hey, guys! instead of just having obake, jeong, and gogo tell their story, I've written it from obake's and jeong's perspectives. I really hope you enjoy this part...I love it! It's the longest chapter I've ever written!

Just a few notes:

Rikushi/Riku: Obake, the oldest Aken sibling, 16 years old at beginning, 25 at end, does not actually have brain damage but uses it as cover later in life, ENFJ in MBTI

Rinah: Chasu Jeong, the older of the Aken twins, 12 years old at beginning, 21 at end, does end up feeling remorse for her actions but disregards it and decides to carry out her plan to destroy America, ISFP in MBTI

Ryshiro/Ryshi: GoGo, the younger of the Aken twins, 12 years old at beginning, 21 at end, smuggled to China and then America in cargo plane (in case that was unclear), ISTP in MBTI

I hope you guys enjoy this! i absolutely loved writing it!

one more chapter after this, you guys! I'm so excited!

peace out!

—RIKUSHI—

"We'll be back soon," Dad whispered, wrapping all three of his children in a hug. "Hold down the fort while we're gone, Riku. And don't burn the house down!"

Riku laughed as Dad released them and Mom swooped down to plant a kiss on his forehead. "Don't worry, Dad. I'm sixteen—I'm responsible now."

"He is not," twelve-year-old Ryshiro put in, her dark eyes mischievous and sparkling. "He'll somehow manage to burn the house down before you guys get even half a mile away."

"Well, I'll hope for the best," Dad said jokingly. "Be good, kids! Love you!"

"Love you!" Mom echoed as they stepped out the door.

"What should we do?" Rinah, Ryshiro's twin sister, asked as soon as their parents were gone.

"Watch a movie?" Riku suggested. "We've only seen Kentucky Kaiju about three hundred times."

"Not that one!" Ryshiro groaned. "Please not that one!"

But all of them secretly loved the American movie, and they ended up watching it anyway. They got almost all the way through it before Riku's phone pinged.

He waited until the movie was over to pick it up, thinking nothing of it. It was certainly their parents, asking how the kids were doing.

But when Riku finally checked his phone, his eyes widened and he sprang up off the couch, clutching the phone in his shaking hands. The text was from his father, and it sounded urgent.

Riku—you and the girls need to get out. Your mom and I are being arrested for missile sabotage. The bombs were intended to be dropped on American civilians, and we couldn't let that happen, so we snuck into the weapons factory to defuse them. We managed to decommission all the bombs, but the security guards caught us. We've been granted one last goodbye text, and we are to be put to death in half an hour. We'd call, but that's not allowed.

Please, Riku, take the girls and get out of there. You three need to get out of North Korea—do anything you have to. The soldiers will undoubtedly come for you, and they might kill you just as they will us. Go as fast as you can. Don't lose hope. We love you, Riku, Rinah, Ryshiro. We are so proud of all of you.

"Riku?" Rinah asked, her voice betraying a hint of fear. "What's wrong?"

"Mom and Dad," Riku breathed, his voice shaking violently. "They—they've been arrested. For missile sabotage. They're going to be executed any minute now, because they went and defused a bunch of bombs that were supposed to get dropped on America—guys, we have to get out. The police will come any minute."

Rinah and Ryshiro both stared at him, eyes wide, and as Riku stared back, completely lost for words, a loud pounding echoed through the house.

"Out the back window!" Ryshiro hissed. "Hurry!"

"We have to grab supplies first!" Rinah argued. "If we're leaving the country, we can't go unprepared!"

"There's no time—" Ryshiro started, but Riku agreed that they couldn't just leave with no money or food or clothes. He sprinted up the stairs to his room and snatched his backpack from the wall, throwing everything he thought he might need into it.

"Pack you bags!" he called to the girls. "Hurry! Take all your savings, your clothes, everything!"

"Open up! Police!" boomed a voice at the front door, speaking in Korean. The Aken siblings spoke both their native language and English, since their dad's father had been from America. But even if they didn't speak Korean, they would have been able to tell what the police wanted—it was unmistakable.

