*Spoilers for Life is Strange*
Inspiring songs for this Chapter:
Mt. Washington by: Local Natives
The two girls arrived at Chloe's 'lair', a junkyard from the looks of it. Chloe was still pissed about what happened at the diner. At this point, Max can't put the effort to care; she instead began to take in her surroundings. 'It's been awhile since I've been here,' she thought smiling faintly at the blue sky.
"Hey, keep up!" Chloe called from ahead of the brunette.
Max ignored her and continued at her slow pace and doing a little sightseeing. If Chloe is going to continue to act like a child, then Max can walk back to her college campus. She had better things to do (like stop a raging storm from coming and destroying everything) then babysit a child.
"Hey, are you listening Max?" Chloe suddenly asked now in the young girl face.
Max folded her arms with a frown painted on her face. "That depends, are you still acting like an immature child?" She asked back.
"An immature child, are you serious right now? You sound_"
"Yes, very much so; you slam doors, stomp around, and act pity when things don't go your way. That's immaturity, which I don't have time for because in case you haven't notice, there's a storm coming. I have to figure out how to stop it or slow it down by the end of this week.
"So, are we going to be serious Chloe or immature Chloe? Either way, if it's wasting time, I'm leaving." Max declared, leaving no room to argue.
"You…you don't have to go Max. I'm sorry, a lot been going with me…with you lately, stress." Chloe said looking down at her boots.
Max nodded her head in understanding. "Okay, I forgive you, now, where are we besides a junkyard?" she inquired.
"Welcome to my lair the American Rust, away from hell. Be careful calling my lair a junkyard, it has feelings too." Chloe announced throwing the brunette a playful glare.
Max rolled her eyes as hard as she could at the word 'feelings'. "Raw and rough, it suits you. Not all that top-secret Chloe, everyone knows where the junkyard is." She pointed out, deliberately using the word junkyard to piss her friend off.
Chloe ignored the word and grin maddening. "Yeah, doesn't mean everybody comes here." She stated in self-assurance.
"Yeah, I guess you're right, go easy on me alright, I don't know how long I'll have my rewind powers. This maybe like *The Girl Who Leapt Through Time. I might only be able to do this certain among of times before it goes away completely." Max explained, making a mental note to watch that movie again.
"The girl who did what now?" Chloe asked having the look of puzzlement planted on her face.
Max rolled her eyes again. "I don't know how long I'll have my powers for," she simplified.
"Exactly, that's why it's time we have some fun while we still can." Chloe stated smiling widely.
Max narrowed her eyes at the blue haired girl. "Train, I mean train," Chloe corrected clearing her throat.
Max followed Chloe over to a clearing and Chloe came to a stop. She reached into a back pocket and pulled out a gun. Max eyes widened in realization and shock. "What the fuck Chloe? Isn't that the gun that David said went missing?" she questioned already knowing the answer.
"Look Max, it isn't a big deal, alright? I'm just borrowing it." Chloe answered.
"I took a hit for you because I thought you didn't take the gun. Not_"
"Which I'm grateful that you did that. Look, it's just a gun Maxy, it's_"
"Guns kill, hurt, and cause nothing, but more problems Chloe. That's what guns do." Max stated interrupting the blue haired girl.
"Well, we're not hurting or killing anyone; just…target practice." Chloe reassured.
"For. What?" Max asked through her teeth.
"Well, Nathan had me in that bathroom cornered. You were there, but at times you won't be there for me all the time. I'm going to need some serious protection the next time Nathan or anyone tries something like that again." Chloe explained having a hard glare on her face.
Max didn't look at the least convinced, but she knew that arguing with Chloe isn't going to change anything. Nor, is it going to stop her from using the gun. The brunette sighed heavily; it looks like she's going to have to deal with the punches.
No matter, how hard they're punching.
Max had no idea where the newly found hatred for guns came from. But she knew she hated them and hated when people use them for all the wrong reasons. They cause nothing, but trouble for everyone even the person on the other side of the gun. She has a feeling it had something to do with this Doctor and Hero person. She never cared for guns, but now the hatred and fear feels like it's been heightened.
Suddenly, there was a beer bottle in her face. She looked up and saw that it was Chloe offering her a drink. "Yuck," she deadpanned shooting her friend a look.
Chloe giggled. "You are so adorable, you haven't changed a bit." She stated.
'Well, that's good thing, I haven't completely lost myself in her endless amounts of bullshit.' Max thought forebodingly.
"Okay, let's do this, can you find five bottles while I prep the shooting range?" Chloe asked.
Max sighed. "Beer and guns, amazing combo," she stated a tone practically dripping sarcasm.
Chloe ignored her remark by waving her off. "You can handle it; now go find us five bottles, pretty please?" She gave the brunette a bright Cheshire like smile.
"Please…stop smiling like that, it's freaking me out." Max said smiling slightly at her blue hair antics.
Chloe just laughed her off.
After collecting two beer bottles, Max walked deeper in the junkyard. She stopped short when she spotted a striking blue phone box not far from where she was standing. Her eyes widened impossible wide. "No way," she breathes out.
She started walking towards the blue phone box and after a moment, she was full on sprinting towards it. She got closer, but it looked so transparent to her, like it wasn't all the way there.
She furrowed her eyebrows. "That can't be right," she murmured to herself.
She swiftly took her camera out and took a picture of the blue box. She shook the photo, still keeping her eye on the police box. She looked down at the photo and the police box was in the photo.
"What the hell?" She wondered staring closely at the photo. She looked back up and the police box was gone. 'No, where did you go?' Max marveled looking around the junkyard, but there was no sign of the blue box anywhere.
On her third bottle, she came across some kind of makeshift fort. There was a small opening, big enough for Max to enter in. She looked around and saw graffiti all over the walls.
'So, this is where Chloe and Rachel hung out.' The brunette realized taking in the empty space. 'I'm betting I can find out a little bit more about Rachel and how she…vanished.' Max thought frowning slightly.
She picked up a hand-crafted bracelet with initials, C and R. 'Well, I can tell they were close. Chloe must've met Rachel after I supposedly left.' Max realized placing the bracelet down. Max then spotted something in a small waste basket. She picked it up and unfolded it. It was a letter from Rachel to someone, maybe Chloe.
'According to this letter, Rachel met someone, but was confused about it. I wonder if this certain person is responsible for Rachel's disappearance…I wish she mention names.' Max deduced, placing the letter back in the waste basket.
Max looked around and spotted a flyer, a Vortex Clue party flyer. 'So, Rachel was at the Vortex Party the same night she disappeared. Strange, a lot goes on inside those vortex parties.' She thought thinking about Kate.
Abruptly, something caught Max eye and she turned around and saw some writing on the wall. It said:
Chloe Was Here
Max Was Here
Rachel Was Is Here
"I don't remember writing that," Max whispered with a surprised expression. She reached out to touch the writing and unexpectedly, she felt like she was getting pulled into something. Trying to catch her breath, she heard someone laughing. Max slowly turned around and nothing could prepare her for this scene. Sitting on the beat-up couch was Rachel alive and well.
Her blond hair was flowing like waterfalls with her hazel eyes glowing with mischief. "Chloe, what on Earth are you doing now?" The blond asked with laughter in her eyes.
"You'll know when I'm done," Chloe said. "There, now if anyone comes in here, they'll know that we own this place." She firmly stated.
Max watched as the same writing that she touched. Instead of it being scratch out by Rachel's name it remained. 'Chloe wrote it,' Max realized.
"Who's Max? Someone I don't know, and you better not tell me it's someone from the Vortex Club." Rachel scolded.
"Ew no, Max was my friend, a good friend till she disappeared." Chloe answered frowning forlornly.
"Disappeared?" Max and Rachel asked in unison.
"Yeah, after my…my dad. A couple of months, she started acting different. Not Max, like a complete stranger. She would stare at me as though she didn't know me at all." Chloe answered.
"What?" Max found herself asking, knowing both girls didn't hear her.
"Chloe, define strange," Rachel ordered frowning now.
"Like, she'll have this distant expression on her face. Her eyes looked way older than they were supposed to. And whenever we would be talking, either she wouldn't know what I'm talking about. Or she'll just completely ignore me.
"The day she left; she had a faraway look as though she wasn't there anymore. I called her like a dozen times. She turned to me, her eyes literally glowing that creepy amber. She looked straight into my eyes and said: 'I'm not Max,'" Chloe explained.
"What the hell?" Rachel asked looking between scared and confused.
"Yeah, that's what I said, and she walked off and I've haven't seen or heard from her since then."
"Did her parents say anything about it?" Rachel inquired.
"That's the weird part; her parents were nowhere to be found. Like they didn't talk to me or my mom. It's as though they never existed in the first place." Chloe answered sitting next to her blond friend.
"Well, maybe she needed some space. With all that was going on, she probably needed some air." Rachel suggested halfheartedly.
"Probably, but she could've just said that. But you didn't see her Rach, it was as though she wasn't even there anymore, just a shell of her former self. Like a completely different person, it was frightening to say the least."
'I don't remember that, why can't I remember any of that,' Max thought clenching her head tightly, wanting to rip her hair out.
Rapidly, the screen faded away and Max found herself back in the rundown abandon secret hideout. 'What the hell was that? A vision or flashback, but the Doctor wasn't in it this time. This time it was about Rachel and Chloe, but how did I do that?' She wondered looking down at the palm of her hand.
She looked around the makeshift fort and decided to walk out. Max didn't want any more surprise visions or flashbacks. God knows, she's been having plenty of those when she sleeps. 'Though, I think I might want to ask Chloe about how I was when I left. Maybe that would give me some insight on who this Hero is and who the Doctor is as well.' Max thought walking even deeper into the junkyard.
After collecting the fifth bottle, Max made her way back to the blue haired girl. She was still in deep thought, handing Chloe the beer bottles almost robotically. A lot happened here, the blue box appearing out of nowhere and the vision she got from the fort. 'I wonder if I can do that again. I mean, I did get a vision of a storm coming and Chloe's part. Why not something else?' Max wondered looking down at her petite hand again.
"Max, are you listening?" Chloe asked breaking through the brunette thoughts.
"Huh what?" She asked in a slight daze.
Chloe rolled her eyes. "I swear you spend more time in Lala Land then actual reality. What I said was we're going to shoot all these bottles without wasting a single bullet." She affirmed.
'I'm spacing out like I did back then before I left. I really need to stop that in front of Chloe, or she's going to think I'm going to leave like before.' Max noticed narrowing her eyes slightly. "I'm not shooting anything and try not to accidently shoot me. I'm going to be useless in stopping the storm if I'm dead." She stated sardonically.
"When did you become so sarcastic and witty, I'm loving it." Chloe commented.
Max didn't answer; she just gave the blue haired girl a dirty look.
"Look, I'm not going to shoot you, just the beer bottles alright?" Chloe reassured catching Max's face expression.
Max stayed silent and turned her attention to the beer bottles.
"If it makes you feel better_
'I have a feeling it won't,' Max thought snarky.
"_you can help me aim; you still got that eye, right?" Chloe continued.
'Whatever eye she's talking about,' Max thought. "Sure," she finally agreed lackadaisically. "If this is going to work, you're going to have to shoot first." She stated.
On cue, Chloe fired the gun and it pierced the left side of the wall where the first beer bottle was station. Max gave into the flinch that threatened to take over her body. She didn't like the sound of firing bullets, especially when it's so close to her ears. 'I'm tough, I can be brave,' Max told herself looking down at her watch. She rewinds a couple of seconds back.
