PB4G: WRATH AS A LIGHTNING, PART 7

WRATH AS A LIGHTNING, PART 7: For The Man Who Lost Everything
---
Let's start from the beginning. My name is...was, Max O'Donnell.
I was one of three children born to a working-class family from Buffalo. I had a twin brother, Johnny, and a younger sister, Barbara.
My childhood was normal for a kid in that environment. On free days, I would journey into the woods with my brother. We'd throw rocks at squirrels and anything else we came across. It was a game we played, about who could hit the most animals. Johnny always won. And he'd always have this look, like he was enjoying seeing these small creatures suffer.
These games carried on into our teens. By that time, Johnny was experimenting with setting small fires. When I eventually entered the police academy, they taught us about the early signs that someone is developing into a future serial killer. Setting fires and torturing small animals are high on that list of signs. But my parents always thought it was a phase he'd grow out of eventually.
My world changed when I entered high school. There, I met a girl named Carrie. She had the most beautiful, raven-black hair, and a sense of mysticism about her. I was under her spell the moment we first met. I was head over heels. The more time I spent with her, the more she taught me that I was better off away from my brother. She could see the danger before anyone else did.
I spent less and less time with Johnny as time went on. He didn't respond well to that. Once, when it was just me and Carrie sitting at the house watching a movie, he left a "present" for us outside: a rabbit he'd killed and set on fire. Over time, it escalated. But even though I wouldn't have blamed her, Carrie never left my side. 
The day eventually arrived when I wished she had.
The years went on. I bettered my lot in life. I graduated from the police academy, and joined the New York City Police Department. After a few years on patrol, I was promoted to homicide. Carrie and I got married, and has two daughters. First came Emilia. Five years later, there was Cynthia. Both of them were so bright and curious about everything. And while I worked my way up through the department, my sister Barbara was studying law at Columbia. Our family, born of humble origins, was in a better place.
Except for one thing.
Johnny never grew out of his urges. They only escalated as he got older. By his mid-20s, he'd progressed to setting warehouses and small businesses on fire. He'd been in and out of prison so often that you could make a small book out of his mugshots. And with every single one, you could see any sense of light or goodwill slowly leaving his eyes.
Prison didn't rehabilitate him. It only encouraged his violence, and gave those urges more time to fester and grow like mold.
Small forest animals weren't going to be enough anymore.
Once he got out of jail, the real horror began. Victims that managed to escape his wrath all recounted the awful sound he would make. A guttural cough, muffled behind an old gas mask. The press latched onto that aspect, and so was born "The Coughing Man". I'm sure he loved the attention.
By this time, he'd learned that I had become a homicide detective. That was when he decided to turn his rampage into a game between me and him. At his crime scenes, he'd leave little notes or callbacks to when we were kids. This was about getting even with me for abandoning him.
Every new victim that sprung up, the pit in my stomach grew. Was there more I could've done? Was there a chance to stop Johnny before he'd even begun? Had I caused all this by not indulging him and following a better path? For years, I chased him. If I could just get him off of the street, then all of my past mistakes would be fixed in an instant.
July 15, 2016.
I get a call about a suspicious fire in upper Manhattan. Arson normally wouldn't be my department, but given Johnny's modus operandi, I'd requested to be notified whenever it was suspected. I drove over to the scene, and from the look of it, all that was there was a dumpster. Fire department already had it covered. Then one of the crew came to me with a piece of paper. A note written in red.
"Your eyes are off, Maxie."
It was about then that the calls were coming in. A "disturbance" at headquarters. Every patrol car in the city raced over to it. The place was swallowed by a sea of fire. Johnny had blocked the exits. The only way out was to jump out from the windows. Between the smoke, the flames, and the falls, 53 people I considered to be friends died that day. 53 extra souls on my conscience.
The day wasn't over. As soon as I got there, the first responders gave me another note. It read the same. "Your eyes are off, Maxie."
In my gut, I knew where he was headed. I raced home. The door was wide open. My heart was racing faster than it ever had. I walked in with one hand on my gun. And what do I find? The murdering animal, knocked out asleep on my couch. He'd just finished sending 53 people to their deaths, and the next thing he does is fall asleep?
It all happened so quickly after that. He opened his eyes. I aimed my gun. He let out one more awful cough before reaching for his. I fired first. Right between the eyes. He fell back.
He was dead. Finally dead. I fell into my chair. My mind was a mess. What was I supposed to feel in that moment? My friends were dead. But so was he. It was mostly the shock talking at that point. 
It didn't even register when they told me he'd killed my family.
I was already so numb from headquarters being destroyed. What do you mean "my family is dead"? Who? "All of them."
My wife of nearly 20 years. My sister with a bright future. My girls with all the potential in the world. All of them, gone.
My entire reality was shattered in less than an hour.
What could I have done differently? How did it take losing everything for me to finally stop Johnny? 
Was I doomed from the beginning?
For days after the funerals, I sat by the graves. I barely had the energy to stand. The one that finally got me to go home was my partner, Jim. I asked him what I had left to live for. His answer was simple. "Not letting him win."
I thought it was ridiculous. He'd taken everything. My family, my friends, my mind. Every time I closed my eyes, I heard him. That horrible, inhuman cough. If that isn't him winning, what is?
I tried going back to work. But stepping out of the house where my family died, to go to the place where my friends died, to see photos of *more* people that died...it killed whatever was left of my soul. I needed more time. I'd go as far away as possible to clear my head. Vegas, LA, Mexico City, wherever. The cough followed me everywhere.
For seven years, I felt like a walking corpse.
It was about four months ago when everything changed again.
