21: BREATHE
Cora drove the car into the heart of the city, smashing into robots and swearing harshly whenever a persistent one decided to grab on. Astro had told them to see if any stray people were still around and get them to the Safe Houses. So far nothing but ruin.
"The police would've taken care of most of the people," Zane murmured. "I think we should head straight for the hospital."
"Oh, yeah, and deal with a breaking down Tenma." Cora answered sharply, turning the car down the main road, speeding up as some waiter bots took chase and then spinning around a small explosion.
"This is so messed up." Bruss growled, chewing down on the inside of his cheek. "I thought Hamegg would be a little more helpful."
"It's Astro or everyone else." Ember mumbled, rubbing her nose.
"Bull. If we had more time we could've figured out a way." Cora breathed in a shaky sigh and a dark air hung around them.
Silence.
Reno looked down to Diabolos as he stirred, eyes squeezing together before opening loosely. He was resting beside Reno and Simon with his head held up my his jacket which Reno removed. He had given him a quick look over and found that his back had been broken from the impact of being thrown.
Reno flinched, not sure how to act around this man that had recently gone on a murderess rampage. The professor grunted in pain and breathed deeply. As soon as he got a clear sense of his surroundings and stole a glace of Reno, he immediately attempted to get up which resulted in more cries of pain.
"Don't strain yourself," Reno ushered quickly, reaching out and pulling his shoulder back down.
"Don't touch me." He said surprisingly calmly, but just enough threat to fall through his words. He tried to adjust himself, letting out a hiss. "God dammit…what the hell…I don't even-"
"Your back's broken." Reno said simply. Diabolos looked at him properly for the first time, eyes blood shot.
"I…" he looked around to his semi-smashed lab and then to the Descendant. He sighed deeply, finally relaxing into his jacket and bringing a hand up to rub his temple. "I…screwed up…god dammit…god dammit…"
Reno didn't answer. He didn't know if he was angry that he failed or if he legit lost control of himself. He let him have his moment of complaining, and several 'god dammit's later he looked down to Simon. He paused. "…Is he alive?"
Reno blinked before glancing to the bloodied shoulder himself. "I think so. I'm not that good with human injuries, but I think I've stemmed the bleeding for now. He needs a hospital though." Diabolos nodded, focusing on the ceiling. They were silent for a few minutes more until Reno couldn't hold his questions anymore. "What the hell were you thinking?" the man didn't react. "You…were looking for an energy source for the Descendant. I've pieced it together. You were looking for the Blue Core. But you found something different. It wasn't in your original plan. But it worked. Better than the Blue Core ever could. But you didn't know how to control that power, did you?"
Diabolos didn't answer as Reno continued. "So you let it run its own coarse for a while. But then you get back to the plan. Of course," he gestured around, "that failed. But I just want to know…what were you planning to do with the Descendant? What was its purpose?" Diabolos didn't stir for a long while. Reno was starting to think he was ignoring him and wouldn't blame him, until he spoke.
"I wanted Metro City to burn."
"Why?"
Quietly, smoothly,
"Because humans are disgusting creatures."
Reno blinked. He adjusted Simon on his lap and turned to fully face Diabolos, who was still looking at a certain point on the ceiling. "Their only joy is to hurt their own kind. Life has taken…everything from me. Everything." His hands gripped. "I wanted to take justice into my own hands."
"You know, you almost took everything away from a lot of people in the process," Reno murmured. "You shot your friend, almost killed someone's brother in front of them, threatened some kids and now my best friend is off to die to clean up your mess."
He breathed deeply, not answering the boy. Reno shrugged, turning away from him with a certain iciness. "Next time you want to cleanse the world, make sure you're not the one infecting it."
Silence.
Grace was becoming extremely nervous. Zog had kept stomping over until he was climbing up to the edge of the city, crunching over old broken pieces of robots. "Zog, buddy…I love you and all…but I really need to get out of here." Taking it as an order, the giant robot abruptly stopped and reached his arm down.
"Go."
The small girl slipped ungracefully down to the ground and looked up at Zog as he began walking again. "Hey!" she called after. "HEY! WHERE ARE YOU GOING?"
"Astro."
Shoving down the urge to poke her tongue out Grace looked around and flinched as an explosion went off somewhere in the heart of the city. "I need to get outta here…"
Astro breathed deeply, feeling the Black Core wrap around him. He shuddered slightly as his alter-ego took over, drenching his eyes in black. "The plan?" the echoing voice asked to seemingly no-one.
'Suck in all the Black Core.' Buzzed a small voice in the back of his head, just as he had done merely hours ago.
"But that would-"
'I'm aware.'
The twin blinked before smirking. "Human's puppet 'till the end, hm? Let's do this."
Cora almost ran over Grace when she stumbled onto the road, waving her hands like a lunatic. The brakes squeaked as the car halted to a stop. "Grace?" Zane asked, squinting and leaning forward.
"Who?" Conner frowned.
Cora quickly got out, rushing over to her. "Grace! What are you doing here?" she went to scoop the girl up only to be rejected with a push.
"Zog brought me here and I saw you about to man handle me- don't." The last part skimmed right past Cora's mind.
