spellbound | d:bh x hp [ currently on hold ]

twenty - four ; time

d e t r o i t - 2 0 3 8

Silvestre stayed in the unit beside mine, back in Glass Towers.

It's the day after the battle, or the Battle for Detroit as I like to call it. I'm in Sil's unit, making breakfast for the both of us.

I turned to him as I sat down on a stool, waiting for the bacon to cook. He was sprawled out on the couch, watching television. "You never told me why you suddenly appeared here in Detroit, Sil."

"Oh yeah," he realizes, but doesn't take his eyes off the telly. "Because the Minister sent me here."

I wonder why. Am I doing my mission wrong? I thought as I put the bacon in a plate.

I did what I can, more than I was supposed to do, actually. Gathered information about deviants, encountered deviants firsthand, sent them back to the Ministry with the wave of my wand and parchment.

But you became a deviant to your own mission.

I sided with Markus and his cause, because it's what was right. But it helped me gather more information about how they acted around fellow deviants, the bond they developed, how they think.

So different from what they were programmed to. They weren't even able to think for themselves before.

"She didn't oppose what you did, by the way," Sil's voice cut off my train of thought. "Minister Weasley actually liked your choice."

I was confused. "Then why would she send you here-"

"She wants you back," He said, finally looking me in the eyes. "To the Ministry. To Auror duties. To London."

London. The Minister wants me back there. And even sent Silvestre here.

My heart felt like it was a thousand pounds heavier. I dreaded the thought of leaving. I didn't want to.

The selfish part of me didn't want to, because I found something new here. A part of me is here. Markus, Simon, North, Josh, Lieutenant Anderson, Connor.

The thought of leaving them all left a hole in my chest, even though I wasn't leaving yet.

"But-" I stutter. "Is my mission done?"

He sensed my change of mood and sat straighter, sighing. "I don't know. But I guess it is. The media and citizens are finally accepting the fact that androids are somewhat their equal, so in return, deviancy isn't an issue anymore. I think that's what the Minister is thinking about your situation."

"I don't want to leave," I whisper, not enough for him to hear over the sound of the telly.

You have to, Florentine.

I have to go and visit my friends. Friends is an understatement, actually. They're more of family to me now.

I need to say my good-byes, at least.

"Fine," I say. "When are we leaving?"

"In a week."

In a what?!

It's better than him responding with "today," though. I still have some time to spend with them before I leave for London.

As I gave Sil his breakfast and sat down next to him on the sofa, I mentally planned my last week here in Detroit.

Today I'll probably go to the abandoned church (or the Makeshift Jericho, as I like to call it) and spend time with Markus and the others. And in the night I might go and crash at Hank's for the rest of the week until I go.