Chapter 8

Astro bowed slightly. "It shouldn't be difficult but Daichi does have solid reasons for doing it like this."

Suddenly...Astro felt a strong vibation roll under his feet. He looked around cautiously before walking to the edge of Daichi's chair...

"I gotta go to the bathroom." Astro said quietly.

"You what?" Daichi replied smirking.

"I have to use the bathroom...can I go?" Astro demanded as he butted Daichi behind the back as if to say..."Don't make a big deal about it but something's not right."

"Oh?...sorry." Daichi said as he waved. "Excuse me everyone...Astro has to use the bathroom for a moment. We'll go over the specifics of the contract till he comes back."

Astro walked out of the conference room still feeling the rolling motion under his feet. "Whatever's causing this, it's big. I didn't see anyone in the room acting like they have something in mind but you never know." He said to himself as he started looking out windows before ducking into the bathroom and pulling open the single window at the other end…

"Foomp….foomp….foomp!" The sound bounced around in his brain as Astro climbed out through the window and sat for a moment on the sill. "I've been keeping my ears open all morning and this isn't anything normal to this place, that's for sure."

Scratching his head, Astro pushed himself off the window, ignited his rocket legs and flew up to the roof of the building. He didn't have long to confirm what the noise was as he saw a large camouflaged robot stomp through the front gate, barely missing the guards as they scurried out of its for safety!

"Oh great! Some one really needs to keep these military machines on a better leash." Astro snorted as he watched the battle bot kick up a truck and launch it over his head! "Sorry pal." Astro snorted. "I'm not in the mood for soccer right now."

Daichi's voice came up over Astro's radio. "What's going on? I'm out of excuses?"

Astro snickered. "Well…..it's kind of an out of control combat bot and he's kinda upset and well he's…..YIPE!"

Daichi heard a crash and felt the room shake. "Ladies and Gentlemen? If you'll calmly walk to the door I will…"

The next crash sent the occupants into fill panic flight, leaving Daichi standing at the head of the room table with a blank look on his face. "Oh kay….that'll do just fine."

Outside, Astro crashed through the windows of a parked car and slammed against a wall! He barely had enough time to roll out of the way as a giant steel fist crashed past him and struggled to pull itself free from the mess it caused. "Ugh…something about me and walls always meeting like this, I gotta have building love or something!"…..Astro jumped just as the other fist flew under his feet! "You seriously need an anger management class!" He screamed as he flipped upside-down, snatched one of the military bot's arms and judo flipped it away from the building and onto a…..

"KABOOM!"

"Propane tank….oh that's gotta smart!" Astro said jokingly as he watched the military bot quickly recover out of the fireball. "I guess it didn't!"

Daichi was running himself, but towards the front door of the building he was in until Astro came flying through the front panes of glass atop the entrance, over his head and crashed into the reception desk behind him!

"You alright?" Daichi screamed as he ran up to help Astro stumble from the splintered desk.

"You're help is ok…but I think you should have been running out the back door by now." Astro said as he pushed Daichi backwards behind him.

"Where'd this thing come from?" Daichi asked as the military bot crashed into the large reception foyer in front of him and leveled an arm cannon.

"Right now, who cares!" Astro yelled as he grabbed Daichi by his suit coat and rocketed out of the foyer and down a hallway as a pair of small missiles exploded behind them! "I didn't bother asking for an address!"

"You're getting slower, you know that? I thought you'd have it's butt kicked by now at least!" Daichi yelled as Astro dropped him on his butt in front of the back exit.

"Shut up and get out of here? And don't try some dumb heroics, that's a job for idiots like me!" Astro jumped up and flew back down the hall towards the rampaging machine. "Ok pal…you want to play some pinball?"

Astro flew into the forum, dodged a swinging arm, back flipped over the military bot and leveled his arm cannon! "Just call me The Flipper!"

"HAWOOOM!"

The blast sent the armored robot flying back out of the Foyer's front entrance and skidding to a crashing stop against a nearby wall as Astro came running up behind it! "He snatches the ball from the foul line!" Astro yelled as he grabbed the bot up by an arm and threw it into the air! "He jumps for the skyhook!" Astro flew up and grabbed the bot by a leg as it stopped to a hover. "SLAM DUNK!"

Daichi was just coming out from a corner when the shockwave and wind from the ground impact threw him off his feet! "UGH!...HEY! TAKE HIM OUTSIDE THE FACTORY!"

Astro saw Daichi screaming at him and shrugged. "Like he's going to listen to me if I ask him nicely?"

"My Dad's going to totally kill you! You're doing more damage than that…." Daichi suddenly dove out of sight as the military bot recovered, caught Astro with a swatting hand and plowed him into the ground!

The bot held Astro tight in his hand, trying to crush him with all the hydraulic power it could force out of its straining engines. "Ugh!...I'm done fooling around!" Astro snapped as he struggled. Suddenly his mouth gapped open and his face shook as a surge of power raced through his body and paralyzed his computer brain…

Daichi came around the corner again to see in horror as the armoed bot threw Astro on the ground and stomped on him, trying to pound him into the broken concrete…

"GET OFF OF HIM!" Daichi screamed as he pulled a pistol from his suit coat and unloaded it in a pitiful attempt to get the machine to stop…"I SAID!..." He threw the empty weapon in a rage…

"KABOOOM!"

And stood in shock as an explosion tore the machine apart! Daichi looked at his hands and smirked. "I knew that would happen."

Daichi didn't notice Mitsunari was behind him till he stood next to him with the empty anti-tank launcher in his hands. "What the? Where did you get that?" He asked Mitsunari as he tossed the tube aside.

"This is your father's factory Sir? I'm surprised you didn't know where he keeps these things."

Daichi snorted as he walked towards where Astro was laying. "I hang around with biker gangs, there's your answer." He nervously knelt next to the small robot, surprised that he took so much punishment.

"Astro?" Daichi asked as he rubbed Astro's chest. "Come on Astro…tell me you're alright."

After a few minutes of dread silence, Astro opened his eyes. "This being a floor matt's real old. So where's the troublemaker?"

Daichi pointed behind him. "Rocket Launcher. By the way, how's your allowance?"

Astro sat up and looked at all the mess around him. "Not enough to cover all this. So much for today's meeting I guess huh?"

Just then, the screams of a very angry Tokugawa Senior could be heard marching around the complex. "Where is he? Where's Daichi! Where's that little plastic menace of his! I'll have their heads! Daichi! Daichi you better be in front of me in five seconds or so help you…."

Astro cringed. "Ugh…may…beeeee…..I'd better go?"

"How brave of you." Daichi snorted back. "Though not a bad idea about now." Daichi said as he hand butted Astro till the boy bot flew away.

"YOU!" Tokugawa snarled as he stomped up to his son. "YOU….You better have a good explanation for this! I'm going to file charges! I'll file a restraining order! I'll have the heads of the Ministry of Science for this….this…."

Daichi smiled back. "Father? About these anti-tank missiles you have so conveniently stock piled here? Isn't that a violation of the national arms registry act? I wonder how the press would handle this?"

Tokugawa waved a finger in his son's face, then quietly left him standing by himself. He always knew how to get his way.