A Week-Reno-End
A Reno/Astro fan fiction
Preface: Astro's first meeting with Atlas becomes a weekend with Reno.
Part 10
Reno's Aprtment
7 am Sunday
Astro came walking through the door with grocery bags in his hands and found everyone up in front of the television in Reno's living room...
"I got everything for breakfast everybody." Astro said cheerfully but no one replied. In fact, they all had stunned faces glued to the television...
"You better put those down and come here Astro." Reno beckoned. Astro took one look of Atlas's face and realized something was very wrong. Astro walked to the television and watched the NHK broadcast...
NHK NEWS ALERT...
Once again ladies and gentlemen if you are just joining our coverage, we are reporting from metro City of a serious train derailment into the Kansai Line receiving area of the Shinkansen at Metro City station. The seven car train was about to pass through the station at 130 miles per hour when it derailed disasterously without warning. The toll of life at the moment is horrendous. The Chief Inspector of Metro City Police who as of last night was conducting an extensive search of the city for a known robot terrorist is saying now that the city will go on Castle Bravo alert status step one as of five minutes ago...
Astro cupped a hand over his mouth and seemed to shiver for a moment before he looked at Reno. "How? How many? Did anyone die?"
Reno sagged..."Seventy three people so far..."
Astro looked at Atlas who gave him a stunned and shaking head back...
"Did they say it was Atlas?" Astro asked.
"They haven't said anything yet." Ken replied. "But Atlas would probably be prime suspect number one right now."
Atlas as Nicky looked at Astro..."It would be a logical assumption."
"There's nothing logical about it until they have proof!" Astro snapped back. "I'm surprised I'm not getting radio calls yet over this from the Doctor or anyone!"
"Relax Astro." Alejio gestured to the television. "If we're in Castle Bravo right now, there's nothing any of us can do any way."
Astro flopped on the floor..."They're going to hunt Atlas down like a dog now, don't they know it will only make things worse?"
Suddenly...Atlas perked up and without another word got up and pulled Astro to his feet. "Gasp!" We have to hide you like right now!"
"Niki?!" Astro gasped.
"Will you cut out the Nikki bull crap!" Atlas snapped, which brought everyone else to their feet!
"Atlas?" Zoran huffed. "Why are you dressed like a girl?"
"Will someone tell me where I can stuff him!" Atlas gasped as he pointed at Astro.
Alejio pointed to the ceiling. "The air vent!"
Atlas quickly blasted to the ceiling, ripped the air vent cover off the vent shaft and pushed and bumped Astro inside...
"WHAT THE HELL ATLAS!" Astro protested.
"Just get in there and turn yourself off stupid!" Atlas snapped back as he slammed the cover on the shaft and welded it in place. Then he landed and waved his arms..."Everyone act normal! You open your traps and so help you I'll be really fricken pissed off!"
Reno snapped. "You can't tell..."
Atlas snatched the teen engineer off his feet and threw him into a lounge chair..."Shut... your... stupid...trap!" He snapped then he plopped himself on the floor.
Zoran leaned over and snickered..."Your taste in dresses really sucks."
"Who asked for your opinion you mouthy short cake?" Atlas huffed in reply.
"WHAM! WHAM! WHAM!" Came a loud banging at the door. "OPEN UP TAKAHASHI! IT'S THE POLICE AND WE HAVE A WARRENT!"
Reno looked over at Atlas who gestured him to open the door. Reno opened it to see Sargent Deutadi, the Inspector and two DELTA SWAT robots behind them...
"Has Astro been here?" Deutadi asked.
"No..." Reno replied. "Not since around midnight last night."
Atlas grimaced and thought. "Oh way to flap off you stupid little shit!"
Towashi ordered. "All of you get out of here now! We have a search warrant!"
Reno snapped back. "I have a right to know the reason for your search of my home Inspector!"
"We also have a warrant for an arrest...for Astro's arrest for terrorist collusion." Towashi warned. "Don't get in our way Takahashi. We're just as bewildered as you are right now but orders are orders."
Reno and the others walked out of the apartment as the Police tore into it..."YOU BREAK ANYTHING AND I'LL SUE ALL YOUR ASSES!" Reno snapped.
Atlas gently patted the angry teen on the chest..."Don't antagonize them please?"
Reno snarled back. "Don't tell me what to do..."Niki"
"Well don't be a little bitch..."Reno!" Atlas snapped back.
Zoran pushed between them. "How about? You both shut up? Zoran then snickered at Atlas. "Those shoes are so clashy...who's teaching you how to be a girl?"
"Clashy? Can't you read the Geranimal labels? That top is totally off those pants of yours." Atlas snorted back.
