Chapter 13

You sat with Josh and felt the painkillers, that Josh had stolen somewhere, finally hitting the spot. You had eaten the poor sandwich he found and there was only a little left of the diet coke he got from a vending machine he hacked on his way back.

"I owe you, Josh. The pain is almost gone. I can actually move my shoulder without crying now." You said with a half-smile to the android. Josh frowned at first, but gave you a light chuckle.

"I can't imagine how it must feel like to... feel pain. Physically that is. You were lucky that it went out on the other side. Think if we had to remove it! We would have to dive right into you flesh and..."

"Thanks Josh. I don't want to think about that." You interrupted him and pretended that you would be sick just by the thought. That made Josh lighten up a little and he started to joke around with the android woman on the other side of him. Finding a little light in the middle of this mess was just a miracle.

Your eyes landed on Markus as he was making his way up the stairs where the altar once stood in the large church. He had been talking with people all around the church since Connor left. You guessed that he was still trying to figure out what to do. There wasn't really much to do other than try again and again to convince the other humans to set them free. Many androids were captured and destroyed in camps all over the city. You had to at least try to rescue them. You knew it was their fight, but all other humans had to see that human can support androids too. You would be right there next to Markus, Josh or even North. So you listened when Markus spoke up.

"Humans have decided to exterminate us. Our people are packed in camps right now, being destroyed. Time has come to make a choice. One that very well may determine the future of our people." Some of the androids around you roared as a respond to what Markus said. Some of them yelling for blood like North had done, while others were calm and collected.

"I know.... I know you are all angry. And I know you want to fight back. But I assure you, violence is not the answer here. We are going to tell them peacefully that we want justice. If there's any humanity in them, they will listen. And if not, others will take our place and continue this fight. Are you ready to follow me?" There was a collective roar around you and everyone that was able to, stood up to cheer.

As the cheers slowly died out and the main crew of Markus, North and Josh stood discussing the last few things before leaving, the giants male android that was with Kara and Alice, stood in front of you and reached out his hand. Luther, you recalled Kara calling him.

"Can you help us before we leave?" He said as you took his hand and stood up.

"Sure. Anything." Kara and Alice were too kind and too fragile to go into a war like this, so if you could help in any way, you would do it. Luther didn't let go of you. He was supporting you as you walked. You were too grateful by his action, that you didn't tell him that you didn't really need his support, you were just limping a little. He guided you to Kara and Alice. Alice stood with her arms around Kara's legs and looked smaller than before.

"We need to get out of here before hell breaks loose. I don't want Alice to get hurt." Kara said. She sounded stressed out and with good reason. People around you started to move towards Markus; ready to follow him.

"What can I help you with?" You said determined.

"We need to go to the Canadian border. We met a woman, Rose that is just like you, that helps androids. She said that it is safe for us in Canada. We need to find a way to get there." You looked around for a moment. You didn't know where this abandon church was, but if it was anywhere near the harbour where Jericho was, there wouldn't be too far to the nearest bus stop.

"I have to admit I don't know exactly where we are. But I know that the infrastructure in the city is amazing. If we are anywhere near the harbour you should be able to catch a bus from one of the main road further west. If they are still driving that is. I don't know if the rest of the city has declared state of emergency."

"Thank you y/n. I hope you are right with the busses." Kara said and hugged Alice to her side.

"Please be careful out there. The police are everywhere and they might be checking everyone when they pass."

"I will make sure they get to the border." Luther said and you knew that he meant every word.

Right before everyone started to leave, you saw the three of them leave out of the other end of the heavily damaged church along with a few others that wanted to that the chance and get to the Canadian border. No one would blame them because what Markus was about to do had a very small survival chance. With just one action by a few hundred androids he had to turn the opinion around for the whole population of America. But you trusted Markus like everyone else around you did. So you followed along with the androids up to Woodward Avenue.

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It was late at night. Close to midnight you thought, by how the moon was rising on the sky. A sudden sound of propellers was around you and you flickered with the memories of the clearing of Jericho, but looking up you saw a small helicopter with a news logo on the side. It was the media that had gotten a hint and wanted to cover what was happening. No matter how this ended, it would be written about in the history books.

When you turned the corner on Woodward Avenue you gasped when you saw the police forces standing there. They were ready to greet the androids with fire. You were walking right behind Markus and were waiting for him to react, but he didn't do anything at first.

"Surrender immediately or we will open fire!" Screamed one of the armed men and you could feel Josh walk closer to you for the next few steps. Markus stopped and then the rest of you stopped as well.

"We don't want confrontation. We are protesting peacefully." Markus yelled back at the soldiers.

"I repeat, surrender now or we will open fire!" The same man screamed as the ground started to shake. You looked worrisome around to see two huge tanks drive up behind you and the androids along with many armoured vehicle. They blocked the path behind you and you were now stuck in the middle.

"There is no going back now." Markus said as much to himself as to all of you. Many of the androids looked nervously around.

"We are here to demand the immediate liberation of all androids detained in camps across the country. We are not leaving until out people are free." Markus said loudly again, so the soldiers could hear. You limped a few stepped further up closer to Markus as the blitz from a camera came from your left. You looked passed the barricades that was places along the pavement and a dozen of journalises where standing there with cameras and microphones to get the best cover of the action.

"They have a human with them!" One of them suddenly shouted.

"Its y/n! From the first protest down town!" Yelled another. It made a lot of movement in the soldiers that were still pointing their guns at the protesting androids but looked like they were lost. They waited until someone stepped in the middle of them and barked an order that only they could hear. Afterward they all stood straight and one of them yelled the stupidest thing you had ever heard.

"Let the human go!" You were close to laughing and shook your head. You stepped forward, up next to Markus so they all could see.

"I am here by my own free will. I am here to fight for the androids rights! I am only limping because of YOU!" You pointed at the soldiers and they all looked confused again as they looked at each other.

"Let her go or we will open fire!" The commander yelled again and they threw your arms in the air in disbeliefs.

"I am here on my own!" You screamed with all you had in you. It was shrill but you wanted them all to hear.

"Fire!" was yelled before you could react. Luckily for you, one of the androids jumped to you and threw you to the ground as the first bullets flew. The pain from you shoulder was much greater than what the painkillers could keep away but your mind were somewhere else. A lot of androids got hit, but only few of them fell to the ground. You looked at those who were the unlucky once and started to tear up. The android that helped you were the WR400 you once helped. She was the second one you had taken in after Markus. She looked at you with a smile and you were glad to see that she was still alive. But when she got up to follow the rest that were still marching towards the soldiers, you could see that she had a bullet hole in her back. She had saved your life.

"Fire!" Were yelled again and more androids fell around you as they continued walking.

"Are you going to open fire at unarmed protesters?" Markus said loud but calmly to the armed men and you could hear the flicking of cameras sounded from the barricades again. The media were loving this and it was a good way to show who was right and who was clearly wrong in this.

The moment after Markus took a decision and sat down on the ground. All the other androids followed around you. You supported yourself on your good arm as you sat up along with them. The reporters were talking fast, taking pictures and filming while the helicopter was still hanging over you. You were sure that that was the reason for the commander of the soldiers to make them hold the fire.

Hurry up Connor.