November ?, 2038
?:?:?
Drip.
Water splashed on your nose.
Drip.
Another drop landed on your eye.
Drip…
A soft thud sounded above you.
The leak kept dripping, being absorbed by some unknown entity that laid waiting on the other side of the void you'd been sucked into. Your eyelids scrunched together, temples throbbing, and the back of your head engulfed in flames.
Your lips were cracked and dry, the corners taut with soreness. You tried to lick them, to give yourself some small comfort…but something was in the way. Your tongue brushed against a thick line of fabric…and when you went to dislodge it, your hands were fastened tight behind your back.
A cold edge glided across your cheek.
"So…succulent."
The disjointed haze that had your senses stumbling in the dark dispersed as if someone turned an exhaust fan on in your head.
A reckoning, hateful stare came from an eye; ice-blue in full like a frosted shade of winter. Thirium etched on a face like fissure veins holding ore deposits, a quarry excavated along his cheekbone.
An undead nightmare that escaped into reality.
"T…Tom-"
The word was muffled, the gag in your mouth holding it back…but he heard you.
His lips folded into a scolding frown.
"Tom…is Ralph. Ralph, is Ralph." The butcher's knife in his hand pressed against your neck, "Rupert told Ralph about his birds when Ralph was scared. Now Ralph has no Rupert, and Rupert has no birds. Why did you take the birds from Rupert?!"
The end of each sentence came painted with furious whispers and sputtering rage. You shook your head "no," trying to scurry away with your feet shuffling below him. You were on your side, wiggling like a worm caught in a beak…but he moved with you, blocking your view.
"'That dock, right there…That's where the CyberLife warehouse robbery took place.'"
Connor had been so sure of it…that small detail pulled from his powers of inference.
"'You said you saw a rusted piece of metal when you went through Simon's memories, right?'"
Hot tears sprang from your eyelids as a wince in pain was subdued in your chest. You smelled the rust…the mold, the saltwater, the dust clinging to every particle floating in the dark, metal box. There was a long, hallow ache from the belly of the beast. A bellowing series of clicks and a slight roll underneath.
You had a good idea of where they'd taken you.
"Connor promised Ralph that everyone would live." Ralph's eyebrows creased, and your heart began to pound harder, "Connor said the humans would pay. Connor gave Rupert the button-box. Ralph told Rupert when Sergeant Allen arrived. Rupert and Connor lied."
You started to yell, shaking your head and trying to clear your ears of the heresy being relayed unto them.
"'You must excuse Ralph. Sometimes his fear makes him do things he regrets…'"
He'd said that at the riot. Did he not want to work with them? Were Marco and Tom tricked by Connor…no, Amanda? Had to be Amanda.
Two hands grabbed your uniform and pulled you upright.
"You will suffer like Ralph does."
A short screech came from behind him. A high-pitched shout of terror and a quick disapproval from a more matured voice.
Ralph looked over his shoulder, the torn scraps of flesh hidden by the side that was still intact, his LED ring flashing red.
He was knocked off balance, landing on his hip – having been in a crouch.
You saw the face of the little angel you'd met one wet morning on November 6th, back when your wounds were still fresh and the pain had been new.
The sweetest face of any child you'd met, with the biggest brown pools for eyes and the slightest whimper on her lips.
"Don't cry." She smiled through her sobbing, her tiny fingers curling around the gag and pulling it down around your neck, "Everything will be okay."
You coughed, wincing as each push from your abdomen pulsed the wound on your head.
"You're hurt." She frowned, "We need Kara-"
"Ralph doesn't want to hurt the little girl…"
Your neck snapped to the side.
Ralph dug the blade in the metal, a harrowing shriek coming from the edge as he used it to pull himself to his knees.
"…But the little girl is interrupting Ralph."
"Alice?"
A woman.
"Alice!"
Kara. With her short blonde hair, her eyes a piercing blue. With the look of a woman who'd seen too much, losing pieces of herself in the process…
Stronger, now…stronger than before.
"Get away from her!"
Your nose bunched, and your brows folded. You snarled. Narrowed your eyes and pulled your knees to your chest.
"Move, Alice-"
You kicked him in the chin, your boots knocking his face to the side. The knife bounced across the sheeted floor, landing at the foot of a pile of colored crates.
