Neko27

The last thing he remembered was the tremendous flash of light and heat. It was all a mater of timing, and he'd been in the right place at the right time. Astro couldn't have gotten there soon enough, he kept telling himself, and he was already there, and he knew what he had to do. The heat ray was going to reach the dam and burn a hole in it, and the city would have been under water. Even Astro wouldn't have been able to stop the rampaging waters once that happened. No, Cobalt knew, it had all been up to him. He didn't mind sacrificing himself, Astro had been willing to do the same so many times before. Only this time there was no last minute reprieve, no plan B, no third party swooping in at the last minute to save the day. It had all been up to him. Everything went dark, and he felt himself fade away into oblivion. Not a bad way to go, really.

Dr. Tenma was enjoying his newly found freedom. Ah to be out in the sunshine again, instead of being trapped behind those four walls of his gilded cage. He stood by the bank of the lake and cast his line out into the water and watched as the float landed in the middle of the spot he'd aimed at. He slowly reeled in his line and then cast it out again, hitting a slightly different spot on the water. Again he repeated the process, each time slowly moving the lure across the deep end, hoping to get a bite. Suddenly he felt resistance as the rewind crank became heavy, his rod bent against the weight. Tenma stopped fighting against the pull and the line slowly went slack as his reel unwound. He sighed, he hadn't gotten a bite after all, just snagged something on the bottom. Umataro carefully reeled in the line, hoping that the object he'd snared wasn't too heavy to break it.

Finally the object broke the surface of the water and hug at the end of his rod. Tenma removed the thing from his hook and recognized it at once. "Now who were you, and how did you get into this lake?" he asked, examining the object. Tenma knew at once what he'd caught, he even suspected it might be one of his own. The electronic computer brain module he now held in his hand had once been the mind of a robot. It was slightly scorched and charred from being in contact with intense heat, but remarkably it was in rather good shape, and probably would still function, needing only a power source and a body to bring it back to life.

Uran and Astro looked at the box with a great deal of curiosity. The gift wrapped package had come in the morning's mail while Professor Ochanomizu had been out taking his morning walk. "Humans need exercise just like robots do," he explained. "If we don't keep using all of our muscles they will atrophy, and our joints will become stiff."

"Why don't you just oil them?" Uran asked, to which the professor responded with a good belly laugh. "If only we came equipped with sockets to apply grease to," he laughed, "but that would put a great many doctors out of business."

"Can't we open this package now?" Uran pleaded.

"You remember what the professor told us," Astro reminded his sister, "We have to let him see anything that comes in the mail first."

"Rats!" Uran pouted.

Professor Ochanomizu returned home to find the two robotic children staring at wrapped box with a pink bow attached. "When did this show up?" he asked.

"Can we open it?" Uran shouted as her guardian entered the house. "I think it's a present for us."

"Let's see, there seems to be a note attached," the professor replied.

He carefully detached an envelope from the ribbon tied around the package and opened it to read what was inside. "Happy birthday Uran and Tobio," the note said.

"Who could this be from?" Uran wondered.

"I think I know!" Astro replied. "There is only one person that would call me Tobio."

"Yes, that is Dr. Tenma's handwriting." Ochanomizu said. "Perhaps I should open this package, just in case."

Astro nodded, handing the box over to his guardian. Uran fidgeted nervously, "Well, open it already!"

The professor untied the bow and removed the ribbon that kept the box closed. He carefully peeled away the gift wrap paper and then placed the box on the coffee table. Uran bounced up and down on her heels trying to see what was inside the package as the professor lifted the lid and reached inside.

"Well now, it seems to be a pet!" Ochanomizu laughed, "But I need to activate it."

"It's a kitty cat!" Uran squeed.

"Well a robot cat anyway," Astro corrected her.

The professor felt under the cat's belly and located a small panel. He opened it and inserted the energy cassette that was also inside the box next to the robotic feline, and closed the panel. The tabby yawned and opened its eyes.

He opened his eyes and blinked. How did he get back home, he wondered? The first thing he saw was his sister squealing with delight after laying eyes on him. Astro was there too, with a smile on his face. But they didn't seem to recognize him. What was going on?

"Hello Kitty!" Uran cried out. She grabbed the feline from box and briefly held it close to her in an iron grip before looking at it more closely with her arms outstretched. "This cat looks a bit like you Ani!" she laughed. "See, his ears stick out like your hair spikes and his rump looks like your pants. Someone even put a little green belt around his waist like you have! I'm going to call him Atomu-Neko!"

"Don't you recognize me!" he tried to yell out, but his voice sounded more like a cascade of 'Meows' than normal speech.

Uran held her new pet tightly in her right arm and stood in front of the mirror. "See how pretty you look!" she told the android cat.

