Persona BLEACHED 3: Chapter 36

Chapter 36: Chasing Windmills II 
August 22, 2013 
Lille, France. 
Inside of a metropolitan apartment, Mariana Blackthorne sat at the kitchen table. "Come now, my sweet thing. Open wide~." 
Sitting in the booster seat across from her was a giddy, indigo-haired baby. She took the food from her mother's spoon, and giggled. 
"Such a good baby~." 
The front door opened, and in stepped her husband Rodrigo. Behind him was a well-built, older gentleman with a bald head. "Finally, a sight that doesn't make me want to pull my hair out." Rodrigo sighed. 
"There's the man of the house~! How'd it go today?" Mariana asked. 
Rodrigo sighed. 
"Uh-oh. Not great?" 
"I should probably be taking my leave, now..." the bald gentleman said. 
"No, no, Boris, stay put. You're not imposing on anyone." Rodrigo requested. 
"As you wish, Sir." 
"Okay...let me just say hello to my girls." Rodrigo kissed his wife, then kissed the baby's forehead. "And how did our Amethyst behave today? She get her first words out yet?" 
"Silly, we still have about six months before that even becomes a possibility." Mariana replied. 
"She's a bright little thing, I'm sure she'll get a head start on every other baby out there. She'll be talking their ears off while they're still drooling." 
"That would definitely be something. Not sure what kind of something, mind." 
"Hm. So how's Melinda doing? She came over today, didn't she?" 
"She's feeling a bit lonely. Konrad's overseas on another case. You know how he is. Never announces when he's coming home until he just...appears." 
"She knew what she was getting into with him." He glanced away for a moment. 
"What's the matter?" 
Rodrigo opened the cupboard underneath the sink. "Okay, good. He's not in there." 
"I don't think he'd ever pick the same hiding place twice." Mariana replied. "So are you going to keep stalling? What happened today?" 
He sighed. "You want the bad news or good news first?" 
"I'll take the gloom and doom first. Give me the bad news." 
"The board rejected my proposal. Again." 
"Ugh...stubborn old crones. What was the problem this time?" 
"The same as it's always been. 'It's going to cost too much moneeeeeey!' The decrepit imbeciles have enough coin to fill up the Mediterranean. God forbid they part with any of it." He shook his head. "It makes no sense. Every one of my proposals is within the realm of possibility. I wouldn't put an idea forward if I wasn't 100% sure I could make it a reality. It'd be so much more practical and safe to use my drones in place of sending someone into an active volcano, or leagues beneath the sea. Why won't they listen to me..." 
Mariana put her hand on his. "As frustrating as it is, you can't force people to do what you want them to. All you have to do is keep trying." 
"The more I push, the more they'll keep saying 'no'. They'll never listen until it's too late to do anything. What's it going to take to make them see it the way I do..." 
"You keep being you, and you keep making noise until they have no choice but to listen. The ones that force their beliefs onto others are no better than tyrants. You're a good man, Rodri. You'll get your point across one of these days." 
"I hope you're right." He gently patted his baby on the head. "All I want is for the world she grows up in to be a beautiful one. Speaking of which..." 
"Oh, right, there was supposed to be good news." 
"So that penthouse in Monte Carlo we were looking at...the one over Larvotto Beach?" 
"Yeah...? Oh...oh, Rodri, don't tell me..." 
"I got the call earlier. We've closed on it. It's officially ours." 
"Oh...my God! That's incredible...I've wanted to stay by that beach for so long...and now Caroline gets to grow up by it! Oh, Rodri, this is like a dream!" 
"I take it you're pleased. Honestly, we'd outgrown this place even before Caroline came around. We can all use a new environment. Maybe people down south will be more open to my ideas than the stubborn geriatrics up here." 
"Oh, I'm absolutely full to bursting! I have to let Melly know...family get-togethers in Monaco await!" Mariana hopped away. 
"...may I speak, Sir?" Boris spoke up. 
"You don't need my permission, old friend. You think I'm a coward for giving up here, don't you?" Rodrigo asked. 
"On the contrary, Sir. I think it is a wise and prudent decision to make." 
"Not what I was expecting." 
"I am a soldier, first and foremost. I've experienced losing prospects before. Some find it honorable to continue fighting even when victory becomes an impossibility. But a wise leader knows when his resources are better utilized elsewhere. Persistence in a doomed scenario will only lead to stronger resistance. You are a brilliant and charismatic man. You'll find support wherever you travel now." 
"I'm really not that smart. I can just talk a good game. But thanks for the vote of confidence, old friend. I just have to pick my battles carefully. Screaming at a brick wall won't do anyone any good. Not when I've got more to think about now." 
He patted Carrie on the head again. "I'm going to do whatever I can to give you the life you deserve. And I'll do it without selling my soul. A beautiful world where everyone can be happy...I hope I can at least give you that, Amethyst." 
--- 
March 16, 2030 
"....." 
Carrie stared off into the distance. On the roof of a building in Shibuya, she looked at the massive stadium-like structure a good distance away. 
"Transfixed by the supreme creepiness, Your Highness?" 
Sahir and Kenneth were behind her. 
"I'm sorry. Just a little lost in thought." Carrie apologized. 
"Mind telling us what's got you occupied?" Kenneth asked. 
"C'mon, you can let your old pals know what's the matter. I know we don't have Natty's effortless cuteness or KittyKat's know-exactly-what-to-say-ness, but our ears are just as open." Sahir added. 
"'Know-exactly-what-to-say-ness'? You couldn't find a simpler term for that?" 
"Sorry, I left my thesaurus at home." 
"I would bet good money that you don't even own a thesaurus." 
"Well excuuuuuse me, Your Scouserness!" 
"Ahem." Carrie piped up. 
"Erm, sorry." 
"Apologies. But I can't let such butchering of the English language go uncorrected." Kenneth said. 
"Well, if you two are bickering like an old married couple, then things aren't as abnormal as they would appear." Carrie teased. "Very well. A bit of honesty. Kenneth, do you remember last week, when we went to Osaka Castle?" 
"It's a day forever seared into my memory. Although I do recall you disappearing for a time. Does your rather somber demeanor have anything to do with that?" 
"Yes, it does. While I was away, I was summoned to appear at the top of the castle's main tower. For a meeting. With Maxwell." 
"Wait, you actually met up with Maxie?! What the heck about?" Sahir asked. 
"More pretentious lecturing, I'm assuming." Kenneth surmised. 
"Something close to that, yes. What was so unsettling about him was...just how casual he was. I expected some sort of change in personality, but it was as if nothing was different. He was almost too casual. But he said some things that got under my skin." Carrie explained. 
"As a calculated mind is wont to do." 
"He espoused his rhetoric. I let him know just how I felt about it. I called him a fascist. And in response...he brought up a video of my father. It was from when I was just a baby. He was trying to get a grant for a new invention of his. He was turned down, and he was understandably upset." 
"Why'd Maxie even bring this up?" Sahir asked. 
"It was the things that Papa said. How he was trying to make the world better, and that everything would be alright if they would just listen to him. Does that sound familiar?" 
"Ah, I see. So that was Maxwell's game. Trying to say that he was no different from your father in that regard. I assume you didn't take that particularly well?" Kenneth asked. 
"I...hit him." 
"You really decked him? Hoo, I would've paid to see that!" Sahir exclaimed. 
