Karma

Storyline

Astro has been kidnapped; the only clues his two calls to Zoran and his diary entries in his broken laptop. Ken, Atlas, Zoran, and Tawashi peice the clues together and solve a riddle to who kindapped Astro and where he is being held. Atlas, Astro, and Zoran need each other to keep their sanity and relieve their internal pain: Atlas needs to act like the eldest brother he is.

Chapter 8

The Weeping Moon

"A-Astro."

Her eyes began to moisen as tears were already dripping down his cheeks.

"Z-Zoran."

Not a sound was made, for they were silently connected in such a way at the moment, it was overpowering just to see. To feel it... it was just so strong, such a feeling could cause a mind to lose it's normal function. This was the reuniting for two tortured spirits, one who had been needing the other for so long... and vice verse.

Atlas had caught up to Zoran finally and looked into the room she refused to take her eyes off of, even at the call of her name. "Astro!" He cried out, breaking the two out of the trance of healing.

"A-Atlas!" Astro yelped, his cry in happiness. He jumped to his feet and ran as far as the chains would allow him to go. "You guys did come after all!"

Everyone joined him later (save Ken), and began to all talk at once, trying to fill him in on what had happened the last couple of weeks (Epsilon going on about how worried she was about him, Pluto, Tawashi, and Atlas remaining quiet by the door). Epsilon had broken Astro's chains with her triangled beam and began to drag him out the door. At this point, Astro said, "So Ken stayed behind, huh?"

Everyone froze. "N-no." Alejo responded. "He was right here just a minute ago!" Silence.

"Wait." Astro instructed, and increased his hearing. "Quiet." Everyone obeyed. He consintrated hard. His head began to pound from the lack of energy he was trying to use. Suddenly, he heard painful gasping. Yes, it was Ken. But with trouble not too far behind him. "We have to hurry! He's in trouble! If those nurses get him, they'll either kill him or capture him!" Everyone nodded and blasted down the halls. (Pluto grabbed Tawashi, Alejo, and Ambercrombie and Atlas aided Zoran)

Astro blasted down the halls at such amazing speed, he knew it was going to take a while for everyone to catch up. He began to see the outline of a struggling shadow. He activated his arm thrusters and brought his legs and arms foreward, using a backwards thrust to push him to a stop. "Ken!" He cried out as the shadow began to have color and details.

He rushed to the tired soccor player's side and caught him in his arms. "Astro..." Ken smiled weakly. "Boy, am I glad to see you." Astro smiled and glanced down. His shins had been cut by something, mysterious shadows creating Ken's drag to make him slow down. Ghosts.

He picked Ken off the ground, who was pleased to have Astro there again. "So, then it was Reno who decided to stay home." He chuckled. Ken frowned. Astro didn't know it yet. Thankfully, Astro was oblivious to the sudden mood change. "Let's get outta here." He waited for the other to catch up, then the robots quickly sped out of the prision, Astro leading the only way.

Astro placed Ken inside Tawashi's car, noting that it was painful for Ken to walk. He turned and nodded to Atlas. Astro had been the only hostage in the prision. Pluto, Atlas, Epsilon, and Astro flew into the sky, charging their most powerful attacks, aiming at the prision, and firing, disinagrating the prision and it's unhumane inhabitants not a second too soon.

For the first time in weeks, Astro had felt relief, safty. Smiling, a dark abyss overcame him, causing him to begin to fall to the surface of the Earth, but Atlas steadily caught him before Astro could touch the ground. He turned and smiled to everyone. "Let's go home." He suggested more then demanded.

Everyone nodded and began back to Metro City.

His eyes opened slowly, revealing big, brown gems for his eyes. He glanced around, his first clear sight a pair of identical eyes staring back at him... then a famillier laugh. "He's alive!" Zoran wrapped her arms around Astro in a tight hug, the waking boy still trying to process where he was.

Once he realized he was safe, he returned the gesture. "Zoran!" He cheered and hugged even harder. He was still tired from his lack of rest and sleep, but he knew he would be fine.

"You don't got any trauma, do you?" Came a soft voice from his right. Astro gentally pushed Zoran away but not out of arms reach and nodded.

"I'll be fine." He insisted.

O'Sheay sat down on the side of his bed and placed a hand on Astro's head. "It's nice to see you've come around. I was afraid you may have been broken beyind repair." Astro smiled, then suddenly jerked, doing a complete scan of his electronic brain.

