Sam Perlus was not a happy man. As manager of BoycraZe, the hottest new boy band in the all-important 12-16 year old market, he often had trouble dealing with his stars. But lately, things had been going more badly than usual. The boys weren't get along at all, each one wanted to be the center of attention and, though all were accomplished singers, none had any real dancing talent or particularly good looks. And although the group was popular, their first album (BoycraZy) hadn't gone triple platinum. Heck, it hadn't even gone double platinum. Sam was starting to wonder why he had even formed the group in the first place. He needed to find some new stars, and soon. Another boy band, but this time, he'd do it right. He needed a group that wasn't about singing, or dancing; they had to be handsome and, most importantly, get along with one another. Which was why Sam was at the mall. He needed a new act, a boy band that could blow BoycraZe out of the water, so disposing of the group would be clean and easy. The only problem, of course, was finding a band that was as perfect as he wanted. Sam's jaw dropped as the future boy band of his dreams walked out of Gap. It was one of those magical moments where he saw them complete with an orange and pink background covered in bubbles. His dream group seemed to sparkle in the sunlight pouring in from the glass roof. Sam's years of experience with teenybopper pop groups gave him a shrewd eye for stereotypes, and he delightedly recognized the sensitive one, the athletic one, the hunk, the leader and the smart one... it was a boy band made in heaven. He whipped out five contracts and made his way through the crowded food court to the group. "Hi there, guys, I'm Sam Perlus. Manager of Guystreet, Grrlfriendz and BoycraZe and... if you're interested... the five of you as well. How would you like to be the next number one selling pop group?" Sam began smoothly, his sunglasses catching the sunlight and glinting. Blink-blink blink? blinked the one Sam suspected to be the leader. Sam nodded, flashing the group a megawatt smile. "Of course, you need time to think it over," Sam passed the "leader" his card, "My cell number's on here, its always on. Give me a call when you make a decision. Just let me get your names..." Blink blink-blink-blink blink blink. Blink blink-blink blink. Blink blink-blink blink-blink blink. Blink blink-blink blink-blink-blink. Blink blink blink-blink blink blink-blink blink. Blink? Sam finished scribbling down the names in his organizer, "Right, so that was Chichiri, Keichi, Ataru, Shingo and Katsuhito?" Chichiri, the lead lamp, blinked affirmatively, and Sam snapped his organizer shut. /*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/ Project Chibification Created in a bout of insanity by Lady Brick This part by Dayglo Part 20: Attack of the Supporting Characters! /*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/ As she looked around her apartment in disgust, Rosa quickly came to the conclusion that she really needed to redecorate. Everything was decked in shades of black, gray and white, except for a few X-files posters taped on her bedroom walls. "How the hell did I live in a place like this for so long?! This is the most disgusting apartment I've ever seen!" Rosa moaned, dropping her Gap bags to the floor, "I've really got my work cut out for me." She started by ripping down all of her old X-files posters (yes, even the limited edition double size gold foil movie poster) and stuffing them into the trash can. After that, she gave the Salvation Army a call and asked them to send a truck over. Trying to move her black and white striped couch into the hallway, Rosa soon realized it wouldn't budge. "Argh! This is really hard!" she said, leaning on the couch with all her weight, "Screw this. I need a Frapucinno." Grabbing her keys and throwing on a pair of rimless Tommy Hilfiger sunglasses, she strutted out of her apartment purposefully, headed for the nearest Starbucks. Rosa completely missed the helicopter at her window, but would have been most annoyed at the men in khaki and camouflage crashing through her large picture window. Mainly because camo is *so* last spring. /*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/ The HEAD COUNCIL of the A.E.I.O.U. in the COMMAND ROOM OF DEATH at the Mysterious and Elusive A.E.I.O.U. headquarters was locked in one of those long, boring strategy meetings. The kind that usually involve ordering Chinese food and drinking coffee by the bowlful. Unfortunately, this was no ordinary board meeting. The members were nothing more than various color tinted holograms