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.”