Note: This is the fourth episode of a series. If you haven't read the first three, click on my profile to get started. Thank you.

Previously on Life is Strange: After the Storm...

"Congratulations, Caulfield. You're a criminal," said Prescott.

"How could this happen? I did everything I could to acknowledge Sean's warning."

"You're interference with Rachel became a liability to Prescott. He couldn't take any chances having you and her getting funny ideas with your powers."

"Think about it, Chloe. The Prescotts have history with time travel. A Prescott form the 1800's becomes a time traveler, they discover storm rituals, and now they make an alliance with Chrysalis."

"There's no way on Earth I'm letting you risk our lives breaking into Prescott property just to find intel on this lead."

"I know what your going to say to me, Chloe. After everything we've been through, after everything I did to keep my promise six months in a row, I finally break it apart by bailing on you once again."

"You really did not have to do this, you know. I'm now left with the one person who shut me out for over a year over a person who shut me out for over decade."

"Case number 781 for Arcadia Bay Versus Max Caulfield. The defendant has been charged with Quantum Terrorism involving mass manslaughter of innocent citizens of Arcadia Bay, the destruction of Arcadia Bay, and the mass murder of soldiers from Chrysalis Corps during the Blackwell shooting. How does the defendant plead?"

"I plead not guilty."

"Do you know why I was pissed at you before?"

"If I had to guess, Chloe, it would be one, I left you for a year. Two, I slept with Frank. Three, I almost got you and Max killed during that catastrophic chase scene between the three of us."

"You show up to me months after getting kidnapped into Jeffershit's pornography bunker and with superpowers like Max's. I also find a body that looks just like yours in the junkyard and you tell me that Mr. Jeffershit and his sugar sonny Nathan Prickscott let you go to fake your death and off to live the American dream. Somehow, I'm still having a hard time believing what you told me."

"Besides from Caulfield's and Amber's demeanor of their time manipulated powers and their suspected actions of quantum terrorist attacks, it would be unjust to go in and smoke two teenagers without any initial proof of their potential guilt under your jurisdiction."

"I had all the initial proof I received, Brown. Do not insult my jurisdiction to the contrary."

"It is no one but yourself insulting your own jurisdiction with unconfirmed proof being theoretical inquiries rather than factual. The government cannot tolerate any scrutiny that would falsely put two teenagers in the crosshairs under your regime as they wouldn't tolerate quantum terrorism alone in the state itself."

"Your Daughter and Max both tell me that they're had been a time before they reunited that Max had saved Chloe from the brink of death with the aid of Max's power. When Max first discovered she was able to rewind time, Chloe had been shot in the bathroom by Sean Prescott's late son Nathan Prescott. When that all happened, Max knew it was her job to make sure it didn't."

"Your telling us that my Step-Daughter's life was the key to saving the lives that were lost to that storm by jumping back into time to her date of death that never came?"

"As far as Max and Chloe are concerned, yes. There is nothing left for me to explain."

"It's a quantum terrorist group founded in the early two-thousands that was countering the Chrysalis security branch. Meaning they were funded with the same military hardware and technology Chrysalis has. They call themselves Neo-Chrysalis."

"Neo-Chrysalis? Like Neo-Nazi?"

"Neo-Chrysalis is known to be a deadlier terrorist organization than Al-Qaeda. Rumor has it, these terrorist have performed some kind of supernatural rituals that are capable of destroying civilization."

"Stop telling me how to talk, Ryan! You know what, they said they could neuter her powers right? I want them gone. I want them gone now!"

"Mrs. Caulfield, you are in no position to make demands like that!"

"Besides from the fact that my little girl is being accused of destroying a town by summoning a fucking tornado storm and now seeing her turn into a crazy super human, I will not withstand this inanity! I want her powers gone right fucking now!"

"Rachel, I know you're not that bad of a person as I've said you were. What I never asked you back at the estate was why him? You know, why Frank?"

"The more closer we got, the more we developed a thing for each other. And we did. I wanted to tell you sooner, Chloe, but I really didn't want you to get worked up over it if you weren't going to like what I would say. It pretty tenuous for me between me and you and me and him."

"Tenuous? You know, why did it take a thing for you and Frank him to him feel better? If he needed someone to bond with, why couldn't you just be friends or something?"

"I'm doing all this because I still care about you. You know that. I know I haven't been the best friend to you, but even though I failed to be your love life...I'll always love you the way Max loves you too."

