PB4G: WRATH AS A LIGHTNING, PART 6

WRATH AS A LIGHTNING, PART 6
---
June 11, 2032
Tokyo, Earth-727.
"Ta-daaaaa~. Welcome home, Sparkplug." Ibuki opened the door to the apartment.
"It's as pink as I remember it." Max, clearly exhausted by the nine-day ordeal, walked back in.
"His eyes are still working, at least." Cindy followed after, holding flowers.
"Perhaps not fully. Otherwise he would have noticed how spotless it was."
Emerging from one room was Sakuya.
"Oh, hey, Saku. What are you doing here?" Max asked.
"Helping Ibuki-chan tidy up. Anything to ease her burdens. It's a relief to see you in good health."
"At this point, if I'm walking, it feels like a win." Max sat on the couch. 
Cindy's wrist device lit up. "Uh-oh. That's our cue, Ibuki."
"Aww, couldn't even get a few snuggles in." Ibuki uttered. "Saku, I hate to ask, but..."
"Say no more. I can hold the fort here. Focus on your task." Sakuya assured.
"Thanks, bestie. I gotta go, Maxie." She pecked him on the cheek. "Rest up. And behave."
"What am I, your kid now? Saku's the last person I'd want to give an attitude." Max replied. "If you see that robo-jerk..."
"We'll clock him extra hard for you. See ya, Maxie!" Cindy bid, and the two left.
"Those two seem extra lively. Having you back home must be a boost." Sakuya said.
"I'm sure they're more excited about punching that tin can in his face." Max replied. "That's enough violent talk. How was your trip?"
"Breathtaking. The Matterhorn had some of the most incredible vistas I've ever laid eyes on. And the weather was so pleasant throughout the whole trip. It's an experience me and Mother won't ever forget."
"I'm glad you and her had that time to yourselves. You definitely look a lot more at-peace."
"I feel at-peace. For the first time in...honestly, forever. Can I ask you something?"
"Sure, go ahead."
"If you were in better physical condition, would you be going with them to hunt down your assailant?"
"Without question. Not just for payback, though. Because he needs to be stopped before he hurts anyone else." Max looked at Sakuya's expression. "You don't think I should, do you?"
"When I was on that mountain, surrounded by nothing but nature's pristine majesty, I wondered something. Why can't it always be like this? Peaceful serenity should be the norm, not something sought out amidst the chaos of life. Up there, I came to a conclusion. That if I could choose to never pick up a sword again, I would."
"I think we'd all prefer never needing to fight again. But why say that you don't have a choice?"
"It's always been one fight after another. Enemies who, for whatever their reasoning, want to unsettle our peace. If another threat like that were to arise, it would be irresponsible of me not to pick up my sword in defense, would it not?" She sat down next to him. "I bring this up only because...we are alike, you and I. Both of us seek redemption and peace that is seemingly forever out of reach. Answer this for me: if the choice was between a romantic boat ride with Ibuki-chan through Venice, and another bloody bout with an enemy force, which would you take?"
"My heart says to take the boat ride."
"But your conscience is telling you differently." Sakuya closed her eyes. "I'm...I'm very tired, Max-kun. And I can see in your eyes that you're very tired. I don't believe it's wrong to want a little peace."
"And I don't think so, either. But I also think that if I have the power to make a difference, I should. That's just the curse of being me, I guess."
"And I don't fault you for feeling that way. It wouldn't surprise me if the others all had these thoughts. But you must contend with what life deals you. I won't talk your ear off. Would you like some tea? Or is resting good enough?"
"Tea sounds perfect. Thanks, Saku."
"Of course. I'll get on it." She stood up.
"Hey, Saku?"
"Yes?"
"Should I ask your travel agent about a trip to Venice for two?"
"I think she'd be very happy to have your business. That can wait for after tea."
---
The Velvet Room.
"Earth-284." Rose brought up a holographic display.
"This where the blighter's targeting next?" the apocalypse's Max asked.
"Um, question. What's a 'blighter'?" Maxi questioned.
"Is it like, a blue lighter?" Bart added.
"It's an insult." Iris clarified.
"Stick around me a bit longer, kiddos, you'll learn all kinds of fun new words." Max smirked.
"I would advise against it."
"It's not where he is now. But it might be where he came from." Cindy clarified. "Yesterday, he tried to attack my dad. We fended him off, and he left behind a piece of his armor. This is where we tracked the fragment back to." 
"So what kinda hellhole did our friend spawn out of?" Max asked.
"As it so happens..." Rose brought up an image of a highly-advanced cityscape, spacecraft of varying sizes populating the airspace. "...a technological utopia, centered on interstellar travel."
Ibuki looked closely at the image, and centered on one ship in particular: a circular, red craft. "That look familiar?"
"It's just like the orange creep's!" Maxi said.
"So, is this really where he came from?" Bart asked.
"Only one way to know for sure. This place got a me runnin' around?" Max asked.
Rose shifted to an image of a middle-aged man with short, combed-over white hair, wearing a blue, 'space explorer' suit. "First Exploration Admiral Max O'Donnell."
"And where is he now?" Iris asked.
"Unknown. The attendants couldn't locate him or discern if something had happened to him."
"Well there's only two reasons for that. He's either dead...or trying to make *us* dead." Max surmised.
"I'm having a hard time understanding." Bart spoke up. "This world looks pretty incredible. This Max has an important position. Why would he leave this world for any reason--much less to kill others like him?"
"What would even happen in a place like this to make him turn bad like that?" Maxi asked.
