Persona BLEACHED 4: Chapter 14

Chapter 14: Teaching Daze
September 23, 2031
Everything was blurry at first. I couldn't see much of anything. More and more, I could make out shapes and forms. 
It was all...bleak. Ruins and downed trees. Was this snow that was falling from the sky? Ashes? Everything felt so dead. Not a sign of life to be seen. 
I walked. And I walked some more. Then I come across a broken window lying on the ground. I gaze at my reflection.
There he is. Captain Thunder. The nightmare I created, staring back at me. Something felt different. What was this tattered coat I was wearing? Why am I walking around this wasteland in armor I destroyed? 
I move to take off that damned helmet. But before I can see what's underneath...
---
Max's eyes sprang open. He was in his bed.
He got up and looked out the window. "I'm still here." he said, with an air of disappointment.
He got up and opened his closet, taking out the uniform his older self had given him the day before. He got changed, and looked in the mirror. A black-and-blue jacket, dark pants and boots. 
"Welcome to the Avengers, Starbolt."
Once upon a time, the notion of being in a high-tech city and being a superhero was his fantasy. The events of the last two years--the last two *days*--had made the reality bittersweet. "One day at a time. Now for breakfast with the crazy."
He went downstairs, and exited the building. "No sign of her. Would've thought she'd be out here way beforehand."
"Yo. You Uncle Maxie 2.0?" 
The voice was that of a young woman with a Brooklyn accent. Max looked to see the source of the voice leaning up against the building, checking her phone and blowing bubblegum. She had a tan complexion, with mid-length brown hair. She wore a black-and-red P.D.F. jacket, opened to reveal a shirt with a jack-o-lantern design reading 'Greetings From Pumpkin Hill'. Her black sneakers differed from the military-style boots the others were wearing, and she wore black fingerless gloves. A button with a rainbow flag design was pinned to her jacket, and a pair of aviator goggles were perched on her head.
"Um...can I help you?" Max asked.
"Maybe, maybe not, if ya feel like answerin' my question. Ya kinda look like Uncle Maxie. The scruff's throwin' me off. Not as buffed, either. You eatin' your vitamins?"
"And who's asking, the Uber Eats girl?"
"I look like a delivery dork to ya? Your eyesight goin' already, dude?"
"(Oh boy, this is starting out horribly. I recognize this girl from the old man's photos. One of the nieces. I'm assuming she's not this Barbara's kid, so that'd leave 'it's complicated'. It'd probably help not to get on her nerves right out of the gate.)" Max thought. "Um...you're right."
"About the eyesight thing? Dude, if you're already goin' blind, I feel sorry for ya--"
"I'm NOT going blind. I meant me being the 'other' Max."
"Oh, well ya should've said somethin' to begin with!"
"I would've, but then you started on me being blind."
"Aw c'mon, it's plain as day that I'm teasin'!"
"Are you gonna tell me who you are or not?"
"I was gettin' to that! Sheesh!"
"(Yeah. Really not off to a good start at all.)"
"The name's Anna Rosario! And that's Anna with two 'N's! Not one like how the Europeans do it!"
"Right. And you're the commander's niece, I'm guessing?"
"Damn straight!"
"But you're not Barbara--um, Bobbi's kid, are you?"
"That'd be a negative on that one, chief!"
"So...where do you fit in on the tree? Who are your parents?"
"....."
"(Uh-oh. I feel a 'it's complicated' coming along.)"
Anna crossed her arms and looked away. "I ain't talkin'."
"(Close enough.)"
"Anywhozits, Cind wanted me to bring ya to where we're havin' breakfast. It's not that hard to get turned around in this maze of concrete, and it'd look really bad if we lost the guy from another universe like that. Last thing we need is a multiversal war breakin' out cuz ya slipped down an open manhole."
"How very considerate."
Anna brought Max to a diner a block away from the P.D.F. building. Alongside Cindy, they sat down at a table and got their breakfast. "Sooo, how's Jess and the gang doing?" Cindy asked.
"Just fine and dandy. They've been a heckuva lot busier than our end. Your boy Dai's okay, by the by. That kid can take care of himself." Anna replied.
Cindy lovingly sighed. "He's so cooool."
"Mind filling me in?" Max asked.
"Jess is my main squeeze. Her little bro Dai is Cind's boytoy. Their pops Dasuke is the head honcho of the Tokyo branch. Him and Uncle Maxie go waaaay back. That is one bad dude. Definitely not the kinda guy who's bad side you wanna be on. That whole branch is a murderer's row. Have to be with the gang of freaks that pop up around there." Anna explained.
"Guess that's the truth in every universe. I could've sworn the old man said you were in Japan last night. When'd you get back?"
"A little before I bumped into you. I left Tokyo right before then."
"How'd you get here so quickly?"
