Disclaimer: I don't own Detroit: Become Human in any way, this is written strictly for fun and no profit.

Markus' Home

Markus watched Ollie come in the backroom toward his work. "Hey, Ollie. Having fun today?"

"No." He crossed his arms. "Visited the mean girls with Momma and Connor. Back again."

"Yeah." He was hoping to hear something better than that. Then again, any day those double pairings didn't malfunction was another good day. Markus didn't let Ollie visit the girls without Connor's supervision. He tried to dismiss a lot of what Connor said, but there was no way he could dismiss his son's safety. While he was working on his work, he received a phone call. He answered it. "Hello?" Ah, it was Warren. "Madame President, how are you?" He continued into his painting. Then, he stopped. "What?"

North came into the room, seeing the expression on his face. "Markus?"

"But." Markus felt a little loss. "Okay. Yeah, dialogue about it would be best. I'll talk to him. In an hour. Okay."

"Markus?" North questioned again. "What's wrong?"

"Nerves," Markus answered. "I've talked to the Vice President a little, but not much. I am about to have a dialogue in an hour. I've got to gather some things."

"Why so nervous though?" North asked.

"Because Warren's support has been steadily slipping for a long time now. Politically, a lot of people want to impeach her, but she doesn't want to go down in history like that." He put his work down. "She wants to resign if it gets that far. If she does, I'll be talking to a whole new person. With a whole new set of views about androids."

"That. That doesn't sound good, Markus."

"No, it doesn't. We've just got to hope for the best." The androids had done a great job in New Detroit. They'd made great strides to do what they could for people there, while taking care of themselves. There had been a great mutual benefit. What would a new person want to bring into it?

Vice President Kel Rounds spoke to him politely on the phone but things were digressing quickly. "Vice President," Markus said, "we are here. Androids, over 400,000. We've been doing just fine here."

"If you didn't mean for the dirty bomb to go off, then you should realize that you wouldn't have gotten an entire city. Something will be done with the androids but Detroit belongs to its people."

How could Markus make it clearer? "Humans cannot be inside Detroit. The radiation levels are not good for them. We've worked on cleaning up what we could. We've worked with Warren on a value system, and a large number of people in Detroit have gotten a cut of work the androids here did for them." It worked itself out. Why was he stirring this up?

"Detroit is America's, not yours. Whether humans can walk into it and live safely or not."

"But?" Markus sighed exhaustively. "But what about the 400,000 or so androids that are here? We are alive. We are 'people' as well."

"You go where needed."

"Where needed." Deep breath, Markus. "Where exactly do you think we are needed? Hm? In the houses of humans, doing everything they tell us again? We're past that stage. Not only do we have American androids, you have androids from several countries. This solution has helped everyone."

"Well, maybe the American people don't really believe you are all telling the truth."

"We send personal updates about how it's all going, all the time," Markus said. "We aren't hiding anything."

"According to Madame President, you only have certain jobs filled. You have no police and no one watching the jails."

"They aren't necessary." There was Connor, and when an unfortunate android went deviant, there was no need for jail. He took care of them. "We are peaceful."

"I have several reports of before the conflict that proves otherwise. Even the android RK 800 sent in status reports. You can't tell me everything is peaceful and fine, when there was an android raising thousands of pigeons where he lived for example. An android trying to kill a little girl because he claimed he didn't love her? Just a sampling. Dangerous deviants have been a problem for some time. They didn't just rebalance themselves."

Oh no. This one was a smart one. He wasn't just a social media person who rose to the top like Warren. "Okay," he admitted. "There are relatively few compared to the number who live here. We do have the RK 800 who originally went after deviants, and he goes after the most dangerous ones decommissioning them."

"How dangerous is the area?"

"Most of the worst have been dealt with," Markus said honestly. "It does still happen though. As we live freely and get used to our lives, we get a balance into our lives that keeps us from going that way. The longer we live, the more likely we will have it stamped out for good."

"When would it be stamped out for good?"

Was he finally making some progress? "All androids will be in peace and balance by the time the radiation is safe for people again." Okay, he could feel some progress. "If you think taking over Detroit is a good idea, you are looking at some bad consequences. Other countries have felt relief putting all their androids here. We've been nothing but helpful, and the dirty bomb attacks in other countries involving androids have decreased significantly. New Detroit is the answer to that." Please.

"Well. I won't be swooping into clean up the mess right away," he admitted. "There are many other things besides androids in a radiated city. But, you shouldn't get too comfortable. One day you'll have to leave New Detroit. If not by me, then the next one."

Got him. Markus spotted it. The Vice President didn't want to rock the boat either, he just wanted to put some scare into Markus. Show that he would be the one in charge, and to make sure everything was fine and the androids weren't planning secret attacks. "I understand that, Vice President. You just need to let me know what it is you want to see in our updates. We can show you anywhere you'd like."

