PB4G: WRATH AS A LIGHTNING, PART 5

WRATH AS A LIGHTNING, PART 5
June 10, 2032
Earth-013. The island of Lemuria, in the Western Pacific.
Cindy sat on the edge of a pier, kicking her feet in the water.
"Enjoying Mother Ocean's bounty, Cindy?" Candice approached. She was wearing a light blue dress, a line of glimmering pink seashells across the front. A hairband composed of colorful scales adorned her head, and she wore white sandals.
"I forgot just how salty the water is here. It's like its own little spa session!" Cindy replied. "Really, it's no wonder your skin's always perfect, Candy. Oh, uh, I mean, Your Highness."
"Oh, Cindy, you know you don't have to call me that. I don't want anyone treating me differently, especially not my own family. Really, it's only a title."
"Sorry. I mean, I've always seen you as kind of a princess, anyway. But now you really are one. It'll take some getting used to."
"I'm still the same Candice. Just with a slightly nicer wardrobe." Candice giggled.
"I can't argue with that, heehee. So did you need something?"
"Just wanted to talk. We haven't spoken in a while." Candice sat down next to Cindy. "How have you been? I heard about what happened in the other world."
"Well, things are getting better. Maxie's improved a lot. It's a big relief. I'm just still so nervous about this Shield guy."
"My view on that is...we survived our uncle. Compared to him, this man isn't so intimidating. It's only a matter of time before he makes a mistake. Now, don't think I haven't noticed you dodging that first question. How are you?"
Cindy paused. "As bad as it sounds...I'm kinda glad I'm occupied with something now. I wasn't doing okay. And...I'm still not."
Candice grabbed her hand, gently. "You're still thinking of Hugo."
"Every day. The fact that I almost died was enough. Losing him...it's too much." Cindy began to shed tears. "You know I buried him in a little shoebox? I couldn't keep his shell...it would've felt so morbid. And when I posted about it online...I got people telling me that I was burying a broken toy. That I could build a new one whenever I wanted, and I was being dramatic."
"Ignore them. They didn't know him like you did. I know he had a soul. It wouldn't be as simple as building another one. That wouldn't be Hugo."
"Exactly! He wasn't just a robot, or a pet. He was real. He was...my friend. The friend I made because no one else wanted to be mine. Being in the apartment by myself, without him doting over me and giving me lectures about keeping stuff organized...the silence is deafening. It feels like I've got so many more friends now, and I'm still feeling lonely..."
"It's natural. You just have to find things to occupy your time with when everyone is busy. You're not alone, Cindy. Even if your friends are busy, you have your family. I'm always here to talk if you need it."
"Thanks, Candy." Cindy rested her head on her cousin's shoulder.
"Now, something else I've been wondering about...have you seen Dai since the battle?"
"Um...no, I haven't. I know they've been really busy in Japan with rebuilding Naruki, so I haven't had a moment to go over there."
"Busy every single day?" Candice thought about her follow-up. "Okay. I've had this concern for a while, but I feel like now is the time to bring it up. I think you should really re-think your relationship, Cindy."
"C'mon, Candy, don't..."
"It's not just that it's long distance. Even moreso now than before. But...he's a wyvern. His parents have lived forty of our lives, and still look young. They'll outlive us all, by a significant margin."
"I love him, Candy."
"I know you do. I wouldn't be saying this if I didn't think you needed to hear it. You're a brilliant girl. The thought must have passed your mind before."
"....." Cindy looked down at the water. "You can see right through me, Candy. Truth is, I haven't gone to visit Japan because I know what you're telling me is what I need to do. I've just got so much swimming in my head already...I don't need the extra heartache right now."
Candice gave her cousin a reassuring smile, putting her hand on her shoulder, before standing up. "Come on. Let's go for a walk."
"Okay." Cindy followed suit.
The two began walking through the limestone city, as small, pottery-esque drones hovered overhead. The townsfolk they passed by gave their princess a wave and warm greetings.
"All this extra attention's gotta be a lot to deal with." Cindy said.
"Honestly, I prefer this to how it used to be, with everyone pushing for me to take the throne outright. All that busyness made the idea less appealing. Now that Father has it, the attention's felt much more good-natured." Candice replied.
"That has to be a relief. I'm a little surprised you're taking it so well. You always hated the idea of being tied down by a title."
"Well, about that..."
"Princess Candice!" A trio of blue-haired boys approached.
"Hello, boys. Oh, what do we have here?"
One of the boys held a grey-feathered bird. "I think this seagull's hurt. He was sitting around my house with no other birds around."
"It's definitely unusual for one not to fly away at the sight of someone." Candice bent down on her knees, petting the bird. "Hello, little one. What's the matter?"
The gull made a small noise, which Candice seemed to understand.
