"Rock!" shouted a voice behind him. Rock turned his around, and saw Duke
Red, his adoptive father. Rock had been on his way to his room.
"Yes, sir?" said Rock, wondering what the duke was doing here. He was supposed to be at a meeting. But he knew better then to blurt out remarks like that.
His whole life that he had been with the duke, he had been trained to ignore pain, hope, care and kindness alike. He had been pushed behind physical limits, taking punishments from the duke. His family had died 6 years ago, when he was 8. Now he was about 14, not remembering his parents, birth date or anything of the past. Though he was only 14, he was much stronger and experienced then people could imagine. He had a reputation of being the best shooter, crafty, and being merciless.
The Duke was studying Rock. "Why are you late today?" he questioned, raising an eyebrow.
"I was on Back Alley Patrol, sir," Rock answered.
"Okay," said the Duke like he didn't believe Rock.
Rock, leader of the Marduks, turned around and started towards his bedroom. As soon as he entered his room, he sighed in relief. 'I don't think my ribs or my back are up to another beating,' thought Rock.
He dressed in his nightclothes and slipped into his bed. His whole body was sore tired from getting hit by a few robots, getting shouted at by his father and walking all day with no food. Tomorrow he would get food.
No food was a common punishment for Rock. Like whipping, hitting and being beaten, the Duke often used getting no food for the day.
Or two.
Or three.
Or a week.
But Rock didn't mind. Usually. No matter what, he didn't gain or lose weight. He was average in about everything but strength, fighting, intelligence and things that the duke had done to him.
As Rock drifted into slumber, he remembered that he had to wake up early tomorrow morning for Zone B Patrol.
"Shit," he cursed, and then he fell asleep.
~*~
Rock woke up at 4:00 in the morning. He quickly got dressed and prepared to leave. He made sure he had his handgun and sunglasses. He never liked to go somewhere without his gun and sunglasses.
As soon as he was in Zone B, he noticed a robot straying from its work. He took out his handgun and aimed. When the robot turned around, he noticed it was holding a girl. The girl was sobbing.
"Let go of me!" screamed the crying girl.
The robot didn't notice Rock, and it slapped the girl.
Rock fired the gun. The bullet found its target, and the robot dropped the girl. He ran over to the girl to see if she was okay.
The girl had landed on her side and was getting up. She didn't wear a dress like most girls did. She wore casual black pants and a dark blue shirt. Rock wore black pants and a red shirt, like every Marduk.
As he drew closer to the girl, he noticed that her arm slumped down to her side. It was broken.
"Are you okay, miss?" questioned Rock, not caring about her. But it's was part of his duty to ask citizens this.
The girl kept sobbing, and stuttered, "Yes." She was up and on her feet soon. She wiped away her tears, and smiled wryly at Rock. "Thank you."
Rock stared at her through his sunglasses. "Whatever."
He watched as the girl tried to walk, and noticed that her arm was dangling at her side. She winced in pain.
Like she knew he saw watching, the girl turned around again and said, "Please come over to my house and have some lunch with me. I've been really lonely ever since my parents were killed by robots." She had a begging look in her eyes.
Rock looked at her, and something inside of him told him to go. He followed as the girl led the way.
"My name's Tomi, what's yours?"
"Rock."
She didn't gasped, curse or runaway like most people did. "Nice to meet ya, Rock."
Rock nodded, not really liking Tomi's hyperness. As they continued, Tomi asked questions, and Rock gave small worded answers.
~*~
When they reached Tomi's house, Rock had grown used to Tomi's hyperness. He kind of liked it. He smiled to himself as he entered the house.
"Atlas! I'm home!" Tomi called.
Rock froze. 'Atlas? What's she doing with Atlas?' thought Rock. He pulled out his gun behind his back.
Atlas came running into the run, and froze when he saw Rock. "What's he doing here?" Atlas asked after a long time of eerie silence.
"I asked him to come for lunch. And on the way here, he made a sling for my arm I broke, when a robot tried to kidnap me," Tomi explained happily.
"Do you know who he is? Or what he's done?" said Atlas in disbelief.
Tomi looked at the ground. "Yes," she whispered. "I know, but he seems nice, unlike what Terrence said." Tomi looked up and straight into Atlas's eyes. "If you don't like him, then I'll leave. You're judging a person before you even get ta know them, and you're the one who taught me no to do that." Tomi could feel tears sliding down her cheeks.
Rock relaxed a little and released the gun. He was still alert like he had been taught.
Atlas stared at Tomi, then at Rock. He couldn't read Rock's face, which was expressionless. Tomi seemed to trust him, so Atlas sighed in defeat.
"Fine," he said. Tomi whooped in joy. Rock kept looking at Atlas. "But then, he has to stay outta the way while I, um, cook." Atlas turned red in the face. Rock smiled crookedly, a little.
Tomi then ran out of the house to go and see the doctor about her arm. Atlas and Rock avoided eye contact.
As Atlas was cutting vegetables and Rock was sitting on the couch, they heard a gun shot. Atlas turned around and held up a pan with a hole through it. The gunshot had come from the window in front of him. 'It couldn't have been Rock,' thought Atlas. Rock quickly stood up and drew his gun.
A Marduk walked in, gun raised. He didn't see Rock.
"Put your hands up," the Marduk said carefully. Rock was better trained then this Marduk.
Rock aimed the gun at the Marduk, thinking, 'What am I doing?' Atlas knew better then to look at Rock, so he slowly raised his hands.
