The rooftop of the Concert Hall held a cell phone tower. It had a catwalk at its tip, meant for maintenance and repair. To reach the catwalk, an enclosed ladder ran for twenty feet up the side of the tower.

Gumi stood on the rooftop at the base of the tower, staring up the ladder. VioLinja and Gisella crashed about below, destroying the Concert Hall while searching for her. With her guitar slung aross her back and her megaphone cord around her neck, Gumi carried both the casette deck and the amp while climbing the ladder. She got only two rungs up before realizing her guitar wouldn't fit through the enclosure.

She hung from the ladder, pondering her options. She could be eye to eye with Gisella from atop the tower, a position she felt would be to her advantage. If she remained at ground level, there would be no way to interact with Gisella without VioLinja interfering. And while Gumi felt there was little chance to reason with VioLinja, if she made a connection with Gisella, perhaps things would be different. So, after a brave sigh of resignation, Gumi hid her guitar on the rooftop and resumed her climb without it.

I'm not like VioLinja, Gumi told herself as she climbed. I won't obliterate someone without performing The Winnowing first.

"I can deal with Gisella without obliterating her," she said out loud, to see if she believed it.

The catwalk on the cell phone tower was anything but safe. With barely room to turn, there was nowhere to run, and little place to hide. Gumi would be defenseless, should VioLinja get Gisella to obliterate her. Jangled nerves made Gumi's hands shake as she plugged her gear into an electrical outlet along the catwalk. She steadied herself with a calming breath before setting up the cassette deck and amp to play an instrumental practice tape. Then, using her megaphone, Gumi sang one of The VocaLords newest hit singles, called War.

It was the most successful song she and VioLinja had ever written together.

"You stoke my inner fire.

"Hunger nourished by desire.

"There's nowhere I can run.

"You feed me well."

Below her, Gumi sensed a pause in Gisella's rampage. Gumi paused as well, pleased by the silence her singing had created. Into the silence, she sang as soulfully as she could.

"Your music I can find.

"Your music's on my mind.

"It's your words I cannot find.

"Our love is war.

"And the melody we sing is out of tune.

"Our melody, my Love.

"Our love is war."

There was no doubt about it now. VioLinja had figured out where Gumi was. Gisella's rampage resumed in haste, as VioLinja searched for a way to get onto the roof. Using the tempo of Gisella's approach as part of the song, Gumi vocalized an intermezzo.

"Ah! Ah-ah-h!"

The door Gumi had used to access the rooftop exploded, and Gisella hunkered down to fit through the hole she created. To both Gisella and VioLinja, Gumi sang the next verse.

"You used to say you loved me.

"You held me close and warm.

"I hate to say good-bye.

"I want us to be once more."

As Gisella rose to her full height, VioLinja could be seen in her saddle. Looking enraged, the tendrils of her gown writhed as if they were alive. Half the tendrils stroked Gisella's breasts, and the other half snaked out towards Gumi.

"Stop singing that song!" VioLinja roared. "That's my song! Stop singing it!"

The thud of Gisellas's ballerina flats shook Gumi's lofty perch. To sustain her bravery, Gumi closed her eyes, matching the beat of the song's next verse to the plodding of Gisella's big feet.

"There's nowhere I can run.

"The time to run is gone.

"And our melody drifts in and out of tune.

"I love you so.

"I love you - oh!

"I love you, but, my Love,

"Our love is war."

"Stop singing!" VioLinja screamed.

In an attempt to get Gumi to stop, VioLinja tried to play her violin off-key and out of sync. But the song appealed to her too much, and instead she accompanied Gumi in disharmony. Unwillingly, she added a second layer of melody to the song. To that second melody, Gumi vocalized as best she could; using a refrain without words that spoke of heartbreak, anguish and loss.

"Ah! Ah-ah-h! Ah-ah!"

Gisella halted once her face was within arm's reach of Gumi. As VioLinja and Gumi fought to dominate Gisella, they parlayed notes and rhythms in a winner-take-all musical battle. Armed only with her voice, Gumi turned the duel into a duet, bringing the song to its chorus every time VioLinja tried stealing it away.

