Max Caulfield looks around her surroundings which is Chloe's obviously. It looks the same as always besides the lighting due to the fact that it's daytime at the moment. She gets up while leaving Chloe on the bed trying to comprehend what happened this time. All she remembered was that she gave Jefferson a photo and saw a vision of many photos falling with the images being altered like David entering the dark room with a bunch of police officers, her winning the Everyday Hero's contest, her talking with Chloe in Rachel's funeral with James and Rose, and even her with Chloe in her room but the last image was strange...it was Jefferson running away from someone who doesn't look like the police but a man that looks a little older than him with a beard and amber tinted glasses then after that...a woman raising a rifle with a crowd of people. The girl looks outside then checks the date on her phone causing her eyes to widen in confusion and sheer terror. Either she fixed something or that whole entire vision was just some weird nightmare...
October eleventh, twenty-thirteen.
She looks back outside again seeing that it's the same sunny day and somewhat pseudo-cold weather with the sounds of cars moving. Max stand still in realization that this is the day that the storm comes but...there's nothing happening. It's just a normal day in Arcadia Bay with nothing strange going on. Max uses Chloe's computer to see what's happening this time. The computer mainly consists news articles and emails from Blackwell. Nothing seems to be out of the ordinary at the moment...except the fact most of the search history consists of Hope County and a message from someone named Eliot. She clicks on the E-mail.
Chloe, I know you must really, really, really hate me right now after the whole...thing back at James's house but I need your help. Attached to this email is video footage of a cult known as Project At Eden's Gate doing...things in the town I'm living in. They've cut off lines and blocked off roads alongside telephone lines and soon internet. Please Chloe, save my town and my family. Take this to the authorities please.-Eliot.
Poor Eliot...I hope Chloe alerted the authorities. That sounds so scary that something like that can take over a town...unless they have a small army of course.
Among the news articles is Hope County crisis with the governor of Montana issuing the arrest of one Joseph Seed and his cult in Montana alongside articles about them too. Max's eyes widen at the search knowing Chloe must be really worried about this Eliot guy or at least the situation in Hope County. Another news articles reveal that Mark Jefferson has gone missing, probably on the run now. She sits on the chair trying to comprehend the situation at the same time, of course she remembers the dark room and how she kept going through different timelines, each different but with Chloe dying in the end. Something is wrong with this one...No storm, no great evil. She hears Chloe waking up causing her turn around to see the blue haired girl getting up from her bed.
"Morning super Max." Chloe greeted with the same smile has, a smile that's worth fighting for. Max gets off from her chair and quickly hugs Chloe which knocks her down on the bed again and holds her tight. She doesn't know if the storm is going to come or if she fixed the timeline, Chloe is here and that's what all that matters. The blue haired punk hugs her in return.
"Chloe..." Max muttered which gains a chuckle from her.
"Well this is a nice thing to wake up to in the morning." She replied before Max lets go of her while wiping away tears of relief and sniffing.
"I'm so glad you're okay. I think I...I think I fixed something here. Remember that vision I got from that storm back at the lighthouse?" The brunette asked her causing Chloe to tilt her head in confusion. Sure she remembered Max's vision and all of that strangeness that has been going on in Arcadia Bay, but that storm felt like a distant memory since Rachel's death hit her the hardest.
"Yeah of course. Why bring it up again?"
"I think I just prevented it. I think I just saved Arcadia Bay, there's no storm and nothing weird is going on." Max explained causing Chloe to pause for a second but it felt like an hour for her. Chloe gulps and sighs in relief then smiles and places a hand on Max's shoulder then leans on her forehead.
"Never cease to surprise me super Max..." Chloe smiled.
Dark Room.
Mark Jefferson runs into the dark room and shuts the door shut hoping the people who are after him will just give up. As far as he's concerned, no one knows what he did he yet besides a missing persons flyer was distributed about him. He stands still as he hears footsteps and muffled sounds of the ones who are after him causing him to breath in fear for a moment upon realizing that they may have found him. The door to the entrance is heard being broken as the teacher steps back then runs towards the locker containing a gun inside it with the sound of seething heat behind him.
He grabs the handgun inside as the door finally splits open revealing who the intruders are. The sounds of a helicopter's blades waning is heard loudly alongside the sounds of boots mixed with rifles clacking. Entering the entrance is a couple of men and women armed with AC-R assault rifles and M14 semi automatic rifle wearing camouflaged outfits and the insignia of Eden's Gate strapped on there arms. Jefferson aims his weapon at all of the armed cultists and is about to pull the trigger but someone throws a throwing knife at his shoulder.
