-The Runaway-
Team Lightyear were on vacation on Mahomba 6. Buzz, unlike the last time the team had gone, was ready for a vacation and was out on the ocean on a speedboat. Mira, who had also learned from their previous trip to the resort planet, didn't go sunbathing; instead she brought along a book to read under the shade of a large palm tree on the edge of the beach. Booster was with Buzz on the boat as it glided above the water's surface. XR was the only one who hadn't learned anything from their last vacation there and although he wasn't at the casino disguised as Booster he still wasn't being very good.
XR was at a small shop near the beach looking around at the stuff. He had intending only to look - truly he had - but once he got there some of the things just looked to go to pass by.
At first it started with a little glass ornament shaped like a mermaid. She looked up at XR as if begging for him to take her. She was so lovely with her long golden hair and her sparkling bright blue eyes that together with her smile made her seem as though she really liked him. She was nicely shaped too and had a long blue tail that went smoothly around the rock she was sitting on. Even the little pink starfish in her hair looked good on her. XR thought that almost anything would look good on her. He couldn't refuse.
"Hey, I have enough money," he told himself reaching into his safe behind his back plate. He set the ornament on the counter and set the money next to it but just then he saw a bigger version of the mermaid with better color than the little one. He didn't think about what he'd do with a life-sized statue of a mermaid sitting on a rock but, he just had to have it!
"It's beautiful!" he said out loud rushing over to it. But he cringed as he looked at the price.
Now, if he had been the responsible sort, who thought before he did something, he would've just settled getting the little one (of course, if he had been the responsible sort he probably wouldn't want a mermaid at all.) But he wasn't responsible at all. He probably wouldn't know responsible if it took off his plating and burned out his circuits.
He didn't have enough money with him to pay for it. I mean who in the right mind would carry 600 Uni-bucks around with them. That's right 600 Uni-bucks. Actually it was 599.99 Uni-bucks but what's one penny less?
XR couldn't leave without the mermaid so he made out a check and the money would be taken out of the Star Command bank account. He was only suppose to use it for emergencies on a mission but he figured that once wouldn't matter.
"Here you are, sir," said XR pretending to be important. He gave the check to the tall skinny alien with the beach shirt and sunglasses behind the counter. "Thanks, dude," he replied in a young naive voice. (This was his first job, you see and his second week working.)
"No, no, thank you," XR insisted.
But then XR realized that he had nothing to carry his beloved statue on so he bought a stand on wheels to put it on. But then gave it back decided to get a hover stand instead - one with nicely carved wave on the sides. And he wasn't done yet. He bought a special kind of expensive wax to polish the statue and a pink cloth the match her starfish for cleaning. He bought a few cans of oil for himself - the best brand he could find. He bought a new beach shirt, a pair of lime green sunglasses, a pack of little umbrellas to put in his oilcans, and the list went on and on.
Well, finally he was done and the guy behind the counter thanked him a lot.
"The manager said most of the things you bought's been sittin' aroun' for month's, man," he said with a laugh. "MAN, is he gonna LOVE me! Thanks, dude!"
It wasn't until then that XR had realized what he had done and how much money he'd spent. 8,000 Uni-bucks. He gulped but he wasn't the sort to admit to his mistakes right away like that and he hurried out of the shop with his stuff.
"Have you seen, XR?" Booster asked Mira when he and Buzz came back from their boat ride.
"No," said Mira shrugging her shoulders. "Why?"
"We were gonna see that new movie at the theater," Booster replied.
"You mean the one about the space dog?" Mira asked.
Booster nodded.
"He promised he'd wait on the beach for me."
"Oh, boy," Mira groaned. "Booster maybe he just didn't really, sort of - well, XR's not really the, uh, 'lost animal movie' type. You know what I'm tr-"
"Hey, Booster, what's up?"
XR had seemed to pop out of no where. He didn't give Booster a chance to answer.
"Come on, buddy, let's go see that movie," XR said quickly pushing Booster from behind. "Let's go, let's go. We don't wanna miss it."
"Bye, Mira," Booster said.
"Yeah, se ya!" XR said.
Mira raised her brow as she watched them go.
"I guess I was wrong."
All through the movie XR acted very distracted. He twiddled with his fingers nervously and kept looking around. His body was just as fidgety as his eyes. He moved around in his seat and would play with his can of oil but never drank any of it.
