Persona BLEACHED 3: Chapter 1

Chapter 1: Farewell, Halcyon Days
---
For the second time in a decade, disaster had come to Naruki City. For the second time, a redhead and her friends had driven it away.
The Tokyo borough was home to numerous unique individuals. None moreso than 25-year old educator Ringo "Rin" Kubo. Having already turned back one potential apocalypse--caused by her own blood, no less--Rin and her friends had eased into a normal adult life. Jobs, weddings, children. Even with the spiritual power at their disposal, life had become peaceful.
Then Death's Hand arrived. The cult consisted of beings both of this world and from beyond. Proemial entities from the prior universe formed its leadership. Entities who held bitter resentment towards the one responsible for their world's destruction, as well as the one amongst their number who knew not of their plight: Rose, Rin Kubo's beloved.
The cult's human membership was rooted within the city's fabric. Public figures as well as people within Rin's circle laid in secret. Over time, others were brought into the conflict: Rin's eight students, each of whom began to awaken to the same spiritual power.
The human membership was exposed and thwarted. Their ancient leaders were wiped out. And when Kerberos, their lost member who had brought death and destruction to the ancient world, returned, the planet was once again brought to the brink of ruin. The students banded together, and brought the Mistress of Death the same fate as her former comrades.
The Devil herself was defeated. Peace could once again reign.
For a while.
---
August 4, 2029
"Oi, quiz boy! Heads up!"
Before he knew what hit him, Shōta Kagami was beaned across the face by a basketball, knocking him down and sending his book of sudoku puzzles flying.
The other inmates cackled. "What's wrong, ya dork? Thought you were supposed to be quick-minded?"
Kagami grumbled. He blew his messy brown hair away from his face, and rubbed his cheek where he'd just been hit. "I have better things to do than deal with a herd of ignoramuses."
"Using big words don't make you smart, Ten Questions. Can't be all that if you're locked in here like the rest of us."
Kagami picked up his book and slumped away. "Yeah that's right, you horny little freak, just crawl back in your hole!" one inmate called out.
A year had made a monumental difference for the one-time game show host. He'd been exposed as a serial harasser, his years of exchanging quiz answers for sexual favors laid bare for the world to see. What had landed him in Karakura Maximum Security Prison, however, was even more dire. He'd set a bomb inside the girls' dorm at crosstown Naruki Ascension Academy, injuring one girl and nearly killing another. He'd willingly confessed to as much.
What he couldn't remember at all, however, was why. Why he'd set the bomb, why he targeted these girls in particular, why he had so freely admitted to a crime he had no apparent connection to. Much of the past six years, in fact, was a hazy fog. The last thing he had any clarity on was being in his apartment, admiring the spoils of his latest heist. And then...
And then...what? Where along the line did he transition from a common crook, pilfering women's unmentionables, to having his own game show on cable television? Where on that same line did it become necessary to attack two high school girls? None of it made any sense to him.
With recreational time at its end, Kagami returned to his cell. He resided in it by himself, ever since his prior cellmate had attacked him in his sleep. As it turned out, this man's daughter was one of the former contestants Kagami had abused, and he let the disgraced host know exactly how he felt about it. Kagami ended up with a permanent reminder on his face, a curved scar on his left cheek, not too dissimilar to a question mark. He recognized and despised the irony.
It was one question after another for the self-proclaimed quiz master. But on this day, the questions would cease.
In front of his cell, the guard on duty slumped to the ground, unconscious. "The hell...?"
His cell door opened. Two figures in azure hoods entered. Behind them, a figure in a black hood entered. His eyes glowed yellow. "How the mighty have fallen, Sphinx. Your present predicament is rather pitiable."
"Who the hell are you freaks? And what did you just call me?" Kagami questioned.
"Ah. Right. The Mnesis Formula has ravaged your memory. Let us amend that." The figure in black held out his hand, and one of the other figures handed him an artifact.
"What kind of Indiana Jones BS is that?" Kagami asked.
"A fragment of the Vulcan Driver. The instrument that gifted you strength. And that shall do so again." The artifact began to exude a strange glow. As Kagami looked, a reflection of himself appeared before him. He reached out to him. As soon as he contacted it, his mind began to race. All the holes in his memory suddenly began to fill, all at once. He reeled back. He rose back up, his eyes briefly turning yellow.
"...what. The FUCK." Kagami growled.
"I believe that constitutes a success." the lead figure quipped.
"You. You're Argos. One of the Master's attendants. Where is he? And the rest--"
"Pittacus is dead."
