In the pilot episode, Roger Smith is introduced as Paradigm City's top negotiator. As the episode begins, he is delivering the ransom for a girl named Dorothy, who had been kidnapped from her father, a rich industrialist named Saldano. After the exchange, Saldano arrives and reveals that the Dorothy Roger they had obtained was actually an android fake. When Roger realizes Beck isn't playing fair, he activates the briefcase carrying the ransom and it flies out of Beck's car.

In the previous episode, Major Dastun and Dorothy looked like they were going to be crushed by Dorothy One as it fell. However, when the dust cleared, Dastun was fine and Dorothy had disappeared. Roger took Big O back into the subway to escape Dastun's rage over the destruction of the fight. Then, he began to search for Dorothy. He received a tip about a nightingale in the city, which led him to a club called Nightingale. There Roger found Dorothy along with a man named Waynewright who said he was her grandfather. Dorothy sang in the club after which Beck arrived, shot Waynewright, knocked out Roger and kidnapped Dorothy.

Episode begins with Beck being broken out of prison by a Megadeus. Then, Roger is hired by Mr. Wise, a rich industrialist, to negotiate for the return of his kidnapped son, Francis. After hanging up on the kidnappers, Roger is fired by Wise, only to be rehired when the ransom is paid and his son is not returned. The kidnappers call back, recognize Roger's voice and agree to return the son if Roger brings the ransom. Roger finds Francis at the cabin he was directed to, but the police arrive believing that Roger was the kidnapper. This was a setup by the real kidnapper, Beck, to get revenge on Roger (see Roger The Negotiator and Dorothy Dorothy).