeth. She raised her arms at Songbird, so he picked her up, then kicked and stomped at the fleshy monsters charging him. He also spun around while swinging his wings, striking the fleshy beasts with them.
"Songbird!" the Handyman exclaimed once he saw him, both mechanical brutes knocking down more fleshy monsters that came. "You gotta kill the big monster! I can't reach!"
The Handyman pummeled the monsters, but much to Elizabeth's surprise, few by few, more fleshy monsters leapt upon him. Soon, the Handyman was overwhelmed by sheer numbers, more and more fleshy monsters dog piling him until he came down. He unleashed an electrostatic discharge, then sat up, shoving and headbutting fleshy monsters down, but ten more leapt upon him.
Songbird ran forth, ramming his feet into the dog pile, talons slicing open many fleshy monsters. Kicking and pecking, Songbird struck down many fleshy monsters until the Handyman could free himself.
"Thanks!" the Handyman said, then jumped up and slammed his huge hands upon some fleshy monsters. "I gotta check on others! See if still alive!" At that, the Handyman went down the street, but it seemed the Vox infantry had been brutalized to death.
"We need to find Booker!" Elizabeth said, so Songbird walked on, leaving behind many dead and dying monsters, the remaining dispersing.
A while later, Elizabeth wiggled, signalling Songbird to put her down which he did.
"Booker! Booker!" Elizabeth yelled, then heard someone call her name. She ended up running down an alley, Songbird walking after her then leaning into the alley.
Songbird watched as Elizabeth reappeared with Booker, Eleanor over his shoulder, the gangly girl still unconscious, mouth open, eyes beaming yellow. In Booker's right hand was a hand cannon, barrel smoking a little.
"They really should make a Vigor that lets you fly..." Booker remarked, then shook Eleanor a bit. "Hey, you, waking up?"
"She's still out? What happened to her?" Elizabeth asked, Booker shrugged. They both heard the giant monster up above roar, Songbird making a mechanical coo.
"That thing sure doesn't want to leave us alone," Booker commented.
"Songbird can take us back to the others," Elizabeth said.
"The Vox will open fire at him."
"Then he'll just have to put us in the gondola quickly. If we go now, we'll only scare a few zeppelins at most," Elizabeth said, then turned and waved her arms at Songbird to get his attention. "Take us with you!"
Songbird hooted, then gently grabbed Elizabeth, Booker and Eleanor, and flew off with them. Elizabeth pointed and shouted to command Songbird, and they soon met up with Daisy's Security Zeppelin.
"Put us in there, then fight the giant monster!" Elizabeth instructed. Songbird nodded, flying towards the zeppelin, the personnel already running around once they spotted the big buzzard.
After a few rockets fired, Songbird barrel-rolled during flight, dodging the rockets, then clutched the underside of the gondola with his talons. Lifting and curling his torso over the side of the gondola, Songbird tossed Elizabeth, Booker and Eleanor inside, then let go of the airship and flew away, eyes turning red, and wailing.
"Eleanor!" Cindy cried, running to Booker as he put the teenager down. The child knelt beside Eleanor. "Are you alright? I'm here, Eleanor, I'm here."
"What the hell?" Daisy cussed, Booker and blue Elizabeth looking at her. She was gripping her carbine in both hands, watching as Songbird flew away.
"Songbird won't fight if I'm in the way. We need him," blue Elizabeth said.
"That big bird wiped out half of us. Why's he on our side now?" a Vox Beast asked.
"If you shoot him, he'll fight back. So, don't shoot him," old Elizabeth answered, then looked out the window at the opposite side. She put her hands on her upper arms, obviously nervous to see the section of opening machinery becoming larger, more sunlight beaming through. "We don't have much time left. Once he returns, everything is lost."
"You mean Spirry? Well, he ain't seen the likes of me," Booker said.
