I do not own big o or any of the characters . . . ect.
For the joy of being in love
Chapter one:
I am Dorothy
I am R. Dorothy Wayneright
The R is for robot.
I am an android, a humanoid. Made for nothing than merely easing the death of the real Dorothy Wayneright.
I am not a real human. I cannot feel as they can.
But, emotions are something that is not needed to live.
I cannot be sad,
I cannot feel joy,
Jealousy,
Anger,
Heartbreak,
Love . . .
A peaceful morning. Anyone with a heart could feel the gentle mood of the day. Nothing could alter this. Except . . . perhaps someone without a heart.
She breathed in and made her circuits ready. She carefully placed her fingers on the right keys of the big piano. Then . . . all hell broke lose.
The birds that perched in the balcony ceased chirping their love songs to each other and flew away scared to death from the fast, very loud music.
"DOROTHY!!!"
Norman Burg jerked his head in the path of noise. When would those two ever learn?
Roger Smith slammed open the door and it crashed into the wall. The knob made a creator in the wall as usual and Norman went to get the things he needed to fix it with a sigh.
"Dorothy!" Roger repeated. "All I ask is that I can at least get some rest. I know you don't understand about that since you don't need rest, but to me it means a lot!" His hair was ruffled and not in the sleek style he had it in when he went out.
Dorothy almost enjoyed being one of the only two who saw his hair like this. Enjoyed.
She turned her head to face him accompanied with an electrical sound. "But, Roger Smith, you do have an appointment," she said. It was nice to have an excuse to wake him this morning.
He grunted and made an unsatisfied face thinking of sleep.
"You are acting like a child, Roger." She remembered when he called her Mama when he awoke after he went down to where no one dared. She wondered whatever happened to his parents.
"Well," Roger said in a hot tone. "The appointment is not till an hour or . . . something." He couldn't think straightly from lack of sleep. "I'll just sleep a little longer in . . ." He streaked his hand through his untamed hair. He glanced at the redhead at the piano. "QUIET!" he up-roared. "For a little longer," he repeated.
He went next to her. "So if you don't mind." He turned to go.
She pushed down her hands to make a loud sound so she would have the final word in a way.
He cocked his head and glared. He vanished behind the door after another slam of it. But before he left murmured to have a nice day to her.
Her eyes were wide from surprise. Usually after the fiasco of every morning he was too ticked to say anything kind. Usually he was always too tense about something to say a kind thing.
She brushed the feeling aside. It must be nothing, she assured herself. Something nice must have happened to him yesterday. She wondered what could possibly make him happy. A beautiful woman, the thought flickered in her. She remembered that girl who was named Angle.
She felt a shot of something she didn't like. She felt like she wanted to hate Angle. She felt jealous.
Jealous.
"Dan? Are you kidding?" Roger asked the receiver after Major Dan Dastun reported his news. "A madmen killing androids?" . . . "Who? Right." He hung up and turned to be shocked by Dorothy who was right behind him.
"What happened?" she asked in the voice filled with the emotion it always had, none.
They were in the dark room with endless hourglasses.
"Oh, nothing," he said as he slipped on his sunglasses meaning he was going out to work. "Just some psycho." He briskly left the room. He was glad she didn't pursue the question further. The details were something that could damage her.
After he closed the door she looked at the phone. He never told her anything. She left the room and was going to go to her regular place on the balcony. When she was at the glass wall with the door that led to the balcony she saw sheets of rain on the glass streaming down.
Norman passed by behind her carrying tools.
"Why is it raining so much lately?" she asked.
"I'm not sure, Miss Dorothy," he replied. He handed her a duster. "On second thought." He took it away before she could reach for it. "You see, I have to work on the Big O from the last battle and I'm afraid that we're running low on things to cook for tonight's dinner. Would you mind going out to the store to get some things?"
She wasn't sure. She usually stayed inside and when she did go out it was with Roger on a case.
"Don't worry it's not hard. And you are a smart girl," he said with a laugh.
