Atlas's first day at school

By Dan

Atlas Boy 1980 Astro Boy series. Tezuka Productions. All rights respected. For Fandom enjoyment only.

Part 2

I didn't want to know where the cleaning stuff was, I wanted to fight. Yet there I was was...throwing a mop around the floor while Astro's bashing chalk erasers around...

"Do you mind?!" I snapped at him. "You're getting dust on the cleaned floor...this is so stupid, why are you going to a school? You're a robot, you can download all the information you need, you and I can practically live in the World Wide Web and yet you sit here 8 hours a day and suffer the wrath of a disciplinarin..."

"Who's very cute." Astro said to me with a raised finger.

I couldn't help myself..."Sigh...she'd be my perfect mother...oh what the heck?! Stop banging those erasers and let's go so I can kick your stupid butt all over the city already!"

"Nope." Astro replied. "Not yet. We still have to decorate the classroom for International Day tomorrow."

We both spent another hour putting up silly flags, streamers and baloons. "Ok! It's all done...now can we go out and fight?"

What a snail butt...Astro spent more time putting books in his book bag and getting his jacket, obvious stall tactics which got me so angry that I ripped the back pack right off of him...

"I'm done with your stupid behavior!" I grabbed Astro's hand and jerked him behind me to the back door of the school where the big recess yard was and as we came out the door? We came face to face with what looked like half the schools compliment of kids...and whoever they told about the upcoming "beat down". I stood bewildered...

"What the heck is this?!" I said. "Hello? Me and Astro only? If all of you stay around here? Some of you might get...I dunno...killed?"

Astro's bigger companion, Abercrombie, stomped up with the kids closing behind him. "We all think that if you two are gonna fight? You should do it with some organization so you don't trash half the city like usual."

The big kid grabbed me by my wrist! "Have you humans gone stupid? Astro?" I'm screaming at Astro but he's being pushed away by his other friends. "Astro! Tell these idiots they're crazy?!"

Abercrombie stands in front of me and taps on my chest..."You know what Atlas? I like you a lot...and you're kinda right? Astro is a little too pussy foot. He needs to get tougher."

I looked at the big kid like he was a serious fruit loop. "You've all flipped." Then he starts fitting boxing gloves on my hands..."Huh? What are you doing dufus? Don't you realize that I am bound and determined to turn your friend into scrap?"

"Hey..." Abercrombie snorted. "There's nothing wrong with a safer method. No destruction, no trashing the city, no big repair bills and you get to pound Astro in front of all his friends...big win win."

I looked back where Astro was and he was just as equally confused...

"Ken? This is silly...you want me to fight Atlas? With boxing gloves? How long is this crazy idea going to last?" Astro told Ken.

"Better than me having to broom up your nuts and bolts." Ken replied as he fit Astro's gloves. I think we both shared an equal amount of cuss words for these crazy humans. You know in reality it's the human children who are more dangerous to life on earth than the adults? Seriously. Only kids come up with insane ideas that set fires to tool sheds. That's what Astro's pal Alegio did when he made his own flamethrower. I just happened to be the dumb fool who had it in my hands when the police showed up. I get blamed for trains running late in Metro City.

So after they got the gloves on our hands, the kids pushed both of us into a sand box. I mean...come on...we're both deadly flying arsenals and I'm putting up with this crazy scheme? It's like putting two cats in a box with switch-blades and then dumping cold water...some one had better be running.

All the kids are cheering and screaming, which I didn't care about because all I wanted to do was beat the hero worship out of Astro's face. So Kenichi's trying to explain some sort of rules and Astro's looking around like he's not sure what to do about the whole thing so what did I do?

"FOOMP!"

I threw a punch and socked him in the kisser hard enough to send him back on his behind...

"I was just testing this out." I said with a big grin on my face "Oh come on!" I huffed at Astro's friends. "This isn't fighting! He's not even dented!"

"Told you it's a safe alternative." The big kid replied.

Now I was about to explain that I wasn't interested in safety when I got blind-sided and "haymakered" into a tumble to the edge of the sand box...

"There!" Astro snapped back. "That was my test! How's the sand taste?"

Now that punch I felt even with the gloves on..."You'll find out how it tastes!" I snapped as I got up and was determined to pound Astro good...till Kenichi stopped me.

"I said...to both of you...that there's rules you have to follow." So I stood there impatient, you know me. Then once Kenichi stopped talking I felt a little cheated out...

"No arm cannons, no guns, no flying, no body slamming...what kind of a fight is this?"

Astro pursed his lips at me..."What? You can't win without extra gadgets there Atlas? Wow...you really are just a big mouth puss."

I would have let Astro have it had Kenichi not pushed me back. "When I drop my arm and yell fight, then you guys can go at it. But you have to stop when I say stop."

So I stood ready as Kenichi jumped back, threw his arm up and the kids circled the sand box in anticipation. I'm wondering if I could really keep this thing sort of civil that no one's gonna get killed. Meanwhile...Astro's flipping me lip...

"Now we'll see how you fight without any tricks! Come on Atlas, you have enough trouble trying to fight me...cone on! Astro snapped at me.

"Shut up human hugger!" "Foomp!" I hit my gloves together and watched as Kenichi dropped his arm...

"FIGHT!" He screamed and we cut loose on each other...

It surprised me just how strong Astro really was, punching wise, and how quick he was...not that I couldn't land some good punches enough to stagger him. We cussed each other out, at one point I caught a right fist throw and body slammed Astro to the sand...which Kenichi boldly stepped in to push me back before I started pounding Astro's head in...

"OK STOP!" Kenichi yelped as he waved his arms. What shocked me was Astro's reaction...

"Stop? Ken it's kinda pointless? Giving us a break?" Astro yelped.

