Max bows her head and turns it away. She doesn't want to look at what has been lurking in the shadows. In the beginning, it was easiest to simply ignore it, to make herself blind and ignorant in order to avoid the pain that acknowledging the truth would cause.
All of that is changing now; the protective shell is finally cracking.
As far as she can tell, she's in a basement somewhere. She can feel the dampness, smell the mildew, sense the closed, tight quarters through her peripheral vision. But her actual eyesight is less than co-operative. There's something out there, but it's blurry and indistinct. Her vision slides off of it when she briefly tries to turn and face directly ahead; Max, absolutely scared of the truth, has been more than happy to allow it to happen.
Slim, soft hands grip her shoulders from behind. She knows them, and the voice they belong to.
"It's alright, poppet." the voice says, in a tone that brims with maternal affection. "I know it's difficult. That it feels like absolutely the last thing you want to face. But the end is coming soon, and I believe you'll regret it if you don't at least try to make the effort."
"Hǎo tòng! Hǎo tòng!" a boy cries out, from what sounds like a million miles away and right next to her ear.
Her heart pounds hard, enough that she can feel it in her mouth. She grips her upper arm, rubbing it nervously.
"You almost stumbled over the truth in the junkyard. But you were more concerned with the problems of the living...and why not? The dead are dead. They don't have any particular wants or needs. The money and the time that we spend, with funerals and rituals, pageantry and pomp. It's only purpose is to comfort the living and convince them that there's more to death than the cessation of life."
"This is more for your knowing," the voice adds. "For your benefit, than anything else."
Max tries again to turn her head forward. It's like moving through molasses; a palpable resistance fights her, every inch of the way. Fights her twice as hard as she struggles to fully open her eyes.
"Try to focus. I know that it's difficult, doubly so in a dream, but do give it your best attempt, Max."
Her eyes betray her, refusing to focus on what lies beyond, framed as it is in a single shaft of light, like a museum exhibit. She pushes her way through the resistance, determined at last to get close enough to make out the details. A thrumming builds up in her ears: so many voices. Too many! A hundred thousand million billion, all saying the same thing, but in completely different ways. Her heart pounds, harder and harder still, the panic rising up in her throat, sweeping over her scalp and making her jaw chatter.
The other voice is distant now, as Max successfully walks away from it, towards where she needs to be.
"That's it, love. Taking those first few steps is the hardest part. But then it gets easier past a certain point."
And it does. The resistance lessens, and suddenly it's more like trying to move through a pool, and then like an especially breezy day. It gets easier to breathe, easier to think. She's walking and then she's running. It takes a lot longer than it should, but she's making headway all the same.
So close. Almost there.
As last, she's able to see what's been waiting for her this whole time.
...it's herself. Literally. She's there, frozen in time, in the beam of light. Dressed in full Damocles regalia, she's kneeling down on the ground. The expression of grief etched into her face is heartbreaking. She's holding a small boy, maybe eight or ten from the looks of him. Chinese probably, or at least Asian. He's sprawled out across her lap, head cradled in one of her arms, legs draped across the other, like an old Italian pieta. He could almost be sleeping, his jaw slack and open, his eyes shut.
There's a hole in his forehead, dark and bleeding. More blood dripping out from the back of his head.
"S-sorry." Max's voice chokes out, thick and heavy with regret. She kneels down in turn, becoming a near-mirror image of the scene in front of her.
"S-s-sorry!" she starts to sob, as the full weight of what she's done seeps its way into her consciousness.
A man's voice whispers against her ear. "I understand that was a difficult thing for you, but I'm glad to see you made the right choice when it counted the most."
She shakes her head, denying the truth of the words.
"Several million New Yorkers owe their lives to you." he adds.
Again she denies it, shaking her head more emphatically in response.
The boy...he was calling out for his mother, wasn't he? At the end? Just like she might have, if their situation was reversed. He died, only wanting the safety and comfort of his family. Something she herself had been denied all these years.
She was the victim then. But now? She's every bit the monster that she lived in fear of.
It's more than she can bear. She bolts upright and runs away, gripping at her temples as she sobs. She runs past the woman from before, who calls out in response, as everything fades to white…
"...well, I suppose that will have to do. A pity there wasn't more time."
Friday, October 11th.
7:30 A.M.
Gasping, as if swimming upwards until finally breaking the surface of an ice-cold lake, Max's eyes flew open. She didn't immediately recognize where she was; the room was small, with cheap, tacky floral print wallpaper peeling from the walls, stains marking the ceiling, and a hunter green carpet whose only purpose was reminding any occupants why the seventies were not renowned for the timeless quality of its interior decorating sensibilities. There was a tiny TV chained to a table, and something that laughably passed as a desk, clearly bought third hand from a fire sale.
She struggled against the heavy canvas of a military sleeping bag, dressed in only her underwear and vaguely wondering why she wasn't actually sleeping under the covers. Instinctively, she reached under her pillow, calmed by the heavy feel of the pistol against her hand. Her fingers began to curl around it when she was jolted by a voice right next to her.
"Max? Baby?"
It was only then that she realized she wasn't alone! Someone else was in the bed with her! Someone with blue hair and tattoos and…
...oh.
Oh God.
It's...it's Chloe. Of course it's her. Get a hold of yourself!
She closed her eyes tight, as everything came back to her. After the dance, they'd driven on for a good two or three hours, but their excited plans about pulling an all nighter fell apart when it became clear they were exhausted and needed a better night's sleep then they'd gotten the previous evening. They made it as far as just over the border into Washington, eschewing the major highways for the backwoods routes. A little after midnight, they spotted a motel, the only one of it's kind for miles around. Chloe went in alone to check it out; they took cash and didn't ask many questions or even for ID, so it was a good place for them to rest.
It was also as run down and depressingly out of date as their thirty dollars for the night promised.
"Oh God...at least the bed is clean. I hope?" Max remarked.
"Dunno, babe. That thing could be hella crawling with bedbugs. Think I'm gonna drag my sleeping bag out from the trunk. Then we only have to sleep on top." Chloe added.
"Hon. Are you okay?" Chloe asked again. As she fully came to her senses, Max nodded a few times in rapid succession.
"Y-yeah," she breathed out. "Sorry. Oh...shit." She leaned in, wrapping her arms hard around Chloe and breathing in the comforting scent of her skin.
"What happened?" the blunette asked sleepily. "Bad dream?"
Taking a long, shaky breath, Max said, "No. I mean...yeah. Bad dream, but it was more than just that. Shit's starting to come back to me, Chloe. From New York. You know how when you first found me, I had this gap in my memory? About my mission?"