of themselves (the first hour of the meeting had been to discuss how to get rid of those annoying "Sound Only" messages that always seemed to come up), a condition which made ordering take-out unfeasible. "Right, so we've ascertained that there are no less than six transformations directly caused by Otaku Force," began the director of the HEAD COUNCIL of the A.E.I.O.U., a slim man sitting at the head of the table, dressed in an elaborate, military-like school uniform, his face shrouded in darkness. He pressed a button on his remote and the projector on the boardroom table whirred to life. A slide reading "Top Secret. Code name: Project Chibification" was projected on the far wall. The director pressed another button on his remote and the picture changed, to one of Rosa, chibified, being held in the air by a considerably younger looking Deedee. "Subject #01, Rosa was chibified with permission from the A.E.I.O.U. to allow for further study of possible cures and alterations. The experiment was a partial success, allowing Rosa to switch between her human and chibified form, and making her chibified state mecha. However, the project was abruptly halted when Rosa abandoned Otaku Force after a disagreement with some members, and went into hiding. Efforts to find her were a failure; she was paranoid enough to cover her tracks. Until now, when she made contact again with Otaku Force," the director paused, to change the slide. This time, it was a picture of Katie unconscious, just after her chibification. "Subject #02, Katie was the first to be chibified against the wishes of A.E.I.O.U. by Otaku Force, as well as the first full chibification. Their president, Anna, was responsible for the transformation. She allowed Katie, a known newbie, to watch over seven hours straight of Fushigi Yuugi-- an action strictly forbidden by the A.E.I.O.U. guidebook," the director stated, shaking his head in disgust. He clicked to the next slide, a slightly blurry long-distance photo of Eugene in some kind of warehouse. "Subject #03," continued the director, "Although not chibification, Eugene's method of transformation was based the particularly potent chibification recipe used on Katie. He received the instructions from the Otaku Force website, where they were posted on the "News and Updates" page for all to see. Eugene's version ended up transforming him into a SUPERYOUMAGENERAL, whose powers disappear and reappear depending on some unknown catalyst." The slide was changed to a split screen picture with Josh on one side, Josh-chan on the other. "Otaku Force's website recipe was downloaded and attempted once more before the club removed it: Subject #4, Josh. His transformation resulted in him becoming an over-powered aquatranssexual saiyan. To make matters worse, he, as well as Eugene, is bent on world domination. Luckily, the two seem to be at odds with one another, but who knows how long that might last?" finished the director. He switched to the next slide, a picture of Cecil in his Nu-Gundam suit, from the recent fight with A.E.I.O.U. forces. "And, finally, Subject #5," began the director, "One of their own. Cecil somehow gained this transformation only a few days ago, and has not been seen in his human form since, leading us to believe that this change is permanent, unlike Rosa's," the director paused and changed the slide, to a long-distance shot of SD Kamen. "This is the only known photo of SD Kamen, taken days after Katie's and Eugene's transformations, and probably caused by the same instructions. Unlike the rest of the chibified, little is known about this pint-sized hero, since he has never been in contact with Otaku Force. It is not known for sure whether or not Otaku Force is responsible for his chibification," said the director, pressing a button on his remote. The image of SD Kamen faded away as the projector turned off. "In addition to these crimes against otaku kind, Otaku Force has also allowed outsiders into their top-secret headquarters, another unforgivable action. I don't think simply time in the CHAMBER of EVIL is enough punishment for such misbehavior," the director said gravely, lacing his fingers together and leaning forward. "Well what are we supposed to do? We've never had an incident like this before," said one of the council members, a short woman with long green hair and glasses. "Isn't it obvious? They must be stripped of their posts as Otaku Force officers... and their club must be disbanded," the director stated amid gasps. Then the dramatic moment was ruined by all the lights going out. "Dammit, now they've disconnected our power!" "Don't blame me!" "Y'all