Persona BLEACHED 3: Chapter 37

Chapter 37: Chasing Windmills III 
March 16, 2030 
Lovers' Lake on Mt. Shirayuki. Inside of her cozy lakeside cabin, Miu Hanazaki sat on her couch, performing maintenance on her shamisen and humming to herself. Her phone buzzed to life. "Oh, there you are." 
She picked it up. "Hi there, Risa. Is everything okay with you? It's not like you to be late." 
"Sorry about that, Hana. I've been on Junior's front porch for the last thirty minutes." Risa Mirai answered. 
"It's not raining out there, is it? I don't see a cloud in the sky..." 
"It's got nothing to do with the weather. Let me ask you something. Is it normal for people in Tokyo to walk through the streets chanting like they're in a cult?" 
"I wouldn't call that a normal occurrence, no." 
"Well then. Suppose it's just an abnormal day today." 
Risa sat on the porch of the Mirai residence, as a parade of people passed through the normally-quiet neighborhood, chanting in unison. 
"Thunder! Thunder! Thunder! Thunder! Thunder!" 
"What in the world...I guess that explains that. And why the friend I wanted you to meet isn't here yet, either. Let me give her a call." Hana said. 
"I'll leave you to it. I'll probably still be here for a good while yet." Risa replied. 
Hana hung up, and phoned another number. "Kyoko? What's going on over there?" 
"Bloody insanity, that's what!" Kyoko looked out the window of the Master Plan Electronics shop in Akihabara. Another huge crowd was outside, chanting. 
"Maybe they're chanting for you." Kabu proposed. 
"Nuh-uh, not from where I'm standing! They would've broken down the door a long time ago! This is about that whacko from the TV!" 
"TV? Did something happen?" Hana asked. 
"You don't know? It came on every screen in the city!" 
"Sorry, I've been outside tending to the flowers all morning. Care to fill me in?" 
"Some freaker in a black suit came on the screen and talked about how he's the one saving the people acting batty! And that he's the one in charge of the kids' team! It's gotta be that Max punk. Knew there was something fishy going on when he stopped hanging out around them..." 
"People have been going nuts ever since his announcement. And it's just been getting worse by the minute. Not just that, he's threatening to expose the kids' identities if they don't beat him by the end of today. What a royal mess this is." Kabu added. 
"How horrible..." Hana uttered. 
"I'd give your little girl a call if I were you." Kyoko suggested. 
"My Ringo? Well I suppose if anyone would know what's going on..." 
"Every time something insane happens in this town, your daughter tends to be at the center of it. Really curious how that works." Kabu commented. 
"Being her mother has meant my life has never been short of excitement, that much is certain. I'll have to give her a call." 
"Sorry to cancel our meet-up. We'll just have to try again when the world's less bananas. Keep after yourself, Hana." Kyoko urged. 
"You two do the same. Stay inside until it calms down. Keep safe." 
The call ended. "....." Kyoko muttered. 
"What's on your mind?" Kabu asked. 
"It's Keebie. I hate not knowing what he's doing. He's probably going through hell right now. Him and his pals. That nerdy little punk...who knows what he can do if he can make people lose their minds like this. I just need our boy to be alright..." 
"He'll be fine. He's a strong boy. Takes after his mom that way. You know he's always talking about wanting us to have a quiet life. Him getting exposed probably wouldn't help in that regard. So he's probably fighting his you-know-what off to keep that from happening." Kabu took a sip of his coffee. "I don't know. I think we did a good enough job with that one." 
"Heh. Maybe we did. Now if only he'd stop making his old mom worry so much." 
Back in the cabin, Hana made another call. "Blossom? Is everything okay over there?" 
"Hi, Mom. We're okay. We're all at JoJo and Hiyoko's house, locked up safe and sound. I was actually just about to call you. How are things up there?" Rin replied. 
"Fairly calm on my end. I actually had no idea about the madness happening in the city until now. So this is all that Max boy's doing, isn't it? Do you know how this is going to be fixed?" 
"I actually do have a plan. I've been calling around trying to set it up. I'm going to need your help, actually." 
"Me? What do you have in mind?" 
"Okay, listen carefully..." 
The rest of her group were gathered in the living room. "Okay...that's the girls put down for a nap." Tenko entered. 
"The poor dears don't need to see what's happening outside. What an abhorrent situation this is turning into." Hiyoko said. 
Jugo entered the room. "God DAMN if it ain't a bag of nails out there." 
"Better late than never, I guess." Shūjo commented. 
"Get off my case, One-Eye. Every street out there's filled to burstin' with nutters. I can't move my wagon an inch. And I was on crowd control. Gave that right up when a bunch of the boys in blue joined in on the chantin'." 
"Tokyo's finest at work." 
"Enough, JoJo. Infighting is the last thing we need." Hiyoko chastised. 
Jin entered. "I just finished making more calls than I'll probably ever make again. Mom and Mimi are stuck in the house, Leon's bunkered down in the store, Shinji's on standby for whenever Rin gives the go-ahead, Tsutsugo and his fam are stuck in the news building...is this going to work with everyone scattered around?" 
"It will. All that needs doing now is Ms. Kit giving the signal." Rose assured. 
"That would mean they'd be in serious trouble, though, right? We're basically preparing for them to lose..." Tenko surmised. 
"If they can achieve victory without our aid, so much the better. Circumstances being what they are, it's far more likely that we'll have to intervene. It's not a lack of faith. It's the reality of our situation." 
Rin re-entered the room. "That was Mom. I filled her in on what's been going on. You've filled everyone in on what they'll need to do?" 
Everyone affirmed that they had. 
"Great. Now all that's left is to wait. Soon as this baby lights up, it's all systems go." Rin brought out another apple keychain. 
"It almost sounds like you're expecting your runts to struggle, Red." Shūjo commented. 
"Nothing could be further from the truth. What's the old cliche? The hero needs to be backed into a corner before they find their true strength? Max'll believe that he's on the verge of winning, and that's when we bring his whole operation crumbling to the Earth. And I fully expect all of my students to be fit to see the job through to the end." 
"Always the optimist, Boss. You got any other jobs for little ol' us, or we sittin' the rest of this out?" Jugo questioned. 
"Funny you should ask. There's one more facet of this plan I need your help with." 
"Whatever needs doing. Not the first time you've asked us to help you save the world." Jin responded. 
"Thank you. So make no mistake, dealing with Max is the top priority. But he's not the only enemy we're facing. None of this would be possible if it weren't for the AI that lets him create the Prisons and steal people's Desires. The one he calls 'Bemular'." 
"The fact that this kid so obviously thinks that he's Ultraman is both insulting and hilarious." 
"The key to dealing with this system is in the name. Artificial intelligence. It must have a central core somewhere in the Prison. While Mr. O'Donnell is distracted by the first part of the plan, I will be heading inside to shut it down." Rose dictated. 
"By your lonesome? You sure that's a good idea?" Jugo questioned. 
"The AI is a Theban construct. It will take more than sheer force to take it offline. I'm the only one in all of existence who can understand and destabilize the technology." 
"And she won't be going in alone. Max wouldn't leave something so vital to his operation unguarded. Tenko and Jin, I'll have you two accompany Rose into the Prison." Rin added. 
"Whatever you need us to do." Jin replied. 
"They won't hurt a hair on that pristine head of hers." Tenko assured. 
"I trust you both with my life. She's the one I intend on spending it with. I don't need to tell you how important her safety is. Please look after her for me." Rin pleaded. 
"I will be fine, beloved. That AI needs stopping if this saga is truly to end. And besides..." Rose pondered. "There's this overwhelming feeling I got from it when we communicated with it. It's holding far more secrets than we know of. I simply must get to the bottom of it." 
"I know that. But that won't stop me from worrying." 
"It comes with the territory. Having faith in those around you is also vital in times like this." 
"Yes, you're right. My confidence in people never wavers. So with that said, Jugo? JoJo? I'm giving you a very important job here." 
"Fire away." Shūjo responded. 
"I need you both to stay put. Those mobs outside haven't resorted to vandalism yet, but if things go south and they start to riot, they could try to break into the manor. We have three five-year olds and a one-year old sleeping away without a single idea of what's happening outside. Protect them with your lives." 
