At Peter's DELUXE Room, Yakumo was tending to Mizuki's injuries, as Peter was looking for his extra clothes. He then barked, "That did it! Once we find my stuff, we're leaving!"

Mizuki said, as she was wrapped in a bandage on her wounded arm, "Peter, it was out of worshipping… and a very tainted one, in fact."

Yakumo said, "You'll be fine. Hold still, so I can remove the bullet."

"NO WAY! A bullet in my skin?"

Peter signaled to her and whispered, "Don't encourage her."

Mizuki said, "Well… Either way, can you fix Chacha, over there, when you're done?"

Yakumo smiled, "Sure. I'm sorry that she was smashed by your friends."

Peter then appeared, with no briefcases, "I just remembered… We have no clothes."

Mizuki barked, "Yes, we do! We have extra clothes in the van! We always clean our uniforms and attire."

He cried, "WHEN DID I FORGET?"

Yakumo said, "Maybe it's because you guys travel light."

He said, "Well, we do pack the uniforms. And the rest of our clothes are back at our motel. We live there, since it's our home away from home."

Yakumo replied, "Of course. You guys live in Alley Drive Studios in New York City, other than this gig."

Mizuki said, "Not really. We live there, during our gigs and such. But we return home, whenever we finish a tour."

Yakumo said, "Does this happen often?"

Mizuki said, "Oh, yes. It's been like that, since 2009, when The Gang started a World Tour again."

Yakumo said, "In 2007, you had reunion tours, but you weren't around, until 2009. Steven didn't appear, until 2008, which was a year before."

Mizuki and Peter paused, as Yakumo asked, "Uh, was it something wrong?"

Mizuki huffed, "I'm gonna stop talking…"

Peter asked, "Not that I would ask, right now, but should I take the hotel towels, too?"

Chapter 20
Targus City Showdown
(ターガス市対決の巻)
(or "Firepower Unlimited")

At the parking lot, Steven and Farra arrived to the van. Farra opened the door and stepped inside. Steven waited outside.

"So, let me get this straight," he called, "A flock of robot girls began to fawn over Peter, and somehow he felt assuaged. But then Mizuki said that all the gynoids, including April and January, are infected by a huge virus."

Farra called back, looking for Mizuki's iPhone and her guitar, "That's pretty much it. Matter of fact, while we were being chased, this Lyuze character almost made out with King Giese, only to be caught."

"She didn't say anything about Yamo again, didn't she?"

Farra gulped, as she nervously giggled.

He barked, "Again with Project Yamo?! Farra, when will you learn that Yakumo is special to me?"

Farra huffed to herself, "I'm afraid she's more than special…"

She replied, "Uh, you worry about getting April and January out of their spell. I need to find my weapon."

She pulled out her blue Gibson SG and said, "Maybe this will stop the freak behind this awful virus spread!"

"You mean an epidemic?"

"Not to androids."

She stepped out and said, "I manage to find her iPhone. But I am going to use it, on account that your girlfriend is mending Miz's arm."

He asked, "I'm confused. Why did they chase you?"

She replied, "Simply a matter of stupidity. That, or they think I am in drag… which I am not."

He then asked, "Uh… Why the guitar?"

She winked, "You'll see."

They left the parking lot, as few of the girls saw them. Two robots with blue uniforms were in awe. One asked, "Is that Steven Cooke and Farra Stevens?"

The other remarked, "Affirmative. They are with Peter Giese. Let's follow them… What a hunk."

They snuck behind Steven and Farra, as they were heading back to the hotel.

XXXXX

Back at the suite, Mizuki was mended, as she and Yakumo repaired Chacha, who was motionless.

Yakumo said, "So, it was a virus that caused all this. I checked Chacha and she's clean."

Mizuki replied, "Sounds fair."

"Who's this Chacha girl?"

"She's my boyfriend's fan club president. It an all-fembot club, in this city, aroused and becoming perverts to Peter."

"Oh, yeah. How perverted, indeed… I hope I never run into a club like that."

"Hey! How come the virus didn't infect you?"

"I am immune to proper colds. The common cold is bad to me."

"Never mind."

Peter then said, "Are we done yet? I wanna go home, before the girls come back."