"That's the billion dollar question, ain't it?" Max responded.
"We go in and we'll find out for sure. If this is the Shield, then we might find out just what made him who he is. And how to get past his suit." Cindy explained.
"And if this whole plan is a global collaboration, we can cut the disease out at its source." Iris said.
"Everythin' with you's always so extreme." Max replied.
"Says the man who has road battles in a nuclear hellscape."
"If we go in pointing fingers, the locals might not be too willing to cooperate with us. I'm all for a good brawl, but maybe a more diplomatic approach is the way to go." Ibuki interjected.
"Agreed. Whether the Admiral is our enemy or another victim, the residents of this world likely know more than we do. The more knowledge we can gather, the better. I can begin the transport, if you all are prepared." Rose advised.
"Let's hop to it. Time to find us a spaceman."
---
Earth-284.
Nova Paradis. The central hub of the Interstellar Expeditionary Committee (I.E.C.). Here is where star cruisers set for galaxy-long trips set out, and returned. Their purpose: to discover and document new worlds and civilizations, to create a trade and cultural network spanning entire star systems.
As the off-world group appeared in the streets, they looked up at the public transport cruisers flying above them. "Oh, wow...I thought we were hi-tech...I need to ask for some blueprints..." Cindy's eyes had stars in them.
"Eyes on the job, cinnamon roll." Ibuki snapped her fingers.
"Sorry. Man, I wish we were here for a better reason..."
"Oh, the majesty of capitalism. Give it a decade or three, it'll look like my neck of the 'verse." Max said.
"Are you this insufferable to anyone else, or am I your sole victim?" Iris questioned.
"Point out where I'm wrong in that last sentence."
"Given how utopian it is, I fail to see a need for nuclear weapons."
"If that's the case, I'd like to buy a one-way ticket outta Taronga."
"The fact that it's an irradiated wasteland isn't enough of a reason?"
Maxi and Bart listened in. "Are they a couple?" the former whispered.
"They sure argue like they are." Bart replied.
"I heard that." Iris spoke up.
"Eep--!" Maxi was startled.
"I'd sooner lay with Vulcan than humor the idea of being with this barbarian."
"Don't hide how ya really feel, Amazon." Max replied.
Eventually, the group came upon the city's tallest structure: the I.E.C. home base, a massive skyscraper accompanied by a launching and landing pad. The organization's logo, complete with a shooting star wrapping around it, was visible on the front for all to see.
At the front door, standing on either side, were two guards in blue armor.
"Alright. Just need to go in there, and..." Cindy approached.
The guards moved in front of the door. "Appointment, please?"
"Um...what?" Ibuki asked.
"You need an appointment to get in. State your business."
"We're here to see Admiral O'Donnell!" Maxi proclaimed.
"Yeah, okay, you and everyone else. Unless you have an appointment, you folks need to move along. And if you think we're letting you walk in with *that*..." The guard pointed at Max's covered rifle.
"What, not a fan of homemade keepsakes?" he joked.
As the group argued, Iris looked around the court. She spotted something--or someone.
Three men in blue armor were talking with another wearing orange armor. All-too familiar orange armor.
Her blood began to boil. She walked toward the man. "Miserable wretch..."
"Amazon...?" Max turned, and saw what she did. "Oh, no, no, no--"
"Iris, wait! That's not him--" Cindy cautioned.
"--good luck on the flight, man. Andromeda run's a real mess." one soldier advised the armored man.
"Not afraid of a few meteors. That's what the guns are for, heh." the man replied.
"Murderous swine!" Iris drew and pointed her bow at him.
"Whoa whoa whoa whoa!" The man raised his arms.
The soldiers pointed their blaster weapons at her. The group arrived, and all drew their own weapons. Other guards circled, pointing their guns.
"Calm, calm! Everyone calm!" Cindy held her hands up to assuage the situation.
"Drop your weapons, now!" 
"You first, chaps!" Max replied.
"Iris, stop! It's not him! Put down the bow!" Ibuki ordered.
"You don't know that." Iris retorted.
"Look at the armor, Amazon! The numbers on the legs are all fixed. Hell, the whole damned thing is all fixed!" Max responded.
"Everyone, put down your weapons! We're not here for a fight!" Cindy advised.
The rest of the group slowly did so. Everyone except for Iris.
"Amazon...come on. Think with your brain, not your grief." Max pleaded. "You know it's not him."
"Hey lady, I dunno why you're so mad, but whoever you think I am, I'm not." The armored man took off his helmet. Underneath, was the face of a dark-skinned man with a goatee and short hair. "I'm 2nd Lieutenant Sahir Musa."
"Striker...?" Ibuki pondered. "Hey, look, we're really sorry about this. We don't want any trouble. Right, Iris?"
Iris, though resistant, let down the bow. The soldiers began to move in.
"Hold up guys, hold up!" Sahir held them back. "You folks obviously aren't from around here. What's your business?"
"We're looking for Admiral Max O'Donnell. Is he here?" Cindy answered.
"Ah...oh, boy. You folks *really* haven't been around, have you? Hey, you guys wanna let the admiral know he's needed?" 
One of the soldiers nodded, then phoned it in.
A couple minutes later, the doors opened. "Well, this is a noisy day, isn't it?"
The group looked. Though resembling the picture of the admiral they'd seen, this was a younger man, with white hair and glasses, along with a blue and black uniform. "Can I help you?"
"You aren't...Max O'Donnell." Ibuki said.
