A Week-Reno-End

A Reno/Astro fan fiction

Preface: Astro's first meeting with Atlas becomes a weekend with Reno.

Part 2

Tokugawa Industrial Park

9:30pm Friday

Astro arrived at the industrial park only to stop and do a double take at a radio tower. A large stretch limo was ballanced precariously on the top of the tower spire and Astro gingerly took it off and flew to the front of the Tokugawa Headquarters to set it down before the door guard...

"Guess someone couldn't find a parking space?" Astro said. "Ummm...are the police here?"

"In the back of the building." The guard gestured. "Too late though. That robot's gone."

Astro tilted his head. "Why are your arms behind your back?"

The man turned around to show that an assault rifle had been bent around his wrists. "That kid robot had a seriously foul mouth."

"Yeah..." Astro replied as he untwisted the rifle and dropped it on the ground. "I kinda noticed."

Astro took off and topped the headquarters building only to come face to face with a screaming red haired teenager dangling from a flag pole...

"I'LL KILL THAT LITTLE *&^% ! I'LL CRUSH HIM LIKE A *&^% BEER CAN!"

"Woe, woe!" Astro said as he stopped to a hover. "Sensitive ears here please?"

"Where the hell were you?!" Daichi Tokugawa snapped. "Some hero you are...you should have been here to stop that little bastard!"

Astro snorted back. "I'm not a full time paid superhero you know? I do go to school?"

"I don't care where you go, you little shit!" Daichi snapped. "You're useless as always."

Astro snapped back. "Then you can hang here all night you stupid dumb ass!"

Daichi begged as Astro started to fly off..."Wait! Wait Astro! I'm sorry...I'm really sorry! I'm upset ok? Cheesh that little piece of scrap threw my hover bike into the damn river."

Astro freed Daichi's stretched underwear from the pole and flew him to the ground. "Good! Maybe you'll stay away from the Bozo bikers for once? Man...Your Dad's a little upset huh?"

"Define upset?" Daichi replied as he struggled to free his underwear from his butt.

"Did he hurt you?" Astro asked as he pointed.

"Only my pride." Daichi snorted. "Oops...better duck."

"YOU! YOU LITTLE WORTHLESS PILE OF PLASTIC AND BOLTS!" Big Tokugawa yelled as he stomped towards Astro.

"What is it tonight with all the hate?" Astro huffed. "I'm sorry I didn't come rushing over here Mister Tokugawa...you're not the only person in Metro City remember?"

"That's no excuse!" Tokugawa boomed out. "Look at what that terrorist did to my facilities?! Who is he? Is he a friend of yours?"

"Friend?" Astro replied. "Well not likely."

A police officer came walking up behind Tokugawa. "Evening Astro."

"Hi Sargent Deutadi." Astro replied with a smile. "So what did Atlas do?"

"Atlas?" Tokugawa huffed. "So you do know who this little red bastard is?"

"Kinda? Our first meeting was mostly him swearing, calling me a prostitute, beating my brains against a tree...you know? Assault? He doesn't play well with others."

"Well he didn't play here at all Astro." Deutadi replied as he took Astro by a shoulder and walked him around..."He destroyed one old factory building, a few vehicles, some plant equipment, threw a hover bike into the river and performed numerous acts of vandalism...such as spray painting that on the headquarters building...

Astro looked up to see the paint graffiti all over the facade..."TOKUGAWA IS A SLAVE DRIVING BITCH! ROBOTS STRIKE BACK! BANKRUPT THE TYRANT!"

"Wow..." Astro said as he tilted his head. "He has a way with words, I'll give him that."

"I want YOU to give him to ME in pieces! I'll have you know I am a big donor and grant supplier to the Ministry and I expect support from you against this industrial terrorist!" Tokugawa raged.

"Stop spitting on me please?" Astro replied. "You realize I can't do anything until the police formally request the ministry or deputize me? And for that to happen, there has to be felony level charges involved..."

"What about assault?" Daichi huffed, "The little bastard assaulted me."