Yakumo put Chacha's clothes back on, as she said, "She's so lifelike."

Mizuki said, "Not without Farra and Steven… and not without finding the jerk that is controlling these girls."

Yakumo asked, "Uh, excuse me. But she's well-built. This Chacha girl is an all-purpose transport vehicle."

They both asked, "Say wha?"

Yakumo explained, "It seems she has files on transforming into a jet, helicopter, jet-ski, and scooter. She has that control panel on her back."

They gasped, "WHAT? She's a Transformer?!"

Yakumo shushed, "You want to get sued? She's not."

She explained, "Someone created her, only for the purpose of vehicular assistance. Her freewill was activated, actually."

She then asked, "Where's her face? I need to reattach it."

Mizuki said, "Yeah… It's somewhere in the room."

She then looked under the bed and said, "It fell off, as she was completely glitched up."

Yakumo said, "Well, her gears are repaired and cleansed. She'll be up-and-running, pretty soon… just as soon as we find her face."

Peter then found Chacha's face on the table. He said, "This must be it."

Yakumo said, "Good! We can attach it back on."

Mizuki said, "I'm glad that's over. Now, we wait for Farra and Steven."

April and January appeared, all flustered and in a blushed look, "No. Now you die… after we cuddle with our idol."

They approached Peter, as he tried to run away, but they grabbed his body. They started to caress him, as he started to whimper, "Get them off of me!"

April blushed, "Oh, our darling…"

Yakumo gasped, "Oh, no! They're infected!"

January giggled, "You have such a hot body, Peter…"

They both squealed, "We love you!"

Yakumo barked, as Mizuki was angry, "Get off of him! He's not your toy!"

They stood up and glared at Yakumo. April held her gun up and said, "Bitch! You stay out of our way. You don't deserve Peter Giese, and no one else's."

Yakumo pleaded, "But I am engaged! Well, not quite…"

Mizuki said, "She's engaged to Steven Cooke… God knows why…"

January said, "Well, then it's until death do us part… FOR YOU!"

They were about to fire, as a figure appeared in the doorway.

She held her guitar and shouted, "HEY! Marcianos!"

April and January turned around, as the girl fired her guitar. From its headstock, it launched a bright pink fireball at them. April was blasted down, and was powered down. January was blasted at, in the chest, shorting her out. She bowed forward, with her arms flailing, and dropped her guns. Farra and Steven appeared, as Yakumo was relieved.

"Consider yourselves grounded!" Farra barked.

Mizuki said, "You didn't have to kill them."

Yakumo said, as she examined April, "It's okay. Farra just neutralized her. Her body has shut down, but her circuits are infected."

Farra said, "My guitar can shoot fireballs. And KISS was original… Well, yeah. I have them on safety, since they were pink. If it were red, it'd hurt."

Steven asked, "Do we need an antidote?"

Yakumo said, "I'll try and see what kind of virus is this… For now, you find the source of the problem. I'll stay here and tend to them. Make sure you bring Chacha, in case she gets infected, also."

Peter said, "As long as we can use her to fly somewhere."

Yakumo said, "It's built for four."

Mizuki said, "Not a minute to lose. Let's jet! But first, may I?"

Farra gave her her iPhone, as she examined it with her free arm. She then stepped outside, as she picked up the signal. They ran off, with Peter holding Chacha in his arms.

Steven then said, "Do NOT reactivate them. If they wake up, run for it."

Yakumo nodded, "I'll try. But it's hard to reboot such humanoid technology."

He smiled, "Yeah."

He left, as Yakumo grew worried. She placed a motionless April in bed, as January was still frozen.

XXXXX

Outside, Peter stood Chacha straight, as Mizuki scanned the source. She held the iPhone up and said, "Interesting. It's right here…"

She looked up, and added, "And I think it's… directly above us."

Steven asked, "How many stories are there?"

Mizuki said, "About 25 floors. The first step is about twenty-five stories, or 271 feet."

Steven said, "Good! We shall head to the top floor!"

Mizuki said, "No. We shall head to the source: The roof."

They gasped, "THE ROOF?!"

Peter said, "I bet I can grow large and get to the source."

Farra shook her head and said, "There's got to be a better way!"

