"I have to stay in Brighton, at least until I can figure out how I can safely get to LA without being caught." I reasoned as I let out a breath, taking off at a run in hopes to avoid running into the cops steadily approaching the house.
"Hotel? No, I don't have money and that's too obvious. Um....fuck!" I cursed as I slipped through the dark alleyways of the neighborhood, startling the few homeless living there.
"I have to find-"
I broke off when I skidded to a stop outside of a junkyard filled with destroyed cars and a few android bodies, the wire gate unlocked.
"Perfect." I sighed in relief, slipping through the gate before closing it behind me and looking around for a place to stay the night.
This is just until the cops are off my back, I reminded myself as I glanced at a few of the cars that had potential to to be shelters.
"Jack! Robbie found Jack!"
I stiffened in surprise as an android scampered up behind me and wrapped his arms around me in a tight hug, his face buried into my back.
"Are you...Robbie?" I questioned, remembering what Signe told me about the androids who ran the camp I was heading towards.
"Jack remember! Robbie miss Jack, glad Jack back." Robbie cheered as he let go of me, a smile lighting up his abnormally pale face.
"Robbie, I'm trying to find your camp of deviants, can you help me?" I pleaded hopefully, the android's grin shifting into a confused frown.
"Jack no remember camp? But...Jack make camp, Jack help me and friends!" Robbie replied insistently.
"I know, but-"
"You not Jack, are you?" Robbie whimpered remorsefully, tears rapidly welling up in his pale blue eyes.
"I wish I could say I was, but I'm not. I'm an android that was designed to look like him and have his memories, but the real Jack was killed by a group of anti-android protestors." I admitted softly, Robbie letting out a choked sob as he sank down onto the ground with his head bowed.
"Robbie miss Jack, Robbie thought...Robbie thought Jack found Robbie to take Robbie home to friends." The android hiccuped through his tears.
"Hey, just because I'm not Jack doesn't mean I can't help get ya home." I countered gently with a reassuring smile, ruffling the android's lavender hair.
"How Robbie get home?" Robbie sniffled, looking up at me as he wiped the tears on his face away with the back of his hand.
I hastily racked my brain for some kind of reply that would console him, a memory of a saying Jack had coming to mind.
"You just gotta have PMA." I answered with a small smile, offering the lavender haired android a hand up.
Robbie nodded slowly as he grabbed my hand in his, allowing me to help him up to his feet.
"Do you know somewhere safe where we can stay?" I asked Robbie, the android nodding once more before trudging towards an abandoned truck trailer.
"Robbie find other friends too, friends eating za." Robbie told me as we drew closer, two figures visible inside.
"Robbie, who's this?" A man with a Swedish accent spoke up as he eyed me warily, the android woman standing close by him.
"Robbie find new friend, this Jack!" Robbie explained happily, ushering me inside as the Swede continued eating an old looking piece of pizza.
"My name's Marzia, this is my...friend, Felix." The woman android introduced with a polite smile, the male ignoring me as he ate.
"Why are you two here?" I asked curiously, Marzia glancing over at Felix before returning her attention to me.
"We're trying to get to LA so we can be free." Marzia answered, Felix nodding in agreement as he finished his food.
"Really? Me too!" I exclaimed with a grin, Marzia's expression brightening while Robbie glanced between the two of us with a confused look.
"Great, we can travel together to-"
"You, Jack, and I can go together, but taking Robbie with us will be too risky since there'll be too many people in our group." Felix interrupted.
"Robbie...stay?" Robbie interjected quietly, his lower lip trembling as I shot Felix a glare to silence him.
"He should come with us, he just wants to go home." I argued, Felix shaking her head while Marzia bit her lip.
"He'll get himself caught or worse if we comes with us, and we'll be more noticeable in a bigger group." Felix argued.
"Go."
All attention turned to Robbie as he growled softly under his breath, his fingers curled into fists at his side with his gaze fixated on the floor.
"Robbie..." I trailed off as I realized that I had no idea what to say to convince him to let us stay, the android's body shaking slightly as his eyes bored into mine.
"Jack lied to Robbie, Jack say he get Robbie home to friends!" Robbie snarled fiercely, causing me to flinch in response.
I let out a sigh as I tried to figure out a different plan, refusing to leave Robbie behind even though Felix and Marzia seemed determined to.
Go to LA with Robbie?
Go to LA with Felix and Marzia?
