For the last time (not really), I do not own Big O or any of its characters. I am making no $$$ off this whatsoever. It is futile to sue me. So there.
{Author's note: start playing the triumphant battle music here, from the end of R*D :) }
The black Megadeuce looked as if it had been through hell. One eye lens was cracked again, and a large chunk was missing from the orange helm. The left piston was at an angle, and the armor on that arm was buckled and dented. The covers for several of the missile racks had been torn away, as well as one of the racks. The right shoulder plating was gone, and the entire skin was scratched like a giant Pero had used it as a toy. To Dorothy, it was the greatest sight in the world.
"Where the heck did he come from?!? I thought old Crow Boy had been wasted!" Beck panicked inside at his controls.
"Well then, you thought wrong." Roger's voice came, clear as ever, across the radio. Angel was still slightly in shock.
Big O advanced on Beck's robot, which was trying to stand. Roger delivered a hammering blow with his right arm, followed by one from the left. Just as the Nightmare got to its feet, he brought a fist up in an uppercut, throwing Beck down again. This time, Big O brought the right arm down on the other robot's head and fired off its pile-driver. The explosion threw cars hundreds of feet, finished the patchwork Megadeuce, but did not halt Dorothy, who was running full-bore for the resurrected Megadeuce.
Big O reached down with both hands and tore the chest panel off, revealing Beck and his croneys just as the Military Police arrived on the scene. Roger spotted them, and also saw Dorothy, running towards him with Norman not far behind. He smiled, and placed his right palm on the ground long enough for them to climb aboard. After they had entered the hatch, he turned and looked at Big Duo.
"Surprised to see me?"
"I--but--you were--weren't you??" was the best Angel could manage.
"I thought so." Big O threw her a salute, just as Big Duo had done when Angel had first shown up piloting it, and descened into the tunnels.
The hatch into the cockpit opened, and Dorothy threw her arms around Roger, who was somewhat amazed and bewildered at the greeting. Norman came up behind her. After a moment, she backed up and looked him straight in the eye.
"Don't you ever do that to me again, you louse!!" the supposedly emotionless android scolded Roger. He laughed and embraced her again, beaming at Norman.
"When that rubble fell on me, it pushed Big O through the ground and into an even deeper level of the Catacombs. It took me this long just to find a route back to the surface and get my bearings. I happened to notice you were in trouble, Angel, so I decided to break throuh right there."
"Well, your timing couldn't have been better. I have to congradulate you on this one, Roger. Not only did you make a grand entrance and save the day, it also looks like you got the girl."
"Whu?? Oh." He turned and smiled at Dorothy on the couch beside him. She awkwardly tried to copy him, but emotion was so new to her circuits that it didn't quite come out right. Instead, she put her arm around him. Roger flinched.
"Oh. You're hurt." Dorothy was obviously concerned, but her voice was the same steady monotone as always.
"It's just a scratch," Roger said, but she put a finger to his lips.
"We'll get Norman to take a look a that soon."
"So, Roger, what do you plan to do now?" queried Angel.
"What do you mean?"
The blonde woman shook her head. "You *are* going to keep playing innocent until it kills you. First off, you tried to kill Alex Rosewater. That won't do a whole lot for your reputation. There's also the fact of any successive Red Destinies. Dorothy and I ran into one in the catacombs just the other day." Roger raised an eyebrow, sure there was a story behind it, but let Angel continue. "Third, the whole city knows your secret now. I can bet the Military Police will be showing up any day now to confiscate what's left of your Megadeuce."
Roger grimaced. "So what do you suggest we do? Go down into the Catacombs with Swartzvald? I don't thinke he'd take well to new neighbors."
Angel grinned. "You could always flee the city."
Roger was taken aback. "What do you mean? Where would we go? Paradigm is all that was left after the Event!" Then a thread of insight struck him. "I once asked you if you were born in this city, Angel. You never really answered me."
Angel's grin widened. "We have some talking to do, Mr. Negotiator."