"I ran."
"Very funny."
Anna kept eating. "Este imbécil no lo entiende."
"Tal vez si alguien por aquí se molestara en explicármelo." Max replied.
Anna was caught off-guard. "Okay, smart guy. I'll spell it out. I wasn't joking. I ran here. That's my magic. Want me to show ya?"
"By all means."
"Okay. Where are ya from?"
"My family lives in Tulsa. What's that got to--"
Anna sprinted away at a pace Max could barely perceive.
"--do with..."
A few minutes passed, and just as quickly, Anna returned, sitting back down, holding up a blue shirt with an image of Tulsa, reading 'Greetings From T-Town'. "Ta-daaa. Something to remind ya of home. Never say I ain't a generous sort."
Max took the shirt. "Thanks...I guess."
"今、愚か者は理解しています." Anna didn't think he'd be able to respond.
"愚か者はあなたの寛大さに謙虚になります." She was wrong.
"Oh c'mon, you know Japanese, too?!"
"I went to school in Japan. I *live* in Japan. My girlfriend is Japanese. That's 0-2 for you." Max took a bite of some bread. "I'd educate you on a bit of Cherokee, but...no one actually speaks it. Sie müssen sich mit Deutsch begnügen." Max got up and patted Anna on the shoulder, and walked away.
"Oh, a wise guy." Anna grumbled. "You hear that shiz, Cind?"
"Dooooonuts~." Cindy was eating, in her own little world.
"Not a single word." Hugo answered.
---
New York Harbor, sitting at the mouth of the Hudson River. Bordering several of the city's major boroughs, it was an important commercial area for the region. Sitting in the harbor was a large barracks, with the P.D.F. logo displayed prominently on each side.
Inside, Max was standing in the lower floor. He raised an eyebrow. "Think this might be a little excessive?"
Before him was an organized group of P.D.F. agents wearing dark blue armor. "Nothing's excessive when planetary security's on the line, Starbolt." Commander Max replied. He was standing on an upper level, looking down.
"This more about seeing the kid's abilities firsthand? Or seeing just how good the new crop's training is going?" Bobbi was seated by him.
"Little of both. And Cindy really wants to see his armor for herself."
"You think if he brings out Ultraman, that he'll be to scale?" Cindy asked, standing close by.
"If that is the case, the barracks will likely be needing a new roof." Hugo responded.
"Might be best to open the roof, just in case." Bobbi said.
"This really necessary? I don't need training." Max said.
"Maybe not. But they do. These brave men and women have the sizeable responsibility of keeping their homes and their world safe from threats on Earth and beyond. There are some tough monstrosities out there. So they'll need to be prepared for anything." Commander Max replied. "Troops!"
"Yes, Commander!" the agents all stood at the ready.
"Non-lethal force only! That goes double for you, kid!"
"Don't splatter anyone on the wall. Got it." Max's suit materialized around him.
"Ooooh, so cooool!" Cindy admired. "What's the 'IV' stand for?"
"Advertising intravenous therapy, perhaps?" Hugo replied.
"Troops! At the ready!" Commander Max ordered.
The troops' suits all lit up with energy. "Shiny." Max quipped. "Okay, people. Who wants to go first?"
One armored man charged at him, taking a swing. Max dodged, grabbed the man from behind, and tossed him into the crowd, knocking several agents over. "Next?"
More of the armored agents charged at Max, who dodged and dispatched them all via punches and kicks. "Come on, people. I'm not even using my toys."
Several more soldiers grabbed hold of him. He cocked his head. "Congrats. You've gotten a hand on me. Now we go flying." He flew into the air, the agents holding onto him, and he spun around, flinging his passengers off of him. He charged power into his fist, then crashed down, causing enough force that any remaining agents were knocked away.
He rose to his feet as the armored adversaries all lay around groaning. He put his hands up. "Are you not entertained?"
"Might need to redouble that training, big brother." Bobbi commented.
"Noted. Alright, people, clear out and head for the showers. Guess our multiversal traveler needs a bit more of a challenge." Commander Max replied.
"Am I just gonna be your training dummy? I thought I was gonna be fighting magic terrorists and aliens." Max griped.
"Kid...are you taking this seriously at all?" Bobbi spoke up.
"There hasn't been a time when I haven't been."
"Every single person that signs up for the P.D.F. does so knowing fully well that it might cost them their lives. The 'Planetary' part isn't an exaggeration. We're responsible for keeping this world secure. Blowing this off as a chore you have to do isn't going to cut it."
"Well I wasn't exactly signed up voluntarily, was I? If anything I'm being held hostage under threat of banishment or execution. Excuse me if I'm not too enthusiastic."
