"Where were you?" questioned the Duke as Rock stood at attention. He circled Rock around a few times. Rock was silent.
If Duke Red found out he had been at the house of the boy who the duke despised, then he was surly dead. The Duke didn't really like Atlas.
When Rock hadn't answered for some time, the Duke slapped him in the face. "I noticed that you have been slacking off your patrol duties. You imbecile!" The Duke kicked Rock in the shins, and then shoved him onto the ground. He started kicking Rock in the ribs with his metal-tipped shoes. Nobody was in the main hall.
Rock gritted his teeth in pain. When the Duke stopped, he tried to get up. Duke Red ordered his to follow. As Rock walked down a cellar with the Duke, he clenched his fists in agony. He couldn't feel his ribs.
As Duke Red closed the cellar door, he and Rock were engulfed into darkness except for the very dim light bulb above them. The cellar was pretty large, about as large as 5 ordinary classrooms.
The Duke suddenly turned around and slapped Rock in the face. Then he slapped Rock again with the back of his hand. Rock didn't flinch. "Ignorant boy!" shouted the Duke. "How many times have I told you not to wander around the city after your duties. You were to come straight back here. But no, you went to follow some fool girl~"
"She isn't a fool," Rock heard himself muttered.
The Duke was stunned silent for he had taught Rock not to talk back, yet he just had. He kicked Rock in the ribs, and Rock felt at least 3 ribs breaking. He gasped in pain. The Duke then shouted out in anger and reached the shelf on his side for something.
He found what he was looking for, and raised it above his head. Rock saw a metal bat, then felt pain searing through his right shoulder. He collapsed and shouted out in pain. He quickly cut of the cry by biting his bottom lip.
The Duke hit him in the back a couple of times, then ordered him to get up. When Rock didn't, he kicked Rock in the ribs. Rock cried out in agony, which the Duke cut short by hitting him in the back with the metal bat.
As Rock scrambled to get up, the Duke put away the bat.
"Attention!" barked the Duke.
Rock quickly stood straight and faced the Duke.
"I don't want you to slack off tomorrow, or else!" Duke Red said.
"Yes sir," Rock replied. He held back all the pain, or tried to. He still couldn't feel his broken ribs, or his right shoulder.
"Good. Now you may leave." With that, the Duke walked out of the cellar. Rock dusted himself, and winced as he accidentally touched his broken ribs.
He then walked out of the cellar like nothing happened, and walked up to his room.
~*~
Tomi ran over to Rock, who was hunched over and sitting against the wall. She was about to scare him, when she noticed that he was gasping for breath.
"R-Rock? Are you alright?" Tomi drew closer to him.
Rock jerked his head up, and saw Tomi. He tried to stand up, but the pain in his ribs stopped him.
Tomi crouched down beside him and reached out her hand towards his ribs.
"N-No, I-I'm alright," breathed Rock. He closed his eyes and gasped for breath.
Tomi grew worried. "Rock~"
"I'm alright, kay?"
She sighed. "I'll be right back." She ran off.
Rock heaved a sigh. He thought that she wasn't going to come back, but she did. With help, too. Tomi had brought Atlas with her. Atlas hurriedly and carefully picked him up and carried him to his house.
~*~

As Rock woke, he felt a pain sear through his body, from his ribs. He bit his lip as it happened.
Tomi ran over to him.
"Don't move," Tomi ordered.
Rock did as he was told, as Tomi checked the boneset that she and Atlas had placed on his ribs.
"A few more hours, and it should feel better," Tomi said. Then she looked at Rock straight in the eye. "Did Duke Red do this?"
Rock was quiet for a moment. "Yeah."
Tomi's eyes got wide. "Why? What did you do?"
"I was slacking in my patrol duties," he said. He didn't tell her about the other half. The part about how he was in Tomi and Atlas's house.
"So what?" Atlas scoffed in disbelief. "Everyone does!"