Disclaimer - I don't own the Ronins, just the new characters and concepts
in the story. If the whole story is one big long paragraph, I apologize, I
don't know how to fix it.
Part I - Book III
The Tower of Despair
Jose Hernandez leaned back in his black leather office chair. He put his feet up on his desk, leaning back to relax. This was yet another slow night at the Crimson Leaf Hotel. He turned to the television monitor half- heartedly. It blinked a few times and switched views, showing the indoor pool and lounge. He wished he could sneak away from his post to take a quiet dip in the crystalline waters, since nothing was happening that night. No guests checked in, and no one had come down to the front desk to check out. No baggage was there to attend to and there wasn't a donut left for him to eat. His partner, Victor Allinger, a fat white police officer, consumed the last one. Jose didn't know why he had let his precious donut go to waste to feed that fat hog. On his blubber alone, Jose knew Victor could survive at least a few weeks.
He hated that pig.
But, his feelings had nothing to do with it. At least his mental ones didn't. He knew he himself was too lazy to get up and walk down the street to buy a new box. Half of it would be wasted anyway; that slob would pounce on him, (how he did that, Jose could never figure out), and would eat half the donuts before Jose could blink. Oh, how he hated that fat son-of-a...
"Excuse me, sir..." a voice said quietly, almost shyly.
Jose's eyes widened as he woke up from his short-lived nap. He twirled around in his chair to face what he thought was a customer checking in. What he ended up seeing was quite different. A tall, very pale blonde young man stood in front of the desk, head tilted and arms crossed, as if he had been waiting there for hours. Had he?
Jose stuttered under the young man's inquisitive gaze. "Uh...yes? How may I...help you?"
The blonde shook his head in amusement, covering his bare chest with his elegant hand. Jose hadn't noticed it before, but all the blonde was wearing was a pair of khaki pants. He didn't want to know why. Jose blinked a bit quizzically.
"What's so funny, Blondie?" he asked in a rough tone.
This time, the blonde laughed. Outright laughed at him. He finished after a short while and leaned close -oh, too close- to him over the desktop. His eyes were red-on-black, and the deepest pitch he had ever seen. The blonde turned his head at Jose, looking around his desk. Jose reached for his pistol strapped to a belt on his waist and wondered why this young man was so strange. And why wasn't Victor here? The pig should've followed this kid. Maybe he escaped from the asylum down the street and decided to come visit a relative or something...
Jose quietly reached for the red button underneath his desk, silently praying this kid had no murderous intentions. He and his wife had just finished a murder-mystery-marathon on T.V. last night. Maybe the other guards could come. Or the F.B.I would be nice.
The blonde was getting too friendly now. He stroked Jose's face with a delicate, featherlike hand before saying,
"Oh Jose, I was wondering...why do you hate Victor so? He tasted so good..." Jose gasped and shoved the business-end of his pistol in the young man's face. He should've backed off, seeing that he could get a few bullets pulsed into his brain if he resisted an officer's order. But the sight of a gun barrel made the boy turn his head yet again to the side, as if he had never seen such a weapon before.
"Jose? What is this? Is this the toy you and your friend keep with you? What is it? Looks fascinating..."
Jose tried to remain calm. Had he really...eaten...Victor as he said he had? He must've escaped from the asylum. No one in his or her right mind would eat someone else. Maybe he was a cannibal or something. Jose sat up in his chair, still pointing the gun at the blonde. He walked around to the front of the desk and picked up his radio to inform the other patrolling officers of a dangerous intruder.
The blonde laughed. "How wonderful! More playmates for me and my friend..."
"Now look here, kid," Jose spoke slowly, "no one's gonna hurt you. We're just gonna take you down the street to the nice place with the padded rooms. You'll be okay. Just don't move and I won't have to hurt you."
"Really?" the blonde asked childishly as he sat down on the floor, looking up at Jose. "What if I refuse? I like it here a little too much to be leaving so soon."
With an unsteady hand, Jose pointed the barrel of the gun right at the blonde's forehead. Sweat dripped down his brow like rivers, but he tried his best to remain calm. He finger steadied on the trigger.
"Nice...what do you think will happen...?"
Jose raised a shaky eyebrow. "What will happen when?"
