November 15th, 1959, Frank's reflecting came to an end as the reality of where he was and the danger he was in set back in for him.
"I can't believe I'm here. How the hell did I get here?"
Todd chimed in to answer Frank's question.
"You insisted we go to Rapture, so I brought us here"
Frank closed his eyes and shook his head in grief.
"No, Todd, you don't understand. I didn't mean that when I asked how I got here"
"If you mean, how did we arrive at this specific location. You walked into Atlas' Headquarters and pointed the gun you found at him. When he found out your gun was empty, he shot you in your right bicep. Shortly after you escaped and made your way here"
Frank didn't like how Todd was hammering in everything regarding their situation.
"Todd I, I was trying to say I wasn't being literal, it was a rhetorical question; I know why I'm here"
"I understand"
Frank decided to find out from Todd how much time he had left until Atlas and his crew caught up with them, although any answer he was going to get wouldn't be a good one.
"How much more time do we have until they arrive?"
"They're right outside the door to the clinic, they're coming in now"
Frank heard clamoring outside, they had arrived. Atlas stepped through the door with at least ten other men in tow, their outfits dirty and muddled, wearing masquerade masks to cover their ADAM deformities. They looked absolutely disgusting, except the ringleader, Atlas. And now, Frank Williams was staring down the barrel of his gun, along with several others. His emotions had become his downfall, and led to him taking a bullet in the arm. Todd had only ten minutes left to charge, ten minutes; and Atlas' men were standing right in front of him.
"You've caused quite a stir, haven't you? Put him down"
Fontaine, with a fake Irish accent he used under the guise of Atlas, lowered his pistol and ordered his men to finish what Frank had already started, but Frank was far from done as he pulled out some kind of makeshift trigger with his good arm.
"I wouldn't do that"
Everyone looked at the trigger in confusion.
"Suchong didn't tell you? He rigged this place to blow so he could cover his tracks, but he never had the chance to use it before he died. There are bombs, everywhere. Under the ceiling, behind the walls, beneath your feet. You shoot me, I drop this, we all go up. Any of you move or try and run, I'll pull this trigger. You'll all be dead before you could even process the explosion"
All the men stopped pointing their guns at Frank, their eyes wide with fear. Little did they know that it was all a ruse. When Frank arrived in Rapture, he knew he couldn't storm into Atlas' headquarters without a plan. So while he was hiding, he had glued and pieced together something that resembled a bomb trigger. Luckily they all appeared to fall for it, all of them except Atlas, who looked almost annoyed, his eyes squinting as if he was pondering something. Finally, he spoke up among the gasps of his men.
"Alright, you've forced our attention. Speak, what do you want?"
"I want you, I wanna talk to you, privately"
Atlas raised an eyebrow.
"Could've saved yourself a bullet if you hadn't made a scene"
Frank forced himself up from off the ground, trigger still in hand as he headed to the doorway across from where Suchong's body still laid. He moved backward, keeping his eyes on everyone. Atlas moved forward and away from his followers, his arms folded in frustration. But he wasn't a fool, he knew the detonator was fake, too bad his followers were too spliced up to tell the difference between a real trigger and a bunch of glued together pipes. But, he was curious. Who the hell was this guy and why was he trying to take him hostage. He looked like he didn't belong in Rapture, or anywhere on the surface. But it was almost 1960, times had most likely changed above water since the 1940's. There was no saying how long this guy had been here. And that bracelet, what was that thing. Atlas would find out; then he would kill him.
Atlas opened the door for Frank and they both stepped in. Inside was some kind of office, with a table in the center and two chairs. It appeared to be some kind of testing faculty for trying out Plasmid samples. People would sit down, try out stuff from off the assembly line, and Suchong would record the results. Now, it was going to be used so Frank and Atlas could talk, although it would be more like an interrogation, from both of them.
"Your arms not looking too well, you should probably…"
Frank interrupted Atlas.