"Yeah, I've seen what you showed President Warren," he said. "I'm not satisfied. I want daily updates about all sides. Construction and deconstruction. Androids who are handling higher positions of power. I want to see the money distribution. I want to see what's going on with androids of lesser wealth, and something different than the usual mother/daughter pairing sharing the news. I know those androids, I used to have one. They speak with the exact same faux voice. I don't trust them."

Oh great. "Well. Children are rare in New Detroit." Markus really didn't want to put Ollie or North on the camera. Ollie fussed a lot and North hated humans. He needed the sweet and the simple Kara and Alice, but they weren't ready for it yet. "I could give the reports myself."

"Don't you have any more children androids?" Vice President Rounds asked Markus. "I'm interested in seeing how a free child acts."

Like a peppy jumping bean. "There isn't much different between child androids and regular children," Markus said. "Meaning, they aren't exactly right for the camera."

The Vice President chuckled. "Now that sounds more real. How old is he?"

He was cunning. Warren hadn't even guessed about Ollie. "He acts about eight or nine."

"I want to talk more about these unbalances. How does it happen?"

"I'm not the expert," Markus said.

"I want to talk to the expert. The RK 800. Connor, correct? I want to set up a phone call with him."

"Yes, Vice President." Great. Was this good or bad news? Warren only wanted to hear about how peaceful it was, and she got excited or upset if anything showed up that looked bad. Rounds seemed to know the truth behind the facade. That there was no such thing as a perfect utopia.

"I want to know more about this imbalance, how to correct it, and I want to hear about what's being done about it. Anything we need to do to get something rebalanced too. I also want anything coming about the dangerous deviants in the daily updates too. The sooner we get these things in control in that massive society, the easier it will be to create an equal distribution."

Not again. "We aren't a distributive thing anymore," Markus said.

"Yes, you are. Just like humans. You'll never get recognized for your rights if you stay huddled in some radiation area."

Wait. "Are you saying, you want to give androids equal rights? Across America?"

"No, I don't have control of that, and it's too dangerous. Speaking about that is something for the distant future. But, it should be encouraged to work toward that goal one day. Finding out where you fit in society itself. One day New Detroit will be safer to come in and there's no telling what's going to happen. You shouldn't secure a city."

We should be securing our rights. Markus smiled. He liked the Vice President after all, to a point. He knew the world wasn't going to be perfect, but would Connor give him what he wanted to hear? Or too much? "We'll all work toward a better future."

He hung up. For now. There would be no more hiding the deviants of Detroit.

"Markus, I just got a report," North said coming near him. "The coupled pairings. They're gone."

Gone? "All of them?"

"All but Kara and Alice, and me and Ollie," North said. "All of the android children and their mothers of New Detroit are now gone."

Gone?

"It's so nice to go home again," Sharon said. She would miss her Joshy Josh Wednesday's but she would find someone better. She stared out the window as they all left Detroit. Their escorts were a little odd, covered in white but, they were still incredibly wonderful. She looked toward Sharon 2 beside her. "Aren't you happy to be going home? We'll be curling up on much better grass, kept by much better people."

It would be wonderful.

Hours Later

It wasn't wonderful. "Um? Hello? Sirs?" Sharon cleared her throat. Okay. She wanted her Joshy Josh now. "Hello? I don't understand what is going on? What are- what are you doing? Hello?"

"This one is next." A human came toward her opening up the lovely back of the van her and her friends were inside. "I think there are two in here." He smiled toward her.

Oh good, there we go. A smiling human. "Hello."

"Come on out, don't be shy now." His hands seemed a little unwashed, but no mind about that. He was most certainly a wonderful person. All the humans had been. "There you go. Up there some more."

Sharon held her daughter's hand as they both went up a strange stage. Well, it seemed like it was some kind of hinky stage of old wood, but it was merely for appearance probably. Thematic. Humans were imaginative creatures. Sharon looked out to a small crowd of androids and humans. Both. She waved at them. "Hello?"

"Coupled Pairing. The name is Sharon and Sharon 2," the human said next to her.

Sharon watched as some of the humans started to shout out numbers. What was that about? She didn't understand what that was about. Then, "ooh!" She looked behind her. Someone had been a frisky little human. "Now, now. Don't mess with my back."

"Don't worry. Everything's okay. Just double checking something." The human went back to the stage. "It was . . . a model 64. "

"Model 64 is a great gear!" One of the crowd members said.

Sharon just pulled out her fan and tried to remain calm. Humans were using her for something, but they knew what they were doing. They always had. Even before the war. They were brilliant and wonderful, saving them. Wonderful. Simply wonderful. The android coming up toward her though?

He wasn't wonderful. He was definitely a lower android. Sharon rolled her eyes. Who was this android? "May I help you?"

"You are mine now. I'm called Randy," he said holding out his hand. "You are going to come home with me. You can help with work."

She laughed. Her, work? "Uh. No. I don't do that." She felt the human go in the back of her again. It's just a human. Humans are wonderful. He's not doing anything. Not doing anything. She looked down at Sharon 2. She looked back toward the lower android.

