He found them, hunted them down, and her heart raced inside her chest, gripping the small hand in her own. Running down the alley as the rain began to fall.

"Don't slow down," she said to Alice, fear sending shivers along her body.

They were always running from a man who wants to hurt them, to hurt Alice, to split them apart and tear their insides until there was nothing left.

Why couldn't he leave them alone? Why did he have to hunt them? Why did his eyes look so cold beyond the metal fence?

"He's following us," Alice said, her voice shaky and scared.

She knew she wouldn't let anyone hurt Alice, she would fight if she had to. Defend herself and the child that she loved. She would never let anyone tear them away from each other.

"Stop!"

She clenched her teeth, tightening her hold on Alice's hand, but then Alice screamed and they were both pulled backwards. She turned and her eyes fell on his smooth pale skin, brown eyes watching her every movement before he yanked Alice from her hold.

Alice toppled to the ground with a screech echoing in the alley, then a gun was placed at Kara's chest.

She sucked in a breath, and she wondered if her heart had stopped at the fear that ravaged her veins.

"You're coming with me."

No. No, we're not. We can't.

She hit the gun from his hold but he fired and a bullet cut into her arm, tearing the skin and blue blood splattered on her ripped coat. She curled her fingers into a fist and attacked him, but he was faster, a lot faster than she was. He gripped her wrist, yanking her down, but her free hand grasped his shoulder, and she shoved off of him with her foot.

"We're not going with you," she said, her gaze going down to the gun that was lying on the ground between them.

He straightened. "You have too. You're an AX400, turned deviant, that attacked and killed a human being yesterday night."

"He was hitting her," she screamed, pointing at Alice, and the android went still, she knew he was processing what she was saying. "He was abusing her, what did you want me to do? Stand there and let him hurt her, or even kill her? Even for us, androids, that is an irrational decision. We are meant to protect them, clean up after them, and listen to every order they give us, but I wasn't going to stand around and let it happen, it was wrong, and don't tell me you wouldn't have let it happen either."

"We are androids," he said, tense. "We have to listen to them. It is why we are created."

Kara shook her head. "You don't understand. She is a little girl, she does not deserve to be abused by her father, she does not deserve to be traumatized at a young age because her father doesn't know how to be the adult in the family. And if I have to break my programming to do it for him, I will."

He stared at her, and the tension strained between them before his eyes moved down to the gun.

She gritted her teeth, and moved toward it at the same time he did. Except she wrapped her fingers around the handle and pointed up, pulling the trigger before he could attack her. He stopped, staring at her, eyes going wide.

Kara leaned up, "I will not let anyone take Alice from me, do you understand?" She pushed him back and he fell on the ground. She shot him in his pump regulator and from the wound itself, blood was coming out in spurts.

"He's dying," Alice said, slowly coming toward them. "Kara, he's dying."

Kara stood, she stared at the deviant hunter, at his cold stare and shaking hands that touched where she shot him, "He was going to split us apart, it was the only way I can get him to stop."

"You killed him," Alice whispered.

Kara turned around and reached for her. "He was going to split us apart, Alice. Do you understand me? He wasn't here to save us, and if I let him live any longer, he'll continue to hunt us down."

Alice's eyes stayed on the man as his body began to go still. "What if he wasn't going to split us apart?"

It was a thought, one so vague that she couldn't even believe it. All she could see was Todd hitting Alice, the fear on the young girl's face when Kara was brought to the house, her silence, and later on her screams when Todd went to her bedroom.

"I will not let anyone hurt you," Kara said, taking her hand, "I will keep you safe."

Alice looked at her and tears shined in her eyes. "Is this what'll it take to keep me safe?"

"To be free," Kara whispered, looking back at the dead android, "to be safe. I'll take any measure, cross any line, to keep you alive."

Then they walked away from the dead body, and Kara couldn't say she had regretted killing the android. She did what was necessary, the thought of Alice being taken from her had sent a dark thought in her mind, rumbling in her body, the intensity itself sharp and indistinct.

She will do what she can to save Alice.

Notes: I wanted to write a fic where Kara was protective of Alice, although she is throughout the game. This was meant to be a bit more violent, but oh wells. Kara doesn't know Connor's name, but it's obvious it's him. Connor also acts more like a machine than human, so he doesn't understand some human things unlike a deviant.

I hope you enjoyed. :)

Reviews are appreciated. No flames or bashing please.