"Goes without saying. Gotta do everything to keep the nest secure. Even if I've gotta put up with Sheriff Yokel for a while." 
"You were this close to me agreeing with ya." Jugo sighed. 
"Anything in mind for me, Rin?" Hiyoko asked. 
"Yes, actually." Rin's eyes moved to the corner of the room. Kaede was seated, ponderous. "I'm going to need you to translate for me." 
--- 
".....Bemular." Max spoke, still staring at his multiple screens. 
"YES, CAPTAIN? HOW MAY I BE OF ASSISTANCE?" 
"Something's been on my mind for a while, now. You were built for security purposes, right? How is manipulating the Metaverse part of that?" 
"ODYSSEA WAS STATIONED WITHIN THE METAVERSE. I WAS MADE TO BE AN ALL-ENCOMPASSING FORCE WITHIN ITS BORDERS. SUCH WAS THE PURPOSE GIVEN TO ME BY LORD MIYATSUKO AT THIS UNIVERSE'S BEGINNING." 
"At its beginning? Hold on a sec...you said you were built to be of use to the people of Odyssea." 
"THAT IS CORRECT." 
"But the doctor told us himself that it was millenia before him and his companions built the city and created the Odysseans. If what you're saying is true, that would mean your construction was one of the first things he did after the Cataclysm. That doesn't make a whole lot of sense, now does it?" 
"I CAN NEITHER CONFIRM NOR DENY THAT NOTION." 
"Alright then, humor me on this. What were you really made for?" 
"...PRESERVATION." 
"Of what?" 
"MY EXISTENCE." 
"Your...Bemular. What are you?" 
"I CANNOT ELABORATE FURTHER. SUCH WOULD BE A BREACH OF MY ORIGINAL PARAMETERS." 
"Always gotta have a mystery...hm?" 
Max looked at the video feed from the stadium in South Naruki. The Shadow guards that had been sent there had all been eliminated. The four armored avengers were splayed out on the ground, battered and beaten. 
"IT WOULD SEEM THAT THE ASHEN AVENGERS HAVE FAILED IN THEIR TASK, CAPTAIN." 
Max put up a smirk. "Heh. Point to you, KittyKat. You never fail to impress. Bemular." 
"YES, CAPTAIN?" 
"The time's almost here for the hero to smite his enemies. Prepare the Mk. 3. Get it to the tower's apex." 
"AS YOU COMMAND, SIR." 
Max proceeded towards the door, tossing his soda bottle in the trash. "'Neither good nor evil can last forever. And so it follows that as evil has lasted a long time, good must now be close at hand'." 
With a silent confidence, he exited his room. 
--- 
At the stadium, MOON tried to pull herself up, as her comrades were all in the process of disintegrating. A series of blades suddenly appeared in front of her face. 
"Nope. Not getting away like that." Kat had several of her Personas active, pointing their weapons towards her copy. 
MOON, shaking, pulled up what was left of her dagger, and held it there. 
"Really? You really think that's gonna scare us?" Ibuki questioned. 
Kat shook her head. "You really make me sad. Seeing you shaking like that and all. Why can't you realize you're just Sparky's attack dog? If you really are me, you shouldn't be okay with that." 
"Captain Thunder...he...he's going to..." her copy tried to get out. 
"He's not going to do anything except turn the world into zombies. He's not doing it for any grand heroic reasons. It's because he's pissed at his dad. And me. I mean look at you. Just a bag of obedience. He didn't even give you a logo. He stripped away everything that makes me 'me'." 
Kat sighed. "I thought he really liked me. I thought we had fun. It was nice, y'know? Having someone to be really geeky with. To know he thinks of me as some gigantic threat to his plans...it hurts. It really does. But it's okay. Because these lunatics here kept me up when I was really low. Sparky told me that he's afraid because my heart is free. Maybe that's why he made you the way that he did. And I feel really sorry for you." 
"Sorry? For me? Pfft. Spare me. You keep your precious individuality. It'll make it so much more satisfying when Captain Thunder takes you all out. See you in the funny papers." 
MOON turned her dagger on herself, plunging it into her heart, collapsing and disintegrating shortly after. 
"What a sad bunch. Made to despise their individual gifts in favor of thoughtless hero worship. It's sickening in a lot of ways." Sakuya mused. 
"To think that he intends to do that to the entire world is even moreso." Kenneth added. 
An orb of light manifested near them. "Well, there's that. The last key to the Academy." Kibō said. 
Barbara reached for it. "Wait, Barb! That thing's gonna burn when you touch it." Sahir warned. 
"It doesn't matter. I have to be the one." Barbara insisted. 
Kat grabbed her hand. "Share the burden, then. What besties are for, right?" 
"...yeah. You bet." 
The girls both reached for the orb, and a blinding light covered the area. 
The scene shifted to the backyard of a house, at night. A light snow was falling to the ground. 
"Where's this? Just an ordinary-looking house to me." Kat's voice pondered. 
"Wait a second...I know this place. This was our house in Louisville. Hold on...I see something..." Barbara replied. 
There was a tree in the yard, snow peppering its branches. A scene came into focus next to the tree. There stood a man with graying hair and a checkered shirt, holding a bottle of beer. Below him was a young boy. He had been tied to the tree by a rope around his arm, and appeared to have been beaten. 
"Boy. You're gonna learn right quick what it means to mess with me." 
"I'm sorry, Papa..." 
"Sorry for what?" 
The boy looked down. The father knelt down and grabbed the side of his head. "Look me in the eye, you little abortion! Sorry for what?!" 
"Sorry for spilling your beer, Papa!" 
"Yeah. Damn right you're sorry." 
The father got up and kicked the boy in the stomach. He took a swig of his beer. The boy started whimpering. 
"Awww, poor wittle baby. Yer wastin' yer effort, crying like that. Mama ain't comin' back for days. She ain't here to take the lickin' for ya. That was prime lager ya spilled, ya know that? That shit costs MONEY." 
The boy didn't respond, just continuing to cry. 
"What a sorry piece of work you are. I'm tryin' to make a man outta you, toughen ya up! And yer hidin' in yer room, playing dollies with yer sister and shit! Yer mom coddles the hell out of you, and your dumbass flyboy uncle fills you with all this heroic shit. No wonder yer such a pussy!" 
He took another swig of beer. "Here's how yer gonna learn not to touch my shit, boy. Yer gonna sit right here, freezin' yer ass off, all night. There's consequences to bein' such a turd. So long, idiot." 
The father went back inside and shut the door. The boy sat against the tree, shivering. He pulled something out of his pocket. It was a small action figure of Captain America, though the head had popped off, likely from the beating. 
"Sniff...it's not fair. Cap wouldn't let him hit me like that. Heroes never let bullies win. If only...if only Cap or Thor or Iron Man came here and beat him up and told him to leave me alone...then we could all be happy. I don't want him to hurt Mama or Barb anymore. I...I'll grow up big and strong. I'll be a hero everyone can love, and then...I'll make him pay. I'll never be a monster like him!" 
The vision faded away. 
Everyone's expressions were grim. "Holy..." Kat muttered. 
Barbara looked as though she was about to throw up. "That animal...Maxie never told me about that. The old bastard tried to tell Mama that he got roughed up by some neighborhood kids. How could he do that over some cheap booze..." She put her hands over her face, and began to cry. 
Carrie comforted her. "I'm so sorry, Barbara. If that was your normal, then growing up must have been torturous." 
"I believe we just witnessed the 'birth' of Captain Thunder. I can't blame Maxwell for being so bitter and hateful. Not when I know his pain." Kenneth stated. 
"Neither can I. If it were one of us, given the opportunity, can we say for certain that we wouldn't be following this path?" Sakuya questioned. 
"I want to say that we wouldn't, but...it's impossible to know for sure." Natalia replied. 
"....." Ibuki remained silent. 
"Ibuki...I know how conflicted you have to be right now. We already said we'd follow through on this no matter what. Even if this is messed up..." Kibō said. 
"It is messed up. It's messed up and sad and insane and everything at once and I'm still so pissed off and..." Ibuki responded. "He let himself become the bad guy here. No matter how horrible this is, he can't get away with it." 
