Persona BLEACHED 4: Chapter 17

Chapter 17: La Estrella Caída
October 5, 2031
It was supposed to be a normal Sunday.
Instead, numerous families around Tokyo were waking up to every parent's worst nightmare.
So it was that Rin Kubo's friends all gathered at her home, all in heightened levels of panic. Their little girls had all disappeared in the middle of the night, with no signs as to what had happened.
Shūjo was fanning Hiyoko, who looked close to fainting. "Just breathe. It's gonna be alright."
"How can you be so sure? Whoever the fiend is probably doesn't know about her condition...oh, this is horrific..." Hiyoko was holding onto Aura's beloved owl plushie. "She wouldn't go anywhere without Hoots. There's no possible way she went out on her own..."
Tenko was breathing into a paper bag. Jin was next to her, *also* breathing into a paper bag. "Y'know this is the point where you tell me it's gonna be fine, right?!" she questioned.
"How can I say that when I'm panicking, too?! Two-year old girls don't just disappear like this!" he replied.
"When I get my hands on the bastard, I'll...I'll..." Tenko's bag popped. "...I'm gonna lose it."
"Settle, people, settle!" Jugo stated. 
"Easy for you to say, Sheriff Yokel! It's not your daughter that's gone missing!" Shūjo griped.
"Goin' off on me's not gonna make it any better, One-Eye. Our phone lines are swamped with calls. Folks all around the city sayin' their girls just up and vanished. The city's in a full-blown panic."
"I can relate." uttered Hiyoko.
"None of this makes any sense." Sakuya commented. "How could someone do all of this in one night? No signs of forced entry, with the families not hearing anything? Without so much as a scream? And why just the girls?" 
A faint Kaede signed to Ibuki. "What's she saying?" Sakuya asked.
"She's saying that Kanae-chan is probably hungry. She'll probably be asking for cupcakes and the one that did this might be getting angry. I don't even want to think about that...oh, my lovebug...she has to be terrified..." Rin uttered.
"Shizuka already doesn't do well with people...I hope she isn't panicking, but knowing her..." Rose added.
"I'm heading out." Ibuki stated.
"Where are you going?" Sakuya asked.
"I don't know, but I can't stay here. The longer we're twiddling our thumbs waiting for something, the longer bubblegum and the other girls are with the shitbag that took them. I'll break down as many doors as I need to!"
"You're in no condition to do that. Your hangover--"
"Fuck that! I'm not letting a headache keep me from hunting down the bastard that took my little ball of sunshine from me! Whoever the freak is, they're getting the pummeling of a lifetime!" Ibuki stormed out.
"Ibuki-chan! Agh...I'm sorry. I'm going after her." Sakuya followed.
"....." Rin looked ponderous.
"Rin. I know that look." Rose said.
"She's right. Standing around freaking out isn't going to solve anything. We need to be out there looking. Anywhere and everywhere they could be. Any objections?"
"Hell no. I'm coming with." Shūjo declared.
"I can barely stand, but I'm not sitting around, either." Hiyoko added.
"Not *my* baby, shithead." Tenko uttered.
"Whoever took them doesn't know who they're screwing with." Jin added.
"Everyone get in your cars. We're going hunting." Rin affirmed. "You're coming with us." she signed to Kaede.
"Alright. Thank you." Kaede responded.
Everyone stormed out the door. "Don't do anything--ah, fuck it. 'Don't', nothin'." Jugo followed after.
Everyone got into their cars and sped off in different directions. With her head still pounding, Ibuki relented and allowed Sakuya to drive. "I just don't get it...how'd nobody hear *anything*? I might've been snockered to hell, but ya can't say that about everyone." Ibuki questioned.
"It's confounding, for sure. The fact that it was throughout the entire city tells me that this was either a highly coordinated move...or that the kidnapper is like us. Their abilities must be otherworldly in origin."
"Think this might be another one of those multiverse peeps?"
"It very well could be. Senpai and Ishimaru-kun said that they found a girl from the other world swimming near their beach. I doubt that it merely stopped at two. We're in uncharted territory when it comes to this other universe. Someone with sinister intent could have made the jump, and now..."
"Now they've kidnapped a bunch of little girls. I don't even know where we would start looking...where could you take a bunch of panicking kids and nobody notice?"
"It would have to be some place abandoned...or remote."
"Could be anywhere in a city this big. Could've taken them into the mountains, hell they could be miles away from here by now. Whatever they did to steal them that quick, they could be on another continent!" Ibuki punched the dashboard.
"Settle. You'll only agitate your headache."
"My brain's already about to explode out of my head. I can't..." Ibuki began to tear up. "Wasn't bad enough to take Maxie away, now they've gotta take the baby, too? Gave us the gift of a kid-snatcher for the hell of it, huh?"
"They couldn't have done it intentionally. Whoever this person is--if they're indeed from the other world--must have come here when Max-kun and Dr. Wolfe caused the transport."
"By *accident*."
"Yes, of course. The point is, they've had roughly two weeks to get acclimated. It would've taken at least half that to get over any initial confusion. Is a week enough time to get a feel for Tokyo's layout?"
"I've been living here for 21 years and I still don't know where everything is. Unless we're dealing with Sonic the Hedgehog, they'd be running around in circles. But these girls were taken from all around the city..."
"Hm...'Sonic the Hedgehog', eh..."
"Saku, that was just a joke."
