Chapter 1: Miracles

"The bells have already been rung and they've heard it. Out in the dark. Among the stars. Ding dong, the God is dead. The bells, cannot be unrung! He's hungry. He's found us. And He's coming!"

-Lex Luthor from Batman V Superman


Faded memories zoomed by. A dreamy haze of past events fluttered into frame.

"Nobody cares. Nobody." Kate cried as she backed herself further towards the edge of the roof.

"Everybody... used me." Nathan's distressed voice rang out through the phone.

"For every action, this is a reaction." Warren theorized as he tried to make sense of what was happening.

"I'm obsessed with the idea of capturing that moment, that shift, from black, to white, to grey, and beyond." Mark Jefferson stated with a devious grin.

"Max...I'll always be with you." Chloe uttered somberly.

The montage of images ceased momentarily as a blinding blue light ripped through the dreamscape allowing darkness to invade. New unfamiliar voices rang out with an eerie echo. Muffled gunshots and screams could faintly be heard.

"You can only run away from your past for so long." An unfamiliar voice rang out.

"You have so much power but you're too afraid to use them." A man's voice stated.

"Just in case, I don't make it back, take good care of my little bro for me." Another man's voice requested.

"...just look at all the devastation caused by you all manipulating time..." An angry male voice boomed.

The voices ceased as darkness engulfed everything.

"Look at the trail of death you left behind!" A disturbingly familiar voice accused.

Max's eyes fluttered open as she shook awake. Her blue eyes scanned her surroundings. She sighed in relief as she was still seated in the passenger seat of Chloe's pick up as they were still driving through the ruins of Arcadia Bay.

It was just another bad dream. Max thought. Sitting up now, Max looked over to Chloe who was quiet as she looked at the road as they continued to drive.

They were navigating through the remains of the town as they searched for any signs of life. Unfortunately, there wasn't any. It was a ghost town as they drove from Whales dinner and through the rest of the town. There was still no signs of life.

Max opened her mouth to say something to Chloe but stopped when she was at loss for words of what to say. She settled back into her seat and gazed out the window.

The ruins greeted her again, opening old wounds as they reminded her of the ramifications of her choice. She chose to selfishly save Chloe at the cost of their hometown. Every bit of destruction, all the potential loss of life, and the psychological damage left in her wake was on her. The truck dipped slightly from a hole in the road but Max was too busy sulking as guilt ravaged her insides.

She had a chance to stop the catastrophe but she didn't take it. She was put in an impossible position of either sacrificing Arcadia Bay for her best friend Chloe or sacrificing Chloe to save the town. No matter what, it would have stung. She didn't want to let so many innocent people die but the thought of losing her best friend again for the 6th time was unbearable so she selfishly picked Chloe.

Max glanced over to Chloe as they continued to silently drive through the ruins of their once peaceful town. Her eyes got watery as she thought about all the people that could be dead right now because of her choice. After everything she tried to do to help, fate reached its cruel hand out and burned her by making her choose between Arcadia Bay or her best friend. Why was I given this power then if I couldn't save everyone? Max pondered.

Max stared at Chloe who was lost in her own thoughts as she drove through the devastation of their hometown. Did Chloe hate her for sacrificing everyone including Joyce to the tornado? Max bit her lip in apprehension as she turned to watch the road in front of them. If Chloe did hate her, Max didn't know what she would do now. Seattle is still a long ways away. She would be completely alone if Chloe left now.

She tried in vain to text her friends to get out of town but none of them had replied back. They could all be dead now because of her. For most of the ride through town, she couldn't help but feel like a murderer.

Max's fears were alleviated a bit this time when she checked her phone again. Her phone was stating that there was no signal. Now there was a small chance her friends made it out after all and that the cell towers were out so no one can talk.

When she last saw them, most of her friends were at the Vortex club party. The Vortex Club still brought a bitter taste to her mouth but it might have be good that they were there. The school might not have been too bad of a place to hold out against the storm. That was assuming everyone bothered to stay put there. Max recalled seeing some of her friends being in town shortly later when the storm hit. Alyssa, Evan, and Warren were there when the storm ravaged the town. She managed to save them before she used Warren's photo to rewind and save Chloe for this timeline. Unfortunately, she didn't go back into town to help this time so she had no idea what their fate would be without her intervention. It probably wasn't good though if they ended up in the same place in this timeline.

She tried to warn Kate before the storm hit but she never got a reply. Kate was at the hospital though and Max hoped that she would be safe there. She wasn't sure if the hospital could withstand the tornado but she prayed that it would. Kate has to got to live through this.

Max didn't really expect Victoria to answer but she hoped that she would heed her warning. Victoria believed Max when she told her that her life was possibly in danger from Nathan and she was mostly right even though Jefferson took her.

Jefferson. That name still sent shivers down her spine. Her idol turned out to be a psychopath. He was the one responsible for the death of so many girls and he even took her captive to be one of his next victims. He even killed Victoria and was about to kill her. Thankfully, David found her and save her in the brink of time. Max hoped that if the storm had to kill someone that it would just be Mr. Jefferson. She never wanted to see that monster again. The Dark room will be with her for awhile or even for the rest of her life but as long as Jefferson was locked away so he could never hurt anyone ever again, Max was sure she could start to recover.

Even Warren, her best friend who was known to bombard her phone with messages and reply back to her immediately when she texted him, hadn't replied back. Now she regretted leaving him out of the loop when she went back to save Chloe. Granted, he was really wasted from the party. However, he stood by her side most of the week. Warren had left them thinking that he was just a third wheel or nuisance in her friendship. She had saved him and everyone in the Two Whales diner once from the storm when she escaped the dark room but this time she wasn't there to help again. In the pit of her stomach, she had this sinking feeling that the diner was probably taken out the same way as in the timeline before she rewinded. She never even got to tell Warren that she really cared for him. He was her best friend and had her back every time she needed him. Max was aware of his crush on her and after the last few days, she thought maybe that she cared about him as more than just a friend. She may never get the chance now if the storm really killed everyone in Arcadia bay she cared about.

Max felt a hand on her shoulder. She looked over to her best friend who gave her a reassuring smile to cheer up. That act alone was enough to wash away some of her despair. Max felt a little better and wiped away her tears as she calmed down. At least they still had each other to look out for. She wasn't completely alone.

Max shivered as she finally noticed how cold it was. She dug her hands into her gray sweatshirt and pulled it tight against her body to get warm. She sighed as she tried to push her thoughts away from Arcadia Bay and her nightmares. Any peace even a little would be refreshing.

"Hey." Chloe started to talk, as she looked Max's way. She was unsure what to say after all the drama earlier today.

"Hey." Max replied back as she brighten up a bit from hearing her best friend's voice.

"So what's the plan once we get on the highway?" Chloe asked. There wasn't anything in town for them. By the looks of it, the town was just a graveyard now.

