Rufus instinctively opened his eyes due to an extremely strong light, he was on a hill in Krem, the only one that faced the sea and on which grew a tree. Elysium was perfectly visible from there.
-Rufus?- a familiar but at the same time unheard from a long time voice called him, the boy turned.
-Mom?- he said surprised, but instantly looked away.
-Sure, who else? Are you still dreaming of reaching Elysium?- she giggled.
Rufus looked up, the magnificent floating city was there and it seemed to be mocking them.
-No, I don't think I want to go anymore…- Rufus bowed his head.
Ellie moved closer to him.
-What's up, honey, did you have a fight with Toni?-
Rufus touched his chest.
-Are you hurt?- she continued.
However, he avoided her by moving a little.
-I'm a waste, aren't I? I deserve to live on this planet- he said sorrowfully.
Ellie was surprised by those words, she had never heard him so pessimistic in the long time she had known him.
So she moved further, reaching the top of the hill, the long hair caressed by the wind, a perfume Rufus had long forgotten spread in the air.
He caught a glimpse of her.
-Tell me, mother, why didn't you tell me the truth?- he asked angrily.
She half-closed her eyes.
-Your father was a big dreamer- she eventually said –Patrick and Seagul were his best friends, together they worked for the Elysium's security-
Rufus was startled, Elysium?!
-They planned new security systems and in return- the young lady looked up in the sky –they promised that one day we could have lived there-
Of course they had been duped, thought Rufus, now serious.
-But what did I have to do with any of this? Why did you let them do such a thing to me? What happened to dad?!- he said.
The woman turned toward him, he looked back at her.
-I'm sorry…I never mentioned him…and you- said the young lady –he died due to an accident with an experiment and I…trying to save him I inhaled a substance that eventually…- she moved closer to him –eventually killed you-
He opened his eyes wide.
-I had been the direct cause to you father's death and it was too painful to discuss it with you-
Rufus looked away, how could he blame her?
-But when they told me you were alive, it didn't matter how, you were my son- firmly said Ellie and she took his hand.
-You're Rufus- she smiled at him –You're more similar to your father than you think-
Rufus stared at her intensely, no one had ever told him something like that.
-Stubborn, egocentric and a dreamer- she said giggling heartily.
Meanwhile, Rufus couldn't hold tears.
Ellie caressed his cheek.
-I'm sorry I couldn't teach you everything- she added melancholically.
He jumped lightly, so she was the reason why he didn't become like Cletus or Argus…
-I didn't allow them to take you away from me- she continued with a certain steadiness in her voice.
Then his mother approached him and held him tight in her arms.
-Bad moments are part of every human being's life, it's up to us to decide whether to keep going or not-
-Even when everything seems lost?- he said with a broken voice, trying not to cry.
The mother looked at his face, her eyes bright with tears and a sweet smile.
-Nothing is ever lost, not until there's hope- she said –you're living proof of that- she warmly kissed him on the forehead –you're my miracle- she concluded.
Then she stepped away.
Rufus was impressed by those words, wiped his eyes with his sleeve and when he opened them Ellie was gone.
He had almost removed his mother's memories, too painful for him to remember when, in order to save his life…she had died, forcing him to live with a father who had never loved him. He had kept on going thinking only about himself and his goal.
Goal…since he'd met her, something has changed. Patrick said he was a waste, truth is thanks to Ellie's love and presence Rufus was slowly becoming more and more human.
Once again Cletus had been thrown on a pile of garbage and once again he picked himself up.
-what a bore, it's quick- he gasped for the effort.
-it's almost admirable how stubbornly you keep on picking yourself up every time- pointed out the android.
-Call it a manufacturing defect- ironically said Cletus.
-However, telling everybody how I had to rip you apart because you were standing in my way is gonna be sad- said Machina while approaching him threateningly.
-For a bunch of scrap metal you talk too much- answered the Elysian, then he looked up.
It was raining heavily and it certainly didn't help.
-If you think rain is going to harm me, you're wrong- exclaimed Machina.
-You're still a machine- retorted Cletus looking at him.
-Yes, but my cuirass prevents the water from reaching my circuits!-
-is that so?- Cletus smiled as if he was waiting for that statement.
Machina didn't mind and threw itself at him, Cletus managed to avoid it with a sudden movement and the help of his stick, that appeared to elongate as he liked.
-That stick is annoying- said Machina, pulling its arm from the ground after the unsuccessful attempt.
-Nice, right? It changes its length and power according to the emotions, it's similar to the technology used to create you, but it only answers to me- proudly said Cletus.
That stick had been given to him many years ago from the chief of the Elysium's council, it was part of a plan for the use of an intelligent technology which only responded to its user's emotions thanks to the DNA of the person chosen to brandish it. Learning how to use it had not been simple. But Cletus, according to Patrick, was his most successful experiment, though Seagul didn't agree, as he considered Argus to be the best.