The sadistic photographer kneels on the ground with his shoulder bleeding and looks up while hearing footsteps behind all of them as he groans in pain. Walking towards them is a girl about Max's age with a similar but dirty version of her hoodie sweater and red shirt also a ponytail. She armed with a silenced AK47 and has a pistol holstered on her hip as a blonde woman wearing a military jacket and trousers and an assault rifle holstered on her back appears beside her. The blonde kneels and lifts Jefferson's chin...
"Do you know who I am? Do you know what you took?" The woman asked in a gentle voice like an angel although makes Jefferson whimper in fear as if he's a piranha in an ocean with her being a shark and the first it sees is food. Her looks make her out of place among these lunatics, like a Valkyrie in a viking battlefield. It's almost surreal for Jefferson but...her face...it reminds of him Rachel. Jefferson's eyes widen upon realizing who this is.
"It wasn't my fault...It was Nathan Prescott's I-I..."
"You were the mastermind. Do you know what kind of pain you've caused to my sister? A pain greater on what her husband did to her? You took away a child of God...who had so much potential in the world and had the right to live." The woman spoke with a slight choke on her voice but turns more stern yet gentle while her face and eyes:Pure hatred and insanity. She stands up while looking down at him.
"And now the end is near, I could feel like we are creeping towards the edge like the Father who ordered me to be here and the Heralds too. To prepare for the end of days, one must realize there sins and that realization...is through confession. And after that, you will thank us for setting you free from your sins." She replied before the cultists raise Jefferson up.
"Wait...what are you doing?! Where are you taking me!?" The two cultists drag Jefferson away with the blonde looking at him.
Town.
Max looks outside of the window of the pickup to see anything strange outside but there's nothing. No dead whales or birds or snow, just a normal sunny day in Arcadia Bay with a radiant smile on her face. If this was a dream, she wishes she would never wake up from it cause she wants to stay here forever with Chloe in this dream. She turns to Chloe who is driving and looking ahead of the road with cars passing by alongside police cars with there sirens on. The place there going to is Two-Whales diner, a diner where her mom works at. Chloe stops at the parking lot with Max heading out of the car.
"This is where we're going to celebrate?" Max sarcastically asked her.
"Well with my income, you expect a breakfast in a five star restaurant from me?" Chloe replied. Max rolled her eyes and smiles before walking into the diner with her, the smell of the food fills the air as if it was a new place in a new time, perhaps the sense of relief made her feel euphoric in someway. The typical patrons are there in different seats except for the police officers that are replaced with a man wearing a blue shirt and tan pants and brown hair sitting on a seat in front of the counter drinking some coffee while the TV is showing an ad for a country called Kyrat. The pair walk towards the booth and sit in front of each other. A moment of silence falls between them...
"Max..." Chloe spoke thus breaking the silence.
"Yeah?" She replied right before getting a notification on her phone due to the sound that was emitted from it. The girl looks down to see that it's from Warren for some reason but she decides to ignore it. Her phone begins to blow up even more with notifications but it's probably nothing to her.
"I'd...I'd like to thank you for everything. You came back to my life when I thought I was abandoned and... made me feel like I mattered again despite the shit I've thrown at you. You basically made my life better than ever, for that I'm thanking you." The blue haired replied with a hint of choking in her voice.
"Chloe, I swore to myself I'd never leave you. Not again." Max replied before Chloe places a hand on hers which gets her attention. She makes a warm smile with some tears in her eyes knowing her full gratitude for her. Chloe composes herself again and adjusts her voice then straightens her posture.
"Now let's get that mushy shit out of the way. Let's order some-" The TV behind them flickers showing an emergency broadcast system causing all of the patrons to turn around. Max's eyes widen upon realizing that there is something wrong and it was too good to be true at the realization. The fact that her phone kept blowing up for no reason is no coincidence also. They all hear an explosion causing all of the patrons including Max and Chloe to see smoke coming from the woods. She checks her phone.
Warren: MAX, DO NOT GO BACK TO THE SCHOOL! IT'S WW3 OUT THERE! ARE YOU SEEING THIS?!
Blackwell Academy: This is an emergency message. To all students who live in the campus, due to civil unrest, all classes are postponed and the school on lock down. This is not a drill. Stay in your dorms and lock them. Stay safe.
Victoria: IF YOU'RE GETTING THIS MESSAGE, SEND HELP.
Kate: Max, they're evacuating the hospital for some reason. What's going on?
