Chapter 8 Loose Ends

Rachel

April 18th, 2014

6:27 PM

15 Miles From Arcadia Bay

D-6 Bunker

"The three of you are about to learn to mind your own business in a few minutes," said Prescott, staring down at us malevolently with his lieutenant and army of Neo-Chrysalis thugs. "I knew it would only be a matter of time before you made it this far."

"So it was you," I admit menacingly, holding by gun in the air at Prescott like Chloe and Warren were. "You set her up. You were behind that storm all this time. Your the one who worked with Neo-Chrysalis and ratted Max out, weren't you? And your the one who killed six-hundred people in Arcadia Bay! And for what?!"

"It's for the benefit of my family and the security of my town," answered Prescott. "As future leader of Arcadia Bay, it is my responsibility to make sacrifices for the greater good."

"You call this the greater good?!" snapped Chloe. "Can't see how making Max and I live through hell and destroying Arcadia Bay is good for the town or my friend and I! Not to mention that Blackwell shooting wasn't entirely subtle!"

"Extreme, but necessary," said Prescott. "Do you believe I never knew it was you and Ms. Amber who broke into my household that night during my campaign reception? I figured eventually you'd find out about this place. And here we are ending this party as soon as it begins."

"Why are you doing this?" I ask. "What has Max ever done to deserve this scandal? What have the people of Arcadia done to loose hundreds because of this atrocity?! And why bring you own son into this? Don't think we don't know what you people have done to him that made him the kid he once was before he was killed!"

"My son was of no relation to these terrorist," he reminds me. "Although he had strong case of chronon sensitivity and syndrome, he was unstable. It's a shame he had to die."

"You didn't answer her fucking question you son of a bitch!" shouted Chloe. "It's a question I could've asked better myself! Why fuck around with Max? Do you have any idea what me and her tried to escape from since the day that storm hit? Now people are suffering thinking she's the monster who did all that! Your the real monster!"

"Says the little shit with the blue hair and the beanie," said Prescott insultingly.

"Don't listen to him, Chloe!" I snap. "He's only trying to intimidate you."

"Anyways, you wouldn't understand," continued Prescott. "Or perhaps wouldn't want to understand. It doesn't matter. You won't be alive long enough to expose what you've discovered. As far as Chrysalis is concerned, we only have Max to thank for what was brought to Arcadia Bay."

"God damn you, Prescott!" shouted Chloe.

"Utiliziruyte ikh. (Dispose of them.)," ordered Prescott.

The mercenary band pressed their fingers on their triggers and opened fired on the three of us. Without a second, I instantaneously active my time shield to protect us from the bullets raining hell on us. Then we race our way behind cover holding my shield up for as long as I can. Us three find cover behind a wall under the balcony and use it so I wouldn't have to use my shield. I deactivate my shield once we get behind the wall.

"This is insane!" muttered Warren. "There's three of us and a dozen of them! How the hell are we going to take them on!"

"Who knows, who cares," said Chloe carelessly. "I'll every one of these bastards who made Max look bad!"

Gunfire was still being unloaded upon us. But for a second or two, it ceased when we got to cover.

"Derzhi svoy ogon! (Hold your fire!)," Prescott ordered. "Rachel Amber is still of use to us. Spare her if you can."

"Seriously, Rachel," said Warren. "If you got a plan to take on these assholes three on a dozen, our ears are wide open."

"I think already have a plan," I said. "Just listen to me very carefully."

More bullets briefly fired on us before I could speak word of my plan. Then they stopped firing.

"Can we wrap this up?" said Prescott. "I do have better things to do."

"What's the plan, Rachel?" asked Chloe. "Why don't we just waste these fuckers already?"

"We will," I assure. "Just as soon as we do this. I see a gas tank somewhere on the other side. If I could shield us with my time shield while the two of you give me suppressing fire, I might be able to shoot that tank open and blow the place up so we could escape."

"Your going to the destroy this place?!" Chloe muttered. "What about the evidence?"

"I have it all with me on my drive and that disc we found. When I say go, we make a break for the exit while I shield ourselves and shoot that canister open. Ya dig?"

"I dig it, get it, Rachel," said Warren.

"Whatever doesn't kill us makes us stronger," said Chloe. "I dig."

