"Nothing seems to be wrong." Dr. Elefun said. Astro was lying on a lab table in Tenma's lab. Elefun was studying the different graphs and status reports on the screens around them. A heart rate was shown just above the table, beeping smoothly. "The only explanation is a freak reaction. Maybe Bruss' behavior caused it…" Astro's heart rate suddenly quickened and Astro's face filled with rage. Elefun looked over. "Ah! You see! Just the thought of him makes you angry." Astro sat up and jumped off the table. Elefun picked up his suitcase and headed out the door. He stopped and faced Astro. "Good bye, Astro. Have a great rest of your day." Elefun was about to head out the door once more when Astro spoke.
"Um, Dr. Elefun?" he said. Elefun turned around.
"Yes, dear boy?" Astro rubbed the back of his neck.
"Did…Does…" Astro swallowed.
"Yes?"
"Does my dad really want me? Like, does he miss Toby more?" Astro asked, looking down to the floor. Elefun looked at Astro with sorrow and he kneeled down in front of him.
"Astro, of coarse he wants you. Sure, we all miss Toby but he lives through you." Astro sighed.
"I just can't stop remembering that night. When he called you over to deactivate Me." Elefun put his hand on Astro's shoulder.
"That was when your farther was a little out of it. The death of Toby was of such a shock to him, it shocked out all his thinking. He thought the only way out the mess he created was to get rid of you." Astro turned his head away but Elefun put his hand on the side of Astro's head and turned his face to him. "But all along, the only problem was with your farther. You ended up being the solution." Astro smiled and hugged Dr. Elefun.
"Thank you, Dr. Elefun."
"Thank you, dear boy." Elefun stood up and held his suitcase tight. "Now, I must be off."
"Good bye." Elefun nodded and walked out the lab. Astro heaved a sigh and looked around. Strange to think that this is where they created me. He thought. "Astro!" Orrin called from the kitchen below. Astro looked around one more time, and then ran out the door for dinner.
Hamegg drove up to the prison entrance. He came up to the check in box. A man sat in the box, asleep. Hamegg took the opportunity and drove straight through. He parked into the lot and got out the car. He opened the boot, got out a suitcase and he opened it. Inside were tiny little robots, around ten of them. They were mostly metal, with fluorescent green wires and one big red eye poking out. They were the size of small bugs and had ten spiny robotic legs each. Hamegg smiled and picked one up; legs tucked in and eye closed. He took a remote control out of his pocket and pressed a small red (yes, it's always red) button. The robot's eye snapped open and its legs unfolded. It looked around with its legs flinching. All the other robots unfolded and came to life. "Go on my little spybots…" Hamegg slyly said, tipping the suitcase onto the ground. The robots scurried up the side of the wall. Hamegg heard a guard coming and quickly jumped into his car and sped off.
The spy bots snuck up to the air vent. The guard jumped around the corner, shining his flashlight. "HA!" he saw nothing. His smile dropped and he scratched his head, looking around. "Hmm, I thought I heard something." He said in his dopy deep voice. He shone his light along the wall. The last spybot just slid inside the vent as the light reached it. Inside the vent they scurried on, one that was never quite finished dopily tripping over another. Suddenly they flattened up against the side of the vent wall. A small camera was in a corner where the vent split. Squeaky robotic noises arose. Soon a spybot quickly jumped put and shot out a tiny harpoon at the camera. Before it could turn to see what was there, the harpoon slit its lens and destroyed it. They charged on and headed down the left way. The dopey spybot went the wrong way. "RSHH?" it dopily skid down to join the others. They came to one opening in the air vent. They looked down to see two women sleeping. They moved on to another opening with no one inside it. The dopey spybot tapped on the air vent bars. One spybot came over and slapped it on the eye. "RACSHH!" they came to the last opening. They looked in to find Stone sitting on his bed and Black taking a nap. A spybot connected to Hamegg's phone.
Hamegg was sitting in his car just out side the prison. He heard his phone go off and grabbed it eagerly. He held it up to a robot translator. "We've beep found Stones beep cell but there's another beep person in it." Hamegg frowned and shook his head.
"So! Bust him out too! It doesn't really matter!"
"Right beep you are beep sir!"
