Hey everyone I hope you enjoy this chapter. This is a part I've wanted to do since I wrote this story. I hope you all like it.

Years ago, prior to the collapse, the world was under the control of corrupt governments, poisoned by pollution, and sin wreaked havoc on the world on men. Hope County was much different than it was today, and so were many people including the Judge. Before the bombs dropped the Judge of New Eden went by a different name; his former alias was Jake Rook, the Junior Deputy of Hope County. When he was the Junior Deputy he fought against Joseph Seed and his family and tried to bring down the cult he's built.

It all seemed so long ago, like in another lifetime, it might as well have been.

Day 1

It all began in Dutch's Bunker, the deputy was cuffed to the bed. Joseph was listening to a broadcast on the radio, then he told Rook that he was right, the collapse had arrived. Everything he fought for was for nothing. Joseph turned to Jake, proclaiming to be right all along.

Rook felt a massive weight of guilt wash over him. 'This is all my fault. Now, so many were going to die now, because of me.' Rook sat in silence for a few more moments, then looked up to Joseph.

"What do we do now?" Jake asked.

When Rook asked if it felt like something broke inside himself, for so long he fought to defeat Joseph, but now he was giving into the Father's will. He wanted to resist giving in but that would get him nowhere, the only way forward was to serve the Father.

Joseph took a breath. "We wait my child, we must endure in this bunker until the storm above us has passed, then we will leave and then march into the New World God has made for us,"

Joseph then walked over to the bedrail, unlocking Rook's cuffs.

Jake looked up to Joseph with the same look he has always given him. To him, Joseph was just as insane as always. Right or not, he couldn't fathom how either of them could survive something like this. "What makes you so sure that either of us will survive this? We might never even see the sun again," he said with uncertainty and despair. There were many ways he could die down here in this bunker. Starvation, thirst, suffocation, radiation poisoning through a leak, the list goes on.

However, Jake could still not see fear in Joseph's face. It is almost as if he knows they are both going to make it a fact. He truly wished he had the father's certainty right now.

Joseph placed his hands on Jake's cheeks and said. "Have faith, my child, I know what it means to suffer great hardship. Trust me when I say we will survive this." Jake looked intently at Joseph, and vice versa. He had received glimpses of Joseph's past through the times he was captured or under the influence of the Bliss. He was sure he had some skeletons in his closet in order for him to become the man he currently is, but Rook still doesn't exactly trust him. However, he has no choice this time. It was to trust him or die.

This is where it all begins.

Year 1 of the Collapse

Jake laid on his bed with his hands buried in his face. It's been a year since the Collapse began but he couldn't stop reliving that day over and over. That day was burned into his mind like a brand on the skin.

Jake let out a sigh and then sat up, looking at his room. On one part of the wall were lines carved to count the number of days that have passed but Jake stopped counting two months ago. Counting the number of passing days seems ultimately pointless and a waste of time. Which sounds ironic because he has nothing but time.

Sitting in silence, voices began filling this silence.

"Kill Joseph."

"Serve him."

"You have to kill him."

"No, you have to serve him,"

"He's a murderer!"

"He was right!"

Jake took a deep breath, trying to ignore these voices. A few months ago these voices began filling his head. Some told him to kill Joseph, others told him to succumb to his will. After a year he isn't sure which side is right.

"Please… just leave me alone," Jake murmured, hoping the voices would go silent. "Please…"

Doing his best to ignore these voices Jake got up and walked over to the mirror he had in his room. He stared at his reflection and saw huge bags underneath his eyes, stubble growing from lack of shaving, and his skin becoming paler from lack of sunlight.

Suddenly Jake noticed his reflection change into a mysterious masked figure. "Ahh!"

The shock made Jake take a few steps back with his heart skipping a beat. 'Stop fighting the will of the Father. Succumb to his will.'

Jake shook his head violently and then stared at the mirror and saw that the figure was gone and he was staring at himself again. Anger took over Jake making him punch through the mirror, these voices were becoming more relentless. Jake just sat down on the floor burying his face in his hands. "Jesus Christ. What should I do?"

Jake then looked at one of the shards of the mirror on the floor and an idea came into his head. Perhaps there was a way to escape these voices. Jake grabbed one of the shards and then brought the end up to his neck.

Outside of the room Joseph peeked inside and watched as the former Deputy prepared to end his life. There was a part of him that wanted him to do it, but God said he was too important to let die. Knowing he couldn't allow the Deputy to die Joseph came into the room and quickly took the shard from his hand.

"My child, I know this is hard but you cannot die, God has a plan for us," Joseph explained.

"The voices… won't cease… they hurt… make them stop."

Joseph knelt down to Jake sitting right beside him. "I cannot. I understand your pain Jake, I do. But know that all the death that has occurred won't be for nothing because we will make sure of it."

