Chapter 12 Celebration Freedom

Max

April 19th, 2014

4:20 PM

Arcadia Bay, Oregon

Two Whales Diner

Chloe and I step outside the diner where a ton of students form a circle around Rachel. This was my party and the legendary mistress was out here stealing the show from me. It was lock Spock from Star Trek getting more fame than Captain Kirk or Darth Vader getting more fame than Emperor Palpatine. People at Blackwell weren't kidding about Rachel when they always said she was her own club and always took the show away from people.

My girlfriend and I walk over to the crowd to see Rachel telling her old friends stories with her boyfriend and his puppy about how her and Chloe cracked my case to the core. A majority of the students were some Vortex Clubs kids. Surprisingly including Victoria. Despite being high school rivals together with Rachel, same way I was rivals with her, she owed me and Rachel a lot for rallying everyone at the school and in town with Kate to bring hope to my freedom. Me and Chloe poke through the crowd to hear what Rachel was speaking of.

"And here goes the best part," said Rachel continuing her story. "I take on yet another juggernaut with a mini-gun, the same kind I had to deal with back at the Prescott Manor, and round two gets even better. So while the big bruiser is spraying bullets around with his LMG, I use my shielding power to protect Chloe, Warren, and I, and then I charge up my time blasting power into a powerful ball of energy and blast the mother fucker away into a stack of napalm and boom! The son of an asshole explodes into smithereens and then Warren goes 'Damn, Rachel! That was awesome!'."

The crowd of teenagers laughs with Rachel. Even Victoria lets out a light chuckle, too. It's been over a year since anyone in Blackwell had seen Rachel Amber alive and well and already everyone has a blast from the past. Who am I to judge? Rachel herself catches sight of I and Chloe and welcomes us over.

"Well if isn't Ms. Pain in the Butt," says Rachel. "Or shall I call her Ms. Pain to the Max. In other words, Ms. Max Caulfield herself. And her partner in crime time, Chloe F'n Price. How's the guest of honor doing today?"

The crowd turns to us for a moment when we step up front.

"I'm doing just fine, Rachel," I reply. "I love it when you steal the party from me. No offense, but now I know it feels to be every student who always thought you were a bitch."

Some of students in the crowd chuckled a little. Victoria rolled her eye with her hands folded.

"Be sure to tell that one to Victoria when this party's over," said Rachel. "Am I right, Vic? Or are you still just getting used to seeing ghost?"

"For the record, I was just getting used to never seeing you at all," said Victoria. "I'd be lying if I said I missed you. But I wouldn't be lying if I said you're looking awfully great for a corpse. Welcome back to Arcadia Bay."

"May I have everyone please leave my presence?" Rachel asks everyone. "I'd like to speak with Max Caulfield alone with my ex-girlfriend and my boyfriend."

The whole crowd of teens left our presence. Leaving my partner in crime and I to talk with only Rachel and Frank with Pompidou lying down next to them.

"Same old Rachel," mumbles Dana in the crowd. "Once a legend, always a legend."

"That's the Rachel we know," said Courtney in the gang of teens.

Once everyone left, it was our turn to talk.

"Now, what shall we talk about?" asked Rachel.

"Did I just hear you say that you took out a juggernaut with mini-gun by blowing him up with napalm?" I ask her. "And I thought I was over-the-top destroying a chopper with a bazooka. You were there with Rachel down in that bunker, Chloe. Is what she's saying true?"

"Don't envy her, Max," said Chloe. "Of course its, true. Believe it or not, your really aren't anything different compared to Rachel. Not only because your superpowers, but because your deference and morale for making an impression on me."

"Her deference is nothing compared to her morale, Chloe," said Frank. "There are some difference between Max and Rachel, but more similarities than differences. I learned that from Pompidou. He always senses it."

"You learn things from dog senses, Frank?" I ask.

"When have I not?" he answers. "Ever since that day in the junkyard, I've learned it from my dog's way. No questions asked."

"Frank always had a mixed influence from Pompidou," said Rachel. "If someone was up to no good, that was little Pompi's cue to make his bite worse than his bark. If someone was up for the greater good, he'd return the favor. Anyways, was there anything else you wanted to talk about?"

"You and Chloe really did risk your lives for me, didn't you?" I say. "I don't what her and I would've done without you. I even here you risked Frank and Warren's life for mine, as well."

"Frank just sat back getting a grand stand view of that Prescott job I did with Chloe," said Rachel. "Warren was our little snitch to catch Mr. Sean Prickscott. Chloe and I were Sherlock Holmes and John Watson playing CSI and Law & Order: Arcadia Bay. Everyone else was expendable."

