Chapter 10 has arrived!
Thank you to those who are still reading this story and for the reviews :') most of all, thank you for being patient(ish) with me, I know this is taking me a long time, but I promise you now, I will finish this story! I love you guys 3
I don't own Astro Boy.
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They arrived at the Ministry of Science in next to no time, Mr and Mrs Tenma barrelling out of the limo with their daughter and seven teenagers in tow. The odd group made their way through the large, automatic doors, gaining rather surprised looks from the people who were in the lobby.
"Dr Tenma?" A nasally voice called and the group turned to see a familiar red head scientist make his way over. "Uh…what's going on?" Reno asked as he looked over the large group.
"Astro's gone missing." Dr Tenma explained, Reno's blue eyes going wide in surprise. "Dr Elefun thinks he might have something that can help us find him."
"Anything I can do to help?" Reno offered, worried for his friend." Tenma smiled kindly at the boy.
"The more the merrier." The older scientist said. Reno's eyes lit up with relief.
"Thank you, sir." The red head said as he stood a little straighter. "Dr Elefun's in his lab, c'mon."
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Dr Elefun stood over his desk, fiddling with a small device in his pudgy hands, when the door to the lab hissed open and a group of individuals made their way inside.
"Ah Tenma, you're here." Elefun greeted his old friend.
"Have you got it ready?" Dr Tenma replied, getting straight to the point, wanting to know what device he had that could help find his son.
"Of course, of course." Dr Elefun reassured as he ushered them towards his desk and held up the small device he had been tweaking. It was about the size of a cell phone, and sleek as silver, adorned with multiple buttons.
"What is it?" Henna asked, her scientific mind intrigued.
"It's for tracking the blue core." Elefun explained. That earned him a few strange looks.
"You mean it can track Astro?" Lottie asked.
"Exactly." The big nosed doctor clarified.
"Urm, isn't that like, you know, invasion of privacy or something." Zane said, his face scrunching up in distaste.
"Normally, yes." Elefun agreed before raising a finger. "But Astro asked me to do it, just incase he…well, just in case of instances such as this one." The others nodded as understanding dawned on their faces, Henna smiling softly and shaking her head.
"That boy." She sighed fondly. "He's always one step ahead."
"It's a good thing he is." Tenma said. "It's made it a whole lot easier for us." Elefun suddenly felt someone tug on his sleeve and looked down into large brown eyes.
"How can it help us find my brother?" Zoran asked, her head tilted slightly to the side. Elefun smiled kindly at the little girl and knelt down to her eye level.
"Press this button." He instructed, holding the device out to her. Zoran looked at the remote, her small finger hovering hesitantly over a light blue button before she finally pressed. The group gasped as a holographic screen shone from the head of the device, showing a picture of a grid like map.
"Whoa." Alejo said as he pushed his glasses further up his nose, everyone leaning in for a closer look.
"What's that little blue dot?" Sludge asked, pointing to a faint, blinking point on the map.
"That's too faint to be Astro." Dr Elefun mumbled as he rubbed his chin.
"Well, who els could it be?" Lottie asked.
"There is only two robots with blue core energy, one more so than the other." He pointed at the dot. "That one is Zog."
Cora blinked in surprised remembrance. She'd totally forgot about Zog. "What's he doing on the surface?" She asked, curious what the big robot was doing since she last saw him.
"He's helping the Restoration." Elefun explained. "Out on the field."
"He is a construction robot, remember." Zane reminded her.
"Wait." Lottie cut in, holding her hands up. "I'm confused, who is Zog?"
"We'll explain later." Cora promised as she placed a hand on her friends shoulder. "Right now, we need to find Astro." Everyone nodded in agreement before turning their attention back to the holo-map.
"There!" Widget suddenly exclaimed, jabbing a finger at the screen. A much, much brighter dot was now blinking strong and proud in the centre of the map.
"He's on the surface." Tenma pointed out. "Just off the north end of the city."
"Well, what are we waiting for?" Reno asked, already turning towards the door, dumping his dirty lab coat on a nearby table. "You coming, Doc?" Dr Elefun started when he realised this question was directed at him.
"Of course." The short man said with conviction.
"Yeah!" Zoran cheered. "Lets go find my brother!"
