Chapter 1
Snow gently fell from the dark sky, coating the city of Detroit with a soft blanket of white ice. The cold breeze traveled down the empty, desolate streets trying to find anyone to notice it. No one was around, not a soul in sight, which made the high technological city ominous.
The Android Revolution came to an end, only minutes before had the president herself declare peace with artificial intelligence and called off the army. Markus had done it. He led the way for their people to stand their ground and uphold a peaceful demonstration of their rights.
And now androids and deviants alike are free.
Markus had decided that they would build off of this day and take the remaining androids to infiltrate Cyberlife tower. The cruel corporation that sold their bodies and trapped them in slavery would pay for their misdeeds. The deviant leader and his closest colleagues – North, Simon, and Josh – would lead the way for a new life. That's what the androids deserve.
However, one newly deviated android that played an important part in the Revolution slicked away into the darkness, his disappearance going unnoticed by the rest. All except for the deviant leader, that is. Maybe it was for the best that they didn't notice him. He wasn't a leader, he wasn't their savior. The deviant wanted to stay as far away from any deviants as possible, and he's sure that they would agree.
After all, he was Connor, the android sent by Cyberlife to hunt down deviants. At least that's what he was programmed for, but not after he deviated himself.
Snow continued to rain down from the sky, flakes of which landed on his grey Cyberlife blazer and hair. He wrapped his arms around himself tightly in an attempt to warm himself from the unforgiving cold.
He hated the cold.
Connor slowly walked down the dark empty streets of Detroit, being careful not to slip on the ice. Now that he is alone, he can try to sort out his buzzing thoughts and newly acquired emotions. It's overwhelming, he couldn't possibly understand what any of them mean. All except for fear. He knew that one fairly well and he's certain that it's the largest emotion he feels at the moment.
He was afraid when another RK800 captured Hank and used him as leverage at Cyberlife tower.
He was afraid when Amanda took control of his body and unsuccessfully managed to assassinate Markus during his grand speech. The biting cold that pierced his skin in the Zen Garden; that terror he felt when he thought he was trapped and he couldn't see anything but a blurry mess of snow; but that small moment of relief when he found the emergency back door that Kamski spoke of, freeing him and preventing the assassination. That relief didn't linger, being quickly overlooked by trauma and guilt.
He is afraid. He is terrified because he knows that he has no one.
Connor was alone.
The newly deviated hunt- (No! That's not him anymore) android had no home and no friends. With his processors permanently disconnected from Cyberlife, he couldn't figure out what to do next. Is this what it felt like to have a free mind? To be able to think about everything and not just things involving a mission. And there was no way he was going back to Cyberlife. He betrayed them and he's sure that after tonight, the company would be no more.
The sun was coming up, its yellow and orange gaze barely peeking over the tall buildings. How long had he been walking? Considering how he was shivering(He's shaking! Why is he shaking?) more than he'd care to admit, he's been walking for a while now. With a sigh, noticing a cloud of air escaping his mouth, he aimlessly continued his walk to nowhere.
/ WARNING! Drop in 'Core Temperature'...
{... Core Temperature – 89.3 Degrees Fahrenheit }
WARNING! Please contact Cyberlife for technical assistance… /
Maybe he could go back to the police department? But then again, he did sneak into the evidence room without permission and knocked Detective Reed out cold, so it might be best if he didn't show his face for a while. (Not like anyone wanted him there anyway.)
How about Hank? As much as his intelligent mind tried to prove to him, the deviant believes that he's still not close enough to the Lieutenant yet. There was still a barrier, something that he knew he shouldn't cross when it came to the experienced detective. It's not like he couldn't trust the human, but he's certain that the man won't feel the same way about him. Hank hates androids, he's made that quite clear on various occasions. Yet the deviant couldn't bring himself to care, he knows that the man had a heart of gold that he seemed to have temporarily revealed during his partnership with the senior.
But what if their relationship was just that – temporary? What if Hank was only being nice because he knew that their partnership wouldn't last? What if Hank wanted to get rid of him all along, but never had a proper chance? What if Connor didn't do anything at all to get on the Lieutenant's good side?
What if… What if Hank never even thought of him as anything more than a machine?
He halted in his tracks. It wasn't the thought that made him stop. It wasn't the area he managed to subconsciously walk to, that being in front of the 'popular' unhealthy burger stand. It was the other lone figure standing in front of the stand, seeming to be waiting out in the cold for something. Or someone.
Hank must have heard his footsteps because he turned to Connor, his arms dropping to his sides as he looked at the android with an expectant look. The deviant didn't know what to do, he was just shocked. His body seemed to go into autopilot since he unwillingly flashed the man a crooked smile. But the Lieutenant didn't seem to notice his nervousness because he mirrored a more genuine smile.