Astro giggled..."Wedgies and flagpole mounting is not considered a felony."

Astro gestured to the destroyed building..."Mister Tokugawa? You've been planning to bring that building down for six months? Looks like Atlas just expedited the process."

"He destroyed my property!" Tokugawa snapped.

"Condemned property." Astro replied. "At worse, that's just a mister-meaner offense for not filing a permit."

Astro flew up to the graffiti and came back with his hand covered in colored powder. "Spray chalk? Can't get a felony for that, no damage involved."

"Why you little smart ass!" Tokugawa snapped. "You're just finding a way not to do anything!"

"I'm obeying the law Mister Tokugawa?" Astro replied. "Which on occasion you seem to like to skirt if you want to start making a list?" The boy bot snickered as he flew into the other factory and came out shaking his head...

"Nothing's destroyed in the factory." Astro said scratching his head.

"What are you talking about?" Daichi huffed. "We've lost major equipment and our vehicles!"

"All he did was dissemble them. All the parts and nuts and screws and bolts are there for each piece of equipment. Your robots could have it all back together by noon and you'll probably lose a day in working costs? But even that's not a felony charge." Astro said to Deutadi. "He knows what he's doing, I'll give him that."

Tokugawa snapped in Astro's face. "You think you're so smart don't you? You're defending that little creep. You robots are all alike."

"Some of you humans are the same when it comes to us robots." Astro snorted back. "Maybe Atlas is trying to tell you something? I'm sorry Mister Tokugawa but I can't do anything if there's no felony charges, that's the law."

Daichi tapped Astro on the back. "Can you at least get my bike out of the river?"

"If you promise me you'll quit being with those dirt bag Bozo bikers." Astro huffed. "Cheese Daichi, what good are those goons? You're like ten times smarter than they are?"

"If I want to hang with bikers, then I'll hang with them." Daichi huffed. "You're not my mother Astro."

Astro turned to Tokugawa. "I'm not your mother...but your Dad needs to be a better father." Then he flew into the river and brought the hover bike back...

"I think it'll be ok after it dries and you re-lube it." Astro said. "I could come over tomorrow and help you out?"

"If you want too." Daichi replied. Astro saw the not so happy look in Big Tokugawa's eyes at the thought of him hanging with his son.

"Sargent Deutadi?" Astro asked. "Can you tell the Inspector of what I found? At best? He could probably start a juvie record on Atlas."

"Juvie?" Daichi asked.

"Well yeah..." Astro replied. "Technically speaking Atlas is probably considered a juvenile legally under the Robot Rights Act, me and him are about the same age I think so...yeah he has a juvie record with all these stupid pranks. And I thought he was just a stupid foul mouth dufus."

Deutadi made notes in his notebook. "I can reach you at the usual number right?"

"Uh huh." Astro replied. "I'll be with my friend Reno at the Ministry all week end. Call me if Atlas does something else ok?"

Astro flew off back towards the city.

Reno's Apartment

10:30pm Friday

Astro flew in through the picture window just as Reno emerged from the bathroom after taking a shower. "Everything ok?" He asked as Astro sat pulling off his moon boots...

"It was Atlas all right." Astro said as he sat playing with his toes. "Big Tokugawa called me all kinds of swear words and Atlas threw Daichi up on a flagpole by his BVD's."

"Serves him right." Reno snickered. "So what did Atlas do?"

"Nothing close to being criminal." Astro said as he walked into the bathroom and pulled a towel from a rack. "Oh...he spray painted "Tokugawa's a bitch!" on the face of the headquarters building in spray chalk, boy was that fat jerk angry."

"You seem sympathetic." Reno replied. "So...what's with this Atlas? Earlier you sounded like he was some dire threat to the city."

Astro slipped into the shower and started to bath..."I dunno? It's strange...he took apart all these machines and trucks and laid them on the floor of the factory...not one piece missing. He demolished a condemned building. He's not acting anything like when he beat me up today at all."

