Persona BLEACHED 2: Part 9

Chapter 9: The Electric Town
September 17, 2028
"This is...such a bad idea." Kibō thought.
The students stood in front of Akihabara Station, glaring in amazement at the numerous aesthetically unique buildings, many of them bearing the images of anime and manga characters. The streets and walkways were bustling with people, many of them in cosplay.
"I don't believe it. The otaku capital of the world." Kitty uttered. She pinched Max in his side.
"Ow! What was that for?" he griped.
"Proof that you're not dreaming. You're welcome."
"I never asked if I was. Why didn't you just pinch yourself?"
Kitty scoffed. "I have sensitive skin, Sparky. I could've bruised myself. Telling a lady to bruise herself, some hero of justice you are."
"That's...I didn't--ugh."
Natalia had her hood up and was grabbing onto Carrie's arm. "Why are there so many people?! They're probably staring at me..." Natalia said.
"Calm yourself, Natalia. Judging from the amount of cosplayers walking around, I can assure that you aren't anything out of the norm." Carrie replied.
Sahir was nearly shaking in his boots. "Soon...the maid fantasy to transform this boy into a man...!" he said with stars in his eyes.
Kenji shook his head. "Am I going to have to follow you around all day?" he griped.
"Okay, okay, everyone settle. We have somewhere to be before we start running around the place. Keeb, which way to your parents' shop?" Barbara asked.
Kibō pointed to his right. "That way."
The group made their way through the busy streets, until they came upon one store in particular. The sign on the front read "Master Plan Electronics".
"I'm just going to let you know before we go in. Whatever image you have of my parents...throw it out. You'll see what I mean..." Kibō uttered before opening the door.
Computers, laptops, phones and other assorted devices lined the walls. "Mom! Dad! I've got company!"
Suddenly, a figure leapt out from behind the counter, then landed on top of it. The woman was wearing black, torn jeans, and a dark shirt bearing the words "In Flames - The Tokyo Showdown 2000". Her hair was brown, with black streaks, and she wore dark gloves. "Morning, nerds! How the hell are ya?!" she bellowed out.
The students were stunned. "Umm, Keeb? This lady an employee?" asked a confused Sahir.
Kibō sighed. "Hi, Mom."
The woman jumped down and bear hugged Kibō. "There's my little Keebster! All in one piece and no one's tried to eat ya! See, you were afraid over nothing!"
"Settle down, Kyoko. You keep hugging him like that, he won't be in one piece for long. And you'll scare away his friends." A somewhat scrawny man, with slicked back brown hair, glasses, and a sleeveless black shirt bearing the words "KISS 40th Anniversary World Tour - Tokyo 2015" walked out from the back.
"Scaring them?! What's so scary about hugging my kid, Kabu? He can handle it, right Keebster?!"
"S-sure, Mom...whatever you say..." Kibō struggled to say.
"Kyoko, please, he's turning purple!" Kabu pleaded.
"Oh, fine." Kyoko conceded, releasing Kibō, who began panting.
"Hey, you alright?" Barbara asked.
"Never...better...I'm used to it..." Kibō replied, still panting.
Kibō re-composed himself. "Okay...so...if you guys hadn't guessed yet, these are my parents. Mom, Dad, these are my friends."
"Pleasure to meet you all." Kabu said.
"Y'all look like moths that just found the world's biggest lamp factory. What, am I that incredible to look at?" Kyoko said.
"Ah, sorry. We don't mean to be rude or anything, it's just..." Barbara began.
"Well, when Kibō said that his family was in politics, we imagined you two being--" Kenji began.
"Stuck-up? A couple of stuffy old crones sittin' around drinking tea and farting out wads of cash?" Kyoko interrupted.
"Settle, Kyoko. It's understandable they'd be confused. Yes, I used to be a politician. But after our oldest had his...legal troubles, I stepped away from that realm. Even before then, I was getting tired of it. That world eats away at your soul. And..."
"It was so fucking BORING! All those stuffy gatherings, being forced to doll myself up for the crowds, it was MADDENING! Those old creeps never liked me anyway. I was too much of a freethinker for them. Good riddance to that bullshit." Kyoko added.