"Oh, I know. But maybe you're not so far off."
The girls arrived at the base of Mt. Shirayuki. They got out of the car. "We going for a hike, Saku?"
"Professor Kubo and her friends have the city covered. The mountains are the first place I would think to look."
"What makes ya think that?"
"It's where Death's Hand hid for years. Pittacus and the rest of the Thebans hid in the cave systems here since they arrived on Earth. It's the perfect hiding spot. Especially if you're hiding over thirty panicking children."
"Makes sense. Not a second to lose. Let's move!"
The girls headed up the mountain, taking a detour deeper into the heavily-forested terrain. By this point, they'd taken on their Metaverse costumes. "If we're dealing with an enhanced perpetrator, they'll be able to perceive us. But in the off chance that they really are just a normal criminal..." Sakuya said.
"Then we can get a jump on the bastard. Who wants to steal so many kids, anyway..." Ibuki replied.
"I'm fearful of answering that question. Hopefully my hunch is correct. We're close to the cave entrance--"
A rustling noise sounded. Ibuki immediately drew her bow. "The hell was that?"
"Something's closing in. Could be a bear, or..."
"Get out here, bastard! Think you can steal some kids and get away with it?! If you hurt a single hair on my bubblegum's head, I'll make it so that death looks appealing!"
The rustling grew louder. Sakuya drew her sword. Both girls were prepared for a fight. Then...
"Whoa whoa whoa, settle down there!"
Stepping out from the trees was a brown-haired woman with a tan complexion, speaking with a Brooklyn accent. Her hair was tied back, and she wore a brown, tattered P.D.F. uniform, unbuttoned to reveal a blue undershirt. She had her hands up. "What's this, a Little Red Riding Hood convention? You wanna put the pieces down, muchachas?"
"Soon as you explain who the hell you are, maybe." Ibuki demanded.
"Okay, okay, okay, just calm down with the threatening! My name's Sonia Rosario. I'm with the Planetary Defense Force...on my world, anyway. A couple weeks ago, I just...popped up here. Been running around the trees ever since. So, uh, is it customary for girls in this universe to dress up like Guilty Gear characters and go hiking in the mountains?"
Ibuki and Sakuya looked at each other. "We're looking for a group of kidnapped girls. Her niece and several other girls around the city vanished last night." Sakuya explained.
"Aw jeez, that's the worst. What's the world comin' to, right? Ya tuck your seven-year old in for the night, ya wake up and they're gone. I've got some understanding of what you're goin' through."
"Do you now?" Ibuki asked.
"Yeah. I had a daughter too. She got taken away from me years ago. I can't think of a worse pain. So I'm gonna help you ladies out. There's a cave close to here. Maybe we can start lookin'--"
Ibuki shot an arrow at Sonia when she turned her back, but the older woman dodged out of the way. She glared back.
"I never said how old my niece was." Ibuki replied.
"Did you think we were stupid? That we would go along with you without question?" Sakuya asked.
Ibuki prepared another arrow. "Where is she? Where do you get off, taking kids away while they're sleeping?!"
"Tch. Que molesta." Sonia scoffed. "Ya got me pegged wrong, Hawkeye. I ain't a monster. Just a mother who was wronged."
"You had your daughter taken, so now you're stealing daughters from others? Have you no self-awareness? What about their parents?" Sakuya questioned.
"You're wasting your time, Saku. Look in this chick's eyes. She's whacked out of her mind. Screw the formalities. We can make her talk." Ibuki replied.
"You're gonna kill me, sunshine? Oh, but how are ya ever gonna find those poor, innocent little girls? I'm the only one that knows, and I'll *never* give 'em up. Not that you could ever hurt me, anyway." Sonia replied.
"I've taken down freaks a lot scarier than you, toots."
"Sweetie, if *you* beat 'em, then they weren't like me. Ain't *nobody* like me."
Electricity crackled around Sonia's legs. Her eyes glowed blue. "You're open to try it. Atrápame si puedes." In an instant, she ran off at speeds faster than the girls could perceive.
"That mouthy bitch! Let's get her ass, Saku!" Ibuki declared.
"Hold on. Something's off." Sakuya warned.
"'Hold on'?! That skank's got the girls! We've gotta get to that cave--"
"I don't think she has them in the cave. She offered to take us there. Why would she lead us somewhere that she knew they were being held?"
"Where else could she be hiding?"
"....." Sakuya thought about it. "There is one place. An old research facility built by Tohoku University decades ago. It's stayed abandoned for quite some time now. I'd heard from one of my professors that they were planning on tearing it down early next year. It isn't that far from the cave entrance."
"Then let's get a move on! I'm not letting that witch have my Kanae-chan for another minute..."
"Wait."
"What now?!"
"Please, Ibuki-chan. I understand your haste, really, I do. We have to go back and alert Professor Kubo. We don't know what that woman is capable of. But I do know one thing. If she's standing between the Professor and Shizuka-chan..."
"Well go ahead and get on that. Homegirl's got a bigger problem. Standing between me and my bubblegum." Ibuki ran off.
"And there she goes. Uggh...please have reception..." Sakuya took out her phone.
---
Deep in the mountain forest, the abandoned Tohoku facility sat, undisturbed for decades. Mother nature was beginning to reclaim it, with moss and weeds breaking through the structure.