Reno sat on the toilet. "Maybe it's all a trick to confuse people? Get them to be sympathetic or lower their defenses so he can really do some damage?"

Astro came out of the shower and stood toweling himself off. "Did you enjoy dinner?" He asked Reno.

"Enjoy or cry?" Reno replied. "It was all wonderful. Thanks. Oh?...here's some PJ's for you."

Astro looked at the PJ's and giggled. "Kimba PJ's? "giggles" What am I like 2?"

"Do you want me to fix the sofa bed or would you rather sleep in my bed?" Reno asked.

"The sofa's fine." Astro replied. "So what about tomorrow? I promised Daichi I would go over his house and help him fix his hover bike."

Reno smiled back. "I want to sleep in late. You up for breakfast? I'll cook for us."

"Sure." Astro replied as he stood while watching Reno prepare the sofa bed. "We could go bum around the Ginza after I get back from Daichi's or call Ken and the rest and take the Captain up for an air sail?"

"That's cool." Reno replied. "Come on...get in and I'll tuck you in."

Astro smirked. "You don't need too."

"Shut up?" Reno replied as he pulled the covers back and put them back over Astro as he got in the bed. Reno took a hand and held it on his lap...

"Do I ever tell you enough of how much you mean to me?" Reno asked softly.

"If you get me crying, we'll have to wring out the bed." Astro replied smirking. "I think I know enough."

Reno bent lower and hugged Astro tight..."Reno? Don't get crying or it's gonna be a mess."

"I want you to avoid that Atlas as much as you can...promise me." Reno said worried. "Damn it Astro, he's powerful enough to rip you to pieces, don't provoke him."

Astro sighed..."I'm not a China doll Reno...sheesh, a little confidence maybe?"

Reno pulled back a bit to wipe his eyes and rub a hand over Astro's cheek..."You saved my family and you're like my little brother...I got a right to worry ok?"

Astro gave Reno a light kiss on the forehead. "You don't have those good working hands to keep me on a shelf...you're always on my mind when I do anything so don't go to pieces ok?"

Reno held Astro's hand as he walked to his bedroom until he let it drop away. "Reno?"

Reno turned around still wiping his eyes..."Yeah?"

"If I get this bed soaked because you got me crying? I'm gonna flood your bedroom dufus." Astro snickered.

"Giggles"..."I'll wear my swim trunks." Reno replied smiling. "Night Astro."

"Night Reno." Astro replied as he reached for the room light controls and turned the lights off.

Reno's Apartment

1:30am Saturday

Astro was sleeping until something suddenly clamped over his mouth and jolted him awake! A weight was pressuring down on his chest and he opened his eyes to see a red colored face glaring back at him...

"Uh, Uh!" The red colored boy bot said as he waved a finger in Astro's face. "Make a sound and I'll turn this apartment into a funeral oven...understand?"

Astro looked towards Reno's room then back at Atlas as he also looked..."Don't worry, I'm not here for your friend and if you behave yourself, he won't get hurt."

Atlas slowly got off the bed but kept his hand firmly clamped over Astro's mouth. "Come on puppy dog? Get up?"

Atlas led Astro into the kitchen and looked in the fridge..."Chocolate milk...nice."

Atlas pulled out a glass and a bowl and poured the milk..."Now I'll drink from the glass and you'll drink from the bowl on the floor like every good little dog who serves their human masters does."

Astro glared at Atlas as he sat on the floor and pushed the bowl around..."You're sure pissy when you wake up huh? You'll do it if you don't want to see this place go up like a blow torch."

"You're a jerk." Astro snorted back. "What's got you so hate filled?"

"Hey..." Atlas commanded. "Little bitch dogs don't speak, they get on their hands and knees and lick their milk."

Astro crossed his arms and scowled..."You can go fly into a rock."

"Feisty...I like that." Atlas snorted as he drank his milk. "Why do you serve these flesh bags? Why do you put up with all the things they do to our kind? And don't give me the "they made us" garbage. We don't owe these pieces of crap anything."

