A/N: NOT DEAD!

Hello everyone! I am so sorry for the horribly long hiatus. College is an absolute nightmare that takes up about 90% of my time, and work takes the other 10. It's been a long few months, but I've finally managed to get a decently long chapter out for ya!

Quick little disclaimer: I obviously do not own any of the pop culture movies or music I refer to in this chapter. I just deemed them worthy to be added in.

"I look…" Iris frowned at her reflection in the mirror. She didn't know how to finish the sentence. Bad wasn't the right word. Brown skinny jeans, a white top, black leather jacket, and black boots. They went up to about mid-calf and were easy to walk and run in. Very grunge; nothing she'd ever worn before.

Un-like herself fit better. It wasn't bad; but it certainly wasn't her style.

"Incognito." Markus offered, finding her gaze in the glass.

"Something like that."

"Sorry, Iris. Where we're going, you can't have high heels or black dresses with see-through backs."

She pressed her lips in a thin line as she went over what she knew. A place for free androids, sounds great. Except when she added the thought that Markus only had a single clue to find it in downtown Detroit. They didn't even know what they were looking for. An abandoned apartment? A building? Some clearing in the forest? A cave?

Neither had any idea.

Iris heard a chirp behind her and she stretched her arm back to pet her kitten. His head curled into her hand in response. Speaking of, Monster…

"Markus, would you mind…?" Iris jutted her chin to the door, and Markus nodded.

"I'll set his automatic feeder and fountain up. He'll be good for a week, at least."

The thought sent her heart into her throat. Couldn't take him with. Not when we don't know where we're going. It hurt like hell to leave him, but he wouldn't be alone, at least.

When she heard her door shut gently behind Markus, she ran her hands through her hair, sighing deeply. What did she agree to?

Iris trekked to her bedside table stand and pulled her cellphone from the cherry-wood top. Sitting on the edge of her bed, she dialed a number and pressed 'call.'

She didn't expect him to pick up. Considering he was probably still sleeping and wouldn't have his phone on him, but she'd still leave a voicemail.

"Hey, Leo." Iris said softly when the call beeped. "I hope you're okay. I know you're still sleeping, but at least when you wake up you'll have your baby sister annoying you. Just like old times." She smiled into the receiver.

"I, um…" Her hand went onto Monster's back, gently stroking his fur. "I have a favor to ask. I'm going away. Don't know for how long. And I need someone to watch Monster. Dad, too. If he's..."

She cleared her throat.

"Just please, please take care of him when you get out. He's an easygoing kitten. Feed him breakfast and dinner, make sure his water is filled, play with him when you can. He's a sucker for string and the red laser toy down in the dining room. He does enjoy going outside around the mansion but you'll have to go with him. He can't go alone."

Stop rambling, Iris.

"I know you probably think I'm crazy, but I think he'll be good for you. He's a very sociable cat; loves people. He'll stick by your side all day. It's very hard to be self-destructive when you have his big blue eyes staring into your soul. Trust me, I know from experience. I just want my boys to be happy while I'm gone, okay? That includes you. So please take my trusty little side-kitten and give him all the tuna his heart desires.

I love you, asshole. Take care of yourself, okay?"

Iris pressed 'End Call' and shut the phone off before gently setting it back onto the bedside table, and leaned over to press a big kiss onto Monster's forehead. He meowed in protest, but Iris chuckled and ruffled his cheeks.

"He'll take care of you, baby. Even if he doesn't think he can, I know he has it in him."

Iris pulled herself from her bed, stretching out her back. She pressed the power button on her phone to shut it completely off before tucking it safely in her top drawer. Iris couldn't take it with them. Any way to trace them would be left behind. It broke her heart-she would have zero way of knowing if her dad was okay, if Leo ever actually listened to her-but phones could be traced. It was a possibility they couldn't afford to handle.

"Alright, to Jericho."

"Breathe."

"What?" Iris blinked. She looked around the crowded train car, eyes roaming over the other humans beside them. Too many to count, she thought, her grip tight on the train car's pole. So many. What if they could tell Markus wasn't one of them?

