[EDITING] wanderlust | detroit: become human

fifteen - blood

jericho. that's the place i had to be. the place where androids are seen as free, and demand rights for what they really are. live beings. i've never thought that i'd be here with connor on police business. i thought i would come here, hope and trust hand in hand as i walked through the doors.

glancing at his hand, the image that we had to look for loaded, showing the key to get to jericho. connor grabbed my hand, and we walked towards the mural with the square at the bottom of it. connor and i were both dressed heavily in clothing, hoping to not be recognized. and we had any excuse of saying it was because of the snow.

as we continued to find the art with the squares incorporated into them, we grew closer and closer to the place i had hoped i would be free. where i could be free.

connor and i stopped outside of the ship, looking over to me, his eyes soft, "ajax, you need to stay out here."

"w... wh... what? i can... can't! if i wa... wait out he... here long enough, i... i... i'll shut down." my face paled. he would rather have me shut down then help him find markus.

"ajax, please. i can't let you get hurt again."

i protested, shaking my head aggressively, "no! i... i... i... i'm coming wit... with you. i... i... i'm strong en... en... enough to take ca... car... care of myself." i know connor began to analyze me, trying to see if there was a hint of dishonesty or fear. but i knew there wasn't.

"okay," connor started, "but you stay by me. i'm not letting anything happen to you."

"ye... y... ye... yes, sir!" i nodded, following him onto the boat.

when we got to the main room, i suppose, there was androids. thousands of them. they surrounded a television and all watched, the tension only rising through the air. the news station ordered that owners get rid of their androids, or they'll turn on them. it sent a chill down my spine.

connor only pulled me along, not minding that i was watching the television. before we could walk up a set of stairs, someone stopped us.

they were an android. half of her head was gone, and her eyes were pitch black. humans must've did this to her. connor turned around to her, blinking in astonishment and fear.

"you're lost. you're looking for something..." she said, the electronic voice becoming apparent. "you're looking for yourself." that's all she said before turning away.

connor and i gave a look to each other. and i wondered if she was right. if connor really was looking for himself.

androids, as they surrounded the television, all seemed to be struck with fear. they were either wiling to fight, or willing to keep the peace. some were even in the middle, willing to fight but keeping the peace through it. they were scared, they couldn't deny that. connor and i walked up the steps, only hearing more androids voice shake as we walked through the crowds.

connor would occasionally turn his head to check on me, squeezing my hand whenever he could.

my eyes were glossy, "co... con... co... connor, we can't hu... hur... hurt them." i pulled his arm, "th... the... they... they're terrified."

connor paused in his footsteps, turning to me, "ajax, we have to do this."

"w... we... we do... don... don't have to!" i sniffled, "please."

"ajax, i have to do this. this is the chance for us to get to the deviant leader." connor's brows furrowed, "if you aren't going to help me, then i'll do it myself."

"co... nnor, if you d... do this, you... yo... you'll get sent back to cyberlife. then i'll be alone." he walked off, not looking back to me, "co... con... connor." the tears i tried to hold back spilled over my waterline, and i followed connor from a distance.

mindlessly following connor, we were outside in the snow. the tip of my nose and cheeks burned red. covering my face with the respiratory mask connor gave me, i stood beside him, hiding. connor moved his arm in front of me, leaning me back into the wall.

a female android walked out of the room we were trying to reach and carefully stepped down the steps. being careful to hold my breath, i watched her walk down the steps.

connor nodded his head towards the room to me and we walked around the corner. connor pulled a gun out from his pants.

looking at the sleek metal that shined in the moonlight, i felt fear begin to run down my spine. he couldn't hurt markus, he couldn't.

connor slowly opened the door, "i've been ordered to take you alive. but i won't hesitate to shoot if you give me no choice."

"co... con... connor!" i stuttered.

markus slowly stepped forward, "what are you doing? you are one of us... you can't betray your own people..."

connor continued to stare markus down, "you're coming with us!"

"we are your people. we're fighting for your freedom too! you don't have to be their slave anymore..." markus spoke softly.

i stood behind connor, not knowing what to do. if i joined markus' side, connor would only arrest me. but if i stay with connor, i'd never be in jericho. i'd never reach freedom. everything pounded my head and i felt like a steel bar was being melted. i crouched to the ground, my balled fist hitting my head.

markus looked between connor and i, "you're connor and ajax, aren't you? the famous deviant hunters. well, congratulations. you seem to have found what you're looking for..." connor stood there in silence, his gaze never deteriorating, "have you ever wondered who you really are? whether you're just a machine executing a program or... a living being, capable of reason. i think the time has come to ask yourself that question."

connor turned his head slightly, catching my eye out of the corner of his. his hands shook lightly.

markus only continued his advanced towards connor, "do you never have any doubts? you've never done something irrational, as if there's something inside you? something more than your program. it's time to decide." markus said, lifting his head with pride and confidence that what he was doing was right.

and connor knew what he was doing. he was doing it for himself, and for me. he was doing it for the better of his mind, and for us.