A light rain fell hard onto the churning seas one stormy evening. The ocean's waves crashed onto the jagged surface of a spiky chunk of rock. Sitting above it was a colossal, centuries-old manor that adorned the crest of the small island. But what almost gave away the ancient ruins of the old manor was a towering electric pole with a large satellite dish rumbling and shaking, as if it were set in motion. A large purple letter "Z" was embedded on the side of satellite. As thunder rumbled in the sky, the light rain began to turn into a heavy fall.

Inside, the towering shadows from the outside lingered along the never-ending corridors of each hallway as they passed through each window. Each long corridor was another new maze throughout; one could easily get lost inside. The torches that lined the hallways blazed with light, with the exception of a few burning out. The thunder cracked, causing the walls of the manor to rumble and tremble with each new crack. However, the only things that did not fall from the walls were large black speakers and security cameras. But someone had tampered with the cameras, causing them to fall dead.

...

In the manor's foyer, Spirou stood at attention, waiting for a signal. Almost fidgeting in his bright red bellhop suit, he waited for something…just something. He and his best friend Fantasio were the world's most accomplished journalists. They could take any case when the world beckoned to them. They were there to solve a mystery. Anytime. Anywhere.

"Almost show time, buddies," Spirou called out, waving a tracking device around the manor. "It'll be here any minute." "Which will be their loss for them, and victory for us," his friend Seccotine said, preparing a large rifle. Spirou noticed the rifle in her hand and winced. "Wait…is that a rifle?" he asked. "I thought your thing was a sharp-witted mind with stellar reporting skills." "We've been asked to stop the Zorgbots from stealing those batteries," Seccotine said, pointing to a large electric box containing energy-efficient batteries, "and I'm gonna stop them using words?"

"Well," Spirou said, blushing, "it's just that…you know, reporting was your skill, and easy combat was mine." "So you're questioning my abilities as a reporter?" Seccotine asked. "Hey, no need to get all huffy," Spirou said. "It was just a suggestion."

Seccotine then noticed Fantasio standing off in the corner, looking pretty vulnerable. "Fantasio," Seccotine cried out. "What're you standing there for? Suit up with one of the Count's aero-rigs!" "It hurts," Fantasio said. "Hurts?" Seccotine questioned. Fantasio looked down at himself and shrugged. "I have a sensitive chest, you know," he mumbled.

From aside the group, Spirou's pet squirrel Spip started squeaking with laughter. "And what about you? What are you doing?" Fantasio asked the squirrel. Spip immediately stopped his fit of giggles and started squeaking angrily at Fantasio. "Hey! How is arguing about this a priority?" Spirou asked Fantasio. "Blame Spip! He's the one who keeps on mocking me all the time!" Fantasio blurted out. "Oh, sure. Okay! I get it!" Spirou said, winking his eye. "I can clearly see you winking!" Fantasio muttered.

"All right, can you guys just quit it with the bickering and focus?" Seccotine asked. "Shhh!" Spirou said, putting a finger to his lips. "Don't you shush me when I'm—" Seccotine started to say, but Spirou interrupted, crying out, "Shut it!" The three then heard a low hum coming from the left corridors. "All right guys," Spirou said. "I've got a gut feeling it's gonna come…"

At that moment, hundreds of round, spherical machines came bursting in through the foyer. They directed their attention towards the electric box containing the batteries. "Batteries have been located," one of the Zorgbots announced. "Prepare to apprehend suspects."

"All right now," Fantasio said, smiling. "Time to kick some robot junk!" Spip already knew what to do—he had already started pouncing on the machines.

...

One by one, the trio began swinging their weapons at the Zorgbots, busting them until they no longer ran. "Now this is what I call a showdown!" Fantasio exclaimed as he whacked another Zorgbot until it fell apart. Little Spip then began leaping from his resting spot and started hopping onto one Zorgbot after the next, gnawing their wires and dismantling their weapons.

"Aim for the eyes! They're vulnerable there!" Spirou yelled out as he grabbed the ash pick from a fireplace and stabbed the eye of another Zorgbot. "Incoming!" Seccotine exclaimed as a larger, powerful Zorgbot began leading the rest into more battle. "Aaaaaaaaaaarrrrrrgggggh!" Fantasio screamed, launching himself onto the lead robot. But the Zorgbot swished its arm, sending Fantasio crash landing onto the floors.

Spip got up from under Fantasio and started ranting in angry squeaks. Suddenly, an idea popped in Fantasio's head. "That's it! The Zorgbot's weapons are too thick from the outside," he said, grabbing two ash picks. "I must cut them…through the inside!" He then raised the ash picks, letting out a hearty laugh. "No no, Fantasio! Wait!" Seccotine yelled out. "FANTASIO!" But Fantasio had already launched himself…directly into the Zorgbot's head.

Spirou brushed a bit of dust, a panicked look in his eye. "What is Fantasio doing?!" he asked. "He said the wires were too thick to be cut from the outside," Seccotine said, "so he—" "But that doesn't make any sense!" Spirou said. "Duh! I tried telling him that!" Seccotine told Spirou. "Those wires are the same level of thickness on the inside as it is on the outside!" Spirou said. "I realize that!" Seccotine said.

From inside the Zorgbot, Fantasio was practically screaming as he kept trying to "cut" through the wires surrounding the droid's brain.