Kagami stopped for a moment, processing what had just been said. "What do you mean dead? How the--"
"He reached his goal. The Kubo woman and her charges defeated him. Ismene and Haimon have also fallen. Of the Odysseans that made the journey, I am the only one who remains. Death's Hand has suffered a mortal blow."
"No shit...what about the others? The other humans like me? No way Creon would've--"
"Creon was spared death. He has returned to civilian life. From all indications, he is within the Kubo woman's circle. Tiresias, also. Her affection for the charges proved far too great. And for what it's worth, that Viper woman abandoned us at the first opportunity. All that is left are myself and a handful of human sleepers."
"Shit. Well that's just a pickled peach. So what now? We've gotta go get our payback, right?" Kagami shook his head. "Easier said than done, yeah? The Master and his immortal guard couldn't get it done, what chance do we got?"
"Exactly why we came for you. The Vulcan Driver is still operational. We can rebuild our forces. Starting with you and Polynices."
"Hold up...he's still kicking, too? I would've guessed he wouldn't be taken alive. Or undead, or whatever the fuck he is."
"Yes. In another section of the prison. His crimes far surpass yours in terms of their ferocity. Between murdering 24 yakuza members and being a former police officer, he's as much of a risk as any inmate being held here. So he is to remain isolated until his scheduled execution."
Kagami put on a wicked smirk. "Well why don't we go pay him a visit."
A short time later in the execution block of the prison, Kagami and the hooded figures appeared in front of a sealed door. Scattered around the block were a number of unconscious guards. "This the one?" Kagami pointed.
"This would be it. The solitary quarters of Officer Iruka Hirano. The shame of the Naruki Police Department." Argos replied. "Be forewarned. He is closer to beast than man at this point."
"Just what we need."
Argos swiped his hand, and the door began to open. Light began to pour into the enclosed space. "Get that fucking shit out of here! I'm already a dead man walking, think I care about making a few more corpses?!" the occupant griped, scooting into a shaded part of the cell while covering his face.
"Woof. That's what you look like without the mask, Poly? You look like fuckin' Gollum." Kagami quipped.
"Got some massive balls to be talkin' to me like that, dipshit. How'd you even get past the guards?" Hirano questioned. His face and head were devoid of hair, and his red eyes pierced through the shade he sat in. He possessed a lanky figure.
"Argos. Hand me the MacGuffin." 
"The Vulcan Driver." the Odyssean sternly replied.
Kagami took the artifact and held it out. Its aura exuded out, and the mirror process played out once more. Hirano reeled back. He crept back up. "Hrrrrrrn."
"How ya feelin'?"
"Fucking hungry." Hirano bared his teeth, more closely resembling fangs.
"You'll get your meal. C'mon. Shit's gone south big time." Kagami tossed him a hooded jacket.
"No shit, I'm sitting on death row. It just you?"
"Yeah. Everyone else either kicked it or they're playing nice with the redhead and her brats. But with this, we can go do something about it."
"Music to my ears. I'd love nothing more than to skin those little pricks alive."
"Before we do that..." Argos interrupted. "There is another I would like for us to meet with before we leave."
"What do you mean? I thought it was just us?" Kagami asked.
"I mentioned before that we need to bolster our numbers. There is one other in here who may be willing to join our cause. Come. To the women's block."
"Now you're speaking this pervert's language." Hirano sneered.
"Shut the fuck up, Edward Cullen." Kagami replied.
In the women's block, one inmate in particular stood in front of a mirror. She had her brown hair tied up in a bun, and looked somberly into the mirror. 
"To what do I owe this visit?" she asked, seeing Kagami, Argos and his two attendants in the mirror. She turned around, and was shocked to see Hirano standing with them. "And where did you come from?!"
"My mom's cu--" the former officer began before Kagami elbowed him.
"Gentlemen." Argos scolded. "May I introduce you to Dr. Hachime Sakaki. Former head doctor at Karakura General Hospital."
"Oooh, I know this broad. You've got yourself a ton of skeletons, doc. Lemme count the ways..." Hirano began. "Extortion, fraud, child abuse, theft...ooh, can't forget poisoning your dear old hubby." He got up close to Hachime.
"Away from me, you disgusting brute!" she shoved him away. "Ugh, you smell like death. And now I smell like death. Idiot."
"Let's get to the topic at hand." Argos insisted.
"How much did it cost you to get your eyes like that?" Hachime asked.
"I have little time for small talk, Doctor. I would imagine you haven't enjoyed your time behind bars."
"No, I can't say that I have. Robbed of my riches and status, having to trade my scrubs for this hideous jumpsuit. My complexion's been ruined, I haven't had a manicure in months...oh, and there's the tiny matter of my being undone by my four-year old daughter. I told Satoru I should've had that abortion." Hachime dictated.
