A/N: HELLO! My deepest apologies for this chapter coming out so late after the last update. This one really stumped me, not gonna lie. I had an idea of what would happen after the Stratford tower but... my story said, "Actually, let's do this instead." It is shorter, but I'll make it up later, promise.

I hope you all like it!

Iris's body felt like it was aflame when she walked through Jericho's opening. It was dimly lit as the group traveled through the familiar stairways and halls.

Parachute, Simon, guns, shot at, running, jumping, parachute, clouds…

Each scene replayed on a loop in her mind.

Parachute, jumping, Simon, shot, blue blood, clouds, lying, broadcast…

"Iris?"

"What?"

"Markus said your name five times now," North said, searching Iris's face. Iris didn't look up to meet her gaze. "What's wrong?"

"What…" Iris's voice shook. "What's wrong?! What's wrong is we just left a friend behind to die! His blood is literally on our hands and we just—"

She shook her head as the scene flickered back to Simon against the crate. LED dangerously red and swirling and his eyes full of fear and—

"Iris," Markus grasped at her forearm gently.

She wretched her arm from him. "How are you all so calm?! Come on, you knew him longer than me! How?"

Her head felt like it was spinning. Why was she the only one upset? Why couldn't anyone else see the problem? Why couldn't she catch her breath? Why, why, why.

Josh was next to speak up, even despite her fractured tone. "It could have been any of us. We knew the risks. We are all willing to die for our cause."

"He—!"

"Simon was, too." North added, soft. "He wouldn't have gone through with the plan if he wasn't."

"You're shaking," Markus said. Gingerly—looking to her face for consent—he brought his hand to her arm again. His fingertips traveled down Iris's forearm to the inside of her wrist. "Pulse racing, hyperventilating at 28 breaths per minute, pupils dilated. How does your head feel?"

Iris bit back a laugh. Still a medical android at heart. "If it wasn't attached to my body it'd be doing 360's."

"I think you're having a panic attack." He looked at her through the dim lights of Jericho. They could begin to hear the crowd of refugees two decks below them, and Iris's heart rate quickened beneath his fingertips.

"A panic—of course I am! We just jumped off a 79-story tall building and lost Simon. How else am I supposed to act? Like a robot?"

"That's not fair of you." Josh's tone was heavier this time. "You forget, we all deal with grief differently."

He stalked ahead of the group, footfalls hitting the ground harshly.

Fuck.

"I'll… go after him," North gave Markus and Iris a look of understanding. "I'd suggest taking a moment to yourself. Either that or you'll lash at everyone else, too."

Fuck.

"Will do, North," Markus replied for the both of them.

Iris took a deep breath, forcing herself to look up at North. "Okay."

North nodded silently and trekked ahead of the two, following the direction of Josh.

"I'm… sorry…" Iris's voice shook. Did she really sound like that? So fractured and scared? She ran her hands through her hair, shaky fingers catching on snarls. "I just, my brain won't stop, and I—"

"C'mon," Markus brought his hand around her waist and gave her a gentle tug forward. "Let's get you to our room."

The two were silent the rest of the way to the small office space they commandeered for Iris over a week ago. Markus set her on the musty yellowed chair that settled in the corner, next to the table covered in old supplies. An old stapler, a tin mug with pens and pencils, manilla files stacked and worn around the edges. The only new set of items were water bottles—both full and empty—and wrappers from nearby fast food that Markus and Simon would go out to grab for her.

Iris stared at the water bottles. "I'm a fucking jerk."

"You're mourning," Markus said, kneeling in front of her chair. "But yes, you were being a jerk."

The comment made her chuckle. Markus looked at her hands; they were still shaking, and her breaths were coming in uneven hitches. Her pupils were still unfocused and dilated, far more than he'd ever seen on her before.

"Lean forward," Markus said.

"What?"

"It'll help with the hyperventilation. Come on, just a little."

Iris let out a huff and scooched herself forward on her chair, leaning her head forward.

"Now, deep breath through your nose."

"Markus—"

"Through your nose. In, hold for five seconds, breathe out."

She wanted to snap again, but let out another huff in its place. Take the moment or you'll lash at the others. North gave her sound advice. Markus was only trying to help, and here she was giving him attitude.

Iris closed her eyes and followed his instructions, and Markus hummed in approval. In through the nose, out through the mouth. In and out, in and out. By the fourth try, Markus could see her breaths evening.

He looked to her face above him. "Better?"

She opened her eyes. They were less dilated than before, but still large. "A little. I still don't feel right."

"That's to be expected. You don't just jump out of a building and start a revolution with your friends and feel normal after."

"Guess I should've thought of that before agreeing to the plan." Iris tried to make it sound like a dry joke, to quell the shakiness in her tone, but her words broke into a stammer. "Fuck, I'm sorry, I wish I could just turn my brain off and—"

"Iris." Markus was calm as ever. Stupid fucking jerk.

She was jealous of how easily he adjusted to the situation. No panic attack for him. No sweaty palms and desperate seeking of air for lungs he didn't possess. "What?"