"But I am not a girl," she replied calmly. "I was just made that way."
Norman was surprised and not sure how to act at her reply.
"I will go."
He watched her go down the hall heading towards the elevator.
She had been acting odd for the past days. If it was possible, that is, for her to act differently.
He simply shook his head and went to work.
Dorothy put some spices in her hand-held cart with the other items. There were many in it by now and to a person it would be very difficult to carry it. For her it was nothing.
The store was simple and she found everything she needed quickly.
She saw two woman gossiping in the aisle across her through the empty shelf.
"Oh! Did you hear what's going on with androids?" one asked the other.
Dorothy was about to keep walking, but what she said made her stop. She could find out what he wouldn't tell her.
"Some madman is killing them. If you would call it killing that is."
She stiffened even more at her words.
"I mean he totally went crazy. I saw a picture of one of his victims. I couldn't sleep for a week!" She went into the gruesome details.
"So now all the people who have one took them out of town. They say that there's only one more in the whole city and that he's after it. It's been three days since he last killed one," she continued afterward.
"What does that mean?" her friend asked.
"He gets one every three days at the stroke of midnight."
Dorothy dropped her cart with a gasp.
Chapter two: In the dark night
Roger came home late and was too tired. He ate his dinner half-asleep and then went to his room to plummet on his bed.
Dorothy was in her room. She stood by a window gazing out. The dim light that came in seemed haunting.
She didn't want to be the victim of that man. She was afraid.
Fear.
She turned and walked away from the window. I shouldn't be scared, she convinced herself. She was strong. She could defend herself.
~
Roger rolled over in bed again. He couldn't get to sleep. Dan had said that they thought they caught the guy responsible, but he couldn't help shake the feeling that something was going to happen to Dorothy.
He groaned. It seemed that no matter how hard he tried he could never sleep.
In the distance he thought he heard something. He knew it was just the wind, but . . .
He jumped out of bed and headed for her room. He ran all the way there and when he opened the door-
Dorothy was walking away from the window slowly. There was a sudden shadow cast over the light that came form it as the clock tower chimed midnight. A man jumped through the window smashing it. In one hand he carried a dagger.
"Dorothy!" Roger called out. She was already turning from the sound of the window braking.
He landed on top of her knocking both of them to the bed. He raised the dagger.
"No!" Roger yelled as he begun to run to her aid. "You can't take her from me!"
Dorothy stopped struggling upon hearing what he said.
The man pierced her with the dagger on the arm.
Roger was not sure what to do. He saw a lamp on his way and threw it to the man to buy him some time.
The man looked like he was being electrocuted and back away from her. Where the lap had hit him, his arm, the skin had lifted reviling the metal underneath.
An android? Roger thought. He pushed him farther away from her.
The man grabbed him and swung him to the wall at the back of the room. From the force he collapsed.
The man raced to him and put his hands up to choke. Roger grabbed them before he could.
He was getting electrocuted too now that they were touching. The both struggled, but the android had the upper hand.
Dorothy went to them and was going to help, but Roger said, "Don't come closer! I don't want you to get electrocuted and damage your circuits!"
She stood confused. What could she do? She had to help him.
The man cut into his arm with the dagger. He screamed.
With a seconds thought she kicked the man on the head quickly and with force. She felt a small bit of the electricity, but since she did it in one quick motion she was fine.
The other android's head tilted to the side from the kick, then he fell to the floor dropping his dagger.
"Roger, are you alright?"
He stared at her. "I'm fine." He got up.
"Master Roger?" they heard Norman's voice ring in.
Dorothy turned to see him come in the room with a bazooka and military hardhat.
The other android jumped up and put his arm in a lock around her neck.
Roger picked up the dagger and put in the back of his neck knowing that's where androids had the circuit to the brain in a fast motion.
It plummeted.
Chapter three: Could this be love?
After the attack Norman took Roger to fix his arm and the android was taken away by Dan and a few men who also brought someone to help Dorothy's injury.
After that they left.
Dorothy was left alone in her room with only her thoughts.
