1952
Atlas had snuck into one of the fancy dances in Rapture. The only reason he was in Rapture at all was it seemed a better alternative to the surface. He could be someone new. He could be anybody.
Plus the view is spectacular.
Doesn't get much better then seeing a school of fish swim past your window.
He wasn't rich like most of the others and worked in the fishing part, making sure people had good fish to eat. Catching and gutting them.
But he wanted to look around, explore his new surroundings and maybe meet someone.
Although people gave him strange looks because he couldn't afford a suit like the other gents, he came in only his jeans and white shirt with suspenders, his newsboy hat the only formal item he owned, at least to him it was formal.
He got his drink from the bar, walking about the room, greeting people as he went. He found a spot and sat at an empty table, starting to people watch.
Then he saw someone catch his eye. He seemed familiar, like he's seen him around and he wasn't sure if he was a queer but he damn sure wanted to find out. He ordered a second drink for the other and walked over.
He was just leaning against the wall, looking like he wanted to be anywhere else but here. He heard loud laughing but ignored it. Once near enough to the young man he put on a smirk and leaned against the wall. "Penny for your thoughts, would you kindly?" The young man looked over, surprised someone was talking to him with an actual conversation and not some fake act to get near his dad.
He stayed quiet though, not sure how to react when the other handed him a glass of wine. "I saw you from across the room, you looked like you could use a drink boyo. Names Atlas." The other gave a weak smile, taking the drink. "Jack. Jack Ryan." "Oh so you're Andrews son." Jack could only roll his eyes. "Yes and I'd rather not talk about it." Atlas put both his hands up. "We won't then." Jack gave Atlas a look over. "How did you get in here? It's formal wear only." Atlas grinned. "I can be a sneaky bastard when I want to." Jack gave a weak smile, taking a sip of his wine.
"Then care to sneak me out of here? I've had enough of these dances for a lifetime." Atlas grinned brightly. "Of course, would you kindly follow me?" "Anywhere that isn't here, lead the way."
Atlas led him to a tunnel that was free of people and security cameras. So they only had the view of the blue ocean and the colorful fish swimming by.
Jack stared at it. "Ever wonder what's up there?" "I don't wonder Boyo, I know. I came from Ireland." Jack smiled. "What's it like?" Atlas smiled a little softer, missing his mum and pap. "Green hills far as you could see, golden sun and blue skies. We had a little farm, sheep would often try to escape." He saw the dreamy look on Jacks face. "Sounds amazing. I wonder what sunlight feels like." Atlas took his chance, standing closer, putting his hand on the others shoulder as he looked at the blue of the ocean. "Warm. It feels warm." Jack saw how close Atlas suddenly was, feeling his hand, warm and sold on his shoulder.
He wasn't sure what to do but he really, really wanted to kiss him. Atlas made the fist move, licking his lips with his nervousness. "Would you kindly kiss me?" Jack smile. "Gladly." Jack leaned in, closing the gap and pressing his lips to the others under the soft blue light of the Atlantic Ocean.
1953
They met in secret every night after that. At least they thought it was secret. Frank Fountine was in charge of watching the founders son, him unaware he was being watched. His little secret lover was soon found out but Fountine was a man of opportunity. He knew Andrew Ryan was working on some sort of mental conditioning that he planed to use on Jack so things like this never happen again.
1955
He watched them for years. Meeting at night, Atlas bringing Jack flowers, making love to him, living like a goddamn married couple, it was sickening.
"Jack, would you kindly come over here? I haven't seen you all week." Jack was exhausted and stressed. He was pretty sure someone has been watching them, maybe someone found out but Atlas's blue eyes and soft smile melted him and he snuggled on the couch with him, hiding in his chest. He didn't want to worry him so he didn't tell him.
"One day Boyo I'm gonna take you up to the surface so you can see Ireland for real. No more what ifs. " This was jacks chance to leave. "Maybe this weekend?" Atlas smiled. "Whenever you want love." "This weekend. I want to get out of here, I hate this place." Atlas sighed, running his hand though his hair. "I know. I promise, this weekend we'll go to the surface and go to Ireland and feel the sun." Jack nodded. "Good."