Dana: Max, we're safe in the dorms with the main entrance blocked. There's dead police everywhere!
What is going on?! Is it the storm?
Max's eyes continue to widen right before the sounds of the door are heard flying open revealing officer Anderson Berry armed with a shotgun also wearing a bulletproof vest and the same black cop she was talking to but this time armed with a stolen assault rifle. She turns to see the sight of police cars speeding with sirens blaring but one of them is shot by something from the sky which causes Max to jump in fear. Chloe grips her gun from her pocket.
"Alright, we need everyone out of the diner now in an organized fashion." Anderson ordered with a sense of fatigue in his voice. His uniform is stained with blood and ash marks on them which means he's been in a fight. The patrons get up as his partner guides them out while he moves away from the entrance with his shotgun raised. Chloe gets up with Max following her as she cautions around her surroundings. All of the diner patrons walk outside except for Max who talks to the officer.
"What's happening out there?" Max asks him.
"I don't know, a terrorist attack. Just head on outside." Anderson replied while showing signs of shell shock. All of the patrons head outside of the diner except the man from the counter. The black police officer gives a nod to Berry that everyone is secured as more police cars speed pass by them like an armed mob as the crowd watches. Max hears something from afar which sounds like a fighter plane from those old movies Warren watched causing her to turn to see a crop duster plane flying towards them as she squints.
"Everyone take cover!" Anderson yelled as the plane fires at the police cards which are easily torn to shreds causing all of them to take cover except for his partner who is shot to death before he can level his rifle. Chloe looks at the corpse of the officer as if she's going to throw up at the sight of the dead man with Max looking at her in shock and looks back at dead man then rewinds time again to the part where the plane was coming. This can't be real at all to Chloe, no one would attack Arcadia Bay since there is nothing here.
"Everyone take cover!" The black officer is about to level his assault rifle but Max grabs his arm before he can aim then runs to cover while the plane misses them. Each of the patrons all panic in fear at the sight of an attack while Anderson turns around to try to calm them down. Max knows Arcadia Bay may have a police but they don't have a SWAT team nor any means to defend themselves against an attack...like this. It's almost as if war has come to the town or at least, this is the storm. Whoever these people are though, they're armed and dangerous to the point the police can't help. More police cars arrive with ambulances as they form a barricade with officers armed with assault rifles, pistols, and shotguns as Anderson motions the townsfolk to head out. A school bus arrives to let the people in but Chloe knows another plane might make another run, a lesson she learned from David.
"Max, get to the car now." Chloe whispered as Max nods. The two go to the pickup with Anderson not noticing them...they here another plane coming causing all of them to look but there's something different with the place though, it's leaving a trail of mint green smoke. They all duck but the plane passes by them and they all get up. Suddenly, Max's vision begins to turn hazy with what appears to be glitter alongside her throat feeling scratchy for some reason but makes her feel at peace. She turns to see Chloe covering her eyes as the gas appears to be a hallucinogen.
"Max...we need to get out of here..." She wheezed and coughed then appears to calm down.
"Chloe...?" Max asked.
"Max...I don't know why but I feel happy. At peace...I...I don't think I want to get out...I was once lost...but now I'm found...~" The blue haired girl softly sang into mumbles as the gas appears to cause people to get high or hallucinate. Max looks around her surroundings seeing the people act the same way around her which freaks her out. She rewinds once more before the plane comes towards them.
"Everyone, get to the diner now! There's another plane coming!" They hear the sound of the plane coming and they all start running towards the diner except for Max and Chloe who get in the pickup truck quickly. The plane passes by with Max having little of the side effects of the gas although there appears to be glitter in her vision. Chloe pulls out her gun to cover the civilians who all head outside and get inside the bus. The bus drives off with the two following it. Max gets a text from Joyce and looks down to see her message.
Joyce: Max, we're hiding out in Pan Estates. Where are you and Chloe?
Max types on her phone.
Max: We're in the town, it's a war zone here. What's going on?
Joyce: ...
Joyce: I don't know but get here as fast as possible. From what I've heard that it's some kind of cult that's attacking Arcadia Bay like the ones in Hope County. There's no contact with the outside...It's just us now.
The brown haired girl leans in complete shock as Chloe focuses on the road but makes a quick turn at Max in worry. Shock fills Max's body knowing that they are cut off from the outside world but also realization that this could all be her fault, maybe the universe is trying to replace the storm she prevented or this cult has been targeting Arcadia Bay for quite awhile. Chloe makes a turn to the right as gunfire is heard cackling in the distance and explosions too as she gulps in fear knowing someone can go after them. Max looks outside seeing smoke in the town then looks away imagining that there are people dying left and right down there. She looks up to see a helicopter hover the bus much to Chloe's relief but to Max's suspicion then realization...the helicopter has a gun on it.
