Chapter 4
Tenma, Don't Leave Us…

At the factory, Eri Maiden looked into Tenma Maiden's databanks. She found some disturbing files in her that Itoko downloaded: Her Pleasure Mode increases, and considering that Harima is a jerk, a very great guy with needs, and nothing but a robot lover. That was just the speech files. Tenma said it privately, according to her history records. Eri also learned that she was clingy towards both him and her. She found that Tenma has been downloaded with IDs of both Harima and herself.

"I better dig through her files and see who'd place these tasks" she said, "Something feels wrong."

She typed in the files and found all of Tenma Maiden's programming in a file form. It was a long list. She scrolled through the files and found that the company installed her basic files, but her attitude and child-like files were added by Itoko.

"I see…" she sighed, "Itoko did do it. I'll never get why she was always grateful for me, when I first met her. These files were downloaded, since she was created. I forgot where, but I kind of helped out."

She scrolled down the screen and found a file that says "Emotional Circuits". She was shocked to see who it was that downloaded into her body: Eri Maiden, herself.

"Oh, my god…" she gasped, "It's… It's my doing, too."

She turned to the repair dock, "Computer, scan her emotional circuits!"

The scan began and flashed red. The scan found the worst thing for a Maiden for Hire to have… She has a virus.

"Oh, no…" she whimpered, "It's my fault…"

She turned to Tenma Maiden and asked her, "Tenma, I'm afraid I have bad news for you."

Tenma Maiden opened her eyes and spoke in a weak voice, "What is it?"

"First, let me ask you: Did Miss Osakabe did this to you?"

Tenma Maiden responded, "To be honest… No. When Miss Eri asked me who helped me go after my hot user, Harima, it just blurted out. She did help build me."

Eri Maiden then thought, "It all makes sense now… That virus did this to her."

XXXXXX

Meanwhile, Eri banged on Itoko's door, completely angry.

"Open the door!" Eri cried out.

Itoko opened the door, as Eri stepped inside with a mad look on her face.

"We need to talk," she barked, "I want to know what you did to Tenma Maiden #T3N61."

Itoko then smiled, "Well, you want to know, right?"

She nodded, as Itoko explained, "It happened after your double started dating him. I was unhappy to see Kenji not with Miss Tsukamoto. Too bad for him, though. Tenma was right for him."

"What does he have with Tenma Tsukamoto?"

"Why don't you ask him?"

Eri snapped, "I'll explain it to him soon. Now, why would you hurt Tenma Maiden, forcing her to go after him? Whiskers is seventeen!"

"I'm sorry, but it was the only way to give Tenma and Kenji a start-up. Kenji is madly in love with the robot Eri, and not you or Tenma."

"Wait…" Eri said in confusion, "Whiskers… and Tenma? He's in love with…"

"I'm afraid that the Maiden you created, which made Kenji love, lied to you. The Tenma Maiden I helped created had the same wavelengths as myself, Miss Anegasaki, and Tenma."

"You…" she growled, "Why didn't you say so?"

Just then, Miss Anegasaki and Miss Sasakura appeared and saw Eri, "Miss Sawachika, what a surprise."

Eri snapped, "I'm talking to Miss Osakabe for creating a Maiden for Hire with dirty purposes."

She said to her, "You should've known that Eri Maiden was a victim to this, since Tenma Maiden loved her, too."

Itoko smiled, "Guilty as charged… But I didn't fiddle with her machinery. All I did was downloaded everything into her, about Kenji."

"No way!" Tae gasped, "Harima has been suddenly been in love with a Maiden robot? I wanted a Butler for Hire for months! I want one, just like him."

"Relax, Tae," Itoko promised, "I'll get you one as a gift. I plan to give Miss Sasakura one, as well. That's the reason I wanted one, for a gift. I don't need automation."

"Me? Oh, I don't know…" Sasakura blushed.

Eri gasped in horror, as Tae grinned, "Oh, you're sweet. How's Harima, by the way? Did he enjoy his new robot?"