"Aim to your right," the brunette told Chloe not looking up from her watch. After the second bottle was destroyed, Max was trembling all over and her ears were ringing.
"Okay Max, let's get creative. Find me another target." Chloe said with a bright smile.
Max didn't want to, she really didn't. She can feel the fatigue coming over her. She was trying to be brave, but the gunshots they were sending fear into her. Fear that she hasn't felt before in her whole life. And she can't understand why she was feeling this way. But in the back of her mind, she knew that quitting now wasn't going to make Chloe happy. If anything is going to start up another argument, an argument that Max didn't want to have. So, with a heavy heart and sigh, she looked around her immediate area for an easy target. Something quick and easy so maybe she can go home after this.
In the back of her mind, she knew it was never easy when it came to Chloe, but at this point Max couldn't care less.
Max frowned almost contemptuously. "Take out that wheel rim to your left," she pointed.
"Taking out the wheel rim now…" Chloe aimed her pistol at the rim and fired. It ricochets off the rim and hit the beer bottle; shattering it into pieces.
That action alone made Max gasped loudly with a terrified look. "Chloe, I think we should stop now. It's getting a bit dangerous now." She suggested.
"Maxy, it's fine and if any one of us gets hurt you can just rewind like nothing happened. Now, I want one more uber-cool trick shot, please one more and we'll do something else." Chloe said giving Maxx a pleading expression.
"You promise?" Max asked.
"I promise, now target; give me a target." Chloe pressed.
Max looked around for a moment and pointed at the car bumper. "Shoot that bumper out," she stated.
"Goodbye, cruel bumper…" Chloe said firing the pistol. The bullet bounced off the bumper and hit Chloe straight in the chest.
Max eyes widened in shocked and she gasped loudly. "Chloe!" She exclaimed.
"I shot myself! I shot myself!" Chloe yelled clenching her wound.
Suddenly, Max's eyes begin to glow a vibrant gold and she rewind time without her acknowledgement.
"Max, give me a target to shoot," Chloe stated suddenly, snapping Max out of her trans.
'What just happened, I don't remember rewinding. I remember...' Max thought eyes widened in complete shock.
"Max_"
"No, no more, we are done," the brunette declared interrupted the blue haired girl.
"That's not fair Max, you said one more target. I even promise we'll stop when we hit that one target." Chloe argued.
"That promise goes out the window when you get shot!" Max shouted angrily.
Chloe was taken back from that statement. "What?" she asked dumbfounded.
"I told you to shoot that bumper; the bullet bounced off the bumper and hit you." Max explained pointing at the bumper.
"Max, I…I'm sorry, I didn't…we'll stop, we'll stop right now." Chloe said delicately.
Max nodded her head, but that was a mistake because she felt instantly lightheaded. "Max, are you alright?" Chloe asked watching her brunette friend sway a bit. She knew the answer immediately when the brunette nose began to bleed.
"Chloe…I don't feel so super," Max shrugged to say. Her eyes rolled to the back of her head and she was falling to the ground. The last thing she heard was Chloe calling her name before she was unconscious.
Max shrugged to open her eyes, everything was spinning. Her vision was blur till she saw it again; the storm and the lighthouse. She groaned and tried to sit up, but she found that she couldn't. She looked around with her eyes and saw that she was in the same place as before. Mechanical ceiling, with a sci-fi spin to it.
'Where am I?' Max wondered frowning in puzzlement. She unexpectedly heard a loud, but comforting hum coming from the center console. Max groaned again and tried to set up again, but it was no use, her limbs felt like jello.
"Hello?" She called, hoping someone can hear her. There was another loud hum and then a rush of footsteps. Max's heart was beating so fast, she thought it was going to burst out of her chest. She looked up and saw that it was the same man from before. The one with the silver hair and the ancient icy blue eyes.
"Doctor," Max breaths out, feeling – for some reason – relief and saved.
"Oh my god Hero!" Clara abruptly exclaimed making Max jump faintly.
The Doctor kneeled over to Max's level pulling her to him in a tight hug. "Amser, you're here, you have to tell me where you are." He almost pleaded.
"What?" She asked blinking at him in bewilderment.
"Hero, you've been missing, we've searched everywhere, and I mean everywhere for you. Where are you?" Clara asked pleading to her.
"I don't understand," Max whispered. "You were there at my dorm." She stated.
"What?" The Doctor and Clara questioned in unison.
"You were there with Donna and some other woman with curly hair. I'm not so sure now, you don't look like him." Max tried to explain through the fatigue.
"River," the Doctor muttered. He cupped Max cheeks and looked at her in the eyes. "Which face was I Hero? Do you know what face I was?" He asked her with practice patience.
Max was more than befuddled, she was dumbstruck; she didn't quite understand what he was asking of her. "I don't understand, what face?" She asked with a daze expression.
"Hero focus, we don't know how much time we have with you." Clara pressed.
Max winced suddenly remembering what happened outside the diner. "She asked me if I…if I was human. I told her yes, I was human. Why would she ask me that?" Max suddenly asked as droplets of blood began to free fall from her nose.
As if the other penny dropped, Clara and the Doctor's eyes widened in alarm. They looked at each other with a mixture of puzzlement and realization.
"What is that humming?" Max asked looking around for the source.
"It's…it's the TARDIS reacting to you," the Doctor answered. "Did the woman say anything else, anything at all?" he asked the brunette.
Max mouth the word TARDIS. "I remember seeing the TARDIS in the junkyard, but that's impossible for it to be there because it disappeared." She muttered with a dazed expression.
"Junkyard, Hero; have you seen River after that first encounter?" Clara asked trying to get the Time Lady back on track.
"River…I remember…saving her? I saved her from something, I don't quite remember where though. Everything is such a blur, everything is not making sense." Max said wincing again when a shot of pain attacked the side of her head.
"I will make everything make sense Amser, I promise, but I need you to tell me where you are, so I can find you." The Doctor said searching the brunette honey colored eyes as though they have the answer.
"'Time is falling apart', that's what she said history is changing. What did she mean by that?" Max asked wincing again.
The Doctor glanced at his companion and she shook her head at him. "Hero, right now that doesn't mean anything. What's important right now is finding out where you are so I can get there." The Doctor pressed.
Max frowned, thinking back and remembering the storm. "I can't," she whispered.
The Doctor blinked once and then twice. "What do you mean you can't? Is someone threatening you, tell me who they_"
"Max, can you hear me? Please wake up! I'm sorry!" Someone suddenly shouted interrupting the Time Lord.
Max sat up slowly, leaning heavily on the Doctor for support. Clara came behind Max supporting her there. The brunette winced when trying to move, but her limbs are just not responding. "I have to stay…there is a…a storm coming to my town and I have stop it." She shrugged to explained.
"Storm…no, Amser listen to me; you have told me, so I can help you…please." The Doctor pleaded trying to hang on to the brunette.
Max smiled wretchedly and shook her head at him; the Doctor eyes widened in distress. Max suddenly began to fade away from them. The Doctor and Clara started to shout and plead for the brunette to stay. Max could hardly hear them anymore; she closed her eyes and faded away completely.
Max opened her golden honey colored eyes slowly, taking in her surroundings. She was lying on someone lap; a rather comfortable lap. 'I was in that place again, the place where he was, where the Doctor was. Was that real or a dream? If I stop this storm from coming, maybe I can see him in real life. If all this is even real or in my head.' Max wondered looking daze.
'River, that's what the Doctor called her, she sounds familiar. Why do I feel like I know that name?' Max thought closing her eyes to concentrate.
"Hero, please don't do this, you have no guarantee that you'll regenerate…"
"You're right, but there is no way I'm going to let you die here. You said it yourself; you know my name and the Doctor's name. That means you're something to him in the future…"
"Time can be rewritten…"
"Yeah, but you already know our future and you know what happens if you were to die here…"
"Hero, please…the Doctor would be-"
"-will heal, you mean something to him right, after all, you know his name. Time is being rewritten right now because I'm the one that's changing it. I'm Time after all…"
"Hero!"
Max eyes shot opened in alarm. 'I saved her, or at least I think I did. But if that's the case, how am I still here?' She questioned rubbing her head.
"Max, oh my god, you freaked me out. Do you feel any better now?" Chloe asked her tone laced in distress.
Max tiredly looked up at Chloe. "A little, thanks for helping me. I…just need a minute." She answered blinking slowly; trying to get everything working again.
"Too much action for Arcadia?" Chloe tried to joke getting an exhausted grin from the brunette.
"Hey, take five, let me know when you feel any better alright?" Chloe stated giving Max another concern expression before walking off.
The brunette nodded her head in understanding and slowly slides off the bumper of the truck. 'God, this power if really messing with my head and these visions or flashbacks. I'm starting to get really scared about all of this.' Max thought rubbing her temples.
After a few minutes of trying to get her head screw back on tight. Max walked back to Chloe, who grinned and jumped off another truck she, was sitting on.
"Alright, ready to lock and load?" Chloe asked.
Max furrowed her eyebrows. "No Chloe, I'm ready to go home, I can't do that anymore." She stated giving her blue haired friend a pointed look.
"Are you afraid of getting into trouble?" Chloe asked almost patronizing. Before Max could answer, Chloe interrupted her. "Oh, boo ho, Max is afraid! I know you can handle this, that's why I'm here to guide you." She explained.
"I don't want you to guide me Chloe!" Max snapped irately.
Chloe looked taken back. "Max_"
"You don't understand the burden of these powers because you don't have them. It takes a toll on my mind and my body. For God sake Chloe, you were just shot in the chest, if I didn't rewind; you would be dead. I got these powers yesterday, not three months ago." Max exploded frantically, unknown to her, her eyes were glowing again.
"I'm_"
"Are you going to take me home or will I have to walk?" Max questioned completely done with the whole situation.
Before Chloe could answer, another voice came into the picture. "Hey, it's Thelma and Louise, or maybe Bonnie and Clyde?" He asked good-naturedly.
Max breath hitched when an unknown stranger came into the mix. She didn't know this man at all, but from Chloe's face expression, the stranger and her have history.
"Excuse us, Frank," Chloe nearly spat heatedly.
"Oh, sorry Chloe, don't let me get in the way of your bonding," the man now known as Frank sneered sarcastically. "I heard the gunshots and breaking glass. It's cute that you're playing with guns." He continued.
'Shit,' Max mentally cursed sneaking a glance at the pistol Chloe was holding behind her back.
"Just like me your age," Frank commented.
"We're nothing alike man," Chloe shot back glaring a hole through Frank.
'This isn't good, she's holding the gun and if it's not obvious enough, she doesn't like this man. Should I rewind time and warn Chloe this man would be giving us shit.' The brunette wondered looking between the exchange.
"We both need money, in fact; you need it so bad you owe me a shitload. Don't you, Chloe?" Frank goaded.
'What money?' Max mentally wondered eyes slowly widening in realization.
"You'll get your money," Chloe declared.
Frank began to advance on the blue haired girl. "Don't they all say that? Y'know, even when they're broke and acting tough…" he trailed off to look at Max who was looking down at Chloe.
"Hey, what are you looking at?" Frank asking making the brunette slightly recoil. Max didn't answer; she looked at Chloe and saw she was staring at something that was on Frank's wrist. From where Max was standing, it looked like a bracelet.
"Where did you get that bracelet?" Chloe asked not breaking contact with the fabric around Frank's wrist.
