Disclaimer: I don't own Back to the Future
Author's Note: Here's the new chapter. References to violence and minor character death, but then again this is rated T. Also, in case that one significant line from Jennifer sounded familiar to you, that one is directly lifted from the Game (end of Episode 2, Edna Strickland). I did say this would have references, after all. And don't worry, it won't get as gory after this anymore. And the chapter ends on an optimistic tone.
Chapter Thirteen
Wednesday, June 8, 2016
03:10 PM PDT
Eastwood Ravine Bridge
Tannen Valley, California
Emmett found himself breathing rapidly, as he was lying down on the bridge. It brought back bad memories from his last trip with the original DeLorean. Of course, it had been Marty that had almost been overrun by that train, but Emmett had known it might have happened and worried all about it – probably even more than Marty had, considering it had only been a few moments to him and the scientist had had years to mull it over. Additionally, this also brought back memories of him getting shot by Libyans, considering all the bullets flying around. It made him sum his lesson from this adventure up to one thing: If he got out of here and back to his own world alive and well, the next time he celebrated his birthday, he would stay in bed all day. Period.
One look up told him Marty wasn't hiding like he was – he figured the forty-seven-year-old had more experience with this than he had. After all, he had grown up in this world. On the other hand, maybe he didn't – when would the sons of the ruling family get a chance to experience a gun fight?
The bullets kept flying around his ears, and occasionally hit the bridge near him, giving Emmet quite a fright. Thankfully, no one was aiming at him – the fight was still clearly Tannen group vs. Parker group, with Marty being a reluctant participant on the Parker side, mostly defending himself. Emmett wondered what his non-friend was thinking about all this. He had to have been shocked after hearing Cliff wanted to kill him, but he wasn't sure whether that translated into a wish to murder, or even hurt, his own brother.
Emmett stared down into the ravine, trying to think of something else than the risk of getting shot. He couldn't help his semi-allies – after all, he didn't have a gun. Therefore, he would just have to stay put, and perhaps run for it if Cliff gained the upper hand. With that in mind, perhaps he should keep his attention with the fight.
He stood up carefully, and stared at the scene around him. The Tannen group was down to roughly half of their original count, with the rest having been killed in a gruesome way. Jennifer's associates had lost a few important members but were still resisting as well. Emmett was just wondering how long this would go on when it happened.
Cliff, who had narrowly managed to dodge several bullets, had taken an old-fashioned looking sword out of his coat. After yelling something Emmett couldn't hear, Cliff charged towards the Parker group with the members of his own group protecting their leader. That got another load of them killed, as the entire Parker gang tried to protect Jennifer and shot feverishly to defend her. However, Cliff wasn't aiming for her.
Before he knew it, Emmett found Cliff Tannen approaching him with his sword. He could barely get back to his feet before the sword was pointed straight at his throat "You know, this may not be the most efficient or satisfying way to get rid of you, but I think it'll do" Cliff hissed. "You've caused us enough trouble, Brown, and now you're finally going to pay for it!"
"I don't think so, Cliff."
Cliff and Emmett both turned to the speaker, but Cliff's cry had barely left his lips when the familiar sound of a gunshot was heard. Cliff fell down – Emmett narrowly avoided him – and lay dying on the ground. The inventor stared at him, then looked up at Marty.
His friend carefully put his gun back in his pocket. "I did what I had to do" he whispered. "I think."
A loud cry of "ATTACK!" disrupted them for one second. Marty and Emmett looked up to see the Parker gang once more attack the now disorganized Tannen gang. The group fell back and rapidly disintegrated. They watched in astonishment as the last men fell, and before they knew it, all was over.
"Heavy" Marty quipped. "Although I suppose this is heavy as well." He shook his head. "Maybe… maybe I shouldn't have done that. I kept saying my moral standing was higher than his, but…"
"You bastard" Cliff interrupted him, rolling over with the last strength he had in him and staring at his brother. "How could you. You're a disgrace to the Tannen name."
Marty looked at him for a second, then his eyes shot fire. "How dare you say things like that! You ruined Tannen Valley! You and Dad and all of our family got the entire town terrorized, got hundreds of innocents killed! It's not me who's a disgrace to the Tannen name, it's the Tannen name which is a disgrace to me!"
"Well spoken, Marty" Emmett complimented. "I think I've come to like you over the past few days, but the you who was always a McFly was my best friend, and he hadn't been tainted by the things you have. You don't deserve to be a Tannen."
Marty looked at Emmett and smiled. "Am I supposed to take that as a compliment?" he asked.
"That's what it's meant as" Emmett said, smiling back at Marty. He patted his friend on the back. "Even if you're not my Marty, I believe you have some potential. It's nice to get to know you."
"I suppose" Marty said. "Although seeing me shoot Cliff must, uh, not be as nice." He looked at his brother, who was now definitely dead. "I know it's not all that wrong, since it's Cliff and all, but it feels that way, you know?"
"I understand" Emmett said, sighing. "There are many things in my life that I'm not proud of either, and this is all going to get erased from history. I wish I could go back and erase my own mistakes the same way, but in many cases, it would just be too dangerous. Like how I broke up with my wife two days after we met." He sighed. "I know, bad comparison."