She growled, "Itoko… What did you do to Tenma Maiden?"

XXXXX

Eri Maiden explained to her that she has a virus.

She said, "I'll do what I can to fix you. I'm going to copy and save your entire data, excluding your primary functions. Every Maiden has their unique programming."

Tenma smiled, "Please do… If I don't make it… tell Harima… I said… I love him…"

Eri was swelled in tears and plugged in a flash drive. The Maiden Tenma's programming was downloaded into the card. She removed it and then proceeded to remove her Personality Disc.

"I'm sorry that I cannot let you move for a while. The task may be tough, but I promise that you'll live," she smiled.

Tenma Maiden then asked, "Can you, at least, tell me what caused the virus?"

Eri Maiden then was upset. She held her head and said, "I'll tell you… but don't break down again…"

She bit the bullet and began fixing her. Terry Stanton arrived and asked if he would help.

"No," she barked, "This is my problem! It's my fault!"

She gave Terry the flash drive and personality chip to him and added, "Here. Hold these for me."

"Uh, is there something I'm missing?" He asked.

Tenma Maiden cried out, before the repairs began, "WAIT! Eri Model! NO!"

Eri Maiden asked, "What?"

Tenma Maiden then asked, "What did you do to me?"

She sobbed and screamed, "I downloaded your Emotional Circuits… and… and it was corrupted… by a virus!"

She turned away and was crying. Terry then looked at her system records and found the problem.

"Eri…" he asked, "You?"

"It was an accident," she wailed, "It was an accident! It was an honest to god mistake! I don't know how it happened! One year, she lasted and she has been suffering this moment."

Tenma Maiden then smiled and said, "Good… I lasted one year… and I wanted to give him guaranteed service."

She then held her hand and insisted, "Eri Maiden… please… don't save me…"

"WHAT?" The robot cried, "WHY?"

Terry screamed, "This virus is curable! We can fix this! It's a small job."

"No…" Tenma said, with tears in her eyes, "I have lived my fullest… service… It's what I wanted."

She then sniveled, "What I did was bad… and I learned from it… I… I wanted to care for him… and I… I failed him… Now… I'll never use it when he's eighteen."

She closed her eyes and sobbed, while Eri Maiden was in a conundrum.

"I… I have to fix you," Eri Maiden whimpered, "Please… Let me…"

"Too late," Terry explained, "I read now that the virus has spread into her circuits. I scanned the parts that you removed, and there were no traces of the virus. Good call."

Tenma then smiled, "I'm sorry… Harima…"

Eri Maiden then demanded, "Please! Let me save her!"

"NO!" Terry barked, "If you do, even if you try, there's a chance that you'll be affected by the virus, too!"

She gasped, "I… I never thought of that! But… but, it was my fault…"

"I know," he said, "But let me fix her. I cannot risk a Maiden to perform it."

"NO!" Tenma Maiden cried out, "No one is fixing me!"

"What?" They both gasped.

She then beeped, "I'm sorry… but I wanted to end my life now. I appreciate what you wanted to do, but I cannot let you risk your life. I'm nothing but a worn-out piece of machinery. Harima… is in love with you… but… he loves Tenma… The real Tenma… But… I deserve… to die… for what I did…"

Eri Maiden whimpered, "Tenma Maiden, no…"

Tenma continued, "He's all yours, but know this… make sure you give him the love he deserves. Tenma Tsukamoto is gone. You have him for yourself now. I lived to serve him, but I was badly used by Itoko. But my emotional circuits that you installed… was the reason I love him… and you… I wanted to say it to you, now… I am glad… for you… as a friend… I'm sorry… for… everything…"

She held her face and kissed her lips. After that, she whispered, "Eri Model… I… love… you…"

Her eyes faded to black and were clicked closed. She died down… from the virus. Eri Maiden cried on her. Terry patted her head and was sad.

"Poor Tenma…" he stated, "She lived to its fullest, as a Maiden for Hire…"

Eri Maiden couldn't stop crying. She was on her exposed waist panel, sobbing continuously.