"That why you gave him the widow's special, honey?" Kagami asked.
"Among other reasons. Financial, mainly. Him being rather terrible in bed certainly didn't help his case."
Hirano whistled. "The venom on this bitch."
"What if I were to tell you that your current plight is due to far more than simple oversight on your part?" Argos began. "What if I were to tell you that there is so much more to it?"
"What if I were to tell you to get to the point?" Hachime bit back.
"Does the name 'Ringo Kubo' ring any bells?"
Hachime's head dropped and she raised an eyebrow. "THAT witch? The one my eldest went running to? She's the reason I'm sitting in here for the rest of my days?"
Argos held up the artifact. "We have plenty to discuss. There are angles to this world beyond anything you can imagine. You want freedom and revenge? All you need do...is reach out and grab it."
Hachime thought for a moment. Then she nodded. The Driver began to glow.
Naruki had endured two disasters before. For a while, peace had reigned.
Those days of peace would soon be a memory. And for a third time, the blade of fate was drawn.
---
Moving day at Naruki Ascension Academy. With classes set to begin in two days' time, students from across Japan and abroad were filing back in to the dorms. These were the country's best and brightest, as well as elite talents from around the world.
In the girls' dorm, one of those elite talents sat on a couch. She wore glasses, had mid-length black hair with pink streaks, black fingernails, a black-and-white striped tank top and torn black jeans. Around her ears were a pair of black headphones, emblazoned with a stylized pink logo resembling a cat. The song playing on her phone was titled "Departure - Mega Man Zero 2".
She bore the look of a gamer. Games, as it so happened, were what got her into the Academy. She was pegged to be the next big thing in streaming in her native South Korea. She had exited that life for a while, craving privacy. That desire for privacy, coupled with the hefty bank account of her former idol father, brought her to Tokyo. The year before had been far more eventful than anyone would have predicted, for a variety of reasons.
Her name was Kit So-yin. Kitty to her friends. And she was entering Year Two at the Academy as the unquestioned face of her class of nine.
As she was deep into her playlist, the door opened.
"Uh-oh. The air just got cheery." She took off her headphones.
"Hello hello hellooooo~." The bespectacled girl who walked into the dormroom was a sea of light blue: jacket, shirt, long skirt, nails, boots and streaks in her long blonde hair, tied back into a ponytail. Dangling from her ears were a pair of silver earrings resembling feathers. 
"There's the beautiful face I've been missing!" Kitty jumped up and embraced the girl in a long hug.
"Hush, you could've just looked in a mirror if you needed that~." the girl replied with a southern accent.
"Barbie, please, it's been five seconds, don't make me blush already."
The humming girl was one Barbara O'Donnell. Formerly of Louisville, Kentucky, currently of Tulsa, Oklahoma. Songs were what had cleared her way to the Academy. The devoted theater girl was seen as a future Broadway star. The Academy's drama club thought itself lucky to have grabbed her. She entered her sophomore year as the club's star.
"Anywho, your bags still out there? Need help bringing 'em in?" Kitty asked.
"Please say yes. Please." A young man strongly resembling Barbara, with glasses, messy brown hair and a black shirt reading "Hello, my name is Star-Lord" entered the room carrying a large bag.
"There's Sparky! With a full head of hair, no less!" Kitty chimed.
"Please don't remind me. The less said about that...incident, the better." 
"Sparky" was one Max O'Donnell, Barbara's younger twin brother. Much like his sister, he was a performance artist. A master impressionist, he was pursuing a future in film. During the summer, the twins had moved with their mother to her old home in Tulsa, after her divorce from their abusive father had been finalized. 
"In here, right?" Max asked, pointing to one of the rooms.
"That's the one." Barbara affirmed. Max dropped the bag in the room.
"Kay, one down."
"Ahem." Kitty uttered. "Don't I get a 'hello'?"
Max sighed. "I was waiting for the snide remark." 
Kitty playfully swiped at him. "Ex-boyfriends aren't exempt from 'hello's, blockhead. Let me help ya with the beauty queen's things."
"I've got it, don't worry. I can handle a few bags."
"I'm sorry, weren't you all 'please let her help me' like a minute ago?"
"It was sarcasm."
"Wasn't very good, if we're being honest..."
While the two bantered, Barbara snuck away to check on Kitty's room. "(She won't mind if I help her out with organizing...oh.)" she thought. She had assumed that Kitty wouldn't have unpacked everything, but she was pleasantly surprised to see that everything had already been sorted out and packed away.
"Shocked, are we?" Kitty appeared behind Barbara.
