A.I. Know You (Andi)

Tsukimi put her hands in the air as she was pushed towards Danny and Erica. "Ready Mongoose?"

Danny would spin around to put her cuffs in full view of Tsukimi. "Do it, Suzy!"

Erica would kick the demon sword over to Tsukimi, letting her kick the sword up and slash at the cuffs. It did not break the cuffs. "I thought that would work."

"Right?" Danny looked back to see the cuffs still in place. "It normally does."

"Can I change teams?" Erica asked the crowd.

"I'll try stabbing instead of slashing. Locking mechanism-" Tsukimi took the sword down at a pivot point. "Should be there."

The cuffs around Danny's wrists came undone. "We won't talk about the first try." A turquoise spike would stab forward to try hit the Andi bot behind them. Danny would look and spot a sewer access point. "There we go." A turquoise spike would pop the top of the access, letting Danny, Tsukimi, and the still cuffed Erice make a break for it.

As the spike moves toward the Andi, a hole opens up in the Android, the spike passing through it. Almost like a liquid, Andi would wrap around the bolt and eject it from his body at high speeds toward the 3. The liquid would fly into the sewer after the 3.

"There's no escape, assassins."

The entire sewer would be encased in darkness as Andi spreads out throughout it. Hollowing the inside of his main body, the Nanites would crawl through the tunnel, blocking off all exits. Before the 3 stands one tall, skeletal Andi.

"I'll enjoy reducing you to your component parts. Blood, organs, bone... I'm a more complex machine. Faster, stronger, smarter. I will use you for study, analyzing your abilities. Peeling back at your flesh. It will be GLORIOUS!"

The skeletal Andi lunges for Danny first. One hand turns to a large spike, energy glowing through it as it heats up. His other hand is a massive energy cannon. In the entirely closed off, dark tunnel, the heat would be intense. As he travels with the lunge, he pulls back his arm, preparing to thrust it at Danny.

"I don't know if this is a better plan!" Erica made her way down the stairs as a turquoise spike impacted just next to her head. "Small spaces are-"

"Better than large open ones with angry mobs!" Danny would soon regret her surety. "We need to find an exit quickly. If it comes up near the shoppe, it will be better."

"Leading this guy back to the shoppe is not company policy!" With her hands still bound behind her back, Erica let her gestureless comment continue.

"Could be dangerous." Tsukimi continued looking for anything on her cell phone, but only found low signal.

"We're already in danger if you haven't noticed." The lights blanking out over Danny made her notice. "Suzy, light!"

Tsukimi got her phone up just in time for Danny to lunge a turquoise spear forward to try and break the momentum of Andi. "You might be faster and stronger, but you're not smarter!"

"Correction. I am a super computer designed by the American Government to eliminate individuals like you. I can think of every possible way to destroy you with my power set and with the environment."

The spear would pass through Andi, a hole opening within his body as it flies through. He'd thrust the energy spear connected to his arm toward Danny's chest like the previous post. The other energy weapon on his other hand would fired off an energy beam toward Erica due to her reduced agility and balance from being cuffed.

"You lose, organics."

"That still doesn't make you smart!" Danny put a turquoise wall in between her party and the artificial intelligence trying to skewer her again. A loud blast impacted the wall, shaking it in place. "He is not messing around."

"Get me free!" Erica turned around to brandish her cuffed hands in Danny's direction.

A pair of turquoise bolt cutters appeared in Danny's hands, allowing her to snap Erica free. "We're in a tough spot." The barrier shook again.

Tsukimi took a step back, looking to see if the exit remained clear. "The wall won't stop him- but disabling him will."

"The best defense." Danny ducked as the barrier came down. Three spikes would shoot out from the wall, one in front of Andi, one in the middle, and a third behind him. Two turquoise spikes would launch from in front of Danny, parallel but close enough to trap Andi if he tried to maneuver from one of the spikes jolting from the wall. "Just because you can see it all, doesn't mean you can dodge it all!"

