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theshapeshifter100 · 6 years ago

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Guess What? I’m Not a Robot RC Ch13

Chapter Warning: Nothing I can think of

Word count: 1,866

Masterlist

8.30AM Thursday 11th November 2038

Paul, Nathan and Ivy got out of the van in a side street near the centre of Detroit, while the supplies team drove further into the city to find some bulk stores. Paul pulled his beanie lower down his face and teased out some red hair over his eyes. He hadn’t ignored Megan, and was going to make sure he didn’t take unnecessary risks.

It was early enough that the stores weren’t open, but late enough that people were trying to get to work. So no one really noticed as the trio walked through the shopping district all wrapped up against the cold.

The three of them split up in the scattered crowd and made their way to the shattered CyberLife store. That was their first stop, since it was easier to get into, given that it was definitely closed and if you removed the cardboard you could easily get in.

They staggered their entrances, Paul going first. The glass was completely shattered behind the cardboard, so it only took a little manoeuvring to get in.

Paul looked around a little while he waited for the other two to get in. The front at least was completely devoid of androids, that he could tell. The cardboard also blocked a lot of the light.

Ivy slipped in quickly, and the two waiting in silence for Nathan to stumble his way in.

“Do you have any grace?” Ivy hissed.

“Nope,” Nathan pulled out a flashlight and flicked it on. “It is creepy AF in here.”

“AF?” Ivy asked. “How old are you? No one’s used that since the 2010’s.”

“I think it sums up things quite well!” Nathan shot back, and Ivy rolled her eyes.

“Alright old man, let’s check out the back.”

The three of them spread across the back of the store, looking behind pedestals and moving aside computers.

Paul was the one who found it, the door was almost exactly the same shade as the rest of the wall. There was a keypad next to it, but the display was dark, so Paul gently pushed the door. To his surprise, it opened.

“Guys,” he hissed, “I’ve found something.”

Ivy and Nathan came over and Nathan shone his flashlight on the door.

“Did you hack that open?” he asked.

“No, the power must be completely out,” Paul guessed. “Let’s go.”

It was somewhere even darker in the back than it was at the front. Even with Nathan’s light Ivy stumbled into tables and metal shelves.

“Why is there so much shit back here?” she asked, irritated. “and why aren’t you two walking into it?”

“There really isn’t that much,” Paul responded, although he lacked night vision, so he couldn’t see much either.

“You’re just a magnet,” Nathan decided, sweeping his flashlight around. “See anything you need Paul?”

“Not yet,” the glimpse he got in Nathan’s flashlight was worrying, the place seemed to be empty.

“Ivy, can’t you use the torch on your phone?” Nathan asked. “We need all the light we can get.”

“Give me a minute, it’s buried under about three layers.”

“You found it that cold?” Paul asked.

“It was more for bullet protection,” Ivy admitted. “I know it wouldn’t have done much, but it was the best we had.”

“You’re all insane,” Paul declared. “You went to go liberate a military camp with layers instead of bullet proof vests, and the only weapons you had were rolling pins and kitchen knives.”

“I had a taser,” Nathan offered.

“You had the only taser,” Ivy corrected. “And Megan had that first.”

“And you all thought this was a good idea?” Paul asked.

“Dude, you’re one of us,” Ivy shrugged. “We weren’t going to leave you behind. Simple as that.”

“Even though,” Paul paused, not sure exactly where his train of thought was going. “Even though I never told you I was an android?”

“Doesn’t make a difference,” Nathan was also looking for his phone now. “You’re stuck with us, and frankly, we missed your level headedness.”

“Yeah, you’d have been the first person to tell us that we did was a dumb idea,” Ivy was smirking as she found her phone and turned on the flashlight. “But since you weren’t there to tell us how stupid we are, we had to cope.”

Something warm was blooming in Paul’s chest and he let out an uncomfortable cough as Nathan handed him the flashlight.

“Thanks,” he said, and it wasn’t just for the flashlight, “Just, er...”

“Don’t worry about it,” Ivy brushed off. “Now, you know we’re looking for.”

“Right, yes,” the extra two flashlights made it a lot easier to see. “There’s not a lot here,” he realised.

The back room was tiny and didn’t seem to branch off anywhere. It was clearly set up to handle android repairs, metal tables, re-assembling and resetting machines were crammed into the space.

And not a single tool.

“There’s fuck all here,” Ivy clarified. “You said the stuff you needed was small, so unless we’re taking some of this apart...”

“We’re not,” Paul declared. “Nathan have you found anything?”

“There’s some blue blood bags in here,” the musician was crouched down by some open cupboards. “I don’t know how much we need.”

“Take all of it,” Ivy advised.

“There are other Cyberlife stores,” Paul started, but Ivy shook her head.

“There are, but they’ll probably be the same as this,” she sighed.

“Well, what other options do we have?” Nathan asked, filling his bag with pouches of Thirum.

“Android Zone,” Paul snapped his fingers as he remembered. “I had to get repaired at a branch once, they’re known for repairs and second hand androids.”

“Then why are we still here?” Ivy asked. “Let’s go!”

“I’m still filling my bag with blue blood here!” protested Nathan. “Give me a minute!”

9.30AM Thursday 11th November 2038

It took them a while to find an Android Zone, and when they did, it was closed.

