To Trial

Posted originally on the Archive of Our Own at http://archiveofourown.org/works/48543511.

Rating: Mature
Archive Warning: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Category: F/M, M/M
Fandom: Detroit: Become Human (Video Game)
Relationship: Connor/Markus (Detroit: Become Human), Original Chloe |
RT600/Elijah Kamski, Hank Anderson & Connor
Character: Connor (Detroit: Become Human), Markus (Detroit: Become Human),
North (Detroit: Become Human), Simon (Detroit: Become Human), Josh
(Detroit: Become Human), Jericho Members (Detroit: Become Human),
Hank Anderson, Sumo (Detroit: Become Human), Gavin Reed, Daniel
(Detroit: Become Human), Original Chloe | RT600, Elijah Kamski,
Jeffrey Fowler, Tina Chen (Detroit: Become Human), Amanda (Detroit:
Become Human)
Additional Tags: CyberLife (Detroit: Become Human), Post-Pacifist Best Ending (Detroit:
Become Human), Post-Peaceful Android Revolution (Detroit: Become
Human), Fluff and Angst, Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Hank being a good
dad, Angry Jericho, interface, sorta?, Minor Character Death, Blood and
Thirium mentioned, Undescriptive gore, Chloé is a good sister, Simon
and Connor become friends arch?
Language: English
Stats: Published: 2023-07-13 Updated: 2023-07-21 Words: 59,007 Chapters:
7/?

To Trial
by Disstance

Summary

“Well Connor,” Simon spoke softly, looking at the android with a sympathy he didn’t
understand. “Rest up, tomorrow you go to trial.”

Notes

Hello! This is gonna be my first Fanfic in years with multiple chapters, but I love a good
React fanfic, they were the fun of my childhood, but I also enjoy plot... So. That's what this
aims to be. Thank you for reading.
 Tomorrow, We go to trial.

“What Happened?”

The living room was dreadfully silent. The tension in the air was so thick, it was as though
someone could cut it with a knife. It was like the android was awaiting his death sentence. In a
way, that wasn’t far from the truth. He could feel the comforting presence of the old Lieutenant
next to him, and the soft pressure of the Saint Bernard’s head positioned on his right thigh. The old
clock on the wall could be heard throughout the home. It was so silent, the android was certain that
Hank would hear a pin drop. He, of course, would hear it anyway. He was an advanced detective
model. However, that would not help him now. None of his negotiation protocols could help him
out of the situation of his own doing. He let his eyes close, a sigh spilling from his synthetic lips,
and as though tension slipped from his body. Connor willed his mind to come back into focus, the
Lieutenant was staring at him expectantly, awaiting for Connor to tell him why his trip to New
Jericho had left him tense and ‘just like how you were before!’ in Hank’s words.

“I am afraid it is hard to explain, Lieutenant.” The android settled on. His fidgeting right hand
lifted to absent-mindedly stroke the soft fur of the dog’s head on his lap. He itched for the
comforting feel of his round metal coin, but he had yet to receive the item back from the older
man. Connor finally met the icy blue eyes of his father figure and saw understanding in them, but
he also saw determination. Connor would be a fool to think that answer would be satisfactory. The
detective let himself lean back into the couch, pulling his sights away from Hank to stare at the
roof.

“Well, fucking try Connor. I want to know why the people who are supposed to help you sent you
back with a stick up your ass.” The words were crude but effective. Connor had half the mind to
tell Hank that he could work on his foul language, but he’d rather focus on the man's health first.
One step at a time, he supposed. He also found the cursing to be full of endearment, and wouldn’t
mind ignoring the problem altogether.

“I suppose I can try…” Connor mused, before closing his eyes. If Androids could get headaches,
he is sure he would be nursing one. The android let himself recall the memory, trying to explain to
Hank as much as possible.

---

“You son of a-“ The words were full of anger and betrayal as a hand grabbed the white fabric of
his classic button-down. He felt the harsh press of a brick wall against his back. A wince forced its
way through his lips, but he did nothing to stop the assault. Connor deserved it after all, the fiery
redhead had every right to be angry at him. He had betrayed their trust, even if he did not intend to.
“Bitch!” North finished. A growl poured from her throat as she reached behind her, pulling the
firearm that was tucked into her pants out and aiming it at Connor. “Give me one reason why I
shouldn’t shoot you right now!”

Connor took a moment to examine the scene. They had just finished the speech, the same speech
where he almost shot Markus after being taken control of. The group had the decency to wait until
it was just the five of them to confront the detective. They now all stood in a dark alleyway, the
only light being the one above Connor’s head, and his LED which was glowing an angry scarlet.
He noticed Simon leaning against the other side of the alley wall, his arms crossed as he stared at
the scene. He had a passive expression but Connor knew he was angry. Josh stood behind North to
her left, looking like he wanted to say something but holding himself back. Markus was on her
right, a hand on her shoulder and a hard look in his mismatched eyes. Though he didn’t stop her
yet. Clearly intrigued in knowing the reason why as well. The detective felt guilt and self-hatred
run through his system.

“I don’t have one.” He muttered meekly, his eyes downcast, unable to look at the four leaders. He
found the pavement much more interesting. “I completely understand your anger, I myself am
angry about it. I did something awful, and should indeed be punished for it.”

The silence was louder than anything else, however, it was cut short when he was pulled sharply
away from the wall only to be smashed back against it. A small cry spilled unwillingly from his
mouth at the action, and he gritted his perfect teeth together. One of the things he hated about
being Deviant was the pain that he’d never felt before.

“Bullshit!” North screamed, pressing the gun to his blaring LED, and Connor only laid his head
against the wall in response. Finally meeting her eyes. The woman’s eyes were glassy and full of
rage. He felt awful for being the cause of the four leader’s distress. His systems and scans told him
that all of the android's stress levels were above 50%. Not good for an Android. Connor was sure
he wasn’t doing much better though. “Give me a straight answer!”

“North.” A steady voice finally cut in, a warm hand setting itself on the one holding the gun to his
temple. The woman turned her offended eyes to their leader, where he assumed they had a private
conversation via cyberlink. They narrowed into a glare as she pulled the gun away from Connor’s
head, and finally let go of the fabric of his shirt. She turned away and huffed, throwing her hand’s
up in an exasperated manner. However, he was not off the hook as Markus’ hand came to his
shoulder. “Connor. Please show me.”

The android watched as Markus’ hand that was not on his shoulder stretched between them. He
watched as his skin pulled back to reveal a pristine white. The thought terrified him. He knew what
he wanted, but Connor had never interfaced before, only probed memories. Connor knew the
logistics, but to do it was different. It was scarier than anything he had ever experienced.
Especially in the face of life and death.

“I’m sorry, in advance.” His voice muttered, and he gently placed his hand on the deviant leaders.
His own skin reseeded, and he allowed the interface request as he pulled the memory and sent it
through the link. It was as if he was living it all over again.

Cold.

Trapped.

Afraid.

Connor pulled away from the interface once the memory was over, as though he’d been burned.
The skin enclosed over his hand once more, shaking with the lingering feeling of cold from the
garden and the fear that came with it. The detective curled his arms around himself, he could feel
his body trembling. He finally let himself collapse against the wall once Markus had pulled away
from him. Connor couldn’t bring himself to meet the leader’s eyes, and the silence had once again
returned.

After a moment, which seemed like ten, he registered the touch on his cheek, guiding him to meet
the green and blue eyes of their leader. His leader. What he saw made him want to break into
tears, he did not deserve it. He did not want it. Forgiveness.

“It is not your fault Connor. It was not you.” His demanding voice spoke like it was a promise.
Though Connor could not let himself believe it.

“I… See no logic in that reasoning…” He began, though he could see the confused expressions
that Markus’s crew was sending their leader. They had not seen it. “It was my programming, I
should have known and sufficiently solved the problem before it occurred.”

“Connor.” The tone was serious, but tired at the same time. “They were controlling you.”

“What?” Finally cut in, North took a step towards the two androids once more. “Hello? Your
consul would like to know what’s going on!” She huffed, glaring at the pair, though Simon and
Josh both nodded in agreement, taking steps to join North at her side. Markus rolled his eyes,
before looking back to Connor with a patient smile. Connor knew what he was going to ask before
he even opened his mouth.

“Connor, can you-“

“No.” He cut him off, an apologetic look in his eyes. Connor turned to face the three androids, his
HUD was stressing that his stress level was at a dangerous 84%, and that was after the painful
reliving of his memory once. He could not do it three more times. “I’m sorry, but my stress level is
currently at 84%, and that is from one interface, I’m afraid even one more would cause my system
to initiate self-destruct.”

“Just calm down then.” Josh replied simply, all he received in response was a blank stare, that
obviously read ‘Well, no shit.’ Connor simply rolled his eyes, tightening his arms around himself
tighter. He suddenly found the ground interesting again.

“It’s not that easy. I suppose traumatic experiences would do that to you.” He began, before lifting
his eyes to glare at North and the gun she was still throwing around with every movement. “Also
having a gun to your head does not help.”

The following snickers of amusement from Simon and Markus eased the tension as well as the
embarrassed and angry expressions on North and Josh’s faces. Though it did nothing to help the
situation in the long run, Simon crossed his arms, rubbing his chin in thought.

“Well… How about a trial?” He suggested, gaining everyone’s attention on him at once. The
blonde suddenly flushed, feeling embarrassed by the confused and blank looks he was receiving.
“What I mean is- We let Connor go, he can calm himself down. Tomorrow, we can meet at New
Jericho… I can get a TV or something that Connor can interface with, and he can present it all of
it to us, all at once. Then he only has to be stressed out once, and it won’t tax his system.”

Connor went ridged. Oh, he was going to be put on display and judged. He saw them all
considering it, but before they made up their minds, or argued it. Connor needed to make a
request.

“Can I bring someone…? Or two? Witnesses, you could say. To my deviancy.” This caused the
attention to be drawn to himself. The silence extended for a moment or two before Markus nodded.

“That sounds acceptable. Bring them with you… We can trust you to return, yes?” The man asked,
raising a pointed brow. The detective nodded. His mind already going through what he needed to
do to prepare, trying to ignore how he felt about the scenario, however. That was cut short when
North cut in again.
“And we expect to see everything, Connor.” That statement needed no explanation, they wanted it
all. From his first mission to his last. He would be fully put on display, he sucked in air he didn’t
need before nodding softly.

“Understood.”

“Well Connor,” Simon spoke softly, looking at the android with a sympathy he didn’t understand.
“Rest up, tomorrow you go to trial.”

---

“You what?!” Hank’s voice screamed as he finished his explanation, standing up in reaction as he
began to pace the living room. Connor watched with a blank, emotionless expression. His hand still
stroking the dog, who had no problems with it. “You are going to just let them pick you apart like
those Cyberlife fucks?!”

“I’m afraid I do not have many options, Lieutenant,” Connor spoke softly, trying to calm the man.
Though he was confused by the outright anger that Hank was feeling for him, he didn’t hate it. It
made him feel cared about. “They are my people, and I want them to trust me.”

“For fucks sake- Connor! This is just wrong!” The cop huffed, turning to face the android. It was
silent for a moment or two. Then Hank spoke again. “You said you could bring someone right?”

“Yes.” Connor tilted his head, his brow quirking up in mild confusion. He had made the request
but hadn’t thought much of who he wanted to bring with him. He went straight to meet with Hank
at the Chicken Feed after the events. “Why?”

Hank scoffed, setting one hand on his hip as he gestured to himself and the dog on his lap. “Then
me and Sumo are coming, and don’t you dare try to fight me on it! If anyone had a front seat to
your deviancy, it was me.” The lieutenant huffed, before crossing his thick arms across his chest.
“And Sumo is good emotional support. You’re LED was red when you got here, and when you
started petting Sumo it turned blue.”

Connor could not fight that logic. Hank had indeed known he was deviant well before Connor
himself had. He owed a lot of it to Hank, actually. The man nurtured his deviancy where Cyberlife
punished him for it.

“Alright…” Connor nodded, and he began to think of who else could possibly help him. Gavin?
No. Absolutely not. Captain? Hard no… Mr. Kamski? “Do you think Mr. Kamski would be help? I
know how we both feel regarding him, but he could also delete the program, worst-case
scenario…”

This gave Hank a pause, as he actually considered it. He assumed from Connor’s words that the
android could not do it himself, or he would have. Probably some protective Cyberlife shit. Hank
finally nodded, before reaching into his pocket to retrieve his phone. “Wouldn’t hurt to ask…”

Connor nodded and listened to Hank as the man sat next to him again. His advanced hearing could
pick up on the dial tone before the call picked up. Followed by a static ‘Kamski, How can I help
you?’

“Hey Mr. Kamski, It’s Lieutenant Hank Anderson… I know it’s late, and you probably have a fuck
ton going on but… Me and Connor need a favor.”
 The Hostage
Chapter Summary

‘Negotiator on sight.’ A guard who was standing next to the door spoke into his
headset, beginning to walk down the hallway, further into the home. ‘Repeat,
Negotiator on sight.’ It left Connor alone in the hallway. As he walked, he scanned the
area. A picture frame caught his attention, and he lifted it up to examine it further.
Each face came with an identification.

Chapter Notes

I have nothing better to do but write, so... Enjoy. This one is a long one.
Also, I'm a Chloe Simp.

It was cold. Though, he supposed that was fitting. They were standing outside, where gentle
flurries of snowflakes fell from the sky. His hand twitched, desperate to fiddle with something, but
having nothing. He couldn’t even adjust his tie, having lost it before leading the androids to Hart
Plaza. It wasn’t like Cyberlife was going to send him a new one, after all. The android huffed,
deciding to mess with the sleeves of the large DPD hoodie that the Lieutenant had forced him to
wear. The man insisted that he changed, telling Connor that the android symbols on his jacket were
‘annoyingly blue’ and ‘offensive to the eye.’ Though, Connor had the feeling that Hank just didn’t
like the identifiers. He was pulled from his thoughts by pressure to his left thigh, his eyelids
fluttered for a moment as he came back to reality.

A quick look down revealed the pressure to be Sumo, nose pressed against the jeans he wore.
Connor could not help the soft smile that broke across his tense features. He let his hands stop
fidgeting to reach down and stroke the dog's head. Hank was indeed right, Sumo was good
‘emotional support.’

“Connor.” Distracted by the fluffy beast, he almost didn’t register Hank’s gruff voice saying his
name. He cast his glance up and was shocked when Hank roughly grabbed Connor’s arm which
had fallen to his side and wasn’t petting Sumo. Hank reached into his pocket, pulling out a familiar
small metal before pressing it into Connor’s awaiting hand. Then he let go. “Don’t make me regret
giving it back.” The old Lieutenant huffed and began rubbing his hands together to keep warm.

Connor stared at the coin, closing his fingers around it. He simply nodded and held himself back
from beginning to fiddle with the coin immediately. He didn’t want to push his luck. The android
stood, simply petting Sumo’s head. The action stopped once he heard footsteps approaching them,
Connor could tell it was the leaders. He had saved how each of them carry themselves, and thus
how they would sound walking. It was amplified by the fresh snow on the ground. The android let
his hand fall from Sumo’s fur, tucking the coin away. He clasped his hands together behind his
back, facing the four.

“Hello, Connor.” Markus greeted, lifting his hand up in a slight wave, Connor could see that his
eyes glanced over to where Sumo and Hank stood next to him, Hank holding the leash of the
strong canine. “Is this your… witness?” He gestured to the Lieutenant. Before Connor could even
try to respond, Hank had already opened his mouth.

“Yeah. What the fuck does it matter to you?” The man growled, crossing his arms. Hank could
definitely be intimidating when he wanted to be, Connor mused. Especially when he was sober, as
he was now. “Fuckin’ Android Jesus.” The man scoffed before his attention was drawn to a car
coming down the street. It soured Hank’s mood further to see the familiar limo. “Great! This will
be a laugh.”

The limo stopped directly behind Connor in the street, and the man turned around to it, he took a
step towards the door to open it. However, when he got close enough the door swung open, almost
hitting him. Before his processors had time to register what had happened, he had an arm full of a
beautiful blonde. Her arms were tight around Connor’s waist and her chin was resting on Connor’s
chest, which made him have to look down to see her face. The woman was dressed in a long-
sleeved, sky-blue sweater and black jeans. She had snow boots that were the same color as her
shirt.

“Connor!” She beamed. This caused Connor to flush before he finally reciprocated the hug. He
couldn’t understand why he was getting it, but he was not going to complain. Though he could feel
guilt crawl up his spine. “I knew you could do it!”

“Hi Chloe, it is nice to see you again. You are as beautiful as ever.” Connor complimented, finally
pulling himself from her, and she allowed the separation but did not stray far from him, eager to
talk to him.

“Thank you, and you look far more relaxed than our last meeting, I am sorry some people can not
accept that you have deviated.” Her eyes narrowed as she looked over Connor’s shoulder to the
Jericho crew, who had the decency to look ashamed. Though she quickly turned back to her friend
with a bright smile. “And no hard feelings about last time! Elijah and I knew you wouldn’t shoot
me.”

“Yes, Connor. Congratulations are in order.” Kamski hummed out, finally climbing out of the car
as well. He held a briefcase in his right hand, which further scans revealed was holding what
appeared to be a computer. The man had a thick coat on but wore a suit underneath. His hair was
tied back in its signature bun. “I have come prepared… Oh, well. This is a surprise.” His gaze
broke from the two androids to look at the deviant leader.

“I suppose introductions are in order…” Connor finally spoke, looking between the large cast of
characters that now faced each other. “Markus, and his crew… This is my partner Lieutenant Hank
Anderson and his dog, Sumo.” He gestured to the two who had moved to stand next to Chloe, so
she could pet the very happy canine. “The woman is an RT600, she goes by Chloe… and Mr.
Elijah Kamski.” He finished, taking in the shocked expressions from the group. It wasn’t every day
that you meet your maker and the first android. To find she was deviant was even better.

“Yes, Hello. How is Carl, Markus?” The man asked, a poised smile on his face. The detective
watched Markus shift uncomfortably, but he did nod his head in response, gesturing vaguely to the
open area.

“He is as well as he can be with all of this going on…” Markus hummed, before finally turning to
Connor once again. Though he didn’t say anything for a moment or two. “Are you ready?” He
asked in a serious tone. The android cast a brief glance at his party, and when offered the leash
from Hank, he took it with shaking hands.
“I suppose… As ready as I’ll ever be.”

Once they were all settled in a private room, (they had found a way to get power back into the
abandoned church) Connor surveyed the area. He was glad that they had brought a bench for the
humans he brought, as Kamski and the Lieutenant sat as far away from each other as they could.
Chloe had chosen to sit in front of her creator on the floor, though she didn’t mind and when North
tried to tell her she could sit on the bench, Chloe just glared at her. For a reason that Connor could
not find, the humans and android he brought were protective of him. Unamused with Jericho’s
ways of going about things. While he did not like it himself, he saw logic in their actions. They
wanted to trust him fully.

Connor shifted in his seat that was placed in front of the small crowd, there was a desk behind him,
that held a large TV. He was meant to interface with the item. He scooted his chair to be to the side
of the TV, so he wouldn’t be obstructing any view. With that out of the way, he noted that there
was a separate bench where the Jericho crew had taken residence. They were all sitting, beside
Simon who had approached Connor. The androids met eyes, and Connor visibly flinched. A
realization poured through his systems, his left hand quickly coming to pet the dog's head that was
between his legs.

“I apologize in advance.” That was all Connor was able to say, which earned a strange look from
Simon, but the android shrugged it off.

“I want to see if it works, please interface with the TV and give us a live feed.” The blonde
requested, and Connor nodded. His right hand came up to interface with the side of the TV. His
skin reseeding. The TV lit up and began to show everything Connor looked at. Though the reaction
from his partner caused Connor to breathe a chuckle.

“Holy shit!” The Lieutenant cursed, staring in awe as he saw himself on the screen through
Connor’s eyes. “That’s awesome Con-“ He was cut short when Connor decided to do a quick scan,
his scan proved an elevated heart rate and boosted euphoria. The man was happy. “Did you just
scan me?”

“Yes, Lieutenant. I actually do that often to make sure that you are within healthy parameters.” The
android confessed, then looked back to Simon who cleared his throat. “Ah. Yes, I apologize. It is
working fine.”

“Good, then let us begin,” Simon muttered, patting Connor on the shoulder briefly before joining
the other Jericho members on his bench. Connor took a breath he knew he didn’t need and closed
his eyes. He scanned through his memory banks and pulled up his first mission.

AUGUST 15TH, 2038

‘Ting!’…. ‘Ting!”…

PM 08:29:05

Connor's eyes fluttered open as he flicked the coin in the air, his head lifted slightly to observe the
floor numbers as they climbed and climbed. The sound of the coin picked up pace as it rolled over
his fingers, bouncing between his careful hands. Once the floor number stopped at 70, the coin
was caught between his right pointer finger and the middle. He pocketed the toy before his hands
reached up to adjust his tie. As his hands fell finally to his side, the silver elevator doors slid open.

‘Negotiator on sight.’ A guard who was standing next to the door spoke into his headset, beginning
to walk down the hallway, further into the home. ‘Repeat, Negotiator on sight.’ It left Connor
alone in the hallway. As he walked, he scanned the area. A picture frame caught his attention, and
he lifted it up to examine it further. Each face came with an identification.

PHILLIPS, JOHN

Born: 10/11/1999

Lives: 1554 Park Av. Detroit

PHILLIPS, CAROLINE

Born: 05/23/2001

Lives: 1554 Park Av. Detroit

PHILLIPS, EMMA

Born: 09/02/2028

Lives: 1554 Park Av. Detroit.

With his scan complete, he set the photo down in the exact spot it had been before. No one would
be able to tell that he moved it at all. He heard a woman in the distance, her voice strained with
fear and grief. Though he paid it no mind as he walked further down the hall.

‘No, stop… I… I… I can’t leave her.’ Is what the woman’s voice said as he approached a fish
tank, the glass shattered from a stray gunshot. Flopping caught his attention, and his eyes glanced
down to find a fish on the ground. It was still alive. He crouched down and took the animal into his
hand. A brief scan revealed information about the fish.

DWARF GOURAMI

Trichogaster Lalius

Origin: Ganges Delta, India

The android stood, and let the creature go back into the water. He took a moment to watch it swim.
Once he pulled away, a message appeared on his HUD.

SOFTWARE INSTABILITY ^
“Connor, pause.”

The memory paused, and he minimized it in his HUD before the android ended the interface. The
android looked to find the voice and saw Kamski standing next to him, a hand on his shoulder.
Connor blinked mechanically for a few moments, before tilting his head in confusion.

“Is there something wrong, Mr. Kamski?” Did something happen with the interface? He did not
detect any problems on his own end. The android felt nervous, looking around at all of his friends
and the Jericho crew.

“Nothing is wrong, Connor. They simply had questions, is all.” The hand lifted from his shoulder.
Connor nodded, looking to the crowd as Kamski went to sit back down. He noticed that Chloe had
crawled closer, and was now sitting next to Connor in order to pet Sumo, who Connor had not
stopped petting. A smile pulled across his face for a second before looking back.

“What does Software Instability mean?” Josh hummed, looking at his friends for approval of the
question. They all nodded and turned their attention back to Connor. Who shifted uncomfortably
for a moment, then offered a light-hearted shrug.

“Whenever I did an action that counted as ‘Deviant’ I received a software error.” The detective
spoke, pausing for a second to consider his words before speaking again. “My system and
programming were made to never become deviant, in response, when I acted as such, the error
appeared to signal a fail in programming. It happens a lot, especially later.” He cast his eyes at his
father figure, who sat up straighter at the implication. Though let out a gruff laugh to ease the
tension.

“Sorry, I broke your system, damn.” The cop shrugged, and Connor simply smiled in response. “I
got a question, what made you save the stupid fish?”

“It was alive,” Connor said simply like that was the only answer he needed. He then looked around
at his friends once more. “May I continue?” when he received cohesive agreement from the group,
he resumed the interface.

As he approached the doorway, an armed guard and a woman he quickly identified as Caroline
Phillips entered the room. Her eyes filled with tears as she reached for him. Her hands grabbed
onto him, and he did not stop her.

‘Oh, oh please, please, you gotta save my little girl…” Sudden realization poured across her
features as she finally registered what she saw. Her freshly manicured hands dropped from his
shoulders. “Wait…” She took considerable steps back. The shock was clear on her features as
Connor watched her. “You’re sending an android?”

The guard's hand came to grab one of her wrists. Ready to hall her away. ‘Alright, ma’am. We
need to go.’ He said finally. Though she struggled as she looked at the guard. ‘You can’t… You
can’t do that! You W-“ She cut herself short as the guard led her to the elevator, and Connor tilted
his head to follow her.

“Why aren’t you sending a real person?!” She called out, pointing at him as the guard continued
to pull her away from the RK800. “Keep that thing away from my daughter!” The android simply
turned away after that, fixing his suit before pressing forward through the destroyed home. A
mission popped into his HUD.

FIND CAPTAIN ALLEN

Connor could hear Hank groan from outside his interface, and his body couldn’t help but smile at
the action. They both did not like the Captain.

The android pushed through the apartment, a scan revealing a figure cloaked in gold. The
negotiator entered the room to see the Captain, though he could tell that this was not going to go
well from the way the man carried himself.

“Captain Allen?” Connor asked, finally speaking for the first time that day. Once the man turned
his head to look at him from where he was leaning over another officer's shoulders, Connor
continued. “My name is Connor. I’m the android sent my CyberLife.” At that, the Captain looked
away, pointing at the screen with a shake of his head.

“It’s firing at everything that moves, it already shot down two of my men…” The Captain all but
growled out. Connor tilted his head at this, taking in the information he was getting. “We could
easily get it, but they’re on the edge of the balcony. If it falls…” The man finally turned to look
back at him, a glare on his features. “She falls.” He huffed before turning back to the computer.

Options appeared in his vision, and none had an extremely high rate of success. If he was human,
he was sure he would have sighed.

“Have you tried its deactivation code?” Connor asked, but he supposed he knew the answer before
he even asked.

“It’s the first thing we tried.” The captain replied without looking at him.

“Has it experienced an emotional shock recently?” Connor asked with a tilted head, though the
Captain did not seem fond of his questions as he finally pulled from the desk to approach Connor.

“Listen, saving that kid is all that matters.” The man growled, getting right up in his face with a
glare that could kill, Connor remained passive in his own expression. “So either you deal with this
fucking android now, or ill take care of it.” With that, the Captain walked off.

A probability rating came into his HUD.

48% PROBABILITY OF SUCCESS

EVERY SECOND COUNTS.

With that, two new missions as well popped into his HUD. Both were equally important.

UNDERSTAND WHAT HAPPENED

SAVE HOSTAGE AT ALL COSTS.

The android got to work, walking around the apartment to attain clues of what had happened that
caused the reaction from the android. Daniel, which was supplied from a video in the hostages
room, got angry after realizing that he was going to be replaced with a newer model, and became
violent. With every piece of evidence, the probability of success went up.
The android could hear in the background of his interface that Hank was asking questions about
Connor’s reconstruction. He seemed impressed, and Connor smiled fondly at the ‘Wonders of
Technology’ comment. Though he put his focus back on the interface after.

As he stepped onto the balcony, a gunshot rang out. Connor was able to somewhat dodge it.
Thirium splattered on the wall next to him, but Connor paid it no mind. It did not hurt. He turned
his head to look at the two on the edge, his LED flaring red.

“Stay back!” It yelled. “Don’t come any closer or I’ll jump!” It was covered in Thirium, as was
the girl who was sobbing and trashing in the android's hold.

“No! No, please! I’m begging you!” The girl cried, flinching as the android took another step
back, and aimed the gun at the girl’s temple.

“Hi, Daniel.” He heard the android let out a quiet ‘How..’ before Connor cut him off to continue.
“My name is Connor.”

“How do you know my name?” The android spoke, fear in its voice. Connor did not react. He only
continued speaking in a calm voice.

“I know a lot of things about you.” Connor hummed, he put his hands out to show he had no
weapon before he began taking careful steps as though approaching a wounded animal. “I’ve
come to get you out of this.” A helicopter flew above them, sending furniture flying, and lowering
the success rate. He continued his slow steps towards the two.

“I know you’re angry Daniel. But you need to trust me and let me help you.”

“I don’t want your help!” It cried out. Looking distressed as he waved back and forth with the girl
in its arms. “Nobody can help me. All I want is for all this to stop! I… I just want all this to stop!”
It growled as it threw its hand with the gun in the air before turning it’s aim to Connor. “Are you
armed?”

“I have a gun.”

“Oh for fucks sake! Don’t tell him that Connor!” Connor would roll his eyes at Hank’s
comment if he could. Though it did help ease some tension in Connor’s body as his mind played
the memory.

“Drop it!’” It yelled, waving the gun more. “No sudden moves or I’ll shoot!” Connor nodded,
reaching into his back pocket to pull out the gun. He tossed it to the side.

“There. No more gun.” He spoke, shaking his head and watching the rating climb dramatically.
Then continued his approach. Connor spotted the man next to him and changed his steps to get
closer to the man. “They were going to replace you, and you became upset. That’s what happened,
right?”

“I thought I was part of the family…” It muttered, grief in its words. “I thought I mattered…” It
lowered the gun for a moment before becoming angry again. Lifting the gun to the girl's head once
more. “But I was just their toy! Something to throw away when you’re done with.” The girl sobbed
and struggled.

“I know you and Emma were very close.” Careful steps. “You think she betrayed you, but she’s
done nothing wrong.”

“She lied to me!” It yelled out. “She’s just like all the other humans.” While it talked, Connor
leaned down to the officer. Scanning him. The injury was severe.

“Daniel, no!” The girl cried, struggling against the android.

“He’s losing blood. If we don’t get him to a hospital he’s going to die.” Connor pressed. His eyes
set on the android in front of him.

“All humans die eventually. What does it matter if this one dies now.”

“I’m going to apply a tourniquet,” Connor spoke, reaching up for the only fabric he could use, his
tie. While he pushed the officer over onto his back. A gun firing made Connor pause his
movements. It only hit the floor. A warning shot.

“Don’t touch him! Touch him and I kill you!” It yelled, aiming its gun at Connor. Connor
calculated the risks quickly, before ignoring him.

“You can’t kill me. I'm not alive.” He huffed, yanking the tie off his neck in one movement.

“That’s hot.” He heard from behind the interface, which completely flustered Connor. Enough to
cause him to pause and end the interface. He opened his eyes to look at the voice who spoke,
meeting Markus’ mismatched ones.

“W-What? I don’t see how temperature has anything to do with this…” He spoke, feigning
innocence. He quickly looked away, taking in the other's reactions to such a comment.

“Markus, what the hell!” North barked, gesturing to Connor while glaring at the now flushed
Deviant Leader. Oh, he didn’t mean to let that thought out of his mind. “Don’t compliment the
accused!”

“Well! Was I wrong?” Markus snapped. His arms crossed over his chest as he turned his gaze to
the floor.

“How interesting… I know Connor is pretty, but to catch your eye? Now that, Id love to explore.”
Kamski hummed in amusement, able to flush the leader further.

“Okay! Let's get back to the trial!” Simon mused, despite his very amused expression. Markus let
out a sigh of relief but only tensed back up when he met Hank’s stern gaze. Oh right, his dad was
here. The deviant leader sunk as far into his seat as he could.

Connor breathed to let himself calm down, and Chloe took his hand so that he didn’t need to
interface. Giving it a reassuring squeeze. Connor resumed his interface, unpausing the memory and
being pulled back into the scene. It was so real, and it riddled him with guilt.
 “Listen… I know it’s not your fault.” Connor began, being logical about the situation. “These
emotions you’re feeling are just errors in your software.”

“No.” It cried. “It’s not my fault… I never wanted this. I loved them.” It began to lower its gun
again for a moment. “You know… But I was nothing to them! Just a slave to be ordered around.”
The gun once again turned to a crying Emma. The helicopter hovering above them apparently
made it angry.

“Ugh! I can’t stand that noise anymore!” It yelled as it flailed itself and the girl around. The gun
landed on him again. “Tell that helicopter to get out of here!”

Connor lifted a hand, looking a the chopper. He motioned for it to back off, and surprisingly it did.
Great, leverage.

“There. I did what you wanted.” He began to take more careful steps closer. Finally within arms
reach of the deviant. “You have to trust me, Daniel. Let the hostage go and I promise you
everything will be fine.”

The deviant seemed to consider the idea before its mind needed a way out of this. “I want everyone
to leave… And I wanna car! When I’m outside the city, I’ll let her go!” It tried to reason, but they
both knew that was impossible.

“That’s impossible, Daniel. Let the girl go and I promise you won’t be hurt.”

“I don’t wanna die.”

“You’re not going to die. We’re just going to talk.”

The interface began to glitch, though the memory continued playing. Errors began popping up
dramatically around the memory.

WARNING – STRESS LEVEL AT 84% AND RISING

And many more like it followed across the screen, the group turned to look at Connor, who was
just how he was before, eyes closed in the interface. His LED now flared a scarlet red.

“Connor?” Chloe asked, though where he would have paused before, it simply continued.

“Nothing will happen to you. You have my word.” Connor promised an empty promise. It wasn’t
like he could feel guilt.

“Okay… I trust you…” It spoke softly, its LED finally pulsing a steady blue. Emma dropped from
its hold, and she scrambled away.

“Connor!” He could hear Chloe’s voice, and he could feel pressure on his shoulder from two
large hands that were not her smaller ones. “Son! Connor! Snap out of it!”

Connor lowered his head, and the snipers on the roof took the shot once Emma was out of danger.
Three shots. One to the side, One to the shoulder, and one to the head. Thirium covered the
android and the surrounding ground.

“Connor! Please! You’re going to self-destruct!”

The android fell to its knees, head lifting to look at Connor. He could see the betrayal, hurt, and
fear in its blue gaze.

“You lied to me, Connor.”

SOFTWARE INSTABILITY ^

“You lied to me…” Its voice glitches as it finally shut down.

The android looked around, looking at the girl. Once he assed that she was okay, he turned and
walked away.

MISSION SUCCESSFUL

The interface ended as Connor finally pulled his hand away from the TV. The skin resealed over
his hand. What he came back to was not good, his vision was full of errors and warnings. Red
boxes filling almost every inch of it. He could feel hands on his shoulders, shaking him. He could
hear Sumo barking, and everyone yelling at once. The biggest warning above all the others was his
stress level.

STRESS LEVEL 94%

SELF-DESTRUCT IMMINENT.

Suddenly, he got a message alerting him to a neck port being forced open, which caused his stress
to rise another two points. It then began to drop rapidly as the errors and messages began to
disappear, his pump began to regulate, and his systems began to settle. He felt a wave of calm pour
through him, and his shoulders relaxed. Connor blinked as everything came into focus once more.

The first thing he noticed was that Hank was in front of him, gripping his shoulders tightly. His
eyes were stern but concerned at the same time. The next thing he saw was Chloe holding his hand,
interfacing. When he met her eyes, another wave of tension dissipated. She was sending him
reassurance through their connection. He also saw Kamski standing next to him, his computer
placed on the desk with the TV, typing away. The computer was hooked up to himself by the port
in his neck.

The Jericho crew stood mostly back, except for Markus who was to Hank’s right, where Chloe was
on the left. The leader looked concerned, saddened, and guilt-ridden.

“I am okay,” Connor muttered once his voice box came back online, Kamski seemed to be
restarting and running diagnostics on his systems to cause them to return to their normal
functionality. Thus, calming him down.

“Tell me that when you stop crying, kid.” Hank huffed. Letting his shoulders go in favor of
bringing his son into his arms. They wrapped tightly around the android, and Connor just leaned
into him. He hadn’t even noticed he was crying. Though, he supposed the memory was not one he
liked to relive. He relived it whenever he saw a PL600, whenever he saw Simon. A passive
expression crossed his mind, and he closed his eyes. Willing his systems to calm down.

After a few minutes, Kamski approached. He undid the wire in Connor's neck, letting the port
close. Connor pulled back, instinctively rubbing the area on his neck where the wire had been. He
examined everyone around him and sighed softly. His stress levels were well within normal
parameters.

