This is a very dark day for Prosperity, Thomas Rush is dead, Marcus is in a coma, and the people's hope of winning this war has been diminished. In the hours since Rush's death, the Highwaymen have launched a shock and awe campaign on Prosperity. Much of their territory has been recaptured by the Highwaymen, and hope is dying.

Hunter has hung his grief in silence as he helped bury Rush. Marcus laid in the infirmary struggling to return to the fight in his coma. Carmina and Ellie assisted Hunter in the service.

Everyone was gathered around the grave with lit candles to honor the contributions Rush has made to their community. Even the New Edeners came to mourn over the man even though many people still didn't trust them. Even Joseph Seed the Father himself came to mourn the man.

As Hunter patted down the final shovels of dirt, Carmina arrived with flowers, "Rush, we're sorry. We're sorry that we got on that train. We're sorry that we brought you to Hope County. We'll always remember you. You took a risk for us and it cost you your life. This is all our fault, Rush. I promise we'll make you proud." Carmina laid the flowers on his grave and left the scene. Kim tried to console her but she wouldn't have it. Hunter hesitated to join her, but following her isn't the right thing to do. Even though the fault wasn't all her own, Hunter was part of it.

"He was a good man." Kim walked over to Hunter, but Hunter pushed her away as well and walked in the opposite direction. In the back of the crowd, Kim saw the Judge. With both sides running on the brink of losing the fight, Kim walked over to her old friend.

"Thanks for being there for the kids… Jake, these fucking twins are one step ahead of us. We're running out of options, we need a new angle. I'm gonna go find Carmina. When you wanna hear what I have in mind, come talk to me." Kim left the Judge to his silence with only a silent nod.

The Judge looked at the Father and Ethan. Ethan showed no sign of grief. He didn't know him enough, but knowing he's here shows he's found some respect for Prosperity and its people.

In the main building, everyone was discussing a plan to turn the tide of this war, even Joseph Seed. None of the community was pleased to be in the same room with this monster but they had to swallow their hate and discuss a strategy. Many people presented ideas but hardly any were good or useful at the very least. All ideas and discussions were stopped when the Judge knocked on the table hard.

The Judge brought everyone's attention to him, "Kim had something in mind." The Judge spoke out loud.

All eyes laid on Kim, "Mike has discovered something… I think. I'll let him explain the idea."

Mike then walked up. "Me and Gina have interrogated a few Highwaymen and we learned that the Highwaymen have been recruiting for a competition and Irwin is handling recruitment."

"So what's the plan?" Jerome asked.

"Well if we could send one of our people into those fight pits we may be able to do damage to the Highwaymen from the inside," Mike explained. "But…"

"What?" Kim asked.

"Well, don't get me wrong your people are tough but in that pit, you'll be going up against some of the toughest motherfuckers in the Highwaymen. You're gonna need to send someone strong and someone the Highwaymen won't recognize. Kreese is good at memorizing faces." Mike explained.

The room went silent, no one wanted or was unable to go toe to toe with the best of the Highwaymen.

"I'll do it." The Judge finally spoke amidst the silence.

"Judge, with all due respect, you've murdered many of these Locusts. No doubt they'll recognize you the moment they see you." Ethan warned.

"The Judge… has murdered many of these locusts… but they don't know… Jake." The Judge proposed.

Nick and Kim looked over at the Judge. The words he gave were not much, but for a moment, they felt hope. Could their old friend be returning?

Joseph approached, "Judge, you took an oath. If you do this…"

"These Locusts… Prosperity at stake… New Eden is at stake… Marcus is in a coma, until he is healed, I have to do this. Hope County needs me, again." The Judge slowly faded in his words and became his old self.

"Very well," Joseph sighed.

The Judge then bowed to the father. "I will… not fail you… Father,"

"Everyone, I think we know our target, so while I plan our strategy, I'm going to need the room for myself. Joseph, could you stay?" Kim requested.

Joseph did as requested as Nick hauled everyone else outside including himself. After everyone left the room, Nick closed the doors behind him leaving Kim and Joseph alone.

