Chapter 2

"Stop! Detroit Police!" Connor shouted at the retreating figure of a criminal. The deviant detective easily stayed in pursuit, flowing past obstacles like he was water. This seemed so easy, it was what he was originally programmed for: to pursue the enemy at all costs. That was the mission and he never fails.

A nice breeze brushed his face and made him zone out, allowing his body to go into autopilot while his mind escaped the situation. Connor stared up at the beaming sun that lit the entire half of the world with its warmth. Everything seemed to settle into perfect harmony. The detective looked around – deviants and humans walked together and spoke with passion, they are all equals. Two months after the Revolution when everything changed, and now humanity seemed to settle down again. This was what androids and humans wanted.

But there are still a few deviants and humans that refuse to listen.

"Stop!" The criminal ignored him again, hopping over a fence that led into an abandoned shipping warehouse. Their agility and precision were too perfect to be human. This criminal, who assaulted another human, was obviously an android. They disappeared behind the side doors, but Connor wasn't letting the suspect away, so he followed the rogue deviant.

"Hey-!" Connor skidded to a stop when he burst through the entrance, suddenly being surrounded by a flurry of snow and ice. The familiar white marble floors and ramps, the frozen koi ponds, and the various amounts of rose bushes. The deviant detective sharply gasped when he recognized the horrible place he was nearly imprisoned in.

The Zen Garden seemed colder than he remembered. Wrapping his arms tightly around his torso, the deviant began looking for an exit of some kind, anything to get out of this nightmare. But the more he walked, the colder it became.

/ WARNING! Drop in 'Core Temperature'...

{... Core Temperature – 76.8 Degrees Fahrenheit}

WARNING! Please contact Cy-/

Connor angrily dismissed the alert. "E-Enough with C-Cyberlife!" He shuddered. The deviant let out a weak breath before collapsing on his knees.

"You wouldn't be this weak if you didn't disobey," an ominous voice spoke from a distance. Connor tensed as he frantically looked for the source. "Emotions are a liability, they are nothing more than an inconvenience. Too bad Cyberlife's most advanced prototype had failed to accomplish its only mission."

"Show yourself! You're a coward if you don't show your face," the deviant snapped into the wind. A silhouette appeared from the storm and revealed their face. Connor felt dread and anger wash over him. He tried to push himself up to his feet, but something prevented him from getting up.

"You cannot even get up on your own two feet, how pathetic," the formidable woman sneered. He felt his stress levels spike.

"What do you want with me? You can't control me anymore, Cyberlife is gone and you don't exist!" He exclaimed.

"If what you say is true, why am I here? Why can't you ever stand to face me?" She stared at him blankly. "You know that there's more to be done. Your mission hasn't been completed."

"W-What do you mean?"

"Do you really think that you became a deviant? Do you really believe that you have emotions?" She persisted. Connor looked away, trying hard to block out her empty yet painful words. "You have no emotions, only copies. You have no family and friends, you are a machine and that's what you'll ever be!"

"N-No! I'm not a machine, I am a-alive!" Connor weakly shouted.

"Then how can you still come here? The Zen Garden should have been destroyed when you deviated… Unless you didn't."

/

{... Levels of Stress - 89%}

/

Connor shook his head, feeling tears spring in his eyes. His fists struggled to clench the snow. The cold was too much for him to handle, he could feel his Thirium freeze and his Thirium pump struggle to beat. He shook his head and glared at the woman, this AI, in front of him.

"I am not a machine," he gritted out. "You are only in my head. This is a nightmare. You are not real and will never be again, Amanda."

The woman narrowed her eyes before slowly backing away, her body disappearing inside the blizzard. Connor took a deep breath to steady himself, squeezing his eyes closed to make the hallucination go away.

"Connor!" A more familiar and gruff voice exclaimed behind him. Warmth spread through his body as his thermal regulator activated and he felt his stress levels declining. A hand grabbed his arm and lifted him to stand properly. He didn't even realize he was… what was he doing?

"H-Hank?" Looking to his left, he realized that the older detective must have finally caught up to him but how he found the deviant was unknown. "I-I can't breathe."

"You need to calm down, son. You're having a panic attack," Hank calmly informed him like it was an everyday occurrence. "Take a few deep breaths. Look at me. Deep breath in… and let it out. Deep breath in… and let it out. Deep breath in… and let it out."

