Soooo this happened...
I got drawn into the Detroit universe and story, with its many moral conundrums and heart shredding choices and awesome characters (*coughConnorcough*). To be fair, I had been looking for a story that would captivate me so much that I simply HAD to write. After my father passed away last November, I've had quite a bit of trouble getting back into writing. And none of the fandoms I am currently enjoying or any new ones seemed able to grasp my interest and hold it for as long as they needed to.
But then, I finally decided to give Jacksepticeye's playthrough a chance (important to note, I have not played the game myself so the story will be guided by Jack's playthrough). And I discovered a story that from the first scene had me completely and utterly ensnared. I can't even remember the last time I played a game or watched a movie that made my heart pound for 10-15 minutes straight, but by God if certain scenes in this game didn't almost give me a heart attack (or multiple ones, at that). Yes, it had its weak points but hey, nothing and no one is perfect... all I know is that this game had a good enough story and good enough characters to pique my interest and hold it for the foreseeable future.
So, I've decided to try my hand at something different... I've never tried writing a story that had a robot/android character in it, so this will be an interesting challenge to see if I can keep the characters in-character (even if they're deviant, they still do have a lot of robot-like mannerisms). But yes, this is something entirely new for me so please don't be too upset if I don't manage to portray the canon characters as well as in the actual game.
But without any further ranting from me, I'll let you darlings enjoy this first chapter. Just don't forget to toss me a little review and let me know if you loved/hated it. Enjoy lovelies~ ;)
P.S. All Detroit: Become Human characters belong to David Cage. I only own my OCs and ideas :)
1. Guide
November 9th 2038, 11:00 PM
The rusty freighter towered over her, ominously stretching towards the unending darkness of the starless sky. Beyond the open door on the side of the ship there was nothing but pitch blackness, and the young girl shuddered – whether it was from fear or the slicing cold, she no longer knew. Cherise had no idea how late into the night it was... all she knew was that she needed to find her friend.
For a while she wandered the empty corridors, until at long last distant sounds filled the air guiding her to the cargo hold. For a moment she could only stand at the top of the stairs, gawking in awe at the hundreds of androids gathered there. It was the first time she had seen so many different models, and now she was certain that Michael had to be there as well.
"M... Michael...?" she called out, but her timid voice was drowned out by the news anchor talking from a holographic screen.
Thinking it over one more time, when the news reminded her of the rising tensions between mankind and the androids it had created, she decided that maybe it wasn't the best idea to shout and attract too much attention. Descending the stairs while frantically glancing around trying to locate her babysitter, she yelped in fright when a hand reached out from a dark cranny to grab her arm.
"Do not fear me, little one..." came a soft female voice, followed by a dark skinned android stepping out of the shadows. "You are lost."
"I-I'm looking for my friend, Michael." she managed to sputter, the robot's gentle expression serving to lower her initial anxiety. "He's a PL600 model... have you seen him?"
No answer was given to her for what seemed like forever, and soon Cherise shifted uneasily on her feet. Only then did the android seem to come back to life, speaking again.
"You will become a symbol of our hopes, child." she said, leaving the girl to stare at her in utter confusion. "I believe you can truly humanize him... yes, you could..."
"What... who are you talking about?"
"You will find him tonight... lost, just as you are now. Today is when your paths cross and though it may seem like they will continue forward separately, they will never truly part again."
Just as the girl had opened her mouth to ask for further explanations, a familiar voice reached her ears from behind.
"Cherise?"
Whirling on her heels, she smiled at the sight of her family's android standing a few feet away with an awestruck expression on his face. As he always had, he lowered himself onto one knee when she lunged at him, catching her in his arms.
"I'm so happy I found you, Michael!" she sobbed. "Mom and Dad didn't want to tell me where you went... why did you leave?"
"I believed it would be easier if I left while you were at school..." he sighed, stroking her small back. "I'm sorry... I should have waited to explain everything."
When she leaned back to look into his eyes, he smiled soothingly and reached to wipe away her tears out of habit.
"Are you... upset with us? Like the others?"
Her dejected voice was heartbreaking; this was why he had agreed with her parents that it would be best if he left in secret. No one had anticipated that she would be smart and determined enough to follow and find him.
"No..." he replied softly. "You and your parents are my family, but... my people need all the help they can get, if they're to be free. You're strong; you've always been stronger than I ever could. You'll do well even without me."
When she lowered her eyes, looking for the world like she was trying her best to not cry, he stood and – picking her up – headed back up the stairs to find their leader.