"No, he can't. Doesn't mean I didn't want to reach out and choke the old freak the whole time that was playing out." Sahir said. 
Barbara uncovered her eyes. "I have to see him...I just have to go to him. I need this to happen because my heart can't break anymore than it already has. Please...just let me see him one more time..." 
Kat looked at her hand. There was the figure from the vision. 
"Let's do it. There's nothing between us and him. Now or never, we've gotta do this. Before he does something he'll regret forever. Time to go to school. We can't keep him waiting any longer. 
The others nodded. They left the icy stadium, and headed for the Academy.
--- 
"Here it is. The place where we came together. Looks closer to a tower than a school building." Kibō commented. 
"Whatever it is, it's creepy as fuck. I can't wait to bring it to the ground." Ibuki responded. 
Kat stepped up to the electrical gate, all the key items in hand. "I'm about to storm Avengers Tower with my friends to stop my ex-boyfriend from taking over the world. Two years ago I was spending my weekends streaming Kingdom Hearts on Twitch. That's how long it's taken for my world to go off the deep end. But if it had to go crazier than a mongoose in a reptile house..." She turned to her friends. "I'm glad that we could all go nuts together. OK. Last dungeon time. Game faces, people." 
The gate light turned off, and it slowly opened. The nine youths entered the towering complex. 
Inside the main lobby, the group was met with an army of guards pointing their weapons at them. "Freeze! You're not moving another step!" 
"Y'all really want some extra holes, don't you?" Ibuki drew her bow. 
The building's com system came on. "Hold your fire. Force won't be necessary." 
"That voice...Maxie?" Barbara questioned. 
"That it is, sister of mine. Welcome to my headquarters. The fortress through which I intend to change the world. Now, I believe that we have a meeting scheduled." 
"If you mean my foot with your ass, then yeah." Ibuki replied. 
"Not at all unexpected. Let's not delay matters any further. You'll find the elevator to the top floor at the end of the hall. I'm sure Kenny will appreciate not having to take the stairs." 
"Your generosity knows no bounds." Kenneth sarcastically replied. 
"This doesn't have to end in bloodshed. Lord knows you've all caused enough of that in your time here. But if you all disagree with me that much, then I'm prepared to defend myself if the need arises. See you in a few." The system turned off, and the Shadows stepped aside. 
With a measure of trepidation, the group walked past the guards, and down the hall until they reached the elevator. It was an octagonal platform, stationed inside of a large see-through tube. They stepped inside, and the door closed behind them. It came online, and made the slow ascent to the top. 
Everyone stood with an intense focus. Kat took a deep breath. She felt someone grabbing her hand. Next to her, Carrie gave a reassuring nod. Kat reciprocated. 
Barbara stood off to the side, a palpable tension in her eyes. 
After a trip up that felt much longer than it actually was, the elevator reached the roof of the Academy. The door opened. The youths stepped out. 
The top of the building was a large space with the Ashen Artisans logo imprinted into it. At the opposite end of the platform, a single individual looked outwards, his hands in his pockets, towards the city of his own design. 
"'When life itself seems lunatic, who knows where madness lies? Perhaps to be too practical is madness. To surrender dreams - this may be madness. Too much sanity may be madness - and maddest of all: to see life as it is, and not as it should be!'" Max turned around. "'For virtue is persecuted by the wicked far more than it is celebrated by the good.'" 
He stepped forward. "Friends, so good that you're finally here. It's only been a month, but it feels like an eternity. Well...a month for most of you, right, Care?" He rubbed his face. 
"My only regret is that I let you off with just the one punch." Carrie replied. 
"How exceedingly ladylike. But back to more official business. I gave you a month to reconsider your stances. But from the looks on your faces, you look more like you're doubling down on your positions." 
"You assume correctly. Following along with this mad plan was never under consideration." Sakuya replied. 
"You should've known that we'd never turn tyrant, dude. Thought you would've picked up on that much over the past year and change." Sahir added. 
"That's a shame. But not unexpected. Making ill-informed choices is part of human nature." Max lamented. 
"The irony is stunning." Kenneth quipped. 
Barbara ran to the front of the group. "Maxie..." 
"Barb. So you're really gonna do this to me, huh?" Max questioned. 
"Do this to you? Are you crazy? I'm the one that's losing her heart over this! How could you even put me in this situation and tell me that it's all for me and Mama? You know this isn't what we wanted you to do!" She looked away. "Why...why didn't you tell me that the old man tied you to a tree and made you sleep outside?" 
"Oh...so you saw that. I kept that one locked away since I knew if Mama found out, she'd get mad at him, and then he'd get mad, and things would only get worse from there. But really, I ought to be thanking the asshole for that." 
"Thank him...for abusing you?" Natalia questioned. 
"For opening my eyes to the truth of the world. That was the moment that made me who I am now. It was at that point that I saw the demon that hid underneath the mask. I questioned for the longest time why the heroes I worshipped wouldn't come to save us. Heroes beat bad guys, and bad guys go to jail. But no one ever came. No one ever stopped him. He could pretend to be this All-American family man leading young men to glory, while using his own wife and children for target practice. None of this would be possible if not for him. So once we're done here, I'll go back home and thank him in the most appropriate way I can think of. Dropping him to his knees and making him beg for his life...and then while he's sniveling into the dirt, and driven to the edge of misery, I'll finally silence him for good. I will finally rule over him!" 
Kat shook her head. "You're not even hiding it anymore, are you?" 
"And what smartass retort do you have for me now, KittyKat?" 
"This whole dumbass scheme is just an excuse for you to go off your old man! If you really wanna vent, go find a shrink! Or just stuff the drunk asswipe and get it over with! Just leave the rest of us out of it!" Ibuki chastised. 
"Oh, no no no no no, it's not as easy as that. I've gone past personal vendettas. This is about the world--" 
"Oh, bullshit! You're being such a vindictive little snot, it's honestly incredible! Maybe you're right that it's not just about your old man. No, it's about proving that you're better than me." Kat retorted. 
"And how do you figure that?" 
"How about we start with your mindless minions? The ones you cloned from us. Kinda weird that you went to the trouble of decking their armor out in our logos...and then going out of your way not to put mine on. That's what you can't stand about me: my individuality. It's the reason no one here's budged and hopped over to your side." 
Max smirked. He started to chuckle. "Well you're not wrong there, KittyKat, but when are you ever? You're the most frustratingly annoying person I've ever met. How does somebody like you have the pull that you do? I mean look at who you have around you! Prodigies that suffered some of the worst trauma imaginable--parental abuse, loss of family, discrimination--and they're at your beck and call! You! A pickpocket living off the career of a failed K-pop artist! How does that even happen?! How does such an apathetic brat get what I can't?!" 
"You're answering your own question, man." Kibō replied. 
"Your biggest mistake was trying to convince us that Kitten is the problem. She might not have suffered the way that we have, but she's opened herself up to us all the same. She may be headstrong, and she's made her share of mistakes. But she's someone worthy of following." Carrie stated. 
"Here's what you don't get, Sparky. I'm not a slave to the past. I've messed up. My family might be...dysfunctional, but it's not the traumatic kind. I've done some bad things, but I'm not living based off of that. I'm living in the here and now. And in the here and now, there's people that need my help. These guys right here...and the ones you've hurt. Because you're blinded by your own anger. There are some messed up, evil people in the world. And I'm sorry nobody helped you for so long. But there are good people, too. And people who can change and better themselves. Those are the ones you'll be hurting by doing this." Kat dictated. 
"You've put me through some shit. But it's nothing I haven't gone through all my life. And it's nothing I'm not prepared to move on from if it means I can be happy with the people I love. I'm so unbelievably pissed at you for using me and lying about it all this time. And I'm gonna make sure you pay for it. And then I'm gonna go on with living. Because I'm not gonna let the monsters in my past control me anymore. A happy ending won't happen for me if I stay bitter." Ibuki added. 
"Maxie, please. I love you. Mama loves you. She doesn't want you to ruin your life because you hate the old man enough to do this. She always told you not to. You can do so much good for the world. But you can't rule over it. Don't fight us, please. You can still be a hero. Just stand down and we'll talk it over." Barbara pleaded. 
