Chapter 8: The Clock Strikes Twelve
Roger grunted as he woke up. The sun was shining in the open balcony doors and the clock on Amelia's night table said it was almost noon. He got up and looked at the sky, the moon clearly visible near the sun, waiting for the Earth to rotate just a bit more so it could take it's place in the sky and relish in it's rare midday glory.
He looked at the room for some sign of the giant that had assaulted and kidnapped Amelia, his head aching as he gazed over the bed, one slab of wood catching his eye. He picked it up and immediately read the blockish, scratched in writing from Amarav. It was an address, it didn't say to what, but he was sure that the half android was inviting him to a rematch, this time with the Big O on his side.
Roger yanked back his sleeve and called on his Mega Deus, which appeared outside of the mansion, tearing up the street. He ran down the steps and outside, where he got into the Big O and made his way across the city.
The address that had been his only clue was burned into his mind, enveloped in his mind to try and pinpoint where he was going, instead of just showing up like some pizza delivery boy. That might get Amelia hurt if not killed. The address was so familiar, and as he headed towards the business district it suddenly occurred to him where he had to go.
The clock tower rose above the other buildings by at least four stories excluding the domes. It was supposed to be the tallest building in the city so everyone could always have a focal point of where they were, though nobody could get lost when they never left the city. Roger pointed the Mega Deus in the right direction and cleared people from the streets as he took up both lanes.
As he got closer Roger could see what time it was clearly, including two people actually on the ledge under the gigantic time piece. Amelia was one of them, hugging the corner for dear life as Amarav slowly chased after her, his fingers simply digging into the building to make sure he didn't fall off the narrow ledge that accommodated her small feet better than his own large ones.
Amarav got close enough to touch Amelia and she let go of the building, willing to fall to her death than betray what she knew. Roger moved the Big O forward so quickly that it went down on one knee, both hands rising up to catch Amelia as gently as they could. She fell into their cupped safety and Roger straightened the Mega Deus, opening the helm so that he could walk out and get her.
Amelia didn't expect the ground to come so soon as she felt her body impact against something hard. The breath was knocked from her lungs and she wondered if the entire absence of extreme pain was what it felt like to have every bone in your body crushed just before you died. The footsteps didn't surprise her, but the hands lifting her up into a pair of strong arms covered in a rumple, dirty black suit made her wonder and try to move her head.
She looked up and found herself staring into Roger's concerned eyes, surprised again that she could move any part of her body.
"Are you alright?" He asked, holding her a bit closer than he needed to.
She nodded just to make sure her neck wasn't broken. "I think so."
"What were you doing?"
"Rosewater is inside the clock tower. He's the one who's been behind everything, the threats, the attacks, Amarav. I couldn't give up what I knew, they would have used it against you."
Roger shook his head as he walked back to the controls of the Big O. "I would rather you tell them everything you know and be safe than see you dead."
Amelia smiled softly and reached up to brush away the hair that had fallen on his forehead, the carefully combed locks now as disheveled as the rest of his clothing. Roger ducked into the control center when the clock tower began to chime. Amelia looked up and trembled slightly in his arms as the tolls went by, slowly making their way to twelve. The sky began to darken, and they both looked up as Roger set her down, the moon blocking the sun from view. The air began to tingle around them, and the people in the streets mechanically walked into the buildings around them, no matter what they were, most visible through glass store fronts. They had fallen asleep where they were.
Roger grunted as he woke up. The sun was shining in the open balcony doors and the clock on Amelia's night table said it was almost noon. He got up and looked at the sky, the moon clearly visible near the sun, waiting for the Earth to rotate just a bit more so it could take it's place in the sky and relish in it's rare midday glory.
He looked at the room for some sign of the giant that had assaulted and kidnapped Amelia, his head aching as he gazed over the bed, one slab of wood catching his eye. He picked it up and immediately read the blockish, scratched in writing from Amarav. It was an address, it didn't say to what, but he was sure that the half android was inviting him to a rematch, this time with the Big O on his side.
Roger yanked back his sleeve and called on his Mega Deus, which appeared outside of the mansion, tearing up the street. He ran down the steps and outside, where he got into the Big O and made his way across the city.
The address that had been his only clue was burned into his mind, enveloped in his mind to try and pinpoint where he was going, instead of just showing up like some pizza delivery boy. That might get Amelia hurt if not killed. The address was so familiar, and as he headed towards the business district it suddenly occurred to him where he had to go.
The clock tower rose above the other buildings by at least four stories excluding the domes. It was supposed to be the tallest building in the city so everyone could always have a focal point of where they were, though nobody could get lost when they never left the city. Roger pointed the Mega Deus in the right direction and cleared people from the streets as he took up both lanes.
As he got closer Roger could see what time it was clearly, including two people actually on the ledge under the gigantic time piece. Amelia was one of them, hugging the corner for dear life as Amarav slowly chased after her, his fingers simply digging into the building to make sure he didn't fall off the narrow ledge that accommodated her small feet better than his own large ones.
Amarav got close enough to touch Amelia and she let go of the building, willing to fall to her death than betray what she knew. Roger moved the Big O forward so quickly that it went down on one knee, both hands rising up to catch Amelia as gently as they could. She fell into their cupped safety and Roger straightened the Mega Deus, opening the helm so that he could walk out and get her.
Amelia didn't expect the ground to come so soon as she felt her body impact against something hard. The breath was knocked from her lungs and she wondered if the entire absence of extreme pain was what it felt like to have every bone in your body crushed just before you died. The footsteps didn't surprise her, but the hands lifting her up into a pair of strong arms covered in a rumple, dirty black suit made her wonder and try to move her head.
She looked up and found herself staring into Roger's concerned eyes, surprised again that she could move any part of her body.
"Are you alright?" He asked, holding her a bit closer than he needed to.
She nodded just to make sure her neck wasn't broken. "I think so."
"What were you doing?"
"Rosewater is inside the clock tower. He's the one who's been behind everything, the threats, the attacks, Amarav. I couldn't give up what I knew, they would have used it against you."
Roger shook his head as he walked back to the controls of the Big O. "I would rather you tell them everything you know and be safe than see you dead."
Amelia smiled softly and reached up to brush away the hair that had fallen on his forehead, the carefully combed locks now as disheveled as the rest of his clothing. Roger ducked into the control center when the clock tower began to chime. Amelia looked up and trembled slightly in his arms as the tolls went by, slowly making their way to twelve. The sky began to darken, and they both looked up as Roger set her down, the moon blocking the sun from view. The air began to tingle around them, and the people in the streets mechanically walked into the buildings around them, no matter what they were, most visible through glass store fronts. They had fallen asleep where they were.
