14: JUST A BIT OF MURDER

Zane quickly dashed off into Miss Harris' office following close behind Cora. They burst through the door in a fury of anxiousness.

"MISS HARR-" they stopped short as they saw the room empty. "W-where is she?" Cora thought aloud.

"Obviously not here..." Zane mumbled.

"Check the top drawer." Cora said, and Zane slid it open to reveal stacks of papers. He searched around until his hand wrapped around a small machine...

"I got it!" he cheered, chucking it to Cora. She nodded, racing back out of the office. The two skidded to a stop around the crowds. Astro was still holding the boy by his throat, almost making him pass out. Cora took a deep breath, stepping forward.

"Astro!" she called. No answer. She held the dis-power machine up. "Don't make me use this!" Astro gave her a heavy glare. "Astro, let him go!"

"Why?"

Cora shuffled a bit upon hearing his voice. It had changed from his optimistic tone into a dark echoing pitch. The Black Core was starting to waft around him as Cora took another step forward.

"Because you don't hurt people! Astro, I know you wouldn't want to hurt anyone!" his face twitched a bit, his glare dropping. His arm trembled as he looked back to the boy, who's eyes were rolling up as his skin went white. Cora moved closer and closer.

"Let. Him. Go." Astro's breath began to shake slightly. "Astro..." everyone drew back as Astro dropped the kid, the black mist sucking back into him. The boy gasped in air as he lay sprawled on the floor for a few moments, his friends racing up to aid him. Astro held his head, collapsing against the row of lockers. The other teenagers took many steps back to avoid him. Cora just dropped the dis-power machine, quickly stepping over to him.

"Astro, are you okay?" Astro groaned, wiping his face over.

"Is HE okay?" the one from the group scoffed. "He almost killed me!" he choked. Cora gave him a look.

"He wouldn't of-"

"No..." Astro murmured. Cora turned to him. "No...I would of..." she frowned deeply, placing a hand on his shoulder.

"Astro, you need to-"

"No, stay away from me," he quivered. She drew back.

"Huh?"

"Don't go near me..." what he said next made her eyes widen. "Don't go near me or it'll kill you..."

With that he sprinted down the hall and boosted out of the school yard.

Astro sat with one knee pulled to his chest on top of the highest point of Metro City, looking over the buildings. He was trembling violently. "W-why would you do that?" he asked.

He was annoying you, wasn't he? I thought it might've been a favour.

"No..." Astro said sternly. "You were about to make me hurt Cora..."

Ah yes, the girl who thought she liked you until she found out what you were...

Astro felt a wave of anger pass through him. He wasn't sure if it was the black mist or himself remembering.

Think about it. She going to let you DIE in that arena.

"...true..." Astro hissed, eyes turning dark.

And I wonder why she loves you now? Surely it couldn't be because your a hero or anything, and it gives her attention...

Astro's breathing quickened as the black evolved him once again, taking him over without him struggling.

"And I know how to make her suffer..."

"Okay, once more." Miss Harris paced back and forth in front of the crowd of anxious teenagers with the surrounding teachers. She laced her hands behind her back. "What happened?"

"Astro went crazy!" Henna cried.

"Really freaky and stuff!" Zibby quivered.

"He tried to KILL ME!" yelped the boy. Miss Harris rubbed one eye shut, looking to them and coming to a halt.

"Okay, okay, enough over dramatizing-"

"No, Miss," Cora said sadly, stepping forward. She took a deep breath. "Astro had him by the throat-"

"See?" yelled another boy from the gang. "He almost killed Kony!" Harris held out her hands, signaling silence.

"Enough! What do you mean by 'had him by the throat'?"

"Astro was strangling a kid-" Ember mumbled, but was interrupted.

"What?" Harris was clearly shocked.

"He's evil!" yelled out one of the kids.

"No!" Cora turned to them, holding out her hands in reason. "It wasn't his fault-!"

"Wasn't his fault?"

"Why would he try and murder someone then?!"
"I didn't even do anything!"

"I know Astro wouldn't want to hurt you!" Reno argued. "Your a major pain anyway!"

"Guys, I know why this is happening!" Conner silenced them all. The teachers glanced to him.

"Yes, Conner?" Mr Mustashio ushered. The nerd cleared his throat.

"Astro is right now being taken over by a Black Core. It's the thing that's been making the robots malfunction all over the city. Astro somehow has adapted to sucking the mist out of the machines but we think it's...I dunno, changing him..." the end of his speech caused everyone to brake out in nervous mutters.

"Well..." Mr Rikkly spluttered. "H-how long has he been a threat?"

"Never trusted that robot," Mrs Brand mumbled.

"SILENCE!" Miss Harris snapped. Everyone looked to her. "Cora, do you know where Astro is now?" Cora shook her head.

"No, he disappeared."

"So he could be anywhere?!" Kony screeched. "Who knows what he'll do next!" Cora drew daggers at him.

"Astro would never hurt anyone!" the gang snickered.

"Yeah right!"

"Not by his own will!"

As a small fight broke out, Miss Harris turned away with a growl and flipped out her phone. Dialing Tenma's number, she held it to her hear.