"I won't lie, it was certainly cathartic. But ever since then, I've thought about whether he had a point. Was my father really no different? And after all that thinking...Maxwell has no argument. The entire reason my father had us move from France was because he had no chance of getting his point across there. He never wanted to force his ideas onto people. 'If they're to learn how to survive, they must learn it on their own. Otherwise, they'll be resentful and bitter to what you're forcing onto them.' He hated the idea of making people unhappy. He wanted to make a beautiful world...but never at the cost of his soul." 
"Something that Maxwell can't attest to at the moment." Kenneth stated. 
"My father could be reckless. Naive, at times. But he was truly trying to help people through his work. He was..." Carrie looked down. "He was the best Papa I could've asked for. And I know that he'd never do anything so drastic as what Maxwell is attempting now. He's using his grandiose claims to mask his real motivation: bitter, personal rage. And I won't allow his anger to permanently scar the planet. My parents wanted to create a world where everyone could live happily. That's why...I'll gladly put the 'hero' in his place." 
"Aw, yeah, Her Highness has that look in her eye! You'll probably have to get in line on that front, though." Sahir responded. 
"Indeed. If Ibuki's mood of late is any indication, there might not be anything left if she gets her hands on him." Kenneth added. 
"That is...a very real possibility. Regardless, we can't stand pat. My navigation systems may not be working, but that stadium very clearly looks important. I'd wager that being one of the Prison Towers. I would also wager that something formidable is waiting there for us." Carrie dictated. 
"Something like those fakers Maxie made up. The nerve of that guy..." Sahir uttered. 
"We won't know until we get there. It looks to be approximately around...Shinjuku. Although looking down at the streets, security seems to have tightened significantly." Kenneth surmised. 
"Hmmm..." Carrie pondered. "Do you think the trains are still functional here?" 
"Guess it wouldn't hurt to check. I can already see Kenny's eyes lighting up at the thought of not having to walk." Sahir teased. 
"Excuse me, is the man with the surgically-repaired leg mocking me for getting tired from walking?" Kenneth bit back. 
"Ouch. Okay, fair enough..." 
The trio made their way down from the building. Nearby, something watched with dedicated interest, before teleporting away. 
They arrived at Shinjuku Station, evading the eyesight of numerous armored guards. In short order, they were in front of a waiting train. "The busiest railway station in the world...not a soul in sight." Kenneth uttered. 
"And a train not in any hurry to leave. This is so obviously a trap, isn't it?" Sahir questioned. 
"No matter what route we take, we'll be in for a fight. Openly welcoming Maxwell to try and attack us will tell him how little we fear him." Carrie walked over to the train doors. 
"How little you fear him, maybe..." Sahir and Kenneth followed suit. 
The train, much like the station, was devoid of any life. "Well hey, prime seating! That's a rarity. I'll actually take this over reality." Sahir joked. 
"I would've at least expected some kind of security. Not a guard in sight. This is far too easy." Kenneth stated. 
They took their seats. The train started up moments later. 
"...afraid of a girl, Sahir?" Carrie questioned, as he sat away from her. 
"W-what? Nah, I'm just...being respectful, is all. You've got a regal presence as it is, but...y'know...that's KittyKat's spot." he sheepishly responded. 
"That's...a shocking level of restraint. Could a certain maid have that firm of a hold on your wandering eye?" Kenneth questioned. 
"C-come on, man, I'm not a sleazeball! I'm just respecting boundaries, okay?" 
"Don't fret over it, Kenneth. He's more of a gentleman than his past flirtatious attitude would lead you to believe. You're not the only one that's had a change of heart." Carrie giggled. 
"There, see? The lady agrees!" 
"And yet here I am, sitting next to her without a lick of temptation. Perhaps you don't trust yourself around women as much as you think?" Kenneth retorted. 
"Uggggh..." 
The train stopped shortly after. "Hunh...that was quick. I blinked and we got here." Sahir said. 
"Not unusual. The ride is normally only five minutes long." Carrie answered. 
"So, um...is the door gonna open?" 
The calm was broken by the sound of something on the roof of the train. Kenneth got up, and drew his blade. Then, the doors opened. "I would make your exit now. It appears we have company." 
Sahir and Carrie got out of the car. Kenneth was about to do the same, when the door suddenly shut in front of him. Outside, Sahir tried to pry it open. "Crap...this thing's shut good..." 
The lights flickered, and the door lit up. Sahir began to shake, and was sent flying back. "Sahir!" Carrie exclaimed. 
The train started up again. "Blast it...!" Kenneth griped, but nothing could be done. The train departed once again. 
"Kenneth!" Carrie called out. She redirected her attention to Sahir. "Are you alright?" 
"Ugh...Maxie and his electric crap..." Sahir grumbled. 
On the train, Kenneth was left to ponder his options. "Hrm...perhaps this was the goal all along. No one else involved but us." He glared towards the other side of the car. "Am I wrong?" 
There stood one of the armored legion, his garb bearing red lining and a sword symbol on his chest. He drew his sword from its sheath on his side. 
"Not fond of banter, are we? Unsurprising. But very welcome." Kenneth readied his sword. 
His duplicate took an identical stance. "En guarde." 
Back at the station, Sahir got to his feet. "Mmf...so, what now? We keep heading forward, or we try to find Kenny? He could be anywhere by now..." 
"I know we have a job to do, but...I don't want to abandon him. If we hurry we might be able to--" Carrie replied. 
"You freaks are going nowhere." 
The two looked towards the entrance. Several Shadow guards appeared, arming their weapons. Another figure hopped down from the rafters and landed in front of them. He was wearing green-lined armor, with an image if a flaming soccer ball at his center. 
"You're going nowhere but under. The six-feet variety. Welcome to pain." he stated with a distorted voice akin to Sahir's. 
"Aw, crap." Sahir uttered.
The armored foe stood firm. "I wouldn't worry about your friend on the train. If CHARIOT's doing his job, he'll be dead before they even reach the next station. You're better off focusing on what I'm about to do to you." 
"Fat chance. I'm willing to bet you've got it backwards. Kenny probably has your pal on a pike already. But yeah, let's focus on you. There's only one SM9 around here, and he doesn't dig fakers trying to take his throne." 
"You need to turn around and leave. This has the potential to end in tragedy for you." Carrie warned. 
"Well, far be it from me to ignore the words of such a lovely diamond. But the most beautiful of diamonds tend to cause the deepest cuts. Probably. But anyway, there's no time for a nice candlelight dinner. I've got some punishment to deal out." the copy dictated. 
"You would fail miserably at either one of those tasks." 
The copy groaned. "Women, am I right or am I right? This is getting a bit crowded. Oy! You want your piece of her or what?" 
Carrie heard a thud right behind her. Before she could react, she was grabbed, and teleported away. 
"Care! Where'd you take her, creep?!" Sahir demanded. 
"How should I know? I'm not a mind-reader. And you've got a world of problems that don't got nothing to do with that pampered princess. So come on then, 'ace'." the duplicate egged on. "Win the match." 
Carrie was tossed to the ground after reappearing. She got back up, ready for a fight. "You..." 
"Hello, Caroline. I thought you and I could use some alone time. Well..." Her opponent had purple-lined armor with a gemstone symbol at her center. "...not alone, precisely." 
Carrie looked around. She was within the stadium, the inner walls lined with Shadow-filled cells. 
"Hero of justice...here to save us all..." 
"No more evil...no more pain...everything we want..." 
