A New Fate
Just a heads up, this will not be the final chapter. Technically, anyway. There will be another following this.
Enjoy Chapter 13!
Chapter Thirteen:
A New Fate
It was nearing five in the morning as the sun began to rise over the horizon, forcing the night to recede. The air was freezing cold and the ocean even more so. It should have been a beautiful sight, but today was a bittersweet feeling for those were on the Titanic.
Two ships were next to the sinking ship, evacuating all the passengers and the crew.
The Carpathia arrived two hours after the California did, just in time as the flooding began to resume. The California already began evacuating many of the passengers, though many were third-class, and few were first-class.
When word had spread about the flooding having slowed down to the point that the Carpathia would arrive in time, many of the first-class decided to wait in order to be on a better ship that would have rooms for them.
The people in the rowboats were told to stay put for the time being and wait for the Carpathia, which upset many but were in no position to demand anything, though some tried.
The gates that kept third-class passengers from coming up eventually were opened before anyone from the two ships could see it for themselves, finally allowing everyone to be evacuated. And once that was done, the crew members of the entire ship were next.
Among those on the California were Jack and Rose, who had purposely boarded the vessel in hopes to avoid Cal and Ruth. If Taylor was to be believed, they would board the second vessel that would arrive, granting them peace of mind.
Sadly, they had yet to reunite with Tommy, Fabrizio, Trudy, Cora, or Helga. Though, the last three were on the rowboats, which meant they would board the Carpathia.
Rose sat next to Jack, with a blanket wrapped around them both and her head nested against his chest. With her ear against him she could hear his heartbeat, granting her the ability to sleep a little, despite the cold.
Even in her half sleep, she kept thinking about her mother and what all of this meant. She wished to speak with her again, to make it clear that she wouldn't marry Cal or anyone she chose. Only Jack would be the one to marry her, to be the father of their children, and her partner in life. No one else would be her choice.
But another part of her knew that she couldn't. She knew her mother would do anything in her power to make sure she married Cal. And she knew Cal would never let her go. It was in his nature to win, no matter the cost. He wasn't used to being defied, and she had done exactly that.
No!
Her note, if she had read it, was the bottom line. She had made her choice and now it was time to live with it. No matter the consequences.
Then she thought about what Cal and her mother would do once everyone had been evacuated.
Her heart beat quickened as she realized that they would search for her. Despite being on a different ship, they would ask for her whereabouts. And once they reached the mainland, there would be a search warrant out for her, possibly even a bounty.
And what would that mean for Jack?
Anxiety was creeping in, making her imagine Jack being a wanted fugitive. That him being spotted would expose her and lead Cal to them.
The image of Cal's face entered her mind and the anxiety turned to hate. How she hated him more now than she ever did before!
Once, her hate was because of her fear of him. Now, it was because of how she viewed him. A sad, small man who got his power through being above anyone else, especially her. She couldn't help but find it funny that she ever feared him to begin with.
And as for her mother… it was hard to tell how she felt.
She didn't hate her, but she was angry with her. Angry that she saw fit to mold her life in compliance with her own satisfactions. For her own desires and dreams, but never a single one of her own.
She wondered what would become of her now that the marriage with Cal would fall through. She couldn't imagine her working in factories or some bakery. Or even a maid. Though the last one was funny to think about.
She had no idea what would become of her. And she honestly didn't care. She was long past it now.
"Jack! Rose!"
She opened her eyes and turned her head in the direction of where the voice was coming from, feeling Jack slowly rise, making her lean forward to support herself.
Jack's eyes widened and his smile returned, running forward.
"Fabrizio!"
The two best friends collided, arms around each other as they basked in their reunion.
"Boyo!"
Tommy ran from behind and threw his arms around the two, nearly lifting them up. All three laughed.
"Where were you guys?!" they parted but kept their hands on each other's shoulders.
"We couldn't find a lifeboat, so we ended up waiting with everyone else," said Tommy.
"Although, we did see that Hockley being carried off by his bodyguard who framed us," added Fabrizio.
Rose cringed, but otherwise kept smiling at the two of them as she rose to her feet.
"Speaking of which, should we be worried about that?" Tommy asked.
Jack thought hard about it before shaking his head, "As long as Hockley is on the other ship, we'll be fine. Though I recommend skipping town before he can get a word out, if he remembers to do it."
The two nodded before seeing Rose behind him. They approached her with wide smiles and hugged her.
