Persona BLEACHED 4: Chapter 35

Chapter 35: So-yin's Twelve
December 13, 2031
"Good morning, everyone. Hope you don't mind me crashing your Saturday plans for a bit of extradimensional mayhem." Max dictated. Before him were the remainder of the Ashen Artisans.
"Not like I was really enjoying that nap or anything." Sahir mumbled. Sakuya elbowed him. "Ow!"
"Settle. We're a month out from an all-out war here. You wouldn't be swiping us out of the blue if it wasn't important, right Sparky?" Kat asked.
"Right as per usual, Kitty Kat. You're probably asking yourselves why I'm holding this little meeting in front of a boat instead of some fancy board room. Answer's simple. I brought you all here for a heist." Max answered.
"Now you're speaking more of our language." Ibuki chimed in.
"Oh yes, breaking and entering! How thrilling!" Tabby exclaimed.
"You're a bit *too* enthusiastic about the prospect, Tabitha." Kenneth responded.
"Alright, little bro. Where are we breaking into?" Barbara asked.
"Can't be a simple job if you brought everyone here for it." Kibō added.
"It's simple on paper, but it's probably the most dangerous one we've faced. But if it all goes to plan, it could be the difference between winning this war or watching Tokyo crumble. We're gonna sneak into the Wolfpack headquarters." Max replied.
"Wait...you want us to go *inside* the bad guys' hiding spot?!" Natalia questioned.
"'Dangerous' might be an understatement. Surely there are agents here that would be better suited for such a crucial task?" Sakuya asked.
"Thanks for not underselling us~!" Cindy entered. "But see, there's a pretty big roadblock when it comes to getting in." She poked Hugo. "That's your cue, dummy!"
"Y-yes, Lady Cynthia, my apologies." The robotic bird emitted lights from his eyes, displaying an image of a menacing-looking structure seated on an island. The building was surrounded by a crimson-hued force field. 
"See that barrier? It's meant to keep magic in and out. Anyone from here tries to get in, they'll just bounce right off. Until you all showed up, I was the only one who could possibly get through it without being blocked."
"No wonder you all haven't turned these clowns over yet." Kat commented.
"You called this a heist, Maxwell. What are we going after? Certainly not to confront their boss in his own building." Carrie asked.
"No, I'm not that crazy. There's something the boss is keeping that we're gonna snatch back." Max replied.
Hugo changed the image to an ancient-looking text. 
"The 'Liber Infernus'. A book of hexes that Johnny stole from a witch's coven that he used to make himself into the nearly invincible force that he is now."
"So the key to wasting this guy is...a book." Sahir responded.
"It's no ordinary book. It's a forbidden text that was kept locked away because it could drive anyone who used it mad."
"So if we tried using it...wouldn't that make us crazy?" Natalia asked.
"Not if you're strong enough in magic. Which my sister very much *is*." Cindy replied.
"The plan's simple. We steal back the book, have Emily study it and once she's good and ready, she uses the spell to remove Johnny's power." Max added.
"And then it's game over, right? Or is there a 'but' coming?" Kat asked.
"Just because he'll lose the book's magic won't mean that he's totally depowered. He's still gonna be a tough SOB. But it's the difference between 'tough' and 'tanks our best shot with just a few scratches'."
"So it's either storm the wolf people's base...or be destroyed when the time comes." Tabby said.
"Don't seem like we've got much of a choice, huh Kitty Kat?" Ibuki asked.
"Not unless we *want* to get wrecked. We're all in, Sparky. So how are we getting there?" Kat asked.
"Leave that to me." Emily appeared. "Hello again, everyone."
"Were you just...standing in the shadows waiting to announce yourself?" Kenneth asked.
"Leave it. It's her thing." Max replied.
"Craaaaaw~." Muno sounded towards Sakuya.
"What'd I tell you about serenading my woman?" Sahir glared at the bird.
"Please don't get into a blood feud with a bird, Sahir-kun." Sakuya shook her head.
"It's one I can assure you wouldn't win. Anyway..." Emily interrupted. "...the hideout is located on an island. I can teleport you all and the boat somewhere out of sight. It's up to you how you make it inside without being caught."
"Barb, think you can hide us all in the water?" Max asked.
"I've been pushing myself in training, so I can definitely pull that off." Barbara replied.
"So what's gonna happen when the big bad eventually catches us?" Sahir asks.
"That won't be happening. The P.D.F. has that place under constant surveillance. We've specifically chosen a point when neither Johnny or Zeke are there. If we want to get this done, it's now or never." Max answered.
"So it's off to Scotland to steal the witch book from the scary werewolf man before he destroys everything we care about. We told ya it wouldn't be boring, Tabs." Kat quipped.
"I'll take this kind of excitement over being trapped in a sinking car." Tabby replied.
"Anyone else wanna point out homeboy sounding like a commander-type? Not gonna lie, Sparkplug, it's kinda hot." Ibuki winked.
"H-hey, come on, this is serious." Max uttered.
"Well you're 'serious'-ly turning red, little bro." Barbara giggled.
The others laughed as Max slumped.
"Awww, they tease him just like everyone does to Dad! It's kinda cute." Cindy chimed.
"He certainly reels back like he does." Emily added.
"I should've expected this. And I opened the door for it anyway." Max his inside his shirt.
---
Several miles off the Scottish coast. A black and red portal materialized atop the water, and a P.D.F. cruiser appeared from it.
"I'll stay here to keep the boat cloaked from sight. Muno will be my eyes above the fortress. I'm not one to say this very often, but may the Mother Goddess bless you all with her protection." Emily stated.
"Thanks, sis. We'll make sure to be extra super careful." Cindy replied.
"I'm gonna guess *that* is the big scary place we're breaking into." Sahir pointed.
There in the distance was an imposing, black fortress, jutting out from a bleak, vegetation-deprived island.
"That's it, alright. You got this, Barb?" Max asked.
"Don't I always? You've known me long enough to know the answer already." Barbara replied.
Her eyes glowed, as she summoned a pocket of water that enveloped the entire group, sans Emily. It disappeared back into the ocean.
"I should have asked him if he was really going to be alright." she said.
"Braaaawk." Muno sounded back.
"Hm. You're right. I just had to look into his eyes to know the answer to that. The nervous boy, full of uncertainty when he first arrived here, is gone. His friends have probably noticed already. Here's hoping that this tale ends happily for all of them."
