I want to give a HUGE thank you to all my readers, I never expected this story to blow up like it has 3 I also want to give a huge thank you to my beta reader, Cordelia Rose! She's an amazing writer and beta reader and I'd be lost without her! Please check out her fics, I can't do her enough justice.

Something hot and wet rolled down my face. Blurred my vision, coated my tongue in iron. I struggled to my feet, pain lancing my shoulder; my fingers clawed at the handle of the knife.

"You gave me no choice!"

Daniel's last words before he'd made a beeline for dad assailed my swollen, bloodied ears.
I pushed through the living room, lips twisting in pain.

A pool of red slowly leaked from my dad's body. Not even a few feet away was his tablet. I sucked in a breath to stop from screaming.

My sister, Emma, was his favorite in the family. He'd have taken her alive. Another dull ache speared through my head.

Daniel was armed, and I didn't have time to spare.

Salty tears streaked down my cheeks, mixing with the iron on my tongue.

I didn't remove the blade; it would only cause me to bleed out. So I wore it. Past the team of men and women in black uniform. The ones snapping photos, sketching the scene, logging what information was available to them.

"Miss?" Someone moved to intercept me, his eyes widening at the blood. "Rich, you not sleep last night or what?" He waved behind me and the shuffle of footsteps made their way to us.

"Miss Phillips?" Rich's voice wobbled and his face paled. He turned to his teammate and said, "I was ordered not to disturb the bodies and she didn't appear to be alive-"

"Someone won't be if you don't shut the fuck up," snarled a voice from the back corner of the kitchen. I'd heard stories about Perkins, nothing of which to his credit. His condescending tone was unforgettable. "Get her down to the paramedics."

I pushed past them, heading for the rooftop, ignoring all attempts to stop me. The frigid night air whipped through my hair and teased gooseflesh on my arms.

A body in the pool. Blood sprayed atop the ground. A thick cloying scent in the air.

And Emma. Dangling like a puppy from Daniel's arm at the edge of the roof.

He saw me, his LED flashing yellow as I stepped outside. His grip convulsed on the gun against Emma's head, and he turned it on me.

"Think I won't shoot?" he shouted across the space between us. His scowl deepened and my shoulder throbbed in turn.

I heard several panicked voices from the safety of the house, but I ventured farther away. Coming parallel to the body floating atop the shining, crystalline surface of the pool.

My friend leveled the gun at me. His gray eyes swirled like the LED flashing red on his temple. Emma squirmed in his arm, her face shining with tears.

I stopped, fighting to quell my trembling hands.

Daniel stood at the edge of death, nothing but the veil of night at his back and a swarm of agents before him.

"Talk to me, Daniel," his name was soft on my lips. "I'm on your side." My gaze searched his, desperate.

The gun shook in his grip. "Cops protect mankind, unless I was mistaken."

"Forget about them, Daniel. Look at me. You know more than anyone how much you mean to me."

His LED pulsed yellow, his eyes roving over my person.

"Please let me go," Emma cried.

For one moment, his LED sparked yellow. Daniel lowered his gun a fraction and spared Emma a glance. She was shaking so badly that he tightened his grip on her, as though she might be whisked away by a sudden gale of wind.

I swallowed. He'd deviated and killed my dad. And was now playing God with my little sister. I didn't even want to think about choosing one over the other. But the gun in his hand and the knife in my shoulder spoke of the violence he wasn't afraid to deal out.

To the left of my peripheral vision, I caught the glint of moonlight on a sniper's scope, and all along the windows, more guns were trained on Daniel.

Considering the situation, there was a high chance of Daniel killing me. He was wide-eyed and acting on impulse, knowing exactly what happened to deviants were he to be caught. I looked at my sister, whimpering, held against the android she'd come to adore. I'd throw down everything I had to protect her.

As if to test that conviction, Daniel raised his weapon. His gaze snapped to something behind me.

"On my side? You're nothing but a liar." His LED was red. My blood ran like ice. "You'll just choose a better model like everyone else!"

The bullet tore through my side like fire. Flames burst behind my eyes and I collapsed to the ground. I rolled to my back, gasping for air. Emma's screams pierced my heart.

Another shot cleaved the air.

High above, a helicopter inched closer, its blades whipping the air into a maelstrom. I covered my face against the strong winds that sent the folding chairs and plastic tables flying.

"Daniel," I choked.

But he was no longer looking at me. He was intent on the newcomer walking toward him. Clad in a fitted steel gray suit, the patch on his upper arm like a slice of the ocean. Blue blood dripped with his every step.

My mouth continued to form Daniel's name, like a prayer. Begging him not to hurt Emma.

The other android held up both his hands, and in that instant, our gazes met. He should've remained calm and focused, but I saw his LED flicker yellow.

As he continued to carefully approach, the fire of the bullet licked through my veins.

The new android was speaking to Daniel, cautiously picking his way closer, his arms to his sides. He was the very definition of composed. But Daniel was erratic, waving the gun in the air, pressing it back against Emma's head, then screaming at the newcomer.

I reached up and wrapped my fingers around at the handle of the blade. With a grimace, I pulled. A cry ripped from my throat. The other android faltered, LED melting into yellow. His attention returned to Daniel, who was waving his gun at the helicopters above.

Daniel didn't react when I wrenched the blade out. I could only imagine how I looked, the hands of death creeping closer. My fingers painted the handle red. Everything was burning.

Tears pricked my eyes. I couldn't let him endanger Emma any longer.

The other android's eyes widened, and his body started to lean to the side, bracing for

Daniel's shot.

With a hoarse cry, I rose and sank the blade deep into Daniel's arm. The gun slipped from his grasp, the shot tearing to the far right. He teetered, slipping off the lip of the building. As if the world had slowed, I reached for Emma. I grabbed her arm and yanked her towards
safety, but Daniel was faster.

He grabbed a fistful of my hair and dragged me with him over the edge.

"I'm sorry," I whispered.