"Turn around and face the wall with your hands above your head, ma'am," the guard ordered.

"The trial of the people of Arcadia Bay versus Max Caulfield is now in session," said a bailiff in the courtroom.

Prologue

Rachel

April 21st, 2013

5:33 PM

Arcadia Bay, Oregon

Blackwell Academy

1 Day Before Rachel's Disappearance...

I arrive over to Blackwell Academy and park my bike in the parking lot near the pool building where the Vortex Club party is being held. The party would not start for another half hour. So I was early. I was also supposed to meet Chloe in parking lot, but she hadn't arrived yet. I had gotten here first.

Once I parked the bike and got off, I saw Hayden and Dana holding arms with one another and walking down the parking lot towards me. I walked over to them to say hi.

"Hey, Rachel! Looking good girl," said Hayden. "How ya doing?"

"Right back at Hayden. How are you, Dana?"

"All the usual, Rachel," she replied. "Where's Chloe?"

"She's on her way. So, I'm just going to officially lay it out that two of you are thing now aren't you?"

"As usual, Rachel, you always think your entitled to ask the stupidest questions for being the Blackwell Princess. We're on and off is what we are."

"Dana, it's cool," assured Hayden. "No hard feelings, Rachel. Doesn't matter to me if you ask."

"Well it matter to me if she asks," muttered Dana. "It's a stupid question to ask a lady."

"Women," said Hayden before walking off with Dana.

When the on and off couple were out of sight, I could see Chloe's truck pulling over in the parking lot signifying her arrival. The truck is parked in a parking space and Chloe walks out to talk to me.

"What took you so long?" I ask her. "Did the cops figure our who we were?"

"No, you just beat me every time," she answers. "I anticipate it."

"Let's go hangout in the courtyard. The party doesn't start for another half hour."

When we enter the courtyard, we could see Mr. Jefferson talking to Nathan from a distance. They talk to each other like they're on to something. When they take notice of us, Nathan immediately walks away casually. Leaving us to speak with Jefferson.

"Hello there, Rachel," said Jefferson as we approach him. "Good to see you."

"Hi, Mr. Jefferson," I say back. "What were you and Nathan just talking about?"

"Oh, it's...it's nothing really. It's something between me and him. He really doesn't me to say to anyone else. How are you two?"

"All the usual. I believe you've already met my friend, Chloe? Chloe Price?"

"Yo," said Chloe.

"Right," said Jefferson. "You two have fun now. I have some business to attend to with Principal Wells."

Jefferson gets out of our sight leaving us to talk to ourselves.

"So was that your shit for brains who your supposed to be traveling the world with to live your dreams and get famous?" asked Chloe.

"Hey don't call him that, Chloe. Jefferson's a good man. He's my best teacher at Blackwell and I'm his best student at Blackwell. Of course he is."

"Your everyone's best student at Blackwell, Rachel. Your the Blackwell Beauty Queen. Like everyone says you are."

"Don't got to tell me twice, Chloe. People have been telling me that twice as much. Better yet, a hundred times as much. Even better yet, a thousand times as much. That's a fact."

"And I used to be the biggest loser at Blackwell before my expulsion. That's a fact."

"Quit calling yourself that, Chloe. Once day, we're going take on the world together ourselves and everybody will call us winners. You'll see."

"Yeah, we'll see."

"Hey, Chloe."

"What?"

I take hold of Chloe's hand and give her a vague smile.

"I love you."

Then Chloe smiles back at me vaguely. Still holding hands.

"I love you, too."

Chapter 1 Statement

Max

April 16th, 2014

8:56 AM

Arcadia Bay, Oregon

Arcadia Bay Courthouse

Present Day...

I sit there on the defense table next to Chloe and Crosby. Still wearing my prison coveralls and cuffed to the table. While there's a crowd of people sitting at the gallery behind me and the two DA agents I first met in Principle Wells' office sitting at the prosecution table next to us waiting for the judge to preside, I stare down at the table in shock. My mind still in turbulence after the crowd of abhorrence I just walked through before entering this courtroom. Like the walk of atonement in Game of Thrones.

"I assume you're entirely ready to do this, Mr. Crosby?" asked Chloe next to me.

"Listen, Chloe," he begins. "Don't get your hopes for actually winning this case. I'm not saying we won't, I'm saying that if we don't, don't do anything that will make thing worse."

