Teach me how to feel alive [Connor • DBH]

twenty seven

" are you tired of me yet? i'm a little sick right now, but i swear, when i'm ready i will fly us outta here "

✩

Naturally, Markus' followers agreed to his plan of protesting peacefully. They agreed with him. And so, Markus devised a plan for groups of us to go to the camps where the other androids were held and protest until either we were all killed or the humans would lay down their weapons and stop fighting us.

I was hoping it would be the latter.

None of us knew for sure what the outcome of this would be, but we were all ready to fight.

We all got ready to go, heading out the door, and Markus walked with me and Connor. Before he left, I placed my hand in Connor's and pressed the other to his cheek. "Remember what I said," I said to him, raising my brows up at him as he smiled down at me. "You come back to me in one piece, okay?"

He nodded, leaning down and placing a quick kiss upon my lips before walking away. I watched him leave, a pain in my chest, but I forced myself not to get emotional and tried to convince myself that he'll be alright.

A hand placed itself on my shoulder and I turned my head to see Markus smiling at me, a reassuring look upon his features. "He'll be alright," he said to me and I looked back at Connor.

I sighed. "I know."

✩

We were approaching the camp now, I was stood behind Markus as he led us to the camp. There were soldiers everywhere. There was also a group of reporters just outside the fence, watching everything.

Finally reaching the soldiers, Markus stood there calmly as they readied their weapons and aimed them at us. Markus nodded. "The moment of truth," he said, looking back at me, I tried to smile but my nerves were taking over.

I looked back at the soldiers as a helicopter flew overhead.

"Surrender immediately, or we will open fire," one of the soldiers ordered, but we didn't move. Markus spoke up.

"We don't want confrontation," he said to them, his eyes scanning each soldier. "We are protesting peacefully."

"I repeat: surrender now or we will open fire!"

Suddenly, a truck drove behind us, blocking us off from leaving the area and stopping the rest of the androids from getting through. Markus sighed. "There's no turning back now."

"Was there any turning back in the first place?" I asked, looking away from the trucks, my eyes met Markus as he sent an amused smile down at me before he turned back to the soldiers.

"We ask that you release all androids detained in camps and cease all aggression against us," Markus directed towards the soldiers, making sure his voice was loud enough for the reporters to hear. "We are peaceful. We will not resort to violence. But we are not leaving until our people are free."

We started moving closer to the soldiers, making them panic, they were ordered to fire into the crowd and our people started falling. They were killing us off, but we proceeded forward. They shot again, this time hitting me in the shoulder, but I didn't fall. I kept moving.

Markus stopped with us behind him, raising his hands, we all followed.

"Are you gonna open fire on unarmed protestors?"

There was a pause, nobody daring to move, the soldiers were all ready to fire but were ordered to lower their weapons. It was due to the reporters on the scene that we weren't shot dead right there.

"Markus, what do we do now?" North asked as everyone lowered their hands.

"Hold out," Markus replied. "As long as we can."

We started building a place for us to stay until whatever was going to happen happened, building up a wall of things we found on the streets to offer some protection, we set up benches and places where fires could be placed. We anticipated we'd have to stay there for a while, but that didn't bother us. We were willing to stay there for as long as we had to, even if there was only a few of us left.

I just couldn't stop worrying about Connor.

Hours had passed and he was still gone, I tried convincing myself that he was fine, but there was this little voice inside me that kept making me picture his body on the floor; a blank stare taking over his face. I didn't want to think about it, but I couldn't help it.

I was sitting on a bench near a fire when Markus approached me, he was making sure everyone was okay, and had sent a message to the reporters before coming to me. He sat beside me, his arm wrapping around me and offering me some warmth, I smiled absentmindedly as I rested my head on his shoulder.

"Are you alright?" He asked me.

"I just can't stop thinking about Connor," I spoke, toying with my fingers nervously. "Do you think he's okay?" I asked.

Markus rubber circles into my back as a way to calm me down, making me smile, he looked outwards and gave a nod of his head. "I'm sure of it. He knows what he's doing, he's not the type to not be careful."

I smiled at this. Hearing it from Markus definitely made me feel better. "Thanks."

"Markus! Markus, come look!" North called out, making Markus look over to her, and he reluctantly stood up from his seat.

"Will you be alright?" He asked me, I smiled softly and nodded.

"I'll be fine. Go see what's happening."

Markus left me alone on the bench, I rubbed my hands together to retain some warmth, and I watched as Markus looked out; staring at something or someone standing outside the wall. After a minute or two, he left.

North and Josh came over to me and explained that Markus was talking to Perkins. I scoffed and shook my head.

"That asshole, I wouldn't believe a word he says," I mumbled bitterly, staring into the fire, it was another minute before Markus returned and announced that the soldiers were preparing for an attack...