It took a half an hour for the police to finish their search and good thing they didn't scan the ceiling. Once they were gone and everyone waited a few more minutes to make sure they were gone, Atlas helped Astro out of the vent and onto the floor...
"They don't think? They can't really believe? Do they think I did that?" Astro asked.
Atlas snorted. "Jeeyeah?...Especially when they found a red moon boot in the wreckage?"
Astro threw his arms around in a panic..."I couldn't have done it! I was out getting groceries! They just have to look at the store camera!"
Atlas sighed..."Oh really? And I suppose you just so happened to be shopping at the Circle K on Ino-chan and 75th street?"
Astro froze...
"Burnt to the ground." Atlas replied. "How convenient. And your best friend here." Atlas pointed at Reno. "Just happened to tell the cops that you hadn't been here since midnight. Way to go there dumb ass."
Reno jumped, Atlas threw his hands up and Ken, Abercrombie and Alejio sat on the angry teen till he calmed down...
Astro gave Atlas a rude slap off the head. "Stop being a bastard?! What are we going to do now? I can't help you clear your name and now I gotta avoid getting caught too."
Zoran cocked her head. "Big brother? Why don't you just turn yourself in? I'm sure you'll be cleared."
"That's exactly what Doctor Gel wants." Astro yelped. "With me in jail, no one can help Atlas and now he's like public terror number one on everyone's list! I gotta stay free to help him clear his name."
Astro flopped onto the couch..."Ugh! Why can't I have an easy weekend?"
Zoran looked at Atlas then at Astro..."Seems like the only answer to the problem is to turn big brother? Into big sister."
Astro snickered. "Are you huffing bad air conditioning chemicals?"
Zoran replied. "What? How else will you be able to go around without getting caught?"
"No!" Astro snapped. "I'm not dressing up as a girl! Uh uh...no way!"
Ken begged. "But Astro...as stupid as it sounds? Between you and Atlas it's the only way you guys can find who's doing this?"
"We already know who's doing it. It's getting close to him that's a problem. Which sad to say as disgraceful as this is?" Atlas said as he played with his dress. "It's probably be the best way to draw Gel, Skunk and their robot out."
"I'm NOT dressing up as a girl!" Astro snapped.
Atlas shook his head. "Then...then I'll go to Towashi and say I derailed the train and tried to frame you."
Astro jumped up and snatched Atlas by the hand..."No you won't!"
"Then if you think I'm innocent?" Atlas asked. "Then help me...otherwise I'll die before they put one hand on you."
The room went silent for a moment...
"You? You...care about me?" Astro asked.
"Oh damn it! How many times do I have to say yes?!" Atlas snapped back. "I never wanted to hurt you. I never wanted to destroy you...probably couldn't do that in a million years...I just wanted you to stop being such a naive little bitch ok? And yes...I am lonely with no friends, Bender's only a fair weather one at best."
Atlas rubbed Astro's shoulders. "Help me will you? But don't take this as an endorsement that I'll ever be like you! Ugh...you make me puke some times you're so soupy."
Astro looked at Zoran..."Don't suppose you have any ideas for a dress?"
Zoran snickered evilly. "Just panties on you would be fruity enough big brother."
8:30am Sunday
Reno's apartment
Atlas snickered as he leaned over..."You're adorable."
"SLAP!"..."Screw you!" Astro snapped. "If anyone gets pictures of this? They better hope their house is bolted to the ground well enough."
Ken, Abercrombie and Alejio stood together in deep gazes...
"Which one would you want first?" Alejio asked the other two.
"Astro." Ken replied.
"Yup." Abercrombie joined in. "Deffinately Astro. His ass is better shaped."
"You guys are sick!" Astro snorted. "Ken! I'm telling your Mom about this!"
"Oh come on Astro." Ken replied. "It's just till you guys nail those jerks. We won't tell anyone, we promise. We're just pulling your chain."
Astro stood bemoaning over his dress. It was one of his little sisters old one's given to her by Miss Yuko, the secretary...which Astro was suddenly wondering if she wasn't a perv in her own right...
"Do I have to wear panties? Sheesh this stupid dress won't cover them at all." Astro groaned.
"Good think you're slick huh?" Atlas snickered. "People would sure get a good bulge shot."
Astro wore a light brown girls wig which touched his shoulders, a red dress with puffy short length sleeves, the annoyingly short skirt, long knee socks and blue girl's shoes...which accented how small his feet were...
"I'll never get over how messed up your feet are to your body." Reno said as he scratched his hair.
"Any bigger and the rocket retraction system might bind up on me." Astro replied as he turned to Atlas. "So where do we start looking?"
"Well first thing we need to do is find Bender." Atlas replied. "We're gonna need that muscle car of his."