Booster didn't notice this until later in the movie when he heard the sound of XR's fingers move really fast. And after that he couldn't stop worrying about XR. But he didn't say anything because right then the poor space dog was about to get eaten by the hideous monster lurking in the cave. She didn't, of course, but now Booster was deeply involved in the movie again.
"Wow!" XR exclaimed as they left the theater. "Some movie, huh?" "But you weren't even watching it," Booster said.
"No, but I was listening," XR said. "Listening can be just as good as watching. I heard every word of the whole thing."
"But they hardly talk at all, it's about a dog."
"Yeah, well, I heard every bark that little mutt barked."
"Well, I'm going back to the hotel," Booster said.
"NO!" XR cried. "You can't!"
"Why not?"
"Because, you just can't!"
"Why?"
"HEY! Why don't we go to Amber's House? I hear it's the best restaurant on this side of the sea," XR said reading it off a sign along the road.
Unfortunately for XR Buzz and Mira had come back to the hotel. Booster went back anyway to and XR was being dragged behind him begging, "No, Booster don't! If you care about our friendship what-so-ever you will not open that door!"
But he didn't have to for Buzz was the one who opened it and as soon as he did all of XR's stuff came piling out of the room on Buzz and Mira.
"AH!"
"What is all this stuff!" Buzz demanded as he and Mira climbed out of the pile of stuff.
Everyone glared at XR.
"What? You don't actually think I did that, do you?" XR asked innocently. "See, that's what I wanted to warn you about. Okay, see, there was this guy and he - no wait, there was a big shuttle - NO, a chubby pink starfish with shorts! It - he, uh . . . oh, craters."
-STAR COMMAND
"I'm really sorry," XR said in a quiet tone. "I vow never to use Star Command's money in an unwisely manner ever again."
He stood before Commander Nebula explaining himself and as you can imagine the commander was not very thrilled to hear about the incident. The commander said nothing but his eyes glared right through the robot as if looking right into his mind and XR knew that he'd better not try to fib.
"It was wrong of me to have done what I did," XR continued the speech that Buzz had made XR memorize before going to see the commander. "All the stuff was returned to the store even the life-sized (and extremely hot) statue of the mermaid . . . on the rock. I should probably be, uh, pun . . . punished for my behavior (but not too long) and I'm really, really sorry. Uh, sorry."
The robot looked hopefully up at the commander but he remained silent not moving his eyes off of him.
XR knew he was in big trouble this time.
"Dismissed," Commander Nebula finally said.
"But-"
Commander Nebula cleared his throat and pointed at the door.
XR frowned but did as he was told.
Commander Nebula called in Buzz to discuss something with him and Buzz knew exactly what that something was.
"Buzz, I called you hear to discuss what's to be done with XR."
"It won't happen again, sir," Buzz quickly defending the smallest member of his team. "I'll keep a close eye on him, I promise."
"I know you will, Buzz, but that 'experimental ranger' has been a hassle from day one and now of just reached the end of my rope."
"You mean . . ."
"Yes, I'm shuttin' him down once an' for all!"
"You're serious this time?"
"Dead serious," Commander Nebula said. "I want him brought to the science bay and deactivated tonight."
"But, commander-"
The commander held up his hand to silence him.
Behind them they heard the sound of XR's wheels going down the hall outside the door. And when the sound died away they continued.
XR had heard everything. He's been listening at the door expecting some sort of boring job as punishment but instead he heard the commander order for his destruction that very night. He was crushed.
Commander Nebula had often threatened to deactivate him before but not like he had just done and now Buzz thought that was okay? (Buzz didn't but XR tended to exaggerate even to himself.)
XR felt like crying but he knew he shouldn't - not here; not now. He had to get away and fast.
He sped down the hall as fast as he could and ran into a closet. Turning on the light XR grabbed a piece of paper and a pen out of his drawer and began to write,
"Deer teemmates,
Look! I'm sorry abowt all the stuff on Mahomba 6, okay. I was even kinda okay with getting ponished but now you wanna shut me down? Okay, I kno when I'm not wanted so I'm leeving. Good buy and good ridance!
Your X-teemmate,
XR"
XR folded up the note and rolled again down the hall on his squeaky caterpillar wheels.
His next stop was the locker room.
He went down to Booster's locker and jammed the note through the crack of the locker door.
-THAT NIGHT {STILL AT STAR COMMAND}
"Mira, have you seen, XR?" Buzz asked.
"No," said Mira shaking her head. "I haven't seen him since you sent him in to apologize to Commander Nebula."
"BUZZ! MIRA!" Booster cried running after them. He stopped in front of them gasping for breath.
