Iron Fist Wedding: Chapter 10

What is this new development? Why is the device referring to William as a dominous now; or is it even referring to him in the first place? And why did it do it in reality; instead of like it did before in dreams?

Keep watching and find out! (And hopefully the next chapter won't take as long as these last 3 did. ; ).

And please feel free to comment/favorite this; I'd appreciate it! I hope that I can continue this fanfic now! ^_^

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‘Iron Fist Wedding’ Chapter 10, “The answer”:




“And that’s what happened…” Roger Smith explains to William Prime as they both sit on the park bench in the city.

“Roger…” A voice states; and they both turn to see R. Dorothy standing behind them. “Wow; I didn’t even hear her come up…I must be getting deaf…” William mutters sheepishly to himself.

“R. Dorothy? What are you doing here?” Roger asks her. “I heard you leave; and I followed you here,” she explains, and then appears to smile a little bit, “Thank you.”

“For what?” Roger asks, a little confused. “For not being a louse anymore.” She replies; taking a seat next to him.

“Um…not to interrupt here or anything; but…” William begins; raising his hand into the air a little. “Oh, right; sorry…” Roger replies with a slight laugh; removing his shades again.

“Well; after that; I began my new life in the true Paradigm City; with R. Dorothy. The city was isolated; as I found out; and no one ever left or entered the city because of the experiment. After the experiment ended; I thought that would change…but it didn’t. People just continued to live their lives as if it were still happening; and nothing that I did changed that. You’re one of the first visitors to this city in quite some time…people just don’t come here anymore. It’s almost as if the rest of the world has forgotten about us…almost as if the experiment is still going on…” Roger explains with a sigh; placing his hands on either side of his head.

“Well; I know that the experiment has ended; it was reported by the news in Brasilli. Honestly; I didn’t pay much attention to it; since it didn’t matter to me at the time; but I do remember hearing about it.” William replies.

“That’s good then…” Roger replies; his voice trailing off.

William sits up a bit more and looks over at him again. “Anything else happen after that?” He asks him.

“Not really, William. Time passed; and all of the people I had known from before didn’t exist any more. Angel, Norman, Dan…they were all gone; along with the experiment. There was a few times that I thought I saw them; but it was their real world counterparts; the people that they had been based upon. When they designed that experiment; they did it well.” Roger replies.

“That’s amazing…” William states in awe of Roger’s story. “What is?” R. Dorothy asks him. “Everything about that…the experiment; the revelation; the fact that you two are still here despite everyone else being gone…” He replies, then rubs his chin a little bit, “…Makes me wonder about what Alan said…he wasn’t lying, was he?”

“Lying?” Roger asks him with a little confusion. “It’s just that…no; it doesn’t matter. It’s in the past; and the fact is that it’s over; and only you, R. Dorothy and Big O exist to tell of it.” William replies with a reaffirming smile.

“What was he lying about?” Roger asks him; ignoring William’s comment. “Well; now that I think about it; maybe it wasn’t so much him lying as it was him assuming he knew all the facts…” William replies, “…Like when he told me that Seldano was actually Wayneright; that was a lie…but then again; maybe he didn’t actually know the truth behind it and just said that; assuming it was right since it seemed to make sense in his mind.” William explains.

“I see…” Roger replies, “…Was there anything else that he was wrong about?” “Well; I already told you what I could remember from our conversation. I’m sure there were other things that were wrong as well; but it was the ravings of man who had lost his sanity long ago…I guess I shouldn’t have believed as much of what he said as I did.” William replies; looking away sheepishly.

“Don’t worry about it, William. We all make mistakes; and we are all lead blindly sometimes. That’s what life’s about; learning and growing from those mistakes. You wouldn’t believe how much I’ve changed over these past years since the end of the experiment.” Roger states.

“I can imagine…” William states; smiling a little as he looks over at him. Just then; a beam of light hits his face; causing him to try to block it with his arm.

“Wow, it’s already dawn?” Roger replies. “Time flies…” R. Dorothy states, causing both of them to look at her. “That is the proper use of that expression; is it not?” She asks; and both William and Roger laugh a little bit. “Yes, it is, Dorothy…” Roger replies with a smile as he looks down at her.

“Should we go back to your place then?” William asks him. “Yes; that’s a good idea, William.” Roger nods. They all get up and start to walk out of the park as the Sun’s warming rays begin to penetrate the chill of the evening; leaving a slight dew on the windows of the shops in town.

They walk back to Roger’s place; walking towards the main living room as they enter. “You know; that is one thing I do miss about the experiment…” Roger suddenly states as he hangs up his suit jacket. William looks up at him as R. Dorothy walks by and into another room. “What’s that?” William asks him, slowly removing his suit jacket.

“Norman Burg…he was a good man; and I never got to thank him properly for everything that he did for me,” Roger states; looking blankly across the room, an image of Norman in his mind. “He may just have been an illusion of reality; but he was real to me.” Roger finishes.

“You miss him because he’s not here to clean up after you anymore.” R. Dorothy states; appearing at a doorway adjacent to the room.

“That’s not it at all…” Roger yells; getting mad for a moment; but then he calms down and sighs, “…That’s not it. Sure, I loved having to not have to do my own laundry and everything else; but I miss him as a person; not because of what he did.”

“I was only joking Roger Smith; trying to lighten the mood.” R. Dorothy replies and walks out of the room again. “You two really are something else…” William laughs as he hangs up his coat finally. Roger watches as he walks past him; unsure of what to say in response; but eventually decides to say nothing and follows him into the living room.

William takes a seat in one of the chairs; holding his hands together in front of him as Roger sits directly across from him. “Have you ever been in love before, William Prime?” Roger asks him.

“What?!” William shouts; totally shocked by the question. Roger flinches a little; taken back by William’s reaction; but moments later recovers and asks the same question again.

“I…I can’t say…” William replies in a mutter. “Not really sure if it was true love?” Roger asks him. “Not so much that; but rather I…” William begins; but stops himself in mid-sentence, “…I just can’t say about it. I can’t talk about it; sorry.”

“Alright; I understand.” Roger replies with a nod. “You do?” William asks; a little confused now. He sits up a little in the chair and stares at Roger in confusion. “I understand that you can’t talk about it now. We all have secrets we have to keep.” Roger replies.

“Heh; you’re still good…” William replies; leaving Roger a little perplexed. “What…” Roger begins to ask when William waves his hand a little bit; causing him to trail off in mid-sentence.

