Chapter 9: Comics and Cosplay! Zack and Viki's Sweet Adventure!

As the elevator door opened, with her black stocking-covered legs walking on the marble floor, a young woman had a look of nervousness. All she had to do was just stay calm and appear to have a clue about the company and she should score the job. That is if everything went well of course. As she saw the receptionist typing away, she let out a smile. "Hi, I'm here for my 12 O'clock appointment!" She was a bit taken back by the shocked expression on her face.

"Y-your 12 O'clock?" She noticed the receptionist's confusion. "But that's impossible!"

"What do you mean? I was told that I had a 12 O'clock appointment today for the new administrative assistant job!"

"That can't be true because you're already in there… I think."

"The hell?" She had to think this over. She was here for her job interview, and yet this woman claims that it's already going on, most specifically she was already in there! Either she was completely dense, or there was an impostor trying to steal her job, or perhaps sabotage her. 'Like hell she is…'

"Hey wait!" The receptionist called as the interviewee walked towards the closed door as she proceeded to turn the knob…

"The hell!" Her eyes went wide at what she saw. A middle-aged man wearing a sharp black suit: That was her would-be employer. And the young girl he was talking to was a girl with shoulder-length blonde hair and wearing a black skirt suit and stockings similar to hers. Thing is, she looked exactly like her!

"Miss Johnson?" He responded, shocked. Wasn't he just talking to her a moment ago? If that was the real Cassie Johnson, then who was the girl he was just talking to?

"Eh…Sis?"

"Don't 'Sis,' me Ashley!" The girl, recognized as Cassie glared at her. "What the hell are you doing here, posing as me?"

"Like you're the only one that's looking for a job…" She responded.

"Too bad you're lacking the qualifications!"

"Like hell I am! Anything you can do, I can do so much better!"

"Like stealing things that don't belong to you for instance?"

"Just leave Ash! This is my interview!"

"Look, both of you should just leave!" The man firmly said. As far as he was concerned, this was just a waste of time and he couldn't tell which one was the real deal. When you found yourself stuck in the middle of both sides, to hell with both of them!

Cassie knew that she was in trouble! This was the job she's been looking for all month, and now thanks to Ashley, she'll lose it before she's hired! She didn't want to do this! She loathed doing something like this! But desperate times called for desperate measures…

He wasn't going to back down. He was a busy man and the last thing he needed to do was to get him and his company involve in some trivial sibling rivalry. They were above all that! However, he wouldn't have a chance to act on his beliefs as he felt one hand on his right thigh with another on his shoulder.

"But Mr. Leone, isn't there anything I can do to change your mind?" Cassie proceeded to massage his thigh while smiling seductively.

"Forget about her!" Ashley walked over to, in order to one-up her twin, stroke his cheek. "I mean, why would you want the imitation when you can get the real deal?"

"No…" Leone felt hands moving from his thigh… "This is unprofessional!" All the way towards his- "Stop this at once!"

Both girls blinked at the fierceness in his voice as they quickly stepped back. "But-"

"That is enough! Now both of you leave before I call security!" Arguing was one thing, but trying to seduce him as if he was some dirty old man was too far! He had a lovely wife and three kids at home. A scandal was the last thing they needed.

"I'm sorry for wasting your time…" Cassie sighed as she proceeded to leave.

Ashley made one last attempt, "If you could find it in your heart to-"

"OUT!" Leone snapped at Ashley as she rushed out from the office. As soon as they were gone, he picked up the phone. "Keep an eye out for two blonde girls. As soon as they leave the premises, make sure they never come back within a single radius of this building."

"This is all your fault, Ashley!" Cassie snapped as the two girls left the building.

"My fault?"

"That's right! I've been preparing for this interview all week and you stole it from me!"

"The world doesn't revolve around you, Cas! Wouldn't you just come out of your little fantasy world for one moment and think that there may be someone better than you out there?"

"Like who, you? That'll be the day!"

"Oh go to hell!" Ashley rolled her eyes as they took a turn into an alleyway.

"You go to hell!"

"No you go to hell!"

"No you go to hell!"

"No you go to hell!"

Cassie took a quick glance around, "Hey, I think we can stop now," she informed.

"Oh, that's right." Ashley let out a devious smile. "Nice acting there!"

"You too! I think we've given him enough time, don't you agree 'sis?'" Within that moment, "Ashley" vanished as Cassie took out what appeared to be a handheld communication device. "Racer Pink to Megablue, how did it go?"

"Well…" A confident (perhaps too confident) voice responded. "It was a bit difficult to get from the lab, seeing as there were a lot of people nearby, but I managed to grab it."

"I hope this was worth it, because I almost vomited from actually placing my hands on that guy! Meet ya back at Ops?"

"Good idea. There is another place we'll have to stop by soon!"

"Oh I know. But it will be nice to take a break, though…" As she walked out of the alley, she turned towards the building she had just left. "Three… Two… One…"

A huge explosion occurred in the building, much to the shock of everyone nearby, as Cassie simply turned around. As she walked passed a hurrying police officer she just smiled, "You should call the fire department and an ambulance!"