"I don't know." Max replied. "After all this, I don't even know what to do anymore. Maybe we should just find a place out of town to clean ourselves up first."

Chloe exhaled. "Sounds good enough for me." Chloe became quiet again as she focused on the road again. Max signed as she rested her head against her window and gazed at the ruins some more.

They were finally out of town and away from all the destruction. Max could finally breathe as they went onto the highway and away from it all. The sun's beams bathed her body with warmth. After all of the darkness that had plagued them, Max finally felt some peace.

Max started feeling a little more hopeful when she recalled that they didn't exactly see a lot of corpses littering the streets like you would see in a horror movie or disaster movie. Maybe, the town wasn't completely lost after all. Maybe people saw the storm coming this time and got out when they did. She didn't care if she was being overly optimistic. After all this darkness, she deserved to be hopeful again.

The truck suddenly came to an abrupt stop snapping Max out of her daydream as she jolted forward.

"Holy shit!" Chloe exclaimed after stepping on the brakes quick enough to stop behind a large Armored personnel carrier. "What the fuck?"

Max sat up in her seat and stared in amazement at what was it front of them. Can it be? She unbuckled her seatbelt immediately and got out of her seat. Exiting the car, her hand went to her mouth as she realized what had happened.

Her prayer might have been answered after all.

In front of them was a long line of military vehicles bogged down in traffic on the highway as they waited to turn off the highway exit. The Armored Personnel Carriers were massive tanks that towered over the trucks loaded with dozens of people from town. Those tanks were likely filled with people too.

"Oh my god." Max thought aloud. A twinge of hope arose inside of her, as she couldn't fully process what was happening.

The sound of another car door closing brought Max's attention back to Chloe who looked at the scene in front of them with a similar look of disbelief.

"Holy shit." Was all she could mutter as they looked at the miracle.

The girls looked at each other then at the scene in front of them with tears of joy and big smiles. They saw a soldier dressed in dark blue and gray fatigues who was checking up on the convoy take notice of them and came running to them.

"Glad to see you girls made it out of the carnage on your own." The soldier approached them with an assault rifle slung over his shoulder. "We tried to save as many people as we could but I'm glad to see you girls made it out okay."

"How did you guys get here so soon to help?" Max asked with intrigue in her voice.

The military man was a little taken back but started to talk anyway. "We received orders to evacuate Arcadia Bay from our superiors days ago. Apparently, there was going to be a massive tornado that would wipe Arcadia Bay from the map. Thankfully, we came just in time and saved most of you all."

"That's just…amaze balls.." Chloe remarked. "I can't believe you guys made it here when you did. "

"No problem. If you girls park your car alongside the road, I can escort you on foot to the refuge center. I would hate to leave you two out here to wait for the traffic to be cleared up." The soldier turned to gesture in the direction of the other APCs.

Chloe and Max didn't waste any time in getting back into the chair and driving it to the side of the road.

"Did you catch the guy's uniform?" Chloe asked.

"No. Why?" Max inquired.

"His uniform isn't military. There's an gray emblem of a helmeted warrior on the right shoulder of the uniform. I think they're private military."


"Right this way." The soldier announced as they reached the outskirts of the refugee camp.

Max and Chloe gasped as they saw how crowded and lively it was. There was have been around a hundred tents swarmed with hundreds maybe thousands of people. Once through the gates, they started to see familiar faces like the truck driver that Max had asked to take the photo of his truck for chatting with a bunch of fellow truckers. There were also fishermen huddling together in one of the tents.

The whole town must be here she thought. At least, she really hoped the whole town was. As they continued to walk through the camp, Max kept seeing more familiar faces. Max couldn't help but smile as they continued walking. Chloe turned around and flashed a smile at her as they were overwhelmed at what they were seeing.

Max smiled even wider when she started to see her classmates as they passed the Blackwell academy refugee zone. There was Alyssa, Evan, Dana, Zackary, Brooke, Victoria, Courtney, Stella, and so many more of her classmates. She started to feel crestfallen when she didn't see Warren. Max feared that she might have lost her beloved friend in the storm. Max tried to remain optimistic. Who knows, he could just be recovering from a terrible hangover like many of the other Vortex Club members are. He was pretty drunk last time she saw him.

As her friends began to notice her presence they started to cry out "Max" and approached her and Chloe. Their circle of friends swarmed them as they were peppered with questions.

"Max. You're alright." Her friends exclaimed as they crowded around her. Chloe wondered of to the side and chatted with Justin and some of the other people from school who actually recognized her.

This is just too surreal. Max thought. This is too perfect. It's almost like the ending of Titanic where we're all in heaven. Maybe we are all actually dead after all.

Max smiled as she chatted with Alyssa, Dana, Juliet, Stella, Evan, Brooke, and Daniel. Victoria even seemed a little friendly as she flashed a quick smile in her direction. I haven't exactly made my peace with Victoria since I rewinded but she turned out to be a good person deep down once you get fast her being a bitch.

During the commotion, Max could see an opening through the crowd and her heart felt like it was going to burst when she spotted Warren laying on the bench a mere few feet from her. He was rubbing his eyes as he slowly got up. It looked like he was still groggy from the Vortex party the night before. He finally managed to get to his feet as he clutched his head with one hand. Max excused herself from everyone as she hurried over to Warren with a big grin plastered onto her face.


Warren was just starting to get up when he heard the commotion. He was still hungover from the party and was slowly regaining his sense of location. He cursed himself for thinking it was a good idea to drink anything from the Vortex party. Everyone from the party always seemed trashed and he thought he could handle it but he underestimated the power of the Vortex Club's alcohol.

As his eyes were adjusting to the sunlight as he stood up and he slowly figured out where he was, he was suddenly taken aback when an unseen person rushed him and hugged him tight. It took a few moments before his senses came back and he realized that Max, his best friend and crush, was hugging him. He immediately wrapped his arms around her and hugged her back with every fiber of his strength. Max buried her face into his neck as they held each other.

"Warren, you're okay." Max cried out with joy.

"Of course. You think your White Knight goes down that easy?" He managed to joke as Max laughed and continued to hug him. "I can't vouch for the lost brain cells from the alcohol I drank though."

"When I didn't hear from you, I assumed the worst." Max stated as she pulled away to look at him, her blue eyes meeting his brown eyes.

Warren shook his head as he grinned. "You know what they say about assumptions. They make an ass out of you and me." Max grinned.

Chloe smiled at the two as she approached them. "Well lovebirds. It's been nice seeing you all but I'm going to search for my mom."

"I'll join you Chloe." Max quipped in as she untangled herself from Warren's arms.

"No need Max. You should catch up with everyone here. I'll find my mom and meet back up with you a little later."

"You sure?" Max asked as she turned to face her friend. Warren had decided to rest his arm over Max's shoulder since he was still a little dizzy and she didn't seem to mind.

"Yeah. We've been together almost all of yesterday and today. You should socialize with your other friends." Chloe smirked. "Don't miss me too much." And she was off. She imagined that Max and Warren were watching as she left the zone so she turned and waved at them before she ventured off.


