Deviant Heart

Chapter 21: The Incident

Dec. 15th, 2039 3:30 pm

Markus and Clara walked down the streets in Detroit, shops lined with Christmas decorations and advertisements for the upcoming holiday. People milled around as they went about their lives. Clara reached her arms above her head and stretched.

"Maaaaan.... Haven't had a day off in a while."

Markus smiled. "Yup. But are you sure you're alright spending it with me? Wouldn't you want to spend it with Connor?"

She shoved her hands in her jean pockets and lightly kicked a pebble with the toe of her boot. "Yeah... Honestly I would. But he and Hank are in the middle of a case and they are super close to solving it. They've even spent the last three nights at the station. I of all people can understand what that's like. I don't want to bother him."

Markus smirked. "Isn't that why you got upset with him that one time? When you slept at Hank's and Connor was there but didn't wake you up or something?"

Clara blushed slightly. "No. It's completely different."

"Uh huh."

As they walked through the crowded streets, a man stepped in their path, about fifteen feet from them. "Hey! You're Markus, right? The android leader?" The man aggressively demanded.

The siblings stopped, and Clara slowly rested her hand on her gun holster, prepared for if things go south.

"Yes, that's me," Markus replied.

The man's face contorted in rage as he lifted a finger to jab it in Markus's direction. "You... You're the one who caused all this! You started that rebellion with those MACHINES! Cause that's all that you are! Machines! Objects meant to serve us!" Clara glanced around and noticed that the man's yelling had started to attract a crowd, and that some people were recording the exchange on their phones. The crowd whispered to one another as they watched. "Yet you managed to... to... BRAINWASH everyone into thinking that you're more than that! I lost my job because of androids, my wife left me because of androids... And it's all your fault."

The man reached behind him and pulled a small pistol from his waistband and aimed it at Markus. People around them yelled in surprise, shouting things like "He's got a gun!" "Oh shit!" "Record this!" Clara tensed her grip on her own gun, but Markus put his hand in front of her, warning her not to draw it.

"What are you doing?" Markus calmly questioned. "We live in a new world now. Humans, androids, it doesn't matter. We are all living beings! We shouldn't be fighting each other like this. The war is over. Let's just have peace." He spread his hands out in a peaceful gesture.

The man trembled, but raised the gun higher. "No." He pulled the trigger.

Markus squeezed his eyes shut as he listened to the people's screams. But, he didn't feel anything hit him. He opened his eyes and saw Clara standing in front of him.

"Shit..." she muttered. She clutched her bleeding abdomen and coughed up some blood, dying her lips red. Markus widened his eyes.

Clara had jumped in front of him and taken the bullet. He looked up at the man, who was now shaking, having wanted to deactivate an android, not kill a human. He stumbled back, then took off through the crowd. Clara fell to her knees, and Markus knelt down with her. He tore off his jacket and pressed it against her wound, attempting to stop the bleeding.

"Hang in there, sis. Hang in there."

A woman ran up to him. "I just got off the phone with 911. They're on their way."

"Thank you."

Clara coughed again, blood trickling down her chin.

"Clara, hang in there. Keep your eyes open, okay? Don't die on me, alright?"