"I see. He hit his wing on a rock while he was foraging. His flock should still be nearby. Let me get him fixed up." She took the bird, gently holding him, and walked over to a ledge that was blocked by a fence. Her eyes lit up, as she brought up a stream of seawater. "Here you go, friend." She placed the water onto the bird's wing.
She put the gull down. "How does it feel?"
The bird waddled around, before flapping its wings a few times. It let out a loud call.
"Wonderful! Fly along, now. Your friends must be worried."
With another grateful call, the seagull flew away.
"That was amazing, Your Highness!" one of the boys exclaimed.
"It was nothing on my part. Mother Ocean deserves the praise. Thank you for bringing him to me. He said he was grateful for that." Candice patted the boys on their heads. "Tell your parents I said hello."
"Thank you, Princess!" The boys ran off.
Cindy giggled. "And here I thought Emmy was the only one that could speak bird-ese. You're like an angel, Candy."
"It's really nothing. Anyone would do the same in my position. I'm attendant to all of Mother Ocean's children, big and small. Come. There's something I want to show you." Candice directed.
She brought Cindy to the amphitheater at the edge of the city, and at the highest point of the seats, they looked out, towards the vast, open ocean. Candice briefly closed her eyes. "A wonderful breeze today. I never tire of the sensation on my skin."
"I get what you mean. It's like a salty hug." Cindy replied.
"Everything you see out there...every last drop of saltwater that covers this world...I yearn for it. Every second that I'm outside of her embrace, is so painful. For my entire life, all I've wanted was to explore every corner of her borders at my own leisure. And yet, whenever I come here, the calls from my people are to stay, and to lead. I resented the idea for so long."
"Being here and having all these royal duties would make going out and swimming wherever you want difficult. So how come you aren't upset?"
"The first couple of weeks after the coronation, with all the formalities and rituals that went along with it, I spent my days wandering town. There was always some problem that needed fixing. A mishap with someone's fishing equipment, a whale getting separated from its pod, a wound that needed closing. I was happy to assist in whatever way I could. And there lies the secret to it all. It made me happy. One of the elders expressed to me that they were surprised I didn't take the first opportunity to dive into the ocean and swim as far as I could. I'm a princess. I could do whatever I wanted, within reason. So why was I staying here? I looked out to this same view, and the answer came to me."
"What was it?"
"The desire to have zero responsibilities...to wander aimlessly, when I could be helping others...those were the selfish desires of a little girl. I don't want to be the kind of spoiled royal you always hear about, flaunting their status and using it for their own personal gain. I want to be of service to my people. To all of Mother Ocean's children, here and in the waters all around us. That is my calling. Here is where I am happiest."
"Don't you miss us, though? And Aunt Bobbi? Isn't it hard being so far away from her?"
"Of course. Father and I want nothing more than to have her here with us. But Mother's place is in New York, fulfilling her duties to the people there. That is her calling. I know she would be unhappy, so far away from everything she has there. Just as I would be unhappy, cooped up in an apartment, blind to the world around me in every way."
"But being away from each other has to make you both sad, right?"
"Cindy. This is what I wanted to talk to you about. Life...and growing up. Being an adult is about sacrifices. Having one's calling won't always mean that you'll have your ultimate happiness right away. Mother is most happy being around Uncle Max, and leading the Defense Force together. I am most happy being here, helping my people and all the creatures who call these waters home. The freedoms that adulthood offers also come with sacrifices. And that includes not being around the people we love as much, as we all attend to our callings."
"I...think I'm starting to see what you're getting at."
"It's the same for your friends in the other world. Barbara has expressed to me how difficult it is for them to be so far away from each other, when they used to spend every day together. But that's the sacrifice they chose to pursue their futures. And they also chose to be away from their families for extended periods, then and now. But it makes the moments they're together all the more meaningful. I was so happy when Emily came here with her girls. Getting to be around them last week must have been even more meaningful for you, right?"
"Mmhmm. It was the happiest I've felt in a long time."
"I can imagine. I think part of you realizes this already. You moved across worlds to find yourself. To discover who you want to be, away from everything you've known here." Candice took Cindy's hand. "I feel how conflicted you are. Hugo's sacrifice hangs over you, his final words like a curse. You want to come to terms with it, but don't know how, or really, what you want to be. Look at me, my brilliant cousin."
Cindy looked up at her.
"You're at a crossroads. This is your waypoint between who you used to be, and who you will become. This life...the sacrifices you need to make...your calling...and your grief...this is not for Cindy the girl. I'm not telling you to abandon everything. Change out your wardrobe and sell off your collection. I'm telling you that it's time for your most difficult task to begin: growing up. That is not the quest of Cindy the girl. This must be the beginning for Cynthia, the woman. Whoever she is...that's up to you to find out."
Her cousin's words reverberated in Cindy's head, down to her very soul. "Candy...I think..."
Candice noticed something, over Cindy's shoulder. "Oh...hello."
Cindy turned around. "Dr. Rose?"