Chloe ventured through camp as she desperately looked for her mother. She wasn't seeing her anywhere she thought she would be. If everyone else she knew was still alive then her mom should still be fucking alive as well or this is bullshit! She thought.

Chloe frantically scanned every corner she turned as she searched for Joyce.

"Excuse me, have you seen Joyce?" Chloe asked some truckers with a hint of desperation in her voice. They shook their heads. Chloe signed and continued walking.

Chloe continued to walk further along and ask other town residents if they saw Joyce. "Have you seen Joyce?" Chloe asked some fisherman and they gave her the same disappointing answer.

Chloe huffed and looked up at the sky then lifted her hand up and held up her middle finger. As she lowered her arm, she heard a dog bark and started to walk over to where she heard the sound.

"Frank." She called out as she saw the familiar scruffy haired tattooed drug dealer seated at a metal picnic table.

Frank looked up from his seat at the blue haired girl. "Chloe" He uttered as he clenched an ice pack against his temple.

"Wow. Are you alright Frank?" She asked showing some concern for the man.

"Yeah." He huffed. "I got hit in the head by a flying stop sign if you can believe my luck."

Chloe sighed in relief, as Frank was still friendly towards her.

"Frank, have you seen Joyce anywhere?" Chloe crossed her arms and leaned on one leg.

Frank petted Pompidou and nodded. "Yeah, matter of fact, I did." He watched as Chloe got excited at his news. "I saw her go over to the med bay with some people."

"Is she okay?" Chloe asked with concern.

"Yeah. She wasn't injured or anything. She was just accompanying some people there." Frank added.

"Oh okay." She relaxed. "Thanks Frank..I'll see you around. I guess."

Frank nodded. "I'll see you around."

Chloe was back on her mission to find Joyce. She reached the med bay and was greeted to the sight of numerous wounded residents. She ignored them as she walked by beds of several wounded people being tended to by medical personnel. Joyce was nowhere to be seen until Chloe spotted the familiar blond hair and she exploded with happiness as Joyce was alive and well nursing one of the people from the town.

"Mom." Chloe cried out as she broke out into a sprint to get to her mom. She made sure to be careful not to trip over one of the beds in her sprint.

Joyce's tired and warily face looked up and broke out into a big smile at the sight of her daughter. Quickly excusing herself from the patient, Joyce got up and rushed to meet her daughter in a warm embrace.

"Chloe, thank god you're alright. I thought I lost you too." Joyce cried.

"You didn't lose me mom. I'm still here thanks to Max." Chloe cried back.

"Thank god you two are safe."

Mother and daughter continued to hold each other as tight as possible as if life depended on it. They were so overjoyed to see the other alive and well, they didn't want this moment to end.

"Is David alright?" Chloe asked as she broke away to look at her mother.

Joyce was a little surprised that Chloe cared about David enough to ask where he was. "I don't know. I haven't talked to him all of yesterday aside from telling him to move out. I just hope so."

Their reunion was cut short when a fleet of helicopters flew overhead blowing a gust of air onto the camp as they neared the ground. A large Osprey helicopter with its distinctive two propellers on the arms of the aircraft spearheaded the flock. Everyone was looking up at the commotion. Chloe noticed the helicopters had the familiar emblem again of a helmeted warrior. The helicopters landed in a clearing on the edge of camp kicking up dirt and blasting wind over where. Many of the Arcadia Bay residents flocked over to the landing zones to see the commotion.


Lucius's eyes cracked opened as he jolted awake from his slumber. His heart was still racing as he sat up in his seat to shake his head and rub his eyes with his hands. He ran his heads down his clean-shaven face as the chatter from the other passengers droned through the cargo hold of the helicopter. Lucius sighed as he adjusted his black blazer and his white button down shirt. He ran his fingers through his short dark brown hair to relax as the world came back to him and his breathing returned to normal.

"Welcome back to the land of the living Lucifer." A voice remarked. "It must have been one hell of a nightmare to make you jump like that." Lucius looked to see the devilish grin of his old friend Tobias Crane who was dressed in a black clergy uniform, and returned the smile. "Have anything from your dream you want to confess? Any sinful misdeeds?" The Spaniard leered as he lay back in his seat.

Lucius chuckled and shook his head. "Nope, nothing I can't save for the gym. Besides, I don't even remember the nightmare." He yawned and rubbed his hands.

"What a shame then. I was looking forward to analyzing your nightmare and the inner workings of that big brain of yours." Tobias signed "Oh well, there's always next time." Tobias glanced around the cargo bay then back to his friend. "If you do remember it, the church of Satan is always open." Tobias grinned with his brown eyes shining of mischief.

"I was starting to wonder how long before you bring up Satan again. At least I know I'm really awake if you're still bringing up Satan in every conversation possible."

"What can I say? I'm a big fan of his work and it's my job to spread his ideology to the sheep of the world."

"It's a guaranteed way for you to get in trouble again where I'll have to save your ass again."

Tobias waved off his comment with a flap of his hand. "Keeps life interesting for one thing. Last I checked, Freedom of speech and freedom of religion, was within my rights."

"Doesn't mean you'll be welcome by everyone. Keep that in mind before you knock on the wrong door. I'll be there when you get your free phone call from wherever you are locked up in next time."

Lucius rubbed his neck as he looked at his watch on his left wrist. His eyes lingered on the wedding ring before he gazed up at all the soldiers seated around them. "Anything interesting happen while I was out?" He asked Tobias to continue their conversation.

"We're still in the air for one thing so we're not spending six seasons on some tropical island finding ourselves. You just missed me sermoning SATAN's gospel to some friendly mercenaries."

Lucius rolled his eyes. "Like I said, always bringing Satan into everything."

"We all have a little of the devil in all of us. Denying it is denying who you are. Besides, you know me, I'm all about my knives, my beer, and Satan."

"You should have that on a business card. An alcoholic knife wielding satanic preacher. It might actually get people to show up at your church for once."

"Ha ha. Thanks for the love buddy." Tobias replied sarcastically.

"You're still going to keep bringing up Satan in almost every conversation aren't you?"

"Oh hell yes." Tobias replied. "Someone has to do their civic duty and liberate the sheep of the world from their societal chains."

"That's the irony of free will, Tobias. People can choose to follow the crowd." Lucius stated.

"Sheep mentality is the ultimate sin. It's not really free will if you blindly accept and believe in the same thing without thinking for yourself."

"You clearly haven't been on the internet for awhile. Trust me, I understand your disdain too."

"This world is populated with sheep, Lucifer. They're everywhere from the dude at the counter when you're ordering food to the mindless drones at the capital jabbing on and on about how poor we are. They are so misguided and naive. No wonder the world is so fucked up. They're practically handing us, the wolves, the world to turn into our own personal playground."