"On my go," I say. "Three. Two. One. Go!"

Chloe, Warren, and I rush our way out of cover, I open my shield, and unload our guns on the mercenary squad in bullet time. The mercenaries fire back, but it's no good for them with my shield deflecting their bullets from colliding onto us. I see the gas canister, aim for it with my pistol, and fire away.

The bullets from my gun penetrate through the napalm tank, causing flame to burst out and explode into a chain reaction. The three of us make it through the exit as explosions from the flammable object I shot spark the room like fire crackers. Killing a good bunch of the mercenaries and Prescott's killer suits. Prescott himself and Ranikov were still standing, however.

"Get the package as far away from this place as you possibly can!" Prescott order to Ranikov. "Your men and I will deal with those three meddling kids."

"Da, it will be done, Gospodin Prescott," replied Ranikov. "It will be done."

Once we make it out of the control room, the flashing of red lights and the buzzing of an alarm went off down in the Deep Six Bunker. Something told me it was the final phase of Operation Dead Eyes.

"Warning, the self-destruct sequence has been activated. All personnel, evacuate this area immediately."

Just as I thought. Now the were doing to destroy the entire bunker and the rest of the outpost to cover their tracks. Now that their dirty little secret has been exposed to our face, they were going to destroy all traces of Project Cyclone. But not all of it. As long as I had the evidence on the drive and disc, there was no need to fear of Max loosing her case.

"Did you hear that Rachel?" asks Chloe. "They're gonna blow this place up! We gotta get out of here and smoke that bastard, Prescott!"

"That's not the mission, Chloe," I remind her. "We take him alive! He'll need to stand trial in order for Max win!"

"You ladies better get ready for this shit!" shouted Warren. "I think we've got company!"

When we ran away back to the elevator we took to get down to this part of the bunker, a squadron of mercenaries were on their way to finish us off. The mercs took their position and started shooting at us. The three of us took cover behind some crates as we held them off.

We started firing our guns at them while they fired their guns at us. I take out a few baddies with my M4 rifle while Chloe goes guns blazing like a badass with her AK rifle. I always thought she'd kick ass with the gun she was carrying. Warren however, barely got to shoot anyone and stayed behind cover blind firing his weapon. It was three Blackwell nerds against a squadron of terrorist in the middle of a firefight. Although Chloe was bold enough to fight, Warren was less than experienced. I had to improvise.

I time dashed towards a merc I had an angle on, knocked them down in the face, and performed every other fancy stunt I could engage on the enemy. I shot a couple more mercs down with my rifle and time froze one of them in a time bubble so I wouldn't be overwhelmed. I fired a few round's into the stasis bubble I put the merc in so I would kill him instantly. Once finished the squad off, laser sights were being flashed around from a balcony off into the distance.

"Rachel! Look out! Snipers!" warned Chloe.

I dodged the bullets from the snipers and got behind cover. Now there were snipers that had to be dealt with.

"Those snipers are gonna give us a real disadvantage before we reach that elevator!" shouted Warren. "We got to do something about them!"

And so we did. At least I did. I had a grenade launcher attachment for my gun. So I use it to decommission the sniper unit and blew them away off the railing. We clear to make a break for the elevator.

"Come on!" I order. "The elevator's this way! Let's get moving!"

Before we could step foot in the elevator, these terrorist had brought some reinforcements with that were just getting off the lift to cleanse us down. A small squad wearing hazmat armor and electrical packs on their back ran out the elevator to take us down. I knew what these enemies were. It was Neo-Chrysalis's own striker force. The same kind of strikers Chrysalis uses when fighting in a time stutter. The two strikers dashed across cover and open fired.

"Strikers! Take cover!" I shout.

We get back behind cover and attempt another struggle fighting striker.

"Oh come on!" gripes Chloe. "Not these guys!"

"Damn those guys are quick!" expressed Warren. "How do they move so fast?"

There was less than time to explain. One of the strikers dashed to where I took cover and I immediately dashed in front of him before the bullets from his gun could hurt me. As I dashed into him, he fell on the ground giving me the advantage to kill his ass with my bullets. Then the other striker advanced over to Chloe and Warren's cover. I shoot his thruster pack before he could kill my companions disengaging his ability to dash. Then I kick him in the knee and shoot him in the head. Even after that however, we had an even more formidable foe to deal with.

