Rory Pierce

Last Appearance:

"The Butterbread Legacy"

Marital Status: Single

Occupation:

- Editor of 'The Loudmouth Times' (formerly)

- CEO of 'Red Power'

- Crime Lord

"R.R."

'Prime United Network'/'PUN'

'Red Power'

*“I’m the only one...the only one willing to protect these people, from whatever comes their way [...] I was going to save Cheston Village – the driving force behind my entire campaign…that’s the WHOLE **point**!”*

- Rory, justifying his actions

(*"The Butterbread Legacy", Chapter Thirteen: 'Ultimatum'*)

## Biography

Rory Ian Pierce - aka "The Editor" - was originally conceived as an ambiguous, clandestine figure of Machiavellian intent, commited to bringing down the renowned Food Critic, TV Star and Private Investigator, Billy Butterbread.

### Activities as "The Editor"

As "The Editor", Rory was responsible for the involuntary redundancy of a large number of employees for *The Loudmouth Times*, including the aforementioned Billy Butterbread, and commissioned Ed Case, the newspaper's Editor-in-Chief, to see to the task at hand; "the Editor" - in order to legitimise the redundancies - had forgeries made of several employee records, which Ed Case kept in his office.

"The Editor" later showed immense frustration at Case, when it was realised that Billy - who, with the assistance of Jean Phelps, Ryan Thompson, Martin Matthews and Charlie Johnson - had discovered the forged documents, and were working to make them public.

Billy and his friends eventually did so, through means of a nationwide televised broadcast; while this was going on, Ed Case had been placed under arrest, and "The Editor" chose to find other means of getting back at the man who had dismantled such best-laid plans.

"The Editor" resorted to threatening Butterbread directly, albeit anonymously - leaving only one clue about their identity:

*"You won't see me coming.*

*R.R."*

Concerned about what the future had in store for him, Billy decided to keep this a secret between himself and Ryan, who was also his newly-befriended fellow tenant - so as not to alarm anyone else: namely their friend and new next-door neighbour Jean Phelps, or Police Constable Janet Worthing - with whom Billy would often call upon for assistance in his cases, when/if required.

*“I have many contacts in my various businesses – and in my book, there’s only one major rule: if you’re in charge of a specific industry or corporation,*everyone*is expendable…except **me**.”*

- "The Editor" displays immeasurable intimidation and narcissism, before an anonymous co-conspirator

Some weeks later (during the events of 'Interlude'), "The Editor" met with Luke Taylor to discuss business - now concluding that the loss of *The Loudmouth Times* "[didn't] matter", ruling anyone else out as being expendable (including the cohort there at the time of the discussion) - and that they should bide their time a few weeks, before striking against Billy Butterbread again.

"The Editor" remained directly inactive throughout 'The 326th Annual Food Festival' in Cheston Village, but later wrote another anonymous letter:

"*Just getting your attention – you won't be so quick to foil my plans next time.*

*R.R."*

Through the means of an employee working for one of his other businesses - *Prime United Network* (*PUN*), (a rival broadcaster to *BSTV* Billy's new employers after *The Loudmouth Times*), with whom Mayor Greg Jameson had agreed to broadcast the Festival after Billy was inadvertently responsible for disrupting the proceedings during its opening round - "The Editor" attempted to sabotage the end of the Festival, by sending out his employee to destroy the warehouse in which the final round took place with dynamite sold to (and used by) "Skinny" Flint Perry, a dejected wholesale supplier from Cheston Village.

Although the unnamed assailant *(later revealed to be Marcus Boyd)* got away unscathed (and unidentified), a *PUN* jacket had been purposely left in the building - with the Second Letter inside one of the pockets - which made it into Billy Butterbread's care; he quickly identified the handwriting as matching that from the first letter sent by "The Editor", and set out, along with Ryan Thompson, on his ongoing case to bring "The Editor" and any fellow cohorts to justice: once and for all....

"The Editor" showed remorse after killing a bell boy in a London hotel room without thinking, before giving the order to have Marcus Boyd detained.

