The heroes march through Hell's Neon Region, having heeded information from Kate and Dana.
"She's right up ahead. Just keep going.", says Kate, her heart filled with anxious anticipation.
Walking right beside her, Dana asks some of the other heroes, namely Alex and Chloe, "Do you think Victoria's gonna be alright?"
Chloe's apprehensive, knowing what Victoria most likely saw in Rachel's attack.
Instead, Alex answers, "Jessica's keeping an eye on her back at the house, so I'll just say 'yes'. That being said, I've dealt with the Sunken before. What they did to my friend Clarissa… it was ugly what happened."
"What do you think Rachel showed her?" Dana looks over at Chloe and takes notice of the worry in her body. "Chloe? Sorry to ask but… do you know?"
"The truth."
"'The truth'? About what?"
Chloe sighs, scratching at the back of her neck. "Max is gonna kill me for telling you this… and you might too." She looks at both her and Kate before explaining: "You remember the Storm. Obviously."
Both women nod their heads, a little confused and a little afraid of the truth. "Uh huh."
"Max had to make a decision, a sacrifice: either my life or everyone else's. Nathan was gonna kill me in the bathroom earlier that Monday, but Max saved me. Turns out, if I were to die, then the Storm would never hit Arcadia Bay."
"Oh…" Kate mumbles. Seeing as Chloe's not handling this share very well, Kate puts a hand on her shoulder and tells her, "It's not your fault, and it's not Max's fault either. Don't let anyone tell you otherwise!"
Dana chimes in with a smile, "Yeah, we get it."
Chloe chuckles, relieved to have their support. "Thanks, you two." Still, the dark clouds hover over their heads, and Chloe calls it out: "I don't want to imagine what Vic's going through now."
Alex reassures them all, "We'll save her once this is all done. Maybe the Black Goat'll have some kind of antidote."
"Here's hoping."
The gates to the Black Goat's domain open. In clear view of all the heroes, she sits in wait on her throne of stars, having known they were coming from their thoughts alone. She spots Kate and Dana, remembering their attempt on her life. "I would presume you have come to try and kill me again, but I sense more within your hearts."
Chloe pushes past the crowd and points an accusatory finger at the Black Goat. "You know what you've done. You're the leader of the Dream Demons."
Silence befalls the goddess. "That is… an incorrect assumption."
"Is it?", Chloe pushes on.
"That's right.", Alex answers. She hurriedly approaches the Black Goat and curtsies before her. "My apologies, o great Mistress of Nightmares. We mean you no harm."
The army of heroes groans, muttering amongst themselves in disbelief and shock. Chloe glares at her and asks, "What are you, changing sides now?"
Alex explains, "The Black Goat's no saint, but she isn't our true enemy."
"Then what's the use of the Old Man running around the world zapping people into the Astral Plane?"
The Black Goat hums to herself. "He is merely the sacrificial lamb through which sanctuary shall be found. When his usefulness has run out, he will cease to be."
Chloe scoffs at the perceived lies: "'Sanctuary'? You're insane!"
"Look at your world. Look at how it has been ravaged by greed, plague, anxiety, intolerance. Tell me again that I am insane."
Kate declares, "We can be better! We don't need you."
The Black Goat blankly looks into the souls of her seeming opponents and tells them, "But you do. In fact, you've always needed me. Who do you think grants you free transport to the Astral Plane when you descend into slumber? Who do you think plants the seeds of thought which will grow, aid you in finding love, pushing you to seek out hope in the darkness of impossible odds?"
Chloe laughs at this, hoping to dismiss the idea. "You're not behind all that. That's… no… Did you do it?"
The Black Goat chuckles under her breath before answering, "Whatever role I play in your worldly affairs, know that I am not the villain here."
Chloe shouts, "Then what are the Dream Demons supposed to be? You're the boss, aren't you?"
"They are obstacles. Insolent, as I have learned, but conquerable in design. I had hoped they would be more subservient to my wishes, but I overestimated their willingness to cooperate. Fortunately, your friend Miss Chase has done a wonderful job straightening things out."
Alex jumps in to tell the Black Goat, "Yeah, speaking of, we need your help. She had a run-in with… what's-her-name, and I'm afraid that she's been taken over by the Sunken."
The Black Goat stares into space, peering into Victoria's soul from across the Astral Plane. Trapped in a void, guarded by the ninety-seven Sunken. "I cannot help her yet. I am sorry."
Kate looks around and softly informs her, "You're a God, you can help her. Victoria's not the nicest person around but she's our friend. She's a person who needs our help, okay?"
"Indeed I could. But this isn't my fight. What comes next is on her, though I have hope that she will prevail. Her survival, and the survival of those like her, are crucial to my plan."
Dana asks, fed up with the Black Goat's continued cruelties. "How's she gonna help you? Again, she's our friend and all, but she's stubborn as a mule. And for once, I'd say she's right."
"She has done enough already, whether she knows it or not. And she will continue to help me, as I have helped her." The faces of the heroes weave together a clear lack of understanding all across the board, so the Black Goat decides to explain: "There is a house, one of many. It will grow with time and care. These attributes exist within your friend, and others like her. They will act as the sanctuaries you reviled not long ago."
"And if things don't work out?", asks Chloe.
"I don't plan for failure. In my experience, it isn't necessary. Now that you know what I am, I must bid you all farewell."
Before Chloe can object, she and the other heroes fall through a portal under their feet back to the waking world. Courtesy of Alex and her trusty radio.
"What's next?", Alex asks.
The Black Goat settles on her throne, confident in the future. "Now, we watch… and we wait."