Psst!
Rock shot the gun. It hit the Marduk right in the chest, and the Marduk collapsed onto the ground with a thud.
Atlas stared at Rock, not believing what he had just saw. His enemy had just saved his life, or was he his enemy?
Rock stared at Atlas, and their eyes locked for a minute. Then Rock went over to the dead Marduk and muttered, "We better hide this guy before Tomi comes."
Both Rock and Atlas worked together to throw the man into the garbage dump, under the metal parts of shot-down robots.
When they returned, Rock cleaned away the blood as Atlas continued cooking.
"So, how's it like, living with Red?" asked Atlas.
Rock shrugged. "I dunna. It's okay, I guess." Rock's voice drifted off.
Atlas noticed, and quickly changed the subject.
"Have you ever seen a picture of Hawaii, or been there?" he asked. Rock shook his head, and Atlas pulled out a picture of Hawaii. "Look's peaceful, don't it?"
Rock nodded. Atlas was curious about Rock's life with the Duke, and couldn't resist.
"How'd you learn to shoot a gun?" asked Atlas, resuming his cooking.
"From Duke Red," replied Rock.
Atlas stopped what he was doing. He turned to Rock, and asked, "Is he really your father, like people say?"
Rock was silent for a moment. "No. Adoptive father."
"Then your parents were killed?"
"Yeah, in the war 6 years ago."
"Same here. How old are you?" Atlas drew nearer towards Rock, thinking that there was a chance that people could have been wrong about him.
"14."
"I'm 19. You look a lot older, kid."
"Don't call me that," Rock said stiffly.
"Sorry," apologized Atlas. "Has Duke Red, um, trained you or anything?"
"Yeah."
"Hard?"
"Yeah."
Atlas stared at him. "Has he taught you stuff about fighting tactics?"
No reply came. "I don't wanna talk about this."
"I want the truth, kid."
"Don't call me that!" Rock turned and glared at Atlas through his sunglasses. He sighed. "Yeah."
Atlas thought he had heard a sad tone in Rock's voice, but decided against it. He resumed his cooking, and Rock got up to help. They were silent for a while, and when Atlas dropped a pan of hot soup on his foot, he burst out laughing.
Rock soon joined in, but lightly. Soon, Tomi skipped into the house, and they set up the table and ate.
Later, Tomi walked with Rock to Duke Red's mansion.
"I'll come and see you at Zone B tomorrow, okay?" Tomi said.
"Okay," mumbled Rock.
"Bye!" Tomi called, and ran off skipping.
Rock turned around and entered the mansion as soon as Tomi was out of site. Duke Red was waiting for him at the top of the stairs, blocking his way to his bedroom.
~*~
Rock shot the gun. It hit the Marduk right in the chest, and the Marduk collapsed onto the ground with a thud.
Atlas stared at Rock, not believing what he had just saw. His enemy had just saved his life, or was he his enemy?
Rock stared at Atlas, and their eyes locked for a minute. Then Rock went over to the dead Marduk and muttered, "We better hide this guy before Tomi comes."
Both Rock and Atlas worked together to throw the man into the garbage dump, under the metal parts of shot-down robots.
When they returned, Rock cleaned away the blood as Atlas continued cooking.
"So, how's it like, living with Red?" asked Atlas.
Rock shrugged. "I dunna. It's okay, I guess." Rock's voice drifted off.
Atlas noticed, and quickly changed the subject.
"Have you ever seen a picture of Hawaii, or been there?" he asked. Rock shook his head, and Atlas pulled out a picture of Hawaii. "Look's peaceful, don't it?"
Rock nodded. Atlas was curious about Rock's life with the Duke, and couldn't resist.
"How'd you learn to shoot a gun?" asked Atlas, resuming his cooking.
"From Duke Red," replied Rock.
Atlas stopped what he was doing. He turned to Rock, and asked, "Is he really your father, like people say?"
Rock was silent for a moment. "No. Adoptive father."
"Then your parents were killed?"
"Yeah, in the war 6 years ago."
"Same here. How old are you?" Atlas drew nearer towards Rock, thinking that there was a chance that people could have been wrong about him.
"14."
"I'm 19. You look a lot older, kid."
"Don't call me that," Rock said stiffly.
"Sorry," apologized Atlas. "Has Duke Red, um, trained you or anything?"
"Yeah."
"Hard?"
"Yeah."
Atlas stared at him. "Has he taught you stuff about fighting tactics?"
No reply came. "I don't wanna talk about this."
"I want the truth, kid."
"Don't call me that!" Rock turned and glared at Atlas through his sunglasses. He sighed. "Yeah."
Atlas thought he had heard a sad tone in Rock's voice, but decided against it. He resumed his cooking, and Rock got up to help. They were silent for a while, and when Atlas dropped a pan of hot soup on his foot, he burst out laughing.
Rock soon joined in, but lightly. Soon, Tomi skipped into the house, and they set up the table and ate.
Later, Tomi walked with Rock to Duke Red's mansion.
"I'll come and see you at Zone B tomorrow, okay?" Tomi said.
"Okay," mumbled Rock.
"Bye!" Tomi called, and ran off skipping.
Rock turned around and entered the mansion as soon as Tomi was out of site. Duke Red was waiting for him at the top of the stairs, blocking his way to his bedroom.
~*~
