Chapter 14: Proceeded Investigations, Proceeded Stalkings

Eyes brown eyes slowly and carefully pry open, his body awakening to a new morning, to a new start of a new day, and a busy day at that. Checking the time to find it Nine AM on the dot, Connor wastes no time, fitting himself with a semi-formal uniform; consisting of a black suit jacket, white shirt and black jeans. After fitting himself with a fresh uniform, Connor exits his room and heads into the kitchen, finding Hank already wake, clinging onto is head, probably due to a throbbing hangover, Connor predicts. Silently, Connor finds himself into the kitchen, opens the fridge and pours Hank a glass of water, only to hold out the glass to Hank, who reluctantly and stubbornly accepts the glass.
"I better start sobering up if I have a chance in hell to work today," Hank groans, gradually sipping the water. "I'm so sorry, Con, I drank way too much last night. Fuck, when did you get home, son?"
"About five hours, if that. I had quite the productive afternoon, evening and night, so much so I used the only bottle of Thirium in the house when I got home. So, we're going to have to go to the store and buy some more, we'll stop at one of the diners on the way there and find you something to eat. It's our day off today, I might be focussing on work but that doesn't mean you have to, what I need is both of us to be at full productive capacity, trust me, we're both going to need that."
"We have a day off?" Hank questions, groaning as he tries to glare up at Connor, forcing him to close his eyes, his head facing to the ground. "Why would we have a day off? We were practically given a day off yesterday, considering everything going on with CyberLife Tower. Fuck, five hours ago?! Where the fuck were you all that time?"
"Working with the FBI on a case that I predict is connected to the CyberLife Tower Heist case, the FBI doesn't think that as of now, but in time I believe they'll see that I was right. I'm not entirely sure if you remember everything I told you about yesterday afternoon?" Connor asks, getting an excruciatingly slow shake of Hank's head in return. "No matter, I will fill you in on our way to the grocery store and when we stop on our way to get you food unless you don't want some delicious food?"
Connor opens the front door of their home and holds the door open, waiting for Hank to make his way off of the couch, but so far, it doesn't seem like that's going to happen.
"Jesus Christ, Connor, are you sure you're a detective?" Hank groans as his somehow muster the strength to find himself off of the couch. "You should be a fucking salesperson, with that attitude and all. You sold me on the food, but everything else you just said went in one ear and out the other, so be patient with me."
"What can I say, Hank, I'm effective, and trust me, I have no choice but to be patient with you."

As Hank walks through the door, Connor gives Sumo a quick pat before following him closely behind, only to find Hank already finding himself in the passenger seat of his car. Connor surprised to see Hank's eagerness, probably due to the diner stop, he wastes no time finding himself in the driver's side of the car, with Hank passing him the keys the moment the closes the door beside him.
"I'm most definitely still over the limit, so you can drive," Hank sighs, still pressing his fingers over his temples as he slips on a pair of sunglasses he retrieved from the glove compartment of the car. "Fuck, it's so fucking bright out here, why is it so fucking bright at Nine AM?!"
"It's not, you're just hungover, from what Jimmy told me about how much you drank, you're probably still drunk."
"When did you talk to Jimbo?" Hank asks, slowly glaring at Connor as his son starts the engine.
"Someone had to organize an Uber for you. Jimmy called me when you were beyond intoxicated because I politely asked him to, so I organized an Uber to pick you up and he made sure you found yourself into the Uber," Connor explains, gazing at the side-view mirror before pulling away from the curb and finding himself onto the road. Once Connor finds himself comfortably on the road, he continues the conversation with Hank, who doesn't seem to mind the silence. "We should get you some food as soon as possible and make sure you tell me if you're going to be sick so I can pull over, the last thing I want to do on such a busy day is clean up your alcohol-induced sickness."
"Yeah, yeah, if I need to be sick, I'll be sick all over you for that comment, smart ass," Hank retorts, almost laughing before falling silent once again. "Are you going to fill me in with the case you were working with the fucking FBI of all people on? Must be serious if the FBI is involved with it, you haven't told me how you got involved with the FBI in the first place, or maybe you did and I just can't remember."