"It's my fault… It's my fault…" she sobbed.

XXXXX

Eri then put her foot down and said, "Well, tell me."

Itoko then sighed, "Okay… I admit it. Kenji is in love with Eri Maiden… That led me to help create a Tenma Maiden. Miss Tsukamoto is now gone… and she became a sole Tenma. When I heard that she no longer became a lover to Kenji, I upgraded her Pleasure Mode to increase, so that she will love both Kenji and that useless and shy animatron. The reason why Kenji and the real Tenma are in a pair is something you'll find out, eventually."

She then got up and groaned, "I didn't know. I never knew that Tenma Maiden would break down, because of me…"

Tae was confused, "Uh, run that by me again?"

Sasakura said, "I'm so sorry, Itoko. You wanted to hurt Eri Robot, right? Uh… an Eri robot?"

"She's the same robot that looked like Miss Sawachika here," Itoko stated.

Tae then asked, "But… But isn't that just unjust for Harima to lose Eri-bot?"

Itoko grinned, "I just don't believe in robo-sexuality, if you catch my drift."

Eri growled, "How could you?"

"I mean, come on… It's not right for my cousin to love an 'android you'." Itoko said.

"IT IS! It is right for Eri Maiden!" Eri shouted, "And you… You've ruined it for her! She loved him, just because of your stupid vendetta!"

She then announced, "Kenji Harima will get his Maiden back, but we will remove the faulty programming that you installed. As Tenma Maiden told me, during a recent maintenance routine, two months ago: A Maiden for Hire cannot be used for dirty tactics! A Maiden is a delicate machine with a heart of gold, just like a human being!"

She then informed her, "And you, Miss Osakabe, have tainted her heart… and my double's heart, as well."

Sasakura nodded, "It's just so sad… for android Eri, I mean."

"Whose side are you on, anyway?" Itoko shouted at her.

Tae asked, "Does this mean I won't get my Harima Butler for Hire?"

Eri smiled, "You can… but she doesn't!"

"What?" Itoko cried out.

Eri pointed at her and bellowed, "Itoko Osakabe, as CEO of Maidens for Hire – Yagami Branch , I am making this announcement! You are hereby banned from future services, purchases, and business matters… FOR LIFE!"

Tae and Sasakura gasped, as Itoko cried out, "YOU CAN'T DO THAT!"

Eri smirked, "You should've thought of that… before you hurt Whiskers, your own cousin! I don't mind Whiskers getting what's coming to him… but NO ONE hurts a Maiden for Hire for evil purposes! And I mean… no one! In short: YES, I CAN!"

She left to the door, "Good day to you, ladies."

Itoko then cried out, "HOLD IT!"

Eri turned to her and said, "You have my attention…"

Itoko bowed and said, "If you see Kenji… Tell him… that I'm sorry… for everything. But he's still not coming back here."

Eri nodded, "I'll tell him. Now, please excuse me… Miss Osakabe."

She left, leaving Tae very perplexed, "Uh, does this mean I get a Butler for Hire, and not you?"

"You're buying him…" she sighed, "I think I deserved it, after all these years. By that, I mean the meanness that caught to me. You heard what Sawachika said: You get one, but I am banished from ever giving or receiving one."

Tae nodded, "Oh… So…"

"I'm so jealous…" Sasakura giggled, as she and Tae held hands.

"Maybe I'll get you a Maiden that looks like Itoko," Tae suggested.

Sasakura squealed, "You mean it?"

Anegasaki jumped around and giggled, being very pleased. The two teachers jumped for joy, as Itoko muttered, "I hate you… Kenji…"

XXXXX

Meanwhile, Eri Maiden was in her chair, still down in the mouth. Tenma Maiden was carried off by Shinji Takeru, Gus, and Hank.

"Tenma Model is due for immediate memory wipe, system cleaning procedure, and dismantling," Terry Stanton announced, "The virus must be removed, at once. Plus, Eri Model's tears made most of her servos rust up."

