BATTLEFIELD
━━━━━━(●'ω｀●)━
YOU'VE CAUSED THIS. IF it weren't for you, Jericho would be safe, and the lifeless corpses on the floor would be moving, feeling, living. Their blood coats your hands like thick gloves. This is all your fault.
Gods, what have you done?
"Don't stop moving!" Markus' frenzied voice cuts through the air, jolting you from your troubled thoughts.
Steely-eyed, you slowly look away from the piles of bodies laying on the concrete floor. Swarms of agents have infiltrated Jericho's bunker with guns in their hands and murder in their eyes. They've killed, and-
Gunshots echo.
You jolt forward and run after Markus, your mind numb with confusion. The two of you skid around a corner, stumbling. Newly Deviant, you've yet to get your bearings. It's harder to move now that you can feel. It's like the whole world has changed angles and you're left teetering on the edge.
Tripping over your own legs, you grip the side of a nearby wall and pull yourself back up again, head spinning. "Why is this happening?"
Now you understand the danger of emotions.
If you were in the right mindset, you'd have diagnosed yourself with shock. But you're not, so you can't, which means all you can do is fight against your confusing, suffocating emotions. These feelings are unlike anything you've ever expected and you hate it.
"Come on, Y/N!" Markus' voice is sharp as he reaches for your wrist and yanks you forward.
You're left with no choice but to be dragged forward by him.
The two of you turn another corner and descend down a staircase void of any people or other Androids.
"Markus! Markus, our people are trapped in the lower deck! They're gonna be slaughtered," yells a feminine voice.
You turn on your heels with Markus still gripping your wrist, and come face-to-face with a lightly tanned woman -- er, Android -- uh, femdroid? She looks furious and there's a fire burning in her brown eyes as she glares at you.
Come to think of it, her model seems familiar. She's a pleasure Android, the sort that the Eden Club houses.
Too many thoughts... Right. Stop thinking. About everything. Just...focus.
You turn your head to face Markus as he speaks, "There are explosives in the hold... If the ship goes down, the humans will have to evacuate. Our people can escape. We have to blow up Jericho. I'll do it." He's firm with his words like his mind's already been made up.
"There are so many soldiers, are you really going to risk your life?" You say, quickly. "You're the leader, the face of this revolution. Wouldn't it be a better idea if-"
"What would you know, Deviant hunter?" Spits the woman. ⍌
You blink at her, blankly, even as she challenges you. "So you think it's a good idea that Markus gets himself killed, like bait? Hm, fair enough." ⍌
Markus gently drops your wrist, "Focus on helping the others out, North. I'll find the detonator. Y/N," he pauses. "Y/N, focus on getting out of here."
What? Uh, rude? Did he think you were some insolate child?
You blink, but before you can open your mouth to disagree with him, he's already zipped off down the rickety hallway, his legs moving so quickly that by the next time you've blinked, he's already long gone.
The woman, North, scoffs, "Don't mess up." ⍌
With that, she vanishes as well.
You frown. "Oh well." And walk, at a leisurely pace, toward the nearest exit. You're sure that if you bump into anyone in need of saving, you'll help them. But until then, you'll listen to Markus' orders.
As you walk, your thoughts drift. You're sure that if Connor was here with you, he would've made a bad pun aimed at North's comment, something like, "Right, we don't want things to go south! Aha.."
A small smile tugs at your lips but disappears just as quickly.
No, not the time. People are dying. Definitely not the time. Stop thinking about Connor.
Loud gunfire sounds near you, and you freeze, your robotic faux-muscles tensing up as voices drift down the echoing halls.
"Don't take another step. On your knees, now!"
"Wait, please- I, don't do this- we... Please!"
You hear the sound of bodies dropping on their knees and faint, desperate weeping. It sounds like a child. Children in Jericho? Well, looks like it's your time to shine!
You step out from behind the wall and frown, reaching for the gun hanging from its holster.
"Don't shoot," your voice is less robotic than what you're used to but just as venomous and cold as normal. It echoes through the small chamber, and your tone is so frightening that the agent flinches at the sight of you.
