Hank was fucking done.
He had been thinking about it for a while, but today was the last straw. The moment Reed came in parading around the station like he just saved the fucking world was what did it. Hank stormed into Jeff's office, slamming down his badge on the desk, startling the other man.
"Hank? What the fuck?" Jeff scowled, not too happy being interrupted. "You were told I was bus-"
"I quit." Hank interrupted. Jeff blinked at him. It wasn't the first time Hank had threatened or claimed he was going to quit, but Jeff could tell he meant it this time. Jeff stood up, a hand raised in defense.
"Hank, hold on.." Jeff started, but Hank was angry. "Don't try to fucking stop me. I am done. Done working for an unjust system. This is all bullshit and you know it!" Hank was seething, he was pretty sure he was shaking, but his mind was a mess.
"Hank.. if this is about that androi-" Jeff began but was interrupted yet again. "Of course it is! Though not just her, it's about all the androids! You know Reed had no fucking right to kill her and he and those guys should be put in jail!"
Jeff had both hands up this time, trying to calm Hank down. "U-Under normal circumstances.. yes absolutely.. but this is an android.. they aren't really.. alive you know?" Jeff stammered. He wasn't exactly pro-androids, he could care less honestly, but he knew he hit a fuse when Hank gave him a look.
"You are really a fucking piece of shit." Hank snarled. No matter how many years they have been friends, there were always things they didn't agree on, and not agreeing on whether someone deserved to live was definitely cause to end it. Hank stormed out of the office, even with Jeff calling out after him. He went to his desk, picking up the few things that mattered to him, which weren't much, and heading towards the exit.
Detective Reed was standing near the entrance talking to a lady cop before turning to look over Hank. "Fuck Hank you look like shit, though that is pretty common huh?" Reed laughs, trying to impress the gal next to him who wasn't amused. Hank turned and glared at Reed. "You are a fucking prick."
Reed looked offended. "Excuse me?"
"You know what you did was wrong you dipshit."
Reed just smirked, shrugging his shoulders. "Ohh, you mean that android? Well it had it coming, it was harassing those poor guys, what else was I to do? It doesn't feel pain, so no big de-"
Reed never managed to finish his sentence before Hank reeled back and punched Reed square in the jaw. Reed crumbled against the wall, a hand to his nose and jaw. The lady cop took a step back and called for help, but Hank just kept walking, ignoring the protests from the cops and detectives. None of them tried to stop Hank however, despite what he did being assault that would have him facing charges.
None of the cops there cared for Reed, so Hank hoped that was why they didn't stop him. As he walked to his car, he glanced up at the large buildings where various news reports were being shown. One had the very incident that had Hank blow his fuse.
Markus, the leader of Jericho, had managed to peacefully protest for the rights of all androids a year ago. With the President ending the bloodbath on her side, Androids were given what they wanted, but it came with very little. Androids were allowed to work and own homes, but they would be turned away any chance humans got. Androids were lucky to get shitty retail jobs, and even luckier if they found a rotten down home they could buy or rent. Landlords had many signs up saying they refused to rent to androids, so many androids were homeless. Being that they didn't need food or any necessities that come with being human, being homeless wasn't horrible to them.
Despite that, it still hurt Hank to see. The laws in place to protect androids were non-existent. Humans could kill other humans and be given serious jail time, but they could kill androids and walk away scott free. Which sadly was the case for the female android that sent Hank packing. He had done all he could to protect androids while on the force. Ever since he had warmed up to having Connor, an RK800 android sent to help with investigations, by his side, he had done his best to help androids. Most of Jericho's people had fled to Canada, where they could live in peace and find better jobs and homes for themselves. Canada recognized them as androids, but treated them like humans. Unlike the United States, which was so far up its own ass it can only see helping the rich as doing its duty as a country.
Hank had been sent on many cases where an android turned deviant, even the newer models which Cyberlife swore were deviant-proof, and did his best to help the androids. The first time he tried to help by taking the android to the station to ask questions, they had gotten too stressed and self-destructed. Another time an android tried to run, they got shot in the head by fucking Reed, who really has no sympathy and still insists they are nothing but machines.
Even Jeff didn't seem to have much care for the androids. Anytime an android was brought in, it was almost always sent to Cyberlife to be deactivated if it didn't self-destruct on the way there. No laws protected androids, and even with humans protesting for the law to help the androids, nothing changed. The law was always in favor for humans when it came to a dispute between humans an androids. Due to this, there were almost no cases where an android got in a confrontation with a human, most of them just ran, but not all of them got away.
After those two incidents, Hank went about things differently. He would locate the deviant, but wouldn't report it. Instead he would take the android across the border and help them become free. He had done this so frequently that Markus and North caught on and would meet him at the border to take on the android and help them there. Hank would always ask if they had contact with Connor, and the answer was always a no.
Hank missed Connor.
When Connor became deviant, helped Jericho protest for their freedom, and won, the last time Hank saw him was in front of the shitty burger truck, where he and Connor shared a tender hug, and Connor disappeared from his life. Connor had mentioned heading to Canada with the others, and Hank wished him the best, but a big part of him wanted to go with Connor.
