A/N: Two chapters in a day, sounds like my usual MO to be perfectly honest.

From a review posted by one of you readers, I kind of went in a odd direction with the use of Salts. Considering in actuality they are inhaled instead of ingested. I did this on purpose, considering that the Vigors are ingested I thought about going the same route with how the Salts work as well. It may be incorrect with how things are supposed to be in the Bioshock, but I figured I'd make a few unorthodox changes here and there to keep things interesting.

Disclaimer: I don't own Bioshock.

Have you ever been someplace where you didn't feel welcome?

It was pretty safe to say that Reece was feeling that in spades at the moment as he stood in the middle of the entrance room of the mansion belonging to the 'Fraternal Order of the Raven'. The air permeated with the smell of spoiled food that sat in bowls in various spots and bird shit since it would seem a large flock of crows had made this place their home.

Keeping his wits about them, the teen crossed the dirty mable floor and into the buildings foyer where a statue was set in the middle with a flight of stairs behind it. Looking at the monument, Reece felt shock at first, then anger bubble up in his stomach.

The large scale likeness of John Wilkes Booth loomed over the room like a stone sentinel. Flintlock pistol held in his outstreched hand as if taking aim at an unseen target.

"These assholes respect the man that killed President Lincoln?!" His hatred of the people of this city had increased by leaps and bounds. Then again he wasn't surprised by such a sight considering what had happened at the raffle not even two hours ago.

Shaking his head, Reece looked around the room for anything of use. Being careful not to disturb the crows that had made nests at the statue's feet before making his way into the room on the left of the foyer.

He made it about three steps in when he saw he wasn't alone. Three men had been seated around a table drinking when they perked up at his intrusion.

They just starred at one another for a few seconds, neither side making a move as though they were trying to make sense of the situation.

Reece shrugged, "The door was unlocked." he said breaking the ice. The three men leapt from the table drawing their weapons. Reece launched a fire-grenade at the center of their group, the following explosion sent them hurdling in different directions. Lighting one of them on fired as he screamed in agony.

Aiming his pistol, the teen drilled a round through the heads of the other two men before they could get back up as silence filled the room once more. Checking the bodies quick before moving on, Reece streaded through a library that connected to the bar room. Now fully alert with the knowledge that he wasn't alone in the large house.

Another man leaned out from behind a shelf and fired a pistol in his direction. The rounds bouncing off of his shield forcing him into cover, waiting for the gunfire to stop before leaning out and returning fire.

One round clipped the man's shoulder spinning him around, leaving him exposed as two more punched through his back and out his chest dropping him dead to the floor.

Coast clear, Reece checked the remaining rooms on the ground floor of the mansion for any more surprises. Scavenging for anything he could use when he made sure that there weren't more hostiles. Finding the door leading farther in locked, he doubled back to the foyer and went up the stairs behind the Booth statue to the second floor. Going through the double doors and down the hallway when he heard someone speaking.

"And so, the Prophet lead us into peking. where we demonstrated to the Sodum Below the true mission our Founders had given us."

Stepping into a wide open room, Reece looked down from the railing and saw he was now standing on the second floor of what looked like a church. Pews lining the floor infront of a stage set up infront of another mural of Comstock as a man in robes that resembled a bird preached to others dressed the same way.

"And when the Mandarins and hypocrites of Washington betrayed him, our Prophet did not heel." the man continued. "He did not come crawling for their forgiveness...Like our fathers broke from the Great Apostale, our Prophet broke with these so called patriots..."

Shaking his head in distain, Reece saw that the only way forward was through a door at the back of the room on the ground floor. Turning right, he headed down a nearby flight of stairs and slowly approached the gathered people from behind while taking out his machine gun and channeling his fire powers.

The group didn't notice his presense as he stood at the back of the room while the man preached more hateful bullshit to his followers.

Having heard more than enough from the derranged cult leader, Reece whistled loudly making them all spin around to see him standing there. "You know what I think? I think Booth was a gutless coward shooting a man in the back instead of having the balls to do if face to face!"

The gathered people reached into their robes and took out an array of weapons, but the teen had planned on this as he threw a couple fire-grenades that ignited half the group and sent the rest into cover away from the blasts.

