New Roommates

Hank let out a loud and long groan as he burst through the front door of his old ass home and trudged to the fridge (still outwardly complaining, mind you) to pull out a beer before walking back, patting on Sumo for a moment, until he plopped his behind on his old sturdy recliner. With a smack of his lips, the gruff way-too-old-for-this-shit detective wiggled himself to be as comfortable as possible and took a sip of his necessary drink before his eyes scanned for the remote. Which was sitting on top of the dining table in the kitchen. The remote he needs to turn on the TV. The TV he wants to watch after a not-so-fantastic episode of earlier that night.

Fuck.

Hank sighed in annoyance before retrieving the desired object that cursed him to move once he got comfortable. Sitting back down and turning on the television, his attempts to watch any reruns of basketball games or funny shows were proved futile as the sudden goddamn world focused on the Android Revolution happening just beyond his oak door.

Yeah, he's had a fair share of androids and he's had enough of them for tonight, especially after being rudely dragged out of Jimmy's Bar by his friend's freaky Friday clone to bait into Connor failing his mission that would destroy all of Robo-kind blah blah blah.

He raised the beer to his lips and relished the alcohol going down his throat.

Yup, this is just what he needed. Just him, his beer, Sumo, his TV-

Buzz.

-And whoever was at his damn door. Man, what time was it? Hank looked over at the clock crookedly hung above the window (he keeps reminding himself to straighten it one day, but he just doesn't seem to get to it) and bit back to shout to his sudden visitor. It was 3 in the morning, an ungodly hour where Hank refuses to get up from where he was and open it to whatever murderous fiend or ghost or whatever shit that was behind that door disturbing him.

Maybe if he turns off the light, they won't know-

Buuuuuuuuuzzzzzzz.

"Sonofabitch, no one in their right mind buzzes like that except for…," With an irritated grumble, Hank trailed off to stomp over and swing open the door to meet a faint smirk of his stupidly straightforward deviant bud standing innocently at his doorstep and dropping his hand from the doorbell. "Connor. What the hell?"

"I apologize, Lieutenant. Did I wake you?" Connor immediately frowned in worry. Hank was caught a little off guard, still not used to seeing or hearing the newly found deviant using emotions in his words. But he snapped out of his stupor long enough to shake his head and sigh, rubbing his temple when he felt a headache form. It was way too early for this.

"No no. So, uh, what are you doing here?" Hank questioned with a furrow of his eyebrows. "Thought you got a whole revolution to do with Markus and the other guys."

"Yes, you are correct. My responsibilities for the revolution are there, but I decided to… withdraw myself from such," the RK800 admitted, feeling his fingers twitch at his sides. Hank looked for more information, which the deviant provided. "I decided that I didn't deserve a proper place to be considered as a leader, it just didn't seem a right thing to do… after what I've done."

"Connor-"

"So," he interrupted the detective, "I want to continue my services at the precinct. I have already prepared my resume to send to Captain Fowler when job applications for androids are established around the United States."

"And you're here...?" Hank trailed off in confusion, not wanting to sound rude but he couldn't help it. He was tired, sue him. Connor then awkwardly shuffled on the spot, his L.E.D blinking in yellow and the man could almost hear the gears turning in his head. "Well?"

"I, uh, um, well-"

"You need a place to stay, don't you?" Hank guessed, receiving a surprised look from the android. Quietly, Connor nodded. With a sigh, the gruff human opened his door wider and stepped to the side. "Alright alright, come on. We wouldn't want you to freeze your joints up, now do we?"

But Connor didn't move.

"Well, are ya coming?" Hank raised an eyebrow to stare at the waiting android, who still didn't look calm. "What is it?"

"I need another request," he continued rather stiffly. "Considering that most androids have moved into New Jericho, which used to be Cyberlife Tower, there are many things to take into account for. The revolution leaders have decided to separate their living arrangements to properly accommodate their newly announced freedom. North and Simon have decided to stay at New Jericho, associating themselves with repairs damaged androids and-"

"Get to the point," Hank stressed.

"Markus needs a place to stay as well," Connor finally sputtered out. The human looked beyond surprised, so shocked in fact that he couldn't even think of a response. The deviant leader, the one who caused the whole world of trouble and essentially brought androids out to experience freedom, and the deviant hunter, now a detective and deviant himself, living with him in his two-bedroom home.

It is too early for this.

"... why?" Hank finally manages in a disbelieving whisper.

