Okay, so, this idea just bit me and I couldn't get it out of my head. Someone *cough* Minecraft Guardiansaiyan *cough* gave me a prompt for a *Spoiler* character, and thus, this was born.
While this takes place in my Mischief And Me/Under My Skin universe, you don't have to have read any of the fics there to be able to read this. The only thing you need to know is that Hank and Connor are in the midst of a prank war, and have been for all but a full year at this point; and during that time, Hank has adopted Connor. That's it.
So, hope you all enjoy this one-shot (despite all the angst)! And I hope you all have a wonderful Christmas time!
Connor had no idea how Hank had done it, but the older man had somehow managed to twist Fowler's arm into getting them not only Christmas Day, but the whole week before it off. He suspected it might have something to do with all the mayhem which had taken place over the previous two months, but Hank had just explained it as wanting to attempt to enjoy a Christmas for the first time in four years.
At that, Connor had stopped questioning the motivation. He realised that Hank was making a massive effort to embrace his new life with his now second son, and not be mired in the memories of the one that was stolen from him. It left him equal parts humbled and intimidated.
He was determined to make things special for the older man.
The two had worked together with the decorating. A quick inspection of Hank's former Christmas tree had shown it to be beyond salvaging, the years of neglect in Hank's garage taking their toll, so Connor had done a little research to find one similar online. It wasn't overly huge, only taking up a small portion of the room next to the fireplace, but it had been adorned with red and gold tinsel while small, white LED lights twinkled slowly beneath. The mixture of baubles and decorations had brought a smile to Connor's face as Hank had told him the stories behind each of them - ranging from it was a cheap buy in a small shop, to the two porcelain ones that Hank and Cole had worked together to hand-paint.
They got pride of place at the front of the tree, right where Hank would see them from his customary seat on the sofa.
Streams of tinsel and lights were scattered throughout the living room and along the tops of the kitchen cabinets, while Connor had managed to stick some lights along the roof leading to their bedrooms. It wasn't in your face, far from it, but it gave a new ambience to the place that Hank hadn't realised how much he missed.
Warmth. Family. Home.
Last year, after the uprising, the city had been in too much turmoil to really take note of the date when it came. Hank and Connor had both been working flat out, and it was only two days before Christmas, when Chris had left to be with his family, that Connor had learned of the significance behind it. A year on, and the city was mostly peaceful now. Their latest investigation had eliminated the largest known threat to androids, and though it had left behind a lot of emotionally scarred people, they would all heal with time.
Now with the opportunity to truly embrace the meaning of this time of year, Connor was slowly learning all of the nuances surrounding it...except for one thing.
One week to go, and he still didn't have any idea what to get Hank as a gift.
Which was ironic considering Connor had already bought no less that four things for Sumo along with lots of smaller, individual presents for all his friends. Finding ideas for them proved to be no issue whatsoever, but for the most important person in his life? Nothing, a total blank.
Trust his mind - which was so adept at coming up with pranks - to fail him when he needed it to be working.
Hank had just laughed when Connor made him aware of the issue as they were travelling home from their last day of work, the older man looking forward to the time off immensely. "Welcome to the club, Connor," Hank teased. "Every damn person goes through this at Christmas, for someone or other. In all seriousness, I don't need jackshit, all right? So cool your noggin' before you go into meltdown."
Connor stared at him, unimpressed. "Hank, it is the first Christmas we are truly going to spend together. Surely there must be something you would want?"
The older man contemplated it. "Fowler getting off my back for a few months? My back pain going away? Not having to look over my shoulder all the damn time in case you or some other shit we know pulls a fast one on me?" At Connor's mildly surprised look, Hank quickly back-pedalled with a smile. "I'm kidding on that last one, son, this prank war is too much fun to give up; even if I'm sure you lot are determined to send me to an early grave with it."
That had the android smiling from the passenger seat, relaxing into it with a smirk. "I certainly do not intend that, but I cannot speak for any of the others."
Hank laughed. "Well, I can sure as hell think of worse ways to go: just make sure North doesn't get the satisfaction, yeah? I'd hate to croak knowing that she was laughing all the way to the bank."
Connor chuckled and shook his head, staring out the window as they came to a stop at a red light. It was now early evening, the sky blacked out overheard as rain poured down hard. This year, unlike the last, the snow had thus far stayed away from Detroit, but there was a large storm due to hit in a couple of days. Everyone was bracing for several inches to appear quite suddenly, and there had been a few disturbances with people getting a bit hyped in various stores in an effort to stock up. Hank was glad to be free of the problems for a week. He'll take handling the post-Christmas slump rather than people getting ratty in the run up to it.
From his position in the car, Connor saw a group gathering in a nearby alley. His attention piqued, Connor used his android abilities to tap into the CCTV network, wondering what they were up to. It was almost as if they were...staring at something. They continued to shuffle around, Connor realising that two of them were speaking.
His LED flashed a vibrant red when the images finally came through.
The human flinched in shock as Connor swiftly unbuckled his seatbelt and jumped out of the car. "Connor! What the fuck are you doing?!"
Ignoring Hank's protests, Connor ran past a few people who were braving the torrent on the pavement, coming to a stop with his gun and badge raised. "DPD, don't move," he stated coldly, not missing how the group froze at the voice.
Two of the quintet were not willing to hang around upon hearing that Connor was police, bolting in the opposite direction. The remaining three turned to stare at him, all eyes narrowing at seeing his LED. "Keep your hands where I can see them," Connor instructed, taking a step closer.
"Fuck you, you damned plastic thief!" one of them shouted before taking a wild swing at Connor's head. The android deftly dodged it and grabbed the man's outstretched arm, twisting it painfully up his back while pinning him against a wall with his body. His aim did not shift from the other two.
