Somewhere I Belong

By: Atomic Kokoro

Storyline

Rino is tired of feeling he doesn't belong; the Scientist treat him differently because he's young, the kids outside bully him, even growing up he felt he didn't belong. Soon, he finds a place only he knows about. A place only he belongs.

...

Before You Read

C'mon! You don't think everything is all handy-dandy for these characters? What about Gohan, who would've been freaking messed up after the Cell Games, or Danny having trouble keeping his secret a secret with being late and stuck with so much homework, lack of sleep, and injuries?

I have something to say, also, about the order of the English Astro Boy. Did anyone else go "Who the hell is that?" when Rino first appeared in Episode 12: The Robot Hunters? Ha ha! I really didn't care about him first time I watched the series, cause he was just a character. I thought it was weird this random kid helped build robots. Then, when he came in later, I just couldn't figure him out. The things he said made no sense and I was lost.

Then, I was rewatching Astro Boy 2003 and just selecting random episodes and I watched 22 over and I then realized how, ah, cool he was. And then I had to go to a Dentists appointment. So, the next day, early in the morning, I was like, "Wasn't there this episode where he got caught? Episode 28?" and I watched it and then RINO WAS THE BEST CHARACTER EVER at that point. I watched it twice that morning. But I always thought his name was spelled Reno for a year. I still spell it that way in Fanfictions (a lot of people still do).

Anyways, a little Angsty story I thought I'd write.

Anyways, (TOO MUCH ANYWAYS AGAIN!) on with the story!

,,.

Chapter 1

Hush-Hush

His books were scattered across the grass, pages flipping in the wind. Peices of technology glinted in the sunlight. One laid by an unmoving hand. Blood trickled down his cheek detainfully. His eyes shot open, revealing two beautiful teal irises that gleamed like an ocean under the gaze of a full moon.

Rino leaned up and placed a hand on his pounding head. He wiped the trail of blood from the corner of his mouth and sighed. His sight glazed over the ruined books and broken works he had owned, created, and bought himself. He sighed and stood up. They were no use, since the pages were ripped from the spines and the technological fragments had been destroyed into smaller, impairable peices.

He left them on the ground. Someone else would find them and either find use of or dispose of.

The first stop he made was a nearby bakery. His stomach won over every other pain in his body, so he bought a breadstick, one of his favorite foods. He asked if he could use the bathroom: he knew the baker there well enough for her to understand Rino needed it to clean up. But she hadn't guessed it was really to cover up what had happened.

Sure, he was a victim of bullying. He always had been growing up. The men that would chase him through the allyways and beat him until he was unconscious. They never knew he was really a little boy, lost and afraid of the big world that was before him. They had only seen the 'Robot Counterpart' of him.

There were also the Scientists at the Ministry who saw him as an immature child who didn't really belong there. They didn't understand why O'Sheay let him do whatever he wanted to, as long as it involved Robotics. There were some rooms he wasn't allowed in, despite his pleas to take at least a peek. They sometimes jeered when he was smart enough to find and solve the problem they all missed.

And then there was the boys from the school Astro and Ken and Alejo and Ambercrombie all attended. They didn't like him. And for no reason at all. Maybe it was because he didn't have to go to the same school everyone else went to. He went to the Ministry instead. That was his school. And they were all jealous.

There was also his friends, who would make a few mean jokes sometimes. They were just trying to joke around, he knew. But they took it too far sometimes. He never let them know, however. He just chuckled nervously and changed the subject.

And, finally, there was himself. He didn't like himself very much. He didn't know why. His self-esteem never really was there to begin with. He wished he wasn't there. He wished he was someone else.

He made sure no one would ever know about the last part the most, however. He always wore long sleeved shirts anyways.

...

Rino walked through the front door of where he lived. No one was home. He stepped upstairs and into his room where he could've been more isolated from the world. He had to buy some more books later. Would he risk running into anyone? Someone who would just hurt him? Why not? Hadn't it just been that way because it was meant to be?

He sat on the edge of his bed and sighed. This world was a cruel place. He didn't want anyone to know how sad and pained he was because Dr. O'Sheay and Astro and many others were so nice to him here. He didn't want to ruin everything, no.

A knot in his stomach tugged and he lurched foreward to keep another panic attack from coming on. All the cruelty often triggered a panic attack whenever he was afraid, sad, or drowning in a pool of self-hatred. He hated how much it was difficult to breath, but he loved the feeling, too. He tried to tell himself over and voer that he wasn't emo or anything, but everytime he tried to convince himself, he knew he was just lying.

Rino fell onto his back, the soft matress just bouncing him up and down like the waves of an ocean. He kicked his feet onto his bed and layed with his back to the door. He hadn't bothered to change out of his regular clothing, or even bothered to take off his shoes, and passed out on his bed right then and there.

...

After Notes

Whoa. Creepy. Can you believe I wrote that? Anyways, a little Angsty story for Rino cause I don't think life was ever kind on him. Well, except for Abbie. Ha ha! And the Doc and Astro and a bunch of other people. But, there had to have been bad events that happened, ya know?

Anyways, I hope this story goes well. Fingers crossed.