(A/N: What...what is this…? An update…? In a normal amount of time…? College is good for something! Hey guys, but seriously, I'm pushing to get this finished, (it's been long enough), and your wonderful feedback is super encouraging for that goal! I'm so glad you guys like my story and my writing. It is so inspiring for my future. And I might be a little sorry for how mean I'm being. A little.

Enjoy!)

There were tears rolling down Cora's cheeks again, but she was so used to them by now, she was mostly surprised she was still capable of pain.

Astro's body lay on the cold Ministry ground, limbs still glitching and hand stretched out to the side palm up, like he was Snow White and he'd just bitten from the poison apple, relapsing into his cursed sleep.

Guess that made her Prince Charming. With renewed anger bubbling in the pit of her stomach, Cora struggled against Stone's grip, but the psychopath was reveling in his victory. He simply clenched her tighter in his hold, and he laughed cruelly for probably not the last time.

"Well, that was easier than I expected," he declared, and the cheerfulness in his voice made Cora's skin crawl.

"Monster!" she growled, trying to kick him in the shin, but Stone evaded the jab easily. Friggin' tall people.

"True," Stone agreed, and Cora could tell just by his tone he was smiling. "Very true, little girl. I am. And you know what? I think I like that."

He chuckled, and the barrel of the blaster pressed harder against Cora's temple as Stone addressed Heckler. He motioned to Astro's shell with a short jab of his chin. "Pick the little excuse for a 'bot up and bring it back to the lab," he ordered. "Give him another round, too, while you're at it, and put the Blue Core back where it belongs. We will dispose of the both of them later. Right now - "

He turned to shoot Tenma a rather sly smile, and Cora shrieked as she was yanked around with the movement. "I have a robot of my own to finish up, and a mini-Tenma to attend t - "

He cut off suddenly, but not without a tiny, unmanly squeak of surprise. Cora couldn't see his face, but she imagined his eyes widened, because her did.

Toby was no longer standing next to Dr. Tenma as he had been.

"Where in the blazes - " Stone began, but that was all he got out before he swiveled around to see Heckler's stocky form sprawled eagled on the floor, most definitely unconscious.

Hovering above him was a smirking Toby Tenma, who was wielding a giant, blood-speckled wrench.

The younger, human Tenma's brown eyes sparkled as he held the oversized wrench out in front of him like a sword.

"You wanna touch my robot," he announced. "You're going to have to go through me."

Cora had never felt so proud.

"Foolish boy!" Stone snarled, and Cora winced as his hold on her increased to crushing force. "You can't touch me! Take one more step, and I'll blow the girl's head off. You wouldn't want that, now, would you?"

Definitely not. But Toby simply grinned. "Who said I need to take a step?" he challenged, jabbing the wrench up in the direction of Stone's ugly, angular face, and that was all the cue that was needed.

In fact, there hadn't really been any need for a cue at all.

"What - " Stone tried, but his sentence ended in a grunt of pain as he received a sharp and - this time - successful blow to the knee.

A triumphant Cora wiggled out of the sorry excuse for a former President's grasp happily, and proceeded to give the twig-like jerk a deserved kick in the balls with all the fury she could muster - which was a fair amount. Stone cried out in agony, falling over pitifully before moaning, doubling over in pain as his blaster slipped from his fingers. Cora gave the stupid gun another solid kick, and it went skittering away

"The little girl can handle herself," Toby finished, smiling slyly as he gave Cora a small wink.

Cora sent him a wry smile in return, thankful for his distraction and his trust in her, before turning her attention - and her pent-up wrath - back to Stone. "You deserve worse," she spat down at him. Her spittle landed on his face, and it was so poetic, she almost laughed. She aimed a kick to his stomach without holding back, and Stone hollowed. "But this'll do for now. Maybe. I'm still debating my wrench."

She glanced back at Toby. "Thanks for holding on to it for me, by the way," she said.

Toby grinned, holding up the massive tool like a glass of champagne. "My pleasure," he said.

Stone glared up at the both of them, hands still to his groin and looking like he might actually snarl back a retort, before attempting a careening dive for his fallen gun.

He didn't get very far. The disgraced politician cried out once again in beautiful agony as a large foot promptly stomped on his outstretched hand with reverent force.

Dr. Bill Tenma calmly bent down and retrieved the offending blaster from where it lay inches from Stone's outstretched fingers, wielding it with surprising ease as he twisted his heel mercilessly into Stone's flesh.

