Chapter 10

You didn't go home before the march. You went to a small café near the meeting place for the start of the march and collected your thoughts. It was a long time since you had sat down and relaxed with a cup of coffee like this, but it was only peace before the storm. In an hour would this street be turned into a historic place – hopefully the good kind? The fact that Markus choose to keep it all peaceful had made some people believe that androids should have rights and be able to live like humans, but it was still taboo to say out loud. If more human saw this march and join the androids, maybe there wouldn't be so much to discuss in the White House.

You didn't know how long you sat there staring down in your empty cup but the sound of people getting up from their chairs caught your attention. You looked out the window of the small corner café and realised that the deviants had arrived without you noticing. They were as they said – peaceful and were just walking down one of the main streets without muttering a sound. Not even a buzzing of small talk between them. You threw your empty cup out and while all the café guests were looking at you in shock, you walk out to the deviants. One even called out that they might be dangerous, but you just snorted in response. Markus who was in the front of the march greeted you as you had to jog to catch up with them. He took your hand and you gave his a little squeeze of insurance. This had to go well. Many eyes were on you already. You didn't walk 200m with them before the first news drones were hanging over you and following your every move with a curious camera glued to the bottom.

More and more deviants join them from the side streets and when you passed an android store it was like every single android in there woke up at once and started to walk out the shop. Markus stopped and let go of your hand to greet the newly turned deviants. You smiled at the sight and you saw that the angry android woman North, that had attacked you before, were smiling too. You knew that this wasn't her idea. She was more violent in nature, but she looked at Markus with pride in her eyes.

"We are alive!" Markus shouted out to the crowed all of the sudden and they all screamed out loud to support the statement. As you started to move further down the street it started to be a chant for you and the deviants. You yelled it as loud as possible to support them and threw your fist in the air. Some people started to run away from you but most stood on the sidewalks and looked at the growing crowed of freedom fighters. No humans joined you though. You went on and turned the corner to the next street when you saw the first few police cars stop at the end of the road. Some of the chanting died out and when you looked around you saw the fear in the androids faces. They had heard about the last incidence and you had experienced it yourself... but you were also the reason for them to stop shooting the last time. More and more police cars arrived at the street and made a defensive wall to block you off. You all stopped not more than hundred meters before the police cars. A roar of machines sounded in the distance. It was a sign of bigger and more powerful vehicles coming your way which wasn't good.

"What are we going to do?" North said out loud to Markus that was standing near you. A look of concern on his face showed that he might be out of ideas. This was not how this was going to go again.

"We came here to demonstrate peacefully and tell humans that we are living beings!" Markus called out but non of the police men reacted to what he said. The moment after two heavy military vehicles rushed in from each their sides in front of the police cars and a dozen of heavily armed soldiers, like those you had seen the last time, jumped out and formed another wall of defence towards the innocent androids and you.

"We have to attack! There are more of us. We can take them!" North hissed at Markus that was silently looking at the horror scene on front of him.

"This is an illegal gathering. Back up and spread out. If not, we will open fire." Called out one of the officers from the iron wall.

"We will start a war if we attack! He have to stand our ground and show that we will not harm anyone!" The android names Josh said. He was always near Markus and was always on his side. Even now when they were standing there, looking death in the eyes.

"Do you think they will shoot? Do you think they know I'm human?" You asked Markus. He looked at you for a second before focusing on the armed men again.

"They won't be able to see anything on this distance." He mumbled.

"Maybe if I go closer? I can do it alone and maybe it will.." You were about to move forward when Markus grabbed your arm.

"That's too dangerous. You will not survive that." He only just said that as the first shot was fired towards you. You screamed out as a reflex before shielding your head with your arms. The shooting stopped after hitting 5 androids and were now lying on the street bleeding. You straightened up again and looked around you. A number of androids had jumped to their aid but with no use. The Thirium was colouring the street and the light in their eyes were gone before anyone could help them.