just had to buy that life size Penpen figurine, didn't you?" /*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/ Cecil awoke with a sneeze. Not a normal way to wake up, but then, usually you wake up somewhere you recognize, and can remember how you got there. Cecil was not waking up in an ordinary way, evidenced by his confused examinations of his surroundings and statement of "Where am I?" "I took care of you, you thankless git," replied a heavily accented voice from the doorway of the room, which appeared to be some kind of janitorial closet, "And this is the thanks I get? I should have left you in that crater you landed in." Commander Fuzz hopped onto the Cecil's stomach and whipped out his cellular phone. "Here. I found your mobile near where you were lying," he said, pushing the phone towards Cecil with one paw. Cecil frowned in confusion. "Oh, I don't need this anymore," Cecil said, examining the phone, "I'm back to being me again. You can just throw this out." "Bloody 'ell! I do one favor for someone and look what it gets me," muttered Commander Fuzz under his breath. "How did I get here anyway? I remember fighting all those A.E.I.O.U. guys, but after that its all a blur," Cecil asked, putting aside the cell phone. "Well, I was sleeping in Frank's room when I 'eard some explosions from the next room. I went to take a look and saw you fighting a bunch of blokes in weird outfits. I 'id under the bookshelf for a while, you were doing a great job you were, until you collapsed, and that suit of armor you were wearing just disappeared. I dragged you into the boiler room then, and 'ere we are now," explained the scrawny cat, who began grooming himself idly. As Cecil's drowsiness wore off, he began to remember the earlier events more clearly. The battle had been going well. In fact, Cecil had dispensed of all but three members of the huge and elite OTHER AMAZING TASKFORCE OF THE A.E.I.O.U. (but not gigantic and super-elite like the more famous taskforce), and was about to finish the rest with one shot. Until of course his super-scientific heat-sensing night-vision X-ray enhanced field of vision began displaying various red blinking messages in Japanese all around him. Not being able to read Japanese beyond what was needed to purchase the correct model kits and VCDs, Cecil had no idea what the problem was. Until the writing changed to a very universal symbol: a battery with a slash through it. With a groan, Cecil attempted to charge his .50 caliber beam pistol, but could barely gain enough energy to vaporize a fly, let alone KO three O.A.T.A.E.I.O.U. members. However, luck was on Cecil's side. As soon as the three saw him level the weapon at them, they ran off in the other direction, screaming bloody murder. With a sweatdrop, Cecil began to say his de-transformation phrase, until his vision went black, and he apparently faded into blissful unconsciousness. Cecil's reminiscing soon led to an important revelation... three of his friends had been taken into custody by the A.E.I.O.U. before the whole mess had taken place, and two more were on the run from them. "Oh my gosh! Anna, Brett, Deedee... they've all been detained by the A.E.I.O.U.!" he exclaimed, leaping to his feet (and knocking over a few brooms in the process). Commander Fuzz rolled his eyes. "I say, don't you kiddies ever do anything besides rescue one another and concoct insane schemes? I miss my generation," he said, leveling a critical stare at Cecil. "Don't tell me you're just going to abandon your friends in their darkest hour!" Cecil said, a surprised look on his face, "...and what do you mean 'your generation'? You're like six years old!" "That's way more in cat years. But, look, if you're that worried, I suppose I'll come with you. You might need someone to drag you into the nearest utility closet again... Oh, and try to lose some weight if you're planning on doing that again!" Commander Fuzz added, frowning. Cecil didn't hear him, he was already out the door. Commander Fuzz scurried after him, an annoyed expression on his face. /*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/ Arriving at Starbucks, Rosa was pleased to see there didn't seem to be a long line up at the counter. She made her way to the back of the coffee shop quickly, getting in line for her drink. As she approached the cash, Rosa counted got out her bank card, and searched for her frequent buyer card. She was mystified to discover she didn't have such a card. "Hello," said the woman at the counter, smiling. Rosa smiled back, and proceeded to order her grande Frappucinno, throwing in a couple of cookies for good