Disclaimer: The TV series "LazyTown" was created Magnús Scheving and is owned by Turner Broadcasting System. This work of fanfiction is solely for entertainment purposes. I do not own the characters depicted in this story, nor do I gain any profit from using them.
Robbie was woken too early by a banging on the tree house hatch. He tried to sleep through it but the hatch swung open right under him and nearly dumped him straight out of the tree house. It was safer for him to climb down the ladder under his own power, if not any easier. Ziggy was so excited for them to get started he could barely wait for Robbie to slowly inch his way down one rung at a time. He didn't give the drowsy man any time to appreciate solid ground before he grabbed him by the hand and dragged him along to see Stephanie.
The mayor's house had the best equipped kitchen for their needs and Stephanie was even more chipper than Ziggy to get things cooking. The mayor himself offered to lend a hand, but after nearly nicking his fingers dicing fruit and flipping a pancake onto Robbie's head he was tactfully reassigned to phoning up the rest of their friends to come for breakfast. The house filled to bursting with everyone in attendance.
Between juicing oranges, serving up steaming hot plates, and keeping Milford from spilling cereal on Bessie's new dress, Robbie had his hands full and his ears ringing with all the conversation and clinking cutlery. By the time everyone had finished there was a mountain of dishes that wasn't just going to clean itself. Stephanie and Trixie meant to help Robbie with scrubbing all the plates but ended up distracted with blowing bubbles and flicking water at each other instead. They tried to get Robbie in on their game but the lanky man did not seem to appreciate getting sprayed in the face when his hands were already pruny and he was up to his elbows in the sink.
When at last everything was cleaned up and Robbie stepped outside of the mayor's house he let out a little sigh of relief...
"Oh, Robbie!" Ziggy came running to catch up with him. "Where are you going? We could really use you to make even teams for soccer!"
"Hey yeah!" Stephanie came skipping up behind the boy. "Come on, Robbie, after a big breakfast there's nothing more you'd like to do than play with us, is there?"
Robbie's mouth opened and closed a couple times like a fish, no words coming out. He gave up and nodded and the kids grabbed hold of him by either hand and led him to the sports field.
The children ran up and down the field yelling and laughing as they kicked the ball back and forth while Robbie was parked in front of the net as goalie. Robbie stood at the ready for a while, then started to lean against the net when they never came dribbling down his way. His eyes kept wandering off of the field and around the surrounding neighborhood, scanning over the various stores and houses.
He sidled one step over at first, then another. In as idle a manner as possible Robbie inched his way towards the edge of the sports field, his eyes fixed on the gate. But before he could so much as clear the penalty area the kids suddenly started to shout at him.
"Robbie look out!"
Robbie turned his head just in time to see the soccer ball flying towards him. It beaned him right between the eyes, bouncing off his forehead and out of the field. He staggered and caught up against the goalie net once more while the world spun crazily and the kids rushed over to see him.
"Awesome header!" Trixie praised Robbie's sports prowess.
"Are you okay, Robbie?" Ziggy asked. Robbie tried to shake the stars out of his eyes and had to grab his head in both hands to stop the rattling.
"I'm done playing," Robbie managed to say. He took a careful step away from the net and only wobbled a little. "I have to go."
"Want us to come with you?" Stephanie asked, starting to follow him. But Robbie waved his hand back at the kids to keep them at bay while he felt gingerly at the growing bump on his head with the other.
"You stay here," Robbie said through his teeth, not quite a command.
"Okay," Stephanie said. "We'll just practice until you get back."
"Good idea," Trixie said. "I think my aim needs a little work."
The kids continued to discuss their strategy while Robbie hobbled off the field. As soon as he got through the gate he stumbled into a jog, or as close to one as he could manage, and didn't look back.
Not long after Robbie had left the premises Sportacus arrived in his stead, just finishing his morning run. He jumped up and over the gate, flipping two full rotations before landing on his feet and earning some cheers from the children.
"Hi guys!" Sportacus greeted them. "What are you up to?"
"We were playing soccer," Ziggy said, "but Robbie just left."
"Really? Is everything okay?" Sportacus asked.
"I'm sure he'll be back soon," Stephanie said. "But maybe you could play with us for now?"
"Yeah, can you show us how to head the ball?" Trixie asked. Sportacus grinned and lowered his goggles over his eyes.
"Sure, let's get started."
Robbie half walked, half ran through LazyTown. He wasn't heading anywhere in particular. He was just trying to avoid as many people as possible, and all of their requests. But it was easier said than done.
"Oh Ronald!" Ms Busybody's loud voice pealed like a great big bell. "I've got some more chores around my house I could use a hand with!" Standing in her yard she flapped an exceedingly long scroll of paper over her head like a streamer, the list almost turning the paper completely black with how much ink covered it.
