Well, here you go^^ I hope you enjoy this chapter, even though it's very similar to the original anime^^; Also, remember to read the authors note on after the chapter^^

DISCLAIMER: I don't own AKB0048, nor it's characters.

Chapter 1: The Forbidden Star

Nagisa, along with her fellow non-elected understudies didn't have a lot to do; All the attention was on the elected members, as well as speculations on where Chieri had gone to. Even Nagisa wasn't sure. She had talked a little with Chieri on the phone, but the taller had simply refused to tell her anything.

While having nothing else to do, the remaining parts of the 77th and 75th generation spent a lot of their time in one of the many practice rooms of 00. They were dancing all of the songs until they could do them in their sleep. As Ushiyama was training the Elected members, they had to supervise their-selves, so they shifted positions so that everyone - well, except Sonata, who would not stick to the point or concentrate – would be the one watching to make sure that everyone was in sync.
As they danced through Koisuru Fortune Cookie of the 10th time in a row, a knock resonated in the room, and the door opened. Wanibuchi Megumi stood there. "Tsubasa wants to speak with everyone." She said. "Please hurry. You can shower afterwards."

The understudies in the room nodded, and followed Megumi, glad to have something else than practising to do. Megumi quickly led them to the for once empty stage, where everyone got seated, and they noticed that all the members – including the elected ones – were there. Tsubasa stood in front of the members, one hand holding her iPad looking device, and one on her hip.

"We will hold a guerrilla live in a week." She said, turning on a hologram on a planet. "This is Baltistar, a planet completely under the entertainment ban. Here, resistance forces seeking liberation from militaric rule have been embroiled in a lengthy civil war against DES forces. This is the first attack concert after the General Elections. The performers will be the elected members! As we will bring a full member performance, one of the understudies have been chosen to take Chieri's place. The one chosen is Kanata, as you have the most experience."

The understudies gasped, and Sonata hugged her bigger sister, who just stared, not really knowing what to say for a moment. She would preform with the elected members?

Tsubasa continued as if she hadn't more or less promoted Kanata into a special position. "To prevent the resistance from gaining any more momentum, we can expect military to get involved as well. In response, we will be strengthening our defence team. The 76th generation understudies will launch in LAS, as well as the unelected successors and defend the concert in conjunction with WOTA's commando unit. As for the 77th generation understudies, I have a very important mission for you girls."

"Okay!" The mentioned members replied, the 77th generation a little bit hesitantly, as they didn't know what kind of mission it was.

A week later.

"Here it is." Suzuko's timid voice was heard, as its bearer went over to a metal door. She placed a machine at the floor of it, and made sure, by putting tape over corners, that as much of the gas from the machine would go inside of the room on the other side of the door. She put on a gas mask, and her fellow 77th generation understudies did the same. Suzuko flipped a switch and the understudies could hear a noise that sounded like a faint blowing wind. Even though they didn't see it, they knew that the rather small square machine was emitting a gas, which would knock anyone in the room on the other side of the metal door out.
They waited until they heard coughing sounds, and then thumps before they went inside.

"This is the 77th generation understudies." Yukas voice sounded in their earpieces, which they knew were connected to the Katyusha, which was on stand-by a distance from Baltistar. "Infiltration successful. WOTA's intel was correct. The transport was carrying boys bound for forced labour."

The six girls headed over to each boy, taking off their name-plates, and switching the information on them, by using a special program they had all gotten installed on their phones. Lucky enough, Suzuko had had backups of all the girls' personality, as she had suspected someone would forget their phone, and she was correct. Sonata, being Sonata, had forgotten her phone in the dorms, so Suzuko changed 'Sonata's' name-plate as well.
They stiffened as they heard Tsubasa reply in their ears, not wanting to miss a single word.

"Your targert, Vegastar, is a D.G.T.O. military base constructed to maintain stability at Baltistar. For some reason, there have been reports of high government officials, powerful businessmen, investors, and academics visiting this place regularly. I want you to find out first and foremost; Are these reports true, and if so, why. Any further information transmission will be through an encrypted channel. Good luck."