"That's one way to look at it all as an anarchist." Lucius commented. "Glad to see that you haven't lost your psychotic touch."

Tobias grinned. "Glad to see you're still a smart ass as always."

Lucius nodded and looked over to the soldiers on board. "Hope we weren't bothering you all with our philosophical chit chat."

Some of the soldiers shook their heads.

"Not at all. It beats listening to the propellers the whole trip." A soldier commented.

"So Tobias manage to convert any of you?" Lucius asked.

All the soldiers shook their heads as some mouthed "no".

"Baaaaa" Tobias interjected as he mocked the soldiers. "More food for the wolves then."

Lucius shook his head at his friend's antics. It wouldn't be Tobias if he weren't so eccentric.

As Lucius sighed and settled back into his as seat, one of the men spoke up. "Excuse me sir, I heard that you were from Arcadia Bay. Is it true?"

Lucius looked up at all the soldiers on board who were eagerly awaiting his answer. Tobias shrugged when Lucius glanced over at him.

Lucius exhaled as he faced the eager soldiers on board. "Yeah. You heard right, I was born and raised in Arcadia Bay more than half my life. You can ask Tobias to verify the story if you like because he and I went to the same schools."

"I never pegged you as a small town boy." Remarked one of the other soldiers. "We all assumed you came from the city judging from how you dress and act."

Lucius shrugged. "Things aren't always as they seem. You should know that. Don't judge a book by its cover."

"Pay up gentlemen." A blond female soldier remarked as Lucius and Tobias watched in amusement as the men grumbled and pull out money and hand it over to her. The female soldier basked in triumph as she earned a large hearty amount of twenty-dollar bills.

"Welcome home." Lucius heard one of the soldiers mutter.

"Corporal Thompson isn't it?" Lucius spoke up.

"Yes sir." The female soldier replied.

"How is it you were the only one that knew I didn't grow up in the city?" Lucius asked the soldier out of curiosity.

"I just call it a hunch, sir. You speak to people with a certain generosity that...no offense to some of your city folk...most city people don't have." The female soldier replied as she finished stuffing money into her pockets.

Tobias nudged Lucius and grinned. "Thanks for the compliment." Lucius replied. "Certain generosity huh."

"Has the national guard responded yet?" A soldier asked aloud interrupting them.

"Nah not as long as they still follow orders from Washington. No siree, we won't be seeing them for a while." A soldier replied. "Spartan Defense are the real deal in getting things done."

"At least we don't have to put up with any bullshit with them." Another soldier chimed in.

"Sir." The female soldier spoke up again to regain his attention. "What do you plan on doing now that you are back in your hometown?"

Lucius looked over at her then at the other soldiers who listened to see what he had to say. "I'm going to visit some family I haven't seen in awhile."

"When's the last time you've seen them?" The female soldier asked again.

"Eleven years." Lucius stated. The other soldiers and even Tobias were quiet as they heard the news.

"Five minutes until we land." The pilot shouted for the passengers to hear.

Lucius breathed as he watched the men adjust their gear and medical personnel making final inventory counts as the helicopter descended. Lucius reached into his blazer pocket and put on his sunglasses as the helicopter touched the ground. Tobias secured his book bag and combed back his hair with his hand and rubbed his five o'clock shadow.

As the helicopter stabilized, he adjusted his suit one more time as the helicopter hangar doors dropped down basking them all in sunlight. He beckoned and smiled to the soldiers and medical personnel to disembark first.

"Good luck seeing the family again." The soldiers said to him as they left.

Lucius waited as the last of the personnel exited the helicopter before getting up with Tobias in tow and they left the helicopter. Lucius looked over to Tobias and they grinned at how ridiculous they must seem compared to the camp; a nicely dressed gentlemen and a preacher in clergy attire.

Lucius watched as soldiers embarked the other helicopters and frantically rush additional medical supplies and other supplies into the camp then into the hands of the residents that needed it.

"This way, sir. Ms. Li is here to welcome you to home base." A soldier shouted over the propellers as he ran up to the man shielding his face from the gust of air being kicked into his face from the helicopter.

Lucius nodded as he and Tobias followed the soldier. He started stretching his arms and legs as he walked away from the helicopter. Tobias ruffled his clergy clothing to brush off any loose dirt kicked up by the propellers.

The soldier escorted Lucius and Tobias further away from the helicopters. They watched as the helicopters rose up into the air kicking up dirt with a large gust of wind and departed. Lucius glanced over to the crowd of Arcadia Bay residents who looked at the newcomers (or really old faces) with intrigue.

"Townspeople look different. That's for sure." Tobias remarked as he peeled a stick of gum and chewed on it. He stuffed the wrapper into his pocket.

"That what happens when you've been away for awhile. Things tend to change." Lucius replied.

"It's still surreal to be back at genesis of our lives." Tobias continued.

"I'm curious to see what's different and what stayed the same after all these years." Lucius stated.

"We got plenty of time to conquer this place as we're here." Tobias shook Lucius's shoulders.

"This way sir." The soldier beckoned. They followed the soldier as he lead them to a congregate of soldiers and camp personnel with a slim Asian lady dressed in a business suit in front of them.

Lucius broke out in a big smile as he approached her. The women returned his joy and threw her arms around the man as they embraced.

"Good to see you again Lucius. It's been awhile."

"Good to see you in the flesh again too, Diana. It's a crime we haven't seen each other more often."

They broke apart as Diana looked over to Tobias and offered her hand to shake his. "How are you doing Tobias? Still preaching?"

"Of course. What else would I be doing with my life to keep myself out of trouble?" Tobias remarked as he shook her hand.

Diana gave him a smile and beckoned the two men to follow her.

"How was the evacuation?" Lucius asked as Tobias followed suit and listened.

"It's good considering our limited time frame but it would have been far worse if Spartan Defense didn't show up." She replied. "We managed to evaluate most of the townspeople before the storm got too bad with the exception of several stubborn residents and some people we couldn't get out in time."

"Better to have most of the townspeople then none at all." Lucius remarked.

Diana nodded. "You won't believe how gigantic the tornado was according to the soldiers that say it. The TV channels didn't catch the magnitude of its size. It's like God himself wanted to erase this town of the map."

"God you say. I'm sure Satan wouldn't do that." Tobias remarked as Lucius and Diana rolled their eyes.

The congregate continued to walk through camp as they made their way to the base of operations tent.

Lucius noted all the people that looked their way with intrigue as they walked through the camp. He gave a courteous smile to the bystanders as he walked further through the camp. There were a few familiar faces scattered about but most of the people he saw were new faces. A blue haired girl caught his eye. She was standing next to Joyce, the waitress of Whales Dinner. The hair was outrageous of course and it succeeded in catching his attention. Huh. Blade Runner.

"Rescue parties are being sent in as we speak to find any more survivors in town" Diana continued. "Won't be long before this nightmare is over but the world will know that Spartan Defense is responsible for saving so many lives."