"You can drop the act, I know who you are; Fontaine"
Frank didn't need to be swayed by a false Irish accent while talking to Fontaine, he wanted to hear his real voice.
Atlas' eyebrows furrowed when he heard what Frank said. Now he was really confused and angry. How the hell did this guy know who he was? Atlas, Fontaine, allowed his real voice to come out as he sneered, a Bronx accent replacing his fake Irish one.
"So, you know the truth, do you?"
"Yes"
"While we're being upfront, you can put that away, I know it don't work"
Frank felt like a fool, but Fontaine hadn't killed him yet, so that was a plus. He put the makeshift device down, as Fontaine eyed his bracelet.
"What about that? That for show too?"
"No, it's real"
"What's it do?"
"It…it talks to me, inside my head, it…you know what, it's too complicated. Anyway it's not important"
"No, guess it isn't. Guess your here to out me in front of every chump from here to the Welcome Center, are you? Is that it? First I had to take care of that McClintock dame and now you"
"No that's not why I'm here"
"What is it then? A payoff? Want me to slip some scratch your way so you can keep tight-lipped about my little secret? I don't know if you noticed but I ain't had access to my establishments in a long time, even though my names on the building. Speaking of names; what's your name anyway kid?"
Frank went quiet, his eyes wandered left to right as he stared at the table, before looking up once more to speak.
"I'm…I'm the World Traveler"
Frank felt compelled to call himself the title he was given in Dunwall, almost as if he was trying to comfort himself, given the situation he put himself in.
"The World Traveler?"
Fontaine snickered, he could tell Frank was trying to sound important and imposing, but he only came off as pathetic.
"Yeah"
"I didn't ask what your alias was, what's your real name?"
"Frank…Frank Williams"
Fontaine's eyes lit up.
"Frank huh? Looks like we got something in common. Ha, mind if I call you Frankie?"
Frank looked down at the table, his lip quivered and his eyes watered from the mixture of physical pain and heartbreak.
"She used to call me that; you killed her"
"She?"
Fontaine sat back in his chair, an apathetic look on his face.
"Elizabeth"
"Who? Details Frankie"
Frank reached into his pocket and pulled the photo of him and Elizabeth at Coney Island during their first date and pushed it over to Fontaine. Fontaine took it, observed it, and pushed it back, his expression unchanged.
"I don't remember icin this broad"
Frank closed his eyes in frustration as he shed tears, his face burning red. He opened his eyes once more, filled with hate as he lashed out at Fontaine.
"You were locked and imprisoned inside your own department store and she got you out in exchange for a child! After that, you kidnapped and tortured her to get the Ace in the Hole! She got it for you and you killed her!"
Fontaine looked around the room, trying to remember who the girl was. His expression changed to mild shock of realization, before a sharks grin formed on his face.
"Oh, now I remember. That whore was a pain in my ass. I will admit though, she was easy on the eyes"
Frank gasped as he tried to take a breath, he couldn't hold back his emotions anymore but tried not to bawl in front of Fontaine. It was here Fontaine could see what brought Frank to him.
"I get it now, you wanna get even for me whackin your girl, that right?"
"No, she's not dead"
"Whaddya mean she ain't dead?"
Fontaine was confused.
"She…she's alive, she was brought back to life. But she's not here anymore, she's far away"
Fontaine was officially annoyed. Frank was obviously hurt by what he did to Elizabeth, but if she was alive then why go through all of this. Then he remembered physically threatening to lobotomize her with a pick under her eyelid, a pick he dug into her skull with the tap of a hammer, all so he could get information.
"So, she's alive. She was one tough broad, but that's why your here is it? Because I hurt your precious squeeze? I just needed the Ace in the Hole! If she hadn't been so stubborn she coulda avoided almost having a pick run through her melon!"
Frank was sick to his stomach over what Fontaine said, but once again he was wrong.