"You can't beat him, Booker!" old Elizabeth almost shouted, spinning around with clenched hands. She exhaled slowly, calming down. "Every time I saw him arrive, he destroys Songbird, then kills you. We can't fight him."
"Then what do we do?" Booker asked. Old Elizabeth sighed, head dropping.
"I...I don't know."
"We go to Rapture," Pinkerton Elizabeth said, stepping into the conversation and crossing her arms.
"Rapture?" Daisy asked.
"It's a...far-off lighthouse, out in the Atlantic ocean. We have to go there, it's our only hope," Pinkerton Elizabeth answered, Zachary looking at her, but did not mention that Rapture was an underwater city.
"And what exactly is this leap of faith going to do?" young Elizabeth asked.
"Lead us to Michael," Pinkerton Elizabeth replied, then everyone overheard Songbird screaming and the giant monster howling.
Outside, Songbird flew around with great speed and power. The giant monster swiped one arm after the other, trying to swat the birdie down, but Songbird always dodged his attacks. Sometimes, the monster lunged its head, snapping its jaws, but Songbird evaded its bites as well. Torrents of blood appeared along its arms.
Every time the monster missed, Songbird would swoop in and drag his claws along the monster, gradually ripping the already injured monster open more and more. Songbird harassed the giant, but avoided a direct attack, keeping an eye out for the machinery. Although a mechanical soul, Songbird could learn, and whenever he heard rattling or clanking, he dove to avoid the skyborne machinery.
"Getting to Rapture won't be easy, and these airships are pretty slow," Zachary commented.
"Then we find an airplane. LaGuardia Airport is to the east of here, across the river," Pinkerton Elizabeth said.
"You can fly planes?" Zachary asked.
"Well, no, but... A leap of faith is all we need."
"A dead monster is what we need!" Daisy said, looking up, as the monster was now crawling upside-down along the machinery again, Songbird clawing him open at every opportunity.
Many Vox lined up along the windows, breaking some more, and opened fire at the giant monster. Cindy covered her ears and sat on her ankles.
"Don't shoot Songbird!" blue Elizabeth cried.
Songbird flew around, screaming, now resorting to tackling into the monster claws-first, poking deep holes into him then spreading them open. The monster groaned, Songbird jumping off him and diving to avoid its grasp.
Realigning himself, Songbird U-turned and flew upward, swerving past the monster's mighty arm. Just as it seemed Songbird would tackle into the monster, he suddenly turned, flying across the monster's neck while dragging his right hand and right talons across the monster's throat. Ripping open its jugular, a stream of blood gushing out.
The monster made a gurgly roar, and in its rage, managed to grab Songbird. The buzzard writhed, clawing and pecking at the hand that grasped him, ripping the first finger and thumb down to the bone, but the monster started chewing on Songbird's head.
To prevent himself being gnawed apart, Songbird grabbed one of the monster's teeth with both hands, and uprooted it from its gums. Blood gushed out, and the monster groaned. Turning the tooth around, Songbird rammed the pointy end into the bed of flesh it had emerged from, stabbing it deep into the gums. The monster howled from pain, and Songbird managed to wriggle out its grasp and fly off.
"So, we fly to this airport, that's the only plan?" Daisy asked, rather skeptical.
"There is no other plan," Pinkerton Elizabeth said firmly.
"Very well. We sure as hell don't know what to do anyways," Daisy said. "We're flyin' east, then."
"Good. Songbird will keep that monster busy," Pinkerton Elizabeth said.
Daisy spoke into the PA system, instructing the Vox flotilla to fly east across the river and rendezvous at an airport, and staying low to avoid the sky-machines. Once the message was received, other Vox announcers spread her instruction.
"Wake up, Eleanor, wake up," Cindy said, resorting to using Little Daddy again, but Eleanor remained out cold. Cindy sniffled.
One by one, the Vox zeppelins emerged from the concrete jungle, flying across East River while Songbird harassed the giant monster relentlessly. He tore open the monster's arms and neck, veins and tendons hanging out.
