Persona BLEACHED 3: Gaiden Pt. 2

Gaiden: The Long Summer Pt. 2
July 15, 2031
The Mojave Desert took up parts of four states, and was a far cry from the tropical climate of Los Angeles. Beaches and boardwalks were replaced with tumbleweeds and rattlesnakes, humidity with a relentless dryness.
Driving through the desert on this day was a black bus, rented out by the Ashen group for the next month. Barbara, the only one with a valid US driver's license, was at the wheel. "Lookit this tiny thing driving this big hunk of metal like it's no problem. You alright there, Barbie?" Kat asked from the seat behind Barbara.
"Mmhmm~. I knew I was gonna be the one driving, so I asked my uncle to help me practice driving something bigger. He used to drive the bus up in Colorado Springs. I could use a bit of a rest, but we're only a half-hour away from Vegas. I can toughen it out." Barbara replied.
"Nuh-uh. If you need a break now, we've got plenty of time. Saw a sign for a rest spot coming up. Wouldn't hurt to get out and stretch."
"Yeah, she's right. Don't want you to hurt yourself." Kibō agreed.
"Perhaps I'll be able to step out and say hello to a scorpion." Kenneth said.
Natalia tugged on Kat's tank top. "Hey, Kitty Kat. You think this is the rest stop Officer Oda was talking about?"
"Oh, shoot. Maybe it is. How many spots just outside Vegas could there be? We'll have to keep our eyes peeled." Kat replied.
"What's this about Officer Oda?" Barbara asked.
"He told us his parents live here. They run a diner at a rest stop close to town. Probably the one we're stopping at. He wanted us to stop in and say hello if we passed by." Carrie answered.
"Not like we're in this part of the world that often. Wouldn't hurt." Ibuki commented.
The bus pulled up to the rest building, parking in the spot reserved for larger vehicles. Everyone started filing out of the bus and stretching. "Ugggh, my butt feels numb..." Sahir uttered. Kenneth promptly kicked him in the rear. "Oof! What was that for?!"
"Restoring feeling in your posterior." Kenneth bluntly replied.
Sakuya and Barbara both stretched their legs up high, holding them for a few seconds. Natalia tried repeating the feat, with little success. "Show offs..." she mumbled.
"If y'all need to take a leak, I'd suggest doing it now. I'm gonna go check out the diner. Coming, Hoods?" Kat asked.
"Yeah, coming..." Natalia huffed.
Kat put an arm around her. "You don't need to stretch your legs up to be cute, danish."
Kenneth stared out into the desert expanse. "I can scarcely comprehend living in such a moisture-deprived environment as this. Is this what you experience at home?"
Sahir took a bite out of some jerkey. "Well, Lagos is right by the ocean, so it's more like LA than here. Go further out and that's where you start getting the sand. Difference being that instead of lions and zebras, you've got..."
His thought was interrupted by a shape emerging from the desert: a large canine with reddish-brown fur. It looked right in Sahir's direction.
"...those."
Kenneth looked at Sahir's hands. "I think he's interested in your meal."
Sahir inched away. "I'm just gonna...move back slowly..."
"Coyotes aren't that dangerous to people. My mom says they're more like tricksters. I'd still keep my distance, though." Barbara cautioned.
"Know who else was a trickster? Loki. Not gonna take my--" Sahir looked to his side, and there was another coyote a few yards away. "Oh good, he brought a friend! Uhhh...nice doggies..." He looked to Kenneth. "Catch!"
He tossed the jerkey at Kenneth and sprinted away. "Wha--" Kenneth looked at the coyotes, now staring at him. "You want your meal? Take it!" He tossed the meat at the canines and ran away. The coyotes gave chase.
"Why are they still chasing us?!" Sahir questioned.
"They still smell meat, you buffoon! Are we supposed to outrun them in the blazing heat?!" Kenneth responded.
"No, I just gotta outrun you!"
"Ladies, I think we should duck in the bus now." Kibō suggested.
"SERPENTINE, YOU LUGNUTS! SERPENTINE!" Ibuki yelled out.
Inside the diner, an older, Asian man with graying hair looked out the window. He was sitting, and had a cane, with a gray shirt reading "Okinawa P.D." He had a rancher's cap slung behind his head. "The hell's going on out there...?"
"What'cha lookin' at, Shijuro?" asked the woman behind the counter, who had messy brown hair and a camouflage shirt reading "U.S.M.C."
"Same shit as always, Nancy. Some kids playing around with coyotes."
"Welp. They get rabies, they'd better not sue."
The door opened. "Howdy, folks." Kat greeted.
"Howdy there, sweetheart. By any chance, would those be your chuckleheads over by the bus?" Nancy asked.
The girls looked out the window at the scene outside. Kenneth had gotten into the bus, while Sahir had somehow jumped on top of it. The pair of coyotes had quickly grown into a pack of six, all circling the bus. "Where do these things keep coming from?!" Sahir proclaimed.
"Oh...God." Kat groaned.
"How does that even happen?!" Natalia questioned.
"Happens more often than you'd think." Shijuro commented.
