Persona BLEACHED 4: Chapter 11

Chapter 11: Biohazard
September 20, 2031
"Alright. Here's our target: Hitoshi Genshumura." Max brought up a picture of the stern-faced man on his laptop.
"What a charming-looking fella." Kat commented.
"Genshumura is a high-ranking member of Well-X Pharmaceuticals, one of the biggest medicinal brands in Tokyo. All but three pharmacies in the city call him 'boss'. And of course, like any business type, rumors are flying around about how he acquired all that capital. Intimidation is the name of the game...along with possible murder."
"And I know for a fact that he's capable of that." Ibuki added.
"How do you know for certain?" Tabby questioned.
"Because..." Ibuki paused. "Because I know him. He took me and Kaede in and promised us security. And he..."
"Breathe. If it's too tough to get out--" Max said.
"He got my sister pregnant and tried to poison her. After that didn't work, he kicked us out onto the street. Never saw the fatass again until the other day."
"Hold up, so this pharmacy guy is Kanae-chan's--" Kat began.
"DON'T SAY IT! That piece of shit is nobody to my bubblegum, and it's gonna stay that way. The fact that he even looked at her for two seconds makes me wanna chuck my lunch. All he is, is the animal that tried to steal her chance at living. He's the type that belongs in a cage."
"And that's exactly where we're gonna put him. All we need is something incriminating that'll prove what a scumbag he is. That's where you come in, Kitty Kat." Max said.
"You want me to go snooping where no one else is gonna snoop, that right?" Kat replied.
"You got it. I want to see what the ex-thief has in her bag of tricks. Genshumura runs his show from Well-X headquarters in Odaiba. I need you to get into his office and find something, anything that would show what a monster he is. Go through his computer, his files, anything."
"Um...I have a question." Tabby raised her hand.
"We're not in class, Tabs, you don't gotta do that." Kat replied.
"So, this building would likely be heavy on security, not to mention numerous employees walking about. How would we ever get into the man's office without anyone noticing?"
"Simple. Our Artisan costumes keep us invisible from anyone without high spiritual energy, unless we let them see us. We'd still have to avoid making any noise or giving ourselves away. And obviously we'd have to go in when the bossman isn't around."
"Well if it's that simple...I want to go with you! I want to see how you work firsthand!"
"Long as you keep your cool, I don't see why not. That good by you, Sparky?"
"New girl has to start somewhere. Who better to show her the ropes?" Max replied.
"On that note, I've got a question myself. How come we don't just go into the Metaverse and change his heart that way? It'd be a lot easier than all this sneaking around, wouldn't it?"
"I want to see what we can do without going the Metaverse route. There's more than one way to illicit change. If the sneaky way doesn't work, then we can go the proven way. I think we can pull it off. Unless our fearless leader doesn't see breaking into a guarded office building as enough of a challenge?"
"Oooh, Sparky wants to talk dirty. I hope you remember that we go to a prestigious school abroad, and that if we get caught, we're pretty much done for?"
"So you're saying there's a chance you'll get caught?" Ibuki asked.
"There's a 0.01% chance of that ever happening. I'm covering my bases. When's the best time to attack?"
"Now, actually. This guy goes around town every Tuesday and Saturday to check in on his stores. Like clockwork. He doesn't come back to his office until late in the afternoon, so if we go now, we'll have plenty of time to go through his files." Max replied.
"Know your prey's habits. How very stalkery of you, Sparky."
Tabby shuddered. "I'd rather not talk about stalking right now, thank you."
"Sorry, Tabs. Anyway, if we've got the plan already, all we've gotta do now is get changed." Kat's eyes glowed pink, and her thief costume materialized.
"Um..." Tabby crossed her arms and made a 'horns' sign with her hands.
"...what's with the Sailor Moon pose?" Max asked.
"Hang on..." Tabby dramatically put her hand in front of her face. "No, wait..." She bent her right elbow and held her arm in front of her, as if she was tugging on her shirt. 
"What's she doing, interpretive dance?" Ibuki questioned.
Tabby bent down and put one hand on her leg, and her other hand on her rear, in model-esque fashion. "Still not working?"
"Tabby, my God! What are you doing?" Kat asked.
"I can't get it to work! Maybe my posing isn't dramatic enough..."
"Yeah, that's got nothing to do with it." Kat took her phone out and pressed several buttons. Tabby's thief suit appeared on her.
"Yay~!" Tabby posed while tugging on one of her gloves. "I'm now sufficiently sneaky."
Kat put a hand to her face and shook her head. "She's still new at this."
"Well I can see where she took some...inspiration from you." Max commented.
"Aww, you're matching! She really does look like your sidekick." Ibuki teased.
"She's *not* my sidekick." Kat reiterated.
"That's what you think." Tabby put her arms around Kat's shoulders.
"Sheeeesh."
---
"Oh my gosh, look at the size of that ferris wheel! We have to take a ride on it before we leave, and--what on Earth, why is the Statue of Liberty here?!" Tabby looked around. She and Kat were on the roof of an office building.
"We can do the sightseeing tour later. You hearing me okay, Sparky?" Kat spoke into her earpiece.
"*Loud and clear, Kitty Kat. You got sight of the building?*" Max responded.
"In all its businessy glory...Tabs!"
Tabby was performing stretches. "I'm still getting used to the uniform. Mmm, so loose and limber..."
"God, ever since you woke up, you've been so shameless and naughty!"
"*So speaks the CEO of shameless and naughty.*" Max responded.
"Shut up, Sparky."
The two moved down, to the side of the Well-X building. "*Genshumura's office is on the fifth floor. Tell your sidekick to keep it quiet. People can still hear us even when we're invisible to them.*" Max communicated.
"She's *not* my--ugh, forget it. I'll tell her to--Tabs!"
Tabby stretched her leg against the wall. "I've had this kink in my legs ever since we got here...didn't you mention some hot springs around here?"
"Focus! We're doing Tactical Espionage Action here, not trying to find a suitable mate!"
"Oh, right, sorry. Heehee."
"*Kitty Kat, your friend is super adorable, but we're gonna need her to keep her attention on the actual mission. Please.*" Ibuki communicated.