"What is it?" Buzz asked.
"I was about to take a shower and - look!" Booster gave Buzz the piece of paper.
Mira read over Buzz's shoulder as Buzz looked at the note deep in thought.
"Who says we're going to shut him down?" Mira asked.
"Oh, I think I know," Buzz said remembering when he and the commander heard XR go down the hall. "He must've overheard what Commander Nebula said."
"Is he serious this time?" Mira asked.
"No," Booster said not wishing for his friend to be deactivated.
"Well, I managed to talk him out of it," Buzz replied. "But I guess XR left before we got that far."
"Well, where would he go?" Booster asked. "We're gonna find him, right?"
"Of course," the team leader replied.
"How are we going to find him?" Mira asked looking at the technical side of this. She wanted to find XR too but they had to be reasonable about this. "He could be anywhere on any of the planets or moons or even asteroids in the entire Galactic Alliance."
"I think I have a pretty good idea where he went," Buzz told the others.
-TRADE WORLD
XR was underneath the line of hover cars high above the ground on Trade World. He was in a dark alley moping to himself next to a big dumpster.
"It's over," he sobbed. "My career, my friends, my Pop, and my whole dumb life."
Suddenly a guy stuck his head in front of XR's face.
"Did you just say you lost your career, your friends, your family, and your whole dang life?" he asked in an overly dramatic voice. "Well, have I got just the thing for you. This you're chance to start over and . . . wait a second, you're that little robot that hangs around with Buzz Lightyear. What in the hay are you doin' down here?"
"And you are?"
"Tibble Stack and I can see that-"
"Let me guess you're Rentwhistle's brother, right?"
"You could say that and as I was saying-"
"Huh, I can see the resemblance," XR interrupted again. "Look, Stack, I'm not interested in anything you're selling, go away. I'm not in the mood.
"Fine, suit yourself than I wont give you deal on my new 'Starting Life Over Program.' Just 10 Uni-buck and your life can change forever. It's for lost lovers, people with dead family members, villains who wanna change their ways and star over, people who are wanted killed, people who've lost their jobs, and people who just wan a dang change."
"Good, I don't want a deal on anything," XR growled. "Go away! And don't ever mention Uni-bucks in front of me again!"
"Hey, it's cool," Tibble said, who really didn't want to start a fight but he wasn't leaving until he got XR to go with him. " Truth be told, I was actually looking for you. There's a rumor goin' around that you're a wanted robot."
"Boy, news sure spreads fast here," XR grumbled under his breath. "What about it?"
"Well, actually it's not a rumor," Tibble said. "I heard it from a very reliable source and it wasn't cheap. But, hey, that money's coming back to me. In fact I'm gettin' more."
"What with 10 Uni-bucks?" XR asked . "No," Tibble replied. "To be honest that was just a way to lure you in and since you won't take my offer it's time for plan B."
Suddenly there was a roar of a flying motorcycle and riding it was Rentwhistle Stack. But he couldn't ride it very well and he kept falling off. Or maybe that was just because the stupid machine looked like it would fall apart any second.
"Woe, who knew Rentwhistle rode motor cycles?" XR said.
"I'm tryin' a new look," Rentwhisle replied. "We're bein' paid real good for this so what do I care what I ride in. Tibble get over here and bring the robot." "Oh, and you think I'm just gonna let you guys kidnap me?"
"No, we think you're gonna go for a little snooze," Rentwhistle said and Tibble snapped a strange little object on XR's back.
Before he could do anything the little robot shut his eyes and went to sleep. Tibble threw XR up to his brother and hopped in the little buggy attached to the motor cycle.
Buzz, Mira, and Booster were on Trade World but they weren't looking for XR they were looking for Crumford Lorack and once they found him they demanded answers.
"Yeah, he's here," Crumford replied crossly.
"Well, where is he?" Booster asked.
Crumford crossed his arms.
"How should I know where he is?"
"You know, Crumford," Mira said, "and if you don't spill then . . ."
Mira lifted her hand over Crumford head but Crumford jumped away.
"Alright! Alright! But only 'cause Buzz's here."
"Well, Crumford?" Buzz pushed.
"A guy named Tibble Stack - I've worked with him before. He paid me to tell him where XR was and . . . well, you get the point."
"Tibble Stack?" Buzz asked.
"Yeah, well, his brother's Rentwhistle Stack."
"What would they want with XR?" Booster asked.
"They said somethin' about bein' paid real good by a certain someone."