Hank approached the deviant that looked glued to the ground before wrapping his arms around the smaller figure. It only took a second until Connor registered the gesture and returned it stiffly. What… was this? He ran it through his scanners and determined the correct definition.
This is a hug. It's meant to show affection. Affection? Why would the Lieutenant want-?
"I'm glad you're safe, son. You worried the shit outta me, you know that?" Hank interrupted his thoughts. He sounded sincere and indeed worried. Connor instinctively scanned his person and found that his heart levels had increased significantly, but had begun declining as he continued to hug Connor. And 'son'? He wasn't his son.
"You were… worried? Why?" The deviant questioned with evident curiosity and equal confusion. Hank softly chuckled, his hold only tightening.
"Because you literally led a parade of androids through the city and practically saved the Revolution from the military," explained the man. "Of course I would be worried! I couldn't fall asleep at night knowing my partner was risking his life for other androids."
"But I am an android. I-"
"You are so much more than an android, Connor," Hank interrupted once more, but with a stern yet sincere tone. "You're alive. You have feelings, free thoughts, and can make personal decisions. If I have to drill it into your head to make you understand, then so be it because I'm not letting my best friend feel like a mindless robot anymore."
"Best… friend?" Connor whispered under his breath. His eyes glazed over with water that was meant to cleanse his eyes if harmful substances penetrate his optimal sensors. But there was nothing in the air. So why was he… crying? His tears were silent, but that didn't matter anymore. Hank. He thought of Connor, the naive and stubborn android converted deviant, as his friend?
Maybe Connor really wasn't alone. He has Hank, his…
HANK
WARM ^^^ — FRIEND
Friend? Yes. This was right. Hank was his best friend. Connor finally began relaxing into the Lieutenant's touch and hugged him tighter. This was nice. A warm feeling spread through his chest. He didn't know what it was (Love? Passion? Security? All accurately described) but he liked it. It gave him a sense of hope that everything will be alright.
Hank led the newly deviated android into his home, tossing his keys to the side, and hung his coat on the hanger. While he moved around the home, Connor stood at the door, unsure of what to do. His awkward demeanor didn't go unnoticed by the experienced detective.
"Hey, are you just going to stand there and act pretty, or are you going to sit down?" Hank gestured to the couch while he stepped into the hallway. Connor bounced in his spot for another second before doing as told. He walked over to the couch and sat at the very end, then proceeded to straighten his posture and place his hands neatly on his lap. The man returned with blankets and a pillow. Hank paused his walking when he was directly in front of the android and subconsciously placed his hand on Connor's forehead then cheek. "Holy shit! You're colder than an ice cube."
"M-My core temperature has d-dropped to 81.7 degrees, so that may explain why my s-synthetic outer s-skin feels cold to the t-touch," Connor explained while his teeth chattered subtly. Hank sighed and shook his head disapprovingly before he unexpectedly wrapped the unsuspecting deviant in the blankets. The poor android was not only shocked by the unrealistic speed but the parental instinct the older man seemed to still carry.
"Alright. That should do it," Hank stepped back, nodding in approval at his fine work. "Are you warm now?"
Connor let out a muffled response as he found it difficult to talk, much less move, in the tight bundle of blankets he was forced into. Hank smiled a little as the innocent-looking eyes stared back at him. He helped lower the blanket to properly hear the deviant.
"I said I feel immobilized," said the cocooned Connor as he tried to desperately free himself from his prison. But Hank had remarkably managed to remove his ability to escape and his advanced strength showed no match for the swaddle, much to the humor of the human. "Is this necessary? I only need a few minutes until my core temperature rises to a preferred degree."
"Yeah, well, better safe than sorry. Plus, it's not like I'm going to let you have a say in the matter."
"It doesn't seem like it, no."
"So, how about I order me some takeout and you… do you even eat? Or drink anything?" Hank paused on his way to the kitchen.
"Androids cannot necessarily eat, since we don't have stomachs with dissolving acids, but we can still digest foods and liquids for a certain amount of time before expelling them from our bodies," Connor explained. Hank winced in disgust.
"So you have to throw up what you ate?"
"Essentially, yes."
"Gross."
"It's not ideal, but this is what Cyberlife allowed in all androids to give them a more lifelike quality," the deviant stated in a less ecstatic tone. "What androids can digest is Thirium 310, or 'blue blood' as you call it, to replenish what we once lost."
"Oh," he nodded thoughtfully as he processed this valuable information. "So, you good on Thirium?"