"At least you two get to stick it to the bureaucrats." Tobias interjected.

"After this, a lot of politicians are going to starting throwing their support towards the corporation." Lucius added.

"Desperate is all I have to say about them." Diana remarked. "All those snakes would do anything to get buzz for their careers."

"So Diana. Has my tent been setup yet?" Tobias asked.

"Oh yeah. It's already up and running. We placed it just outside the med bay as you requested." Diana replied as they stepped in front of the large command tent. It was surrounded with scores of personal frantically rushing about to tend to the relief effort.

"Wow. I'm honored that you guys put it perfectly next to the people that I'm going to prey upon and convert to my side."

"Don't get that get to your ego. Just be glad that you're good friends with Lucius and that I can tolerate you."

"And I appreciate the love you two have for me. Really I do."

"Try not to make me regret knowing you." Lucius said. "Just try to stay out of trouble this time."

"No promises.. So this is where I leave you guys. Preaching isn't going to do it by itself. I better get busy preaching about Satan." With that, Tobias started to walk off into the camp.

Lucius shook his head as Tobias started to walk off. "Why don't you try saying that a little louder, I don't think the other side of camp heard you."

"I'm going to preach about our lord Satan." Tobias shouted to the skies as he walked away triumphantly.

"Remind me again why you are friends with him." Diana remarked.

Lucius shrugged. "Everybody needs a psychotic best friend to keep life interesting." He grinned.

"Fair enough." Diana agreed and gestured to the tent entrance.

Lucius and Diana entered the large tent which was filled with communications equipment and crowded with people answering the radio or sorting papers. It very lively inside the tent as the personal inside was flocking about.

"Impressive set up." Lucius commented as he leaned on the table and looked at Diana as she looked through some papers.

"This is Spartan Defense after all." Diana sounded humble.

"Do you have the town registry?" He asked.

"I had a feeling you would ask." she grabbed a stack of papers and handed it over to him.

Lucius sifted through some of the papers as Diana looked on. He reached a particular paper and paused as he scanned the paper. "Is this fully updated?"

"Its as up to date as it could be. It'll take us the rest of the week to take account of everyone here. I'm sorry. I'm sure your family is fine though."

Lucius paused then looked up his friend. "I'm going to have a look around the camp then."

"You want me to accompany you?" Diana asked as she sensed the unease in her friend.

"No. We need you here at the central hub to run everything. Without you, the camp would be in shambles in minutes." Lucius grinned.

"Okay. Like I said Lucius. They should be fine." Diana assured him.

Lucius walked out of the tent as sunlight greeted him. A soldier approached him.

"I'm just going on a stroll through the camp." Lucius stated as Thomas got close.

"Of course sir. Do you want an escort?" The soldier inquired.

"I'm sure I won't require protection from a bunch of residents who just lost their homes. Even if they are housebroken." Lucius smirked. "Besides, I want to get a feel of the townspeople without them feeling like they're under occupation."

Lucius left the tent and adjusted his suit one more time as he took in a breath of fresh air then began to walk through the camp. He was greeted by his personal as he passed by. Some of the Arcadia Bay residents didn't take notice of him as he passed by. Some looked up at him with interest as he passed by.

Lucius walked up to one of the Spartan medics. "Excuse me, do you know where the Blackwell Academy refuges are located?

"Yes sir. We just moved in a large number of students into camp just recently." The medic looked up then gestured, "It's that way, sir."

"Thank you." Lucius replied as he went back to walking through the camp.


"You feeling better Warren?" Max asked from her seat on the bench next to Warren.

"Yeah. My head still hurts but I'm feeling better." Warren smiled. "Good thing you didn't drink anything at the party. I probably deterred you and Chloe off from doing so since I stumbled out of the party so wasted."

"Well that was one of the reasons." Max replied. "So how did you get here?"

"Well after the party, I barely made it back to my dorm. Yeah, try going up the stairs when the world is spinning around you." Warren rubbed his eyes. "I was dozing off when I heard a lot of commotion outside. There were these military guys gathering up everyone and telling us about this storm that was coming."

Max nodded as she paid close attention.

"So we all got packed into a bunch of trucks and they transported us away from the school. I didn't know what was really happening on account of the hangover but I had a feeling the storm was really bad. When we got to camp, I just dozed off. It's a good thing that these guys got here when they did. Who knows how bad it would have been when the storm hit us?"

"Do you know about what happened with the town?" Max inquired, as she got anxious to hear news about the residents in the town.

"From what I've heard, the military dudes evacuated the town first before they went for Blackwell." Warren rubbed the back of his head. "I thought you knew about the evacuation. It was the talk of the week. Where were you and Chloe anyway?"

"We were hiding out at the lighthouse." Max answered.

"At least you...and Chloe were safe. So anyway the town was already evaluated when we all got here. I'm just thankful they came when they did."

"Me too Warren." Max smiled. It made her feel less guilty that she chose to sacrifice Arcadia Bay for Chloe. She didn't want anyone to know about her choice ever. "I was worried that you didn't make it out of the storm...since you didn't reply back to my text."

Warren took how his phone. "I was probably so trashed that I missed your text. Cell towers must have been knocked down or something by then because I still don't have any bars." Warren smiled. "So you were worried about me?" He smiled jokingly hoping to lighten up the conversation.

Max smiled and nudged him with her shoulder. "Of course. What kind of a person would I be if I didn't care?"

"Well there's that time you left me with Nathan when you ran off with Chloe."

"Fine. Guilty as charged. I'm still sorry about that." Max pretended be hurt.

Warren smirked. "No worries. At least you got away from him when you did. Besides chicks dig scars right?"

Max rolled her eyes. "It just a black eye you dork."

"Hey dorks." Chloe came back behind them wrapping her arms around the two. "So are you two talking about "going ape" again?"

"Shhh. Chloe." Max shushed. "Not so loud." Although the three of them knew what "going ape" was, it didn't mean that everyone else did and it sounded weird out of context.

"I'm just messing with you. Hella day so far isn't it?" Chloe interjected, as she was significantly happier than earlier in the day.

"More like week." Warren added. "All this crazy weather and Arcadia Bay is evacuated."

"At least no school." Max smiled. "I wouldn't mind taking a break after this week." She looked back up at Chloe who nodded.

"You know what this moment calls for? A group photo!" Chloe exclaimed. Max looked at her two friends then down to her bag then nodded. This was a moment worth capturing.

Max got her Polaroid camera from her bag and held it away from her and angled it so that they were all in the shot then she clicked the flash button. The camera flashed and their photo came out. Max took it and flicked it in her hand so it would dry out.

The three friends looked at the photo as Max brought it closer to them.

The three of them continued to chat and joke around for a bit until someone caught her eye. "Look at Mr. tall and handsome over there." Chloe remarked.