"Well having a rotten attitude about it won't speed the process up for you. Unless you're shooting for being punished. You've got a chance to prove that you're not like the Max that killed their friends. Maybe you just need someone to knock you off that pedestal you're sitting on. Roses!" Commander Max called.
Anna zipped over, in front of Max. "Yo."
"Hello there. Up for Round 2 of the language war?" Max quipped.
"Ya really think this is all a big joke, don't ya?"
"The biggest threat I've seen up til now is a snooty metal bird, for all I know this is all a big setup--"
Anna delivered a blazing kick to Max's chest faster than he could react. "Oof!"
"You don't know the half of what we've gotta deal with, *comemierda*. You're gonna learn real quick where ego gets ya."
Anna zipped around, punching and kicking Max before he could react. He fired lasers from his palms, but his opponent quickly dodged and attacked him each time. She knocked him over, but he got back up.
"Had enough?" she questioned.
He shook it off. "I can do this all day."
Before he could get off another attack, Anna appeared in front of him, and delivered a flurry of kicks to every corner of his frame.
"ATATATATATATATATATATATA!"
She delivered one final kick to the center of his chest. "YATA!"
He went flying into the wall. When the dust cleared out, his armor was in pieces. He was panting, but he got back up, irritated.
"Awww, what's wrong, boo-boo? You've got a wittle ouchie-wouchie?" Anna taunted.
"Dial back the showboating, Roses." Commander Max cautioned.
Max brought his hand up and charged a laser. Before he could fire, Anna zipped around him, then back to her prior spot. Max looked down. His pants had dropped.
Anna was holding his belt. "Oops, guess you didn't tie it tight enough. Least ya don't got tighty whities." She snickered.
"Anna! What did he just tell you?" Bobbi chastised.
The laughter unlocked memories that Max had buried deep. Memories of his middle school self being used as a prop in a high school locker room, wearing nothing but his underwear.
"(See that, boys? That's what life without conditioning does to ya. Scrawnier than a twig!)" his father taunted.
"(Damn, get a tan, ya pasty twerp!)"
"(I'd have a harder time throwing the pigskin than this runt!)"
The cruel laughter intensified in his mind. Louder than the girl laughing at his expense at this very moment. His fists clenched. An aura surrounded him. Energy crackled in his eyes. "Hey, sprite. You wanted to see Ultraman?" The energy spiked. "I'LL GIVE YOU ULTRAMAN!"
"Oh, shit." Commander Max uttered.
The towering silver-and-red hero materialized behind Max. Had they not opened the roof, he would have easily broken through. Anna looked on, petrified.
The giant raised his foot, and prepared to bring it down. Max expected a crash. Instead, there was nothing. "Huh?"
Above him, his Persona had been encased in ice.
"Looks like I'm going to be explaining to the press why a Japanese superhero suddenly appeared in our building." Bobbi said. "Anna! You know exactly what I'm gonna say. Office in 20."
"Nyeeeeh..." Anna uttered.
"As for you, kid--" Commander Max said.
"Forget it." Max withdrew his Persona. He pulled his pants up. "I'm out. I'll take my chances with banishment. It's what I deserve." He summoned his yet-to-be-regenerated armor, and flew off.
"Hey, wait a second--dammit."
"What was that all about? Why's he always so grouchy?" Cindy asked.
"What, oh what could he be hiding." Bobbi pondered.
Perched out of sight, a crow observed with keen interest.
---
The Empire State Building. Hundreds of feet above the bustling streets of Manhattan was an ideal view of much of the city. 
With no one else around, it was where Max had gone to think. A literal world away from home with no one to talk to, he had only his own thoughts to accompany him.
He sighed. He opened his eyes, and looked to his side. "...what do you want?"
That same crow again.
"Come to hand me over to the multiverse police yourself? If it's gonna happen, then just get it over with."
The bird opened his beak. "I'm not here to bring you in, Max Jadefang." Emily's voice came out.
Max blinked. "Gah! You can talk through birds now?!"
"Not all of them. Just this one. Sorry that I can't be there in person. Prior engagements and all that."
"Well what do you want?"
"Muno told me of what happened at the barracks. I hope you don't take what Anna said personally. This world hasn't been very kind to her. But her humiliating you like that was inexcusable."
"Doesn't change the fact that I was about to turn that whole building to rubble. Doesn't matter how far I've come. I'm still an angry kid after all. Nothing's ever gonna change that."
"What would you call your actions up to this point? Aunt Bobbi told you the reasons why people join the P.D.F. You've found yourself doing so because you feel you have no choice."
Max put his head down. "My mom has this saying that she's told me since I was little. 'Do the right thing for the right reasons.' She never wanted me to do something bad for her sake."
"And what about the reverse? Doing the right thing for the wrong reasons?"
