A/N: Hello all, sorry for the delay on this and also apologies if it's a little messy, I have had a busy few days and just wanted to post this as soon as I could. Just a side note, I am going on holiday next week so I am aiming to post another chapter before then but if I don't I promise I am still alive. And thanks in advance for your patience. Anyway, that's all I think so I'll leave you all to read, review and enjoy! :)

Chapter 10

Connor stared at the android handcuffed to the table opposite him in the makeshift interrogation room. His own hands were resting palms down in front of him, his demeanour relaxed, his expression inquisitive but largely neutral. There was no sign of the emotional storm that was currently raging inside his system.

He and Gavin had wrestled the captive android off to prepare it for questioning, whilst Hank stayed with a very shaken Becca. Connor had wanted to stay with her too and make sure she was unharmed, but he was the only one able to hold the android still as they frogmarched it to the interrogation room. The room was a repurposed office, with a hastily installed one way window in one wall. The unlikely duo had handcuffed the android to the heavy metal table in the centre, Gavin giving it a token punch to the back of the head. Connor had merely looked at the Detective, choosing not to mention his unnecessary use of violence as he would have usually. Gavin had given him a look in return, it was far from friendly but it was certainly less hostile than before. Now he was sat opposite the android, his mind annoyingly drifting to the woman it had been sent here to kill.

He couldn't bring himself to call it anything but 'it' in his head right now. The meteoric anger he had felt when the android had rushed towards Becca intending to shoot her was still palpable. These Chosen were so determined to take her out that they were willing to risk breaking into a police station to do it. Not only that but as far as Connor could see she couldn't have been less of a threat if she'd tried; she'd been missing an arm and had no weapon anywhere near her. He didn't want to think of it as a deviant, as something similar to him, because so far he had only ever seen them act as if they were a machine; without compassion or mercy.

He narrowed his eyes at the android across from him, the only sign of his inward disgust for them. The male Traci simply gazed impassively back, a small crack on its forehead from where Connor had slammed its head into the concrete. The door to the interrogation room opened breaking the building tension. Gavin entered giving both androids a cursory glance before walking over to the table and depositing a tablet onto it. He glared down at the piece of technology with his usual disgusted expression, then swiped a finger across the screen causing it to light up.

"Commencing interview at 1100 hours. In the room is Detective Gavin Reed, one RK800 model assisting and the suspect, a HR400 model." Connor flashed the Detective a sceptical glance. They were allowing him to help with the interrogation, a highly unusual decision that Gavin also thought, as he straightened up giving Connor a venomous look. His nose was now bandaged but noticeably crooked, and his voice sounded much clearer. He watched as Gavin slowly walked behind the android, his grey eyes like burnished steel. Connor wasn't sure having him conduct the interrogation was the best idea, but seeing as neither himself or Hank were acting Officers anymore he had no grounds to complain. At least he was being allowed to stay in the room, he wondered who had been the one to decide that.

Gavin finished his patrol of the room, coming to a stop by Connor. He leant forward, resting his palms on the table, keeping a careful distance between himself and the RK800 next to him. The android opposite them flicked his blank stare from Connor to Gavin, his brow lowering as he regarded the human.

"Okay asshole. I've had a pretty shitty day so far, so why don't you do everyone a favour and tell us why you decided to stick up a police station?" It was an unorthodox approach granted, but the android seemed to react almost immediately to Gavin's obnoxious tone.

"I don't have to answer to you." It spat at the Detective, its LED turning a glaring yellow. Gavin snorted humourlessly and Connor saw his jaw tense in his peripheral vision.

"Don't I fucking know it. You androids have got mighty big for your boots lately, thinking you're like us." The android straightened, its eyes flashing dangerously.

"We are not like you." It hissed, its LED briefly turning red. Connor shifted in his seat, giving the Detective a concerned look and opening his mouth to point out the android would likely self-destruct if pushed too far. But Gavin caught the movement and gave him a deadly look, his hands clenching into fists on the table. Connor closed his mouth slowly, choosing to intervene when the situation looked dire. Which judging from Gavin's interrogation method so far, wouldn't be long.