"Your heart rate is extremely elevated." The android in question hummed by her ear. To onlookers, the gesture seemed normal. Two friends, obviously close, chatting away. It was hardly suspicious. Markus' tone was easygoing, as if discussing something mundane, but paranoia raided Iris' train of thought. Her grip on the pole tightened. "It's alright; just breathe. In through your nose, out through your mouth."

She closed her eyes and followed the instruction, taking the moment to recharge. Okay. This is okay. "Sorry."

"Don't be," Markus said, his thumb brushing against hers as the train car lurched forward. The sway brought his chest against her back. "It's different, I understand."

Iris inwardly laughed. He'd understand better than anyone. She looked to the android compartment at the back, half a dozen of them occupying the space. Could they scan the car? Realize what Markus is?

"Different doesn't begin to cover it," Iris chuckled softly. Paranoia would get her nowhere. "So, where's this fancy Blue's Clue?"

Markus scanned the train car and—deeming no onlookers close enough to him and Iris—pulled a hand out in front of her. To anyone, it'd look like he was sharing a phone screen.

But instead of a phone lighting up, his palm glowed with a single picture. Graffiti, it seemed. Mostly reds and blacks, some white for contrast; an outline of someone standing proud with a black halo surrounding him. She'd probably seen the piece before but never stared at it long enough to keep it memorized.

"I don't get it." Iris frowned.

Markus shut the photo off and tucked his hand into his new coat's pocket. "You're not supposed to. You're human."

"Ah, I see. Club members only."

Markus hummed as the train came to a stop, "Had to keep it safe somehow."

The thought made Iris' stomach churn. To think, a secret bunker for androids created because humans—her kind—were vile enough to a whole race to deem it necessary. A place they could call home, safe from humans. From her.

Entering the Ferndale train station, Markus and Iris stepped off the train easily. Iris surveyed her surroundings; it wasn't too busy for a Saturday evening. She'd expected a larger turnout, but was happy at the small handful of people bustling through.

Markus strode toward the left of the station, meandering through the gentle crowd and stopped at the wall. Iris raised an eyebrow, but smiled in understanding. He'd found the graffiti.

She pulled up beside him and quirked, "Doesn't exactly look like a safe haven."

Markus chuckled, looking down to his palm. The picture shifted as he explained, "That was clue one out of… I don't know how many. We'll get there when we get there."

"Hey," Iris bumped her shoulder against his bicep, smiling. "I hope you know I'm just teasing. I'm with you wherever this takes us."

"I know." He looked to her and nodded, a smile matching hers. "But it's not gonna be a walk in the park. I don't know where we're going, or what this place will be."

"Doesn't matter. Like I said, I'm with you. So," she turned and walked to the exit, calling out, "quit stalling and start walking!"

Markus' eyes trailed her figure as she went, smirking to himself. He could never get tired of her. Her endearing sentiment, her sass, her. He felt lucky to have her by his side.

He began to follow, walking through the station and down the escalators, stopping at the bottom. The pair gazed at the sun trailing low in the sky, downtown Detroit falling into the gentle hues of oranges and pinks. Markus's eyes were particularly focused on the Rent-an-Android booth beside them, a single model left behind.

"C'mon, Markus." Iris's hand grabbed at his, gently tugging him past the booth. She couldn't understand his thoughts—hey, he fully had them now—but she knew enough that they wouldn't be good staring at other androids. Ones that weren't deviant, at least. "Off to find the next Blue's Clue, right?"

"Right."

The next one was dead-ahead. The graffiti in front of them was of an intense boxing match; Iris appreciated the warm colors the artist used. Lots of oranges and reds. Very intense, matching the adrenaline of the fight. Markus looked to his hand again, trailing further into the city for the next stop.

Iris followed behind closely, humming to herself as they found clues three and four deeper into Detroit. She'd never been this far into downtown, and to be honest, she was glad she got the chance to. There was a much different culture there than at home, and it was refreshing to see the different art splattered on the buildings and wood pallets.

Trying to find clue five was more difficult, but Iris kept herself occupied. After humming a few older classic rock songs (she would forever be grateful that her dad forced her to listen to Imagine Dragons,) she then found herself quoting a classic movie series with her own twist.

