Chapter Two: The Past Comes Back
Next chapter is up and I'm going to start working on the third. Some issues on this side, but I'm working on the next chapter right now and I might get the third chapter out hopefully in a few weeks. I hope everyone likes this chapter!
* 1968 *
Nicole and Arya were in the kitchen making breakfast, Emily was getting a plate and mug from the cupboard, Rose grabbed the newspaper that just arrived, and Amy was making the coffee. Today was their father's birthday and they wanted to do something special for him like make him a breakfast surprise. They heard a 'ding' from the oven and all five ran to it looking inside.
Rose grabbed some oven mitts and opened the oven door and pulled out a cake, "Emily, Arya why don't you two put the frosting on the cake."
The two girls nodded and let Rose put the cake on the counter to let it cool down before they decorate it. Rose took over Arya's job of making the breakfast. They wanted their father to be happy and they were putting their all into this.
Jack was upstairs in his room sitting on his bed looking at his mirror… Jack grabbed his wallet from his nightstand and looked at it mostly looking at the date of birth on it. Frank had Jack's birth at 1932 making him thirty-six today, but in reality Jack was born in 1956 making him twelve years old. Those experiments done on him accelerated his age. Jack has the appearance of a mid thirties man, but only lived twelve years of his life so far. He put his I.D. back in his wallet and put it on his night stand.
He laid down on his bed with his legs dangled over the side hating this day of the year… This only meant that he was getting closer to death. Was this how he would die? Old age not in a fiery gun battle with some spliced up Splicer from Rapture or a last stand with a Big Daddy? Before he could think about it even more a knock at his door broke him from his thoughts, "Come in." Jack called out.
The door opened and he saw Amy peek her head out smiling at him, "Dad come in the diner! We have something to show you!" Jack smiled back and grabbed his robe. Amy waited at the door for him to get ready and he followed her downstairs watching her run ahead of him. When he got downstairs into the dinging room he could instantly smell food. Walking in the dining room he saw all his daughters standing at the table, looking at the food he saw a plate of three pancakes, the other plate had strips of bacon and some scrambled eggs, some coffee, the newspaper, and what really caught his attention was a small cake with white frosting and two numbered candles sticking out of it that were '36'.
He looked at his daughters and they all smiled and said together, "Happy Birthday Dad!" They then ran to him and all hugged him at once. Jack reached his arms around the best he could and hugged all five saying, "Thanks girls, this means a lot to me. You all did so well." He let go of them and sat down in the chair and took one bite out of everything to taste how they did.
The girls watched him eat and he stopped and looked at them saying to them, "This is excellent. Thanks." and then returned back to eating, "Did you girls eat?"
"We were fine with the cereal." said Rose. Emily then remembered, "Oh right lets go get the presents!" The other girls agreed and all five ran up to their rooms to get Jack's gifts. He grabbed his coffee mug and took a drink and with his other hand he opened the newspaper and the front article caught his attention.
The headlining was titled, "Rescue on the High Seas." It stated that a sixteen year old was seen drifting on a submarine along with a group of little girls later revealed to be the missing girls over the course of two years and even some unknown girls. They also report that once they reached shore they searched the ship and found a woman inside who said that her name was Sofia Lamb and that the sixteen year old was her daughter Eleanor Lamb. As Jack read on it says that some government officials arrived and stormed the submarine taking with them a very large man who was wearing a diving gear. It is unclear if the man was alive or dead. The press think he was dead since he wasn't moving and before they took him away it looked as if he had taken severe damage.
Jack tossed the paper lightly on the table thinking, 'The government doesn't want the world to know about Rapture. Let's keep it that way.' Since leaving Rapture he's known that some people in the government had been keeping in contact with the underwater world filling in his father on the goings on in the world. Some people, usually scientists 'disappear' out of the blue. Although Jack knows that they were sending more scientists to Rapture at his father's request.
He stopped his thinking when he could hear the girls running back downstairs and all five stood in a row with their hands behind their backs. Nicole stepped up to him first and pulled out a small box, Jack grabbed the box and patted his daughter on the head whispering thank you. He opened the box and saw that it was a new wallet. Which was good since his other one was feeling the effects of time. He hugged her saying thank you.
Amy came up next and gave Jack some new cologne, "Thanks Amy I'm going to need this." He hugged her as well. Arya took her turn and handed Jack a gadget she made it was a sketch of him that she had used from looking at one of his pictures, she spent a lot of time on it since the details were so well done, "It's very very good Arya. Thank you." He gave her a hug too.
Emily was giddy with excitement giving Jack his gift, she said she used her allowance to buy him a new button up shirt and a tie to go with it. Jack took the white shirt and black tie, hugging her in return for the gift.
Rose was last and she gave Jack a harmonica, it came with it's own box, "Thank you too Rose." giving her a hug as well he then thanked them all at once, "Thank you girls. Dad is really happy about all these gifts. This is my best birthday yet." Jack felt his eyes water and wiped his eyes. The girls were a little shocked sine they've never seen him shed even a small tear before.
"Dad?" asked Rose.
"I'm fine it's just me getting emotional. I'm okay." He gave them a reassuring smile and returned to eating before the food got cold. The rest of the day went by great they ate the cake and Jack took them to the zoo to have some fun on this great day.
* A Few Months Later *
Jack was washing the dishes at the moment. It was his day off and his daughters were at school giving him some time to clean. Usually the girls take it amongst themselves to cook, clean, and do a number of other chores. These were one of the few days he gets to himself and he usually spent it reviewing a few articles in the files and books about Rapture he got from Tenenbaum. Jack put the dishes on the rack to let them dry. He walked out of the kitchen and was about to head upstairs to his office to finish fixing the old radio he brought back from Rapture, but he heard the doorbell ring making him stop in his footsteps. He turned around and walked to the front door to answer it.
