Note: This has been on my mind for a while. I'm glad I wrote it. 'Sides, I haven't written anything for Metropolis in forever! Enjoy.


Duke Red lifted his cane from the stand near his bedroom door. He opened the door and stepped out, pulling it to. He turned and put his hat atop his head, sighed, and started for the stairs.

The stairs were always a trouble for him. After they had pulled him from the wreck of the Ziggurat, doctors found that he would most likely never be able to walk again. Well, he can walk, just not well. It was painful for him to walk up and down stairs or just for a long stretch of time.

Red limped slowly down the stairs. At he reached the bottom, a maid came to greet him.

"Good morning, Sir!" she said cheerfully.

"Did you receive the flowers I ordered?" Red asked.

"Yes, Sir." A butler came from the door across the hall, a bouquet of flowers in his hands. "They came early this morning." The old butler handed the bunch of assorted flowers to Duke Red. The plastic tied around the stems crinkled as Red took them to examine them.

"They'll do," he said, turning to the door. The maid opened the door for him and watched him walk to the steps. "I'm going to see Rock. I'll be back later."

"Would you like for me to fetch a driver?" offered the maid.

"No, I think I'll walk. It's not that far." With that, Duke Red slowly made his way down the steps and across the street.

Since the Ziggurat had fallen, it seemed that no one was interested in the city life anymore. The people of Metropolis just seemed so life-less now-a-days. With the decline of robots in the city, the employment of 'organic' civilians, as they were called, increased. Without so much riot in the streets, Metropolis's popularity declined, too. It made Metropolis seem smaller, somehow.

Duke Red sighed as he rounded the corner. A true sign that it was winter was steadily falling from the sky in the form of white powder. A mere year ago, he had demoted Rock from his Marduk position. Still, Rock remained loyal to him.

Now it was time for him to pay his respects . . .

Duke Red stood at the gate of a cemetery. He pushed it open and stepped onto the path. Though the entire place was laden with inches of snow, Red knew his way around quite well. As he made his way down the familiar, curving, stone path, he kept his eyes looking to the right, searching for Rock's headstone.

He stopped and made his way down a row of snow. They were just peeking above the snow, the tops covered in snowflakes. At the far end of the row, Red stopped and brushed the snow from the top of one particular stone. The flowers he had left in November had long since been either buried in snow or taken away by the cemetery caretaker.

When they found Rock's body amidst the Ziggurat remnants, they informed Red (who had been found long before they had found Rock). At first, Red wanted nothing to do with The Boy, even in death- he was in a bad state anyway, in the hospital with the prospect of never being able to walk again on his mind. The city asked Red to give at least some sort of headstone for The Boy, so he did. The only thing on the stone was his first name- Rock.

As Red thought about it, he almost felt sorry.

He gently placed the bouquet of flowers on top of the snow. He knew they'd be buried in about three minutes, but at least they'd be there.

Red took his hat off and placed it on his chest. After only a brief moment, he returned it to his head. Without a word, he turned to leave.


Note: I found this article at AnimeAcademy.com. Talk about Metropolis bashing! I was severely disappointed. For those who are weak at heart, please don't read: http:www.animeacademy.com/finalrevdisplay.php?id=337