Astro watched the one sided bickering between Robotski and Drive as the three of them travelled down the street at a relaxing pace. Drive sneered at Robotski and pulled at his trombone.
"How many times do I have to tell ya to stop blowing that thing in people's faces!? You're gonna damage something!" He snapped. As if to taunt him, Robotski blew the trombone in his face and ran off. A tick mark appeared on Drive's head and he clenched his fists. He then reached over and pried a trash can from the concrete and threw it at Robotski's head, knocking him forwards.
Astro sweat dropped as onlookers took pictures and videos of this funny exchange between robots. He honestly felt sorry for the robots who had to clean this up. Distracted by his thoughts, he didn't notice the vibrations his phone made in his pocket until the last second. Astro fumbled to grab his phone from his pocket and hurriedly pressed the answer button and held it up to his ear.
"U-uh, yeah?"
"Toby? Where are you right now?" His father's voice rang through the phone. Astro perked up at the sound of his father's voice and turned away from the two idiots quarrelling.
"Oh, I'm just in town, dad. Did you need something?" He asked. Tenma hummed in acknowledgment.
"Yes, I know this will be a dangerous task, but can you approach the thunderstorm above mount Fuji and get a visual recording of it? The research department has tried to get near it, but so far nothing has worked. I will be sure to reward you after this." Tenma said. Astro's eyes widened at his request, and he eyed the mountain warily.
"If I do this, I hope you will finally get me that VR set I've always wanted." Astro said to him. Tenma laughed on the other end of the line.
"Yes yes, I will be sure to get you that, but only until after the job is done." He stated. Astro inwardly sighed and nodded.
"Yeah yeah. Alright, I'll go check it out." Astro could practically feel the delightful aura on the other side of the phone his father emitted. He then pressed the red button on his phone, ending the call.
When Astro turned back around, he saw Drive and Robotski wrestling on the ground for the trombone. Astro slid down one of the lamp posts as he shook his head in aggravation while everyone cheered for the two robots, betting with each other to see who would win.
"I've...got nothing to do with this." He mumbled to himself and turned his back on the two. Without even sparing them a single glance, Astro approached the mountain where his next mission lied. Drive looked up and saw him walking away from them, making him shoot up from the spot and call out for him.
"Hey! Don't leave me with this idiot! Hey- I will kill you!" Drive snapped as Robotski snatched the trombone from him.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Astro slowly approached the mountain with his hands tucked into his pockets, a skeptical frown on his face. He seriously didn't want to do this. Thunder and metal didn't exactly go well together. He let out a heavy sigh and slowed to a stop at the edge of town. His eyes watched the mountain carefully as lightning and thunder engulfed the area around mount Fuji, the clouds had basically obscured the wildlife, making it almost impossible to travel through.
With much reluctance, Astro took out his phone and prepared the recording. Just as he was about to press the button, a lone figure could be seen running towards him, away from the thunderstorm. He set his phone down and furrowed his brows in confusion as the figure approached him.
You breathed in heavily as a lightning bolt gave you one more fright, throwing you forwards. You screamed at the impact and skidded along the ground, coming to a stop at a pair of feet. You grunted in pain and sat up while holding your head.
"Ugh, that hurt..." You whimpered. You then felt a presence standing over you, and slowly looked up at the new face staring down at you with astonishment. Astro's eyes widened upon seeing your face, and his hand instantly reached to his pocket.
"You're..." He trailed off and slowly reached into his pocket. You cocked your head to the side and blinked at him.
"Who are you?" You asked and gave him a curious gaze. Astro's eyes widened, and he slid his hand out of his pocket. He then smiled sadly at you and turned away as he chuckled to himself.
"I see, so you don't remember either." He whispered to himself. You eyed him with confusion and pulled a face. Astro shook his head and smiled down at you, and extended his hand to you. "Never mind that. My name is Toby, but my friends call me Astro." He introduced himself. Your eyes widened slightly at the name, and you reached up to him.
"Astro...? My name is Y/n, Y/n L/n." You said with a happy smile and took his hand in yours. Astro flinched at the last name, and he felt his stomach churn.
"Y/n L/n... It's a pleasure to meet you. So what were you doing in that forest? It must have been incredibly dangerous." He pointed out and eyed the lightning strikes behind you with wary eyes. You felt a shiver roll down your spine, and you averted your gaze.