"'Follow the android clues?" Iris huffed playfully. "Follow the secret android clues. Why couldn't it be follow the butterflies?'"

Markus looked back at the new clue, chuckling as they carded through a desolate alleyway. "Is it really the time to quote Harry Potter?"

She laughed as they came to a broken fence. "It's always a good time to quote Harry Potter."

Markus held up the fence for her to step through. "Besides," she teased, crouching and stepping through, "I figured since I'm following a Gryffindor, it fits the occasion."

Markus dropped the fence wire as he stepped through, frowning. "You think I'm a Gryffindor?"

"Please, Markus." The two walked side by side, twisting down another alleyway. Iris's hands clasped behind her back absentmindedly, swaying with every airy step. "A strong-headed individual, following an idea that he has no real proof exists, in hopes for a better life for him and perhaps his friend? Peak Gryffindor behavior."

"Fine." He chuckled in defeat (and perhaps a bit of admiration.) "What does that make you?"

"Well, seeing as how my first instinct was following my once-thought dead friend into the unknown—again, with no real proof—just to be by his side? Sounds very loyal to me."

"Very much Hufflepuff behavior."

"Exactly," Iris's eyes crinkled as she beamed, following the path of the alleyway to an open area. An enormous shark painted on the back of a brick building was what she first laid eyes on. "Next clue?"

Markus shook his head. "Nope."

He pointed to the left, and Iris followed the trail to a painting of what she assumed was an android—mechanical parts, twists and turns of metal pipes and gears, all tightly packed together with a regular face like a halo a few feet away, as if to cover the machine. An astounding piece, Iris declared, but she wasn't exactly fond of its placement. Most of it was hidden by the rooftop of the adjacent building.

"There."

"Dear god, we have to climb."

"Aren't you glad you're wearing boots instead of heels?" Markus smirked triumphantly. "C'mon, it won't be too bad."

He strode further into the opening and grabbed at an old dumpster, tugging it from its original spot. Iris watched warily, ears crying at the sound of metal scraping against asphalt. Once the dumpster was beside the building, Markus took a few steps back, ran, and jumped from the ground to the dumpster to the edge of the building, easily flinging himself on top.

Iris blinked.

Shit.

"Miss Hufflepuff?" Markus gestured to the dumpster below him.

Iris cackled. "You seriously think I can do that?! I can barely do a pull-up, Markus!"

"That's why I'm here. Get your running start, jump, and grab onto me."

Iris let out a strangled whine, staring at the dumpster. I'm going to die. I'm going to fall, crack my skull, and die on this thing. She ran a hand through her hair and, holding her head in her hands, sighed. "Okay, I'm gonna do this. Gonna jump and grab you. Okay. Fuck."

"I'm right here, Iris. I got you."

"You better, Markus." She warned and jumped in place at the anticipation. "Fuck!" She ran at the dumpster, barely jumping high enough to get on top, but was invigorated that she could. Riding the adrenaline high, she flung herself upward, outstretched arms reaching for Markus. Her hands grabbed at his long forearms tightly, his own mirroring hers, and with ease he heaved her onto the rooftop.

Iris yelped as her ass unceremoniously hit the rooftop—the very solid, painful rooftop—but she couldn't decide whether the cry was from fear or joy. She fucking nailed it!

"Told ya," Markus grinned beside her. Beside, and a little above. He's still holding on.

Iris smiled back, her hands loosening their grip and instead trailing down his forearms. "Fine. Remind me to never doubt you again." She shimmied in place, pulling herself into a proper seating position as the intense burn of pain on her back lessened. Markus let go of her arms, smiling sheepishly.

"I will in about two seconds."

Her eyebrow raised. "Why? Where's the next clue?"

"Right behind you." He jutted his chin out, and Iris followed the motion to meet an empty hole where the rest of the roofing used to be. They'd have to jump over it.

Dejected, she dropped her head onto Markus' shoulder. "Fuck."

"You'll be fine. You've already done one daring jump, what's one more?"

