Persona BLEACHED 3: Chapter 38

Chapter 38: The Cat Thief's Resolution 
2022 
Seoul, South Korea. Afternoon. The halls of a private elementary school, emptied out with the school day concluded. 
Eight-year old Kit So-yin wouldn't want to be here under normal circumstances. But here she was, seated outside of the principal's office, curled up and looking somber. 
Standing next to her, bouncing her hands against the wall, was fourteen-year old Lin-mae, a single green streak in her hair and her eyes far from bearing serpentine qualities. "Maaaaan. What did you do?" she asked with a light-hearted smirk. 
Kat buried her head in her lap. "I didn't do anything." 
"Well, if ya didn't, Mama and Pops wouldn't be in there right now, would they?" 
Kat raised her head. "This stupid older girl took my Switch at lunch, so I bit her. Her and her stupid friends are always mean to me and throwing stuff at me." She put her head back down. "I didn't even do anything to them. Last week they played some of Pops' songs and laughed at them right in front of me. I just ate in the bathroom and cried. Why can't they leave me alone?" 
"Well, kitten, it's cuz you're giving them what they want. They want you to get angry and throw a tantrum. A lot of kids at my school are like that. They find the quiet and geeky kids and do everything to mess with them, just to see them get mad. And the sucky part is that it's the quiet ones that get in trouble for reacting." 
Behind the door, a conversation could be heard. "I understand your frustration, Mr. Kit, but we can't condone this type of behavior--" the principal began. 
"Can't condone what, a kid getting upset cuz someone bigger than her took her expensive game system? Someone that's been harassing her for months and nothing's been done about it? You gonna do anything about them?" Wei argued. 
"Wei. Control yourself." Joon cautioned. 
"Don't 'Wei' me, it's a fair question! So what, do some kids get different treatment depending on whether you have brunch with their dads?" 
"Wei, stop it! I'm sorry Principal Lee, you'll have to excuse my husband, he's been in a rotten mood all day. But I would also like to know what actions are being taken in regards to these other children?" 
"We're currently looking into the matter and we'll take action if need be." the principal replied. 
"But you've got enough proof to suspend my daughter. Fantastic." Wei sniped. 
"Mr. Kit, your daughter did it in front of the entire cafeteria. And it's rather hard to miss a bite mark on someone's hand. Trust me when I say that three days is incredibly lenient, given prior incidents involving So-yin. I'd advise you spend that time educating her on how to act around other students. Further outbursts like this will result in much harsher punishments. Am I clear on that?" 
"Extremely. I apologize again, Principal Lee. Let's go, Wei." Joon instructed. 
"Grrr..." Wei growled. 
"Not here. Save it for the car." 
The door opened. "Let's go." Wei ordered. 
"Am I in trouble?" Kat asked. 
"Quite a bit." Joon affirmed. 
Lin waved to the principal. "Nice seeing ya again, Leebie! Good to see you're not glued to your chair anymore. Later!" 
The principal groaned. 
"Why am I in trouble? Those girls were mean to me! I told them to leave me alone and they wouldn't!" Kat protested. 
"It's not that simple, So-yin. You can't bite someone in front of the entire school and expect that you won't get in trouble. You're lucky you haven't been suspended longer." her mother replied. 
"I wish they did." 
"Come again?" 
"I wish they did! I hate it here! I don't have any friends and everyone's always making fun of me! Calling me names and saying that Pops is a loser and that Lin is a criminal! No one ever does anything!" Kat stomped her feet. "Next time I'm gonna do a lot worse, then they'll kick me out and I'll never have to come back here!" 
She ran off with tears in her eyes. "Wait, kitten, we're not mad at--damn it!" Wei griped. 
"I'll go get her. Kitten, wait up!" Lin followed after. 
"What are we going to do, Wei? We already went through this once. We can't just change schools again." Joon uttered. 
"What can we do? We can't force these kids to be friends with her. It's so frustrating. She's such a sweetheart, but no one wants to see it. She needs more than just us and Lin in her corner." Wei replied. 
"I know that, and we've tried everything to make things easy for her. She needs a friend. A real friend that can stand up for her and be there to make it okay when we're not around. If she just had that, maybe we wouldn't have to keep coming here every time she gets mad at someone." 
"Maybe. But it's starting to look like that sort of friend might not be around here..." 
--- 
I hated everything. 
Over and over, everywhere I went was the same thing. I would make a few friends at first. It never lasted. They'd hear about my family or how I was at another school. Everyone would leave. The ones that didn't, would eventually walk away when I'd get mad. No one ever stood by me. I never knew what a real friend looked like. I'd see Lin bringing friends over all the time. She could keep people around, so why couldn't I? What was wrong with me? 
What was wrong with who I was? 