"Oh, so I'm expendable now, huh?" Frank asked his girlfriend. "I go from Walter White from Breaking Bad to Daryl Dixon from the Walking Dead and now I'm Ving Rhames from Mission Impossible. Who are you to call me expendable?"

"You said it yourself, Frank," said Rachel. "You'd be lying if you said you cared. Doesn't matter anymore. To me, your still more than expendable. Your my...you know who you are to me."

"Yeah, Frank," interfered Chloe. "Show some respect. Don't forget who we through this party for."

"Hey, I didn't anything by it, okay?" apologized Frank. "I was only asking how I was expendable is all. And how I'm more than just a low-life trailer bum who makes a quick buck out of Blackwell shits demanding drugs every now and then."

"I never asked, Rachel," I was saying. "How did you become such a Blackwell celebrity wanting live big in LA? And why would some people like Victoria envy you for it?"

"You want me to sit down and tell you about the longest ride I've experienced becoming the legend I once was?" replied Rachel. "I'll give you the shortened version. I was nothing more but a greedy and power-hungry young woman hanging with all the cool kids that made people like Victoria hate me. I was popular, but flawed. I was self-centered, but optimistic. I ruled Blackwell Academy with an iron fist. But that didn't stop me from being the most respected and self-esteemed prodigy the history of Blackwell could ever ask for. I was a saint. And that's my story."

"So your selfishness and greed is what made you a saint, but your optimism is what made some people hate you?" I ask her.

"More like vice-versa," she answered. "No matter what I had done to make all my friends and teachers love me like Elvis, I had the money and the power to roll out the red carpet for my prominent reputation. In the end, the whole school was my family. Including your girlfriend, Chloe. Joyce once told me I was like a third daughter to her. Knowing you were like second daughter her before leaving Arcadia Bay to Seattle."

"I appreciate what you and Chloe did for me to be here, Rachel," I thank her. "Nice talking to you about your renowned reputation."

"Anytime, Max. Anytime."

The two of us walk over to where Ms. Grant and Samuel sit down outside after our chat with Rachel and Frank. Then the two of us talk with everyone's favorite staff at Blackwell.

"Hello there, Max," said Ms. Grant. "Welcome back to Arcadia Bay."

"Why hello again, Max," said Samuel. "It's good to see you again."

"Likewise," I say to them. "How has the past we treated for the both of you since I've been gone."

"Not so great, lately," said Ms. Grant. "Ever since that shooting occurred, it's been nothing but a train wreck for myself, my students, and everyone else. Those Chrysalis authorities have spent the last couple of days decorating the school into a crime scene after the shooting and hassling around students violating their security protocol. About half the students have doing more protesting with Ms. Chase and Ms. Marsh than they have been coming to my classroom. Can't blame them. Not even Principle Wells could."

"I've spent the last week praying for justice for your injustice, Max," said Samuel. "Besides from those Chrysalis guards forbidding me to feed my squirrels out in the courtyard, the day I've been praying for has arrived."

"Tell that one to Kate Marsh," I tell him. "How has Chrysalis treated you back at Blackwell."

"Like I said, they wouldn't even let me see my squirrels," he repeated himself. "I had to feed them somewhere indoors. Even then, Chrysalis or not, there were no animals allowed in the school. I've missed you, Max. We all have. It means a lot to me having you back with us."

"What do you think of Rachel being back here in Arcadia Bay?" I ask. "Is she as cunning and glamorous as you remembered?"

"Oh, certainly," he replied. "I always told everyone it was best not to dwell on the past. Though she was declared to be dead, in the end, she came back alive and well. The same girl as everyone recalled."

"Remember what you were saying about spirit animals? I never told you that I may have mine a couple times. It was the doe. A mystic female deer that would appear anywhere I go and in my dreams visions I've been having for six months in a row now."

"Ah, yes. I do recall. The doe is indeed your spirit. As far as the mind goes, Rachel's spirit is the blue jay, Kate's spirit is the bunny rabbit, and your friend Chloe's spirit is a little blue butterfly that intertwines with relation between it your spirit."

Chloe and I blush at what Samuel says to us. I never understood what was with him and spirit animals. I always found Samuel to be a such an illusive and psychic human being. Which is exactly who he is.

"Wowser, Samuel," I say. "Spare us the mystics if you don't mind. I once asked about all the strange things happening in Arcadia a while back. You never knew what it was, but you always said it was coming. It turned out you were right. And it just so happens that's all due to the work of terrorist under the influence of a villainous cult. Now I know exactly what the stranger things were all about."

"No comment there, Max," said Samuel illusively. "No comment there."

"We should get going," I say. "Chloe and I still have more celebrating to do. Nice talking with you two."

"A pleasure as always, Max," said Grant. "You two take care."

"Stay strong and clear, Max," said Samuel. "Your gonna need it."