Eyes widening Robbie skidded on one heel as he made an abrupt about-face and strode in another direction, pretending not to have heard or seen the woman. Her squawking voice faded behind him and he started to breathe again—
"Hey Robbie!" Stingy and his little yellow car came putting down the street towards him. "Stephanie told us all about how you showed her how to waltz yesterday. Aren't you going to teach me how to do that tap dance?"
Robbie stammered something incomprehensible and cut across the closest front yard, upsetting a flower bed as he darted away from the fancy boy's front fender. He left the young driver parked by the curb and calling after him about the dance lessons while he skirted around the side of the house and plastered himself against the brick wall to catch his breath.
A window slid open over Robbie's head. Pixel poked his head outside and looked down at the skinny man.
"Oh, hiya Robbie," Pixel said. "Say, do you think you could help me clean out my room? I got a new computer I've got to set up and—"
"No," Robbie grimaced up at the techno kid above him, his voice tight in his chest. "No more!"
He pushed himself off from the wall and made a mad dash down the street. No matter where he went, though, Robbie had nowhere he could go. There was no getting away from people in need in such a small town.
In almost no time he was on the outskirts where the land hadn't been developed much beyond some kind of big billboard standing out in the middle of nothing. Robbie didn't take the time to contemplate what sort of advertisement a painting of a cow could be for. He could still hear Ms Busybody calling for a handyman and the chugging of Stingy's car. With barely any breath left in his lungs Robbie scuttled behind the sign, having nowhere left to run to.
He banged into a wall of machinery on the other side and jumped back, hopping on one foot as he massaged his shin. Robbie stared in pained confusion at the tall metal platform crouched behind the billboard, far more elaborate a support structure than seemed necessary. It looked to be some kind of array of generators topped with a miniature silo, all neatly hidden in the shadow of the sign.
Robbie set his foot back down, the pain quickly receding in favor of this strange discovery. He walked up the metal steps to stand on top of the platform and inspected the back of the billboard. Stranger still— there was a door in the middle of the sign that had been invisible from the front. What kind of door was this? It didn't even lead anywhere!
"I thought for sure I saw him going this way," Stingy's voice drifted behind the billboard towards Robbie. He stopped still in his investigations, every part of him straining to be silent as he listened. That little car was still chugging along and heading his way. "It's not fair for him to teach Stephanie a new dance and not ME!"
"Oh, I'm sure Bobbie will be happy to teach you later," Bessie's voice followed and raised the hairs on Robbie's neck. "Right after he does a few itty bitty things for me."
Robbie backed slowly away from the strange door until he bumped into the silo. He slid around the curving obstruction and found a short ladder nailed to its side. As his eyes trailed up he saw the roof of the silo was fixed on with hinges. A perplexed stitch formed in his brow and pulled his mouth into a gentle frown.
"Robbie!" Stingy shouted too close for comfort and making Robbie jump on the spot. "Where are you? Come back and teach me how to tap!"
The rungs of the ladder were close together and easy for Robbie to climb. He stood perched up there, his knees knocking only a tiny bit, and curled his fingers around the underside of the silo's roof. Robbie hefted and strained with all of his power. With a rewarding creak and groan the lid swung up and open.
Robbie wiped a dot of sweat from his forehead for his efforts while a small smile formed on his lips. He had no time to celebrate this victory however. Stingy and Bessie sounded closer than ever, keeping his heart beating just a little too fast for his liking. He swung one leg over and into the silo.
It was too dark to see the true dimensions of the thing in the shadow of the billboard. At least it looked big enough for him to crouch inside of, a place to lay low until those persistent townspeople had passed through. Pulling his other leg over the ladder Robbie sat on the lip of the silo for a moment, grinning a little more at his clever hiding place before making the short hop inside.
His feet didn't find the bottom. The air raced cold and fast up Robbie's legs, then his chest, and then his fully extended arms as he fell— Too fast for him to let out so much as a yelp of surprise.
It wasn't a silo. It was some sort of exhaust vent or tube, a shaft that plummeted straight down through the platform, down through the ground, down, down—!
Stingy drove around the billboard in his car, glanced up at the painted cow, and shook his head. "Now where could he have gotten off to?" he wondered, and drove away still grumbling.
Ms Busybody patted at her hair, no small feat to keep her styled locks in place while chasing after a reluctant recruit for her chores. She gave up running in her heels and panted for a bit before pulling her cell phone out of her purse and rapidly dialing a number. It rang a couple times before the call was connected.
"Milford! So glad you answered, I need someone to mow my lawn for me. Do you think you could—? Oh, thank you! Go ahead and get started, I'll be right there."
Sportacus was just about to execute a triple flip with a kick to end the soccer match, but his crystal abruptly flashed to life with a strong and urgent pulse. He stopped short and let the ball bounce away from him, his eyes transfixed on the blinding light.
"Someone's in trouble," Sportacus said. "I have to go."