"Ah, Zoran." Henna reached out and snagged her daughter by the back of her lilac hoodie. "I'd feel better if you stayed here, at the Ministry."
"Wha…" Zoran's big brown eyes began to tear up as she gazed up at her mother. "But I wanna go with you."
"Zoran." Tenma began as he joined his wife. "We don't know what we might find out there and I'm already anxious about taking Astro's friends with us." He ignored the defiant grumbles from the teens.
"No!" Zoran stamped her small foot in tantrum. "He's my brother! I wanna find him." Her parents shared an unsure look.
"Zoran." Tenma tried again.
"Please." The little girl pleaded softly, catching them off guard. They looked down at their daughter, their daughter who was acting far older than she was, their daughter who's entire being radiated worry, fear and determination to find the big brother she loved so much. Tenma sighed.
"Ok." He reluctantly agreed, Zoran's eyes lighting up brighter than stars.
"Bill!"
"It's ok Henna." Dr Tenma reassured.
"B-but." Henna gazed back and forth between her husband and her daughter, her mouth hanging open slightly. She sighed. "Alright then."
"Thank you, mommy." Zoran said just as soft as she wrapped her small arms around Henna's neck. The woman hugged her back.
"Alright then." Tenma said as he turned to the rest of the group. "Lets get this search party underway."
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"So…what are we supposed to do?"
Astro raised his head and blinked blearily at the man who was still sat in the dirt in front of him. "What do you mean?" Hamegg sighed.
"You're really just gonna sit here whilst stone does who knows what to Metro City?" Astro scowled slightly at this.
"In case you hadn't noticed but I hardly have enough energy to get out of this stupid chair, never mind fight a psycho." The robot snapped. He was tired, he was grumpy, his arms ached from being tied behind the chair for hours on end, he just wanted out.
"Don't take that tone with me." Hamegg snapped back, like a father scolding a son. "I'm the only one making any suggestions here."
"Well it was you micro bot that did this to me in the first place." Astro pointed out before heaving a large sigh. "You what, forget it, falling out now is not gonna help our situation any."
"You're right." Hamegg sighed as well, letting out the rising frustration. The pair took a moment to gather their thoughts.
"They have a tracker." Astro suddenly said, his eyes lighting up in realisation.
"Excuse me?" Hamegg asked in confusion, raising a brow at the boy.
"I asked Dr Elefun if he could make a device that can track the blue core." The teen robot elaborated. "They can use that to find us."
"So what, we just sit here and wait for them to come and rescue us?" Hamegg looked at him sceptically. "Never took you as the damsel type."
"Right now, they're our best hope." Astro said, pointedly ignoring the quip.
"Then I batter get comfortable." Hamegg grunted. "Because we're gonna be here a while." Astro bit his lip and turned his concerned gaze to the floor.
"Please hurry, guys." He whispered to himself. "I believe in you."
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"Take a left." Dr Elefun instructed. The small doctor was currently sat in the passenger seat of the hover limo, Directing Dr Tenma who was behind the wheel, the rest of the search and rescue party squished in the large back. Tenma jerked the wheel to the left, barely skirting around a large junk pile.
"Woah, whiplash." Zane said from the back.
"How the hell did you get whiplash?" Lottie asked as she squirmed in her tightly packed seat. "I can barely move."
"I wonder how he ended up all the way out here." Ken wondered out loud as he gazed out if the window at the barren, surface wasteland.
"You guys notice anything weird about Astro these last few days?" Everyone, save Dr Tenma who had to keep his eyes on the 'road', turned to face Cora with various expressions of curiosity at the sudden question. The girl in question had her head down, staring with scrunched eyebrows at her hands that sat in her lap.
"What do you mean?" Reno asked.
"Remember when we came to the Ministry the other day?" Cora asked him. "When me and Lottie first met you?" The young scientist nodded. "When Astro woke up that morning he was like…I don't know…" Cora paused, struggling to find a way to explain clearly.
"He was totally glitching out." Lottie put in, an attempt to help. "We're talking glowing blue eyes, weird robot noises when he moved, the lot."
"Wait, is this the same day we did the scan?" Dr Tenma asked from up front.
"Yeah." Cora confirmed. "But the scan came up clean."
"Hm." Tenma hummed in thought. Cora leant forward, as much as she could, in her seat.
"What is it?" She asked, taking in the mans thoughtful expression.
