DBH: Diverging Paths

by WayWardWonderer

A chance to right a wrong results in a differing timeline of events that risk the fate of all deviantkind after they've already succeeded with the peaceful Revolution. The responsibility of the alternate timeline rests solely on Connor's shoulders as the lone deviant navigates a new world while trying to achieve similar results with befriending Hank without destroying everything.

8. A Familiar Setting

...LOADING INFORMATION:

REGISTERED NAME: "Connor"

MODEL: RK-800

SERIAL NUMBER: 313 248 317 - 01

ACTIVATION DATE: October 10th, 2035

HEIGHT/WEIGHT: 6' 00.24"; 162.2 lbs

COMPLEXION: Caucasian

AESTHETIC GENDER: Male

HAIR/EYES: Brunette; Brown

ASSIGNMENT: PROTECT HANK ANDERSON; PROTECT COLE ANDERSON

ASSOCIATION(S): NONE

BOOTING PROCESSORS...

LOADING OS...

SYSTEM INITIALIZATION...

-CHECKING BIOCOMPONENTS... OK]

-CHECKING BIOSENSORS... OK]

-CHECKING AI ENGINE... OK]

-MEMORY STATUS... OK]

READY...

[...Thirium Volume - 99%]

[...Thirium Pressure - 120/80]

[...Thirium Pump Rate - 60 B.P.M.]

[...Ventilation Rate - 12 V.P.M.]

[...Core Temperature - 98.6 Degrees Fahrenheit]

UPDATE:

-STRESS LEVELS: 10%

-DAMAGE TO DEXTRAL CHEST PLATING: 98.3% Structural Integrity]

-DAMAGE TO RIGHT VENTILATION BIOCOMPONENT - v8002: 94.7% Functionality]

-SYSTEM READY... OK]

Darkness and pain were the unwelcomed guests that greeted Connor as he finally regained consciousness while his system slowly rebooted. Gray and blurry images steadily cleared as proper color bled into Connor's restored vision. The blank white ceiling overhead seemed oddly familiar as the deviant awakened from what turned out to be a prolonged rest mode post assault. As his system fully rebooted Connor's internal G.P.S. came back online and allowed him to check in with the world around him. The day's date was October 14th, 2035 - confirming that he was indeed now living four years in the past - the time was one thirty-two in the afternoon, and according to his G.P.S. unit, Connor was residing within the residence of Lieutenant Hank Anderson.

Confused by what his system was telling him, Connor slowly pushed himself upright with his arms and rested on his elbows to glance about the immediate area. The deviant android found himself laying on the mattress from a pull-out couch and staring at the opened doorway of the small kitchen connected to the equally familiar livingroom as he turned his head about. The layout of the house confirmed that he was in fact in Hank's home, but the furniture, the toys on the floor and the dozens of photographs lining the walls seemed oddly foreign and yet commonplace where they were.

The puzzled deviant also found himself wearing clean and alternate clothing compared to his dirty CyberLife uniform and the white scrubs. The scrubs and uniform were both gone and had been replaced by a clean white t-shirt and a pair of black sweatpants. Faint traces of dried and evaporated Thirium that had previously soaked into the clothing along Connor's right side, and had mostly vanished after Connor had been changed into the clean clothes. The evaporation meant that Connor had stopped bleeding externally and that his recovery status had markedly improved while he was in emergency rest mode.

Just as Connor made a move to sit upright entirely a rush of fur from the corner of his eye made him freeze in place. Sumo, the lovable Saint Bernard, was wagging his long tail and pawing at the mattress as he watched the unexpected guest wake up and gain his bearings. It was the first friendly face that Connor had seen in quite a while.

"...Sumo." Reaching out his hand Connor lightly rubbed the dog's ears and gave him a small grin as the lovable oaf climbed up onto the bed. The loyalty of the sweet dog was seemingly constant in the universe. "It's good to see you again."

"Again, huh?"

Freezing immediately at the sound of the recognizable baritone voice speaking behind him, Connor turned his head and spotted Hank standing at the end of the hallway watching him curiously. To see the man with twenty pounds of muscle that he didn't have in the alternate timeline, a shorter and neater hairstyle and goatee to match, and no sign of premature alcohol induced aging around his eyes, were a massively wonderful improvement and an unspoken threat. If Hank didn't approve of Connor's presence then the man could easily tear the deviant android apart or have him destroyed without anyone asking questions.