"So if you couldn't stand the upperclass life, why send Keeb to a private school?" Barbara asked.
"Simple. We're proving a point. After Kyohei was arrested, my family never let us hear the end of it. 'You're failures as parents', 'Surrender your rights to Kibō', it was neverending. I hold myself accountable for how Kyohei turned out, but that shouldn't have meant anything in regards to Kibō." Kabu explained.
Kyoko grabbed hold of Kibō. "I dunno where we went wrong with Kyohei, but those snobs are way off base! Our Keebster's a good boy! He's gonna succeed without their 'help'! They dangled a carrot in front of Kyohei and now he's locked away forever! They're not getting their grubby mitts on my Keeb!" she proclaimed, gripping Kibō tight. 
"I'll admit to dipping into my trust fund somewhat, but most of what's putting Kibō through school comes from this store. Figured I'd put some of that computer know-how to good use. Even after getting him into the Academy, however, we were worried about how he'd fare. Would he make friends easily, would his brother's reputation follow him, et cetera."
Kyoko released Kibō. "See, you don't have to be worried. My friends all jumped at the opportunity to come here on short notice. The past couple months have been great." he asserted.
Kibō felt someone grabbing his arm. "You're right about one thing, Mrs. Ishimaru. Your Keeb's a good boy. I can promise that much." Barbara said. Kibō began turning red.
"Ooooooh. Is that right? We'd love to hear about why that is. Right, Kabu?" Kyoko said, sneering.
"Absolutely. How about I get the tea boiling and we can talk all about it..." Kabu answered.
Soon after, the others departed. "So, little lady...how good of a boy is my Keebster?" Kyoko asked with a mischievous smile on her face.
"Why is this happening?" Kibō thought.
---
"Where has that buffoon run off to?" Kenji pondered. "Can't believe I let him out of my sight. Oh, there's Caroline and Natalia. Maybe they can enlighten me." He walked over to the table the girls were seated at.
"Oh, hello Kenneth. The tea at this café is simply divine. Care to join us for a cup?" Carrie asked.
"That does sound rather appealing, but unfortunately I have matters to attend to first. Have either one of you seen Sahir?"
"Huh? Weren't you following him around?" Natalia asked.
"I was. But it seems he gave me the slip. I've been past a few of the other cafés but none of them have seen him. And he isn't answering his phone."
"He must be at one of them. It's all he's been talking about doing. Just ask if they remember seeing an overly friendly African boy eyeing their maids. Surely one of them has seen him." Carrie said.
"I'm probably worrying over nothing. Still, if one of you catches sight of him, do let me know. This isn't the type of town you would want someone alone in for very long. I'll be on my way." Kenji walked away.
"Weird. He usually picks up his phone pretty quick." Natalia said.
"Probably preoccupied with his fantasy. Still, we should ask Kenji later for updates." Carrie responded.
A while later, in one of the anime stores, Kitty was hugging a large pillow bearing the image of a blonde-haired girl in pigtails, wearing black-and-red clothing. "Heaven...I'm in heaven~." she hummed.
"Seriously, this place is insane. We could stay here forever if we wanted." Max said.
"'If'? You have a reason not to stay here forever? Don't break my heart, Sparky. Just picture it, you and me and our weeb kingdom. Nothing but figmas and body pillows to judge our every move. Paradise, of our own making."
Max started turning red. "Well, that does have its appeal...but, you know...we still have school and stuff..."
"Ugh, fine. We can finish school, and then start a weeb kingdom. That at least gives us time to come up with a name."
Kenji came across the two. "You two. Have either one of you seen Sahir?"
"Kenny, don't you see we're having an important weeb discussion here?" Kitty griped.
"Calm down, Kitty. Kenji, what's wrong? You lost Sahir?" Max asked.
"I've been walking around this town for the last three hours, searching every maid café for any sign of him. He's not answering texts, or calls. This is not like him at all. I'm starting to become legitimately worried."
"Sheesh. Either the guy's really taking his maid quest seriously, or there's something wrong here." Kitty said.
"He's not the kind of guy to just leave us in the dark about where he's at. Okay, Kenji. Take us to where you saw him last. There might be some clues there." Max said.
