Jeff never felt anything like he had at this moment in time. The stinging sensation on his face was slowly abating, but it felt like he had been hit by a frying pan. Jeff was quite a large teenager, and well muscled but the sheer force of that single slap made him pause. It had never occurred to him that Ricky could actually be dangerous. He was such a wuss before, and he had become even smaller after his transformation into this weird clockwork robot-girl. Even if she was dangerous, the fact that she was compelled by the Master Key should have meant any danger she presented would be controllable.
All bets were off at this point though.
He didn't even want to look at them, as he cried. Ricky couldn't understand what he had lost. Belle was the only thing he had-
He found himself wincing at that. Thing? He didn't mean it like that. Belle was not a 'thing' to him. Not exactly. Yet that is how it appeared, and the source of Ricky's anger. If he tried to say otherwise, there wasn't any reason for the clockwork girl to believe her. Unless he could make her believe. He already found himself placing his hand in his pocket holding the key, as if it could afford him any protection... but no. There was no demand he could make of Ricky, that didn't risk her becoming even more violent. The Master Key was no longer his shield... not any more.
Ricky was still holding Belle in the palm of her hand, as the smaller clockwork doll ticked away. She placed her down delicately on a table. Belle stood on it looking a little bemused (and vacant). This was a very surreal situation to be in to her, and she didn't know what to do. But Jeff would help her, wouldn't he? Why was he crying like that though? She was still alive, and still here. "Um Razor? You wanna hug?" That always made him feel better.
Jeff turned to look at the tiny doll, his eyes blazing in fury. "Belle you id-" He stopped. He... he didn't say it. He silently prayed thanks for his restraint. He wanted- needed something to blame. This was not Belle's fault. She may have opened the window in stupidity, but the sun is the thing that did this. But why this particular form...? Then it hit him. (or rather, had already hit him.)
"This is your fault!" He said pointing at Ricky.
The clockwork girl stared stunned. "What?"
Jeff ignored her tone. "Look at her! She's like you. Somehow you did this! You turned her into a freak like you!" There was no way in hell this could be a coincidence. No way! Two strange creatures that nobody had ever seen before, and both related to Jeff 'The razor' in some way?
Belle looked between them from her vantage at the table. "Oh. So like- that's how it happened?" She said ticking and thinking away. "So like- cause like- you met her I became like her?" This logic actually made perfect sense to the ex-human girl. "Maybe you found you- like- like her so I became like her?"
"Yes! No! I-" Jeff venomously denied it was that. That was sounding almost dangerously close to saying it was actually his own fault for finding something... comfortable in Ricky. A fact he dare not admit to anyone. But still there was obviously something going on. Ricky had betrayed him in the end... It happened... all over again. The creature who had to do everything told to it, had betrayed him. Even something like that couldn't be trusted.
Jeff slowly took out Ricky's Key from his pocket, holding it and staring at it. It chimed with its own little tick, in rhythm to the clockwork girl.
The clockwork girl felt herself straightening up, as springs tensed to the way he held that key.
"Ricky... you took away the only good thing I had in my life..." He said slowly. So... gravely and with finality.
"I... I didn't..." Said the clockwork girl. She felt like she should be afraid of what Jeff would do with the key now- but she also felt she was prepared to resist any compulsion Jeff would place on her. The fact that he was after Belle's Master Key was something she could not allow. Never.
Jeff approached her with an eerie calm. The bruise on his cheek was starting to form, and the distinct pattern of the clockwork girl's hand print had emerged. So well and perfectly placed, in its impressions. The boy stared down at her... a wild, crazy look in his eyes.
...Jeff then dropped the key, into the girls hand. "... Get out and never come back Ricky. I never want to see you again."
The robot girl looked stunned at this turn of events. "What about Belle-?"
Jeff snorted. "You just get the hell out of here. Leave us alone. You got your key back, there is no reason for you to be here. I don't care."
"Baby please don't be like this," Said Belle quietly. "She helped me and brought me here. She like- wound me up an' everything. It was so nice too." she said trying to be helpful.
