A series of chapters related to everyone's favorite goofballs. Going to mix the manga and anime canons a lot in these chapters. If you don't think of the Benny Hill theme when it comes to the three stooges then you are wrong.
It was a rainy night in Paradigm, it was absolutely downpouring, and one could barely see in front of their face from the curtain of rain. Yet the unmistakable footsteps of an iron giant could be heard over the drumming of the rainfall on the pavement and stones of Rikers Island prison.
"Geez, couldn't they have done this with a little more style?" A young man only a few years younger than Roger at most complained. He had golden blonde hair with a swirl on his forehead, his beard was the same color, but looked a bit unkempt, the prison pinstripe outfit perfectly suited the man's criminal past. Jason Beck, the so called criminal mastermind and leader of an unruly outfit of misfit thieves, laid out on a crappy prison mattress, waiting for his underlings to break him free. It didn't take much longer.
"Ah, that one's the boss's cell!" T-Bone shouted with excitement, "Let's get that wall down, Dove!"
"You got it." Dove maneuvered the mech's arms and knocked the wall down, and held out its hand to let the boss board.
"No way, it can't be!" One guard shouted in fear.
"It's not possible." Said a second.
"It's… The black Megadeus!" A third yelled as he dodged debris from the falling wall.
"Ahaha! So long suckers!" Beck yelled and waved from the black hand holding him. He sneered at the prison guards below and said, "No one's ever going to trust the black Megadeus or crowboy when I'm done!"
The day was trying. First Roger had become upset with Dorothy for giving him sugar and milk in his coffee (he knew only black coffee was bad for him, not like he cared for his own health), had further been enraged by Dorothy cleaning his hourglass collection (it needed dusting), and then yelled at her for telling the truth on the phone.
"Roger, there's a Mister Wise on the phone for you." Dorothy stated after answering his telephone.
"Tell them I'm not here?" He waved dismissively while doing paperwork.
"He says he's not here. Please call back later." Dorothy hung up the receiver.
"R DOROTHY WAYNERIGHT! WHAT IS WRONG WITH YOU?" Roger shouted. Dorothy couldn't understand why Roger was angry.
"What do you mean? I simply did as instructed?" Dorothy turned towards him.
"You weren't supposed to tell them I said that!" Roger shouted, he had taken it down a notch.
"You didn't tell me not to, and I am incapable of lying Roger Smith." She took a bit of a sassy tone.
"That isn't all you've done today! You put sugar in my coffee again!" He pointed a finger into her jabot.
"You need sugars, only black coffee isn't good for you." Dorothy took a step back, she didn't like being poked like that.
"And you touched my hourglasses."
"They needed cleaning."
Roger sighed. "Sorry Dorothy, I know you can't help it, but I do wish you would try and act a little more human at times. Maybe be kinder to others and try to understand how others feel." Dorothy could only give Roger a sharp glare before she left to do the shopping.
Dorothy was walking home after going out shopping, it was a calm and sunny day, which was a complete difference from the morning. Ray had been sulking since Pero's demise and crying a lot. Dorothy couldn't understand it, but Ray explained she mourned in her own way and it was fine. Even with Robin around, not everything had been put back to the way it was before. And Roger was more testy than ever.
She was lost in thought when she ran into a young man; he was lying on the sidewalk, stomach growling and roaring and trying to sell his art. He looked sickly pale, wearing a black beret, black long coat, black boots and slacks. He would have fit in well at the mansion, following Rogers clothing rules to a T. He had long blonde hair that was straight, but a little grungy from lack of cleaning and potential homelessness, not that Dorothy had ever seen a homeless person dressed in such a manner.
"Ugh." He moaned. There was a lot of art on the sidewalk, but none of it was selling. The man did have flair, but lacked some talent. For some reason Dorothy felt sorry for the young man, and offered him a baguette from her shopping basket.
"Would you like some bread?" Dorothy held out a baguette to the man. From the man's perspective, the young woman offering him food appeared as an angel.
"Huh? Oh food! Thank you!" He snatched the bread from her hands and munched at it greedily, he even took the second baguette when done with the first.
"That's all I have," Seeing him start to choke, Dorothy offered him the smallest bottle of wine she had been sent to purchase, which he eagerly gulped down. After having only bread and wine, the man was a tad bit drunk.
"Ah! Food and wine, it's been so long." The young man smiled, cheeks bright red, "You're so kind, you have no idea who I am but still… You wonderful girl you! Say why don't you sit with me awhile?"
Dorothy sat with him and listened to the man go on about his artworks. She didn't really understand it, but the young man was happy to have someone to talk to, and he had a much more pleasant attitude than the home atmosphere. Dorothy's internal clock told her she needed to leave, and she got up to go.
"Oh, are you leaving? Well stop by here again sometime! I sell my art most days on this corner." He had sobered up a bit by then, the red cheeks from alcohol now pink and lively.
When Dorothy got home, she gave the grocery basket to Norman, who noticed the bread and wine missing. "Dorothy, where are the bread and wine?"
"I gave them to a destitute artist in dire need of a meal." She stated calmly.