Out of power, Reece opened fire with his machine gun taking out a couple more before pressing his back to a nearby pillar as the remaining worshipers returned fire.

Slapping in a fresh clip, the teen didn't have time to pull out a Salt to replenish his Vigors and settled to stick with his firearms. Spinning out of cover, he sprayed rounds all across the room. One of the worshippers ran at him with a knife raised as his gun clicked empty again.

Dropping the machine gun, Reece grabbed the man's arm. Twisting it around hard and forcing him to drop the blade as he spun the attacker around with his arm wrapped around his throat tightly. Using him as a meat shield as he drew his pistol and fired at the remaining three people in the room.

Bullets peppered the struggling man splattering blood across the teen's clothes and face. With well placed headshots, he managed to put the remaining worshippers down before dropping the now lifeless corpse to the floor.

Reece's shield replenished, the pulse from the field cleaning the blood from his body while he reloaded his weapons and knocked back a Salt to get his powers back up to full again. He spent the next few minutes checking the room for ammo and other supplies before making his way to the door in the back that would hopefully lead him out of this house from hell.

But he paused at the alter that was set up on the stage. A yellow glow catching his attention making him curious.

Behind a stack of old books, sat a bottle of infusion standing out in the dimly lit room. "Well that's lucky." he said picking the shield formula up and chugging it down without a second thought. Feeling warmth spread through him as his shield became a little stronger.

Making his way out of the church-room and through an office. Reece stepped into an elevator and hit the switch. Riding the lift up to another floor and continuing on his path. Walking quietly through a couple dark rooms as he approached another set of doors.

"Why do you do this!?" he heard someone with a Chinese accent on the other side. "I just want to go back to my family!"

Moving a little faster, Reece pushed the door open only for it to stop because of a chain holding it in place. Inside, a man was strung up on a vertical table struggling to break free as a look of fear covered his face. "Nooo! No!" he screamed in terror as a flock of crows appeared out of thin air and began to attack him.

Blood splashed against the walls and floors as the vicious birds of prey tore into his flesh.

The teen looked away from the horror long enough to smash his steel toed boot against the door, splitting the wood as the chain was ripped out from the impact as he stormed inside spraying bullets at the attacking flock and making them dissipate into the air.

At the front of the room, a man wearing a black cloak and hood that covered his face with a small coffin straped to his back turned around facing a large opening before seeming to vanish into a swirl of feathers.

Rushing over to the wounded man, he set his weapon down and untied him. The man was in bad shape, the flock had torn large chunks of skin away revealing the pink muscle underneath. Blood gushed from the mortal injuries as he wheezed out each breath.

"Hang on! Let me help you!" Reece said gently setting the prisoner on the floor. The man looked up at him, blood bubbling out of his mouth as he tried to speak something. His body suddenly went limp and his head rolled to the side as what life he had left in him faded away.

Putting his head into his hands, Reece felt a heavy weight on his heart after seeing the man die. He sighed before reaching out and closing the now glazed over eyes. "No one diserves to die like this." he thought bitterly before casting a glare at the room where the 'bird-man' had vanished.

Picking up his gun, he cocked the bolt back as he stalked inside with the intent on paying the bastard back for what he did to the prisoner.

The room was long, with high glass ceilings and trees lining the walls and floor like a make-shift forest. Large cages hung from a couple of branches that creaked back and forth on their chains filling the air with the eery sound.

Crows cawed from somewhere in the room, echoing off the walls and making the hair stand up on the back of his neck as he made his way through. Stepping over a few tree roots that broke up the walkway that lead from one end to the other.

When he was halfway in, a flock of crows came down from the ceiling. Converging together and forming the shape of the man he had seen before. Reece waisted no time unloading a whole clip from the machine gun into the cloaked figure before he vanished into a cloud of feathers.

Reloading quick, Reece summoned a fire-grenade to his hand and held it ready as he scanned for the freak. He didn't have to wait long as the figure reappeared on top of a nearby tree branch. Holding his hand out as a flock of crows burst into existance and flew in the teen's direction.

The fire-grenade was thrown into the coming flock and blasting them into ashes as he fired on the figure again only for him to pull another disappearing act. "Shit...I can't keep this up if the bastard keeps pulling a hoodini." he muttered looking for his target.