"I apologize for entering without prior notice, Princess Candice. Forgive my lack of decorum." Rose said.
"No need to apologize. Are you here for Cindy?" Candice asked.
"Doctor...he's appeared again, hasn't he?" Cindy assumed.
Rose nodded. But the look on her face was more troubled than usual. 
"What's with the look? Where is he now?"
"His signal just manifested itself...on Earth-013." Rose revealed.
"Earth--wait. But...but that's..." Cindy grew pale.
"Cindy...that's our world's designation, isn't it? Which means..." Candice realized.
"He is surely in New York City. We have to make haste. Commander O'Donnell's life is in danger." Rose dictated.
Cindy's expression grew more serious. At that moment...came the epiphany. "...alright. Let's go." 
Candice was caught by surprise. "(Her voice...was it deeper just now? No...perhaps the better phrasing is...it's more mature.)" she thought.
"Candice...thank you for your words. I...think I get it now." Cindy, a noticeably different tone to her voice, turned back to her cousin. "I have to go. The thing I was afraid of the most is finally here. Now it's time to face it head-on. As...Cynthia, the woman. This monster that's taken so much already isn't going to take Dad. I won't let him." She embraced her. "I'll see you soon. Thanks for everything."
Candice smiled back at her. "Brilliant. Absolutely brilliant. I'll be praying for your success, and that Uncle Max comes to no harm. Good luck, Cynthia."
"Thank you. Dr. Rose, take me home."
"At your service, Ms. O'Donnell. No time to waste." Rose opened a portal. Cindy followed her inside, and it closed.
Candice put her hands together. "Seize your calling, my brilliant cousin."
---
New York City. Nighttime at the P.D.F. headquarters.
"All done, sir." A custodian finished with cleaning the office of Commander Max O'Donnell.
"Thanks as always, Sam. See you in the morning." the Commander replied.
"Thank you, sir. Have a good night."
"I'll try."
The custodian left, and Max returned to his paperwork. 
"That's the same stack you were working on two hours ago." Bobbi had walked in.
"Doesn't help when I have to sign every sheet about twenty times. Honestly, how much proof do they need that it's my signature?" Max replied.
"So much for the idea that Old Johnny kicking the bucket would mean less paperwork."
"Seriously. Feels like there's been more paper on my desk than ever. At this rate, they're gonna rename us the Planetary Signature Force. You heading out?"
"Yeah. Another night of sitting on the couch, sipping on some fruity drink and listening to the dead silence in my apartment. The price one pays for being the mother of royalty."
"You know you can always have dinner with us, right? Letty won't mind. Heck, with Cindy gone and Emily having her own munchkins to look after, she'd welcome the company."
"I'm not asking for pity, Max."
"And I'm not giving it to you. Just a brother looking out for his sister. Same as always."
Bobbi sighed and rolled her eyes. "Well, if you're offering..."
"I'll let her know to set an extra plate."
"As long as you don't keep us waiting."
"This stack is thankfully, mercifully, almost finished. I'll be right behind you."
"'Right behind you' could mean any length of time. But I won't hold you up. I know how much you love signing things."
"It's my new favorite pastime."
Bobbi headed for the door. She turned around. "Hey."
"What's up?"
"I know I don't say this nearly enough, and given recent events I probably should, but...I love you, you know that, right?"
"Course I do. I love you, too. Thought it went without saying."
"Just in case you needed the reminder. I might be a Frost Queen, but I'm not heartless. Thanks for the dinner invite. See you in a bit."
"Fingers crossed."
Bobbi exited, and Max returned his attention to the paperwork. A few minutes passed.
He heard someone enter, but didn't look up. "...I know those aren't my sister's boots. You know the building's off-limits to civilians, right?"
"Good thing I'm not a civilian. Or subject to your laws."
Max looked up. There was the Shield, the Bolt in his hand. "Can I help you with something?"
"Do you know who I am?"
"Judging by that Nickelodeon armor, I'm going to say...you're the Shield I've heard so much about. I was waiting for you to knock on my door. Bit sooner than I was expecting, though."
"You can thank your meddling daughter for that."
Max returned his gaze to his paperwork. "So this is, what, a revenge visit? Here to make a point? Well, my good man, I hate to say it, but you're not the only one fixing for some payback. See, I don't really appreciate you putting the kid in the hospital, or, heck, literally anything else you've done. If you think this is gonna be a walk in the park, I'm afraid you've made a grave miscalculation."
"I know about your strength. That's why I brought this." 
"What's that? A lightning bolt? You're gonna hit me with a lightning bolt. That's your plan. You really don't know who I am, do you? Fighting me with electricity would be like fighting a fire by lighting a match."
"Don't even need the electricity." The Shield reared the Bolt back. "I just need to go for the head."