"You gave all our bread and wine to a destitute young artist?"
"Yes."
"Hm, I see. While charity is commendable, please make sure to replace what you give away, as those were intended to be part of the meal tonight." That was the end of Norman's lecture as he had to return to cooking.
"It's rare for Norman to lecture you." Ray prodded as Dorothy left the kitchen and Robin threaded himself through her legs.
"You needn't comment on it." Dorothy seemed in a bad mood, so Ray backed off.
"Geez, having a bad day?"
"Yes."
"Oh. Anything I can do to make it better?" Ray was a little shocked at Dorothy's blatant honesty, as usually she chose to avoid speaking to Ray.
"No." Dorothy picked up a purring Robin and held him close. The rest of the day wasn't so bad, but she still wanted to be left alone for the most part. Dorothy ran into the young man again a few days later, again in dire need of a meal. He really did seem to frequent the sidewalk of the neighborhood Dorothy had walked through that day to avoid going home early.
"Oh, it's you again!" The young artist waved at Dorothy as she walked by. "My name's Allen, thanks for feeding me the other day."
"I'm Dorothy Wayneright."
"Hey want to chat a bit?" The man wasn't bent over hungry today despite his gaunt appearance, and seemed a tad bit more lively and less drunk, but it was obvious he hadn't eaten much since their last encounter. Dorothy let him talk a while, excited about his art as he was. After chatting a bit he invited her to his studio where he painted most of his work.
The studio was in a rather more than typical rundown section of town. Most of the apartment buildings close by had been abandoned after the event, or left to rot because they weren't worth the repair costs. Most had sold or Do Not Enter signs on them. The young man's apartment was the only one not entirely run down. Works of art lined the walls, or sat in stacks against the walls and up the stairs, but the back wall was empty.
"This is my studio, it might be run down and dingy, but since all the other tenants moved out I have the whole building to myself, which is ideal. And my rent is almost nothing." Allen waved his arms with a flourish to show all the paintings had religious or angelic figures on them. "These are all my works, fabulous aren't they? Sadly I haven't sold any."
"That is irrelevant, you should do as you want." Dorothy was rather more deadpan than normal, but it was unusual for someone to be so passionate in a non-violent way, at least in her experience.
"That's my belief as well." He smiled then. He was an unusual human to say the least.
"Why isn't anything on the back wall?" Dorothy was curious, the young man had painted every corner of the building but this one.
"Oh! That's where I plan to paint my masterpiece." He gestured towards it with over dramatic flare. "And you, Dorothy, would you please play the role of my muse? Huh?"
Dorothy's neck servos whirred as she looked up at Allen.
"Oh, you're not human? Well of course not, that's what makes you so amazing." Dorothy couldn't recall someone calling her amazing for being an android and not getting kidnapped after, but Allen held no malice, likely he didn't even know how to be. Dorothy was confused by the man's question, but felt no reason to refuse. After that day Dorothy met him at the apartment building, helping the young man with his swansong. Roger eventually took interest in what Dorothy was doing out all day.
"Oh, so that's where you've been, I was curious what kept you out so much." It was evening at the time, so Roger was in a robe and having some tea for a change. He didn't mind Dorothy having a friend or a hobby outside the house, but she hadn't told him much since their fight a week ago. He also hoped having a friend other than Ray would somehow bring out some of Dorothy's humanity.
"Well, so long as he treats you kindly I have no objections." Norman thought perhaps Dorothy's new artistic friend was more of a romantic interest, of course that wasn't true either.
"Wait, you can make friends?" Ray's sarcasm had to ruin it.
As Dorothy was dealing with her charismatic and unruly artistic friend, Dastun paid a visit to Roger to give him a warning.
"What are you doing here this late Dastun, it can't be for reminiscing could it?" Roger walked into his office. He had been about to retire for the night when Norman told him Dastun had come by.
"Sadly not this time. I thought you should know that Beck broke out of prison." Dastun was looking through the wine in the cabinet, seeing if he could find something he wanted to drink.
"Beck? Who is that again?" Roger really couldn't remember who Dastun was talking about for the life of him.
"The man whose henchman killed Dr Wayneright." Dastun stood up and adjusted his cap.
"Oh. Oh right that low life!" The memories of the blonde crook came back like a fast wave of nightmares to Roger. It could be said it was entirely Beck's fault that Dorothy lived with him now as a ward, and not with her father. "How'd he manage to escape? Rikers Island isn't exactly easy to get to or from."
"That's the thing. The black Megadeus broke him out." Dastun leaned against the desk and started rubbing the lattice work of scars on his head.
"It what?" Was Roger hearing that right? Big O had broken a criminal out of jail? No that wasn't possible. It would make noise leaving the house and Norman would have informed him, so then… "Are you sure it was the black Megadeus Dastun?"
"No mistaking it I fear. One of the guardsmen got this in the photo." Dastun handed him a black and white photo clearly showing what looked like the Big O holding Beck in his hand. But Roger knew better. "Seeing as he has a history with you and Ms Wayneright, I thought it best to warn you."