“You’re still a good negotiator; I mean,” William states with a smile, “You almost convinced me to tell you about what happened. That was very clever; but unfortunately; I can’t discuss it. It’s still too painful; and it’s something I have to come to terms with before I can discuss it with anyone else.”

“Thank you, William Prime.” Roger replies, now leaving William confused. “For what?” William replies, “I more or less just shot down your attempt at finding out about my past. How is that something to thank me over?”

“No, I mean thanks for telling me that I’m still a good negotiator. This is a thankless job; and more often than not I get people who are pissed off at me for not doing things like they think it should be done and so on. I rarely get compliments these days; and it’s nice to finally hear a sincere one again.” Roger explains.

He smiles and laughs a little; out of happiness. William shrugs a little bit, accepting the reason. “You’re welcome then, Roger Smith.” William replies with a smile as well.

“I’m really surprised that I’m not tired; speaking I didn’t sleep at all last night.” William states after a few moments of silence. “It’s amazing what an active mind can do.” Roger comments, waving his hand a little to emphasize the comment.

“Do you like scrambled eggs, William Prime?” R. Dorothy asks; suddenly appearing next to him with a tray of food. “Oh, I didn’t realize you had made breakfast…” Roger replies; looking up at her.

“Yes. Since Norman is not here anymore; I have to do take care of his duties. You know that, Roger.” She replies; looking over at him. “I know…but I just wasn’t expecting it…” Roger laughs; trying to avoid sounding stupid.

“Yes, R. Dorothy; I like scrambled eggs. You didn’t have to make me anything.” William replies; looking up at her as he remains seated. She doesn’t reply; but instead just sets the food down on the small coffee table between William and Roger. “Well; thank you for the food; R. Dorothy.” William replies with a polite nod; and she lightly nods in response.

“She’s something else alright…” William laughs a little to himself as he picks up a fork, “You’re a lucky man, Roger Smith.”

“I know that now…” Roger smiles happily; grabbing his fork and proceeding to eat some of the breakfast. All of a sudden; a loud blaring sound breaks the mood; and causes both Roger and William to drop the their forks on the floor.

“What the…?” William begins; reaching down into his pocket automatically. “The sound’s coming from your device…” Roger replies; leaning forward and looking at William as he pulls out the device and looks at it.

“That’s strange…” William responds, scratching his head a little. “What is it?” Roger asks. “It says the same thing as it did in my dreams; but it’s doing it for real now and it's addressing me personally this time…I think…” William responds. “What does it say?” Roger asks him. William looks up at him with confusion, “It says, ‘The answer to all lies in Paradigm, Dominous.’”.

Iron Fist Wedding: Chapter 9

Well; I hope you all like this so far!

I know that R. Dorothy and Roger had to end up together; since I cried when they didn't at the end of Big O.

Sorry to have to say this here; but I wanted to say it. ; It was too sad; and I needed to have them fall in love...kind of makes me a little sad to do something so predictable; but it had to be done.

Click here to read the story!

‘Iron Fist Wedding’ Chapter 9, “The Life”:





“I’m just not sure about it anymore…” William Prime sighs as he sits on a park bench in Paradigm City; the city that now questions all he knows and understands.

Time seems to pass slowly like molasses leaking from a split barrel as William tries to make a decision about the one thing he’s not sure about himself.

William sighs a little; lowering his hands from his head and placing them on his lap. “Maybe…I will move…” He begins; grabbing the device out of his pocket, “…Perhaps you are right. I never thought that an inanimate object could ever hold power over a real person; but apparently; my destiny is to listen to you and accept it willingly.”

The device sits quietly in William’s hand; much to his disappointment. “Why did he have to give me you? Did he know something about me that I didn’t even know?” William asks rhetorically as he thinks back to the professor and his final moments with William.

“It’s a difficult decision; isn’t it?” A voice asks; and William turns suddenly to see Roger standing behind him; his hand gently pressed against the back of the bench and supporting his body.

“…How long have you been listening to me?” William asks with a slightly depressed sigh. “Not long,” Roger begins with a slightly confused face, “Why?”

“No real reason…” William responds, lowering his head a little, “…I’m a little reluctant to rely on others to make my decisions for me; that’s all.”

“Are you directing that towards me or the device?” Roger asks; taking a seat next to William. William looks over at him with surprise; but sighs moments later and looks down at the ground again. “It really wasn’t directed at anyone; more or less it was directly at myself.” William replies.

“You know; ever since I finally learned the truth about Paradigm City; I feel as though I’ve lost a bit of myself…” Roger states; changing the subject as he carefully pulls off his glasses and sets them in his pocket of his suit. “How so?” William asks; a little intrigued as he looks up slightly at Roger.

“Back when Paradigm was just an enigma to me and memories were necessary to learn and know; there was a real need for my services; both professionally and privately. There were lots of criminals and monsters and cases for me to handle; both as myself and with the help of Big O…” Roger explains; his voice starting to trail off a little. William continues to listen to him as Roger sighs a little and resumes speaking.

“I was so obsessed with learning the truth and understanding myself; that I lost track of what really mattered.” Roger states, leaning back fully onto the bench and spreading open his arms along the back of it.

“What was that?” William asks him. “The here and now; the present.” Roger replies; closing his eyes a little. The cold air of the night gently skims across Roger’s face; blowing his slightly gray hair a little.

“What did happen?” William asks unexpectedly. Roger opens his eyes again; sitting up a little out of surprise. “What do you mean?” Roger asks him; a tone of confusion in his voice. “With everything…with you; R. Dorothy; Norman; the city; Big O…everything. What happened here?” William asks him with a note of intrigue.

“I thought you already knew…” Roger replies, “…After all; it was you who knew about me before we had even met.” William nods gently, but resumes the intrigued look a moment later. “Yes; but I never knew your personal story…what happened over the years since Alan told me about what happened so long ago in the past.”

“Now you’re making me sound old…” Roger laughs a little; causing William to flinch a little; but he quickly recovers and laughs a little as well. “But you’re right; it was a long time ago…I am getting older; whether I like it or not,” Roger replies, “And time’s the true test here…I’ve come to know that. Let me see if I can explain what happened.”

Roger sits up fully in the chair; clasping his hands together as he begins to speak. “It was the same thing over and over again; as I came to find out. Those memories we lost all those years ago…the whole thing was fake; a clever stage made by people who wanted to see how people would cope without knowing who they were and without knowing the truth about everything. And it ended up that I was stuck in an infinite loop; along with everyone else. Who knows how many times I had played the same part on the stage of life; but I played it the same every single time. I couldn’t see beyond what my eyes wanted me to see; and I was never able to break free because of it.” Roger explains; letting each float into the cold night air; being received intently by William.