"Un-do the vent and let them climb through. Send the others to the tech room to dis arm the sirens and alarms."
"Yes sir beep."
The spybot un-connected and looked at the vent. The dopy spybot tapped a bar, only to get electrocuted by an invisible force field. The bot immediately deactivated. "RACHH!" a spybot signaled all the others who surrounded the vent. Wires shot out of them and connected to the sides of it. Power surged through the wires and the force field disappeared. Some spybots started to un-screw the bolts, while some others traveled to the tech room. A man sat in the room, continually watching the different screens. A spybot shot out a fire gun and burnt a hole silently below and jumped off, turning and shooting a rope to the other spybots. They caught it and hauled the swinging spybot to a stop just above the man's head. The bot signaled for him to be dropped and the others followed. Once it was close enough to the man's neck, the spybot lifted one of its legs and blue electricity clicked though the tip. It reached out and zapped the man. The man jolted and fell to the ground. The spybot swung and landed on the control board. It crawled along; looking at the different buttons finally it came to a force fielded box with a key hole inside. The spybot leaned five legs against the base of the force field. The force field glitched and then disappeared. The spybot then dug its leg into the key hole. After a few twitches, all the lights went off and the screens disappeared.
A very confused Stone looked up to the air vent above him, listening to the screws un-do. Black sat up quickly with interest. "What would 'at be?" he said with a smile. He jumped up and stood next to Stone, looking up at the vent. As it started to fall, Black quickly reached up and caught it, chucking on the ground. A guard outside the cell turned around. "What's going on?" he demanded. Black smiled sweetly.
"Just 'avin a friendly conversation with me fellow 'ell mate!" he said.
"Hmph." The guard turned back away. Black's smile dropped and he turned to Stone.
"Com'on." He whispered. "Give me a boost." Stone frowned at him.
"Why should I?" Black sighed.
"To get out of here through 'at 'ittle vent!" he yelled. Suddenly yelling could be heard. The guard looked around to the other, shouting at the end of the hall.
"HEY! SOMEONES SHUT DOWN THE POWER!" he yelled. The guards ran over to help get the system started again. Black pushed Stone's hands down and started climbing up to the vent opening. "Oww! Hey! Watch it!" Stone mumbled as Black stepped all over his head and arms.
"Sorry princess!" he replied, sliding into the vent's tight space. He lifted his head to come face to face with a spybot. He frowned and grasped it. The bot screeched and struggled. Black turned it over to find a logo of Hamegg's business. "Hamegg, 'ay?"
"Move it, Black!" Stone grumbled, pushing the last of Black's legs through the vent. Black pushed himself along the tunnel. Stone looked around for something to help him reach up. He noticed a small stool and quickly grabbed it and put it into place. He stepped up on it and made his way up to catch up with Black. They made their way down the vent and came to the opening at the wall. Black bashed on the bars with his fist. "I can't open it!" he grunted. He then looked above him to find the spybots crawling along the roof. They skittered down to the bars and flamed them out. Black looked at one. I gave him a friendly salute. Black frowned and nodded. "Thanks…" him and Stone climbed out and jumped into the parking lot. "What now?" Stone asked.
"Didn't you 'ear 'im? The power's shot! So now…" Black looked at the open road near. "We run." They bolted down the street.
"HEY! THERE ESCAPING!" soon Stone and Black were hot pursuit by guards.
"Where do we go?" Stone asked.
"You're the one who used to run 'is city!" suddenly they heard a car horn. Hamegg was parked in front. Black recognized the label to the one on the robot. "In 'at car!" he signaled. They flung the door open and jumped in the car. Hamegg pulled up into the sky, just getting out of reach of the guards. Soon they were completely out of danger and on their way to Hamegg's place. Black took a deep breath. "WOO! Yeah, man!" he yelled, punching his fist in the air.
"Who are you?" Stone asked.
"Man, who cares? We're saved! Out!" Hamegg turned his head to them.
"I'm Hamegg, and the only reason I saved you, is because I need help." he said. He looked at Black. "And I wasn't even supposed to save you. Who are you?"
"Bad Boy Black, mate. Black, for short." Hamegg looked back to the sky.
"What help do you need with?" Stone asked.
