A Different Lighthouse

Chapter 5

"I'm fine, Ben. Drink that, and let's keep movin'."

He watched as Blue held out the vial to Ben, smiling brightly like she'd just picked him a flower on her way home from school. Armitage supposed the feeling was similar, on her end. Ben took the vial from her carefully, a grimace on his face as he turned it over in his hand.

"I don't know if I like this stuff, Armitage. I don't know if it's worth it."

Armitage could have sworn he felt the eyes of the security camera on his back, and clenched his teeth as nerves flipped his stomach. "You need it to get outta here, Ben. Like I said, just a little won't hurt ya."

"I know, I remember, but this seems like more than-"

"Dear, would you kindly drink the stuff so we can keep goin'?"

Armitage felt a bit sick as Ben stopped speaking at once, opening up the vial and downing the contents in three long gulps. He looked away, not wanting to see that look of confusion on Ben's face when he came back to himself, like he wasn't sure what had possessed him to comply. Armitage had to admit, he was beginning to wonder that himself. Snoke hadn't exactly been forthcoming, his explanations almost certainly intentionally vague. 'He's a science experiment, kid,' he had explained. 'Just like those baby frankensteins. Don't concern yourself with the likes of him.'

Easier said than done, Armitage mused, frowning to himself as he watched Ben take Blue's hand once more.

"Thank fuck. The bathysphere station is just up ahead."

"What about Blue?" Ben asked, frowning. "We need to get her back to Phasma."

Armitage sighed, lifting his eyes to the ceiling. "Look. There's a vent inside the station, we can stick her in there before we get in the sphere, yeah?"

Ben pulled a face, looking down at the kid still hanging off of his hand. She just smiled brightly up at him, still humming one of the weird songs the little freaks were always singing. After a bit of deliberation, Ben nodded, and Armitage tried to quietly release the breath of relief. Almost there.

They pressed forward toward the bathysphere station, keeping their eyes out still for Splicers. It was dark in this part of Rapture, and wet, the steady drip of the many leaks in her walls keeping them tense. Blue didn't seem as affected, though, skipping along and singing as if she hadn't a care in the world. As if the crumbling city around her didn't affect her in the slightest.

They came upon the station, finally, and Armitage's heart began to race. He took a few deep breaths, trying to keep his head long enough for Snoke's plan to come to pass. Well, one part of his admittedly convoluted as shit plan - Provoke Andrew Ryan.

He approached the console, pushing the lever to release the bathysphere, trying it a few times to make it look good before letting out a low grunt.

"Shit. It's not workin'. I need you to go up to the control booth and flip the switch. That'll give the whole station power."

"We need to send Blue home," Ben reminded him firmly, making Armitage's eye twitch.

"We'll stick her in a pipe once we get the bathysphere workin'," he snapped. "Happy? Now go on."

Ben scowled at him, his shoulders squaring up. "You don't have to be an asshole."