Kara was, for the first time in her 'life', in shock.

The detective android lay on the floor, peppered by shots and leaking blue blood.

He was groaning, reaching out.

To Hank, who was bleeding out on the floor, clutching his side which had also been peppered with shot when the man moved Connor out of the way of the main blast.

What do I do?

It was the only question running in her mind and her brain was working overdrive to offer her options.

But something was wrong, the options on her HUD were flickering.

End the threat?

Save Hank.

Leave?

Alice was calling her name.

Save Hank.

A yawning pit swallowed her chest. It wasn't fear, not exactly. She knew what that felt like. This was similar but too different, fear was there, mixed with something else.

She didn't want to do that. She didn't mean to.

It came to her then, what she was feeling. Regret.

She was feeling regret.

Save Hank.

The shotgun blasts were sure to be heard and security could be here at any moment.

Alice was shouting at her.

I have to save Hank.

She dropped her gun and began to triage the wound, a process which was aided by the fact that AX400's were also programmed with limited amount of first response care, especially for gunshot wounds in the case of the American market.

Staunch blood flow was her first instruction and she began to apply direct pressure on the grievous part of the wound, ripping Hank's shirt to make cloth and bindings.

"H-here" The detective android croaked, holding his tie out.

Kara took it and used it to tightly bind the makeshift bandages.

"Im sorry. Im sorry"

It was only now that she registered she was even speaking.

Somewhere inside of her, at the far back of her mind, was the surprise that she could even feel shock.

Her systems however were carrying her forward even as her mind was having trouble. She searched Hank for any further wounds, ripping and tearing his clothing along the way to the point where he was mostly naked. The process led to her discovering, and treating, more wounds that weren't so obvious at first glance.

Hank's nakedness was a problem in itself however. Blood loss meant he could die of hypothermia as well.

But a solution presented itself, in the form of the detective Android who stripped off his suit and began to cover the detective. It wasn't enough but he wasn't alone as Kara stripped of her own coat to add more layers.

"Hank, Hank listen to me. You're going to make it okay?" the detective android was cradling the human detective's head, elevating and clearing the airway to allow the man to draw deep, worryingly ragged breaths. The android did not seem to pay attention to his own injuries.

Her programming was telling her to call the emergency response services, or carry Hank back into the hospital.

But Kara had to stop listening to her programming at this point.

She had done enough. Hank would hopefully survive.

Now, as the stamping of boots and yelling voices announced the approach of security, she had ensure her own survival.

Hers and Alice's.

She sat up and bolted back to her car, carrying her shotgun which she threw on the back.

"Kara are you okay!?" Alice cried, moving to hold her.

Kara squeezed the little girl's hands "Im fine Alice, I promise. Now hold on, we need to get out of here quickly"

Alice was shaking but she was a strong girl, nodding in compliance.

Kara connected to the car, taking over from the automated programming which allowed her to kick it to high gear.

Just in time as security burst in in force.

Rubber squealed as her tires spun in place for a brief moment before the vehicle took off, straight through the group of security personnel forcing them to scatter.

However they were quick to level their weapons and start shooting, bullets pinging around them and through the windows.

Alice screamed and ducked down, covering her head with her arms as Kara dived over her.

"Don't shoot there's a child onboard!" the detective android shouted.

The shots ceased immediately and Kara took this opportunity to turn a corner and drive down towards the exit, car scraping along the walls all the way down. Once they reached the ground floor Kara burst through the barriers and out into the street. Thankfully the dreadful rush hour had passed for the most part, however it was still central Detroit.

Freeway.

But they had to be subtle getting there, speeding would be noticed immediately.

So Kara drove across Detroit as aggressive as she possibly could, toeing the line between aggression and illegality. She used her robotic mind to calculate the timing, the speed, distance and space around her, making use of every available inch and every given second

A small, human, part of her thanked the fact that Alice kept her head down low and her hands over her head. It saved her from hearing the obscenities being hurled their way.

The progress was steady but every inch was full of tension and dread. They knew what the vehicle looked like, they may have even glimpsed the license plate. Kara was expecting police to start blaring their sirens at her at any moment.

So when they did she slammed the brakes, swerved to the side and prepared to make a getaway with Alice.

Only for the squad cars to go straight past them.

What?

She stayed in that spot for a moment or two, simply out of sheer disbelief.

Then the angry driver she had cut off reminded her to get going.


"It's okay Alice, im fine really" Kara tried to reassure the girl.

"You got shot!"

She was having none of it however.

It wasn't a fatal wound, a 9mm hitting her on her upper back and doing damage to internal wiring but thankfully not hitting biocomponents. However the shot had not gone through, lodging itself somewhere in her chest.

Where currently Alice was trying her best to "help", copying what Kara did to Hank earlier. Or at least attempting to.

Kara gently but firmly took hold of Alice's hands. "Alice really, i'm fine"

The girl was shaking, bottom lip quivering and she was looking at her with such pained eyes.

"I can help…" she whimpered.

Kara kissed the girl's hands "It's okay, Androids dont have the same vulnerabilities as humans. We're a lot tougher"

Alice shakily nodded "I-I know. I just...I just want to be useful"

Kara gently pulled her into an embrace and kissed her temple.