"They think that's Big O? It barely even resembles him." Then again, Roger knew the Big O, he was his partner in battle after all. But Dastun wouldn't be able to tell the difference.
"I see. Thanks for telling me, anything else I can do for you?" Roger would need to come up with a plan of action later, but for now there wasn't much he could do.
"Yeah, you still have that wine I wanted to try last time but didn't have time."
"Oh, that got finished off with a friend last week." Roger had actually completely forgotten to save some for Dastun to try. 'Oops, well I can offer him something else rare I'm sure.'
"What? Fine, well I still need a drink, what else you got?" He was going to need that stiff drink.
From then the next week or so had gone by without too many issues, the house was calm, Dorothy and Ray had found some compromise without much fighting, and life was good. Well, Dorothy wasn't around much to pick a fight with Ray, and Ray was enjoying the peace this allowed her. Not that it was going to stay that way much longer.
"No way, it can't be, can it?" Major Dan Dastun couldn't believe his eyes.
"Sir, there's no mistaking it!" The scared lieutenant said while watching an utterly unpredictable scene playing out in front of dozens of similarly disbelieving citizens, cops and city workers.
"Is the black Megadeus… Is he really robbing that bank?" Dastun couldn't take his eyes off what was, until that moment, the city's usual protector. He got back to his senses and started shouting orders, "Take him out! A criminal is a criminal, no matter who they are. Make it pay and get those printing plates back!"
Though his men did their best, it wasn't enough and the black Megadeus got away. The next day the black Megadeus was seen making even more of a ruckus and destroying properties outside the dome that were known to be held by the head office. Popping its face into a theater full of terrified paterons, stealing from banks, even just stamping on cars.
"My word, the newspapers seem to think the Big O is rampaging around town." Norman was bringing Roger his afternoon coffee in his office. Dorothy was cleaning the shelves in the office, and Roger had brought Ray in to discuss a new contract that would include better pay and more detailed living expenses for when she had to file taxes.
"Well, it's not like Big O is actually doing any of those things." Roger took a sip before Dorothy could add sugar.
"Roger, why won't you do something about it?" Dorothy asked.
"Well I don't have a client asking me to do anything about the fake." Roger was making notes on the new contract.
"Can you not take cases for yourself as an interested party?" Ray was also making notes on the contract.
"Sadly it doesn't work that way." Roger took another sip while jotting some math down. "It really isn't cheap having two teenagers under your roof."
Two days later the fake Big O struck again, destroying a cruise ship ment for the obscenely wealthy to travel south of Paradigm for a year, and the day after that it was back to robbing banks, but this time it had demands as it ran from the bank that it had ransacked.
"Bring the black clad negotiator next time! Refuse and it will end badly for you!" A cackling voice called out from a speaker hidden somewhere on the robot. The pilots inside lost it to their own little schemes.
"Ain't no way he'll be there if he's really the dominus of the black Megadeus!" Beck cackled in his command chair, T-bone and Dove laughed too.
"We got 'im for sure boss." T-bone said in his rough voice.
"No one will trust the Megadeus or the negotiator again, it's brilliant!" Dove rang in.
"Oh course it is! I came up with it!" Beck sounded so proud of himself.
They got back to their hideout, where Yume was waiting, and counting out the money as Beck had asked her.
"Hey there toots, what's hanging?" Beck sounded happy and excited to see his little lady. And why not, she had an impressive figure no matter what she wore, unlike a certain other blonde clad in pink.
"Your back Mista B! So what are we doing tonight?" Yume tried to sound coy, but it was obvious what she really wanted. He and Yume decided to be as decadent as they felt like being that night. Beck took her out on the town to a lavish dinner, shopping and even had a bath together when they got back. Of course, it was spoiled by said other pink clad lady.
"Aha! Life is great, ain't it!" Yume shouted while giving her man a scrub down, but also trying to block his view of the bitch that broke in. This was her time with Mista B, and this bitch had the gall to interrupt them. So while Yume tried to act friendly, she was anything but.
"Well you two can keep having a ball if you want. I only wanted to make sure Beck kept up his end of the bargain." Angel looked like she was enjoying the show, but had no desire to be a part of it.
"So you really are a woman?" Beck was scanning the woman head to toe, nothing would escape his gaze, and not just for illicit material. He could tell, this was no ordinary woman, and she had a past.
"I am indeed. Now then, I'm sure you're aware this isn't a social visit."
"We can make it one."
"I'd rather not." Angel feigned politeness, really she was turned off by Becks creepiness.
"Well, no matter. I just wanted to know why you'd bother to help break someone like me out of the slammer in the first place." Beck grinned menacingly.
"Oh, my benefactors thought someone with your particular talents would be quite useful in procuring what we want is all." Angel seemed to have a bit of a wistful air about her then.
"You got nothing to worry there Angel. I'll get those memories hidden in banks and vaults for you, and you keep getting me info on those I can rip off and strong arm. Though I have to wonder which benefactor of yours wants them." He took a sip of the expensive champagne he had bought for Yume and his little personal time earlier and he did the evil little giggle. His wet hair covered half his face, but one eye got a good look at Angels goods, in the pink leather she did cut an impressive figure, and he did love messing with bad girls once in a while. "You sure you don't wanna join us? There's enough room in here for one more."