Riku threw his wallet into the backpack, along with a change of clothes and several pieces of scrap metal for making emergency robots. The last things he took were his tool kit, a large bottle of water, and a single bag of chips from the pantry.

"We'll break down this door!" the police officer warned. "Come out with your hands on your head!"

"Do you have everything?" Riku asked the girls as they climbed up to the back window.

They both responded in the affirmative, and Ryshiro pushed open the window and climbed out. Rinah followed, and then Riku, but just as he slid through, the front door seemed to explode inward, and several police officers burst into the room.

"They're escaping!" one exclaimed. "Quick, surround the house!"

"We have to split up!" Rinah whispered. "Riku, you head for the border! Ryshi and I will draw them off!"

"I can't just leave you guys!" Riku protested as they climbed over the back fence. "You're only twelve!"

"And we can take care of ourselves," Ryshiro snapped. "You go. We'll meet you at the border. Just hurry—that way at least one of us will escape."

"Go!" Rinah hissed as Riku opened his mouth to protest. "Just go, Riku! Find a way to get across the border—we'll follow you!"

Riku stared at his little sisters, with their identical dark eyes narrowed in determination, and sighed, reaching out to wrap them in a hug. "Okay. But be careful. Don't let them catch you."

"We won't," Rinah assured him. "Go, Riku. Maybe you can stop this."

Both girls turned and melted into the shadows, and Riku heard the shouts of the police as they spotted the twins.

"Where's the other one?" someone asked, and Riku bolted. He flew down the street and around the corner, wishing he'd taken the car. But that would be even more suspicious than running away, so it was probably good that he didn't have it.

The border was nearby, only a few miles from the house. The hard part would be getting past it. Maybe if he could find a hole or something…

When Riku reached the border, he ducked into the trees, which stood several hundred feet away from the fence, and analyzed the stretch of metal and wood. Surely there was a way through somewhere.

He crept through the small strip of forest, taking note of the large amount of guards stationed at regular intervals. There had to be just one that was slacking off, maybe a new recruit. But even if there were, there most likely wouldn't be a way through the fence anyway. Riku was about to give up on it, but then a small dark spot at the bottom of the fence caught his eye—a tiny hole, probably made by some kind of animal.

Could it be their escape route? Riku wasn't sure if it would work—it wasn't very big. He might not be able to fit, but the girls probably could. If he could get them out of North Korea, he'd take staying here and probably being killed.

Deciding to ask his sisters, Riku pulled out his phone and texted Rinah, the sister less likely to be sarcastic and belligerent.

Hey, sis. Made it to the border, and I think I see a way through. Can you and Ryshi make it here?

It was a few minutes before the reply came, and Riku's eyes widened in horror as he read it.

Sorry, Riku. I don't think so—the guards caught up to us. They're not gonna kill us right off, because we're minors, but they're giving us the choice of that or lifetime military service. We're choosing the second option, obviously, because that'll give us more opportunities to escape. I'm thinking we could get on a cargo plane or something in a little while. Don't worry, Riku, we'll make it. Just get on a plane to America—I heard San Fransokyo is welcoming to all kinds of immigrants. Seriously, Riku, just go. No arguing. We'll follow you there, and then we can decide what to do. Love you :)

Riku frantically texted back, telling Rinah that he'd come to get her and Ryshiro immediately, but Rinah forbid it.

We'll meet you in San Fransokyo, she said. Then we need to decide what to do about our situation. I'll call you if I can.

Riku sighed and put his phone back in his pocket, and as he did so, a flash of movement caught his eye—the guards were leaving, presumably changing positions.

This was his chance.

Riku sprang out of the trees and ran for the fence, reaching it just as the guards started shouting in Korean. He pulled off his backpack and shoved it through the hole, then squeezed through. He was a rather small, skinny sixteen-year-old, and for once in his life, he was grateful for it.