"I'm really sorry. I just want to make a good impression..."
"You're overthinking it. Follow my lead and you'll be okay." Kat reassured.
"Okay! Lead the way!" Tabby saluted.
The two walked to the entrance. "*Wait for someone to walk in or out. It'd look weird if the doors opened by themselves. Same when you get to the elevator.*" Max said.
"Couldn't we just take the stairs?" Tabby asked.
"I mean it's not like Kenny's here." Kat added.
"*Whichever way's quicker.*" Ibuki replied.
The doors slid open, as someone walked out. The girls took the opportunity to walk inside. "*Careful not to bump into anyone. Otherwise they'll call...are there Japanese ghost hunters? There's gotta be, right?*" Ibuki said.
"*I wouldn't know.*" Max replied.
The girls silently approached the elevators. A man in a lab coat pushed the button to go up, and they walked in behind them. The girls quietly waited as the elevator went up. Tabby looked inquisitively at the man's braided ponytail, and discreetly moved to touch it. Kat grabbed her hand before she could do so.
The door opened on the fourth floor, and the man exited. The girls stepped out. "Hello, Dr. Takahashi." the receptionist greeted the man.
"Good morning...have you noticed anything with the elevators?" the man asked.
"No, why?"
"I just had this bizarre feeling...like there was someone in there with me."
The girls walked over to the stairs, taking care not to bump into anyone. They walked up the one floor. "Bossman's office is the third one down the hall." Kat whispered.
"*You're gonna need a five-digit code to get in. The receptionist should have all the codes written down somewhere.*" Max said.
The girls exited the stairs. "Drat." Tabby whispered.
"*What's wrong?*" Ibuki asked.
"There's a security guard right by the door. The receptionist lady is in full view, too. Not to mention a couple of cameras looking right at where we're headed." Kat related.
"*Crud. Even if you guys are invisible, it'd look really weird if the code got put in and the door opened with no one there. There a way to shut those things off?*" Max asked.
"Sweetie, you forget who you've got on this errand." Kat pointed her finger at one of the cameras. "Bang." A thin pink beam shot out, and short-circuited the camera. "Kerpow." She repeated this with the second camera. The security guard looked at the device, confused by the noise.
"*That's one obstacle down. Now how to remove the peanut gallery...*" Ibuki pondered.
"What was that you were saying about ghosts earlier?" Tabby questioned.
As the receptionist filed through paperwork, a noise echoed out.
"Oooooooh...." 
She looked up to see a chair floating in midair.
"AAAAAAAAH!" She got up and ran away. 
The guard looked on in horror. "The legend of the haunted chairs was true...I'm getting out of here!" He ran off, his cap nearly falling of his head in his haste.
Tabby put the chair down. "You've earned your badge today, chap!"
"As much as I wanna know about this haunted chair legend, we've got a password to find." Kat began sifting through the reception desk. "Got it! Genshumura, Genshumura...1-1-3-1-2."
"Oooh, I never thought it would feel so exciting doing crimes!"
"*Well when we're dealing with someone who at the very least has attempted murder, the moral argument's out the window. Now go see what you can find. Those people could come back at any moment.*" Max ordered.
"*Possibly with prayer tags.*" Ibuki added.
Kat input the code. The door unlocked, and they stepped in. The lights turned on. Shelves filled with books lined the walls. There was a single desk, but strangely, no computer.
"Who on Earth goes without a computer these days?" Tabby questioned.
"Someone who doesn't want to get hacked, probably. Doesn't mean he's got some skeletons lying around. Hit the desk. I've got the shelves." Kat ordered.
The two began their search. "You think guys with these big old shelves actually read any of the books they've got sitting around?" Kat asked. "I mean come on, 'Atlas Shrugged'? Could you be any more obvious?"
"Dad has the entire 'Dune' collection in his office. And yes, he's read them all. Several times over." Tabby replied. "Oh, hang on..."
"You find something?"
"Possibly. There's nothing in this drawer, just a few pens and some inconsequential papers. But take a look."
Kat peered inside the drawer. The back had been hollowed out, with a locked piece of wood hiding whatever was in it. "Oh, hello. I think we've got ourselves some scandalous secrets. Please don't be dirty magazines." She took out a hair pin, and began to move it through the lock. It opened, and she pulled the inner drawer out. "Look what we've got here."
There was a small, black notebook sitting alone inside the drawer. Tabby picked it up and skimmed through it. "Names and dates...we'd have to give it a close run-through, but it must contain some sensitive information if he went to the trouble of locking it away."
"Exactamundo." Kat patted her on the shoulder. "Good eye, Tabs. See, you're good at this!"
"That's only because I've got you here with me."
"*How's the search? Find anything?*" Max asked.
"Looks like it. Dude had a notebook hidden inside a drawer. We're gonna--" Kat began.
A man's voice could be heard outside. "Where did those slackers run off to? People around here screaming about ghosts..."
"Oh, shit...!"
"*What's going on?*" Ibuki asked.
Genshumura appeared through the window.
"Oh no, why's he back now?!" Tabby questioned.
"Put the book back and shut that drawer!" Kat ordered.
The man entered the code and walked in to the office. "...are the lights malfunctioning again? How annoying...they'd better not charge me extra..."
The girls stood out of the way as he looked around. He dug through his drawer. He took some papers out. "Go all the way to Shibuya without these, absent-minded fool..." He checked the hidden compartment. "Did I leave this open? You're slipping, Hitoshi. Still in there, at least."
He packed up what he came to get, and left. The girls let out their breath. "Close call." Kat said.
"He went out of his way to check that secret drawer. Whatever's in there must be crucial." Tabby said.
"*If he checks it that regularly, taking it might not be a good idea. Take pictures of the pages. We'll look through them later.*" Max said.
"This could take a hot minute. Hopefully he didn't forget anything else." Kat replied.
"Well if he does come back..." Tabby picked up the chair.
"Something tells me that guy's not easily spooked. But points for sticking with it, I guess."