"I explained the situation last night, but you were in no state to process anything I was saying, let alone something of such drama," Connor remarks back. "Yesterday afternoon, a man by the name of Malakai McKnight attempted Markus and North's lives. The nature of the attack had caused the FBI to declare it a terrorist attack, McKnight used a sniper rifle to lure them out before using a grenade launcher to burst open their home, burning most of it to the ground within the hour. I managed to stop McKnight but it was the most difficult task I've ever had to endure. He was faster, stronger and more skilled than anyone that I have ever faced in my existence, which accounts for his twenty-one official years served in the United States Marine Corps and his IQ level."
"Twenty-one official years?! And what's his IQ?!" Hank topics, raising an eyebrow above his sunglasses.
"Yes, twenty-one years officially, twenty-three years unofficially, as for his IQ, his IQ is two-hundred and nine, far above the IQ of Elijah Kamski."
"Well, that doesn't sound fucking good," Hank remarks.
"No, it's not and it wasn't, towards the end of the fight, he paralyzed with me with what was identified as EMP assault darts. Not before I managed to shoot him, in the face, giving the FBI a blood sample."
"Providing them with that sample granted us involvement in the case?" Hank asks.
"Well, granted me involvement in the case, I'm just dragging you along for the ride," Connor jests, even chuckling at his joke as Hank subtly does the same. "No, I mentioned it was your final case, then talked him into allowing our involvement, using my sample provision as an influence, you could say."
"Never thought I'd see the day, Hank Anderson working with the feds, alongside his Android son," Hank chuckles, loudly this time. "If someone had told me a couple of years ago one day I was going to be in these circumstances, I would have told them-"
"I'm never going to be working with some plastic prick, let alone consider one my own, and don't get me started with the feds. Something like that, right?"
"The accuracy of that statement is," Hank pauses for a few seconds, sighing before speaking his next words. "I'm sorry, son, I hate how accurate that was, how much of a prick I was a year ago. How poorly I treated you, Connor when all you wanted to do was help me."
"I don't hold it against you, I wasn't exactly present to help anyone but CyberLife. I was there Deviant Hunter, nothing more, if I'm, to be honest, you were my first anchor; my first reason to become Deviant, to feel things, until I met you, Hank, I was a machine, a plastic prick. So, during that time, I deserved to be called as such," Connor explains, only glaring at Hank for a second before focussing back on the road. "You have no reason to feel regret, Hank, any man in your position and mindset would have acted and felt similar feelings, it was only a natural response."
"Thank you, Connor, for understanding my situation and not hating me because of it."
"You're exactly what you said you are to me, Hank; a man I consider my father, so there's nothing in this world that could make me hate you. Besides, understanding complicated things is a major part of my programs and systems, so it's difficult for me not to."
"You just had to flex on an emotional moment, didn't you?" Hank scoffs.

As Hank and Connor continue on the road, Connor subtly uses his GPS program to search for the nearest and decent diner, trying to recollect any sort of mention of Hank's favourite dining place to go to. The Chicken Feed is undeniably Hank's favourite, but Connor is hoping to find a more beneficial, more nutritious option. Regardless of his status as the son of the duo, Connor is going to do whatever it takes to make sure Hank gets the best of the rest of his life. After locking onto a diner address, Connor turns onto the highway and Hank begins sparking the conversation once more.
"So, this McKnight asshole got the upper hand on you, huh?"
"Our fight seemed to go on forever, but yes, towards the end of the fight he got the upper hand and used those EMP darts. Him sparing me is the only reason I'm still alive, he told me if he respected me enough to kill me in a fair one on one fight, anything less than that he seems to believe is cowardly. I can see that as more of a pro than a con, but the warning he left before leaving me paralyzed screams con. He warned that he wants to take everything from me before he kills me, so the sooner we catch the guy, the sooner I can relax. Until we do catch him, Hank, I'm going to be paranoid, there are so many people that he could hurt or kill to get back at me, because of me, the people I care about have become targets. We need to catch him, Hank, we need to put that monster behind bars for the rest of his life because until that happens, nobody I know is safe. Not you, not Kara, not Alice, Markus, North, Luther, Simon, Josh, not even Sumo, Captain Fowler, even Gavin, nobody is safe until McKnight is behind bars."
"We will find him, Connor, I know we'll find him and we'll put him behind bars before he can hurt anybody else," Hank says in an attempt to assure Connor. A deep sigh later, Connor finds the will to toss aside his anxiety, at least for the moment.
"I hope you're right, Hank, I hope you're right."
"Besides, if we could change the topic for a second, I have something I want to ask you, something that's been bothering me," Hank asserts. "Before when you were talking about the FBI, you mentioned him? As in we're answering to somebody, I mean we have to follow orders, that's common sense, but who exactly is him?" Hank asks, picking up on what Connor was saying, which is unfortunate for Connor because he knows Hank is going to hate this part. "Are you going to answer the question, son? Or are you going to keep me waiting?"
"From early this morning until the end of this case, we're following orders from both the Captain and Special Agent Perkins."