The understudies didn't reply, not wanted to risk to be discovered. They moved the boys' unconscious forms into a room in the back of the transporter, knowing that they'd be out for hours, so they didn't need to worry. They also changed into the overalls of the boys, so that they would blend in better.
"I guess this is our big moment, huh?" Nagisa sighed, hitting the subject of hers, Yukas, and Orine's thoughts. "I wish Chieri would have been here with us… I wish she wouldn't have graduated…"

"Nagisa-san, even if she hadn't graduated, she would still not be by our side. She'd been singing as an elected member." Suzuko replied with her soft voice. "We need to focus at the mission at hand."

"An undercover operation, huh?" Orine said, clearly worried and nervous. "My heart's pounding… Do you think these disguises will work?"

"Of course they will. We have plugged most of the loopholes to our cover. Besides, this is were our training'll pay off!" Yuka said. She acted a lot more confident than she were, but if there was one thing that she had learned about Orine, it was that if you were unsure around the timid girl, you shouldn't show it. Suzuko, however, seemed to have changed completely – the quiet, observing girl was not there, and a leader-character had taken her place.
"We'll conquer any dangers that lie in front of us! Come on, you punks! Let's do this!" She was met with rather half-hearted 'Yeah'-s.

"But still, this is a dangerous and frightening undercover mission…" Makoto said, being her usual negative self. "We'll get caught for sure!" This time, it was Yuka's turn to reply.

"Yeah, we will…" She said, hitting Makoto on the head lightly. "If you keep that attitude going."

"Come on Grumbly!" Sonata chimed in, using her nickname on the older girl. "You're going to smash them with your grumbly-ness!"

The 'boys' waited until they had docked with Vegastar, and when they did, they was immediately met up with an officer, who checked their ID's. After being satisfied, he handed them back, and spoke to them with a rather harsh voice.

"You brats will be working odd jobs for the supply corps. If you want to go home sooner, then you'd better put your backs into it."
Keeping up the act, the understudies replied with a "Yes, sir!" which seemed to please the officer, at least a little, and he turned to a man pushing a cleaning machine. "Private Higashino!" He called, who turned, and answered with a questioning "Yes, sir?" The officer sighed.

"I'm putting you in charge of these boots. Show them the ropes." The man named Higashino didn't seem to really want to, but eventually, he said, saluting:

"Aye, aye, sir!"

At the Flying Get, the elected members were getting ready, changing into their performance uniforms. Yukirin came over with a uniform to Kanata.
"Here you go." She said with a smile. 'At least this time, you will preform.' She continued in her thoughts as Kanata put the uniform on, and switched up the ribbon in her hair to one made the same way as the uniform, meaning it would change colour when the rest of the uniform did. As she finished, her face grew grim, and Takamina, along with Yuuko, came over to her.

"Why the grim face?" The taller of the successor asked. She was wearing a grin, and, in that moment, seemed as if she didn't worry about anything.

"Worried about our undercover agents?" Takamina asked, guessing Kanata's thoughts. "I am too, but they are more than capable of taking care of themselves. And we'll be the centre off attention, which means they will have quite an easy time to get in and out unnoticed."

"Takamina-san, Yuuko-san!" Kanata said, a bit surprised as she had not noticed them. She sighed. " I know that they are perfectly fine on their own, but I can't help but worry, after all, I'm the captain for the understudies. But I guess the best thing I can do now, is make them proud by taking the spotlight from them… At least of a moment.." She smiled, the successor's words had struck her worry by the core, and lifted her spirit with her simple words. Yuuko grinned at her response, cutting off Takamina.

"That's the spirit!" She tackle-hugged Kanata, knowing that while embarrassing Kanata, she made Takamina feel kind of glad that it wasn't her for once that Yuuko attacked.

Meanwhile, Higashino was putting the understudies in hard work. He followed them - or rather dragging them – everywhere, complaining, and telling them how to do the job better all the while.

"C'mon! Put yer back in it!" He called at Yuka, who was currently sweeping the floors, complaining to herself that her back was going to kill her the next day. Higashino acted like he had not heard her. "Pick up the pace, or yer gonna be here forever!", making Yuka flinch, with a "S-Sir!"

Nagisa and Orine was cleaning the uniforms of all the workers of VEgastar, resulting in huge piles of clothes all over the room.
"There is a whole lot – a helluva lot of clothes left." Nagisa said when she for once stretched her back after having been bent over for several minutes straight.