---
With Ibuki having left for work, Max was left to look through the notebook in his room, as Kat and Tabby lounged around and kept Kanae entertained. "What's Uncle Maxie doing?" the girl asked.
"Important work stuff. He's helping your mom and your aunt with something." Kat replied.
"He's always helping us out. I tell Auntie they need to hurry up and get married already."
"Um, it might be a bit soon for that, sweetie. He's what, eighteen?" Tabby questioned.
"He'll be nineteen in a couple of weeks. Bookie'll be twenty-two in February. No need to rush into it. Gotta enjoy being young before going into a big life change like that." Kat replied.
"So it'll be a while before that ring you're wearing gets a companion?" Tabby teased.
"Hush."
Max stepped into the room. "Hey, Kitty Kat. I've got something to show you."
"Inviting another girl into your bedroom? Oh, Sparky, whatever will Ibuki think?" Kat asked.
Max rolled his eyes. "It's important. C'mon."
"Alrighty, naughty boy. Keep the kiddo occupied, Tabs."
"Just talk to her about cupcakes. You'll be fine."
"I'll perform my duties admirably!" Tabby saluted.
"And I'll do this thing, too!" Kanae repeated the motion.
"Stay pure, cupcake." Max responded.
Kat and Max made for his room. "...what's the look for." Max deadpanned.
"'Cupcake.' You really are a softy now, 'Uncle Maxie'."
"Guilty as charged."
"Not making fun, it's actually adorable. You've come a long way from the whole 'fascist overlord takeover' episode."
"Thanks...I think."
"Alright, so what'd you dig up?"
"I'll tell ya, there's a reason why he kept this thing under lock and key. Take a look at these." Max pinned some pictures to a board.
"Let's see...bunch of names and dates from the mid-2000s. 'Prescribed drugs'...'length of prescription'...'final status'? The hell is all this?"
"From what I've researched, Genshumura wasn't a major figure in Well-X during the time this was written. He managed the pharmacy for the store in Shinjuku before he started climbing the corporate ladder. I'm gonna assume these names are all former patients. And take a look at this."
Max posted another paper. "'Families of deceased patients suing pharmacy for possible malpractice. The families of five former Well-X customers are seeking answers after long periods of addiction resulted in hospitalizations and death. They allege that the pharmacy purposefully altered their loved ones' prescriptions to make them more addictive. Head pharmacist Hitoshi Genshumura denies the accusations, claiming that the patients' addictions preceded the time that they started receiving prescriptions...' Oh, this just *screams* dirty." Kat responded.
"It does. The lawsuits were eventually dropped since they couldn't prove any wrongdoing. Plus it's like he said in the article, several of the named patients already had a history of drug addiction."
"The perfect victims. What would this guy have to gain from getting people addicted, though?"
"Sometimes the easiest answers are the right ones." Max did the 'money fingers' motion with his hands. "The more people coming back to your shop to get meds and such, the better your business. And profits for his pharmacy *skyrocketed* during this time. The better you're doing, the quicker you get promoted."
"So if that's true, he's an even bigger sicko than we thought."
"It might get even worse."
"I'm sorry, *worse*? How does it get worse than getting people addicted just to make more money."
"....."
"Sparky, you've got that face. How bad is it?"
Max poked the picture of the list. "Take a look and see if you recognize anything."
Kat looked down the list of names. "Ah...wait a minute..."
She froze at the sight of two names.
"'K. Hinotama. Prescription: oxycodone. Final status: deceased.'"
"'S. Hinotama. Prescription: oxycodone. Final status: deceased.'"
"That...can't be a coincidence, can it?" Kat questioned.
Max shook his head. "I don't believe in coincidences. Ibuki's parents were named Kamui and Sayuri. She told me that they both became addicted to prescription painkillers after a bad car wreck before she and Kaede were born. And she blames those drugs for Kaede's hearing loss."
"So...let me see if I'm following this correctly. Almost twenty years before he gets Kaede pregnant, he gives their parents the drugs that got them addicted, ultimately leading to Kaede's deafness and the parents dying from overdoses. If that's true, then..."
"Then he's solely responsible for damn near everything that's gone wrong in Ibuki and Kaede's lives."
Kat breathed out. "How are you gonna break this to her?"
"Carefully and delicately. She already wants to grind him into dust. It's on us to make sure she doesn't go do something she'll regret."
"Revenge is a poison. You know that better than anyone. So what's the plan now?"
"I think I underestimated just how twisted this guy is. I thought we could just post this stuff on boards and expose him like that, but he's got the easy out of having every lawsuit against him dismissed. I wanted this done in a way that wouldn't expose Kanae-chan to him in any form. There's only one option left."
"The Metaverse-y way. Think the four of us can pull it off alone?"
"Just to be safe, I think we should bump it up to six. If you know who I mean."
"Oh, I do. Let me make the call. Sendai's only a hop away."
"And I'm gonna figure out how to break it to Ibuki. This one's gonna hurt..."
---
Later in the afternoon, Ibuki had returned home. Seated at the table, her hand was over her face. "....."
"I'm sorry, Ibuki." Max said.
"The bastard did it. Kaede's hearing, our parents...that was all him?"
"It doesn't look too good. Why else would someone stash away a list of patients and the drugs they got from him?" Kat asked.
"Keeping records is standard procedure. But to be so protective of them, and given prior reports about him possibly getting his customers hooked..." Tabby said.
Ibuki slammed her hand on the table. 
"Eep!" Tabby yelped.
"...I can barely remember my parents. Mom died when I was five, and I barely saw my dad after that. I never knew them without the drugs. But Grammy and Grampy always told me how much of a sweetheart my mom was, and how my dad was a perfect gentleman. They were so deep in love, and then...the accident happened. Grammy always thought it was strange that they got prescribed extra strong painkillers when their injuries weren't life-threatening. They weren't the same after that. Grampy tried to get them clean, but it never took. Mom died with a needle in her arm. My grandparents tried to keep what happened to Dad from me, but..." Ibuki began to tremble.
"You don't have to keep going. It's alright." Max reassured.