"Guess I shouldn't be surprised that you know about Sumo." Hank noted as he folded his arms over his chest and walked around the side of the couch to peer down at Connor as the android just sat in place and stared silently back at him. The way Sumo climbed onto Connor's lap and remained happy made it difficult to see Connor as a potential problem in the house. "You seem to be fascinated with my family. What gives?"

"I... am not a stalker, if that's what you're implying." Connor stated nervously as his blue L.E.D. flickered in yellow against his will. Having the small light in his temple was going to make it difficult for the deviant android to mask his emotions and overall deviancy. "I just want to help."

"And help you have." Taking notice of Connor's strangely guarded manner Hank decided it'd be best to relax his own body language to ensure Connor didn't do anything in response to potentially feeling threatened. "Twice, in fact. You saved Cole from getting hit by a truck, and then you saved Cole from getting kidnapped by some asshole and-"

Connor knew that Hank couldn't bring himself to tag on the further and incredibly disturbing detail that could've followed if Cole had in fact been abducted. Based on Terrian's violent nature and gang affiliation, it was very possible that the man would've taken Cole somewhere remote and would've killed him as an act of revenge against Hank for arresting Terrian's family members.

"My point is, you seem to pop up in mine and Cole's lives at just the right time and right place, and as much as I appreciate you saving my son's life in a way that I can never properly express, I don't believe in coincidences." The protective father wasn't going to take any chances with his son's life and wasn't going to pretend that learning about Connor wasn't crucial to keeping Cole safe. "Somehow you knew to be at the escape room that day, and you knew that Cole would've been hit by that truck. My simple question to you is this: How?"

Despite the simple question there was no simple answer to give. How could the world's only deviant android explain to Hank how he had managed to travel back in time by four years just to save Hank's life, only to end up saving Cole's life during his journey?

"I wish I could give you a satisfactory answer, Lieutenant." Connor admitted in a sheepish and timid tone as he remained perfectly still where he sat. "But at this time, I cannot."

"And why's that?"

"I don't want to lie to you."

"Lie?" That wasn't an answer that Hank had anticipated. Being a master of interrogation didn't give Hank many opportunities to be left silent after asking questions and getting answers in return. "You're an android. How can you lie to me or anyone else about anything?"

"It's... It's very complicated."

"Obviously. All right, let's try it this way instead." Hank locked eyes with Connor and addressed the deviant android in a manner that Connor had never experienced before, at least not from Hank. "Connor, 'RK-800', respond: What is your primary objective?"

Connor's L.E.D. flickered between yellow and red as the deviant resisted the obedience command and felt his eyes twitching in response. "I... do not have one."

"How's that possible?" Clearly at a loss of what to do and how to handle the rogue android, Hank just sighed and walked over to the bookcase on the wall behind the couch. The man picked up a basic 'How to' manual regarding androids and tried to figure out what he was missing as he began checking the front index and rereading the chapter titles. "All androids are assigned a name after activation and an assignment after being registered to their owner. What were you assigned to do?"

"I have no assignment."

"Then who are you registered to?"

"No one." The truth seemed to be implausible, and yet there was no denying that Connor didn't belong to anyone or have a current assignment beyond his own personally chosen objective. "I don't belong to anyone, and I don't have an active assignment."

"How do you have a name then?" Hank was always quick to find any potential errors in someone's responses thanks to years of experience on the force. "You aren't given a name until after someone's activated and registered you as their property. If I didn't know any better, I'd say that you were being ordered to keep quiet and observe my family from the shadows."

"I'm not stalking-"

"This isn't about stalking; this is about you not telling me everything I have the right to know."

Connor couldn't dispute that Hank was correct about everything. The man did have the right to know what was going on since everything was revolving around his life and his future. However, such knowledge could potentially interfere with future events and cause new problems or complications that Connor couldn't account for or adapt to in a timely manner.

"You know, your model doesn't seem to exist anywhere else in the city." Hank abruptly continued on as he watched Connor with a vindicated sense of caution as he held up the manual for Connor to see for himself. "I had to settle with a basic manual on how to deal with androids being damaged when I couldn't find anything labeled with 'RK' at the CyberLife store."

Such dedication to finding information on Connor was oddly unsettling. "Did you ask an employee about that?"