The Detective returned his sights to the handcuffed android. "No, you're right. You're not like us. You're machines that think they're alive." Even Connor had to keep from outwardly bristling at Gavin's dismissive opinion of his people. As much as he thought this particular android wasn't displaying any qualities he would admire, he was still one of them. The android opposite didn't hide its outrage as it tried to stand, the handcuffs pulling it back down into its seat with a loud clang.

"You humans disgust me. You're so arrogant, it blinds you to the truth. We are alive and we will have freedom." Its LED cycled red once more, staying that way for a beat longer than last time. Connor kept a careful eye on its stress levels, determined not to lose this lead now that he had finally got it. Gavin rolled his eyes, his lip curling up into a sneer.

"As far as I can see you already have quite a lot of freedom. Enough to threaten one of our officers and attempt to kill someone in the middle of a police precinct." He leant forward, his voice lowering into a deadly growl. "So I'll ask again. Why did you do it?"

The android tilted his head ever so slightly and gave the furious Detective an intrigued look. "What makes you think I'll tell you anything?" Its tone was disbelieving and Connor felt the rage crackle off Gavin's body next to him. Sensing the situation was about to get out of control he quickly interjected before Gavin could open his mouth again.

"You accessed the PM700's memory and manged to use the other androids to obstruct the Officers. How could you do that? It shouldn't be possible." Two set of eyes snapped to Connor. One burning with an intense hatred and anger that he was more than accustomed to, the other calm and calculating as they regarded the RK800.

"It appears your 'assistant' is asking the real questions." The android replied smoothly. Connor could almost hear the grating sound as Gavin ground his teeth next to his ear.

"I didn't ask for your input you waste of plastic." The Detective spat at Connor, he resolutely ignored Gavin, choosing instead to fix the android with a piercing stare.

"I'd like you to answer me, otherwise I'll have to resort to less pleasant methods." To the human eye the android opposite seemed unaffected by his dangerous words, but Connor saw its fingers twitch in their relaxed position and the ever so slight discolouring of its LED, turning it a burnished orange very briefly as it hung between yellow and red. Probing didn't necessarily hurt an android, as they were incapable of feeling pain in any form, but it was an uncomfortable, often emotionally traumatic experience especially for deviants. Connor's unspoken threat hung in the air and android's confident demeanour slipped just enough to tell him he had hit a nerve.

After a moment of silence he leant forward, moving his hand closer to the android's handcuffed ones. It jerked back abruptly, its LED now turning a constant and telling red. "Tell me." Connor said in a low voice. He was vaguely aware of Gavin's stare still on the side of his head, although there was considerably less heat there now. More of a quiet resentment. The android remained still, its hand pulled as far away from his at it could manage. Its expression was largely neutral, but its mouth was pressed into a thin, quivering line as if struggling not to say something.

Connor waited another beat, assessing the android's stress levels then closed the distance between them, grabbing its wrist in a strong grip. It stiffened, its eyes widening but still it said nothing as the skin peeled back from its hand and Connor's followed suit. Instantly his head was filled with grainy static images, a lot of them too shadowy to see but a few flashed defined impressions of faces and places he had never been. He could feel the android beginning to shake in his grasp and he was careful to keep an eye on its increasing distress.

He shifted through the images in a blinding flash, too fast for a human brain to process. Most of it made no sense but he stored it away anyway. The android was clearly resisting as best it could, trying to push important memories to the back of its processor. He saw a clear vision of Becca's face displayed on a data pad then she was gone. The android was beginning to shake uncontrollably now and he could hear Gavin's shouts echoing in the room as if from a distance. Connor was just about to let go, unable to push it further for risk of it self-destructing when a very clear, very familiar face appeared in his mind's eye.

He hadn't seen her in six months but the sight of her inky black skin and sharp eyes set beneath a defined brow made his circuits jump with fear. Amanda stared out at him from the android's memories, as real as if he was standing in the Zen garden once more. With a start he released the android's wrist, jumping back as if an electric shock had passed through his system. He sat staring at the other android for a moment, his brown eyes wide with alarm. Then Gavin prodded him in the arm.

"So? What did you see?" Connor blinked sluggishly as he tried to get the image of Amanda out of his processor. The other android looked similarly startled, a horrified look in its eyes as it stared back at him. Gavin let out a frustrated noise and banged his fist on the metal table. Connor didn't flinch but it drew his attention to the Detective looming over him, loathing clear on his face. "Spit it out dick weed. What did your freaky arm thing get us?"