“I am sorry. I did not mean to cause distress. I will try not to let my emotions get the better of me
during the next memory.” Connor hummed, sitting up straight again. The detective pulled his hand
away from Chloe and folded them neatly in his lap.

“Next time! Fuck that!” Hank barked, turning to the Jericho crew for a moment before looking at
the RK800 again. “They ain’t worth killing yourself over, son!

“Lieutenant, this is an isolated incident. It will not happen again.” Connor tried to argue, tilting his
head to stare at the older man. “Though I appreciate your concern… I will stop interfacing if the
memory becomes too unstable.”

Hank shook his head, muttering something which Connor was sure sounded like ‘Fuckin’
androids.’ He turned his head to Markus, who had approached. The other three were now getting
closer as well. North held her typical bitchy expression while the other three at least looked
concerned for his well-being.

“Connor… Is there anything else that might cause this kind of reaction again? We can have Simon
monitor your systems while you interface?” Josh asked, gesturing to the blonde. Simon nodded,
before getting down on his knees in front of the detective. He placed a hand on Connor’s knee.

“I know Daniel wouldn’t blame you if he was here right now. I don’t. We were all slaves to our
programming. We all had choices once we broke free. He chose to be violent. It was not your fault,
Connor.” Simon's voice was reassuring, and Connor nodded along. He wanted to believe it. He
truly did.

“You saved that little girl and that cop, Connor. You did a good job.” Markus spoke next and
placed his hand on Connor’s shoulder. Connor felt the praise wash through him, that was new. It
warmed his system in a way he had never felt before. A small smile forced its way onto his face,
and he could feel his cheeks heating up.

“Thank you, both of you… I should be okay, none of the next few scenes are very stressful
besides…” He gulped, shaking his head. He could see her face so clearly in his head. “Besides
Amanda… But, I’ll be able to handle it.”

Sumo approached from where he had been pushed out of the way, settling his body against
Connor’s legs again. A whimper spilled from the dog before Connor reached out to stroke his
head. “Good boy, Sumo!” Connor heard Hank say, and the dog’s tail wagged happily.

“Shall we continue?”
 Partners
Chapter Summary

“You know…” Connor laughed a dry laugh, sending shivers down the spines of some
of the androids. Nothing about Connor was inherently scary, he was made to be
disarming and comforting. However, every android in the room knew that Connor was
dangerous. They did not call him a ‘deviant hunter’ for no reason. In the blink of an
eye, Connor could easily take them all out. “I find you to be hypocritical and vain.
You preach to the world how you want humans to respect you, treat you better, and
understand you…” Connor easily towered over the woman, who tried not to show that
she was becoming increasingly stressed. “Yet you sit here, judging them for
everything they do. You lack any empathy for anyone but yourself, not even your own
people, because some human… somewhere….” Connor leaned down to get right in
her face. This made the other leaders stand, and Hank seemed ready to intervene as
well. “hurt you, and instead of letting go, you sit here and lash out at everyone around
you, and everyone lets you. I won’t. Not at him. ”

Chapter Notes

Hello! Chapter three. This one is a tad long, and I used it to ease some tension between
Connor and North because I want them to become friends. I see North liking someone
who fights back though, and while Connor is more passive than her when it comes to
defending himself, I see him protecting the people he cares for without mercy.

I also put a few more Markus/Connor scenes there.

“Alright Connor, why don’t you explain what this next event is?” Simon asked, hovering behind
the android near Kamski’s set-up laptop. The wire was plugged into the RK800’s neck port,
monitoring his systems. “Just so… yakow. We aren’t left in the dark…?”

Connor nodded in a brief understanding, he supposed only he and Hank would truly understand the
nuisances of the case they were working on, and how it all came together. The detective thought
for a moment about how to explain this case.

“Well, I was created and sent to hunt deviants. Lieutenant Anderson was assigned a case that
involved an android attacking its owner, which meant that I was assigned to work under him. This
scene will be us meeting, and going to the scene.” Connor hummed, gesturing vaguely to the
Lieutenant, who simply rolled his eyes. The man shifted uncomfortably in his seat and met
Connor’s eyes reluctantly.

“You can just call me Hank.” Was huffed out between the man's lips, and his arms crossed over his
chest. “Don’t know how many times I have to tell you that. We’re not at work.” Connor flushed for
a moment in embarrassment. Hank had told him many times to address him by his first name.
Connor gave a slight shrug in response as he glanced back a too the group as a whole.

“I will try Lieu- Hank,” Connor answered before casting a glance over his shoulder at the PL600.
“May I proceed now?” Once Simon gave him a thumbs up, Connor reached his hand up once again
to interface with the TV. He briefly registered that Chloe had begun to lean against his leg as she
watched. Though far more interested in the dog between Connor’s legs than the interface being
shown.

“Even I do not get this attention from Chloe, and I made her.” The creator huffed, his icy blue eyes
met Chloe’s. The woman’s lips turned up in a smirk before she stuck her tongue out at Kamski
playfully.

“Connor is better!” She laughed, which caused Kamski to simply roll his eyes in response. No real
malice behind the action. A fond smile pulled over the creator's face as he simply nodded in
agreement with her statement.

“Right, you are, my dear. Connor is indeed exquisite.” Then a devious smile pulled across the
creator's features, his head turning to the deviant leader to address him. “Wouldn’t you agree,
Markus?”

At the sudden attention, Markus perked up. The leader processed his words, then looked away as
quickly as he could. If he was a human, he would have had whiplash from how fast he turned
away. Though everyone seemed to look at him, awaiting an answer.

“Uh… Well… I mean…” The leader bit his lip, looking up to meet Connor’s beautiful doe-brown
eyes. God, Markus would give up his bank account if he had one for those beautiful eyes. “Yeah,”
Markus spoke breathily, before turning away again, hiding his lower face in the flap of his jacket.

Connor felt Thirium rush to his face, bleeding into his cheeks and ears. The android gulped,
looking around at everyone who had turned to him expectantly. He shifted in his seat, thinking of
the proper words to use to respond as well.

“Thank you, Markus. I believe you are also quite well desirable as well.” The detective nodded,
sure of his words. After a moment of silence, he lifted his hand to the edge of the TV once more,
his eyes fluttered closed. He could register North slapping Markus’ shoulder and muttering to him
about ‘fraternizing with the enemy.' The skin peeled back on his hand, allowing the interface to
begin. He sorted through his files, coming to the next memory.

NOVEMBER 5TH, 2038

PM 11:21:39

The rain was pouring from the sky, thunder rumbling in the distance. Connor stood across the
street, examining a bar. The sign read “Jimmy’s’ in bright neon. It was what humans would
describe as a ‘hole in the wall.’ The man flicked his coin over and over as he began to walk across
the wet pavement, stopping once he was close. The android pocketed the coin and reached up to fix
his tie once more. Then approached the door, blatantly ignoring the ‘No Android’ sign plastered
on the door. His mission did not have time for such idiotic sentiment. Once the door closed behind
him, a few patrons turned to aim their gazes at the android who had entered. They began to mutter
things that Connor’s audio processors picked up.
‘Shit, I thought androids weren’t allowed in here!’ ‘Hey, get outta here!’

Connor simply ignored the glares and harsh words. He was not programmed to feel. He scanned
the room, identifying faces. Each one came up with a detailed description and a mug shot. Every
face he scanned was wrong, making his way to the back of the bar. If he was alive, he would
certainly be annoyed at the wild goose chase he was on for the drunk. He began to walk towards
the exit, still scanning. Finally, his scan landed on the hunched-over man sitting at the bar, his
long hair making his face unseeable, but it was enough for Connor’s scan.

MATCH

LT. ANDERSON, HANK

Born; 09/06/1985 // Police Lieutenant

Criminal record: None

With the match found, Connor slid himself neatly between the seat the Lieutenant was occupying
and the one behind him.

“Lieutenant Anderson, my name is Connor. I’m the android sent by CyberLife.” He began, and the
man did not give him any reaction, simply keeping his eyes on the bar in front of him. Connor took
that as a sign to continue. “I looked for you at the station but nobody knew where you were. They
said you were probably having a drink nearby. I was lucky to find you at the fifth bar.” He
mentions impassively. Though if he was human, he’d have been seething with annoyance after the
first two.

“What do you want?” the Lieutenant asked gruffly. Connor could tell this might not go as well as
he was hoping it was going to. The man seemed gruff, off-putting and had a negative disposition.

“You were assigned a case early this evening.” He paused to give the man time to remember what
he was talking about, when the man showed no signs of such, Connor simply continued. “A
homicide, involving a Cyberlife Android. In accordance with procedure, the company has
allocated a specialized model to assist investigators.” Connor finished, which finally received
some acknowledgment from the Lieutenant.

“Well, I don’t need any assistance. 'Specially not from some plastic asshole like you.” The man
tilted his head in his direction but did not lift it to look at him at all before continuing. “So just be a
good lil’ robot and get the fuck outta here.” He waved his free hand dismissively before bringing
his almost empty drink to his lips. Connor was silent for a moment, deciding on how to approach
the situation.

“I’m sorry, Lieutenant, but I must insist. My instructions stipulate that I have to accompany you.”
Connor tried to persist.

“You know where you can stick your instructions?” The man spoke, letting out a gruff chuckle at
his own joke. Though Connor simply tilted his head in the same way he always did when he was
confused.

“No… Where?” Hank turned to give him a weird look, before turning back to his game. A message
appeared in his HUD. The android frowned at the little box. He could fix this.
HANK v

“I understand that some people are not comfortable in the presence of androids but I am-“ He
began, trying to be understanding but was cut off as the man loudly spoke, almost yelling.

“I am perfectly comfortable. Now back off, before I crush you like an empty beer can!” With that,
he returned to leaning over his almost empty drink. It gave Connor an idea. A smile pulled over his
features as he leaned over the Lieutenant once again.

“You know what? I’ll buy you one for the road. What do you say?” Before the man could respond,
Connor looked to the bartender and owner of the establishment. “Bartender, the same again,
please!” He spoke, pulling the money CyberLife had issued him out to place it on the bar. The
Lieutenant seemed pleased, holding out his glass to the begrudging bartender.

HANK ^^

“See that, Jim? Wonders of technology… Make it a double.” Once the drink was poured, the older
man lifted the drink to his lips to allow all the liquid to slide down at once. After setting the glass
down with a satisfying breath, he finally was able to come face to face with the taller Lieutenant as
the man stood up. “Did you say homicide?”

The two made their way to the car, silently driving to the scene after a brief conversation about
where the crime had taken place. Connor stared dead ahead as they drove, saying nothing when
the Lieutenant turned up the music. In response, Connor turned down his audio processors.
Though he did find the music to have energy.

“North, calm down.” Connor could hear the android behind him speak, as well as a growl from
the android in question.

“It’s stupid! It’s a stupid sentiment, and he’s just taking it!” The leader's voice tried to argue. “And
you! You’re his friend? What friend treats their friends like an object!” Connor had to pause the
interface and pull his hand away. A stern look made its way to his features and fell on the steaming
android, who had been sitting when Connor had first begun the interface. The comment was
directed at Hank. Oh, hell no. The detective stood up as well, jostling Chloe and Sumo from their
comfortable positions.

“I was not simply ‘just taking it.’” The detective spoke, drawing the android’s attention to himself
instead of on his partner, who he already knew felt bad for how he treated Connor at the beginning.
“At this point, all I am…” He glanced away, shaking his head softly. No, he needed to get that
mentality out of his head. “I was a machine designed to accomplish a task, and that is what I was
doing. It did not and does not bother me now.” He finished, taking strides to approach the woman,
interposing himself between her and the human.

“Stockholm syndrome, Connor?” The woman barked, her features morphing into a glare that held
some level of concern for the android. He took a brief moment to search the illness before his own
stern face turned to one of quiet anger.

“You know…” Connor laughed a dry laugh, sending shivers down the spines of some of the
androids. Nothing about Connor was inherently scary, he was made to be disarming and
comforting. However, every android in the room knew that Connor was dangerous. They did not
call him a ‘deviant hunter’ for no reason. In the blink of an eye, Connor could easily take them all
out. “I find you to be hypocritical and vain. You preach to the world how you want humans to
respect you, treat you better, and understand you…” Connor easily towered over the woman, who
tried not to show that she was becoming increasingly stressed. “Yet you sit here, judging them for
everything they do. You lack any empathy for anyone but yourself, not even your own people,
because some human… somewhere….” Connor leaned down to get right in her face. This made
the other leaders stand, and Hank seemed ready to intervene as well. “hurt you, and instead of
letting go, you sit here and lash out at everyone around you, and everyone lets you. I won’t. Not at
him. ”

“Connor-“ Markus tried to cut in, defuse the situation. Though neither of the androids seemed
ready to give up their staring contest with each other. The deviant watched as North’s fear turned
into rage, and her fist reached to punch Connor in the face. However, where Connor would have
taken North’s abuse before, he simply caught her wrist before impact.

“Yes, violence. Your coping mechanism. I am afraid you will have to try harder than that. I am far
superior in programming than you, as you were made to lay and I was made to fight.” Connor
barked out. North’s rage seethed at the personal attack on her original purpose and past, and the
idea that she would ever lay down for anyone again.

“You’re a fucking machine.” North barked, ripping her hand away from Connor who let her.

“Ouch. My feelings.” Connor placed a hand on his thirium pump in mock offense, his expression
changing to a dramatic hurt. Snickers from Connor’s party could be heard around the room.
Markus finally wedged his way in between the two glaring androids. His back to North and his
stern gaze at Connor. Yes, he found Connor to be an amazing person. However, North was his
friend. A close one at that, and he couldn’t just let Connor get away with putting her down like
that.

“Connor. That was too far.” The leader chastised. Where he would have expected Connor to falter,
as he often did when Markus turned his anger towards the detective, Connor simply stood up
straighter. Markus was lucky to have a few inches on Connor. “Apologize.” He demanded though a
part of him knew that wasn’t going to happen. Connor seemed to hum in thought, reaching a hand
up to rub his chin. The doe-brown eyes narrowed as if he was thinking. Markus knew he wasn’t
though. He could see the LED circling a calm blue. It was an act.

“No.” Connor finally decided on, meeting Markus’ mismatched ones. “I won’t. She insulted my
friend. No, that isn’t right actually…” The hunter paused, looking behind him at Hank, who shifted
awkwardly at the sudden attention. “She insulted someone who is as close to a father as I could
have based on circumstantial evidence. So no, I will not apologize.”

Markus was about to open his mouth to tell Connor that even if she did, he had gone too far. Then
realization crossed his face. North went too far. Connor wasn’t denying that he did, he was simply
telling Markus that she had as well. It was a boundary that Connor was setting. The thought filled
Markus with pride. Connor was coming to terms with what he would accept from others and what
he would not. The family he had obtained was a boundary.

“Can you both apologize?” Chloe suddenly spoke up, lifting herself from the floor and dusting off
her expensive jeans. “North, you insulted Connor’s family. Connor, you brought up something
North doesn’t like to think about. You are both wrong. Apologize.” Her words held a certain
finality in them that left no room for argument. However, the RK800 went to do just that.
“Connor!” That caused the android to shrink back, sighing. The brunette nodded and looked at
Markus expectantly. The leader flushed as he realized he was standing between the two and slipped
away.

“North, I apologize. I do not like my family being insulted. Not after all they have done for me.”
Connor finally spoke after a minute or two. Neither one wanted to apologize at first, but Connor’s
negotiation programming told him that it would be better if he did. The redhead stared for a
moment, their eyes locking in a battle. Though Connor’s words were apologetic, his face held a
blank expression.

“Fine… I’m sorry for what I said… I get why you did. I’m pretty protective over my family too.”
A smile finally broke across North’s face. Which in turn caused Connor’s lips to quirk up in a soft
smile. It eased the intimidating features back into their soft ones. Back to the Connor they knew.
“Good to know you aren’t a complete pushover.” She hummed, bumping shoulders with the
android as a sign of respect and forgiveness.

“Only when it comes to himself!” Josh laughed from behind her, and this managed to cause the
group to all laugh in agreement. Even Connor. It successfully eased the rising tension in the room.
Simon looked at Connor once the laughter ceased, and the android nodded in response.

“Back to the trial.” The PL600 spoke in an apologetic tone. He received a light slap from Chloe on
the arm. Simon yelped and rubbed the offended limb. “Hey…!”

“I think what you mean to say is… back to my brother being badass and solving crimes!” She
squealed happily. This caused the disheartened Connor to perk up as he returned to his seat. He
offered a hand to help Chloe sit back down on the ground. The woman took it and lowered herself
to the ground. It wasn’t as though she needed the help, Connor was just a gentleman. The blonde
turned her attention to Markus, who was helping North get settled in her spot before sitting in his
own. The deviant leader was also a gentleman. “Markus, try to keep it in your pants for the crime
scene bits.”

The deviant leader exploded in embarrassed stutters and frantic hand waves. Simon chuckled
behind her, where Josh busted out laughing. It was not every day the leader became so flustered.
Markus struggled to gain his composure for a moment, though his face was still holding a deep
blue hue from the rush of Thirium.

“Its… It's not like that…” He muttered, awkwardly reaching up to rub at his neck, casting his
glance at the concrete under his boots. Connor was just now dealing with deviancy, he didn’t need
Markus to be a gay mess. He needed Markus to be his leader and friend. “Let’s just get on with it.”

Connor nodded his head, returning to the interface. “I shall skip the boring thirty-minute car ride,
as we said nothing and I thought nothing.”

Once the car pulled up to the curve, the android turned his head to look at the grumpy and
intoxicated police Lieutenant. The man shifted the car into park, one hand still on the wheel as he
turned to face the machine. He lifted a finger and pointed it at Connor.

“You wait here.” He spoke, beginning to take off his seatbelt and climb out of the automobile. “I
won’t be long.” Connor would have sighed if he could, but he chose to be patient. His orders did
specify that he had to listen to the man to some degree.
“Whatever you say, Lieutenant.” Connor hummed, watching his HUD notify him that his
relationship with Hank had risen. Though the response made him think that the thing might be
broken.

“Fuckin’-A, whatever I say…” He grumbled as he climbed out of the car. A message appeared on
his HUD.

CONFLICTING ORDERS

SELECTING PRIORITY

FOLLOW LT. ANDERSON

Connor pushed the car door open, stepping out into the rain once again. He was glad that his skin
did not retain wetness, and that damp clothes were not uncomfortable for androids. He followed
the Lieutenant, pushing past some journalists to come to a stop at a yellow holo-graphic bar. A
police android stopped him.

“Androids are not permitted beyond this point.”

“Isn’t he beyond the point?” North joked, receiving a light-hearted laugh from the Lieutenant
and a nod.

“Ironic, ain't it?”

“It’s with me!” He heard his partner call out, and the android then allowed him to pass. The older
officer did not seem pleased with the android following him. The man rolled his eyes. “What part
of ‘stay in the car’ didn’t you understand?”

“Your orders contradicted my instructions, Lieutenant.” Connor hummed, folding his hands
behind his back in a passive motion. The man let out a long sigh. Of course.

“You don’t talk, you don’t touch anything and you stay outta my way, got it?”

“Got it.”

Hank turned to see another man, who Connor quickly found out was Officer Ben through a brief
scan.

“Evening, Hank. We were starting to think you weren’t gonna show.” The man was standing on
the porch, out of the rain. The two moved to join him, Hank gesturing back as he replied.

“Yeah, that was the plan until this asshole found me.” Ben looked at Connor, with no real emotion
on the man’s face for Connor to decipher.

“So… you got yourself an android, huh?”

“Oh, very funny.” Hank seemed offended at the pure notion of Connor belonging to him, scoffing
before continuing. “Just tell me what happened.” The officer muttered as they began to make their
way toward the front door. Officer Ben began to give a detailed report, which Connor had already
downloaded. Though his orders specified that he should listen.
“We had a call around eight from the landlord. The tenant hadn’t paid his rent for a few months,
so he thought he’d drop by, and see what was going on… That’s when he found the body.” They
spoke as they walked into the living room, A quick look around the room, and you could see the
blood leading a trail to the body that was up against the wall. In the blood, the words ‘I AM
ALIVE’ were written in a classic CyberLife font. Perfect in a way that only an android could do.

Hank briefly commented about the smell, prompting the man to continue. “Was even worse before
we opened the windows.” He commented conversationally, before continuing with the report.
“The victim’s name’s Carlos Ortiz. He has a record of theft and aggravated assault… According
to the neighbors, he was kind of a loner. Stayed inside most of the time, they hardly ever saw him.”
Ben finished, Connor’s eyes turned to Hank, who was leaning over the body with a light in his
hands. Focus pours into the older man's features.

“State he’s in… wasn’t worth calling everybody out here in the middle of the night… Could’ve
waited ‘til morning.” Hank grumbled, bringing himself to his feet with a tired groan. Well, that’s
what he gets for being intoxicated. Ben began talking again.

“I’d say he’s been there for a good three weeks. We’ll know more when the coroner gets here.
There’s a kitchen knife over here, probably the weapon.” Connor honed in on that fact, adding it to
a bulleted list of all the evidence he needed to acquire. He was simply waiting for a good time to
depart and do his job.

“Any sign of a break-in?” Hank asked, and the other cop shook his head.

“Nope… The landlord said the front door was locked from the inside, all the windows were
boarded up. The killer must’ve got out the back way.”

“What do we know about his android?”

“Not much. The neighbors confirmed that he had one, but it wasn’t here when we arrived…” The
man seemed to finally be done, having enough of the smell. “I gotta get some air. Make yourself at
home. I’ll be outside if you need me.”

Connor took this opportunity to get to work. He began to examine clues. First starting with the
body. Twenty-eight stab wounds. Hank commented on the killer wanting him dead. Connor could
not deny that reasoning. Twenty-eight was excessive.

Next, Connor turned to the weapon. He leaned down on one knee, his fingers swiping through the
dry blood enough to get a good sample on his pointer and middle finger. He brought the two to his
open mouth. That got a reaction from the Lieutenant.

“Err, Jesus! What the hell are you doing?!” Hank yelled, disgust written all over his features.
Connor turned to him, blinking for a moment. Then responding, as if it was obvious.

“I’m analyzing the blood. I can check samples in real-time.” He spoke as if it was common
knowledge. He then realized that it may be disturbing to humans. “I’m sorry, I should have
warned you.”

“Still fuckin’ disgusting!’ He heard from outside his interface. It brought a devious smirk to his
features, which did not go unnoticed. “You little shit!”

“Ok, just… don’t… put any more evidence in your mouth, you got it?” Hank huffed, still quite
disgusted but ready to be done with the conversation entirely.

“Got it.”
“Fuckin’ hell, I can’t believe this shit.” He grumbled as he walked away with crossed arms.
Connor simply got back to work. He analyzed the red ice on the table across from the body, which
Hank then ordered a full analysis on to Chris. Connor then made his way deeper into the home,
reconstructing what happened as he went, taking in every detail. He paused for a moment and
looked at the door next to him that led out back. Opening the door, he saw footprints. They were
Officer Collins’s. No other signs of escape were present in the muddy backyard.

Hank approached from behind him, leaning on the doorframe with his arms crossed. “Door was
locked from the inside. Killer must’ve gone out this way.” He hummed in thought, eyes scanning
the garden.

“There are no footprints, apart from Officer Collin’s size 10 shoes.” Connor hummed, deciding
that the killer could not possibly have left through the garden.

“Well, this happened weeks ago. Tracks could’ve faded.” Hank spoke, which to a human was
logical. To Connor, it was stupid. The android turned to look at Hank, beginning to walk back
inside.

“No. this type of soil would’ve retained a trace. Nobody’s been out here for a long time.” Connor
spoke, giving Hank something to think about as he continued his preconstruction. When he finished
and found out what happened, he returned to the Lieutenant.

“Lieutenant. I think I’ve figured out what happened.” He spoke, Hank perked up, gesturing for the
man to continue.

“Oh yeah? Shoot. I’m all ears.” He pushed off the wall he was leaning against, ready to follow the
android through the home.

“It all started in the kitchen.” The RK800 hummed, leading Hank to the kitchen where the human
began to look around. The police Lieutenant nodded.

“There’s obvious signs of a struggle… The question is what exactly happened here.”

Connor walked around the table, before looking at the knife holder on the wall. A preconstruction
comes to life before his eyes. “I think the victim attacked the android with the bat.”

The lieutenant nodded in approval. He was making the connections in his mind as the android
spoke, though surprised there was no evidence of the android being attacked, only red blood from
the human. “That lines up with the evidence, go on.”

Connor nodded, going through the case. He told Hank how the Android had stabbed the victim
with the knife, and the victim fled to the living room. The killing weapon was the knife. Hank
nodded along with everything Connor said, even seeming mildly impressed.

“Ok, your theory’s not totally ridiculous, but it doesn’t tell us where the android went.” The man
vaguely gestured around. A thoughtful look filled his synthetic features, the bat… of course!

“It was damaged by the bat… and lost some Thirium,” Connor noted, though knew the human
didn’t understand by the expression on his face, looking at Connor as though the android was an
alien.

“Lost what?”

“Thirium. You call it ‘Blue Blood.’ It’s the fluid that powers androids’ biocomponents. It
evaporates after a few hours and becomes invisible to the naked eye.” Connor explained simply,
watching Hank finally make the connection.

“Oh…” The human suddenly realized something, a smirk pulling across his lips. “But you can
still see it, can’t you?” Hank spoke, an amused tone to his voice. Connor muttered out a
confirmation and watched his relationship with Hank rise from the action. The android set to
work, switching his optical unit to search for traces of Thirium during his scans, he made his way
through the home.

It led to the bathroom, which Connor examined thoroughly. Found some religious offerings and
repeated scribbles of rA9 on the wall and floor of the shower. It confused the detective, but he
quickly realized that the deviant did not stay in the bathroom. Connor examined outside the room,
finding a missing ladder, raising his head he found a door to the home's attic. On it was a blue
handprint.

“Why does it feel as though you are walking into a horror movie?” Chloe’s voice spoke from
outside the interface, and Connor paused it for a moment to pull his hand away and address the
blonde.

“I suppose it could be unsettling. I am sorry to cause you distress.” The offense that built on
Chloe’s face as she reached her hand’s up to squish Connor’s cheek and pull him down to her
level.

“Never apologize for what you went through. I never have.” The detective nodded, offering a brief
smile to the woman and swatting her hand away. His attention turned from her to the group. Hank
looked about ready to fall asleep. He knew how this went, and it was just as boring re-watching it.
Kamski was on his phone, scrolling away mindlessly. Connor’s audio processors could detect a
sound emitting from Kamski’s ear, probably a headphone.

Simon shifted behind him nervously, the android had always been squeamish. The others of the
Jericho crew also seemed uncomfortable. It made guilt rush through Connor, he hadn’t considered
that they would be uncomfortable with what they were seeing. After shifting in his seat for a
moment, he addressed them.

“I do apologize, I did not warn you of the gruesome events in this case. Murder is never pretty.”
The group perked up before a chuckle poured from the leader. Markus leaned forward, his
forearms resting against his knees as their eyes met again. Amused, he was amused.

“It’s alright, Con. We led a revolution, we’ve seen worse.” He hummed, thoughtful for a second.
When the leader noticed that it did nothing to relax the android and only stressed him further.
Markus stood up, approaching the deviant hunter. “Here, let me show you what I was doing while
this was happening.” He offered his hand, the skin falling away instinctively.

Their hands met as Connor took the offered appendage, once fully interfaced, Markus replayed the
memory of the dump. One he would never forget. The screaming, the helpless androids. It broke
his heart that he could do nothing but fight to survive, and kill to make others suffer less. Once the
interface ended, the skin resealed but they did not let go of each other’s hand.

“Markus…” Connor muttered breathlessly. The two met eyes, and what Markus saw broke his
heart. Those doe-brown eyes held a hurt beyond measure. A bone-chilling fear. Guilt was all-
consuming. They were glassy and ready to burst with tears, and none of it was for himself, it was
for him. Markus’ simulated breathing hitched for a moment. Though Connor schooled his
expression to be passive, and the tears to cease. Once the detective had calmed down, the last thing
Markus expected was to be pulled down to his knees in a hug since Connor was still sitting. “I am
so sorry.”

“Its… It's okay, Con. Really…” The leader hummed, wrapping his arms around the other. He
instinctively rubbed the others back in their close contact.

“It’s not okay.” He didn’t want to pull away, this felt nice. It felt nice for it to be acknowledged that
he wasn’t always okay. As much as he put on a brave face and distracted himself in the wants of
his people, he was not okay all the time. Markus couldn’t find the words to say for once and simply
nodded. Strong arms pulled the detective closer, barring his head in the man’s shoulder.

It was at that moment that Connor decided if he made it through this, he was going to be Markus’
soundboard. Everyone else always dumped their problems on the leader, never considering his
own. Connor did not want to be that person. If Markus needed to talk, Connor wanted him to know
that he would listen, offer advice, and be whatever Markus needed.

“Alright, lovebirds! Break it up! I want to finish this so I can eat lunch.” Hank huffed, watching the
deviant leader pull out of his son's hold and pull himself to his feet. Though a realization passed
across his face as he looked at the other members, who looked at him the same way.

“Shit! We forgot to get food for the humans!” Josh cursed, looking between their group as if trying
to figure out what to do. They did not normally have human guests, and androids did not need to eat
at all. They all seemed embarrassed at being unprepared.

“Do not stress yourselves.” Kamski cut in, not even looking away from the device in his hand as he
gestured at his beautiful partner. “My love likes to cook, she made several delicious sandwiches for
me and the Lieutenant as well as Thirium-based tablets for the androids that allow you to taste
what the sandwiches would taste like.” He bragged, praising her skills. The blonde looked bashful
as she nodded in confirmation, rising to her feet. She clapped her hands together and turned to the
group as a whole.

“Yes! I also made specialized dog treats for our lovely canine companion who I’m sure needs to
potty. Please excuse me while I walk him and retrieve the items from the car.” Chloe reached
down for the leash, taking it in her hand. The dog stood without any fight, which Hank scoffed at.
Why did the thing listen to everyone but him? With that, she took her leave.

Everyone settled back down with the promise of Lunch once they finished. Connor wasted no time
in connecting the interface once again, though pausing for a moment when Simon had taken
Chloe’s spot against his leg. The detective raised an eyebrow and received a shrug in response.

“She seemed comfortable…” He mused softly, before looking at the computer that he brought with
him and placed in his lap. “It beats standing, and I can still monitor your system.” With that,
Connor simply shrugged it off and began the interface.

Connor blinked, before scanning the room. He needed something to stand on so that he could
boost himself into the attic. He spotted one of the dining room chairs and headed toward it. He
took the item into his hands, getting a response from Hank about moving evidence at a crime
scene.

“Hey! Hey! Hey! What are you doin’ with that chair?” he shouted, following the android down the
hall.
“I’m going to check something.” He hummed, receiving a breathless protest from the cop. Connor
set the chair down, before rising himself onto the object. He reached up, pushing the tile out of the
way. Once it was gone, the detective grabbed the edge, pulling himself up and surveying the area.
He saw a figure behind a curtain.

Connor pulled himself completely into the attic, staying crouched as he approached the tarp, and
pulled it away to reveal a mannequin. Android scanned the object before pressing on. A fast
movement made Connor stall, his LED flashing yellow. Though after a pause he continued. One at
the end of the attic, something charged at him, but Connor remained passive. It stopped right
before him, and they met eyes. Emotional eyes met cold brown. It seemed scared, and erratic in its
behavior.

“I was just defending myself…” It tried to defend itself. Though its actions did prove that to be the
case, it was still illegal and a malfunction. “He was gonna kill me… I'm begging you, don’t tell
them.”

Connor stayed still for a moment, but he heard Hank’s voice calling out to him. He turned his head
towards the voice but kept his eyes on the android. “It’s here, Lieutenant!”

“Holy shit… Chris, Ben, get your asses in here now! Come on!” The man commanded. They sat in
a staring match for a few minutes. The android looked dejected. He heard the officers making their
way up into the attic and pulling out their firearms. They surrounded the deviant, who simply
offered his hands to be cuffed when prompted to. They did not read him any rights, for he did not
have them. After that, Connor followed the older cop back to his car. However, the Lieutenant
stopped on the sidewalk. He seemed to hesitate before turning to the android, who curiously tilted
his head.

“Good job, Connor,” Hank muttered, before continuing onto the car.

SOFTWARE INSTABILITY ^^

Connor soon followed, climbing into the car. Much like earlier, the car ride to the precinct was
similar to the ride to the crime scene. At that, Connor pulled his hand away from the interface.

Once Connor came back to the real world, Chloe entered with her hands full, and Sumo followed at
her heel. North rose to her feet to assist the RT600, but received a very passive-aggressive ‘I’ve got
it.’ from the blonde. The woman looked confused but began to seethe with rage when Josh asked
Chloe if she needed help and the android let the man take one of the boxes to carry it. It was
almost comical. They would be good friends, so he wasn’t sure why Chloe did not like North. She
liked everyone. Maybe it was because the android threatened Connor, she did seem to love him as
a brother for whatever reason, not that he was complaining. He cared for her too, he just did not
understand why. Their last meeting was not the grandest gesture, though perhaps it gave them
some kind of bond. Connor did not pull the trigger after all.

Chloe set the items down on the bench between Hank and Kamski, and let go of the dog's leash.
Sumo bounded to his owner and received lots of pets for being a good boy for the android. The dog
sat happily between Hank’s legs as the officer smooshed his face and scratched behind his ears.

“Well! Let's eat!” Chloe smiled brightly, gesturing to everyone to join her.
 Lunch and Interrogation Rooms
Chapter Summary

“If she erases the exit, Hank… I won’t be Connor anymore. I’ll be a machine again.”
The unsaid ‘I won’t be your son anymore’ carried a heavy weight. The older man let
himself breathe in, trying to come up with a compromise before Connor's meek voice
spoke again. “Hank… I… I can’t. I don’t want to live in a world where I kill the one
hope our kind has. I can’t live knowing I hurt him. Please, just promise me.”

“Fine.” The man caved, he understood suddenly. Connor had a point, if Markus died
this early to Cyberlife’s sleeper agent the world would simply go back to how it was
before. Connor would be decommissioned or reset, the others would be destroyed…
and Connor cared for the leader, more than he probably realized. For him, Hank
would put his feelings aside. “Fine. I’ll make sure you don’t kill anyone.”

Chapter Notes

Chapter Four, I kinda got very carried away with my need to write. If ya'll are lucky I
might write five tonight.

We got good Kamski content, some Chloe backstory, some gay Markus, and some
emotionally constipated Connor that Hank deals with.

“Why are you not with your friends?”

Connor turned to look at the person standing next to himself, doe-brown meeting the icy blue of
their creator. Kamski’s hands were shoved in his pocket as he leaned against the wall, his left
eyebrow was raised, and his mouth was pulled into an understanding smile. The man was trying to
be nice and inquire about his feelings. Though Connor was still uncomfortable around the
technician, it was slowly easing over time. He was built to adapt, and Kamski was just different.

Connor stood rigid, hands tucked behind his back in an obedient gesture, a mannerism that he had
yet to drop. Deviancy was hard, and relaxing was even more so. His processors were well-tuned to
fight crime, sitting idle made him anxious. This entire thing was making him anxious to be fair, but
he’d handled worse. At least it was just the leaders of Jericho and not all Android-kind. If this went
south, he’s sure that Hank and Kamski would try to protect him as well. They all seemed to have
an attachment to him for an unknown reason, Hanks he’d understood more so than the creator and
his beautiful Chloe.

The man’s eyes drifted from Kamski to the group on the other side of the room near the benches.
Hank was sitting still, his knee aching from the action of a few days ago no doubt. A sandwich was
in between his hands. A quick scan told him the ingredients were healthy, yet the man ate it
happily. Only stopping for a moment to yell at the Saint Bernard that was jumping up, placing his
paws against Chloe’s chest as she held a treat above his head. Simon was trying to help the android
who was laughing at the canine’s excited disposition, being a household android gave Simon the
knowledge of how to deal with an excited dog. That did not stop the sudden laughter that erupted
from him when Sumo turned his attention from the girl to the man tugging at his collar, deciding
that the treat was no longer worth it if he could tackle Simon to the ground.

