"Oh- Oh my god!"
Booker let out a low whistle as he watched a police officer lift a pistol to his head and pull the trigger. He came out from behind a vending machine, Charlie in tow, and made his way over to the corpse. "Not bad. I thought the whole point of possession was to 'take back control from the men of metal'?" Booker pointed out, kneeling down and lifting a pistol from the now deceased officer.
"So did I," Charlie shrugged, unbuttoning her grey waistcoat. She always thought that it was supposed to get colder the higher up you were (something to do with the altitude?) but Columbia was incredibly warm. She watched as Booker looted the corpse of some bullets and moved onto the second body. "But, y'know, don't look a gift horse in the mouth. Imagine how badly it could've gone if that didn't work."
"We'd have handled it." Booker disagreed, reloading his pistol. He stood up and nodded towards a ramp leading up to an airship. "That way." He decided, already walking in that direction.
As soon as Charlie stepped onto the airship Booker pulled her behind some fireworks.
"What?" She whispered, tugging her arm out of his grip. Booker stared at her for a few moments before putting a finger to his lips and pointing around the edge. Charlie's brow furrowed as she looked over the top of the box. There was a turret on the edge of the ship.
"Oh," She mouthed before summoning Possession again. She flicked her wrist and watched as the green figure flew towards the turret and engulfed it. It made a sharp ringing noise before shooting; she assumed at some unexpected officers.
As soon as the green left her fingers she was hit by a wave of dizziness. She blinked hazily, willing it to go away.
"C'mon," Booker encouraged, dragging Charlie up. They ran towards the end of the airship, Charlie pocketing a conveniently placed bottle of salts, and leapt off the side. After quickly finishing off the rest of the police and destroying the turret Charlie opened the bottle of salts and sniffed. The dizziness vanished, replaced by a calming coolness which spread slowly through her head. She tilted her head back and sighed. When she looked back she noticed Booker looking at her.
"Well?"
"Well what?"
"C'mon False Shepard!" Charlie grinned, gesturing forwards with her arm. "Lead me."
"Charlie," Booker said warningly, unamused. He had begun walking away from her when she said False Shepard but something caught his eye.
There was a bruise on the left side of her neck just where her pulse should be. It looked new, newer than the bruise that the preacher had left if its deep purple colouring was anything to go by and, most peculiar of all, it was heart shaped. Not just that, it was a perfect heart. There were no odd bumps or sides.
"Is that a...?"
Charlie noticed where his gaze was pinpointed and shook her head rapidly. "No! If you're looking at the heart thing I only noticed it earlier." Charlie admitted. "I can't remember how I got it though." She paused.
A familiar sharp ringing noise sounded. Ducking behind a concrete block, Charlie flicked Possession at the turret. Its light turned green.
"Through that gate," Booker instructed, nodding towards the opening. Charlie nodded and they both ran for the gate. As soon as they stepped through it they were attacked by police officers. Charlie used Possession on one of them before going behind a stall, leaving the shooting to Booker.
"It's the fireman!" One of the police officers yelled frantically. "He's here!" The officer was silenced by a bullet.
When the shooting stopped she got back out and jogged over to her friend. "Brought you a present," She smiled, offering him some ammo. Booker nodding thankfully and reloaded his gun.
"Any idea what a fireman is?" Charlie shook her head.
"Back home they're the people who fight fires?" She offered.
"For some reason, I don't think they're the same thing."
"Booker?"
"Yeah?"
"This gate feels hot."
"I know," he grumbled as they pushed open the gate. Booker stepped around the gate and turned to Charlie, pushing her gently back inside. "No, you stay here." When it looked she was about to protest he shushed her. "What are you gonna do, possession him to death?"
Charlie opened her mouth then closed it. "Fine," she pulled the gate shut, her on one side and Booker on the other. "But I'm not happy about this."
Booker turned. The area was surrounded by stalls and police boxes. A man was stood on a concrete box; the air around him a dark orange which radiated almost unbearable heat.