"BAH!" Barbara exclaimed. "Ugh, don't scare me like that!" She shook her head. "Anyway...are you really already finished unpacking?"
"Yep. Finished right before you walked through the door. I didn't want to trouble you too bad with my junk. I know I'm a bit of a slob, so it might not be up to Barbie standards, so..."
"Oh, no, I'm...just surprised, is all. Last year it took you weeks to get your room 'organized'. If you can call it that. I've just never seen your room so put together before. Oh, that sounds so bad..."
"No no, I get it, I'm not the most organized. I'm trying to fix that. I mean, y'all want me to be the leader, might as well act like it. Trying to be a little more mature, I guess, is where I'm going with this..."
"Kitty, that's great! Don't act so embarrassed about it."
"Yeah, another thing...would you mind--"
"Okay, y'all can have fun sifting through this stuff. I ain't touching any of it." Max called out.
"Thanks, little bro~. You need help with your unpacking or no?" Barbara asked.
"Nah, I'll be good. 'Sides, the last thing I need is for my roomie to see a couple of pretty girls as soon as he walks in."
"Awww, you really think I'm pretty, Sparky?" Kitty teased.
"I'm leaving now. See you later, ladies." Max walked out.
"Alright, let's get to it. We have so, so, SO much to catch up on." Barbara pulled Kitty by the hand.
"Okay, but at least give me five seconds to--yoink!" Kitty began, before being promptly pulled away.
"So, have you heard anything from Sakuya?" Barbara asked while hanging her clothes.
"Well, last I heard she was getting people to look after her ma. Sounds like she's coming back, but she wasn't a hundred percent about it." Kitty replied.
"Can't even imagine how hard that has to be. Finds her mom after all these years and a couple weeks later she has to leave."
"It'd be hard enough if she hadn't found her ma passed out on the couch."
"That I CAN imagine."
"Oh...right. Sore spot. Sorry."
"Let's just...move on." 
"Righto." Kitty picked up a bag. "Um. Barbie. Is this...uh. You know." Kitty made a motion imitating smoking.
"It's sage, silly. It's for cleansing. I've been using it a lot since we moved. Another one of those things my mom was big on but the old drunk never let her do."
"You're really doubling down on that kind of thing, aren't you?"
"Totally. There's this whole other side to who I am that I'm only now starting to learn about. I know it's made my mom super happy to see. Speaking of...she's gonna be making the trip here in a couple of weeks for Family Weekend. I told her allll about you."
"Meep."
"Nothing bad, I promise! I didn't even mention you dating Max for a little while. That can just be our little secret."
"I'd appreciate that, thanks."
"How about you? Are your parents coming?"
"Yeah, yeah. I'm already dreading it."
"We finally get to see the *famous* Golden Wei, huh?"
"Please, the only golden anything my Pops deals in nowadays are chicken wings. But I'm in the same boat as you. Mama has been *dying* to meet you when I told her you were a theater girl. Music's the family business, after all. Just...start mentally preparing yourself now. Y'all are getting the special order of Mama, Pops and...never mind."
"Wait, 'and'? Who else is--Kitty. Who else is coming? Is it--"
"I'm not saying anything else. Y'all can see for yourselves." A message popped up on Kitty's phone. "Ep. The Hooded One has entered the building. Want to swing by when we're done here?"
"Oh, absolutely. Just need to prepare. I feel the mother of all hugs coming along."
---
Kitty knocked on the door as if she was playing bongo drums. "You know you could just...knock. A couple of times." Barbara uttered.
"Yeah. I know." Kitty plainly responded.
"...okay." Barbara shook her head.
The door opened. A girl slowly lurched out, draped in a yellow hoodie and covering her face. "Hey..." she uttered.
"Nat? What's wrong? Did something hap--" Barbara began.
The girl suddenly sprang to life. "SYKE!" she exclaimed. Underneath the yellow hoodie she wore a gray shirt with an image of a cartoony skull-and-crossbones wearing a big red bow. She had long blonde hair tied into pigtails, and wore a red heart-shaped gem around her neck. 
She embraced both girls in a tight hug. "Omigosh, I missed you guys SO MUCH! I've been so starved of hugs for almost three months!"
"Yeah I can tell...Hoodsie, you're going a little too hard here..." Kitty struggled to get out.
"Oops, sorry!" She released her hold. 
"Hoodsie" was Kitty's nickname for Natalia Van Damme, from Bruges, in Belgium. She is a talented seamstress and clothing designer, with a particular fondness for hoods. Much like the rest of the class, she had been sent abroad by her parents due to troubles at home, and suffered for the longest time from depression, image issues, and a hindering stutter. A year with her classmates had seen dramatic improvement in all of those areas.
