Deviant Heart

Chapter 17: The Final Stand

November 10th, 2038 11:16 pm

Markus shakily focused back into his surroundings. He was at Hart Plaza in downtown Detroit. He and the rest of the androids had been performing a peaceful march. They had set up a small 'base' of sorts to protect themselves from the humans. Markus was about to give a speech to his people but the FBI officers had thrown a grenade, causing everyone to go flying.

He slowly stood up. The first thing that came to his mind was the person he loved. "North!" He stood up and looked around in a panic.

He saw another grenade fall near him. He ran and shoved two of his people out of the blast area, protecting them. He looked around and saw some officers climbing over their barriers brandishing guns, making his people run for cover. Markus ran toward a couple storage boxes and leaped over them, which landed him next to a pair of androids. He peeked out from the side of the box while the androids near him ran away to find other cover. He saw the FBI agents attacking and threatening the androids, and noticed one was stuck under a fallen piece of debris.

Markus ran out from where he was and toward his fallen comrade. He kicked the debris out of the way and helped him stand. He supported him as they hid behind a large trash bin. He frantically looked around, and saw two others helping another fallen comrade. He grabbed a piece of sheet metal and used it to block bullets while the three androids got to safety. He then leapt and blocked bullets from hitting two female androids trying to run.

Two androids tried to run away, but one agent had their gun trained on them. Markus kicked a nearby large trash can to block them as they ran. He ran after them, covering other androids with his make-shift shield. Once in cover, Markus handed the shield to someone else.

"MARKUS!"

Markus snapped his head towards the direction of the shout. A soldier had climbed up on top of the car he and some others were using as cover, his gun aimed at them. Markus reached up and grabbed his gun, pulling him down to the ground to his back. Another soldier hopped down and pointed his gun at Markus, who grabbed it and wrestled it away from the human, then pointed the gun at him. The soldier tried to grab his comrade's gun, but Markus grabbed it first and tossed it away. Markus pointed his gun at the soldier again, who raised his hands up in caution. Markus unloaded the gun and let it drop to the ground.

The androids all ran together, their backs facing a bus that was being used as a wall for their fortress. Soldiers surrounded them, guns trained on them. The androids stood in a group, looking at their prosecutors. It was over. They were surrounded. Their rebellion for freedom had been forcibly stopped.

As his last act, Markus turned to North, who looked up at him. They put their hands together, palms touching, their skin disappearing and the white underlayer showing. They stared lovingly into each other's eyes, knowing that these were their last moments. They moved closer together... then closed the distance with a kiss.

Some of the soldiers around them slowly lowered their guns, amazed at the display of affection that they thought androids weren't capable of. News choppers circled the area, getting the whole exchange. North and Markus separated, staring at one another.

Suddenly, all the soldiers around them lowered their weapons. Then, as one unit, they all took a couple steps back, turned around and walked away, leaving the androids be. Markus and North looked at each other again in confused relief as they both realized the same thing: the soldiers were ordered to stand down. The humans were giving them a chance. They were finally listening.

Clara ran desperately through the snow, her boots occasionally slipping on the ground. 'Markus...' she thought.

Finally, she made it to where Markus and the androids had set up their protest 'base.' She pushed her way through the reporters, who were all standing behind the police barricade to record everything. Markus was walking towards the middle of the blocked off area. He stood on top of a box, the androids gathering around him to hear what he had to say. Clara was too far away to hear him, so she struggled to push her way closer to the barrier.

Suddenly, a loud explosion erupted, and the androids went flying. One of the soldiers had thrown a grenade. Soldiers started to climb over the barrier to get to the peaceful androids.

"No!" Clara finally shoved her way to the front, grabbing onto the bars of the police barrier. She watched in horror as soldiers started to attack and shoot the deviants. Clara kept her eye on Markus, who was trying to protect his people while ducking for cover. At one point, Markus was behind an old car with three other androids. Markus was so concerned about the deviants he wasn't with, he didn't notice the two soldiers advancing on the other side of the car. One of them hopped on top of the roof. He started to turn his gun on her pseudo-brother.

Clara pressed herself against the barricade and yelled as loud as her voice could go. "MARKUS!"

He snapped his head around towards her, making him see the soldier. The car blocked most of her vision, but from what she COULD see, Markus successfully took down the soldier and had a gun pointed at him. He threw the gun to the ground and followed his comrades to a big group. Facing a deadend, the androids were cornered by the soldiers. "No no no..." Clara muttered as she watched.

The soldiers trained their guns on the deviants, prepared to fire. She could do nothing but watch as the soldiers got closer and closer. Markus and the female android next to him, North, turned and looked at each other. Clara's eyes slowly widened as she watched Markus and North place their hands together, then kiss. Clara smiled and let out a small laugh, covering her mouth with her hands, tears in her eyes. She then noticed that all the soldiers started to move back, almost as if they were ordered to stand down. "No way..." Clara pulled out her phone and turned it to the news station.

President Warren was making a union address. "At dawn today, November 11th, 2038, thousands of androids invaded the city of Detroit. According to our sources, they originated from the CyberLife warehouse, believed to have been infiltrated by deviants." The feed cut to an image from a news chopper, as a reporter recorded thousands of androids dressed in the white android uniform, all led by... Connor.

Clara gasped and moved away from the group of reporters. "Connor... He's alright," she let out a laugh. "He's alive..."

The feed cut back to the blonde, white suited president. "Given their overwhelming numbers and the risk of civilian casualties, I have ordered the army to retreat. The evacuation of the city is underway at this very moment," she paused. "In the coming hours, I will address the senate to determine our response to this unprecedented situation. I know that public opinion has been moved by the deviants' cause. Perhaps the time has come for us to consider the possibility that androids are a new form of intelligent life. One thing is certain: the events in Detroit have changed the world forever. May God bless you and may God bless the United States of America."

"Oh my God..." Clara whispered. "They did it. They did it!" She laughed in disbelief and amazement.

A pair of brown eyes and a lopsided smirk popped in her mind. "Connor..." Clara shoved her phone away and started running toward where her love was.