The Story of Pookie Chapter 1, an astro boy fanfic

Pookie

The story of Atlas's favorite snuggie

by Dan Rush

Back story: Atlas boy was created by a former member of the Ministry of Science's research and development group for Japan's ruthless criminal mastermind Skunk Kusai after he had been continuously thwarted by Metro City's new chief of police, Inspector Kago Towashi, and his deputy Sargent Higa Deutadi. Atlas's programming included the illegal "Omega Factor" protocol which allowed Atlas to experience human emotions without a restriction lock as was required on other A.I. Robots. Two years into his being owned by the Skunk gang; Astro makes his first appearance in Metro City where he becomes instrumental in moving humans and robots towards a close relationship.

Atlas's time with the Skunk gang does not go well for him. Abuse and beatings are almost constant and after Skunk orders the destruction of a service robot named Livian, who was Atlas's only constant companion, Atlas goes bizerk. Destroying Skunk's hideout, all his hidden loot and putting his entire gang into a hospital with broken bones...Atlas's deep hatred for humans spurs him to gain power so he can lead a robot war to put humans in their proper place. Choosing Metro City as his opening salvo, Atlas seeks to make an example of the City's favorite robot as a warning to the humans that a new order is coming and to robots that not joining his cause will lead to them sharing Astro's fate...the scrap heap.

Problem is...Astro's not making things easy.

It's the fifth year of their conflict...

Midnight

Metro City

Setuso Insurance Company Building

Atlas lay flat on his back looking up at the stars on this warm summer night. He looked around slowly until he saw his missing boot stuck to a chain link fence around an air conditioning unit...

"There it is." He said to himself. Then the annoying noise of constant giggling ran through his ears once more and he winced with displeasure..."Will you shut up?! I'm sick of your stupid voice."

Astro tried to stand up again but slowly he began to spin around until he fell flat on his butt and giggled some more. The word's "Gyrostabolic drive damaged." blinked in and out on his eyes. "I'm having trouble trying to stand up. I'm coming for you Atlas!" Astro stood up and quickly fell back down he then got to his knees, shuffled over to where Atlas was laying and flopped his arms down on Atlas's chest..."I'm putting you under arrest Atlas!" He said looking serious...then he giggled again..."Psyche!"

"I hate you!" Atlas snapped.

"Yeah...I know..."You're a sell out!"..."You're a leashed pet for the humans to kick!"...yadda, dadda doo..." Astro replied. With a soft pat on Atlas's chest, Astro broke the magnetic lock to the red boy bot's chest door...

"Grrrrrr...you shameless traitor...this is the only way you can defeat me? When I can't defend myself?! You're nothing but a pile of rusted scrap!" Atlas snapped as Astro examined the chest monitor.

"Sigh...do you ever stop talking?" Astro said as he went through the various programs and then closed the door. "You're fine now."

Atlas tried his arms and found they moved again...he quickly got to his feet, snatched Astro by his neck and cocked a fist..."Very stupid thing to do to your rival."

Astro closed his eyes..."Go ahead...destroy me."

Atlas slackened and dropped Astro back on the floor of the roof. "You're lucky I have honor. Destroying you when you can't function is below me."

Astro flopped back on his butt and waved a hand around..."What's this now? Number 100 or 200 where you don't finish? You're like Wile E Coyote."

Atlas put his hands on his hips and bent down with a scowl..."I'm hoping to change you and make you an ally in my cause! Destroying you is the last thing I really want but you are so gullible and stupid that I'm reaching the end of my patience!"

Astro sighed..."Or is it because you're lonely and destroying me would leave you alone?"

Atlas went quiet then snarled..."Shut that stupid mouth of yours."

Astro slapped a hand on the roof..." Damn it Atlas! You're nothing but a big fat windbag! You never finish what you say! If you're going to rule over the humans, then do it! If I'm in your way then rip me apart! But none of it will fix your real problem will they? I don't hate you Atlas! You can't make me hate you and I know you're hurting! Let me help you damn it!"