He saved me again.
She lay on the bed looking at the ceiling. She accessed her memory and replayed his voice when he had said, "You can't take her from me!"
The sun came up in a sunny, moist morning from all the rainfall.
Dorothy walked to the piano and sat down. She put her fingers in the right places.
From her side she heard birds singing. She turned her head and looked at them on the balcony.
She started to play a soft, cheerful song.
"You can't take her from me!"
~
Roger opened his eyes slowly for once. He let the soft music flow through him.
What a second . . . Soft!?
He walked in fast pace to the door leading to where she was and opened it. There sat Dorothy looking at the birds singing love songs to one another playing the piano.
"Dorothy?"
She turned her upper body and set her sight on him. "Good morning, Roger."
" . . . Er, . . ." He arched a brow. "Okay. Are you feeling all right? Did that guy mess your-"
"I am fine," she said in a soft voice.
He looked to the side and nodded in confusion. "Okay," he repeated. He walked to her and stared. " . . . Are you sure you're fine?"
She cocked her head to him, leaned over a little and with closed eyes said, "I'm fine," almost matching the tone of her music. And . . . could that have been a smile?
He didn't take his wide eyes off her. " . . . Okay." He headed for the kitchen scratching his head.
"You can't take her from me!" She felt joy.
Joy.
"Master Roger, Major Dan Dastun is here to see you." Norman walked into the room with the fields with hourglasses.
Roger looked up surprised. "What does he want?"
"Says it is business."
"I'll be right there."
When he got the room Norman always sent visitors he saw Dan looking out the window. When he saw him he turned.
"Roger Smith, we need your help."
"Why?" he asked hotly.
"To catch a criminal. Most of the officers have gotten abnormally sick and we need all the help we can get."
"Sick?"
"Yes. Someone set off toxins at the police station." He made a sincere face. "Odd too. We found from where they came. Whoever did it cut himself and left a little of blood. It had the same as that android that was here yesterday."
"What!? Blood?"
"Very advanced. You'll be surprised at what they can do." He paused shortly. "Will you help, or wouldn't you?"
He grunted. He didn't want to waist his time on this. But for Dorothy . . . "Alright."
A voice interrupted them, "can I come?"
They turned and saw Dorothy.
Roger was about to say no but Dan cut him off saying, "Sure. The more the better."
Roger thought he felt a twitch from his eye. If there was something wrong with her he wanted her to stay here.
Dan said they had a lead of where the man was going next. A fancy restaurant with chandeliers, all the works, where a woman would sing on a stage while you ate. But it wasn't open today and tomorrow it didn't till late night.
Meanwhile Roger went to see Big Ear for information.
Once more Dorothy was left with only her thoughts.
It was raining.
Rain, she thought as she gazed out at it through the glass wall that led to the balcony.
She swung the door and went outside. She closed it behind her knowing Norman would be mad if the rain got in the house.
She went to her place on the balcony.
"You can't take her from me!"
She hugged herself, tilted her head down, and closed her eyes. She let the rain wash over her. She wished she could feel it.
The image of him kissing her filled her mind. She liked this illusion and let it play on. She kissed him back.
She opened her eyes and looked up at the falling rain. A droplet fell on her eye. She didn't close it. There was no need if she couldn't feel it. Another fell into her eyes.
She blinked.
Chapter four: The truth
Both Roger and Dorothy had wondered about the android and why it did that. No one seemed to have a clue.
Dorothy walked past Norman, who was sweeping.
"I'm going out, Norman."
He turned but by then she was already in the elevator. "Out?"
~
She walked in the rain. She was starting to like the rain. Today it was gray and a little gloomy. Many puddles filled the streets.
Something caught her eye, a man. Not anyone, it looked like the android. Could he still be alive?
She ran after him. He ran away. His speed could not match hers. They turned a corner. She pinned him against a wall of an old building. "You are not him!"
"No!" the man yelled scared. "You must mean my brother!"
"Brother?"