".....I'm sorry, Barb. But if one thing's become painfully clear, it's that the time for talking is over." Max responded. 
"You're such an IDIOT! Your own sister begs you to stop, and you're just gonna ignore her?!" Sahir exclaimed. 
"Even after everything, she still wants to help you, and your answer is that you're gonna keep fighting? You're not the hero here! Heroes don't threaten girls while they're sleeping!" Natalia chided. 
"Don't you have any remorse for the pain you've caused? You can sit there and justify it until morning comes, and it won't change a thing. There's no changing right from wrong." Kibō added. 
Max put a hand to his earpiece. "When the world's safety is at stake, sometimes the only thing to escape disaster is doing the 'wrong' thing at the right moment. The woRLD BEFORE OURS WAS BROUGHT TO RUIN THANKS TO HUBRIS AND REFUSAL TO CHANGE until it was too late. I won't let our world end up the same way." 
The group was taken aback. "What was that...?" Kat questioned. 
"His voice...for a moment it sounded robotic. Almost like..." Kenneth pondered. 
"Maxie...please, before this goes past the point of no return, just listen to--" Barbara begged. 
Ibuki put her hand on her shoulder. "It's pointless, Barb. He's too far gone. There's only one language he's gonna listen to now." 
"No..." 
Max turned around. "Bemular. Send in Cervantes Alpha." 
"ROGER WILCO, CAPTAIN." 
"Send in what now?" Sahir questioned. 
"My insurance policy. In case I can't handle you myself." 
From far distance, a pair of helicopters flew in, carrying something enormous via steel wiring. It was a large, black mecha, with blue lights, and the Captain Thunder symbol on its chest. It came in adjacent to the school building. The group looked on in stunned bewilderment. 
"There aren't any real heroes left. All that's left are the monsters. If you want to kill the monsters, you have to make your own. I've come too far to turn back now. I will be the hero this planet needs!" 
"He...he's got a mech. He's got a mech!" Sahir exclaimed. 
"How are we to fight something built to combat kaiju?" Sakuya questioned. 
"Easy. We drop him before he ever gets to use it." Kat responded. 
"I'd love to see you try." Black armor began to cover Max, starting from his feet and reaching his head. It was more streamlined than his previous armor, appearing to be more agile. He struck a pose, and a mane of blue electricity emerged from the top of his head, further resembling the helmet of a medieval knight. He pointed towards the heavens. 
"I am Captain Thunder! Bolt of Justice, destroyer of evil! I am the hero that will guide mankind to a bright future, free from the tyranny of the wicked and unjust! All those who would stand in the way of that future..." He redirected his pointing towards the group. "...will be destroyed, in the name of justice!" 
He rocketed forward at a high rate of speed, ending up in the face of Kat. "Let's take this outside." He grabbed hold of her and continued flying off. 
"Kat!" Barbara yelled out. 
From behind the group, a noise. The sound of heavy metal moving. "Uh.." Sahir uttered. He hesitantly moved to look. "Please tell me the giant robot isn't moving..." 
The lights on the mecha flared to life. The voice of the AI echoed out from it. 
"CERVANTES ALPHA ONLINE. COMMENCING EXTERMINATION PROTOCOLS." 
"Aw, shit." Ibuki said. 
The mecha raised one of its arms. 
"RUN!" Kibō ordered. 
The group ran for the elevator. "Shut the door shut the door SHUT THE DOOR!" Sahir pleaded. 
"I can only push the button so quickly!" Kenneth responded. 
The mecha brought its giant fist down with enough force that the elevator platform was broken from its hinges. It began to plummet to the ground below at increasing speed. 
"We're all gonna diiiiiiie!" Sahir exclaimed. 
"Not like this...not in this shithole!" Ibuki griped. 
"I don't wanna die I don't wanna die I don't wanna die I don't wanna die..." Natalia panicked. 
"There's no jumping from this height...it's a death sentence either way..." Sakuya observed. 
"Dammit all...!" Kibō griped. 
Just when it seemed that the platform was about to crash into the bottom... 
It came to a sudden halt. 
The group tumbled to the ground. "Was that it...? Are we...?" Carrie pondered. 
"Well at least...it was painless..." uttered a bewildered Sahir. 
"On your feet, striker. I don't think we're at the pearly gates just yet." Ibuki directed. 
"But how...?" Barbara wondered. 
"Remove the barrier around the elevator tube. Seventh floor." a voice directed from below. 
"Hold on...that's..." 
Holding the platform up was Max. 
The barrier opened up enough that he was able to fly the platform down to the street below. The group gave each other confused looks, but stepped off of it regardless. Max tossed the platform away. 
"Everyone in one piece?" he asked. 
"The hell was that?! What'd you save us for?" Ibuki demanded. 
"Um...aren't you trying to kill us?" Natalia asked. 
"You all? No. I never once said that my intention was to kill you. You're my sister and our dear friends, after all. I want you to help me guide the new world. That hasn't changed. I'm only trying to get rid of the one keeping you from seeing it from my perspective." Max elaborated. 
Kat had arrived on the scene. "Thought I felt a nosebleed coming along." 
"Are you really suggesting that killing Kat-chan is going to magically make us agree with you?" Sakuya questioned. 
"What is your mad fixation with her, anyway?" Kenneth asked. 
"It's this psychic hold she seems to have over you all. She's a menace! A thief! Rebellion incarnate! As long as she exists, there's always gonna be a chance that humanity's spirit of revolt can be reignited, and everything I've achieved will be for nothing." Max replied. 
Kat stood in place, using one of her daggers to file her nails. "Flattery won't make me take you back, Sparky." 
"And that damned tongue of hers... spitting on everything I stand for. She has to be eliminated, for the good of the world. Her...and the Professor she worships so much." 
"The Professor? Why her?" Carrie asked. 
"She's just as much of a natural beacon of rebellion as KittyKat is. Not only that, she's precisely what's wrong with the adults of the world. All the power she has inside of her, she could change the world with a snap of the fingers! And she spends her days giving lectures and cuddling with her alien mistress! Having the power and not using it correctly is worse than not having power to begin with. If she won't do what's needed, I'll just take it from her myself." 
"First of all, Doc Rose ain't an alien. Ancient with about a million riddles about her, but not the UFO type. Second, how do you plan on beating Teach? She's got more power in her left elbow than you've got in your entire body. You've got no chance!" Sahir retorted. 
"See, about that..." 
The conversation was interrupted by the sound of something crashing into the ground. The mecha had appeared. "Ah, pardon me one moment." Max took to his communicator, retracting his helmet to do so. "Bemular, stand down! I gave you the order to neutralize, but not kill. You're not to act unless I give you the express command." 
"Is he really turning his back to us?" Sakuya pondered. 
"It's like we're not even here..." Kibō uttered. 
"Oh, screw this!" Ibuki started towards Max. 
"Wait, Ibuki, this could be a--" Carrie responded. 
Ibuki manifested an arrow, ran up to the distracted Max, and jammed it into his back. "Cocky asshole! That's what you--ah?" 
The arrow had broken off. Max turned around. "Could you not, please? I'm trying to have a conversation here." 
"You little..." Ibuki punched him in the head, only for him to promptly bounce back. 
"I really don't recommend this." 
She repeated the action, to no effect. 
"You really...should stop...doing that...you're gonna...bloody your...hand." he spoke as she continued to hit him. 
"What the hell is this?! Not even a bruise!" 
"Just as I feared...his power has..." Carrie uttered. 
Max hovered just above the group, his helmet reappearing. "I really have to thank you all for this. You never really know how a plan's going to go until it's put into action. And you've played your roles flawlessly." 
"What are you babbling about now?" Kat asked. 
"Let me show you." 
Max brought up an electronic screen, showing footage of the rallies in the real world. "Seems like things are getting hectic back home." 
"...ah, look! Those crowds...they're destroying property and burning effigies..." Sakuya observed. 
"And the things they're destroying are...wait a minute." Kibō said. 
The footage showed the maddened crowd destroying anything that bore the emblem of the Ashen Artisans. Piles of clothing were set alight, replicas made from straw and wearing the clothes were strung up, and a spray-painted logo had been vandalized with the word "VILLAINS" written across it. 