Connor had slotted himself into Hank's life and it was hard to go back to the way it was. Hank would spend his nights dead drunk, playing russian roulette, waiting until the day the bullet would be in the correct place when he pulled the trigger. That had all changed when Connor had been shoved onto him by Cyberlife. At first he hated it, hated androids and only thinking of them as machines and nothing more. Connor had shown him that he was more than that. Even though Connor had still been a machine, he had character and emotion that had Hank questioning if he really wasn't human.
As time went on with Connor by his side, he had grown accustom to the boy's presence in his life, and stopped doing most of the destructive things he always did. He drank less. He put his gun away and only took it with him when he went to work. He was able to sleep more. Everything was working out. He felt more at peace with Connor in his life than he had in years.
He was proud of Connor. Proud that Connor broke away from Cyberlife and wanted to create a life for himself. Hank had wished that life would be at his side, but he couldn't tether Connor to himself anymore. Connor was free and he needed to feel like he was too. With Connor out of his life, Hank had slowly fallen into his depressed state again. Hank would drink until he passed out, the gun back in his hand. He had asked Connor to keep in contact when they met for the last time, when he hugged Connor against his chest like he was the only thing that mattered, and Connor had promised to do so.
It was now a year later, and Connor had never been in contact with him. Hank had remained hopeful, but as the days turned to weeks, turned to months, he finally came to terms that Connor had moved on, had found himself and did not need Hank anymore. He stopped asking Markus and North if they knew where Connor was, because even if they did, it was clear Connor didn't want them to tell Hank.
And Hank had to come to terms with that. He had to.
Slamming the door to his car shut, he shoved the key in the ignition and slowly rolled out of the parking lot and headed towards his home. Today was a shitty day as it was, and it didn't help that Cole's anniversary was right around the corner. He was desperate to get drunk so he could forget about it. Forget that his son had died. Forget that an android couldn't save him. Forget that Connor had brightened up his life so he woke up not feeling like shit, only to disappear. He wanted to forget it all.
Hank was tired of living. He was fifty-four years old now, and figured it was about time. The only thing still keeping him going was Sumo, his Saint Bernard. Sumo was getting up there in age and there was only a matter of time before he passed away. Once that happens, Hank really would have nothing else to live for, so what was the point?
Hank pulled to his house, the broken cement under his wheels crunching as time and weather had broken them down. He got out of his car, leaving the items he had taken with him there. He had no need for them really, he just didn't want them to stay at the station. Hank hesitated though, as he got out. He looked back at the items, before finally picking one of them up. It was something he treasured, but something that also made him sad.
It was a picture frame, with a picture of Hank and Connor. It was before Connor had deviated, he was pestering Hank about a case, and Hank was ignoring him. Connor finally slid out of his chair to fit himself between Hank and the desk. Hank protested as Connor lifted his hand in front of them.
"Please look at my hand, Lieutenant." Connor spoke calmly, in that soothing crisp voice that one could just melt to. Hank looked at his hand, confused, and suddenly an image appeared hovering over his palm. It was a stilled picture of the two, Connor giving a small pursed smile, and Hank looking annoyed.
"I wanted to get a picture of us together." Connor spoke, standing up and moving back to his seat.
"Why the hell would you want something like that?" Hank demanded, rubbing his temple. Connor just cocked his head and smiled a bit. "I heard humans do it to preserve memories, and after working with you for so long, I thought it would be nice to do the same."
Hank groaned. "For a machine, you sure want things a lot." He regretted saying it the moment it left his lips. Connor's face had shifted slightly at this, his eyes turned down and he said nothing. Hank started to apologize but Connor looked back up and smiled. "You are right Lieutenant, I do apologize." Connor got up, nodded his head at Hank, and walked away.
Hank regretted saying that ever since, and looking back on it now, it was possible Connor was deviating even then, for the sadness in his eyes that Hank saw for a split second broke that un-penetrable mask Connor always wore.
It wasn't until after Hank hugged Connor and saw him for the last time before he went to Canada, that Hank had gown to work and found a small gift sat on his keyboard. It was wrapped so perfectly, the bow that laced itself around the present in perfect symmetry just had to be the work of Connor. Inside was the picture frame and the picture Connor had taken of them.
Hank would be lying if he said tears didn't sting in the corners of his eyes when he saw it the first time. And he would be lying if he said he didn't get emotional picking it up out of his car now either. He pressed a finger against the smooth glass, gliding it along Connor's chest in the picture. Even though he had been a machine, there was genuine happiness behind those eyes and that small smile. It meant a lot to him that Connor wanted a picture of them, even if at the time Hank could care less.
Hank felt happy and sad at the same time by looking at that picture. He just didn't want to feel anymore. Hank walked up to his door, unlocking it and walking inside. Sumo was up in an instant and bombarding him with licks and kisses the moment he had the door closed.