Alice was behind you, your hands still bound behind your back. You pulled on them, two metal rings digging into your wrists.
Your own handcuffs, probably. Your fingers fished around, preemptively tapping on your TeleBand screen that was no longer there.
So you guarded Alice with your body as Ralph retrieved his knife, eyes dancing between you and Kara, who blocked off the rest of the area in the secluded corner you'd been taken to.
A wall on one side, a stack of small shipping containers on another. The only light being a lantern burning oil, left on the floor.
"You're outnumbered, Ralph." Your voice cracked from the dryness in your throat, "Put the knife down."
"Ralph went to a lot of trouble…That's why…he just wanted the police woman to talk. But Ralph is not bad, no, not bad…"
"Then put the knife down." Kara begged, looking around for something.
But she stopped as a shadow fell over her. Clasped her hands together and looked up at a man, who put a paw for a hand on her shoulder.
"You should listen to Kara." His voice was smooth and powerful, an accent adorning each word, "You'll be put through more trouble if you don't."
He was tall, and strong. A beautiful umber with olive undertones and eyes that were a warm brown. He was reserved and deadly, gentle – but severe.
"Ralph didn't mean any harm…No," Ralph gave a nervous smile as he folded on himself, dropping the knife, "No…It's just that…Ralph can't control his anger…"
He curled up like a rat, pawing at his hair, "When his anger comes, Ralph doesn't know what he's doing…he…he becomes stupid…full of hatred…Ralph is sorry-"
Kara's guardian picked him up by the back of his neck, the fabric from his cape balled up like the scruff of a cat.
"It does not matter why you threatened the little one, or my friend."
"Police woman is not her friend. Police woman killed Rupert. She took his birds away-"
"She is a friend of Alice, and a friend of Kara. That makes her a friend of mine."
Ralph shook, his feet suspended and his legs dangling.
"Luther…" Kara whispered, "Alice is watching."
He turned his head, his long coat shifting as he stepped to the side. You looked over your shoulder, finding Alice peeking with her hands latched to your arm.
"It's alright." You whispered, "Shhh…"
Luther released his prey, and Ralph disappeared into the shadows out of your domain.
You looked from him to Kara, who accepted a terrified Alice into her arms after she ran to her.
"Thank goodness you're okay…" Kara put her hands on Alice's shoulders, pushing her away to look into her eyes, "What did I tell you about running away like that?"
"I'm sorry Kara-" Alice wiped her cheek, "The strange man was going to hurt her."
"Is this the police officer you told me about?" Luther looked down at them, patting Alice on her head.
"…Yes."
Kara stood from her kneel, looking at you with reverence and adoration. It was foreign in this place of mystery and dampened spirits.
"Without her help, Alice and I never would have made it this far."
You gave her a fond smile, "It's nice to see you again…both of you."
"If I'd known who you were before, I wouldn't have…" Kara bit her lip, her hands bunching at her sides, "I'm sorry. I don't know how I could ever thank you."
"You don't need to." You pushed yourself up, leaning your back against the wall.
The pain knocked the breath from you, and you panted – slouching to the side. Kara walked next to you, taking to a knee as she leaned you forward to work on your wrists.
"Where are we…?"
You looked around, but couldn't see much.
"Jericho. It's an abandoned ship that Simon had originally repurposed into a safe-haven…or so they say."
A snap of metal and two clanks later, your wrists were freed. You rubbed them, resting them on your lap.
"Do you know if…" You shuddered from a deep breath, not knowing if you wanted to know, "Do you know if my partner is here?"
She seemed bothered by the question, "Your partner was with you?"
You nodded, "Guess that answers that question…"
"You're the only human here," She said your first name, taking your hand in hers, "But don't worry, we're here. We'll talk to them on your behalf-"
"Who?"
"Markus. North. Josh. The ones in charge-"
"Are they still here?"
"Yes." Luther answered, offering a hand, "But before you talk to them, you should see Lucy. She might be able to patch you up."
You looked at his extended hand, hesitating.
"We're the only friends you have, here. And now you have to trust us."
You'd said the same thing to Chris, in some sort of fashion. Different circumstances. Same odds of survival.
Minimal.