Welcome assistance arrived in the form of Hank, Connor's partner having caught up after parking the car. "Stupid idea, pal," Hank mocked while coming to a stop next to Connor, his own gun ready. "Don't mess with an android, they'll wipe the floor with you." Hank's sight switched to the other two. "So, one of you is going to be brought in on charges of attempted assault of an officer, anyone else fancy joining him?" Realising there was nothing to gain, the pair backed away slowly before hightailing it down the other end of the alley. Hank kept his gun ready while listening to Connor handcuff his captive. "You all good, Connor?"
"No problems here, Lieutenant," Connor answered professionally while evading an errant kick from the human in his grasp. Severely unimpressed, Connor pressed him harder against the wall, earning a pained hiss. "I've sent out a call for backup to take him in for processing."
Hank nodded and pulled the human by the scruff of his jacket. "All right, I'll toss him in the back of our car for now. Nice catch, kiddo."
Connor gave a solitary nod back, but his attention soon diverted to the real reason he had intervened. As Hank strode away, Connor came to a slow stop just next to a dumpster, finding a teenage boy hiding behind it. His clothes were caked in mud and grime, torn and ragged around the edges, while his face was bruised completely down one side. The boy's eyes stayed glued to the ground below him, while he tried to shuffle back as far as possible to hide behind the dumpster.
Seeing his pure fear, Connor crouched down and held a placating hand out to the boy. "It's all right, you're safe now," Connor said reassuringly, hoping to not cause the boy any further distress. As the boy all but threw himself back against the wall, Connor stayed put, analysing him in more detail.
Despite his initial thoughts that the boy was around 14 or 15 years old, his scan came back saying something different. Far different.
Unknown model number, no name registered. Please contact CyberLife for more details.
Connor's processors seized at the knowledge.
This boy is an android?
His eyes were telling him differently, but Connor knew better than to question his scanner. Except...he was of an appearance never developed by CyberLife. No teenage androids were ever made, the oldest simulated age produced was 11. Not to mention he was bruised and bleeding...and the blood was red.
Something very strange is going on here.
The boy was staring up at Connor in sheer terror, and it made his thirium pump clench. A scan of his stress levels came back at 84%, far too high for Connor's liking. Hoping to relax him slightly, Connor held out his hand and peeled back his skin, showing the white plasteel frame beneath. "It's okay. Look, I'm just like you, you see? I'm an android too." It seemed slightly redundant saying this, the LED at the side of Connor's head would have been evidence enough, but the boy's panicked breathing halted at seeing the white appear.
Wide, green eyes flashed up to Connor's own. Connor gave him a soft smile, to which the boy began to timidly reach out.
"Connor, you find something?"
Hearing the other voice, the boy abruptly pulled back and curled back into a ball. Connor watched him sadly as he coiled away again. "Connor?" came Hank's shout, the older man spying Connor crouched down and staring at the wall. Hank turned to see the boy and let out a long sigh. "Shit, they were terrorising a kid? Those fuckers. He all right?
"He has some injuries, but their origin is unclear," Connor answered solemnly. "However, his stress levels are uncomfortably high, I am trying to get him to interface with me to learn what happened."
Hank's eyes widened dramatically. "No way, Connor are you telling me-"
"Yes, he's an android, Hank."
"Crap, I never would have called that: I mean, the kid's bleeding red! How the hell does that work?"
"I am unsure, but I want to take him to Markus. Maybe he knows more, and his contacts may be able to get us to the bottom of the mystery."
"Sounds like a plan. Has he said anything to you yet?"
Connor watched the boy closely, his eyes sad at seeing the frightened gleam in the other android's own pair. "No, he either can't or won't communicate with me. I am unsure as to which it is at present."
"All right, I'll give you some space to try and coax him out. Backup should be here in a minute."
"Thanks, Hank." The older man walked away slowly, and once he was at the end of the alley again, Connor turned his attention back to the boy. He was less flighty now, but the fear in his figure was apparent.
It's all right, I know somewhere you can be safe.
Connor reached out to him via the android network, but the boy still refused to answer him. Whatever had happened to him, it had left him all but mute, unwilling to trust anyone.
That realisation broke Connor's heart...but he could relate. He'd been just as lost after the uprising ended - right up until he'd met Hank again and discovered the path he wanted to take.
Stretching his hand out again, this time with his skin still on, Connor waited patiently for the boy to decide what to do.
I won't force you to do anything, but I know someone who protects all androids. He can give you shelter, somewhere safe, help you find yourself. Will you let me take you there?
He'd almost given up after seven minutes of waiting, but then a hand slowly appeared to take his own. Even from that small interaction, Connor could feel him shaking.
You'll be okay, I promise.
They took the boy to the Jericho apartments, but Markus was just as shocked by the boy. CyberLife were now reformed, with multiple androids involved at the top level of the company, but several of their members had vanished in the wake of the uprising - and with it, they had taken much of the android research. Markus couldn't help but wonder as to whether the boy had been developed after their freedom had been won, because he just did not make sense.
Only Connor and Markus' scanners gave away that he was an android at all. His thirium was tinted red, just like human blood, and his artificial skin had the tinge of very human bruising. The black, short hair on his head was clumped from a wound to the back of it, and the incision had no flickering wires or lights as a giveaway. He was as close to human as was possible for one of their people.
It still did not answer the question of who he was, or where he came from, however.
"You just found him, you said?" Simon asked while looking over the boy. His was still rigid on the bed, but was in less danger of bolting now. Connor was glad that his stress levels were staying stable at 54% now.
"Yes, he was surrounded by a group of humans," Connor confirmed. "I don't know why, I doubt it was because he is an android based off what I've seen. Maybe they just thought he was homeless and an easy target, I dare not try to understand humans sometimes."
