Persona BLEACHED 4: Chapter 18

Chapter 18: The Ill Winds
October 8, 2031
"So I managed to pry it out of him. His mom usually bakes him a cake made of fudge. I don't know if I could meet those lofty standards, but..." Letty said.
"Sweetheart, you repair combat drones for a living. A cake shouldn't be that hard." Commander Max replied, seated at his desk.
"Says the man who nearly blew up our kitchen trying to heat up leftover pizza."
"Not my fault the oven was faulty."
"Right, 'the oven'."
"I hope this isn't too much to ask. I don't want the kid to be miserable on his birthday. Least we can do is try to make him feel at-home."
"Oh no, it's not a problem. It's something a little different. Variety is the spice of life."
An agent entered the room. "Commander O'Donnell, sir! Oh, and uh, Dr. O'Donnell, ma'am." he saluted.
"Uh-oh. Official business time." the commander said.
"I'll leave you to it. See you in a few hours." Letty began to leave.
"Happy baking." She exited the room. "Alright, what's this about?"
"Um, sir? Did you say baking?" the agent asked.
"Classified information, soldier. You have those inmate reports for me?"
"Yes, sir. We've contacted every P.D.F. funded detention center on the planet. They've got all their inmates accounted for..."
"Great. Means no one else made the jump and they're doing their jobs--"
"Ah...every inmate except for one, sir."
"Oh. Well who is it?"
"Uh..."
"Out with it, man. Who's missing?"
"It's, um...Southgate. Ezekiel Southgate."
The commander blinked. "Zeke? He's gone? Seriously?"
"Commander Dasuke checked the penitentiary seven times over, according to him. He's not there."
"Ah, shit." the commander mumbled. "Does Ken know about this?"
"Ah...that's the thing, sir. Ken Southgate's gone missing, too."
"What?! He's gone, too?"
"Commander Dasuke tried contacting him, but he hasn't gotten a response. He hasn't seen him in two weeks. He just assumed that he was off on a long reconnaissance mission again. He thought it was strange that he hadn't reported in."
"Oh, hell. Tell Dasuke to scramble his people if he hasn't already. We've got a Class A criminal out of containment and he needs to be found, ASAP. If we can't find him or Ken here...then the other world has an even bigger problem than Sonia."
---
Earth-727. 
Midday on the campus of University College London. A foggy midday, at that.
"How did your class go today?" Carrie asked, while walking along with Natalia.
"Nyeeeh, business is haaaard..." Natalia sighed.
Carrie giggled. "Nobody ever said it was easy. You have plenty of time to learn. Considering switching to a career in baking?"
"Nah, I'm not off the wagon yet. I watched Mama and Papa work the store so much, I thought it'd be super easy. Never really thought about all the behind-the-scenes stuff that goes into running a business. I probably should've paid more attention in math class, ahehe..."
"That's what best friends are for, love. Do remember who finished with the highest aggregate math scores."
"Only my brilliant and beautiful bestie, that's who~."
The two arrived at a class building. "I'll see you later tonight, Natty. Give Kitten my love if she isn't asleep when you get home." Carrie said.
"All that traveling's taken a lot outta her. Her and Tabby are probably knocked out right now. Probably means I don't have to make them lunch." Natalia winked.
"Oh please, cooking is the highlight of any day for you."
"Nyeh, true. I'll be happy either way. See you in a bit."
"Safe travels back home." 
The two hugged, and Carrie headed to class while Natalia began for home. She arrived and opened the door. CiCi was there to greet her, brushing against her leg.
"Hi there, little mama. You have a fulfilling day of sleeping?" Natalia pet her.
"Meeeew."
"I'm so glad to hear it."
She put her things down on the couch, then went upstairs. "Kitty Kat, I'm home--"
"Oh my word...why yes, I do take this trolley often..." Tabby could be heard uttering.
"Um...what?"
Inside Kat's room, Tabby was sitting on the bed, with a VR headset over her eyes. She was blushing. "Oh, my...what a polite secret policeman you are..."
"Oh, hey, Hoodsy. I've introduced Tabs to the wonders of virtual reality. I offered her 'Silent Hill' or 'License to Kiss: An MI6 Dating Sim'. I don't think I need to tell you which one she picked." Kat said.
"How very direct...yes, I do believe that's a conceiled pistol in your pocket..."
"He's a very forward spy, isn't he?" Natalia asked.
"She's gotta be careful. Most of the options have her being seduced as part of the mission." Kat replied.
"Something tells me she won't have much of a problem with that. You guys had lunch yet?"
"Negative, Ghost Rider. We haven't had a Natty Special since we got home."
"I'm gonna go fix that. I'll give you a holler when it's ready~."
"Thanks, cutie." 
Natalia walked downstairs. Kat turned her attention back to Tabby, still completely engrossed in her game. "Ohhh, Bond-kun!" Kat teased.
Natalia looked through their kitchen. "Hmm...could go for homemade pizza. Pretty low on sauce, though. Nothing a quick hop to the market can't fix."
Her phone rang. She picked it up. "Hey, Kenny. How's it going?"
Over in Liverpool, Kenneth was riding on the top level of a double-decker bus. "Good afternoon, Natalia. Am I catching you at a bad time?"
"No, I just got home. I was gonna head over to do some groceries. You just get done with class?"
"Yes. I'm on my way home at the moment. I wanted to ask you something. Are you busy this weekend?"