"Hold up..." Nancy reached behind the counter and pulled out a shotgun.
"Whoa whoa whoa, you're not gonna make this a massacre, are you?!" Kat questioned.
"Calm down, darlin', this ain't my first rodeo."
The older woman went outside. "Hey!" She fired a shot into the air. "Go on, git!"
The coyotes scattered, disappearing into the desert. Sahir looked over. "Thank you!" he waved.
Nancy went back inside. "That's the problem when folks feed the mutts. They stop bein' afraid of people and crud like that happens." She put the gun back where she'd gotten it. "So...what can I do you for, ladies?"
"Uh..." Kat took a second to regain her composure. "Well...thanks for saving our friends, for one." "(We beat demons on the regular, but can't handle a few desert doggos. Really ain't in Tokyo anymore.)" she thought.
"Sorry if this kinda comes out of left field, but would you two happen to have a son working as a cop in Tokyo?" Natalia asked.
"Well, yeah. As a matter of fact. How do you kids know Jugo?" Shijuro asked.
"We went to high school in Tokyo, and he's a friend of our professor. We're on vacation, and he mentioned that his parents ran a diner in Vegas. Wanted us to see how you were doing."
"Boy's too busy workin' that he sends a bunch of kiddies our way. What's the badger up to?" Nancy asked.
"Oh, y'know. Cop stuff. Speeding tickets and the like." Kat replied.
"So you've gotta be the cat girl he warned us about." Shijuro said.
"Tell the salty boy that his old folks are just peachy. Even if his pa's leg's still shot." Nancy added.
"What happened to your leg, Mr. Oda?" Natalia asked.
"That'd be Detective Oda, missy. As for the leg, I took a bullet chasing down a perp. Not even a robber or a spree killer. Just ran across some punk spraying graffiti while I was off-duty and he pulled a gun on me. Shattered the bone to where it never healed properly and I had to put away my badge." Shijuro replied.
"Damn, that's rough. My girlfriend's uncle is a detective. Not so much the 'beat cop' type and more of the eccentric Holmes-ish sort. Three years of knowing her and I've only met the guy once." Kat said.
"So how exactly did you two meet? And how come you're here and Officer Oda's in Japan?" Natalia asked.
"I was stationed at an army base in Okinawa. That's where this old sod was on patrol. I saw him with that ten-gallon hat and thought, 'What's a fella on this side of the world doin' with a hat like that?' I just had to know what his deal was. I swear he had the biggest collection of old western movies I've ever seen, on either side of the ocean. Haven't left the geezer's side since." Nancy replied.
"As for what Shijugo's doing back in Tokyo, we bounced back and forth between here and there depending on Nancy's deployment. But we stayed long enough for him to finish high school at that fancypants academy in Naruki. And there's where he met the redhead. Rin Kubo." Shijuro added.
"The crazy smart girl with the most charming damn ma you'll ever meet. I'm gonna throw a dart and say that the apple girl's your prof, yeah?"
"She'd be the one." Kat affirmed.
"Makes too much sense. Her network of people is beyond belief. Just had this way about her. When it came time for Shijugo to decide where he was going after graduation, he tells me, 'I'm staying put, Pa. If I stick around this girl and her friends, I'm gonna see something incredible.' Couldn't really explain what it meant. I just assumed she had a thing for the girl."
"(Boy, you are way off on that.)" Kat thought.
"Not assumin' nuthin', but you've got the same kinda air around you, pussycat. You her little sister or somethin'?" Nancy asked.
"Yep." Kat replied with no hesitation.
"Hunh. Don't look all that much like her, to be frank." Shijuro pondered.
"Doesn't have anything to do with blood."
The door opened again. "Kitten, we're about to head out. We need to hurry before the coyotes come back for seconds." Carrie urged.
"That's our cue, folks. We'll tell Mr. Officer we said hi next time we're in town." Kat said.
"Tell the badger his folks are AOK and so proud of him. And that he needs to hurry up and get a girlfriend. I ain't gettin' any younger!" Nancy griped.
"Clearly." Shijuro joked.
"I need to get the 12-gauge out again, old man?"
"Not while we're here, please..." Kat grumbled, and the girls left.
"...boy, if the coyotes gave 'em trouble, those kids don't know what Vegas has for 'em. Heehee..." Shijuro cackled.
---
Ibuki looked out, mouth agape. Before her was a large, man-made lake that took up several acres. The body of water was in stark contrast to the towering cityscape of Las Vegas, so densely populated by casinos and resorts.
Behind her was one such resort, a monumental structure colored white. At the peak of the hotel, the single word "Bellagio" was written. Surrounding the lake were stores bearing the names of several high-end clothing and jewelry brands.
Having grown up in harsh conditions, the sight of such prevalent luxury left Ibuki speechless.
"Breathtaking, isn't it?" Carrie walked up behind her. "In the afternoon this lake comes to life. The fountains dance to the sound of music. A spectacle we're sure to bear witness to soon enough."
"....." Ibuki remained in shock.