After the room went silent, Kim made her way around the table.

"I assume you-" Joseph couldn't finish those words because Kim shoved him all the way back to the wall with a loud crash. All the photos and hung decorations rattled.

"No more bullshit! Jake… What did you do to him?!" Kim growled.

"After the collapse, we were stuck in a bunker. Just him and me, and I couldn't let him take his life. We were all we had left so I saved him, the only way I knew how."

"You brainwashed him?" Kim asked.

Joseph shook his head, "I kept him safe from himself and because of that he became my son and I became his father."

"He feels responsible… For all of this." Kim realized.

"Yes. If it wasn't for him things would be different and so many people would still be here." Joseph said.

"Bullshit, you and your family mutilated this County, and you ruined it with your poison. If things went your way, none of us would be here, including yourself!"

Joseph looked away from Kim's glare not in defeat but in realization: John's desire to kill, Jacob's craving for human flesh, and Faith's addiction to drugs. All of what Kim said rushed into his mind.

"Maybe you're right, but neither of us can go back and change things. So what will we do now?" Joseph asked.

Kim held her grip on Joseph tight, but his words loosened as she let him go, and backed off.

"I'll do my part to save the county, just make sure you do yours." Kim left the room, leaving Joseph alone in silence.

The next morning, the Judge hung his attire outside the room. Dawning some of Nick's old clothes, the Judge looked in the mirror and found not himself, but Jake Rook. Putting down the razor, he gave himself a shave and a good long look at his old self.

"I feel…" The Judge gave his face a pat under the cheek, "I never thought I'd see me again." Jake said to himself, "It feels strange."

Stepping out of the room, the first person he saw was the kid in the black hoodie.

"Hey, have you seen the Judge, we have his ride ready." Hunter asked the guy who just exited the bathroom.

"I… I am the Judge. Or I was, for the time being."

"Jake? You're Jake Rook?" Hunter was dumbfounded. The photos he's seen of him definitely don't match well with the man he sees now.

"Yeah kid, I'm Jake."

Hunter stepped closer to him, he was at a loss for words, so he just tapped his shoulder.

"You okay kid?" Jake asked.

"Yeah… Just… Just had to make sure you were real." Hunter stuttered.

"Well, I'm not a ghost at least. You said my lift was ready?" Jake asked.

"Ugh yeah, Irwin is waiting outside." Hunter explained.

"Okay thanks kid." Jake left over to exit the hallway.

"Hey Jake!" Hunter stopped Jake.

"What's up kid?"

"I ugh… Good luck today." Hunter quickly changed his words.

"Thanks, you too, Hunter."

Hunter shook in his legs, when he regained control again he went to see Jerome. After getting some privacy, Hunter spoke his mind.

"It was so strange when I saw him without his gear and mask. I don't know, I even shoved his shoulder just to make sure he was real. We hardly said anything good, but I didn't feel anger toward him. Hell, how I felt about my mom went numb for a moment. He wished me luck today and said my name." Hunter said.

Jerome smiled warmly, "Well that's definitely a good start."

"Yeah…" Hunter was hesitant but everything so far today has given him strength, "Jerome, I… I'm sorry for being angry with you."

Jerome placed both his hands on Hunter's shoulders. "Hunter, you have nothing to apologize for. I'm the one who lied to you about your mom when you had a right to know."

Hunter nodded, "Well I accept your apology."

Jake made his way outside to meet Irwin, and a few other old friends of his. Carmina Nick and Kim were the first ones to notice him. Grace Armstrong was blinded of course but Hurk tells her he's here.

Meeting Irwin for the first time, Jake was hesitant to speak up. Seeing his old friends was difficult to speak, "Irwin, you ready?"

"I'll need some time to get the truck ready. You're gonna need some more ragged clothes to look like one of the Highwaymen, I'll go get you some." Irwin left the group leaving Jake with his old friends.

