Chapter 2: How We Did It

By No Limit

For what we are about to see next, we must enter quietly into the realm of genius.

- Dr. Frederick Frankenstein, Young Frankenstein

"Goggles?"

Hakase allowed the rubber strap to slap the protective eyewear over her glasses, shielding all view of her eyes. "Check!"

"Rubber gloves?"

A pair of robotic arms descended from the ceiling carrying two pairs of long green rubber gloves, which they promptly slipped onto the two girls' arms. "Check!"

"White lab coats that serve absolutely no purpose other than to illustrate that we are scientists?"

Hakase flapped hers proudly. "Styling and check!"

"Excellent." Chao smirked deviously as she rested a hand upon a level attached to the side of a massive machine atop a platform. She eyed the table that had multiple wires and cables running under the white cloth into a humanoid lump formed beneath it. Finally, after all those months of toil and effort, those endless dark nights with only the flame from their blowtorches for light, the explosions that nearly destroyed an entire floor of the science building, and the staggering number of English classes they ditched; their hard work was about to pay off.

Hakase steadied a camcorder on its tripod, pointing it toward Chao and the table. She hit the red record button and quickly stepped in front of it. "This is Hakase Satomi, recording for future prosperity in the field of robotics," she stated into the camera's lens. "Filmed on location in the Mahora Academy Science Department. Preliminary test activation of Project X about to take place. For the off chance of an incident that would result in the deaths of my colleague Chao Lingshen and myself, this recording will double as our last will and testament. I leave my computers to my roommate Hasegawa Chisame and my collection of Isaac Asimov novels to the Mahora Library Exploration Club. P.S., I have also come up with a new set of robotic laws that are superior to yours. I'll be seeing you in hell, Asimov!"

"Ahem," Chao coughed. "Initiating preliminary activation." With that, Chao tugged with all her might on the lever. All the lights to laboratory flickered and dimmed as electrical power flowed through the wires and cables into the lifeless lump beneath the white cloth. The two middle school scientists stared with bated breath at it, waiting for any sort of response, any sort of reaction. After a minute of waiting, Chao said, "We need more power!"

Hakase abandoned her post behind the camera and rushed toward a circuit breaker, throwing its door open and flipping a switch. "Transferring additional energy from the backup generators!"

Chao focused intensely on the table once more, frowning at the lack of activity. Chao turned to face Hakase. "More power!"

"We're already pushing critical levels, Chao!" she shouted. "We're going to blackout all of Mahora at this rate. There is no more power!"

"Not to worry," Chao said with a smirk as she looked out a window. "I have a specially-prepared power generator should we ever require any."

Satomi gasped, cupping her mouth with her hands. "Don't tell me you're going to tap into the World Tree's magical energy!"

Chao blinked. "Wait, what? No! I've got a better source of power." Leaping off the platform, Chao pushed a blue button on the wall. The laboratory's tile floor began sliding away, making way for a new base with a pair of bicycles bolted into it. She hopped on one and began pedaling like a maniac. "Will power!" she declared proudly.

"My legs are going to be needing energy in the morning, I can tell you that much…" Satomi grumbled as she sat down and pedaled the bicycle next to Chao.

"Less chatty, more leg pumpy!"

The extra boost seemed to have fulfilled the required energy as electricity could be seen jolting all around the room from the table; the light bulbs in the lamps overhead shattered into bits from excess power, electrical devices going haywire. Chao jumped off her bicycle and made a mad dash for the table. "Chao, be careful!" Satomi shouted over the roar of electrical overload.

Chao gritted her teeth as she glared at the lifeless Project X. Finally losing her cool, Chao screamed, "MOVE, DAMN YOU!" She slammed her fists onto the prototype, receiving the shock of a lifetime that sent her spinning head over heels backwards into the wall.

Hakase gasped, hopping off her bicycle as well to her friend as the power dropped. She picked Chao up by the shoulders and shook her. "Are you all right, Chao?" She mentally slapped herself at asking such a stupid question. When Chao didn't respond, she shouted, "Dammit, don't you die on me! You're the only one I have ever loved!"

Chao's eyes flickered open as she coughed up smoke rings, her hair buns and pigtails having come undone and become a frizzled mess. "Wow, what a rush! I think I saw heaven, Hakase. There were little Negi-sensei's everywhere…."

"You're alive!" Hakase sighed in relief.

"Did you say something back there?" Chao asked, struggling to her feet.

Hakase picked up Chao's arm and threw it around her shoulders, a red tint developing on her face. "N-No…"

With Hakase's help, Chao walked over to the table and sighed. "Guess this one was another dud."

"Back to the drawing board," Hakase said. Suddenly, something caught the corner of her eye. Looking back to the table, she saw a hand faintly sliding out of the white cloth. "Chao, look!"

She turned in the direction her partner was facing, and a large grin grew on her face. "It…LIVES! BWAHAHAHAHAHA!"

The Dramatic Lightning Generator gave off one last flash of light and a clap of thunder before collapsing in a heap.