"No! I'm not here for revenge! Not like it would change anything, we're not even together anymore"
Fontaine's eyes burned with anger, now he was past annoyed and at the point of being full blown pissed.
"So let me know if I'm missing anything. You ain't here to out me, you don't want money, you don't wanna whack me, and you ain't even tied down to the broad your belly achin over, then what the hell do you want!? Was your plan to get me here so you could waste my time!? Tell me, Frankie; why go through all of this?"
Frank went silent, the room filled with his breathing as he tried to hold it together.
"Speak!"
Fontaine's patience was gone as he slammed his hands on the table, he was ready to kill Frank right here and right now. Frank snapped out of it, he hadn't tried to purposefully stall anything, but it was time to tell Fontaine why he was there.
"I'm here because I have nothing else! Nothing! I gave her everything she wanted, we were supposed to be together. But she left, she left and married someone else because he…"
Frank knew he couldn't give away his knowledge of Jack Ryan, so he held his tongue and tried to be vague.
"…he reminded her of someone she knew from here. I've been in three relationships, counting Elizabeth. After my second relationship ended I spent years away from where I lived. After I moved, I occupied myself with school and before you knew it I found peace and clarity. So when Elizabeth left me I tried that again, it didn't work. For three long years, all I could think about was her. It was nagging me! I couldn't figure it out, everything was in order! I loved her and she loved me! Why did she leave? She said it was so I could accomplish my dream, my dream to travel and help people, and show them kindness and compassion. But, no there had to be more to it. And then it hit me; you. You tortured her, you killed her, you broke her. She told me that every time she heard my name, deep down, she thought of you and everything you did. She claimed us sharing names didn't change how she felt about me…but then…she left…"
Frank was hysterical, both the pain in his arm and his emotions brought him to the point where all he could do was weep.
"I came here because I want to understand what she went through, talking to you is the only way I can understand. I wanna know why you did it, I have to know, I need to understand why she left, I need to know if her leaving me could have been avoided. I'm here to ask you; why? What could have possibly driven you to do what you did? Why did you hurt her? Why did you kill her? She gave you what you wanted. She got you out of your department store, she gave you the Ace in the Hole. Why didn't you just give her the child and let her go? I have to know please, it's all I have left. You can do whatever you want to me after this just please, please please please please, just tell me why. Please…please…tell me why…just…tell me why…"
Fontaine processed everything Frank told him. Of all the dumb reasons to come looking for him, his girlfriend allegedly leaving because of him was why; and he thought Splicers were delusional. He could refuse and then kill him, but he would only suffer for a minute. Fontaine figured he could have fun with Frank before putting him down. Besides, it had been a long time since he had an actual conversation with someone as himself. Being Atlas was a twenty-four seven job, it felt refreshing to break character with someone once in a while. He used to be able to do that with his closest subordinates, but they were dead, had been for a while. So Fontaine decided he'd humor Frank and give him what he wanted; then he'd make him regret asking for it. Fontaine leaned forward and looked Frank right in the eye as he began to speak.
"Why?…Why not?"
Frank stared at Fontaine with desperate confusion in his eyes, he continued to speak.
"You know what, I kind of like you Frankie, you seem like the kind of guy who knows what he wants, so I'll let you in on my own personal philosophy. Right and wrong; they're just five letter words. You think Rapture built itself on the foundation of what's right and wrong? Even the great Andrew Ryan refuses to believe in what he calls, petty morality. There's no such thing, just like there's no such thing as Atlas. But you, your like every other mook down here who thought I was looking out for them. You all hold onto the idea of what is, good. You know back before this face I built Fontaine's Home for the Poor, and the Little Sister's Orphanage, it was just a front. After that, I faked my death, took on a new identity: Atlas the Revolutionary, I gave everyone false hope, made the chumps think they were worth something. But it never mattered to me, it was just another move. That's all it is, that's all it's ever been kid, business. You think I'm the only one to back out on a deal? No, but I don't do it because I'm evil; I do it to keep them all in line, to step on every sap before they get a chance to sprout"
Frank's head hung low, almost as if he had been defeated.
