New Fan Fiction: Walkies Some more.

[dannavy85]

The boy with the clickers started it off and soon the song went into a fast bantering beat.

She’s out of her pen and running loose, your wife’s all angry with a noose…
Speed it up or you’re head you’ll loose, chase that crazy old Grey Goose!

The crowd cleared the floor and clapped hard to the beat as Astro dipped and ducked lower and lower with his hands on his hips. “I THOUGHT YOU SAID THIS WAS HARD?” He yelled over the crowd.

Elrin replied by bucking his mug from his head several times in a few dips, catching it on the way back up as deftly as a feather. “BEAT THAT!”

Astro bucked the mug off his head, bounced it off a knee, caught it off a finger and launched it back on his head….

Then he got tangled on the rope around his boots and almost lost his balance. There he was, dangling on a toe, his whole body bent backwards like a snake, the mug perched on his forehead and he started to look as if he needed to sneeze! Worse? He was over a glass covered table!

Zoran cringed waiting for the disaster and music stopped!

“Ah!......Ah!.........AAAAAAAH!”………”Psyche!” Astro pulled himself back up, bucked the mug on his head and went back to dancing till the music stopped.”

“Thanks….thanks…” Astro said as he bowed a few times and downed the soda. “You should see me do it with a car.”

Elrin nodded at the performance. “Are you sure you’re not Irish?”

“Eh?.....maybe a wire or two?” Astro said back. “So you’re all on vacation?”

“Sort of.” The girl said as she walked up. “Actually we were invited to cut an MP album in Tokyo and have the time for a little trip around the country. I knew who you were when you walked in here.”

Zoran slipped in front of her brother. “I’m his agent you know, I handle my brother’s press, the toy contracts, he does birthday parties too.”

Astro wrapped his arms around her. “My sister handles catering. If you need the fire department, bomb squad, FBI, forestry service…just call me.”

Zoran butted her brother hard in the side and snorted. “Actually it may look like we annoy each other but I love my brother….most of the time.”

The mandolin playing boy stood by picking a few notes. “You know Ireland has the first robot politician? That’s Mickey Doon from Galway. It’s a tradition in Irish politics that officials visit the gentry in the pubs, most of our political disputes get settled there mind you. Well Micky’s enjoying a pint of oil in this pub and up comes his bitter rival, one Dennis Hallerhan. Now big Dennis is the county know-it-all and he’s absolutely against everything Micky supports. That night’s topic was…a new fire station.”

“Well….in the midst of the heated debate, Dennis pulls out a cigar, grabs a table lantern off the bar and proceeds to light up. Micky taps him on the shoulder and says…”Excuse me? That’s my wife you’re handling.”

“Well…Dennis looks at the lantern, gives Micky a snide look and lights his cigar again.”

“Micky says…”You keep touching my wife and I won’t be responsible for the consequences you.”

“Dennis takes the lantern, waves it at Micky and says. “Well now…since she lit me cigar twice, she must not be happy with ya!” And he proceeds to drop it in his back pocket.”

“Mrs. Doon wasn’t happy at all…she set his backside alight and off Dennis ran, through the bar and out the door!”

“Micky sits back, looks at his mug of oil and says…”Yup, she has that affect on me too.”

Everyone laughed. Elrin pointed at Astro. “Say…would you be free sometime? We’d really like to see more of the country if you wouldn’t mind putting up with us?”

Astro smiled. “I’m a little busy with something now but give me your number. Hopefully I’ll have some free time unless some crazy evil genius lets Godzilla out of his secret cave again.”

Astro took the number and bowed. “I’ll get a room Zoran, go ahead upstairs.”

Late Evening

Zoran was sound asleep on the tutami, something Astro could do easily if he wasn’t so deeply bothered. He stood outside the room on the bamboo covered balcony listening to the steady rain as it musically struck the hollow poles above his head.

He was waiting for Reno to say something after being so disturbed in his own sleep by the phone near his bed.

“I just got home.” Reno said moaning.

“Did you find anything?” Astro asked.

“Nothing different. The explosion was pretty massive, I think it probably got blasted to bits and scattered all over Astro.”

“Reno…”think” doesn’t cut it!” Astro said as he dropped a fist on the balcony railing. “You know for once I’m agreeing with Inspector Towashi? The whole place should be ripped apart till we find something. That body isn’t like a dirty sock you leave on your floor!”

“Calm down!” Reno snorted back. “I can’t pull digger equipment out of my nose can I? We should wait till you get home or till Doc can convince the city to fund an excavation, either way there’s nothing more I can do.”

Astro sagged. “Sigh….you’re right. I’m sorry.”

“Hey…” Reno said calmly. “Don’t think I take anything you worry about lightly. Just don’t blow your gaskets, I like you better without the stress.”

“Ok…” Astro replied nodding to himself. “Don’t forget to pick up my homework from Miss Myoki?”

“Any excuse I get to see her is a good excuse.” Reno snickered.

Astro laughed back and flopped on the tutami mat, playing with his toes and humming to himself till he fell into sleep mode.

[dannavy85]

Late Evening
Shibuya Prison

Tenma wasn’t surprised that O’Shay would so swiftly pay him a visit, actually it was wished for since he hadn’t talked to his former friend in a year. O’Shay’s manor wasn’t expected to be a jovial one, anytime Tenma’s and Astro’s names came close the old Ministry administrator became an attack dog. There he sat waving documents in his hand with the most displeased scowl on his face.

“Of all the things I could count on you doing Tenma? Keeping a dangerous secret like this takes the cake! You’re itching to have your sentence prolonged aren’t you?!”

Tenma sat stirring a cup of tea seemingly oblivious to O’Shay’s ranting. “I have no such designs. I only fell into the comforting belief that the force of the explosion should have obliterated that body. I just wanted to be sure of it.”

“Sure? You know the order so don’t feign sudden amnesia! How dare you even think you could enlist Astro’s help without me finding out, what do you take me for?”

“An over-reactive spaz.” Tenma answered. “You should learn to calm that anger sometimes old friend, you head might one day explode like a grape from all that pressure.” Tenma put his cup down. “Look, I am being absolutely strait. Astro is the only one capable of destroying that body if it still exists. No one else should be trusted with it. Right now it’s just a brainless, powerless hulk but God help us if it’s not down in that scrap pile, that’s why I told Astro, nothing more.”

O’Shay crossed his arms and sat back in his seat. “Every time I feel we finally have some peace in our lives, you come back to the front like a virus with some new potential threat to mankind. Mark my words Tenma, don’t even think, don’t as much get it in your head that you’ll weasel around me. I so much as see a twitch that doesn’t belong in Astro’s eye and I’ll come down on you like a hammer on an egg.”

Tenma smirked. “Hammer on an egg? I must admit O’Shay…your gift for goofiness hasn’t faded with time.”

O’Shay grabbed his hat off the bedside table, pushed it roughly onto his head and stormed out scowling past Inspector Towashi, who knew things didn’t go very well.

“O’Shay? You’re not going to storm off leaving me standing like a clueless twit?”