Year 2

The collapse was in its second year.

The former deputy of Hope County managed to survive into year number two after the apparent end of the world. However, he was still even more bewildered at the concept that he survived this long with his sworn enemy: Joseph Seed. The former cult leader was responsible for countless people across the Hope County area and perhaps beyond. Rook was responsible for ridding the world of his sadistic, diabolical siblings, but Joseph chose to let him live…for now.

Right now Jake was sitting down at the table, his shoulders resting on the wooden surface. 'We are dead because of you!' The voice of Hudson yelled in his head.

'I can't believe I ever respected you!' Pratt's voice yelled.

"You failed us, Rook! You failed the whole County!" Sheriff Whitehorse scolded.

The voices kept on coming, the ones of those Rook fought and bled with in life, but were ultimately silenced by Joseph and his cult. Now that the world he knew was over, there was nothing to do but think about the past. The voices of those such as Eli Palmer, Marshall Burke, Virgil, and many others rolled inside his head, doing their damndest to destroy what mental stability he had left. The swarming voices inside his skull were comparable to being swarmed by mosquitos in the humid jungles of the world. Rook tried holding his head to ease the pain as if it were to keep his head from exploding. He could not take it for a second longer and just screamed, "NO!"

Jake flipped the table over in a fit of rage screaming "SHUT UP!" at the top of his lungs.

Jake ran over to the nearest wall, banging his head repeatedly against the metal surface. "SHUT UP! SHUT UP! SHUT UP! SHUT UP! SHUT UP!"

Stopping after who knows how many knocks to the skull Jake sat down on the cold floor, blood pouring from his head. He paid no attention to the pain, he just buried his face in his hands breathing heavily, followed by heavy breaths.

Being a small and compact place, the bunker did nothing to hide Rook's sounds of anguish. Joseph noticed almost immediately the distress the former deputy gave off in a range of emotions. He did still hate the Deputy for killing his family, but he couldn't help but feel sorry for his former enemy. He was arguably suffering more than Joseph was.

Joseph walked over to Jake, placing a hand on his shoulder. "Come my son, let's take care of those wounds on your head."

Joseph helped the fragile Jake and brought him to the infirmary where he treated the self-inflicted wounds on Jake's head.

After treating the wounds Jake passed out from the head trauma.

Hours Later

Jake awoke with a gasp shooting up from the bed, he quickly calmed down as soon as he saw that he was in the infirmary. He brought his hands up to his head to feel bandages wrapped around his head.

"You cracked your skull," Joseph said out of the blue, startling Jake.

"What?" Rook questioned, feeling his head and realizing he did crack his own skull.

"Don't worry, it will heal as long you don't do that again," Joseph warned.

Jake brought his hands up to his bandaged head. "I'm sorry… It's just that I keep hearing their voices in my head. They blame me, I blame myself. The demons inside won't be silent."

"Your fallen comrades?"

Jake nodded his head. "I can't believe I'm stuck in a bunker with you and that I'm telling you all this."

"We may have been enemies, but now we are allies," Joseph said.

As soon as he said that something inside Jake snapped. He grabbed Joseph, pinning him against the wall. "Don't call us that, we are not allies. You and your crazy family tried to kill me and several other good folks. I can't believe I'm actually giving in to you. I should just kill you know!"

"You won't kill me," Joseph said.

Jake pulled out a blade bringing it up to Joseph's neck. "I think I will," he threatened. "I have every right to! You took everything from me! You killed so many people! Poisoned them, tortured them, turned them against their own friends and family! You're the fucking devil!"

Joseph wasn't intimidated at all, he just remained calm in the face of death. "And you destroyed what was left. If it wasn't for your resistance so many would still be living right now. So ask yourself who is the real evil here; me or you?"

As much as he wanted to run his blade across Joseph's neck he knew it would be pointless. Joseph is right, the world has still ended, and killing him won't change anything. If it wasn't for him so many people would still be here, so many are dead now because of him. "Your family did so many fucked-up things to this county, and you just fucking watched! The people here looked to me to save them, something you promised to do. You didn't save anyone!"

"And neither did you!" Joseph countered quickly and seriously, flabbergasting the young deputy. Or rather, the young former deputy.

Jake looked at Joseph then just let out a scream stabbing the wall next to him in a fit of rage. Jake then collapsed onto the floor in stress and despair. "You're right… your right… I failed to save them. I'm a failure… I'm a fuckin' failure!" He began to punch the wall that he had just shanked, each punch drawing more and more blood from his knuckles. He wanted to believe that his physical pain was drowning out his internal pain, but he would be wrong.

Joseph placed his hand on Jake's shoulder. "Calm my child, you are a failure, but failure is a great teacher and with me, you will grow stronger."

