Orders and Wonders - Connor/Kara Fanfiction

Decision

"Your ride is ready for travel. Please be seated." 

At the sound of the automated voice, the three almost jumped out of their skin. Both Connor and Alice turned to look at Kara for an explanation, but she simply took the child's hand and began to walk away. Her obligation towards this deviant hunter who had done nothing but made her and Alice's life more difficult was over. She had fixed him and he had returned the favor. It was even. 

When he began to follow them towards the driverless taxi that Kara had hitched from the bay outside the supermarket, she found herself annoyed at his presence. Pushing Alice into the car, she slammed the door shut and shot him a fierce look. 

"What are you doing?" Kara questioned, standing in front of the door and blocking his path. He was over half an inch taller than her, physically more adept and also had humans as allies - she could not fight him, but she wouldn't let him get to Alice. While traveling back on the taxi, she had fed it firm instructions - to not unlock the door to anyone, but her. That way this android would never be able to open the door and get to Alice. Her plan had given her some relief, but she still didn't know what she would do about herself. The thought of being reset again frightened her to the core - not remembering Alice and walking through that darkness again . . . she could not bear it once again.

At the sight of her eyes growing misty, Connor stepped forward. The action appeared threatening to her and she was already stepping back, a scowl etched on her pale face. He spoke gently. "I . . . I only wish to get back to my partner." 

"Then you can walk down that path and get your own taxi." Kara retorted, pointing at the rocky path and Connor turned to stare at it blankly. The path was stained by patches of blue blood and with a start, he realized it belonged to the deviant who stood before him. Her face was pale and her eyes were not as alert as he had seen them in Zlatko's mansion. The deviant had lost more blood than he had expected and her thirium pump regulator was not as advanced as his to replenish the blood rapidly. She was more vulnerable now than ever before and his old self would have jumped at the opportunity to seize her. But now, he only wished for her to get far away to where she and the child could be safe. And maybe someday . . . 

A crash behind them caused them both to face the bottom of the hill from which a large figure stood. In the darkness, Kara with a heavy heart recognized the figure - the revolver in his hand shining from the glaring neon lights of the taxi. She could no longer breathe as the memory of the brute advancing on her and Alice shook her to the core. And when she saw his LED turn red, his arm rising with the revolver to point straight at them, Kara felt fainter than ever. The thirium in her system was not enough to support her flight response, but this time it was the police android that was shoving her towards the door of the car. He cursed when the door did not open and she had just enough stamina to touch the glass window of the taxi. The door opened and she was shoved in the plush front seats and her savior was slamming down on the panel in front of them. 

A shot reverberated from the outside and Alice who had fallen asleep jumped at the sound. She whimpered when she turned around to see a large figure chasing after them. Connor almost expected Kara to turn around and comfort the child, but was horrified when he saw her sitting stationary on the seat - her eyes chillingly blank. Her body leaned slightly to the side, her hands flaccid on her legs. If she had an LED, Connor could have guessed it would be a bright red and be blinking rapidly. Her stress levels were nearly at their maximum. He had never known he could emulate so much fear before at his own deductions. 

"Kara!" Alice cried from behind, her hands gently shaking the deviant's shoulders when she did not respond to her name earlier. "Kara, what happened to you?!" 

The police android distraughtly pulled the deviant to his side, his mind too frantic to realize that the thirium in his system was extremely warm. He touched the vacant temple where the LED should have been and deactivated her temperature meter. At this motion, he felt some movement, but it was so slight that a human would have missed it. Her stress levels were still extremely high and there was a risk that her system would begin to self-destruct. He needed to do something fast!