The Sacrifice
"What the hell was all that?" Broyles demanded as the two Kevins bounded up the stairs. Olivia was at a loss for words for a moment, but she composed herself and responded.
"We're working two separate options that… could help. I don't know how successful either will be, but we're doing everything we can."
Broyles chewed through her response and was probably wondering if he should just trust her or demand to know more.
"Keep me informed. We'll keep tracking the storm from here, but that's all we can do. We'll probably lose communications as that thing annihilates the surrounding infrastructure. Good luck, Agent Dunham, and Godspeed."
The call ended. Olivia turned to Walter, who was sadly looking down at Max.
"Please tell me that there is more that we can do instead of just sitting here?" Olivia asked. Walter turned his sad gaze on her and shook his head slowly. "Did you understand anything of what that kid said? Can he really stop this thing?"
"I have no idea, Agent Dunham. The way I see it, we are powerless to stop this catastrophe from unfolding. This is beyond any of us."
"Well let's hope that this… other Kevin and his people are able to do something then…" Olivia's words trailed off as the lights began to flicker. The storm was drawing closer.
Stupid fucking kid! What the fuck has he gotten himself into now?
Admiral Natasi Daala's thoughts were blacker than her mood and the crew of the Night Hammer clearly noticed this. They made every effort to make themselves invisible as they set about their duties. Storming onto the bridge, she called out to her watch standers for an update and they immediately began updating her on the situation.
He's always throwing himself in front of danger like its his fucking job! But this… this fucking tops the rest of his godamned stunts put together!
"Ma'am, the ship is in position and all stealth modules are operating at one-hundred percent efficiency!" one of the younger officers reported quickly.
"Good, at least we won't be detected."
"Well… if anyone looks up…" The man's voice trailed off as she fixed him with a venomous glare. He quickly saluted and turned back towards his station.
Kevin had probably meant for her to send a much smaller ship for this operation, but he had also wanted ion cannons. She had brought ion cannons. Her flagship had more than any other ship in the fleet after all.
The now silent crewman had been alluding to the fact that the Night Hammer was massive and easily observable to the naked eye from the surface. Her ship was nineteen hundred meters in length, but it boasted nearly one thousand ion cannons… Well, it would have if they were all operational. Such a massive starship was a nightmare to maintain, and along with the rest of her fleet, there were only so many people to crew them. Every ship barely had enough crew to function, let alone maintain. But even with only about half, she was actually certain that only forty-eight percent of the weapons were operational, her ship still outgunned every other ship in the fleet, almost combined.
Let's just hope nobody important looks up right now…
Natasi was breaking some major rules, but orders were orders. For better or worse, she had pledged her allegiance to Kevin many years ago.
"Ma'am, all operational ion cannons have been modified per specifications and are standing by for your command," her weapons officer reported with significantly less nervousness than the previous officer.
"Will this work?" Natasi asked, doing her best to rid her voice of her anxieties.
"Ma'am?" The officer blinked in confusion.
"You heard me," Natasi ground out, she hated repeating herself. The officer swallowed hard and did his best not to break away from her venomous gaze.
"Yes, ma'am… Ion cannons are almost exclusively employed to disable electrical systems or—"
"I know what they were designed to do, damnit!" She forced herself to unclench her fists and lower her voice, her acidic tone was liable to send the rest of the crew running for the escape pods if she continued as she was. "Will they do anything to stop this damned cyclone? And will Kev—the admiral be in any danger?"
"I have never heard of a situation where this has been tried before… but with our modifications…" His voice trailed off. Fear, Natasi saw it, she could practically smell it. Fear of the old ways, though they had been cast aside long ago.
Years ago, if he had stated that something would work and it didn't... not only could he lose his rank or career, but he was also liable to lose his life. But things were different now. Things were different serving under Kevin.
"The Admiral won't be in any danger from our barrage, that is certain. The cyclone will have rendered his position untenable long before he risks being struck by our barrage."
I noticed you have said nothing for the success of this operation, fine, so be it. Natasi nodded and the man quickly saluted, all too happy to be out of her crosshairs.
Kevin's Jedi sorcery was one of the few things that Natasi didn't quite understand, and she rarely attempted to do to so. He had the ability to do incredible things. Time and time again, he had altered the course of a battle, single-handedly fought off dozens of opponents and countless other miracles. But could he really stop a massive cyclone that powerful in its tracks, let alone dissipate it with his powers?
I won't sit by and do nothing while he runs off on another fool's errand.
Natasi's black-gloved hands tightened into fists.
"Stand by ion control!" Her commanding voice echoed across the bridge and the tension doubled. The crew knew what failure meant. Every single one of them loved their admiral and would do their damndest to save him. But none of them loved them like she did. Was love even the right word? Kevin had saved her life many years ago, but it was more than that, he had saved the lives of the men and women who would have died following her foolish orders.
Kevin liked to play the big bad Sith lord as much as possible, but he was the hero that the Empire had needed to save it. He had turned his back on the Empire, as he should have. He owed it nothing. The men and women under his command followed him because they believed in him. He cared about them, he actually gave a shit.
He's probably off trying to save the world… no… he's doing this for a girl! Yes, that has to be it! He's found himself another pretty girl to save and she's going to break his heart within a month even after he defies the laws of the goddamn universe to save her and that pathetic little town!
Forcing herself to relax again, Natasi double checked the targeting data and found it immaculate. She did certainly love Kevin, but not as a lover would. She loved him as if he were her own child. She was old enough to be his mother after all, and when they were alone, she had to constantly restrain herself from mothering him as if he were. The boy was nineteen now and was technically her superior officer, and yet, she couldn't help seeing him as her son. He had never known his real parents, the Empire made certain of that. It had seemed only natural that she take on the responsibility… She had certainly been a better caretaker to him than his 'adopted father' had been.
