A/N: Well, its official! I'm back into Bioshock Infinite! Just replayed the game today, and once again the ending was a total mindfuck but then again, I can still apprecaite the effort. I just wish the new Burial at Sea DLC would hurry up and come out! Anywho, I've been on an updating spree as of late, when I realized I had been neglecting one of my finest fics! Dark of the Moon, Die Another Day, and Shinobi Menace aside, I'd forgotten all about this one! And on that note...
...hope you enjoy it! Sorry if its short, but its finally here at last! AND HAPPY SUMMER TO YA'LL! THIS IS MY THIRD UPDATE TODAY...so I think I'm going to lie down, now.
...here ya be!
"I know they're scared out of their wits by that girl, yes sir. They've got a tiger by the tail; and they don't know whether to hang on...or run."
~A voxophone recording.
Blooded
"You're going to get wrinkles if you keep glaring at me like that, missy."
Daisy Fitzroy scowled at him; this strange blonde staring her down from across airship. There was just something about him that left her ill at ease. Something...odd. He'd resisted all attempts at capture, but otherwise had proved a damned sight better than ther Vox's field medic; dressing wounds, stiching sores, applying poultices wherever needed.
All this, in the span of a few minutes. He was either a very good doctor, or a spy sent by Comstock to bring them down, she theorized. Honestly, Daisy had begun to lean toward the latter. More than oncce the Prophet had sent a seemingly kind soul to infiltrate them, only for said person to be no more than a yellow-bellied coward.
If this was another of those...
"There we are." the man mused, running his bloodied hands over the sink. "You'll likely lose one or two with infection, but the rest should live." His words trailed off as she placed a pistol to his head, his smile dipping down into a slight frown as the cool barrel pressed against his head. "Now is that really neccessary miss? I just tended most of your men. And you're going to shoot me for it?"
"That depends." was her reply. "Who in the blue hell are you?"
Their unlikely saviour exhaled, a long suffering sigh that seemed to make him many years older. His crimson eyes regarded them narrowly from behind the dark-rimmed sunglasses he wore to cover up the scars lurking behind his eyelids.
"The name's...well, that's actually not important." He relented with a laugh. "Now, ma'am, if ya'd put the pistol away so we can discuss this like adults?" Something about his voice was soothing, compelling, it made her want to obey without quite knowing why. And that...that frightened her.
"I ain't no ma'am, boy!"
"Hai, hai, I can see that." He waved his fingers and suddenly, the pistol was ripped from her hand and placed into his, carried by an invisible energy. "Now, would you kindly sit down?" he gestured with the weapon and Daisy froze, well aware of the trigger cocking backwards, of her body obeying the command, against her will. How had he-?!
"Sit." he gestured again.
Again, against her will, she complied.
"What do you want, boy?"
"Boy?" the blonde affected a hurt tone. "I'm not that much older than you." At this, she blackette growled.
"What. Do. You. Want!"
The blonde's grin reminded her of a humble saint's, modest and demure. Rather ironic, considering the Vox's modus operandi.
"I've got a proposition for ya."
"And that would be?"
Impossibly, his grin grew another inch.
"What would you say if I gave ya this city on a silver platter?"
"I'd day...bullshit. But, I'm listening."
The man who was-and-yet-was-not Uzumaki Naruto laughed. "You can call me Omega. I happen to be...an acquaintance of dear old Naruto. Although he doesnt know it yet...
(Meanwhile...)
"I missed you."
"I'm sorry?" Naruto blinked, taken aback by Elizabeth's word, having missed most of them. The declaration had come from seemingly out of nowhere as they made their way deeper into Battleship Bay; until now, it had been a relatively silent, if leisurely pace. Almost sedate, even. Everyone seemed content enough to catch the moment of respite while they could. After all, who knew when they would be fleeing for their lives again? No, he'd been quite content to take what little peace he could get. And he'd been happy with it.
Until she'd gone and said that.
"I said I missed you." she repeated quietly.
"Well, I missed you too," he tried, fumbling for an answer. Hadn't they gone over this already? Strange, he was almost certain they had.
"Naruto...