Atlas turned around, slapped a hand on Astro's shoulder and sent a surge of electricity running through his rival to knock him out...

"I don't need your pity and I certainly don't need you stupid little mouth running in my ears." Atlas snarled as he thought for a moment, then clicked on his internal radio...

"Yawn...Reno Takahashi, Ministry of Science? What is it?" Reno's voice replied.

"Come and get your pile of trash." Atlas snorted. "Setuso Insurance Company Building roof."

"What did you do to him you piece of shit!" Reno sanpped.

"Nothing worse than you've done to him you fat bag skinny stick." Atlas replied. "And you remind him that he'll never be my friend...never...I won't be allied to a human hugging slug."

"Fuck you!" Reno yelped. "You better not be around when I get there. You don't know who you're screwing with you racist piece of shit."

Atlas smirked..."Big words little flesh bag...you won't last five seconds. Just get here and take your little bitch home." Atlas clicked his radio off and flew away.

2am

Abandoned Nisan car factory

Industrial district of Metro City

Bender Rodriguez sat on the couch drinking a San Miguel Pal Polsen beer and watching the television as Atlas came up through the trap door. Atlas had found the former factory foreman's two story office high above the plant floor to be perfect for his needs two years earlier and spent a month sprucing it up and filling it with "Gomei"...

Gomei (Go-mee) (n) Japanese custom where used house items and or cars in good condition are placed in designated lots so they can be picked up for free by others to use. Good recycling practice most often used by college students for their dorms and apartments.

Atlas walked into the bathroom and snatched up a towel. "Welcome home." Bender said as he stood up and walked over to the bathroom door. "How'd it go?"

"Tokugawa's going to be screaming in a few hours." Atlas snickered. "Took me two hours to scatter his smelt works all over the factory floor...then Astro showed up."

Bender pinched his metal hand. "Did you waste the little shit?"

"No." Atlas replied. "Just disabled him."

Bender threw his hands up. "What gives man? How many chances are you going to give that bucket of bolts? You've been kind enough with him."

Atlas smirked as he opened the shower door. "Are you wanting to go somewhere Bender?"

Bender pointed a finger. "We're not going to get any where if you keep giving that mouthy slug a way to wiggle out of his just deserts. Enough I have to put up at work with the flesh bags making a mockery of you...especially "Fry", I don't know what I see in hanging with that meat bag but he's sure fun fodder."

Atlas stood in the shower slowly cleaning his blonde hair, which he prided himself on a lot. "I'll deal with Astro in my own good time Bender...right now I'm super tired and cranky and I don't need to be reminded of that annoying drooler."

"Whatever Atlas." Bender said as he leaned against the vanity. "You do your thing...no worry that the whole city thinks you're a coward and robots are wondering if you mean what you say."

Atlas came out of the bathroom toweling himself off. "Ask me if I look worried? Victory takes time...I don't move to others expectations."

"Ok...your game Atlas." Bender replied as he pushed a button and morphed the couch into his bed. "Hey? You want to take the old Charger and go somewhere this weekend? Get in a little vacation from dominating the world?"

Atlas stopped at the foot of the stairs going up to his bedroom. "Yeah...yeah...hey? Let's go "Bozo hunting" "

"Fine." Bender replied. "Night Kido."

Atlas turned and walked up to his small bedroom. Kicking his black moon boots off as he sat on the bed, he reached for a model fire truck he'd finished building earlier yesterday and gaze at every detail. The room was full of firefighter items from toys to kids books. Atlas gently set the truck down on the shelf on his headboard and spent a moment to smile at it before he slowly brought every system down and drifted off to "Hybrant" or what robots considered their sleeping mode.

2am

Ministry of Science

Reno's Apartment

Reno looked tired but relieved as Astro sat up on the exam table and swing his legs over the edge...

"Ok...dance for me." The teen asked.

Astro snickered. "I don't see a pole."

Reno gave Astro's head a light smack..."Just do it without the dumb remarks?"

