10: RENO

"You better have an unbelievably good excuse for breaking school property!" the principle scowled, leaning over her desk and looking over to a rather bored Astro. He waved her off, diverting eye contact.

"It was just a desk..." he murmured. Miss Harris rubbed her temple.

"Yes, but you're not just a robot. Astro, you could've hurt someone! And you know about the robot laws! They could lock you up," she snapped, walking from her chair with hands behind back. Astro sighed, wiping a hand over his face. "It's not the desk I'm fussed about..." the teacher murmured. "It's the fact that it was completely out of your nature." She leaned in close to him. "Astro," she said firmly, "is there something going on?"

He slowly looked to her, eyes dark.

"NO." He whispered. She stared at him, unfazed by his answer for a couple of seconds before pulling back.

"Alright then..." she said, her tone falling into a calmer one. "I still have to punish you though," she said, nodding to the blue screen of the desk Astro was sitting at. "100 lines, 'I will respect other's property'. You may finish it any time today, alright?" he nodded, grabbing the pen and began writing down lines at a speed that almost frightened Miss Harris. She sat down gingerly in her chair, watching him for a few moments. His ears flinched as she spoke again.

"How's Z?" she asked.

Astro stopped.

His brow twitched.

"Why?" he hissed, arms shaking slightly. Harris made a gesture.

"She's having a baby and all, so-"

Suddenly Astro slammed his arms on the desk, making her jump.

"It's just all about Z, isn't it?" he exploded. "Everything has to do with that baby that's coming! Sure, their own son might be protecting the entire city and their daughter might be mysteriously ill, but no! It's always JUST. ABOUT. Z!" Miss Harris was shocked, leaning back in her seat with a dumbfounded face. Astro stared at her for a second before looking away, taking a breath in. He sighed in defeat, collapsing back in his chair.

"Astro..." Harris whispered. "...you're not alright, are you?"

"I'm fine." He muttered, looking to the ground. He sighed. "I-I'm sorry...I didn't mean to snap at you..."

"Oh, I think you did," she said surprisingly, sitting back up in her chair. Astro raised an eyebrow at her.

"Eh?"

"Astro, if your home life is troubling you and you don't speak to anyone, then of course you're gonna go crazy!" she exclaimed. "Why don't you talk to your father?" his fists clenched.

"I tried..." he mumbled. Harris tapped her finger on the desk, looking over the boy with empathy. She should have known the impact a human baby in the family would cause to the already extremely fragile relationship between Astro and his father. If he was getting neglected again, then she didn't know how he would know how to take it.

"I'll try talking to him then-"

"NO!" he blurted, causing her to snap her mouth shut and look at him strangely. He cleared his throat, regaining himself. "Don't..." Astro felt the voices in his head, listening to them for guidance. Don't tell Dad...he'll just run a stupid scan over me and extract the black mist. NO. Not when it's giving me the power I want...

"I'll talk to him when I'm ready," he whispered. "Promise you won't talk to him about this? And the desk incident?" Miss Harris stared at him for a while before slowly nodding her head.

"Okay..." she said softly. "You may leave." Astro smiled for the first time since entering the office, standing and walking out the door. She slumped in her chair, expressing a loud sigh as if she had been holding her breath the whole time.

"Geeze..." she muttered under her breath. "That kid's got more problems than me..."

Diabolos could only smile as he watched the different news reports up on the large computer screens. It's all he'd been doing the entire day, watching TV reports from the Peace Keeper up to the recent service bot fight. He was absolutely baffled as Astro sucked in the Black Core, and then flew off as if nothing happened. He leaned forward in his seat, intrigued. "He willingly let the Black Core infect him?" he exclaimed, his one brilliant blue eye scanning over the screen. By the time he had watched almost all of the videos on this boy, and he knew he was no doubt not a normal robot. "The Black Core...it's infecting his mind...and befriending him." He was gob-smacked. Simon walked into the room, carrying a tray with a full coffee mug on it and a newspaper.

"How's the research going, Sir?" he asked, walking up to him.

"Simon, this robot is amazing! For such a small size, he's the most powerful and advanced I've ever seen!" he cried, flinging his arms around in a huge gesture, hitting the coffee tray and spilling the hot liquid all over Simon's white shirt. He gasped in shock, quickly placing the tray down and fanning the hot area with the paper.

"OUCH..."

"And not only that- the Black Core hasn't only began taking him over slowly, it's actually made him side with it! It's complete genius..." he mumbled. His assistant looked to him with a weak smile.

"Very good Sir, but...what about your plan to retrieve the Blue Core?" the professor thought for a bit, stroking his chin. A moment of silence passed before he spoke.

"Change of plans...I want this robot as well."

Astro walked through the school yard with hands in pockets, scanning his eyes over the different crowds trying to find his group of friends. Suddenly he felt a hard shove in his shoulder and he quickly twisted around to the three boys from before, who sent him that lovely death note. They fell into snickers at his scowling face.