The bottom of the fence scraped against Riku's back, and then he was through, grabbing his backpack and leaping up to run away. He sprinted over the small, rocky hills, heading for the forest, as gunshots rang through the air behind him.

Riku burst into the trees and ran as fast as he could, leaping over fallen branches and rocks and even a small stream. The pines closed in on him, enveloping him in their fragrant scent and dark branches. Riku slid down a small hill and then skidded to a momentary halt, listening for the sound of the border guards. He could faintly hear footsteps, so he broke into a run again, ducking low-hanging branches and trying not to trip on any roots.

The footsteps weren't going away, so Riku changed course, veering off to the left, where the woods became much darker and denser. Still, he ran as fast as he could through them, hoping the guards couldn't follow.

As he ran down a long, somewhat steep hill, Riku was just beginning to think he was safe when his foot caught on something—a root—and twisted, sending a hot, sharp jolt of pain up his leg. He managed to not let out a sound any louder than a gasp as he tumbled the two hundred feet or so down the slope, trying not to yelp every time he hit a rock or a branch.

Finally, the vortex of darkened sky and pine branches let Riku go, throwing him violently into a large, sturdy conifer. Riku gasped again upon impact, then curled into a ball, shaking all over and covering his head with his hands.

After several minutes, Riku uncurled himself, dazed. Realizing that the footsteps had faded away, he sat up and shakily ran his hands over his body, relieved to find no damage other than a few bruises. He thought he could probably get up and keep going, but then Riku remembered the stab of pain in his ankle when he'd tripped. That wasn't a good sign.

He gingerly flexed the joint and hissed in pain, his fingers probing the skin as he attempted to ascertain whether or not it was sprained. It definitely felt that way, especially after Riku tried standing up using the tree. His ankle completely collapsed as he tried to put weight on it, and he sank back to the ground, concluding that it was indeed sprained.

Riku pulled out his phone to look up how to make an emergency splint and discovered a text—well, several texts—from Rinah.

Did you make it across the border?

Riku, are you dead?

Please don't be dead!

You're dead, aren't you?

Riku, if you're dead I'll kill you as soon as I find you!

Riku stifled a laugh. Rinah and Ryshiro were probably okay if they still had their phones, so he wasn't as worried about them as he could have been. If they were okay, then the main thing to worry about was how he was going to get to San Fransokyo. Riku texted Rinah back as fast as he could, not wanting the twins to worry any more than they needed to.

I'm not dead, sis. I got across the border, and I'm not being chased anymore. I'm hiding in the woods. Lost the guards. Everything is fine for the moment, but just hypothetically, how would you make a DIY splint?

Some kind of stick, padding, and a string. Why?

You hurt yourself, didn't you.

Riku rolled his eyes and texted back. How did she always know?

I swear it's not that bad. But I hurt my ankle, and I can't really walk on it.

He could almost hear Rinah's sigh and Ryshiro's I told you! as his sister replied.

Okay, it's probably sprained. If it's broken, I'll kill you again. How'd it happen? Please tell me you were, I don't know, rescuing a child from a burning building, or fighting the police in an epic gunfight.

Rinah, I tripped.

You idiot.

Riku felt around on the forest floor, searching for a stick he could use to splint his ankle, and eventually felt a short, sturdy branch. Upon finding one, he reached into his pack for his grease cloth and some wire. They weren't sterile, but they would have to do.

He wrapped the cloth around his ankle, then braced the stick against it and bound it with wire. It wasn't the most comfortable splint, but when Riku tried standing again, he could stay up. His ankle still protested when he put weight on it, but at least it could bear weight, if not as much as normal.

Deciding to set off, Riku limped gingerly through the forest, looking for the nearest airport on his phone. According to the GPS, it was five miles away. Great. He didn't think he could get that far on an injured ankle, and buying a ticket was out—security would surely check his records.