"I repeat, step back or we will shoot!" You already did, you idiot, you thought to yourself as you looked to Markus to figure out what to do next.

"We have to stay here. No matter what! We have to show them that we are serious about this." Josh said again and looked both Markus, North and you. You agreed with him but you needed Markus to take the last decision. He was their leader.

"Please Markus, we can't let them slaughter us without fighting back!" Marth pleaded but Markus react to what she said.

"We are not moving!" He called out before stepping forward. The exact same thing he said that you shouldn't do. Was he crazy?

"Markus!" You scream but it was too late. The shooting started immediately and Markus was hit. Hell broke loose as more and more androids feel around you. A few androids charged towards the armed men to save Markus so you did the only thing you could do at that moment. You ran after them. North was right behind you as you ran into the chaos of shots, blue blood and screaming. You reached Markus just as the android in front of you dropped to the ground. You took Markus by the arm and pulled in him. North took his other arm and you dragged him out of the warzone. You were walking backwards and could see it all happen while you backed up. That meaning you could see the guy right in the eyes, as he aimed at you and in the same time realized that you weren't an android. That didn't stop the bullet though. It was like it happened in slow motion and you just barely got to close your eyes when an extreme pain shot through your upper arm that didn't hold onto Markus.

The adrenaline kept you going until you got Markus up on his feet. He stumbled and grabbed on to you which made you hiss in pain. Markus caught on to that but stayed quiet. He let go of you and help himself up against North. You all had to get back to Jericho. Those who survived needed help to be repaired and you had to look at your wound even though you feared how it looked. You decided that it could wait until you got in safety. Fainting in the middle of the street at that moment was a stupid idea.

"Spread out. We can't have them following us!" Markus barked as you all ran down the streets. Without answering the androids scattered out in different directions. You stayed with Markus and the others as you ran the same way down the street as you came earlier. The café you had stopped at before starting the demonstration was now empty and the sign in the window was turned to closed. They had known what was coming and so did you when you thought about it.

It took a long time for you to get to Jericho. Half of you were hurt and started to break down. You were hissing with every step you took even though you tried to keep your arm still. In this exact situation you envied the androids. They couldn't feel pain the same way you did. But you all had one thing in common. You were all scared.

Lucy was already treating some androids along with some of the unharmed androids. People were running around getting some of the supplies they still had to repair their friends and you sat down on the first unoccupied bench you could find and tried to stay awake. You didn't know how badly your arm looked and if you needed to go to the hospital. It sure felt like you should but after what just happened you were not sure if you could. You closed your eyes and the sounds in the busy sanctuary blurred out for some time until you were sure someone said your name. Josh kneeled in front of you. You were holding your arm over your chest to keep the pressure off the wound. Josh looked concerned and didn't look you in the eyes but straight at your wound. The yelling that he produced the second after made you dizzy. People came running to you. You weren't able to think clearly. When the faces came in sight all you saw was model numbers. He's an AP700. She's AX400 and she's having trouble with a fuse so her grey robotic colour was showing through in some spots in her face.

"Why didn't you say you were hit?" Someone said angrily somewhere but you didn't get to see who it was. Someone pressed something into or onto your wound and the pain was too much for you to handle. You blacked out within seconds.

------------------------------------------------------------------------

You wish you could say that you woke up to a clean sheet and no pain, but it was the pain that woke you up again. You drew in a sharp breath before opening your eyes wide open. It was a very dim light around you. Lucy was sitting next a few meters away from you with a metal rake in one hand. The end of it was pressing against an open wound on the back of a female android. She was still wearing the clothes that all androids are wearing when you buy them from new, so you guessed she was pretty new. The glowing orange metal rake made a wheezing sound as it melted the synthetic skin and closed the hole in the woman. You could think about at least 5 other ways to close the wound in an android without making scares in their skin. But maybe the scares just made them seem more human and alive? You tried to look down at your own arm that was still burning with pain but it was tied up so you didn't have to support it yourself. That made the pressure on it much smaller and the pain much more bearable but still very strong. It was too dark for you to actually see how your arm looked like but you trusted that the androids had managed it in the best way it was possible in Jericho at the moment.