Another guy had come out of the elevator with heavy mech armor and a mini-gun. Now the real shit was about to get real. We quickly resumed back to our cover while the gabbling bullets sprayed down on us from LMG the heavily armored bruiser was armed with. We were in the middle of a self-destruct sequence and they were still wasting time trying to kill us.

"God damn, these guys just don't give up!" complained Chloe. "And now we've got a guy with a fucking gabbling gun!"

"Didn't you say Rachel took a guy like him out before?!" asked Warren panting. "She could him on, right?!"

"Stay down!" I warn them. "I'll take care of this asshole!"

I put my time shield up to block the heavy bullets that were being gabbled around. Then I use my grenade launcher to stun the bastard knocking him down on his knees. And then I used my time blast on the mechanical brute to knock his ass sky high and make him collide into a stack of napalm barrels and explode. I was a brute juke who killed one with my chrononic powers and exploding barrels. Now we were officially clear of hostiles and free to enter the elevator.

"Damn, Rachel!" said Warren impressively. "Your super powers kick ass! That was awesome!"

"Let's get a move on you two," I said. "This place is about to blow."

Alarms were still flashing around the place and the bunker's VI kept repeating the warning about the self-destruct sequence. It was time to move. Chloe was pissed. The look on her face made me worry about her. As much as I knew how much Max meant to her, she only going to become the one thing she hated the most for wanting revenge for Prescott's scandal. He'll have a lot to answer for in court. As long as we were to take him alive and I was to keep the furious punk under control.

We hopped into the elevator and took it back up to the upper bunker. We could feel the tremors of explosions from inside the bunker while the self-destruct sequence was still activated. I see Chloe panting next to wall up on the lift. She seriously wanted justice for Max's setup.

"Dammit!" she blustered, slamming her fist on the wall.

"Chloe, you need to stay calm and get your shit together," I warn her. "I mean it."

"After what that monstrous prick did to Max?! I'm just lucky she didn't let me die in a Blackwell restroom! Thinking it would save everyone! But it wouldn't! I'm such a dumb fuck! Even now Arcadia Bay is the only place I know that shuns away everyone I've ever loved!"

"Dammit, Chloe! Stop! Just stop! I am exactly right there with you, but your personnel vendetta isn't going to bring back Max anytime soon. The sooner you don't blind yourself by vengeance, the sooner we'll make that asshole pay. Just quit feeling sorry for yourself and fall in line!"

"She's right, Chloe," assures Warren. "No matter what we do to Prescott, he'll pay for what he did. If it were up to me, what I did to his son back in the Blackwell dorms, I'd do the same for himself if that make you feel any better."

"The only thing that's going to make me feel better is seeing Mr. Prickscott's head on a stick," muttered Chloe. "Let's just take that asshole down and finish this."

The elevator reaches the upper bunker and we run straight out. Red lights were igniting the halls. Scientists and mercenaries ran for their lives and for the nearest exit they could use to escape the bunker. Tremors and explosions were sparking the place like the fourth of July. We saw a couple of paramilitary and research personnel run through the halls making our escape from the bunker. The bunker's VI was still repeating the warning.

"Warning, the self-destruct sequence has been initiated. All personnel, evacuate this area immediately."

"How the hell do we get out of here, Rachel?!" shouted Chloe. "The place is about to blow!"

"Over here!" I order. "This way!"

Upon making our heroic escape, we had to deal with some more mercs in our path and shoot them down. We almost get caught in explosions from the self-destruct initiation and barely survive running through them. Then we see the decontamination room we passed through to get to where we needed to be.

"The decontamination room! Through here! Quickly!" I shout.

The three of us simple get inside the room and start the decontamination procedure. When the procedure is complete, the door in front of opens. But only opens half-way. The self-destruct sequence had cut the power to the bunker and froze the door open half-way. Leaving only a small space in between.

"Great, the door is stuck!" muttered Warren. "Now what to we do?!"

"Let's squeeze through the opening space!" I say. "We can fit through here. Come on!"

Ranikov had made his out the foundry and over to helipad where a chopper was waiting for him. Him and Prescott split up so he could take package far away from the place as he could. The chopper had landed for the Russian lieutenant in the nick of time before the place could blow itself up. Then he boarded the chopper so it could immediately take off. The propeller of helicopter was still running for it to land and take off in order to make Ranikov's escape.