The officer, taken back by her calmness over the event that had just transpired, turned around. However, the only thing that he saw was a discarded black skirt suit and a blonde wig. "Who the hell was that?"

CCU: Wolf Blue Dorm

'Why am I doing this again?' Zack twiddled his thumbs, banging his head against the door. Today, he would be spending the entire day with Viki, and where was this duo going? The Tokyo Anime Expo…whatever the hell that was. And guess how they were going to get there! A total mess indeed…

"Are you still whining?" Viki called out from the door.

"I'm already passed that point. What's taking you so long?"

"I do have to look my best!"

"What's to look your best for? It's not like we're going to a formal event or something." Despite her voice muffled, Zack still could hear a sigh coming from her.

"You just don't understand these things, Zack. I mean you really never been to an expo event? Hasn't there been like a convention for like videogames or something?"

"That's different! The Electronic Entertainment Expo is to showcase new and upcoming games. And I don't even know what the hell Anime is."

"Think cartoons from Japan. Hey, if you're lucky you might find some few people who bring Hentai."

Zack raised a brow. "Hen-tai?"

"Japanese cartoon porn." Viki explained. "Personally, I am interested in the Yaoi!"

"And now what the hell is Yaoi?"

'Should I tell him?' Viki wondered, Zack was already whining so much so she had to give him at least something to look forward too. "Think of it as HLA?"

A smile formed at hearing "HLA." If that meant what he thought it was, maybe going to the expo wouldn't be so bad after all. "Well since you've put it that way, then what are we waiting for, besides you changing?"

Viki let out a giggle in response to Zack's sudden change of mood. It was typical for a guy to be excited at the mere thought of two girls kissing each other. Probably in their genes, she figured. The bad thing about this now was how he was going to react when he actually saw what Yaoi actually was. 'At least he's excited now…'

The door opened, causing Zack to fall onto his back from his seated position. From looking upward, he could see Viki in a pink and white bodysuit, save for the pink wig and pink Oakley-styled sunglasses. "And who are you supposed to be?"

"I am, FYI, Agent 0038 Pretty Secret Agent Haruka!" Viki posed dramatically for the grounded red ranger.

"Hmmm…" Zack took to examine the bodysuit she was wearing, down to the high-heeled boots. "Looks nice on ya!"

"Thanks! Haruka's so cool! She has all these awesome gadgets, like the lipstick saber! The blush sleeping gas, the-"

"Girly-stuff as weapons… Not a bad concept!" Zack kip-upped to his feet, "The shuttle to Tokyo's gonna leave in a few! Let's hurry so we don't miss it!"

"Or we can just-"

"Do you really want to take that risk?"

"But think of how cool it would be if, just like that, we appear out of nowhere in front of everyone!"

"Then we'll be kicked out for entering without paying!"

Viki glared at her "date," "We wouldn't actually teleport past the ticket gate! Aren't you supposed to be working on your powers?"

Zack countered, "Not for your amusement and benefit! Besides, I never said I'd use my powers to get us there!"

She pouted, "You're not fun…" There was just no way she'd win this argument.

Anime Expo, Tokyo Dome, Japan

"Here we are!" Viki chirped as Zack looked around. This place was a lot bigger than he thought it would be. Various vendors and stands nearby as there were a lot of people in different costumes, just like Viki was. Also, there were a few bands playing a few techno-rock songs. Yep this was a place for anyone to get their name on the radar of the media. But now it was down to business.

Viki noticed Zack attempt to leave, "Wait, where ya going?"

"Take a wild guess," he replied.

"But we just got here!"

"I'm not leaving relax!" Zack assured, "I'm just going to check out this Yaoi stuff!"

A nervous chuckle escaped from her lips. "Well… Umm… Good luck with that." She really didn't want to be there when he actually did check out the Yaoi. She wanted to tell him, but it was the fact that he'd blow up at her that prevented her. She'd just cross that bridge when she came across it, as she decided to look for the Agent Haruka stuff, particularly some excusive artwork. Maybe perhaps the replica lipstick saber compared to the toy one she has would be in an auction. It didn't take too much time, despite the large crowd, to find the stand. As expected, it had various artworks of Haruka as well as some of the supporting cast: Inspector Shiratori, Kenji Nagano, Ayame Atori.

It was then when Viki saw it. Concealed in a long glass case, a golden lipstick handle with a long thin violet blade sticking out! This was it! This was the replica of Haruka's trademark lipstick saber! The metallic lipstick handle was evident enough, compared to the plastic one of the toy version. "Ohmygod…"

She quickly rushed over. She had to get a better look at it. Forget trying to buy it though. With her luck, she'd be lucky if it was only worth $1,000. Not even her monthly allowance would help pay for it. Her ex and his new Lorecorian boyfriend could both kiss her ass, and her parents wouldn't even dream of loaning her that much money as a birthday present. Still, at least she could be satisfied knowing that she actually got to see it in person instead of on a website…

"This is so awesome!"