The aircraft begins shooting at the bus causing it to speed up to avoid getting hit as it switches it's aim towards them. Chloe makes another turn to a road heading towards a road heading towards the lighthouse and drives as fast as she can to avoid getting shot. Behind them are two pickup trucks with machine guns on top of them as they begin to take aim at the two but are quickly shot at by a group of police cars. Max turns around as the occupants of the two trucks get out with assault rifles in hand and take aim at the officers. She looks ahead of the road trying to focus on protecting Chloe, she tries to blink but she can't out of fear that someone or something can shoot at them. Chloe has the same look on her but this time more panicked with her eyes widen.
"Chloe...where do we go now...?" Max asked fatigued.
"I...the lighthouse. Yeah, the lighthouse. It's the place people least expect to hide out in..." Chloe quickly answered but with hesitation in her voice. Little do they know, a raven is watching them before it flies off.
Pan Estates.
Kate Marsh gets out of the bus with Alice, her pet rabbit, after a long ride inside. She looks at awe at the place and how luxurious it is yet almost natural as if it blended with the woods. The houses look minimalist mixed with wood thus giving it a pretentious but calm vibe to them which Kate admires despite the Prescott's being pricks. The place is basically now a fortress with armed officers patrolling the place and very few townsfolk in it alongside fishermen like RJ Macready and Jack Cousteau. She carries her caged pet as the security directs them to one of the houses and spots David speed walking while armed with a rifle with Joyce catching up to him. Before she can speak, David gets in his car with a couple of men wearing hunting gear on ATV's then drive off.
Lighthouse.
Max and Chloe sit on a bench overlooking the chaos that is taking Arcadia Bay. Screams, gunfire, explosions, you name it can be heard echoing in the distance which sends chills down their spines. They've been sitting for minutes yet it feels like hours waiting for help to come for them but it isn't, not at all. Max wonders again if this is the universe's punishment to Arcadia or some deadly coincidence. Chloe curls into a ball as Max looks on at Arcadia which is being torn apart by these lunatics. Silence falls between them...as Chloe realizes a tragic realization.
"Max..." Chloe spoke in a depressed tone as if she's given up in her voice causing Max to slowly turn at her.
"Max, this is the only way..." She hands her the photo of the blue butterfly from the bathroom when she got shot. Max realizes what Chloe is planning to do and she isn't liking it.
"I feel like I took this shot a thousand years ago."
"You could use that photo to change everything right back to when you took that picture...All that would take is for me to...to..." She begins to cry knowing she is going to die and forget everything. All of what they endured would be forgotten in a simple look.
"Fuck that! No...way! You are my number one priority now. You're all that matters to me!" Max begged her causing Chloe to lift her head.
"I know. You proved that over and over again...even though I don't deserve it. I'm so selfish...not like my mom...Look what she had to give up and live through...and she did. She deserves so much more than to be killed by a couple of religious nuts in a fucking diner. Even my step...father deserves her alive. There's so many more people in Arcadia Bay who should love...way more than me..." Chloe replied.
"Don't say that, I'm not trading you!"
"You're not trading me. Maybe you've just been delaying my real destiny...Look at how many times I've almost died or actually died around you. Look at what's happened in Arcadia Bay ever since you first saved me. I know I've been selfish, but for once I think I should accept my fate...our fate." She continued.
"Chloe..."
"Max, you finally came back to me this week, and...you did nothing but show me your love and friendship. You made me smile and laugh, like I haven't done in years. Wherever I end up after this...whatever reality, all those moments between us were real, they'll always be ours. No matter what you choose, I know you'll make the right decision." Max quakes at her words.
"Chloe...I can't make this choice...For all we know, they'll just appear again and shoot up the bay!" Chloe grabs Max by the arms.
"No, Max...You're the only one who can." A second feels like an eternity to the young girl. Sacrifice Arcadia Bay or sacrifice Chloe...she doesn't want her friend gone nor wants everyone in the town to suffer for her mistakes. Max doesn't even know if her powers are connected to the cult at all but there's something that's causing this...and maybe it is her. She looks at the photo...only to feel a rifle hit her in the back of the head causing Chloe to turn around and pulls out her pistol but it's shot off. The photo flies out of Max's hand as she tries to reach out for it.