8:57am Sunday
Street outside the Ministry of Science
Getting out of the Ministry was a torturous crawl even on a Sunday. Atlas looked back at the two DELTA SWAT robots flanking the front door and blew a sigh of relief..."We handled that exit ok."
Astro replied. "Can we stop holding hands now?"
"I thought we were going to pass off as school friends?" Atlas replied. "This is just a friendship gesture thing ok? Chill out."
Astro couldn't help looking around, worried they'd be identified by someone. Atlas tapped him in the shoulder...
"I would guess you watch movies?" Atlas asked.
"Yeah." Astro replied.
"Ever watch an old movie called "Some like it hot?"
Astro thought..."Oh yeah...Had Tony Curtis and Marilyn Monroe?"
"The two con artists dressed like women?" Atlas giggled. "Man they were butt ugly."
Astro laughed..."You're not equating us to those are you?!"
Atlas joked. "Well...I think we're dead sexy hawt."
"Stop it!" Astro said slapping Atlas off the shoulder. "You cracking jokes? So unlike you...you're always dead serious like a wood plank."
"I have my moments." Atlas replied. "And by good timing? Look who showed up?"
Astro saw a blue Dodge Charger sitting at a Circle K store with Hermes Conrad and Bender munching food. Atlas slowly walked Astro over and waved..."Hey guys."
Bender jumped from the hood of the car..."Where the hell did you go? We've been bumming the streets all night for you. The whole city's crawling with cops, every road is closed and you..."
Bender looked at Astro and frowned. "All this chaos and you go lookin for a piece of tail? I should slap the chrome off your butt you little shit!"
Astro looked at Atlas then walked up to Bender like an aroused girl and gave him a doe eyed face... "Hi...you sure are a strong bot."
"Ditch it you little floozy!" Bender snorted.
Astro wrapped his arms around Bender's arm and sighed. "Oh come on...there's a lot of me to go around."
Atlas slapped his forehead. "Astro? Do you mind the theatrics? I'm getting sick."
Bender took one look at Astro, pulled his wig off and shook a finger at him. "What the hell! You've brought the enemy! We're doomed!"
"Oh cut the melodramatic dump Bender?" Atlas snorted. "Astro's in the same boat as me so lay off."
Astro snorted. "If I could? I'd burn this stupid dress."
Hermes leaned against the car..."Now let me guess? You're being blamed for the train derailment this morning I would suppose?"
Astro looked in the Charger..."Uh huh...mmmmmm...this car is sweeeeeet. Is this yours Bender?"
"Yup. My sweet Clementine. If she had a voice system? I'd live in her." Bender replied.
"I bet he would." Atlas snorted as he climbed in the back. "Look you guys? We don't have all day? We need to find Skunk and the man I know he's hanging with before they really do a lot of damage."
Bender and Hermes climbed in the front seats. "That's the problem. We can't get out of the city." Hermes said. "And do you still have those papers?"
Atlas patted his chest..."Yup. And I don't think we have to leave the city if I know old Kusai enough. One? He loves cash. Two? He loves Cuban cigars...high grade Cuban cigars. He's in the finance district."
"Ok then." Bender snorted as he reached into his glove compartment and offered Hermes a 45 caliber pistol then took one for himself. Which Atlas quickly grabbed..."You must be snorting Gas-o-haul...There is another robot in the mix here and I don't think your little bullets are gonna work?"
Astro cocked his head. "You think he copied your design?"
"Copied?" Atlas snorted. "Oh please...he probably improved on it."
Astro giggled..."Gave it a nicer butt?"
Atlas cocked his head and pursed his lips. "What...is wrong with you?"
"Just saying." Astro said giggling.
"If Gel improved on my design Astro? Your life won't be worth squat." Atlas huffed. "But then again? "Ashley" might do better."
Astro waved his arms. "Oh no! Oh hell no no no I won't!"
"I'm not asking you to completely embarrass yourself!" Atlas huffed. "You'd be close enough to get in the first shot and with the amount of EMP you can generate? I should know...their robot won't get a finger tip on you."
"That's IF he didn't build it ten feet tall!" Astro huffed back. "And what are you going to do?"
"I'm going to get Skunk and Gel. Then again...you might attract them better than me." Atlas said rubbing his chin.
"YOU'RE SICK!" Astro snapped.
"I'm taking the more dangerous assignment than you so shut that yap." Atlas snorted. "Are you going to help or what?"
"Not by choice." Astro groaned. "After this? You and I are gonna have it out. I'll ask Miss Myoki at my school to let us have the gym all to ourselves and then? I'm gonna put your mouth where your feet are...deal?"
Atlas took Astros hand and shook. "You better get used to the taste of your boots down your throat you soupy weasel."
End of part 10