"I'm guilty of that, too. I wanted to bring my father down for as long as I can remember. I told myself that I wanted to keep my mom and my sister safe from him. But really, what I wanted was revenge. Destroying him little by little was all I could think about for years."
"And then he gets himself killed, leaving you feeling empty. Like that anger would never be resolved."
"I don't know anything about your world. What kinds of things you all have to deal with. I told myself none of it was my problem. It's just something I have to put up with until I can go home. I wasn't thinking about your problems." He put a hand to his face. "I want to go home so bad. To my mom, my sister, the girl I love. It's all I can think about. But you all expect me to help you because I want to, not because I *need* to. I don't know how to stop thinking that way. God, look at me, I'm venting to a bird! I really am hopeless."
"Isn't that what a hero is supposed to do? Do the right thing *because* it's the right thing?"
"I'm so sick of that word. If I'd never heard that word, I wouldn't be here in the first place. Why do you even care, anyway? I don't think I should be getting life advice from someone that doesn't even like their own family."
"That is a gross overexaggeration. I have issues, yes, but--"
"Issues, issues, everyone on this goddamn rock's got complicated issues! Nobody wants to fill in the blanks for me, but I've gotta be an open book for everyone to read. All this needling and trying to fix me, you really are just like--"
A loud crash could be heard below. Max looked down. A commotion, and some flashing lights.
"Sounds like trouble." Emily said. "P.D.F. agents will most assuredly be on the scene soon. They have it covered. Not your world, not your problem, right?"
"....." Max's suit, now regenerated, appeared. "Damn squawkbox."
At street level, people were fleeing en masse, with property damage apparent on several buildings. A bus (which in this world had hovering capabilities) was turned onto its side, with the driver and passengers trapped inside.
The only ones not running were five hooded men wearing blue-and-purple clothes resembling those of the colonial period. Energy particles emanated from their hands. The leader amongst them, a disheveled man with long and messy brown hair and beard, and a crazed look in his eyes, stood on top of a disabled car.
"Brothers! Make these fraudulent fools suffer for their idolatry! Strike down the tools of the false gods! Take back what is ours by right!"
"Umm, excuse me?" Max landed on the street. "Is there a problem here?"
"Wretch! Coward, hiding behind an iron shell! Your life is hereby forfeit!"
"Dude, I think you're lost. The ren faire is that way."
"You are naught but the messenger drone of a den of apostates! Brothers, strangle the life from this misguided infidel!"
"Really checking all the 'antiquated insult' boxes, aren't you?"
The man's four henchmen all cast a spell that caused chains to emerge from the ground and wrap around Max. "We'll see how long your jokes last with your magic sealed, heathen."
"Hunh, guess you forgot 'heathen'. But I hate to break it to you, but..." Max flew into the air, exerting enough force to break the chains. "I don't play by your rules."
"Gah...brothers! Eviscerate him!"
One of the attackers summoned a rope, and wrapped it around Max's arm. "Oh, we're doing the binding thing again, huh? Well, pal, your first mistake was attaching yourself to me. Let's go for a ride." Max pulled the man off of the ground, swinging him around and knocking over the other three henchmen, before tossing the helpless remaining lackey away, where he landed in an open dumpster, which promptly closed on top of him.
One of the men had been knocked into the overturned bus, and the people inside began to call for help. Max landed on top of it, and yanked open the door. Some of the trapped passengers reacted with shock. "No no no, it's okay, I'm here to help. Is everyone okay in--oof!"
Max was knocked off of the bus, crashing into an adjacent building. "Gah..."
The lead terrorist approached him. Hovering above his hands were two rapidly spinning objects resembling large green buzzsaws. He tossed one towards Max, who ducked out of the way. He threw the other one, and Max leapt away, this time the weapon grazing his leg. The spot where it hit sparked. "Tch...close one--"
The man had materialized two more saw weapons, and began to swing them at Max. One of the strikes grazed against his chest. He brought down the saws on Max, who blocked them. Max looked back up, and noticed something had appeared in his hand--a blue beam sword with a metallic hilt. "Oh, hello there." He kicked the man in the chest to push him back.
He gave his weapon a look. "Haven't seen you in a while. Can you still..."
The sword changed forms, and now resembled an energy rifle. "Oh...baby."
He aimed and fired an energy shot at his attacker, knocking him over. He got back up. "What manner of hex is this?!"
"My magic comes from the mind, Manos. Come on." Max goaded him on.
The man angrily swung at Max with his blades, bringing them down again, which Max parried. One of the saws flew in the direction of the bus, impaling itself in it, to the shock of the trapped passengers. "(Dammit...have to get them out of here before this nutcase hurts them.)" Max thought. He looked around. "(Spacing here's too tight. Ultraman would cause a lot more damage if I brought him out. Looks like I have to go solo.)"
"Your attention really shouldn't be diverted elsewhere." his opponent pointed out.