Ibuki shook her head. "No internalizing. It's just gonna make it worse. I did some digging a year back, and I found out that Dad...he was in a bad spot after we were taken from him. Mentally he was just gone. The drugs fried his brain. One day he was on a binge. People reported seeing him stumbling while he was walking. He fell onto...onto some train tracks, and then..."
Kat grabbed her shoulders. "I'm sorry. I don't have the words. That's horrible."
"We're gonna make sure he doesn't get away with this. He's made an enemy out of the wrong people. We'll get him." Max assured.
"Promise me, Maxie." Ibuki asserted.
"I promise."
"Promise me on your *mother*."
Max nodded. "I promise. He's gonna pay for every sin. Swear it on my mom."
"I know I'm still new to all this, but I'll do whatever I can to help. Even if it's just a distraction." Tabby said.
"Thanks..." Ibuki responded. "I hate him. I want to rip him to shreds. Everything in me is telling me to march up to that corporate hellhole and put an arrow between his eyes. But..."
"Don't let the anger win. Don't let him beat you. I let my old man stay in my head for too long, and...you all know how that played out. He's gonna answer for everything he's done to you and everyone else he's made to suffer. Someone way smarter than me said that revenge is a poison. You're strong enough to move past that." Max dictated. Kat patted him on the back.
"You're right, Maxie. It's still tough to swallow. I'm gonna need extra cuddles tonight."
"No objections here."
Kat covered up Tabby's ears. "Peeps, please, there are children present."
"I'm an adult!" Tabby proclaimed, puffing her cheeks.
---
Later in the night, Tabby was sitting on the couch. The lights in the house were all off.
"I would've thought with that long flight that you'd be out by now." Max entered the room.
"Oh, um...sorry. I didn't think anyone else was up. Didn't your girlfriend need some cuddles?"
"Already taken care of. She's asleep now. It was a long day for her."
"Absolutely. In any case, thank you for letting us stay here for the week."
"No prob. Better than letting you pay for a hotel room. I know our good Ms. Blackthorne has seemingly infinite pockets, but I believe in a little thing called Southern hospitality."
"Kitty Kat says you're nothing if not a gentleman." Tabby sighed. "I'm sorry if I seem scatterbrained."
"I get it. You're new to this. It's a lot to take in."
"Both of my parents come from scientific backgrounds. I was raised to believe in what my eyes are telling me. So when I start seeing monsters and magic suits that make you invisible, I don't know how to process all of it."
"It takes a while, yeah. But when your eyes see something, you've got no real choice but to accept it."
"Suppose there's some truth to that. Do you ever wish that it could just be normal? That all this was fantasy and nothing more?"
"Sometimes yes. But the Metaverse lets us get to people that couldn't be touched otherwise. On the other hand, I sometimes wonder whether it'd be better if I was just a normal kid from Oklahoma. No suit, no powers. But that's not reality. And all we can deal with is reality."
"Our reality, yes. My dad always has his mind in the stars. He has his own theories on worlds beyond our own. Worlds where all of us exist in some way different from how we are here."
"You mean like a...multiverse."
"There's probably a more scientific name for it, but yes. The math you'd have to solve to prove such a thing is beyond what I can come up with. Mum likes to dig into him and say that he wants to find a universe where she doesn't leave him."
"Ouch. That probably doesn't sit well with him. Maybe he has a point, though. Maybe there's a universe out there where I'm just a normal guy. A world where I'm not such a blockhead."
"...why did you do all of it? Everything Kat has said and everything I've heard from you tells me that you're a great guy. Where did it come from?"
"I told Ibuki that revenge is a poison. I know that from experience. My father was an alcoholic brute who abused us all. He put me through nonstop punishment. My entire life, I wanted to see him dead. I got what I wanted. You know how I felt when I learned that?"
"I couldn't imagine."
Max shook his head. "Nothing. I felt nothing. Not happy that he was gone. Not angry that he died before I could get my hands on him. Just this...cold, empty feeling. Like my whole life's purpose was taken away from me. I spent the last two years tearing myself apart as a person. My time here's been about rebuilding who Max Jadefang is supposed to be."
"And who is he?"
Max thought on it. "I don't know yet. I've set the bar at being someone who deserves to be with the hottest woman on the continent."
"Maxiiiiiie, where's my cuddle?" Ibuki called out.
"...duty calls."
"Don't let me keep you." Tabby said.
"See you in the morning. Oh, uh, some friendly knowledge. Kat can be a bit handsy when she's sleeping. Guess she's used to hugging Carrie. Be prepared, is what I'm getting at."
"I'm never *not* prepared. Enjoy your cuddle."
Max left.
"...what did he mean by 'handsy'?"
---
September 21, 2031
First thing in the morning. Kaede was leaving for work. "I'm going to drop her off with the Kubos." she signed.
"Thanks. Don't need her sitting here by her lonesome while we work." Ibuki signed back. "Be a good girl like always, bubblegum." she spoke.
"How come I've gotta go, Auntie?" Kanae asked.
"Well, it's cuz...me and Uncle Maxie are gonna go take care of something. It's gonna make things a lot easier for you and your Mama. Everything I do is to make life easier for you. I love you so much, bubblegum. Never forget that."
"I love you too, Auntie." The girl hugged Ibuki.
Kaede gave her sister a reassuring look. "Please be careful. He's an animal. But my little sister is unstoppable." She looked at Max. "And you...take care of her. If you do this..."
"We will. Swear it on everything that I love. You have my word." Max signed.
Kaede nodded. "I'm choosing to believe you." She hugged Ibuki. "I love you." she spoke.
"I love you. I wish you could hear that." Ibuki responded.
Kaede left with Kanae in tow. "Okay...now what do we do?" Tabby asked.
"We go to the den of the beast. We're gonna meet the rest of the Krew over in Odaiba. Then the fun can really start." Kat replied.
"Let's not waste another second." Ibuki asserted.
The four trekked over to the Well-X building, making sure to stay a safe distance away. Max looked at his watch. "Why is he always late..."
"You're complaining about having a posse of lovelies to yourself, Capitano?" Sahir arrived. "Long time no admire, Kitty Kat."
"Long time no cringe, Kicks." Kat replied.
