Throughout the manor, soldiers of Comstock's army, in their uniforms and armed, arrive and are guided by the Boys of Silence, which indicates the direction by which the intruder left. For his part, Mathias, completely in panic as he heard all the noises around him, descended by a staircase leading to the basements of the manor. He surprises a guard, kills him by a bullet in the chest, and continues his way. Very quickly, the rich Victorian decor gives way to walls of cold and gray iron, a black and white care, and pipes to the ceilings. Mathias advances prudently into this sort of glaucous laboratory, wondering himself if Elizabeth is here. Several open doors left him the embarrassment of the choice of direction.

The first door looks like a small room almost like a dentist's office, with a seat with locks, and on shelves, dozens of surgical instruments of all kinds, as well as hundreds of medications. An old dusty image projector is installed on a table, facing an empty wall. At random, Mathias presses the button that engages the film reel still in. A light is projected onto the wall and shows old archive images, showing a very dark room, and the head of Songbird, connected to hundreds of cables and machines of all kinds, and in front of him, a screen broadcasting images of Elizabeth. Mathis looks puzzled and sees two people appear in the video. Zachary, and Jeremiah Fink.

(Zachary): "So, my dear Fink, how does the Songbird project advance?"

(Fink): "Good, as expected, my lord. Thanks to a simple drop of blood from your daughter put in the mechanical heart, and this permanent diffusion of images, we set up the brain of Songbird so that he recognizes Elizabeth as soon as he sees her, at all times. In fact, she will be the only one able to control and calm him down."

(Zachary): "Perfect, but be sure to finish as soon as possible. Songbird will be the ultimate defense of my daughter against the false shepherd."

(Fink): "Do not worry. This false shepherd as you call him, will not stand a chance against our mechanical monster." 

(Zachary): "I will have to thank your partner for this technology that allowed us to create such a creature."

(Fink): "I'll tell him, sir."

In the background, Songbird's head begins to stir a little bit and emits small affectionate sounds towards Elizabeth's video, indicating that her mechanical brain is beginning to identify the young woman as the only person he can love and protect. The video stops at this moment, leaving Mathias in those thoughts. He realizes that Songbird had been scheduled since the beginning by Zachary and Fink, to protect Elizabeth against him. And who is this "partner" of Fink who gave him the technology to create the bird? No idea, but very mysterious. But besides all these questions without any responses, Mathias decides to continue his way and goes to the next room. 

The other room is even more glaucous in the eyes of Mathias. A red room, in which are hung hundreds of photos of Elizabeth, representing her as little child, until to her present age, as if she were observed and evaluated by her own father during all her life.

(Mathias): "Damn, but what are they doing to Elizabeth? What is Comstock trying to do with her?"

Mathias does not know, but the next room could give him a most shocking answer. On a wall, a large painting on which are written very strange scientific calculations, and several schemes of Elizabeth, representing as evolutions in the course of the age ..... An evolution of the strengh of her power ..... Mathias has a bad feeling, and curious, grabs one of the files to consult it. A bunch of leaves filled with notes and calculations. One of the files shows manufacturing plans for the enormous metal heads of the Boys of Silence, and a personal note, describing that several young boys, all volunteers, were brought here to be transformed into "perfect creatures serving the Lord" as it is written. Mathias thought he was going to be sick so much it's horrible. These non-human creatures, these boys of silence, were once young boys, whose brain has been manipulated by Zachary, at such point they've been mutilated and turned into creepy monsters serving as sentinels in his manor. This prophet is such a fucking psychopath, Mathias thought while he continues to search. He suddenly finds, a note from Zachary himself, that caught his attention.

Coming soon. Thank you, mighty lord, for having answered my prayers. Although my wife did not approve of my methods and that I was obliged to make her disappear, my plan is perfect. My daughter, Elizabeth, will soon be ready. Giving her this power thanks to the machine of the Luteces was a risky plan, but crowned with success. Reducing her mind to my entire devotion will be more difficult. She is strong, stubborn and determined, but I will succeed. Her power grows day by day and increases more and more, but I keep absolute control. Thanks to her, I could see the future, and the advent of the all-powerful Columbia. With her power, she will lead the glorious troops of our nation, to eradicate the Sodom Below, unleashing the flames of her anger on the heretics who poison this world which the Lord has given us. The false shepherd is the only one yet able to stand on my way, and to divert my lamb from her divine way. But I am waiting for him, and when he is there, I will send him back to the infernal abyss from which he should never have gone.