"WHO?" Team Lightyear demanded.
"XL."
-XL'S LAIR
XR woke up in a cage. He moaned. He felt like he'd been crashing against something. Then he remembered what had happened. He had probably been banged against the side of the motor cycle.
Oh, when he got his hands on Rentwhistle Stack he was going to strangle him like cat does a mouse.
Then he noticed his surroundings. He was in XL's home! And it was messier than ever.
He saw XL on the other side of the room with Rentwhistle and his little brother Tibble.
"We brought you the robot now we demand our pay," Rentwhistle said.
"Yeah, we demand our pay," Tibble echoed.
"Shut up!" XL said. "Y-y-you'll get it but first I gonna deal with my little brother!"
XL spun around.
"Well, well, well, look who's up," XL taunted. "I hope you had enough sleep 'cause - 'cause you're gonna sleep a whole lot more . . . or something like that."
"That was lame," Tibble whispered to his brother.
"WHO ASKED YOU!" XL screeched.
"We want our payment!" demanded Rentwhistle.
"Well, if you keep whining like that you aren't gonna get it!"
"Well, if you ask me I'd say he's never gonna pay you two," XR said.
"SHUT UP!" XL yelled. "Your not in any position to say stuff like that 'cause you're gonna . . . be, uh, dead soon - Man, this has just not my day for good gloating."
"I don't think he ever is," Tibble said.
"What is this?" XL demanded. "I'm the one who's payin' you good money for this."
"Huh, as if you're really going to give us any," Rentwhistle said.
"Yeah, as if you're really gonna," Tibble said.
"Shut up, Tibble," Rentwhistle said.
"Sorry."
"YOU'LL GET YOUR STUPID MONEY!" XL growled banging his arm on the wall. The whole room shook. "Now, little brother, prepared to be demolished!"
He grabbed a remote off of his computer table.
"This is the remote for my new DISTRUCTIVE way to destroy you," XL said. "If you've noticed you're attached to a long tube thing-gummy and inside you're body it's attached to all you're important pieces."
XR looked down and saw the tube shoved into a whole where the circle in the center of his Star Command decal could slide open. He tried to yank it out.
"I wouldn't do that," XL laughed. "You'll yank your insides with it. Now, let me finish. This little button on the top of the remote will cause an extra electric jolt to run through you and then this other little button below it will send water down right after it. You'll be electrocuted and it's so bad that you won't survive!"
XR gulped.
This was the end. He was going to die and painfully too.
XL pressed the first button and a huge jolt of electricity ran through XR's body.
"AHHHHHHHHHH!" XR screamed.
"We want our payment!"
You'll get you're payment, Stack . . . in jail."
Buzz, Mira, and Booster were at the door readying their wrist lasers. Rentwhistle and Tibble cowered fearfully.
"We're sorry, Mr. Lightyear," Rentwhistle cried dragging Tibble down with him to the floor. "Beg, you ninny!"
"We're so sorry, really and truly we are, Buzz - er, Mr. Lightyear," Tibble said. "Don't arrest us! We're begging you!"
For the moment Team Lightyear ignored the two snivelers and turned their attention to XL.
XL scowled.
"XL," Buzz said. "You're under arrest for kidnapping a space ranger and attempting to kill him."
"And stop electrocuting him!" Booster added.
"NO WAY!" XL said. "I'm not done yet. It's time for the water!"
XR, who was still screaming cringed as he heard XL mention the next step.
Buzz shot the remote out of XL's claw and it blew into pieces.
"HEY!" XL yelled. "That was mine!"
As quickly as it had begun the electrocuting stopped and XR gave a huge sigh of relief.
"Mira," Buzz said.
Mira shot a net out and it covered XL so he couldn't move.
Booster then bent back the bar of XR's cage with amazing strength and XR jumped out.
"And as for you, Stack," Buzz said.
"Which one?" Tibble wanted to know.
"Renwhistle."
"What?" Rentwhistle asked quivering all over.
"You were suppose to be on Karn doing community service with Dr. Fabanna."
Rentwhistle grinned sheepishly.
While Buzz was talking to the two Stacks Booster was talking to XR.
"Why would you think we'd let you be deactivated?" he asked.
"Well, Pop looked like he really meant it this time," XR said.
"I'd never let anybody deactivate you, XR," Booster said.
"Really? Thanks, pal."
"Does this mean we're not being paid?" Tibble asked.
"Shut up, Tibble," Rentwhistle said.
"Sorry."