I'll be damned if I let a fucking storm kill my… commander.
"Commence bombardment!" Natasi's words brought forth a spectacular barrage of blueish-white, ionized energy. Hundreds of cannons fired again and again at their target—the raging storm that had spawned out of nothingness. Glaring at her display, a ghostly prayer slipped through Natasi's mind.
This had better work...
But according to her instruments, the immediate results were negligible. "Intensify forward battery fire! Increase volatility by twenty percent. Standby for further commands!" A series of affirmations were hastily barked her way and, within moments, her orders had been set into motion.
This had better work…
"No effect on target," Hans relayed, his voice oddly calm, as usual. Kevin's garbled voice shot back almost immediately. It was difficult to make out due to the hellish amount of background noise that was blasting out of Hans's communication device, but the words came through clear enough.
"I can damned well see that Hans, thanks!"
The storm had to be close, very close.
"Sir, perhaps you should engage your target from a greater distance. I think that would be prudent." Olivia swallowed hard, listening intently. If she had actually been doing something, she wouldn't have felt useless, she wouldn't feel as afraid. Fear was an unusual emotion for her, a rare emotion, a very unwelcome emotion.
"I got this, hold on!" Hans did as he was ordered and remained silent. His silence persisted even when his link with whoever 'Admiral Daala' was, reported that the latest barrage, again, had no effect.
Olivia found herself pacing back and forth. During her pacing, she peeked into the side room to check on Peter and Victoria. The girl was still out cold, but Peter nodded reassuringly to her. Victoria was going to be fine. Olivia mechanically returned the nod, she hadn't been checking up on Victoria, she had needed to see Peter. No matter what, he always kept his calm. It gave her strength.
Turning her attention towards Max and Chloe, she noticed that Max was recovering nicely. The two girls seemed to be locked in an intense but quiet conversation, and not wanting to interrupt their privacy, Olivia made her way back to where Walter was intently listening to Hans's communications equipment.
"No effect on target. Raising volatility another ten percent." The woman's voice, presumably Admiral Daala, had grown quite frustrated. Olivia empathized with her. She hated doing nothing. She hated feeling helpless. "Wait… the storm's velocity is slowing! Unbelievable… he's actually doing it…"
"Ma'am… even with the reduced velocity... the storm will overtake his position in minutes!"
Damnit… there must be something else we can do?
"What about Mag-Pulse warheads? Will those have any effect?" Her weapons officer thought hard on this for a moment before responding with an ambiguous shrug. "Bring the ion cannons volatility to maximum and prep a volley of mag-pulse warheads for airburst detonation right in the middle of that cyclone!"
Yet another rule about to be broken…
It was easy enough to explain away the ion cannons, it would be next to impossible for anyone to see, let alone detect them, especially with the freak storm… The missiles though— her thoughts trailed off when she noticed that her orders weren't being followed. She would have exploded on her officers if she hadn't noticed their pale faces and grim expressions. The bravest of the crew, her weapons officer, turned to face her. At first his mouth worked clumsily without a sound, but he soon found his voice.
"The storm… ma'am, the storm rapidly increased its velocity and overtook the admiral's position. It is currently making landfall…"
No… he's still alive… he's always still alive!
"Lieutenant Hans! Report!" There was a momentary pause before the man answered. As he did so, she felt her heart crumble as she detected the first trace of emotion that she had ever heard come from the enigmatic man.
"Contact lost…"
"Hans, reestablish contact now! If that's not possible… find him! I'll deploy two SAR teams to assist. Find him, do you understand?" Admiral Daala's voice exploded through the communication equipment, causing Olivia to wince.
"Yes, ma'am. I understand and will comply." Hans turned to Canderous who was already on his feet. "We are commandeering one of your vehicles." Olivia nodded slowly and motioned to Charlie to assist them.
"Go walk into the middle of a fucking tornado and drag his ass out… no fucking problem," Canderous grumbled, but he hastened up the stairs all the same. Without the constant transmissions, and with only herself, the Bishops, and the three girls left in the basement, the room felt eerily quiet, even with the raging storm outside. Suddenly, Max emerged from underneath her cocoon of blankets and pushed herself unsteadily to her feet.
"No, Chloe, this is my storm! I caused this… I caused all of this!" Stumbling for a moment, Max steadied herself against the wall and Chloe instinctively reached out for her. "I changed fate and destiny so much that… I actually did alter the course of everything!" Walter looked as if he was about to speak but he held back as Max continued. "And all I really created was death and destruction!"
"Fuck all of that, okay? You were given a power. You didn't ask for it… and you saved me. Which had to happen, all of this did… except for what happened to Rachel. But without your power we wouldn't have found her! Okay, you're not the goddamn Time Master, but you're Max Caulfield… and you're amazing."
Walter again looked as if he were about to speak, but all of the air seemed to have been sucked out of the room. The two girls looked at each other uncertainty. They both seemed to be on the verge of tears and Olivia felt a certain sense of dread creeping into the back of her mind.
"Max, this is the only way…" As Chloe said this, her voice unsteady, she handed Max what seemed to be a polaroid photograph.
"I feel like I took this a thousand years ago…" Max sounded almost wistful as she looked upon the photograph she had just been handed, but her eyes widened in shock at the sight of the picture.
"You… You could use that photo to change everything right back to when you took that picture… All that would take is for me to… to—" Chloe's words broke off and she plunged her face into her hands, sobbing lightly.