"A friend and it's none of your damn business. You're my business now and I_"
Chloe ignored him, still looking at the bracelet; suddenly, what if would seem like recognition slapped Chloe upside the head. "That's Rachel's bracelet," she realized. She looked up and fury took the wheel. She whipped out the gun she was hiding and pointed it directly at Frank. "Why the fuck are you wearing her bracelet?" she demanded.
Max eyes widened almost comical with her mouth hanging open in complete alarm as she watched her friend go from zero to hundred. "Chloe put down the gun before you hurt someone." She said trying to stay calm.
"It would be best if you listen to your friend," Frank suggested backing up a bit.
"Shut up and answer the question," Chloe snapped ignoring Frank and Max completely.
"Calm yourself, alright? It was a gift," Frank answered.
"Chloe, for god sake, put the gun down!" Max pleaded looking between the gun and Frank.
Chloe ignored again her again. "No, it wasn't, you stole that shit. Give it to me right now, asshole!" She ordered wrathfully.
"Or what, you're going to shoot me," Frank began to laugh. "Don't make me laugh, you don't have the balls to shoot me, little girl." He baited.
"You sure about that, would you bet your miserable life." Chloe challenged.
"I think I would," Frank shot back.
"Then clearly you don't know me at all." Chloe stated coldly and emotionless. She then pulled the trigger, right when Max shouted no. The bullet pierces the air ringing out for anyone whose listening.
The bullet hit Frank square in the chest, making him fall on the ground with a painful thump. Max thought everything was happening in slow motion. Nothing was making sense, everything was spiraling into chaos. She stared at Frank motionless body with wide eyes in complete shock not knowing what to do or think.
"Take it back, take it back," she muttered to herself as her hands slowly began to grip her head tightly. Unknown to the brunette, her eyes began to slowly glow vibrant gold. Without realizing it Max, rewind time just by thinking it.
"Max, can you hear me? Max, wake the hell up!" Someone shouted vociferously.
Max gasped loudly as she shot up and looked around frantically with a haunted expression on her face. She was sweating, and her breath was labored, she didn't know what happened. One minute, they were talking to Frank and the next, he was dead. 'The gun…' Max thought gripping the side of her head; feeling a headache forming.
"Max, you're nose it's_"
"Give me the gun," Max asked almost below a whisper.
"What Max, why_"
"Give me the gun Chloe, I will not ask again!" Max demanded glaring at the blue haired girl.
Chloe almost took a step back at the tone of the brunette. She's never seen the brunette so shaken up and angry before. She looked down with a frown and handed the gun to the brunette. Max took the gun and looked up to the approaching figure. She wiped her nose with the back of the sleeve and placed the gun behind her. She straightened her face to make it look neutral, but it was hard because that image kept replaying in her mind.
"Hey, it's Thelma and Louise, or maybe Bonnie and Clyde?" The older man teased coming into view.
"Excuse us Frank," Chloe snapped back angrily.
'This is just like last time; I'm having a very strange case of déjà vu right now. Focus Max, Chloe snapped when she saw Frank's bracelet. So, I should intervene probably before or right at that moment.' Max thought narrowing her eyes slightly, as she plans.
"We both know you need money in fact, you need it so bad you owe me a shitload. Don't you, Chloe?" Frank taunted.
Max almost rolled eyes in annoyance. 'It doesn't help that he keeps baiting her any chance he gets.' She thought frowning at the thought.
"You'll get your money," Chloe declared frowning at the older man.
Frank began to advance on the blue haired girl and Max flinched violently and step back slightly to the left for a better angle.
"Don't they all say that? Y'know, even when they're broke and acting tough…" he trailed off and looked at the haunted expression that was on Max's features.
She was trying very hard to make her face neutral, but it was hard. Not when the events of what happened the last time was replaying like a movie in front of her. It was all a little disorienting to her and she was trying to handle it. She never seen someone die before, she never thought Chloe had it in her the actual kill someone. To take someone from this world, it was so easy, so simple; it was frightening and that's why Max hated guns. They're we're nothing, but trouble and they bring trouble and death everywhere it goes.
"Hey, what's with the face? You're acting like you've seen a ghost." Frank asked breaking through the brunette deep thoughts.
'I might be,' Max thought flinching faintly and pushing the gun farther away from Frank's view. 'It's coming, Chloe is about to notice the bracelet,' the brunette realized looking in Chloe's direction.
"What did you_?"
"Where did you get that bracelet?" Chloe asked looking directly at the bracelet around Frank's wrist.
'Here we go; I just hope I'm quick enough.' Max thought sighing inwardly.
"A friend and it's none of your damn business. You're my business now and I_"
"That's Rachel's bracelet!" Chloe shouted in recognition.
"Chloe, don't jump to conclusions, that can be anybody's bracelet." Max spoke up.
"No, I know her, and I know her bracelet, that's definitely Rachel's." Chloe pressed glaring at Frank. "No, it wasn't a gift, you stole that shit! Give it to me right now, asshole!" She shouted reaching for the bracelet.
Suddenly, Frank whipped out a pocket knife and pointed threatened at the blue haired girl. "You better step back before you regret it, girl; I mean it." Frank warned calmly.
Max eyes widened in shock. 'What the hell? This didn't happen last time; Frank didn't have a knife last time.' She realized thinking back on the last time she rewinds time. 'No, I have to stop this, before someone gets hurt.' The brunette realized as her eyes hardened. The brunette stuffed the gun in her shoulder bag and walked in between the two.
"What do you think you're_"
"Shut up, because everything that's coming out of your mouth is making this whole situation worse than it already is." The brunette interrupted shooting Frank an icy glare. She turned her attention back to Chloe who was looking at her with a surprised and annoyed expression. "We're leaving," She stated leaving no room to argue.
"But that's Rachel's'_"
"No, we are not doing this right now; you've caused enough damage already." She stated firmly. The brunette turned her attention to Frank who was looking bewilderment. "We're sorry for causing a disruption, we won't do it again." She gripped Chloe wrist and dragged her away from Frank and where the train tracks are.
Max and Chloe, we're walking on the railroad tracks, the brunette completely ignoring the blue haired girl and the blue haired girl was trying to get the brunette attention. It got the point where Chloe stopped in front of the brunette, making her stop as well.
"Okay, seriously; you're ignoring me and me not knowing what I did wrong is bothering me. So, can you tell me what I did so I find a way to fix it?" Chloe asked giving Max a pleading look.
Max ignored her and gave her a hard look. "Is this how it's going to be now?" She asked straight to the point.
"What do you mean?" Chloe asked looking completely thrown off.
"You going off doing stupid and reckless shit because I can manipulate time now. If that is the case, I didn't sign up for that and I'm not going to apart of that."
"Maxy, what are you talking about? I do reckless stupid shit all the time."
"Really, is that so? Does shooting Frank count as you doing reckless stupid shit!"
Chloe looked shocked and took a step back. "What are you talking about Max? I didn't shot Frank, I didn't have the gun." She defended.
"Let me ask you a question, if I didn't ask for the gun, would you have shot Frank?"
Chloe furrowed her eyebrows in puzzlement and a little annoyed. "No, I wouldn't Max, how could you even ask that?" She questioned.
"That's a lie and you know it,"
"I'm not lying!"
"Yes, you are, because you shot Frank. The reason you don't know is because I rewind time. Tell me something Chloe, if I didn't have my rewind powers and you just so happened to get so mad and shoot Frank. Then what, what would've happened?" Max asked crossing her arms.
"But it didn't_"
"Yes it did! I saw it, I was right there! You don't remember, but I do as clear as day! You shot Frank over a bracelet!" Max yelled, getting irritated over the fact that her friend wasn't seeing the point.
"It wasn't just a bracelet Max, it was Rachel's. And he knows_"
"This is what I'm talking about; you don't think when you act. You just act and throw everything else that's important – like thinking – out the window."
Chloe didn't answer.
Max sighed heavily. "Answer the question, what would you have done if I didn't have my rewind powers when you shot Frank?" she asked again, softly this time.
Chloe sighed heavily too and began to walk on the railroad path again. "I don't know, panic and yell sure. But after that, I don't know," she answers in a small voice.
"You would have gone to jail, and I probably would've joined you for just being here. You have got to stop being so reckless all the time, it doesn't help. And you can't depend on my powers to bail you out of situations like this."
"I don't depend on your powers Max, you know that,"
Max gave her a consequential look. "You do depend on my powers because if you didn't, it would require you to depend on me. And we both know you're not going to do that anytime soon." She stated bluntly.
Chloe looked hurt, but didn't say anything.
"And that's fine; I…it's fine; but please don't do something like this again. You can't do something like this ever again. Taking a life is serious business and me finding out that you can do it so easy, it's nerve wrecking to say the least."
"But Max, I_"
"Just because I rewind time Chloe, doesn't change the fact it was still you. It doesn't change the fact that you still did it. I'm done arguing about this, I'm really am. Actually, I'm done arguing period because that seems like the only thing we do now days and I hate it. I really do, but that just proves how much I've change, I don't remember us arguing as much as we are now." Max explained as she also continues to walk on the railroad.
"Yeah, we didn't; but most of the time it was you that didn't put much of a fight when I wanted to do stuff that might get us in trouble. You have changed, mature more than I did apparently, but that's not a bad thing; you're doing a good job keeping me level headed."
'That makes sense, I don't remember most of the time I spent with Chloe. I remember the important stuff, but nothing else; everything is a big fat blur.' Max realized frowning at the rusting train tracks.
"I'm surprised you haven't ask," Chloe spoke breaking through the brunette thoughts.
"Ask what?" The brunette asked back.
Chloe stopped walking and laid down on the train tracks, Max sat on tracks near Chloe's boots. "Why of all people would be hanging around with people like Frank." The blue haired girl answered smirking up at the brunette.
"I was getting to that, but I was too busy scolding you for doing stupid reckless shit."
Chloe rolled her eyes. "Thanks mom," she muttered to herself.
"But in all seriousness, why are you hanging out with someone like Frank? It doesn't seem to be your…crowd." Max stated, choosing her words wisely.
"He's…not; Frank Bowers is just a dealer, where I get my weed. The one in your joint remember? Anyway, Frank and I kind of hung out." Chloe answered with her arms behind her head.
Max shook her head almost in disapproval. "Jesus Chloe, this isn't one of those 'bad boy' phases?" She asked almost wanting to groan in annoyance.
"No, it's my 'trying to scrounge some quick cash so Rachel and I could get the hell out of here' phase." Chloe almost snapped. "Frank had quick cash, that's all."
"So, that's it," Max almost afraid to ask.
Chloe eyes hardened. "No, I want to know how Frank got Rachel's bracelet…What do you think?" She asked turning her eyes to the brunette.
"Maybe he stumbled upon it somehow, Rachel's missing right. Maybe it fell off somewhere and he just happened to pick it up. Though, if it was just a bracelet, why would Frank get all defensive about a random bracelet?" Max deduced.
Chloe eyes widened. "Oh my god Max, you are the smartest person in the world right now! Of course, but what does that mean?" She asked with a bright grin.
"It means we need to be careful and keep an eye on this Mr. Bower guy. And you need to find a way to pay him back."
Chloe groaned loudly.
"None of that Chloe, you can't run from your debts, it never works they're keep coming back till you deal with them. Why don't you just borrow money from your mom or_?"
"Don't say it," the blue haired girl interrupted shooting a glare at the brunette.
"Okay, just ask your mom for help, paying back your mom is a lot easier than paying back some crazed drug dealer."