"Umm...not really. Are you about to ask me on a date, Kenny?"
"In a...manner of speaking, yes."
"Kenny, I'm just teasing! We've been dating for almost two years, you don't have to skirt around asking me out."
"Yes, well...anyway. I've mentioned before that there's a contemporary art festival in Liverpool every two years..."
"The Liverpool Biennial, yep. You've brought it up pretty much every time we've seen each other since I moved. I'm gonna save you the torture, Kenny. I'd love to go."
"Couldn't you have at least let me try to get the words out?"
"Take it from someone that used to have a really bad stutter. It's better to not beat around the bush. I'll just look up train times for Saturday. Maybe even stay over for the night~?"
Kenneth staggered. "Your roommates are proving to be bad influences when it comes to relentless teasing."
The discussion was interrupted by something crashing onto the roof of the bus. The passengers on the top row looked up.
"Kenny, what was that?" Natalia asked.
"Sounds like something landed on the bus...debris of some kind?" Kenneth replied.
This thought was immediately debunked by the sound of footsteps moving towards the front of the bus. As the passengers looked through the window, someone leapt down, startling them.
"What on Earth...?" Kenneth pondered.
The sound of glass shattering echoed out. Downstairs, a man walked onto the bus through the broken front door.
"Oy, you! Whaddya think you're doing?!" the driver demanded. He was met by the point of a rapier, inches away from his neck.
"Silence, worm." ordered a distinctively Welsh accent.
The owner of the sword walked in. Most of his appearance was masked by a disheveled green raincoat, hood draped over his head, though hints of an orange prison jumpsuit could be seen through the tears in the coat. "Good day, Merseyside mongrels."
Kenneth could hear the commotion. "Natalia, I'll have to call you back."
"Kenny, what's going--"
Kenneth hung up. "...Kenny? Oh, no." Natalia uttered.
Back in Liverpool, the armed attacker continued his assault on the bus. On the top deck, Kenneth moved over to the stairway to listen in. "I only have one demand. Give me what I want, and you'll be allowed to live. Irritate me in any way..." The man brandished his sword. "...and we will see what color your blood is. And now, my request. Where is Ken Southgate?"
"(What...? He's looking for me? I don't recognize the voice...)" Kenneth wondered.
"This inane pounding in my head tells me he is in this city. Every public record says as much. And every less-public record tells me that an identification card with his name on it boarded this bus. Where is he?"
"I supposed to know the face of everyone that hops on this thing, bastard?!" the driver questioned.
The attacker pointed his sword at him again. "I'm happy to take volunteers for a slaughter."
"(I have to get these people off this bus. How best to do it...)" Kenneth looked to the side windows. "Alright, ladies and gentlemen. We're going to be making an emergency exit."
He opened one of the windows, and jumped onto the street. "One at a time. Don't be deceived. I'm stronger than I look."
Kenneth helped bring everyone down from the window, and they all ran off. He looked around, then slipped underneath the bus.
On the vehicle, the armed man went up and down the row, looking over every single person in search of his quarry. "You're telling me nobody's caught sight of him? Is red hair so prevalent around here that no one would bat an eye?"
"Ain't got any redheads on here, you maniac! Why don't you just bugger off?!" an elderly man responded.
"Well alright then. Figured you'd lived for long enough, eh? Shame it won't be peaceful."
He prepared to use his blade, until something came crashing through the window, illiciting surprised screams from some of the passengers. The assailant bent down to pick it up. It was a brick, with a note attached to it. 'To the madman' was written on it. He turned to look at the back of the page. 'On the roof of McBurnie's pub. You'll get what you want.'
The man turned to the passengers. "Today is your lucky day." He walked off the bus.
He climbed up to the roof of the pub, and gazed around. "...you're getting sloppy, Ken." He turned around. 
Kenneth was wearing his costume. "I'm sorry, have we met?"
"Do you think I'm going to fall for this charade? Another illusion built to keep me quiet? I must say, you've outdone yourself with that disguise, brother."
"What are you going on about? I have no siblings. Spending a bit too much time at the local drink, are we?"
"I'm not the one who seems to have taken several blows to the head. Whatever lunacy you've thrust upon me, it matters not." The man tossed away his coat. Underneath was an orange prison jumpsuit, along with black boots. Numerous knives were holstered around his belt. He possessed long, crimson-colored hair. "All that matters now...is that revenge will be mine!"
Quick as the wind, the man dashed forward, striking at Kenneth, who blocked with his saber. "Abandoning your choice of blade to help with this farce, brother? How shameful!"
"Quit talking as if you know me!" Kenneth responded.
The man maneuvered behind him. "(He's fast...!)"
He slashed at Kenneth, forcing him back. "What's with the slowed movements? Are you even taking me seriously?"
"(What's with this man? So convinced that he knows who I am...)"
"Ken!"
"Why do you call me that? No one has ever referred to me with that name. It's Kenneth. Or Kenny. But never Ken."
"Still trying to confuse me. It won't change a thing. Our duel to the death will not be interrupted by a farce."
The winds picked up behind the strange man. "I'll not be denied my lifelong vengeance. As you lay bleeding on the ground, gasping for life...know that it is Ezekiel Southgate, Lord of the Black Winds, who takes it from you!"
"('Southgate'?! What--)"
The winds gathered around Ezekiel's blade, forming a miniature cyclone around it. "Farewell...brother!"
