PB4G: WRATH AS A LIGHTNING, PART 3

WRATH AS A LIGHTNING, PART 3
---
June 5, 2032
Earth-727. Karakura General Hospital.
Morning in Tokyo. Inside one hospital room, Max lay asleep. On a table to the side sat a number of potted flowers, all of them bought via the Kubo family's shop. One set bore a note reading 'Get well soon! I wanna eat cupcakes with you! Love, Kanae'. Another bouquet came on behalf of the Commander and Letty. Yet another, colored a familiar pink, had the trademark pink cat logo posted on the vase. 'Get well soon, bestie. Love, Kitty Kat' was written on the note.
Ibuki sat in a chair, watching quietly. 
"Good morning, pretty girl." A woman with a Southern twang and auburn hair walked in, carrying yet another vase.
"Morning, Ms. Annie--wait, *more* flowers?!" Ibuki questioned.
"I've got a popular boy, looks like. This one's from your friend Sakuya."
"Aww, Saku. And she's out in Europe on vacation, too. She didn't have to do that. Hey, where's Barb?"
"She was just getting up when I spoke to her. She'll be here in a little bit." Annette put the flowers down. "Any improvement?"
"He's got a bit more color to him today. At this point I'm taking any positive."
Annette sat down next to Ibuki, and sighed. "You know, when they were born, I always thought Moonbeam was going to be the one to strain my heart more. And now, here's Starbolt, who couldn't buy a moment of peace at this point."
"Guess it's just part of the contract you sign when you're born Max O'Donnell." Ibuki mumbled.
"What was that?"
"N-nothing. Let me see those flowers. Oh, Saku, these are pretty..."
"...nngh."
Both women were alerted. They looked to the bed. Max's eyes were open. "...ow."
"AAAAH!" Ibuki sprinted over to him. "MaxieMaxieMaxie oh my gooooood!" She tightly embraced him.
"Owowowowowow! Do I have stitches...? Probably not after that..."
"Careful, Fireball, he's fragile!" Annette cautioned.
"Oooops." Ibuki let go.
"Starbolt, honey, how are you feeling?"
"What are you doing here, Mama..." Max uttered.
"Don't 'what are you doing here' me like you being attacked is an inconvenience to me! You stress me out, you know that?!" Annette embraced him.
"...didn't you just tell her not to?"
"Embrace it." Ibuki replied.
Once the affection had gone, Max slumped in his pillow. "...how long was I out for?" 
"Three days." 
"You've got to be joking..."
"Does it look like anyone's laughing?"
Max tried to get up. 
"Where do you think you're going?" Ibuki asked.
"Finding the guy that did this..."
"Oh, no you don't! I ain't having you killing yourself over playing hero again! You're sitting down and letting yourself get better, no ifs, ands, or assholes!"
"Language." Annette scolded.
"Sorry. Buts."
"Tch..." Max grumbled.
"You've done enough, Maxie. Me and Cind are on the case. We've got this. Focus on you, for once."
"Morning, ladies, sorry I'm late, I brought donuts--" Barbara entered. As soon as she realized Max was awake, she dropped her bags. She started tearing up. "Maxiiiiiie..." She approached.
"Oh no, please, I can't do another hug..." Max protested, to no avail.
"Pffft..." Ibuki snickered. 
A hand placed itself on her shoulder. "Well, I see someone's looking better." It was Rose.
"Hey, Doc! Look who's finally up and at 'em!"
"Barely..." Max uttered, clearly having had enough affection for one day.
"I'm so happy he's finally on the mend...thanks so much for the 'extra' work, Doc."
"Thank the medical professionals. I merely helped speed things along." Rose brushed off the praise. "Now then, I actually do have something to discuss. We had a hit."
"You've found him?"
"We did. Now we need to act quickly."
"Guess it's time to head out." Ibuki went over to Max, and pecked him on the cheek. "Duty calls, handsome. Take it easy while I'm gone. Or else these two ladies are gonna give you another hug."
"Please, no more." Max reluctantly relented.
"I've gotta run, I'll be back later." Ibuki hugged Annette and Barbara.
"Stay safe, gorgeous." the latter bid.
"Give the animal that hurt our boy a slap for me." Annette added.
"I'll do that and then some. See ya." Ibuki went with Rose.
---
Earth-013. Central Park.
"--and suddenly, a big, mean dragon flew out of the cave!" Cindy, wearing foam claws and dragon's head, gave a fake roar as she sat in the grass. Grace and Jasmine screamed and giggled, both of them wearing witch's hats.
Nearby, Emily sat on a bench, reading a book and smiling pleasantly as she caught glances of the scene.
"But, oh no! The witches' magic isn't working! So what do they do? They use the dragon's one true weakness!" Cindy exclaimed.
The girls both tackled her. "Tickles!" they both said.
As Cindy struggled, Emily laughed. "My, what a fierce dragon this is."
Cindy and the girls giggled as they lay in the grass. "Bleeeh, I've been vanquished!" The former crossed her eyes and feigned death. The girls poked her to check. "...now I've got you!" She grabbed them both. "And the plot twist, the dragon wasn't so mean after all!"
"That's really weird." Grace said.
"Aren't dragons all really mean?" Jasmine asked.
"Oh, definitely not! I know a few dragons, and they're all really cool! Especially this one dashing, handsome--" Cindy replied.
Her response ceased once she spotted someone watching by a tree. Rose was looking at her.
Cindy looked sad. "Aww. Fun time's over, I guess. Hey, Emmy!"
Emily spotted Rose. "I see. It's about that time. Girls! Aunt Cindy has to leave."
"Awwww! How come?" the girls griped.
"Hey, don't worry! I'll be back soon! I just have to do something really important!" Cindy embraced the twins. "I'm so happy I get to be your Auntie! These last few days were super fun, right?"
"Uh-huh."