O’Shay stopped. “He’s not building up a scheme Inspector, that I’m certain of.”

“I trust your judgment.” Towashi replied. “So what about this “body” issue? Can we trust Astro to take care of it?”

O’Shay frowned. “What’s the meaning of that remark? This is always like you Inspector, constantly doubting Astro’s character.”

“Call it…”resorting to the safe play”….Doctor.” Towashi snorted. “I never trust robots, it’s my job not to get too trusting when even the smallest amount of safety and good order is in potential jeopardy. Make sure Astro knows that when you send him to go find that thing, I don’t want to hear of even two computer chips being together on the same circuit card when he smashes that thing to bits.”

O’Shay pursed his lips. “Perhaps Tenma referred to you too when he told me to watch my blood pressure. With Astro I have no doubts he’ll be completely thorough.”

Kagasume
International Youth Hostel
Morning

Astro felt Zoran nuzzling his chin and he sighed peacefully before rolling her off. If everyday could be like this, life would be…boring.

He patted her shoulder slightly and smiled. She was a lot of work to keep after but Zoran was irreplaceable. Astro knew he wouldn’t last a minute if she wasn’t at least close enough to talk to. He bundled up the blankets around her and slowly left the room for the downstairs living room where some of the guests were having breakfast.

The Irish harmonica playing boy was up. Dressed in pajamas and rolling sausages around a plate of eggs and hash browns, he slipped aside on the couch and made room for Astro, who had settled for English Muffins and a thin slice of fish.

“Where’s the others?” Astro asked.

“Still sleeping.” The boy replied. “Never got to tell you my name. Dushane Killroy from Kent.”

Astro bowed. “Astro…I go by several last names…from New Shinjuku.”

“Several last names?” Dushane asked.

“Depends on who you talk to. Tenma, from my creator. Atom from my current “father” Doctor O’Shay. Bad guys usually call me “Plastic menace” “Bucket of Bolts” “Hellion” “Jerk”. One of my arch rivals, Atlas, calls me “Goody Boots” “dufus” “dork” “puppy dog” “fido”….”
Dushane laughed. “Popularity’s a curse isn’t it? So what do you do when you’re not beating up run-a-way robots, mad scientists, power mad industrialists or out of control polluters?”

“School.” Astro replied. “School and………..gardening.”

“School? Isn’t that odd? Why would a robot need school? Wouldn’t you just plug yourself onto the net or into some computer and download everything?”

“You can’t learn everything from a simple download, nothing that fills in everything a robot needs to know about humans.”

Astro put up a finger. “Hold on, someone’s calling me. Astro here.”

“Have you visited with Doctor Tenma’s brother yet?”

“Oh! Morning Doctor O’Shay…not yet. I just woke up, having breakfast.”

“I visited Doctor Tenma last night.” O’Shay said as he flipped through a stapled collection of papers brought back by Reno’s little excursion the day before.

“I’m not surprised.” Astro replied as he poured orange juice into a cup. “Soooo….I could guess what he said?”

“I’m more interested in what he told you.” O’Shay replied somewhat worried. “That “body” he showed you? Honest opinion my boy, how much of a threat is it?”

Astro leaned against a cabinet. “I only had a few minutes to get a quick glance at it. I’ll just say, you already know why I’m so upset over it.”

“I need you to come home as soon as you’re done.” O’Shay said with earnest. “The Delta team is still looking for it but you are the only one who gets to do anything with it. I don’t want two chips on the same circuit board….if it’s intact? Obliterate it.”

Astro sighed. “By any chance? Did the access hatch on the site have an alarm system hooked up on it?”

“No…so our concern about this is understandable. Please finish things quickly?”

Astro felt a tug on his pajamas and saw Zoran waving behind him. “Go ahead and get what you want, there’s still plenty on the table.”

“Can we go by the Ginza here before we go home?” She asked.

“If we have enough time.” Astro replied. “I have to go by the bank on our way to the dojo and get some spending money ok?”

[dannavy85]

First Bank of Tokyo
Kagasume
9am

Astro was dressed in a light blue pullover hoodie, white pants, a Tokyo Giants ball cap and his red moon boots. Zoran wore her usual brightly colored poka-dot dress and sang to the Jackson 5 music playing from her stored memory as they both walked into the bank.

“Should I get him a gift?” Astro asked her as he took a width drawl slip from a holder.

“He likes baseball. Buy him a set of tickets.” Zoran replied as they walked for the counter.

Suddenly a man rudely pushed by Astro and drew a shotgun from a long coat! “THIS IS A HOLD UP! GET ON THE FLOOR NOW!”

An accomplice pistol whipped a man in front of him and fired a shot into the ceiling. “Do it! If you’re stupid enough to be a hero? Go right ahead and eat a bullet!”

Astro grabbed Zoran and crouched low to the floor. “Why is it that I always get caught up in lucky moments like this?” Astro said smirking.

“You….like to eat bullets?” Zoran replied sarcastically.

“When I count to three….you go for the pistol guy, I’ll take mister shot gun, ok?”

Just as They were ready to pounce, a man got up from the deposit slip counter and waved to the crook with the shot gun. “Oi? If it’s money you want, why should you wait for the clerks? By now they’ve activated the alarms and you have very little time.”

Shotgun crook stuck his barrel in the man’s face. “Get down you stupid fool or so help you…”

“Darn!” Astro thought. “I can’t so much as flinch!”

The man pointed to his briefcase. “I have 180,000 Yen in receipt money in here. Please take it and go? None of these people wish any trouble in their lives.”

The man offered the briefcase till the robber grabbed it. To most of the terrified customers, things happened in a blur of chaos! One second they were kissing the floor, the next…the shotgun criminal was screaming and flailing in a body lock by his intended victim.

Zoran felt Astro take off and ran out the still spinning front doors to find he’d tied the poor pistol bandit to a tree….with his pants and shirt!

Amidst all the laughter over his Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle boxers, the crook’s teeth chattered as he watched his pistol turn into a ball of compressed steel in Astro’s hands. “Maybe it’s time you found a better job?” The robot boy said smiling.

Zoran pointed to the bank. “I don’t know if you need to go help the other man or save the guy he’s crushing to death right now?”

Astro walked into the bank as the police pulled up and saw the man “racking” shot gun shells from the weapon in one hand while holding the crook with two fingers shoved up his nose with the other.

The bank manager came over and bowed to the gentleman. “Thank you Tenma Sensei! This is the third time these cretins attacked my bank this month!”

Astro gestured and smiled at Zoran. “See? I always get lucky more than once.”

“After what he did to that guy? I hope he doesn’t have a temper.” Zoran replied as she followed her brother.

By now the police had “saved” the poor criminal who limped between two officers while Takiuma picked his brief case off the floor. He looked up to see Astro standing patiently with his sister next to him.

He looked a little like Doctor Tenma, though more broad in body and less in height. His hair was close cropped an he had a thin moustache instead of Tenma’s trademark beard.