You changed your mind. Not knowing if he was okay was harder than asking if he was okay.
You took his hand, and he pulled you to your feet.
"I do."
You did trust them, and were thankful for their intervention…
But they weren't the only friends you had here.
…
The catwalks were lined with androids leaning on their arms, elbows crossed and eyes lurking. The middle of the common area was taken over by crates and racks filled with devices, weapons, ammunition…explosives.
Barrel fires lined the perimeter with small lanterns like the one in your alcove illuminating "rooms" that'd been built with various ship debris.
A sheet hung overhead, the rays from a projector catching dust that fell through the beam of light. You looked to the right, being guided by Luther, Kara, and Alice. Did your best to avoid eye-contact, trying to get a clearer view of the broadcast in front of gathered heads.
It was almost three in the morning. It was still November 11th. And President Warren was on the screen, addressing something…
"…Civilian movement will be strictly controlled, the right to assembly is suspended, all electronic communications are restricted, and I have granted enhanced powers to our security agencies. In addition to these measures, all androids must be handed over to the authorities immediately. Temporary camps are being set up in all our major cities to contain and destroy them. I am now asking all civilians to co-operate with the authorities, and rest assured that everything in our power is being done to guarantee the security of our nation."
"Please! Madam President!"
The journalists jumped over each other, trying to get their questions in. She selected one.
"Is it true that the androids could hack our IT systems, like nuclear power plants and military bases?"
"All androids working on sensitive sites have been neutralized and all IT systems have been suspended to avoid any risks of hacking. The situation is under control."
"Has the leader of the deviants been apprehended?"
"The deviant that is known as Markus has not been located yet, but we will soon track it down and neutralize it."
"A convoy of medical cobalt is reported missing. Army weapon stores are also said to have been robbed. Can you confirm these reports?"
"I have no information on that at this time."
"Some say these camps awaken painful memories from human history. How do you respond to that?"
"That's absurd. There's absolutely no connection. Androids are not living beings. All we are doing is destroying defective machines."
"Has the traitor by the name of…"
Kara pulled your arm, "This way."
"Wait-" You jerked in place, standing firm and watching the news.
"…been located?"
You reviewed the question over and over, your name spelled out in white on red as the banner switched. It was the first question that the President was hung up on. The first one she didn't have an immediate response for…
A traitor.
You? How?
"The ex-wife of Elijah Kamski is still at large." She swallowed hard, "It is not easy to face the menacing truth that one of our own, a well-respected Detroit Police Officer, no less, has turned against us. However, the conspirator charged with treason will be apprehended and tried in the fair courts of the United States, and our legal system will decide how severe her punishment will be. She, along with the deviants, are dangerous and my highest priority is to protect the American people."
She stepped away from the podium.
"Thank you. That will be all."
"One last question, Madam President!"
You covered your mouth. Held in the terror. Caught a breath in the process and let Luther guide you when your motor functions couldn't.
It wasn't just CyberLife or Special Agent Perkins you were running from, now. It was President Warren…
The entire country.
Kara pulled away a curtain of plastic noodles with her arm, holding them above her head.
"E-excuse me…Are you able-"
"Come." A gentle voice answered from inside, "Bring her to me."
You squeezed your eyes shut, rattling in your own skin. The anxiety was getting to be too much.
If Connor was around – if he really was here, and he wasn't the mastermind behind the bomb…he was taking his sweet time showing it.
The area Lucy resided in wasn't much of a "room," but she had her own space. A few benches, a warm fire, and bags of Thirium kept in a cool corner with other spare parts in organized bins.
"You're not in very good shape, are you?"
You looked up, taking a step back.
"It's okay." Luther encouraged, "Lucy won't hurt you."
You turned around, finding a gentle smile on his face. Looked to Alice and then Kara, who nodded towards the other side of the curtain.
"We'll be right here, waiting for you."
You gulped, facing the apocalyptic version of a KL900 android – tasked with social care and imbued with psychological simulation modules. Her skull was severely damaged, her head's internal parts hanging out and dangling down her back. Her skin malfunctioned, deactivating in cloud-like manners; constantly moving patches and revealing the plastic underneath. Her uniform was old and tattered, marked with cryptic writing and stains from who knows what.
