Doppelgänger
VII.
Mustachio hid his face behind a copy of the New York Times opened to the international arts section. He periodically glanced around looking for suspects. Out of the corner of his eye he thought he saw Astro entering the station's main plaza, but then realized that he was seeing his ghostly double. “Tobio?” he gasped silently to himself.
Tojo entered the station wearing a pair of aviator style mirrored sunglasses. He ignored the no smoking signs and took a few puffs on a cigarette before dropping the fag to the ground to extinguish it under his shoe. The Asian boy didn't have very long to wait as Astro entered the plaza via the passageway from the Lexington Avenue subway line. Tojo recognized the boy robot immediately by his dark pointy cowlicks that were a remarkable copy of his own auburn locks. “We finally meet.” he muttered to himself as he took a long route towards Astro to sneak up on him from behind.
“Don't turn around!” Tojo said holding a blunt object against Astro's back. “I wouldn't want to have to injure you.”
Astro didn't turn his head, he'd already spotted Mustachio standing in the crowd between a newsstand and a ticket booth. “Hakase Ochanomizu had better not be harmed or you'll be the one injured!” Astro replied.
“Listen, Atom.” Tojo said, “I've got an EMP pistol held against you so don't try any heroics or I'll drop you right here! Your Professor is quite fine, in fact at this moment he should be enjoying a nice snack courtesy of Mr. Sankaku. Now please just turn about and head back toward the IRT subway entrance. I'll be right behind you with this little robot taser on a hair trigger, so don't make any sudden moves.”
Astro nodded his head and slowly turned to head back the way he had come. Higeoyaji rolled up his newspaper and stuffed it into his jacket pocket and followed the two boys, being careful to keep just far enough back to remain unnoticed.
The platform of the 42 Street-Grand Central station of the IRT Lexington Avenue line was crowded, despite the 90 second headway between arriving express trains. Astro stood just behind the movable metal platform extensions, as the PA speakers continuously warned passengers to stand clear of the moving platforms. The headlamps of an arriving uptown express train illuminated the rails which reflected the light upwards into Astro's eyes. He felt Tojo jab him in the back with the EMT gun as a reminder, just as the train started to brake. The two boys found themselves standing exactly in front of a set of doors as the eleven car train squealed to a halt. The metal grates of the platform extension moved a foot and a half forward to close the gap between the subway train and the curved platform, just a split second before the doors opened. In typical New York style, most of the passengers waiting for the arriving train didn't wait for those on board to get off before trying to barge their way in. Astro was more courteous and waited for the out going crowd to thin out before making his way into the train, followed by his doppelgänger.
Mustachio waited to see which car the two boys got onto before boarding the one behind them. He made his way to the 'storm door' between the two cars and monitored them though the window from the southern car.
Astro was too short to reach the strap hanger attached to the ceiling of the car, so he held onto one of the upright poles. Tojo braced himself against the trains lurching by spreading his legs for a wider stance. The express train quickly picked up speed, flying past several local stations before entering the 59th street station. Tojo pulled Astro toward the doors and took a half step out of the train. Mustachio quickly made a move to exit his car, but didn't see the boys on the platform. Too late, he realized he'd been faked out. Tojo pulled Astro back into the train just as the doors closed. Mustachio tried to put his arm between the closing panels of the door to get back into the train, but didn't have the strength. Rather than risk being smeared against the walls of the tunnel, he gave up on the idea of hanging onto the outside of the train. As the next to last car started to pass by him, he noticed that the buffer gates between the last two cars were damaged, leaving a sizable gap. The agile Tokyoite detective took a flying leap, and manged to wedge himself between the cars. Holding on to the edges of the car, he got a foothold onto the small platform just outside the storm door of the next to last car. He grabbed the handle and entered the train, with a great sigh of relief.
Higeoyaji was now four cars behind his subjects, and he ran quickly though the crowded train to reach the car where the two boys were riding. “Sumimasen” he repeated each time he bumped into someone in his haste to reach the middle of the train before the next station. The train was now slowing down as it approached the 86th street station. Once again Tojo pulled Astro towards the door, only this time the two of them ran though the turnstiles and headed toward the street. Mustachio followed them, panting heavily trying to catch his breath.