“Then finally; one day; it happened. The final scene came about again…me and R. Dorothy inside Big O; watching as the entire world was being destroyed by Big Venus. I took the script that had been presented to me so many times and read it clearly and loudly; that script of life that I had never seen and yet knew line for line so well. I watched as Big Venus walked closer and closer to me; disintegrating everything in it’s path. I tried to reason with it…with her…” He states somberly. “Her?” William asks, a little puzzled by Roger’s self-correction.

“Yes…her. Her name was Angel…or so she said. Her real name was never known; but she was a woman…one like I had never met before. I was intrigued by her; and I found myself falling in love with her,” Roger states as he reaches into his pocket again and grabs his shades; covering up his eyes again, “But it was never meant to be; because she was the true test for me. I didn’t realize it right away; but the truth was that she was only an instrument designed by the creators of the Paradigm City I know and used to keep everything in a continuous cycle. They knew that no human or android could be trusted to do the job; so they had to create something that would be part of the system; something that would remain a constant, no matter what the other variables of the experiment may change.”

“And she was…” William begins, leaning in a little closer to Roger. “She was Big Venus; yes. She changed into Big Venus every time the experiment reached the end; every time I came too close to figuring it all out. It was very clever; an instrument within a living city; treating it like a program; and resetting the city every single time. I don’t understand how it worked; but somehow it did…just like the Megadues and everything else in the city. But the truth of the matter is that despite her being what she was; I loved her…and that was what I had to learn.” Roger explains.

“What you had to learn?” William asks, now confused. “I had to learn what love was, William Prime. I was always such a louse; everyone said so and I knew it. I never appreciated women or love; and I never understood it’s true meaning. I always assumed it was something simple; something to be just given out and received like money; and that emotions were a hassle when it came to understanding love. But I was wrong…and one day I finally realized it…that day I finally came face to face again with Big Venus. I watched as she walked towards me; and I spoke my lines; but something happened…something I can’t explain. It was almost as if the script of life had been rewritten suddenly while I was reading it; and I had an epiphany.” Roger explains; expressing his feelings with his hands and face as he speaks.

“What was that?” William asks. “I realized suddenly that love had been there the whole time; waiting for me…and I never saw it. It was so painfully evident; clear as day; and yet I never saw it. She had told me many times that she loved me; she was always there for me and always by my side in everything I did; and I completely ignored her…” Roger explains as tears start to trickle down his face slowly.

“Angel?” William asks. “No, R. Dorothy Wayneright.” Roger replies, much to William’s surprise.

“R. Dorothy?” William asks; his jaw hung open a bit. “Yes…you see; I never wanted to love her because she wasn’t human. I was so caught up with physical love that I never accepted the truth of love; that it’s an emotion; felt when two people have a connection together that goes beyond the physical realm. And on that day; when I facing Big Venus yet again; I froze in mid-sentence suddenly; unable to move. I watched as Big Venus walked towards me; getting closer with each step; and I remember exactly what happened next; just as if it happened yesterday…” Roger explains; remembering the scene in his mind.

“Roger?” R. Dorothy asks him out of her usual level of concern; looking at him from back of Big O’s cockpit. “…Is that what you’ve been trying to tell me all along?” Roger suddenly asks; finally able to speak again. Big Venus continues to walk towards him; and he closes his eyes gently and turns around.

“I don’t know who I am; or what my purpose is; but something just occurred to me…” Roger explains; opening his eyes again and looking at R. Dorothy. “…Maybe I’m not supposed to understand. Maybe memories are what we make it; and nothing more. Maybe there is no such thing as reality; maybe nothing is real after all…” Roger reasons to himself as he walks towards R. Dorothy.

“What are you saying, Roger?” She asks him; watching him walk towards her. “I’m saying something I should have said before; something I should have said a long time ago,” Roger begins, “I’m saying that I’m not blind anymore. I’m saying that I now understand why you and Angel came into my life…she came in to teach me about you.”

Suddenly, Big Venus stops in it’s tracks; mere feet from Big O. “Roger…it stopped.” R. Dorothy states; pointing towards Big Venus. “Yes, and I know why now…” Roger states, “…because I’ve finally learned what I always needed to know; something I’ve been so painfully aware of but never able to accept.”

“Say it, Roger Smith, Negotiator of Paradigm City…” Big Venus states; it’s voice the same as Angel’s. “What’s going on?” R. Dorothy asks him, unable to understand why Big Venus just spoke.

“Why do you think it was that you were created an android?” Roger asks her. “I was created by my father in the image of his daughter.” R. Dorothy replies. “No...” Roger begins with a smile, “…You were created because I needed you to be one. I needed someone who would never age; someone who would be there with me and remain the same; so I could remember and understand, and so I could try again with the same setup until I finally made the right choice.”

“And what choice is that, Roger Smith?” R. Dorothy asks him. “The choice that Angel…no, Big Venus was trying to tell me without ever truly being able to say the words…” Roger explains as he gently grabs R. Dorothy’s arms, “…She was telling me that I had to make a choice; that I had to figure out what love was and to figure out that something that does not exist but in the form of a memory is nothing more than that; and not true love…”

“Roger…” R. Dorothy mutters as she looks up at him. “I could never truly fall in love with Angel because she wasn’t real; and because I was lying to myself all this time. I believed love was only physical; that I could only love a human because I needed the physical love a human can provide; but I was wrong…I could never love Angel because my heart always belonged to someone else; no matter how hard I tried to fight and deny it.” Roger explains with a smile; tears rushing down his cheeks.

“Roger…” R. Dorothy mutters again; unable to say anything more. Roger pulls her in close; and looks deeply into her eyes. “I’m saying now something I should have said long ago; something I should have said every single day…” Roger says as he gently caresses her face with his fingers, “…R. Dorothy Wayneright; I love you!”

With those words; Roger pulls her in tight and kisses her with a passion that only comes from true love. They put their arms around each other as they embrace tightly; time slowing down almost to a stop as they continue to kiss.

“It is done…” Big Venus states suddenly; as Roger and R. Dorothy slowly release their embrace. “It is done…” R. Dorothy repeats; nodding gently at Big Venus.

Roger looks around a little in confusion; and watches as Big Venus suddenly starts to evaporate and disappear.