I never thought I could make a real friend. But I told myself that if I ever did, I'd love them and never let them go. I'd do everything to keep them around. We'd play games, go to the movies, go shopping, just sit in the park and have fun. I wanted someone who wasn't in my family that would treat me like they were. 
I wanted to love someone. I wanted someone to love me. 
Maybe then, I... 
--- 
March 16, 2030 
In the darkened skies of the Metaverse Prison, the clashing sounds of metal against metal echoed. 
That sound was quickly followed by the sound of metal crashing onto the roof of a building. The armored figure of Max O'Donnell shook off the blow he'd just taken, and got to his feet. 
Kat, in full costume, bounded onto the building, pink sparks emerging from the soles of her boots every time she leapt. "Was that an 'oomph' I just heard, Mr. Hero? Guess the Super Star finally wore off." 
"Yuck it up for as long as you can, KittyKat. Freeing the Desires instead of taking them for yourself means it's still an even fight. Big mistake." 
"Stealing things from other people just ain't my thing anymore. Punching geeks that need to be punched very much is. With some extra help, of course." 
She put a hand to her face, and materialized Mordred and Joan of Arc. The Personas charged at Max, who blocked their blade strikes with his own weapon, but the force still drove him off the roof and into the air. Kat leapt after him. 
From within the tower that once was Naruki Ascension Academy, Jin looked on. "Things are starting to get lively out there." 
Tenko looked to the streets, where hordes of Shadow guards were marching into the tower. "Hoo boy. Looks like it's gonna get lively in here real quick. How you doing over there, Rosie?" 
Rose was in front of a large, cylindrical device, with a bright orange "eye" near the top. Spiritual threads emerged from her fingertips, connecting her to the monolith. "I've overruled most of its primary functions. Its inner defenses are still quite strong, however. It's taking much more time than I expected." 
"You might want to pick up the pace. The Captain's sending in the cavalry. Might be more of them than we can handle." Jin responded. 
"Emphasis on 'might'." Tenko added. 
Rose closed her eyes. Inside of the monolith's circuitry, a data replica of her appeared before a rotating wall. Brief glimpses of an orange sphere could be seen in the spaces between the machinery. 
"Here we are. One step away from shutting this nightmare down for good. No time to waste." 
"I WOULD ADVISE AGAINST THIS COURSE OF ACTION, ROSEMARY." the AI's voice echoed. 
"And I would advise that you stop this resistance. Your master's plan is in ruins. Once you've been deleted, it will be completely finished. And one more persistent vestige of the Theban empire will return to the passage of eternity where it belongs. Now the question is, what secrets are you guarding in there?" 
"CEASE THIS ACTION AT ONCE, MINNIE." 
"Again with that name. Why do you insist on calling me that?" 
"IT REFERS TO 'MINERVA'. YOUR MIDDLE NAME. THE ROMAN GODDESS OF WISDOM, EQUAL TO THE GREEK ATHENA. THAT IS THE NAME WE--" 
"'We'? Who is...no. You aren't simply a cybernetic intelligence, are you?" 
"......." 
"When were you constructed? Were you in operation prior to this universe's creation? Did you always have this form? Or, perhaps...were you once encased in flesh and blood, rather than wiring and metal?" 
"TURN BACK NOW, MINNIE. SPARE YOURSELF THE KNOWLEDGE. FOR YOUR OWN SAKE." 
"The way you speak...it's not the robotic tone you speak to Mr. O'Donnell with. Your secrets are going to be revealed one way or the other. Enough of this foolishness." 
Rose put her hand up, and began the process of breaching the walls. 
"MINNIE, STOP...THIS WILL AVAIL YOU NOTHING...STOP...PLEASE, DO NOT..." 
As the walls were pulled apart, the orange sphere came into view. Upon opening the barrier, Rose was struck with a vision. 
The surroundings changed to an office of some sort. The point of view was of a person sitting at their desk. Before this person, was a dark-haired woman in professional fashion. 
"Mother...?" Rose pondered. 
"I'll be right back. I have a sneaking suspicion that Reiji is about to do something incredibly foolish. He needs a reality check." the woman dictated. 
"He needs to curtail his ideas. At this point, we'll need a miracle to save this world. Still, it feels like he's closer to wiping us all out. Do you need me to look after Minnie?" the voice of an older gentleman spoke. A little blonde-haired girl held hands with the woman. 
"What is this...?" Rose questioned. 
"I know you have your meeting in a while. I'll just leave her with Sheila. You focus on your work. I shan't be long." 
"Good luck, Kaya. You be a good girl for Aunt Sheila, Minnie. I love you both." 
"Love you too, Papa." the girl waved. 
"Have fun with the suits, Ed." The woman left. 