"This is like, so cool!"

"I can't believe I'm actually seeing this!"

"I never thought I'd be able to see this!"

"This is just too cruel to be taunting us like this!"

"I know! They should just let us real fans have first priority over buying this thing."

"Then again, it wouldn't be as valuable if it was that affordable."

"True! They don't call these things collectables for nothing."

Viki blinked, her attention was so into the weapon that she didn't noticed the conversation she had started as she turned over to a girl who was dressed the same way as her, save for her hair being golden blonde as well as having orange-colored, black-striped cat-ears and tail. "You like Agent Haruka, too?"

"I just love it!" She extended her hand, "Arianna."

"Viki," She shook her hand, "So, first time here?"

"Second, actually! It was so fun last year! Shino Kobayashi came last year!"

"Really! He's like so dreamy!"

"I manage to get not only his autograph but a small strand of his hair!"

"You lie!"

"I did! It's hanging on the wall in my room next to his poster!"

Zack watched the two girls interacting, "Heh, didn't know Viki had a clone…" He turned to the nearby vendor, "Is it always like this?"

"You bet!" He shrugged, "Ever since the migration to other planets due to overpopulation, the events just keep getting bigger. So what are you here for?"

"I'm with the girl in pink over there. But I am interested into the Yaoi she mentioned about."

"So, you bat for the other team huh?"

"What?" Zack adamantly replied, "NO! I like girls! Why else would I want to see some of that Yaoi she told me about!"

He raised an eyebrow at this, "Are you sure you want to see any of that?"

"Hey, she said that it had HLA in it! Any full-blooded male would love to see some of that!"

"Yeah, but Yaoi?" He shook his head, "My friend, you are horribly misinformed."

Zack blinked, "Say what?"

The vendor proceeded to pull out a manga while pulling Zack in closer. "See there, this is your Yaoi my friend!" He stated as he turned the pages, "And this, and this, and this!" He showed, much to the red ranger's shock.

Zack couldn't believe what he was seeing, "WHAT THE HELL?"

"Do you know if they're gonna have the blow dryer blaster replica on display?" Viki asked.

Arianna blinked, "You mean there's a blow dryer blaster replica too?"

"Duh, Shigeru Yamada said in an interview that there has been at least one replica made of all of Haruka's weapons."

"Even the tranquilizer comb?"

"Even the tranquilizer comb!"

"I need to get up to date!"

"It's simple! Haven't ya heard of ? That's the top source for all of your Anime needs!" Viki then noticed Zack walking towards her. From his tweaked expression, he wasn't really happy. "Uh-oh…"

"What?" Arianna noticed Zack. "Who's he, your boyfriend or something?"

"No! We're just friends!"

"Then why is he angry? He looks kinda mean."

"He can be lazy and headstrong, but he's alright!" Viki assured, despite knowing why he wasn't happy.

Zack grabbed her by the wrist, "Can I have a word with you please?"

Viki almost lost her footing as she found herself quickly following the angry guy to a corner, with Arianna silently following. Once they were near a corner, "What's wrong, Zack?"

"What's wrong?" He let out a sarcastic chuckle. "What's wrong is that you conned me!"

"Conned you, about what?"

"You know exactly what I mean. How Yaoi is like HLA!"

"Yeah…" Viki chuckled nervously, "About that…"

"Yep, Yaoi is really like HLA… IF YOU'RE GAY!"

Viki winced, "You don't have to be so upset!"

"You got me excited over Gay Porn! OF COURSE I'M GONNA BE UPSET!"

"Viki, what's wrong?" Arianna checked in, "Is everything alright?"

Viki looked down, remorse showed on her face. "Look Zack I'm sorry… I didn't…"

Zack sighed, knowing that it was pointless to get angry at her. It would only cause problems in the long run, as if he hasn't had enough already… "Look Viki, it's alright! At least I found out about this before I ended up buying those comics."

"That's a good way of looking at it. And by the way they're called Manga!"

"Right…" Zack rolled his eyes, "I'm gonna… grab myself a hotdog and cool down a bit."

"O-ok Zack. Again, I'm so-" Viki was caught off-guard by her lips being pressed onto another pair.

"Is that better?" Arianna smiled at Zack, who was just as speechless. "The name's Arianna by the way!"

He blinked, "That was… unexpected."

"I'll say…" Viki agreed, not really sure what was more weird. The fact she pressed lips against a girl's, or how sudden it was.

"I just decided to give him HLA!" The catgirl shrugged. "No problem right?"

"Right…"

"I appreciate the gesture, but I'm really gonna need a hotdog right now." As Zack walked away, Arianna went into deep thought.

"Is he always this intense?" She asked Viki.

"He's really more laid-back. It usually depends on the situation and people. If it's stressful, he can be rather snappy. Especially about his sleep…"

"Maybe we need something to lighten him up! Maybe like a gag!"

"Are you sure we should be messing with him right now, all things considered?"

"Oh come on! It'll be fun, trust me!"