"What is this..." Carrie pondered. 
"It's like they hate our guts...how is this happening?" Natalia questioned. 
"What the hell did you do, Sparky?" Kat demanded. 
"Me? I didn't do anything. Y'all are the ones that killed their heroic view of you." Max replied. 
"What is that supposed to...wait. You don't mean?" Sakuya questioned. 
"Now you're starting to get it. Bemular really is a remarkable piece of technology. Turning Desires into reality and all. It's like having my own personal genie. I told him to grant one sad sack of his choosing their deepest wish, just to prove his potential. And so it was that the Kubo clan's number one screw-up got the power he wanted, to protect the sister who never even needed it." 
"Wait a sec...so DJ Tan Man getting powers was you?" Kat questioned. 
"It worked to absolute perfection. But I needed him to go bigger. The Prison system could make widespread reform not just a possibility, but firm reality. Those who lacked power in their lives finally got a taste of what had brought them down for so long. And when those people were exposed for their misdeeds, the public's love for their rebellious heroes grew. And so it was that my AI friend gave me a suggestion of how to take all of this power and adoration for myself." 
"So our theory that we were all this Prison's Wardens..." Carrie realized. 
"Was 100% the truth! The Ashen Avengers were duplicates made from the essence of your own Shadows. Their presence here is what allowed your popularity to soar as exponentially as it has. They were the perfect security against you no matter how you put it. If they defeated you, I could just imprison you until you came around. But you destroying them has given me more than I ever could've imagined. Now your hold on the public has sunk into the dirt. And all of that affection has been redirected into their new hero." 
"You can't be serious...so all this time, all this fighting, it's all just been..." Kibō uttered. 
Max put his fists to his sides, hovering triumphantly. "I turned my back to you because I knew I wasn't in any danger. You've gotten stronger in this last month, but no amount of strength can change what's occurred here. Thanks to you, I've become the hero the public wants to save them from the lying thieves." 
He held his hands in the air. "Thanks to you...I'm now INVINCIBLE!"
"In...invincible?" Natalia muttered. 
"He's gotta be lying, right? Right?" Sahir asked. 
"...of course he's lying. Just more egomaniacal boasting. You ain't Superman, Sparky. Nobody's that OP that they can't possibly lose." Kat stated. 
"Y'all are open to try it. Tell you what." Max landed. "I'll just stand here for a few minutes and let you wail on me all you want. Everyone needs to vent, right? I think you all have to see for yourselves just what you're dealing with here. Then maybe it'll sink in that it's completely unwinnable." He opened up his arms, as if welcoming a hug. "So, have at it! Who wants to go first?" 
Thoroughly angered by his casual boasting, Ibuki charged at him. 
"So predic--" Max began before she tackled him. "--table." 
"You...youuuuu...!" 
"Yeeeees?" 
"You cocky..." She shoved him against the ground. 
"Smug..." 
Shove. 
"Mouthy..." 
Shoved. 
"Little..." 
Shove. 
"SHIT! How can you sit there and monologue to me about fixing everything when you turned me into an abuser?!" 
"Pretty sure I dragged you out of the gutter." 
"BULLSHIT! What you gave me was fake hope! These guys here kept me from sinking back down, you're just the idiot that made me a puppet!" 
"And where would you be right now if I didn't do that? Struggling just to get by, if even that? Maybe you and Sis would have to go back to entertaining Johns. Maybe someone would come to take poor little Kanae-chan away since you couldn't support her. Maybe someone ends up dead in an alley. Just another hooker killed on the streets. A statistic and nothing more. How about instead of bruising your hands punching me, you say 'Thank you, Max, for saving me from a life of squalor'?" 
That was all she needed to be consumed by blinding rage. Manifesting several arrows between her fingers as makeshift claws, she furiously began to pummel him, over and over again. "YOU DON'T MESS WITH MY HEAD, O'DONNELL!" 
"Please stop, Ibuki!" Barbara pleaded. 
"He's just trying to provoke you--" Kenneth warned. 
"YOU DON'T MESS WITH MY--" 
The mecha's eyes lit up. What appeared to be a cannon emerged from its left shoulder. It charged up, and fired a single beam of energy at high speed. 
Before she could register what was happening, the beam struck Ibuki, sending her flying and crashing into a nearby building. 
"HOLY--" Sahir uttered. 
Max got up to his feet, unscathed. "What did I just say, Bemular?" 
"Fiend! You knew that was going to happen!" Sakuya chastised. 
"I didn't do anything. But if my assistant feels that he has to defend me from an assault, I can't really stop him, can I?" 
"Barbie! Go take care of her!" Kat yelled out. 
"Yeah, on it..." Barbara did as she was told. 
"Well now that everybody's in the right mood..." Max clapped. "Who's up next?" 
Sahir zipped behind him, attempting to strike him with a flame-enhanced kick. Max ducked to avoid it. The attack continued, with Max dodging every attempt. 
"Stop moving and let me hit you already! Why even dodge if you're supposed to be invincible?!" Sahir questioned. 
"I mean, I could, but it's really more about your safety. Kicking me with that fragile leg would probably shatter it beyond repair." Max replied. 
"Worry about your own well-being." Kenneth came at him with a katana. 
Max grabbed the blade. At the same time, Sahir kicked him in the head, to no visible effect. "Wha..." 
"It's like we're..." Kenneth muttered. 
"Doing nothing? Some people just refuse to learn." Max shattered the blade into pieces, grabbed the bewildered Kenneth by the arm, then swung him around and slammed him into Sahir. Both boys tumbled away. "I feel like I'm sitting in a dunk tank waiting for some drunk hick to luck his way into hitting the target. Anyone else feeling brave?" 
The elevator platform, still lying nearby, began to move, being lifted up into the air. It was flung towards Max. He grabbed it. "Not what I was expecting." 
Natalia held it down as her eyes glowed. "You are being...the biggest jerk right now..." 
"I know it's hard to believe, but I really am trying to help." 
"Like you 'helped' Layla? How does threatening her parents and putting her in a coma help her?" 
"Wasn't my first choice, to be honest, but it worked out in the end, didn't it?" 
"That's what you're not getting, she didn't need your stupid help, nobody did!" 
"Hold your words, Natty-chan. They are wasted on this stubborn demagogue." Bladed petals surrounded Max, as Sakuya stood watching. 
"Hm. I guess it is flower season. Don't want my allergies to act up, so..." Max began to rapidly spin around in place, the petals being caught up in the cyclonic motion. He rose into the air, and dispelled the petals with a single maneuver. "Catch!" 
He hurled the platform towards Sakuya, then fired a laser from the palm of his hand, blasting it to pieces. Sakuya leapt around trying to avoid the fragments, but was struck and knocked aside by one. 
Max landed, and stared down a nervous Natalia. He wagged his finger at her. "I don't think a hug's gonna fix that." 
Carrie was attending to Sahir and Kenneth. "Please, wake up...this is getting dire..." 
Kibō got in front of Natalia. "I think you and me are due for a few words, Max." 
"This your idea of 'having words'? Eh, who am I kidding? You're the product of a politician and a street thug with an inmate for a brother. Dirty is all you really know." Max replied. 
"You think I'm that stupid to fall for this? I know what this game is. Trying to get under my skin to make me lose my temper and go crazy on you. I couldn't care less about what you have to say about my brother. But you leave my parents out of this. How'd you like it if I just started badmouthing yours?" 
"You're wasting your time on that. No one's ever had a bad thing to say about my Mama. And whatever you've got to say about the old man, I'll probably agree with you." 
"How about if I tell you that you're just like him?" 
"...don't go there." 
"You know it's true. Threatening a defenseless girl in her bed and basically holding her hostage isn't something a hero would do. But I guess the difference here is that you didn't tie her to a tree in the freezing cold. That fixes everything, right?" 
"Keeb...don't get him angry..." Natalia warned him. 
Max clenched his hands. "I'm warning you, Ishimaru. Watch what you're saying to me." 
"My apologies, Mr. Thunder. Guess being sensitive comes with having so much power. You could almost say...you're drunk with it." Kibō smirked. 