He slashed at the air, and a cutting wind was launched at Kenneth. He took a blocking stance, but was forced back again, his uniform being cut into. His mask was knocked off. He got back up, revealing his face.
Ezekiel looked perplexed. "Wait...even your face has changed? No, that can't be...you're not Ken Southgate...who are you?"
"Hopelessly confused, for one!"
Ezekiel pointed his blade at Kenneth. "Explain this charade...or breathe your last."
"Or neither." 
Kenneth perked up. "Another Welshman...? Did he bring a friend with him?"
Suddenly, numerous sharp objects pierced the ground in front of Ezekiel. They were daggers. And all of them started to glow. "...!" He leapt away as they exploded.
"What's this now?" Kenneth questioned.
Another man leapt onto the roof. 
"It's you...!" Ezekiel grumbled.
"Hello, Zeke." the new arrival replied.
"What is this? Why is there another Ken Southgate here? Why is there no magic? Or your damned Planetary Defense Force?! Tell me!"
"It's not our world, Zeke. This kid is my counterpart. It's no trick. We're in a different universe."
"Counterpart? You mean you're..." Kenneth uttered.
"A different universe? This has to be a joke..." Ezekiel responded.
"You still want your deathmatch? I'll be happy to oblige." the other man brandished a dagger.
"Tch...! Enough of this! No use when the element of surprise is gone...this isn't the end of things, brother!" Ezekiel leapt away.
"It never is." The man turned to Kenneth. "Hey. You alright?"
"Relatively speaking...these wounds are superficial. I do have two questions. Who are you?! And who was that lunatic?!" Kenneth demanded.
"Well. That's an easy enough question. With a complicated answer."
The man looked nearly identical to Ezekiel. His red hair was tied back, and he wore a red-and-black P.D.F. uniform. Unlike Commander O'Donnell's division, however, his uniform bore an image of a dragon on the back, rather than a wolf. Daggers were holstered on his belt.
"I'm Ken Southgate. P.D.F. Japan's top espionage agent. And that man was my twin brother Ezekiel; one of my world's most feared criminals. Right hand to its *most* feared. Pleasure's all mine...Kenneth."
"(Oh...bother.)"
---
The doorbell rang at the cottage of the Milford clan. The orange-haired mother of the home, Catherine, opened the door. "20 minutes late, ya doof! That lasagna better not be--"
"Hello, Aunt Catherine." Kenneth stood there with his older counterpart.
"Oh, there ya are, Kenny! Was wonderin' what the hold-up was. Did ya bring the delivery dork with ya? Been waitin' on him forever!"
"I look like I work for Uber Eats?" Ken mumbled under his breath.
"This isn't the delivery man. This is Professor..." Kenneth saw a poster on the wall for Guns N Roses. "Slashrose. Professor Slashrose."
"You some kinda Bond villain with a name like that?" Catherine asked.
"Sure. Let's go with that." Ken replied.
"His house is being fumigated and his credit card is being replaced, so I offered him a meal and a place to sit for a few hours. If you wouldn't mind." Kenneth said.
"Ya got bugs and a shut-off bank account, Slashrose? Got some bad mojo around ya, huh?" Catherine asked.
"Sounds about right." Ken replied.
"Well, come on in. Hope ya don't mind leftovers."
The duo walked in. "Slashrose, kid? Might as well have named me 'Bongiovi'."
"Shut up."
With nary a prompt, Ken opened the refrigerator and grabbed a wrapped sandwich, and started eating. "Ah...please help yourself." Catherine uttered.
"Not one for propriety, are you?" Kenneth asked.
Ken simply stared at him, then raised his pinkie finger up, before continuing to eat.
"Um, so...what exactly do you teach, Mr. Slashrose?" Catherine asked.
"*Professor* Slashrose, thank you." Ken corrected.
"(You're not even a real professor, idiot.)" Kenneth thought.
"I teach, ah...history of espionage. Cold War and all that."
"And what are ya takin' a class like that for, Kenny? Thinkin' of becoming a spy on top of everything else?" Catherine asked.
"I needed an elective and it fit into my schedule." Kenneth replied.
The doorbell rang again. "Ach, good, maybe NOW that's my lasagna." Catherine walked to the door.
"Alright, 'Professor Slashrose', I've got some que--" Kenneth turned to look, but Ken had disappeared. 
"Hey. What's with the artsy fartsy?" Ken called out.
"Of course he's going to cull through my room..." Kenneth walked to his quarters, a simple bedroom filled with artist's tools and small stone models.
Ken was holding a white, featureless bust. "Where's his eyes?"
"Careful with that! It's in the early stages."
"I should hope so. You're an artist?"
"Yes. Hence why I attend art school. I'm a sculptor."
"Good luck with that. Artists don't have the best of times making money, you know."
"I'll take the artist's struggle over a career of taking lives."
"I'm a spy, Kenneth."
"With a collection of daggers. You have the air of a hired killer all over you."
"I only kill the people that have it coming. The ones that already crossed a line they can't go back from. I don't have any regrets." Ken noted a framed photo on Kenneth's mantle, a grayscale headshot of a smiling, curious Natalia. "Ohhh, she's a cute one. This your girlfriend?"
"Yes, as a matter of fact. You can drop the shocked look. Her name is Natalia."
Ken paused. "You mean Natalie, right?"
"No, I mean Natalia."
"Is she big on cats?"
"Quit dodging everything. You got to this world the same way the 'other' Max O'Donnell did, didn't you?"