"No, I'm not. He's my uncle. I'm Acting Admiral Brody O'Donnell. What exactly were you all needing?"
"Admiral, my name is Cindy. Cindy O'Donnell." Cindy introduced.
"O'Donnell, hm?"
"This might be a little hard to believe, but we're all from different worlds than this one."
Brody raised an eyebrow.
"This...isn't hard for you to believe at all, is it?" Bart asked.
"Why...exactly are you all here?" the Admiral asked.
"We're looking for your uncle. To warn him, see if he's safe...or bring him in." Cindy replied.
"On what charges?"
"Murder. Seventy-three counts. Along with four attempts. On myself and her, included." Max pointed at Maxi.
"You must be mistaken. My uncle wouldn't hurt a fly. Unless something's changed in the last four months."
"What do you mean?" Maxi asked.
"That's the last anyone's heard from him. He left five months ago on a mission of peace through the multiverse."
"'Peace', ha!" Iris scoffed.
"What makes you all think the Admiral would've done something horrible like killing people?" Sahir asked.
"The fact that someone in armor very similar to yours, using one of your cruisers, has been on a multiversal joy-ride killing every Max O'Donnell he comes across. Myself and the girl dodged him. Same with her dad and her boyfriend." Max pointed to Cindy and Ibuki.
"All of them being Max variants. Same with Iris' husband. The last variant to be killed." Cindy added.
"....." Iris remained stoic.
"He also claims to be a Max himself. We traced his armor here. We're not saying your uncle did this, but either way...he's involved in something bad. And we're trying to find out just how bad." Ibuki elaborated.
Brody looked pensive. He waved off the guards. "All of you, return to your posts. Lieutenant Musa, go to your shuttle."
"Roger that." Sahir replied, and the armored men dispersed.
"You six, come with me. We'll talk in my office. I would advise you keep your hands away from your weapons." The admiral turned back to go into the building.
"Okay...crisis averted." Cindy let out a sigh.
"You heard the man, Amazon." Max said.
"Not another word." Iris responded, and the group walked inside.
Minutes later, the six were sitting in a large meeting room, spaced out at an oval table with the I.E.C. logo on it.
"Aces. Chap says he's gonna talk, then drops us off here and leaves. Probs grabbing the probes as we speak." Max said, his feet propped up on the table.
"P-Probes?!" Maxi panicked.
"Could you not scare the children? And take your filthy boots off of the table." Iris chastised.
"Yes, Ma." He sat normally.
"What possessed the gods to allow you to have children..."
"My gods must have a sick sense of humor."
"'Sick' is definitely the term."
"Would this be bickering, or aggressive flirting?" Cindy whispered to Ibuki.
"Honestly? Could be either." the latter replied.
"I've got a question, if you all don't mind." Bart raised his hand.
"This ain't pre-calc, kiddo, you don't gotta raise your hand." Max replied.
"Sorry, I know this is probably random, but I've been curious about something, and I don't know how long we're gonna be waiting for. So, if all the Maxis where you're from are guys...are the other mes all girls? If there are other mes."
"Oh, are there ever. My Maxie's sister is Barbara. She is the biggest sweetheart you could ever meet. Got a beautiful singing voice, great dancer and actress, and a big heart. I love that girl to pieces." Ibuki reminisced.
"Sure sounds like it. I can't sing for nothing. And the last dance I went to, I tripped over the girl I like and landed on my face. Not my best moment."
"Aww. Say, would this girl have a single hair sticking up from the rest?"
"...yeah."
"Figured." Ibuki chuckled.
"I'm the one with the singing and dancing chops between us~." Maxi added.
"I'll give you singing. But skipping along every step you walk doesn't count as dancing." Bart retorted. His sister stuck her tongue out at him in response.
"My aunt Bobbi isn't much of a singer, either. She's a judge. A one-woman judge, jury, and...the other thing." Cindy said.
"Bit of a scary one, it sounds like."
"Only if you get on her bad side. With most people, she's tough but fair. Once you get her on a battlefield or in front of someone that's done something really bad...that's when the Frost Queen comes out."
"W-Why do they call her the Frost Queen?" Maxi questioned.
"Partly because she's a powerful cryomancer."
"Cryo-what now?" Bart asked.
"She uses magic to control ice. And the other reason is because of...the look she gets. The best way I can put it is that not a lot of people have seen it...and even fewer than that are still around to describe it."
The siblings both looked mortified.
"Don't take it the wrong way! Most of the time she isn't all that scary. She's 1B to my dad's 1A. He trusts her word and her judgement more than anyone else. And since our home is finally at peace now, there's not gonna be a lot of chances for the Frost Queen to come out."
"Maximus' sister isn't...quite as intimidating." Iris spoke. "Belledona is the avatar of Ceres, goddess of nature. Much like your world, Ibuki, she is a songstress by trade. And oh, what a performer she is. The avatar of Bacchus considers his festivals incomplete without one of her songs. But, sadly, it'll be a long while before she sings again."
"How come?" Maxi asked.
"Maximus' death has affected her deeply. How is one to react to the reality that they must go through the rest of their life without their twin? The light has left her eyes completely. Of course, she's said much the same of me."
"I'm sorry, Ms. Iris." Bart said.
"I tell myself that it'll all be fixed when the blackguard who took him away is made to answer for it. But it won't bring him back. All that will be left to do is grieve a lost future."
"....." Max looked pensive.
"You've been unnaturally quiet. Something swimming around in your head?"
"Do you have a sister, sir?" Bart asked.
"...did." Max uttered in response.