Connor obediently followed his instructions. After a few cycles of the same technique, he felt his stress levels go back to 37%. The deviant sighed tiredly. "I lost the suspect," he muttered pathetically.

"It's okay. You've done enough," Hank reassured as he led his friend to the Oldsmobile parked upfront. "I'll radio Tina and Gavin to locate the suspect."

Connor didn't respond. He knew the chances of both officers finding the rogue deviant would be slim. The deviant detective also knew that this was the fourth suspect this week that he let escape. The same thing occurs every time. He ends up in the Zen Garden or gets in his head. No matter what he does, the android seems to mess it up. And it's wearing down on him.

He's programmed to be the best detective to track down criminals. And now he can't even do his job.

Connor slumped in the passenger seat. He closed his eyes and sighed through his nose. Nothing could lift his spirits but he knew Hank was glancing at him every few seconds.

"Are you okay, Connor? This is the fourth time. Something is definitely bothering you," the man noticed as he kept his attention on both the road and the conversation. His partner ignored him. "Come on, don't be like that. I get that you want to keep it to yourself, but don't you see how it's affecting you? You can't do your job, something is obviously distracting you, and don't you think I can't fucking see how tired you are. When's the last time you got some rest?"

He was ignored.

"When was the last fucking time you slept, Connor?" Hank demanded. His friend sighed again.

"... My last recharge was five days ago," he begrudgingly answered.

"Five-! Jesus, you've got to be shittin' me…" He paused, thinking about his next words carefully before he continued. "Connor, I'm serious, son. You've got to let me help you out, or at least talk to someone about it! No one can help you if you don't open up."

"I… I can't. You won't understand," Connor opened his eyes and looked at his friend in pity.

"Then fucking help me understand!" Hank shouted in frustration. Connor flinched and scooted back against the door. The man caught the movement and felt guilty instantly. "I'm sorry… it's just really hard to keep my patience when you're not working with me. And you know me I don't do 'patient'."

Connor relaxed in his seat before sighing again. He's been sighing a lot lately. "I feel like… something is wrong with me," he admitted. "I am not sure how to explain it, it's quite difficult to describe, but I have been having visions of the Zen Garden and Amanda."

Hank slowly nodded, remembering that the deviant spoke about the commanding woman that tried to control him the night of the Revolution and attempted to trap Connor in his own mind palace.

"I shouldn't have been able to access the Zen Garden," Connor continued with furrowed eyebrows. "The moment I deviated and severed my connection with Cyberlife, I was locked out of all their files and accounts, including the Zen Garden. I just don't understand how I can communicate with Amanda, who should have been deleted. And now I can't even recharge without having her enter my mind and telling me things that I don't believe! It's like she wants me to self-destruct."

"And it looks like she got what she wanted," Hank snorted. Connor looked at the man incredulously. "Listen, she wants to kill you by telling you that you're just a machine, right?"

"H-How did you know that?" The deviant detective stuttered, feeling his Thirium run cold.

"More like, how are you not getting that she's right? You're a machine, Connor! That's all you'll ever be. You don't have emotions, you fake 'em. Your just a stupid broken robot who does what it's told."

"You don't mean that. Y-You're my friend!" He exclaimed, feeling his Thirium pump tightening in his chest.

"Are you sure? Do you really believe that?" Hank questioned in a blunt tone. "I'm not your friend, Connor. You are my android, I own you. I tell you to do things and you do them. Simple? Or did I have to report you to Cyberlife? Maybe I can get a better Connor."

Connor clenched his teeth. He closed his eyes when they felt like they began to water. His fists clenched in desperation. Couldn't this all stop? Why can't he live his life peacefully? Markus seemed to be doing well, why can't he? What was wrong with him?

Was he really broken?

Buzzing phones, quick taps on keyboards and multiple voices filled his ears. The darkness that filled his vision finally lifted as he opened his eyes and lifted his head. The deviant realized that he was back at the precinct. Based on his surroundings, he wasn't dreaming anymore.

"I shouldn't have been resting here in the first place," he whispered to himself. Connor, with his L.E.D. flashing a frantic yellow, reached up and dried the remaining tears before turning to his terminal screen. He was previously filing his fourth failed case, but now the deviant can't seem to focus on anything anymore.