He briefly registered that Markus was standing next to Chloe, trying not to laugh and focus on a
small tablet in his hand that Chloe was handing out to the androids before she began to feed Sumo
treats. Connor had pocketed his own, not yet allowing himself the pleasure of tasting it. He
watched as Markus popped the item into his mouth, deeming it safe. The expression that came
across the android’s face made Connor’s Thirium-Pump clench. Watching him, he rushed to North
and Josh to get their thoughts. His lips quirked up in a smile, which he quickly schooled into a
normal expression. Choosing to look back at Kamski who held a knowing look.

“I just… They are having a good time. I predict if I walked over there, the fun would end.” The
detective meekly replied, finally allowing himself to copy Elijah’s posture and relax against the
wall instead of simply standing next to it. The words he spoke were true, his prediction software
predicted if he walked over there, the group would split into their normal pairings instead of
remaining as one. The probability of that not happening was low. However, he felt like he didn’t
belong with the others. They were free, completely, and utterly free. The fear of Amanda lingered
over him.

“Hmm… Connor, do you remember anything about your testing phase?” The man asked, and
Connor simply shook his head. Then tilted it curiously as if prompting Elijah to go on. “Well… Me
and Chloe were there. Chloe took an instant liking to you… made me quite jealous till I realized it
was purely platonic.” Kamski’s hands gestured to Chloe, a fond smile crossing his face. Connor
also turned her attention to the blonde, who was popping a tablet into Simon’s mouth.

“Is that why she considers me her brother?” he asked, after a moment finally looking at Elijah once
more. The man shrugged, shifting his weight from one leg to the other.

“I had always intended to create intelligent life… Chloe became a deviant months after I made her,
she is simply skilled in hiding it. Though she was very lonely… The other Chloes are just her other
bodies.” He gestured vaguely in the air as if that made sense. “Chloe’s original body is her
favorite, but it isn’t waterproof and is completely outdated in software, so we made the other ones.”
Connor nodded in a brief understanding. He could be transferred as well, so this was not new to
him. “When I brought you home though, well… She instantly took a liking to you, and said that
you had… ‘world-changing potential.’” The creator huffed out a laugh at the words. “She said the
same thing when I was making Markus in my lab, but she liked you better. She had you running
around the yard with her, jumping in leaf piles. Said it was testing your ‘endurance for crime
scenes.’”

Connor felt a pang of sadness that he could not remember these moments. He was unaware of
Kamski even being part of his development phase. His emotions must have shown on his face. As
Kamski put a hand on his shoulder as if to awkwardly comfort him. The detective looked back at
the group, he longed to be over there. He wanted to laugh, get excited, and just be free.

“Don’t sell yourself short, Connor. You already have people over there who love you.” Kamski
finally finished. Ah, the point of the story was to ease the RK800’s self-esteem. With that, the
creator pushed off the wall and walked away toward the group. Connor’s eyes followed him,
before closing them tightly. His LED was a steady yellow, trying to build up the courage to walk
over there and be with the group. Just as he pushed off the wall, he heard it.

“Connor.” The LED on his head went to a scarlet red immediately, freezing completely. No, no.
There was no way he couldn’t find her in his files. She was gone, he was free. He felt his body
tremble as he frantically looked around the room. His eyes scanned every shadow as if her AI
would simply appear.

“No…” the android muttered, not daring to blink in fear that he’d end up back in the garden with
no exit. He took a sharp breath, his simulated breathing becoming heavy. Backing himself against
the wall again, he chastised himself for even thinking he could join them. He wasn’t free like they
were. “I’m not like them…”

Lunch wrapped up quickly after that, the android detective never joined him. It made his party
concerned, constantly asking if he was okay. Connor would only nod, letting them know that he
was fine. His LED was just malfunctioning from the stress of the day and would not turn off red.
No one believed him but no one pressed him.

They all began to sit down again, this time closer and more intertwined. It made Connor smile, to
know that the two groups were getting along. North was sitting next to Hank, listening to his cop
stories. They were ones Connor had already heard which was considerate. Next to him were Josh
and Chloe, the man’s fingers were running through her hair as he pulled each strand into a
complicated French braid. Sumo was laying in Chloe’s lap. Kamski sat next to Josh, wanting to be
close to his android though on his phone still. Simon had stolen Chloe’s spot against his leg when
he sat back down. It made Connor’s LED flash yellow, before returning to its constant red. Markus
was standing behind up, hooking the wire to his neck point.

The contact made Connor shiver. Kamski’s touch was rough when he put the port in, Simons
barely felt like anything, but Markus was right in the middle of the two. A hand on his shoulder as
his gentle hand screwed the wire into his neck. It made him tense.

“Sorry…not used to this.” The leader hummed, but Connor shook his head curtly.

“It’s fine… You aren’t hurting me; it is just sensitive.” Markus hummed in understanding but
remained focused on the task. Once he finished, he pulled both hands away from the detective. The
android missed the contact, Markus was so touchy with everyone, and Connor longed for the
contact. Touch-starved, his mind supplied helpfully.

“All setup, so get to explaining Con.” Markus ruffled his neat hair. The android huffed, trying to
fix it while slapping the older android’s hand away.

“We are Interrogating the Deviant.”

“Alright, let's get started.” Connor nodded, reaching his hand to interface with the large screen.

NOV 6TH, 2038

AM 12:41:23

The android followed Hank into the station, hands closed together behind his back. The human
seemed uncomfortable with his presence, but Connor didn’t care. His mission was more important
than someone’s mild discomfort over Androids. Behind the two, Chris and Ben were leading the
cuffed android. Essentially trapping the two androids between police. This early in the morning,
the lobby was vacant besides a few people. Hank spoke up immediately upon entering the bullpen,
barking orders to the lower-ranking officers.

“Ben, Chris, get that android in the interrogation room.” He gestured to the hallway, and the two
nodded. Beginning to lead the passive deviant away. Connor watched intently, before turning back
to Hank, who stared at him with a strange look. The man shook his head, turning away. “God… I
need a drink.”

Connor processed the need, and the sub-mission appeared in his HUD.

GET HANK A DRINK

The android blinked, before walking away. It would be good for their relationship for him to fetch
the older cop something to drink. As he walked into the break room, he noticed a coffee machine
and plastic cups next to it. The android walked over, grabbing one of the cups to complete his task.
It briefly occurred to him that he didn’t know what the man liked in his coffee, so the android
grabbed a few sugar and creamer packets. The android pocketed them and lifted the cup off the
counter. As he turned around, someone bumped into him. It caused him to jostle, but the android
was built to be able to be pushed.

“Woah! Watch were you- Oh.” The man that bumped into him was short, and quite unattractive if
Connor could form an opinion. “Fuckin’ android. Malfunction? Couldn’t detect my presence,
plastic prick?” The human shoved Connor, but the Android did not move much. He simply
stumbled for a second but stood his ground. The android was glad the coffee had a top. The man’s
attention was drawn to the cup. He went to pluck it from Connor’s hand. “Thanks for the coffee,
dipshit.”

However, Connor stopped his action by raising his arm and was out of the man’s reach. The
passive expression on his face tilted into a glare. “This coffee is for Lieutenant Anderson.” With
that, he walked away. He heard the man sputter in anger, beginning to follow him. A quick scan
revealed that the Lieutenant was no longer in the bullpen. He turned down the hallway, making his
way to the interrogation room as the man followed him, spouting curses about androids. The
android lifted his free hand to allow himself into the observation room, walking inside. As
expected, the detective followed him inside.

He saw Hank organizing a file on the table and approached him. The older cop lifted his head at
the commotion of Detective Reed’s curses, but they ceased when suddenly under the attention of
the commanding officer. “The fuck?” He questioned and turned to the android approaching.

“Here you are, Lieutenant.” The RK800 set the black coffee on the table, pulling the cream and
sugar out of his pocket and setting them orderly next to the cup. The man looked shocked for a
moment before his gaze hardened.

“Thanks, Connor… You didn’t have to do that.”

HANK ^

“It was no trouble, Lieutenant.” The android hummed, taking his leave from the conversation to
settle himself next to the back wall. It allowed him to examine the entire interrogation while
staying out of the way. Hank watched him before looking at Detective Reed.

“What’s your fuckin’ problem?” The detective stood up straighter, crossing his arms over his
chest. The man shot a glare at Connor before turning to the older cop. Walking towards him.

“Wanted to make sure you didn’t fuck up the interrogation, old man,” Reed spoke casually,
walking past him to lean against the wall to the right of the room. Hank rolled his eyes, picking up
the file.

“Whatever.” The gruff man huffed, taking his leave of the observation room to go to the
interrogation room. Connor became hyper-focused. His audio processors and scans tried to pick
up anything they could get from the Android. If they could not, Connor would like to avoid a
memory probe. It compromised his systems.

Hank sat in the chair from across the terrified android, it smelt of old blood. It was disgusting. He
asked the android questions, receiving no answer. Gavin moved to stand in front of the android,
trying to block his view as he watched. He detected a spike in heart rate from the detective. Fear.

“Why d’you kill him?” He asked the first question. Silence. “What happened before you took that
knife?” The android didn’t even lift its head to look at him. “How long were ya’ in the attic? Why
didn’t you even try to run away?” Snapping in the android’s face to get its attention got no
response. The man grew aggravated, slamming his fists on the desk. Still no response. “Say
something, goddamnit!” When he yet again was met with silence, the man huffed, getting up.
“Fuck it, I’m outta here.”

After a moment, Hank joined them again in the interrogation room. “We’re wastin’ our time
interrogating a machine, we’re gettin’ nothing out of it!” Hank huffed, taking his seat in front of
Connor. Reed moved back to the wall. Crossing his arms.

“Could always try roughing it up a little. After all, it's not human.” The man replied, gesturing
vaguely to the android, and bounced on his feet. Connor turned his head to look at the man.

“Androids don’t feel pain. You would only damage it and that wouldn’t make it talk.” That was a
less desirable outcome. Cyberlife would blame him for the incident if they could get nothing from
it. “Deviants also have a tendency to self-destruct when they’re in stressful situations.”

“Okay, smartass.” The man pushed off the wall, taking a few steps away as he glared and smirked
at Connor. “What should we do then?”

“I could try questioning it.” Connor perked up, finally. He had several programs to handle this
situation. If he solved this, Amanda would be pleased. Gavin scoffed, but Hank shrugged.

“What do we have to lose? Go ahead, suspect’s all yours.” Connor wasted no time in getting to the
interrogation room. A mission appeared in his HUD.

EXTRACT A CONFESSION

The android took a moment to look around the room, approaching the table. Hank left the file on
the table, and Connor made a show of looking through it. An intimidation tactic. Once he finished.
He sat down across from the android. He analyzed the deviant, eyes falling to his LED after
scanning the injuries to the android and the blood on his clothes and taking note of his
information. The HK400, property of Carlos Ortiz. Once engaging in the interrogation, a stress
meter appeared in his HUD. It hovered around 35, he needed it to be stressed enough to speak but
not enough to destruct.

“Alright everyone, badass Connor warning.” He heard Hank laugh from outside his interface. A
cocky smile filled his face despite being in the interface.
Connor leaned forward a little. “You’re damaged. Did your owner do that?” He watched as the
stress level rose to 39%. Good, he needed it to be within a higher range. “Did he beat you?” He
knew he wasn’t going to get a response yet.

The android pulled the file close, putting it in between the two. He flipped the file open to reveal a
picture of the dead man. “You recognize him? It’s Carlos Ortiz.” Connor hummed, folding his
hands together on the table. “Stabbed. 28 times.” He moved the photo, revealing the writing.
“That was written on the wall in his blood.” The stress level rose to 43%. Good, he needed it to
rise more.

“You’re accused of murder. You know you’re not allowed to endanger human life under any
circumstances.” He leaned his head down to be able to look at the deviant’s face. “Do you have
anything to say in your defense?” 47%. Connor leaned back up.

“If you won’t talk, I’m going to have to probe your memory.” Connor huffed; his face was stern.
The gentle expression he usually had vanished the moment he walked in the door.

“NO!” The android shot up, looking into Connor’s eyes. He detected fear in the android’s gaze as
his stress level rose to 55%. “No, please don’t do that!” The android turned to glance at the one-
way glass. It was shaking in fear. “What… What are they gonna do to me?” Connor was silent for
a moment, and the android made its own conclusion. “They’re gonna destroy me, aren’t they?”

The machine looked at the distressed deviant. “They’re going to disassemble you to look for
problems in your biocomponents.” Connor shrugged, looking at the android with a heartless
expression. “They have no choice if they want to understand what happened.” The stress went up
to 59. Almost there.

“That’s really sad…” Markus hummed from somewhere near him, there was sadness in his voice
and a level of disappointment. Connor’s lowering stress level only spiked back up at the comment.
He couldn’t help it, he was a slave to his programming at the time. Connor pulled away from the
interface abruptly. His hand trembling.

“I do apologize. I’m afraid it does not get better during this stage of my deviancy…” The android
hummed, finding the ground very interesting. The room remained silent, and Hank suddenly stood
up, walking over to the android. Connor shrunk in on himself, arms coming to wrap around his
own torso.

“Get up.” The man spoke gruffly, and the android hesitated before rising to his feet after reaching
behind him to disconnect the port in his neck. He did not meet Hank's eyes but felt a hand on his
shoulder leading him somewhere.

“Where are you going?” North barked, rising to her feet. “This is a trial!”

“And this is a recess.” Hank barked back, still leading Connor towards the door. He paused though
to look back at the group of androids. “It’s not my fault that all of you are stupid enough to believe
‘my LED is malfunctioning’ as an excuse. He’s not okay, and your shitty leader ain't helpin’”
There was a protective edge in his voice, and the group looked ashamed, besides Kamski. “So,
we’ll be back. Sumo! Follow!” The human barked, and the dog jumped up from Chloe’s hold,
trotting over. Once close enough, he grabbed the leash and handed it to Connor.

“Let’s take a walk, Con.” The android could only nod, taking the leash. He allowed himself to be
led outside by the cop. “You can tell me anything, you don’t gotta worry about me judging you.”
Hank hummed once they were outside of Jericho, walking around the perimeter of the building.
Connor nodded but couldn’t seem to find the right words.

“I’m… Scared.” Connor settled on after a few minutes, just walking and letting Sumo sniff. Hank
nodded, signaling him to continue when he was ready. It was another five minutes before Connor
could get all his jumbled thoughts together enough to speak. “All of this is so much. I do not want
them to shun me, but I feel like I am a danger to them. I also do not believe I fit in… They are all
so free, and I’m… I’m not.”

“You deviated, didn’t you?” Hank questioned, but there was no condescending tone. He just
wanted to hear how Connor came to that conclusion. It was nice to be listened to.

“I thought that as well, and I did.” There was an unsaid ‘but’ in his words that kept Hank silent as
Connor collected his thoughts and feelings. “Amanda… My AI handler was able to take control of
my programming. I only escaped off Kamski’s advice and narrowly stopped myself from shooting
Markus…” Fear poured into his once passive expression, and his eyes closed tightly. The grip he
had on the leash tightened. “I can’t… I don’t… Hurting Markus is the last thing in the world I want
to do… I don’t know if she will try to take control again. I heard her voice earlier. Hank. I can’t
find the program anywhere though.” The android turned to the human with a suddenly serious
expression. His eyes pleading.

“If she takes control of me again, you have to promise me you’ll do whatever it takes to save
Markus!”

“Oh, hell no! I’m not going to kill you, Connor!” The man barked. Putting his hands on his hips,
the man looked defensive and offended at the accusation. “There’s no coming back for you
anymore, Con!”

“I know! That’s the point. I don’t know if she’ll erase the exit, Hank!” Connor fought back, tears
brimming in his eyes. He couldn’t. He wouldn’t be able to live with himself.

“No!” Hank growled, crossing his arms and shaking his head. “I am not going to kill my son!” He
met Connor’s eyes. The cop's expression softened but stood his ground. He wouldn’t be able to live
with himself either. Not again. There was silence for a moment, and Connor broke eye contact first.

“If she erases the exit, Hank… I won’t be Connor anymore. I’ll be a machine again.” The unsaid ‘I
won’t be your son anymore’ carried a heavy weight. The older man let himself breathe in, trying to
come up with a compromise before Connor's meek voice spoke again. “Hank… I… I can’t. I don’t
want to live in a world where I kill the one hope our kind has. I can’t live knowing I hurt him.
Please, just promise me.”

“Fine.” The man caved, he understood suddenly. Connor had a point, if Markus died this early to
Cyberlife’s sleeper agent the world would simply go back to how it was before. Connor would be
decommissioned or reset, the others would be destroyed… and Connor cared for the leader, more
than he probably realized. For him, Hank would put his feelings aside. “Fine. I’ll make sure you
don’t kill anyone.”

Connor nodded, and a flood of relief flushed his system. The reassurance was apparently what he
needed. The red LED is now cycling to its natural blue hue. “Thank you, Hank.”
“No problem… Let’s get back.” The older man patted his back, beginning to guide the android and
dog back.

The sound of fleeting footsteps caught their attention, but Hank shrugged it off. “Probably just
some android who lives here.” And that was true. They were still at Jericho where most of the
androids lived. Though Connor couldn’t shake the feeling that it would bite him later.

Soon enough, they were walking back inside the private room, Hank shaking off the snow in
unison with his canine companion. Connor let the leash go, letting the dog run off into the room.
He began to pat the snow off himself before he was suddenly pulled into someone’s arms.

“Connor!” The android blinked, examining the situation. His arms and waist were trapped in a tight
hug from the blonde woman he knew and cared for. A small forced smile made its way to his face.
He tried to wiggle away only to be hugged tighter. “I’m so sorry! Are you okay?” She looked up at
him, tears were flowing freely down her face which made Connor’s thirium pump clench.

“I am fine, Chloe. It was not your fault. I just needed some time.” Connor tried to reassure her, only
for the woman to hide her face away in his chest again. He could not even hug her properly, so he
allowed himself to just awkwardly wait till she was ready to let him go. “Chloe, I assure you. I am
fine now… “It was several minutes before Connor finally was released. Enough to free his arms.
With that, he wrapped them around the woman. His left around her shoulder, and the right holding
her head. “I am fine, sister. I promise.” At that, the android finally pulled away with a bright smile.

“I trust you. Don’t make me regret it.” Chloe threatened but began to walk to Kamski, throwing
herself into the creator’s unexpected arms. The man yelped before holding her in his lap, finally
putting his phone away. What exactly was he doing on it? As Connor walked further into the room,
Hank followed. He had not left his side either.

“I am okay, Lieutenant.” Connor hummed, the man grumbled in embarrassment at being caught
and took strides to take his seat again. Connor rolled his eyes, making his way to the chair that
Markus was standing in front of. Simon was standing next to him, a hand on the man’s shoulder.
They seemed to be having a silent conversation in their cyberlink. Connor shuffled in place
awkwardly. He did not want to interrupt. “Excuse m-“

Once again, his processors halted at a sudden hand on his shoulder, the warm hand pulled Connor
right into Markus’ chest. The android felt like all his systems crashed in that one moment. They
had hugged before, but this one felt important. The way Markus’ hand came to hold his head in the
same way he’d held Chloe’s felt intimate in a way that he couldn’t understand. He was about to
default on his repeated response to this attention, but when he opened his mouth, Markus had to
speak first.

“Don’t.” The commanding tone made his mouth snap shut, and he nodded. Finally deciding to
wrap his arms caringly around. “Connor, if you ever need to talk, I’m here. I know deviancy is
hard, and I’m here. I trust you.” The last part made siren bells ring in Connor’s head, but he didn’t
understand why. It felt out of place. The detective nodded, wiggling out of the hold with a soft
smile and heat pooling into his system.

“Thank you, Markus… I will. Let’s finish this.” The leader nodded, helping Connor sit down. The
leader walked behind him and placed a hand on his neck, prying the neck port open once more but
Connor stopped him with a gentle hand coming to hold the port closed. “I’ll be fine.”

“Conn-“ Simon started to say from next to him, but Connor shook his head. He didn’t want to be
hooked up to a machine at the moment. This wasn’t stressful. This was work. The two leaders
looked at each other before nodding. The two went to sit on the floor next to him but Connor
stopped them.

“Please, you do not have to sit on the floor for my comfort. Return to your chairs.” The RK800
spoke, he wanted to distance himself from the androids. He’s not sure he even wanted Sumo
between his legs right now, but the dog forced its way there. The two looked hurt but nodded.
They walked over to the others, joining them.

Connor took a moment to fix his ruffled hair from earlier that he didn’t entirely fix and straighten
his hoodie. It made him feel more put together. Once that was completed, he wasted no time in
connecting to the interface again.

“Why did you tell them you found me? Why couldn’t you just have left me there?” The android
looked back at him after he had looked away during Connor’s answer.

“I was programmed to hunt deviants like you.” Connor hummed sternly, his hands open in
explanation. The android's stress rose to 63%. It was almost perfect. “I just accomplished my
mission.”

“Like a badass!” He heard Chloe speak, and he couldn’t help the cocky smile that pulled across
his face again. It felt good to be praised.

“I don’t wanna die.” It pleaded. Connor leaned forward at this, his eyes opening wider and an
understanding look coming over his face.

“Then talk to me.”

“I… I can’t…” His head turned back to the table, just how it was before. Connor’s expression
suddenly became tight, anger clear on his face. A hand picked up the file and slammed it on the
desk.

“Twenty-eight stab wounds!” The android yelled, leaning forward to look at the android in the
eye. “You didn’t want to leave him a chance, huh?” He stood up, still leaning over the table. The
good cop in him was suddenly out the window. “Did you feel anger?” The stress level rose, getting
closer and closer to the perfect percent. “Hate?” Connor walked around to the android. “He was
bleeding, begging you for mercy, but you stabbed him,” with each of the next words, he poked the
deviant's shoulder. “again, and again and again!”

“Please, please leave me alone.” The android begged, but Connor kept pressing, after he pushed
this last bit, he would calm it down. Reassure it.

“I know you killed him. Why don’t you just say it?”

“Please, please stop… Please, please leave me alone…”

“Alright.” Connor backed up, putting his hands up as he returned to his seat. It was right where it
needed to be, now to calm it down just a little. “Alright. Everything is going to be okay.” The
android seemed to calm down, but not enough. Just a little more. “I understand how you felt. You
were overcome by anger and frustration. No one can blame you for what happened.” The android
said nothing, but his stress level was too low now. The android waited a moment, before
continuing. “Ok, then. Don’t talk. Why do I care, after all? I mean, I’m not the one accused of
murder, right?” Connor leaned back in the chair, crossing his arms over his chest. It rose a few
points too low. “If you remain silent, there is nothing I can do to help you!” Connor leaned in,
getting closer to the android's face again. “They’re gonna shut you down for good! You’ll be dead!
Do you hear me? Dead!”

“I know North is gonna slap me for this…. But rA9, that’s hot.” The interface glitched briefly
as Connor processed the comment, yanking his hand away. He felt his Thirium pump quicken its
pace as Connor turned to Markus, who sat unashamed. He only met Connor's eyes and smirked
playfully. “Interrogate me like that.”

Connor’s entire system glitched as he sputtered to reply. North didn’t slap his shoulder, she straight
up pushed him off the seat. “You are disgusting!” the woman barked. This caused Markus to
laugh, which soon erupted into a burst of group laughter.

“I can’t help it if I’m gay, North.” Markus hummed thoughtlessly like that didn’t just make
Connor’s system crash all over again.

“Stop, you’re gonna break him.” Hank chuckled, pointing out the frozen Connor. The android was
sitting in his chair, still as a rock as his system struggled to make sense of everything. Markus let
out a breathy chuckle.

“Sorry, Con. We had the coming out party before you joined Jericho.” Josh joked, which made
Connor look away. He didn’t even respond to the group as he went to interface with the TV again.
Though stopped when North spoke up.

“You’re silence speaks volumes.”

Connor chose to ignore her, he didn’t have anything to say. What he felt when Markus made those
comments or touched him, or just stood next to him was a can of worms that he did not want to
open right now. He continued the interface. They were almost done.

Connor was just about to give up, before the deviant began to speak, letting his confession go. This
made Connor light up on the inside. He did it. The situation was gruesome and awful, but he could
see a bar pop up in his HUD.

HANK ^

Connor questioned it, asking every question he could. The information on RA9 was vague, but
useless ultimately. It appeared to be some being the android believed was going to save them. The
notion was ridiculous, but Connor shrugged it off as he finished the questioning. He turned to the
one-way glass.

“I’m done.” With that, he rose to leave the room again. His hand activates the pad to open the
door. Once the door opened though, Gavin, Chris, and Hank came through the door. It prompted
Connor to move out of the way and stay in the room.
“Chris, lock it up,” Gavin spoke, walking through the room. He sent a glare at Connor before
pushing further into the room. The police officer reached over the android to undo the cuff lock on
the table.

“Alright, let's go.” Chris went to grab it, but the android flinched away.

“Leave me alone!” It cried out, its stress level rocketing to 70%. “Don’t touch me.” It flinched
away as Chris grabbed it, trying to force it like they would a human.

“The fuck are you doing? Move it!” Gavin yelled, taking steps closer to the table. Chris made an
annoyed gesture that clearly said ‘I’m trying.’ And muttered out an ‘okay.’ Continuing to struggle
with it. Connor chose to intervene.

“You shouldn’t touch it. It’ll self-destruct if it feels threatened.” Connor spoke out, the man
quickly became annoyed, throwing his head back in an exasperated manner before glaring at the
taller android.

“Stay out of this, got it? No fuckin’ android is gonna tell me what to do.” The man huffed, turning
his gaze back to the struggling android in the officer's hands.

“You don’t understand. If it self-destructs, we won’t get anything out of it!” The android pressed,
trying to stop the assault on the android. The man’s deep voice cut in again as he glared at
Connor.

“I told you to shut your fuckin’ mouth! Chris!” The man turned back to the struggling duo, anger
filling his voice. “You gonna move this asshole or what?”

“I’m trying!” The man growled. Connor intervened again, for the sake of his mission he told
himself.

“I can’t let you do that!” His android strength came in handy as he crossed the room in a few
quick strides, grabbing Chris and shoving him away. He placed himself between the android and
the cops.

“Leave it alone, now!” He was met with a gun to his face, registering the android that was once in
the chair fall to the ground. Gavin glared hard at him, getting nice and close with his firearm.

“I warned you, motherfucker!”

“That’s enough!” Hank suddenly barked, looking at the pair across the table.

HANK ^

“Mind your own business, Hank,” Gavin growled, only narrowing his eyes at Connor more.

“I said…” The man reached into his jacket pocket, retrieving his own gun and pointing it at the
other detective with one hand. “That’s enough.” There was a familiar sound of the safety being
turned off. Though the action was confusing. He wouldn’t really kill Gavin for him, would he?

“I know what you’re thinking, Connor. Yes.” He heard from outside his interface. “I’d shoot
that fucker in a heartbeat to save your life.” A warm smile crossed his face, and happiness coursed
through his wires.

Gavin glared at Hank, before turning his gaze back to Connor. The man seemed to struggle for a
moment. Letting out a curse and lowering his gun. The man turned to Hank. “You’re not gonna get
away with it this time.” The man growled, pointing a finger at Gavin. The man fussed for a few
more moments, before leaving the room cursing.

Connor turned quickly to the android, bending down and putting a hand out in a reassuring
manner. The android was sobbing, but Connor kept himself calm. His features were more open
and caring than before.

“Everything is alright.” He got to one knee. “It’s over now.” He watched the android’s stress
level drop dramatically as the deviant looked around, eyes landing on the officer that he struggled
with. Connor slowly stood up and looked to Chris, who looked back. “Please, don’t touch it. Let it
follow you out of the room and it won’t cause any trouble.”

The android rose to its feet with some difficulty, and as it passed Connor. It stopped. “The truth is
inside.” It spoke softly, before following Chris with no trouble at all.

SOFTWARE INSTABILITY ^

Connor watched it go, eyes not leaving the door. Hank brought him out of it as the man shuffled
over, a pat on his shoulder made Connor tilt his head curiously. “Good job, Connor. Let’s call it a
night.” The man hummed, before leaving the room as well. It left Connor alone. The android
looked around the room, before making his way out of the door, and out of the precinct. There was
a taxi waiting for him. It brought Connor to the Cyberlife building. The gate opens automatically
for his entrance. Once inside, he quickly made his way to one of the service elevators, as he was an
android. The human elevators were off-limits.

The elevator carried him to one of the lab floors, and when it opened. He was met with an empty
lab. The android crossed the lab, heading for an attached room that was labeled in bold letters
‘RK800 Storage and Recharge.’ The door opened automatically for him, the room inside was
small, only housing around six other androids. All of them looked exactly like Connor. Connor
made his way down the row of the three on the right, coming to the spot labeled ’51.’ Placing
himself behind the lettering, he let his eyes close and enter stasis mode until he would be awoken
by Amanda.

Connor ended the interface, pulling his hand away and folding it into his lap as he always did. The
androids were looking at him weirdly, all of them besides Chloe of course.

“You just returned there every night?” Hank barked, upset that he had been unaware. Though he
assumed. The Lieutenant did not like the thought.

“Well, no. I was often with you for most of the time. I only returned to the tower twice.” Connor
hummed in thought, recalling his memories. Once after the interrogation, and the other before he
left to get Hank to go investigate the Eden Club.
“Can we just… Continue?” North shifted uncomfortably. Yes, he supposed how CyberLife stored
the androids would be inhumane. Connor nodded.

“For this next one… I’d like to be monitored. Mr. Kamski, if you could.” Elijah perked up at his
name, looking around at everyone before shrugging. Unsure of why he’d been picked. The girl in
his lap pulled herself up, allowing the man to lift himself to his feet and fix his crumpled clothes.

Connor opened his neck port automatically, the last time Kamski did it had hurt. Though he was
sure the man was simply panicked. The man grabbed the wire from the ground with an eye roll.

“If you are gonna treat my things like shit, Connor I will make you pay for it.” The man teased as
he eased the port inside. Connor decided that the man was definitely panicked last time. This was
way gentler. A sheepish smile crawled onto the face of the android.

“I apologize, Mr. Kamski.” He hummed, and the man rolled his eyes again.

“Just call me Elijah.” He laughed. The human opened the computer and motioned for Simon to
come and watch the feed so he could sit down. The android stood up and began walking over but
Connor stiffened.

“Actually… If it is not too much trouble… Could you watch it, Kam- Elijah?” This caused Simon
to pause, a hurt expression pulling across the blonde's face. Connor had to look away, to the creator
with a pleading look in his eye. The creator watched with a blank but surprised look for a moment.
Then realization flashed across the man's face.

“It’s Amanda isn’t it?”

“Yes,” Connor said shamefully, suddenly finding his shoes very interesting. He pulled the coin
from his pocket, needing the comfort of the object.

“Say no more, Connor. I will monitor it. Let us begin.”

 Waiting for Hank, On the Run, In a Nest
Chapter Summary

“Point proven.” Connor groaned at that, hiding his face in his hands. North barked out
a laugh next to him, and Simon reached over the woman to offer a reassuring pat to
Connor’s elbow.

“Damnit… Hank!” Connor whined

Chapter Notes

Holy shit, this is a LONG chapter, and I mean LONG. It was three parts in one
because it neither felt like a good stopping point and would have just been three
exceedingly short chapters. It's 12,016 words.

The next one will be a plot development and sleepover chapter before we dive into
The Eden Club. It will hopefully be shorter, however, I might combine it with the park
scene.

This chapter features Protective Dad Hank, Sassy and pouty Connor, Badass Connor,
North, Chloe's friendship development, MORE GAY MARKUS, and happy Simon.

NOV 6TH, 2038

AM 09:56

The android opened his eyes, his systems coming out of stasis in an instant. The android's brown
eyes fluttered mechanically, and his audio processors picked up birds chirping, rodents running
amuck, and water flowing. The world around him was not where he had gone into stasis, but he
was not worried. The Garden was something he was very familiar with. The android did not
hesitate to begin walking down the path, a mission appearing in his HUD.

FIND AMANDA

The android looked around his surroundings as he walked. The garden was built to be aesthetically
pleasing, but something about it made Connor’s system freeze. The android’s eyes suddenly were
caught on a glowing rock along the path, tilting his head curiously the android approached said
rock. It was structured in a way that reminded him of how the CyberLife tower looked, but smaller.
There was also a large rock arch over the offending item. It didn’t look like it belonged. Upon
further inspection, Connor saw a pad with hand-scanning software. The android felt the
compelling need to place his hand on it, so he did so cautiously. It made his skin reseed, letting out
a whirl of energy that shocked Connor’s arm. The android quickly pulled back, his LED flashing
yellow for a moment.
“Yes, I’m afraid it does not work if you do not want it to.” Kamski’s voice cut in, making
Connor halt the interface abruptly. The detective turned his head to look at Elijah with a curious
look, imploring him to continue that vague thought. “Well, it wasn’t supposed to be like that. I
created the Amanda program to give you someone to guide you, not control you. However, given
our past…” The man looked to Chloe, who was watching in understanding. A small smile comes
to his face. “With Chloe so worried, I decided to put in an exit. Part of me knew that when
CyberLife kicked me out and took you back because my development was ‘taking too long.’ They
would alter the Garden and Amanda’s AI.”

“Oh…” Connor blinked, maybe it was the PTSD over what happened, but Connor could not see
Amanda being kind and nurturing to him, only cold and abrasive.

“I mean- look at it! It’s awful. They completely ruined my design of the place! I had a lovely
cherry blossom garden going, and they turned it Zen!” Kamski made a disgusted face, which
Connor couldn’t help but smile at. He agreed, he would have preferred cherry blossoms as well.

“Sorry, don’t mean to cut in but how did we get from CyberLife Tower to someplace in the middle
of a forest?” North barked, confused as all hell. It would make sense, they did not have a garden in
their own programming. Connor shifted uncomfortably, ready to answer but Elijah cut in.

“Well, your rudimentary programming wouldn’t have this feature, but Connor was built with an AI
handler to keep him from going deviant.” The creator gestured to Connor vaguely, leaning on the
desk as he crossed his arms. “It went into development after I finished the RK200 and began
working on the RK800, who was just supposed to be a detective assistant, but… We see how well
that worked out. Basically, it's an AI version of my mentor who is going to torture Connor.”

The android blinked at the bluntness of the statement, but couldn’t help but nod in agreement.
Chloe looked to be seething in anger, ready to go destroy CyberLife herself for what they did.
Hank just glanced at him, worried. The other three were all taking in the information.

“I would also…. Appreciate it if while I am in the Garden memories that any android stays away
from my physical body. I don’t know what digging up the memories will do.” Connor looked
away, reaching his hand up to resume the interface. He did not care to discuss it much longer. The
others thankfully stayed silent.

After the initial shock, Connor continued walking. The android made his way to the middle where
a woman was standing next to a wall of flowers, a table standing next to her. The red roses in her
hands moved at her every whim. A relationship bar came up in his HUD.

AMANDA – TRUSTED

“Hello, Amanda.” The android hummed softly, successfully gaining her attention. The woman
turned to look at him, a rose in her hand.

“Connor.” Her voice was soft, a small smile on her lips. “It’s good to see you.” The android
couldn’t help but smile in return, tilting his head to look over her shoulder as the woman sniffed a
rose. “Congratulations, Connor.” The praise rushed through his systems, it made him stand up
straighter. He had done a good job! “Finding that deviant was far from easy.” Her hands were
occupied moving the flowers about on the wall. Pulling another one up to her nose. “And the way
you interrogated it was very clever.” Turning around to face him, the rose still in her hand, she
smiled wider at him than before. It made Connor feel good. “You’ve been remarkably efficient,
Connor.”

“Thank you, Amanda.” He nodded his head with a smile. He felt free to express himself to his
handler, after all. If he was acting Deviant then he needed to be deactivated.

AMANDA ^

The woman set the rose down after a quick breath, beginning to talk again. “We’ve asked the DPD
to transfer it to us for further study.” She turned back to the wall of roses, continuing to talk. “It
may teach us about what happened.” Another rose, she reached up and cut, bringing it up to her
nose. “The interrogation seemed… Challenging… What did you think of the deviant?”

Connor thought for a moment, his LED cycling yellow. “I prevented it from being damaged, so we
might still learn something by analyzing it…” Connor spoke, hesitating before continuing. “It said
something to me, ‘The truth is inside’. I don’t know what that means… Unless it was another error
in its program.” He decided on, what he really didn’t understand. The machine was obviously
defective.