"It's gonna be like that every time I come to visit! Remember to be good little girls for your Mama, and I'll be back in no time!" She waved to Emily. "I'll see you again soon, sis! Thanks for the fun few days!"
"Anytime, little sister. Thanks for being so good with the girls. Take care. And be extra cautious." Emily waved back.
"Bye, Auntie Cindy!" the twins exclaimed.
"Bye, girlies!" Cindy made a heart symbol with her hands, then turned to meet Rose.
"Did you have a nice time?" the therapist asked.
"Mmhmm. It was exactly what I needed. So...you got a hit?" 
"Come along. Time is not our ally."
---
The Velvet Room's computer chamber. Cindy entered along with Rose. Ibuki and Iris were already present. "Morning, cutie! How's the family?" the former asked.
"Great! I had so much fun with my nieces. It was exactly what the doctor ordered. Hey, what's that big grin all about?" Cindy questioned.
Ibuki looked giddy. "He's awake. Maxie finally woke up."
"Really?! That's great! How's he doing?"
"Grouchy and wanting to come along even though he's at like 60%. His mom and sis are gonna make sure he sits still. But...it's good. Him being awake is good. I'll take grumpy over nothing at all."
"A good mindset to keep." Iris replied. "Now then, Doctor, where are we to travel to now? Where's the demon hiding?"
Rose brought up a display. "Our computers detected a signature matching the Bolt of Jupiter about half an hour ago on Earth-14124. All indications are that this world's Max O'Donnell is still alive, so we still have time."
"Perfect. Let's head over pronto--" Ibuki started.
"A warning, before we continue. As you are right now, you won't be safe on this Earth."
"Why's that?"
"Earth-14124 is a world that has suffered from nuclear war and societal collapse. I am heavily concerned that the radiation present may cause adverse effects in you all."
"All the places this guy could've gone, and he picks a nuclear wasteland! Do we have any hazmat suits handy?"
"I might have something even better." Cindy replied. "The P.D.F. has suits specialized to protect against harmful levels of radiation. I should be able to hop back home and grab some."
"And this 'P.D.F.' will be willing to just hand them over?" Iris asked.
"Mmhmm. I mean, my dad is the boss. And I kinda built the suit they're all based on myself."
"You did?"
"Girlie here is the best engineer you'll ever meet. She'll fill your ears with all sorts of tech lingo, then turn around and start playing with her Miku dolls." Ibuki joked.
Cindy puffed her cheeks. "They're collectible figurines."
"Whatever they might be called, we are going to be needing those suits." Rose interjected.
"Right. Send me on home, and I'll grab them and come back. Then, it's off to the wasteland."
---
Earth-14124. Sydney, Australia. Or what was left of it.
The three women exited the portal, all garbed in full-body suits bearing the P.D.F. logo and built-in gas masks. "You sure we're gonna be able to breathe in these things?" Ibuki asked.
"Positive. They cleanse the air of any contamination, even radioactivity. We'll be totally safe. And also..." Cindy pressed a button, that shifted the suit's colors to her favored blue and pink.
"Do you ever make anything that isn't customizable?" Ibuki changed her colors to red and black.
"Suppose that's part of the charm." Iris changed hers to green and black.
They took stock of the city. The streets were all coated in sand, while any buildings now lay in ruins. The sky was an eerie yellow.
"Doc wasn't kidding. The whole place is deserted." Ibuki said.
"The fallout of nuclear conflict. I'm amazed that anything could survive out here." Iris added.
"Something clearly has. And if it's who we think, we need to find him before the Shield does." Cindy said.
Iris noticed something in the sand, and bent down to investigate. "Look. Tire tracks. Fresh ones. Someone's been here recently."
"Know it ain't our Shield and his spaceship. Hopefully it's--" Ibuki began.
A sound. The sound of an engine running in the distance.
"Where's that coming from?" Cindy asked.
"It's coming from the northwest. And approaching fast." Iris said. She analyzed the tire tracks. Her eyes began to glow, as the power of the Huntress showed her their source: two vehicles had passed through here, and were now making their way back. One car, resembling the kind of tan safari vehicle one would commonly see in a zoo, was fleeing from a heavily modified Jeep. The latter had four shirtless men in the back, wearing cloth masks and waving spears around.
Iris snapped out of her vision, and pointed. "There."
The cars she had seen were fast approaching.
"How the hell...?" Ibuki pondered.
"There is nothing I can't track." Iris replied. "The second car is clearly not friendly. The first remains to be seen. Rendering assistance might get them on our good side."
"Whoever they are might be able to help us find this world's Max. How do we get that other car off of them?" Cindy asked.
Iris drew her bow. "Watch closely." She aimed her arrow into the sky. She adjusted the angle. No wind, so no problems there. She fired it off, and it rose up, before descending back down...and piercing the hull of the Jeep to where it went through and punctured the front driver-side tire. The savages were frantic as their vehicle screeched to a halt.
The back of the safari car, meanwhile, opened up. A man in a sandy trenchcoat and dull-green gas mask held what looked to be a rifle, pieced together with several parts. He fired an electrified shot at the Jeep, that consumed the entire vehicle, electrocuting the savages, before it exploded, sending them all flying.
The safari car drove over to the three women, and came to a halt. On the side, it bore a faded image of a platypus, along with the words 'Taronga Zoo Sydney'. The driver-side door opened. Out jumped a woman, wearing a black leather biker outfit and boots. On the back of her jacket, was the outline of a lion. Her hair was black, and she had pink goggles shielding her eyes. "Well. There's a bit more color than I'm used to seein' round these parts. Who're you lot?" 
"Kat...?" Ibuki pondered.
"Close, sweetheart. I go by Katie. What's with the space patrol getups?"
"My name's Cindy. These two are Ibuki and Iris. You're probably not gonna believe this, but...we come from other worlds than this one." Cindy explained.