"You've gotta thank your auntie for paying for all this, Care. I feel like I'm walking into a palace!" Sahir exclaimed.
"Think nothing of it. Aunt Melly knows how important this trip is for us. Money is no issue." Carrie assured.
"I can't wait to see what the rooms look like!" Natalia excitedly said.
"Hold on, there's a casino in here, too?" Kibō questioned.
"That's right. More or less every resort in the city has one. An easy money trap for wealthy guests if I've ever seen one." Carrie answered. "You coming, Ibuki? Once we've checked in and unpacked, we can start exploring."
"...I don't belong here." Ibuki answered.
"Don't be silly, of course you do. You're part of the family."
"Not like that. I mean...this is where people with money to burn come to do whatever they feel like. I'm staring at a Louis Vuitton right now. Two years ago I was on the street, selling myself for milk money. I couldn't ever dream of setting foot near a place like this. Much less staying here. I just...can't thank you guys enough. For changing my life so much."
"You don't have to thank us, love. Your own will is what brought you up from the brink. And beating Kibō's mother into unconsciousness. Any help we gave was miniscule compared to the effort you put in to turn your life around. So let's go reap the rewards of that, hmm?"
Ibuki smirked. "Yeah. I'm amped for this. Got a dress for tonight that's gonna drive y'all crazy."
"One more thing to look forward to. Let's be on our way." Carrie led her inside.
---
"Open wide." Carrie requested. It was later that night, and she and Kat were in their luxury room. The two were seated across from one another, and Carrie was applying lipstick to Kat's mouth. "There, all done."
"How am I looking?" Kat asked.
"Let's take a peek."
The girls got in front of the mirror. Carrie was in an elegant purple dress and heels, with thin, golden earrings on, along with a necklace bearing a purple gemstone in its center. Kat had contacts on, and wore a collared black dress with a slit on the bottom, along with black heels and black cat earrings.
Kat blinked. "Woah...is that what I look like without glasses?"
"You look positively ravishing, Kitten. And look..." Carrie put her hand by one of Kat's ears. "My ring matches your earrings." She giggled.
"Well what do you know." Kat put her hand by Carrie's necklace. "Guess we're just twinsies." She paused to think. "You know...this is the first time I've seen you without a lens over my face."
"And what are your thoughts?"
"The same as always. You're the most beautiful girl in the world and I can't believe I got so lucky."
"Black cats are known for bringing good fortune in most parts of the world. I know one that's brought me boundless happiness."
"I love you."
"I love you." Carrie raised her phone. "Shall we?"
"Absolutely. I need a new wallpaper."
The girls took photos together, before leaving their room. Kat looked at her phone. "Ep. Already got a comment on the pics."
Underneath the post with her pictures was a comment from an account, with the username of "@AppleBlossom20". The comment read "Beautiful ladies!! Sending you all the love from Tokyo. Keep taking tons of pictures, little sis ❤🍎"
Kat replied to it. "I'm gonna fill your phone up with em, big sis 🖤🐈‍⬛ Love u!!!"
"I get the feeling that she's been waiting on an update for a while." Carrie surmised.
"I'm happy to give her as many as she can handle. She's as much a part of it as we are. Only fair she gets a front row seat."
"Absolutely. And if there's one thing I enjoy seeing, it's the genuine love you have for her."
"I mean..."
"I'm not envious if that's what you're thinking. There's plenty of room in your heart and mine. What you have with the Professor is special. Just like what you have with the rest of our group." Carrie put her arm around Kat's. "I'm more than happy to share."
"I'm gonna start fogging up these contacts. Let's go before my makeup starts running..."
The girls went downstairs and outside the hotel, over to the stone railings in front of the lake. Already there and looking out towards the lake was Ibuki, wearing a crimson red dress, black heels with nylon stockings, large hoop earrings and gold bands on each of her wrists. Her usually wild hair had been straightened out.
"Hey, I thought you couldn't use arrows outside Tokyo." Kat called out.
Ibuki turned to look. "What'cha talking about?"
"I could feel an arrow piercing my heart when I looked at you. Cuz hoo MAMA."
"Ooh, hear that, Care? Your other half like what she sees. Hope you don't got any complaints."
"None whatsoever. Especially when I agree. You have a queenly majesty about you. It's hard not to notice." Carrie replied.
"Well if you're that bubbly about me, just wait til you get eyes on Saku. Homegirl is looking 110% homewoman."
"Boy oh boy. Now I'm getting goosebumps." Kat replied.
"You and me both." Sahir approached the girls. His dreadlocks were no longer tied up and fell freely. He wore a black suit and dress pants, the suit being unbuttoned, and he wore a tie with black-and-white stripes alternating.
"Don't try the skirt-chasing act now, Kicks. I was about to say that you clean up really good."
"Hey, hey, don't assume I'm gonna try anything. Not my fault I walked up to three queens in the flesh. I was just gonna leave it at 'I think you all look very pretty'."
"What a class act. I think you look pretty, too." Ibuki replied.