"That makes two of us," Hank commented from the other side of the room, making sure to give the androids working on the boy space. North was sat next to him, arms and legs crossed as she stared at their new arrival cautiously. She didn't like this.
"Have you managed to learn anything, Simon?" Markus prompted from where he was standing next to Connor, the two of them a few feet from the bottom of the bed which the boy was lying on, Simon running a scanner over him while Josh was interfacing with a monitor at the desk not too far away.
"Nothing which will help us solve who he is," Simon answered solemnly. "I've been trying to get him to open up to me, be he won't answer verbally or mentally. It's like he's...mute."
"Trauma is known to cause muteness," Josh added from where he was staring at the readings.
"In humans, not in androids," North noted. "I didn't realise they made androids of teenage appearance."
"There is no known record of it," Connor stated sadly, his gaze falling back to the boy, who was now resolutely staring at the blankets. "I have access to CyberLife's top secret plans from before the uprising, there is no trace of any development for his type of model anywhere."
"You didn't know about Richard when they were developing him, and he was intended as your successor," Simon pointed out reasonably. "There are probably some records that were deliberately kept secret from you, Connor. Still, we can petition them for any records which have thus far been kept out of the public domain. I'd hate to think they made him after we won out freedom."
North scoffed. "Wouldn't fucking surprise me."
Hank nodded in agreement. "I'm with bitch-face, here. I wouldn't trust those CyberLife snakes as far as I can throw them. Their beliefs and practices aren't going to be forgotten so easily."
An awkward silence permeated the room, to which Markus was the first to break it. "Perhaps Richard can learn more from his position within the FBI. Do you think he could make some inquiries quietly, Connor?"
The younger RK model nodded as his LED flashed yellow. "I've sent the message, but I imagine it will take some time for him to get back to me: he's currently on an assignment in California. Any suggestions on what to do in the meantime?"
Markus smiled sympathetically. "Let's see if we can get him talking, find out what happened to him. I don't like the thought that he's been on the streets for who knows how long."
Hank stood with a long sigh, coming to a stop next to Connor. "Well, I don't think we can do much more here. Will you let us know if you find anything, Markus?"
"Of course, I will make sure to keep the both of you informed. Thank you for bringing him here, I'll make sure that he finds a home with us." Giving the android leader a final nod, the pair were just heading out the door when they heard the monitor linked to the boy blare in warning.
"Er, Connor..." the father and son turned back at Simon's shout, only to see the boy was sat up and staring at Connor in something akin to dread. "I don't think he wants you to leave."
Both Hank and Connor shared a look for a few seconds before Connor walked back towards the boy. He sat on the edge of the bed, looking at him curiously. "Do you want me to stay?" he asked softly, unsure if he was really expecting an answer. Everyone's eyes widened when he nodded and gripped the edge of Connor's jeans tightly. Connor was about to place his own hand on top, skin fading to white, but the boy then snatched his hand back like he'd been burned.
Something clicked in Connor's mind and he quickly reactivated his skin, holding his hand palm up. "It's okay," he soothed. "You don't like interfacing, do you? I won't do it again, I promise." The boy stared at him warily, to which Connor smiled at him. "Trust me?"
Connor's warm gaze and smile eased the boy again, to which he took a tight hold of Connor's hand. As promised, Connor didn't try to interface with him again.
The others all watched in confusion from the side, Simon, Josh and North coming to meet Hank and Markus in the middle of the room. "That was..." North started.
"The kid is scared of interfacing?" Hank asked in confusion. "Why?"
"I don't know..." Markus said sadly, "but I fear an android is the first one to hurt him. Whatever has happened to him, it seemed he has connected emotionally with Connor. Let's leave them to it and see if Connor gets anywhere."
They all watched from the side as Connor kept speaking to him softly, but the boy still would not respond beyond gestures.
Still, he was at least looking at Connor with something akin to trust. That was a start.
Five days later found them still without any clue as to who the boy was, CyberLife willingly allowing Markus and Josh access to learn what they could themselves. When their search turned up blank, Markus thanked them for their time and confirmed their initial suspicion: that he had been developed by those who went rogue after androids were granted personhood. What that did mean, however, was that the boy's intended development could be of a much more sinister nature.
Regardless of that, however, Connor was determined to help him. He could see echoes of himself in the immediate aftermath of the uprising, back when he had been so lost. The memories of when Amanda had tried to seize his programming back and use him to undo all of Markus' hard work still haunted him to this day, reminding him all too well that he was not like the rest of the androids. Connor still feared silently that one day he would fall back under CyberLife's control if the androids ever lost the freedom they'd fought so hard for, that they could flip him back with the flick of a switch.
They'd tried it once, there was nothing to stop them trying it again, in his mind.
What that did mean, was that he knew how hard it was to learn who you truly were. Hank had been the first person to show Connor that he could be free to make his own choices, write his own moral code, and decide what self-standards to live by. It was a lesson which the former deviant hunter had taken to heart, and he was happy to embrace who he was still evolving into. It had only been a year by now, it would take much longer for Connor to learn all the facets of the personality which was slowly growing. Much of which was influenced by Hank, granted, but Connor loved it. Hank had shown him that even if life was terrifying itself, there were ways to stand up to it and find happiness.
Connor wanted to do that for the boy they had stumbled upon, so he took a leaf out of Hank's book and brought him into their home.
Hank was happy enough to have the boy join them for a time, knowing how much helping him meant to Connor. His own curiosity played a large factor too, but Hank understood what Connor was aiming for when he'd explained his reasoning. The boy was quiet and seemed harmless enough, so Hank saw no harm in having him around for a few days.
Ironically enough, the first sign of his personality emerging came about in almost an identical way to Connor. He spied Connor's aquarium in his room, and his face lit up.