He swung, and still, without looking up, Max grabbed it with one hand. He finally glanced at the intruder. "And here I thought we were having a gentlemanly conversation. Like I was saying, you really have no idea who you're dealing with. How many Maxes have you killed already? 73, I think? You've probably heard this next part before, but I'll make this plain."
Electricity crackled out from his eye. "I promise you...you haven't *met* a Max like me."
Moments later, on the roof of the building, the Shield walked out, a stiffness to his movements. Electricity sparked around his armor. "You...son of a...what did you...do to me..."
"Overrode your circuits and assumed direct control." the Commander's voice replied. "If we're gonna do this, I'd rather you not mess up my office after my custodian just finished cleaning."
Emerging from the armor as electricity, he reformed into his corporeal state, now in his own green and white armor. "Alright, pal, let's dance. I'll even be sporting and give you the first crack at it."
"Cocky son of a..." The Shield pointed the Bolt at the Commander, firing off sparks, but using both hands, the latter stopped them in midair. 
"Thanks for the appetizer." Max began siphoning off power from the Bolt, before firing it back at the Shield, knocking the weapon out of his hands and sending him flying off the side of the tower. The Commander took to the sky, and followed after. 
Quickly hurtling downwards, the Shield reached out for anything, only for Max to grab him. "What, whoever made that tin can didn't bother to give it flying capabilities? You seriously lack imagination!"
"Tell it to the engineer." The Shield extended his knuckle spike, aiming for Max's neck. The weapon bounced off, not even leaving a scratch. "Wha--?!"
"Apparently that goes double for your weaponry. I would've guessed you'd have all sorts of neat gadgets built in, instead of a poker and a standard-issue handgun. Guess I've just been spoiled by my mechanic."
The Shield punched him with his other hand. "Only 'gadget' I need is my own two hands."
The two flew through the New York skyline, grappling with each other and exchanging blows, as people walking down the street looked on.
"This shit only ever happens in this town, I swear..." one man running a hot dog stand grumbled.
At the same time, Letty was in the kitchen of her apartment, preparing her dinner and humming to herself. "Hmmhmmhmm~. You want a little extra parmesan with it, Bobb?"
"I'm good. Too much dairy isn't good for my stomach." Bobbi replied, sitting on the couch.
"Suit yourself. Hmmhmmhmm~."
So involved in her own cooking as she was, she failed to notice her husband and a man in orange armor flying past the window.
"Aw, shoot, I forgot about dinner!" Max realized. Holding off the Shield with one hand, he pressed the side of his helmet.
Letty's phone rang. "There you are, mister. Did the paper pile grow again?"
"Sorry, honey, I'm gonna be a little later than I--hold on a sec." He returned attention to his flying companion, who was putting his hand over the left eye of the Commander's helmet. "Hey, moron, did you forget that I don't have an eye there?"
"That sounds like trouble. Need me or Bobb to come give you a hand?"
"No, no, I've got this. Just some clown that broke into the building after-hours." The Shield continued to try covering Max's line of sight. "He's just being *really* annoying."
"Well, be careful, anyway. I'll try keeping dinner warm for you. See you when you get home."
"Careful's my middle name. I'll be there in a bit. Love you. Bye." Max hung up.
"Calling in the middle of a fight? Are you even taking me seriously? What kind of commander are you?" the Shield questioned.
"One that'd rather be having dinner with his family than dealing with an asswipe like you. So let's wrap this up." Max charged electricity in his fist, delivering a hard blow to his opponent's chest, launching him away.
The armored invader flew through the sky, eventually reaching the airspace above Central Park. Max flew past him, bringing his trek to a halt by grabbing his face, spinning him around and tossing him downward. He raised a hand into the air, then swung it down, as a single bolt of lightning crashed down, hitting the Shield and sending him down even further, eventually crashing into the lake inside the park.
As the water settled down after splashing upward, the Shield leapt out, ending up on his hands and knees, sparking. "Tch...Computer...give me a status report..."
"ARMOR DAMAGE AT 54%. BACKUP OXYGEN SYSTEMS COMPROMISED--"
"Forget the oxygen! This isn't space! Start rerouting power to the backup source..."
Max landed close to him. "Guess whatever that thing you're wearing lacks in weapons, it makes up for it with durability. I would've thought it'd be shattered to bits."
The Shield stood up. He rushed at Max, swinging his fists. Max parried the hits, only for his counters to also be parried. The two separated, the armored invader keeping up his stance.
"Not bad. Someone taught you how to fight like that. You a soldier?" Max asked.
"What difference does it make?"
"Sheesh, you're giving me *nothing* to work with. Most bad guys give me some long-winded reasoning for why they're trying to kill me. I put them in jail, or I crashed into their car once, *something*. All I'm getting out of you is grunting."
"You already know why I'm here. My mission is to eradicate Max O'Donnell from the entire multiverse. I would've gotten to you eventually. But then your daughter and the rest of her gaggle of clowns decided to interfere. I've dealt with all of their Maxes as much as I care to. That leaves you."
