"Ugh! The smell!" Yasuhara complained as Naru slid the metal cover into place above his head. They'd managed to get into town and down into the sewers without being seen. A lot of the armoured trucks had suddenly peeled out of the area. That suited Naru just fine. Fewer trucks meant less chance of them being caught. He couldn't help the small smirk on his lips as he looked down at his co-worker. Yasuhara was currently holding one hand over his nose and mouth as he tried his best to get used to the putrid smell of decaying waste. His blue eyes fell directly below to watch Mai as she slowly climbed down the metal ladder.

"I wouldn't know. My olfactory senses have been deactivated," Naru bragged as he hurried down after her, accepting the light shoulder barge as Yasuhara accused him of being smug. Naru couldn't argue. It was nice to find there were advantages to being an android as well as drawbacks. As a simple unit with no free will, he'd never thought about the differences. Never desired to be one or the other. Since deviating, he'd found humans to be mostly superior. They felt things strongly. They thought outside pre-programmed patterns. They'd created androids in the first place, and held power over them. Androids were physically superior and could store more information, but each had only a few things that they were better at.

"Where to?" Mai asked as she looked up at him. This was his search. Mai and Yasuhara were mostly there for support and cover. Naru listened, but he couldn't hear anything besides the filthy water sloshing in the sewage canal below. They were on a brick walkway alongside the water. They were lucky the snow above wasn't melting, otherwise the filth could have risen higher and covered their path. Naru adjusted his vision to the darkness, seeing things in a gleaming shade of green in the pitch darkness. Mai must have been on edge as she gripped his arm tightly, likely afraid of losing her footing in the dark.

"This way first," Naru decided, quietly enjoying the way he could now make his own choice about it. He subconsciously took Mai's smaller hand in a small offer of comfort and reassurance. She wasted no time in linking their fingers. Her warmth was reassuring, and he could feel her pulse through her fingertips. After a few moments, her other hand came up to cover his, quietly asking for support in the darkness. There was a little shuffling as Yasuhara pulled out a flashlight. It improved things a little. The light was fairly dim, but he could at least see a few feet ahead. Yasuhara kept one hand on the wall while Mai stayed as close to Naru as possible, relying on him to guide her safely.

Their scuffled steps echoed slightly in the darkness, and Naru could hear the differences between them. His own steps were measured and heavy, with the same even gap between each one, while Mai's were more scuffled and shorter, often stumbling on the uneven brickwork. Yasuhara's were heavy, but occasionally uneven, and scraped the stone as he edged along in front. Any androids listening would know there were two humans and one android. Perhaps that was why he couldn't sense anything. It would make sense for them to remain hidden. He ran scans quietly, but so far there was no trace of anyone. Another bend led to another decision. He kept to the left and followed the path.

"How long should we look?" Yasuhara asked after a while. They hadn't been down there for more than ten minutes, but it felt a lot longer to Yasuhara. It was dark, creepy, and smelly. He stiffened a little as he heard the telltale squeak of a rat. Luckily, the light seemed to be enough to send it scampering away from their group. Naru smiled softly as Mai let out a small squeak of her own, gripping his hand and arm tightly as she stepped closer. Apparently, she wasn't a fan of rats.

"I'm not sure…" Naru replied uncertainly. It was unrealistic to scour the whole sewer system. He knew that, but he didn't exactly have it all planned out. He was just blindly hoping they'd come across something or someone. Mai's hand squeezed his. Comfort. He squeezed back. Thank you. "A little longer," he decided finally, unwilling to give up. He pushed his scanners to reach further ahead. They were still within the city, but in a slightly quieter area. It was also night-time, with the curfew in full effect, so there was little noise from the streets above.

"Another split…" Yasuhara murmured as their current path reached a junction. They could hop over the river of sludge to head right or stick to the left. Naru opted for the safer option and nudged Yasuhara to turn. Above their heads now was a mostly residential area, but they were heading deeper into the city towards the shopping district. That would be a risky move above ground, but it seemed the sewers had been overlooked thus far. "What's the plan if we do eventually find some deviants?" Yasuhara asked curiously as he glanced back at the couple over his shoulder.

"I am uncertain…" Naru replied grimly, though he would rather find some of his own people and learn what he could than remain in hiding with the humans above. "I simply hope they can offer me some answers to all this…why we are the way we are." He wondered if perhaps he was hoping for too much. Would these deviants really know any more than he did himself? It would depend greatly on where they came from and how long they'd been this way. His one small comfort was that the majority should have been deviant for longer than he had.