"Down Sumo!" Hank ordered sternly, but with a hint of soft hidden in the layers. Sumo knew Hank all to well, and continued to follow him around and shower him with big happy eyes and a wagging tail. Hank took off his jacket, turned on the TV to some random channel, and sank into the kitchen chair, sighing loudly. Sumo was content laying his head near Hank's feet.
Hank grabbed a nearby whiskey bottle that wasn't quite finished the night before, and guzzled it down in seconds before reaching into the fridge for another. He had set the picture frame on the table, and that was a mistake. As he continued to drink and look at the picture, he got more and more depressed. He missed Connor, missed him so fucking much. He had to admit that Connor had become a big part of his life, to the point Hank would admit he loved the guy. Not exactly in a romantic sense, but the thought would cross Hank's mind.
He downed another bottle and tossed it haphazardly on the table, watching it fall over and roll off the table, cracking and falling apart. He sighed, his fingers sliding over the cool metal of his gun in it's holster. He was debating playing that oh so fun game that he definitely enjoyed, when his phone rang.
Hank groaned, ignoring it. It was probably just Jeff wanting to beg him to come back. Well fuck them, he was done working for a shitty system that didn't give a rats ass about anyone. He started drinking his third bottle when his phone started ringing again the moment it stopped the first time. He groaned, fishing around in his pocket to look at the number. It had no caller ID and was a hidden number.
Hank had half a mind to ignore it, but he had nothing to lose or gain by answering, so what the hell.
"Hello?" He grumbled, his body was use to consuming large amounts of alcohol but he could feel himself already stumbling.
"Is this Hank?" A calm woman's voice asked. Hank narrowed his eyes. "Who's askin?"
"My name is Kara, I wanted to call you about an android you may know."
Hank blinked, he remembered North mentioning to an android he helped smuggle across the boarder that a woman named Kara would be helping them. She sounded nice enough.
"Who is the android?" Hank asked, though he had a feeling he knew, and his heart ached at the thought. He pushed that thought down, he didn't want to risk bringing his hopes up after all this time.
"His name is Connor." Kara started. Hank felt his body tense up and he felt like he couldn't breathe.
"Is he ok?" Hank asked immediately, standing up out of his chair and almost stumbling to the ground with how his legs almost caved under him.
"Yes he is fine, I apologize I didn't mean to startle you." Kara's voice hinted that she knew she surprised him more than he would have guessed, but he didn't let it bother him.
"He has been working hard in starting a new life in Canada. It has been a little over a year since we all came here. Recently however, I have noticed him struggling. He doesn't seem to be the same Connor who held himself up with courage during the revolution. He keeps to himself and seems almost lifeless. I have tried to talk to him multiple times over months and he has refused to talk. He seems lost, like he doesn't know his purpose."
"That makes two of us.." Hank muttered, and Kara let out a lighthearted sound at that. "He was doing fine at first but one can definitely tell he isn't doing ok. A few weeks ago I finally got him to open up to me, and he said... well he said he missed you Hank Anderson."
That seemed to sober Hank right up. His heart clenched and he doubled over, pressing a hand flat on the table to stabilize himself. "He.. he misses me?" Hank choked out, he could feel tears spilling out of his eyes and sliding down his cheeks.
"Yes, he interfaced with me and showed me all the times you two had spent together. Even while he had been under the control of Cyberlife, he enjoyed his time with you. It isn't my place to say, but I feel that he felt he had a purpose when he was with you. That you were his purpose." Kara spoke softly, almost timidly like she shouldn't be saying that last part.
Hank let out a choked sob, falling to his knees and holding his head in his hand while he cradled the phone against his ear with the other.
"Hank... I did not mean to make you cry, I am very sor-" Kara started.
"No.. it isn't that.. I.. I'm happy to hear that." Hank spoke, wiping at the tears while a smile formed on his lips.
"I want to see him..." Hank confessed, not really meaning to out loud and definitely not to someone he doesn't even know. Kara seemed to understand.
"He wants to see you too. He held back from ever being in contact for.. well, I suppose it isn't my place to say. Just that he wants to see you too. However those of us who went to Canada are banned from returning to the United States. I am aware from what I saw while interfacing with Connor that you have a job, and I am sure it would be hard to find the time and finances to come all the way he-"
"I quit my job. I will go." Hank blurted out. He had enough savings to buy two houses in all honesty. Hank had been hard on him for years, ever since his wife left him and his son passed away. Ever since then he has lived in that shit hole of a house and barely spent money on anything but necessities and drinking. He had more than enough money saved.
Hank swore he could see the smile Kara wore when she spoke. "Wonderful! I haven't told Connor, I figured it would be a good surprise for him to see his old friend. Maybe it would lift his spirits. You are welcome to stay at my home if you would like, I can send you the address and your dog is more than welcome."
Hank agreed and almost immediately his phone dinged from a text with the address. "I hope to see you soon Hank Anderson." Kara said in her soft calm voice, before hanging up.
Hank hung his hand down and leaned his head back against the cool wall. His legs refused to move, but he would force them in a minute. He didn't want to delay, he couldn't wait to see Connor.
Hank had the biggest fucking smile on his face. He, a fifty-four year old man, was feeling the most happiness he had felt in a long time.