Another chain had appeared around Max's abdomen. "What the--?!" He looked back. One of the henchmen had woken up, and was casting the spell, breaking Max's stance.
The leader swung his saw, hitting Max and knocking him away. He lost his grip on his sword, and it too went flying. "Grrr...you've got to be kidding..."
The man prepared to charge again, but before that could happen...
"Brother Horace!"
The man's attention diverted to his underling. He was on the ground, and several shadowy hands were latching onto him. The hands better resembled the talons of a bird, and the distinctive 'caw' calls of a crow were echoing out. "Help...me...!"
The man was pulled into the darkness.
"What the hell..." Max uttered.
A chill filled the air. Everything started to get darker, despite it still being the morning. All that could be heard was the crow's call. "This is dark magic...no...not simply dark magic. Coven hexes..." Horace frantically looked around. "Where are you, witch?! Embracing the shadows is the mark of a coward!"
Max heard the crow's sound close to him. He turned and looked. The bird was perched on a light pole, looking directly at him. 
Dark energy erupted from the ground in front of him. The crow calls continued. Emerging from the shadows was Emily. Her hood was draped over her head, and the button-down cloth she had worn the night before now extended to include sleeves, and she wore black gloves. Her skirt was replaced with dark pants, and the black boots she had were longer than the ones she wore previously.
"Treacherous wench! You desecrate your craft by living within this iron monstrosity!" Horace yelled.
"Nice to see you too, Horace." Emily extended her arm, and a slender object rose up from the shadows, which she grasped. It was a red and black staff, the head of which resembled a black crescent moon.
"You know this guy?" Max questioned.
"Unfortunately."
Horace hurled one of his buzzsaws in her direction. "DIE!"
As it neared her, she halted it in midair with her free hand. She snapped her fingers, and it turned to dust. Horace took a nervy step back.
"Mr. Jadefang?" she asked.
"Um...yeah?" Max uttered.
"I believe the people in that bus are in need of some help."
"Right, I'll get on that. You do that hoodoo you do." He flew up to aid the trapped people.
The staff levitated horizontally in front of Emily. She moved her hands across it, and shadowy runes appeared on its surface. That same energy began to emerge from the crescent moon on the staff. Shadows appeared on both sides of Horace, and a giant pair of black ethereal hands erupted from the ground, grabbing hold of the crazed mage. As he struggled, the hands began to sink into the ground. "Unhand me, wench...!"
"Not today, you sad, senile fool. A nice stay in the world of shadows might do you some good." Emily replied.
"Damn...you...gllk...!" The hands, and the man they were holding, disappeared into the shadows.
The dark atmosphere subsided, and the staff disappeared. The crow landed on Emily's shoulder. Max had finished pulling the last of the passengers out of the bus. "Alright, that ought to do it." he said.
"Thank you man, you're a lifesaver!" the driver replied.
A number of bystanders were recording with their phones. "Bro...she hardly ever comes around this part of town." one young man said.
Max landed next to Emily. "Yeah, that looked more 'Arch-Witchy' to me. Thanks for the assist. So are they...dead? Banished to some weird dimension?" he asked.
"Nothing so sinister." Emily gestured with her hand, as the other three henchmen were wrapped in shadow energy. More of this energy came out of the ground, forming a spherical cage, which held Horace and his comrades. "This spell seals their magic while they're imprisoned. A neatly wrapped package for whenever the P.D.F. arrives."
"Wench! Your iron bars cannot hold a true mage for long! I will not be--mmmmph!" Horace found his mouth sewn shut.
"And *this* spell seals obnoxious tongues. Ah, and here comes the cavalry now."
A number of large armored vehicles with the P.D.F. logo on their sides approached.
"I doubt you wish to speak with them after the earlier incident, so I've got an alternative solution." Emily opened a black portal, partially stepping inside. "Come with me."
Weighing his options, he acquiesced. "So we going to some alternate plane, or a far-off village, or..."
He stepped through the portal, and appeared in front of a building.
"...Queens."
Max was looking at a shop building, with a logo resembling a crow with outstretched wings. 'Muno's Call Books' was written on the wings and beneath the bird's beak. Hanging from the inside part of the front door was a dry-erase board reading 'Owner is out. Will return shortly.'
Emily opened the door and took down the board. "Welcome to my palace." 
Muno flew over to his perch behind the counter, as Emily cast off her cloak and removed her gloves. Max took a look around the two-story bookstore, its old-fashioned appearance being a heavy contrast to the technologically advanced city he found himself in. "Gotta say...not what I was expecting to find in a high-tech place like this. I would've guessed everyone would've gone full e-book by now."
