“Okay really, that’s funny but--honey don’t say that where your dad can hear because I like being in one piece. You have to admit he doesn’t really uh...know how to take a joke.”
fragmentedangel replied to your post:~HJack69~: anybody know the fastest way to get rid...
Drink Tears. It’s more cost effective.
~HJack69~: yeah but harvesting them is such a pain in the ass
~HJack69~: oh yeah I can hire people to do frivolous bullshit for me now that I’m frickin’ rolling in cash
~HJack69~: thanks babe !
“My-- my baby girl.” Jack props an elbow on his desk and rests his forehead on his open palm. “My baby, my sweetheart-- my angel.”
“I love her more than----- ‘d do anything for her.“ He covers his eyes, massaging the bridge of his nose with a finger and thumb. “I’ll make a fuckin’ paradise for her; doesn’t matter how many people need to die.” And-- oh, how many already had.
Roland’s body was being moved and Lilith was being escorted out. No one was supposed to be in this room, but those bandits had tainted it.
“Don’t worry baby girl. Daddy’s going to clean this mess up for you.” He was sitting on the floor with his daughter’s body laid across his lap, holding her head up gingerly as he stroked her hair and kissed her forehead. “I’ve got you now. Your hero is here…the bad guys are all gone now, you can open your eyes.”
But Angel didn’t open her eyes. The man’s teeth ground harshly together and he buried his nose in her hair. He swallowed a gasp, instead breathing in deeply to keep his composure. “It’s okay sweetie I know you’re tired.” The words were barely a whisper, but in the chamber his voice carried, practically echoing back to deafen him.
“Jack? Your daughter isn’t going to—”
“Look sweetheart. Uncle Timmy is here to help me put you to bed.” The look that was leveled with his body double promised pain if he didn’t play along. He saw the fear that chilled the younger’s blood, but the satisfaction was lost in the intensity of other emotions. “The door over there Tim. Go open it.”
He didn’t need to look up to see if the instructions were followed. Jack went back to petting Angel’s hair, tucking her head under his chin as the next breath he took shook. There was a waver in his resolve, in his composure, but he quickly grabbed that fracture in his mask and covered it. It wasn’t time to break, not yet. The story wasn’t over.
“I’m going to pick you up now. We’ll get you tucked in properly so you can sleep. You’ve been working so hard for me, you’ve done such a good job charging the key for your dad.” It’s a bit of a struggle to climb up, Jack wanting to make sure he didn’t jostle the girl in his arms too much as he rose. “Up we go. I won’t disturb your dreams today.” His eyes focused ahead, to Tim and the dark room beyond the barrier that had been opened. Angel’s form was limp, cradled in the masked-man’s arms like the sleeping child he pretended she was.
The walk was longer than it looked and every step Jack felt the body get heavier. He refused to stumble or change pace, keeping his grip firm and his back straight. Timothy wasn’t even granted a glance as he passed by, right into the darkness of the room. The space was clean, sparse of decorations, but as the lights came on the dim atmosphere spoke of comfort. Instead of the cold metal of the nearby chamber this room was painted with blues and purples, even the furniture looking old fashioned and inviting.
There was a decently sized bed pressed against one wall, in which Jack laid his daughter. She was arranged on her back, and he even pulled the covers out and over her to complete the image. He kneeled next to the bed then, holding one of the cold hands between his own. There was shuffling behind him as he fought desperately to hold back the passion boiling inside him. Anger—no, fury—and a deep set sorrow that could do nothing to tame how hot he was running.
“Jack?” Fingers touched tentatively at his shoulder. It was Tim of course, no one else was so naive. The kid even sounded scared! “What do we do now?”
It would have been insulting if it weren’t purely Tim. His poor, empathetic body double. Jack was torn between strangling the kid and ending it there and just holding him. If he believed that was pity in the other’s tone he might have done the first. Instead he released Angel’s hand and stood up, turning to wrap fingers around a bicep and lead the body double out of the room.
“We stick to the plan kiddo. Nothing’s changed.” His tone was steeled now, the grin coming over his face downright maniacal. “Why don’t you take yourself back up to Helios. in fact, I’ll give you an escort.” There were loader bots forming around them as he spoke. He heard Timothy whimper and his steps falter, but his grip stayed strong. If the kid fell that’d be an unfortunate accident when his arm broke. “Get nice and comfortable while I handle this. I’ve got a date with the Warrior to keep, and Lilith just gave me my way in. You’ll get to watch as Pandora is cleansed by its true hero. Finally we’ll have the paradise I’ve dreamed of.”
The paradise…just for her. Just for his baby girl.
“Those murderers sealed their fate. It’s time to finish this game.”