"Fuck that! No… no way! You are my number one priority now. You are all that matters to me." Max countered, her own voice wavering.
"I know. You proved that over and over again… even though I don't deserve it. I'm so selfish… not like my mom… look what she had to give up and live through… and she did. She deserves so much better than to be killed by a storm. Even my step… father deserves her alive. There's so many more people in Arcadia Bay who should live… way more than me."
"Don't say that… I won't trade you!" Max's voice cracked and broke just like Olivia's heart was at the moment. There was so much passion between the two girls and she found herself siding with Max—there had to be another way. There just had to be. She looked over at Walter and felt herself pale. His face was grim, but just one look at him and she could tell that he agreed with Chloe and was waiting to get a word in.
"You're not trading me. Maybe you've just been delaying my real destiny… Look at how many times that I've almost died or actually died around you. Look at what's happened in Arcadia Bay since you first saved me. I know I've been selfish, but for once I think I should accept my fate… our fate…"
"Chloe—" Max pleaded desperately but Chloe pushed on.
"Max, you finally came back to me this week and… you did nothing but show me your love and friendship. You made me smile and laugh, like I haven't done in years. Wherever I end up after this… in whatever reality… all those moments between us were real and they'll always be ours. No matter what you choose, I know you'll make the right decision."
"Chloe… I can't make this choice…" Chloe moved towards her friend and placed her hands on her shoulders. Chloe looked deep into Max's eyes, her own full of sad determination. Walter finally managed to get a word in, startling them both as he cleared his throat.
"My dear Maxine—" He began, his own voice crippled and softened with emotion. "I'm afraid that you are the only one who can make this choice… and your friend's plan has merit."
"Oh, come on, Walter… what are you saying? That just because Max saved Chloe it's thrown the universe out of whack and spawned a tornado? That doesn't make any sense," Peter growled in frustration, and Olivia found herself nodding in agreement.
"That isn't what I am saying at all… I for one do not believe in destiny or fate or any of that rubbish! What I am saying is that if Max goes back in time and doesn't use her powers then maybe… perhaps… there never will be a storm. If my theories are correct about her powers unbalancing the cohesion between both universes, then this could work… but only if she doesn't use her powers to save her friend's life!" Walter's powerful voice echoed through the room, feeding Chloe's grim determination just as it filled Max with dread.
"But that doesn't make any sense either, Walter! If she uses her powers to go back in time won't that cause even more damage?" Peter shot back, glaring at his father.
"But it will be in the past—" Walter immediately cut himself off as Max threw herself into Chloe's arms and kissed her. Startled at first, Chloe hesitated but quickly recovered and fell into the moment and kissed Max back, just as feverishly. After a long moment, the two girls broke apart. Judging from their pained expressions, they were both certain that this would be their last moment together.
"I love you, Max Caulfield. Don't you forget about me." Chloe's voice broke as she struggled to hold back further tears.
Max whispered her response as she slowly drew away from her friend."Never…"
Olivia moved to stop Max, but it was already too late. Max had the picture in hand and had focused her powers on it. Olivia felt the world shift around her. She screamed as she became overwhelmed by the sensation.
What the fuck… not again!
Kevin's mind reeled as he found himself back in the halls of Blackwell Academy. He had just been racing through the ravaged backroads of Arcadia Bay as the massive tornado began to devastate the town when, after a moment of disorientation, he had found someplace else. Before he could orient himself, his entire body went cold. He nearly collapsed against the nearby wall as he watched Nathan walk into the girls' bathroom once again.
Oh no, I'm back here? What the hell Max? Think, Kevin, think… Why would she bring us back this far? What is she thinking? Think!
Doing his best to compose himself, Kevin's mind raced through a series of options that seemed logical to him. However, his fragile grasp on his mind shattered when he caught sight of Chloe disappearing into the bathroom. Unable to think anymore, Kevin grimly made up his mind.
Fuck it!
Taking a few deep breaths, he steeled himself and marched towards the bathroom and tore open the door just as Nathan was drawing his gun on Chloe.
Nathan's eyes went wide as Kevin rushed towards him and struck Nathan in the throat with his right hand while he thrust Nathan's weapon arm away from Chloe. The gun went off the instant Kevin's blow struck home. Kevin closed on the collapsing Nathan, attacking again and again as they both fell to the ground.
Somehow, to Kevin's surprise and frustration, Nathan managed to end up on top and they struggled for dominance of the firearm. Desperately attacking and defending, the pair struck at one another. The gun went off a second time. The bullet ricocheted around the room dangerously, causing Kevin to flinch. Nathan's next blow sent Kevin's head slamming into the hard floor. Kevin's vision blurred, and he threw up his arms to ward off the next attack.
Chloe sprang into action and grabbed Nathan from behind, violently dragging Nathan off of Kevin. Her sudden intervention took Nathan completely by surprise. Taking advantage of his foe's state, Kevin leapt up with some difficulty and kicked Nathan square in the chest just as he was untangling himself from Chloe. Nathan was sent flying out of the bathroom, gun somehow still in hand. As Nathan collapsed to the floor, a third shot sprang forth from the weapon. Even though the gun hadn't been pointed anywhere near them, both Kevin and Chloe reflexively took cover.
"Drop the gun! Drop it!"
Nathan's face went pale as David Madsen stormed towards him, his own weapon in hand, trained right on Nathan. Instantly relenting, Nathan dropped his weapon and raised his hands in surrender. This did not save him from being brutally tackled by Blackwell's head of security. Chloe cheered as she watched her step-father quickly and efficiently handcuff Nathan. David froze in mid motion when he suddenly realized exactly who Nathan had been threatening.