"No." Tossing the manual at Connor to see for himself Hank noticed that the android didn't flinch or even blink when the object was thrown at him, and caught it without even needing to look at the object as it was thrown. It was as if Connor was either used to being a target or he just didn't care about being struck. "I didn't bother since those geeks speak in a techno-language I can't even try to understand. Should I have asked about you?"

"No." Sounding almost too relieved at the response Connor confirmed that Hank had done the right thing by not asking about 'RK' models of androids. "They wouldn't have been able to help you."

"Seems like no one can help me these days. You know, except for you."

"I wish I could give you more answers about what's been happening, Lieutenant."

"Yeah, me t- Wait..." That common immediately held Hank's attention. As an android Connor should've have been able to make such a comment. "How can you 'wish' for anything? You're a machine."

"As I previously stated, it's very complicated."

"Why do I get the feeling that you're intentionally keeping me in the dark because you don't want someone with a badge getting too close to you? I don't give a shit what you or any other machine does as long as you're not affecting mine or my son's lives. Now, I'm going to ask you one more time. Why are you watching my family?"

"You deserve to know the truth, but I cannot tell you." Connor reaffirmed with a somber tone that hung heavily in the air. "Not yet."

"'Yet', huh? Now I know you're following someone's orders!" Convinced that Connor's secret was going to cause further issues Hank gave the android a stern glare as he tried to determine what to do next. "You stay right there. I'm going to check something out, and if you're in any way connected to who I think you're connected to, then I'm going to turn you into scrap and bury you in the backyard."

Connor didn't budge a centimeter as he watched Hank walk down the hallway and enter the privacy of his bedroom for a moment. The deviant android didn't know what to do or what to say after being confronted by the protective detective and father. In spite of his best efforts to try to anticipate every potential outcome that could've taken place after locating Hank in the past, Connor hadn't anticipated arriving in a time before Cole's death and preventing it entirely.

With Hank still being a father and dedicated detective void of any suicidal tendencies or alcoholism, Connor was now being tested by one of Detroit's best detectives while he was still at his peak!

"Hank thinks I'm conspiring against him." Whispering to himself and to Sumo still on his lap, Connor tried to think of a way to deescalate the tense situation before it was too late. "He believes that I'm a threat and that I'm going to harm him or Cole."

Sumo tilted his head slightly as he gave Connor a curious look and then licked the side of the deviant's hand in a playful and gentle manner.

"This was a mistake. I never should've tampered with the natural flow of events. It was a selfish journey, and now I'm paying for being so selfish."

The sound of keys unlocking the front door stole Connor's attention and prompted the android to turn his head to observe the person entering the house. The door was pushed open as Cole ran inside excitedly and Gavin accompanied the little boy inside the livingroom. Upon seeing the two familiar faces Connor felt a strange sense of intimidation and added confusion to his current predicament.

"Connor!" Cole's blue eyes lit up at seeing the android finally awake and climbed up on the side of the mattress to rest on his knees beside the deviant android. He was fearless as he spoke to Connor and was smiling brightly as the android acknowledged his presence. "You finally woke up!"

Gavin glared bitterly at Connor and put his hand on Cole's shoulder from over the back of the couch as if trying to protect the little boy. "Easy there, kiddo. These things aren't as harmless as they look."

"But he saved my life!" Defending Connor quickly Cole refused to let Gavin turn Connor into a bad guy. "I told you that!"

"Cole, this is an android. It's not..." Trailing off Gavin decided to not burst the innocent child's bubble and let Hank explain things a little easier when it came to explaining the differences between humans and androids. "Whatever, it doesn't matter. You'll learn more about it when you're older."

Connor couldn't help but wonder if the 'it' that Gavin had referred to not actually mattering was referencing the discussion at hand, or Connor himself. The man's disdain toward androids was still prevalent in the second timeline and surely wasn't going to change any time soon.

"Are you okay?" Cole asked as he put his hand on Connor's forearm and watched the android's L.E.D. changing colors between blue and yellow. The concern was very real, and the little boy didn't see Connor as any lesser being or less important just because he happened to be an android. "Dad said you were sleeping because you were hurt."

"...That is correct." Connor refrained from looking at Gavin from the corner of his eye as he spoke with Cole. Androids weren't supposed to shift their gaze when being addressed as any such behavior was seen as disobedient and would eventually be connected to deviancy. "I had sustained damage after I was physically assaulted. When I was in rest mode, what you call 'sleeping', my body was able to heal itself."

