Disclaimer: All characters & Speedy belong to Crave. I own nothing.. damnit.
Great thanks to Kirmon64 for Beta-ing!
The right thing to do
There was a scratch marring the red car's paint. It could barely be seen, only when the light shone at it in a certain angle - but nothing could ever escape the eyes of a pro.
Clemett was seating inside the horseless carriage he had built a long time ago and tenderly named 'Speedy.' With one hand holding the wheel and his other touching the instrument board softly, he listened to the silence around him. It was an almost eerie sound. He wasn't used to his home being this quiet - on the contrary, there always had been the buzzing and clicking sounds of machines, filling the air around oneself, making the place all the more lively.
A loud sigh was heard from Clemett. What he would give to undo the things that had happened not 20 minutes ago...
"Clemett... This is silly. Don't you see what's going on?"
The voice of his old friend Stanley echoed over and over again in his head, soon followed by his other old friend Murphy's:
"Hokum's going to win, Clemett. The Magi are running out of time. Eyre is alone."
He couldn't - refused to - understand why his two best friends would actually side with some freak as insane and cowardly like that Hokum guy was. Just what had Murph and Stan been thinking? Last time he checked they weren't so damn stupid... or were they? He wondered...
But what Clemett wondered most about while playing with the red colored wires sticking from under the instrument board was that when Stan had asked him to make a decision... why had he hesitated...?
"You talk of being smart. Take your own advice. Join us."
Clemett didn't regret that he didn't join them - Hokum's side. He never would. But he couldn't help but question himself killing his best friends over this...
"...Clemett?"
The Gadgeteer turned his head to the door, eyeing the intruder.
"What do ya want, Head?"
A low buzzing sound was heard and increased slightly in volume when said 'Head' floated over to the red carriage Clemett sat in.
"I just thought I should see if you are still here and willing to come along."
Hearing that, Clemett eyed the other most curiously - and not because that 'other' was a floating head of an old age pensioner. No, he was already used to the sight. As he was used to the idea that his disembodied friend Xero, a Magewarrior, must be a freak of nature. Though, he had to admit to himself he preferred the head over that walking wooden tincan of a robot...
"Sure I'll come along, what makes you think otherwise?" Clemett replied, climbing out of 'Speedy'. Sure enough, he didn't miss the intense glance he received.
"Are you sure you're okay?" Xero asked.
"Yeah, I'm fine," Clemett answered.
"Truly fine?"
"Totally fine."
"You think so?"
"I don't only think. I know."
"...I shall most eagerly try to believe you," Xero said, barely hiding a smile.
Clemett snorted. "Ya know, Head, I don't know if I either should pat you on the back for your kind concern or strangle you for just being you. Seeing as you have neither a back to pat nor a neck to grab onto, I'll be going off to the wood-head and telling him to make you a body," Clemett paused to look at Xero intensely, "Or at the very least make you a neck to strangle."
When Xero laughed, Clemett passed by him and made his way out the door, leaving the other behind.
"Silly old man," Xero muttered, still smirking slightly, "You couldn't have saved them." He then looked over at Speedy once before shaking his head and following the Gadgeteer out.
He did the right thing.
END
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