“Angel?” Roger asks, walking towards the edge of the cockpit. “You have learned what you needed to; Roger Smith…the experiment is over. Goodbye, Roger Smith…thank you for teaching me; a sentient program; the true meaning of love.” Big Venus states as it dissipates into particles of light from the ground up.

“That was it all along…” Roger states, “…She just wanted to understand love…that’s all it was…”

As Big Venus dissipates; the blank grid that used to be Paradigm City starts to break apart and fade away; revealing the true Paradigm City; hidden for so many years from Roger’s view.

“Paradigm…” Roger mutters; staring in disbelief at the city below him; undamaged, unchanged and still alive with people and life.

R. Dorothy walks up next to him at the edge of Big O’s cockpit and he puts his arm around her. “Looks like life will finally start again...” Roger begins with a smile, “…But this time; it’s following my script.”

Iron Fist Wedding: Chapter 8

This is the first of the new chapters; being there 3 new ones (8, 9 and 10). I'm just glad that I re-watched Big O and finally got the motivation to at least work on this again!

I hope you all like the story so far; and please keep watching!

Click here to read the story!

‘Iron Fist Wedding’ Chapter 8, “The Renewal”:



"People have often wondered why I chose to be a negotiator…" William Prime begins as he sits in a large leather chair inside Roger Smith's home. R. Dorothy walks into the room and places a cup of tea on the table next to William; and with a nod, he proceeds to pick up the cup and sip it lightly.

Steam casually floats off of the surface of the tea as William drinks; allowing the sensuous aroma to fill his senses. He carefully sets the glass down, his hand and body still bandaged up from his encounter with Alan Gabriel.

"…Honestly, I sometimes wonder myself. I mean, I love the thrill of solving mysteries, finding clues; but…I've never really seen myself doing anything else. In my eyes, I was born for this job." William states.

"So I see…" Roger comments, deep in thought. R. Dorothy reenters the room and takes a seat at the piano. Her soft and delicate caressing of the keys allows a gentle melody to fill the room as a fireplace flickers quietly in the corner.

Roger suddenly stands and proceeds to walk over to the window. "For many years I wasn't sure I was meant to be a negotiator…" he begins as he stares out the window. William looks up at him with intrigue, and joins him at the window.

"Do you see that?" Roger asks him as he points out the window. William looks out at the cityscape; at the buildings twinkling against the pitch-black sky. He observes the cars rushing through the streets; the people walking along and going about their daily routines. With the window open; he listens to the soothing sounds of traffic in the distance; and the sweet smell of the night fills his lungs.

"Do you mean the city?" William asks as he sighs with relaxation. "Not just that; but the people of the city." Roger explains, "I often wondered too why I was a negotiator, why I chose to help those less fortunate than myself; to pilot a Megadues. But in the end; it all came back to the city. For a long time; I didn't know what drove me; what made me tick. As a matter of fact; I wasn't really sure who Roger Smith really was. But there was always one thing I could count on, and that was the city. Paradigm City…I felt I owed this city something; I felt that I needed to help not only the residents here; but the city itself. I think that's the real reason I became a negotiator."

The wind blows lazily into the room; gently meandering its way through Roger's graying hair. William turns back to face the room and watches R. Dorothy still playing the piano softly.

"Perhaps it is destiny then…" William quietly states as he turns back to Roger. "What?" Roger asks calmly. "That I came here; that I met you and that I got that device." William replies.

Roger nods and closes the window slowly. As Roger draws the curtains shut, William makes his way back to the chair and sits down carefully in order to prevent further aggravating his wounds.

"Destiny…" Roger begins, "…I'm not really sure what that is. Sometimes I feel that I can not escape fate; but other times I feel as though the future is what I chose it to be. All I know is that we only get one shot at it; and if we mess things up; then that's it. You don't get second chances in life; and that goes double for our lines of work."

"I agree completely." William replies as he rubs his bandaged gunshot wound lightly. "By the way, are you feeling any better? Have your wounds healed up yet?" Roger asks.

"To a degree. The doctors say I'll be able to go home within the week." William replies.

Suddenly, a sad expression crosses William's face as he traces the rim of the tea cup with his finger. "What's the matter?" Roger asks, concerned.

William sighs deeply, "Well, as you know, it's been a month since I here; but…" the sadness grows in William's voice as he speaks, "…but I'm not really sure I want to go back to Brasilli. I think about it almost every night now before I sleep; I think about my job back there; my apartment, my friends and my coworkers…and then I look around me here; and for some reason; I feel a great sense of peace. I feel as though I've been given a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, and that if I pass it up I'll regret it for the rest of my days."

Roger holds his chin quietly as William continues. "To be straight forward with you; I'm just not sure what to do. I've talked to my boss Rafael over the phone, and he's been extremely understanding and kind; allowing me to keep my job with him and extend my vacation. Granted, the last 3 weeks have been without pay, but that's besides the point."

William laughs a little, but the sadness is still very evident in his voice, "…I'm rambling, I know; but I guess I've just never really been faced with this perplexing of a problem before. As a negotiator I'm supposed to be prepared for anything; be ready for any and all situations and be able to think and react quickly and accurately without hesitation. But this…this, this is really a situation I don't know what to do in."

"Well, this is your decision William," Roger begins, "I can not tell you what to do. You have to decide that for yourself."

"I know," William nods, "But I guess I just never really considered moving before. I've always lived in Brasilli; and I've only been out of the city a few times; mostly on business related matters. And out of all those times; not once have I felt the attraction to a city that I have here."

"The answer to all lies in Paradigm." Roger suddenly mutters. R. Dorothy suddenly strikes a sour note on the piano and stops playing.

"What did you say?" William asks, now sitting on the edge of his seat. "Do you think that's what it meant? Do you think the device was telling you to move here?" Roger asks, perplexed.

"But how can that be? The device only said that phrase to me in my dreams; not once did I see it reality. And besides that; how could that device have the cognitive ability to predict or affect the future?" William asks.

Roger rubs his chin a little and extends his hand out in a suggestive manner. "Well, your professor friend did tell you that it had the ability to transverse time; perhaps it can go forward and backwards."

William raises an eyebrow in question but says nothing. "And Dorothy here is an android. She has the cognitive ability to understand, feel, think and comprehend…why can't that device?" Roger queries.

William reaches into his pocket and pulls out the infamous device. "You know, this device here has caused me nothing but trouble. At work, at home, on vacation…this thing has been a curse. Honestly, I'd hate to think that this thing had cognitive thoughts and could understand me or my surroundings."

