Cora shut the door behind her. Breathing deeply and smiling. Her black dress ruffled as she sleepily shuffled to her room, and her hair was up in a bun.

It had been magical at the gala. Astro didn't dance at all. He had actually retreated to the gardens after Tenma introduced him to the crowd. Cora frowned as she remembered the shocked silence from the people that Tenma had brought him there. Then they had clapped politely.

She frowned even deeper when she realized the only people interested in Astro other than robot geeks were the girls. Begging him to fly, and oh, how did he keep his hair spiked up like that?

None the less, Astro and Cora had wandered through the gardens talking about this and that. The only time they had been interrupted was when Cora's parents had come to say that they were going home, and Tenma had offered to drive her back.

Speaking of parents, where were hers? Cora scoured the house and checked the messages on the phone. Nothing. Just when she was about to call Tenma, an evil snicker came from the broom closet.

Ex- President Stone's snicker. "Hello, Cora. My, my, how you've grown."

"Stone?" Cora gasped, "B-b-ut, where's my parents? How did you get out of prison?"

Stone smiled cruelly at her, "Ah, the robot guards, are, easily persuaded. Robots always are." he glanced at a picture of Astro on the mantel. "As to your parents, well, if you don't listen to me, they won't be returning home safely in the morning. Then again, neither will you."

Cora gulped and nodded, "What do you want?"

"I want Astro. And I know it has feelings for you," he spat, "I have no idea why. It's a robot."

Cora scowled, "HE'S a robot."

Stone made a face, then circled Cora, "Tomorrow Astro will come to pick you up at 12:30 p.m. I believe he is taking you to his house. Be sure you keep him waiting at your doorstep until 1:00 p.m. Got that?"

"No! I won't do it!" Cora screeched, throwing a vase at Stone's head in a desperate attempt to escape. But Stone was fast and dodged the vase easily. He then grabbed her arm and pulled her up to his face. His breath smelled like acid.

"I made a mistake once, girl, and I won't do it again. I need Astro. Not just for the blue core. This city is going to re-elect me even if I've made a fool of myself. And if you DON'T keep him there, your parents are going to be dropped to the surface and left for dead! Further more, it would be more harmful to Astro himself. You see, if you two leave, the car bomb will be activated." Stone smiled cruelly.

Cora gasped, "Fine, fine I'll do it."

"Good." Stone replied curtly, "now, your robotic butler Evan will make sure you stay in your room until 12:30. The phone line's cut. The electricity will be off. Oh, and I nailed the windows."

"Evan will let me out."

"No, he won't. Robots," Stone sighed, "they're circuits can be scrambled."

With that, Stone pushed Cora inside her room. She gave a defiant yell before the door clicked shut. She heard Stone laughing. Cora hung her head, there was no way out.