Project Atlas

Prologue

Astro was pretty happy with life. He was a hero. Admittedly, dealing with alien invasions and criminals most days was exhausting, but emotionally rewarding. Today was a slow day though. While Astro casually flew over Metro City, he focuses on the warm feeling that the blue core spread throughout his body. While what Zog did for him was amazing, it wouldn't have lasted long. It was like jumpstarting a car and hoping it makes it through the winter. Which is why it was such a relief to the city that they found the blue core while cleaning up the wreckage of the Peacekeeper. The red core, however, was still missing. And considering the cores were both equal and opposite to each other, it was safe to assume the red core was still active somewhere in the city.
The android is brought back to his senses by his in-built communicator ringing. Answering reveals his fathers voice. "How's the patrol Astro? Any sign of the red core?"
Astro shakes his head despite not being in his fathers eyesight. "Nothing yet."
Astro could hear his father dread. "Well you'll have to terminate the search for now. We have bigger problems. The blueprints for the Peacekeeper and your body have been stolen."

Hamegg looks at the robot he sent into the ministry of science. "Did you get them?" The boxer robot opens his fist to reveal a flash drive. "Good. Now get out of here. You have a fight soon." The bot leaves.
"What did I tell you?" Former president Stone reveals himself to his new partner.
Hamegg laughs. "You were right. They were so preoccupied with cleaning up that giant robot, they forgot to change their passwords. Finally, I will have my robot, and you will have your election. It's a win win." Hamegg downloads the drive and lays out the blueprints for the two robots. "With these schematics, we can make the ultimate killing machine. It will be perfect." Hamegg gets to work messing around with the designs while Stone's hand glows red.

"What do you mean they're gone?" Tenma was yelling at a minor scientist.
"I was just cataloging the archives and they weren't there."
Tenma grows frantic. "Well where could they be?"
Astro flies in through the open window, landing with an audible thunk. "Dad, what's going on?"
Tenma waves away the scientist. "Leave." He turns to Astro. "The blueprints I had for you, and the Peacekeeper are gone. Just vanished into thin air."
Astro puts on a thinking face. "Where could they have gone? A system malfunction?"
Tenma shakes his head. "I wish. Nothing else is gone. Just those two things. And there are no errors or corruption in any of the files."

Astro starts pacing back and forth. "This is bad. What's in the security footage?"
Tenma shakes his head. "That's just it. It's just two robots that no one has seen before."
Astro thinks hard. "Can I see it?"
Tenma plays the footage on a nearby screen, showing the boxer bot taking the files. Astros optics widen. "Oh no. Hamegg."
Tenma is surprised. "The old roboticist I fired?"
Astro nods. "The very same. He made robots fight in a tournament, and that was one of his fighters."
Tenma's eyes widen at the realization. "Oh no."

Miles away, a new robot was being made. Faster, stronger, and more powerful than anything else on the planet. The aesthetics were added, looking almost exactly like Astro himself, but different colours. The hair was white, the boots were blue, it's eyes were light blue, almost white, white pants and it's jacket was deep red with blue trims. It's jacket was moved to the side to accomodate an opening in its chest plate. Stone slotted the red core into the plate before closing it. The robot suddenly sits up, looking around. It's eyes land on the evil duo and it stands before them and speaks in a stiff voice that sounds like Astro. "Awaiting input."