Ken raised his eyebrow. "Max got sent here? When?"
"Two weeks ago, 'our' Max briefly opened a rift that transported 'your' Max here. Along with, apparently, several others from your universe. I honestly couldn't wrap my head around the idea until you showed up."
"Is he still here?" 
"Far as I've heard, he was sent back. Along with our Max as a form of discipline. But it appears they left some people behind."
"Damn. Two weeks is about right. I was sitting on Tokyo Tower, eating a bag of chips. Next thing I know, I'm just...here. I wandered around for a bit. Barely recognized that what I was in was still Tokyo."
"How did you find me here?"
"Spent some days searching through public records. Tried to find some familiar names. I come across a yearbook for that school you went to. And there you were. Found out through some more digging that you were going to school in Liverpool. So I came looking. I don't trust many people, but..."
"You figured you could trust yourself? Did you know that barbarian--"
"Zeke."
"Did you know he was here, too?"
"Not until today. Now let me ask you something. You've got friends here that you went to school with, right?"
"Yes. They're in London."
"Let's go grab them."
"Wait, right now?"
"Yes, right now. Zeke isn't the kind of opponent that can be tackled alone. Your friends have powers like you, right?"
"Well yes, but I can't just leave on short notice. It's a school night."
"You have class in the morning?"
"No, in the afternoon."
"Perfect, so we go now, give your pals a heads-up, then come back home. Quick and easy."
"Don't you care at all about going back to your world?"
"Well, duh. But I'm not going back without Zeke. I won't let him run free. It was an ungodly effort just to lock him up in the first place. If Max found his way back, then that's already sorted for me, no?"
"I suppose..."
Ken started out. "Introduce me to your mates, sport."
"Whatever you say, Professor Slashrose." Kenneth rolled his eyes.
---
Approximately three hours later, in London, Carrie returned to the girls' home. "Hello, girls. How are we today?"
"Hey, Care Bear." Kat was on the couch, with Tabby still looking through the VR headset.
"Of course I'm going to let Tuxedo Mask save me! What kind of question is that?!" Tabby exclaimed.
"We found her a Sailor Moon sim. It's going exactly how you'd expect."
"Heya, Care!" Natalia stepped out of the kitchen. "We've got some leftovers if you're hungry. I might've made a bigger pizza than I was planning on, hehe..."
"Still used to cooking for a group of ten, hm? It's alright, it just means we never have to eat out." Carrie replied, putting down her things.
The bell rang. "Hey, guys, I think Carrie might be home, can someone answer that?" Tabby asked.
Kat snatched the headset off of her head.
"Hey!"
"Embrace reality for five seconds."
"I'll get it. Bit late for a door-to-door salesman to make his rounds..." Carrie opened the door. "Hm? Kenneth? What a surprise...ah..."
"Hello, Caroline." Kenneth stood there. Behind him was his older counterpart, eating from a cup of chips. "We have a problem."
---
"Mmmph, oh, that's good. You just order this?" Ken ate a slice of pizza.
"Umm, no. I made it." Natalia replied. The girls all gave him odd looks.
"I'll give you a 5-star review for it. I haven't had a pizza for the longest. Dasuke only ever gets us meat for dinner. Meat, meat, always with the meat! It's like the guy's a dragon or something."
"Katherine, would you please contact Dr. Wolfe and get this man sent away as soon as possible? I'm starting to think he's only here to empty our pantries." Kenneth asked.
"On it yesterday." Kat took out her phone.
"Alright, alright, I get it! Y'know, seeing you three here together makes way too much sense. That's how it used to be back home." Ken commented.
"So you know their counterparts, then?" Tabby asked.
"Well...two-and-a-half is probably the best way to describe it. I know a girl with your hairdo. She's not Korean, though."
"Minus twenty points for that alone." Kat replied.
"And the two of you aren't Belgian or French, either. All three of the ones I know are, ah, what did Nats call it...'Mid-Atlantic'."
"So that's what you call the other me? What's she like?" Natalia asked.
"Well she's got a thing for cats like you do. Bit of a relentless tease, that one. Mostly keeps to herself these days."
"And what about me?" Carrie asked.
"Honestly, the same way. Seeing you two here together isn't shocking in the slightest. You two were always so tight. Right up until..." Ken paused.
"What happened?"
"Might as well not sugarcoat it. The Carrie from my world passed away several years ago. She died protecting Max from an attack."
"Oh...I see."
"I didn't want to shake any of you up. It's not something a lot of us back home like talking about."
"No, it's quite alright. There's no need to dwell on it. It's just...unsettling."
"Let's get back to business, then." Kenneth interjected. "You mentioned something earlier in regards to your brother. About him being the right hand of someone far worse than he."
"Right." Ken replied.
"Is there a chance that this 'far worse' person could have been transported here, as well?"
"That depends. Have there been any reports of whole cities being ravaged to the ground?"
"Not...recently." Tabby replied.
"Then it's just Zeke. But 'Just Zeke' isn't ideal, either. The one good thing is that he's been left without his usual arsenal, given his imprisonment. He's still an extremely dangerous enemy. Which is why I need the extra hands to help deal with him."
"And so rather than, I don't know, calling in reinforcements from your world, you're insistent on putting me and my friends in harm's way, instead." Kenneth responded. "Katherine, make the call. I'm not humoring this for a moment longer."
"And here I thought you were a gentleman."