"Well, this is definitely different from last year." Barbara said.
"I'll say! What are those?!" Kitty asked, pointing both index fingers at Natalia's pigtails.
"Um...my hair?" Natalia replied.
"No DUH. When did it get so long? It wasn't like this a few weeks ago on the web call..."
"It actually was, though. I had it tied up. I've been growing it out since last semester ended."
"Well I think it looks cute. Any stylist who gets their hands on this would have a field day..." Barbara began fiddling around with it.
"Hey, stop, that tickles..." Natalia griped as her hair brushed against her nose.
"You need any help unpacking? Methinks some of that sewing equipment might be on the hefty side." Kitty asked.
"I appreciate it, but I'm actually almost done." Natalia's eyes briefly flashed yellow. One of the empty suitcases in the dormroom began to float in midair. "It's a lot easier when you can just lift everything with your mind."
"Careful doing that out in the open, Nat. Anyone sees that, it'd open the floodgates." Barbara warned.
"Yeah, I know. Sorry."
"Anywho, got any clue when Her Majesty is gonna arrive?" Kitty asked.
"Her flight got held up, so she's gonna be a few more hours." Natalia replied. "Kehehe...that only means I have more time to build up strength for the Ultimate Super High School-Level Hug." She gained a mischievous look in her eye.
"S-speaking of building up strength..." Barbara began. "Why don't we go grab some lunch while we wait? I'm sure we're all famished after those long flights..."
"I mean, mine wasn't too bad considering I'm right across the water, but I can't say no to lunch." Kitty replied.
"I'm picking dessert!" Natalia exclaimed before trotting away.
"Hoodsie, wait up!" Kitty gave pursuit.
Barbara sighed. "I'll take this over having to drag her out in a duffel bag, I guess."
---
"...you guys gonna finish your ice cream?" Natalia asked, the three girls sitting at an outdoor table.
"We only just started eating, Nat." Barbara replied.
"I'm just being proactive." Natalia scarfed down her own ice cream.
"...you are still our Hoodsie, aren't you?" Kitty asked.
"Course I am! Who else would I be?"
"It's just really jarring, seeing you so bouncy and outgoing. Last year we had to drag you out of your room." Barbara replied.
"Having awesome friends like you guys helps a ton! And, ahehehehe..." Natalia sheepishly pulled out a bottle of pills. "The new antidepressants, which, are great. But that could just be the antidepressants talking..."
Kitty patted her on the back. "Long as we get Happy Hoodsie over Scaredy Cat Nat, it's fine by me."
"Hoohoohoooo, I'm in town for five seconds and I catch sight of three beauties~." a male voice called out.
Kitty shuddered. "Girls, is anyone else's stomach queasy?"
A dark-skinned young man suddenly appeared sitting atop the table, garbed in a black Arsenal F.C. jersey and with dreadlocks tied back. "Try not to be blinded by what's in front of you, ladies~."
"Kicks, I'm gonna give you five seconds to get off the table or so help me..." Kitty grumbled.
"Hey, hey, hey, there's absolutely no need for that! I'm getting down, okay?" the young man panicked.
"Bad flashbacks, huh?" Natalia asked.
The young man was Sahir Musa, a prospective association football player from Lagos, Nigeria. He was attending the Academy originally to rehab an ACL injury, while also trying to expand his horizons should his playing career not pan out. He possesses a reputation as an unapologetic flirt, though his infectious energy has earned him the captaincy of the football team entering Year Two.
"What's with this?" Kitty pointed to Sahir's dreadlocks. "Is everyone just growing their hair out this year? Is that just to show time passing?"
"I thought it was cool, okay?" Sahir replied.
"If Keebie walks up and he has a mullet..."
"EW! Can we not?" Barbara protested. "I don't need that swimming around in my head."
"Sure ya do. Think of the possibilities, Barbie. He'd be the perfect Hamlet!" Kitty made sure to pronounce the name in a way that resembled "mullet". Barbara began to shake her head, almost as if to get the thought out quicker.
"Hey, uh. So..." Sahir began. "Any of you hear anything from Sakuya?"
"Nope. Last I heard, she was sounding like she could be coming, but I haven't heard anything concrete." Kitty replied.
"Yeah, I wouldn't imagine it'd be easy leaving her ma alone. If she doesn't come by yet, I'd get it completely."
"Are you going to talk to her about the two of you or not?" Barbara asked.
"Barb, you know it's not that easy--"
"You like her, don't you?"
"Well, yeah."
"It's super easy for you to come onto every girl that enters your line of sight. What's different about this?"