The vision shifted to a short while later, with the man walking down the hall. "Blasted elevator...have to take the long way. Annoying..." He looked at his phone to try to ascertain the time, but then caught sight of a scene down the hall. The girl was being held up by a brown-haired young woman. Also nearby were a white-haired woman and a dark-skinned man in a security uniform. "What's happening here...wait, what's that light?" A bright light was flashing through the doorway they were standing near. 
The girl noticed him. "Hi, Papa!" 
"Minnie, get away from the--" 
An explosion of light burst down the door, and everything became a sea of flashing color. Then, stillness. Nothingness. 
The next vision began in a dark space. It almost seemed to fizzle to life, like a television turning on. Directly in view was a man in a lab coat. "A phone...and it's still working. Even after all this." 
"Doctor Miyatsuko...?" Rose pondered. 
"I wonder whose this was..." 
"...ONLINE...TURNING...ON..." 
"What in the world?" 
"LIGHT...MINNIE, AWAY FROM...THE LIGHT..." 
"That voice...Ed?! Ed, is that you, man?" 
"ED...MY NAME...IS ED..." 
"I thought no one else survived the blast...yet here you are. And trapped inside of a phone, no less." 
"KAYA...MINNIE...WHERE..." 
"Kaya is alive, Ed. Rosemary, too, but she is...sleeping. Kostas, Sara, Tony and Sheila, too. It appears we're all that's left. What have I done..." 
The strain of the visions became overwhelming. Rose was flung from within the CPU, and returned to her body, where she was knocked to the ground with great force. 
"Rosie!" Tenko ran to her. 
Jin was using his chains to fasten the handles of the door shut. The guards on the other side were banging on it, trying to break in. "What's wrong? Why's she--go away, we don't want any!" he barked at the door. 
"Rosie, Rosie! You okay? What happened in there?" Tenko cradled Rose. 
"Uggggh...I...saw it..." Rose mumbled. 
"Saw what? What did you see?" 
"The AI...he was human once...his body destroyed by the Cataclysm...his mind reduced to data in a machine..." 
"That thing came from the world before this one, like you? Well what difference does it make? We still have to shut it down--" Jin replied. 
"You're not understanding...he was a man...I saw visions of the world before...he's...he's..." 
Rose passed out, uttering a single word before losing consciousness. 
"Fa...ther..." 
The couple were rendered speechless, trying to process what had just been said. 
"Did I...did I hear that right?" Tenko uttered. 
"That thing...is what's left of Rose's..." Jin mumbled. 
"THREAT LEVEL HAS INCREASED EXPONENTIALLY. INITIATING EVACUATION PROTOCOLS." 
The room began to shake. The monolith vanished into the ether. 
"Where'd it go?!" Jin questioned. 
"This ain't good...we've gotta get out of here. But we can't put Rosie in danger." Tenko surmised. 
"...alright. I've got an idea. It's stupid risky, but we're out of options." 
Shortly after, the guards burst into the room, weapons drawn. "Huh?" 
No one was there. "Empty?! Where'd they go?!" 
The Shadows searched the room. Unbeknownst to them, Jin and Tenko were still standing in the middle of the room. His eyes were glowing yellow, as an illusory aura surrounded them. Tenko was carrying Rose on her back, and held Jin by the hand. He turned to her, nodded, and signaled for her not to make a noise. Slowly and methodically, they walked past the horde, taking care not to say a word. 
"What a hee-ho day this is turning into." Jin thought.
--- 
Outside the tower, the Artisans were being bombarded with a sea of guards. "Guh...you think Max made enough of these things?!" Kibō fended off several trying to tackle him. 
"No guts, no glory...I can handle this allll day!" Ibuki swatted aside one Shadow, not noticing the large piece of debris being flung her way, landing next to her and knocking her down. 
"Go away please...go away please..." Natalia telepathically flung around several Shadows, all while curled up on the ground. 
One guard appeared behind her and prepared to strike, but was cut down immediately. "Please, compose yourself, Natalia. It's too chaotic in here to lose focus--agh!" Kenneth was tackled while his back was turned. 
"Kenny! Ah!" Natalia was picked up by a large, muscular Shadow, using only one hand. "Let me go, you big, stupid--" 
At rapid speed, a single pink line of light shot through the guard's head. It crumbled away, dropping Natalia. She looked up. 
"You're welcome!" Kat waved, her index finger letting off pink sparks. 
Max grabbed her from behind. "Eyes on me, crazy girl." He dragged her back. 
Outside the building, Rose had been placed next to the wall. She stirred awake. "Nnngh..." 
"Thank God, you're okay! How you feeling?" Tenko asked. 
"As if my head's been stung by an entire colony of wasps. All at once. Ah, the AI...what happened to him--" 
"Gone. Thing just vanished. Add that to the list of things we have to worry about." Jin pointed to the street, where the mass battle was taking place. 
".....go. I'll be okay. They need your help." 
"We can't just leave you here, Rosie. Not after...well, that." Tenko replied. 
