A/N: Here we are once again. I figured I'd take the time to let you guys in on what's going on with the other stories in my list before getting to the good stuff. If you want to skip ahead to the chapter, more power to you, I just need to get the word about my other fics.
For those waiting on an update for Symbiosis Vol.2, one will be coming soon. I've been going over old notes and been preparing to make new chapters for a while now. But I decided to give old stories a work-over and putting them back on the site as well as making sure that others stay afloat as well.
Also, for any fans of Fragment Effect, I've made a new decision regarding that as well. A lot of my readers have given me ideas about where things should go in terms of the story, several of them have told me that the main character should visit other worlds before heading into the ME-verse. It's a tempting prospect, make one story into a series from several standpoints all leading up to the OC going into Mass Effect. My buddy DemonFireX told me about trying to put Metro 2033/Last Light in there somewhere, having the character survive that series before 'jumping' into the next...I'm still on the fence about it but I have plenty of time to think on it.
Anyway, I hope that sedates your curiosity for the time being if your a fan of either series. Now let's get to the reason why you're here.
Disclaimer: I don't own Bioshock.
The gongola continued its way toward the airship station. It's pace slow, yet steady as it drew closer to its destination.
Reece, for his part, had spent the trip explaining his whole situation to Elizabeth. From the accident he had in his time, to waking up at the lighthouse. To finding the box that helped get him here, to the point where he had rescued her from the tower. He left nothing out, it was a huge risk and the chances of her not believing his story was high.
But he wouldn't be doing either of them any favors by keeping secrets. He wanted her trust, and if it meant spilling his guts in how he arrived in this twilight zone nightmare than he was more than willing to let her in on it.
Elizabeth just sat by the window, listening to his everyword with wide eyes and mouth slightly agape as he spun his tale from beginning to end. When he was finished she was speechless. "I...I can't...It's unbelieveable." she finally managed.
Reece chuckled while scratching the back of his neck. "Try living it." he regarded her with a serious expression. "But it's the god's honest truth, Elizabeth. If someone had told me I'd wind up in the past while trying to go home to Rhoad Island I'd have them admitted. Yet..." he trailed off.
The young woman approached him slowly. "I can see it now. I never noticed when you got me out of the tower, but now...You're different than everyone else. You hold yourself differently, talk differently, and the way you dress...but still, 100 yearsin the future?"
"103 years." he clarified. "And yeah, it's pretty mind boggling. Seeing everything the way it is now reminds me of how much things have changed in history...well, except the flying city thing. Pretty damn sure we didn't have this where I'm from."
Reece tilted his head when he realized something, "Do you believe me? I don't blame you if you don't, it's a lot to take in considering you just met me."
Elizabeth chewed on her lower lip a bit before looking him in the eyes, "It's...actually not that hard to believe. And I think I might know how you got here." she said in thought.
"You mean that opening portals to other times thing?" he asked making her look at him alarmed. "I saw you do it when I was making my way through the tower. I have to say, that was by far the most amazing thing I've ever seen someone do."
Shaking off her surprise, Elizabeth looked stricken. "I wouldn't say amazing. I haven't really figured out how it works. But what you saw me do was open a 'tear'. It's like opening a doorway to other places and times. I've been able to do it for quite a while now."
The traveler saw her grip her right hand, hiding the thimble that covered the missing half of her pinkey. "So, you think that's how I got here? I fell through one of these 'tears' and wound up somewhere else?" he asked changing the subject.
"It's the best answer I can think of. There's no other way you could have wound up here." Replied Elizabeth turned and looked out the window next to her. "Is that the reason why you saved me?" she asked softly. "Just so you could go back home?"
Reece walked up next to her and put a hand gently on her shoulder. "It was...at first." he admitted causing her to turn to him. "But then I saw what these people were putting you through. Locking you away from the world and treating you like a lab rat for some sick bastard's view of the future. Now all I want to do is get us out of here alive, everything else can come afterward."
The young woman was stunned at his declaration. "What about seeing your family again?"
Sighing, Reece gave her a small smile, "I think they'd understand if they knew what I was doing." he reached into his pocket and removed his IPhone and switched it on. "Until then...this will have to do." he said bringing up a picture of him, his parents and sisters all together and grinning, taken the day he graduated highschool.