"Ha ha ha. Y'know, Kitty Kat, it took me a second to recognize ya. You don't go without the spectacles that often. Those eyes of yours...they're an extra bit of striking without frames in front of them."
"I'm inclined to agree. Your eyes are the first thing anyone notices when they look at you. Such a bright shade of pink is as rare as rare can be." Carrie agreed.
"Y'all like it that much, huh? Maybe I should keep it like this more often." Kat replied.
The clacking of heels sounded out. "Good evening, everyone."
"I hear myself a Maggie. Let's get a look at whaaaaaaaa--" Kat's jaw dropped.
There was Sakuya. Her dress was a dark reddish-purple, going up to her neck and possessing long sleeves. She had on dark heels and black stockings, and her hands were covered by reddish-brown gloves. Her hair was down, she wore dark red-purple eyeshadow, and had on silver teardrop-shaped earrings.
"You all are looking wonderful, as to be expected. I hope that bodes well for tonight." She bowed.
"Holy--" Kat uttered.
"It's you we should be talking about! Sakuya...you look amazing! I'm at a loss for words..." Carrie exclaimed.
"That means quite a lot coming from you. I thought a more mature, toned-down approach was in order. I'm very happy with how it turned out." Sakuya said. She put an arm around Sahir's. "I think we make a rather good duo, don't you think?"
"I know it's not me they're gonna be eyeing. And I've already told her how gorgeous she looks. More than once." Sahir replied.
"My last count was twenty-two." 
"You're slacking, ace. I would've said it thirty times by now." Ibuki joked.
"Well isn't this an uncharacteristically dignified gathering." Kenneth arrived, wearing a red suit and pants, with a black dress shirt and yellow tie.
"Hello to you, too, Mr. Edgeworth. How characteristically spiffy you look." Kat commented.
"Naturally. I put thought and care into how I look. Unlike some people."
"I wonder who 'some people' might be." Sahir responded.
"Couldn't be the man who spends most of his free moments in his boxers."
Kat plugged her ears. "Nope nope nope, TMI. Lalalalala..."
"Oh, hold on. Is Natalia not with you, Kenneth?" Carrie asked.
"She should be here any moment now. She needed a few extra minutes to get ready." Kenneth looked back. "Ah, here she is now."
Arriving in a yellow dress with a white skirt was Natalia. Her usually messy hair had been smoothed out, and she wore a heart-shaped hair clip on her left-hand side. Silver hearts hung from her ears, and she wore yellow heels with straps around her ankles. A red heart necklace, gifted to her by Carrie, hung from her neck. She was blushing. "Hiya...ahehehe...is this too much?"
"Guuuuuuurl!" Kat uttered.
"What are you talking about, love, you look stunning! Please tell me this is a Van Damme original, it has all of your hallmarks!" Carrie said.
"It is! I spent the time I had back home getting it just right." Natalia affirmed.
"You look wonderful, Natty-chan. The only thing it's missing is a hood." Sakuya commented.
"Oh, trust me, I tried. But you look so good too, Saku! Honestly, I dunno if I hold a candle to you all, I might be too cutesy..." Natalia fidgeted with her fingers.
Kenneth patted her on the head. "I frankly have no idea what you're talking about. You're breathtaking. If I could make a bronze statue out of you right now, I would."
"Eheheheeeee~." Natalia turned even redder.
"Hello hello hello~!" Barbara approached. She wore a light blue minidress, blue heels with bows on the straps, silver stars hanging from her ears, and gold bracelets on her wrists. Her hair had been curled. "Ohhh, everyone looks so good! I don't know where to start handing out compliments~."
"How about I start with you, cutie? Has anyone ever called you an angel given flesh before?" Kat asked.
"Only every other time you see me, Kitty Kat. Maybe I should be returning the favor. Don't think I don't see that leg flashing in and out of sight. You're more of a lioness than a kitten now, bestie~."
"Girl, please, I'm nowhere close to your leg--ah, league!" Kat blushed, embarrassed.
"Guess I'm the last one to the party." Kibō arrived.
"There's the Keebster! Let's take a look at--uh." Ibuki uttered.
Kibō wore a gray suit and pants, a red dress shirt and black tie. What caught Ibuki's attention, however, was his ahoge--or lack thereof.
"Dude...where's the, uh, y'know?" Sahir put his finger up to his head, pointing upwards.
"Didn't you say that it grows back bigger whenever you cut it?" Carrie asked.
"It does. Which is why I didn't cut it. This is all from hair gel. Lots. And lots. Of hair gel. For however long it lasts." Kibō touched his hair.
"My man's a stud, right? Spiky hair or no spiky hair. He looks so official~." Barbara embraced him.
"Why are y'all doing this to me? There's too much wife and husband material around! I didn't think I'd be having this kind of dinner!" Kat griped.
"That's why it's called a feast, Kitty Kat. Plenty to go around for everybody." Ibuki chimed.
"Before we all start losing ourselves to hunger, I believe a few photos are in order." Carrie interjected.
"Good call. This is some nightstand material here. Ladies first." Kat ordered.
The girls got in front of the lake. "Make us look pretty, Kenny." Natalia said.