After the whole ordeal with Mr. Jefferson and the Dark room, she wasn't really interested in ogling another older man but she looked up anyway. In front of her just outside their zone was a nicely dressed man in a black blazer, white button up shirt, and black dress pants donning dark sunglasses. His green eyes were looking their way after he removed his sunglasses with his right hand as he looked back over to where they were seated. He had a smug look on his face as though he was just smiling at a bunch of friends hanging out together.

Warren looked up a second later. "Uhh. I should go try to find my parents." He suddenly announced.

Max looked back to him with surprise and noticed that Warren's gleeful look before was gone and replaced with a stern look. She could even see apprehension in his eyes. "Warren." She asked with worry in her voice. "What's wrong?"

"I just need to look for my parents that's all." Warren replied as he got up, turned around, and preceded to leave.

"Warren?" Max called out. Something was wrong with him.

"Dude. What are we scaring you off or something?" Chloe added.

"Max...Chloe, I'm fine, I just need to find my parents that's all." Warren said as he left.

Max and Chloe watched as Warren scampered out. Then they turned their attention to the man they just saw. The man was also getting ready to leave. He put his sunglasses back on and turned to walk the other direction.

"Wow. That was bizarre." Chloe started. "Mr. Mysterious over there scared off Ape boy."

Max continued to watch as the man turn the corner of a tent and walk away.

"Max. Does Warren have a brother, step father, or anyone that you know about?"

"I don't think so. I haven't seen his family yet but he's never mentioned a brother or step father before."

"Well you know him better than I do. Who do you think it was over there."

"I don't know Chloe but it spooked him off."

"Maybe Warren is full of more surprises than we thought. He's not just your geeky boyfriend after all."

"Chloe. He's not my boyfriend." Max replied, as she turned away for a bit to hide her embarrassed face from her best friend. Not yet anyway.

"Yeah, because you're already with me right?" Chloe joked as she nudged Max.

Max rolled her eyes. "Seriously Chloe, I've known Warren for over a month and he's never brought up a brother or some other family member before besides his parents."

Chloe looked back up to the other students flocking around them. "Well, when we see Warren again, we can ask him what that was all about."

Max nodded. She looked up at all the people that were alive at the camp and her heart dropped a bit. This didn't go unnoticed by Chloe.

"Max. How are you doing?" Chloe asked as she recalled everything that Max went through.

"I'm just thinking Chloe." Max paused and she looked down as she started to feel really bad. "It's just that earlier. I choose to sacrifice Arcadia Bay because I didn't want to lose you."

Chloe looked over at Max with sympathy.

"I didn't want to leave the town like that to be destroyed or let anyone die but I just couldn't let you die again." Max got teary eyed.

"Max, you need to stop beating yourself over that. The town turned out fine after all. At least so far. It was an impossible choice but I think you made the right choice after all." Chloe smiled as she wrapped her arms around her best friend. "You saved me and a lot of people in Arcadia Bay got out after all. Don't let yourself be dragged down by dwelling on your choice. Please, I want the Max I know back. Come on we should be celebrating!"

Max looked up at her best friend and wiped her eyes with her sleeve. "Thanks Chloe, you're right." She stood up and hugged her best friend who returned the embrace.

"Of course I'm right. When am I ever wrong?" Chloe joked. "Actually don't answer that."

Max laughed as they pulled away. Her mood improved as her smile came back.

"Now come on, we should go see my mom or hang out with your friends instead of just sitting around."


Lucius was on his way back to the command tent. The camp's liveliness was contagious and he couldn't help but smile as he ventured through the busy refuge.

He already paid a visit to the medic tents and was relieved that everything was under control. There were no really serious cases as the town was thankfully evaluated before the storm reached the town. The hospital and its patients were safe since the it was out of reach from the storm.

Walking through the camp was like a trip down memory lane. While he didn't recognize all the new faces, there were still a good number of people he remembered like some fishermen and truckers. There was Principal Wells, who was for better or worse still the same principal he had years ago. There was the really sketchy dude covered in tattoos who looked like he didn't shower in days sitting around with his dog while munching down on a can of beans. He saw Joyce earlier as well and he was glad to see she made it out as well.

The Arcadia Bay police department was scattered about with their families or helping out in the refugee camp. Someone caught his eye and he realized that the person had a look of contempt on his face. Lucius shook off the cold shoulder as he continued trending through camp. Never thought I would see that same snarl again.

As Lucius turned the corner, he couldn't help but grin at the spectacle in front of him. Before his very eyes was a fortuneteller tent. There was a young gypsy woman with long brown hair tied into a bun seated outside her own makeshift tent with a sign titled "Madame Kowalski Fortune Teller." She had a fancy brown dress with a lot of jewelry on her wrists and around her neck.

Lucius debated whether he should chat with the women. He paused as he contemplated his course of action. After a few seconds, he decided to meet her.

He approached the young women and commented, "Isn't it a bit too soon to set up shop? The town was literally destroyed this morning."

Her mesmerizing green eyes meet his green eyes and she smiled. "It's never too early to learn about one's future."

"But you can be too late to learn the future." Lucius grinned. "So I have to ask anyway. Did you see the storm coming?"

The woman grinned. "Matter of fact, I did. It was so blatantly obvious to me ...after the emergency announcement and a bunch of soldiers came into town to evacuate everyone." Lucius grinned at her answer. "Aside from that, no. It's beyond even my capabilities, I'm afraid."

"That's a shame then. It would have been so useful."

"Who would be believe a lowly gypsy women like me if I told them a tornado was going to wipe the town from the map?" She asked mockingly.

"I've seen a lot of crazy shit. I would hear you out." Lucius smiled. "You don't seem untrustworthy."

"Thank you but unfortunately most people aren't as open minded as you."

Anyway..." Lucius said as he reached into his pocket and grabbed some cash. "...What will two hundred dollars tell me about my future?" Lucius deposited the money in front of her.

The Madame gasped in surprise as Lucius gave her the walloping amount of money. Lucius didn't seem to care.

"Well, only one way to find out. Please come on into my tent." The Madame opened the flap of her tent to beckon him to follow.

"I better not get cursed after this." Lucius commented as he followed her into the tent and stopped at her round table. The tent was filled with various strange relics or knick-knacks as he thought. There was a few crates, some furniture, and other miscellaneous items piled about but otherwise the tent was very roomy.

"Please take a seat." The Madame gestured to the fold up chair as she took a seat in the other across from him. They both sat down.

"Is it true that Gypsies read fortunes through crystal balls or cards?"

"Well, I can't say for everyone's methods but my specialty is reading a person's palm and glimpsing their destiny from there."

Lucius placed both arms on the table. She reached out for his right hand, which he lifted up and moved over for her hands to grasp it. She closed her eyes as she started to read his hand.

"Tell me do you believe in fate, Lucius." The Madame asked him. Lucius didn't seem fazed.

"I believe people are free to carve their own fates." Lucius stated as she felt his palm. "Did you find out my name from reading me?"

