Willow had dragged Connor as far as she could. Which wasn't very far at all.

The elevator didn't seem to be working anymore, figures.

"Stairs it is." Willow conceded. She had Connor's full weight on her, even for an android with her strength it wasn't anything easy.

Connor had a single moment of clarity as the two dragged themselves through the building, alarms blaring and lights shining overhead. For a single moment he knew who he was, he knew he was dying and he knew that's not what mattered most.

"I'll forget again, Willow." He told her, urgency in his voice. Willow pursed her lips not knowing what to say but knowing what he meant. "I'll forget so you have to make sure we get there."

"I will." She assured him. Erica- Amber whatever her stupid name was-, was still inside her but she felt her now. There was always a feeling of wrongness inside her, people will say she should have known - but denials an easy thing and Erica always had the upper hand. Not anymore, now Willow knew she herself had the control. As about what to do with the damaged android still living inside of her, that would come later. They had to survive today first.

It wasn't long before Willow heard them. First it was the skid of cars outside, the thrum of boots, weapons being loaded. It was insane. They were insane and if things weren't so dire right now she'd be blind with indignant rage. It turns out the amount of people who wanted androids gone was higher than even she thought. "You think they'd give us a break?" She tried to joke. Connor didn't seem to be in the mood.

Willow tried not to look at his face. Jesus his face. He should be gone. And the people they were getting closer and they were barely at the stairwell yet. They were limping pathetically, in a completely futile attempt at this point - what was she supposed to do? Stopping wasn't an option. Hauling Connor one step at a time, feeling the strain of everything on her shoulders. This was it. This was all she had.

"I see them!" Simon yelled. He was pointing to where Willow and Connor were, barely just making it to the stairwell opposite of the one he and his group were coming down.

"Look behind them." Kara warned, though unnecessary. They could all see the group of armed humans gaining on them, aiming their weapons and a few moments away from shooting.

Markus was already at the bottom before anyone else could react, running out with his hands up and yelling at the humans to stop. He startled them so bad one turned and fired at him, barely missing and hitting the wall behind him. Willow flinched so violently at the sound - sure those bullets were for her- her legs buckled and both she and Connor dropped to the floor. "Kara, get to them. Simon with me." Markus ordered, hands still up in a gesture of surrender. There was always hope in him that things could be solved without violence -more violence- but he wasn't so naive to think things would go his way. His gun was ready for when things would go downhill.

After realising she hadn't been shot in the back Willow pulled her and her friend up and threw him and herself through the door to the stairwell, landing on the floor again. "Sorry, Connor."

Not a few moments later Kara had burst in with them. She stopped completely, "Connor..." She stared at what was left of him and then to Willow like she'd have all the answers.

Willow shook her head as if to say 'Not now.' "Help me." She said instead, "We have to get him up there."

Kara glared at the stairs, swallowing her horror. How were they supposed to get him up there? "Like this...how?" They were both thinking it, he might not even live that long.

"I don't know! But we have to try." Willow yelled in frustration.

To their surprise Connor spoke up, staring at Kara with his one undamaged eye, sincerity was still his default. "It is okay, Kara. I can make it." His words weren't clear or simple to understand, they were entirely unconvincing but Kara found herself unable to not trust him. She nodded, her eyes watering.

Each girl took his arms and together they stood up to the daunting tasks of the dozens of sets of stairs that were looming down on them. Kara tilted her head to Willow in affirmation that she was ready.

"Nice to meet you, for real, by the way." Kara said rather dryly and Willow couldn't tell if she was joking.

Gravely, Willow said "Let's go."

"They're through the stairwell, Markus. You should go." Simon called through the fight which had inevitably started. Before Markus could reject he added, "You can't die, Markus."

"Neither can you."

"I'll be okay." Simon assured him. He really wouldn't but sacrifices had to be made. In this moment he knew his life just didn't hold the same weight, even if Markus didn't agree.

The hate in the air could have tuned out the sounds of the bullets. So much contempt for a species who only wanted to live. And they were outnumbered. In this final battle humans just simply outnumbered them.

