"At least try to get some sleep." Markus finally advised, once you reached your makeshift room. He'd been insisting for a while now, trying to get you to rest. Your first arguments hadn't worked; Markus was stubborn on the matter. You had tried to tell him that you weren't tired - a lie - and that you had given up your blankets anyway. Still, Markus had insisted, walking you back to your corner of Jericho. Almost the whole way, he'd been trying to convince you that you needed to take a break.

Somehow, you still doubted that sleep was in the cards for you. "I don't know how I can sleep after that kiss," you tried to joke. Markus just gave you a 'Seriously?' look, and you finally caved. "I'll try. You should try getting some rest too, you know."

"I don't need sleep-"

You shook your head. "Rest is different than sleep. You did almost die, you know." You let your words carry a little weight. Your anger was gone, but that didn't change the fact that watching Markus get shot had scared you. It would be a lie to say that you wanted him to maybe take it easy for a little while. Not that it was really possible to put a revolution on pause.

Markus looked like he wanted to rest too, but he still shook his head. "I have to meet with North and the others. Things have been happening since the march . . ." he trailed off, his eyes downcast.

"How bad is it?" You already knew part of the answer. You had avoided armed soldiers when you'd gone out to get those biocomponents. The streets had been emptying as the sun went down, and you had to work hard not to be seen on your way back. Still, by the look Markus was giving you, you could tell that there was more.

"I'll know soon."

"What are you gonna do?"

Markus thought for a moment, his frown deepening. "I don't know."

You nodded, understanding that much. There were so many variables, so many ways this could go and you had no idea which path would be the right one. You could only speak to what your instincts were telling you, and your instincts were telling you that things were going to heat up very quickly. Markus might be facing down guns again soon. "If you had to," you began, your voice low, "would you fight them?" You didn't need to clarify who them was.

The expression on Markus' face twisted. He was unsure - you could tell before he spoke. "I've done everything I can to prevent a war. We want our freedom and lives of our own, not blood on our hands. But what choice do I have?" The anger in his words shouldn't have surprised you; he had more than enough reason to be angry at humans. It was the fact that it was Markus, the gentle soul who liked playing piano, that surprised you. "Even when we're unarmed, they gun us down. It's like they don't care."

"Some do," you reminded him, taking a step closer. You weren't just talking about yourself, though. You had seen the news, the interviews being conducted. You knew that there were people out there who recognized the android's fight. You also knew that there were more who were afraid of what the revolution might mean. "People can be terrible. It's what they do best. It's the ones who try not to be terrible that make life livable," you said, realizing that you had spent too much time with Carl. Or maybe it was your dad's influence finally catching up with you. You would be dishing out your own proverbs before too long. Markus smiled a little at your words though, and that made you happy. "Just don't be afraid to fight for freedom. You have every right to. You shouldn't have to fight for it in the first place."

Markus considered your words, his eyes locked on yours. He was still torn, you could tell, but the storm behind his eyes had quieted. "Get some rest," he urged, his voice low.

You grinned. "I'll do my best. You should too." You reached up, pressing a teasing kiss against his lips. God, you loved being able to kiss him. From his smile, you could tell that the feeling was mutual for Markus. "Goodnight," you murmured, slipping away into your makeshift room.

Markus was usually quite adept at putting aside his thoughts to focus on the task at hand. It was a quality shared among most androids, albeit less common among deviants who were able to think and feel the way a person might. He supposed that was the reason he couldn't stop thinking about the kiss the two of you had shared, even after he had walked you back to your makeshift room to leave for a meeting with North, Josh and Simon.

He thought about it because some part of him knew that the night had been too forgiving with him. Something told him that whatever happened next would not be so ideal.