"'Did'? What happened to her?" Maxi asked.
"Same thing that happens to most folks where I'm from." Max did not look pleased to be asked. "Is this space dorko gonna keep us any longer?"
"Guess that was the wrong question." Ibuki whispered to Cindy.
The door slid open, and Brody entered. "Thank you for your patience. I apologize for the delay. We had to verify that you were from outside our universe."
"Aww, don't trust our faces, chum?" Max asked.
"Feel free to ignore every word he says." Iris advised.
"Noted." Brody bluntly replied.
"You don't seem very surprised by the concept of us coming from other worlds, Admiral." Cindy said.
"It isn't a new concept to us. The Interstellar Expeditionary Committee's primary directive is to seek out and establish relations with other worlds. In this universe, or others. What is surprising is that the multiverse came to us, first."
"So you hadn't actually gone to other worlds?" Ibuki asked.
"One man tried. Five months ago. And he's yet to return."
"That one man being your uncle. This world's Max O'Donnell."
"Correct."
"What can you tell us about your uncle, sir?" Bart asked.
"He was my predecessor as Admiral." Brody paused. "My mother would likely scold me for using 'was'. Technically, he is still the active First Exploration Admiral of our fleet. While he is off on his expedition, his Earthly duties fall to me."
"Your tone of voice tells us that you don't think he's coming back."
"As much as I and the rest of our fleet want to believe that he is still alive, there's been no sign of him at all in the last four months."
"(That's roughly around the time when the attacks started.)" Cindy thought. "Admiral, could you give us a bit more detail about what your mission is? And your uncle's role in all of it?"
"Certainly. To put it simply, the I.E.C.'s core mission is to explore our universe. To document other worlds, as well as set up deeper relationships with them. It was founded by my great-great-grandfather and seven others over a century ago, once interstellar travel became both possible and simplified. The results have included a cross-universal trade network and the rapid advancement of our own technology. Trips that would have otherwise taken decades can now be completed in a matter of weeks. All thanks to our state-of-the-art star cruisers."
"Ya mean the clown-nose lookin' thingo the knob we're after is goin' around in?" Max asked.
"Crude, but not entirely inaccurate. Our cruisers have allowed us to map out most surrounding galaxies. They're built to handle any sort of extreme conditions, thanks to a special metal retrieved from the Greater Magellanic Cloud. Even a meteor would struggle to put a dent in one. The same material also comprises our armor."
"Think we've experienced that first-hand. We've thrown everything at the Shield, and his armor's absorbed the brunt of it. Show him the piece you got, Cind." Ibuki suggested.
Cindy took out the armor fragment, handing it to Brody. "Is this the metal you're talking about?"
Adjusting his glasses, the admiral looked closely. "...yes. This is indeed Magellanite. I'm impressed you were even able to chip it. This is amongst the most durable minerals in the universe. Then it would seem that the man you're pursuing truly is wearing an I.E.C. suit. But...I truly cannot imagine that it's my uncle wearing it."
"Did your uncle ever have a 'screw-up'?" Ibuki asked.
"Pardon?"
"Like, anything that he regretted, or felt like he'd made a mess out of."
"Not so much a mess. But...he did have one deep regret. As I mentioned before, we have been aware of other universes for quite some time. It was only about a decade ago that we began to seriously consider the idea of traversing the multiverse, much as we do here, on peaceful excursions. Uncle Max spearheaded the efforts, alongside his wife, my Aunt Irene. Those two were an ideal pair. Both of them adventurous, always with their mind on the next excursion. They saw the multiverse as the natural next step in our mission. But then..."
Brody stopped for a minute. "Forgive me. This is not easy to talk about."
"Take your time." Cindy advised.
"About eight years ago, the first attempt at a multiversal jump was made. Months of preparation went into it. Irene did the calculations over and over to ensure things went as smooth as they could. She boarded a ship alongside two research assistants, intending to prove that such a journey could be safely made. A portal was opened, and the ship entered it. Partway through, however...the portal suddenly shut. The entire room was consumed by different-colored lights. By the time it subsided, there was nothing left of the ship. Or the people on it."
"That's horrible..." Maxi uttered.
"My uncle was beside himself. Utterly consumed by guilt and depression. He thought that it should have been him making the jump, but Irene volunteered. He seriously considered abandoning the project altogether. But he couldn't let his beloved wife die for nothing. So for years, he looked for the solution. Corrected the math. And at last, five months ago, he went off on his own attempt. He flew off into the portal, and found himself in the space between universes. It was a resounding success. The vision the two had shared, finally coming to fruition."
"So then, what went wrong?" Bart asked.
"The journey was meant to last a year. He would spend time in each universe he came across, researching it and connecting with the native lifeforms. In the first month, he visited three different worlds."
"What kind of mindset was he in? Was he still depressed?" Cindy asked.
"On the contrary. He was in far greater spirits than I had seen him in a long time. He sent video logs from his travels on a daily basis. To him, it was the payoff of nearly a decade of hard work. It was everything he and Irene envisioned. A journey of discovery, far from everything that was weighing on him. I was happy for him. Then, he stumbled across a world where he detected a counterpart of himself. This was something he had highlighted as a focal point to his research. Meeting and comparing himself to another Max O'Donnell. He was excited by the possibility. He sent a log, detailing that he was nearly there. And then...nothing. Complete silence. That was the last that anyone heard from him."
"So, what do you think happened to him?" Ibuki asked.
"Everyone here has their theories. The more optimistic ones cling onto the idea that he simply had an equipment malfunction, and is continuing his journey even now."