"Only villains would fight him...they only care about themselves..." 
"You don't seem all that unnerved." her copy stated. 
"I know it's all nonsense. I've already given your master my thoughts on his mad scheme." Carrie replied. 
"Ah yes..." She patted her cheek. "Your 'thoughts'. Very ladylike. Do you think Mama and Papa would approve of you acting so violently? They never did fully approve of Boris' teachings." 
"Don't you dare refer to them as if they were your parents. You're nothing but a delusional boy's science experiment. Boris and Eli taught me how to fight because they knew that days would come where I'd have to defend myself. I don't go around looking for people to crush. It only so happens that cretins in need of an attitude adjustment consistently walk into my path." 
"'Cretins'. How sad. You are one of the people Captain Thunder most desired to help through his plan. But as it turns out..." The duplicate took on a battle stance. "...you are the exact type of virus that he seeks to eradicate." 
Carrie put her hands together, closed her eyes, and took a deep breath. 
"...רוח ... מלח ... חול ...רוח ... מלח ... חול" 
She opened her eyes, and assumed her stance. "I won't be the one eradicated today." 
On the train, Kenneth was in a stand-off with his counterpart. "Could you at least show some courtesy and give me a name?" 
"Why would I do that?" 
"I'll need something to etch onto your gravestone. Unless you're satisfied with 'the enslaved fool'." 
"You may address me as CHARIOT. I am one of Captain Thunder's chosen. The one who will be constructing your gravestone. Tell me something, ingrate: why do you reject his vision?" 
"Why would I accept the ravings of a man who likely hasn't felt grass in over a decade?" 
"Because you should understand his rage better than anyone." 
As the two clashed swords, the copy increased the pressure. "All that Mother did to you, and you would allow it all to continue? 'What must I do to rid you of your perversions?'" 
"Don't you...dare..." 
"'Why must my son be such an effeminate embarrassment? Are the baths not enough? Did your trip down the stairway not teach you? Must I damage you more than you already have been?'" 
"Silence..." 
"You betray yourself. Bewitched by Belgian black magic. If Mother could see you now! She'd be elated. 'The world has fixed him', she'll muse. Her wickedness ultimately prevails. Unless, of course..." 
Kenneth smirked. "Unless I agree to Maxwell's demands, is that it? Right all past wrongs by punishing the entire world? You are the one that betrays yourself. I have moved past all of that. I don't need a false prophet's empty promises." 
CHARIOT swept Kenneth's legs, causing him to fall over. The copy grabbed his sword from midair. "Sloppy. It'll be difficult to duel without this..." He tossed the blade out of the window, shattering it. "...wouldn't you agree?" 
"Heh...you would be correct." 
"Hm?" 
Kenneth rose to his feet, with another sword in his hand. "I said you are correct...it would be difficult to duel without a sword." 
"What...where did you get that? I just--" 
"This would get incredibly ugly if I were to continue without a weapon. So I just fashioned myself another one. Like so..." Another sword, resembling a scimitar, appeared in his other hand. 
"What trickery is this? Eligor is incapable of--" 
"Eligor is no longer a factor here." 
"What...?" 
"Suppose I'd best show you..." 
Kenneth's eyes flared yellow, and a spirit appeared behind him--a bearded man in dull gray armor, wielding a gigantic hammer and sporting a feather cape. 
"Behold...Wayland. My power is that of creation--the artist's truest purpose. Break my blade, and I'll just forge a new one. Though life offers it's challenges, it also offers the chance to begin anew. To find one's true self, and embark on their own path...that is life's truest beauty. And it's that beauty that your master stands on the verge of eradicating. I'll not stand for it. So with these blades, forged from the embers of my soul...I'll see those ambitions stopped." 
CHARIOT took a guarded stance. "Imbecile! You've no idea what you're rejecting!" 
Kenneth brought his swords down against his duplicate's, and the latter's weapon promptly cracked and shattered away, the former slashing into his armor. He drove the scimitar into his copy's chest. 
"I'm afraid that this is your stop. Hope you've got all your belongings with you..." 
He pushed CHARIOT up to the broken window, and flung him through it. "Don't fret. I hear Kerberos is a riot at parties." he quipped. He sat down to catch his breath. "Tch...I don't even know where I am now. How to get back to Shinjuku Station..." 
In the train's engine, a Shadow guard was at the controls. It heard the door opening. 
"Excuse me, sir? Would you mind pointing me in the direction of the loo?" 
"Oh, sure, it's right down the--" 
Kenneth drove his sword into the guard's head. "Apologies. But I much would prefer the station's washroom...now, how do I turn this thing back? Every train I've been on slowed to a crawl first before reversing, so..." 
He found the break system, and pushed as hard as he could to stop it quickly. "Reverse...reverse...ah, here we are." 
Before he could push the button, something popped up onto the window--the battered and bloody form of a still-living CHARIOT. "You think you'll be able to be rid of me so simply--" 
Kenneth materialized a katana in his hand, drove it through the glass and pierced his duplicate's heart. The copy immediately slid down the window and out of sight. "Did anyone else hear a fly buzzing? No? Just me? Well then. Resuming." He hit the button, and the train headed in the opposite direction. "Here's hoping this is the only train Maxwell thought to build." 
Back at the station, the Shadow guards were strewn across the floor, smoldering. Sahir's armored copy stood off to the side, arms crossed. "I'll admit, you finished them off quicker than I was expecting. Not bad for a flame-out with a bum leg." 
Sahir extinguished the flames on his hands. "I'm all aces, homie. It's you I'd be worried about. Sitting back and letting your goon squad get pummeled. If you're trying to tire me out, you're doing it wro--" 
A fireball flew past his head, and he ducked out of the way. "And that's why you would've been paid that striker money if you hadn't blown it. What was it Nabil called it, again? 'Proof of manhood'?" his copy, designated SUN, chided. 
"I don't gotta hear this from you--" Sahir kicked at him, but the duplicate grabbed his leg, and flipped him over. "AGH...!" He grasped at it. 
"Not as 100% as you've been telling people, huh?" SUN kicked him in the leg. 
"ARRRGH!" 
"Oh, man, is this a problem. What good is a footballer if he can't kick without squealing like a hog? It's such a disappointment. You were supposed to be the golden boy. Salim royally pissed off the old man, Abu and Nabil are a pair of lazy bones, but you? You had the talent and the drive, and what happens? You flush it all away so you can throw a rock at an angry porker." 
"....." 
"Just the thought of it still freezes you solid, doesn't it? Man, what a riot! All you had to do was get away from something that eats grass, and now you're screwed for life." SUN punched at the air. "Well, c'mon! Still wanna prove you're a macho man? Come and try me, then!" 
"....." Sahir looked agitated. "'Manly'...I'm so sick of that word. I get told my whole life that the only way I'll ever amount to anything is if I run and kick good. If I can't do that, I'm worthless. If I bring the wrong kind of girl home, I'm shoved out the door. It's never about who I am. It's about what I can do. And I'm so. Damn. Tired of it." 
Flames began to emanate from his back and arms. "I don't care about guidelines...I don't care about what people think of me. I finally get to pick for myself how I want to live and what I can do. I'm not gonna let Maxie take that away from anyone else." 
The flames intensified. Behind him appeared a spirit: a red-skinned, black-haired man with seven arms. "So now, with the flames of Agni...I'll burn away every last bit of evil in you!" 