"In creating something." Hamegg replied. Black scoffed.
"With 'em nifty little robo's you've got, you aren't doing 'alf bad in the inventing industry!"
"I'm creating a highly advanced robot."
"What, like 'at Astro kid?" Black asked, laughing a little.
"Exactly." Black's face dropped and Stone frowned.
"Huh?"
Hamegg pulled up to the building. They all hopped out. "Now be quite. The kids will be sleeping." Hamegg mumbled.
"Kids? Ha! Let me guess, and the wife, too?" Black joked.
"No. I run a sort of orphanage here."
"How many kids would be in there?" Stone asked.
"I don't keep count, okay, I just name them and them let them stay here." They made their way down to Hamegg's lab, the half finished robot still lying on the lab table. Stone looked at it with raised eyebrows. Black was fishing in the basket of body parts, pulling out an old robot arm and swaying it in the air. Hamegg pulled out his blueprints and examined them. Stone looked at them. "Where did you get them?" he pointed. Black looked up from his arm.
"Long story." Hamegg said, laying them on his desk. Black's eyes widened. He ran over and pushed Hamegg out of the way. "Whoa! You actually got the 'ittle brat's how to make list!" Hamegg pushed him back.
"Yes! And I don't have all the parts! That why I rescued STONE, so he could give me them!" Stone looked at the blueprints.
"Yes, I do have all these parts. But why do want to make this robot?"
"I have a grudge against Tenma! If I could make this robot, I can finally destroy him!" Stone rubbed his chin.
"Alright, but you pay for them." he agreed.
"I can't afford them right now!" Hamegg said.
"Do I look like I care…?"
"Wait!" they both looked to Black. "Look, I may come as a bit of a loon, but you're going about 'is the wrong way." Black walked over to them. "You want Tenma ta suffer, right?" Hamegg nodded. "How can 'e suffer…if he's dead? I say you kill the last thing he 'as. That 'ittle Astro brat." Hamegg and Stone looked at each other.
"That…is actually a very good idea." Hamegg praised.
"We'll kill 'im with a huge robot like no other!" Black said.
"Or we could use this robot to get him into so much trouble the city will beg Tenma to shut him down himself." Hamegg said with a smile.
"Or you could use a whole different tactic." Stone said. "Infect him so he slowly dies."
"Well, I'm using this robot." Hamegg said.
"Well, hay, I want to kill the brat too!" Black said. They all looked at each other.
"Tell you what Hamegg. I'll give you the parts for free…" Hamegg went to speak but Stone quickly finished the sentence. "IF, you are the first one to destroy Astro." Everyone gave each other sleek glances again.
"Gentlemen, I think we have a race on our hands." Hamegg announced. "Stone, I need your equipment, and Black, you need my knowledge. Loser has to pay for all."
"First one to destroy Astro?" Black said. Stone smiled and nodded.
"First one to destroy Astro."
"Orrin, you look worn out. Go to charge up for the night." Astro told Orrin. Orrin slumbered across the kitchen.
"Yes Master...ahem, I mean Astro." Orrin rolled into his room, the door sliding down. Astro went into the bathroom and looked in the mirror. He turned and tried to see if there was any sign of an infection on his neck. He stared closely and noticed tiny little blue lines erupting from a small chipped place where he was hit. "Hmmm…" He mumbled. He walked out to his room, set his new, NEW alarm clock for midnight so he could meet Cora and the others and climbed in his bed to sleep.
BEEP-
SMASH!
Astro jumped out of his bed and ran over to the window. He slid it open and turned back to see if anyone was looking. He turned back to come face to face with Mr. Squeegee and Squeegee Bottle. "AHH!"
He groaned. "Stop DOING THAT!"
"Well stop sneaking out!" Squeegee Bottle yelled.
"What does it matter to you?"
"Look, firstly if you get hurt, we would never forgive us." Mr. Squeegee said.
"Yeah, and no one else would either! We would get partly the blame for letting you go!" Squeegee Bottle joined in.
"I'm not going to get hurt. And if I did, I'll fully take the blame." Astro pushed past them and powered across the city.