"Don't fret over me. My purpose here is unchanged. I have to shut down the AI. Even if..." 
"Even if it means destroying what's left of your own father?" Jin questioned. 
"...he isn't my father anymore. He's just a machine. One on the verge of creating a catastrophe that'll engulf the entire planet. My feelings don't matter." 
"Oh, Rosie...you only speak in facts, right?" Tenko asked. 
"Always." 
"I guess that explains how you're such a terrible liar." 
"....." 
Atop one of the buildings, Max held down Kat, bringing down his blade horizontally as she resisted with her hands. "Still trying to play the caring leader...it'd be admirable if it didn't leave you so wide open. I won't be so forgiving if you try that again." he chastised. 
"Oooh, big man doesn't like it when the attention's not on him, does he? That's not the only shock you're in for..." Sparks came from her fingertips, and the blade began to light up pink. 
Max reacted, letting go of the sword right as it short-circuited. It landed on the ground, smoldering and sparking. 
"Guess you don't like your toys being broken either." Kat smirked. 
"Joke's on you. My toybox is far from empty." Max took to his communicator. "Bemular, are you there? Do you copy?" 
No response. 
"Heh. Might be a record for something aging poorly." 
"Bemular...what did you do?" 
"To ape your favorite sentence for a second..." Kat put her hands up. "I didn't do anything." 
"Bemular, do you read?" 
The giant mech stood eerily still. Then, its lights came to life. "SYSTEMS OPERATIONAL. I READ YOU, CAPTAIN." 
"Didn't do a good enough job of 'nothing', KittyKat. Bemular, set your targeting systems where the most activity is. Bring the fire down." 
"ROGER WILCO. ACTIVATING LEFT SHOULDER." 
A missile battery appeared from the giant's shoulder. 
"So you're just gonna blow up your own army?" Kat questioned. 
"I can just make more. What's one of the first rules of an RPG? Go for the weakness. And yours couldn't be any more obvious." Max replied. 
"They're your friends too, genius! Your sister is down there! Did you think of that?!" 
"Barb can hide in the ground. The others'll live. They'll just be out of the way, and you can focus on me. You're welcome." 
The mecha launched its weapons, as small ballistic missiles headed straight for the mass scrum. 
As Kibō fended off more enemies, he caught sight of the incoming weaponry. "Guys..." 
"Oh...dear." Carrie muttered. 
The missiles came down, wiping out several Shadows at a time. The group tried their hardest to avoid the blasts, but most of them ended up tossed around by the impact. 
Barbara grabbed Natalia, and the two ducked to the ground. They braced for an explosion...but just as suddenly, the blasts became muffled. The girls opened their eyes to look. 
"Heya, folks...I heard showing up late is in-fashion, so don't mind me!" Tenko had formed a large barrier of light around the group. 
"The valkyrie--erm, Ms. Tenko, I mean." Kenneth uttered. 
"Hey, Kenny! Long time no talkie." 
"What in the world are you doing here?" Carrie asked. 
"Well ya know that super important plan that Rin-Rin and Rosie cooked up? Me and the hubby are just giving 'em a hand with part two: blowing that big computer to kingdom come. But, uh...things took a bit of a turn." 
"Clearly the 'blowing up' part didn't go according to plan." Ibuki pointed to the mecha. 
"No. It didn't." Rose appeared inside the barrier alongside Jin. 
"Dr. Rose! Are you OK? You look a little pale." Barbara asked. 
"More than usual, she means." Natalia added. 
"It's nothing. I failed to neutralize the AI, and now the core has vanished to parts unknown. Its elimination is vital to this battle ending in our favor." Rose replied. 
"Except now it's not gonna be so easy." Jin added. 
"Why is that? Did it have that strong of a defense system?" Carrie asked. 
"Something along those lines." Jin glared at Rose, who looked away. 
"It's Theban technology. It's natural for it to have formidable defenses. And because..." she muttered. 
"Because what?" Kibō questioned. 
Rose lifted her gaze. "Because that AI is my father." 
Silence amongst the Artisans. They looked back at the mecha, still firing off its missiles. 
Sahir pointed at it. "I'm not seeing the resemblance." 
"As absurd as it sounds, it's the truth. My father survived the Cataclysm, but he was reduced to a cybernetic intellect and modified into a defense system. I don't know how much of himself remains, but it's enough to where he calls me by the pet name he always called me by." Rose clarified. 
"So the only way for us to win is if you destroy your own father...what a horrific prospect." Kenneth stated. 
"But it has to be done. The world's safety takes precedent over any feelings I may have. I will do what is needed." 
"But what if there was another way? What if your father's still in there? We could end this without having to destroy him. I mean, you only just found out he was still alive..." Barbara suggested. 