Still, Riku had to get to the airport. He had to get out of North Korea, no matter how much he loved it. His parents were dead, and his sisters were detained, and it was all the Americans' fault. They were going to tear this country apart with their bombs and missiles, piece by piece until it was all destroyed, and his home would be gone. They'd already taken away his parents—Riku couldn't let them take away his country, too.

To his surprise, a single tear fell onto the phone's bright screen. Riku didn't cry a lot, but if ever there was an occasion to do so, it was now. He was all alone in the woods, with a debilitating injury and only his phone for company. His parents had been killed just minutes ago, and Rinah and Ryshiro had been captured. There was no reason not to cry.

Riku pressed his back against a tree, slid down, buried his face in his hands, and sobbed.

nine years later

Riku ran his hands over the keyboard, staring up at the digital conspiracy wall. At the center of the holographic screen were two symbols: a phoenix and a yin and yang. The symbols of Echo and Vortex, the two resistance factions. Both of which would soon be crushed.

He reflected on all he, Rinah, and Ryshiro had accomplished to get here and felt a small twinge of pride for his little sisters. Ryshiro, a vigilante and a brilliant roboticist. Rinah, the youngest leader in the history of North Korea and the equivalent of a five-star general. And then there was Riku himself, but he hadn't done anything particularly noteworthy.

Still, he was about to. He and Rinah were going to bring America to its knees, going to punish them for ripping apart their family. Soon they would pay, and soon North Korea would be safe. No more attacks. No more threats.

No more Big Hero 6.

Those vigilantes could kiss their precious America goodbye once the Akens unleashed the robots on the world. North Korea had everything they needed to finally bring down the country that killed Riku's parents—countless missiles and nuclear weapons, a massive army, and a regiment of battle robots. There was no way America could stand against them, no way even NATO could take them down.

Finally, North Korea would be safe. Riku's parents would be avenged. And every wrong ever done against the Aken family would be righted.

It was only a matter of time.

The doors to his lab slid open behind Riku, and he turned to see Rinah approaching, her olive-green uniform neatly pressed and her cap set at a slightly lopsided angle on her waves of jet-black hair. He couldn't deny that his little sister had grown into a remarkably pretty, though rather intimidating, young woman.

"Riku," Rinah whispered, stepping forward to pull her brother into a hug. Riku returned the embrace, then stepped back. "Was the operation successful?" he asked.

"It was," she replied. "My guards captured the leader of Echo and her second in command. The others managed to get away, but those two are all we need. You'll never guess who they are, Riku."

Riku tilted his head, silently asking her to enlighten him.

"The president's daughter, Megan Cruz, is the leader," Rinah told him. "And her second in command is none other than Hiro Hamada. Both of them have given us so much trouble—I believe that once I have gained the information I need, I will simply…dispose of them. They can't be alive while we finally overtake the resistance—if anyone has a chance of stopping us, it's them."

Riku sighed. "I tried to reason with the boy. The problem is, he's far too much like me—so blindly loyal to his family and friends. Perhaps that is why my first defeat was so devastating—I saw so much of myself in Hiro that I felt sure he'd help me."

Rinah let out a sigh of her own. "Then it appears the only option will be to terminate them. It is rather a shame—they are both intelligent and could be of use to us. Still, they are also far too dangerous to be left alive. As soon as I have gained the required information, I will dispose of them. It will be quick and painless, and then we will have two less threats to North Korea's safety."

"I'm sorry you have to do this, Rinah," Riku murmured. "I don't enjoy disposing of people. But sometimes I agree that yes, it is the only way. I suspect that they plan to do the same to you—in fact, I'm amazed that no one has tried to assassinate you yet, sis. They think you're a mindless dictator with no motive except power."

"Sometimes I fear that they are right," Rinah whispered.

"But it is not power that you seek," Riku countered. "You only want justice for our parents and safety for our country. They're noble goals, Rinah. I have no doubt that we will succeed."

He reached out and wrapped his little sister in a hug again, trying to convey without words that everything would work out in the end.