Standing in front of them is a cultist armed with a silenced AR-C assault rifle with an ACOG scope pointing at them as Chloe looks at her gun on the ground alongside Max. Max looks at the machete of the armed man from his hip but she doesn't want to kill anybody at all, there's been enough death already and she doesn't want to contribute to it. Time stops for a moment for Max as she remembers the words of Chloe...She gulps then gets up causing the gunman to turn around but she grabs his machete then swings it quickly at his neck causing him to pause...and his head to come off and blood to trickle on her cheek. Chloe covers her mouth in shock at what Max has done to save her. The headless corpse falls over as Max kneels on the ground...and hurls chunks on the ground then bursts into hysterical crying.
Blackwell Academy
All students or at least, remaining students who didn't enter the dorms in time are gathered in the courtyard that is littered with dead police in front of the stage by cult. Among them is Victoria Chase who is scared beyond her mind right now alongside Zachary Riggins and Hayden Jones. They all wished that this was a nightmare to all of them but it wasn't, this was real and this was happening to them. She looks for a way out but there's too many cultists surrounding the place. Walking on the stage is Melissa herself as she stands on the podium.
"Good evening students of Blackwell Academy, I am Melissa Gearhardt. Sister of Sera Gearhardt and aunt of Rachel Amber. I apologize for this sudden attack on Arcadia Bay without warning but that's how we work for we are The Storm, the Father's will incarnate. Now I know you're all scared, you're frightened but in the end...you will thank us. I'm not a righteous woman, never was. But Joseph Seed saw this place and placed me here to be his will to purge Arcadia Bay of the sinners who have corrupted it to prepare for the collapse." Melissa introduced herself to the frightened students. Escorted onto the stage is two men with bags on there heads and hands tied as they forced on the ground.
"And these two have corrupted Arcadia Bay for so long. They are examples of the filth that hide within Arcadia and have hid in the darkness for so long." She motions the guards to remove there bags on there heads revealing themselves to be Mark Jefferson and Sean Prescott. Melissa picks up her baseball bat and rests it on her shoulder.
"And the only way to destroy darkness is through the light of the Father and the light of the people." Melissa aims the bat at Jefferson's face who is scared out of his mind.
"Confess." The blonde ordered.
"You don't understand! It was Nathan's idea to do that! He was a sick fucker that should've-" She slams the bat at his leg which breaks it causing him to yell in pain with the students jumping in fright.
"See? He hides behind this idea that HE'S innocent! He has no shame to confess his sins!" Victoria continues to watch in horror that Jefferson is getting beaten up. Zachary couldn't bear to look and turns away while bites his tongue cringing at the sight.
"Confess?" She asked again. Jefferson breaths and gasps for air.
"I...I kidnapped girls...and I drug them...and take photos of them. To capture innocence turning into corruption...and I indirectly got Rachel Amber killed." Jefferson confessed to all of the students as they all gasp. Melissa kneels in front of Jefferson who is whimpering in pain.
"This is the sin of lust. He cares about his art through women and preys upon them like the sinner he is...and the only way to get rid of sin was confession. But to remove it must be painful and your sin has corrupted you from seeing the light of the Father." She gets up and prepares her bat.
We will Rise Again by Dan Romer ft. Meredith Godreau.
"For that, like Adam and Eve...I must cast you from paradise." Melissa swings the bat at Jefferson's head which knocks him down and frightens the students. She slams the bat on him as the sound of blunt force continues with numerous strikes to the head to the point the sound of the bat striking sounds like dinging. Some students throw up and look away while Victoria covers her ears and looks down with tears streaming from her eyes. Melissa continues to smash Jefferson's head which becomes more crushed and bent to the point he's past the point of dead.
Lighthouse.
Chloe, now armed with the silenced rifle, escorts a catatonic Max who has the machete on hand down the lighthouse path and spots David with the hunters as he runs towards them. David notices the blood on Max as his eyes widen and hugs the girl with Chloe joining in.
Pan Estates.
The blue haired girl watches from afar at Arcadia Bay which is now taken over by Eden's Gate. She is joined by Max who sits beside her as she looks at her phone seeing the messages from Warren. They know they can't just stand there and watch as the town is going to hell. Max looks at Chloe solemnly as Chloe hugs her in return.
Woods.
Frank watches from his RV armed with his knife as he comforts Pompidu as his home is filled with Molotov cocktails now.
Blackwell.
Warren watches from his window as he can see fire in the distance and looks at his phone in hopes of getting an answer from Max.