measure. She received her drink and made her way to the last empty table, glad she had gotten there when she did. Leaning back in her chair, Rosa began to people-watch, something she found very exciting. She saw a woman a few years older than her buy a coffee and scone, and eyed her Versace handbag enviously. A teenage boy walked in, Rosa rolled her eyes at his "hilarious" Tommy Pullmyfinger t-shirt. She watched as a muscular guy a little younger than her paid for his mochacinno and searched for a seat. Looking past his plain outfit and spiky hair, Rosa found that the guy was actually kind of hot. She decided to help him out, and motioned him over to her table. "If you want, you can sit here. I know its kind of crowded," Rosa said, smiling at the musclebound boy. He grinned gratefully and slid into the seat across from her. "Hi, my name's Rosa," she said after an uncomfortable silence. The guy seemed a little shy. "My name's Josh," he said, sipping his coffee, "So, uh, what kind of TV shows do you like?" Rosa smiled at his terrible attempt to make small talk, but decided to give him a break. "Well, mostly I watch Friends, Survivor, ER. Sometimes I watch Will and Grace and TRL," Rosa said, trying not to shudder as she remembered the X-files posters she had up on her walls. Surely someone must have broken into her apartment and put them up, because she'd never buy anything like that, "I also watch the Entertainment Tonight every night. But that's about it, I don't watch a lot of TV. What shows do you like?" "Dragonball Z," Josh said, smiling happily, "You know, a lot of people don't like that show, but that's because they don't give it a chance! I mean, the battles are just so cool, and there's so much backstory... its really a deep show, when you look at all the conflicts. It takes good versus evil to a whole new level." Rosa rolled her eyes. If there was one thing she couldn't stand, it was all those nerdy fans. She thought they'd just disappear after high school, but here it was, a year later, and one was sitting right in front of her. Rosa was about to make some excuse to leave, when she was suddenly interrupted by a booming voice from outside, amplified by a megaphone. "ROSA AND JOSH, WE KNOW YOU TWO ARE IN THERE. WE ARE GOING TO TAKE THE TWO OF YOU INTO PROTECTIVE CUSTODY, AND TRY TO FIND A CURE FOR YOUR TRANSFORMATIONS. PLEASE COME WITH US QUIETLY," the voice said levelly. Rosa's eyes widened as she heard her name. She was even more confused when Josh grabbed her by the waist and leapt out the back of the Starbucks, after punching a large exit hole in the wall. /*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/ The Sauce hadn't been easy to acquire. Eugene had gone to every grocery store in his subdivision, but each had only a few bottles stocked. Still, he had managed to acquire 28 bottles and still had money left to spend later, just in case. He lined up the bottles of savory brown liquid on his desk, gleefully counting to make sure he hadn't left any at the store. Sure enough, he counted 28 bottles. His work complete, Eugene flopped onto his bed, hardly noticing it breaking under his weight, he was so happy. Seeing some movement out of the corner of his eye, Eugene turned to see some of his lamp minions standing in the doorframe. "Shouldn't you be out working?" he asked, glaring at the furnishings, "The world doesn't just take over itself you know." Blink blink blinkblinkblink blink, blinked Chichiri, staring Eugene right in the eyes. Being a lamp, of course, it wasn't easy to distinguish where he was looking, so the serious effect was lost. "WHAT?!!" roared Eugene, "You quit your job?!! But I need that money for my nefarious plots! How am I supposed to find a Dark Queen and take over the world without cash?" Blinkblinkblink blink blinkblink. "'Not your problem!' you say! I created you, you should be grateful to me!" Eugene growled, brandishing a bottle of The Sauce menacingly. Blink blink blink blinkblink! Keichi piped up. Eugene's eyes widened, and he immediately burst into (slightly demented sounding) laughter. "Oh you can't be serious. A boy band? That's priceless! Thanks guys, you always know when I can use a laugh," he said, wiping a tear from his eye. Blink blinkblink. Blink blinkblink blink blink blinkblinkblink, blinked Ataru bravely. "You... you can't really be serious. But you can't even sing!" Eugene said incredulously. Blink blink blinkblink blink, Shingo blinked. "You're right, neither can the others, but at least they can do something other than Morse code! Fine, you know what, be a boy band. And then when you come crawling back to