Hank hadn't even opened a beer yet, he only just got home and was pouring food out for Sumo when he heard a knock at his door.
Sumo's bark thundered through the small house as he stared intensely at the door, but his stomach won out as he instead turned down to his food dish and gobbled down his dinner. Hank strode over to his front door and wasn't surprised as to who he saw.
"Well thanks for not breaking into my house this time," he said, leaning tiredly against the door.
Connor seemed to ignore his comment and didn't respond. He merely nodded and walked past Hank into his house, ignoring his protests.
"Oh c'mon, Connor! Invite yourself in why don't you? What are you even here for?"
"Sorry lieutenant, I need your help with something," Connor said back, standing aside as he watched Hank take a seat at his dining table.
Hank heard Sumo softly growl, until he perked up in recognition and trotted over to Connor to receive a scratch on the head. Connor didn't reach down like usual, and instead ignored the dog and kept his focus on Hank.
It was out of place for Connor, but there were other things too. He was acting weird, weirder than he had at any other time. His posture looked stiffer, if that was even possible, and he lacked any of the more human qualities Hank started to notice develop after they had worked together for awhile. Little habits like fiddling his hands or looking around the room. Not to mention his LED kept flickering to yellow.
"What's that?" Hank answered.
"There's been another incident, another deviant. We've been requested to be put on the scene immediately. Another homicide has occured, but there have been no reports of anyone leaving the scene yet. If we're fast enough, we might be able to catch the deviant responsible," Connor said, and Hank cursed, wishing he had been able to open a beer before Connor showed up.
"Hurry lieutenant, we must make haste," Connor headed quickly for the door and held it open for Hank, motioning towards his car.
"Alright, alright, I'm coming," Hank grabbed his coat from where he had slung it across the couch and paused at the door.
"Are you ok, Connor? You seem a bit off," He asked. Connor met his gaze and answered back simply.
"Never better."
.
Connor had insisted on driving, he was so persistent that Hank eventually gave up and settled into the passenger seat, watching the road ahead.
"We'll be there soon, lieutenant," Connor said, turning the car as he did.
That was another thing that was bothering Hank.
"I told you to call me Hank."
Connor didn't say anything after that.
.
"Jesus Christ, you didn't tell me it happened at the goddamn main center for androids," Hank said, looking up at the tall tower. He exited the car first, replaying a scene in the car earlier, when they had to get past a well guarded checkpoint on the road. Connor had told him to stay quiet, and told the guards that he was expected to be there. What the hell was up with him?
The sound of a gun clicking behind him made Hank freeze, and he turned quickly to see Connor pointing a gun at him.
"Connor what the hell are you doing?" He shouted.
"Sorry lieutenant, I'm not actually Connor. I'm another RK800, an android meant to stop Connor from completing his mission, and I needed your presence to achieve that," he said back.
"What the fuck do you mean by that?" Hank asked back, reaching for his own gun only to realize he hadn't brought it. Shit. Shit. Goddamn him. He had been rushed out so quickly he hadn't even thought about it, especially after Connor said that he would be the one driving. Bastard had distracted him.
"We don't have the time to discuss this right now, lieutenant. Don't try anything, just do as I say," Connor stepped closer to Hank and motioned his gun.
"Start moving."
.
They entered through a back entrance, Connor's- no, RK800's hand unlocking every security door they reached. Eventually they made it to a large elevator and went down. After reaching the bottom, they waited in a large room with a sea of androids that were stood still like army soldiers. Hank glared daggers at his partner's clone, waiting for an opportunity to catch hin off guard. RK800 kept a close eye on him though, and Hank knew in the back of his mind that if he were to try to disarm the android, it would easily overpower him, and likely get shot.
RK800 seemed positive that Connor was going to show up, but minutes passed and each second stretched as Hank anxiously watched the surrounding elevators, wondering if Connor was even going to come. What would he come here for anyways?
An estimated 20 minutes passed when one of the elevators started moving, revealing a single figure as it came closer to the floor. RK800 finally shifted from his position and motioned Hank to move into the rows of andrioids, towards the middle row where Connor would get out.
Hank could see through the crowd as Connor stepped out, looked around and didn't notice the danger, caught up in whatever he was doing.
For the first time that night, Hank felt worried.
He had been mostly pissed off and numb while he was being pushed around by the Connor fake, but the fake's words returned to his mind he walked closer to Connor.
"I'm RK800, an android meant to stop Connor from completing his mission."
This android was going to kill Connor.
Hank's palms grew sweaty as he slowed his pace slightly, not wanting to keep moving forward. He was pushed out of the crowds by his captor, clearly startling Connor, who had his hand wrapped around one of the android's arms.