Chloe nodded as she listened attentively. A soft smile broke out on her lips. "You mean a million years ago?" she said, adding a tight, affectionate squeeze. A tiny smile creased Max's lips, despite the feelings of panic running through her brain. Her girlfriend had a point: it truly felt like a different life back then, for both of them.
"I remember now, what happened. At-at least I think I do." Max said in a halting manner. "What I did, in order to save all those people." She swallowed hard, burrowing her head against the crook of Chloe's neck. "Oh God, Che. I'm scared. I'm really fucking scared right now."
Chloe shhhhed soothingly, petting her back and stroking her hair. "It's alright now, baby. I promise. It's over. Nothing that happened back there can hurt you now. I won't let it."
"But that's the problem. I'm scared to tell you. I'm freaking out right now, that if I say the words, if I explain what I did, you'll think I'm a monster! You'll…" she sniffled, choking back a sob, as tears forced their way up into her eyes. "...stop...being with me."
To her credit, Chloe didn't try to lighten the mood. She didn't try to brush the serious vibe of the moment aside. She only cupped her cheeks, looked deep into her eyes and said, "Not gonna happen, Max. You are literally the only woman in this world for me. There is nothing at all you can do that would change how I feel about you."
They both shared another shy smile. The spark of joy that crackled in Max's heart quickly fizzled out as she whispered, "Chloe. I think I killed someone. Like...a kid. I think he was about to do something. Emerge, probably. You know, get his own powers? But it was going to destroy New York City in the process. There was yelling, and shouting, and threats, and I was…" She struggled to hold on, her body shaking, the sobs wracking her chest as she pushed herself to continue. It came out, quicker and quicker, as she pushed herself to finish. "...I was all alone, Chloe! I know that much! And I was scared, soooo fucking scared! I was gonna die. I was absolutely sure of it! And there was someone yelling at me, multiple people yelling at me, telling me what to do. Kill the kid, don't kill the kid. Something inside me snapped and took over. I don't remember anything after that!"
She couldn't stand to explain any further. Every single word brought her back to that place. Back to the existential fear, to the state of being where her brain fuzzed, and she threatened to lose control of herself.
She cracked again, failing to realize she was sobbing hysterically now.
"I'm a murderer, Chloe! Oh God! I killed some little kid! I didn't want to! But I did it! Look what they've turned me into...I'm a monster now! How can you possibly still want to be with…?"
"Max! Max!" Chloe pleaded, hugging her tight and covering her face with kisses. "It's not your fault! Whatever this was, it's not your fault! I don't know what happened, but I know you. You're not some cold-blooded assassin! You're...so damn kind. You want to help everyone...and be a hero, and I love that about you. I don't care what you think. The fact that this fucked you up so bad that you suppressed it, and it's making you freak like this now…" She reached up, wiping her face. "Monsters don't cry, Maxima. Okay? You understand what I'm saying? Monsters don't kill people, and then cry about it. And I promise, whatever happens, I will never leave you. You're not alone. You'll never be alone again!"
They held each other close, as Max stared out over Chloe's shoulder, at the tatty and worn furniture. She let her sobs slowly die off, as the worst of her panic and anxiety slowly but inevitably bled away in the calm and warming strength of her girlfriend's supportive presence.
"I'm….I'm okay now. I think...I'm getting there…" Max shook her head and exclaimed, "Oh. God. Imagine if I'd gotten hit with this shit today...all by myself."
Chloe murmured, "Maybe your mind is letting it bubble up because it knows it's safe now." She kissed at her hair, adding, "You don't always have to be a badass. Not anymore."
Max nodded, smiling with relief as she whispered, "I know. Thank you. I'm...I'm doing better now. I mean...I'm still gonna need to get a grip on this, but it doesn't feel like it's dragging me down to the bottom anymore. Oh Christ….Chloe." She pulled back, her gaze sliding easily onto the blunette's. Allowing herself to drown in those crystal pools, Max reached around, pulling gently at strands of blue and violet hair. What happened next was instinct, but she didn't regret it, or think to take it back after it was said.
"Chloe, I love you."
Chloe blinked, as her cheeks flushed red.
"I love you." Max repeated. "I always have. You know...at first sight? Sounds stupid, but it's true. Since the day I met you, when you were this tomboy who bounced into my life and saved my favorite doll, I've loved you. Right from the start." She leaned in, their mouths fitting together perfectly as they kissed; it was a soft thing that quickly developed a passionate edge to it.
"Not fair." Chloe hissed back when the kiss ended. "I didn't get to say it first."
"You did, just not with words. Who was the one who took the first step at the fair? If that doesn't say I love you, I don't know what else does. Doesn't matter though. We have the rest of our lives to remind each other. Every day."
Max took another long, deep breath, the last of her morning demons chased away. She smirked, feeling a playful leg pushing between her thighs. "Chloooe? Whatcha thiiinking?"
"Me? Ohh. Not much. Just...you know. I know we're all supposed to be desperately on the run, but you think we got time for just a teeny bit of sex? And maybe a shower? Then we run like the fucking wind, I swear."
Glancing over suspiciously at the bathroom, Max murmured, "Do we really wanna chance a shower here?"
"It's still water...water's always wet. Dunno about the towels…" Chloe's lips began insistently trailing down her neck and collarbone, causing the heat to flare hungrily between her legs. "Besides, I don't think the water's the only thing that's wet right now."
Max laughed, smacking Chloe on the side. Not that she was wrong.
The towels, as it turned out, were surprisingly clean, and both Max and Chloe took the opportunity to share a quick shower.
"So what's the plan today, boss?" Chloe asked. Max closed her eyes, smiling happily as long fingers stroked her back and shoulders, washing them. She was doing her best to resist making this morning a repeat of yesterdays.
"We run. We find somewhere to stock up on food, in order to minimize spending time in restaurants. Stick to campgrounds and cheap hotels. Places where they don't ask a lot of questions and take cash. Sooner than later, we're going to need to consider ditching the truck and going on foot. I might be able to extend that time out by stealing someone else's plates, but that gets risky. All we need is one cop who decides to run them through his computer, and we're fucked...although my time powers should always give us enough of a heads up to avoid those problems. And...maybe we should grab some dye, and color our hair again...
She then gave a long, measured sigh. "Beyond that? I don't know. I'll...I'll figure it out, I promise. Our best bet is probably finding someplace on the Canadian border, where we can cross by foot in the middle of the night. And then keep pushing north until we make it into the middle of nowhere. Like, in the Yukon or something.
"Sounds like a plan. You know this shit a lot better than me, babydoll."