Suddenly the man yelled out something unintelligible and exploded, covering the area surrounding him in flames. It caused Booker to stumble back slightly as he fumbled with his pistol. The fireman began running towards him.
Just as Booker lifted his pistol, a green wave flew past his ear and into the fireman. It didn't stop him but it did manage to slow him down slightly, giving Booker the chance to shoot at him (he presumed it was a him).
A ball of flame hit him in the shoulder, making him cry out slightly. Another wave of green struck the fireman and combined with Booker's bullets, the fireman fell and exploded into nothing but scattered ash. Booker faintly registered the sound of the gate opening and footsteps running towards him as he bent down where the fireman used to be.
There was a white box which contained a health kit and some salts, which he pocketed for Charlie later. The health kit contained some kind of gel which, when he rubbed it into his shoulder, made the pain ebb away.
"It's a lot cooler now," Charlie pointed out as she got closer. "I guess you could say we extinguished the flame." When Booker said nothing she frowned. "What, nothing? Not even a groan?" She waved her hand in front of his face. "Are you okay?"
"I'm fine," He promised, pulling his hand out from under his shirt. "Was just focusing on my shoulder, that's all."
Charlie seemed to accept his answer. "I wish I could control fire," She said thoughtfully. "I'd never have to have a lighter. Or a torch. I could just snap my fingers and bam! Flames-"
Booker hummed as she babbled, putting the gel back into the kit and dropping it on the ground. It hit the ground with a clink, confusing the detective. Looking down, he saw a red bottle poking out slightly underneath the kit. He picked it up, surprised by how warm it was to touch. The bottle stopper looked like an orange horned woman breathing out fire. The label on the bottle was a picture of the devil.
"'Devil's Kiss'," He read aloud, stroking his thumb along the label. "Hey, Charlie?" Booker called, gaining the girl's attention. "Is this one of those Vigors?" He held up the bottle.
Charlie shrugged, holding out her hand. "I don't know, can I see it?"
Booker was hesitant to give it to her. Charlie had a terrible habit of being impulsive. If she looked at the bottle and found out it was a Vigor, Booker didn't want her to go chugging away. After much deliberation he decided to trust her.
Charlie looked at it for a few moments, surprised by its warmth. She read the bottle label before looking back to Booker. "I think it's the Vigor the fireman used." Charlie commented excitedly, going to open the bottle. She paused, sighing. "You wanted it though, right?" Charlie said disappointedly, holding out the bottle.
Booker stared at the Vigor, shaking his head. "Actually, I don't." If you'd asked Booker when he was Charlie's age, he'd jumped at the chance to conjure up fire. Now however, he had enough things going on without these weird 'powers'. "Besides, you already know how to use them." While he didn't particularly want her taking them either, it seemed like too good an opportunity to pass up.
"That's true," Charlie supposed, pulling the stopper out of the bottle. She raised it to her lips before looking back at Booker. "Last chance."
"Drink the damn thing." Before I change my mind. He added silently.
Giggling, the red head tilted the bottle and drank. It took all of her will power not to spit it out afterwards. It reminded her of when she was younger and her and her brothers had snuck out one night to see a circus. One of the performers did this trick where they 'ate' fire. She imagined Devil's Kiss tasted exactly the same as that. It was incredibly hot and spicy, and left her wanting a drink afterwards.
Eventually she swallowed, the drink burning its way down her throat. She had been mid breath when a small stinging started in the palms of her hands, getting more and more painful by the second. Hissing, she dropped the bottle, vaguely hearing it smash on the floor. A flickering red caught her eye. She gaped at the palm of her hand, where a small fire seemed to be. Pain coursed over her, causing her to scream. She watched, horror struck, as the fire spread over her hand and melted the skin. "BOOKER!" She yelled helplessly, unable to tear her eyes away.
Suddenly the pain had gone, and her hands were the same freckled pale they'd always been.
Charlie looked up, surprised to see Booker stood directly in front of her, his hands on her shoulders. He was shaking her slightly. When her eyes met his he sighed in relief.
