Resolve

Chapter 11: Where the Path Forks

AN: Jack's wiki said he really had this done to his grandmother.

It happened while you attended your online coding classes; paid for with your father's death. You had taken your echo device far from home to get peace and a bit of the illusion of safety. Maybe you could've prevented it. There was blood everywhere, the walls. Floor. Even the ceiling. In the middle, Jack stood shaking. It wasn't until you touched his shoulder to pull him out of it that you came to realize he was quaking with laughter. The silent chuckles became full on roars of amusement.

"No one will ever fuck with my family again." He met your eyes. "(Y/n)," He shook his head. "This is the start of whatever we want our lives to really become. I'm going after dad's position as the top of Hyperion command. You should come with me."

You hesitated. This felt very much like what you had fled from. "Jack. I will always be with you." It was the truth. You still were after everything. Everything bad thing he had done to you. He smiled. A true smile.

"Let's get that collar off you."

X

A few months passed. Jack settled into something resembling normalcy. You did too. You finally reached out to Mordecai, only to get no response and remembered that he was a younger version of himself, like you. Even if he recalled it all in perfect memory, there was little he could do until his paths crossed with the others. He was probably going to literally kill you for this last betrayal. But you couldn't allow it. You could see that you were like the solitary hinge on the door that kept insanity from waltzing into Jack's brain.

Your brother needed you. And you needed him to be ok. When Jack applied for Hyperion you needed to have all your wits about you. You were children, the both of you. In order to show the company you had any worth as workers, you needed to work five times as hard as any adult. You weren't worried about child labor laws. If Hyperion wanted you they'd take you.

The door slammed to your apartment and you looked up from your studies. For the first time you were pursuing the area you wished to work in. Bioengineering. It didn't hurt that Hyperion had a sore need for them, either. Jack slumped on the couch that you had decided not to ask how he afforded next to you. "How are the studies?"

Before you could answer, he kept talking. "I've gotten a low level, entry coding job. I'm in." You refrained from pointing out it was the very bottom and instead congratulated him.

"Jack that's great." You beamed.

"Tassiter is purposefully getting my name wrong every time." An old spark of anger glimmered in your brother's eyes. You distracted as quickly as you could.

"He doesn't matter. You'll be in charge." Jack gave you an appreciative glance and ruffled your hair.

"You always motivate me when I need it. Best kid sister ever."

X

In another two weeks, you broke into the ranks of Hyperion yourself. You apologetically landed a better spot than Jack. Yours just had less chance of promotion. You were headed for the black ops sector, rather than president of Hyperion. Because you had a purpose and that was to ensure that Jack achieved some form of immortality. Which was going to be much easier with black ops resources. You weren't sure you could manage another reset. This one had to perfect from here on out. If Jack noticed how feverish you became at work, he said nothing.

Probably out of respect for your privacy. So here you were, roughly eight or nine years old, holding a respectable position in a massive corporation known for the richness of it's blood. It was strange being an adult in a child's body, but you were getting used to it, albeit slowly.

X

     You had grown into a fine young teenager. Jack was an adult now and already you saw differences in how he acted, versus when he had no loving family left. You were going through the email on your echo communicator when  you saw it. An email from Professor Nakayama. He was welcoming you aboard the black ops sector! You hurriedly dressed, careful to cover your tattoos. Hyperion knew, but it was part of the work policy you signed that no tattoos would be visible during work hours. You rushed down to his office, sliding on stair banisters and skipping steps.

     You passed Jack on the way and laughed, waving. You felt giddy. This was a victory, however small. Next....immortality for Jack. Then you could rest. Pursue Mordecai one final time. Settle into a life without worrying about it going permanently sideways.

X

     Nakayama was a man of eccentricity. He had a robot arm attached to his spine because "three hands are better than two". All the same, he was impressed with your knowledge of biomedical science. He asked what you knew about cloning too which you replied that you had successfully cloned your first pet when you were nine. He nodded. "I knew you were special of course. Everyone knew. You were a child working in a corporate job. You start immediately. Here's your station."

     You had your own lab. Nakayama said it was important for stimulation of spontaneity that you have your own private space in which you had all the tools you could possibly need. Nakayama had you set to work trying to come up with one project that would "forever change" the way Hyperion did something of your choosing. You had your secret project, but now you had something you could consider actual fun. You settled in the end on a new biometric security system that would literally liquify unauthorized individuals. Fuck Zarpedon whenever she got here. A smile graced your features.

     You were ready for the next chapter of your life. Ready with open arms.