The news he received during the meeting was bad enough, but it was something that Markus knew how to deal with. He had been expecting that the humans would retaliate. The camps North described were barbaric, but history had seen such things before. Markus wouldn't let it hinder him. He had expected they would take action against androids and he was ready to fight for his people's freedom. It was enough that he gave the order to find weapons and prepare for a fight. He didn't want to watch any more of his people be slaughtered, his faith in humanity was slipping with every day that passed. It was the memory of Carl's kindness and your kiss that made him pause. You had been right; there were people who saw the injustice being done and wanted it to stop. That didn't change the fact that most people were afraid, and humans destroy what they fear. It didn't stop him from telling North to get ready for war.

He had expected Josh to reprimand him for it. It didn't make himself hate the choice any less, but he had been ready for that much. Some part of him knew that he couldn't avoid a confrontation forever. He had expected that he would need to fight back at some point.

He hadn't expected Connor.

The deviant hunter had found his mark, though he seemed reluctant to finish the job. Markus had been lucky on that count. He wasn't sure that it would even be possible for Connor to make the choice to spare him, but he didn't second-guess it when the RK800 lowered his gun. Markus might have smiled, glad that Connor had managed to choose freedom over servitude. Instead, the RK800's next words sent him into a panic.

"They're going to attack Jericho."

"What?" Markus demanded, but the sound of helicopters flying overhead was all the answer he needed. They had followed Connor here and they were going to kill everyone inside. Simon, North, Josh, you . . .

"We have to get out of here!"

Markus didn't need to be told twice. He started to run even before Connor did, dashing across the deck of the freighter and down into the ship below.

For a moment, he was like a machine again. He had directives again, orders given to himself that he could not fail.

Protect your people.

Protect your friends.

Protect the woman you love.

If you'd learned anything in life, it was that the quiet, peaceful moments didn't last long.

You had gone to your "room" with the intention of getting some rest. You did need some sleep, and you had intended to at least try to get some. When you'd finally managed to shut your own brain up and drift off, the world gave you a prompt reminder that it wasn't going to make things easy for you.

At first, you weren't sure if the gunfire was real or just part of the dream you'd been slipping into. You had certainly been thinking of the march for long enough that you wouldn't be surprised if the sound was just something that you made up in your mind. Still - and luckily enough for you - it was enough to get you to wake up, leaning up from your place against a wall. When you heard screaming that was decidedly real, you suddenly forgot your exhaustion and shot to your feet.

When you stepped out of your room and saw the flash of gunfire, you didn't have time to curse the world. Instead you began running as fast as you possibly could.

All around you, androids were running for their lives, shouting at one another in voices drowned out by gunfire. You didn't know what was going on, your brain scrambled that you lost your idea of where you were on the ship. All you could think to do was follow the androids desperately trying to escape, hoping that they would know the way out if you didn't. The hallway in front of you split into three paths, and you followed most of the others down the one straight ahead. That plan changed quickly when you saw the harsh glint of a flashlight against the dark.

You saw the soldier taking aim and ground to a halt, quickly changing your direction to the left. "This way!" you screamed, trying to get the androids to follow you out of the line of danger. Some did. Some heard or saw you in time to make the adjustment. The ones running just ahead of you weren't so lucky. There was a spray of gunfire and then they fell, dead before they could even cry out.

Keep running or you'll be next.

You let your instincts take over, leading you through hallways and past groups of soldiers. If someone had asked you what you were thinking at that moment, you wouldn't have been able to tell them. Your head was empty of anything coherent, thoughts replaced by the need to survive.

It wasn't until you heard a voice calling for mercy that you managed to piece together anything that made sense.

You glimpsed her through an open door as you ran past, the sight of her cornered by a lone soldier forcing you to a halt. There's only one. His back is turned to me. He won't see me coming. The thoughts were passing almost too fast to make sense of them, but you made the realization all the same. You knew you could do something to help her. You had made a promise to yourself that you wouldn't let fear rule you.

So, throwing caution to the wind, you charged. The soldier had barely turned towards you when you smashed into him with all the force you could manage. He was bigger than you - considerably bigger - but you managed to knock him off balance. He stumbled back but ultimately managed to keep his footing. Then all you could focus on was the gun that he held at the ready. Fuck fuck fuck-

You latched onto the weapon with both hands, pulling with all of the strength you had. The soldier grunted, his immediate reaction being to try and throw you off of him. He yanked the gun to the side and it took everything you had not to go flying with the motion. You planted your feet back on the ground, tugging back on the gun with bared teeth. You weren't surprised when it didn't really budge. What was surprising when the soldier shifted his weight, pushing you forward.