Elizabeth looked at the device in awe. "What is it?" she wondered as he slid his finger over the screen and cycling through the images.
"Where I'm from, technology has evolved by leaps and bounds. Average telephones started to become obsolete and portable versions were created so that we can communicate anywhere." Reece explained holding up the IPhone, "This is one of those creations. Combining communication, picture recording, and a multitude of other things."
"Essentially, it's a jack of all trades kind of device." he finished handing the device to her and she gently followed his movements as the screen changed everytime she touched it.
The young woman couldn't believe her eyes. She had seen bits and pieces of the future from the tears she had made in her tower, but here was an actual piece from a century ahead of her time. "This...is amazing." she said tapping one of the icons with the tip of her finger.
She jumped when music started playing from the phone's small speakers. "M-Music." she said as the sounds of Nickelback's 'Saving Me' began playing. "It's so different compared to what I've heard."
"Technology isn't the only thing that's changed." said Reece as she handed the device back to him before shutting it down and pocketing it again. "Our cultures, our languages, art, music, government, so much has changed since this day in age."
The gondola came to a stop at the airship station. Reece picked up the backpack and strapped it on while taking out his machine gun and making sure that it was loaded. "Well...that zepplein isn't going to fly itself to Paris. Better get going." he said opening the door and stepping out into the light. The sun slowly making its decent over the horizon.
"Wait." Elizabeth said grabbing his arm and stopping him. "Reece, I just wanted to say that I'm sorry. For calling you a monster. You didn't deserve that after everything you've done for me. I was just-" she was cut off when the traveler pulled her into a small, one-armed hug.
"It's fine, Elizabeth." he said gently. "You were scared, and confused at what was happening. I can't blame you for reacting like that."
Tears welling up in her eyes, Elizabeth couldn't help but blush feeling the warm strong chest pressed against her. The heart beat of her companion echoing through his chest and into her ear. Something about this position made her stomach squirm in a strange way, but at the same time she felt safe.
Looking up at Reece, she wiped the tears away and smiled, "I trust you."
Reece smiled back, "I'll keep you safe. Just stay close and stay alert." Getting a nod of comfirmation, the two teens stepped off of the transport and on to the island where their escape route was being housed.
Checking the area over quickly for hostiles, Reece relaxed a little before scavanging what he could from nearby crates. His machine gun ammo was running low, and he was down to only one Salt. Having had to chase after Elizabeth back at the other station he never had the chance to check around for spare rounds and supplies.
"Reece! Catch!" he looked up in time to grab a health vial being tossed to him. Elizabeth walked up with her arms full of items. A couple bottles of Salts, spare ammo, and a small medical bag. "I found these in a crate off in the corner." she said handing him the stuff so he could store it. "I also read a lot of books on medicine and health care. I'll also do my best to keep you stocked with any supplies I find. and keep you on this side of the abyss."
Reece smiled as he finished putting the items away and downing the health vial to help heal his damaged hand. "Wouldn't want to spend the rest of my life dead. It's good to know there's a doctor close by."
Elizabeth laughed lightly as they made their way up the steps to the nearby building. The sign above reading 'Soldier's Field' as they approached the turnstile leading inside. Reece looked at his charge seriously, "You ready?"
The young woman took a deep breath and nodded as he went in first, machine gun leading just incase there was another surprise waiting for them on the other side.
X
The building was built like a musieum with everything related to patriotism. The teens quickly realized that the place was built for the benefit of children, teaching them the importance of serving their country and fellow man.
Both of them read between the lines and found that it was a place for Comstock to sway the youth of Columbia to fight in his army and serve his 'rightous ways' in the name of the lord. They felt disgusted with this knowledge and began to survey the rest of the room for anything useful.
Elizabeth picked the lock on a nearby door allowing them into an office area where they made out with a large sum of Silver Eagles and a Lutece Infusion that had been hidden in a desk drawer.
Drinking the glowing fluid, Reece looked at the back of the bottle and saw something he hadn't seen on the others. 'Infusion increases MRF endurance, physical endurance, and prolongs the use of Vigors. Survival is Key.' "Guess that explains why I can take more damage and keep going, along with using my powers more." he thought as he left the office and found Elizabeth looking at the different sights around the room.