"I-I...live there." You hesitantly admitted. Astro's eyes widened and he looked up at the forest with a peculiar gaze.
"You...live there?" He confirmed and pointed towards the horrid stormy forests. You bit your lip and nodded.
"Y-yeah. I live there with my father." You told him, and looked up at him. Astro furrowed his brow as he stared down at your innocent gaze, your hand still in his. 'Didn't Cora mention that Dr L/n was the reason for my memory loss? Could the same case be with Y/n?' he thought to himself and watched you carefully. You felt his gaze boring into your soul and your eyes flickered to the side.
Feeling your sense of discomfort, Astro pulled you up to your feet and gave you an apologetic smile.
"Sorry about that. So, did you leave to get away from the storm?" He decided to change the subject. You pressed your hands to your chest and spared a small glance behind you.
"Um, yeah. I suppose so. But I also wanted to play outside..." You trailed off, and smiled at Astro. Astro's eyes widened and he raised an eyebrow at you. What kind of kid would want to play in the rain on a VERY stormy afternoon? You trembled on the spot and your eyes constantly flickered from Astro to the ground.
Astro's brows furrowed in confusion and he watched you carefully. This was odd, Cora had said that you were really out going. But right now, you're almost like...
"A completely different person..." Astro said out loud. Your eyes widened and you looked up at him while he slapped his hands over his mouth.
"What...did you say...?" Astro shook his head and gave you a nervous chuckle as he waved you off.
"It's nothing. Say, since you've come here to play, why don't you go and meet the rest of my friends? We can play all sorts of games together." He offered and gave you an award winning smile. Your entire demeanor seemed to brighten at this suggestion, and a wide smile appeared on your face as you nodded enthusiastically.
"Yes! I would absolutely love that! It's been so boring staying home, but out here, I can have all the fun I want!" You exclaimed and took Astro's hands into yours as you leaned towards him. Astro felt his heart skip a beat in his chest and he swallowed hard. Your excitement was reflected through your ambitious filled eyes, ready to take on anything and everything.
Astro grinned cheerfully at you and tugged you behind him.
"Come on, follow me." He said and smiled back at you. Your eyes widened a tad bit at his smile, and you couldn't help but smile back. Even though the two of you had just met, you felt content being by his side. You couldn't describe the feeling in your chest, but...you cherished it. You rested your hand over your chest and clenched at it. If only your father felt this way about your company.
Astro ran while dragging you behind him, and eventually he settled for a different mode of transport. He skidded to a halt, making you crash into him and fall back. You winced and rubbed your sore behind while Astro still held onto your hand.
"Ow, why did we stop?" You questioned and looked up at him with a small pout. Astro laughed and pulled you to your feet. What he did next completely astonished you. He threw you up into the air and caught you in his arms. He then bent his knees and winked at you.
"Hold on tight!" He warned and shot off into the air, making you cry out in surprise. Your arms immediately shot up to Astro's neck and you clung onto him for dear life. You could feel the wind tussling your hair all over the place as the two of you became airborne. You peaked one eye open and you sucked in a sharp breath at the amazing view you were met with.
Below you, the the city structures glittered in the sun like rare gems, all gathered together. A breath of awe escaped your lips as you eyed the glittering city below you with astonishment.
"Woah, the city looks so pretty from up here!" You exclaimed and smiled up at Astro. He let a small smile slip passed his lips and nodded in agreement.
"Yeah, it's pretty awesome, isn't it?" You laughed and reached out to the clouds above you.
"I want to go even higher!" You exclaimed. Astro's smile immediately turned into a look of concern and he gave you an unsure look.
"I don't know, the air is kind of thin up there. Can a human handle it?" He asked. You looked up at him and blinked at him as he said this. You opened your mouth to reject his claim, but something buzzed within your mind, making you falter.
Static images of a boy/girl who looked frightingly similar to you consumed your thoughts. He/she spoke to you with a subtle, yet terrifying smile. Astro watched you carefully as your eyes became half lidded and cloudy.
"Y/n...?" He called out to you, gaining your attention. You whipped your head up towards him, and gave him a small smile.
"Sorry, I...just remembered some things. Yes, I suppose that the air would be too thin for humans." You said. Astro smiled at you warily as the look in your eyes became dull. 'Is this really the same person I was talking to before?' He asked himself, and swallowed hard. You turned your gaze skyward and let out a troubled sigh. Astro watched you silently as you did this. He then cleared his throat and began to descend.