Jack didn't bother asking who it was and opened the door. He was amazed to see a teenage girl standing in front of him, she had short brown hair and blue eyes and was wearing a white dress, white shoes, and a heart locket around her neck. She bowed her head slightly and asked, "Hello. Are you Jack Ryan?"
He nodded saying, "Yes my name is Jack Ryan and you are?"
She held out her hand saying, "I'm sorry my name is Eleanor Lamb." Jack's eyes widened in surprise and he reached out and shook her hand, "I've heard about you. You're Sofia Lamb's child aren't you?"
"Yes I am. I was wondering if I could talk to you Mr. Ryan."
Jack moved out of the way and let her in. He closed the door and told her to follow him, they went in his office and she was marveled by all the things belonging to Rapture, but what mostly caught her attention was on the Big Daddy gear. He took his seat at his desk and Eleanor took a seat as well, Jack asked her, "What brings you here Ms. Lamb?"
Eleanor looked at her hands and Jack hadn't realized that she was holding a piece of paper, "I was told to give this to you Mr. Ryan." She slid the paper on his desk and Jack took it and it read:
"I'm still alive Jack… Although I couldn't leave Rapture… Goodbye.
- B. Tenenbaum"
Jack put the letter down asking Eleanor, "Why did she stay? What exactly happened after I left?"
Eleanor said first, "After you and Dr. Tenenbaum left Rapture the Splicers saw you as a kind of Messiah who saved them, but others still wanted you dead. I 'was' a Little Sister and I was bonded to my father who was an Alpha Series Big Daddy called Subject Delta. Although he wasn't my real father I still looked to him as one and my mother attempted to take me away from him by having him kill himself."
She again looked at the Big Daddy helmet continuing, "But with the help of Tenenbaum, Sinclair, and another Little Sister we re-activated the Via-Chambers to bring my father back to life after ten years."
"Wait you mean you re-keyed the Vita-Chambers to your father's DNA?"
She nodded explaining, "Yes we did. The Vita-Chambers of Rapture will now only work to the DNA belonging to the Ryan family or of my father. However I believe they've all shut down though after we left. Anyway with Andrew Ryan and Frank Fontaine out of the way my mother used the Rapture Family to take over. My father worked to save me and he did, we saved the remaining Little Sisters and ran from Rapture with my mother."
Jack asked, "What of your father?"
"He died, but not really. He's in here." she pointed to her chest where her heart was, "I took my father and now he and I are one. He saved the Little Sisters, spared a woman who he once attacked long ago, a man who wronged him, and he granted another's wish to die since he no longer wanted to suffer. My father is a good man."
"I see that he was some kind of super hero. What else are you here for Ms. Lamb?"
Eleanor looked at Jack, she didn't answer his question right away and instead told him of the events of Rapture after he left. Jack was now certain that with Sofia Lamb gone and the rest of Rapture's Elites save for Tenenbaum out of the picture then surely this time Rapture should still fall, but that was shattered when she said, "I think there is someone else in Rapture trying to revive it. It's a slow pace, but they are succeeding."
"Who are 'they'?"
"I don't know, but I remember mother said something about a group that was causing trouble for her. I think it's a remnant of Andrew Ryan, but she always referred to this problem as 'they'. I don't know much else, but they didn't reside anywhere near Persephone since I've never encountered any of these threats." she said.
Jack asked her, "What makes you think that it's something of my father?"
"I have no evidence to back it, but my mother would whisper 'He's a ghost that can't seem to die'. It was just my assumption that it was someone in Andrew Ryan's group." She looked at a wrist watch she had on and said, "Mr. Ryan I don't have much time, but I wanted to ask if you can do me one favor?"
Jack looked at her with his head a bit tilted. She took deep breath asking, "Can you hold onto my father's body?"
"What?" He asked stunned.
"Apparently the people of Rapture have some pull with figures in the government and they've ushered a deal with my mother and myself. We don't speak of Rapture at all and in exchange we live our lives normally and they've agreed to store my father away, but i wanted someone trustful to hold onto my father's body and then I remembered that Tenenbaum spoke of you." She stood up and then continued, "They're here with my father's body in a freezing chamber. Can we hide my father here?"
"Where would you hide him?"
"Do you have a basement? We could hide him there and even make a secret room down there."
Jack was highly skeptical of this, but when Eleanor pleaded with him, "Please Mr. Ryan my father means the world to me and I don't want some men in suits watching his body and one of these days cutting him open like some kind of experiment. I want my father's body to be at peace. Please Mr. Ryan I'm begging you."
He ran in hand through his hair in annoyance, but then decided that he could. This girl was begging and was willing to go to some great lengths to protect her father, he had to admire that, "Alright… But I want them to build the room in under two days. Come back this weekend and I'll have everything set up. My daughters are not to know of this."
"Thank you so much Mr. Ryan and I will tell them to have it done quickly. Thank you again sir." She walked to the door with a smile on her face asking Jack to follow her. Jack did so and followed after her to the front yard. Jack's home is one of those homes that is spread out far from the other mansion houses and you can only faintly see a dark spot of the other mansions since they are so far. Parked in front of his house was a limo and a black van. When she approached the car a man got out and opened the door for her and Eleanor said, "We'll come back this weekend then Mr. Ryan to install the chamber and create the room. Your daughters will never know it was there. Thank you once again Mr. Ryan."
Jack asked her before she got in the car, "One question."
"Shoot." She said.
"Do you know a Mark Meltzer?" he asked her.
Eleanor thought about it and then her memory of the man returned, "Yes I do… What about him?" Jack could sense the tension in the air, "What happened to him?"
She shook her head saying, "He's dead, my father killed him. He saved Mark's daughter Cindy though." Jack ran his hand through his hair feeling regret for the man. Eleanor could see his distress and patted his shoulder telling him, "Mark became a Big Daddy to be with his daughter, he's a lot like real fathers who would go to the extremes to save their children and he was one of them."