Max swallowed. She didn't have a plan, not really. Other than keep running. Hoping she'd figure something out along the way. She and Chloe could find somewhere out in the wilderness. A tiny village where people didn't ask too many questions of strangers who kept to themselves. Maybe they could find work. It wouldn't be easy, sure as hell wouldn't be 'fun'. But they'd have each other. They'd have fresh air, and freedom at the very least.
We'll make it work. I know we will! We can do anything together.
Chloe added, "Oh! And we can figure out our new fake names on the drive today. How 'bout...uh...I'll be Thelma. And you be Louise."
Max giggled, rinsing her hair out one last time. "That's kinda obvious, don't you think?"
"Xena and Gabrielle?"
Giving Chloe a playful punch on the shoulder, then softening the blow with a kiss, Max stepped out, grabbing a towel for each of them. "C'mon, lover. We need to wrap it up." The blunette let out a mournful wail in response as she turned the shower off. A few more quick kisses were traded as they wrapped the towels around themselves. Max looked over her shoulder as she reached out to open the bathroom door. "It's almost nine-thirty! We gotta get dressed and hit the road."
"Awesome idea," another voice said.
Someone else was in the room, standing six feet away, with a Beretta pointed at the both of them. "But we should probably have a chit chat first, about where we're going today."
Max's head whipped around, a surge of adrenalin coursing through her body. Out in the bedroom was Victoria Chase, who was standing back and just slightly to the left of some other girl - the one holding the gun - whom she barely recognized from last night. Under normal circumstances, options would immediately run through Max's mind. Analyzing the situation. Taking a guess at her best chances to disarm her opponent, how to use the environment to her advantage. Except now there was a big complication: how to keep Chloe from getting involved in the fight.
The safest bet is to just go back in time. Forget the fucking shower and tell Chloe we need to get the hell out of here. Now!
There were questions, of course:,how did these two teenagers track them all the way out here, and why were they now holding them at gunpoint? But the need for those answers wasn't burning; Max would be more than happy to remain completely in the dark as she ran away.
That was when she realized something horrific: she couldn't rewind back. Somehow, she was being nulled.
"R-Rachel? Rachel Amber?!"
Chloe sputtered in absolute disbelief. "What the fuck are you….why is…? What the hell is going on!?"
Max quickly peered behind her. She could see it written all over her girlfriend's face; she was ready to lunge forward at Rachel, gun be damned. Max reached back with an arm, as if waving her off from the attempt.
Rachel gave a delicate sigh, "Hey, C. Wow. I can't believe we have to have this conversation all over again. And under such shitty circumstances, too. You really don't remember you and me talking in the locker room last night? Or uh...when you got into a uberbrawl with Tori?"
"Hey! Don't go dragging me into shit I never did!" Victoria complained.
The blunette's eyes bugged out, her jaw dropping. "Wha- what the hell are you talking about!? The last time I heard from you, you gave me the Total Bitch treatment and cut me out of your life! And now, you...you're….Jesus fuck, I am gonna hella freak here in a moment!"
"You...can't know any of those things." Max nearly whispered. All the blood drained from her face. Her vision swam for a moment. The situation was getting rapidly out of hand.
"Yeah. But I do!" Rachel sang. "And believe me, it wasn't fun getting dragged back into a new timeline with you." She tilted her head quizzically and asked, "Does it hurt you, when you change time? I mean, if it does, how are you not just totes crazy by now? Uh, anyhow." She glanced back to Chloe and said, "Long story short: We saw you both at the dance last night. You and I talked. I apologized a whole ton for the shitty way I treated you, and said I was going to pay off Frank and - ah! Fuckfuckfuck!"
Rachel let out a loud groan of frustration. "We were supposed to meet him at the Two Whales over an hour ago! 'Course, that was before we had to chase after you two and...ugh." Her shoulders lowered. "Screw him. Screw him...right, Chloe? I heard what that asshole did to you. I was gonna pay him off so you didn't have to, but I think after today, none of us are ever gonna see him again. So let's just agree that Frank doesn't get a goddamn cent from anyone, right? Anyhow, Victoria made a mess of it when she used her ability to snag Max, 'cause it kinda sorta looked like maybe they were about to make out..."
"Jesus Christ, stop talking about shit that didn't even….ugh!" Victoria roared out in frustration.
"I love you too, Honey Bear." Rachel said, turning to regard her partner with a playful smirk on her lips. She then turned back and continued, "But the long and short of it is that Max freaked out enough to rewind back from the point where you and V threw down. After I told her what happened, we waited until you guys left Blackwell, then followed you here thanks to a GPS tracker we sorta 'convinced' your stepdad to plant on your truck. Then Victoria sorta 'convinced' the innkeeper to give us a room - along with a key to yours - and promptly forget that he saw any of us. After that, it was just a matter of catching up on our z's, and waiting to strike when the two of you were in an appropriately vulnerable position."
"Oh, and you're welcome, by the way." Victoria said with a sneer as she crossed her arms. "That we didn't burst in during...you know..." At this, she began to pant, her voice high and breathy. "Oh! Oh God! Chloe! You….yoooou are….the fucking best!" Critically studying a handful of nails, she muttered. "Bet you half the motel heard it, too."
Max could practically smell Chloe's brain short circuiting, overloaded as it was with too many conflicting impulses. She then took a step back, wrapping a protective arm around her girlfriend. Jumping right in, she said, "Let's cut to the chase here, because I only care about one fucking thing. Obviously, you're both Specials..."
Max paused, fighting back the nearly overwhelming urge to point and yell and scream at Victoria because how dare she violate her like that!? It was all so obvious now. She must have used some sort of hypnotic power on her last night, and where the fuck did she get off doing that to her?!
Choke it back, Max. Hold it in check! You need to get through this shit first. Gotta see exactly what kind of trouble you're in.
"Obviously." Victoria said, as she rolled her eyes.
"Are you with the Feds? Or are you working for them? Like, are you bounty hunters looking to cash in?"
The air hung heavy, fraught with disastrous potential. Rachel's answer would seal the deal, one way or the other. No matter what, Max wasn't going back to her cage again. She'd die first. Already, she was forming her attack plans…
...if I trip Chloe quickly to get her prone on the ground, then I think I can quickly close the distance between me and this Rachel. Oh wait...that Rachel? The one who broke Chloe's hea- gah! Stow it, Max! Focus! She looks like she has some training with a firearm, her stance is good, but I can probably disarm her all the same. She's just a Null, it's Victoria I have to worry about. If she manages to turn me into a giggly zombie like last night, then it's over. Huh, maybe it's best if we play along first, and then I can keep an eye out for an opening…
"What? You mean S.O.A.P.? No! Fuck those guys. Sideways. With a cheese grater. I hate them. And I'm gonna guess you're no fan either, right? I mean, you're a Damocles Initiative agent, but they forced you to do it, yeah? You ran away for a reason and you don't wanna go back. Or you would have already."