Tenma was in one of the many Ministry's labs, working with other scientists to try and extract any signs of the Black Core from the service bot or examine its' deep programming to find out how the Core infected its' mind. He cursed under his breath as he heard his mobile go off and quickly flipped it out.

"I'm sorry, I can't talk right now-"

"Mr Tenma?" Tenma's eyebrows furrowed.

"Miss Harris? Is there a problem?"

"More like a crime scene. Your son has just attempted to strangle one of my students." The man blinked a couple of times, registering what she just said.

"E-excuse me?"

"Look, I don't know how or why, but Astro has been extremely violent in these past couple of days. He didn't want me to tell you, but he has reportedly threw a desk across a class room and now this." Tenma was pacing like mad, one hand to his temple.

"I...I didn't know..."

"I don't blame you. He seemed rather anti-social towards you in particular."

"M-me? Why?"

"I don't know! But some of his friends have urgent news they must report to you." Tenma's hope rose, hoping they knew more about the black mist then he did at the moment.

"Send them over here then."

"Tenma, it's still school hours-"

"This could be a matter of ending a great danger Harris! Send them over!"

Miss Harris sighed, snapping the phone shut and turning to the crowd. "Okay!" she shouted over them. "Who knows about this...what was it? Black Core?" Cora, Zane, Ember, Conner and Bruss stepped forward, glancing to each other. Miss Harris nodded. "Alright, Dr Tenma needs you down at the Ministry of Science, got it?"

"But..." Zane frowned. "Isn't it still school time-?"

"I AM AWARE OF THE TIMES, ZANE. Now leave before I keep you in anyway!" they nodded quickly and scampered out of the building, the sound of the teachers trying to calm the students down.

Tenma let out a long sigh of relief when saw the five teenagers burst through the Ministry doors and ran up to him. "Thanks for the ticket out of school!" Zane gasped out, keeling over from running so fast. Tenma raised an eyebrow in fake amusement.

"Miss Harris said you had an insight to this black mist problem."

"Accept it's not a mist, Mr Tenma," Cora said, worry etched into her face. Tenma cocked his head, frowning. She swallowed. "It's a Core." A few scientists in the lab perked their heads up at this.

"What?" Tenma asked, stunned. Conner nodded, stepping forward.

"We discovered that the black mist was inside Astro and thought that if it was a glitch then it still wouldn't of been able to compete with the Blue Core. So we realized that-"

"It was it's own kind..." Tenma groaned, wiping a hand over his face. He looked to them. "How long has he had the Black Core inside him?" they glanced to each other.

"Uhhh, a couple of days at least..." Bruss mumbled.

"Haven't you noticed the personality changes?" Cora asked. Tenma's eyes grew a bit distant at this, as if he was scanning though the entire contense of his brain. After a while he stamped his foot on the ground, cursing and burring his head in his hands with a long sigh. The teens raised an eyebrow to each other.

"Uhhh, Dr Tenma?" Bruss asked.

"My fault..." he groaned.

"Huh? How was it your fault?" Conner asked.

"I couldn't have really been anyone's fault..." Ember mumbled.

"No, I..." Tenma grimanced. "I didn't listen to him...I ignored him and shut him out." He was just about ready to knock himself out. "Again! God, how could've I made the SAME MISTAKE!" he paced in a circle, holding his head.

"Sir, I don't mean to be rude, but we kinda got to find Astro before he kills something." Dr Tenma took a breath, looking to them and nodding.

"Right, right..." he strode across the lab, stopping at a large computer and scanning through the contense. "Do you have any information on how the Black Core got to Metro City?" he asked. They shook their heads, sitting in some of the chairs beside him.

"No, but we figured that someone must be behind it." Conner informed.

"Someone?" Tenma asked, eyes never leaving the screen as he attempted a tracking for Astro's signature.

"We're pretty sure. But we can't figure out who exactly would want robots to rebel against humans-"

"Or want to get their hands on a Core," Zane cut Cora off. Tenma sighed wearily.

"It is quite the mystery..." he mumbled. Bruss leaned over.

"How's the tracking going? Can you find him?" the man gave an annoyed look.

"No luck." They shared sighs and slumps in their seats.

"I'm gonna guess that the Black Core is blocking any signals..." Ember suggested. They nodded as Dr Elefun approached them.

"Bill? A scientist over heard everything and told me." He glanced to the red signals on the computer screen. "I'm guessing you can't find him."

"Nope, nothing." Tenma rose from his seat, pacing once more. "Elefun, I don't know what to do!"

"We could send the police after him?" Bruss shrugged.

"But Mr Downs wouldn't have any second thought about causing harm to Astro!" Tenma shook his head.

"Tenma, we have to consider the lives of other citizens!" Elefun reasoned. Tenma froze his eyes on him.

"Albert, I'm NOT letting them hurt him!"

"But what if someone gets hurt and he's the cause of it?" Elefun fought. "Then they would have the right to hurt him! Tenma, don't be rational about this. The police could search the city quickly without trackers!" he looked him in the eyes for a long time. "You know I'm right." Tenma inhaled through his nose.