From the moment Connor finishes saying Perkins' name, Hank groans loudly, lets out a barrage of curse words before punching the dash in front of him. Throughout Hank's emotional discharge, Connor remains completely calm, letting Hank let all of his frustration out because Connor needs Hank to be a part of this, regardless of his dislike.
"Oh my fucking god! You have to be fucking kidding me, right?! We're following orders from Richard motherfucking Perkins?! Just my luck that in my last case I'm following orders from such a prick, right?! Jesus Christ!"
"Are you done?" Connor asks calmly.
"No, I'm not done, I can't believe we're following orders from that motherfucker! I can't believe you chased after working with that motherfucker! What were you thinking, Connor?!" Hank asks, punching the dash once again. "FUCK! Ow, fuck! My head is throbbing now, fuck."
"Are you done now?" Connor asks, still calm. "You better be, because we're almost at our destination."
"What destination is that?"
"In a couple of minutes, I will stop at Cooper's Family Diner, the reviews are great, food is said to be better than the atmosphere, but that's exactly what we need for you. Something nice, something beneficial, something healthy that will help in settling your stomach. Once you get something to eat, then we'll head back home and you can relax, watch one of your favourite programs. How does that sound?"
"Not going to lie, son, that sounds like a fucking great idea."

Connor and Hank pull up in front of Cooper's Family Diner with Hank quickly exiting the car, desperate to use the bathroom, while Connor takes his time, making sure the car is locked before walking away from it. Watching Hank disappear into the bathroom, knowing that the moment he enters the Diner is going to be hearing him retching, Connor takes his time, analyzing the portable menu as he walks by it. As Connor enters the diner, he's welcomed by a clumsy waitress who accidentally runs into Connor, but due to his reflexes, she only manages to spill the hot coffee on his hands and the tip of his shoes. The intense of the coffee causes the skin of his hands to fade, revealing the white plastic-white beneath it as his LED blinks to yellow. The look on the waitress' face screams of discomfort and his analysis confirms it, but after Connor quickly recovers a napkin from one of the nearby tables, covering his burnt hands, he notices her slowly settling down.
"Oh my god, I'm so sorry! I didn't mean to, I'm so clumsy, I-"
"It's okay, I assure you, it was just an accident, accidents happen," Connor says, smiling at the young waitress, who stares at him nervously. "I know what you're thinking; an Android in a Diner of all places?! I'm here with someone, someone who's quite hungover and in desperate need of some quality food."
"It's not that you're an Android and you're here that surprises me, it's just that you're here that surprises me. Connor Anderson, the hero of Detroit, standing in my parents' diner, just shocked is all, I'm so sorry for the coffee spill, I should've been watching what I was doing-"
"Ma'am, it's okay, I'm just going to clean myself up in your bathroom, I'll check on my father in the process," Connor says, laughing the situation off.
"I can make an order now if you'd like? While you're cleaning up if that makes anything easier?" The waitress suggests, causing Connor to smile once again.
"Yes, um, I'll order a eggs benedict, a side of bacon with a double espresso, low-fat cream and two sugars. Take your time, my partner got himself into this mess, he can wait patiently for the food," Connor says, smirking as he begins walking away from the waitress and towards the bathroom.
"I'll add a jumbo-sized glass of Thirium 310 to the order as well, we recently got an order of Thirium to include our Android customers," the waitress states with optimism before retreating behind the counter. "One order of eggs benedict with a side of bacon! I'll take care of the coffee but open up the package of Thirium, we have our first Android customer!"
As Connor reaches the bathroom, the sound of Hank's retching becomes more distinct, yet most distinct as he unlocks the door to the bathroom. The retching stops as Connor approaches the bathroom sink and turns on the faucet before delicately washing his hands. As he clears his hands of the hot coffee, the skin on his hands begin to develop once again, healing almost instantaneously and just as Hank exits the stall too.

"What happened to your hands?" Hank says as he stands beside Connor, turning on the faucet and taking a mouthful of water to wash his mouth out.
"The waitress had an accident, burnt my hands a little, but my encrypted data confirms minimal external damage, nothing more," Connor explains as he turns off the faucet and moves to the hand dryer. "How are you feeling? I ordered you some eggs benedict, bacon and some coffee; something to help pick you up, put something in your stomach."
"I'm alive so that's a plus, feeling more than under the weather, as you probably heard?" Hank suggests.
"I'm quite sure the whole diner heard you, Hank, but that's alright, you'll have some good food in you soon," Connor says, pulling a paper towel from a dispenser as Hank begins exiting the bathroom. "I'll meet you out there then?"
"Yeah, I'll meet you out there," Hank agrees, groaning as he exits the bathroom, leaving Connor alone, but not for long.
A few seconds after Hank's exit, someone else walks into the bathroom, wearing a leather trench coat with a hooded flannel beneath it. Connor glances at the figure for a second, but a second is all it takes, he recognises that face he saw within that second, a face he's been processing in his central processing unit all afternoon, evening, night and early morning. Wasting no time, Connor quickly turns to face the figure, attempting to retrieve his own handgun from his jacket, however, the figure already has his weapon trained at his chest. One pull of the trigger, and it's all over for Connor.
"McKnight?!" Connor growls, teeth clenched together as Malakai unhoods himself.
"Hello, Anderson."