Viki glanced at Zack, who was over at a hotdog stand. She was still unsure about it, but why not? Zack was definitely someone who needs a good joke. "What do you have in mind?"

"Be my double!"

Viki blinked, "What?"

"Yeah! You be me! I mean, what's the difference?" Arianna noticed the size difference of her chest and Viki's. "Oh yeah…"

"But I doubt it'll be an issue if we handle the most important thing: Your ears and tail and my hair."

"But you're just wearing a wig, are you?"

"Don't worry I have an extra wig in my bag. And the dye that can change its color to pink! You can wash it every day for ten years and it'll keep its color."

"Yeah but… What about my ears and tail?"

"A stylish headband and belt can easily take care of that!" Viki assured. "Anyway, I'll work on the preparations. You take care of Zack for a while. Make sure that he doesn't leave or anything."

Arianna nods, "Gotcha!" Then giggles, "This is going to be so fun!"

Viki smiled, 'Oh Zack I can't wait to see the look on your face.' She wasn't sure if it was wise to mess with him, as far all she knew this could lead to him snapping, not talking to her, or worse: He teleports himself home, leaving her here. Now that she thought about it, wasn't it her who had to borrow money from him in the first place to pay the fee due to the miscalculation of the cost of making her costume and props? Hopefully this would all turn out for the best.

CCU: Red Lion Dorm

"My three kings and an Ace beat your tens! So sorry, but we win again!"

Brad watched on as Kim and Kat proceeded to disrobe once more, much to their dismay. Kat added a left black high heeled boot and Kim added a white open blouse to the table filled with a pair of black army boots, green T-shirt, white sneakers, and a blue polo shirt. 'Took long 'nuff…' The day with the Oliver Twins has been a great one thus far. Went to see a few movies, then took them out to the firing range, and now here they were.

Mike had a brilliant idea to play a game with the freshmen girls. It was nothing much, only an innocent, friendly game of strip poker at their place! After a few rounds, only he and Mike were the ones disrobing. Now it was the girl's turn to strip down. It wasn't much, but at least it was a start.

Kat gathered the cards, "Alright, deal again?"

"Why stop now?" Mike replied with a smile, after a rocky start in this game, it was already starting to pay off. Granted that it cost them some clothing, but now it was their turn to disrobe. If they played their cards right, Brad and himself would have the honor seeing two beautiful girls in all of their beauty. All of their beauty…

"This time, let's raise the stakes!" Kim challenged, "Let's put up three articles of clothing!"

Brad blinked, "Whoa now! Isn't that 'bit much?"

"What's wrong?" Kat pulled down a strap of her yellow top, "Scared?"

"S'cuse me?"

Kim bent herself forward, "Surely you've wondered how we'd look if it weren't for these meddlesome clothes, have you not?" As if to add the exclamation point, she trailed her fingers from her shoulder down to the top of her bustier-covered breasts.

"…Ah dunno…"

Mike nudged at his friend, "What are you doing? These ladies are giving us a wonderful opportunity!"

"But c'mon! Three clothes per round? You don' think that ain't risky?"

"The greatest risks lead to the greatest rewards. And besides, tell me you never thought of the idea of seeing two beautiful ladies in nothing but their unmentionables, or even less? And them both being twins, no less!"

Brad closed his eyes. As asinine as this wager was, he had to admit the idea of seeing Kim and Kat stripping down was appealing. But seeing as if they didn't have that much clothing left, this was a plan that could backfire, horribly.

Sighing, Brad narrowed his eyes before looking at the girls, "Let's get it on!"

Anime Expo, Tokyo Dome, Japan

Zack leaned against the wall with his cheese turkey dog. It hasn't been a whole day and already he was ready to leave. He almost ended up buying gay porn, but at the same time he meet Viki's friend who obviously had at least bi-tendencies. Maybe he was just being pessimistic. He had to hold out a bit longer. He did promise Viki he'd make it up to her.

"Slow day, huh?"

Zack turned around to see an African-American guy with his hair in cornrows, more in a traditional manner than the zig-zag style Wes Benta often wore his, sipping on a cherry slurpee. "Yeah, it is pretty slow."

"What you're in for? Girlfriend dragged you into here?"

"Nah, I'm making it up to a friend by bringing her here."

"Oh, what'd you do? Forget a birthday?"

"No."

"Ruin her dress? Chicks do manage to get anal about that."

"No, not even that."

"Then what!"

"I watched a reality TV show in front of her!"

He winced, "Those kind of people, huh?"

"Tell me about it. It took promising her to take her here and being her script reading partner for a week to calm her down. I mean, it's just a show that only lasts for one hour! Nothing more nothing less…"

"Well in my case, my girl…well… she's not really my girl but how possessive she is of me she may as well be!"

"Those kinds of girls, huh?"

"I mean if even a girl looks at me, she's like a pit bull. When I asked her on it, she said she was looking out for my best interests!"

"Women…"

"Women…"

"Can't live with 'em…"

"Can't live without 'em…" He sighed, "Anyway, she's really a huge sucker for those Chipikamon or whatever they're called. She says that they're 'So cute, like OMG!'

