Burning Embers
Chapter Four: Broken Frames
Roger burst through the mansion's all ready open door, eyes blazing and anger clear in every line of his body. His whole posture spoke of barely suppressed rage and an internal turmoil that manifested itself in a low growl as he took in the shambled state of his hallway. Framed pictures had been shattered and gouges carved in the walls with aimless direction. It was senseless destruction and it only fueled his sudden hatred. He loosed his emotions and one name left his lips.
"Dorothy!"
There was no answer, and he hadn't expected one. She wasn't there, and it was his fault. His hands clenched into fists. If only he hadn't been so blind, he might have been able to save her.
"Master Roger?"
The faint, pain-filled whisper broke through his self-hatred and he turned towards the sound, feeling every muscle go taunt as he noticed a dark shape sprawled in the corner.
"Norman?" He called, kneeling beside his old friend and helping him sit up with a hand to the shoulder. His long time butler had a huge and ugly bruise that spread over the back of his head and his one visible eye seemed to have trouble focusing. "Norman, are you all right? What happened?"
The old coughed and tried to clear his throat. "He surprised me, Master Roger. Hit me over the head before I could even react. Knocked me unconscious for a moment and when I came to, he was pulling her out the door." His voice faded slightly. "She was calling to me. Everything was blurry but I could see that she was bound in steel coils that held her prisoner." He looked down. "Forgive me, Master Roger. I have failed you."
Roger shook his head. "It wasn't your fault, Norman." He paused slightly to get his feelings under control. "Do you know who took her?"
Norman looked up to meet his gaze. "I didn't recognize the man but he did leave this." He lifted a rumpled letter that he had been clenching in his fingers. Roger took it from him and opened it, glancing quickly across the scrawled script.
Dear Mr. Smith, the Negotiator,
I am truly sorry we could not meet in person, but I could not have you present when I came for the mysterious Miss Dorothy. Do not be alarmed, she will not be hurt, unless you decide to jeopardize the agreement stated in this letter. She will be cared for by my partner, whom I realize you are acquainted with, and I will bring your android with me when I meet you tonight at 7 sharp down by the pier. Come alone and unarmed. We will speak more then.
Mr. Michael Price
Roger crumbled the letter in his fist, causing Norman to gaze at him with concern.
"Master Roger?"
Roger reached down and looped an arm around the older man's shoulders, bringing him to his feet.
"Come on, Norman, we need to get you to a hospital."
And then I will deal with you, Mr. Price. You will not escape.
* * * *
Dorothy awoke with a jolt, her mind running at full speed again, making up for the time she had been temporarily shut down. She felt her headband, or what should have been her headband, slide back into place as the blonde-haired woman known as Angel leaned away from her. Dorothy raised a hand slowly to her head, feeling the tiara that fit over her headband now. Even as she did so she noticed her sleeve, a deep shade of blue, not the everlasting black she had been expecting. She was now clothed in a slim blue gown, white gloves, and the sparkling tiara that fit over her vibrant hair. She could not understand it.
"What did you do?"
Angel shrugged, smiling. "Don't worry, the tiara only allows my partner to make sure you don't escape, it won't impair your functions. As for the clothes," she shrugged again. "Michael always has liked his women well dressed."
"Are you one of his 'women'?"
Angel's smile grew sly. "Sometimes."
Dorothy turned her attention away from the human and gazed about the room, wondering where she was in the city. Her chamber was beautiful with bright walls and gorgeously colored paintings. The carpet was plush and heavy and the bed she was on was huge with a high canopy. But besides the bed, there was no other furniture except for a full length mirror in the corner. A beautiful but empty room.
"Don't you want to know why you're here?" Angel asked, suddenly, catching her gaze. Dorothy looked at her steadily.
"You want something from Roger."
"Michael wants something." Angel corrected.
"He won't get it."
"What?"
"He won't get whatever he's asking for. Roger will not negotiate."
Angel arched an eyebrow. "And why not? Roger is a negotiator, after all."
"You don't have anything he wants."
Angel's eyes widened at this before she gave a full throated laugh. "You really must be running a little slow. What do you think you're here for, decoration? Michael will trade you for what he wants, and Roger will give it, because he is a damned gentleman."
Dorothy looked away, her voice growing soft. "You are mistaken. I am only an android, a servant in his household." She abruptly looked Angel straight in the eye. "He will not negotiate."
Angel smirked. "As you say, but we will see if Mr. Smith is capable of resisting our offer. The truth will be revealed."
Dorothy looked away, her face impassive as Angel left, closing the door softly behind her. She could not allow herself to feel any hope. Roger would not come, she knew that, but something inside of her screamed that she was wrong, that he would come and give up anything they asked. She didn't *want* to believe it, she wanted to believe that Michael and Angel would not come away the victors, but that would only happen if Roger stayed away.
"Stay away, Roger." She said, out loud to the vacant room. "Stay away, or you will lose everything."
Even outloud, the words sounded like a plea.
* * * *
tbc....