"You back with us?" Booker questioned quietly. It had surprised Booker. One minute the redhead had been fine, the next she was staring at her hands and screaming.
Charlie nodded, stepping out of his grasp.
"I'm good," She promised as she clicked her fingers, grinning when a flame emerged. Booker shook his head disbelievingly and marched away. Charlie followed him, scratching her now itchy right arm. When her skin felt harder than usual she frowned and pulled her shirt sleeve up. A small gasp escaped her.
The usually freckled skin had vanished, replaced by a calloused pink scar which covered most of her wrist. She pulled the sleeve back down before Booker could notice and hurried to catch up with him.
"Why are you following me?" Booker demanded, storming towards the twins. They appeared nonplussed; the man carried on wiping the bar as if nothing had happened.
Just after fighting off more of Comstock's men, they had found what looked like a bar. Hoping for supplies, they had ventured in. Instead however, they found the two red-haired twins from before.
"We were already here," The woman said calmly, holding a platter with an odd glowing bottle on it. She was stood in front of the door to what appeared to be a kitchen.
"Why are you following us?" The man retorted, finally looking up from the bar.
Booker opened his mouth to respond before deciding against it. The corner of the woman's mouth quirked upwards.
"Aperitif?"
The detective walked over to the woman, eyeing the bottle of yellow liquid mysteriously.
"You'll find that handy in a pinch," The man informed him helpfully, nodding slightly at Charlie as she sat on a stool in front of the bar. She smiled politely back before turning to watch Booker and the woman.
"The difference between life and death," The woman agreed, holding the platter further out. Booker looked to Charlie, who shrugged, before hesitantly reaching for the bottle. He pulled out the top and drank, pleasantly surprised by the taste.
"Hmm, surprising."
"Surprising that it worked?" The man questioned. He had finally stopped wiping the table and instead reached to get something from underneath the bar.
"Surprising that it didn't kill him." The woman answered, walking away from the door.
"But a magnetic-repulsive field around one's body can come in handy." He pointed out, his voice slightly muffled.
"If it doesn't kill you,"
"A fair point," The man supposed, coming back out from underneath the bar. He placed a Sky-Hook in front of Charlie. "For you,"
"Oh," Charlie slowly reached for the weapon. It took her a few moments and some unhelpful comments from Booker to figure out how to hold it. She squeezed the grip, eyes widening when the Sky-Hook immediately began to whir. "Thank you," She smiled gratefully at the pair, turning it off.
"Oh look, one of them's polite."
"How rare." The man slid a packet of cigarettes across the bar. "You'll want those too."
"She doesn't smoke," Booker informed the man.
"Well then, she might like to start."
Booker rolled his eyes. "What did I just drink, anyway?" He asked impatiently, already wanting to leave. Surprisingly, it was Charlie who answered.
She picked up a silver eagle from the bar and threw it at him. It got to just in front of his chest before something flashed yellow and bounced it back.
"Shield," Charlie supplied, hopping off of the bar stool. She put the packet of cigarettes into her trouser pocket and waved at the twins as she walked into the kitchen, Booker following her.
After leaving the kitchen they found themselves back outside on a platform.
"Look, we're getting closer!" Charlie yelled over the wind, pointing to the angel which now loomed over some close by buildings. Booker looked over to the angel.
"Now what?"
Booker ran down some stairs and along the platform, stopping when he reached the end. He looked around again before spotting some hooks hanging off of a balcony. He paused, an idea making its way to him.
"Hold out your Sky-Hook," He commanded. Charlie dutifully did so, turning it on. Booker turned his on and slowly brought it closer to Charlie's. When they were an inch within touching they began to repel, making it impossible for them to touch.
"They're magnetic," Charlie realised, figuring out his train of thought. She turned back around to the hooks. "So, you think the hooks are too?"