"I'd say" Marty said. "I get what you mean, though."
"I believe I owe you an apology, Mr. Tannen."
Marty looked up to see Jennifer approaching them. "Mrs. Parker?" he asked. "What do you want to apologize for?"
"For thinking you were just like the rest of your family" Jennifer said, simply. "You're not. And that's why I've decided to let you two free, on the condition that you promise to do your best to change Tannen Valley."
"I do my best?" Marty echoed. Emmett realized it the same time he did. "You're right! Cliff's dead, I think I saw Griff fall as well in that final struggle, so… I guess this means I'm in charge now!"
"Heavy?" Emmett asked.
"You bet" Marty replied, leaning against the bridge. "I'm kind of used to it, of course, considering the fact that I've been police chief for quite a while now, but actually replacing Cliff as leader of Tannen Valley?" He shook his head. "It's a weird thought."
"It is, but it's a thought you need to act upon right away" Emmett said. "I'm not sure what people might be out there that could claim to have the right to your position, or who'll oppose your killing of Cliff. I hope we can count on Mrs. Parker not revealing any of this."
"Oh, I won't" Jennifer ensured them. "Not until you've reformed town. That would be like shooting myself in the foot."
"Good" Emmett said. "Then all you have to do is get back to town and take over before any of Cliff's goons get a chance to do it. You can probably use Cliff's limo, now that he won't be able to use it himself anymore."
Marty managed a wry smile. "Guess you're right" he said. "All right, off to Tannen Valley… no, Hill Valley… we go. Off to change the world."
oooooooo
Before the day was out, Marty's final statement turned out to be right. He was changing the world, more than anyone could have imagined. Once getting back to Tannen Valley, he had immediately marched into Cliff's office and declared that the great leader had tragically perished during a shooting incident with some rebels over at Eastwood Ravine Bridge. His second message was that the 'traitors inside our regime' that were supposedly responsible for Cliff's death should be punished. Using his natural overweight over the subservient employees, he managed to convince them to track down most of Cliff's more radical associates. Many of them were brought to the prisons they had thrown many others in before the day was out.
"You know," Emmett told Marty, as he was watching over all of it with his friend, "this kind of reminds me of that future movie I once saw. It was called Valkyrie, and it dealt with the plot to kill Hitler."
Marty frowned. "I doubt you can compare Cliff to Hitler" he said. "He was bad, yeah, but he hadn't quite gone that bad – or at least, not yet."
"I know, but that's just what it seemed to me" Emmett said. "The resemblance is there, you know. Both situations deal with the leader of an evil regime getting killed – or, in their case, nearly killed – by one faction of that very regime that has become appalled by its horrific ways, and then claims the more radical faction was responsible to eliminate them."
"You don't think I'm doing the wrong thing, do you?" Marty asked. "I know this kind of stuff might not be what you're used to, but we can't just leave all those crooks running around unpunished."
"Oh, I'll agree with you on that" Emmett replied. "It is a strange thing to see you do all this, but I suppose I'll just have to adjust to that thought. You're right – if you didn't do it, the situation could get far worse." He looked at Marty. "Say, to change the subject – is tomorrow your birthday?"
Marty blinked, startled. "Uh, yeah?" he said. "Why?"
"I was just wondering whether that event would have stayed the same between realities" Emmett replied. "It's hard to believe you're turning forty-eight tomorrow. Of course you're not the Marty I know, but you're still a version of him. I have a hard time imagining any Marty to be above twenty, even after all that time travelling I've done."
"I understand" Marty said. "I don't suppose anyone will have a present for me tomorrow, but that's okay, because I have a lot of other things to do." He snapped his fingers, remembering something. "I do have a present for you, though."
"For me?" Emmett asked. "I know this whole mess started with my birthday, but that was in 1895 and I couldn't possibly…"
"Never mind that" Marty replied. "Just follow me."
Emmett nodded reluctantly, and started to follow his friend. He had no idea what Marty was up to now, but he trusted him enough by now to know that it would be something good. They walked through several corridors, through several hallways of which Emmett had no idea where they might lead and whom he'd never seen before. He knew the Courthouse was big in this reality, but he hadn't quite realized how grand it was until he saw it all here. They went over staircases, too, ever going down. Finally, when Emmett was about to ask how long it would take before they got finished with this, Marty suddenly opened the door and stepped back.
"This is it" he said, simply.
In front of him, Emmett saw his DeLorean. Not the one he had time travelled with, of course, but the one he had bought a few days ago. It was still in a similar condition, although Emmett could see there had been some work done on it already.
"I managed to track it down from the information you gave me" Marty said, grinning. "Cliff had it towed away. You told me your first time machine was a DeLorean and how you needed a car most of all to build a new one, so…" He gestured towards the car. "I'd say, have fun."
"Thank you, Marty" Emmett said, grinning broadly. "If you can get me the notes from my old home… some good technical equipment… it should work. It will work. It must work." He smiled at Marty. Suddenly, the past, just like the future, was not quite so hopeless anymore.