Max tried to tamp down whatever relief Rachel's answer immediately produced. She wanted to believe her, but for all she knew, it was just a ruse. On the other hand, if she was incredibly lucky enough to find sympathetic Specials willing to help her escape - God, what a break!
Can't help but think it seems a little too convenient...
"Yeah. Yeah, something like that," Max said. "Okay. Let's assume everyone in his room hates the Feds. Doesn't mean we're on the same side, though. You're pointing a gun at me, and that makes it kinda hard to trust you. Maybe you put it away, and we talk more."
Rachel broke out laughing. "Yeaaaah-ha. I'm holding the gun because otherwise I'd be peeing my panties here. Max, you're supposed to be the most powerful Special on Earth. Not to mention the fact that DHS has been training you to be a killer ninja-spy for five years, so you're still stupid dangerous even without your powers. The gun, and Victoria here, are the only things keeping you from just brutally destroying us right now if you wanted to."
"And you're hella bluffing about shooting us!" Chloe spat out.
The bitter, acrid tang of terror forced its way up Max's throat as she watched Chloe walk over, with only a towel wrapped around her body, and step up against the barrel of the gun. She froze, helpless, desperately wanting to snatch her girlfriend back from possibly dying due to her staggering idiocy. But she forced herself to remain perfectly calm, knowing that any sudden action could result in the worst sort of tragedy.
"Chlo-lo...don't." Rachel said, her voice losing its playful tone, becoming much softer and serious. "Okay, please don't test us right now. I know you're stupid mad at me, and I don't blame you, I did a shitty thing, and we can talk about it later. Hell, I'll even let you take a swing at me when we're all safe, but right now, just go back..."
"Chloe! Please." Max pleaded. "She's got me nulled right now, okay? I don't think you understand how serious that is. If it works anything like how it does for Wright, it makes it a lot more complicated for me to rewind backwards and save you, even if she drops the field. Please just come back here, baby!"
"Don't worry, Max," Chloe said, smirking triumphantly as she locked eyes with Rachel. "I know you, Rache. You don't have the guts. You were the fucking coward who tore my heart out over the phone instead of doing it in person. You're not gonna shoot me now." She made a point of slowly reaching for the pistol, with the intention of taking it away.
"V-Victoria! Jesus, help here!" Rachel stammered out in a panic.
"Chloe. Stop. Right now." Victoria said, smooth and commanding, with barely a trace of nerves. Even though it wasn't being used on her, Max could hear the delicious difference in the blonde's voice. She absolutely despised the thought of having that sort of control exercised over Chloe, remembering how the power would impose a false sort of love and obsessive devotion on her. At the same time, she was overwhelmingly grateful that it was pulling the situation back from the brink of disaster.
"C'mon. Come over here. With me." Victoria started to walk back, until she was sitting on the edge of the bed. "Just come over here, and kneel by my…" she stopped short, glancing over at Max. "I mean, come sit next to me. Okay? We'll sit, and just be gal pals."
The change was instant and absolute. Suddenly, Chloe had eyes only for Victoria, a stoned and goofy grin spreading over her mouth. She drifted over, quietly sat down, and then leaned in close against the other girl as she asked, "Like this?" Victoria wrapped an arm around her and murmured. "Yeah. That's perfect. Absolutely perfect. You are absolutely perfect. That was extremely brave, what you just did back there. I mean, brain-meltingly stupid too...but brave."
"Yeaaaah." Chloe slurred, laughing lightly. "But as long as you thought it was cool…"
Max and Rachel locked eyes on each other, both of them sharing the exact expression of relief.
...I can see it. She really does care about Chloe, and what happens to her. God, she was almost as scared as I was.
"Okay, now that we have that situation nailed down...God." Rachel sighed. "Look, I know you have zero reasons to trust me right now. I don't know a lot about what you've been through, but I know enough that it was probably super fucked up. We don't have time to spend trying to slowly defuse the situation and get to a comfortable point. I think I have something here that'll help. So...I'm just gonna pull it out. Not a gun, not...anything bad. Just a video player." With that, she cautiously reached into her jacket pocket and pulled out a small, thin device. She then held it out with a trepidatious hand. "He told me it's keyed to your retinal pattern."
As Max delicately retrieved it, she couldn't help but notice how obvious it was, from her body language and tone of voice, that this was not Rachel's first time in a Mexican standoff.
Jesus. Who are you, Rachel Amber?
She glanced down at the device, and immediately recognized it. It was similar to something used by the CIA in order to deliver top secret video information in diplomatic courier pouches. The design was different: clearly more advanced, with significantly less bulk.
"If - uh - you wanna go into the bathroom and watch it in private, go for it. Helps there aren't any windows in there so...where else you gonna go, right?" Rachel said.
Max nodded once. She was at least curious enough now to want to know what the message waiting for her had to say. She glanced over at Victoria and Chloe together, a vicious stab of jealousy twisting up her guts.
"Don't worry. She still loves you, I swear. I promise to keep Victoria from - uh - from being Victoria, you know?" Rachel smiled sheepishly. "Just go and see what that thing has to say. Betcha it's probably from someone you're gonna be real happy to hear from again."
Max backed off into the bathroom; she felt she could at least trust Rachel to keep her promise. Also, it gave her some potential time to privately plot an escape, just in case. She closed the door, and then sat down on the toilet.
It was all Max could do to keep from worrying about Chloe, to hold her fury in check over Victoria; what she did last night, and what she was doing now. She didn't trust her old classmate any farther than she could throw her. And even Rachel, she was still negatively disposed towards, given how much she hurt Chloe and made her suffer. On the other hand, Max knew damn well how passionately quick to anger her girlfriend could be.
Rachel certainly seems to be apologetic, trying to make things right. Did she say she was gonna pay off Frank? I mean, that's three thousand dollars. Whoever she is, she can probably afford it, but that's cool. Doesn't stop it from being the right thing to do. Shit. I guess I'm trusting you, then. Don't make me regret it. Null or no, you won't be able to stop me if I decide to come at you for real!
She busied herself with the mystery of the video device. Holding the small lens up towards her eye, she felt as much as saw the sweeping trace of a red beam analyzing the unique pattern of capillaries in her retina. It beeped pleasantly in response, and she held it in her lap as she watched the playback…
...gasping sharply as the imaged resolved itself.
Oh my God! It's Reese!