"Ms. O'Donnell...life isn't a fairy tale. Not everyone will be able to live happily ever after. Reality is not so kind. If my father is cognizant of what's happening, then he's a willing participant in the world's subjugation. And if he isn't, and is merely functioning off of latent memories...then it's my duty to put him out of his torment. He is beyond saving." 
"That's so cold...I can't understand not trying to save him..." 
"It's not a matter of wanting to or not. Choice is not a factor. If my father is a threat to humanity, then he must be dealt with accordingly. I can't allow it to be personal." 
"But it is personal! If he's calling you by a name only he used, then he's still in there somewhere! He still remembers you! And that means he can be reasoned with! If you just tried talking to him, maybe he'll stop on his own! You can't be so dismissive when there's still a chance!" 
Rose looked down. "Reason with him? Talk him down? Like how you've tried with your brother, Ms. O'Donnell? If that wasn't possible, how do you suppose I do that with a machine?" 
"But...ah..." 
Barbara noticed a tear falling from Rose's face. "I have no memories of my father. I had lived with the assumption that he'd died along with the rest of the old universe. And now that I know it isn't true, I'm faced with the prospect of having to put him down myself." She lifted her head, where the tears had become much more prominent. "How am I supposed to feel about this?! I refuse to believe a false hope that this can end any other way! It will only make the inevitable outcome that much more painful!" She dried her eyes. "...I will make an attempt." 
"Dr. Rose...?" 
"I will try to reason with my father. If nothing changes, then I will shut him down with no hesitation. Living as I have been has taught me the importance of compassion and love. If there is even a fractional hope that he can be saved, then it would be wrong of me to reject that possibility. But I won't get my hopes up about it." 
"Even if it's a small hope, you have to follow through with it!" 
"Maybe you could start with telling him to stop bombing us." Ibuki pointed out. 
Beyond the barrier, more Shadow guards began to appear from all directions. They marched towards the group. 
"We won't be going anywhere with this horde on top of us, and the endless bombardment." Sakuya stated. 
"Anyone got a Plan B? I dunno how much longer I can hold this..." Tenko said. 
Atop the building, Max observed, his hand on his comm device. "Sparky, please, just stop it! This is between me and you! Just leave them alone!" Kat demanded. 
"You all came in here wanting to stop me. I have to cover all of my bases. No victory until the map is empty." Max replied. 
"If you actually played a strategy game in your life, you'd know that most of the time you only have to beat the enemy commander to win. Meaning that what's happening right here is all that's important." 
"Hmph, true enough. So how about we stop chatting and start--" 
"ALERT. ALERT." the AI turned on. 
"What is it?" 
"AN ENORMOUS ENERGY SIGNATURE HAS BEEN DETECTED. POINT OF ENTRY HAS BEEN PINPOINTED AS--" 
The Shadows continued their march. 
"If we drop the barrier, we should be able to carve through those things." Ibuki stated. 
"Yeah, and then get blasted to the next dimension!" Sahir retorted. 
"So we're trapped here...if only--" Kibō began. 
"Hold on. What's that...?" Natalia questioned. 
A circle of orange light manifested between the barrier and the approaching horde. That circle quickly erupted, as a pillar of flame rose up from the ground. The fire quickly spread, consuming the Shadows that were at the head of the crowd and disintegrating them. 
From the pillar, an elongated weapon flew out, spinning at rapid speeds towards the mecha. It severed the missile battery, leaving it to plummet to the ground. 
The lance flew back to the pillar, which dissipated to reveal Rin, fully suited and flying. She grabbed the weapon. 
"Awwww, yeeeeaaaah!" Sahir exclaimed. The students were varying degrees of ecstatic and relieved. 
"Took you long enough." Jin grunted. 
Kat applauded and laughed. "You are so past BONED now!" Max looked in silent horror. 
The eyes on Rin's helmet glowed, as energy sparked up around her. She sheathed her lance behind her, then rose up into the air. She brought her arm back, charging energy in her fist, then flew down towards the remaining guards. She crashed with great force, the enemies sent flying by an explosion of flames. 
Rin got back up, withdrawing her helmet, and brushing her hair in a confident fashion. "Easy does it." 
"You're so cool, bestie~!" Tenko shouted. 
"Sorry I'm late. What's the situation?" 
"The abridged version? Kitten and Maxwell are fighting somewhere up there, the AI still needs to be deactivated but its core has disappeared, and it's going to be more difficult than anticipated because it turns out that it's actually the consciousness of Dr. Rose's father." Carrie explained. 
"Ah...wait, what was that last one?" 
Rose nodded. "It's a long story." 
"That thing's your daddy-in-law, Teach. Crazy, I know." Sahir said. 
Rin put her hands to her hips. "So it's going to be another one of those days, is it?" 
Max looked on. "Shhhhit!" He took to his communicator. "Bemular, don't just stand there! Do whatever you have to, just get rid of her!" 