Slowly, you raise your gun higher. "Leave."
The agent lowers his gun and the two androids, one a man and the other a little boy, quickly dart out behind you to get out of the chamber.
Now, you're facing the agent like two protagonists in one of those old Western movies that Hank likes to complain about. Slowly, the agent drops his gun and raises his hands in the air, his body taut with anxiety.
You smile, feeling pleased with yourself, "Get out."
And just as the agent takes his first step forward, a boom echoes and-...
"Oh."
It hurts, like the time in Stratford tower, but it's stronger this time. Like red-hot electricity running down your spine and digging into your vital organs. But this time, there's no Connor to save you.
You fall forward onto your stomach, your legs soft like jelly. Somebody chuckles from behind you, but you're too stunned to face the sound.
"Fuckin' Androids. You good, Coops?"
The agent from before responds tiredly, "Yeah. Let's get outta here."
Heavy footsteps plonk down the hallway and you blink, slowly rolling onto your left side. Did they think they killed you? You're not that weak... Maybe Jericho's Androids aren't in that much danger if this is the skill level of the Agents raiding the place.
You look down at your chest. Connor's white shirt is slowly turning a cobalt shade of blue, and asides from the strong burning sensation, you're sure you'll be just fine.
It missed all of your vital organs. The bullet is still in there, but otherwise, it's a simple flesh wound. You'll be fine. Standing on your feet, you place your palm against the wound to apply pressure and slowly, hesitantly, leave the chamber.
Oh boy. Who'd have thought that Deviating actually increases the effect of pain on Androids? Maybe Deviating wasn't a good idea. Or... Was it to do with your model?
You hadn't seen Markus flinching at bullet wounds.
No, not the time. Don't think. Just... You stumble forward, and from beneath you, there's a faint explosion.
"Great," you grit your teeth and walk faster, your eyes focused on an exit only a few meters away from you.
Come on! Walk. Faster. Everything is fine, just, walk!
Finally! Only three clumsy steps away is one of Jericho's many exits. All you need to do now is jump and recoup with the others. Then, you can, well-...
Wait. What's your mission now? Help Markus? Save Jericho? Or... return to Hank and Connor and hide out until the revolution business is over?
Freezing, you peer over the edge of the ship and lower your hand from your gunshot wound.
"Well," you mutter, "time to jump."
You lurch forward and leap into the inky water below. For a moment, you feel like you're soaring through the sky as the wind tangles your hair and clothes. But in the next, you're sinking under icy waters and being dragged under.
"Gah," resurfacing, you spit water out of your mouth like it's acid.
Sopping wet, you drag yourself to shore and collapse, your white shirt quickly turning see-through as the water seeps in.
If Connor was here, you're sure he'd be blush-
No. Don't think about him. You squeeze your eyes shut and exhale. Focus on finding Markus first, and then figure out what to do next.
As another explosion echoes, so loud and deafening that it scrapes at your audio processors, you open your eyes and look up. Jericho is alit, a massive ball of fire and smoke and heat. It rushes forward, flames dancing through the night sky like red clouds.
You notice a nearby splash as four figures sink. Two of them are familiar: Markus and North. But the other two aren't faces you recognize.
Well, you've found them -- or they've found you.
Finally, you're safe to rest! You sigh, exhaustion seeping in. Slowly, your eyes flutter shut, and just for the briefest of moments, you allow yourself time to relax.
"Hey, aren't you the Deviant Hunter? I saw you on the news!"
What? Your eyes snap open to see a very annoyed seeming Android towering over you, her expression dark.
AUTHOR'S NOTE: look i tried to make this chapter sad but no, that's way harder than i thought it'd be-
also, I'm so sorry for the wait! i have no idea when ill finish this book, but i promise that it will be completed, even if it takes me 8 years to get there! >:)
this was a bit of a filler, but I'm already working on the next chapter, so don't worry!
anddd, I've got a question for you guys: thoughts on smut?
i think I'm only about halfway through this book, if that -- so im just asking for future reference! (;