The monster swung an arm, and Songbird tilted past, grasping a handful of tendons hanging out the monster's wrist then diving. Songbird's weight and whiplash yanked on the tendons, pulling them out until they hung a dozen feet, but did not snap.
Machinery from above whipped down, so Songbird let go of the tendons and dove. He would not become entrapped by those things again!
Daisy's airship soon flew over LaGuardia Airport, and sure enough, a series of airplanes were parked along the concrete. Queens and Brooklyn were not as devastated as Manhattan, at least.
"There's the airport. We need to land there, now," Pinkerton Elizabeth said.
"Aww, sheet! Here comes deh big boy again!" an African-American Vox Beast warned, looking out the back of the airship. The Vox forces pooled to the back of the zeppelin, opening fire at the monster as it crawled upside-down over the river.
"Jesus! How much more can that bastard take?" Booker cursed.
Songbird pressed his attacks, resorting to flying up into the monster's neck, and literally diving headfirst into the hole in its throat. Digging his way into the neck, Songbird made a complete mess of the monster's neck, ripping open anything he could, enlarging the hole, blood gushing all over him.
Groaning, the monster grabbed Songbird by the legs, pulled the buzzard out his neck, then threw him down into the river. Songbird splashed heavily, and bad memories of the highly pressurized water up in Columbia came rushing in. But, that did not apply down here. He swam with his limbs and wings, trying to jump out the water and take flight, but failed. He swam towards the airport, the monster's blood loudly falling en masse into the river.
Meanwhile, the Vox flotilla spread apart, keeping their distance from the monster. Daisy's airship landed next to the runway, and the Vox began to resupply then leave the vessel.
"Here, I'll carry her now, your arm must be hell," Zachary said, Booker looking at him. Booker wiped his mouth with his sleeve, but for a change, he let Zachary grab the girl.
"What deh hell are d'ose?" an Irish Beast asked, and soon the Vox murmured about what the hell the airplanes were.
"Airplanes," Zachary answered, then gently lied Eleanor on her back. He knelt, trying to figure out what was wrong with her, but was clueless.
Everyone looked up upon hearing the monster roar, Songbird having tackled into its other eye and split it apart.
Driving both hands into either side of the socket, Songbird wrenched the fucking eyeball out, the optical nerve stretching. Clenching his hands, Songbird's claws tore into the whiteness, and it splat open. The Buzzard then let go and flew away, not even bothering to rip the eyeball off, leaving it be to maximise pain. The monster howled, eyeball dangling down its face.
The Vox forces who left Daisy's ship commenced shooting at the monster. One by one, other Vox zeppelins landed, their forces ran out and joined in the shooting. Curiously enough, a number of mobsters ran out the airport, and also fired at the giant monster.
Meanwhile, Songbird swam to the shoreline, rinsed of blood, eyes green. He stood up, shaking himself. Looking up, he jumped, and took flight again, eyes turning yellow. Amidst bullets whizzing and ricocheting, Songbird flew after the giant monster, performing his clawing attacks and evasive manoeuvres.
"I have an idea! Songbird, come!" blue Elizabeth yelled, and Songbird flew towards her, Vox forces panicking and running apart.
"Elizabeth? What are you doing?" Booker asked.
"Don't worry, I have a good idea!" blue Elizabeth replied, and then Songbird landed before her with a crash, Cindy running behind Booker and covering her head.
"Let's go!" blue Elizabeth said. Songbird picked her up and flew off with her.
"She better not get herself killed..." Booker grumbled.
"She won't," old Elizabeth assured.
"What is she planning to do?" Zachary asked.
"Just watch. You'll see," Pinkerton Elizabeth said, crossing her arms.
Songbird flew toward the monster, Elizabeth feeling quite safe airborne with him.
"Get me closer! I want to be right up to his ugly face!" she instructed, feeling herself get quite cold. Her heart skipped a beat every couple of seconds, and her stomachs churned. She was afraid, but knew what she had to do.