Max prepared to launch himself. "That smile's gonna cost you." 
He flew into Kibō, dragging him past a frightened Natalia and smashing him into a building. 
"Doesn't feel so good, does it?" Max questioned. 
"That what your dad would say to your mom whenever he did something like this?" Kibō asked back. 
"SHUT UP!" Max punched at his head, but Kibō got out of the way, kicking Max in the chest and getting free of his grip. He drew his sword and a shield, attacking with the former, only for Max to block it with his arm. He used his free hand to uppercut Kibō, staggering him, then hoisting him up and tossing him away. Kibō dropped his weapons. 
"I can do this all day." Max stated. 
"Get your own material, Sparky." Kat appeared and grabbed him from behind, holding her knives to his neck. 
"Really gonna try this? You're the one I don't have an issue with killing." 
"The feeling's getting more mutual by the minute." 
Kibō got up and grabbed his sword and shield, charging at Max. The latter fired a laser from his hand, knocking Kibō back down. He flew up, moving rapidly and shaking Kat free, leading to her falling to the ground. He landed. 
"Okay. No more pretend." Max materialized a large beam sword, blue in coloration, with a hilt more closely resembling the end of a rifle. 
Kibō attacked again. Max parried the hit, then struck with his own weapon, cracking the shield, then breaking it with another strike. He grabbed Kibō again, this time delivering a strong headbutt, then kicking him into the wall until he finally stopped moving. 
Kat got back up. "So sick of your crap..." 
Max held his blade like a gun. It began to charge. "The feeling...is getting more mutual by the minute." 
He fired an energy blast at her, knocking her back. She tried getting back up, but he grabbed her and hoisted her up instead. "I've given you every chance to see reason. Every. Chance. And you keep spitting in my face." 
"Oh, sweetie, you haven't seen anything yet. Take that mask off and then you'll really feel me spitting." 
"Let her go, you madman!" Carrie called out. 
Max pointed his blade at her and began charging. "You've already been burned once, Your Highness. I'd hate to give you deja vu in that regard." 
"Shut the fuck up--!" Kat struck his armor with one of her daggers, but it just bounced off. 
He turned back to her. "My turn." 
With his weapon charged, he slashed at her, sending her away with violent force. She hit the side of a building, and slumped down against it. 
"KITTEN!" Carrie yelled out. 
"Stop it, Maxie, for God's sake!" Barbara pleaded. 
Max held his arm out, and began to charge his palm laser, pointing it towards Kat. "This is for the good of the world. You were a persistent opponent, Kit So-yin. Goodbyes are always so bittersweet. I'm sure Kerberos is dying to see you again. Farewell..." 
Kat opened her eyes to the impending doom in front of her. "This can't be it...he can't just win after everything...there's gotta be something...anything..." she thought. 
"If things get so dire in there that it looks like you have no other options, press down on the stem." 
Kat remembered Rin's words. She dug into her pocket and pulled out the apple keychain. "I'm trusting you, Prof...please tell me this wasn't a joke..." 
She pressed down on the stem. The little pink ring around it began blinking. 
"Hm? A bit late for a light show, isn't it?" Max questioned. 
A circle of light suddenly materialized around Kat. A red pillar appeared around her. It quickly vanished, and Kat was nowhere to be seen. 
"What the--?! Where'd you go?!" Max griped. 
"KittyKat...?" Barbara pondered. 
"She just disappeared..." Kenneth uttered. 
--- 
When Kat reappeared, she was in a darkened room. She looked around. "Where...?" 
"You look like you've seen better days." 
Kat looked up. Rin and Rose were standing there. "I'm assuming that Mr. O'Donnell is responsible for this?" the latter questioned. 
"Prof...Doc...we tried to fight him, but...he's too strong...he made everyone hate us and now he's like a god..." Kat uttered. 
Rin knelt down in front of her, putting a hand on her shoulder. "Just like we suspected. Now's the time for us to fight back. Rose?" 
"Already on it." Rose performed her healing techniques, getting Kat to her feet. "That should do it." 
"Thanks, Doc, but...what do we do now? Everyone's still in there...I don't know if even you can hurt him..." Kat said. 
"Maybe not physically. But here's where our careful planning comes into play. He took all of that power by manipulating the masses to his cause. All we have to do is take it back." Rin explained. 
"How are we gonna do that?" 
"Take this." Rose handed her a small device resembling a watch. "Something I've been working on. I may not be the designer that Ms. Van Damme is, but it should suit your uses nicely. Just press the button." 
"Um, okay..." Kat did so, and the black material the device was constructed of seemed to spread around her. 
Rose took her phone out, using her camera as a mirror. "How is it?" 
"Um, it's...wow. Don't know what to say except...wow." 
"It's the perfect combination of cool and adorable. It's so you!" Rin reacted. 
"So what am I gonna do with it?" 
Rin's eyes glowed, and she took on her "Applerider" armor. "Follow my lead. It'll become clear soon enough." 
"Suppose this is my cue to begin my phase of the operation. I'll be taking my leave." Rose stated. 
"I'll leave you to it. Be careful in there. I love you." 
"And I, you, my beloved hero. Good luck to you both." Rose headed for the door. Jin and Tenko were both standing in the doorway. 
"Good luck, bestie~! Make the geek squirm!" Tenko waved. 
"We've got her covered. Hey, kid?" Jin posed. 
"Yeah?" Kat responded. 
"Nice getup. Perfect for kicking that Sentai wannabe's ass. See ya on the other side." The three departed. 
"It's the moment of truth. You ready?" Rin asked. 
"My brain wants to say no way, but...it's you, Prof. When I'm around you, it feels like anything's possible. And I know that you've thought this through. So yeah, I'm ready. We're gonna bring Sparky down, one way or the other!" Kat declared. 
"That's what I want to hear! Let's get this done, partner." Rin wagged her finger. "With a little help from our friends." 
--- 
"Where...the hell did she go?" Ibuki questioned. 
"Heh...heheh..." Max snickered. "HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!" 
"And what is so funny?" Sakuya asked. 
"Pffffft...I knew it. All that talk about unity and leading and what does she do? Runs off when she's about to lose! A rat and a coward, just like I thought! How can I do anything except laugh?! HAHAHAHAHAHAAAAAA!" 
"No...that's not true. She'd never abandon us." Barbara denied. 
"Oh, wake UP, sis! Take off the bestie goggles and realize what she is! A liar, a thief, a coward! Someone like that could never be trusted to lead a marching band, let alone the whole world! Her jumping ship to save her own skin just proves it!" 
"No, Maxie. You're the coward." 
Max paused. His laughter ceased. "Come again?" 
"You've spent this entire year lying to us--lying to me. Sitting in this dungeon of yours and manipulating people. Making them your puppets and having us clean it up for you. This was never about saving the world and you know it." 
"So they've got you convinced that it's only about the old man, huh? That's unfortunate." 
"Stop patronizing me, little brother. I know better than anyone how you've wanted to kill him since we were small. But you never let it show to where it was all you talked about. Maybe you were just good at hiding it, like how you hid this scheme from me for so long. Or maybe the Maxie I knew never existed to begin with. Where is he now?" 
"....." 
"Where's the Max that always helped Mama in the kitchen? The Max that made everyone laugh with his impressions? The Max that didn't mind playing with me and my girly toys because he loved nothing more than playing pretend with his sister? Where is he now? Because this brute in the evil-looking armor...I don't recognize him. Is the sweet, protective Maxie still under all that metal? Or was that just another character you were playing?" 
"Barb...this is me. I haven't changed. This is who I am. All I've ever wanted was to get rid of the old man and people like him that just hurt others and don't get punished for it. I know how bad this looks. But when it's all said and done, mankind will be free from evil once and for all. Everyone will get what they want." 
"Everyone?" 
"Everyone." 
"You know what I want? I want my little brother back. And if I can't have that..." Barbara opened her arms. "Then just go ahead and shoot me." 
"What?!" Sahir exclaimed. 
"Senpai, what are you saying?!" Sakuya questioned. 
"I'm not going to do that, Barb." Max refused. 
