"I gave you an impressive range of weaponry Tobio." Doctor Tenma told the little android as they stood in a room built just for testing Tobio's abilities. "With your digibeam you can call a small, but very powerful, plasma laser that can cut through any material that may come in your way. I configured your entire left arm to act as a buster of sorts, should you need to go through something much tougher than what the digibeam can slice through."

"And the machine guns?" Tobio reminded, a little smile of humor traced on his lips. Mentioning one of the better hidden weapon systems Tobio had made Tenma flinch. Of all the weapons for Tobio to accidently discover in his new body, it just had to be that one…

"Yes. The, ahem, machine guns. You know how to activate them already and where they are located." Tenma hastily reminded the android. "I'd like to remind you, however, that they were placed there so you may still attack the enemy- no matter if you are able to call your other weapons."

"Yes sir." Tobio agreed with a little chuckle, remembering what had happened when he discovered them. Tenma shot his robotic son a glance that was less than amused, a glance that Tobio understood that he needed to shut up for or else both of them would be going to bed miserable that night.

"Today for your training, we'll focus just on you digibeam. Alright?" Doctor Tenma instructed, attempting to change the subject.

"Yes sir." Tobio agreed, still amused by past events.

"Now then," Doctor Tenma then said, calling up a test dummy in the line of fire. "Using your digibeam, take out the criminal."

"How do I do that again?" Tobio asked. "I know I have to point at him, but then what do I do?"

Doctor Tenma walked over to Tobio and gingerly took hold of Tobio's hand and helped him point to the target.

"All you need to do," Tenma instructed softly, "Is wish. Wish so strongly for a little beam of light to hit the test dummy right in the chest. Wish strongly enough, and it will happen."

Tobio nodded and focused on the target, doing just as his father had told him to. Doctor Tenma could feel the energy Tobio was storing as the android concentrated.

"Now Tobio," Doctor Tenma shouted from anticipation, "Shoot the criminal!"

. . .

Astro woke up with a start, almost immediately after, he knew he had been strapped to an operating table.

"I have to admit kid, I'm pretty impressed with your inner workings." Skunk said, allowing himself to be placed in Astro's view. "But now I'm a bit conflicted; should I sell you to the robotists outside of Metro City in one piece, or in twenty thousand?"

"Why did you recharge me?!" Astro demanded. Skunk gave a little shrug as if it were nothing.

"I like a challenge." Skunk claimed. "Besides, what's a challenge when the opposing team isn't aware that they're about to lose?"

"What do you gain by doing this?" Astro then asked as his mind quickly calculated a way to get out. Without doing something to disable the straps that held him down, Astro was at Skunk's mercy for the time being. "Besides money, obviously."

"I told you kid, I like a challenge." The criminal reiterated. "Finding out what to do with you might be my greatest one yet. I'm thinking a good ten thousand for an ounce of data from you; what do you think?"

"There's gotta be some other reason why you're taking about those robots." Astro tried to argue, his calculations deciding that if he could just hit the control panel that sat a few feet away, then the straps would lose power and he could regain his to get away.

Skunk gave the android a little sneer before leaving for a moment to get a special screwdriver meant for dismantling higher-tech robots like Astro.

"Lemme tell you a story kid," Skunk said as he opened up a panel on Astro that held some of his data, "Here in Metro City, sure the bots 'round here aren't supposed to look like humans, but we still got the one thing most folks don't; the bots themselves. Metro City is pretty advanced, even by today's standards. But do they share that information with other countries or governments? Nope! 'Protected under copyright' most bot here are stated to be under, so what happens when some folks from outside our fair city wants a little android freak of their own?"

"They build one?" Astro asked, getting both annoyed and freaked out as Skunk started to pry at some of his inner parts. Skunk let out a guffaw of amusement.

"You're funny kid, but no; the folks out there only wish they had the kind of technology we have here. If folks from the outside want to build a bot of their own, they come to me. I get them the parts they want in a sweet, timely manner; with a fee of course."

"What do they do with the parts they bought, or the robots they build?" Astro then asked, almost curious.

"Don't know, don't ask." Skunk claimed, giving the android boy a snide smirk. "But why would you care? Or do you want to find out first hand?"

"No, no!" Astro quickly said, his calculations indicating that if he used a certain power he had, he could take out the controls easily. But which one was it again…? "I was just thinking… What's that machine used for again? Do you use it to neutralize the robots you later scrap?"

Skunk raised an eyebrow as he turned to look at what Astro was now pointing at. He then turned back to look at Astro with a malicious grin.

"Good guess kid. How did you know?"

Now it was Astro's turn to smirk. "I guess I'm just really good at guessing stuff." The android grinned as a beam of light came from out of his finger. Realizing a moment too late where the beam was going, Skunk let out a noise that was so angered that it was almost inhuman. With the restraint system down, Astro activated his rocket boosters and succeeded in snapping the metal straps as if they were tissue paper. Once freed, Astro hovered above the operating table in a moment of triumph, Skunk glared at him with a certain smirk that could have made younger children cry.

"Do you honestly think that getting away from me is going to be that easy?!" Skunk laughed.

"No." Astro admitted with a simple blink. "So that's why I've decided to take you with me!"

Without another warning, Astro scooped up Skunk and burst through the ceiling with the criminal held tight enough to almost choke him.

This is it, Astro thought to himself- partially in glee and partially from a rush of energy he received from destroying the controls- this is where I prove I can help humans and robots! I'm almost there, now all I need to do is take Skunk to jail!

Not to ruin his fun or anything, but don't you think we should remind him that he's missing one tiny little detail first…?