"They have orders to protect you at all costs," Markus says to me as we march with the other androids. I nod but my heart is beating out of my chest. I couldn't even withstand a fight against android strippers. If we have to engage, I'll die.
Markus stops, causing us all to follow suit. "We don't want confrontation! We are protesting peacefully."
"I repeat: surrender now or we will open fire!" a soldier yells at us. I swallow down my fear, remaining unafraid on the outside. Tanks pull in, blocking us from fleeing behind. In front of us is a ton of military troops, ready to kill us.
"There's no turning back now." Markus mutters before addressing the hostile troops again. "We ask that you release all androids detained in camps and cease all aggression against us. We are peaceful. We will not resort to violence. But we are not leaving until our people are free."
He starts walking again and we follow behind in solidarity.
"Fire!" I hear people fall behind me. We continue walking. "Fire!" This time, a bullet grazes my ear, catching me off guard. The shot takes down the person behind me, and I reach a shaking hand up to the side of my head, pulling away to see red blood. Markus sends me a worried glance, but I shrug in response. It's not a bad injury.
Markus kneels, the rest of us mirroring him. The blood from my eye has trickled down my face, dripping from my jaw.
"Are you gonna open fire on unarmed protestors?!"
There's a tense moment, and I hold my breath in fear that I won't get another one.
"All teams hold your fire!"
I let out the air I was holding in, but my posture remains strong.
"Markus, what do we do now?" North asks, looking worried but her support in Markus unwavering.
"We hold out. As long as we can."
The androids mill about, finishing the ring of protection made from metal and cars, while Josh tends to my ear.
"Thank you," I reply when he's finish.
"No problem, Aurora." He sprints away to help Simon and Markus finish pushing a car. I stand up on the one I'm sitting on, looking around in hopes of seeing Connor. When I don't, I have a sinking feeling that he failed his mission.
Markus comes over to me, sitting down. "I have faith in Connor. You should, too."
I shake my head. "He lost every single deviant he went after. He's not great on missions."
"Actually," Markus says, placing his hand on my trembling knee. "I don't think he failed at all. Under the surface, he struggled more than any of us. His orders were always made to be broken."
I sigh, leaning back against the windshield. "You're probably right, roboJesus."
He grins, standing up. Suddenly, North is yelling over to us. "Markus, come look!" We both rush over, on top of another car to peer out. A lone man is walking out in neutral territory.
"Fuck, that's Perkins," I growl out. What an asshat.
"I'm unarmed, Markus. I just want to talk," he yells out.
"I need to hear what he has to say," Markus says, looking over at North.
"What if they kill you?" she says angrily to him.
"That's a chance I'll have to take."
"I'm coming with you," I say, hoping down, waiting for him expectantly.
"No."
"It wasn't a question, Markus. I know Perkins. I know what are wrong deals. He lies to get what he wants."
Markus nods, allowing me to follow him out. We stop about three feet from Perkins.
"Aurora Anderson, nice to see you again. I just beat the shit out of your adoptive father earlier today."
"So you got your ass handed to you, didn't ya?" I grin at him, watching an eye twitch. He ignores me, turning to Markus.
"In a few minutes, the troops will be ordered to charge. None of you will survive. It will all be over. But you can avoid that, Markus."
"What do you mean?" Markus asks, looking over at me. I don't give any sort of a response, waiting for Perkins to continue.
"Surrender. Surrender and I give you my word your life will be spared. They'll be detained but, none of you will be destroyed."
Markus looks to me again, but this time I shake my head no. They will definitely be destroyed. They have no rights.
"You're asking me to betray my people?"
"I'm offering you the chance to save your people. You're not walking out of here, Markus. The only thing you can save now are the lives of those around you."
I take a step towards Perkins, hearing a hundred guns suddenly cock, aimed on me. Perkins puts his hand up to pause them. "Perkins, you just said Markus wouldn't die, yet you just said he won't make it out. You're protecting the human lives around you. These are just objects."
"I'll spare-"
I hold up my hand, actually silencing the man. "Fuck kindly off, Perkins."
"I'm not afraid to die. If I have to give my life for what I believe in, then I won't have lived in vain," Markus says, almost interrupting my earlier insult.
"That android, you seem to really care about her. You don't want her to die, do you?" He looks behind us towards North, who is watching worriedly. "You know, you could both be free. You could forget about all this, you could start a new life some place else, just the two of you. Her life is in your hands, Markus. Just say the word and she'll be spared."
"No," I say to him.
"I asked Markus."
"And I said no."
Perkins looks at Markus, who speaks next. "Aurora is rA9. Her choice goes." Okay rA9 is still an exaggeration. I think he's just wanting to stump Perkins.
"You? rA9? The android Messiah."
"I typically respond to roboGod. Markus is roboJesus."
"You're shitting me," he says, looking between us, but Markus and I don't crack a smile. "Aurora, you're a human. I saw you grow up. You aged."
"Yeah, I am human. Didn't you see that coming? Your own kind betraying you? When will you determine what is human and what isn't? It took you hundreds of years to recognize that women, African Americans, and Native Americans were worth more than dirt. When you had nothing left to persecute, you made another human race to control and mistreat!" I take more steps towards him, uncaring of if I get shot. "My mother was an android and she treated me better than half of these human parents who treat their kids like shit. When this is over, you'll be on the wrong side of humanity, Perkins. You'll be remembered as the man who could've called off a massacre. But you didn't. You will rot in hell for all of this."
He doesn't even think over the words, turning back to Markus. "I'm sorry we couldn't make a deal, Markus."
We go back into the protection of the circle; Simon, Josh, and North greet us almost immediately.
"What happened, Markus? What did he say?" North asks. He doesn't answer, walking past her into the middle of the circle. We follow behind him. He steps onto a box, so that everyone can see him.
"The humans are about to launch an attack. And we will show them that we are not afraid. If we must die today, then we will die free."
Everything is a blur because the humans started the fight with a bang...a flash grenade.
YOU ARE READING
✓ Skin Deep ↠ Connor | D:BH
FantasyNot many know the past of Lieutenant Hank Anderson's adopted daughter. Then again, not many know Hank's past, either. Both medicate their sorrows with a drink. Connor knows he has to stay away from her, both for the mission and so Hank doesn't murde...