"Oh no!" the black haired one mocked, "Save your desks! Here comes Astro!" they laughed. Astro felt his fists clench, a wave of anger passing though him as he watched them fall over each other in a fit of snickers.

"Do NOT mock me..." he hissed.

"Ooo!" the other two wailed, grinning.

"What're you gonna do, Tenma?" he snarled, leaning in on him. "You can't hit me. You can't even lay a finger on me, ROBOT!" suddenly Astro felt someone walk up beside him.

"He can't, but I can." All eyes fell onto...Reno. His arms were crossed over his chest, a scowl painted on his face. The three just burst out laughing.

"You? The wimpy new kid?" he asked with a snicker. Reno narrowed his eyes. Astro just frowned at him, wondering what on earth he was doing. The group was bigger and stronger by far.

"You really think I'm wimpy?" he raised an eye brow. "Then obviously it would be no problem for you to have a little strength test, right?" the boys suddenly fell into silence, the black haired one rolling his shoulders and stepping up to Reno with a smirk.

"Are you challenging me?" he asked. The boy took a defensive stance as an answer. They just shared a snicker among each other, the leader looking back to the other two boys with a cocky grin.

"Okay then, wimp. Let's see how you-"

He never finished as Reno leapt forward and punched him in the nose.

Astro was too shocked to speak. The two boys looked in horror. Reno just smiled at the baffled face in front of him as the boy lightly touched his nose. Upon seeing the blood that dripped from it, his eyes fell dark.

"You are so DEAD!" he yelled, charging in to punch the smaller boy back. Reno simply stepped out of the way, sticking his foot out and tripping him. Astro and Reno laughed as he went toppling to the ground, landing hard on his face.

Quickly getting up and wiping his grazed chin, the annoying boy had another go at him. This time Reno flipped under him, tripping up his legs so he fell to the ground once more, only this time his arm was locked in Reno's grip. Reno put more and more pressure on his wrist, threatening to sprain it. The boy let out a cry, wincing. A few kids passing by started to look over with interest as he cried out.

"Who's the wimp now?" Reno smirked.

"Stop it!" he whined. "Stop it! Let me go!" Astro lightly touched him on the shoulder, sending him a look.

"Don't..." he muttered. "He's not worth it..." Reno stared at him for a little bit before looking back down to the boy. He reluctantly released his arm.

"Don't judge people..." he hissed, watching him scamper to his feet and bowel into his group. Everyone else that was watching gave a small cheer or snicker before continuing walking or talking. In a flash the group ran off across the yard, In a flash the group ran off across the yard, yelling back complaints as they went.

Reno dusted his hands together, smiling at Astro. Astro smiled back, slight curiousness in his eyes.

"Where'd you learn those moves?" he asked. Reno shrugged.

"I pick up a few things here and there..." he smiled despite himself.

"You're Reno, right?" he asked. Reno nodded. Astro stuck out his hand. "I'm-"

"Astro," he finished, shaking it eagerly. "It's so exciting to meet you," he grinned. "I've only ever studied mild robotics, but I'm extremely knowledgeable to the philological side of the advanced stages of robotics and you're an almost perfect biomimetic version I've ever seen. I mean, the way you have free will to react or chose certain decisions for yourself is amazing, but sometimes I question your dexterity..."

Astro blinked.

"So...you like robots?" Reno chuckled, nodding.

"Oh yeah. I've been studying them for years now. I don't remember any time I haven't had robots in my life. They get far too little credit..." Astro grinned, dropping his hand.

"Tell me about it," he muttered. They chuckled, Astro starting to walk ahead. "Thanks for standing up for me back there. The Laws of Robotics kinda get a little annoying sometimes..." Reno laughed, nodding.

"He should be glad he still has a face," he snickered.

"Hey, you wanna sit with my group?" Astro offered, surprisingly making the boy freeze up.

"Uhhh, I don't do well with big crowds of people..." he mumbled, shuffling his feet. Astro cocked his head with a frown.

"Huh? Why not?" he hunched his shoulders meekly.

"I-it may sound kinda weird, but by what I meant by 'never having a robot not in my life', I kinda meant...like, NEVER leaving a robot's sight." He straightened up a little, trying to make himself look bold. "I...grew up with robots..." he almost whispered. Astro frowned, not catching on.

"Well yeah, didn't everyone?" Reno growled, sighing.

"RASIED by robots, Astro! I was raised by them!" Astro drew back, shock filling his features.

"Raised by..." he broke off, remembering what Conner had said about the rumors. His eyes widened as he raised a finger to him. "You came from a robot circus, didn't you?" he asked. Reno sighed, long and deep. He took a glance around before over to him.

"Come with me," he mumbled, "and I'll tell you everything."