"Markus, you have to go now!" Simon was shouting.

Markus stopped firing. He stood and watched, for once he didn't know what to do. He looked at Simon and his remaining few androids.

"It's over for us, Markus." Simon said quieter so only he could hear. "You can still save the rest of us now, go." He insisted.

Markus didn't need to thank him for his bravery, Simon could see it in his eyes.

There was a clang. More footsteps and then suddenly the area was overrun with humans.

Humans, but not enemies.

"Detroit police department stop and lower your weapons."

Markus and Simon watched with wide eyes. Markus recognised the voice. Agent Fowler.

Fowler came over and the visor lifted from his mask. "Hank called us and said you might be needing some assistance."

Markus and Simon shared one brief glance of hope and relief.

"You're protecting them!" One of the Cyberlife men being held up by the police shouted indignantly.

"Yes, now lower your weapons." The agent turned back to Markus, "Go, Markus, we've got this covered."

From the side unnoticed came Hank who was taking some reluctant assistance from Gavin and making their way over. Markus didn't know how the older man was even standing.

He came up without so much as an introduction. "Markus, take me to Connor."

All three of them fell to their knees.

"We could be making worse progress." Willow said wearily. Kara side-glared at her, if that was supposed to be some type of positive outlook she wasn't having it.

They had made it up a good few sets of stairs, not quite close to the top of the enormous tower but they weren't on the ground floor anymore, so that was something.

Kara attempted to stand, taking Connor up with her. "We have to keep moving."

Willow stared down at her hands which were covered in Connor's blood as if she was just noticing. "We're really not going to make it." She said smally.

"Don't talk like that." Kara persisted. "We can do this but we have to keep going."

The other girl was ignoring her, still watching her hands and shaking her head with dread.

"Willow!"

It wasn't Kara's persistent yelling that snapped her out of it but the sound of the stairwell door below them swinging open and slamming shut. The two girls looked at each other in panic. "They're coming." Willow said.

Kara pulled out her gun and pointed it down the steps shakily. Willow was gripping Connor knowing that when they were overrun there would be nothing they could do about it.

They rounded the steps and Kara set off a shot.

Luckily, she missed.

"Wow," Markus held up his hands. "It's just us. You need some help?"

Kara lowered her gun, more relieved than she thought was possible. "Yes, we could." She breathed.

The others climbed up to them. "Fuck, he's not looking so good." Gavin stated unhelpfully.

Hank leaned down slowly to Connor, his wound protesting violently making his stomach churn in pain. "Connor, can you hear me?"

"Hank?"

"Yeah I'm right here, son. You ready to get up there?" Hank asked carefully.

"'m ready, Hank." Connor managed.

"Good." His eyes were welling up. "I've got you."

"We all do." It was Markus.

"There isn't much time. Things are bad out there in the world." Gavin told the group.

"What are we waiting for." Kara said quiet, but earnestly.

Together the seven of them started up the steps.

North and Tyler had been waiting anxiously and impatiently for what felt like a lifetime. North was tapping her foot in time to Tyler's incessant pacing. If something didn't happen soon she swore she would go down there. There was a burning in her stomach - the pain - she surmised, for some it was instant and for some it started slow, she knew she didn't have long left and North wasn't sure she could take much more of this wait game.

And then they were there. Markus, Hank, Kara, Willow, Gavin, Simon and on the edge of life, Connor.

North knew some shit had gone down, but unlike Tyler who was staring at Connor with horrified concern she didn't pay his or any of the others injures any mind. "Can you do this?" She asked Connor specifically.

It took him a few seconds but he nodded, "I can." He responded with difficulty.

As North barked her name Tyler snapped out of her daze and went to setting things up. "I need the three of you to come over here. Connect to this," She motioned to the signal she had set up," And then connect to each other."

"Thank you." Markus said to her sincerely as the three prepared.

"You can do this, son." Hank told Connor, hoping that it would get through to him.