"Fine," he muttered. "Get Mr Downs on the line and tell him to try and find Astro." Elefun gave a solid nod, exiting the room. "But tell them not to attack!" he called after.

Mr Jade walked through the apartment building, tugging his collar of his jacket and clenching a mug of warm coffee in his hand. He smiled to Mrs Jade who was in the kitchen, preparing dinner. "Cora's a little late..." she mumbled to herself. He nodded, taking a long sip.

"She probably went over Zane's place or something," he comforted. She nodded, continuing to chop vegetables on the marble counter. Mr Jade smiled and proceeded out of the room and onto the balcony. He took a peaceful breath in, looking over the grand city.

Little did he expect something to wrap around his arms and yank him right off the balcony and into the air.

He only had time to gasp as he saw his coffee mug slip from his grasp and plummet below as his legs dangled fifty meters off the ground. He waved his arms everywhere, letting out yells of complaints but barley able to speak over the wind that wrapped around him. All of a sudden he was thrown onto the roof of one of the tallest buildings in Metro City. He pulled his jacket back into place with a red flustered face that was boiling with rage.

"WHAT THE HELL?!" he screeched, darting his head around. Nothing. He breathed heavily, glancing above him. The same results- just the slowly darkening sky. He frowned, shakily getting to his feet and grasping onto a small radio tower that was struck onto the building for support. Suddenly he heard something- or rather someone- land behind him. He twisted around with a gasp. Nothing.

Becoming scared, he made his way to the edge of the roof, clenching the metal bars for a support. The wind swished his balding hair across the side of his cheeks as he whipped his head around at footsteps.

"W-who's there?" he quivered. He turned around...

To come face to face with two dark eyes and a spiked head of hair.

Astro darted forward and gripped the front of his jacket, lifting him off the air with one arm. Mr Jade kicked at him, a scowl across his face. "ASTRO? LET GO OF ME YOU PEICE OF JUNK!" Astro didn't respond, only standing at the very edge of the building and holding the struggling man all the way over it. Mr Jade looked down and let out a screech. "WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!" he screamed, now clenching his wrist in case the delirious robot decided to let go.

"I'm going to let you see how I feel..." the man's ears flinched at the echoing voice. "You know...always trying to hold onto something...something that you feel could save your life..."

He suddenly let Jade drop a bit, making him yell out in alert.

"YOU'RE CRAZY! PUT ME DOWN!"

"Only...for that trust to get weaker..."

Astro let him drop more.

"I DEMAND YOU!"

"And weaker..."

He dropped him that much further.

"AHHH! ARE YOU LOOSING A WIRE OR SOMETHING?!"

"Until..." a smirk slithered across Astro's face. Mr Jade took one glace at him and he froze up. That smirk...it was too evil. Too freaky. Too god damn scary.

"It finally..."

"DON'T..." he gasped, the evening winds plastering his skin to his skull. "YOU WOULDN'T..."

"...Drops..." Mr Jade let out a whimper as he saw Astro's grip slowly slip off the cotton of his jacket.

All until a bright search light shone on them.

Hissing, Astro covered his eyes from the light and looked to see a police helicopter hovering a few meters from him. Mr Downs could be seen through the glass frame. "ASTRO," he boomed through the loud speaker. "REALESE HIM. WE HAVE PERMISSION TO TAKE YOU INTO OUR CUSTODY." Astro narrowed his eyes at this, the Black Core starting to hovering around him. He snapped his head around to a fleet of police officers burst out of an opening stair well with guns loaded, beginning to surround him. Astro let out a growl, taking a step from the edge and dropping Mr Jade. He let out a yelp, just barely grabbing onto the edge of the building and pulling himself up.

"If you fight against us," one of the officers called, "we WILL shoot!" Astro flinched around at them all, hate in his features.

"Stay AWAY FROM ME!" he screamed at them. They didn't flinch. He let off an annoyed look, angling his feet. With a small jump he attempted to boost into the sky, only for a net to be shot from the helicopter, wrapping around him and sending him to the ground.

Astro tackled with it until a massive shock wave of electricity made him cry out in pain. "AHHH! LET ME GO!" he cried. He kept screaming until his power circuits couldn't handle anymore and he fell limp, eyes slowly closing.

The officers etched towards him cautiously, still wondering if it was safe or not. Mr Jade had no problem with this, jumping to his feet with a twisted scowl.

"That thing tied to KILL ME!" he yelled, pointing to a now unconscious Astro.

"Sir, we need you to step away-"

"I hope the next stop for that piece of trash is the incinerator!" he continued. "I THROW HIM IN THERE MYSELF!"

The squad watched as he was led away in a fury of complaints. Mr Downs sighed, looking at the humanoid robot with disappointment. He twisted a small ear piece. "Tenma?" he addressed.

"Yes?"

"We got him," he muttered, watching the police undo the net and wrap handcuffs around Astro's wrists and ankles. "But he's worse then we thought..." he heard an uncomfortable shuffle on the other end of the line.

"How so?" Downs signaled the pilot to turn the helicopter back to the Ministry.

"Just let Miss Cora know that we got some pretty interesting news for her..."