Sahir was completely covered by the flames, and moved at SUN with heightened speed. He darted around his copy, shoving him around and attacking at several angles before the latter could even react. He hit SUN with an uppercut, knocking his helmet off and revealing his yellow-eyed visage. 
With his opponent now struggling and panting, Sahir aped his earlier taunting by punching at the air. "Come on, I'm not even sweating. A U-12 game would give me a bigger challenge than this!" 
"Shut...up!" 
SUN took a swing, missing badly. "That ain't gonna do it." Sahir grabbed him and hoisted him up. 
"Hot...HOT! Aggggggh!" 
"Aw, quit your yapping! You're getting a time...out..." Sahir tossed him onto the tracks. 
SUN got up, clearly aggravated. "You annoying...washed-up idiot. I'm gonna save Captain Thunder the trouble...and put you out of your--" 
It was the last thing he could get out before the Shinjuku Express slammed right into him. The train slowed to a halt not long after. A surprised Sahir turned off his flames. The doors opened, and Kenneth stepped out. "Hello." 
"Uh...hey. You doing alright there?" 
"Relatively speaking. My 'replacement' tried to do away with me, but he's currently lying in a heap a few miles down that way. You look a little worse for wear." 
"Yeah, my guy tried the same thing, but now he's, uh...splattered all over the rear engine." 
"Ah. So that was the noise I heard...wait. Where's Caroline?" 
"I don't know. Her faker came in and took her away. She could be anywhere...oof!" Sahir fell to his knees. 
"What's the matter with you?" 
"Guess I...really overdid it." 
"Do you need a moment to recover?" 
"I'll be alright...we gotta find Care, pronto. She can take care of herself just fine, but..." 
"We don't want to take any chances. Let me help you up." Kenneth hoisted Sahir up. "You need any help with walking?" 
"I've dealt with worse...I can suck it up for a while. We've got a princess to go save." 
"Caroline is the last person who would need saving, but I agree with the sentiment. Let's move." The boys departed the station.
--- 
In the Shinjuku Stadium, FORTUNE held Carrie in a headlock. Both were showing signs of wear, the former's helmet having already been removed. "Have you realized your folly yet?" 
"Stop talking...is that all you...know how to do?" 
"You claim to be an intellectual...a lover of peace. The kind of person Mama and Papa would be proud of. And yet your first instinct is the path of violence. Exactly what Captain Thunder despises about humanity. Abandoning reason and intellect in favor of violent force. History is not written by those with the biggest brains, but the biggest muscle, and the largest armies at their backs. Isn't it time for mankind to be guided by one who has both?" 
Carrie freed herself, only for her copy to kick her away. She picked herself up. 
"This is getting us nowhere." FORTUNE asserted. 
"You tormenting my ears with your totalitarian rhetoric? I agree. So be silent and let me finish you." Carrie replied. 
"This will never end well for you, so long as you continue to proceed with force. All that will happen is we'll continue to beat each other senseless until we're both in a bloody heap. Is that your true desire? To meet your end so quickly? After coming so close so many times? You would abandon Aunt Melly and Uncle Konnie in much the same way Mama and Papa did?" 
"Shut your mouth..." 
"You would leave Natalia to fend for herself, and your dear, beloved Kitten a broken-hearted mess? What a selfish, thoughtless doll you are! Is your own life of so little consequence to you? Then by all means, allow me to end this tormented existence of yours once and for all, you loathsome brute." 
"....." 
Carrie had no words. Maybe she was being thoughtless. Maybe she had been reckless with her life. Maybe... 
"Caroline..." 
Her thoughts turned to her mother. 
"I know what Boris has been teaching you. I know why he's doing it. But please, don't use your fists as a first resort. Don't go looking your danger. Your father and I abhor violence, and if we were to lose you to it...we couldn't go on. You're our reason for existing. You're a brilliant little girl, Amethyst. Let your brain be your weapon. Never let your life be defined by violence. Be who you really are...and you can never lose..." 
".....I love you, Mama. I promise I won't disappoint you." Carrie said. 
"What are you rambling about?" her duplicate demanded. 
"I finally understand. What I've had within me all along. Mama and Papa never wanted me to win an argument through force. What they always wanted was a beautiful, peaceful world, and for me to live my life accordingly." 
"Then agree to follow Ca--" 
"A beautiful, peaceful world where everyone can live freely, how they want to live. A world like that could never be built through force. That is what my heart has been trying to tell me. I can win without using my fists. I can be of help to my friends without using force." 
"And how do you propose you do that? Standing there and letting me dispose of you? I'm more than happy to oblige..." 
The duplicate charged energy in her fist, and lunged towards Carrie. Just as she was about to connect... 
Clang. 
"At the cost of sounding redundant...you're being rather callous and hypocritical, don't you think?" 
Kenneth had appeared between the two, blocking FORTUNE's strike with his sword. The duplicate got back, realizing that her hand had been cut. "Tch...where did you come from...ah!" 
She quickly got out of the way as a fireball came hurdling down upon her. 
"Not in your nature to miss that badly." Kenneth commented. 
Sahir appeared, tossing a fireball up and down in his hand. "Moving targets, man. What can ya do?" 
"Ah, Kenneth! Sahir! You found me!" Carrie exclaimed. 
"Easily done, milady. When in doubt, head to where the most noise is coming from." Sahir replied. 
"I hope you don't mind the intrusion. But it's a key note in the knight's code to never allow harm to come to Her Ladyship. So, here we are." Kenneth added. 
"No, you've actually come in at the perfect time. I was about to show the results of our training, but having the two of you here is a boon." Carrie replied. "I proclaimed myself your navigator before. Now, I do declare, it is time to start acting like it. So, come now, my other self...the game is afoot." 
From beneath her sleeve, a trail of energy emerged, coalescing into a humanoid form, that of a woman wearing Victorian-era clothing, with a cheeky expression on her face, her arms wrapped around Carrie's shoulders. 
"What in the world is that...?" FORTUNE questioned. 
"This is Irene. A clever and intuitive thing, she is. She'll give me everything I need to know." 
Behind the duplicate, a hand rose up above her shoulder, playfully wiggled its fingers, and phased into her shoulder. "What...?!" FAITH swiped at the spirit, who floated away, giggling. 
The spirit handed Carrie something. "Merci." 
"What nonsense are you trying...?" 
"Exposing your weakness." 
"How?" 
Carrie revealed what she was holding: a photograph. It was of the duplicate, specifically her backside. The picture was in black-and-white, save for a large area of her back, which was colored a bright red. "This is part of my power. Uncovering your weak spot and what exactly I should target it with. It would seem that Maxwell made you too much like me. Your back is also feeling the effects of last year's explosion, is it not?" 
"Ah..." FAITH put her hands behind her back, trying to guard it. 
"And this coloration in the picture tells me what element this spot is most vulnerable to. And as luck would have it, the gentleman in the black and green is very well-versed in the use of that element. Sahir, dear?" 
"Yes, Your Ladyship~?" Sahir asked. 
"I believe past experience has left my doppelganger with a disdain for fire. Would you be so kind as to help her alleviate that fear?" 
"It would be my honor." 
"Good man. Now for Act 2 of my Devious Demonstration..." 
The spirit phased her hand into Sahir's back, and pulled out another photograph. 
"And what's this for? Exposing the dolt's weakness?" the duplicate questioned. 