The three walked out of the store. Carrie and Natalia approached them. "Hey, all. Wait...Sahir isn't with you?" Carrie asked.
"No. Still no sign of him. We were just headed to where I saw him last. If this is some kind of joke, I'll make sure his suffering is neverending..." Kenji replied.
"Oh, no...I hope he's not in trouble..." Natalia uttered.
The group made their way to an area close to the train station. "Here. He was rambling on about his fantasies, and I was getting frustrated with him, so I took off to find a bathroom. I told him not to move, but when I returned...dammit all! I never should have taken my eyes off him." Kenji said, frustrated.
"Don't start beating yourself up now. Let's start looking around. Maybe one of the store owners saw him." Max replied.
"Hey, what's that over there?" Natalia asked. The group went over to the entrance to an alleyway. Painted onto the wall was an imprint of a red hand.
"This handprint...I've seen it before. The news was talking about them appearing in more public places. Nobody knows what they're about..." Carrie pondered.
Kitty glanced further into the alley. Her eyes perked up. "Umm...guys? Anyone else seeing this?"
---
At around the same time, Kibō was in the back if his parents' shop, an exasperated look on his face. Barbara and his mother were seated at a small table, chatting. "Gotta tell ya, Barbie, I'm in absolute love with your hair. You're not secretly an old granny, are ya?" Kyoko asked.
"Oh, gosh, no, I colored it. I've had it for so long now, I'm thinking of changing it soon..."
"Well I'm sure you'll still look like an angel no matter what you pick. Speaking of angels, Keeb told me you're quite the songstress."
Kibō shot his mother a "why did you just say that" look. Barbara blushed. "O-oh, he did, huh..." she said with a slight smile.
"Oh did he ever. 'Wow, Mom, I don't think I've ever heard a voice like hers before, like it echoes in my brain when I'm asleep'." With every word, Barbara turned redder, and Kibō seemed to shrink in place.
"Now, not to brag or anything..." Kyoko continued, "but I was a bit of a singer myself when I was a kiddo."
"Oh, you were?"
"Uh-huh. My music was waaaaay different than yours, though. Think less 'angel', and more 'sweet cacophony from the Eighth Circle of Hell'. Used to have gigs on the nastier side of town. That's where I met Keebster's old man. Just picture it, scrawny bookworm he was, walking into a bar to hear some death metal. And now picture that same bookworm coming back every night to hear the screeching tone of the incredible, beautiful, peerless--"
"Oh my GOD, Mom!" Kibō groaned. Then, he got a notification on his phone. He checked it.
"I'm just gonna let you in on the trade secret, Barbie. Find you a man that doesn't want you to change for him. Kabu's fam was always so up in arms, 'Why is she dressing and talking like that'. I was so happy to get out of that stuffy hellhole. If a guy loves you for who you are, not what he can turn you into, you've got a winner. Keep that in the back of your skull."
"Um...alright."
"Barb. We've gotta go." Kibō said.
"Huh? What's wrong?"
"Kitty just texted me. Sahir might be in trouble. She said to look near the station."
"Hey, anything we can help with?" Kyoko asked.
"I don't know. I'll call you if something's up. Hopefully it's nothing."
"Well don't be a stranger either way, Keebster. And that goes double for you, angel. Maybe next time I'll sing a little tune for ya!"
"That sounds...lovely, Mrs. Ishimaru. I look forward to it."
"Hey. You. Bring it in." Kyoko beckoned Kibō. He sighed, and she embraced him in a bear hug. "You keep being you, ya hear me? You're all the old man and I got left, kiddo."
"I know, Mom, I know. I'll call you later."
The pair walked out of the store, bidding Kibō's father goodbye, and made their way to the train station. The rest of the group were nowhere to be found. "Weird. Kitty said to meet them here, right?" Barbara asked.
"She said to look for them by the hand on the wall..." Kibō answered. He noticed the red hand in the alley and walked over to it.
"This looks like one of those handprints they mentioned on the news..." Barbara said. She looked into the alley and saw something. She grabbed Kibō's shoulder. "Keeb. Look at the wall."