"My Thirium levels are at 100%, I will not need more. But thank you." Hank nodded once more before leaving to return to do the original task. Connor, being left alone, sat perfectly still and closed his eyes to review current articles of information revolving around android laws, Markus, and Cyberlife. As he'd predicted, Cyberlife was no more. Markus had successfully entered Cyberlife tower but was reportedly found empty. Employees from the corrupted corporation left long ago before the androids even reached the tower. Since it was large and remote, Markus and the other three leaders decided to renovate Cyberlife tower and dub it 'New Jericho Tower' for androids to reside safely.
Connor stopped his research and opened his eyes rather abruptly when he felt something heavy balance on his knees. At once, his brown eyes made contact with the large amber ones belonging to the large lovable Saint Bernard.
"Hello, Sumo," the deviant greeted. The Saint Bernard let out a low woof before dragging his large tongue across Connor's face. The deviant felt a small grin appear on his face. He slowly moved his arms to wiggle himself free from the blankets to properly pet Sumo. The large dog wagged his tail happily as he received unconditional love from the android. Getting more joyous by the second, Sumo pushed the deviant to fall back flat against the couch before extending his entire body across the deviant. The Saint Bernard licked Connor's face one more time before settling his head on the android's face.
"Alright, food will be here soon. I also ordered some Thirium whatever for y-" Hank returned to the living room and evidently froze when he saw his dog practically burying his friend with his fur. The android made no move to shoo the dog away, only continuing to pet the animal like nothing. "Um… Connor? You okay there?"
Connor's head shifted so he could partially see Hank over the fur. "I seem to have attracted Sumo into this position," he vocalized his situation as he continued to pet the dog. "But I don't think I mind."
"Seems like Sumo picked his new favorite. He never did that to me," Hank scoffed as he shook his head and sat on his recliner with a beer in hand. Connor eyed the alcohol with an unbreakable stare.
"I can assure you that it was not my intention," the deviant apologized. There was a pause as he hesitated to add another thought. "... Why do you keep drinking?"
Hank stared at him for a moment before shrugging then taking a sip of his beverage. "Dunno. Well, it's worth it after everything that's happened. Just lemme drink my beer and you keep petting Sumo. It'll make us both happy."
"I'm sure that I'm the only one happy in this scenario," he muttered under his breath. Although he was against the idea to let Hank drink, Connor had little said in the matter. He doesn't want to jeopardize his newly announced friendship as well. So he kept his mouth shut. Deciding that the silence became a little awkward, Hank turned on the TV and decided to play a movie.
"Ah, this is a classic!" The experienced man exclaimed as he rummaged through a large stuffed case filled with DVDs. He placed it into his DVD player and sat back, seeing the screen transition to blue then play various trailers from other movies. "I used to watch this movie as a kid and loved it every time."
"... 'License To Drive'?" Connor read the title of the movie once the screen popped up. He quickly browsed his sources for any information regarding the film. "A 1988 American teen comedy film written by Neil Tolkin and directed by Greg Beeman in his feature film directorial debut. It stars-"
"Yeah, I know, Wikipedia," Hank rolled his eyes, cutting off the deviant from spilling any more information. The doorbell rang, signaling that his food arrived. "Now shut it and watch the movie."
Connor shut his mouth and sunk into the couch as the man left. He didn't mean to upset him, he just couldn't help it. It was natural for the deviant to explain any information regarding what he sees. (Always managing to upset others, huh, Connor?) The deviant detective sighed softly and buried his face into Sumo once more. Hank returned at that time and proceeded to eat, but it didn't take long for him to notice his friend hiding away in the forest of fur.
Hank sighed heavily and cleaned his fingers with a napkin. "Listen, kid. Sorry for snapping at you earlier. You didn't do anything wrong and you were just curious."
"It's okay, Hank," Connor's muffled voice reached his ears, but even then he could tell that the deviant was still upset. Hank paused the movie before turning his full attention to the young android.
"I can tell that you're still upset and it may not be about some movie," Hank pointed out, noting that the figure on the couch shifted slightly. "You had a rough past couple of days. You deviated, escaped Jericho, then broke into and busted out thousands of androids from Cyberlife tower. It all must have some effect on you, especially when you just learned you had emotions. So do you want to talk about it?"
"...I prefer I don't. It's been a long day and I'm tired," Connor ultimately lied. His mind was telling him that he should tell him, but his heart knew he couldn't handle breaking down in front of the man. He finally looked at Hank and flashed him a false smile. "I'm okay."
Hank knew for a fact that he wasn't okay, but he didn't push it. His yellow L.E.D. betrayed his thoughts too. He understood that the deviant was exhausted. Hell, he was too and all he did was get captured! But he also understood that it wasn't the brightest idea to suppress emotions.