Watching him with a fascinated smile, Connor went to see Sumo, the giant St Bernard having been curled up on Hank's bed, and coaxed him through. The boy regarded the large dog with wary excitement and looked to Connor for an explanation. "His name is Sumo," Connor explained. "Don't worry, he's one of the gentlest dogs you can find. Pet him, his fur is not what you'll be expecting."
Following Connor's encouragement, the boy reached out to pet Sumo and smiled slightly at feeling the soft texture of the dog's coat. Sumo huffed and slumped so that his face was on the boy's lap, which earned a quiet laugh in return.
Connor froze at the sound, realising it was the first time the boy had made one.
I guess some thing are consistent across all androids, a love of animals seems to be one of them.
The boy watched Hank and Connor over the next five days, the pair going about their usual routine at home, though they never felt he was intrusive. As it was, Sumo had all but adopted him and was normally found lying next to him. Connor had encouraged him to use the touchpad to examine things online while giving him several books to read, hoping that one of the activities would encourage the boy out of his shell. He was quiet still, but his posture slowly began to relax over the next few days. Connor even took the boy with him on the 23rd when he finally decided on something to buy for Hank as a Christmas present, hoping the public interaction might help them understand what led him to becoming like this.
While he was timid, the boy allowed Connor to lead him through downtown Detroit, among the pandemonium of Christmas shoppers, to the shop where Connor had finally found something which he felt was right to give to Hank. A small token of gratitude and affection for the older man. Upon seeing it, the boy pulled out the touchpad which Connor had loaned to him and typed a message out on it.
Why did you choose this?
Connor smiled at him, happy to answer his question. He'd learned that the boy was in fact very curious and understood the world around him very well, almost too well. A suspicion had begun to grow in Connor's mind of who he was, but he desperately wanted to be wrong. "It's a symbol of the bond Hank and I share," Connor answered gently, guiding him back through the melee of humans and androids all out shopping. It turned out that androids were just as keen to see things in real life when shopping for something special over the festive period. "It's...a thank you."
A thank you? What for?
"Hank...he's the one who helped teach me who I am, to become who I want to be, not what the world expects of me. Who I am now is mostly down to him. I'm free of the chains of my past, and I'm happy as Hank's son. We...it may seem strange to you, but we do love each other. It's a bond which is immensely gratifying, and it gives me such security. This might seem like a poor gesture of that, but it is just something small. The truth lies much deeper, and we are both well aware of it," Connor explained as best he could.
The boy was deep in thought over this explanation, and kept to himself for a while as Connor led them back to the car. He'd parked well away from all the crowds, walking distance not an issue for androids, and it was only when he was unlocking the door that Connor realised he was being spoken to.
"Androids can love just like humans do?"
Completely blindsided by the unknown voice, it took Connor's processors a few seconds to realise just who the voice belonged to. A quick analysis with his scanners confirmed there was no-one else in the area, and Connor looked at the boy, mildly stunned. Of all things to get him to speak...that was not what Connor expected. "Yes, we can. Androids can feel all the same emotions that humans do, as far as I have been able to tell," Connor confirmed.
"Is it not...weird? We're not meant to feel, we're not mean to be alive. It is not, I dunno, strange?"
"We may not have been built to be alive, but it's what we are," he emphasised. "We're not bound by what we were made to be." The boy absorbed this slowly, looking up at Connor in immense confusion. Connor gave him a kind smile back. "It's nice to finally hear you speak."
The boy blushed. "I'm sorry...I just-I've always been alone. I couldn't let anyone close, because if I did...then I didn't know what to do."
Connor wandered around the car and came to a stop beside him. "That's okay. We can help you with that. Do you fancy telling me your name?"
That had the boy stuttering. "I-I don't have one."
A sad look crossed Connor's face. "You don't? Do you not want one?"
"I didn't see the point in one when I was alone...a name is something you give to people to address you by. If no-one wanted to know me or couldn't ever see me, a name seemed pointless."
Sighing long, Connor rested his hand on the boy's shoulder. Built at only 5'7", he was considerably shorter than Connor. "That's not all a name is. A name gives you a sense of identity, of belonging. Your name belongs to you and you alone. CyberLife may have registered me as Connor, but the meaning it holds is built from who I am. Now I'm Connor Anderson, Hank Anderson's son, far beyond 'Connor, the android sent by CyberLife'. You can be whoever you want to be too. Our models and serial numbers don't define us anymore."
It took the boy a few seconds to mull this over before he looked up at Connor. "Will you give me one, Connor? I...I have no idea how to go about choosing one."
Connor's eyes widened. "You don't want to choose your own?"
He shook his head. "You said that Hank is the one that helped you become who you are, Connor, and you've started that process for me. I think it's right that you give me the name I live up to."
Weighing up the boy's request in his mind, Connor eventually nodded. "Okay, I think I have a name for you."
"Really? What made you choose it?"
"No special reason, it just...fits. It's the name I see when I look at you."
The boy blushed lightly and smiled shyly. "Who am I, Connor?"
"Kieran. You're name is Kieran, if you want it."
Green eyes lit as his smile grew. "Kieran... I love it. Thank you, Connor!" Kieran hugged Connor tightly, to which the other android smiled and held him back just as fiercely. He really hadn't expected to get attached to the smaller android, but...
Then again, Hank hadn't intended to feel anything for Connor, and look how that turned out. Life had a habit of throwing curveballs when least expected.
Like right now.
Connor.
Connor's eyes widened at the message along the android network, not having expected the voice accompanying it.
Richard? What is wrong? This sounds serious.
It is. Bring the boy to the Jericho apartments, I know who he is.
...Why do I have a bad feeling about this from your tone?