"I know all of that already. There's something I still don't get, Mr. Shield. Or should I say...Mr. O'Donnell."
"So you know."
"Of course I do. I've requested status updates from all of my kid's adventures in the multiverse. I've got multiple rooting interests, which, given how you're here to kill me, were pretty justified. But what I don't get is, if you really are Max O'Donnell...how you could've never gotten what that really means."
"The hell are you talking about?"
"Take the kid from 727. I took him under my wing when he was at his lowest. He'd screwed up. Majorly. And I watched him fight tooth and claw to try to make amends and be a better person. After months of pain and work...I saw a down-on-his-luck boy become a true hero. And his reward for turning his life around wasn't a peaceful life, but a trip to a hospital room, because *somebody* decided that, on the basis of his name alone, he deserved to die."
"Then you have me." the Commander continued. "I messed up, and I failed to save the woman I loved and countless others. The guilt pushed me to do better, something that eventually brought me to this post I'm in today. I waged a war for over twenty years with a man who can best be described as a cross between The Joker and Satan himself. And my reward, my good man, for seeing that war through to the end, to *finally* bringing a peaceful future to my world, is not getting to have dinner with my wife without threat of an invasion, but having to deal with your twisted self trying to do to me what you've done to 73 others. Because my name is Max O'Donnell, and in your book, that is an offense deserving of the grave. What you've failed to learn in your travels, is that Max O'Donnell is not defined by his--or her--mistakes. It's what we do *after* that makes us who we are."
"What a load of sanctimonious crap."
"What a load of sanctimonious crap it is! Want to know what my guess is about you? Your screw-up, weighed against all of ours, probably blows us out of the water. Oh, you messed up *big-time*, didn't you? And what you learned from your mistakes wasn't to do better, oh no. It was to punish everyone else like you. You, in your infinite wisdom, decided to kill a bunch of people you never met, because *you weren't good enough*. We are who we are because of how we react. And you, my man? You're an utter *failure*."
"...heh."
"Hm?"
"Heh...AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!" The Shield began to cackle. "A failure, am I? Oh, buddy, you have *no idea*. Did I screw up? You bet your ass I did! And it cost me *everything*. You lot all still had people to go back to. I have nothing. Nothing except this one mission. To erase the source of all the mistakes before they ruin more lives. We're a curse on the universes, 'Commander'. Why define ourselves with our reactions? Why screw up at all? Why is that our lot in life? Do diseases set out to fix what they've broken after infecting others?"
"Pal, what you need isn't a spaceship and a fancy suit. You need hard therapy and a padded cell. But since you're not about to take either--"
Out of nowhere, the Shield's ship appeared above them, aiming at Max with its turrets and firing lasers at him. He leapt away, taking a couple of hits beforehand.
The Shield raised his hand, and after a few moments, the Bolt flew in, and he grabbed it. "Why don't we start getting creative?"
---
Back at the apartment, Letty continued to attend to her dinner, as Bobbi watched TV on the couch. Then, the doorbell rang. "I got it." The latter went to answer it. "Ah..."
"Who is it? Is it your brother?"
"Uh...no."
The guest walked in. "Hey, Mom. Sorry to drop in like this out of nowhere."
Letty turned. "Ah...Cindy? What are you doing here? I thought you were with Candice. And..."
She looked over Cindy, who had removed her glasses, her hair being untied. A recent haircut had left her hair just above shoulder-length. "Sweetie...there's something different about you." 
"I'll say. You sound different." Bobbi pointed out.
"I've had a lot of things to think about. And a lot of growing up to do. I'm gonna go help Dad." Cindy replied.
"Your father? He just called and said he was handling someone that broke into headquarters..." Letty said.
"Oh, then I'm already too late...I have to hurry. This isn't just some random bad guy he's fighting. It's the guy that put Maxie in the hospital. He's in more trouble than he's letting on."
"Oh, no...then let me get the suit really quick--"
"No, Mom. I don't want you two getting near that guy. Leave it to me."
"Since when were you so forward about taking on the big guns?" Bobbi questioned.
"I know you want to help, Cindy, but I don't want you putting yourself in danger. I nearly lost you once. Losing you now, after everything, would be unbearable." Letty replied.
"Please, Mom. I...feel like I finally understand the gift Hugo gave me. He gave me the chance to find out who I really am. The Cindy that cries in her apartment alone, thinking she's too weak to help anyone...she's gone. I know what my calling is now. And that's keeping everyone I love safe from harm. And that's always gonna start with you and Dad. Let me help him. Please." Cindy stated.
Letty was taken aback. "Who on Earth is this person I'm seeing in front of me? Are you really my Cynthia?" She smirked. "Of course...I should've realized it. The same thing happened to me after Carrie passed. I was such a mess before it happened. It forced me to reevaluate and better myself. Seeing that look in your eyes now...I can't say no. Alright. What do you need from me?"
