Disclaimer: I don't own Astro Boy or any of it's Character's. This story was written purely for entertainment purposes. Characters not part of the Astro Boy 2009 Movie or Animation Series and that were made up by me will be noted within the chapters by an Asterisk. (*)

Summary: Set seven months after the event of the movie. Metro City is still in shambles and no one has any idea where Astro is. Morale is low, and to make matters worse, people who had once lived on the surface have begun returning to Metro City in droves believing that things have changed now that "everyone's feet are planted on the same earth" so to speak. President Logan wants to have Astro at his side for a speech to cool down the public but not even is willing to give any information on where Tenma and Astro are. It's better than it sounds. Please read. AstroxCora

Chapter One

"You should really get a shave, Rob."

Emily Niele*, Secretary of State to President Robert Logan of Metro City sat a cup of coffee down in front of herself and leaned in closer to look at him. There were dark circles under his eyes and he was pale from having been shut up in his office for two whole weeks. She glanced to the left slightly. She needed to talk to him and didn't want to get off topic…but there was an odd smell emanating from behind her on the other side of the office. She focused her eyes back on him. First things first. After a second or two more he finally made eye contact with her.

"Did you get hol' of Elefun? Er' Tenma?"

"No, Rob. Would you like a cup of coffee? Or better yet…a ride home? You shouldn't spend so many hours in the office each day. I'm sure your wife and kids miss you."

"Can't..gotta find Tenma so I can talk to him about-"

"Rob. It's two A.M in the morning. You've been calling Dr. Tenma and Dr. Elefun for months now and neither of them has answered you. Have you ever considered that maybe this is a problem you're just going to have to try and solve on your own?"

Emily gazed at him with what she hoped was the sourest expression she could muster. She and Robert had known one another since they had been children and the one thing she knew she could always get him to respond to when he was depressed was her scathing, disdainful, 'get-off-your-butt-and-be-a-man' look. She'd grown up with one of those thin faces with sharp cheek bones. Her narrow ice blue eyes which almost looked like lines when she squinted, added to the cruelty of it. She'd even used that look to scare the former President Stone in the last election. Robert's facial expression did not change so she stopped and let out an exasperated sigh.

"There are still sections of Metro City that don't yet have electricity Robert! People are rioting in the streets over living space because of the people from the Outlands trying to move in!- We can't wait on a call back from Tenma to release his Robot Son to us for a damn Peace Speech!-Are you even listening to me right now?"

"Yes."

"No you're not."

"I am! I know that I've got to get to work-I HAVE been working! Look at me for fucksakes Emily!"

Emily's eye's swept over his dingy white dress shirt and beige coffee stained trousers which looked surprisingly loose on him. He was trembling slightly from having stood up so suddenly, and the slight breeze he'd made from having done so, sent an offensive smell wafting up her nose. He needed a shower too.

"I know how bad things are alright? I know!-"

"Then if you know why do you keep talking about making a SPEECH? People want the insurance money for the family members they lost when the City fell-not a SPEECH! People want a place to live! They want food and jobs, and they want to send their kids back to school! You had all the time you needed to make speeches during the campaign and it's over now Rob! You won and you're in office! You've got to stop sitting in this office like a zombie trying to call a scientist-!"

"WILL YOU SHUT YOUR FACE, AND LISTEN TO ME FOR A MINUTE?"

Emily was rearing all the way back in her chair. Rob was right in her personal bubble…his bright, but still very tired eyes blaring into hers. If he were to jut his chin out….his blonde bristles would've tickled her top lip. Being of a naturally combative nature, had it been anyone else she probrably would have socked him one right his nose for yelling in her face like that…but Robert Logan was her best friend as well as her President. So she sat and continued to frost him.

She nodded and he backed up. He walked over to the office door and stuck his head out and called for his office bot which entered a moment later brightening the room with lights and stirring up the room with its clicking noises. It hovered over to the corner by the window and then looked up questioningly at Robert. "Yes sir? Had you wanted to start off from where we were before?" The robot made to press it's 'record' button.

Robert made a gesture to the Office Bot. "Hold up a minute…"

Emily folded her arms and raised an eyebrow. "Well Rob? My face is shut. You gonna talk?"

"I'm going to ignore your acidity for now Emily. The reason I want to talk to Dr. Tenma is because I want to use Astro to inspire the people of Metro City into positive action!"

Robert began pacing around the office. "Can you imagine where we'd be if he hadn't slowed the fall of the city? Can you imagine where we'd be if Astro hadn't stopped President Stone and the Peacekeeper? Who do you know that doesn't like to see a hero? We could get everyone mobilized and get Metro City back on its feet! It wouldn't only just be the construction robots and rag-tag teams of college volunteers anymore!"

Emily already knew his reasoning behind wanting to contact Dr. Tenma about Astro. She let her eyes wander around the office in other places during Robert's impassioned speech. 'It's a good idea...it really is…but given what happened before with President Stone…does he really think Tenma'll whore his son out to the Government? Even if it IS for a good cause.'

Once Robert was done he turned with a feverish, but optimistic look on his face. "So you see now why I want to use Astro?"

Emily stared. Robert was starting to wobble on his pins. She looked around the office again at all the dust and clutter and filth. The desk was stacked with papers he had yet to look at and several half empty cups of water. During his ramblings she had discovered the source of the smell she'd picked up earlier. On the other side of the room, behind where she had been sitting in front of Robert's desk, were about 12 , 2-liter soda bottles…with urine in them against the wall in a line. It was obvious he hadn't let a Cleaning Bot in here in a long time.

She glanced back up Robert. He was a man she had a good deal of respect for. They'd grown up together. Graduated from high school together and he'd always confided in her about his hopes and dreams. She had even been there with him on his wedding day and during the births of all three of his children. And now here she was sitting with him in his office watching him slowly lose his sanity.

"Yeah Rob. I understand. And as your Secretary of State I'm going to help you achieve your goal." She stood up and let the ice from years of both political, and life struggle melt from her face and held out her hand. She'd found out all of what she'd needed to know tonight. Robert Logan needed someone to take his place so he could rest and get his mind together…and in the mean-time he needed someone to make things happen in his stead. And it looked like it was going to have to be her.

(A/N: Sorry if this first chapter is boring. I know it doesn't seem much like an Astro Boy Fanfiction not having the main character in it yet, but I wanted to do a more realistic kind of Astro Boy...sort of anyway. I always felt like at the end of the movie, seeing how Metro City was pretty much destroyed wouldn't their be A LOT of people who'd be really unhappy? Rather than have everyone cheering? And what about the buildings that had been on the bottom? What if people were living in those and they died? Wouldn't there be SERIOUS over crowding if people from the surface started moving in? lol I'll stop now. Anyway, basically this is supposed to eventually be a romance fic between Astro and Cora so it does get better! Again, sorry if this chapter was horrible and boring and short. I'm trying to get better. T.T Don't burn me please reviewers!)