"An easier art project, I will never have." Kenneth responded.
"Awwww." Barbara uttered.
"Love ya too, Kenny." Kat replied.
Kenneth took the picture, and the next few minutes consisted of group photo after couple photo. "On a scale of one to ten, how touristy do we look right now?" Sahir asked.
"Twelve." Sakuya replied.
"Already sending all of it Prof's way." Kat said.
"Is she even awake right now?" Ibuki questioned.
"Tokyo's seventeen hours ahead of where we are now. Meaning she's already at noon tomorrow." Kibō clarified.
"She's probably helping Ms. Hana at the shop. Or just relaxing peacefully on the couch with a good novel. Such is the life of an educator when school is out for another month." Kenneth surmised.
"She told me she was gonna go to a family reunion in Kiyosu. Or as Doc called it, 'a red-headed florists' convention'. She sounded kinda iffy about it. Mainly cuz Ms. Hana's sisters are gonna be there and there's a long history of bad feelings between all of them." Kat explained.
"Her sisters being the moms of the fortune teller and the super vain guy, right?" Natalia asked.
"The bickering duo. Joy of joys. No wonder Professor Kubo has her trepidations." Kenneth added.
"Well if you want to look at it this way, if the flower lady didn't bicker with her sisters she wouldn't have gone to Tokyo and met Teach's dad. What-ifs are weird like that." Sahir surmised.
"Like how if we never suffered our individual traumas, we wouldn't have gone to Japan and met one another." Carrie added.
"Much as we would all prefer to have had pain-free upbringings, it brought us all together and made us stronger as people. We're all better for having grown with each other." Sakuya stated.
"I'd have taken not having to live through selling myself and being abused in a heartbeat. But I wouldn't trade having you lot for anything." Ibuki affirmed.
"And as much as I wouldn't have wanted to sit through years of bullying and switching schools three times a year, I'm happy with where I'm at now if it means getting to spend my days with you loonies." Kat stated.
Carrie grabbed Kat's arm. "...no regrets. The road brought me here to you all. That's enough for me."
Barbara hugged them both. "Ditto. No regrets. You guys are the best."
"Let's go have a toast, then. To our beautiful chaos. After that, a show and...perhaps a slice of that Sin City nightlife?" Kenneth proposed.
"Alright, now you're speaking my language!" Sahir prepared to slap him on the shoulders, but stopped before committing, and instead gave Kenneth a gentle pat.
"I'm gonna get you guys *so* wrecked!" Ibuki slapped Sahir's shoulders. "Ah, hold up...what's the legal drinking age in the states?"
"Twenty-one." Barbara answered.
"Tsk, sorry, boys. Guess you've gotta wait a while for Fireball's Night of Fun."
"I'll settle for fantasizing about what that could possibly entail." Kenneth uttered.
"Or we could take a trip to China." Sakuya looked through her phone. "Or Russia. Or Australia. Or Mexico. Or most of South America, or Spain, the UK, parts of Canada..."
"Sorry, folks. Guess we'll have to set up a London date to get plastered." Kat said.
"Too bad, so sad." Ibuki teased.
---
"Um, Ibuki...how many is that now?" Barbara asked.
It was later on in the night, inside the Bellagio's casino. Ibuki sat at the bar, a bottle of Dos Equis in her hands. "It's only my third, Babs, take it easy. Just having a little fun." She took another sip.
"Well don't overdo it. I've seen people turn into demons from chugging down so much of the stuff. I don't want the same thing to happen to you."
"Senpai is right. My mother struggled with alcoholism for years after I went missing. It's important to set limits for yourself." Sakuya cautioned.
"Girlies, please. I know what addiction looks like. I'm not about to get trashed or anything. Wouldn't be fair on the rest of y'all to have to deal with that. You don't gotta worry about me." Ibuki assured.
"If you say so. There's just a lot of bad memories involved with the stuff. I don't want to spoil your fun, just being careful." Barbara explained.
"You're an angel, Barbie. Thanks for being so open with me. If only everyone in your gene pool was so honest." Ibuki took another swig.
"I..." Barbara felt a tug.
"A word, Senpai." Sakuya pulled her aside. "It might be best not to poke the bear with her, so to speak. Your brother remains a...complicated topic with her."
"Is it really that bad?"
"The night before everyone went their separate ways after graduation, Hinotama-san went rather overboard with the alcohol consumption. For about an hour she raved about a multitude of topics, but none so visceral as when she brought up Max-kun. She went back and forth for several minutes between 'I hate him so much' and 'I want him to come back'. It was chaotic."
"Oh, no. I didn't think it was still bothering her so much. Felt like she'd made peace with it. But I guess that's easier said than done."
"Do you want my honest opinion? I think this strain on her heart will continue until Max-kun decides to come back. Because I think, in spite of everything...she's in love with him. If you truly despised someone and they vanished off the face of the Earth, you wouldn't be agonizing over it. If anything, you'd be joyous about the fact. But that's not what's happening to Hinotama-san."