Songbird wailed as the monster blindly swung its good arm to and fro, but it was easily dodged, Elizabeth feeling like she fell out of Songbird's grasp amidst his sudden twists and turns.
"Right up in his face, now!" Elizabeth yelled, furrowing her eyebrows, but grimacing when she saw its dangling eyeball.
Rather confused, Songbird nonetheless obeyed, flying into the monster's face. He burrowed his talons into the monster's nostrils.
"Steady, steady! Give me a sec!" Elizabeth yelled, putting her hands together. She then spread her arms apart, as if ripping paper, and then a giant Tear opened up.
"Get back!" she screamed, and Songbird let himself fall off the monster, then spiralled downwards to avoid attempted grabs.
Back on the airport, Booker, Zachary, the two Elizabeths, and the Vox beheld a the giant Tear Elizabeth formed. Sure enough, the monster stuck its head down to attack Songbird, and so its head entered the Tear.
The Tear closed, disappearing, along with the monster's head. Instant death caused the monster's body to stiffen, and it remained latched onto the skyborne machines as a waterfall of blood flowed out its neck. Curiously enough, yellow light also shone out the severed spinal cord, the sounds of static and tuning emanating from it as well.
After a second, the yellow light, static, and tuning, faded away. Eleanor's glowing eyes, and her own tuning and static noises, also faded away. She remained unconscious, but moved a little. Cindy smiled eagerly.
Up above, the monster's body became limp, and fell, Songbird flying away.
The decapitated monster fell until the chains connected to its body extended to their fullest extent, then whiplashed against its spine and knuckles. The tug caused the monster to bounce, but half the chains ripped out its body. It remained hanging above the river, blood gushing out into the waters below.
Songbird flew back to the airport, landing near Booker and the others, then knelt. Blue Elizabeth hopped out his hands, landing like a cat. She stood up, smugly pushing a hand through her hair.
"I bet he didn't see that coming," blue Elizabeth stated.
"Well done," Booker mumbled.
"Hey! Don't be scared, Songbird won't hurt you when I'm here!" blue Elizabeth called to the Vox. Since the buzzard's eyes were green, the Vox warily approached everyone again.
"He better not," Daisy said, and sure enough, Songbird's eyes remained green.
Eleanor suddenly sat up, holding her head.
"Woo...what happened?" Eleanor asked, rubbing her big forehead.
"Eleanor's back! Yay!" Cindy cheered, getting everyone's attention.
"You lost consciousness or something. I had to carry you, even when jumping along the skyborne machinery with my Sky-Hook," Booker replied nonchalantly.
"Hunh? Oh, well...thanks," Eleanor said, Booker nodded.
"I think the monster's life was related to your unconsciousness," old Elizabeth suggested, Eleanor looking at her.
"He just looked at me, and I... Yeah, I think he made me unconscious somehow. Not sure why."
"It was quite a ride, but as you can see, we managed to finally kill that disgusting thing," blue Elizabeth said, gesturing at the suspended monster who clearly was missing his head. Eleanor's eye widened.
"H-How...how did you do it?" Eleanor asked, amazed.
"Let's just say, you don't want to be halfway in a closing Tear," Pinkerton Elizabeth warned, Zachary getting bad memories.
Songbird cooed hopelessly.
"Oh, you did good, too, Songbird," blue Elizabeth said, Songbird lowered his head to hers, and she gave him a rubdown. "Good boy!"
"Oh, thank God!" Zachary suddenly exclaimed, then ran a short distance towards the airport.
Eleanor and the Elizabeths turned their heads, seeing Zachary embrace someone. Picking herself up, Eleanor walked over to see what was going on. Zachary affectionately kissed a blonde woman, holding her tightly, breathing heavily.
After a few seconds, Zachary let go of the woman, who fixed the position of her eyeglasses. She looked at Eleanor. Eleanor wasn't happy, and just crossed her arms.