"Yes," he said more calm. "You must be the one that got him," he said thinking about her speed. "If you let me go I will explain."
She released her grip. "How can you be brothers? You are not a humanoid."
He panted. "Have a walk with me? I will explain."
They both walked down the street.
"You see," he began. "We where both scientists. We worked on androids to advance their ability." He looked at the puddles. "I always had a sense that there was something about him. That he almost loathed the androids." He sighed and said the next part with difficulty. "Then a few months ago we were both in a car crash. He was on the side of impact. He was dying in my arms. I did the only thing I could think of. Used our work to save him."-He paused-"He went mad. He had become what he hated. Then that's when he started killing them, and that's when I vowed that I would never work on androids again."
She felt sorry for him.
Sad.
"I heard form a reliable source that you and Roger Smith are going to that restaurant tonight." He too knew Big Ear. "You don't have to. He was the one that was doing that, he was just smart enough to lead everyone wrong. But I would still not tell him till later. If you got reservations to go there I would go. It is wonderful."
Chapter five: love balled
When it was dark they both left to the restaurant.
Dorothy was wearing a blue dress. Norman saw it on a hunt for parts for the Big O and thought it was her size. It was the same type of style of the red dress she had worn minus the rose.
Roger had on his dark sunglasses.
They went inside and sat at a table in the far corner where there was a shadow cast over.
They didn't order anything to eat.
He was slouched over and had his hand on his cheek for support. He was annoyed that he had to come.
The girl that was singing had a beautiful voice. When she stopped everyone turned his or her attention to her.
"As you know," she said. "Today is the first of the month. And following tradition I will pick a woman from the audience to come up and sing whatever song she likes!"
The spotlight went around stopping on woman. They would giggle nervously and hide behind their napkins. They where all too shy.
But when the spotlight came to Dorothy she had her expression-none.
"How about you, Miss?" The singer asked.
She turned to Roger as for permission.
He simply shrugged.
She got up and went atop the stage. Everyone clapped at her bravery.
She stood in front of the microphone. She searched for words to sing.
She sighed out and thought about him.
"Rain
Again"
She sang in a beautiful voice.
"Pain
Nothing new
As for you,
I feel,
Into aflame.
I never asked,
To feel.
I don't need,
Anything real.
To touch,
To love,
It's all . . . too much."
Roger sat up and stared.
She thought about when she was on the balcony.
"All at once,
You beckoned a kiss.
Unknowing me,
I can't resist.
The stars,
I can see clearly.
I never wanted,
Anything more.
I remember things,
From before.
As you say,
'Far and away' "
She held the note.
"I never asked,
To feel.
I don't need,
Anything real.
To touch,
To love,
It's all . . . too much."
Roger was in awe. Could she . . . possibly be singing about him?
"I see . . . you're gaze,
And the words you just can't phrase.
I feel,
Anew.
To feel,
So far into you.
I never asked,
To feel.
I didn't need,
Anything real.
To touch,
To love,
It's all . . . too much . . ."
Love.
A tear, and a sigh.
I didn't know that could be from me.
You turn your back,
As I cry.
How odd,
Love is.
All it brought,
Was this . . .
I want you.
Wish you would turn back around.
I feel warm,
For the first time . . .
I never asked,
To feel.
I don't need,
Anything real.
To touch,
To love,
It's all . . . too much."
Chapter six: A tear, a sigh
They were on the way back to the house. They both were quiet.
Roger didn't know what to say. How could he explain that he didn't . . . or was he just too scared of love?
He tightened his grip on the wheel. "Dorothy," he said in a rusty voice. His eyes hid behind the glasses. "I don't know what you think about us but, . . . I don't feel that way about you, Dorothy."
"You thought that song was about you?" she asked in her usual tone. "You are mistaken. It's just something that I remembered form somewhere. I'm just an android, a humanoid, remember? I cannot feel love."
The lights from the light posts reflect his uncertain image on the front window.
She stares out her window with her usual expression. A light post flies by and her reflection is cast on the window. On the side he can't see there's a tear.