Yume was clearly jealous and clung to Beck tighter and Angel got the hint, she wasn't about to pick a cat fight with Yume anyways. Angel turned around and waved at the two before departing, "Sorry, I'll have to pass, I've got appearances and appointments to keep after all."
Angel hopped on her souped up cycle she had been working on since the museum disaster, and shredded rubber to get to her next appointment. This was one she should not miss, as her contacts from the homeland would be at a fancy upper class restaurant meeting with him after all. And as his secretary, and a double agent, she had to be there no matter what.
The last few days had been a whirlwind of annoyances for Roger. Something that looked like Big O had been causing trouble in Paradigm: robbing banks, terrorizing citizens, destroying cruise ships along with Paradigm Corp owned properties. Today would be the final straw.
"Norman, I'm going to need a little help today." Roger was of course irate. Whoever created and was piloting that fake Big O had specifically requested his presence. Time to bring them down with some tricks and traps of his own.
"Of course, Master Roger. What can I do to be of service?" Norman appeared in his office with afternoon coffee.
The two ladies of the house had more or less been excluded from the meeting, but neither really minded all that much: to them, Robin was more entertaining and a much needed cute distraction from the day. Ray was using a feather on a sting to play with Robin, while Dorothy practiced a new song on the piano.
"You think Roger will finally catch whatever is impersonating Big O?" Ray asked absent mindedly while twitching the string for Robin to pounce on.
"I hope so, he's been rather… What's the word you would use? Pissy? These last few days." Ray laughed at Dorothy's attempt to use more crude language.
"Well look at you, actually using foul language correctly. Didn't think I'd see that." Rays laughter jerked the feather around and annoyed little Robin.
"You are a bad influence." Dorothy did not bother to even look away from the keys she was tapping away on, "And even though you have promised Norman not to teach me anything new on the subject of unladylike behaviors, I seem to find my vocabulary expanding on the topics of foul verbiage usage and insults."
"No arguing that." Ray laughed again, and Robin pounced on her. "Ouch, Robin! No claws."
"That's my cat." Dorothy couldn't say it openly, but she rather liked when Robin took out whatever annoyed him on Ray.
In the amusement park dome, a large black lumbering giant resembling a certain Megadeus had appeared, and started making demands.
"Get that black clad negotiator over here or I destroy the dome!" The pilot shouted over the robot's intercom. To show he meant business, the robot fired its laser beam eyes and destroyed an exit people were rushing towards to get away. The explosion was met with screechs, and some minor injuries, but no one was seriously hurt. For now, at least.
"What the hell do I do..? Fine, you! Get Roger Smith down here." Dastun yelled at a grunt running by him, who hurried off to make the call. The police had to stay outside the dome as per the orders of the black Megadeus standing by inside issuing its demands.
Soon the real Megadeus showed up, and the pilot Beck, felt glee. "Now I can destroy him! He can't be in two places at once. I'm exposing you for the fake you are, crowboy!"
The two black giants were similar, but there were some unique differences. For one, and the most obvious, one had a longer neck. Not by much, but enough to be easily noticeable. Additionally, the fake had a speaker system, three people piloting it (not that one could see that from outside), and had a movable mouth. But it's not as if those who weren't familiar with the Megadeus would know better. Certainly, it was obvious to those who knew The Big O, but to the average cop or citizen, no way they would pick up on it.
"Well, how long will you keep me waiting?" Beck yelled out. He knew Roger Smith was inside the black Megadeus, he has known since Roger had used the Big to send him to jail the first time. He wasn't sure whose memories told him that, but he also wanted to confirm it with his own eyes. Beck may have been a criminal, but he was also a bit of a scientist. He figured he could throw Roger Smith under the bus if this plan worked out, and if that failed he had another plan up his sleeve. So he would just wait it out and expose that crowboy one way or another.
"Well, you called for me?" Roger answered.
"What? It's not possible!" Beck yelled into the cockpit, but not the speaker system.
"But boss, he's right there?" T-bone stammered.
"He doesn't have some handsome twin does he?" Dove asked.
"Dove, not now!" Beck yelled at him.
"It really does look like 'im though." Yume had come along for the ride and was standing behind Beck pilot chair.
But it was true, down on the ground below was Roger Smith, his traditional black suit with a black tie bisected by a gray line, black briefcase and sunglasses he used for business. He was tapping his foot impatiently.
"Well, you're the one that called for me? Do you have some demands that need to be met so these innocent bystanders can go, or are you just wasting my time?" Roger yelled at the two giants in front of him.
"Grr. Fine, let's take out the black Megadeus in front of us!" Beck was mad. That bastard crowboy had found a way to foil his perfect plan! But he wasn't getting away scot free if Beck could help it. The fake threw a punch at the real deal, and was met with a broken hand and arm unit for the effort.