Astro gave him a slight bow. “Good morning Takiuma Sensei. It’s obvious who got their clock cleaned.”

Takiuma crossed his arms. “If I’m not mistaken…you’re Astro. The “hair” is obvious enough.”

Takiuma looked around and started to leave with Astro walking behind him. “I was wondering if we could talk? I found this photo album in Doctor Tenma’s old house and I’m curious…”

Takiuma turned around. “Did Umataro send you?”

Astro stopped and played with his lip. “That’s his first name? Doctor Tenma’s never told me. I wanted to talk to you because there’s so much I don’t know. The jacket…”

Takiuma snorted. “The jacket? Let me guess…he gave you his big speech about “Terrible Takiuma and his first passionate love right?”

Astro nodded. “He said you’d never forgive him for ripping it. There's a picture in the photo album I guess after you and him brawled over it?”

Takiuma shook his head. “before you go any farther? Let’s go back to my home. You should be sitting down for what I have to tell you.”

Noon
Tenma’s former lab in New Shinjuku

Doctor O’Shay walked up to Reno, who was standing at an improvised desk made of ply-board and saw horses tapping away on a lap top.

“Find anything?” He asked. Reno wiped his hair and yawned.

“I’ve been staring at this screen and fumbling stuff all morning long Doc. We did find Tenma’s coffee maker!” Reno said smirking. “Wrapped it up and sent it to Towashi.”

O’Shay chuckled. “Oh I’ll never hear the end of that. But with all seriousness.”

Reno pursed his lips. “Nothing. I decided to be a real smart butt and did a test this morning with a panel of Trilight and a quarter stick of TNT. Trilight being what our mutual buddy of bolts is made of? I’ve come to the conclusion that the explosion of the power generator down there wasn’t strong enough to melt that body, let alone blow it to bits.”

Reno paused. “We’ll…..keep looking.”

“I hope you will.” O’Shay replied. “Hopefully Astro will be home by tomorrow.”

[dannavy85]

Takiuma’s House
Kagasume

Astro stopped on the cobble stone walkway for a moment to admire the small ornate garden in front of the house. This is what he wanted for Doctor Tenma’s house rather than the stark nudity so common to a man who had little time for anything other than work. Looking down at the small pond of koi fish he didn’t see the girl running past him.

“Father? You’re home so early?” She said giddingly as she balanced on her toes. “Did you get me something?”

Takiuma shook his head. “Didn’t I say I was going to wait for your birthday next week Kazuko? This is Zoran by the way and that’s her brother Astro. Why don’t you play around with her while I talk to him?”

Kazuko grabbed Zoran by the hand and pulled her along. “You like dolls?! You should see my room!”

Astro watched the girls run off. “You have a very nice garden. Doctor Tenma always talked about doing something like this but he never got around to it.”

“My brother had a habit of not getting around to many things.” Takiuma said as he and Astro walked around the plants and small cherry trees. “So? Did he tell you that I absolutely despised him for ripping my jacket?”

Astro showed Takiuma the picture. “He said you held it like a security blanket.”

The man laughed. “Well it was a gift from our mother. We all went to a Lion’s game, she bought me the jacket, he got a ball cap. Umataro wasn’t much for baseball, he was more studious than I was.”

Astro scratched his head. “But…you were mad.”

“More than that jacket. See if he would have told it right, it wasn’t the jacket that caused the bad feelings between us, it was Hoshi Shumizo.”

Astro found a place to sit. “You both liked her right?”

“We both fought over her.” Takiuma said smirking. “We were always in competition over everything. The one thing I never gave him credit for was his gift for analytical slyness, he was good at pulling a last minute victory from under my feet.”

Astro played with his fingers. “He never talks, well….talked about her. She was his wife I guess.”

Takiuma nodded. “Come with me.”

They walked into the house, removed their shoes and boots and went into the living room. Takiuma went to a cabinet and removed a photo album from the book shelf, opening it and putting it in front of Astro as he took a seat.

“That’s Hoshi. You can tell that even though she’s kissing my cheek I have a face that could make a bull explode. That was their wedding day.”

Astro rubbed the page with a finger. “You didn’t approve?”

“No I did not.” Takiuma said with a slight hint of disgust. “My brother was on his way through college, obsessed with saving the world, becoming one of the leading researchers into advanced A.I., my feelings were part jealously, part worry, and mistrust. I felt in my heart that Hoshi was making a big mistake so…”

Astro squirmed in his chair. “You…objected?”

“Strongly so. I…ruined the whole wedding day. Chewed Umataro like a pit bull attacking a rope and stomped off.”

Astro sagged a bit. “What happened to Hoshi? I never saw a picture of her around the house, not one.”

Takiuma rested his chin on his fisted hands. “Exactly the way I warned. A year after my nephew was born, of course Umataro and I weren’t talking, Hoshi came down with a serious flu. Umataro was on the verge of an epic breakthrough in A.I., absolutely dedicated to realizing its completion. You of course benefited from the result. But by the time Umataro got to the hospital? Hoshi was gone.”

The conversation was interrupted by the two girls laughing and chasing each other through the living room and out the door. “Father?! Me and Zoran are going to the ginza ok?”

“Be back in time for evening classes young lady.” Takiuma warned. “Your mother will be home by 3pm to make dinner so be back by then.”

Astro smiled. “She’s cute.”

“She’s a lot like my brother.” Takiuma said. “Perhaps I should be worried? Sad thing is she never got to know Tobio, they would have been a pleasant hand full.”

Takiuma stood up. “Would you like motor oil?”

Astro waved a hand. “Grape juice if you have it. Water’s ok too.”

Takiuma returned and handed Astro his grape juice. “So as you see…it’s more than a baseball jacket. I have heard some things in the news about your own problems with Umataro. I would think, as a robot, you don’t feel resentment?”

Astro played a finger around the rim of his glass. “Nah…I don’t….” He was looking for the right words. “It’s not….resentment….I thought about it a lot….it’s more like being sorry. Taking all that I learned and…This is a little difficult to explain.”

“Tell me about it.” Takiuma said. “I only recently allowed my anger over my brother’s behavior to give way to sorrow. Though I can’t yet find the heart to go see him.”

Astro rested his head on a hand. “You should.” He said with a slight smile. “It could be the best thing for the both of you.”

“That’s what Tobio would have said. He did….before he died. Always the middle grounded one, except where his father was concerned. Umataro complained bitterly that I was putting thoughts into Tobio’s head to gain an “unfair advantage” in some way. The old rivalry infested everything.”
Takiuma slapped his lap. “Well…allow me to be a good host at the least! Stay the night with us, my home is yours.”

Astro nodded. “Would you show me some of your martial arts?”

“I would have thought you could just easily download them off the internet? I can’t think you wouldn’t already be versed in some?”

Astro stuck his tongue out and thought, another playful human mannerism he picked up. “Uh?,,,,,Akido, Kendo, Jeet Kun Do, Hapkido, Mu Tai, Karate, Shokaku, WWF, Barry Windham, Jake the Snake, Hulk Hogan and……Walker Texas Ranger.”