"Yeah, man." Orine replied, stumbling over the words. She was not yet completely used to words like those. They had decided to keep up the act, even if they were alone, because there were surely security cameras all over the place.

"Here ye go. Next load." Higashino came in with a rather huge pile of clothes in a trolley.

"Chop, chop, get it going!" He said as he turned around, as if he had not seen that they were already working, making Orine sigh in defeat.

"Yeah… Dude…" Nagisa replied, voicing her thoughts.

Suzuko and Sonata had gotten the carrying boxes-job, which were unfortunate for them, as Higashino insisted on checking them almost every minute, and when he stayed for a little longer than he usually did, it was just to criticize them, no matter their (/Sonata's) complaints.
"C'mon. Yer pathetic. That ain't even heavy."

When they were all finally done with their respective jobs, Higashino let them have a 5-minute pause, much to the relief of the girls/'boys'.
"M-my back…" Yuka complained, and got similar comments from the others.

"Yer a crop o' useless 'cruits, ye lot. Don't expect to get any grub before yer all done with the jobs." He sighed, and started talking to himself, loud enough for the understudies to hear. "Sheesh! Why do I gotta babysit these runts?" He walked away from them, hitting the air with his fist. "That asshole lieutenant."

As soon as Higashino was out of hearing distance, Sonata exclaimed.
"That old man's annoying!"

"This work sure isn't easy…" Nagisa stated, before noticing their group was one short. "Hey? Where's Makoto?" She asked.

"Where did she get off to?" Yuka continued.

Nagisa, Orine and Yuka found Makoto a few minutes later, washing the toilets furiously.
"Makoto?" Nagisa asked.

"What's gotten into you?" Yuka continued. "You're more pumped up than usual."

"Do you enjoy scrubbing toilets?" Orine asked innocently.

"Who cares if I've gotta scrub toilets or whatever?" Makoto replied with her own question. "I'm just a lowly unelected member."
So that's what it was about all along, the other three understudies thought, but they were interrupted from saying anything by Suzuko, who came inside the door, with Sonata behind her.

"The Katyusha just gave us signal to start the operation." She said, alerting the rest of the understudies.
"Dude!" Sonata replied, cheerful as usual.

"All right everyone!" Takamina called, and all the elected members plus Kanata, the unelected successors and the 76th generation understudies joined in a circle with their hands outstretched, linking their hands together with their fingers. "One, two!" She called.

"Always thankful, calm, kind and just!" Everyone responded, by routine.

"Are you following your hearts?" The captain continued, and got a confident "Yes,sir!" back, to which they all called:
"AKB0048!"

The 76th generation understudies and the unelected successors hurried into their respective Live Assault Suit, and the elected members went on the stage of the Flying Get. Tsubasa's voice was heard in the speakers.

"We are now dispatching from the Katyusha, and will go down on Baltistar in the Flying Get. Be ready to go out there any minute now." She said, as everyone felt a slight rumble through the ship.

As the girls were about to split up into groups, to investigate Vegastar, they heard a voice in the speakers, as well as an alarming noise.
"00 attack on Baltistar! I repeat 00 attack on Baltistar! Interception squad, move out! Suppress all entertainment activities at once!"

"So it has started, huh?" Nagisa sighed. This would be the final proof of Chieri's graduation. Yuka nodded.

"Yeah… All right then. Time to split into teams, and begin our mission."
"Roger!" Came the answer from the rest of the understudies.

Down on Baltastar, a crowd had gathered in a venue, and it was getting rather crowded. They were silent (well, as silent as a crowd of thousands can be) until they heard a voice.

"All right everyone!" Yuuko called through the speakers of the Flying Get. "Let's make it wild!"

The croud's cheering exploded as Heavy Rotation sprung into play.

Meanwhile, the 00's LAS were circling around the Flying Get, to be able to spot any DES quickly. The voice of Kitarie sounded in each of the units.
"They're here. All units, fan out!"

The answer came immediately: "Roger!"

"This is the first stage for the Elected members…" Megumi said, as she had been temporarily promoted to understudy captain, due to Kanata being on stage. "We're not going to let DES through!" Supportive cheers sounded in the built-in speakers of her LAS.