But then, a group of girls appeared, as one of them in a mauve blouse shouted, "Look! There he is! Look! There he is!"

The girls ran to him, as Steven gasped, "Uh, Gang, we best take the elevator~!"

Farra cried, "LOOK!"

She pointed the other way and saw more girls, aweing and chanting for Peter.

Mizuki sighed, "It just isn't our day."

Peter cried, "AGH! We'll have to ride Chacha up!"

Mizuki said, "Good idea! It can fit four, plus she's repaired! Let's hurry!"

Farra sobbed, "I don't like this!"

Mizuki pressed a button on Chacha's back. She beeped and spoke from her mouth speaker, "Flight Mode engaged."

By the way, they had no time to reattach her face.

She sprouted wings, as The Gang grabbed onto her. It sprouted jets and started to zoom up.

"HANG ON!" Farra called, as The Gang was airborne.

They flew upward to the top of the building. The girls were waving to them, crying for them to come down.

Peter gasped, "This would be a good time to tell you that I am afraid of heights!"

Farra snuffed, "Shut up."

Steven cried, "Steven Cooke isn't used to THIS!"

The Gang went up to the top of the building, as they screamed in fear, going higher and higher.

Mizuki shouted, "How do you get down from here?"

Peter shouted, "I DON'T WANT TO DIE, THREE HUNDRED FEET IN THE AIR!"

They all flew upward into the clouds, screaming.
"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAHH!"

(Scanty): We'll be right back, with more of "The Gang – IN-COLOR"…

(In the news studio)

CHANNEL 36 – Breaking News

(Mikoto Suo is on the desk)

(Mikoto): Mikoto Suo with a Channel 36 update. The Gang, responsible for countless missions and disasters, has been growing successful. Lately, they entered the Daten City Footrace of Death, and won it, have arrested the corrupt President of Earth, the head of Richard Nixon, who was later pardoned by his lawyers, stating that "He was ordered to do the job, by an M", and have neutralized and exterminated the ghost problems in Highland, after a destructive bomb eviscerated the city. This is in good custody that the worlds will be fixed, as it is…

(Mikoto gets an update)

(Mikoto): Oh! This just in… It appears that a lemon man has been running around the cities, all naked, with its yellow body exposed. The lemon screams out, "GLOB! You're my GLOB!" We have no knowledge of this lemon man, but please advise to find this lemon man and detain him. If so, contact a psychiatric center, immediately.
We'll have more details on The Gang, the alternate world crisis, plus Mr. Sunshine with the weather and Ollie with Sports, at 11.

(News ends)

(Kneesocks): Back to "The Gang – IN-COLOR", and stay rational on this…

The Gang arrived at the top of the building, but have trouble landing on it. They were still hovering, as Chacha beeped, "This is… Top floor… Please remain… Seated…"

Steven cried, "Now… How do we land?"

Chacha beeped, "Please press landing button in the control panel. Please press landing button in the control panel."

She spoke in a loop, as Mizuki pressed it. Chacha beeped and started to land softly on the roof.

She beeped again, "Thank you for flying Chacha Air. My battery is low. Must recharge."

She shut down, as Mizuki began to scan the rooftop. She then found a huge pulse of dark energy from an antenna. She then viewed the frequency.

"Holy crap! 25,877 megahertz (25.877 GHz)!" She gasped, "Whatever this is, it's contaminating the robot girls!"

Steven barked, "Well, guys! Whatever the reason, we have to destroy the thing and save the city!"

Mizuki said, "Too risky. We have to trace the signal and find the room. If we disable the cause, the virus would stop working."

She then gasped, as she heard a charming, yet alluring tune, coming from the sound waves. She said, "It's no virus… It's a spell!"

A voice called, "Correct as usual, bimbo!"

Mizuki gasped, "Who said that?"

The others pointed up, as Rei appeared, all in her red garb. She spoke, "Like cooking Chinese food, lust and worship is all about firepower."

Steven shouted, "Rei Tachibana! Should've known YOU would be behind this!"

Peter yelled, "You tricked me! You used these girls to attract me for your evil plan!"

Rei remarked, waving her fan, "You're kidding? I only did the spell. They were as natural as it gets, for fembots… but me, I used to be lovely."