"Thanks, Mom. The combat suits you were working on...are they here? They weren't in the workshop."
"Oh, yes, I've got them all in my room. Which one were you thinking of taking? Leviathan?"
"No, I know that one's your baby. I was thinking Harpy."
"Perfect. I just finished upgrading it to Mk. 7. Let me go grab it..." Letty went into her bedroom, then came back out holding a green wrist device. "Its flight speeds are up from the previous model. I'd say more, but I know you. You'll have all the functions sorted out in no time."
Cindy put the device on. "Thank you." She hugged her mother. "For everything. I'll bring Dad back safe. I promise." She exited.
"Oh, my Cynthia...that was such a beautiful look on her face. If you could see her now, Hugo..." 
---
In Central Park, flashes of light could be seen through the trees. By the lake, the Shield and the Bolt clashed with Max and his beam sword. As more energy came from the ancient weapon, the Commander absorbed more of it, before leaping away.
"How many times do I have to tell you that's not gonna...urk." Max suddenly felt lightheaded.
"Something wrong?"
"Probably something I..."
"Here, this'll help." The Shield zapped Max again.
"Urgh..." The Commander slumped over, hands on his knees. 
"Just like I thought. There's a limit to how much electricity you can hold in. But this Bolt here...it's limitless. Wonder what'll happen if I hit you long enough with this..."
He continued to funnel electricity into Max.
"Urrrgh...tooooo...muuuuuch..." The Commander began to buckle under the force.
"How's this for being a failure?"
As the power became far too much for him to handle...
The Shield noticed something flying towards him. He leapt out of the way, stopping the stream of electricity. Max fell to his hands, as the power started leaking out of him.
"Hnnngh...that's..." 
He saw what had landed. A translucent, pink sword, its blade shaped like a long triangle.
"Letty...?"
The sword flew back to its wielder. "Looks like I made it."
"...! Cindy...?"
Hovering down was a figure garbed in green and white armor, with two green wings on the back. On its legs, the words 'Áρπυια Mk. 7' were written. She wielded the sword in one hand, a large blaster in the other. "No more games. You've taken too much from too many people. I won't let you take my dad." Cindy proclaimed.
"You followed me all the way back home, huh, little girl? You really are a complete pain in the ass. But you're just in time to see your daddy's last moments--"
As the Shield raised the Bolt up, before he could even register what was happening, Cindy quickly flew over and delivered a kick to his neck. The weapon was detached from his hand, and he hurdled back, flipping over before landing back on his feet.
Sheathing her sword, Cindy put both hands on her blaster, and fired off a rapid volley of pink energy shots. The Shield held up his hand in an attempt at defending himself, but the shots pressed him back. He pulled out his own handgun, firing it. Cindy zipped around, continuing to shoot. Pink sparks of fire emerged from her wings every time she moved.
She dispersed the blaster, then unsheathed the sword, grasping it with both hands. She flew at the Shield, using the broad side of the blade to pin him against a tree.
"Ngh...look who suddenly grew a spine. Think you're gonna pull off what your daddy couldn't?" he uttered.
"It's not about thinking that I can. It's that I have to. Not just for my dad, but all the Maxes you've hurt, and all the people left to pick up the pieces. You wouldn't let anyone have a second chance. I'm not gonna waste mine." More flames were expelled from her wings, as she pushed the armored man through the tree. Staying airborne, she swapped the sword out for the blaster. "Dad!"
"Huh?" The Commander was alerted.
"You've still got all that excess power stored up, right? Hit me!"
"Hit you...?! Are you nuts?"
"It's fine! This suit's built to hold electrical energy! I can take it!"
"Really don't feel alright about this, but you're the genius." Max charged up, then hit Cindy with a stream of electricity.
The eyes of her suit lit up. She pointed the blaster at the downed Shield, then unloaded a flurry of enhanced laser shots at him. 
As the smoke cleared out from the assault, the Shield had been left in a crater, his armor completely fried, and fidgeting as it sparked. He groaned.
Cindy landed. "Now to pry that stupid thing open..."
The Shield tried getting back up.
"ARMOR DAMAGE AT 98%. THREAT TO USER SAFETY AT CODE RED. INITIATING RETRIEVAL."
The ship appeared over him. It enveloped him in light, bringing him back up. Cindy fired more shots at the vessel, as its camouflage took effect, and it vanished.
"Dammit!" Max exclaimed.
Cindy dispersed her weapons, and her helmet withdrew. She turned her attention to her father. "Are you OK, Dad?"
"Guess I know what too much electricity feels like now. Bad indigestion. But I've taken way worse."
"Good. I'm so glad." Cindy embraced him, sighing.
"Hey, uh...there's something different about you. You putting on a voice?"
She shook her head. "I've done a lot of thinking, and I realized something. I'm not doing any good by sitting around feeling sorry for myself. I've got a lot of things to deal with, but this is the start of the new me."