"And what do *you* think?" Max asked.
"....."
"I'm gonna be real with ya, fly boy. There's two very real possibilities about what happened to your uncle. Neither one's very appealing."
"I'm fully aware. Given everything you've said thus far, the only explanations are that he either fell to insanity...or that someone who already had, found him. Neither my mother nor anyone else around here would verbalize it. But ever since communication ceased, I felt that he'd met with foul play. I feared that he'd meet someone who would take advantage of his curiosity, and lead him to an unseemly fate. Either that has come to pass...or he himself is the perpetrator."
"...where was he going?" Iris asked.
"Hm?"
"You said he was heading to another world. What world was it? Do you know?"
"As a matter of fact, I do. Once we'd lost track of him, we sent a scout team to that universe to locate him. Even with our technology, they couldn't find a trace of him. The team and others assumed that he may have ended up somewhere else."
"But you don't think that."
"After everything you've said...I believe that something happened on that Earth. Someone absconded with his ship and suit and is misusing them. As for what became of him...I would very much like to find that out for myself. If I am indeed to become the Admiral on a permanent basis, then it is my duty to bring him back. As his successor, and as his family."
"We're sorry to put so much of this on you. Do you have the coordinates for the world he was heading to? Or a designation?" Cindy asked.
"It should be in one of my files. Please excuse me. I'll go retrieve them." Brody exited the room.
"Poor guy. You can see how much it's been weighing on him." Ibuki said.
"Has to be hard, knowing deep down, his uncle's not in a good spot..." Cindy agreed.
Max got close to Iris. "What's your take, Amazon? Think Uncle Fly Boy's our Shield?" he whispered.
"...no." Iris replied. "The uncle was in good spirits the last time he was seen. Going off of what I'm hearing about him...it doesn't fit."
"Nah, it doesn't. Shield Man said he'd lost everything. Even if the uncle lost his wife, he still had family and a ton of responsibility here. So it's lookin' like the other bad option...he was our spaceman's first victim."
"....." Iris went silent. "...I'm sorry."
"What was that...?"
"For directing the sister conversation to you. I hadn't realized that it would be an uncomfortable one."
"Got nothin' to be sorry for. Where I'm from, people die all the time. I'm responsible for a lotta bad things. But...the thing involving Barb was the worst of it. The one I'll never get over."
"I won't force it out of you."
"I killed her."
Iris was stunned. "You...killed your own sister?"
"Didn't I say it was the worst? The radiation changed us all. For me, I got the sparky touch. For her...it made her into a monster. In every sense of the word. I couldn't let her live that way, so, I...did what I had to."
"I...don't know what to say."
"You probably think I'm a savage. And maybe I am. When the whole world goes down in flames, death doesn't mean as much. But even against all that...havin' to put my own twin out of her misery...that's the shit that stays with ya."
"...I'm sorry I was so cruel."
"Don't be. You're a grieving widow, and I'm bein' just as much of a shit. If callin' me a sack of garbage helps ya feel better, then fire away."
"Then I'm sorry you lost that bond. Amazon society is built upon sisterhood. Losing one of my sisters, blood or otherwise, would be unfathomable. You have my sympathy. Even if you are still an oaf."
"There it is." Max took a sip of his drink.
Brody returned soon after, looking through a file. "Universe-3353. Here are the coordinates."
"Thank you so much. I'd personally love to stick around and learn as much about your technology as humanly possible, but we really need to get going." Cindy replied.
"I understand the gravity of your mission completely. Precisely why I'm going with you to Earth-3353."
"You're comin' along? Even with bein' in charge of such a mad huge operation? You really the kind to take a sickie?" Max asked.
"This is far too important of a task for me to ignore. I've already instructed my employees on who will be taking charge in my absence. And in case you were wondering..." Brody gestured towards a blue, triangular device at the center of his uniform. "This is how we bring forth our suits. I am fully able and equipped to defend myself, if and when the need arises. I will be bringing my uncle back here. Whether it is for a trial, a public funeral, or something else entirely remains to be determined."
"Okay. We hear you loud and clear. Welcome aboard the USS Insanity. Cind, you know what to do." Ibuki advised.
"You got it. Next stop: Earth-3353." Cindy opened a portal, and everyone present stepped through.
---
Earth-3353.
New York City.
"...I dunno what I expected." Max uttered.
Indeed, it was a sentiment his companions all shared. On this journey, they had seen realms of magic, of gods, of dystopia and levity, and technological advancement. They had allowed their minds to wander, to imagine what sort of outrageous or mystifying world they might step into next.
As they stared up at the skyscrapers and advertisements, as people on their daily commutes walked past, any notion of whimsy was quickly discarded.
"...Cind." Ibuki spoke up.
"Yes, Ibuki?' Cindy replied.
"Is it just me, or is something...off about this place."
"Only 'off' thing about it is that there's nothin' off about it at all." Max answered.
"I don't sense any kind of spiritual energy here...no airships, or cartoonish animals, or...anything out of the ordinary." Iris added.
"There is a good reason for that. Our scout team noted it on our previous excursion here. On this world, there is no magic. No mutations, or exemplary powers of any kind. And the technology here is centuries behind our own. In layman's terms, this world is absolutely, unequivocally...normal." Bart dictated.
Maxi shuddered. "Bart, I'm scared..."
"Everything here feels so stale, and lifeless...like the people here exist just to exist." Bart replied.