"And what do we have here? A rare export from the British isles, I'm guessing?"
"Uhhh..." Tabby uttered.
Sahir's attempts at flirtation were halted by his ear being grabbed. "Yowowowow! Do you gotta pinch it so hard?!"
"Yes." Sakuya replied. "Good day to you, Kat-chan. How has London been treating you?"
"Fabulous. Not as fabulous as you, Maggie, but fabulous nonetheless." Kat replied.
"And I'm going to guess that this would be the Ms. Fairweather you mentioned."
"Um, yeah, that'd be me. Tabby is fine." Tabby replied.
"Well met, Tabby-chan. I'm Sakuya. And this overly-friendly fellow here is Sahir-kun. How polite of him to introduce himself already."
"Pleasure is all yowowowow!" Sahir griped as Sakuya tugged again.
"Um, Kitty Kat...is this the seal girl you told me about?" Tabby asked.
"How lovely that I've been reduced to being simply 'the seal girl'." Sakuya deadpanned.
"N-no, I didn't mean to offend! Kitty Kat says very lovely things about you! I'm sorry if I've rubbed you wrong..."
"I'm joking, of course. I know that I can be somewhat fanatical when it comes to pinnipeds."
"'Somewhat'." Ibuki replied.
"Anywhozy. Y'all already know the situation, right?" Kat asked.
"Medicine creep got people addicted and probably killed Fireball's parents. Low as low can be. I'll be happy to kick his teeth in." Sahir replied.
"I'll be more than happy to dole out whatever punishment you see fit." Sakuya added.
"The bastard's mine. Let's get that out of the way first. Damn near everything that's gone wrong in my life can be traced back to him. He's gotten away with it for too long. Not anymore." Ibuki asserted.
"Then it's our job to get you there. Do the honors, Kitty Kat." Max replied.
"With pleasure. Get ready, Tabs. It's about to get trippy." Kat opened the Metaverse app, and input all the necessary information. 
The world began to shift around after.
---
Inside the Metaverse, the sky was now a stygian black. The Wall-X building itself was also black, with green lights shining out the windows. A sign on top, also glowing green, read 'Genshumura Labs'.
"Yep. Stale and dead, like how I thou--Tabs?" Kat turned to look at her friend.
Tabby was to the side, coughing up. "Oh, God...there goes breakfast...*burp*..."
"Easy does it..." Kat massaged her back.
"First time?" Sahir was now garbed in a green-and-black cybernetic suit, with green goggles over his eyes. The Roman numeral 'XIX' was prominently on his back, resembling an athletic uniform.
"Give the poor girl a moment. Everyone reacts differently." Sakuya wore magenta-colored cloth armor and a hood over her head. Her mouth was covered by a mask, with an image of a chalk frown with stitches over it. She had a sword at her side, and the numeral 'XIV' was engraved on the sheath.
"....." Ibuki looked up at the building. Her garb consisted of a form-fitting set of crimson armor, her head also covered by a hood. She carried a quiver on her back, the phrase 'Love is Like an Arrow' written on it, containing arrows with the words 'La Foi' scribed into them.
"He's in there somewhere. Along with who knows what else." Max was garbed from his neck downward in blue armor, with black lining resembling lightning bolts going up and down his arms and legs. The numeral 'IV', stylized similarly to the lining, was embedded into the center of his chest.
"Oh there you are, Captain Thunder. Fancy new armor you've got there. Doesn't have that same megalomania vibe to it." Sahir quipped.
"Hey ladies, y'all see that shadow up there?" Max pointed up. The girls all looked in the direction. Max then, without turning around, stuck his middle finger up at Sahir.
"Tch."
"I don't see nothing, Sparky." Kat said.
"Shadows messing with my vision, probably." A blue helmet with glowing blue eyes materialized around Max's head. "Alright, let's move."
Tabby regained her composure. "How do you ever get used to this?"
"Repetition and a strong stomach. You'll get used to it." Kat reassured.
"I'm starting to have my doubts about that."
The group walked inside the building. The lobby was black and metallic, the inside lit up by green liquid-filled cylinders lining the walls. "Yeah...this has more of the madman feel to it." Max said.
Sakuya covered Sahir's mouth before he could make any sort of remark. "My apologies. I assumed he was about to let out a sneeze." she said.
"Uh-huh, sure." Kat replied, unconvinced.
As the six started down the hallway, someone watched from a video feed. They pressed a button.
Down in the lobby, a black-tinted see-through panel rose up from the floor, trapping Kat, Max and Sahir in the lobby while Ibuki, Sakuya and Tabby were locked in the hallway. "What the--?! Where'd this come from?!" Kat questioned.
"Nobody stepped on anything, did they?" Max asked.
Ibuki tried to break down the panel, but she only bounced off of it. "Piece of--!" She prepared to kick it.
"Wait, Hinotama-san! You'll only injure yourself doing that." Sakuya stopped her.
The building's intercom system came on. "*You'll have to excuse the inhospitable response. But I don't believe I have any appointments scheduled for today.*"
"The bastard...!" Ibuki grumbled.
"Why does his voice sound like that?" Tabby questioned.
Indeed, Genshumura spoke with a distortion in his voice. "*If you truly wish for a guided tour of my laboratory, I'm afraid you'll have to do so separately. I am an incredibly busy man, and there is only so much obnoxious youth I can handle at any given time. Enjoy the sights. It's not often I give my test subjects the liberty of touring where their remains will be housed.*" The comm went offline.
"Dammit! Why can't it ever be easy?" Kat questioned.
"Well, if we have to play his game, might as well start up. If this place still reflects the real world, his office is gonna be on the fifth floor. We'll just have to go in groups." Max surmised.
"Just what I wanted out of today." Sahir griped.
"If you've got a problem with it, Sahir, we can sit here and try breaking that panel by force. Maybe if I shove you hard enough--"
"Alright, girls, y'all can prepare your boob sizes later. We've got a mad scientist to beat up." Kat spoke up.
"....." Tabby looked nervous.
"Go with them, Tabs. You'll be fine. If I wanted any two people to look after you, it'd be those two babes right there."
