" 900…900 wake up" You poke the still and silent RK900 unit. Trying to get his attention. He is staring straight ahead his LED blinking a yellow color. It takes a moment for him to acknowledge you.
" yes ma'am?" He responds, his voice monotone, but his ice blue eyes are staring down at you with a look of acknowledgement
"Are you ready to go yet?" You asked. The two of you had someplace to be and you were getting impatient. But RK900 had an obligation to write reports to Cyber Life every 6 hours or so.
He nodded and straightened out the collar on his jacket. The two of you were just going out to meet a few of your friends. You felt bad about having to drag an android with you, but you didn't really have a choice. He was your bodyguard after all.
Nearly every high profile Cyber Life employee had one these days. Ever since the android rebellion they were all very afraid to go out in public without someone, human or android it really didn't matter, watching their back. While you didn't work for Cyber Life your father did. 900 had been his idea in the first place and he would chew you out if he found out you left home without him.
you walked down the street toward a local restaurant, one of your favorites. as you watched him scan the road for any and all threats you had to admit you really didn't mind having him around all that much. his presence did make you feel safer. but then on the other hand, with all that had happened recently you were a little nervous around him too. RK900 wasn't a deviant and your father assured you he could never be one… but he had been wrong before. he said the same thing about RK800.
when you reach the door to the restaurant and try to open it 900 stops you. insisting that he go first with the usual politeness that comes with being an android.
" 9 i'm not completely helpless" you protest. laughing a little as you do. a small smile on your face. he returned the expression, or tried to at least. he had been trying so hard since that one day you told him he looked a little too intimidating. it made you laugh even more.
the restaurant is near empty, that's part of why you like it here so much. That and you know the owners son. you join your friends who are sitting at a high top table near the window.
" hey guys! sorry i'm late. 9 had to file another stupid report" you say as you sit down.
" do you really have to lug that piece of plastic around wherever you go?" your friend Alex sneers at the android from across the table.
you ignore the venom in his words. he hates 900. you don't know why exactly. but you can make a few guesses. nearly everyone you know has some reason to hate androids now. you don't, RK900 is a big reason for that. sometimes you worry and make jokes about how bad he is. but mostly you think he's ok. he's been better company than most. for now that's enough for you.
RK900 is wandering the nearly empty building now. he knows he isn't wanted. so he tries to keep himself busy while you talk to your friends.
your best friend Fey mercifully tries to change the subject " So Alex, is your mom really gonna sell this place?" she asks. also not a fun subject, but there wasn't much good going on in any of your lives right now.
he nods " not enough business…." he pauses. playing around with the food in front of him " it closes for good at the end of the week"
so that's why he asked the two of you to come here? you might not get the chance to ever come back. the thought makes you sad. you love this place. before you had to drag 900 around with you everywhere you went you use to come here every weekend. even with 900 you still tried too. at first he had heavily protested. not really comfortable with letting you go anywhere you wanted. but as things began to calm down in Detroit he had lighted up a little bit.
you look over at RK900, there is a lost puppy sort of look on his face as he explores the restaurant for the fifth time or so, and this gives you a chance to look around at the place one last time. its old, its been here since you were little. for about as long as you've known Alex, probably longer. your really going to miss this place.
Alex pulls your attention back to him in a surprising way. his hand is suddenly on yours and he is rubbing his thumb across the back of your hand.
" your still gonna visit me after the place closes right?" he asks.
you can only nod, the shock of this gesture keeping you from speaking. you don't like it. you like Alex, but not like that. you can see in his eyes that he intends it as more than a friendly gesture. its a look you've seen men give women at bars all the time.
you pull your hand away angrily. what the fuck was he doing!? " Alex! what sort of signal did i give off that made you think that was ok?!" you snap loudly
Alex starts to speak but stops when he sees something behind you. his brow furrows
from behind you you hear a familiar monotone voice " is there a problem Ma'am?" you want very much for the android to go away. you can handle Alex just fine yourself.
" fuck off!" Alex yells at 900. then he goes to grab your hand again. but the android is quicker. grabbing Alex's wrist and crushing it in his cold plastic hand.
" 900! please! this really isn't necessary" you protest. but he isn't paying attention to you. Alex yelps in pain, but that only seems to make RK900 grip harder before he pulls him off the chair and onto the floor.
you hop out of your chair and back up quickly. eager to get away from the violence. Alex uses his free hand to pull on 900′s jacket. pulling the android down onto the floor. what follows is a flurry of blows exchanged between the two men.
you are shocked. how quickly everything had changed. the cliche nature of the situation wasn't lost on you. but now having experienced it yourself you aren't sure how some woman would want two men to fight over her.
900 is faster, stronger, and probably smarter than Alex. so you're sure this will end poorly for your friend. is he your friend anymore? do you even want to be his friend anymore after what is happening in front of you?
now 900 is on top of Alex. his hands around his throat. a strange, almost angry look in his eyes. you didn't know he was capable of such a look, but you know it isn't a good thing. you need to stop this now!
"Nines, stop it!" you yell as you run to try and pull the android off of Alex. something in your voice resonates with him now. he listens to you. slowly getting up off the ground while also keeping himself in between you and Alex. then you grab the sleeve of his Jacket pulling him away. out of the building, out of this situation, just out.
the two of you stand in silence for a moment. despite the fact that your outside now you can still hear Alex swear as Fey tries to help him up off the ground. you allow a few tears to fall. this is way too much for you. you turn to the RK900, who is just standing there, watching you.
" what the fuck was that Nine?!" you half yell. your voice is shaking a little
" it is my function to protect you. i saw your discomfort and reacted" was his reply
" you almost killed him!"
"i would not have done so. i am not programmed to kill unless absolutely necessary"
his usual tone of voice does more to anger you than anything else. you look at him. dead in the eyes " did you want too?"
his expressionless face twitches a little as he processes the question " you know i am not programmed to want things"
you sigh. you know this. but sometimes you can't help but wonder if something else is going on in his head. something other than the mission.
" Y/N i'm glad your ok" he says quickly.
you turn to walk away from him, trying your best to look like your still mad at him. but you really can't help smiling now.
The end