"Oh yeah, because that conversation is going to go so well, 'hey mom, I borrow some money from some asshole drug dealer. Can I borrow some money from you to pay him back, so he won't hunt me down when I skip town?' Yeah, Mad Max, great idea."
"I'm not telling you to tell your mom everything, use your imagination."
Chloe gave the brunette a shit-eating grin. "You want me to lie, little innocent Maxy wants not so innocent Chloe to lie to her own mother." Chloe faked gasped. "The horror,"
Max just shrugged her shoulders indifferently. "Well, I figured sense you lie about everything else, this should be easy." She joked.
Chloe scoffed and lightly kicked Max in the leg, making the brunette laugh out loud, almost falling off the tracks completely. Chloe slowly stopped laughing and looked up at Max who still had a slight bright smile on her face. "It's so weird talking to you about this insane crap. We haven't hung out this much since we we're tweens…and it's like no time has passed." She stated frowning slightly.
The brunette frowned too. She began to think when the last time her and Chloe hung out was. 'No, that's not true; time has passed. It feels like a lifetime since I've seen Chloe, like I haven't been in this town in years. Maybe to her it feels like I haven't left, so then why do I feel like something in me is missing?' Max thought narrowing her eyes to the ground.
"I wish Rachel was here to meet you," Chloe suddenly said in a small voice.
That statement made Max look up with an alarmed expression on her face. What brought this up? She didn't know anything about Rachel only she met the world to Chloe. If Max was honest with herself, she didn't want to meet Rachel, she felt like she would stepping on something that was not met to be step on. She was sure Rachel was a nice girl, probably one of the nicest – going by what Chloe was saying – but the brunette would feel uncomfortable around the missing girl. Like she would have to prove herself to her or something, and she didn't like feeling that way.
"Why?" Max ended up asking in a hesitant tone. "I mean, I don't think she would be very fond of me," the brunette admitted.
"You're not that different. She had – has a great eye for images and for art. She wasn't a geek like you with the whole understanding of Quantum Psychics and Advanced Chemistry. But she is a smartass like you; we would all be hella 'best friends forever.'" The blue haired girl answered with a slight smirk on her face.
Max nodded her head in understanding but in the back of her mind, she didn't want to meet the missing girl. Like something about her rubs, her the wrong way, like wasn't met to meet the girl. But the brunette had a feeling that if she told the blue haired girl what she was thinking, it wouldn't go over so well. So, the brunette decided to keep it positive and light, not giving away what her inner thoughts were.
"I know she must be as cool as you are. I have no doubt we'll meet soon," she stated having a small smile on her face.
Chloe grinned widely at her. "Railroad tracks always make me feel better, I have no idea why," she said gently with bright eyes.
Max nodded her head and glanced at the clouds. "Kerouac knew it's the romance of travel and movement. The sound of the train whistle at night, I was always so taken by that poet because I felt so connected to it. Like it was something I've done or will do in my life." She explained with a far away tone as though she wasn't really there, like she was already gone.
"Look at the beat poet here," Chloe cut in watching the brunette's amber eyes glow faintly.
Max gave Chloe a playful glare making the blue hair girl grin. She shook her head, sitting up to lean on her elbows. "Not really, I'm…not really into poetry, once upon a time I was, but not anymore. I'd rather be a good photographer," she explained standing up to her feet and brushing off in dirt from her dress.
"What, not Quantum Physics or Advanced Chemistry, what's the other one…oh yeah, Pre_"
"All those are just hobbies and subjects that I like researching and studying," Max interrupted smiling down at Chloe.
"You do that on your down time, you have way too much time on your hands," Chloe stated getting ready to also get up.
"You have no idea," Max muttered before she could even stopped herself.
Chloe furrowed her eyebrows at the brunette and looked up to see the brunette staring at something that was to her left. She had a dazed expression on her face, like she wasn't even there anymore. "Max, are you okay?" The blue hair girl asked with a frown on her face.
Before Max could even answer, pain shot into her head, making her winced and groan in pain. Flashes of the storm and a man and a woman with a blue box attacked her mind; the images didn't stop, and it showed that the storm was getting larger and more destructive. Suddenly, the images changed to a tall man in a brown coat and a woman with blond curly hair shouting at her and…crying? Before she could even concentrate on what the visions met, something or rather someone was breaking through her visions. She clenched her head and shut her eyes tight, trying to block out the pain.
"Max! Max help me, I'm stuck!" Chloe abruptly yelled breaking the brunette painful visions.
The brunette shot up, still feeling the effects of her painful vision. She whipped around and spotted Chloe still on the train tracks trying to move her foot. Her eyes widened in fright and she jogged over, wincing vaguely by the headache she was now getting.
"Give me your hands," the brunette ordered holding out her own pale hands for the blue hair girl to take. Chloe grasped her hands tightly and the brunette pulled as hard as she could, but she couldn't release the blue haired girl.
Chloe let go after grunting out in pain from the brunette pulling to hard. She pulled at her boot, but it still wouldn't budge. Max bent down and grabbed the boot and tried to move it another way to remove it and it still didn't work. Suddenly, a loud horn pierced the air like a bullet, making Max look up in alarm. Her eyes widened when she realized what that was the horn of a train.
"Hold on Chloe, I'm going to find something to get you out!" The brunette called looking up and spotting a fuse box.
"Hurry Max, please," Chloe begged gripping her leg and trying to pull it out.
Max ran over and practically ripped the fuse box open and started look and hard at the controls. 'I wish I had a sonic screwdriver right about now,' the brunette thought frowning at the wires. Suddenly, Max stopped short and had an alarm expression on her face, 'wait, why did I just say sonic screwdriver? I don't even know what that_'
"Doctor, stop doing that if you don't stop, you're sonic will_"
"Oh no, don't do that; come back Prisoner Zero is right here!"
"-overload and burn itself out, you are an absolute knob,"
"Not the time Hero, we_"
"Just food for thought, Prisoner Zero has melted down and escape into the sewer…"
"No TARDIS, no sonic, and 18 minutes_"
"17 minutes dear…"
"To save the world, great…"
"You had fewer tools to work with love, nothing here is the same. Now, you have fewer humans and you still have me…"
'This is hardly the time for visions Max; I need something to cut these wires.' Max thought shaking her head, making her short brown hair fly around. The brunette looked around again and spotted a lever that was can change the direction of the train.
'Perfect,' she thought reaching for the lever and pulling it, but it didn't budge at all, it was stuck. Max tried it again, but it was no use it still didn't move.
'Damn it, that thing didn't even more an inch, I need to find something else!' The brunette thought looking at the blue haired girl that was still shouting for Max to hurry. Max looked down at her watch and rewind a few seconds back, trying to buy some more time. She ignored the slight dizziness she was feeling and blood that was slowly rolling down her nose and began to run up the hill to the where there were a couple of barrels lying around.
She spotted a crowbar in one of the empty barrels and pulled it out, testing the weight of it. 'I can definitely use this,' she thought.
She looked up at the small abandoned tool shed and used the crowbar to open the locked door. She frantically looked around, opening doors, trying to find anything that help her. She found a wire cutter and an ax that was hanging on the wall. 'It's not a sonic screwdriver, but it'll do.' The brunette thought bolting out the door. She spotted a huge cable drum and ran towards it. 'I might can save some time if I can put this in the middle of the train tracks, but I'm not be able to push it, it's just me.' She thought running around the cable drum. She hopped down from the small hill; she looked up and saw the train coming towards Chloe. Max hold out her hand and rewind all the way back, when she did; she clenched her head, feeling it ringing. She shook it off and jogged over to the fuse box and looked at the different wires she needed to cut.
'Okay, we have a yellow, a green, and red; which one do I cut? I don't think I keep rewinding, but I don't think I have much of a choice.' Max thought frowning sadly at wires. 'Think Max think, green probably makes everything run, so red or yellow; let's try yellow,' she decided cutting the yellow wire. It puffed up in smoke and short current. Max flinched back and waved her hand to clear out some of the smoke. 'Shit, that didn't work at all,' the brunette realized looking down at her watch and rewinding back a couple of seconds.
When she did, she cut the red wire and it turned on the lever that was station next to the fuse box. 'We have our winner!' Max thought running over to the lever and pulling it down making the tracks switch. Chloe finally got herself out of the track and moved when the train passed her. Max signed out of complete relief, "Thank goodness," she muttered, holding her heart.
Chloe stumbled over and hugged Max tightly, afraid she might disappear. "You okay?" Max asked hugging the blue haired girl back.
"You saved me again, crazy. We're like bonded for life," Chloe exclaimed.
Max backed out of the hug first. "That was close, too close for comforted," she stated frowning slightly.
"Aren't you glad I took you away to a nice quiet desolate spot?" Chloe asked almost sounding serious.
Max gave her a tired smile, already feeling the effects of her rewinding taking its toll on her. "Don't start, but it was cool to spend some time in your lair, even though we only shot beer bottles and got harassed by her dealer Frank. And let me not get started on the train." She rambled.
"Okay, okay, freaking sassy pants over there," Chloe remarked with a smirk.
Max gave a tired laugh, leaning heavily on Chloe. "Who'd you think I get from?" she asked feeling her eyes get heavy.
"Certainly not from me, I mean, I'm a good daughter and I do my homework and hang out with my super cool rich friends' and_"
Max laughed again, but it came out as a cough, she looked down at her hand and saw there was blood in her hand. Chloe looked down at it too and her eyes slowly started to widen in distress. "Max, oh my god, are_"
"It's fine Chloe, it just means I rewind too much today and I need to take it easy. Come on, let's just go back to school, I'll be fine when I get some sleep." The brunette reassured the blue haired girl.
Chloe didn't look convinced, but she didn't voice it. She agrees and began to half carry her brunette friend back to her truck.
"Hero…"
"Hero…"
"Amser…"
"Amser…"
"Time…"
"MAX!"
The brunette bolted up and began to look around with a mixture of alarm and panic. She looked at Chloe who was sporting a smirk on her face.
"Did you really have to shout?" Max asked shooting her blue haired friend a tired glare.
"Well, it's not my fault you sleep like the dead. It woke you up though, by the way; we're at your school."
"Thanks for the ride Chloe, right on time for my photo class," Max stated with a small smile.
"I'm sorry about what happened, if I would have known you were going to start coughing up blood, I_"
"Chloe, like I said before; don't worry about it. If you didn't, I would be worried that someone replaced the real Chloe with a clone or something." The brunette joked, though in the back of her mind, she felt like something like that happened before in her life.
"You are seriously watching way too many sci-fi movies. But in all seriousness, I think your rewind powers has to be connected to that snow yesterday. That might explain your tornado vision." Chloe stated with a thoughtful expression on her face.
"Yeah, maybe but that still doesn't explain these visions that I keep having or that blue police box that keeps popping up. Or why he wants to find me." Max said frowning sadly just thinking about how desperate the Doctor wanted to find her.
"Who wanted to find you Max?" Chloe asked.
"Some guy or…uh man named the Doctor,"
"Doctor Who?"
"I don't…no, actually, I think I do, but I don't at the same time. It's strange, but he knows me."
Suddenly, Chloe slowly started to grin almost rivaling the Cheshire Cat. "Man huh?" she inquired raising one eyebrow.
Max gave her a puzzled expression, but flushed instantly when she realized what she talking about. "It's not like that Chloe, he's married!" she shouted without even realizing what she said.
"Yeah, if that is the case – by the way, I don't think it is – why are you blushing? If nothing is going on between you and this Doctor fellow, then why are you beet red?"