Mizuki said, "With your big boobs, I don't think so!"

Farra giggled, "Speak for yourself…"

Steven shouted, "Why are you doing this? You even had April and January infected with your… your… What is it?"

Rei sighed, "You guys… Brainless, aside from senseless."

The Gang shouted, "HEY!"

She explained, "Well, you've heard of the myth about the gardener being famous that he was praised by many girls, for his hard work?"

They shook their heads no, as Rei smirked, "Well, he was fancied by a bunch of harem girls, and died, after neglecting his duty. I only did this, because I want the big man to have a nervous breakdown, after being fancied by gynoids. You, however, saw through my scheme, when you had Chacha the Broken-down Android in the midst of it all! Now, with April and January under the control, that's two less girls to be worried about. So, I placed a spell on a CD, inside a control room, and played the non-stop tempting melody that fembots enjoy. Although, I'm surprised that your robot hag is immunized by it, the rest are fine… just so they could do my bidding."

She glowed in a black aura and grew big. She bellowed, "But now, you shall die, since you know everything! You can defeat me, but try as you might! Because the four of you are incompetent little rats! Without the IQ and Brawn of the group, all you are… are Stooges!"

Peter shouted, "HEY! That's an insult!"

Steven snapped, "Steven Cooke wouldn't be like that! We're smarter than that!"

Rei hissed, "Then, fight me… one-on-one… and we'll see who has firepower!"

She smiled, as she pointed at Farra. She said, "Perhaps I shall take out you."

Farra barked, as she pulled out her guitar, "Don't you have that backwards?"

She fired a red fireball from her guitar and blasted Rei's chest. She growled, as she brushed the flames off, "Where did you get that?"

Farra said, "I knew this day would come, seeing that we are in the midst of encountering ghosts, since Daten City is swarmed by them."

Rei gasped, "A Blue Gibson SG?! How did you get that?"

"I've had it, for a while. Before I left to see Luna Cove, I packed my guitar in the van that Konata Izumi made for me, during our visit in the Lucky Star Association of Alternate World Studies. Not that you care, but this gun has firepower, other than your crappy cooking! You could say that this inferno with extinguish you!"

Rei sneered, "Well, you sucked at cooking, you know."

Mizuki said, "Farra, you and Steven take out the ghost. Peter and I will head to the control room."

Peter said, "NO! I'll stay with Farra. If I go, it'll make things worse, since girls are everywhere."

Farra stated, "Do as he says! It's been a while since we fought together."

Steven saluted, "Good luck, guys."

Farra sighed, "Like I needed your luck…"

Steven and Mizuki fled, as Rei was about to fire.

"Where do you think you're going?"

She fired a huge laser from her hand, as Farra blocked it, with a guitar fireball shot. Peter then suited up to his red marching suit, as Farra changed into her blue uniform. Peter charged up a punch and shouted, "THIS IS FOR CHACHA!"

POW!

Rei was socked in the chin, as she staggered a bit, while floating in the air. She launched a barrage of feathers at him, nearly piercing his skin. Farra held up a bazooka and shouted, "JUSTICE BAZOOKA!"

She fired at the ghost, going through her body. She was unaffected by their onslaught.

"You are forgetting… I always have the advantage. Plus, I'm dead. Now, what say with have a little fun?"

A huge eyeball appeared, behind Rei. She shouted, as she raised her fan up.
"Eyeball of DOOM!"

The eye fired a barrage of clear bubbles at Peter and Farra. They blocked the shots, as Rei laughed.

XXXXX

Meanwhile, Yakumo waited in the room, as April started to whirr up. She sat up and spoke in a robotic voice, "Marciano Robot… System Start-Up… System Software formatted from previous files… Now beginning program…"

She then spoke normal and moved a bit, "Where am I?"

Yakumo said, "It's fine. You were infected by a virus."

April said, "I wasn't. All I remembered was that January and I were sleeping with Mother. Then, all of a sudden, I heard a haunting tune and suddenly went blue screen. We then had our programming altered to remember… I… UH!"

She held her head, as Yakumo asked, "Were you hypnotized?"