Nick was the first to step up to Jake. He wanted to lunge at him and just squeeze him with a hug, but from what he learned from the Judge and what Kim told him about his talk with Joseph. He stopped mid-way to his attempt, but instead, he just held out his hand for a shake.

It took a moment for Jake to react and he accepted, "I missed you, Jake. We all missed you."

Kim was the second to step up, "Whatever happens from here on, you're always welcome here."

"I still wanna get to know my god-father." Carmina smiled at him. She noticed in the main building, Hunter and Jerome kept their distance.

"Hey broba fett, I found another monkey. Don't break this one, kay? I named this little one after you." Hurk showed Jake another little monkey statue with the name, "Judge Rook" engraved at the bottom.

"Love ya, buddy." Sharky nodded, raising a bottle of his booze to him.

"We're proud of you, Rook." Grace spoke the old name they used to call him, "Everything that's happened to you. Whatever you've become now, I know you're still Jake Rook."

Jerome walked over to the rest of the group to reunite with the real Jake, "it's good to see you again Jake. Well without your mask at least."

Being without the mask this long is incredibly unnerving to the Judge. The longer he goes without the mask the more unstable he feels, all the pain was inching closer to popping out of his mind and unleashing everything he's sealed from himself.

Just before Jake could release all his pain, a familiar young man caught his attention. The kid he bumped into this morning, Hunter. Jake never learned his last name, "Hey Jake." The kid said rather quietly.

"Hunter." Jake spoke his name.

"Be careful, Jake." Hunter offered him a handshake.

Jake returned the handshake, "Jerome told me he raised you. I hope you find your parents."

Those words caught Hunter off guard. It took every ounce in Hunter's body to break him down and drop to his knees, but instead, he just lunged at him and gave him a quick hug. It was only for a quick second till he backed off.

"Sorry Jake… You're a hero from what they told me about you." Hunter stood far and avoided eye contact.

Jake's pain suddenly simmered after his moment with Hunter, "Irwin are we ready to leave?" Jake tried to revert his attention to the task at hand.

Irwin spoke up, "We've been ready for a while, bud. Just waiting on you and your reunion."

"Right, sorry." Jake responded.

"Alright, they say you were the best of the best before those nukes dropped." Irwin said with no reply.

"Once." Jake said quickly. Not interested in prolonging any more questions he remained silent till the meeting point.

"Alright, you're gonna need to ditch the gear you have now and put on that getup I have for you. I know you had to ditch that old nature-loving get up but you need to do it again," Irwin asked.

Jake ditched the gear he was given by Prosperity and put on a set of Highwaymen clothes given to him by Irwin. Though it was just a pair of rugged pants, a pair of shoes, and a red bandana.

"Seriously?" Jake asked.

"You wanna blend in or not?" Irwin said.

Jake growled in frustration. "Fine."

Jake stripped himself of his original attire and swapped out of the gear he was given.

"Alright, my man we just have one more thing before we begin. We need to make sure you can throw a punch that's strong enough. Now I know the stories, but for the sake of qualifications go… Humor me." Irwin pointed at the punching scale.

Jake growled again, but didn't punch the machine but instead just ripped it out of the machine instead.

Irwin's jaw dropped, "Oh I'm definitely betting on you today. Take that zip line and you'll find the main entrance to the arena. I'll be right behind you."

Jake zipped down the wire and Irwin was behind him, "I used to be a fighter myself. Wasn't half bad, back in the day. Went on a little winning streak. Knocked out seventeen guys in a row. Seven-fucking-teen!"

Jake and Irwin raced through a tunnel pipe, as Irwin continued his story.

"Had to quit. Too lethal. Punched the last guy so hard he farted his brains out. Seriously. Guy, seriously-" Irwin blew raspberries while running under a bridge, "his brains. That had me pull up short. I hadda think to myself, I've got a gift, but I can't control it."

"You know nothing of gifts, and I doubt you can hold your own in a fight." Jake bombed on Irwin. "I think you're a liar and a snake who will do anything to get what he wants."