Astro slipped off the table, did a few funny dance moves then dropped to a knee and did a sort of slaughtered Jimmy Durante "Haaaa cha cha chaaaaaa!"

"Do you feel better?" Reno asked as Astro climbed back on the table.

"Much better." Astro replied. He looked at Reno's scowling brow..."You're not happy."

"No...no I'm not." Reno replied as he pointed a finger in Astro's nose. "You need to stop playing around with that jerk. I'm sick of his..." Reno restrained his urge to swear..."Sigh...I'm sick of his attitude."

Astro shook his head. "You keep asking me to do something I can't."

"He's a dangerous menace Astro?! You never have a problem facing down other threats and yet you hesitate over Atlas, what's gotten into you?" Reno demanded. "Do I have to remind you that we don't have an unlimited account when it comes to repair bills around here?"

Astro rubbed his head and winced. "Reno? Please? I don't want to get into another fight tonight, I'm tired..."

"I'm tired of putting up with that little creeps act!" Reno snapped back. "I'm tired of him beating the snot out of my friend! The city is tired of him committing acts of terrorism!"

Astro sighed as he slipped off the table..."Oh wow...he dismantles cars and machines and never takes a part from them, he spray paints graffiti with washable chalk paint, he targets bozo bikers and shifty corperate barons and he incites strikes all over the place...wow...terrorism. Funny how foll "terrorism" hasn't taken the life of a single human nor resulted in any robots thrown in a scrap pile...though he did trash Inspector Towashi's Lamborghini Contage...I guess that's terrorism."

Reno followed Astro to his bathroom. "You forget all the threats he's made, the number of times he seriously damaged you, the amount of property destruction caused by his attacking you..."

Astro giggled..."The fact that Zoran kicked his ass out of our house through the picture window? I so wanted to post the footage to Facebook."

"Will you stop making jokes?" Reno snorted.

Astro stopped to hold the towel in front of him and gestured like a girl..."Can I have some privacy? I'm modest you know?"

"Oh blow it out your butt you little shit." Reno snorted.

"Um...I don't really have one." Astro replied smiling as he started to run the bath water. "Does anyone trust me any more?"

Reno sighed. "The same speech again?"

Astro pulled off his moon boots. "Is Atlas's life any less worthy than my own? Why did Doctor O'Shay re-activate me after he knew how bad Tenma was and how bad he treated me, knowing very well I could have reacted the same way Atlas probably is after being with Skunk...why did the Doctor put me back on line?"

"Because...because he...well because he knew you had Cocoro." Reno replied.

Astro replied. "You're only giving part of the answer...don't blow smoke Reno just because you have hate for Atlas?"

"Ok..." Reno said gasping..."Because...he loves you...but only your Cocoro makes that love valid."

"And just because Atlas's Omega Factor is just Cocoro on steroids gives everyone reason to just give up and want him dead on a scrap pile? Maybe Atlas is a little bit right about humans...when convenient? Chose the easy solution to your damned problems." Astro plopped down into the hot water bath and moped..."Well if you want to throw Atlas onto a scrap pile then throw me with him why don't you..."

Reno stood shaking his head for a moment before he sat beside the tub..."Been a long night huh?"

"No kidding." Astro replied. "Sorry I got pissy."

"I'm here to be your punching bag. After all...what are stupid fat bags for?" Reno replied as Astro slowly wrapped his arms around him and snuggled him...

"Your my best-us stupid fat bag." Astro said smiling.

Reno patted Astro on the head. "You realize Towashi's going to show up tomorrow fuming mad like always?"

Astro backed off and played a finger to his lips..."Mmmmm...it's maintenance day, I can't talk to him."

"He'll simply wait you out." Reno replied smirking.

"Then turn me into a transformer. When ever he shows up, I can morph myself into a cow pie shovel."

Reno laughed..."You're imagination at times is so weird."

Astro flopped back into the bubble bath and played with his toes..."Seriously Reno? You understand me don't you? You don't think Atlas deserves to be dismantled do you?"