I and Chloe decide to walk back inside the diner after our chat with the two adults.

"That Samuel guy always gave me the creeps," said Chloe. "It's like he's a psychic or something."

"Believe he is, Chloe," I said. "He always has."

When we get inside, we see Warren talking to Principle Wells at a table they sat down. Curious to see how Warren had held up after volunteering Rachel and Chloe's suicide mission at the outpost that belonged to Neo-Chrysalis, we walk by to see what he was talking of with Mr. Wells.

"I overheard Ms. Amber talking about her mission to bring Mr. Prescott to justice and even though you were there, I don't remember her saying anything of what your saying," said Mr. Wells. "I think I remember hearing something about Ms. Amber fighting for her life protecting you and Ms. Price, though."

"Well, yeah," said Warren. "Rachel was protecting Chloe and I, but I had my own problems to deal with."

Mr. Wells gave Warren a stern and unconvinced look on his face as Warren was about to make up a childish story.

"So I was there at the Neo-Chrysalis outpost," began Warren.

At the outpost, Neo-Chrysalis mercenaries and goons were scattered around heavily guarding the vicinity. Posted at every perimeter by the Cold Steel Foundry.

"Ha ha! Rachel Amber is on the loose with Chloe Price," said a mercenary. "This is our chance!"

Warren hides behind a container in the storage yard at the front of the foundry. Where he sees mercs guarding entry.

"Oh shit! Neo-Chrysalis!" panicked Warren.

"Ha ha ha! It's Warren Graham!" shouted a merc. "He's unarmed! How's he going to stop us?! Ha ha!"

Warren walks over to a heavily armored Neo-Chrysalis assault vehicle. Where he now has a plan to talk on an army of terrorist one by one. The mercs turn around where they patrol. Only to see a heavy armored tank stroll down in front of them. It was Warren driving commandeering the tank. Driving it over to the bad guys he was ready to kill.

"Like this," said Warren, inside the driver's seat of the tank. "Who wants to go ape?"

Warren uses the tank's canons to fire rockets and missiles to blow up a bunch of Neo-Chrysalis thugs. The terrorist mercs retreat from the rogue vehicle as they get hammered down with missiles.

"Ah! We were fools to underestimate Warren!" cried a merc. "Oh no!"

"Yes, you were," says Warren.

A merc crawling on the ground for mercy gets run over and squashed like a cockroach by Warren's tank. As the tank itself continues it's rampage, a small batch of mercs line up in attack formation stopping the tank in it's tracks. One of the mercs squats down in the center with an RPG in his hands ready to blow the tank away. Instead of the rocket of the heavy gun firing away, it lets out a small poof and pathetically flops to the ground when it fails to fire properly.

Warren runs over the vulnerable mercenary squad like vermin as they let out dying wails. Then he fire more missiles from the tank blowing up more baddies in his path.

"That's right!" he says. "You just landed on the island of doctor me!"

"And that's pretty much how it happened," said Warren finishing the story. "Which is why you should promote me as a king for prom this year."

"No," said Mr. Wells, denying his story.

"Aw come on!" whined Warren.

"I barely believed what they said about Ms. Caulfield and Ms. Amber," said Wells. "You, I don't think so."

"Okay, trying not to be offended there," said Warren optimistically. "Look, if Max or Rachel were here...Uh, Max, Chloe, hi."

X/SQUARE/LM - VOUCH FOR WARREN

B/CIRCLE/RM - TURN DOWN WARREN

"I'm Max Caulfield and I'll vouch for Warren," I said pretending to believe his story. "Warren Graham is a hero. Everyone owes him for making Arcadia Bay great again, myself and Rachel included."

Warren blushes for blatantly accepting his juvenile story.

"I'm so sorry, Ms. Caulfield," apologized Wells. "I had no idea. Meet me in my office tomorrow morning and we'll negotiate."

Mr. Wells gets off the table leaves to make way out the diner. Leaving Warren to the two of us.

"Uh...thanks, Max," thanked Warren.

"Just be sure to get Brooke a prom dress later," I suggest to him.

"Wowser, Max," says Chloe. "You actually had the balls to back up Warren's hella juvenile story like that? You barely killed a single merc back the bunker, Warren! Who are you to manipulate Maximus like that?"

"Who are you to think it's for you to decide?" he asked her. "Last time I checked, this was supposed to be Maximus's party. Not Chloemus's party, you know."

"At ease, Chloe," I say to her. "Rachel would've done the same. It's her party to make that decision, also."

Note: Okay guys, so just one more part before the celebration is over and I'll be able to move forward with future endeavors for this episode. I've decided to split this into two parts before it's done.

Until next time, stay golden.

P.S. Wasn't Warren's made up story freankin' hilarious or what?! LOL