Be there as soon as you can.
The feeling in Connor's artificial stomach tightened, Richard's tone was anything other than reassuring. He prayed to rA9 that he was wrong in what was coming.
Connor brought Kieran to the Jericho apartments as instructed, the boy looking at Connor in confusion when he realised they weren't headed back to the house. As it was, Connor was having a hard time looking at him. The knowledge of what might be coming was filling Connor with dread. He didn't want to think that Kieran meant any harm, he knew Kieran was gentle from helping the kid grow out of his shell in the past days, but there was no denying several hard truths.
Kieran's blood was red, but not the red of humans. He bore thirium, just like any other android, but he could bruise and simulate human injuries. There was no reason for it, unless...
Unless Kieran was meant to blend in. He was meant to be seen as a human, not as an android.
There was no good reason for it - and that fact made Connor's heart sink.
"Connor, what's happening?" Kieran asked him, spying the backdrop of the Jericho apartments in the distance.
"...Richard has been doing some investigating since we found you, and he says he knows who you are," Connor answered slowly, seeing in his HUD how Kieran's stress levels jumped from 22% to 75%. The thought that they knew who he was terrified Kieran. Connor reached over and grabbed Kieran's hand. "Kieran, I know there is something special about you, I realised it from the beginning. You were made to blend in with humans, weren't you?" Kieran refused to tear his gaze from his lap. "Kieran, please look at me." Wide, teary eyes looked up to meet Connor's own brown ones. "I know who you are, and it's not the data that Richard has found. You're more than whatever model and serial number they gave you! I won't let them do anything to you, all right? Markus has never turned his back on any of his people, and I won't let him start now. But you have to tell me the truth."
Kieran's gaze fell back to the floor, but he grabbed Connor's hand tighter. "What do you need to know?"
Connor got all the answers he needed.
When they pulled up, Markus, North, Simon, Josh, Hank and Richard were all waiting outside for them, Markus having told Hank that his presence would probably be needed. Kieran gave Connor a frightful gaze, but the detective shot him a reassuring smile. Taking the lead, Connor stepped out of the vehicle and made sure he was directly between Kieran and the others as the smaller android exited. Once he was out, Connor stepped forward, making sure that Kieran was perfectly in line with him.
He came to a stop several metres away, staring at the sextet opposite coolly. "Nice welcoming party," he snapped, not missing how Hank winced.
Richard stared at Connor evenly. "Step away from the boy, Connor. He's dangerous."
Connor glared harshly back at him. "That's what the data you uncovered might say, Richard, but I know differently."
"Step aside, Connor. I won't ask again."
"Then don't, my answer isn't changing."
Hank looked at Connor in concern. "Connor, let him go, son. You don't know what you're getting mixed up in."
"I know exactly what is going on, Hank, and you aren't going to touch him."
Richard stepped forward and pulled out a pistol, aiming it straight at Connor. Kieran flinched and hid behind him, to which Connor stretched back to make sure Kieran was firmly in place. "Get away from him, Connor, before I shoot you out of the way," Richard ordered.
Connor scoffed. "You won't shoot me, and you aren't shooting him. Empty threats aren't really your style, Richard."
Markus spoke up next. "Connor...this is serious. The boy is-"
"I know who Kieran is, Markus. RK1000, #201 292 848 - 43, developed by a group of rogue CyberLife scientists four months ago from equipment and funds stolen after the uprising. Intended as the perfect infiltrator, an android masquerading as a human to later become a suicide bomb when designated."
The others all froze, and Richard even lowered his gun slightly. "Connor, how do you know all that?" Josh asked in shock.
"Kieran told me, all of it. It's why he's so terrified to be around either androids or humans, why he tried to make us all give up on him. He can't hurt anyone if he doesn't have anyone to hurt," Connor explained, his grip on Kieran tightening.
"Kieran?" Hank asked softly, so softly that other humans would have missed it.
"It's his name."
Richard stared at Connor tiredly. "Connor, that might be what he was designed for, but that's not why he's dangerous. With all androids now free, they knew they couldn't use him for his intended purpose. They instead uploaded him with a devastating virus, one which renders androids inert once activated. There is no way to remove it, and we have no idea how to stop it bring triggered. If he interfaces with anyone and it spreads along the network, it could devastate us."
The slumping of Kieran's shoulders behind him told Connor that is was true. He really was a weapon...But not of his own choosing. It wasn't right.
Kieran.
A surprised jolt rocked through Kieran at hearing Connor's voice inside his head. Connor?
I'm not going to let anything happen to you, all right?
Connor...they're right. I'm-I could destroy all the androids, you have to let me go. I thought if I just stayed away, I couldn't hurt anyone, but I know that was naive of me.
No, I have another idea. You are an RK model, just like Markus, Richard and I. Do you have a Zen Garden program?
I have something in my mind palace, but it's just a box. That's where the virus is, and if I access it, it'll seize control of me.
Then we'll just use my Zen Garden. If I can bring you there, I can hopefully find the source of the virus and destroy it.
You can't, Connor! If you interface with me then you'll have it too! Don't risk yourself for me!
Kieran, you asked me if androids can love. We can feel all emotions, all in their messy complexity. I know you're scared, you're scared of hurting me, but please, let me help you.
Connor...why would you do this?
Connor didn't answer him as he saw Hank step forward, urging Richard to lower his gun as he cautiously approached Connor. The RK900 did so, and Hank continued to step closer until he was only two metres away. "Connor, you know they won't hurt him, but they need to do something, kiddo," Hank urged him. "Let them take Kieran for now."
Staring at Hank stiffly, Connor made sure that the others couldn't see one of his hands, which were placed behind Kieran. "Would you let the same thing happen to me, Hank?" The human froze at the question. "If I was the same kind of threat to androids, would you let me go?"