"Oh no, that would be counterintuitive. By my own choice, the photograph exposes either an area of weakness...or strength. In the case of either, I can alter their properties like...so." Energy sparked from Carrie's fingertip as she poked the picture of Sahir. 
His eyes lit up as energy briefly surrounded him. He burst into flames, the fire emanating from his hands being even larger than before. "Oh...yeah." 
FAITH began to move away. "You...you prove nothing! You'd allow this barbarian to incinerate me?! You're nothing but beasts, the lot of you!" 
Sahir moved behind her. "You misunderstand me, milady. Circumstances being what they are, I'm still nothing if not a gentleman. A lover, not a fighter. So on that note..." He opened his arms. "How about a nice, friendly hug?" 
"G-get away from me, you savage! You won't--" 
Sahir grabbed hold of her. "Too late." 
"AGGGGGH! IT BURNS IT BURNS IT BURNS STOOOOOOOOOP!" 
Moments later, the copy was left, singed and slumping on her knees. 
"You might say that I'm a hypocrite for taking this route. But there is such a thing as being left with no other option. People need to be allowed to grow and change on their own. Your master's intentions, no matter how well-meaning, will only leave the world in darkness. That's why we have to stop him. A world without pain can only be achieved if he's stopped, not if he succeeds." Carrie dictated. 
"....." 
Kenneth put a sword to the copy's throat. "You can help your own case by telling us where the other Prison Towers are. Or even more preferable, where our friends are." 
"...heh." 
"Something funny?" Sahir questioned. 
"You live off of the words of Boris' tutelage. Then let me give you one of his commandments." She raised her hands. "Death before dishonor." 
She grabbed the blade of Kenneth's sword, and forcefully pulled it towards her. Kenneth could do nothing as the copy's heart was pierced. 
She went limp. The boys were shocked. Carrie looked away, somber as her duplicate faded away. 
"If it's any comfort, Caroline, I would have gladly avoided putting her down if at all possible. But Maxwell's indoctrination runs deep, it would seem." Kenneth stated. 
"Still, going full harakiri instead of just giving us an answer? That's...intense, man." Sahir uttered. 
"...it's alright. They were made to blindly follow their orders to the letter. We could not bring them around no matter how hard we tried." Carrie replied. "...hm?" 
An orb of light appeared in the center of the stadium. 
"Oh, right. This is still a thing. Think I'll help myself to some treasure..." Sahir moved to grab it. 
"Ah, wait a minute!" Carrie warned, but it was too late. 
Sahir touched the orb, and was immediately shocked. The entire area was enveloped in a blinding light. 
..... 
..... 
"Aaaaand done. One state of the art security system the boys at Fort Knox would be jealous of." 
"You're exaggerating, man." 
"Hey, I didn't shell out half of my salary for a piece-o-crap camera, alright? The little suit-and-ties at Wal-Mart promised me it'd work to perfection." 
"Those guys'll say anything just to get you to buy their junk, otherwise they won't eat." 
"What is this...?" Sahir's voice echoed. 
"That's Maxwell speaking with...an officer installing a camera. Clearly not his father." Kenneth responded. 
"No, I know who that man is. That's his and Barbara's uncle. Davie, I believe his name is." Carrie replied. 
"So...a foreign exchange trip to Japan, eh?" Davie asked. "I went to Japan once. Okinawa, to be specific. Good people, and the food's to die for, but MAN is it crowded." 
"So I've heard. Tokyo's supposed to be a whole different beast, though. I don't know how I'm even gonna move." Max replied. "I still don't know if it's a good idea right now. Leaving Mama when things are getting so twisted. The old man's gonna try something, I just know it." 
"Exactly why I'm here, kiddo." 
"But you shouldn't have to be. You shouldn't have had to drop everything and come all the way here when I'm--" 
"Ah ah ah, that's not how it works. Look, Starbolt, it's like I've always told you. Family is Number One. Flying is what I do, but I can't look after your mom if I'm on the other side of the country. I know what you're thinking. 'She's my mom, and I should be the one doing this'. Difference is, you're still just a kid. You've got a big opportunity here with this trip, and you can't let that slip away cuz of the old drunkard." 
He patted his nephew on the shoulder. "Better that I deal with him than you. I'm not letting him touch a hair on your mom's head. And if he does try anything, he'll be playing craps with Satan before he even blinks. Don't let the bastard wreck your future, kiddo. Plus, you've gotta look after your own sister, right? One look at her, and those Japanese boys are gonna be circling like sharks." 
"Not something I want to think about, thanks." 
"Just saying. I was a teenage boy too, once." 
A call came through to Davie's radio. "964, we've got reports of a carjacking in the vicinity of Baker Street, over." 
"10-4, I'm on my way." he responded. "Sorry to cut it short, but duty calls." 
"Yeah, figured. Will you be over for dinner later?" 
"Hinges on whether the fine people of Louisville can avoid acting a fool for a couple of hours. And whether your mom's gonna keep Moonbeam out of the kitchen." 
"My understanding, it's a lifetime ban. Or at least until my eyebrows grow all the way back." 
"So it's safe for the time being. Good." Davie raised his fist. Max gave him a fistbump. "Catch you later, Captain Thunder." 
The vision ended, and the three returned to reality. Sahir reeled back. "JEEZ! That stung..." 
"You were warned." Kenneth chided. 
"What's that in your hand?" Carrie asked. 
"That'd be what we call 'stinging'...oh." Sahir opened up his hand, and there was a policeman's badge there. "'Louisville Police Department'. Guessing this is his uncle's." 
"Just from that vision, I could see who he models himself after. It was like looking at an older version of him." Kenneth stated. 
"A symbol of justice, that is. A sense that's clearly been rattled by what he's experienced here." Carrie added. 
"Well, we have it now. So...where to now?" Sahir questioned. 
"We still don't know where to look for the other Towers. Or where the others could be." Kenneth added. 
"Actually, I might have an idea." Carrie replied. 
"Do you?" 
"It's just a theory, but...look where we are now. This is in the approximate spot where the Shinjuku events arena is in the real world. Somewhere we know very well." 
"Ah, I think I see where you're going. This is where Ibuki's Prison was centered. If it follows that pattern, then the other two stadiums would be..." 
"Right. At the events center in Akihabara and the sushi restaurant in South Naruki. He wants us to revisit where we've been the last few months." 
"More like wants us to relive his 'masterpiece'. So where do we go first?" Sahir questioned. 
"I say we head for Akihabara first. The sushi restaurant is much closer to the Academy. It'll make for a much easier trip than if we do the reverse." 
"Then let's be on our way. The hope is that the others had similar ideas..." Kenneth replied. 
--- 
The trio blinked. The sight was both jarring...yet not at all surprising. 
"Howdy, guys!" Ibuki greeted. 
She, Kibō and Sakuya were standing on a large pile of Shadow guards, all of them in the process of dissolving away. "You would not believe the day we've been having." 
"I can probably guess..." Carrie responded. 
"There were actually much more of them before you arrived. Max-kun may have expended a large fraction of his manpower just on us. I've killed at least a hundred by myself." Sakuya stated. 
"After a hundred and twenty-five I just stopped counting." Kibō pulled his sword out from one of the Shadows. 
"I'll just file this in my mind-bank under 'Reasons not to upset any of you'..." Sahir scratched his head. 
"I assume that your duplicates are amongst the fallen." Kenneth surmised. 
"Mine and Saku's are. Keebie's got away. Might've bled to death in an alley after I blew his arm off, who knows." Ibuki answered. 