Jack didn't look at her, but saw that she got in the car and rolled the window down and waved her hand for Jack to move closer, when he got closer she looked serious and said, "Also Mr. Ryan I do have one last thing to tell you. The talk with you about Rapture has helped me gain a grip on these new comers."
"What do you mean?"
She took a moment before answering him, "Two years back a group of Splicers from the Rapture Family were suddenly attacked when they ventured to far out from my mother's protection. That group was killed by plasmids from what we can gather, but that attack came with a warning."
Jack was intrigued about this leaning in closer to hear her. Eleanor whispered, "Written with followers' blood there was a message written on the wall. It said, 'Beware Lamb for we The True are Watching You'." Jack was stunned by this warning and heard Eleanor say, "This isn't over just yet. I have a feeling that Rapture will return even stronger now, but when I don't know. I want to ask that when it does come down to it, will you fight?"
Immediately Jack responded, "No. Rapture isn't my problem anymore, when and if that happens let the great United States of America to handle it. I refuse to be dragged back. Goodbye Ms. Lamb." Jack turned to walk away, but he stopped when Eleanor said, "I fear Mr. Ryan that when that day comes you will be forced back into that world. I guarantee it." After she talked she rolled her window back up and the the limo and van drove off. Jack watched the cars leave and looked at his watch, it was time to pick up his daughters.
He walked inside the house and first to his office to make sure that it was locked, but when he got to the door he could hear a white noise coming from his office. Instinct took over and Jack gripped both fists ready to fight whoever was inside, when he got to the door he ran inside ready to fight, but no one was inside. Looking to the sound of the noise he found it coming from the radio he was working on, wondering if it turned on itself. Jack walked over to it about to turn it off, but a funny sound was coming from the receiver.
"…. (white noise)…. J-J-Ja…. (buzzing sound cutting in and out)…. J-Jac…. (buzzing continues)…. Jack…."
He froze in place for a split second and then regained himself and pulled one of the chairs up so he could sit at the radio and heard the noise continue.
"J-Jack… It's me… (buzzing returns)…"
Jack grabs his tool kit that he left inside his office and opened the back up and messed with it hearing the buzzing noise die down some more.
"H-H-He's… (buzzing)…"
He messed with a little more, but so far it wasn't working. He was however able to get it to a clearer frequency.
"I-It's me… B-Bri-Brigid… (buzzing blares for awhile)."
Jack turned a few things inside of it and got one last message.
"T-The… T-Tru- (cutting off and sound returning)…. are a d-danger- (buzzing stops)."
The radio blew out and the sound stopped. Jack slammed his fist on the radio very pissed, "Dammit!" Highly irritated Jack attempted to repair it, but the damn thing was being stubborn. He stopped when he realized that it was useless, tossing his tools to the ground Jack said, "The damn thing is to broken to fix… Fuck!"
He sat still and covered his eyes with his hands saying to himself, "Tenenbaum. What are you trying to say?"
* 1973 *
Inside a very large auditorium sat a extremely large crowd of people all dressed nice. The stage was lit up and a banner hung over it that read "Congratulations Class of 73'". Jack walked inside and was wearing a black suit, hat, and gloves covering his hands, walking toward the fifth row and he saw his seat that had a paper on it saying, 'J. Ryan'.
He took the paper off and sat down. Removing his hat it was evident that the forty-one year old's age was coming in. Jack's hair was slightly longer and little gray strands in it, a few minor wrinkles that were hardly noticeable, and he still had his muscular build. When he sat down a man sitting next to him said, "Hey you're Jack Ryan? The father of the Valedictorian speaking today?"
Jack nodded, "Yes my daughter Arya will be speaking."
"You must be proud." said the man.
Jack smiled and again nodded, "I am. I'm proud of all my daughters." The lights dimmed which mean that the ceremony was starting. At the podium stood the principle Jack met a few times during the course of his daughter's high school years. The principle spoke to the crowd telling a few jokes and said how proud he and the staff were about having the teens graduating this year to pursue lives of their own.
The principle then said, "This years Valedictorian is Arya Ryan." The crowd applauded the girl as she took the stage. Jack looked at his eighteen year old daughter she was beautiful like her sisters and her hair was much longer now that they put it in a bun with a single strand going over her left eye. Arya took the podium and looked around the front rows and saw her father sitting there with a big smile on his face.
Arya smiled at him and took a good breath, "Hello everyone my name is Arya Ryan daughter of Jack Ryan…"
Jack sat listening to his daughter give her speech that she had been working on for a long time now. She was doing perfect, but before she said that she had trouble speaking in front of a crowd. He had helped her with that barely, she was speaking clearly and calmly. Once Arya finished her speech she bowed to the crowd and left the podium. Everyone cheered and clapped, but it was Jack who cheered the loudest.
The principle returned and said, "Okay thank you Ms. Ryan for that and let us start." Everyone again cheered.
Going in alphabetical order they were going down the list handing the awards to the students for graduating and finishing their final year of High School. When they got to the Rs the principle said, "Since all of them are together on this we shall give these diplomas to the Ryan sisters. Amy, Arya, Emily, Nicole, and Rose Ryan."
The five came out together waving to the crowd. Jack stood up and clapped for his daughters who saw him and waved at him blowing him kisses.
Nicole was the taller of the sisters, her hair short and straightened and her figure was well maintained.
Amy's hair was the longest, but she was the shortest of the sisters.
Emily's hair was short as well and was wearing glasses now giving her a business look.
Rose's hair was long and wavy and her body was more filled out then her sisters.
All were wearing their black graduation gowns, black graduation caps, and you could see their heels. When they got to the principle and accepted their awards they faced the crowed and curtseyed to the crowd receiving one last applause and walked off the stage to join the other students who graduated. Jack sat down and relaxed for the rest of the ceremony.