"Glad to see you made it, Little Rose," said Tommy.
Rose sighed, "Oh great! Now you've come up with a nickname for me!"
"And I'm never going to let it down."
Fabrizio patter her shoulder, "Welcome to the party."
"Hey, that's my girl you're hitting on," Jack teased, making them laugh.
Fabrizio frowned as he looked around for someone, "Wait, where's Taylor?"
Jack paused, eyeing Rose and Tommy as he thought hard about how to respond.
"Most likely on the other ship. Although, we should talk later."
Though slightly confused, Fabrizio nodded.
"Sooo… what happens now?" Tommy asked.
Jack shrugged, "Well, when we get back to the mainland, Rose and I are leaving New York immediately. We'll rest in the nearest town before heading for Chippewa Falls so Rose can see where I grew up."
Fabrizio smiled, "Don't forget me! I'm coming too!"
Jack raised an eyebrow, "You sure you want to come?! Things will be a little different now."
The Italian nodded, "I'm not done having adventures with you and Taylor just yet. I wish to see these places you keep talking about over in America."
Jack's smile fell at the mention of his friend. It was going to be heartbreaking to tell him that Taylor would no longer be part of their adventures from now on.
Pushing such thoughts and feelings aside, he turned to Tommy.
"How about you? Any plans?"
Tommy shook his head, "Aside from going to America to try and make some good cash, not really. This whole trip was a new start for me. I have no one else back home."
Jack nodded, "How about coming with us? There's always room for one more. And besides, I hear there's plenty of work out west."
Tommy thought about it before looking up and smiling, "Deal!"
Rose's head popped up at suddenly remembering something as she reached into her pockets.
"And speaking of money," she presented a bag. "Look I what I found."
As they leaned forward, she opened the bag and their eyes widened.
"Holy shit!"
"Good lord!"
"How much is that?!"
Some people were looking their way, making them quiet down.
Giving them a better look without anyone else seeing, Rose presented some bills wrapped up in a roll, with several more like it. And a very certain blue diamond.
"Looks like we won't have to worry about money for quite a while."
"Quiet a while?" Tommy looked at her with wide eyes nearly threatening to pop out. "Do you have any idea what that thing is worth?"
"Oh, I have an idea," she smiled. "But I think it's best we wait a long time before we try to sell it."
Jack nodded, giving Rose a knowing smile, "It would be for the best. With what we have here, we wouldn't have to worry about selling it for a long time. If not ever."
Suddenly, they heard gasping and cries of terror as a loud noise echoed across the water.
Turning towards the source, the four watched in awe and horror as the Titanic began to go down by the head. The two ships immediately began moving away as the mighty Titanic slowly descended beneath the waves.
Everyone on both ships watched as the once believed to be Unsinkable Ship sunk beneath the surface.
Onboard the Carpathia, Captain Smith, Andrews, and Ismay watched as their ship went down, a reminder to the mistakes they had made that brought them here. Fully unaware, or unwilling to know, about the consequences of what could have happened.
It took a total of forty minutes until the ship had descended beneath the waves, crying out as the steel cracked from the pressure of the water and the way it titled into the air, making it more unstable until it broke in half. And everyone had witnessed it with their own eyes.
By the time it was over, and the Titanic had floundered, the two ships set a course for New York, radioing ahead that nearly all the passengers and crew were now aboard, and the fate of the titanium ship itself.
Watching from afar, Taylor kept hidden from the small group, fully satisfied that they were safe. He was even more relieved to hear that they now had cash for the hard road ahead. And he was very impressed with how Rose had managed to get her hands on the diamond.
Now that was going to be a real headache for Hockley to deal with, despite the insurance he would get due to the tragedy, which he would use as reason for losing it.
Speaking of which, he had more work to do on that little problem.
After witnessing the Titanic's descent, which was a sight he would never forget, he began to think about how to handle Hockley. He knew the man would never stop looking for Jack and Rose, if he knew they were alive. But how to present them as such without bodies was a hard one to come up with.
As he thought about it, his attention was suddenly turned towards the people all around, as he slowly began to realize that nearly all fifteen hundred lives who were supposed to lose their lives just nearly three hours ago, were now able to experience another day. To live their lives as they see fit.
He wondered what many of them will do, how they will turn out, if some will do better with their lives or do worse. He could only hope that the experience will make as many of them as possible to be stronger. But also knew that not everyone will use this second chance to live better lives. That some will not be able to get over what had just happened. And some won't even recognize it an experience to read into.