"What?" Beck looked confused.
"No way!" T-bone couldn't believe it, they had used the best parts they could get.
"Boss, we need to get outta here!" Dove squealed.
"Not yet we don't. Fire the lasers and missiles!" The three used the necessary controls to do just that, much to the terror of the citizens being held hostage below. The Big O put up its arms to shield the cockpit and neck, then pile drived the center of the mech, forcing the fake black armor to fall off, and reveal an over the top flamboyant golden body underneath. As more of the fake black covering was ripped and shredded in the tussle, more of the ludicrously bright and shiny bot beneath was revealed to those standing watch. It was as if watching a person do costume changes in the midst of conflict.
"Gulp. Ok, now we run." Beck said as he maneuvered to get away, but Big O was faster and delivered a second pile driver to the body and the mechs head fell off. Not that that would stop the genius that was Beck. The head was an escape pod with wheels that rolled away through the hole he had made earlier, and off they went. Sadly even the police couldn't keep up and the escape pod head, and the criminals inside, got away for the time being. But that was enough for Roger.
"Phew, glad that's over." 'Roger' in the cockpit of Big O, looked down at the ground where the other 'Roger' was talking with the military police. "Now no one should be any wiser."
"Well then, I'm heading home, looks like I wasn't even needed here in the first place." 'Roger' put his briefcase in the sidecar of a motorcycle with the license plate that read M*SH, and rode home at a rather fast pace.
Back at home some time later, two Rogers stood in the hallway, and two very confused young women looked at the comical scene with nary a hint of a smile on their faces.
"There's two of them?" Ray glanced between the two visibly confused.
"There's two of them." Dorothy deadpanned while petting a rather gruntled Robin.
"Thanks Norman, it went off without a hitch because of that disguise you wore."
"Think nothing of it Master Roger. It was actually rather fun." One was slightly taller and broader in the shoulders than the other. And that one took off the mask covering his own identity. Underneath was indeed the household manservant, though he seemed a little tired.
"So… you two can just disguise yourself as each other? Why?" Ray looked perplexed at what was occuring in front of her.
"It helps to pull off little stunts like we did earlier at the amusement park dome." Rogers' smug face was a bit more than Ray could handle in her current mental state of constant confusion.
"Moreover, it can be used to create alibis." Norman had started to change coats back into his typical waistcoat and white vest combo.
In his hideout in a warehouse in a particularly rundown and abandoned part of town, the three stooges had their wounds attended to by a young blonde lady in a pink nurses uniform.
"Where the heck did you even get that Yume?" Beck asked as he continued to give a leechours stare towards the young woman who held his fancy.
"Wouldn't you like to know." She finished tending to the young mens wounds and set about cleaning up and bringing them food. "Honestly, what would ya boys do without me?" She pouted at the sorry state the three men had found themselves in after their latest encounter.
"Well, I'll get that out of you tonight." Beck started grinning maliciously, "But for now, it's time to put our other plan into action."
"How're we going to do that boss?" T-Bone asked while holding an ice pack to his face. Some debris had hit him earlier.
"Oh you just leave the planning to me," Beck pulled a revolver out of his jacket, "I got a plan to make sure no one will ever trust ol' crow boy again, and it's going to be a blast." Beck began cackling like a lunatic.
It was a new day, and another day for the young man to draw and plan out his masterpiece on the wall. Dorothy was helping him as she was wont to do, when three unusual business people interrupted the two.
"Awesome!" Allen exclaimed while holding multiple paintbrushes in his hands, "I have never felt this inspired before. It's all thanks to you Dorothy! When art collectors see this they will have to acknowledge my genius."
"Hello, is Allen the artist present?" A stout and portly man of dark mediterranean skin tone with a small goatee and a black beret on his head asked. His clothing did not match his attitude one bit. The suit he wore was cream colored, with brown loafers, and a large cream colored black fur lined coat, gold chain around his neck and a gold pocket watch partly visible. The two with him didn't really match either. A tall lanky man to his left wore a greenish black beret to match his greenish black hair, but it didn't fit the brown tweed striped suit he wore. The woman with them, on the men's right, was the only one sharply dressed. In a pale pink business suit, tan leggings and pink low heels to match the light pink lipstick and eyeshadow she had on, and a small pink cap to finish the ensemble. Her blonde hair was swirled loosely in the front, with part of it tucked under her cap. Had Dorothy not known better she would have thought the girl was a younger Angel, but despite the fact that her love of pink was evident, it also was not as gaudy or revealing and was much more tasteful.
"Hm, yeah can I help you?" Allen was on top of a ladder and had some paint on his clothing, but he didn't look so out of place for it.
"Yes, we represent the real estate company Beckles and Associates, and were wondering about this building here."
"Oh you guys bought up all the other buildings in the neighbourhood right. Look I'm not interested in moving out, I already told the landlord that."
"Perhaps so, but this building is not likely to stand stable much longer." Somehow the three had changed in almost the blink of an eye, like they had construction gear under those luxurious outfits and were wearing hardhats with lamps fixed in the front center. "Really, it isn't safe. The pillars are cracked, the foundation isn't so good, and the walls are crumbling. This will fall on it's own soon enough."