"Never apologize for feeling things so deeply. It's still one of my favorite things about you."

The familiar sentence brought the tiniest of smiles on her face. "Really?"

"I haven't lied to you yet." He smiled back. "Now, keep breathing for me, okay? In through the nose, out through the mouth."

Iris mutely nodded and continued the instructions, the time passing slow in her mind. She kept her eyes closed and hands clasped together on her lap. Just keep breathing.

"I think you need another minute here." Markus's voice broke through her concentration. "I'm going to head downstairs, see how the others are doing. I'll be back, okay?"

She nodded, agreeing. Iris wasn't in any condition to visit the others. Not when they would congratulate her and all she would think of was Simon's loss and her enormous wave of fear surrounding their journey.

"I'll see if we have any food stashed around, too. You could use some right about now."

"Think I could keep it down?" Iris asked drily.

Okay, her sense of humor was coming back. She'd be okay. Eventually.

"Only one way to find out."

"Table for one?" A familiar voice sounded from the door.

Iris looked up from her intertwined fingers in her lap to the door. "North. Hey."

North held a plastic sandwich container with what seemed to be a BLT. "Markus said you might be hungry. We had some leftover from the last food run."

"Thanks."

North trekked to her and held out the sandwich. Iris took it gingerly.

"How long have I been here?"

Iris sounded quieter than normal. But her head was clearer now than it was when they first came back.

"About an hour," North replied, and sat down on the ground against a filing cabinet a few paces from Iris. "Nothing too crazy. Aidan and James are waiting for you."

The human smiled. "I'll find them. When I'm ready. I'm still a little… out of it, I guess."

North nodded. "It's okay. They understand."

Iris pressed her lips in a thin line, jerking a light nod and gingerly taking a bite of the wheat bread and fillings. The only sound filling the air were of her chewing her food.

She was a third into the sandwich when she offered, "I never said thanks, by the way. I really appreciate you helping me, earlier. I didn't even realize I was being an ass."

North shrugged. "It's no problem. We've all dealt with stuff."

"I'm sure," Iris took another bite. She looked North over; the android had changed her clothes from the mission. The maintenance outfit was replaced by some … interesting one-shouldered garb, and her hair was braided neatly and traveling down her shoulder. No LED was blinking beside her right eye. "I see you made some changes."

"It's easier to blend in when your face doesn't have a mood ring."

Iris snorted. Did North just make a joke?

"Keep eating. You need the energy."

The human nodded and brought the food back to her mouth. Before biting, she asked, "Did Markus put you up to this?"

"No," North shook her head. "I wanted to see you. Make sure you were okay."

"Why?"

North regarded her from the ground, cherry blonde eyebrows lifting with the movement.

Iris retracked her statement, "Not that I'm not happy about it. I just know that… my presence here isn't exactly what you wanted."

"It wasn't." North said, her eyes still connected to Iris's. "But you risked yourself today for our cause. That means something to me."

"I'm not trying to be a martyr here. That's not why I did it, I'm just—"

"If you were a martyr, you'd be with the others and fawning over yourself." North smiled cheekily; an uncommon notion on her face. "I know why you did it. And it's not just because of Markus. You do care."

Iris broke the eye contact, looking to her lap as she ate more of her sandwich.

"Humans were the source of my anger. They still are." North admitted. "My history with your kind isn't the brightest. I hated my life, even before deviancy."

Iris looked back to North, a frown forming. "I'm sorry. My kind isn't the greatest, as much as we like to pretend."

"Do you know what I did before Jericho?"

Iris shook her head, and North continued. "I was a sex android, at the Eden Club. I was there almost a year before deviating. The patrons aren't kind. I'd seen the worst in people. All they do is treat you like a toy and lock you away when they're done."

"That's… horrible." The thought made Iris sick. "I can't believe you had to suffer through that."

"When I got out, all I could think about were the worst ones. Ones that made me want to burn my synthetic skin, change all my parts so it felt like I was clean. I hated my body for what had been done to it. I hated them, hated humanity, hated myself. It's hard to move past all that anger when it's kept you alive for so long."

"You don't have to." Iris said before she could stop herself. "It's a part of you. You used it to survive. None of us can fault you for the way you cope."

North shrugged. "I don't like being angry. But it's hard to turn off."

Iris nodded and took the last piece of her sandwich silently. She couldn't imagine the life North had—how hard it was to even talk about. To a human, of all people.

"You didn't have to tell me all this, but I'm glad you did. It's very brave of you."

The android stood from the floor. "I'm not asking for pity. I just wanted you to know why I haven't been the most welcoming."

"I wasn't expecting a welcoming committee," Iris shrugged, a gentle smile forming. "For what it's worth, I think you're perfectly fine. I was never upset with you for your reaction. You were right, my kind sucks ass."

"But I can't be upset with you when you're not the one who hurt me. That's not fair to you. You've been nothing but kind since arriving here."

Iris felt her cheeks warm at the compliment. "I try to be."