On the wall was a shadowy, rectangular shape. The two walked over to it. "What is this thing...?" Kibō wondered. He moved to touch it.
"Be careful..." Barbara pleaded. Kibō's hand went inside of the shadow.
"Is this some kind of portal? Maybe everyone else went through here..." Kibō said.
"I don't have a good feeling about this...but if the others are in there we can't just ignore it."
"I don't think we could ignore it regardless. Let's go." They stepped into the shadow.
They emerged in a red-and-green colored mirror version of Akihabara. "Is this...the Metaverse? Why was there a portal in the middle of an alley?" Barbara asked.
"This is weird...the professor and her friends are the only ones that can open portals to here, right? Think one of them did this?"
"I don't know. But we should start looking around for--"
They heard a noise coming from nearby. "What was that?" Kibō asked.
"It sounded like it came from...the train station. Let's go see what's up."
The pair ran to the train station. When they walked into the main hall, the sight before them stopped them dead in their tracks.
Sahir, Kenji, Max, Carrie, Natalia and Kitty were all strewn about the floor. Standing in front of them was a figure in a black-and-white hooded robe, brandishing a pair of hook swords and wearing a black-and-white mask resembling the yin-and-yang symbol. Around them was a large group of blue-robed figures, all wearing masks. All of them bore an imprint of a hand on the front of their robes.
"Like moths to a flame..." the black-and-white figure uttered.
---
September 18, 2028
Rin knocked on the door again.
"Barbara! Kitty! Are you in there? Anyone?" She grew silent. Like the three dormrooms before this one, there was no answer. She began dialing her phone.
"Missing? All of 'em?" Jugo asked. He was seated in his cruiser.
"All of them. I walked into an empty classroom this morning. I've tried calling them, I've checked all of their dormrooms. There's no sign of them anywhere." Rin said, a sense of panic forming in her voice.
"These are teenagers we're talking about, Boss. Might just he playing hooky."
"No way. They're not those kinds of kids. If it was just one or two of them I could believe it. But all eight of them?"
"Alright, I get your point. You have any clue what they were doing yesterday? Maybe check their Twitters."
"Yeah, okay. I'll try to do some digging. I'll call you back."
She hung up the phone. She began sifting through the students' social media accounts. All of them had activity up until the day before. And all of them made mention of a trip to Akihabara. She began dialing her phone again.
"Yes, Rin? What's wrong?" said Rose, who was tending to her flowers.
"Rose. I need you to check around Akihabara. My entire class is missing, and they all went that way yesterday. They aren't the sort of kids to just bail on class like this. Please, I just need you to check for their signatures..."
"Okay, okay. I'll get on it. Stay calm. Let me see what I can do..." Rose checked her Metaverse app. "Akihabara...Akihabara...there we go...what is this?" she said with astonishment.
"Rose? What's wrong? Did you find them?"
"I...I'm not sure. There's a set of human energy signatures coming from there, but...I can't tell whose it is. Just...look."
Rose sent Rin an image from the app. Eight green dots appeared on the map, and were surrounded by a sea of yellow dots. "Look at that Shadow activity. I've never seen that dense of a cluster before. And those human signatures are right in the middle of it all." Rose explained.
Rin started turning pale. "Oh God, oh GOD. We need to get there right now!" she panicked.
"Rin, please. You have to stay calm. If those dots are showing, that means they're alive. I'll gather the others, and then I'll teleport us to the station. Just stay put." Rose pleaded.
A short while later, a portal opened in front of Rin. Rose stepped out, shortly followed by Shūjo and Hiyoko. "Teaming up to kick Shadow ass again, huh? Gonna be just like the old days." Shūjo said.
"JoJo, please. This is serious. Those children are in dire circumstances. This isn't the time to reminisce." Hiyoko chided.
"Feh. Figures the one-eyed sea biscuit ain't taking this as serious as he should." Jugo walked over.
"Oh, goody. Farmer Brown here to drop his down home wisdom. Just what this day needs." Shūjo grunted.
"Can you two please drop the feud for five seconds? Every second you spend on bickering, my kids might be..." Rin uttered.
"Right, right, sorry. So is it just gonna be us five? Know Tenko's out of the question, and--" Shūjo began.
