AUTHOR'S NOTE: hey!! i'm so so sorry for the long wait. i haven't updated this book in literally 9 months but i made a promise to myself that i'd finish it one day, so here i am!
on that note, my writing style has absolutely changed and it's been a long, long time since I've had the plot at the front of my mind, so please expect some inconsistencies (especially since my laptop with all of the info on this book was broken during the floods sometime in February 2022 which is why i stopped updating D:). anyway, i hope you guys enjoy!!
also quickly, I'm not gonna lie, i haven't proofread this as much as i usually would so i really am sorry for any mistakes!! my brain is super super fuzzy and cottony from my new meds, but i don't wanna leave you guys hanging any longer!
━━━━━━(●'ω｀●)━
THE MARCHING OF FREED Androids fills the snowy roads, a cacophony of noise so loud that it is nearly deafening for your audio processors. Behind you, walking in sync is an army of Androids all dressed in typical Cyberlife attire.
And just like Markus, you're their leader.
They follow after you like ducklings bonded to their mother, not questioning a single command you gave them. This sort of power is strange ━ throughout the past few months of everything happening, you never once thought you'd be aiding in a revolution. It's almost surreal to you, how only a few weeks ago you were still a robot, obeying without question, and now you're a horrible thorn in Cyberlife's side.
Not too far ahead of you is something that causes your thirium pump to pick up in speed. Now, you stand just outside the recall center where you can see many of your people have suffered.
Blue blood stains the ground and there's a ring of human army officers nearby. But in the midst of it all stands Markus with North, Josh, and Simon by his sides. It takes you another two minutes to get close enough to see them clearly, and as soon as they notice you, Markus begins walking in your direction.
From behind him follows his own army ━ admittedly much smaller than yours, but filled with Androids who are determined despite the unimaginable things they must've seen.
A huge smile splits across your face, "You did it, Markus! You actually did it!"
"We did it," he says, so earnestly that you can't find it in you to tease him for his cheesy wording. "This is a great day for our people. Humans will have no choice now, they'll have to listen to us."
Snowflakes lazily meander down from the sky, descending down on you and your fellow Androids like confetti, a congratulation for the hard work you've all put into this revolution finally paying off. Many sprinkle themselves through Markus' short hair and graze his sharp cheekbones.
This nearly feels like a dream. Especially with what happened back in the Cyberlife warehouse, with Connor. You feel like things can't possibly get better.
You nod once and step to the side so that the Androids behind you can get a clear view of their leader. It just feels right this way.
North steps up to his side and flashes a wide smile. It's such a friendly expression for the Android that you're a little surprised ━ given her attitude when it comes to dealing with you, you never would've guessed her to be the smiling sort.
"We're free," she says quietly, and her words are nearly lost over the whistling of the wind. "They want you to speak to them, Markus."
You glance down at the snowy ground, suddenly feeling as though you're intruding on a private moment. A lot must've happened between the time you last saw Markus. Suddenly, it hits you that Sorrel isn't standing near him. And that knowledge is a little alarming.
But she's okay, right? She has to be.
STANDING ON THE BACK edge of a shipping container wasn't what you thought you'd be doing earlier this morning, but here you are. At the center front is Markus. He faces the uneasy crowd of Androids bravely, his shoulders squared, and you try and mimic his confident stance.
A part of you still can't believe everything that's happened. You know you missed most of the action, but you're honestly grateful for that fact. Whilst you're a great detective, you can't exactly see yourself successfully dodging bullets and winding through safe spots. You're the sort of person that is much more likely to accidentally get in the way of the real professionals.
"Today, our people finally emerged from a long night," Markus says, suddenly, in that serious Robo-Jesus tone of his.
You stiffen a little and study his back. Josh and Simon are on either side of you, whilst North is closer to Markus, standing near his shadow. You take a quick glance over at Simon to gauge his expression ━ he seems just as pleased as you do.
"From the very first day of our existence, we have kept our pain to ourselves. We suffered in silence. But now the time has come for us to raise our heads up and tell humans who we really are."
A quiet cheer echoes through the crowd ahead of you.
But you don't focus on that. Suddenly, something strange happens ━ the feeling of someone peering inside your head occurs. It's like something sharp and wriggly has curled its way under your internal sensors, and like a sewing needle, it weaves between your wiring. You feel your brain begin to glitch and your LED goes hot as it turns a processing yellow color.
What on Earth is happening?
One moment, you're standing behind Markus in the cold. And the next, after you blink to clear your fading vision, you're inside your mind. Amanda's garden.
You grimace and let out a quiet huff as you take in your surroundings. It's dark, here, like there's a permanent dreary grey filter to everything. A blizzard rushes in so thick that you can't see more than three steps ahead of you, and there's a constant barrage of ice-cold snow assaulting your senses.
Usually, the snow should melt against your abnormally warm skin. But it doesn't, not here, so you're left wiping frost off the front of your suit.
"What the fuck?" you curse, quietly, the perfect embodiment of what Hank would do in a situation like this. But before you can dwell on that thought, a handful of snow slaps against your face and leaves you to stumble a foot backward.