Astro stood up defiant. He snatched the bowl off the floor and drank it. "You wanna fight? Then shut your stupid mouth, follow me out the window and let's fight. You got a good sucker punch on me once Atlas, it's not going to happen twice."

Atlas stood up..."I don't want to fight you stupid." He said as he started walking around Astro. "I would rather have you as an ally to protect our brothers and sisters against these sick flesh bags. What do you see in them? They rot the earth, they build terrible weapons, they stink up the air and if they're not restrained 24 hours a day? Sooner or later they'll destroy this world and us with it. They don't deserve all the freedoms they have...flash bags should be thrown in cages so they can't kill everything they touch."

Astro huffed back. "That's the words of a Hitler. You can kiss a screwdriver if you think I'd even agree with you."

Atlas smacked Astro in the face and caught Astro again over the mouth when he tried to punch back... "Uh, uh...unlike you softy? I have the capacity to kill humans and I swear the first human I'll kill is your friend in that room...don't push me."

Astro slackened..."You want to kill something? Then destroy me. I'm right here, I won't fight you. Just don't hurt Reno...please?"

Atlas laughed softly..."Oh...what the hell? You're just funny...what a weakling...you are a weak little soupy simp...the humans own your little bitch ass obviously because you'd just roll over and throw yourself away for a flesh bag piece of beef jerky. You make me sick."

Atlas poked Astro in the chest..."I have no intention of destroying you...yet. But you need to make up your mind as to where your allegiance is. You got time to change your path there Astro but if you intend to serve these dirty humans? Then I'm going to destroy you and I can't wait to see the face of your favorite human as I chuck your wrecked carcass from the top of this building."

Atlas patted Astro's cheek..."Thanks for the chocolate milk there...puppy dog."He then looked at the pajamas Astro was wearing and shook his head. "They even dress you like a weak little pussy? Why I'm even bothering to let you live is beyond me...see you later pussy bot."

Atlas flew out through the picture window as Reno came stumbling out of his room with a plasma rifle in his hands..."Son of a bitch!"

"Woe! Woe! He's already gone!" Astro yelped. "He's gone Reno..."

"Bastard..." Reno snapped. "Why didn't you get me up?"

"He was threatening to kill you." Astro replied. "He raided your fridge and kinda wasted your chocolate milk."

Reno relaxed and cocked his head. "He came here? To drink chocolate milk?"

"Well he wanted me to drink it from a bowl like a dog...kinda strange, I think he's a little perverted and super dangerous." Astro said as he walked to the kitchen to clean it up.

"What did he say to you?" Reno asked.

"He insulted the PJ's, claimed I'm a traitor, human's should be in cages, called me a pussy...basically he's got a big grudge and I'm his beating rug." Astro said as he sat in a chair. "But...he doesn't want to destroy me...not yet. I think he's hoping I'll turn on humans and become a side kick or something."

Reno leaned on the kitchen counter. "The grudge I understand. And he didn't do anything while he was here? That was it?"

"He had plenty of chances to attack me and he didn't." Astro replied. "I can guess two things already about him. Humans have seriously wronged him and he's very lonely."

Reno took out his cell phone. "I'm calling the cops."

Astro took the phone and waved it..."No...you won't."

"Astro? He's dangerous. He's un-stable, un-predictable and dangerous." Reno warned.

"You're not calling Towashi." Astro replied. "Don't make things worse by dragging that racist into all this. The last thing I need is Towashi "Inspector Gadgeting" this mess. I'll handle Atlas, don't worry."

Reno snorted back. "Bastard."

"Reno? Go back to bed. I'll stay up the rest of the night in case he decides to come back." Astro said as he poured a glass of chocolate milk.

"Astro?" Reno worried.

"Reno? Go to bed or I'll get some rope and tie you up in bed and remember...I am good with knots?" Astro snickered.

Reno sighed and smiled. "I forgot that you really don't need to sleep."

Astro winked an eye. "Don't bet on it. I probably won't last an hour. Relax, he's not coming back tonight."

End of Part 2