"Wait, wait, wait, Zog? Zog's here?" their conversation was interrupted by a buzzing of electronics and they looked up to see a few robots coming towards them. Cora's eyes widened. "Common!" Rejecting holding her hand, Grace ran with her back to the car, leaping in the back seat next to Conner. The car was rushing along the road in the space of a few seconds.
"Hey little dude!" Zane greeted, grinning. She waved lamely, face red and flustered.
"What do you mean Zog's here?" Cora asked.
"Zog? Where?" Conner and Bruss piped up.
"Here." Grace breathed. "He carried me here. He said something about Astro."
"Astro?" Zoran's small voice quivered. Zane and Cora shared a look.
"I gotta a baaaaaad feeling…"
Astro's ego walked a few steps, stopping just at the end of the main street, looking at the seemingly never ending havoc. His wrists twirled and he breathed through his nose.
"Okay…"
He felt the Black Core begin to scrape off broken robots, rippling along the floor before sucking into his chest, locking in place and giving him more and more power. After the first five minutes of non-stop devouring power being poured into him he began to stumble back, eyes closing to concentrate more. His body was beginning to let off a brilliant glow from him body overloading. He knew he wasn't even half way yet.
Grip.
Thick metal fingers wrapped around his torso and the air around him suddenly hit him like a brick wall as he felt himself being flung backwards. Astro's ego sucked back into him as Astro took over, grunting as he smashed into the cherry tree. "What in the-?" he looked up to see Zog standing where he had been, back towards him. "Zog? Zog! Zog, what the hell are you doing here? Get out!"
The might robot didn't answer. After a few seconds of Astro having no idea what was going on, the Black Core begun to wash along the ground before sucking into Zog instead. Pouring, pouring, pouring…
Astro couldn't speak. His mouth went dry and his limbs froze up. "Zog…"
The car parked in front of the hospital and the kids jumped out, running over to the bolted double doors. As Cora ran, she quickly whipped out her phone and dialled in Dr Elefun's number, holding it to her ear. A nurse inside saw them coming and quickly pressed a button which allowed them to enter and locked it behind them.
"You kids alright? No one injured?" she asked with a frown. They shook their heads, catching their breath and slumping on the lobby couches. "Do you know where Dr Tenma's room is?" Conner asked hopefully. The nurse nodded and motioned them to follow her. Cora lingered behind, waiting for someone to pick up.
"Hello? Kids?"
"Elefun!" Cora cried. "I need Hamegg on the phone right now please."
"Of course. What's wrong?"
"Hamegg, please."
"Right."
A shuffle.
"What's up kiddo?"
"Hamegg, Zog's here and I have no idea why."
"What? Zog? When? Where?"
"HERE. NOW. He said something about wanting to find Astro."
A pause.
"There's no possible way that he would be able to…?"
"I wouldn't know, Cora." Cora rubbed an eye shut sighing. "But I think your wonder boy might be getting a hand."
Astro slowly pulled himself up from the dirt, wide eyes watching the scene in front of him. Black Core was enveloping the golden plating, giving him a wavering, seemingly alive armour of black ripples.
"Zog…" Astro whispered. "Blue Core…Zog has…so he can…" suddenly his eyes went wild and he leapt to his feet, sprinting as fast as he can towards him. "Zog! Stop it! It'll kill you!" he skidded into his leg, slamming his fist against it. "It'll kill you, Zog! Stop!"
With a flex of his chunky arm Zog whacked Astro into the grassy field once more, not stopping. Astro bared his teeth, not giving up.
"ZOG STOP IT! YOU'LL DIE!" When he didn't answer Astro growled and charged, only to run into an awaiting hand and being flung back over into the tree.
"Stay." Came the echoing reply. Wiping the dirt from his cheek Astro rose again.
'It's pointless…'
"ZOG!" Astro screamed out to him. "ZOG, STOP!"
'Why are you bothering…?'
He harshly silenced the voice in his head, running up to the robot again. A heavy glow was surrounding him. It wouldn't be too long now…
He pounded his fists against him, trying not to hurt him but just attempting to get him to stop. "ZOG!" he screamed.
"Astro. Enough."
Grip.
Throw.
Astro grunted as he was thrown further this time, tumbling off the edge of the city and scraping along the Surface. He got up, but wobbled on his feet. No stopping him. Pointless…
He limped to the side of the city, digging his nails into the dirt and lifting himself up into a small ditch in the side. He could hear the loud humming of power that was radiating above him. He clasped his hands on the side of his head, covering his ears and squeezing his eyes shut. "ZOG!"
The explosion devoured most of the left side of the city, smashing through buildings and cracking the roads. Piece of metal were everywhere and a heavy smoke was rising to clash with the early morning colours of starch blue and sea foam white.
No more Black Core. No more Zog. People in the Safe Houses all flinched when the loud boom hit their ears and shook the walls of the large sheds. The hospital shook violently as if being rattled by phantom hands, everyone inside wincing or letting out cries of fright.
Z hugged Zoran and the new baby close as they both cried, one wailing, one silently letting the tears fall. Tenma had left the room. No one has seen him return yet. Cora bit her lip and Zane said 'damn it' about two thousand times.
Dr Elefun stood motionless and Hamegg rubbed his temple to defeat an incoming headache, standing in the middle of the lab that had an eerie feel to it suddenly.
Astro kept his hands over his ears and his eyes closed, nestling deeper into the ditch and let out a small whimper.
Everyone took a breath.
Silence.