You went down, hitting the ground hard with the soldier bearing down on you. Your breath left you in a heavy, pained groan. Your arms were pressed between the gun and your chest, the soldier using his weight to pin you down. There was no way to tell if the man was looking at you with pity or death, with his face covered. He looked more like a machine than the androids he was hunting. You realized too late that you may have made a mistake. You eyes went wide as the man reached back to his belt and you saw the dark shape of a handgun come into view.

No no no no no

You struggled harder, trying to leverage your way out with your legs. You weren't going to die like this, you weren't-

Something slammed into the soldier above you and you felt the pressure against your arms and chest finally fade. The soldier was on the ground at last, the android you had saved hovering above him. She struggled with him for his handgun, desperately trying to avoid looking down the barrel. You didn't know how you got to your feet as fast as you did, but in the end it didn't matter. You took the assault rifle that had been digging into your arm moments ago and swung it as hard as you could into the soldier's head. When your attack made contact, your arms shook with the force of it and the soldier's head was knocked to the side.

He fell, dropping the gun that had spelled your death. You gaped at the android, a pale woman with dark brown hair and eyes that were too wide, too full of fear. You had saved her life and she had saved yours, buying you the chance you needed to bring the soldier down. You didn't wait to see if he would get back up. "Come on!" you commanded, grabbing the android's arm and dragging her back into the hallway.

Markus' feet slammed against the metal floor as he leapt down the stairs, not stopping for more than a second before he continued to run. He had set a furious pace through Jericho, already having avoided a few groups of soldiers. Connor was able to keep up with ease, matching pace just behind Markus and remaining out of sight just as Markus did. Markus remained on the lookout for any of his people - and for you.

North was the first face he recognized. Her eyes widened as she saw the two of them, bringing her run to a halt. "They're coming from all sides! Our people are trapped in the hold, they're going to be slaughtered!"

"Where are Simon and Josh?" He asked, realizing that the two were nowhere to be seen.

North shook her head. "I don't know, we got separated." He wasn't surprised when he asked about you and North's answer remained the same.

"We have to blow up Jericho. If the ship goes down, they'll evacuate. Our people can escape!"

"You'll never make it! The explosives are all the way down in the hold! There are soldiers everywhere!"

"She's right," Connor agreed, steady in his analysis of the situation. "They know who you are, they'll do anything to get you."

He was right. They both were, but that didn't change the fact that it had to be done. If this would give his people - and you - a better chance of survival, then that was what Markus would do. "Go and help the others, I'll join you later." He nodded to Connor, who seemed to accept his decision. North wasn't so easily persuaded, but then she rarely was.

"Markus-"

"I won't be long." It was the kind of promise that didn't mean much. Markus was fully aware that he could be heading to his death. He also knew that it didn't matter. His life against yours and the thousands of androids in Jericho, against Simon's, North's and Josh's . . . there was no comparison to be made.

He supposed that you might yell at him for the choice, but that didn't stop him from taking off into the lower decks, into the belly of the beast.

"This way!" You called out to the androids following you. Your voice was strained against the exertion, your throat raw. Even your lungs burned as you breathed, but you kept running. There was no other option.

You could have been running for a minute or an hour, you weren't sure. All you knew was that you had dodged death more times tonight than at any other point in your life. From the march to now, you almost couldn't fathom how you had managed to stay alive, how your luck had taken you so far.

It was only natural that your luck would eventually run out.

Soldiers had caught on to you. They had been picking off your group as you ran, following you no matter how many harsh turns you took. You had eventually split off from the androids, trying to lead the soldiers away. You supposed that had been your first mistake, but you tried not to think of it much as you ran - if you stopped to consider the wisdom of your actions, the soldiers at your heels would catch up. They were persistent bastards, you would give them that much, but you sorely wished they weren't. You wished that you knew the ship layout better, or that you could run faster. You wished that you hadn't run smack into a dead end with armed men bearing down on you.