Amongst the dilapidated walls and forlorn research equipment, there was noise. The sounds of many a young girl, crying and calling for their parents. They'd been locked in three separate holding chambers, originally built to observe local wildlife.
Inside one of the chambers, Rina Mirai was in tears. "Mamaaaaa...Papaaaaa...I can't ninjaaaaa...uhuhuuuuh..."
"Please don't cry, Rina-chan...we'll be okay..." Aura Kagetora comforted her.
Kanae Hinotama, meanwhile, tried shaking the bars. "It's no use, Kanae-chan. You can't break them." Aura said.
"Ugh...so hungry..." Kanae grumbled. She looked over to the corner.
Shizuka Kubo was in the fetal position. "....." She had a thousand-yard stare.
"Don't be scared, Shizuka! We're gonna be okay!" Kanae assured.
"....."
"Shizuka? You in there?"
"....."
"It's like she's sleeping without sleeping." Aura said.
"Grrrr..." Kanae returned to shaking the bars.
"Stop it, Kanae-chan! It's not going to work!"
"That crazy lady's gonna be back! We've gotta get outta here!"
"*Sniff*...Mama...Papa...they'll beat that mean lady up..." Rina uttered.
"Hey, yeah! We're gonna be okay! My auntie's gonna come and smack the crazy lady around!"
"Who's gonna smack the crazy lady around?"
The girls turned around. Sonia was standing there, staring right at them. "Hi, girls. Sorry, I had an errand to run."
Girls in every container began pleading to be let go.
"Aw, don't be so jumpy. You're better off here, safe with me. It was so easy for me to take you all. Nothing your parents could ever do. That's not gonna happen while I'm here. You'll see that I'm actually saving you."
"You're crazy! This is a bad thing you're doing! Bad people saying they're doing good is the worst! Uncle Maxie always says so!" Kanae retorted.
The name caught Sonia's attention. "Uncle Maxie...? Heh...hehe..." She started to chuckle. "Maxie....Maxie Maxie Maxie Maxie Maxie Maxie Maxie!"
She quickly ran up and grabbed the bars, startling the girls. Her pupils had grown smaller. "Hear this good, missy. You don't believe anything a 'Maxie' tells ya. I knew a Maxie once. I wouldn't be where I am if it weren't for him. So do yourself a favor. Zip your yap. And forget about whatever your 'Maxie' says."
"No way! Uncle Maxie's a super nice guy! You're just a creepy hag!" Kanae exclaimed.
"Kanae-chan, don't make her angry!" Aura warned.
"Ohhh, you're a mouthy one, ain't ya, sweetie? Just like my Anna. We're gonna get along great." Sonia uttered, trying to reach for Kanae, who backed away.
Sonia's ears perked. "Oh. Looks like we've been made. Que pena."
Downstairs, Ibuki had arrived. Intensity permeated in her eyes.
"I've got some trash to take out, girls. Be back quick." Sonia zipped off.
Kanae grabbed the bars. "Auntie! Are you here, Auntie?! Beat her face in!"
Sonia arrived at a spot overlooking the lower level. She locked eyes with Ibuki. "Couldn't take the hint, eh, puta? Now I've gotta get my hands dirty."
Ibuki drew an arrow and pointed it right at Sonia. "Do your worst, whore."
---
Earth-013. The office of Judge Barbara O'Donnell. Two people were sitting across from the judge's desk. One was Max Jadefang. The other was Anna Rosario. The awkwardness was apparent. Both sat silently, Max with his arms crossed, Anna looking more impatient.
"...I feel like we got off on the wrong foot." Max said.
"Gee, ya think?" Anna responded.
"Y'know, I could've handled that better the other day."
"Which part, the one where ya tried steppin' on me like a wad of gum?"
"Only after you pantsed me in front of everyone."
"And that makes trying to step on me okay?"
"No, no, obviously not. I've had bad experiences with bullies, is all."
"Shocking."
"You're reading like one right now."
"Think I was one of those stuck-up bimbos walkin' around with their pinkies out, clack-clack-clacking their high heels?"
"I'm thinking you've punched one of those."
"And so what if I did?"
"You are a deeply aggressive person."
"Says the guy that tried crushing me!"
"Okay okay okay...this isn't gonna work out if we're at each other's throats all day, every day. I'm willing to clean the slate. I'll apologize for the Ultraman incident."
"Tch...alright, fine. Sorry I flashed your tighty-whities in front of everyone."
"I was wearing *boxers*."
The door to the chambers opened. "Good. You haven't mauled each other yet. I'd call that progress." Bobbi entered.
"Am I really gonna be put on cleanup duty again, Aunt Bobbi? I get the picture, alright?" Anna asked.
"I'm afraid this is far more serious than your standard-issue discipline. I've just received word from a...Kaya, I believe her name was? There's been an alarming development on your world, Mr. Jadefang."
"How bad are we talking? Is everyone alright?" Max asked.
"Bad enough that they crossed the universal barrier to let me know. Apparently, a number of young girls in your Tokyo have gone missing. Kidnapped from their beds in the dead of night. They said to mention that one of them was a--"
"Kanae Hinotama, is that what you're gonna say? She was taken?"
"It would appear so."
"(No...!)" Max got up. "Send me there."
"You know I can't do that."
"I can't stand here while she's in danger! I promised that I'd look after her, and now--"
"I understand, but I'm under direct orders not to allow you to leave. If you step foot on your world before that multiversal council gives their approval, you'll be imprisoned, banished, or worse. Calm down. Let me finish."