"Well, when the world moves forward at a blistering pace, it's on a select few to make sure the older ways don't completely die out. There's still plenty of love for the written word. It's rare for me to have a day that isn't busy. And I get quite a few requests from up-and-coming writers who want me to stock their books here. I'm more than happy to help them with their dreams." Emily replied.
"Do you do any writing yourself? There a shelf here dedicated to the owner?"
"I dabble here and there, but nothing substantial. I'm more of the agent than the artist. Helping people express their creativity is part of why I do what I do."
"Y'know, Ms. Witchy? I think if I put you in a room with Professor Kubo, you'd leave the best of friends. Oh, uh, she was my high school teacher. Really big on helping us express our talents. Absolute gem of a human being. And she's a writer, to boot."
"Well if the opportunity ever arises, I'd love to have a chat with her."
"If I ever get back home, I can make it happen. So...you want to tell me who Hobo Johnson and the LoveMakers are?"
"Right. There are certain factions of mages who see the spread of magic and its use alongside technology as unnatural. They believe that it disrespects and taints the old ways, and that it goes against magic's very nature. Horace and his comrades are members of a particularly extremist sect that lives in a secluded village in the Appalachian Mountains in Pennsylvania. They've been making trouble for the P.D.F. since before I was born."
"Must be a nutty bunch if they're taking orders from a guy like that."
"Horace isn't their leader. He takes his orders from one of the most heinous men on the face of the Earth." Emily opened her palm, and a miniature image of a man appeared made out of shadows. He wore a hood and cloak, and appeared to be older, with a bushy moustache. "Harold Dystergaard. One of the world's most powerful mages who also happens to be one of the most dangerous. The P.D.F. has been trying to bring him in for as long as I can remember, with no success."
"How does a guy like that stay out of prison for that long?"
"A mixture of living in isolation and being so powerful. He's capable of performing spells that most scholars of magic haven't been able to properly document. Several attempts have been made to bring him in, and every single one ended with...catastrophe."
Max noted a shift in her demeanor.
"Anyway, it was good work to apprehend Horace. He's one of Harold's most devoted followers. Hopefully it's a one-off event and not a sign of an even bigger attack. But Harold is a careful planner. It'll be important to stay vigilant. Horace won't talk, but the lower-ranked followers with him might. I'll have to follow up with Dad later. In the meantime, if you need a place to stay until things cool down, I'm happy to let you have time and space to think."
"Thanks. I don't exactly have a shortage of things to think about."
"I have lunch with Cindy at noon. I won't give away that you're here. I have some things I'd like to go over with you once I'm done. Until then, make yourself comfortable. There's plenty of reading material."
"I might just take you up on that."
---
About an hour later, Emily had cleared out her shop as she prepared to leave for lunch. "I'll make sure to lock the door. Try not to poke around too much." 
Max was sitting at a table. "I don't think snooping around a witch's quarters is the best idea, anyway. Opening the wrong thing might send me into some Lovecraftian hellhole."
"I save the truly horrifying artifacts for my apartment. But who knows if one could've found its way here? Best not to find out."
The bell above the door rang. "Ah, sorry, but we're closing up for--oh."
Commander Max and Bobbi were both in the doorway. "Sorry. We just really wanted to see the new releases." the former said.
"If you could just give us a minute." Bobbi added.
"....." Emily looked away nervously. "Sorry, Mr. Jadefang."
"Ugh...it's fine. I've got this." Max replied.
Emily gathered her things and headed for the door. "Don't go taking out books and putting them back out of order. I'll know."
"When have I ever done that?" Commander Max asked.
"Every single time you're here." She left.
"Lovely to see you too, Emmy." Bobbi uttered.
Max looked away. "...how did you find me?"
"Wasn't too hard. Considering there's video online of you and Emmy dealing with our old pal Horace." the commander replied.
"So are you here to arrest me? Maybe hand me over to be sent to some abandoned universe?"
"We're just here to talk, kid."
"Funny. Every other time someone 'just wanted to talk' it ended with a fight. Seeing as how I nearly brought your super epic barracks down because your niece pantsed me, I don't see it going any other way."
"I already chewed Anna out for that. Showboating is a real problem with her. But bringing out the giant alien man was a bit of a disproportionate response. What's going on inside that head?" Bobbi questioned.
"If I've learned anything in my time here, it's that I can just say something like 'it's complicated' and leave it at that."
"Kid--" the commander began.
"No no no, I'm gonna say something way overdue. Every time I've asked somebody here a question, all I get is a vague non-answer that leaves me with more blanks that won't get filled in. Maybe that's why I'm in such a hurry to get out of here. I'm being treated like one of your aliens."
"Sorry you feel like that, kid. But if we're being real here, you're not exactly forthcoming, yourself. There are a ton of demons swirling around in you. Anyone can see that. How come those guys all wanted to punish you for something that was an honest accident? Unless, of course, that's not all there is."