"Yeah, well…WHAT IF YOU GET HUR SO BADLY YOU CANT EVEN TAKE THE BLAME YOUR SO WEAK?" Squeegee Bottle yelled to him; not looking back and continuing on his journey to Hamegg's. Squeegee sighed. "Kids…they don't think these days…"
"I'm telling you, he said he'll be here!" Widget said. Zane and Sluch looked at each other with raised eyebrows. Widget stamped her foot on the ground and crossed her arms. They were outside on the old car. "I believe you Widget." Cora said. Zane looked up to the sky and his eyes widened.
"Actually, I believe you too." Cora looked up and gasped in pleasure.
"Astro!" she jumped eagerly off the car and ran towards him, landing down to the ground. He smiled and they hugged each other. "I heard you had an eventful first day at school." Cora said, looking up at him. He laughed.
"Hey! Why don't you go to school?"
"I'm fine teaching my self. Besides, Hamegg had only enough money to put two of us in school, and Zane and Widget were the ones that most wanted to go."
"Yeah, but I'm starting to regret it." Zane said, leaning against the car door. Cora looked at him and frowned.
"It's that Bruss isn't it?" he nodded.
"But Astro showed him whose boss!" Widget cheered.
"That's only going to make things worse, Widget." Zane said.
"Why was he only interested in picking on you? You said you paid him out about something." Astro said, walking over with Cora to the car.
"His uncle." Zane said, sinking his back into the car more.
"Well, what did you say?"
"His uncle is Stone." Cora announced. Astro's eyes widened.
"WHAT!"
"I was GOING to announce that my self!" Zane said.
"Well, you took to long!" Cora complained.
"Wait, wait, wait…WAIT. STONE, it Bruss' uncle?" Astro confirmed. They all nodded. "Wow… he must-"
"-Really hate you? Yeah." Finished Sluch.
"Especially since I kinda…" Zane started.
"Included Astro in the pay out?" Cora said.
"Seriously… STOP DOING THAT."
"You didn't…" Astro begged. Zane shrugged.
"I'm sorry. He was getting on my nerves..." There was a long pause.
"Well! You came over here to have fun, right?" Cora said, breaking the silence. Astro nodded. Cora smiled at Sluch, Widget and Zane. "Guys, you ready?" they all nodded and jumped off the car laughing. They ran ahead and spun to Astro. "Com'on!" Cora said.
"Com'on where?" Astro asked.
"Were going to prank the RRF!" Sluch and Widget said together. Astro laughed and ran to catch up.
"Bubble gum." Cora ordered. Sluch nodded and placed three sticks of pink bubble gum in her hand.
"Check." He said.
"Bucket." Astro got a metal bucket and put it in front of Cora.
"Check."
"Water."
"Check." Zane put down a bottle of water.
"And lastly, video recorder." Widget slammed down a video player.
"PRESANT!"
"SHH!" everyone hushed her. They were sitting on top of the RRF hide out. They looked down through a hole in the roof. "Okay, they'll be back soon. Plan set?" Cora asked everyone. They nodded. Zane pointed out the steps.
"Fill bucket with water and put it in the door way-" Widget took over.
"So then Sparks will get water tipped all over him-"
"So blinded he will walk right into the bubble gum on the ground-" Sluch continued.
"Causing a disastrous collision with his other unintelligently programmed robotic friends." Astro smiled. They all looked at him.
"Yeah, what ever you just said. Let's go!" Zane jumped down holding the bucket full of their equipment followed by Sluch and Widget. Astro smiled at Cora and picked her up by the waist so they were facing each other. He softly lowered himself down with his rocket boots. "Whoa…" Cora swayed un-evenly. They touched the ground and smiled at each other. Cora quickly darted her face forward and kissed Astro softly on the lips. Astro's eyes widened and he lost all his senses. Cora closed her eyes, so did Astro. While her lips were warm and sweet, his were cold and smooth. She pulled away and smiled at him. Astro's mouth opened a tiny bit, only allowing one word escape. "Whoa…"
"Hey! Love birds! Get to it!" Sluch called. Cora ran over to help Widget slab the bubble gum on the floor. Astro was left there, still with surprise and a swiped expression on his face. Zane walked up to him. "I saw that..." He said. Astro shook his head as if just been woken up from a deep dream.
"W-what?" Zane laughed and chucked him the bucket.