"....." Barbara paused to think. "I think after dealing with so much abuse all her life, she sees Maxie for what he is. Noble and idealistic. Even though those same ideals drove him to do some awful things. Not the least of which, he ended up changing her heart, too."
"The heart. So ridiculously complicated. No matter what, we should keep giving her support. I think you would be of the most help in that regard."
"Oy." Ibuki appeared next to them.
"Eep! How long have you been--" Barbara jumped.
"Y'all see what's happening over there?" Ibuki gestured towards the poker room. The rest of their group had gathered in there.
The Bellagio's poker room was a hub for many of the game's premier names. Many of the card game's top-tier competitions were hosted here. Match pots regularly number in the thousands, and in the most high-stakes matches could go far past a million.
The three girls approached their companions. "Hey guys...what's happening?" Barbara asked.
"Pure insanity." Kenneth replied.
Three men were seated at the table, all with varying degrees of disbelief on their faces. The fourth individual at the table had an air of confidence. Considering the mountain of poker chips on her side of the table, this was understandable. "Well, gentlemen? Folding or no?" Kat asked.
"What in the world...?" Sakuya pondered.
"Me and Care tried our hand and lost a bit of coin. So Kitty Kat decided to get it back and then some. Her words." Kibō replied.
"She may have gotten a touch carried away." Carrie added.
"Well, boys? I'm waiting." Kat repeated.
"No way, she's gotta be bluffing. Look at that face!" one man replied.
"Don't buy it, man. She's been playing mental gymnastics this whole time." another man responded.
"Well it's gotta end sometime." the third man sighed. All three put down their hands.
"Hmmhmm, hmmhmm. Not bad. But unfortunately..." Kat put down her hand. Royal flush. "Game, set, and match, I believe."
The men groaned. "Un-freakin-believable."
"How old did you say you were?"
"I just turned eighteen a couple days ago." Kat replied.
"Jesus. I've seen pros that don't have that kind of poker face. I know when I'm beat."
The men departed. Kat got up. "Yeah, I know I said that we shouldn't go crazy at the casino, but I had a point to make. Still got a Krew to look after, y'know?"
"How the hell did you just pull that off?" Sahir asked.
"I'm good at detecting lies, remember? And half of poker is the mind game. The other half is reading faces. You gotta be five steps ahead." Kat looked to the chips. "So, uh...mind helping me with these?"
"How much is even in there?" Natalia asked.
"Oh, I dunno. I stopped keeping track. Can promise ya I'll be splitting it nine ways. A few extra souvenirs we can take back." Kat moved to pick up the chips.
"I'll, um, handle it." Kibō volunteered. He picked up the majority of the chips.
"What a fine gentleman." Kat picked up the rest.
The rest of the group shrugged, and followed after.
---
Later in the night, Ibuki stared out the window of the hotel room, to the bright, neon-colored cityscape.
"Are you coming to bed, Hinotama-san?" Sakuya asked her. Sahir was already sound asleep.
"I think I'm gonna head out for a bit." Ibuki replied.
"All by yourself? Are you sure that's a good idea?"
"I just wanna get some air. Really take in where I'm at. It'll only be for a little while."
"Try to remain close by. A woman by herself at night in a city like this would be an attractive prospect for trouble. I know you can defend yourself just fine, but..."
"I'll be fine. You can have some private cuddles with the ace there. I won't go far, promise."
"If you're so sure. Call me if there's any sign of danger."
Ibuki headed for the door. "Hey...Saku?"
"Yes?"
"...it's nothing. See you in a bit--"
"You overheard my conversation with Senpai earlier, didn't you?"
"....."
"I thought so. I apologize if I've misread your feelings. I realize how difficult it must be for you to think about--"
"Don't apologize." Ibuki opened the door. "You weren't wrong."
She left. "...oh, Hinotama-san, I'm so sorry..." Sakuya muttered.
Ibuki went downstairs, out of the lobby and onto the Strip. "(I guess this is just the curse I have to deal with. Always dreaming of a happy fairytale ending with a knight in shining armor. This ain't what I had in mind at all.)" she thought. "(What would I even say to him if I saw him again? 'I hate what you did to all those people but I know you're still a good person and that's why I--')" She shook her head. "(Come on, get it together. There's plenty of fish out there. Yeah. Plenty of fish that only see you for your bod. None that give a damn about who you are and what you've gone through. That's why I keep coming back to--)"
She overheard a commotion. Down a nearby alley, an argument was ensuing. "Come on, you can gimme better than that. This really all the shit you've made?" a male voice questioned.
"Just leave me alone...I need just a little bit of money..." a woman's voice replied.
"You get as much as I *let* you get, bitch. You remember our deal, don't you?"
The conversation was a familiar one to Ibuki. It brought back a series of uncomfortable memories. She couldn't sit idly by and let it play out.
"Damn it. Here goes." She went towards the noise.
Outside of her view, someone else had taken notice.
Inside the alley, a woman was being handled by an intimidating-looking man. "Let me go...just this once..."
"Since when do you think you can give me orders? You forgetting how this works? Stupid, useless little whore..."
