The Creed of Detroit

Chapter 5- A Quiet Moment...

8:30pm- Zlatko's house

Ruby

Zlatko still lay there in the snow, blood turning the white crimson. The androids he had broken, had already gone into the night, wanting to put more space between them and their hell.

Ruby tucked the handkerchief further into the pouch on her belt. It was still lined with Zlatko's blood. Everyone else had gone back to the house, out of the cold. But Ruby needed to think. Needed to feel her rage dissipate in the wind before she joined them.

"We need to do something with him..." Caleb said quietly behind her. "Before we leave. Kara is anxious to move on, as am I."

Ruby tilted her head slightly. "I just can't believe it. There were so many androids out there who thought he could help them. Help them find freedom and safety. He duped them and took them apart for experiments." She spat at Zlatko's feet. Caleb grabbed her arm.

"Enough. You know that's not how we have been taught to deal with the ones we kill. We have a creed to live by. Our Mentor entrusted us to this mission." He pressed his lips into a thin line. "Thanks for saving me back there. I was a bit rash and thought I could take him on."

"It felt good to end him. Like all those androids were finally free. Justice had been served..." There was silence for a moment, broken only by the wind.

"The Templars will be nearing the Piece soon. We need to get in contact with Vera and find out what's going on. As soon as Kara and Alice are safe, we can meet up with her."

Ruby nodded silently. Then they began to dig.

*

10:30pm

Caleb restoked the fire, aiming to keep them all as warm as possible before they continued on their journey. The assassins found whatever scraps they could find in the fridge, offering some to Alice who shook her head.

"I'm not hungry," she said feebly.

Ruby pulled out her phone and tapped in Vera's number. A sigh came through on the other end.

"Hello?"

"Vera? It's Ruby." Caleb crossed his arms. Ruby rolled her eyes. "And Caleb is here too. Are you okay?"

"Yeah, it's just been a hell of a day. What's been going on with you?"

"Oh nothing much... just a psycho trying to kill us—well kill androids. We just happened to be in the way."

"You can say that again," Caleb muttered, rubbing his head. "Have you come any closer to finding it?"

"No. The symbols have been at every crime scene we've been to. But nothing has come of it so far. Connor has no idea what any of it means. I think I've become a lot more accustomed to androids too."

Ruby glanced at Kara and Luther as they talked quietly in the kitchen.

"Us too. We're going to help them get to the border and then we'll find you."

"If I have any more information I'll let you know. Maybe even send you in its direction." Another sigh. "I'm sorry I have nothing else to report. But we haven't actually caught a deviant yet."

Caleb scoffed. "Isn't Connor really high-tech? Isn't that his prime purpose to catch them?" He softened his voice. "I mean, I hope nothing bad happens to them but if we can find the piece, won't it be worth it?"

Before Vera could respond, Ruby whispered. "No, it wouldn't be worth it. You were preaching about the creed earlier. You know what would happen if they got their hands on them."