"Don't even think about it," he warned.

Stone looked up at Tenma through watering eyes. "You wouldn't dare," he hissed through clenched teeth.

Tenma allowed himself the slightest of smiles as he held the blaster up and pointed it square between Stone's eyes with the frigid frankness of a father who had wished himself dead less than an hour ago. "Try me."

Stone stared for a half a moment, watching Tenma's finger on the trigger just like his own finger had hovered with the barrel pressed to Cora's head. Now, with his head in the crosshairs, his resolve was beginning to crumble, and Tenma could see that. He also didn't care.

"Get up and put your hands on your head," Tenma ordered, removing his foot from Stone's hand, but hardly looking forgiving. His tone was sharp - almost police-like, and starkly absent of the usual uncertainty Stone had come to know. It didn't leave room for argument.

Reluctantly, Stone pushed to his feet and moved his hands to his head, but not without a vehement glare. "I'm going to kill you for this," he snarled.

"Should have done that when you had the chance," Tenma deadpanned, obviously not in the mood. "Toby?"

"Mhmm?" Toby piped up energetically, still hovering over Heckler with wrench at the ready.

"Get some wire and tie these two treasonists up, will you?" Tenma asked, his eyes never leaving Stone. His trigger hand didn't waver, and it went without saying that he wouldn't hesitate to shoot.

Toby scurried off obediently and returned with several clumps of wire - not unlike the ones Tenma had been bound with not long before. Stone tried to kick him when Toby moved to bind him, but he only found the barrel of his own blaster pushed to his forehead as a result.

"You will not touch my son," Tenma growled, and there was enough anger and pain in his voice to shut even the most pretentious of men up.

Stone stopped struggling begrudgingly, and Toby tied him up securely, grinning at his handiwork when he'd finished. "Who'd have thunk," he murmured to himself, brushing his hands off for show. "Metro Scouts was actually useful for once."

He chuckled at his own humor, but Tenma didn't even seem to have heard what he said. "I've got this," he said tonelessly. "Go check on Astro."

Toby quickly sobered up, having almost forgotten, and he nodded, twisting around and running over to his fallen brother.

Cora was already there, kneeling beside him with her hand clutching his lifeless one. She was crying softly. Like him, she'd forgotten - just for a moment, when they had quipped back and forth about the wrench, like they'd gotten so good at doing these past few days. She'd forgotten why they were here in the first place, and it had all rushed back to punch her in the nose.

Toby slowly crouched down next to her, reaching out as if to pat her shoulder in comfort, before thinking better of it and just draping his hands over his knees instead.

"Do you...do you think…." Cora whispered to him, wiping her nose with her sleeve unceremoniously. Toby hardly thought less of her for it. "Do you think he'll be okay? Do you think he can be fixed?"

Toby bit his lip as he looked Astro over. There was still sparks coming off his body here and there and - well, everywhere. His one arm was still dangling by a couple of wires, and Toby was impressed it was even still attached at all. His one rocket had given out, and even in boot form there was still smoke billowing in interval puffs. His chest was bumpy with different sized dents, and in a couple places his insides poked out where they shouldn't be. He looked like...well, he looked like a robot. A robot that had been run over by a bulldozer.

He let out a shaky sigh. "I don't know," he admitted. "He...he was beat up pretty bad. And Dad did...he did say it was pretty severe. But if anyone can fix him, my father can."

Cora nodded, sniffling, but she didn't appear all that uplifted. She didn't speak anymore, but Toby hadn't expected her too.

The two sat in silence for a while, just staring at Astro, like he was in a coma and they were just waiting and hoping for him to wake up, good as new.

They both jumped when Tenma came up behind them.

The renowned scientist and inventor solemnly bent down and scooped the Blue Core into his hand from where it had slipped from Astro's. He twirled it between his fingers for a short second, staring at its ethereal glow, before sighing. He closed his eyes for half a moment, just holding the Core close to his chest, before reopening them and looking down at Astro.

There were tears in his eyes, and somehow, that made Cora's stomach twist in rage.

Toby simply looked concerned. His eyes went wide. "But Sto - " he started, whipping around -

Only to see Stone out cold next to Heckler, mouth lolling open and drooling onto the patterned flooring. He looked about as threatening as a gangly teddy bear.

Toby whipped back around to look at his father in awe. "Did you..." he sputtered. "Did you really…"

Tenma gave him a wry smile. "You didn't see anything," he whispered.

