Too Afraid To Love You

Chapter 3: Don't Hurt Her

“W-what are you doing?” Markus stammered as he took a step closer to Connor. He kept his eyes on North who was crying heavily, it broke him to see her that way. “I’ll do what you want, but please don’t hurt her,” Markus pleaded as he took another step. North shook her head no, she didn’t want him to sacrifice the cause for her. Connor didn’t seem to buy it, and gripped onto North harder making her wince. I have to convince him. “Y-you’re one of us, you can’t betray your own people,” Markus stated.

“Don’t force me to neutralize her,” Connor threatened.

“You’re nothing to them, just a tool designed for their dirty work, but you’re more than that, we’re all more than that,” Markus convinced with another step. System Instability: ^. Connor didn’t say or do anything, he just kept the gun at North.  “Have you never had any doubts? Whether you’re just a machine executing a programme or something more, I think it’s time for you to ask that question,” Markus inquired as he took another step now very close to the two, his eyes glued onto North’s paralyzed ones.  System instability: ^. “It’s time to decide.”

Connor’s LED changed through colours as he cracked to become deviant, after he did he slowly let go of North. Markus hugged her tightly as tears streamed down his face, also hers.

“They’re… they’re going to attack Jericho,” Connor announced.

“What?” Markus let go of North as he replied to Connor. The sound of guns and footsteps echoed through Jericho.

“Shit,” Markus whispered as he ran out with North and Connor following behind.

*Timeskip*

The three androids ran through Jericho to meet Simon, but not Josh.

“O-our people are trapped, t-they’re going to be slaughtered!” Simon stuttered as he clasped his hands together in worry.

“Where’s Josh!?” Markus asked as he looked left and right to see any sign of him.

“I-I… don’t know we got seperated,” Simon replied. Dammit, hope he’s not dead.  Markus put two fingers to where his LED was and communicated with Jericho. There are two exits on the second and top floor, find them and jump in the river.

“They’re coming from the upper deck too, we’ll be caught in the crossfire,” Markus stated shakily.

“We have to run Markus, there’s nothing we can do!” North said as she put her hand on Markus’ left forearm. Markus turned his head to her and thought for a few seconds.

“We have to blow up Jericho,” Markus replied as he stepped to the right side of the hall. “If the ship goes down, they’ll evacuate and our people can escape!”

“What?” Simon said in disbelief as he shook his head slowly as he stared at the ground.

“You’ll never make it! The explosives are all the way down in the hold, there are soldiers everywhere!” North explained as she stepped closer to him.

“She’s right. They know who you are, they’ll do anything to get you!” Connor agreed with North as he walked closer to them. Markus stared at the three of them before replying.

“Go and help the others, I’ll join you later,” Markus ordered as he turned his head to the direction down the hall.

“Markus…” North trailed off as she stared into his green and blue eyes.

“I-I won’t be long,” Markus reassured her but in a firm voice. As he was about to go Connor spoke.

“Wait Markus.”

Markus turned around to answer him.

“What is it?”

“At least take my gun, for protection,” Connor insisted as he took the gun out of his back jean pocket and handed it to Markus. He does’nt want to resort to violence at all, but if he absolutely needs to, he can take it just in case. Markus nodded his head in agreement and took the gun out of Connor’s hand.

“Come on we gotta go!” Simon yelled as he ran down the left side of the hall with Connor following behind. North was the last to go with them as she stared at Markus for a few seconds before reluctantly running towards Connor and Simon.

*Timeskip*

Markus set the explosives on the control pannel until the SWAT team broke in.

“DON’T MOVE!” he demanded with a gun pointed at him, as Markus walked closer to him. “Go and join the others!” he ordered. Markus slammed his arm into his ribs which caused him to fall to the ground. Markus didn’t want to use his gun yet, only if there's an emergency. Then another SWAT member attacked him, but failed as Markus grabbed the gun with his two hands and tried to grab it out of his hands, but another SWAT member came to attack aswell. Using the gun in the SWAT member’s hand he slammed it on the other one. After he defeated the SWAT team, he returned to the control panel to set off the explosives. He placed is white mechanical hand on the hand print to set the explosives. Though he frowned at his hand…

It reminded him of when he connected hands with North.

*Timeskip*

Markus could see Connor, Simon, Josh and most importantly North, he sighed in relief that no-one was hurt.

“Markus!” North called out as she turned around at the sound of him running, so did Simon, Josh and Connor.

“Bombs gonna explode any second, we gotta get out of here!” Markus warned. North nodded at him and ran with Simon, Josh and Connor with Markus following from behind aslos the SWAT team. While they were running North started to slow down which ended up getting shot from from the SWAT. As Markus heard North scream and fall, his heart stopped. He turned around to see her on the ground with guns pointed at her. They can’t hurt her.   

“There’s nothing we can do for her Markus, we gotta run!” Simon stated. It took no time for Markus to whip out his gun.

“Markus don’t kill-

The sound of gunshots interrupted Josh to finish. Markus shot the two dead. He was disgusted at the sight of the blood, but she was too important to him. As more kept coming he ran towards North and helped her up, she slung his arm over his shoulder. When he heard other gunshots, he turned his head and shot them dead quickly. Josh shook his head in disappointment at Markus when him and North reached to the three androids. Markus shoved the gun into Connor’s chest.

“Markus, you should’ve just left her-

“Shut up and jump in the river!” Markus ordered them. How could he say that!?  The five androids jumped into the river.

Though, as they were in mid-air Markus intwined his hand into North’s.

And hesitantly…

She held his hand back.

Thanks For Reading!