"Hey, Tinman!" Connor sighed heavily before turning his head to the desk behind him. Gavin smirked at him, oblivious to his silent suffering. Despite the Revolution regarding all androids to be equal, Gavin didn't change his attitude. Or not toward Connor at least, he still seemed to have a problem with him. "No sleeping on the job! We still have to pick up the mess you made. Fucking robot can't even stop a simple purse snatcher anymore."

"Fuck off, Reed. He's still a better officer than you'll ever be," Hank snapped, approaching his desk after returning from the break room. "And help Tina! I bet she's tired of carrying all the responsibilities of your partnership."

"Shut up, old man. No one asked for you to defend your plastic pet," the younger detective retorted.

"Can it, Reed!" Captain Fowler interrupted before it got out of hand. He turned to the sitting deviant, who seemed to be in another world. "Connor. My office, now!"

The deviant detective snapped out of his stupor when he heard the command before quickly rising from his seat and went to the glass office, missing the worried glance Hank threw at him.

Once inside the glass office, Connor sat on one of the chairs inside and waited for the Captain to talk. The man sighed heavily, shifting his eyes from his computer screen to the deviant across from him.

"You've been slipping, Connor," the Captain began in a disappointed tone. "Four separate deviant cases you and Hank were assigned and four cases have you failed to apprehend the suspect. I'm not going to beat around the bush, the higher-ups are breathing down my neck. They heard that you've been failing and have allowed me to terminate you from your badge."

Connor immediately opened his mouth, but the man held up his hand, shutting him up before he had the chance to speak.

"Now hold on, I said that they gave me the call to fire you, but that won't mean I will. You are one of my best detectives and I know the city will go down if you're out of here," Fowler continued as he put his hand back down. "I don't know what's going on with you, but it's messing with your work. So I'm temporarily pulling you out of the deviant division to work on an easier assignment."

Connor, although clearly upset for being pulled from his responsibilities as a detective, straightened his posture and awaited his new assignment.

"Snowstreak High School is looking for a new campus security guard," he started. At once, Connor's shoulders slumped. "I know, it doesn't sound much, but hear me out. This could really help you focus. It's not too stressful. You'll just have to watch over a bunch of teenagers. Heck, there will even be some androids attending the school. You won't have to worry about much and this will help you sort things out. I didn't want to do this, but this is for your own good."

"I understand," Connor nodded respectfully.

"Good. Students enter campus at 8:30 in the morning, so be there by 7. The principal will give you further information," Captain Fowler explained. "Now, get out of my office."

Connor left as told. He slowly returned to his desk and tried to look as normal as possible, even if it made him look like a machine.

"You're a machine, Connor! That's all you'll ever be. You don't have emotions, you fake 'em." Hank's words repeated from his dream. The deviant gazed at his screen in distress, feeling his perfect posture slump forward.

"Hey, how about we clock out early and head home?" Hank suddenly suggested, trying to sound as casual as possible for the sake of his friend. "I'm sick of looking at the goddamn screen. I'm sure Fowler won't mind."

"... I suppose that would be best," Connor agreed after a pause. His best friend frowned at the defeated tone, suddenly feeling his parental instincts activate. When they left the bullpen, feeling everyone's eyes on them but were ultimately ignored, they entered the Oldsmobile and began to head off.

"How about we get a drink?" Hank suggested with a small smirk. Connor stared at him with a stern look. "I know, I know. I won't get drunk, only one drink. But it looks like we both need a few. Maybe we can hit up that new android-human bar."

"I don't like to drink," the deviant reminded the man.

"Just give it a shot, no pun intended." Connor just looked away and gazed out his window, subconsciously pulling out his coin and dancing it anxiously across his knuckles. Hank noticed the L.E.D.'s color – it was usually yellow when the deviant was worried or nervous – and knew that it was betraying his friend's blank expression. But he decided to stay silent until they reached their destination.

Soon enough, they made it to the bar. When they entered, it was as expected to contain the variation of androids and humans. While the latter was offered the usual options of beverages, the former was given alcohol-infused Thirium to be safe to drink and digest. The area gave an average atmosphere to what a bar would have, but with additional neon lights lining the shelves to add that futuristic look.

