Similar powers

Chapter 26. Revelation

Max, Chloe, and David arrive at the dump at 7:30 p.m., ahead of the agreed-upon time and ahead of Dio, and take the opportunity to set up the projector trap, keeping it hidden near them with a tarp and then pulling it out when least expected. Half an hour Dio also arrives with Rachel in tow, while Kate, Nathan and Jefferson have their hands tied.

"Why is Prof. Jefferson there too?" Max asks.

"Do you think Nathan could have ever kidnapped Kate or even Rachel himself? Look at his condition, he wouldn't know day from night." Dio answers

Max is shocked to find out in that way that her professor was linked to Kate and Rachel's abductions.

"So you all this time have kept the mask of the good professor up to this point? Do you realize that because of her Kate could have died on that roof? Knowing that you kept Rachel locked up for six months who knows where makes me so angry *Dio snickers* may I know what you find so funny?!

*Dio turns to Rachel* "Do you want me to tell them the truth or do you? It makes little or no difference to me."

"Rachel, what truth is he talking about?! Chloe asks.

Rachel keeps her head down, but then decides to tell the truth.

"I was never secreted away for six months, because I was killed long before that. While I was in the Dark Room, Nathan made a mistake and made the tragic mistake of injecting me with more drugs than I should have, and I overdosed. When I woke up Dio said he saved my life, and he pulled me out of a bag here in the dump, where I had been buried. I'm sorry I didn't tell you the truth right away Chloe, but I was afraid you would never believe me."

Chloe kneels on the ground distraught, Max has a look of surprise but at the same time conveys sadness, while David is angry at what has happened to her.

"Now that Rachel has told you the truth, we can finally get the ball rolling."

*David draws his gun* "Don't move a muscle, or I'll shoot you in the head!"

"And what would you like to shoot me with? I don't see any weapon with you."

"W...How the hell did you steal my weapon? You didn't move an inch from there."

"With you human beings it all turns out to be far too easy, there is not even the taste of a real challenge. Now Rachel, since you have challenged my patience and questioned my person once too often, you will have to show me full loyalty by doing what I am about to tell you."

"What do you want me to do?"

*Dio hands the gun to Rachel* "Use it against Jefferson."

Rachel takes the gun and points it at Jefferson.

"Rachel, this is not the right way to punish Jefferson, doing so will only indulge your desire for revenge and nothing else, allowing Dio to have further control over you." Says Max

"Max is right. Please Rachel don't hurt me, you will also have access to the Prescott family fortune, and you will have as much money as you want without any problem but I beg you don't kill me!"

Rachel shoots, but instead of hitting Jefferson she hits the window of a disused car, at which point she turns to Chloe.

"Chloe, do you remember when we acted together in The Tempest three years ago?"

Chloe wakes up from numbness and answers Rachel:

"Y...Yes, I remember that."

"Do you also remember how the following sentence ends? Hell is empty..."

"...And all the devils are here!"

"Exactly. You see Mark, you are exactly one of these devils, a being who managed to infiltrate perfectly by giving the impression of a good person, when you are nothing but a poor psychopath. Dio unlike you never wore a mask, while you kept one by pretending what you were not. I would like to kill you here and now, but in doing so I would be no different from devils like you or him. I have already made far too many mistakes, and I will not repeat any more *throw the gun at David*."

"What a heartwarming speech" Dio says wryly "Too bad your past and your feelings don't matter to me; so either kill Jefferson or I slit this little girl's throat *point the knife at Kate's throat*"

*Max intervenes* "STOP! You said you wanted me to join you? Fine, but don't hurt Kate."

"You see Rachel? Unlike you Max knows when to bow his head and compromise. All right, come closer."

Max approaches Dio under the petrified stares of everyone present, with Dio smiling believing that Max has finally decided to stand under him. As soon as Max gets close enough, however, he pulls the knife out of Dio's fingers and goes back in time to the moment when he was giving the speech to Rachel.

"Too bad your past..."

Dio does not even have time to start the speech, that Max plants the knife in his throat, and taking advantage of the moment takes Kate away from there, and yells at Rachel:

"HIT HIM!"

Rachel doesn't let him say it twice, and with her stand she hits Dio Brando with a shockwave that knocks him hundreds of meters away, and it is at this moment that she sends the message to Frank.

Listen, Frank will be here in a minute, leave while you can, I'll take care of the matter personally."

"No fucking way Rachel, I'm not going to lose you a second time, Max and I are staying here."

"Listen to me for a good time Chloe..."

"NO INSTEAD, YOU LISTEN FOR ONCE! Max and I have a UV-emitting device within reach; therefore, all we have to do is shoot the light from that projector at him to hurt him."

"All right, but don't make me regret letting you stay."

Max speaks to David.

"David listen, you have to leave too along with the others, the three of us can do it alone."

"Max, I can't do such a thing, I couldn't leave you here while you fight with such a monster."

"Instead you must, this way you can have Nathan and Jefferson lead you to the cabin they were talking about, and corner them and make them pay for their crimes. Please David, respect our decision."

"Okay. Give Chloe the gun, at least she'll be able to defend herself in case something goes wrong, but I really hope she doesn't have to use it."

Frank arrives, and all but Max, Chloe, and Rachel get into the RV, and are driven away from what will soon be the grounds where a confrontation will take place that could spell the end of Arcadia Bay, or of Dio Brando himself.