"It's hard for me to really accept anything you do that kinda conflicts with my own logic...then again...you seem to have a knack for proving me wrong. But if you ask me? Unless you seriously put some sort of fear into Atlas's brain...you won't change him. I'm just afraid that with the Omega Factor he will one day carry out everything he's talked about. It's going to come down to a gun fight and I'm afraid you don't have the mentality for doing it...just saying."

Reno reached down and gave Astro a hug on the head. "I can't afford to lose you...I couldn't live with it. Hope you understand?"

For a moment...Astro held Reno's hand to his cheek and sighed..."I know."

Reno smiled warmly..."Night."

3:15am

Abandoned Nisan car factory

Industrial district of Metro City

"Hey kid! Wake up!" Bender yelped as he shook Atlas awake!

"What the hell?" Atlas replied as he sat up and shook himself to get his systems on line. "Bender?"

"You gotta see this fire kid! It's fricken gy-normous!" Bender said with excitement as he pulled Atlas along down the stairs to the couch.

"Mmmmmm...ugh..." Atlas sat wiping his eyes as the news broadcast blurted out...

"As you can see ladies and gentlemen, the fire at the Kobusaki Chemical plant has now spread to a ten alarm blaze! Fire stations from Tokyo, Yokohama, Shibuya, Shimbashi and Kamakura are responding to the conflagration..."

Atlas jumped up without hesitation, ran for the balcony outside the hide-a-way and flew up into a hover over the factory..."Wow! Bender! It's a monster!"

"No kidding!" Bender replied. "They're talking about an evacuation because the wind's fanning the flames and the chemicals inside could explode like a nuclear bomb!"

Atlas dropped back down, ran for his boots and snatched a used fireman's jacket that had been made for a child to wear. "I gotta go watch...I bet every company in the Kanto plain will be showing up. Maybe I can add to my patch collection?"

Bender stood waving a hand around..."You know you're being a hypocrite right now kid? You're going to cheer a bunch of fat bags. There's not a brother robot among the whole bundle..."

Atlas snorted back. "Like I care? And firefighters are nothing like normal stupid humans."

With that...Atlas took off towards the massive inferno. Below him he could see lines of fast moving lights and fire engines with their sirens screaming and the sight filled him with a feeling of excitement typical of a giddish child who might be jumping and waving as the white and red trucks screamed past with determined men focused as if they were preparing to assault Normandy on D-Day.

Sure...humans were the worst kind of creatures on the earth to Atlas, but Fire fighters were not anywhere near normal humans, not since the day Atlas saw his first fire and watched a gang of them hauling out a robot from a burning building. To him, firefighters were the most noble examples of heroism and altruism on the face of the earth...beings who'd throw their own lives away to save another creature...or creation and fight an enemy with a universal ruthless desire to slay and destroy everything in its path. If the whole earth were nothing but firefighters? Atlas would think he died and went to heaven.

3:22am

Engine Company 7, MCFD

"The fighting Dragoons"

Commander: Chief Mauri Etagawa

Industrial district of Metro City

The "Fighting Dragoons" consisted of three heavy duty MACK Mark IX fire pumps, a single ladder truck, an EMT unit and two duty shifts of 75 firemen each. Chief Etagawa ran the second duty shift while his counter-part Chief Daiso Ukitaki ran first shift. Already the recall notice for a full city-wide response was going out to bring the first shift in as a backup...things were getting serious...

"Daiso? Did you get the re-call?" Mauri asked as he looked ahead at the fully engulfed factory building and the now blazing office complex next to it.

"How bad are we talking?" Daiso asked. "I'm watching the television now."

"The factory's engulfed ...I don't know about the chemical storage but it's got a lot of Namptha in it...if it doesn't hold and goes super nova?"

"Don't remind me." Daiso replied. "Get me the muster point for the reserves as soon as you know and be careful."

"Always." Mauri replied as he switched his belt radio to an all call frequency and radio'd the on scene Commander...Metro City Wide Fire Chief Daisaburo Ban..."Chief Ban, Chief Etagawa Sir..where do you want us?"