"Agreed, because of me I brought you to where you're needed to kick ass." Irwin led Jake to a tunnel covered in pretty unique art all around, "my associate will help you get processed. Make nice, and don't look him in the eye. Go get 'em champ."

Jake walked through the tunnels and found a ladder to the main entrance. A boy was seen picking grass blades and flowers.

"You! Yeah I'm here for you! I know what's the skinny around here. Little Effer sent you huh? Follow me."

People were working out in any form they can; push-ups, pull-ups, bench presses, and arm wrestling. Entering the interior, the kid brought Jake to a woman.

"Hey. You need a fighting name before you go in so we know who to bet against. Hm…"

"You can call me the -"

"They're Lolipop! Clearly a Lolipop, it's all over their face." The kid spoke up.

The woman laughed, "Alright, squirt, "Lolipop" it is. Get in the ring Lolipop." The woman went over to the microphone, "Here comes Little Fucker's latest human sacrifice: LOLLIPOP!"

The crowd was laughing at the name, and yet the crowd has awakened an old feeling inside Jake, "This is gonna be fun."

Jake walked out listening to all of the banterings of the Highwaymen, they think he's gonna die. Even the kids are bantering on his death.

"Listen up thudfucks, our next contestant goes by the name "Lolipop!" Now let's see what his guts are made of."

"Haven't felt this tense since… Eden's Gate." Jake thought to himself.

The gates opened to see a gated arena, and the first thing Jake noticed were attack dogs that looked very vicious, probably starved for days. This will be easy for the Judge. Starving attack dogs are nothing compared to Jacob Seed's Judges.

The first dog charged toward Jake but he quickly snapped its neck.

"Oh yeah, more food tonight!" The announcer called.

Three more contestants popped out on the other side. They were armed with baseball bats, and no armor.

"You're kidding!" Jake said.

The first highwaymen lunged at Jake with a bat, but he caught the bat and locked him still. He took the bat and smacked him in the head.

Jake kneed the bat in two, giving the two broken pieces sharp ends. The last two grunts were unable to land a hit on Jake. He managed to stab one of them in the grunt's neck. The other was impaled in the gut.

Just then the gates all opened and more Highwaymen fighters came rushing out. One of them had a metal shield and spiked baseball bat.

Charging straight for the crowd of maniacs and psychos, Jake felt his power burning into his fists.

"God be with me, Prosperity needs me!" Jake thought to himself.

"Everyone's out for Lolipop! They're on a sugar rush." The announcer commented, "Let's pull out the barbecue!"

The arena started to catch fire around the walls. They're pulling out all the stops, and the fire makes Jake hesitate as he began breathing heavily, stressed. Being surrounded by fire brought back horrible memories of the day of the collapse.

Voices echoed through his mind, "You killed us." Deputy Hudson called

"You were wrong." Whitehorse called.

"You should've heeded Joseph's warnings." Pratt hissed.

The voices were so loud that Jake clutched his head in pain.

"Oh boy, is Lolipop afraid of a little fire? Let's see if he can shake it. More heat boys!"

"It's all a part God's plan, Judge." Joseph's voice slithered in his mind.

The crowd of warriors are closing in on him, he was close to being beaten to death with fists

"Be careful, Jake." Hunter, the boy's last words struck hard inside Jake. Sending him back to reality.

The first bat covered in nails was caught quickly as Jake quickly came back to reality. A shield was about to bash him away but Jake used the weight of the shield to flip over the fighter and kick the back of his shin. Sending him to the ground on his knees, he takes his shield kicks him to the ground, and slams the shield to the back of his neck. Taking care of him he picks up his spiked bat and wails in a guttural near monster-like roar.

The entire scene fades to black quickly after for Jake Rook.

Snapping back into reality Jake's eyes opened to see himself holding a beaten corpse, panicking he quickly released the body and then looked down to see himself soaked in so much blood. However, what was more horrifying were his surroundings. The arena was littered with scores of dead Highwaymen.

"Holy fuck." The announcer was shocked.