"Let me ask you something, how far did being good go for, what was her name? Elizabeth? How far did that get her? How far has it gotten you right now? How far did that get both of you, considering she ain't even in the picture anymore and your here? From one Frank to another, let me give you some advice; stop focusing on what's right and wrong and do what you want! If you want something, take it! Now I've never had a conscious, but if you leave yours at the door, you could have whatever you set your sights on kid. Hell, you could have every Elizabeth in the world if that's your thing. Why be the World Traveler; when you could be the World Conqueror"
Frank looked Fontaine in the eyes, tears rolling down his cheeks, he looked crushed, like he had completely and utterly lost. But it was how he felt that outweighed any fear of death. It was a slight glimmer, a spark, but it was there, the idea was there; what if Fontaine was right. He had the tool, he had the power. He could go anywhere, at any time, and obtain anything. He could become a king, no, a god. No, no he couldn't, could he? Frank tried to extinguish the thought, but it lingered long enough for Fontaine to catch. Frank didn't need to say anything, Fontaine could see it in his eyes, clear as day.
"Ha ha ha ha ha! Look at you. I see it in your eyes kid, face it; you know I'm right"
Frank had a look of disbelief. Dark thoughts had always clouded his judgment from time to time, including now, but he always found a way back, always. He knew Fontaine was wrong, and he knew exactly why.
"No, your not. You wanna know why?"
"Tell me, Frankie. I could use a good laugh"
"We both know what happens next" That's what she said before you killed her. What do you think she meant by that?"
Fontaine's breathing got heavier, but he couldn't hide that his nerves were rattled. Somehow he had pushed what Elizabeth had told him in that hallway out of his mind and had completely forgotten about it. But Frank's reminder reminded him of how he felt after he had gotten the Ace in the Hole and left her for dead, a gut feeling that something was off about the whole thing.
"Yeah, you thought about it long after the fact, what she said. But why? Why did she say that? Because she meant something else when she said that. Think about it. Why did she go through everything she went through? Why would she give you the Ace in the Hole without putting up a fight? Why would she do that? Why would she do that knowing you would betray her? She knew she needed to make that sacrifice because it was the right thing to do, but she also knew that by handing you the Ace in the Hole, that your fate was sealed. She knew that when you took it, you were setting yourself on a path for…something…something big, to come your way. Well guess what; she was right. And you wanna know how I know? Because she told me all about it"
Fontaine grabbed the edge of the table, gritting his teeth, his face turning red as Frank antagonized him.
"You better spill what you know right now kid or…"
Frank interrupted Fontaine.
"Or what? What you'll lobotomize me? Or whatever sick thing you can think of? Or maybe you'll hurt that little girl? Oh wait, you don't know where she is. You have no leverage, nothing to threaten me with. So no, you're not gonna get a thing from me. But I am gonna let you in on something, and that's the fact that something is coming. It's coming and there isn't a god damn thing you can do about it. Not only is it coming but you will never see it coming. It's gonna blindside you and you're gonna feel like an idiot when you're laying on your back and feeling the pain and hopelessness that you put so many people through! And as you try desperately to hold onto that last breath your gonna think to yourself that she was right! And I was right! We were both right! That will be the last thought you ever think as the lights go out for you! There is good and evil and you are the pinnacle of evil!"
Frank's eyes were filled with tears and hatred as he lifted his good arm and pointed at Fontaine.
"You are going to suffer for all the misery and pain and suffering you've caused! For the lives you've destroyed and taken! There will be retribution! For EVERYTHING! EVERYTHING YOU HAVE DONE!"
