SHORT CIRCUIT, connor dbh (discontinued)

; 29

"If you find Markus, come find me," Connor instructed as he left to search the boat. Liv did the same, going the opposite direction as Connor.

Liv hadn't ever seen so many andriods in one place before. They were all surrounding TV screens, watching the news to keep track of what was going on outside of Jericho. All androids were being detained and sent to recall camps to be disassembled, and it dawned on her that that could include Connor too. Was there any way for them to get out of this? If they found Markus, he could be sent to one of the camps. However, if they didn't, CyberLife would shut him down. It felt like they were out of options. Now, she could only hope that Connor would be spared if he took down the leader.

Everyone around her seemed fearful for their lives, for their freedom. So many andriods were huddled together to reassure each other that everything would be alright. The most common thing she heard was everyone's hope in Markus. Everything would be okay because they had Markus. Yet Connor's only chance at freedom was if he destroyed Markus.

In the middle of the bottom floor was an arrangement of explosives ready to be set up. The boat was rigged to explode with the press of a button. A few androids were still putting more out.

Liv gave up on the first floor and went upstairs to search. She caught a glimpse of the AX400 that they failed to capture a few months back. She secured her hood to try to hide her face, hoping the woman didn't recognize her.

When the AX400 was gone, Liv continued to search through the crowd of andriods. None were Markus. It seemed like Markus wasn't on the second floor either. She went to go to the next set of stairs to continue searching, but she was stopped by someone.

"What are you doing?"

"Oh, I was just looking for someone."

"Well you're not going to find them up there. Markus and the other leaders meet there. You can't go up there."

"Oh, thanks for telling me, I didn't know. I'm gonna go back, I need to find my friend," Liv explained, desperately trying to get away from the andriod.

"Wait, I haven't seen any andriods that look like you before. What model are you?"

"I'm a... JL100."

"I've never heard of your model," he said.

"Um, yeah. My model kind of failed, and CyberLife threw me away like I was trash," she made up a backstory, hoping the andriod would buy it.

"You're not an android, are you?"

"Of course I'm an andriod! Humans can't find Jericho."

"Not alone. I think I should turn you in to Markus," the male andriod was joined by another. Both were much larger than her, probably made to be laborers. They grabbed ahold of her. She squirmed, trying to free herself from their grasp. It was useless.

She felt the urge to call for Connor, but she knew not to. He was the deviant hunter, all of them knew him, even feared him. Some had even witnessed him firsthand, such as the AX400 and the Tracis.

Liv cared about Connor too much to do that. She wouldn't turn him in, no matter what happened. He protected her so many times, now it was her turn to help him. She remained silent, and tried her best to keep from making a scene.

The two andriods took her upstairs. Arguing could be heard from a distance. The argument drew nearer to her as she was dragged towards them. She was taken into the room where Markus and the other leaders were arguing about how they would gain their freedom.

Her and the two other andriods entrance stopped the argument. All the leaders were shocked to see anyone else there.

"What are you doing here?" Markus asked.

"We caught this human sneaking around. She was trying to get up here," he explained.

"For the last time, you idiots, I'm an android!"

"What's your model and serial number?" the female leader asked.

"JL100, serial number 213-347-901," Liv stuck with her story.

"JL models don't exist," one of the them said.

"But humans can't find Jericho," the blonde leader stated in disbelief.

"Humans can't, that's exactly my point! Look, I can prove I'm andriod, if one of them can let go of me for a second."

Markus told the man to the right of her to let go her arm. Liv lifted her right arm and removed the skin from it, showing her andriod arm. They stared. But when her arm lifted a little more, her hoodie went up a little, showing the gun hostered on her side.

"She's armed!" The andriod beside her said, taking her gun.

"Fuck," she said under her breath.

"Tie her up, and hand the gun to me," the female leader ordered. The two men restrained her to a chair, then were ordered to leave.

"Simon and Josh, go downstairs and keep an eye out for anyone else," Markus ordered, and sent the other two leaders out. Now it was just Liv, Markus, and the female leader.

"Why are you here armed? Who sent you?" Markus asked.

"No one sent me here. I'm here armed to destroy the deviant leaders," Liv confessed.

"So you're the one of the deviant hunters?"

"Yes."

"I thought only one of the deviant hunters was an android. We've been told all about him, but you're an android too?"

"You're accomplice at the Stratford Tower shot me. The only way they could save me was by making me part android."

"Where is he, the deviant hunter?" The woman asked.

"I came here alone. They sent him to one of the camps, along with all the other police andriods."

"You're lying. Why were you sent here to kill us?"

"I have my reasons."

"Who sent you?"

"No one."

The woman pointed Liv's gun at her head. Liv continued to stare at her with a straight face.

"You don't want to do that, Traci."

"That's not my name. It's North."

"You might be North now, but I've read your case. You escaped the Eden Club a few months ago. I know about Markus too. He tried to kill a man, right in front of his father," Liv said, "You're not going to shoot me, North.

"Look, I don't want any trouble from you guys. I wouldn't be doing this unless I had to," Liv continued.

"Why do you have to do this?" Markus asked.

"I can't say."

North shot the pistol, right over her shoulder, "Answer him!"

The shot rang loudly in her ears. Not wanting to die again, she answered him, "Fuck! Fine, fine! I'm doing it to protect Connor."

"You're protecting the deviant hunter? Protecting him from who?" Markus asked.

"CyberLife. They're going to destroy him if his mission isn't accomplished."

"Humans hate andriods, why do you care about him?"

"I don't hate androids. I'm in love with him, and I'm willing to do what it takes for him to live. I don't want to hurt anyone, but I will if I have to."

"North, untie her."

"What? She's a human, Markus. A deviant hunter! We can't trust her. She wants to turn you in!"

"She's one of us. And if the RK800 really is in love with her, it shouldn't be hard to make him a deviant."

North still had the gun pointed towards Liv's head, refusing to untie her.

"Let her go!" Connor said as he came into the room, gun aimed at Markus.

"My mission is to take you alive, but I won't hesitate to shoot you if harm her."