Not Alive

Conflict

Jack looked around us as we continued to step forward, abruptly stopping as he held a fist in the air that caused everyone else to freeze in their tracks.

"What's happening?" I whispered to Felix nervously as I impatiently shifted from foot to foot, the Swede shrugging in response as he held my hand tighter.

No one dared breathe as the officers in front of us turned all of their guns on Jack, hundreds of red dots from laser sights peppering Jack's head.

"We don't want to start a war, we just want our freedom!" Jack assured the officers, lowering his fist to hold his hands out in front of him as a sign of peace and to show that he was unarmed.

"What are you called?" The officer that had threatened us countered warily.

"I go by the name Jack. And you?" Jack replied calmly, slowly dropping his hands to rest at his side.

"Keep your hands up damnit!" The officer barked, Jack silently keeping his hands in the same position.

"My name is Tyler, and we don't want to cause any trouble either. However, we can't have LA face the same fate as Detroit and have everyone evacuated." The officer answered, stepping out of the blockade of officers.

"You were the officer that sent the android to give away our position!" One deviant screamed angrily, other deviants yelling angrily in response.

I screamed as a bullet flew inches from my head, embedding into the forehead of a deviant behind me and causing them to fall to the ground.

Gasps were audible from the crowd of humans watching us as we stood frozen like statues, Jack moving to the fallen android and bending down before closing their lifeless eyes.

"You didn't have to do that." Jack stated with quiet force as he stood up and returned his attention to Tyler and his troops.

"Surrender, then we'll let you all live." Tyler reasoned.

"Being forced back into captivity isn't living." Jack retorted, taking a step towards Tyler with his hands held up.

Another shot rang out, a different deviant standing behind Jack staggering back as the bullet pierced their chest and shattered their thirium pump.

Jack caught their body as they fell, whispering something unintelligible under his breath to them as he delicately laid their body down.

"This is your final warning, surrender or die!" Tyler snapped, raising a fist that commanded his troops to prepare for a fight.

That was when Jack did something unexpected.

I watched in surprise as Jack simply sat on the ground, everyone else following his movement without hesitation.

"We will not move until we have earned our freedom!" Jack declared, the officers exchanging confused looks with each other.

Tyler glared into Jack's eyes as he hesitated, neither male breaking eye contact as he stepped up to Jack, his gun pointed at Jack's forehead.

The tense silence was broken by the sound of a gunshot, Tyler crying out in pain as he fell to the ground with blood pouring out of his knee.

I looked around in shock to see Chase holding a gun of his own, his blue eyes emotionless as he shifted his aim to Tyler's head.

"CHASE STOP!" Jack cried, bullets from the officers barraging Chase as Tyler was pulled back to safety.

Chase's body jolted with every bullet that found their mark, blue blood flowing down his face and body as he fell onto his back.

The police stopped once Chase was down, shifting their sights to Schneep as he moved towards the broken android.

"Get him out of here and do what you can to save him." Jack instructed firmly, Schneep nodding in reply as he carefully scooped up Chase's body.

"Stay where you are!" Tyler shouted at Schneep as he rejoined his ranks with a crude bandage around his knee, the German walking away with his back towards the officer.

"Kill us all if you want, but the only thing you'll end is the fragile peace I've been struggling to keep. You see, if I die, another android will take my place and start a rebellion that won't be as peaceful as mine." Jack pointed out.

"You shot at us!" Tyler argued, gesturing to his injured knee.

"And you've done the same. The only difference is that you've killed some of us." Jack added matter of factly, clasping his hands in his lap.

"Why can't you let us be free?!" I blurted as I stood up, Felix standing by me side while holding my hand.

"What the hell? Are you a hostage?" Tyler questioned Felix, the Swede shaking his head as he pulled me in for a kiss.

Humans watching us cheered happily while police hesitantly lowered their guns, unsure of what to do.

"I don't care that who I love is an android, the only thing I care about is doing whatever it takes to earn her freedom so we can be together and life the life she deserves!" Felix proclaimed proudly.

"Back the fuck away from my friends or she fucking dies!"

All attention turned towards the android with the horizontal cut along their neck, his pitch black eyes blazing with fury as they held a knife to the throat of crying human with long brown hair.

"Amy!"

"Anti!"

Jack and Tyler shouted in unison, bystanders quickly falling silent as police aimed their guns at Anti while waiting for Tyler's orders.

Talk to Anti?

Let Jack talk to Anti?