Me: Hi there! Welcome to Chapter Eight!
Chiro: Hi!
(I blush. His five year old face is to hard to resist!) Me: This is going to be action packed for the next few chapters. Hint: We're going to figure out Sprx's secret that I mentioned in Walking and Talking.
Sprx: I'm not proud of myself…
Me: Okay… Would please do the disclaimer?
Chiro: Aunna does not own SRMTHFG!
Sprx: If she did we would know how the war turned out.
Chapter Eight: Four Years Later
Those four years past quickly for us. Chiro now was in pre-school along with Soren and Alina. We had fought with Mandarin many times, Chiro normally saving us and coming out coming out of battle bruised but proud.
The scar he received from his first birthday was still there. It probably would be there for the rest his life. Antauri says his connection with the Power Primate has grown incredibly strong. I saw that he is advancing through his classes with fast velocity. Sprx just thinks he's getting more annoying.
"Gibson," a voice said. I looked at the doorway of my lab and saw Nova.
"What is the problem Nova?" I asked. Normally me and Nova kept our distance but I guess that today was not going to be normal.
"Do you know what time it is?" she asked.
I looked at my clock. "It's 11:25 a.m." I said. "Shouldn't you be going to pick up Chiro?"
"I can't," Nova said.
"Why not?" I asked. Normally Nova would never let anyone, besides her, to pick up Chiro. Today was strange indeed.
"Antauri wants me to find Sprx," she said. "Apparently he found something and wants Sprx here. Could you go pick Chiro up for me?"
I blinked. Why would Antauri need Sprx here so badly and send Nova out to find him? "I'd be glad to Nova," I said. "Good luck finding Sprx,"
"Thanks Gibson," Nova said. "I'm going to need all the luck I need. Oh, by the way, do you know where the pre-school is?"
"I do," I said. "It's right behind Gakslapper's. I was there when we enrolled him you know,"
"I know," Nova said. "Just wanted to make sure," Then she was gone. I blinked again. Why would she doubt my navigation skills? I shrugged off the thought and ran for my tube. Knowing Chiro, he had probably gotten in some sort of trouble.
I activated my jetpack when I left the robot. It is faster to fly then to walk. I also wanted to keep an eye out for the Skeleton King. We had now been activated five years and still not a trace of that monstrosity. It had left me quite confused.
I landed at the front of the school. Children were getting on buses or going to parents that so patiently waited for them. I scoured the area for Chiro, but there was no sign of him. I was about to give up when I heard a frightened scream.
I turned around and saw Chiro. He was cut and bruised and running at full velocity at me. Three older looking boys were in pursuit. He saw me and shouted, "Gibson, help!"
"Leave him alone you imbeciles!" I shouted and ran towards Chiro. The moment he was in my arms the boys stopped.
"That's right Monkey Boy!" the shortest one said. "Run to your little monkeys!"
"Don't come back!" the middle one said.
"Unless you want a poundin'," the tallest one said.
"Who are you?" I asked. "You defiantly do not look or behave as pre-scholars!"
"We're third graders," the tallest one said. "We run the elementary and the pre-school," The boys threw dirt at us and ran away. I wiped off the dirt and Chiro coughed. I looked at him. His face was streaked with blood and dirt and his clothes were badly torn. Did Nova know about this?
"Are you all right?" I asked.
"I'll be…alright…" Chiro gasped. My worry was replaced with rage. How could anyone allow those filthy third-graders do this?
"Chiro," I said, trying hard to mask my anger and rage. "Do your teachers know about this?"
"No one tells," Chiro said. "The last time somebody told a teacher was a couple months ago. Her name was France and she told a teacher. The same day the third-graders came and they broke her arm and told us that was the penalty for telling. No one dares try to tell now. It's not worth it,"
I sighed and held Chiro close. "I'm not going to stand for this roughhousing," I said. "I'm telling the teacher and maybe something can be done about those rascals. Until then let's go home,"
Chiro nodded and I activated my jetpack. "Gibson!" a voice shouted.