"Let me guess: She expects you to buy her one!"

"I wouldn't be surprised." He extends out a hand, "Ty!"

He shakes, "Zack."

"Looks like you've made yourself a friend, too!"

Zack looked to see Arianna approach him with a smile, a suspicious smile that made him cautious. She was acting friendly, too friendly…

"Zack, can I talk to you?"

He shrugged, "Sure, what's up."

"I want a baby!"

Zack froze in response, "Say wha-?"

"I mean it! I want to have a baby!"

Zack looked towards Ty, who shrugged. "Okay… And what does this have to do with me?"

"It's well… Umm…" Arianna looked down to her white boots before looking at him straight in the eye. "Zack, let me have your babies!"

He nearly spit out the chewed contents of his hotdog, "SAY WHAT!"

"I'm serious, Zack! I want to have your babies!"

"Looks like you got an admirer, Zack!" Ty teased.

Zack couldn't believe what he was hearing, "Oh for the love of-We just met!"

Arianna stated, arms crossed, "I don't care!"

"Aren't we a bit young for this kind of thing?" Zack had too much problems with his own schoolwork to deal with the life of another. Speaking of schoolwork, he had his own "bundle of joy" to take care of.

"I don't mind, Zack! Really! All I care about is my baby growing up strong in a nice and healthy environment."

"I'm gonna… Pretend I never heard this…" Zack decided to take a seat at the table, the shock of this request being a bit much for him to take.

"But Zack, please think it through! I'm ready and willing to give myself to you!" Arianna continued to plead, sitting right across from him.

"And that's what scares me!" Being a guy he wouldn't turn down a one-night-stand if both participants were single and willing. But this was just too suspicious. Was this Viki's doing? 'Wait a minute, where is she?'

"Please, can you at least consider letting me bare your children?"

'This has to be some joke.' Zack smiled, and held onto Arianna's hand. "You're a nice girl and all Arianna, but it's just too soon. Maybe if we've known each other longer and enjoy each other perhaps… But for now, I just met you a few minutes ago.

With a look of rejection on her face, Arianna stood up. "Okay…" As she sadly walked away, Ty gave him a look as if he was the dumbest person on the planet.

"What are you thinking? You just got a free ticket for some booty and you give it up?"

"Did you hear a word she said? She wants to bear my children!"

"Do you know what they say about Rhynian women?"

"I know all about Rhynian women, but that doesn't mean I'm going to act based on stereotypes! Besides, this was just all some kind of joke devise by Viki for the hell of it," Zack declared.

"Your friend?"

"Yes, my friend. This is all just some kind of joke just to get me riled up!" Zack sighed, "That girl can be up to something for the hell of it!"

With a sigh, she opened the door to the restroom. She knew she shouldn't have been here, much less on this planet. But she just had to come here anyway. After all, it wasn't everyday she could go to an expo event such as this. And what was the reason why she was here, what was the source of putting their duty on the backburner? A scoff left her lips, they didn't even have the freaking thing. She was excited, she was up all night thinking about it, how to tell the others why she would take this day off, and for what? Just to find out that production of it was cancelled due to 'lack of interest.' Like hell it was lack of interest! She'd have to take a trip to Fujiwara Toys to settle a few things or two and perhaps light a few fires under their asses – literally!

As she walked towards the sink, she ignored the two blondes who were talking as she examined herself in the mirror. That tensed expression on her face wasn't doing her any long-term favors, but to hell with what she says! She didn't felt like being all smiles. Not after this injustice. But at least her hair looked good, as always. Her long auburn locks that had slight curls were a sight to behold. Screw blondes and brunettes, auburn was the in-thing as far as she was concerned. If there was anything that went well today was that she manage to score this new herbal shampoo that just got released to try. Got to love shampoo containing the scent of exotic fruits! As she placed down the bottle, she couldn't help but overhear the blondes' discussion…

"He didn't take it so well, did he?"

"Yeah, I did go a bit far with the whole 'babies' thing. But he does seem to be a nice guy. Most guys would've tried to jump on me after giving the 'go 'head…'"

"Well the guys I know aren't like that. Well, Mike may be a bit of a flirt, but at least he's respectful."

"And the other one?"

"He's a bit tough, but he's more like a teddy bear when you get to know him!"

Like hell she wanted to know what they were talking about… Typical blondes, always thinking that they ran the world, believing that the whole universe revolved around them, feeling that they were the end-all be-all of women! Try getting a gay guy to marry them in five minutes then she'll think about considering the greatness of blondes. Brunettes weren't that better either, with their hypocritical remarks, but at least they didn't annoy her as much as blondes did. One annoying girl was enough…

"So how do I look?"

"I must say that you look good in pink girl, Ari!"

"Are you sure the dye won't run into my hair!"

"Don't worry! I made sure that it was dry before you got in here!"

"Well okay! Should we continue in our master plan of messing with Zack?"

"Let's!"