"I'll be...you know, you look and sound just like your mom right now. I'm happy to hear it, but don't put such a big scare into your old man. I felt so powerless when I heard what happened to you while I was fighting Johnny. Makes me wish I could put you in bubble wrap."
"I'll be okay as long as I'm wearing one of Mom's suits. I'm happy that you care so much. But you've been fighting for so long to keep everyone safe. Let me take some of the burden off. You've earned a little peace."
Max slowly shook his head. "Unbelievable. My oldest makes me a granddad out of the blue, and now my youngest wants to keep *me* safe. Way to make me feel like a geezer. Might as well retire right here and now."
Cindy giggled. "I think Aunt Bobbi and a lot of other people wouldn't be happy if you did that. I'm not trying to put you out of commission. Just giving you a little bit of relief."
"Yeah, well, I won't get any ringing endorsements for how I handled that orange creep. Even after all that, he still got away. Sorry I couldn't help more."
"Nothing to be sorry for. We'll get him next time he..."
Cindy looked at the crater where the Shield had been laying. She walked over to get a closer look. "...!"
"What is it?"
She bent down, and picked up a small piece of rubble. Upon closer inspection, she noticed that the orange fragment was metallic. "You know what, Dad? I think you've helped out a ton."
"How do you figure?"
"Let's get you home, first. I might've given Mom a bit of a scare before I got here. Hopefully your dinner's not cold."
"I might never appreciate a meal more. Hope you don't mind me following you for a bit..."
---
Back at the apartment and out of the armor, Max rested on his couch, eating his dinner. "I've never been so happy to see a plate of pasta."
Letty put her hand on his to check his pulse. "Any abnormalities? Weird feelings or stomach cramps?"
"Definitely nothing wrong with his appetite." Bobbi commented.
"Take it easy, you know I've come back from worse. Don't need doctor mode." Max assured.
"You're getting concerned wife mode. I know O'Donnells are seemingly immune to pain, but it's not going to stop me from making sure you don't overdo it." Letty advised.
"It's not like I got stabbed in the stomach. It's the same as having too much to eat. I'll be fine after dessert. Uh, there is gonna be dessert, right?"
"Yes. A quick hop to Jordan's for shaved ice. I know the drill by now. Let me just make sure your legs won't fall off on the way there."
Cindy chuckled. She'd seen and heard this song and dance many times before.
"I take it from the lively atmosphere that things went smoothly."
Rose suddenly appeared next to Bobbi.
"Ah...! How'd you get in here?!" the judge questioned.
"Cognitive magic, I'm gonna guess." Cindy said.
"Actually, the door was unlocked. A man with such an important position as yours should be more careful." Rose answered.
"I've got the best security systems around. Namely, the people in this room." Max replied.
"Noted. So, the villain was repelled?"
"He was. We had him dead to rights, then he beat a hasty retreat. Overpowering the guy isn't the problem. Soon as he was in trouble, his ship came in and snatched him."
"Next time he shows up, we should try to deal with his ship first. Cut off his escape route. If only he didn't keep the thing camouflaged most of the time..." Cindy suggested. Then, she had a recollection. "Ah, right. Dr. Rose, I've got something that could really help us out." She took the fragment out from her pocket.
"What's this? Is that a piece of his armor?" Rose asked.
"Mmhmm. Plucked right from where he landed. That armor is crazy durable. All the attacks we've landed on this guy, and it's stayed mostly intact. But now that we've we've this little chip, we might finally be able to pin him down."
"Now hold on. Don't you already have his energy signature on-hand? Isn't that how you've been able to track him?" Max asked.
"It's the signature for the weapon he uses, but yes. But I believe what your daughter is alluding to is that this armor fragment can be tracked back to its place of origin. We may be able to pinpoint the Shield's homeworld. Or at the very least, where the armor came from." Rose elaborated.
"It might give us a better idea of why he's the way he is. What kind of world creates a Max O'Donnell that's fallen so far that he'd go across whole universes to vent his anger?" Cindy questioned.
"All I can say for sure is that it can't be anywhere good. Guy admitted it himself that he messed up and lost everything. Didn't have anyone to hoist him back up. And well...we know what the result of that is." Max surmised.
"Not that it excuses any of it. Murder is murder, no matter the justification. But if someone was out there trying to bring me down, I'd like to know why." Bobbi responded.
"With this, we may just be able to answer that question. I'll get to analyzing it right away. In the meantime, I'll get you back to your apartment, Ms. O'Donnell. You did a wonderful job today. You must be exhausted." Rose advised.
"Crazy that it's only been the one day. Guess I should be getting some rest." Cindy turned to her parents, then hugged both of them. "I'm gonna borrow Harpy for a bit longer. I'll be back soon. When this is finally over. I love you more than anything. Thanks for giving me everything I needed to be happy. Now I'm gonna make sure we can keep being happy." She waved goodbye, and disappeared with Rose into a portal.