"You tried to shoot my daughter? You little punk!" Somehow, David managed to restrain himself from kicking Nathan and he stood there for a moment, fuming in fury.
Chloe froze herself as she watched her hated stepfather show such concern for her. Kevin would have sat there enjoying the moment if he hadn't been immediately concerned for someone else. Around the corner, where Max had to be hiding, a small trail of blood was forming.
Kevin struggled to his feet, again with more difficulty than he expected, and raced around the corner. He nearly fell over as he caught sight of Max. Pale, gasping in pain, she clutched her bloodied stomach.
No, no, no!
"Max… Max!" Kevin gasped, his brain frozen in terror.
She barely seemed to hear him. Max looked up and removed her bloodied hands from the wound. Slowly and deliberately, she looked down at her hands and then to the wound in her abdomen. She coughed, tremors seized her frail form as a stream of thick, red blood oozed out of the gaping wound.
"Max! Keep pressure on it… there like that, don't let go okay, just keep pressure on it, okay!" In a frenzy of movement, Kevin snatched Max off of the ground and began to make his way out of the bathroom. Chloe turned to see what was going on, her face went white with terror.
"Max? What the shit? She's been shot!" Chloe flung herself around and called out to her step-father. "David, call an ambulance! Max is fucking shot!"
Kevin forced his way out of the bathroom and struggled towards the school's exit. The halls were mostly clear, but several of his peers looked on in panic at the sight of him struggling to carry Max. None of them moved to help.
Why is this so hard?
Kevin did his best to increase his pace as the doors drew nearer.
I just have to get her outside…
All at once, Chloe was beside him helping him carry Max. Kevin felt relief flood through him, but his relief quickly turned to dread.
"Dude, you've been shot. Give her to me! You can barely walk!"
Numbly, Kevin allowed Max to be extracted from his arms and he looked down and discovered the reason why he was having such difficulty walking. His right leg was stained red with blood. He stood there, gaping, as he watched a fresh stream of blood spill out of a nasty wound on his thigh.
"Shit…" he would have collapsed and fallen to the ground if someone hadn't grabbed him and shouted for help. Several people crowded around him and carried him outside where he was quickly and almost reverently laid down on the grass. Closing his eyes to shield them from the bright light of the sun, Kevin tried to think.
"Put pressure on his leg!" That voice, he recognized it but he couldn't quite place it.
Slowly opening his eyes, Kevin was momentarily blinded by the sun's glare. His vision immediately focused as someone put a great deal of pressure on his thigh and he found himself screaming in pain, nearly biting off his own tongue as he tried to suppress his cries.
"It's okay, you're going to be fine… you're going to be fine." Someone else took his hand in two of theirs and squeezed it. Someone moved closer, the light from the sun was finally blocked out. David Madsen was tending to his wound but someone else was looming over him, someone familiar. Enshrined in light, the figure drew close.
Kevin smiled.
Kate…
Her hands were sticky with blood. His blood. Kevin noticed in horror that his blood had ended up all over her.
Was she the one that grabbed me? How'd so much of my blood get on her?
She seemed oddly lacking clothing. Were all of the garments that David was pressing against his thigh hers? Kevin tried to smile. A dreadful look of horror plagued Kate's face. He must have done something completely different.
"Where the hell is that second ambulance?" David bellowed as Kevin's thoughts raced.
I guess that means the first one already got Max?
That was fast.
How long have I been laying here?
Fuck this hurts.
Kate looks really pretty…
His thoughts swirled about his head and he tried once again to smile as Kate gripped his hands tighter. His strength was failing. Kate was moving farther away. Kevin found it increasingly difficult to think. The sun was bright and hot, but the world was dark and cold.
"I will take the boy," a strange, almost harmonic voice stated as another figure came into view. It was hard to see, but the new figure was dark and wore a funny hat. Kevin heard Kate scream something. Kevin felt heavy, then light, then nothing at all as the darkness swallowed him whole.
Kevin awoke with a start, desperately trying to make sense of his surroundings.
A hospital? Why am I in a hospital?
The answer to his question immediately became clear when he tried to move his legs. Gasping, he winced from the pain. Slowly, with clenched teeth, he moved his right leg back into the position that it had been in.
"Kevin! How many times do I have to tell you? Don't try to move!" Exhaling heavily once he had his leg back into its original position, he turned towards the voice and froze.
Kate!
Blinking in confusion, Kevin looked around the spacious room. An array of bright and colorful balloons, cards, and stuffed animals were scattered about, but he saw no one else. He and Kate were alone.
"I'm sorry… but that honestly feels like the first time—" His voice was raspy, his throat was dry and constrained. He soon realized in horror that his left arm had an IV sticking out of it. His stomach turned over on itself. Feeling dizzy, Kevin plunged his heavy head back into his soft pillows. A thick silence cast its shadow on the room as Kevin closed his eyes, willing the room to stop spinning.
"No, I'm sorry. The other times you were so out of it that I guess you don't remember. The nurses said you might not." Kate's soft, musical voice brought the world back into focus. Kevin focused on the sound of her words, letting them wash over him. Slowly, he opened his eyes once more. Locking his eyes onto hers, the world became a much more tolerable place. A weak, tired smile struggled onto his face.
She smiled back at him reassuringly. She discarded a thick book and retrieved a cup of ice-water from the table next to his bed. Slowly, and with practiced care, she helped him drink some of the cool, refreshing liquid.