~THE END~
Team Lightyear were on vacation on Mahomba 6. Buzz, unlike the last time the team had gone, was ready for a vacation and was out on the ocean on a speedboat. Mira, who had also learned from their previous trip to the resort planet, didn't go sunbathing; instead she brought along a book to read under the shade of a large palm tree on the edge of the beach. Booster was with Buzz on the boat as it glided above the water's surface. XR was the only one who hadn't learned anything from their last vacation there and although he wasn't at the casino disguised as Booster he still wasn't being very good.
XR was at a small shop near the beach looking around at the stuff. He had intending only to look - truly he had - but once he got there some of the things just looked to go to pass by.
At first it started with a little glass ornament shaped like a mermaid. She looked up at XR as if begging for him to take her. She was so lovely with her long golden hair and her sparkling bright blue eyes that together with her smile made her seem as though she really liked him. She was nicely shaped too and had a long blue tail that went smoothly around the rock she was sitting on. Even the little pink starfish in her hair looked good on her. XR thought that almost anything would look good on her. He couldn't refuse.
"Hey, I have enough money," he told himself reaching into his safe behind his back plate. He set the ornament on the counter and set the money next to it but just then he saw a bigger version of the mermaid with better color than the little one. He didn't think about what he'd do with a life-sized statue of a mermaid sitting on a rock but, he just had to have it!
"It's beautiful!" he said out loud rushing over to it. But he cringed as he looked at the price.
Now, if he had been the responsible sort, who thought before he did something, he would've just settled getting the little one (of course, if he had been the responsible sort he probably wouldn't want a mermaid at all.) But he wasn't responsible at all. He probably wouldn't know responsible if it took off his plating and burned out his circuits.
He didn't have enough money with him to pay for it. I mean who in the right mind would carry 600 Uni-bucks around with them. That's right 600 Uni-bucks. Actually it was 599.99 Uni-bucks but what's one penny less?
XR couldn't leave without the mermaid so he made out a check and the money would be taken out of the Star Command bank account. He was only suppose to use it for emergencies on a mission but he figured that once wouldn't matter.
"Here you are, sir," said XR pretending to be important. He gave the check to the tall skinny alien with the beach shirt and sunglasses behind the counter. "Thanks, dude," he replied in a young naive voice. (This was his first job, you see and his second week working.)
"No, no, thank you," XR insisted.
But then XR realized that he had nothing to carry his beloved statue on so he bought a stand on wheels to put it on. But then gave it back decided to get a hover stand instead - one with nicely carved wave on the sides. And he wasn't done yet. He bought a special kind of expensive wax to polish the statue and a pink cloth the match her starfish for cleaning. He bought a few cans of oil for himself - the best brand he could find. He bought a new beach shirt, a pair of lime green sunglasses, a pack of little umbrellas to put in his oilcans, and the list went on and on.
Well, finally he was done and the guy behind the counter thanked him a lot.
"The manager said most of the things you bought's been sittin' aroun' for month's, man," he said with a laugh. "MAN, is he gonna LOVE me! Thanks, dude!"
It wasn't until then that XR had realized what he had done and how much money he'd spent. 8,000 Uni-bucks. He gulped but he wasn't the sort to admit to his mistakes right away like that and he hurried out of the shop with his stuff.
"Have you seen, XR?" Booster asked Mira when he and Buzz came back from their boat ride.
"No," said Mira shrugging her shoulders. "Why?"
"We were gonna see that new movie at the theater," Booster replied.
"You mean the one about the space dog?" Mira asked.
Booster nodded.
"He promised he'd wait on the beach for me."
"Oh, boy," Mira groaned. "Booster maybe he just didn't really, sort of - well, XR's not really the, uh, 'lost animal movie' type. You know what I'm tr-"
"Hey, Booster, what's up?"
XR had seemed to pop out of no where. He didn't give Booster a chance to answer.
"Come on, buddy, let's go see that movie," XR said quickly pushing Booster from behind. "Let's go, let's go. We don't wanna miss it."
"Bye, Mira," Booster said.
"Yeah, se ya!" XR said.
Mira raised her brow as she watched them go.
"I guess I was wrong."
All through the movie XR acted very distracted. He twiddled with his fingers nervously and kept looking around. His body was just as fidgety as his eyes. He moved around in his seat and would play with his can of oil but never drank any of it.