The blonde shook his head and smiled. "Nevermind. My friend wants to play with you."
"What friend...?"
Part I - Book III
The Tower of Despair
Jose Hernandez leaned back in his black leather office chair. He put his feet up on his desk, leaning back to relax. This was yet another slow night at the Crimson Leaf Hotel. He turned to the television monitor half- heartedly. It blinked a few times and switched views, showing the indoor pool and lounge. He wished he could sneak away from his post to take a quiet dip in the crystalline waters, since nothing was happening that night. No guests checked in, and no one had come down to the front desk to check out. No baggage was there to attend to and there wasn't a donut left for him to eat. His partner, Victor Allinger, a fat white police officer, consumed the last one. Jose didn't know why he had let his precious donut go to waste to feed that fat hog. On his blubber alone, Jose knew Victor could survive at least a few weeks.
He hated that pig.
But, his feelings had nothing to do with it. At least his mental ones didn't. He knew he himself was too lazy to get up and walk down the street to buy a new box. Half of it would be wasted anyway; that slob would pounce on him, (how he did that, Jose could never figure out), and would eat half the donuts before Jose could blink. Oh, how he hated that fat son-of-a...
"Excuse me, sir..." a voice said quietly, almost shyly.
Jose's eyes widened as he woke up from his short-lived nap. He twirled around in his chair to face what he thought was a customer checking in. What he ended up seeing was quite different. A tall, very pale blonde young man stood in front of the desk, head tilted and arms crossed, as if he had been waiting there for hours. Had he?
Jose stuttered under the young man's inquisitive gaze. "Uh...yes? How may I...help you?"
The blonde shook his head in amusement, covering his bare chest with his elegant hand. Jose hadn't noticed it before, but all the blonde was wearing was a pair of khaki pants. He didn't want to know why. Jose blinked a bit quizzically.
"What's so funny, Blondie?" he asked in a rough tone.
This time, the blonde laughed. Outright laughed at him. He finished after a short while and leaned close -oh, too close- to him over the desktop. His eyes were red-on-black, and the deepest pitch he had ever seen. The blonde turned his head at Jose, looking around his desk. Jose reached for his pistol strapped to a belt on his waist and wondered why this young man was so strange. And why wasn't Victor here? The pig should've followed this kid. Maybe he escaped from the asylum down the street and decided to come visit a relative or something...
Jose quietly reached for the red button underneath his desk, silently praying this kid had no murderous intentions. He and his wife had just finished a murder-mystery-marathon on T.V. last night. Maybe the other guards could come. Or the F.B.I would be nice.
The blonde was getting too friendly now. He stroked Jose's face with a delicate, featherlike hand before saying,
"Oh Jose, I was wondering...why do you hate Victor so? He tasted so good..." Jose gasped and shoved the business-end of his pistol in the young man's face. He should've backed off, seeing that he could get a few bullets pulsed into his brain if he resisted an officer's order. But the sight of a gun barrel made the boy turn his head yet again to the side, as if he had never seen such a weapon before.
"Jose? What is this? Is this the toy you and your friend keep with you? What is it? Looks fascinating..."
Jose tried to remain calm. Had he really...eaten...Victor as he said he had? He must've escaped from the asylum. No one in his or her right mind would eat someone else. Maybe he was a cannibal or something. Jose sat up in his chair, still pointing the gun at the blonde. He walked around to the front of the desk and picked up his radio to inform the other patrolling officers of a dangerous intruder.
The blonde laughed. "How wonderful! More playmates for me and my friend..."
"Now look here, kid," Jose spoke slowly, "no one's gonna hurt you. We're just gonna take you down the street to the nice place with the padded rooms. You'll be okay. Just don't move and I won't have to hurt you."
"Really?" the blonde asked childishly as he sat down on the floor, looking up at Jose. "What if I refuse? I like it here a little too much to be leaving so soon."
With an unsteady hand, Jose pointed the barrel of the gun right at the blonde's forehead. Sweat dripped down his brow like rivers, but he tried his best to remain calm. He finger steadied on the trigger.
"Nice...what do you think will happen...?"
Jose raised a shaky eyebrow. "What will happen when?"
The blonde shook his head and smiled. "Nevermind. My friend wants to play with you."
"What friend...?"