RK1K Chapter Twenty Three:
Chapter Twenty Three:
Everyone was talking about the president's press conference. If the amendment passed, that meant that Prop 68 would be dead, and Androids would be recognized as citizens nationwide and any anti android laws would be gone. Connor volunteered to pick up Anthony and take him home. It had started to rain and the forecast for Detroit said there was a strong chance for thunderstorms. Markus hated thunderstorms. Every time there was a storm, he would have flashbacks to the night he had woken up in the junkyard. Even now, he would have nightmares. Connor had rushed Anthony inside and changed his clothes.
Markus had come home a little while later. The thunderstorm started and Connor, as well as Beau the dog had ran up to him and hugged him. Markus held him close. Connor could tell his stress levels had started to rise.
"Hey, it's okay," Connor said. He knew what would happen. The thunder rolls, lightning would flash and it would downpour rain, and Markus would panic, there were times he would cry and there would times he would experience the Android version of pain in his legs, his replacement eye, and his audio processors and his thrium pump. He would shake and Connor would be the only one that could calm him down.
Markus clung to him Connor walked them both to the couch and slowly and gently helped Markus on the couch.
"Is Anthony home safe and sound?" Markus asked.
"Yes, he is, see?" Connor replied gesturing his head to the play pen in the living room. Markus sighed in relief when he saw the almost one year old in the play pen, sitting up and drinking from his bottle. Beau jumped up on the couch nuzzled his nose on Markus' lap.
"No, Beau, it is storming outside," Connor said as he noticed the dog. Autumn had been on the floor, playing with the small cat toys that Markus and Connor purchased for her, little colorful balls that had little bells inside of them.
"So,…that press conference," Connor started to say.
"Yeah, everyone in city hall wouldn't stop talking about it," Markus said, his arms tightly around Connor.
"Everyone in the police station was talking about it," Connor said, letting Markus lay his head on his shoulder.
"If that amendment passes," Markus went on, "We wouldn't have to worry about anything Senator Douglas will pull anymore."
"It has to pass through the Senate first," Connor said," there are a lot of senators that are bigots."
"True, but still, this president, she seemed to be serious about it," Markus added. Connor sighed.
"It looks like trips to Washington DC again, huh?" he asked. Lightning crashed and thunder rolled throughout the dark sky outside. Markus jumped and clung to Connor and Anthony whimpered. Both Autumn and Beau jumped at the loud noise.
Shaking his head, he slowly got up, and went to the play pen to pick up Anthony.
"I suppose so," Markus said with a sigh, secretly wishing that Connor would come back to him and hold him again.
Connor sat down next to him, with Anthony in his lap.
"Hey cutie," Markus said, smiling at Anthony who stared at him, sucking on his bottle.
"Aw, but you said hi to me already," Connor teased. Markus gave him a look. Connor smirked.
It was almost midnight when Connor looked at the camera. He was needed to go to stasis mode soon. He and Hank as well as Gavin and Nines needed to work on the case, as well as Markus needed to prepare for possible meetings in Washington DC, as well as in City Hall. He shouldn't be doing this right now, but he couldn't resist. Connor had even thought about writing a book about his life.
May 2039:
Ever since that accidently kiss between Markus and Connor, Connor became fascinated with Markus. He visited Markus and Jericho daily. North had left Jericho, it wasn't sure when or if she would come back. Everyone had assumed that she was heartbroken over her and Markus breaking up, that she left.
Connor also had been visiting Hank at the precinct. Hank had been trying to get Connor back on the force as a consultant or a regular police officer or hopefully, as a detective again. Technically, Connor was Hank's android, Connor was assigned to Hank, if Connor had any chance of becoming a full fledged detective, it was Hank. It was a daily argument between Fowler and Hank over it. Hank refused to have another partner. Even though he and Hank didn't officially solved the case of the deviants, Hank believed that he and Connor could work well together.
There were anti android racist group that were vandalizing and hurting androids and made protests. Anti android crimes were rising high, and there were a few cases where androids had started committing crimes as well. Hank as well as Connor were frustrated with the situation as well as Markus and the rest of Jericho. Markus suggested that he had meetings with the local government as well as police officers. Tensions between humans and androids were at a standstill. There were a few humans here and there that were pro android, and everyone else were anti android. Androids were viewed as machines that served the human race, not be their own people and have rights like humans.