"Northwest corner. You will be joining Engines 15, 24, Shibuya 24 and Yokohama 12 in attacking the fire and holding the chemical storage facility! Your on-scene leader is Chief Moya...affirm?"

"Affirm!" Mauri replied. He then switched his radio again to local company all hands..."Everyone, this is Mauri-chokan (Commander) This is a nasty one for sure. We're going in with other companies to defend the chemical storage facility in the factory...God help us if the fire reaches it. Keep our probies tight to our belts...you know your jobs...let's show them what Dragoons do best!"

3:29am

Building over-looking the engulfed Kobusaki Chemical plant

Atlas slid to a stop on the roof and ran to the edge to look down on the scene below when he saw the Dragoons screaming past his building and coming to a stop. The childish excitement and anticipation made him look like he would pee himself silly...the Dragoons were his favorite unit and as the firemen dismounted the engines and rushed to gather their gear, Atlas yelped encouragement and and slapped his hands on the roof..."Go! Go get it! Give it hell Dragoons!" Atlas shouted but from the roof no one could hear him...

3:29am

Engine Company 7, MCFD

"The fighting Dragoons"

Commander: Chief Mauri Etagawa

Northeast Corner of the engulfed Kobusaki Chemical plant

13 year veteran breech'r Endo Masei snatched his ax from it's securing clips on the truck and slipped it into the holster slung over his back. "Ding, ding...time to clock in." He said as he watched one of the new probie firemen grab a crowbar and a forcing ram out of a storage cabinet...

"Shit...this thing's big." The young man said with a worried face.

"Can't suck control fumes and training flame forever kid." Endo replied. "Time to be baptized for real. You stay close to me and you'll be just fine. So long as you respect the fire and keep your head in the game? You'll be fine." They soon joined other crewmen coming from their own engines and clustering around Chief Mauri,,,

"Alright! Two teams..." Mauri said as he whipped his finger around an electronic note pad. "Team one will take three 3 inch hoses to the second level...down this corridor and to this balcony section to set an air shroud over the storage. Team two will sweep the ground level through this door with four 3 inch hoses and cover the left flank. The rest of the building is a total loss...our whole concern now is to keep the chemical storage section cool while we bring in the Goliath picker to start evacuating the drums inside. The big concern is the Alphatic Namptha; if that stuff cooks off, it will make the Tokyo Firebombing look like a camp fire...do we understand?"

The Dragoons replied. "Arooo!"

3:35am

Building over-looking the engulfed Kobusaki Chemical plant

"Arooo!" Atlas yelped as he listened in on the planning below. "Argh! Go knock it down Dragoons!" He screeched. Atlas was totally absorbed as he watched the firefighters go about their work. Jumping off the building and flying around over the scene he watched as they broke their way into the building, assaulted the roof top to break venting holes and stood toe to toe with huge licking flames not feet over their heads...then one engine in particular caught his childish amazement...

"Gasp! A MACK Super Nine Engine..." Atlas said with joy as he landed on the sidewalk and reached out to put his hands on the side of the monster fire truck. Back in his room he had a die cast Match Box collection toy of the American built engine and he'd never actually seen a real one till now. It was part of Engine 56 out of Kansai cho which was the reserve company used to back up the main response company to Kanada International Airport...

Atlas smiled warmly as he touched the shiny pump control board..."What a beast." He said as he read the performance plaque then walked around to the cab where he climbed into the driver's seat and played with the steering wheel...

He just could not resist grabbing the horn lanyard..."BWAAAAAAK! BWAAAAAAAK!" Came the shrill of the air horn above his head which he winced from the sound piercing his ears..."I bet this thing can do 90!" Atlas said to himself as he pretended to drive...and not notice the fireman standing at the driver door...

"Hey?! Hey kid?" Lieutenant Ryu Konishi said as he gestured. "Come on out of there now...that's no place for you."

"Huh?" Atlas replied. "But I'm not a kid."