"I see you're still good at escaping doom," Eleanor remarked.
"As are you. Like mother, like daughter. You get it from me," Sofia Lamb said rather slowly. "But, Eleanor... The Family Reborn has someone you must see."
Eleanor's slightly tilted her head.
"Who?"
"You will see. Mother knows best. You all can come with me, if you wish," Mother said, then turned around and walked back towards the airport, Zachary and everyone else following, though Daisy's Vox didn't care.
"I'll be back soon, Songbird. You stay," blue Elizabeth said to her friend.
The Vox forces entered the airport, which housed a number of Irish Mobsters and some citizenry. It was not long until the Irish Vox noticed the accents of the Irish Mob, and they got along quite well. In no time, the Irish began drinking and laughing.
Eleanor followed Mother and Zachary deeper into the airport, occasionally passing small groups of injured mobsters or citizens. Zachary kept asking Mother questions, but she ignored him. Soon, Sofia and her company reached the offices, guarded by various mobsters.
"There. The Family Reborn found him trying to escape after dispatching his followers. Mother knows who is important. But... It is up to you what happens to him," Sofia said, then opened a door leading to an office. Everyone entered, but Cindy scuttled away unnoticed.
Eleanor found a man on his knees, hands bound in front of him. Eleanor remembered his checkered suit. Ring-a-Ding-Ding.
He looked up at her, rather surprised.
"What in the goddamn... Guess you had brains to spare with that huge head of yours," he said, Eleanor frowned. "Hey, hey...let's keep this in the groove, okay? Smooth moves, like smooth little babies with your face," Benny said.
"Why you son of a bitch... Can't believe you're still alive, Benny," Zachary spat. He was about to grab his revolver, but Sofia held his hand, looking at him. He calmed down.
Eleanor said nothing. She just leaned over, grabbing Benny's jacket and ripping it open.
"You makin' a pass at me, sister? I'm still way out of your league, ya naughty broad."
Eleanor just smacked Benny across the face, leaving it red with her hand imprinted on it.
"Aw... You're one mean pussycat."
"I would've just shot you in th' head," Daisy said.
"That's, mine..." Eleanor said, pulling out her medallion from Benny's inner pocket. She held it to her face, quite relieved to see it again. The lighthouse on the medallion even looked happy to see her.
"So, baby, what did you find down there?" Benny asked, Eleanor assuming he made a little innuendo.
"Hundreds of monsters, and machines," Eleanor answered, putting her medallion in her pocket.
"I see. Now what?"
"Well, it's up to me what happens to you."
"Careful, baby, or that grin might crack your pretty face open. But hey, you're not here for revenge, you're here to get clued in. This is good news, baby. Now I can sleep at night knowing you didn't die. Any questions you got, I'll answer. I wish I could offer a VIP lifestyle, but..."
"How about you stop rambling before I break your neck?" Zachary butted in, Benny looking at him, then at Eleanor.
"First, I gotta ask... How are you still living?"
"I am not human," Eleanor answered, Mother slightly lifting her chin and feeling good. "It'll take more than a few bullets in the head to stop a Big Sister. If only you lived in Rapture, you would know."
"Yeah, no kiddin'... How did you track me down?"
"The Pinkerton's were onto you this entire time, Benny," Pinkerton Elizabeth said.
"The Pink's were on to me from the get go? I thought I was being so clever... But looks like the Irish Mob beat you to me, baby," Benny said to Elizabeth.
"They did." Elizabeth admitted with raised eyebrows. She then took out a cigarette and lit it. She lifted the pack to Sofia, gesturing if Sofia wanted a smoke. Sofia took one, then Elizabeth moved her pack to Zachary, Booker, and then Daisy, they also taking one. The other Elizabeths did not want any cigs. She passed the other smokers her lighter.
"Remember, Mr. Chairman, The Family Reborn watches all. We are persistent, that is all," Sofia said while exhaling smoke.