Her gaze looked to Markus, and Iris put on her best puppy dog eyes. "You're killin' me, Smalls."

Markus was a complete, utter liar.

"One more daring jump." Add about a dozen and it'd be close to truth.

After flinging themselves through broken down buildings, rotting piles of wood and metal, and a building they both agreed had never finished its construction, Markus and Iris found themselves overlooking an old pier.

And on that pier?

Iris was at a loss for words. "Holy hell."

A gigantic, worn down, tattered boat; the name Jericho written along its side. It was real.

"It… it's real." She stammered. "Holy hell, look at it! I just, I mean, this is the safe haven? It looks destroyed."

"It's a good cover," Markus said, his eyes fixated on the name in white. "It looks broken so no one gives it a second glance."

Iris was seconds from crying. After all that effort—the far-fetched jumps, the falling, scraping her knees, her pebble-scratched palms worsening each time she nearly ate gravel—was not in vain. Jericho stood before her in the glory of the evening sun, and she was ready to hop onto the ship and meet its deviants.

"Well, what're we waiting for?! Let's go!" She exclaimed, and nearly threw herself at the metal bridge that loomed over Jericho.

"Iris, don't," Markus called out behind her, grabbing her arm.

"What? Why?"

"The bridge is unsteady. One step and it'll come crashing down."

There's always something. Can't just be one straight line to this place.

"Seriously?" Iris whined.

"Its integrity level is at 18 percent. I'm extremely serious."

Damn it. At this rate they wouldn't get in until sunset tomorrow. And here she was, hoping she'd have a safe place to sleep.

With a deep breath, Iris steeled her resolve. We'll get there when we get there. "So, where to?"

Markus jerked his neck to the left, pointing to an old crane. So they did never finish construction. Wonder why. But that didn't matter; so long as it got her and Markus to Jericho, that's all she needed to know.

Markus went first, jumping from their building onto the metal platform that surrounded the crane with ease. Iris followed next, making sure not to look down when doing so. One daring jump to the next. She was getting used to it.

Her arms were burning from the amount of pull-ups she'd done, and sleep would soon be calling her. Please, please let us find the entrance fast. Markus could go all night, but Iris was human. She needed rest. And maybe a meal. She only packed a couple protein bars and a bottle of water; it wouldn't hold her over for long.

"C'mon," Markus pulled her out of her thoughts, and she nodded and trailed behind him.

The pair trailed up the metal stairs to the top of the crane, higher than Iris was comfortable with. If she didn't have a fear of heights before, this trip surely activated it.

At the top, they followed the crane's neck, going further out from the building and beginning to overlook Jericho. Iris's heart hammered in her chest—seeing just how high up they were solidified her thought that she was crazy to tag along in this endeavor—but she pressed onward following Markus.

Don't look down, for the love of god Iris don't look down.

Markus stopped at the end of the crane's trail, looking down at Jericho. Iris stopped a few paces behind him, staring at his back. Then her gaze trailed over his shoulder, into the looming drop that led to the ship's deck. There was a perfect circle cut out in the middle, obviously going deep into Jericho. The middle of the hole was so dark, Iris couldn't make anything out.

Shit, she looked down.

"Ohmigod, what were we thinking," she blabbered. "This can't be the right way, I mean—a crane?! Why would we have to walk across a god damn crane?"

"It's the right way," Markus said simply, turning to look at her.

"And why the fuck would you think that?"

He pointed behind him, to Jericho. "We have to jump."

Iris's eyes grew wide, and she vehemently shook her head. "Markus, no! Absolutely-the-fuck not! We are not jumping however many feet high we are to that boat, absolutely not! I would die and you would die and—"

"Iris."

"What?!"

"Do you trust me?"

She bit her tongue, but nodded. "Of course; you know I do."

Markus smiled sweetly. "Then follow my lead."

And without warning, he took a step back and let himself fall from the crane.

"MARKUS!"

Iris ran forward, arms outstretched desperately to grab him. But he was already too far down. She dropped to her knees at the edge of the crane, yelling out to him as he fell further and further, straight into the hole of the ship. "Oh, my god! Markus!"

