Chapter 2

A month had passed since Charissa first found Rock under the remains of the Ziggurat. And while both Rock and Kanichi were healing, Charissa managed to break the hatred between the two and get them as close as she can get Rock a friend to.

But standing on a hill over looking the city, a tear streamed down her face. She was planning to do this for a long time now. But it still pained her to do this to Rock. He still thought his father, Duke Red, was alive. And he would be very angered to find that he was dead. After all, that horrible man was Rock's only family. But he had to know, and Charissa knew it. She sighed as she wiped away her tears and put on a forced smile.

"Rock, I want to show you something. Please, will you come with me?" She headed in the direction of the cemetery were all the people had been buried from the Ziggurat incident. Before the Ziggurats downfall the new cemetery had been a park. Charissa loved that park and had visited the area whenever she had time. But now it was lined with cold black steel bars and every inch of the park was lined with gravestones of the deceased. She tried not to look at Rock as she wondered how he would take the truth of his 'father's' death.

***

Charissa led Rock forward, and into the cemetery. Rock didn't get why she had led him to a place like this. Then Charissa stopped at a particular grave and bent down. After just a few seconds of analyzing the grave, she scooted over to the side to let Rock see. Taking a glance at the grave he gasped. On the concrete slab was engraved 'Duke Red'. But this couldn't be! His father wasn't dead! He just had to be alive!

"I don't understand. What kind of game is this, Charissa?" Rock asked angrily. Charissa cringed at the raise of his voice but didn't speak. Still squatted down, she kept her gaze at the grass, watching a small caterpillar that had fallen out of a tree. Rock, not getting an answer, began to storm off. Then in a quiet voice, Charissa spoke.

"He really is dead, Rock." Her voice was so small Rock barely had even heard it. He stopped in his tracks and slowly turned around.

"What do you mean?" Rock asked. Charissa dared to look up at him.

"I mean he's dead! He did not survive after the day of the Ziggurat!" Her own voice was raised now, which had actually surprised Rock, because Charissa wasn't the kind of person to yell. But she was. She stood up abruptly and her face was actually inches from his. "Look, I know that it may be hard for you to believe but Duke Red died because he thought you were dead. Remains Of buildings fell on him as he tried to dig up your body. And if you don't believe me, then that's your problem. He's dead and there's nothing you can do about it! People die every day, and people who are left behind have to deal with their passing, and DEAL WITH IT! And don't you dare do anything stupid Rock, or else you'll get it big time, pal!" She walked away rather fast, leaving Rock with a stunned look on his face. That's when the piece if information shot through him like a bullet. Shaking his head, he ran after Charissa and grabbed her arm.

"Now-"She slapped him. A big ugly hand mark resided on his cheek. Her hand stung from the force of her attack, but she ignored it. Then she broke down crying.

"I'm sorry." Charissa said. 'I never should have brought you here, and I shouldn't have yelled at you. "She sniffed. Rock was confused by all of these emotions she displayed as well as all the emotions he himself was feeling all at once: Anger, sorrow, regret and foolishness. A mulduck wasn't trained to handle emotions. And that's why he hated it when she did cry. So he just sat down and watched her. He hesitated for a second, and then spoke.

"Charissa," She looked at him. "I-I'm the one that should be sorry. I guess that I didn't believe that my father was dead." Charissa smiled. Then the smile faded and she stuck a finger to his nose.

"Yeah, well next time you should listen to me instead of blowing your top off like a freaking volcano! C'mon Rock, we're going back to the hospital." She winked, and began to drag Rock back to her father's building. Rock –or course –argued. But there is no arguing with Charissa Taylor. Rock eventually gave up and agreed.

***

Kanichi smiled at the sight. Charissa and Rock were arguing over whether to stay or go back to the hospital. But he finally gave up and let the kind, caring, and yet stubborn girl take him back to the hospital. Rock did indeed look better, all his wounds from the Ziggurat was gone! But there were scars left on him that even he didn't know he had. Kanichi sighed and gradually followed the two back to the corner of the city where she worked. He had actually managed to get ahead of them because Charissa and Rock were moving so slow as they talked. But Kanichi wouldn't help wondering: What if Rock's wounds never heal? Sure his physical wounds will but what about his emotional ones? The scars implanted in his mind, heart and soul for all of these years. Will Rock ever be able to live in peace with humans, robots and most importantly – himself? The scars are yet too fresh to tell.

"But when the time comes, Rock, will you forgive and forget? Live in peace and happiness?" As Kanichi walked up the steps – just ahead of the other two – Kanichi saw a short and chubby man at the hospital. His hair was sort of long, messy, un-cleaned and frizzy as well as white to show his age. He was talking to Charissa's father, a couple of roller-beds beside them. Charissa and Rock just arrived at the door and stood beside Kanichi as they watched the man take the two rollers away.

"Grandpa, Dad, what happened?" Charissa asked as she looked at the lumpy sheets. "Oh, please don't tell me those are, are -"

"Lori and Will, yes. Grandpa is just shipping them out for us so we can look after more patients." Her father turned and went back to his duties.