A man appeared on my doorstep. His garb was strange. An orange and white set of armor. He takes off his helmet, revealing a head of white hair and a friendly smile. He tells me that his name is Admiral Max O'Donnell, and that he came from another world to document mine.
At first I thought he was nuts. Or that *I'd* finally gone nuts. Until he showed me his ship. A cruiser capable of traveling to different worlds in the span of a week. He kept the ship camouflaged, and away from where anyone could see it. The armor was for protection in the event of a hostile encounter. He was on a mission of peace, but he was not naive.
Over dinner, he tells me of the different worlds he'd visited, and what led him on this journey. A promise to the wife he'd lost. Trying to make up for not being able to save her. He tells me that in loss, he'd found purpose. I couldn't understand it. What purpose could I ever gain from losing everything I'd loved?
He falls asleep. I wonder why he couldn't just go to bed in his ship, but he'd said he wished to experience this world to the fullest. I wanted to see for myself what all these other worlds had to offer. A man shows up in a spaceship, who wouldn't be curious?
I swiped the uniform--the button on it was the only way to access the ship. I boarded it, and activated the computer. The technology was like something out of a sci-fi movie, but it was right at my fingertips. It asked me for a keyword. I gave it the first thing that came to my mind. "Max O'Donnell".
What played out in front of me then, was the same story over and over again. Hundreds, thousands, *millions* of different versions of myself. All of them with powers beyond my imagination. And all of them...making critical mistakes.
Mistake after mistake after mistake. They suffered. The people around them suffered. Never strong enough or wisened enough to stop what was coming. It was an inevitability. No matter the world, the situation, the circumstances, it was always the same.
But something else caught my attention. It was what happened *after* the mistakes. They moved on. The people around them picked them back up, and they righted their wrongs. They all got the chance to keep living.
At that moment, I felt something. Not amazement. Not hope. All I felt was anger. Somehow, out of all these thousands of variants, *I* lost it all? *I* had no power to change anything? *I* was stuck in this cycle of misery, with no way out of it? And...was this really what our lot was? To mess up, and have to fix it?
To be a net-negative to everyone around us?
That's when the spaceman's words rang in my head. In loss, he found purpose.
And as I stood over his sleeping form, my gun to his head, I settled upon my purpose.
No more screw-ups.
---
Lieutenant O'Donnell opened his eyes. 
"ESTIMATED TIME OF ARRIVAL: 5 MINUTES."
"That's a real good look you've got, Maxie. *cough*"
Johnny, appearing as a smoggy phantom, was behind him. "Reminds me of...me."
"....." The lieutenant was quiet.
"Oh, does this take me back to the old days. *cough* Wish I had a rabbit on me, and we could properly celebrate. Just you, and me, and that annoying cow you fucked in the memory banks. Y'know, I'm really glad we've had this time to bond, Maxie. *cough* I've been counting the days til you broke my record. I ended at, lemme see...33 before the big day, 53 of your piggy friends, add little sissy, and the slut, and babygirl 1 and 2...eh, doesn't really matter now, I mean, once you've got a hold of whatever's in there, you're gonna make me look like Mary Fuckin' Poppins." Johnny hacked and coughed a bit more.
"Oh, man, do I wish I could see the look on the fam's faces if they knew what you were up to. Remember when we had our 13th birthday, and Aunt Petunia said you were 'the good one'? *cough* I mean, this is the same bitch that thought chocolate milk came from brown cows, so what did she know? Poor old Barb would get a kick outta this, I know it. The lawyer with two homicidal brothers. The jokes write themselves! *cough*"
"I can't wait to see where you go after this. Like, what's the plan after you off every you that's out there? Gonna do yourself in? Where do you think you're gonna go, *cough*, when it's all over? It ain't gonna be to see your little girls again, I know that. I'll be saving a nice, bubbly pool for you. Might introduce you to Manson and Dahmer. I can finally tell ya about the look on poor lil' Cindy's face when the light left her eyes!"
The lieutenant got up, firing his gun at the phantom, the bullets clanging off the wall.
"...you know that's not gonna do anything, right?" Johnny asked rhetorically. "I haven't heard any denials, Maxie. No grand, heroic statement that you're nothing like me. *cough* You know that'd be horseshit. You've done more damage in a few months than I did over 20 years. You look in the mirror, and see me."
The lieutenant remained quiet.
"ARRIVAL IMMINENT. APPROACHING DESTINATION."
"Eyes forward, little brother. Your finest hour awaits. *cough*" 
---
Inside the computer chamber in the Velvet Room, Rose oversaw the goings-on.
"Dr. Wolfe?" one of the attendants approached her.
"Yes?"
"It would seem someone has entered the Room. Likely to be the traveling party returning."
"Curious...normally they would appear in this room, rather than the entrance hall. I will go take a look."
Rose exited the computer chamber, making her way to the entrance. She looked around, but saw no one.
"...hiding behind the curtains is the strategy of a child." she said.
Next to her head, the Bolt was held. "You people did a good job of hiding this place. Good. But not flawless." the Shield replied.
"You must be the illustrious Shield. I would welcome you to the Velvet Room, but you appear to have welcomed yourself."
"Awful calm for someone with the power of a god planted next to them." He briefly charged electricity. "Here's what's gonna happen. Whatever goober you're using to travel to other worlds...you're gonna take me to it."
"Presumably to exterminate every variant of yourself in all existence? And why would I agree to that?"
"Does the sword of endless electricity being pointed at your neck not tell you?"
Without moving a muscle, Rose disappeared in a flash.
"Wha--?!"