Heartbreak.
For the joy of being in love
Chapter one:
I am Dorothy
I am R. Dorothy Wayneright
The R is for robot.
I am an android, a humanoid. Made for nothing than merely easing the death of the real Dorothy Wayneright.
I am not a real human. I cannot feel as they can.
But, emotions are something that is not needed to live.
I cannot be sad,
I cannot feel joy,
Jealousy,
Anger,
Heartbreak,
Love . . .
A peaceful morning. Anyone with a heart could feel the gentle mood of the day. Nothing could alter this. Except . . . perhaps someone without a heart.
She breathed in and made her circuits ready. She carefully placed her fingers on the right keys of the big piano. Then . . . all hell broke lose.
The birds that perched in the balcony ceased chirping their love songs to each other and flew away scared to death from the fast, very loud music.
"DOROTHY!!!"
Norman Burg jerked his head in the path of noise. When would those two ever learn?
Roger Smith slammed open the door and it crashed into the wall. The knob made a creator in the wall as usual and Norman went to get the things he needed to fix it with a sigh.
"Dorothy!" Roger repeated. "All I ask is that I can at least get some rest. I know you don't understand about that since you don't need rest, but to me it means a lot!" His hair was ruffled and not in the sleek style he had it in when he went out.
Dorothy almost enjoyed being one of the only two who saw his hair like this. Enjoyed.
She turned her head to face him accompanied with an electrical sound. "But, Roger Smith, you do have an appointment," she said. It was nice to have an excuse to wake him this morning.
He grunted and made an unsatisfied face thinking of sleep.
"You are acting like a child, Roger." She remembered when he called her Mama when he awoke after he went down to where no one dared. She wondered whatever happened to his parents.
"Well," Roger said in a hot tone. "The appointment is not till an hour or . . . something." He couldn't think straightly from lack of sleep. "I'll just sleep a little longer in . . ." He streaked his hand through his untamed hair. He glanced at the redhead at the piano. "QUIET!" he up-roared. "For a little longer," he repeated.
He went next to her. "So if you don't mind." He turned to go.
She pushed down her hands to make a loud sound so she would have the final word in a way.
He cocked his head and glared. He vanished behind the door after another slam of it. But before he left murmured to have a nice day to her.
Her eyes were wide from surprise. Usually after the fiasco of every morning he was too ticked to say anything kind. Usually he was always too tense about something to say a kind thing.
She brushed the feeling aside. It must be nothing, she assured herself. Something nice must have happened to him yesterday. She wondered what could possibly make him happy. A beautiful woman, the thought flickered in her. She remembered that girl who was named Angle.
She felt a shot of something she didn't like. She felt like she wanted to hate Angle. She felt jealous.
Jealous.
"Dan? Are you kidding?" Roger asked the receiver after Major Dan Dastun reported his news. "A madmen killing androids?" . . . "Who? Right." He hung up and turned to be shocked by Dorothy who was right behind him.
"What happened?" she asked in the voice filled with the emotion it always had, none.
They were in the dark room with endless hourglasses.
"Oh, nothing," he said as he slipped on his sunglasses meaning he was going out to work. "Just some psycho." He briskly left the room. He was glad she didn't pursue the question further. The details were something that could damage her.
After he closed the door she looked at the phone. He never told her anything. She left the room and was going to go to her regular place on the balcony. When she was at the glass wall with the door that led to the balcony she saw sheets of rain on the glass streaming down.
Norman passed by behind her carrying tools.
"Why is it raining so much lately?" she asked.
"I'm not sure, Miss Dorothy," he replied. He handed her a duster. "On second thought." He took it away before she could reach for it. "You see, I have to work on the Big O from the last battle and I'm afraid that we're running low on things to cook for tonight's dinner. Would you mind going out to the store to get some things?"
She wasn't sure. She usually stayed inside and when she did go out it was with Roger on a case.
"Don't worry it's not hard. And you are a smart girl," he said with a laugh.
"But I am not a girl," she replied calmly. "I was just made that way."