In a fit of rage, Frank hawked a massive ball of saliva right in Fontaine's face, and almost immediately he came to his senses. His face took on an expression of horror, expressing the regret of what he had just done. At that moment he realized coming to Rapture and looking for Fontaine was now the second dumbest thing he had ever done in his entire life; the number one thing was spitting in Fontaine's face.
Fontaine wiped the spit from his face, and in a split second, he grabbed Frank, slamming his head hard on the table. First once, then again, and again, and again, and once more for good measure.
Frank's head was spinning as he hit the ground and crumpled up, he felt a trickle of blood run down his forehead. Almost immediately, Fontaine had Frank on his feet as he tossed him through the door, the handle bursting and the lock breaking as Frank flew right onto the floor near the group of Splicers. Fontaine stepped out, the fake detonator in his hand as he dismantled it in front of the Splicers and tossed it back into the room. As the Splicers turned their attention to Frank, they somehow gathered enough sense to realize they were tricked, they were not happy about it.
As Frank desperately crawled to get away, Fontaine had him on his feet once again, dragging him over to the room where Suchong's body still laid as he threw him to the ground on a pile of broken glass. His coat provided some protection, but his hands and face were still vulnerable to cuts and scrapes. While he curled up in pain on the ground, Fontaine appeared to be doing something in one of the cupboards, there was a switch inside of it. He pressed it and the wall opened up, revealing a secret passageway full of windows, doors, and counters.
Fontaine dragged Frank through the glass and into the passageway, down what appeared to be a ramp and around a corner. The whole time he delightfully watched Frank look up at him, crying in pain as he stopped dragging him and left him on the black and white tiled floor, now stained with his blood. Fontaine knew he would never get what information he could out of him; so it was time to end this problem once and for all. With his fake Irish accent back in place, Fontaine ordered his men to put the hurt on Frank.
"Give it to him boys, soften him up but don't knock him out. I want him to feel every second of it"
"No…no…please…"
Frank held his hands out in front of him while on his knees, it was no use. One man grabbed him from behind and stood him up as a flurry of kicks and punches were sent his way, every blow more punishing than the last. He tasted his own blood as he spat out his teeth, his top lateral incisor, canine, and first molar teeth all knocked out of the right side of his mouth. He felt his ribs crack and his insides hurt. He hollered in pain as one of the Splicers dug their fingers into the hole in his coat and into his bullet wound, before throwing him onto the ground, kicking and stomping him while he was down. He wanted to beg them to stop, but he couldn't make words, all he could do was cry, cry from the pain, cry from the hopelessness, cry from being close to death and knowing he was going to die.
When they were done, Frank was on his back, almost motionless. He couldn't stop wailing, every inch of him was in agony. Fontaine had been searching for something in the meantime, and he found it; a wrench.
"Pick him up"
Two of Fontaine's men dragged Frank onto his feet, holding him up, he could hardly stand. Fontaine grabbed Frank by the hair, pulling it, holding his head up and forcing him to look him in the eye as he mockingly patted his face.
"There you go. Now, what was it you said? I could do whatever I wanted to you? Shoulda been careful what you wished for boyo. So, you want to know what your dear precious darling went through, well here it is. Take it all in son. Your gonna die, just like she did; helpless, afraid, and alone, with no one to find you and no one to mourn you. But I want your experience to be faithful, so I'm gonna do you in the way I did her; with a wrench against your skull. But hey, don't take it personally…"
Fountain leaned in and let a hint of his original accent come out, not enough for his lackeys to pick up on, but enough to hammer in the point for Frank, before he hammered in his skull.
"…it's just business Frankie"
Fountain stood back and pulled the wrench from his pocket as he readied it. Frank closed his eyes, sobbing as he braced himself for the inevitable, when voice rang in his head, it was Todd.
"Frank"
Franks eyes snapped open at the sound of Todd's voice.
"Todd? Todd is…is that you?"
Fontaine lowered his wrench in confusion as Frank talked to himself. Fontaine could see Frank's bracelet light up, what was he trying to pull now.