Jake quickly reeled in the moment of where he is, and cheered another roar of victory.

The crowd followed by example and returned the cheer.

"This is a first, a little lollipop from out of nowhere just climbed his way to the top like it was nothing, this was badass!" The announcer rattled the crowd even more.

Jake wielded his metal bat and took in the cheers like a champ. He even pounded his chest like some glorified gladiator. At this very moment, he might as well be.

"HOLY FUCK DUDE! AND TO THINK I WAS GONNA BET AGAINST YA! Oh fuck, forget I said that. I'm waiting outside for ya. Don't kill me." Irwin called in his earpiece.

Ellie was wandering the camp until he found Jerome, "Excuse me, are you the one who raised Hunter?"

"Oh hello Ellie… Why do you ask?" Jerome asked.

"He told me… The Judge is his father. The Judge well… He raised me. I just wanted to meet the one who raised my brother." Ellie was hesitant to get any closer to him.

"Don't be afraid Ellie. Hunter is your brother, you're just as much my family to me as he is." Jerome assured her.

Ellie smiled and walked closer, "What's that book?"

"It's a bible." Jerome answered.

"You mean the word of Joseph?" Ellie asked.

"No, the word of God. There's a line here that I kept close before the collapse, and Joseph had more intrusive methods for the people of Hope County, 'Woe to the man who leads my flock astray'. That line always kept me going in those times until now, but now It's been conflicting. My faith has been conflicted for so long, but then I started raising Hunter, and I think that's when my faith was rebuilt. One of the things I never denied, is that God works in mysterious ways."

"May I?" Ellie asked to look at the book.

"Sure." Jerome handed Ellie his bible.

Ellie opened the bible up and read one of the pages, "There's this one line highlighted, Palm 23?" Ellie mistook the name.

"It's Psalm 23, one of my favorites."

Jerome then explained to Ellie several verses of the bible.

The adrenaline was starting to wither inside Jake as he rode shotgun beside Irwin.

"Dude you were a grade-A badass down in those pits! I made a fortune on your bets." Irwin was ecstatic in his winnings.

"Did we get what you need?" Jake asked.

"Hell yeah we did! I'm gonna get some fine ass tonight!" Irwin licked his chops.

"That's not what I meant." Jake replied. "Prosperity and New Eden need a way into the Highwaymen."

"Oh yeah! Yeah! Yeah. Here take this." Irwin gave Jake the invitation.

"What's this?" Jake asked.

"What you can't read?" Irwin asked.

Jake responded by grabbing Irwin by the neck. "Okay, okay, it's an invitation."

"To what?"

"The Highwaymen roller derby, it's a week or two away, and that invitation will get you in, assuming there aren't any complications."

"You deceived us." The Judge was about to rear his blood thirst to Irwin.

"No I didn't, you made a great impression with the Highwaymen, you winning today got you halfway to meeting the leaders."

Jake took a long sigh, "What's the next step?"

"You and your people wait for my word."

"Fine." Jake sneered and stayed silent throughout the remainder of their time together.

Things in Prosperity were getting worse. Everyone in the community were going about their duties, but under the surface, things were becoming tense. Rush is dead, Marcus is in a coma, and the people are becoming scared. Even the New Edener's are shaking under their fur coats. Everyone can mask their fear, but Hunter can see it clear as day, they were losing, and they were running out of options.

Hunter went over to Selene's clinic to check on Marcus, "How is he Selene?" Hunter asked.

"Hunter, man if I'm being honest with you, he shouldn't be alive right now. Like, I've never met a man who could take a shotgun blast at point-blank range then plummet from a two-story window and survive with only a coma. He should be dead." Selene was completely dumbfounded.

Hunter looked down at his feet in grief.

"It's a miracle we haven't lost Marcus. I don't know what we would've done without him." Kim said.

"We keep fighting, that's what." Hunter murmured.

After hearing the news of Marcus, Hunter needed a place to get away from all of this drama.