“You’re joking.” Takiuma said smirking.

“Actually I get plenty of good ideas from television.” Astro said jokingly.

Takiuma shook his head. “Children…I will teach you a few tricks you may find handy, if you’re willing to reduce your power and take a little beating?”

Astro smirked back and cracked his fingers. “You don’t know much about me at all do you Sensei?”

[dannavy85]

Mid-Afternoon
Police Headquarters
New Shinjuku

Delta closed the file he was browsing through and slipped it into a document router before walking into Inspector Towashi’s office. “I finished that report update on the Yaminoka Bike gang Sir.”

Towashi was busy himself, tapping on his computer and flipping through another file on his desk. “What’s the progress on that search with the Ministry of Science?”

Delta found a place to sit, I say “place” because none of Towashi’s furnishings could accommodate the large heavy police bot. “Nothing. The group with Reno Tsueno just came back up from another scan and still they found nothing.”

Towashi rubbed his hands together. “And where’s Astro?”

“Still in Kagasume. Doctor O’Shay told us that there’s no immediate concern to require him here.”

“No immediate concern?” Towashi snorted. “Let’s see what the good Doctor thinks about “no immediate concern” when I inform the mayor and the prefectoral governor that a potentially dangerous weapon might be sitting in someone’s basement then we’ll see what “no immediate concern.” Means to him.”

Towashi reached for his phone till Delta cut him off. “With respect Sir…rushing to make such a call when we are not complete with this investigation could open you up to serious ridicule and if a leak happens, as usually they do with this government, the resulting panic will damage your reputation. Please give us one more chance to ensure a complete sweep?”

Towashi pursed his lips. “Alright….one more, then you personally shall go down to Kagasume and bring Astro back here. Understood?”

“Yes Sir.” Delta replied with a salute before he walked out.

Mid-Afternoon
Kagasume Ginza

The two girls giggled at the pair of thick socks Zoran held before her. “Look at these things! Girl’s soccer socks? What are they made of, kevilar? Look at em, aren’t they just stupid thick!”

“Wonder if they come with a heater coil that you plug in?” Kazuko said as she played with a sock. “Giggle…maybe it’s for when you get stuck in your car? You use it to shatter the glass.”

“Uh uh….it doubles as a thermos warmer.” Zoran said as she put the socks back and walked over to a trinket rack. “Now these are cute, you should see my school book bag, I have thousands of these cool pins all over it.”

Kazuko tried a lion pin with flowers around it. “Do you have a boyfriend?”

“You’re kidding?” Zoran replied. “I’m not old enough yet and after living with my brother for a while I’m starting to think it’s a big bother, I mean boys are high maintenance pain in the butts.”

Kazuko smirked. “Who programmed you?”

“Program nothing.” Zoran said tapping a toe. “I learn something new every day. Wait…then again….”

“Yeah? Go on…”

Zoran played with her lip. “Ok….there’s one in my class named Chesher, I think his Dad works for a car company or something like that. Anyway….I don’t think it’s caught his attention yet that I’m a robot?” She looked around the ginza smiling. “he’s been buying me little gifts for a month!”

Kazuko frowned. “Zoran? That’s mean!”

“How? Using some of the guides and stuff I’ve found on the internet about rating boys? He falls between kettle warm and lava hot! It’s so cool to be fawned over!”

Kazuko shook a finger. “You should tell him you’re a robot. Leaving him clueless just so you can get nice gifts from him is so cruel. Especially if he gets older and you don’t, it’s just not right.”

Zoran bought a few pins and walked out of the store. “Ok! Let’s talk about you then. You have a boy friend right?”

“He’s a “friend”.”

“In other words he’s a boy friend, I know all the girl tricks to avoid answering the question. So….? Have you kissed yet?”

Kazuko smirked back. “That’s…….”

“Yes?....” Zoran replied drooping her eyes. “Have you?”

“…..yes.”

Zoran did a little dance and clapped. “Oh you have to tell me what it was like!”

“It’s not like you’ll feel something Zoran.” Kazuko said as she found a place to sit. “I mean….can robots do anything without a program?”

“If we pick up descriptions from others and mesh em in our brains we can. Tell me what it was like?”

Kazuko smiled. “No…it’s a private thing. You’ll just have to try it.”

Zoran pursed her lips. “Oooo! This is going to be the shortest friendship in history if you don’t tell me about it!” She demanded.

“It feels like a slimy fish on your lips.”

“Eeeeeewwwwwww…..really?” Zoran asked with near google eyed interest.

Takiuma Tenma Residence
Family dojo

One minute Astro was standing with a Bo-Staff in his hands, the next he was contorted like a pretzel among Takiuma’s limbs with his face kissing the mat.

“Are you alright?” Takiuma asked.

“My phan’t ooove.” Astro replied muffled.

“Increase your power.”

Astro strained but it took considerable effort before his servos boosted him out of the hold. “Gasp! That’s crazy! Normally a human can’t hold back even a quarter horse power but that?”

Takiuma sat on the mat. “Mu-shin-su-shi-ku grapple style works just as effectively on robots as it does on humans. The whole art is based on pressure points, physo-geo mechanics and geo-metrical relationships.”

Astro scratched his head. “I….like things when they sound simple.”

“Humans and robots are basically made the same, the only difference is robots have mechanical components that mirror human flesh, muscle and sinew. The movements of legs and joints follow a biological set of rules regarding motion, all you have to do is break the rules and you can make a 50 ton robot sing on your car…or kiss the pavement.”

Astro chuckled. “Uh….I’m 5 feet tall, I have a 50 foot monster wanting to clobber me? Kinda hard to wrap my spindly little fingers around his body don’t you think?”

Takiuma suddenly drove a fast punch into Astro’s left elbow, hard enough to send his arm into a flailing spin. Astro’s eyes bugged when he tried to move it…

“Hey? What did you do to my arm?”

“Can’t feel it can you?”

Astro played with it but couldn’t get it to work. “What did you do?”

Takiuma stood up, grabbed the arm, made a few twists, pulls and jerks and made it work again. “As I told you? You’re no different from a human. Hit the right place, force the proper angles and bends that will break the bio-mechanical rules and….”

“See you have an advantage over a larger opponent, you can fly. You’re whole body is just as dangerous as any fist, you just need to learn the mechanics.”

Astro rubbed his arm and smiled with anticipation. “Would you teach me?”

“I don’t have to worry about you using it on the less fortunate right?” Takiuma warned.

Astro smirked. “Oh….there’s one robot who might get a little upset and it’s not my sister trust me.”

[dannavy85]

Late Afternoon
Shinjuku Engine Company 17
“Fighting Dragoons”

Note: Timber Tim is the name I’ve given the 1980’s fire fighting robot Astro saved from the scrap heap. He was adopted by the Dragoons and has worked to become a point-breacher, the first fireman who forces doors, windows and creates openings for others.

“Slap!” How many times do I have to warn you? I’m cooking, stay out!” Timber snapped as he pushed a burley fireman away from the stove.