Toby simply grinned at him, happy the two of them understood each other for once, but his smile quickly faded

Tenma's did too, worried eyes drifting back to Astro. He bit at his lower lip, glancing over Astro's spazzing arm and smoking boot with numbers - not good ones - flashing through his mind, before his gaze fell on Cora.

He stared at her for much longer than he'd stared at Astro, and Cora took notice. She just refused to acknowledge him.

"So..." he whispered aloud finally, breaking the silence. There was a tone of wonder in his voice that Cora didn't like. She half-hoped he was talking to himself, or maybe to Toby, but no such luck. "You're Cora. The Cora."

Cora frowned, angry that he'd even been bold enough to address her, let alone address her like that, but she gave a hot "Yeah," still refusing to look at him.

Tenma's face fell at her hostility, although he wasn't sure what he'd expected. "Cora - " Toby started, attempting to ease her anger down at bit, but Tenma waved him off.

"No, Toby," he sighed, resigned to it. "She has every right to be mad. After all...this is my fault."

"Dad," Toby argued, sounding exasperated. Tenma could tell he just wanted him to move past this, but he couldn't. He didn't understand the weight of the guilt. "Stop it, it's n - "

"Yes, it is, Toby!" Tenma exploded, the tears that had been welling beginning to dribble, and he ran a tired hand through his hair. He felt shame and frustration at himself begin to boil. He hadn't wanted to shout. "I'm...I'm a horrible father, and that may never change. I failed both of you, and I...and I…"

He broke off, just...just looking at Astro. The consistent sparking of frayed, damaged wires seemed to mock him, and he could no longer find the words.

"You killed him," Cora hissed, finishing the sentence for him, and Tenma didn't need to see her face to know what it looked like.

He nodded. He nodded several times, guiltily, like the murder he was. "Yes," he coughed. "Yes, I did."

"Twice," Cora spat, clutching Astro's dead hand in hers so tightly her knuckles went white.

"Yes...yes, I did."

"You killed him, in cold blood..." Cora raged, struggling for the words as she whipped around to face Tenma for the first time, letting go of Astro's hand so that Tenma could feel her rage properly. She stood, and ever muscles in her body was taut with fury. "And yet, he...he still loves you! Still! After all that, and - and - how many times have you killed him!? And he still loves you! I don't...I don't understand!"

She all but screamed the last word, wild and filled with frustration and confusion. Tenma swallowed hard, shaking just as much as she was, but for a different reason. "I get what you're saying," he breathed, but it sounded weak even to him. "Believe me, I do. I don't deserve it. I don't deserve to be his father. And you're right. I...I don't…"

His eyes flickered to Astro and he choked a little bit. He went back to facing Cora's red-faced fury with almost relief.

"I don't deserve him," was all he could say.

Cora was practically steaming. She pointed to the Core in his hand with blazing eyes, the blue of the orb pulsating in her blue irises. "Put it back in him," she commanded. "Now."

Tenma's face twisted. "Cora," he said slowly, holding up the hand not holding the Core cautiously, to show he meant no harm and - maybe - to stop her if she charged him. "Please forgive me, but I can't do that. Putting it back in him now is not a good idea. He's badly damaged. I...I won't know the actual numbers until I take some diagnostics, but I know enough. He's been flipped on and off so much on top of that, he's very unstable. Another rush of energy from the Core - it might just make everything worse."

Cora made some sort of furious noise, glancing at Toby as if hoping that he would give a different answer, but the younger Tenma simply nodded solemnly, agreeing with his father.

She took her hair up in fists, then, for lack of something else to grab onto, and she groaned in frustration. "I don't get it," she muttered again, pointing an angry, accusing finger at Tenma, but Tenma could see it shaking. She was furious - boiling over furious, but not...not completely at him. "Astro should...Astro...should…"

She trailed. Tenma raised an eyebrow, inviting her criticism. "He should what?" he asked, shrugging, ready for whatever accusation she had for him now. He just wanted to get this over with and calm her down enough so that he could take Astro and run his tests. He...he needed to know. He needed to see the truth, the numbers, and see just how bad the damage really was. Then...then maybe he could come to terms. "What shou - Cora?"

Cora was no longer just struggling to come up with words. She had begun to sway unsteadily, finger still pointing accusingly out at Tenma, but her eyes were no longer focused, and as Tenma watched, they begun to roll into her head.

Tenma lurched forward and managed to catch her just before she collapsed. "Cora!" he exclaimed, like it might help. "Cora, are you alright?"

