Disclaimer: I do not own Detroit: Become Human. This story contains violence, abuse, and dark themes. Viewer discretion is advised.
DATE: November 6, 2038
TIME: 12:00:00 A.M
/MAIN OBJECTIVE: Solve Ortiz Case/
/SECONDARY OBJECTIVE: None/
Connor sat silently in the passenger seat of the Lieutenant's car as it drove through the night. The light patter of rain on the windowpane and the soft chatter from the radio filled the quiet. The Lieutenant kept silent as he drove, but Connor noticed how he would glance over at him, biting on his lip. His LED blinked yellow.
[HANK – Neutral]
Connor deduced that the Lieutenant most likely wanted to ask a question but was still debating whether to speak. The next time the Lieutenant glanced over, Connor met his gaze.
"Do you want to ask me something, Lieutenant?" Connor asked, and the Lieutenant made a sour expression.
"Pft, what the hell would I ask you?" he scoffed, looking back to the road.
"That's what I'm asking."
"… Do I like, own you or something?"
"No, I'm not registered in your name. I'm the property of CyberLife. When I'm out on missions, I need a human supervisor, and they chose you."
"Who's 'they'?"
"I cannot specify. But they found you'd be the most suitable out of the other detectives in the department."
"And they didn't ask for my fucking permission? This is a very one-sided exchange."
"My intent isn't to be a nuisance, Lieutenant. I only intend to accomplish my mission."
"Which is?"
"Discover the cause of deviancy and subdue it if necessary."
They arrived at the precinct, and Connor followed the Lieutenant past the reception desk and to the break area.
"Is the suspect ready for interrogation?" Connor asked as the Lieutenant prepared himself a cup of coffee.
"If it was, we'd be in the interrogation room." The Lieutenant grumbled, sipping from his cup and flinching when he turned to find Connor right behind him. "Are you just gonna follow me around?"
"Since I have no current objective, yes."
"Here's an objective for you. See that diligent man hard at work?" He pointed, and Connor looked to see a man with his feet kicked up on his desk and his attention on the phone in his hands.
"Yes." Connor nodded.
"Go say 'hi.' Bother him for a while."
/SECONDARY OBJECTIVE: Introduce Myself/
"Yes, Lieutenant." Connor checked that his tie was straightened and his hair was in place before walking over to the man. The man was too entrenched in the game he was playing on his phone to notice the android beside him. He reframed from scanning the man for a proper introduction. The man had untidy dark brown hair, similar to the state of his wrinkled grey shirt and aged leather jacket. He looked to be much younger than the Lieutenant, with light stubble on his face and a scar across the bridge of his nose. He appeared tired. All from his sloppy movements when handling his phone to the dark bags underneath his drowsy eyes were signs of sleep deprivation. Connor decided a calm approach would be suitable.
"Excuse me, sir." He gently spoke up, and the man flinched, pulling his feet down from the desk and clutching his phone to his chest. The man spun his chair to face him, a disgruntled expression that changed the moment his eyes found Connor's. How quickly those dull grey eyes sparked into silver orbs filled with surprise and then… something, Connor couldn't quite decipher. It certainly wasn't negative by any means. The slow pull of the man's lips to a faint smile told him that much.
"Uh, hi there." The man stumbled over his words but still gave a hearty greeting with his rich voice. Connor felt a foreign sensation disturb the rhythm of his thirium pump.
[SoftwareInstability ]
He blinked away the notification a bit uncertainly and gave a polite smile of his own.
"Hello. I assume you work here."
"Yeah, I'm Gavin. Detective Reed at work. Which I'm at right now." Detective Reed chuckled, brushing back loose hair strands as he combed his fingers through his hair. "Anyway, what can I help you with?"
"I was told to introduce myself to you, seeing as I'll be stationed here for the time being."
"Oh, you work here, nice. Are you like a detective or officer?"
