Karma

Storyline

Astro has been kidnapped; the only clues his two calls to Zoran and his diary entries in his broken laptop. Ken, Atlas, Zoran, and Tawashi peice the clues together and solve a riddle to who kindapped Astro and where he is being held. Atlas, Astro, and Zoran need each other to keep their sanity and relieve their internal pain: Atlas needs to act like the eldest brother he is.

Chapter 2

Invaluable Questions

"What could've done this?" He asked, picking up peices of a trashed laptop, which was in the same condition as the room: entirely destoryed.

An eleven-year-old scientist-in-training shook his head. "I don't know." He said. "But whoever trashed this place took Astro, too." The doctor shook his head. An indian boy beside him looked down. The S.I.T looked at him. "Don't worry, Ken. Astro will be fine on his own. He's gotten himself in and out of situations like this before."

Ken looked up, his face the same. "But, Reno..." He began. "For someone to actually catch Astro is a big accomplishment there. What if... what if..."

Reno lifted an eyebrow. "Ken, Astro's alive." He assured. "If they wanted him dead, they would've killed him on the spot, rather then robotnap him." The doctor and Ken blinked. Reno laughed boastfully. "Yeah, I read too many Sherlock Holmes books."

"O'Sheay. Do think Astro will be okay?" Ken asked hopefully. O'Sheay looked at Ken for a moment and looked unsure.

But, before O'Sheay could answer, a little girl bounded in, tears in eyes. "Where's Astro!" She demanded, plowing herself into O'Sheay. "What happened to Astro!"

Reno's eyebrows knitted. "Zoran..." Zoran was Astro's little sister. Astro was the only [biological] family she had. Yeah, there was himself, Zoran's adoptive brother, and O'Sheay, her father-like role model, but she adored Astro for saving her life countless times, as well as occasionally baking a cake with her when everyone else was busy. "We're trying our best to find out what happened and where Astro is."

Zoran sniffed and ran out of the room. She made her way outside, where she charged out the gates and down the street to Astro's school, where most of his friends hung out on weekends and summers.

She knew Ken had come to the Ministry of Science to see where Astro and Zoran was because they was supposed to go to a get together the others were planning to have by the park at the school but they never showed up. She was almost surprised to see everyone there, from Denku to Pluto, from Atlas to Ambercrombie (who were currently fighting over how milk gets to the store, which made her laugh inwardly at them), just chatting about what they had done since the night of Tenma's arrest.

The first to notice Zoran's [loud and continuious] crying was Epsilon. "Zoran?" She said out loud. Everyone turned to watch Astro's sister plow herself into Atlas's body, who nearly fell over from surprise and force.

"What! What are you hugging to me for!" Was his instant reaction to the gesture. He paused, trying to keep his hands off the upset girl. He sighed. "What did Astro do this time?" He said with defeat. She continued to cry, rather then explaining the situation.

Epsilon walked over and placed a hand on Zoran's shoulder. "Would this have something to do with the Police being at the Ministry of Science?" Zoran nodded and continued to cling onto Atlas.

"Well, what do you want me to do?" Atlas growled, annoying from the lack of explanation and exessive hugging.

Zoran pulled herself away from Atlas and glared at him in the eye, the sobs choked back for the moment. Clenching her fists, she yelled, "I want you to find him!"

Everyone went silent. Then Atlas spoke up. "Find who?"

"Astro!" She hissed, then sobbed into her arms. "He's gone! Disappeared! Vanished! Just like Denku can!" Denku jumped back in surprise at the mentioning and relation to him. She leaned her head back and nearly screamed, "Robotnapped!" Everyone's jaw had fallen at the word.

It wasn't long before Ken and Reno arrived. At the sight of everyone's face, Reno said, "She told you, didn't she?" Epsilon nodded.

"Who would do this?" Pluto stepped foreward and let Zoran onto his hand. "Why would they want him?"

Atlas folded his arms. "Astro's had a lot of enemies in the past, including the majority of us. It wouldn't be a doubt that someone is still trying to shut him down."

Denku nodded. "We could probably have never heard of this person."

"Well, whoever it is, this person doesn't want us to find him. He left no clues... that the human eye can see." Reno said. He looked at everyone. "Do you know what I mean?" Everyone nodded.

Zoran's looked at everyone before bursting into tears again, this time in happiness. "We're gonna go look for Astro!" She gulped in enthusiasim. Atlas smiled, but regretted the action when Zoran threw herself at him and tackled him with another hug. He moaned.

"Stop hugging me!" He hissed, pushing Zoran off.

"C'mon." Reno called. "Let's go save Astro!"

"Yeah!"

He lied on the cold, stone floor. The room was small and dark, water dripping in the corners. He began to stir, his eyes opening slowly.

Chains rattled, the sound echoing.

He leaned up and felt his head. When he brought his hand back down, he saw that a metal band was wrapped around his wrist, which was chained to a wall. He jumped to his feet and examined himself. His opposing wrist and ankles, too, were cuffed and chained to walls around him.

He began to panic. Where was he? Why was he here? He glanced around quickly. There were no entrances or exits. He was trapped... trapped!

He brought his hands to his head and ran them through his hair, stumbling. He shook his head. Where was he? Why was he here! Would it have to do with..."No..." He whispered in a pained voice. "No! NO!" He released a tortured scream that no one could hear, no one would hear.

Because his scream had been stolen by the walls of withen his mind.