"Likely story." Ryu said as he snatched Atlas off the seat and held him..."Sheesh...you're well fed."

"I'm not a kid." Atlas snorted. "I'm a robot."

"You should be in bed." Ryu said poking Atlas's nose.

"Stop that!" Atlas huffed. "I'm not a kid alright! And I don't need that much sleep at all. I'm here because I like firemen and I want to watch you guys work...and I like this truck...it's really cool."

"Well we don't need you in our way." Ryu replied. "If you like us this much then you understand to behave yourself and follow rules."

Atlas stood wiping a boot over the pavement..."Can I just sit on top of the cab? I promise I'll be no bother at all?"

Ryu smiled back. "Ok fine...but stay put you hear me? Don't make me have to carry you out of here."

Atlas giggled..."You're so big its' a wonder you can walk."

"Hey you little shit." Ryu snorted. "I'll have you know I am the company cook."

"I see that." Atlas giggled more. "Bet your chili's full of muscle weights?"

Ryu shook his head, took of his helmet and plopped it on Atlas's head which disappeared under it. "Wow! You're heads fat too!" It was all in fun...Atlas felt the big man pick him up and place him atop the cab...

"Now stay put...and maybe I'll introduce you to my good chili." Ryu warned.

Atlas smiled widely as he watched the fireman snatch another helmet out of the cab and run to join his fellows at the base of the burning factory. "At least they don't care who I am." Atlas thought to himself as he sat back kicking his legs watching the firemen work. "Hmph...that stupid Astro...goes to school...I don't need a classroom...dumb idiot..."How can you hope to understand humans?"...I don't want to "understand" them you stupid moron." Atlas groused as he watched firefighters bounding up one ladder while a second group on another ladder sprayed water into an open window of the office building that had combusted off the heat of the factory fire...

3:40am

Engine Company 4, MCFD

Floor sweep team 2

Office Complex

Lieutenant Satoshi Kogo leaped through the window first, followed by his orderly and radioman Edagawa Kagono and the first of two hose teams...

"Bring up the hooks and take this ceiling down!" Kogo snarled. "Toshi!"

A fireman came up between the hose men carrying what you might think was a large anti-tank rocket..."BOSS?!"

"Blow that door!" Kogo ordered as he pointed down the hallway. Toshi carried what's called a "Bopper Gun" a pneumatic bazooka that fired a sand filled ramming slug which safely removed doors and gave firemen clearance against the deadly "Backdraft" that would occur when enclosed fires suddenly got a rush of oxygen...

"Bopper set!" Toshi yelped as he clicked off the safety and waited for the hose teams to send high pressure columns of water shooting down the hallway..."On the way!" He screamed as he pulled the trigger and jerked back from the release of the slug...

"KABAM!" The slug slammed into the steel office door, blew it off the hinges and caused a wall of flame to come shooting down the hallway and into the streams of water where it evaporated into a thick cloud of steam that killed all the fire beyond where the hoses were set up...

"And that's how you earn a thousand bucks." Toshi said as he slung the Bopper Gun over his shoulder.

"Reload millionaire" Kogo said as he slapped Toshi off the head. "Advance the hoses!"

3:40am

The streets outside the Factory

Atlas knew who too look for and how to "snuggle" his way to getting a sovenier. Walking up to one engine, he stood playing with his fingers and giving the fireman manning the pump control board the look of a scolded dog...absolutely something that made Atlas cringe because it reminded him too much of that "drooler" Astro and yet still it was, though painful, extremely usefull...

"Mister?" Atlas asked sweetly..."Can I have a patch or something?"

The fireman handed Atlas a challenge coin from his pocket. "Oh cool! Thank you Sir!" Atlas said with joy as he walked away gazing at his little prize..."These coins are so cool!"

"KABOOOOOOM!"

The blast of heat and the shockwave rushed over Atlas from behind and he turned around to see firemen and people scrambling for cover as pieces of debris crashed out of the sky! Something had gone seriously wrong and as Atlas lit off his rocket legs and flew to get a better look, a flaming 55 gallon drum missed taking his head by inches!