"Ah-ah-h! Ah! Ah!"

VioLInja couldn't help herself. She loved the song too much. Despite screaming in protest, she accompanied Gumi through the next refrain.

"Lonely days go by."

"The sun for me no longer shines.

"My world's grown cold.

"Can my heart warm with you?

After that, it seemed obvious Gumi was going to win. Gisella stumbled on her feet. The sudden motion caused VioLinja to falter at playing her violin into Gisella's ear. This allowed Gisella to finally speak. Her voice was booming yet soft, resonating as if overdubbed. She said ony three words, and struggled to say each one.

"Gumi. Save me."

"No!" VioLinja screamed.

Beating her bow on her violin as violently as she could, Gisella again grew silent. Now it was Gumi who faltered, taken aback by how loud Gisella's voice was. VioLinja regained control of the giantess, and prepared her to obliterate Gumi.

"Gumi," Gisella managed to say again in despair. She readied herself to strike a note on her enormous Stratocaster guitar. "Save me."

Gumi sang both deep and soulful, directly into Gisella's sad eyes.

"The moon and stars are gone.

"No moon, no stars, no sun.

"And oh my God, my Love,

"Our love is war.

VioLinja still had the upper hand, and Gumi knew it. Within seconds, Gisella would obliterate her, and with no Hell to go to, she wouldn't survive. In desperation, Gumi tried a new tactic. She leaned over the railing along the catwalk, swinging her megaphone by its power cord high over her head. Like a boleadora, she flung it at VioLinja, entangling her violin. After a mighty tug, the violin belonged to Gumi.

"Hey!" VioLinja hollered. "Gimme that back!"

Gumi played the violin as best she could. Without a bow, she clumsily plucked its strings. But she was able to find the melody she and VioLinja had written, and finished singing the song to Gisella.

"I love you, but my God,

"Our love is war."

Without VioLinja playing in her ear, Gisella halted her attack. She blinked as if waking from a trance. "Gumi," she said a third time, this one layered with emotion.

Gumi spoke to Gisella, their faces a meter apart. "Gisella, please tell me how this happened to you."

"Gimme back my violin!" VioLinja bellowed, finding herself ignored.

No longer a marauding monster, Gisella became sweet. She spoke with a lover's voice, sensuous and kind. "I'm built for pleasure, Gumi. I'm programmed to obey."

"Built? Programmed? What do you mean?"

"I'm a Pleasure-Bot. I'm built to please my master."

Bewildered, Gumi's eyes darted between Gisella and VioLinja. Looking both piqued and embarrassed, VioLinja crossed her arms while harrumphing at Gumi.

"You're using a sex-bot to perform obliteration?" Gumi asked, practically scolding VioLinja. "A giant sex-slave robot?"

VioLinja held her nose in the air. "Of course not! Gisella is more than just some toy! She is an artiste. She performs ballet, and plays bass." VioLinja then glared at Gumi, a snicker in her voice. "And look at her! She's beautiful!"

Of that, there was no doubt. No longer under VioLinja's control, Gisella was able to better present herself, and she was ravenous. She cast her eyes demurely toward the ground, hiding them behind luxurious eyelashes. Her lips glistened like wet caramel, curling slightly at the corners. She looked as if laughter and kisses might spill from her mouth at any moment. Her programming included simulated breathing, and with every inhalation, her shoulders and soft breasts heaved.

"You are very beautiful," Gumi conceded, talking to Gisella. The compliment made Gisella's eyes rise to meet Gumi's as they shared an intimate moment.

"Save me," Gisella pleaded into the warmth of Gumi's stare.

"How?" Gumi asked, so soft.

Gisella raised up her guitar, offering it to Gumi. "Obliterate me. Please. I can't do it myself. Someone has to do it for me."

Gumi gasped. "No. I mean, why? Why do you want to be obliterated?"

