"Again?"
Connor knew he was unwelcome company. The way Kara looks at him in her distaste is hard to ignore. She is not fond of him. He can see that she sees him as a threat with the way she holds a hand over Alice's body, keeping her behind her as if Connor might pounce on them like a predator. Their fear stemmed from a pursuit that happened months ago when Connor had still served under Cyberlife. Connor felt that Kara, of all androids, would understand being a slave to your own programming. Then again, perhaps she knew that and instead feared of the people he had worked under. Maybe in some deluded way, Kara felt that he was still working for them. If such irrational fears festered inside her then, of course, she would act in such a defensive manner upon seeing him once more.
Again, she says, almost as if she didn't expect him to come to another counseling meeting. '
"You are uncomfortable," Connor notes. He reads Kara like a book, just like any other android. That was something he could not escape. His ability to analyze everyone and everything.
"Perhaps I should have stayed in Canada," Kara mutters lowly. Alice shifts behind her suggesting that she doesn't like the way Kara speaks. Kara intends to be intimidating but Connor is not phased. Concerned, perhaps, but he does not falter. "Because I didn't know they let Cyberlife agents patrol New Jericho."
This time Markus wasn't here to intervene. Markus had other business to attend to because he was the leader of all deviants. He had peace missions to run and people to visit. Regardless, Connor was fine with that, because he could fight his own battles. That's what he thinks, anyway, until he sees North walk up boldly to him. North was usually at Markus' side so it was strange to see her apart from him. Connor hadn't asked her why she was here out of pure politeness. It wasn't proper to dive into someone else's personal business even if curiosity called for it.
"Cyberlife agents? Where?" North puts a hand up to her forehead and looks around the room in an exaggerated movement. Once she's finished, she shrugs, and continues, "You'll have to point them out to me. I can't see anything like that around here."
Kara looks pointedly at North and the woman stares back intensely. It isn't until Alice tugs on Kara's shirt that Kara stops her staring.
"Kara-..." she says quietly, "why are you acting scary?"
Kara's face immediately softens and she turns to place two hands on Alice's shoulders. Connor watches the motherly scene and finds a tad bit of admiration that Kara had such a connection with this little girl. She clearly cared a lot about her. She was even willing to harm Todd, their previous master, just to save her from brutal conditions. Kara was amazing and strong for doing that. It was a shame that she and Connor didn't seem to get along too well because Connor would have liked to share a friendship with her.
"I'm sorry Alice it's just that… that man and I… we have a disagreement of sorts."
North snorts.
Kara ignores her.
"Then why don't we just go somewhere else?" Alice asks innocently, "We could go with Luther."
"Sweetie, I told you, Luther is running a favor for Rose. It's not something we should get involved in."
"Why not?"
Kara smiles.
"Because Luther doesn't want us to worry."
"Not to interrupt this touching moment," North interjects, "but the meeting is starting."
Connor turns to see North is right. Simon stands amongst a group of androids, all sitting around his podium in plastic chairs. The only one stands were North, Kara, Alice, and himself. They were lingering near the front door where Connor had been greeting every android that walked in. He wanted everyone to feel welcomed just as Markus made him feel welcomed. He kept greeting everyone warmly until Kara had walked in. The rest is history.
Simon coughs to grab everyone's attention.
"As you know," he says, looking around the room to get a good view of his complete audience, "Markus couldn't attend today. He is currently visiting other outposts to check on the relations between the local humans and androids. Things seem to be doing well so far."
A murmur of delight choruses throughout the crowd. Connor also felt happy that things seemed to be going well with the other outposts. He knew there were a variety of other places that androids have taken up shop in. New Jericho, as comfy as it was, wasn't big enough for the whole android population.
"We also have Joshua speaking to the local authority on the recent laws that have been passed on the behalf of androids. They would not have been passed if it were not for the help of androids and humans alike. Now we can legally obtain jobs and own property. These are just the first of many laws to come. Good job everyone!"
The crowd cheered in their excitement and Connor clapped alongside them. Connor can see North out of the corner of his smile and he thought it'd be hard inot/i to do so. This was a joyous occasion and they had just received wonderful news. If Markus were here, Connor bets the man would be running around patting everyone's shoulders.
The happiness shared around the room was short-lived with the door next to Connor flies open violently. An android stands there, eyes wide, and mouth open ready to shout. They looked like they're about to say something and everyone anticipates it. The only problem is that the android doesn't have the opportunity to say anything, not when his body jerks forward with a bullet wound, and when Connor sees that he acts on an instant.
He grabs the android and pulls him inside. He shuts the door behind him, pushing the android into the crowd where others are waiting to help, and then he peers out the windows. New Jericho had gotten rid of the large windows that Cyberlife had installed for safety reasons. It seemed that it was a good thing, now, because Connor sees a group of people outside equipped with firearms. Aside from the obvious guns they brandish, they also hold signs over their heads with familiar anti-android symbols, so Connor safely assumes that they are anti-android activists. All of them seemed to be human because Connor couldn't identify any androids within their group.
One human holds out a megaphone and says, "Androids are the scum of the Earth! If the government won't listen to us then we'll have to show them!"
The humans all roared in their agreement.
North is by Connor's side. She watches the same thing he sees.