"I'm coming." The group turned to see Jin standing there.
"Jin? Are you sure about this? I mean...are you okay to do this?" Hiyoko asked.
"Why wouldn't I be?" Jin retorted.
"My sessions with Jin have been progressing well. I feel he's in a good place to come along. And this isn't a situation where we can afford to hold anything back." Rose explained.
"If you say so, Rosie. I don't need to worry about one of my pals going stab-happy on me." Shūjo said.
Jin let out a growl. 
"Alright, enough dancing around. We need to move, now. Get us the coordinates, Rose." Rin ordered. Rose opened a portal, and the group stepped inside one-by-one.
"Just remember who you're supposed to stab, Jinnie. We ain't your enemies." Jugo said.
"Hmph. My enemies say the same." Jin said back, before walking through the portal.
Shūjo shook his head. "You sure he's all fixed, Rosie?" he asked.
"He wasn't always like this..." Hiyoko mused.
"It's a process. The baggage he carries can't be removed so easily." Rose asserted. The rest of the group entered the portal.
---
Kibō woke up on the floor. He got to his knees, and looked around. He was in a small, pitch black room, blocked off by a door with bars where the window would be. He tried to get to his feet, but felt a sharp pain in his chest which brought him back to his knees.
"Don't struggle. It's meaningless." a distorted voice piped up. One of the masked figures was gazing through the bars at Kibō.
"Who the hell are you people?" Kibō demanded.
"You interrupted a training exercise. We acted accordingly."
"Answer the question, freak. Who are you? And where are my--"
"Your comrades are already dead."
Kibō was frozen in place. He hadn't comprehended fully what the man was saying. "You're lying. They can't be--"
"You should be pleased to know that they were defiant to the last. We made it quick and painless." The man presented a pair of white-rimmed sunglasses. Kibō recognized them as being the ones Barbara had worn the day prior. "I will assume from that look on your face that it was your name she screamed as she perished?"
The pain in Kibō's chest only intensified as he struggled to his feet. His eyes contained a mixture of fear and anger. "Bastard...you're lying...you have to be lying..." he growled.
"Perhaps knowing what fate awaits you for any further defiance, you will provide us with the necessary information? How did you children get into this world? For a large group of you to be spiritually aware enough to perceive the entrance is highly unusual. Who sent you?"
Kibō's mind was racing. The last he had seen of his friends, they were all lying on the ground. He wondered if they were already dead then. Natalia, who had begun to move past her social anxiety. Sahir, who had possessed a sunnier outlook of the world than anyone he'd ever met. Carrie, who had already stared death in the face. Kenji, who had begun acclimating to who he really was. Kitty, whose sharp wit belied an air of invincibility. Max, who had just begun to reforge his relationship with his sister. And Barbara...
He imagined her song being silenced. Of everyone's voices being silenced. He snapped.
"If you're gonna kill me...go right ahead, asshole. Because when our professor comes looking--and she will come looking--and she finds out what you did here...she'll tear you and your lackies to pieces. You really have no idea who you're screwing with. So count yourself lucky that there's a door between you and me, because I'd rip you to shreds myself!" he roared.
The masked man walked away. Kibō fell back to his knees. He clutched his head and groaned.
The man returned to the entrance hall. "Well?" beckoned the black-and-white figure, who was leaning against a pillar. 
"As defiant as the others. Some teared up when I told them their companions were dead, but they all gave me the same response. 'Our professor will make you pay'. This professor of theirs must be who gave them spiritual awareness. Humorous to imagine their thinking one educator could defeat all of us."
The blackblack-and-white figure chuckled. "Did I say something funny, Tao?" the masked man asked.
"You have no idea who you're contending with, do you? Those children...they are the students of the Fool."
"The Fool?! It can't be...that woman is their master?"
"At this very moment, she's probably gathering up her people to come and mount a rescue op. Once she gets here and sees what you've been doing to her precious students..." Tao shuddered mockingly. "I'm sure your squishy bits'll make a nice pigment for the walls."
"Gh...I must alert the others. We still have the numbers. That woman can't be invincible."
