Ep 42 - Every Story Deserves a Happy Ending?

Michelle, Maya, Aiko, Franklin, and Kanzaki arrived at the hospital, exhaustion written all over their faces. In the hall Milena was already waiting for them.

“How are they?” Michelle asked, concerned.

“Considering the circumstances—not that bad,” Milena replied. “Katya’s got two broken ribs and Anya’s ankle’s broken. They can leave today, but they’re grounded.”

“And Trella?”

Milena exhaled slowly. “She’ll stay here for a few days. That girl’s a living wonder. The sword went straight through her without hitting any organs. I swear, her insides have learned to dodge.”

Michelle exhaled, resting her hand on the wall. The war with Yuno had just begun and now, she’d carry that bandaged hand like a signature.

The dorm smelled of instant noodles and cold coffee. The team circled the low table — maps, phones, and a stack of hospital bracelets strewn across it like a bad dream.

“I’ve had enough,” Franklin snapped. “This is what happens when you hand command to an inexperienced child. We’ve got dead policemen and three girls in the hospital.”

“Those injuries are nothing,” Samira shot back. “We’ve had worse.”

“Stop it!” Franklin barked. “You people don’t get it. You blew it. Kanda got away. That white-fox — whatever she is — slipped through our fingers. And three children are in the hospital! Children! None of you should even be here!”

“Zip it, Franklin. This is how we operate here,” Maya snapped. “People get hurt. Sometimes they die. That’s part of the job.”

Mei-Ling added calmly, “Besides, it’s not like nothing came of it. Trella will have another scar for her collection.”

“A scar?” Franklin stared. “After that? It’s a miracle she is alive!”

A tense beat. Franklin’s chest heaved; anger, fear, and something like guilt vied for space in his face. Aya crossed the room and moved toward him. She took down her shirt — not to provoke, but to show. Underneath, her back and arms were a map of old battles: old scars, some pale, some ridged, some even crossing other scars. The skin told a history in quiet, movable lines.

“You want to talk about scars? Start counting.”

Franklin went still. He saw the woman he’d been railing at: not a reckless kid, but a fighter shaped by what she’d lived through. His mouth closed; the retort died with it. After a long moment, he nodded. “Point taken.”

Maya calmed down too. “Look — missions go sideways. Michelle has our trust. Period. And our priority? Yuno. Sooner or later we were going to run into her.”

“And my sticky bomb wrecked her hand,” Samira added with a grin. “Worth it!”

Maya smirked. “Thanks for that, by the way. All right, with Trella out, I’ll take field command. Talia, I need you on comms. Secure line, immediately.”

“On it. Where to?”

“Walk with me, I’ll tell you... “

They drifted out to set it up. Chairs scraped softly against the floor. Aya dropped back into her seat with a tired sigh, stretching her sore shoulders. Michelle remained at the table, unmoving, fingers loosely folded, eyes narrowed in that familiar expression of calculation that never fully left her face. Aya watched her for a moment. “You’re awfully quiet. Is everything okay?”

Michelle didn’t look up. “I’m thinking about what I could have done differently. What we all could’ve done.”

Amelie leaned against the wall, a dark grin curling her lips. “Don’t be naive. We gave her a good beating. She won’t be using that hand for a while. We take her apart if we have to.”

“Our orders are to capture her alive,” Michelle cut in immediately. “That stands. First, Talia and Kanzaki will analyze the data we´ve gathered so far. We trace safehouses, watch the patterns, and then we move.”

At that moment Milena, Katya and Anya returned from the hospital, their shoes squeaked softly against the linoleum floor.

Anya raised her casted ankle with exaggerated pride, her smile undimmed. “Hey — we’re back. We can’t fight much right now, but we’re not useless!”

Michelle’s shoulders eased slightly with relief. “Good. Rest a bit and help with analysis where you can. Small tasks matter.”

Aya glanced around the table, then voiced the question hanging over all of them. “What do we do with Yuno when we find her?”

“She dies,” Amelie answered without hesitation.

“No,” Michelle said sharply. “We follow orders. We´ll bring her in alive if possible.”

“Tch. Party pooper.”

“First order,” Michelle continued, ignoring her, “analyze the data, identify the safehouses and patterns, set monitors. Then we decide our next moves. Dismissed.”

The girls drifted away into the dorm’s dim room, some to the screens, some to sleep, some to prepare. Outside, the city hummed on, indifferent. Inside, the team gathered its pieces: bruised bodies, bruised pride, and a single, burning thread — find Yuno.

***

Two days had passed. The Tojo dorms had transformed into an improvised operations room.

“We’ve identified the safehouses,” Talia said, pulling up drone footage. “Drones checked them out and one of them found the jackpot. Look at the footage.”