"Still, I plan to stay here as long as I can." Allen was getting cross.
"You may not be willing to go, but the property's owner is selling, and we are here to inform you that you have a week to move out. Don't take it personally now, it's just business. We'd be willing to help you relocate to a nicer neighborhood if-." Allen cut him off.
"I'm not going anywhere! I plan on completing my masterpiece on that wall!" He gestured enthusiastically with one paintbrush at the wall, "And you goons won't scare me off like you did the rest of the neighborhood. Now get out! Get out! Get out! Get out!"
"Suit yourself, but come next week the walls are coming down, whether or not you're in here. This is your eviction notice!" The portly man spoke with annoyance before leaving and slamming the door behind him.
"Why did you not take the offer? Is it a good idea to be here when the building collapses?" Dorothy was confused by Allen, surely he could paint elsewhere right?
"No way. I'm not leaving! Besides they can't crash a building down on someone, no one would want to pay the wrongful death lawsuit fines for that."
Dorothy conceded that Allen had a point, but didn't think those three were in an honest business either. Something about the three made her mind race. That night she asked Roger about some negotiation tactics for dealing with an unruly client.
"Hm? Do you have a client?" Roger seemed surprised by Dorothy's question.
"Not really, but I am dealing with someone who has difficulty seeing reason." Dorothy didn't really know how to describe this young man's behavior in any other way. Dorothy had tried to help him see reason, but he had just brushed her off. Another apartment? Out of the question, this is where he got his best artistic visions. Take the money and build my own place? They wouldn't give him that much, which Dorothy knew to be true, but she still didn't want him to get hurt.
"Knock him out and drag him outside?" Ray suggested from the couch where she was reading.
"How is that a negotiation tactic?" Roger just shook his head in disbelief at what Ray had said.
"I don't know, but you seem to use Big O for that one quite often." Ray shrugged.
"Now listen here you!"
And another fight started between the two. Dorothy knew she wasn't getting anything else out of them, so she went to ask Norman for advice.
"Norman, how does one deal with an unruly person?"
"Are we talking about Ray, or your young starving artist friend, because those are very different answers." Norman was busy making dinner that night.
"The artist. I've given up on dealing with Ray."
"A shame, that, you two are finally getting along." Norman added the ingredients to his giant soup pot and continued, "Well, that depends on how unreasonable he is being to begin with."
"His apartment building is going to be torn down, and he refuses to leave it, claiming he can only make art there." Dorothy started helping Norman with the cooking.
"Ah I see. Well, there isn't much you can do in that case. No one can be sure how an artist's mind works, but they all have one thing in common if my memory serves: They require their own space to squirrel away, and when they have it they won't leave easily."
"So I cannot make him see reason then?" Dorothy turned her head to look up at Norman.
"You would have an easier time getting Ms Ray to dress up in a pink bunny outfit I'm afraid." Dorothy tried to use her limited imagination to picture what Norman had said, but truly she could not comprehend such an outlandish statement.
Ray decided it was time to ask Norman for more advanced training. She was already able to catch Dorothy in tag two out of three attempts, and that girl could run. Well, maybe Dorothy was holding back, but somehow Ray got the feeling that wasn't the case. She loved making Ray feel inferior, and wouldn't let her win if at all possible. It wasn't as if Ray was keeping pace with her, so much as outsmarting her and tricking Dorothy into running into Ray. But it had finally worked out in her favor for the most part.
"So Norman, what's next now that I seem to be faster and stronger? Do I finally get to use a gun?" Ray was helping Norman clean up the dining room after dinner.
"You mean like the one you took without asking and keep in your waistband?" Ray couldn't help but feel a tad bit guilty, and terrified that Norman called her out in such a way. "Did you assume I didn't know?"
"No. I just thought you would be more upset when you found out." Ray wasn't sure how long he knew, but it must have been a few weeks right?
"I would be, if you hadn't proved yourself already capable of using it properly." He put the dishes in the sink and the two began scrubbing away. "Yes I think more advanced marksman training is needed for you, but not with that gun."
"Wait, so what am I supposed to use then?"
"You'll find out tomorrow morning."
"Oh no!" Ray couldn't help but moan. Those words had never ended well for her, and it wasn't going to this time either. The next morning Norman woke her up bright and early, dragged her down to the underground tunnels and handed her…
"A paintball gun?" Ray looked at the rifle-like paintball gun Norman had given her. It was about two feet long from stock to barrel tip, the magazine was on top of the gun, towards the front of the stock, and a compressed air tank at the bottom made part of the handle. She wasn't unfamiliar with them, having used them a few times as a teenager at the paintball arenas not far from her home. But for Norman to give her one was not something Ray expected, as was the next bit.
"Well, didn't think Norman would ask me to ever help with this." Roger stepped out from the gloom of the underground. He was dressed in what could be described as paintball armor. Clear glasses, some kind of thick vest that wasn't the kevlar bullet proof variety, and a helmet. Additionally he seemed to be wearing some kind of thick leggings and boots.