With nothing left to look for, the duo headed for the exit to the room when something sparked off to the corner. The power source that was keeping the doorway open flashed before giving off a small explosion and going dark.
The metal shutter above the doorway shook with the power supply cut off. Reece grabbed Elizabeth around the waist and pulled her back as the shutter slammed down hard on the floor.
"Watch your surroundings. Wouldn't want you to get squished." he said to her before grabbing the bottom of the shutter and pulling it up high enough for his companion to slip through. Making sure the coast was clear before going under and letting it slam back down on the ground.
"What's a 'Shock Jockey'?' Elizabeth asked looking at a poster they walked by as they went deeper into the building.
"Must be a Vigor. Sounds pretty useful to fire lightning bolts from your finger tips." Reece commented looking at the same poster and the image it showed.
"Who needs the power company with that?" said the young woman getting a chuckle out of her companion as they exited the building and found themselves in the middle of a large amusement park.
A loud humming was heard and the ground under them shook slightly as the large airship they were looking for passed over head and headed toward a smaller island just off in the distance. "There's the First Lady." said Reece watching the ship head to the docking area. "We need to find a way to those docks to get aboard."
"Then what are we waiting for?" asked Elizabeth as they made their way down the boardwalk. Passing a few other patrons as they enjoyed the park and the people who were running the various stands around the park.
Reece stopped at a vending machine they were walking by and managed to pick up a few upgrade vials for his Vigors. Giving them more strength and opening new possibilities in how to use them in combat.
"What's your life in the future like?" Elizabeth asked as he drank the Vigor upgrades. "The way you fight, it seems like you're a soldier."
"Trust me, I'm not a soldier." he replied drinking a Murder of Crows upgrade and cringing at the taste. "I was going to college for my degree in mechanics. I like fixing vehicles and wanted it to be my profession when I graduated. As for how I can fight like I do, I trained in Mixed Martial Arts in my spare time and got pretty good at it."
The young woman looked intrigued at his choice in study. "How did you learn to handle a gun?"
"My grandfather. He fought in the second world war in the 1940's. He taught me how to fire a gun, he said it's a good skill to have should I decide to own one myself." Reece shook his head as he took the last upgrade. "Guess it came in handy afterall."
Looking at his charge he raised an eyebrow, "What's with all the questions? If you don't mind my asking."
Elizabeth looked sheepish, "I've never really had a life, Reece. I just wanted to know what your's is like." she said fiddling with her fingers nerviously.
The traveler smiled, "Alright, ask away." he said making her sigh in relief.
"What about your family? What are they like?" she asked.
"Mom's an accountant at a law firm in our hometown in Rhoad Island. Dad's a doctor at the local hospital. I've got two little sisters, Sarah who is 16, and Melanie who is 9. Mom told me when I was leaving school that she was pregnant again." said Reece.
Nodding, the young woman couldn't help but smile. "Your family sounds nice."
Reece smiled too, "They are." he said as they fell into a comfortable silence for a moment as they started moving again. The boardwalk was pretty quiet despite all of the people wandering around. Some were talking in hushed tones about what had happened to monument island, saying that it was the work of the Vox.
A couple said that it was the 'False Shepard' and his crusade against Comstock. The traveler shook his head, those people had no idea how close they were to being right. Very glad that his tattoo was now covered by Elizabeth's ascot so no one could see it.
"Is there someone special in your life?" Elizabeth asked making him look her way as they walked. "A woman?" she clarified.
"Kind of a personal question." he thought to himself. "But I guess I did open that little floodgate on my own." "I did at one point. But we broke up several months prior to my accident, we both wanted different things and couldn't find common ground in the relationship. So we broke it off on the best terms as possible."
Elizabeth looked a little sad before cheering up a little and taking his left hand with both of hers, "We'll, Paris is said to be the city of love. Maybe you'll find someone new when we get there."
Reece chuckled at the notion, but felt his heart skip a little when he felt her soft fingers wrap around his hand.
After a few minutes they reached the site where the gondola would take them to the airship dock. Pulling the lever, the power conduit next to it fizzled and went out like the one back in the museum when they got there. "Dammit, looks like it needs some kind of charge to get it running again." said the traveler looking the conduit over and checking the wires to see if anything was damaged.
"What about the 'Shock Jockey' Vigor?" asked Elizabeth. "It looks like these power supplies run on the charge they give out."