The screen showed armed men moving with military precision.

“Looks like Kanda gathered everyone he had,” Maya observed. “A nice little private army.”

“Any trace of Yuno?” Michelle asked.

“Not yet.”

“We can’t wait. Otherwise Kanda would move again.”

Maya sent a quick coded message and they left in full gear.

***

Gunfire greeted them the moment they reached the safehouse. They crashed into resistance—ordinary men with weapons, trained but human. Then the air shifted. Yuno appeared like a one-armed bandit. And now the girls had to fight close quarters against her and the other guards. The firefight raged. Shells pinged off metal, smoke filled the air, and Yuno moved like a phantom — fast, silent, deadly despite her injured hand. Mei-Ling’s kukri went flying as a bullet hit her left arm; Michelle dragged her behind cover.

“We’re pinned down,” Maya shouted. “Is everyone still okay?”

“Owww, not me! Caught it! I can't use my left arm!“

Yuno’s voice echoed coldly through the chaos. “You should have stayed home, little girls.”

“Fall back! Repeat, fall back!” Franklin ordered over comms.

“Negative,” Maya snapped. “We hold!”

“How noble,” Yuno replied. “How stupid.”

She leaped forward and suddenly two synchronized flashes cut through the smoke. Twin submachine guns barked in unison, clean, controlled bursts. Yuno barely evaded the first volley. She stepped through the smoke, coat fluttering, katana in one hand, blood-smeared but still terrifyingly graceful. Two shapes descended through the haze — drones? No. Dirt bikes. They landed hard. The enemy troops turned in confusion, but too late. A storm of bullets tore through the outer perimeter.

Michelle blinked. “What the hell—”

Two figures stepped off the bikes, perfectly synchronized, the muzzle flashes lit their faces.

“You miss us?” Marina called.

“Because we missed all the fun,” Marisa added.

“Wait… The Twins?!” Mei-Ling stared in disbelief.

“Told you I had a plan,” Maya grinned.

Marina and Marisa hit like a tornado. They both moved perfectly synchronized. Facãos in one hand, SMGs in the other. Kanda's men fell like flies. Michelle was impressed but sad at the same time. She didn´t want them to become killers. But then she noticed.

Wait a minute, they aren´t killing them. They´re just disarming them! They´re all alive!

“We can´t let them have all the fun! Move out!” Maya shouted.

Reenergized, the Fangs surged forward as Marina and Marisa cut a path straight through the chaos. The twins moved like a reflection of each other. Same rhythm, same breath, same precision. One covered while the other reloaded.

Yuno just snarled. “Two more pests? Fine.”

She charged forward, but now she was outnumbered and her burned hand slowed her down. Amelie intercepted her blade with a metal baton while Maya struck from behind, forcing Yuno to retreat.

“Don’t let her vanish again!” Michelle shouted.

“Don´t worry, drones are in the air,” Talia said over the comm.

Yuno barely escaped, wounded and furious, but her safehouse was gone, her men captured, her resources shattered. The Fangs regrouped amid the wreckage, battered but victorious.

Marina checked her gun. “So… anyone got snacks?”

Marisa turned to Maya. “I told you she’d say that first.”

Maya just laughed quietly, relief finally broke through the smoke.

Michelle turned to Maya, still confused. “Maya, how…”

“Earlier I called Yael. I wanted her advice. Instead of that she sent them to me.”

The gunfire faded. Smoke lingered like a memory. The once-furious compound was now eerily silent. One by one, men dropped their weapons and raised their hands. The Fangs moved carefully through the rooms, weapons ready, but fingers off the trigger.

“Down,” Maya ordered calmly. “Hands where I can see them.”

“Clear on the left,” Amelie reported.

No cheers, no arrogance, just a professional calm. Michelle gave a quiet nod. “No more killing. We bring them in.”

They moved through the hall. Aya, Samira, Aiko, behind them Franklin with two TMPD officers. At the far end was a steel door.

“He’s here,” Aiko said softly.

She stepped forward and pushed it open. Inside was Ryuunosuke Kanda. Calm, seated behind a desk like he was expecting them. His suit was immaculate, his eyes tired.

“So,” he said calmly, “the little ghost finally returns.”

Aiko steadied her breathing. “Ryuunosuke Kanda, you’re under arrest.”

His gaze sharpened, studying her with the same cold, analytical stare from their first encounter. “So it was true… You are a deceiver. Who are you really?”

Aiko lifted her badge. “Junior Agent Aiko Tanaka, National Security Agency. And yes… I am your niece. That part was never a lie.”

A silence thick enough to cut.

“And yet,” Kanda said slowly, “you stand here, turning against your own blood.”

