Robbie Remembered

1:5

Sportacus didn't have anything new to talk about. He didn't feel like sitting around either. As soon as he climbed the steps behind the billboard he went into a series of warm-up stretches. With his arms and legs limbered up he jogged in place, tapping out a metallic tattoo on the grating.

His stationary jog broke into a circuit around the silo. Sportacus made several laps around, picking up speed with each pass. With a running jump he vaulted over the top of the silo, tapping its lid with the tips of his fingers before landing on the other side in a crouch.

Chuckling he rose back up and shook out his limbs, looking around for the next stage of his impromptu routine. The supporting struts on the back of the billboard caught his eye. They were just the right height.

The steel beams creaked under Sportacus' energetic exercises. He performed pull-ups and chin-ups, dangled upside-down from his legs and performed a set of hanging sit-ups until the sweat got in his eyes. Sportacus climbed up the back of the silo to reach the cooling breeze at the top.

He paced the narrow ledge as though it was a balance beam. When he reached the other end he turned cleanly on his heel to make the return trip. Halfway across the athletic elf flipped into a cartwheel. The billboard shuddered and rumbled. He stuck the landing and held out his arms, waiting out the tremors under his feet.

"Will you knock it OFF up there?"

"Robbie?" Sportacus stammered and swayed, pinwheeling his arms. He teetered on the billboard and kicked out a leg in his attempt to turn towards the voice, nearly toppling himself off the edge. The metal frame shook and rang until he regained his footing.

Sportacus looked down in disbelief at the open hatch on the silo. Standing next to it, LazyTown's villain glared up at him. The tall, dark, and angry man had his arms crossed and one foot tapping a mad tempo on the platform.

"Are you trying to bring the roof down on my head?" Robbie Rotten snapped. "The sign is not some jungle gym for you to climb all over!"

Still the hero just stared. It had been so long since he'd last seen Robbie emerge from his lair. For all of his attempts, his countless visits and solitary speeches, nothing had ever succeeded in earning a response. Now the last vibrations faded from the billboard's frame and Sportacus had no idea what to do.

Robbie emitted a low, growling sigh. "Are you just going to stay up there?"

That was invitation enough. Sportacus shook himself out of his stupor. He swung down from the ledge and descended the billboard in a series of hops and scrambles. The blue suited hero dropped down to the ground and landed on the platform with a resonant gong. Robbie jerked and stiffened at the noisy landing but held his ground otherwise, rooted to the spot as soundly as the silo beside him.

Sportacus straightened up and met Robbie's eyes. They stared at each other for several seconds. Sportacus cleared his throat and smiled while a nervous tic made his mustache twitch. He resisted the urge to wipe away the sweat slithering down his temples.

"Hi, Robbie. I was, ah... just doing some calisthenics. Would you care to join me?"

Robbie's eyes narrowed and the frowning line of his mouth deepened. "If you're done," he said, "I'll be getting back to my peace and quiet."

"Wait," Sportacus blurted out as Robbie turned towards the silo. The man glanced sidelong at him, one hand resting on the ladder. Sportacus gestured vaguely with his hands as he fumbled with the words in his mouth. "What's the hurry, why not stay out here for a while? I didn't know I was making so much noise. I'm sorry."

Robbie scanned him up and down with one eye and snorted. "All you ever do is make noise. What did you think you were doing, running around and jumping on metal sheeting?"

Sportacus could only shrug and offer up his hands in apology. Robbie almost grinned but it was more of a passing sneer as he sighed and rolled his eyes.

"I suppose I have to make sure you don't break anything out here, Sporta-CRASH." He leaned against the silo with his arms still crossed, hooking one leg over the other to match. He leveled a challenging gaze at Sportacus. Sportacus' slack jaw snapped to attention in a wide smile.

"I'll be careful. I promise."