𝐁𝐑𝐄𝐀𝐊𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝐂𝐎𝐃𝐄

Chapter 3

"Yes, Daniel. It's me." 

 You nodded in his direction before slinking back behind Connor. The powerful wind generated by the helicopter blew lawn chairs and other deck furniture all around the roof. This made the path very difficult to navigate. While slowly inching closer and closer to the threat, Connor attempted to speak to the deviant.

"We're all androids here. We know just how you're feeling."

"What difference does it make if you're an android?" He sobbed. You heard his voice audibly crack as he gestured wildly with his hands. "You're on their side!" Emma squirmed in his grip. You wished that you could just run up and grab her, but you knew better.

"They were going to replace you and you became upset. That's what happened, right?"

One look at Daniel's guilty face proved Connor's accusation to be true. The Phillips wouldn't do that, would they? They loved Daniel. At least Emma did. Even so, everyone knew that the daughter had all the hold on executive decisions in their family. She must not have known about it then.

"I...I thought I was part of the family. I thought I mattered. But I was just their toy." After every word he spoke, the barrel of the gun was jabbed harder and harder against the side of Emma's skull. You clenched your fists and decided that then was a good time to speak up. "That's not true, Daniel. They loved you. Emma loves you."

"She lied to me, (Y/N). I thought she cared about me but I was wrong. She's just like all the other humans." Emma sobbed and ceased to squirm in his metal grip. Looking up from the street 70 floors below, she caught your eye and began to shake her head. "Don't let him hurt me, (Y/N). He's going to hurt me."

You reached a hand out. Not long enough to reach her, obviously, but you hoped the gesture was comforting in the slightest. "I'm not going to let him do that, Emma. Just close your eyes and don't look down." Turning your attention back to the threat, you walked around Connor and took the lead while he investigated the body of a downed police officer. "Listen. I know it's not your fault. These emotions you're feeling are just errors in your software. They can fix you, Daniel. I promise they can fix you but you have to let her go."

His grip on the pistol faltered. "It's not my fault," He shoulders with every word. You felt his fear from where you were standing yards away. "I never wanted this." You pursed your lips. You knew this was partially your fault. You could've kept your emotions to yourself but you didn't. You knew one of you would suffer from it eventually. "I loved them, (Y/N). We both loved them...but we're just their slaves to be ordered around!"

The helicopter swooped in closer to scope out the scene from above. Daniel groaned and thrust the gun into the air. "I can't stand that noise anymore! Tell that thing to make it go away." You stepped back as he waved the gun in the air. 

 This wasn't the Daniel that you knew. This was a stranger. A dangerous stranger who was threatening to kill a little girl because of her parent's decisions. You turned to Connor just in time to see him wave down the helicopter and signal for it to go away, which it did just seconds later.

You maintained eye contact with Connor as he walked toward you. "There, see? He did what you wanted." You could now see Daniel clearly without the blinding lights from the copter. Tears ran down the pale skin of his face. His eyes were trained on you as he pressed the gun once again into Emma's hair. He was the epitome of guilt and regret. The poster child of poor decision making.

"You have to trust me, Daniel. Let the hostage go and I promise you everything will be fine."

He gulped and took a single step closer to the edge of the balcony. Connor tensed for a split second, the LED indicator on his temple blinking yellow. You didn't care to check where yours was at the moment. Though if you had to suspect, it was probably red. Bright, angry red. "I want everyone to leave!" Daniel shouted, creating vast, sweeping motions in the air with the gun. "Except for (Y/N). And-And I wanna car. When we're outside the city, I'll let her go but (Y/N) stays with me."