"Markus doesn't necessarily want to stay in his soon-to-be workplace for the rest of his life," Connor easily answered. "And after the passing of Mr. Manfred, his original owner, and father figure, he has no other place to stay."

"And you volunteered to stay here with me," Hank guessed the rest, receiving a confirming nod. With another sigh, this one more begrudgingly than the last, the human dragged his hand across his eyes and nodded. "Okay, he can stay. Where is he?"

Connor stepped to the side in response to the question, only to reveal Markus sheepishly standing there. Hank was surely surprised, but he had enough of widening his eyes in the past five minutes. So, with a gesture of his hand, he let them into his home of now three.

"I'm sorry for the sudden intrusion, Lieutenant Anderson, I didn't want to disturb you," Markus immediately stated as Hank shut the door behind them both. "If it's too much, I can leave-"

"Nope no nuh-uh," the human shook his head as he went back to his beer, only to find it had disappeared. Pausing to look around, he refocused his attention on the android. "You want to be here then you're staying here, none of that 'whoops to wake ya' bullshit, got that? And it's Hank, no Lieutenant, and that goes for the both of you, understand?"

"Yes, Hank."

"As you wish, Hank."

Hank pinched the bridge of his nose, seeing the two deviants – who are now his roommates – standing before him curiously.

"Are you okay, Hank? Do you need to lie down?" Connor approached the man, placing a hand on his arm. "I detect your heart rate is slightly elevated, maybe it has something to do with your earlier consumption of alcohol. But do not worry, I have already disposed of the rest."

"You-"

"Maybe you should get to bed," Markus suggested with a nod, feeling his original programming as a caretaker kicked in. "It is three forty-five in the morning and you seem to not have gotten any rest in the past twenty-four hours. You'll need to sleep now if you want to have ideal energy tomorrow, and by that, I mean in a few hours."

"Hey-"

"I have already sent a message to Captain Fowler involving your tardiness for your shift later in the day," Connor reported with a yellow L.E.D before it returned to blue.

"Alright, enough!" Hank finally exclaimed, his voice only raised below a shout. At once, the two androids looked at him in concern. "I don't need two robots telling me what I can and cannot do, okay?"

The two look automatically guilty, pulling away and their heads tilted to the floor made the man regret his tone. "Look, I'm sorry, I'm just tired and it was a long day…" He sighed. "I'll go to bed in a moment, would that make you two happy?"

"Absolutely!" They perked up in unison. Hank thought it was a little creepy but didn't comment. The human left them in the living room for a moment and returned with a bundle of blankets and two pillows. He steadily moved to the couch and set up the temporary beds, one on the recliner and the other on the long brown couch. His blue eyes occasionally flicker to Markus and Connor as they pet Sumo, who was ecstatic to be given so much attention even at this early in the day. He felt a small smile gracing his lips.

But he shook his head. This is only a temporary stay – these two won't be here for long. Just until New Jericho is up and running. Until then, he'll have to deal with the two deviants. However, as much as his mind tried to tell him, his heart ached with a longing emotion. He doesn't want to think about when the two will leave, the two people who had ever stayed in his home ever since-

Well, ever since then.

He didn't realize he had finished the ugly beds he'd made and had been standing there staring off into space for a while. Hank snaps back into reality and turns to the two androids, but they seem to be preoccupied with Sumo and the discussion of tomorrow to have noticed his distant nature.

"Okay," he cleared his throat, silencing the two and bringing the attention to him. "Beds here. Kitchen over there. Bathroom is down the hall to the right, but I don't know if you guys even… go. You can use the TV whenever you want."

"Thank you, Hank, we appreciate it," Markus smiled softly while Connor nodded with his usual neutral expression. "Are there any rules we shall live by?"

"Yes," Hank began to emphasize with a sharp point of his finger. "1: you don't go into my room. 2: you break anything, you buy it. 3: no more throwing away my beer. And 4: be in bed by 10. Got it?"

They nodded, finding the rules (except for number three) to be reasonable.

"Okay, I'm headin' to bed. Don't wake me." Hank traveled to the hallway and paused at the doorway, shifting his gaze to catch Markus smoothly claiming the recliner while Connor awkwardly adjusted on the couch. His expression softened considerably. "Night you two."

"Goodnight, Hank," they stated in sync. Hank smiles a little before shaking his head in amusement and leaving to his room. After settling himself onto his bed, he quietly hears shuffling in the living room before the dim light under his closed-door was replaced with darkness.

Silence loomed over him as he processed what he just committed to in less than thirty minutes. He didn't plan on this day of Androids coming to an end with two new roommates, much less those who affected the revolution in every way possible.