"You mistake me for someone ill-prepared." Rose reappeared at the front of the room, before the exit. "The ancient forces you're utilizing pale in comparison to what I have faced." Ephemeral, blue strings emerged from behind her. "Now learn first-hand how I suffer misguided fools."
Rose sent the strings towards the Shield. They grabbed his limbs, and though he struggled, they hoisted him into the air. His attempt at using the Bolt came to a halt once the strings wrapped around his arm.
"Grr...Computer! Activate emergency ejection!"
"EMERGENCY EJECTION ACTIVATED."
The armor suddenly flew off of him in different directions, and he went falling to the ground. He summoned back the armor around his left hand, and with it, the Bolt.
Rose maneuvered the strings back towards him, but he put up a wall of electricity. By the time the sparks had dispersed, he was gone. The only piece of his armor remaining was his helmet.
"Blast it...!" Rose followed after.
Inside the computer chamber, the attendants monitored the controls. As one had her attention focused on her screen, an armored hand reached around and wrapped around her neck.
The other attendants were alerted, but the Shield pointed the Bolt at them. "Not a damn one of you move." A spike sprouted out from the knuckle currently pressed against the attendant's neck. "Unless you feel like learning what color your blood is."
"Cease this at once, Mr. O'Donnell!" Rose arrived.
"Lieutenant."
"So, you were in law enforcement. Then you should be aware of how honorless your actions are."
"Honor? You want to talk to me about honor? You know how many cops I've met that joined the force just to carry a gun around wherever they wanted? I could count the number that had a shred of 'honor' on one hand. You're not gonna pander to any sense of duty with me. I already know what I have to do."
"Multiversal genocide can't possibly be the solution to what ails you. How does this make you any different from the criminals you fared with?"
"Snow White's got a point, Maxie." Johnny's phantom spoke up.
"You can call me whatever you want. Call me murderous slime, I don't give a damn. I'm doing every world a favor. How many of these places have had people die because Max O'Donnell messed up and couldn't do anything? What difference does it make if we 'learn and get better'? Does it bring those people we failed back? Does it magically undo the mistakes we made? No! So why do they all get to move on?! Why did they all get the power to change things while I had to wallow in misery?!"
"I can't answer that. I'm not in control of any universe. All I know is that based on the Max from my world, there is always a chance to move forward and--"
"DON'T GIVE ME THAT SELF-HELP BULLSHIT! You know how many shrinks I've had tell me about 'moving on'?! I lost everything! What do I even have to move on to?! Nothing, that's what! I've finally got the power to change things right at my fingertips...and I'm gonna take it and end this!"
He pushed the attendant away, then raised the Bolt up high, striking everyone in the room with lightning and pushing them away. He held his free hand up to the computer sphere. 
"INTERFACE COMMENCING."
"Cease this! Do you even know what you're doing?" Rose questioned.
"Speeding up my mission by 1000%." the armored man responded calmly.
The colors on his armor reversed, becoming primarily white. His eyes began to glow. Within his mind, images began to flow of different worlds. Hundreds, thousands of his variants moving in front of him like a television screen. As the interfacing continued, he began to feel them as if they were right in front of him.
"INTERFACING AT 11%."
"Barely even started, and already I've got my hands in hundreds of universes..." He began to hover above the ground. "Soon enough, all it's gonna take is a snap of my fingers...and a mission that was gonna take decades will be over."
"No...!" Rose pressed on her phone, and a portal opened. She jumped into it, and it closed.
"Shouldn't you do something about her?" Johnny's ghost asked.
"Let her go. Even if she brings those punks back, it won't make any difference. It's only a matter of time." the Shield replied.
"Oh, little bro...look at you, sounding so amped to commit some mass *cough* murder. Doin' me so proud..." Johnny feigned crying.
---
Earth-3353.
"I will leave the rest to you. Please notify my mother at once. And convey my apologies for not being there. I have business to see to." Brody dictated to Sahir.
"Yes, Admiral. Good luck. We'll take care of the man. He's earned that much." Sahir saluted, and he and two other armored men walked through a portal, which vanished.
"....."
"Hey...doing alright there?" Ibuki asked.
"It's impossible not to feel something. Growing up, I idolized my uncle. He was the finest explorer of his generation. He deserved a far more noble end than that. I can only hope that I can live up to his example."
"I know it's hard. I'm glad we could at least get him home." Cindy replied. "We should let Detective McNeil know what we've found..."
Suddenly, Max clutched his head. "Nngh--!"
"Hey, what's wrong with you?" Iris asked.
"Gr...what the hell...head just felt like it split right open..."
"...ahh!" Maxi grabbed her own head.
"You too? What's going on?" Bart questioned.
Maxi shook her head, accompanied by cartoon sound effects. "That was so weird...it felt like someone was squeezing on my brain..."
A portal appeared near them, and Rose came tumbling out. "Ugh..."
"What the--?! Doc...? What's wrong?" Ibuki asked.
"We have to hurry...things have taken a disastrous turn...the Shield...he's found the Velvet Room..."
"He what?! How...?!" Cindy questioned.
"I don't know...he's managed to interface with the nexus computer...the one connected to every universe...if we don't stop him, he'll be as one with every variant of himself..."
"Aw, shit...and if that happened, he could waste us all as easy as he'd breathe...hrgh!" Max clutched his head again.
"It looks like it's already begun. There's not a moment to waste. Take us there at once." Brody said.
"Are you up for this fight as you are, Admiral?" Iris questioned.
"No need to worry." He pressed the button on his chest, and his own, blue and white armor covered him. "I'll pry that armor off of him myself."