"Thank god…" She muttered under her breath as she saw the blondes leave… Now to test out the new shampoo, as she turned on the faucet… As she began to soak her hair, she proceeded to pour a small handful of the shampoo. However, if she would've noticed, she would realize the pink liquid that poured in her hand in place of the usual clear liquid…

"Oh man, what are they doing?" Zack noticed a pair of girls with pink hair and similar colored cat ears and tails. However, one of them was a bit off.

"Trying to mix an anime heroine with a popular fetish since anime was discovered: Catgirls!" Ty added his two cents, "Twins do make the best friends with benefits."

"You're not helping…" Zack saw the two girls approach him, both smiling deviously. "I don't believe this."

"Hi Zack!" They both say in perfect unison, much to his chagrin.

"Okay I get it: You're twins! Fun's over you two!"

Ty gave a smirk, "I know one of you ain't doing a good job of impersonating another!"

They give him a look of concern, "What's wrong?"

"For starts, one of you is well-endowed while the other's like a board."

"What! I am not-"

"Viki!"

Ty turned to Zack, "See, not that hard to figure out!"

Arianna frowned, "Of course it's not for a pervert!"

He held his hands up, "Hey, it's my job to notice small things like these!"

"Hey!" Viki pouted, "They're quite right, thank you very much!"

Arianna frowned, "No need to be all Pervy Mr. Pervy-Pants!"

Confused by the two aspiring twins, Ty looked towards Zack, who only shrugged. "Are they always like this?"

"They're just messing with ya," Zack assured. Viki often liked teasing people, having no qualms with breaking and entering. "Best not to worry about…"

Ty nodded, "If you say so. I guess-" A loud scream… More like a shriek was heard as a soft sigh came from his lips. "Great…"

Viki also heard the sound, "You heard that, right Zack?"

'Please not today…' Zack wasn't in the mood to be dealing with Syral, let alone without their morphers. That could be said for any other day, but this day was supposed to be somewhat of a sabbatical from their battles. From the looks of an angry girl, having a hint of Hispanic in her ethnicity, with a towel wrapped around her hair, fortunately it didn't involve Syral. However it did not mean that trouble would not arise.

The girl soon spotted Viki and Arianna, "You…"

Both looked towards each other, both confused at what's going on. "Umm…"

"Hold on a second!" Zack tried to play peacemaker between the three girls. He had no idea what was happening, but he sure as hell wasn't going to let Viki get into a fight.

"You stay out of this!" She snapped at him.

Ty tried his shot, "C'mon Amanda, what's wrong?"

"What's wrong, Ty?" She narrowed her eyes, "You wanna know what's wrong? Thanks to these two ditzes, this happened!" With the removal of the towel all four pairs of eyes were fixed on her hair.

"Wow!" Arianna eyes were wide…

Zack shook his head, "Damn…"

"How did you get it to be so pink?" Viki commented, slightly envious. While she might've been able to make the wigs pink successfully, but they weren't as pink as her hair was.

"Aw man…" Ty sighed, now knowing exactly how angry Amanda was now.

"Yeah, that's right! Thanks to them, my hair is now this annoying color!"

Arianna didn't know what to do about this, "What did we do?"

"You sabotaged me! You deliberately stole my Shampoo and switched it with this!" She held up the bottle, containing the shampoo that caused her hair to be in its current color.

"You use Herbal Showers, too?" Viki examined the bottle, "The Melon Berry smell's great, isn't it?"

"Yours was Melon Berry! Mine was Banana Mango!" Amanda narrowed her eyes, "You wouldn't happen to know what happened to it, would you?"

"I still don't know what makes you think I took it." Viki went into her bag, "I mean, just because you don't have Melon Berry doesn't mean that-" She took out the bottle as she soon look at the bottle. She soon froze in shock, "That…" Instead of the picture of a Watermelon and Berries that usually was on the face of the bottle, was a picture of a bunch of bananas and a mango fruit. "Uh oh…"

"Caught red-handed," Amanda crossed her arms. Now that it was confirmed that they did stole her shampoo, all there was left to do was to gain compensation for this… this tragedy! Namely, a fiery ass-kicking Pinky would never forget!

"Look, I'm sorry! It was just an accident! I'm sure we can do something to take out the color!"

Arianna blinked, "But didn't you say that you could wash it over ten times and it'll still retain its color?"

"Ari!"

"WHAAAAT!" As if this couldn't get any worse for Viki, Amanda was ready to yank out a bundle of pink hair, followed by the head of its owner. It was bad enough her auburn locks were ruined, but now that her hair was to remain in this ridiculous color?

Zack whispered to Viki, "Couldn't you at least see which bottle you grabbed?"

"How was I supposed to know it wasn't mine?"

"Apparently there was a way!" Zack hoped that there wasn't going to be fight because of this. Not today. Luckily this Amanda girl was Ty's friend, but then again he wasn't sure if even he can keep her in check. Her glare alone was enough to cut off the head of a lion. Note to self: Try not to get on her bad side.