A thought occured to him. When he got his Vigors, he immediately knew how to use them along with how they could be utilized in certain ways.

Smirking, he conjured another fire-grenade to his hand. Only this time he 'cooked it' for a few seconds before tossing it on the ground in front of him. Instead of exploding, the flaming ball sat on the ground glowing bright orange as though it were waiting for something.

Taking a few steps back to get a little distance. Reece waited for the freak to show himself again. When he reappeared, the cloaked figure charged for the teen with a flock surrounding him as he closed the distance fast.

The moment he stepped on to the trap that had been set up, the ground exploded into a blaze like a flaming landmine. The 'bird-man' was lit up like a roman candle, the flames burning away at the crows surrounding him as he flailed his arms in an attempt to put himself out.

Seeing the opprotunity, Reece squeezed the trigger and pumped an entire mag into the flaming freak until he eventually dropped to the ground. Twitching for a few seconds before going completely still.

Approaching lightly, barrel of his machine gun smoking. The teen nudged the smoking corpse with the tip of his boot while keeping the gun aimed at the back of the man's head. No movement.

Letting out a breath of relief, he lowered his machine gun as he checked the body. If the Fireman had a new Vigor on him...then maybe...

"Bingo." he said pulling out a new bottle from the charred robes. The stuff inside glowed a light blue and had the head of a crow acting as the top. The label reading, 'Murder of Crows' Reece shivered remembering what had happened to the Chinese prisoner. The idea of sending a barrage of deadly birds to tear people part made him feel a little sick.

Sighing, he pulled the top off and putting the opening to his lips. "It's them or me." he thought as the fluid drained down his throat.

It was murkey, and had a nasty after-taste that couldn't really be described. But he managed to force it down long enough for his body to begin adjusting to the new power being introduced to it.

Reece's head felt a little fuzzy, swaying on his feet as he started to lose balance and his vision darkened around the edges. A crow with a chunk of flesh in its mouth flew down and perched on his left forearm. It flew away when his arms began to feel prickly and turn pale as black feathers forced their way out of his skin. His nails extending and curving inward into sharp talons.

A moment later everything went back to normal as the knowledge of how to use the new Vigor settled in his mind.

The door at the back of the room burst open and three soldiers burst into the room guns drawn. "There he is! The False Shepard! Get him!" shouted one of them as they prepared to fire.

Feeling his new power course down his left arm, Reece snapped his hand out sending a cluster of black feathers shooting into the air that turned into a flock of crows. The birds screeched as they flew at the startled gunmen and began tearing at their faces. Allowing the teen to reload his machine gun and finish them off when the flock dissipated.

Bile rose into the back of the teen's throat seeing the carnage, but managed to keep it in place as he made his way out of the room and toward the back of the mansion and back out into the sunlight.

"The False Shepard, this anarchist, is either a mulatto dwarf or a french man with a missing left eye. No more than four foot and nine inches." echoed through the air from a gunships PA system out in the open.

Reece couldn't help but chuckle, "Morons. Though I guess it works in my favor." he muttered as he looked up and saw Monument Island very close. "I need to get over there..." he saw a gondola station roughly halfway found it was his best bet.

Taking out his sky-hook, he leapt from the balcony and latched on to a lift hook on the building ahead. Hop-scotching his way from hook to hook as he flew through the open air toward the stations front steps.

Smashing the end of the sky-hook against an unsuspecting soldier's head with a loud crack as he landed on the ground.

His shield flashed as machine gun rounds rebounded off of it from another soldier on a landing at the top of a set of stairs. Reece dropped low and aimed with his pistol and managed a clear head shot putting an end to the attack before making his way up. Checking various crates along the way as he approached the doors leading inside.

X

It turned out that Comstock's forces had the whole station on lock down. They knew that he was heading their way and they had been ready for him when he walked into the station.

The resulting gun battle was a long one. Reece had lost his shield multiple times, expelled dozens of rounds and used two bottles of Salts putting down all the soldiers and a turret that had been set up in the corner.

He got through it, but not without getting injured in the process.