"Yeah? What kind of dufus would want to rest so he gets his face kicked in again?" I protested. Yet the kids pulled us into separate corners where we just looked sort of bewildered at each other...

I had Astro's big friend and his brainy sidekick rooting for me...which I found absurdly hard to understand...

"Why are you guys rooting for me? I'm trying to beat the snot out of your friend and make you all my slaves here!" I said.

The smaller kid, I think he's Alegio, replied with a thumb up. "Because you're just like me Atlas...the total under dog! I think you're scoring big points!"

"Do what?" I gasped. Points? What the heck? We're fighting for points? I'm trying to embarrass Astro not get points...what the heck are we doing this for?

On the other end I can hear Astro telling Kenichi that this is sort of dumb yet Ken's giving Astro tips and hints..."my nose isn't that soft dufus."

We get back up...Ken screams "FIGHT"!...and we're at it again! Just throwing blows...till Astro shakes his gloves at me...

"Hold on!" He yelps. We both stopped and just looked around the sand box at the kids screaming and hollering at us...

"COME ON ATLAS! KNOCK HIS HEAD OFF!"

"TRASH HIM ASTRO! TRASH HIM GOOD!"

"WHAT GIVES?! THEY'RE NOT FIGHTING? COME ON! FIGHT!"

I'm like looking at Astro with this twisted face and he's looking back at me sort of surprised...no less annoyed...

"HEY!" Astro screetched. "WHAT THE HELL?!"

I looked at some of the kids with my hands on my hips..."Yeah? Why are you guys cheering for me to start with? I'm trying to turn your friend to scrap!"

Astro turned to Alegio and Abercrombie. "And you guys? What the hell? Why are you cheering for Atlas?! He's the big jerk here!"

I suddenly got a shocking realization..."Oh...my...god...you?...you humans think we're a couple of Rockem Sockem Robots!"

Astro gasped. "What the heck everybody?! How could you guys?!"

I stomped up to a couple of kids holding trading cards in their hands..."Were you? Hey Astro?! They were betting Pokemon cards on us!"

Kenichi waved his hands..."Guys! That's not what we intended at all..."

"Well your intentions just went out the window Kenichi!" Astro huffed. "What are we to all of you? Entertainment? You think Atlas's behavior is a joke to you?!"

"And shame on some of you!" I screamed. "Backstabbing Astro like this! I don't want people cheering for me...sheesh...the last time I checked? I HATE ALL YOU STUPID HUMANS!"

Astro was so upset. "How could you guys treat us like cheep entertainment? You may have started with good intentions but...how could you?!" Astro ripped the boxing gloves off, threw them hard in the sand and ran from the sand box clearly upset...

"You guys only prove my point!" I yelled. "You stupid humans!" I chased after Astro and finally found him sitting in a tree at the edge of the school property. He didn't look interested in a conversation so I just stood at the base of the trunk kicking my feet around...

"So..." I said scratching my hair. "A little shocking huh?"

Astro didn't reply for a moment..."sigh...they meant well."

I flew up with my leg rockets and huffed at him..."They "meant" well? They're cheering for us to beat the snot out of each other and you call that meant well?"

Astro frowned at me..."I'm sure you're going to say..."See! They're all barbarians! I told you so!"...so go ahead and gloat."

I landed on a branch and held onto one over my head..."I'm trying to be sympathetic and understanding here? I told you they could be 6 years old or 16 years old or 36 years old and still...they have that primal instinct for enjoying violence locked in their DNA. You are way too trusting and that's very dangerous! We depend on you."

I bet that got Astro's attention. "Who's "we"?" He snapped at me. "You're the one who wants to be a king over Metro City and put the fear of repression into the humans? What good will that do?"

"What good will it do if you become way too trusting and someday you end up destroyed? Where's your dream then?" I said. "I want you as my ally, not my enemy and not a piece of scrap who got destroyed by the humans because you trusted one that turned the knives in your back. I won't be cheated out of my victory by a flesh bag."

Astro glared at me..."Like always, you talk like a stupid ass."

I hoped onto the branch Astro was sitting on..."Look dufus? What do you think would happen if you got erased by some human? Like those jerks at the "Keep Earth Human League" what do you think our brothers and sisters would do?"

Astro gasped back at me..."They wouldn't...they couldn't think of doing it...the three laws would keep them from doing it..."

I shook my head..."I don't want to ever find out." I poked my finger into Astro's nose. "Like it or not? You have to grow a little mistrust and...as much as it pains you? You may need to have a little smidge of trust in me. A time may come when you're going to need me to save your butt from the flames. If I were you from now on? I would have just a small measure of mistrust with these flesh bags you think you know so well...it may save your life."

I sat back for a bit and let that sink into Astro's head then thought...and yeah this sounds crazy..."You know what?...I want to go to school."

Astro gave me a double look..."You what?"

"I want to go to school." I replied. "If you're correct in saying that I can learn more about humans by attending school? Then perhaps I should take you up on the offer..."

Astro smirked. "It's Miss Myoki isn't it? You're in love with my teacher!"

"I didn't say that." I replied. "Just that...well...if she's an interest of yours then as your bitter rival? I want to rip her away from you and watch the tears flow."

Astro frowned at me. "You're a real jerk."

"It's a career choice." I said smiling.

"You're NOT coming to MY school!" Astro snapped as he flew around from behind me and hovered in front of me...

"Oooooooo..." I said snickering. "You love her?"

"Don't take it that way." Astro snapped. "I know you'll be a disruptive influence. Not in my school you won't! And besides, you have juvie warrants out on you by the police. No way you'll be allowed in class!"

I giggled and flicked a finger in Astro's chest. "Just watch me dufus. "Giggles" see you in school tomorrow...rival."

More to come.