"Flattery will get you everywhere, kitty." Ibuki replied.
"And Maggie? Try to hold back some of that quiet intensity, please. I'd like her to not be scarred for life."
"I'm nothing if not entirely even-keeled." Sakuya replied.
Tabby shuddered. "I'll try not to get in anyone's way..."
"Race ya to the asshole." Ibuki ran off.
"Hinotama-san! It'd serve you well not to be so impulsive..." Sakuya followed after.
A nervous Tabby turned back to Kat. "I'll...try my best not to die." She ran down the hall.
"I hope you realize who she's about to spend quality time with." Sahir said.
"I'm debating which one of 'em is the scarier one." Kat replied.
"I'm not sure there's a wrong answer." Max said.
Ibuki stormed up to the third floor, though the way up further was blocked off by another transparent wall. "Oh, so you wanna play games, is that it?"
"It would seem that there's more he wishes for us to see." Sakuya appeared.
Tabby arrived, and took a moment to catch her breath. "Would it hurt to wait for the non-athlete to catch up?"
"I'm not wasting another second. Every bit of time that passes where he's breathing free air is an injustice. I'm not gonna play this shithead game of his." Ibuki dictated.
"Cooler heads prevail, Hinotama-san. You could easily run into a trap. I know you have your methods when it comes to dealing with problems. That works better in an open environment. This requires a more...delicate approach."
"We both know you have a *very* unique definition of 'delicate', Saku."
"Um, excuse me." Tabby spoke up. She was looking into a room, through a large glass window. "I think you need to look at this."
Inside the room, there were a number of cages. People dressed in white were locked in them, with tubes attached to their arms. Some were shaking. Others were pacing erratically.
"M-m-m-more...need...m-m-more..."
"Where's the doctor...need my fix...can't live without it..."
"Want...need...want...need..."
"What is this...? What's happened to these people..." Tabby uttered.
"*Human nature in motion.*" the voice came over the intercom.
"You...! What's with the mad scientist setup?!" Ibuki demanded.
"*This is my laboratory. This is where I observe the truest form of the human psyche.*"
"Addiction is the truest form of the human psyche?" Sakuya questioned.
"*Human nature is based around consumption. Short-term gratification in spite of potential long-term consequences. What you're seeing is the clearest form of this. They're completely cognizant of the fact that they're destroying themselves. Yet their brains tell them to keep indulging. How is it that millions have been spent researching the effects of nicotine and warning people of them, yet millions continue to consume it?*"
"I dunno, might have something to do with the fact that crooks like you are pushing the stuff on them? Destroying their lives just to drive up your own profits? Think that might be the reason?" Ibuki retorted.
"*I am an entrepreneur. I give them what they want, they give me valuable data and resources. Drug effects on the human body are a truly fascinating thing to observe. You would know that very well, I'd imagine...Ibuki Hinotama.*"
"...!"
"*Oh, yes. It took me some time to recognize you with clothes on. But I remember you well. Your sister, as well. And that darling little angel I met the other day. Kanae, I believe her name is?*"
Ibuki's expression changed from anger to horror.
"*Do you believe me that careless that I wouldn't keep tabs on something I had a hand in creating? I've been aware of her birth since the very beginning. So long as her existence remains completely divorced from my own, she'll be allowed to live as she pleases. But if you were ever to, say, attempt to claim any of my riches for yourselves, well...well.*"
"How can such a horror of a man exist..." Tabby uttered.
"Threatening the life of a child, purposefully getting people addicted to drugs for your own benefit...I'm beginning to wonder if every medical professional in greater Tokyo is completely unfit to be one." Sakuya said.
"*There's one more thing you should be made aware of, Ms. Hinotama. A warning, for those who would dare to inconvenience me in any manner.*"
The lights flickered in a nearby room. Ibuki walked over. "Wait, Hinotama-san..." Sakuya cautioned.
Ibuki walked into the room. She froze.
There were two cages inside the room. In one cage was a man with dark hair and a goatee. He was scratching his face and mumbling to himself. In the other cage was a woman with long dark hair. She was crouched in the corner, fiddling with the iron bars. There were shadows under her eyes.
"Mom...Dad..." Ibuki uttered.
"*Oxycodone addictions rarely end well. Take for instance the tragic tale of Kamui and Sayuri Hinotama. A pleasant young couple on a reckless Sunday drive, rear end a man and injure themselves in the process. So the husband goes to his local pharmacy for their pain prescriptions, not realizing that the reason the pharmacist is currently wearing a neck brace is thanks to a pair of careless children running into him on his way to work. So the pharmacist comes up with a solution. Give them the pain relief they so crave. As much as they can possible handle. Their mistake cost them dearly. Their first-born's hearing, for instance. The wife dies with a needle in her arm. The husband falls in front of the 7 A. M. Shinkansen and can only be identified through the blood coating the front of the engine. And years on, when the pharmacist pays for the company of a woman, imagine his surprise when he realizes that said woman is the offspring of the man and woman who wronged him all those years ago. At that moment, my revenge was complete. If only they'd watched where they were driving. Perhaps they would have a happy, loving family life now. The consequences of wronging the exact wrong man.*"
Ibuki's gaze was one of petrified horror. None of it was an accident or coincidence. Every single thing that had gone wrong in her life had been purposefully orchestrated by one single, vengeful man. As she looked at the shades of her tormented parents, the fiery young woman could do nothing but stare.
"*The parents' sins must always be answered by their children. What a selfish thing to leave your child to inherit. The thought must be eating you alive. They did it to themselves. Someone with your reputation must have more fortitude than them, yes? I'm going to need you to prove it with evidence.*"
The cognitions of her parents were fed more substances through the tubes in their arms. Their eyes glowed red. The cages opened, and both of them stumbled towards Ibuki.
"I'm sorry...that I ever blamed either of you for this...I love you..." Ibuki tearfully uttered.
Before the pair could reach her, a figure appeared between them in a flash.
"Please don't look, Hinotama-san."
Sakuya drew her blade. She made two slashes. She sheathed her sword, and the cognitions faded.
"....." Ibuki looked down.