He looked good; he was clearly much improved since the last time they parted company. Gone was the gaunt, hollow look in his eyes. He seemed rested, almost like he was possessed of a tenuous sense of peace. He was dressed in a white silk nehru jacket and sitting in an equally white room, with a midday tropical beach setting visible through the window behind him.
He was smiling, wide and happy, as he took a breath and started speaking.
"Hello Max. It's good to see you. I trust this comes as something of a surprise. I apologize for not keeping in touch since I left Zion Control but...I had a lot I needed to come to grips with. A lot I had to learn. Anyhow, if you're watching this, then the freelance agent I've hired managed to make contact with you. I hope you're okay. It's Tuesday morning here as I record this, and we still aren't sure where you are, or what your condition is, so I'll admit...can't help but worry. But Max? I've also been told exactly what happened in New York City. What you accomplished, all the lives you saved. And I just…" He chuckled happily, shaking his head. "I'm so proud of you. It sounds like shit hit the fan from the start, and you held it together. You did your duty. And best of all, you found a way to escape."
He took another deep breath through his nose, nodded once, and continued. "Good. It's about damn time. Because nothing in New York makes up for what was done to you over the past five years, Max. None of that is justified. Especially….how I personally wronged you. I'm...I'm sorry." He bowed his head, reaching up to rub at the side of his nose. "Anyhow, it must be a shock, being on the run from S.O.A.P. and finding out that I want to help you get away from them. Once and for all. I promise to tell you the whole story in detail once you get here, but the important thing right now is to get you over to our side as soon as possible. I'm with a new group now. You might have heard of them: the Zaibatsu."
Max had, but she didn't know much, past a few details she read in a couple of intel reports. Supposedly, they were nothing more than a bunch of has-beens and also-rans in the Specials community, although there was increasing chatter about them banding together with a bunch of smaller groups, turning themselves into…
...like, I guess I'd call it like the EU of Specials. A kind of superpower, with a lot of different people under one banner. Probably all freaking out because Martinet is such a power-hungry dickhole. They're supposed to be bad guys, but as far as he's concerned, everyone not part of S.O.A.P. is an enemy.
"A long time ago, Camilla and Shimiko - you remember hearing about her? Her girlfriend, although do not tell Cammie I called her that! Anyhow, the two of them kind of made a pact, to try and keep both Rising Sun and S.O.A.P. on the righteous path. And while Davies had limited success at best, Shimiko did a lot better for herself in climbing up the ranks and acquiring power...a bit more aggressively."
He gave a soft clap with his hands and added, "You know, God bless her, but Camilla always hoped she could take a more passive role. Gently guide Martinet and keep him from being a completely irredeemable douchebag, while she cleaned up his messes behind the scenes. I guess she always figured it wasn't exactly treason if her ulterior motives were pure. She was always kinda naive in that sense. I can't judge her too harshly, though, I used to be the same. But I think you and I know the real world doesn't work that way, Max. And given that it was Davies who provided us with the initial data regarding your disappearance, and more or less gave us her blessing for our attempt to extract you from Damocles, I suppose she's finally made the choice about which side she's gonna be on. Unfortunately, the last I heard, she was recalled to Zion Control."
His face fell into a far more somber expression as he said, "I'm sorry, but chances are slim that we're gonna hear from her ever again. Shimiko made it sound like there were desperation protocols they agreed on years ago, for a situation like this. I think...I think it's killing her, most of all. The thought of Camilla not coming out of this one alive."
"Right. Let me wrap this up quick: please come to us, Max. The agent who gave you this video should be trustworthy and competent enough to deliver you to an extraction point. Now that the two of you are together, it should be pretty smooth sailing from this point on. And once you get here, I promise: we're gonna do right by you. If you don't want anything more than to live out the rest of your life in some tropical paradise, or maybe on a farm, or in the city - you know, within reason, probably nowhere with any extradition treaties with the US - then we'll set you up for life. But if you're looking for payback?" He tilted his head just so, eyes narrowing. "I think we can accommodate you there as well."
He paused for a moment, before continuing, "I...ah….I...um. Shimiko and I. We've been tackling the problem of what happened to your parents, what I...um...but we think it's reversible. We're already moving to secure them to a safehouse. We'll probably have them in custody by the time you get this. So give me a chance to give you the happy ending I robbed you of, five years ago. I'm never going to let anyone turn you into a weapon, or make you feel less than human, ever again."
She could see it now, all over his face. How much her acquisition by S.O.A.P. haunted him. The personal guilt and responsibility Reese bore, and how it ate away at him. Clearly, he'd been waiting for a moment like this for a long time. And Camilla was a double agent? For years?! That's what he made it sound like!
This is too much. So crazy! I don't have any idea what's really going on anymore! But shit, if he's for real, if he can help me escape...and he said he thought he could cure my parents! Oh God! I want to believe it! Mom and Dad, I've missed you so much!
Reese concluded, "That it. That's everything. For now. So I hope to see you soon, Max. I honestly can't imagine you'd willfully march back to those assholes who look at the beautiful young woman you've grown into, and see nothing but a weapon to exploit. They're dangerous fucks though, and they're already looking for you, so I wouldn't waste time. Oh! Speaking of which, when the video ends, this unit is going to self-destruct! Not like, you know, with a massive boom, buuuuut if I were you, I probably wouldn't be holding this thing in my hands in about..." He paused, to check his watch. "...ten seconds from now. See ya soon, kiddo. See ya soon."
The video screen went black. Max immediately tossed it into the sink. Seconds later, it sparked, popped and fizzed, shattering itself into four melted pieces. Max dutifully gathered them up and flushed them down the toilet, relieved that it didn't clog and overflow.
She slumped down onto the ground, feeling numb and in shock. This was heavy. This was big. She'd need time to process. Time she didn't have right now. Which meant that her course of action was clear: push ahead, get away from whatever Damocles agents were potentially pursuing her, and as soon as it was safe, have a complete and utter freakout.
I'm talking days long, here.
Maybe it was all some elaborate trap, a clever deception, but Max didn't think so. Martinet didn't do subtle or intelligent or psychological; only brutal and blunt. She didn't know much about these Zaibatsu guys; maybe they were playing Reese, but if Camilla and her friend were working with them, that made it less likely.
Besides, if shit goes down badly, I'm sure one way or the other, I can escape again. Especially now that I know all about my photo power! Yeah, I'll just go back in time and warn myself. Easy.
Rising up, she opened the door, finding the other three girls virtually unmoved from a few minutes earlier.
Turning to face her and keeping the pistol drawn, but pointed down, Rachel quietly asked. "So. We good?"