Sitting on the floor with his back to a desk, Reece hissed as he removed his jacket and hoodie, rolling up his sleeve to get a better look at the wound he had recieved. One of the soldiers got a lucky shot off when his shield went down before he could react fast enough.

Thankfully it was just a graze, but it burned like hell and was bleeding still.

Going through his backpack, the teen pulled out the first aid kit he had picked up earlier and took out a small bottle of iodine, gaze pads and medical tape. Opening the brown bottle first, he braced himself as he dumped some of the cleaning agent on his wound and gritted his teeth as the burn multiplied several times.

Blinking away the pain, he picked up a gaze pad and pressed it to the wound before taking the medical tape and strapping it down tight enough to keep it in place but not enough to disrupt blood flow.

Wiping the sweat from his forehead, he rested his head back against the desk as he felt the adrenaline wearing off. Fatigue beginning to creep into his bones from the constant fighting he'd been doing. He was used to fighting thanks to his MMA training, but this was on a whole nother level. He was outnumbered hundreds to one, and there was no telling what else waited for him out side the closer he got to his objective.

Reaching into the bag, Reece pulled out a soda and a bag of chips he picked up back at the Blue Ribbon. Opening the drink and gulping down half its contents before tearing into the chips. Looking at the dead bodies around him as he munched on the snack slowly. "Wonder what my family would say if they saw me now?" he wondered with a humorless chuckle.

Picking up the soda to take another swig, he paused when he saw the poster on the wall across from him. The image of the angel monument was displayed with a lamb in its chest. Light glowing around the animal as though it were touched by the heavens.

Getting up, he approached the poster to get a better look. He could now read the top of the image. 'The Tower Protects the Lamb.' That's when it clicked. "The Lamb...is in the tower. Elizabeth is the Lamb!" he realized with wide eyes.

Looking down, he felt his stomach drop when he read the rest of the poster. 'From the False Shepard.'

False Shepard...Lamb...everything made sense now. This whole city somehow knew that he was coming and had warnings everywhere. Not only that, they knew that he was going to the tower to rescue the girl!

But how? It couldn't be possible to know something like this. He was from the 21st century for Christ sake! How could these people know about him coming here when he himself didn't even know it?

Running a hand through his hair, Reece started pacing. His mind just couldn't wrap around this new piece of the puzzle. It just didn't fit. He was missing something, something big. And sadly the only way for him to figure it out was to get to the tower and get Elizabeth out of this god-forsaken place.

Finishing his light snack, he packed up his supplies and stored his hoodie with them before tossing his denim jacket back on with his pack. Grabbing his weapons and making sure they were loaded before making his way to the exit.

Hitting up a vending machine along the way and restocking on Salts, ammo and medical supplies.

Heading back outside, he saw a gondola already docked and breathed a sigh of relief as he jogged down the steps toward it. Only to skid to a stop when he saw the 'Out of Order' sign hanging from the controls. "Dammit...now what?" he wondered looking up at the tower just ahead.

Looking up to his right, he saw the railway system that was networked around the whole city. The rails stretched off into the same direction as Monument Island meaning that it was the only way to get there.

"If the cops can do it." he said to himself while taking out his sky-hook. "So can I."

Getting a running start, he jumped up on to the railing and launching himself upward. Attaching the device to the rail and squeezing another trigger causing the hooks to spin and send him zooming off down the tracks.

His heart leapt into his throat and his stomach knotted as he flew downward and shooting back up again. Zipping down the rails with the speed rivaling a rollercoaster as he dangled by his one arm.

"WHOA!" he shouted as he shot through the city. Wind whipping past him as he adjusted the speed on the sky-hook enough so that he didn't feel his insides trying to shoot out.

"YAAAAAAHHHHHOOOOOOOO!" he exclaimed as he spun around a tight turn. Zipping past airships and buildings alike along the ride. A grin filling his face as he felt excitement fill him to the core. This was amazing! Who would have through traveling by air could be so much fun?

Seeing a supply crate blocking the rest of the skyway, Reece slowed down his sky-hook and stopped at a maintenance station. Leaping off and on to the floor and quickly dispatching a nearby guard before he could he could get a shot off.

Flipping the control lever, the crate blocking the path zipped down the lines before the teen leapt up on to the rail and continued his own travel. Monument Island getting closer and closer with each passing second.