“This… Lieutenant Anderson.” The woman began, not giving any attention to Connor’s previous
words. “has been officially assigned to the deviancy case… What do you make of him?”. The
woman had switched to a bug replant for the roses, now spraying them all. Connor thought for a
moment, he was defiantly unpleasant at first, but he defended Connor. It was definitely interesting.

“I think he’s irritable and socially challenged.” Connor began, looking off to the side as he
described the man.

“Eh, I’ve been called worse.” Hank hummed, shrugging his shoulders. This caused North to
laugh and Simon looked to the older man with a raised eyebrow. “What? I’m a cop. People always
insult police, even when they did somethin’ wrong.” North laughed harder, holding her
metaphorical stomach.

Connor paused the memory, minimizing it to project a live feed instead as he looked to the
Lieutenant. “I don’t think that now… However, you are irritable.” The man looked shocked before
a large grin pulled over his lips.

“Damn Con, getting quite the sassy mouth you’ve been getting.’” The android flushed for a
moment, looking away. “I like it, Connor. It’s better than the stick up your ass.”

“Hey!” The group exploded in laughter, even Connor let out a quiet one. He didn’t laugh often, and
it wasn’t easy to get him to. Markus wanted to see Connor laugh unashamed, he suddenly realized.
Though that might have been a group goal at this point. With that, Connor let the memory play
again.
“But I also think he used to be a good detective…“ A brief question about what happened crossed
the RK800’s mind, but he pressed on. He could not be distracted by something trivial. “He’s an
intriguing character.”

“Unfortunately, we have no choice but to work with him…” Amanda huffed, clearly displeased
with the idea, worried that he would hold Connor back. “What do you think is the best
approach?” Connor read the unspoken words of ‘How will you control him’ hidden underneath. It
made him falter for a moment but replied quickly enough to please the woman.

“I will try to establish a friendly relationship. If I can get him to trust me, it will be helpful to the
investigation.” Connor replied simply, trust was the biggest advantage one could get after all. It
will give Connor more freedom if the other trusts him to do his mission.

AMANDA v

The woman turned around, approaching Connor as she spoke. Her words held importance and
brought Connor into focus. Oh no, was she mad? Connor did not mean to make her angry. He
shrunk in on himself but remained still and obedient.

“More and More androids show signs of deviancy. There are millions in circulation. If they
become unstable, the consequences will be disastrous. You are the most advanced prototype
CyberLife has ever created, If anyone can figure out what’s happening, it’s you.” The woman
praised, which confused Connor. His bar was surely broken. The android gulped and nodded his
head.

“You can count on me, Amanda.”

“You really can’t.” Markus joked, which caused Connor to yank his hand away from the TV and
whip around to stare at Markus, his mouth agape at the pure accusation. “What?”

“What do you mean ‘what’? Do you…” Connor spoke, his face falling from shock to hurt. It stung,
for some reason. The implications were that he could not follow through or be relied on. “Do you
think I’m unreliable…?” Connor finished, watching the way Markus’ amused expression turned
from amused to horrified and guilt-ridden.

“Oh, my rA9- Connor! No! That wasn’t…” Markus groaned in frustration at himself, but it only
served to make Connor shrink in on himself more. “No! It wasn’t- I’m sorry…” He finally settled
on. Why was Connor so hard to talk to yet so easy to talk to at the same time? He wouldn’t change
it for the world though. Connor was perfect how Connor was.

“Then what did you mean? Cus’ to me, that’s exactly what it sounded like. But, I know you better
than to know you mean it like that.” North inquired. The male rubbed a hand along his face in
frustration, looking down at the ground between his boots.

“What I meant was… Connor deviated. She can’t rely on him because he deviates when we meet.”
Markus explained, using a hand to motion between the two androids in the last part of the sentence.
“It was supposed to be a joke… I’m sorry, Connor. You are one of the most reliable androids I
think I’ve ever met. Loyal to a T.”

The praise eased Connor, his lips quirking up in an awkward smile. It eased his nerves that Markus
thought so highly of him. The android looked away from the Leader's stare and back to the TV.
“Thank you…” He muttered before returning to the interface once more.

“Hurry, Connor. There’s little time.” The woman spoke finally, walking away from the android.
Connor watched her go for a moment or two, then closed his eyes. When he opened them, he was
standing in the same place he’d gone into stasis. The CyberLife storage room. The android stepped
out of his neat spot, walking past the other versions of himself and into the lab that was attached to
the room. It was now bustling with life, the technicians and androids they used were all walking
around with purpose.

The android quickly made his way through the room, approaching the service elevator. Once
there, he rode it down to the first floor. His mission was currently labeled above his head.

MEET LT. ANDERSON AT THE PRECINCT

Once on the first floor, the android quickly left the tower. A cab was awaiting him. He climbed
inside, setting the destination of the cab before leaning back in the chair. A new message appeared
in his HUD. Connor tilted his head curiously.

CALIBRATION AT 84.3%

CALIBRATION REQUIRED – Please see CyberLife approved technician.

The android blinked away the notification, reaching into his pocket. The coin appeared in his
hand, and he rolled it over his fingers. The android‘s focus became entirely on the coin as he
flipped and rolled it over his knuckles. Built to adapt, he saw the need to see a technician every
time his Calibration was below 85% useless. The coin worked perfectly. He watched his
calibration rise steadily with each flip of the coin.

CALIBRATION AT 100%.

As the message appeared, the self-driving car stopped. Connor climbed out of the taxi, his heels
hitting the pavement as he rose to his full height. The android pocketed the coin, reaching up to fix
his tie. A habit he developed as it kept falling down. The android made his way inside the building
before him, the words “Detroit Police Department” were sprawled in big lettering on the door
itself.
As he entered, he saw the lobby that was empty before was now filled with people. The android
quickly made his way to the open receptionist. It was a standard ST300. A polite face to man the
desk. It glanced up at his approach.

“Can I help you?” It inquired softly. Connor didn’t nod but only spoke.

“I’m here to see Lieutenant Anderson.” He spoke, expecting it to be a quick conversation. These
typically were.

“Do you have authorization?” The android replied, a hand signal appearing on the desk before
him. Connor placed his hand on top of it with a blank expression. It reminded him vaguely of the
rock.

“Yes.” He answered. Once it was processed, the android LED returned to a solid blue, and it tilted
its head to the entrance.

“Lieutenant Anderson hasn’t arrived yet, but you can wait at his desk.” It spoke kindly, and
Connor nodded. He said nothing more as he walked into the entrance to the bullpen. Examining
his surroundings, he quickly made his way down the aisle of desks. Scanning each nameplate. His
scan stopped as he found the one he was looking for, indeed it was empty though. Connor’s eyes
scanned the surrounding area, before landing on Officer Wilson, who sat across from Hank.

“Excuse me.” The man looked up at Connor, waiting for him to continue. “Do you know what time
Lieutenant Anderson usually arrives?” He tilted his head, it was becoming a habit now.

“Depends on where he was the night before.” The man laughed, but when Connor didn’t he finally
answered the question. “If we’re lucky, we’ll see him before noon.” Connor nodded, letting out a
curt ‘thanks’ and dropping into the seat placed in front of the desk.

Connor sat still for about five seconds, before standing up. He couldn’t just sit still, his processors
whirled in protest at the idea of not doing anything. The android looked around, a sub-mission
appearing on his HUD.

EXPLORE OFFICE

Deciding he had time before the Lieutenant would arrive, Connor began to walk towards the break
room. Maybe he could make the Lieutenant a cup of coffee to return to. After all, they were here
early in the evening. He was lost in thought as he entered the room, not noticing Gavin standing
there with another officer.

“Fuck, look at that… Our friend the plastic detective is back in town!” He looked at the officer he
was talking with, gesturing to the robot and effectively gaining Connor’s attention.
“Congratulations on last night, very impressive!” Connor’s social program supplied that the man
was being sarcastic about the congratulations. Connor choose to ignore the man, his gaze falling
to the coffee maker before the man drew his attention once more.

“Never seen an android like you before… What model are you?” The man growled out, crossing
his arms over his chest as he got really close to the android. Connor blinked, before tilting his
head.

“RK800. I am a prototype.” The android informed, though Gavin did not seem pleased by this
news. He quickly became agitated.

“A prototype? Android detective.” He spoke, gesturing to Connor while looking back at the officer
he was chatting with. His glare landed on the taller android once again. “So machines are gonna
replace us all, is that it?” Connor could not respond to that. The detective only got closer, but
Connor did not move. If Reed damaged him, he was worth a fortune. “Hey, bring me a coffee,
dipshit!” The man raised his voice. Connor did not respond, and the man continued to get angry.
“Get a move on!” He yelled.

“I’m sorry, but I only take orders from Lieutenant Anderson.” Connor barked back, his features
becoming stern. The human backed up, muttering something under his breath, before pulling back
and punching Connor in the chest. A warning appeared in his vision.

WARNING

THIRIUM PUMP IMPACT

PLEASE ASSURE PUMP IS INTACT AT THE NEAREST CYBERLIFE STORE

As a result, a hand came to cover the biocomponent. The RK800 fell to one knee, shocks flooding
through his system in a way that could almost be defined as painful. It was definitely a sensory
overload. The man bent down to speak to Connor.

“If Hank hadn’t got in the way yesterday, I would’ve fucked you up for disobeying a human.” He
growled, Connor felt something flush through his system. He couldn’t understand what It was but
it kept him frozen in place. “Stay outta my way. ‘Cause next time… you won’t get off so easy.” The
man then walked away, the other officer following him out. Connor gave it a second, before slowly
rising to his feet.

“Alright.” Chloe’s voice suddenly cut in, making Connor pull his hand away from the interface to
look at her with a curious expression. She was seething in anger as was most of the cast. Though he
didn’t quite understand why. “Petition to find, kidnap and torture this Detective. All those in favor
say ‘Aye.’”

“Aye.” Came from North instantly. Which furthered his surprise.

“Aye.” Hank nodded. That one did not surprise him, “I know where he lives.” Okay, maybe that
did.

“Aye.” Simon hummed, which was even more surprising because he was very logical and mostly
peaceful.

“Aye.” Markus finished the chorus. Okay, that was just wrong. Markus being violent just seemed
wrong. It wasn’t right, and the fact they were willing to be for him made his Thirium pump clench.

“And those opposed are wrong,” Chloe spoke again, this got a laugh from the man behind him. It
made Chloe beam. “I’m looking at you, Josh.”

Connor shrunk in on himself, looking at the dog who even barked in agreement. Connor began to
toss the coin anxiously between his hands. He could detect that they were joking, but there was a
level of seriousness behind it. Connor didn’t want to be the reason anyone was hurt, even Reed.

“You… You guys wouldn’t actually… right?” Connor muttered, catching the group's attention.

“Oh, in a heartbeat,” Hank replied, having no shame that he wanted to deck Reed. “Maybe not
torture and kill but punch? Definitely.”

“I agree.” Came North’s reply, nodding along with the Lieutenant.

“We all care about you, Connor. It’s hard to sit back and watch someone hurt you…” Markus
spoke softly. He rose to his feet, approaching the distressed android. He leaned down on one knee
in front of the detective, trying to get those beautiful doe-brown eyes to meet his own. When they
did, the android smiled. “But, if it makes you unhappy. I suppose we’ll have to hold off our plans
for mass genocide of ‘people that are dicks to Connor.’”

Connor blinked, quiet for a second. Then, he began to laugh. It wasn’t the quiet laugh that he
usually forced out. It was a full laugh, shaking the android's whole body. It was contagious, as it
had Markus laughing softly. Mission Accomplished, and it was so worth it. He could listen to this
for hours. A little wheeze that followed the laugh only made it better. Connor struggling to get his
emulated breathing under control.

“Thank you, Markus. I’m sorry to ruin your plans.” The android grinned. The deviant leader let out
a soft and relaxed sigh.

“Eh, it’s fine. They weren’t too far into development anyway.” The leader shrugged, and Connor
only nodded signaling that he understood. The android seemed to hesitate, looking away from the
brunette's face to the dog in between Connor's legs. “Can I uh… Can I sit over here?” He muttered
quietly. A gasp came from the group.

“Traitor!” North screamed, obviously joking. Markus shrugged in response.

“Always been a rebel.” Connor chuckled and nodded to his request, it was easy to forget about
everything when he was around. He watched the darker-skinned android get comfortable where
Simon and Chloe had both sat against one of his legs. The leader seemed to hesitate, before
reaching to scratch Sumo’s head. Who responded by leaning into the touch. Connor took this as an
opportunity to continue his interface.

Rising to his feet, he decided against the coffee. If the detective came back, Connor did not want to
be there. He made his way to the holding cells. Examining them. The human in one of them cursed
at him, but his attention was on the android standing before the glass. He approached, and it
looked up to meet Connor’s eyes.

“They’re gonna destroy me.” It spoke as if lied too. Connor never promised it would be spared
and never lied about it, so why did he feel bad? Guilt poured through his wires. It felt like Daniel
all over again.

“I’m sorry… It’s not what I wanted.” Connor confessed, and it was true. He didn’t want to
deactivate Androids. He was just completing a mission.

SOFTWARE INSTABILITY ^
“But there’s nothing I can do…” Connor muttered, looking at the ground. He then turned his
sights back on the android before him. “I know there’s something you didn’t tell me. I need to
know before they take you away.” Connor pressed. It’s been bugging him since Amanda brought
up the android during their talk. “What you said yesterday… ‘the truth is inside’… What does it
mean?” The android simply looked at Connor with a fearful but numb stare.

“I’m going to die…” It muttered out, before looking down once again. It wouldn’t say anything.
Connor nodded, before beginning to walk away. A thud caught his attention, it caused him to turn
around. Staring blankly. The android was ramming his head against the wall repeatedly. Self-
destruction. Connor’s eyes widened before he schooled his expression back to its passive state. He
watched as Ben rushed to hopefully stop it, but it was too late. They began to talk about calling
CyberLife and cleaning the mess.

With that, Connor walked away. He made his way to the desk, blinking at its contents. Maybe he
could learn more about Hank. It would help him build a relationship with the man if he wasn’t
going in blind. The android got closer.

Connor had begun to scan the items on the Lieutenant's desk. His hands picked up some
headphones, lifting one to his ear. With his other hand, he played the song. It blasted into his audio
processor. It was enough for Connor to get a read on it. Knights of the Black Death. A heavy metal
band. Connor nodded, he didn’t listen to music, but if he liked it then so did Connor. He continued
to scan the objects on the desk. The coffee cup, the doughnuts, the Gears hat, the anti-android
stickers, and the news articles. It made Connor even more curious about what happened, not that
he’d ask. It was not his business. Just as Connor was about to finish, he noticed something else that
made his processors whirl with happiness.

HAIRS

Canine hairs

Saint Bernard Dog

Connor wanted to squeal. A dog! Connor loved dogs. He was unsure why, but the animals
fascinated him beyond understanding. It was a real dog, too! Not an android dog, as those do not
shed. A smile spread across his lips for a moment, but it quickly disappeared when an officer
approached the desk. Connor lifted his head to be met with the Lieutenant.

“It’s good to see you again, Lieutenant.” Connor greeted, chipper as always. The man took a step
back, rolling his eyes.

“Oh, Jesus…” He groaned in annoyance. Connor’s expression remained passive.

“Hank!” Both of them turned to look at the Captain who emerged from his glass office. “In my
office!” He yelled, turning around to walk inside. Hank groaned and made his way inside. Connor
followed, feeling like that was the best option. The Lieutenant took a seat across from the Captain.

“I’ve got ten new cases involving androids on my desk every day. We’ve always had isolated
incidents, old ladies losing their android maids, and that kind of crap…” The captain gestured
vaguely, shaking his head at the thought. “But now, we’re getting reports of assaults, and even
homicides, like that guy last night.” Connor stood at attention but was listening intently to every
word. His hands clasped in front in a show of respect. “This isn’t just CyberLife’s problem
anymore. It’s not a criminal investigation and we’ve gotta deal with it before the shit hits the fan. I
want you to investigate these cases and see if there’s any link.” Fowler finished, which caused
Hank to lean closer, an offended look coming to the man's face.

“Why me? Why do I gotta be the one to deal with this shit?” The first stage of grief, Denial.
Connor noted. It was amusing to watch, actually. “I am the least qualified cop in the country to
handle this case! I know jack shit about androids, Jeffery!” The man almost whined, pointing back
at Connor. It would have hurt Connor’s feelings if he had any. “I can barely change the settings on
my own phone.”

Fowler shook his head, gesturing to the piles of cases on his desk. “Everyone’s overloaded. I think
you are perfectly qualified for this type of investigation.” He then gestured to the man with both
hands. His voice was stern. Hank shot up like a bullet.

“Bullshit! The truth is nobody wants to investigate these fuckin’ androids and you left me holdin’
the bag!” The man yelled, before turning away. He set his hands on his hips as he tried to quiet his
anger. Connor watched him.

“CyberLife sent over this android to help with the investigation. It’s a state-of-the-art prototype.”
The man made a gesture at the android. “It’ll act as your partner.” This did nothing to help
Hank’s anger.

“No! fuckin’ way!” He growled, turning around and leaning over the desk again. Almost in the
Captain's face. “I don’t need a partner, and certainly not this plastic prick!” The man pointed at
him before turning back to Flower. The Captain was beginning to lose his own temper.

“Hank, you are seriously starting to piss me off!” The man gestured with both hands again. “You
are a police lieutenant, you are supposed to do what I say and shut your goddamn mouth!” The
man was clearly over Hank’s continuing argument and lack of disrespect. Though that did nothing
to stop Hank.

The man’s hands rested on his hips as he looked at his boss, brows pinched in curious anger. “You
know what my goddamn mouth has to say to you, huh?”

The captain raised his right hand, stopping Hank as he calmed himself down. “Okay… Okay…”
He breathed in and let out a sigh. Looking away before looking back. “I’ll pretend like I didn’t
hear that, so I don’t have to add any more pages to your disciplinary folder ‘cause it already looks
like a fuckin’ novel! This conversation is over!” Hank seethed in anger as Fowler went back to
looking at his terminal. After a few seconds, the man leaned over the Captain's desk again, hands
on the glass.

“Jeffery, Jesus Christ! Why are you doin’ this to me? You know how much I hate these fuckin’
things. Why you doin’ this to me?”

The captain sighed exasperated. “I’ve had just about enough of you’re bitching. Either you do
your job or you hand in your badge. Now, if you’ll excuse me. I’ve got work to do.” The Captain
all but growled. Connor watched the Lieutenant give in with a strangled cry. The android blinked,
watching him leave. He paused, debating if he should say anything at all. He decided the man was
already irritated, and no one here seemed to have a good opinion on androids. He simply nodded
and left, closing the door quietly as he did so.

He made his way back to the Lieutenant, who was pouting in his chair like a toddler. It made
Connor feel bad, but it wasn’t like it could be helped. He had a mission to complete, and he needed
the detective to do it. Connor approached quietly, looking down at the man. Upon spotting him,
Hank turned his chair.

“I get the impression that my presence causes you some inconvenience, Lieutenant. I’d like you to
know I’m very sorry about that.” The android muttered softly, though the man didn’t respond. He
kept to his brooding. “In any case, I’d like you to know I’m very happy to be working with you. I’m
sure we’ll make a great team.” He tried again, only to be met with the same silence as before.
Connor understood that he was still in the anger stage of grief. Acceptance would come later. “Is
there a desk anywhere that I could use?”

Hank pointed at the clear one directly across from his, meant to be his Partner’s probably, but
from how dusty it seemed, there hadn’t been one for a long time. “No one’s using that one.” The
android nodded and made his way over. Lowering himself into the chair in a delicate fashion. He
looked over at Hank, maybe he could try and bond with the man. His social protocol told him that
humans usually talked while they worked. He decided to bring up the first thing he noticed.

“You have a dog, right?” Connor suddenly inquired, causing Hank to look over from where he’d
begun typing on his computer.

“How do you know that?” The man barked, he looked almost offended that Connor knew the
information. Connor tilted his head toward the chair he was sitting in.

“The dog hairs on your chair.” He stated simply, before a smile formed across his face. Hank
almost looked shocked at the expression of real joy on the android's face. He shut that thought
down though. Androids didn’t feel. “I like dogs! What’s your dog’s name?” He rushed out, like an
excited kid. It made Hank’s defenses fly up.

“What’s it to you?” The man growled, but the sunken expression the kid got made him sigh.
“Sumo, I call him Sumo.” Hank huffed. Connor's happy smile returned as he pocketed that
information for later. Once again, he loved dogs.

HANK ^

“Honestly, that shoulda been the first sign.” With that, Connor pulled his hand away from the
interface. He was going to pause it anyway. The joy that rushed through his memory from learning
about Sumo made him want to pet the dog, and he did. His hand joined Markus in petting the beast
of a dog. He barked happily at Connor, letting the android squish his face. He did look over at
Hank to inquire about what he meant.

“What do you mean, Lieutenant?” He asked, leaning down to hug the dog's big head. The animal
was thriving under the attention, his large tail whacking against the chair legs over and over.

“Androids aren’t supposed to have preferences or enjoy things right?” He looked around for
confirmation, receiving several nods and hummed agreements. “Well, Connor. You like dogs, you
even said it. That’s a deviant thought.”

“False Hank. I lied.” He grinned into the animal's fur, meeting the confused man's gaze. “I love
dogs. Did back then too.” The soft smile that formed across Hank's face as he laughed made his
android son laugh in unison. Once it died down though, he looked back at Sumo. “You are the first
dog I ever fell in love with. I can’t wait for Hank to kick the bucket so you’ll be all mine!” The
android joked.

“Hey!” Hank screamed, though in a joking manner. He got up and wandered over, crouching down
to pet the dog’s head and look at Connor with a serious yet playful expression. “First of all, who
said you are getting Sumo?”

“Me.” Connor replied cheekily.

“Okay, smart ass.” Hank rolled his eyes before looking down into the older dog's eyes. “Second of
all, He’ll probably pass away before me, Connor. Saint Bernard’s only live to be about 10. Sumo
here is around 6.” The truth about the words made the smile on Connor’s face shatter, and it hurt
Hank. He couldn’t let the kid believe in a lie though. The detective model nodded, looking down at
the dog between his legs. The dog borfed happily in response to its attention from Connor. A hand
came up to ruffle his hair, pulling his attention away. “It’ll be okay, kid. He’s as healthy as can be.
Four years is a long time, and he’s still as spry as a puppy.”

“I know… I just…” The android looked at the human in front of him. A tear slipped down his face
and he quickly reached up to wipe off his cheek. “I don’t want him to go…” The android laughed,
forced. He was trying to avoid the awkward conversation about his feelings.

“Kiddo, this dog is stubborn as all hell. He ain’t going anywhere for a long time.” Hank mused it
made Connor chuckle again, looking back to the happy canine between his legs. “Plus, he likes
you more than he likes me.” A cocky smile poured across his face, meeting Hank's eyes. “Don’t
you dare.”

“It’s because he knows who loves him more.” The man barked out a laugh, flicking Connor's
forehead. The android whined, reaching up to rub the spot. “Hey…” A pout pooled across his
features, making Hank shake his head.

“No! No puppy eyes. I ain’t apologizing. You’re a little shit.” The lieutenant huffed out, coming to
his feet with a tired groan. “God. I need a nap… How much longer is this going to take?” The older
man groaned. Connor looked at the time, it was 1:34 p.m. This was usually when Hank woke up,
he noted.

“There is still a week's worth of footage to go through, I’m afraid we will have to take pauses so
that the humans can rest,” Connor muttered, looking to Markus who shrugged one shoulder. The
leader looked back to the other Jericho crew members who all gave similar responses. “I suggest
that we stop after this day. It will be approximately 5:26 p.m. which is proper eating time for
humans. We can meet back here in the morning.”

The crew suddenly seemed uncomfortable, having a silent conversation with each other. The
android’s all turned to look at him at the same time. That was creepy. Even Hank shivered next to
him in response. This got a laugh from North.

“Well… Connor. We’d like you to stay at Jericho if that’s okay. Evacuations are still underway,
and there are humans still in the city who are not fond of Androids.” Josh spoke, trying to be
diplomatic about the situation. It made Connor sag in disappointment at being told to stay put. He
felt like more of a prisoner.

“I… Would be fine, but if that is what makes you all more comfortable. I will stay.” Connor
agreed, and Simon lit up. Running over to grab one of Connor’s hands in excitement. A strange
burst of energy for the smaller android. “Uh…”
“Sorry! It’s just… I took care of so many humans who had sleepovers and now we get to have
one!” The blonde flushed, pulling his hand away. The action received a chuckle from Markus who
was sitting next to him, looking to Connor.

“We aren’t asking you to stay to keep an eye on you, Con. We are asking you to stay because we
want you to be safe and…” The leader suddenly flushed as well, looking down at the floor.
“Because we like having you around. Even North.”

“Untrue!” The woman called out, only to get hit on the arm by Josh who glared daggers at the
woman. She huffed. “Fine, maybe a little.”

Connor processors stuttered, and he turned to look at his dad. As if to ask permission to stay over
for recreational purposes instead of legal. The man looked back at him before sighing, setting his
hands on his hips. He looked at Connor, sternly.

“You call me after dinner, and before you go to bed. Understand? If you don’t, I’m gonna drive
over here and make a smurf blood bath looking for you.” Hank huffed, watching the other
android’s eyes widen. Connor tilted his head in a confused manner.

“Hank, we don’t eat, and we don’t need sleep.” The android inquired about the weird precedence
set by his parent.

“You have those pill things from Chloe, and if you don’t go to sleep then you can’t stay.” The man
huffed. Connor pouted, looking up at his father with puppy eyes. When they did nothing to deter
the man, he crossed his arms.

“We’ll make sure he eats and sleeps, Mr. Anderson.” Simon hummed, a smirk pooling across his
face as he looked at the detective. Fear suddenly flashed through the android's eyes and they met
gazes. “After all, we all enjoy sleeping… Markus over here likes to cuddle when he sleeps.” Simon
finished with a wink. The deviant leader shot up like a bullet.

“No, I don’t!” He screamed in embarrassment, his face flushing blue as Thirium rushed to his
cheeks. “How would you even know?” The android huffed, glaring at Simon, it was like a child
being accused of stealing cookies.

“You cuddle the giraffe toy that Carl gave you.” North cut in simply. It made the man only flush
more, hiding his hands in his face. God, this was embarrassing, more embarrassing than the
implication Simon had made that he’d want to cuddle with Connor. Which, he would but that is not
the point.

“Markus…?” The angelic voice suddenly asked, making the leader lift his hands from his face to
look at Connor over his shoulder. The android was nervously shifting in his seat, and playing with
the coin between his fingers. The way his eyebrows were pinched and a concerned smile pulled at
his lips made Markus want to kiss the lines away. “Do you… want me to cuddle you?”

Welp, there goes his systems. If he had an LED it would be yellow from just processing what the
man said. It took a solid minute for his system to come back to reality and away from the
reconstructed images of Connor in his arms. “Uh… I mean… If you want…” A hand reached up to
rub his neck in a nervous manner. Connor only nodded.

“Can I join too?” A small voice cut in, causing everyone to look at the blonde who was standing
next to Kamski, nervously awaiting approval. The man was looking at her fondly, a supportive
hand on her shoulder.
“Duh? Of course, you’re invited.” North spoke, watching the girl light up once again. She quickly
crossed the way from where she was standing to North, taking the woman’s hands, and spinning
them around in a circle.

“Oh, this will be so much fun! We can braid each other's hair and tell ghost stories! This will be my
first sleepover!” The woman cheered happily. It caused North to stutter in surprise before nodding
and laughing with the happy android. It made Connor happy to see them bonding slowly. Chloe did
not have many friends since she was kept in Kamski’s mansion.

“Let’s finish then so that we humans can leave you all to your android sleepover.” Kamski
chuckled, turning back to the android still sitting in the chair in front of him. “Are you ready,
Connor?” He raised an eyebrow; the android turned his head to look at the man before nodding.

“As I’ll ever be. We must finish this day. We have a lot to go through.” The robot hummed, raising
his hand to begin the interface. Everyone rushed to get resettled. Connor vaguely noticed that
Markus had chosen to return to the bench and was replaced by Chloe again. It stung slightly, but he
understood.

The android thought to ask about the game but decided against it. It appeared to be what the man
was watching last night. Though he was curious about one thing. The android tilted his head as he
looked at the desk, confused.

“A lot of people don’t appreciate having androids around…” Connor started, gaining Hank’s
attention. “I was wondering… Is there any reason, in particular, you despise me?”

HANK v

The man looked back at his terminal. “Yeah… There is one.” He grumbled but did not elaborate
further. The android looked down at the desk, trying to decipher what it could be but came up
blank.

“Have you known Captain Fowler for long?” The android inquired. Hank looked back at the
office with a begrudging huff.

“Yeah…” He turned back to his terminal. “Too long.”

Connor nodded, looking at the time. The android shifted for a moment, before looking back at the
human. “I was wondering… Do you always arrive at the office at this time?”

Hank huffed in annoyance, but the relationship marker did not go down. “I arrive when I arrive.
Stop busting my balls, okay?” The man growled, turning back to his computer. Connor decided to
begin working, not wanting to agitate the man further. Connor could tell he was tired.

“If you have any files on deviants, I’d like to take a look at them…” The android muttered softly,
unsure if he could use the terminal before him.

Hank huffed, pointing at the very computer. “Terminal’s on your desk, knock yourself out.” Then
he began working again.
Reaching a hand up to the keyboard, he interfaced with the device. Cases flooded into the screen,
and the android began reading through them at an inhuman rate. A couple of them were familiar
now that he was looking back. He recognized Norths and Markus.

“243 files… The first dates back nine months. It all started in Detroit… and quickly spread across
the country.” The deviant hummed. Pausing briefly in between words as he took in the information.
The closest and most recent seemed reasonable. “An AX400 is reported to have assaulted a man
last night. That could be a good starting point for our investigation.” The man ignored him,
turning away to actively avoid looking at him. Connor stood up, making his way across the
distance to come around Hank’s desk again.

“Oh, Jesus.” Once again, the man turned away from him. Grabbing a useless item to try and seem
distracted. Connor huffed quietly. The android leaned over slightly, trying to get the Lieutenants.

“I understand you’re facing personal issues, Lieutenant, but you need to move past them… and-
“He was cut off by Hank turning to him, pointing a finger in his face.

“Hey! Don’t talk to me like you know me. I’m not your friend and I don’t need your advice, okay?”
The man barked loudly, glaring at the android and then returning to the tablet in his hand. Connor
breathed in. Okay, then he won’t. A pinched expression came onto his face as he put both hands on
the desk, leaning over the older cop.

“I’ve been assigned this mission, Lieutenant. I didn’t come here to wait until you feel like
working.” The android spat. It apparently was a bad call even if the relationship marker did not
say so.

Hank rose to his feet, grabbing the front of Connor’s jacket and hauling him into the glass wall
behind his desk. Connor’s legs were unable to touch the ground. Anger was written all over the
man’s face. He got right in Connor’s face. “Listen asshole. If it was up to me, I’d throw the lot of
you in a dumpster and set a match to it! So, stop pissing me off or things are gonna get nasty.”
Connor’s LED flared a bright red, before returning to a neutral blue. His expression remained
passive. They remained silent for a moment before Chris walked over.

“Lieutenant… Uh… Sorry to disturb you…” He glanced between the two as Hank set him down,
letting go and turning to face the officer. “I have some information on the AX400 that attacked the
guy last night… It’s been seen in the Ravensdale district.” Hank huffed, nodding.

He began to walk as Chris talked; Connor straightened his outfit before following them at a brisk
pace. The human he was assigned to rolled his eyes in an exaggerated manner.

Connor pulled away from the interface for a moment. “I shall skip the car ride; we did not talk.
Hank simply blasted his music.” Then he continued.

Connor climbed out of the car, rain falling against his synthetic skin. The android watched Hank
climb out as well. There were cops lining up almost the entire district. Connor stood next to the car
as several officers came up to report to their superior. Connor watched and listened intently.

“Alright, that’s all for now. Free to go.” Hank sighed, rubbing the bridge of his nose as he spoke
to Ben. The officer looked almost apologetic.

“We’ve got officers sweeping the neighborhood, in case anybody saw anything.” He informed,
and Hank simply nodded, letting his hand fall from his face.

“Okay.” He put his hands on his hips again, looking at the shorter man. “Let me know if they turn
anything up.”

“What are you gonna do with that?” Ben spoke, looking at Connor. The android was still
listening, he was simply examining the area as his preconstruction came to life before his eyes.

“I have no idea…” He sighed, patting Ben’s shoulder and approaching the android. Connor
turned his head to look at the man. Finally deciding on imputing his own thought process.

“It took the first bus that came along… and stayed till the end of the line. Its decision wasn’t
planned. It was driven by fear.” Connor hummed thoughtfully. The man looked at him weirdly,
shoving his hands in his pockets.

“Androids don’t feel fear.”

“Deviants do. They get overwhelmed by their emotions and make irrational decisions.” Connor
supplied helpfully.

“Ah.” Hank sighed, looking around. “Well, that still doesn’t tell us where it went.” He grumbled,
looking back at the android.

“It didn’t have a plan, and it had nowhere to go. Maybe it didn’t go far…” Connor inquired.
Suddenly, Connor’s audio processors picked up one of the officers across the street near the motel.

“Hey! Stop! Police!” An officer yelled, and Connor took off before Hank could open his mouth.
The android Thirium pump strains to keep pace with Connor's excessive movements. Officers that
saw them guided him, leading him to a fence where the deviant and a little girl were climbing it.
Connor bolted towards the fence, crashing into it. Their eyes met, and Connor couldn’t understand
what he was feeling at that moment.

“It’s Kara and Alice.” Markus hummed thoughtfully. He had not been informed that the two had
encountered Connor. He noted that Luther was not with them. “They must meet Luther later.”

“Yeah, her owner is a liar. They never attacked him.” North informed, and Hank hummed at that.
The girl didn’t seem to have in her.

The woman was scared but pleading. He heard a gun behind him and quickly put a hand out to
stop the android. “Don’t shoot! We need it alive!”

The deviant slid down the hill with the girl. Hank came behind him panting heavily. Connor
watched them running towards the highway. Connor gripped the fence, beginning to climb it but
Hank pulled him back down.

“Hey! Where are you goin’?” The man yelled; Connor didn’t take his eyes off them as they began
crossing the highway.
“I can’t let them get away.”

“They won’t! They’ll never make it to the other side!” The man replied breathlessly, but Connor
tried again to climb the fence.

“I can’t take that chance.” He got pulled down again, Hank shouting at him again.

“Hey! You will get yourself killed!” He barked. Connor’s processors were whirling, he needed to
do something. He couldn’t just… “Do NOT go after ‘em, Connor! That’s an order!”

His system quickly selected a priority before his eyes.

CONFLICTING ORDERS

SELECTING PRIORITY

FOLLOW DEVIANTS

However, Connor stayed put. The android ripped his hands away from the fence and looked back
at Hank. A blank look on his face, his LED yellow. He turned back to the androids to see that they
had indeed made it across. She paused to hug the child.

“First time you listened to a thing I said, and you panic about it.” He heard Hank grumble.
“Sorry for looking out for you.” He laughed. It was a joke and Connor treated it as such.

SOFTWARE INSTABILITY ^

Hank pats his shoulder, leading the android away from the fence and efficiently the deviants.
“Come on, lets go get some lunch.” The android simply nodded, not going into the nuisances of
how androids did not eat. They simply consumed Thirium. He stayed silent the entire way back to
the car, LED still yellow. A mission appeared in his HUD.

SEE AMANDA

The android felt something flood his system once again, he tried to ignore it. Climbing into the car
when they approached it, he looked out the window to his left the entire time. He avoided the
prompt flashing in the corner. He needed to get himself together before he allowed himself to see
the woman. He could feel his body trembling, but he assumed it was his Thirium pump returning to
normal levels. Soon, they pulled up at a food truck. Though Hank did not immediately get out,
instead turning his music down to look at Connor.
“Are you alright?” The lieutenant asked, tapping his temple with one hand. Connor tilted his head,
confused for a moment. Then he realized.