Chloe turns her head towards me and tries to talk to me. She understood I had not spoken a word since I was cuffed to this table.

"Max, I know you don't look like you want to talk to me, but if you want to say at least one sentence before the judge arrives, do so now."

I snap out of it and speak to her three seconds later. Despite my speechlessness, I open my mouth to spit something out instead of nothing.

"All those people, Chloe. The people outside. The crowd I walked through before I entered. They were screaming, shouting, tampering, name-calling, and yelling at me like they wanted to see me dead. It's like they had families and friends who are dead because of me. Which I knew they did. I never thought it would come back to me again, but it has. After all these months, how can I forget how much innocent blood I spilled for you, Chloe? How? It's all a nightmare come fucking true. I don't what else to say, Chloe. I just don't."

Chloe touches my should before I almost break down.

"Max, stop it. Okay? The more you perpetuate yourself with what your proclaimed to be guilty of, the harder it'll be for you to comprehend the fact that it wasn't you for Christ sake."

"The fact, Chloe? Either way, it's only a theory. This trial can't have theories. It need proof. The real proof that can't fabricate my guilt or innocence. That's what it needs. So far, you and Rachel just couldn't have any now could you? And the trial is about to start in few minutes. How's that for timing?"

"Chloe is right, Max," said Crosby. "You can prolong your guilt conscience, but you can't prolong the public hatred. Assuming we can win this case, it just might make a little easier for you to cope. If not, it'll all on you, Max. It'll will be all on you."

"That's what I'm afraid of," I said.

"Psst, Max," said a voice from behind me. It was Warren sitting next to Kate in the front row of the gallery.

"Warren? Kate? Is that you?"

"Well no dur it's us. You knew we would be here."

"Oh, hi there, Waldo," said Chloe turning around to face my two closest classmates. "What's the word?"

"I just wanted to say, Max, that I...uh...that I'm sorry you have to go through this. We both do. Just can't imagine."

"You have no idea, Warren," I said. "Of course you couldn't imagine."

"Max, may I something?" asked Kate.

"Sure," I reply.

"I just wanted you to know that I've prayed for you all week since your arrest. You helped me escape from my demise, redeemed my hate for Victoria, and I will now lead with Victoria to strike against Chrysalis's oppressive power over Blackwell and Arcadia Bay. May the lord grant us liberty."

"I appreciate your return for sympathy, Kate. The lord shall guide us to the path of liberation."

I take notice of other familiar faces in crowd. Such as Victoria, Joyce and David, even my parents especially. Surprisingly enough, I even see Frank in the crowd too. Glad he was able to have the sentiments to come for me. Even if I did just click the trigger of an unloaded gun on him, he just so managed to grant me forgiveness thanks to my power.

On the other side of the gallery, I see the Prescott family seated behind where the DA is seated. I see Sean Prescott get off his seat to have few words with Karen Carter. The fem prosecutor sitting next to her partner Burke. Whatever Sean was about to say to Karen, I knew it would be cold. That's what my heart and mind told me.

"Hear me out for just a second, Karen," said Sean. "Make sure this girl goes away for a very long time and make sure she suffers for a very long time. You think you can do that?"

"It shouldn't be too difficult considering the trouble she's cost for this town," said Karen with a mischievous smile. "You should look outside. See how the people out there feel."

"I already have. It's good to see some people like to stay on my side at least. Yourself included. We'll get this town back on it's feet in no time."

Mr. Prescott walks his way over to our table. His presence in this room just makes me sick to even look at him. In my eyes, he was no more than a power hungry madman who wanted nothing more than my blood spilled his soil. Me and Chloe give him the stink eyes when he approaches to us.

"What do we have here, Derrick?" asked Prescott menacingly. "Nothing more but a pair of rug rats is what you've brought. A time terrorist dressed in tan and gray and her punk-ass cheerleader. I can't wait to see the three of you fail so miserably at this trial."

"You can put a muzzle on that puppy, Sean," said Crosby defending us. "Let me do my job and don't tell me how to handle it. Is that to hard for you to cope with?"

"And what about you, missy?" asked Prescott now talking to Chloe. "What do you have to say yourself? Considering that little chase scene of yours you got yourself into with this little hippy of yours."

"You can go to hell is what I have to say," snapped Chloe.

"Excuse me?"

"Both of you, save it for after session," intervened Crosby. "Will you?"