He was suddenly intensely aware of her; her body pressing against his as they leaned against the rail, the overly-sweet smell of cotton candy drifting between them, mingling with the artificial scent of the sea. She was curled into him, her body warm beneath the blouse she wore, chin resting comfortably upon his shoulder. Without thinking he reached around, fingers curling around her waist.
"But I'm right here." he insisted, pulling her closer.
"I still missed you," she sighed, nestling her head deeper into his shoulder. "After all this time, its just so hard to believe that you really came." A soft sob leaped from her lips. "I'm not dreaming, right? You told me this was real, but I just...
"Hey, hey, hey! Don't start crying!" It was Booker, not Naruto who spoke up, looking equally distressed.
The blond glowered.
"Don't interrupt the feels, Dewitt."
"But-
"THE FEELS!"
Now that they'd found each other again, she didn't seem to want to let go. It...was insufferably adorable, if he was entirely honest with himself. Having her on his arm just felt right. When he was with her he could truly be calm, could forget the chaos of the universe, of the strange, myriad forces that'd ripped him from his world and into hers. Not that was complaining! He'd gotten his best friend back. That was all that mattered to his selfish soul.
"It's alright," he soothed, his hand tracing small circles on her back. When that did nothing to assauge her tears he held her at arms length, hands clasping tightly to her shoulders. "You're safe. I'm here. We're here." she raised her gaze and suddenly his hand was there of its own accord, cupping her cheek. "Together."
Her cheeks turned scarlet. "T-Together?"
"Er...ah...what we meant to say was...
Booker groaned. "Will you two just kiss already? People are starting to stare."
"Ara, what was that, scum-san?" Naruto raised a finger, a tiny rasenshuriken circling at the edge of the digit. "I didn't ask for your advice."
"I'm really out," she murmured, pulling away from him, looking around at the beach. "I can't believe it...aren't you coming?" Before he could reply, she darted back and grabbed his hand, tentatively threading her small fingers through his. Then she pulled, tugging him after her. Naruto couldn't help but to follow, smiling. He'd do anything, to keep her from making that face again. More than anything else in the world, he never wanted to see her cry again.
"This is real...I...just don't believe it...
"I'd say believe it, but I don't speak those words anymore." Naruto chuckled, let himself be led along the pier. "Bloody english dubs...
Booker looked back.
"What?"
"Nah, it was nothing."
The group passed by in contented silence after that, climbing the stars to the pier and leaving the gentle sounds of the artificial sea further and further in their wake. Ahead he could hear cries and laughter, the sound of merriment causing his heart to skip a beat. It must've excited Elizabeth as well, because the pull on his hand grew more insistent, veritably dragging him along. Booker was absolutely no help at all; he seemed perfectly content to watch him squirm.
Oh, there would be a reckoning for that.
"Will you quit smirking you cheeky ba-
Elizabeth paused before a poster of Comstock, and the words turned to ash in his throat. Him. Seeing Comstock's face served as an agonizing reminder that this fairytale...it couldn't last. Booker didn't know the truth of the man gazing back at him but he did, at least in part. This was the bastard responsible for it all, the man who had altered one world, and in doing so, forever changed his own. Ohhhh, how he longed to wrap his hands around the fucker's neck and...and...AND...!
"So...this is Comstock?" she asked, her words drawing him out of his reverie, back to the present. "I've heard of him."
Naruto fought down a hiss.
"I don't like his look." Booker agreed.
"It's...eerie."
"Do you dislike the look of the Prophet, miss," the attendant frowned sternly, "Or his gaze?"
"Watch it, friend." Naruto found himself rumbling. "She's with me."
The man seemed to recognize him, then. "You! I know you! You're the-oomph!"
Whatever else he might have said died as a fist smashed into his face and shattered his nose. He swayed there for a moment, eyes rolling back in his head; until a soft breath from the blond toppled him like a house of cards. Naruto hummed softly, shaking his now-blooded fist, looking quite content with himself. Better. Much better. He'd nearly struck with lethal force, remembering only to hold himself back in Elizabeth's presence at the very last second.
Still, that didn't make it any less satisfying.
"Hmmm...I think I dislike you."