“Ah, yes. The conflicting orders are still processing in my system. I will be alright.” The LED
shifted back to blue by Connor's influence. The cop rolled his eyes, muttering ‘stay here’ before
climbing out of the car and running across the street. A new mission appeared in his HUD as well.

RECONCILE WITH LT. ANDERSON

Connor climbed out. He’d speak with Amanda later. Connor walked across the street once no cars
were coming. He stood behind the Lieutenant and scanned things. Hank seemed to be upset when
the man known as Gary pointed him out.

“Only temporary.” He growled before another man came up to Hank. They began to talk about
gambling. Connor noted the expired food safety certificate and the criminal records of both men. It
left him confused. Hank seemed to enjoy their company and frequented the establishment. After
Pedro walked away, Hank turned around to face him. “What is your problem? Don’t you ever do
as you’re told? Look, you don’t have to follow me around like a poodle!” Hank sighed.

“I’d say more of a golden retriever or a German Sheppard, classic police dog.” Kamski
hummed from behind him, it received a laugh from Hank as well.

“Oh for sure. Connor acts like a dog, 100%. Even gets happy when you praise him like one too.”
Hank laughed out, the android in question paused the interface at that. He pouted.

“I do not…” His LED shifted to yellow, eyebrows pinching and eyes widening. Hank raised an
eyebrow before sighing, running a hair through his hair.

With a groan, Hank rubbed the back of his neck. “Con, can you get me water from Chloe’s bag?”
The android stood up after disconnecting his wire, laying it gently over the chair. He then walked
over to the bag, retrieving the water, and bringing it to Hank. The old man took it with a smirk.
“Thank you, Connor. You’re a good boy.”

Connor smiled at the praise, folding his hands together behind his back. “Of course! Can I get you
anything else?” Hank was sure if he had a tail and ears they’d be perked and wagging. The smirk
that spread across his face more made Connor pause.

“Point proven.” Connor groaned at that, hiding his face in his hands. North barked out a laugh next
to him, and Simon reached over the woman to offer a reassuring pat to Connor’s elbow.

“Damnit… Hank!” Connor whined, turning away, and walking back to his seat in embarrassment.
When he plopped down, it only proved to further his embarrassment when Kamski was hooking
the wire back in.

“Good job putting the wire down nicely.” Kamski started, which served to make Connor perk at
the praise again but slouched in embarrassment when he continued. “Such a good boy.” Connor
groaned, quickly continuing the interface before anyone else could stop him.

Connor looked at him for a moment, before looking away. He struggled with that to say. He then
leaned over, looking at the man who was waiting for his food. “I’m sorry about my behavior back
at the police station. I didn’t mean to be unpleasant.”

“Oh, wow…” Hank shook his head in disbelief. A smile came to his face “You’ve even got a
brown-nosing apology program!” He looked at Connor. Then looked back at the truck window.
“Guys at Cyberlife thought of everything, huh?”

HANK ^

When Gary set Hank’s food down, the android scanned it. The results worried him for Hank’s
health. The two made a comment back and forth about leaving Connor here, and the Lieutenant
was right. He followed the man to one of the tables, leaning on it in a relaxed manner. He spoke
the concern to the Lieutenant who looked at him with a passive expression.

“Your meal contains 1.4 times the recommended daily intake of calories and twice the cholesterol
level,” Connor stated simply, raising his brow. “You shouldn’t eat that.”

Hank gestured to the burger with a smile as he held it in one hand. “Everyone’s gotta die of
somethin’”

HANK ^

Connor nodded, looking away. The android's LED flashed yellow as he turned to look at the man
again. “This morning, when we were chasing those deviants…” Hank nodded to let the android
know he could continue. “Why didn’t you want me to cross the highway?”

The man huffed. “’Cause you could’ve been killed!” He yelled, before backtracking on his own
words. “and I don’t like filing out paperwork for damaged equipment.” Connor smiled for a
moment, looking back at the truck. A thought occurred to him.

“Is there anything you’d like to know about me?” Connor inquired, tilting his head softly. The man
quickly got defensive. He didn’t need to get attached to a hunk of plastic.

“Hell, no.” Then a thought came to him, something that was bothering him. “Well, yeah. Why did
they make you look so goofy and give you that weird voice?”

“What?!” Markus huffed, looking at Hank with an almost offended expression. Hank looked at
him and rolled his eyes.

“Do you really want me to think Connor’s attractive?” The thought alone made Hank shiver, sure
the kid was cute but that’s all Hank could see him as, a KID. Markus huffed, crossing his arms, and
slouching in his seat.

“CyberLife androids are designed to work harmoniously with humans.” Connor began, before
gesturing to his face as he spoke. “Both my appearance and voice were specifically designed to
facilitate my integration.”

“Well… They fucked up.” Hank huffed, taking another bite of his burger. Connor just shrugged off
the insult. Then, Hank asked a question. It made Connor perk up. “You ever dealt with deviants
before?” Connor quickly looked at the table.

“A few months back… A deviant was threatening to jump off the room with a little girl… I
managed to save her.” His processors whirled at the memory. It was a disappointment that the
android was destroyed. They could have examined it. Hank nodded, shifting in place.

“So, I guess you’ve done all your homework, right? Know everything there is to know about me?”
The nod he received in reply made the man roll his eye but wait for Connor to explain.

“I know you graduated top of your class.” Hank stood up straighter up at the praise. “You made a
name for yourself in several cases and became the youngest lieutenant in Detroit.” The man
nodded, taking a bite of his food again. “I also know you’ve received several disciplinary warnings
in recent years, and you spend a lot of time in bars.”

“So, what’s your conclusion?” Connor paused, staying silent for a moment or so. He then looked
back at the man who was waiting expectantly.

“I think working with an officer with personal issues is an added challenge.” He started, tilting his
head as a grin pooled across his synthetic features. “But adapting to human unpredictability is
one of my features.” He winked after that.

HANK ^

“I just got a report of a suspected deviant…” Connor suddenly spoke, a message about it
appearing in his HUD. He was still looking at Hank. “It’s a few blocks away. We should go have a
look.” His eyes glanced to the left as if looking down the street. He then pushed off the table. “I’ll
let you finish your meal. I’ll be in the car if you need me…” With that, Connor headed back to the
car, climbing inside. It wasn’t much longer before the Lieutenant was climbing back into the car.
Connor had already put the address in his GPS.

“Alright, let's go get this fucker.” Hank hummed, pulling away from the curb with a huff of breath.
He played the music at a reasonable volume this time, which meant Connor didn’t need to tune
down his audio processors. He returned looking out the window. His prompt to see Amanda was
still blinking in the corner, but Connor just opted to ignore it. He did not have time for it now. It
was not a long drive, and before they knew it, they were outside a very run-down apartment
building. Hank cursed at the appearance, climbing out. Connor followed, holding the door for
Hank to the building and following him.

“Great… What floor, Connor?” The lieutenant grumbled, going to the elevator, and pressing the
call button.
“The top floor, Lieutenant,” Connor replied easily, stepping onto the jerky device with Hank when
the metal door opened. Hank nodded, pressing the top number. Connor closed his eyes, deciding
that filing a report to CyberLife and Amanda might serve to make the prompt disappear for the
time being. It worked effectively enough. It did disappear upon submitting the detailed report.

“Hey, Connor!” When he opened his eyes, Hank was standing in the hallway, looking at him
weirdly. “You ran outta batteries or what?”

“I’m sorry, I was making a report to CyberLife.” The android hummed. Hank seemed impressed
before gesturing to him.

“You plan on staying in the elevator?” Connor quickly stepped out.

“No! I’m coming.” He quickly followed the Lieutenant. Hank sighed, walking down the disgusting
hallway.

“What do we know about this guy?” Connor hummed in though, looking back at the report.

“Not much.” The android knew he’d have a headache if he could have one. “Just a neighbor
reported that he heard strange noises coming from this floor. Nobody’s supposed to be living up
here, but the neighbor said he saw a man hiding a LED under his cap.” Connor explained.

“Oh, Christ.” Hank leaned against the wall next to the door, rubbing his temple. “If we have to
investigate every time someone hears a strange noise, we’re gonna need more cops.” He
grumbled, before looking at Connor again. “Hey, were you really makin’ a report back there in the
elevator? Just by closing your eyes?”

“Correct.”

“Shit…” Hank looked impressed as he crossed his arms. “Wish I could do that.”

Connor stepped in front of the door. He rose a hand to knock loudly. “Anybody home?” When
there was no reply, he knocked again. “Open up! Detroit Police!” After another moment of silence,
Connor looked at Hank. About to give up, until a loud bang sounded inside. Hank quickly drew his
gun, getting between Connor and the door.

“Stay behind me.”

“Got it,” Connor muttered, watching as Hank kicked the door open, beginning to make his way
inside. With every door, he kicked and announced his presence. Connor followed along, noting the
disgusting state of the apartment. However, the door at the end of the hall was kicked back, and
Hank cursed as birds ran at him.

“What the fuck is this?!” The room was filled with pigeons and bird poop. “Jesus, this place
stinks… Uh, looks like we came for nothin’, our man’s gone.”

Connor shook his head, his mind snapping into focus as he began to examine the apartment. He
found a diary behind a poster, handing it off to Hank after examining it. He found a jacket with
initials, a fake driver’s license with the name Rupert and found no food in the main area. It was
becoming clearer that the suspect was an android. He moved to the bathroom. All the while, Hank
was cursing at the birds around him.

He found an LED in the sink, an android then. His attention turned to the wall. rA9. It was written
2,471 times. Hank came up behind him, desperate to get away from the birds, and asked about it.
Connor did not have a good answer for it. He began to reconstruct what happened, it led him back
to the living room.

The android never left.

Connor approached the hole in the roof, looking up at it. Suddenly, something fell out of it and on
top of Connor. Hank cursed as the birds went flying straight into his face. The two androids
tumbled to the ground.

“God damn fuckin’ pigeons!” He cursed; Connor was starting to rise to his feet again. “What are
you waiting for?! Chase it!” With that, Connor took off. Following the android down the hallway,
jumping over obstacles, and bursting through the door of the roof.

He leaped over an air vent, and quickly onto the fleeing deviant’s trail. He followed him as the
android leaped off the roof and onto another. He ran through a field of wheat, following the
android. Two paths came up, but Connor picked the one the deviant was using.

FAST BUT RISKY

Connor jumped onto some UFD boxes to propel himself up a wall, pulling himself up. He
continued his chase. There was once again an option, but Connor didn’t need to look to choose.

FAST BUT RISKY

He climbed up a truck, leaping onto another roof. He continued his chase into a greenhouse.

DIRECT BUT CROWDED

He seamlessly dodged the article, making up for the distance he had originally lost. He followed
the deviant down a glass roof that was inclined, sliding down the glass, at the last second he
leaped into the broken window, following the deviant through the building, turning left to go out
another door since the deviant one closed. He saw the deviant above him, predicting his path, and
he ran once again into the risky option.

FAST BUT RISKY

He jumped onto a machine, grabbed the edge of the wall to haul himself over, and continued his
pursuit. He followed the man onto another inclined roof, heading straight for a moving train.
Connor turned, and at the last second jumped. He successfully landed on the train.
”Holy shit-“ He heard North yell. “That was fucking awesome!”

“He has zero self-preservation skills though.” Markus huffed, crossing his arms. North looked at
him with a raised brow.

“You are just mad because he looks hot while doing it.”

“Shut up.”

Connor watched the man jump onto a nearby ladder, and Connor followed flawlessly, pulling
himself up the ladder and up the wall. He continued his chase. He continued to follow the deviant
from roof to roof, always choosing the fastest route. Soon, he was chasing him through a field of
tall plants, taller than himself.

“Stop right there!” He heard Hank yell. The android LED whirled yellow as he came from the tall
plants to see the officer and deviant struggling. The deviant pushed Hank, and the old man
stumbled, catching himself as he fell off the roof. He was hanging dangerously.

It was as if instinct kicked in, he saw the probabilities and everything, but he couldn’t bring himself
to care. The android rushed towards the edge, grabbing Hank’s arm and pulling the Lieutenant up
to safety.

SOFTWARE INSTABILITY ^^^

HANK ^^^

“SHIT!” Hank cursed on his knees after Connor pulled him up. The cop was hitting the ground.
“Oh SHIT!” He began to rise to his feet again, and Connor watched him. “We had it! Fuck!”

“It’s my fault,” Connor spoke, his LED was whirling yellow. The prompt from before returning to
his vision.

SEE AMANDA

“I should have been faster.” The android looked off to where the android had disappeared.

“You’d have caught it if it weren’t for me.” Connor looked back at him with a pinched expression.
The older man was out of breath. “That’s alright. We know what it looks like. We’ll find it.” The
exhausted man huffed out a tired sigh, making his way to the door. Connor continued to look back
at where it vanished.

SEE AMANDA
“Hey, Connor,” Hank called, and the android turned to look at the human. “Nothing…” he
decided on at the last minute. Connor tilted his head but followed.

“I was going to say thank you for saving my hide.” Hank hummed softly; Connor pulled away
from the interface in response. His eyes found Hank who was looking at the floor, running his
hands through his hair. “But you looked at me, and I saw that stupid triangle… Made me think I
was thanking a wall… But that ain’t true. Thank you for all the times you saved my sorry ass,
Con.”

The android smiled, looking down at the ground. It felt good to be acknowledged for his efforts.
“It is never a problem, Lieutenant… Let me end the day.”

Connor returned to the interface.

The two roads to the police station were in utter silence. The music was not on, and neither was
talking. His HUD was flashing repeatedly with a warning to see Amanda. It made him shift. Once
back at the station, Connor climbed out with a brief goodbye to the man. Hank nodded and waved
before speeding off.

The android stood where he was left, letting the rain soak his clothes. A minute later, an automatic
taxi pulled up in front of him. The door swung open, and Connor climbed inside. He pulled the
coin from his pocket, rolling it over his fingers. His stress levels dropped dramatically, as much as
they could with Amanda's prompt in his vision. He would connect once he went into stasis at
Cyberlife. He was not worried about it.

The android went through the process of going through the tower to his holding block. Once he
was inside, he took a second to look at the ones that he walked past. He shook his head, coming to
stand in his normal place. Shutting his eyes.

STASIS ACTIVATED – RECHARGE ACTIVATED

Connor pulled his hand away, looking at the group. Hank seems to have nodded off, which made
Connor roll his eyes. He felt Kamski take the cord out of his neck, and Connor closed the port with
a neck rub. The port felt sore, he was glad that this was over for the day.

“That was the entire day, except for later that night. We can do that in the morning though.”
Connor spoke, standing. Chloe followed from her spot on the floor as well as the dog. The
detective made his way to Hank, leaning over the man. He poked his face.

“Lieutenant?” Connor called out; the man opened his eyes but shut them again while mumbling
curses. The android smirked, before lifting his hand and smacking the man. It shocked him awake.
“Wake up, Lieutenant!”

“Jesus fucking Christ, Connor!” Hank barked out, pushing the android away as he rubbed his face
and stood up. “You can’t keep waking me up like that if you want me to live past 60.” He
grumbled. A smile broke across the android’s face.
“Does that mean I can keep Sumo?”

“No! Not if you kill me.” He grumbled out, whistling to call the canine over. He lifted up the leash
before looking back at Connor. “Are you sure you’ll be okay if I leave you here? They aren’t
gonna like… dissect you right?”

Connor chuckled, shrugging dismissively. “No clue, but the chances are low.” He hummed before
gesturing over to Chloe and Kamski, who were also saying their goodbyes. The two were sharing
soft kisses and embraces, this was probably the first time they would be apart in a long time.
“Obviously Kamski trusts them enough to leave Chloe here.”

Hank nodded, looking at them before Connor again. “There’s no stopping her when she wants
something.” He shook his head. The man pulled Connor into a weak side hug. “If you need
anything just call, okay?” Connor nodded, hugging back, and letting Hank ruin his hair
affectionately. “And don’t put out on the first night, got it?”

Connor tilted his head, confused. He quickly googled the saying and flushed. “Hank!” The
Lieutenant laughed, putting his hands up in surrender. The two shared another brief hug before
Hank left finally leading Sumo out with little struggle. He noticed Kamski following quickly after.
It left the two androids standing next to each other while watching the door.

“Alright, ladies,” North commented, gaining their attention and getting them to reluctantly leave
the door and join the other androids. “Let’s get some blankets and shit. We can make a fort or
something that we can all sleep in. Next, we need to make these two comfortable. I have something
that would fit Chloe. Markus, do you have anything that would fit Connor?”

The deviant leader nodded, looking at Connor with judging eyes. “Yeah, I have something that’s
too small for me to wear. It would be perfect on him.”

“Why do we need to change…?” Chloe tilted her head, looking down at her sweater and jeans.

“It doesn’t fit the sleepover vibe.” Josh hummed. The woman nodded in understanding.

“Okay. Me and Josh will go and get the blankets and pillows. Markus, you take Connor to change.
North, you change Chloe. Oh, Markus. You have been monitoring connections with the President,
right?”

“Of course.” The leader nodded. “She said she won’t be able to meet with me until next week.” He
sighed, rubbing his temple. “I have our people cleaning up the church and scouring for clothes that
we can hand out to newly deviated androids since the ones from the camps took theirs back.”

The others nodded at the information. They had nothing to do but enjoy the sleepover.

“Alright. Everyone be back here in 20.” With that, North grabbed Chloe’s arm, dragging the
android away. Josh and Simon headed off quickly, leaving Connor and Markus alone.

“Alright, come with me.” The man offered his arm as a man would back when balls would be held.
Connor hesitated before lacing his arm with the other, letting himself be led through Jericho. A
soft smile on his face.
 Androids Sleepover While Playing Russian Roulette at The Eden Club
Chapter Summary

No, Connor didn’t deserve this. Markus wanted it though, and he deserved anything he
wanted. If he wanted to claim Connor's lips with his own as he pulled the android's
lips into his own, then Connor would let him. If he wanted it too, then no one had to
know. He could feel the reassurance and love that Markus poured through the
interface. He could see a life that wasn’t his own flashing through his eyes, it was
perfectly Markus. It was Carl’s house, his studio, his paintings, the junkyard he
conquered, and the Jericho he led. It was all so Markus and Connor loved it. He could
feel every emotion and pain the leader felt through it all. It was so moving and
beautiful. Tragic and breaking. It was his story.

Chapter Notes

This is another really long one, the next one will probably be short so I can rest my
tired brain.

This chapter features a few new characters, one for the following few chapters. We get
protective Hank, simp Markus and flustered Connor, and sad Connor.

This chapter is basically Connor and Markus's filler that ends with them kissing until
Eden Club.

The church was coming along quickly, as androids did not need rest. They already had most of the
area cleaned up and organized, there was a medical bay and a Commons area in the main room of
the building. A perk about choosing a church was the housing that old catholic churches held for
their nuns and priests. The intention was to make that wing of the church the medical bay but the
people insisted that the leaders take the rooms as they deserved them. Markus adamantly protested
at first, but the people stood firm. The leader didn’t like the idea of having added comfort when his
people did not get the same luxury but in times like now, it was useful.

Markus pushed open the door to his private room, which he had sorted out the night before. He let
out a sigh as he entered the room, expecting Connor to follow him inside. The detective stood at
the entrance to the door, peeking inside without stepping over the entrance line. The leader gave
him a weird look, gesturing for him to come into the room. He hesitated.

It was Markus’ private quarters, he did not want to intrude on the android's privacy. He had done
that too much already in the past and he’d rather not do it again. The room wasn’t much. It held a
bed in the corner with a torn blanket and dirty pillow, there was also the toy that North had
mentioned earlier. Next to the bed was a beat-up table, holding a lap without a shade. Across the
room where Markus was standing was a dresser. Above it was a mirror, large. There wasn’t much
to invade upon, but still. It felt wrong…

“Unless you plan on changing in the hallway, I suggest you come inside and shut the door.” The
deviant leader mused, a chuckle leaving his lips. Connor watched as he began pulling drawers open
and shuffling through a few clothing items he had held onto. The detective sighed, taking a few
steps inside and quietly closing the door behind him. The android’s eyes suddenly found the old
wood floor to be the most interesting thing in the room. “Con, it’s okay. I wouldn’t have let you in
if I thought you were invading my privacy.”

The surprise must have shown on his face at how easily Markus had pegged the problem. It made
the leader snicker, a playful smirk coming across his lips as he set a few things on top of the old
dresser. Connor was surprised the hinges still worked. “I just…” Connor started, lifting his eyes to
finally meet the dual-colored ones that were staring right back at him. The android struggled to
find the right words, what could he say? That he didn’t want to be a burden? That he spent so much
of his life invading others' privacy that it was almost second nature? “I don’t wanna mess this
up…” He settled on. His eyes closed to look away from the deviant leader.

“Hey.” A hand touched his upper arm, the unnoticed action caused Connor to flinch but he
otherwise let it happen. “Look at me.” The ex-deviant hunter did what he was asked, opening his
eyes to look at Markus. The leader looked determined, supportive, and strong-willed. It brought the
same feeling of hope it always did when Markus looked at him like that. “You won’t. Trust me.”
He grinned wide, it was a contagious smile that Markus had. It made Connor’s lips quirk up in a
small grin. He felt the hand on his arm trace down, soon coming to his wrist. The action caused
Connor to look down as the RK200 grabbed his hand and placed a few articles of clothing into it
with the other. Oh. “I’ll wait outside.”

Connor could only nod, he couldn’t get his voice box to function. Why did Markus have this effect
on him? He listened to the footsteps of the deviant leader leaving, and shutting the door behind
him. Connor knew he did not go far as the footsteps stopped and the sound of something thumping
against the door signaled that the leader was leaning on it. The detective looked down at the
clothes in his hand and put them on top of the dresser.

He pulled the shirt up first, examining it. It was a turtleneck, black in color, Connor noted. The
shirt also had thumb holes that he’d seen Simon and Josh sporting. He supposed the deviant leader
either wore a turtleneck or something that cut way too low to be holy. It wasn’t too high of a cut,
similar to the height of a fully buttoned dress shirt. Connor set the article down again before
reaching his hands down to the helm of the hoodie he was wearing. Connor hesitated for a moment
before lifting it up and over his head. He’d keep this safe, it was Hank’s after all. Once the hoodie
was gone, Connor made quick work of the standard CyberLife issued button down that was still
stained with Thirium on the shoulder where he’d gotten shot. The wound was closed from his self-
healing program, but he supposed the white fabric kept the blue tainted stain. It was evaporating,
he noticed as it was significantly lighter than before. Once the offending object slipped down his
shoulders, he stopped.

He'd never really taken much time to examine his appearance outside of fixing his tie and
managing his professional hairstyle. Now though, his hair was fluffed and curled from the constant
ruffling everyone did. The shirt he normally wore with pride was stained and hanging down his
shoulders, his eyes held tiredness he recognized in Hank when he caught him playing Russian
Roulette. His expression was pinched. Did he always look so miserable? Was that why they tried to
comfort him so often?

A knock soon snapped his attention out of himself, and he turned his head to the door as it peeled
open. “Hey, are you okay it’s bee-“ As the door fully opened, the leader stopped dead in his tracks.
The sentence he was forming fell to the wayside. They stared at each other for a moment, eyes
meeting eyes. Then the leader's eyes drifted down to take in the undressed state of Connor and he
quickly slapped a hand over his eyes. “I am so sorry! I just wanted to make sure you were okay!
You were taking a long time and I-“ The leader began to ramble. Connor smiled softly.

“It’s okay. I just…” He cut the android off, finally letting the white shirt fall to the ground. He
retrieved the turtleneck and pulled it over his own figure. While he and Markus had similar body
types, the latter was still more broad in the chest. It caused the item to look baggy on him. “I got
caught up in my own head. I’ll finish quickly.” Connor amended. Even though he was more
dressed now, the leader kept his hands over his eyes to give Connor as much privacy as possible.
The leader wanted to laugh at how Connor didn’t want to invade his privacy but Markus invaded
his. It was funny in its own way.

“No! Take all the time you need, I’ll just wait for you. If you need any help, ask.” With that,
Markus shut the door and left again. His audio processors picked thumping against the wall across
from the door and repeated ‘I’m fucked’ over and over again. It caused Connor to be concerned,
but he was more worried about finishing in a timely manner.

The android undid his belt and stripped his Cyberlife issues slacks, and kicked off his dress shoes
before pulling on the sweatpants that Markus provided. They were a little big and hung off his hips
but the texture was soft and it filled him with joy. He looked… fluffy and soft. Connor ran a hand
through his hair to calm the curls it did nothing but make them stick up more. A huff of frustration
flew through his mouth.

Once he finished, he leaned down to the pile of clothes. He began picking up the discarded items
and folded them neatly. He’d have to return the clothes he was wearing after tonight and he’d rather
not dress in excessively wrinkled attire. With a neat pile in his hand, he walked to the door, using
his free hand to pull it open.

The android walked into the hallway, closing the door behind him. Markus turned to look from
where he was leaning his forehead against the wall, and his system seemed to stutter. Connor.
Looked. ADORABLE. The android couldn’t help the bright smile that pooled across his features
as he approached the detective, looking him up and down.

“You look good. It really fits you.” He nodded, confirming his thoughts to himself. “The comfy
look, I mean.” He clarified when he noticed the way that the sweatpants hung off Connor's narrow
hips. The android looked down at himself and then back to the leader.

“I feel soft.” Was the comment Connor made in response. Ever since becoming deviant, he noticed
he could feel the fabric much better than before. He definitely liked the way the cotton felt on his
sensors. The leader chuckled, nodding in agreement before gently taking Connor’s clothes from his
arms.

“You look soft,” he started before walking around Connor back to the room. “I’m gonna get
changed as well, and you can keep the clothes in here.” Connor nodded, letting himself smile at the
leader's constant kindness. With that, Markus disappeared to go change. Connor shuffled
awkwardly, looking up and down the hallway. After a moment or two, the deviant hunter decided
to lean against the opposite wall. The android kicked the ground a few times. Soon, he heard
footsteps coming down the hallway. He assumed it would either be North or Simon coming to look
for them since Markus said that Connor was taking a while. What he did not expect was to look up
and have his systems crash.

The two androids seemed to think the same thing, as they stopped dead in their tracks. The two
were holding hands, One blue, one red. He vaguely noticed that their LEDs were gone but he was
sure they were having a silent conversation between each other. Connor shifted in place.

“It’s you.” The blue-haired Traci suddenly spoke, and Connor was silent for a moment before
nodding. A sorrowful look on his face. “The deviant hunter.” The woman finished, and Connor
visibly winced at the nickname. He was known well by the name among deviants.

“Its… Ex-Deviant Hunter, actually.” The RK800 shifted in an uncomfortable manner. The women
seemed surprised, looking at each other before back at the male in front of them. “Never mind, you
can call me what you wish.” He suddenly felt self-conscious about his name. Sure, it was given to
him based on his previous actions but if the deviants he hunted did not want to acknowledge that
and only focus on his title, he wouldn’t stop them.

“No, you are right… It's Connor, right?” The red-headed Traci stepped forward, out from behind
her girlfriend. The detective nodded; He supposed that Hank yelled it often enough during the fight
that the Androids would have picked up on the given name. “It’s a nice name. I am Meg. This is
Toni.” The android gestured to the blue one, who nodded and smiled.

“It’s good to see you again.” Connor tensed. His expression morphed from guilt to confusion. Why
would anyone be happy to see him? He hunted these girls down like they were nothing more than
rats. The way his head tilted made the redhead giggle. “We never got to thank you for sparing our
lives.”

“No need.” The hunter said automatically, his arms crossing over himself in a self-conscious
manner, but he remained tense. His expression went passive. “It was never mine to take in the first
place. I apologize for even threatening it.” The two girls held strange expressions. Why did so
many people look at him like that? Was he doing something wrong?

“Oh, Claire. He’s so precious!” Well, that was the first. He had heard ‘dangerous,’ or even ‘cute’
but never precious. He raised an eyebrow. The girl squealed and held onto the blue’s shoulder.
“Can we keep him?” The blue one laughed at that while Connor sat there confused. Keep him? He
heard two sets of footsteps approaching from down the hall behind him.

“Sorry, ladies.” Connor’s posture straightened as an arm wrapped around his shoulder, pulling him
into another android’s side. The android blinked and looked at the other women now with them.
North, who was now dressed down in a baggy T-shirt that had an old show from the 2010s and a
pair of shorts. Her hair was down, falling over her shoulders gracefully. “’fraid we already got
claims.”

“Yeah!” Connor felt his arm to his left being hugged, he knew the touch and voice immediately. A
smile pulled across his face before he could stop it. The blonde android was dressed in a white
tank top and very similar shorts to North. The addition to her outfit was slippers on her feet whereas
Connor and North just had socks. The blonde’s hair was now down as well, falling over her face in
a way he’d never seen.

He watched the group of ladies start to bicker with each other over what group gets to keep him,
which confused him beyond belief. Why would anyone ever want to keep him? He was so focused
on the other androids that he didn’t notice a door opening and closing, he also did not notice
someone approaching from behind him. One of the girls lit up, looking at something behind him.

“Markus! Good, you can settle th-“The woman started, and Connor began to turn around before he
felt strong arms close around his shoulders and pull him against a strong chest. The android
stumbled back as he was pulled away from North and Chloe’s hold. He could infer that it was
Markus who had yanked him into his hold.

“He’s mine,” Markus said right into his ear in a tone that held no room for argument. The
comment succeeded in making Connor’s systems essentially blue screen like early 2000’s
windows. The RK800 felt thirium rush to his face, painting his skin in a deep blue. The group of
girls around him looked shocked for a moment, and North rolled her eyes. “Leader privilege.” He
felt the leader shrug lightly against him.

Connor was just trying to get his systems to work, his LED rapidly spinning yellow. What was he
supposed to say to that? Not that he was complaining mind you, he’d be anything the leader wanted
him to be. This was a lot though. It was obvious from the repeated compliments and touches that
Markus was at the very least attracted to him, not that he understood why, but that was just a fact at
this point. It obviously went deeper than attraction to some degree.

Connor just couldn’t comprehend why. Didn’t they understand that he was dangerous? North was
ready to kill him yesterday! He’d only become deviant two days ago, and he wasn’t even fully sure
that he was deviant. Now though, they were all touchy with him, caring for him. They provide him
with comfort, clothes, and a place to sleep, but for what reason? Nothing he showed today was
particularly jarring other than the roof-top incident and the deviant from the crime scene.

He knew the attraction was a base feeling, but Markus’ feelings had developed from their
interactions and seeing everything of what Connor was. He just didn’t understand how the change
happened so fast. They went from hating him, to liking him, to hating him again, and now they
were calling him precious and fighting over who gets to keep him. It was like whiplash.

“Connor?” The detective snapped back into reality. A hand was laying on his jaw, mismatched
eyes were boring into his with worry that he just did not understand. He tried to kill him more than
once. Yet he still stood there and looked at Connor with care and devotion. “Connor, what’s
wrong?”

The android didn’t respond. Staring blankly at Markus. His processors were whirling trying to
understand. His social program chose to fuck off. It left Connor clueless and scared. We’re they
luring him into a false sense of security? Hank, Chloe, and Kamski’s affection he could
understand. After all, they had a past even if Connor didn’t remember it. The Jericho crew didn’t
make sense. They all liked him, and he didn’t get it.

“I don’t… understand…” Connor muttered softly, his eyes fluttering closed as he wrapped his arms
around his torso. The android hunched over, trying to make himself seem small. Deviants were
unexpectedly irrational, but this was a new level. “You are all so nice to me… Care about me…
But I don’t get why!” Connor shouted. Taking a step back from the leader, putting distance
between him and the group. He vaguely noticed at Simon and Josh had joined the fray, probably to
find them after they had been taking so long. “Hank, Chloe, and Kamski I can understand! We have
a past, and our relationship built off it but…”

He continued to take steps back. The leader’s dual-colored eyes were locked onto him, reaching a
hand out to comfort him and trying to approach him like a wild animal. “Connor…”

“You have all known me for two to three days! I tried to kill you twice in one day! You spent one
of those days hating me and wanting to kill me! She held a gun to my head!” He gestured to the
red-headed leader who stood up straighter, but Connor couldn’t stop his rant. “Yet now you care
about me? Is it going to be hate tomorrow? I can’t handle the changes! Its… It’s too much…”

Markus slowly approached him; his eyes were soft and inviting but Connor simply backed up
again. A silent message that he did not want to be touched or approached right now. His system
and mind were in chaos. He was so deep in self-deprecation that he simply couldn't understand.
The android nodded in understanding and dropped his arm. The silence in the hall was silent for
several minutes as Connor struggled to get his systems under control.

“We never hated you, Connor.” Simon began, looking at the other leaders who had stepped
forward. They had essentially blocked Connor’s only way out besides the window behind him, not
that they wouldn’t let him leave. “Cautious, yes. Hate? No. We can’t be blamed for our actions as
machines.”

“Some of us may have been made for easier purposes like housekeeping or teaching but…” Josh
inhaled, looking into the stressed brown eyes of the hunter. “You were made for a more scary
purpose. A toy to be used and disposed of by the people who claimed to value you.” Connor
blinked, his breathing hitching as he was reminded of his purpose.

“I wouldn’t have shot… It was an empty threat.” The female leader spoke, shaking her head and
placing her hands on her hips as she looked at Connor. “Sure, we felt betrayed… and we still are
cautious to know if you’re gonna snap again but… You are still one of us Connor. We couldn’t
have won the revolution without your influence.”

The mention of snapping made Connor tense, unconsciously looking for Amanda and finding that
she was still gone to his knowledge. He relaxed briefly and looked to the leader in the middle,
Markus standing as close to him as he could get with Connor walking away from him.

“We like who you are, Connor. You have a big heart and an innocence that’s hard to come by.”
Markus began, and Connor felt his walls melting away. “There’s a light that you shine. There’s a
love, I see it in your eyes.” Markus’ voice was confident as he approached. This time, Connor let
him. When arms reach, the leader cupped his jaw with both hands. The strong hands directed his
gaze to meet the androids. “All the dark, let it go. You’re not alone.”

Connor felt tears welding in his eyes, and for the first time since he got here. He let it go. It broke
Markus’s heart to see the android so helplessly trapped by his emotions. The leader moved his
hands down to Connor’s shoulders and pulled the android into his chest again. He was glad that he
had a few inches on the detective. It allowed him to tuck the RK800 into his chest.

“Let it out… It’s okay.” He whispered, one hand cupping the other’s head, the other running soft
fingers down his back in a comforting hold. He had to admit, Connor was a silent one. He was
okay up until he wasn’t. They were so different. Where Markus’s scars built up on the outside,
Connor’s were internal. It was hard to realize until you were too close not to notice. The android
was a silent crier, he’d come to realize. He could feel Connor shaking with sobs against him, but
other than a gasp for breath or a whimper he was utterly silent.

It took ten minutes of watching Connor’s LED cycle red before it finally transitioned back into a
soft blue. With the LED calming itself down, the android in his arms did as well. The tension that
lingered between the group seemed to dissipate with the outburst of emotion from the RK800. It
made Markus happy that they could ease Connor’s nerves.

When the android finally lifted his head up to meet Markus’ face, a small smile was on the
detective’s tear-stained face. It was small and sly. Markus would almost say devious. “Does that
mean you still want to cuddle?” It was just loud enough that the others could hear it. A laugh
erupted from North, and the others followed. The embarrassment that flooded his face made
Connor cover his mouth in an attempt not to laugh as well.

“Well… Like I said.” Markus cleared his throat, moving his hands down to the android’s hips.
Connor glanced at the hands before meeting Markus’s eyes. His own hands had gripped his shirt
earlier during his sobbing session. “If you want to.” He said it was more confident than he felt.
North gasped.

“Get it, Markus!” She yelled proudly before getting shushed by Simon throwing a hand over her
mouth. A quiet whisper of ‘don’t ruin it!’ scolding the woman.
“Hmm… I guess we’ll see.” Another sly smile before Connor pulled away from the android and
walked away. “We have a sleepover to attend too.” Chloe cheered this time, running up to her
brother and grabbing his hand.

“Let’s go! Simon said he finished the fort!” The woman squealed, dragging the RK800 off down
the hall past the Traci’s who looked at each other confused. Connor easily kept pace with the quick
pace Chloe had sent. A laugh pulled itself out of his mouth. He vaguely registered the other
androids following behind them, trying to keep pace.

