Copy, (An Astro Boy Story)

Chapter 3: Have You Ever Wanted To Fly?

Cora's day had been the most hectic day of her entire life.

First, she had found out that Astro was a robot. That had come as a shock. Here was this boy that she had met and was starting to consider a friend. Maybe even more than a friend. And then she finds out he's a robot. A machine. He wasn't human! The unfairness of it all and the sense of betrayal she had felt when she looked at Astro's unmoving form on the floor outside the arena for the Robot Games were too much. Why? Why hadn't he told her? He had thought he was her friend. But no. He was just a robot, doing what robots do, she guessed.

She had found her place in the stands, determined to hold her new grudge. Astro was a robot. He had lied to her. He had pretended he was a human, and like a fool she had believed him. She didn't care anymore. Let him get pummeled to scrap metal and see if she cared.

But when Astro had entered the arena Cora could not stay upset. His eyes were wide; confused and scared. He had no idea what was going on. He was about to be killed and all he did was look around in confusion like the scared little boy he looked like. Automatically, Cora's heart had gone out to him. He shouldn't be in there. He was a kid, way too tiny and fragile for the killing machines that were put into this arena. She'd seen them countless times in previous years. Astro didn't stand a chance.

And that's why she couldn't help but cringe when the first robot came out. Astro saw it and started to back away, obviously starting to realize what was going on from Hamegg's announcements. Cora had hated listening to them. Hamegg's yell of, "That's a robot!" had been almost too painful for her to hear. And at that same moment Astro had looked right at her, his brown eyes pleading. She had looked away. Robot. He was just a robot.

But she had still held her breath as the first robot attacked. Expertly, Astro had dodged, not attacking. Then he dodged another blow, his face filled with surprise and fear. And then he had suddenly flown out of the way, causing Cora to gasp in shock. He could fly. His feet were also rocket boots! When had she missed that little detail?

The battles had ensued, one after the other. Astro had tried to escape but had quickly come to the conclusion that he was going to have to fight to get out of this one. The electric shock that he had received had told him that well enough. Cora had been unable to restrain the yelp that rose in her throat as Astro had thousands of volts of electricity run through him as he hit the invisible robot barriers and fell to the earth with a sickening thump, smoking. No matter how many times she had told herself that he was just a robot, he couldn't feel it, she couldn't make herself believe it.

And then he had won. He'd defeated them all! Every single killer robot had fallen by his tiny but mighty hands.

Except ZOG.

Cora's heartbeat had increased a thousand fold when ZOG entered the ring. No. Oh no. There was no way Astro would be able to defeat ZOG. No way. He was dead. Suddenly feeling sick, Cora had willed herself to close her eyes, but they wouldn't close. They were plastered to Astro and she found herself unable to look away.

And then Astro had yelled, "I won't fight you ZOG!" Boldly, he had ripped the make-shift armor that Hamegg had given him off and closed his eyes. Cora had felt herself whimper. He wasn't going to even try to fight. This was it. Astro was going to be killed.

But ZOG hadn't killed him. Instead, he had lifted Astro up in victory.

And everything happened at once.

Hamegg, furious, had started zapping ZOG and Astro mercilessly until ZOG attacked. But before the giant robot could kill the small man, Astro had intervened, saving his life. Cora had been dumbfounded, unable to comprehend what had just happened. She had simply stared with the rest of the crowd as Astro struggled to hold up ZOG's foot, stopping it from crushing Hamegg below it. Shock had gripped her as she found herself unable to utter a word.