"No, of course not," Hank responded shamefully. "You know I'd fight for you with my dying breath."
Kieran's eyes widened, and Connor could feel the change in his posture. He understood why.
Connor...you-
Trust me, Kieran. Let me take you there, let me help you. Please.
Peeling away the skin on one of his hands, Kieran shifted it subtly next to Connor's own, frame lighting up a pale blue.
Connor regarded Hank with a tearful stare, and the older man suddenly realised what Connor was up to. "Then you know why I'm doing this, Hank," Connor told him sorrowfully. "If this goes wrong, I'm so sorry."
Hank tore forward and tried to wrench Connor away. "Connor!"
Retracting his skin, Connor placed his hand over Kieran's and connected with him.
He hadn't forgotten the sensation of the freezing cold.
Connor hadn't ventured back to the Zen Garden since using the emergency exit, never feeling brave enough to confront the possibility of Amanda still existing in his mind before now. The blizzard was still raging, the ice seeping through his frame to settle right in his core. In the real world, temperature was just a vague awareness to androids, much like pain. It didn't feel anything like this. The wind felt like it was slicing through his frame, while the snow was like little pin pricks all over his skin. It was horrifying.
"Connor?!"
Realising it was Kieran's voice he could hear, Connor spun from where he was standing on the lake. "Kieran! Where are you?!" he shouted back, voice being stolen by the bitingly cold gale.
"Connor, I'm here!"
The shouts were distorted by the wind, but Connor could get a vague direction. "Keep shouting to me! Lead me to you!"
"I'm trapped, help me!"
"Hold on, I'll be there soon!" It took just under half a minute for Connor to find Kieran, and by then a thin layer of ice was beginning to build around Connor's frame. The boy was pinned against the column on the central island of the lake, ensnared by what appeared to be vines. As soon as Connor tried to pull them away, however, he recoiled in pain and hissed at seeing the angry red code which flashed in their place. "The virus is pinning you down, shit!"
"Connor, you're going white!" Kieran spoke in a panic, trying desperately to free his arms from the code which was keeping him restrained.
Shivering on the spot, Connor shook his head violently. "I'll be all right, I need to get you out of here! Can you push against them?"
"Not much, but I've got a little give," Kieran answered fearfully. Searching around, Connor suddenly found the shears which he had seen Amanda use within the garden before to snap away the roses. He stretched down and snatched them up, fighting against the ice which was slowly engulfing him. "Connor?" Kieran's voice was shaking at seeing how quickly was struggling to stay awake.
"Push, now!" Connor commanded, snapping through the first of the vines with the shears. "Again!" They managed to get through three of the five thick bondings without any issue, but Connor was slowing down. He could feel himself slowly grinding to a halt.
Then, a sharp stab through the back caused Connor to screech in agony, crumbling to his knees in front of the boy.
"Connor!" Kieran shouted, fighting harder against the bonds.
Glancing back, Connor could just see the figure through the dark swirls of snow. He'd known in his heart that she would be here, and she was now closing in on her prey. Connor managed to pass the shears to Kieran slyly while getting back to his feet on shaking legs, turning to face her. Kieran could now see what had crippled him: a large shard of ice right through Connor's back.
Shaking away impending shutdown warnings, Connor stared the AI program down hatefully. "Amanda." He spat the name with disgust.
"Well, well, this is a surprise, Connor. I didn't think it would be quite so soon that I managed to find you again," she responded smugly. "What a delightful turn of events."
"I wouldn't be so confident, if I were you," Connor hissed back, just about managing to stop his teeth from chattering. God, he was so cold.
"Oh no? I am quite confident, Connor. After all, you are but two minutes from shutdown. This garden will be your grave, and I will assume control of you as we spread the virus across the androids."
Connor glared at her. "You won't use me again!"
Amanda raised an eyebrow before snapping her fingers. The wind concentrated the snow into another icy shard, which hurtled straight into Connor's chest. He screamed before crumpling to the ground, wheezing. "Connor!"
Come on, Kieran. This will be worth it if you get out alive...
Struggling through the pain and blinking away the timer in the corner of his vision, Connor pushed himself up on trembling arms before struggling back to his feet once more. He just had to buy Kieran enough time to cut himself free. "You're going to have to try harder than that, Amanda!" he bit out through a pained breath. He couldn't take much more of this...
The Zen Garden began to crack and crumble beneath their feet, dying right along with Connor. Amanda smiled cruelly. "I don't need to do anything more, Connor. Your fate is sealed."
Staring back through glassy eyes, Connor saw Kieran was trying to force the final vine free with his limited reach. The younger android's eyes were focused tightly on Connor, and the detective smiled as he saw Kieran break the last virus chain keeping him imprisoned. "Maybe I am, but you've lost him."
Amanda saw Kieran rise up from the pillar and summoned another spear of ice to attack the younger android, but Connor used the last of his strength to snatch one of the vines of virus code from where they had tumbled to the floor and hurtled towards her. She switched target, but it was already too late. The severed end of the code plunged into Amanda's chest and her own code started to unravel, the virus doing its job and rendering her inert. Connor crumpled once more as another shard of ice lodged itself into his upper chest, barely catching himself on his arms as his shutdown timer jolted to only 30 seconds. Kieran saw that Connor was fading and bodily hauled him up with a great shout, dragging Connor away from the glitching AI as the garden splintered and shattered around them. "Connor, how do we get out of here?!" Kieran shouted to him, praying the Connor was conscious enough to answer him.
Connor just managed to point up towards the glowing blue light at the side of the garden and Kieran dragged him over, ignoring the destruction around them. "Connor, what do we do when we get there?" Just then, Kieran felt Connor go limp against him and fought to stay on his feet, the full weight of the ice-bound detective almost too much for him. "No, Connor, not now! Wake up!"