The island was being patrolled on most sides by Wolfpack grunts, armed with rifles. Seeing this, the group maneuvered behind the fortress, where security was lightest. The pod of water materialized on the shore, dispersing to reveal the entire group.
"It looks even more hideous up close. Whoever designed this monstrosity should have their architectural credentials stripped from them immediately." Kenneth said.
"I don't even wanna think about how awful the interior decorating is..." Natalia added.
"We'll be lucky if ugly couches are the most of our worries. Got a game plan, Sparky?" Kat asked.
"First we're gonna need a layout of the fortress. Won't help us at all if we're just running around in circles." Max replied.
"Give me a few minutes and Hugo can have the whole place outlined." Cindy said.
"Allow me, love. I have my own method." Carrie materialized a holographic, purple replica of the structure, with the inside clearly visible.
"Egad! She did that in mere seconds!" Hugo exclaimed.
"Guess somebody needs a few firmware updates." Max joked.
Out from behind Carrie came Irene, mildly giggling as she observed the hologram with a magnifying glass. "Now, let's see...if this book is indeed hidden inside this fortress, these would be the most likely locations."
"Johnny's private quarters, Zeke's office, and the horde of stolen loot they've got in the basement. All three of which would probably be the most well-guarded spots in the entire building." Max observed.
"Well we're not going to get anywhere looking one at a time, especially as one big group. We'd be spotted in an instant." Kibō pointed out.
"So we split up. Three groups of four, one to each location. Once someone locates the book, we escape as quickly as possible. And if we meet any resistance..." Sakuya said.
"L-let's just hope we don't get spotted and there's not a big, noisy fight." Natalia interjected.
"I'm going with Maxie!" Ibuki and Cindy both said in unison.
"Uh...I haven't even started splitting us up yet." Max uttered.
"Boy, what is it with you and older girls, Maxie? Sounds like you've got a complex." Sahir smirked.
"Shut up."
"I just wanna spend some time with this dork, is that too much to ask?" Ibuki grabbed his arm.
"And I'm still his nurse! I have to attend to my patient at all times!" Cindy exclaimed.
"You're *still* on about being my nurse?" Max uttered. "Alright, fine, you're both with me. But we need one more. New girl, you're with me."
"Huh? Me?" Tabby uttered.
"I want to see how prepared you are for myself. We'll see if Kitty Kat's teachings have sunk in yet."
"Well...alright, then. I'll try not to trip over myself."
"Just breathe, Tabs. If things get hairy, you can just hide behind the Bookster." Kat said.
"I like when things get hairy." Ibuki scratched Max's beard.
"Geeeeezus." he grumbled.
"A'ight, back to business. Guess I'll take the rest of my London fam with me. That cool?" Kat asked.
"As ice, your leaderlyness!" Natalia affirmed.
"I'm fairly certain that's not a word." Kenneth stated.
"It is in the Natty Dictionary!"
"Right, of course. I must have missed that page."
Carrie lightly giggled.
"So that leaves the four of us." Barbara said.
"Figure we can just have Keeb and Saku wreck everything if it comes to it." Sahir added.
"If only we could trick Ishimaru-kun into believing he's behind the wheel." Sakuya said.
"I'm not going to respond to that." Kibō replied.
"So all that leaves us is where we're going. My group can take the big boss' quarters. Lord only knows what that could possibly look like." Max stated.
"Katherine, if you wouldn't mind, I'd like for us to search in Ezekiel's office." Kenneth requested.
"No objections here. I kinda guessed that you'd want to take a peek considering...well, y'know." Kat replied.
"Consider it a compulsion. As if something is pushing me towards him. I simply must know what makes that man the way he is. Why would someone so cunning and intelligent be subservient to such a brute? There must be something else there."
"Even if we don't find the book ourselves, learning about our enemies definitely wouldn't hurt." Carrie said.
"That leaves us with the basement. Looks like the exact kind of place where he'd leave something he'd snatched." Barbara said.
"It strikes me as the sort of thing that is far too important to leave with the rest of his pilfered goods. But the man is clearly nothing if not unpredictable." Sakuya surmised.
"Alright, we should be good to go from here. Memorize that layout, and head for your spots. And if there's anyone blocking the way and you have no choice but to fight, try to draw as little attention as possible." Max outlined.
"Aye-aye, commander." Kat saluted.
"Where would I be without that attitude of yours, Kitty Kat?"
"Same place as everyone else, a million times worse off. Let's go, troops. Time to rummage through a murdery Brit's things."
"I'm fairly certain he's Welsh." Kenneth corrected as her group departed.
"Be careful, Starbolt." Barbara said.
"You too, Moonbeam." Max replied. "Not that I need to worry too much with who you've got going with you."
"Flattery will get you nowhere." Sahir responded.
"Yeah, he was *obviously* talking about you." Kibō uttered as Sakuya lightly shook her head.
"You won't need to keep a worry in that pretty little head, Barbie doll. Our boy's gonna be safe with me." Ibuki put her arms around him.
"Nurse Cindy's gonna keep everyone in one piece!" Cindy saluted as her robotic companion mimicked the move.
"And I'll...try!" Tabby repeated the salute.
"Well your gang isn't short on confidence." Barbara laughed. 
"I picked the winning squad. Or they picked me, I guess." Max materialized his helmet. "Let's get this book. I've had enough of spooky haunts for one week."
The groups dispersed, and headed into the dark fortress.
Inside, Barbara's group entered a hallway, with dark, rusted metal covering the walls.
"And it's just as creepy on the inside as it looks from out there. I really wish we didn't draw the basement, who knows what Frankenstein craziness they've got stashed down there?" Sahir grumbled.
"None of our options were all that appealing. We should save any complaints for after we're out of here. Now the stairs to the basement should be on the other end of this hallway." Kibō replied.
"Yeah. With some company in front." Barbara peered around the corner, spotting a guard stationed in front of the stairway.
"I'll deal with him." Sakuya bluntly said.
"Wait, Saku! We should keep this as bloodless as possible." 
"She's right. We want to leave no sign that we were ever here. No alarm bells, nothing." Kibō agreed.
"I'm open to any option." Sakuya replied.
Sahir took notice of a noise coming from behind a nearby door. "That sounds like...a faucet. Hey, Barb, you thinking what I'm thinking?"
"Bleh, I usually use cleaner water than that, but...war is dirty, I guess." Barbara replied.