me, I might take you back, but I'll probably just throw you out on the street. So go, I'll see you in, hmmm, about two days? Buh bye," Eugene said, his voice oozing false sincerity. The lamps turned to go, and as Chichiri reached the doorway, he turned back to Eugene. Blinkblink blinkblinkblink blink blink, he blinked with a smirk. "ROADIE?!!" he yelled furiously, picking up his computer screen. He threw it angrily at the lamp, but Chichiri had closed the door, and the screen smashed into it, breaking into tiny pieces. He punched his bed and, after the earlier punishment, it splintered. If Eugene hadn't been in such a fit of anger, he would have realized that there were large, black helicopters outside his second floor window, but instead, he didn't hear them until the occupants of said helicopters whipped out the megaphones. "EUGENE, THIS IS THE A.E.I.O.U. AND WE'VE COME TO TAKE YOU INTO CUSTODY. YOU ARE CHARGED WITH CRIMES AGAINST OTAKU KIND, BUT WE'RE WILLING TO IGNORE THE CHARGES IF YOU'LL JUST COME WITH US QUIETLY," the voice stated loudly. Eugene clenched his clawed hands into fists, seething with rage. "Oh this is not a good time to bother me. Not a good time at all," he said menacingly before chugging four bottles of The Sauce. Crashing through his window, Eugene floated in front of the helicopter. "Bring it on," he said, before leaping into battle. /*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/ "Look, can we stop at a bloody grocery store? I'm famished!" Commander Fuzz complained. Cecil patted the cat sitting atop his shoulder. "Don't worry Commander Fuzz, we'll get you some Meow mix after we stop at the hardware store for supplies," Cecil responded, turning the corner. "Meow mix? You're buying me a steak, you twit!" /*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/ As Josh leapt from building to building, Rosa had switched from squirming and trying to get away to hanging on for dear life. After about fifteen minutes, the pair escaped the squad running after them and landed in an alley. "What the hell was that all about?!!" Rosa yelled, waving her arms for emphasis, "Who were those people?!" Josh shrugged. "I don't know. All I know is they're up to no good," Josh said heroically. Rosa smiled in spite of herself. This guy might not be the most interesting person she'd ever met, but no normal girl could resist a knight in shining armor. "What was that 'transformation' thing they talked about?" Rosa asked, puzzled, "I don't know anything about that, but they seemed to think I did." "I'm not sure why they were after you, but they want to change me back to the way I used to be. I may be a musclebound freak, but I like it that way," Josh said, staring into space stoically. Rosa looked in the direction he was staring, confused as to why there was nothing there. "Musclebound freak? I don't think you're a freak, you look perfectly normal to me," Rosa said, giving Josh the once-over. "Look at me? No one is this muscular... well, maybe Arnold, but that's about it. Can't you tell?" Josh said, surprised. Rosa leaned closer and squinted at him. "No, you look pretty normal to me. I know lots of people the same size as you, don't get too full of yourself," Rosa said, examining the boy. "Well, what about my hair? No normal person has hair that sticks up like this," Josh said, touching his gravity-defying hair. Rosa shook her head. "I don't think it looks weird, you look pretty normal in the hair department. A lot of guys have spiky hair, its trendy." Josh stared at her in amazement. What was this girl on? He shook his head, deciding conversation would have to wait for later. "Rosa, we're not safe here. We have to find a place they can't find us. They must be right on our trail," Josh said, looking around suspiciously. He grabbed Rosa in his arms again, and took to the roofs again. "I know a place we can hide, but I warn you, it might be a little dangerous," Josh said distractedly, searching the horizon for potential threats. "What do you mean by that?" Rosa asked, a little worried. "Well, we're kind of headed for my arch enemy's house," Josh said, a little embarrassed, "But don't worry, his parents like me." /*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/ Commander Fuzz nibbled from his can of tuna contentedly. It wasn't steak, but it was the next best thing, he decided. Meanwhile, Cecil was making a belt out of his AA batteries, giving him enough juice to stay in mecha form for a week. He clipped a staple gun on each side of his belt and put on hastily made disguise for sneaking into A.E.I.O.U. HQ: a Home Hardware hat and fake moustache. "Okay, now