"Hank?" Connor asked aloud. Then he saw the gun emerge from the crowd and a copy of himself stare right back at him.
"Sorry Connor, the son of a bitch looks just like you," Hank offered in response to the situation.
"Hello, Connor. I must ask that you refrain from meddling any longer, and step away, or else this human will die," RK800 demanded, leveling the gun at Hank's head.
"What's more important, Connor? Your partner's life, or the revolution?"
Connor was speachless for a moment before he spoke up.
"How do I know you won't kill him after I step away?" Connor asked.
"I'll only do what is strictly needed to complete my mission. It's your choice whether that includs killing this human," he responded.
Connor looked to Hank next, a softer expression taking over. "I'm sorry Hank, you shouldn't have gotten mixed up in all this!"
A lump formed in Hank's throat, but he managed to respond.
"Forget about me, do what you have to do!"
"Enough! Make your choice Connor! Will you save him-" The end of the gun was pressed right up against Hank's head now, "or sacrifice him?"
Connor was torn, and he was terrible at hiding how he was feeling. He was panicking, something Hank hadn't seen in the android yet, but was very clear in the moment.
"Alright!" Connor let go of the android's arm and raised his hands in surrender, backing away from the line of robots.
Hank had his gaze fixed to Connor, but saw RK800's hand shift to point the gun at Connor in the corner of his eye.
It was a terribly dumb thing to do, but Hank launched himself at RK800 and tried to take the gun.
He was thrown back easily onto the floor, but it gave Connor just enough time to pull his own gun, and several shots went off as bullets pierced both androids. Connor tore towards his imposter and the two locked in hand to hand combat.
The guns clattered to the floor, one landing a few meters away from Hank. He got up to his feet and rushed towards it, checking to make sure it was loaded before he turned back.
"Hold it!" He yelled.
The Connors immediately split their fight when they saw the gun, and one said, "Nice job Hank, I couldn't have done it without you. Hurry up and shoot him."
The other hurried to its feet and said, "Wait, I'm the real Connor!"
Hank looked between the two, muttering, "One of you is my partner, the other is a sack of shit."
"It's me Hank, I'm real Connor."
"What are you waiting for? Hurry up and shoot him!"
"Shut up!" Hank yelled, glancing back and forth between them as if the answer would automatically reveal itself to him.
"Why don't you ask us a question. Something only the real Connor would know?" One said.
"Alright, uh, where'd we first meet?" He started.
The other Connor spoke up first, answering with, "Jimmy's Bar. It was the fifth bar I checked that night. We were working on a homicide case. The victim's name was Carlos Ortiz."
Hank pointed the gun at the other Connor, and saw him mouth something under his breath.
"What's my dog's name?"
"Sumo. His name is Sumo," he said back.
The other Connor spoke up with a tone of desperation in his voice. "I knew that too! I would have said the exact same thing!"
Hank looked Connor in the eyes and asked, "What's my son's name?"
Connor's shoulders moved ever so slightly as he answered.
"Cole."
Hank knew for sure who it was now, but the fake was already ahead of him.
The real Connor tried to give more details about Cole, but was interrupted as he watched the fake Connor bolt towards Hank and knock the gun out of his hands, taking a bullet in the shoulder that Hank had shot. Hank was knocked to the ground, and felt firm hands grab hold of his neck.
Immense pressure cut off his air supply. He couldn't breathe, it felt like his neck would snap from the force at any second.
"Hank!" He heard Connor call out in the background. RK800 started to say something to Connor, but a bullet pierced his head before he could get a word out.
Connor had reached the other gun in time and fired the last bullet into RK800's head.
Blue blood spilled onto the ground and on Hank's face as the pressure on his throat decreased and he threw off the limp body of his assailant.
"Hank? Hank are you alright?" Connor was on his knees, helping Hank up.
Bruises were already visible on his neck, deep red hand prints that stung and pulsed with pain.
Hank took a moment to catch his breath before nodding.
"I'm sorry Hank. I had no idea. I should have known-" Hank waved off Connor's worry and accepted the help back onto his feet, wiping the blood from his face.
"Listen, you got more important things to do, son," he gestured to the legion of androids surrounding them.
"I learned a lot of things since I met you, Connor. Maybe all this talk of revolution isn't as controversial as it should be. Hell, what do I know," he let out a chuckle, his voice raw and sorrowful, but warm. "I'm just a drunk anyhow. Couldn't even tell you apart from that asshole."
Connor glanced at his copycat for a brief moment and let himself smile.
"It was an android, Hank. I won't hold that against you. It nearly got both of us, I'm just glad you were here to help," Connor looked back at the rows of androids. "Now let's end a revolution."