The door opened, and the exiting guard finished wiping his hands, before tossing the paper away. As he stepped out, his face was snared from behind by a pair of hands composed of water. These hands were emerging from a stream coming out of the faucet. Barbara peered around the corner, her eyes glowing blue.
Soon enough, the guard's eyes jarred open, briefly taking on that same shade of blue, and he ceased struggling.
The guard in front of the stairs remained in his own little world, unaware of what was transpiring.
"Hey."
He snapped out of his thoughts to see the grunt from the bathroom standing in front of him. "What's with you?"
"I needed a hand in the shitter. Last guy in there left it a real stink. It's bad, man."
"Oh, for crying out--know what? I bet it was that douchebag Wilson. Guy's been eating nothing but Taco Bell for the last three weeks and crapping up the joint! Dunno why the boss hasn't fired his ass yet."
"Yeah, thought I saw some sauce packets in there."
"Oh, he's *so* dead. Let me take a look, you know Zeke likes the place spotless."
The guard walked over to the bathroom. "Okay...not sure what you're going on about, doesn't stink too--"
The door slammed behind him, and the grunt locked it before moving a table in front for good measure.
"Hey, what's the big idea?! This some kinda joke?! You're DEAD, you hear?!"
The guard slammed on the door.
"Thanks for the assist, you're a real sweetie~." Barbara stepped out.
"Anytime, milady." the grunt responded.
"Hey so, you wouldn't happen to have a key to the basement stash, would you? It's super important that we have a look in there."
"Oh yeah, go ahead. S.O.P. for every guard to have a full set of keys." The grunt handed her his key ring.
"Oh, you're a lifesaver~! Just one more thing...do you have any spare uniforms lying around here? Four, preferably?"
---
"I despise having to wear these dusty things." Sakuya griped, as the four were now in full Wolfpack garb.
"Natty originals, these ain't." Sahir added.
"I know, they're awful, but we can't just walk up to their loot cave and ask them to let us in. Plus it'll make it easier to move around." Barbara replied. "Right, big guy?"
"...I think I just swallowed a dead moth." Kibō uttered in response.
"God only knows how long these things were sitting in there for." Sahir added.
"Best not to think about it." Sakuya surmised.
"Let's just go before the stink starts becoming part of us."
The four made their way down the stairs, themselves dimly lit. "I'm gonna need a major shower when we get home. I don't wanna smell like old dust for the winter play in a few days..." Barbara sighed. "Listen to me, thinking about a play when we're preparing for a big fight. That's even if we make it off this island in the first place..."
"Don't stress about it. Life isn't stopping for us just because we know something bad's coming. I've got exams in two days! Cramming that in on top of *all this* is costing me a good amount of sleep." Sahir replied.
"Kubo-sensei told us to conduct ourselves as normally as possible. A performance in front of a large audience is exactly where you're most comfortable, Senpai." Sakuya said.
"Right now, everything else feels like a distraction. Honestly it's what we all need going into something that's gonna be brutal." Kibō added.
"And the play you're partaking in is a more somber tale, isn't it? Try channeling how you're feeling into your performance. However dire the circumstances, try to take some positives out of it. As mad as that might sound."
"No, I get what you guys are saying. Thanks. I've just gotta focus on what's right in front of me, that's all." Barbara replied.
"(I'm starting to see the same sort of hesitation that was there when we faced Max-kun. Senpai's heart is too kind for the battlefield. Unfortunately, kindness is going to be in short supply once the fighting begins. I'm truly worried for how she's going to fare.)" Sakuya thought.
The group made it to the bottom of the stairs. Before them was a cold, dark room, only housing a single door.
Barbara took out the keys. "Alright, I think he said it was...this one." She turned it inside the keyhole. It made a creaking sound. She pushed the door open. An ominous chill came from behind it.
Sahir peered inside the room. "Holy...!"
The rest of the group followed suit. The room was a sea of gold coins and other assorted treasures, sitting in what was effectively a pit.
"Is that all...real gold?" Kibō questioned.
"It looks like something out of a Scrooge McDuck cartoon...who hoards this much in their basement?" Barbara asked.
"Avarice can be a very...profound condition." Sakuya uttered.
"I'm gonna guess he wouldn't stick a book under all this cash, but even if we did, how would we ever find it?" Sahir asked.
"What do you think, Barb? Should we turn back and maybe find the others?" Kibō asked.
"....." Barbara thought on it. "Maybe what they're banking on is anyone seeing this focusing in on the gold. Nobody would ever think there was a book in all this. If there's a chance it's in here, we need to make sure. Especially if it's what we need to win. We can't just assume anything."
"Good enough for me."
"Suppose we should start digging." Sakuya said.
"Welp, nothing for it. No one said it was gonna be easy." Sahir added.
The four went down the narrow stairs to the bottom of the treasure horde. They began sifting through the coins and baubles. After several minutes of searching, they were coming up empty-handed.
"Well it's gold, gold and more gold, but no magic literature. How's anyone supposed to find *anything* under all this coin?" Sahir questioned.
"We'll probably find the Holy Grail before ever finding the book." Kibō conceded.
"By the time we search through everything, the invasion will be upon us, and there's no guarantee the book is even in here. Senpai, perhaps our attention should be spent elsewhere?" Sakuya asked.
"If the others come up empty, we can search through here as one group. Twelve pairs of hands would make this go by quicker than four."
"...I just feel like there's something more down here. Like it's all to hide something else." Barbara replied. "There has to be...ah!"
"What's wrong?"
"I caught my foot on...huh?"
Beneath a mess of gold coins was a section of floor that appeared much different from the rest of the room.
"That looks metallic...and that's clearly a handle." Kibō said.
Sahir bent down to grab the handle, pulling up to little avail. "Yeesh...I'm gonna throw out my back like that! How's anyone supposed to open this?"
"I wonder...who puts such a heavy door on the floor of a room where nobody would be looking for it?" Sakuya pondered.
"Someone strong enough to lift it with a secret to keep. Think you can pull it off, big guy?" Barbara asked.
"Wouldn't be my mom's son if I thought I couldn't. Step back." Kibō bent down and grabbed the handle. His eyes began to glow as he pulled, and after a few seconds, the door swung open.
Beneath it was a set of stairs, shrouded in darkness.
"Looks like that Barb intuition was on the money." Sahir said.
"Doesn't look like there's any lighting. You want to take the lead?" Barbara asked him.
"It'd be my honor, 'milady'." 