here's the plan. We get past the A.E.I.O.U. receptionist like this: you distract her with your adorable cat actions, and I sneak in the vents. Then you climb up to the roof and let me out of the vent system there, since I can't really unscrew vents from--" Cecil was interrupted by an irate Commander Fuzz. "Climb up to the roof? Not bloody likely. I'm a cat, not a bleeding gecko lizard! You'll 'ave to think of another plan," Fuzz said, turning up his nose. Cecil groaned. "This is the fifth plan you've vetoed! Look, why don't you just wait for me outside while I rescue them... it would make things a lot simpler," Cecil said, beginning to become annoyed. "No, no, no. Now 'ere's what we're going to do. You're going to distract the receptionist while I steal the key to the back entrance from her desk. We'll go in that way, rescue our, er, your friends, and be done with it!" Fuzz went back to eating his tuna. "Hey, that's not a bad plan," Cecil said, surprised. He looked over his hastily drawn map of A.E.I.O.U. Headquarters. Since he'd only been there once to pick up a package, the drawing only consisted of a large rectangle with a back door, a front door, and a receptionist's office. Satisfied, Cecil adjusted his moustache and lifted Commander Fuzz onto his shoulder. "My tuna! You stupid git!" Fuzz said, squirming. Cecil smiled. "Don't worry, when we finish this plan I'll buy you a whole case of the stuff," he replied. "I'm holding you to that." /*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/ The large brick and white siding house was not what Rosa expected in the lair of Josh's "arch nemesis." Of course, Rosa didn't really believe the description of his enemy either. An eight foot tall lizard bent on taking over the world wasn't even that creative, Rosa was surprised Josh hadn't come up with something wilder. And telling her to call him "Josie" when they got there was odd to say the least. The boy seemed to be a compulsive liar. Rosa hadn't expected to see Josh douse himself with water from a nearby garden hose and turn into a fairly busty girl with red hair. "What did you just do?!" Rosa screeched incredulously. Josh grimaced. "I hate to do this, but its the only way Eugene's parents will recognize me. You know how it is," he said, wringing out his t-shirt. "No, I don't know how it is! Is this the transformation those guys were talking about?!" Rosa said, still in shock. "Well, yeah, I guess this is half of it," Josh replied in a high, slightly nasal voice, smoothing his wet hair, "You got a ponytail elastic or anything?" Rosa nodded, pulling a red elastic out of her purse. "Thanks," Josh said, pulling his hair into a high ponytail. Rosa was still staring at him, er, her, a slack-jawed expression on her face. Their conversation was interrupted by a man in a khaki Japanese school uniform landing in front of them, singed and unconscious. A moment later, a large picture window on the second floor of the house exploded outwards. Wordlessly, Josh leapt up to the window and ran toward the fray. "Josh! Where are you going?!" Rosa yelled after him uselessly. Not being able to leap two stories, she ran through the front door. "Why hello dear, are you a friend of Eugene's?" asked a middle-aged, fairly docile-looking woman. Rosa stared at her in surprise. "N-no, I'm, umm... Josh, er, Josie's friend!" she stammered, eyes darting frantically toward the stairs. "Oh how lovely. Would you tell Josie not to worry about missing dinner the other night, we don't mind at all. I hope she's gotten better, food poisoning can be such a trial," said the woman, smiling vacantly, "And if you're wondering, Eugene's upstairs." Saying a quick thanks, Rosa dashed up the stairs, to discover most of the second floor in shambles. The scene unfolding before her was strange, to say the least. Josh was now glowing and his hair had turned yellow. Standing in mid-air a few feet from him was a huge green monstrosity, complete with horns, claws and a nasty scowl. The pair seemed to be locked in a stalemate. Rosa mused that this must be his arch enemy, and she was shocked that, yes, Josh had been telling the truth. Still, there was something familiar about this monster. Something that Rosa's analytical mind just couldn't reconcile it with her ordinary world view. Try as she could, she just couldn't find a reasonable explanation for the utter insanity she saw. Rosa knew she was missing something, something important. She could almost see it. "Hey Rosa," the monster yelled, more than a bit of nervousness in his voice, "Still wanna help me get revenge on Otaku Force? We can start with this guy!" He