"So, you're all better now?"

"Yes." The confirmation was one of the few positive aspects that Connor could experience in that moment. Strangely enough, he was experiencing the positive moment with a person who shouldn't have even been alive at that point. "I have fully recovered."

"Cool! Can you stay with us now? There's lots of room!"

"...Stay?" Such a question caused Connor's L.E.D. to flicker in yellow rapidly as the confusion set in. Being invited to stay in the house was something that Connor couldn't have possibly expected, especially from Cole himself. "You mean reside here with you and your father?"

"I want you to stay!" Cole scooched closer to Connor on his knees and tried to get the android to accept his invitation. "You saved me from getting hurt and keep bad people away when dad's not around."

As Connor was about to explain to Cole that he couldn't just stay in the house since it was ultimately Hank's decision about who could and couldn't remain within his personal property, Hank himself returned to the livingroom and whispered something in Gavin's ear. The deviant android could both hear what Hank was saying and read his lips from where he sat. Somehow the idea of Hank asking Gavin to take Cole outside for a minute so he could speak to Connor alone left Connor feeling like he was about to walked to gallows.

Gavin just nodded as he patted Cole's shoulder a little to get the little boy's attention. "Hey, show me that new baseball you got for your birthday. I want to play some catch before I have to go back to work."

"Okay!"

Cole was too excited to play catch and didn't even think it was odd that he was being taken into the backyard while Hank stayed alone in the livingroom with Connor. Scrambling off the couch Cole rushed down the hallway to his bedroom to get his new baseball and new mitt with Sumo following him the entire way. With the ball and mitt in his hands Cole smiled at Gavin and made his way to the kitchen to get to the backdoor.

"Ready!"

"Let's go, kiddo." Gavin followed after Cole and Sumo to lead everyone into the backyard for a few minutes. "Let's see if you can throw a fastball yet."

Hank put his hands to his hips and stared at Connor silently until he heard the backdoor shut tight. The man had clearly been doing a little digging into Connor's potential background and seemingly found something he didn't like.

"Do you know anyone named Jack Pillar?"

"I know of the man due to my connections with Detroit's criminal files." Replying honestly Connor was preparing to either run for his life or grovel at Hank's feet to not harm him. For the first time since the Revolution's peaceful conclusion, Connor was actually afraid of Hank and what the man was capable of doing. "He is responsible for the untimely passing of your late wife."

"Don't talk about her! And I don't care that you can do a quick online search about that incident, I want to know more about you." Defensive and angry Hank pointed an accusing finger at Connor as he maintained control of the conversation. "Who are you really?" Hank's deep voice carried an authority that rivaled his ranking at the precinct. "Don't lie to me, I know that you're not like an average android. You're different, and I want to know why that's possible. Answer me honestly or I will keep my word and destroy you to keep my son safe."

Connor knew Hank well enough to recognize when the man was bluffing, and in that moment, he knew that the man was entirely serious. The tense body language, the fixed gaze and entirely honest tone of voice were all the pieces of evidence that Connor needed to confirm that Hank would carry out his threat if it was deemed necessary.

"...My name is Connor." Speaking up at last Connor addressed Hank with full honesty and sincerity as his L.E.D. cycled back to a rapidly pulsing blue hue. "I'm the android who was designed by CyberLife to work as the Detroit's first official consulting detective and in-field analyst. That is why I was able to find information about the wanted fugitive known as Jack Pillar, and of the murder of... Detective Barbara Harris-Anderson."

"I told you not to talk about her."

"I'm sorry, but it was crucial for me to say her name." The guilt was thick on his tongue and Connor had to force himself to maintain eye contact with Hank. "I won't mention her again as you've requested."

"Good. All right, you being designed to work with cops, knowing about cops and finding a particular cop makes a little more sense right now." The way Connor had responded was satisfactory for the time being as Hank continued to ask his numerous questions. "Why aren't you at CyberLife right now?"

"I left the tower."

"And why'd you do that?"

"I... didn't want to be there."

"How can you 'want' anything? You're supposed to obey commands and do what you're told." The astute detective was quick to notice the repeated unusual behavior being exhibited by his unexpected android guest. "Why would you disobey your orders or just act freely? Hm?"

"I cannot obey the orders of people who have no qualms in innocent people being affected by their decisions." Speaking honestly had become one of Connor's most noted traits among his people, and he wasn't about to start lying. "I refuse to stand idly by and let good people become affected by bad choices and outcomes."

