Chapter Text
Maurizio led the men into his office subtly locking the door behind him and sliding the key out underneath the door with the back of his foot. He swallowed, dieing like this hadn’t exactly been up on his top 10 but he supposed that it had to be done. He hadn’t discussed this part of the plan with the others and he hoped to god that Stefania would be able to forgive him for doing this. He hoped more than anything that it would give Kimi and Nico the time that they needed to get everyone out of the building. He led the men over to the computer and began to explain the statistics on his computer that showed how many robots where currently in the building and was quietly impressed with himself when he didn’t even flinch when Minttu’s message came explaining that the explosives would be set of in 5 minutes. He simply sighed and prayed that someone would take care of Stefania.
***
Kimi ran back through the corridors and stairwell toward the room where he had left Nico some 10 minutes before. He gun was cold and reassuring in his hand but yet around every corner he expected to run into Button and his men. He found himself wondering where they were. He pushed open the door to the control room finding it oddly quite the monitors no longer had the ever present hum that had given the room life before and Kimi could here no gentle tap at a computer laptop that would indicate Nico presence in the room. Kimi entered the room with caution the gun pointed ahead of him just in case the room was not as empty as he thought it to be. He headed for the monitors and stopped short.
Curled up in a small ball was Nico, he was shaking from head to toe, tears streaking down his face. Kimi heart hurt to see it. He knelt down beside Nico pulling his friend against him.
“what are you doing here you’re supposed to be with the others you should be out of here Minttu’s going to set off the explosives in 5 minutes” Nico’s voice shook with pain.
Kimi rested Nico’s head in his lap. “I couldn’t just leave you here; I couldn’t let you die alone.”
Nico let out a shaky breath “I thought that you understood, you can’t save me”
Kimi shook his head “perhaps but I can’t let you die alone either”
Nico closed his eyes the energy it took to keep them open was now apparently proving to be too much “yeah but I won’t die will I, I’m not really even alive. No one will miss me not really ”
“I think you are, I think you are as much alive as I am” Kimi said with all the conviction that he could muster.
Nico shock his head “I’m not human Kimi, I’m not alive, I’m just a robot” Nico sounded so sure of that and it filled Kimi with sadness.
“I don’t think that’s true at all Nico.” He said “I think there are a great many people who will miss you, Lewis most of all. Don’t argue with me, I’ve seen the way that he looks at you. I know that look because it’s the same way that I look at Sebastian. You’re alive Nico; you think you feel you love. You’re brilliant, and kind, and I am honoured to have known you” Kimi chocked a little on his words not used to saying quite so much or expressing what he felt in such a manner “and I think that being human is a very subjective thing, I think that human is as much of a mental state as it is physical. One may be both human and inhuman at the same time, and I think I know which state is more important, Nico Rosberg, you are human in every way in which it counts.”
Nico smiled at that, a small smile that was almost unperceivable “thank you” he whispered quietly “no one has ever said as such to me before”
Nico face was pinched and filled with pain “you should go, now” he said “while you still have time”
Kimi squeezed that hand that had found its way into his “no” he said “I will stay with you until it’s over, I owe you, and Lewis, that much at least.”
Nico nodded “then you know what you have to do.”
Kimi nodded “I’ll keep it safe I promise.”
Nico breathing began to slow and Kimi could sense the cogs and wires that kept Nico’s body alive slowing to a stop. The hand fell from his and he was left alone. Kimi rose Nico’s limp hand to his lips ghosting his lips across it in farewell “goodbye my friend, I will see you again”
***
Sebastian was almost faint with worry mintuu’s explosives where due to take the building down in less 2 minutes and there was still no sign of Kimi or any of the others. He looked over and Lewis who was incidentally wearing the exact same expression.
Sebastian almost collapsed with relief when Kimi came running out of the building with something in his hand, Lewis and Sebastian ran toward him but he waved them on. “We need to get away from this thing, now it’s about to blow” he grabbed hold of a resisting Lewis and hauled him along with him.
“No” cried Lewis “Nico where is Nico.” Kimi didn’t answer him but kept hauling him along with him. “No, Kimi where is he, where is he” his voice chocked over the words as Kimi pulled him down behind a wall to protect them from the blast.
The building collapsed in a storm of rubble and Kimi could feel Lewis shaking behind him. “he’s gone isn’t he” asked Lewis tears filling his voice.
Kimi nodded “that part of him is but” he pressed something into Lewis’ hand “I believe you have the expertise to reverse that”
Lewis looked down at what Kimi had given him, Nico’s coded chip, holding what he hoped was Nico’s uncorrupted program. He smiled “yeah I believe that I can”
***
Daniel ran to join to the group of people, and robots exciting the building and was waved over by Hanna.
