Sportacus paced behind the billboard. He'd already knocked twice on the silo and Robbie hadn't answered either time. As much as he wanted to keep knocking he controlled himself the best he could. He'd been waiting for so long, though, he might have to give up today.
The slightest creak from the hatch pricked Sportacus' ear and he whirled around to see. There was a gap of space between the chute and the lid, and Robbie's dark eyes gleamed from within. The villain opened it a little wider, only enough to permit his head and shoulders.
"I thought I heard someone skulking around out here," Robbie muttered.
"Robbie," Sportacus let the relief saturate his voice, "you're okay?"
"Of course I am."
"That's good," Sportacus said. He offered a tentative smile. "I was worried you still weren't feeling well when you didn't come up right away."
"I'm trying to work down here," Robbie said. "Can't a man work on his machines without someone banging around outside every ten minutes?"
"I didn't know you liked to work on machines," Sportacus said. "I mean, besides the ones you've used around the kids before, but you haven't done that in a while."
"Yeah, well, I do." Robbie lifted his chin. "I happen to be an amazing inventor even when it's not devising ways to keep noisy brats quiet. The Rotten LTD brand is a generations long family business, and still going strong, thank-you-very-much."
"I had no idea," Sportacus said with the appropriate amount of awe.
"Of course you wouldn't have," Robbie said, grinning just a little. "Now you do, and I'll be getting back to it."
"Why don't I join you?" Sportacus asked before the man could leave. Robbie scoffed, unable to bite back the entire laugh.
"Why, so you can bang around inside?"
"If you're working on something now, I'd like to see it. And the rest of your home, too."
"You're serious?" Robbie tilted his head, giving Sportacus the side eye. "You really want to come down here?"
"Well, the last couple of times I didn't get much of a chance to check it out." Sportacus chuckled. "Maybe third time's the charm."
Robbie began to speak in a decidedly negative tone but stopped. His mouth snapped shut and scrunched in thought. Something sly settled across his features then, smoothing them back out. He gave a slight nod.
"You can come in," he said, "if you help me get some things first."
"Sure thing, Robbie." Sportacus nodded right along with the villain. "What do you need?"
"I could use a new hammer," Robbie said, "and a saw. Some pliers wouldn't hurt."
"Well, I know the mayor has tools like that," Sportacus said. "He's been very busy making repairs around town…" Sportacus caught Robbie's eye. "… but I can see if he doesn't need them right now."
"You can get it all by yourself, right?" Robbie was already lowering himself back down the chute. "I can't leave this unsupervised."
"What is it?" Sportacus asked.
"Maybe you'll find out," Robbie said. His chuckle echoed and drifted out of the silo. It followed Sportacus as he left to carry out his mission.