Sahir snapped his fingers, and a small flame appeared in his hand. Now with a light source, the four descended down the secretive stairway.
"Please keep close to me, Senpai. There's no telling what could be waiting down there." Sakuya advised.
"Pretty sure that's my line." Kibō spoke.
"You don't have to worry about me, guys, I can handle it if things get ugly. But thanks~." Barbara assured.
Sakuya had a look of concerned doubt.
After a bit more walking, the group reached a door. "Well, could be more gold in there. Could be some ancient creepy-crawly waiting to suck out our bone marrow. Only one way to find out." Sahir opened the door.
He peered inside. "What...the..."
The room was largely empty, save for a desk at the end. Above the desk was a writing board. Scattered around the room were a number of recording devices--some broken, some not.
"This isn't what I had in mind." Kibō bent down to look at one of the broken recorders. "I know the tech here is way more advanced than anything we have, but these still look kind of old. Why are there so many?"
"Hey. Come look at this." Sahir directed.
The group got a closer look at the desk and board. Sitting on the desk was a lone, green journal. Barbara picked it up and opened it.
"These entries are dated from over twenty years ago..." She began to read. "'Today was the worst day of little brother's life. The Intel dweebs got a hold of Old Man Harry's hideout and sent in a squad to take them out. I'll have to thank Zeke for feeding them that later. Those badly trained morons never even realized they'd been set up until it was too late.'"
"'The old man is getting close to his expiration date. He's too good of a resource to let go like that. So we came to an arrangement. I give him a good amount of young, strong souls to feed on, and he gets rid of my current problem for me. It worked almost too perfectly. That mouthy island witch kicked little brother away to deal with the geezer herself. Worked for me.'"
"This is...he's talking about when the Commander's first wife died. This world's Carrie." Barbara realized.
"So he set the whole thing up? What the hell for?" Sahir questioned.
"Keep reading, Senpai." Sakuya urged.
"'She had to be the most irritating thing I've ever had to put up with. All this needling and calling me a gorilla. Filling up Sonia's ears about what a piece of trash I am and that 'she can do better'. You sure know how to pick 'em, Maxie. Truth is though, the way the old man was, the witch could've dealt with him, annoyingly good at magic as she was. So I waited, watched from the shadows for the right moment. One good shot. Went right through both of her hands. Good luck getting any spells out without those. Harry got her good after that. Her face...I'll treasure that look for the rest of time. More priceless than any gold!'"
"That bastard...he had his own brother's wife killed?" Kibō uttered.
"Here I was thinking that magic book's what got him twisted." Sahir said.
"It merely reinforced what was already there. He was a scoundrel from the very start." Sakuya added.
"The way it's written...he sounds like he's gloating. He couldn't be more pleased with himself. He just had his brother's wife murdered, and he's celebrating like it's a festival. What kind of monster are we dealing with..." Barbara uttered.
Sahir looked to the board. "Hey, look at this."
The board and surrounding walls all had a single word--a name--carved into them, over and over again.
"Who's 'Anna'?" Sahir questioned.
"Anna...isn't that the girl Max brought with him to Thanksgiving dinner? The girl with the Brooklyn accent." Kibō asked.
"Yeah, it is. She said back then that her dad was called 'Satan-adjacent'. I had put the pieces together, but I guess there's your confirmation." Barbara replied.
"Looks to me like he's got an obsession." Sahir said.
"Let me keep reading..." Barbara continued through the book, looking for anything relevant. "'Things aren't gonna be this shit for long. Maxie ought to be down in the dumps, but here he is with that tech chick and a new brat. Babs is up her ass in legal work and just popped one out herself. Sonia's getting crabbier by the day. Talking about taking Anna--MY ANNA!--and leaving. I can't stand it. She wants to take the one good thing I've got and run? She thinks she can do THAT to me? ME?! I'm the best this military industrial complex SHITHOLE has to offer! And she thinks she can hold my own flesh and blood over me?!'"
"'No. No. That ain't gonna happen. I've got the spook book now. I'll be stronger than any of these punks, and they're gonna know it. Keep mouthing off, Sonia. You think I'm afraid of you? Bitch...you're gonna learn what real fear IS.'"
"...that's the last entry. The last competently written one, anyway. After that it's just pages and pages of 'Anna' written all over. Has to be thousands of times." Barbara said.
"Must've been right after this that he finally snapped and got the book's power. Didn't Anna say that her mother was locked up somewhere?" Kibō asked.
"Wouldn't shock me to find out that was his doing as well. To think there was someone so filled with contempt and negative feelings towards his own family that he'd so viscerally hurt them..." Sakuya said.
"It's messed up, no question. Has to suck for this Anna girl. Knowing what a piece of garbage her old man is." Sahir added.
"....." Barbara was quiet. "...it doesn't look like the book's here. But we should still let the Defense Force people know about this journal. I'll take pictures of the pages." 
"Wonder how their Max is gonna react to hearing what his brother did to his wife."
"Wouldn't surprise me if the thought's crossed his mind over the years. Won't make it any easier to stomach." Kibō replied.
"If there's truly nothing else here, we should go find the others. The sooner we leave this wicked place, the better." Sakuya said.
"I couldn't agree more, Saku. Let me take the pictures quick so we can get out of this horrible place..." Barbara replied.
---
"Five guards total in front of the tower. No energy signatures inside." Carrie analyzed her screen. Her group looked down from the outside of the fortress. "The door also appears to be locked from the inside. That could complicate matters for us."
"Well, I could take this cable across and get in through the window. Problem is those jokers down there would spot me in an instant." Kat said.
"And your reputation as a skilled cat thief would take a monumental hit." Kenneth jabbed.
"Not as monumental as the one your pretty face is about to take. Got any ideas, Care?"
"We would have to provide a reasonable distraction. Something that would keep them occupied long enough for us to thoroughly search the office." Carrie surmised.
"Hmmm..." Natalia looked around. She spotted a field where small, flying drones were being held. Then she caught sight of a basement door, placed right next to the door below them. "Aha! I think I've got an idea."
As the guards sat around the door, clearly bored with patrol duty, their tedium was interrupted by an object floating by. One of the drones, not even turned on, slowly levitated through the air.
"The hell...?" one guard pondered.
"Someone takin' it for a joyride?" another asked.
"They're in for some shit if they are."
The drone continued to float away. 
"Hey, let's not let that thing float too far off!"