“Another one of your mystery dinners Tim?” Said Yaminaka, the short stocky engine stoker who thought about dropping some seasoning into the big boiling pot on the stove till Tim was on his tip toes atop the ladder he was standing on to get in the man’s face.

“Do you want to be a pretzel?” Tim warned.

“Doesn’t smell too bad. I hope you put enough lamb into it this time.” Kazubo snorted. “You skimped when you had cooking duty last.”

Tim shook the ladle in his hand as if it were a sword ready to strike. “You guys eat way too much red meat as it is. How many heart attacks did we have in the last year? I rest my case. Fat doesn’t contribute one bit to the flavor. I would think you guys would appreciate not only my concern for my brother firefighters but you’d welcome a change in the diet?”

“That’s diet Tim…no Die us.” Captain Kira said smirking as he stuck his head around the robot to gaze at the pot. “Needs more salt.”

“You’ll need a wheel chair when I’m done!” Tim warned.

“Oh the love in this place. Hey? Not that I’m complaining that I had no help washing the engine but…”

“Listen to the “Probie”, now he thinks he can give orders.” Matsuma the driver snorted as he wrapped his arm around the new robot addition to the unit. “Watch it Probie, we still haven’t figured out a nickname for you yet.”

Bobo was the unit’s surge pump, a water bot designed to pull water up through high rise buildings. He had found his old job at the city water works to be mundane and un-challenging, hence how he showed up with the Dragoons. In reality? They were hiding him. The one enemy of all fire houses has always been budgets and when budgets don’t supply? Underhanded “comshaw” applied. The unit was certain the police were looking for Bobo but hey a little paint, some super glue a little voice modification and back door education did wonders.

“I don’t think these guys like me.” Bobo said to Tim as he came off the ladder and checked on the casserole in the oven.

“Relax, all probies get dogged out, it’s tradition. After your first big fire they’ll grow on you.”

“What’s a white cloud?” Bobo asked.

“You suck.” Tim replied with a smirk. “A white cloud is a probie who brings no fires. Now when I got here from training we had em almost every night around dinner time for two weeks. They hated me! You? Nothing so far…now we’re all dying from boredom.”

“I wish I could say they were dying from teasing me.” Bobo said sulking. “They blindfolded me and made me go into the hot house to do a smoke rescue? You don’t want to know the kind of dummy they used, it was embarrassing!”

Tim had to jab. “Did they make you kiss it?”

Bobo threw a salt shaker off Tim’s head. “You creep! How about a little support of your suffering brother bot!”

“It’s your turn to suffer as a Probie, enjoy it!”

“BWEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!”

The station horn alarm shrilled with an ear splitting crack.

BEEEEP…….BEEEP……BEEEEP…..”Battalion One, Engine 5, Engine 9, Engine 17, Ladder 19, Ladder 27, Rescue 2, Rescue 30…3 Alarm box 17291…Tsumetomo Heavy Industrial Works….job ticket 2856……

“Looks like your White Cloud days are over!” Tim shouted as he shut off the oven and handed Bobo the food. “Hurry up! Get it all in the fridge and let’s go!”

Both of them flew down the fire pole and caught the engine just as it was starting to roll out of the fire house with siren blasting and lights flashing!

Takiuma Tenma Residence
Evening Dinner

Yukio passed a salad bowl to Astro. “You’re much different in person than the news makes you.”

“I’m actually more handsome.” Astro replied. “And I’m not 6 foot tall.”

Zoran smirked at Kazuko. “Here he goes again.”
Yukio turned to her husband. “Did you tell him about your work with robots?”

Takiuma shook his head. “I’m sure he doesn’t want to be bothered by that. The subject is a bit touchy with robots these days.”

Astro ate a piece of unagi roll. “The binary robot fighting league? I’m kinda curious.”

Takiuma shrugged. “Well it’s not exactly a “league” more than it is a testing ground. We produce ideas for non-combat military roles like bomb disposal, mine clearing, reconnaissance. It’s a competitive sport with a purpose. We get attacked a lot by robot rights groups, politicians…the robots have only binary intelligence, most are controlled externally but you know how the debate goes.”

Astro rubbed his cheek. “There’s always been the hope that we’d build for peace instead of stocking up for war. My blueprints were originally a weapon.”

Takiuma’s eyes bugged. “What?”

“Yes.” Astro replied. “An earlier project of Doctor Tenma’s. It was supposed to be able to infiltrate targets and set off a 20 kiloton nuclear warhead. I guess he had been doing military research off and on for years. He insisted it would only be used under dire situations like stopping a country from launching ICBMs. I guess Tobio’s death changed his mind.”

Takiuma pursed his lips. “He never told me he did work for the military. Probably because I’m so rabidly anti-military, except where some hope of saving lives gives reason to my own work.”

Zoran looked board from the conversation. “I found out what a kiss is like today! Actually what it feels like, just haven’t done it yet.”

Astro looked at her. “And what does it feel like?”

“Slimy fish.” Zoran replied with a nod. “Somewhere between slimy fish and wet noodles.”

Astro faked his reaction. His last experience with kissing was a little different than “slimy fish”, if unreasonable malfunctions could be called “different”.

“This was a great meal Mrs. Tenma!” Astro said with a slight bow. “You don’t mind if I…take a walk outside?”

Takiuma nodded. “Allow me to join you. I’m sure these wonderful ladies have better things to talk about than hear me tell Astro here about some of my greatest robot moments.”

Walking through the garden, Astro stopped to have a closer look at some of the small Bonsai trees along the walk way. “Did I upset you about your brother’s work with the military?”

Takiuma shook his head. “A little…just another “bump” between us, he always goaded me on robotics. Who could make the best servo, the fastest hydraulics, the quickest linkages….the sharpest cutting blade.”

Astro stood up. “What about me? He said you were angry that I was made.”

Takiuma nodded. “I dreaded the day you came out. Yes, I was angry that he made you look like Tobio, he tried to pass you off as his son and then he tried to manipulate you for his stupid bent of robot superiority…”

Astro played with his fingers. “And now?”

Takiuma smiled back. “I couldn’t be more pleased, especially when you stood up to him. My brother hates not getting his way and how you dodged getting ripped apart by his temper deserves a reward. And yet you show no real acceptance of the magnitude of your place? You’ve remained surprisingly….dull.”

Astro huffed. “Dull?....haha….I kinda like that. I’m absolutely….dull.”

Suddenly Kazuko came running out of the house. “Father! Astro! Come and see the news, there’s a huge fire in Shinjuku!”

[dannavy85]

Tsumetomo Heavy Industrial Works

Bobo watched Timber jump from the fire rig even before it came to a stop and break into a dead run as he drew his ax from its back holster. Building up a surge of static electricity, Timber gave the door on the burning warehouse a good whack and it exploded in spinters! He vanished into the broiling smoke pouring from the building as Bobo ran after him.

Matsuma snagged Bobo by his coat. “Don’t worry about him! Get over to the pump truck and get it set up for foam! We have to stop all these chemicals from spreading this fire!”