"Uh-huh. Guess you'd have to be an alien to think that look's alright. All this heat gettin' to your heads?"
"You want proof? Show her, Cind." Ibuki advised.
Cindy pressed her arm device, which opened up a portal.
"What in the what? How'd you do that?" Katie asked.
"Take a look inside." Cindy advised.
"Um...okay." 
Katie peeked inside. The upper half of her body popped up next to a Velvet Room attendant. "G'day!"
"AH!" The attendant utilized a defensive spell, which knocked Katie back.
"Oof!" She popped out of the other side. "Now that's just rude!"
"Now do you believe us?" Ibuki asked.
"Welp, got no reason not to now. A'ight, mates, you're from someplace else. Why'd you decide to pop into our little slice of hell?"
"There's a man who's made it his personal mission to eradicate men named Max O'Donnell or any variation thereof. He's already attacked the ones we know, and we've tracked him to this world. We're here to warn the resident Max. Do you know where he is?" Iris asked.
"Know where he is? Aye, he's right here in the back seat!" Katie knocked on the rear window. "Oy, Maxie! Got some sheilas here that wanna talk to ya, mate!"
From the back, the man in the sand trenchcoat stepped out. Visible beneath the coat was a scratched set of body armor, along with a red neckerchief. "I get to talk to a woman that's not you, Katie? What a ripper of a day this is turnin' out to be."
Katie made a motion resembling the cranking of a handle, before sticking her middle finger up at him.
The man in the coat took off his mask. He had a shaggy, brown beard, along with messy brown hair. "I was overhearin' that crazy talk back there. Right. I'm the Max O'Donnell you're lookin' for. Mind tellin' me what kinda sod is fixin' to off me?"
The group sat down behind some ruins to talk. "The man we're looking for calls himself 'The Shield'. He's been hunting and killing variants of Max O'Donnell for an unknown amount of time. He claims to have done this to 73 so far." Cindy explained.
"The most recent being my husband." Iris added.
"My condolences." Max replied. "So what'd I or any of these other blokes do to set this guy off, anyhow?"
"That's what we don't know. He's making it sound like he's doing us a favor by killing Maxes." Ibuki replied.
"I mean, if I got to enjoy the crispy, windless air without hearing this joker anymore, I wouldn't complain." Katie joked.
Max waved it off. "I've survived a whole lot of shit, if you couldn't tell. I'm not too terrified of this, eh...'Shield' fellow."
"You should be. My Maximus was granted the power of the gods, and he fell to this man." Iris replied.
"Maybe your gods just ain't all that impressive."
"How dare--!"
Ibuki stopped her. "I don't know the half of what you all have gone through, but this guy isn't a joke. My Maxie has power to spare, too. The Shield put him in the hospital, and it took extra work just to get him to wake up. If he comes for you--which it's looking like he's gonna try--there's a good chance he'll kill you."
Max looked to Katie. "I mean, if they came all the way out to this shithole." she said.
"Right. Much as I think the world's the kanga's pouch as it is, I'd still prefer not dying. You ladies can come along with us." Max replied.
"Come along where, exactly?" Iris asked.
"Home. Our camp is on the other side of the city. It's got everything you'd need to survive. Much as the big wigs let the world go to shit, they thought ahead on some things. It'll be a lot easier--and safer--to plan for this 'Shield' in there than out here."
The group got into the safari car, and drove off. Cindy, Ibuki and Iris were shoulder-to-shoulder in the back seat. The former noticed the hood ornament on the front of the vehicle, a lion bobblehead. "I like your lion."
"Thanks. I hit a gran over the head with a brick for it." Katie replied matter-of-factly, leaving Cindy stunned.
"She's, uh...just joking, right?" Ibuki asked.
"Heh." Max smirked.
The car passed through a mechanical gate, which closed behind them, and up to the ruined, white entrance building to what was once Taronga Zoo. The words were faded, the busts of animals such as lions and antelopes having long since fallen off its surface. Most visible, the inside was completely covered by a transparent dome.
"Home sweet home." Max said.
"How many people do you have in your camp?" Iris asked.
"About a couple dozen. It was a lot more right after shit hit the fan, but...ya saw the freakos chasin' after us. Anythin' that moves wants ya dead." Katie replied.
"And now I've gotta deal with the orange spaceman on top of it all. Fun times." Max grunted.
"Once upon a time this was one of Australia's nicest zoos. Now I'd wager it's one of the last safe spots in the damned world." 
"We're going in through the side. We'll have to leave the car to get decontaminated. Then it's--"
"Whoa whoa, what do you mean 'decontaminated'? Like, we're gonna get scrubbed down and all that ultra-invasive stuff?" Ibuki asked.
"Cool your jets, hotness, it'll only take a sec. Like we said, the blokes that built the dome thought of everything. Not a spec of nuclear dust is inside." Katie replied.
"At the very least, we won't have to wear these jarring garbs the whole time." Iris said.
"Hey! I worked hard on these!" Cindy griped.
"And I appreciate and respect the effort. But their maneuverability leaves much to be desired."
"Bleh. Everyone's a critic."
They exited the vehicle, Max making sure to grab his rifle, while Katie grabbed what looked to be a tote bag. They walked into the building, and passed through the entrance lobby. Upon exiting, they immediately entered the area covered by the dome. As soon as they stepped in, smoke came up from the floor. "Hey! What's the big idea?" Ibuki questioned.
"I'm assuming this is what's killing off the radiation." Cindy surmised.
"Smart girlie. None of what's out there needs to get in here." Katie said.
Once they passed through one final door, they were inside the zoo proper. What was once a bastion of exotic wildlife had been converted into a habitat for humans, with tents scattered about. Animal enclosures were now used for farming, with several crops being grown inside them.