Finally, Connor and Hank agreed as well as Captain Fowler that Connor would be a consultant for the DPD, and Hank will pay him under the table, as well as Captain Fowler. Markus had mixed feelings but to make Connor happy, he went along with it.
Markus and Connor never talked about the kiss that happened that night they went to get those supplies. Markus tried to blow the whole thing off as he was feeling emotional because of his and North's situation. But Connor felt something for Markus. Ever since he first saw Markus, the video that was made from the Strafford Tower investigation, he had felt something, but lack of experience of dealing with emotions, he had no way of dealing with it.
Then, there was that one fateful day.
It was the end of May, and Markus had agreed to do a TV interview by the local news station. The location was again, the Stafford building. Markus promised this time there was not going to be a hostage situation, no guns, no jumping off the roof, nothing out of the ordinary. Markus invited Connor to come along, and Connor suggested that he would bring Hank and a few police officers along. Markus didn't trust the police, but with Connor and their side, as well as on Jericho's side, he thought that nothing could go wrong.
Markus, Josh and Simon waited outside of the building for Connor and this "Hank" human. Markus had heard about Hank and someone or something called, "Sumo." Connor explained that Sumo was Hank's dog and that Hank let Connor feed him, take him out for walks, and give him baths, as well as when Hank and Connor were home some nights together, Sumo would basically sit between Connor and Hank and Connor would sit on the couch, with the dog's head on his lap, and Connor petting him, stroking his fur.
Hank and Connor in Hank's car, had pulled up to the Stafford Tower. When Hank turned the car off, he looked at Connor. He noticed that Connor was wearing a blue suit with a black tie.
"Connor?" he asked. Connor turned to him.
"What?" he asked.
"Why are you wearing a suit?" Hank asked.
"Because Markus has an interview today, and I wanted to look good, just in case," Connor answered as he climbed out of the car.
"But Markus is the one that is having the interview, not you," Hank retorted.
"I know," Connor said with a smiled as he shut the door and walked towards the entrance. Not far off, another android was watching, one with a mission.
"ELIMATE CONNOR RK800," it read through his processors.
"ELIMATE MARKUS RK200."
Connor, with Hank in tow, walked up to the Jericho group. Connor noticed that the female one, North, was missing. No one had heard from her since she left. Connor felt a sense of guilt. He felt that he was the one that made North want to leave. She saw him and Markus kiss one another. She had to been heartbroken.
Even with that thought, he flashed a smile at the android group.
"Connor!" Simon greeted with a smile and waved him over. Connor felt a little nervous about Simon. He watched Simon die by his own hand on top of this tower. Daniel, the same android type that Simon is, was the one that Connor help execute. Connor had no reason to feel scared of Simon. But he did felt shame around him. He felt guilty, but Simon had been nice and friendly to Connor.
Connor walked up to the group. He noticed Markus looking him over.
"Wow, Connor, you look good," he said. Connor suddenly felt what humans would call a blue blush grew across his cheeks. Connor smiled.
"So do you," he said as he tried to hide his blush. Markus had a crush on Connor for a long time. He had been curious about the former deviant hunter. He had gotten to know Connor and discovered he liked him. Also, he had noticed ever since North left, there was something in his heart for Connor, everytime Connor talks to him, or interface with him, or communicate through the mental link, his thorium pump flutters. There was a sick feeling in his stomach and there were times he was nervous or shaky around him. He had never felt that way about North, or Simon, or Josh or anyone. What was this feeling?
Connor turned to Hank.
"Guys, this is Hank, my partner in the DPD, and he is also the one that helped me at the Cyberlife Tower," Connor introduced Hank. Hank half smiled and extended his hand to Markus. Markus smiled and took his hand and shook it.
"Hello, Lieutenant, my name is Markus Manfred," Markus introduced himself.
"I'm Simon Powers," Simon said, placing his hand on his chest.
"Josh Grey," Josh introduced himself. Hank waved at the two other men.
"Lieutenant Hank Anderson," Hank said. Connor smiled, but noticed something. There was another android not far off. He scanned to see who or what it was. So far, a WR400 model, the one he had secretly hoped it was hadn't popped up.
But one that he was not familiar with, had shown up in the scan. Another newer android model, maybe? Cyberlife was still making androids and selling them. All Markus was forced to do was watch helplessly as new androids were sold and made into servants, slaves. He had a long way to go if he wanted to stop android slavery once and for all. Who was this mysterious android?
"Well, let's go in, can't keep them waiting," Markus suggested as he went in first. The others had followed but Connor couldn't help but feel nervous.