This wasn't her first time doing this, Kevin felt entirely certain of this fact. Kate withdrew the cup when he had drunk his fill, immediately catching the cues that he hadn't noticed sending. Returning the plastic glass to his bedside table, she smiled politely as if she hadn't done anything of note.
Kevin exhaled slowly, willing his brain to think. It was hard, but his memories slowly returned. It took time, but eventually the thick cloud of fog lifted from his mind. Kate snatched his hand with both of hers just as panic seized his heart.
"It's alright! Max is fine… she's fine." Kate's words banished his anxieties. A chill set in, however, when she continued to speak, her voice low. Eyes downcast, Kate's soft hands tightened around his. "The doctors were more worried about you honestly… you lost a lot of blood—"
"I'm sorry…" Kevin fumbled with his words. Kate's hands were warm, his free hand longed to join its companion. Kate immediately recovered and shook her head furiously.
"Don't be sorry! You're the big hero! It's too bad you won't be making it to the party tomorrow, everyone is really looking forward to you coming back to school!"
Party? Tomorrow… is tomorrow... Friday?
"Is it Thursday? Have I been out that long?" Kate nodded but smiled warmly at him.
I was out for three days?
"You've been up a few times... but the nurses told me that you were so out of it that you wouldn't remember." Kate's voice trailed off, a hint of color touched her face. Kevin's confusion solidified into certainty as the puzzle pieces snapped together.
"You've been here… everyday, haven't you?" Kate's face reddened slightly as she nodded and then flushed a fiercer shade of red when she noticed him blushing as well. She quickly composed herself and changed the subject.
"A whole bunch of people have stopped into see you though… Warren, Max's friend Chloe, Daniel, Alyssa, Victoria even came by… and a couple people that I didn't know… I think they were police... or something."
Her words trailed off, and she softly bit her lower lip as she thought back, as if trying to remember. Kevin resisted the urge to press her for more information and let her think.
"A man and a woman who said they were friends of yours came in. The woman was pretty but didn't smile very much—" That sounds like Olivia… and either Peter or Charlie since she didn't say words like weird or strange. "Two other men came in as well a few days ago. They seemed… rough but didn't stay long when they saw that I was here. Do you know them?"
She proceeded to describe the men and mentioned that one of them had been wearing sunglasses, confirming Kevin's suspicions that the 'rough' men had indeed been his duplicate's men keeping tabs on him. He shrugged in response to her question, responding that they had probably been police.
The mysteries solved, Kate's warm smile returned. It was at that moment that Kevin took notice of the violin case at Kate's feet. A soothing melody swam into his consciousness, briefly tickling his ears. Kevin smiled, a real, full smile this time as a comforting thought wormed its way into his mind.
"You were playing your violin for me while I was… sleeping, weren't you?"
Kate nodded shyly, smiling nervously.
"I… used your phone to call your parents just in case no one else had… They should both be here tomorrow actually… but while I was on your phone, I accidentally found your music and saw that you listened to Lindsey Stirling… so I thought—" The temperature in the room spiked. "I thought that it would help to hear some music while you slept… the nurses encouraged it too!" Kate was practically defending herself, but when she caught a glimpse of Kevin's face she relaxed and blushed.
"I think I remember hearing you play… even though I probably wasn't completely awake yet… I've felt like I've had this amazing melody stuck in my head ever since I woke up. I'm betting that I have you to thank for that, eh?"
Kate smiled and became significantly less self-conscious. She seemed as if she were about to say something, but her eyes focused on something for a moment and her eyes went wide in shock.
"Oh no! Is that the time? I'm going to be late for class at this rate… thank goodness it's Mrs. Grant's class. She knows I come here... so when I'm late she'll at least not be too mad—"
"Well, if that's the case, you might as well just skip the class and stay here." Kevin knew that this wouldn't happen, knew that she wouldn't stay. He had to try though, he didn't want to see her go. She smiled at his words as she packed up her things and looked as if his suggestion had tempted her, but he knew better.
"I'm not quite a rebel like your pal Chloe, but I'll stop over tomorrow… if you'd like?" Kevin nodded eagerly and told her that she was more than welcome to stop by whenever she liked, gesturing to show that he probably wasn't going anywhere, not for a long time at least.
Smiling politely, Kate excused herself and hurried off. Kevin regarded his now empty room with disdain and immediately felt the absence of Kate's presence. However, he wasn't alone for very long when an all too familiar figure slowly entered his room.
"I thought she'd never leave… hello, Kevin." His scarred duplicate slowly entered and stopped in the middle of the room. The boy regarded his clone in an almost friendly manner.
"Hello yourself." Kevin groaned sarcastically. The dry humor was certainly not lost on his duplicate.
"Indeed?" A smile, entirely genuine, crossed the boy's face as scanned the room. "How's the leg?" Kevin grimaced. It was all he could do not to reflexively move his leg as he cast his gaze at his heavily bandaged thigh.
"It hurts..." Kevin stated, exhaling slowly. His duplicate's face turned serious.
"That's what happens when you get shot. You're extremely lucky that you didn't bleed out. According to your charts, you barely made it. The bullet went right through your femoral artery. Again, luckily, it didn't do too much damage. You better take greater care, you are far less useful to me lame."
Now what do you mean by that?
"Is that so?" Kevin managed to say and tried to push himself up into a sitting position He immediately regretted his decision. His duplicate watched as Kevin grunted in pain. The boy's scarred face softened somewhat, but remained frustratingly unreadable.