"But they were doing so well! I thought they would be out of here in a couple of days at least!" Charissa's grandfather sighed.

"We s'ought, too, Charissa. But unknown to you, your fasser, or Atlas – z'ere windows 'here open and t'ey 'here already sick before z'e collapse of z'e Ziggurat. "Charissa's face held an expression of mourning for the two lost children. And it also weighed heavy on Kanichi's heart for they were hospital roommates with him.

"Your grandfather has bad English." Rock implied. Charissa rolled her eyes.

"Well of course. He's been living somewhere in Asia for most of his life. Never came to North America until he was an adult." Charissa explained. "I need to teach the guy everything."

*** At the end of the day, Charissa led the boys down to Zone 1 and into the trailer they lived in for the past eight or so years. The trailer was small which made the thing feel stuffy and cramped. And Charissa knew that Kanichi had been here once before, with Tima. She only wished that she had not been stuck doing Atlas' night shift because of his 'rebellion' when they had come. She would have liked to meet Tima. She got the boys settled down and said she had to see her grandfather for a few reasons. Half of it was true. She thought as she started the shorter run to her grandpa's workshop. I mean, yes I do have to go see him, for a few reasons. Though I could never tell them why. Still not telling them the whole truth about what I'm doing leaves me with a bad feeling in the pit of my stomach. She ran on until she got to her destination. Her grandfather was waiting for her at the entrance.

"We will have to do it after all. But even with all these extra parts, most of them are too infected with disease." He muttered to Charissa. "Bring me my tools from the back. She did what she was told, and they worked for hours until early dawn.

Charissa crept into her bed at around two-in-the-morning and managed to get a few hours of sleep. She soon woke up to the smell of burning bacon. She got out of bed, still vary sleepy and went into the kitchen. She became wide-awake when she saw what was going on. There was Kanichi and Rock, both in freshly washed – now freshly dirtied – aprons, trying to do five things at once. Meanwhile everything they tried to cook was on the verge of becoming burnt to a crisp. Charissa giggled slightly and the noise over the sizzling stopped the boys. They turned around, Kanichi blushing red and Rock was slightly pink on the cheeks.

"W-we were – uh... We were hungry." Kanichi stuttered, going a shade deeper in embarrassment. Charissa sighed, shaking her head as she walked the rest of the way into the kitchen. She put on her mothers' old apron – which she had used for baking when she was a child – and began to clean up.

Once everything was set, the burnt food was thrown in the garbage, and a new set was cooking, Charissa opened up a cupboard that both boys had failed to notice. "All that trouble and you could have just had cereal." She said, shaking the box, the substance inside shaking. Atlas walked into the room, still in his T-shirt and boxers, and half asleep, he sat down in a chair.

"Dish m' up, Chris." He said through a yawn. Charissa put her hands on her hips, a dishtowel in one hand, still wearing the apron. It made her look somewhat of a housewife glaring at her husband.

"Dish yourself up, Atlas. I'm eating and after I'm taking the boys out for the day." She sat down and started to eat her breakfast with them. Then she, Kanichi and Rock went out onto the streets of Metropolis.

Charissa led the boys into a store in the main city's mall and they did a little clothes shopping. Since Duke Red was dead, Rock had no choice but to inherit his fortune. So the two watched a small fashion show as Charissa tried on some new clothes. She even made Kanichi and Rock try on some for gifts for her father and brother. Charissa was actually enjoying herself. She never really had any real friends to hang out with. Or do any simple things like go to the mall, talk or anything friends would do. At least she had good taste in clothes. She preferred jeans, baggy or not, and a T- shirt. After a few hours of clothes shopping, she threw away her old ripped and extremely baggy work clothes – that used to belong to Atlas – and wore a light blue sleeveless top with thin darker stripes and had lace-up at the sides, showing some of her skin, though not a lot. Along with a dark jeans vest and a white cap, putting her hair in a ponytail through the back. Now it was Rock and Kanichi's turn. The only thing they had to wear at the moment was other work clothes that Atlas passed down to Charissa.

"Why not try these on, Kanichi?" Charissa said, handing him a few pairs of clothes. Rock also chose an outfit Charissa had given him. His runners were worn and the shoelaces were a bit big, but the shoes fit more comfortably then his Marduke boots. Plus since they were already worn once, they fit better, and were lighter. They seemed more broken in than newer shoes. His jeans were black and had chains around them. His tank top was a bit big, so it looked baggy and drooped slightly. Charissa traded hats with him, so she could have the hikers' hat while he had hers. And he chose sunglasses to at least make him look more like a Marduke. Charissa chose sunglasses as well. More cheery and not forbidding like his. But Charissa wore hers on her hat, not on her nose like Rock. Kanichi on the other hand kept his old shoes and got plain dark blue jeans to match his gray shirt. ***

Well... I know. I screwed up Mulduck with Marduke, but gimme a break. When I first started the idea out for this fic, it had been a year since I watched Metropolis. So I did a Royal Screw UP! But meh.. I did the best I could in the spell check, so don't send me little flamies because I spelt something wrong. Sorry for not updateing sooner! Ja ne minna!