She could only hear the blood rushing in her head as she tried to process what the fuck just happened. Why would he just jump?! How could he do that? Iris couldn't comprehend why Markus would ever—

"TRUST ME!"

Iris stared into the hole in Jericho, Markus's voice echoing to her. He was alive, thank the fucking lord. But trust him to jump into a deep, dark hole in an old desolate boat?

Well, Markus was always her soft spot. And he wasn't dead yet.

"FINE!" Iris screamed back, and stood up. With trembling fingers she brushed the dirt off her knees and huffed.

What's another daring jump?

Hopefully it would be the last, she thought, and took a few steps back. Okay, you can do this.

You can do this.

And Iris ran and jumped off the edge, and felt her stomach flip. Her hair whipped around her face, heart catching in her throat. If she wanted to scream, she couldn't. The air rushed out of her lungs, and the feeling of sinking overtook her. Sinking, sinking, further into the dark of Jericho, into the old ship's broken insides. She braced herself for the inevitable end.

*SPLASH*

The smack of landing into the water pushed any remaining air Iris had out of her lungs, and she desperately flung her arms out, paddling to the surface. She threw her head above the water, gasping for air. But she was alive. She was just fine.

The water was freezing, but a welcome feeling compared to the sinking of a mid-air fall. And when she finally palmed some water out of her face and opened her eyes, she noted the green glow of Jericho, illuminating her in the pool. There was a ladder a few doggy paddles away from her, Markus standing just above it.

"Told you to trust me," Markus grinned to her, proud. He held out a hand to her, and Iris paddled towards it happily. Out of this ice bath, please.

"Well, forgive me for caring about you and not wanting you to jump to what I thought was inevitable death." She finally climbed the first few levels of the ladder and grasped his hand, and Markus hoisted her onto even ground. "Bastard, jesus fuck this is cold!"

Iris desperately grabbed at her hair, squeezing out what little water she could. Any drip of water not on her person would help. Markus already seemed close to dry. He didn't have the amount of hair she did, and he wasn't wearing as many layers as she was. He must've lost his new coat in the water. Plus, Iris reminded herself, he was an android. He could change his temperature, let the water literally boil off him for a minute. Lucky bastard.

"I don't believe I've ever heard you swear this much."

She shrugged. "Never had a reason to."

Markus avoided her gaze. "Sorry. I knew this wouldn't be easy. I didn't mean to—"

"Not what I meant." Iris interrupted. "I told you Markus, I'm with you. That hasn't changed. And I promise it's not going to." The edge of her lip quirked up, adding, "I'm just gonna complain a little along the way, 'kay?"

He chuckled, a soft smile gracing Iris's presence. "Okay."

With Iris lightly shivering, the pair ventured further into the belly of Jericho, nearing complete darkness without the gentle glow of the water to illuminate the way. Iris was sure to be right beside Markus, their shoulders lightly brushing against each other every so often. He could see in the dark—for the most part, anyways. Iris didn't have that talent.

The hallway they walked led to a door with the sign, "Emergency Exit," above it, Iris barely making out the letters in the dark. Markus went to the hatch on it, twisting it forcefully until it screeched in defeat. Iris winced at the sound but followed as Markus pushed it open.

The next portion was completely dark, and Iris's anxiety jumped to her throat. So, she did what any sane person would do. She began singing an old song that her father used to listen to. One she was probably too young to hear at the time, but it stuck with her.

"A light in the black, or just a fear of the dark?" She hummed into the expanse of darkness.

"Iron Maiden? Really?"

"Dad had great taste, what can I say?" She chuckled. She could hear Markus stepping further into Jericho but couldn't quite see where he was, so she continued with the lyrics. "I am a man who walks alone, when I'm walking a dark road; at night or strolling through the park."

Her vision was beginning to adjust and she could see his outline a few paces ahead, and Iris took a few tentative steps. "When the light begins to fade, I sometimes feel a little strange; a little anxious, when it's dark.

Fear of the dark!"

Markus found a box mounted on the wall beside him, which he investigated. A flashlight.

"Fear of the dark!"