After the ceremony Jack waited outside for his daughters watching other families take pictures with their kids.
"Dad!"
Jack turned his head and saw his daughters walk over to him each giving him a hug and a kiss on the cheek. Jack returned each hug and kiss to his daughters saying, "Look at you five you make your old man very proud."
The girls blushed and Jack saw two men walk over one man hugging Arya and the other hugging Emily.
These two men were his daughter's boyfriends. All of his daughters had boyfriends and needless to say Jack's 'Protective Father Switch' turned on and he didn't take kindly to any of the boys his daughters were dating. After some time he warmed up to few of them.
One of the boys looked at Jack holding his hand out, "Hello Mr. Ryan good to see you."
Jack took Arya's boyfriend's hand shaking it, "Good to see you and congratulations John."
"Thank you sir."
Emily's boyfriend also held his hand out too, "Hey Mr. Ryan."
Jack shook his hand too, "Congratulations Kevin. Your parents told me how you are the first of your family to graduate high school."
"Thank you Mr. Ryan."
Jack looked at his daughters asking, "You girls doing anything?"
Arya said, "John and I were going out to eat if that's okay."
Emily told Jack, "The two of us were going out as well."
"I was going to eat dinner with my friends as our own graduation party." said Nicole.
Amy said to her father, "Same here."
"Me too." replied Rose.
Jack smiled at them saying, "Okay don't let me keep you. You're all eighteen, but I'd like that you all came back before midnight however. This includes you two too." Jack said pointing to Arya and Emily. All the girls agreed to their father and spent a few hours with him taking pictures and talking to a few college reps who came to look to a few students to join.
That was what hit Jack, the realization that his daughters were moving out of the house and living lives of their own. All five were qualified to go to college and all five wanted to live in the dorms so they would be moving out soon. When his daughters walked off kissing him goodbye Jack headed back home to wait for his daughters to return.
* Some Months Later: Moving Day *
Jack finished helping Rose pack up her things. Emily, Nicole, Amy, and Arya already moved out left for college they all left over the course of the past two months. Rose was the last to leave, she was taking up art as a career going to an art school. Jack walked outside taking the last few boxes out to Rose's car, she was driving a 1972 Chevelle. He bought each of his daughters cars giving them some freedom.
He put the boxes in the passenger seat since the trunk was filled up with her suitcases. He closed the door and turned to Rose saying, "Well you're the last to head off."
"Yeah." Rose said choking out a few sobs, "I'll miss you dad."
Jack teared up a bit and hugged Rose, "I'll miss you too. You're a big girl now and someday you'll have a family of your own. You know that this house is always open if you ever want to come home."
Rose wiped her eyes saying, "Thanks dad. I'll call when I can and visit on my vacation days."She pulled out her keys and walked around to the drivers side and got in. Jack stood by the window of her car, "Drive safely."
"I will."
"Make sure to call me when you get down there."
"I will."
"Don't forget to call your sisters too they'll want to know that you made it safely."
"Dad I know, don't worry I will."
"Good… I love you Rose." said Jack.
Rose looked at her father with a few tears in her eyes saying to him, "I love you too dad." Jack leaned in the window and kissed Rose on her cheek and said, "Safe drive."
"Thank you dad." She broke away from him and put on her seatbelt and started her car. The sound of the engine starting Jack took a few steps back and watched Rose drive off with him waving goodbye to her. Her car got smaller and smaller the horizon and finally disappeared. Jack turned around and walked inside his house. On the graduation day apparently John asked Arya to marry him to which she said yes.
The two came to Jack after the proposal to ask for his blessing, although Jack wished that John came to him first to get his blessing but the look on Arya's face told him that John would've asked whether they got his blessings or not. Jack wished them happiness and Arya and John were the first to leave. Arya decided to take up botany at Harvard.
Emily moved out next, she and her boyfriend were going to room together. The two took up a career in engineering and went to a school in the mid east of the U.S.
Nicole wanted to be a musician doing the violin and went to a school that's main focus is on music.
Finally Amy's profession was one that Jack didn't like… She wanted to be a marine biologist. Jack had sat down with her to have a long discussion with her trying to get her into a different career, but she was dead set on doing this. The more the discussion went on the more they argued so Jack broke first telling her she could though begged her to be careful in this field.
Jack grabbed the photo album of him and his daughters flipping through the pages from when they were six through all the years up to the graduation reminiscing about the old days when it was just the six of them. Jack slumped in chair the emptiness of the house was something he would need to get used to since it's just him now.
* 1981: Unknown Location *
"Sir we're getting some eight odd objects."
The room was cluttered with many military officers with computers everywhere and everyone scrambling after eight blips suddenly appeared on radar out of thin air.
"Where are they heading?" the Commander shouted.
Looking at the screen the soldier replied, "Sir. They're moving… Toward Maine Sir."
* Jack's Home *
A forty-nine year old Jack sat in his office. Age was very visible now, his hair almost entirely gray and a bit longer now and a light gray beard fashioned the older man. His body still hadn't changed still looking like a linebacker for a pro football team. Over the years his daughters would visit, but soon the visits came less and less then eventually it would be visits on birthdays and Christmas.
All his daughters are currently leading successful lives with families of their own.
Arya married a year after John proposed and had two children both boys named John Jr. and Edward.
Emily and her boyfriend broke up to which she married a guy two years later named Richard the two have one daughter they named Gina.
Nicole married next to a doctor named Wesley. Nicole is currently pregnant and should be expecting in the next two months.
Rose got married some years after Nicole to a Senator named James they have one daughter named Jennifer and a two year old son James Jr.
Amy was the last to marry to a fellow marine biologist Ethan and like Nicole she's pregnant although it's a recently discovered pregnancy.