Year 3 - Birth of the Judge

The collapse reached its third year, and food and water were beginning to run low. Rationing was keeping both Jake and Joseph alive, but it's only prolonging the inevitable. Sooner or later supplies will run out and they will starve.

However, food wasn't the main issue for either of them. Guilt still plagued Jake's fragile mind, he was close to the point of his mind shattering before his very eyes.

"All of it," Rook said with a disgruntled tone. He held his head in his hands. "All of that pain, all of that death…" He paused in between words, taking in the memories of him and his struggles against the cult. He nearly killed himself to take down the cult and protect the people of Hope County so many times. And in the end…

"IT WAS ALL FOR NOTHING!"

He slammed his fists into the wall, supporting himself against the wall before letting his feelings drain from his heart and mind through tears. He let the tears fall down his grief-ridden face, his lungs heaving air in and out as if he were hyperventilating.

After his breakdown, he wiped the stowaway tears in his eyes and looked over to the table nearby. The table itself was bare on the surface, but he looked over to the drawers it contained. He began to catch his breath and walked over to the desk. The first two drawers were empty of anything useful, but the third was a different story.

In that drawer lay a pocket knife, which had been untouched for years. He grabbed the knife and unsheathed the blade, surprising him that the blade was still as sharp as the last time it was handled. As he inspected the knife, his eyes drifted toward his forearm for a second. They went back to the knife for a split second, before returning to his arm. Then the memories began to flood in.

"Sin must be exposed before it can be absolved…"

"To cut it out like a cancer for all to see…"

"Then we'll see if you're worthy of atonement…"

John Seed. Joseph's psychotic little brother was responsible for "recruiting" for the cult. The ways he did it broke people down internally and externally, some people to the point of them dying before they could be worthy of Eden's Gate. He was most infamous for forcibly tattooing the people of Hope County with their "sins" before slicing the skin right off of them. If that was not demented enough, he then displayed those skin grafts for all to see, as if there is something about it to behold.

Jake had seen it for himself. Not only had seen his friend Nick Rye sliced up in Pastor Jerome's church while he was helpless to do anything about it but he was also branded with his sin. John dubbed his sin as Wrath, though Joseph thought he was wrong in the end. Pride was his true sin, and perhaps he was right.

The former deputy's eyes then went back to the sharpened and well-preserved blade in his hands. He gulps, an idea that he would have never previously thought of, lingers in his mind.

"I…must… cut this sin out," Jake said, bringing the knife up to his skin and began cutting. Cut after cut Jake cut himself all over his body, not focused on how much it hurts or how much blood he was losing only that this sin would be expelled from his body. However, as he went in for what was probably the sixtieth cut he couldn't. Blood was rapidly leaking from his body and he just collapsed to the ground in a pool of his own blood.

Joseph heard the sound of something of decent size falling to the ground, suddenly. Whatever it was, he didn't like the sound of it so he quickly went to investigate. If anything had compromised this bunker, both he and the Deputy would be at risk. Imagine his shock when he saw the one person sharing his bunker with him, lying on the ground in a pool of blood that was gradually getting wider.

On the ground, Jake attempted to reach for the knife but his body was too drained of blood to move but he didn't relent; he used his depleting strength to reach for the blade.

"NO!" Joseph ran over to the deputy grabbing the knife before the dying Jake could grab it.

The blood loss took a direct and very quick effect on the fallen deputy. The last thing he could see with his closing eyes were Joseph's boots as the former cult leader sprinted toward him. After that, his eyelids became impossibly heavy and all he could perceive was darkness.

Jake's eyes snapped open once again finding himself in the infirmary. Looking around he wondered how he got here then looked down and saw all his cuts were stitched and bandaged. Jake did his best to sit up despite how much it hurt.

Joseph approached the Judge and knelt down to him, placing his hand on his head. "You tried to cut out your sin for me, didn't you?"

Jake lifted his head up, giving Joseph a slow nod.

"We are the same, you and I. We both lost everything…" Joseph said, helping him up to his knees, placing his hand on his shoulder. "And everyone, and if we emerge, what is left to emerge to?"

The injured deputy sighed and realized the truth. "Nothing," Jake said.

"Exactly. You have no plan now. No hope. You have no reason to carry on." Joseph stated then said. "But I will give you a new purpose. You came here to judge me and my family. And you were right to."

Joseph then held up a wooden mask, presented it to the former deputy, then placed his hand on the top of his head. "I was wrong. That is your purpose now my child. You are and will always be… my Judge,"

The father then placed a mask on Jake's face. At this moment Jake rook, the Junior Deputy has died and in his place, the Judge of New Eden is born.

The… Judge bowed his head at the Father, letting out these words. "I… will… be… your… Judge… Father."