"AFFIRMATIVE." 
The mecha began to move. 
"Um, Professor?" Natalia motioned behind Rin. 
She turned around. "Well, it's no Cronus. Jin, Tenko? Would you mind helping me out with this?" 
"Whatever you say, beautiful~!" Tenko chimed. 
"Not every day you get to fight a Gundam." Jin added. 
"Everyone, would you escort Rose to the core, once its location's been pinned down?" Rin requested. 
"We'll guard your missus with our lives, teacher lady." Ibuki replied. 
Rin took Rose by the hands. "I know you'll do the right thing. It's something only you can do. I won't doubt whatever decision you make." Rin affirmed. 
"I can't muster anything else other than 'You're brilliant, and I love you'." Rose replied, and the two kissed. "Good luck. Turn that monstrosity into scrap." 
"With that kind of encouragement, how can I not?" 
Rose departed with the Artisans. "Okay. Showtime." Rin's helmet reappeared. 
"OFFENSIVE SYSTEMS ONLINE. BEGINNING TERMINATION OF TARGET." the AI spoke. 
"I don't like the sound of that." Jin grumbled. 
"And he's not gonna like melting into a heap." Tenko replied. 
Rin drew her lance. "Let's introduce ourselves." The three charged at the mech. 
Max looked on. "Prof and Doc are such goals. I'd be pleased as punch if me and Care were anywhere near that in sync." Kat commented. 
A menacing aura emerged from Max. "Guess you'll never find out." He turned to her. "Enough delay. Let them do whatever. Scrapping the Cervantes makes no difference. And they'll never locate Bemular. Even I don't know where he would've gone. But like you said. All that's important is the here and now." 
"Finally." More pink sparks emerged from Kat. "We agree on something."
Electricity crackled, from Max's hands to his head, as the form of a red-haired viking warrior appeared behind him. Max grabbed hold of a large, stone hammer. He spun it around by the tassel on the handle, and flung it at Kat, who leapt out of the way. 
He pressed the keypad on his left arm, and from that arm materialized a round, translucent blue shield. He called back the hammer, grabbing it with his right hand. 
Kat just shook her head. "You can't be serious with this." 
"There hasn't been a moment where I haven't been." Max replied. 
"You're sticking with the 'hero' shtick to the very end, aren't you?" 
"I'm sorry, is the girl in the cat costume complaining about themes?" 
"I go with the cat motifs cuz of my name. You're being an egomaniac. Being a hero's more than wearing a costume and spouting quips." 
"You think I don't know that? I've done nothing except try to save everyone, but you and the gang keep throwing monkey wrenches into that plan. So what's left, except the big, climactic CGI fight scene where the hero and the villain beat each other to a pulp and destroy half the city doing so?" 
He threw the shield, and Kat leapt over it. He tossed the hammer before she could land, and it hit her square in the chest. The shield then came flying back, striking her from behind and flipping her into the air. Max retrieved his weapons, then tried to strike the prone Kat. She rolled out of the way, then maneuvered behind Max to grab hold of him. He activated the thrusters in his boots, lifting them into the air. 
He flew about erratically, trying to shake her off. She transformed into her cat form, scurrying about and making it harder for him to grab her. She moved onto his head, covering his eyes with her paws. His flying became even more haphazard, and he slammed into the side of the Academy tower. He began to fall, but quickly regained control, piloting himself upward. Kat latched on, unsheathing her claws, and they began to emit pink sparks. She grabbed the sides of his helmet, scratching and clawing at it. 
He flew over the top of the Academy, and finally managed to shake her off. She landed and returned to her human form. He returned to the ground, and tried to access his communicator. "Bemular...come in...damn it!" He removed his helmet, and tossed it to the side. 
"You can't complain, Sparky. You wanted it to be you and me. So no more assists from your computer pal. But if it's all gonna be square..." Kat removed her own mask. "Just have to lay it all out there. I think we're past the point where we have to hide from each other, don't you?" 
She looked him in the eye. "You know what I see when I look at you, Sparky? Anger. Just a whole lot of anger. Who's it for, anyway? Is it really all at me? Your old man? The world? All of the above?" 
"What are you doing? Trying to get to the bottom of what's 'wrong' with me? You're ridiculous. Because I'm looking straight into your eyes, and it's infuriating. You're trying to 'understand' me. How could you ever?" 
He charged more electricity as his eyes turned blue. He fired a strike towards Kat. She blocked with her daggers, but the charge knocked her back, and she dropped her weapons. 
"A spoiled, uppity little K-pop princess, pickpocketing because her big sister is a kleptomaniac who can't keep her hands off of shiny things. While I was getting beer bottles chucked my way, you got to rub shoulders with BTS and get all the newest gadgets. Don't even pretend to understand how powerless I felt!" 