"I likely would've met my end at this lunatic's hands had you not shown up. Your people can come in, clean this up, and you'll both be on your way."
"And how long could that take? Every second that Zeke is walking out there is a second where thousands of people could be in danger. You saw firsthand what happened on that bus. He would've massacred everyone on-board without a second thought. The sooner he's subdued, the better."
"I still haven't heard why I should be trusting *you*."
"I'm literally you."
"No, you aren't. You're an admitted murderer who's shown nothing but, frankly, slovenly tendencies since we've met."
"Wanna try a vocabulary that us non-artsy plebians can understand?"
"You raided my aunt's fridge."
"How's Cathy doing, by the by?" Kat asked.
"Not now, and really, 'Cathy'?"
"What a lovely day." Ken uttered.
"Shut up, Slashrose."
"Can you two just knock it off for five seconds?" Natalia demanded.
"OK, sure. One. Two. Three--" Ken responded.
"I'm starting to understand why your brother doesn't like you very much." Kenneth said.
"Wees stil!" Natalia exclaimed.
"What?" both Kenneths questioned.
"You're acting like an old married couple when there's a crazy murderer on the loose! Can't one of you be the bigger man and realize that?!"
"He started it!" both men pointed at the other.
"Ooooooh!" Tabby glared at the two men with intensity.
Everyone went silent momentarily. "...did your face just get stuck?" Ken asked.
"Tabs, what are you doing?" Kat asked.
"Didn't you say that your therapist stares people down when she needs them to be quiet?" Tabby asked.
"It's not a skill everyone has." Kat shook her head. "Tabs, please, just...stop staring like that."
"Ah...sorry." Tabby started turning red.
"It's alright, love, just take a back seat for now." Carrie suggested.
"Let me take a wild guess. She's new?" Ken asked.
"She's trying. That's all we're asking." Kat replied.
"So, Kenneth--" Carrie began.
"Yes?" both men answered.
"So predictable. Older Kenneth. How exactly do you plan on taking your brother in?"
"I'll find an area away from people and lure him there. He can't resist an attempt at me. He's probably--" Ken began, before pausing.
"Holding back a sneeze, Slashrose?" Kenneth asked.
"Shh! You hear that? I just heard a thud. Sounded like it was from upstairs. There anyone else in the house?"
"No one except for..." Kat glanced down at CiCi and Khukki, looking up at the group inquisitively.
"...a wide open space, Old Kenny?" Natalia asked.
"Sounds like he had other ideas. Everyone hide!" Kenneth ordered.
By the time Ezekiel had made his way downstairs, rapier in hand, there was nobody there. He looked around the kitchen area. Someone had obviously just eaten and left abruptly. 
He'd seen his prey walk into this house. He knew they were hiding. Still, another primal urge was driving him. He couldn't remember the last time he'd had a meal anyone would consider decent. He took a slice of pizza and sat down to eat it. 
"Mew?"
He looked, and there were the two cats staring at him. "Pfeh. Walking plague carriers."
Another cat walked over behind them, with black fur and pink eyes.
"Oh, this is truly pathetic. It's a miracle that the smell isn't horrendous." Ezekiel took out a dagger, and threw it at the ground in front of the felines. CiCi and Khukki scampered off in fright. The black cat flinched, but stayed looking.
"Oh...this one has a spine. Almost reminds me of that accursed Natalie's dreadful feline." Ezekiel took out another dagger. "For that alone, I'll have your fur on my wall."
The cat finally rushed out of sight.
"Smart." He continued his impromptu lunch.
"I hope you're enjoying my friend's cooking." A voice spoke from his immediate vicinity.
Kat was on Ezekiel's back, paws on top of his head. "Savor it, cuz when we're done with you...it'll be the last decent meal you'll ever have."
He took a swipe at her, and she leapt off of him. "And just what are you supposed to be?" he questioned.
"The best security system there is. Now we can do this one of two ways, either I escort you out peacefully, or--"
Ezekiel brandished his knives.
"--you don't do peaceful, got it. Guess we're gonna mess up my house a little. Bring it, stabby."
"Heh, are you trying to make a joke? Is that form supposed to intimidate me?"
"Nah, this one's mostly for pets and cuddles." Kat's form shifted, and the black cat suddenly became a black lioness. "*This* one's for intimidation."
She lunged at Ezekiel, but the assassin surprised her by placing her in a headlock. "Congratulations. You've been upgraded from being mounted on my wall to becoming a nice rug. Enjoy your death." he boasted.
An object came flying and knocked him on the head. "Agh!" He let go of Kat, who shifted back into a human, grasping at her throat and catching her breath. Ezekiel looked down at what had hit him: a small bronze statue of an elephant. "Attack of the Killer Ceramics, is it?"
The statue suddenly flew back up towards his face, and he quickly avoided it. "Ha! Feeble witchcraft--" The statue flew back down at him, but he caught it. "Should you really be so careless with your home ornaments?"
Natalia was sticking out from behind the couch, her eyes glowing yellow. "I got that for cheap from Lidl. I'll live."
"Famous final words." Shadowy winds surrounded Ezekiel's sword. "I would recommend you start praying to whatever god you might believe in."
"What if we're atheists?" Kat asked.
"Eager to die, are you?" Ezekiel turned to her. "So the fur is just a ruse. You're dying first."
"Not a fan of cats?"
"Because pink streaks in black hair is a sight that makes my blood boil. Slow and painful will be your fate."
