PART 6

Angel shot up in bed. Her eyes flicked nervously around the room, struggling to make out any shapes in the darkness. She clutched her sheets, her heart racing in her chest.
"Is-is someone there?" she called out. There was no response. She scrambled for the bedside lamp. When she found it, she flicked its switch several times and then groaned with frustration. Evidently the power was out. "Norman!" she shouted, and then waited for several seconds. No response. "Norman!!!"
"Hey baby" came the response. But it was most definitely not Norman's voice. A light pierced the darkness, landing on Angel, illuminating her lovely features. The light then turned up and revealed the cocky smile of Beck Gold. Angel screamed.

"What was that?" Norman asked, trying his best to navigate his way through the house in the dark. Dorothy soon solved his plight, as her disk drive slid open, pouring light into the room. "Why thank you, Dorothy." Norman said with a friendly smile.
"It sounded like Angel" Dorothy observed. They both slowly walked through the mansion. The floorboards creaked under them, adding a further layer of tension to the already creepy situation.
"Get em!" came a shout from the darkness. Suddenly two figures leapt out from the shadows. One of them began struggling with Norman while the other tried to wrap his arms around Dorothy and force her to the ground. But rather, found himself unable to even budge her. He strained, groaned, and then shouted, but still could not even move the android.
Dorothy reached out and grabbed his collar, hoisted him into the air, and tossed him aside as if he were no more than a fly. She then proceeded to give the same treatment to the goon attempting to attack Norman. She turned her light upon them. Her eyes widened slightly when she found herself gazing upon Beck's henchmen.
"Oh yeah, I dig strong women" Beck said from across the room. They both turned, and found themselves gazing down the barrel of a gun. "Now, would you be so kind as to direct us toward Paradigm's Top Negotiator's money?"
"You have entered Master Roger's home uninvited" Norman responded, "I shall have to ask you to leave, now." Dorothy took a step forward, and Beck felt his finger tighten slightly on the trigger. But then, his memory conjured something up: 'If Dorothy is in any way harmed, I will peel you like an onion...'
With a scream Angel threw herself at Beck, slamming herself into him, knocking him down to the floor. Beck's pistol discharged, the bullet pierced the chain holding up one of the chandeliers above, sending it crashing to the floor.
"What do you know about Damian?" Angel shrieked as she tore at Beck's hair and clothes, "What do you know about Damian?!"
"You crazy bitch" Beck growled, "get off me!" he slammed the butt of his pistol down onto Angel's head, and she went limp against him. He shoved her off and started to stand up, only to find himself hoisted off the floor and suspended I midair as Dorothy gripped him by his collar. "Damian!" Beck shouted as he squirmed to release himself. "I know Damian!"

"Who is Damian?" Dorothy said, her monotone voice almost disturbing in these circumstances.
"Wayneright! He knew Tim Wayneright! And Solderno too!" At this Dorothy released him. He crashed down onto the floor and scrambled back against the wall.
"He knew Dr. Wayneright?" Dorothy said. Her voice took a hopeful tone, strange for her.
"He-he said that he knew....that he knew the real Dorothy." Beck said, struggling to catch his breath.
"Who is he?" Dorothy's face betrayed her now, and for a moment, one would have sworn that she looked like a regular woman who had just attained her hearts desire.
"I'm not sure. I just know where he is."
"Where?"
"He's..."
"That will be enough!" Norman said as he stormed back into the room. Beck was not sure which was more imposing, the look in Norman's eye, or the machine gun he held in his hands.
"Norman, wait..." But before Dorothy could finish, Beck attempted to take a shot at Norman, who returned fire. Beck scrambled out of the way, and the bullets tore the walls to pieces. He ducked behind a couch, and they exchanged fire for several minutes. "Stop, Norman!" Dorothy shouted, grabbing the weapon from the old soldier's hands. Before Norman could protest, Beck fired a shot that caught Norman in his leg. Norman shouted and sagged to the floor, clutching his wound, trying to stop the bleeding.
Dorothy spun and faced Beck, who was back on his feet, running a comb through his hair. "Who is Damian?" she demanded, taking a step forward. Beck flashed her one of his characteristically cocky grins.
"Well, I could just tell you...but he wants to tell you himself!" Dorothy's head swung around, as if expecting the mysterious Damian to leap out from the shadows. Beck laughed at her. "Ah, ah, ah, he said he'd meet you at a very special place, that you'd know where."
Beck's two flunkies emerged from one of the adjoining rooms, their arms full of Roger Smith's money. Dorothy watched them go, wanting to stop them, but also desperately wanting to know what they knew. They both made for the door, and Beck followed, backing away slowly. He gave Dorothy a wink and laughed again. "So long babe. I'll let Solderno's ghost know you said hi!"
Dorothy watched them leave. One would argue that, as an android, she had no feelings, nor any knowledge of them. But at that moment, Dorothy most definitely was trying to find such knowledge, for she was totally unsure of what to feel.

"Colonel Dastun..." a young officer of the Military Police said as he stepped into the Colonel's office.
"Yes?" Dastun said, looking up from the papers on his desk.
"We followed up on that lead you suggested. Here's what we found." He handed a slim filing folder to the Colonel, who flipped through it with a keen interest. His eyes scanned over each of the papers, until they found something that interested him. He read it, re-read it, and then slammed the folder down onto the desk.
"I had a feeling..." he growled. He stood up, grabbed his uniform- coat, and hurried out the door.

"Are you sure, Norman?" Roger said, standing nearby, ready to help his old friend if he needed it.
"I am quite all right, Master Roger. It only grazed me." Norman stood up of his own power, though leaning against cane. He hobbled a few feet, stumbled slightly and Roger was instantly at his side, helping him back up.
"Maybe you should just take it easy for a little bit, Norman" Roger suggested, "I can take care of myself."
"But I must repair Big O" Norman insisted. "If that monstrous megadeus should come back..."
"The Military Police are capable of handling it on their own" Roger said, even though they both knew the untruth of it. Norman finally sighed and nodded his head. "And what of Miss Angel?" Norman asked, focusing his single eye on Roger.
"She took a pretty nasty bump, but she should be fine" Roger said. He helped Norman to his own bedroom, and left him to undress himself. Roger then stepped through the chaos of his living room, and onto the balcony. Dorothy had assumed her usual place, standing on the very edge of the stone railing, gazing out over the city.
"Are you here to lecture me, Roger?" Dorothy asked, not even turning to face him.
"No Dorothy. I just wanted to know, why didn't you stop them?" Dorothy waited a few moments, her hair blowing in the wind before she answered.
"He said he knows who Damian is."
"And what does that matter to you?"
"I...am not sure, Roger." Dorothy hopped down off the railing and stood before him for a moment. "But I have to know who he is."
"Why?"
"I don't know. I just have to. Goodnight Roger." With that, Dorothy walked back into the mansion, leaving Roger alone on the balcony. He gazed out at Paradigm City, frowning.
"I know you're out there, Damian, whoever you are..." Roger thought aloud, "But why are you doing all this to me?"

He ascended the stairs slowly. His footsteps echoed all through the empty halls. He stared straight ahead, his eyes never once moving from their destination. He came stepped into the massive room, and stood before the portrait of Dorothy. He looked up at, frozen in place.
It was almost time.