"Bet it'll take us to whoever's drivin' it. Gonna get major brownie points when the Boss and Zeke get back. Y'know they hate us playin' with their toys."
The guards all got up and followed after the floating machine. 
Atop the building, Natalia held out her hand, her eyes glowing yellow. "Mwehehe."
The drone floated into the opened basement door.
"Hidin' in the basement? Typical."
The guards followed it in. Once they were all well down the stairs, Natalia used her power to shut the door behind them, then levitated a longsword through the door handles, effectively locking them inside. The group could hear the guards banging on the doors below.
"Aaaand done! Thanks for letting me borrow a sword, Kenny." Natalia said.
"I can spare a weapon or three. Wayland gives me plenty of options." Kenneth replied.
"Perfectly done, cutie. Y'all make your way down there. Ya girl's gonna get that door unlocked nice and quick." Kat said.
"Be careful going across that cable, my love." Carrie cautioned.
"Careful's my middle name." Kat took on her feline form, then deftly moved across the cable.
"I would've assumed it was something like 'Benson'." Kenneth joked.
"So-yin Benson Kit. It rolls right off the tongue, Kenneth." Carrie sighed.
Natalia maneuvered the three of them down to the ground. They waited by the tower door, hearing the sound of the lock being manipulated. Soon enough, the door creaked open.
"Sorry, I already know about Jesus." Kat said.
"Could have fooled me, Katherine." Kenneth replied.
The four entered the tower.
"....." Kenneth gazed at the winding stairs.
Kat rubbed his shoulder. "Breathe, Kenny. You've come along too far for a bunch of stairs to trip you up."
"I must seem so ridiculous every time this comes up. Frightened by a few elevated steps. But the fear..." Kenneth thought back to his childhood. Looking up at the shadowed figure of his ever-demanding mother.
"('We'll keep repeating this until you can behave properly, Kenneth.') His mother cracked the switch in her hand. "('Now get up here and do it correctly.')"
The young boy looked to the living room. His father meekly sitting on the couch, seemingly a thousand miles away.
"('NOW, Kenneth.')" His mother repeated.
His father looked at him. A fraction of the memory he'd kept buried played out.
"('I'm sorry.')" His father mouthed.
He snapped out of his thoughts. "Krh..." 
"We know it's painful to think about, Kenneth. We won't force you to do anything that makes you uncomfortable." Carrie assured.
Natalia took his hand. "It wasn't an overnight fix for me either. You already know that. Hold on and I promise you won't trip. It doesn't have to be you suffering in silence. OK?"
"Heh...if you had told me on the first day of class that *you* would be comforting *me* for being a mess of nerves, I may have called you mad. Thank you for that. I'll try to keep my composure. It was me who requested that we come here, after all." Kenneth responded.
"Love ya, Kenny. We'll help you through it. Let's get moving." Kat replied.
With that extra encouragement, the four made their way up the spiraling staircase.
After a few minutes, they reached the end of the stairs, capped by a trap door blocking access to the upper level. Its handles were kept shut by a lock and chain.
"Well, points for the unconventional hideout spot, I guess. Why stay so far out from the rest of the castle?" Kat questioned.
"A tower like this certainly gives a good vantage point for observing the rest of the island." Carrie surmised.
"It's that...or he's got something hidden up there he doesn't want anyone seeing." Natalia said.
"For our sakes, let's hope that 'something' is an ancient book of curses. Katherine, if you would take care of the lock?" Kenneth asked.
"Thy will is my command, Your Grouchiness." Kat took out a small tool, and began working with the lock. Less than a minute was enough for it to spring open, and she removed the chain. "Y'all stay behind me in case he's got a guard dog waiting up here."
"That wouldn't be ideal for us. Considering we all have the scent of cat on our persons." Kenneth replied.
Natalia shuddered. "Maybe the one time I'd regret getting snuggles from CiCi..."
Kat pushed the door open, before peeking inside. "Kay...no hungry pooches or anything else up here. All good."
The group entered a refined office space, with several bookshelves containing older texts lining the walls.
"He certainly has a large collection of tomes. We could very well be in the right place." Carrie said.
"Everyone get to searching. Sooner we find this thing, the sooner we get off this rock." Kat ordered.
The four split up and began looking through the bookcases.
"'The Art of War', 'Macbeth', 'Bram Stoker's Dracula'...quite the varied library he has." Carrie said.
"I'll be sure to compliment it while I'm punching him in the face." Kat replied.
"He's sure got a lot of pointy things in here, too...yikes. This *looks* like a serial killer's office." Natalia commented.
"Well, still no sign of our witchy tome. Any luck, Kenny?"
Kenneth was observing the desk at the head of the room. "What are you looking at, Kenny?" Natalia approached. She looked at something on the desk. "...AH!"
"What's wrong?!" Carrie asked.
"I-I-I-Is that a sk-k-k-k-k--"
"Breathe, Natty, breathe! What's got you all...oh, holy crap." Kat looked.
Perched on the edge of the desk was a clear car, a little stand inside of it. Displayed atop the stand, was a human skull.
"Is that...real?" Carrie asked.
"Knowing who we're dealing with, I'd lean towards 'yes'." Kat turned to a shaken Natalia. "Easy, Natty, it's alright. It might be super old for all we know. Could've taken it from a museum."
She patted her nervous roommate on the head. "Oi, Kenny. Maybe a word of comfort for your GF? Hey, Kenny? Star Command to Kenny, are you there?"
Kenneth was completely focused on the book in his hand. An older-looking journal.
"'Day 23 of intensive training. Most of the recruits have already dropped out and requested transfers. Exactly as Commander Winstead predicted. His regimen is as ruthless as they say. Even while you're eating, there's a high chance that you'll have someone screaming in your face to eat faster. More time eating equates to less time training. Our class of recruits began with 45. After less than a month, only Ken and myself remain.'"
"'Day 31 of intensive training. The lack of other recruits has meant that the Commander's wrath is focused solely on the two of us. More yelling, more orders, more rage at the smallest of errors. It's become absolutely maddening. But the England division demands nothing less than perfection out of its soldiers. We are the first line of defense against incursions from the dark elves. They have remained quiet for some time. Rumors persist of inner turmoil within their ranks. Even so, we must be ever prepared.'"