Scratching the back of his head, Reece saw a sign not too far away from them. 'Come see the future of power at the Hall of Heros!' and image depicting a bottle of Shock Jockey in the center. "And that's where we can get some." he said pointing at the sign. "Now we just need to get there and grab a bottle before something else happens."
"I think it's this way." said Elizabeth pointing in the direction of a few buildings before they began to head that way. Darkness began to settle in on the floating city painting the sky a dark purple and causing several street lights on the islands to kick on.
Heading up the boardwalk toward the Hall of Heros, a gunship made a pass over the area with its PA system kicked on. "Gentlemen, the False Shepard is loose in the streets of our fair city! Will you suffer the shame of allowing your wives and your daughters to fall prey to his machinations?"
Reece glared at the gunship as they moved, "Really? Their painting me with that kind of picture? Fucking assholes." he muttered as he and Elizabeth moved a little quicker so that they weren't discovered.
"Or will you act? Act for your women folk! Act for your Prophet! Act!" demanded the man on the PA system before it shut down.
The duo reached the bottom of a small flight of stairs and saw three soldiers milling around on guard by the entrance. Reece pulled Elizabeth down behind an empty vendors booth and peered around at their opposition. "Can't risk making a scene here. We need to be subtle." he said looking among the three armed men.
"I take it you have a plan." said his companion. The traveler held out his left hand and sent a Possession into one of the men. The responce was instantanous as the soldier shivered before raising his shotgun and blasting away one of his partners and causing a panic.
"Move! Stay low!" Reece whisper/yelled as he pulled the young woman along with him toward the entrance to their destination. The remaining guard and any civilians around drawn to the attention of the possessed soldier and none the wiser of the two teens that slipped into the building unnoticed.
" 'Hall of Heros closed until further notice'." Elizabeth read off of a nearby sign as they got into the elevator.
"Look on the bright side." Reece replied slamming the button with his fist. "No lines to hold us up." The lifts doors closed and they began riding it to the proper floor. While inside, however, the traveler saw a poster on the wall with a familiar bird-creature imprinted on it. 'Sing Praise to the Songbird. For he is the Protector of the Lamb.'
"Nice to have a name to go with the fucked up face." Reece thought as lift rumbled softly.
Following his line of sight, Elizabeth shuttered seeing the image of the large being just as the elevator shook and came to a stop. "Shit." Reece cursed as he looked around the small space.
"What was that? Is something wrong?" she asked as the lights flickered.
"Nothing I won't be able to fix." said the traveler as he opened a nearby fuse box and looked over the interior. It was a little different than the circuit breakers he'd been shown how to fix, but the same basic principal applied as he began going through each fuse to see which one would help them get going again.
In the middle of his search, he heard Elizabeth let out a small scream when a soft buzzing sound was heard in the room. "What's wrong?" he asked looking up from the fuse box.
"A bee!" she exclaimed swatting the air at the offending insect. "I hate those things!"
Reece rolled his eyes, "So kill it." he said casually going back to he fuses before him.
"No! It'll sting me!" she said in fear moving out of the bee's flight path.
Sighing, he moved from the fuse box and toward his charge. "Alright, fine. I'll kill it." shaking his head at the childishness of the situation.
"Actually, I have a better idea." said Elizabeth approaching the poster on the wall and make the same tearing motion she did back at the tower. Reece watched with wide eyes as the young woman grunted with a little exertion as she tore open a portal that took up half the elevator.
The opening revealing a open window in a living room somewhere. The breeze from the window filling the room with fresh air as the bee flew out.
"That's...still amazing." said Reece approaching the opening and standing next to Elizabeth.
The young woman smiled, "Most of the time, the tears are dull as dishwater. A different color towel, or tea instead of coffee." she said reaching out and plucking a single rose from the planter outside the window and slipping it behind her ear. "Sometimes I can see something amazing, and I can pull it through."
Experimentally, the traveler reached out and was shocked at being able to touch the wall on the other side of the tear. "Holy fucking shit! She...she's right. This has to be how I got to this place!"
"I don't suppose you can pull something through that can get us out of here?" he asked.