"You know exactly what. If my old man ever found out about Sakuya's secret, he'd be..." Sahir shuddered. "Things are just different where I'm from. If I'm here or in England it's one thing. I just don't want to put her in danger."
"You gotta figure something out, dude. Maggie's gonna come back eventually. Sooner or later you have to choose. Be your own man and do what you want, or let your parents tell you how to live. You can't be indecisive forever." Kitty lectured. Sahir stayed silent. "...any thoughts?"
"Sorry, I was just waiting for the sarcastic wisecrack."
"Dummy. I can be serious when I want to be. That's my resolution for this year. Trying to be more mature. I'd take that cue if I were you."
"Guess you're right. I'll have to figure something out..." An alert went off on his phone. "...after practice."
"Wait, already? But you just got here." Natalia questioned.
"Yeah, but the season starts in about two weeks. Today's just a run-through, but it wouldn't look good for the new team captain to be late for the first meeting, would it? See ya round, ladies. Hopefully next time...for a while longer."
Kitty playfully swiped at him as he cheekily ran off. "Goof. Well, ladies, where to now? Wanna just head back and wait for Care Bear? Or maybe...look for a mullet?"
"He doesn't have a mullet, stoooop iiiiiit." Barbara groaned.
---
"Any more updates from Her Majesty?" Kitty asked, sitting on Natalia's couch with Barbara lying with her legs on top of her.
"She's being held up. There was a storm and she had to take a connected flight. She's gonna see if the Professor or one of her friends can pick her up later tonight." Natalia replied.
"Well, that's a bummer. But if anyone's equipped to handle bad situations, it's our Carrie." Barbara said.
"True that. I mean if she wants to take a little bit longer, I'd be fine just staying like this." Kitty added. Barbara sighed, and Kitty put on a cheeky smile.
There was a knock at the door. "Did that second flight have light speed tech?" Kitty asked.
Natalia opened the door. "Hello there, Natalia. I see you've done work on your hair. Is anyone else around, by chance?" asked a young man with a Merseyside accent.
Natalia looked confused. "Wait, who are...huh?!"
"Who is it, Nat?" Barbara asked.
"I suppose this would be a bit jarring. Good day, Barbara. And...Katherine."
"Wait a minute..." Kitty began.
The young man wore a red collared shirt and dark pants. He possessed pitch black hair, spiked and slicked backwards. His hair had been red once, which was why the girls were so confused.
"Kenny?!" Kitty exclaimed.
"Were you perhaps expecting David Beckham? Sorry to disappoint."
The young man was Kenneth Southgate, from Liverpool, in England. He had gotten in due in part to his excellent swordsmanship, though this was a skill forced upon him by his intensely restrictive parents. His true passions lied in sculpting, and a year away from home, coupled with moving in with his far less strict aunt, had done much to defrost his initially cold exterior.
"Kenji..." Barbara began.
"Please. Kenneth is perfectly fine. I've taken it upon myself to move on from older habits as much as possible. Hence what you see here." he pointed to his hair.
"Dude." Kitty got up and walked up to Kenneth.
"And here comes the sass..." he groaned.
Kitty instead wrapped an arm around his shoulder. "Check it! We're like twinsies now!" she excitedly said, holding up a strand of her hair.
"Not in the slightest what I was expecting." 
"Kenny, come on, I'm not gonna rag on ya for being better."
"I'm still going to be calling you Katherine."
"And I still love you anyway."
"So is this everyone here at the moment?"
"Well, we saw Sahir earlier heading to soc--" Barbara began. "Er, football practice. Maxie's in his room, I think. Carrie's flight was delayed and she won't get here until later tonight. Sakuya, we still have no clue."
"That just leaves Keebie. And since he lives around here, he can afford to procrastinate." Kitty added.
"Hrm, pity, then. I was hoping for a group gathering for tea, but if we're short a few bodies..." Kenneth said.
"Well we can still chat for a while. We're just sitting around waiting for Care to come in." Natalia suggested.
"I know you like sitting alone toiling at your projects, but it's been a few months, Kenny. I wanna hear how things are at home for ya. Pretty please?" Kitty asked.
"Alright, then. Suppose being a little more sociable won't kill me...knock on wood."
---
Narita International Airport. Late night. The last flight in has just arrived, from France. Given the last minute nature of the flight, only one passenger departed from the plane. It was a young girl, with indigo-colored hair and nails, and wearing a same-colored coat, beret, and earrings.