She opened her eyes. "Didn't need to. Everyone in Oregon knows the infamous Detective Lucius Graham, the prodigious son of the late FBI detective Thomas Graham."

"I didn't realize that was still going around." Lucius commented.

"It's impossible to miss around these parts. A local town boy follows in his father's footsteps by joining law enforcement to bring justice to his killers is an inspiring tale. It's practically engraved into folklore around these parts."

"Since, we're on the topic of reputations." Lucius got serious. "I'm sure you're well aware of your own reputation around these parts."

"I have no idea what you are talking about." She pretended to play dumb.

Lucius pointed to her diamond bracelet with his left hand. "I seem to recall that that particular bracelet was reported stolen."

"Oh it was. A bunch of thieves stole it awhile back." She smiled at him. "It's in better hands now."

Lucius nodded. "Well, this leads me to believe that you are the infamous cat burglar Jeanne Carter."

"You figure that out with your detective skills or…" She leaned forward. "…Did your abilities tell you?"

Lucius grinned. "I have no idea what you are talking about."

"A little birdy told me once that you could do things that defied the laws of physics and had a sixth sense of knowing what was going to happen before it happened."

"Don't believe everything you hear, Miss Carter." He smirked.

"Please, just call me Jeanne. Mr. Graham." She countered with her own smirk.

"You can call me Lucius. Nice to meet you in person, Jeanne."

"The pleasure is all mine." She replied as she grasped his hand and shook it. Lucius chimed into the greeting by taking her hand and raising it up to his lips to kiss it. Jeanne smiled at his conduct.

"I'll admit. I wasn't expecting to run into you like this. Layla never mentioned a gypsy sister." Lucius commented. "Then again, I shouldn't be so surprised after being around her."

"Yeah. She has that effect on everyone." Jeanne signed. "One of a kind girl."

Lucius nodded. "One of a kind."

"Thank you for taking care of her when you did and for making the people responsible for her death pay." Jeanne spoke up.

"No problem. They won't be a bother to anyone else. She was a good friend and ally."

"I'm glad you finally put her talents to good use."

"Her computer skills were unmatched. Wouldn't have solved some of my cases without her." Lucius scratched his neck with his left hand. "I don't remember seeing you at her funeral."

"Well I was. Trust me, I was there and you didn't know it."

"How are you holding up?" Lucius inquired.

"Much better now after I've meet the mysterious man my sister loves working with. She was right about how kind and charming you are."

"Thank you for the compliment. Its also why I'm not going to arrest you." He joked.

"Ha ha. I know that you're just a private detective now."

"I still dabble with the police every now and then." He remarked as she smiled at him.

They were quiet as they enjoyed each other's company. Jeanne was staring at him.

"So is it true that you have powers." Jeanne asked with curiosity.

Lucius signed and he looked at her. "I thought I told Layla to keep it between us but yeah. I do.

"Well, you know Layla. Besides, sisterhood overrides any other promises, I'm afraid."

"As long as she didn't go around telling everyone, then welcome to the club. She didn't tell anyone else, right?" Lucius inquired.

"Oh don't worry, she didn't." Jeanne bit her lip. "So do you mind showing me your powers?"

Lucius held up his left hand to stop her. "One sec. I have a text." He sat back in his seat.

Jeanne paused; as she looked at him sit quietly. Then sure enough, she heard his phone vibrate on cue in his pocket.

Lucius reached into his pocket and snatched his phone. Glancing at the screen, he grinned at his text from Justin and Mary Winthrop.

Justin and Mary Winthrop: Hey drop by the comic shop soon. We have a new batch of Blackest Night on our shelves. We also miss your visits.

Lucius looked up at Jeanne's slightly surprised look. "One moment please."

Lucius: Sure, I'll drop by sometime later this week when I've taken care of some business at home.

A short second later, he got a reply.

Justin and Mary Winthrop: We'll see you then.

Before Jeanne could ask.

"It's my new friends, Justin and Mary Winthrop. I helped them not long ago with their problem and now I get a lot of discounts at their comic book store."

"Okay. That was pretty cool." She paused to think. "I'm not entirely convinced just yet. What else do you have up your sleeve?"

"Aren't you forgetting why we came inside the tent in the first place, Jeanne, what can you tell me about my future?"

She smiled. "Now I have to ask. Why don't you view your own future without my help?"

"I'm afraid, my powers don't work that flawlessly and a lot of detectives would be unemployed if they did." He grinned. "Movies just don't nail how difficult playing with time is. It's not all about killer robots from the future."

Jeanne nodded. "Fair enough. Let's see what's in store for you." She started to read his hand. "Ah. I see that you seek to go to war with Sean Prescott and the rest of the Prescott family."

"Our families have a lot of bad blood that's been brewing for years. It's time that I ended it once and for all."

"I'll be rooting for you when the fireworks start. " She gave her an assuring smile. "Ahh. On brighter note, you desire reconnecting with some family. I hope it bodes well when you run into your mother and younger brother."

"I hope so too. I'm more worried about that than Sean Dickface."

She nodded in agreement. She paused as she continued to read him. "You're also here to find someone but not any particular someone. This person is really different from anyone you sought for before. It's someone of utmost importance you need to find."

Lucius chimed in. "Let's say for now. This person I'm searching for is someone I want to chat... consequences with."

Jeanne shrugged. "I always in a mood for a manhunt. It's like there is anything good on cable these days. I'm sure you'll get them."

"I wouldn't have been a good detective if I didn't take down culprits all the time. The Graham family started off as hunters when they came to Arcadia Bay so hunting down our prey is our inherent specialty."

"Do you believe it was fate that brought us here?" Jeanne started again.

"Or a tornado." Lucius commented to the side. "I wouldn't call that fate."

"But do you ever wonder if it was fate that the tornado was supposed to level the town?"

Lucius chuckled. "What kind of twisted fate is that? Now that's getting into crazy talk."

"I'm serious. Do you ever if everything happens for a reason."

"Not everything is connected and intertwined. People love to theorize that everything is a conspiracy and that everything is linked. Perhaps, shit just happens."

"I guess. It's something to ponder."

"There's a lot of strange stuff out there and we're all trying to make sense of the chaos in the world." Lucius remarked.

"Well, I'm not sure how to explain a gypsy master thief and psychic detective chatting about fate." Jeanne grinned.

Lucius shrugged. "I'm friends with a Satanic preacher and a former KGB operative who runs my nightclub so I stopped trying to explain everything and just went with it. So anything else you see about my future?"

"You had a terrifying nightmare on the flight here." Jeanne proclaimed silencing Lucius.

"What can you tell me of my nightmare?" Lucius asked eager to recount details of what he saw.

She exhaled. "I see a dark city...gunfire...riots, fire...and death." Jeanne said as she tried to extract more images. "It looks like the person you're searching before is linked to this."

Lucius was quiet as the sequences came back to him. "Do you think it's a vision of the future?"