Elizabeth shook her head smiling, "No such luck." she looked solumn soon after. "The strange thing was that, every once in a while I'd feel very weak. And I couldn't open a tear for at least a week. But now I-" she stopped mid-sentence when they both saw something fly past the window before them. "Oh no..." she whimpered as the form flew by again. Stopping in mid-air and turning it's gaze toward the window.
The creature, the Songbird, let out a loud shriek before flapping it's large wings and shooting toward their direction.
"Close it..." Reece said pulling out his machine gun and raising it to fight as Elizabeth attempted closing the tear. The Songbird drew in closer and closer, a glowing orange search-light coming from its non-damaged eye shining on them as the distance became shorter. "ELIZABETH CLOSE IT!" he shouted as the creature reached the window with its talons raised.
The portal slammed shut, throwing both teens on to the floor breathing heavily from fear. "Let's...not do that again." Reece said standing and helping her back to her feet. "I don't mind the extra help, just make sure your 'friend' isn't one of the things that comes through those tears."
"I won't let you down." said Elizabeth nodding in agreement as he went back to the fuse box. Finding the damaged fuse and swapping it out causing the elevator to come back online and pick up where it had left off.
When the doors to the elevator opened, the duo saw immediately why the place had been closed down.
It looked like a damn war had been fought here recently. The whole place was trashed with blood and bullet holes covering most surfaces. Empty boxes meant for guns and ammo scattered amongst damaged furnature and statues that had been knocked over and damaged, save for a lone motorized statue of George Washington that was still functioning.
"What happened here?" asked Elizabeth as they made their way out of the hall.
"Around this city? Nothing good." said Reece as they entered the next corridor. Stopping by a couple open crates where two bottles could be seen poking out. They were bronze in color, and had a horse and rider carved into the top with the name 'Bucking Bronco' etched into the side.
He picked up the bottle and looked it over, wondering what this Vigor did. "Only one way to find out." he thought pulling the top off and taking a large drink.
Nothing happened at first, then Reece felt a splitting headache rip through his skull as his vision began to waver. His hands started shaking as they began to crack and split open like stone, energy crackling around his knuckles as sections of his flesh trembled and moved on their own before settling back into place.
In a flash things went back to normal, Reece shook his head to settle the new information about his aquired power before turning to Elizabeth. "Never gets easier." he said rolling his shoulders.
"Are you sure it's safe to be drinking so many of those things?" she asked a little concerned as they approached a door with a lock and started to pick it.
"Probably not." the traveler admitted while keeping watch. "But anything to give us an edge and keep us alive is better than nothing."
The lock fell away and the door opened allowing the duo in to a wide open area with a bar on one side and a shop on the other. In the center of the two buildings in front of the docking area where skylines were set up was group of soldiers that had gathered while their leader gave a speech. "And when we strike, we will teach Cornelius Slate a lesson."
Reece looked to Elizabeth and pressed his fingers to his lips, she nodded as they crouched down and got a little closer while the man kept speaking. Stopping behind a stack of crates out of sight getting a better view of what they were up against. "Stay here, I deal with them." said the traveler tightening the grip on his machine gun.
"Please be careful." Elizabeth said worried as he moved out of cover and down the steps into the open.
"Now, I know you've all come to think of Slate as some kind of war hero, but he's a traitor to the Prophet! He and his troops have thrown themselves in with the Vox, and it's up to us from preventing Slate's forces from joining..." the squad leader stopped dead when he saw Reece approaching them. "Sonovabitch! It's him! It's the False Shepard!" he shouted making all his men spin around and reach for weapons.
Feeling his new power course through his left arm, the teen snapped his hand out sending a shockwave along the ground that sent all of the soldiers into the air where they were suspended helplessly.
Reece raised his machine gun and emptied the entire clip, killing all the men before dumping the clip and slamming a new one home while the bodies hit the ground. More soldiers began coming out of the nearby buildings, one taking position on the rooftop of the store that the teen quickly possessed to give himself covering fire as began going after the other hostiles.
From her hiding place, Elizabeth watched the fight unfold. Watching Reece systematically take down each armed gunman with the precision of a veteran soldier.
Even the books she had read on warfare didn't add up to what she was witnessing. Bullets and Vigor powers flying in all directions as her companion fought with everything he had. Ducking down behind cover to let his field replenish itself before getting back up and handling those that were still standing.