"You'll be waiting in line. I've got stolen property to recover, myself."
"Get us over there, Doc." Ibuki said.
"At once." Rose summoned a portal, and everyone rushed into it.
---
In the Velvet Room computer chamber, the one-time homicide detective floated, his eyes closed as he observed the worlds.
---
Earth-727. Tokyo.
"Nngh..." Max Jadefang sat on his couch, clutching his head.
"Do you need me to make a run to the pharmacy, Max-kun?" Sakuya asked.
"No...something...something else is...wrong...like, buzzing..."
"Please, rest your head. I'll get some cold water on a cloth for you..."
Sakuya went to find a remedy, as the dizziness and buzzing continued in Max's head.
---
Earth-013. New York.
"Didn't I warn you about drinking on a work night?" Bobbi asked in her brother's office.
"This ain't an alcohol buzz...my brain feels like someone's grabbed a hold of it..." the Commander groaned.
"You need me to go get Letty and have you checked? Might be a concussion from that last fight."
"Go ahead and grab her..." He slumped over his desk. "Oh, that's bad...that's real bad..."
"I'll give Emily a call, too. Could be some kind of hex. I'll be back as soon as I can." Bobbi departed, the Commander clutching his head all the while.
---
Earth-675. New York.
Max O'Donnell, his world's one and only Spider-Man, swung onto the top of the Empire State Building. His teal costume blended in with the night sky. The iconic spider logo on his chest had lightning bolts in place of the legs.
As with any other night, Max surveyed the city. "Alright, everything's quiet. No burglars, or carjackings, or goblins...which means something's bound to go wrong any second now. Maybe a Black Kat sighting to break up the monotony..."
Something alerted him. "Spidey-Sense, right on cue. Buzzing's a bit more...intense than usual." He looked around. "Don't see anything...you'd think I had the Sinister Six on me with how...agh!"
He held his head as the buzzing intensified. There were no supervillains around. He quickly realized that this wasn't his Spider-Sense going haywire.
---
Earth-114. The Archaic Woods.
It was a walk that Max, heir to the forest's wolf clan, made on a daily basis. He was an impressive, gray canine, the future lord of these woods. It was time to go get the younger members of the clan. They were reaching the age when it was time to learn how to hunt.
His walk was interrupted by a ringing in his head. He tried to shake it off, but the sensation only got worse. With a whelp, his legs buckled beneath him. Others in the clan began to gather around him.
---
Earth-121014. The Nerd Room.
"What a shitload of fuck. Why doesn't the cane do anything?!" Max sat on the couch, surrounded by shelves of vintage game cartridges. He wore a white button-down shirt and khaki pants, along with glasses. He bore a look of frustration as he held a controller.
He got up and grabbed the cartridge out of his NES, the game being 'Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde'. "I'd rather go skinny-dipping in Jabba the Hutt's septic tank than play this miserable pile of goat shit again! Fuck this game, watch it go!"
He started to throw the game like a frisbee, until a headache began to set in. "Aggghh...!" He fell back, clutching his head. "Game's so shit...it's killin' me...!"
---
"Stop right there, asshole!" Ibuki demanded.
The Shield opened his eyes, turning to see the group standing before him. His two variants both held their heads.
"You all again? You're too late. I've already made contact with thousands of my variants. Once the interface is finished, I'll be able to purge them all from existence..." He snapped his fingers. "...like that. The screw-up plague will finally be over."
"And then...ngh...what, might I ask, are you gonna do when that's done? Off yourself?" Max questioned.
"I'm keeping my options open."
"Lieutenant, please stop this!" Cindy stepped forward.
"So. I take it that means you know who I am?"
"We went to your world. We learned everything from your partner. I'm...I'm sorry that you lost your family and your friends. I get why you'd be so angry. Even then I can't imagine how much pain you must be in."
"No, you couldn't. Nobody could. My entire life went down in smoke in the span of an hour. And all I've heard since is that I'm supposed to find a way to move on. Well, this is how *I'm* moving on. Solving everyone else's problem where I couldn't solve mine."
"You're so full of SHIT!" Ibuki exclaimed. "You're not solving anyone's problems! You messed up worse than anyone, and now you're taking it out on everyone else cuz they got to fix their screw-ups! Why else would you take someone else's armor, or their ship or their weapons? You wanted what you couldn't have in your shitty, miserable world! You ain't a savior, a hero or anything else, but a damn COWARD!"
"Ooh, I like this one. Feisty." Johnny's ghost spoke.
"Think about this for one second, Lieutenant! What would everyone you cared about think if they saw you now?" Cindy asked. "What would your little Cindy think?"
"Don't you DARE utter my daughter's name! What is it you people don't get?! You can all turn around and go back to people that give a damn about you! My family is dead! DEAD! What does it matter what they'd think when they can't anymore?!" the Shield ranted.
"Admiral. On my mark." Iris whispered.
"Ready when you are." Brody replied.
"Just stay put, Maxi. Let big bro handle this." Bart whispered.
"Ngh...woozy..." his sister uttered.
"Face the facts, 'Detective'. As much as you wanna judge other people for their mistakes...yours are the worst of all. And nothing you do here is ever gonna change that." Ibuki chastised.
"Heh..." the Shield chuckled. "That's exactly right, isn't it? I'm the biggest screw-up of them all! I failed everyone I ever loved, and now here I am, worse than any criminal I ever caught. I'm a beast, far beyond saving! So..." His eyes flared. "Let's end this."
Iris fired a volley of arrows at him. He put up a glowing, white barrier, that parried all of the shots away.