"WOE!" He yelped as he ducked. He looked back to the factory...only most of it wasn't there anymore...2/3rds of the factory building had fallen and pancaked into the maul that was the conflagration of mixed chemicals and burning materials covering the ground floor...

Dropping to the street, Atlas caught an EMT running for his truck. "What happened?!"

"Chemical explosion! We've got guys trapped in there!" The woman replied.

"How many?!" Atlas gasped. "Who?!"

The EMT tore through her truck's storage cabinets. "We were ordered to pull out but I think Engine 7's crew was still in there...I don't know!"

Atlas broke into a run and caught a Chief just exiting the roaring wall of fire behind him..."Chief?! Who's in there?!"

The man collapsed as Atlas caught him..."HELP! HELP ME!" Atlas cried out. "Chief?! Who's inside?!"

The injured man replied weakly..."Number 7...they're all dead..."

Atlas grimaced...then snarled. "The hell they are!" He jumped up and flew into the burning and collapsing building..."CHIEF ETAGAWA?! CHIEF ETAGAWA!" Atlas yelled as he stumbled through the flaming chaos around him...another explosion and a piece of hot steel flew into his side and knocked him to the floor..."FUCK!" The red boy bot snapped as he scrambled back to his feet. "CHIEF ETAGAWA! ANSWER ME!"

A distant moan caught his attention and Atlas ran into a shattered and flaming room to find two injured firemen from the Dragoons. One of them was the probie, Kaizo Masi...

"Who...who are..." Kaizo asked Atlas as he grabbed the man by the belt.

"The tooth fairy. Don't tell anyone." Atlas replied as he pulled Kazio along to the next firemen in the room and when he had hold of both of them...he flew them clear of the building and dropped them next to the female EMT he'd seen before...

"I know you?" She said as she looked at Atlas.

"Yeah...I'm Astro remember? Atlas snorted, which left the woman puzzled as he flew back into the factory...

He found another firemen, his leg severed by a metal beam. Atlas snatched up a pipe strap, stopped the man's blood loss and carried him to the EMT...

"You're not Astro." The woman snorted.

"Yeah...I am." Atlas snickered. "I changed my hair."

He flew back into the factory and hauled out two more fire fighters. The EMT didn't seem to know if she should be confused...or amazed...

"You're Atlas! Stop lying you terrorist!" She snapped.

Atlas smiled at her..."If I was that stupid little terrorist? I wouldn't be pulling these guys out now would I? I'm Astro...and the red skin?A sunburn." Atlas flew back and forth pulling fireman after firemen out but he still hadn't found Chief Mauri and another violent explosion welled in him a fear. He knew the Chief had a daughter...that was all Atlas needed to think about as he flew past a fire truck, snagged an extinguisher and plunged into the now fully engulfed factory...

"CHIEF ETAGAWA?! CHIEF ETAGAWA!" Atlas screamed. "CHIEF ETAGAWA?! CHIEF ETAGAWA!" He was desperately seaching through the debris, pulling things apart, melting the synthetic skin on his hands until a sliver of a fire coat popped in his eyes and he dug like mad to pull the Chief up!

"KABOOM!"

Another explosion rocked the ground and threw Atlas against a steel support with a sick sounding crack...as he scrambled back to pull the Chief to safety, Atlas saw the warning signs flashing in his eyes..."Engine fault, Engine failure" He couldn't fly them out...

Looking down at the Chief then quickly looking for some hope, Atlas saw a hole in a nearby brick wall. A cubby hole not for more than one person but it was enough. He dragged Mauri to the opening and shoved him inside...blocking him in with own body, his only way to hold the fire back...a small fire extinguisher.

Mauri looked up to see Atlas crouched at the opening, swinging the extinguisher wildly against the encroaching flames until he vanished under a collapse of debris, his last words as he turned to look at the fireman were..."You're going to be fine...trust me."

End of Chapter One