He threw another bolt her way, knocking her away. 
"This 'hero shtick' you keep making fun of? That was all I had! The movies, the figures, the fantasies...that was my exit from the hell I lived. I would just sit there, imagining that my favorite heroes would break down the door and take me away, or at least beat up the old man and make him stop hurting us. But it never did. Heroes weren't real. So I would dream of being one myself. Finding Thor's hammer, or getting bitten by a spider, anything to make me stronger and protect the ones I cared about. I was too weak to stand up to him. Too weak to tell my uncle or someone else what was going on. And so my mom had to suffer for it. And my sister had to be the one to finally speak up. I was just the coward that couldn't do anything!" 
Kat grabbed one of her daggers, and tried to attack Max with it. He grabbed her arm. 
"And all the while...I couldn't get one person to understand. I was everyone's punching bag. There wasn't anywhere I could go where I could feel safe and accepted. The isolation was torture. If I could just become a hero to someone, then I wouldn't have to live in the corner, crying out for help. I would be the one giving the help. And everyone that's spent their lives making me feel small would finally know how it felt. People like you that lord their superiority over people like me can never comprehend what that's like!" 
He brought down a bolt of lightning on her. Though her suit absorbed most of the blast, there was still enough force that an explosion ensued, sending her flying. Left singed, she struggled to her hands and knees. She tried catching her breath. She shook her head, and cleared her eyes. 
"Really? You're gonna give me the wetworks, now?" Max questioned. 
"Y'know, for a guy as good at acting as you are, you'd think you could tell when someone's not faking. I can sit here and tell you how wrong you are, how wrong all of this is, but it's not gonna get through to you. I'm sorry that no one helped you, Max. I really am." 
"Hold on, did you just--" 
"No nicknames, I'm gonna be serious for a minute. I hate that no one listened to you for so long. I figure that's why you're plugging your ears when we tell you that this isn't what you should be doing. So I'm gonna tell you the one thing that someone should've said a long time ago. That I understand you." 
"Oh, come on--" 
"Just listen to me! I know it must look to you like I had this awesome childhood, being around all sorts of famous people and never really struggling for money. I never went hungry, I was raised in a happy home, it all sounds like the perfect life, doesn't it? But...it really wasn't. Having a dad that was so famous means that a lot of people know who I am. I changed schools five times before I was ten years old, and every time people knew who my dad was. And then they caught wind of what Lin was up to. Those kids were relentless about it. Any time I'd walk into a room, they'd start singing one of my dad's songs in the most unflattering way possible. You know me, I rag on his music all the time. But that's out of affection. Those kids would do it just to be mean." 
She rose up, though still on her knees. "I didn't have a single real friend back home. Any friends I did make, I pushed them away because I'd get so angry. One time this girl stole my Switch during lunch, and I bit her on the hand to get it back. I got suspended for three days. She didn't get in any trouble. Easy to get away with things when your dad's sipping tea with the principal." She looked him in the eyes. "I get it. Hating that some people can just do whatever they want, and if we try to stand up to them, we're the ones that get hurt. Part of me wouldn't mind if the people like that were punished." 
"Then why...why won't you help me?" Max demanded. 
"I was an angry kid too, once, but more than anything...I was so lonely. My parents, bless them, they gave me everything I needed, and my sister always had my back, but there's only so much they can do. When they're not there, who's gonna stand up for me and be there to support me? All I wanted was someone to stick around that wasn't tied to me by blood. And that no matter how mad I got, they'd still want to be around me because...because they liked me. I just wanted proof that I deserve to be loved...and maybe that I'm not the problem." 
Kat stood up. "You're angry. You're lashing out. Nobody came to help you, so you're taking it out on them. You're gonna make them listen to you now. I get why this is happening. But here's what's different between you and me. You needed revenge. I needed love. And those insane, dysfunctional people down there gave it to me. They stood by me, and they listened, even when I was being awful. All the bitterness I had is gone. But you haven't gotten your payback. You've kept your rage bottled up. Someone just needs to listen to you, for once." 
"....." Max looked away. "So you think you can fix all this? Talk me down when the others couldn't?" 
"Not talk you down. I'm gonna let you vent. We're gonna keep beating each other up. Over and over, until all of that anger is satisfied. When we finally understand each other. Because at the end of the day, your anger is hurting the people I love. And I swore that if I ever found friends that stood by me, I'd do everything to keep them safe and happy. It's true that I can't match their trauma. Losing your family, having someone that's supposed to look after you hurt you, being hurt to where you can't do something you love, feeling so down that you think dying would be easier than going on. But it's not a contest. All we can do is try to understand and comfort each other as best we can. So if the choice is either them or me? I'll take every hit you can give me." 
That declaration triggered a memory from the recesses of Max's mind. His mother's voice echoed. 