"Voz'mi etot vertolet! (Get this chopper airborne!)" shouted Ranikov to the pilot. "Otvezite menya v Portlend! Nash plan tol'ko nachinayetsya! (Take me to Portland! Our plan is just beginning!)"

Then chopper ascended from the helipad and took off away from the foundry. The package Prescott dropped off for Ranikov was is his hands. Ready for whatever plans Neo-Chrysalis had for themselves. It was only the beginning of the end whatever it was.

"Warning, one minute until detonation. All personnel evacuate this area immediately.

Chloe, Warren, and I squeeze through the door and continue our escape through the exploding halls. I remember taking the elevator we used to get down here that we could use to get out of here. I still remember the way over there as well. I guide Chloe and Warren the way back to the elevator we took to get down here so we could escape. Eventually, the elevator is in our sights and we're in relief.

"There's the elevator! Come on!" I shout.

Then our relief is dashed as the elevator explodes like dynamite. Severely damaging the elevator and prevented our escape route.

"Oh come on! Really?!" shouted Chloe. "That was our only way out of here! Now we're gonna die down here!"

I immediately saw another elevator across the hall next to us. There was no more time to lose. The place was about to destroy itself in less than one minute and that elevator was our last hope of getting out of here alive.

"There! Another elevator!" I shout. "Let's move, move, move!"

"Warning, thirty seconds until detonation. Twenty-nine. Twenty eight. Twenty seven. Twenty-six."

Without further or do, we three enter our alternate escape route and ascend from the bunker on the alternate elevator we take.

"Twenty-five. Twenty-four. Twenty-three. Twenty-two. Twenty-one."

Even though we were about to make it out of here alive, we still had Prescott to deal with. We still had to take him alive.

"Twenty. Nineteen. Eighteen. Seventeen. Sixteen."

Prescott got ahead start from us fighting through his army and escaping the bunker for ourselves. He must still be alive somewhere so we could take him in.

"Fifteen. Fourteen. Thirteen. Twelve. Eleven."

With detonation only ten seconds away, the elevator reaches back to the foundry floor and we make a run for it. We also see Prescott making a run for the exit out of the foundry. Now got him right where we want him. He had no where else to run.

"Prescott!" I shout over to him.

He briefly glances over to us from behind and makes a break for the garage doors that use for his escape out of the exploding foundry.

"Nine. Eight. Seven. Six."

With only five seconds to spare, we were now in pursuit of Prescott as he ran for the exit and we ran after him.

"Five. Four. Three. Two. One."

The three of us heroically make it out of the foundry before a massive explosion pushes us away into the outside storage area and away from the burning refinery. Chloe, Warren, and I land on our stomachs when the explosion forces us away. Almost killing us and leaving a few bruises and rumble on our skin. But we lived. I cough a little tempting to recover myself from the explosion. Just as well as Chloe and Warren were.

Prescott stood there in front of us catching his breath from running away from us. Then an explosion hit a pole next to where Prescott stood causing it to land right on top of him. The falling debris struck Prescott and rendered him stuck on the pole. Subduing his escape and disemboweling him from walking. Since the pole landed on his legs when he was caught. Prescott screamed in agony when the debris struck.

Once the three of us get back on our feet, we now only had one last loose end to tie, one last card to play, and one last rat to rat out. When Chloe has on her feet, she walked over to the crippled politician in despair. With a disgusted grin. It was her opportunity to make her last stand with the one man who severed the ties of her and Max's bond apart. Her last stand. Her last showdown. Her last confrontation. This was her move.

Note: And so our hero's mystery comes to a conclusion in the following chapter to come readers! You've all been waiting for this moment of truth since last episode! I know you have.

Before I go folks, I just like you to know that the end of my school year is coming around the corner and there will be finals to complete. So it may discourage my time from writing this episode. But no worries! I'll write as much as I could even if school get in the way.

Until next time, stay golden!

P.S. Since there's been a lot of shooting happening in this fiction, have I turned Life is Strange into Call of Duty? It's not a big concern of mine. Just wondering if my fiction has been loosing the identity of what the original game had is all. No hard feelings.