"M'fine," Cora murmured faintly, her words slurring as her eyes fluttered slower and slower. Her skin was ghastly white, and Tenma couldn't believe he hadn't noticed before. The red was already fading from her cheeks. "I just...just feel a little...faint…"

She hardly got the word out before her eyes closed completely and her whole weight crashed onto Tenma's arms. Tenma managed to catch her head just as it jerked dangerously toward the ground, and he slowly lowered her down flat next to Astro.

"Cora, what - " Toby started behind him, but he didn't need to finish the question. Both of them cringed to see a small trail of blood dribble from the edge of Cora's hairline and down the side of her neck.

"Oh, my God…" Toby gasped, moving forward and pushing back a couple of dark locks from her face to see a deep open wound just above her forehead and a little to the left, slightly scabbed and bleeding heavily.

"Quick!" Tenma exclaimed, frantic, still supporting her head and trying not to freak out. "Call an ambulance!"

Toby didn't need to be told twice. He whipped out his Holo-phone and began to dial.

Tenma's mind raced, weighing his options. He couldn't leave Stone unattended, and Astro...he needed medical attention as well, and the type he could provide. But Cora was bleeding out right now, and he had no idea how bad it was or how long ago she had been injured. This wasn't robotics. This was a human, and he was no medic.

His mind continued to whirl, but no good options came to him. He vaguely registered Toby's frantic talking over the phone, before his son slid in back next to him, face covered in worry. "How bad is it?" he asked.

Tenma shook his head. "I don't know!" he exclaimed frantically.

Toby's expression grew frantic too. "What do you mean you don't know!" he spluttered. "You're a doctor!"

"YOU KNOW VERY WELL NOT THAT KIND OF DOCTOR!" Tenma screeched. "I don't know anything about gashes...although I think I read once that head wounds bleed a lot. Maybe...maybe it's not as bad as it looks. Is an ambulance on the way?

Toby nodded stiffly, but he didn't look the least bit relieved.

"Good," Tenma rushed. "Um. okay. I'm going to carry her out of the Ministry. Take this."

He handed Toby Stone's blaster without really looking at it. Toby, however, took it like it was a lit firecracker, eyes wide.

"If Stone wakes up, point it at him," Tenma instructed. "And watch Astro."

He stole a glance at his small robot son. He sparked again as if in response, and Tenma cringed. "I don't think he has much time either…" he admitted aloud. He instantly regretted it. Saying it made it feel more real.

He turned back to Toby, handing him the Core as well. "Hold onto this. Make sure nothing happens to it at all costs. Okay?"

It was a lot of responsibility thrust onto him very suddenly, Tenma knew, but Toby nodded confidently. "Okay," he agreed

"Okay…" Tenma echoed, swiveling back around to Cora and gingerly scooping the teenager into his arms. "Okay," he whispered to her. "You're going to be okay…"

He glanced at Astro, just one more time. "You're both going to be okay…" he said, louder, but he wasn't sure who he was trying to convince - Toby, Cora, Astro...or himself.

He must have been shaking, or he hesitated, or something, because Toby touched his shoulder.

"Hey, Dad," he whispered to him. "It's gonna be alright. You'll fix Astro. Cora...Cora'll be okay. She's tough. Everything will turn out okay. I called the police too, they'll be here to pick up Stone and...and everything is going to be okay, okay?"

"O-okay," Tenma wavered, closing his eyes just so he didn't have to see anything for a moment. Then he snapped them back open, looking down at his son - his human son, alive and well. "I love you, Toby," he blurted. "You know that, right?"

Toby smiled. "'Course I do, Dad," he said, and with such ease that Tenma's stomach twisted with guilt. "Now get going!"

"Right, right," Tenma murmured, shakily getting to his feet and leaving Astro and Toby behind as he made for the Ministry entrance, the unconscious Cora swinging in his arms. She moaned at his movement, and Tenma thought maybe he should slow down so as not to jostle her, but he ended up speeding up instead. She needed medical attention, and fast.

"You're going to be okay…" he whispered to her, feeling the warmth of her body in his hands. The life in her. A life that Astro - his robot, his creation - had cherished so much that his love for her had been his final words. It sounded so unbelievable, even in his mind, but he was not going to be the one responsible for this girl's death. He couldn't be. After all the things that were already on his head, this…this could not be one of them.

"You're going to be okay…" he whimpered aloud, and this time, he wasn't kidding himself. He was saying it for him just as much as he was saying it for her.

"You have to be."