Okay, here we go (again). This chapter might be a little shorter than the others and this one might be intensely emotional. Duke Red fans aren't gonna like this or the next few chapters, unless they see him as a maniacal maniac. ^.^ Rock's gonna keep phasing in and out of decisions and good crap like that, and he has his own little written POV somewhere in here.
Metropolis: Fallen Light
Chapter 7. Fallen Reality
Ten thirty Sunday Morning and the Marduks were standing by the gates of City Hall. Boone was in the building, as was Duke Red. Everything was going according to plan, and my, how well it was working.
About four hundred supporters were shouting protests inside the gates, seeing their representatives from out of the city lying limp and seemingly unconscious around the Guardian of Babel. Kenna, Karen, Fern, and the boys were lying there, but above them in those large and outstretched arms was Halo.
No one knew why they were like that, but they would soon find out.
*~*Rock's POV*~*
Eleven o' clock Sunday morning and I was standing on the top step of City Hall. Giving off my trademark smirk I signaled for my fellow Marduks to close and lock the gates. They did, and I moved aside to let my father the Duke walk from those large oak doors. He stood there and let the shouts and protests die down before he spoke.
I didn't want to pay any attention, my eyes kept wondering over to the Guardian. She lie there looking helpless as ever, the bruise still faint on her face. She dangled limply but I had to snap back to attention when father spoke.
"You see what happens when you are overpowered by the non-robot-supportive public? These are the representatives sent over from Japan by their President Harbin (A/N: Harbin isn't the ruler of Japan, just the president of the department that they work in) to come to an agreement on the equal rights of robots."
The crowd gave one big cheer.
"However, with the recent attempted coup-" Rock's head jerked up. That was a lie! These four people couldn't even have tried to attempt a coup, let alone attempt one anyway! "President Boone and I have officially discarded the motion and the equal rights of robots are no longer thought of."
The crowd boo-ed at this.
"As supporters of robots, I would like you to understand that robots are NOT equal and will never BE equal to humans. As such, robots that are isolated to their Zone but are in a restricted area will be shot or de-programmed."
The rumble of boos, shouts, and even angrier protests than before began to erupt from this crowd of people. I saw Duke Red give his evil little smile and then signaled something to the Marduks that surrounded the place.
"Not that it would matter anyway."
My father, Duke Red, turned and walked back through the doors.
"Sir, what's going on?" I asked.
He looked at me for a moment with his little smile.
"Rock, my boy, you are about to witness what real power over the people is. Watch and learn, Rock. Watch and learn." With that he continued through the doors where I shut them behind him. I turned and saw, much to my own horror, the two hundred or so Marduks shooting into the crowd. This was against the policy. They were killing humans!
"STOP!" I shouted. No one could hear me over the screams and gunfire. I ran through the crowd, getting nicked in the sides by stray bullets quite a few times, and finally came to the Guardian of Babel.
Who I supposed was Fern (because she wasn't pregnant) was already awake and trying to calm the crying boys. Karen was only just coming around. I continued to wake Kenna. He came around with a start and questioned me.
"What the Hell is goin' on?!" he said over the noise.
"No time to explain," I replied. I handed him a gun and turned to Karen and Fern. "Can you shoot a gun?" I asked. They nodded solemnly and I handed each of them a gun as well. "Fire at the Marduks alone."
Fern looked at me, obviously concerned.
"Isn't that against your code of killing humans? And they're your followers as well."
I looked at her and nodded.
"But Halo put the point across that without robot supporters then the feud between the robots and Marduks would be nothing. That's basically what's happening here." I looked up at the statue and stood. "Just do it!"
I began to climb, hoping I could get to Halo and wake her before either of us got shot: I had given three of four guns to Kenna and the others, and the one I had left only had a round of six bullets. It would only be a waste to fire. I reached the arms and sat there for about twenty seconds before I shook Halo roughly. She opened her eyes and sat up, looking at me.
"Rock . . . What's going on?" She looked out of the tragic scene around her and turned back to me.
*~*3rd POV*~*
She saw the scene and turned back to him, jumping forward and holding tightly to him.
"Rock, what's going on?"
He looked down at her and thought for a minute.
"It's just the reality of what the war between humans and robots is really about." She was nuzzled into him, crying again at what was happening.
"I'm sorry about this, Rock. It's all my fault."
"No, it's not. There's no way you could have started or stopped it. Don't worry about it."
This really wasn't something Rock was used to saying. It surprised even him how much softer he had grown since he met her, because this wasn't like him AT ALL.
"You're trying to make me feel better."
Halo looked up at him, her face tear-streaked, her eyes pooling with a fresh flow, for some reason she looked so helpless and lost she was enticing to him. He doesn't know himself why he did it, it just sort of happened.
He lowered his face and pressed his lips lightly onto hers. His arms had wound their way to rest limply around her waist, while her hands were on the outside of his forearms.
Rock pulled away, slightly embarrassed. Halo seemed a little surprised and shocked.
*~*~*
Duke Red sat across from Boone, who was steady puffing slowly on his usual cigar.
"Red . . . I'm beginning to have . . . Regrets and second thoughts about this little . . . massacre."
"A little late to take it back, isn't it?"
"Well . . . That doesn't mean we can't stop it now, stop the casualties."
"Are you saying that you're disagreeing? That you would rather have the city overrun with robots?"
"Not at all, not at all, I'm just saying we should be targeting the robots instead of humans."
"Yes, but sir, with these supporters still roaming the streets and such the more robots will be made. We can't have that, now, can we? Four hundred less people in Metropolis wouldn't hurt us, financially or publicly, except a decrease in the vast number of robots."
Boone stood and walked to the window, his back to Duke Red.
"You've got a good mind, Duke Red, good ideas, and I like that."
"Yes, sir."
"I'm glad you're using them to the benefit of the city."
"Yes, sir."
Duke Red silently cocked the gun and brought it above the desk where Boone still had his back turned.
"And I believe that your Marduks are giving even a better benefit and holding control of the city."
"Yes, sir."
Red squeezed the trigger and it went to the left of his spine, straight through him and making a hole in the window, splattering the edges with blood.
Red stood and looked at his fallen form and turned to walk from the room. He had carefully thought this through and knew exactly what to tell Metropolis.
*~*~*
Rock and Halo were slowly and steadily making their way down the statue, silently, still hoping they wouldn't be shot. Kenna and Karen and Fern were still at the base of the statue, firing at the Marduks, but they were almost out of ammo, and this wasn't a good thing; not even one hundred Marduks had been shot down, and the others were still shooting the robot supporters.
Author's Notes: I amaze even myself how much you people motivate me to whip these things out so fast! I'm only continuing it because I love you guys, so hey. Okay, in case you haven't noticed, this is WAY OFF from the movie, because you've seen Boone dies quite differently than in the movie and everything like that and blah blah blah. I know, it's a little rushed between Halo and Rock, but there's not many more chapters to do and I wanna finish because I plan on making a Trigun fic, but I don't like to do two long ones at the same time. Anyway, next chapter, Chapter 8. Fallen Guardian *hinthint*
Read, review, flame me, whatever, I don't care.
Like I said, it's shorter, but the next one . . . Well, I dunno, except again- WARNING: DUKIE FANS BEWARE!
And I just wanna thank some people: Kendra and Xalan, thanks bunches!! I really do appreciate your enthusiasm and compliments!!
BTW, I might make another Metropolis one-shot, only it's gonna be about Tima or Kenichi, and it'll be from either one's POV, depending on who it's about. So keep a look out for it within the next week or so. Reminder, try and read my poems and one-shot, I need some opinions!