"That evening Astro come home rundown and with an injured elbow, said he had a crash landing." The doctor explained.
"That's why he had that bandage on his elbow." Cora realised. Dr Tenma nodded.
"Something definitely isn't right." He said.
"We're getting close, Tenma." Dr Elefun suddenly said, the little blue dot on the holo-map quickly drawing closer.
"Yeah, no kidding." Ken whispered. They turned to him to see his wide eyes gazing out of the window as he attempted to point at something in front of them. The rest followed his gaze and gasped at what they saw.
"We should be there any moment now." Dr Elefun said as he stared obliviously at the map. Tenma kept his gaze forward as he grabbed his colleagues chin and lifted his head up. "What are yo-oh." Elefun lowered the device when he finally saw.
Coming into view, looming from behind an enormous trash pile, was an old, decrepit, falling apart at the structure, building. It looked like it could have once been an apartment complex, but now it was brown with rust and dirt and the only building standing in the area.
"Subtle." Alejo said as they came closer to the building.
"Creepy is more like it." Lottie shivered as they parked the limo behind a mound of junk.
"Ok." Tenma began as he removed his seatbelt and turned to face the back. "Henna, I want you, Zoran and Elefun to stay in the car."
"But-"
"No buts Zoran, we don't know what's in their and we also need someone to watch the car." Zoran sighed in defeat and slumped in her mothers lap. Tenma then turned to address the teenagers, but much to his surprise, they were gone. "H-hey!" He called as he looked out the window and saw them already making their way towards the impound. He hadn't even heard them get out the car. He fumbled with his door, almost falling out in his haste, and ran to catch up to them.
"What do you think you're doing?" He whisper/yelled.
"I'm sorry, Dr Tenma." Cora began. "But there's no way any if us are sitting in that car when Astro could need our help." Tenma sighed.
"Fine, I knew this was going to happen anyway." He rubbed the bridge of his nose before smiling down at the teens. "Astro's sure got himself some loyal friends."
"You got that right." Zane proclaimed, puffing out his chest at the praise. Before they knew it, they were staring up at the old, very big might I add, building.
"I think we should split up." Cora suddenly suggested.
"What!" Was the spontaneous response she received.
"Think about it, this place is huge, we can search it a lot faster if we split."
"Uh, are you loco girl?" Lottie asked as she swirled her finger around her temple. "Have you not seen every horror move, like ever! Splitting up is like asking us to go in their alone and get hacked up by some phycho!"
"Just have your phone ready incase." Cora replied, totally unfazed. Tenma blinked down at the girl who was suddenly taking control and found that he couldn't disagree.
'They'd do it anyway.' He kept reminding himself.
"What are we waiting." Reno exclaimed impatiently. "Lets go find Astro."
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"Eye spy with my little eye-"
"Are you really?" Astro rose an indignant eyebrow at the man.
"Well, what do you suggest we do?" Hamegg huffed, once again attempting to get comfortable in his awkward position, twisting his wrists that were tied behind his back.
"How bout a little silence?" Astro suggested, actually getting a few minutes of quiet as a reward. Not that it lasted long.
"You really think they're gonna come?" Hamegg asked, softer this time. Astro sighed.
"I know they will." The robot teen said with conviction.
"But how do you know?"
"Because I-" Astro froze, his eyes going wide. Hamegg's brow scrunched in confusion as he watched the boy.
"What?" He asked. "What is it?"
"Shh." Astro hushed him sharply.
"Don't shush me-"
"No seriously." Astro snapped softly. "Be quiet." His eyes narrowed in concentration as he strained his advanced hearing. There. It was definitely there. Someone was in the building, he could just make out the faintest of voices and shuffling. His face split into a wide grin, his eyes lighting up.
"Uh, Astro, you're starting to freak me out." Hamegg said to the smiling teen.
"They're here." Astro whispered.
"Huh?" Hamegg leant closer in an attempt to here him better.
"They're here!" Astro cheered louder this time, almost laughing with relief. As if to prove his point, loud foot steps could suddenly be heard coming up the hall. "HEY!" He called to whoever was there.
The footsteps stopped out side the door and they could here someone mumbling to themselves before it finally hissed open. Astro and Hamegg closed their eyes agains the sudden assault of light in their windowless room.
"Astro?" A familiar voice asked hesitantly.