Max didn't answer; she didn't know how to answer, because she honestly didn't know. She didn't know anything about this Doctor guy, but she felt like she knew him her whole life. She didn't know why she said he was married, but in the back of her mind; she knew it was going to happen or will happen or already happened.
"Wibbly wobbly timely wimely," she murmured rubbing her temples, feeling a headache coming on.
"What Max?"
"It's nothing, I…uh, better go, I'll see you later Chloe," Max all, but leaped out of the truck, closing the door behind her.
"Don't think our talk about your boy toy is over Mad Max!" Chloe called to her waving her hand.
Max blushed slightly and swiftly turned around to face the truck. "He is not my boy toy and I don't even if he's real." She stated frowning.
"Well, I guess we'll have to look for this Doctor, after we find Rachel," Chloe stated firmly.
Max nodded her head in agreement. 'Though, I have a feeling, finding the Doctor is going to be a lot harder than finding Rachel,' she thought frowning sadly.
Chloe soon drove away, leaving Max to stand there with her overflowing thoughts. 'The storm, the snow, and my rewind powers; if I go back to Quantum Physics, the Chaos Theory was always so interesting to me. Similar to the Butterfly Effect, one little thing that's changed can make a huge impact later on in time. So, whatever happened between the day before yesterday and today, something changed.' The brunette thought sighing softly.
"I just don't know what it is," Max muttered to herself quietly. She sighed again, feeling the little rain that was falling and made her way inside the building.
She yawned softly, covering her mouth and tiredly looking up at all the Vortex Club posters lying everywhere and hanging up everywhere. 'Well, this is all rather exhausting, though I do have some time before Mr. Jefferson's class, I can do some wandering. I want to see if I can find Kate, I have to talk to her about the Doctor being here.' She thought looking around the hallway.
She saw the Principal from the corner of her eye, but decided not to talk to him. The last thing she needed was another argument about how she didn't have any proof or how she pulled the fire alarm. She kept walking, catching the sight of the big sign hanging above her.
She almost rolled her eyes in annoyance.
She saw Zachary or Zach for short standing near the trophies with a couple of his friends. Max wasn't talkative, shyer and kept to herself, but she did go out her way to help people if they needed it. She recalls a few times she helped Zach and his buddies with they're Chemistry homework.
"Hey Zach," she greeted softly.
The tall guy turned around and greeted Max with a wide grin. "Hey Max Attack, it's a little weird seeing you here without your camera." He noticed.
Max smiled at the ridiculous nickname. "Yeah, I still have it, haven't been taking much pictures surprisingly. I have a question, have you see Kate around here, I need to talk to her." She asked him.
"Kate, Kate Marsh, no I haven't seen her around, though someone here a little early was looking for you Max." Zach stated.
"Who was looking for me?" The brunette asked furrowing her eyebrows.
"Don't know, haven't seen them around time before they look like foreigners because they were talking with an accent. Sounded strange, I think it was British or something."
"Did they tell anyone want they wanted and why they were looking for me?" Max inquired, already knowing who was at this campus looking for her.
"No, they look like they were in a rush, they kept saying hero like that was your name and they were really serious about it being your name. Anyway, when the tall guy in the brown coat and suit describe you, everyone immediately said your name. Funny enough, Kate was the one that showed them where your dorm room was." Zach explained.
"Zach, was there two women and a man here, one with red hair the other with curly blond, and the other with wild brown hair?" Max asked with a faraway expression on her face.
"Come to think of it, yeah they were; how did you know Max, do you know them?" Zach asked her tilting his head a bit.
Max narrowed her eyes. "Not partially, but thank you for telling me, do you know where they went?" She asked him.
Zach shook his head. "No, they sort of just disappeared after Kate took them to your dorm room. Have you check your dorm room yet? Maybe they left something in there for you to find them," he suggested to the smaller brunette.
"I will, but I have class, I'll do it after. Thank you, Zach, for telling me," she told him with a small grin.
"Oh please, anything for my Attack on Max," Zach joked holding out his fist to her.
The brunette rolled her eyes fondly but bumped fists with him anyway. "You only say that because you're passing Chemistry, you're welcome by the way." She sassed.
The brunette walked further down the hallway, picking a glance at the desk with all the Vortex Club posters and party posters.
'End of the World Blackwell Party, I guess the weather must be really effecting people. A little snow and now everyone is freaking out and having end of the world thoughts.' The brunette thought frowning slightly at the dark like posters.
She stole a glance at Courtney and shook her head, already telling herself that she didn't want a conversation with her. Max already told herself that she wanted nothing do with the Vortex Club.
Max signed to herself and kept walking deeper into the hallway. She stopped short when she saw David at one of the doorways of the hall. Max frowned and backed up a bit. 'This is bad, he has photos of me and Kate and the blue box that's been popping up everywhere. I wonder, does he know anything about the blue box or the Doctor? But is it right or okay for me to ask?' The brunette asked looking down at her shoes.
'Well, here goes nothing,' Max took a deep breath and walked up to the security guard. "Excuse me, Mr. Madsen," she greeted apprehensively meeting his dark eyes.
"I know things got a little heated yesterday in Chloe's room_"
'And when you were harassing Kate,' Max thought momentarily breaking eye contact.
"-was that really your reefer?" David asked breaking through the brunette thoughts.
Max bit her lip anxiously, she really didn't know how to answer that. She wanted to protect Chloe at the same time, she didn't know if she had it in her lie. She could possibly dance around him till he leaves her alone, but she had a feeling that David is quite persistent.
'Then again, he already finds me suspicious of something I don't know I did. And he knows about my apparent mysterious disappearance. I am seriously treading on some serious thin ice.' Max thought clenching his bag securely.
Max signed dejecting already knowing what she's going to say. "Yes," she finally answered.
'I have to protect Chloe and if it means going down for something as small as a smoke then so be it.' The brunette thought unwaveringly. "You do know that marijuana is almost legal in Oregon, I can get it at Blackwell. Are you going to bust me now, Mr. Madsen?" She asked folding her arms in front of her chest.
"Even I'm not that much of an asshole and I am sorry for…about yesterday. I didn't mean to…you weren't supposed…I was wrong, but upset. Cannabis is not a big deal to you, but it has been to Chloe." David stated firmly.
Max golden eyes softened slightly. 'He's trying to apologize for accidently hitting me yesterday. I guess that's what war does to you, it makes it where you can't express your emotions that well. Why does that remind me of someone?' "You're a veteran, she is not threat to you." The brunette said softly.
"Don't you understand Hero, I killed them all!"
"Doctor, I know I might never understand what you had to do but understand this, I was supposed to save them. That is what my name means, to be a savior a hope, and someone people can depend on. I was made to save Time, to save Gallifrey, and to save you. And it looks like I couldn't even do that right. So, you are not the only one to blame Doctor, I am as much to blame for the destruction of our planet as much as you; probably more…"
"…Care about her, I wouldn't care at all," David stated, breaking through the brunette thoughts again.
Max blinked, almost owlishly; she completely drawn out whatever David said because she was remembering something. Something important about the Doctor and…Hero.
'So, they're really are aliens, she said…or I said? Planet…Gallifrey, I know what that means, I know where that is…it's on the tip of my tongue.' She thought narrowing her eyes in concentration.
"Are you alright Max, you look at little…out of it?" David asked voice and tone hard, but his eyes were soft with worry.
Max blinked out of her thoughts, feeling suddenly fatigue. "Yeah, um…I'm a little tired, I better go." She lied quickly, stepping back from David. She stopped walking and turned around to face him. "I was not in the war therefore I don't really know what you're going through right now. I know enough to say this, I know you care about everyone here and I know you care about Chloe even though she makes it extremely hard.
"You just have a difficult time expressing it. War doesn't make you hard or emotionless or even a robot, it just makes you think about what really matters and how short time really is." She explained having a far away expression on her face.
David looked for a better word, shocked at the smaller brunette. "I…thank you Max, that's a very wise of you to say." He commented.
She just gave him a tired wary, but small smile; her eyes looking far older than their supposed to. She continued walking down the hall till she got a text from Warren. She opened it up and saw a picture of a cat wearing a bowtie and glasses and the text saying:
"I'm in the Sci-Fi-Lab
Now
I'm no Schrodinger's Kitty"
For some reason, the bowtie and the glasses looked rather familiar to the brunette.
"Bowties are cool…"
"Bowties are cool," she repeated out loud with a fond smile on her face. She texted him that she'll see him soon while continuing up the hall.
'I still have time, though I was going to spin this time to catch up with sleep seeing that I used my rewind powers too much with Chloe. But seeing Warren and the Science Boys before class sounds far more fun.' Max thought with a growing smile on her face.
She heard Kate talking and she looked up to see the blond talking to Mr. Jefferson, her photography teacher. She furrowed her eyebrows and frowned getting closer to the blond. She called to the blond, trying to get to stop and talk to her, but she just kept walking. She frowned sadly at the retreating friend. The brunette face twisted into a glare and eyes turned cold and icy. She round around the taller teacher, not caring if she came off as rude for what she was about to say.
"What did you do?" She asked glaring furiously at Mr. Jefferson. She must've hit a nerve, because the photographic teacher dark eyes widened in alarm.
"I don't know what you mean Max, you're going to have_"
If possible, her scold more to the point where her eyes were glowing slightly. "You are not about to stand there and pretend that Kate didn't just storm off. What did you say to her that made her upset, I want to know?" the brunette asked clenching her hand.
"Listen Max, I know you care for Kate and I know she your friend, but I think she really needs to go to someone to get some actual help." Mr. Jefferson stated softly.
Confusion and anger stir into Max like an untamed animal. "Help, Kate doesn't need any help, she needs someone that's going to listen to what she has to say. Not someone that just going to push her away." She countered indignity.
"And I have Max, truly; but there is nothing I do for her." Her teacher shot back shaking his head at her.
"Nothing you can do huh? Is that right?" Max stated giving him a long glare as her golden eyes pierce right through him. "Excuse me," she dismissed herself, not believing what she just heard with her own ears. She heard him call her name a couple of times, but she ignores him and kept walking. She couldn't stand that, that fake tone of understanding and pity. He was judging Kate and it looked like he was judging her as well. Judging Kate for something she didn't even know she was doing.
Max sighed heavily, rubbing her temples, already feeling a headache coming on. 'This is too much, I can only imagine what Kate's going through.' She thought frowning wretchedly at her shoes.
She walked into the Science class and looked up when everyone in there greeted optimistically. She looked up and gave everyone a shy smile and offered an awkward wave.
"Mad Maxson, you have grace us with your presence and your brain. Will you be joining us in the discovery of Science?" One of the students asked as Max walked deeper into the classroom.
Max shook her head and chuckled at the ridiculousness of one of her nicknames. "I can only spare you three minutes and those three minutes are going to Warren. You know I'll you see later today," She stated with a smile.
"That's too long Max, only you understand Physics and Quantum Physics, only you care." The student pouted dramatically, almost whining now.
Everyone that in class at the time, shouted at the student and gave him indigent glares and scolds. Max covered her mouth to laugh and patted the student on the back. "Watch what you say Hazel, you might make people jealous." She joked watching him bang his head against the desk.
The brunette giggled and walked over to Warren that looked like he was playing with some chemicals that was on his table. She sat on the chair that was next to him. "Hey Warren, you alright? You look thoughtful, yet confused." She greeted him.