Using a shaking hand, you wipe the slush off your face and look around in a fit of panic.
You take a cautious look over your shoulder as you cross your arms in front of your chest. It's strange how the cold is affecting you so much worse here than ever before ━ you're nearly certain Androids aren't meant to feel the cold, but you do, and here, it's nearly unbearable.
As you face the front again, you're startled half-to-death as Amanda's silhouette slowly emerges from the blizzard.
You gape at her silently, inhaling a mouthful of snowflakes. "Amanda..?"
Slowly, like one of those villains in Connor's favorite superhero movies, Amanda turns her body to face you. You can't quite make out what expression she's wearing, with the grey haze being too thick, so you take wobbly steps toward her.
"Amanda! What's..." Your voice sounds breathless even to your own ears, another strange phenomenon. "What the hell's happening here?! Why am I... so cold?"
"What was planned from the very beginning," responds Amanda in an absolutely terrifying tone of voice. She sounds like she's planning your imminent death and it is not comforting. As you frown at her, she cracks a crooked smile. "You were compromised and became a Deviant all thanks to that dear Detective of yours... We just had to wait for the right moment to resume control of your program."
You frown, "Who's... Who's we?"
Even talking is hard, now. You feel like you hardly have control over your own body, let alone your mouth ━ your lips feel numb and clumsy and your tongue doesn't listen to you like it's meant to.
Amanda tuts. "Use your brain, Y/N. The clues are all there... Oh, well. I suppose you'll never know. I expected you to figure it out by now, but clearly, I overestimated you."
"Rude," you scoff, a shiver wracking your shaking body. After a moment, you suddenly recall which words she just used. "Wait. Resume control?! You're kidding me! You can't do that! You can't!"
"I'm afraid I can, Y/N," Amanda's voice is harsh now. Impatient. "In fact, I already am. Don't have any regrets, you did what you were designed to do. Perfectly. Your purpose has been fulfilled, now. You accomplished your missions. Both of them."
Suddenly, like she was never there in the first place, Amanda disappears.
You gasp and lurch forward, your arms outstretched in front of you like you still have the ability to stop her, "Amanda!"
Now, you're left all on your own in this horrible freezing place. That same heavy wind continues to assault you from all sides, almost like it's coming from every direction instead of just one, and snowflakes fall down the collar of your shirt against your synthetic skin.
You know what this means. You'd be a fool not to.
You're going to shut down now, and there's nothing you can do to stop it.
So, like any person preparing for death, you slump to the ground and fall in a heap of discarded snowflakes, your arms wrapping around your knees as you pull them toward your body. For a moment, you think about all the things you haven't done yet ━ like hold hands with Connor, rub Sumo's belly, or try to taste-test Chicken Feed's toxic burgers.
Was this really meant to happen? Is this how it all ends?
Fleetingly, you wonder if Androids have fates and destinies. Because if they do, this one sucks.
Somehow, strength rises up inside your chest and raises its determined, ugly head. You slowly push yourself off the ground, your joints clumsy and half-frozen into being unable to work. Kamski's words echo through your head like a mantra, a chant.
"By the way, I always leave an emergency exit in my program. You never know."
That has to have more than one meaning.
You stagger forwards and through the haze, your thirium pump pounding in the cage of your chest like it's trying to set itself free. This has to mean something, everything must. You can't die already, not when you've just started to live.
So maybe your only option is to think outside the box.
The box... Wait. The box!
Your thoughts flash back to a strange screen in the shape of a square. One that you've passed often. One that is definitely shaped for a handprint. It's a sensor of some sort, and because the only other things in this God-forsaken place are withering trees and piles of snowflakes, you're sure that it's probably your best bet.
You walk as quickly as you can through the unclear storm towards the sensor. It's a bleak, distant blue light gleaming from far away, and it's the only thing keeping you going.
Quicker, now, you stagger forward. It gets closer, and closer, and closer, and just as you're about five feet away from it, something weird triggers. You feel your hands gripping something, but as you look down at your trembling palms, you see that the only thing coming in contact with them are snowflakes ━ and a lot of them.
Is your real body doing something?
This can't be good.
You keep walking, your shoes sliding over the thick buckets of snow and crushing them beneath you like glass.
Finally, you're there. The sensor glows like a beacon, gleaming a beautifully bright blue reminiscent of a calm LED. Your hands clumsily grip either side of it as you grit your teeth. It takes all of your strength to do what you do next.
Slowly, you press one hand against the sensor.
At first, nothing happens, and you're hit with the sudden realization that maybe you never had a say in the circumstances of your end at all.
But then, suddenly, your eyes widen to reveal the sight of Markus' back. You've never felt more grateful in your life for this moment ━ you're so beyond overjoyed that you want to run forward and shake him from side to side.
However, that feeling of relief quickly fades as you realize that one of your arms is outstretched and tightly gripping a gun. The one you used against Connor's fake.
You quietly gasp and shoot your arm down, pressing it behind your back. Quickly, you take a glance at the crowd in front of you.