The three in their suits, with additional reassurance, dispersed them. "Juxtaposing this against the wasteland outside...it feels as though we're in another world entirely." Iris observed.
"Oy, where's the welcoming committee?" Katie called out.
From out of one tent, a little girl in a khaki shirt and shorts peeked out. She possessed dark hair, and lit up once she saw Max and Katie. "Everyone! Mum and Dad are back!"
Ibuki and Cindy were both stunned. "'Mum and Dad'?"
The girl ran over to Katie, who picked her up. "There's my little joey! Were you a good little girl, Emmy?"
"'Emmy'?!" Cindy was in complete disbelief.
Ibuki looked at Max. "Tch. Yeah, she's mine, what of it?" he asked.
"So...are you two a thing? Is it a friends with benefits setup? Like...what?" Ibuki questioned.
"I really don't gotta explain myself..."
As others emerged from the tents, one person spoke up. "Well, our roving heroes finally returned. With...some very strange company."
Ibuki looked over. Among the crowd was a woman in her mid-40s, wearing a khaki jacket and camouflage pants, along with a glove over her left hand. What stood out most to Ibuki, however, was the hair. That signature, bright red hair that she had come to know so well.
"G'day, Chief! Yeah, we picked up a bit more cargo than we bargained for." Katie said. "Girlies, this is--"
"I'm gonna take a shot in the dark here. Your name is Rin Kubo, isn't it?" Ibuki guessed.
"Ah...yes, it is. How could you possibly have known that?" the red-haired woman questioned.
"These ladies aren't from around here. They've got, ah...quite a story to tell." Max said.
"Guess we can talk about it in the tent. That a bag of goodies you've brought, Katie?"
"Yes, ma'am! Got it from a gang of the River King's freakos. A couple bottles for everyone. Should last us a good bit." Katie opened the tote, revealing several bottles of water inside.
"I suppose in a world like this, water is a priceless commodity. Who is this 'River King'?" Iris questioned.
"Come on inside. Clearly there's a lot to discuss. Everyone, take two bottles. Don't get greedy. I'll know." Rin instructed.
The group followed her inside the tent, Katie still clutching onto the little girl. "Alright. If you ladies have a story, I'm all ears." Rin said.
"Well, ma'am...it might be tough to believe, but we all come from a different world than this one." Ibuki said.
"A different...huh? So you three are...aliens?"
"Ain't like that, Chief. They came from other Earths. Ones that ain't as--" Katie covered her daughter's ears. "--royally fucked as ours. Saw it for myself."
"Their gear, their weapons, their powers...they ain't mutated like what we're used to seeing. They ain't lying." Max agreed.
"Alright, as...insane as that is to hear, why, out of all the worlds you could've visited, would you come to ours?" Rin questioned.
"To warn him." Iris gestured at Max.
"Warn Max? About what?"
"Apparently there's a bloke in a spacesuit with a bone to pick with guys named Max. And I'm next on his hit list." Max took a sip of his water.
"You seem *way* too calm about that." Ibuki said.
"Well, when everything's been trying to kill me for the last ten years, what's one more thing?"
"We've been chasing someone that's already hurt a lot of guys just like your Max." Cindy continued.
"He's already killed my husband." Iris said.
"And nearly did the same to my boyfriend." Ibuki added.
"Lovely. As if things weren't dire enough around here. First the River King, and now a spaceman on a killers' mission." Rin rubbed her eyes.
"So who's this 'River King' you keep bringing up?" Ibuki asked.
"And what was that about mutations?" Cindy added.
"Well, it's a long story. All this began a little over a decade ago. The apocalypse--and all the war and famine that came along with it. I don't know how the rest of the world looks, but here, a population of millions is down to a generous few thousand, living in sealed-off camps like this one. But exposure to the radiation has had its side-effects." Rin explained.
"That sparky trick I used earlier was one of 'em. I can only do that with metal, though." Max explained.
"For some, the mutations are more like superpowers. For others, well..." Rin lifted her glove. Her left hand was a dark green shade, her fingers more closely resembling talons.
"Oh, man." Cindy reeled.
Rin put the glove back on. "At the very least, we were lucky to have a viable space like this so close. Others weren't so fortunate. They were left to roam the wastelands, becoming animal-like and forming tribes. The River King is the leader of one such tribe. He's called that because he holds a deep reservoir of fresh water. Something we desperately need."
"Meanwhile, from what I gather, the soil in the wastelands is mega garbo. Ain't like here where we can grow whatever we want." Katie said.
"And rather than peacefully exchanging resources, I assume this man has instead resorted to war." Iris interjected.
"Not a whole lot can be called 'peaceful' these days. He wants our soil, we want his water. You already saw how we've gotta scrounge around just for a few bottles. Even with the few people we have, those bottles won't last us for too long." Max responded.
"Which is why the three of us are planning out how to get more of it. But now that you three are here...maybe it won't be such a difficult matter." Rin thought.
"You want us to help you knock off this river guy?" Ibuki asked.
"I know you have your reasons for being here, but we're short on time. I hate to ask this, but our responsibility is to the people we have left."
"And with any luck, all the noise might draw this Shield bloke out so we can whack him. Fixes a whole lot of problems, doesn't it?" Max asserted.
"Alright. So where's this bozo hiding?" Ibuki asked.
"You're going to agree to it, no questions asked?" Rin responded.
"It's like he said. If we can take care of the guy we're hunting and help y'all out doing it, that's a win-win. It's doing the right thing cuz it's the right thing."
"You must have heard that from your Max." Iris said.
"How'd you ever guess?"
"I've heard it more times than I can count."
"What a coinkidink, this joker's heart bleeds so much you'd think he was all dried up!" Katie poked Max.
"Bite it. That's all toss." he grumbled.
She poked his head even more. "I'm sorry, who was it that dropped everythin' to go on this little water adventure the *second* his joey said she was a little parched?"