"....."
"OK. Bobb, could you give us a minute? I think me and Starbolt are overdue for a man-to-man chat."
"Suit yourself. I'll go and see what terrifying secrets Emmy's got upstairs." Bobbi got up and left the two men alone.
"Alright, kid. I'll give you every answer you need. But you've got to give me yours. What'd you do that was so bad?"
"...do you think there are some things that are so bad that they can't be forgiven? No matter how much the people you wronged say that they do?" Max asked.
"You mean something that you can never forgive *yourself* for? Yeah. I've got some experience with that. Name your sin."
"Wanting to be the hero. Wanting to keep my mom and my sister safe. And wanting to go to any extreme to make sure it would happen. A few years back, there was a mission that me and my friends went on. During that mission, I came into possession of a powerful AI. It gave me the power to...alter people's cognition."
"Their cognition? Like, how they see the world?"
"Something like that. I picked people that were struggling, that felt like the world had wronged them somehow. I gave them power. They dug themselves out of their struggles. But...it was fake. They started to hurt people the same way they'd been hurt. And when my friends undid what I'd done, they ended up in even worse spots than before."
"God. How was this supposed to help you become a hero, exactly?"
"There was another angle to the plan. Every time our group stopped somebody, our popularity would rise. You know how they say that gods become more powerful the more they're worshipped? Think along those lines. The more they stopped my plans, the more our popularity skyrocketed, and the more power I gained from it. After all those years of being knocked down and feeling powerless to change anything, all I wanted was that acknowledgement. And after I'd finally reached that apex--when the whole world would see me as their savior--I'd follow through with the promise I'd made to myself when I was little. I'd find my father and make him beg for his life, before snuffing it out completely."
"So it all comes down to glory and revenge."
"And in the end, I got neither. My friends brought me down. I got this scar for the trouble. I wandered around for over a year, bringing down people that abused their authority, working up the courage to finally end the old man once and for all. But then my friends found me. My Barb told me that the old man had died a year before. Got plastered and crashed himself into a tree. All of those vengeful thoughts had come to nothing. And who is it that brings me out from the depths than a girl whose mind I altered? Despite everything I did, she found a way to forgive me. Even told me that she loved me. Gave me a place to live, helped me get back on my feet. Her niece calls me Uncle Maxie. I was starting to get to a point where I could start to forgive myself. And then..."
"Then I show up. How'd that even happen?"
"I had a different set of armor back then. After I was taken down for good, it shattered apart, and I was left with just one tiny fragment. I held onto it as a reminder to never let myself fall that far again. The day you were teleported to my world, I made the decision to destroy it for good. I was ready to move on and be happy."
"So what went wrong?"
"When I made the armor, I had one single desire embedded into it. 'Create a world where Max O'Donnell is a hero.' The AI had the power to make people's desires a reality. So when I started the process of destroying the fragment, what little power was left in it was used to grant the desire...or some corrupted version of it. So instead of changing my world, it brought you from yours. And well...you know the rest."
"...wow. That is...wow, kid."
"Yeah. I know."
"I guess the one thing I've gotta ask is...do you think you can forgive yourself?"
Max pondered. "I honestly don't know anymore. Two days ago, I felt truly happy for the first time in a long time. But I guess the universe had other ideas. Something like this...it makes me feel like I don't deserve to be happy. Like what I did was something that can't be forgiven. If I'd just listened to my mom and done the right thing from the beginning, I wouldn't be in this mess." A tear fell from Max's eye. "The woman I love and her family are about to come into enough money to set them up for life. The possibilities would be endless. Her niece could get into a top school, her sister could potentially have her hearing loss addressed. We were talking about...maybe getting our own place. Everything was coming up roses, and then, like always, something I did threw a wrench into all of that. I seriously think I might just be cursed."
"You can't think like that, Max. You've just got to prove that you're a better man than you were back then. You'll be back in your girl's arms in no time."
"But what if I'm not? I'm not you. I don't have a cushy position, I don't have everyone's respect. Hell I'm convinced that at least half of my friends still hate me for what I did. I could never be like you."
"I've lived about three of your lives, kid. I didn't get this way overnight. Think I haven't had my share of screw-ups? You should've seen me when I was starting out. I barely knew how to pick up a weapon. Almost got kicked out more than once. I was, putting it bluntly, incompetent. Even when I started getting better, I lagged behind everyone else. The only saving grace I had back then was Emily's mom. She was a majorly talented witch. And for some reason, she took a liking to me. She'd tease me to no end."
"Sounds like every girl I've ever dated. All two of them."
"She was a lifesaver. In the three years after we had Emily, she was a wonderful mother. I thought I was gonna be with Carrie forever. But--"
"Whoa whoa whoa, time out! What did you just say? Your first wife's name was Carrie?"