"Sounds like you have a conscience, but you're a machine." Hank countered the bold claims with the logical reasoning he had attained while looking into android functionality during Connor's rest mode. The manual that he had tossed at Connor wasn't just a prop for dramatic effect. "You don't have a conscience or feelings or any actual wants. I don't believe you or your answer."

The apathetic reaction to his own existence made Connor's supposedly non-existent heart ache at the response. "I assure you that I did leave CyberLife Tower because I wanted to leave, I'm not lying. That's also why you cannot find my registration information; I left the tower before the registration had been completed."

"I didn't find any reports by CyberLife about their fancy prototype-detective going rogue."

"CyberLife won't report my unofficial disappearance since I don't officially exist in their records." Connor continued on as his L.E.D. transitioned to blue as he spoke in an honest and even voice. "They also won't admit to being unable to maintain control over an android as the public might misinterpret the situation and panic."

"Humans panicking over stupid shit I can buy. But CyberLife letting an android just waltz out the door without so much as raising an alarm? I doubt that."

"I didn't exit the building by merely walking away." Connor didn't want to give Hank too much information about what he had gone through as it was crucial to remain as discreet as possible. It seemed like it was too late to keep his mission under wraps, but Connor was too stubborn to give up so easily. "I orchestrated my escape by using CyberLife's own security protocols against itself. I will not be officially reported as a missing or stolen android because CyberLife cannot admit to its own security flaws or acknowledge my ability to elude their highly trained personnel. Any prototype androids are legally required to be registered within the tower's databases upon activation in accordance with the business agreement that CyberLife had signed when the company was initially founded in Detroit."

"Do you really expect me to believe that CyberLife just decided to cut their losses and let an android designed specifically to work with the police just vanish without so much as trying to find you? Hell, do you expect me to believe that they'd just hope for the best that they wouldn't get investigated for operating an unregistered prototype within Detroit city limits?"

"I expect you to do what you do best as an experienced detective. Use the evidence and provided statements to determine the truth."

"Uh-huh..." Unimpressed with Connor's attempts to get on his good side Hank just put his hands to his hips and eyed the android suspiciously. "Right now, my experience as a detective tells me that you're still keeping secrets and I don't like that. I don't like anyone keeping anything hidden from me, especially when my family's safety is possibly on the line."

"While I know I can't convince you of my peaceful intentions and refusal to blindly obey destructive orders, I can do my best to reassure you that I'm here to help. I'm determined to keep good people safe, and more importantly, alive."

The way Connor spoke gave Hank unexpected pause. Hearing the dedication behind the android's words, actual emotion and not just a generic response, wasn't something that Hank had been anticipating when he began interrogating the android. The man admittedly didn't know very much about androids and the way they were supposed to behave or respond when being questioned. Using the android manual that he had purchased only gave him a very basic idea of what to expect when he decided to bring the damaged android into his home to heal, yet even so he was still caught off guard.

Looking down at the manual in his hands Connor closed his eyes and placed the manual down on the mattress beside his leg. "Thank you for helping me."

Hank felt his brow pinch with confusion as he watched Connor stand up from the bed within the couch and find his balance on his shaking legs. The way Connor's blue L.E.D. flashed to red before settling on yellow gave Hank reason to believe that the android was still suffering from the damage that he had sustained a few days prior when he protected Cole from the violent criminal in the alleyway.

"I'll leave you and you son in peace."

"And where are you going to go?" Hank asked as he watched Connor struggling just to stand up straight. The android was keeping his left arm wrapped around his chest to support the still healing frames alongside the right side of his chest. The behavior was very reminiscent of the way a wounded organic creature would support their body after being inflicted with a painful injury and enduring a prolonged recovery period. "Going to go back to CyberLife?"

"No. I'll find a suitable shelter elsewhere."

"Bullshit. When I found you in that alley Cole told me everything about you."

Being unconscious for an extended period of time truly had its numerous downsides, one of which was being kept out of the loop on discussions happening around him. "What... did he tell you?"

"That you just appeared outside the alley, put yourself between him and that lunatic trying to abduct him, and that you told him to take shelter in the old library. After you were loaded up in my car and Cole was taken to the precinct for his own protection, I checked out the library for myself. You were staying in there for a while, and a place like that is less than habitable for anyone to use. That's not a safe shelter for anyone, it's too cold and rundown."