Jeff at this point well and truly lost it. "OUT! You.. you... sicko!"
Belle stood up sadly, as she saw Ricky go. "Baby? You didn't like- have to do that."
"After what she did to you, she's lucky I didn't tear her to pieces." Jeff said slowly, looking down at the little wind up clock work girl. So similar to Ricky, but clearly Belle. He felt some relief that at least her face didn't change. Even her hair style was similar, though a different colour. So tiny to even touch. This is what true torture was... His girlfriend locked in a form he couldn't hold. not in... any meaningful way.
Belle didn't really understand why Jeff was so angry at the other clockwork girl. "Are we breaking up Razor?" Asked Belle with those puppy dog eyes- which conveyed through glass and artificial skin, was certainly masterful of her.
"I- No... of course not Belle," he said. "I- I don't know." Their relationship would clearly need some... redefinition though. The only thing he could do was 'keep' her. Like an object. The very thing Ricky accused him of doing. What else could he do? He would protect her, no matter what. even if she... couldn't even kiss him again- and make the world seem... simple.
"Don't you love me no more?" Asked the girl looking down sadly.
"Of course I do!" Said Jeff annoyed. "But... you're a little doll now!"
Belle glanced down at herself again as if to remind herself of that fact. "Uh huh. Um- you got any gum?" Asked the little girl anxiously. That usually calmed her down.
Jeff stared. "No! No gum! God- Don't you have any idea what would happen if you swallowed it? Don't you know what you're even made of now?" The teenager had the image in his head of sticky gum getting inside her cogs and- 'stopping' her for good. He felt himself shudder.
Belle looked down at herself and shrugged. "What do I do now? I got like- cheerleader practice tomorrow and I'm like- going to a party tonight. I bought a really nice dress" Two days was just about the limit of what Belle could plan for. Still thinking of those normal things was calming to her, if she couldn't have gum.
Jeff sighed. This was going to be a long day. "Belle... you can't do any of that any more."
"But I wanna." said the girl simply.
"No! Look- just- just put all your plans on hold for now, okay? I know some people are looking for a cure. We'll get one and things can go back to the way they were."
"Oh... Promise?" Asked Belle.
"I promise," said Jeff. "Let's just call your parents first. You can stay here safe with me. I- I'm sure I can get a nice bed for you somewhere."
Anezza eventually found her dress, floating absently in the magnetic moment of the earth. It was a bit like being adrift, at an invisible sea above the town. There was a curious static charge over it, like someone had run a balloon over the material.
She looked at the hated dress, and put it over herself. Finally, she could get back to space without her clothes burning. Going into space when naked was- well- given that she saw a news report and people had watched her... that didn't make her feel good at all.
She flew up higher. It took some time, but she had eventually achieved orbit. She felt a small mass near her- and saw it was the sat elite used by her old network. Her antenna's could almost hear the digital pulses though they were not as large as a star or planet. This was more like the buzzing of a faint mosquito. She flew towards the multi-million dollar instrument, looking it over. It would be so easy to just snap a piece here or there... and create absolute havoc on Earth.
They took my company from me. She thought to herself darkly. Such a delicate machine. Space was always assumed to be a safe place for anything. Yet now, Anneza knew, she could destroy her company right now. All she need do is throw a meteorite or two at it, and they would never be able to make enough money to launch another satellite. Not with the world in this crisis.
But so many people depend on communication. You know that better then anyone
She stared at the satellite some more, and sighed. It was true... She certainly didn't want to be a garliata in the third pasinha. There was no point.
Then she felt another sound... "Keiw?" she asked herself, as she heard the sound close to Moon orbit. She knew where the moon was, and this was not the moon. She gasped as she saw the dark body, as large as the moon, orbiting the large planet. She listened to the sound some more. It was a Somaraia! A ferish between this moon and Earth's old moon. A curious sound indeed. She concentrated and attempted to Le-grange to this new Moon's orbit- but was startled to discover that this moon did not have a Lagrange point. It was ex-terma.
A trip to that moon at her normal speed would take days... and she had no intention to go to an unknown planet.