"Yeeah, that's one word for it," Benny commented, then looked back at Eleanor. "I guess that's enough messing around at first base. Tell me, baby, which way's the wind gonna blow? 'Cause you got the drop on me here. If killing's what you're here for, this'll be the time, that's for sure."
"Killing you... Would feel really good," Eleanor admitted. She leaned over, her right hand conjuring a fireball, which Eleanor nearly shoved in Benny's face. He winced, then reared from the heat.
"But baby, all the trouble you went through...there must be something you'd want to ask about. But if bullets can't get through your head, what hope is there?"
"It's all about this medallion, isn't it?" Eleanor said, closing her hand and extinguishing her Plasmid.
"It's the house edge, baby, literally. It's what Spirry needs to stack the odds in his favour."
At that, everyone paid Benny much more attention.
"How do you know of him?" Eleanor asked.
"I'm the definition of cool, baby, I know how to swing. Let's just say...that I've been around, and leave it at that."
"A slave to his genes, like so many..." Sofia remarked quietly to herself.
"Spirry, he's a cool cat to swim with. Or was, I should say. Ever since I met him face-to-face, he gave me the heebee jeebees."
"Agreed," Pinkerton Elizabeth remarked, "Huge, and white..."
"White? No, baby, he's huge and red," Benny said, Elizabeth looking at him skeptically. "Oh, right, I see... It's a tricky world we live in, baby. Or tricky worlds, I should say. Spirry can swing as good as me, and we'll leave it at that."
Pinkerton Elizabeth paused with a focused face. Did this mean that...
"If he swings as good as you, and you're here like this, we can take him out," Booker commented.
"The medallion...what is it, really?" Eleanor asked.
"Well baby, see, after the Luteces escaped from the Pink's, they let Spirry catch them, made him believe there was no escaping him. He's wrong, as is that senile old broad," Benny said, old Elizabeth looking a bit surprised, yet relieved.
So it's not hopeless? old Elizabeth thought to herself.
"The Luteces saw him coming ten years ago, I'd say that's why they left Rapture before Eleanor became a big girl, to get working on something. Your medallion is like a miniature Lutece device of sorts, but there's more to it than that. The same atom the Luteces found, that allowed them to find each other, is inside that medallion."
"Medallions, Benny. Medallions," Eleanor said, then she reached into his other inner pocket, and plucked out the other medallion, the one with the serpent. "Mother taught me psychology. I can see through your little game. Keeping things from me won't work, Benny."
"Whoa! Ease down on the gas, baby, the medallions belong to those who can use them!" Benny rather mockingly exclaimed, but he did seem irritated that he was unable to hide the second medallion from Eleanor.
"Go on," Eleanor said, the smoking of her friends amassing, causing young Elizabeth to cough a little.
"Why does everyone have to smoke?" blue Elizabeth quietly whined.
"The atom I mentioned, is somehow present in both medallions at the same time. The medallions are each like a Siphon in reverse, connecting the wearer's consciousness to Tears, or even allow the wearer to be in two different places, or worlds, at the same time. Talk about swingin', ya dig? Consider it wish-fulfillment in a platinum chip," Benny explained as best he could.
"Quantum superposition," Pinkerton Elizabeth butted in, then took a mouthful of burning nicotine. "Sounds like the medallions were a replication of our Tear powers," she continued while exhaling smoke.
"And when Michael escaped through the shadow Tear, and these medallions were in the city... That must be why my powers partly came back," blue Elizabeth said.
"Aw, jeez... Why can't everything just be simple?" Booker mumbled.
"Huh. Why didn't the Luteces tell me about this?" Eleanor asked softly to herself, just staring into the serpent medallion.
"It's a complicated game, baby. If you knew what it could do, well, who knows where you would end up. Probably end up in Spirry's clutches, or dead," Benny remarked. Eleanor scowled at him.