Jack had attended each marriage and each birth of his grandkids. So far when they do visit the grandkids see old grandpa Jack as a superhero. None of his daughters live in Maine the farthest one moved overseas to London. Lonely wasn't exactly how he'd describe his current life, he'd receive numerous cards from his daughters and grandkids wishing him well. Though alone he loved looking forward to that one greeting card from his family.
He walked through to the balcony of his room looking over the edge and down the cliff to the beach below. It wasn't safe to swim on this side of the beach since the waves were very strong and could drag you out to sea easily. The sun was almost setting so he closed his door and locked it walking to his office to read a few books. Jack grabbed his reading glasses and started to read a book called 'The Beast Within' a newly released novel he picked up while in town.
Jack read over the book peacefully in his office. That was until the alarm of the house went off and Jack heard a glass breaking sound. Slamming his book on the desk he walked over to one glass cases taking out the modified shotgun strapping the belt of shotgun shells to his waist. The sound came like it came from upstairs he walked out of his office his gun at the ready should anything pop out at him. He looked up stairs and walked each step slowly up to the second floor. The sound of shuffling in his room only served that their was numerous intruders.
Sweat slowly built up around Jack's forehead. It's been twenty-three years since he was last in a fight and he wondered if he still had what it took. Jack approached the hallway and the sounds of shuffling came from not only his room but his daughter's old rooms as well. Not wasting time Jack aimed for the wall that separated the room from the hallway and fired blowing a hole in the wall Jack heard a blood curling scream and all the doors opened and Jack saw the intruders… Splicers…
All of them disfigured their clothes ripped, dirty, and worn. All carrying blunt objects and sharp hooks. One points at Jack shouting, "Get him boys!"
Jack shouted, "Come and get me!" He aimed his shotgun and opened fire on them some of the pellets grazing a few of the Splicers. They charged at Jack and he did well of fending them off for an old man knocking them back with hitting them with the butt of the gun or kicking them back. Jack would open fire whenever given the chance, but more Splicers appeared from the rooms.
He ran downstairs and looked on the ceiling seeing Spider Splicers crawling all over. Two Splicers caught Jack when he was on the stairs making all three stumble down the stairs. Jack landed on one and immediately slammed the butt of the gun on it's head breaking it's head wide open and turned quickly to shoot the other Splicer point blank blowing it's whole head off. He stood up and continued unloading his shots. He ran into the kitchen grabbing a knife and saw another Splicer come at him. Jack instinctively hit it with the gun and rushed foreword stabbing it in it's head killing it. He observed the Splicer and found something interesting on it.
Jack heard the laughing of the Splicers as they ran down the stairs and into the kitchen swinging their weapons wildly. Jack spun around and held his right arm out shooting lightning at a few Splicers. The rest of them stopped and looked in Jack's left hand seeing an empty container of the Electro Bolt Plasmid. Jack tossed the container at one Splicer and kept shooting bolts of lightning at the Splicers and ran through them. Dodging a few he made it to his office and locked the door. Walking to another case he broke it open and took out his modified Tommy Gun taking off his shotgun shell waistband he grabbed two magazines for the tommy gun, he could hear the Splicers bang on the door.
Walking to his desk Jack opened the bottom drawer and pulled out a a single strap bag that he had stored away for years. He let the machine gun hang around his shoulder by a strap and took out a red vile that had a face and a bending spoon drawing on it and stabbed it into his left arm injecting the liquid into his body.
The door was knocked off the hinges and Splicers poured into the room. Jack used his left hand and aimed it at his desk watching as it levitated in the air and flexed his hand at the Splicers sending the desk flying at them crushing a few and followed through by shooting lightning at the other splicers who got through. Jack grabbed his Tommy Gun and aimed it at the electrocuted Splicers killing a few. Going on the attack Jack ran to the door seeing a few more of them and continued opening fire and occasionally shooting his lightning at them.
Two Splicers threw hooks at him, but Jack calmly held his left hand out and made the hooks stop in the air and shot them back at the two making the hooks kill them. Jack was suddenly punched in his jaw out of nowhere, when looking around he didn't see anyone and then felt something hit him behind his head making him stumble forward.
Jack readied his lightning and heard a familiar sound. He spun around and punched out at a Splicer making it stumble. The Splicer recovered and suddenly vanished in a red cloud that made Jack groan, "Fucking Houdini Splicers!" He listened and heard more Splicers coming through the upstairs. Jack reached into his bag and pulled out another plasmid with the fire symbol on it. He injected it into his right hand to watching as fire engulfed his right hand.
That sound came again, but this time Jack aimed his left hand out pulling a few pictures off the wall and shot them in the direction of the sound, the pictures flew and hit the Splicer in the head and Jack followed through by shooting it with lighting watching it fly into the living room. Jack ran following after it and instantly lighting it on fire hearing it scream and watched it die. Another fist came flying blind siding Jack in the side of his head.
Regaining his senses he saw another Houdini Splicer with it's hand on fire also. It aimed it's arm at Jack and shot out fire at him, but he was quick and avoided it by dragging a piece of furniture in front of him by using his telekinesis. Jack pushed the couch using that power at the Splicer, but it disappeared again avoiding the attack.
He got back up and heard a Splicer shout, "You dumbass! We need 'em alive!" Once Jack heard that he now had a bigger advantage against the Splicers, they can't kill him but he can kill them. Jack picked up another piece of furniture and tossed it at a wall knocking a hole in it. Jumping through it Jack reached into his pack again and pulled out the Winter Blast plasmid injecting it into his left hand. Ice encased his hand and icicles stuck out of his hand.