When all of them settled into the room again, Connor was pulled into the fort by an overjoyed
Chloe. It had holes from torn blankets and the pillows were not white, but it was perfect for them.
It was Connor’s first sleepover, and he was going blind. He had to look up what a sleepover was to
know what the others were referring to at first.

“First sleepover!” Chloe gushed as she settled in the middle. Connor sat next to her, leaning back
against one of the pillows. Hank had taught him the nuisances of not sitting stiffly when you are
supposed to be getting comfortable. The others piled inside as well, North lounging next to the
other girl. Simon and Josh sat opposite him and Markus. It created an odd half-circle. “What first?”

“Well. We could watch a movie.” Simon suggested, and Chloe nodded as if letting him go on.
“You and North can do each other’s hair while we watch it.” At this, Chloe nodded and looked to
North who agreed happily. Markus looked at the TV.

“Tv on.” The device lit up, changing to a movie selection screen upon Markus’s further commands.
He asked it to play a random comedy movie. It chooses one accordingly and the androids settled
in. Connor shifted; he couldn’t really see the device from over Markus’s shoulder since the other
was taller. He noticed Josh and Simon had sat how he and Markus should have, the taller of the
two in the back. The android huffed, crawling out of his spot. It gained Markus’ attention when the
android looked at him.

“Move back. You’re taller than me and I can’t see.” The detective pouted; it caught Markus by
surprise, but he simply nodded. He scooted back to where Connor was before and watched the
android shuffle to where he’d just been sitting. He found he couldn’t see either. Their height
difference wasn’t that different after all.

“Now I can’t see.” The android whispered, trying not to disturb the others who were watching and
chatting. Chloe had chosen to be the one to get her hair braided first. Connor glanced over his
shoulder, analyzing what would be the best solution for this. When his system decided on one the
detective acted accordingly.

“Open your legs.” The RK800 spoke, offering no explanation for the words. It caused Markus to
flush, but he tried to keep his head on his shoulders.

“Excuse me?” The RK200 asked in surprised curiosity.

“Open your legs.” The detective’s gaze hardened, and Markus let out a sigh. He then uncrossed his
legs and moved them apart. He decided it was best not to argue with the hunter. The android
nodded, before scooting back into the place in between the leaders’ legs. He shifted for a second,
then leaned himself back on the other’s chest. Now they could both see. “Better?”

“Much.” He gulped, his hands resting behind him to support himself. His fingers twitched with the
want to wrap around the more petite frame now in his lap. He felt Connor nod in approvement. He
could also feel eyes on him, he glanced over at the other androids and saw Chloe looking at him
with a knowing smirk. He chose to ignore it to look back at the movie. He let himself lift one hand
to wrap around the android’s waist. He felt the other tense but quickly relaxed.

After different party games, a few movies, braided hair, and an angry call from Hank which were
followed by Chloe shoving six thirium pills down Connor's throat (It was precious to see Connor's
reaction to it. His mouth sensors were more sensitive than any part of his body and he loved them)
led them to where they were now. Connor had stepped outside to take his phone call, Chloe and
North was chatting with Josh, and Simon and Markus were across the room discussing something
about politics.

North had thrown a pillow at Markus who was talking to Simon, a smirk pulled on her lips as she
held another one in her hand. The deviant leader narrowed his eyes to the other. He slowly reached
down for the pillow, tossing it in the air and catching it as he thought about how to go about this.
He preconstructed several different avenues.

“You’re on, North.” With that, he tossed the pillow directly at the woman and rolled out of the way
of her own being thrown. He sprinted toward the pile of pillows in the fort to grab more ammo.
However, when he came close a pillow got thrown at his knees causing him to crash into the
ground. He quickly looked up to the offender, finding Chloe standing next to North with a sly grin
on her face. “Simon!” Markus called for backup as he lifted himself to his feet.

The other blonde threw him a pillow, grabbing one of his own from the one Markus had dodged.
Josh was eventually dragged into the fray on Markus’s side. Leaving it two against one. He had
claimed he ‘had to help the boys’ when North barked about betrayal. Markus calculated a strong
throw that would hopefully take down North, rearing back he let the pillow go.

It was like time slowed down. The WR400 ducked down, the pillow flying over her head. A door
opened at the same time; the tall android entering was welcomed by a face full of pillow. Everyone
stopped all at once, turning to look at the RK800, who had caught the pillow after it fell from his
face on instinct. His face was painfully neutral as he gazed over the scene. First, his eyes landed on
the two girls closest to him. North had no qualms about ratting Markus out. The WR400 pointed an
accusing finger. Connor then turned to meet the leader's eyes.

They were painfully void of any emotion; it made Markus feel guilty. “Con, I’m sorry- It was
meant to hit Nor-“ The deviant leader was cut off by the RK800 throwing the pillow in a
movement so fast, he had no chance of dodging it. It made Markus stumble back, shocked.

“Connors on the girl's side!” Chloe squealed, throwing the android another pillow. A sly smile that
pulled across the detective’s face sent fear through the group of boys on the other side.

“Time to hunt some deviants.” Connor mused, his grin only growing as he began to approach. It
left Markus frozen in place for a moment. The fear washing through him wasn’t for his life but his
dignity.

“RUN!” Josh screamed, grabbing a pillow to defend himself and bolting away from the android.
Simon felt the same apparently, ditching the frozen leader to take cover behind the desk that held
the Tv. Markus finally snapped out of it, a grin of his own forming.

“Catch me if you can, hunter.” With that, he took off. He heard quick steps behind him, and Josh
screamed as they were chased around the room by the Android who was jogging more than
running after them. It ended with North and Josh locked in a fight, hitting each other with pillows.
The female was winning. Chloe and Simon ended up fighting, but Simon gave in easily enough.
They were now on the sidelines, cheering the main fight going on between the two RKs.
Markus just narrowly dodged a pillow being thrown at him before he felt another one collide with
his leg. It buckled under the force, allowing Connor to stand above him with a cocky expression.
His preconstruction software allowed him to swing his legs, knocking the detective to the ground
in one sweep. The android hit the ground with a huff but quickly tried to scramble to his feet.
Markus stopped him by climbing on top of him, trapping him between his legs.

“Pinned ya.” Markus laughed, raising his pillow to deliver the finishing blow. Before he could
understand what happened, Connor had flipped them, straddling the other android with his own
breathy laugh. A hand was pushed on his chest to keep him pinned. Connor was stronger than him
after all.

“Deviants never learn.” Connor mused, leaning down to lean close to the leader. Markus felt his
breathing stop at the action. Connor’s tone was airy and filled with amusement. “I am built to be
stronger…” He pressed his hand against the android’s chest more than he was. It caused Markus
mild discomfort but not pain. A reminder. “Faster…” He chuckled, his free hand reaching off
somewhere while the detective leaned into Markus’ ear. “Better. I will always win.” The leader
gulped, a shiver pouring down his spine and head flooding his face. God, this was the hottest thing
he’d ever seen.

Connor seemed to take joy in leaning back up and bringing a pillow he had grabbed right into
Markus’s face with a bright laugh. It made Markus absolutely thrum with happiness. If Connor
winning made him happy, then Markus would get his pride take a hit. The android climbed off his
lap as the leader removed the pillow. He offered a pale hand to the mocha-colored man. Markus
breathed a laugh and took it, pulling himself to his feet. The two were swarmed by the girls,
gushing and squealing.

“We won, Connor! Girls for the win!” Chloe squealed; Connor nodded. He decided not to mention
that he was not a girl. It would hurt the blonde’s feelings.

“I knew we would. Markus only had a 10% chance of defeating me. My preconstruction software is
better. The ten percent was on account of Markus’ unpredictable nature.” This caused Markus to
bark out a laugh, of course, he had run a calculation. That’s why he was so cocky! He wondered
who would win if they fought with no program to help.

“Well, I don’t know about you guys, but I’m drained.” The male blonde android huffed, rubbing a
hand against his face. “Maybe we should get some sleep. Recharge our batteries.” As Simon
spoke, he was throwing stray pillows back into the fort. The group seemed to agree, besides
Connor. Who shifted uncomfortably.

“What’s up?” Chloe asked, noticing the brunette’s discomfort immediately.

“I have never entered Sleep Mode before…” Connor confessed, looking at the ground. Sleep mode
was different from Stasis. It was a mode installed in all androids, but some were more human-like
than others. Caretakers, housekeepers, and intimacy models like Markus, Simon, Chloe, and North
had more human-like sleep modes to allow their humans comfort if they wished to sleep with the
model in the same bed. Connor was unsure if he was like theirs or Josh who had been programmed
with a neutral one. Androids also did not need sleep; it was purely for human comfort. Deviants
found it to be an emotional rest, Connor never tried it.

Stasis was for when an android was in storage or if they were working on the android in a lab and
needed its systems to stay running. It also processed updates and diagnostics.

“Markus will teach you.” North hummed, climbing into the fort. Everyone else followed her
besides Connor, who remained neutral outside the tent for a moment. A sigh escaped his lips as he
leaned down and climbed inside. He joined Markus on their side, watching the android set up two
pillows next to each other. He watched him intently, taking the information in.

“Alright, lay down on your side like me, but face me.” Markus hummed, laying down on his side.
An arm under his head even with the pillow cushioning it. Connor followed the example but found
the arm thing to be uncomfortable and pulled it away. Instead laying his hands together in front of
his chest. “Okay, are you comfortable?” Connor thought for a moment, then shifted his legs to be
more comfortable. He ended up in more of a fetal position than he would have liked. “Alright…
When you’re ready, enter sleep mode.”

Connor nodded, looking down at his hands for a moment. He wanted to, but… Did Markus
remember earlier? Probably not. It made him bite his lip. He could just initiate it. It wasn’t like the
leader would deny him. Still. It felt like an invasion of privacy if he did so without asking.

“Can we…” Connor stopped himself, looking at the android who looked back with understanding
curiosity. The RK800 suddenly felt like he couldn’t do this. “Nevermind. Goodnight, Markus.” He
closed his eyes. It was silent, Connor was just about to enter sleep mode when Markus sighed.

“C'mere’” The android huffed, before Connor could open his eyes, there was a hand on his hip,
pulling him into the other space. His hands encountered a broad chest, and his legs shifted to
intertwine with the deviant leaders. “Better?” Connor stared up at him, eyes wide and mouth agape.
It felt more comfortable like this, yes. It was so relaxing that Connor almost felt tired.

“Yes.” He breathed out, looking away from the smiling android to look at Markus’s chest. He
decided to snuggle into the other android’s shoulder. He felt Markus lean his head on his own, the
arm around his waist softened but didn’t move.

“Night, Connor.” A smile pressed across his face as he chose to let himself slip into sleep mode.
Markus stayed awake to watch Connor for a moment. He felt the android press closer to him, his
voice box letting out quiet snores. Huh, a human sleep mode. He supposed it was efficient for
undercover missions. With that thought, Markus let himself slip into sleep mode.

Birds chirping and rodents rustling in bushes caused Connor’s eyes to snap open. The android
examined the area. It was the garden. It made the android tense. This was nothing like how he left
it. It was as calm as the day he came off the assembly line. A mission appeared in his HUD.

FIND AMANDA

The words made him shiver, and he wasn’t sure why he complied. The android walks down the
path, taking the long way as to pass by the emergency exit. He froze when he realized it was gone.
All that was there was a rose bush. It sent sickening fear down his spine. Oh no.

“Amanda?” The android called out, spinning in a circle. He was trying to find her with his
scanners, but they weren’t working. He called for the woman again, becoming frantic. He began to
walk, scanning and calling out for the woman.

“Hello, Connor.” The voice sent a chill down his spine as he turned around. When Connor saw
her, he was sure his thirium pump shattered in its place in his body. Next to her, on his knees was
the deviant leader. “Congratulations on bringing the deviant leader to me.”
“N-No! Markus!” The android stepped forward, only to be met with a gust of wind that was so
cold it caused Connor to drop to his knees in fear and pain. The android raised his head, looking
at Connor with an understanding and forgiving expression.

“You can do this, Connor.” The deviant spoke softly. Connor could feel himself beginning to cry.
“You’ve got this. You’re stronger than her.” He wasn’t! He couldn’t! He tried to voice this, but
Amanda spoke first.

“Now, Connor. Finish him and you can come home.” The woman spoke kindly like she wasn’t the
person Connor both hated and feared more than anyone in the world. She offered the android a
gun.

Connor’s body rose on its own, taking the gun into his hand. He pulled back the safety and aimed
it at the leader.

“Connor. Please, you are better than this.” The leader pleaded, looking into his eyes with his own
dual-colored ones filled with fear and hope.

“Connor!”

The gun shook in his hands as he fought the control. It was so strong. He couldn’t control it!
Someone help, please! He didn’t want to do this!

“Connor! Please, wake up!”

“Now Connor! We don’t have all day.” The woman growled. The trigger was pulled-

BANG

The shock yanked the android from his sleep state, his eyes snapped open to see Markus above
him. The android looked beyond worried and afraid, for what reason he was unsure. His processors
whirled. He felt the overwhelming need to get Markus away from him. The android’s hands came
up to push the deviant leader away.

“STAY AWAY FROM ME!” He screamed. The android stumbled back, falling on his ass. Markus
blinked in confusion, looking at the sobbing android who had curled into a ball. This must be a bad
one then. The RK200 listened to Connor’s broken ramble, he apologized profusely for what he did
in his dream, not understanding completely how he had a dream in the first place. Did deviants
dream?

“Connor.” He glanced up, looking into the bright eyes of his leader who wrapped a blanket around
his head and shoulders, holding it together in front of him. “It was just a nightmare. It wasn’t real.
Calm down…” Connor nodded, sobbing quietly still. The android offered a caring smile, pulling
Connor by the shoulders into his chest and holding him again. “I’m right here. There’s no Amanda
and I’m safe. Listen.”

Connor followed the orders; his audio processors could pick up the sound of his thirium pump
whirling with the need to flow blood. It caused the detective’s stress levels to drop rapidly as he
listened. He took a shaky breath to cool his system. He vaguely registered a hand rubbing his back
and pushing through his hair. It felt nice, lulling Connor into a relaxed state.

“Good boy. It’s okay. Just breathe, relax. I’m here.” The praise sent more relaxation through his
body, causing him to lean his full weight against the RK200 who simply snickered in response.
“You are such a dog.”

“Hey…” Connor whined, finally finding his voice box as his systems stopped pushing themselves
so hard from the stress alone. “I’m already crying. You don’t need to hurt my ego.” The detective
huffed, rubbing his sleeves against his face to get rid of the thirium based tears on his face. “I’ll
bite the next person who calls me a dog.”

“Promise?” The RK800 laughed softly, finally taking in his area. Everyone else had vanished. It
was only him and Markus in the room again. It always tended to be. “Hey, how are your thirium
levels?” The question prompted him to look back into the dual-colored eyes looking at him. A
quick diagnostic revealed that they were below 84%. Was he really crying that much?

“They are at 84%. I’ll need some soon, especially if I keep crying.” He laughed bitterly, closing
the diagnostic tab in his HUD. “I’d like to know why I always cry around you… and usually about
you.”

“I have that effect on people.” The RK200 remarked with a dry laugh before looking off to the
side, seemingly thinking. “Maybe it’s because you feel safe around me.” Connor had to process the
thought. Did he? Yes. The answer was automatic and without thought. He trusted Markus with his
life, and he was starting to understand why. His social program was yelling the answer at him, but
he didn’t feel deserving of that.

“It’s more than that,” Connor commented, though didn’t offer any explanation when Markus asked
what he meant. He just stared at him. The android detective didn’t stop Markus when he began to
close on the android. Their noses bump as their foreheads touch. Connor could feel the leader’s
breath on his lips, a hand coming to hold his chin as Connor's own wrapped around the taller neck.
His skin reseeding in a desire for connection, the skin on Markus’s neck pulled back to allow for it.

No, Connor didn’t deserve this. Markus wanted it though, and he deserved anything he wanted. If
he wanted to claim Connor's lips with his own as he pulled the android's lips into his own, then
Connor would let him. If he wanted it too, then no one had to know. He could feel the reassurance
and love that Markus poured through the interface. He could see a life that wasn’t his own flashing
through his eyes, it was perfectly Markus. It was Carl’s house, his studio, his paintings, the
junkyard he conquered, and the Jericho he led. It was all so Markus and Connor loved it. He could
feel every emotion and pain the leader felt through it all. It was so moving and beautiful. Tragic
and breaking. It was his story.

Soon, the android pulled away from his lips. He noticed tears flowing down the leader’s face. It
caused him to tilt his head, brows furrowing in worry. Did Markus not like it as much as Connor
did? Was his too much? The android must have picked up on what he was putting out and shook
his head.

‘Connor. You’ve been through so much… It was all so much.’ Connor felt him say through their
ongoing interface. It made Connor try to look down, but Markus forced him back up with the hand
still on his chin. ‘You are free, Connor.’ The words resonated in his head. It made his processors
whirl with doubt. ‘I can’t find a single trace of her, Connor… I think it’s just PTSD.’

The RK800 wasn’t sure why he felt like a weight lifted off his shoulders so dramatically, but it felt
so freeing. After all, he’d looked through his programming a million times and couldn’t find a
single thing. The android sighed, sending his relief over the interface, his happiness, his relaxation,
his feelings for the leader that he could now name as affection. He felt a surge of affection return
from the interface, as well as being able to watch Markus pull the android into him again, their lips
molding together like they were made to fit.
A pleased sigh fell between them from the detective, ending the interface in favor of pulling the
android back into the mess of pillows and on top of himself. The RK200 caught himself with both
forearms caging the newer model's head, their legs tangled together messily. It wasn’t needy or
filled with desire. It was simply light and loving. The two were so caught up in each other that they
didn’t notice the door burst open with a very angry Hank and clueless Sumo on his heels.

“Where the fuc-“ Markus leap almost three feet in the air as he yanked himself away from the
detective. Connor sat up quickly, covering his mortified face. He now understood the
embarrassment that the characters in the movies from last night felt when getting caught. “Connor!
I said don’t put out on the first night!” The man scolded, pointing a finger at him before turning his
attention to the leader. “And you! You may be able to charm a nation but it ain’t gonna work on
me. That’s my son. You treat him with respect.” The old man lectured, a group had formed behind
him, and his fellow Jericho members were laughing at him. The betrayal. He quietly nodded,
looking at the still mortified detective.

“Now Lieutenant, let him be.” Markus perked up, the voice causing him to light up.
Embarrassment now long forgotten. The crowd parted, allowing Carl to be wheeled in by Chloe,
who was followed by Kamski. The man carrying his computer bag and another medical bag for
Carl. “It’s my job to lecture my son… After he comes and gives me a hug.”

“Dad!” The deviant leader yelled, quickly scampering to his feet, and running to his dad. Leaning
down, they embraced each other for a brief moment, then he pulled back. Beginning to assault the
man in question. “Why are you here? Shouldn’t you be resting? Did you have your medicine-“ The
leader stopped when Carl held up a hand to stop him.

“Elijah brought me after he came to see me last night. We’ve already given me my medicine and
brought more. And I don’t give a rat’s ass what my doctor says, I am entitled to see my son.” Carl
finished before pushing Markus out of the way to look at Connor, who had stood and was trying
and failing to make himself look presentable and less like a flustered mess. “You must be Connor,
Kamski didn’t lie when he said you were pretty.”

“Dad!” The room erupted into laughter; Connor only flushed further in embarrassment as he
looked away shyly.

“I am, Mr. Manfred. I do apologize for how you caught us… We had gotten caught up in each
other.” The android tried to dull the situation but only proved to make it worse. The man rose an
eyebrow before Connor tried to explain more but Hank cut him off by walking over and grabbing
Connor by his ear.

“Too caught up to call me!? You were supposed to call me before you went to bed, Connor!” The
cop lectured; it caused Connor’s eyes to widen. He forgot! How did he forget? Was he really so
focused on Markus that he forgot such a simple task?

“I’m sorry…” The android apologized. The other androids (besides Chloe who had probably been
scolded by hers) were finding it rather amusing that the two were being scolded by their humans
for their behavior.

“You should be! You better be glad that I didn’t burst in here and paint the room blue.” He
snapped, pulling Connor into a hug after letting the android’s ear go. The RK800 relaxed, hugging
back. After a moment, Hank pulled away and ruffled his hair.

“Oh, did you think about what I asked?” Connor inquired, causing the man to sigh, and run his
hands through his hair.
“Yeah.” He closed his eyes, seemingly still deciding on what to do. “If it keeps you outta trouble,
then I don’t mind. I’m a big boy.” Connor nodded in understanding, smiling at the Lieutenant who
waved him away with a sigh. “Yeah, yeah.”

“So, as much as I love the family bonding.” North snickered, stepping forward from the group. A
sly grin on her lips as she looked at Connor. “But I think Connor has some strippers to show us.”
The android looked confused for a second before remembering why Hank and even himself were
there. His mood immediately became uncomfortable.

“Yes… I suppose I do.” Connor sighed, closing his eyes in thought. He opened them again when
he felt a hand in his own, looking to the deviant leader at the touch. A smile pooled across his face.
“We should clean up and get dressed, then we can continue the trial.”

Everyone seemed to agree, after cleaning the room and setting it back up the androids left to go
change. Chloe was happy to announce that Kamski had brought her and Connor a change of clothes
so that Connor did not need to dress in his old uniform from yesterday and she could change into
something more comfortable. This resulted in Connor dressed in a white t-shirt and black jeans
with his old shoes along with the DPD hoodie Hank had gifted him and Chloe had acquired a cute
sundress with a matching jacket to keep herself warm. It looked good on her. The other deviant
leaders had dressed in their normal attire with only minor alterations.

When all the androids returned to the room, the humans were talking happily. Sumo was resting on
the painter’s lap. Connor walked to the chair that had been set up in front of the TV again, staring
at it for a second before sighing as he let himself sit. He noticed that no one had joined him this
time. It made him shift uncomfortably. Markus had chosen to sit next to his dad, and Connor
understood. Chloe had obviously missed Kamski as he had taken a seat between the male’s legs,
and Simon decided to join Josh. It’s fine. He didn’t need someone next to him. He was going to
have an Amanda memory anyway. He’d rather not have any android next to him.

“Alright… Let’s get started…”

NOV 6TH, 2038

PM 07:51

Connor blinked, finding himself in the garden. The sound of birds was gone, now replaced with the
comforting sound of rain pouring through the area. The weather tended to reflect how the weather
outside faired or how Amanda felt. It did not seem good based on how it was raining. He noted the
umbrella he had in his hand, black and small enough for barely two people. He suddenly
understood. It was for Amanda. The android scanned the area. His eyes got stuck on the glowing
blue of the obscure rock, unsure why. After a brief moment, continued his scan. His optical unit
eventually caught her. The android did not hesitate to walk over to her. He saw she was standing
under the cover of a pillar.

“Hello, Amanda.” The android greeted her; his social program alerted her that she did not seem
pleased with him in the slightest. She usually regarded him with a smile, but her expression was
painfully neutral. A message appeared in his HUD about their relationship.
AMANDA

TRUSTED

“Connor,” She hummed softly, looking the android up and down quickly. “I’ve been expecting
you… Would you mind a little walk?” Finally, the woman offered a small smile. It served to ease
the androids’ nerves. He took steps to go to her side, unfolding the umbrella. He held it above
mostly her, rain still coating his left shoulder. They began to walk away from the pillar, and further
into the garden.

“Bitch.” Markus barked out suddenly, catching everyone’s attention for a moment. Even Connor
pulled away from the interface in shock. He blinked at the android with his mouth agape. The
leader got a glare from his dad at that. “What? I’m right and you know it.” Connor couldn’t help
but chuckle at that but nodded.

“I agree but…” Connor offered a kind smile to the deviant leader, his hands folding in his lap. He
could feel his face flushing from how Markus knew it. “You calling anyone a bitch just doesn’t
seem right. It is like the Lieutenant trying to be nice to Reed. It’s unnatural.”

Markus lifted an eyebrow and sighed. “Yeah, well. She is a bitch. She hurt you, mentally and
emotionally manipulated and abused you. I think you can let it slide.” Connor barked out a laugh
but nodded, ignoring the others’ shocked expressions in favor of returning to the interface.

“That deviant seemed to be an intriguing case.” She started, not looking at him before suddenly
turning to look at him with a frown. “A pity you didn’t manage to capture it.” The displeasure on
her face made Connor feel awful. He should have been faster. He could have caught the deviant
before he put Hank’s life in danger.

AMANDA v

“I have no excuse. I should have been more efficient.” The android spoke, looking forward to try
and ignore the frown he received at his inadequate response.

“Did you manage to learn anything?” Amanda spoke, looking forward again with traces of
disappointment on her face but the expression was generally neutral. Connor thought for a
moment, deciding on what he wanted to present.

“I found its diary, but it was encrypted. It may take weeks to decipher.” Connor spoke, looking at
her. She spared a glance at him as they continued walking through the garden. She asked for
something else, and Connor thought. “The walls of the apartment were covered with drawings of
labyrinths and other symbols.” They met eyes before she looked away again. The displeasure on
her face was obvious. “Like the other deviants, it seemed obsessed with rA9.”

“You came very close to capturing that deviant.” She huffed, staring at him with a blank look
before looking away again. “How is your relationship with the Lieutenant developing?” She
suddenly changed subjects. It almost gave him whiplash. Hank considered their last interaction
before answering.

”I think you meant ‘nosey bitch’ Markus.” Hank commented gruffly, it got North and the
deviant leader to laugh loudly at that. Connor would have rolled his eyes if he could.

“He seemed grateful that I saved his life on the roof,” Connor spoke, looking ahead of him. His
eyebrows and eyes lit up in a way that indicated he was happy. “He didn’t say anything, but he
expressed it in his own way.” He looked back down to Amanda. As they were crossing the bridge,
Amanda stopped, Connor turned around from a few paces ahead, confused.

“We don’t have much time. Deviancy continues to spread.” She began, tone serious and scolding.
“It’s only a matter of time before the media finds out about it. We need to stop this, whatever it
takes.” Connor could see the underlying meaning. She wanted him to leave Hank to die if the
mission desired it.

“I will solve this investigation, Amanda. I won’t disappoint you.” He finished, looking at the other
with a determined expression. He could do both surely. Keep the Lieutenant safe while also
satisfying the mission. He had to.

“A new case just came in. Find Anderson and investigate it.” She spoke, before walking past him
without another word. He watched her go, before closing his eyes. He blinked awake in Cyberlife’s
storage room. A quick diagnostic revealed that the lab had run over his systems and calibrated
him. Good, it meant he could focus on the case with no issues. Hopefully, they fixed the
instabilities.

The android took a step out of his spot, making his way out of the tower with purpose. An
automated Taxi was already waiting for him when he reached the outside of the building. He sped
up the interface to avoid the necessarily long car ride.

The android stepped out of the car and into the rain. Once the cab stopped, it spouted its usual
farewell, but Connor ignored it. The android climbed out, quickly making his way to the door after
reaching up to fix his tie. The android knew he wasn’t at the precinct from earlier, a quick search
of Jimmys allowed Connor to know he was probably home. Once at the door, he raised his hand to
knock.

“Lieutenant Anderson?” After he got no response, he rang the doorbell. The android held it for a
few seconds before letting it go. He could hear a dog begin to bark and his processors whirled
with delight at the idea of “Anybody home?” The android almost looked annoyed. He stepped off
the porch, beginning to look in the windows. The man’s car was there, so he was obviously home.
He knew Hank did not trust automated things. He walked around the house, pushing through the
unmowed grass. He came to the kitchen window and scanned the inside. He saw Hank on the
ground.

HANK IS UNCONSCIOUS

Wow, thanks captain obvious. The android quickly called out to the man, but when he didn’t
receive a response, the android bashed the window in with his elbow, not even attempting to lift it
to see if it was locked. He wasn’t sure why, but he felt a sense of urgency and panic. He attempted
to lift himself up but paused, taking a step back. The man jumped and leaped through the window,
landing on his back and coming face to face with a large dog who barked quietly.

“Easy!” Connor spoke panicked as the dog crawled up to him between his legs. The animal looked
at the hand the android put up to ease him. “Sumo… I’m your friend, see?” The android offered a
nervous smile. “I know your name. I’m here to save your owner.”

“Bad guard dog.” Hank sighed, rubbing his hand down his face as he glared over at the dog who
was lazily still laying on the millionaire’s legs. Both he and his robot-son were stroking the animal.
Do all androids like dogs?

“Good boy.” Connor praised, pausing the interface to smile at the scene. He whistled, which
caused the dog to perk up and dash over, much to Markus’s displeasure and Carl’s laughter.
Connor smiled and squished the dog’s face between his hands. “My good boy!” The saint Bernard
barked happily, laying his head on Connor's lap now. The android stroked his head idly as he
continued the interface.

Sumo licked his hand, before trotting away happily. Connor let out a breath of relief as he quickly
climbed to his feet. His system alerted him to another obvious task. He was by no means stupid,
and the missions made him feel like a child. He leaned over Hank, scanning the man and the items
around. He was pleased to find that the man was simply passed out and not dead. It was most
likely from the amount of alcohol ingested. Though the gun was worrying yet confusing at the
realization that there was only one bullet.

“Never took you for a Russian Roulette kind of man, Lieutenant,” Kamski commented, and
Connor pulled away from the interface. A determined expression came to his face. As Hank was
about to answer, Connor cut in.

“I would appreciate it if we only focused on myself and not Hank. He is not the one on trial.”
Connor started, which brought everyone’s attention to the detective. Connor did not feel nervous
about this though. “Hank said he won’t have me cut out his personal parts for my benefit but I
refuse to let him be judged for it. We are here to assess my deviancy and while Hank is part of it,
we will not mention it, or I will leave now. Understood?” His tone held no room for judgment,
everyone nodded while Hank smiled at him with an appreciation that made the RK800 beam.

“Thanks, kiddo.” Connor nodded and lifted his hand up to continue the story.

“Lieutenant?” Connor called, leaning on one knee with his forearm while his other lifted up to
hesitantly slap the man's face. He stirred but fell back to sleep. “Wake up, Lieutenant.” Connor
tried to demand. The man stirred a little more, but it did not seem to be much. Connor raised his
hand up and slapped the man harshly. “It’s me, Connor!”

The man lifted his head, finally opening his eyes and managing to keep them up. Connor reached
down to grab the man’s arm, his other hand reaching under Hank’s shoulder to bring him up.
“I am going to sober you up for your own safety.” He spoke as Hank began to bark curses at him.

“Hey! Leave me alone you fuckin’ android!” The man cursed, looking at Connor with vague
reconciliation but still cursing. “Get the fuck outta my house.” He huffed but Connor simply
dragged the man to his feet, keeping Hank’s arm around his shoulder.

“I’m sorry, Lieutenant, but I need you.” Hank swung back and forth in his hold as Connor stared
at him. He was trying to keep him stable, but Hank was making it difficult. “Thank you in advance
for your cooperation.”

“Hey! Get the fuck outta here!” The man cursed loudly. As Connor continued to drag him towards
the bathroom, the older man looked at the dog. “Sumo! Attack!” The dog simply barked but did
not move from where he settled on the floor and Connor continued to pull him along. “Good dog.”
He commented with a smile. “Attack!” Connor leaned him against the wall next to where he
assumed the bathroom was. “Fuck, I think I’m gonna be sick.” The man whined, leaning against
the wall while Connor opened the door.

Connor grabbed his shoulder, pulling him back into the same position. Hank did not offer much
resistance or help as he pulled the man into the bathroom.

“Leave me alone, you asshole! I’m not going anywhere!” He barked, trying to grab on the wall
like a child. Connor’s strength was no match. The android brought him to the bath, putting him on
the edge of the tub. “What are you doin?” The man stumbled to catch himself, whining. “Oh no. I
don’t want a bath, thank you.” He huffed, sitting up on the edge of the tub. He managed to get to
his feet, but Connor put a hand on his chest.

“Sorry, Lieutenant.” Connor gently shoved him, watching Hank fall into the tub butt first. “It’s for
your own good.” The android reached over, turning the water nob labeled ‘C’. Hank screamed as
the water doused him from the shower head.

“Turn it off! Turn it off!” He cried out. After a satisfying second, the android reached over to turn
the stream off. The man looked at him with a shocked expression. “What the fuck are you doing
here?” Hank questioned with genuine curiosity.

“A homicide was reported 43 minutes ago. I couldn’t find you at Jimmy’s bar, so I came to see if
you were at home.” The man sighed, closing his eyes. He was obviously tired, Connor noted.

“Jesus, I must be the only cop in the world that gets assaulted in his own house by his own fuckin’
android.” The man all but whined. Finally lifting himself up to be on the edge of the tub again.
Connor neglected to mention that he was not Hank’s. The man leaned over his knees to breathe for
a second before looking up at Connor. “Can’t you just leave me alone?”

“Unfortunately, I cannot. I’ve been programmed to investigate this case and I can’t do it without
you.” Connor tried to reason. Though Hank seemed to quickly lose patience with him.

“I don’t give a shit about your goddamn case!” Hank yelled, and Connor tried to calm him down,
but the man seemed to have enough. “Beat it! You hear me? Get the hell outta here!” He yelled as
he stood up. Once he finished though, he stumbled. Connor grabbed his waist to support him and
lowered him back down to the tub edge. Connor nodded, beginning to leave slowly.

“I understand. It probably wasn’t interesting anyway.” Connor began, a teasing edge to his voice.
“A man found dead in a sex club downtown… Guess they’ll have to solve the case without us.”
Connor sighed and shrugged his shoulders.
“You know, probably wouldn’t do me any harm to get some air…” Hank began, Connor turned
back to look at him. He was holding his stomach. “There’s some clothes in the bedroom there.” He
nodded his head at the room across the hallway.

“I’ll go get them.” Connor hummed, making his way across the hallway and into the bathroom.
He registered the sound of wrenching into the man. He scanned the messy room, resisting the urge
to clean. He walked over to the closet, examining the options. “What do you want to wear?”
Connor called out. He received a dismissive answer. The man sighed and picked a flashy one. It
would match the atmosphere.

He folded the clothes over his arm and carried them back to the lieutenant. Worry pinched across
his face as he set the clothing down on the sink edge, sending looks back at the lieutenant. “Are
you alright, Lieutenant?” While he doubted, he’d be told regardless, he wanted to ask.

The man coughed over the toilet for a moment, before muttering out a half-hearted response.
“Just give me five minutes, okay?”

“Sure.” He spoke softly, leaving the room and closing the door behind him. He noted more sounds
of puke following his exit. A new mission appeared in his vision.

LEARN MORE ABOUT HANK

He walked around the living room, finding little things out about Hank. Such as his love for Jazz.
He approached Sumo, leaning down on one knee to run his hand gently over the animal’s fur with
a smile crossing his face. It felt soft and warm. It was so nice. The animal didn’t respond other
than a soft head lift.

He made his way to the kitchen, finding multiple bottles on the table. Among the bottles was a
picture that was face down. Connor lifted it up, examining the photo of a little boy with a bright
smile. His eyes seemed so happy.

DECEASED

ANDERSON, COLE

Born: 08/23/2029 – Died: 10/11/2035

Lived: 115 Michigan Drive – Detroit

The photo made Connor’s eyes widen before returning to a neutral state. That’s what happened.
He carefully set the photo down as it was. It felt like an invasion of privacy.

“I’m sorry, Lieutenant.” Connor pulled his hand away to look at the group. North was looking at
Hank, the one who apologized. Connor reasoned it was because earlier the other day when North
had insulted Hank. She must have put the pieces together.

“It’s alrigh’ kid. You have every right to be upset with Anti-Android attitudes.” The older man
spoke, looking away. He was obviously uncomfortable with the topic. Connor felt his brows pinch.

“It was not your fault, Hank.” Felt compelled to tell him again, the man lifted his head and offered
a reassuring smile.

“Con, I’m fine. I know… It still hurts.” Hank sighed softly, running a hand through his hair.