"Well, if the Master hasn't figured it out, I don't know how successful you'll be. Or are you trying to say that you know something the Master doesn't?"
"No, I...I have no other choice. I will send that apostate and her minions to the infernal depths! The Master will not have to waste any more effort on these heathens!" The man ran off.
"Haha...it'll be hilarious to see you try."
---
Rin and the others emerged from the portal in front of the station. "Y'know, I just thought of something." Shūjo said.
"Someone tell the papers." Jugo joked.
"Shut it, Sheriff Tumbleweed. As I was saying...how do you think those kids got in here? We're the only ones that can open those portals, yeah?"
"Yes...that we know of. But if that Viper woman is any indication, it's clear that we aren't the only ones with these abilities. Someone else has found a way in...someone who doesn't have the best intentions." Hiyoko said.
"Hmph. Doesn't matter. They've chosen the path that leads to their grave." Jin growled.
"As always, we should be striving for the path with the least bloodshed involved. Right, Rin?" Rose asked.
"Right. Priority is getting the kids out of here. Then we can worry about getting info out of these people--whoever they are. Which we can't do if they're dead. Got it?" Rin asserted.
"Heh. Doubtful they'll be so accommodating. But fine. Have it your way." Jin replied.
The group entered the station. The main masked man stood at the head of the hall. "So, the apostate and her followers have arrived at last. Drawn to your flock like a bee to honey." he uttered.
"Bees are drawn to flowers, genius. They make honey. Someone much smarter than you made sure I knew that and a thousand other bug facts. But enough chitchat. My students. Give them to me." Rin ordered.
"Hahahaha...aren't you people known for your manners? I didn't hear a 'please'."
"Wow. Evil and racist. What a combo." Jugo said.
Rin summoned her lance. "It wasn't a request." 
Numerous hooded figures teleported in around the leader. "Our Master will be most pleased when he hears of your demise. Flayed and dumped in an alley like the rabid beasts you are. Men! On my signal..."
"So he brought friends. And lined them up nicely for us. How generous." Jin said.
Rin's expression didn't change. All she did was glare at the masked legion. The leader began to fidget. "What...is this feeling...?" he uttered.
"I would recommend you reconsider your stance. That feeling you're experiencing right now, is your blood temperature slowly rising. Seeing as how you're such an expert in the field of bees, maybe you'll be equally versed in the field of astronomy? I'll just ask you two questions. I'll even give you a hint, they both have the same answer. How hot is the surface of the sun? And...how high do you think I can raise your blood temperature?" Rin asked.
The hooded men all fell to their knees, reeling in agony. "Grrrr...Tao...destroy her...!" The leader groaned.
Tao was perched behind a pillar, focused on their phone. "Nah, bruh. You got yourself into this mess. I've got Shinies to catch. Figure it out on your own."
"Guuuuh...the Master will hear of this..."
"Get yourself out of this and I'll let you tell all. That's presuming a LOT, of course. Oh, hello Tyranitar..."
Rin walked over to the leader. "Want it to stop? My students. Now."
"You're an...animal..."
"Takes one to know one, spooky. I'm not going to kill you. Doesn't mean I can't make this hurt. I'm waiting."
One of the hooded figures spoke up. "Ticket office...outfitted with jail cells...that way..." he pointed.
"Silence you imbecile...!" the leader groaned.
Rin ceased her hold. "There. Was that so difficult?"
"Graaaah...kill them...all of them!" the leader yelled.
Dark energy began emanating from Jin. "Music to my ears." He drew his chain and leapt at the crowd of men.
"Welp. Doin' this now." Jugo drew his guns.
"Stay behind me, Hiyoko." Shūjo said, as his hands lit up in flames.
"I'm not so helpless, love." she answered back, her eyes glowing white.
Rose looked towards Rin. "Must I?" she asked.
Rin looked over to see the others, easily cutting through the masked men. "I think they've got it covered." she said. The leader tried backing away. Rin quickly looked back, pointing her lance at his throat. "Not you."
Each masked figure that fell, dissolved into shadow particles. "Tch. Not like other drones. Almost like humans." Jin said. One figure tried attacking him from behind with a lance. Jin, without turning, flung his chain, impaling the attacker. "Adorable."