Mathias finished reading this horrible note and remains speechless at this discovery. Zachary Comstock, wants to make his own daughter, someone exactly like him! He wants to make her a monster without mercy, animated solely by the desire to serve god while eradicating the people of the world, judged as heretics. Mathias dare not imagine this disaster ...... Cities around the world, besieged by the Columbia war zeppelins ...... Millions of deaths everywhere ...... The destruction of the world by the forces of Columbia, and Elizabeth, the ultimate weapon of the prophet, standing in the midst of this bloody carnage, the empty gaze of all human emotion. And standing behind her in the midst of the dead and the flames, his wings spread like a phoenix of death, Songbird, eyes redder and shinier than ever ... The ultimate weapon of the prophet, and her guardian, united to destroy the world.... No, Mathias chases away these awful thoughts from his mind, and continues to run to find Elizabeth and save her at all costs.

(Mathias): "You will not change her, Comstock! I will stop you!" He cried angrily, tears in his eyes.

All of a sudden, Elizabeth's screams are heard again, but this time, very close and stifled, like behind a window or a door. The voice led him into a corridor, then into a new door.

(Mathias): "ELIZABETH, I'M COMING!"

With a violent kick, Mathias opens the door, animated with anger and distress, to arrive in a large dark scientific room, with in its center, lighted by big lamps with creepy green light, a sort of huge glass cage, in which are three men in white blouses and masks, like scientists, and what Mathias sees in the midst of them, tears out his heart from pain and terror. Elizabeth is there, wrists and ankles retained by locks on a metal seat, and in the top of her back a kind of cable is connected to a machine emitting strange waves towards her head connected by two electrodes. Elizabeth struggles with all her strength, her cheeks wet with tears, screaming in pain and suffering hell, while the scientists remain impassive, taking notes of the operation and the results. One of them starts talking.

(Scientist): "I've already told you, Elizabeth, no need to resist, these waves will alter your mind, and you will become wise and obedient, as expected. Stay quiet....It will be soon finish."

(Elizabeth):"NOOOOOOOO.......AAAAAAAAAAAAAH!" 

(Scientist): "Did you really think Mathias Booker would come to save you? As soon as he found himself alone, he seized the opportunity to run away from here. He will never come back."

(Mathias): "DO NOT TOUCH HER, YOU BUNCH OF BASTARDS!"

The powerful and furious voice of Mathias attracted the attention of the scientists, very surprised, who saw the young man rush to the window, and break it by firing several shots into it. One of the shots kills one of the scientists, touching him at the head, and a second is injured in the shoulder. Mathias enters the glass cage, more furious than ever, and with his Skyhook, lacerates the wounded scientist's head, to finish him. The third and last scientist throws himself on Mathias and blocks him against one of the windows, trying to stab him with a scalpel. The two men struggle wildly against each other, while at the side, Elizabeth is still tormenting by the waves of the machine, screaming in pain. The scientist, under his mask, begins to chuckle.

(Scientist): "You arrive too late, false shepherd. In a few seconds, Elizabeth will be ours!"

Those were too many words for the young man. "NEVER!" He screamed at the face of his enemy, giving him violently a headbutt, and slit the throat with the Skyhook. The scientist chokes in his own blood and falls to the ground, agonizing. Mathias takes his breath after being half strangled by this individual, and without further delay empties the rest of his gun charger onto the wave machine, which in a small explosion of smoke, goes out, completely destroyed. The waves stop, leaving Elizabeth, half conscious on the chair, the sweaty face and barely breathing. Mathias removes the electrodes from her head, opens the locks one by one, thanks to the same silver key, then leans towards Elizabeth, gently taking her head in his hands by putting a hand behind her neck, softly.

(Mathias): "Elizabeth! Elizabeth, it's me!" He said, terrified to see how she is on this horrible chair.

The little breathing of the young woman does not bode well, but he reassures himself by seeing her difficult to open her eyes, painful, and at the same time happy to see him at last. 