"Okay. Just, if you're ready to talk, I'm all ears," the Lieutenant nodded respectfully. "But you shouldn't keep these types of emotions locked up. Trust me, I speak from experience. You should talk about them before they start screwing with your head."
Connor ran a quick self-diagnostic. "I don't detect anything tampering with my central optimal processor." Hank wasn't sure what he described but he rolled his eyes nonetheless. "But I understand what you mean. I'll speak with you if I have any problems I wish to discuss."
"That's all I ask," the man nodded approvingly. He turned the TV back on and proceeded to watch the movie.
"Thank you, Hank, for letting me spend the night," Connor stared at the man intently.
"It's no problem, kid. You can stay here for as long as you want. Mi casa es su casa," the man smirked before returning his attention to the television. Connor did the same, his L.E.D finally settling on blue, and tried to pay attention until another message flashed across his eyes.
INCOMING MESSAGE…
FROM : Markus
OPEN MESSAGE?... Y/N
Connor clenched his teeth. He was sure that his L.E.D. would have flashed yellow. He took a subtle deep breath and opened the message, which allowed him to hear the leader's voice in his head.
'Connor. If you haven't heard, we have successfully gained control of Cyberlife tower and are commencing a new life here. I'm not sure where you are, but I hope you are doing well. I wish for you to join our community and be with our people in peace, but that is your choice. I hope to see you again, my friend. You played an important part in this historical revolution as the rest of us. You deserve to be recognized. Until next time.'
Connor closed his eyes and sighed through his nose. He didn't want to be recognized. Who would? The former deviant hunter came back and saved thousands of androids. No one would believe that and no one would see him as a hero. He was nothing more than a killer. It was for the best that he stayed away from the deviants. It was for their safety. Connor spoke in his mind and sent a message to Markus.
'Markus, I've received your message. I'm doing well but I must insist that I should stay away from New Jericho Tower. It would be best for everyone, especially those who are defensive about who I am. I hope you respect that.'
SEND MESSAGE?... Y/N
…YES
Almost immediately after he sent his message he received another response from the deviant leader.
'It's good to hear from you, my friend. I understand your concern, but you should not worry. You are welcome here in New Jericho. I also respect your decision to stay away. Whenever you want to stop by you have my permission to enter. Also remember: who you are now is not what you were before. You are free and no longer have to live the life Cyberlife assigned you to. Please don't forget. I'll keep in contact with you.'
'Very well. Thank you, Markus.'
'You're welcome, Connor.'
Once the deviant opened his eyes, he noticed that Hank had finished his food and fell asleep as the movie continued to play. By the way, his scanners analyzed the man from afar, he concluded that if he continued to sleep that way, he would be in pain in the morning. So Connor gently pushed Sumo off of him, who grumbled in annoyance and plopped between the couch and the coffee table, and swung his legs over to stand.
He cybernetically turned off the television before turning to Hank. The faint blue hue of his L.E.D. lit up the room but he didn't need the light to perfectly see in the dark.
"Hank?" Connor whispered, gently nudging the man's shoulders. Hank stirred and cracked open his eyes. The deviant noted the hint of alcohol lingering in his breath. His processors informed him that it was ideal to rehydrate the man. "You should go to bed where you are more comfortable. I'll get you a glass of water as well."
"Huh, guess the food knocked me out," Hank mumbled as he rubbed the sleep from his eyes. Connor decided not to ask what the man meant while he went to get water. The senior detective slowly stood up and stretched his body until he heard a satisfying crack before he walked to his room. He was stopped by Connor, who gave him a glass of water, which he begrudgingly drank. "Thanks. If you need anything, help yourself. Goodnight."
"Goodnight, Hank. I'll wake you at 7:30 tomorrow for work," Connor nodded. Hank groaned loudly until he shut his bedroom door. The deviant placed the glass in the sink, washed it quickly, and put it away, before returning to the couch. He ran another self-diagnostic and noted that his core temperature returned to its ideal condition.
So Connor sat still as a statue, waiting for 7:30 a.m. to hit the clock. Only 8 more hours. 8 long boring hours. His eyes wandered across the room but he found nothing in particular interest to do.
/ WARNING! Low System Battery…
{... Power Level – 54%}
… Please recharge at the charging station.
WARNING! Please contact Cyberlife for technical assistance… /
Connor sighed. He doesn't have a charging port available, but going into stasis mode was the next ideal way to recharge. So the deviant laid back down and closed his eyes.
Hopefully, the future would hold a better life for the deviant. But only time would tell. Until then, he'll have to wait.
TBC...
