"This isn't a normal worker bot… cutting-edge designs," Scotty said into his phone. "I know but some of this stuff is still being theorized, lad. We're talking palladium-encrusted circuits, which are expensive and extremely rare."
"He's an interesting man," Marvick said.
"He loves what he does," Leonard chuckled. "Is that it?"
"Our best shot at finding Miranda," the robotics expert told him, holding a tiny cylinder with an isotope in it. "They all have a unique signature, this one is specific to Miranda. Once we isolate that signature, we can upload it into your department's tracking system and, theoretically, be able to track her, just as you would any VX or android on your network."
"I don't think you understand what you created," the detective said as he watched Jemma and Scotty talk to whoever was on the phone.
"Pardon?"
"With Jemma. Your goal was to design androids to integrate into the police force but she's so much more than that. Which is saying a lot when you consider my track record with androids."
"Yes, well, I'm afraid the world wasn't ready for a machine quite so evolved," Marvick said.
"Except, she's not... a machine. Not really. She's just as human as the rest of us, even if she bleeds purple. I've watched her make kids smile and pet puppies and sing old songs. She laughs at dumb jokes and eats stuff because Scotty dares her to and she punched someone for insulting me. She's Jemma. Just like I'm Leonard."
"I wish more people could see that. What you're describing is what I always wanted," Marvick smiled. "I always hoped that my children could integrate. That there was no difference between us. Jemma is the realization of that dream. Miranda is the nightmare. My only warning is to be careful. When the GSKs malfunctioned, the powers that be quietly decided in some back room that the logic-based VXs were the better way to go. Didn't even give me an opportunity to try and fix them. And the JTKs got caught in the crossfire. They might take her from you again."
"They can try. I'm not the only person on her side. The brass may have decommissioned Jemma's siblings but I'd take one of her over a fleet of VXs any day and, it seems, that I'm not alone. She's risked her life for me and others so many times the last months that I stopped counting. Jemma genuinely loves what we do. That kind of passion, that heart… it's not something you can make, it has to grow. You created her foundation in a lab, but she's become a wonderful creature on her own."
"You know, when I made the JTKs, I was filled with a passion for my work and hope for where we were going. When I made Miranda I was filled with resentment and desperation. I sometimes wonder if, back then, something that was dark inside of me got put in her. I mean, we are an integral part of our creations, aren't we? They're both complex. Not just black and white or good and evil. Who Jemma is was fostered by all of you, the world only saw one part of Miranda. Maybe, whoever's behind all this wants to make more of her?"
"I'm not convinced that it's not Section Thirty-one," Leonard sighed.
"That's because you're smart, laddie," Scotty said. "My contact thinks that this worker bot was created by some kid named Sisko. He's one of those prodigy types that went off the grid right after the ambush on your team."
"Chatter from the intel community suggests that he was freelance until than and has been with Section Thirty-one since," Jemma said.
"They just don't quit, do they?" Leonard muttered.
"Why would they?" she asked. "You're their biggest threat. They've already tried to kill you once and all it did was piss you off."
"That's true," he chuckled as Marvick handed Scotty to the glowing disc than the coated in the isotope, Miranda's energy signature.
"Let's hope this works," Scotty said. The whole group left the lab and loaded into Leonard's cruiser.
"Installing her frequency onto our tracking software now," Jemma said, her face lit up. Marvick opened a case and handed Leonard a big metal, syringe type device.
"What the hell is that?" he asked.
"An EMP spike," Marvick said. "It's set to the electromagnetic pulse to her frequency, we should, should, be able to disable her with it."
"I got her. She's near Third and Main. She's in a vehicle," Jemma said.
"Uhura, find out what's down here?" Pike ordered.
"Looks like mostly retail and restaurants," Nyota said. "If this is about stealing tech, why is she there?"
"We're missing something," Stiles said.
"Track her signal and send drones," Pike told one of the officers.
"Listen," Marvick said, "you need to get close enough to insert that. It has to go precisely into the back of her skull."
"You're telling me to walk up to a homicidal robot and stab it in the back of the neck?" Leonard asked.
"Yes," Marvick told him.
"Don't worry, Bonesy, I'll protect you," Jemma chuckled.
Pike looked at them, "Take as many available VXs as you need."
"Uh, Jemma?" Marvick said. She looked at him. "Be careful."
"Ouch," Leonard groaned. The EMP spike didn't work and hand-to-hand combat with a killer robot was not advisable. The only reason she didn't kill him is because she was on a mission to kill Councilman Maxwell Forrest, the man responsible for the decommissioning of the GSKs and JTKs. They ordered the bar evacuated but there were still a lot of people caught in the middle, the councilman included. So far, they'd lost two officers and six VXs.
"Why are you doing this?" Leonard heard Jemma ask from somewhere above him.
"Because my sacrifice is necessary," Miranda said. "Just like yours."
"We're nothing alike," Jemma told the other android.
The next thing Leonard heard sounded like the battle of the titans. It took all his power to push himself up off the ground. He moved just in time too because Miranda landed in the spot he just vacated. Jemma hopped over the bar and Leonard had a hard time keeping up with how fast they were moving. Jemma had the upper hand for a second, then Miranda tossed her into one of the pillars that were all around the room.
"Jem," he called. There was a piece of rebar sticking through her shoulder.