The assassin put his arm up to block a leg strike from behind. "Are you quite done making a mess of my house?" Carrie asked.
"Would you mind? I was about to give the walls a fresh coat of crimson." Ezekiel hoisted her over his shoulder. She grabbed a hold of his head and they both crashed into the kitchen table.
"Feisty one, aren't you?" he questioned.
"I've stared down far worse than you." Carrie replied.
"No, you haven't." He brandished his sword. "You *really* haven't."
His arm was grabbed from behind. "Hands off!" Tabby kicked at his legs frantically. "This is for throwing a knife at my cat!"
Ezekiel sighed. This was becoming tiresome. "You all are so eager to die."
Winds began to gather, and moved methodically to knock away Tabby. The wind knocked the girls around, crashing into the walls and blowing over the furniture.
"This is beginning to bore me. If my brother insists on continuing to hide, then perhaps the pungent scent of blood and carnage will draw him out. Life means nothing to those of us devoted to taking it, after all." Ezekiel raised his sword towards Tabby. "You look like you would have the best screams. Let's test that out, shall we?"
At that moment, Tabby froze. This same scenario had played out just over a month before. Back then, it was in the comfort of her own room, and the feeling of terror came at the hands of a boy she once loved. 
Even now, after everything she thought she'd gained, she felt that same level of hopelessness. "(I'm seriously going to die, after all that? Am I really...this feeble?)" she thought.
She expected that same piercing cold to hit her any second. She heard that sound of metal piercing skin...but none of the cold. She opened her eyes, expecting to see a rapier plunged into her stomach. Maybe she was just numb to the pain. "...!"
"I ain't giving you the pleasure...you piece of shit..." 
Kat was between Tabby and Ezekiel. She'd taken the sword strike, directly to her lower abdomen.
"Kitten!" Carrie yelled.
"Self-sacrifice at its most pitiful--" Ezekiel commented.
His statement was promptly interrupted by a sharp pain coming from his backside. "Yaaaargh!" Three daggers were jutting out from his back.
"There's more where that came from, brother." Ken appeared brandishing more daggers between his fingers.
"Grr...! Perhaps I was too hasty...this place is far too chaotic...for us to kill each other..." Ezekiel's body dissolved into a dark wind, blowing past Ken as he escaped.
"Are you quite done having me 'wait for the right moment' yet?" Kenneth stepped out. "Hm?!"
"Kat! Oh, no no no..." Natalia exclaimed, as everyone scrambled to their injured friend's side.
"No...why...why did you do that?!" Tabby demanded.
"Taking hits is kinda my thing...'sides, I've been hit with worse..." Kat responded, a hand over her wound.
"You've just been stabbed with a sword, I won't hear any of those brave objections!" Carrie replied.
"Really, it's not so bad...nothing a couple of bandaids couldn't fix..."
"I'll have none of it! We have to get her to a hospital, this instant!"
"Can you stand?" Kenneth asked.
"I didn't get stabbed in the legs, Kenny...I'll be fine, really." Kat got up, but wobbled a bit. Tabby immediately moved to hold her up.
"Let's get you to a doctor. The maniac can wait."
"No, Kenny. Go kick his ass. He's got a bunch of knives sticking out of him. Hunt him down and take him out. I'll be fine."
"We'll make sure she's alright. He's too dangerous to be out there. It's okay, really." Natalia assured.
"They're right, kid. If we give Zeke the time, he'll come back with vengeance. We have to take the chance while we have it." Ken agreed.
"...fine, then. Let's give the fiend what he deserves." Kenneth turned to leave.
"Not gonna tell me not to die?" Kat asked.
"You said it yourself. You've taken worse. You know and I know that you're too stubborn to die from something so tame in comparison. I'll make sure to visit once we're done swatting the blackguard aside." 
The two Kens left.
"A'ight, let's get to hustling..." Kat uttered.
"You can't be serious about walking there, can you?" Carrie questioned.
"You're worrying too much, it's just a--ooookay, maybe you've got a point." Kat stood against the wall. "Heh...gonna be fun cleaning this place up, huh?"
"....." Tabby remained silent, a grim look on her face.
Outside, the two men looked around. "He couldn't have gone far. No doubt he's returned to the shadows to lick his wounds. I'm not giving him the chance." the older man said as they hurried along.
"....." Kenneth looked ponderous.
"What's that mumbling about?"
"I just don't understand it. He's your twin brother. Every set of twins I've ever met has had an unbreakable bond between them. Why does he thirst for your death?"
"It's a long story. All I'll say is there were a lot of things I had to do to survive when I was growing up. Things I wouldn't be boasting about. And what I did out of necessity, Zeke did for the thrill of it. He hated my guts for turning away and joining the P.D.F."
"So he thinks you've turned your back on him. Was there ever a time where you weren't at each other's throats?"
"Not really. It was always a competition between us. From the beginning he was trying to get one over on me. Couple that with feelings of betrayal and a sadistic streak a mile wide, and, well. Here we are."
"Doesn't it bother you at all?"
"Bother me? No. I accepted things would never be square between us a long time ago. Sometimes people just can't be part of your life. Even when they're your blood. Get what I mean?"
"I do, in a way. My mother tried to 'correct' my behavior in the worst possible ways. I haven't spoken to her in years. Or my father, for that matter."
"The way you say that makes it sound like he wasn't joining in on the punishment."