The Suzuko, Sonata, and Orine group were in one of the hangars, trying to get a good look at what kind of military weaponry from Vegastar which was used by DES. They had started with looking themselves, until Suzuko had come up with the idea of using their phones to take pictures, and then look at them. As Sonata had forgot hers at Akibastar, and Orine was standing guard, Suzuko was the only one taking the pictures. She did get some very good high-quality pictures, which would serve 00 well.

Coincidentally, the other group, consisting of Nagisa, Yuka and Makoto, had also found their way to another hangar.
"Is this all a hangar?" Makoto asked, slightly terrified by the amounts of fire-power Vegastar had.

"It seams like it…" Yuka replied, feeling similarly as her friend. As they turned to leave, Nagisa stopped, trying to listen carefully.

"Tell me if I'm wrong, but isn't that Heavy Rotation?" she asked, stunning her two friends. They listened carefully, and… There was a faint tune that they could hear, but it was too faint to tell what song. Nagisa started walking towards yet another metal door with the label "Keep out", and sure enough, it was Heavy Rotation sounding from that other side of the door.

"Nagisa, your hearing abilities scare me sometimes…" Yuka said as she recognized the song.

"But… Why would a 00-song be playing in a DES base?" Makoto asked, sounding as puzzled as they all felt.

"Maybe… They're monitoring the Guerilla Live. It would make sense to play it, since Yuuko-san is centre…" Nagisa replied waveringly.

"It's worth investigating!" Yuka finished, and they ran over to the code machine, trying to crack it with a code breaker, with no result, much to the girls' demise.

"Hey, what about that?" Makoto asked, pointing. Turning around, Yuka and Nagisa noticed a ventilation system, which they could use to get inside of the room on the other side of that door.
Said, and done. In a few minutes, the three girls had made it inside the vents, and closed behind them, to avoid being discovered.

As they moved, the sound of the song well known to the three, they came closer to an end of the vent system. As they got close enough, they saw a… Gambling arena.

"Now, it has begun!" A woman in a rather revealing, silly-looking bunny-dress called to the people who had gathered. "Here's today's main race! Baltistar, where entertainment is strictly prohibited… How will 00 respond in the face of the military might of Vegastar? The main force will consist of DES's pride and joy, it's unmanned Zodiac battle mechas! DES's elite commandos are also raring to go! How many minutes will 00 be able to continue their concert?

Nagisa, Yuka and Makoto heard several bets, none going over 25 minutes. People were betting huge amounts of money. They hid behind a rail, and took up their phones to be able to converse with each other, without speaking. Yuka was done writing first, so she showed what she had to say.

That's the guerrilla concert they're holding right now!

Nagisa showed her next.

They're betting money on how long 00 can continue! It's a casino!

Makoto and Yuka didn't gasp or anything, they had figured it out as well, and they didn't want to show their presence. Makoto continued.

No doubt about it… They're doing that on every guerrilla live 00 holds! That's why the high-class people come here regulary!

Which means… That 00 is helping funding DES! Yuka replied, terrified.

That's so low! Makoto wrote.

And this… It's not only a casino… It's an illegal underground casino! Yuka continued.

They're against entertainment on the surface, but make a huge load of money behind the scenes! They're not low! They're not even on the scale! Nagisa exclaimed through the text, to which Yuka flipped up her latest message.

Let's move in and get a closer look. Make sure to photo everything!

Yuka ran over a large crane like construction, to the main announcement board in the room. Everyone below her was too busy with betting, that they didn't notice her. Meanwhile, Makoto recorded a bit of the betting, as well as taking a few pictures. Nagisa took several pictures of the monitors, the people betting, the bunny-dressed lady, etc, before running over to Yuka, avoiding being discovered as well.

Makoto, who was afraid of heights looked down at the wrong moment, and got dizzy, making her slip. As she caught on to the crane-like construction, the hat she was wearing covering her long hair fell off, and she immediately got identified as a 00 member.

The three members realized they had to run for it, and immediately dashed, back over the construction, and ran.

They did eventually get surrounded, and would've gotten taken to jail, if it weren't that they had been standing on a garbage chute. Just as the officer who had assigned them to Higashino took his first step forward to arrest them, the chute opened, and the three girls fell down, safe for the moment.
A minute later, they landed in the garbage plant, and a voice called in the speakers.

"00-members have infiltrated the base! You are ordered to capture them on sight!"