They left, as Terry turned to Eri with a bag of Tenma's personality chip and flash drive in her hand.

"I'm sorry," he explained, "Most of Tenma's parts will be quarantined for a while. It wasn't your fault. It was defective parts, caused by the virus."

Eri Maiden said nothing. Her eyes were rusted and wet. She was hurt, losing her sister, Tenma Maiden. She gave him the bag and whispered, "Harima… he hates me now…"

"He doesn't know, yet," Terry explained, "But I'll give the word about… Tenma…"

He trailed off, as Eri Maiden cried again.

"Harima… I'm so sorry… I made you lose Tenma…" she whimpered, "I lost them both. Harima… Tenma Model… Help me…"

She held herself and whimpered loudly. Terry looked at the parts and was feeling energetic.

"There's a way," he thought, "Eri… I'll make sure that you're happy."

XXXXX

Eri got a phone call from Takeru, explaining that Tenma Maiden lost her life, because of a virus that her double accidentally installed, which he stated that it has been extracted now. Eri then asked if there's anything they could do now.

"Maybe… but there is a way," Takeru said, "We're going to make a new Maiden Tenma. One that will obey her user's every need. And she'll also be bigger than before."

"How so?" Eri asked.

"Well, she told me, when she was used for about six months that she wanted to be big. Her height she wanted was about as tall as you, since our Maidens' spare bodies that are 5'1" have ran out, right now. However, she wanted to ask you what height would be bigger than you. What do you think?"

Eri then smiled, "As long as she's not that tall… Tell Mister Stanton… make her into a Maiden, with the height of 165cm!"

Recognize that scenario?

"You hear that?" Takeru called to Terry, as he gave the phone to him.

"Yes, ma'am," Terry said, "The Maiden will be built in three weeks. Shall I tell Harima about this?"

"No…" she said, "I'll tell Whiskers. How's Eri Maiden, by the way?"

"She's depressed. She's lost her sister, and she even blames herself for losing Tenma Model."

"It was an accident, though. Tell her that I'm sorry that she's gone. And also, I forgive her for what she did and what she wanted to do."

Terry hung up and turned to Eri Maiden, "It wasn't your fault. Eri said so."

Eri Maiden sobbed lightly, "Please… I want Harima… I want…"

Terry smiled and thought, "I'll make her happy. Hey, it worked for Tomo Model (Version 2)."

XXXXX

Three weeks later, Eri Maiden met with Harima, at Yakumo's, who was a bit down over losing his Maiden.

"Whiskers," she said, as she hugged him, "I'm so sorry. Tenma Maiden was broken down. Her body was completely damaged. I wanted to fix her, but it would kill me."

Harima then smiled, "It's okay. It wasn't your fault, at all. Tenma was a great girl, no matter who, or what she is. I only wanted to see Tenma smile. And you, you wanted to make her happy. Now, she's gone."

He then held her and added, "Besides, she was being a pest, at first, but at least she cared for me. Itoko did most of the dirty work, and she paid the price. I felt bad now that Tenma Maiden is gone. Apart from the underage moment there, she was a nice Maiden. You agree?"

Eri Maiden then swelled up in tears and said, "I… I…"

"At least I still have you," he added.

Eri Maiden then said, "Harima… I'm sorry. I don't want to see you unhappy. Tenma Tsukamoto was the one you love, and now, she's gone. Having a Tenma Maiden was fun, but it wasn't the same."

"Please, Eri. You understand that you wanted to save her…"

"I… I don't know…"

"She understands…" a voice said that was familiar.

A Maiden appeared in Harima's doorway, with a purple and black Maiden uniform. She had long black hair and small pigtails. In fact, she looked exactly like Tenma Tsukamoto, but her height was 165cm. Eri and Harima turned around and saw her.

"Harima…" she bowed and introduced herself, "It's me. I am Tenma, your Maiden for Hire. I am now Model #T-3661. Eri Model, Harima, congratulations on owning me."