Her name was Caroline Blackthorne, from Monte Carlo in the tiny nation of Monaco. Her primary talents were in jewelry design and computer programming, talents passed to her by her deceased environmentalist parents. This tragedy, coupled with an incident where she was nearly killed by a Death's Hand explosive, were scarring, both emotionally and physically. Yet her fortitude is unmatched within her class, as strong as the gemstones she specializes in.
She sent a text. "Just arrived. I'll be by the luggage pickup. All went well."
She received a response shortly after. 
"Good to hear. We'll be there in 10. - 🍎"
She began to make her way to the baggage claim. There were a small number of people still in the airport, either employees or passengers whose flights were delayed to the morning. All was quiet.
For a moment.
The few people around who weren't asleep suddenly collapsed to the ground. All save for Carrie. "What...? What just..."
Shadows began to move. They began to take shape.
Figures in azure hooded jackets emerged from the shadows. Strewn across the backs of the jackets were images of white hands.
Carrie couldn't believe her eyes. "This can't...you people shouldn't be here. How..."
Something landed behind her with a thud. Another hooded figure, in black, lacking hair and baring fangs, rose to his feet.
"Welcome back, bitch. Hope you don't mind a little police escort." Hirano growled.
"Why...you should be in jail...you shouldn't even remember who I am..." Carrie uttered.
"Frankly, sweets, that should say more about this town's security peeps than anything else. I should know. As for the memory shit..." Hirano put a finger over his mouth and let out a "shhhh".
Carrie quickly overcame her disbelief. She wordlessly took an amethyst ring off of her finger and pocketed it.
"What's the matter, toots? Worried about the mean old officer stealing your fancy jewels? Shit. That's the least I'm gonna do to ya." Hirano growled.
"Not in the slightest. I'd rather not soil my possessions with your foul stench. Nothing more than that." Carrie retorted.
"Grrr..." Hirano snapped his fingers. "Fuck her up, boys!"
Two of the hooded men leapt at Carrie from behind.
"(Two. From behind.)" a voice echoed in her head.
She quickly grabbed both out of the air, slamming them face-first into the ground.
A third attempted the same tactic. Carrie grabbed him in a chokehold. "Sleep." she whispered, before promptly bashing him on the head, knocking him out. "I'm not sure if you're aware of this, but the one you called Haimon faced me in hand-to-hand combat not long ago. The Master's most skilled hunter, as I recall. He isn't here. I still am. That should tell you what a critical mistake you've made."
"Don't sound so sure about that, toots, I've still got an ace up my sleeve." Hirano began to exude a great deal of shadow energy.
Another voice echoed in Carrie's ear. But not the usual one.
"Carrie-san. Please get down."
Though caught off-guard, Carrie did so. At that moment, what appeared to be a crimson-colored wodao sword came flying over her head, before striking Hirano in his left shoulder. The shock of the hit caused the shadow energy to disperse.
"YAAAAAAR! THE FUCK?! WHERE'D THIS SHIT COME FROM?!" he yelled.
"I know it isn't your character to run away, but I insist on making an exception this once." a light girl's voice said, its owner grabbing Carrie by the hand and running away from the raging Hirano.
"Grr! That little...oi, dipshits! Don't just stand there digging in your asses! Get the brats!" Hirano yanked the sword out.
The girls ran to the main lobby. "Okay. I don't hear them approaching now. Let's take a minute to breathe." The light-voiced girl wore a pink jacket and shoes, a red-purple tank top with images of magnolias, and had her dark hair tied back by a pink bow.
This was Sakuya Tsumomo, originally from Naruki. A part-time maid and member of the drama club with Barbara, she was secretly a Death's Hand sleeper. Friendship with the class led to a change of heart, and she had transferred to their class starting this semester. She had thought herself an orphan, until dutiful work from Carrie led to her finding her mother halfway across the world in Scotland.
"Are you alright, Carrie-san? None of those expensive wares dirtied by those brutes, I hope."
"None whatsoever, love. But what are you doing here?" Carrie asked.
"My flight came in a short time ago. I was about to leave when I saw people around starting to faint. I'd hoped it wasn't what I was thinking, but sadly, it's exactly what I was thinking. I hope you don't mind me intervening."
"I appreciate the helping hand, but I was handling it rather well, I would think."
"I told you before. No maid should ever allow a Lady to get their hands dirty if they can help it. No matter what kind of training said Lady has had."
"Your devotion is admirable, but either way, we'll need to fend them off together. At least until--"
"Hey, hey, heeeeeeeey." Hirano suddenly appeared, flanked by three more hooded men. "Thought I recognized your little sword trick. So that's what you look like without the get-up, 'Tiresias'. Gotta say, though...first glance, I wouldn't guess that you've got a--"
"Shut your mouth, you blight upon mankind. The fact that I was even remotely associated with the likes of you is a source of profound shame." Sakuya retorted.