Jack heard the teleportation ability of that Houdini Splicer and readied himself. He was punched on the side of his head again and then felt something kick him in the stomach making him fall back. The laughter of the Splicer filled the room and as Jack looked around he could see the fire spreading through the room giving Jack an idea. Using his flames Jack aimed fire all around except leaving one spot open and sure enough the Splicer appeared in the empty space and Jack aimed his iced hand at it shooting and freezing the Splicer right when it was about to punch Jack.
Standing there frozen Jack pulled his gun out and unloaded a few bullets on the Splicer watching it shatter to pieces. Exhausted Jack turned around to leave the burning room, but was met with a giant. It was the biggest Splicer he's ever seen, the brute back handed Jack knocking him through not one, not two, but three walls landing him back into his office.
Coughing up blood Jack looked at his ice fist and focused and watched the ice disappear, aiming his hand out Jack pulled the desk off of the dead Splicers and used his other hand to light it on fire. He could hear that Splicer moving fast toward him so Jack spun around as quickly as he could and launched the fiery desk at it knocking it back. Jack followed through by lighting the lining of the broken wall with fire. Giving him enough time Jack broke open one of his cases and took out the grenade launcher loading it with a frag grenade.
"Jackie boy! I'm come'n for ya!" shouted the brute.
After loading it Jack looked at the hole in the wall hearing him tear through the walls easily, "Ready when you are."
The fire wall blew toward Jack as he saw the Splicer rush in jumping at him. Ducking to the side Jack avoided it and watched it run right into the wall, rolling and laying flat on the ground Jack aimed and shouted, "Eat this fucker!" Before the Splicer could react he was hit with the full force of a frag ripping through it's skin and knocking it through the wall to outside the house.
Jack stood up and limped to the hole in the wall looking out and he saw on the beach that there were submarines lined at the beach and a few Splicers attempting to climb up the cliff side. Jack sighed and thought, 'These fuckers just don't give up.' He turned around and walked up to the dead bodies of the Splicers and searched the bodies for something useful, it, this had to of been a new plasmid since this had a hulked out muscled man on it. Jack put it in his pockets and heard a creaking coming from his burning home, "Shit this place is gonna collapse."
Jack then got up to leave and walked to the doorway and the moment he turned the corner a very large hand grabbed him by his head. Jack struggled to get free and when looking the best he could through it's fingers he saw that it was a Big Daddy. This was a Bouncer Big Daddy evident of the drill on it's right hand. It tossed Jack up into the ceiling making Jack fly to the second floor of the house.
Dazed Jack could hear the monster step up the stairs. Pulling the new plasmid from his pocket Jack said, "It's worth a shot." before he could inject it however the Big Daddy burst into the room grabbing Jack by his leg making him drop the plasmid.
"Eat this!"
Shouted Jack as he changed his fire arm to lightning and hit the Daddy in it's face making it let Jack go. Jack used his telekinesis again to lift up the bed in the room and force it at the Big Daddy making it stumble back a few steps. He tried to get the new plasmid, but the Daddy grabbed Jack's arm lifting him up, the man remembered that his gun was still strapped to him and he aimed at the thing's head shooting close range.
The Big Daddy didn't seem to be affected and it slammed Jack into the ground sending him back down into floor back down to the first floor. The plasmid fell down too right next to Jack who was again dazed. Jack tried his best and grabbed the plasmid attempting to stab it into his chest to injecting it into his body, but he then felt something stomp right onto his body seeing that the Big Daddy jumped down slamming it's boot down onto Jack's stomach. It reached down and grabbed Jack by his shirt holding him up.
"Now, now that isn't how we treat our host."
Jack's vision blurry he saw a man walk into view. The man walked through the fire as if it wasn't there, "You've given us some trouble haven't you boy?"
This voice was familiar to Jack, but he didn't know where from. The Big Daddy held Jack so that he was facing this man and when Jack's vision cleared up he couldn't believe who stood before him… Jack's eyes widened as he whispered, "A-Andrew Ryan?"
"In the flesh." said Andrew. Andrew looked the same as he did all those years ago, his perfect posture, the brown suit covered by a business coat, and a fedora head. Ryan's face was the same the same as it was the day Jack killed him.
"H-How are you alive? I killed you with my own hands?" asked Jack.
Ryan leaned looked up at Jack since the Daddy was holding him in the air, "You are a very foolish boy aren't you." He said shaking his head slowly, "You made one crucial mistake the day I died. Don't you remember what you did after you beat me to death?"
Jack tried to remember what exactly happened, but nothing was coming to mind.
The man looked around at the burning home saying, "Leave him here. Go find Subject Delta and bring me what I need."
A whale like moan came from the Big Daddy as it slammed Jack into the ground and walked off. Jack coughed up some more blood as he was at the feet of his father.
"Don't you remember boy… Don't you remember what was in my office?" Ryan said. Jack tried to remember, but then it hit him full force, "A Vita-Chamber."
"Correct boy."
Jack pulled himself up but only got to his knees, "I don't get it, I never activated it."
Ryan stood directly in front of Jack looking down at him, "All will become clear once you come back to Rapture." Jack sneered at him and pulled back his lightning fist to punch Ryan, but this older man moved very quick and grabbed Jack's wrist mid swing with his left hand. Jack looked at Ryan's hand seeing lightning surrounding his hand as well. Ryan smirked and said, "You thought that you were the only one?"
Ryan pulled his right hand back and Jack saw wind fire surrounding Ryan's hand and Jack was punched right in his jaw flinging him back knocking him across the hall. The powers left Ryan's hands and the man straightened out his outfit and dusted his shoulders, "You cannot hope to kill me boy. That day an ordinary man stood before you but the one standing before you now is a God!"
The ground rumbled beneath Ryan's feet, "I thought you were a man, but now I see that Frank was your master whipping you to do his bidding. A man chooses, a slave obeys." Ryan turned to one of the walls and punched at the wall knocking a hole the size of a Brute Splicer in it. He took a step to the wall and looked back at Jack seeing him try to stand. The floor blew open as the Big Daddy reappeared and it was holding a red canister in it's hand. Ryan took the canister and looked at the large creature saying, "Thank you, now 'Would you kindly' bring him with us."