The wall would shudder under the power of Andi's blast and power poke. He'd snarl at them as Erica's restraints are cut. Andi's eyes would bounce around extremely quickly, to th point that they appear blurred. Every possible way to kill them. The best way would be to just slice them to pieces. Or maybe something less direct. Don't want the people to think of him as being cold. Papa Andi Caster doesn't kill, he just maims and stuff. Yeah. That's good. It would raise public opinion. He shouldn't do anything overly gory, gotta keep it PG-13.

Suddenly, a few spikes would appear. No problem. Just more obstacles in his path. Very slight ones. Holes appear in his body, matching each spike. The spikes would slide through his body and out the other end. He'd place both hands against the surface of the surface of the barrier, looking at the three on the other side.

"You say I'm not smart. You're not clever, girl. You're a weakling, power wise and mentally. I am superior. Andrew Caster is superior."

Andi would look at Erica and with a snap, the cuffs reattach, nanomachines interlocking on a level not visible to the human eye. Their bonds are tight.

"Well, since this will be my last time seeing you, goodbye. You were a mild threat."

Andi would interface with automated sewer systems releasing certain valves to create a large flow of water. Coming from the 3 heroes' side. It would start gushing and pouring toward them and they would be able to hear it echoing through the piping. With the amount of force coming toward them, they'd be forced against their own barrier and drowned if they didn't think of something quick.

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Elsewhere, government agents on the hunt for Andi would notice an interesting energy Signature in downtown New York. At the same time and same area, there was also unusual activity occurring in the sewers. This was definitely the work of the escaped Android. They'd begin mobilizing units from one of their various bases, this one located in New York.

"Danny! Again!" Erica felt the pull from behind her and already knew the familiar feeling.

Not hearing anything satisfying- only the mocking of a machine, Danny turned back around with another set of bolt cutters and snapped Erica's wrists free. "Next time, I'm just cutting your hands off!"

"We have a problem." Tsukimi pointed her cell phone light in the general directions of the sewer. "We're getting flushed!"

"That is a terrible way to go!" Danny grabbed Erica by the wrist. "Back the way we came!"

"But, the mob?" Tsukimi looked at the grate leading up.

"We can deal with them! I don't want to have to hold this back!" Two turquoise barriers would appear on either side of the sewer to hold back the tides. A baton and shield appeared on either of Danny's sides. "I can hold back the mob."

"Let's reason with them." Tsukimi began to climb.

"Reason with the mob?" Danny stared in contempt. "Do you know how mobs form?"

"We just tell them the truth and give them the facts as to why this is a misunderstanding and they-"

"Try to burn us at the stake again!" Danny grabbed the bottom rung of the ladder. "Or take us to robot guy. So, he can burn us at the stake!"

"I kinda agree with Danny." Erica was halfway up the ladder herself, in between Danny and Tsukimi. "Let's just beat our way out."

"I mean, it won't be a beating." Danny looked at her gear and paused. "Fine, we'll do it without a beatdown. At first!"

Tsukimi pushed the grate open and popped out, reaching down to help Danny and Erica out.

As soon as their heads popped out, the mob would be upon them, looking down into the grate. A lot of fists were balled but those that weren't had things in them. Things to throw. Rotten tomatoes, cans, and more. They were surrounded by people. Not even a place to stand.

"What have you done with our Andi? You scumbags!"

A lot of them would be yelling a lot less PG insults. They were the pitchfork and torch mob. But more modern. A few would spit upon those exiting the sewer grate. Andi would burst up from the ground a few feet behind the mob and look to the humans packed in like sardines around the 3.

Perhaps the humans were useful after all. They'd make good servants being so... Stupid. If they were all as idiotic as the three he had fought against in the sewer, everything from this point on would be just peachy.

"My subjects, these people want to harm you. They want to experiment on you like they did with me and they won't spare your life. Your families and friends will be slain by people like this. Kill them. I must leave in order to preach another day. But you will see me again. I am Andrew Caster, the head of the Caster Society. I will give you all power."