"Yes, it's me. I've been here the entire time"
"Todd I'm sorry, I'm so sorry. I should have listened to you, I should have listened to Emily, I should never have come here. I'm sorry Todd, I'm so sorry…"
Before Frank could continue apologizing, Todd spoke up with words of comfort and wisdom.
"Frank, it's okay. Listen to me. You are not alone. Fontaine is wrong. I may be incapable of speculation, but, I can put together facts from what I have observed. I have seen many worlds and the actions of people. Big and small, people have brought about what you call kindness, compassion, and love to those they care for, as well as complete strangers. After obtaining all the information I have, I have come to a conclusion; good is more than just a mere concept, and that it does in fact exist. Even when things seem hopeless, good will always overcome what you call, evil. Now, this next part, you are required to pay close attention to my instructions. Over the course of these events, someone bypassed my security and gave me information. It told me to tell you the conclusion I came to regarding our journey together. It also said: Close your eyes, and cover your ears"
ZAP! A white electric flare hit the room and in a split second, a figure was standing among everyone, dressed in a black soldier uniform with some kind of makeshift gas mask. Strapped to the soldier were an M4 Carbine and a holstered pistol with an ammunition belt. All of Fontaine's men stared slack-jawed at the figure. Fontaine dropped his wrench, hitting the ground with a clatter as he stared in awe. Without saying a word and with lightning reflexes, the soldier whipped out a flash grenade, unpinned it and threw it all in the span of one second. Frank watched as the grenade flew through the air, it was almost in slow motion. He came out of his daze long enough to come to his senses and pull himself free from the Splicers grasp as he curled up into a ball with his hands over his ears.
BANG! The grenade went off, Splicers scattered in the confusion of being disorientated. Frank could hear a slight ringing from not covering his ears properly. He felt himself get grabbed again as he was pulled up the ramp and around the corner into cover. The soldier pulled Frank in close, the voice deepened with a voice box.
"Frank, can you hear me?"
"What?"
Frank was still disorientated.
"Frank, focus"
"Uh…uh…yes…I can hear…"
"Good, I'm going to get you out of here. How much time do we have left before we can be transported out of here?"
As the soldier asked how much time was left, Todd spoke up.
"Precisely three minutes"
"I…I…three…three min…"
Frank found it to be almost impossible to address the soldier, but he managed to spit out some words.
"Alright, we can't go back the way you came in. We have to press forward. I'm gonna clear the path but I need you to stay behind me, understand?"
"…yes…"
The soldier readied the M4 Carbine and hid behind the corner leading to the ramp, the soldier turned the corner and opened fire, shooting a Splicer in the back of the head as he stood around dazed and confused from the flash grenade. Another Splicer jumped out, armed with a revolver, the soldier kneecaps him while taking down another Splicer charging forward with a wrench, bullets riddling his chests and guts, eventually finishing the downed Splicer with a shot to the head before he could fire off a shot. Moving forward, two Splicers jump out of a room with the sign "Cognitive Conversion" above it as they fired Tommy Guns, their aim sloppy as bullets spray everywhere, forcing the soldier to dart to the left and duck behind a nearby desk for cover. As the Splicers tried to fall back and reload their weapons, the soldier jumped out and took them down, shooting them both in the back. Down the hallway was an area containing an old Vita-Chamber prototype, two more Splicers armed with shotguns charged forward with guns blazing. The soldier shoots one Splicer in the chest, sending him flying as he lands on top of the other Splicer. The downed Splicer managed to lift the dead weight off of himself, only to catch a bullet to the head from the soldier. While the combat is going on, Frank continued fighting through the pain and picked himself up while the soldier guided him further. As the soldier draws near the end, a room with two Big Daddy suits strung up to the ceiling above it came into view. Frank is signaled to wait, he sees the soldiers head tilt around, listening. Readying a pistol in one hand while freeing up the other, a Splicer jumped around the corner only to be countered and disarmed by the soldier as he is thrown against the wall. The Splicer is shot twice in the stomach by the soldier before being pushed out into the open. As the Splicers body is rattled with friendly fire, the soldier rushed around the corner, pistol out, and pops the last two Splicers, one gets two shots in the chest, the other takes one in the brain.