An employee of "The Editor"'s carried out the appointed task of preventing Boyd from revealing the former's true identity to Billy Butterbread, who would later reveal to the public that "The Editor" was still at large - and that he would make it his personal goal to bring the criminal mastermind down.

After being pursued for many weeks by Billy Butterbread and (a newly-promoted) Sergeant Worthing, five of "The Editor"'s key employees had been incarcerated at a private bunker, during which time he set his next plan in motion:

"The Editor" tasked his most loyal suboordinate, Luke Taylor, to work as "The Anonymous Blackmailer" - using him to force former employees of *The Loudmouth Times* (all of whom - expect for Billy Butterbread - had criminal records of some sort) to turn themselves in, or else be subjugated with threats from their former boss.

Choosing to leave Taylor to his own devices, "The Editor" expressed grave dissapointment in him after losing the chance to successfully blackmail Billy Butterbread (for his "breaking and entering" into *The Loudmouth Times* several months earlier).

Some days after Luke Taylor was arrested, "The Editor" paid him an evening visit at H.M. Prison, Broadfell; during the visit, he explained that he'd ordered the deaths of those under his employee that had been arrested by the team of Billy and Sergeant Worthing (including Ed Case, "The Pork Pie Pilferer" and Warren Collins).

He then described how vain Luke had become, dismissing him from his service - leaving 'The Anonymous Blackmailer' in his cell, with the promise that he would recruit a new ally - "one who *understands* family…"

## Personal Life

Rory lived with his uncle as a child; the two were close, and the younger Pierce was told various tales of the Butterbread family's exploits down the years - many of which were, ironically, unknown to Billy Butterbread himself.

He is openly critical of his suboordinates, using fear as a means of enforcing them, and going on to criticise them should they fail in their duties.

As "The Editor", Rory is openly disdaining of vanity and self-conceit in other people, as evidenced in his visit to Luke Taylor in the latter's prison cell, and appears to regret several of his choices - namely when he accidentally shoots a bellboy in his private room at an unknown London Hotel.

This is somewhat hypocritical, though, as he is known to wear curlers in his hair overnight, and openly demonstrates great bouts of narcissism in front of Billy Butterbread - his greatest rival and archenemy.

Despite this serious demeanor he coveys, Rory is shown to be good-humoured - complaining that he had to "miss [his] favourite TV show" to instead visit Luke Taylor, and thinks of how people would react to his dancing after "a few shots of *Sambuca*."

Rory is also an avid fan of the American Cop-Comedy show ***Brooklyn Nine-Nine***.

## Personal Relationships

### Suboordinates

* Ed Case - former employee; deceased.
* Luke Taylor - cohort and associate; incarcerated.
* "Skinny" Flint Perry - former client.
* "The Pork Pie Pilferer" - associate; deceased.
* Marcus Boyd - employee; hospitalised.
* Warren Collins - employee; deceased.
* At least two more suboordinates - deceased.
* Broadfell Prison Guard - corrupt associate.

### Enemies

* Billy Butterbread - former employee; archenemy.
* Jean Phelps - former employee; enemy.
* Ryan Thompson - enemy.
* Sergeant Janet Worthing - enemy.
* D.I. Harry Grant - enemy.
* Percival Poundspend - former butler.
* Danny O'Butterly - enemy (formerly a hesitant ally).
* Sandra Butterbread - enemy.
* Mayor Greg Jameson - enemy (political rival).
* Captain Gunther Hemmingway - victim; deceased.
* Walter MacDuff - victim; deceased.

## Appearances

### Indistinguishable/as "The Editor"

* 'The Beginning'
* 'The Food Festival'
* 'Bite-Sized Bits!' - Part I
* 'The Bowling Championship' *(Mentioned)*
* 'The Anonymous Blackmailer'

### As Rory Pierce

* 'The Butterbread Legacy' *(First full appearance)*

## Trivia

* Rory is the only main character (to be introduced before 'The Butterbread Legacy') to be completely absent from 'Bite-Sized Bits!' - Part II and 'The Return of the Cheston Poisoner'.