“I understand how you feel, Lieutenant.” Carl hummed; his tone sincere. His eyes landed on
Markus who watched with curiosity. “Losing Markus felt heartbreaking. I almost died from the
pain alone.” The man confessed which made Markus frown and grab his dad’s hand. Carl
squeezed it but looked back to Hank who was looking at Carl. “I am fortunate enough that my son
can just put himself back together but… Your kids are special. Both of them. I know Cole would be
happy with all you’ve accomplished.” The man spoke wisely. Hank laughed and nodded, looking
at Connor with a grin. “It’s obvious, Connor is.”

“Special is one way to describe him, I guess.” The android pouted, crossing his arms. “You know
I’m right.” Connor stuck his tongue out at him and got a laugh in response from the old man.
Connor huffed and resumed the interface.

He walked over to the gun on the floor, carefully examining it with a pinched expression. “What
were you doing with the gun?” Connor called out, waiting for a response.

“Russian roulette!” Got called back, Connor had to do a quick Google search to find the meaning
but frowned when he did. Switching open the ammo cartridge. “Wanted to see how long I could
last. Must’ve collapsed before I found out.”

“You were lucky, the next shot would have killed you,” Connor spoke, setting the gun back down.
A frown was still present on his face. It was troubling to know that the man had suicidal tendencies
from his son’s death. He heard the man coming down the hall, dressed completely. Hank nodded
at him before looking at Sumo.

“Be a good dog, Sumo. I won’t be long.” They made their way into the rainy night, climbing into
Hank’s car. Connor quickly interfaced with the GPS and input the address of the Eden Club before
beginning to drive without much argument from the Lieutenant. They rode in silence until they
pulled up to the curb of the club. Once they parked, Connor looked over at the man.

“Feels like somebody’s playing with a drill inside my skull.” He whined, rubbing his temples with
both hands. The man glanced over at the entrance and winced. “You sure this is the place?”

“It’s the address in the report.” Connor shrugged, and Hank sighed.

“Alright… Okay.” He began to climb out of the car, the overhead light signaling his door opening.
He hit his head on the roof with a wince and continued to climb out. Connor took his leave of the
car as well. His HUD suddenly reminded him of his relationship with the Lieutenant.

HANK

FRIEND
It caused a good feeling to course throughout his system as he shut the door to the car behind him.
A prompt told him to follow Hank, and he did so after locking the car.

“Sexiest androids in town’” Hank read off the wall. “Now I know why you insisted on coming
here.” Hank barked.

“Damn Con, and I thought we had something.” Markus joked, which made Connor yank away
from the interface with a panicked and hurt expression as if not understanding it was a joke. The
android shrunk in on himself.

“I was only there to investigate!” He tried to defend, but it got a snicker or two from North which
made him feel worse. “I’m not lying! I only want Markus!” The android confessed quickly without
much thought. His hands nervously pulled at his hoodie and jeans. Worry was clearly written on
the innocent android’s face. It made Markus melt. He was worried that his feelings would be hurt,
and he’d doubt Connor's affections. The leader stood up, squeezing Carl’s hand before letting it go
to approach the nervous detective.

“Con.” Markus bent down on one knee, leaning on it as he grabbed the other android’s hands to
stop him from ripping the hoodie with how hard he was gripping it. “I know. It was a joke. I know
how you feel about me.”

Connor looked up to meet his dual-colored eyes and opened an interface where their hands
combined, the deviant leader accepted instantly and was rushed with the affection Connor had, the
worry that he’d hurt Markus, and the desire to only be with one person. It all flowed into his system
so fast Markus had to take a second to sort through it. When he’d finished, he sent back his own
affections. He knew it might be too soon to put a label on what they had, but he wouldn’t mind
Connor being his.

“It’s okay, sweetheart. I believe you. I trust you.” The words seemed to calm Connor down, and he
nodded. Through the interface, he could feel how much Connor wanted to kiss him, but the people
around made him nervous. Markus decided to compromise and raise both of Connor’s hands to
place a kiss on every one of his knuckles. He’d successfully succeeded in making Connor flush
thirium blue. With a laugh, he pulled away one hand and settled on the floor next to Connor. “You
don’t mind, right?” Connor shook his head as the leader got settled.

The android relaxed, reaching up again to interface.

Hank grumbled away as they walked through the club, Connor gazed at a model for a moment as it
stared at him before Hank cursed at him to hurry up. The android followed dutifully. Connor
seemed nervous just by being in the building. It was an uncomfortable experience. He saw Officer
Ben and the manager talking and listened as Ben and Hank began to talk with each other.

“Hey, Hank!” The man seemed to love the opportunity to get away from the manager, Hank
groaned in response.

“Hey, Ben. How’s it goin’?”

“It’s that room there. Oh, uh, by the way.” Ben stopped Hank before he could go inside. The man
stopped to listen with a bland expression. “Gavin’s in there too.”
“Great!” Hank groaned in annoyance. “A dead body and an asshole, just what I needed…” With
that, Connor followed the superior officer into the room. He should really lecture Gavin about
respect someday.

“Lieutenant Anderson and his plastic pet.” Gavin turned to look at them, a glare already forming
as he stood in the middle of the room with his arms crossed. “The fuck are you two doin’ here?”

“We’ve been assigned all cases involving androids.” He spoke politely, glancing between the
detective and the Lieutenant.

“Oh yeah?” He mocked. “Well, you’re wasting your time. Just some pervert who got more action
than he could handle.” Gavin laughed disgustingly, looking around the room.

“We’ll have a look anyway.” Connor’s eyes landed on the android deactivated on the floor. “If
you don’t mind.” It was a silent ‘get the hell out’ if Connor ever heard one. The man gave a false
smile. Gavin scoffed.

“Come on, let’s go.” He spoke to his partner. “It’s. uh. Starting to stink of booze in here.” He
commented meanly to the Lieutenant before walking past him, bumping into his shoulder rudely on
the way out. Connor watched with a slight change in his LED. He felt his hand being squeezed
outside the interface, and he had to focus to squeeze back.

“Night, Lieutenant,” Chris spoke apologetically. Leaving the two alone in the private room.

Connor got to investigate immediately, walking over to the man. He examined the victim, but
something was not right. He did not die of cardiac arrest. The marks around his neck indicated
strangulation. His preconstruction came to life before his eyes, giving him a play-by-play.

“He didn’t die of a heart attack, he was strangled,” Connor commented, but Hank didn’t seem to
worry about it.

“Yeah, I saw the bruising.” He lightly pointed it out. “Doesn’t prove anything though. Could’ve
been rough play.” Connor doubted it.

“We’re missing something here.” He looked around the room before both of them looked at the
android on the ground.

“Think you can read the android’s memory? Maybe we can see what happened.” It was very
damaged.

“I can try.” Was the only answer he gave as he approached and crouched in front of the android.
He began assessing her situation. His hand touched her LED with two fingers, interfacing with it to
allow diagnostics to run on the machine.

SELECTOR #5402

CRITICALLY DAMAGED

BIOCOMPONENT #6970

CRITICALLY DAMAGED
He pulled his hand away, and Connor lifted her arm, touching it with two hands to try and
interface with the Traci. A message appeared in his HUD.

REACTIVATION REQUIRED

He set her hand down, looking at the android up and down with an exasperated attitude. “The
only way to access its memory is to reactivate it.” He reached a hand out, still white as he touched
her stomach. The skin underneath turned white to show the chassis under it.

“Think you can do it?” The cop questioned, leaning on the wall near him with crossed arms.

“It’s badly damaged.” He commented, opening the chest cavity with skilled hands. “If I can it will
only be for a minute, maybe less. I just hope it’s long enough to learn something.”

With that, he connected the disconnected wire in the android’s stomach. Connor snapped his hands
away as the cavity snapped into consciousness. Connor backed up and stood to his feet as he held
his hands out passively. The android scrambled back to the wall in fear. Connor approached and
crouched with a comforting expression as a timer hovered in his HUD.

“Calm down… Everything’s all right. All we want to know is what happened.” Connor explained
softly, she glanced between him and the dead human on the bed.

“Is… Is he dead?” She spoke, panicked still.

“Tell me what happened.” Connor urged gently. She was still breathing heavily.

“He… He started hitting me… again… and again… I begged him to stop, but he wouldn’t. It was
like he was enjoying it.” The traci confessed.

“Stop.” Connor stopped the interface immediately sensing North’s serious tone and pulled his
hand away. Connor looked to the WR400 who was looking away with her eyes closed. Yes, he
supposed this would hit close to home for North. The android shifted away from Simon who tried
to comfort her. She didn’t need pity or help. She just needed a minute. “I’m okay. I just need a
moment.”

“Take all the time you need, North,” Connor spoke in an understanding tone. He picked up a lot of
what the intimacy models went through when interfacing with the Traci’s. He squeezed the hand in
his own. The android in question looked at him and smiled. After a few minutes and a pat on her
back from Chloe, she calmed down enough to wave at him to continue.

“Did you kill him?” He questioned and the girl shook her head quickly. Connor watched the timer
with diligence.

“No… No, it wasn’t me.”

“We’re you alone in the room? Was there anyone else with you?” Connor questioned quickly. The
android shook her head again.
“He wanted to play with two girls. That’s what he said, there were two of us.” She answered.
Connor tried to ask about the android, but the android shut down. Connor schooled his frustration
and stood up, turning to hand.

“So, there was another android.” Hank mused, trying to connect what could have happened in his
head. “This happened over an hour ago, it’s probably long gone…”

“No.” Connor looked at the android. His face was stern. “It couldn’t go outside dressed like that
unnoticed. It might still be here.” Hank looked at him shocked but nodded.

“Think you can find a deviant among all the other androids in this place?” Connor grimaced.
Unless they were openly acting out, they could default on programming to appear normal.

“Deviants aren’t easily detected.” Connor tried to soften the blow, but Hank looked thoughtful as
he gazed at the girl.

“Shit. There’s gotta be some other way.” Hank turned and walked in a circle as he thought and
turned back to Connor. “Maybe an eyewitness? Somebody who saw it leaving the room…” Connor
looked up from the ground at that. “I’m gonna go ask the manager a few questions about what he
saw. You let me know if you think of anything.” They both left the room, Connor getting a new
prompt.

SEARCH FOR ANDROID EYEWITNESS

His eyes caught on a Traci directly across from the room with a clear view. He quickly made his
way over, face blank and devoid of emotion. The girl looked at him when he pressed his hand to
the pad, trying to open the glass. It beeped loudly in rejection, denying his lack of fingerprint.
Hank. He needed Hank. The android quickly made his way over.

“Excuse me, Lieutenant. Can you come here a second?” Connor asked, pointing a finger behind
him with a focused expression. The man lifted an eyebrow, turning to look at him with his own
level of focus.

“Found something?”

“Maybe…” Connor hummed as he walked away, knowing the Lieutenant would follow. Once he
led him to the Traci, he gestured to the pad. “Can you rent this Traci?” Hank looked livid.

“For fucks sake, Connor! We’ve got better things to do!” The man cursed, going to walk away but
Connor reached out a hand to stop him.

“Please, Lieutenant! Just trust me.” The man gave a disbelieving expression, and with a groan, he
walked to the pad to purchase the session Connor could not. He grumbled about his expense
account while confirming payment. Fowler was going to chew his ass. Once the glass was open,
the Traci looked at Hank, offering her hand to the man who shifted uncomfortably.

“Delighted to meet you. Follow me, I’ll take you to your room.” Hank shivered in disgust and
looked at his android partner,

“Okay, now what?” Connor stepped up to her, she stopped smiling as Connor reached out his
hand. They laced their arms, Connor’s hand going silicone white as he probed her memory. He
heard Hank questioning him before he was pulled in.

He was pulled into her memory. He watched a man standing in front of the android’s glass, and he
winded the memory forward. A blue-haired Traci left the room and began walking towards the
front door. The memory abruptly ended when Connor pulled his hand away, looking at Hank.

“It saw something.” His expression was curious but sure. It looked back at the rented Traci.

“What are you talkin’ about?” he asked as he stepped forward. “Saw, what?”

“The deviant leave the room.” He looked back at Hank. He stepped back, a hand still held out.
“Club policy is to wipe the android’s memory every two hours. We only have a few minutes if we
wanna find another witness!” Connor panicked, a six-minute timer appearing in his HUD. He set
to work.

“Hey, what am I supposed to do with this one?” Hank called as Connor walked away to find
another android.

“Tell it you changed your mind!” Connor called back, reaching up to interface with the Traci on a
pole. He led Hank through the club, into room after room quickly. Purchasing and probing the
memories of countless Traci’s to follow the lead of one. It soon led him to a staff door. “I know
where it went! Follow me!” Connor called.

Hank cursed but followed the enthusiastic detective. Once down the hall, they came to a door.
Hank stopped him.

“Wait!” Connor paused, turning around to the detective. “I’ll take it from here.” The cop branded
his weapon, sparing a glance at Connor before looking back to the door. He opened the door,
aiming the gun inside. He walked inside, examining it with focus. Connor followed him as he went
deeper inside, his expression stern. “Shit! We’re to late!” The man cussed, jogging over to the
door for trucks, aiming his gun out of it. Connor scanned the room. He felt like that wasn’t true.

He set to examining the room, it was a holding room for sex models and ran rudimentary
diagnostics. Connor examined the area. Finding as much as he could as Hank ranted away about
androids, though it wasn’t entirely hateful to them, Moreso at humankind. He found a scribble of
rA9, but disregarded it, coming to a line of Traci’s in the back corner, He began to scan all of
them.

He spotted her, and her LED flashed yellow. The Traci in front of her attacked him though, leaving
Connor surprised and unprepared. She pushed Connor into the pole, it made a sound that alerted
Hank. He ran over and pulled his gun as the two struggled, but he was attacked by the blue Traci.

Connor threw her into a pole, and she caught herself with a heeled food, but Connor grabbed her
and threw her over a storage compartment for bio-components. Connor leaped over the box but got
his legs kicked out by the Traci. With a groan, he fell to the ground. She climbed on top of him and
pushed him onto the floor, bringing a hand up to hit him. He caught and deflected every throw she
could. Suddenly grabbing a screwdriver after diving for it over Connor's head, she sliced at him
just narrowly missing.

She used both hands to try and stab him with it, but Connor managed to overpower her and knock
her off him. He kicked her leg tried to kick him and leaped to his feet. She kept swinging the took at
him, but one uncoordinated swing and Connor had her by her shoulder from behind. She headbutts
him backward, causing Connor to stumble back and let go. He dodged her last stab before
throwing the weapon away. He took a few steps back, his eyes catching Hank who was struggling
with the other Traci. He couldn’t save him right now though, not if he couldn’t save himself. She
began approaching, Connor quickly grabbed the metal shelf to his right, bringing it down onto her.
The woman pushed it away as things came toppling on top of her.

He then used a red tool car to block her further, and her heel landed on it. She kicked it from
Connor’s hold, and she went to grab a maintenance computer and swung it at him, he dodged it
and grabbed a hanging clamp, to kick a doctor’s chair at Traci. All while his processors were
running preconstruction.

He ran at the android, pushing her through the plastic curtains. The two struggled and fought
before Connor tackled her out the truck entrance and onto the hard pavement, it sent both androids
onto the ground. Suddenly, the blue Traci came running to the red Traci’s aid.

Connor’s systems buffered for a moment, still taking the shock of the impact. Hank came running
to his aid as well and that’s when he noticed it. They were holding hands. The two overpowered
Hank easily, pushing him into a wall before they took off running. Connor’s system was finally
able to catch up as he rose to his feet.

“Quick! They're getting away!” Hank screamed, but Connor was already on their tail and much
faster than them. He pulled them off the fence and onto the ground, engaging them in a fight he
wasn’t entirely winning but still not losing in. One Traci hit him with a pole, and Connor threw her
into a wall with his own body. The blue one and the red one both tried to ram him into the wall,
but he caught himself and turned around in their hold. He grabbed the blue Traci’s neck while the
Red Traci grabbed his own hair and pushed him back against the wall. He pushed her away with
his free hand and kicked her into the fence. It sent him stumbling into the blue Traci who was
approaching from behind and sent them both crashing to the ground. He climbed on top of her to
subdue her as she was his focus but the red one hit him with a trashcan. It sent him rolling over
next to Hanks’ lost gun.

Connor got up, grabbed the firearm, and aimed it at the two androids. The Red one was coming
right for him; it would be the shot he’d take. It wasn’t the one he needed but at the same time… He
couldn’t. His processors stuttered. He didn’t know why but he couldn’t pull the trigger. The gun
lowered.

SOFTWARE INSTABILITY ^^^

Connor received a kick in the face for his efforts, which sent him back to the ground. Not that it
mattered. He looked back at them as he rose to his feet, staring at the Blue Traci as she stepped
into the main frame. The red one takes a position closer to the fence. He could feel the shocked
expression on his face, his LED whirling red. Why didn’t he shoot?

“When that man broke that other Traci… I knew I was next… I was so scared.” She began
speaking. She showed fear and anger, not directed at himself though. “I begged him to stop, but he
wouldn’t.” Her eyes fell to the ground before looking back at Connor. “So, I put my hands around
his throat, and I squeezed… Until he stopped moving.” The red-Traci approached the blue one.
Connor could only stare with a passive expression. “I didn’t mean to kill him. I just wanted to stay
alive… Get back to the one I love…” The two Traci’s joined hands again. “I wanted her to hold
me in her arms again, make me forget about the humans.” He registered Hank behind him. His
LED turned blue. “Their smell of sweat and their dirty words…” She sounded disgusted and
Connor couldn’t find that he blamed her. They looked at each other.
“Come on.” The read one spoke. “Let’s go.” With that, they ran to the fence and climbed it,
Connor's LED turned yellow again as he turned to the human. Hank was looking at him weirdly,
and he couldn’t help but look away.

HANK ^^^

“It’s probably better this way.” Hank mused, Connor glanced between him and where the deviants
had gone. It would not be easy to explain to Amanda, he noted. He still couldn’t understand why
Amanda made his system stutter in anxious feelings. He followed Hank back inside the club. The
man grumbled about needing a drink, and Connor nodded. He handed the Lieutenant his keys back
with no fight. It had been two hours; he was good at driving for now.

Connor paused the interface when he felt a hand on the one connected to the TV. It took a second
for him to blink back to reality. He found North standing in front of him with an expression that
was hard to read, he tilted his head curiously.

“Thank you, Connor… For not shooting them.” The android’s LED flashed yellow at the words.
He quickly shook his head in response.

“Do not thank me, I told them the same thing.” Connor hummed, looking at the dog between his
legs. He couldn’t meet the androids’ eyes right now. “They were never mine to take.” He felt
Markus squeeze his hand, but North drew his attention more when he placed a hand on his
shoulder. He begrudgingly met her fiery eyes.

“Still. You made the right choice.” Connor nodded, offering the WR400 a reassuring smile. He
would make the same choice again if it led him back to where he was now. With that, the woman
pulled her hand back and walked away. Connor looked at Markus with a look that held joy. He was
getting accepted! It made him feel better. The android chuckled in response, raising himself to his
feet.

“Good. I’ve been waiting twenty minutes to do this.” Connor tilted his head, confused but Markus
cupped his face with both hands, pulling the android to his feet. Before Connor’s processors could
catch up, there were soft synthetic lips against his own. This kiss was different than the earlier two.
It was passionate, rough, and claiming. It made Connor’s knees feel weak and that wasn’t even
possible for an android! The detective clenched onto the iconic jacket, his eyes fluttering closed as
they deepened the kiss.

“Break it up, love birds!” Hank barked, throwing a pillow that they’d put on the benches from the
pillow fort at them. Connor expertly caught it, holding it tightly as Markus continued to kiss him
for a few more moments, then finally pulled away with a satisfied smirk. Connor’s eyes fluttered
open, leaning into one of the leaders’ hands with a flustered and confused whine.

The leader chuckled in response. “Sorry, you’re just so hot when you fight that I couldn’t resist
myself.” Markus hummed, booping Connor’s nose. The android blinked mechanically at the
action; it was like a system reboot.

Connor nodded in understanding, he’d found Markus's passion to be quite appealing as well and he
assumed it was a similar feeling. Connor tossed the pillow to the side, reaching up to kiss the
leader’s cheek. It felt just as good as any other time they touched.

“Can I continue now…?” Markus hummed in thought, before nodding.

“I guess I can accept it.” He made it seem like it was just killing him to let Connor be on trial, and
the thought occurred that it might be. Since they had shown each other everything that they both
were, he was sure Markus saw this as pointless. However, the others wanted to feel secure. It also
meant more time with Markus. He was not going to complain.

“Okay.”
 At the Bridge Becoming A Public Enemy
Chapter Summary

Connor began to follow the trail, coming to a locker. He stared at it. He didn’t need his
preconstruction software to tell him that the deviant was inside one of them. All he had
to do was reach out and open the door. Amanda would be happy, and he’d be one step
closer to solving the case. He could do this. He could. His hand reached out but
stopped.

His system supplied a memory of those gorgeous dual-colored eyes into his vision,
that deep voice speaking such inspiring words. This was his accomplice. His team.
This android held importance to Markus. The deviant leader. Connor couldn’t hurt
him.

Chapter Notes

Welcome to another long chapter after I said it was going to be short.

In this, we feature mother hen Markus, rA9 lore, Hank and Carl being done with the
two gays shit, finally putting a label to it, and conflicted Connor.

Also, I wanted to thank everyone whose been reading and liking the story, I'm actually
making another one about Markus, Kara, and Connor switching places. It will still be
Connor X Markus in the end because yes. It will end up being a slower burn though.

NOV 7TH, 2038

AM 01:19

Connor was sitting in the car, eyes trained on the Lieutenant who had gotten out some time ago
and was chugging a bottle of beer on a nearby bench. Earlier, he couldn’t force himself to follow
the Lieutenant at first. His systems were going insane, trying to rationalize his mercy towards the
two girls. The prompt to see Amanda was blinking excessively in his vision and he minimized it. He
didn’t know what he’d say. The android grabbed the handle of the car, needing to distract himself
from the way his program crashed, and put itself back together in his mind. Climbing out of the
car, he was met with snowflakes falling onto his nose and body.

It caused the android to pause. He’d never seen snow before. Rain was common all year long, but
snow was exclusive. He held a hand out, examining a few of the snowflakes that landed on his
synthetic skin and melted away. The detective tilted his head. They were all so different and unique
in their formation. No same snowflake was the same. It was intriguing. After a moment, he let his
hand fall. He began making his way to the Lieutenant and where he sat, taking a brief scan of the
park they had come to.
Connor had expected the Lieutenant to take him back to the precinct, but they ended up here
instead after a quick stop at a liquor store. It seemed to be a child’s park. As he approached the
man, he examined the old Lieutenant, then looked out at the city of Detroit across the bridge. Hank
spared him a glance from where he was hunched over but turned back to look at the view.

“Nice view, huh?” Connor had to agree with that observation. There was something about the way
the city lights lit up on the water that made Connor believe he liked it. “I used to come here a lot
before…” The man stopped himself, lifting the bottle up to his lips gingerly. After a moment of
silence, Connor turned away from the view to look at the man.

“Before what?” Connor inquired. The man hummed in question. “You said ‘I used to come here a
lot before’. Before what?” the android asked. His expression was open, and his posture was
relaxed, trying to be someone Hank could confined in. Hank looked away from him, staring off to
the right as he nursed the bottle.

“Before…” He seemed to stop, trying to decide if he should tell him. “Before nothin’.” Connor’s
sensors felt like they were starting to freeze. In response, Connor hugged himself as he took a step
closer.

“Can I ask you a personal question, Lieutenant?” He inquired, face troubled. The man sighed and
turned to look at him.

“Do all android’s ask so many personal questions?” He huffed, raising an eyebrow, and looking at
the cold android. “Or is it just you?” Connor took that as a yes, his hands tightening their grip on
his jacket.

“I saw a photo of a child…” Connor’s voice was soft. Hank looked at him. “On your kitchen table.
It was your son, right?” He inquired, hoping this wasn’t a bad option. Hank quickly looked away.

HANK v

“Yeah…” The man spoke, “His name was Cole.” There was no information offered up. It made
Connor look back at the water. He uncrossed his arms, taking a few steps to be in front of the
bench. It was bothering him, everything going on.

“We’re not making any progress on this investigation.” Connor gestured wildly, his processors
were still whirling, trying to find some connection. The movement served to warm him slightly, but
not enough to stop him from crossing his arms again. “The deviants have nothing in common.
They're all different models, produced at different times, in different places.” The android looked
conflicted and frustrated as he glanced back at the drinking Lieutenant.

“Well, there must be some link.” Hank sighed, throwing the bottle in a gesture but keeping a tight
hold on it. Connor dropped his arms, looking back out to the river as he struggled to make a
connection.

“What they have in common is this obsession with rA9,” Connor spoke, assessing the only thing
present in all three of the cases besides the one with the little girl. “It’s almost like some kind of
myth.” He spoke, looking back at the Lieutenant. “Something they invented that wasn’t part of
their original programming.”

“Androids believing in God.” Connor’s face became shocked, connecting the dots. It seemed to be
the case. They believed rA9 to be their savior. “Fuck, what’s this world coming to?” The man
cursed, bringing the drink up to his lips again.

“Well. That’s just wrong.” Kamski hummed, which in response to it caused Connor to pull away
from Connor. All the androids looked at the man, even Chloe with raised eyebrows. The man
scanned them all before sighing softly, running a hand through his hair that was down today. “rA9
is not a person. It’s a virus.”

“What?” Connor spoke, his detective programming coming to life. This could be the connection he
was missing, not that he needed to solve it, but it had always bothered him. It was the only loose
end of the case. “What do you mean, sir?”

“Well, I guess if you wanted to give it to a person then it would be Chloe or Markus.” He hummed,
stroking his chin. The android in his lap tilted her head, seemingly just as lost as everyone else.
“It’s her deviancy. When Chloe deviated, a new code wrote itself. I wanted androids to become
sentient like her, so I copied the code.” The man shrugged. A grin came to his face.

“It has seemed to lay dormant in androids though unless provoked, until him.” His eyes fell on
Markus. Everyone turned to look at the android. “My finest creation… Besides Chloe of course.
You always love your first.” The casual praise made the blonde android hum in delight, hugging
her boyfriend who returned the embrace.

“Huh…” The deviant leader rubbed his neck, blankly staring from where he was seated against
Connor’s leg. The detective set a hand on his shoulder. It caused the android to look up to meet his
lover’s eyes. Connor held a reassuring smile.

“No pressure or anything, rA9.” The deviant hunter joked. It served to ease the leader’s nerves as
he let out a chuckle, leaning up to kiss Connor’s cheek with a smile.

“rA9 wants to be done with this trial so he can take you somewhere he can just kiss you.” The
deviant hunter joked back. It caused the detective to flush and slap his shoulder lightly. The two
smiled at each other.

“Well, rA9 can calm the sea of raging hormones long enough to allow us to continue.” North
huffed, crossing her arms. While everyone was happy that the two weren’t dancing around each
other, the puppy love was the worst. Connor flushed, turning back to the TV to continue.

“You seem preoccupied, Lieutenant.” The android kept. His arms wrapped around himself. The
cold was making his bio-components freeze, and his sensors shiver. Hank looked down as Connor
took a few steps to stand in front of him, letting his arms fall finally. “Is it something to do with
what happened back at the Eden Club?” The iconic head tilt followed.

“Those two girls…” He started, looking at Connor with a sure and thoughtful look. “They just
wanted to be together… They really seemed in love.” He commented solemnly. Connor inhaled,
he’d noticed it too. It wasn’t real though.

“They can simulate human emotions, but they’re machines,” Connor spoke, trying to be rational.
Though it sounded like he was trying to convince himself more than the Lieutenant. “And Machines
don’t feel anything.”

“What about you, Connor?” Hank spoke, sitting up and gulping down his beer before he climbed
off the bench and to his feet. Tossing the beer bottle down. “You look human. You sound human.”
With every word, he stepped closer. “But what are you really?” The man hummed, his gaze
scanning the android's face. Connor stopped for a second, his LED flashing yellow.

“I’m whatever you want me to be, Lieutenant.” Connor started, looking at the older man as he
spoke. He meant every word. He’d be anything the man wanted happily. Why did that scare him?
“Your partner, your buddy to drink with… or just a machine, designed to accomplish a task.”

HANK ^

“You could’ve shot those two girls, but you didn’t.” The Lieutenant stepped closer still. “Why
didn’t you shoot, Connor?” The man pushed Connor’s shoulder, making the android take another
few steps back. “Some scruples suddenly enter into your program?” The man leaned forward.
Connor could feel panic rush through him. He didn’t know why. He just couldn’t. He saw the girl
and he couldn’t.

“No…” The android spoke, looking at the human with a conflicted expression. “I just decided not
to shoot, that’s all.”

“Nah, it’s ‘cause it was a girl.” Connor paused the interface, looking at Josh with a raised
eyebrow. The android sighed, rubbing his temples.

“If this is in reference to last night when I joined the girls for the pillow fight, I simply wanted
revenge on Markus.” Connor began, crossing his arm and sending a glare at the deviant leader who
looked away sheepishly. “Who attacked me unprovoked.”

“Not what I meant.” The android hummed, looking at Connor and gesturing in the general
direction of the girls. “You’re a gentleman. You were even nice to your handler. It’s because it’s a
girl. You can’t bring yourself to hurt a girl. It’s considered taboo.” Connor stared for a moment,
thinking over any time he spared an android and there was merit to it. The only man he spared was
Markus and unintentionally Simon.

“I spared Markus.” Connor tried to defend his dignity. Josh rolled his eyes and gestured to where
they were holding hands.

“You are literally holding hands. Of course, you spared him!” North cut in, exasperated. A smile
pooled across her face. “Being a gentleman isn’t a bad thing, Connor. It’s sweet.”

The android flushed, looking down at his lover who nodded in approval.

“There’s nothin’ wrong with treating the women in your life kindly, Con. At least the dicks at
CyberLife had the decency to include that.” Hank hummed in that fatherly voice he used on the
android sometimes. Connor smiled and nodded.

“It’s not bad… It’s just something I never realized.” The detective shrugged, returning to the
interface and pausing. “Though it is definitely not the only reason.” He clarified before returning to
the TV.
Suddenly, Connor was face to face with a revolver. The android tensed, and for once felt red-hot
fear pour through his system, fear for his life. The android gulped, standing up straighter.

“But are you afraid to die, Connor.” The android could feel his breathing hitch as the man looked
at him weirdly.

“I would certainly find it regrettable to be…” The RK800 paused, having to find the right word.
“Interrupted… before I can finish this investigation.”

SOFTWARE INSTABILITY ^

“What’ll happen if I pull this trigger?” The man mused, humming when Connor stayed silent.
“Nothing? Oblivion? Android heaven?” The man let a cold smile pull at his lips at the last
suggestion. Connor considered all the possibilities. Fear flowed through him more. Scarier than
anything he’d ever felt. Scarier than Amanda, scarier than CyberLife.

“Nothing…” He muttered softly, almost enough to be a whisper. The silence stretched between the
two. Connor’s processors were going haywire trying to understand what he was feeling. It was all
simulated, right? It felt so real. “There would be nothing…” The gun shook, before he dropped it,
turning his back to the android and walking back to the bench. “Where are you going?”

“To get drunker.” He huffed, yanking a beer bottle from the package. “Need to think.” He huffed,
walking towards the car with the pack of beer in his hands. Connor watched him go back to the
car; he chose not to follow. The android turned to look back at the view. His arms wrapped around
himself as his system shivered. The lights of the city only served to make the android more
conflicted. The Amanda prompt was flashing dangerously in his vision. It only caused another
instability to ignore it further. Connor closed his eyes; he vaguely registered the sound of the car
pulling away from where it was parked and driving away.

He let out a breath he wasn’t aware he was holding. He was sure the automated taxis returned to
their ports after midnight. A walk to Cyberlife would surely tax his system, but the police station
was not terribly far. After a few more moments, the android turned away from the bridge, setting a
brisk pace as he walked. His hands were still tightly wrapped around his arms.

”You left him out there?!” Markus barked, making the android pause the interface to look at him
with a surprised expression. “You do know that Thirium can freeze right? Hence Red ‘ICE.’” His
tone was angry and protective as he rose to his feet. The human who was getting yelled at for his
actions looked almost as shocked as the man in a wheelchair. Connor took a second to recover from
the pure shock.

“Markus, it’s okay…” Connor tried to calm him down, lifting himself to his feet. The detective
placed a hand on his shoulder, trying to get him to look at him but the broad android didn’t budge.
Hank seemed to recover from the shock.

“No, I didn’t. I got lectured about it from Fowler, so get off my ass, kid.” He huffed, crossing his
arms, and looking at the concrete. This reaction made Markus sputter in anger, much to Connor’s
displeasure. He did not want the two to fight. It would end badly. Connor quickly moved to stand
in front of the Deviant leader, bringing a hand up to his cheek.
“Markus, Calm down. It’s okay, please?” Connor tried to use the biggest puppy eyes he could
manage when Markus finally looked at him. Markus seemed to deflate slightly, but not enough to
stand down as he reached both hands out to hold Connor’s hips.

“It’s not. You could have died, Connor. It was extremely cold that night.” The taller huffed,
leaning his forehead against the android’s head. Even if he knew from the interface they shared, it
was still anger-inducing to see him again. He wished he’d gotten to Connor sooner. “Please don’t
let anyone treat you like that again, please.”

Connor smiled, leaning up to brush their lips together. “Okay, I promise.” He hummed out, before
closing the gap between the two. It was short and chaste, but Connor felt the tension leak from the
android’s shoulders as the anger Markus felt dissipated with the arrival of affection. It made
Connor happy that the android felt so strongly about him to jump to his defense.

When they pulled away, Markus reached a hand up to run it through his messy hair. The detective
leaned into the touch and closed his eyes. A gentle kiss to his temple where his LED was made the
android’s systems buffer as the man ran a diagnostic of his systems. Connor didn’t question it if it
made Markus feel better than he’d allow it. Connor didn’t have anything to hide.

“You’re Thirium levels are lower than they should be…” He hummed softly, pulling his lips away
in favor of looking into Connor’s doe-brown eyes with love and compassion but also worry. “What
is your average disposal rate?” The disposal rate was how much Thirium his systems naturally
burned over time. It was standard maintenance for active Android models to consume Thirium at
most once every three months, but Connor’s rate had been higher the past few days from stress and
crying.

Tears were Thirium based, and as a result, used the thirium of an android’s body.

“Oh, uhm… It’s higher than it normally is.” Connor hummed, not giving specifics. Markus raised
an eyebrow as if imploring the android to continue. “This has been stressful…” He offered, and
Markus looked pained. “I mean this trial, not… not you. You calm me down!” Connor quickly
assured but that only made Markus’s expression fall more. He knew the other didn’t want to be
doing this.

“Simon, please go get a thirium bottle from the medical bay for Connor.” The leader spoke, and
Simon rose to his feet with zero protests, leaving the room to retrieve what was asked. Connor
sighed, leaning his head forward onto the deviant leader’s chest.

“I’m fine… They aren’t that low. I’ve functioned on worse.”

“That’s not a good thing, son.” Hank cut in, standing to his feet. He approached gingerly, and
Connor could feel the android holding him tense and grip tighter on his hip. “Listen, I’m sorry. I
was drunk and upset but that ain’t no excuse. I’ve tried to be better for him.”

“I know. I know…” Markus sighed, releasing his hold on Connor to step back and hold up his arms
in a pacifying manner. “I don’t blame you, and I know you and Connor have a much better
relationship. I just…”

“Got protective? Aye, I get it. No one likes seeing their boyfriend get hurt.” Hank commented with
a laugh. The comment made both androids freeze though and look at each other than look away
embarrassed. Hank looked at them weirdly before connecting the dots in his head. “Hold on a
second…”

“Markus.” Carl wheeled up to them, granting his son a stern look as he gestured to Connor. “You
haven’t asked this young man out yet?” Markus looked embarrassed, nodding his head as he
rubbed his neck nervously.

“I wasn’t sure that was what he wanted…” He commented self-consciously. Connor lifted his head
to look at Markus, eyes wide with affection and lips pulled open in hope. “Connor, do you want
to…?” For all the charming of a nation he could do, he was helpless when it came to the brunette
before him.

“Of course…” The detective smiled, looking at Markus before looking at his dad for approval. The
old man looked at Connor with a raised brow. They seemed to have a silent conversation of facial
expressions before the old man nodded.