"I won't forget what you said, missy," snarled Prescott. "I'll remember it long enough to see you suffer as your friend has suffered."

"I have a name. It is Chloe fucking Price. And that's what you'll call me from now on."

"Enough, both you!" snapped Crosby. "Sean, she's my responsibility and the last thing I want is to fuck it up before it even begins. And you, this is exactly what making things worse is. So I would shut up and drop it. before you make me look bad. Just remember what David told you, Chloe. Otherwise, he will regret letting you do this. End of story."

When Prescott walked away from our table, his daughter Kristine walked by to chat. Kristine was Nathan's older sister who was a woman that appeared to be in her early twenties. About fives years older than Nathan. The family including Nathan himself before his death called her Kris for short. I had not seen Kris since her brother's funeral six months ago. A week after the storm hit. She had stood by our table to say hi.

"Once an asshole, always an asshole isn't he," she said insulting her own Father.

"Kris, I wasn't expecting you to stop by," said Crosby.

"Dad made me and Mom come over here. Of course we'd be over here."

"It's Kristine, right?" I ask. "Your Nathan's sister. I never gave you my condolences for brother. He was a good kid who deserved better. That's all I have to say."

"Don't mention it, Max," replied Kristine. "And please, call me Kris if you like."

"You must have a better reason for dropping by than just to say hi, Kris," admitted Crosby. "What is it?"

"I just wanted to say to the three of you; I know my Dad has been a real pain in the ass lately, but whatever you do, don't do anything the extremely push his buttons during this trial. And I mean extremely push his buttons. It will only make things worse on him. Just don't do it just for him. Do it for what's left of my family. That's the most simplest thing I could ask for you to do."

"You're not asking anything different than what Crosby asked us to do Kris," I reply. "We can cooperate. You can count on that."

"Good. I also wanted to say for what it's worth...good luck. You're gonna need it."

When Kris walked back to her seat, I talk to Chloe again about what I said when finally breaking my silence.

"Chloe, about what I said-

"Max, just don't alright?"

"It's not just that, Chloe. It's about what Mr. Prescott. Don't even think about what he said. He's a complete dick. I'm not saying to take his insults seriously, just at least take his warnings seriously. Just like Kris just talked about."

"You alone somehow couldn't take his warning seriously before you ended up in this situation. And now your asking me to take it seriously."

"I'm not the only person to blame, Chloe. All that matters now is that we get this case over with assuming we'll win and finish this. And try our extra hardest not to fuck this up. Like Crosby had just told you."

"All rise!" the bailiff called out.

The trial was now getting started. Everyone in the courtroom did what they were asked including me and we all stood up for the court.

"This court has now come to order. The honorable Judge Gareth presiding."

Before we all sat down, Judge Gareth had now entered the court and sat on his tall desk with his gable. Ready to begin the trial. The judge had been the same middle aged man I spoke to on the small screen during my arraignment back in prison and was now judging for my case.

"Ladies and Gentlemen, before we begin, I would like everyone to comprehend this only warning," said Judge Gareth. "There will be no talks of any supernormal myths or theories that would potentially relate to quantum terrorism or such. If there is, I'll be sure to rectify anyone who speaks as such to regulate my warning. Ms. Carter, does the prosecution have an opening statement?"

"Certainly, your honor," said Karen ready to give out her speech to the jury.

The female prosecutor walked out of her seat from the table she sat with Burke and walked up to the jury give out her statement. This was where the excitement begins.

"Ladies and Gentlemen of the jury," she began. "Six months ago, I had lost my one and only good daughter of mine to the most unimaginable tragic disaster that struck Arcadia Bay. My daughter was only seventeen when she died and I felt so devastated, so remorseful, that I never got to see her grow up to be the one person she was growing up to be. Eventually, I managed to move forward with my life understanding that I had other people to care about in my life who helped me cope with my loss. Now the idea of having the power to change the past to prevent the death of the one you loved just may sound like a fair idea at first, but what if you're wrong? What if this power makes you believe it'll bring you hope and harmony when all that it would really bring you is nothing more than ruin and chaos as it did for the defendant? If anyone had this power, would we use it to rewrite history preventing 9/11, the JFK assassination, the bombings of Pearl Harbor only to set up a paradox of mayhem and destruction?! If the answer is no, then what would a teenager like Max Caulfield need it for?"

The woman's words get louder when she get to that part of her statement. Then she walks her way over to our table to say even more colder words in front us while the jury's ears are wide open.