He looked in the mirror and blinked. He turned his head to look at Uran and then back at the mirror. "I'm a damn cat!" he gasped. "How the hell did this happen!" He was confused and tried to remember but it was all too vague. Out of the mist in the back of his mind a vision slowly materialized and bits and pieces of stuff began to converge. A familiar face came into sharp focus, with a distinct Roman nose and prominent beard. "I think I know who are," Dr. Tenma told him, "but I don't have the ability to rebuild you as you once were. However, I did have a body I was going to use as a present for my Tobio and his sister, so I gave that to you."

Kobaruto looked up into his sister's face. Somehow he had to tell her. Then he figured it out. Uran could empathize with animals, that was the key.

"Meowww, meow meow," he started to babble.

"My, Atomu-neko is talkative," Astro laughed.

"Shh, he's trying to tell me something!" Uran scolded Astro. She carefully listened to her new pet's vocalizing and suddenly cried out. "Ani, It's you? How?"

Kobaruto felt some relief. Uran understood him. He started to explain what had happened to him, trying hard not to talk too fast.

Uran listened attentively to the robot animal's babbling, seemingly able to understand it all, while Astro kept a dumbfound look on his face. "What's he saying?" he asked.

"It's Coby!" Uran replied "He's come back to us as a cat! He's been resurrected!"

"How?" Astro asked.

"Dr. Tenma found his electronic brain in the lake where the two of you once fought against the lizard monsters. After Kobaruto blew up the heat ray, all that was left of him was his electronic brain, and that got buried in the mud under the water. Years later Tenma Sensei found it while he was fishing," Uran explained. "Your creator wanted to make us a birthday present after he was released from the mental hospital. He built a robot cat, and he put Coby's brain into it."

"Cobalt, is that you?" Astro asked, looking eye to eye with the feline in his sister's arms.

"Meow!" Korbaruto replied, nodding his head.

Skunk Kusai kept a strong grip on the suitcase. "I want proof before I hand this over to you!" he said.

"I suppose my reputation as an evil genius isn't good enough for you?" Dr. Fooler said.

"And I suppose that you'll want to verify that the cash in this suitcase isn't counterfeit before you give me the key to activating the device?"

"We seem to know just how far to trust each other," the short statued man with the gold tipped cane laughed. "Very well, allow me to demonstrate," he said pointing out the window. "See that robot traffic cop down the block?"

"The one in the middle of the road directing traffic from the middle of the intersection?" Kusai asked rhetorically.

"That's the one," Fooler laughed. "Now watch. This device is a more refined, miniaturized version of my wacky controller inducer. In gun form it can be aimed at a single robot at a time, or the beam can be widened to take out a crowd of them."

He pointed the device that looked like an old fashioned muzzle loaded blunderbuss out the window, and carefully aimed it using the holographic cross hair sight that floated in mid air just above the weapon. Fooler puller the trigger and a spiraling purple beam of light shot across the distance, enveloping the unsuspecting robot in a ball of plasma. The android traffic cop started to flinch uncontrollably and then frothed at the mouth before falling flat on his face.

"Impressive, but will it work on Astro?" Skunk asked.

"It should be even more effective on him," the little professor laughed, "because he's way more powerful than that primitive robot I just zapped, and he has more systems to overload."

"Very well," Skunk replied, handing Fooler the suitcase. "You've sold me. Here's the one billion yen you wanted."

Fooler opened the case and examined the money. He held his hand over it and a ring on his index finger emitted a green light that shined on the currency. Fooler nodded and closed the case.

"A pleasure doing business with you," Fooler smiled, handing Skunk the weapon. "You'll need these extra power cartridges too," he added.

Skunk grabbed the small toolbox from the professor's other hand. "Thank you very much, professor," he said. "You'll be reading about our common enemie's demise in the news real soon."

The professor grabbed his hat and coat and headed for the door.

"Where are you going?" Uran asked.

"I'm going to run some errands," Ochanomizu said.

"Are you going to drive, or walk?" Uran asked.

"Actually, I could use the exercise," He laughed. "So I guess I'll walk."

"Can Atomu-Neko and I come along with you?" Uran asked. "We could both use the exercise too."

"Sure," The professor replied.

Astro was already outside waiting for them.

"Coming with us, Ani?" she asked.

"Hai!" the boy robot replied.

He and Uran walked a few steps behind the professor, Kobaruto-Neko ran quickly along side of Uran.

"You didn't tell Hakase about Cobat did you?" Astro asked.

"Not yet." Uran sighed. "I don't want him freaking out. He'd never understand!"

They walked as a family, making a few stops along the way to buy some bread, and a newspaper. The professor then entered a bank and stood in line. "I need to deposit a check for the Ministry," he said. "Usually Yuko handles this, but she was out yesterday when I was handed this by a client. I don't know why he insisted on doing business the old way, I haven't actually had to go to a bank in ages."