"Maxwell Silver Hammer, awesome timing. I need your help and your brain with this chemical experiment." Warren greeted back giving the smaller girl a bright smile.
Max shook her head at yet another ludicrous nickname her friends to be coming up with. 'Where in the TARDIS are they coming up with these nicknames? Most of them don't make any sense at all.' She wondered rolling her eyes fondly.
"Alright, I'll see what I can do; what do you need help with?" She asked looking at the chemicals before her.
"I have to add either a bit of potassium or sodium. It's up to you to decide, Doctor Max." Warren said looking at the smaller brunette.
Max eyes widened at the table for a moment. 'Doctor…' she thought as her eyes became hazy and distance.
"You're the Doctor and you're the Hero…" "Yep…""Doctor Hero, Hero Doctor at your service; kind of rings off the tongue, don't you think?"
"What kind of name is Doctor and Hero? Doctor Who and The Hero of what?"
The Doctor and the Hero just shared a secret smile.
"Max, are you okay, you look a little spacey?" Warren asked touching her shoulder, making the smaller girl flinch.
She looked up at him with an alarm expression and shook her head. "Sorry, sorry; my mind has been wondering all day today. Uh um, add Potassium, like a whole lot of it and you should get a reaction." She told him standing up ungracefully from the seat.
"Whoa Max, steady there, you don't look so good." Warren stated with apprehension in his tone.
The brunette gave Warren a worn smile. "I'm okay Warren really, just a little tired, but still kicking and screaming. Go on try, see if my brain helped you out." She told him kindly, trying to ease his anxiety.
Warren didn't look convinced, but he did as she said and added the whole cup of potassium. The chemicals fizzed and abruptly a little explosion happened, and a huge cloud of smoke went into the air. Warren eyes widened in alarm and awe and everyone in the class cheered. Max chuckled at the whole class reaction and shook her head.
"Good job Warren," she told him smiling softly.
Warren blushed deeply, breaking eye contact with smaller girl. "You're the one that help me Max. If you didn't tell me what chemical to put in, I would have never got it to work." He stated timidly.
The brunette waved him off. "Doubt it, you're brilliant and fantastic, you would've figured it out even without my help." She stated as though it was the most obvious thing in the world.
"Thanks Max," Warren said blushing deeply.
"You're welcome," she stated. She glanced down at her watch and saw the time. "I gotta go Warren, my next class is starting, I'll see you later." She said waving at him as she walks towards the door. "Bye everyone,"
"Bye Max," everyone that was in class said in unison.
Max shook her head while grinning and made her way into her photography class that was across from the Science one. She spotted mostly everyone here even Victoria there except Kate. That thought made Max grimace. 'Where's Kate?' she wondered glancing at the blond empty seat.
The brunette made her way over to her own seat when she spotted Victoria and – surprise, surprise – Nathan sitting in her seat. If Max wasn't already tired, worrying about Kate, and still feeling the effects of rewinding time all this morning. She probably would have ignored them and picked another seat, preferably somewhere far away from Victoria.
Max stepped in front of them folding her arms across her chest. Her normal honey colored eyes flash gold in her irritation as they also turned indifferent, rigid, and full of distain. "Move," she all, but growled out through her teeth.
Nathan and Victoria were both take aback by the smaller girl tone. They have never seen Max so…cold before. They were pretty sure her eyes were glowing, but they wrote that off as the lightening and her eyes always looking like that. Nevertheless, they got up from her seat anyway, not wanting that cold and indifferent stare to be directed that them.
The brunette heard Nathan murmured something about being a weirdo with strange eyes, she rolled her eyes so hard, if she rolled them any harder; she would probably give herself a headache. She sat down with a heavy sigh and got prepared for class. In the corner of her eye, she spotted Kate outside in the rain running. Max eyes widened in alarm and she almost stood up from her chair, till she turned her eyes ever so slowly to a silhouette hiding behind a tree.
Her eyes widened when she recognized who it was hiding behind the tree. 'David, what the hell is he doing taking pictures of Kate? Didn't we have this discussion not even five minutes ago?' She thought with a hint of frustration hitting her as she stared out the window into the rain.
Before she could say anything, someone was calling her name; rather loudly. She jumped up and wiped around to see who was talking her. For a minute, she thought it was someone else calling her. Someone she knew, but didn't know at the same time. But when she looked up, she only saw Warren. She plastered a fake smile on her face, trying to pretend that she was disappointed. She didn't understand why she felt disappointed seeing Warren. "Hey Warren," she greeted softly.
"Hey Max, you feeling okay?" He asked furrowing his eyebrows in concern.
"Yeah, I'm fine; uh…rough morning, but I'm alright. So, what's up?" The brunette asked giving him a somewhat tired grin.
"Nothing, I just saw Kate earlier and her eyes were puffy from crying." Warren told the brunette frowning unhappily.
Max eyes darkened at the mention of the blond. "Kate has a lot on her plate right now and nobody is trying to help her. I'm trying to do everything I can for her, but it's hard when the right people don't want to listen." She stated glaring at the table.
"I didn't know what to say and she didn't tell me…anything." He told her. Before Warren could get anything else, the bell ranged, and Mr. Jefferson walked into the class.
"Okay, I know you love me and I know you may think Science is more important than Art, but if you're not in this class, beat it." Mr. Jefferson stated firmly, sounding like he was only half joking. "The rest of you, we have a lot to cover today and so little time as usual. I- "
'Funny, I feel like I have all the time in the world right now.' Max thought watching Warren and Nathan leave the classroom.
"-usual suspects here, anyone seen Kate Marsh?" Max caught the end of Mr. Jefferson's question.
Before Max could answer, Victoria beat her to it. "I think everyone has seen Kate Marsh by now," she snarked with a growing smirk.
Max narrowed her now glowing eyes at the blond that was to the left of her. She didn't care what people said about her, but it was not cool to assume and bully people that you think is lower than you. The brunette clenched her fist, not noticing her eyes glowing a vibrant gold now, reacting to her anger. She completely toned out the teacher and instead focused on the growing…thing or power that she was feeling. She felt this before, but it's been awhile since she felt this presence. She took a huge breath, already feeling a headache coming up and started to draw on the piece of paper.
"Stupid pudding brains," she murmured to herself, not caring if someone heard her. She thinks someone did, because she could feel the eyes of certain classmates in her class giving her glances.
She felt her phone vibrate in her pocket and looked up at Mr. Jefferson to see if he still lecturing about viral videos. She rolled her eyes in distain, she really didn't get humans and the way they're stupid little pudding brains work. Abruptly, her eyes widened in shock as she caught herself thinking. 'Why am I thinking stuff like that? I'm a human and why did I feel so angry all of a sudden? And where in the hell did pudding brain come from, I never used that insult before, but someone has…?' The brunette thought slowing looking down at her drawing.
She had to hold in her gasped when she saw that she drew the blue box that she's been seeing everyone she went. 'What did he call it again? The TARDIS, why do I know what this is? What's happening to me?' She thought furrowing her eyebrows in anxiety.
"-Like Max Caulfield, for example. Who I know can't wait to enter, right?" Mr. Jefferson asked so unexpectedly that it yanked the brunette from her thoughts, making her glance up from her drawing. She didn't answer him, she just gave him a slightly aggravated look for calling out in front of the class.
She knows she hasn't turned in her "Everyday Heroes" contest photo, but she really isn't confident in it. On top of that, it's more like a painting turned into a photo; she took a picture of the lighthouse and somehow the blue box got into the photo as well. She really doesn't know what to do with it, she's afraid that if she turns it in, someone is going to start asking questions. The brunette wanted to start over, but she didn't have to heart to and every time she thought of hero; she thought of the mystery man that kept appearing in her dreams and visions. 'I wonder what would happen if I tried to reach out to him, if I tried to at least talk to him. No, that'll probably be a bad idea, mainly because_'
"Yo, some crazy shit is going down at the girl's dorm! Check it!" Someone exclaimed loudly, breaking through the brunette thoughts.
"Zachary, o not come into my class like that ever again!" Mr. Jefferson ordered, sounding annoyed with the outburst.
Suddenly, everyone began rushing out of they're seats and out the door, but Max. She looked out the window and saw that Kate was gone and so was David. The brunette eyes widened in alarm as though she's putting the puzzle together in her head.
"Kate," she murmured to herself also rushing out the classroom, completely ignoring the photograph teacher.
Max finally made it outside, already hearing people gasping and shouting. She lightly jogged to where everyone was standing and slowly looked up on top of the girl's dorm room. The brunette eyes slowly widened in complete fear and shock. "Kate!" she yelled desperately.
Almost in slow motion, she saw Kate leap off the building. Max went to rewind, but a shot of pain that she couldn't ignore rushed to her head, making her lost concentration.
"NO!" she screamed and suddenly everything and everyone stopped. Groaning in pain and breathing heavily and almost collapsed to her knees. She slowly looked up, already feeling blood run down her nose, sliding down her chin. She looked around and saw that everything was indeed frozen and still.
'I stopped time, how did I do that?' She wondered slowly making her way closer to the entrance of the girl's dorm building. 'I need to keep going…so tired…I can't stop, Kate needs me.' She pushed herself forward, ignoring the ringing in her ears and the pain in her head.
Breathing heavily, she opened the door that was going to take her to the roof where Kate was. Once the brunette reached the roof, time revered back to normal, making Max stumbled and almost fall. She shook it off, feeling more blood fall from her nose and suddenly started to cough and looked in her palm and saw blood.
'Oh no, that's not a good sign,' she thought wiping the blood from her nose and hand. 'With that being said, I can't rewind anymore and if I do, I think something worse than coughing up blood is going to happened.' Max deduced frowning dejectedly at her hand.
"What are you doing here Max?" Kate asked spinning around to face the brunette that looked worse for wear. "Stop, don't come near me!" she shouted when she saw the brunette move closer to her.
"I'm…I'm trying to save you, really Kate what are you doing? I…I thought we talked about this, this morning. We were going to worked together to proof what happened to you. Kate, this is not what this is, this what you're doing right now is giving up." Max stated softly, already feeling the tears coming in her eyes.
"I've tried Max, really; I've tried to be strong…like you. I've tried to reach out to anyone to help me. But nobody wants to help me, nobody believes me." Kate said despondently.
"Kate, I believe you; I know you Kate, you're a good person and I know that what happened to you wasn't your fault. So please, please just come over here and we_"
"No, none of that matters now, nothing matters."
"No, no, no Kate, you can't just say things like that, you do matter and not just to me. You think those people, those monsters down there. There's Warren and the whole geeky science club that always asks about you that always worries about you."
"Oh Max, I wish I could believe that, I wish I was as strong as you."
"Kate, you have no idea how strong you really are. You are one of the strongest people I know. And it's okay to feel what you feel right now, like the entire world is crushing you right now. But this is still your life, and we can get through this together, like we always do. Please, please, I am begging you, let me help." Max pleaded the blond, feeling the hot tears rolled down her face.
"I'm glad to hear you worry about me, that makes me feel better." Kate muttered.
Max stepped a little closer to the blond, counting the minutes to till she could use her powers again. She just needed to get a little closer to Kate or Kate get a little closer to her; a little closer and she can grab Kate from the ledge.
"I'm a worry bug, we worry almost too much. I'll always be here for Kate, always; 'Friends comes first' remember? Though, now that I'm saying it out loud, we should probably come up with something that sounds a little cooler."
Kate nodded her head with a ghost smile on her lips. "I remember," she whispered.