In a vent, not too far from the hangar that they had been photographing, Suzuko, Sonata and Orine had hid as soon as they had heard the message.
"Wha..?" Sonata began, but got cut of by Suzuko, who had covered her friend/idol's mouth, as she heard a group of soldiers passing below them.

"They found Grumbly's team?" Sonata asked when Suzuko removed her hand.

"I hope they're okay…" Orine replied, just as their ear-pieces started buzzing, so they put them to their ears, hearing Yuka's voice.

"Girls, do you hear me?" She asked.

"Thank goodness you're okay!"Orine replied relieved, but stiffened as she heard Makoto groan.

"We're supposed to communicate in code!" Suzuko's voice cut in.

"This is not the time to worry about that!" Yuka exclaimed, and knowing that Tsubasa was listening as well, she continued. "The reason there have been reports of high-ups gathering here at Vegastar, is because there is a gambling arena here. The high-ups are betting money on 00's concerts!"

"So the immense profit of the D.G.T.O. is gained by supporting illegal entertainment on the black market." Tsubasa cut in, as a state of fact.

"We are completely sure on our matter, and have evidence." Nagisa continued.

"It all makes sense now…" Tsubasa replied. "I knew it was too easy to be true when we saved Chieri, Sonata and Yukirin… Every time when DES's attacks was far too weak to be true, it was just to heighten the excitement, wasn't it?" She asked herself. "Those cowards!"

Meanwhile, everyone in Vegastar was running around like chickens, looking for a certain team of understudies. Little did they know that it was two teams of understudies. As divisions of soldiers ran around looking, yet another message sounded in the speakers. "00 has stolen vital D.G.T.O. secrets and escaped! Don't let a single one get away!"

The soldiers hurried around too much to look through a door which were half open – behind of which the three sources of the soldiers sudden extra work were hiding.
"Wow. Look at all those soldiers." Nagisa said, almost in awe.

"How are we going to get through that?" Yuka replied.
Behind the two of them, their third team-member sat sulking.

"I'm sorry, everyone." She said, tears in her voice. "It's all my fault… Because of my clumsiness, we got into this situation."

"Makoto…" The other two girls gasped, not really knowing what to do.

"Nothing about me is right, and nothing I do goes right either… I'm just trash… Complete rubbish! You guys should leave me here, where I belong, in this garbage dump!" Not realizing the transmission to the other team was still on, Makoto winced when Orine replied.

"Don't give up! We haven't completed our mission yet!" Nagisa, Yuka, and Makoto were all surprised – not of her words, but with the voice she said them. She sounded almost hurried, and a bit out of breath.

In the control room of Vegastar, everyone was looking on screens from the various security cameras, searching for the girls. For some reason one of the screens were black.

"Someone find out what the problem is with the black screen of the garbage dump!" The head in charge called. "We need to be able to view all the areas of Vegastar!"
Immediately, the two soldiers standing guard left the room, to look for the problem. Almost immediately, they heard a cracking noise, and the vent above them fell to the floor. Out came three small – at least compared to the men working there – figures. In the fall, they whipped up their Micsabers, and switched the blade out, setting it to stunning mode.

As the three girls – namely Suzuko, Orine and Sonata – had surprise on their side, they quickly knocked all the men in the room out, with fitting battle cries. Sonata, of course, couldn't help but gloat at the situation. She chuckled mockingly and said: "Total domination!"

The three swiftly backtied the three men, and dragged them into a cabinet, which they closed, and put a heavy case in front of it. Suzuko turned to the other two.

"We'll start look for a way out of here." They nodded, and Orine touched her earpiece, extending the Mic in it, and Suzuko went over to the main computer.

"The elected members, Kanata-san, as well as the rest of the understudies and successors are risking their lives. Now that we've discovered the twisted purpose their efforts are being put to, how can we run away without you? I absolutely refuse to!" She called.

Nagisa and Yuka said nothing, as they knew Orine was speaking to Makoto, who once again winced. However, before Makoto got the chance to reply, Suzuko chimed in.

"Found it. There is a massive nuclear reactor in the center of this asteroid. If we are able to shut it down, we'll cut the power supply to all of Vegastar, which will cause a mass blackout."

"A mass blackout?" Makoto asked.

Yuka smiled as she realized Orine had gotten to Makoto. "That will take out the cameras and security systems!"