"Yeah, cuz she's my kid. If it was you, I'd have let ya go thirsty."
As the pair continued bickering, Iris approached Rin. "Madame. If you need help with a plan of attack, I'm quite experienced on that front."
"That would be extremely helpful, yes. I have a map of the wastelands here somewhere..." Rin replied. "In the meantime, you should make yourselves comfortable. A mission of any kind wouldn't be happening until morning at the earliest. Try to get some rest...if these two ever stop arguing."
---
Later that night, Ibuki and Cindy looked into an empty enclosure. "Y'know, right before he got attacked, Maxie took me on a zoo date. Saku warned me that the monkeys there like swiping things when you're not looking. One took the hairclip I had on, and Maxie went chasing it down." the former related.
"Did he?" Cindy asked.
"Well, he came back with the clip. Then he realized his wallet was missing."
The girls laughed.
"If that isn't my guy in a nutshell. Tries to be all noble and cool, and then ends up looking like a dork."
"It's a part of his charm. Daddy's the picture of cool when he's fighting. Just don't let him near a microwave. My mom's asked me more than once if I knew how to 'Dad-proof' the electronics. We're both amazed it took this long for him to lose an eye."
They laughed again.
"Aren't you two sounding chipper."
Max had arrived, sipping his water.
"Finally broke away from your...girlfriend?" Ibuki asked.
"Ain't like that."
"You've got a kid and you're constantly bickering. Sure looks like 'that' to me."
"I've known Katie since before the world went to shit. The Chief, too. All of us worked right here at Taronga. I was a security guard. Katie worked with the big cats. And the Chief..."
"Must've been something really high up if she's in charge now." Cindy interjected.
"If you wanna call workin' with spiders and mozzies 'high up'. Katie played around with lions, and we're takin' our orders from the queen of bugs. Crap in this world stopped makin' sense a long time ago."
"So where'd the kid come in?" Ibuki questioned.
"Well, about five years ago, we knocked off some drongos runnin' around with bags on their heads. Turns out they had some cold ones stashed away. Five years with no beer and desperately needin' it, you can imagine what happened next."
"Ew. Please no." Cindy covered her ears.
"Only happened the one time. But in nature's playbook, the one time is enough. Oh, we were both spooked out of our khakis. Bringin' a kid into the world is one thing. Doin' it when the world's fallen apart is utterly mad. I thought it'd be a nightmare. Might've done me more good, after all though."
"How's that?" Ibuki asked.
"Cliche as it sounds, it gave me a bit of hope. Somethin' to actually keep on livin' for. Let's just say, if I didn't have Emmy to look out for...I might've let this Shield of yours off me."
"....."
"The Maxes where you're from are lucky blokes. Havin sheilas like you to fight for 'em. Even comin' into hell to chase after a ghost."
"What's your point, genius?"
"That you're good people. And you don't see many of those these days. Especially out where the River King and his freakos are bundled up. You're gonna need to keep your eyes open tomorrow."
"I'd say the same to you. There's gonna be more than some wasteland weirdos coming after your head tomorrow."
"Duly noted." Max finished his drink. "Cruiser heads out first thing in the morning. Get some sleep. Might do you good."
"Take your own advice, dude."
"I don't sleep. G'night." Max saluted, walking off.
"Boy, what a charmer."
"I don't think he's so bad. It must be hard to be anything but miserable in a place like this." Cindy replied.
"Well, the sooner we can get out of here, the better. Here's hoping we see the last of our friend in orange tomorrow. Let's get to those tents. It'll help if I don't have to look up at that creepy sky."
Outside of the dome, a short distance away, a red ship hovered. On top of it, the man in the orange armor looked out through a set of binoculars. He thought about crashing through the dome and taking his quarry out then and there. He saw the other people walking around inside.
"No. Too much collateral damage."
He hopped back into his ship, which disappeared from sight. He would have to wait for the perfect moment.
---
Dawn, the following day. Everyone had gathered by the dome's entrance.
"Let me go over the plan one last time. From here, you'll be heading north, through the wastelands. The River King's home territory will be about a dozen kilometers outside the city's borders. It all looks the same out there, so just head straight." Rin instructed.
"With that much open space between us and that base, it's almost certain that the Shield is gonna try to make his move in that time." Cindy said.
"So we've gotta keep our eye out for lunatics driving souped-up cars, and a guy in a spacesuit out for blood." Ibuki added.
"Just another day for us, eh, Maxie?" Katie asked.
"It ain't gonna be 'us' today, Katie. I'm goin' this alone." Max replied.
"You what?! Ohhh, don't you go playin' the hero with me now!"
"Space Man wants me dead, and I'm not lettin' you get caught up in it."
"Bugger off! Some drongo in a tin can's flyin' around lookin' for ya, ooooh I'm quakin' in me knickers!"
"If I may interject?" Iris spoke up. "I understand why you'd want to keep her out of danger. But she is your trusted partner, correct?"
"Bloody oath." Max replied.
"Then you'll be able to fight better with her by your side. Right?"
"Hell yeah! This joker wouldn't be upright now if not for me!" Katie replied.
Iris looked Max in the eye. "You wish to protect her because she is your closest friend in this world, and the mother of your child. I understand. You would feel best knowing she was safe. And she would feel best knowing you were safe. What I would say is...do you wish to inflict guilt on her, should something happen to you?"
"What are you gettin' at?" Max asked.
"The day that my Maximus was killed, I was slated to fight alongside him, as I always did. But I was hurt. And I couldn't fight with him. And by the time I arrived, it was already too late. Could I have saved him? Is there anything more that could have been done? That question will gnaw at me until my dying day. And if you elect to die out there alone, then I guarantee, it will gnaw at her the same way. As well as your daughter. Could you accept that?"
"....."