Max took a long, cleansing breath. "I don't know about 'good', but you can put the gun away. I'm gonna trust you. Let's just say you've been vouched for, at least enough so I'll let you take us to this Zaibatsu group."
Rachel nodded once, holstered her pistol, and then smirked. "Hey. So I'm dying to find out at last. I'm assuming the guy who hired me was also in the video. Is he really someone you know?"
Max gave a thin half-smile of her own. "Yeah. He's probably one of my best friends. Even if he doesn't think so, sometimes." She then turned her gaze towards the bed and walked over. She tried to keep the coldness out of her voice as she asked Victoria, "Can you slowly bring her out of whatever you did? I'm gonna seriously need to calm her down when you let go of her brain."
Rising up, and quickly trotting to hide behind Rachel, the short-haired blonde said. "Okay. The glamor is wearing off."
Max wrapped her arms tightly around Chloe, as she anticipated the worst. The goofy grin melted away from the blunette's face, and all the rage and anger previously being held in check kicked back up to eleven. Max was not disappointed as Chloe tried to rise up, pointing and yelling, "You fucking psycho! What the hell was that?! What did you do to me!? This is bullshit!" She turned back to her, and said, "Max! Don't trust them! Don't trust either of them! This is all a fucking set up!"
"Baby." Max said quietly.
"I am gonna break my boot off in your bony ass, Chase!" Chloe bellowed.
"Chloe!" Max called out forcefully, squeezing her arms tightly, to the point where her girlfriend winced.
"Yeah, I'd like to see you try!" Victoria snarked, prompting Rachel to turn and smack her hard in the shoulder. "Not fucking helping, Tori!"
"Ow! Max! What the hell!" Chloe complained, struggling against Max's near-crushing bearhug.
"Chloe! Listen to me. Please…." She reached up, cupped Chloe's cheeks, and pulled her face close, so that they were barely an inch away from each other. "I know you're pissed. I know you're freaking out. And overwhelmed, and ready to lay the smack down. But Rachel and Victoria aren't the enemy." She paused, looked over her shoulder, and added, "Not saying they're our friends though, but definitely not the enemy." She turned back and continued, "Believe it or not, they're our best chance to escape...and even have a normal life together. Something better than blindly running and looking for a cold, tiny corner of the world to curl up and hide in."
Chloe seethed, despite the fact she was slowly calming down, having at least abandoned actively struggling. "I don't trust those two…"
"Then trust me. Please. Baby, just trust me."
The plea hit its mark, finding purchase in Chloe's anger-fogged mind. Giving one last visible shudder, she nodded. "Okay. Alright. I'll always trust you, Max. Always." She tilted her head. "Because I love you, too."
Max felt her heart burst, and her insides turn gooey. Anger and tension quickly gave way to tenderness, as the two of them fell into a firm, full kiss, nibbling at each other's lips, and petting the others face. They didn't even notice when Victoria put her finger in her mouth and made gagging noises. Chloe then broke the kiss and glanced over at Rachel, murmuring, "You were really gonna pay off my debt to Frank?"
"Yeah, C. That was the plan. I mean….fuck. I thought I was protecting you when I cut you loose. Long story short? The Russian version of the people chasing Max tried to kidnap me and Victoria back in April, and we had to spend a few months in this kind of shadow war with them. When the dust settled, and I got back in touch with you in September, I was totally convinced that I should just cut you off. Quick and clean. Because I was absolutely terrified of what would happen if I dragged you into this world of ours and you got hurt. Or worse." She took a deep breath, and crossed her arms. "But I can see I made the wrong call. You're way hella stronger than I gave you credit for."
Chloe nodded, tightening her grip on Max. She said nothing for a few seconds, the silence and tension growing until it seemed to fill the room. Exhaling sharply, she finally said, "Alright then. Gonna take some time for me to get over All The Hurt; I can't just drop shit and be chill for real, like it didn't happen. I don't work that way. You should know that if you were really my friend. But yeah, I understand now...why the hell you did what you did. I think I'm finally ready to start moving past all that."
As the immediate tension bled out, Chloe leaned in and bitterly murmured against Max's ear, "Can I just say how abso-fucking-lutely unfair it is that I'm the only one in this room who didn't get superpowers? What the shit?"
After quickly transferring Chloe and Max's luggage into Rachel's SUV, the four of them sped off.
"Well, we're off to a private airfield. Jet waiting for us that'll take us somewhere, probably out west over the Pacific towards Asia. But it's gonna take us an hour or two to get there, since you two were hiding out here in Bumblefuck, Washington." Rachel smirked at that.
"Yeah, well...not gonna apologize for being halfway decent at what I do." Max replied. "All this training had to count for something." She was belted in the back, her hand clasping Chloe's tightly. Her girlfriend was wearing what would be best described as a tolerant expression; she wasn't happy with the situation, but was willing to go along with it for the time being. She and Victoria were both silent for the next forty five minutes, as Rachel and Max made chit-chat, trading stories of their experiences growing up as Specials.
"Jesus fuck. I thought my childhood was screwed up. I mean, they gave me all kinds of training, but you guys had to pull this spy shit off all on your own?" Max said, impressed. She'd just been given the short version of Victoria and Rachel's time fighting off Russian agents during the springtime.
"Well, Doctor Prometheus was a pacifist, but a few of the other people on our team were a little more realistic. They taught us some things along the way. Between Victoria's power, and my being able to prevent her from being nulled, we winged it most of the time. Still, I miss the old man."
"He sounds...neat. I think I like your group a fuckton more than mine. For cereal." Max exclaimed.
Rachel sadly remarked, "Well, I'm afraid 'my group' is just a memory now." She suddenly burst into a laugh, "Oh Christ. He would have loved to meet you, Max. I mean, he knew you existed. He was totally wrong about what you could actually do, and we all thought you were some omnipotent old dude back then, but he was convinced you were, like, this key to making the world a better place. The idea of you, at any rate."
Max hugged herself tight, and muttered. "The idea of me's been more trouble than it's worth, the last five years."
"Yeah, but it's almost over, right? Soon, you'll get a chance to decide exactly who and what you wanna be."
"I guess." Max breathed out. She leaned against the passenger side window, glancing out at the passing cars. They'd pulled onto the main freeway a few minutes ago and were speeding along. Freedom was so close now - she could almost taste it. She wanted to relax, but couldn't force her situational awareness to dial back…
...that was when she spotted it.
"Rachel? Those wide load trucks ahead. Is it me, or are they moving side by side next to each other?"
"What? Oh. Yeah, I guess. Weird, they're gonna tie up traffic stupid crazy if they keep that up. No one can pass them.