“We need to get them as far away as possible “she said “this place is going to blow”
Dan nodded “I don’t suppose anyone brought a mini-van”
Someone next to him laughed and Dan turned to grin at him he was tall and gangly with a wide smile and shy eyes and he smiled back at Dan. Dan thought he was gorgeous “we could steal one”
Dan laughed “well, being a cop I’d usually be against that kind of behaviour but in this case I think I can make an exception, lead the way”
“I’m Daniil by the way” Daniil said
“I’m Dan”
Daniil smiled “I’m driving though”
Dan frowned “have you ever driven before”
The other man grinned “nope” he said popping the P and taking of in a sprint toward a row of company busses with Dan in hot pursuit.
***
Stefania followed behind the group of robots and human Minttu’s arm around her was the only thing that was keeping her upright.
“He’s not coming back is he” she said to Minttu
Minttu shock her head “I’m sorry”
Stef turned to her “did you know?” she asked
Minttu shock her head “not entirely, no but I knew that he had something on his mind. He died with honour stef”
Stef nodded “I know, but I prefer that he hadn’t died at all”
Minttu nodded it hurt her too, but she couldn’t comprehend what stef must feel.
Stef turned to her “we must keep them safe, all of the people we got out of there today, we have to protect them and we have to make sure that none of this ever happens again.”
Minttu pulled up the collar of the red coat she was wearing to keep the rain that was blowing at her from behind of her back. “I will help” she said “we will keep them safe together”
4 months later
Lewis was practically vibrating with excitement “I think he’s ready” he said his voice filled with excitement.
Hanna was watching him with one arched brow. “Well are you going to see or are you going to wet yourself like a 3 year old instead."
She glanced out of the window at the row of buildings that had been constructed on the site of the old company. It had been impressive what Minttu and stef where able to do once they put their mind to it. The place had been built entirely with the purpose of giving the robots somewhere safe to live out there days. Hanna knew that eventually they’d want more, or that someday trouble would come knocking but she hoped that given time the world would forget them or dare she hope change enough to allow them a real space in it. She hoped it was the latter.
She was knocked from her thoughts but an excited squeal from Lewis.
Nico’s eyes fluttered open, he blinked a few time to get his eyes used to the brightness of the room. What on earth was going on? As he eyes adjusted he almost fell of his chair in shock, leaning over him with an expectant and worried face was Lewis.
Nico smiled and decided no time was like the present, he grabbed Lewis by the collar and pulled his face against him. Lewis made a surprised noise and fell against Nico knocking them both onto the floor.
Hanna burst out in laughter “welcome back Nico” chimed in Hanna a smile filling her face.
Nico stood pulling Lewis with him.
“we’ve missed you” said Hanna
“I love you” said Lewis
“I know” said Nico
***
Minttu stood on the hill behind the building that was hidden almost entirely by the large fir trees that Britta had suggested they put there.
Stef had gone to a lot of trouble to make the place look like home for the robots but had decided that staying there was too painful for her opting instead to do something in the world beyond, to seek out other places like the company and to stop them in there track, and to find some way somehow to make this a world that the people here could be a part of too.
Hanna stood beside her She looked up at Minttu “so what are we going to do now” she asked her friend. She had grown fond of her these past few mounts and despite Minttu’s history of criminal behaviours and a list of fake identities so long that in some circles she was known as the girl of a thousand faces, a nick name that Hanna though sounded a tad full of itself but Minttu liked it so she dealt with it. Though she did enjoy teasing Minttu about it
Minttu took in the face that she had come to care about so much and thought of the scene that Hanna had described to her, of Lewis and Nico’s finally being reunited and the sight of Kimi and Sebastian so happy together and Dan and Daniil so unsure and tentative around each other in their newfound attraction and she took courage from her friends and all that she had seen and slipped her hand into Hanna’s.
“well “she said “I’m not going anywhere and I can think of a few things I would like to do”
Hanna leaned up and twined her hands around Minttu’s neck “show me” she challenged.
***
Sebastian was trying to sleep, trying to sleep though what sounded like two cats killing each other, he thought he might have to invest in some ear plugs. After an hour and a half he decided that if he couldn’t sleep (charge) uninterrupted neither could Kimi.
He pocked the man lying next to him for a full 20 minutes before he received a pillow to the face indicating that Kimi had awoke.
“What” his boyfriend murmured “I was having a lovely dream about you giving me a blowjob”
Sebastian huffed “I can’t sleep, Hanna and Minttu are too load”
Kimi laughed and flipped Sebastian so that he was pinned beneath him. “How about” he said as he inched Sebastian’s trousers of him “we give them a run for their money eh”
Sebastian made a small noise of excitement as Kimi mouth got closer to his penis.
Kimi smirked “you’ll have to do better than that”