"Here's the thing, and you don't have to answer right now, obviously, but it is somewhat time sensitive—" The boy turned as if to leave, but as he reached the door, he turned around and leaned against the side of the doorframe, his face serious. "I'm setting myself up as a sort of protector to this planet. We may not be identical, but we are distressingly similar. Like it or not, we are one in the same, just with slightly different packaging. Now, our rather unique situation puts us into a very exceptional position, one that I am very interested in… making use of. I could use your assistance and given the proper training… you might even be able to… become me. "
"What exactly does that mean, 'become you'?" Kevin asked hesitantly.
"You will only discover the truth behind that question should you accept, but the choice is yours, of course. I certainly do envy you… because of who you are... you probably won't be able to have a normal life. But you have a chance at it, a chance that I never had."
Kevin nodded gravely.
He wished that he understood his duplicate more. Every time that they met, a clearer picture was painted, but it was still disappointingly unfinished.
"I'll check on you again once you've recovered, hopefully you'll have an answer by then, if not… Well, if you can't decide by then… then you can't decide."
Before Kevin could get another word out, his duplicate stepped out of the room and vanished around the corner. A nurse with a doctor in tow entered into the room seconds later. Neither seemed at all worried that a boy nearly identical to him had just walked out of his room.
"Dude, you're awake!" Chloe barged into Kevin's room and bounded towards his bed.
I mean… I am now… god damn, girl. Don't you know how to knock?
Kevin limited his displeasure to his thoughts as he shook off the lingering effects of his nap.
"Max is going to be super stoked that you're finally up." Chloe threw herself into the chair where Kate had spent the past few days watching over him, and he wondered how many times Chloe had come to check on him since Kate had specifically mentioned her stopping by.
"So, dude… while we're alone I need to shoot straight with you." Chloe turned around and made sure no one else was lingering by the doorway. "Mad respect for stepping in with Nathan and everything… like seriously, that was so badass… and then you tried to carry Max outside even though you were bleeding all over the place, hella' badass. But I need you to answer a question for me, and I need you to be honest, alright?"
Kevin nodded and waited patiently as Chloe turned around again to make sure no one had crept into the room while she wasn't looking.
"You're not like crushing on Max or anything? She says that you two are 'just friends' but I want to hear it from you, straight." Chloe's face was serious and riddled with anxiety. The mounting tension in the room would have bothered Kevin if he wasn't struggling to keep his emotions under control. It was all he could do to keep from laughing, though a sly smile snuck through as he responded to her desperate query.
"Chloe… Max and I are just friends. Seriously… she's all yours."
Chloe, shocked at his words, stood up immediately and seemed as if she were about to rage at him, but she calmed down after a few moments and cracked a smile of her own.
"Am I that obvious?"
Kevin shook his head before answering and leaned his head back with a soft sigh. "No… but your jealous side is kind of adorable… Max really likes you by the way… just in case you don't know—"
"Oh, I know… speaking of… I'm going to head back to her… She's going to come visit as soon they let her roll around in a wheelchair… We're just down the hall so I'll catch you later." And just as suddenly as she had entered, Chloe left his room. Once again, he was alone, desperately wishing he had someone to talk to.
He had barely gotten used to the emptiness of his room when a genuinely happy looking Olivia walked in.
"Well done." Her greeting confused him for a moment but he then remembered he was supposed to be some big hero or something so it made a little more sense.
Her expression changed however upon seeing his muted reaction. Her smile, however, only increased dramatically after a few moments of hesitation.
"You have no idea what I'm talking about, do you?" Kevin shook his head slowly and she nodded towards his window. "Notice any snow… strange eclipses or two moons in the sky? Has anyone been talking about dead birds or dead whales washing up—"
Kevin felt his mouth open in shock, he had completely forgotten about all of that.
"You mean… none of that has happened?" Still smiling, Olivia shook her head and sat down in the chair next to his bed, giving him an incredulous stare.
"I can't believe you would forget about all of that… but I guess it's understandable considering. But wait, there's more…" Kevin rolled his eyes. He nonetheless waited with anticipation for Olivia's next words. Her mood was infectious, and he felt his spirits rising even before she began to speak. "Due to your unexpected intervention, Nathan Prescott got arrested, of course, and he sold out Mark Jefferson faster than you would believe. He even told us where they buried Rachel Amber. Chloe hasn't been told yet… the information hasn't gone public quite yet. We're just now exhuming her body."
A sad look crossed Olivia's face as she turned in the direction of Max's room. Chloe was no doubt still there. Kevin knew that his own expression turned grim as he thought back to Chloe's reaction upon discovering her missing friend. A sudden realization cheered his mood though and he returned his gaze to Olivia.
"Kate… never tried to commit suicide… because Nathan and Jefferson were already hauled off." Nodding, Olivia finished his train of thought for him
"Nathan also gave up Jefferson's creepy lair and the police found all of the photographs of Jefferson's victims… including Kate's so her nightmare was given solid closure and I'm sure she received less flak about it… or at least was able to resist it better." A great feeling of satisfaction began to explode within his chest. It must have shown because Olivia's smile returned and she laid an affectionate hand on his shoulder.
"That's more like it, nothing like a good door kicking to ruin everyone's plans and foil the bad-guys all at once."
"What… do you mean by that, Agent Dunham?" Olivia's own expression drew as grim as his own and she told him of how, after he had left to see to Kate's safety, things had gone from bad to worse.
Kevin's duplicate ran off to combat the storm using his powers... and failed, quite possibly perishing in the attempt. The boy's forces, whoever they were, met with similar lack of success in their own efforts. Olivia's voice hardened, her smile now a distant memory as she described the events that followed.