"If murder is part of your game, you do not deserve to live," she threatened.
"Baby, you just don't understand the bigger picture of the game here! What I did to you was rotten to the core, no doubt about it. But if you think the Pinkerton's, Michael Vay Atar, the Luteces, Black Sun, The Family Reborn, or Spirry wouldn't kill to get the game into their pockets... I really did blow out your brains. It's a game, baby, and this game is the only way we can change everything that's happened. Games have winners and losers, with luck being for losers. That's why I prefer the former. How about you?"
"So Michael did play me all along... Another reason to pop his head when I see 'im," Daisy said to herself.
"Hm. You're just like Spirry and my mother... Everything is a game for you. Everything. Well then, Mr. Benny, I am the foremost expert at breaking rules and ending these games."
"Hey baby, baby, the odds sure don't look good, and that's because I wasn't done riggin' them. That's when you toss the dice. You can't end a game when it's rigged for ya. I learned a lot dealing with Spirry, he's always a cool cat to swim with, but it just takes time for everything to...come together."
Eleanor kept quiet for a few seconds.
"How do you know so much?" young Elizabeth asked, quite interested.
"Working with Spirry for years, baby, that's how. It's a leap of faith into wish-fulfilment. It all just comes together."
"What do you know about the Cipher? One of the machines in the other world mentioned something about that. Said it was something about my... destiny, and potential. I think it had something to do with what he referred to as the Enigma," blue Elizabeth inquired.
"The Cipher? Don't know. Spirry said nothing about any cipher to me, baby," Benny answered. "As for the Enigma, it is what you see hanging from the sky, and everything else that comes from it. The machines consist of the Enigma, and Spirry's body consists of the flesh. It's a duality, the synthesis of the bodily and of machinery. Spirry is one sick, vindictive fuck. Cool cat to swim with, though."
"Anything else?" Eleanor asked as she put her serpent medallion in her other pocket.
She turned her head to her shoulder to give everyone a look. Booker shrugged, Zachary shook his head, Mother and Daisy and Pinkerton Elizabeth smoked away, and the two other Elizabeths did nothing.
"Yeah, let me go. Your father would do the same, wouldn't he?" Benny asked.
Eleanor suddenly leaned into Benny, so that their foreheads knocked. She clenched her fists.
"I lost an eye, and almost died because of your game."
"Oh, c'mon, baby. It's just time to prove that you're daddy's girl. You have a heart of gold, just like him. You'll be merciful, always, and let me go. You're still a smart kid, even with some brains blown out."
Eleanor gritted her teeth, then pushed her head against Benny's, actually overpowering him and causing him to rear.
"How about I rip both your eyes out, and make every bone pop out your skin?" Eleanor snarled.
"I'd rather see it all coming," Benny remarked, and then Eleanor's hands ignited with fiery Plasmids.
"He's brave, I'll give him that," Zachary commented.
"You'll definitely see immolation coming. It's easier, too. I'll start with your arms and legs. And once they become ashes, I will move onto the rest."
"Well, you're one sick, sadistic pussycat," Benny said.
Eleanor's hands moved in, but then she felt someone touch her shoulder. She straightened her back, flames extinguishing, and looked back. It was Zachary, who left his hand on her shoulder.
"You don't wanna wake up regretting what you chose to do. It starts with people who deserve it, then you won't know how to control yourself."
Eleanor just looked at him blankly. Her eyes lowered. A second later, she stepped away, pushing Zachary's hand off her.
"Eleanor, can you reject your genes?" Mother asked. Eleanor looked at her sternly, mother and daughter not breaking eye contact.
Blue Elizabeth was a little scared, expecting Eleanor to pounce, but nothing happened.
"Then what do we do with him?" Eleanor asked, gesturing at Benny, so Zachary delivered an uppercut into Benny's chin, knocking him out.
"That. And it's good enough, trust me," Zachary assured.
"I would have shot him," Daisy said.