April said, "You could say that… But I am okay. January and I heard the tune and we were given an order. We had no choice. As robots, we love Peter Giese… and we worship him."

She spoke robotically, "I love him. Love him. He's our dreamboat. Oh, what a hunk…"

Yakumo slapped her. She yelled, "STOP IT! You have to break out of it!"

April shook her head and groaned, "What the hell? How did I…? All I remember was…"

"Stop talking! You tell me who put you up to this."

"I think I remember… But I may… Oh… Peter!"

Yakumo slapped her again. This time, April broke free of Rei's control. She yelled, "Alright! STOP! I'm calm! But… But I suddenly… What a dreamy…"

Yakumo raised her hand up, as April cried, "OKAY! OKAY! Put your hand down!"

She scanned, "I need to shut my ears off. But I can still read lips."

She beeped, "Hearing disabled. Now, I can listen to what you say."

Yakumo asked, "So, can you tell me who put you up to this?"

April replied, "Well, now that you mention it, no. But the poignant harmony just consumed myself into loving that large lardball. Besides, we have only one we adorned, and that's Percival."

Yakumo said, "So… It's all a set-up… but someone is in the building… and making all the robots act this way."

She added, "Once January is awake, or rebooted, make sure she disables her hearing!"

April saluted, "Right. Also, thanks for your help, watching over us…"

She glared, "But that doesn't mean we're tight. I still cannot trust you."

She left, as Yakumo thought, "Huh?"

XXXXX

Steven and Mizuki arrived at the control room, which had a huge mixing board, playing CDs and videos. There were monitors all over, as the music continued to spread. The monitors showed of the girls, running around, looking for Peter.

Steven said, "One of these mixers has to have the melody… We better save this city from further worshipping!"

Mizuki said, "I'll try the left side, you handle the right side."

They looked around, as she scanned the music's source. She found a huge stereo, with twenty CDs inside. She then called to Steven. She said that the music that controlled them must be inside the stereo.

Steven said, "Good thinking. But now, which one has it?"

Mizuki said, "For all we know, we better find the right one… before it's too late. We have to save Peter and Farra… and all of Targus City."

Steven asked, "And Chacha?"

Mizuki nodded, as she added, "Steven, I know this may be picky, but you eject the CDs. We cannot destroy the stereo, but we may remove the CDs, one by one, until we find the source."

Steven gave the thumbs up, as he approached the stereo. Just then, two robot girls in school uniforms appeared by the door, calling to them.

"HEY! You're so sexy, Peter!" One called out.

The other said, "Sorry, Stud. But it's for authorized personnel… but you, we want you with us, here."

Mizuki stuttered, "Uh, Steven… Make it quick!"

Steven cried, "Aw, biscuits! Which one should I try?"

Mizuki was being grabbed by the two girls, as their LED eyes glowed red. Mizuki screamed, as she was being pulled, still with the injured arm, "STEVEN!"

Steven growled, "DAMN IT! What should I do?"

Mizuki shouted, "FORGET WHAT I SAID! DESTROY THAT MACHINE!"

Steven looked around and tried to find something to destroy it with, but couldn't. He dashed towards Mizuki and called out, "Miz! HANG ON!"

He ran to the girls and tried to fight them off.

XXXXX

Peter and Farra, meanwhile, were battling Rei Tachibana, as she started to wave her fan around. Her floating eye kept firing at them, as they dodged out of the way.

"DAMN! We can't stop her!" Farra shouted.

Peter huffed, "That eyeball is giving me the creeps!"

Rei smiled, "What will you do now, fools? What will you do?" WAH, HA, HA, HA, HA, HA, HA!"

Peter and Farra are in a deadlock. How will they defeat Rei Tachibana, M's hired poltergeist, and save the city? Will Steven Cooke save Mizuki Takase from a certain death? And will the Marciano Sisters return to action, or will they be in need of repairs by the Geek Squad? Will the power of friendship be enough to stop this ghost?

Peter growled, "I can't fight her… Darn it, if I only had the others with me, then I'd win!"

Farra said, as she was in anger, "I don't know how, but we're gonna have to send this ghost to the next bus to KINGDOM COME!"

They both charged at Rei.

"CHARGE!"
"YAAAAHH!"

To be continued…