Just as they reached the teller's window the bank door burst open, and there was Skunk with a few of his henchmen. His face broke into a big evil smile when he saw Astro.

Astro turned quickly, and told the professor, "I'll take care of him!"

"Not so fast, Astro!" Skunk cackled, as he pulled Fooler's gun out from under his coat.

Before Astro could react, Skunk pulled the trigger. "Eat Nutzo rays!" he laughed.

Astro froze as a ball of plasma surrounded him and he fell to the floor, with sparks flying from his skin.

Uran dropped to the floor and cradled her brother's lifeless body in her arms. She stared up at Kusai with anger boiling in her eyes. "You bastard!" she yelled, balling her hands into fists.

Skunk quickly aimed the weapon at her, "Would you like a taste of Nutzo rays too?", he roared with laughter.

Skunk and his henchmen had ignored the black and white cat that stood up on its hind legs next to Uran. Kobaruto's head's up display popped up into his field of view superimposed over the image of Skunk holding Dr. Fooler's ray gun. Deep within his electronic brain the autonomic systems put weapons systems on line that his conscious mind didn't know he had. Like a bat out of hell, he flew towards Kusai powered by ramjet engines in his legs. His forelimbs sprouted sharp claws and his open mouth displayed fangs. Before he knew what hit him, Skunk was attacked by an atomic hairball that clawed, spit, and screamed at him. He dropped the ray gun which slid across the floor, into Ochanomizu's hands.

The other two members of Skunk's gang tried to make their way to the door. They broke into a run, but they didn't get very far. Kobaruto-Neko quickly aimed a digi-beam laser at a ceiling fan, causing it to come crashing down on the would be robbers, cold conking them into dreamland.

The professor had his hands inside of Astro's open chest cavity, examining the damage. Uran stood next to him, sobbing. In the background the police had already handcuffed Skunk and his fellow bandits, and were in the process of throwing them into a paddy wagon. Kobaruto picked up the ray gun that lay on the floor next to Astro's silent body and examined the weapon. After a few moments of thought, he found the switch he was looking for and aimed the gun at his brother.

"What are you doing, Coby!" Uran cried out when she noticed her new pet cat about to use the ray gun.

"I've put it in reverse!" Kobaruto meowed.

Uran pushed the professor aside just as the cat pulled the trigger. Once again a spiral shaped beam of light, this time a golden color emanated from the device, and surrounded Astro with a shimmering halo. The weapon shut itself down and the glare subsided. Astro moaned and opened his eyes. "Oh man what hit me?" he asked. "I have a splitting headache!"

"You're OK!" Uran cried out with glee, as she leaped towards her brother and started hugging him to death.

The professor starred at Cobalt. "Uran, is there something you haven't told me?"

Uran looked at Kobaruto-Neko. The cat softly meowed and nodded its head.

"My cat is really Kobaruto," she said. "Tenma Sensei found his electronic brain and put it inside of a robot cat body.

"And knowing Dr. Tenma, that cat probably has every single one of Astro's physical abilities," the professor smirked. "I should have suspected that the moment that package arrived."

They made their way back home in silence. Kobaruto followed behind Uran and Astro. Just before he reached the front door he heard a low purr coming from the house next door.

"Hello you Tom Cat!" Korbaruto turned his head to see the neighbor's white cat sitting on the front steps giving him an eyeful. "Why don't you come over and see me sometime," she cooed.

Korbaruto felt himself blushing as he gazed at the lovely creature that was adoring him. "Maybe later," he meowed back as he entered the house.

"Let me examine you," the professor asked Cobalt. The cat backed away, but Uran picked him up and deposited him in the professor's lap. "Don't worry son," Ochanomizu smiled, I won't hurt you.

The Professor opened Cobalt's chest panel and looked inside with the aid of a magnifying glass. He carefully made an adjustment to one of the circuits with a screwdriver, and then closed the panel. "There, now you should be able to speak in human language as well as cat," he laughed.

"Thank you, Hakase," Kobaruto-Neko replied. He quickly put a paw to his mouth as soon as he'd said that, realizing that everyone could now understand him, not only Uran.

"You know Uran," The professor said. "The ministry did make duplicate robot bodies for you, Astro, and Cobalt. They are safely stored away in the vault for safe keeping. Now that we have Cobalt's original electronic brain back, we can restore him to his former self."

"That's wonderful!" Uran laughed. "Coby! You don't have to remain a cat forever!"

Kobaruto – Neko jumped from the table into Uran's arms. He thought about the neighbor's cat next door and swallowed hard before speaking. "That's OK, Hakase," he said. "I'm actually happy as a cat. I think I'll stay this way, at least for now."