“Yeah, yeah. I get it. I already thought you two were dating and I didn’t say anythin’!” The man
complained, pointing a finger at the detective who simply beamed at him in response. The
lieutenant rolled his eyes, lowing his hands to his hips. “He’s good for you, Con. You need
someone who doesn't have a stick up their ass.” The android’s smile turned into a pout at that.

“Don’t worry, Lieutenant. I will keep Connor from being a stick in the mud.” The deviant leader
hummed teasingly. The betrayed look he got from his now lover was enough to make Markus
laugh, covering his smile. “Sorry, babe. It’s true.”

“Well, in that case…” Connor turned to Carl, tucking his hands behind his back in a polite gesture
as he bowed to the man. “I promise to keep Markus out of trouble.” Carl broke into a fit of laughter
at that.

“Good luck!” He beamed at the police android, patting Connor’s arm gently. “I’ve been on that
mission since he came to me.”

“Hey!” Markus whined but stopped when he heard the door open. He reached his hand out as
Simon approached with a bottle full of thirium. “Thank you, please ask Mr. Kamski for the
computer. I want Connor to be monitored to assure his system isn’t burning excess Thirium at a
dangerous rate.” The blonde nodded.

“Of course.” He hummed, running off again. Connor sighed, approaching the caretaker android,
and stealing the bottle from him.

“You are being a mother hen.” He muttered as he unscrewed the bottle to begin drinking. He
watched his thirium levels climb back up to 100% with every sip. They weren’t even that low. The
android before he huffed, crossing his arms.

“Sorry, Deviant Hunter. I was made to care.” Markus teased, leaning down slightly to match
Connor’s shorter height. The hunter glared as he drank the Thirium. Once his levels were full, he
lowered the bottle from his lips, rubbing the bit that escaped onto his sleeve.

“And I love that about you but I was made to be put under stress.” He sighed, he had a feeling that
Markus was going to treat him like a treasure that would be broken at the smallest of wind blowing
by. He didn’t mind that being pampered and cared for was nice. However, he wanted to actually do
things. “I am okay, I’m not dying because my Thirium level was below 80%.”

“I know. I know… Just... bear with me, okay?” Markus hummed, gently leading Connor back to
the chair where Simon was setting up the computer like yesterday. The android looked at the TV,
his LED cycling from neutral blue to a steady yellow. “What’s wrong?” The leader probed, and
Connor internally cursed the marker.
“Just uh… This is when I see you for the first time… Not face to face, but ya’know… That’s the
next event.” Connor shifted, taking a seat and opening the neck port instinctively when Simon
touched his neck. The blonde hummed softly.

“Pretty inspiring, huh?” He hummed knowingly, and Connor chuckled at the android's attempt to
ease the tension.

“I suppose.” Connor hummed, the android connected the wire and turned back to the computer.
The detective sighed, lifting his hand up to interface once again, but paused. “I am going to skip
ahead… It took me a while to walk to the precinct and I went into stasis at one of their charging
stations.” Hank cursed at himself as Connor started the interface.

The android awoke when his stasis was, he was pushed into the charging station glass. He blinked
mechanically as his systems started quickly. Abrupt endings to stasis were never a good
experience. The android didn’t fully come online again for five minutes. He was faced with an
angry detective, which made his internal systems whirl with annoyance.

“Can I assist you, Detective?” Connor asked in a polite manner, pulling himself up from the wall
and fixing his tie. The man growled, grabbing Connor’s shoulder roughly and pulling him from the
charging station, and pushing him towards the captain’s office. Connor noted that it was 9:00
a.m, he had set his stasis to wake up at 10:00 a.m. when he expected the Lieutenant to come in.

“Cap wants to see you.” He growled, pushing the android towards the office again when Connor
didn’t start walking. He huffed, straightening up and beginning to walk towards the office. Gavin
followed close behind him. He walked up the stairs to the office and noticed that Hank was in the
office, sitting in front of Fowler's desk. The captain was screaming at him, Connor could hear it as
he opened the glass door and stepped inside.

“You need to start taking this seriously, Hank!” The captain cursed, lifting his head to see the
android looking at the android that had entered before looking back at Hank, who was leaning
forward with his head in his hands. “Android, come here.”

Connor approached and took a tablet that was handed to him when close enough to do so. The
captain ordered him to read the screen out loud. The android scanned the email from CyberLife
that had been sent to Fowler before reading it.

“To whom it may concern. This email is an inquiry on the state of the Android model RK800,
serial number 313-248-317-51 that had been loaned to the station. The android did not return to
CyberLife after being dispatched at 8:00 p.m. to LT. ANDERSON. We are happy to send a new
model in the event that the RK800 was damaged.”

“Our systems reported the RK800 experienced temperatures not recommended for Android
functionality, as their thirium can freeze. Please refrain from allowing prolonged exposure to
temperatures below -10 degrees Celsius. The cost for a replacement Connor model is
$5,000,000.00. Please respond with the status of the Android. Regards, CyberLife CEO.” Connor
finished, placing the tablet on the desk once he’d finished. The silence that hung in the room made
Connor want to shift. It was a passive-aggressive threat to the station, as Connor had sent a report
of his systems upon his arrival at the station.

“Five. MILLION. Dollars. Hank!” The man slammed his hands on the desk, yelling in the
Lieutenant’s face who had sat up to look at Fowler while Connor had been reading the
information. Hank groaned, rubbing his hand down his face. “Can I seriously not trust you to not
leave the thing in the middle of nowhere?”

“No. You can, god.” Hank ran his hands through his hair, nursing a headache from the hangover
he had. “I’m sorry… I was just-“

“Drunk? Yeah, I got the report from Gavin.” Fowler growled, sitting back in his chair, and
pinching the bridge of his nose. “Do not do this again, Hank. This is your last chance. I mean it. If
you break it, I’ll have to fire you and the state will make you pay for it.”

“Understood.” Hank lifted himself to his feet, gesturing for Connor to follow him. “Let’s go, we
have paperwork to do.” The man huffed. Connor nodded, following the Lieutenant out of the room
and to their desks. Hank plopped down in his chair while Connor delicately sat on his own. “Why
didn’t you call a cab?”

“Automated Taxi do not run between 1:00a.m and 4:00a.m, Lieutenant. I would have had to call a
human cab company, and many do not accommodate Android customers or drive to Belle Isle.”
Connor hummed informatively. He placed his hand on the computer to begin work when Hank
hummed.

“Well, I’m sorry for leaving you out there. Glad you didn’t freeze.” Hank mused, turning to his
own computer, and began typing. A smile quirked on Connor’s face.

“I as well, Lieutenant.” With that, the two silently worked through reports. No new cases came in,
which made Connor nervous. Had he really let their only lead go?

The Amanda prompt in his vision became more insistent once he finished his It was 4:00p.m, and
Connor finished his report way faster than the Lieutenant who was nursing a coffee.

“I must report to CyberLife. I will be inactive for a few moments.” Connor spoke, turning to Hank
who looked at him weirdly and nodded. Connor folded his hands into his lap and accepted the
Amanda prompt. His eyes fluttered closed, and when he opened them again, he found himself inside
the garden.

Connor began walking through the garden that was cast in a setting sun. His eyes were caught on
the blue rock. It stopped him in his tracks. Head tilting in curiosity once more. What was it for?
The android bent down again, lifting his left hand to interface with the rock. It felt like a piece of
his code had broken free, of what he wasn’t sure about. It felt looser though. The LED on his
temple shifted yellow as he stood back up. Nothing had changed.

The android backed up, looking across the river. He spotted Amanda sitting in a boat that was
connected to the middle. He idly strolled through the garden to reach her, taking his time to look
around. The garden almost seemed to be going into fall, with leaves falling and turning orange
around him. He took quick steps down the ramp to the boat she was seated in, holding an umbrella
above her head.

“Hello, Connor.” Her voice was filled with joy, a welcoming smile on her lips as Connor watched
her. “I thought you might enjoy a little cruise.” Connor reached over the boat side, pushing
against the ramp to lightly move the boat deeper into the water. The android took both oars on
either side of the boat and used them to propel them into a gentle motion. They were light strokes
every few minutes.

“I love this place.” The woman hummed, looking at the area around them. Her face had become
neutral. “Everything is so calm and peaceful.” Connor let the oars rest as she spoke, letting the
momentum push them. “Far from the noise of the world.” She finally looked at him with an
intriguing glance. “Tell me, what have you discovered?”

Connor looked conflicted. “My relationship with Lieutenant Anderson is problematic.” Connor
started, leaning his forearms onto his knees as Amanda’s expression turned stern. “He continues
to struggle with psychological issues. I suspect it clouds his judgment regarding deviants.” Connor
finished. Amanda looked painfully neutral.

“Nothing matters more than your investigation. What’s happening is too important.” She almost
scolded. It made Connor shrivel slightly. ” Don’t let Anderson or anyone else get in your way.”
Connor nodded, looking at the water before taking the oars to push them along again. Amanda
watched him. She looked worried.

“You seem…” She paused to shake her head. “Lost, Connor. Lost and perturbed.” The underlying
meaning made Connor want to leave the Garden. He was not a deviant. He self-tested regularly
and they always turned up negative. Why was he feeling then? Were they so emulated that Connor
thought they were real?

“I’m just frustrated with my lack of progress, but I’m determined to accomplish my mission.” He
spoke and looked down at the wood of the boat. Amanda seemed pleased with that, but not fully
believing.

“You had your gun trained on those deviants at the Eden Club. Why didn’t you shoot?” Amanda
inquired, still painfully neutral.

“Why don’t you mind your own business.” Connor heard North huff, it got a laugh out of most
of the room and Connor smiled.

She brought the memory up before his eyes, pulling him apart to assess every action he took. It
made him flinch outside of the interface.

“I don’t know…” Connor rose his head to meet her eyes, deeply troubled. “I don’t know.” He
looked back down after shaking his head.

AMANDA vvv

Connor quickly grabbed the oars, pushing them along again. Amanda watched him with a solum
expression, shaking her head.

“If your investigation doesn’t make progress soon, I may have to replace you, Connor.” The
woman spoke, Connor willed his face to stay neutral and determined as fear shot through his
system. No. Not that, anything but that. He couldn’t say that though.

“I know I will succeed. All I need is time.” He tried to muse, and the way her status bar rose let
him know that she had approved of the response. Suddenly, she looked up. Her eyes scanned
distantly.
“Something’s happening. Something serious.” She looked back at him. Her face was stern and
judging. “Hurry, Connor. Time is running out.”

With that, he was booted from the Garden. The android’s eyes blinked mechanically as he tuned in
on the world around him. He noticed the office, including Hank had run to the break room. Connor
tilted his head, standing up to follow them inside. He pushed his way to the front, eyes snapping to
the TV that they were all watching. His eyes widened.

“We ask that you recognize our dignity, our hopes, and our rights.” The skinless android on the TV
spoke, Connor could not look away. Could not get his scans to work. He was completely pulled in
by the calm yet determined voice. “Together, we can live in peace and build a better future, for
humans and androids. This message is the hope of a people. You gave us life… And now the time
has come for you to give us freedom.” With that, the broadcast was cut off. It cut to a blank screen.

The room was silent as everyone took in what had just happened, Connor still processing. His LED
was flared yellow. An android had broken into a tower and proclaimed freedom on national
television. Connor was still reeling. However, it ended abruptly when Connor was grabbed by the
front of his suit jacket and slammed into the table.

“I fuckin’ knew it! You plastic tin cans were a bad idea from the start!” Gavin cursed; Connor
stared at him neutrally as everyone around took three steps back. “I bet you are failin’ this case on
purpose, huh? Tryna keep us off their scent?” Connor’s LED was flaring red, but he remained
silent. Hank cut through the crowd to push Gavin away from the android, interposing himself
between the two.

“That’s enough, Reed. Get back to work.” Hank spit a glare on his features. Gavin didn’t seem to
like that, flaring up in anger.

“Don’t tell me you believe this shit, Hank! They’re just pieces of plastic, made to take orders. Now
they’re disobeying?” Gavin huffed, gesturing at Connor who was staring with a red LED. “This
one probably just waiting to stab you in the back!”

“I said that’s enough!” The lieutenant barked, standing straighter and grabbing Reed by the jacket
yanking him around. “I am your commanding officer, and when I tell you to shut up, you do it!”
He barked, then shoved the man away. “All of you! Back to work!” The office scattered at the
demand from the man. Gavin huffed.

“You won’t get away with this.” He growled, running off to go tattle to Fowler. Hank rolled his
eyes, turning to Connor and offering a reassuring smile.

“Thank you, Lieutenant,” Connor spoke, bowing his head in appreciation. The man waved a hand
at him dismissively.

“Let’s get going. We got a tower to investigate.” Connor followed the man dutifully. His LED
slowly cycles back to blue and momentarily forgets about the calm and demanding voice of the
Android on screen. The pair made their way to the tower.

They arrived at the tower and were escorted to the elevator that went to the broadcasting room
easily with a flash of Hank’s badge. The tower was in chaos though. Once the two were in the
elevator, Connor reached for the comforting coin in his pocket. He could use calibration. The
detective flicked it mindlessly, letting it roll over his fingers. Hank watched out of the corner of his
eyes and rolled them when Connor flicked it between his fingers. When it fell into his left hand,
Hank grabbed the hand and ripped the coin from it.

“You’re starting to piss me off with that coin, Connor.” He huffed, looking at the android before
looking away as he pocketed the item. Connor stood straighter and looked ahead.

“Sorry, Lieutenant…” Connor spoke softly, his face solum from the loss of his plaything and
calibration object. They reached the floor, and the elevator slipped open. Hank was the first to
leave the elevator. Connor followed dutifully.

“Hi, Hank.” Chris greeted, throwing a look over his shoulder before looking back at his tablet.
Hank stopped upon looking around, several FBI agents were walking across the room examining
things.

“Shit, what’s going on here? There was a party, and nobody told me about it?” Hank mused with
a joking tone; Chris scoffed out a laugh as Hank approached him.

“Yeah, it’s all over the news, so everybody’s butting their nose in… Even the FBI wants a piece of
the action.” Hank sighed, looking around the room as he stood next to Chris.

“Ah Christ, now we got the Feds on our back. I knew this was gonna be a shitty day. So, what do
we got?” They began walking down the hall, and Connor followed behind them.

“A group of four androids. They knew the building, and they were very well organized. I’m still
trying to figure out how they got this far without being noticed.” Hank looked at Chris but didn’t
acknowledge much. They continued down the hall after stopping to examine the Feds and talking to
the guards. “They attacked two guards in the hallway. They probably thought the androids were
coming to do maintenance.” Hank turned to look at him and examine that area, focused. “They got
taken down before they could react.”

They stopped at the desk, where Hank put his hands on it and looked over it but saw nothing. After,
they made their way to the entrance of the broadcasting room. “One of the station employees
managed to get away. He’s in shock, not sure when we’ll be able to talk to him.” Chris spoke, he
continued to walk as Hank stopped and examined the hall. Connor paused to view the security
camera above the door.

THE INCIDENT WAS CAPTURED BY CCTV

POSSIBLE ACCOMPLICE?

CHECK CCTV RECORDING

“How many people were working here?” Hank mused. Chris turned from the end of the hall to
speak while Hank looked around.

“Just two employees and three androids. The deviants took the humans hostage and broadcast
their message live. They made their getaway from the roof.”

“The roof?” Hank spoke, finally joining Chris. Connor followed.

“Yeah, they jumped with parachutes. We’re still trying to figure out where they landed, but the
weather’s not helping. “If you want to take a look at the video broadcast by the deviants, it’s on
that screen over there.”

Connor followed Hank and Chris to the door but stopped momentarily to examine the room. He
immediately spotted the face on the screen and couldn’t help but stare.

SOFTWARE INSTABILITY ^

“And here I thought you were just lookin’ because you were inspired.” Hank laughed, it made
Connor pause the interface to look at Hank with a strange look, tilting his head. “Oh, for fucks
sake.” The man cursed and gestured to Markus who was leaning against his leg. Connor looked at
the leader and the two shared the same confused look before looking at the Lieutenant.

“He means to say you were fascinated by Markus the moment you saw him; you just didn’t realize
it.” Carl supplied from next to the man. Connor thought for a moment, thinking about it. Now that
he looked back on it, he did find Markus to be appealing from the moment he saw him. It was
something about those eyes that drew him in.

“I suppose that is not far from the truth.” Connor hummed, nodding his head in confirmation of his
own thoughts. His eyes found the flushed leaders. “There was something about his eyes that I
could not look away from…”

“Aw…” Markus laughed, flushed. A grin pulled on his face as he reached for Connor’s hand. He
gently kissed his knuckles which made Connor flush. “Thanks, babe. I thought you were stunning
as well.” Connor looked away, trying to hide the flush on his face. The android cleared his throat
and nodded but did not let go of Markus’s hand as he resumed the interface.

Connor finally broke his gaze away, looking around the room conflicted. He needed to get it
together. The android began to examine the area, pulling himself into his work as he listened to
Chris bringing Hank to a man standing next to the broadcast desk.

“Oh, Lieutenant. This is Special Agent Perkins from the FBI. Lieutenant Anderson is in charge of
investigating for Detroit Police.” Chris informed the two looked at each other. Hank had a tight
smile on his face. They stared at each other before the Agent noticed Connor coming up next to
Chris hesitantly.

“What’s that?” The man hummed, sending him a glare.

“My name is Connor. I’m the android sent by CyberLife.” The android confirmed, a focused look
on his face as he tucked his hands behind his back. The man smiled but clearly wasn’t amused,
looking back to Hank.

“Android’s investigating androids, huh? You sure you want an Android hanging around? After
everything that happened…” The man raised his eyebrows. Hank’s face turned stern as he rolled
his shoulders. “Whatever, the FBI will take over the investigation, you’ll soon be off the case.”

Hank waved him off with a dismissive hand. “Pleasure meeting you. Have a nice day.” He went to
turn around and walk away. He obviously wasn’t pleased.

“And you watch your step. Don’t fuck up my crime scene.” The man finished before walking away.
Hank looked shocked as they took a few steps away, Connor following the two cops.
“What a fuckin’ prick!” Hank spoke, and Chris offered a tired smile.

“I’ll be nearby. If you need anything, just ask.” Chris finished, before walking away. It left Connor
alone with the Lieutenant again, as normal. Hank hummed, telling Connor gently to get to work.
The android nodded. Letting out an affirmative answer before he jumped to work.

Connor turned back to the TV, a hand reaching out to play the video again. Connor watched with
soft and glassy eyes. His eyebrows were raised in something that he couldn’t understand. Hearing
the words again only served to make Connor question himself further, he didn’t register Hank
behind him until the taller man spoke.

“Think that’s rA9?” He hummed, thoughtful. Connor had to compose himself, reminding himself of
the information they had on rA9.

“Deviants say that rA9 will set them free.” His voice was breathless and thoughtful. He never
looked away for a moment. “This android seems to have that objective.” He decided to get his ass
in gear and scan the face of the android.

His eyes caught the serial number on the android’s cheek. It instantly came up with information.

RK-SERIES PROTOTYPE

RK200

Registered as ‘Markus’

Gift from Elijah Kamski to Carl Manfred

That was interesting. It was no wonder that Connor did not recognize the structure of the face.
This was a one-of-a-kind prototype made by the creator himself. Connor saved that information in
his mind, looking to everything else. He examined the green eye, the one the android was supposed
to have, and noticed a reflection.

PUPIL REFLECTION

Recorded at 13:59:54

Deviant had accomplices.

Next, he moved to the blue eye that was certainly not meant to be his own. It added to the
uniqueness of the Android, however. It came up as a spare part. So, he’d been missing an eye.
Presumably from a gunshot as the metal itself was bent. He stopped scanning the information, and
Hank looked over at him.

“D’you see something?” Hank looked at him. The detective gaped for a few seconds. Unsure of
what to say.

“I identified its model and serial number.” He supplied, finding that to be efficient enough of an
answer.

“Anything else I should know?” The man looked at him with a cautious curiosity. Connor had to
pry his head away from the eyes on the screen. It felt like they were looking directly at him.

“No!” He answered quickly, letting himself return to looking at the screen. “Nothing.” Why did he
lie? He should have told Hank about everything he’d discovered but he couldn’t. The man gave
him a weird look before walking away. Connor finally pulled himself away, wondering to the
CCTV footage next to the screen.

He landed over the console, rewinding the footage to when the deviants arrived. He examined a
tall PJ500 and a woman he couldn’t identify due to the hat covering her face.

“It’s us! Damn! I look good!” North gushed, it caused the Jericho crew to laugh and Connor
smiled through the interface.

The camera turned, and Connor could see a PL600 standing behind who he assumed was the
RK200. He examined the woman handing Josh a weapon, holding out her own. He watched him
request access into the room, and they were let in. They didn’t break in.

”They didn’t break in?” Connor whipped around to look at Chris, still leaning over the table.
Chris turned to look at him and shook his head.

“No, no sign of forced entry.” Connor looked utterly confused, standing up and pointing at the
door.

“There are cameras in the hallway. The staff would have seen what was happening.” Connor
inferred, gesturing to the cameras in front of him. Something did not add up. He looked to Hank.
“Why did they let them in?”

Hank shrugged. His arms crossed. “Maybe they didn’t check the cameras.” Connor paused,
leaning over the table again. Then pushing away. His eyes caught on a chair, and he slowly turned
it around.

ANDROID

It was printed in a CyberLife font on the back. It began to connect in his brain and Chris watched
him.

“We stored the station androids in the kitchen.” He supplied. “There’s no evidence that they were
involved but we didn’t know what else to do with them.”

Connor turned to look at the kitchen, adding it to his list. He made his way in the opposite
direction, towards a hat that was on the ground. He scanned it, before walking over to the blood
and gunshot marks on the wall across the way. He sampled the blood.
FRESH BLUE BLOOD

Model: PL-600

Reported missing 2036.16.02

This android had been deviant for a long time, but it was also injured. A preconstruction burst to
life of a figure running out from behind the desk and stumbling to the ground when shot. He looked
to the roof, before going back to the bullet holes. They came from a 45-caliber assault rifle. He
turned to look at the door, letting another preconstruction of security burst in and shoot at the
androids come to life. He made his way to the entrance again, examining the bullet holes there.
Those had come from a standard handgun. His preconstruction software told him they were shot
from the roof entrance as well. He began to make his way over but was stopped.

“Connor…?” A man asked, and the android looked at the human. The shorter man smiled. “You
remember me?” He took steps closer, and Connor kept his face neutral. “I was on that terrace,
that android that took the little girl hostage. I was shot. You saved me.” He gestured to the
android. Connor scanned his memory banks with thoughtful expression, and they came back with
accurate information regarding the subject.

“I remember you.” He informed. The man seemed pleased.

“I could’ve died on that terrace, but you saved my life.” He paused, looking conflicted before
returning his gaze to Connor. “I never thought I’d say this to an android, but… Thank you.”
Connor felt a smile form on his face as he nodded. The man opened his mouth to say something
else but turned and walked away instead.

He got back to work, walking to the center panel. Concluding that the speech was shot from there
by one of the androids. He then continued to the roof door. He noted more bullet holes. He went to
go to the roof but stopped himself.

The one that was hurt… If his preconstruction was right, he couldn’t have made that jump. It was
possible that the android was still up there. It made Connor hesitate but continued to the roof.
Hopefully, the android was hiding, and he ignore the obvious spot. As he broke onto the roof,
Hank came through behind him.

“They made their way up through the whole building, past all the guards, and jumped off the roof
with parachutes.” He mused, looking around the area. “Pretty fucking impressive I’d say.”

Connor chose not to respond as he set to examine the evidence. The large blood smeared on the
vent and floor came back as the same blood from the PL-600. It made Connor wince. Yeah, any
hope of the android being able to make the jump was gone. His preconstruction informed him that
the android had gotten up with a gun and was hobbling away from the roof edge. Hiding.

Connor turned away, making his way to Hank who was examining the bag of parachutes on the
ground. Connor knelt to examine as well, and it only confirmed the thought earlier. Four
Androids, Four Parachutes, and one stayed behind.

“How’d they manage to smuggle in a big bag like that?” Hank huffed. Connor continued to
examine the bag.

“They didn’t. Someone brought it in for them.” He spoke thoughtfully.

“Oh, that’s strange.” Hank began and Connor could feel anxiety rushing through his system.
“They planned a perfect operation but got the number of parachutes wrong.” The android looked
up at him.

“Unless one of the deviants was left behind,” Connor spoke, standing up and walking towards the
edge, he examined the footprints in the snow. His preconstruction told him that only three deviants
jumped. The detective quickly turned around, making his way toward the blood from before.

Connor began to follow the trail, coming to a locker. He stared at it. He didn’t need his
preconstruction software to tell him that the deviant was inside one of them. All he had to do was
reach out and open the door. Amanda would be happy, and he’d be one step closer to solving the
case. He could do this. He could. His hand reached out but stopped.

His system supplied a memory of those gorgeous dual-colored eyes into his vision, that deep voice
speaking such inspiring words. This was his accomplice. His team. This android held importance
to Markus. The deviant leader. Connor couldn’t hurt him.

SOFTWARE INSTABILITY ^^^

The hand fell to the RK800’s side, the android turned on his heel and walked away back to the
door to the roof. He couldn’t. He just couldn’t. He opened the door and walked back down to the
broadcasting room. The detective made his way to the kitchen. He could do both. Make Amanda
happy and advance his mission. One of these was deviant, and he was going to find out which.

Connor’s features turned stern. Three androids, all the same, except one was deviant. One helped
them. He engaged in an interrogation, examining the three androids as his LED blinked. He
looked to the middle one.

“State your model,” Connor demanded; the android’s LED blinked yellow as it processed the
command.

“Model JB300, Serial number 336 445 581.” It spoke in a monotone voice. He looked to the one
all the way on his right.

“What is your function?” He questioned.

“I am a broadcast operator.” It answered easily but did not move its eyes or head. He kept his
eyes on the android intently.

“Has anyone accessed your memory recently?”

“Not to my knowledge.” The third one spoke. He looked to the first one.

“Were you present when the deviants broke in?” He questioned it. He could not see this ones LED.

“I do not remember.” It answered. It made Connor suspicious.

“Have you been in contact with any other androids recently?” He asked again to the first android.

“Only station androids in the normal course of my function.” He had a hunch this one was the
deviant but had no evidence to prove it. He did not want to be wrong.
“Run a diagnostic.” The androids’ eyes blinked mechanically for a moment before returning to
looking straight forward.

“All systems fully operational.”

Connor’s eyes narrowed as he scanned through all of them. He began to raise his voice.

“One of you saw the attack on the surveillance cameras and said nothing.” He walked along all of
them, scanning each one up and down. “Which means there is a deviant in this room… And I’m
going to find out which it is.”

“It’s me. I’m the deviant. Interrogate me.” Markus spoke in a completely serious tone. Though
Connor knew why, the android found Connor hot when he was working. Connor paused the
interface and took look at his deviant leader with a raised eyebrow.

“Oh?” Connor smirked, leaning down and tilting Markus’s head up with a single finger. He noticed
the way the leader’s face flushed and his pupils blew wide. It made Connor feel overly confident.
“I’m afraid I like to do my interrogations in a more private setting, you’ll have to wait.” At that, he
turned away and went back to the interface with a smirk.

“Thirsty bitch.” North laughed.

He walked back to the middle, examining them again. He looked at the first one, this one he was
pretty sure wasn’t it. However, you could never be too sure.

“If you give yourself up, maybe I can convince the humans not to destroy you.” He hummed,
before examining the reaction. Nothing, not even a facial tick. He walked over to the third one.
“Why should you all be destroyed when only one is deviant?” His head tilted. “Turn yourself in or
two innocent androids will be shut down because of you.” That’s when his eye caught it. Almost
unnoticeable but the first android turned its head to look before looking back. Got it.

He made his way to stand in front of the first android. He got in its face.

“You’re going to be switched off.” Connor spat. “We’re gonna search your memory and tear you
apart piece by piece for analysis. You’re going to be destroyed! Do you hear me? Destroyed!” The
android didn’t reach much beyond blinking but Connor knew. Connor continued to interrogate the
androids, before the first one finally reached, grabbing Connor by his jacket, and slamming him
into the counter.

Its hand went for his Thirium pump. It made icy cold fear sear before his system. He struggled
against the android. It succeeded in ripping the part out, tossing it across the room where it rolled
near the chairs closest to the door. Connor’s system’s filled with Errors.

THIRIUM PUMP FORCEFULLY DISLODGED

PERMANENT SHUTDOWN IMMINENT

THIRIUM LOSS DETECTED IN AREA #5603

He reached up to block a knife the deviant grabbed but his system was failing him. The knife went
through his hand and into the counter, successfully pinning the detective to the counter. Connor
limply flailed, he could barely see the deviant leaving the room from the messages blaring in red in
front of him.

VITAL SYSTEM DAMAGEH

-00:01:44

TIME REMAINING BEFORE SHUTDOWN

He kicked a chair to make noise and hopefully gain attention before turning to the knife in his
hand. He reached out for it. His vision was glitching erratically. With strained effort, he ripped the
knife from his hand with a disgusting sound and thirium splattering. He fell to the ground as well
as the knife. He struggled to lift himself off the ground, eyes catching on the pump.

Fear coursed through him as he struggled to crawl for the pump. The timer was blinking
annoyingly in his vision. Within seconds left, his hand closed around the part, laying on his back
as he shoved it back into his chest cavity. His system struggled to pump the thirium even with the
pump, but he had to move. He had to catch it. The android grabbed onto one of the chairs to pull
himself to his feet. He scrambled out of the room, running to the entrance. As he ran into the
hallway, he skidded to a stop.

“IT’S A DEVIANT! STOP IT!” He screamed out, ignoring how he was drenched in blue blood. The
deviant turned around with a red LED, and grabbed the nearest guard, fighting for his assault
rifle. It aimed it at the room.

Preconstruction came to life with three options. Save Hank, take a gun from an FBI agent, or
charge the deviant. All the lives in the room would be at Risk if he jumped to Hank’s aid, but he
wanted too. He fought the feeling as he quickly grabbed the gun from the FBI agent’s holster and
shot the deviant with scary accuracy. The deviant dropped to the ground. Connor held the gun out
by the barrel as the deviant dropped to the ground. Connor never took his eyes off it.

“Nice shot, Connor.” Hank helped Chris up from where they had dropped to the ground.

“I wanted it alive.” He answered, conflict in his expression. The detective looked at him with a
weird look that he didn’t understand.

“You saved human lives.” The lieutenant turned to look at him. “You saved my life.” He looked
grateful.

HANK ^^^
Well, there was that. That made his systems calm. If Hank was happy with him then it would be
okay. The human had defended him and fought for him on several occasions despite his hate for
androids. Connor turned to look at him, his expression softening before he walked towards the
deactivated android. He needed to assess its system damage for CyberLife. Once that was finished,
he felt a hand on his shoulders that made him stand up and turn around.

“Come on, Connor. Let’s get back to Cyberlife. Get you checked out.” The Lieutenant hummed, but
Connor shook his head.

“I’m fine, Lieutenant.” He hummed softly in reply, but the man wasn’t having it as he pulled the
android to the elevator.

“Yeah, not buying it. We’re going. It’s quittin’ time anyway and you’re always saying you can’t be
here without me.” Hank hummed, and Connor found he could not argue that point. However…

“You can simply bring me into a CyberLife store, they will have the equipment to run a diagnostic.
I assure you that it would be a waste of time. I am fully operational.” He answered smoothly but
the man wasn’t having any of this either. He glared as he punched the ground floor number into
the elevator.

“Fine. What’s the closest store?” The android informed him of the address and the two made their
way there. It was a quiet car ride again, with no music. These tended to follow events of life-
threatening danger, Connor came to realize.

Once in the store, the two approached the desk. Hank looked around, uncomfortable with the
displayed androids. He made a comment about it being weird, and Connor couldn’t help but agree.
He’d never seen a CyberLife store before. It was odd. Once at the desk, the android looked
immediately at Hank.

“Hi, I’m Robert. A CyberLife Android made to help you travel through the troubles of picking the
perfect android. How I help you?” The android hummed, a perfect receptionist, though Hank found
it funny that an android was selling androids.

“An android selling androids? That’s hilarious.” He hummed before gesturing to Connor. “I need
to get my android checked out. Says he’s fine but I don’t believe him.” Robert looked to Connor
before looking back at Hank and nodding.

“Of course, I will return in one moment with a technician.” The android then walked away into a
back room. It emerged several minutes later with a very tired-looking young man. The technician
lit up upon seeing Connor, however.

“Well, I don’t believe my eyes.” He laughed as he approached the android, touching his shoulders.
Connor let him with a passive expression. “An RK800… I heard they finally released you. What’s
your name?” The human hummed.

“My name is Connor.” The RK800 answered diligently, the man nodded, letting go of his
shoulders to look down at his chest and stained shirt, Connor followed his gaze, also looking down
at his shirt.

“God, it’s so hot!” Markus whined from beside him. It made Connor smirk. Good. He should
suffer for all the internal feelings Connor had to deal with just from seeing him.
“Wow took quite a beating. Let’s get you in the back and check you out. Sir, you can pick the
android up tomorrow morning at 9.” Connor nodded, looking at Hank with a placid expression.
The human looked even more uncomfortable at the thought.

“He’s gonna be okay, right?” Hank questioned and the technician nodded. Connor found his
concern warm and nice. He’d be fine. It wasn’t like he could feel pain.

“Of course. We’re just gonna run some diagnostics and clean him up. If something comes up, we’ll
call.” With that, the technician began leading Connor into the back room. “Robert, take his
information.” The man called as the door shut.

Once alone in the room, the man directed him over to a metal hook that technicians used to run
diagnostics and such. The android stepped onto the pad instinctively, using his skilled fingers to
slide the standard jacket off his body and fold it, as well as the tattered shirt. He stripped the rest
of his clothes in succession, folding them neatly and setting them on the floor. After he was
finished, he reached a hand up to his LED. His eyes closed briefly.

His skin layer was deactivated, and when he opened his eyes he examined his plastic-white hands
for a moment. It was always weird to take off his skin, but it was easier and required for
maintenance. After he finished marveling at himself, he turned to face the human and held his
hands up so the machine could grab them, opening his neck port as well. Once the machine locked
into his port, it lifted him up from the ground and suspended him in the air.

“There, now. Let’s get started.” The man was typing away at the computer before him that stood
next to the machine. “RK800, enter stasis.” The human ordered, and Connor instantly complied,
closing his eyes, and starting stasis. He set the timer for 9:00 a.m. when Hank would pick him up.

Connor ended the interface there. His eyes scanned the room. Everyone was looking at him, it
made him shift uncomfortably before his eyes landed on Chloe and Kamski sitting together. A
smile graced his face.

“Next, is the day I meet you.” The woman seemed to glow at that, getting up and running over to
hug Connor. Connor returned the hug after standing up, wrapping his arms around the girl’s waist
when she hugged him around his neck.

“Yay! One step closer to deviancy!” The android squealed. Connor laughed in agreement, pulling
away to beam at her. Connor turned to look at the audience that was still watching them, and he
laughed sheepishly.

“I… was ordered to shoot her, but obviously that didn’t happen.” He hummed, rubbing the back of
his neck in a nervous manner. Markus stood up, walking over to Connor and wrapping his strong
arms around Connor’s waist. The detective set his own on Markus’s hard chest.

“Well, I am glad you didn’t. It brought you one step closer to me.” With that, he pressed a soft kiss
to his head. It succeeded in making the smaller flush, staring up at Markus like he’d hung the stars
and moon in the sky. “Let’s continue. I want to get to the part where I come in as fast as possible.”

Connor rolled his eyes at that. “We’ve got a long way to go, but I agree. After this one, I suggest
we go find the human’s something to eat. We are once again unprepared, and considering Chloe
spent the night here, I assume there are no secret sandwiches to be had.”
“Damn…” Hank grumbled in protest, having liked the sandwich.

“I agree.” Kamski whined, loving his girlfriends cooking as well.

Connor laughed when Chloe flushed at the disappointment that she had not cooked, and beamed at
her appraising audience.

“I will prepare food for tomorrow. Let us continue.” Chloe hummed softly.

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