Dropping the spent machine gun and drawing his pistol, Reece drilled two rounds through a soldier's head while grabbing a Salt off of a nearby crate and drinking it as he rolled out of cover and launched another shockwave sending the last two men into the air leaving them vulnerable as he launched a fireblast.
Both men were burned alive from the attack and fell to the ground as charred corpses. The traveler did a quick scan as he heard the suicidal gunshot from the possessed man from the nearby rooftop.
That's when he heard it, it was faint but very much there. The sound of wings flapping.
At the end of the area by the skylines a flock of crows gathered together and formed a familiar black cloaked figure with a coffin on his back. "Didn't I kill you?" asked Reece slipping a fresh clip into his pistol. The 'Crow' raised his arms and sent a swarm of birds his way forcing the teen to let loose a fire blast that burned them to ashes.
The cloaked man disappeared in a swirl of feathers, and reappered several feet infront of Reece swinging a machete at him. The teen dropped under the attack and slipped on his skyhook to deflect a second, sending sparks shooting through the air.
Squaring off, the two combatants exchanged blows with their respected weapons. A barrage of powers flying in different directions along with bullets as they tried to gain the upper hand.
Reece droved his skyhook hard into the side of the Crow's head knocking him to the side and firing the rest of this clip into his side before he teleported. "Need a plan." he thought searching for his target.
His eyes caught the outline of a gun sticking out from under the body of a soldier he took down before. Flipping the body over, he picked up a rifle that he realized was a Carbine. Much like the one he had been using at the shooting game when he first arrived on Columbia. "Well...machine guns out of ammo." he said pulling spare clips off the body and putting a fresh one into the rifle.
The flapping of crows could be heard as the cloaked figure reappeared and charged the teen intenting on putting an end to the fight. Reece raised his new rifle and fired; the larger round punching a hole through the man's shoulder and making him stumble.
A second and third round followed piercing the Crow's leg and chest forcing him to stagger and collapse to the ground. He attempted to raise his arm to send out another flock when a steel toed boot planted against his forearm and pinning it down.
The barrel of the Carbine was pushed into the man's face before Reece pulled the trigger twice to make sure that he was down for good. Dumping the spent clip and inserting a new one before turning to where his charge was still in hiding.
"Elizabeth! It's all clear!" he called out pulling the bolt back on the rifle and chambering a new round.
The young woman stood up slowly and looked at all the carnage with a slightly pale face. "Such a waste of life." she mumbled walking up to Reece as he finished scavenging what he could from the bodies of the dead and surrounding crates.
"It's what I've been dealing with all day. I could do without it...but..." said her compainion as he pocketed more ammo for his new rifle and pistol. "How come you didn't open a tear back there? It would have come in handy." he asked as they approached the skyline station.
"There has to be a tear around for me to use." Elizabeth explained. "I can't just make them appear out of thin air, they appear at random."
Nodding in understanding, Reece saw a sign hanging on the gondola controls that would take them where they needed to go. "They've shut down gondola access to the Hall of Heros. Maybe because of what's going on with that man Slate." said Elizabeth as they looked for a way across.
"And from the looks of things, Comstock's got this guy on his most wanted list." said Reece looking at the wanted poster of the man she was talking about.
Cornelius Slate was an older man with a bald head and several scars with an eyepatch. Even if the image was just a drawing, the traveler knew a war veteran when he saw one. And from what Comstock's men were talking about, he was considered a war hero before whatever happened that made him a wanted man.
Finding a lever by the main controls. Reece pulled it causing the crates blocking the skyline to drift away and leaving the path open for them. "This is going to be fantastic!" Elizabeth exclaimed pulling a second skyhook out of a nearby crate and slipping it on.
"You have no idea." replied her companion putting his weapons away and taking out his own. "You ready for this?" he asked getting an eager nod in return. The two teens stood at the edge of the platform before leaping up and latching on to the railway and zipping off.
The wind whiping across their faces, the duo had wide smiles on their faces as they rode the skylines toward their next stop. Reece looking over at Elizabeth and felt his chest warm up seeing her smile so brightly again. Even with everything that's going on around them she still had this aura of happiness that just couldn't be tarnished.
It felt good to be around someone like that. Especially with where they were and what they were facing.
