CHAPTER SEVEN
Astro stands on the stairway of the toy store, where he can see most of the store, and points to each hidden camera while Zoran rushes around and smashes each one. She's super fast and able to destroy each camera cleanly, and Lord of Darkness gets enraged. He calls out for his clown cronies to go in and stop Zoran, but they're trapped behind the welded doors.
The kids in the store start cheering Zoran on, and soon enough, each security camera is gone. Astro thanks her, and tears off his disguise, and the kids in the store lose it with joy when they see who he really is.
The little mountain with the model train suddenly splits in two and opens up, revealing the Lord of Darkness himself.
"Everything must be done by yourself!" yelled the monster in the metal mask. In anger, he sent out a giant walking stuffed teddy. You will pay me back for this! he snarled, brandishing his fist. He rushed to the children.
Astro unleashed his reactors and rushed to meet the monster. The Lord was huge and protected by magnetic armour. The robot child would struggle to stop him without hurting the kids! He suddenly had an idea and focused...
"Go, toys, to the rescue!"
Astro uses his radio communication to send waves to all robotic and radio-controlled toys in the store, and has them pile onto the Lord of Darkness. When the Lord is completely swamped in rockets, cars, dolls, and plushes, Astro and Zoran run into the control booth inside the train mountain and deactivate all the security systems holding the store hostage. The windows and doors become accessible again, and all the children rush out.
Astro and Zoran make sure everyone has left, while the authorities arrest the clown men, but the Lord of Darkness has somehow disappeared under the massive pile of toys. Satisfies, the two leave the store.
Professor O'Shay ran to the two little robots. "Congratulations to both of you," he exclaimed with a big smile. "We were all scared for you."
"Thank you, Professor. Zoran was great. Without her, I wouldn't have succeeded. "
"You've saved the city. But you're still getting scolded!" said the Professor with a mischievous air.
"Why?" asked Astro and Zoran in unison.
"Because you are very late for lunch."
All three of them laughed.
For her first outing in the city, Zoran had been strong! And that was only the beginning of her adventures with Astro...
THE END
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Once again, Legardinier brings us a really fun adventure! I have a feeling that the Lord of Darkness and his first two robots are better explained in book 1, which I hope to own at some point soon. I really love the new universe in these books.
So, notes on this canon for anyone taking notes:
- Astro's powers include magnets in his hands, sensors in his fingers, and communication with robots via radio waves
- Zoran/Uran's powers are running speed, and charm with children and animals
- O'Shay/Ochanomizu is their legal guardian and a definite father figure
- Yuko and Nora/Robita are in the same roles from the 2003 series
- There is a masked, armour-clad warlord living in a nearby mountain who wants control of Metro City
- Dr. Tenma lives in an underground base in a neighboring desert, built Astro with his personal insignia in Astro's chest cabinet, and left the Ministry after stealing weapons
- The Ministry is more secretive, but overlooks a city park, and is a fair distance from downtown Metro City
I feel like Legardinier was shown only a few settings and characters from the 2003 series and was told to write with them, and as a result, created something totally new. I'm so glad.