Katie patted his chest. "I give ya shit cuz I care, ya dope. Ya can handle yourself just fine, yeah, but if the drongo puts you in a corner, I wanna be there to take the shot." She put her hand out. "Partners, right?"
Max took her hand. "Right. No one I'd rather ride into hell with."
Ibuki nudged Iris. "Nice one." 
"The more grief I can prevent, I will." Iris replied.
Katie patted Max. "Wanna say somethin' to the joey? No regrets, yeah?"
"Righto. Emmy!" Max called out. The girl emerged from the tent, rubbing her eyes. She ran over to her parents.
"Goin' out again, Dad?" she asked.
"Yeah. Your Mum and I have some more work to do for everyone. We'll be gone for a bit, so be a good girl for the Chief, yeah?"
Katie bent down and patted her on the head. "It's all so you can be happy, little joey. If things go good, then we won't have to go scrapin' around for bottles anymore. We'll both be back real soonish."
"Promise?" the girl asked.
"Oath, darlin'. Bloody oath." Max patted her.
"It's no great exaggeration to say that we have everything riding on you all. Good luck. We'll all be hoping for your safe return. All of you." Rin bid.
"Let's hope all our problems are fixed by the time we come back." Ibuki replied.
With one final wave, the group left the safety of the dome. Max put on his mask, Katie her goggles, while the three off-world women materialized their suits.
Reaching the safari car, Katie got in the driver's seat, with Iris next to her. Cindy and Ibuki took the back seats, while Max got in the back compartment, rifle in hand. The engine sounded, and the vehicle left, heading north out of town.
Upon leaving the confines of the city, they were met with sand, as far as the imagination could comprehend. No landmarks, no ruins, not even the smallest hint of civilization. Several minutes passed, with nary an incident occurring.
"If Mr. Shield felt like making an appearance, you'd think he would've by now." Ibuki said.
"He's not stupid. He's probably watching us right now, waiting for a vulnerable moment." Iris replied.
"Bloke probably figures we're eggin' him on. We'll hit the River King's gang before we see hide or hair of your spaceman." Katie surmised.
Iris' eyes glowed. "Wait a minute...I think I see something. About a couple kilos up ahead."
"You can see that far?!" Katie reacted.
"A gift from the 'unimpressive' gods, you can call it."
"Heh." Max shook his head.
"Alright, so what are ya spottin'?" Katie asked.
"It looks like...a war party. Seven average-sized vehicles along with one much larger. And they're headed straight for us."
"I'm gonna guess it's the River King and his welcoming committee." Ibuki surmised.
"Bloody hell, did they get tipped off?!" Katie questioned.
Iris looked out the window. In the distance, she spotted what they came for, if only briefly: the spaceship's camouflage technology wearing off for a couple seconds. "That bastard is here, after all. And I'm willing to bet he's the reason that caravan is headed for us."
"Mr. Shield was a couple steps ahead, looks like. So, we gonna bum rush the blighters or what?" Max asked.
"I...wouldn't recommend it." Cindy pulled out the map they'd been given. "Um...okay, if we go east, we'll run into a cliffside. Basically a dead end. We go west, it's nothing but open desert."
"There won't be anywhere to hide, but picking the enemies off as they come looks like our only course of action." Iris said.
"West it is. Maxie, get your piece primed. Hold onto your asses!" Katie hit the gas, turning left.
In the distance, a caravan consisting of seven modified Jeeps, all bearing an assortment of spear-wielding goons, along with pieced-together turrets, continued onward. At its head was a giant, black wagon. A pair of large speakers, blaring hard rock music, were on either side. Standing at the head, arms crossed, was a balding man with skull-patterned face paint, along with dark blue biker gear, with spikes on the pauldrons.
A masked goon looked out with binoculars. "We lost 'im! Where'd that orange blighter run off to?!"
"He's in a big ship! How'd he just vanish?! You stupid or somethin'?!" the driver yelled back.
"You lost 'im too, ya daft cock!" The goon looked back through the binoculars. "Oi! There's somethin' drivin' that way! It's the zoo twats! We gonna chase 'em, Your Majesty?!"
"What do you think, idiot? Forget the space man! I want the heads of those bubble bums!" the River King ordered.
The war party made a sharp turn, heading for the safari car. 
"I think we got their attention." Max said.
"Time to play sniper--" Ibuki held her hand out to summon her bow, which didn't appear. "What the..."
"This world doesn't operate on spiritual energy, looks like. Here, take one of my blasters." Cindy handed over the weapon.
"Ugh, new world, new rules. So annoying."
"Leave the bow work to me." Iris said.
Two Jeeps pulled ahead, closing in on the car. Max popped open the window, stuck his rifle out, and hit one of the oncoming vehicles, stunning it and causing it to spin out of control. The other Jeep began to fire from its turret. Iris, bow drawn, fired an arrow out of the window, striking the gunner and knocking them from their perch.
The Jeep continued its mad pace, pulling up next to the safari car, brushing itself up against it, attempting to knock it onto its side.
"Oi, watch the paint!" Katie barked.
Now close enough to reach in, the driver pulled out a gun, and started firing inside. Cindy and Ibuki ducked, then the latter grabbed the driver's arm, and delivered a hard punch down with her free hand, dislocating the man's arm. "AGGH!"
She punched him square in the face, knocking him back, and having reached too far out, he slipped out of his window, the Jeep screeching away.
The rest of the war party pulled forward. Max prepped his rifle, but something else caught his attention.
Something came into view, floating at high speeds over the sands. The camouflage faded, and the Shield's cruiser became visible.
"Oi. That him?" Max asked.
"Yeah. That's him." Cindy confirmed.
Iris stared daggers at the ship.
From its underside, a pair of turrets emerged. They pointed at the safari car, and began firing a barrage of laser blasts at it. Katie steered quickly to avoid the assault, as the turrets then began to fire at the caravan, striking two Jeeps and causing them to explode.