Max leaned forward, peering into the rearview mirror. Whipping her head around, she then looked out through the back window. Her heartbeat quickened as she spotted a black van, one that was slowly weaving its way through traffic like a shark lazily navigating the ocean waves.
"Rachel, get off the highway."
"Wait, what? Hold on, this'll clear up in a minute, it looks like a couple of cop cars are riding over to…"
"Get off the highway now, damnit!" she yelled. The other girl complied, sharply veering off towards the nearest exit, the last one available for at least the next five miles.
"Here! Turn here, get underneath the overpass."
Again, Rachel complied. Chloe was the first to ask. "Baby, what's up? Did you rewind back from the future? Did we almost get snagged?"
"No rewind yet, but I might have to if it comes to it. I'm pretty sure those trucks were intentionally throwing up a rolling roadblock, right as we were hitting a long stretch without any exits. Can't be certain, but I wouldn't be surprised if we've been made. Hold on…" Max glanced out back through the rear window, her heartbeat slowing as the van failed to make an appearance. "Okay, I think we're good for now. But shit might start getting interesting."
"We're gonna have a harder time getting to the extraction point if we can't take the highway. C'mon, we'll figure it out as we go," Rachel said.
They drove on for another minute before three more black vans emerged from side roads. Rachel sped up, weaving through and trying to avoid being boxed in from all directions. She barely escaped the initial corral attempt.
"Shit! This must have been the plan all along! Spook us off the highway and onto the secondary roads where it'll be easier to pursue us!" Max lamented.
Rachel drove faster, as Chloe turned to her. "Max, maybe you should go back and warn us?" she offered.
"Yeah. Good idea..."
That was when she noticed the helicopter up in the air, currently circling around them. And then she realized she was once again bereft of her powers.
"Shit! It's Wright. It's gotta be! She's the only person I know who could null me from that far away! Unless she's in one of the vans, but I doubt it!"
Doing her best to keep driving as fast as possible down the narrow roads with only one hand on the wheel, Rachel reached backwards, and said, "Max. Take my hand. I can shield you from being nulled. You can roll back and give us a warning!"
Max reached out to clasp the offered hand, then suddenly stopped. "Wait! What happens if I drag you along with me, like what happened last night? That was just a few minutes. I'm gonna have to go back at least an hour or two to be safe. What if that kills you or drives you insane!?"
Rachel glared up at her through the rearview mirror. "I'm willing to take my fucking chances if it's a choice between that and ending up a slave of the government! Now take my damn hand and get us out of here!" Before they could argue any further, the sharp report of gunfire rang out, mingling with the loud pinging of bullets hitting steel. Max instinctively crouched low and called out in a panic.
"Chloe! Get down! They're firing at us, get do-!"
Chloe jerked forward, the front of her forehead blossoming with ruby red splatters as a sniper's bullet took her out from behind. Victoria screamed as the slug continued to cut forward through her headrest, before finally smashing through the windshield, barely missing her.
The blood roared in Max's ears, dulling out whatever other sounds filled the air: Victoria's shrieking and Rachel angrily demanding she rewind. Max only had eyes for Chloe, slumped forward in her seatbelt: her beautiful face ruined, her eyes still open, dead and lifeless.
Rationally, Max should have realized that she could take it all back. It was risky - although only for Rachel - and there was no guarantee they wouldn't run into Wright and her team elsewhere, but it was a better fighting chance than they had right at this moment. Most important of all: Chloe would still be alive.
But all of that burned away in the fires of red-hot anger; something deep inside Max snapped. All of the humiliation and trauma, the victimization and righteous indignation tore through her veins like white phosphorous. In one smooth, unthinking action, she withdrew her Desert Eagle and undid her seat belt. Leveled the pistol towards the vehicle nearest theirs…
...Rachel's fingers managed to brush over her leg; her power flared up with a vengeance, like a bonfire suddenly struck with a gascan. In the blink of an eye, Max could see every conceivable firing solution she could take in the next five seconds. She instinctively separated out the nigh-infinite instances where her shots fired out uselessly from the precious 'lucky' ones, where she managed to hit a tire, or the radiator…or what Max ultimately settled upon: the skull of the driver, behind what should have been bullet-resistant glass. It felt similar, but less overwhelming, to what happened to her Wednesday night.
In Max's mind's eye, she desperately wanted it to be Nicole dying at her hands, even though she was vaguely aware that her hated foe was safely ensconced up in the helicopter. The nameless agent, now slumped over the wheel of the rapidly decelerating van behind them, would have to do in her stead.
...can do this! This is some sort of new power, whatever the hell is going on, but I can do this! I can get us out of here!
"Just get away from them, a mile or two! Then I can rewind safely!" she roared out.
All I have to do is take out the other vans!
And shake off a pursuing helicopter.
Max and logic clearly weren't on speaking terms at the moment.
As she wheeled the gun about, looking for her next target, a high pitched whine suddenly split the air; the world around her lurched as the SUV flew upwards. Unbelted as she was, she tumbled about inside like a ragdoll, at the vicious mercy of gravity and momentum.
Everything momentarily blacked out.
By the time she came to her senses, she could see that the SUV had fallen back to earth upside down. Victoria's neck was hanging at an unhealthy angle, suggesting it was broken. Rachel was alive but bruised and cut up, the driver side airbag having offered some measure of protection.
But Max herself?
She already knew the end was coming for her. She could barely breathe, quickly realizing that of the several broken ribs she now possessed, at least one punctured a lung. Not to mention the broken bones in her leg and arm.
Rachel reached out, and gasped, "Max! Take it...fucking...rewind us back! We can still warn…"
It wouldn't be any use, at least not to her. She couldn't rewind back her injuries, and there was no way they'd get her medical attention in time. But she could save everyone else. She could save Chloe, and in her last, dying moments, beg Rachel - assuming she survived the trip - and Victoria to get her to safety, to swear to protect her for the rest of their lives.
Max reached out towards the offered hand, when she suddenly realized something must have fallen out of her pocket in all the chaos and confusion. It was lying right next to her on the crushed and ruined SUV roof.
A instant picture. Taken in a happier time, and at a better place.
She laughed at herself quietly.
I am such a fucking idiot. I should have realized that I could've saved us all along. But it doesn't matter. I still can! I will. I can do this. If I can just stay alive long enough to focus.
She tried to reassure Rachel, and tell her that everything was going to work out, but she realized she could barely breathe. She needed to work quickly before passing out. Reaching out, ignoring the pain that screamed through her hand as she snagged the picture, she grabbed Rachel's hand with the other, and focused intently.