He wonders how they are taking this sudden change. After all, in just one night they gained freedom and ended a possible war with the world. He might be just human, but he knew he wouldn't even begin to understand what the hell just happened. Starting a new life after years of slavery and abuse was hard to grasp.

He knows for a fact that Connor might be having a hard time trying to adjust to his new emotions and thoughts but will try to sort out anything as orderly as possible to try and get back to how he usually worked. But the human knew that in a matter of time Connor would understand how to process everything and he'll be there to help.

Markus, on the other hand, wasn't too sure. He hasn't met the android personally before tonight, but he could tell that the deviant leader knew how to manage through tough situations and find a solution. Based on the information he already knows, Hank could assume that Markus had been a deviant for a while now, so emotions weren't new to him, but having sudden freedom and the responsibility to lead their whole species for the future must be stressing the former caretaker. And like Connor, Hank will be there for Markus.

He doesn't know when he falls asleep, but when he woke up it was bright and sunny outside. Hank continued the day like usual, starting the apparent afternoon like it was his morning routine. After showering and entering the living room, he stopped short to see the couch and recliner barren of any life. The blankets and pillows were put away to make it seem like no one had slept there in the first place, and Hank would have believed it if he didn't hear quite a chatter in the kitchen along with the scent of bacon filling his nostrils.

As he turned the corner, he was met with Markus standing by the stove roasting something (most likely involving bacon) in a skillet while Connor sat at the dining table typing away on Hank's laptop at the speed of light. The latter glanced from the computer screen to the man and smiled warmly.

"Good morning, Hank. It's good to see you have rested a full eight hours," he mentioned just as Markus placed the food he made on a plate across Connor. "I suggest you head to work in half an hour, that should give you enough time to arrive and clock in."

"But before that, you need to eat," Markus added as he began to clean the little mess he made in the kitchen. "I made you what I used to cook for Carl. Earlier today I stopped by the grocery store to buy vegetables and meats that were lacking in your fridge and appropriately incorporated it into a healthy meal. I hope you don't find anything too distasteful."

Hank promptly sat and ate a good quarter of the brunch-like food, widening his eyes at the burst of flavor that exploded in his mouth. "Oh shit, you cooked this?!" He exclaimed through a mouthful. Markus grimaced but refrained from commenting. "Man, I'm never eating out again."

Markus grinned enthusiastically, seeming that the worry that might have surfaced vanished in an instant.

"So," popping a piece of bacon into his mouth, Hank looked between the two. "What are you up to?"

"I was discussing with Markus involving android laws and enforcement that needs to be involved throughout New Jericho and the rest of android kind," Connor answered, as truthful as always. "From what we've gathered, over 400,000 androids are refuged inside New Jericho Tower as of this moment and there are more to come as millions more around the world are slowly awakening into their new lives. Canada is still wary around androids, but I'm sure that after Markus convinces them that we are no harm, androids who have taken refuge there will come out of hiding."

"I remember meeting someone heading to Canada with a human child, I wonder if they made it over," Markus commented offhandedly. Connor stiffened momentarily.

"I hope so too," he muttered under his breath before continuing. "While Markus plans on heading to meet the president to discuss new laws, I'll stay here and monitor New Jericho among the rest of the revolution leaders-"

"You can call them by their names, Connor," Markus interrupted him with a sigh. By the sound of his voice, he must have repeated this fact multiple times. "North, Simon, and Josh won't bite your hand off if you don't call them something so formal."

"North would," Connor frowned in disgust. What he was disgusted about was a mystery to the other two occupants in the room. "She still believes I am working for Cyberlife, even if the company has disbanded since yesterday."

"I'll talk to her, don't worry." Despite his reassurance, Connor sighed and shook his head before shutting the laptop and standing from his spot.

"I am going to meet a few contacts, I'll be back in a few hours." Without another word, Connor left the house.

"What's up with him?" Hank frowned, having finished his food during the conversation. Markus finally stopped wiping the same spot on the counter he had cleaned for the past ten minutes to turn to the human.

"I'm not sure, but I'm sure he'll be ready to talk about it when he needs help," Markus offered. He then neatly folded the apron he bought and put it away until he too turned to the door. "You should be at work in ten minutes. I'm on my way to New Jericho, call me or Connor if there is an emergency."

Once again, Hank was left alone at home. But this time, he didn't feel as alone ever since Cole's death.

After all, he just gained two new deviants who have wormed their way into his heart of steel.

TBC...