"Mate, are you sure this is the right spot? I woulda assumed that your uncle got lost somewhere with demons, or aliens, or radioactive pogo sticks. Not somewhere so...bleh." Max questioned.
"It's unsettling how unremarkable this place is." Iris agreed.
"I agree. I thought the same thing when I heard this was the last place my uncle was connected to. Surely there must be more hidden beneath the surface? But, there isn't. What you see is what there is to see." Brody replied.
"It honestly reminds me of home. But with no room to change. We at least got the power to make our lives better. If a force from another universe came here to take over, there's almost no way for the people here to defend themselves." Ibuki said.
"I get zero good vibes from this place. Sooner we bid it adieu, the better. Your uncle said there's supposed to be a variant of me here, yeah? Probably where we should start lookin'." Max suggested.
"Indeed. I have his profile on-hand." Brody pressed a button on his wrist device, bringing out a photo of a man with brown hair and a moustache, wearing a police uniform. "Lieutenant Max O'Donnell, a homicide detective and 27-year veteran of the New York City Police Department."
Max looked closely at him. He thought back to all the previous encounters with the Shield. Namely, the invader's choice of weapon: an otherwise standard handgun. "Copper, eh?"
"If he's an officer, then we should go to his precinct. Simple enough." Iris suggested.
Cindy looked up the info using her watch. "One Police Plaza, in Manhattan. That's where all the major departments of the NYPD are based out of."
"Are a bunch of cops going to just let us walk into their headquarters, no questions asked?" Bart asked.
"Even in normal clothes, we stand out in this place. No one would believe us if we told them why we're really here." Maxi added.
"All we've gotta do is say we've got some questions for their man." Max replied.
"I would hope they'd take us seriously. Only one way to know for sure." Brody urged them on, and the group began walking.
As they made their way down the crowded streets, one man bumped his shoulder into Ibuki, and continued walking. "Um, excuse me? Asshole. Does no one watch where they're going around here?"
"I'm not used to these kinds of cold looks. Are we that unusual?" Iris questioned.
"Meeeh, I wanna go back to ToonTown. Everyone there is always bright and happy. I could really go for a honey pancake right now..." Maxi uttered.
"Not saying it's everyone, but...I've never seen so many miserable looks in my life. I never even thought about what a world with no magic or weird things about it could be like." Bart agreed.
"It makes me appreciate what I have a whole lot more." Cindy added.
Max remained silent, a focused look on his face.
"A penny for your thoughts, Mr. O'Donnell?" Brody asked.
"...just a bad feelin' in my gut. And it ain't cuz of the cold reception." Max replied.
The group arrived at the NYPD's Manhattan headquarters, a 13-story rectangular building. "Alright, so, how do we approach this?" Bart asked.
"'Hey, officers, has a mean guy in an orange spacesuit come by and thrown your Max off a cliff'?" Maxi asked hypothetically.
"....." Ibuki looked uncomfortable.
"Something wrong, Ibuki?" Iris asked.
"I...had some bad experiences with a cop, once upon a time. He took advantage of me, and..." Ibuki trailed off. "I'm not comfortable around cops. Let's leave it at that. Please."
"Of course. I won't press beyond that." Iris looked around, then noticed that Cindy was off to the side, looking at something. "What do you have there?"
Cindy was looking at a bronze plaque, affixed to the side of the building. "'This reconstructed building is dedicated to those who lost their lives here on July 15, 2016. Those who reside here today, work in your memory.'"
"Reconstructed? And...'lost their lives'?" Ibuki questioned.
"....." Max went quiet again.
At that moment, a man in a gray suit and pants stepped out of the building, taking out a cigarette carton. He had shaggy brown hair, and the bags under his eyes indicated that he was in the midst of a long shift. He looked over at the group, before focusing in on Brody. "Aw, crap, not these clowns again."
He walked over. "Alright, pal, what's the deal this time?"
"Pardon?" Brody asked.
"Don't play dumb. A buncha guys in suits like yours came by here four months ago, poking their noses around asking all kindsa questions. I'll tell you what I told them: I don't know where your 'admiral' is, so go take your Star Trek act somewhere else before I press charges."
"I'm sorry if my men offended you, sir, but I'm here on very serious business. The man they were looking for is my uncle, and I have reason to believe that this city is where he was last seen."
"Yeah, well, take it up with Missing Persons, not me. I'm too busy to be humoring a buncha weirdos in funny getups."
"Excuse, me, sir, but it's not just his uncle that we're looking for." Cindy spoke up. "We're looking for Lieutenant Max O'Donnell. He works here, doesn't he?"
The man gave her a look. "The hell you wanna talk to him for?"
"My friend's uncle came here looking for him. We thought he would know something."
"Oh, for...now you wanna get Max involved with this little game of yours, huh? That's the last guy that needs any sort of problems at his doorstep. So I'm gonna repeat myself: get lost, or I'm breaking out the cuffs."
"Okay, buddy--" Ibuki started, clearly irritated.
Max put his arm out in front of her. He turned to the man. "Alright, mate. You're clearly havin' a ripper of a day, but we're havin' a real shitter, ourselves, so you might wanna drop the 'tude for a sec. See, there's some fine piece of work goin' around, knocking on our doors and giving us trouble, and we've got a lotta reasons to think that this guy's uncle and your mate Maxie are involved with it. No one here's lookin' for a scrap. We've got a lotta questions, and no one to answer 'em. Unless you wanna volunteer."
The man raised an eyebrow. "That some kinda threat?"
"You hear a threat in there? Nah."