Kevin's heart broke when she told him how Chloe had asked Max to sacrifice her so everyone else could live. Seeing no other option, and pressed by Walter, Max had set off to do just that. The last thing that Olivia remembered was a determined, yet broken-hearted looking Max jumping back in time.
Kevin didn't know what to say after that, he didn't even know what to think for several moments.
Well… I guess that explains why Max wants to see me so badly. I fucked up her plans, in the best way possible.
"Yay me…" Kevin managed, feeling mentally and emotionally exhausted after listening to Olivia's tale.
"Like I said: 'Well done,' but if you feel as exhausted as you look I should probably let you get some rest… Don't worry, I'll check back in before we head back to the east coast."
"I'm surprised that you guys are still here. Aren't there any other super crazy, top-secret, out of this world threats that need dealing with?" Olivia smiled as she stood and turned to leave.
"Not yet, and so long as everything plays out the same, there won't be any tomorrow either so I get to spend tomorrow exploring Oregon with Charlie's niece while he fishes… or something. Get some rest, we'll talk later."
"Wait… Agent Dunham. That observer of yours… he drove me to the hospital, didn't he?" Olivia's smile waned slightly as she nodded. "Did he say anything to anyone?" She took a moment before responding, as if she were trying to think of anything that she may have overlooked.
"When he dropped you off, he was asked who he was in relation to you and he allegedly responded that he was 'a concerned third party.'"
That sounds like something he would say… ominous.
Olivia must have noticed the dark look looming on his face, because she did her best to smile, that awkward fake smile that he was familiar with.
"Don't worry too much about it, that's my job." Once Olivia had left, Kevin did his best to sleep. He felt more worn out than he had, but sleep did not come easily.
Looking around his room, he tried to distract his mind with the well wishes and other items that had been left by his peers, at least the ones that were within his reach at any rate. Luckily, with a little stretching and patience, he managed to grab a hold of a book that Alyssa had left for him, and within moments of opening it, he fell asleep.
Kevin's parents arrived the next morning, and, for the first time in years, they seemed to be able to stand being in the same room as one another. They did, however, remain as far apart from one another as the room would allow, as often as they could. The lukewarm reunion quickly soured though as his mother's worries and his father's criticalness began to clash.
His father fired first and quickly demanded to know why he had put himself in such a situation in the first place. The insinuation that everything was entirely his fault was impossible to miss. Even though these sentiments probably somewhat mirrored his mother's worries about his safety, she nonetheless rose to her son's defense and insisted that his father was being far too critical. The situation deteriorated from there.
Max and Chloe showed up to save the day.
Max, looking pale and somewhat pained wore a determined expression as she allowed Chloe to maneuver her wheelchair into the room. The two girls did their best to seem surprised that Kevin's parents were in the room. Max introduced herself, as did Chloe, and his mother warmly welcomed Max and Chloe, while his father silently judged them from afar.
After the introductions had been made, his father ascertained that Max and Chloe had been involved in the situation that had hospitalized his son. Nodding, Max boldly declared that Kevin's actions had most certainly saved their lives and Chloe quickly picked up where her friend had left off.
Full of embellishments, Chloe described how Kevin had heroically saved the day. His parents were dramatically affected as Chloe's tale went into explicit detail, especially when she vividly described how he had selflessly cared for Max despite his own grievous wound. She then proceeded to explain, quite unnecessarily, how Kevin's actions had uncovered a sinister kidnapping plot that had been going on at Blackwell and dazzled them with even more horrific details.
During Chloe's extravagant and sometimes almost completely fabricated tale, Kevin couldn't help himself from smiling ear to ear. The girls had obviously been eavesdropping on his parents' argument. Max must have demanded that they intervene. Chloe, willing to do anything for Max, and apparently a master storyteller, was talking Kevin up so much, he almost didn't recognize himself.
Once Chloe was finally done mesmerizing his parents with her grand tale, the situation calmed down significantly. After what felt like hours of small talk and questions from both parties, Kevin shooed his parents away, claiming to be tired. It wasn't a lie either. He had barely been awake for a few hours and he already felt exhausted. He could tell that Max wanted to speak with him, and from the look of her weak state, he didn't want to keep her waiting for much longer.
Once his parents had left, intentionally heading down the hallway in separate directions, the trio collectively sighed with relief.
"No wonder you decided to go to school super far away from home… they really hate each other…" Chloe grumbled, not really caring if either of his parents heard her.
"That was the first time they've been in the same room for several years, so it was bound to happen. But yeah, I had the choice to live with either of them… either way, no matter which I chose, the other would have disowned me, so I chose neither. Thanks for rescuing me, by the way, that was probably about get so much worse…"
"Don't you dare thank me for saving you… you…you have no idea. No idea how thankful I am for what you did…" Max's soft voice trailed off and her eyes looked at him, almost pleading for him to understand what she was trying to say. Luckily for Max, and thanks to Oliva, he did understand.
"I know, Max… I know." His words were so infused with emotion that he was able to communicate to her that he had been made aware of her plans. Max smiled with obvious relief.
Chloe, although she looked momentarily taken aback by the powerful exchange between them, was none the wiser. Only Max, Olivia, Kevin and his duplicate had memories of what had happened before and it seemed that Max was all too happy to keep it that way. She and Chloe had a fresh start. And from the way the pair looked at one another, and the way Chloe hovered worriedly around her friend, it definitely seemed as if their path was already leading in the same direction. Perhaps it was indeed destiny?
Max and Chloe didn't stay long due to Max's quickly deteriorating energy and her increasingly obvious discomfort. Once again, Kevin was alone in his room. His thoughts turned to Kate and his own destiny and he began to wonder if it had been his heroics which had brought her back to him or the strands of fate. Either way, he was pleased and didn't think much more on the matter. He soon began to ponder his duplicate's mysterious offer.