"You didn't see it Kate, but there was link the video, I erased it. The less people know the better, I'm trying Kate truly I am."
"That's your story now. How can I trust you? What about this morning when I needed your help? You told me to do nothing!" Kate shouted angrily, tone full of frustration.
"Kate, in a situation like this, you can't point fingers especially if the person you are pointing fingers at owns everything. I need you to patient with me, please; this isn't being patient or doing nothing. This is giving up and letting the people that did that to you win. How am I supposed to help you Kate if you won't help me? Nathan Prescott is a person that needs proof against and he doesn't work alone." Max explained inching a little closer.
"It's not just him?" Kate stated her eyes slowly widened in alarm.
"I know it took me a while to put together too. He's not working alone, there is someone else working with him and we need to find that out. And the only way we can find that out is with you being alive Kate. We're getting there Kate, slowly, but surely. You're not the only one Kate, there were others like you in this situation, others with the same story."
"Others…you really have my back Max,"
"Always, please, please come with me Kate, please don't do this," the brunette whispered inching closer to the blond.
"I can't Max, I'm living in a nightmare that I can't wake up from. And the only way to wake up is to go to sleep forever. I wish I can just erased everything that has happened, can't really get rid of anything that's on the web. God, I wish I could go back in time and erase everything." Kate explained forbiddingly.
Max glanced down at her hand for a moment and frowned gloomily. 'Me too Kate, me too,' she thought as more tears rolled down her cheeks.
"Kate, this is our chance to beat the bullies, if you jump right now, this never-ending cycle that we live in isn't going to change. It's just going to keep going on and on, but if you come down with me, there's still a chance to change everything for the better."
"Can we really change everything Max? I don't believe in miracles anymore either."
"Well I do, and I've seen plenty of those little miracles, you are being the main one. If you come down with me, I'll tell you all about it." Max reached out her hand, giving Kate the most pleading expression she could muster.
"You're such a good person Max. I'm lucky to have you as my friend, you're far to brave and strong for your own good sometimes. But I'll come with you, you're my best friend." Kate said reaching out to take Max's hand.
If Max could melt into relief, she would right there, but she held it in. She gave Kate the biggest watery grin and took the blond wet hand into hers. "For as long as you'll have me," she told her pulling Kate closer to her. As soon as Kate's body collided with hers, her head exploded with pain, making her almost black out. When she opened her eyes, she wasn't standing in the rain on the roof anymore. She was standing in the place that haunts her dreams, that warm and comforting place that reminded her of home.
She spun around in a circle, not seeing Kate around anywhere. But the brunette was aware that her clothes were stoked through, so she knows that what happened with Kate was real. But that doesn't explain how she got to where every she is right now.
"Kate! Kate are you here?" She shouted turning around and seeing a small sit of stairs in front of her and some kind of control matrix in the center. "Okay, did I just drop into Star Trek or something?" She murmured to herself looking at the blue matrix in curiosity.
The brunette heard groaning, that made her jump out of her skin. She looked at the ceiling as though something was going to fall on her. But nothing came, making her relax slightly, but not so much when she suddenly heard footsteps rushing towards her.
She braced herself and unexpectedly, a warmer and slightly bigger body collided into her, almost making her collapsed to the ground.
"Oh my god, Hero, it's so good to see you! You had us all worried about you. Are you okay, you're soaking wet, what happened?" Someone asked the brunette with an English accent that Max swears she heard before.
Said brunette looks up to see big chocolate brown eyes staring right at her in so such relief and awe that it made the brunette want to step back and break eye contact. But she didn't, she stared right at her with furrowing eyebrows and bewilderment dancing around her face.
"Impossible Girl," she found herself whispering with wide eyes.
The taller woman gave the brunette a strange look. "Yeah, I'm Clara Oswald, come on Hero you know me, you've saved me and Doctor too many times for either of us to count." She stated.
'There it is again, that name she keeps calling me,' Max thought hearing it for the second time in the conversation. "Where's Kate?" She asked the slightly taller girl in front of her.
"Who?"
"Kate Marsh, my friend, I was on the roof with her. She was going to jump, and I saved her. Now, where is she?" Max asked again, sounding between desperate and fearful.
"Doctor, Hero is here," Clara called out. "Hero, what is the last thing you remember? It is very important that you tell me." She asked the smaller girl.
"What are you talking about it's important? What's important is finding out where I am and where Kate is."
Before Clara could answer, the Doctor came out of seemingly nowhere and pulled Max into a tight hug. The brunette looked alarm and so very confused, but she didn't hug back. She knows in her gut that she knows this man, but at the same time doesn't know him at all.
"Doctor," Clara said, catching the brunette face expression.
"Amser, you're here, you're alright, you're safe. Why are you wet?" He asked in the thickest Scottish accent Max has ever heard.
"It was raining," the brunette answered nervously taking a step back from the much taller man.
"Raining?" The Doctor inquired looking slightly hurt that the brunette stepped away from him.
"Where am I? I don't understand," Max asked looking more alarm by the minute.
"What?"
"I was on the roof and it was raining, my friend Kate was going to jump off the roof and I saved her. Now, I'm going to ask again, WHERE IS SHE?" Max all, but shouted desperately, making Clara jump.
But the Doctor didn't seem fazed by the brunette yelling. He stepped closed to the smaller girl and took her hands into his. "She's not here my dear," he told her evenly.
"What do you mean she's not here? I was holding her hand, she was right there with me, how can she not be here? What is here?" She asked feeling the answers to her questions already being answered in her mind.
"The TARDIS, you know what the TARDIS is don't you Amser," the Doctor answered still having a calm tone and face.
"Time And Relative Dimension In Space, how did I know that?" She asked eyes widened in disbelief.
"Cause you're a Time Lady and I'm a Time Lord, you've just forgotten and that's fine. But I need you tell me where you are and where is your camouflage arch is." Doctor asked moving a strain of wet brown hair behind Max's ear.
Max stared at him and then at Clara who was quiet and what is seems like studying her. She looked back at the Doctor and saw truly how old he really was. She wanted to help find who ever he was looking for, but she also had to help herself. She couldn't abandon Chloe again and she couldn't stop helping Kate. And she sure couldn't abandon her town to a storm that was coming in a week. She couldn't, she could never forgive herself if she let it happen. She removed her hands from him and took a step back from him, while shaking her head.
"I'm sorry, truly I am, but I'm not Amser, I'm not Hero, and I'm not a Time Lady. I'm just me, Max; I'm just a human girl with superpowers." She stated decisively furrowing her eyebrows.
"Amser, listen to me; that's not you saying that; it's just human side trying to override your Time Lady side. Max doesn't exist and nor does Kate Marsh, all of those people are just echoes that were created around the identity of this Max Caulfield." Doctor explained frowning at the smaller brunette.
"That's not true, because that would mean I don't exist and as you can see I'm standing right here. Now, if you're saying that Kate isn't in the TARDIS that would mean she's still on the roof the girl's dorm. Take me back," Max said looking up to see the Doctor shaking his head and walking over to the console.
"No," he answered simply.
Max frowned, looking taken back by his irresponsive tone. "Why, I need to go back and make sure she's alright and that she won't jump off." The brunette argued.
"I don't care," the Doctor stated bluntly pushing a few buttons on the console, not looking up at the brunette.
"Doctor," Clara started, but was interrupted by the smaller brunette.
"What?" She breathed out, eyes widened, looking almost close to tears.
"I don't care about any of those echoes that's there Amser, I only care about you. Do you know how long you've been missing? How long you've been away from me? Almost 2,000 years, I've regenerated twice without you! They do not matter to me, the only thing that matters is getting you back to me!" The Doctor all but shouted, silencing everyone, including the TARDIS.
Max shook her head slowly. "You don't care, well, I care for them and they do matter. They're not echoes, they are people, friends who mean the world to me. That's why I need to go back."
"They don't matter!"
"THEY MATTER TO ME!" Max screamed as her eyes began to glow a vibrant golden.
Clara gasped loudly, taking a huge step back from the smaller brunette while the Doctor all, but ran closer.
"Amser, listen to me if you keep using_"
"If they do not matter to you, then I don't matter to you. I don't know why that hurts to say, but I need to get back there. I have to save them from what's coming and if you don't want to send me back. Then I'll just do it myself." Max interrupted him as her eyes started to glow brighter and brighter.
"No, please Amser don't do this, you could die. The Time Vor_"
The brunette ignored him and clenched her eyes shut and the bright light intensified, and everything was too bright too see. The Doctor and the Impossible Girl closed they're eyes and when they opened them again, Max was gone as though she was never there. The Doctor fell to his knees, while touching the spot that the brunette was standing in. "No," he murmured brokenly.
"Doctor, what if Hero really is human now?" Clara asked him while frowning miserably at the spot that the brunette was just standing in.
The Doctor didn't answer his companion, his eyes was glued to the spot that his Time Lady was once standing in.
"If they do not matter to you, then I don't matter to you!"The next time Max "wakes", she's in the principal's office with Nathan Prescott, Mr. Jefferson, David, and Principal Wells. Max doesn't remember how she got there, she feels like everything leading here was on autopilot. She knows that she saved Kate, but she doesn't remember after that. And then it hits her like a train, the Doctor and Clara, the Impossible Girl, she ended up in the TARDIS again.
'This time it was different though, it felt like I was really there and not some dream or vision. The Doctor, he looked different, older; much older than before and bitter. He said that I was a Time Lady and that everything and everyone around me is an echo. What does that mean an echo?' The brunette wondered feeling dizzy and lightheaded all of sudden.
"Max, are you alright?" Mr. Jefferson asked, breaking through the smaller brunette deep thoughts.
That made the brunette flinched and shot up like a bullet, she looked around the office and saw that everyone was staring at her. She flushed in embarrassment and looked down in her lap. "I'm…fine," she shrugged to answer.
"Your nose is bleeding," Principal Wells noticed, handing the smaller girl a napkin.
'So, I'm still feeling the effects of whatever that was when I was in the TARDIS. The Doctor said something about time, but I couldn't get hear all of it. It doesn't matter, he said I didn't matter and that I was just an echo that doesn't exist.' Max thought narrowing her eyes at the desk, while wiping her nose. She coughed a bit in the napkin and didn't have to look down in the napkin to know that it was blood.
She pushed herself way too much today, almost to the point of exhaustion. 'I did discovery one thing about my powers, I can stop time. Not that I would try it anytime soon, it seems to make me get exhausted more and cough up blood. But then again, I think the reason I was coughing up blood is because I really didn't recover from what happen in the junk yard.' The brunette thought looking down at her hand in indifference.
"-difficult for everybody, but I'm so proud of the way Blackwell pulled together to save a young girl's life." Max now listening to what Principal Wells was saying, still very deep her thoughts.
"Of course, you're quite a hero for getting Kate to come down, Max." Principal Wells added glancing at the brunette who seem to have a faraway expression in her eyes.
"Hero…""Amser…"
"You're a Time Lady and I'm a Time Lord…"
"You know what a TARDIS is don't you…?"
Max blinked her deep thoughts away and clenched her hands together. "I really didn't do much, I just wanted to help her." She all, but whispered.
"She's modest, like a real hero," Mr. Jefferson stated, making Max glare slightly and clenched her hands tighter.
"None of those people matter, they are just echoes in a life that does not belong to you…""You're the Hero of Time, the Hero of Gallifrey, isn't that what your real name means…"
"You picked the Hero and I picked the Doctor, two peas in a pod…"
"Hero…Amser…you mean the world to me and more…"
Max heard David say something, but she chose to ignore, already having too many thought in her head.