“Did we expect them to be open?” Nathan asked, adjusting his now heavy backpack.

“Not really, it just makes things awkward,” Ivy sighed. “Paul, can you hack the security system? Then I’ll break a window.”

Paul looked at her despairingly. “How good do you think I am?”

“Pretty good, why?”

Paul looked through the glass in the door. “Because the alarm system is in there.”

“You can’t do it remotely?”

“No. At least, I don’t think so, and do you want to waste time for me finding out?”

“Alright, I break the window, then you deal with the security system.”

“You really want to break a window,” Nathan observed.

“Whatever you’re going to do, do it quickly,” Paul hissed. “Before we attract attention.”

Ivy took a moment to consider, before smashing the glass in the door with her forearm. The alarm instantly started shrieking as she shoved her arm through and fiddled with the door handle on the inside.

“Open, sesame!” she declared as the door clicked open.

Nathan was cursing as Paul shoved past, making a beeline for the security system. He reached the keypad and his skin retreated so he could deal with it. The pealing alarms shut off and Ivy and Nathan came in, shutting the door behind them.

The interior of the shop was similar to style to the Cyberlife Store, just smaller and with bright red and blue sale signs. The podiums where androids were sold and held were empty, much to Paul’s relief.

“Score!” Ivy was already clearing out the Thirium pouches on sale in the front.

“I’m going to head to the back,” Paul announced, and his memory told him roughly where it was. It was actually behind the counter to his right, so not the back at all. The point still stood.

The repair area back here took up what must have been half the building, and motion sensitive lighting flickered on as he entered.

There were no whole androids here either, but Paul had to turn away for a second, nausea churning in his non-existent gut.

He felt like he’d walked in Dr Frankenstein’s lab.

Bits of android were scattered everywhere in an organised chaos manner. Arms, legs, heads, bio components.

Paul managed to compose himself, but tried not to look too hard at any of them as she looked around for the tools he needed.

Thankfully for his sanity, an employee had spent time organising the tools into logical places, and he started stuffing them in his bag. Mini blow torches, wrenches, drills, saws, syringes for Thirium took up most of it.

“Whoa,” Nathan had entered behind him. “Pretty grim huh?”

“Let’s just grab everything and go,” Paul couldn’t fit everything and was having trouble doing up his bag. “Get over here.”

Nathan quickly came over and started putting in the last of the tools.

“Are you okay?” he asked as Paul seemed to be staring in one place.

“Imagine those were human limbs.”

“Gotcha,” Nathan swallowed. “Let’s get out of here.”

Paul went to the front while Nathan raided the back for Thirium packets. Ivy was done, so the two waited, keeping an eye on the street outside in case someone decided to actually pay attention to what was happening.

Nathan was out quickly and the three of them slipped out, walking down the street. Paul itched to run, but Ivy put her hand on his arm, as if she knew what he was thinking.

“Walking attracts less attention.”

“I know,” Paul assured. “I’m just, antsy.”

“That’s understandable,” Ivy nodded. “Do we have everything?”

“We have all the tools. I don’t think we should risk going for more Thirium, the last one was dicey.”

“I hear you,” Nathan was fiddling with his gloves fingers. “Let’s just get back to the van. I wonder if the others are finished yet?”

“We’ll find out soon enough,” Paul considered calling them on the radio, but figured they might be in a shop. “How are you guys coping with all this by the way?”

“Scared out of my mind,” Nathan admitted, grinning nervously. “It’s getting better, but, phew, I am freaking out a little.”

A quick check of his vitals did reveal a higher heart rate and increased perspiration than normal.

“Ivy?”

“I’m cool,” she shrugged. “I mean, yeah, there’s parts where I’m shitting myself, but, this is kind of, exhilarating, you know?”

“No, I really don’t,” Nathan shook his head. “You’re crazy.”

“I’m not crazy, just, trying to find some fun in this, otherwise I might go crazy.”

Paul walked quietly. Of course this was going to affect them badly. He was surprised so many of them had gotten this far, they students, not soldiers!

“No need to look so down,” Ivy nudged him. “We wanted to do this, and it beats sitting around doing nothing and being scared.”

“Yeah, now we’re running around and being scared,” Nathan added, and Ivy pretended to clock him on the head.

“Team bonding! Am I right?”

“If you insist,” Paul chuckled. “I still think you’re all crazy.”

“Well, you chose to hang out with us dude. That makes you crazy too.”

“True, I must be to do this,” Paul agreed, and they continued good naturedly to the van.

Team bonding! As much as I love Megan and Paul bouncing of each other, Paul bouncing off everyone else is also fun. Android Zone if you don't remember, is a canon shop in Detroit Become Human. It's where Kara wakes up at the beginning of her chapter. Also, haven't had a Paul centric chapter for a while. Other Options Flowchart

(Paul) QTEs to get through the shattered glass

(Paul) Try the keypad

(Paul) Say nothing. Ask how none of them died.

(Paul) Ask further on their thoughts on him being an android

(Paul) Agree to tear Cyberlife apart

(Paul) Persuade Ivy to not break the window. Attempt to hack remotely

(Paul) Find another way into Android Zone

(Paul) Leave the backroom to Nathan

Tags @nightmarejim @septicart-appreciation

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