"Haaaagh!" Bart lunged at him with his staff. The Shield grabbed it with one hand, then delivered a single punch to the boy's abdomen, sending him flying across the room.
"Bart! Ooooh, that's it, you big bully...!" Maxi gathered electricity in her hands, launching it towards the armored man. 
He stopped the wave, gathered it up into a sphere shape, and sent it right back to her.
"BZZZT--!" Maxi was sent back.
With both spikes drawn, Brody lunged at the Shield from one side. Iris drew a hunging knife, and followed suit from the opposite. The enemy grabbed them both out of the air by their throats. He bashed their heads together, then gathered energy into his hands, and blasted both of them with beams of light.
Max struggled to hold up his rifle. His counterpart's eyes flared again, and he dropped the gun, his headache intensifying. "Gaah--!"
Cindy rapid-fired her blaster at the Shield, flying around to dodge his energy attacks. With his attention diverted, Rose wrapped her strings around his arms.
Ibuki pointed an arrow at him. Before she could fire, he gathered more energy into his core, then unleashed a forceful blast all around him, sending everyone attacking him in different directions.
"INTERFACING AT 94%."
Ibuki struggled to her feet. "Dammit...almost out of time...can't let everyone down..."
Memories of her Max flowed through her mind.
"Can't...let it end like this."
"Use the huntress' strength..." Iris stirred.
"Iris?"
"I sensed it from the start...you and the great huntress are as-one. Trust in her power. We must...we must finish this hunt. For my Maximus...for your Max...everyone. We'll end this together."
"Let's do it. Right here." Cindy had gotten up, having retracted her helmet. "There's a lot of people counting on us. We've gotta win this for them! I'll follow your lead." She held out her hand.
Ibuki took it. "Right. No time to hold back now. Ladies...stand back."
Cindy and Iris stepped away from her.
"Throw whatever tricks you want at me. Won't make a difference." the Shield stated.
"Everything's just doom and negativity with you, isn't it? Well, I'm gonna give you more to mope about. This next 'trick' is one I had saved up from the big battle. I didn't have a good hang of it back then. But I've learned a thing or two since. This'll be my first time using it in a real fight. This one's for keeps. Fireball Ibuki wouldn't have it any other way!"
She took a deep breath, then opened her eyes, suddenly glowing red. Energy sparked up around her.
"BAN--
--KAI!"
Light surrounded her in a spiraling motion.
"What the hell is this...?" the Shield questioned.
"The goddess passing judgement on your wrongs." Iris replied.
The armored foe summoned a pair of turrets constructed from hard-light. "Only thing you'll be judging is these bullets."
The weapons fired upon the light, causing it to disperse into particles. He observed as the debris cleared out...and he himself spurted out blood from three open wounds on his chest.
"Hk...! The hell...?! Did she just shoot me? With what?"
"I haven't even fired a weapon, slick." Ibuki's voice replied.
"And you won't get the chance!" He summoned forth the Bolt, using it to strike Ibuki with lightning. It was only seconds later that he felt the sensation of being electrocuted. "Gkkk...! What's going on...?!"
The particles cleared away. The first thing to come into view was a large, four-legged creature. It was a deer, its fur and antlers glowing a radiant golden hue, its eyes glowing red. Around its neck was a similarly golden mantle, with an emblem resembling a fireball.
Riding astride it, Ibuki's hooded cloak took on an armored composition, and its colors reversed, being black with red accents. A metallic mask covered her face, save for the eyes. There was no bow in her hands, nor was there a quiver on her back.
"Kariudo Shinka."
"That deer...where did it come from?" Brody pondered.
"This is called 'Bankai'." Rose explained. "In our world, power can be gained by reaching a deeper understanding with one's inner self. To achieve this state, becoming one with the inner self, means having achieved the deepest possible bond with--"
"In plain English, please!" Max griped.
Rose sighed. "It's the ultimate form of her power."
The Shield stared at it. "What's that thing supposed to be? And how'd it hit me with my own attack?"
"You should read up on your mythology, 'Lieutenant'." Iris put a hand on the deer. "The deer is the animal most sacred to the divine huntress. To bring harm upon it without her consent is to evoke her wrath. For a man who doesn't believe in the gods' power, your wounds are real enough."
"Leave it to the Amazon to know more than me." Ibuki winked at her counterpart. "But I wasn't lying when I said I hadn't fired off a weapon. That was all this big guy here."
"So that thing reflects my attacks? Whatever. Just means my reaction time needs to be quicker." The former detective fired more rounds, hitting the deer as Ibuki held up her arm to block.
He quickly moved out of the way, anticipating a counterattack. It was to no avail, as more 'bullet' strikes emerged around his body. "How the--?! How fast is that thing sending my attacks back?"
"You're really not paying attention." Ibuki replied, as the wounds incurred by the deer quickly healed. "Artemis doesn't like it when her sacred animal is wounded. Your attacks aren't being bounced off. Any wound you cause to my deer is reflected onto you."
"...!"
"Course, this guy's wounds are fixed up almost immediately. You, on the other hand..."
The Shield appeared next to her, preparing to swing the Bolt. "Then all I have to do is cut the witch riding on it! Now that she doesn't have her--"
On her gauntlets, a pair of small bows unfurled. She aimed them at the Shield, and fired off a rapid stream of crimson arrows at him. As he was sent away, the Bolt was released from his grip. He reached out to summon it back...
...when Iris leapt over Ibuki, and snatched the weapon from the air.
The Shield slammed into a pillar. He slumped down to the ground. "INTERFACE INTERRUPTED. STANDING BY FOR EMERGENCY MAINTENANCE..."