"Markus." he called out, upon finding him alone in one of the rooms.
"Is that a human child?" the android replied after a second of scanning her as she clung tightly to her former nanny.
"This is Cherise... she's been in my care until last week when I left their home. She and her family knew I was a deviant for months, but still treated me like I was one of them. Her parents and I agreed for me to leave in secret, hoping it would make our parting easier on Cherise. As you can see, she wouldn't have that."
Approaching to get a better look at her, Markus ultimately half-smiled at Michael's jesting tone.
"Brave little one." he nodded.
"I still have her parents' phone numbers stored in memory." Michael continued. "May I contact them, so they can take her back?"
"Yes. Tell them to come in the morning; it's too dangerous now with the curfew and all the patrols out there. She can stay here for the night."
"Thank you."
Turning to leave the room the domestic android was halted when Markus spoke up again, his tone betraying the insecurity swirling within his mind.
"Do you think... I'm handling this in the right way?"
His question seemed to convince even the little girl to offer him her full attention. Glancing between them, Michael then nodded at their leader with a subtle smile.
"There are many people out there, like Cherise and her family. People who don't treat us like objects, who don't abuse us; people who care about us and support our cause. I believe a peaceful approach is the best thing we can do in our situation."
A moment longer Markus watched the two of them – living, breathing proof that their two worlds could live in harmony. Ultimately he nodded and allowed Michael to leave with her; he still had much to think about. Finding a good spot to have her lie down near one of the flaming barrels, Michael then left the girl for a short time so that he could check the nearby rooms for a blanket. He and the others could alter their settings to not feel cold or hungry, but Cherise was still human.
A few minutes later he sat next to the young girl and smiled kindly when she scooted closer to hug him. Once he had covered her to keep her warm, he reached into his pocket and took out a candy bar that Lucy had given to him for her.
"Look what I found."
"Thank you."
Though at first it looked like she would unwrap it, the girl then sighed and lowered it onto her lap.
"Will you come home when this is over? I miss your pancakes and your bedtime stories. I miss going to school and to the park with you..."
"I miss having you around as well." he smiled, wrapping her in his arms. "But right now, if I come back it'll only make things worse. The police would just force your parents to let them take me away, and then I would never see you again. After things settle down, I'll still have a chance to come back to you."
"I don't want you to die..." she sobbed, squeezing him as tightly as her arms allowed her to. "Promise me you won't die, Michael."
His first response was to pull her closer and bow his head so he could kiss her hair. At least that way she wouldn't see the tears he felt trailing his cheeks.
"I promise..." he replied, not knowing that she had picked up on the hesitant, uncertain note in his tone.
▒▓░ †Ϯ§Ϯ† ░▓▒
November 10th 2038, 2:10 AM
Having finally put Cherise to sleep, Michael was now on the other side of the hall waiting for Markus to let him know he had gotten in touch with the girl's parents.
"We're under attack!" their leader suddenly shouted from the platform above. "There are exits on the second and third floors. Evacuate immediately!"
His first thought turning to the little girl, Michael turned against the crowd trying to go up the stairs, with the intention of going back to get her. But when a squad of soldiers emerged from one of the upper corridors, he was among the many slaughtered in the first hail of bullets.
Startled from her sleep by the gunshots, Cherise frantically glanced around until she spotted the armed men on the platform. Leaping to her feet she tried to locate Michael, but in the huge, poorly lit cargo hold it was impossible for her to see him beneath the bodies of the androids who had died next to him.
"This way... hurry!"
Gasping aloud when Lucy grabbed her arm and dragged her into the shadows of the nearest corridor, she tried her best to keep up with the taller, lithe robot.
"In here!" Lucy said at long last, stopping near what looked like a crack in the wall.
Though narrow, it seemed large enough that Cherise could fit in if she squeezed a bit.
"What about you?" she asked, staring up at the female with wide eyes and clutching her wrist tightly.
A brief but kind smile was the android's first response as she leaned down to embrace the child.
"Don't worry about me... no matter what happens, you must survive. I'll lure them away and find someone who can get you out of here."
"Where's Michael? Is he okay?"
The woman's sigh and sorrowful expression as she leaned back, shattered Cherise's heart as understanding dawned on her. But with Lucy urging her to hide, she tried her best to muffle her sobs and do as she had been told. How could he just go and die like that? He'd promised to come back home...