After an hour of pondering on the roof, two or three rolls of pot, he didn't count, "All this shit we're going through, and to think the only good thing today was meeting my dad without his mask today." Taking a swig of water he heard an oncoming engine of a transport vehicle.

Irwin and Jake must be back.

Making his way back to the front gate he saw Jake walking up with Irwin beside him. Hunter saw him drenched in blood all over his skin.

"Holy shit, Jake what happened?" Hunter asked.

"Our man here spilled blood all over him and made me fucking rich!" Irwin praised himself.

"Reminds me of the time I was drenched in Higwhaymen blood at the sulfur springs, we killed so many highwaymen that day." Hunter mentioned. "Did you get what we need?"

"Unfortunately we only received half of our promise." Jake turned back to him.

"Kim will want to hear about this." Hunter walked beside Jake to meet with her.

Entering the main house, Jerome, Kim, Nick, and he'll even Joseph was here.

"Jake?" Nick was slightly shocked.

"What happened, Judge." Joseph asked.

"We only completed one part of this man's design." Jake answered.

Joseph handed Jake his Judge mask which he grabbed and quickly put it back on his face.

"Jake, you gonna tell us the other part of this plan, or are you gonna just groan at us now that you have your mask back on?"

"We've only solved half of the puzzle." The judge continued walking to the map on the table.

"Your vicious fighter over here has won not just a lot of riches for me, but he's been given access to a roller derby. Win the derby, you get a one-way ticket to the Highwaymen leader's inner circle. In a few weeks you'll have your opportunity to take out the twins once and for all."

"I'm sorry a few weeks?" Hunter added, "We are losing ground and you want us to wait a few weeks?

"I'm sorry kid, two weeks is all your getting." Irwin was not sorry.

"Tell me something?" Joseph asked, "You borrowed my Judge, my…" Joseph looked over at Hunter and the Rye's, "Our most loyal member to New Eden and Prosperity, and you expect us to just wait? I have been among many sinners, some more broken than you, but do not expect us to be leashed by your word."

"The Leaders of the Highwaymen need time to arrive here, you don't have to trust me but if you just wait you'll get the leaders in one room. This is our best shot to taking down the Highwaymen." Irwin justified, "What if until then I help you regain some ground from the Highwaymen? Is that a fair trade?" Irwin offered.

"Very well, that is a valid offer." Joseph confirmed.

Over the rest of the meeting, Irwin gave the people key points on retaking the nearby outposts they lost.

Joseph took a step out and took in the moment to breathe in, "This feeling, if only things acted differently, If only I acted differently."

"You can't change the past." Hunter walked beside Joseph, "Even though some things can't be healed, you can still move forward."

"Wise words, young man." Joseph leaned beside the door.

"If anything it was good seeing Jake-er the Judge without his mask. Nice to know he's alive." Hunter added.

"If I may ask young man… The Judge what do you know of him?"

"Only what I've been told. He was the Junior Deputy who opposed your cult years ago" Hunter didn't go any further.

"If I may request, look straight at me." Joseph asked.

"Why?" Hunter asked.

Joseph didn't answer he just looked at Hunter straight in the eyes, "By God's grace. I know your eyes. Just like his."

"What are you talking about?"

"I kept him safe for most the last seventeen years, I know the Judge's eyes when I see them."

Hunter remained silent to the discovery, "Don't tell him, please."

"I won't, because soon you'll be the one to tell him." Joseph knew.

Hunter didn't stay any longer, and just walked away.

Joseph did not pursue Hunter, instead he walked over to the rest of the people of Prosperity. They still don't like having him around but he's become tolerable these days.

For once, Jerome, Nick and Kim, even Joseph feel like Hope County is on the verge of rebuilding to its original place in the world. All that's left for the county to start rebuilding is the Highwaymen. Even once they're gone, it could take years to get this place to its former strength. They may not live to see it return, but the kids will.

I hope everyone enjoyed my chapter please leave a review and tell me what you think. If anyone sees any errors message me.

I would also like to give a shoutout to Dr. Arachangel for helping me with this story.