Ty dreaded the worst was coming, "Don't do it Mandy…" He could sense the fiery rage within her, ready and willing to explode out of her. He didn't want to, but if she made a move towards Viki, Zack, anyone, or do anything that'll compromise their position, he'll step in. The last thing they needed was to bring attention to the Intergalactic Federation, again!

"THAT DOES IT! YOU'RE ASS IS GRASS, PINKY!"

Viki flinched at the screaming, "Eep!"

As did Arianna, "Uh-oh!"

Zack readied himself for the inevitable defense, "Aw man…"

Amanda rushed towards Viki, the girl who ruined her hair. She was going to pay, dearly for this! She'll pummel her, torture her, then pummel her some more! After all that work she had often put into maintaining and grooming her hair, now it was doomed to be as pink as those idiots' wigs were. As she was about to leap, she found herself stopped. Her feet wouldn't move! Her legs, her arms, her hands… Even her head couldn't move! "Damn it, Ty! What the hell?"

"No can do!" Ty's arm was extended as his fist was closed. He wasn't going to let her do anything that'll get him or herself in trouble. "Now will you calm down, or do I have to force you into time out!"

"But-"

"But nothing Amanda," Ty finished. "We're all going to act like mature adults here."

"Tell that to them…" Amanda muttered before reluctantly nodding her head… at least as much as Ty would allow, "Fine…"

"Dodged a bullet there…" Zack whispered to Viki.

Viki waved off, "Not really, You'd just step in to help me, right?"

"You're not out of the woods yet…"

Having regained control, Amanda scoffed, "Be glad Ty was here!" Her eyes narrowed at Viki before turning to Arianna, "Sleep with one eye open."

Both girls turned to each other, each filled with worry as Zack closed his eyes. This was going to get worse, he could feel it…

"Don't worry about her!" Ty assured as Amanda stormed off. "She's just a bit excited for the new Chinpikamons coming out."

Viki blinked, "You mean they have those, too?"

"Had those," Arianna corrected. "Those things sold out in like five minutes!"

Ty was surprised at the news, "Sold out? Mandy told me they didn't even have them, due to a lack of interest."

"Well your girl heard wrong. Didn't you see the kids holding their Kittyroo and Unimingo plushies?"

"Well that's just great…" Ty sighed, as if Amanda needed another reason to get angry.

"That's why preorders exist…" Zack casually stated, "To avoid missing out on what you want."

He looked around, "I better go. With Amanda as angry as she is, there's no telling what she may do…"

Zack nodded, "It was nice meeting ya, man!"

"Likewise…"

Viki watched as Ty proceeded to leave, "Is she really that angry?"

Zack rolled his eyes, "Really Viki, how could you mix up the bottles like that?"

"I don't know! I mean I just grabbed the bottle! The only difference is the picture at the front, and it's not like it was big enough to cover the whole bottle!"

After a sigh, Zack gave her a soft smile, "The important thing is that we're all safe and that nobody got hurt!"

Arianna nodded, "That's one way of looking at it!"

"Point taken…" The pink ranger looked down, "Still…"

"Viki, it was an accident! Things happen! Anyone could've made that mistake! It'll blow over soon!"

She scoffed, "Yeah, in about ten years…"

"Zacky's right!" Arianna encouraged, "You can't beat yourself over this Viki! If at all, it's her fault as much as it is yours! She should've made sure that the bottle she was using was hers in the first place!"

Zack winced at being called "Zacky," "Don't call me that…"

"Okay Zacky," The cat girl answered, much to the red ranger's annoyance. "So c'mon Viki! Let's get our pictures taken with the Lipstick Saber!"

Viki sighed, "Okay… Still…"

"Viki, just forget about it!" Zack was getting annoyed with Viki's guilt trip. It was just an accident. It wasn't as if she killed Amanda's parents or anything. "C'mon, we're here so we've might as well enjoy the rest of the day!"

Arianna noticed Viki's depressed expression was still there. "Don't tell me you're taking Amanda's threat seriously! She threatened me too, but I'm not taking it to heart! So come on already! Where's your spirit? Remember what Haruka always says?"

Viki looked up, "When the going gets tough…"

"When everything turns for the worse…"

"Never give up!"

"Never give in!"

"Always believe, and they'll always work out for the best!" They both finished the motto as Zack watched on amazingly. Viki was down not too long ago, now she's back to her chipper mood. And from a cartoon, no less! Maybe he'd have to look into this show after all, it was quite the motivator. Besides, if this Agent Haruka was anything like how these girls were dressed, he might have a reason to actually watch an episode or two. At least Viki wasn't feeling down anymore about the whole hair thing, thank god. Besides, it's not like she'd ever see Amanda again.

"C'mon… c'mon…" As she desperately tried to scrub with her lathered hands, strain could be seen in her eyes. As she dropped her head into the spring, she pulled it out just as quickly. Within moments she wrapped the towel around her head to dry before removing it. Looking at her reflection in the water… "Damn it!"

She lathered and scrubbed once more before rinsing and drying once more. However, the results remained the same. "It just won't come out!" Sadness was evident in her voice as tears began to come from her eyes. After ten years of growing and conditioning it, she finally had her hair the way she wanted it. Her beautiful long auburn hair! And it took those two idiots in pink ten minutes to ruin all of that! As she saw her reflection, she threw a nearby rock through it.