(Elizabeth): "Ma ..... Mathias ...... Are you real? ...... It is one of my dreams?" She says breathless, her cheeks moist with tears, and with her hand, feebly, touches Mathias' cheek, as if to see if he is real. Mathias gently grabs the hand of the young woman, to demonstrate to her that he's really here for her.

(Mathias): "No it's not a dream ..... I'm here, my love."

She smiled despite the pain, and wanted to sit down if she could, but the needle of the cable being in the back of Elizabeth, Mathias has no choice but to snatch it. Apologizing beforehand to the young woman, he snatches the cable off the back. Elizabeth gasped with pain, a thin stream of blood flowing over her back, but she remained strong and clenched her teeth, until the pain ceased. Mathias was really sorry for that, he could not bear to see her suffer, but she knew he had to do it out of necessity. Elizabeth, her arms free, hugs Mathias strongly, with tears of joy and sadness, and he also hugs her, reassured.

(Mathias): "I was so worried about you ...... I feared the worst ....."

(Elizabeth): "Mathias ...... I ..... I knew you would come ..... I never doubted ..... Despite the pain and lies of these men, I never doubted of you. "

(Mathias): "I will never leave you...... Never, I promised."

(Elizabeth):"Thank you.....Thank you so much......"

Her touching words were almost stifled by her tears, and Mathias, with his finger, gently wiped the tears from her cheeks. While they hug, consolidates their sincere love by a short kiss, but strong and sincere. Elizabeth felt this pleasant sensation again, as if she had not felt it for an eternity. The lanyards of her corset having been detached, Elizabeth asks Mathias for help, which again ties the strings to the corset in the back of the young woman. He can see Elizabeth's back, marked with several bows. She was beaten, surely by the guards to stop her struggling. Zachary ..... How could he allow his guards to beat his own daughter to prevent her from struggling ...... Mathias thought this in his mind, clenching his teeth without opening his mouth and had to calm himself inside. He doesn't want Elizabeth to see him so angrily, she had sufficiently frightened like that.

After he finished with the corset, Mathias puts his hands on Elizabeth's shoulders, telling her that it's done. A little sounded but without really needing help, Elizabeth rises from the seat, and comes to retrieve her blue jacket which was placed on a chair next the door of the cage. Mathias advances towards her, and reluctantly, tends to Elizabeth, the note that he recovered in the former room.

(Elizabeth): "What is this?"

(Mathias): "I really don't want you to read this, but you have to know."

At his reticent voice, Elizabeth fears the worst, but decides to read all the same. And while she is reading, her face shows a shocked attitude, on the verge of tears, as Mathias feared. Elizabeth now knew the truth about her father. As being ashamed of this and what she is, she knocks her fists against the table, dejected, new tears running down her cheeks to fall on the table.

(Elizabeth): "I do not ..... I can not believe ....... My own father ....."

(Mathias): "Elizabeth....... I'm really sorry."

Elizabeth leans against the table to take her mind a few moments, the paper in her hand, which she crushes with all her grip, drying her tears, her eyes becoming severe.

(Mathias): "Elizabeth, there is still time .... We can leave, and go to Paris....."

(Elizabeth): "No, Mathias. The time to flee is past. I will get my freedom, and for that... I will fight!"

Their discussion was suddenly interrupted by the arrival, in a sense expected, of a group of soldiers of the prophet, all pointing the guns of their submachine guns and pistols towards the couple, especially to shoot the false shepherd. Mathias knows that he will not have time to kill them all, but Elizabeth stands before them, glaring at them with anger, and from her hands slips a stringy, brilliant, blue energy. Spreading her arms, Elizabeth rips the landscape and opens a large vortex straight ahead them, heading straight on a tornado. The powerful current of the tornado invades the room, swallowing all the objects present in its wake, and while Mathias and Elizabeth cling to save their lives, the soldiers, caught in the element of surprise, are aspirated one by one to Through the vortex, and disappear forever in the strong winds. Once all the soldiers have disappeared, the vortex closes and everything becomes calm again. Mathias is a new impressed. Elizabeth's power strengthened again. Yes, she will fight, and will not become the weapon of chaos of Comstock, but the key to freedom of people.

TO BE CONTINUED