"No. But he might as well have. My father is a spineless coward who stood back and let my mother run rampant. Inaction is as good as allowing it to happen."
"Well if your mom is as terrifying as you're making her sound, maybe he was scared of her. Maybe she hurt him, too."
"It doesn't change a thing about what I had to endure."
"No, I suppose it doesn't. But take my advice, kid. You're gonna want to make sure you don't have any lingering regrets. There were some things I wanted to air out with my parents that I never got the chance to. If you want the full story of why what happened, happened, you should hear it from your old man himself."
"I can live with the what-ifs."
"Says the guy not currently living with what-ifs. You do whatever. I'm just a guy with decades of experience on you, is all."
"Tch..."
The two caught sight of some specks of blood, that led into an alley. "The blood stops here...where could he have gone?" Kenneth asked.
Ken looked up. "There." he pointed.
The two made their way onto the roof. They were greeted by the sound of heavy breathing. On the ground was Ezekiel, bleeding from the back, all three daggers having been removed. He glared up at the two Kens, rage burning in his eyes. "Damn...youuuuuu...is this how I am to meet my end? Not in a glorious duel to the death, but as a quivering mass, bleeding out on the ground?"
"It'd be no less than what you deserve, Zeke. I'm not in the business of giving you satisfaction." Ken replied.
"How typical...but at least I can take some satisfaction in giving that loudmouthed feline her comeuppance. Just desserts for that kind of sacrifice you do-gooders are so very fond of."
"You'd be wrong about that. She got up on her own power. You wouldn't even rate on her list of times she's come close to dying. She's far too determined to succumb to a single stab wound like that." Kenneth retorted.
"In short, you lose again, Zeke. Don't you ever get tired of being a deranged failure? This is how it always ends, and how it'll always end so long as I'm breathing. When are you gonna learn?" Ken asked.
"I'll be sated...when you're in the cold, dry ground...I'll pursue you until I've put you there myself!" Ezekiel got to his feet. "I'll be the one to kill you...if it's the last thing I--"
An energy blast fired past the two Kens, hitting Ezekiel and stunning him. He fell to the ground, immobilized as static energy covered him. "Gzzzzz...! Why...you..."
"As unhinged and long-winded as ever, huh Zeke? The things prison does to a guy." Commander Max appeared, brandishing an energy rifle.
"Well well well, look who came to crash the party. Guess your pals made the call after all, kid." Ken said.
"Nobody called me in, Ken. I got told hours ago that you and Mr. Sensitive here were missing. Once every avenue was exhausted, I came here, where your other self was. Gonna assume this dapper chap here is him?"
"You have eyes, Maxie. You tell me."
"'Maxie'? Then this man is..." Kenneth uttered.
"Bastaaaaaard!" Ezekiel yelled out. "I'll have your skin fashioned into a carpet, you utter disgrace!"
"Colorful as always, Zeke. Gentlemen, if you wouldn't mind escorting Mr. Southgate to his cell?" the commander ordered, as two armored agents moved to arrest Ezekiel.
"Grr...!" They hoisted him up, placing a power-dampening collar around him.
"Get him out of my sight. So, any damage done?"
"Well, he threatened a bus full of people and stabbed a girl. She'll be fine, from the sound of it." Ken replied.
"Looks like we got here just in time. I'm gonna have to start renting a place here at this rate. Sonia was causing a ruckus over in Japan not that long ago. And we had to pick up Candice from Los Angeles not long before *that*. Hopefully this'll be the end of it."
"Guess this other you's as big of a troublemaker as you, huh? Some things don't change at all."
"I don't know what you mean. Now I'm sure you're probably exasperated by now. Let's get you home. I have a party to plan."
"Wow, missed me that much? I'm flattered."
"Not for you, smart guy. Don't make me regret coming to get you."
"Just a joke, old friend. Give me a sec." Ken turned to his younger counterpart. "Sorry to cut this short, kid. It's been real."
"It certainly has been...something." Kenneth replied.
"If you're gonna get anything from me, then remember what I said earlier. Don't have regrets. Even if it's painful to do it."
"I'll...take your words into consideration. Thanks for the experience, Professor Slashrose."
"Ha ha ha. See you around, kid."
Ken turned to leave through a portal. "'Slashrose'?" Commander Max questioned.
"Some things are better left unanswered." 
The outworlders left, leaving Kenneth alone on the roof. "What an utterly exhausting day. Suppose I should check in on Kat." He started to walk. "Perhaps one of her sharp-tongued ribbings would help distract me from this racing in my head..."
---
October 9, 2031
"I hope this came out alright. I'm much better with a wrench than I am with a teaspoon." Letty put the cake down on the table.
"Looks pretty good to me. It's fudge...just like how my mom makes it." Max replied.
"It's not discomforting, is it? We were just wanting to put you at ease."
"No, this is great. It's honestly been a few years since I've had a birthday cake. This really does mean a lot."
"Heeey, is that a smile I'm seeing?" Cindy chimed. 
"You're imagining it."
"Ooooh, hehe, it totally is! That makes it all worth it!"
"You're gonna make the guy blush, Cind." Anna chimed in.
"Isn't this the one designated day of the year where I can't be bullied?" Max shook his head.
"Who's bullying who?! It's friendly jabbing, that's all!"
"Everyone's lively even before the cake." Emily sat on the couch, drinking tea.
"Bah! When did you get in here, Em?!"