Reaching the end of the line, they hopped off on to the ground outside the Hall of Heros. "That was so much fun!" Elizabeth exclaimed beaming.
"It really is a blast, isn't it?" said Reece smiling just as brightly as he swapped his skyhook for his Carbine. "Now, let's get that Shock Jockey and get the hell out of here." The two headed toward the end of the docking area of the smaller island when a gunshot rang out.
The traveler grabbed Elizabeth and pulled her down behind a kiosk when a round punched through a pillar that had been right next to his head.
Peering around the corner and looking up at the building beyond, the traveler looked where the round had come from.
The Hall of Heros looked bad. Windows had been smashed out and statues vandalised by someone with a grudge. The large angel statue in the center of the front courtyard had it's face painted to look like a clown with similar paint covering her breasts. The words at the bottom of the statue had been tampered with so that it read 'Hall of Whores'.
And looking at all the bodies belonging to that of Columbia's police force and the military, not many have been able to reach the building's front steps.
A small glint in one of the second story windows was seen in his peripheral vision and he ducked down as another round tore through the kiosk. "Sniper, top floor on the left." he said to his companion while bracing his Carbine against the wall.
"Wait Reece! Use this." said Elizabeth holding out a longer rifle with a scope attached to it.
"Where the hell did you find a sniper rifle?" Reece asked taking the the rifle and looking it over with a close eye.
"When you pulled me down I saw it leaning against the kiosk on the other side. I thought it would be useful." said the girl as her companion racked the bolt forward and chambered a round.
Looking back around their cover, Reece braced the rifle's barrel against the wall and looked down the scope. Whoever had been shooting at them was trained, and if they even attempted to move out from where they were they would be cut down before they made it to the steps of the building.
Scanning the windows slowly, he searched the whole floor from right to left for any sign of the sniper. He didn't have to wait long.
In the same window he had saw the glint before, a shadow moved and came out into the light of one of the nearby lamps. Revealing a man in armor as he took a similar position to the teen as he himself waited for a target.
Controling his breathing, Reece steadied his aim before squeezing the trigger. A thunderous clap was heard as the rifle registered once. Blood splattered against the nearby wall and the body of the sniper fell down two stories and hit the ground below. "Sniper's down." he said as they got up and began making their way to the building.
Stepping over the bodies of the dead as they approached the steps. Their moment of silence didn't last as the front doors of the building burst open and a dozen men in armor stormed out guns blazing.
Reece wasted no time and raised the sniper rifle, firing another round and putting one of the men charging down. Pulling the bolt to eject the spent shell before slamming if forward and doing the same to another armed man before he could get into cover.
When the gun ran empty, the traveler tossed it aside before switching to his Carbine. Using the iron sights his grandfather had trained him with to put down a couple more, sending out a flock of crows to distract who was left and mopped up what was left of the opposition.
One of the men ran at him with his shotgun primed and ready to blow him in half. What he didn't expect was the teen to kick the barrel of the weapon high causing it to discharge into he air before a strong round house kick caught him in the side of the head and sent him crashing to the ground.
A round from Reece's Carbine put him out for good as everything went quiet again.
Elizabeth came out from her hiding spot behind a statue and saw her companion looking over the body of the man he just took down. "What is it?" she asked approaching him.
"These guys aren't with Comstock's men." said Reece looking over the man's armor. It looked similar to what the soldiers in the city wore, but had metal plating in certain places for added protection. And they were painted in red, white and blue with stars.
"They're armed and suited, but their colors don't match the soldiers I've fought before." he explained. "And their well trained. Very well trained. They came at us as a group, others trying to flank us with a sniper on the upper level."
Elizabeth looked from the dead man to the others, "What do you think it means? Someone is training a small militia to fight?"
Reece stood up and gripped his Carbine. "They've got to be Slate's men. Remember that little rally we walked in on back after we left the amusement park? They were planning on attacking Slate's forces and stop them from joining up with the Vox. And from the looks of this place, this is where they're being holed up."
He began to head in the direction of the front door, his charge right next to him as they began heading up the steps. "Do you think he knows what we're here to get?" she asked when they reached the top.
"If not, he soon will." came the reply when they stepped inside.
A/N: Our favorite duo has found themselves in yet another deadly conflict, the questions is what will be the outcome? Another update tomorrow guys, see you then!