"You'll have your revenge. I'll gladly put this ogre of a man down on your behalf." Sakuya said.
"No." Ibuki picked her head up. "No one's laying a hand on him except me. I'm gonna fill his gut with as many arrows as I can fire. My life...my family...all because this fat fuck got a neck brace one time. Evil doesn't begin to describe it. I'll send him to hell myself!" 
She stormed out of the room and down the hallway. "Hinotama-san! Hm?" Sakuya looked out. Tabby was crouched next to the door. "Tabby-chan?"
"...I can't do this." Tabby uttered. "Everything that came from that man's mouth was the most despicable thing I've ever heard. I thought being kidnapped and almost murdered was the most evil thing I'd ever experience. My entire childhood was spent traveling the world and seeing all the amazing things it has to offer. I've witnessed more horror and evil in the last month than I have in the eighteen years prior. I'm not built for this."
"I'm sorry. This is unfortunately a sorrowful path to tread. Oftentimes we see the worst that humanity has to offer. But it's about overcoming that horror and gaining strength from it. I wish it didn't have to be this way, but it is."
"I want to get out of here. I want to go home and hug my cat and forget that I ever saw any of this. I'm not like you or Kat. I'm not ready for this."
"It's okay to feel that way. It comes easier for me because I was raised to be an emotionless assassin. The rest of my friends were all traumatized at an early age. Yours is more recent. You need more time to process it. But I promise you, not everyone is as twisted and vile as Hitoshi Genshumura. A man like this can't be permitted his freedom any longer. Will you help us, Tabby-chan?"
"...for as long as it takes."
"I can accept that. Now let's hurry before Hinotama-san does something she'll regret."
Sakuya picked Tabby up, and the two pursued Ibuki down the hallway.
They ran up to the fifth floor. "Was it around here?" Sakuya asked.
"Yeah, I think so...look, there they are!" Tabby responded.
Kat, Max and Sahir were looking into the office. Inside, several 'patients' who had been infused with strength were lying about the floor, dissipating one by one. "What...did you all do this?" Sakuya questioned.
"It was like this when we got here." Max replied.
"And there's no sign of the lead 'scientist'." Sahir added.
"Where's the Fireball?" Kat asked.
"She has to have done this. He freely admitted to everything. Her parents were targeted personally after they injured Genshumura in a car accident. He held a grudge for years, even up to when he got Kaede-san pregnant." Sakuya replied.
"Sick son of a bitch. She had to have dragged him off somewhere." 
"Somewhere like a place she can push him off of." Sahir pointed upwards.
On the roof of the building, Ibuki shoved Shadow Genshumura close to the edge. He wore a black lab coat and gloves, along with dark sunglasses. "On your knees." Ibuki ordered, having drawn an arrow back on her bow.
"You don't have to do this...I can give you compensation, I'll put your niece through the finest schools you could ask for! You would execute me in cold blood?" the Shadow asked.
"Stop talking. You never even gave Mom and Dad the chance to beg for their lives. You made them suffer for YEARS, until their brains were fried and they couldn't take it anymore. I found my mom dead when I was only five. We couldn't even give Dad a proper burial because there wasn't anything left of him. All because of some fucking car accident? I'd bet every yen note I've got that it was your fault, on top of it. All those other people you got addicted, what were their crimes? Did they splash water on your car? Did they give you sauce that you didn't ask for? Maybe they wrote your name wrong on your coffee?"
"Please, have mercy...I'll admit to everything, you and your family can live long, happy lives and you'll never have to hear my name again, just please--"
"Mercy? Let me tell you something. I could've ripped you to shreds back there. There's all sorts of things swirling in my head right now about how I can make you squirm. This, right here? This *is* mercy."
"Ibuki, stop!" Max landed between Ibuki and the Shadow.
"Don't, Maxie. He's single-handedly destroyed our lives. I'm not leaving here without him suffering as much as possible."
"And then what? You live with it on your conscience for the rest of your life?"
"This coming from you, of all people? After all that talk about wanting to crush your old man like a pancake? Now you're gonna stop me from getting payback?"
"Who's the one who stopped *me* from getting payback? You're right. My entire life was based on getting revenge and protecting the people I love. It might feel good to shoot him now, but in a few days, weeks, years? It'll eat you up. Saku told me what he said to you. Short-term satisfaction over long-term consequences. You'd just be proving his point for him."
"Please just move, Maxie! He doesn't deserve to keep breathing. Mom and Dad can't anymore. He made them suffer for years, and he's PROUD of it! He threatened to hurt Kanae-chan if she ever interfered with him. He's already tried killing her and Kaede once. My job is to protect my family."
"So's mine. So I'm making sure that you're there for them. I want to spend every waking moment with you. I want you to see Kanae-chan grow up and live a happy life. You've done everything you can to make it happen. Don't throw it away for a moment of revenge. You're the one that told me it's a poison. Don't do this."
The Shadow tried to crawl away. Max grabbed him and hoisted him up. "W-w-wait! You were just saying--" he begged.
"You want him dead? Take your shot. Can't do it yourself? I'll toss him over. His blood won't be on your hands. Or the third option: let him squirm on live TV and admit to everything. He'll rot away where he can't hurt anyone else. You don't want to spend the rest of your life regretting this. You'll be just as bad as him. My worst fear is becoming the thing I hate the most. I don't want that for you. But if it's what you want..." Max dangled him over the edge.
Ibuki's stance began to break. Her hand shook. Tears began to fall. "I didn't ask for this...none of us asked for this...do you think Mom and Dad would be proud of me?"
"I do. Even with everything, you've become the strongest person I know. You survived, and you're thriving. Would they want you to sacrifice all of that for revenge?"
Ibuki let down the bow. "Hand him over."
"Ibuki..."
"I'm not gonna kill him. Give me a minute."
Max relented, and tossed the Shadow in front of her. "S-so you're going to let me go? Oh, thank the--" 
Ibuki knee'd him in the face. She hoisted him up and punched him repeatedly. She tossed him onto the ground, then proceeded to kick him and stomp on him for over a minute.