"What's that cunt shootin' at us for?!" the River King's assistant questioned.
Max peered through the glass. "Looks like someone doesn't wanna compete for his kill."
Agitation clear on her face, Iris began to climb out of the window.
"Hey! What are you doing?!" Ibuki questioned.
"Claiming my prey." Iris pulled herself out, and onto the roof of the car.
"This chick outta her noggin'?!" Katie questioned.
Iris steadied herself as the car continued to travel at high speeds. With her target in front of her, she drew an arrow. She closed her eyes. "Goddess, guide my hand." She pulled the bowstring, and fired. The arrow struck one of the laser turrets, causing it to spark.
Inside the ship, the Shield sat at the controls. "TURRET 1 DISABLED." the computer sounded.
Iris drew another arrow. Before she could fire it, the second turret began to fire. Several of the blasts singed the top of the car, as Iris ducked back inside the car for a moment. She immediately climbed back out.
"Girl's gonna get herself killed!" Katie griped.
Back on the giant wagon, the River King grumbled. "Like hell I'm lettin' this pile of toss take my kill. Get me my sword!"
His henchmen brought out an electric guitar, handing it to him. "Let's make our blessed shithole sing!"
As he strummed his guitar, the two large speakers suddenly lit up. Energy sparked out of his eyes, as blue waves fired out from the speakers at the Shield's ship. The impact rattled the cruiser.
"Ugh!" The Shield growled. He set the controls to autopilot, and grabbed the Bolt. He opened the side door, and stared out.
"I'm the king of the rivers, bitch! I already called dibs on this hunt! Bugger off!" the gang leader belted out at him.
Wordlessly, the armored man charged the Bolt, and unleashed a flurry of lightning at the remaining Jeeps and the wagon. The smaller vehicles were flipped over, tumbling away into smoldering heaps. The henchmen were all knocked off of the wagon.
The River King shielded himself. "Grr...hah! Ya missed!"
As soon as he said that, his guitar was hit with a blast of electricity, charging it.
Max, poking his head out, saluted. "G'day, Your Pissiness."
The guitar exploded. The wagon was set aflame, and with no one left to pilot it, it came to a screeching halt. Once the flames reached the engines, the entire vehicle was consumed in an explosion.
"And there goes the king of the rivers. All that fresh water's ours." Katie said. "Course, now there's the matter of livin' long enough to get it."
Iris stared down the Shield, who ducked back into his ship with the Bolt.
"Girl, you need to get back in here right now!" Ibuki called out.
"Not without what he took from me." Iris responded.
"Don't tell me you're gonna--"
With momentum and a prayer, Iris leapt from the roof of the car, reaching and grabbing onto the side of the ship. She pulled herself up onto the wing.
"Well if that's how she wants to play it..." Max aimed his rifle at the side door, firing a charged shot that shorted it out. 
Taking the opening, Iris leapt into the ship. The Shield turned his head. "Remember me?" she asked.
"What do you think you're doing here?" the armored man questioned.
"Taking back what you stole from me. The Bolt belongs to one man, and it isn't you."
"Well, seeing as how the man I took it from, I'm invoking the ancient law of 'Finder's Keepers'."
He grabbed the Bolt, and before she could draw another arrow, he blasted her with electricity, knocking her far enough back that she was sent flying out of the ship, landing and tumbling into the sand.
"Shit...! We've gotta go back for her!" Ibuki stated.
"I don't think he's gonna be so accommodatin'." Katie replied.
The cruiser made a sudden movement, and bashed into the side of the car.
"Ooof--AGH!" Katie reeled.
"The hell happened?!" Max asked.
"Agh...my arm...think it's busted..." Katie tried maneuvering with the one arm, as the other went limp.
"Hang on, try to move over! I can take the wheel!" Cindy went up front.
"Agh...bloody hell, that shittin' hurts..."
The cruiser swung into the car again.
"AGH!" Katie reeled.
Cindy scrambled to grab the wheel. "Okay, okay, it's all good! I've got it!"
"Ugh...one more hit like that, and we're done for..."
"....." Max mumbled.
"Got any ideas?" Ibuki asked him.
"Just the one. A really stupid one."
Suddenly, he popped the trunk open, and leapt out.
"Maxie! The fuck's he doin'?!" Katie yelled.
Getting up from the sand, rifle still in his grip, he waved at the ship. The cruiser slowed, and turned around. Max began to run in the opposite direction. The Shield began to follow.
Climbing to the top of a dune, Max avoided several shots from the ship's turret. He fired three shots of his own, one of which hit the turret, shorting it out.
"TURRET 2 DISABLED." the ship's computer related.
Max slid down to the bottom of the dune. As the ship slowed to a stop, he called out to it. "Oi! Your shooters're cooked! You wanna cap me? Come down and do it yourself, you murderin' sack of roo shit!"
A light shone down from the cruiser. The Shield came down from it, rising up to face Max.
"Didn't feel like grabbin' that god bolt thingie?" Max took off his coat, tossing it to the side, along with his rifle and mask.
"Don't need it." the armored man replied. He pointed to the gas mask. "Would've preferred it if you'd kept that on."
"Why's that, mate? Worried I might die of fumes first?"
"So I could've caved it down your throat."
Max patted his ankles, stuck his tongue out, and beckoned the Shield forward. "C'mon then. Take a swing, if you're man enough."
The Shield took the first swing of the fist, which Max dodged. They exchanged blows, but with every attempt Max made, the armored man had a counter. He picked up the former security guard, and threw him down onto the sand. He drew out his electrified dagger, and thrust it down towards his opponent. Max rolled out of the way, then grabbed the Shield's arm.
Before he could react again, his arm began to short out. "Gah..."
"WARNING: RIGHT ARM COMPROMISED. SEEK REPAIRS IMMEDIATELY." his systems sounded out.