William laughs nervously and Roger merely grimaces. "Fate…as far as I'm concerned, no one can really be sure what the future has in store for them. But I also believe that man is not meant to understand everything; and that some things are meant to remain mysteries. Perhaps this is one of those instances; perhaps you're just supposed to live your life day to day and not question it." Roger ponders.

"Who knows…" William sighs. He looks down at the device in his hand with a look of sheer confusion and wonder. "…I've got some serious thinking to do. I'm going for a walk. I'll be back shortly." William states as he rises from his seat.

Placing the device back in his pocket; he straightens out his suit and heads towards the door. He turns for a brief moment to look back at Roger, almost expecting him to say something. But Roger sits silently; as R. Dorothy stands beside him motionlessly. With a slight nod, William opens the door and proceeds to walk out of the room.

William walks out the front doors as a sudden gust of wind slams the doors closed behind him. "A bit chilly…but it'll be alright." William comments to himself as he buttons up his black suit and proceeds to walk down the street.

Bright signs from store fronts illuminate William's path as he walks; giving him pause. He looks at the stores lining the street and watches as customers go in and out at a slow and steady pace.

"These people have Roger Smith…do they really need me?" William asks himself as he walks along.

People from all walks of life pass him on the sidewalk as cars drive by both on the street and in the air. "If I did stay; I'd have to find a new line of work…I would never take Roger's job. He holds a special place in this city…I'm just a foreigner; a stranger in a strange land; so to speak. Times like this I wonder why I am here…"

Suddenly his mind goes back to the old man he met at the hospital about a month ago. "Many have wondered what is the meaning of life; why are we here and why do we exist. Honestly, I don't believe that anyone will ever know the answer to those questions; no matter how much faith they have or how hard they search. Some things just aren't meant to be known…" The words of the old man echo in William's mind as if he had just heard them only yesterday.

"What is it that compels me?" William asks himself as he takes a seat on a bench in a park. An older model android walks by him and lightly tips his hat; which is made of shiny gray metal like his body. William nods lightly in kindness; but nothing more.

"For that matter, what is it that compels us as a species? Humans have progressed so far over the years, and yet it seems that we haven't progressed that far. We still have desires, lusts, feelings, dreams, ambitions…but what fuels those feelings?" William asks himself.

William looks in the direction the android was walking in; but doesn't see him anymore. "An android…nothing more than a conglomerate of metal parts, wires, system networks and cables…and yet; it can be instilled with the same things that humans have and want…"

William's voice trails off as he loses himself in thought. With a loud sigh, William rubs the front of his head and sighs. "…Perhaps we just aren't meant to know…"

Iron Fist Wedding: Chapter 7

This was the last old chapter I did; the next 3 are all new (well; part of 8 is older; but not as old as the rest of the chapters). I'm going to try to keep this up if I can now.

But who was the old man? Was he a just a figment of William’s imagination; or something more? And what will Roger Smith do now that the situation he thought was under control is not anymore? Keep watching…

Click here to read the story!

‘Iron Fist Wedding’ Chapter 7, “The reality”:




Inside a dimly lit room William Prime lies upon a bed with a large white blanket covering him up to the chest. Scars and cuts with bandages wrapped around them litter his body and a prominent white bandage patch covers the bullet wound on his right shoulder.

"Are you alright Mr. Prime?" A hazy voice echoes in his ears as he slowly regains conscience. "Ohhhh…" William moans as he tries to rub his head but realizes that several tubes are hooked up to his arm, "What happened?" His eyes slowly begin to adjust to the low light and he looks off to his left to see someone sitting in a chair against the far wall near the entrance, but he can't make out the face.

"Where am I?" William grunts with pain as he tries to sit up in his bed, only to cry out in pain and sink back down. "Please lie still Mr. Prime…you've been through a terrible ordeal; and you need to recover your strength." The voice tells him, and he finally puts the voice together with the face of the person in the chair.

"Who are you?" he asks. The figure slowly rises from the chair and walks over to the side of William's bed; coming into the low lighting just above William's bed. His vision is a little cloudy but he's able to distinguish that the figure is a young girl, "My name is R. Dorothy…Don't you remember?"

"Uh…" William moans as he blinks slowly, "…Not really. I'm so exhausted…I really don't remember anything."

She nods with understanding and pulls the blanket up the rest of the way to William's neck, "You do need to rest and recover your strength…you should be better soon however." Her face remains emotionless, but he senses the sincerity in her voice and smiles lightly as he closes his eyes slowly and breathes a deep sigh of relief.

The soft pillow behind his head gently caresses his heavy head as he opens his eyes again and stares at the plain white ceiling above him. A small lamp on an extendable arm swing is just to the left of his field of vision, but the weight of his head holds him back from looking at it.

He breathes deeply again, and once again the stale odor of the room and lovely smell of R. Dorothy gives him a strange sense of pleasure and peace; forcing a smile out of him.

The sudden sound of wheels gently racing down a track distracts him, and he turns to see R. Dorothy pulling a white vinyl curtain closed around him slowly. He moves his head with much pain as he looks around the bed at the ceiling to notice a track of curtains running around the entire bed.

Just then he notices a second bed to his right, and he grunts with pain as he pushes himself up into a sitting position.

"Well hello there my boy…" the person in the other bed calls out with a little laugh. "Do I know you?" William asks as he tries to see the man in the other bed, but his eyes are still blurry. "I doubt it…" The man laughs, his voice aged and withered. "…But I do know a little about you."

"Really?" William blinks slowly as he tries to clear his vision to no avail. "Yeah…I overheard the doctors talking; and they said that you lost a lot of blood. Frankly, they think that you're lucky to be alive!" The old man smiles but William doesn't notice.

"Did they say how?" William asks groggily. "Not really, but I bet it has something to do with that wound on your shoulder there." The man states as he points to William's bullet wound. "Oh, this?" William comments as he points to the wound; almost yanking out his tubes.

He winces in pain and lowers his arm down to his side, easing the pain. The old man laughs and sits up on his bed, uncovering himself from underneath the blanket.

A few minutes pass without any exchange of words and William starts to fall asleep when the old man begins to speak again, "So…who's your lady friend?"

William blinks awake and shakes his head a little to wake up fully, "What do you mean?" "Oh don't be coy with me young lad…" The man giggles lightly, "…She's pretty cute. Is she your girlfriend?"

William's face becomes blank as he decides what to say next. A brief moment passes that seems like an eternity, "No…" William finally admits, not finishing his statement.