"I've been here from the beginning. You waved at me and said, and I quote, 'How do ya do, Em?'" Emily mimicked a Brooklyn accent.
Cindy snickered. "I do NOT sound like that!" Anna exclaimed.
"No no, she's got a point. It was more like, 'How are ya, Em? Finally outta your birdcage and gracin' us with your presence?'" Max duplicated Anna's voice.
Cindy's snicker turned into full-on laughter. "That ain't funny!" Anna puffed her cheeks.
"My, it's been a while since the apartment's been this energetic. Maybe we should have otherworldly guests in more often." Letty commented.
"I wouldn't recommend it." Emily replied matter-of-factly.
"Hm? Did you actually say something to me, Emily?"
"You're imagining it." Emily sipped her tea.
"Hey, so what's taking Dad?" Cindy asked.
"He needed to call Dasuke to make sure Ezekiel got transported smoothly. There's one man that doesn't need to be out on the streets." Letty replied.
"Maybe you should go out and give a shout, Cind. Maybe Dai is listening in." Anna teased.
"Don't make fun of me, Anna! You'd do the same thing if it was Jess!" Cindy responded.
"Why would I do that when I could run over there in a couple minutes?! I'm not that desperate!"
Max couldn't help but snicker.
"Ehhh, sorry, is it too crazy?" Cindy asked.
"No, no...ahaha...this is perfect, actually. The last couple of birthdays I got to celebrate were about this chaotic. My friends have always been over-the-top. This was exactly what I needed." Max replied.
"So the medicine for your gloominess is to moan and bicker? Everyone where you're from as nutty as you, chief?" Anna asked.
"Not that far off, actually."
Outside of the apartment, the commander was on the phone. "Not like you to not pick up. What's going on..."
A man answered. "Aren't you one for timing."
"There you are, Dasuke. Usually doesn't take you that long to pick up."
"Well it's been an utter train wreck over on my end. I was about to call you myself."
"Don't tell me something went wrong with Zeke."
"Yeah. Something *very* wrong. The convoy flying him over was attacked."
"Oh...shit. Is the crew okay?"
"The ship landed in the ocean. They sent a distress signal out and we just picked them up. But Zeke got away."
"Oh, hell."
"There's more, Max. Your crew said that the ship that attacked them had the emblem of the Wolfpack."
".....I should've guessed."
"They weren't going to miss an opportunity to get their second-in-command back, looks like."
"How'd they find out about it? I kept that flight as tight under wraps as possible. No one outside of our networks even knew he'd gotten free the first time."
"Sounds like we might have rats in the walls."
"And here I'd thought we'd weeded out every last one of you-know-who's yes men. I should know better by now. Time for another round of second and third-looking background checks. Just great."
"Not much we can do about it now, circumstances being what they are. How's that...other you coming along? You're hinging a lot of our plan on this kid."
"He'll be ready when the time comes. I'm sure of it."
"I hope you're right. Because if someone leaked the location of that convoy, it stands to reason that they might've spilled the beans about your little secret weapon."
"Only the people I trust the most know about his strengths. Our friends down in Sydney are due for a rude awakening."
Cindy poked her head out of the apartment. "Hey, Dad? You OK out here? You're gonna miss the cake!"
"I'll be there in a sec, honey. Just have to take care of some things with Dasuke."
"Is Dai there? Tell him I said hi! And to eat his veggies!"
"Ha, knew it." Anna chimed in.
"Quit being a jerk, Anna!" Cindy ducked back inside the room.
"That sounds like business as usual for you." the man over the phone said.
"I'd imagine it's the same for you on a normal day." the commander replied.
"Well I won't keep you longer than I need to. I've got all sorts of things to sort through now. We'll talk later."
"Sounds like a plan. Tell the fam we said hi."
"Same to you, old friend. Good luck."
The phone call ended. "Yeah. Cake is sounding pretty good right now."
---
"Hey kid, hold up." the commander said, later in the night.
"Yeah?" Max asked.
"This was alright, wasn't it? I know you would've preferred it if your family and pals were here, but all things considered..."
"I'd be lying if I said I didn't. But this was nice. It was as chaotic and loud as my birthdays tend to go. And your wife bakes a good cake. It felt like home for a good minute. So...thanks for that."
"Well I'm glad to hear it. The sooner you ease into life here, the better. On that note...how about you take the day off tomorrow?"
"For real? It's okay?"
"Yeah, sure. I know I've been running you ragged for a bit, so how about you take a day to see the sights? Get a better feel for things around town. And just so you're not at a complete loss, I'll give Cindy and Anna the day off, too. It'll be good for you to have some company your age."
"Okay, but...won't it be problematic not to have your best engineer around?"
"We'll live. If anything needs repairing, Letty can more than handle it. And between you and me, those kids could really use some time off. Anna's been a little shaken ever since the incident with her mom, and Cindy doesn't get enough time outside of her workshop. And they seem to like you enough."
"Well if you're so sure. Can't say no to a day off in NYC. Thanks a bunch."
"Call it a last-minute birthday gift. It was either that or a Starbucks gift card. I think you'll appreciate this a bit more. Get some sleep in. Those girls are gonna give you a real run tomorrow. I know from experience."
"Thanks for the warning. And again, for the day off. See you around." Max departed.
"....." The commander's expression changed, from laid-back to serious. "Get your fun in while you can, kid. Things are gearing up to get hectic." 
He looked up. "You never make things easy, do you, brother?"