Maltreated

**Maltreated** is an episode of Venturian Battle.

## Synopsis

Robyn Jade, arriving at the barracks, looks more gaunt than normal, as noted by Robert Jacob. Jade claims she hasn't been eating as much, noting "the story", specifically how Shozo wants her to stay in good shape. Robert claims that he's going a bit overboard, but Jade claims she's mostly working out voluntarily.

During an espionage mission, Jacob and Jade are sent to gather intelligence by secretly entering the United Regions of Vepture's money reserves. However, Jade, exhausted from her lack of eating, faints, during the mission, and almost blows their cover. Robert, realizing how light she is, decides to carry her over his shoulder. Robert is able to learn that the reserves contain $1,200,000,000,000, and brings the information over to Gyeongcheon, without either of them getting caught.

Upon returning home, Jade is scolded by Ukyo after she tells him that she fainted during the mission. Jade claims it was due to her lack of eating, but Ukyo doesn't seem to believe her, and continues feeding her minimally. Upon trying to sleep, Jade experiences insomnia, fearing Ukyo and how he may punish her if she breaks his rules about eating.

The next day, Jade has become so exhausted that she can't even hold her electroshock rifle. Robert realizes that either she’s self-conscious about her body and won’t eat, or somebody else is. Robert informs one of the generals, and he agrees that she’s in no condition for going on missions, and lets her off for a “sick day”. Robert gives Robyn a ride home, where she comes back to a furious Shozo. Shozo asks why she’s left, and she claims that her diet has been to minimal, and that she can’t even hold her (fairly small) electroshock rifle. Shozo, in disbelief, claims that she’s lying to get the day off, and punches her in the mouth, causing Robyn to tear up.

Robert, somewhat suspicious of what is going on, goes to Shozo's apartment to investigate. Jade, sick and tired of putting up with Ukyo's abuse, claims she'd rather die, and proceeds to get a meat cleaver, about to cut her wrists. Ukyo realizes how horrible he's been, and that it's too late for him to save her. Robert, deducing the situation, holds Ukyo at gunpoint. Robyn‘s attention is caught, with her placing the cleaver back on the kitchen counter. Ukyo claims that he was unaware of Robyn’s suicide attempts, and tries to explain her gauntness to Robert.

Ukyo claims that he has been worried about the United Regions of Vepture starting war on (and nuking) Gyeongcheon ever since he learned of the Divisions of Venture bombing two major cities. This fear had been kept intact in his adulthood, which Ukyo claims is why he put his children through extensive combat training. While Ukyo’s biological children, Fuse and Suda, trained as soldiers, Ukyo decided that Robyn be more capable as a spy.

Wanting to keep her frame thin and small, Ukyo fed Robyn minimally, and gradually gave her less and less, becoming more and more paranoid that she wouldn't be able to make it through fast-closing entrances or small vents. Fuse also started forcing Robyn into consuming energy drinks on a daily, and eventually hourly, basis. Over time, Jade began to develop masochistic thoughts, but Ukyo kept these in check with false reassurances.

Robert, at lost of words upon hearing the story, claims that Shozo is an abusive psychopath and doesn't deserve to be called a parent, bringing up his maltreatment towards Robyn Jade and letting his children die in the Ukyo Castle fire. As the authorities arrive, Robert explains the situation, and Ukyo is arrested. Shozo Ukyo is eventually given a 10 year sentence for illegally trafficking a teenage girl into his house and domestically abusing her. After Shozo’s arrest, Robert decides to take Robyn under his wing, getting her a permit to stay in his apartment and giving her free will to choose any job she wants.

In a post-credits scene, Ukyo is visited by Serpent at the prison. Serpent asks what he's in for, and Ukyo claims that he had beaten and abused his daughter. Serpent, upon asking for her name, finds out that he's referring to Robyn Jade, a childhood crush of his. Serpent, infuriated, draws the handgun in his pocket and fires it at Ukyo's head, causing blood to spray out of his head. Serpent dissipates into the air before the guards catch him, indicating that the Vepturegeng's claim that they'd try to better themselves was a lie.

## Cast

* Lex Lang as Robert Jacob
* TBA as Robyn Jade
* Paul Nakauchi as Shozo Ukyo