"Well, what is she then? Your sister? Cousin? A family friend?" the man asks. "No…she's…" he begins but then looks at the man in question, "What business is it of yours?"

The old man recoils a little in shock, but smiles soon afterward, "Oh come my boy, I was only asking. I'm not going to steal her from you or anything…" he laughs a little, "I'm an old man. My years have passed me by and there's no going back."

He sits in his white hospital gown upon the edge of the side of the bed facing William, "Listen to me my boy…you've got a lot of good years ahead of you; don't waste them like I did."

"What do mean?" William asks him. The old man smiles at him, "I would tell you to enjoy the beauty and power of your youth; but you wouldn't understand. Most people don't realize what they had until it's gone…until it's too late. I spent my life working, living from paycheck to paycheck; paying my bills and living a plain, ordinary life. But now I look back and realize that I wasted all of those years; I could have easily made something out of myself, but I failed miserably."

He looks away from William in sadness, "You see my boy, I could have went to college and made something out of my life; but instead I chose to just work at a normal minimum wage job. Sure, I rose in the ranks, made more money and lived a better life, but deep down inside my heart I was not happy." The man explained.

"I spent my life alone. I never married; and only dated occasionally, but nothing ever came out of those dates. I spent my life alone…" he looks back at William in sadness, "..and that's something I wouldn't wish upon my worst enemy."

William quietly listens as the old man continues to speak, "And so you see, now I'm too old for anything; my youthful days gone like pages torn out of a book. I have memories, but memories can only go so far…they can't replace the feelings of love and acceptance given by a real person."

A tear slowly drips down the face of the old man, rolling across his wrinkles like an old needle across a warped record, "I'm not trying to preach here, but I'd hate to see someone else go through the years of pain and sadness I had to endure. I have no children, no family, no wife…" he sighs deeply, "…no love."

William begins to tear up as he listens to the old mans words, each one more powerful than the last. "My heart has grown cold and bitter over the years. People I once called friends I now call mere acquaintances; and the race I used to love called humans I now hate."

He rises slowly from the bed and with each measured step makes his way around the bed. As he slowly pulls open the curtains; sunlight fills the room; causing William to shield his eyes.

As his eyes begin to adjust, William once again looks at the old man; but this time the light from the window creates an aura around him, casting soft beams of light from behind him that glow as they hit the dust in the air.

"Perhaps the cruelest teacher of them all is time," the old man begins as he slowly makes his way back to the bed, "Time has robbed me of my youth, my agility, and my health. But worst of all, time has robbed me of the one thing I cherish most at this time; my happiness." he smiles at William and he merely stares in awe at the old man.

Soft violin music plays in the background; music that William did not notice before but now has become prevalent. "My boy, listen to what I say. Enjoy this time you have here on this plain of existence. Time is precious, and we are not given much. Love your fellow man; love them as if they were the last being upon the face of the planet. Kindness is a rarity these days; and we as a species are too quick to deal out death like cards in a round of poker; except in this game the stakes are much higher than you could ever imagine. If you can help it; do not harm anyone; do not rob them of their time. Life is far too short for that."

"Many have wondered what is the meaning of life; why are we here and why do we exist. Honestly, I don't believe that anyone will ever know the answer to those questions; no matter how much faith they have or how hard they search. Some things just aren't meant to be known…" the old man lays back down on the bed and pulls the blanket over himself slowly like a veil. Tracks of tears stream down William's face; leaving distinct trails.

"I believe that life is meant to be enjoyed; life is meant to be lived for the moment; as if each moment were precious; because each moment is precious. Every second I talk is a second I will never get back. One could spend their life watching each second pass; counting each as it passes them; never even looking back, but they will gain nothing from that. Remember that memories are what we make them; and sometimes memories are all that we have…" the old man smiles, "Take it from someone whose been there."

As he painfully slumps back down into the bed, William stares at the ceiling, contemplating what the old man had just said. Suddenly the door bursts open and a few moments later the curtains part on the old man's side. Three doctors disconnect his equipment and unlock the brakes on the wheels of his bed.

"Where are you going?" William calls out as they start to move him. He looks at the doctors, and notices from their stiff movements that they are androids. "My time has finally come. I have incurable disease my boy." the old man explains as they start to move him, "I got it from a woman I once dated many years back. The doctors found it too late; and now my body is nearly dead."

He points around at the doctors as they silently move him, "My body may be nearly dead, but my soul craves life. But no one sees this anymore; people only see others for what they look like on the outside; not for whom they truly are on the inside." The man passes behind the curtains but continues to speak as the doctors move him on his bed, "Remember my boy; it's never easy to save a life; but it's always too easy to end one. Play your cards right; and enjoy what time you have. And be happy, for sometimes happiness is the only thing that won't abandon you."

Light from the outside hallway fills the room as the door opens and the doctors take him the rest of the way out; and the door slam with a fierce thud, causing William to flinch.

Just then the curtains near him part again and as William's eyes begin to clear up, he sees R. Dorothy standing near the bed. "How long have you been here?" William asks her. She gently places her hand upon his, "The whole time…" she gives what appears to be a slight smile, and returns to her seat.

"Hmm…he's finally awake." a manly voice states. William looks in the direction of the voice and sees Roger Smith walk into the room.

"Who are you?" William asks him. "Well, it appears that you don't have your memory back yet…but that's not surprising. You've been out for nearly a day…" Roger explains, "…do you realize just how close you came to dying?"

William looks at him as he places a hand upon R. Dorothy's shoulder and sips from a cup of something hot in his other hand, "No…" he smiles as he looks over to the empty space where the old man's bed was, "..but at least I didn't die like he did."

"Who?" Roger asks as he walks over to William's side. "The old man who was over there…" William points, confused. Roger walks over to the area and examines it closely.

He finds a clipboard on the floor and picks it up, "Hmm…you must be mistaken. There's been no one here for over 3 weeks." Roger looks over at William in confusion.

William quickly turns to R. Dorothy, "You seen him, didn't you?" "No, Mr. Prime, I did not." she admits. "But…but…" William begins as he slumps back into the bed.

"You're just exhausted William; it's nothing to worry about. The doctors say that you should be better by tomorrow once they finish their tests and you've regained your strength."

Roger states as he takes another sip of the drink, "So I think you'd better get some sleep. I'm very interested to hear about your adventure with Alan Gabriel…" William sighs deeply and closes his eyes, "Yes…I'll hopefully have my memory back by then."