A normal life? How the hell am I ever going to have a normal life after everything that has happened?
He certainly couldn't see himself 'settling down' back into whatever his life had been before he had met Max, but then again, that did sound nice… especially if Kate was there too.
Olivia had always wondered why Charlie kept a vacation home out in the seemingly 'middle-of-nowhere' Oregon. He was a career man and poured every ounce of his energy into his job and he loved the city that he had served and protected for many years of his life. But, as she followed his niece through the forests of Arcadia Bay, breathing in the fresh, salty air, she felt the magic of the moment bleed into her soul.
It was perfect out here, and with every step her worries of their latest assignment were replaced bit by bit with peace. Charlie's niece loved the outdoors and her free spirit was at home in the wilderness as they walked along in silence. She was glad that she had no memory of the events that had previously unfolded, even though she had taken everything in stride. Her high levels of maturity were indeed showing. However, in the end, this would be better for her in the long run.
Of course, Olivia had to re-explain everything to Charlie, Peter, and Walter. Thankfully, Kevin's actions had so tidily wrapped everything up in such a convenient manner. Olivia's report on the case was going to be much simpler now. No need to go into time traveling, alternate universes, or town-destroying apocalyptic tornadoes.
It was better this way. Max certainly didn't need any more attention from the world. If a report concerning her abilities ever made it into the wrong hands… Olivia shook her head, that would never happen. Curiously, Max had reported that her abilities had vanished anyway, mysteriously dissipating just as suddenly as they had manifested.
Max did admit that she was far too terrified to attempt to see if her sudden feelings were valid, but she felt certain that her powers were gone. Max had seemed momentarily saddened as she had spoken about this, but once Chloe had come back into the room her lasting feelings were obvious. She had Chloe and that was what mattered most. She was all too happy to trade her powers so that her friend could be once again by her side.
It had taken some convincing, but without revealing too much to Broyles, Olivia managed to convince him that a small amount of resources should be allocated to keep an eye on both Max and Kevin. Not that they needed watchful eyes on them, she had a feeling that Kevin's mysterious duplicate and the observer would be watching them as well. Slowly coming out of her thoughts, she watched as Charlie's niece bounded happily onto one of the many wooden bridges that criss crossed over the many streams that broke up the heavily forested park that they were exploring. Kimberly stopped in the middle of the small bridge and turned to gaze down at the clear water underneath her. Smiling, Olivia moved to join her, but something behind her caused her to look casually over her shoulder.
Reflexively, she went for her sidearm, but she froze in mid-motion when she recognized the figure that had seemingly materialized a few feet behind her.
"Beautiful day for a walk, Agent Dunham." Frozen in place, she hesitated a moment before answering as the boy who claimed that Max's friend Kevin was 'just a clone' smiled back at her. His gaze shifted towards Kimberly for a brief moment, his smile became less mocking and more genuine.
Olivia resisted the urge to turn towards Kimberly and forced herself to relax. Slowly, she moved her hand away from her sidearm and the deliberate movement brought Kevin's attention back to her.
"I didn't mean to startle you… Well, that's not entirely true, but I certainly mean you no harm. I just thought it would be nice to talk for a moment before—" His voice trailed off and he cast a quick glance over her shoulder and this time she did turn. Kimberly had turned towards them and was casually, but deliberately, making her way towards them, obviously curious about Kevin's sudden appearance.
"Before what?" Olivia asked hastily, knowing that she had only moments to privately talk with the boy.
"Before I leave… but don't worry I won't be going far." The boy seemed just as concerned about the slowly approaching Kimberly, but he also held a certain amount of anticipation in his eyes, as if he couldn't have been happier about the current state of affairs. He continued speaking in a hurried manner. "I'll be keeping watch of things. The details are still being worked out, but I want you to know that my… people and I aren't going to be doing anything to interfere with the established order here. I also intend to do what I can to… make sure that the right things happen and that the wrong things don't. This, as you will no doubt come to see… will be fantastic for you and your very interesting team. You can most certainly consider me an ally, even if you don't trust me, which I don't blame you for."
With those words out of his mouth, his expression changed completely and his face lit up as Kimberly approached and he bowed slightly as he greeted her. Pleasantries were extended by both parties and Kevin did an impeccable job of pretending to be just another forgettable person, the type that you run into every day. However, from the look on Kimberly's face, it certainly appeared that she wouldn't be forgetting him all too quickly. Clearly noticing this as well, Kevin expertly snuck in a few compliments towards her and seemed to relish Olivia's disapproving glare almost as much as Kimberly's more than positive reception to his charms.
This boy might look exactly like the other Kevin, but he is certainly a different person entirely. Luckily, just as Olivia was about to do her best to interrupt the conversation, Kevin said his goodbye's and wished them both a 'pleasant day'. With one last sly look at Kimberly, he turned and casually walked off in the opposite direction that she and Charlie's niece had been heading without a second glance.
Kimberly noticed Olivia's lingering gaze on her and she received a quick glare for her disapproving look. Without a second glance at Kevin, as if the meeting hadn't mattered to her at all, Kimberly turned around and bounded off towards the bridge, smiling once more beckoning for Olivia to follow.
Shaking her head, Olivia's own smile returned as she recalled Kevin's words. She wanted to know more about him and 'his people' but it seemed that those answers wouldn't come to her at this very moment. She was determined to discover who he was and where he had come from, however, she was determined to enjoy her day off even more.