"Let me rephrase it. I'll file it under 'Reasons to never treat Ibuki as anything other than the Amazon queen she is'." Sahir uttered. 
"So no sign of Barb, Nat or KittyKat, huh?" Kibō asked. 
"No, unfortunately. We were hoping that they would be with you. I hope no harm's come to them." Carrie replied. 
"If they're all together, then they should be okay. KittyKat can be a nasty little thing, y'know? She wouldn't let her girls get hurt on her watch." Ibuki asserted. 
"Even if Maxwell threw as many guards at them as he did to you three?" Kenneth questioned. 
"....." Carrie looked worried. 
"Welp, that just means we've gotta hustle. Oh, wait, there's still--" Sahir responded. 
With the last of the guards having vanished, a glowing orb appeared before the group. "There we are. Careful handling it, it stings quite a bit." Carrie warned. 
"I've taken worse." Ibuki immediately grabbed it. As before, a white light flashed over the area. 
When the light faded, the scene had turned to the side of a convenience store. A large group of teenage boys were gathered around. 
"What's going on here?" Kibō's voice questioned. 
"Looks like a brawl to me. Hang on, that's..." Ibuki responded. 
The fight's unfortunate victim was slammed against the wall. It was Max, already having been brutalized, his glasses having long been shattered. The one who delivered the hit, a boy with slicked-back blonde hair and wearing a blazer, riled up the other boys. Max glared up at him. "Look at this bitch, man. Guess he likes getting his ass kicked." said one boy with dreadlocks. 
"Got something to say, dweeb?" the blonde boy demanded. 
"Your punches are about as good as your passes, Denning." Max bit back. 
The larger boy kicked Max in the gut. "Bitch got jokes, too." the deadlocked boy said. 
The blonde boy hoisted Max up by his collar. "Yeah, well none of us are laughing. What are we supposed to do with Coach O gone, huh? It's almost playoff time, dumbass! Now all anyone talks about is him getting canned!" 
Max spat out blood. "Maybe instead of kicking my ass, you should be angry that your coach was a cheat? Oh, but you already knew that, huh, Denning? What'd he offer you? Nice pair of Jordans? Maybe that blazer you've got on?" 
"Motherfucker, do you not know when the shut your trap?" questioned the boy in dreads. 
"I'd also bring up how he'd beat my mom silly, but considering how many football players get booked for domestic violence, that's probably not a deal-breaker for y'all, either." 
The lead boy slammed Max into the wall, and delivered a hard punch to his face. "Keep running your mouth. You asked for this." 
"Yeah, boy. It was either beat you to a pulp or pay that cute sister of yours a visit." another boy added. 
Max coughed up more blood. "You'll all get yours one day...cheats like you and the old man won't get away with it anymore..." 
"Man, I'm tired of this boy's mouth. Put him in his place." 
"Going where you belong, dweeb." 
The boys hoisted Max up and dragged him over to a garbage container. They tossed him in, and walked away. "Tell your mom we said hi, dumbass." the lead boy left off with. 
Max pulled himself out of the container, landing with a thud. Panting, bloody, and now covered in garbage, Max pulled out his phone. The screen had been shattered, but it still functioned, mercifully. He placed a call. 
"Uncle Davie? Yeah, it's me...I, um...I just got jumped. Yeah, um...I don't look too good. Could you get me to the hospital...no, no, no, don't tell Mama to come over here! They'll..." He coughed. "...just, come get me, please." 
The group returned to reality. Sahir shook his head. "That was bad. Right? That was...really bad." 
"He might be our enemy now, but that was not a pleasant sight to behold." Kenneth added. 
"....." Ibuki held in her hands the shattered cell phone. 
"One thing I don't get...it was Barb that exposed their father's secrets. But those guys seemed to think it was Max." Kibō pondered. 
"Not necessarily." Sakuya replied. "That one boy indicated that they were either going to assault Max-kun or...do something untoward to Senpai. Given the option, knowing what we know about him, it's unsurprising that he would take the former option." 
"Always thinking of his family first. And chastising the people he believed were truly in the wrong. Everything we saw was indicative of who he is, and why he's taken this course of action." Carrie surmised. 
"...this doesn't change a thing." Ibuki stated. 
"Hinotama-san?" Sakuya questioned. 
"So he took a hit for his sister. So he loves his mama and wants to do the right thing. So he's gotten his butt whooped by thugs bigger than him. Guess what? I've taken hits for my sister. I want to do the right things for my fam's sake, and I've been laid out by real creeps in my time. Know what the difference is? I've learned to live past all of it. I'm not trying to mind control the entire world and calling myself a hero for it. I don't care what his reason is. Never have. It won't change what I'm gonna do when I catch sight of him." 
"I'm not going to pretend to understand how you're feeling. But I won't stand on a pedestal and tell you that you're wrong for feeling that way. Maxwell is clearly trying to justify himself to us. And as despairing as it may be, it's still no excuse for what's happening now." Carrie dictated. 
"Right. We can't waver now. Not when we're so close to ending this. There's more than one villain in this story, but the biggest one right now is the one who thinks he's a hero. We're seeing this through, no matter what he puts in front of us." Kibō asserted. 
"Good to hear it. So what's our next move?" Ibuki asked. 
"We just came from the stadium in Shinjuku. Following the obvious pattern, it's safe to assume the final Tower is in close proximity to the sushi restaurant in South Naruki." Kenneth outlined. 
"And hopefully the girls got the same idea. Can't go charging into Maxie's hideout without 'em, right?" Sahir asked. 
"No, certainly not. Kitten would be incredibly cross if we went ahead without her." Carrie replied. 
"At this rate, we may have to divvy out who gets what piece of him..." Sakuya added.
--- 
"Here it is. The great institute of higher learning, Naruki Ascension Academy. Or, as it's gonna be known now, the Death Star." Kat commented. 
What had once been their scholarly home away from home in the real world was now this realm's central structure, hulking and skyscraper-like, with the Ashen Artisans' logo prominently displayed near its apex. 
"It really does look like some evil lair, doesn't it?" Natalia questioned. 
"....." Barbara looked downtrodden. 
"N-not to say that the one inside of it is evil or anything, ahehe...ahehe..." 
Barbara shook her head. "You don't have to keep holding back for my sake. Everyone just wants to tiptoe around it so they don't hurt my feelings. If I couldn't handle a few bad words about my brother, I would've stayed home." 
Kat rubbed her shoulders. "Take a breath, beautiful. I can hear you getting worked up. We'll keep it bottled up if it really makes you uncomfortable." 
"But I--" 
Kat wrapped her arms around Barbara. "You want me to say what's on my mind, here it is. I love my best friend a ton, and I'm gonna do everything to make her relax when the world's not being all that nice to her. You're my number one concern right now. I won't make you uncomfortable on purpose. OK?" 
Natalia joined in. "Goes double for me. I'm a good vibes kind of girl now. I have you all to thank for that. So don't expect any badmouthing from me. Even if he is being a major jerk." 
Barbara smiled. "Thanks, guys. When this is all done...we should do something big. Together. To lift everyone up. And we can invite the Professor and Dr. Rose and everybody we've met. Because I...really love this place and everyone here. Everyone should have good memories of being here. I know how crazy this must sound coming from me, but..." 
"You got it. We'll have a big shindig put together where we can all sit back, have a few laughs, get back in the swing of things. Have a little dance, maybe. Whatever you want." Kat agreed. 