"Uh…. Um… Nope!" Ray turned around and started to leave.
"And where do you think you're going?" Norman piped up.
"Just because you can get away with shooting your employer doesn't mean I can." Ray yelled out over her shoulder as she tried to get away.
"You mean you'd actually pass up a chance to shoot me?" Roger laughed, not sure how to take Ray's attempt at running away.
"You mean you'd actually let me shoot at you?" She couldn't help being sarcastic. Was he really ok with this?
"Why not? Both of us could probably use the stress relief." Ray could only look at Roger like he was talking in tongues.
After taking the time to process that Ray responded, "Fine, let's get this over with then shall we. What are the rules for this little fight Norman?"
"Simple. Go put on your protective outfit, and we will begin live target practice."
Ray could only have a stupified and annoyed expression as she did as instructed. The goal was simple: hit Roger three times before he hit her three times. Ok fine, seemed simple enough to Ray, except Roger had experience avoiding bullets from his military police background and Ray had zero to none outside of laser tag and paintball. The insanity that followed in the little underground arena was like no other paintball match Ray had played.
Roger was far more adept at ducking than Ray had anticipated, and used the terrain and cover to his full advantage. But since Ray was smaller, she could use more terrain objects for cover than Roger could.
'I'm going to have to close this gap and shoot them.' Both combatants couldn't help but have this singular thought as they escaped the others' onslaught. Ray worked on closing the distance first, by sneaking up to each obstacle in her path. She ran the risk of being hit, but it was the only way in her mind.
'Almost there. Wait why isn't he…?' Ray's question was answered by a hail of paintballs, he had somehow gotten behind her and in three quick shots Ray was down and out, without even landing a single shot on Roger.
"Too bad, Ray. That might have worked if you had someone with you, but alone it's rather difficult to sneak up on someone and keep them pinned down." Roger took his helmet off and started getting the other armor off as well. "Let's get something to eat, I have a case later today to take care of."
"Yeah yeah, point made." Ray got out of her helmet and armor too, and they made their way up.
"Well now Ms Ray, you seem less worse for wear than I feared." Norman sounded quite jovial as the two stepped out of the elevator, and for this early in the morning no less. It still wasn't even 9'o'clock yet, and he usually let Ray sleep in until ten in the morning, provided she had done all her chores the previous day. She would stay up later than him and do chores after dinner to allow for this discrepancy in work times. But early morning hours meant less sleep and a not so happy Ray. She had been forced up at seven for the exercises and was now grumpy from losing.
"Gee thanks. Is breakfast ready? All that work made me hungry." Ray's stomach grumbled in protest at being empty.
"It will be soon, get cleaned up and come to the dining room when you are finished." Norman stepped aside as Ray headed down the hall towards her room.
"Yeah, ok." Ray stumbled off seemingly half hearted and exhausted from even the effort of walking.
"Oh dear. Was it entirely necessary to crush her spirits so Master Roger?"
"If it will keep her from doing something stupid, then yes. What she did when Dorothy and Pero were being kidnapped was reckless. Not entirely crazy or without merit, but reckless all the same. I already have one constant headache from all the insane stunts Dorothy attempts to pull, I don't need them from Ray as well." Roger heaved a weary sigh, "Well, if only one of them was acting out at once I could handle it."
Breakfast went by as any other day, Dorothy mad at Roger for being rude, them cat fighting, Ray thinking it was too early for any of it so she just sat there and ate.
But beneath the surface, Ray's mind was bubbling with thoughts and anxieties. "How? How could he have moved so silently, given his gear and setup, and his build, he should have made some noise. And even then, why didn't I notice when he stopped shooting at me? I have a long way to go before I can better defend myself."
Dorothy noticed Ray's unease and gave a slight frown. Not that Ray noticed or cared. She was too deep in thought. Then Ray's head snapped up and looked at Roger.
"You used your grappling hook didn't you? That's how you got behind me without making any noise."
"Oh, so you did figure it out, color me impressed." Roger kept on reading his morning paper and eating his eggs.
"Cheater." Ray finished her meal quickly and got to work. She intended to be in bed early tonight to make up for lack of sleep that morning.
Later that day Dorothy went to see her artistic friend, whose masterpiece was almost complete. On the wall was a facsimile of Dorothy, with what looked like wings and soft white cloth covering her figure. The painting had one characteristic Dorothy almost never had on her features, a graceful and gentle smile. She really wasn't sure what to think of it.
"It's almost complete now. With this, no one will be able to deny my genius!" He hugged Dorothy close, which she wasn't all that fond of, as he was covered in grime and paint and probably lack of sleep made him even grungier.
"Now that it is nearly done, will you leave to somewhere safe?"
"What?! Of course I can't leave, my masterpiece and the part of my souls I poured into it, must never be destroyed. I'll do whatever I can to protect it."