"Look, over there!" Spirou said, pointing to the Zorgbot. "There's a lesion on its front side. Not too big, but it'll do damage." "On it!" Seccotine replied coolly. "But Seccotine! Get it to look up!" "Woohoo!" Spirou yelled out as he kept firing at the average-sized Zorgbots below him. "Aim for the front!" Seccotine yelled. "Squeak squeak squeak!" Spip exclaimed.

"Got it!" Spirou said as he carefully aimed his rifle at the head of the robot. He then pressed on the trigger and fired. The force of the shot rang so hard that it cause Spirou to fall backwards. Spip and Seccotine watched with anticipation as the bullet headed toward the robot's head. As anticipated, the bullet hit the Zorgbot's red eye, causing it to heat up and explode.

"Haha! Nailed ya, sucker!" Spirou shouted. He then turned to Seccotine. "See? Precision. That was all we needed," he said. "So now you're questioning my abilities?" Seccotine asked. "Because, for starters, I was the one who…"

"Squeak squeak!" Spip started to squeak out.

Suddenly, the large Zorgbot began to stir. Spirou and Seccotine readied their rifles, preparing to take fire. There seemed to be grunting noises…coming from inside. Then, without warning, an ash pick burst through the head of the Zorgbot. A slab of metal was kicked open, and Spirou and Seccotine's jaws dropped. Out stepped Fantasio, his clothes semi-burned and singed, raising his arms in triumph.

"Aha! I did it! I have single-handedly vanquished the Zorgbot superior!" Fantasio exclaimed. He then paused to find Spirou, Spip, and Seccotine all looking at him, wide-eyed with confusion. "What?" Fantasio asked, dumbfounded. "You're welcome?" "You are such a freak," Seccotine muttered. "How did you think that destroying a robot from the inside out was a reasonable approach?" Spirou asked. "Hey! I thought it was cool!" Fantasio said. "It didn't even cross your mind that the robot's exterior is the same level of thickness from the inside than it is on the outside!" Seccotine told him. "Ugh, you two are imagining things," Spirou said, trying to break up their little argument.

...

"Well that's one thing I'm never erasing out of my memory," Seccotine said. "Come on, you know that was awesome, huh?" Fantasio asked. "Well, at least the batteries are unharmed," Seccotine said as Spirou approached the energy box, removing the batteries from inside. Pulling out his cell phone, Spirou dialed for the Count. "Count!" Spirou said. "Guess what? The Zorgbots have been apprehended and we've recovered the batteries. Come and pick up the package!"

"Ah, splendid! Wonderful!" the Count exclaimed over the phone. "I'll come over with the helicopter and pick you guys up." "Thanks!" Spirou said as he hung up. "We got our transportation covered!" Seccotine then stared back at the halls of the manor and back to the large satellites. She then took a look at her watch and smiled.

"And in three, two…" Seccotine counted. And sure enough, the satellites and energy box had powered down, rendering the fortress vulnerable. The security cameras fell limp as the electricity powering the cameras had died out. And soon enough, the satellites had powered down. The fortress had run out of power.

"Nooo!" A voice had cried out. "The satellites! The energy radiation, they're dead! No! Nooo!" The trio then turned around and found Zorglub rushing towards them, panicking in a tantrum-like state. "B-But how?!"

"You know very well why we shut down those satellites, Zorglub," Spirou said. "He's right," Seccotine said. "Those batteries powering the satellites were using up pure radiation energy. The entire town of Champignac was nearing a possible power outage because those Zorgbots had stolen the batteries that belonged to the electricity generators." "Yep. And now we got the batteries back!" Fantasio exclaimed, holding the batteries.

"Now we just gotta wait until the police comes and we can finally return home to put the batteries back in their place," Spirou said. "Yea, I kinda took care of that," Seccotine told him, holding up her cell phone. "You didn't," Spirou said, smiling. "I did," Seccotine smiled.

...

Zorglub was now furious. "Why, you sneaky little—!" His actions were cut off as police boats and helicopters began circling the manor. "Freeze!" A police officer shouted. "And put your hands in the air! Now!" Zorglub sighed heavily and raised his hands. Two guards then got off the barge and placed Zorglub in handcuffs. "Ha!" One sergeant laughed. "Well, if it isn't Professor Zorgnut!" "It's Zorglub!" Zorglub exclaimed angrily. "What do you make of this one?" The sergeant asked his partner. "Another nutcase, if I do say so myself," the guard said.

Zorglub stared angrily at the trio as he was taken to the police barge. "Doesn't look too good for you now, eh Zorglub?" Spirou asked as he high-fived Fantasio. Zorglub glared at him. "Arg, and I would've gotten away with it too, if it weren't for you and your pesky, meddling friends. And your dumb little squirrel too!" Zorglub was still pouting and kicking like a toddler as he was hastily delivered to the boats.

Later on, a helicopter had touched down on the manor's hangar. "Hop in!" Count Champignac said eagerly as Spirou and the others had climbed into the helicopter. "Woohoo! That was crazy!" Spirou exclaimed, laughing. "Did you see the look on his face when the security cameras got knocked out?!" Seccotine asked, laughing. "Man, that was one heck of a trip there!" Fantasio said. "Squeak squeak squeak!" Spip began squealing joyfully.

Spirou laughed as he took one more look at the box holding the electric batteries. "Well," he said, sighing. "Now we just gotta deliver these batteries back to the town, and soon enough, everyone in Champignac will be able to sleep with their lights on."

Spirou and Fantasio were the best in their line of work. As reporters, they could handle any situation better than anyone else. Even if the job was too tough, they managed to find their way out it quickly. They even thought they could still have an unbreakable bond between each other.

But it would be months that it would be too good to be true…