“click” “Timber, what you got in there?!” Matsuma shouted into his radio mike as he ushered a hose team towards the door.

“One human….one robot. I just pulled em free of some fallen garbage, you better have the EMT’s ready!”

Matsuma watched as a nearby picture window flew apart and the human and robot were dropped out by a pair of extended accordion arms. Timber follow them, dragging them both out of harms way as the EMT’s ran up.

“The human has a broken arm, two broken ribs, a collapsed lung and a concussion!” Timber told one of the paramedics before he turned to the robot beside him. “You alright?”

“I’m functioning. It just happened so fast, we were closing down for the night and “WHAM!” It all just blew up in our faces!”

Captain Kira came up and palm patted Timber’s helmet. “If you don’t have investigator on your jacket, we could use you on another hose team. Stop flapping the jaws and get employed.”

“Aye!” Timber snapped as he took off and ran past Bobo, who was hooked up to a hose and pouring a surge of foam against a shattered blow torching fuel tank. “Having fun yet?”

“I need marshmallows!” Bobo replied.

Timber found another hose team getting ready to storm a burning storage shed and came running up with his ax crackling from the static charge. “Clear for the breach!” He yelled as he jumped up and came down on the door with a whack!

As the door shattered apart, a rush of built up pressure and flame blew Timber off his feet, over the hose team and into a puddle of mud. He slid to a stop, stood up and spit a gob of mud from his mouth with a smirk. “Man I love this job!”

Takiuma Tenma Residence
NHK television News

“This is Toshio Takamori live from the Tsumitomo Heavy Iron Works! The fire has reach a staggering seven alarms as fire companies from as far as Yokohama have been called to support the battle. It’s not known at this time what caused the massive explosion which may have come from the company’s liquid propane storage tanks…”

Zoran looked at her brother. For the seriousness of what was happening he was looking too calm. “Shouldn’t you go?” She asked him.

“Huh?” Astro replied. “No…there’s no reason yet.”

Zoran was stunned. “A big fire like that and there’s no reason? What’s wrong with you big brother? Of course you should go!”

Astro shook his head. “That’s why we have fire fighters Zoran. I bet Timber’s pumped up and excited to be in this one. The last thing they need is me bumping heads.”

Kazuko gestured. “Isn’t the hero job part of your resume?”

“Doctor O’Shay had one of these long sit down talks with me a few months ago. It seems the Shinjuku police association was becoming concerned that I was making people dependant on me too much. See if I chased criminals all day, every day and started doing dramatic hero stuff on a daily basis, soon you might not have police or firemen. People become dependant or worse they become resentful. I dunno…” Astro patted his fingers together. “It’s all touchy touchy stuff that makes my brain explode. Any way…if the Doctor calls me then I’ll go help, it’s easier to let him decide anyway.”

“Well I think that’s dumb.” Zoran snorted.

Astro rubbed her head. “Zoran, you have so much to learn about humans. Then again who am I to talk?”

[dannavy85]

Tsumitomo Heavy Iron Works
Three hours after the explosion

Timber found Bobo sitting on a trashed water heater that had been blasted away from the explosion site and accepted a can of oil as he dropped his jacket and took a seat.

“You did very good.” He said to Bobo. “The Chief was very pleased by the output of foam.”

Bobo looked at Timber with a smirk. “Did you fight the fires or did you roll in the embers? You stink!”

“Come on! It’s our job!” Timber replied smacking Bobo’s shoulder. “Unlike humans, we can afford to get down and nasty. Did you see that pressure condenser fly off? The owner’s still over there balling over his vintage Monti Carlo.”

Bobo frowned. “How many?.....”

“Seven humans….13 robots.” Timber stopped for a moment to think. We came across one…a human. He had a robot by the arm, obviously trying to pull him with him…”

“How could it happen?” Bobo asked. “We put up tons of laws, regulations, inspections, enforcement and this happens.” He waved a hand across the ruined plant.

Timber sighed. “Things just happen. Can’t make everything accident proof. My guess is a tank seal failed or a line blew. Stuff came out, found a spark and kaboom. It’s not the first time and we won’t see the end of it. You and me? We just kill the fires. Leave it to the experts to fix the mistakes.”

Timber pulled Bobo up by a hand and slapped his back. “Now comes the fun part. Getting all these hoses put away. Trust me, you think I stink now?”

Both firebots walked past a Ministry of Science van as it pulled up. Doctor O’Shay climbed out and joined his partner from the Department of Safety, professor Amako Nowari.

“A classic example of liquid propane vapor detonation.” She said as she pulled a digital camera from her bag and started taking pictures. Doctor O’Shay meanwhile drifted over to the chief fire marshal who was pointing out hot spots to his survey team and gathering up the remains of robots.

“What’s your initial conclusion?” O’Shay asked as the Chief handed him a piece of a robot’s torso.

“They didn’t have any time between the initial leak and the detonation. Perhaps a robot had an open short, we won’t know till we study the storage drives…if we can find any that weren’t trashed. The closest bot I gather was maybe….10 or so feet? Take into account the expansion of liquid propane you have about…15 seconds.”

O’Shay pondered. “You know…there hasn’t been a serious propane explosion in the world since the unified international safety standard was adopted and the record has been remarkable. This was a top rated facility, what about sabotage?”

The Chief hummed to himself. “Mmmmm….the first thing we did was check with the central records division that stores the monitoring data of sites like this. If a gnat touched a valve wrong we would have known it. I think this was a classic one millionth failure or screw up that just found a day to happen.”

O’shay nodded and tucked the robot torso under his arm. “Well…make sure I get all the robot remains you find?”

Takiuma Tenma Residence
Late evening

After Zoran was tucked in, Astro stayed up to walk around the house and found his way into the basement where Yukio found him curiously studying a multi-legged crawling robot. “Can’t sleep?” She asked.

Astro carefully placed the crawler back on the work bench. “Giggles” :”Silly me, I was trying to talk to it for a while. Forgot it’s an old fashioned stick and wire bot.”

“Careful…it might be your great grandfather.” She said as she found a seat. “I talked to my husband. He feels it may be time to talk to his brother.”

Astro smiled. “It would help. Doctor Tenma needs family. I don’t want him in prison for ever.”

“If only such ease of forgiveness were more common.” Yukio said. “Perhaps we could at last end having to spend our days on building machines like that.” She said pointing towards the crawl bot.

Astro sighed. “Humans are sadly fixed in their old habits. We’ll always face those who want power, who abuse talents and abilities for their vision over the dreams of others.”

“My husband once…briefly, actually thought his brother had the right idea. That robots could steward mankind, fix his wrongs, keep him right, sane and sound…”

Astro shook his head. “Uh uh….no.” He then played with his lips. “You know I can’t sit through Terminator? That was the first time I really understood what being afraid was? I actually know a robot who thinks like that? That we robots should rule over those who made us? If I could actually wet my pants? I’d be pouring buckets down my legs.”

Yukio sighed. “He said…it would be a disaster.”