Booster didn't notice this until later in the movie when he heard the sound of XR's fingers move really fast. And after that he couldn't stop worrying about XR. But he didn't say anything because right then the poor space dog was about to get eaten by the hideous monster lurking in the cave. She didn't, of course, but now Booster was deeply involved in the movie again.
"Wow!" XR exclaimed as they left the theater. "Some movie, huh?" "But you weren't even watching it," Booster said.
"No, but I was listening," XR said. "Listening can be just as good as watching. I heard every word of the whole thing."
"But they hardly talk at all, it's about a dog."
"Yeah, well, I heard every bark that little mutt barked."
"Well, I'm going back to the hotel," Booster said.
"NO!" XR cried. "You can't!"
"Why not?"
"Because, you just can't!"
"Why?"
"HEY! Why don't we go to Amber's House? I hear it's the best restaurant on this side of the sea," XR said reading it off a sign along the road.
Unfortunately for XR Buzz and Mira had come back to the hotel. Booster went back anyway to and XR was being dragged behind him begging, "No, Booster don't! If you care about our friendship what-so-ever you will not open that door!"
But he didn't have to for Buzz was the one who opened it and as soon as he did all of XR's stuff came piling out of the room on Buzz and Mira.
"AH!"
"What is all this stuff!" Buzz demanded as he and Mira climbed out of the pile of stuff.
Everyone glared at XR.
"What? You don't actually think I did that, do you?" XR asked innocently. "See, that's what I wanted to warn you about. Okay, see, there was this guy and he - no wait, there was a big shuttle - NO, a chubby pink starfish with shorts! It - he, uh . . . oh, craters."
-STAR COMMAND
"I'm really sorry," XR said in a quiet tone. "I vow never to use Star Command's money in an unwisely manner ever again."
He stood before Commander Nebula explaining himself and as you can imagine the commander was not very thrilled to hear about the incident. The commander said nothing but his eyes glared right through the robot as if looking right into his mind and XR knew that he'd better not try to fib.
"It was wrong of me to have done what I did," XR continued the speech that Buzz had made XR memorize before going to see the commander. "All the stuff was returned to the store even the life-sized (and extremely hot) statue of the mermaid . . . on the rock. I should probably be, uh, pun . . . punished for my behavior (but not too long) and I'm really, really sorry. Uh, sorry."
The robot looked hopefully up at the commander but he remained silent not moving his eyes off of him.
XR knew he was in big trouble this time.
"Dismissed," Commander Nebula finally said.
"But-"
Commander Nebula cleared his throat and pointed at the door.
XR frowned but did as he was told.
Commander Nebula called in Buzz to discuss something with him and Buzz knew exactly what that something was.
"Buzz, I called you hear to discuss what's to be done with XR."
"It won't happen again, sir," Buzz quickly defending the smallest member of his team. "I'll keep a close eye on him, I promise."
"I know you will, Buzz, but that 'experimental ranger' has been a hassle from day one and now of just reached the end of my rope."
"You mean . . ."
"Yes, I'm shuttin' him down once an' for all!"
"You're serious this time?"
"Dead serious," Commander Nebula said. "I want him brought to the science bay and deactivated tonight."
"But, commander-"
The commander held up his hand to silence him.
Behind them they heard the sound of XR's wheels going down the hall outside the door. And when the sound died away they continued.
XR had heard everything. He's been listening at the door expecting some sort of boring job as punishment but instead he heard the commander order for his destruction that very night. He was crushed.
Commander Nebula had often threatened to deactivate him before but not like he had just done and now Buzz thought that was okay? (Buzz didn't but XR tended to exaggerate even to himself.)
XR felt like crying but he knew he shouldn't - not here; not now. He had to get away and fast.
He sped down the hall as fast as he could and ran into a closet. Turning on the light XR grabbed a piece of paper and a pen out of his drawer and began to write,
"Deer teemmates,
Look! I'm sorry abowt all the stuff on Mahomba 6, okay. I was even kinda okay with getting ponished but now you wanna shut me down? Okay, I kno when I'm not wanted so I'm leeving. Good buy and good ridance!
Your X-teemmate,
XR"
XR folded up the note and rolled again down the hall on his squeaky caterpillar wheels.
His next stop was the locker room.
He went down to Booster's locker and jammed the note through the crack of the locker door.
-THAT NIGHT {STILL AT STAR COMMAND}
"Mira, have you seen, XR?" Buzz asked.
"No," said Mira shaking her head. "I haven't seen him since you sent him in to apologize to Commander Nebula."
"BUZZ! MIRA!" Booster cried running after them. He stopped in front of them gasping for breath.