Max waved his hand. "Magic fingers."
The Shield swung his other arm, leading Max to dodge, only to strike him in the side with the follow-up. He grabbed him by the collar. "Only need the one arm." 
He hit Max with a headbutt, knocking him to the ground. He kicked him further into the sand. The armored man walked over, taking the effort to step on the mask, and picked the rifle off of the ground, inspecting it. "No bullets? Guess it's just for your power. I'll settle for bashing your head in with it."
He tilted his head, as an arrow flew past.
"...thought I left you back there." 
Iris had another arrow pointed at him. Up above, the sound of a gun being cocked echoed.
Katie, with her one good arm, held a pistol. Ibuki and Cindy both had blasters pointed at the Shield. "No more Max-killing, you monster." Cindy said.
"How'd you people find me? What do you even care?" the Shield asked.
"You've killed how many versions of the same man now? Did you even question for a minute that you might be pissing people off that cared about them? Just who the hell are you, behind that mask?" Ibuki asked back.
"I wouldn't be wearing it if I wanted you to know. I'm the one guy standing between millions of worlds and an onslaught of screw-ups."
"Not every Max is this center of mistakes. They couldn't possibly be." Iris retorted.
"I've seen places where Max O'Donnell's mistakes doomed a lot of innocent people. I'm saving you all the future grief."
"By giving us that grief *now*? My Maxie made a bunch of mistakes. He'll be the first one to admit it. But he's worked to try to fix things. All these Maxes you're killing won't ever have that chance."
"Your Max nearly enslaved the entire planet. Altered people's minds against their will. You can forgive something like that?"
"It's none of your business what I choose to forgive or not. What I *can't* forgive is cold-blooded murder. So we're gonna take you somewhere you can't ever do it again."
Pondering his options, the Shield tossed aside the rifle. "This is such a pain." He propelled himself into the air, back to his ship. Iris fired an arrow his way. He grabbed it with his free hand. 
"Grrr..." Iris growled.
He tossed the arrow aside. "This isn't over. I'll remember your faces. Come chasing me, if you feel like it. You can't save everyone."
He disappeared into his ship, and the camouflage turned on, the vessel vanishing from sight.
Cindy looked at her wrist device. "...the signal's gone. He's left this universe."
Iris fell to her hands and knees. "Graaaaagh!" she yelled.
"Hey, come on. We'll get him next time." Ibuki assured.
Katie went to Max. "You doin' alright?"
"Your arm's danglin', and you're askin' if *I'm* alright?" he responded. "My head's poundin', but I'll live. I'm pretty sick of today, so how about we head on home?"
"Good an idea as any. We'll tell your Chief that you've got your water." Ibuki bent down to Iris' level. "Hey. We helped them out, and he didn't finish his mission. Today's a win. You'll get your payback soon."
Iris got up. "Soon can't come soon enough. Get me out of this sandy hell." She walked back to the car. Wordlessly, the others followed.
---
A while later, inside the dome, the off-world trio prepared to head out. "You folks gonna be alright?" Ibuki asked.
"We've got a party headed out to the River King's base. Once we get access to his water supply, things around here will get a lot easier. We can't thank you all enough for the help. And for keeping Max alive." Rin replied.
"They did most of the work. We're just happy that things might be a bit better for you guys." Cindy said.
"Gonna make me blush, girlie." Katie, her arm in a sling, replied. "Got anything to say, Maxie?"
"Yeah, about that..." Max began. "I'm goin' with them."
"You what?!" 
"This is...sudden. Is it unfinished business on your mind?" Rin asked.
"There's that. Don't much care for spacemen beatin' my head in for no good reason. But if I'm still here, there's a good shot he'll be comin' back. And he won't be pullin' punches. Everyone'll be safer if I'm with this lot." Max elaborated. "Course, it's up to the ladies if it's alright."
"I'd say so. The more capable hands, the better. Right, Cind?" Ibuki asked.
"Yup. I've got no complaints. What about you, Ms. Iris?" Cindy questioned.
"So long as he keeps the remarks about my gods to a minimum. But just keep one thing in mind: when the moment comes, the kill is mine. Understood?" Iris replied.
"Heh, loud and clear. Guess I'm takin' a trip outta the desert for a bit." Max said.
Katie looked frustrated. "You coulda at least talked it over with me first."
"Yeah. But it's about keepin' you and everyone here safe. We'll be back to scavenging around in no time." He put his arm around her shoulders.
"...that hurts, you dick."
"Not as much as my heart."
She pinched his side. Freeing himself, he bent down to Emmy. "I'm gonna be gone for a bit. You and your Mum take care of each other, alright?"
"Kick the alien man's butt!" the girl demanded.
"Yes, ma'am. Hi-five."
The girl reciprocated. Max patted her head. "See ya soon, ankle-biter. Right. I'll see you all when I see ya."
"Good luck. And to you all, as well. I hope you can stop this man soon." Rin bid.
"Thanks, Prof. We'll try our best." Ibuki replied.
"Hm? 'Prof'?"
"Oops, my bad. Forget about it."
Cindy opened the portal, and the three women stepped through. Rifle on his back, Max waved to his friends. "Catch ya later." He followed them inside, the portal closing behind him.
---
The Space Between.
Using his tools, the Shield worked to repair his damaged arm. "TURRET REPAIRS CURRENTLY AT 65%." the computer spoke.
He flexed his fingers, then balled it into a fist. "Good as new."
He got up, and went over to the ship's living quarters, disorganized and messy as they were. Looking over to the closet, the sounds began again.
"*cough*"
"*cough*"
He shook his head. "I don't need a nap." He walked back out. "Computer. Start scanning for variants. I need to be more selective..."
As he walked away, the noises slowed.
He knew they would start again. 
"*cough*"
Such was his curse.
"*cough*"