Hey guys... sorry for an update that took so fucking long... I'm not doing so well... I'm not even sure I'll continue with this FanFic. I guess we'll see what happens. Thanks for your patience, I know I've been taking a while and this is super short... just had a lot going on. Thanks.
Chapter 13: Leisure And Designs
It's only a couple hours from daybreak and Connor has just arrived home. His body is running off fumes, considering the last time he consumed Thirium was at Kara's before his engagement with Malakai McKnight. Ever since the conference, the name, the profile, every detail regarding that man has been the prime focus of Connor's programs, replaying the wirelessly downloaded slideshow over and over again. Even as he pulls up in front of his home, the prodigious man is the primary target that runs through the core of his mind. Among the primary target, however, are secondary targets that run through his mind; Kara, Alice, Hank, Sumo, Markus and North specifically. Even Luther, to a lesser extent; anyone that could potentially become one of McKnight's objectives, a way to get back at Connor for stopping him from completing his goal. Connor can't help but feel the desire to protect all of them, and if something happens to any of them, he knows he'll be drowned with guilt and regret. He wants so desperately to protect them all but if he can't, then he fails as a police officer, as a son, as a friend and as a companion to Kara. If he fails, he doesn't just fail the people he cares so much about, he fails himself, he fails the entire reason behind his existence; to serve a higher purpose and to protect others from harm or death. Taking in a deep simulated breath, Connor begins encoding his data, hoping to find some form of normality in such a crazy fucking night, something natural, something rational. Something.
Data encoding: errors detected: Thirium levels at 28%: system functions at 42% capacity.
Action advised: consume Thirium 310 or 320 or enter low power mode immediately.
"I guess I should call it a night, or morning," Connor sighs, his LED blinking from yellow back to blue as he begins exiting the car. As he exits from the car, he notices how much slower his functions are, less productive like the effect of exhaustion humans experience. Connor has never experienced this before, never really had the chance to experience this. He's pushed himself, yes, but not to this extent, not to the point where his systems are screaming at him to consume Thirium or go into low power mode. Essentially, his encodes data is advising him to sleep, sleep the way Androids can, at least until he can acquire some Thirium, which resides inside of the home he's about to enter. Special Agent Perkins discussed terms with Captain Fowler, each of them agreed that after yesterday and this morning, Connor and Hank both deserve to rest for the day. Connor knows that Hank will be more than happy to take the rest after a day, evening and night of drinking, however, Connor himself knows that following a sufficient rest, he'll be focussing on the investigation, on tracking McKnight down before he can hurt anyone else. As for now, Connor must focus on acquiring sufficient rest and Thirium before his systems force his body into emergency power mode. "Better late than never."
As Connor closes the car door behind him, he indulges himself with the dead silence of the city, an unusual feature for such a grim place. So full of life, but not only the form of life every city should have, but the darkest, most horrific forms of life. The crime, the corruption, the evil, the monsters, it all causes the city to scream with activity; day, night, evening and morning. However, it looks for once, even the activities of the night have fallen in the pit of silence, even the monsters have felled to their slumber. The thought alone decreases Connor's stress levels significantly, allowing him to enter his and Hank's home without a single care in the world. Besides, he deserves this rest, after nearly twenty-four hours of investigations, conflicts and conferences, with only a couple hours of relaxation in between, it's time for him to settle down, at least for now. As Connor unlocks the door of his home, enters the house and closes the door behind him, he's welcomed by the sight of Hank passed out on the couch. An empty bottle of scotch on the ground below him while Sumo, regardless of his gigantic size, is sleeping on top of Hank, each of them snoring peacefully regardless of each other's company. The sight causes Connor to smile before he unzips his leather jacket and softly hangs it over one of the chairs in the dining room, leaving him in a white singlet.
Before silently making his way into the kitchen, Connor places a blanket over Hank and Sumo, ensuring they're warm enough sleeping in the coldness of the house. Once he reaches the kitchen, Connor opens the fridge door, retrieves a bottle of Thirium 310 and desperately drinks from the bottle, not even bothering to acquire himself a cup to drink from. As he empties the entirety of the bottle of Thirium 310, Connor feels his Thirium pump begin to absorb its benefits, causing him to gasp in satisfaction while simultaneously controlling his audio levels to ensure he doesn't wake Hank and Sumo up. Softly placing the empty bottle in the sink, Connor begins retreating to his room, his body feeling more energized with each step, but regardless of that fact, Connor continues to his room; to inevitable rest. As he reaches the end of the hall and to his room, Connor glares back at Sumo and Hank, making sure that they're okay before finally retreating to his room and closing the door behind him. The room is drowning in an eerie dead silence, similar to the city itself and Connor can't help but feel anxious due to it. Perhaps he's grown accustomed to combat and conflict, so much so, that when he finally finds some form of a peaceful moment, it causes him to drown in dread. Or perhaps peaceful moments are so rare, Connor doesn't know how to react to them. Of course, exceptions cross Connor's cognisance; Hank and Sumo, Kara and Alice, even Markus and North all manage to bring peaceful moments, all of which are welcomed with open arms. Regardless of how Connor feels, how anxious he is, he slowly lays himself onto his bed, closes his eyes and adjusts his systems into low power mode. Now he can rest, after all, he has a big day of investigations ahead of him.
A large warehouse door rolls open befoe a motorcycle slowly drives inside, the only sound within a mile radius but secluded enough to maintain secrecy. As the motorcycle reaches the middle of the warehouse, the door begins to close, shutting Malakai off from the rest of the city, leaving only him and the production lines. The only company he needs, considering how much he distrusts Oblonsky and his men, especially after his incident with Connor. His wound has shown more weakness than he has in the entirety of his time in R.M.A.F. and that fact alone is concerning to him. Weakness equals liability, liability equals loose end, loose end equals death. Malakai knows he must break the cycle before it reaches the end or destroy the cycle altogether, make a new one. If he's honest with himself, he doesn't know what he's going to do about the Russians, but what he does know, is he has plenty of time to figure that out. Plenty of time to surmise a plan to deal with them, in case he ever needs to, apply his data mine of plans and intelligence for something effective against the Russians. The warehouse he's currently in is a gold mine of ideas, of potential projects, of something effective. Noticing that many of the prototypes weapons have been completed, Malakai moves to one of the advanced 3D production printers before retrieving a large assault rifle. Sixty round magazine of armour piercing rounds, grenade launcher and shotgun attachment, ACOG rifle six to twelve times scope, modified grip and stock. The perfect killing device. Placing the prototype rifle aside, Malakai moves onto prototype weapon gauntlets; armour-plated gauntlets with fitted knuckle dusters, option for forty-five calibre rounds or EMP darts. Finally, Malakai reaches the final prototype-line equipment, tactical goggles; capable of night vision, infra-red vision and echolocation. Now he will see the way Androids can see and more, much, much more. Placing the equipment on his makeshift bed, Malakai moves onto the Android production lines, smiling at the process the machines are making, knowing that the end is so, so close.
"Soon you will be complete, and soon, I will be unstoppable."