"That's it, ya piece o' shit," said the Marduk, smiling broadly.
"Yes, sir?" said Rock, wondering what the duke was doing here. He was supposed to be at a meeting. But he knew better then to blurt out remarks like that.
His whole life that he had been with the duke, he had been trained to ignore pain, hope, care and kindness alike. He had been pushed behind physical limits, taking punishments from the duke. His family had died 6 years ago, when he was 8. Now he was about 14, not remembering his parents, birth date or anything of the past. Though he was only 14, he was much stronger and experienced then people could imagine. He had a reputation of being the best shooter, crafty, and being merciless.
The Duke was studying Rock. "Why are you late today?" he questioned, raising an eyebrow.
"I was on Back Alley Patrol, sir," Rock answered.
"Okay," said the Duke like he didn't believe Rock.
Rock, leader of the Marduks, turned around and started towards his bedroom. As soon as he entered his room, he sighed in relief. 'I don't think my ribs or my back are up to another beating,' thought Rock.
He dressed in his nightclothes and slipped into his bed. His whole body was sore tired from getting hit by a few robots, getting shouted at by his father and walking all day with no food. Tomorrow he would get food.
No food was a common punishment for Rock. Like whipping, hitting and being beaten, the Duke often used getting no food for the day.
Or two.
Or three.
Or a week.
But Rock didn't mind. Usually. No matter what, he didn't gain or lose weight. He was average in about everything but strength, fighting, intelligence and things that the duke had done to him.
As Rock drifted into slumber, he remembered that he had to wake up early tomorrow morning for Zone B Patrol.
"Shit," he cursed, and then he fell asleep.
~*~
Rock woke up at 4:00 in the morning. He quickly got dressed and prepared to leave. He made sure he had his handgun and sunglasses. He never liked to go somewhere without his gun and sunglasses.
As soon as he was in Zone B, he noticed a robot straying from its work. He took out his handgun and aimed. When the robot turned around, he noticed it was holding a girl. The girl was sobbing.
"Let go of me!" screamed the crying girl.
The robot didn't notice Rock, and it slapped the girl.
Rock fired the gun. The bullet found its target, and the robot dropped the girl. He ran over to the girl to see if she was okay.
The girl had landed on her side and was getting up. She didn't wear a dress like most girls did. She wore casual black pants and a dark blue shirt. Rock wore black pants and a red shirt, like every Marduk.
As he drew closer to the girl, he noticed that her arm slumped down to her side. It was broken.
"Are you okay, miss?" questioned Rock, not caring about her. But it's was part of his duty to ask citizens this.
The girl kept sobbing, and stuttered, "Yes." She was up and on her feet soon. She wiped away her tears, and smiled wryly at Rock. "Thank you."
Rock stared at her through his sunglasses. "Whatever."
He watched as the girl tried to walk, and noticed that her arm was dangling at her side. She winced in pain.
Like she knew he saw watching, the girl turned around again and said, "Please come over to my house and have some lunch with me. I've been really lonely ever since my parents were killed by robots." She had a begging look in her eyes.
Rock looked at her, and something inside of him told him to go. He followed as the girl led the way.
"My name's Tomi, what's yours?"
"Rock."
She didn't gasped, curse or runaway like most people did. "Nice to meet ya, Rock."
Rock nodded, not really liking Tomi's hyperness. As they continued, Tomi asked questions, and Rock gave small worded answers.
~*~
When they reached Tomi's house, Rock had grown used to Tomi's hyperness. He kind of liked it. He smiled to himself as he entered the house.
"Atlas! I'm home!" Tomi called.
Rock froze. 'Atlas? What's she doing with Atlas?' thought Rock. He pulled out his gun behind his back.
Atlas came running into the run, and froze when he saw Rock. "What's he doing here?" Atlas asked after a long time of eerie silence.
"I asked him to come for lunch. And on the way here, he made a sling for my arm I broke, when a robot tried to kidnap me," Tomi explained happily.
"Do you know who he is? Or what he's done?" said Atlas in disbelief.
Tomi looked at the ground. "Yes," she whispered. "I know, but he seems nice, unlike what Terrence said." Tomi looked up and straight into Atlas's eyes. "If you don't like him, then I'll leave. You're judging a person before you even get ta know them, and you're the one who taught me no to do that." Tomi could feel tears sliding down her cheeks.
Rock relaxed a little and released the gun. He was still alert like he had been taught.
Atlas stared at Tomi, then at Rock. He couldn't read Rock's face, which was expressionless. Tomi seemed to trust him, so Atlas sighed in defeat.
"Fine," he said. Tomi whooped in joy. Rock kept looking at Atlas. "But then, he has to stay outta the way while I, um, cook." Atlas turned red in the face. Rock smiled crookedly, a little.
Tomi then ran out of the house to go and see the doctor about her arm. Atlas and Rock avoided eye contact.
As Atlas was cutting vegetables and Rock was sitting on the couch, they heard a gun shot. Atlas turned around and held up a pan with a hole through it. The gunshot had come from the window in front of him. 'It couldn't have been Rock,' thought Atlas. Rock quickly stood up and drew his gun.
A Marduk walked in, gun raised. He didn't see Rock.
"Put your hands up," the Marduk said carefully. Rock was better trained then this Marduk.
Rock aimed the gun at the Marduk, thinking, 'What am I doing?' Atlas knew better then to look at Rock, so he slowly raised his hands.
"That's it, ya piece o' shit," said the Marduk, smiling broadly.