Dolly glares at Victoria with a tilt to her head, giggling at something that she doesn't quite understand. "Look at you, all grown up. A real everyone's hero."
"Let Montrose go. Then, we can talk."
Scratching at her head, she informs her, "I'm afraid I can't do that, Vicky. Otherwise, how else will this whole thing go down?" She leans against a control panel and asks, "I want you to tell me your secret. Eheheh. Your Victoria's secret."
"What are you talking about?"
"Why can't I control you? Is it something in your blood perhaps? Is it- is it becaaaause I, uh, is it me? Is it those powers of yourssss?"
Victoria steps forward and tells her, "I don't know, and I. Don't. Care. Look, Dolly, this whole plan you and Bedlam have concocted, it's not gonna work. I checked my phone on the way here, and Bedlam's losing in Arcadia Bay. You're surrounded, the Enforcers have betrayed you, no one's paying attention to your shitty little plot to start a revolution or whatever because, y'know, it's fucking Christmas. Give him up."
"You'd like that, wouldn't you? For me to give up on my life's goals? Bully." Dolly cackles angrily before claiming, "And that's exactly why you won't get Monty back."
Victoria scoffs and sighs, thinking of where to take the conversation next. "Why Montrose, of all people?"
"He's been close with Mr. Pee over here." She points at Sean Prescott as he lies on the floor. "Don't worry, I'm sure he's… not dead- what?!" She steps over to him and hears his breathing. It's shallow and slow, but it is breathing. "This motherfucker's alive?" She looks at Victoria who only raises an eyebrow to her. "No matter, I'm getting distracted. Being Prescott's butler, he'd know a lot about this place, his life, all that. And also a little bit about you, up until he got bought out. Nothing relevant, just how he raised ya and all that junk." Tapping her chin, she adds, "It's basically a coincidence. Big fuckin' coincidence."
"He's not important to this anymore then, so let him go."
"Did I not make myself clear? He's not yours anymore. He's mine. Mine, mine, mine for the taking!"
"I'm begging you, Dolly! Please…"
"No. I wo- oh… my- NO, YOU STAY IN THERE!" Dolly clutches her head, shrinking in pain (and control) as she does so.
Montrose jolts into power and grunts as he shakes away Dolly's influence over him. "Victoria! Please, kill me!"
Victoria slowly shakes her head and tells him, "Montrose, I can't-"
"You must! Use that rifle of yours, and kill me!"
She suddenly remembers the rifle she bought and how it is slung over her shoulder on a strap. "Shit… no. No! I just got you back!"
Montrose smiles and laughs innocuously, happy to know she cares about him. Happy to know she cares about people more than he had heard she did back when she was in high school. "And I've been happier than ever to see you! And Zara! And Colin! But this must be done. Dolly's a monster!"
"But, I mean, she's not a monster, she's helped us in the past and she's still a person!"
"I know." Slowly, staggeringly, Montrose walks up to Victoria. Every step brings Dolly back into power, but he must reassure the girl in these trying times. He hugs Victoria and tells her, "Save me."
Victoria knows what must be done. To stop Dolly, the gun must fire. "I will." Taking one deep breath, she aims the rifle in Dolly's face… and waves it away from her face as she fires next to her face.
Montrose falls and Dolly flies into the air, a moth once more. Screeching, she tells Victoria, "You stupid fucking idiot!" She lands on Montrose's chest and looks at him with a scowl. "I'm so glad that you're so stu-"
She looks at him again. She's been getting so distracted that she's messed this whole 'check if they're dead' thing TWICE now. "He's still alive!" Victoria smirks at Dolly and the villainess asks, "What now, you're gonna step on me?
"I'm gonna turn on the lights. Now, Katie!"
The room brightens as Kate manifests physically. She aims her fists at Dolly, who takes flight in panic.
The fists grow brighter. And then, Kate fires.
Blinded by the light, Dolly screams, "AAAAAARGH!"
Once Kate finishes her assault on the villain, she looks at the moth as she descends to the floor. Her wings are singed and her body is smoking. And yet, somehow, she's still alive. Barely alive, but alive.
Kate glares at Dolly and mutters, under her breath, "That's for Alice."
Victoria rushes over to Montrose's side and kneels down to talk to him. She shakes him around and worriedly says, "Are you alright?"
The butler rises to his feet and pulls off his costume, revealing the suit he was wearing underneath. "I'm fine." Dusting himself off, he adds, "Thank you. How did you know to do that?"
"I have superpowers. Like Spidey-Sense."
Remembering what Dolly had said and thought of Victoria, he says, "Oh, yeaaah." Looking around, he asks, "So, is it over?"
"Yes and no. This is all over. But as for Arcadia Bay, that's another story."
"Ah, what is happening there?"
"An evil tattoo demon is trying to kill everyone on the planet."
Montrose slowly nods his head, trying to wrap it around the idea of what Victoria just said. "Okay." Shifting subjects, he looks at Kate and says to her, "Hey, I've heard a fair bit of you. Kathryn Marsh, is it?"
Kate extends her hand out and corrects him, "Kate's fine. I've heard a lot about you."
The two shake hands and Montrose adds, with a smile and a glance at Victoria, "I'm sure."