"Shit," you breathed, turning just in time to catch the flare of the soldier's flashlights.

"Don't move!" one roared, sweeping his gun towards you. You, in that time, checked every wall around you for some door you might have missed or something you might be able to hide behind. There was nothing, just the metal wall on one side of you and the barrels of guns on the other.

You'd heard several androids begging for their lives that night, pleading with the soldiers for mercy that you knew would never come. Futility or pride kept you quiet. You balled your fists, your muscles screaming at you to move, to fight until your last breath, but fists wouldn't do well against guns. Still, you didn't intend to go down without a fight.

You didn't get the chance to move.

You flinched away when the guns went off, bracing yourself for the pain. When none came, you cautiously looked back forward. Four androids were there, taking on the soldiers with a grace and skill that you had only ever seen in action movies. They were outnumbered and unarmed and still they took down the soldiers like it was almost effortless. You stepped forward, smiling in disbelief as you saw the familiar strawberry blond braid of the angriest android you knew.

"North!" you called out as she knocked a soldier's gun back into his own face. She looked back at you and you could have sworn her eyes softened. The last of the soldiers began to fall, one knocked down by none other than Simon. Josh stood beside him, looking more rattled than the rest. The other person with them - wearing a beanie and a leather jacket - you didn't know. You couldn't help but marvel at his movements though. Of all four, he moved with the most flair; a measured and precise dance that gave away the fact that he was an android solely because you had never seen a human move like that. He knocked the last soldier down with ease and turned to look at your group, staying back while North and Simon moved forward.

Simon rushed to your side, placing his hands on your shoulders as he checked you over. "Are you alright?"

"Fine." It was only partly true. Would any normal person be fine in a situation like this? "Thanks for the rescue," you said, looking between North and the rest. There was one missing. "Where's Markus?" You stepped forward, not bothering to hide your urgency.

"He's in the hold. He's going to detonate the explosives." North stepped closer, her voice heavy with worry. She must have seen your expression shift, because she steeled her own gaze. "We have to leave." You knew she was right. No matter how much you wanted to go help Markus, you knew that the odds of actually being able to find him were slim to none. It was more likely that you would die on the way.

"Alright," you nodded. North returned the gesture as you joined her group, breaking into a run as the rest of them did. You only hoped that you would be able to keep up.

Guns went off behind Markus as he ran, every shot fired promising death if it hit the right mark. I've been ordered to take you alive, Connor had said. Markus wondered if these soldiers shared the same sentiment.

The soldier that cornered him in front of the explosives seemed to have the same directive that Connor had. If he hadn't, Markus would likely have been dead already. Instead, the soldier ordered him not to move, not firing even as Markus stepped closer to him. It was easy to calculate the man's next movements, easy to know where to strike that the soldier wouldn't be able to stop him.

Markus knocked the man down with ease, his momentum carrying him as another soldier came through the opposite door. Three to one and the fight was still easy for him. None of the soldiers managed to get a shot in, Markus knocked their weapons away too quickly for that. It was clockwork; moves and countermoves, like the chess games that he and Carl used to play. It was easy to lose himself in it all, so easy when their faces were covered to forget that he was fighting against people.

Easy enough that Markus didn't feel anything at first when he pulled the trigger on one of their guns, the bullet finding its mark in the throat of the soldier who had tried to take him alive.

Even as he dropped the gun and moved back to the explosives, he felt numb to it all. He triggered the bombs and backed away, ready to run. The soldier laying motionless down the hallway, blood pooling underneath him almost made him stop. It was a moment's hesitation, no more than a second or two, but for Markus it felt so much longer. It reminded him of Leo and Carl that night not too long ago. I killed a man . . . he tried to push the thought away, but the soldier remained painfully still. A man is dead because of me . . .