"Grrrr..." Max reluctantly sat down.
"(Jeez. For a sec there, he sounded like...)" Anna thought.
"Back on topic. They've contacted us because they believe that the one behind the disappearances could come from our world. After finding out that my own daughter was transported alongside our Max, I can't discard the possibility." Bobbi explained.
"I'm still *so* sorry about that." Max said.
"It's neither here nor there. All that matters is that she's safe and back home. But I'm of the thought that it wouldn't make much sense if only two people made the jump. Someone else could've done the same thing. Someone far more dangerous. Which brings me to why you're here, Anna."
"...oh, sh--you don't mean..." Anna uttered.
"I just placed a call to the facility in Alaska. I told them to check and make sure that your mother was still in her cell. And sure enough, she was gone."
Anna began to panic. "Oh shit shit shit shit shit! She's out?! How aren't you scrambling everything we've got?!"
"I have people across the network looking where she'd most likely head to. But the bigger possibility is that she's ended up in your world, Mr. Jadefang."
"What's got you so spooked? Would your mom really kidnap a bunch of girls?" Max asked.
"...she hasn't had her meds in two weeks. She's gotta be breaking right now. Aw, no..." Anna slumped.
"Okay, okay, just...spell it out for me. Why's her mom in jail?"
"Guess I should give you the proper context. Sonia Rosario was a longtime friend of ours. She fought alongside us for many years. But then, one day, she just...snapped. We made the difficult decision to have her imprisoned. For her sake and everyone else's." Bobbi explained.
"Why would she just snap?"
"A combination of several years of combat, and...Anna's fa--"
"He's not my father. He's the scum of the Earth and nothing more." Anna sternly interrupted.
"Her...?" Max uttered.
"There are still many things you've yet to see, Mr. Jadefang. And you'll find that with most of those things, *he* is at the center. But that's for another day. Right now, it's Sonia."
"Right. So how has it taken you all two weeks to realize she was gone?"
"Our prisons are largely no-contact. Magically charged chambers that neutralize inmates' abilities. Food is teleported in and out to minimize the amount of time spent around the prisoners. Even so, there are routine checks every so often to make sure nothing's gone wrong. I might need to order more frequent checks after this."
"Ma was doing so good with her meds. They put it in her food to make sure she took them. But if she's gone this long without 'em...your pals are in deep trouble." Anna uttered.
"I've got some pretty powerful friends." Max retorted.
"They don't know Sonia. Her power set is like Anna's, but with more years of development. She can reach extreme speeds faster than you could ever perceive. Let me be clear, Mr. Jadefang. Sonia Rosario is one of the finest soldiers that P.D.F.'s New York branch has ever produced." Barbara said.
"So how'd you ever get her locked up?"
"I took that responsibility."
"You did?"
"When temperatures get low, an object's movements are slowed. The easiest way to stop a speedster is to slow them down. I lowered the surrounding temperatures to be so chilling that even she couldn't do anything about it. It's why we sent her to Alaska instead of here. But holding her off in the meantime was one of the most difficult things I've ever done. Physically and mentally. Sonia wasn't just anyone. She was my best friend. The decision to take her into custody wasn't one I took lightly. Raising Anna was a joint effort between me and Max. But it's something that I know Sonia still holds against us."
"She wants me. And she can't have me. So..." Anna said.
"So she's taking substitutes. Isn't there anything you can do?" Max asked.
"I'll have to sanction it with that council you met with. Multiversal travel by itself isn't an offense, so long as it's gone through the proper channels. Hence why you wound up in as much trouble as you did. I hope your friends are as strong as you say. Because I guarantee you...they've never fought someone like Sonia." Barbara said.
"Well, Your Honor. You might be right about that...but if she's snatched Kanae, then she's probably gotten some of her friends close-by. And if that's true...then Ms. Sonia has made some very powerful enemies."
---
Sonia and Ibuki continued to glare at one another. "Give me the girls. Give me back my niece. And maybe...*maybe*...I won't bullseye this arrow through your skull. Your choice." Ibuki threatened.
"Honey, I don't think you realize who's holding the winning hand, here." Sonia replied.
"I've got you at arrow-point. From where I'm standing--"
Sonia suddenly appeared next to Ibuki. "You ain't standin' anywhere, hon." She supercharged energy in her leg, and pulled it back. "You're *flying*."
Before Ibuki's brain could process what was happening, she was kicked from behind, and flew into a wall. Sonia rapidly appeared before her. "The minute you looked me in the eye was the minute you died. I don't lose...cuz I don't give any openings." Sonia delivered a series of kicks at lightning speed, punctuating it with one final, hard kick, that sent Ibuki flying through the wall, landing in the woods outside. Sonia pursued her.
Inside the facility, someone else made their way inside. The imprisoned girls heard footsteps.
"The crazy lady's coming back!" Kanae exclaimed.
"Waaaaah!" Rina cried out.
"Don't cry, Rina-chan, please..." Aura comforted.
The footsteps grew louder. Appearing before the girls wasn't Sonia.
"Is everyone alright?" It was Sakuya, back in normal clothes.
"Saku! We're saved!" Kanae said.
"You have to get us out of here, Saku! She'll come back!" Aura pleaded.
"Is Auntie with you, Saku?"