“No,” Aiko replied. She glanced back at the Fangs. “I’m standing with my family. You’re just someone who lost his way.”

Kanda exhaled. A mix of resignation and a faint, bitter respect. He raised his hands. “Then do what you must.”

TMPD officers moved in, cuffed him and led him away. The Fangs watched in silence. A strange mix of victory and melancholy hung in the air.

“One left,” Mei-Ling said quietly, holding her injured arm.

“Yuno,” Maya nodded.

“The most dangerous one,” Michelle added.

Dawn light filtered through cracked windows, illuminating Aiko’s unreadable expression.

***

Yuno ran through the forest, trying to shake Talia´s drones. But the twins were hot on her tail. For them, a thick forest was like a playground.

“Ali está ela!” Marisa called out. (There she is!)

“Nós vamos pegá-la,” Marina replied. (We’ll catch her!)

“How can they… run… so fast…” Yuno gasped.

They exited the small forest, and the fight began. The twins charged with their facãos against Yuno´s katana. Yuno may be stronger, but injured and their capoeira based fight style was just too much for her. The other Fangs caught up. Yuno was surrounded.

“Surrender, Yuno,” Maya ordered. “Last chance.”

“Not a chance,” Yuno snarled, blood dripping down her chin. “You’ll have to kill me.”

Another fight erupted. Yuno against everyone? That became pretty one sided. Aiko charged in with her katana, blade hit blade. A beautiful display of a Japanese swordfight. Yuno lost her sword. She tried to retreat once again, but then came Aya like a mad truck and tackled her. She flew right into Amelie's fist. They pinned Yuno down and Michelle shot her with a tranquiliser gun. Yuno was unconscious. They circled around her. Their final victory, but nobody celebrated.

“Talia,” Milena said quietly, “call Lang. Urgently. And gather the others.”

Lang appeared via secure video. “Hello, doctor, team, what news do you bring?”

“Well, Kanda is behind bars and…” Milena reported.

“That is good news,” Lang replied. “But not exactly of our interest, right?”

“Yes. Well… and we have Yuno in custody.”

Lang’s expression sharpened. “Now that is something. Excellent work.”

“We just don’t know what to do with her,” Milena admitted.

“Does she cooperate?”

“Right now, yes. She is unconscious.”

“I understand. What can we do for her? Can we treat her? Remove the serum or heal her brain?”

“None of it," Milena said softly. “Sadly, the serum did its job. Can’t be reversed.”

“What are the options, then?”

“Actually only two…” Milena said with a low, heavy voice. “And none of them are good. Option one is a bullet. A permanent solution.”

“Yes, but at the cost of her life. Out of question. Option two?”

“That is one I was hoping never to have to use again.” Milena´s face turned grim. “Brainwash.”

“Please explain.”

“When the Fangs were created, before getting the serum, they had to undergo brainwash procedures to ensure obedience and some level of mental stability. Yuno never went through that. The reason for her behavior is the combination of serum and past events. If she can’t remember anything, the violent behavior could disappear, but… no guarantees.”

“There has to be a catch, otherwise you wouldn’t call me.”

“I would have to do a brainwash so extensive that even her subconscious is affected. She needs to become a blank. But if I overdo it, I risk damaging her brain. If I’m too gentle, the old Yuno might resurface someday.”

“And if the brainwash succeeds, what then?”

“I’ll adopt her,” Kanzaki said quietly. “I’ll make sure she has a home, care, and education… I’ll teach her to use her powers for good.”

The room went silent. Eyes lowered. The weight of the decision hung in the air. No one spoke. Finally, Lang nodded. “You have the most knowledge, doctor. I leave it in your capable hands.”

They all looked at each other, no words, just a silent nod. Milena started to prepare the procedure.

***

Milena did the brainwashing. It looks like it was a success. After the procedure, Yuno was scared, shy… friendly. Milena’s theory was correct. And Detective Kanzaki kept his word. He adopted her and together with his uncle they kept a close eye on her health. In time she became curious about her past. We couldn't risk any emotional outbursts, so we carefully revealed it to her. Thankfully the old bloodthirsty Yuno didn´t resurface. She even felt remorse and shame for her past actions.

We returned home. There were no other enhanced humans left and no traces of the supersoldier serum. Lang kept training us, and in time, as we graduated, one by one we became full-fledged agents. She even established a whole new division just for us.

Based on all gathered data, Milena developed a new stable serum for the Fangs — no supplements needed ever again. She locked the research away, to be used only in emergencies.

The twins became guardians of the Amazon and sometimes, when we were on a mission in South America, they came to aid us.

In Japan, everything became peaceful again. And in time a young girl entered TMPD. Her name was Yuno Kanzaki.