"Yeah. Carrie Blackthorne. Heiress to a powerful coven."
Max was dumbfounded. 
"I'm gonna guess that you know someone by that name, don't you?"
"Yeah. She was one of my classmates. She's a French heiress and a brilliant tech guru. Ironically, I think she'd get along great with Cindy."
"I'll be damned. You ever think about...you know."
"Oh, no. She's a stunning girl, but she's way out of my league. Not to mention she's the girlfriend of...my ex-girlfriend."
"Oh...yeah, that'll do it." The commander waved it off. "We're getting off-track."
"Can you tell me what happened to her? I know it's got to be something bad, but..."
"I get it. If this is gonna work, we've got to be open, right?" The older Max sighed. "How much did Emily tell you about Horace's group?"
"She told me they're this elitist sect of mages living in the mountains. And that their leader's evaded capture for a long time."
"Did she tell you about the first time the P.D.F. tried to bring him in?"
"Uh-uh."
"It was about twenty-five years ago. Me and Carrie were part of the team sent to arrest Harold and his cult. We had no idea just how powerful that man was. It was a disaster. Half of our people were killed that day. And while it was happening, I was hiding behind a house trying to figure out what I was gonna do. All the while, my brothers-in-arms were getting slaughtered. They all scored so high during training. If they couldn't put a hand on this guy, how was I gonna do anything? Carrie tried to help me get it together. But then the bastard found us. She opened up a portal. I can remember the exact words she said to me. 'Someone has to be there for Emily'. She pushed me through. People who survived told me that he stopped her before she could go through. I ended up at the bottom of the mountain. And by the time I got back up there..."
The commander slowly shook his head. He looked like he was trying to hold back tears. "Harold and his people had made their escape. Everyone left was trying to get medical attention. I walked to where I had been hiding and...there she was. I lost it. All because I was such a screw-up. If I'd just been stronger, then she and the others wouldn't have..." He paused. "It's been over two decades since then. I still haven't forgiven myself for it. I tripled down on my training and making myself a stronger person. Eventually I worked my way up to commander of the entire Northeast region. It shouldn't have taken losing everything to get to that point."
"Does Emily know?"
"Of course she does. She knows *everything*. She blamed me for what happened. It was my job to keep her safe, and I blew it. Things didn't get much better when me and Letty got together. She and Carrie were friends. We grieved together, and after a while it became more. Emily still hasn't accepted it."
"I could feel the awkwardness when she walked past you just now."
"It was so much worse when she was younger. Those teenage years, let me tell you. She'd blame me for her mom's death, she'd say I let her die on purpose, me and Letty conspired to do it, et cetera. I heard 'I hate you' more times than I can count. Even though she's eased up as she's gotten older, it's still not completely healed. Her and Letty still don't get along, and even though she tries to have a relationship with Cindy, I can tell that she's forcing it a bit. And I don't blame her one bit. How can I when I still blame myself?"
"I'm sorry, man. It was an evil man that did it, not you. But I guess our consciences won't let us think that."
"Guess we're just a couple of guilty blockheads, aren't we? Look, kid. What you did was messed up. Not gonna sugarcoat that. As far as you never being able to find happiness, I don't believe that's true. In spite of everything, all the loss and the guilt, I'm at a spot in life where I'm thankful for everything that I have. A loving marriage, two amazing kids, a job that I busted my ass to get. I'm far from perfect. And I made my share of mistakes. But you're still young. As long as you keep making the right decisions, then maybe you'll find yourself at a point, years from now, sitting with your girl in a place of your own, and say to yourself 'I'm happy'."
Max nodded. "You're right. I have to keep doing the right thing. Not for fame or personal gain. *Because* it's the right thing. So...I'll help you out. I'll help you bring that murderous bastard in once and for all."
"Dead serious? Gotta warn you, kid. He's no one to sneeze at. And he's got some majorly dangerous connections. Sure you're on board?"
"I've faced worse. I've *been* worse. If it means giving you and your family some peace, then I'm all in on it."
The commander patted him on the shoulder. "My man."
"Okay, now kiss." Bobbi was observing from stairs.
"Gah! How long were you standing there?" 
"The whole time. You ladies want to take this on the road? I've still got paperwork to fill out about the incident at training this morning."
"Sorry again about that. Shouldn't we wait until Emily gets back from lunch? Wouldn't want to leave her store open unattended." Max asked.
"Alright, fine. I can stay in the haunted library for a little bit longer. Hopefully I'm not possessed before I leave..."
"(I still feel like there's things I don't understand. And the familial discord is definitely something to work on. But progress is progress, I guess. I just need to keep doing the right thing. Mom...Barb...Ibuki...I'll see you again soon. And I'll be better when I do.)" Max thought.