"Ibuki-chan is fighting the woman that took you all. Your parents are all on their way here. I need you all to be brave and be quiet, or else she might be alerted." Sakuya took notice of Shizuka. "Is she alright?"
"She's been like that since we got here. I think she's just really scared." Aura replied.
"She looks catatonic. I hope this doesn't have any long-term effects. Let me get these bars up..."
Outside, Ibuki struggled to her feet, having landed against a tree. Sonia appeared in front of her, punching her twice across the face, then pinning her to the tree with her boot. "Ya could've walked away. Let the girls lead happy little lives with me. But no, ya had to play the hero."
Ibuki spat out blood. "I'm my niece's hero. I'll die before I let you take her."
"Nice choice of words. Let's test it, amiga."
Sonia kneed Ibuki in the chest, then delivered a headbutt to her head, before tossing her to the ground.
"Takin' all this punishment, and for what? The lengths y'all go to to keep me from being a mom."
Ibuki got to her feet. "You ain't a mom, lady. No mom would steal kids from their beds to make themselves feel better. You're just a looney tune."
She put her hand up, managing to catch Sonia's leg as she tried to kick her. "The hell...?!"
"It's just a matter of getting used to your speed. Bet you're not used to this, huh?! Now YOU get to fly!"
With full force, Ibuki tossed Sonia into the air. "Persona!" Artemis materialized, drew her bow, and fired three light arrows into the air. "Suck on this, 'puta'!"
The arrows redirected, and headed right at Sonia. "Ah, shi--"
The attack's connection caused an explosion. Sonia came falling out of the smoke, landing with a hard impact. She got up, panting, her hair untied and with scuff marks all over her. "You...you...!"
"Don't like being hurt, do ya?"
"Grrrrrr...!" Sonia's pupils grew small once again. She had a realization. "Wait...where's the other one? The girl that was with you..." She sprinted off, back into the holding area.
She looked around. The bars were all up. The children were gone. 
Her eyes twitched. She began to shake. "GRRRAAAAAAH!" she yelled.
Outside, Sakuya was directing the girls away. She heard the scream. "She knows...please, hurry, girls!"
"Is Auntie okay?" Kanae asked.
"She'll be alright...she never loses." (I hope...)"
Sonia ran back to Ibuki, grabbing her by the collar and slamming her into a tree. "Think you can screw with me, bitch?! Where'd the little skank take 'em?! Answer me or it's your head!"
"Heh. Don't feel so good, huh? What goes around, 'amiga'." Ibuki scoffed.
"Cocky bitch!" Sonia tossed her away again, running over and standing on top of her. "You're gonna die, ya get it? I'm gonna make it as painful as possible, just for pissing me off so much! Then I'm gonna find that skank you came here with and blast her to the moon!" She bent down and pulled up Ibuki by the collar. "I'm gonna kill you, y'hear me?! So wipe that shit-sucking smirk off your mug! You're outta your league!"
"And yet...and yet...I'm not afraid."
"You have that head of yours caved in?! What's it gonna take to get through to ya?! Ya can't win!"
"Tch...maybe you're right. Maybe I can't beat you."
Ibuki looked up. There was a glare in the skies above. A light getting bigger and heading straight towards them.
She smirked. "Her, on the other hand."
The light landed with a crash. The leaves in the surrounding trees flew off from the force of the impact.
"The hell...?!" Sonia exclaimed.
The source of the light got to her feet. Clad in her white and red armor, scarf billowing. Sans helmet, surrounded by flames, Rin glared at Sonia.
"Are you the kidnapper?" she asked.
Sonia looked straight at Rin. She had a vision of a menacing, shadowy figure, standing amongst the flames. And for a brief moment, she was horrified.
"Did you hear me?" an increasingly angry Rin demanded. "Are you the one that stole my daughter from me?"
"And so what if I am?" Sonia responded.
"Then that makes it easier." Rin adjusted one of her gloves, flames erupting from it. "I'm Professor Ringo Kubo. I'm the one who's going to annihilate you."
Sakuya overheard the crash. "Something's here...did you all feel that heat wave just now?"
"Does the crazy lady have friends?!" Kanae questioned.
"No...I know what it is." Sakuya patted a silent Shizuka. "Shizuka-chan, I think your mother is here."
"Mama...?" Shizuka uttered.
"Yes. And if she's here...then it's going to be alright."
Back at the crash site, Rin stepped forward. Sonia backed away. "What's the matter? Afraid of bugs?" Rin asked.
"Fire...I hate fire." Sonia uttered.
"Well I hate kidnappers. Sometimes we just have to live with things we don't like."
"Hey, apple sauce..." Ibuki uttered. "Her speed's unreal...gotta stay on your toes..."
"Who said you could talk?! Just roll over and die already!" Sonia yelled.
A lance was placed beside her head. "I've heard enough lip out of you. I want my daughter back. Now." Rin demanded.
"Gotta give me more than that, chica. I can run and grab your little angel right now if you say who she is. Didn't see any redheads in there. Was she the one that looked like a ghost? Or the crybaby playing ninja? Oh, I know! Bug theming. That girl with the butterfly jammies."
Rin's flames flared up. "If you hurt her at all, I swear..."
"I didn't touch a hair on her head. Somethin' wrong with that one, Roja? That see-through stare is creepy as hell."
"Shut up."
"Careful, Prof..." Ibuki warned.