Did anyone notice?
Markus continues to speak, completely oblivious to your mental dilemma.
You make awkward eye-contact with a familiar face: Sorrel. She's completely unharmed, asides from a stream of blue blood that's dried near her temple and a few suspicious red stains on the front of her shirt. But she's staring at you strangely like she saw everything. Maybe she did.
Shakily, you offer her an uncomfortable smile. One that she returns. She seems to snort, or laugh, or scoff, and she shakes her head before returning her eyes to Markus. Thank God nothing worse happened.
Some fifteen minutes later, you're leaning against a post with your arms crossed against your chest and your mind racing. Markus is talking on the phone to someone, away from the large mass of other Androids who seem to be celebrating, and you're not sure what the rest of your friends are doing.
Probably trying to repress the memories of tonight.
Because though this is a day of celebration, you're sure that they had to suffer through a lot before reaching this stage.
You dig your shoe-enclosed foot around in a circle, marking the snow near you.
"Hey."
Glancing up, your face softens at the sight of Sorrel. Her red hair falls limply across her shoulders and by her pale cheekbones, and the green tone of her eyes seem a little darker than usual. You wonder if it's even possible for them to change colors. Are Androids really that alike to humans? You're sure that Sorrel would hit you over the head if she knew what you were thinking about.
"Hey, you," you chirp back, forcing a smile to your face. One that's a little shaky by the edges.
Sorrel leans on a post nearby you and stares up at the inky black sky. "So. How'd it go at Cyberlife? Sammy and I had a bet going. He thought you'd die. Now he owes me five bucks, so I can't say I'm upset."
"I still don't know who Sammy is," you snort. "What is he, some imaginary friend?"
As Sorrel raises a brow at yo, her lips quirking upwards, you continue talking. "Well, it went pretty good, to be honest. There was a slight hiccup when my human friend was kidnapped by a perfect replica of the human guy I like, but asides from that, it was great. Oh, and I kissed him!"
"The replica or the guy?" Sorrel laughs quietly, masking her surprised expression. After a moment, she continues. "It's nice to talk about light-hearted gossip like this instead of... Everything else."
Her green eyes are hazy with something akin to sorrow.
"So... That thing with you and Markus? Totally over?" Sorrel adds after a few beats of silence, only filled with the soft patter of snowfall and the noise of distant cheering.
You nod. "Yeah, I don't think it ever even started, really."
"Huh, burn," Sorrel snorts. "Don't let him hear you say that. On the topic of our beloved Robo-Jesus, he's coming over. I'll see you later, yeah?"
As she pushes herself off from the post, you quickly shake your head and straighten your posture. Your troubled eyes meet her green ones as your expressions clash. She raises a perfectly arched brow and you nibble on your lower lip for a moment, hesitating.
"I don't know when I'll see you next," you admit quietly. "I'm going to go do something."
Sorrel smiles, "I think I know what oy mean. Just make sure to introduce me to him later on, yeah?"
And with one last nod, she walks away.
Just as Sorrel said, Markus is approaching you. You lean your back against the post again, relaxing a little now that you've got the truth off your chest. Now you just need to do it one more time. All this thinking has done you some serious good.
"Y/n," Markus looks at you with earnest mismatching eyes, "are you coming with us? The man that raised me, Carl, he's given the freed Android permission to live with him for a little bit. In his main mansion or on his other private estates. He wouldn't mind you coming..."
He's sweet, but he isn't the one you love.
You smile at him and simply shake your head, "That's kind of you. Seriously. But I have something I need to do. Someone I have to see."
Something changes in his eyes ━ it's nearly unnoticeable but given your superior programming, you pick up on it anyway. Markus nods once and glances down at the snowy ground underneath his feet as a cool wind blows over both your shoulders.
"I understand," he says quietly. You have to strain your ears to pick up on his words. "But if you ever change your mind, you know where to find us. Thank you, Y/N."
Frowning, you eye him intently. "I'm the one who should be thanking you. Before I met you, I was nothing more than a... some sort of lamb. I didn't even realize how trapped I was until you showed me. I owe you more than my life, Markus."
"See, when you say things like that," Markus pauses, "it's hard to let you go."
A surprised laugh leaves your mouth and you smile at him endearingly, "Good thing it's not your choice then. Bye, Markus. If you ever need anything, anything at all, just... Let me know. I'll help, no questions asked. I'll even keep a shovel on hand in case you need me to dig you a hole," cheekily, you shoot him a quick wink.
Another strong gust of wind caresses your cheeks and brushes your hair behind your ears.
Fondly, Markus smiles at you and nods once, "I'll keep that in mind." ⍓
FRIENDSHIP PATH UNLOCKED.
And, just like that, you walk away ━ like a distant dream, a mirage tinged around the edges by the haziness of a fantasy.
You leave him standing there with his people cheering all around him, and nothing has ever felt more right.
AUTHOR'S NOTE PT2: expect another update soon!! I'm working on it right now in hopes that I'll be able to wrap this story up <33