"Humans have been wondering the same thing for centuries," Yasuhara huffed, which somehow made Naru feel a little better. It gave them a little common ground. Perhaps all living beings suffered such thoughts at one time or other. They wanted to know where they came from. Why they'd been born. What purpose their lives served. "I'm keener on knowing whether they have a plan to get you the hell out of here! I've heard that androids in Detroit have been trying to sneak across the border to Canada by boat, but the coastguards are on the lookout and shooting them on sight…I'm not sure what the best option is in our case. We're too far from the border for that to work," Yasuhara continued gravely as he swished his flashlight back and forth in a searching motion.

"Couldn't they just hide down here until it's all over?" Mai asked anxiously as she continued to grip Naru's hand. She didn't know what she'd do if he had to leave. Hearing about all those androids being shot for trying to escape chilled her to the bone. It was unlikely Naru would get as far as Detroit without being discovered, and even if he did, he'd still have to get across the border. From what Yasuhara had said, it didn't seem like many of those boats were getting across in one piece. She couldn't stand the thought of it. If Naru got on one of those boats, she might never know. If he left, then she might never see him again.

"It's pretty risky. It relies on the military not bothering to check down here, and if we thought of it, then it's only a matter of time before they do, too," Yasuhara replied as they turned another corner. The tunnels seemed to go on and on. Yasuhara wasn't even sure where they were at this point. There was no sound besides their own footsteps. Had they gone lower down? He hadn't noticed a slope at all, but things were a little disorientating down here.

"Stop!" Naru urged quietly as he gripped Yasuhara's arm and tugged him back. Yasuhara stumbled a little as Naru crept ahead, leaving Mai tucked safely behind his back. Yasuhara checked on her and held an arm out protectively just in case as he watched Naru cautiously step a little further into the tunnel. Naru listened carefully, sure that he could hear voices. Many voices. Are they human or android? Android was perhaps more likely, but that didn't entirely discount the homeless. His LED blinked yellow as he scanned ahead, but he was unable to pick up anything concrete. "I can hear voices ahead…" Naru warned as he looked back.

"Okay, what should we do?" Yasuhara asked cautiously as Naru returned. They paused as Naru thought it over. Either way could be dangerous. He didn't know for sure that they were his people, and even if they were, there was no guarantee they would welcome him. He didn't expect they'd be pleased if two humans entered their domain either. That could put Yasuhara and Mai at risk. If the group were human, then Naru could be at risk entering alone. Yasuhara had some level of charm and could likely assist in talking their way around any human interactions.

"Perhaps it would be wise to observe before we approach," Naru suggested eventually, motioning the pair to wait as he crept as silently as possible towards the voices. There was another turn in the tunnel, and then it opened out into a wider area. The river dropped into a pool of filth that ran beneath a circular stone platform in a large open area. This was a place where humans could lower machinery down into the sewers for maintenance and cross from one part of the city to the other. There were likely many of these stone courts throughout the sewers. While the river of filth fell like a waterfall, the stone path became a set of stone steps leading down to the circular platform. Naru paused at the top step and peered around the old stone arch down into the large room.

It was like a refugee camp. Dozens of figures were milling about in pairs and groups. Many of them were still wearing their service uniforms and most still had the small circular lights blinking on their temples. Some were blue, some were yellow, and a few were even red. There were some who were injured, but with no technicians to help, the best they could do was stem the thirium flow and ignore the damaged components. Many were talking in hurried voices, sharing grim tales of the world above. Some were new arrivals, having recently escaped the soldiers and hidden in the first place they came to. Naru ducked away from the arch quickly and backtracked his way to Mai and Yasuhara.

"They're androids…" he confirmed, unsure what he should to next. He licked his lips nervously. What should he do? What should he say? What about Mai and Yasuhara? He'd agreed to let them come as far as this point. He'd found his people now. It was probably best that they leave before they were noticed. He wasn't sure how the deviants would react to a human presence, but their interactions with humans so far had likely been quite unpleasant. "I am unsure how to proceed," he added finally as he looked between his companions.