"Only one way to find out," Booker supposed. He ran to the edge of the platform and jumped forwards, pressing the grip on his Sky-Hook. The Sky-Hook gripped onto the other hook firmly, the magnets keeping him steady. He barked out a laugh before jumping over to the next one. When he got the fourth hook he spotted a man on the ground below. Booker turned his head slightly and watched Charlie jump onto the third hook. "Watch this," He ordered before diving off the hook and onto the man, his Sky-Hook killing him instantly. Another man ran from behind a pile of crates. Just as he closed in an incendiary grenade hit the officer on shoulder, exploding instantly. The officer fell to the ground in pain, and was easily finished off by Booker's bullet.
Charlie dropped down next to him looking both winded and happy. After she caught her breath she glanced at Booker, eyes shining. "The landing was a bit off," She teased.
Booker groaned. "Everyone's a critic."
They whipped along the Sky-Line, the breath stolen from their throats as they zoomed through the city of Columbia. Booker opened his mouth to call to his partner when a gunshot interrupted them. Looking down, he saw a group of soldiers gathered around a balcony.
"Fireball!" He yelled, shooting at the group. A fireball flew past his face and into the middle of the group. Nothing happened for a few moments. Booker blinked, surprised as the ball exploded, scorching everyone in the group. He jumped off the Sky-Line and onto the balcony, Charlie close behind. Booker watched her from the corner of his eye as she walked towards the big doors guarding a large tower. Is this the same girl who almost cried at the body in the lighthouse? As they closed in on the door, they both heard the sound of people hurrying behind it.
"Booker!" Charlie pointed towards the Sky-Line. He turned, spotting a giant blue blimp slowly making its way towards them. A loud voice rang out.
"Stand down!"
Almost immediately the fuss behind the door stopped and was instead replaced by a quiet murmuring.
"Murder of Crows," Booker commanded quietly, bracing himself. Charlie nodded once, conjuring up the Vigor. She quickly took some salts before placing her hands on the door.
It was weird; she kind of expected the door to be harder to open. Even though Comstock had told the people inside to stand down, she still thought there would be a minor resistance. So when the door swung open without hardly any effort, revealing a darkened room with a group of people kneeling on the ground praying, she was amazed.
"These people must really trust Comstock," Charlie muttered to Booker as they walked through the darkened room and up some steps, the men around them praying the entire time. At the top of the steps was a lever perched on the edge of the balcony. The flickering image of Father Comstock shone brightly in front of them.
"I guess we pull the lever?" Charlie assumed, looking to her partner for confirmation.
"Nothing else we can do," He confirmed, reaching forwards. He hastily tugged the lever backwards once and took a small step away, unsure of what would happen.
"I know why you've come, False Shepard."
Charlie jumped at booming voice. Startled, she looked upwards. The drawing of Comstock had been replaced by who she presumed was the actual Comstock, his face the only thing they could see. He looked exactly like his pictures; the same white hair and beard.
"I see every sin that blackens your soul." Comstock claimed, leaning forwards. "Wounded Knee; the Pinkertons. The drinking and the gambling. And, of course, Anna."
Anna... Charlie saw Booker grimace. How does he know about her? Booker never even told me about her. Not really.
"And now, to repay a debt, you've come for my lamb." Comstock accused, shaking his head angrily. "But not all debts can be repaid, Booker."
"You can't own a person, Comstock!" Charlie retorted. Booker nodded in agreement.
"And you don't know me, pal!" Booker added. Charlie could tell he was quickly becoming annoyed with this 'prophet'.
"Prophecy is my business Mr. Dewitt, as blood is yours." Comstock replied, ignoring Charlie. "Do you know why these men will die for me? Because I have seen their future in the glory, and hence they are content."
"Okay, so did that Vigor make me invisible or...?" Charlie glanced at the people behind them, surprised when they were a few feet below. She had been so busy listening to Comstock, she hadn't even realised that the platform was moving, rather shakily at that.
"What brought you two to Columbia, Booker?" Ah, so he can see me. "'Bring us the girl and wipe away the debt'? This will end in blood, Dewitt." Comstock promised. "But then again, it always does with you, doesn't it?"