He ran back up the way he came, fighting the way his mind weighed him down. There was no time for regrets. How many of his people had that soldier killed before he had found Markus? This was war. Markus hadn't wanted it to be, but the choice was made for him.

So he ran back through Jericho, through the broken dream of safety that was being torn down around him.

Seeing you in the company of North, Simon, Josh and Connor made it easier to think. You were alive. They were all still alive.

"Markus!" you called out to him, taking his arm when he got close enough. You were all wide eyes and heaving breaths, your grip tight as you looked him over. You were looking for damage, making sure he was alright. He did the same to you, the two of you checking to see if the other was whole for the quickest of moments. You let go of him, offering him a half-hearted smile that didn't reach your eyes.

"The bomb's gonna explode any second, we've gotta get out of here," Markus warned, urging you and the rest of the group forward. They ran, Markus following close behind.

The air chilled as they moved forward, and the sight of snow ahead of them let Markus know that they were close to a way out. They were close to surviving this . . .

Gunfire rang out behind him and Markus stopped just in time to watch North fall.

"North!" Markus heard you call out, looking behind you and coming to a halt. The rest of the group followed suit, Simon stepping forward.

"It's too late, Markus. There's nothing we can do for her, we've got to run-"

He didn't get to finish his sentence before you were running forward, stooping down to North's side and trying to pull her up.

Markus didn't wait for his mind to calculate probable outcomes. He just saw two people that he cared for about to come under fire, and he sprang into action. His movement made him a target, and he saw the guns come up to him before he reached you or North. A broken-off piece of a bulkhead became his shield as he moved forward, one that he tossed to North as soon as there was a pause in the gunfire.

North swung the slab in front of her and Markus saw you flinch as the bullets hit it. When the fire was drawn away from him, Markus rushed forward, barreling into the soldiers.

There were two, both of them charging towards Markus in turn. The first was knocked away and moved towards North. The second decided to stay with Markus. It was over quickly, Markus taking the gun from a soldier and firing a single shot into her chest. Then he heard a cry of pain and all his attention snapped back towards you. You were mid-swing when the butt of the soldier's gun connected with your cheekbone.

Markus saw your back collide with the wall, one hand going to your cheek while the other braced against the metal. The back of your head hit the bulkhead last, the sound of it covered by your own groan.

North was quick to dispatch the soldier, swinging the slab of metal into his head. He went down fast, and North moved to your side, almost collapsing herself on her bad leg. Markus made it all the way, looping North's arm around him before stopping in front of you. Your eyes - squeezed shut against the pain a moment earlier - snapped open and you looked from Markus to North, examining them both. Red marks cut into your cheek, outlining where the bruises would soon be. Still, even with your disoriented gaze and the pained look you wore, you nodded. "I'm fine-" the sound of footsteps down the hallway made your gaze turn.

"Run!" Markus grabbed your arm, pulling you and North beside him. He could feel his mind rush, imagining the newly arrived soldiers raising their guns towards you all. He had no way to defend either you or North, no way to-

He looked forward again and found himself at the end of a pistol barrel yet again, a determined look in the deviant hunter's eyes.

Markus ducked on instinct, bringing you and North down with him to try and evade the android's shot. He realized the moment after that the shots hadn't been meant for him as Connor fired into the group of soldiers. Markus took the opportunity given to him, bringing you and North further down the hallway. He looked back towards Connor, his own eyes going wide. He knew that the RK800 would be well-suited to combat, but the lethality with which Connor moved . . . the group was dead or down in a matter of moments.

Even so, when more gunfire sounded from down the hallway, Connor retreated. He rejoined the group, North taking her weight off of Markus as the others turned towards the opening in the hull. "Run!" Markus ordered, breaking into a sprint. Josh and Simon jumped first, leaping through the opening and into the air. Connor and North followed as he spoke. "Quick, come on!" Markus looked beside him at you, your expression determined even as you looked out into the snowy night. You looked back at him, just before the two of you reached the edge of the ship before you looked back forward. Together, the two of you jumped just as Jericho went up in flames.