"What is it?" Buzz asked.
"I was about to take a shower and - look!" Booster gave Buzz the piece of paper.
Mira read over Buzz's shoulder as Buzz looked at the note deep in thought.
"Who says we're going to shut him down?" Mira asked.
"Oh, I think I know," Buzz said remembering when he and the commander heard XR go down the hall. "He must've overheard what Commander Nebula said."
"Is he serious this time?" Mira asked.
"No," Booster said not wishing for his friend to be deactivated.
"Well, I managed to talk him out of it," Buzz replied. "But I guess XR left before we got that far."
"Well, where would he go?" Booster asked. "We're gonna find him, right?"
"Of course," the team leader replied.
"How are we going to find him?" Mira asked looking at the technical side of this. She wanted to find XR too but they had to be reasonable about this. "He could be anywhere on any of the planets or moons or even asteroids in the entire Galactic Alliance."
"I think I have a pretty good idea where he went," Buzz told the others.
-TRADE WORLD
XR was underneath the line of hover cars high above the ground on Trade World. He was in a dark alley moping to himself next to a big dumpster.
"It's over," he sobbed. "My career, my friends, my Pop, and my whole dumb life."
Suddenly a guy stuck his head in front of XR's face.
"Did you just say you lost your career, your friends, your family, and your whole dang life?" he asked in an overly dramatic voice. "Well, have I got just the thing for you. This you're chance to start over and . . . wait a second, you're that little robot that hangs around with Buzz Lightyear. What in the hay are you doin' down here?"
"And you are?"
"Tibble Stack and I can see that-"
"Let me guess you're Rentwhistle's brother, right?"
"You could say that and as I was saying-"
"Huh, I can see the resemblance," XR interrupted again. "Look, Stack, I'm not interested in anything you're selling, go away. I'm not in the mood.
"Fine, suit yourself than I wont give you deal on my new 'Starting Life Over Program.' Just 10 Uni-buck and your life can change forever. It's for lost lovers, people with dead family members, villains who wanna change their ways and star over, people who are wanted killed, people who've lost their jobs, and people who just wan a dang change."
"Good, I don't want a deal on anything," XR growled. "Go away! And don't ever mention Uni-bucks in front of me again!"
"Hey, it's cool," Tibble said, who really didn't want to start a fight but he wasn't leaving until he got XR to go with him. " Truth be told, I was actually looking for you. There's a rumor goin' around that you're a wanted robot."
"Boy, news sure spreads fast here," XR grumbled under his breath. "What about it?"
"Well, actually it's not a rumor," Tibble said. "I heard it from a very reliable source and it wasn't cheap. But, hey, that money's coming back to me. In fact I'm gettin' more."
"What with 10 Uni-bucks?" XR asked . "No," Tibble replied. "To be honest that was just a way to lure you in and since you won't take my offer it's time for plan B."
Suddenly there was a roar of a flying motorcycle and riding it was Rentwhistle Stack. But he couldn't ride it very well and he kept falling off. Or maybe that was just because the stupid machine looked like it would fall apart any second.
"Woe, who knew Rentwhistle rode motor cycles?" XR said.
"I'm tryin' a new look," Rentwhisle replied. "We're bein' paid real good for this so what do I care what I ride in. Tibble get over here and bring the robot." "Oh, and you think I'm just gonna let you guys kidnap me?"
"No, we think you're gonna go for a little snooze," Rentwhistle said and Tibble snapped a strange little object on XR's back.
Before he could do anything the little robot shut his eyes and went to sleep. Tibble threw XR up to his brother and hopped in the little buggy attached to the motor cycle.
Buzz, Mira, and Booster were on Trade World but they weren't looking for XR they were looking for Crumford Lorack and once they found him they demanded answers.
"Yeah, he's here," Crumford replied crossly.
"Well, where is he?" Booster asked.
Crumford crossed his arms.
"How should I know where he is?"
"You know, Crumford," Mira said, "and if you don't spill then . . ."
Mira lifted her hand over Crumford head but Crumford jumped away.
"Alright! Alright! But only 'cause Buzz's here."
"Well, Crumford?" Buzz pushed.
"A guy named Tibble Stack - I've worked with him before. He paid me to tell him where XR was and . . . well, you get the point."
"Tibble Stack?" Buzz asked.
"Yeah, well, his brother's Rentwhistle Stack."
"What would they want with XR?" Booster asked.
"They said somethin' about bein' paid real good by a certain someone."