Elizabeth had a death grip on his arm by this point. "What did you do that for?!"
"What? He's just another idiot caught up in the lie. I wasn't about to stand there and let him preach. Besides, he knew me. Couldn't take any chances."
"I...you...you can't just punch people like that!"
"He'll live."
"Still! That was...
Something snapped. Damn. He'd tried so hard to keep up the front, to put on a happy smile for her, but he...he just couldn't do it anymore.
"If it means keeping you safe, I'd do a lot more than that!" Naruto snapped, losing control of his tongue. "What do think's going to happen once they realize who you are, hmm?! You think they'll just let you go? No! The people here want you, they need you-and given the chance, they'll toss your pretty head right back in that tower or worse! And I'll do anything to keep that from happening!" Didn't she see? Didn't she understand?! She wasn't safe! She would never be safe! Not here, not unless they got the hell off this floating castle and out of here!
"Anything?"
"ANYTHING!"
Her ears turned pink.
"Can we leave now?" she begged, pulling on his arm. "I...I don't like it here." He had the distinct feeling it was more his words than anything else that caused her to scoot closer to him and grip his arm as she did. She'd not been frightened by his words; if anything, she seemed fixated on moving ahead, at not looking at him. Had he embarassed her?
Once more he let her lead the way, but once more, they found themselves waylaid.
"The bird?" Robert said.
"Or the cage?" his sister offered.
"Or perhaps the bird?"
Naruto felt his eye twitched.
"Oh, for the love of-WILL YOU STOP POPPING UP LIKE THAT?!"
Booker glowered at them both. Robert and Rosalind; how did they just keep appearing out of thin air?
Naturally, Naruto was compelled to choose the bird. The last thing he wanted was to remind Lizzy of her terrible time in the tower. Her captivity. All alone, locked up in that gilded tower...he felt his chakra pulse just thinking about it, the shroud all but shimmering into existence around his shoulders. He'd slaughter Comstock for this, no...death was too good a punishment. First he'd start with the toes, then fingers, then his hands...
"Naruto?"
"Huh?" He blinked, realizing where his thoughts had gone again. It was a frightening thing, knowing that for each moment he spent here, he lost more and more of himself. More and more the desire to hurt and kill and maim was growing within him, to tear this place apart for the horrors it had inflicted upon someone so sweet, so kind, so gentle...and they'd hurt her. Torn her apart. Broken her. Shattered her. She'd never be the same again ant i was all their fault and he wanted to hurt them...
Gotta watch that, he warned himself, shuddering at the thought. Thinking like that's dangerous...
The ghost of a smile plucked at his face. "The one on the right."
Grinning, she affixed it to her choker.
"Oh, I love it! Mwah!" she stood up on the tips of her toes and pressed a swift kiss to his whiskered cheek with a beaming smile. There was a pause as he realized what she'd just done; the deliberate display of affection nearly floored him. That was when the sputtering started.
"W-W-W-W-WHAT?!"
Elizabeth giggled. "You know, you're pretty cute when you blush...
"Not helping!"
In that instant, he was infuriatingly aware of Booker's chuckle. But perhaps, had he known what was to come...
...he would have chosen the cage.
A/N: God, I really enjoyed writing this chapter. Everything seemed to flow so well! We see everything build up, the climatic fight-and slaughter-of a certain bird, the realization that Naruto isn't all he appears to be, and isn't the only one to exist. But back to the all-important topic. SONGBIRD GOT WRECKED! The tenacious bastard might come back later but for now, he's very much out of the picture, much to Elizabeth's delight. Now, so long as Naruto doesn't have to dance, he should be fine ROTFL.
Among the more massive changes, there are many, many, MANY Naruto's to be found Infinite-and he just met one of them. Omega. For those of you who have read "Daddy Won't You Please Come Home?" Then, I'm sure you'll understand. This fic will cross with that every now and again, with Omega and his girls making the occasional appearance Think of it as sort of a crossover within too many crossovers =D When will they cross paths again? Will there be other Naruto's? One can only guess...
Now, I know we're not in rapture at the moment, but I'll say in anway just for the hell of it:
In the immortal words of Altas...
...review, would you kindly?
R&R! =D