The Big Daddy faced Jack and walked slowly over to him. Jack stood up and said, "Look what I got." Jack showed his hand to Ryan. He was holding the new plasmid, Jack stabbed himself in the chest with it and injected himself with the plasmid. The Big Daddy ran at Jack and tried to grab him, but Jack rolled under it and kicked the Big Daddy in it's leg denting the armor plating on it's knee.
The whale like moan returned as it fell to one knee. Jack stood up and punched the Big Daddy in it's helmet making a dent in it too and also made it fall to the ground.
Ryan stood watching his face never changing from the cold gaze he's always had.
The Big Daddy's drill started and it stood up swinging at Jack, but Jack being very athletic now was able to avoid each swing and jumped at the Big Daddy kneeing it in the head denting the helmet again. Being big didn't make you fast, Jack used this to his advantage as he danced around the monster hitting it whenever it left an opening. This continued for awhile, but Jack had enough he got behind the Big Daddy and grabbed it's oxygen tank and with all his strength he ripped it off and saw the goliath fall to it's knees and the light die from the eye holes.
Tired, but still willing to go on Jack turned to Andrew Ryan, but the man was gone. Moving quickly to the hole to look out at the beach he saw Ryan was standing on the beach with the Splicers standing close by him. 'How did he get down there that fast?' thought Jack.
Ryan shouted, "Give chase if you can boy!" Ryan raised both hands into the air and Jack saw seven of the submarines lift into the air, Ryan looked at the Splicers saying, "Light these up." The twelve remaining Splicers shot fire at the submarines and Ryan threw his arms forward and the fiery subs flew at the cliff.
Jack shouted, "Shit!" and ran. The submarines collided with the cliffs blowing up making the cliff crumble away knocking off a huge chunk of the land which included Jack's house, the Splicers that were crawling down the cliffside to reach the subs were killed by either being crushed, lit on fire, or fell to their death. The Splicers shouted triumphantly as they watched the home and cliff side collapse one hundred and twenty feet. Ryan watched as the fiery home hit the beach still ablaze. Ryan pulled out a cigar from his pocket and lit it with a flame igniting from his finger, "Burn that whole pile of rubble."
One Splicer said, "But boss didn't you want him alive?"
"That boy isn't dead. He'll come to us, but let's see how much strength he has left if he survives this ordeal. Do it." He walked to the sub and got inside. The Splicers did as they were told and lit the rubble afire and walked to the sub, but then sudden realization hit the Splicers.
"Wait the subs can only fit about six people."
Ryan gave a smile to them saying, "Oh yes and there are twelve of you I forgot… Well who wants to go home more?"
The Splicers began looking at one another and Ryan looked at a wrist watch he had on saying, "Make it fast." Ryan watched as the Splicers attacked each other trying for the available five seats. After awhile Ryan looked at the cliff and saw flashing red and blue lights and he looked back to the Splicers seeing seven remaining, "Stop!"
Doing as they were told the Splicers stopped and Ryan pulled out a handgun and said, "I'm sorry but I am pressed for time right now. He aimed at the two closest Splicers and shot both in the head and they all watched the two fall to the sand dead. "Burn the bodies and then let's get a move on shall we?"
One Splicer burned the bodies while the others got into the sub, then the last one got inside the sub and descended back into the ocean.
When the police reached the cliffside seeing a large part of the land collapsed to the beach bellow the captain shouted to his men to find a way down and to find any survivors. Two fire department trucks came shooting water on the rubble to stop the fire and once the fire was out all of the town's officers were on the beach moving rubble little by little trying to look for any survivors, even the police chief was amongst the men looking for Jack Ryan.
Two hours of moving rubble by hand did nothing to speed along the process. None of the construction vehicles would be able to make it to the beach so everything had to be done basically by hand. A few helicopters hovered above the beach with a search light aiming at the scene.
A whole nest of newscasters came from the city after getting a report about Jack Ryan's home falling to the beach below.
* London, England *
Arya was in her office with all of her notes out studying a few more plants that were recently sent to her for observation. The plants were put inside of the greenhouse she built incase the university sent her some plants to look at. At the moment it was just her in the house, the boys were at school and her husband was at work. She took off her glasses to rub the sleepiness from her eyes. She stood up and left her office to get herself a cup of coffee maybe that'll wake her up.
She and her family have been living in London for two years now and she rarely gets a chance to talk to her sisters or her father.
"Speaking of which." she said to herself. She walked over to the phone and picked started to dial the area code and number to her father, maybe he's not asleep yet since it should be night in America right now. The phone rang once and a message came from the line '(Beep) We're sorry the number you are trying to reach is no longer in service.'
She looked at the phone confused, she had called him a few weeks ago to say hello, did he forget to pay a bill? No that couldn't have been it he's always been a careful man. She hung the phone up and tried to call him once more.
'(Beep) We're sorry the number you are trying to-'
She hung up the phone and thought maybe he slipped this one time, that had to have been it. She was about to put the phone down that was until the phone rang. That had to be him.
"Hello?"
"Oh my God Arya!"
She could hear terror in this familiar voice, it was her sister Nicole, "Nicole what's wrong? Calm down."
Arya can hear her sister sounding hysterical and in her condition that's not good, "Sis listen calm down otherwise you'll hurt the baby. Breathe slowly."
Hearing that her sister was doing as she said hearing the deep slow breaths her sister was doing, "Now tell me what has you so worked up?"
A few sobs could be heard from the other line, "Nicole sweetie are you okay?"
"I-It's dad."
Arya froze.
"I'm watching the news now… a-and the house is gone."
"Gone what do you mean gone?"