As the week went on Atlas worked hard, collecting as much money as he could and Jack was doing his best to pack up some of his personal belongings without his father noticing.
Finally it was Friday night and Atlas was more than ready to take Jackie boy to the surface.
But when he got home there was no sign of Jack. He thought maybe he was running late.
So he waited.
And waited.
And waited.
And pretty soon six hours went by and a stone of dread fixed itself in Atlas's stomach.
He went out and looked for him, he walked all over Rapture, looking for jack, calling him, asking if anyone has seen him.
Nothing.
It was like he suddenly didn't exist.
He went to their only friend that knew and accepted them. Dr. Brigid Tennenbum.
He knocked on her door frantically. "Doctor! Please open up!" Soon the door was opening, the German woman with curlers in her hair and robe on. "Atlas. Do you realize what time it is?" Atlas was in tears. "Jack is missing. We were supposed to leave and he's gone. No one has seen him, I don't know what to do." She good doctor frowned, tensing at one of her friends possibly missing or worse. "Come in."
Atlas walked in and told her everything. He told her their plan to travel to the surface, the planning, the time they were supposed to meet. She shook her head. "Being the child of the founder it is likely he may have been taken." Atlas stopped his pacing. "Don't say things like that." She frowned, feeling for him but she wasn't going to sugar coat anything. "Atlas, I am not going to feed you things you want to hear, I will only tell you what you need to hear. He was queer and I doubt his father liked that very much. It seems awfully suspicious he would go missing the day you two were supposed to leave." "You think his dad did something?" Bridged nodded. "Or Fountine. The two work together often. I'll see what I can find out for you, in the meantime try to relax and rest. It won't do your cause any good if you're dead on your feet."
Atlas looked at her with a crazed, despite look. "Rest? When Jack is missing, when you're telling me he's been kidnapped and worse?!" She shushed him, speaking in a hushed tone. "Quiet. You will wake my little ones." Atlas felt all his anger at her leave him. It's not her fault he's missing, she's just telling the truth. He nodded, running his hands through his hair. "Sorry. I'll go rest up best I can." He left and walked the way to his apartment with a slump in his shoulders.
Once the door shut he sucked in a breath, sobbing into his hand. Jack may be dead. He may be being tortured and hurt in unspeakable ways and Atlas is helpless.
It was three weeks later that Jacks body was found floating outside Raptures walls by a goddamn five year old and his mother. Brigid called Atlas to the medical pavilion, hating that she had to be right.
Atlas went to the good doctor with hope in his eyes but the look on her face said he shouldn't. She led him, wordlessly to an examine room and lifted the blanket to show Jacks face. Pale and unmoving. Atlas sucked in a breath, running to the body of his dead boyfriend, gently shaking him. "Jack? Jacky boy? Wake up, com'on. Damnit wake up Boyo!" He was hysterical with his grief as Brigid pulled him back, holding him tight. "No! No, I have to wake him up!" But his words trailed off as he sobbed in her shoulder, curling into her like one of her little ones after a nightmare. She gently shushed him, trying to calm him best she could.
He eventually accepted his lovers death and put together a small funeral for him, Brigid helped, there wern't many people. A priest came, using an Irish prayer from his homeland he managed to dig up. A few coworkers came that knew about them (only two) and he and Brigid. He didn't bother with a choir even if he felt his Jacky boy deserved it. It was asking for too much for a couple of queers.
He couldn't sleep that night...well he couldn't sleep at all as of late. And now he at at least had closure of some sort, a grave to visit.
That's what he did.
He got out of his lonely bed and wondered to the graveyard in Rapture. It was beautiful, filled with colorful flowers and cherry blossom trees and artificial grass. He found his grave as easily as walking home.
He wanted to give his own last grievance. He took a deep breath, ignoring the lump growing quickly in his throat. "I'm sorry I couldn't get you to Ireland. Maybe if we went sooner this wouldn't have happened. But what's happened happened and nothing can bring you back." He sucked in a breath, ignoring the tears. "But I can give you something from Ireland, it's not much but I hope you can hear me."