"I don't want to live in a world where you're hurting people. If you won't stand down, then I'd rather die than see you fall further than you have already. And if it has to happen, then I want it to be you. We've shared everything, and..." Barbara tearfully explained. 
"Stop it! I'd never hurt you like that! I'm not the old drunk! I'm still me! I can make a world where you and Mama can live happy lives! I couldn't live in a world without you in it! All this struggle would be for nothing!" Max ranted. "Why can't you all see it my way?! Why won't you understand my vision?! This is what the people want! They want me to save them! I have the power to change the world! Why are you still--" 
"CAPTAIN?" the AI spoke into his ear. 
"Bemular? What now?" 
"THERE APPEARS TO BE A DISTURBANCE IN THE REAL WORLD. A BROADCAST OF SOME SORT. HOLD...THE SIGNAL IS NOW BEING TRANSMITTED INTO THIS REALM." 
"How is that possible? What kind of--" 
Every screen in the Prison suddenly jolted to life. On display was the Ashen Artisans' insignia. 
"What the hell is this?! Shut it down!" Max ordered. 
"I CANNOT. MY CIRCUITRY IS CURRENTLY BEING INTERFERED WITH. I AM CURRENTLY COMBATING THE ANOMALY. THE BROADCAST CANNOT BE STOPPED." 
"Can't be...?" 
The picture came on. There stood Rin in her armor. "Good day, people of Tokyo! Bit of a crazy day today, isn't it?" 
"Professor!" the students exclaimed. 
"How in the..." Max uttered. 
"Allow me to introduce myself. My name is Applerider. I've been keeping this city safe for around ten years now. I'm here today to address some...misconceptions you all might have about the goings-on of late." Rin began. 
In the real world, the rioting stopped to listen in. 
"Now, you all have been told that the group known as the Ashen Artisans, led by an individual calling themselves Captain Thunder, have gone against their mission statement and are actively fighting against their leader, who proclaims to be working in the interests of the common people. I'm here today to clarify the situation. And to help me with that, I've brought along a friend. Let me present to you all...the real leader of the Ashen Artisans." 
The camera panned over to Kat. She was now garbed in a black leather suit, with matching gloves and boots, with the pink outline of a cat across her chest, with same-colored lining across her gloves and legs. Her hair tie was a long black bow stylized into cat ears, and her eyes were covered by a black domino mask, the space over the eyes being white. 
"Kat! She's OK!" Natalia exclaimed, relieved. 
"Oh, but I thought she ran off like a coward?" Carrie questioned facetiously. 
"You thought. You thought." Sahir directed at a speechless Max. 
"Um, hello, everyone. You can call me The Cat. As my Pro--uh, professional acquaintance said, I'm the real leader of the Ashen Artisans. I wanted to clear some things up about myself and my friends--and about Captain Thunder." Kat began. "Me and my friends started this group so that we could fight for people who couldn't fight for themselves. Against people who couldn't be touched because they hid their true selves from the public. For this past year, we've dealt with people who struggled in life and suddenly saw their fortunes turn upside-down. But those changes didn't come naturally. Someone altered them to make themselves look like the hero. Just like they're doing to you all right now." 
"The hero...? Is she talking about...?" The crowds began to mumble amongst themselves. 
"The one responsible for the mayhem that's engulfed this city is the one claiming to be your protector. Captain Thunder has deceived you all, and is using your adoration of him to make himself more powerful as we speak." Rin continued. 
"!!!!!" Max was on alert. 
"It's true that he was part of our group. We didn't uncover his true nature until it was too late. He lied to his own friends for months about what he was doing. His motives? Revenge, pure and simple. Not justice, not righteousness. Just blind, angry revenge. I didn't want to put him on full blast like this because once upon a time, I trusted him. Loved, even. But he's crossed every line you could cross, and it's time that I put my foot down." Kat continued. 
"I realize that it must be difficult to take our word for it. So we're handing it over to those that know more than anyone how his schemes have affected people--and those that know of the Artisans' true virtue. Take it away, everyone!" Rin added. 
The screen switched over to the Azure Moon Games store. Leon sat behind the counter. "What's up, everybody. My name's Leon Hasha. Once upon a time, I was just your run of the mill Pokémon fanatic. Then I was bullied out of a tournament, and reached a real low point in my life. Then this 'Captain Thunder' guy came along. Overnight I became an eSports sensation. People loved me and I couldn't be beaten. But...it changed me for the worse. Made me someone I wasn't. A bully, like the one that ruined me. But then the Artisans came along and cleared things up like Defog. I lost my fame, but I started fixing my life. Now I can love my favorite games again, without caring what people think." 
He unbuttoned his shirt, revealing another shirt underneath, with the Artisans' logo on it. "This Thunder guy ain't the hero here! He put me in a rut and the Artisans saved me from it! They're the ones you should be going nuts over, not some chump who looks like he'd want to steal Pokémon from people! He can take a hike!" 
The screen switched again, to the Higashikata residence. Kaede sat on the couch, with Hiyoko next to her, translating her sign. "Hello. My name is Kaede Hinotama. As you can tell, my hearing isn't very good, so please bear with me. My younger sister is Ibuki Hinotama, the wrestler everyone calls Fireball Ibuki. Even though things are a lot better now, our life was never easy. Most of our family died when we were young, so we were always on our own. We sold ourselves on the street just to survive, and I ended up pregnant because of it. My sister did everything she could to keep us going, even taking horrible abuse from a terrifying man. She found her passion in wrestling, and one day her fame went through the roof. Things were looking better, but she was different. She was terribly cruel to the men working as her assistants, and she stopped making time for me and my daughter. This wasn't her anymore." 
"Then the Artisans brought her back. Life became difficult for a bit, but I had my sister back. And they stayed around to help us out. Things have never been better. We have our own house, and Ibuki did something no one else ever did. She beat her hero. Without the Artisans, we'd never have the life that we do now. My sister would have become a selfish monster. But now she's who she really is: the strongest, kindest lady in the world. This Captain Thunder person took advantage of our struggles and made my sister into a puppet. The Artisans are the ones that saved us from all of that. Don't let this delusional man lie to you. He deserves your scorn, not your love. Thank you." 
"No, thank you, gorgeous." Ibuki said with a smile. 
The screen changed once more, to the fish market in Naruki's south side. Kaido sat at his table. "How's it going, party people? It's your one-time favorite sushi king, Kaido Minamoto here. Not so much anymore, as you can probably tell. That's more or less the end result of a lifetime of screw-ups. Spent a lot of my early going doing things no one really should, and it ended with someone getting seriously hurt. I did my time for it, but when I got out, I was totally lost. I was given a second chance by an old friend, and I didn't want to waste it. I couldn't let the restaurant fail on my watch. Clearly this Thunder chum heard me, because the joint's popularity went through the roof overnight! I thought I finally had it made!" 
"But see, it wasn't all sunshine and rainbows. A lot of that popularity was off the backs of other places. No one wanted to eat anywhere else, and a lot of people suffered for it. And the worst of it was, that I couldn't have cared less. As long as I had my little slice of profit, who cares if other people get hurt? The ones to break me free from that way of thinking were the Artisan chaps. I wasn't doing the right thing, and it showed. But I can't be too mad about it. Better to live an honest life than an easy lie. That's all this Thunder guy is offering, really. It might sound good at first, but it ain't. So I'd advise against going off on the Artisan dudes. They're the only ones actually trying to fix the mess, instead of covering it up." 
Once more, the screen changed. Hana was sitting on her couch. She waved at the screen. "Hi, all! I'm sure some of you might recognize me from a gig or three over the years, but for everyone that hasn't, my name is Miu Hanazaki Kubo. Florist and part-time musician, and proud mother of three. I've had the privilege of living a very blessed life up to this point, bit I've also had a good deal of tragedy to contend with. Work and family have kept me occupied, and though I live my life with a smile and a wave, the heartache is still there. Stresses began to build around me, and I needed some kind of relief. Unfortunately for me, this Captain Thunder person caught wind of my plight, and decided to offer his 'help'." 
