Just a headcanon of mine I couldn't help but put into words. Rated purely for mentions of potentially distressing canon situations.


Interface

By: The Half-Blood Guardian


Markus and North face each other, the synthetic skin of their clasped hands melting away and leaving behind the white of exposed chassis as they interface. The bright, cyan glow where their hands meet indicates something beyond simple data transference is taking place – a deeper level of cybernetic connection than Connor has either experienced or witnessed.

Others around them smile, or at least watch the interaction with open, curious expressions, but try as he might, Connor can't understand their interest. Not when the sight of it only brings to mind the recollection of his own hand (the hand of Connor-51) clamped vicelike around the damaged wrist of an HK400 in an interrogation room, forcibly invading the memories of an already traumatized individual – or the dark, degrading gazes of lecherous humans, as seen through the eyes of the various androids he interfaced with at the Eden Club.

(Or yet another desperate PL600 on a rooftop, wrist restrained as Connor dug and pulled and dragged forward a single image, 'Jericho' painted on a piece of rusty metal and fear and BANG and nothing-)

The others around him smile, and he feels like he should be doing the same. After all, these memories are a relatively minor disturbance in the face of the relief and joy and loss and triumph that come with having survived and overcome the first hurdle in their campaign for freedom and equality. Minor enough that in less than a minute, his mind will have become distracted by some new and overwhelming emotion, and he won't even think on the topic of interfacing again for another few days.

But for now, it's all Connor can do to keep a troubled frown from marring his expression.


(So I know if you get this scene in the game, Markus and North only interface for like a second, but let's pretend for the sake of this drabble that it lasted longer and also was the main focus of their interaction instead of the kiss.)