"Oooh, you're losin' the plot, Maxie." Johnny's ghost stated. "Ya ever get the, *cough* get the sense that you might actually be the bad guy?"
The armored man got up, still bleeding.
"Yeah no, you're right. I mean, you're a cop. Since when has a *cough* cop been the bad guy? Couldn't even imagine it."
Ibuki approached him. She hopped off of the deer. Cindy flew over.
The Shield spat out from his bloodied mouth. "Persistent little shits. I've had it with this..."
"How do you think we feel?" Ibuki armed her bows. "C'mon, Cind. Let's finish this."
"....." Cindy looked to their opponent.
"Gonna try talking me down again?" he asked.
She shook her head. "I know it's pointless." She armed her sword. "So. No more talking."
"That's fine by me." He unsheathed his knuckle spikes.
"Yaaaay, violence!" Johnny's ghost jumped for joy.
The former lieutenant attacked Cindy, as she blocked the spikes. She pushed him back, while Ibuki fired more arrows at him. As he reeled, Cindy swung her sword down at him, which he blocked with the spikes. She turned on her rear thrusters, increasing the pressure as she brought the blade down. 
The spikes began to crack. With greater force, she finished her swing, and they broke into pieces.
He staggered. His pupils began to shrink, his expression growing more deranged by the minute. "GRAAAAAAAGH!" 
He charged, and Ibuki grabbed him. She flipped him onto his back. He rolled, and got back up.
"The last shitty cop that laid his hands on me got an arrow in his chest. I'm 110% fine with you trying." she egged him on. A pair of light arrows materialized on her bows, extending out to where they were they were the same length as her arms. "Let's see how *you* like the claws."
She swung at him, as he parried the blows, though the arrows left scratches on the armor. Cindy flew in, kicking him in the side and knocking him off his stance.
"(I don't understand it. Am I really...getting pushed back by a couple of girls? That look in their eyes...there's desperation there. No...no...I...)" he thought.
"*cough*"
"(I won't...lose...I...have to win...I've got nothing left...I have to win. I have to win. I have to win. I have to win I have to win I have to win--)"
He was pushed back. 
"Cind! Here's our chance!" Ibuki exclaimed.
"Got it!" Cindy responded. Both raised their blades into the air, and in a unified motion, brought them down on the Shield's chest, slashing through the armor's core.
"WARNING: SYSTEM FAILURE. ARMOR DAMAGE CRITICAL. MAINTENANCE SYSTEMS, ONLINE."
He fell to one knee. The armor returned to its original color.
Across the multiverse, the stricken Max O'Donnells felt the pressure on their brains ease up. The buzzing in their heads ceased.
"Did we do it? It's done?" Cindy asked.
"Yeah. It's done. And so's he." Ibuki affirmed.
"Ship's not comin' to hoist you away now, fuckstick." the wasteland's Max called out.
"....." The defeated man got to his feet.
"Really? Even now, you're insisting on this mad quest?" Brody questioned.
"Stubborn to the bitter end. It'd be funnier if it wasn't so *cough* depressing." Johnny's ghost said.
Panting, struggling and gushing blood from every angle, the Shield stood in defiance. "It's not...done...not until I...say it's--"
From behind him, an object flew into his back, piercing him. "Ugh. Ugghhhh..." 
Everyone in the room gasped. Everyone except for Iris.
Sticking out of her quarry's chest was the jagged edge of the Bolt of Jupiter.
"By the blade of my beloved husband, Maximus Odysseus, I condemn you to the fires of eternity." the Amazon proclaimed.
With a strained gurgle, he collapsed to his knees, before falling facedown.
"LIFE SIGNS CRITICAL. USER SAFETY AT CODE RED. SEEK SAFETY IMMEDIATELY."
Cindy got down next to him, looking into his eyes. He looked back.
"...Cindy?" he asked.
Taken aback for a moment, she nodded. "Yeah. Cindy. That's me."
"When'd you get so big...? So...big and confident." With his last bit of strength, he raised his arm up to her.
Ibuki prepared to defend her. "Wait." Cindy stopped her.
He put his hand on her cheek. "Daddy missed you so much, Cindy...you and your mom...your sister and your aunt...it's been so lonely...so...lonely...not having you around...it's enough to make anyone...crazy..."
His hand went limp, slowly falling back to the ground. The light went out from his eyes.
"....." Cindy stood up. She wiped away a tear. 
The others approached. Brody brought up a display. "...his heart rate's ceased. He's gone."
Iris stepped over. She pulled the Bolt out from his body. She looked at the weapon, and held it close.
Max looked at the body. He let out a breath. "Bugger gave us a scrap til the very end. I can give him that much."
"And thus ends the tragedy of the Shield." Rose observed. "I must tend to the wounded. Please excuse me." She walked over to one unconscious attendant.
"His ship should be close. I'll need to retrieve it and ensure any other stolen properties are returned to their respective universes." Brody walked away.
Cindy looked somber. Ibuki put an arm around her. "You okay?"
"I will be." Cindy looked at the fallen Shield. "I wish things could've been different. He was powerless and alone. Then he finds out how it could've gone another way if he had that power all along. I know how that feels...to be powerless and alone."
"Me too. But it's more about what you do with the power you get. Course, if I didn't have my sister and my niece, who's to say how low I could've gone? Bitter and angry, or dead in an alley...with a needle in my arm like my mom. Finding out what could've been is scary. That's why it's better not to dwell on it."
"Where do you think he is now?"
"We'll never know. But I think, wherever he is...he's out of pain. And he's probably better off for it."