"I mean you know what they say about the quiet ones, right? That face screams 'future spree killer', know what I'm sayin'?" Sonia taunted.
Rin's helmet appeared around her head. "Wrong answer."
She swung her lance, but Sonia sped out of the way. Rin continued to swing, but Sonia got away from each attempt, taking every opportunity to kick her.
"God, what's that tin suit made of?!" Sonia complained.
"Is that sweat I'm noticing on your face?" Rin replied. "Is the heat getting to you? Exhaustion starting to set in?"
"Zip it. I don't get tired." In a split second, Sonia ran over to strike Rin, but her attempt was blocked by the lance.
"Sure about that?" Rin ignited her weapon.
"YAAAAARGH!" Sonia recoiled, clutching her now-singed arm.
"Feel like giving up yet?"
Energy crackled around Sonia once again. That same crazed look returned to her face. "It's happening again. Flame-lovin' freaks out to destroy my life again. Why am I just not allowed to be happy? You're gonna throw me in a cage just like everyone else, ain't ya?!"
"I don't know what you're rambling about. Whatever it is, it doesn't matter. You took innocent girls from their parents. From where I'm standing, you *belong* in a cage."
Sonia flared up. "BIIIIIIITCH!"
She ran up to Rin, and began to deliver a series of rapid punches. Rin quickly blocked them, but the force of the final hit sent her flying back, knocking a tree over upon impact.
The educator got to her feet. She shook it off. "Don't you people know when to quit?" Sonia griped.
"If it's to save my child, I'll get up as many times as it takes. That's what a mother is supposed to do. It's something I would think you'd understand."
"I'd do *anything* to have my daughter back. But my 'friends' back home took her away."
"So if you can't be happy, no one can, right? Did you think nobody would take it personally that you stole their children? Are you that delusional?"
"Shut up shut up shut UP! I ain't crazy! Think you can act all high and mighty with me, freakshow?! I can keep this up all day! Mano-a-mano, I'll wreck you to pieces!"
Sonia heard the sound of a shotgun being cocked behind her. "I've got some objections about that, partner." Jugo had arrived, and was pointing his weapon at Sonia.
"Sheriff John Brown's your backup, Roja?"
"Oh she's got *plenty* of help, chica."
Hiyoko landed next to him, grayish energy emanating from her hands and eyes. Shūjo emerged from the woods, pounding his fists together as flames erupted behind him. 
On the opposite side of where Sonia was standing, Tenko crashed down, wielding a broadsword made out of light energy. Jin appeared right after from the shadows, with chain-like blades extending out of his sleeves.
"See, hon, I've got some concerned parents here, askin' about their little girls. Ya happen to know anythin' about that?" Jugo asked rhetorically.
"Give us back our little cub, or it's your head." Tenko threatened.
"I'd listen to her if I were you." Jin added.
"You're gonna have to get in line." Shūjo said.
"My daughter's care is everything to me. I don't believe in killing, but if any harm has come to her...I'll make you wish that I did." Hiyoko dictated.
"You really feel like testing your luck?" Rin asked.
"Five royally pissed-off superfolk wantin' their young'uns back, all of them ready to go off on ya. I'm Vegas born n' bred, and I can tell ya those ain't chances I'd take. 'Specially alone." Jugo warned.
Sonia looked up, energy sparking around her once again. She cocked her head slightly. "Whoever said I was alone?"
As she seemed to stand in place, images of herself began to move about at an accelerated rate. They cycled around and around, faster than the eyes could keep up. Once this stopped, there were now multiple Sonias standing and facing the group.
"The hell is this?!" Shūjo questioned.
"She's moved so quickly that she's left afterimages of herself." Rin explained.
"How are we supposed to tell which is the real one?" Tenko asked.
"That's the neat part. Ya don't." Sonia appeared right next to her.
Tenko quickly slashed at the enemy, and Sonia seemed to be hit by it, only to vanish shortly after. Another 'Sonia' appeared behind her, only to immediately be shot by Jugo, dissolving after. "Gonna be that kinda rodeo, huh? Ain't done target practice in a hot minute, anyway."
While the group fought off the copies, Sakuya continued directing the large group of girls down the mountain. "All that commotion...the others must have arrived by now. I have to get these little ones out of danger. That wench could show up at any moment...)" she thought.
Her pondering was broken up by the sound of rustling through the trees.
"Ahh! The crazy lady's back!" one girl panicked.
"Maybe it's a bear! I don't wanna be eaten!" another yelped.
"(Damn it...whatever it is, I can't let any harm come to them. Even if I'm forced to reveal my power.)" Sakuya thought.
Someone stepped out of the trees. Sakuya was about to confront them, until she realized who it was.
"Girls! Oh, thank all that is good." It was Rose.
"Mama!" Shizuka ran over and hugged her.
"Oh, my dear, sweet girl. I was terrified that I'd lost you..."
"Auntie Rosiiiiie!" A sobbing Rina leapt onto Rose's arm.
"Not so hard, little ninja..." Rose got up. "Thank you for finding them, Ms. Hanakotoba. Where is Ms. Hinotama?"
"Back there, holding off the kidnapper. I can tell from the crash earlier that Professor Kubo and your friends have just arrived." Sakuya replied.
"Yes. Hopefully that means this ordeal is over soon. Let's get out of here, posthaste."