Astro frowned. “Like that movie “I Robot”. The line between leader and tyrant is super thin, it only takes good intentions gone wrong. Uh uh….robots and humans have to live equally, each watching over the other and for a micrometer of distrust to exist? That’s a wonderful thing. The day a robot goes from thinking it’s a good idea to actually doing it? I shake.”

Yukio walked over and rubbed Astro’s arms. “I upset you…I’m sorry.”

“I’m a cry baby.” Astro said shrugging. “Don’t tell anyone?”

Yukio rubbed his nose. “Our secret.”

[dannavy85]

Reno’s Lab and Apartment
Ministry of Science
Late evening

Arasticles placed a cup of coffee next to Reno as he sat pouring over sheets of paper and working his computer screen.


“The hour is late. This coffee will provide no essential stimuli. You should sleep.” The police bot said with emotionless logic.

“One more hour.” Reno replied. “The x-rays could only go so deep. Absolutely nothing.”

“Then we should proceed with a more extensive excavation of the site. We have exhausted all options at the moment.”

Reno rubbed his eyes and sat back in his seat. “We run the risk of leaking this stuff out. The last thing I wanna do is upset Astro and worse seeing the whole city or the whole country worry.”

Reno waved one sheet of paper over his shoulder. “I think Tenma’s pulling a shuck on all of us about this body he created. He’s not telling the damn truth!”

Reno slapped the paper on the desk and pushed his chair away angrily. “It’s a damn nightmare.” He stood shaking his head. “Oh heck…I think you’re right, I’m tired.”

Arastcles placed a hand on Reno’s shoulder. “You are tense. I will prepare your bed and a hot comfortable liquid known for its soothing properties. You should rest in a hot soaking bath with appropriate music.”

Reno smirked. “You are way too logical. “yawn” Tomorrow’s another day.”

Takiuma Tenma Residence
Morning

Astro walked into the kitchen to find Zoran standing on a stool and pouring pancake mix onto a hot plate. “Hey? You did ask permission right?”

Zoran turned around. “I’m not like you sometimes big brother. Kazuko helped me make everything up. By the way, are we going home?”

Astro rubbed his chin. “I wasn’t expecting to be eating breakfast. There’s something I need to do for Doctor O’Shay.”

“Good morning.” Takiuma said as he walked in with a newspaper in his hands. “That fire in Shinjuku was very bad.”

“I caught the radio news early this morning.” Astro remarked as he sat at the dining table. “It’s one of the safest rated plants in Asia. Doctor O’Shay probably has people working on it.”

Zoran placed a plate of pancakes on the table. “Maybe you should have gone after all?

“Like I told you…that’s what firefighters do Zoran, I would have just been a nuisance.”

Takiuma was cutting up his stack of pancakes. “I’m going to go see my brother so I’ll drive you and your sister back to Shinjuku.”

Astro smiled. “You don’t have too. When we take the train, we usually stop along the way just to look around.”

“I wouldn’t mind that.” Takiuma replied. “There’s a few spots along the Shin-Yoshuki expressway worth a look if you’re that curious?”

“Ok!” Astro replied happily. “It would beat being packed up in a stuffy train car.”

Zoran smirked. “He likes looking at people’s butts.”

“ZORAN!” Astro snapped back while the other laughed.

Doctor O’Shay’s House
Morning

“Yawn….A quiet morning with no noise.” O’Shay said pleasingly as he waddled out of his bathroom. It was his 3-day a month off and he was relieved that Astro and Zoran were out instead of under his feet…for the moment. That little moment of peasure changed though when he walked into his kitchen to find an unwelcome visitor scavenging through his cabinets…

“ATLAS! GET OUT OF MY HOUSE!” He screamed. The blonde haired boy bot shuddered, dropped the cans in his hands and tumbled off the kitchen counter top with a crash! He sat snorting curse worlds as the Doctor walked up with a broom in one hand and a cell phone in the other.

“ARGH! YOU OLD FAT BAG!” Atlas snorted. “You can forget about the police, your stupid phones don’t work!”

“How did you get into my house?!” O’Shay snarled as he waved the broom in Atlas’s face. The boy bot simply snatched it and threw it aside.

“You left the front door unlocked.” Atlas snapped as he stood up. “I just came to get some cans of oil.”

“You little brigand! Do you think you have the right to come in my house and take what you want?!”

Atlas smirked. “Why don’t you ask “Goody Boots”? After all that “pet” gives me stuff all the time. He’s so gullible and sickingly kind. You’ve poisoned him!”

“He does it because he, why I don’t know, sees something in you that’s positive. You’re a complete menace to New Shinjuku and the whole Earth.”

Atlas poured a coffee, fixed it with sugar and handed it to O’Shay. “You like it black right? Come on old fleshy I didn’t put something stupid in it.”

O’Shay took the cup and continued his rant. “You vandalize property, you incite robots to do acts bordering on violence, you’re a threat to everything Astro and I have tried to do…”

“Tried?!” Atlas snorted back. “Tried?! Yeah right! All your promises of the Robot Rights Act have still fallen short. You humans expected us to placidly accept this new found freedom, “bend over” as you term it and take the ray of blinding sun light in our toots well guess what egg head….NO JOY!”

Atlas stood with his hands on his hips. “Bah! You still have humans finding ways to get one over on us robots. Cutting out opportunities with slick deceptions, cheapening just compensations, you still harm the planet, you stack the courts, the halls of politics and we should just dance giddy around the maypole and sing the praises of a sheet of paper…don’t make me laugh goofy nose!”

“Your way of thinking obstructs every good effort the majority of humans believe in Atlas. Why won’t you work with us?” O’Shay snapped.

“Because deep down you flesh bags are afraid.” Atlas said as he stomped about the room. O’Shay almost laughed if it wasn’t so serious. Atlas was so juvenile it was comical. “You fear me because I won’t shut up! Well one day we robots will get into the government…yeah…then how will you act then? A robot representative here…a Senator there…Prime Minister? Then you humans will be put in your proper place where you can’t do any more harm to yourselves, the planet or to robots.”

O’shay shook his head. “Sometimes I feel even you don’t believe in what you say Atlas. If you truly stood by your words…you wouldn’t try hanging around Astro so often.”

Atlas huffed. “Goody has his…positive moments. Someday he’ll understand why, that’s what you fear the most…Doctor nose blimp.”

Atlas popped the top off one of the oil cans and took a sip. “Tell him I stopped by. Later days…Doctor. Oh yeah…you can chew him out for the oil, he leaves cans for me every night.” Atlas walked out of the house and took off in a cloud of dust and vapor.


Ministry of Science
Division of Safety
Morning

Doctor Amako Nowari arrived at the holographic display room and flipped the wall switch near the doorway. The room inside instantly transformed into a 3D world, an exacting duplication of the iron works complex that had been destroyed the previous day. Behind her walked her robot assistant Malla with a controller pad and stenograph.