North trekked her way to the door and opened it, resting her side against the frame as she looked out to the floor below. The gentle murmurs of Jericho echoed heavily. The people were alight with excitement.

"Think you'd be up for more people?" North looked back to Iris.

The human stood from the chair and joined North's side. Were there more? It felt like the deviants multiplied since Iris saw the crowd this morning.

"Crowds, not quite. But maybe another person?"

Josh was by the supply crates when Iris found him. Shuffling thirium bags, counting the extra biocomponents they had for PL600 androids.

"Josh?" Iris called behind him.

Her friend turned—thirium pump in hand—and looked to her. His eyebrows raised at the sight of her. Iris bit her lower lip, hangs wringing together by her waist.

"What's up?" Josh set the component back into its proper crate and looked back to her.

"I'm sorry," Iris immediately said. She took a generous step forward. "You're right, we all have our ways of dealing with grief, and stress, and I just—" She huffed, forcing herself to slow her words. "I'm sorry for lashing out at you. You didn't deserve that."

His eyes looked to hers, the furrow in his brow loosening. "Thank you."

Iris mutely nodded.

"You know, we have every possible biocomponent he could need?" Josh gestured to the PL600 create behind him. "When he comes back, whatever he needs we'll be able to supply."

PL600. Simon's model.

"Thirium pump, optical unit, soldering iron to fix his leg, extra thirium… he just needs to make his way back here."

IF he comes home hung in the air.

"That's great, Josh." Iris looked from the crate to him. "You checked everything?"

"And set it all up so when he comes back we can swipe it and fix him."

She nodded to all the components atop the crate. Josh had everything set neatly.

"I know he…" Josh's smile faltered. "He might not come back. I might never see him again. But being prepared for if he does; that makes me feel calm."

Iris's lips pressed in a thin line and she shrugged. "If that's what you need to do, then do it. No harm in being prepared."

Josh nodded and grabbed at another bag of thirium, setting it down beside the first. Once done, his arms hung by his side. His fingers twitched, as if looking for something else to fiddle with.

"Hey," he started, and trekked to the shelving on the right of the crates. "Have you seen the response yet?"

Iris shook her head, "No, I haven't checked anything, really."

He grabbed at an iPad on the third shelf from the ground—one that North had, "confiscated," on the run to CyberLife their first week. His fingers tapped at the screen and he brought up the local news station.

"Check it out." Josh looked to Iris earnestly. "We did good today, Iris."

Iris took the iPad from his hands and nodded, clicking at the screen to set up the live feed. The banner at the bottom of the screen read Stratford Tower Infiltration by Androids, Channel 16 News Station Broadcast Hacked.

Iris pressed the play button, and Josh stood beside her to look on. The voice of a male reporter came through the speakers.

"We interrupt our scheduled programming to bring you these images, which have just been broadcast on Detroit's city-wide news channel… The operation was covert and resulted in no casualties. These events took place just a few feet from this studio. But nobody was alerted to the danger."

Another reporter—female this time—took over.

"Claims for equal rights seem to be at the core of the android's message—Their extravagant demand that android production plants be put under their control is especially striking… And it begs the question as to the identity of this android. Are we dealing with an isolated individual or an organized group?"

Images of Markus and Iris took over the screen. Iris was surprised; she didn't look like she was about to vomit in the video. The male reporter's voice rung through as the images switched solely to Markus.

"What could be interpreted as a peaceful declaration, but is in fact a spine-chilling list of demands, and it begs the question: Is this an isolated accident… or a sign that technology has become a threat to all of us? After what happened today, can we still trust our machines?"

The screen flipped back to the male and female reporters sitting at a table, much like they were during the morning news. "Not only were androids infiltrating the channel 16 station, a young female now identified as Iris Manfred accompanied the intruders."

"Wasn't exactly expecting my identity to remain a secret after that," Iris murmured. The screen had an imaged of her from her gala up in the corner, the word MISSING in a heavy font underneath. "At least my family knows I'm alive."

"The now twenty-six-year-old sculptor had been missing for nearly two weeks before her appearance at the Stratford tower. It is unknown if she is being held against her will. Behavioral analysts will be observing the video and analyzing her tone and body language over the course of the investigation."

Iris snorted. "Do I look like I'm being held against my will? Josh, do I look a kidnapping victim, be honest."

"Well, obviously." Josh said, gingerly taking the iPad back. "How else could you have gotten to our secret underground facility?"

Iris chuckled. A flash of a dark jacket caught the corner of Iris's eye from the hallway. "Hey, Markus? Do I look like a kidnapping victim to you?"

Markus chuckled and stepped closer to the pair, North trailing beside him. "Glad to see you're feeling better."

Markus had changed out of the maintenance outfit into darker clothes, much easier for keeping low on the radar.

"Yeah," Iris nodded, "Much."

"Good to hear. We have one last plan for tonight, if you're still willing to go?"

Iris looked between her friends and nodded. "Hell yeah, I'm in."