Fontaine reached the exit and jumped over what used to be a Rapture Tribune Newspaper Stand, racing to the bathysphere at the docking station at the end. Fontaine opened the bathysphere door and hopped in. Right as he was about to pull the lever, it exploded in a hail of sparks, almost burning his hand. He looked through the bathysphere door, the soldier was at the exit, the rifle still smoking from the shot taken to take out the lever. Fontaine had nowhere to go, the narrow platform he crossed with rusted bronze guard railings was surrounded by water on both sides, and the soldier was blocking his only way out. The tables had turned; Fontaine was trapped.
"Step out of the bathysphere Fontaine"
The soldier's voice bellowed through the gas mask.
"Does everyone and their mother know who I am?"
Fontaine sneered in anger as he stepped down, his Bronx accent back in place. He slowly approached the soldier, as he reached into his back pocket for his revolver, the soldier spoke up.
"Unless your next move is to throw your gun over the railing and into the water; you're not gonna like where my next shot lands"
Fontaine began to shake, but he knew he was outgunned, even if it was by one person. Fontaine pulled his revolver out and threw it into the sea. He stopped about halfway on the platform, his fists balled up as he tried to hold an intimidating posture as the soldiers spoke.
"Smart move. Yeah. Not fun is it? To feel cornered, helpless, alone. I could let you go, I'm only here to rescue Frank Williams. But I heard about the things you've done; so now I'm making this personal"
Fontaine tried to maintain a strong and threatening composure.
"You think your tough as nails with that piece you mook!? Come on! You want me!? Earn it! Let's scrap! I'm always up for slugging it out!"
The soldier lowered the weapon, standing silently, before un-slinging the Carbine from the shoulder and placing it on the nearby counter of the newsstand, along with the pistol and ammunition. The soldier began calmly striding over to Fontaine; it was time to throw down.
Fontaine screamed as he came charging into the soldier who sidesteps him, dodging each thrown punch with ease. After toying with Fontaine for a bit, the soldier gets serious with counters and throws, hammer fists and elbows come crashing into Fontaine with each attempt at offense. Fontaine grabs a loose pipe off of the guardrail and comes in swinging wildly. He misses with the first swing than the second, and then finally, he's out, as the soldier blocks the third blow and disarms Fontaine, throwing him down with a judo throw without so much as a struggle. The soldier held Fontaine down with an armbar and a knee in his back, as his joints cracked against the strain.
"Let me go! LET ME GO!"
Fontaine tried to fight out of the hold, but it was no use.
"This is how it feels, to be held down and powerless. You think you have power, you think you're strong, you think you're untouchable. No. You hurt those who are unable to defend themselves! Men who can't fight back! Women who are weaker than you! Children who are innocent! But I'm not any of those things!"
The soldier released Fontaine and dragged him over to the bathysphere, slamming his head hard into the glass door. His head is smashed so hard that it puts a giant crack in the glass, even though it was designed to be strong enough to support the pressure of being under the ocean. With Fontaine on his back on the ground in a daze, the soldier gained a mounted position, laying fist after fist into Fontaine's face, over, and over, and over, and over, and over again. One shot after another until Fontaine could no longer keep his arms up to defend himself as his face was turned into bloody pulp. The soldier halts the beating long enough to stand over Fontaine and berate him out of rage.