The realization made him realize that part of what Prometheus was talking about was true. His actions wouldn't have satisfying results, that there would be no true reward.
Then his thoughts drifted to the crew members who had lost theirs when the ship collided with the iceberg. He felt a sting in his heart, feeling like a failure for not being fast enough to prevent it.
The future ahead would have far more challenges for them all, especially for Jack and Rose.
There would be the Spanish Flu, two World Wars, and the Great Depression to worry about. And he worried about Jack, whether he would be drafted into the military when the wars came. Or even if Jack or Rose would survive the Spanish Fu, considering how deadly it was.
He had faith that the money and diamond would get them through the Great Depression when it came. Plus, things would get better after 1945. And the 1920s wasn't a bad decade either.
He couldn't help but wonder if Jack would have survived in the original timeline. Or Rose. Or any of the others. He wondered just how much of his actions had affected so much. Changed so much.
His only hope was that Jack and Rose would survive and stay together through it all. He hoped for the two to grow old together, to have lots of babies to raise, and then die in their beds, warm and content with their lives.
But none of these future events were his to worry about. He couldn't do anything about them, unlike how he was with Titanic. He couldn't allow himself to fall into that trap of trying to fix everything.
But he did begin to wonder how the events of last night would affect the future of this new timeline. Anything was possible now that fifteen hundred lives were saved from death. He had a feeling that the sinking of the Titanic would still change things once an investigation would be launched to determine what had happened. He knew Captain Smith would face charges, though Ismay would avoid punishment. Mr. Andrews might face backlash but otherwise would be okay.
The shipping companies would mandate a lot of things like in the original timeline, so there was nothing to worry about there.
But he wondered if any of the fifteen hundred lives would play large roles in the future ahead, if any would go on to change the world or have some part in how society advanced.
He shook his head, pushing such thoughts away as he looked at a little baby in a woman's arms, being rocked to sleep. He smiled at the young babe, remembering that this was the moment he had fought to achieve. Not for a perfect future, just this single moment for all to live in. No matter how they felt.
Taking one last look at Jack, he smiled as he realized that he had given him a chance to live on.
Stepping away into a corner to be out of sight and took out his hybrid gun, selecting something on the settings.
He took one last look at Jack and whispered, "Good luck, Dawson."
He pressed the button and was immediately teleported to the Carpathia, appearing in a closest.
After opening the door, he made his way through the ship, asking around for Cal Hockley's room, which one nurse directed him to the hospital area that was set up.
Once arriving, he found Spicer Lovejoy there, watching over the unconscious man.
He had to admit, he did like the man's loyalty, even if it was paid for.
Keeping away but close enough, he waited for his opportunity.
And it finally came when Lovejoy stepped away for a bathroom break.
Approaching the sleeping man, he took out his hybrid gun and selected a viral, injecting it into his neck.
While he couldn't bring himself to kill Hockley, he wasn't going to allow him to wake up and resume his search for Rose. Six days in a comatose state would be more than enough for the two to begin a brand-new life together, without the worry Cal hanging over their heads. The rest would be up to them.
Smiling as he walked away, he found the closet he had been using and used the hybrid one to select a feature he hadn't used in a long time: Megaverse Travel Mode!
Before selecting his next destination, he paused as he remembered Prometheus' last words to him.
"We will come for you."
He shivered.
Once his twenty-four hours were up, the entire Guardians organization would be gunning for him, not just the Time Division. He had broken their sacred rules, despite the Titanic still sinking. Fifteen hundred lives were supposed to parish, and he had prevented it. The Split still happened, which would only make matters worse for the war against the Forsaken. It was just a matter of hoping that it didn't give them what they wanted.
Just as he was about to pull the trigger, a sound went off and he paused.
He recognized the tune, despite three years of not hearing it.
He looked at the hologram of the gun and saw that a call was being received.
He debated whether to answer it.
It couldn't have been Prometheus or anyone from the Guardians. He made sure to disconnect and eliminate any way he could be tracked. But he still feared to answer it. Wondering if this was a trap to get his location. That maybe they had found a way.
Staring at the device, the ringing echoed around him in the closet before he made a decision and pressed "Answer".
He was silent, unsure of what to say.
"Who is this?" he finally asked.
Silence followed, until a familiar voice responded.
