Requested by: McNoodleDoodle

Prompt: #44

"I just saved your life!"

"You pushed me off a building!"

Warnings: None

Extra: A relationship that takes time to develop? Never heard of her.

~*~

"I might be a little late with the supplies. It's been hard, with the streets crawling with the police," I muttered quietly into my phone, sure that there'd be no trace of my conversation, "The station got an android to help them out, a state-of-the-art detective bot."

"And you're sure he's not on to you?"

"You know me, Markus, being sneaky is my specialty. I'll get there as soon as I can. See you soon."

"Be safe, (Y/n)."

Ending the call, I gripped the bag on my shoulder tighter, scanning my surroundings before I ducked into the nearest alley and passed through without any problems. I no longer needed the signs to Jericho to know the way, I'd been there many times before and knew several ways to get there safely.

"The paintings are kind of confusing. Are you sure this is the right way, Luther?"

"I believe so, Kara. Jericho is well hidden, but we've been following their path very closely."

"Kara, are we going to be there soon?"

Eyes narrowing, I slowed my pace when I spotted three androids in the middle of my path. They spoke of Jericho, and that led me to assume they were Deviants, and a little lost. I could take an extra few minutes to help them out since we were going in the same direction.

"You're going the right direction," I announce my presence, surprising all of them and causing the largest to become defensive, "Woah, I mean you no harm, I promise. My name is (Y/n), and I'm on my way to Jericho just like you."

"You're a human," the female, Kara, stated it with little emotion. It was a simple fact, "What business would you have with Jericho?"

"I smuggle supplies in for the androids that need them." It was hard to miss the disbelief in their expressions, "I understand that it may sound hard to believe, but I swear to you I will not harm you. I'm a bit outnumbered here and don't stand a chance against your muscle. If you'll allow me, I can take you to Jericho safely."

The group turned their backs to be, exchanging words. The little girl, Alice, seemed to have the last word, "I like her, I want to trust her."

They turned back to me, "Alright. But understand what will happen to you if we find out you're lying."

Nodding in understanding, I moved past them and led the way. It was just another few twists and turns before we arrived at the abandoned shipyard where everyone was waiting for me, and where they could meet the group.

"Why are you helping Jericho?" Kara asked, walking alongside me while Luther stayed by Alice behind us.

"I knew the leader, before he was Deviant. Or rather, I knew his owner. He passed, and I tracked down Markus when no one knew where he went. I've been smuggling items in for a short amount of time, but I want to do what I can to help."

"And you believe that Jericho deserves the help?"

"Of course, I was raised to believe that all beings are equal. Androids aren't disincluded from that because they're made differently. You're special, and unique, and can feel just as deeply as humans. Like you do for Alice."

Kara brightened at the mention of her daughter-figure, and I had to smile in return. I'd know the group of three for three minutes, and I already understood the bond between them. Close friends between Kara and Luther, their body language with each other didn't suggest otherwise, and paternal figures to Alice. A family.

It made my heart ache a little, knowing they had what I'd lost so many years ago.

"You're a good human, (Y/n). Thank you for all of this."

"Of course Kara," I paused at a T intersection, turning right, "What's your story?"

"I saved Alice from an abusive father. We've been through a lot to get here, and Luther saved us from an android experimenter. All three of us have been together since then. A woman pointed us in the right direction at her farm, and here we are."

"And saving Alice is what turned you Deviant?" It was easy to assume. It was usually situation like that to ones they felt love towards that pushed them over the edge.

"Yeah. She's such a sweet kid and didn't deserve what her father did to her."

She talked about Alice like she was an actual child. Not that Alice deserved any less that what a human child did, but it was almost as if Kara didn't know that Alice was an android. I tucked that into my memory. I'd have to bring that up later.

A further ten-minute walk allowed me to teach the group more about Jericho's operations since Markus had taken over, my life before smuggling, and about their hopes for the future in Canada. All of them were amazing people, and I saw a light in their eyes that was bright, and comforting. I wanted to stay close to them, close to Kara.

"Lead normal lives, huh?" I sighed wistfully at the thought, and before I could filter my thoughts, I nearly asked "Maybe I could come with- Jericho!"