Markus tapped the flashlight against his palm and flicked at its switch, the light blinding in the hallway. He pointed the beam at Iris, who grinned. "Better?"

"Much," she nodded. "Let's go."

With Markus leading the way with the flashlight, he and Iris continued further into the ship, looking for any other forms of life. Seeing as this place was meant to be a safe-haven for deviants, it was odd that they hadn't come across another one yet. It couldn't be that Markus was the only one at the moment, right?

Strolling across rusted metal and piles of scrap, Markus shone the flashlight against a musty yellow door. Iris took the flashlight as he tried to twist open the hatch, but it wouldn't budge. The same thing happened when they went down the hall and attempted another door.

But still, they continued. They didn't come this far for nothing.

Markus and Iris trailed left and right, down winding halls and past broken equipment. Old, dusty piles of rotted wood and empty barrels weren't uncommon. They were nearly crushed walking underneath some broken wood logs that fell as soon as the pair crossed underneath. But still, they continued and found a catwalk.

Iris took the lead, the flashlight pointed at the metal they walked upon. She didn't particularly enjoy the squeaks she heard with every step, but if Markus didn't say anything about its structural integrity when they began their trek, it was probably fine.

Probably.

"Where do you think everyone is?" She asked.

"I'm sure we're almost there. We're bound to run into them soon."

*Creak, creak*

Iris stilled, pointing the beam to Markus. "Did you hear that?" She whispered, focusing on the sound.

"Yeah," Markus focused on the catwalk underneath them, scanning its structural integrity. His earlier scan had it at 56%, which he deemed decent. But in the middle of it, holding the weight of two people?

3.54%

"Iris," Markus took a cautious step back, grabbing her arm. "We need to get off."

She took another step, and—

CREAAAAK!
"Iris, get off NOW!" Markus shoved her haphazardly, but it was already too late. The metal underneath his feet cracked, and he went tumbling down into the abyss of Jericho. And Iris was too close; his shove proved to be in vain. She fell, too.

"Ah!" She cried out, the grip on the flashlight abandoned. Her limbs flailed to grasp onto something, anything to break her fall. It was too fast, too high. A fall at this level would surely hurt her.

In that moment, Iris decided—heights were her worst fear.

Markus was worried about lethal damage. Whatever he sustained could be fixed; if she suffered in any way, there wasn't a hospital close enough to help.

A pair of strong arms grabbed Iris mid-fall, flipping her so she was on top. She could barely keep a grasp on his shirt but damn did she try. And as quick as the fall began, it was over.

Markus landed hard on his back, with Iris held tight against his front. The wind flew out of her lungs at the crash, but she was just fine.

"Oh, my god! Are you okay?" She gasped, pushing herself off and resting her hands on his shoulder. "Did anything break?" Her eyes wandered over his back, little scrapes breaking through the fabric of his shirt. Iris saw specks of blue in the cotton and bit her lip in worry.

"Just fine," Markus groaned, moving himself into a sitting position with minor difficulty. Iris wished she had scanners like him; one look at him and she'd know what broke. Something had to from a fall like that. Having her weight on top certainly didn't help.

"Jesus, are you sure?" With her hands still on his shoulder she helped Markus up from the ground, surveying his chest. No scrapes there.

"I'm… fine…" He trailed off, and Iris raised an eyebrow.

"Doesn't sound fine to me—"

"Look."

Iris followed his line of sight over her shoulder, and curiously turned to look at whatever he saw.

Oh.

A circle of blue; a small halo in the dark.

Iris's eyes trailed to the left, and right, and found more. About a dozen surrounding her and Markus.

She grabbed the flashlight off the ground—much to her surprise, it survived the fall intact—and shone it at the android in the middle. A tall one, with neat blonde hair and pale blue eyes. He was one of a few in the crowd dressed like a civilian. He gave the pair a smile.

"Welcome to Jericho."

A/N: *Happy dance* We're finally in Jericho! I've been SO EXCITED to finally get here, and here we are! Some of my favorite characters get to come into play now (looking at you, Josh and North! And Simon, too, of course.) Let me know what you guys think!