Miranda grabbed Jemma by her throat and pulled her off the pillar, his girl was still fighting. Leonard grabbed one of the metal bar stools and swung it against Miranda's back. She lost her grip on Jemma and started swinging at him. 'That was better in theory,' he thought to himself when she pulled him close and headbutted him. Jemma laughing as he hit the ground.
"What's so funny?" Miranda growled at his partner.
"He got the pin to your grenade," Jemma smirked. Leonard held up the small metal ring. Jemma kicked Miranda in the chest with all the force she had and sent the woman through the door to the backroom before she pulled him to cover. The grenade went off and room shook for a second before there was calm.
"You okay?" Leonard asked, taking in Jemma's injuries.
"Better than you," she chuckled. "Want me to…?"
"Yea, go ahead," he told her half a second before she reset his broken nose. "No countdown?"
"Better this way," Jemma smiled before the side of her face lit up. "We're fine, Chris. Miranda's destroyed. Forrest is injured but he'll live."
"Why would Section Thirty-one go after a councilman? I mean, I have more right to attack him than they do," Marvick said. They all looked at him. "What? I do. He's the person who led the charge for decommissioning my children and gave my contract to my competitors."
"I bet they wanted it to look like you did it," Stiles offered. "Murder and mayhem and they don't have to do anything."
"They probably figured that McCoy would go after the XTK, so they kill two birds with one stone. Take Leonard down and have the whole department focused on Marvick while Thirty-one cooked up something else," Uhura said.
"This is a diversion," Pike said.
"A diversion for what?" Leonard asked.
"There was an explosion at the Transamerica building," Jemma said, her face lit up.
"When?" Chris looked at her.
"Seventeen seconds ago," she said as the screens all over the room lit up red. "They just hit the Currency Exchange. Chevron Inc too."
"What are they after?" Stiles asked.
"Jemma, likely targets?" Pike asked.
"The Swiss, Japanese and Brazilian governments have consulates within a two block radius. There are five major bank HQs. Government… The City Council," she told them. "They're offices are in the building at Five-five-five California Street. It's closed this time of night, so I doubt has to be evacuated to… the bunker."
"Where?" Leonard looked at her.
"Four-fifty Golden Gate," Jemma said. "Oh, my God."
"That building contains, among other things, the main DHS and FBI offices for the city, which are both now undermanned due to the bombings," Pike told them.
Stiles looked at them, "Why would they…?"
"FBI has the Synthetic Souls locked away in a vault under that building," Scotty offered. "We have a dozen of them but the feds secured hundreds when the GSKs were decommissioned."
"And there aren't many agents to stop them, not with everyone on bomb duty. They could use Councilman Forrest's access. They'll build an army," Uhura said. "We'll all be in trouble before the city or the world knew what hit it."
"Marvick and Scott, stay here and feed us any intel you can. Everyone else, let's go," Pike ordered.
"Fancy seeing you here. I thought that crazy android would've taken you out," said a sickly sweet voice as a body slammed into him. The two tussled but he was already injured from his fight with Miranda and at a major disadvantage. He let out a groan when she pinned him.
"You know me, Joce… whatever your name is, I don't do what's expected of me, never have," he said as she sat on his chest with a gun to his chin. He really hated being stuck with a terrorist and he no idea where the rest of his team was. "I mean, I'm sure I was supposed to die the first time around. Must've pissed you off to know I didn't. You blew me up and I'm still walking around living my life."
"You got lucky," she said. Something he caught out of the corner of his eye made him smile. "That luck has run out."
"That's your problem. No originality. You're so busy worrying about me when you should be worried about her," Leonard told the terrorist just as Jemma tackled his ex-girlfriend off of him.
"Come on," Stiles pulled him up.
"Pike and Uhura?" Leonard asked the other detective.
"Going after Sisko," John said. "You have ammo?"
"One mag left," the southerner answered. They had to fight their way in through the platoon of Section Thirty-one terrorists. "You?"
"I have enough."
"You crazy bot," Jocelyn screeched. Leonard didn't even pay attention to the fight, he knew Jemma would be fine.
"I'm not the crazy one here, sweetheart," Jemma chuckled before she caught Jocelyn in a sleeper hold and knocked her out.
"We need to move, apparently the leader's here," Stiles said. Jemma handed the unconscious Jocelyn –he'll worry about that later- to a VX, drew her gun and took point.
"You're gonna be alright, John," Leonard said.
"You're a horrible liar, man," Stiles chuckled. Leonard could admit that the RPG was unexpected, more surprising was that Stiles threw himself into Leonard and Jemma, pushing them out of the way before part of the ceiling came crashing down on their heads. "Go get that son of a bitch."
"Medics are on their way. Stay with him," Jemma ordered a VX.
"Hey, Jemma," Stiles said, "Take this." He handed her his weapon.
"We'll be back, John," she whispered.
"Don't worry about me. Worry about him," Stiles said, something like an agreement passing between the good cop who acted like a jerk and the human-like android. "Go."
"You heard the man, move out," Leonard said. Jemma and the last of the VXs following him. It took a while to maneuver through the sub-levels of the unfamiliar building, but they eventually heard a drill.
"FBI's vault is old school, can't be hacked," Jemma offered. "I have three thermal signatures. Ready?"
"In three… two… Go!"
They rounded the corner and three things happened at the same time; Jemma shot two of the men, one of which managed to shoot her –and the VXs- with an EMP burst and Leonard found himself face-to-face with a dead man.
"Phil?"