He begins to breathe in and out as he starts to fall asleep, "Well…maybe if I play my cards right," William thinks to himself, "Maybe one day I'll understand what that old man meant; because I have a strange feeling he was right."

Iron Fist Wedding: Chapter 6

William proves himself to be more cunning and wittier than Alan had presumed, but now he’s got to tell Roger Smith what happened.

What will Roger think? And what other surprises lie in store for William Prime?

Keep watching and find out!

Click here to read the story!

‘Iron Fist Wedding’ Chapter 6, “The arrival”:




Alan laughs insanely as he holds the device in one hand and his golden gun in the other, “So William Prime, where would you like to be shot? Perhaps in the head? The heart?”

Sweat trickles down the back of William’s neck as he remains frozen in place, the fear of moving clearly displayed in his eyes. “Please Mr. Gabriel, just use the device and leave me alone…I don’t to die!” William squeaks out.

“Ah yes, that’s what I like to hear!” Alan laughs happily, “Please by all means beg for mercy…it will make your death so much more enjoyable!”

He takes a couple of steps closer towards William and places the tip of the barrel against William’s forehead, “You never answered my question however; where do you want to be shot? If you don’t decide…” he cocks the pistol, “Then I will decide for you.”

William looks up at the partially hidden face of Alan and gulps hard, “Please…just use the device and let me go.” Alan laughs a little and retracts the pistol from William’s head.

He twirls the pistol in his hand and catches it in the correct position. Suddenly he sneers and shoots William in the shoulder. “AAAAHHHHH!” William cries out in pain as he grabs his shoulder as a reaction, the blood pouring out onto his suit and staining the white inner shirt.

“Come on William, this isn’t very Negotiator-like of you…you’re supposed to do something clever and cunning, and take me down somehow. Surely giving in and letting me win goes against everything that a negotiator is supposed to do, am I right?” he asks as he raises the gun and aims it at William’s head again.

William is bent over in the chair holding his shoulder in tremendous pain, staring down at the floor. “Look at me when I talk to you!” Alan shouts as he cocks the pistol again. William slowly raises his head and looks up at Alan, “I have nothing to say to you…just use the device and stop shooting me!” William mutters.

Alan suddenly throws his arms into the air and waves the device and the gun around, “I don’t get it! I’m pushing all your buttons, but you’re still not acting like a negotiator! What’s wrong with you!” Alan asks as he re-aims the gun at William’s head.

“You’re the crazy one here; why don’t you ask yourself that question…” William begins as he grinds his teeth in pain. Blood oozes out between his fingers and covers over each finger like a fine deep, dark and rich red paint. He can feel the vessels under his skin pump blood through his body, and each pump brings excoriating pain that makes William weaker moment after agonizing moment.

“Come come now dear William, you’re not going to let me win this easily, are you?” Alan asks. “If I must in order to save my own life…then I will.” William admits as he leans over in the seat in extreme pain.

“Ah, this is no fun! You’re supposed to defy me; fight me to the bitter end; you know, so I can enjoy your death that much more…” Alan laughs insanely. “You are sick, sick man! I can see now why this Roger Smith guy didn’t like you!” William retorts angrily.

Alan laughs a little at this comment, “Oh my dear William there is so much more to it than that…” he sits in the co-pilot’s chair; but keeps the gun trained on William’s head the whole time. “Like what?” William asks.

All of a sudden Alan’s mouth frowns, “Oh…I see what you’re doing now dear William…you’re trying to stall me…” He sets the device down and puts the gun in his other hand.

Rising from his seat, he then walks over to William; William looking up at him slowly with disgust. With the swiftest of motions, he backhands William across the face with his metal hand and sneers at him.

“Do not take me for a fool! I have been a most gracious host; and I have spared your life thus far…but tempt me again; and your death will not only be painful, but it will be slow!” he shouts with contempt as he places the gun back in his metal hand and returns to his seat.

William’s face is bruised and battered from the blow, and four tiny slash marks across his cheek trickle blood down his face and neck. Tears begin to well up in his eyes, but he manages to hold them back.

“Face it my dear William, you’re not going to win! It’s impossible! I have the device; I have the gun, and I have complete control over the situation! There is absolutely nothing you can do to stop me!” Alan states with a keen smile. “This may be true Alan, but I don’t want to die… please just use the device and let me go!” William begs.

“Well well well…I thought I had you pegged dear William…” Alan begins as he rests his gun arm upon the armrest of the co-pilot’s chair, “…it appears you are trying some kind of reverse psychology on me!” he admits. “Damn!” William mutters in a low voice.

“Ah ha! I knew it!” Alan shouts as he points at William with his free hand. He rises from the chair again and strolls around the front cabin near William, “You can’t fool me that easily; I’m smarter than you think.” He smiles a little.

“So, you think by telling me to use the device I’m not going to use it; fearing that’s what you want me to do, right?” he asks William. William barely gives him a glance, “Why should I tell you anything; you seem to have it all figured out already?” “Do not try my patience dear William! I may be enjoying our little chat; but once I’ve run out things to talk to you about; it’s bye-bye time!” Alan adds with a smirk.

“I’m not as stupid as I pretend to be…” Alan states. William smiles a little, “Do want a second opinion?” “Do you want another bullet in your body?” Alan quickly adds. William’s smile fades, and he sinks back into the chair.

He looks out the window and sighs lightly, the pain subsiding a little, but not much. Outside, the moon hovers over the sea of clouds and casts a soft grey reflection across the tops of the clouds, creating the illusion of a single giant cloud. William smiles gently and blinks slowly, enjoying a moment of peace without Alan talking.

“Don’t fall asleep on me William…I want you to see my moment of triumph!” Alan’s words cut through William like a knife and he hesitantly turns around to face him.

“Your moment of triumph?” William asks sarcastically. “Yes, my moment of triumph. When I take this device that you were so kind enough to leave in your suitcase for me to find and use it to travel back in time and kill Roger Smith before he has the chance to use Big O to ruin our plans!” Alan explains.

“So you think you’ve got it all figured out, don’t you Alan?” William asks him with a slight hint of conviction. Alan eyes him suspiciously, although his eyes remain hidden, “Whatever do you mean my dear William?” he asks with serious question.

“Look at you, you’ve figured out how to prolong your life and yet you would throw it all away just to get revenge on an imperfect human…” William comments. Alan shakes his head lightly, “Ooh, you are good William Prime…I like how you think.”

He picks up the device and holds it in front of his face, “You see William, even though I may have figured out how to prolong my own life; I still haven’t figured out how to become truly immortal. I know that I will eventually die, and that even though the metal of my body will last forever, my flesh and bone will not.”