And her eyes…black like they were plucked from a midnight sky.
"Josh delivered a few items he found onboard the ship. He went looking, especially for you."
Her voice had a consistent machine tone, the pitches wavering whenever she spoke.
You folded your dirtied hands in your lap, carefully scrubbing dried blood and dirt from your knuckles.
"Drink this."
You looked up, a bottle of water extended. The plastic was filthy, but the cap was still sealed. It hadn't been opened.
You barely got the words "thank you" out of your mouth before you began gulping it down. It tasted like hundred-year-old water, but it didn't matter. The bottle crinkled and imploded, leaving you gasping for air when you were finished.
"Canned peaches." She offered you the tin cylinder with the pop-top, "It's not much, but you must eat."
You didn't argue. Didn't even care that you had nothing to eat with other than your hands that looked like you just got done digging a grave with them.
Lucy sat across from you, with perfect posture and a gaze that surpassed this dimension of time and space. She wasn't looking at you, she was looking through you.
But you kept your head down and ate, drinking the syrup from the can when you were finished. You cleaned your fingers on your pant legs, clearing your throat before speaking.
"Thank you…"
You hugged yourself, the fire's warmth not enough to get you to stop shaking from your nerves.
"Give me your hand."
Your face shot up, brows pinching slightly at the request. Her movements were silent, but her hand was extended in grace – perfectly still, and inviting…
So you did as she asked. Put the top of your hand in her palm, and shivered when her finger traced the lines on your own.
"You had it all, and you lost it all..."
Your jaw locked.
"You've seen hell and now hell lives in you."
It wasn't anything new. It was just hard to hear. But hell had made your vessel its permanent residence…and the one thing that kept it at bay was missing in action. Or, lurking in Jericho.
You hoped he was around, somewhere.
"Your heart is troubled...A part of shadow and a part of light."
Two sides of the mirror. Two wolves fighting for superiority.
Two sides of the abyss, and two eyes staring it down.
"Which will prevail?"
You jerked your hand from hers like she'd stung you. Gulped under tension, and stood too quickly.
There was a man outside, talking to Kara and Luther. You couldn't make out the words – all except one sentence that was louder than the others had been.
"Don't worry little Alice, we won't hurt her."
The curtain pulled back.
It was Josh.
"I'm sorry to interrupt." He looked at Lucy, and then to you, "We were hoping you'd come talk to us."
Send the neutral one to retrieve the hostage. Of course.
"I don't have much of a choice, do I?"
He smacked his lips, "Look, I'm…sorry, about the way things are happening. But I have to trust that Markus knows what he's doing."
You didn't want to hear their bullshit excuses or justifications. You minced words.
"Is Chris alive?"
So did he.
The silence was heavy, and frustrating.
"My partner?" You clarified.
He didn't look at you. Didn't respond to the question in gestures or nervous tells. Nothing. But you waited, and stood your ground.
You were getting an answer.
"He was…injured. I don't know what happened to him after we fled."
You uncrossed your arms, "'Injured?'"
"He broke free and charged at Markus. They fought over the gun, and there was a misfire. You were unconscious for most of the struggle-"
"Markus shot m-my…and you just…you just left him there?"
"It wasn't a fatal-"
"He could have BLED OUT!"
Your chest heaved, and the tears that wanted to flow again were kept at bay. You couldn't cry, couldn't break down. It was a reminder stuck on repeat, these days.
"Perhaps a discussion with Markus is in order." Lucy suggested.
You sniffed your nose, wiping it with your sleeve. Rubbed your cheek on your shoulder, putting your thumbs through your disarmed beltloops.
"I've got a couple of words for him, alright."
You shook your head, walking towards Josh, who held the noodles off to the side for you.
"Your choices will shape our destiny."
You paused in the doorway, turning to find Lucy watching you…
There was a prophecy in those words, strung along to form a sentence that would shrink anyone's skin too tight for their body. But you kept going, following Josh up a metal flight of stairs and outside to an observation deck.
Because you could not stop for Death…
Death had kindly stopped for you – hidden behind the walls of Jericho.
Behind the Scenes
Links on AO3
Because I Could Not Stop for Death by Emily Dickinson
Written to Secrets by Tribe Society
Lucy from DBH Wiki
