Dear Journal,

I apologize for not writing much earlier than this, but so much was happening and I couldn't find the time.

Remember that verbal argument? Well, it turned physical. The deviants began beating one another up. Other deviants joined and we had an all-out civil war right in the middle of a church.

I stayed calm the best I could and ignored the aggression of others, but Hank must've gotten fed up. He grabbed his revolver, which I had loaded and grabbed while bringing him to the church, in case I had to leave him and he had to defend himself. (I doubt he has suicidal thoughts anymore, for his mood seems much better nowadays.) He stood (as did I) and pointed the revolver at the deviants who were fighting with one loud shout.

"STOP."

Everybody looked to Hank and I, Markus and North running in behind us. He stopped and looked at the beaten deviants, seemingly confused about why his people were fighting. "Why are you fighting?" He asked softly before walking through the crowd. "We'll never gain equal rights and freedom if we fight ourselves. Why are you all so angry?"

The deviants all kept their eyes trained on Markus. Hank put his gun down, tucking in in his waistband. The deviants then protested against Markus and pounced on him. North let out a scream, trying to get to Markus. I knew she thought too fast on her feet, and didn't take time to analyze things.

Hank, however, watched Markus get sucked into the crowd and disappear. He climbed up on the benches and then got on top of the crowd, pretty much running on top of them until he spotted Markus, in which he dropped himself through and disappeared. I looked to North and we did the same. As we got to the middle, we found Hank on his hands and knees, hovering over Markus. North and I dropped down into the crowd and began pushing people back. The crowd calmed down a bit and ended up dispersing within five minutes. North got down beside Markus, who was badly beaten, but I moved toward Hank first. He'd fallen beside Markus now, seeing as nobody was beating them any longer.

Hank had sustained heavy bruising on his body and a few cuts and scrapes. I'm glad he wasn't too harmed, but it must've been quite painful. Josh ran over and helped North with Markus, taking him off. I did a quick scan, seeing that he didn't need any biocomponents, but he was "bleeding." I knew they had the supplies to fix him without my help, though, so I simply tended to Hank. He sighed as we sat on the bench once more, Sumo sitting at our feet. I asked Hank why he took the actions he did.

"Connor, everyone has to stand for something. Markus stands up for what's right. He's a great leader, and I suspect foul play here. If it means peace between androids and humans, I'd keep Markus alive at all costs. Even if it meant my death, I'd keep him alive."

I contemplated that for a few moments as Hank recovered. I suppose I understood where he was coming from, logically. Nobody can lead like Markus, or rather, in the same way he does. North would not be a pacifist ruler, and Josh isn't quite as brave as Markus. He's like a mix of them both, I suppose.

Markus may be important, but Hank is too. At least, he is to me.

Amanda came over to us a long while later, a sly smirk on her face. I stood between her and Hank, putting a hand on my gun. Sumo stood at attention as well as Amanda talked cockily to me, as if she had control of the deviants.

She didn't.

I could feel something inside me starting to shift, but I resisted it. She was doing something to me.

She started talking in that calm voice of hers and even picked the rose out of her hair to hold, just as she used to in the Zen Garden. She smelled it once, just as she used to. I grit my teeth and resisted whatever she was doing to me, finally pulling my gun out and shooting her.

The gunshot rang out as Amanda fell to the ground, blue blood running down her face. I was in shock for a moment before I recovered myself. I looked around to find everybody staring at me. Markus, who'd seemingly been fixed since the fight walked over slowly to me. He put a hand on my shoulder, gently taking the gun from my hands. I was shaking... terrified... Amanda had tried to turn me back into a machine!

Markus gave the gun to Hank before leading me to another part of the church where I could think without any outside factors influencing me. He led me upstairs and to a broken part of the building where I could look out over Detroit. He stood beside me, not saying anything for a while. He let me calm down and think. I realized I was displaying human emotions. Terror and instinct had overcome me, not calm and reason.

After a while of looking out over Detroit, I began contemplating everything that had happened in the past few weeks. Markus then turned to me and looked me straight in the eyes. "What are you feeling?"

What am I feeling?

I explained to him the love I felt for Hank, as if he was the father I never had and told him about Hank being kidnapped. I explained the danger I felt with Amanda around and justified why I shot her by explaining the issue in my programming that she was causing.

He simply listened to me, then nodded. He told me I didn't do anything wrong, then told me I could stay here as long as I needed to sort things out.

So here I am, sitting on the edge of the plank sticking out from the building. It's sturdy and will definitely hold me.

But what if it didn't?

What if I fell right now? What would happen?

I mean, of course I'd probably be broken beyond repair. I'd be considered "dead" by the others. Would I be remembered? As what? A murderer?

It's intriguing to contemplate. The rebellion would be fine without me. Markus would be fine without me, wouldn't he?

Hank...

Hank is the only thing that would be holding me back, I think. I'm not suicidal, but it's intriguing to think about. To think that if Hank wasn't around, I'd be more inclined to fall from this plank?

I'm going to sit here a while longer, I think. Then, I'll go back downstairs to check on Hank and Sumo.

-RK800, "Connor"