A Different Lighthouse

Chapter 2

The first time Armitage saw Ben's face, he questioned everything. Just for a moment.

This was Snoke's big secret? His Ace in the Hole? This black haired, brown-eyed puppy in a black sweater and khakis?

It had to be him, though. He responded to the phrase just like Snoke had said he would. Felt a little dirty, the way the guy's eyes went blank for just a moment before he did exactly what Armitage asked, so long as he asked the right way.

Would you kindly?

Had to be done, though. No other way, not now, not this far into the game. Snoke's army was all but fucking gone, and those left were Armitage, alongside a bunch of spliced up fools who could barely shoot straight anymore. And Dopheld Mitaka. . . Except that idiot was gone now too. If Snoke said Ben was the key to taking down Ryan, then Armitage wasn't really in any place to argue. Having a guy on their side who basically had a built-in failsafe couldn't hurt, that was for sure.

Armitage had long since given up counting all of his sins. What was one more to add to the ledger, in the name of the greater good? In the name of a city he'd once loved, before Ryan and his lot of rich bastards had fucked it all up?

They approached Kashmir, and Armitage held up a hand, ignoring Ben's irritated grunt as he nearly ran into him. "One moment there," he murmured. "Let me check for company."

"Okay," Ben shrugged. "Not like I wanna go in wrench blazing and get my ass shot off."

Armitage snorted, quirking an eyebrow at him briefly. The guy sure was a smartass, for a bulky lab rat. He shook his head, turning back and kicking in the door to the restaurant with his shotgun held at the ready. As expected, he startled a couple of Splicers inside, plugging one of them in the gut while he still had the element of surprise. The other recovered and shrieked, sprinting toward him. He put a couple holes in her head before she could get too close, sending her sprawling and flecks off blood splattering onto the wood floor. Armitage took an extra moment to listen for footsteps or other signs of life, and waved Ben inside after hearing none.

"Impressive," Ben complimented. "I am amazed you haven't gotten yourself killed kicking in doors like that, though."

"Hasn't backfired yet," Armitage mused, rolling over one of the corpses with his foot and kneeling to check her pockets for ammo.

Ben went quiet, wandering slowly around the sacked restaurant as each footstep made the floor groan in protest. Armitage wouldn't be surprised if the damn floor swallowed him whole one of these days.

"What happened here?" Ben asked eventually, his palm passing slowly over the soiled banner draped over the bar, reading 'HAPPY NEW YEARS '58' in big black letters.

Armitage took a moment to answer, not sure exactly how much he should say. "There were riots on New Years Eve. Working class people decided to rise up against the big wigs in the city."

Ben glanced at him, and Armitage was a little taken aback by the piercing brown gaze. It made him feel pinned to where he stood. "Were you here?"

". . . I was."

"Were you on the big wig side, or the rioting side?"

Armitage stared at him, choosing his words carefully before speaking. "The rioting side," he admitted.

Ben didn't seem to react one way or the other, just nodded, and looked around again. "I still don't understand. What is this place? This city?"