Norman was surprised and not sure how to act at her reply.
"I will go."
He watched her go down the hall heading towards the elevator.
She had been acting odd for the past days. If it was possible, that is, for her to act differently.
He simply shook his head and went to work.
Dorothy put some spices in her hand-held cart with the other items. There were many in it by now and to a person it would be very difficult to carry it. For her it was nothing.
The store was simple and she found everything she needed quickly.
She saw two woman gossiping in the aisle across her through the empty shelf.
"Oh! Did you hear what's going on with androids?" one asked the other.
Dorothy was about to keep walking, but what she said made her stop. She could find out what he wouldn't tell her.
"Some madman is killing them. If you would call it killing that is."
She stiffened even more at her words.
"I mean he totally went crazy. I saw a picture of one of his victims. I couldn't sleep for a week!" She went into the gruesome details.
"So now all the people who have one took them out of town. They say that there's only one more in the whole city and that he's after it. It's been three days since he last killed one," she continued afterward.
"What does that mean?" her friend asked.
"He gets one every three days at the stroke of midnight."
Dorothy dropped her cart with a gasp.
Chapter two: In the dark night
Roger came home late and was too tired. He ate his dinner half-asleep and then went to his room to plummet on his bed.
Dorothy was in her room. She stood by a window gazing out. The dim light that came in seemed haunting.
She didn't want to be the victim of that man. She was afraid.
Fear.
She turned and walked away from the window. I shouldn't be scared, she convinced herself. She was strong. She could defend herself.
~
Roger rolled over in bed again. He couldn't get to sleep. Dan had said that they thought they caught the guy responsible, but he couldn't help shake the feeling that something was going to happen to Dorothy.
He groaned. It seemed that no matter how hard he tried he could never sleep.
In the distance he thought he heard something. He knew it was just the wind, but . . .
He jumped out of bed and headed for her room. He ran all the way there and when he opened the door-
Dorothy was walking away from the window slowly. There was a sudden shadow cast over the light that came form it as the clock tower chimed midnight. A man jumped through the window smashing it. In one hand he carried a dagger.
"Dorothy!" Roger called out. She was already turning from the sound of the window braking.
He landed on top of her knocking both of them to the bed. He raised the dagger.
"No!" Roger yelled as he begun to run to her aid. "You can't take her from me!"
Dorothy stopped struggling upon hearing what he said.
The man pierced her with the dagger on the arm.
Roger was not sure what to do. He saw a lamp on his way and threw it to the man to buy him some time.
The man looked like he was being electrocuted and back away from her. Where the lap had hit him, his arm, the skin had lifted reviling the metal underneath.
An android? Roger thought. He pushed him farther away from her.
The man grabbed him and swung him to the wall at the back of the room. From the force he collapsed.
The man raced to him and put his hands up to choke. Roger grabbed them before he could.
He was getting electrocuted too now that they were touching. The both struggled, but the android had the upper hand.
Dorothy went to them and was going to help, but Roger said, "Don't come closer! I don't want you to get electrocuted and damage your circuits!"
She stood confused. What could she do? She had to help him.
The man cut into his arm with the dagger. He screamed.
With a seconds thought she kicked the man on the head quickly and with force. She felt a small bit of the electricity, but since she did it in one quick motion she was fine.
The other android's head tilted to the side from the kick, then he fell to the floor dropping his dagger.
"Roger, are you alright?"
He stared at her. "I'm fine." He got up.
"Master Roger?" they heard Norman's voice ring in.
Dorothy turned to see him come in the room with a bazooka and military hardhat.
The other android jumped up and put his arm in a lock around her neck.
Roger picked up the dagger and put in the back of his neck knowing that's where androids had the circuit to the brain in a fast motion.
It plummeted.
Chapter three: Could this be love?
After the attack Norman took Roger to fix his arm and the android was taken away by Dan and a few men who also brought someone to help Dorothy's injury.
After that they left.
Dorothy was left alone in her room with only her thoughts.
He saved me again.