"I'm a detective android, designed and sent by CyberLife." Connor held out his hand. "My name is Connor." The detective didn't take his hand, and Connor watched his smile disappear as his sharp gaze snapped to his temple, then to his chest.
"You're a fucking android." He said, aghast. Connor had received that reaction enough to know to put down his hand.
"Hey, the suspect's ready for interrogation." Officer Miller called out from the hall.
"Outta my way, plastic." The detective snapped, getting up from his chair, and Connor stepped aside to let him pass by. As he watched him go, the android reflected on his earlier instability. It must have been an error. He wasn't confident about what exactly had compromised his software. He's had many conversations though none had ever had such an effect on him before. What was different about Gavin Reed? Had it been his personal mannerisms, his way with words? Perhaps his physicality. His unique facial structure or how he curled his lips. His eyes had been quite…
/Focus/
/MAIN OBJECTIVE: Solve Ortiz Case/
Connor recollected himself and followed after the other investigators to complete his objective.
TIME: 12:41:07 A.M
"Outta my way, plastic." Gavin sneered, adverting his gaze away from the android as he walked past and to the observation room. He leaned against the wall, not looking when the android walked in. He felt like an idiot. He was an idiot. How could he have missed the obvious glowing circle in that android's head? He guessed that those restless nights were finally starting to catch up to him. He was too caught up in too-kind eyes and that stupid smile to realize he was speaking to a machine. He couldn't let Tina know; she'd just rub salt into the wound.
The suspect on the other side of the glass was still silent, heavily damaged, and stained with blood. The thought of a complex machine suddenly becoming murderous reminded him of why he never got an android. Not that he'd ever needed one. Anderson was the one to do the interrogation, and least to say it was going nowhere.
"Why'd you kill him?" Anderson's question was responded to with silence. "What happened before you took that knife? How long were you in the attic?... Why didn't you even try to run away?" Anderson snapped his fingers in the suspect's face, having no effect. He glanced at the mirror, agitation growing on his face. "Say something, goddamnit!" He slammed his hands on the table, the suspect remaining unresponsive. "Fuck it, I'm outta here." He huffed, leaving the interrogation room and bringing the same frustration into the observation room. "We're wastin' our time interrogating a machine. We're gettin' nothing out of it!" He scathed as he plopped down into his chair.
"'Could always try roughing it up a little," Gavin suggested, wanting the clearly guilty machine to fess up already. "After all, it's not human."
"Androids don't feel pain." The detective android spoke up, immediately striking a nerve with Gavin. "You would only damage it, and that wouldn't make it talk." Gavin glared at the android, growing a scowl. "Deviants also have a tendency to self-destruct when they're in stressful situations."
"Okay, smartass." Gavin snapped. "What should we do then?"
"I could try questioning it." The android offered, and Gavin laughed, imagining two socially inept machines trying to have a conversation with each other.
"What do we have to lose?" Anderson shrugged. "Go ahead. Suspect's all yours." Gavin watched with his arms crossed as the android entered the interrogation room. He looked through the folder on the desk before sitting across from the suspect. There was a breath of silence before the detective android spoke up:
"I detect an instability in your program. It can trigger an unpleasant feeling, like fear in humans." He slid over the folder and flipped it open. "You recognize him? It's Carlos Ortiz, stabbed 28 times. That was written on the wall in his blood." Gavin cringed, not having to see the crime scene himself to picture the grizzly scene. The suspect gave the slightest flinch. "You're accused of murder." The android continued, tone stricter. "You know you're not allowed to endanger human life under any circumstances. Do you have anything to say in your defense?" Following the suspect's silence, the android's lip stiffened. "If you won't talk, I'm going to have to probe your memory."
"No! No, please don't do that!" the suspect pleaded as it became animated like a fear-stricken doll. "What," it glanced at the window. "What are they gonna do to me? They're gonna destroy me, aren't they?"
"They're going to disassemble you to look for problems in your biocomponents." The android stated matter-a-factly. "They have no choice if they want to understand what happened."