"'Day 40 of intensive training. The rampant singling out is starting to take its toll. My sword's edge has become ever so slightly duller, my aim with a knife a few centimeters off the mark. I stay up the entire night, perfecting my craft, yet my skills seem to either be stagnant or getting worse. Even more agitating is that Ken is relatively unfazed by all of it. He does his duty with nary a word of complaint. Fulfills his tasks to the very letter. Even with the Commander screaming into his face, his expression doesn't change. A truly unflappable figure. Ideal for an assassin. I cannot begin to understand it. Our genetics are identical. I put in twice the effort yet wind up with half of the results. How have I managed to become the inferior of two equals?'"
"'Day 51 of intensive training. I've nearly reached my limit. Frustration has fully set in. I'm not getting any better, while Ken continues to improve his craft. Commander Winstead is already boasting that he'll graduate to the main ranks in no time at all. All he offers me are more insults about my stagnant blade. The lack of rest has taken its toll on my performances. Hours of further effort have in fact hindered me even more. My brother tells me that it's nothing special that he's doing. That I'm taking this entirely too seriously. It's so easy to say that when everything falls into place for you. All that lies ahead in my future is further torment from this balding brute.'"
"'Day 53. The barracks have received a visitor from the New York branch. A wild-looking man with hair of silver. He has only just graduated from their academy, yet he is already being noticed for his lethal skill with a rifle. This man introduced himself as Johnathan O'Donnell. He spent the day observing our training. As usual, Ken surpassed me in every way. I thought for sure that this skilled soldier would ignore me in favor of heaping praise on my brother or throwing down a glass of whiskey with the Commander. Instead, he came to my quarters for a private talk. What he had to say opened my eyes.'"
"'He told me that he could sense my resentment. That he also had siblings who were reaping praise from their superiors. This was not a man who subscribed to authority. The suits and the badges and protocols meant nothing to him. He only played along because it gave him full authority to wield his rifle however he pleased. And he told me that he admired my effort.'"
"'This man--this wild, unruly, anarchist of a man--gave me exactly what I'd been seeking. Vindication. Acknowledgement of my skills. As he regaled me with stories of his exploits and his views on this restrictive world we occupy, I found myself entranced. This feeling...was so intoxicating. His offer to me was simple. He would take me far away from this den of humiliation and appoint me as his right hand. All I had to do was unleash my growing resentment. I accepted without thinking.'"
"'What in the world is this feeling? Awe? Respect? Love?'"
"'Day 54. The last day I will spend in this miserable hole. I have just finished killing Commander Winstead.'"
Kenneth stopped reading. The girls were all just as taken aback by the blunt, matter-of-fact nature of the statement.
Kenneth continued. "'It was not as difficult as I had thought it would be. Johnathan did me a favor and took him out for a night of heavy drinking. I found him slumped over on the floor, drooling. This was the man who instilled fear in me for almost two months. Pathetic. I left no room for retaliation. One single cut to his fat neck was all it took. Johnathan observed the entire thing. He concocted the story that he lost track of the Commander during the night. They would find his body at the edge of the woods occupied by the dark elves. Conflict will likely begin soon. Especially when they find that the body is missing a vital piece. The piece that allowed the Commander to utter his colorful obscenities for all to hear. That piece will now be silenced forever. I will treasure it...'"
Kenneth looked over to the skull in the glass.
"'...always.'"
Natalia looked as though she was about to throw up. Carrie looked absolutely mortified. Even Kat, so quick to make a joke, was stunned into silence.
"I...I wanna go home. I can't take this..." Natalia uttered.
"That man beheaded his old commander and...kept his skull as..." Carrie reeled.
"Polished and preserved and somewhere he can always look at it. Holy SHIT." Kat added.
"And in Johnny he found a kindred spirit who offered him the validation he never received. I wanted to understand the man but...no. 'Man' is too kind of a word for the army we face. These are *savages*. Animals from the deepest, darkest depths, masquerading as human." Kenneth stated.
"We can't...we can't let these people win. They won't just stop at Tokyo. People who could do this...they'll keep going. Until the whole world's just a giant pile of skulls and bones."
"We can't leave here without that book, but it doesn't look like it's in Ezekiel's possession. We should look for the others, maybe they've had better luck." Carrie suggested.
Natalia was shivering. Kenneth put a hand on her head. "Let's get out of here. I'm sorry you had to see that. I--"
She grasped him tightly. Kat and Carrie both comforted her as she shook.
"(To think of how little it took for this man to become a sadistic murderer...I do not envy you for one moment, my counterpart.)" Kenneth thought.
---
"There are three guards stationed in front of the room, Lady Cynthia. All of them armed." Hugo reported.
"Nyeh, figured. Just gotta figure out a way to get them to move without using force." Cindy replied.
"I mean I could just walk over and bash them over the head. Easy peasy." Ibuki suggested.
"An easy way to get their attention on us, maybe." Max replied.
"Meh. This stealth stuff's never been my cup of tea. Well, 'smartest girl in the world'? Got any ideas?"
"Hmmm." Cindy looked around. "Nothing in the hallway except for a ceramic skull and this really ugly wolf statue. Not a whole lot to work with."
A lightbulb went off in Tabby's head. "I've got an idea! Why not use our ghost trick from before?"
"That'd work if we were invisible, but we don't get that luxury here." Max replied.
"Wait, you guys can turn invisible? How come you've never showed me, Maxie, that sounds super cool!" Cindy questioned.
"Probably since it only works on people without any powers." Ibuki answered.
"But since everyone in this world has some degree of spiritual energy, that part of our power set doesn't work." Max added.
"But...I don't have any magic, and I can see you guys just fine." Cindy pointed out.
"We can let ourselves be visible if we want. No point in keeping it up when you're literally the only person it'd work on." Ibuki replied.
"Which also means waving those gaudy ornaments around their faces wouldn't work." Max added.
"Oh, don't be so sure about that. I've learned a few new tricks I wanted to test out." Tabby retorted.
The guards, none the wiser, stood around eating beef jerkey.
"...ooooh..."
They looked to see the skull and wolf statues floating in mid-air, suspended by swirling green lines of wind energy.
"You have desecrated our homeland...now we will take your outer membranes as payment..."
"HOLY FUCK!" one guard exclaimed.
"I thought Zeke had this place exorcized?!" another added.
"Guess he did a shit job! Head for the hills!" The guards dropped their jerkey and made a run for it.
The floating ornaments were set back down on the table, as the group emerged from their hiding spot. 
"'Your outer membranes'. Let me guess, science girl?" Cindy asked.