"It's… It's… It's you," Eri Maiden cringed.

Harima laughed, as his Maiden ran to them and hugged.

"I'm… I'm glad you're okay!" He cried.

"Tenma…" Eri smiled, "I thought I lost you!"

Tenma Maiden #2, as we'll call her, smiled and cheered, "You'll never lose me! I am yours… forever!"

"Huh?" Harima asked.

Tenma #2 continued, "You see, Miss Eri gave me a lifetime contract for free, for the ownership of Mister Kenji Harima and Miss Eri Model N1K1M871."

She added, "For Harima, I will cook and clean for him, and for Eri Model, I will give her some guaranteed service of my own, plus, some work-related tasks. I am here for your guaranteed service… forever."

Eri was suddenly in disdain, as Harima laughed for her. "Tenma… What about your Pleasure Mode?"

Tenma #2 added, "It's until you're eighteen. Once you are at a legal age, you, Eri, and I will have a lot of fun."

Eri Maiden then was blushing. She turned away, as Tenma held her tight.

"Eri Model…" she whispered, "For everything you did for me… Thank you. You saved me, and I'll never forget it."

"I am so sorry that I did this to you," she cringed.

Tenma Maiden gave her a kiss on the cheek and said, "Apology accepted. I love you, Eri Model."

Eri Maiden was completely red. She was so happy that she smoked incessantly and her eyes turned to the Blue Eyes of Death.

"Eri?" She asked, "Eri?"

She was eventually fixed.

XXXXX

To this day, Tenma Maiden served her new users: a boy and his robot girl. Tenma provided her guaranteed service to them, as she was given a second chance to the world. The Maiden, now known as #T-3661, named Tenma, had a great life, once known as #T3N61. She stayed forever with the Maiden girl and the boy that she loved and admired.

"I am Tenma," she smiled, "I love Kenji Harima and Eri Model… with all my heart. To you two, you have given me my dream. I am finally tall and working at 100% efficiency."

She sat down on her chair and plugged herself in. She sat by an open window, with the curtain blowing in the wind. She placed her hands on her lap and clicked her eyes closed.

"Harima… Miss Eri… Eri Maiden…" she whispered, as she was shut down, "Thank you…"

And the best part was… Harima didn't have to pay for her services.

The End

The following week, Tenma got a note from Eri Maiden:

Dear Tenma Model T-3661, which is what I should call you now,
I'm so glad that you are okay. I am glad that you will give guaranteed services to my boyfriend and me.
Which is why… I am leaving.

Tenma #2 gasped, as she continued reading.

"Please forgive me, because it was my fault for installing Emotional circuits in your older body. But a Maiden cannot hold the guilt any longer," she read, "If Harima were here with you right now, please tell him that I am never seeing him again. I'm just so… empty"?"

She dropped the note and went to the phone to call Harima.

"Eri Maiden! She's gone!" She panicked, "I said I accepted her apology! Why would she run away?"

The note continued:

I needed some time alone. It's my fault that Tenma became this way. I don't think I'll ever return to your sweet embrace… not yet, at least… but I doubt that I'll ever look at myself in the mirror or a high-definition monitor again. Take good care of Harima for me.
I love you, Harima… and you, too, Tenma Model…
Goodbye, Eri Model N1K1M871

XXXXX

Meanwhile, Eri Maiden, in Harima's jacket and her recharger in the pocket, was running off in tears. She ran away from where Harima lived, about fifty miles. She stopped running and looked at the view of the city. She then whimpered, and ran off again, looking away.

"It's my fault…" she thought, "I know what I did was wrong… and Miss Eri forgave me… but…"

She disappeared in the view, without looking back.

Is this even right? This story had ended… but it sets up a series of events for Eri Maiden.

Will she EVER return to Harima?

How will Eri hear the news?

Find out in a future story…when the School Rumble's version of the Maiden Universe comes to its climatic story ever.

Thanks for reading!