It wasn't long before Riku received the news that the leaders of the resistance had escaped. Upon discovering this, he was rather disappointed, but not at all surprised. After all, the children were both brave—perhaps too brave for their own good—and brilliant. It had only been a matter of time.

"And all because of the boy's stupid noble aunt!" Rinah raged, slamming her fists down on the table. "If it hadn't been for her, they wouldn't have escaped!"

"How, exactly?" Riku inquired.

"She was killed during their last escape attempt," Rinah explained, seething. "We had to bury her, and the boy's brother and his girlfriend came to break them out while we were doing it! They're gone, and now the one thing that can bring us down is running free!"

"You forget that we have the microbots," Riku reminded her. "And the battle bots, and our entire army. We are going to win this war, Rinah, and not even Hiro Hamada can stop us."

"But this is—" Rinah sighed and bowed her head. "Riku, this is the hardest thing I've ever had to do. I don't know if I can finish the mission."

"Hey," Riku whispered. "We can do hard things. We got out of North Korea, didn't we?"

"You did. And with a sprained ankle, too—I was amazed you even made it to the plane. And that they didn't catch you in the cargo hold. I'd have thought you would make far too much noise." Rinah allowed herself a small smile.

"And you managed to get Ryshi out too," Riku reminded her. "That took brains, Rinah. And guts. Both of which you have in abundance. You can do this, sis. You're the best leader I've ever seen, and the people will follow you, no matter what, to the end of this world and into a better one."

Rinah smiled again. "But you're the mastermind, Riku. You've come up with most of the battle strategies."

"Only with your help," Riku acknowledged. "You had the idea to use the spies, to make the deals with them. I only had to tell you who they were."

"And then they vanished—until now," Rinah said. "They broke the prisoners out, Riku. I don't know where the professor is, but the doctor and the ninja were sighted today at the escape scene."

"I fear that they might be even more dangerous than Mr. Hamada and Miss Cruz," Riku admitted. "I can't explain it—but they seem to be a powerful duo, one that could attack from behind while we are focused on the more immediate threat."

Rinah looked up at him with wide eyes. "The girl does have graphene blades, but we are equipped with them as well. And what could an amateur medical student have to offer?"

"Perhaps he has some hidden talent," Riku said, shrugging. "If he and the girl work together, I fear that they could potentially be the catalyst in this war. I've seen their loyalty, and it extends past the factional borders. They will do anything for each other and for their friends—which could be our downfall, just as it is our strength."

Rinah opened her mouth to speak, but Riku put a finger to her lips. "All I am saying is that we must be careful. We have to consider the paths every threat might take and decide whether to terminate them. Rinah, I think it may be in our best interests to take out these spies, as well as the faction leaders."

"And the professor?" Rinah asked. "I haven't seen him for several weeks, but that doesn't mean he's out of play. He may just be off the grid."

"If we encounter him, we'll discuss the situation then," Riku decided. "Go counsel with your inner circle. Decide where to strike next, and I will make it happen."

Rinah nodded. "Thank you, brother." She held out her hand, and Riku pressed his palm against hers, clasping their fingers together.

"For the greater good," he murmured.

"For the greater good," Rinah whispered back.

She turned and left, and Riku sat down at his desk and buried his face in his hands, just as he'd done that night in the forest.

How had it come to this?

Nine years ago, he had been nothing more than a lonely, broken, terrified boy, wanting nothing more than to be reunited with his family. Now he and Rinah were about to commit murder, about to take down a whole nation. No, the Americans weren't innocent, but did they really deserve to die?

Yes, he decided. They did. They posed a threat to the safety of North Korea—America had the power and the initiative to take out the whole of Riku's country. And they had ripped his family apart—killed his parents, separated him and his sisters, broken each and every one of them. There was nothing more to be done. America had to suffer for everything they'd done. Perhaps some would be spared, but the majority had to be destroyed.