"I-I'll show you the orphanage! So many great people live there, I'm sure you'll get along with them great!" He exclaimed. You hummed in acknowledgment and watched him as his boots tapped lightly on the ground upon his landing. Astro then set you safely on the ground and took your hand in his. "Come on, it's this way."
You let him drag you along as he ran forwards, you silently running after him. Every doubt that you had held before, every lonely thought, every desire you had, it all went away with just that one word.
-
Human.
-
A soft vacant expression fell on your face and you hummed in thought. Why did that word feel so painful to you? You stared down at your free hand as you ran, and clenched it. It didn't even feel human.
"Y/n, we're here." You were knocked out of your thoughts suddenly and your head whipped up to meet Astro's gaze, who smiled softly at you. The smile on his face made your heart jump, and your hand immediately flew to your chest. Astro blinked at you in surprise and eyed you confusedly. "Are you okay?" You pressed your lips into a thin line and nodded.
"Yes, I-I'm fine. So, who are we meeting?" You asked and gave him a pure innocent smile. Astro grinned exstastically at you and knocked his fist on the door. Without waiting for someone to answer it, he threw it open and immediately dragged you inside.
"Hey guys! Look who I just met." He exclaimed and called everyone over. The kids ran towards him no problem while the older ones seemed to lag behind. A girl with short black hair and a pink stripe glumly entered the room and looked up at Astro with boredom. Her eyes then wandered over to you and they widened inconsiderably.
"Astro, is that...?" She breathed as tears welled up in her eyes. Astro blinked at her and turned towards you. Before he could answer, Zane appeared out of nowhere and tackled you to the ground, surprising the both of you.
"Y/n! Hah hah hah! You're actually here! You're alright!" Zane cried and practically squeezed you to his chest. You winced and looked up at him in confusion. Zane looked down at you and grinned cheerfully at you. "You will not believe what has happened while you were gone. Astro went ahead and forgot all about poor you! But don't worry, we'll work together to get his memory back." Zane decided. Astro sweat dropped at this.
"Hey, don't go saying unnecessary things." He told. Your eyes flickered between the two boys, and you gently nudged Zane off of you. You then stood up and dusted yourself off.
"Sorry, but...who are all of you?" You asked and cocked your head to the side. Both Zane and Cora gaped at you in disbelief while everyone else in the orphanage began to whine and complain. Cora's fist shook as her hair hid her eyes from your view.
"How could you have forgotten...? Why you....moron!" She shrieked and jumped at you with her trusty wrench in her hand. Your eyes widened in surprise and you took a step back from her.
"W-what?"
"Cora!" Astro yelled and dragged her back before she could do a great amount of damage to your poor head. "Stop it! Y/n is only human, he/she can't take a blow like robots!" He scolded and gripped her arm tightly. Cora gave him a look of bewilderment and ripped her arm out of his grasp.
"H-human? He/she? Are you crazy? Y/n is a ROBOT! And they don't have a gender!" She shouted. Your eyes widened in surprise as she said this. Astro frowned at his friend and ripped the wrench out of her hands.
"What are you talking about? Y/n L/n is human." He retorted. Cora shook her head and pointed an accusing finger in your direction.
"No they aren't, and it's not Y/n L/n. It's just Y/n. L/n is a completely different person from them." She stated. Astro furrowed his brows in confusion.
"A completely different person?" You felt your legs buckle from the weight of her words, and your knees created a heavy thump upon impact, making everyone turn towards you. You stared down at the floor with dull eyes, and gripped at it. Astro frowned and approached you slowly. "Y/n?"
"Y/n...and L/n... That's right, how could I have forgotten about those two...?" You whispered under your breath. Cora furrowed her brows in confusion and raised an eyebrow at you.
"Huh?" Your body shook on the ground, until you looked up at her with a cunning smile, making her flinch.
"Sorry, I haven't introduced myself yet." Cora pulled a face and watched silently as you stood to your feet and held your hand out to her. "My name is Y/n L/n, and I am the son/daughter of D/n L/n. He's a scientist." You explained and chuckled.
Cora's eyes widened in surprise, and she took a step back from you.
"N-no, why are you talking like that...? Y/n L/n is supposed to be dead. You're just Y/n, the good half of yourself..." She breathed. You cocked your head to the side and gave her a peculiar gaze.