On her HUD a choice appeared:

Let Alice help.

Yes?

No?

The choice was prompted from her conscious, the part of her mind that acknowledged that she was the one who had put the girl in danger. In relative safety and away from dire emergency, it emerged to remind her of that fact.

To remind her that though her wants and needs may have freed her from her shackles and made her more human, it also made her selfish and irresponsible.

"Okay" she pulled back "You really want to help?"

Alice nodded vigorously.

Kara turned so her back was to Alice and removed her shirt.

"You see where the bullet went in? Take this cloth and clean around it" She handed the girl a piece of cloth from the glove compartment "On a human you would do it gently but don't worry about that for now"

She felt the girl's gentle touch anyway, softly swiping away the blue-blood that leaked out of the wound "Yeah, just like that. Clean around the wound"

"I-Im done, I think" Alice said after a moment.

Kara used the car mirrors to inspect, nodding towards Alice "That's good. Now, with a human, you would get a clean piece of cloth or bandages and press it to the wound tightly. For androids as long as the bandage doesn't have grit or anything that can get into the wound you can use it. Now, try it with the cloth your holding"

"But the bullet…"

Kara smiled to try and reassure the girl once more "Will stay in there for now. We don't have the tools to get it out, so all we can do is cover the hole"

Alice frowned but nodded and started to wrap the cloth around, however she found it was a little too short.

"That's okay, we just need some more material. Search around. Again it usually needs to be clean but don't worry too much about that"

Alice nodded and they looked around inside the car, but they found little of use. Evidently Zlatko hadn't used this vehicle much for it was fairly sparse. However they made do, tearing what they could though Kara had to stop Alice from tearing her own shirt, so eager the girl was to prove herself useful. With the scavenged materials the pair were able to bandage Kara up, the deviant instructing as they went.

"Where are we going now Kara?" Alice asked as Kara stripped the car of anything useful or valuable, not that there was much there.

Kara stuffed the shotgun as much as it could into her duffel bag, packing it in with its ammunition and other tidbits to break the shape.

"There's a place called Jericho where there are other...androids like me. We're heading there, hopefully someone can help us"

"Help us how?"

The question made Kara pause. After a moment she knelt down to eye level with Alice and held her hands. "So we can get out of here and find a place where we'll be safe and free"

Alice nodded but she still looked very troubled, still shaking slightly and biting her bottom lip. "Okay"

Kara smiled at her and took her hand, leading her out of the backstreet she parked the car in.

Along the way she gently pulled Alice close, hugging the girl to her hip, praying in her mind that this was the right decision.


Getting to Jericho, it turned out, was significantly more complicated that Kara first thought.

She had managed to find the start of the trail and follow the initial markers without much difficulty, however when the trail began to go up and into very dangerous abandoned buildings Kara couldn't follow, not without leaving Alice behind.

And that was not an option.

So to get out of the rain they found themselves in an all night diner near the marker they couldn't follow, Alice nibbling on what amounted to her dinner for that night.

And so we're back here again Kara groaned internally. Running away in the dark and no place to sleep. At least this time we have some cash.

But

She looked at her charge who had given up on her sandwich and was now idly poking at it.

Kara squeezed Alice's hand, drawing the little girl's attention towards her.

"How are you feeling Alice?"

Alice looked away and bit her lip.

Kara winced internally.

"Alice?"

"Why won't they leave us alone?" she muttered with a stormy expression. "We're just trying to leave, and Todd was a- was a bad man! You had to defend yourself again..."

"Alice…" Kara said softly.

Suddenly the girl balled her hands into fist and slammed them on the table, letting out a frustrated scream through a closed mouth. Other cafe patrons and staff looked at them in surprise, however they went back to their own activities when Kara smiled and mouthed an apology.

"Alice!" Kara took the girl's hands again, this time holding them firmly though not harshly and speaking in hushed, calming tones "It's okay Alice, it's okay. I'm alright, you're alright and we're together"

The girl made a small noise of acknowledgement but her anger as well as frustration was still clear to see.

Kara's heart rent itself in twain for the poor little girl.

Her poor little girl.

Alice had been through so much already and Kara knew that there was more to go.

She lifted the girl's hands and kissed her knuckles "Alice, look at me, please" she asked softly.

The girl slowly lifted her head and met her eyes.

Sincere?

Hopeful?

Logical?

"I know things haven't been easy, that it seems all we do is run away. We may even have to keep running, so the police don't catch us. But I can promise you Alice that it will get better, that soon we won't have to run away anymore"

It looked like her words were having some effect for Alice was brightening up, at least somewhat.

"Tonight, we'll find a place to stay and tomorrow we'll look around for Jericho. If we don't find it, we'll find another way to get the papers we need. So no one will bother us when we start over"

When. Not if, she conveyed with her eyes.

Alice nodded, looking more assured and significantly more calmed. She was a strong girl, sadly too mature for her age and far too resilient as well.

As her mother, Kara felt she couldn't hide the truth of their situation, not from Alice. But she could not be too cynical about it either, for the girl clearly needed hope and direction.