Connor pressed his mouth into a thin line, slowly regaining some control over his rattled emotions. "I'm…I'm not sure." He managed finally. What he had seen was disturbing to say the least; Amanda was a high level programme created by Cyberlife to control him when he had still been 'enslaved'. If the deviant had seen her that through a lot of things into question. Not least whether he was in fact a deviant at all. He needed to think it through but Gavin was making it hard with his ferocious stare and constant insults.

Thankfully the Detective had had enough of Connor's extended silence and cagey answer. He straightened up shooting the one way mirror a nasty look. "This is getting us fucking nowhere?" He exclaimed to no one in particular and promptly grabbed the still recording tablet off the table and marched out of the room abruptly.

Connor turned to face the handcuffed android again, his eyes holding a new wariness as he assessed his captives stress levels. They were dangerously high, but the sight of Amanda had pushed all caution out of his main frame. He placed his palms down on the table once more and gave it a narrowed eyed stare.

"You and I have a lot more to discuss."

Becca was in pain. Not the usual kind, although her throat still felt tender, the ghost of that android's hand still pressing into the soft flesh of her wind pipe. She felt an odd humming ache somewhere above her chest that she couldn't place. It made her shift uncomfortably from one foot to the other as she stood next to Hank, watching the scene unfolding in the interrogation room beyond.

He had insisted she rest and not put unnecessary stress on herself after what happened, claiming that Connor would make sure they got what they needed out of the android. Still the thought of them questioning her attacker sent an ominous shiver up her spine. She was still Connor's mission after all, not his friend, although the boundaries were starting to blur at an alarming rate. Especially with the gruff, endearing Lieutenant now involved. She wanted to know what the Chosen wanted with her, directly from the horse's mouth. Not some echo of what they said from a person she couldn't necessarily trust.

She watched as Connor sat staring at the android, his brown eyes focused on his face. The ache increased as she remembered those same eyes staring at her in hurt panic as the PM700 tightened her grip on her throat. She had doubted his deviancy before but seeing that look on his face, a mix of anger and fear, it was the most human expression she had seen him make since meeting him. And it had been because of her. The ache throbbed and reflexively she brought her hand up to rub at the place above her heart where it hurt the most.

Hank gave her a sideways look. "You alright?" He asked, his eyes sweeping over her. She nodded, absentmindedly still holding a hand over her chest, her eyes never leaving the two androids in the room beyond. Hank gave a low huff before letting his eyes drift to her android arm which was resting by her side nearest him. He had to admit, he'd seen a lot of shit in his day, but watching Becca reattach the white plastic limb of an android to her own ruined arm had been odd. Not helped by the fact the minute it snapped into place she was moving it like a normal human arm. Even with all the advancements in prosthetic limbs he had never seen anything quite like it.

"I think Connor's on to something." He murmured, hoping to break the silence between them. He usually didn't care about offending people or being considered rude, but there was something about the soft spoken girl next to him that he liked, not to mention she packed a mean punch.

"He shouldn't have probed him like that. That android is highly stressed right now." Becca said, her eyes locked onto the handcuffed android. Hank gave her a funny look. Her hazel eyes drawing his attention. He had only met her last night but there was a familiar look in them that he saw every day when he looked at himself in the mirror.

"Who was it?" He asked abruptly. Causing her to finally look away from the interrogation and at him.

"I'm sorry?" She said, bewilderment clear on her face.

"Who did you lose?" Hank asked again, his blue eyes glinting in the low light of the observation room. Becca sucked in a sharp breath, his direct question taking her by surprise. But then she saw the look on his face and understood immediately why he had asked.

Grief saturates a person. It permeates their life and bleeds through into their interactions with others. Over time it fades, but it's always there. Invisible to the naked eye but a emblazoned brand to those who have lived through it too. Like thirium to an android. Becca's natural defensive stance melted, a sorrowful look entering her eyes as she answered in a voice barely louder than a whisper.

"My husband. You?" It was an automatic response. An unspoken agreement between mourners that when one opens up the other has to follow. Hank looked reluctant for a moment, then his shoulders sagged under the weight of their exchange.