Suddenly, Booker staggered backwards, his hand flying towards his nose. He felt the warm blood on his fingertips. The fact that it was his own was sort of a refreshing change. "Jesus," He whispered, wiping his nose with his sleeve.
"You've come to lead my lamb astray, but thy crook is bent and thy path is twisted! Go back to the Sodom from which you came!" Were Comstock's parting words as his airship flew away.
Charlie looked at him worriedly. "Are you oka-" Booker waved her off before she could finish, already walking away. He ignored the man crouching down, going straight past them. They wandered up more steps and along a corridor.
"Go back!" The space in front of them exploded, sending the duo back slightly.
"Did he seriously just ram us with his Zeppelin?" Charlie asked incredulously, running towards a gap in the floor that the airship had created.
"Holy shit," Booker uttered disbelievingly, following her.
Charlie stopped at the edge of the hallway, turning to look at the Zeppelin. "Okay," She called to Booker. "My turn for a plan. Follow my lead." Before her partner could object, Charlie took a running leap towards the airship, her Sky-Hook catching onto a hook on it. She used Murder of Crows on the man below, wincing at his screams, before dismounting onto the walkway. Charlie stared at him expectantly. Booker, rolling his eyes, copied her.
When they were both on the walkway a man ran outside the Zeppelin, only to be speedily gunned down by Booker.
"Going to let me in on this plan?" Booker queried as they made their way inside the airship, killing whatever man they saw.
"We take the airship to the tower, you go inside and pick her up, and then we take it back out again." Charlie replied, as if it were obvious.
Booker opened a door inside the airship, finding its controls. There was woman inside, who looked like a nun, praying in front of a picture of Father Comstock. She didn't even turn to look at them as they walked in.
"It's okay," Booker reassured, already at the controls. "We're not gonna hurt you."
"You know how to fly this thing?" Charlie wondered, leaning against the counter which held the controls.
"How hard can it be?" He supposed, reaching for the levers.
A loud horn sounded from outside, making them look out. To their dismay, Comstock rose in front of them on a small air ship. He had a microphone in front of him and was surrounded by praying soldiers.
"The Lord forgives everything!" Comstock claimed loudly. "But I'm just a prophet." He looked Booker dead in the eyes. "...so I don't have to. Amen."
"Amen," The two turned at the voice, seeing the nun from before holding a flaming torch above her head. Charlie, realising what she was about to do, jumped forwards.
"No, no! Don't-" But it was too late. The woman dropped the torch, which immediately made her skirt catch on fire and sent the nun alight.
"Jesus!" Booker yelled, stepping backwards. The whole room quickly became covered in flame. "Go, now!" Booker commanded, pointing at the door. Charlie ran through it, coughing madly. Booker followed her.
The floor below them opened up, sending them falling through the air. They held out their Sky-Hooks and managed to catch them on one of the lines.
"Holy shit, that was close!" Booker murmured as they rode along the Sky-Line. Luckily, it led them straight to Monument Tower. He just made out Charlie's "Thank fuck," before they dismounted. After landing they watched as the Zeppelin slowly fell down.
Charlie groaned, falling onto one of the benches outside the tower. "Fuck me," she muttered, reaching into her trouser pocket and pulling out the packet of cigarettes.
"You don't smoke," Booker reminded the girl as she lifted one out of the pack and into her mouth.
"It's weird, ever since we left the Crow house I've been dying for one." Shrugging she clicked her fingers, summoning Devil's Kiss. She lit the end of her cigarette, sighing at the relief she felt. After inhaling a few times she stood up again. They made their way to Monument Island's front door.
"Ready?" Charlie questioned, stomping on the butt of her cigarette and grinding it into the ground.
"Let's get this over with," Booker answered, grasping the doorknob. He twisted it to the left and pushed, opening the door.
I skipped Crow House because I couldn't figure out how to write it and eventually my friend convinced me to just let it go.
This was also the friend who helped me decide to have Charlie control the Vigors, as it would give Booker less to worry about.
Anyway, I hope you all enjoyed it! Thanks for reading.