Still, was it really worth it?

Did the end truly justify the means?

And his country, his family, his very life…

Were they really worth the cost?

—RINAH—

"You'll be safe here," Rinah whispered, looking down at her sister as the shaft of moonlight fell across Ryshiro's face. "Just keep quiet and the plane will take you to China. Then you can do what Riku did and sneak onto a commercial flight to America."

"We'll be waiting for you," Ryshiro whispered. "Don't do anything stupid."

"Have you ever known me to do stupid things?" Rinah asked, laughing quietly. "See you in San Fransokyo, Ryshi. I'll miss you. Check on Riku for me. Love you both."

Ryshiro smiled up at her, and Rinah closed the cargo hold hatch. She took a deep breath, then turned and walked slowly out of the hangar.

Both of her siblings were gone now, gone to America, the very country they wanted to destroy. What would they do without her? She had always been the glue in her family, the sibling that held all three together, close to both her brother and her twin.

Ryshiro was only twelve, and so impulsive—Rinah had always helped her to keep her head and not leap into things so fast. Whether she liked it or not, Ryshiro had depended on Rinah, and Rinah had depended on Ryshiro. How would Ryshi cope without her twin?

And Riku—he was all alone in San Fransokyo, with only a handful of money and an injured ankle. What was he going to do? How would he get a job or a place to live? What would happen to him?

Both of them needed her, that was certain. But Rinah had decided that she could do more good here in North Korea, that she would try to be the best she could in the army and eventually control it. Not because she wanted power or recognition, but because it would be an invaluable weapon against America. If she were ever to have any hope of taking them down, Rinah would need the whole army.

She silently made her way back to the barracks and climbed into bed, hoping against hope that both her siblings were safe.

And that they could take over America in time.

three years later

Rinah tucked the bloodstained graphene blade back into her belt and settled into the chair behind the desk, looking around the office—her office.

The assassination had been simple, really. A well-placed slash in the dead of night, and then she was the leader of North Korea. Free to command the entire army, to order the destruction of the people who had taken her parents away.

She fingered the medals pinned to her uniform, slipping into her nervous habit. It reassured her to have the decorations, ascertained her power. Rinah was the youngest chasu ever seen in North Korea, and at only fifteen, she was a better fighter than all the others in her regiment.

She had done it. Quiet, shy, terrified little Rinah Aken had control of North Korea's army, and she was going to bring America down if it was the last thing she did.

Riku and Ryshiro knew of her plan, and they were both studying robotics in San Fransokyo in order to learn how to better create weapons. One day soon, Rinah would lead her army into America—under the guise of a true reason to declare war, of course. Perhaps she could arrange for a peace summit, which would, of course, fail. Yes, that would be an excellent strategy.

Rinah pulled out her phone—her one link to her siblings all these years—and texted Riku. She was close to Ryshiro, yes, but Riku was always the one who comforted her, cried with her, offered words of affirmation and sympathy.

Hey, Riku. How's it going?

His reply came fast, only a few minutes later.

Pretty good. SFIT is really cool, and I'm working on something that might solve all our problems. It's called an energy amplifier—it could potentially blow a lot of stuff up. Maybe we could turn San Fransokyo into our headquarters :)

That's great! she replied, then moved on to the real purpose of the conversation.

Riku, I just wanted you to know that it's done. He's dead. And I'm the leader now.

Really? came the reply. Wow. My little sister, leader of North Korea? I never thought I'd live to see the day.

I didn't think you would either.

XD, he said. Lead them well, little sis. I'll see you in a few years.

Love you, Riku.

Love you too, Rinah.

Soon afterward, Riku commed Rinah with the news that the energy amplifier most definitely worked.

"It exploded," he explained, fingering the gauze covering half of his face. "I tried to stage an accident, but it blew up first. The doctors said I have a concussion, but it'll heal pretty fast. Some kind of chemicals got all over my face and now it glows, which is kinda weird but kinda cool."