"I'd love all of that. But things need taking care of here first. Obviously we can't get in the Academy without dealing with the Towers first." 
"Right. And I spotted something mighty big and mighty suspicious over in the south side. Shouldn't be too long of a walk if we hustle." 
"Okay! Then let's hustle." Barbara started off. 
"Hey." Natalia stopped Kat. 
"What up?" 
"I know you're trying to keep her head on, but maybe now's not the time to suggest throwing a party. I mean...who knows what's gonna happen to Max after this." 
Kat sighed. "I know that. But I'm still not sure if it's fully registered for her yet. She might not have her twin with her for a real long time. That'd be Hell for anyone, but Barbie's such a social butterfly that she's gonna have a hard time coping. I just want to keep her happy. Somehow, some way. And if she needs me to bring the entire circle together for her, that's what I'm gonna do. I called her my sister, so that's what I'm gonna be for her." 
"And I know how super important that word is to you, KittyKat. Just ask the Professor." 
Kat averted her eyes, her cheeks turning rosy. "Look, let's just...keep moving before Barbie thinks we ditched her." 
The girls first cut through the market district. "This place really does feel like the Moon. All mechanical and creepy. But this honestly feels a lot worse to me." Natalia said. 
"Yeah, I get that. We're so used to seeing this place bustling and alive. Now it just feels empty. I mean, aren't those Prof's family's shops over there?" Kat questioned. 
The three stopped in front of one of the buildings. Barbara peered inside. "Nothing. Ms. Hana always has the most beautiful flowers inside and outside. There's nothing alive here. This just feels so wrong..." 
"There's no room for anything that isn't fueling his hero complex. All this high-tech junk makes it look like a utopia, but what's the point when there's no one around to enjoy it?" Kat asked. 
"This place was built from his heart, right? It's nothing like his Palace...that was more colorful. It looked like a giant comic book. What's changed in him since then?" Natalia pondered. 
"....." Barbara wondered about that herself. "I guess...power corrupts." 
Kat felt a chill in the air. "Brrrr...anyone else feel that? It's like we're being..." Her eyes intensified. 
"What's wrong?" Barbara asked. 
Kat looked up. On the roof of the building, something was staring back down at her. 
It was a black cat. With glowing yellow eyes. 
"A cat? What's that doing here?" Natalia asked. 
"That's not just a cat." Kat replied. 
The feline turned away, giving a glare at the trio before bounding onto the adjacent building. 
"Where's it going?" Barbara asked. 
"Looks like she's headed for the stadium. Ladies, get your game faces on. Cuz if she's who I think she is, we're gonna be walking right into a trap. Just keep your eyes open, and I'll bring the heat." Kat directed. 
"You sure we should go after her?" Natalia asked. 
"Sooner or later we'll have to deal with that lot. I've gotten so much new power from being around everyone. Now's the time for me to use it. So we'll fight, and win, cuz we've got no other options. Just stay by me. I won't let anything happen to my girls." Kat unsheathed her dagger...and its companion, one with a cat head on the hilt. "Swear it on my knives." 
"We believe you, KittyKat. We'll do our best to back you up. Right, Barb?" Natalia posed. 
"Yeah. Whatever it's gonna take. That's what best friends are for." Barbara replied. 
"All we'd need is a Monk and we'd be the perfect party. Let's hustle." 
The girls followed after the odd cat, and arrived at the stadium. Kat turned to her friends. "Whatever you see in there, and whatever you hear? Don't let it get to you. This is all a mind game to him. Just gotta keep calm." 
"Strength as diamonds." Natalia imitated Carrie. 
"As diamonds." Barbara followed suit. 
They entered. As with the other Towers, they were met with an ocean of Shadows locked behind bars. 
"Bolt of justice...the hero the world needs..." 
"The hero won't lose...to a bunch of thieves..." 
"The criminals...have to be punished..." 
"Look at them all...they're like zombies..." Natalia uttered. 
"The MCU's been doing it wrong. This is what being heroic looks like. Maybe Loki should've locked everyone in jail first." Kat said. 
"....." Barbara stayed silent. 
The spotlights at the top of the stadium suddenly dropped down, illuminating the floor below. "Looks like the headliner's about to make their entrance. And right on cue..." Kat pointed out. 
In the middle of the lights, the cat sat staring at the three, waving its tail. On either side of it, a figure appeared. The one to its right had yellow lining on their armor, with a heart-shaped skull-and-crossbones logo. The one on the left had sky blue lining, with an image of a lake as its logo. 
"You kept us waiting, 'artisans'." The cat got up and transformed into a form matching the two figures. Her armor was lined pink, but unlike the others, she had no logo. "Welcome to the worst day of your lives." 
"Goody goody gumdrops, it's us but stans." Kat responded. "So what, did your boss forget what my logo looks like? Not like I have it on my headphones that I wear all the time or anything." 
"It's by design, you most devious of witches. Yours is the ultimate symbol of revolt. A symbol none within Captain Thunder's new world should acknowledge nor be reminded of." the azure figure dictated. 
"...it's a cat." 
"Oh, but it's so much more than that, isn't it? There isn't anyone who stands in opposition to his ideals as much as you do. The spoiled thief who thinks she can understand the plights of others. It's hilarious, really." the yellow figure chided. 
"You try to tell other people how to deal with their trauma, but what's yours? Here you are, ordering around this broken little troupe, telling them that you understand what they're going through. Where's the tragedy in your life? And no, listening to your flabby washout of a father's sorry excuse for music doesn't count." the pink figure chastised. 
"No need to make it personal." Kat deadpanned. 
"You've had every chance to do the right thing. You've seen the hell others have lived, and when given the chance to end everyone's suffering, you turn it down. What else can be expected from someone like you? To think Shizuka wants to be like you. Poor girl. She might've been better off staying with Queen Bee." 
"That's enough out of you--!" Natalia declared, but Kat stopped her from acting. 
"Remember what I said. They're mind games and nothing else." she reassured. "Your game's so obvious that it's embarrassing. I'm the first person that'll tell ya that I've been a screw-up for a long time. Think I haven't heard that before? And I'll tell ya for free, you're not anywhere near the first ones to tell me my dad's singing voice sucks. He'll admit it on his own for nothing." 
"We're obvious, are we? Well in a way, so are you. I know exactly what buttons to push. And it's the dolls standing next to you. Let's start with the scared little lamb in yellow." 
"Don't you dare. You leave Natty alone--" Barbara demanded. 
"Quiet, traitor. It's not always about you." her copy chastised. 
"Traitor...?" 
The yellow figure shook her head. "Always needing someone else to speak up for you. Once a scared wallflower, always a scared wallflower. For you to reject Captain Thunder's offer when this world's evils have driven you to the brink, not once but twice, is enough proof that there's clearly something wired wrong in that head of yours." 
"The fact that you had a golden chance at revenge against the one that wronged you, yet decided to bypass it and hug it out is as much of an indictment." the blue figure chided. 
"Sh-shut it! Not everyone's as bitter as Maxie is! Layla needed help, not me pushing her off of a bridge!" Natalia retorted. 
"That's all you are, isn't it? Hugs, hugs, hugs, that's the fix for everything. Maybe the world's corporate overlords are as greedy and self-centered as they are because no one hugged them enough. You'd try disarming a bomb by hugging it, knowing your pea brain." the pink one taunted. 