A laugh from his left ensured, "Don't worry. We removed the device while you were unconscious." Astro turned his head and smiled at the sight of an 18-year-old boy overdressed in red armour.

"Atlas..." He agknowledged.

Atlas walked over to Astro and bent down to his height. "I hope you don't mind, I had to break into you're diary entries to get clues on where you were." Astro blushed and looked down, but Atlas grabbed Astro by the chin lightly and forced him to look into his eyes. "Just promise me you'll be yourself around me?" Astro looked lost for a moment... then smiled.

"Okay!" He promised. He looked down, trying not to cry. "I... didn't know you cared so much, Atlas." He choked. "Why did you spend time in trying to save me?"

Atlas smiled, holding back his own spilling tears. Their tears were tears of healing. "Because you're my brother, Astro. Tobio and Daichi may not have been biological brothers, but we are not Tobio or Daichi, we are Astro and Atlas. My design is based of yours, so we are brothers." Astro looked up and smiled. "You and Zoran are my only siblings... and I love you. Like a family, of course."

Tears spilled over Astro's eyes as he embraced Atlas in a hug. "Thank you..." He bearly whispered.

Atlas hugged back tightly. "No. Thank you... for showing me what a friend and a brother was."

Ken, Alejo, and Ambercrombie soon entered the room and gave congrats, Ken on crutches for his heavily scratched (and one actually broken) legs.

"Thanks for you're help, Ken. Alejo. Ambercrombie."

"It was nothing." Ken smiled.

"Anytime." Alejo added.

"No problem." Ambercrombie finished.

Astro turned to Zoran during the silence and smiled slightly at her. "Zoran, I really am lucky to have you for my sister." He said calmly. "Luckiest robot in the world."

"Hm." Zoran sighed. "No, I think I am." Astro smiled.

There was a gental knock on the door. Astro smiled and jumped out of bed. He ran up to the door and opened it, to find someone he truthfully hadn't expected to see. "Abbie?" He gasped. "Hi." Abbie's face was downcast, tears streaming down her cheeks. "Abbie...?"

November 8th /30

Dear Journal,

Reno's dead. I was told poison was dipped on the scalpal the nurse who had attacked him was using. I wish I had been there to protect him. I wish I didn't have to write this. I wish that things could've gone differently. I wish I had never listened to that stupid riddle Kwen told me about.

Ken was attacked by ghosts in the corridor who must have made winds fly up with debrie to injure his legs, his right shin breaking when he accidently stepped on it wrong when a large rock hit it. The music was from my mind, Zoran's piano recital. One of my most recent memories. A nurse had hacked into my memory bank when I was strapped to the table and found the piano recital, playing the music in my cell to cause me pain of the fear of never seeing my family or friends again.

He's still loose out there, asking his riddle and killing innocents who would never be able to answer the question. Those innocents would endure my same fate, with a much more horrible ending.

Sometimes I wonder how I'm still here. How I got here. Why did O'Sheay bring me into this world in the first place, full of hate and death, pain and fear...?

But as I think about it. This world is also full of love and life, pleasure and hope...

The man entered the room where a lifeless boy layed. He watched the boy. No life. Not a breath. He stared deeply. "I am sorry, Reno O'Sheay. I did not mean for you to end up here."

...how there is always a chance for the worst to become the best...

The cloaked man injected a surange into the boy's arm, and waited silently for a moment.

...how humans can make up for their mistakes, how robots can fix them...

The boy took a breath and his chest began to heave, the machine's coming to life with beeping and wurring.

...how some of them have a change of heart...

The man turned and began out the door... and the boy's eyes began to open. "Thank you." He whispered. The man heard him over the loud beepings and yelling coming closer to the door.

"I wanted to right my wrong." He replied and left out the door.

...I don't think I will ever understand human's and their ways of thinking. We are all different, and need to be spoken to in different ways...

The man walked down the hall without anyone asking questions... without Reno saying a word about him.

...Someday, we will all speak the same language, all agree on one thing.

But, until that day, we just have to make up for our mistakes, keep living life, keep working...

Because it can all work out in the end.

"Astro." Came a voice from the door. Astro turned to see Miss. Yuko standing at the door. "Something amazing happened at the hospital."

Astro smiled, his prayer's answered.

It will all work out in the end.

THE END