He lowers the device a little to look at William, “But you see my dear William with this device I can go back in time, and correct the mistakes I made in the past. I was able to transfer my memories into Big Duo, and thus when they found my body after the battle they assumed I was dead and left me there for the coroner to come and pick up, but I wasn’t dead…no…I was merely waiting for the right moment to come back and rejoin my body. However, with this little device here I will be able to transfer my memories permanently into my younger body; and there I can show the doctors how to transfer my memories from this aging flesh and tissue brain that I have now and put it into a machine; thus I can use that new body to kill Roger Smith before he has a chance to ruin our plans!” he laughs a little, “Essentially I’m killing two birds; or rather humans, with one stone.”

He leans towards Roger but still is a fair distance away, “So you see my dear William; to answer your question; I do have this all figured out!”

“You’re still human then…” William asks him keenly. “Well, partially…” Alan begins as he moves the gun around in his hand so he can move his fingers freely, “…I am not entirely android yet…” he reaches up and grabs the brim of his hat, and begins to lift it up.

William stares in horror as Alan fully removes his hat and reveals nothing under his hat other than a twisted network of wires and metal rods connected to his flesh brain. Wires move up and down and pulsate with electricity as they connect to various places of Alan’s brain. Robotic eyes are set back in his head so close to his brain that they actually touch it slightly.

He then reaches up and grabs his face, and after jerking it a little, it pops off and reveals a series of complex mechanisms to create expression and lip movement behind the faceplate. His nose area is missing, instead only having two small inlets for air in its place.

“You look surprised my dear William…” he states, but now his voice sounds a little more mechanical, “…were you expecting something else?” William gapes in sheer horror at the sight before him; speechless. Alan sighs and replaces his faceplate and his hat.

After a few reconnections, Alan’s face returns to normal, and he glares at William with a crazed expression upon his lips, “So…do you want to witness my moment of triumph then?” William finally stops shuddering in fear and leans forward a little towards Alan, “If it will spare my life; then yes…” his eyes sink down and his head drops to his chest. “Go on and use the device.” He mutters quietly in regret.

Alan smiles and picks up the device, and holds it up in front of him. He sets the gun down and pulls back his arm sleeve, revealing a connector port. Grabbing the cord of the device, he then takes the tip of the cord and plugs the connector into his arm.

He turns on the device, and presses a few buttons. The screen lights up, and the words, “Begin transfer?” appear in bold white letters against a black background. Two white arrows point down on the screen towards two buttons near the top, one arrow says, “Yes”, and the other says, “No”.

Alan smiles happily and looks up at William quickly, “Once again thank you my dear William…I shall make sure to kill you as well when I return to the past!” William looks up at little; a slight glitter in his eyes and he watches Alan raises his finger to press the “Yes” button.

“And now, Roger Smith, with the simple press of this button; I unleash the sword of vengeance upon thee! Farewell!” Alan shouts as he plugs the connector into his arm port and begins the transfer.

Just then, he looks around in shock. “What!” He looks around in confusion, “I’m still here…” he turns around to the controls of the plane, “The thermostat is where it’s supposed to be; but it’s so hot in here!” he tugs at his collar a little bit to relieve the heat.

William sits up straight in his chair and smiles, “I played you so well Alan; you don’t even know it…” “WHAT!” Alan shouts as his skin begins to boil and tear off of his body, and his body begins to shake. “You are just as much of a fool as I had presumed Alan.” William begins as he rises from his seat and walks towards Alan.

“Get away from me! What have you done to me!” he cries out as he can hear his bones crack and shatter inside of him.

“Obviously you didn’t read the book that came with the device entirely. It clearly states that the device only works on androids, not partial androids.” William begins, “It also says that if a human of cyborg/partial android should use this, several things will happen, starting with boiling of skin and flesh, then deterioration of skeleton followed by melting of entire body, resulting in DEATH!”

“NOOOOOOOOOO!” Alan cries out as the pain grows inside of him like a raging inferno, and his blood starts oozing out of his pores and his body begins to collapse in on itself. He falls to the floor and his flesh begins to adhere to the floorboards; sizzling and simmering as it slowly eats away at the ground.

“Who’s the fool now, Alan?” William adds as he watches Alan slowly and painfully die, “There’s much more to being a negotiator than simple negotiation.”

As Alan lies dead on the floor in a pool of reddish-brown liquid; William looks up.

“Shit! No one’s piloting the ship!” He cries out as he jumps over the puddle of Alan and hops into the pilot’s chair. “I have no idea how to fly this thing!” he yells as he watches the plane begin to nosedive and tries as hard as he can to pull the yoke up; but to no avail.

He begins to lift out of his seat as he pulls negative-Gs and the ground gets closer and closer in the windshield. William closes his eyes as he prepares to smash into the ground at a tremendous speed.

Just then, the plane suddenly jerks to a stop and William’s head smashes into the windshield. He bounces around inside the cockpit and finally stops on the dashboard controls upside-down. The plane then begins to tip backward, and straighten out and level out. William falls back into the pilot’s chair, and grabs his head in pain as he bleeds a little from a wound in his forehead.

“What in the hell just happened?” William asks as he suddenly hears a noise coming from outside of the plane. He carefully walks to the side door of the plane and slowly opens it, and steps back in shock at what he sees.

In front of him, he sees the head and torso of a giant robot. William gasps in awe at the sight before him. Suddenly, the front area of the robot’s chest begins to open, and reveals a man in a suit just like his seated in the pilot’s chair, and a young girl standing behind him. The man smiles at him, and the girl remains expressionless. “Looks like you needed a hand.” The man states with a slight smile.

“You must be Roger Smith…” William begins, confused. The man in the cockpit is a little taken back by this, but remains seated at the controls, “Why yes I am. How did you know?” he asks. “Let’s just say I know more about you now than I ever wanted to know…” William mutters as he reaches down to pick something up.

“How do you know about me?” Roger demands. William holds up the disconnected hand of Alan Gabriel, “Do you know what this is?” William asks sarcastically. R. Dorothy steps forward and points at the hand, “That is Alan Gabriel’s hand. How did you get it?” she asks.

Roger watches William and waits for his reply. “I guess I have a lot of explaining to do…” William begins as he suddenly grabs his head in dizziness. Suddenly and unexpectedly, he collapses to the ground.

“We have to get this man to a hospital quickly! If what I think happened here actually did happen…” Roger begins, “…then his troubles have only just begun.”