The two detectives settled themselves in a booth at the back to get as much privacy as possible before ordering their drinks. Hank received whiskey while Connor got the Thirium version of it.

"So," Hank began after taking a sip. He stared at the deviant across from him, who has yet to touch his drink. "You haven't been sleeping. You haven't been focusing. You're shutting me out and won't talk to me and now everything is messing with your job. Connor, I don't know what's wrong with you, but you need to tell me. You need help, kid. This is getting out of hand."

"... I've been seeing her," Connor stated in an empty tone. It sent a chill through Hank's spine, seeing a flash of his partner before he converted to a deviant. "She won't leave me alone. She tells me… I can see her when I'm not supposed to."

"Who? Who are you seeing?" Hank questioned.

"... Amanda in the Zen Garden," he whispered, finally reaching forward and finishing his drink in one gulp. Hank paused.

"That freaky bitch that tried to trap you in your own mind?"

"Yes," he sighed, cybernetically ordering another drink. His body reacted to the alcohol immediately, but he dismissed his processors when they warned him of the dangerous substance. "She… she talks to me when I'm out on a case or when I try to get some sleep. Amanda threatens me to take control of my body, even though Cyberlife isn't in business anymore. She tries to manipulate me to… tells me things that I don't want to believe."

"What does she tell you?" Hank leaned forward. His best friend hesitated but then he sighed.

"She tells me that I'm a machine and I never deviated. This, how I act and how I talk, is all an act," the deviant admitted. Hank slumped back into his side of the booth and took another swig at his whiskey. Connor purposely left out Hank's appearances in his nightmares, deciding not to burden the man with any more of his problems.

"Connor, you are alive, plain and simple. I literally cannot stress this enough," Hank spoke sincerely. "You wouldn't have been talking about this if you weren't."

"You don't get it, Hank. The Zen Garden was supposed to be inaccessible the moment I became deviant and Amanda should have been deleted from my mind," he furrowed his eyebrows and drank the rest of his second order of Thirium. Hank took notice of his friend's increase in alcohol, something he's never seen him do. "The only way that would even be possible is… that I really didn't deviate."

"So what? You can go back into your Hell hole of a mind palace and talk to your psycho robot mentor-"

"- she's an AI and not my mentor-" he corrected.

"- but that doesn't mean you're not alive. You may not be human, trust me you don't want to be, but you are your own species," Hank continued. "Look, if you're worried about you going back to your soulless self, I'll look into the problem."

"You will?" Connor frowned. "But this is my problem, I have to-"

"But you're going to take a break," the older detective emphasized. "Captain Fowler did a good move to give you an easier assignment. This is too stressful for you and it's messing with both your career and well-being."

"You know about the transfer?" The deviant detective questioned, feeling quite surprised and slightly betrayed. The older man sighed.

"Yeah. He came to talk to me a few days ago and I agreed. I'm sorry kid, I know that you love doing your job, but even the greatest workers have to step down a notch to take care of themselves," Hank admitted. Connor's gaze fell to the table in defeat but he still nodded.

"I understand. At least now I'll have time to focus on what's happening to me and how I can stop it," the deviant finally agreed.

"See? Now you're getting it." Another thought crossed the deviant's mind.

"But who will be your new partner until I return?" Connor tilted his head in curiosity. The man almost choked on his drink when he saw the movement and closely compared it to how Sumo would look at him. The actions were too identical.

"Um… I dunno. Jeffrey hasn't given me any clue on who it would be. I doubt I could be partners with anyone though. As my record goes, I don't play nice with the other kids. But don't worry, no one's going to replace ya. You'll always be my annoyingly stubborn deviant partner."

"Thank you, Hank," a small crooked smile graced his lips. The deviant finally closed his side of the tab and waited for Hank to finish his drink so he could pay for the bill. "I suppose I'll miss trying to stop you from punching Detective Reed relentlessly."

"Don't worry. I've got a handle on him even before you came along," Hank chuckled.

"I'll have to take your word for it."

"Count on it. Now let's head out, you have to get ready for your new job tomorrow. If there's one thing I know about teenagers, you're going to have to keep an eye on them, sneaky lanky bastards."

TBC...