"Are you okay?" Rinah asked worriedly. "Do you have brain damage?"

"A little," Riku admitted. "But it's not any different from any other concussion, so it'll go away. I might even use it as some kind of cover-up. I'll be fine—I'm going undercover now, so I can rebuild the amplifier. We can use it to blow up San Fransokyo and turn it into our base. Besides, I'm tired of being called Bob. It's so weird."

Rinah laughed. "It definitely doesn't suit you. What are you going to call yourself now?"

"Something mysterious. I was thinking of going by Obake—it means "ghost" in Japanese. Just the right creepy mystery feel."

"That's a good name," Rinah agreed. "Our enemies will never suspect it's you. But how are you going undercover? Where are you going to live if not at SFIT?"

"I hired a guy," Riku told her. "He's almost done building me an underwater base—it's gonna be so epic! Once you get to San Fransokyo, you can come stay in it if you want."

"Does Ryshi know about all this?" Rinah asked. "How's she doing?"

"She's fine—I think she's enjoying SFIT," Riku said reassuringly. "She's still young, so she can't technically be admitted into the robotics program yet, but they'll induct her next year and she does get to build robots all she wants, so I think she's happy."

"That's good," Rinah breathed. "And she'll be okay without you?"

"I told Ryshi about my plan," Riku whispered. "She knows where I'll be. But she also knows not to tell anyone—besides, no one knows I'm her brother. We're trying to keep our distance from each other. She's going by her middle name now, just like me. I don't think she likes it very much—Ethel really doesn't suit her—but it's safer. Ryshi's friends have started calling her GoGo now, though, and she seems to like that a lot better. I expect the nickname is a reference to her…you know, speed-of-light personality."

Rinah laughed. "I'm glad you're both okay. Just hang in there, and update me on how your concussion's doing. Keep an eye on it. Oh, and sometime I need to see this glowy-face thing of yours."

"I'll show you when everything's healed," Riku assured her, smiling. "It's pretty cool, honestly—it just glows purple randomly. It looks like the amplifier did before it blew up. Maybe we could figure out how to get you and Ryshi one, too, and then we can match!"

Rinah sighed. "Seriously, Riku, be careful. I don't want you getting hurt again."

"I'll be okay," he soothed. "I promise. See you soon."

six years later

Rinah stormed out of the peace summit, outwardly angry but inwardly triumphant. She'd succeeded in making that idiot President Cruz say all the wrong things, and now no one could question her declaring war on America.

On the flight back to North Korea, she commed Riku. His worried face popped up on her phone screen almost immediately, and Rinah could see a phalanx of questions struggling to break free.

"I did it," she whispered. "I'm declaring war on America as soon as we return to North Korea. Now there is no one that can stand in my way."

"You have to be careful, Rinah," Riku whispered. "Especially when you take San Fransokyo. There is a group of vigilantes here, and they defend the city much better than the police do. They are called Big Hero 6—they have some of the most advanced technology besides ours in this war. They could potentially—"

"I will be careful," Rinah said dismissively. "You worry too much, Riku. A small group of vigilantes will not deter me."

Riku smiled wearily. "You have great passion, Rinah. I admire that. Very well, if you think you can defeat them, go ahead. If anyone can, it is you. Where will you attack first?"

"New York City, I believe," Rinah told him. "If not the capitol in law, then certainly the capitol in spirit. This will be a demoralizing blow to the Americans. After that, we'll take Washington, DC, and Chicago. A few others, to show our power, and then we will march on San Fransokyo, the technology capitol. There, we can create even more advanced weapons and destroy any countries of NATO who come to America's aid."

"It is a good plan," Riku agreed. "I will attempt to create weapons, to be used as soon as you reach San Fransokyo. Soon we will be able to defeat America, Rinah, think of it!"

Rinah smiled. "You have passion as well. How is our sister?"

Riku's face fell. "That is the problem. She…she is one of the vigilantes. I fear that Ryshiro may have defected."