"Why did you tell them you found me? Why couldn't you have just left me there?"
"I was programmed to hunt deviants like you. I just accomplished my mission."
"I don't wanna die." It was weird hearing an android sound so frightened for its life.
"Then talk to me." The android urged.
"I… I can't." The suspect shook its head, and the android lost any sense of friendliness.
"… You leave me no choice." The skin on his hand pulled out to reveal a plastic white and snatched the suspect's wrist, who gave a cry of distress, violently flinching before going stock still. The android released his grip and looked to the window. "I accessed its memory. I know what happened."
"Well, damn." Anderson scoffed, "Why the hell am I here?"
"That's a question I ask often." Anderson side-eyed Gavin at the comment but didn't respond as a startling thunk drew everyone's attention to the interrogation room. The suspect smashed its head back into the table, vibrant blue liquid splattering into the air. "What the fuck is it doing?"
"It's destroying itself." The men left and hurried to the interrogation room, where the deviant continued to bash its head in. The disturbing sight was enough to unnerve Gavin's already drained resolve and panic set in like frostbite.
"Stop it, goddamnit!" He pushed Chris to action, and the officer did what he could to restrain the thrashing deviant, with little success.
"I, I-I can't!" Panic erupted from Chris's voice. "I can't stop it!" Gavin jumped back at the ringing boom and spray of blue blood that shot into the air as the deviant's head burst over the table. It went still, and the room fell silent. Chris stepped away from the destroyed android, and Gavin looked away from the mess.
"Holy shit!" Anderson gasped in shock, looking appalled. The silence returned, only to be broken by Chris' soft voice.
"I tried… I just—"
"You're fine, Chris," Gavin reassured him.
"Yes, the deviant is still salvageable to a degree." The android's nonchalant tone made Gavin shoot him a glare, seeing that his expression was as neutral as his tone.
"Are you gonna help clean up the mess, plastic?" Gavin questioned, and the android turned to him.
"I cannot, as I must report to CyberLife. However, I'll send you all the footage of the murder. Have a good night, officers." With that farewell, he left the interrogation room, leaving the rest to handle the messy scene.
TIME: 10:01:03 A.M
"Have a nice day, captain." Connor politely excused himself from the captain's office and returned to the bullpen, the Lieutenant scowling with his arms crossed as he sat at his desk.
[STRESS LEVELS… 68%]
Engaging with the Lieutenant in such a fuming state would be non-beneficial for their partnership and he decided to let him destress before approaching him. The breakroom drew Connor's attention, and he saw Detective Reed and Officer Chen conversing at a table.
[GAVIN – Tense]
"And then he swallows it like I'm not standing two fucking feet away. Dumbass." The detective scoffed, smacking his empty coffee cup on the table.
"What you'd do then, master detective?" the officer inquired, leaning in.
"Well, we couldn't make him cough it up, Chris didn't approve of any of my methods. So, we had to let nature take its course, and now he's in prison for manslaughter and possession of methamphetamines. A decent end, I guess."
"More like a shitty end." She smirked, and he shot her a disapproving glare.
"If I could arrest you for that, I would." Connor walked into the breakroom and immediately caught the attention of the detective. "Fuck look at that. Our friend, the plastic detective, is back in town. Congratulations on last night, very impressive!" he clapped his hands together, though Connor wasn't convinced that the words were genuine.
"Hello, Detective Reed." He politely greeted. The detective narrowed his eyes and drummed his fingers on the table before approaching him.
"Never seen an android like you before." He said, looking the android up and down. "What model are you?"
"RK800. I'm a prototype."