She lay on the bed looking at the ceiling. She accessed her memory and replayed his voice when he had said, "You can't take her from me!"
The sun came up in a sunny, moist morning from all the rainfall.
Dorothy walked to the piano and sat down. She put her fingers in the right places.
From her side she heard birds singing. She turned her head and looked at them on the balcony.
She started to play a soft, cheerful song.
"You can't take her from me!"
~
Roger opened his eyes slowly for once. He let the soft music flow through him.
What a second . . . Soft!?
He walked in fast pace to the door leading to where she was and opened it. There sat Dorothy looking at the birds singing love songs to one another playing the piano.
"Dorothy?"
She turned her upper body and set her sight on him. "Good morning, Roger."
" . . . Er, . . ." He arched a brow. "Okay. Are you feeling all right? Did that guy mess your-"
"I am fine," she said in a soft voice.
He looked to the side and nodded in confusion. "Okay," he repeated. He walked to her and stared. " . . . Are you sure you're fine?"
She cocked her head to him, leaned over a little and with closed eyes said, "I'm fine," almost matching the tone of her music. And . . . could that have been a smile?
He didn't take his wide eyes off her. " . . . Okay." He headed for the kitchen scratching his head.
"You can't take her from me!" She felt joy.
Joy.
"Master Roger, Major Dan Dastun is here to see you." Norman walked into the room with the fields with hourglasses.
Roger looked up surprised. "What does he want?"
"Says it is business."
"I'll be right there."
When he got the room Norman always sent visitors he saw Dan looking out the window. When he saw him he turned.
"Roger Smith, we need your help."
"Why?" he asked hotly.
"To catch a criminal. Most of the officers have gotten abnormally sick and we need all the help we can get."
"Sick?"
"Yes. Someone set off toxins at the police station." He made a sincere face. "Odd too. We found from where they came. Whoever did it cut himself and left a little of blood. It had the same as that android that was here yesterday."
"What!? Blood?"
"Very advanced. You'll be surprised at what they can do." He paused shortly. "Will you help, or wouldn't you?"
He grunted. He didn't want to waist his time on this. But for Dorothy . . . "Alright."
A voice interrupted them, "can I come?"
They turned and saw Dorothy.
Roger was about to say no but Dan cut him off saying, "Sure. The more the better."
Roger thought he felt a twitch from his eye. If there was something wrong with her he wanted her to stay here.
Dan said they had a lead of where the man was going next. A fancy restaurant with chandeliers, all the works, where a woman would sing on a stage while you ate. But it wasn't open today and tomorrow it didn't till late night.
Meanwhile Roger went to see Big Ear for information.
Once more Dorothy was left with only her thoughts.
It was raining.
Rain, she thought as she gazed out at it through the glass wall that led to the balcony.
She swung the door and went outside. She closed it behind her knowing Norman would be mad if the rain got in the house.
She went to her place on the balcony.
"You can't take her from me!"
She hugged herself, tilted her head down, and closed her eyes. She let the rain wash over her. She wished she could feel it.
The image of him kissing her filled her mind. She liked this illusion and let it play on. She kissed him back.
She opened her eyes and looked up at the falling rain. A droplet fell on her eye. She didn't close it. There was no need if she couldn't feel it. Another fell into her eyes.
She blinked.
Chapter four: The truth
Both Roger and Dorothy had wondered about the android and why it did that. No one seemed to have a clue.
Dorothy walked past Norman, who was sweeping.
"I'm going out, Norman."
He turned but by then she was already in the elevator. "Out?"
~
She walked in the rain. She was starting to like the rain. Today it was gray and a little gloomy. Many puddles filled the streets.
Something caught her eye, a man. Not anyone, it looked like the android. Could he still be alive?
She ran after him. He ran away. His speed could not match hers. They turned a corner. She pinned him against a wall of an old building. "You are not him!"
"No!" the man yelled scared. "You must mean my brother!"
"Brother?"
"Yes," he said more calm. "You must be the one that got him," he said thinking about her speed. "If you let me go I will explain."