Outside, all the other buildings in the area had been knocked down to make way for a new agriculture dome, save for one building. Onto the rubble filled landscape walks a construction robot, colored yellow and black, one arm is a drill, the other looks like a wrecking ball glued to the wrist, and one of the feet looks like a bucket to pick up gavel. Inside are the three henchmen of Beck; Yume, Dove and T-Bone.
"Awesome! All we got is this last building left and Beck can collect his due from the Paradigm Company contract." T-Bone was excited for this, it meant payday and food.
"But still, why does that woman always give us crap jobs?" Yume complained.
"And to think no one even noticed. Well, with more legitimate business dealings it is much easier to avoid the bullets of the police, and we get paid for it." Dove mused as he used the leg pedals to get the robot into place near the building that remained. "We only need to keep going until the Super Beck is finished, then the boss can do as he wants."
"You think he'll come back once it's done?" Yume was excited.
"Who knows, he went off on a job and didn't tell us where he was going." T-Bone was a little melancholy. Boss hadn't been the same since the lock up.
"So long as we do what we're told, Boss will be just fine when he gets back." Dove was wistful, as Boss had mentioned hitting it big with the job he was doing.
"That's right." T-Bone agreed.
Inside the apartment building Allen was flubbing a confession and attempt at a proposal to Dorothy.
"It's almost done, it had to take a whole wall to fully express how I see you. Dorothy, I don't care if you are an android, once this is done there's something I have to ask you." The building shook as the construction bot got closer.
"It's almost over." Dove sighed.
"This is it, and it's so badly maintained it'll topple right over." Replied T-Bone.
"That artist boy had best be gone, or he's gonna be a pancake!" Sequealed Yume as she worked on the arms to start the demolition. "Let's get this ova' with and get back to Mista B."
"Yeah, once we're done we get paid, so let's get it over with!" T-Bone was enthusiastic thinking about his next meal, and praise from the boss. The wrecking ball arm went into the building, sending bricks and dust raining down on the two still inside.
"What! No? Why is this happening?" Allen was losing it.
"Allen those people last week gave you an eviction notice and have begun demolition."
"Those people? Who, well it doesn't matter! I can't let them destroy my work!" The building shook and more walls started to fall.
"We need to leave now." Dorothy stated matter of factly and attempted to drag the young man out by the arm.
"No way!" He pulled Dorothy into a tight embrace and wouldn't let her go, so she silently activated the call signal to ask for Big O and Roger to come. "I can't leave here, everything I need is here, you, my art… I'll never leave it!"
"If you don't leave, you'll die." Dorothy didn't know if she could get through to him.
"Then I'll die with my work. I'm not leaving my soul behind!"
Dorothy escaped his grip and looked him dead in the eye as the building collapsed around them. "Very well then, I think you should do what you think is best."
Crash! And with that little but rubbled remained of the building. The young artist couldn't believe his ears, and the sight of his swansong was nothing more than a pile of rubble falling around him he fainted. The construction robot started picking up and removing the debris to the glee of three little cronies, only to have their smiles wiped out as the building had been when the black Megadeus appeared on the scene.
"What? Why is the Megadeus here? Why does it always pick on us?!" Dove and T-Bone were mad. "Fine then we'll fight you!" T-Bone yelled, but was easily knocked over with a single push of Big O's black hand.
"Uwah!" The three yelled out at the construction bot was knocked over with barely any effort expanded.
"What in the world is this? I had thought when the signal for help came from Dorothy it would be an actual emergency." Roger looked at the monitor that had Dorothy on the screen, and around her were what was probably used and now ruined canvases for art, and a young man in beatnik black attire was covered in dust and dirt from the buildings collapse. "Oh, so that was why. Well, time to go home if nothing else is wrong. I'll call for an ambulance from the Griffin. It should still be nearby."
With that the black Megadeus and the little black clad android maid went home, never to meet with the artist again. Later that evening, Dorothy told Roger why she had called for him, Norman was serving Roger coffee, and Ray was trying to read some new novel while drinking some tea.
"Oh is that why?" Roger was in his robe and slippers, enjoying a calm evening on the patio.
"You needn't fear for his health or mind Miss Dorothy. I'm sure before long he will have someone else to display his affections towards." Norman held the tea tray while standing nearby.
"It's as Norman says. Humans can be rather interesting creatures that break down and fall apart easily, but with enough passion we can keep going even in the face of defeat." Dorothy could only give him a questioning look.
"So he is likely to find another woman before long then?" Dorothy hadn't been completely oblivious to what Allen had wanted, but he certainly wasn't her type.
"Hopefully a woman that will actually smack some sense into him." Ray piped up from behind the pages of her novel.
None of them had much to worry about. Across town, in a hospital room, the artist was declaring his undying love to the nurse who was assigned to his room, and she did indeed smack some sense into him.
TO BE CONTINUED
Welp, this took forever to write, but here it is. The next chapter is also halfway done, so it should be out soonish.
Sorry about the lack of updates btw. Life kind of got in the way, beat me down, and then I had to try and get myself back up. But I'm up again. Might be a while till I get into later episodes, as right now I am translating the novel. Also I lost my copy of the drama cd! But I remember the dialogue fairly well, so I should still be able to use it.