"Com'on Mr. Love struck! Help get this bucket up!"
Sluch carefully filled the bucket with the water. Astro took it and slowly flew up to the top of the door and placed it carefully in the right position. "All set!" he yelled out.
"I'm telling you, comrades, there are aliens out there!" they all gasped at Sparks' voice, coming towards them.
"Run!" Cora whispered. They all hurried under the hole in the roof. "Go Astro!" Astro boosted up and leaned over to help the others. The RRF reached the door just as Sluch's legs disappeared above. They all lied on their stomachs watching, Cora holding the video player. "Well, I don't know Sparks. If there are aliens… why haven't they invaded yet?" Robotski asked. Sparks put his hand on the door, his other hand holding his favorite golf club.
"Well, because…because…BECAUSE…" he suddenly snapped his jittery fingers. "They are having a VERY, long coffee break." Robotski's eyebrows rose.
"Ohhhhhh…" Sparks smiled and opened the door. Astro, Cora, Sluch, Widget and Zane edged closer. The water bucket tilted and tipped. Water splashed all over Sparks' face, the bucket landing on his head. "AHH!" he grabbed the bucket and started to pull on it, wobbling around. His robot boots then reached the bubble gum and stuck to it. "WHOAAA!" he fell over on his stomach, the bucket banging on the ground with his head. They all snickered quietly. "Sparks, are you okay?" Robotski asked, walking towards him.
"No! Robotski! The-" Mike started.
"WHOA!" Robotski fell as well and landed on Sparks.
"-Bubble gum…"Mike finished. Sluch couldn't hold it in and burst out laughing. Cora and Astro quickly covered his mouth with their hands. They smiled and looked into each others eyes. Sluch mumbled.
"I c-a-n-t (gasp) Br-ea-th…" he scraped at their arms. They suddenly got snapped out of their trances and removed their hands. Sluch gulped in air. "Oh, sorry Sluch." Cora said. Robotski slowly got up and dusted himself off. Sparks jumped up threw the bucket off his head. "Someone is GOING TO PAY FOR THIS!" he yelled. "If I can just find them…"
BEEP! BEEP! BEEP! BEEP!
A sound came from Astro's pocket. Sparks looked around and listened.
"What is it?" Cora whispered. Astro searched his jean pocket.
"My phone."
"Well, put it to silent!"
"I'll find it first…"
BEEP! BEEP! BEEP! BEEP!
"UP THERE!" Mike called, pointing up at the hole in the roof. The RRF all gathered around. They saw all the kids. "HA! You are all so BUSTED!" Sparks yelled to them.
"Hello Astro!" Robotski called, waving. Astro awkwardly waved back. He pulled out the last pocket he had, one in his jacket. He grabbed a small phone and looked to see who was calling. "Wait till I tell your parents!" Sparks threatened. Widget and Sluch looked at each other.
"We're orphans, dude." Sluch said. Sparks smile dropped.
"Oh…"
"It's the chief of police!" Astro announced.
"Really? What does he want?" Zane said.
"I never trust police men!" Sparks said.
"What a coincidence, police men don't trust you." Cora said. Astro held the phone up to his ear.
"Hello?"
"Astro! We need you own in Metro City prison!" came the booming voice of the chief of police, Mr. Downs (I know, random name).
"What's the problem?"
"It's a break out!" Cora and Zane gasped. Astro looked at them, leaning up next to him to hear. He frowned, pushed them away, stood up and walked near the far side of the roof.
"Who broke out, sir?"
"Stone and a man called Black." Astro lowered the phone for a minute and thought. Stone's out? No! He cleared his throat and continued the conversation. "Um, you want me now?"
"Why? Is this a bad time?" Astro looked back to his friends, looking at him. He sighed.
"I'll be there in twenty minutes." He clicked the phone off.
"You have to go, don't you?" Widget said.
"Don't worry Widget. I'll see you at school." Astro comforted, rubbing Widget on the head. Cora ran up and hugged him.
"Come again!" she said.
"I will." Astro ran along the roof. When he got to the end of it, he jumped and powered into the sky. "Good luck!" Robotski yelled. Sparks frowned at him and slammed the golf club on his head. "-OW!"