"I will get to you in a second, y/n." Lucy said without removing focus form the android woman. She finished up and the women left without a word. Lucy then finally turned to you with a weak smile.

"Is the pain bearable y/n?" She asked with a pedagogical voice. She was an old model LK900 and was made for social care, so it was something that was in her program.

"Define bearable? I can definitely feel it, but the sling is helping a little." You explained.

"The bullet went all the way through. So I guess we can say that you are lucky despite the circumstances. It didn't ruin anything that will give you a permanent handicap. As long as you rest until it heals up nicely." She lifted the sling slowly to take a look. It was too dark for you to see your arm but the android could of course see in the dark. A model like Lucy often worked nightshifts; the shifts that the human didn't want. It was only practical that she could work in the dark, so the patients wouldn't wake up by anyone turning on the light.

"Can I see it?" You asked. You needed to get closer to some of the fires that were lit around the place.

"It would be better if you just relaxed a little."

"I really want to see what state my arm is in. I can't see it here. It's too dark. Please." Lucy did one of the most human things you could imagine and sighed. It was a nice sound even though it meant that she disagreed with you. It made Lucy so much more alive. She supported your back while you sat up. You hissed as you moved your arm a little in the process. You counted to 3 with Lucy before you stood up completely and it blackened for your eyes a moment. The blood was rushing in your ears.

"For how long have I been lying here?" You asked as you regained your vision slowly. Like when you stood up too fast.

"Almost 24 hours, I'm afraid." Lucy said as she walked behind you to make sure you were okay. Androids were scattered around the place. Some were sitting around the burning barrels, others were sitting in the dark. Overall the mood was very down.

"Did anything happen while I was out?" You asked Lucy in a whisper.

"No. We are still recovering from yesterday. No one has found us yet. We have tried to repair as many androids as possible but we down have any more supplies. Some of the strongest are out finding more, but it is too dangerous to go out in bigger groups. People will notice."

Lucy was quiet when you reached one of the barrels. Some of the androids looked in your direction as Lucy started to move the sling to the side and removed the bandage. They gave you a small smile which you felt was very brave at that moment. The fact they didn't hate you because you were human was overwhelming. That only told you that they did have a heart.

"We had to rip off your sleeve."Lucy explained as you looked down on your wound. You wanted to gag at first but it looked much nicer than you had imagines at first. It was a clear shot. A perfect round hole in your arm that was dark red from the solidified blood. It was clean around the hole but there was a huge splodge of blood on your shirt on your stomach.

"It actually stopped bleeding rather quickly. But I still want to stitch it up when they come back with supplies. Maybe we can avoid a scar." Lucy said taking another look at the wound.

"I wouldn't mind a scar for this course. It just meant that I stood up and did something." Lucy smiled at that comment and so did some of the other androids.

"We are grateful that you are here to support us. I think Markus would like to say that as well. He's up there if you feel like you can make it up there now." Lucy pointed to some stairs that led to the wheelhouse.

"I think I can make it." You were about to walk to the stairs but you had to say something to Lucy first.

"Lucy. Thanks for patching me up. I am as grateful for all of you here. When we are on the other side of this, I will repair every single one of you. Especially you, Lucy. You are a wonderful person and you deserve the same respect as any human nurse." Lucy smiled sweetly at you and shushed you off towards the stairs.

It took you a lot of time to climb the stairs. Your arm was thumping with pain and you took several breaks on your way up. When you stood outside the door you stopped to catch your breathe again. You could hear the mumbling of voices inside. Voices that was... too familiar... You stepped closer to the door and rested your ear towards its surface to hear.

"I have been ordered to take you alive."

NO. It couldn't be...

"...But I won't hesitate to shoot if you give me to choice."

Connor. It was Connor's voice.

"Connor NO!" You screamed as you burst through the door into the wheelhouse.