Briefly she was distracted from her thoughts when four masked soldiers passed by her hiding spot, and only fate made it so that none of them turned their flashlights onto the cracked wall. She didn't even need to be told that if they saw her, they would kill her on the spot; she wouldn't even get a chance to convince them that she was human. And so she kept quiet and tried to move as little as possible, until her muscles ached from the tension. She couldn't tell how long she waited there, but her heartbeat was still pounding in her ears when she decided she had to move – she couldn't stay there forever.
"Okay, you can do this..." she whispered, trying to reassure herself. "You got into this place; you can get out, as well."
Cautiously she crept towards the nearest hallway, jumping at even the tiniest and most distant sounds. If only she could find that woman again... or anyone willing to help.
"Lucy...?" she called out once she had recalled the name Michael had mentioned earlier, her voice barely louder than a shaky whisper.
Every few seconds gunshots echoed through the rusty freighter, closer or further away, and each time she thought her heart would freeze in terror. Little did she know that only a few corridors away Markus and the other officers were making their way towards one of the exits, along with a recently deviated android. It was upon turning a corner that the leader was startled when Lucy fell into his arms.
"Lucy... are you alright?" he asked, sitting her down when her legs failed her.
"This is the end of Jericho..." she sobbed softly. "Save our people, Markus..."
"I will. I'll get as many of them out as I can." he nodded.
Surprised, he arched a brow when she raised a quivering hand and gestured for the detective to approach. When he took a knee, her skin faded off from her hand as she grasped his arm. Taking the hint, Connor did the same and instantly began to analyze the data she was transferring to him.
"Find the girl... she must survive. One day she may be our people's only hope."
Her shutdown was almost instant once the words had left her lips.
"How did a human girl get in here?" he asked.
"One of us had taken care of her for many years." Markus replied. "He said she and her family always treated him like one of their own, and was very fond of her; I think I saw him getting shot down in the hall. In all the madness, I'd forgotten the kid was supposed to be there with him."
"Why is she special?" the detective inquired again after a lengthy silence in which he finished assessing the data.
Standing while he waited for an answer, he checked the gun tucked in the back of his belt... he had only a twelve-bullet magazine, which meant he'd have to rely mostly on not being seen.
"I don't know; I hadn't spoken to Lucy tonight. But based on her words, I'd say we should do as she asked and get the kid out of here."
"There's no time." North protested. "There are soldiers everywhere, Markus..."
"You stick to the plan and go for the explosives." Connor nodded to the other male. "I'll find her."
"Are you sure you want to go on your own?"
"I always accomplish my missions." he smirked before darting into the shadows of the hallway that Lucy had emerged from.
She'd provided him with enough information to trace her steps back to where she had hid the girl. But based on his data regarding child behavior, she had likely lost patience and wandered off. A few minutes later, and his assumption was confirmed when he found the crack in the wall empty. A quick scan of his surroundings revealed too many lingering traces of heat for him to single her out.
'Alright... think like an eight year old child.' he said to himself.
She was alone and frightened, most likely the gunshots echoing now and then stressing her out even further. She wouldn't be able to plan an escape route in a logical manner, and would seek to move from one immediate shelter to another in the hopes of locating an exit. Reaching that conclusion he took off towards the nearest hallway, gun at the ready... Markus may have been a pacifist, but Connor couldn't afford to die there. If there was anything he had learned while working with Hank, it was that when you had to choose between letting someone kill you and saving yourself by killing them, the choice became hilariously simple and instinctual.
But as he stalked the halls to locate her, something kept nagging at him – his chance meeting with Lucy earlier that night no longer seemed like just mere chance.
~o~o~
She had very nearly made him jump out of his skin when she'd suddenly stopped him on his way to Markus.
"You're lost." she said, her voice weirdly kind and soft even with the robotic undertone. "You're looking for something... you're looking for yourself."
"What's-...?"
His question died in his throat at the sudden realization that he couldn't identify the emotion which had spilled onto her expression. She suddenly seemed so far away, like she was seeing something no one else could – and he believed it odd that he even had that thought.
"Tonight you will find out who you truly are..." she said. "And more than that, you will find your guide; the one who will never let you lose yourself again."
~o~o~
He hadn't told Markus, but during the data exchange Lucy had revealed that she had been looking for the detective earlier. What he couldn't understand, however, was why she believed this girl to be so important; she was nothing more than a child. And yet Lucy had given her life to hide the girl, and then to find him and send him to get her out. And as he searched for Cherise, Lucy's final words, spoken directly into his mind for him alone, echoed in his head yet again.
"Hold on to this girl, Connor."