"Yes Otto?" I asked, activating my communicator.
"Nova found Sprx," Otto said. "You won't believe what he was doing!"
"What did he do?" I asked, quite exasperated.
"He was drinking!" Otto shouted. "I don't mean drinking water. I mean he was drinking alcohol!"
"Oh my…" I said. "Doesn't he know what harm alcohol can cause! I mean everyone knows that it affects your feelings but it can cause cancer and many other diseases, not mentioning death! What is that monkey thinking?"
"Wait till you see what Antauri found in his room," Otto said. "Otto out," Otto hung up and I deactivated my communicator. I looked at Chiro, who was looking at me with horror and shock.
"I knew it!" he shouted. "I knew Sprx was doing something bad!"
"How did you know?" I asked. "Did you see him do it?"
"No," Chiro said. "He just smelled funny," I held back a chuckle. To me Sprx had always smelled funny, but I had to admit it had gotten worse over the years. I just wished I had known this earlier. Maybe I could've helped.
We landed at the robot momentarily. Nova was waiting for us. "What happened?" Nova asked when she saw Chiro.
"School bullies," I said. "What going on with Sprx?"
"Besides being a alcoholic?" Nova asked. "I don't know. Antauri wouldn't tell us what he found till you and Chiro came back,"
"Well let's find out," I said and the three of us marched into the Super Robot, wondering what Antauri had found.
When we got to the Command Room Antauri was standing at the front of the room and Sprx and Otto were in their seats. Sprx looked like he was in a horrible hangover. "Gibson, Chiro you have returned," Antauri said. "Please take a seat."
Chiro, Nova, and me took our seats, Chiro sitting with Nova because he was afraid of Sprx at the moment. All of us turned our attention to Antauri. "Thank you for your patience," Antauri said. "I have important news to share with you. As you have all probably heard Sprx has done something bad," Sprx looked at his feet. "What I have discovered also has to do with Sprx. I had recently let Sprx borrow my rag since his was thrown away. When I went to retrieve it I made a startling discovery." Antauri stopped talking and held up a cigarette carton. We all gasped. Antauri looked at Sprx and continued to speak. "Is this yours Sprx?"
Sprx continued to look at his feet. When we all thought he wasn't going to talk he said, "Yeah, it's mine,"
"Where did you get?" Antauri asked. "When did you start?"
"I began the year we got the kid," Sprx said. "I was walking around Shuggazoom a couple of weeks after the kid arrived in the robot. This man was handing them out. I took one and lit it up. I automatically became addicted. I smoke just about everyday, sometimes I'd get up to two packs a day. I got them from William's Gas Station. Then, when the kid was three, I began to drink. It made all of my problems go away for a little bit. But I always felt worse when the buzz was gone so I drank more and more. Almost burnt out my circuits once or twice. I'm really stupid and I'm really feeling bad about this. I'm sorry. Especially to you kid. I should be setting good examples for you not bad ones,"
We all stared at him, shocked. Even Antauri was taken aback , which was highly uncommon. "Sprx," I said, my voice soft for once.
"Yeah, Gibson," Sprx said.
"If you need help we're here for you," I said. "We can help you overcome this. All of us can. I can give you a nicotine patch and if you go cold turkey we can help you stay away from the alcohol and cigarettes,"
"W-we all wa-wanna help Sp-Sprx," Chiro said while sobbing.
"We're here for you all the way!" Otto shouted.
"We're a family," Nova said. "That's what family does. Help each other in rough spots," "It will not be easy SPRX-77," Antauri said. "But if we all work together we can get through this,"
Sprx had started to do something unnatural to him. He started to cry. "Th-thanks g-guys," Sprx said.
"It's no problem Sprx," I said. "Now, you and Chiro, come into my lab. I need to give you your nicotine patch and I need to make sure Chiro's scratched don't get affected. Hurry along now,"
Sprx and Chiro followed me wordlessly and peace was momentarily restored to the Super Robot.