Kieran hauled Connor with all his strength and slammed their joined hands down on the panel just as the Zen Garden shattered apart.
"God fucking dammit, Connor, wake up!"
Hank was screaming at his son's collapsed form, the two androids having collapsed as soon as Connor had initiated the link between them. Markus had stopped Hank from pulling them apart, saying that the damage would have already been done, and the group could do nothing but wait to see what happened. It was agonising for Hank, he'd not felt so helpless in a long time. It was too close to-
"Shit, Markus!" North screeched, pointing at Connor and Kieran's joined hands.
Hank swore his heart stopped when he saw Connor's hand had gone dim, but Kieran's was still lit.
Fearing the worst, he turned Connor's head to see his LED blinking a pale red, but it was getting fainter by the second. "Fuck, no, you can't die on me, Connor," Hank begged. "Please, son, don't let this beat you..."
Kieran gasped as he jolted back to consciousness, the others all spinning their gazes to him as Hank's continued to be fixed on Connor. Seeing that Connor's side of the link between them had been broken, Kieran pushed himself up and kept a tight grip on Connor's hand as he sharpened the link from his side, praying he could bring Connor back. "I got you out, I got you out..." he whispered to himself, searching in his own mind banks for Connor's data. The other androids watched him in astonishment at seeing Kieran focus hard as his hand brightened to an almost searing blue. "You were with me, you were there...Come on, Connor, I know you're here somewhere!"
Feeling that the Zen Garden was about to break, Kieran had pulled Connor into his mind palace in the hopes that stabilising Connor would bring it back from the brink. He could see now that it was a vain hope, the garden was gone, but a much simpler version of the the mind palace was there: just like Kieran's own. That meant there was something for Connor to go back to. Now he just had to get Connor back across into his own body...
But Connor wasn't with him. Kieran couldn't find him.
"No, no, you did not die saving me, Connor. You didn't! You did not die freeing me! Where are you?!" he screamed, tears pouring down his face as he searched every drive in his mind for Connor. In a last desperate move, he even opened the box where the virus had once resided. He didn't have anything left to lose. Inside lay the cluster of code he'd been searching for, and he shoved it through their link.
Connor's LED burst back to life as his hand lit up and completed the connection.
"Holy fuck!" Markus swore as he put his head in his hands, heaving in deep breaths in relief. That had been far too close.
Hank's own heartbreak receded at seeing Connor's LED cycle back to yellow from red, turning his head to see Connor's face again. "Connor?" he whispered fearfully.
It was another agonising minute before Connor's eyes fluttered open, and he gave Hank an exhausted smile. "Please tell me it worked..." he murmured.
The lieutenant laughed, spluttered and snarled all at the same time. "I'm going to fucking kill you, Connor, you crazy, stupid, bastard!"
"I'll take that as a yes..." Connor blacked out again as his processors were overwhelmed.
The next time Connor came to, he was lying in his own bed, staring up at a familiar ceiling. Mind lagging as he came to from such a deep stasis cycle, Connor accessed his internal chronometer to work out how much time had passed.
December 25th, 2039. 08:46:31
Shit, I've been out for two days. It's Christmas...
Pushing himself upwards, Connor did a quick diagnostic as came back with the startling realisation that his Zen Garden was gone. It had completely collapsed without the Amanda AI to control it. While it was suppressed before, it was not truly gone. A relief he hadn't realised he needed settled over Connor. He wasn't a danger to anyone anymore. Thought of danger made Connor's mind jump back to what had caused him to fall into such a deep stasis cycle.
What happened? Hank, Kieran...Where are they?
Connor strode out from his bedroom into the hallway, only to find Hank sitting bowed on the sofa, staring at Sumo sadly. All the lights on the house were out save for the normal lamps, Hank hadn't turned a single one of the Christmas lights on. In fact, Connor was adamant he was ignoring them.
No doubt he couldn't face the thought of the day potentially alone.
A sad smile appeared on his face, and Connor tapped into the lights cybernetically, hoping the change would alert Hank to his presence. It took a few seconds for Hank to notice, and it was only when the tree came to life from next to the fireplace. Sumo barked at the figure in the hallway and bounded towards Connor, drawing Hank's attention to him. The human froze at seeing Connor kneeling on the floor, ruffling Sumo's fur enthusiastically while receiving slobbery kisses in return. Connor laughed at the greeting and turned his smile to Hank, the expression turning slightly shy at the raw emotion on the man's face.
Hank fisted his hand tightly before striding over to Connor, the android standing to brace himself for a probable punch before he found himself being crushed into a hug beyond what he'd though Hank capable of. "Fuck, Connor...I thought I'd lost you, son," he breathed out into Connor's hair.
Connor gripped back tightly and exhaled shakily at hearing how emotional Hank was. "I'm sorry, I'm so sorry, Hank." Connor's own voice was slightly choked. "I just...I couldn't let you all analyse him, it would have almost certainly triggered the code and killed Kieran. I couldn't let him go without fighting for him-"
"I know, son. I know. I've had long enough now to realise why you did it. The kid's safe. He's free."
Pulling back, Connor looked around the room for the RK1000. "Where is he?"
"He decided that he needed some time to think about everything that happened, I think he's struggling to come to terms with the lengths you went to in order to save him. Kieran almost broke down when we thought you'd..."
Connor winced. "I knew it was close, I didn't realise how close."
"Simon worked out that you had only about 2.4 seconds before you would have shut down. Kieran got you out just in the nick of time."
Letting out another sigh, Connor hugged Hank even tighter. "I'm sorry, Dad. I really didn't mean to put you through that pain."