"It's not that bad, you know!"

She turned towards the source of the voice. "Don't look at me! Not like this!"

"Working the dramatic angst a bit aren't we?"

"You don't understand, Ty! You just don't understand!" Amanda explained, "Do you know how long it took for me to grow it out this long? After that fight?"

"The one where you'd got a bob-styled 'do during your first exam? Yeah I remembered that."

"More like a bob-styled don't." She scoffed, "It took me three years for it to reach back to my shoulders. And finally it got back down to my waist. My hair was finally back where it was, and then those two idiots ruined it."

"So they changed the color. It's not that bad! Have you thought of just re-dying it?"

"And make it worse? Don't think so!"

Ty sighed, "Well look at it this way! It could be worse!"

"Yeah? How?"

"You could have a boy's haircut again! Or could be bald…"

"Don't even joke!" Amanda stood up, grabbing a strand of her now-pink hair, "Those two…" Her grip tightened, "Those idiots ruined my hair. I won't let this go!"

"We'll worry about your cosmetic crisis later!" Ty informed, "We have business in Lorecora!"

Amanda nodded, "Right. Let's get those things already so we can focus on more important things like… I dunno… MY HAIR?"

Ty sighed, "That anger, that aggression, that intensity you have now? Use it on the guards when we get there."

Within a deep breath, Amanda regained focus. As much as she wondered why Ty went all apologist-like on her, he had a point. She could always put what Viki and Arianna did on the backburner for now. What was more important was on Lorecora. All that mattered was that within each step, they would become closer to completing their goal. Then she could deal with the two bimbos with righteous fury and extreme prejudice…

CCU Wolf Blue Dorm

"Now wasn't that fun?" Viki chirped with a smile as she plopped onto the couch in the den.

"Yeah, I have to admit it was kinda cool!" Zack looked into his bag.

She smirked, "You got your HLA I take it?"

"Yeah, and it's the real deal! Not that Yaoi crap you punked me on about! I'm surprised at how much was available! I mean isn't it illegal to sell this? But I'm not complaining."

"It's not really sanctioned, but it's so much on the DL that they basically look the other way."

Zack took out a book, "I really like the cat girl on the cover. She has all the right curves, and she's not lacking in the chest de-"

"Don't mention it." Viki was still miffed at what Ty had mentioned earlier, "Zack?"

"Sup?"

"Do you think I'm… l-lacking?"

Zack blinked, "Wha? Time out!"

"I'm serious!" Viki's voice became sterner. "Do you think that I'm less developed than say like…Arianna?"

Zack brushed his hands through his dreads, "There's no good answer to that question!"

"I don't care if it's good or not! I want to know your opinion!"

'There no way out of this…' Zack sighed, "Okay Viki! Arianna, despite being a bit out there, does have a nice body! But compare to you, she-" He was interrupted by the sound of a door slamming open.

"You an' yer damn plans!"

"How was I supposed to foreseen this event!"

Zack and Viki turned over to find Brad and Mike, both wearing nothing but white towels around their waists. "I'm not even gonna ask…"

"'With my plan and my strategy, there's no way we'll lose a game of strip poker! There is no possible way they can beat us' He says…" Brad's hand that was holding up his towel was tightening into a fist, shaking. "HOW 'BOUT THEM GROWIN' UP IN A POKER-PLAYING FAMILY, YA JACKASS!"

Mike sighed, "Luckily, Kat and Kim were generous enough to loan us these towels. Hopefully no photos were taken during the walk back."

"If this ends up on College Humor, Ah'll have yer hide!" Brad found a hardcover book depicting of anime-styled voluptuous brunette vixen in a black Bikini on the cover. "The hell's this?"

"I got it from the Expo." Zack assured, "You'll like."

Mike grinned as he picked up the book. "Ah, 'Minako's Desires' I take it? Quite a marvelous read if I do say so myself!"

Brad snatched the book away, "Now this is sum good ole' Hot Lesbian Action right here!" This could almost make up for losing his clothes at the Oliver Girls' place. …Almost.

"Try not to mess them up!" Zack had just gotten the books and the last thing he wanted was the entire male population of the blue dorm to know. He didn't even get the chance to read them yet.

Viki couldn't help but giggle at the way Brad and Mike were fighting over the yuri hentai manga and Zack trying to keep the peace. Still, aside from the hair incident with Amanda, it was a good day! She met a new friend, got an autographed sketch of Agent Haruka and got a picture of the replica lipstick saber. Although she would like to have the real deal, but at least it was something. If only life could always be like this. However, she knew that to have one of those days was rare knowing what was at stake, but she couldn't help but feel that during all of this, the Syrallian Army was planning something. Something big…


Next Chapter: Viki receives a callback for a role in the movie. However, due to a sinister plot, she switches bodies with Anna!

Chapter 10: Viki's Big Break! A Darker Shade of Pink!