"I mean it's gone. The police think that the pipeline blew up and caused the house to fall to the beach. My God Arya I can see the rubble of the house."
Arya closed her eyes and took a good breath asking, "What of dad?"
"I don't know they found his car from what they can make out, but there is so much rubble that-" Nicole stopped and Arya could hear her crying again. She felt something wet slide down her cheek and brought her hand up to feel what it was and she had wiped a tear away. A beep could be heard on the phone and Arya said, "Listen Nicole someone is calling me on the other line. I'm coming to America okay?"
"Okay… Arya what if?"
"No, no, no sis we can't think like that this is dad we're talking about. Everything will be okay, this is probably either Emily, Amy, or Rose calling me. I'll see you soon okay?"
"Okay… Love you sis."
Arya pressed a button on the phone and took the other call. It was her husband asking her if she heard the news to which she fell to her knees and cried hearing her husband say that he was coming home now.
* Jack's Former Home *
The police were still moving some of the rubble not finding anything of importance. The police chief was sitting down drinking some water, he's known Jack for a long time since the guy moved here. Hell his kids were friends with Jack's daughters for a long time. The chief took a another drink and saw one of the officers run up to him, "Chief there is a woman here saying that she's taking control of the scene."
"What? Who the fuck is she?"
Before the officer could answer he heard a woman's voice.
"My name is Eleanor Lamb and I'm with the CIA and we are taking over this site." Eleanor's hair was much longer now and a more filled out body was hidden underneath a business suit and was holding a badge out to the chief showing her identity. The chief shouted at her, "I don't know who you suits think you are but this is my town and I'm running things here!"
She put her badge away and said to him, "Then I'll have no choice but to give you this." Eleanor took out a piece of paper that had the President's seal on it and his signature on it. "President Reagan has given me authority in situations like this and with who Jack Ryan is and what he's done for us we have right to move the police out by force if it is necessary."
Eleanor pointed her finger to the rubble and the police saw military men run to the pile and began move away some of the debris, "Listen Chief Jefferson Wilson, I've seen your record for this town and it's impressive, but I won't hesitate to report you and have that badge taken from you. Now please if you want to help Jack, then would you kindly leave?"
Wilson glared at her and then shouted, "Men let's go." Wilson and the other police left the area. Eleanor watched them leave and said to one other CIA official, "Get the press out of here and make sure you keep them away."
"Yes ma'am."
One man ran over to Eleanor saying, "Ma'am we've found Subject Delta."
She looked at him and said, "Wait to move my father's body once the cameras are gone." He did as she said and ran back to where Delta's body was telling them to cover up his body. One more officer ran over to Eleanor with a radio telling her, "Ma'am it seems that Jack's daughters are on the move."
"They're coming here I know already."
"You do?"
"Yes." she said to him.
"Might I ask how?"
"Because he is their father. If I was in their situation I'd leave immediately as well. Keep a close eye on them and tell me when they enter this state I want to make sure that I speak with them first."
"Yes ma'am."
A few more hours passed an Eleanor sat waiting. They were moving things a lot faster than the police were since Eleanor was able to bring a large number of soldiers with her, but still there were a lot of rocks the fell from the cliff and landed on the house and there was no telling if Jack survived or not.
"We found him!"
The wait was over. She stood up knocking her chair over shouting, "Get the doctor now!" She ran over to where they were pulling Jack out of the piles of rock and other debris. Looking she saw a Big Daddy sprawled out on the ground a few feet away asking, "What's this doing here?"
One of the men said, "We found it laying on top of Jack, he must've used it as a shield to protect himself." Six men gently picked up a bloody, bruised, and broken Jack Ryan and gently laid him on a tarp. A doctor walked up and took his vitals, "He is alive, but barely. We need to get him to a hospital."
Eleanor let out a brief exhale of relief and watched her men take Jack away. Eleanor told her men, "Take my father, the Big Daddy, and these dead bodies to HQ for now. Take Jack to the hospital and I want around the clock security for Jack, I want to know everything that happens to him from now on down to him just twitching a finger! Do you understand me?"
"Yes ma'am." Shouted her men and they scrambled to gather up the dead bodies they've discovered. Eleanor thought that the police might have taken some bodies as well and that they were at the morgue and decided that she'll go recover the bodies personally. She had to stay right now until the bodies were removed. Removing more rubble they had found pieces of submarines that Eleanor had sent to the HQ to be locked away, an hour later and another one of her men walked over whispering in her ear, "Ma'am there is a woman here saying that she knows Jack."
"Her and this whole town."
The man shook his head whispering, "No she says that she knows about Jack's upbringing." This made Eleanor look at him and asked where this woman was, he led her away from the crime scene and too the woman who was standing looking out at the sea. When she got closer she could see that the woman was young at least early thirties and was well dressed. When she got close she said, "Ma'am how do you know Jack Ryan?"
This mysterious woman faced Eleanor and said, "Hello Eleanor. It's been a very long time." Eleanor could hear the heavy German accent in her voice asking in a demanding tone, "Who are you and how do you know both myself and Jack?"
The woman gave a small smile and said, "Of course you wouldn't recognize me. It's me Brigid Tenenbaum."
"What?"
Brigid held out her arm and Eleanor saw a strange device attached to her wrist, "This is something new from Rapture, in a way it's the Fountain of Youth wrist style. Developed by a few of the scientist back in that world."
Eleanor could see it now by examining her face more, "Tenenbaum, it's really you."
"Yes it is. I heard about Jack and came as quickly as I could." Brigid looked at Eleanor who was still taken back by her appearance and simply smiled at her, "I'll answer everything when Jack wakes up. Take me to him."
Eleanor nodded and asked Brigid to follow after her. The bodies were removed and a they made it street level and got into the vehicle and drove off to the hospital to see Jack and to get some answers about what happened.
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