"A prototype?" The detective turned to the officer. "Android detective." He gestured to Connor, who gave a small smile that disappeared when the detective turned back to him with a glare. "So, machines are gonna replace us all, is that it?" To Connor's knowledge, that wasn't the intention. He was only here to accomplish his mission. In fact, working alongside the detective would have been optimal and planned to explain, but the detective wasn't finished. "Hey, bring me a coffee, dipshit. Get a move on!" He snappily ordered. Connor obeyed in hopes of gaining even the slightest favor from the detective. He heard the detective chuckle as he filled up the coffee cup and brought it over. The aggression in the detective has died down slightly, his glare losing its intensity as Connor held out the cup. He pushed it away to jab the android in the chest.
"Do yourself a favor. Stay outta my way." The detective warned before walking away with the officer following after him, though Connor still held out the coffee that was becoming cold in his grasp, and he set it down on the nearby table. It wasn't the most optimal reaction. He had wanted to see the same smile the detective had given him initially, the kind that made his grey eyes light up.
/Wanted?/
… Yes. Not for his sake, of course. For the sake of the mission. Having a positive relationship with the precinct workers would make accomplishing his mission easier. Everything he felt the urge to "want" was to aid his mission. Only that and nothing more.
DATE: December 24, 2038
TIME: 3:55:07 P.M
Connor walked down the aisle full of present bags, glittering bows, and festive wrapping paper. He was thankful the store wasn't too crowded, even in the rush of last-minute shopping. He and Hank were also behind on preparing for Christmas. The Kamski case had been as time-consuming as it was draining, mentally and physically. So having it all wrapped up was heavy weight off his shoulders.
There was a light tingle in his chest as he selected the proper bows and wrapping paper. It must have been excitement. That excitement burst into something more remarkable when he went to check out and saw none other than Detective Reed at the self-checkout. Or not Detective Reed, Gavin. He could call him Gavin now. A burst of warmth filled his chest, and he started to smile.
[GAVIN – Warm]
"You're here too, Gavin," he spoke up, and Gavin paused.
"Hey, Connor," Gavin mumbled as he turned around, Connor seeing his grey eyes before the bandage on his nose.
"Your nose; what happened?" Connor worriedly asked.
"Oh, this." Gavin chuckled without a smile. "I just slipped on some ice and bashed my nose into the ground like I was in a damn cartoon. Give it a couple of weeks, and it'll heal like nothing happened."
"I wish you a speedy recovery."
"Thanks. So um, you're here for late Christmas shopping?"
"More so for wrapping paper and bows. This is my first Christmas, and I'm happy to say I'm excited about it."
"Spending your first Christmas with Hank Anderson? That'll be something."
"Hank seems excited, too, surprisingly. Are you spending Christmas with anyone?"
"Um," Gavin muttered, turning back to his items to finish ringing them up and paying, "Kamski invited me to spend Christmas with him and the girls." Connor heard the name Kamski sooner than he appreciated. It had been an unpleasant feeling, having Gavin fervently explain to him that the nature of his and Kamski's relationship was friends after the android had overanalyzed their interactions. "I haven't taken him up on his offer. I'm fine with just my cat… That sounds bad now that I say it out loud."
"No, it's normal for people to find company in animals," Connor assured him, though he wasn't fond of Gavin spending Christmas on his lonesome. "But you're welcome to stop by Hank and I's residence if you'd like."
"Anderson would be okay with that?"
"If I asked nicely enough."
"Hm… thanks for the offer." Gavin didn't sound confident. Maybe that proposition was too forward. Hopefully, Connor's next one wouldn't be.
"Of course. We never did finish our previous conversation, did we?"
"Oh, you mean the one at the party." Gavin started rubbing his neck, disturbing the high collar of his coat, and Connor believed he may have seen a glimpse of discolored skin. Maybe from the fall? "No, I don't think so."
"You said we could talk later. Would now be an appropriate time?" Connor asked, hopeful. He had come so close to telling Gavin how he made him feel. How being close to the detective, seeing him smile and laugh, gave him one of the most comforting emotions.
"I um," Gavin began knowing at his lip, and that was when his gaze found the floor, "Not really."
"Oh, alright. When would be?"