Outside, there is some pandemonium - a kind to be expected of the situation at hand - but it is controlled. Victoria looks for her parents with Kate and Montrose right by her side. She spots them and calls out to them, tired, "Hey, Mom, Dad."
Her parents run up to the three and wrap them all up in a bear hug. Montrose comments happily, "This is lovely, truly." Looking around at the chaos surrounding them, he adds jovially, "Considering Prescott is as-of-this-moment disposed of, perhaps you might be in need of butlery once again."
Zara shakes her head with a smirk. "Butlery? No. But if you want to come back to us, you're always welcome."
Montrose lets out a chortle and adds, "I could work with that."
With the Chases happily reunited, Kate walks over to the others - the assistful Enforcers, Jumper, and Doctor.
The latter takes a phone call, but she is upset by the news she receives: "Yes, yes… Wait, what do you mean 'he's gone'?" Rolling her eyes with a sigh, she mumbles, "Shit. Whatever, that isn't important right now. What of Arcadia Bay? Hm. I see. Very well. Merry Christmas, and God be with you."
Kate asks, a tad bit worried, "What happened?"
"Okay, so really bad news and lesser bad news. Bad news: Sean Prescott's missing. He was recovered by some agents but they haven't called in yet."
Angrily, Kate groans, "Goddamnit." Realizing what she just said, she laughs it off nervously before asking, "What else?"
"Arcadia Bay is still under attack. Y'know. The tattoo being."
Kate corrects her, "Bedlam." She sighs and tells her, "I'll go get Victoria. And don't worry. We can beat him."
Back with the Chases, Zara asks her husband, "You think our hotel rooms are still open?"
"I'd hope so." Placing an arm around Colin's shoulder, he asks, "Monty, wanna come with?"
The grins on all of their faces does little to influence Montrose's answer: "Absolutely. It would be just like old times."
"Okay. Victoria?"
She wants to say "Yes." And she also wants to bring Kate with her. Perhaps Max, Chloe, Rachel and everyone else in the Bay could hold the line against Bedlam. Hell, even the media thinks so. But still, she knows it wouldn't be right to run away from a battle that could need her. And Kate would certainly want to join the battle. "I dunno. There's still Arcadia Bay. It's like war over there." Her parents still await a clear answer, and she provides one: "As much as I'd like to, I can't run away from that. I'm going back to Arcadia Bay with Kate. But once this is all over, we're gonna do something together. All of us. And Kate's family too."
"Sounds like a plan." Zara plops a kiss on her daughter's forehead as Colin hugs her. "Be careful out there."
Victoria smiles and tells her parents, "Will do."
Kate rushes over to her wife and tells her, "Victoria, we gotta-"
"Yeah, I know." Waving Zara, Colin and Montrose farewell as she walks away with Kate's hand in hers, she says, "Take care, guys!"
Montrose offers her a more formal farewell, one he taught both her and her parents when they were all younger: "Au revoir."
The two heroes walk over to their allies and Kate asks, "You're coming with us?"
Elmer jumps in and says, "Of course! Bedlam and Dolly were working hand-in-hand on this shit. His ass needs kicking too."
Seeing Lord Laundry, Doctor Court and the Jumper offer their silent approval, Kate tells them, "Then, let's go."
"WAIT!" The group turn to see the source of the shout: one of the SWAT officers who are on scene. "If you're going to war, you'll need help. The Independence Police Department stands with you."
As do the Hawt Dawg Men, stepping forward with jaws agape. They still hunger for the flesh of the evil.
The prisoners chime in, their powers in use as a show of support: "YEAH! Let's do this!"
Looking around at all the support they'll receive, Victoria murmurs to Kate sheepishly, "We're gonna need a bigger car."
Kate grins rather mischievously and tells her, "I can work with that."
Aboard a ship made of hard light, Kate and Victoria look out at the world below them. The clouds part gently to make way for the massive ship and the night sky is filled with shimmering stars. Kate turns to see Victoria, afraid of what the future might hold considering that sacrifice Max and Chloe told her about. "You ready for this?"
Inspired by the night's events, Victoria tells her the cold truth: "No. I'm not. But I don't have any other choice, do I?"
Kate lets a single laugh escape her chest before adding, "Yeah. I agree."
Something about her face is telling more than Victoria can see right off the bat. It's a look of cold acceptance and anxiety for what the future may entail. It's not too unbelievable considering what they're heading into. "You don't seem okay with the battle."
"I'm not. But we'll get through it. Together. I promise." Kate smiles at Victoria and continues looking down at the world beneath them; all the people walking about, unaware of the changes that are about to rock the universe forever.
"Mhm." Victoria moves over to Kate, holds her close in her arms, and plants a kiss on her cheek. She doesn't plan on letting her go… until they land and have to fight zombies or whatever may come. It's a metaphorical thing, really, but it's true. Victoria will always hold her close.
They look out into the world ahead of them. Bedlam awaits in Arcadia Bay, the Other Max awaits in some other universe, and a sacrifice will take one of them. But Victoria also knows that, whatever happens next, she will find Kate and the two of them will live happy lives together.
At least, that's how it's supposed to go, isn't it?