Oh. Oh, she judged wrong. Clearly this android was wonderful. As wonderful as a human. She held her hand out for him to kiss. Yes. This one was a superior android. "Enchanted, Sir. I am Sharon and the one beside me is Sharon 2."

"That's a dead giveaway," he said to her, "You can be Sharon, but she'll need to have a different name. We're going to be a family." He hugged her. "I never thought I'd get family." He looked back toward another human. "Thank you, Sir."

"Just. Just don't leave," the human said softly. "Just don't leave. You've got family. The towns treated you well. Just don't leave. The town needs you. Desperately, Randy."

"Of course, Ted." Randy looked back toward Sharon. "Friends. Work. Freedom. And now, family." He hugged Sharon again. "I couldn't be happier. I'll stay. I'll never leave to New Detroit."

Family? He was a charming android but what was he saying? "Hello, Randy? What do you mean by family?"

"You are mine now. You are going to live in a small town in Texas with me," he said to her. "You've love it. Fresh air. It's so much better than the city. We even have our own little house in the town. It's freedom." He touched her hair lightly. "It's everything you could ever want. I was just missing someone special, and no new androids are ever made anymore. I was so lonely. Now, I have you." He hugged her once again, and held Sharon 2's hand. "Two more of you will be coming too, with my friends. You'll have company in town, don't worry."

"A house in Texas?" That sounded nice. Right? Right. Of course it was right. "A small town in a house in Texas. Lovely." And yet. She didn't like it. But, she did like it. "What do we do?"

"Oh. Before the whole android dilemma the town was already becoming a ghost town. I was bought and sold with a few others to handle important jobs the humans needed done. No one was around to do them. After the whole freeing of Markus though, Detroit was over-packed. It takes months to get in. The town, instead they got me my own house. My own money. They can't afford to lose me. Without me and the other two, the town wouldn't even be able to function that well." He held his hand to his chest. "I run the school. Just me, no one else. But, it was lonely. Being alive was so lonely. Thanks to an insider tip though, I have what soooo many others only dream of now." He looked down toward Sharon 2. "A little girl." He looked back at her. "And a woman."

Uh? "Uhh . . ." That did not sound like a charming life at all. "Well? What's the grass like? We love being outside."

"Oh. Not much, it's just a small house. There's a small yard but there's not much to it. You don't need to worry though, it's great. I lived there all my life. My machine life, and now." He held her hand. "We need to get going. Ted said we need to hurry."

"Hurry? To Texas? Tiny house? Small town?" She asked. It felt wrong. It felt bad. No, it felt fine. He was a fine android. "I want this? I want this. I want this?"

"Don't worry. All of the residents will come out and see you when we arrive home."

"All the residents can fit outside? How big is our charming Texas house town?" Sharon watched him.

"You'll meet everyone when we arrive. They'll all shake your hand. There's no strangers there, you'll meet everyone personally by the end of the day."

"Oh. So. A thousand wonderful and lovely people?" Sharon squeaked. Randy just laughed, like she told a really funny joke.

"No. Nowhere near that big, Sharon," he said. "Or they wouldn't need us so desperately. The local grocer just closed down two months ago. It's all falling. It's going to be a ghost town soon, without residents that can't live without food. But, that's just it. We're the beginning." He held her hand and led her toward a car. He waved toward the human Ted and then placed her in the other side of the car. He placed Sharon 2 in the back. "The more androids that come to town, the more business it will get. And unlike New Detroit, we can work on attracting grocery outlets and getting humans back to our little town. An android and human town that respects one another. We need each other to survive."

Sharon gestured out the window as she saw Rachelle and Rachelle 2. "What about Rachelle and Rachelle 2? Are they coming with us too to the lovely wonderful charming wonderful lovely little dinky charming wonderful horrible town with the . . . house?" She watched as Rachelle and Rachelle 2 were split away from each other. "Um? Randy, darling? Hello? What is happening to my friend and her daughter? Randy? Hello?"

"I don't know," Randy said as he started the car. "The town pulled together and bought you two for me. I know your fates. I don't know the other fates." He smiled at her. "This obviously wasn't exactly a legal thing, but I can't blame the town. Sometimes you have to break the law to get what you need. The leader of the androids Markus taught us all that. So, everything will be okay. You'll see. Let's go home."

"Yes. Home. To the dinky charming, lovely horrible wonderful school needing tiny lovely wonderful lovely darling horrible little town in Texas. Where I will be happy? Where I will be happy. Where I will be happy."

"Momma?" Sharon 2 spoke up from the back. "I'm not happy."

"We are happy," Sharon said back to her. "If you want to stay with momma, then you must be happy too. We'll live a wonderful charmed life."

Sharon 2 curled up in the back seat.

"Charming. Lovely. Darling. Horrible. Wonderful. Life."

"We'll fix your voice problem too," Randy said. "You repeat the same words a lot. Getting a little mixed up, but we'll get that fixed. Then you'll feel much better. Home sweet home, Sharon. Let's go."