Conduit - Season 2

Ch. 6

We stood there for hours. I wasn't sure how long the androids slammed against the door but they made a game out of it. They could have easily broken it down, rushed into the apartment, and destroyed Frank and me. Instead, they beat at the wooden frame until we couldn't balance against it anymore; until my legs gave out from under me. Once they laughed and their voices faded down the hallway, we shrank and slid down the floor.

Frank sat beside me with his back pressed against the wall. He pushed his hands into his hair, pulling the strands away from his forehead. I looked at the beads of sweat on his skin. I frowned. "Are you okay?"

"Me?" He glanced at me before looking at the doorframe behind us. Cracks sliced through the paint. Plaster and brick were visible. He traced the damage closest to my head. "Are you okay?"

I snorted and closed my eyes. "A simple yes or no would've been fine."

"Elijah—" Scooting on his knees, Frank moved in front of me. He reached for my face, gently caressing my cheeks before moving closer, looking into my eyes. "Can you do an area scan right now?"

As soon as he said it, I realized I couldn't. The vision in my left eye was blurry. Colored specs, like a broken television, bordered the edges. I tried to connect to the server to scan the city streets but was welcomed by a red alert. Internal error. I frowned.

Frank sighed and sat back on his legs. "I can see it in your eye, something's off."

"Then," leaning forward, I reached for his hands and smirked, "turn me on?"

His brows shot up. An array of emotions passed over his face. What I said was supposed to be a joke but obviously, he didn't see it that way. He scoffed and stood, turning straight for the window in the living room.

I sighed, pinching the bridge of my nose. Nice one, Elijah. "Frank." I slumped back against the wall. "Come on."

"I know this is how you cope," he said with his back facing me. He pressed his hands against the windowsill, hunching forward slightly. "You make jokes. You see the light in things. But there are times when that won't work." He glanced back at me before fully facing me again. "Now isn't the time."

I scratched the side of my neck. Yes, I made light of things. If I couldn't avoid it, sure, I'd be serious. But I spent my life running. I was always in danger. If I wasn't laughing through it all, I wouldn't be sitting on the floor across from him. Stress and fear eat a person alive. And I refused to let this crumbling world take a bite out of me before I could fix it.

I stood. "It's never the time." Crossing the space between us, I slowly moved, stopping directly in front of him so he had choice but to look into my eyes. "If I waited for it; the world would end."

He lowered his head. "Elijah."

No, he needed to look at me. Gently, I lifted his chin. "I ran from the law and laughed about it. I perfected androids and found joy. A group of violent machines won't change that—"

His eyes widened. "It should!"

I snorted. Was I looking at the old Frank? The man who pleaded for his life, the one who needed my services more than anything. Not saying I didn't like that Frank, but I didn't. I loved who he became. "Listen," I turned us so that I was against the window, "are we okay?"

Frank stumbled slightly, balanced against my chest. And instantly fisted my shirt. "Elijah, that's not the—"

I lifted his chin again as I cocked a brow. "Are we okay?" I asked again.

He didn't say anything. My internal computer took damage, yes, but I managed to scan him. His heart rate appeared on the left side of my vision. Too high to be calm, but nothing serious. He was flustered, registering emotions like fear, anger, and hesitation; all valid, all excusable.