With the last of the masked men slain, Rin refocused on the leader. "The kids are in cells, right? Hand me the keys."
"You will know what suffering is."
"Asshole, I've watched my father AND brother die in front of me, I've watched one of my best friends wither away and die over three months, I've leapt from a tree branch twenty feet in the air and felt every bit of the ground, AND, to top all of that off, I have to deal with shitheads like you coming out of the woodwork every other week threatening the people I care about. I think I've got a pretty good idea what suffering is. The keys. Now."
"I'd do what the lady says." Jugo said.
The leader tossed over a set of keys. "Good boy. Now then. Let's get to the introductions. Who are you people? Why are you after me? How did you find a way into the Metaverse?" Rin demanded.
The leader chuckled. "Don't think you're in a position to laugh, pal." Shūjo chided.
The leader started to back up towards the tracks. "You haven't the slightest idea what you have coming. We are always watching. We may have lost today, but the Master will have you figured out soon enough. And when that happens, not even the power of that wretched goddess you serve will do you any good. You will never know peace, so long as Death's Hand is at your throat..."
He backed up to the tracks. "Hey, now, where do you think you're--" Rin began.
He saw the train lights coming. "Rest in pieces, apostates." He leapt into the path of the train, and...
 *whack*
"Well...that was cinematic." Jugo said.
"'Death's Hand', huh...the problems never end, it seems." Jin added.
"Rin..." Rose began. "We at least have a name. And we have the keys. Let's get the children."
"Yeah. You're right. That's what we came for. I hope we're not too late..." Rin responded.
"Hoooo SHIT, lady!" Tao stepped out from behind the pillar. "Gotta say, I heard the stories about you lot...you coulda destroyed them without even touching them. But you're too much of a goody-goody for that, huh 'professor'? Oh, my name's Tao. Well, okay, that's not my name name, but, y'know, gotta keep with the secrecy angle, ooooooh." They began making 'spooky' hand motions. 
"I've got this fool." Jin unsheathed his chain.
"Hey hey whoa whoa hey! There is literally zero need for that! You see me going for the swords, chuckles? I've got more important things like...this goddamned...shiny...Machamp..." Tao resumed playing their game.
"Oh, in case you were wondering, the shrimps are A-OK. Had to cut them up just a tad, but, what are ya gonna do?" Rin readied her lance. "THAT probably won't endear me to you at all, but they're all safe and sound in their padded cells. Their brains might need some TLC after what that asshole said to them. You oughta be proud, prof. All of them were SO sure you'd come for them, even after Mr. Splat told them their friends were all dead--they AREN'T BY THE WAY! I see you with the lance."
"Why are you telling us all this?" Rose asked.
"Easy. No point keeping the dirty laundry of a dead guy. Especially one stupid enough to think he'd win against y'all. Might as well just take the loss and bow out gracefully. So bring 'em up nice and good, prof. Next time I get my hands dirty beating them senseless, I want it to be satisfying. Bye-bye!" Tao dissapeared into the shadows.
"Hey--dammit." Rin uttered.
"Enough worrying about that ingrate. They'll get what's coming to them. Don't you have a class to save?" Jin replied.
Rin and the others ran to the cells. She came looked into the first one she came across, and saw Kibō slumped against the wall. He looked up, exhaustion in his eyes. "Professor...?" he said weakly. Rin scrambled to unlock the door.
"Kibō...it's alright, I'm here. Are you hurt?"
"He killed them...he said he killed all of them..."
"Kibō he was lying...Rose, heal him up, Jugo, get the others out." She tossed Jugo the keys.
"On it, Boss." he replied before leaving.
"Let's get you out of here." Rin said. Rose healed him, and brought him to the main entrance.
One-by-one the students were brought to the entrance, each of them looking various degrees of horrified. Sahir shook his head. "This is on me...I shouldn't have run off like that. Why did I have to check that dumb wall..."
Kenji put his hand on his shoulder. "Curiosity got the better of you. None of us here could have let something so strange be."
"You don't get it, man...when that freak in the mask told me you all were dead...I dunno, I just...all I wanted was a nice time in a maid café and instead I get my friends killed...I was gonna have to live with that, man..."