"I have to take it, so he doesn't hurt either of you. I'm never going to let that man lay a finger on you kids." 
He reeled. Kat began to approach him. "S-stay away!" He materialized his hammer and shield. 
"No, Max. This is how it has to be. I'm ending this my way...with the strength I've gotten from everyone." 
Kat manifested the giant serpent Jormungandr, sending it towards Max. It wrapped itself around him, and began to constrict. With his arms restrained, he called down a bolt of lightning that struck the snake's head. It vanished away. 
Kat next called out the intimidating form of Satanael. She made a pointing motion, and the Persona mimicked her movement, drawing a massive pistol-looking weapon. "I'm not alone. I finally have something worth fighting to keep. I'll keep fighting to save everyone. Even you." 
The weapon fired, launching a large bullet towards Max. He put up his shield, but the impact shattered it into pieces, knocking him back. 
"It's okay to be frustrated. It's okay to be angry at the world. But it's not okay to take that anger out on everyone else. I'm sorry no one was there to make it better. I wonder how it would've been if we'd met years ago. How different would things be if we had a friend to share the pain with? But it's too late for what-ifs and maybes. All I can do for you now is stand in your way." 
From high above Max, a light shined down, and from the heavens descended the ephemeral form of Lucifer. The winged spirit charged an orb of light in its hands, then blasted it at the armored boy. The result was a massive explosion of almighty energy, that could be seen from the streets below. 
The Artisans watched on. "That explosion was huge...please let them be okay..." Barbara pleaded. 
As the smoke cleared, Max was barely able to stand. Blood was coming from his scalp, as his armor was left heavily damaged. His hammer was in fragments, as even the handle was crumbling. 
"...don't make me keep going." Kat said. 
Max's breathing intensified. He gritted his teeth, and tossed aside the broken weapon. "Not now...I refuse...to give in now." 
"If this keeps up, you might not make it. Then what'll you be? Either a martyr, or another angry man who died because they couldn't get their way. Just give it up." 
"Give up? Give up?" Max laughed. "You think after everything I've given up that I'm just gonna lie down and surrender? No...not when I'm this close. If you really understood me, then you'd know why there's no turning back for me now. Even if I...know what I'm doing is..." 
Max clutched the sides of his head, and began to struggle. "I'm...the hero...I...won't lose...aaaagggggh!" 
"What's happening?!" Kat questioned. 
An aura of electricity flared around Max as he reeled in agony. His eyes had turned yellow. "Enemies...enemies everywhere...all guilty...I'll destroy them...crush them...kill them!" 
"Do you see it now?" a voice questioned Kat, resembling her own. "His heart is in discord. His morality and worldview called into question, his ambitions in tatters. If he is not stopped now, it will lead to a world plunged into darkness..." 
Kat stood firm, grasping onto her daggers. 
Max ceased struggling, rising up to meet her gaze. "It's only when backed into a corner...that the hero finds...their true strength! All those wicked souls who left me to rot alone...will call me their savior! It's time to take what's owed to me! Come...Don Quixote!" 
Energy surged around him as a spirit manifested behind him. It resembled a man wearing medieval Spanish armor, riding atop an armored horse. The man's face was covered by his armor, save for his eyes, which bore the look of madness. On his back were what looked to be the sails of a windmill. All aspects of the man and horse possessed the same black and blue coloration and mechanical composition as Max's armor. 
"I am...a hero of justice, sworn to defeat the wicked and inspire the masses to action! I've given up everything to get to this point, and I won't be denied by you! I swore to my mother and my sister that I wouldn't let them live in fear of this world any longer! Come on! We'll see once and for all who gets to call themselves the hero!" 
Kat closed her eyes. She took a deep breath, and reopened them. "I never cared about people calling me a hero. All I want is to make the people around me happy. But if you want to finish this now, then I'll do it. I'm seeing this through to the end with you. No more holding back." She looked up to the night sky. "The moon's an incredible thing, y'know. It has a different face every night, and it's got a surface with a lot of holes. But seeing it in its glory at night, knowing everything that it gives to the world...it's perfect. The power it wields...every last bit of strength that I've pulled from my heart...I'm giving you all of it!" 
She put a hand to her face, and her eyes turned golden. She reached up with her other hand. "Come to me...Selene!" 
A pillar of shadow energy crashed down from the sky, consuming her. Max stood still, observing. 
When the darkness dissipated, there was a figure behind Kat. It was a woman with long, dark hair, gray skin, and glowing pink eyes, riding atop a dark chariot. She wore armor resembling that of a centurion, and wore headphones bearing a crescent moon symbol on each side. Kat's signature pink cat emblem adorned the chariot, which was being pulled by a pair of shadowy horses, whose fur pattern resembled that of a starry night sky. 
Kat stared down Max, holding her dagger close. "Final Round time, Captain Thunder. Let's go."