Jeanne released his head, breathing heavily from the mental exhaustion. "I don't know what you saw but I don't think it was just a dream. Time will tell what you saw and what it means." She drummed her fingers on the table.

"I think that's enough future talk for today." Lucius stated as Jeanne nodded. "Thank you, for lending your expertise. I should get going. I have people to see and trouble to stir."

"Before you go, since Layla is gone, I believe you have a job opening."

"I'm not sure my enterprise is in serious need of fortune tellers. I got that covered."

"I'm offering to take my sister's place in your operation."

"You don't struck me as a tech expert."

"Neither did Layla and she's the reason for many of your victories."

"That she did. So how good are you?"

"Who do you think taught her?"

Lucius smiled. "I guess you'll need my number then."

"Don't worry. I already know."

Lucius snapped his fingers and pointed at her. "Right, fortune powers."

"No. Layla gave it to me just in case I needed it. I guess we'll be seeing more of each other."

"Yeah. I guess we will." Lucius extended his hand out to shake hers, which she accepted. "Until next time then."

Lucius was bathed in sunlight as he stepped out of the tent. He glanced around the camp and he signed. Well that was an interesting conversation.

"Lucius felt his phone vibrate so he reached into his pants pocket and got out his phone. He had received a text from Marcus, his friend and also boss since he was the CEO of Spartan Military Innovations.

Marcus: We have to meet and discuss what has taken place.

Lucius: Arcadia Bay Lighthouse

As Lucius finished typing, he looked up at the sun and started walking.


"Max! Good to see that you're okay." Joyce exclaimed as she hugged the young women. "I was so worried for you and Chloe."

"We were fine, mom. Max and I got away from the storm before it hit." Chloe huffed.

"I know but I'm just to see that you too are fine." Joyce finally released Max from her bear hug.

"So did you hear back from David yet?" Max asked.

"No. Dang Cell towers are still down. I can't reach him. I just hope he's alright." Joyce spoke with a hint of apprehension in her voice.

"Come on mom. After all these miracles so far, it would just be bullshit if David wasn't alright after all." Chloe smirked.

"I'm sure he's fine Joyce." Max assured her. "If he was still in town with the rest of the police department then he would have been evacuated with everyone else."

Joyce smiled at the two girls and nodded. "Thanks girls."

As though her prayer had been answered, Joyce spotted the familiar buzz cut and square jawed man. "David!". Joyce ran by the two girls and wrapped her arms around David.

David quickly returned the hug. "Oh God. Joyce. You and Chloe are all right. When I didn't see either one of you, I started to fear for the worst."

Max and Chloe were a little surprised to see that David's eyes got a little teary eyed. The thought of David crying was honestly maybe just as scary to them as the tornado was.

"Chloe" David spoke up as he looked over to her.

Chloe hesitantly approached David. While the last time they spoke was on good terms when they managed to convince him about Mr. Jefferson's dark room, there was still the all out war at the Price household.

Max and Joyce could sense the unease between the two. They both signed in relief when Chloe extended her right hand out for a handshake. David reached his right hand out and shook her hand.

At least they're finally getting along somewhat. Max thought.


The sun was descending over the horizon basking the peaceful landscape in orange light as Lucius reached the hill to the lighthouse. The breeze was refreshing as it cooled him down from his long trek from the town to the lighthouse. The sounds of birds and other wildlife buzzed all around him to greet him as he followed a dirt path through the trees and reached the bottom of the staircase.

The trip to get from the refugee camp to the lighthouse wasn't too difficult thanks to his ties with Spartan Defense. After getting the text from Marcus, Lucius hitched a ride on a truck full of soldiers inbound for the rescue effort in town.

Once they reached the ruins of Arcadia Bay, Lucius went on a stroll through the leveled town to pass time before the meetup. Lucius watched the rescue crews dug up the rubble of destroyed buildings to pry out the terrified townspeople from their basements. It was heartbreaking to see the people be so overjoyed when they came out of the darkness of their tombs.

Lucius couldn't help but use his precognitive abilities to aid the rescue crew. To mask his powers, he lied about overhearing the scream of the trapped civilians as he pointed out to the soldiers where some of the people were trapped. They bought his story and no one was the wiser.

Walking through the ravaged town was eerily as it echoed the much worse outcome that could have happened if Spartan Defense didn't intervene.

Lucius looked up from his watch on his left wrist to the steep staircase leading up the hill. Walking up the steps to the lighthouse wouldn't be much of a challenge to Lucius who was in good shape. However, it was also a good opportunity to cheat by using his powers to get to the top of the hill. He cracked his neck took in a breath of fresh air.

Lucius focused his attention to the top of the first flight of stairs, he felt the world around him came to a standstill as the wind and bird chirpings around him became muffled and a leaf freeze in front of him for a second. There was a slight humming in the air, and then in a blink of an eye, he was at top of the stairs. The world went back to normal as the wind and sounds of local wildlife returned.

He exhaled and looked behind him at the steps he conquered without even having to step foot on it. Lucius grinned at his feat and adjusted his clothes as he walked down the dirt path until he reached the next set of steps. He rubbed his hands together as the world around him slowed down and he vanished in a blur to the top of the next set of stairs.

He repeated his usage of his teleporting abilities until he was finally at the top of the hill with the lighthouse. An otherwise 5 minute feat to ascend the stairs took Lucius only a few seconds.

The pale lighthouse welcomed him as he ventured over to the bench by the edge of the cliff. Lucius rested his hands on the back of the bench and he leaned against it as he glanced once at the old structure watching over the town then to the ruins of Arcadia Bay.

The sounds of seagulls filled the air to comfort him as he watched the waves crash onto the shores of the town. At least things are starting to return to normal if the wildlife had returned.

Well, I'm home at last. It took 11 years but I've finally set foot back to my roots. I just wish it was under better circumstances without Sharknado laying waste to it. It's so strange to be back home after so long. The town is different...well it's destroyed but it looks different judging from the debris that was once connected to the buildings. The people are almost unrecognizable too. It's going to take some time to get used to home again.

The sound of rustling leaves behind him got his attention. Lucius glanced over his shoulder as he heard footsteps coming up the steps. He looked down the hill to see Diana and large muscular African American dressed in a business suit coming up the hill together.

"Lucius, good to see you again, man." The African man smiled as he drew Lucius into a brief bear hug.

"Back at ya, Marcus." Lucius returned as he patted his friend on the back as they hugged.

Diana nodded at him as Marcus and Lucius broke apart from the hug. "Nice place you picked for us to chat."

"I thought we could all use some fresh air and good view. The destroyed town is a downer but the view here is gorgeous."

Marcus nodded. "It's not exactly like the brochure, especially the current state of the town but I see what the hubblub is about. It's a nice view."

"It would have been nicer if this tornado didn't ravage it."

"Which is why we're here." Marcus said. Dana nodded as she stood with the two men.

"Someone has been rewinding time here." Lucius finished. "And they're responsible for the tornado."