resist

It was the umpteenth day of The Deputy's isolation with Seed in Dutch's former bunker. The cult leader eventually gave up trying to indoctrinate them, as he himself was already going mad. Seed acted as if he was still speaking to his siblings, as if they were with him in the bunker. Most of the time, however, he looked like he was just talking to himself.

He would speak to imaginary versions of Jacob, John and Faith, each with him mimicking their voices. The Deputy found it funny at first. Hearing Joseph try to copy Faith's voice was comedic, but over time it got boring. Joesph would also tell "them" that The Deputy had already agreed to join their little cult, and join them once they took on the cleansed America.

Joseph Seed looked nothing like the man The Deputy fought against days, weeks or months past. His well-kept facial hair, his actual hair, his well-shaped, muscular body and even his tinted glasses all deteriorated. His hair and beard were longer, messier and dirtier. His body became thin and withered and his glasses lost their lenses a long time ago, only being a frame that Joseph never took off.

The Deputy themselves were no different. Although they were better off in the sense that they tricked Seed into entering a portion of the bunker that they could lock him in, and because the area of the bunker they were in had more food supplies than Seed's, but even then they were already running out.

Days passed again, and Seed's rambling stopped. The Deputy didn't bother checking if he was still alive. It didn't matter anymore. They themselves were also growing tired and weak. The last meal they had was a can of corned beef that was already about to expire.

This was enough. Their decision was made. The Deputy used what strength they had to stand up and head to the door leading outside. Perhaps a view of what was left of Hope County would be nice before they died.

"Rook! Rook! You still with us?"

"C'mon, buddy! The beer's waitin'!"

The Deputy opened their eyes to see four figures looming over them. As their vision cleared and adjusted to the light, they were none other than Sherrif Whitehorse, Deputies Pratt and Hudson, and Hurk (Who somehow managed to smuggle a pack of beer into a hospital). The Deputy looked around quickly to find themselves in a hospital room, with an IV drip and ECG monitor connected to their arm

"Oh thank God! You're one tough sonuvabitch aren't 'cha, Rook?" The Sheriff commented as he wiped his forehead with a handkerchief. The door to the room opened as Mary, Jerome and Nick, who was carrying his daughter, walked in.

"The Lord is truly with us," Pastor Jerome said as he approached the stretcher, with the Sheriff giving way, together with the other two.

"The doctors told us you were pumped up with soooo much 'Bliss' in your body that it'd be a miracle if you survived even if they pumped it all out!" Nick exclaimed.

His infant daughter giggled.

"Looks like lil' Nicky here's happy to see you!"

Mary took ahold of The Deputy's hand, "Everyone else from Fall's End's all outside waitin' to hear how you're doing. Except for Dutch, though. He insisted on staying in his bunker, but he sends his regards. I wish you could join us at the celebration later, but you'll be here awhile, says them doctors."

"Then let's throw another one once they get outta here then!" Hurk shouted, as he was met with 'Shhhhhhs' from everyone in the room.

"Are you trying to give 'em a headache, Hurk?" Deputy Hudson reprimanded, which was met with a small "Sorry..."

Hudson looked at The Deputy before producing a newspaper.

"Hey. Check it out. This whole fiasco made the front page," she said as she held it up to The Deputy. The headline read: COUNTY MILITIA STOPS CULT TAKEOVER.

"At least Burke was right about that," Deputy Pratt said before laughing uncomfortably.

"There's still a lot of stragglers in the mountains but the National Guard says they'll handle it. Them being all heavily armed and such. But hey! At least we won't be seeing Seed and all his bullshit anymore," Hudson said before sighing in relief.

Sheriff Whitehorse cleared his throat.

"Let's keep what happened to him a secret between all of us, yeah?"

The memories of that day were very sparse and murky, The Deputy realized as they tried to remember.

The moment of joy and relief was interrupted by a dreadful thought: What happened to Joseph Seed?

Seed and all the cultists in the church hunkered down as the cultists readied what weapons they had and trained them at the fortified door. The intense fighting outside slowly and surely died down with each second.

The Messiah of Eden's Gate was confident that the pride of The Deputy had brought about their end. Combined with how much Bliss he spread outside, no one should be able to survive the intense gunfight with its effects!

The door exploded. Some unlucky peggies standing near it were killed by it and chunks of wood.

Standing before them, was none other than The Deputy, with a used RPG-7 in hand. They were cloaked in shadow, as the moonlight shone into the dark church. Clouds of Bliss entered the room as it started obscuring everyone's vision.

Seed's personal guards fired at The Deputy's last position, but to no avail. They were all rapidly, brutally picked off one by one. Their screams of terror as they begged Seed or God to help them echoed until the whole room became eerily silent.

Joseph Seed stood alone in Bliss-filled room, picking up an AK-47. The Deputy was a stubborn one. It was now his duty to end it all.

God willed it.

"Come on out now, you prideful sinner. I'm giving you one last chance to redeem yourself."

Seed took a deep breath, ignoring the fact that he was breathing in his own drug.

Then the Bliss cleared.

The church was now a burning husk. Seed was surrounded by the charred corpses and bones of his followers. Then they grabbed his legs.

"Fatheeeeer...you...you said...you would save us..." they moaned in unison.

Seed panicked and fired at them, running out of the now-collapsing church.

The land outside was burning. Seed saw a mushroom cloud in the distance as the church bell tolled before it collapsed.

Seed turned to look only to be met with a hard whack to the face. As he struggled to get up, an unseen choir started to sing a ghostly version of Amazing Grace.

As Seed pushed himself up, he saw his three siblings looking at him.

"Jacob? Faith? John?"

They all pointed behind him. Joseph got on a knee and turned to see who appeared to be none other than The Deputy.

They were in their deputy's uniform from the raid from a few weeks before, which was strangely clean compared to Seed and his surroundings. But Seed looked at their face.

They had an emotionless expression and their eyes seemed to glow slightly reddish, perhaps due to the fire surrounding them both.

"No...it isn't Pride...nor...nor is it Wrath...you don't represent any sin...you are the sin...you are the Antichrist!"

The Deputy said nothing as they raised a bloody shovel over Joseph, who was too shocked to respond.

Amazing Grace, How sweet the sound

That saved a wretch like me

I once was lost, but now am found

T'was blind but now I see