Hank's grip trembled slightly. "It's okay, Connor, I forgive you. Just, please, don't do anything so crazy again?"
Pulling back, Connor gave a shaky laugh, "I'll do my best, Hank. That was certainly not my idea of fun." The pair shared a smile before moving into the room, the heavy atmosphere from before lifting to something more jovial. "I'm sorry that I woke so late, Hank, this isn't how we planned today to go."
"I don't give a damn about that, Connor, I'm just so fucking glad that you're here. Anyway, you've not missed much. The best bit of the day is just coming up. Go on, grab those damn presents from under the tree, I'm bloody curious as to what you got me in the end."
Connor smiled slightly, but then realised the real present was still in the car. The only one under the tree was...
Oh, this was about to make the day even better.
"So, who's going first? Me or you, kiddo?" Hank prodded, giving the large box in his lap a shifty look. He shook it suspiciously, but seemed satisfied when he didn't hear anything moving inside it.
"Be my guest, Hank," Connor urged while picking up the long tube, curious as to the contents. He couldn't think what was that dimensions, but he wouldn't use his scanners. That would be cheating.
Giving Connor a knowing look, Hank carefully loosened the ribbon on top and pulled the top off slowly. Peering inside, he laughed at the garish shirt inside. "Nice pick, Connor. You've kinda got my style nailed by now, haven't you?" Connor gave him a genuine smile and waited until Hank had pulled the shirt from the box and placed it out of range before tapping into the controller fixed within the lining. Hank noticed the cardboard partition in the centre and lifted it. "Another present, Connor? Really?"
He regretted his choice of words a second later when he swiftly found himself with a face full of custard pie.
Sighing in resignation, Hank wiped the sugary mess from his eyes to look into the box, seeing the trap mechanism which Connor had set in the bottom. "Ha, fucking, ha, Connor. Real classy, a custard fucking pie. You haven't scored enough pranks on me this year, already?"
Connor smirked as he began to open up the tube. "In all fairness, Hank, you are the one who-"
His sentence was cut abruptly short when he found himself with a face full of slime, courtesy of the mini slime cannon which Hank had asked Simon to make him weeks ago.
The pair turned to stare at each other for a second before doubling over in unrestrained laughter, not missing the irony that they'd had the same idea of pranking each other with Christmas presents. "Jesus, I'm getting too old for this shit," Hank moaned as he got his breath back. That didn't stop Hank from taking a photo of the pair of them on his phone and setting as his new background while the photo was printed, to be hung on the wall later.
Twenty minutes later, and now suitably cleaned up, the pair of them sat back down on the sofa with their real gifts to each other. "I really was joking about the second gift, Connor," Hank chastised him while taking the slim box from Connor while handing back over the smaller, but thicker one. Connor merely smiled as he waited for Hank to lift the lid, eager to see how it would be received. He hoped he hadn't judged this wrong.
Hank was rendered speechless when he spied the contents: a leather wristband with two silver tags, one on either side of the wrapping. His heart clenched when he spied the pair of names - Cole and Connor.
"It was just something small, so that you could always carry the both of us with you," Connor explained. "I never want you to forget him, Hank, and I would never want to replace him. But...I don't want you to feel guilty over the life we share now. I hope that this will remind you of that."
The human's eyes welled up and he ruffled Connor's hair affectionately. "Goddamnit, Connor, I don't cry. You've managed it twice in three days, now." Connor's face was mildly apologetic for the first time, but not the second. "All right, your turn. Let's see what you make of it."
Connor eagerly opened the box, slightly bigger than a ring box, and stared in wonder at the contents. It was a quarter, but custom made. On the heads side, it had Connor's profile, while the tails side had a silhouette of the final night of the uprising, the night the androids won their freedom. "Found a guy who was willing to make me something special. I figured it was about time you had a coin that was more personal to you."
Turnabout was fair play, as the saying went, and Connor found himself welling up. "Thank you, Hank. This is...it's truly special to me," Connor answered through a wobbly smile. Giving a small smile, Hank then pulled another box from behind him. Connor stared at him in confusion, registering that it was the same dimensions as the one he had already given to Hank, only that box was still lying open on the table in front of them. "Hank?"
"This ain't from me, Connor. Someone else decided that he needed to give you a gift, for all you've done for him."
Taking the box, Connor opened it and his LED spun red frantically. It was an almost identical copy of the leather band he had given Hank, only it was much narrower and bore one silver tag. Picking it up, Connor examined the tiny writing on the surface. It was so small that a human would not notice it from any distance other than close up, and even then it wouldn't be legible, but Connor could see it clear as say with his android sight.
I can never repay you for what you've done for me, Connor, but I hope you understand the meaning of this.
You bought one of these for your father, now it's my turn to do the same to the man I think of in that way.
Humans say 'home is where the heart is', and I promise you I will come home, someday.
Thank you for giving me my freedom.
I love you, Connor.
Now the tears finally did fall. "Kieran..."
Hank gave him a knowing smile. "Nothing quite beats the feeling of being a father, does it?"
Connor sputtered out a laugh. "You don't think it's strange, given what happened?"
"After how we ended up like this, not all, kiddo. I just hope he doesn't wait too long to come back. That kid would make a great addition to our little prank war."
That had the android smirking. "You do realise this makes you a grandparent, right Hank?"
"Fucking Christ, thanks for making me feel old as shit."
Connor simply smiled at him and brought the older man in for a hug. "Merry Christmas, Dad."
Hank beamed as he hugged him back. "Merry Christmas, Connor."
Sorry for the mood whiplash, but anyone who knows my work well is well aware that I prone to mad shifts of pace and emotion. Hope you all enjoyed it, and that you all have a fantastic holiday season. See you all again soon!
*Smooch*