Atlas was quiet a moment, swallowing down the lump in his theist and then he began to sing, softly.
"Oh Danny boy,
The pipes, the pipes are calling.
From glen to glen,
And down the mountain side.
The summer's gone, and all the roses falling.
It's you, It's you, must go, and I must bide.
But come ye back when summer's in the meadow.
Or when the valley's hushed and white with snow.
I'll be here in Sunshine or in Shadow
Oh Danny Boy, Oh Danny Boy, I love you so."
Tears stained his face before he was done with the song. Somehow he felt a little lighter from singing to Jacks gravestone, feeling he may have heard it somewhere, making this song his finale goodbye. He kissed his hand and placed it on the cold stone, letting out a small sob. It would be hard to move one but he will and he will find who did this to him and kill them the worst ways he can think of.
1957
Rapture seemed to go to hell in a hand basket pretty damn quickly. It was only a few years ago that it was bustling with people and thriving with life. Now the only people are those so addicted so ADAM there barely even human, goddamn splicers killed their own, still will kill for whatever you have if they spot you.
He Managed to move on From jack and even got married, doing all he can to put Jack behind him. But he still dreams of him, of sunshine and green hills and then meeting his mother for lunch. It wasn't fair to his wife, she deserved better.
Now that Rapture has become Hell, he has them hidden but now that seems like a bad idea because he's in a control room so far away from them, trying to keep them hidden away from Splicers and Andrew Ryan. Even if he wanted to go get them, the splicers have them trapped. His son was barely one, he didn't deserve to come into this has-been world of Rapture. They got lucky that they weren't killed already from a splicer looking for their fix, like the rest of the goddamn population
The good doctor found some information on Jack. He wishes he never heard. According to her Jack was taken by Fountine's thugs and taken to his father where he was experimented on and mentally conditioned to the phrase "would you kindly?" so they can do whatever they want and he can't refuse.
A man chooses, a slave obeys.
Thats what Andrew Ryan always said.
Its so ironic it made him nauseous.
He knew where they got that phrase. It's one he uses all the time. His mum used it often and it stuck with him. But he supposes that Jack didn't survive their experiments as they just dumped him outside Raptures walls.
"Hey Atlas, you ok bud?" His working partner asked. One of the very few who weren't killed by splicers. Atlas sighed. "Yeah." Suddenly something happened on the screen. "The lighthouse is on fire, looks like fucking hell. Like some kind of plane crash."
His partner seemed just as perplexed. "How can.."
Atlas shook his head. "I don't know. You best get over there, and be quick about it. The splicers are coming." His partner looked terrified to walk the halls and he knew why but this was no time. "That sphere is docking and that means we have company. Now go. I'll hook up to the comms in the sphere."
He watched him, studied the cameras and as he went to look into the sphere, a splicers killed him.
Shit.
Someone was in there and the damn splicer saw them, going to the roof. Atlas quickly changed the comm to the one in the docking sphere.
"Would you kindly pick up that short-wave radio?" He could see movement and see whoever was in there pick it up. Atlas sighed.
"I don't know how you survived that plane crash, but I've never been one to question Providence. I'm Atlas, and I aim to keep you alive. Now keep on moving... we're gonna have to get you to higher ground. Take a deep breath and step out of the Bathysphere. I won't leave you twisting in the wind."
When the mystery person stepped out Atlas had to take on a few breaths as his blood ran cold.
Jack.
His jack.
He had so many questions. His heart was bursting with relief and dread. If he was alive that meant Fountine and Ryan probably wanted him alive for something. He spoke with a shaky voice. "Jack? Is it really you?" He saw Jack stop and tense. Jack lifted the comm. "H
ow did you know?" Atlas cursed. They must have wiped his memory as well. "Boyo, your not gonna believe me but you've been here before." He saw how confused and terrified jack looked. "Right now there isn't any time, we need to get you to higher ground."