"That girl...the smile looks genuine for once." Bobbi noticed her brother and sister-in-law's reactions. Namely, the tears.
"My baby...she's all grown-up..." Letty uttered.
"Jeez...what kinda onions did you put in this pasta?" Max wiped his eyes.
Bobbi let out a sigh.
---
Earth-727. Tokyo. Late in the day.
Amid her still-disorganized apartment, Cindy was fast asleep on the couch.
Her dream was interrupted by a knock on the door. She woke up, stretched and rubbed her eyes, before attending to her visitor.
"Morning, sleepyhead." Ibuki joked.
"Hey, Ibuki. Are you just getting back in? What time is it..." uttered a drowsy Cindy.
"Just got back from the hospital. That, after a full day at work. I've got pretty good news on the Maxie front. If there aren't any more setbacks, he can come home tomorrow."
"Oh, really?! That's awesome! I bet he must be happy."
"He's been griping about the hospital bed for the last couple days. He's not thrilled about sitting on the sidelines. But he's gonna be okay. That's all I can ask for. On another note, Doc filled me in on everything. Sounds like we might find out where our spaceman came from soon."
"Yep. Could be exactly what we need to finally stop him."
"Fingers crossed on that. Oh, and don't think I haven't noticed your change in tone. There's a different look in your eyes."
"Ahehe, seems like everyone's pointing that out lately. I've just realized that I need a fresh start, on a lot of fronts. And as scary as that might be, I'm excited about where things could go from here."
"I can see that. That smile you've got right now...that's the first time I've seen you smile where I felt that you meant it."
"What do you mean by that?"
"I mean, as bubbly and perky as you are most of the time, I always felt like you were forcing it. Like you wanted people to believe you were happier than you actually were. Talking to you now, I think I'm seeing the real you for the first time. And she sounds pretty cool from the first impression."
"Hehe...maybe you've got a point. I wanna be someone people can rely on. And that starts with being real with myself. To tell you the truth..." Cindy sheepishly smiled. "...I might be taking some cues from a certain neighbor of mine."
"Oooooh?" Ibuki raised an eyebrow, curious.
"I look up to you, Ibuki. So strong, so confident...but also so kind, and wanting everyone around you to be happy. If I can be half the person you are, I think I'll be okay."
Ibuki looked genuinely touched. "Oh. My. God. You have no idea how happy I am to hear that. I've always wanted to be an example to people. That no matter how many bad hands you've been dealt, you can still make a happy life for yourself. And I know a thing or two about getting dealt a bad hand. I've got a mantra that I live by. 'Fight for the happy ending'. It's gotten me to this point, and it's gonna get me through the good times and the bad. And...oh, gosh, now you're gonna get me teary-eyed."
"I'm sorry."
"No, it's all good! I'm happy that you'd want to take some pointers from me. And it's awesome that you're wanting to change things up to make yourself happier. I'll be your number one cheerleader every step of the way. And hey, if you're looking to shake up your wardrobe, I'm your girl there, too." Ibuki winked.
"Heehee, I might have to take you up on that."
"Hey, if you're not too busy, wanna have some dinner and hang for a bit? I'd love the company."
"Of course! Let me get changed and I'll be right over."
"Awesome, let me find a place to order from. We're gonna celebrate. Good health, homecomings, and new beginnings." Ibuki patted Cindy on her shoulders. "We're gonna win this. I can feel it. And then we'll party even harder."
"Yeah! We're too awesome to lose! The orange jerk messed with the wrong gals!"
"Hear, hear!" Ibuki gave her a high-five. "See you in a couple minutes."
Ibuki went back next-door, as Cindy turned her attention to her closet.
"(Yeah. We've got this. 'Fight for the happy ending'. I like the sound of that.)" 
---
Inside the Shield's vessel, his armor, fried as it was, lay on an operating table of sorts, as several mechanisms worked to repair it.
"ARMOR DAMAGE AT 87%. CURRENT STATUS REMAINS CRITICAL. ESTIMATED TIME OF REPAIR--"
As this was happening, the man behind the armor sat in his room, sitting on the side of his bed.
"*cough*"
The noise only ever seemed to get worse by the day.
"*cough*""*cough*""*cough*"
The horrible hacking sound permeated the background.
"(Oh, Max. Max, Max, Max. What would they all say if they...*cough*...saw you now?)"
The cacophony got louder, as he clutched his head.
"(Always making such a...*cough*...big deal over my body count. Wanna compare now?)"
He got up, and looked at the closet door. As the sound relentlessly, mockingly continued on, he punched the door, dislodging it from its hinges. "BAAAAAAAAAAAAH!"
He covered his head with a pillow.
"*cough*"
Not that it would do any good.
"*cough*"
It wasn't the closet where that noise was coming from.
All he could do was sit, and wait for it to stop.