"And the casino too!" Nagisa exclaimed, to which Yuka fistpumped.

"It's a bit aggressive, however, that's just as 00 does things!"

"Yeah, lets do it!" Nagisa continued!

Suzuko, Sonata, and Orine froze as they heard the voice of the 'bunny-girl', as Sonata called her, and they realized that the security cameras we're filming the casino too, when they found the screen.

"Goodness, events have taken a shocking turn! It appears 00 is aiming to shut down the reactor, and use that opportunity to escape! Ladies and gentlemen, it looks like we have a surprise race on our hands! The three 00 members, confirmed to be Makoto Yokomizo, Ichijo Yuka, and Motomiya Nagisa, does seem to have help from the inside! The security cameras have recorded them talking to other people, through some kind of transmitter, but it is unknown to who, or where this person is! Do you think 00 can make it to the reactor? Or will DES forces stop them in their tracks? Will the inside agent get captured? What will happen? Place your bets now!"

The three undiscovered understudies swiftly made it to the hangar, which they realized now was the same room as the reactor room, as the attention were all on the other three, they avoided being discovered rather easily.

"If we're going to be able to shut down the reactor, we need to get the DES soldiers away from it."

"Um, do you mean we need a decoy?" Orine asked Suzuko, but before Suzuko had the chance to reply Sonata interrupted them.

"Hey… Can't we" She smiled childishly and pointed towards a huge DES suit. "use that?"

The remaining three understudies made it to the reactor room as well, and Yuka used a spy telescope to be able to get a look of the room, before heading in. She handed it to Nagisa, who looked as well.

"There are so many DES troops!" She gasped. "Unless we get a pretty good distraction, they we won't even get close to the reactor!"

Their thoughts were interrupted by an un-mistakable sound of a machine flying, they looked up, and realized that one of the DES' robots were running amok. When they looked closer, they recognised the three silouettes.

"Nagisa, I think you just got our distraction." Yuka replied. To which Nagisa laughed nervously. Makoto were quiet, and just watching the scene. For some reason, it did amuse her a little.

Inside of the DES machine.

"We have arrived at the reactor." Suzuko told everyone through their ear-pieces. "We have visual DES troops."

"Wh-where are the brakes?"Orine asked, clearly worrying over other things than the DES around them.

"Here?" Sonata pushed a button on one of the control stick, causing the machine to start shooting everywhere, wreaking total havoc around them.

"This is our chance!" Yuka exclaimed, and dashed forward to one of the machine guns nearby. "Move out!"
"Roger!" Nagisa followed her, and grabbed a hold of another. Both of them started shooting all around, to help the other team.

Makoto, on the other hand, first made an attempt to follow, but realized she didn't dare. As another explosion made the ground rumble, she fell.

"Those five are so good!" She slumped down. "…I on the other hand… I'm just…"

She jerked up when she heard a familiar voice. "There it is! Makocchi's signature move: the face-in-the-knees!"
"Higashino-san?!" The idol exclaimed.

"Really, ya can't beat seeing Makocchi's gloominess in person. I went way outta my way to save ya, ya know? Why're ya running off into danger again? Well, I'm glad I caught a glimpse of something special, though."

Makoto was way to dumbfolded to really understand more than a few of his words. When it sank in she replied.

"…Saved us?"

"I'm one of DES' closest 00 fans! Private Higashino, at yer service!" He paused. "…Don't tell the officer, will ye'?"

Makoto gasped. Higashino, out of all people, had been the one who had made them fall down the garbage shaft, into temporary safety! The Higashino who had put them so hard to work, was a 00-fan!

"Well, yer teammates are off fighting… What're ya doing here, Makocchi?" He asked, not facing her.

"I… I'd only get in their way." She turned back into her 'face-in-the-knees' position, and with crying in her voice, she continued. "I'm useless as an idol… I'm even useless on this mission… No matter what I do, I'm utterly useless at it."

Higashino turned his head towards her. "Useless through-and-through, eh? Yer an embarrassment to the rest of us Naniwastar folk." At his words, Makoto yanked up again. 'Us Naniwastar folk'?

"Ya can't nail a punchline, yer yellow-bellied, and ya act like a buffoon."

"You don't have to spell it out!" She exclaimed, annoyed.