"Leave her alone!" Barbara stepped in. "Just because my stupid brother made you cold and unfeeling doesn't mean everyone has to be! If that's the kind of world that he wants, then that's all the more reason to smack him like the uppity little kid he's being! The world needs more people like Natty, then bullies like you wouldn't exist!" 
"Barb..." Natalia uttered. 
Kat's duplicate began to slowly clap. "Bravo. The kind of performance you'd expect out of a diva. You hear that, STAR? DEATH? We're the ones in the wrong here." 
"Hearing it and trying not to laugh, MOON." Natalia's copy replied. 
"Exactly the kind of futile preaching that's expected to come from your treacherous mouth." Barbara's duplicate added. 
"Again with this 'traitor' garbage. Is that what His Sparkyness thinks of his own sister? She doesn't owe him any loyalty when all he's done is cause her grief with this bullshit. He should be on his knees apologizing to her, instead of sending his thugs to preach his gospel to a bunch of Thunder atheists." Kat chastised. 
"Oh, what a dilemma this is. Why don't we ask the ones you're trying so hard to 'save' about their opinions on the matter?" 
"Huh? You mean..." Barbara questioned. 
Kat's duplicate put her hands together. "Ladies and gentlemen! You heard it here first! The lassie in the blue hoodie...is none other than Captain Thunder's sister! The very same one he set upon his world-saving endeavor for! And yet, here she is arguing with his champions and going against his wishes! What does the adoring public have to say about this?!" 
"You little...!" Kat griped. 
The Shadows in cages began to stir. 
"Captain Thunder's sister...betraying him?" 
"What an ungrateful little witch...she's lucky to have the brother she does!" 
"Stupid cow, where do you get off?! He's trying to save us all, and you're fighting him?!" 
"What a horrible sister you are, hurting him like this! You ought to be ashamed!" 
The chastising and heckling increased. 
"My, this must be so foreign to you. So used to the adoration of the masses. You've never met a crowd that wasn't kissing the ground you walk on. Poor, tortured starlet." STAR taunted. 
Barbara's eyes were covered by shadows, and she stared down, a grim expression on her face. 
"Barbie...don't listen to them..." Kat pleaded. 
"It's all fake, Barb! It's just Maxie messing with your head! You're not the bad one here!" Natalia added. 
"............." Barbara finally began to speak. "The day my mother kicked my father out of the house, she told me one thing. It was the same thing she'd always tell us growing up, but it meant so much more at that moment. 'Always do the right thing'. And that's what I've always done, and what I'm doing now. Because she told me something else that day. She told me never to allow a man to hurt me the way she was hurt." 
The aura emerging from her was shadowy and unsettling. Her Southern accent became much more prominent. "Maxie's given me more grief than anyone else...shattered my heart into a million pieces. And now his lackeys want to tell me that I'm a horrible traitor out to ruin everything. I've had enough of this...of his ego trip, of this stupid dystopia he built...and you high-and-mighty bitches standing there with those smug tones!" 
"Oh, shit." Kat mumbled. 
Behind Barbara, an ephemeral woman appeared, with pitch-black skin covered in spots by frost. 
"Lake Maiden's Aria No. 3: Hel, Goddess of the Damned." 
"Get down, Hoods!" Kat beckoned. 
"Ahhhh!" Natalia ducked. 
"Zagreus! Amon-Ra!" Kat summoned the two Personas, who formed a barrier of flame around the girls. 
It wasn't a moment too soon, as waves of frigid air began to stream from Barbara. Walls of ice rose up around the stadium, as if to silence the raucous inmates. After several minutes, the blizzard ceased. 
Assured that the wind had stopped, Kat let down her barriers. "Barbie...?" 
Barbara was standing completely still, slightly hunched over. As Kat approached her, she noticed that blood was dripping from beneath her sleeves, as well as from her mouth. She collapsed. 
"Barbie!" Kat caught her. 
"Oh no, what happened?!" Natalia questioned. 
"That was too much for her body to handle. There was some serious anger there. Can you put her back together?" 
"I can try...never tried stitching this many wounds before..." Ephemeral hands holding a needle and thread appeared above Natalia. 
"No better time than the present. Hm?" Kat looked over to where the armored legion had been standing. 
Sure enough, all three had been frozen solid. But what had caught Kat's attention was the sound of ice cracking. She noticed them beginning to shake. One of their arms broke free from their frigid prison. 
"Dammit!" Kat drew her knives. 
All three of the duplicates broke out of the ice, their helmets destroyed and their armor damaged. MOON drew her knife, DEATH her scythe, and STAR a rod. 
"Oh no..." Natalia lamented. 
"Keep working with Barbie, Hoods. I've got this..." Kat assured. 
She took notice of a noise from up above. Descending from the sky were a number of aircraft. The door to one opened, and there stood MAGICIAN, his arm now fully repaired. He leapt from the craft and landed with a heavy thud. "Not the usual time of year you'd expect to see a huge snowstorm." He drew his sword and shield. 
More Shadow guards followed suit, exiting from the aircraft and taking position next to the armored fiends. 
"You've got to be kidding!" Natalia griped. 
"Welp. Let it never be said that Sparky isn't taking us seriously." Kat stated. 
The enemies slowly approached. 
"KittyKat..." 
"Don't, Hoods. I'm gonna cut these freaks down for as long as my body holds up. I'll go full Dynasty Warriors on them if I have to. I'll take a one-way trip to Kirby-chan Land before I let them touch you." 
Natalia gulped. Kat prepared to go on the offensive. And then... 
A large number of the Shadows were wiped out by an arrow of light. 
"What the...?" MOON questioned. 
"Damn it all...not again!" MAGICIAN griped. 
Fireballs flew up from behind the girls, landing before the horde and forcing them to halt. Then came the bladed petals, floating between the groups and forcing the enemies back. 
Kat turned around, and she'd never been so relieved. 
"It would seem that we're unfashionably late to the festivities." Kenneth quipped. 
The rest of the group arrived on the scene, weapons drawn. 
"Guys!" Natalia exclaimed. 
"Arriving just in the nick of time. The hallmark of a truly dramatic hero." Sakuya said. 
"Wouldn't have it any other way." Sahir added. 
"Hold on...Barb!" Kibō ran over. "What happened to her?" 
"She went overboard with her powers...I'm trying to fix her up." Natalia replied. 
"Let me help with that, love. This should only take a minute." Carrie knelt down next to them. 
"An icy stadium and an army of Shadows, flanked by brainwashed copies. What a lovely day." Kenneth commented. 
"All I see are about a hundred bullseyes for me to hit. Oh, hey, chuckles! See ya got your arm back. Good as new, I hope?" Ibuki asked. 
"Tch...!" MAGICIAN grunted. 
"They're so stunned they've run out of heroic preachings. Such a tragedy." Sakuya stated. 
The others rose to their feet, along with a healed Barbara. "You OK?" Natalia asked. 
"Yeah...I think so. I'm sorry..." Barbara apologized. 
"Don't be. Keeping anger stuffed away ain't healthy. Nearly solved our problem for us, anyway." Kat replied. 
"More fun for us." Sahir stated. 
"Hey, jokers." Kat called out. 
"What is it now?" MOON griped. 
The Artisans armed themselves and began activating their Personas. 
"You might've guessed it by now, but I'll spell it out for you. Y'all fucked around. Now you're gonna find out." Kat stated.