The latter found it harder to control his emotions, he was apparently deprived of them and so he could have never used such a weapon, that was the reason of his jealousy toward Cletus.
In the end, when Cletus was in complete control of the weapon, he was allowed to hold it and the creation of an android with the same technology was approved.
That machine, whose creation was entrusted to Seagul, was Machina.
-That little stick won't help you- yelled Machina and it modified its left arm. This time it pulled out an electrical whip!
-What the? How on Earth did they build you?- asked Cletus.
But, in return, the android repeatedly threw his whip on the ground with a huge clang.
-Thanks to my cuirass I can't feel an electric shock…But what about you?- pointed out Machina, while puddle got bigger and bigger because of the rain.
Toni, who had left Rufus in the care of the city's doctor, was watching the fight with Doc.
-Do you know who that boy is, Doc?- asked the girl to her friend.
-I believe is name his Cletus, Rufus mentioned him a few times on the way-
The girl, who had looked at him closely, noticed a weird resemblance to Rufus. That Cletus had to be one the babies mentioned by Patrick.
Now more than ever Toni would have wanted to step in, but what could she do to help the Elysian?
Machina threw his whip at Cletus, who elongated the stick and created a real shield of energy, bouncing the rope away.
The android grumbled annoyed.
-Ops, try again- provoked him Cletus.
So Machina didn't need to hear it twice and started throwing itself at him without holding back.
Though the shield was powerful, its attacks' violence was hard to bear and Cletus was gradually losing his strengths.
-How long are you gonna resist behind it? Eh?!- urged him the android.
But in return Cletus smacked his lips.
Until, with a well delivered hit, the shield broke and Cletus fell on his back breathlessly.
-You don't understand- said Machina while approaching him threateningly.
Cletus slowly picked himself up.
-You can't defeat me!- concluded the metallic being and once again it threw itself at him. This time Cletus shielded himself with the stick, so that the whip would twist around it. Nothing happened.
The two were startled.
-My stick appears to be electrical shock proof- sneered Cletus.
-And is your face punch proof?- Machina punched Cletus right in the face and he had to let go of the stick, thrown a few meters away, in the end the machine threw away the stick, that regained its little features.
It moved closer to Cletus.
-So, are you finally ready to die?- it said, while Cletus was on his knees cleaning the blood off his face.
-Did they program you to be funny in addition to long-winded?- said the young boy.
-According to Seagul, I'm his best creature- said Machina mockingly.
-Really, I thought Argus was his favorite- he said, trying to provoke it.
The android grinded.
-Your tongue is too sharp- said the machine.
Cletus picked himself up without looking away.
-That's my only credit, I admit it- he answered –did you say your cuirass doesn't allow water to penetrate the circuits?- he immediately added.
-So what?- said Machina annoyed.
-So what would happen if that cuirass was…- Cletus smiled –Removed?- he concluded.
-You're just wasting my time- irately said Machina and it was about to hit him.
But Cletus stoop up with a sudden movement and he used a pile of ruins as a springboard to threw himself at Machina.
The android was caught by surprise, since no one before had ever threw himself at it.
Once on the top of its head, someone threw the stick at Cletus, it was Toni who, unnoticed and taking advantage of the heavy rain, had managed to take the weapon back.
-Do you know what else this stick is for?!- he said pompously.
And, without waiting for an answer, Cletus pierced the stick between the cuirass and the back of the majestic machine.
-it can create an explosion strong enough to blow you arrogant cuirass up!- firmly said the Elysian.
-Don't make me laugh, if you do it you'll be involved as well- said Machina.
-Shall we try?- provoked him Cletus.
At that point the android tried to throw the whip at his shoulders, but Cletus was faster, it took a minute. The explosion started where Cletus had inserted the point of the stick and it was so strong to blow the back of Machina's cuirass up, while Cletus was thrown a lot of meters away. Toni reached him.
-Hey, are you okay?- she asked.
Laying down, the boy slowly opened his eyes but his first concern was the android.
The cuirassed thing had hit itself with the whip and was standing still because of the rain, after a few seconds a powerful electrical shock wrapped it up, it was a matter of a few seconds before it got shattered in pieces with a huge clang.
Toni sighed with relief, then she looked at Cletus, who looked worn out because of the fight and she involuntarily hugged him.
-You two sure…have a thick skin- she exclaimed crying again –Thank you- she then added and moved away, smiling at Cletus –you've both given us hope back-
He looked at her for a few seconds, normally he would have said something provocative or offensive, but from the moment a weeping Goal had begged him to save those people something about him had changed.
Still lost in his thoughts, he didn't notice the crowd who had flocked together, exulting and thanking Cletus for saving them, the Elysian felt oddly well despite all his bones were aching.