"Talking to them would be a start," Yasuhara teased quietly, wary of their voices carrying. If they could hear the androids, then it stood to reason that they could also be heard. Naru seemed hesitant as he looked between them. He knew it was irrational, but part of him wasn't ready for them to leave. He was unsure he'd see them again if they did. What should he say? That he would find them again? That this was goodbye? Perhaps that would be kinder in the long run.

"We'll come with you," Mai offered as she stepped to Yasuhara's side, something in her honey eyes making Naru's chest pinch. It was like she knew what he was thinking and was trying to hold on to him. She didn't want to part ways either. It was a sweet offer, but Naru couldn't allow it. Not when it would mean putting them both in danger. Yasuhara was perceptive as always as he laid a gentle hand on Mai's shoulder and shook his head.

"We had an agreement, remember? Kaz agreed we could go with him until we found his people. It could be dangerous for us to go in there…A lot of them are probably afraid of humans," he excused, though his soft eyes told Mai that it pained him as much as it did her. He'd been Naru's friend since his activation. They'd worked together day in and day out for almost a year. They'd taught each other. Helped each other. Encouraged each other. Now they were protecting each other. Naru nodded his agreement, though Mai seemed set to argue. She probably would have if Naru hadn't stiffened upon hearing the approaching footsteps.

"Stop right there!" a feminine voice ordered. Naru's eyes blinked in surprise as he turned to regard the two androids. One was an MH400 secretary model, a pretty Asian design similar to his own, with dark eyes. The other was another NA200, identical in every way. Yasuhara tugged Mai back cautiously as Naru turned and held an arm out defensively, keeping his friends behind him while warding off the newcomers. The two androids seemed uncertain as they looked at the trio. They were outnumbered, though the two of them being androids was an advantage.

"Two of them are human…What should we do?" the NA200 asked quietly, not blinking or looking away for an instant. He was more cautious of his mirror image than the two humans hovering behind him. His companion seemed uneasy, too. They'd never imagined any humans being crazy enough to come down here, let alone finding them in the company of an android. A deviant android. "Should we kill them?" the NA200 prompted uncertainly, not relishing the idea of bloodshed. He'd been afraid, but he'd never actually killed anyone before.

"I-I'm not sure," the MH400 replied, her hazel eyes running over the trio warily. They didn't seem dangerous, and they weren't armed. That would make them easier to deal with. She noted the other NA200's brow furrow at her words, his stance lowering a little as he readied himself to fight. "What do you want? Why are you here?" she asked cautiously, still trying to figure out what to do. If they killed the two humans, then no one above would know. The bodies would simply decompose in the sewer system and be washed out in the next storm. Killing these humans would likely result in the injury or death of this NA200 though. He seemed strangely protective of them and seemed set to fight in their defence.

"Please, we were just looking for help," Mai spoke up timidly as she stepped to Yasuhara's side. Neither Yasuhara nor Naru would allow her any closer than that. Yasuhara had grabbed her sleeve while Naru stood directly in front of her. "Our friend deviated, and we didn't know where else to go…Can you help him?" she continued as she looked at the MH400. She wasn't sure what she'd been designed for, but she was very pretty. They looked to be the same age, though she knew that couldn't be the case. Her black hair was cut in a sharp bob that barely reached her shoulders, accentuating her sharp eyes and rounded cheeks.

"It may be safer to keep the humans with us for now…If they return to the surface, there's no telling what they'd do or who they'd tell," the NA200 added cautiously as he looked at the MH400 for confirmation. "There are many of us and only two of them. If they try to escape, then we could easily stop them by force," he added with a small shrug. He was cautious as the other NA200 stepped forward with a dangerous look in his eyes. His companion stepped back cautiously as he stood his ground. The identical units sized each other up, blue eyes assessing the strength and dexterity of the other.

"If you lay a finger on either of them, I'll twist your core out myself," Naru purred dangerously, his tone leaving no room for debate. The NA200 had no doubt he'd go through with it either. Whatever his history with these two humans, they'd certainly earned his loyalty. It made him quietly curious to find out how.

"Enough! We'll get nowhere like this. We should inform the others," the MH400 decided as she stepped in to break things up. Naru was reluctant as he eyed his two companions. He could likely slow the androids long enough for them to escape, but one look at Mai told him she wouldn't go for it. She could be surprisingly stubborn when it came to his wellbeing. "Come with us peacefully and you will not be harmed," the MH400 added as she looked at the two humans, who nodded their timid agreement. Naru reached back and took Mai's hand for comfort as the two androids turned and led the way.