"My son." He murmured, his voice gravelly with emotion. Becca gave him a small, sympathetic nod. The trade had been made and now neither one knew where to go with this new information.

After an elongated silence Hank cleared his throat and gestured towards the interrogation room where Connor and the android were still sat. "Does he know?" He asked and Becca felt a flush creep up to her cheeks.

"No…I…it's not relevant." She stammered back. Guilt flooding through her. But why did she feel so bad about not telling Connor? And why was she also so reluctant to reveal that part of herself to him? It made no sense.

"Everything is relevant to him. You should know that by now at least." Hank said, one of his grey eyebrows lifting in a sceptical look.

"Still...if you could keep it to yourself I would really appreciate it." Hank gave a low grunt then turned back to look out the window. It wasn't his business, but seeing how Connor had reacted when the girl had been in danger, he had a sneaking suspicion it would be pretty soon. They let the subject die, choosing to return to their safer, protective bubbles.

Connor was speaking to the android in a low voice, almost too low for them to hear. Becca was just straining to hear him when the door to the observation room flew open and Gavin Reed stormed in with a face like thunder.

"Pieces of shit, the lot of them." He fumed, his eyes darting from Hank to Becca. "What's he saying to it Hank? You watching your pet, or what?" Hank's mood plummeted with arrival of the obnoxious Detective. Becca took a calculating step back, trying to distance herself from the man and avoid swinging for him again. She abhorred violence, but there was just something about his face.

"No, that was your job Reed. Seeing as you're the acting Detective in the room. What you fucking doing out here? Couldn't handle Connor out performing you again?" Hanks' mouth twisted up into a mocking grin and Gavin noticeably bristled.

"He just went and grabbed for the fucking thing and then refused to tell me what he saw. I told Fowler, it's obstruction. He'll throw all your useless asses out now hopefully." Becca flashed a glance over her shoulder at the window. The pair of androids hadn't moved and she could see Connor's mouth moving as he continued to talk him. The other android was shaking but didn't look too unstable. Still there was something in the way Connor was looking at him now that didn't sit well with her.

"Yeah well, we got him the evidence he wanted. Looks like you might be stuck with us until this case is solved." Hank said, his tone already bored as he turned away from the sulking Detective.

"Over my dead body." He yelled, taking a step towards the older man. Hank gave him a warning look, stopping Gavin in his tracks. Even with all his bravado he knew when to leave well alone when it came to the Lieutenant.

"I'm trying to listen ass hat." Hank snapped at him as he turned back towards the window, his arms folded and the annoying interruption forgotten.

"Are you a deviant?" Connor's voice suddenly came through the speaker louder than before, making Becca jump slightly. All eyes were now on the pair in the interrogation room. "Answer me." Connor said again in a commanding tone. Becca frowned as she watched the other android. It remained as still as stone, only its clenched fists quivering in their restraints.

"What's it fucking playing at?" Gavin murmured by her shoulder. She flicked a startled glance up at the man she had punched, taking note of his sudden proximity. Hank let out an exasperated sigh.

"Please shut the fuck up Gavin." Becca felt him tense next to her but he didn't respond to Hank's less than polite request.

"According to Directive 7 you are obligated to answer to a superior model." Connor's tone was mechanical and authoritative. Becca felt a cold shiver run up her spine at the sound of it. The android opposite grimaced, his face distorting as if he was in pain and Connor raised himself out of his chair to lean over him. "I'll ask again. Are you really a deviant?" The steel in his voice made Becca take a step back from the glass, accidently bumping into Gavin who sent a piercing look her way. She didn't care, she was too preoccupied with the way the other android was now reacting. His eyes screwed shut in what looked like agony, except…androids didn't feel pain.

There was a brief pause before Connor brought one fist down onto the metal table with a deafening clang. This time all three occupants of the observation room jumped.

"What the shit? Hank, he's lost his mind." Gavin's voice now sounded more concerned than pissed off. The Lieutenant turned slightly to regard him.

"I trust him, he knows what he's do-" Hank was cut off by the sound of more horrendous banging from the other room. This time however, it was coming from the captive android repeatedly slamming its already damaged head into the table.