But there was another problem. A bunch of crates were stacked up blocking the path again.

With no other choice, Reece looked off to the side and saw a lift hook on a nearby building. When he was close enough, the threw himself off the skyline and latched on to the buildings hook. "Now that, was a rush." he said to himself dropping down to the ground.

The traveler looked down and saw two police officers speaking to one another. Catching them by surprise by jumping from the hook, driving his sky-hook into the one on the left and his fist into the face of the one on the right. Sending both men crashing into the wall behind them and slumping motionless to the ground.

With the area clear, Reece used his sky-hook to latch on to a lift hook next to the balcony above the downed cops. Using the higher elevation to get past the crates and back on to the skyline. Reaching the end of the rails in a few minutes, he dropped to the balcony of a building close to the monument.

The sound of multiple guns cocking made his heart stop. Standing in front of him were two dozen soldiers, weapons trained on Reece in the perfect interperatation of a firing squad.

He had been pretty lucky up to this point. But his shield wouldn't withstand this much gunfire and remain active. And he'd be torn to shreads before he could fire his own weapon or use his Vigors. "This ain't good." he thought while preparing to fight regardless.

"Enough! Stand Down!" boomed a loud, powerful voice over the buildings PA system.

Every soldier dropped their weapons to the ground before going down into a kneeling position and began praying. "He who crossed the Delaware with flaming sword and the wings of angels...watch over me and give me strength." said one of the men as if in a trans.

"Father Washington...hear my prayer..." said another in the same calm tone.

Reece drew his own machine gun and tip-toed his way through the collection of praying soldiers and into the building. More soldiers were lined up on either side of the dark room leading toward a lift at the back.

Stepping on, the wall infront sprang to life as a black and white projection started playing. Revealing the visage of a man that he had seen in every corner of Columbia since his arrival.

The Prophet, Zachary Comstock.

Keeping his eyes on the projection, Reece pulled the lever infront of him causing the lift to acsend.

"I know why you've come, False Shepard." said Comstock. "You have come from the Sodom Below to lead my Lamb astray, but thy crook is bent and thy path is twisted."

The teen rested the machine gun against his shoulder as he looked at the man behind the floating city. "Why do you assume I'm leading her astray? You don't know me, Comstock." he said evenly.

"I know far more than you believe...Reece Vega." said the Prophet making Reece's breath hitch. "You are an agent of chaos, sent here by the Sodom Below to take what they desire most; my Lamb. Your mission to take what I have already liberated will prove your folly."

"Already liberated?" the traveler wondered. "What does that mean? Did you steal Elizabeth from somewhere?!" he demanded.

"Don't pretend that you don't already know." said Comstock. "The avarice possessed by your masters knows no limits. Their gluttonist need to obtain what is not theirs will be their downfall. For my Lamb will rain fire down upon the Sodom Below from the heavens!"

Gritting his teeth, Reece pointed at the projection. "Those are some powerful words coming from a man that broke one of the Ten Commandments! The people around here look at you as though you're some kind of God trying to save them from the horrors of the world! But the only thing your breeding is deception and racism! Everything the Founding Fathers fought to abolish in America!"

"And where I'm from, equality among men and women no matter the race or personal lifestyle is becoming a very strong reality."

The Prophet stroked his beard, "I see now...it makes sense. The way you speak, the way you dress. You survived our Reap, and your confusion about this city is very believable. You are not from this point in time." he said hitting the nail on the head.

Reece smirked, "103 years in the future, Comstock. And let me tell you, the world you know is a much different place."

"I see...what has become of the Sodom Below in the last century?" asked the Prophet genuinely curious.

"The Founding Fathers would have expected a little more in certain areas. But we are getting by the best we know how." said the teen before glaring at the man before him. "And we don't kidnap innocent girls and use them as a Messiah for a bunch of religious nut-jobs!"

Comstock shook his head, "From your actions and words alone, I can tell that the Founders' great nation has truely fallen from it's prime. The Sodom Below will burn much faster than we first believed." Reece snarled as the projection cut out and the elevator stopped at the top floor allowing him off.