"As principal of Blackwell Academy, I take my duties seriously. I take the well-being of every student more seriously. What happened today should never happen in a hall of wisdom and knowledge." Principal Wells stated firmly, now turning around to face the group.
"Now, Mr. Madsen, as our head of security here, those roof doors should always be locked. That's just standard operating procedure, they were not. And that is indeed your responsibility." He went on to say. "Mr. Jefferson, I know you can't be expected to know what your students are going through, but Kate has assisted you in class, so you should have known something was amiss.
"Mr. Prescott, since you are responsible for the Vortex Club parties and since Miss Marsh did attend your last party, you'll have to answer some more questions." Principal Wells went down the list of people in the room before turning his eyes on the quiet brunette.
Said brunette didn't look up from her lap, she was bone tired and wanted to do nothing, but sleep and rest her brain from all the rewinding. She sighed softly and looked up at the principal with only half attention.
"Miss Caufield, why exactly were you on the roof with Kate Marsh? Did she tell you her plan? Or anything at all? Please, tell us everything." The principal all, but ordered the brunette.
Max sighed again, trying to get her thoughts together. She really didn't want to do this now, but she really didn't have much of choice, if anything everybody in the room is to blame for what's going on with Kate. "I knew Kate was feeling down because everyone was bullying her over something she doesn't remember doing. I had no idea that suicide was going to be an option for her, I just never thought it would get that bad.
"In my honest opinion Principal Wells, everyone in this room is to blame for what's going with Kate. If you weren't drinking away your guilt and actually paying attention to the students Principal Wells; you would have pinpoint where the bullying started and how to stop it.
"Mr. Jefferson, Kate came to you for help; she begged you to help her and you did nothing, but pushed her away. Why wouldn't you help her? I mean, the least you could've did was talk to her or something, but you did nothing like everyone around here seems to be doing.
"Mr. Madsen, instead of taking pictures of Kate and picking on her and asking her unimportant questions. Maybe you should've asked her what's happened at the Vortex Party and what happened that night? Why doesn't she have any memory of what happened, she wasn't doing any drugs and a little wine doesn't get people drink. Picking on people to satisfy your curiously isn't the way to do things Mr. Madsen.
"And speaking of Vortex Parties, what does go down in Vortex Parties and why did you agree to take her back to the dorm rooms, Nathan? You didn't show any signs of caring about Kate's wellbeing, you never really cared about anyone, but yourself; what bought this on? And according to Kate, you didn't take her home, you took her somewhere else and it wasn't the hospital. Why can't Kate remember? I would think it was because she was drugged, but by who? She remembers you taking her home and that's it, so between those times you were the only there with her to drug her.
"Now, I don't have any proof that you drugged her, but is it really a secret that there are drugs on the campus. And Nathan you're rich or at least your dad is, it isn't really a challenge to buy drugs. I even know who your dealer is." Max explained, leaving everybody in the room shell shocked.
"You're so full of shit Max!" Nathan yelled standing up to stand above the smaller brunette.
Max gave him a tired glare and stood up herself. She tossed the bloody napkin in the trash and turned her attention back on Nathan who was red in the face. "I maybe full of shit, hell, I may be making up the whole thing, but I don't see you denying any of it. Do what you will Principals Well, I'm honestly too tired to care, it's been a long day." Max said crossing her arms and walking out the office.
In her dorm room is where you find Max, sitting with her knees in her chest and her in her deep thoughts. She was still thinking about the Doctor and what he said to her, it hurt; it hurt more than she thought it could hurt. She knew deep down she didn't know him, not really; but at the same time, she did know him. She was sure she has never met him before in her life, but what life?
She can't remember anything, not truly important; nothing worth wild; just Chloe. But it felt like a necessary than a memory and that's what scares her the most. She looked down at the rich blue journal that looked a lot like a TARDIS that she found in her room. She thought back and realized that the past Doctor must've left it here.
'Why would the Doctor leave an empty journal here that looks like the TARDIS? The only person I've seen with a journal like this is…'
"River," the brunette breathed out looking up from knees. 'I saw her on my way to Whales Diner, she there talking to me; asking me if I've seen the Doctor? She was also saying that time wasn't corrected and that everything was acting in the wrong order. Time was breaking down, if that's the case doesn't answer why the storm is coming?' she thought clenching the blue book to her chest.
Suddenly, there was abrupt knock at her door that made her eyebrows furrow in puzzlement. She didn't go to the door right away, just waiting to see who was knocking at her door at this time.
"Max, are you in there? Uh, I wanted to see if you're alright? Stupid question, I know you're not alright, but I thought to just come here and uh, see you." A familiar voice nervously said from behind the door.
'Warren,' the brunette realized reaching for the door. She opened it slowly and saw her friend light up a bit by seeing her. His eyes got a little widened when seeing her; she looked drained of energy and just plain tired. Her usual brown curly hair was a little disheveled and still slightly damped from the rain. Her clothes were uncomfortable, ragged, and wrinkle as well; the worse is her eyes. Her normally bright honey colored eyes were now dull over making her look older than a college student.
"Jeez, Max, are you sure you're alright?" Warren asked with nothing, but concern in his tone.
"I don't really know if I'm alright, but I will be. Thanks for asking Warren, really thank you." The brunette said with a small sad smile.
Warren didn't like the smile at her, it didn't fit her at all. "Hey, come on; maybe some fresh air will do you some good? It stopped raining and there's not a lot of people out." He suggested to the shorter girl.
Max frowned and looked back at the TARDIS blue book that was resting on her bed. She really didn't want to go outside and be reminded of what happened. And even though she did save Kate, just being there is just a remind of the Doctor. All she wanted was to ball herself as tight as she can and cry herself to sleep. She sighed softly to herself, even she knows that a healthy thing to do; maybe some fresh air would be good for her.
"That sounds like a good idea Warren,"
"I didn't know it could get that bad, I couldn't even believe any of it was happening." Max said softly with her knees to her chest. "Maybe if I would've_"
"Don't do that to yourself Max, you did more than anyone else would have done. You didn't hesitate at all, you went on that roof and you saved her. Nobody would have done what you did, ever." Warren stated firmly, interrupting the brunette.
"You think so?" She asked in a small voice.
"Yeah, you're the bravest person I know Max, an everyday Hero,"
"You picked the title Hero, that's amazing, I'm the Doctor and he's the Master…""Why Hero, that's such a mundane title…"
"Well, I'm not a healer, I don't think I'll be good at it. But I want to save people, I want to help people and be their Hero. Someone they can look up to, one they speak of in legends and stories…"
"You'll be here right, you'll save the people I can't save; you'll be their Hero right…?"
"I'll be their Hero Doctor, I will also be your Hero as well…"
"-Ax, Max, MAXINE!" Warren shouted breaking through the brunette thoughts and memories.
Her amber colored eyes returned back to have some light into them and looked at Warren was looking at her with an apprehensive expression. She mentally sighed to herself, the brunette really wishes these flashbacks, visions, or whatever they are wouldn't just attack her when she's with someone. Naturally, she doesn't have control over the flashbacks much like she doesn't have control over anything in her life.
"I'm sorry, it's been a really long day and sleep seems to be calling my name." Max stated with a worn-out grin on her face.
"It's okay Max, it really has been a long day," he agreed giving the brunette a half smile.
Before Max could say anything, someone caught her eye. She looked up and saw the setting sun, but also something coming to cover it.
Max eyes widened in realization. "That's an Eclipse," she stated in alarm. She then remembered something that River told her in the alley not too long ago. 'History is changing in the worse way, I don't belong here, time is changing.' She remembered.
'What's going on? Why is there an Eclipse? Does this have anything to do with the storm I saw?' Max wondered rubbing her arms together when a huge wind chin went by.
Unexpectedly, warm arms circled around the brunette smaller form, making her gasped softly out of shock. She looked up and saw that Warren gotten closer and it was his warm arms around her. She found herself leaning more into the warmth of the arms and looked up at the mystery Eclipse.
Face stained in the ceilingWhy does it keep saying?
I don't have to see you right now
I don't have to see you right now
In muted audio, you see David talking to his wife Joyce and he must've said bad because he head is hung low. Joyce reached out and pulled him into a tight hug, but he didn't hug her back.
Digging like you can burySomething that cannot die
We could wash the dirt off our hands now
Keep it from living underground
In another muted scene, there is a car parked, Principal Wells and Mr. Jefferson are arguing. We can't hear what they're arguing about, but it's heated to the point Mr. Jefferson raises his window when the Principal started banging on it. Whatever was said, Principal Wells was not happy, and Mr. Jefferson is driving away.
Lazy summer goddessYou can tell our whole empire
I don't have to see your right now
I don't have to see your right now
In another muted scene, Victoria is crying in her dorm with the door wide open. Nathan appears at the door wanting to say something, but before he does. Victoria says something and closes the door in front of his face with Nathan standing there looking miffed and slightly confused.
I don't have to see you right nowI don't have to see you right now
I don't have to see you right now
I don't have to see you right now
In the next muted scene, Kate is in the hospital with balloons and flowers surrounding her. It looks like she just woke up from passing out, she looks to her left and see a tall man in a rich line purple suit with converses on. His chocolate brown hair is sticking up in the hair and he looks bone tired and devastatingly gloomy. There is a woman with red hair that is also relatively tall, and she has watery eyes staring down at the young girl in the hospital bed. Kate doesn't say anything, too shock to do any talking; she just stares. The two strangers don't say anything, but the man in the suit does mutter something. It sounded like he was apologizing.
I am so sorry…Preview to the next episode of Life and Time is Strange Episode 3: Chaos Theory Part 1…
"You feeling alight Max, every since that thing with Kate, you've been, I don't know, not all the way here." Chloe asked looking down at the brunette was has a dazed over expression on her face.
"Does this have anything to do with your Doctor boyfriend?" Chloe teased with a cheeky grin on her face.
"Max, he visited me yesterday, the man that was looking for you." Kate stated as Max looked beyond shock.
"It doesn't matter if you don't remember leaving Max, YOU STILL LEFT ME!" Chloe screamed angrily.
"I can't go with you Doctor, I have stay here with Chloe. I can't leave her here alone, I have be here for her." Max pressed looking at the Time Lord with a pleading expression.
"Doctor, time is changing too much, where is Hero? We have to find her quickly." River stated with a slight panicked expression on her face.
"What did I do?" Max whispered horrifically.
A/N: *peaks behind Captain America's shield*
So, it's been awhile, but I finished it, in my terrible defense (I don't really have one) this will probably be the hardest chapter I'll right in my whole freaking life (not true). So yeah, over 19,000 words; because why the hell not.
I'm not even sure when the next chapter is going to come out, I've been spending a lot of time writing actual books and reading fanfic to get my writing style to improve.
Oh, and work has been a bigger pain in my ass than usual but it's okay, because vacation for me starts on Sunday, so I'll get started with Chaos Theory. I'm actually more excited to write the Dark Room than Chaos Theory. I have really good idea that I want to do for the Dark Room.
Anyway, I think that's enough talking from me, no flames; I know I'm a shitting writer, I don't need other authors and awesome people with great punctuation and grammar to tell me in four paragraphs.
Disclaimer: As if I own Doctor Who, If I did, SuperWho and WhoLock would've happened by now and probably would've been on season 8 by now. I also don't own Life is Strange, just my OC Hero/and or Amser.
Alice
