Chapter 25

Meanwhile, Kazuki reactivated Yuu, who was fully repaired. She woke up and saw Taishi sitting beside her.

"Hey, what happened, Taishi?" She asked.

Taishi said nothing, as Kazuki finished up on Eimi. Yuu looked at her and was concerned.

"Hey, Kaz," she asked, "Did you finish up on Eimi?"

Kazuki said, "Yes. She's become upgraded. As for you, Eimi is going to know you much less. How about we turn her on, if you want to speak with her?"

Yuu responded, feeling confused, "No thanks. But I'll tell you what… you can have Eimi work for us and disband this Feline Nya-Nya business."

Kazuki stated, "I made sure that Eimi is fully repaired. That's all. But for some reason, when I started to repair her, she barely twitched."

"Huh? Maybe I can try to reach her."

She reached Eimi, but then her eyes opened and suddenly malfunctioned. Her eyes were blank and her body was rigid.

"Panda… Panda… Panda… Panda…"

"Is she referring to me?" Yuu thought.

Kazuki then tried to deactivate her, "She must be having a glitch. I'll find the problem."

Yuu looked away, as Taishi went to her.

"Do you know why Eimi suddenly idolized you?"

Yuu scoffed, "No. And I don't even care."

She left, as she called to Kazuki, "If you want, I'll meet you at our circle. Do me a favor and take Eimi 3000 to Chisa's."

She shut the door, as Kazuki shut down Eimi, with her voice dropping to a slur.

"Well, I don't know what the hell she spoke that for, but I think it must be from Yuu," he said, "Remember, she was dressed as a panda."

"Comrade Yuu was built in a panda costume?" Taishi cried.

Kazuki shushed him, "Not in front of her! Yes, she was. Although, I think she was just confused."

Taishi remarked, "I think Eimi needs further repairs, my brother."

"No, she doesn't. I'll try something and then reactivate her."

Taishi thought, "Please do, Comrade. With the three rogue, yet cooperative, Cos-Bots gone, all we have left is a sleeper Cos-Bot and a hybrid Cos-Bot."

He then shivered, "And Raven is going to return soon…"

XXXXX

Elsewhere, Vash is sitting outside a department store window, waiting for Neco to finish. Neco returned, dressed in a white wedding gown.

"How do I look?" Neco asked.

"You look perfect," Vash replied, "I'm surprised that you got a job as moving model at Neo-Tokyo's mall."

"Well, I told them the truth about me and asked if I could make up for what I did."

"Really?"

"And he hired me, on the spot. Hey… even evil Cos-Bots like us deserve a second chance."

Vash then smiled, "Well, I know that you're hotter than our sister, Peach."

"I'm sorry, what was that now?"

A voice called, shocking Vash and Neco. They turned and saw Peach, fully repaired.

"No… it cannot be…" Vash whimpered.

Neco griped, "But… but, you're dead!"

"Not really. But I'll never tell about myself." Peach smiled.

Vash hugged her, while Neco was crossed.

"Okay, where have you been?" She growled, "How dare you disappear like that?"

Peach replied, "Sorry, but my programming hasn't been working right. Right now, I am starting to remember… everything."

"About…"

"Raven."

Neco said in anger, "Raven is an evil Cos-Bot! She's Cos-Bot X! Why would you remember everything about her?"

Peach asked, "Do you remember Sasha Inoue's father? Her father worked on the Cos-Bot X project, but he was killed."

Vash said, "I remember that, but why this Sasha woman?"

Peach explained, "Back when she worked for our creator, she was busy working on a Cos-Bot. However, the robot malfunctioned and started to hurt a foreman. She destroyed her and was fired on the spot. She died, one year later, of lung cancer."

Neco thought, "Sasha… her father… did he help create Raven?"

Peach continued, "There's more to the story. After you destroyed me, Neco, which you didn't, Tanya Inoue, the daughter of Sasha, rebuilt me. My body was fully repaired, but I suddenly malfunctioned and shut down permanently. But she had a Heart Disk Component with her that was hidden from her daughter. It's old, but it's 100% operational. She installed it in me, and BOOM, I'm back!"

Neco groaned, "I like it better if you were underwater…"

Vash smiled, "I'm just glad you're back."

Peach then asked, "So, what was I doing, while I was gone?"

Neco then told everything that happened, when Peach disappeared. She told her that Raven had resurfaced and she was after Kazuki. However, there was an accomplice: Lena Gallows. She was held responsible for trapping Sendo. They were supposed to leave, which led to Lena about to strike. Neco shot her, out of desperation.

"Oh, nice!" Peach smiled, "And you did it to protect him…"

Neco growled, "I could care less… besides, John and Jane Law just returned to full functions."

"Oh, right. The Makis had been rebuilt."

Vash asked, "So, how come you two started to feel uneasy? Didn't you once fight each other?"

Neco said, "If you wouldn't have ditched us, we'd succeed. But now… now we've learned the truth from… from…"

She cringed and started to cry. She sobbed, "Why? My creator is dead. Raven used all of us. Peach… you didn't return in time to stop her."

Vash comforted her, "It's okay. This whole thing will end, as soon as Raven becomes spare parts."

"It'll never end…" Neco whimpered.

Peach cried, "Yes, it will! Raven hasn't seen me yet! Chisa needs to improve on your fighting skills. Also, since you're back as good Cos-Bots, I think we'll need all the help we can."

Vash and Neco nodded, as Peach held their hands.

