The cold steel corridors of Jericho were dimly lit, the faint hum of machinery and the quiet whispers of androids filling the air as Connor moved silently through the maze. Dressed in civilian clothes and a beanie pulled low to cover his LED. He blended in just enough to move unnoticed. His orders were clear: locate Jericho, find Markus, and neutralize the leader of the android revolution. Everything else was secondary.

Passing a small group of androids huddled in whispered conversation, Connor’s sharp gaze swept over them but dismissed them instantly as irrelevant to his mission, although he did give them a second glance. His focus remained unbroken as he navigated the twisting corridors. Markus had to be here.

He turned a corner, his movements precise and quiet, when a calm voice cut through the heavy silence like a blade.

“You’re looking for me, aren’t you?”

Connor froze. His LED spun yellow beneath the beanie as he turned to see Markus standing at the far end of the hallway. The android leader’s stance was steady, his sharp amber eyes locked onto Connor with a mixture of caution and steely resolve.

For a brief moment, the two stood in silence, the tension between them palpable, as if the air itself had grown heavier.