Meanwhile, Max walked over to Bart and Maxi. "How you two holdin' up?"
"...I really wanna go home now." Maxi uttered.
"A breakfast at the Apple and Bee sounds really good at the moment. All this serious stuff...it wears on you after a while." Bart agreed.
"Just sit tight. We'll get ya back to slapstick land in no time. Sorry you kids had to go through all that." Max said. He walked over to Iris, who held the Bolt tight.
"How's the headache?" she asked.
"Gettin' gone. Felt like a roo took a shot to it. But I'll live. Quite the throw you had there. Guess your hubbo got the last word in, after all. I don't see you lettin' go of that thing anytime soon."
"I'll have to. It'll go back to where Maximus got it from, and his successor will be chosen in time. As much as I want to have it close. At the very least, this wrong has been corrected. He can rest..." The tears began to fall. "...and I can finally grieve properly."
"And here I thought those tear ducts were offline. Hang in there, Amazon. I'm sure your man's pleased as punch wherever he is."
"I'd like to believe so. I can only hope the next one to wield this Bolt can live up to his example."
"From how you make it sound, those are gonna be pretty grand shoes to fill. Least you've got it in the meantime."
"Indeed..." She wiped her eyes. "...and if you ever mention that you saw me cry, I'll feed you to a lion."
"There she is."
Brody returned minutes later. "The ship was right outside. Seems like most of my uncle's possessions are still in there. But I found these inside of the closet.
He held three objects. The most prevalent one was an old gas mask.
"The Coughing Man's mask. I dread to know what sort of foul energy permeates it." Iris said.
"Think that's one for the incinerator, mate. What about the rest?" Max asked.
Bart picked up a policeman's badge. "Once upon a time, he helped to solve crimes. What are we gonna do with this?"
"Send it back home with him." Ibuki replied.
"We're really going to let them have his body? Are we going to tell them about all this?" Iris questioned.
"We'll tell Detective McNeil that his friend died in that house. Let them bury him with some dignity." Cindy answered.
"Even after all that, you're gonna grant him a peaceful rest?" Max asked.
"The ones that knew him can leave it at him being a respectable family man. They don't need to know of what he became. Let them honor the man they knew. If for no one else, for the ones he lost." Brody replied.
"I don't like this. Not one bit." Iris replied.
"Frankly, neither do I. If he'd survived, we would have tried him for a host of crimes. But I can accept the logic. His world can mourn for Lieutenant Max O'Donnell. Let the Shield be consigned to non-existence."
Cindy took the last object: a photograph of a happy family enjoying a vacation in the mountains. An ebony-haired mother, an older daughter with same-colored hair, a younger daughter with light brown hair, and a father with similar colored hair and moustache. His appearance--happy, without a hint of ill will in his eyes--contrasted greatly with the nothingness that reflected off of him earlier.
"....."
"Breaks your heart, doesn't it?" Ibuki asked. "Looks like any normal family. Who would guess how it'd all fall apart?"
"I...I'm gonna hold onto this. Just as a reminder of what we have to lose."
"No argument here. Hey, Doc!"
Rose appeared. "Yes, Ms. Hinotama?"
"I think there's some folks here that really wanna go home. It's been a long couple weeks."
"Yes, of course. Thank you for your assistance, everyone. It's no exaggeration to say that you helped to avert a multiversal catastrophe. You all deserve some rest after that. Allow me to find your worlds' coordinates..."
"No need. I have the resources to do it." Brody spoke. "I'll be returning with my uncle's ship. I thank you all for helping settle this matter before anymore tragedies occurred. Once we have honored my uncle properly, I will be reaching out again. I believe we can continue to be of help to one another. For now, I have arrangements that need to be planned out. Farewell for now." He walked away.
"All-business, that one." Max commented.
A portal opened. "Alright, pancake time~!" Maxi exclaimed.
"Thank you for keeping us safe, everyone. You're welcome in ToonTown anytime." Bart said.
"Just don't bring any more murdery spacemen with you!"
"Can't make any promises." Ibuki replied.
The pair disappeared into the portal as another one opened. "Welp, folks, it's been a right laugh. Hope ya don't mind me sayin' that I really don't want to have to do this again." Max said.
"The less I have to see of your face, the better. Back to your wasteland." Iris replied.
"You know you're gonna miss me, Amazon. I'd say you all should come and visit, but...nah, you really shouldn't."
"Wouldn't dream of it."
Max snickered. "Take care of yourself, Iris. See ya." He vanished.
Another portal appeared. "Welp, guess this is goodbye." Ibuki said to Iris.
"I don't believe in goodbyes. It's more like, 'until we meet again'. Thank you for helping me bring back a part of him." Iris replied.
"Thank you for showing me what I can be. You gonna be okay?"
"I'll be alright. I have a sisterhood. Not just my old clan, but Katrina and Belledona. Families take care of each other. Treasure every single moment you have with yours. Every last drop of happiness, you keep preserved in your heart." Iris embraced Ibuki. "I wish you a lifetime of love and bliss, Sister. May the huntress forever smile upon you. Take care."
They took each other's hands for a moment, before Iris turned to the portal. With a smile and a bow, she entered it.
"Alright, ladies. Time to go home." Rose opened one more portal.
Ibuki and Cindy dispelled their armors, returning to normal wear. "Man, do I need a nap. That was hectic as all hell." the former sighed.
"Not long until vacation's here. Til then, let's go tell Maxie the good news." Cindy replied.
"I hear that. See ya soon, Doc. Don't wait too long to take a tea break."
"I already have some brewing. Safe travels, you two." Rose bid.
The girls entered the portal.