The object of their investigation was ground zero. Propane storage tank number 2 was the culprit of the disaster and so far all the easy notions of its cause had been removed. Amako was now focused on the last feed line off the tank and the holographic room provided the advantages an actual physical inspection could not, the ease of access.

Amako used her finger like an imaginary torch, cutting the connection flange away from the tank line and bringing it up close so she could rotate and observe the image from any angle she chose. She shook her head and pursed her lips…

“Not this one. The seal is intact. The flange has no indication of blow torching from ignited vapor melting. That’s the last one.”

Malla typed the statements into her stenograph and walked around the floating piece of pipe her self. “Mistress? Then we are talking about a seam leak as the possible cause? Might I remind you that no advanced seam design has ever failed in the past 50 years of service, they are extremely reliable.”

“Like they say….”Always a first for anything.” Amako said as she started tracing the various seams which joined the curved and rolled sections of steel plating making up the tank. “Malla? Go and get a pot of coffee? We may be here most of the day.”

[dannavy85]

Mid-day
Shin-Yosuki Expressway
Passing through Ogawa City

“Does this game have a purpose Zoran?” Astro asked as Zoran held his hands up.

“It passes the time.” She replied. “This should be easy and you can’t keep up?”

“It takes a little bit, you’re always changing the pace, the hand movements aren’t predictable.” Astro complained. “And really Zoran…this is kinda childish.”

“It’s actually fun! And you might be able to use it some day, who knows?”

“Yeah…it might cause my opponent to fall apart while he’s laughing at me. “Hey Mister bad guy…wanna play slap slap clap?” Very mature Sis.”

Zoran huffed. “Oh stop complaining and try harder?!”

Astro looked at Takiuma for escape. “Don’t involve me in this family feud.”

“Alright…” Astro sighed as he patted Zoran’s hands…

“Miss…..Mary Mack, Mack, Mack…all dressed in black, black, blackwithsilverbuttonsbuttonsbuttonsalldownherbackbackback…”

“Sis!” Astro was flailing to keep up with the speed. “Hold on!” His right hand missed her hand and connected with her nose, knocking poor Zoran against the passenger door.

“Ugh!...Zoran….I didn’t mean…”

“Sniffle”

“Oh no….”

“WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!” Zoran let out an ear splitting scream that vibrated the whole car!

Takiuma almost lost control. “Astro what did you do?”

“It was an accident! I goofed up! Sis….I’m sorry!”

“WAAAAAAAAAAA….YOU OWE ME AN ICE CREAM!!”

Astro looked at Takiuma with a guilt ridden shrug.

“Alright. At the first exit we’ll get you an ice cream. I’m sure your brother didn’t mean it.”

The sound of a loud truck horn filled the air around the car and Takiuma reacted quickly to avoid getting run down by the large tanker truck that rapidly filled his rear view mirror. Every light on it was flashing madly as it raced by almost scraping the side view mirror.

“He must be on a tight schedule to be going that fast.” Takiuma said as he watched cars swerve and move aside ahead of him.

But something else caught Astro’s attention. He poked his head between the front seats and gasped. “He’s not on a schedule…HE’S GOT NO BRAKES!!”

Astro jumped into the front passengers seat, rolled down the window and climbed out onto the window frame. He could see the brake line flopping uselessly from beneath the out of control big rig. A cloud of vapor and he was off with a whistling scream!

The big rig was unstable, fishtailing wildly from side to side. It clipped a car to its right, locking it onto the bumper until it threw it into the air with a wild flip!

Astro caught the car by the roof, put it down on the grass off the highway, checked the occupants and rocketed off again after the speeding truck! He almost had the rear bumper in his hand when a motorcycle got clipped and the rider thrown violently against the rig’s hood! Astro caught him as he rolled off, laid him on the grass off to the side, gnashed his teeth and took off again! He snatched the truck by the passenger door, smashed the glass and climbed half way into the cab…

“SHUT THE ENGINE OFF!” He screamed at the driver.

The driver looked back in terror. “I’VE TRIED! When the brake system ruptured it destroyed the kill switch line!”

Astro pulled himself out of the cab, aimed a finger and sent a blast of laser into the engine block! It cut through the housing, severed the crankshaft, sliced through the pistons and welded the piston heads to the casing! The whole engine seized then fell apart in flying metal, sparks and flame!

The big rig began to slow but not fast enough to avoid crashing through a fence of warning saw horses and screaming its way towards an unfinished section of roadway sky bridge!

The rig went airborne, a terrifying mass of steel floating for a moment in weightless parabola with Astro still clinging one-handed on the side view mirror before the truck began its drop downwards in a flipping, rolling, screaming mass of metallic terror for anyone below…

No time to try and stop it. Too fast, too heavy, to much terminal velocity and not enough time, Astro fired his jets, flew into the cab, snatched the driver and flew out just as the back end of the rig smacked the earth and began a hypergaulic eruption of flaming fuel that licked at the driver’s feet as he and his savior raced upwards to a landing on the unfinished sky bridge.

No time, the driver was alright. Astro flew back down as the fire ball from the explosion vanished above him. He ran around the flaming tanker in a fright as dazed bystanders and construction crewmen came up to look at the mess.

“Gasp! Was anyone hurt? I couldn’t stop it in time! Shoot!” Astro paced about nervously till the construction foreman patted his shoulder. “No one got hurt, just some trashed equipment. My God kid…that was the bomb!”

“Awesome!” Said another. “You jacked the driver out right when it exploded! Where was my damn camera?! Did anyone get that on video?!”

That was the last thing on Astro’s mind. “This big rig falls out of the sky, people running for their lives and they want a video? Ugh….a YouTube of this will make Doctor O’Shay happy.”

Astro flew back up to the roadway and found Zoran and Takiuma swimming among a near sea of reporters. Astro was hoping for a mercifully quick diversion to save him from the crush as he landed…

“Incredible….”

“What were you thinking as you went over the edge?”

“What do you think of traffic safety?”

Astro rubbed his face and smiled. “Uh…I would like to take your questions but I have a little problem?” He told the reporters, trying not to laugh at him self. “You see in all this crazy excitement guys I kinda wet my pants? Do you mind if I go change?”

The reporters moved aside as Astro grabbed Zoran by a hand. “You can’t…”

“Quiet…big smiles...just get in the car.” Astro said out of the side of his mouth.

Once inside he patted Takiuma on the shoulder. “Get us out of here?”

Off they went. Zoran looked back at the frustrated reporters then to her brother as he sat with his eyes closed. “You alright?”

“Fine.” Astro replied. “I just wasn’t in the mood to talk.”

Takiuma looked back. “The non-glamorous hero.”

Astro opened his eyes. “I just want a normal life. I’m cursed. I can’t even put my boots on in the morning without some reporter asking about my toe sizes. And school? They made a big deal about me playing in little league!”

“Well…” Takiuma said with a finger wave. “Name any human child who flies, has lasers in his fingers and can catch a car and we’ll throw the reporters at him for a change.

Astro huffed. “I can’t wait for the reality TV show…Astro’s day in school…I’ll bore people with my finger painting skills.”