The man raised his hand, and moved to slap the woman. As his hand came down...it was caught. "The hell?"
Ibuki was squeezing his hand. She promptly punched him in the nose, knocking him to the ground. "Agh! What the fuck was that?! Who the hell are you?!"
"I'm the garbage disposal." Ibuki replied. "Hey, you okay?"
"Um, yeah...thank you..." the woman replied.
"Sweetie, I know what you're going through more than you'd think. First thing's first, you need to get the hell out of here. Then you--"
"You ain't going *nowhere*. Boys! Get her ass!" the man called out, his nose gushing blood.
An adjacent door opened up, and three men came out, one holding a bat, another with a gun.
"Shit." Ibuki uttered.
"See what happens when you play hero, bitch? Put her out of her...huh?"
The man had caught sight of something. Someone had appeared at the entrance of the alleyway. Ibuki turned to look, and was stunned.
The individual was wearing a black-and-blue hooded jacket and pants. His hands were in his jacket pockets, and he was looking down.
"The hell's this guy's deal?" one henchman questioned.
"Another wannabe hero, I'm guessing." another responded.
The hooded man lifted his head. His face was shadowed, save for two glowing blue eyes. "Poor choice of words."
"Wait, shit--! It's that Phantom jackass!" the third henchman exclaimed.
"Don't just stand there, light his ass up!" the boss ordered.
The thug with a gun fired it at the hooded man, only for the bullets to bounce off of him with no effect. He tauntingly brushed it off, before running at the thugs. He first decked the gunman with a hard punch, and it became apparent that his arms were encased in black armor.
"...girlie, I'd suggest you run." Ibuki said.
"Yeah, okay..." The woman did so.
The hooded attacker quickly overwhelmed the thugs. Their leader attempted to sneak away, but Ibuki grabbed him from behind. She wagged her finger at him, before knocking him out with a single punch to the face.
She turned back to face the so-called Phantom. "I don't believe it...it's really you, isn't it? Why are you here?" 
He put a finger in front of his face in a "shushing" gesture. "Don't follow me."
He turned around, then leapt up and propelled himself onto the top of the building, disappearing from sight.
"Wait! You can't just keep running forever, Maxie! Don't you get it already?! There's people that need you! Your ma needs you! Barbie needs you!" Ibuki growled. "I NEED YOU! GET BACK HERE, YOU DAMN COWARD! COME BAAAAACK!"
Atop the building, he listened. "It's for your own good." He turned around, and vanished into a portal.
---
July 16, 2031
Early the next morning, an exhausted-looking Ibuki sat in the hotel dining room, her hand on her forehead. "And there's the whole of it."
Kat and Carrie sat across from her. "Unbelievable. After all this time, he shows up to get you out of trouble. It's remarkably in-character." Carrie stated.
"But what's all this about him being a 'phantom'?" Kat questioned.
"I looked it up when I got back to the room. There's been all these incidents scattered around the country. A guy in a black hood with crazy strength beating up on criminals and leaving them on the police's doorstep. The thing being, a lot of the ones he's targeted were thought to be untouchable. That, and they all readily admitted their crimes after being arrested. Almost like...they'd had their hearts changed." Ibuki explained.
"That Sparky...even when he's punishing himself, he's still trying to do the right thing." Kat replied.
"But it doesn't make any sense. How can he still have his power outside of the Metaverse? We aren't in Tokyo, so it shouldn't be possible." Carrie questioned.
"Might have more to do with the armor than anything else. If it's still letting him go back and forth between the real world and the Metaverse, who knows what else he can do?"
"I suppose you're right. But how did he know that Ibuki needed help in that moment? Did he just happen to be in the city at the same time?"
"I don't think so. I've had this gut feeling, but now I'm more than certain. He's still keeping an eye on us. Hey, Bookie?"
"Hm...?" Ibuki seemed to snap out of a trance.
"You looked like you were light years away from here. Can I run something by you real quick?" Kat showed a picture on her phone, of the group standing together following their graduation a month prior. "Did what Sparky was wearing look anything...like that?"
She pointed to a figure in the background standing against a tree. He was wearing a dark hoodie. Ibuki looked closely. "That's...that's exactly it. So what, he's been following us around this whole time?"
"Maybe not all the time. He could've just come by Tokyo to...I don't know. Find some closure? But now that we're on his home turf, he might be making sure we're all okay. Who knows, maybe he's trying to drum up the courage to come back around."
"He's had a year and a half to let it simmer in his brain. From the sound of it, the guilt must still be overwhelming him. I can't blame him for still being hesitant." Carrie surmised.
"....." Ibuki's thoughts remained elsewhere.
"I'm sorry, Bookie. Take it from someone that knows the feeling. Sparky loves to make things complicated. Even when he doesn't mean to." Kat said.
"There's so much more I wanted to scream at him that I just couldn't get out. I've got a good life now. A great home, awesome friends, a job that I legit love. I don't have any reason to be bitter anymore. The only thing I'm missing is someone to share it with. Someone that gets me as much as I get them. Like what you guys have."