"Well," Gavin paused, taking the time to bag his items. "… Not anytime soon." Gavin didn't look Connor in the eyes as he spoke, favoring the grey-marbled floor of the store instead. "I have a lot on my plate, and I don't have time for… a conversation like that. Know what I mean?" Despite his streak of misconstruing Gavin's words, Connor knew what he meant this time. He understood their weight as they sank him down into the depths of what he believed to be… sadness? It certainly wasn't a pleasant emotion that made him stiffen his lip and keep his head from lowering.
"I…" Connor paused, not approving of his stony tone. "Yes, I do." His professional voice may have sounded too cold as Gavin visibly cringed. Connor didn't need to scan Gavin to know his stress levels were too high.
"… See ya around, Connor." Gavin's dull tone confirmed that.
"Bye, Gavin." Gavin walked past him when his name was the last word to leave Connor's lips. Connor hadn't intended to watch Gavin leave, but he found his eyes tracking the detective as he left the store. He caught a glimpse of blonde hair and a blue dress following him into the busy mall crowd.
TIME: 4:23:01 P.M
Connor walked through the front door to be nearly knocked back by an excited Sumo.
"Hello, Sumo." He greeted the excited dog and scratched him behind the ear, his fur soft like a wool blanket.
"You make it back all right?" Hank called out from the kitchen as he pulled out a batch of cookies from the oven, dark smoke drifting off the tray. "Fuck me." He grumbled, plopping the tray onto the kitchen table.
[HANK – Friend]
"Yes, traffic wasn't too much of an issue." Connor set down his bags and headed to the kitchen, walking past the decorated Christmas tree.
"How was it?" Hank asked. "Crowded, I bet."
"Yes, it was crowded. How's the baking?"
"A bigger pain in the ass than I remember. It's been a minute since I've last made these fuckers." He glared at the burned cookies and dusted flour off his green and red Christmas sweater. "You wouldn't mind helping out?"
"I don't mind."
"Connor," Hank's tone lightened, "Did something happen?"
"What do you mean?"
"You look bummed out. Did you run into some asshole or somethin'?"
"No, everyone was fairly nice. I…" Connor sat down at the table as the subject matter further toiled his insides, and Hank did the same looking worried. "Gavin was at one of the stores I was shopping in, and we talked."
"And the talk went bad?"
"… I wouldn't call it bad. I talked with Gavin at the human-android party four days ago, and one of our subjects was about… My emotions."
"You mean your," Hank paused, trying to find the right words, "more than friends emotion type thing?"
"That's a new way of describing it."
"Was I close?"
"… Maybe. I'm not certain how to label it, either. Gavin and I never finished our conversation at the party, so when I saw him today, I asked if we could continue that conversation…"
"Yeah?"
"He said he didn't want to. Or anytime soon." He sighed, an exhale that tried to ease his stress. "He didn't even look at me."
"Oh, kid," Hank moved his chair closer to Connor and comfortingly patted him on the shoulder, "Don't let it get you down. I can't tell you how many times I've been shot down. You'll feel like shit but bounce back in no time."
"But I thought… Gavin seemed interested when at the party. I think so, at least."
"Did he say he didn't like you?"
"No. Only that he doesn't want to have that conversation at the moment. Though he might have been sparing me."
"Well…" Hank leaned back in his chair, the squint of his eyes telling Connor he was in a moment of thought. "I'll tell you this, but don't bring it up with Reed. His last relationship was pretty shitty, and that's putting it way too lightly. He probably isn't comfortable being in a relationship right now."
"So… I should wait?"
"If you wanna." Gavin had been the only one in his relatively short life that he felt such an attraction to. How deeply he wished to express that to the detective. More so with the hope that those feelings would be returned. If it meant he'd have to wait to get a chance to explore this wanting, then he'd wait.
"Yes, I can wait." He said confidently, straightening his slumped posture. "What's the recipe for your cookies? Even if I can't eat them, I want to bake them with you, Hank."
"That's the spirit!"