Markus looked around at the cold metal walls of the prison his freedom afforded him. Deep in the belly of a forgotten ship, scared of their own shadows, about a dozen androids waited for death. Meanwhile, the humans lived on outside those walls, uncaring.
Markus heard Leo's words play again, "The android... It was the android." Every time they did, he felt a new wave of pain. Blamed for the death of the only human who had ever loved him and then thrown in the trash to die with all the other rejected androids no one wanted.
But he hadn't died. He was alive, and he was angry. And now, it was time to fight back. To show them he was more than the obedient slave they had tried to make him into. He was strong, he was smart. He would make them see who he really was.
"You ready?" Simon asked, putting a hand on Markus' shoulder.
Markus nodded. North and Josh were waiting for them at the door. Neither of them looked comfortable with what they were doing, but both were determined to do it. They knew this was the best chance for survival.
Markus was glad Jericho was willing to listen to his ideas. They all looked so lost still. Milling about for days in the almost pitch black of the ship, waiting for the humans to discover them. Markus wanted to help them see the light of day again as much as he wanted it for himself. He could only hope they would be willing to try.
For now, this would be enough. Four androids stealing from the CyberLife warehouse was as much as he could expect from the rag-tag group of outcasts he had found. He could tell the others looked up to his three companions, so maybe this would be a good chance to gain their trust.
The trip to the warehouses was quiet and tense. Each one was thinking of the mission ahead, and failure was a high possibility. Markus wondered if they would try to back out. Then again, they didn't have much of a choice. There were people dying in Jericho, and they all knew this was their only chance.
"This is crazy... If they catch us, we're dead..."
Josh was the most hesitant out of the three. Simon was dutifully resigned to what had to be done, but North had a different outlook. She took the initiative, leading the way to the warehouse, and didn't hesitate for a second. Markus had a feeling she was someone he could count on, and it gave him confidence.
North guided them to the CyberLife warehouse without a hitch. Next it was Markus' turn to take point. He destroyed the drone and located the crates full of biocomponents and Thirium. Markus turned when he heard footsteps.
"You are trespassing on private property. Your presence constitutes a Level 2 infraction. I will notify security."
Markus stepped forward to say something, but froze. More footsteps were coming.
"JOHN! Goddamn machine..."
Markus grabbed the android, John, and hid behind a crate. The android struggled a little, but Markus had him pinned fairly well between himself and the crate. The guard looked around for a while, then finally gave up.
Markus held John tightly, making sure he couldn't call out. North and the others gathered around him quietly as he forced the android to the ground and pinned him there.
"We have to kill it. If it alerts the others we'll be killed!" North said.
"What? We can't kill it, it's just doing it's job!" Josh spoke up in horror.
"Easy, now." Markus said to the android who was struggling harder than before. "I don't wanna kill you. We just need some supplies for our injured friends, you understand?"
The android nodded it's head, wildly looking from one captor to the next.
"If he sounds the alarm, we're done for, Markus. We can't take that chance."
Markus looked at Simon. He seemed to have taken the leadership role in Jericho, so he should be the one to decide what happens. Simon looked uncomfortable with that.
"It's your decision, Markus." He finally said, casting all responsibility on Jericho's newest member.
Markus looked down at the android beneath him. It was still looking at him in fear. Fear, a human emotion.
"You didn't do your job properly. If you sound the alarm now, you'll probably be marked as defective and thrown away. You don't want that, do you?" The android shook it's head. "On the other hand, if you come with us, you can be free. You can be your own master, free to do what you think is right... So, I guess it's time for you to decide what you really want."
Markus slowly took his hand away from John's mouth and stood. John followed suit, glancing around like a caged dog. He glanced at the guard house a few feet away, then back at Markus.
"I-if you're trying to get parts for your friends, you should get the truck. They're full of biocomponents. They run on auto pilot, but they can be driven manually with a key."
Tension bled from the group almost instantly. Markus let out a breath he hadn't realized he was holding, and glanced at North. She didn't seem too impressed with his gamble. He didn't care. The more androids he could free, the better.
The key was in the guard house. Markus knew if he wanted to earn their trust he would have to prove himself, so he volunteered himself to go get it. He managed to get a gun and hold up the guards, but they still put up more of a fight than he had expected. He knocked them out and grabbed the key, hoping that that was the end. He was walking a fine line, and the longer he pushed it, the more likely he was to mess up.
The group piled into the truck and took off. The guardhouse was unmanned now, so there was no chance of them being caught, but still they felt tense, all the way up until they reached open road.
"Nice work." North commented as they headed back to Jericho. "We have enough supplies here to last for weeks."
"And another member." Josh smiled as he looked at John.
John looked sheepish, but expressed his thanks for not being executed. Markus could tell he had won points in Josh's book for that decision, and the others looked more confident as well. It was a big win for the refugees.
Simon was looking out the window. He had been quiet since he had given the choice of killing John to Markus. No one else seemed to notice, so Markus put it off for now. He would have to talk to Simon later.