"Ibuki..." Carrie uttered.
"He had to understand what I meant, didn't he? Why wouldn't he just turn around and say something? Why does it have to hurt like this..."
"The same reason why he's stayed away from Barbie and their mom. He thinks you'll be better off with him not around. Until he realizes how wrong he is, he's gonna keep up the disappearing act. Don't look so bummed. We've got a long vacation ahead, remember? And I've got a feeling we haven't seen the last of our Phantom." Kat replied.
"There's something else bothering me." Carrie brought up. "He still holds the power to change hearts. Why attack criminals in the real world if the whole point was to get them to confess?"
Their conversation came to a pause when a certain someone walked over. "Good morning, ladies~. Surprised you all didn't sleep in." Barbara chimed.
"Not when I get the prospect of looking at your beautiful face first thing in the AM." Kat replied.
"My logic exactly, Kitten." Carrie winked. Kat looked away, blushing.
"Hey, Ibuki...are you feeling OK? You look beat..." Barbara wondered.
"I'm fine, Barbie. I didn't get a good night's sleep." Ibuki replied.
"Was it a bad dream? Or just bad insomnia? Have you been taking in too much caffeine?"
"No, no and no. This kinda thing just happens every once in a while. No big deal."
"Well if it keeps up, I've got some techniques that can help you de-stress. Maybe some herbal tea before bed could help. Just let me know."
Ibuki rested her head on Barbara's shoulder. "Thank you, Barbie. That really means a lot. Mmmm..." She closed her eyes.
"Um...Ibuki?"
"Zzzz...phew...zzzz..."
"I...wow." Kat waved her hand in front of Ibuki's face. "Oh, she's out like a light."
"Oh, dear." Carrie uttered.
"Well, um..." Barbara continued. "I guess I can go over what I wanted to. I'll just have to, uh...tell Ibuki when she wakes up. About what our travel plans are gonna be."
"Oh, right. We're headed over to your neck of the woods to visit your mom next, right?" Kat asked.
"Yep. It's a pretty hefty drive over to Tulsa, so we're gonna split it in half. We'll do a little shopping trip today, then around noon we can hit the road. All goes to plan, we'll be in Albuquerque later tonight. We can spend Thursday there, then head out on Friday morning. We can cut through Texas and be in Tulsa by the afternoon. The plan's to spend the weekend at Mama's. After that, it's up to y'all if you want to go north or south."
"And you're gonna be good to drive the whole distance?"
Barbara flexed her free arm. "You don't get to be where I'm at with dance without being flexible. I can take it. I'm sure Mama's gonna be happy to have all the company. I can't wait for y'all to have some of her cooking. I know it's gonna be crazy to go from a big resort and fancy meals to a cozy little home on the plains, but..."
"Please, we're not snooty. A great meal and a happy home is all you really need. Right, Care?" 
"Absolutely. And I'm sure your mother is pining to see you again." Carrie affirmed.
"I don't doubt it. From what I've heard, the phrase 'Empty Nest Syndrome' definitely apply. And I've really missed her, too. It's gonna be a while before I see her again, so I'm gonna treasure this weekend." Barbara sighed. "Here I am making all these big grown-up steps and now I'm running home to my mommy."
"You're never too old for your mother's love, dear." Carrie reassured.
"You don't stop being their baby after a certain point. If anything being out on your own makes them worry about you more. My mom sent me seven texts asking how I was doing the day I got to London. It's the nature of the game." Kat added.
"You're right about that." Barbara glanced at her shoulder. "I'm afraid of waking her up, but...my shoulder's going numb."
"Hold up." Kat slipped under the table.
"Zzz...BAH!" Ibuki woke up with a jolt.
Kat quickly reappeared in her seat. "Bad dreams, Fireball?"
"Something just brushed up on my leg! Does this joint have rats?!"
"Well, you know what they say about big places like this. Probably filled with ghosts." Kat took a sip of her juice.
"Well I ain't staying put to get possessed! I'm outta here!" Ibuki scurried out.
"I'm gonna make sure she doesn't call an exorcist." Barbara followed after.
"You're terrible, Kitten." Carrie giggled.
"Did the trick, didn't it?" Kat put down her drink. "Serious talk. I think we should keep what Bookie said between us. Barbie spent so long getting her head back in order, I don't need her losing it all over again. Sparky's not gonna let himself be found. Best to just let him do whatever for now."
"Difficult as it is, you're right. What he's engaging in now is absolutely vigilante justice, but nothing like what he was doing before. If it starts taking that next step, then we'll step in. Let's hope it doesn't for Barbara's sake...and Ibuki's." Carrie replied.
Kat groaned. "And here I thought we were gonna have a normal vacation. Shoulda known better than that. Damn Sparky..."
"You know what helps me when I need to decompress?"
"Shopping?"
"And conveniently, there's several shops just outside of here. Let's help ourselves."
"Your wish is my command, Your Majesty."
The girls proceeded outside the hotel, the secret of the previous night's events in the back of their minds.
And secrets, after all, were a Sin City trademark.