Connor provided cover fire as Markus helped carry North to the edge, where a hole in the wall stood. Connor came back, and looked at me, as he realized what had to be done.
"Hurry! Come on!" Markus yelled, and we all jumped out of the boat, into the water. The bottom of the ship exploded and began to sink. We all swam to shore, and began to recount ourselves. I sat there for a moment, my clothes being soaked now, and stared at the night sky.
"Connor?" I asked. He was sitting right next to me, pulling himself together.
"Yes, Charlotte?" He responded.
"You're a deviant now. You don't have to return to Cyberlife. I do, however," I explained standing up.
"No!" Connor said, jumping up. I looked at him, confused. "No, you don't. You never completed your mission. You have to do that first. Make returning to Cyberlife the last priority."
Reprioritizing...
"Okay," I answered.
"So now you can stay?" he asked.
"Yes. I think so, anyway," I answered. I looked at him for a moment. "Why are you staying with me? Why are you protecting me?"
"I have a promise to keep to you. I don't have to find you if I'm always with you," Connor responded. He sounds so different now that he's a deviant. Kind, instead of calculating.
"Thank you," I responded.
"You!" North yelled, quickly running up to me. "You're not a deviant, are you?"
I turned to her. "No, but you can trust me."
"Listen," Connor said. "She's worth an ounce of your trust."
North immediately turned to Markus. "She's not a deviant!" She yelled.
The other androids who had escaped with us, including Simon and Josh looked at me. They all looked ready to fight. Connor quickly grabbed me and put his arm around me, as if to protect me if need be.
"Connor has her under control. We don't have to worry about her," Markus explained. "She wants to be a deviant. She just can't."
"How is that even possible?" North yelled.
"I don't know, but it doesn't really matter. For now, we move," Markus ordered. Slowly, groups of androids crawled onto the shore, and there were at least several hundred of them. As they did, Markus led Jericho to a large abandoned church, where everyone began to set up camp until further notice. Day broke, and Connor sat next to me patiently, as Markus left to run an errand.
"It's taking a lot of courage to stay here right now," Connor said to me. "You're holding yourself together very well."
"You helped me with the prioritization. Otherwise, I think I may have killed Markus in the guard tower."
Connor nodded. "It must be really difficult to only have some control over your actions," Connor continued.
"Yes, but you went through it too. I'm just going through it for a little bit longer," I explained. Connor smiled. He didn't smirk. He smiled.
"That's a good way to look at it," he said. This time, instead of taking my hand to lead me somewhere, or to connect with me, he just held it. It...was really nice. An hour or two passed until Connor spoke again.
"I have another promise to make," he said, in a soothing tone.
"What is it?" I asked.
"I swear I'll find a way to turn you deviant. If I can't...I'll help you get as much freedom as possible," he said.
"Connor-" I began, but I was interrupted by the noise of the church doors swinging open.
"Where are the injured?" I heard a familiar voice ask. It's Christen. A deviant led Christen over to a corner where she set up her laptop and opened a tool kit. It wasn't long before I saw Margot being assisted by Fiona on one side, and the Deputy on the other. They're still here. Christen began taking injured deviants, and patching them up with her socket and her programming skills. All I could do is hope that she wouldn't see me. Hope that she wouldn't think I became deviant, and then I would have to disappoint her. Her and Nick. Her and Nick and Fiona. Her and Nick and Fiona and Margot and Connor and Markus and North and everyone else who wants me to be a deviant.
Connor looked at me. "Don't you want to go see the Deputy?" he asked.
"No...I can't," I explained. "He'll be so disappointed."
"I know it's upsetting, but he's probably very worried about you-"
"I don't care. He'll see me when the whole thing blows over. I'll stop by before I return to Cyberlife."
"This may never blow over, Charlotte," Connor explained.
"I can't," I replied. Connor sighed deeply, but acknowledged it nevertheless.
"This whole chaos," Connor said, looking around. "It's all because of me."
"That's not true," I replied.
"It is," Connor answered. "I'll just have to deal with the consequences."
Consequences? What consequences?
"Whatever they are, you won't experience them alone," I responded. "I'll stay with you."
We waited, and soon Markus returned. I soon understood what Connor meant by consequences. I know Markus has to make a big choice. He may have to execute Connor for telling the police about Jericho, and therefore decide my fate as well. Am I allowed to stay in Jericho? If I'm not, can I walk out of here, or will I have to be shot? Markus stopped around at the different areas, even meeting with Christen and thanking her...but got to us last. When he finally came around, Connor helped me up, and we both looked at Markus.
"It's all my fault that the humans managed to locate Jericho," Connor told him. Connor seemed...depressed. "I was stupid. I should've guessed that they were using me."
"Connor-" I began, but he started to walk towards Markus.
"I'm sorry, Markus. I can understand if you decide not to trust me...but whatever you decide...please leave Charlotte alone. She's a victim of my stupidity."
Markus looked at Connor firmly. "You're one of us now," he spoke calmly. "Your place is with your people."
Markus then turned to me. "And one day, you'll be like us."