Year 4

Over four years have passed since the collapse: food, water, and other supplies were critically low in the bunker. Both Joseph and the Judge were dehydrated, starving, and growing weaker each day. Recently Joseph has recently been having more visions from God telling him of the future ahead.

Joseph Seed sat down at the Kitchen table, hearing the voices telling him of a man that will be the Shepherd of New Eden.

Meanwhile, the Judge of Eden and trusted confidant of Joseph Seed, has had much to think about since he accepted his new persona. He has read the Word of Joseph many times over the years and found much of it to be enlightening. He admits that there were many lies told in his ramblings, but also many truths.

In the Judge's room, he found himself reading the word of Joseph again to fill his head with Joseph's wisdom until he suddenly heard Joseph's voice. "Judge… I need you!"

Not being needed to be told twice, the Judge got up and went into the kitchen.

"My child, I've been receiving visions from God Himself," Joseph explained.

"What…kind of…visions?" The Judge asked, taking a seat at the table.

"I don't know… I've been seeing a face, one I don't recognize. He tells me that he's special and that he will be the savior of our people," Joseph explains.

"But… I thought you would… be the savior…of New Eden?" The Judge questioned.

"As did I, but it seems that the lord has something else in store for me and you," Joseph stated.

"But…what?" The Judge asked.

Joseph shrugged. "I don't know, but when the time comes I'm certain we'll find out,"

Year 5 - A New World

Many years have passed since the collapse, and the world has been remade in more ways than one. The land that had been scorched by nuclear flames had been given another chance to grow life. Its soil is once again enriched and a breath-taking variety of flora has bloomed. Those who had lived through the years of fallout and nuclear winter would say that they had just stepped into a new world entirely.

Now that the threat of radiation had passed almost completely in the remains of Hope County, Joseph awoke from his slumber with wide eyes filled with excitement and new purpose. The Lord had declared that it is now time to truly start anew.

"My son...the time has come," Joseph said, approaching the exhausted Judge.

"The time has come… for what?" The Judge asked, rubbing his eyes, sitting up on the bed, and putting his mask on.

Joseph sat on the bed, placing a hand on his shoulder. "The world above us has been remade. The time has come for us to leave this forsaken bunker and begin building our New Eden."

The Judge couldn't believe this, they can finally leave this accursed bunker. "Are… are… you… sure?"

Joseph placed his hands on the Judge's shoulders and nodded. "Yes, now come. We must leave, we have work to do."

The Judge nodded and got up, but before they left, Joseph went over to a pedestal in his room, placing his book on it.

"Why… aren't… you bringing… your… book?" The Judge asked, confused.

"The book will stay here," Joseph said, "God has told me that whoever finds it will be the shepherd of New Eden. So it will remain here until it is found by New Eden's shepherd."

"Very… well."

"Now come, let us leave this place," Joseph instructed.

Joseph and the Judge cautiously approached the bunker door, despite knowing that the world above had been made anew, the two were still afraid to open the bunker. The Judge placed his hand on the wheel to the door, then slowly began turning it.

The second the bunker door opened Joseph and the Judge were hit with a rush of cold air, instead of radiation. The threat of nuclear fallout had subsided for the most part. However, the new bright and beautiful foliage was not visible at the moment, and wouldn't be visible for quite some time. Winter has come to Hope County. Normally, people can just hunker down in their homes from the blistering and unrelenting cold. Now, with the world being in the state that it is, that wasn't an option.

For as long as the Earth has existed, living creatures have struggled against the regular trials of winter, and survival against it is never guaranteed. The survivors of the Collapse were now faced with another, and arguably more brutal, test of endurance. Only this time, this test will return every year. It's not a matter of "if," it's a matter of "when."

Fortunately for Joseph and the Judge, it was a relatively clear day in snowy Hope County. The sun was bright and was giving off as much warmth as it could. Though it did not stop the reformed man from displaying their discomfort.

"AHHHH!" The Judge screamed as the sunlight hurt his eyes, he quickly shielded his masked face with his hand. "The sun… it hurts."

Given that the two were trapped in a bunker deprived of sunlight, their eyes will need time to readjust to the sun.

Joseph took a deep breath of the crisp winter air and exhaled. He had just taken his first breath in a world that rose from the ashes of the Collapse he feared for so long.

He raises his hands into the air, just like he did before when he thanked God for the world that they live on. "Thank you, Father, for this second chance," Joseph prayed to the Lord that had guided him. "It truly is a glorious place. We will not squander your creation this time."

Joseph looked to the Judge and smiled, earning a nod from his loyal masked servant.

Joseph placed his hands on the Judge's shoulders. "Now our work begins."

This is a New Dawn.

I'll be honest, not my best work. I'm not great at describing mental breakdowns. If anyone has any ideas on how to improve this please tell me your ideas.

I would like to give another shoutout to fairytail96 for helping me out.

Please leave a review and tell me what you think.