She released her grip. "How can you be brothers? You are not a humanoid."
He panted. "Have a walk with me? I will explain."
They both walked down the street.
"You see," he began. "We where both scientists. We worked on androids to advance their ability." He looked at the puddles. "I always had a sense that there was something about him. That he almost loathed the androids." He sighed and said the next part with difficulty. "Then a few months ago we were both in a car crash. He was on the side of impact. He was dying in my arms. I did the only thing I could think of. Used our work to save him."-He paused-"He went mad. He had become what he hated. Then that's when he started killing them, and that's when I vowed that I would never work on androids again."
She felt sorry for him.
Sad.
"I heard form a reliable source that you and Roger Smith are going to that restaurant tonight." He too knew Big Ear. "You don't have to. He was the one that was doing that, he was just smart enough to lead everyone wrong. But I would still not tell him till later. If you got reservations to go there I would go. It is wonderful."
Chapter five: love balled
When it was dark they both left to the restaurant.
Dorothy was wearing a blue dress. Norman saw it on a hunt for parts for the Big O and thought it was her size. It was the same type of style of the red dress she had worn minus the rose.
Roger had on his dark sunglasses.
They went inside and sat at a table in the far corner where there was a shadow cast over.
They didn't order anything to eat.
He was slouched over and had his hand on his cheek for support. He was annoyed that he had to come.
The girl that was singing had a beautiful voice. When she stopped everyone turned his or her attention to her.
"As you know," she said. "Today is the first of the month. And following tradition I will pick a woman from the audience to come up and sing whatever song she likes!"
The spotlight went around stopping on woman. They would giggle nervously and hide behind their napkins. They where all too shy.
But when the spotlight came to Dorothy she had her expression-none.
"How about you, Miss?" The singer asked.
She turned to Roger as for permission.
He simply shrugged.
She got up and went atop the stage. Everyone clapped at her bravery.
She stood in front of the microphone. She searched for words to sing.
She sighed out and thought about him.
"Rain
Again"
She sang in a beautiful voice.
"Pain
Nothing new
As for you,
I feel,
Into aflame.
I never asked,
To feel.
I don't need,
Anything real.
To touch,
To love,
It's all . . . too much."
Roger sat up and stared.
She thought about when she was on the balcony.
"All at once,
You beckoned a kiss.
Unknowing me,
I can't resist.
The stars,
I can see clearly.
I never wanted,
Anything more.
I remember things,
From before.
As you say,
'Far and away' "
She held the note.
"I never asked,
To feel.
I don't need,
Anything real.
To touch,
To love,
It's all . . . too much."
Roger was in awe. Could she . . . possibly be singing about him?
"I see . . . you're gaze,
And the words you just can't phrase.
I feel,
Anew.
To feel,
So far into you.
I never asked,
To feel.
I didn't need,
Anything real.
To touch,
To love,
It's all . . . too much . . ."
Love.
A tear, and a sigh.
I didn't know that could be from me.
You turn your back,
As I cry.
How odd,
Love is.
All it brought,
Was this . . .
I want you.
Wish you would turn back around.
I feel warm,
For the first time . . .
I never asked,
To feel.
I don't need,
Anything real.
To touch,
To love,
It's all . . . too much."
Chapter six: A tear, a sigh
They were on the way back to the house. They both were quiet.
Roger didn't know what to say. How could he explain that he didn't . . . or was he just too scared of love?
He tightened his grip on the wheel. "Dorothy," he said in a rusty voice. His eyes hid behind the glasses. "I don't know what you think about us but, . . . I don't feel that way about you, Dorothy."
"You thought that song was about you?" she asked in her usual tone. "You are mistaken. It's just something that I remembered form somewhere. I'm just an android, a humanoid, remember? I cannot feel love."
The lights from the light posts reflect his uncertain image on the front window.
She stares out her window with her usual expression. A light post flies by and her reflection is cast on the window. On the side he can't see there's a tear.
Heartbreak.