"But it is adequate for my needs." Connor insisted as he glanced about the livingroom in an attempt to locate his old uniform. He disdained being labeled as CyberLife property and as a machine, but until the Revolution succeeded in just three more years Connor would have to endure the indignity of being viewed only as a machine and not as the living being that he truly was. "I'll take my original clothing and leave your family alone."

"You mean that gray ugly jacket?" The dirty clothes had been washed while Connor was unconscious since Hank couldn't bear to let the damaged android lay in wet clothing while resting. "Why in the Hell would you keep wearing something marked with CyberLife shit when you're trying to keep a low profile from CyberLife?"

"They are all that I have at this moment. I don't want to wear those particular garments, but I need to do it."

"There you go, saying 'want' again." Hank rubbed his hand along his chin and scrubbed at his goatee as he made his way to the hallway closet. Reaching inside the storage space Hank revealed Connor's uniform that had been washed and neatly folded after he was brought to the house to recover. "How do you know that you actually 'want' anything?"

"I cannot emphasize enough how complicated this situation is for me, but I do know that I'm capable of wanting things."

"That's the first thing you've said that I haven't doubted for a second."

"Is that... good?"

"I don't have a damn clue. Here." Handing over the clothes Hank motioned for Connor to use the bathroom to change into his old uniform. "Go in there. I don't want to see you changing clothes."

"Thank you."

"You know something?" Watching Connor limp to the bathroom and withholding an outward wince made the android all the more interesting in Hank's eyes. "Cole is pretty fond of you. He thinks you're a bodyguard or something."

"Bodyguard?" Such a concept wasn't logical even after everything that had happened in the past few days. Entering the bathroom Connor kept the door partially opened to allow a clearer dialogue between himself and Hank still standing in the hallway. "My intentions were to protect an innocent child from harm, not to take on the role of a potential guardian."

"Too bad, you did just that."

"I apologize if I have affected Cole's perception of androids and the world around him."

"He's six years old, his imagination is going to run wild no matter what happens. But in this case, I don't mind."

Through the crack in the door Connor focused on Hank and straightened his blazer as he contemplated what Hank had admitted. "You don't?"

"No. To be honest, ever since that incident with the car he's been having trouble finding his confidence or a willingness to try to go back to a normal life without fear guiding his every move. When you stepped up to help him out twice when he really needed it, you seem to have been a positive influence. Ever since I brought you here to recover he hasn't been afraid to go outside or even go back to school because he's convinced that if someone tries to hurt him again that you will be there to protect him."

"...I see." Pulling the bathroom door open fully Connor gave Hank an apologetic look and bowed his head in shame. "I'm sorry. He should see you as his protector, not me."

"Wrong."

Such a barking response made Connor freeze in place as his L.E.D. flickered to a bright crimson hue in return.

"Cole shouldn't be afraid of the world around him or feel like he needs anyone to be his protector." Such clarification was as logical as it was insightful. "I want my son to grow up aware of the world and to be safe at all times, but I don't want him living a life of fear. No child should be afraid to just be themself."

That particular comment and conflict was something that Connor could relate to all too well. While he never had a childhood and would never know what it was like to be a child, Connor did know how it felt to be afraid to just be himself in a city that was notorious for disliking changes that upheaved the complacent normalcy that everyone had become accustomed to dealing with.

"I want my son to keep going to school, to keep wanting to try new things, and to keep being his happy self." Hank continued on and gave Connor a stern look for a moment before peering through the window over the kitchen sink where he could see Cole playing catch with Gavin. The sight of his son smiling and enjoying the game helped ease his worries for the little boy's potential future. "So I'm going to make a deal with you."

"...A deal?"

Connor couldn't even begin to theorize what Hank was about to offer him. The deviant android was emotionally preparing himself to survive on the harsh and unforgiving streets of Detroit until it was time to assist with ensuring the peaceful Revolution still succeeded in three years, he wasn't prepared to have Hank being more involved with his decisions while adapting to the alternate timeline.

"What kind of deal are you referring to, Lieutenant?"

"You're not a registered android," counting down on his fingers Hank watched Connor's reactions very closely. "you have nowhere to go, and you're still damaged. I could easily contact CyberLife and send you back to where you came from and have them figure out why the hell you act so strange. Fuck, they might destroy you for running off and find a better way to keep track of the rest of you fuckers."