"Please, sir. We don't want any trouble. But this is really urgent." Cindy interjected.
The man sighed, and shook his head. "I don't know where Max is, alright? I haven't heard from him in months."
"Months?" Maxi asked.
"And that hasn't raised any alarm bells?" Iris followed up.
"Not until you folks rang 'em. The guy goes off on his own a lot to clear his head. This ain't the first time he's gone off the grid. Been that way for the last seven years, since..." He gestured at the plaque.
"Since whatever tragedy happened here?" Bart asked.
The man looked away for a moment. "...you folks really think he's in trouble?"
"One way or another, yeah." Max answered.
"Alright. Come with me. This ain't the place to talk about it."
The man motioned for them to follow him inside. The group walked past a busy work environment.
"9-1-1, what is your emergency?"
"Hang on, let me get a hold of the fire department..."
They were brought upstairs, to a meeting room. "Take whatever seat you want." The man began to shut the door behind them. "Except you kids." he said to Maxi and Bart.
"How come?!" Maxi asked.
"The subject matter...ain't pretty. You're better off waiting out here."
Maxi sat down, frustrated. Bart sat next to her, patiently.
"So how long have you known Lieutenant O'Donnell, Mr...?" Brody asked, back in the meeting room.
"McNeil. Detective James McNeil. I've known Max for over twenty-five years. I was his partner in the patrol division, til we moved to homicide. Guy's like my family. 'S why I'm a bit protective. Especially after what went down."
"What happened?" Cindy asked.
"Max is one of the finest detectives you'll ever meet. Dogged, determined, focused as all hell. It's helped him solve a bucketload of cases. There was one that always eluded him. All of us, really." Detective McNeil opened a filing cabinet, taking one thick file out. "For years, one scumbag stood out above the rest. Vandalism turned into arson, then to assaults, and finally to murder."
He put a sketch on the table. "The press called him 'The Coughing Man'. Anyone that got away from him with their lives recalled this ugly coughing sound he'd make."
Max looked closely at the sketch. The subject's face was completely covered by a gas mask. At that moment, a conversation he'd had with the enemy sprang back up.
"(Would've preferred it if you'd kept that on.)"
"(Why's that, mate? Worried I might die of fumes first?)"
"(So I could've caved it down your throat.)"
"....."
"Max took this one personally. He chased him down, hunting him like a dog. But he always got away. Always one step ahead. And the reason why Max was so obsessed, was because of who was behind that ugly mask." Detective McNeil presented a mugshot. This man greatly resembled Lieutenant O'Donnell, but with wilder hair, a full beard, and a crazed look on his face. "Johnny O'Donnell. His own twin brother."
"Johnny..." Cindy froze, looking at it.
"Guy was as depraved a sicko as you'd ever meet. He was obsessed with his cat and mouse game with Max. The day it all came to a head, he marched right into this building. Guess he got tired of waiting for Max to catch up to him. He blocked all the entrances and exits, then lit the place on fire."
"Gods..." Iris uttered.
"All told, 73 people died in that blaze. A lot of them, I knew for a very long time. As hard as it is to believe, Johnny wasn't done. Max tracked him down to his own house. The moment he laid eyes on him, Max shot him dead. When backup arrived, they found him...in a state."
"What do you mean?" Ibuki asked.
"He was sitting on his sofa, mumbling incoherently. There was Johnny, laying dead on the couch. Max was going on like everything was normal. But when the other officers went upstairs..." The officer stopped. "...everyone else that lived in that house was dead. Max's younger sister Barb, his wife Carrie, and their daughters, Emily and Cindy."
As photos of the family were lain on the table, Ibuki and Cindy looked shaken. The names were far too familiar.
"Max and Carrie were together since their teens. Barbara was in law school. Emily was only 13. Cindy was 8. Both of them were such smart kids. Everyone in the department knew them so well. The funerals were...I don't think it's any great exaggeration to say they were the saddest moments of my life. I was the little one's godfather. Seeing that tiny coffin...it broke my heart like nothing else. I was next to Max that day. I've never seen anyone look so broken. So...empty. He'd finally ended his hunt...and lost everything."
"You said that...it wasn't unusual for him to disappear for long stretches of time. Was he ever able to return to work?" Brody asked.
"Ah, he tried. But this line of work...you're surrounded by death and misery. It didn't take long for him to start breaking again. That's when the department decided to just...let him take off for as long as he needed. The city'd never let him go broke, so that was never a problem. Every time I'd go by and visit, he still looked...spent. That's the kind of thing you'd never get right from. What do you even say to a guy that's lost everything?"
The group all looked deep in thought.
"...where's his house?" Max asked.
"Over in Queens. Single-family spot in Flushing." Detective McNeil got a phone call. "It's McNeil. Alright. Alright, I'll be right there." He hung up. "Unfortunately, murder didn't stop with The Coughing Man. Here's Max's address and a key. My number, too. You find anything--anything at all--that says he's in trouble, you let me know."
"Thank you, Detective. We'll try not to make a mess." Cindy assured.
The group exited the room. Maxi and Bart got up. "Did we learn anything?" he asked.
"Got an address, and...a lot more. C'mon, got no time to waste." Ibuki urged.
They made their way through the neighborhoods, eventually making it to the borough of Queens. They stood in front of an unassuming, largely undecorated house. "Here it is. The home of one Lieutenant Max O'Donnell." Brody said.
"....." Max was quiet.
"If you have something to say, let it out." Iris urged.
"...it doesn't change anything." 
"It gives us a better understanding--" Brody began.