"Do not get me wrong, this girl is no hero cheating death and despair. She's nothing but a self-centered and spoiled human being who can't learn to live a life of 'oh wells' as opposed to a life of 'what ifs'. All the mass destruction she caused for so many innocents and for what? To save the love of her life from dying? Caulfield's selfish affection is the reason our families and friends aren't living today. You all know who you are and you all know it is your duty to lay down the quantum crisis that terrorizes Arcadia Bay. Even if it means to prevent the apocalypse and the disposal of the defendant's accursed powers. That, you shall do. That is all your honor."

Karen walks back up to her and sits tight next to her partner. What can I expect for a prosecutor to say? As cold as her words may have sounded, it was justifiable in my prosecution. On behalf of that perspective that is.

"She's good," complimented Chloe. "Enough said."

"Mr. Crosby, does your defense have an opening statement," asked the Judge.

"As promised your honor," replied Crosby.

Now I had to hear what my Doc Brown had to say in my defense. If you get what I mean. It was now Crosby's turn to walk up to the jury and give out his statement. That he did. Assuming he worked his ass off hard enough to speak out a strong and justifiable statement to the jury. That it was.

"Ladies and Gentlemen of the jury," he began. "Imagine yourself as a little girl in a small town with a special friend. In the beginning, the special friend brings you nothing more but joy and happiness that you'll carry on from childhood to this day. But then one day something terrible occurs to this friend. She looses a family member who she so dearly loved just as well as yourself and when she needed you the most, you move away abandoning her for five years without calling, sending her postcards, anything. And after all those years of abandonment, just when you finally try and come back to her, she's no more. Then you deeply regret ever leaving her. Wishing you had done something sooner. That is where the defendant comes in play. And that is one of many reasons the defendant was given her power to prevent all of that from happening and so she could stay true to her friend again for the rest of a lifetime."

I begin to see where Crosby is going with his statement, but it would take a little more than referencing the bathroom situation between Chloe and Nathan or such to convince this jury to develop their thoughts on my defense. I just knew it would.

"I stand before you good people of the jury to say that there is much more to this trial than just quantum terrorism. It is about the reason people in the past with Max Caulfield's power fail to make others see what no else sees and why they should've been convicted from the very beginning. Meanwhile, we all know this town needs help. It needs it now. More than ever. Not tomorrow, not next week, not when the day arrives when the corruption that Sean Prescott laid waste to Arcadia Bay with him and his family's unlimited power to own and control our culture, our economy, and our welfare. We need it now! Because this town has been sick. As if the storm didn't condemn this town bad enough, the Chrysalis forces are not making it better to protect us from such terror. What we do need for such protection is men and women who are bold enough to take the fight for themselves. The kind of people who risk their lives so we can all grow old together with our friends and family year after year. The ones that our self-esteemed District Attorney here is so desperately attempting to conquer, Arcadia Bay needs these people. We need...heroes."

Crosby's speech to the jury is so inspiring to me, Chloe, and the people of Arcadia, the crowd in gallery give a round of applause to him and even whistle and cheer across the courtroom. He also waves is hand at the crowd and smiles in respects to his inspirational statement. But wasn't finished yet.

"Order!" the Judge called out. Silencing the crowd and slamming his gable on the desk.

"The help they offer and the hope they provide," continued Crosby. "Max Caulfield wanted to save a life. Her special friend's life at that. But she took it too personally. She had saved her friend's life once too many times up to point where she thought her power ignited her perdition. Which was a tornado storm we all believe is being held accountable for herself. In the end, the lives of countless families and friends died as a result. All for the one individual who meant everything to her. Now, I alone would not condone such terrorism anymore than you wouldn't, but here's the thing. Max is not a common terrorist. She isn't malevolent and vile. Max Caulfield is great kid. She just could incorporate what was more at stake to her than anything else. And she doesn't need punishment for that. She need help. Our help. That's the kind of girl Max Caulfield is. And now you must determine the kind of jury you shall be. That is all your honor."

Note: So what jury would you be if you were to be part of it in Max's case? Regardless, I'm posting this for those following this story as your Christmas present in regards to all your support. And as the best Christmas gift for a good friend of mine on this channel named Xemtlenc. Merry Christmas to you all and to all...a hella good night! Not to mention a Happy Hella New Year!

Until next time, have yourselves a Merry Hella Christmas and stay Golden!