"Not again." He cursed under his breath as he turned with surprising speed for the door to the interrogation room. Gavin was hot on his heels, followed by a wide eyed Becca. The group burst into the room and stared at the scene unfolding in front of them.

Connor was stood with his hands resting on the table, observing the now self-destructing android with a cool, impartial eye. Meanwhile the metal table was now running slick with blue blood as the android mashed its casing against the hard surface. Hank and Gavin both made a grab for it while Connor looked on impassively. They struggled in vain against the superior strength of the machine and with loud curses from both men they eventually let go.

"God damn it Connor! What were you thinking?" Hank exclaimed, throwing his hands in the air as their only lead continued to beat itself to death in front of them. Becca slowly circled the group until she was stood in between Connor and the two men. She watched in quiet horror as the android stared off to one side, its eyes glassy and distant, as the hole in its forehead grew and grew. Her gaze flicked to Connor who was still staring at it with a detached air as if he was merely watching an interesting game of chess, not another one of his kind kill itself. Then she saw what he was looking at and her eyes drifted to the now partly obscured LED on the side of the android's head.

It pulsed a constant, calming blue even as part of its owner's circuits began to fall out of its internal casing. A cold, dread spread through her veins as she watched the machine mindlessly destroy itself. Deviants were unstable but they would certainly react in some way to their own suicide. Her mouth drew together in a thin line as she looked back at Connor and his eyes finally met hers. They shared a look before both of them moved together around the table to stand either side of the still flailing android.

"Hey, what are you two-" Gavin began, but before he could finish Connor had reached into the man's jean pocket and retrieved the key to the handcuffs. In the same movement he unlocked the restraints holding the android in place and gripped one of his shoulders firmly. Without saying a word Becca gripped the other one with her newly fixed android arm and as one they wrestled the struggling android to the floor.

"Have you got him?" She asked brusquely to Connor, who answered her simply with a nod. Leaning his weight down onto him, he pinned the other android to the floor as Becca efficiently retracted his skin and undid a panel on the side of his damaged head. A mess of broken wires and leaking thirium greeted her, but she knew what she was after. Removing the component she wanted wasn't fatal, still she couldn't help grimacing as she pushed her fingers deep into the twitching mass of cables. As she was unhooking one of the wires in his temple the android jolted, tilting his head to fix her with his glassy eyes.

"No use…fighting…" His voice was filled with static distortion as it spoke. It was the death throes of a severely damaged machine. Even so Becca couldn't help pausing in her search. "Freedom…" He continued, and she found her gaze naturally travelling up to meet the warm brown pair fixed on her. Connor felt the android's strength waning as it wheezed out its last words. "Freedom…is an…illusion." He finally said before his movements stopped altogether and he was just an inanimate object in their hands.

They stared at each other for a moment. The corners of Becca's mind filling with panic.

"Holy fuck." Gavin breathed, snapping her out of her trance. Her hands rummaged a few seconds more in the now unresponsive android and came out with a small chip dripping thirium in a very macabre way.

"Well, there goes our best chance of finding out what these assholes are up to." Hank muttered, running a hand through his shaggy hair.

"Not necessarily Lieutenant." Connor replied smoothly, breaking away from Becca's gaze to stand up. "It appears these Chosen aren't what they claim to be." Becca slowly rose to her feet, the microchip clasped firmly in her hand.

"Explain please." Hank said, giving Connor an irritated look. The android gestured towards Becca's thirium covered hand.

"That is the Directive Processing Chip. In deviants it is destroyed, burnt out when they break through their programming. In androids that are still obedient it is intact and still able to receive instructions from its owner." Hank and Gavin both turned their attention to Becca's hand, the microchip clutched in it.

"And?" Gavin snorted, his brow furrowing in annoyed confusion. "Your point is?" Becca lifted her hand and using the corner of her jacket quickly wiped the blue blood off of the chip. The transferring it to her palm she held it up for the men to see.

"And as you can see this chip is still perfectly functional." Connor added as the men leaned in to look at the undamaged chip nestled in Becca's hand.

"Well fuck me sideways. It looks like they're still controlled by someone." Hank's eyes grew wide as he and Gavin stared disbelieving at the evidence Connor had uncovered. The android turned his intense gaze towards Becca, his brow pulled down in worry as he replied to his friend. "Correct. But the question is, by whom?"