In the background, she could hear footsteps approaching, as boot heels crunched against broken glass and metal on the asphalt. One of them was wearing a radio, and Wright's voice angrily barked out, "Who did that? Who the fuck opened up with the motherfucking...whatever that was?! Our orders were crystal clear, assholes: take the assets alive. As soon as this thing lands, I am gonna shove my boot so far up…"
Max could feel the gears clicking into place in her brain. Already, she could hear Chloe's voice on the other side of the picture, as it fuzzed and whirled to life. She was close, so close, unable to tell if the blackness consuming the edges of her vision was caused by the imminent time jump or whether she was starting to pass out.
"We got survivors!" someone shouted.
And then Max was gone…
Max lowers the camera back into her lap. She and Chloe are up in the gondola of the Ferris wheel at the Marion County fair. Chloe is stroking her side possessively, and it's all she can do to focus on delivering her message.
"Chloe," she starts. "Listen to me. I just came back from two days in the future. I jumped backwards through the picture we just took, the same way I used that old photo to go back and try to save your Dad. I'm gonna be brutally honest: we are totally fucked. You're dead, and I'm two seconds away from dying, but I managed to project back before that happened. So that's how serious the situation is."
Chloe blinks, jerking her hand away in response. Max tries to ignore the sense of loss this produces in her as she continues, "Once I'm done talking to you, my 'present self' is gonna take over again, and she won't really remember the conversation we've had. So I need you to remember it for the both of us. And sorry, but you're going to freak out when I tell you: We need to get back to Arcadia Bay. We have to contact Rachel Amber and Victoria Chase as soon as possible...and…"
"What?! Rachel? Max, you've got to be fucking kidding…" Chloe interjects.
"Please! Just listen! I know it sounds crazy! I know it sounds insane, and I know you hate her, but she's actually a Special, just like me. So is Victoria. You need to tell me that Reese has turned traitor, that he's now working for a group called the Zaibatsu, and he personally hired the two of them to safely extract us. Because believe me, we need all the help we can get right now."
Chloe swallows hard and shakes her head. "Jesus...all this shit, just from taking a photograph." She pauses. "Max, you better not be fucking playing a joke this time! Not like last night...because this isn't funny…"
"Chloe. Please...can you do this? We need to survive, you and me...we need..." Max takes a long, sharp breath, and leans in to whisper, "I know you're just seconds away from confessing that you love me. I want you to know I feel exactly the same way. So...so don't forget. In another few seconds, when I lose control, you still have to tell me. And shoehorn in all those warnings I just gave you, too. Can you do that?"
Chloe blushes furiously. She blinks, then swallows hard. Max regrets having thrown so much at her in such a short span of time. Unable to help herself, she leans in, giving the blunette a short but intense kiss on the lips.
"Just a taste of the future to come, baby. You go and put your arm back around me, and keep rubbing my side. When I suddenly ask you if you're staking a claim, you'll know I'm not in control anymore. Okay? And also: act surprised when I tell you I feel the same way you feel about me. Oh! And tell me I need to start carrying pictures that I can use to go back in time with, just in case!"
Chloe nods frantically, smiling like a child on Christmas morning as she struggles to commit everything to memory. Max leans in against her, sighing softly, closing her eyes and enjoying the feel of her soon-to-be-girlfriend's fingers strumming against ribs that are so very unbroken and pain-free, content in the knowledge that everything is going to be alright. She came so damn close to complete failure, but dodged it through sheer, stupid luck. She needs to be more careful, from this moment on.
Everything fades to white…
It took a full minute for Max's vision to return...so she thought. She soon realized that she actually 'woke up' in an extremely sterile and white room.
Oh. Oh shit...this doesn't fill me with confidence.
It was windowless, like a cell, but surprisingly well appointed. Rising up from the comfortable single bed, she poked around, finding a large master bathroom, and a tiny hallway that led not only to a sort of sitting room, but to another door, assumedly the exit.
Which was locked tighter than a drum.
A handful of exotic looking plants and flowers, combined with a few Japanese watercolor paintings added careful, almost artistically placed slashes of color to the holding cell, breaking up what was otherwise a bland and monotonous background.
Well…fuck. Gonna guess things with the Zaibatsu didn't work out as well as I'd hoped for. Now what am I gonna do?!
A/N: Heyyyyy kids! It's Black Swan Friday! Lyta and NQW are in ur chase scene, killing ur gayngels!
Holy sweet Jesus. As you can see, this is the biggest single chapter of the entire series. It's actually not the biggest single chapter as written: the next chapter after this one, which I'm breaking up into two pieces, clocked in at 13K, and the finale was 25K. But yeah, you can see that as shit gets real, the word count shoots up. This thing was a bear to proofread though. Literally took me a good four hours to go through it the final time; I have a bad feeling that there are goofs and glitches left over, but I just can't make myself go through that again. Man, I have all new respect for professional editors and proofreaders.
Also hey! We should have crossed the 250K mark with this one. We won't hit 300K, but we'll come close.
So this is about the point where we get close enough to the ending that I can start talking about how difficult it was to pin it down. Literally, I have come up with and thrown out at least nine or ten different plans before deciding on what I have now, which I only finalized about two or three weeks before finishing the first draft of the finale. It hasn't been edited yet, so it's still possible some things could change. But this chase scene was supposed to go a lot differently, in multiple ways.
I think originally it was going to be just Max and Chloe being chased down. They give up, and just as Wright is about to cuff them, Victoria and Rachel pop out, and that's when it's also revealed several of Nicole's agents were secretly working for the Zaibatsu and turn on her, except this was before I came up with the Zaibatsu, and everything was going to be the Children of Hypatia. Except that was after I gave up my original notion, which was Victoria and the DAUGHTERS of Hypatia were going to be the bad guys, and it was all going to be a much more traditional superhero type affair. And then there was weird shit with Cammie trying to convince Nicole to join her side, and other strange stuff with Max jumping herself, Chloe, Rachel and Victoria ahead five years to let the heat die down. Suffice it to say, it was a lot of various hot messes that I am glad I eschewed. Really, I could just write on and on, in director commentary mode, about all the different ideas I came up for what would ultimately be this chapter, but I'm already well past the point of rambling.
Okay, one last thing: It looks like we're going to have to take a little break. NQW and I have been wicked busy lately, and it's impacting our ability to polish up the last few chapters. Since this is a good cliffhanger, I'm going to say hopefully no more than four weeks. If we finish everything up sooner, we'll publish sooner. Honestly, I'm really amazed at the pace we've managed to keep up since our return in April. 11 chapters with only a one week break. Pretty crazy. At any rate, you can always keep an eye on my profile page for the latest status updates.
So have a great midsummer, and we'll see you all as soon as we can!