"I have to say, I did not expect this from you."
His heart began to race, eyes wide.
"Maybe I was wrong about your usage. In retrospect, it would have been wise to try and recruit you to our side."
He finally found his voice.
"Reeves?"
Klein Reeves laughed, "You sound so surprised."
He was dumbfounded, unable to comprehend what was happening right at that moment. It had been so long since he heard the man's voice. The one person he once had complete trust in.
"I take it that you had a little chat to Prometheus about me."
Recovering himself, Taylor closed his eyes and began to think clearly again. Only, once he did, he began to feel anger towards the man. Memories of his meeting with Jack. The kill mission he was sent on. All of it, because of him.
He never felt so relieved in his life at knowing that he made the right decision in not killing the boy who would become one of his best friends.
"Anyway, I'll cut to the chase. Come join me."
If he hadn't been so angry, the offer would have shocked him.
"I can give you back your life. Your family."
"You're nothing but a lying piece of shit!" his voice was laced with venom.
Reeves laughed, "Oh, am I? Since when I have ever lied to you?"
"How about Jack?! Or the fact that you sent me to kill him?! An innocent fifteen-year-old-boy! My best friend!"
Reeves paused, "Okay, I'll admit, I did lie to you there. That's one. But everything else, I've been truthful."
"You're doing it right now!"
"Point being, I'm the only one who was willing to help you when you needed it. I helped give you purpose. Now allow me to give it to you again. One that will give you all you've ever wanted."
"And what is that?!"
"Don't think that the Guardians will win this war. They won't!" his voice became more firm, more serious. "Once the Convergence starts, everything will be reset. But I can give you back your home world, your one chance to live your life at the exact moment it was taken away from you. All you have to do is join me. To join us."
Taylor took his words to heart, even in his moment of anger. It was all so appealing, so tempting. It was all he ever wanted.
He could imagine himself seeing his mother again, as well as the rest of his family. To go back to his old life before all of this. But like his mother always said, "It's too good to be true, then it probably is."
Then, he began to realize something. Something that he had once thought about but never took seriously enough. Until now.
"Tell me something… did you purposely cause the Time-Lock to strand me here?"
Silence followed, but it was enough.
"You son of a-"
"I needed a fall guy for the Time-Lock that would eventually happen once Titanic drew near. So, I made the choice to frame you and take suspicion off me by causing a Time-Lock to happen three years ahead of time. Unfortunately, they saw right through my plane, despite still painting you as a traitor. And I never imagined that Jack would still be alive."
"Who you sent me to kill!"
"For a good cause! And you can't deny the possibility that Jack could have died when the Titanic sank, even with your influence over his life. The Guardians were the ones who were telling you to leave him to die. Admit it, Prometheus told you, didn't he?!"
"Doesn't change the fact that you sent me to kill him and frame me! And you expect me to join you?!"
Reeves sighed, "Now, now! Think real hard about this. You have the most powerful organization in the megaverse trying to hunt you down right now. Are you really going to turn down an invitation to join the only opposing group who can protect you from them?"
Taylor was fuming, "The only one who is going to need protection is you, Reeves!"
Silence followed before Reeves sighed.
"Well then, if that's how you want to go about it-"
Taylor hung up, breathing heavily as he struggled to contain his anger and frustration. Maybe it hadn't been the best idea to announce to his newest enemy that he was now targeting him. But he needed to vent after the last two days. And boy, did it feel good.
Once calming down, he went through the settings and made sure to block the number that the call came from, making sure that it could never be used to track him.
Once done, he remained standing to get himself together, to mentally prepare himself for what will happen next. It would be a while before he could enjoy certain moments like he used to. Or if he ever would again.
Or see Jack again.
Right then, he felt the weight of so much hit him. He began to cry. His heart sank at the realization of what was happening. Of what he had done. And what it all meant.
Moaning, he pushed such thoughts away. He couldn't allow himself to mourn just yet. He had work to do. Things to sort out. A time limit to get a head start before the hunt could begin.
Going through his hybrid gun again, he selected a time and place to go to, pressing the button as he disappeared in a bright light.
Okay, I know that I said that this was the final chapter. But technically, it isn't. There's going to be an Epilogue that will finish things off on a stronger note next. I got a good chunk written, so I'm hoping to have that up soon. It will be short, just a fair warning.
Anyway, what did you guys think?
I'll see you in the Epilogue!