"Count yourself lucky that you won't have to."
Natalia was crouched on the floor, whimpering. Carrie approached and crouched next to her. "Hey there, love." Natalia hugged her tight. "I know, love, I know. Hugging heals all pains. Your mother is a wise woman indeed." Carrie said with a sigh. "I'm so glad...so glad I don't have to be the lone survivor again..."
Kitty was seated on a bench, shaking her head. Max sat next to her. "Y'know...the otaku kingdom idea sounds pretty damn good right now." he said. 
She put her head on his shoulder. "I'm holding you to that idea, Sparky."
Barbara approached him. "Barb." Max uttered, getting up and embracing his sister.
"I knew he was lying. I felt it...I would've known..."
"Yeah. Me too. Just nice to have proof."
"Uhhhh..." Kitty uttered. "Sorry to interrupt your moment, but...I wasn't done cuddling up to your bro, yet. Just saying."
Barbara gave a slight laugh. She opened her arms up. "Bring it in then, Kitten."
Kitty rolled her eyes. "Not what I had in mind, but fine." She embraced Barbara.
Kibō leaned against a pillar. Barbara approached him. She wrapped him in a hug. "Knew that freak was lying." he said unconvincingly.
"Course he was. I'm not done singing to you yet." she responded, blushing.
"Uggh, those poor children." Hiyoko said, standing with Shūjo and Jugo. "Wonder if they can ever be the same after this."
"They won't be." Jin said bluntly as he walked past.
"Way to gloom it up, man. Where the hell are you going?" Shūjo asked.
"Job's done. I'm going home." He pressed the Metaverse app on his phone, and disappeared.
"Hey, at least wait and see if--and he's gone." Jugo said. "Hey Rosie, the 'Remove Bee from Asshole' session on the schedule?" Rose only sighed.
Rin gathered the students together. "I'm so happy you all are alright. And...it looks like what I was most afraid of has come to pass. You all getting caught up in my mess. No amount of apologising could ever make up for what you had to go through."
"Teach, please. This was all on me. If I didn't go running off, they wouldn't have--" Sahir began.
"I won't hear it. You wouldn't have even been able to perceive that portal if you all weren't influenced by me. I'm your professor. I've been entrusted with your safety, and I've made a royal mess of it so far."
"Professor, please. Don't start blaming yourself for everything. We already swore that we wanted to stick around no matter how dangerous it got. We only got captured because we weren't strong enough. And when those people tried to break us, no one here broke. Because we all knew you would come and get us out of it. You're the only person who can. You're the only one who can help us get stronger." Kibō spoke up.
"If you weren't around, and someone like my sister or that freak with the hook swords came around again we'd be in big trouble. And those hand weirdos could have an entire army behind them. We're still new to this 'having magic powers' thing. We need guidance more than anything." Kitty added.
"Oh, Rin. Haven't I told you that a guilty conscience is bad for your complexion?" Rose said. "If you were such a bane on our existence, would we have survived nine years of being close to you?"
"Seriously, Red. If anything you're our 'Get Out of Jail Free' card. Sure, I might be missing an eye...and Jin might be going through a grumpy phase, but, y'know. Shit happens." Shūjo added.
Jugo groaned. "Why do we let you talk?"
Rin giggled. "'Shit happens'. Guess that's as good of an argument as any. Thanks everyone...ugh. Here you kids are, after being held hostage for close to a day, trying to make me feel better. I don't even know what to say..."
"Don't fret over it. The less we have to think about that horrid ordeal, the better." Carrie said.
Rin sighed. "Let's just get you kids back home."
"I have a request." Rose piped up. "Why don't you all come by our house tomorrow? Rin and I can help talk you through this. Psychotherapy is my specialty. I can have someone cover for me at the flower shop. I think it would be much better than letting you sit on it."
"Right as ever, Rose. I don't want to force you all into a classroom before you're ready. Let's all make sure that everything up here is alright first." Rin said, pointing at her head. "For right now, though...please get us out of here, Rose."
Rose opened the app, and teleported everyone away. 
All remained still in the Metaverse. As cold and lifeless as the hand of Death itself.