Back at the battle site, the group was cutting down the army of Sonias, with no indicator of where the real one was. "How many of these things is this witch gonna bring out?" Jin questioned, as he impaled one of the clones on his chain.
Jugo knocked one away with the butt of his gun. "Gotta be some way not involvin' gettin' lucky. Any ideas, Boss?"
Rin smacked another clone away with her lance. "I've got one...JoJo, I'll need your help. I know one thing she's not fond of. Give me a wall of fire."
"Aye-aye, captain." Shūjo affirmed.
Through his power combined with Rin's, a cyclone of flame rose up around the group. Several of the speed clones were incinerated. Outside the fire, the real Sonia looked up, the inferno reflecting in her eyes. A gravelly, menacing laugh echoed inside her head. She started to back away, and at a normal pace, turned for the woods.
"Getting tired, 'chica'?"
Before she knew it, a sharp object pierced her left leg. "GYAAAAAH!"
She doubled over in agony. 
"Heh. Bullseye." Ibuki uttered, slumped against a tree and holding her bow.
"Guh...huh...shit...bitch!" Sonia held her leg.
She looked up, imagining the same shadowy figure from before looming over her.
"No...no! Get away! You're not real!"
In reality, it was the group gathered around her. "Oh, we're VERY real. As real as that pain coursing through your leg." Rin said.
"Geh...I'll kill you...I'll kill you...!"
Her angry rant was halted by another sensation. The feeling of being pulled up into the air. "Huh...what the..."
Hiyoko held her up with her power. "I could tear you apart, atom by atom. But I'll settle for crushing you."
Stone material from the research building, along with pieces of the surrounding trees, were pulled up and around Sonia. Soon enough, she was encased in a sphere of debris, which crashed onto the ground.
"Think you got your point across, babe?" Shūjo asked.
"Yeesh. If that's the kinda baddie those P.D.F. folks deal with..." Jugo said.
Rin checked on Ibuki. "Nice shooting, Fireball. How are you holding up?"
"Fine and dandy. Nothing a hug from my bubblegum wouldn't fix." Ibuki replied.
"She's right, every other second, little cub's still in danger..." Tenko said.
The air of relief was broken by the sound of stone being crashed through. Sonia's arm was sticking out of the sphere, energy crackling. She broke through it, and despite the considerable damage she'd taken, she limped out of it, angrier than ever.
"Sheeet. Don't ya know when to call it quits?" Jugo grumbled.
"I ain't done...I'm gettin' what I want...over your dead bodies!" Sonia dragged her bloodied leg along, but her advance was soon halted. "Why's it gettin' so...cold?"
She looked down, and realized that she was being frozen from beneath her feet. "Wha--no, no no no no, not again...I just...I wanted..." She reached out as she was encased in ice. "Anna..."
Just like that, she was completely frozen.
"What the..." Shūjo uttered.
"I'm glad I made it in time."
Bobbi had arrived, flanked by several P.D.F. agents, a portal open behind her. "We'll be handling this from here."
"*Another* one? You want some of this too?!" Tenko demanded.
"Settle down there, saber. I'm here to bring her in. I'm with the good guys."
"That's what your amiga the icicle said!" Ibuki replied.
"Identify yourself." Rin demanded.
"My name is Barbara O'Donnell." Bobbi replied.
"B...Barbara?" Ibuki uttered.
"I take it that's a familiar name to you. I'm not here to cause any harm. If I was, you would *all* be frozen right now. I'm sorry that someone I once considered a friend caused you all this much trouble. We're taking her back somewhere she can receive the proper treatment. You two, grab her."
Two of the agents lifted up the frozen Sonia. "Good day, now." Bobbi bid.
"Hold up!" Ibuki called out.
"Hmm?"
"Maxie...my Maxie is with you guys, right?"
"Ahh, so you must be Ibuki. Your Max talks about you all the time. Always about how he needs to get back to you, asap."
"He really said that...?"
"Oh, yes. He was very animated when I told him what was happening here. Was willing to risk banishment to come back and save his niece. The only other man I know of who wouldn't hesitate to do that would be my brother. Makes sense, right? So, if there's anything you want to tell him, now would be the time for it."
"Just...tell him that I love him. That we'll be okay. And that I'll wait for him for as long as it takes. Tell him the daruma doll is gonna sit on my mantle until he gets back."
"Short and simple. I'm sure he'll be relieved to hear it. Maybe. He can be so serious when he's upset." Bobbi turned around. "Oh, to be young and in love. Come to think of it, my brother mentioned that one of the only things your Max brought with him was a daruma doll..."
"...!"
"Well, that's enough chatter. I have a sudden mountain of paperwork to fill out. Farewell." Bobbi walked into the portal, and it closed behind her.
"....."
Rin put a hand on Ibuki's shoulder. "You going to be alright?"
Ibuki nodded. "Yeah. I'm gonna be fine. I just really need Kanae-chan in my arms right now."
"Agreed. Let's get in that building--"
"Wait!" Sakuya arrived, panting after having ran all the way.
"Saku? Where've you been?" Ibuki asked.
"I found the children. Dr. Wolfe has them at the mountain's base. Is the kidnapper...?"
"Gone. The...other Barb came and got her."
"'Other'...?"
"Yep. Real official-looking. Had a real scary aura around her. Definitely not like our Barb."
"Did you say the children were down the mountain?" Hiyoko asked.