pointed at Josh, who just looked confused. Suddenly, it all came back to Rosa. The experiments, the bitterness, the cruelty, the paranoia... she remembered everything. And, most importantly, she remembered exactly how to get the powers she needed. Digging through her purse, Rosa tossed away the moisturizer, mirror, nail file, pressed powder, eye liner and cellular phone, until she finally found what she was looking for: her pink Lancome lipstick. One thirty second transformation sequence (complete with pink sparkles and glittering pink stars) later, Rosa was back in her mecha form. "Nice work, Rosa, now lets finish him off!" Eugene cried triumphantly. Rosa looked at him in surprise. "Why would I want to attack Josh? He's my new friend," she said, shrugging. Eugene's expression changed to one of shock, as Josh smiled. "Wow, Rosa, I didn't think you'd end up helping me out! Thanks! Oh, and that's a really cool transformation," Josh said, "Now lets destroy this SUPERYOUMAGENERAL!" "I can't do that, Eugene and I are working together to stop the evil Otaku Force. Sorry, Josh, I can't really help you either," Rosa apologized. Both Eugene and Josh sweatdropped, as Rosa laughed nervously. /*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/ "I hate myself. But maybe... maybe I could love myself! Maybe my life could have a greater value! That's right! I am no more or less than myself! I am me! I want to be myself! I want to continue existing in this world! My life is worth living here!" As Spike Spencer's irritatingly whiny voice grew in volume, Deedee stared blankly at the screen. Ten hours of dubbed Evangelion was enough to reduce anyone to a drooling idiot, and Deedee was no exception. After the first 10 episodes she was already out of it, mumbling to herself incoherently. Brett lasted longer, but his precious fanservice soon gave way to drama and pathos. Anna was the most fortunate, she forced herself to endure Shinji's whining and Asuka's screeching until Kaoru finally made his entrance. Luckily for her, drama was her specialty, so Evangelion was one of her favourite shows, no matter how bad the dubbing. Until, of course, about 45 minutes ago, when episode 25 began. She had prayed they would skip the final two episodes, but obviously the A.E.I.O.U. were merciless. The episode's pretentious psycho-babble soon drove her a state not unlike Deedee's: eyes glazed, and motionless but for the occasional twitch. None of the three Otaku Force officers gave any sign of acknowledgement when a young woman in a completely black sailor fuku unlocked the door and stepped into the room to check on them. Smiling, she switched on her walkie talkie. "The dubbed Evangelion has done the trick, but I would like to try something else. Such a grave crime against otaku cannot be forgiven so easily!... Thank you sir, you won't regret it. These idiots are in for the torture of a lifetime! OHOHOHOHOHOHOHOHOHOHOHOHOHOHO!... Yes, sir, I'll work on my roaring bitch laugh," she finished, turning off the walkie talkie, "Hmph! I thought I did it perfectly that time!" The woman stalked out of the room, and after a few moments, the huge television in front of the officers of Otaku Force lit up once again. This time, however, the theme song wasn't subtitled... it was dubbed. As the words "Tenchi Universe" appeared onscreen, Deedee could feel her urge to kill (or at least do massive property damage) rising... /*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/ Author's Notes: Well, here it is, my fourth 0_o Project Chibification part. Thankfully, I wasn't plagued by writer's block this episode, but then my dear computer decided it didn't want me to write the part. Luckily, I got a chance to use a few different computers to write the part (right now I'm at my dear friend Danielle's house typing this up). I apologize if the formatting turned out badly, it has all been done on a Mac (grrr!!) with Appleworks. Also, I want to send out a big I'M SORRY to all the people who said they'd preread, mad props to Sharyna Tran, James Edwards, Kenji Murasaki and Shinikenshi... I hope this part isn't too off, in terms of grammar and characterization. Also, many thanks to Illyria for the extension. Overall, though, I'm happy with this part... it definatly turned out better than my last one! Thanks to Kenji, Shinikenshi & James E. for title ideas, which I was considering using, until I realised that this part pretty much all minor/supporting characters, except for Cecil. The rest of OF were only in it at the end, and Katie and Frank were nowhere to be found! So, I had to add something about that in the title.