"Dead? I've been meaning to ask you, but how do you know of my father's creations? As far as I know, Y/n and L/n should be hidden away in the laboratory." You told. Cora gave you a look of bewilderment and shook her head as she treaded backwards. Eventually, her back bumped into Astro's chest, and she stumbled.
"T-that's not Y/n, it can't be...!" She wheezed and gripped onto her friend for support. Astro gave her a look of concern and held her upright.
"Cora?" Cora clenched her eyes shut and bit down on her lip.
"That's not the Y/n we know!" She cried. Your eyes widened as well as Astro's. Zane rubbed her back comfortingly and looked over at Astro with a troubled expression.
"Astro, we should take Y/n to your dad and have him take a look at them." He suggested. Astro frowned and turned towards you. You stood there silently, unsure as of what to say. Without further adew, everyone escorted you out of the building and made a small trip towards the ministry of science.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
You walked beside your supposed friends with your head downcast, not being careful of what was ahead of you. Astro watched your movements carefully, and creased his brows in thought. He found it hard to believe that the two of you had known each other in the past. With this thought stuck in his mind, Astro's palm rested atop his forehead and a conflicted expression fell on his face. Just what was he meant to do? Cora, Zane and the twins, everyone in the orphanage, they were so upset at your change of personality. Despite only knowing you for a day, even he could tell what the sudden change about you was.
You kept your gaze focused on your feet while your friends discussed their next plans with what to do about your memory loss.
"We need Tenma to look at their memory chip, hopefully this will also resolve Astro's memory loss." Cora suggested. Zane nodded in agreement and crossed his arms over his chest.
"Yeah, I agree. But what if the same thing has happened to Y/n? What if their father really did erase their memories? It definitely wouldn't be the first time they've lost their memory." He pointed out. You scrunched your face up and looked up at him. Although they were referring to you, it certainly didn't feel like they were talking about you. It was as if they were talking about someone else.
The sound of a screeching car interrupted the group's conversation, making everyone come to a halt. On the street ahead of you, a short black limousine came to a sudden stop in front of you. Your eyes widened with recognition as the door leading to the back was thrown open, the person inside not even waiting for assistance.
"No, it can't be..." You trailed off as you were met with your father's look of absolute fury. You felt fear bubble up within you and shrunk back while everyone except for Astro glared at the man who slowly approached you.
"It's you! What are you doing here!?" Cora screeched. She was tempted to throw a wrench at him if she had one handy on her. Dr L/n ignored her and swiftly made his way over to you. The twins immediately skidded in his path, and held their arms out before you, blocking his advance.
"Go away! Leave Y/n alone!" They yelled. Astro furrowed his brows and rested his hands on their shoulders.
"Guys, what are you doing?" He questioned. Both twins sniffled and looked up at him with teary eyes.
"That's the man who's responsible for your memory loss!" Widget cried while Sludge nodded in agreement. Astro's face fell and his eyes wandered up the man's lengthy figure. He flinched when he was met with his icy gaze, silently warning him to back off. His eyes then flickered over to you, and he frowned even more.
"Y/n, what do you think you are doing out here? I told you to stay inside." He said cooly, making you flinch. You opened your mouth to say something, but decided to stay silent. Without warning, Dr L/n's hand shot forwards and grabbed you by the wrist, yanking you towards him. Without thinking, Astro sucked in a sharp breath and his hand shot forwards.
"Y/n-" Dr L/n's gaze immediately snapped towards Astro, making him falter.
"We're going home, Y/n." He muttered and turned his back on your friends. Your eyes widened. Instinctively, your arm reached out to Astro as a look of desperation crossed your face. Astro saw this look and his eyes widened. Before either one of you could grab a hold of each other, your father threw you into the car and climbed in after you. You sat rather reluctantly beside him and kept your gaze away from the window.
Astro took one step towards the direction the car had drove in, and a forlorn look crossed his face. The others gave each other bewildered faces and almost ran after the car.
"That guy kidnapped Y/n!" Sludge cried.
"Astro, you have to save them!" Widget exclaimed and tugged on his shirt. Although he heard his voice, he could not tear his gaze from the retreating car. He was practically frozen on the spot. A spark of pain then appeared in his head, making him wince. Images of your smiling face then engulfed his thoughts. Astro's eyes widened, and he shook. 'Y/n...Y/n....!'