Her rage abated, she began breathing heavily. A shocked look on his face, the Shadow dissipated. Ibuki began to shake. Max put an arm around her in consolation.
The others emerged from the stairs. "Is it over?" Kat asked.
"Yeah. It's over." Max replied. "It's finally over, Ibuki."
"Did she...?" Tabby questioned.
"Kill him? No. He's not getting off that easy." Sahir replied.
The world began shaking. "Kitty Kat. Time to move." Max said.
"On it. Now comes the fun part." Kat took out her phone and activated the app. The group teleported out of the crumbling world.
---
Later that night, at the Hinotama house, Ibuki was watching TV with Kaede. Kat and Tabby were sitting at a table, keeping Kanae occupied.
A news story came on. "*Our top story tonight, Well-X owner Hitoshi Genshumura admits to a slew of crimes, including tampering with patients' prescriptions in order to fuel their addictions. Genshumura admitted to the crimes at an impromptu press conference in Odaiba just over an hour ago. The story is ongoing, but we can confirm that family members of those who died from these addictions are already reaching out...*"
"Is this real?" Kaede signed.
"It's real. We took care of it." Ibuki signed back.
"I don't believe it. That man is going to jail. And Mom and Dad..."
"It's over, sis. We don't have to be afraid of him anymore."
"Hey, I saw that guy! What'd he do? And how come you're crying, Mama?" Kanae asked.
"He's just an evil man, bubblegum. One you don't have to be scared of." Ibuki replied.
"I don't much mind this part. The everything else, though..." Tabby said.
"You'll get used to it. The process is rough, but the rewards are worth it." Kat replied.
"Did you get your hands on him?" Kaede asked.
"Yeah. I beat him up bad. I almost did worse. But Max stopped me."
"He did?"
"Yeah. He got between me and him and talked me down. He didn't want me to ruin everything out of revenge. He wanted it to end happily for us."
"Wow. Maybe..."
"Maybe?"
"Maybe I was wrong about him."
"You have NO idea how happy that makes me!"
"Maybe I should trust my little sister's judgement more often. Where is he, anyway?"
"He went over to the flower house. Said it was important."
Over at the Kubo house, Rose was sipping tea in the backyard. "I saw the news reports. It would seem the Ashen Artisans have struck again."
"So it would seem." Max replied, sitting across from her.
"I would imagine the Hinotama clan is relieved that their tormentor has been dealt with. Why come to see me instead of celebrating?"
Max took the armor fragment out of his pocket, and put it on the table. "I'm ready to be happy."
"Is that a piece of your old armor?"
"It is. The one reminder I've kept of Captain Thunder. I promised that I'd hang onto it until I finally felt like I could have a life worth protecting. And with the demon haunting them gone, I can say that I'm ready to move on with them."
"So why come to me with this piece?"
"I want you to help me destroy it. This isn't just the last piece of Captain Thunder. It's the last piece of your father. If I'm gonna have any sort of peace in my life, it needs to go. I'd imagine you feel the same way. You're the only one I can trust to turn this thing to ashes. For your sake and mine. Please, Doctor."
Rose stared at the fragment for a moment. "If it'll help all parties to move on. Allow me the space to do it."
"Thank you. Go ahead."
Rose picked up the fragment and placed it on the grass, away from the house. She stepped back near the porch. "With this last act...may the curse of the Thebans finally come to an end."
Her eyes and hands glowed, as threads appeared from her left hand, attaching themselves to the armor. Energy coursed through the strands. As Rose did this, a voice echoed in her head.
"(Hero...a world where Max O'Donnell is...hero...)"
"What is this...?"
"What's wrong?" Max asked.
"(O'Donnell...hero...)"
"Father...what is this..." Rose questioned.
"(Captain Thunder...your Desire...)"
The fragment began to exude energy.
"What's happening?!" Max demanded.
"(Your Desire...is granted...)"
The energy flared, and the fragment exploded, sending the two back. Blue smoke floated up into the air, before dissipating. The armor piece was gone.
"Is that it? It's gone?" Max questioned.
"It would appear so. What was that voice just now..." Rose asked.
Their questions were about to magnify.
An orb of light materialized above where the fragment once lay. Energy sparked out from it.
"Now what?!" Max asked.
"I don't know. Stay on alert." Rose cautioned.
Rin stepped out of the house. "What's with all the noise--huh?!"
"Stay back, Rin! I don't know what this is."
The energy continued to flare until, suddenly...
"GAAAAH!"
Someone fell through the orb and landed with a thud.
The three looked on with stunned silence as the person got to their feet. "Yeah...that's not gonna help the old back..."
It was a man, looking to be in his 50s, with short, silver hair, with two points sticking up, almost like the ears of a wolf. He wore a green, military-style jacket and khaki pants, along with black boots. On the back of his jacket was a dark green image resembling a wolf's face, with the letters "P.D.F." appearing in front of it. A gold star was on the upper-left hand corner of his jacket.
He looked around. "Awww, no. Dammit, Cindy! How many times do I have to tell that girl not to mess with the transporter outside of working hours? Ugh...no sign of delivery cruisers, houses made out of wood and stone...yeah. I'm in deep, now."
"Who are you?!" Rin demanded.
The man's attention diverted. He failed to realize the people staring at him. "Oh, hello! Sorry to ignore you like that. I don't know if you have that kind of tech, here, but I was just in my office finishing up some paperwork and then POOF! I'm here on your lawn. And here would be...?"
"You're in Tokyo. Japan." Rose replied.
"Oh, good, that makes it easier. Let me just call up my friend here..." The man took his phone out, which possessed a more advanced and streamlined design than any phone the trio had seen. He tried to make a call. "...aaaand Dasuke's not picking up. Yeah, knew it. Hey, um, you wouldn't happen to have interdimensional travel in this universe, would you?"
"Interdimensional? Universe--just who are you?" Max asked.
"Ah, right. Forgot my decorum." The man saluted. "I'm Commander Max O'Donnell of the Planetary Defense Forces. That probably sounds like gibberish to you, but it's a pleasure, regardless."
The three were dumbfounded. None moreso than Max.
"...huh?"