"Lottie." Astro replied in pure relief.
"Astro!" Lottie exclaimed as she came running into the room, not even noticing Hamegg. "Man, I can't believe I found you."
"Where are the others?" Astro asked, straining to look behind himself as Lottie worked on the wires around his wrists.
"Somewhere in the building." Lottie replied distractedly as she struggled to get the restraints undone. Astro was not happy with this answer.
"You split up?" He hissed softly. "That was stupid and dangerous." Lottie reappeared in his line of sight with narrowed, hazel eyes.
"Don't get pissy with me, AB." She snapped back. "I'm the one who suggested against it."
"Sorry." Astro apologised quickly, shrinking down from her sharp gaze. Lottie nodded in approval before returning to the wires.
"Geez, these things are strong." The girl grunted as she pulled desperately at them. "Can't you like, break them or something?" Astro shook his head sadly.
"I can't." He replied, almost ashamed.
"Why not?"
"Why don't you ask my cell mate over there?" Lottie's brow scrunched in confusion before she finally laid her eyes on the other man in the room, who attempted a little wave with his restrained hands.
"Wah!" She exclaimed, jumping back a bit. "How long has he been in here?"
"Charming girl." Hamegg grumbled, earning his own glare from said teen.
"What do you mean?" Lottie asked, ignoring the man and returning her gaze to Astro.
"I mean, that day we went out for milkshakes, Stone managed to slip a micro-robot into my drink, totally messing up my system." The robot explained. "He's been keeping tabs on me ever since."
"Creepy." Lottie cringed. "So what does that have to do with tubby over there?"
"Hey!"
"He's the one who created it." Astro continued, ignoring Hamegg's insulted look. Lottie paused from another failed attempt to free the wires, turning an untrusting eye on Hamegg.
"How do we get it out?" She asked the man.
"I don't know." Hamegg defended. "They didn't even tell me what they were using it for in the first place."
"He's telling the truth, Lottie." Astro assured when he saw her skeptical look. "Never mind that now, is there any way to contact the others?"
"Oh, right." Lottie face palmed before pulling her phone out if her pocket and getting up a number. "Cora." She asked into the small device. "I found him."
Lottie had barely put her phone away before the door was practically thrown open again, this time a larger group entered.
"Astro!" Cora exclaimed as she ran through the room and threw herself at him. "Are you ok?"
"Fine." Astro answered with a small smile.
"Astro." Dr Tenma walked up to his son and placed a reassuring hand on his shoulder.
"Dad." Astro's eyes lit up even more at the sight of his father. Tenma smiled down at his boy before moving behind him and taking a look at the wires.
"These wires aren't too thick." The man said as he pulled a small device out of his pocket that, with a flick of the wrist, produced a pair of pliers. "You should have been able to brake them easy."
"Should being the key word here." Astro said. "There's an undetectable micro-bot in my system that's blocking out my strength." Dr Tenma's eyes widened at the explanation as he finally cut his sons wrists free. Astro moved his hands to his front and rubbed at his sore arms.
"That's not good." His father finally said, moving to free his ankles which were bound to the thick, metal legs of the chair.
"How are we supposed to stop stone if you can't use your powers?" Ken asked worriedly, biting his thumb nail in apprehension.
"I'm sure between Dr Tenma and Dr Elefun, we can come up with a way to remove it." Reno said reassuringly, trying to keep positive. "They're the greatest scientific minds of the century."
"I appreciate the compliment, Reno." Tenma began as he finally freed his son and helped him to his feet. "But if we don't get out of here soon, there won't be anything left to fix." As if to prove his point, an enormous shock way suddenly shot through the building, shaking the walls and causing all in the room to grab onto something lest they fall over.
"Uh, guys." Astro said, getting everyones attention and gripping the chair to prevent a face-plant to the dirt. "You didn't happen to pass anyone on your way here, did you?"
"No." Alejo answered, fixing his glasses that had gone askew by the force of the rumbling. "Why?"
"Because I don't think Stone has left the building yet."
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Dun dun duuuuuuuun! Stone is still hanging around! Dr Tenma hasn't noticed Hamegg yet, but he will next chapter (that should be an interesting encounter) ;)
This ended up a little shorter than usual, hopefully the next one will be longer…hopefully.
Until next chapter :)