"Return to the Sodom Below, traveler!" said the Prophet as the projection screen pulled away from the building revealing that it had been an airship as the teen ran along the halls of the building toward where he believed the exit was.

Rounding a corner, he was thrown back when an explosive blast blew a section of wall away. "Go back!" boomed Comstocks voice as Reece got back to his feet and seeing the airship that had fired on the building had lift hooks on the outside facing him.

Acting on instinct, he pulled out his sky-hook while holding his machine gun in his other hand. The teen leapt through the hole punched in the wall, latching the device on to the closest lift hook as the airship began to pull away from the building.

A door on the outside of the ship was kicked open and three soldiers ran out on to the outside deck guns blazing as they tried to shoot down the 'False Shepard' before he could get onboard.

With his shield absorbing most of the punishment, Reece hung in the air by his left arm as he aimed the machine gun with one hand and returned fire. Taking down two of the soldiers before catapulting himself forward and crushing the skull of the third with his sky-hook on impact.

A fourth soldier ran out of the open doorway where the others came from with a heavy club hoping to take the teen out fast. But his training kicked in at the last second, ducking under the blunt weapon as it swung through the air before delivering a hard knee to the man's gut.

With the wind knocked out of him, Reece grabbed the back of the soldier's neck and slammed his head against the railing next to them before tossing the man over the edge.

The deck now cleared, Reece reloaded his machine gun before making his way inside. One last soldier waited for him and was put down with a quick controlled burst from his automated weapon as he walked through the door leading into the cockpit of the airship.

One of the things he noticed right away was that there was a small alter dedicated to Comstock with lit candles all over it. Another thing was the woman wearing all white praying infront of said alter.

"Excuse me, ma'am." Reece said heading over to the controls of the zeppelin. Whether the woman heard him or not she didn't show it as she went about her business.

Stepping up to the controls, Reece put his weapon down and looked over everything closely. He could drive an array of vehicles thanks to his mechanic studies, but flying an old airship hadn't been part of one of his elective classes at school.

"Alright. It doesn't seem that difficult." he muttered pulling one of the levers back about half way and another all the way.

The zeppelin started to make a turn when an airship sprang up in front of it. Standing on the deck with three soldiers kneeling down around him was Comstock. The old man's gaze shooting through the air and locking with Reece's as he spoke into a microphone.

"The Lord forgives everything." he said with his voice coming out of the ship's PA system. "However, I am just a Prophet...so I don't have to." The ship began to float away as the Prophet muttered an "Amen."

"Amen." echoed a feminine voice behind him. Reece turned around slowly and saw the praying woman holding a lit torch above her head. The smell of fuel hitting the teen's nose when he realized what was happening.

"NO!" he shouted as the woman dropped the torch. Setting herself and a large portion of the ship on fire at the same time. "Jesus Fucking Christ!" Reece grabbed his gun and ran for the exit, leaping over the flames as they began growing in intensity with each passing second.

All of the doors were sealed off from the blaze, and the zeppelin was going down fast. The only way out that Reece could see was through the large cargo opening in the floor. With time running out, he grabbed the lever and pulled it down allowing the large hatch to open as wind began whipping into the doomed ship.

Looking down, the traveler saw a sky-line passing underneath him. He shouldered the machine gun and took out his sky-hook before throwing himself out of the zeppelin as it decended into the clouds out of sight.

Now free falling, Reece held out his arm and hit the trigger on the sky-hook, snagging one of the rails of the skyway and zipping away from the scene at top speed. "That was close...too close." he couldn't help but think as he rode the rails.

By a stroke of good luck, this portion of the skyway went right past the front of Monument Island. Which had been a huge relief as he dropped down on to the stone walkway that lead inside.

Looking over his shoulder, Reece saw a bright orange flash below the clouds and knew that the airship he had just been on exploded. Shaking his head, he walked up the steps and past the barricades that had been set up to keep people out as he finally gained access to the place where the girl was being held.

He was almost home free...

A/N:...anyone else believe that? With Comstock now personally involved, things will definitely take a much more drastic turn. And Reece will need a lot more than what he's packing if he hopes to get out of Columbia alive.

The meeting with Elizabeth is next, and with my updating rate it'll be happening sooner before later.