Well? Good, bad, extremely stupid? Sorry it wasn't very long, I've got finals next week, gotta study! *gag* but in the mean time, how about a little snack? *starts passing out cadbury eggs leftover from easter* don't look at me like that, they're still good! Oh, and here's some chocolate muffins for whoever wanted them, and of course, some nice celery sticks! *facevaults* good and healthy! Maybe it will inspire you to review? Hope so! Thanks for reading!
twilight
Chapter Four: Broken Frames
Roger burst through the mansion's all ready open door, eyes blazing and anger clear in every line of his body. His whole posture spoke of barely suppressed rage and an internal turmoil that manifested itself in a low growl as he took in the shambled state of his hallway. Framed pictures had been shattered and gouges carved in the walls with aimless direction. It was senseless destruction and it only fueled his sudden hatred. He loosed his emotions and one name left his lips.
"Dorothy!"
There was no answer, and he hadn't expected one. She wasn't there, and it was his fault. His hands clenched into fists. If only he hadn't been so blind, he might have been able to save her.
"Master Roger?"
The faint, pain-filled whisper broke through his self-hatred and he turned towards the sound, feeling every muscle go taunt as he noticed a dark shape sprawled in the corner.
"Norman?" He called, kneeling beside his old friend and helping him sit up with a hand to the shoulder. His long time butler had a huge and ugly bruise that spread over the back of his head and his one visible eye seemed to have trouble focusing. "Norman, are you all right? What happened?"
The old coughed and tried to clear his throat. "He surprised me, Master Roger. Hit me over the head before I could even react. Knocked me unconscious for a moment and when I came to, he was pulling her out the door." His voice faded slightly. "She was calling to me. Everything was blurry but I could see that she was bound in steel coils that held her prisoner." He looked down. "Forgive me, Master Roger. I have failed you."
Roger shook his head. "It wasn't your fault, Norman." He paused slightly to get his feelings under control. "Do you know who took her?"
Norman looked up to meet his gaze. "I didn't recognize the man but he did leave this." He lifted a rumpled letter that he had been clenching in his fingers. Roger took it from him and opened it, glancing quickly across the scrawled script.
Dear Mr. Smith, the Negotiator,
I am truly sorry we could not meet in person, but I could not have you present when I came for the mysterious Miss Dorothy. Do not be alarmed, she will not be hurt, unless you decide to jeopardize the agreement stated in this letter. She will be cared for by my partner, whom I realize you are acquainted with, and I will bring your android with me when I meet you tonight at 7 sharp down by the pier. Come alone and unarmed. We will speak more then.
Mr. Michael Price
Roger crumbled the letter in his fist, causing Norman to gaze at him with concern.
"Master Roger?"
Roger reached down and looped an arm around the older man's shoulders, bringing him to his feet.
"Come on, Norman, we need to get you to a hospital."
And then I will deal with you, Mr. Price. You will not escape.
* * * *
Dorothy awoke with a jolt, her mind running at full speed again, making up for the time she had been temporarily shut down. She felt her headband, or what should have been her headband, slide back into place as the blonde-haired woman known as Angel leaned away from her. Dorothy raised a hand slowly to her head, feeling the tiara that fit over her headband now. Even as she did so she noticed her sleeve, a deep shade of blue, not the everlasting black she had been expecting. She was now clothed in a slim blue gown, white gloves, and the sparkling tiara that fit over her vibrant hair. She could not understand it.
"What did you do?"
Angel shrugged, smiling. "Don't worry, the tiara only allows my partner to make sure you don't escape, it won't impair your functions. As for the clothes," she shrugged again. "Michael always has liked his women well dressed."
"Are you one of his 'women'?"
Angel's smile grew sly. "Sometimes."
Dorothy turned her attention away from the human and gazed about the room, wondering where she was in the city. Her chamber was beautiful with bright walls and gorgeously colored paintings. The carpet was plush and heavy and the bed she was on was huge with a high canopy. But besides the bed, there was no other furniture except for a full length mirror in the corner. A beautiful but empty room.
"Don't you want to know why you're here?" Angel asked, suddenly, catching her gaze. Dorothy looked at her steadily.
"You want something from Roger."
"Michael wants something." Angel corrected.
"He won't get it."
"What?"
"He won't get whatever he's asking for. Roger will not negotiate."
Angel arched an eyebrow. "And why not? Roger is a negotiator, after all."
"You don't have anything he wants."
Angel's eyes widened at this before she gave a full throated laugh. "You really must be running a little slow. What do you think you're here for, decoration? Michael will trade you for what he wants, and Roger will give it, because he is a damned gentleman."
Dorothy looked away, her voice growing soft. "You are mistaken. I am only an android, a servant in his household." She abruptly looked Angel straight in the eye. "He will not negotiate."
Angel smirked. "As you say, but we will see if Mr. Smith is capable of resisting our offer. The truth will be revealed."
Dorothy looked away, her face impassive as Angel left, closing the door softly behind her. She could not allow herself to feel any hope. Roger would not come, she knew that, but something inside of her screamed that she was wrong, that he would come and give up anything they asked. She didn't *want* to believe it, she wanted to believe that Michael and Angel would not come away the victors, but that would only happen if Roger stayed away.
"Stay away, Roger." She said, out loud to the vacant room. "Stay away, or you will lose everything."
Even outloud, the words sounded like a plea.
* * * *
tbc....
Well? Good, bad, extremely stupid? Sorry it wasn't very long, I've got finals next week, gotta study! *gag* but in the mean time, how about a little snack? *starts passing out cadbury eggs leftover from easter* don't look at me like that, they're still good! Oh, and here's some chocolate muffins for whoever wanted them, and of course, some nice celery sticks! *facevaults* good and healthy! Maybe it will inspire you to review? Hope so! Thanks for reading!
twilight