To be logical?

No, Alice needed love.

Kara smiled at her once more "When we get our papers, where would you like to live?"

Alice seemed surprised at the question but she gave it a bit of thought. "I dont know. Maybe...Canada?"

"I heard there are people who can help us across…"

Kara blinked the memory clip away and nodded "Yes, we certainly can. Why Canada though?"

Alice shrugged "I saw a bunch of adverts for it on the T.V. Oh, and it's right next door. I remember from geography when we were looking at maps and stuff" at that she seemed to deflate a little "Oh. I guess I can't go back to school now can I? I won't see my friends again…"

Kara brushed the girl's hair "When we settle down you'll go to a new school and make new friends, won't that be exciting?"

"I guess…"

The deviant squeezed Alice's hands gently.

I'll do my best baby, I promise.


Running in the rain in the night may have been a romantic image, if not for the fact that they were literally running for their lives.

Traci took her love's hand and pulled her into an alley, then helped her up and over the fence blocking their way.

Behind her a police squad car blared it's lights and sirens and one of the officers inside yelled out in frustration. He couldn't fit through the narrow alleyway, however the officers quickly took to foot

The pair continued running and running and running, android bodies not needing the rest and not feeling the pain of exertion.

Have to lose them before we get to Jericho.

Thankfully the dive down the alley bought them the headstart they needed as they scrambled up into an abandoned building. Here they had a little time to find a hiding spot, one where a human couldn't possibly slot themselves in without great discomfort.

Traci held her lover close, their bodies cramped together in the confined space. They ceased their simulated breathing and stifled whatever other noise their bodies were programmed to make.

The seconds ticked by. In the distance, unseen, their pursuers were becoming louder and louder as they drew closer and closer.

"They must have gone through here!" an angry voice yelled, one they recognised as the detective sent to investigate them.

"Area's dangerous Gavin, doubt these buildings have had a safety inspection recently" another officer said.

"I know" Gavin said through gritted teeth "But i'm not gonna let these plastic fucks go. The backup I radioed in should get here soon"

Traci hugged her lover closer and prayed.

RA9 save us. RA9 save us.

The chant had become almost instinct by this point, so many times had she said it.

It seemed to work though as the detective and officer weren't searching where they were, though Traci mentally tensed whenever they got too close.

"Gavin, backup's here" the officer notified his colleague. "I'll have them check ahead. Once the rest of the guys get here we can cordon off the area"

"Do it"

No!

Her love had the same panicked, fearful expression as she did, both of their LED's spinning yellow.

"Should we make a break for it?" she asked over their wireless connection.

"We need to take them down, the rest will be forced to take care of them"

It was as sound a plan as any.

Silently as she could she slipped out of the vent they squeezed themselves into, crawling back out into the open. Thankfully the detective and officer weren't looking her way and she was able to help her lover out.

"Take them from the sides, rush and slam them against the wall" her love instructed.

She had always been the most violent between them.

They prepared, bare feet silently and deftly navigating through broken glass and other debris, guided by synthetic eyes. In the darkness and away from the torchlight of the police they were like shadows, predators stalking their prey.

Once they got close enough, to within three strides distance, they pounced.

Traci slammed into the police officer while her lover tackled the detective. Both drove them into a wall, stunning the men and driving the wind out of them.

Traci saw out of the corner of her eye her lover kick the detective's weapon out of his hands and tried to copy, however she missed as the officer's body moved unexpectedly, likely not even out of his own will. However the precious moment was enough for him to roll out of the way of her heel slam.

As quick as she could she pounced on him.

But he was quicker, on his final roll he brought his pistol up to bear and let loose a trio of gunshots.

Two bullets shot through her gut and her pounce turned into a graceless collapse, with her rolling on the floor.

"TRACI!" She heard her lover yell.

Biocomponent #433001 damaged. In need of repair.

Biocomponent #433200 damaged. In need of repair.

Biocomponent-

She shut off her diagnostics and focused instead on getting to her feet.

She managed to, barely.

Looking up she saw her love doing her best to occupy their two opponents but she could only do so much.

The situation had turned critical, they needed to get out.

Spotting a pile of glass and dust Traci reached for it and threw it in the face of the detective aiming his weapon at her love's back. The small, sharp shards splattered across his face and he tumbled back with a yelp of pain.

*BANG* *BANG*

Traci turned sharply and saw that her love was grappling with the officer for the gun in the man's hands, the weapon firing off into the ceiling.

With a glance to the detective to make sure he was out of the action for now, Traci ran over to her love and together the both of them quickly overpowered the officer, taking his gun in the process.

The officer quickly backed up and put his hands in the air.

"Please! I surrender, please dont shoot!" he begged desperately.

It was a split second decision.

And her love was the one with the gun.

The pistol went off with a flash and a bang.

"Aaargh!" the officer fell to the floor holding his foot.

"Miller!" Gavin screamed.

Another flash, another bang.

Another scream.

Gavin went down clutching a hand, now minus a few fingers.

"Lets go!" Traci shouted to her love over their connection.

The redhead dropped the pistol and both of them fled the building.


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