Luckily, the sight of the ship threw me out of my haze. I was so close to asking if I would go with them. Stay with them, grow with them- when I had known them for a total of fifteen minutes. Though, it was apparently enough time to spill your soul and learn the deepest aspects of a person's psyche.

"Welcome to Jericho," I confidently walked across the bridge and onto the ship, pushing open the rusted door.

"It's... empty," Luther stated quietly, observing the dark halls and empty corridors.

"They're deeper in the ship, don't worry," I dismissed their worries, leading the way to the main bridge where it was like another world.

The Deviants in the room didn't acknowledge any of us. New recruits were coming in daily thanks to Markus, and I had been there enough times to be considered one of them.

"I will stay here with Alice. Go ahead and talk to Markus," Luther placed a gentle hand on Alice's shoulder and motioned for Kara to move along.

"I'll take you to him," I led her up a staircase to the office at the top, where Markus was looking out the window at the shipyard.

Knocking gently on the door to announce my presence, I dropped my backpack to the floor, and pushed it to the side with my foot. Markus turned to me, smiling, then turned his gaze to Kara.

"I got what I could. It's getting hard, but I'm doing what I can," I sighed as he approached, "This is Kara. She needs Identification for her and two others to get across the border to Canada."

Markus frowned, "There's a curfew in place, and androids are being picked up left and right. It would be incredibly dangerous. Staying her until things calm down would be a lot smarter."

"We can't do that," Kara immediately replied, "I have a little girl with me, and I need to keep her safe, get her somewhere safe as soon as possible. Please."

Placing a hand on Markus' shoulder, I made a pleading expression, "Markus, I'll watch over them on their way. This is important to their group."

Sighing, Markus nodded hesitantly, "I'll see what I can do."

Kara's shoulders slumped in relief, "Thank you."

After we exchanged thanks, Kara left, and I was alone with Markus.

"What should I do, (Y/n)?" He asked quietly, lost, "I never expected to have this much responsibility so quickly."

"I think it says a lot about you Markus. You've saved so many androids and are paving the way to a brighter future for all of us. I will support you through any of it. You're on the right path. You just have to remember to stay you."

Markus was silent for a few seconds, "Thank you (Y/n)... but perhaps it would be better if you supported me from a distance."

"Markus, what do you-"

"I would like you to go with Kara and her group to Canada. It will be a lot safer there and if something happens here-"

"Markus no I couldn't do that to you. I can't leave you here alone. Not when things are so tense."

Markus gently gripped my arms, his intensity burning through my soul, "You stuck by me even after Carl died. You've smuggled supplies for a people that can do nothing for you. Go with Kara, be safe, and you will be doing more for me than you could ever imagine. I care for you, (Y/n), and I know you care for Kara."

I chuckled nervously at that, "Markus, I've known her for an hour. That's not enough time to-"

"Your heart rate increases, your pupils dilate, and I see you smile. It isn't love, it's the beginnings of something more profound. You know it, and as your friend, I know it to. Go, (Y/n)."

Blinking back tears, I pulled Markus into a tight hug, "I'll say goodbye again before we leave. Thank you, Markus. Please stay in touch, and do the best you can. I know you'll do great things."

"Thank you, (Y/n). Go lead a life worth living."

I left Markus' office and saw Kara with Alice and Luther below me. Smiling, I could see myself in their group. We'd be laughing together, happy, and I would reach for Kara's hand-

Boom!

"Shit," I swore in surprise. It sounded like an explosion. And if I focused, I could hear footsteps. Almost as if someone was invading-

"Everyone leave, right now!" I screamed.

It was chaos, androids running in every direction. The ones that could, anyway. There were some that were helpless, and nearly out of commision. There was no hope for them, and that was the hardest pill to swallow as I sprinted down the stairs towards a frightened Alice, and a concerned Kara and Luther.

"I know a different way out from the top. It will be harder for them to catch us. But we need to move, quickly!"

The three nodded in understanding. I sprinted down the hall to the left, taking a narrow turn into a nearly hidden stairway. Gunshots rang out from behind us, but not close enough to cause a deep concern. They didn't know where we were, yet. Taking them two at a time, I slammed into the metal door at the end. It was stuck, rusted shut from years of disuse.

"No, no, no," I muttered frantically, throwing my entire body weight against the door as the gunshots got closer once again. Shouting, echoing up the staircase. They found us.