"No matter what, I'm going to save everyone, including Sendo. Sendo… must… NEVER… die!"

They spoke in unison, "Raven… must be… stopped…"

Peach dashed off, as Neco was smiling.

"Hey, are you okay?" Vash asked.

"Yeah," Neco replied, "I'm just happy to see her again."

"Will we ever tell her about Sendo's true calling?" Vash asked.

Neco thought with a frown, "I don't know… They have their own way toward Raven… I hope she'll get to him, before they do."

Who's They?

XXXX

Meanwhile, Eimi was reactivated. She looked up and saw Kazuki.

"Did you finish?"

"Yes, I did." Kazuki said.

Taishi asked, "What do you know about Yuu?"

"TAISHI!" Kazuki cried.

Taishi proclaimed, "My brother, Eimi must tell me about her past. Yuu Inagawa has been in her memories, before and after the transformation."

Eimi snapped, "Where do you get off accusing me?"

Kazuki declared, "You started to say Panda, many times. Do you know of Yuu or was it a mascot?"

Eimi then dropped her head and was upset, "I'm starting to remember… all I could remember was how I first met a panda."

Kazuki asked, "When?"

Eimi said, "Back… when I was human…"

She then told the Two Brothers about how she first met a Cos-Bot called Yuu, who was giving out balloons. This happened when she was a kid. However, she also remembered that she had shiny eyes, when she visited her, when she was in the accident.

"I see… and you thought it was the same Yuu from before," he said.

Eimi declared, "Now I am confused. Am I seeing my past reaper in my eyes?"

Taishi corrected her, "Reappear…"

Eimi continued, "If… if Panda said that she's the Cos-Bot from before, please tell me!"

Kazuki sighed and whispered, "You'll know soon enough."

He said to her, "I'm afraid that you met two Yuus. The one you met that was a Cos-Bot was an older model."

Taishi cried, "My brother, what are you saying?"

Kazuki yelled, "STAY OUT OF THIS!"

Eimi then pouted, "I'm starting to feel bad about this… if that Yuu was an old model, and the Panda was here with me was human…"

She shook her head and cried, "I'm SO confused!"

She shrieked, "SOMEONE TELL ME! PANDA IS NOT A COS-BOT! SHE'S NOT!"

Taishi thought, "I'm afraid you'll see soon enough, my chrome sister…"

Kazuki said, "Yuu… I know in my heart that she's no Cos-Bot. Trust me. You might know about it, one day, but don't ever mention it to her at all."

Eimi got up and put on her costume, "Thanks. But I'd rather not speak to her. She and I are enemies… in the doujinshi world. Maybe I'll ask her one day, even though she and I are never on speaking terms."

She went to the front door and left. The boys sat down and were lost in thought.

Taishi asked, "What'll we do now?"

Kazuki then thought, "Mizuki… Peach… I wish you were here…"

XXXXX

Meanwhile, Peach was atop a building, waiting for Raven to show up. She then saw a black feather fluttering by. She then sensed it.

"Raven…" she whispered.

She jumped down and ran out of Cosmos-Tropolis, heading towards a small city in Neo Japan.

Hours later, she was in a dark forest, surrounded by huge trees and vines. The place was very dark and spooky.

"I'm telling you, Raven sure knows who to set up a battle."

Raven appeared and said, "Oh, I wouldn't say that. Faith and Heal told me where to meet up with you."

"Who?"

"Nobody… Because you will fall to me, before you become shattered machinery."

She let out an evil grin and remarked, "And to think… you've had a terrible past."

Peach growled, "I may have lost a lot of me… but at least I can fight again. You see, I am like you, except that I use a defensive style. You hardly want to kill me. You want…"

"I'm coming to get Sendo," she said, "I have heard good things from him. The guy is perfect for continuing the Cos-Bot world."

"Huh?"

"Simple, really… He's the one to replace my Ikumi! I lost her, because of you!"

"You're lying!"

"OH? I was created, long ago, by my creator, Dr. Inoue. Tell me that I am lying."

Peach gasped, "Inoue? She means Mia's grandfather."

"To add, the whole peaceful Cos-Bot world… it is by far boring. I'm the one and only Cos-Bot X, programmed for anything that Cos-Bot does. You, however, were just pawns in my game of chess, along with Lena Gallows, Asahi Sakurai, the Maki cops, that burly Sergeant, Eimi Ohba, and even Sendo. I even used your sisters, Vash and Neco."

"MONSTER!" She screamed, "You used all of us?"

Raven snickered, as she held her wand up, "Oh? Yes! I'm perfect. I am the second created and I am perfect."

Peach asked, "Second created? Who was created before you?"

"You want to know?" Raven asked.

She nodded, as Raven swung her wand at her head. Peach fell to the ground and was in pain.

"You'll never find out," she seethed, "YOU! You will become scrap metal! Then, Faith and Heal will sacrifice you the depth of your own self-pity. You, my friend, are just a small lamb for this guy's flock."

Peach was confused, as Raven was in embarrassment, "Uh… perhaps I said too much…"

"Who do you work for?" Peach cried out.

"I'm not telling you! Faith and Heal are my advisors… my boss, however, chose to remain anonymous," she responded, "Unlike you… calling yourself 'Mizuki'."

Peach stood up and was in anger.

"Let's dance, you cheap outdated bimbo!"

Raven snickered, "Try me…"

They both charged at each other and began to fight.
Good vs. Evil: Who will win?

To be continued…