---
Earth-727. Tokyo.
They appeared in front of Ibuki's apartment. "Home sweet home. Hope he didn't stress out Saku too much." She opened the door.
Max was resting on the couch. He stirred after hearing the door unlock. "Nngh...oh, hey, you two."
"Hey there, stranger." Cindy chimed. 
"I take it from the looks on your faces that it's job done?"
"Yessir. It's finally finished." Ibuki replied.
"Thank every deity out there. Was it bad?"
"In a lot of ways. But the main thing is that you and Dad are safe now. Until the next crisis, at least." Cindy replied.
"Let's hope that doesn't happen for a long while. Ugh, I just had the worst headache..."
"You and every other you. Hey, is Saku still here?" Ibuki asked.
"Saku is very much still here." Sakuya stepped out of the bedroom. "Welcome home. I trust that everything went to plan?"
"Yes, ma'am, it did. No more genocidal spacemen. What were you doing in my room?"
"Well, I took the liberty of organizing your wardrobe. And your shoes. And your cosmetics. And your kitchen utensils. And your refrigerator."
"Aw, c'mon, now you're making me sound like a slob! You and your maidliness. Well, thanks."
"You're welcome. I should get going before Mother starts to worry. I'll check in come the morning."
"Are you gonna be alright walking home this late?" Cindy asked.
"Perfectly safe. I am quite skilled at defending myself, after all. Have a good night, everyone." Sakuya exited.
"Night, Saku." Ibuki bid.
"I should probably head back, too. I'm really sleepy..." Cindy said.
"Wait just a minute. Ibuki, the package finally came in." Max said.
"Oh, shoot, awesome. This is right here?" Ibuki picked up a box from the kitchen table.
"What's that?" Cindy questioned.
"A gift from your neighbors. I was gonna wrap it up all nice, but since you're already here, might as well. Take it as a reward for a job well done."
Cindy took the package. "You guys got me a gift? You didn't have to do that."
"It's our way of saying we're happy to have you around. And for being the best nurse a guy could ask for." Max replied.
"Awww, well if you insist." Cindy sat down and carefully opened the box. On top of the packing paper, there was a handwritten note. "'To Ms. Cynthia O'Donnell, I hope this finds you well. I was commissioned by your neighbors to sculpt this for you, though unfortunately I only just now got to it due to prior obligations, and for that I apologize. I hope I was able to capture your friend's likeness as much as possible, and that this gesture helps you to heal. I would like to know your thoughts on it next month in Seoul. With the greatest respects, Kenneth Southgate.'"
"FYI, it's our Kenny, not yours." Ibuki clarified.
"I figured as much. My world's Ken wouldn't know a painting from a doodle. Ohhh, I've got a feeling I know what this is..."
Cindy took out the packing material. She put a hand over her mouth once she saw what it was.
Max and Ibuki both smiled. "Surprise." the former said.
"Oh...oh my gosh." Cindy, carefully, took an object out of the box. It was a life-sized, steel replica of a black bird, perched on a branch. On the base were the words 'Hugo - Hero'.
"Looks just like him, doesn't it?" Ibuki asked.
"We know how lonely and homesick you've been these last few weeks. Short of him being there with you, we thought this was the next best thing. Kenny's a master of his craft. We knew he'd do a good job." Max added.
"So what do you think?"
"Oh...my Huey..." Cindy took one of the packing papers and wiped away her tears. Gently setting the statue down, she got up and gave Ibuki a hug. "Thank you. Thank you for giving him back to me. I love him so much."
"You're so welcome, honey. We want you to be happy here. A face like yours shouldn't have a frown on it." Ibuki reciprocated.
Cindy went and sat next to Max. "Now it's your turn, Mister. This is way overdue." She kissed him on the cheek. "Thank you."
"You're welcome. It's the least we could do to preserve his memory. And thank him for keeping you here." Max replied.
"Now go get some rest and find a nice spot for him to perch." Ibuki said.
"I'm gonna. Thank you guys so much! I'm gonna treasure him forever." Cindy picked up the statue and the box. "Nightie night. See you tomorrow~."
"Night, beautiful. Enjoy." Ibuki waved as Cindy left. "I'm so glad she loved it."
"Same here. She's gonna sleep a lot better tonight." Max replied.
Ibuki let out a yawn.
"Speaking of sleeping..."
Ibuki sat down, putting her head on Max's shoulder.
"Thank you." he said.
"For what?"
"Saving me and every other Max."
"Well...if I'm being honest, there was...one Max we couldn't save."
"Yeah...I wanna know what happened there. What could've made him crazy enough to do something so horrible?"
"Something just as horrible. It's a really long story. I'll tell you all about it in the morning. Right now, I wanna just get some sleep. Next to my favorite Max, of course."
"And the luckiest one. I won't keep you from slumberland any longer. Night, Ibuki."
"Night, my one and only~."
The two fell asleep right there on the couch.
Next-door, Cindy placed the statue up on a shelf in her bedroom, overlooking her bed. "Welcome home, Huey~. You're as dashing as you always were."
She took out the family photo. "I hope...we can have more happy stories from here." She put it away in her drawer. Taking off her watch and shoes, she hopped onto her bed. "Tomorrow I'm gonna start cleaning this place up, Huey. Then it's onto me. Change up my wardrobe, find some jewelry, do my nails a color besides pink...it's gonna be a fresh start in everything."
She rested her head on her pillow. "Tomorrow I'm gonna start learning who Cynthia the woman is. And I can't wait. Good night, Huey. I hope you're watching me."
Content that the job was finally done, she drifted off to sleep. And she did so with a smile.