"I got it," Luther slammed into the door and it swung open with force.

We sprinted onto the roof, and I pointed out a cluster of crates that created a tower, high enough so the jump wouldn't cause any serious injuries. Luther went first so he could catch us as we went down. Next was Alice.

"You go next," Kara insisted as the footsteps and shouting got even louder.

"No, Kara, you need to go. I'm human-"

"They won't know that."

"Freeze!"

In a moment of panic, I shoved Kara off of the roof. She missed the crate Luther and Alice were on, and instead landed on the one under them. A crack sounded from her exo-skeleton, but there was no blue blood spatter. Her skeleton would repair itself.

Sucking in a deep breath, I ran to the edge and leapt off as soon as the soldiers started firing. Luther plucked me out of the air before I could fly past him. We jumped down the tower and onto the ship deck, ducking behind whatever we could until we reached the edge.

"Where to now?" Kara snapped her back into place again.

"We climb down the ladder, then take a left," I instructed, finding the small service ladder. I counted my blessings that there were no soldiers beneath it.

We crawled down the ladder and got out of the shipyard without much trouble. I didn't want to think about how many lives were lost in the carnage, or what could have happened to Markus if he didn't make it out. The rebellion would live on no matter what. They couldn't destroy what had already been created.

"The bus yard is this way, we can board one there and get out to Canada."

"What about our IDs?"

That gave me pause. On a whim, I pulled out my phone and could have cried. Markus sent me a file, with all the IDs we needed there. They'd be able to just scan them at the security check under the guise that we were in such a hurry to leave the city we didn't bring anything with us.

"We're good. Thank you Markus."

The streets were crawling with soldiers, and more than once we thought we were finished in our haste to make it to freedom. It occured to me that I never officially asked them if I could travel with them to Canada. I just was. And I was okay with that.

At the security check, I flashed the officer the IDs and he let us pass. The bus was nearly full, but with some monetary compensation I was more than willing to give to the driver, we were allowed on without tickets. We sat at the back, close together as the bus got more and more crowded before the doors finally closed and it took off.

"Thank God," I whispered, the weight that had been pressing on my chest for hours lifting.

"You did it," Kara sent me a bright smile, "We couldn't have done any of this without you."

"You're letting me go with you. It's the least I could do. I was scared we wouldn't make it off the ship, if I'm being honest."

"Well, I was more scared of what you did that the officers," Kara joked for the first time. My heart warmed.

"I saved your life!"

"You pushed me off a building!"

"A ship," Alice corrected, smiling as well.

I wasn't sure what was happening in Detroit. Who was alive, if Markus was still leading the rebellion. If he was how they were protesting. But then I felt skin against my own, and a hand gripped mine tightly, and I was okay with that. My concern would never leave, but I had them.

Hours later, full of alternating small conversations and silence, we arrived at the Canadian border where there was still heavy security. But they were doing thermal scans, the one thing that would ultimately screw us over.

All my hopes for the future seemed to shatter in a split second.

"I will sacrifice myself as a distraction if I must," Luther muttered to us quietly as we were ushered into a line.

"Wait," Kara put a hand on his chest, "Let's go through."

"Are you crazy, Kara?" I hissed, sweat forming on my palms as we were two people away from the check.

"Maybe."

It wasn't the answer I wanted, but I didn't have a choice as the soldier asked for our IDs. I presented them, and he scanned me first. I passed. Kara was next, and the scanner blinked red. That was it. We were screwed, dead meat. I'd be left to be incinerated with the other androids, a traitor to human kind-

"... do you see how temperature means nothing?" Kara must have finished a conversation with the soldier, as both of them seemed unsure of each other.

"You didn't harm anyone in Detroit in that protest," the soldier stated formally.

So there was a protest, peaceful, it seemed. That made me proud of Markus. He really did stick to his ideals.

"Thank you."

The soldier stepped aside, and didn't scan either Alice or Luther, simply letting them go through. So many miracles had been lined up together so perfectly. The odds of all of us surviving with so few incidents was nearly impossible, but we did it.

"You're crazy, but it worked," I told Kara with a grin, grabbing her hand. Kara grabbed Alice's, and in turn, Alice grabbed Luther's.

"Where to now?"

"Who knows? We can do whatever we wish."