Jack Lyons

> "If you do what's right for the people, what's right for the world and in the eyes of God, Cadentinae will be yours." - Jack Lyons to Gabriel Lyons, Heroes Never Die
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**Jack Lyons**, born **Jacques Atlan-Reza**, is one of the main protagonists of A Perfect World and Canyon Rising, and a minor character in Heroes Never Die. A legendary figure in Cadentinaic history, Jack Lyons was an Ursan-born Arlingtonian war hero who was key in reincorporating Cadentinae into the Caesarean Empire and fending off the Sons of Cain, the latter resulting in his death.

## Biography

Born in Ursa during The Catastrophe, Jack was the first son and second child of Jacques I Louis, the 238th direct-male Duke of Lyons, the ruler of the Duchy of Lyons on Ursa. Jack spent most of his childhood in the Cadentinaic city of Salton, where he gained a reputation as a natural-born leader. After moving to Arlington Valley and asserting his claim on the Duchy of Lyons, Jack climbed the political ladder and established himself as the Commander-in-Chief of Arlington Valley's armies by 10141, as well as an ambassador to the Caesarean Empire. Jack was essential in the battle of Arlington Valley, where the city was invaded by the space-faring Sons of Cain. The victory of the battle and war was a direct result of Jack's planning, and his death during the battle solidified his name as a martyr. His political power led to his brother Gabriel Lyons's seizure of the throne of Arlington Valley in 10160 and his son Jedediah Lyons's seizure of the throne of the Caesarean Empire in 10203, founding the Lyons Dynasty.

## A Perfect World

### Prior to the events of APW

Jack Lyons was born Jacques Atlan-Reza to Jacques I Louis Atlan and Farah Reza, a lower-ranking noble family based on Ursa. He was born during the events of The Catastrophe, which was the name of the collision of the Cadentinaic moons of Ursa and Aragon. He was born as the family, consisting of his parents and his older sister Catherine Atlan-Reza, were fleeing from their ancestral mansion perched atop a cliff in the region known as Mystras Leonos. According to legend, his mother gave birth in less than five minutes on the rocky ground, his umbilical cord being cut by the key to their mansion and hurriedly rushed to their spacecraft, which took them to Cadentinae.

Jacques and his family arrived in Salton, where many refugees who survived the disaster were stationed. With the money they had, the family bought a house in the city and lived there. His parents gave birth to another son eight years later, named Rafael. In Salton, Jacques grew up and studied politics, literature, linguistics, and theology, growing educationally and gaining a reputation as a natural-born leader. By the time he entered junior high, his reputation and popularity was at an all-time high. His nemesis and classmate, Timothy Klecker, attempted to tarnish his reputation by framing a school treasury robbery on him, resulting in Jacques's arrest and imprisonment. The scandal was eventually uncovered; Jacques was freed and Timothy was imprisoned.

Following the scandal, his father took a business trip to Gallia in the Eastern Continent and brought the entire family. On a highway, the family was involved in a fatal car crash which immediately killed his father and injured his mother and older sister. His sister Catherine immediately became Duchess of Lyons but grew resentful towards the family and blamed their father for the accident. After returning home, Farah revealed her cancer diagnosis to her three kids, which outraged Catherine more, so much so that she abandoned the family and left with her boyfriend. Farah's health continued to decline and she eventually died, leaving Jacques and Rafael all alone. However, before she died she had hired a world-renowned lawyer to ensure her kids received their inheritance.

Jacques and Rafael were transported into the Foster Care system while a lawsuit was fought in court for about a year. During this time, the lawyer, Lawyer Jenkins, continued to negotiate with the court, which continued to attempt a liquidation of their late father's lucrative business. Towards the end, the court gave 55% of the fortune to the brothers and ordered the two to undergo a face-modifying surgery to alter their appearance. Faced with a counter of the order, the two agreed. The two changed their names, Jacques Atlan-Reza to Jack Lyons and Rafael Atlan-Reza to Gabriel Lyons.