"Some day's I wake up and I have to find a reason to keep going, keep living. I ask myself what's the point, what's the point of going on in a world that's full of horrible, disgusting, evil people, people like you. People like you, who think they can do whatever they want and hurt whoever they want. And then I remember, it's because it's filled with people like you! That's why I'm here! So that people like you, have to answer to me! You hear me!? Do you…"
The soldier was about to continue but noticed that Frank was close by with a pipe in his good hand, as he looks over Fontaine with revenge in his eyes. As the soldier looked on, Fontaine looked at Frank with his good eye and started laughing, before beginning to taunt him.
"Well, whaddya waitin for? I murdered your girl. I kicked the crap out of you. Do me in. Come on, kid. Get your hands dirty for once. It gets so much easier after your first time"
Fontaine could tell Frank didn't have the spine to kill him, and even if he did, then he would go out knowing he was correct about the false ideas of what was right and wrong. Even though Fontaine was down and out, he knew, either way, he was going to have the last laugh.
The soldier stood up, finally calm, stepping away from Fontaine while holding a hand up to keep Frank at bay.
"Frank, stop, listen to me. I know how you feel, believe me, I do. I won't argue with you; this man is a piece of scum that deserves to die, but not today. He will get what is coming to him. I know what he did to you, to Elizabeth. But if you truly care about her, then walk away. Killing him only means that all of the pain and suffering Elizabeth endured before making her sacrifice will have been for nothing"
Frank was shaking with pain and anger, tears running down his pale face, pale from blood loss. The fact he was even standing was a miracle itself, although he stood fueled by pure rage. He wanted to strangle Fontaine, drown him in seawater, break every bone in his body, beat him within an inch of his life, and subject him to every single horrible thing he had dealt out to other people. He wanted him to suffer for every last second of his life, and then finally end him. But Frank looked past his emotions, his emotions were what got him here in the first place. He knew the soldier was right.
"I could hurt you, I could kill you; but I know I'm better than that"
Frank unceremoniously dropped the pipe, as Fontaine began cackling.
"Ha ha ha ha ha! So that's how it's gonna be? That dead dame really did fill your head with bunko! That wrench must have really scrambled her egg salad if she believes any of the crap she fed you! Ha ha ha ha ha!"
Fontaine laughed maliciously as Frank stared somberly at him.
"You're not worth it"
"Your not worth it! Ha ha ha! Your not worth it! Ha ha ha! Your not worth it! Ha ha ha!"
Before Fontaine could continue mocking Frank, the soldier grabbed him by the collar, picking him up and standing him on his feet, before winding up and landing a finishing blow with a spinning roundhouse kick that knocked him out cold, as he hit the ground with a thud. The soldier then turned to Frank, as he stared at Fontaine's unconscious body in silence. The soldier watched as he broke down sobbing, all the physical and emotional pain had become too much for him. The soldier placed their hand on Frank's good shoulder, trying to comfort him after everything he had been through.
"Hey, hey, take it easy. It's okay, it's okay alright; he can't hurt you anymore"
Frank began to calm down as he felt reassurance and comfort from his savior. He turned around and stepped away from the soldier, his attention was back on the corridor. His vision was going in and out, but he could still see some of the bodies. Who the hell was this person, and most importantly, how was this person able to take down all of the Splicers and Fontaine single-handedly? He felt like this was something out of a Marvel comic book, and that comparison got him thinking that maybe he knew the soldier, although it was hard to put his finger on who the soldier was due to his head not being in the right place from bleeding out. He collected himself enough to address the soldier in inspired awe.
"How the…how the hell did you do all of that? You took them down like…like they were nothing. You wiped the floor with them. You're like…like…like…"
The soldier cut Frank off.
"Lady Punisher?"
Frank froze, he had heard that name before. The soldier removed their mask, revealing that she was a woman, it was the bachelorette from Elizabeth's wedding. He tried to continue processing what was happening, but his brain continued to spiral, he was getting dizzy, his vision blurry. As he collapsed, he could vaguely hear the bachelorette calling out for him. But he was too far gone, and soon after; everything went black.