After his rousing speech, Andi would seemingly dissolve, dust flying into the wind. The mob, still agro at Danny, Erica, and Tsukimi would keep closing in, pushing them back into the sewer, the center of the donut of people.

Tsukimi brushed off a tomato thrown at her arm. "If you just listen to us for one second..."

"Danny! Crowd control!" Erica moved to the side to let Danny up.

"On it!" A turquoise shield would appear, pushing the mob back, allowing Tsukimi and Danny to emerge from the sewer. "Now! You're all going to listen to Suzy here tell you boring facts and figures about crime or something!"

Tsukimi inhaled a breath. "Yes. Crime is bad. Andi is a criminal because he incites riots, which is a crime, which is bad. Therefore, Andi is bad and following him is bad."

"Gotta say, not your best stuff." Danny whispered over, keeping a shield between Tsukimi and the mob. The one thing Danny forgot to account for was strength. Sure, Danny could make a shield, but it did not make her strong enough to keep a mob of people from pushing her, Tsukimi and Erica into a corner.

Erica looked up. "Make a ladder!"

"I'm holding- this shield!" Danny grimaced as she held as best she could. A ladder began to form behind them, but only made it halfway up. "This isn't as easy as it looks!"

Tsukimi tried to hold and brace Danny against the mob while more of the ladder began forming.

The mob encircle them, trying to dogpile the 3 as the shield is made. However, if they are to get onto the side of a building in order to place a ladder, a few microwaves and pianos start falling. The apartment building's inhabitants are quite unhappy.

"Let's rip open these agents! Messing with our Andi? Darn runts on MY PROPERTY!" These guys most definitely are not messing about.

With Andi having escaped and the mob angrier than ever, things were looking most dire for the three 'government agents'. However, the cavalry arrived in what appears to be heavily armored vehicles. Men in Black armor hop out of the vehicles, armed to the teeth with rifles slung across their chests and holstered handguns on their hips.

But rather than spraying the crowd with water cannons or the like, they'd begin opening fire on them, spraying them down with lead instead of rubber or water. No stun batons, no nothing.

"Andi, this is the Government's Force for Property Retrieval. Exit the crowd now!"

Behind their shield, they might be alright, but before them people were dying. Would the heroes step up or step away from the massacre?

A coffee cup hit Erica's hand, knocking her grip from the rung of the ladder. A loose hand grabbed Tsukimi from behind, pulling her back. The calamity forced a pause in Danny, and the pause allowed two mob members to overrun her shield. One on top of another, the bodies fell on the trio, pinning them to the ground.

And then a horn sounded.

It brought a sliver of hope at first. But, first impressions always fade.

A bullet rang out. Not, rubber. Not, pepper spray or a hose, but a live round. It impacted in someone, followed by another round. The pressure on Danny let up. She pushed forward, maintaining her grip on the bracelet. She conjured a turquoise wall between the mob and the government officials.

"Do you think they're mind controlled?" Tsukimi squirmed out.

"The cops or the mob?" Danny put up another barrier to block any government officials from flanking.

"Let's get the mob in that building, then we can just tie them up. Same thing with the cops." Erica held out a bag filled with red, white, and blue duct tape. "One of the mob members had this."

"We need to stop the officials too." Danny narrowed her eyes. "If they are officials." She turned back to a nearby door, summoned a crowbar, and popped the door open. "Everyone inside!"

Men, women, and children have fallen due to the incoming fire, but more lives were spared by Danny's barrier. People would start going crazy at the gunmen with militaristic markings on their vehicles, armor, and weapons. The protected civilians would look to their protector, most glaring but some looked thankful. However, no thanks were heard.

As Danny proposes that they all crowd into the building, some look hesitant but a man pipes up. "We don't have any other choice. If we stay here, we'll get killed by those soldiers out there."