"Yes. They're all safe and sound." Sakuya confirmed.
"My babyyyy!" Tenko ran off.
"Tenko, wait up, she said she was--oh boy." Jin followed after.
"Ready to go get our snowball back?" Shūjo asked.
"Yes, a thousand times yes." Hiyoko nodded, and the two departed.
"Well, Boss. Your little bug's waitin' for ya." Jugo said.
"I'm not wasting another second. Thank you ladies for all your help. I couldn't have gone on if something happened to Shizuka." Rin said.
"I get ya, Prof. Let's go see our girls." Ibuki replied. "Hey, Saku..."
"You need me to carry you again, don't you?" Sakuya asked. "At least you aren't presenting in front of a biker gang this time."
"I'm sorry, what?" Rin questioned.
Everyone got to the bottom of the mountain. There, several groups of parents were huddled around their daughters, relieved that they were alright.
"Mamaaaa..." Rina uttered, being held by Tenko. 
"It's okay, little cub...you can have as much candy as you want tonight." Tenko said.
"Might not want to push it." Jin added.
"Oh, my sweet little angel...I'm so relieved." Hiyoko held onto Aura.
"Is the bad lady gone?" the little girl asked.
"Yeah, she's gone. We made sure of it." Shūjo replied.
"Hey, hey, hey!" Kaido arrived. "You left something in the car, My Lady." He handed Aura her owl plush.
"Hoots! I missed you so much!" The girl gleefully hugged it.
Rose sat on a bench, patting Shizuka. "Oh, look who it is." Rose looked up.
"Surprise, surprise." Rin walked over, back in normal clothing.
"Mama!" Shizuka leapt up and embraced her.
"Oh, lovebug...I've never been so relieved. I'm sorry this happened to you. We're gonna do whatever you want today, okay? You want to read, or draw, anything you want."
"I love you, Mama..."
"I love you too, Shizuka. More than anything else."
Kaede was on her knees, tightly hugging Kanae. "Can I get in on the action?" Ibuki walked over.
"Auntie!" Kanae embraced her.
"There's my bubblegum...God, I'm so happy you're okay."
"Are you hurt?" Kaede signed.
"What, this? Just a scratch. Can't even feel it. Totally fine."
"You're taking the rest of the day off, either way."
"A word, Ibuki-chan?" Sakuya asked.
"Gonna have to make it quick. I'm scheduled for more hugs." Ibuki replied.
"Do you have any clue what was going on with that woman?"
"Other than her being completely nuts? Not really. There was something I noticed, though. She went extra crazy whenever she saw fire."
"Must be some deep-seated trauma involved, there. But enough to drive a person mad?"
"Who even knows? But it was weird...it was like she was seeing something else. Probably wasting time wondering what's going on in a crazy person's head."
"Maybe...still...people don't end up that way for no reason. I wonder..."
---
Earth-013. 
"Everything is alright. The girls were all in one piece." Bobbi relayed.
"Alright...good. That's a relief." Max replied.
"There was one other thing. Your girlfriend wanted you to hear something."
"Ibuki? What did she say?"
"In order? 'I love you, we'll be okay, I'll wait for you for as long as it takes, and I'll keep the daruma doll close until you're home'."
"Okay...I wish I could've told her the same."
"Oh don't worry. I dropped a little nugget that you might have brought a doll with you."
"Oh." Max looked away, slightly turning red.
"Ha."
Nearby, Sonia was being held in a containment chamber. She was restrained to a chair, with a mask over her mouth. Anna looked through the one-way window into the room. "....."
"She's gonna be in there until she's back on her medication. She's too dangerous to try to transport now." Commander Max explained. He turned to a P.D.F. agent. "I want you to call up every prison you can. Tell them to do their sweeps and make sure every single inmate is accounted for. If one made the jump, there could be others."
"Yes, sir." the agent saluted, and walked away.
"Breaks your heart, doesn't it? Seeing someone you're so close to having to be restrained like this. It's horrible."
"...you know whose fault it is." Anna replied.
"Yeah. I do."
"So why don't we do somethin' about it?"
"We are. I promise you, we are. I need you to give us more time. This could be our best opportunity yet. And..." The commander looked over at Max. "He might be the key to it."
"Him? Seriously?"
"His power doesn't follow our rules. He could end up being our best shot at ending things. It's gonna take some time, but he'll come to the good."
"Whatever ya say."
The commander stepped away. Max walked over. "You alright?" he asked.
"Why do you..." Anna shook her head. "I'm alright. I just...hate seeing her like this."
"I can imagine. Was she always this way?"
"No. It might be crazy to think about, but she was a great mom to me when I was little."
"So what happened?"
Anna paused. "Dads are assholes. That's what happened."
"I hear you there. My old man was a piece of work, too."
"You don't know the half of it. Look, I'm...I'm glad your niece is alright. That was cool that you wanted to go save her, even if it meant ya got punished."
"Anyone would've done the same thing."
"Not everyone. But she's a lucky gal. Every little girl needs an Uncle Maxie to help steer 'em right."
"I try. Hey, want to grab a quick bite? It's been...a day."
"If you can afford a bit of time. I need a minute."
"Alright. I'll be outside. Take as much time as you need."
Max walked away. Anna resumed staring into the containment chamber where her mother was being held.
Sonia could only stare forward. 
Fire reflected in her eyes.
And with it, a laugh echoed inside her head.