"Sakuya. Just follow my lead." Carrie whispered.
"Right. Single-minded brutes like him are no problem. On my mark--"
The lights flickered. At that moment, an overwhelming sense of pressure overcame the Death's Hand acolytes. "The hell...why is it so damn hot?" Hirano uttered. He turned and looked up.
Someone was watching from the second floor. Hirano's eyes nearly bulged from their sockets upon realizing who it was.
"THIS bitch?! Shit! Take her out!" he ordered. The hooded figures all generated energy in their hands, firing it at the mysterious individual, who flipped over the railing and dodged the attack, landing on her feet.
The woman stepped into the light. Garbed in a red jacket with a stylized image of an apple on the back, red glasses, scarf and shoes, her hair was mid-length, and the same distinctive shade of crimson as her wardrobe.
Hirano's fearful reaction was to be expected. The woman responsible for personally defeating the Master, among others, was staring him down.
This was the city's protector. This was Professor Ringo Kubo.
"You've gotta be shitting me." the undead officer muttered.
His focus was such that he didn't register the 'poof' of someone else teleporting. Or the subsequent kick to the face that sent him flying.
The man who did it was garbed in a black-and-blue hooded jacket, with an unshaven face and black hair. From beneath his sleeve, he unfurled a chain with a bladed edge, striking two of the Death's Hand members. 
The third member brought forth a lance, but was quickly struck down from behind. Behind him was a woman, with short brown hair with a braided strand on each side, and a green jacket with the word "VALKYRIE" in big letters on the back. She held a shimmering sword.
"You're welcome~." she said cheerfully.
"I was gonna say thank you." he replied in a deep voice.
The pair were Tenko Kitsunezaru, fitness instructor and former gold medalist fencer, and her husband Jin Mirai, game store owner. The two were Rin's neighbors and closest friends, having known each other since their own Academy days.
Hirano started to get up, but was met with an ornate lance pointed close to his face. "Not another move." Rin ordered. "You know my power comes from the sun. And last I checked, your kind doesn't much like the sun. I have several questions, so I would suggest you start talking."
"Heh." Hirano scoffed. "Lady...I ain't spilling shit." He brought out a small device from beneath his sleeve, with a large red button. 
"Rin-Rin, get back!" Tenko yelled out.
Hirano pressed the button, and a chasm of blue flames erupted out. At the exact moment, a shield of light covered the group. The flames quickly died out. There was no trace of Hirano to be found. The unconscious Death's Hand members had also vanished.
"Crazy bastard. You alright?" Jin asked.
"Right as rain. That little stunt was more style than substance." Tenko replied.
"Are you girls alright?" Rin asked.
"Not so much as a scratch. Thank you, Professor." Sakuya replied.
"This was certainly more excitement than I thought I'd be dealing with my first day back." Carrie added. 
"I thought we were done with these creeps, man." Jin groaned.
"How the hell did he even get out of death row? He shouldn't even have powers or remember who we are, right?" Tenko asked.
"I wonder." Rin mused. "I'll ask Jugo later if he knows what happened. Hopefully this was just an isolated incident. Let's go get your luggage, girls. And...keep what just happened between us. If this was a one-time thing, I don't want the others to panic."
Everyone began walking towards baggage claim. "Hm? Hey, where did Jin go?" Tenko looked around to find Jin standing in front of a vending machine. "Seriously? You have an open bag of Hi-Chews in the van!"
"I'm getting a snack for Rina." Jin replied.
"Rina is seven months old and probably long asleep. You can't fool me when it comes to candy, dude."
"It's emergency rations."
As her friends bickered, a thought came through Rin's head. "(Please, for once, let it not be a bad omen.)"
---
"Hirano has failed." Argos said. "I warned you about letting him quench his murderous urges."
Kagami sat on his bed in his cell. "Guy can't help himself. He hasn't 'eaten' in close to half a year. Who could've guessed the redhead was on her way there? So where'd the bum run off to, anyhow?"
"Presumably somewhere shaded to regenerate. This has backfired spectacularly. Now the false goddess and her comrades will surely be on alert."
"On alert for nothing. Long as me and Queen Bee stay put in here, they'll think this was a one-off thing. All we gotta do is play dumb. We're playing the long game."
"I pray you are correct. Our numbers are still low enough to where we cannot afford more setbacks like this. Once I get hold of Hirano, I'm putting him in a cage until he learns self-control. I don't want to make another visit like this again." Argos vanished.
"And he's gone. Sheesh. 'Put him in a cage until he learns self-control.' You sound like his mom." Kagami groaned.