"And it doesn't change a damned thing. So he's got a sob story. Every bugger has a sob story. Not all of 'em go on killin' sprees to make themselves feel better."
"What he's doing is wrong, nobody's gonna say it isn't. But if he's who we think he is, then..." Cindy began.
"We can't let it get to us. It doesn't change the things he's done to people we care about. If we're gonna feel bad for anyone, save it for those poor kids that died." Ibuki insisted.
"It doesn't alter history and undo what he took from me. No matter who he is, any past pain doesn't amend that." Iris concurred.
"How about you, mate? Got any doubts brewin'?" Max asked.
"Not at all. My one goal is the truth. Whatever role my uncle has in this...that truth likely lies inside these walls." Brody replied.
"Good show. Right. Now, as for you two..."
"Aw, come on, you want us out here again?!" Maxi griped.
"Calm down, Maxi. There's probably a lot of stuff in there we're better off not seeing." Bart replied.
"Being outside of ToonTown is so weird. Everything's so serious most of the time. Guess we'll wait..."
"We'll take ya out for ice cream after. Admiral's treat." Max replied.
"I don't recall consenting to that." Brody produced the key, turned the knob, and the door opened.
The house's inside was completely dark. Brody tapped the device on his uniform, and its light shown, illuminating the room. "It certainly looks like no one's lived here in months."
Ibuki flipped on a light switch, but nothing happened. "Power's been cut. So much for the city keeping the place maintained."
"Place is a mess. There's still food on the table." Iris examined it. "Bleh. Spoiled beyond salvation."
"You noticing something about this?" Ibuki asked.
"Indeed. Two plates. Looks like the owner and his guest left in a hurry.
"Dunno where we should even look..." Max peered around.
Ibuki noticed Cindy looking at the mantle. Walking next to her, she saw what she had in her hands: a photograph of a happy family. Mom, Dad, and two girls. Cindy's gaze was affixed on the younger of the two.
"That must be the youngest." Ibuki said.
"Yeah. Cindy..." Her companion paused. "She'd probably be starting high school right now. It's...it's so horrible. Nobody should ever die that young, in such an awful way. She never really got to live. It's no wonder..."
Ibuki comforted her. 
"If the Lieutenant is who we think he is...I still can't look past what he's done. But if we lost everyone we loved like that...can we ever say for sure that we wouldn't do the same thing?"
"I don't know, honey. And I hope I never find out. But I can't imagine hurting someone I don't know because of it. I'd be doing wrong by the people I'd lost."
"Over here." Brody directed everyone to an open door, leading down.
"Well, if I wanted to hide a dirty lil' secret, that's the first place I'd pick." Max said.
"Everyone, watch your step."
Carefully, the group made their way downstairs, reaching the bottom of the basement.
"Aw, no." Max uttered once he saw the state of the basement. Everyone looked down at what he'd seen.
The ground had clearly been dug up, and covered back.
With trepidation, Brody used his wrist device to scan it.
"What do you see?" Cindy asked.
"There's...something under there. A disturbance in the earth." Brody replied.
Max looked around, finding a shovel. He started to dig. After a couple of minutes, something hit him. He plugged his nose. "Oh, bugger. There's the smell."
The others all reacted similarly. "Ugh, what is that?" Ibuki asked.
"Nothing good." Iris replied.
Max uncovered a black garbage bag. "Anyone with a weak stomach, look away."
He bent down and looked inside. "....."
"Is that...what we think it is?" Iris asked.
"...yeah. It's somethin' that used to be a person. And it's been here a while."
Ibuki kept Cindy's gaze away from it.
"How do we discern who it is?" Iris asked.
"There's...one way. Every I.E.C. member has an ID chip embedded in their right hand. They can be activated through our chest devices." Brody, hesitating, bent down, and pressed his device once more.
At once, a hologram appeared from the bag. The identification of one Admiral Max O'Donnell.
"....."
"....."
"....." Everyone looked to Brody. He adjusted his glasses, his hand shaking. "It would appear...that our finest adventurer and researcher...has rejoined his beloved wife, in the hereafter." He stood up. "I will make the necessary accommodations for his retrieval. And after that, my first act as his successor as First Exploration Admiral...will be to bring the devil who did this to justice."
He stormed out. "Hey--!" Cindy called out.
"Let him go. Feelin' it in his gut ain't the same as knowin' for sure. And speakin' of things we know for sure now..." Max replied.
"Yeah. This should clinch it. The Admiral was the Shield's first victim. He killed him and took his armor and ship." Ibuki said. "And the man behind that armor now is..."
---
The Space Between.
"ARMOR DAMAGE AT 0%. ALL FUNCTIONS NOW OPTIMAL."
"That'll do." The Shield patted the armor, then sat down at the controls. His face was a weary one. Many moons were spent listening to a fiend's coughing echoing in his mind. Every time he looked in a mirror, and saw his beard and uncut brown hair, he saw that fiend, back from the dead. In their genetics, they were identical.
And though Lieutenant Max O'Donnell would never admit it, their body counts were starting to resemble each other, as well.
"Computer. Have you located the source if their teleports yet?"
An image appeared on his screen. 
"A room connected to Earth-727...that has routes to every other reality. So, someone else is helping them interfere with my mission. And they've got quick pathways to every universe. Computer, set course. Think it's time I paid this 'Velvet Room' a visit."
The ship began its voyage. 
Lieutenant O'Donnell closed his eyes. This trek would take a while. He drifted off. Soon, his mission would be taken to the next level.