"What?" Rinah whispered, her world narrowing down to the screen. "Will she try to stop us?"

"I am uncertain," Riku admitted. "She did play a role in stopping my takeover of San Fransokyo, but she was mostly rescuing the children and the elderly from the city. Of the six vigilantes, she perhaps fought me the least. I am afraid to ask her, though—if Ryshiro has indeed given up on our mission, she may alert the authorities—or worse, the rest of Big Hero 6—to our plans."

"She has never shown signs of defecting before," Rinah murmured, worried. "Still…we should cut off comms with her until we are sure she is still loyal. Ryshiro may be our sister, but even she can be considered a threat."

"But whatever happens," Riku said, his voice shaking, "we will not resort to terminating her."

"Of course not," Rinah agreed, shocked that the possibility had even crossed either of their minds. "She is our sister—we would never take the life of a family member."

Riku bowed his head, and when he lifted it again, his eyes were full of torment. "Sometimes…sometimes I don't like what we've become, Rinah. We're about to bring down a whole country, and while they may not be innocent, not all of them are guilty. Is this really the right thing to do?"

"I have had doubts myself," Rinah admitted. "But I truly believe it is the right thing. We are avenging our parents and righting the wrongs done to our family, and most of all, we are preserving North Korea's safety. This cannot be wrong, Riku."

Riku took a deep breath and offered another weary smile. "For the greater good."

"For the greater good," Rinah said firmly.

As the comm cut off, she wondered if, in some twisted, terrible way, both of them were wrong.

Rinah sprinted down the hall and shoved open the double doors, then slipped inside and shut them behind her. She stumbled across the room to the giant computer and flung herself down on the desk, burying her face in her arms and sobbing.

Hiro's screams still echoed in her ears, as well as Megan's pleas for her to stop. Both voices seemed to tear apart her soul, and she knew with all her heart that she had been wrong, wrong, wrong.

Rinah pulled off her cap and flung it across the room, where it hit the wall and fell sadly to the ground. Wanting to vent her rage further, she slammed her fists into the computer's keyboard, causing the holographic keys to scatter and then reform, again and again and again. Finally, Rinah pulled the computer itself from the wall and, with a screech of anger and sorrow, threw it as hard as she could against the wall.

The glass screen shattered, and several shards sprayed into her face, leaving small cuts, but Rinah didn't care. She had tortured two fifteen-year-old children, trying to force information from them with pain and threats. No, it would not leave any physical damage, but both of them would surely be traumatized. Would she ever have hurt her siblings like this?

"I am a monster," she whispered, dragging her hands down her face and falling to her knees. "This cannot be right."

All Rinah had managed to learn from the resistance leaders were two things, the first being that they were not, in fact, related. They were only friends—no, more than that. They were, quite obviously, deeply in love. Their loyalty was admirable—it looked much like the bond between her and Riku.

The second thing she had learned was that Hiro was also the leader of Big Hero 6, whom they had been searching for for weeks. Why hadn't Riku told her sooner who he was? If she'd known, she would have thrown him in prison weeks ago.

Still…he was only fifteen. She might have just kept him as a laborer—Rinah had a soft spot for the small ones. Maybe Riku, deep down inside, had wanted to protect the boy. He had always loved helping children, bringing them food when he saw them starving in the streets. Rinah couldn't blame him—she didn't want to hurt any young people. What she had done, back in the jug-eum chamber, had been in a terrible vortex of rage. She had seen those teenagers as a threat to everyone's safety, and she had truly believed that she should torture all the information about the resistance out of them.

But it had been a mistake—a horrible, painful, ripping-apart-her-soul mistake. They may not have been completely innocent, but as Riku had said, they weren't all guilty. They were just trying to protect the people they loved.

Which was the very reason she had come to America. They all had the same goal—they were just going about it in different ways.

Was hers wrong?

Rinah looked up at the stars, faintly shining through the large window, and whispered, "What have I done?"