Ignoring her words, he continued. "But even so, I wanted to support a coward like ya, so I voted for ya in the General Elections."

"For me?"

"Ya bet! 4 times! I had to save up the peanuts they pay us! Besides," he leaned over towards Makoto, who jerked backwards. "voting ain't about numbers!" Closing the distance between their faces, he was mere inches away when he continued. "It's about heart! It's about love! Ain't it?"

"R-Right!" She replied, intimidated. "But why a coward like me?"

Higashino rose back up. "Funny how it happened. Ya were like a flightless bird, embarrassing yerself, and completely useless… But ya never tried to hide it, and ya never got yer act together. As I watched your endless failure, something warm stirred in my listless heart." He smiled, which Makoto realized must've been the first time she saw him do that. "Ye've encouraged me a lot, Makocchi."

"Higashino-san…" Makoto smiled back, but it turned into a frown as she looked at Suzuko's team, and HIgashino voiced her thoughts.

"Looks like they're having trouble. If they manage to pull the emergency control lever at the bottom, it'll stop the reactor." Makoto looked at the bridge leading out to the middle of the pit of which the emergency lever was at the bottom, and realized something.

"Higashino-san." She turned to the man, with a determined look in her eyes.

As Nagisa stopped shooting for a second, she noticed Makoto, and… Higashino! They were running towards the reactor pit.

"Makoto?!" She exclaimed, catching Yuka's attention.

"What is she doing there?!" Yuka voiced both the girl's confused thoughts.

As Makoto and Higashino reached the end of the bridge, Makoto looked down and froze. "That's the control module?!" She turned to Higashino, who nodded, and tied the rope they had taken from the belt of one of the unconscious DES troops, to her waist and left leg.

"If ya pull the lever in the middle…" Higashino said, and Makoto's grip on the metal stick she was holding hardened.

"…It'll cause a mass blackout…" Makoto continued.

"This is a bad idea, Makocchi!" Higashino exclaimed as he tied the other end of the rope to the bridge. "Let's call it quits! It's way too dangerous!"

"I've got nothing to lose!" Makoto replied, sounding determined for once. She turned around, and revealed that she was quite the opposite of what she had sounded like. "I can't fly like the others, and I'm not optimistic at all…" She turned around fully.

"So I'll just be pessimistic!" She shouted, which all the other girls could hear through their transmission, and they all let out surprised and worried cries.

"I'll turn toward tomorrow, and fail with all of my might! As the understudy in charge of always being in the pits, I, Yokomizo Makoto, will fall away!" She leaned backwards with closed eyes, and kept them closed until she suddenly heard a small "Lala~", to which she opened her eyes, and saw… Her very own Kirara. The fact that her ponytail had fallen apart, she couldn't care less in that very moment. She turned around, so that she was facing the right way, and readied her swing. She swung when it got inside of range…

And missed. Due to her sudden stop, she dropped the staff. As she swung back upwards, she turned once again, she rose her right foot and when she swung downwards, she yelled: "One more shoot!", and made a backside foot kick.

She not only hit the lever; she hit it with such force that it broke on the middle. She smiled as the lights around her blacked out. She felt a shivering, and realized Higashino was pulling her up. The Kirara circled around her, chirping happily.

Cries of happiness echoed in the DES machine that Suzuko's team had taken.
"Whell done, Grumbly!" Sonata exclaimed. "From now on out, I'm upgrading you to Grumblator!"

"Amazing!" Orine exclaimed.

"She did it!" Suzuko continued.

"All right!" Nagisa cheered.

"Mission complete!" Yuka called in her ear-mic.

"Well done everyone!" Tusbasa's voice sounded in their ears.

I know this chapter is really similar to the episode, but since Chieri is barely in (It was Makoto's episode) the it, I didn't really had much to work of. I did what I could to change it, and I hope it's all right.

Also, Kanata's temporary promotion, I felt she didn't get what she deserved in the anime. I plan on changing that. There might still be some kind of the Takamina/Kanata situation that there is in the anime (As of now, I don't plan having any romance in this, except of course, Yuuko's teasing.)

In one of the episodes, Yuuko is singing by the turbines, and Nagisa can tell it's her, when the others can't (at least in the beginning), thus the "Nagisa, your hearing abilities scare me sometimes…" from Yuka^^