Following their surgery, the two were awarded a house in Arlington Valley, a prosperous city-state about 600 miles from Salton, where they would live their lives out in obscurity. After settling into the new house, Jack was faced with raising his younger brother all by himself. Although he was able to do it, he was also forced to uphold a fake image of his hidden identity to his new friend group. Jack readily adapted to his new life as a parent-figure to Gabriel, having the help of caring neighbors, all which added up to create a peaceful neighborhood. Jack continued to attend school, where he again rose up the popularity ladder and became the student council president. It was also during this time when he transitioned the remnants of his father's business to a smaller business that employed students. Although the business is never described, the business was a big source of income for Jack in addition to the court's pension, which added his net worth to over several million by the start of APW.

### Events of APW

By the start of the novel, Jack and Gabriel had lived in Arlington Valley for two years, cementing their makeshift family in the city and created an effective routine.

## Canyon Rising

### Prior to the events of CR

After reuniting with The Squad and joining the University of Arlington Valley, Jack attended college for three years, graduating early with two degrees. After graduating, Jack began managing his business full-time and got a job in the government of Arlington Valley. His job, partly given to him due to his position as Duke of Lyons, had him do many jobs within the government, some including managing, detective work, and public announcing.

As the Duke of Lyons, the government eventually funded the construction of the Lyons Estate, an exact replica of the Lyons Mansion on Ursa. Although refused by Jack when presented with the new estate that blended with the natural buttes and boasted an artificial biome generator that created a tropical environment within an invisible sphere, he eventually accepted the estate and moved in with his brother.

## Heroes Never Die

### Prior to the events of HND

Sometime after Jack's death in the Battle of Arlington Valley, he was revived as a spirit and brought to a spiritual plane. Taking the form of a purple beast with the body of a male lion and human hybrid, the legs of a cougar, the head of a tiger, the horns of a bighorn sheep, the tail of a serpent, the wings of an angel, and a silver mask above the face, showing human attributes with the exclusion of the eyes, which shone a bright white light. Jack, in the form of the beast, stayed in the spiritual plane which appeared as an undestroyed Ursa with a big view of Cadentinae. For over 18 years, Jack looked over Cadentinae patiently.

### Events of HND

Jack first encountered Gabriel in the spiritual plane when Gabriel was knocked unconscious by Raymond after openly defying his rule. While in the spiritual plane, Jack reminded Gabriel to protect the people and trust God, which would reap the benefits after everyone had fallen. Gabriel took the advice and left Jack by reentering his unconscious body, not before receiving a heart-felt apology from Jack apologizing for his absence while he grew up.

The next time Jack appears is when Gabriel enters the spiritual plane a second time, this time through a punch from Helen. As Jack saw everything happening in Cadentinae from Ursa, he immediately answered Gabriel's questions and gave further advice by informing of Kukul-qan's plans to take Arlington. Applying his knowledge from leading the army 18 years before, Jack handed his knowledge to Gabriel and the latter left.

The last time Jack appears from the imaginary Ursa with an encounter with Gabriel is when Gabriel unknowingly drifts into the imaginary Ursa and Jack scolds him to remember his purpose. After successfully swaying his view, Jack appears in a temporary human form in front of Gabriel for a bit.

### Last Appearance

The last time Jack as a character appears is a faint mirage in the last scene of HND, where his son Jedediah Lyons seized the throne of the Caesarean Empire and founded the Lyons Dynasty. While on the throne, Jedediah saw a faint mirage of Jack in his beastly form, looking proudly at his son.

## Trivia

* Jack is the only person known to have a beastly spirit form. It is unknown if Gabriel took a beastly spirit form when he died.
* Jack is the only person who was seen in the most places throughout all three books.
	+ This includes planets, as Jack has been to all planets including Ursa.
* Jack has a stuffed border collie named Hippo.
* Jack is an amateur mixologist.
* Jack plays the drumset.
* Jack is a jazz composer.
* Jack has had the most feuds with people, including Timothy Klecker and Xerxanna Eiffel.
* Jack is known to have the best aim on Cadentinae, but this was proven false by Helen in HND when she and Gabriel agreed his shot on Enos's eye was an "amazing miracle."
* Jack was posthumously given a land grant, the small desert village of Mandae. This was later inherited by Gabriel, who used it as a base for protecting the trade routes.
	+ Gabriel was never informed about the land grant until his meeting with King Baldwin III almost sixteen years after the land grant was given.
* Jack has killed the most people out of the Squad, estimating up to 400, mostly from the Battle of Arlington Valley
* Jack's final resting place remains a mystery, as it is never shown or mentioned in either CR or HND.