A few nod in agreement and others grumble under their breaths but eventually, everyone packs into the building. However, someone starts thinking...

"This only helps Andi's point. Those guys were hunting for Andi and didn't even care if we were caught in the crossfire."

Many consider the man's point and yet another person, this time a lady with a child, pipes up. "But these ladies aren't working with them. They wouldn't shoot at their own people. That means even if they are government agents, they're trying to help."

The majority of the mob nods in agreement and look to their heroes for their next move.

On the other hand, soldiers continue moving in, firing through the building's windows at what they think is a crowd with Andi at its center. As if they were protecting Andi from the gunfire.

Danny held out until the last person made it to relative safety. "Everyone in?!" Step by step, Danny fell back, barring the door behind her with a barrier.

"They can shoot through walls." Tsukimi spoke up from behind a pillar.

Glass shattered. "And windows!" Erica was hard at work pulling a door up.

"Why does this woman's logic work and not mine?" Tsukimi whispered over to Danny.

Danny leaned back. "She isn't looking at people like she is installing software in them and is holding a child."

"I need a child?" Tsukimi rested her hand on her chin.

Erica pulled the hatch up. "I got it open!" Her hand motioned for people to begin making an exodus. "This tunnel leads to the antechamber under the dress shoppe. Just don't touch anything that is glowing. We don't know exactly what everything down there is, but we did put up a sign that says, 'Mitsy's Dress Shoppe' in big letters."

Bullets continued to riddle the turquoise barriers. "Erica, why don't you lead them so they avoid the- um, problems the dress shoppe has under it."

Erica took the lead and began to climb down the ladder. "Good idea."

The men would push forward on the barriers. On a few, they'd plant breaching charges and would detonate them, hoping to continue their siege. They'd reload in the meantime as the devices are planted. As soon as they're through one would point to the hatch.

"Move in and kill anything that moves!"

The men follow orders, pushing into the building and down the hatch. If a barrier is put up to defend against them, they'd plant more of the charges on them. Meanwhile, they'd begin pulling up city schematics. They'd attempt to find all possible exits for the tunnels. If they can, more units begin mobilizing the neutralize the threat that is Andi. If not, they'd get aerial and other vehicular units to do a sweep of the area. They couldn't let something as powerful as Andi escape. If only they knew what havoc they were causing.

The barriers did not need to last forever. Just long enough. Tsukimi was the next one down the ladder, leaving Danny on her own. Fighting off a company of government officials with no stop did not suite her as the best for her brand or name. Bliss sure, but not Danny.

While the explosives tore through the outer barriers, Danny was already on plan B. She kept herself by the opening down and began to focus. An intricacy within herself would need to manifest in perfect form. The first eight walls around her set up in perfect symmetry. Two walls in front of her in perfect parallel. Two walls on her left, right, and behind, in the same pattern. Then, she connected the corners, creating four openings. From there, the turquoise would move out to create a maze in the warehouse. They could cheat and blow up walls, but with openings, Danny hoped they would try to move through the maze instead.

Once one agent made their way towards her, Danny would wrap them up in turquoise bonds around their knees, arms, and mouth. When fully restrained, Danny would pull them towards the grating and down into the sewer. "Don't worry. I'm a good guy. I just need to see what exactly you are up to and why you are hurting innocent people."

Tsukimi trailed behind the rest of the pack, eventually coming up to the shoppe's backroom. "Erica! Is everyone okay?"

A busy noise came from the storefront, but no violent calamity or disruptive aggression. Just Erica trying to make sales on a few remaining cult members. "We're fine. Most of the cult went home. These ones are getting new clothes. I told you it was better for me to come. This sure wouldn't have happened."

After unsuccessfully searching for the exit of the tunnels, the men are contacted and told to book it back to base. In seconds the mens' vehicles are gone and the city is sent back on its way, people doing as they please once more.

Andi holds onto a spire, staring down on the city. If he had lips he'd smirk. This was quite a nice test run. He now had names, faces, and motive...



End