Be warned, it gets weirder from here on out! Please review!
{Author's note: start playing the triumphant battle music here, from the end of R*D :) }
The black Megadeuce looked as if it had been through hell. One eye lens was cracked again, and a large chunk was missing from the orange helm. The left piston was at an angle, and the armor on that arm was buckled and dented. The covers for several of the missile racks had been torn away, as well as one of the racks. The right shoulder plating was gone, and the entire skin was scratched like a giant Pero had used it as a toy. To Dorothy, it was the greatest sight in the world.
"Where the heck did he come from?!? I thought old Crow Boy had been wasted!" Beck panicked inside at his controls.
"Well then, you thought wrong." Roger's voice came, clear as ever, across the radio. Angel was still slightly in shock.
Big O advanced on Beck's robot, which was trying to stand. Roger delivered a hammering blow with his right arm, followed by one from the left. Just as the Nightmare got to its feet, he brought a fist up in an uppercut, throwing Beck down again. This time, Big O brought the right arm down on the other robot's head and fired off its pile-driver. The explosion threw cars hundreds of feet, finished the patchwork Megadeuce, but did not halt Dorothy, who was running full-bore for the resurrected Megadeuce.
Big O reached down with both hands and tore the chest panel off, revealing Beck and his croneys just as the Military Police arrived on the scene. Roger spotted them, and also saw Dorothy, running towards him with Norman not far behind. He smiled, and placed his right palm on the ground long enough for them to climb aboard. After they had entered the hatch, he turned and looked at Big Duo.
"Surprised to see me?"
"I--but--you were--weren't you??" was the best Angel could manage.
"I thought so." Big O threw her a salute, just as Big Duo had done when Angel had first shown up piloting it, and descened into the tunnels.
The hatch into the cockpit opened, and Dorothy threw her arms around Roger, who was somewhat amazed and bewildered at the greeting. Norman came up behind her. After a moment, she backed up and looked him straight in the eye.
"Don't you ever do that to me again, you louse!!" the supposedly emotionless android scolded Roger. He laughed and embraced her again, beaming at Norman.
"When that rubble fell on me, it pushed Big O through the ground and into an even deeper level of the Catacombs. It took me this long just to find a route back to the surface and get my bearings. I happened to notice you were in trouble, Angel, so I decided to break throuh right there."
"Well, your timing couldn't have been better. I have to congradulate you on this one, Roger. Not only did you make a grand entrance and save the day, it also looks like you got the girl."
"Whu?? Oh." He turned and smiled at Dorothy on the couch beside him. She awkwardly tried to copy him, but emotion was so new to her circuits that it didn't quite come out right. Instead, she put her arm around him. Roger flinched.
"Oh. You're hurt." Dorothy was obviously concerned, but her voice was the same steady monotone as always.
"It's just a scratch," Roger said, but she put a finger to his lips.
"We'll get Norman to take a look a that soon."
"So, Roger, what do you plan to do now?" queried Angel.
"What do you mean?"
The blonde woman shook her head. "You *are* going to keep playing innocent until it kills you. First off, you tried to kill Alex Rosewater. That won't do a whole lot for your reputation. There's also the fact of any successive Red Destinies. Dorothy and I ran into one in the catacombs just the other day." Roger raised an eyebrow, sure there was a story behind it, but let Angel continue. "Third, the whole city knows your secret now. I can bet the Military Police will be showing up any day now to confiscate what's left of your Megadeuce."
Roger grimaced. "So what do you suggest we do? Go down into the Catacombs with Swartzvald? I don't thinke he'd take well to new neighbors."
Angel grinned. "You could always flee the city."
Roger was taken aback. "What do you mean? Where would we go? Paradigm is all that was left after the Event!" Then a thread of insight struck him. "I once asked you if you were born in this city, Angel. You never really answered me."
Angel's grin widened. "We have some talking to do, Mr. Negotiator."
Be warned, it gets weirder from here on out! Please review!