"Ahehe." Tabby sheepishly responded.
"Well, I know when I've been proven wrong. Nice going." Max said.
Ibuki patted Tabby on the shoulders. "Ya see that? You're getting the hang of it. No need to keep shaking like a leaf."
"I...guess you're right." Tabby replied.
"Take it from the last newbie, honey. This stuff comes easier once the self-doubting stops. But if you're still feeling shaky, your pal Fireball is here to tell you you're awesome in the meantime." Ibuki winked.
"Ooh, I'm all for telling people they're awesome! Count me in!" Cindy exclaimed.
"Y-you two are too kind, it was nothing, really..." Tabby waved.
"(Oh no, they're bonding.)" Max thought. "We should probably get to searching before those guards come back with holy water."
"Right on, bossman." Ibuki gave a salute.
"Alright, time for the den of madness. Knowing this lunatic, I'm gonna be impaled as soon as I open this door."
"Whoa whoa whoa, try not to say things like that--" Ibuki objected.
"Maybe we should find another way to open it--" Cindy joined in.
"How can you be so casual about that--" Tabby added.
"Alright, alright! I get the point." Max, with a bit of hesitation, grabbed and turned the door handle, pushing it open. He quickly darted out of the way, but whatever trap he was expecting didn't happen. "Okay, nothing doing there."
"You know what I don't get? Why he wouldn't lock the door before leaving." Tabby questioned.
"His flunkies probably know better than to snoop around in there. Then again, they did just go running from something I could buy from the thrift store..." Ibuki replied.
"It's probably the same reason why we haven't seen any security cameras anywhere. They're so confident that no one can get past the barrier that they figure it'd be a waste." Max surmised.
"Plus, with who actually lives here, no one would ever be crazy enough to try breaking in." Cindy said.
"Guess we're all riding the crazy train, then." Ibuki replied.
The four entered the room. It was in disarray, with clothes and other items strewn around the floor.
"Of course this ruffian doesn't clean up after himself. Is there even a modicum of decency in his body?" Tabby questioned.
"The mess doesn't exactly help us." Ibuki said.
"Maybe it does. He clearly doesn't care about keeping things in order. Might not matter if we leave something out of place." Max replied.
"Got any input, cinnamon roll?" Ibuki turned around. "Hey, whatcha looking at?"
Cindy was staring at the wall, an irritated look on her face. Perched there was a dartboard, with photos of her father and aunt crudely pinned to it. "Grrr..."
"As crude and uncivilized as one might expect." Hugo commented. Cindy reached for the board. "Wait, my lady! Disheveled as this room might be, he would surely notice if that board were to go missing."
"Birdbrain's right, Cind. We can't let emotions run high. Not yet, anyway." Max warned.
"Bleeeh...I bet the scumbag laughs whenever he flings darts at this thing. I wanna kick him so hard..." Cindy grumbled.
"Concentrate on the search. If we find the book, he won't be the one laughing. Just take a deep breath, and count to ten."
Cindy closed her eyes and did as instructed, before reopening them. "Okay. I'm good. Thanks, Maxie."
"All good? Alright. It's searching time."
Everyone split up to search. Cindy sifted through a drawer.
"So, you and Maxie look comfy with each other." Ibuki, standing behind her, said with a cheeky look.
"Oh, no no no, it's not what you're thinking! I have a boyfriend--" Cindy responded.
"Hasn't stopped anyone before."
"We just get along good, that's all. He's been my buddy since he came here. It's been nice, you know? Having someone to be geeky around that isn't talking to me cuz I'm a V-Tuber. I-I'm not trying to muscle in between you two or anything, I swear--"
"Take it easy, cinnamon roll, I'm just messing with you. I really wanted to thank you for looking after him for me. Guy needs a bit of spunkyness to pick him up. I'm glad he hasn't been all by his lonesome this whole time. Thanks a bunch for that."
"Oh, okay then. It's been no trouble. But, uh...how come you keep calling me cinnamon roll?"
"Cuz it sounds like your name and you are one. I've just got a sweet tooth, I guess. I call my niece 'bubblegum' cuz she loves pink."
"Awww. Now I really want dessert..."
The crew searched high and low throughout the room, but came up empty. "Nothing. All this junk in here, and not a single book." Max uttered.
"Maybe the others found it already?" Tabby responded.
"Max turned on his communicator. "Kat, Barb, do you guys copy? You found anything yet?"
"We looked through the basement. We found a room hidden beneath it. The book wasn't there, but we found out something...really disturbing." Barbara replied.
"You and us too, beautiful. Got some intel on what kinda sicko our pal Zeke really is. Nothing in the way of spellbooks, though." Kat added.
Max's body language dropped. "There's nothing here, either. I don't get it. That book HAS to be here. He wouldn't just toss it into the ocean or put it somewhere he couldn't get to. It HAS to be here!" He punched the ground.
"Easy there, Maxie. We've just gotta keep looking. It'll turn up." Ibuki reassured him.
"But if it's not here or anywhere else we've looked...where could it be?" Tabby asked.
"...well. Someone's gonna get fired."
The four were alerted. They looked up.
There was the Oni of Naruki, standing in the doorway.
"You...!" Cindy drew her weapon. Max stopped her.
"Wait. Let me talk to her." he told her.
"Who's the chick in the Halloween getup?" Ibuki questioned.
"A recent addition to the Wolfpack. The Oni of Naruki. Or as she used to be known...Ringo Kubo."
Tabby and Ibuki both were startled. 
"Kubo...isn't that your Professor's name?" Tabby asked.
"Unreal...so she's this world's Rin? Why's she with the bad guys?!" Ibuki questioned.
"As opposed to being with the 'real' heroes you all are so supportive of?" Rin replied.
"Take off the mask. I want to speak to Rin Kubo. Not to the Oni." Max demanded.
"Only if you take off yours."
"Deal." Max retracted his helmet.
Rin removed her mask, revealing her dark crimson hair.
"Whoa...even a full redhead. She could be Prof's little sister." Ibuki commented.
"I'm not anyone's little sister. Not anymore. Your precious 'Defense' Force made sure of that." Rin retorted.
"Please listen to me, Rin. I know why you're angry with the P.D.F. The other me would be the first to admit that he should've done more to help Naruki. But these people you're with...they're the ones truly responsible for the tragedy. *They're* the ones who took your family from you. And right now, they're planning on doing the same thing to our Tokyo. To *our* Naruki." Max dictated.
