Chapter 2

Andrew impacted the concrete sidewalk with incredible force, shattering the hard material as if it were glass.

And yet he was completely unharmed. He had landed on his feet, and had not experienced the slightest bit of pain when he had crashed down like a lead brick. He called up his operating specifications quickly in his mind, checking on his structure. Heavily reinforced titanium. No wonder he hadn't felt a thing.

It was quickly becoming obvious to Andrew that he had been built for war. He knew enough about androids to know that he was far above the abilities of your average model. But he also didn't know how he knew about androids. He could call up many files from his databanks, and yet he still knew things that he shouldn't have, according to his own internal search engine.

His own ponderings were forgotten, however, as he looked at the faces of the people surrounding him. Some of them were looking shocked... and others were laughing. He didn't realize what they were laughing about until he looked down at himself. He didn't have any clothes on, except a pair of underwear. He was essentially exposed to the world.

Andrew quickly made his way out of the crowd, heading down the street at a rapid pace, while all the while looking for a source of clothing. He spotted one such source as he glanced into a darkened alleyway. He quickly stopped, analyzing the man that was mugging another person in the shadows. He was exactly Andrew's dimensions, and was wearing a black T-shirt and black jeans. Acceptable.

He didn't give the mugger much of a chance to react. Andrew came in with a flying kick directly to the man's side, flinging him from his attempted victim. The mugger produced a pistol as he struggled to stand up, waving it threateningly towards the obviously crazed half-naked android.

"Man, I'll cap you so fuckin' fast that your momma will feel it!" This sentence was only half-intelligible, unfortunately, as the mugger was talking through a mouthful of blood.

"I do not have a mother that I am aware of." Andrew stated blandly, while simultaneously snatching the weapon from the cowering man before he could react.

"Now, remove your clothes."

The mugger looked horrified. "Man, anything but that! I don't swing that way!"

Andrew pointed the nine millimeter gun directly at the man's forehead.

"Remove all of your clothes except your underwear, and set them by my feet," Andrew demanded, "or else."

The mugger hurriedly scampered out of his shirt, jeans, socks and shoes. He then backed away like a scared rodent, holding his fingers up in the shape of a cross. Andrew ignored him, calmly putting on all of the clothing, then turning towards the old man that the low-life had been attempting to rob.

"Are you alright sir? Did he manage to take anything from you?"

The old man hurriedly shook his head, walking off without removing his eyes from Andrew. He seemed every bit as scared as the mugger.

Andrew attempted to walk out of the alley, but was stopped as two police cruisers screeched to a halt less than a meter in front of him. Three police officers were out of the cars within seconds, using their car doors as shields, leveling their weapons at him.

He then realized that he was still holding the pistol he had stolen from the mugger, and hurriedly threw it away.

"Is there a problem, officers?" He asked them calmly.

"Down on your knees!" One of them shouted. "Hands on your head!"

Andrew complied, moving into the designated position. One of the officers came close to him, moving his hands behind his back, and slamming him forward into the ground. Since Andrew did not plan on going to jail, he figured that it was about time to stop cooperating.

His legs shot back, gripping onto either side of his arresting officer. With one powerful fling, the man was thrown through the windshield of his own cruiser. The two other officers immediately opened fire, their rounds peppering the ground around Andrew as he stood up.

Andrew quickly dashed forward, slamming his leg into the car door protecting one of the officers. The man was hurled backwards, probably with a few broken ribs where the steel had struck his abdomen. Andrew ripped the car door from its hinges, holding it in front of him like a shield as he moved around the car and slowly approached the last officer.

Seeing what had happened to her partner, the officer moved away from her car door, backing slowly away from Andrew. She held her gun on him, but didn't fire.