"I've called the police-..." Kara says from behind them. "They're on their way."
Connor nods. As much as Kara disliked him - and as much as he felt uncomfortable in her presence - they had to work together if they wanted to get out of this alive.
Joshua runs into the store from the back door and shouts so that everyone can hear, "They're blocking off both exits!"
Kara moves to another window so she can get a better look. Connor didn't think much of it until he sees a man raise his gun to aim at her head. She must not have seen it because she stands still in her place. Connor doesn't think as he hurls himself at Kara, dragging her to the floor with him, even with the sputters of protest that escapes her mouth. A bullet then hurls through the window, shattering the glass and sending pieces flying through the air. Kara takes one look at the broken glass that now lies beside her and then she glances at Connor.
That bullet had almost killed her.
"I…" Kara begins but Connor doesn't have time to listen.
"Everyone stay low to the ground-..." he says, "there's no guarantee they won't just open fire against us. There's also the possibility that they might try to set New Jericho on fire. Hopefully, that won't happen before the police arrive."
"What-... What are we going to do?" Another android asks, fear laced in their voice.
"We're going to wait it out," Connor tells her.
"We can't just wait it out - they're going to kill us! We need to fight."
"And risk our own?" Connor knows that they'd go down fast if they took even one step outside. "No. We can't. Not unless they decide to come in themselves. We have cover in here but not out there. Our best chances of survival are right here."
The androids nod in unison and Connor sighs in his relief.
Waiting it out is very difficult. Everyone is uneasy. North's fingers twitch, itching to fight, but Connor keeps her back from running out there herself. Asides from preventing others from just leaving, he paces in his chaotic thoughts and files through them one by one. Multiple scenarios run through his head and they finally stop when he sees that a few humans part from their group. They approach the front door and he knows what that means.
Several androids wait by the door and look to Connor for guidance.
He nods at them.
They nod back.
The minute the door opens, the humans blaze in, and those waiting by the door jump on them. The humans yelp as they're thrown to the ground by multiples bodies. Connor shuts the door behind them, loudly, so the other humans can hear it.
"Androids! Diseases! Rotten trash!" One human screams.
North scoffs, "Look at these pathetic losers."
Connor ignores her as he observes the remaining humans outside. They converse with one another and they seem to be wondering what to do next until they hear police sirens. All the protestors look up and panic courses through their group.
Connor watches them trample over their own just to escape.
It's a sickening sight.
When the police arrive, protestors are scattered in the streets. Many of them run around like headless chickens. Had they not anticipated the arrival of the police?
The police do their job and clear out the many people who had just been threatening New Jericho a few minutes ago. Connor lets in several cops who do a quick scan of the place and then they look at the people on the floor with questioning eyes. Clearly, they didn't know what to make of the current situation, and they looked at all the androids with suspicious eyes.
"They are not harmed," Connor says quickly, "they came in aiming to kill. We simply defended ourselves."
The police go about their routines after that. Connor watches them as they escort shaking androids outside where they offer to escort some of them home. (even though they didn't need to. That wasn't exactly in their job quota.)
North claps Connor on the back of his head.
"What?" Connor asks, his head sent forward at the force.
"Good job out there, you were the calmest out all of us."
Connor rubs the back of his head, right where North had hit it, and then he looks at all the other androids. Many of them were leaving but Kara? Kara lingered, staring at him as if she wasn't too sure what to think about him anymore.
He offers her a tentative smile.
Connor walks out of New Jericho to get a better look at things when he hears his name being called out once more. He takes a look around to find the source until he sees the familiar figure of his father waving at him from a police vehicle parked on the street. Connor jogs to him.
"Heard about the situation from the office. I demanded they take me with them," Hank says. His eyes trail up and down Connor's form before he tugs on his arm. Connor finds himself stumbling forward in confusion. It takes him a second to realize that Hank was checking him for wounds. Hank's eyes scan his person.
"You aren't hurt?"
"No, I'm not," Connor assures, "Which is greatly fortunate."
"Did you see how any of this started?" Hank asks.
"Anti-android activists," Is Connor's only reply.
Hank curses.
"They just can't leave the whole 'eradication of the entire android race' alone, huh?" Hank laughs coldly. "Bastards. All of them."
"I have a lot to think about," Connor says as he turns back to look at the scene of New Jericho. The windows were all shattered and apparently, there was some graffiti he missed. Graffiti in messy human handwriting that boldly stated that androids needed to die. "Can we go home?"
Hank's eyes soften.
"Of course, kid. Let's go. Getting tired of this place anyway. Just gotta' stop by the police station to pick up my car."
Connor raises an eyebrow.
"I was in a rush, okay?" Hank huffs. "I knew you went to those dumb meetings. If there was the off-chance that you were hurt - well… let's just say I didn't want to find you bleeding out. Think of the damn repair bills."
"Your worry for me is heart-warming," Connor says.
"I was not worried," Hank insists, "I know you can take care of yourself."
"Which is why you rushed over here, right?"
Hank looks at Connor for a good long moment.
"You little brat," he finally says, his hand reaches up to ruffle Connor's hair, "thinking you can tease your old man."
"It's not teasing - it's merely starting the fac-"
"And that's enough talking from you."