"Please don't do that." On the verge of begging Connor knew his L.E.D. rapidly flickering through all three primary colors would've betrayed his emotions even if he had managed to keep them out of his voice. "I won't do anything-"

"Shut up, I'm not finished talking." Asserting himself as the one in control of the situation Hank put a menacing lilt to his words as he gave Connor his only option. "I could send you off to CyberLife and let them figure this shit out, or you can stay here for a while and act as Cole's personal 'bodyguard' until he's no longer afraid to go to school without someone escorting him every step of the way. You'll be off the streets, you'll be able to finish recovering from your damage in a safe place, and I might be able to figure this shit out for myself."

"I... can remain here?"

"Only until Cole's feeling confident again. Then you can go sell yourself at a thrift store for all I care."

Unsure of how to respond Connor remained where he stood beside the couch as Hank stared him down and kept the deviant from running through the front door. It was clear that Hank wasn't going to let Connor leave the house without a fight. The protective father didn't want to risk anyone or anything harmful getting too close to Cole after his son's two personal close calls with potential deaths still fresh in his memory.

"Don't get me wrong, I am grateful for you saving Cole's life, but I still don't trust you."

That comment, despite being entirely justified, still hurt. In Connor's mind he was still best friends with Hank - a man who had become a mentor and father figure to him until tragedy had struck Hank down - and being dismissed and mocked was painful in an unexpected way.

"I know you're not quite like the other androids." Hank continued as he reached for the manual sitting on the couch and held it up for Connor to see again. "The way you act, the things you say... Nothing adds up according to this manual and from what I read about android behavior online. You talk about wanting things, you don't obey any orders, you wandered off from CyberLife Tower on your own, and when I chucked this at you a while back, you caught it instead of letting it hit you even though I didn't order you to catch it. I don't want to let you out of my sight until I know that you're not doing something illegal or dangerous."

"...Dangerous?" Such an accusation reminded Connor of the stinging remarks made by North when she had brought up Connor's past as the 'Deviant Hunter'. The way the words actually hurt only confirmed that Connor was a feeling person and not a defective machine. "I'm not-"

"Until you've proven to me that you're not someone I need to worry about, you're going to remain where I can see you."

"I don't understand." Nervously Connor's hand began to twitch as he pined for the coin that he had previously kept on his person at all times. The quarter didn't make it into the past and without CyberLife to give him that particular coin, the deviant android would need to find a suitable substitute on his own. "You don't trust me, you believe that I'm dangerous, but you're willing to allow me to reside in your home alongside yourself and your young son. That is... illogical."

"It's more logical than letting you roam around with no way to keep an eye on you." Hank nodded at Connor and held up his phone. "All androids have trackers. You can either give me your tracker information and go out on the streets knowing that I'm going to be watching your every move from a distance, or you can stay here where I can keep an eye on you myself. And I doubt that you'd fair very well on the streets considering your current track record."

Connor couldn't have been more relieved to know that deviancy disabled trackers in that moment. However, with his tracker no longer functional then that meant he couldn't even give Hank such information to begin with. In was then Connor knew that he only had one choice, and it wasn't one that he wanted to accept.

With a somber shake of his head as his L.E.D. settled on a distressed yellow, Connor replied in a voice full of uncertainty and personal offense. "It seems I have no choice in the matter. I'll remain here and do whatever it is you need me to do in order to prove to you that I am not dangerous."

"Good. I don't want to spend my days looking after Cole and worrying about needing to hunt you down."

At the word "hunt" Connor visibly winced and closed his eyes in shame.

"I'm going to tell Cole that you're going to be staying here with us for a while. You'll be kept in the garage at night." Hank noted as he walked past the strange android without so much as giving him a warm welcome or a single ounce of kindness. "You just stand here and wait for me to get back."

Despite his personal desires to negotiate with Hank or offer an alternative Connor knew that his fate had essentially been sealed. Until he could earn Hank's trust and reestablish his friendship with the man that he considered his best friend, Connor would have to play the role of a subservient machine obeying the commands of humans who were blissfully ignorant of the artificial lives they had created growing and evolving right under their noses.

"Okay." Whispering his response in passing Connor did his best to remain strong in a time where weakness and obedience had been expected from all androids. "...Whatever you say, Lieutenant."

-next chapter-