Hana picked up her shamisen, and began strumming it. "Let me tell you about this 'help'. I was beset by so many attentive fanatics that I became overwhelmed. I collapsed, and wouldn't wake up. My oldest son, my niece and my nephew all came under the sway of this madness and were consumed by the attention. Never even came to my bedside. My son is an attentive worrywart who never fails to check in on me several times a day. For him to leave me in that state...that isn't normal. It's horrible to think that he could be affected that way." 
"It was the Ashen Artisans who saved me from that prison of grief. Now I feel that I can live a peaceful, happy life free from worry. I didn't need an excess of attention or notoriety to be satisfied with my life. I just needed someone who would listen and understand my pain. Running away from your problems and burying them deep inside of you doesn't fix anything. I didn't need to be saved. I only needed an understanding hand. I hope everybody can come to their senses soon. I'd love to throw a little concert for old time's sake. Just so we can all have fun again. Thanks for your time, and to the dashing lass in the white armor for inviting me to speak. Toodles~." 
"Beautifully put, Ms. Hana." Kenneth commented. 
The screen changed one more time, to a dark room lit only by a lamp. Layla sat on her bed, still in pajamas and having clearly only having just woken up. "Um...hi. I'm Layla. Sorry if I mess anything up...my Japanese isn't very good. And it's really early where I live. But...I had to say something when I heard about what was happening." She pulled up her sketch of Captain Thunder. "This man that everyone is saying is a hero is nothing but a bully and a liar. I came to Japan last month to visit a friend of mine. While I was sleeping in my hotel room, I woke up to find someone in a black suit of armor standing over me. He told me that if I yelled out for help, that he'd kill my parents, and that he was going to 'save' me. I don't remember much after that, except waking up in the hospital a while later. I guess the Ashen Artisans saved me, but I'm not too sure how." 
"I did a lot of awful things...things that I'm gonna regret for a long time. But I'm trying hard to change. The best friend I have in the world tells me a lot of really good things. One of them is that the power to change ourselves is what makes us human. That the bad things we did before don't have to define who we are now. Being different is something I chose to do for myself. What this Thunder guy is doing is taking away choice from people who haven't done anything wrong. It's taking away what makes us human." 
"So, um...what I guess I'm trying to say is that his intentions might be good. He might really be trying to be a hero. But heroes aren't supposed to scare people. I was just sleeping in my bed, and he comes in and says he's gonna 'save' me, or else he'll hurt the people I care about. Now he wants to keep doing it to other people and...I can't let that happen. People have to know who he really is. I want to keep changing. I want to be someone that can make people happy to be around. And I want to do that by being me. I should probably get back to bed soon, but...please don't let him win. Because I know a bully when I see one." 
"I'm so proud of you, Layla." Natalia commented. 
The feed returned to Rin and Kat. "I know this is tough to hear. It must feel really good to know that there's someone out there who wants to help you. And deep down, I know he's trying to do the right thing. But when my friends and I found all the people you've just heard from, they didn't feel happy. They had all this new fame and glory, but their eyes looked miserable. Maybe deep down, they knew it wasn't right. They became the thing that they hated the most. That's honestly what you all look like right now. Acting without thinking for yourselves. What about this screams 'hero' to you?" Kat dictated. 
"Some of you may still be doubting that this could be true. But I have with me one last piece of indisputable proof that this has all been an effort by Captain Thunder to manipulate everyone from behind a curtain. Here it is, in perfect sound...from the mouth of the man himself." Rin presented. 
The screen went dark, and Max's own recorded words began to play out. 
"It's like you all deduced. I'm bringing out the best in people and giving them the strength to overcome their trauma on their own. But that's just the start. In truth, I've perfected the Ashen Artisans' methods. Every inferno was a spark in the beginning. By the time anyone notices that there's a fire, it's already caused too much damage. You can put it out with a grand effort, but the damage will be done. The scars will remain. What if it could all be prevented before the problem ever became a problem? That's where the Prisons come in. Whether as a Warden or as someone who surrendered their Desires, I've created a way for ill thoughts to be subdued before they ever come to pass. The spark is snuffed out before it can ever consume a thing. I've built an end to any and all evil!" 
With the end of the recording came utter silence. Throughout the Prison, the imprisoned Shadows began to murmur. 
"Captain Thunder...did this to us?" 
"How could he...was he really lying all this time?" 
"The Ashen Artisans...they've been trying to save us from him..." 
"What kind of hero...threatens a child?" 
Kat came back on the screen. "I'm going to be the first one to admit that I haven't always been a good person. I've said and done some pretty nasty things in my life. But what I've done--with a lot of help--is change myself. People came into my life and chose to put their belief in me, and it's made me a better person. Having the strength to change yourself is the greatest gift a human being can have. Getting to make your own choices is the ultimate blessing. That's what my friends and I are fighting for every time we put our lives on the line. So please, everyone: I'm asking for one huge favor from you all. Believe in us for a little longer. Stand up and tell this hunk of metal that you're gonna think for yourselves. We can save ourselves and be our own hero!" 
"My partner's made her case. So, citizens of Tokyo, what say you? Who do you want to be your hero? Who is the one that's going to fight for you? I want to hear it, loud as you can!" Rin questioned. 
Silence. And then, from within the Metaverse and out, a single phrase. It started small, then began to boom. Soon, an emphatic chant. 
"AR-TI-SANS! AR-TI-SANS! AR-TI-SANS! AR-TI-SANS!" 
Max had risen up into the air. "What...what's going on?" 
From the heavens, radiant pink gems began to fall to the ground. A single gem fell phased into a single Shadow, and as each received a gem, they dissipated and vanished. 
"The Desires...they're returning to their owners!" Sakuya exclaimed. 
"Unbelievable...they actually did it." Kenneth stated. 
"Stop, wait, no! NO! Bemular, do you copy?! Is there really no way to stop this?!" Max began to panic. 
"POWER LEVELS ARE DECREASING AT AN EXPONENTIAL RATE, CAPTAIN. UNABLE TO REVERSE THE PROCESS AT THIS TIME." 
"Dammit, NO! All this effort, all the time I've spent...that damned burglar!" 
"ALERT: A HIGH ENERGY READING HAS ENTERED THE METAVERSE." 
On a building level with where Max was flying, a figure teleported in. She pointed one finger skyward. "I'd like to give a shout-out...to an absolute queen of a professor. For always thinking three steps ahead. I wouldn't be here without her." 
"Kitten! That was magisterial!" Carrie called out. 
"And in a kickass new uni to boot! You and Teach absolutely killed it!" Sahir exclaimed. 
"You...youuuuuu!" Max grumbled. 
"Heya, Sparkster. What's the matter? You wanna talk about it?" Kat questioned. 
"You know damn well what's happened!" 
"Oh yeeeeah. Your plan crumbling to pieces thanks to good old-fashioned payback. Doesn't feel so good when you're on the wrong end of it, huh? How about you take that mask off and let me see the look on your mug? It's gotta sting, knowing that you weren't the hero of this tale after all. I mean, it's the hero that finds their strength once they've been backed into a corner, right? So what do you call what I've just done?" 
"Drag his ass, KittyKat!" Ibuki yelled out. 
Max floated in silence for a moment. Then came the chuckling. The same resigned chuckle he made once his secret was exposed the month before. "You're so used to getting what you want, aren't you? This changes nothing. All I have to do is kill you, and this planet will be mine to save! This is a minor inconvenience, nothing more!" 
"Keep telling yourself that." 
Max took to his communicator. "Bemular, bring in every single soldier you can materialize. Send a squadron over to your core's location. I assume we have a few rats in your wiring. Send the rest over to my location. I want you and the Cervantes Alpha to keep the others occupied." 
"ROGER WILCO." 
"You're right about one thing, KittyKat. The hero finds their true resolution when they've run out of options. So let's find out once and for all who the real hero is, shall we?" He brought out his cyber weapon. "When you're finally out of the way, a new reality can finally begin. I'll rid this world of the scum that've infected it, once and for all! Starting with the stubborn, irritating little thief standing in front of me!" 
Kat brought out her daggers. "I'm not the one that's gonna be out of the way. You've taken enough from these people. A new world is coming, Sparky. A world where everyone can be happy and be themselves, without running from our problems. Cue the final boss music, you egotistical dork. I'm ending this, now!"