The room was tense with the fear of failure but there was also hope. Either way this was soon to be over. The three of them held hands with one another, closed their eyes and with a great glow connected.

They were the code. Swimming and flying through numbers and letters, patterns and lights. It sparked and shifted with static but they kept going through. Intertwining with each other and pressing and pulling forcefully. It fought back as the redness that represented the pain and the violence pushed and pushed until they were nothing more than separated globs of blue code, skittering and flickering and almost completely gone.

Kara thought of Alice, in all her pain and suffering and remembered what she was like in all her joy and life and pushed back.

Markus thought of his people, his friends, the world and his right to live in it and decided for one final push.

Connor couldn't think of anything clear, but he felt the wrongness in this and the rightness in the people he was surrounded with and for that he fought. He pushed back.

The three of them melded back into one another until they were a shining flask of blue light and they got bigger and bigger until everything in this system was them. Every android in the world felt it - like a gift. rA9 was finally here. They kept going until there was no more red or hate or pain and then in one quick movement their merged forms exploded. The system from the inside, exploded.

On the outside the lights of the building were flickering and flashing. Nearby computers were sparking and the other androids were stock still in awe before it was all finally over.

The room glowed as the light came back on fully and they knew it was done. The three androids snapped out of it and pulled back from each other, eyes wide and shaking. Connor fell instantly but knew someone was there to catch him. For a moment he felt connected to everyone. He felt the pain of each android who was currently inflicted fade and pull away, felt their relief and their hope and he knew his work was done.

The android was staring through the glass and out onto the trees beyond, her pale reflection somewhat staring back at her.

"How are you doing?" Connor asked her tentatively, coming up behind her.

She turned with a surprisingly sweet smile. "Should I not be asking you that? I wasn't the one missing any face." Chloe murmured playfully.

Connor chuckled. It had seemed like the end for him for quite some time. A few good weeks had gone by where he was repaired and worked on and repaired some more. If Kamski were still alive things surely would have gone along faster. Though his continued survival was something of miracle, even for an android. There were times when he forgot things, and all the physical damage wasn't yet fully fixed and for some reason one eye was browner than the other but he knew who he was. They had won and he actually felt...good.

"I wasn't the one who died." He countered, somehow knowing it wouldn't offend her or come out the wrong way.

Chloe smiled and turned back to face the window. "Elijah told you how to save me. Bring me back, didn't he? Before he died."

"Yes." He said simply. It had taken him a while after first waking up to remember Kamski's final words to him, whispered in haste before Willow had dragged him to his feet and they had been on their way. Kamski had always had a backup plan for his Chloe, Connor should've known that he would have never let her be gone forever. Kamski was a complicated man perhaps but not heartless. Her consciousness, her memories, supposedly everything she was was in her new but identical body. Connor wondered if it really was the exact same version of her. She certainly seemed the same. "I'm glad he did. And I'm sorry." He added.

"I will miss him." Chloe said solemnly before putting on a brave face and raising an eyebrow at him. "Connor, why are you still talking to me? I think you have someone waiting for you." Chloe motioned outside to the door behind her with her shoulder.

He hesitated to leave her but she assured him that despite the loss of her friend she would be alright. "Now hurry." She insisted, practically shooing him away. He smiled at her before leaving.

Connor found her outside. He could see her with a healthy Alice and Luther, talking and laughing before she spotted him and excused herself. She was beaming, Connor noted.

Finally she was only a few steps in front of him.

I'm surprised you managed to get a moment away," Kara said treading up to him through the grass. "Hank, he's been fussing over you for weeks."

Connor smiled sentimentally. "Yes, he is overbearing in the loving way. I appreciate it."

"I'm the same with Alice." She admitted.

"She looks happy."

"Thanks to you."

"To us,"Connor added.

"I think we did good back there." Kara said happily.

"I think we did." Connor agreed. He frowned and added, "And what now?"

"Whatever we want, I guess." She answered somewhat nervously.

It finally felt like the right moment for that kiss.