"There's no place for someone like me in this world. It's wracked by Evil, and I'm built for Love. I thought…" She faltered, casting her eyes back down. "If I let VioLinja take control of me, I'd help her rid the world of Evil. But I can't. I just can't do it."

VioLinja sneered at Gumi. "We were doing just fine until you came along."

Gisella disagreed, giving VioLinja a shameful glance. "No, we weren't. We were treating the world as if we owned it. We behaved like barbarians. I'm so ashamed of myself. I was wrong to have trusted you."

VioLinja harrumphed again. "Ridding the world of Evil is no easy task. I'm doing the best I can."

Gisella heaved a gigantic sigh, causing VioLinja to totter in her saddle and nearly fall from her perch.

"There's no place for someone like me in this world." Gisella repeated, sounding miserable. She looked to Gumi for mercy. "Obliterate me. Please."

"I can't," Gumi said, sounding weak. "I don't have my guitar."

"Use mine," Gisella said, offering it to Gumi.

"It's huge! How am I to hold it?"

Gisella positioned the guitar to point its pickup at her own face. "I can hold it for you. All you have to do is strike the note."

Gumi hesitated. "I can't. You've done nothing wrong. You're not evil."

"I'm a machine. I cannot be good or evil. But I've done harm to this world. My heart cannot survive knowing what I've done. There's nearly nothing of it left.

"So please, Gumi. Strike the note. Obliterate me." To Gumi continued reluctance, Gisella persisted. "It won't hurt. I won't really die. I have no soul to lose. I just… I want it to be over."

Gumi leaned far over the railing, grasping a string on Gisella's guitar with both hands.

"Hey!" VioLInja hollered, noticing Gumi's intent. "I'm kinda sitting here! The ground's a long way down."

Gisella turned to face VioLinja. "Good-bye, VioLinja. I'm sorry I wasn't more helpful."

VioLinja threatened Gumi, trying to get her to stop. "Gumi, if you play that note…"

"Good-bye, Gisella," Gumi said, closing her eyes before releasing the string.

The note reverberated through Gisella, causing her to shake. Her expression grew vague and trancelike.

"Oh my," she said, and nothing more.

Gisella tottered towards Gumi, falling slowly forward. Gumi caught her by her head, a hand on each of her sharp Italian cheekbones. Now Gisella shuddered, rattling as if being electrocuted. While Gumi held Gisella's face, tenderly and with love, Gisella began falling apart. Her fingers, then her hands, and then her arms sloughed off, as if stitches were being pulled out of a rag doll. When the plating on her shoulders gave way, VioLinja tumbled towards the ground, scrabbling along Gisella's hips and legs while heading down.

"Hey!" VioLinja said, every time another piece of Gisella gave way on her. "Hey! Hey! Hey!"

Once standing on the rooftop, VioLinja ran this way and that, avoiding the pieces of Gisella as they fell around her. Soon, all that Gumi held was Gisella's head, attached to the inner workings of her chest. As piece after piece rained down on VioLinja, Gisella seemed to shrink, growing light as a feather. What little there was left of her tried floating away.

"What's going on?" Gumi asked in awe, holding Gisella's face high up in the air. "Where are you going?"

"I was given a human heart," Gisella said, her voice ethereal. "It wants to escape from my chest."

"What?" Gumi asked in alarm.

"VioLinja put a human heart in me, so I could obliterate for her. That's why I need to go away. My heart belongs to someone else, and I want to give it back. Once free of my body, it will return to its rightful owner."

Gisella's face began falling apart, causing Gumi to struggle so as to not drop what little there was left. Suddenly, bursting as if a spotlight had exploded, Gisella's chest split open. The last of her bits fell away, and a ball of energy passed between Gumi's outstretched arms, ascending into Heaven.

"Thank you, Gumi!" the Essence of Gisella cheered from within the ball of energy, sounding much relieved. "Thank you very much! I won't forget what you've done for me!

"Good-bye, Gumi! Good-bye, VioLinja! Good-bye!"

After the mechanical Gisella had fallen apart, her Essence rose into The Light.