"....."
"This plan of yours...waiting for the Wolfpack and P.D.F. to take each other out...it's just gonna be more tragedy and needless bloodshed. Can you really live with that? Would your parents, or your brother, or your best friend be okay with that? Could you really face them, knowing that you're siding with the monsters who killed them?"
"Tch...shut up...you don't know anything."
"I know what revenge is. I did horrible things for the sake of getting it. I hurt so many that it's a miracle that I've been allowed to stand here and not be locked away in a cage. It's not worth it, Rin. If you really want to set things right, then please. Help us."
"...why are you here, anyway? Scrounging through the evil freak's boxers."
"We're trying to find the spellbook that gave him his power. We're not gonna overpower him as he is now. If we can just seal that power away, then we'll have a chance. But we have no idea where to look."
"Well it's not going to be with his drawers." Rin stepped inside. The others prepared for her to act. Instead, she knelt down next to the bed. "Look right here."
"We've already checked under there, though." Tabby said.
"Not under it. Look. This spot right here's colored slightly different. You need a magnet to lift it."
"Hugo?" Cindy asked.
"Right away, my lady." Hugo hovered over the spot, and his eyes let out an odd wave of energy. Sure enough, the hidden door flung open.
The group looked inside the space. 
"There's your prize." Rin said.
Max took out what was in there. The tome was exactly how it looked in the pictures. "Cind, this...this is it, right?"
"Yeah...there's no mistaking it. That's really it!" Cindy exclaimed.
"What's the catch? You're just gonna let us have this?" Ibuki asked.
"He said it himself. Johnny won't be vulnerable unless his power's sapped. That suits me just fine." Rin got up to leave.
"Rin. Thank you." Max said.
"Don't thank me. Just make sure this one chance is the winner. Or I'll come and end you myself." She walked away.
"My, what a ball of sunshine that one is." Tabby commented.
"She's endured a lot. But we have what we came for. I'll tell the others. Time to get off this island." Max replied.
---
A short while later, the group were back in New York.
"The Liber Infernus...I've never laid eyes on this text. You really got it back." Emily said.
"Was there ever any doubt? You're dealing with professionals here." Kat chimed.
"Hey, sis, so...about what we learned on the island..." Cindy began.
"We are so sorry, Emilia. To hear of what that monster did to your mother..." Carrie said.
"I have long suspected that he played a role in it. Harold is a powerful mage, but so was my mother. And he was at death's doorstep. He must have had help. Johnny's resentment towards my mother was no secret. This changes little about what must be done. But I will say that I will take even greater pleasure in wiping that arrogant smirk from his face." Emily replied.
"He really was just a piece of garbage from the start, huh? No tragic backstory, no traumatic incident...just a monster through and through." Sahir said.
"We're used to dealing with people who at least have a 'reason' for being the way they are. Dr. Rose always tells us that good and evil are relative." Kibō added.
"And yet here we are, faced with pure evil." Sakuya said.
"It's not just him, but that creepy assistant of his! He keeps his old commander's skull on his desk like it's a trophy!" Natalia shuddered.
"I wanted to believe that he was being manipulated. That maybe there was some humanity we could appeal to. I was apparently very mistaken. Meeting the brute merely unlocked an evil that was already present." Kenneth surmised.
"And on top of everything else...this world's version of Professor Kubo is with the bad guys? I don't get it at all..." Barbara said.
"You mentioned that she lost her family, Maxie. What happened to this world's Naruki?" Ibuki asked.
"And why does she blame the Defense Force for it?" Tabby added.
"The Wolfpack ravaged Naruki five years ago. They tricked the P.D.F. into diverting their forces somewhere else, and by the time they arrived, it was too late. The Rin of this world lost her parents, her brother and her best friend that day. She blames the P.D.F. for not preventing the tragedy. She joined the Wolfpack not only to have an outlet to get revenge on the Defense Force, but to get close to Johnny. Her hope is that the two forces she holds responsible for destroying her life wipe each other out." Max explained.
"It's just so crazy to think about. Prof lost a lot too, but she didn't turn out like...this." Kat said.
"Kubo-sensei had a large support system of friends and family to get her through it all. From the sound of it, the 'other' didn't have that. It's no wonder she gave into despair." Sakuya surmised.
"So are we gonna be fighting her along with the rest of them?" Sahir asked.
"Maybe. Maybe not. She did help us find the book." Max replied.
"Only because it serves her to have the maniac lose his power." Tabby said.
"I want to believe you got through to her, Maxie. Even if it isn't her Naruki, she can't be okay with it being wrecked like hers was. She'll come around, I just know it." Cindy assured.
"I sure hope so. Because the alternative is...grim." Max replied.
"I really wouldn't want to fight her, especially if she's anywhere near as strong as the Professor." Natalia said.
"Let us hope that it doesn't come to that. Thank you all for your work today, everyone. I'll see that you are all returned home in short order." Emily said, as most of the group were escorted to the teleporter. "Cindy. Mr. Jadefang. You two come with me. We need to give Dad the report that we've got the book. Along with...other discoveries."
"Oh...right." Cindy uttered.
"This isn't going to be easy. But he needs to hear it." Max added.
---
The Commander's office. The elder Max stared out the window towards the New York skyline, his arm pressed against the glass, his head up against it. "....."
"Daddy, I'm so sorry..." Cindy said.
"We'd suspected it for all these years, but to hear it from his own words...boasting as if he had done something amazing..." Emily added.
"I can't imagine how you're feeling, sir. But you can't let it--" Max began.
"Thank you. You all are dismissed." The Commander abruptly said.
"But Daddy, we can--" Cindy began. Max grabbed her by the shoulder, and shook his head. She relented, and the two departed.
"Dad." Emily said.
"I want to be alone, Emily."
"Burying yourself in anger won't lead anywhere good. Now is when you need your family."
"You want to help me? Find me the closest hardware store."
"The closest...what on Earth for?"
"So I can find the spike I'm gonna mount Johnny's head on."
Emily was unnerved. Realizing she couldn't get through to him, she silently departed.
"...it's always been you. All of my failings as a man...as Commander...as a husband and father...all of it comes right back to you. You put a bullet through my wife's hands, Johnny. Shattered our lives into a thousand pieces."
The Commander's eyes sparked.
"No more."
Electrical energy coursed out of him.
"NO MORE."
From the street, passers-by could see lights flashing from the upper office. None could ever know what the reason was.