"WHO?" Team Lightyear demanded.
"XL."
-XL'S LAIR
XR woke up in a cage. He moaned. He felt like he'd been crashing against something. Then he remembered what had happened. He had probably been banged against the side of the motor cycle.
Oh, when he got his hands on Rentwhistle Stack he was going to strangle him like cat does a mouse.
Then he noticed his surroundings. He was in XL's home! And it was messier than ever.
He saw XL on the other side of the room with Rentwhistle and his little brother Tibble.
"We brought you the robot now we demand our pay," Rentwhistle said.
"Yeah, we demand our pay," Tibble echoed.
"Shut up!" XL said. "Y-y-you'll get it but first I gonna deal with my little brother!"
XL spun around.
"Well, well, well, look who's up," XL taunted. "I hope you had enough sleep 'cause - 'cause you're gonna sleep a whole lot more . . . or something like that."
"That was lame," Tibble whispered to his brother.
"WHO ASKED YOU!" XL screeched.
"We want our payment!" demanded Rentwhistle.
"Well, if you keep whining like that you aren't gonna get it!"
"Well, if you ask me I'd say he's never gonna pay you two," XR said.
"SHUT UP!" XL yelled. "Your not in any position to say stuff like that 'cause you're gonna . . . be, uh, dead soon - Man, this has just not my day for good gloating."
"I don't think he ever is," Tibble said.
"What is this?" XL demanded. "I'm the one who's payin' you good money for this."
"Huh, as if you're really going to give us any," Rentwhistle said.
"Yeah, as if you're really gonna," Tibble said.
"Shut up, Tibble," Rentwhistle said.
"Sorry."
"YOU'LL GET YOUR STUPID MONEY!" XL growled banging his arm on the wall. The whole room shook. "Now, little brother, prepared to be demolished!"
He grabbed a remote off of his computer table.
"This is the remote for my new DISTRUCTIVE way to destroy you," XL said. "If you've noticed you're attached to a long tube thing-gummy and inside you're body it's attached to all you're important pieces."
XR looked down and saw the tube shoved into a whole where the circle in the center of his Star Command decal could slide open. He tried to yank it out.
"I wouldn't do that," XL laughed. "You'll yank your insides with it. Now, let me finish. This little button on the top of the remote will cause an extra electric jolt to run through you and then this other little button below it will send water down right after it. You'll be electrocuted and it's so bad that you won't survive!"
XR gulped.
This was the end. He was going to die and painfully too.
XL pressed the first button and a huge jolt of electricity ran through XR's body.
"AHHHHHHHHHH!" XR screamed.
"We want our payment!"
You'll get you're payment, Stack . . . in jail."
Buzz, Mira, and Booster were at the door readying their wrist lasers. Rentwhistle and Tibble cowered fearfully.
"We're sorry, Mr. Lightyear," Rentwhistle cried dragging Tibble down with him to the floor. "Beg, you ninny!"
"We're so sorry, really and truly we are, Buzz - er, Mr. Lightyear," Tibble said. "Don't arrest us! We're begging you!"
For the moment Team Lightyear ignored the two snivelers and turned their attention to XL.
XL scowled.
"XL," Buzz said. "You're under arrest for kidnapping a space ranger and attempting to kill him."
"And stop electrocuting him!" Booster added.
"NO WAY!" XL said. "I'm not done yet. It's time for the water!"
XR, who was still screaming cringed as he heard XL mention the next step.
Buzz shot the remote out of XL's claw and it blew into pieces.
"HEY!" XL yelled. "That was mine!"
As quickly as it had begun the electrocuting stopped and XR gave a huge sigh of relief.
"Mira," Buzz said.
Mira shot a net out and it covered XL so he couldn't move.
Booster then bent back the bar of XR's cage with amazing strength and XR jumped out.
"And as for you, Stack," Buzz said.
"Which one?" Tibble wanted to know.
"Renwhistle."
"What?" Rentwhistle asked quivering all over.
"You were suppose to be on Karn doing community service with Dr. Fabanna."
Rentwhistle grinned sheepishly.
While Buzz was talking to the two Stacks Booster was talking to XR.
"Why would you think we'd let you be deactivated?" he asked.
"Well, Pop looked like he really meant it this time," XR said.
"I'd never let anybody deactivate you, XR," Booster said.
"Really? Thanks, pal."
"Does this mean we're not being paid?" Tibble asked.
"Shut up, Tibble," Rentwhistle said.
"Sorry."
~THE END~