This work was written as part of an exchange as a gift.
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Allen didn't even know where he was, besides that he was on the edge of Detroit somewhere near the old Cyberlife recycling plant. He stumbled blindly, clutching his gut and pulling off his blood splattered helmet. It was supposed to be a routine takedown, just a small-time drug ring. They hadn't banked on them having a bunch of retrofitted androids for backup. He was pretty sure three of his men had pulled back safely. That was something. Unfortunately, his radio was busted, and a bullet had torn right through his armour, finding the perfect weak spot between the plates. His legs were like jelly as he staggered through the wet mud, dropping his helmet with a clack as he looked over his shoulder.
Looking back was a mistake. His foot slipped, throwing him off balance and sending him hurtling down a steep, bumpy slop. He had no idea what he was falling down, but it was hard. Each turn had his body slamming a different object, some even snagging his hard armour on the way down. He landed with a pained grunt, rolling onto his back to stare up at the dark sky and squinting through the rain that pelted his pale face. He felt cold, lips trembling as shock set in. His hand was still clutching his stomach in a weak attempt to stem the flow. He couldn't feel it through his thick gloves, but he knew it would feel warm and wet. Fuck, is this it? Is this really how I…Resignation set in as he looked up the slope to see a few distant figures standing there. He closed his eyes, half expecting another bullet to finish him.
Either they didn't see him, or they didn't think he was worth the effort. They'd probably seen the trail of red up there and knew he'd been hit. Badly. Seeing him lying at the bottom, they might have thought he was already dead, or close enough not to bother with. Fuck! He really was in the shit. His body felt heavy, limbs cold and trembling. He knew enough about bullet injuries to know it was bad, mainly because of where he was. If he could get to a hospital, he'd survive, but lasting long enough to be found was his current issue. It was a gut shot. A slow and painful way to go. He clenched his teeth, doing his best to ignore the throbbing pain as he tried to move. Moving was a bad idea. It would make him lose more blood, but if he could just get up enough to shrug his armour off and somehow stem the bleeding, he may be able to climb the slope again.
Looking at the mountainous gorge, he was pretty sure that last part was wishful thinking. It was almost a sheer drop, built entirely out of recycled plastic. Specifically, he was pretty sure it was Cyberlife material. Dead androids. The thought sent an entirely new chill down his spine as he took in a breath and heaved himself sideways with a pained grunt. Of all the places to die, he didn't want it to be in a fucking android graveyard. He didn't want to die a slow, painful death, bleeding out with nothing but dead robots for company. His grey eyes streamed at the searing ache, stomach objecting to each small twitch. What the fuck? Grey eyes snapped wide at the sight of a broken, robotic hand dragging itself through the dirt. It was like something out of a grotesque horror movie as he flailed on his back and did his best to scoot away, clutching his bleeding gut and whining with each weak kick. A weak cry slipped out as another hand gripped his shoulder, pulling him onto his back and holding him down.
He struggled, panicking as more grotesque limbs dragged their way towards him. A headless torso with no legs climbed his legs, gripping them tightly. More discarded, broken arms clawed his body, pulling at his armour. He didn't even know what the fuck they were trying to do, but he wasn't about to just lie down and die without a fight. He struck out with his elbow, dislodging one white hand before it was swiftly replaced by another. His breath stuttered as his armour loosened, the plating torn away piece by piece until the plastic hands could claw the pale flesh beneath. Another pained cry fled his lips as one hand found his wound. It hurt so much he swore it was trying to burrow its way inside.
"Captain Allen?" Grey eyes snapped open at the sound of a familiar voice. His pale lips froze as he met a set of familiar hazel eyes that were full of surprise. "Hold on…" That wasn't right. It wasn't right at all! The last time he'd seen this android, it had been falling off the edge of a fancy apartment complex after successfully saving the life of a young girl. It couldn't be here, at least, not how it looked now. He'd seen it afterwards. Shattered into pieces with the impact, all cracked plastic and hanging wires, and certainly no hole in the forehead as it had now. The hole was the only thing out of place on this model. It was perfectly put together otherwise. Not a hair out of place. Its uniform was a little grubby from the scrap yard and rain, but otherwise, it was immaculate.
"N-negotiator?" He squinted up at the thing as it crouched and started tearing the clawing limbs from his body. It had a name; he was pretty sure. What was it? He'd only met the thing once, and he had to admit, he'd been sceptical. That an android would make a good negotiator had been laughable at the time, but it had completed its mission and saved the girl with no other fatalities. It had even taken the time to tourniquet the arm of an injured officer, saving his life. He remembered the model was an RK-something, but the name…It had told him its name. "Connor?" The android's brow creased as much as it could with the gaping hole in the centre.
"In a manner of speaking…" It seemed an almost grudging admission as he finally managed to somehow scare off the clawing limbs. "I have his memories, but I'm not the Connor you met…I was only active for a short time before…" It seemed a sore subject, at least, as sore as it could be for an android. He didn't even know if it was deviant. The pinch of its eyes suggested it was, but this advanced model had been designed to blend in. Since the creeping hands were gone, the Connor android set about examining him for injuries. Something about the blankness of those hazel eyes made him shiver as they ran up and down his body before he finally reached out and touched his bleeding gut. The cry he let loose had it stumbling back in a fluster, spooked by the sudden outburst.
"S-sorry…hurts…" Allen winced; throat tight as he laid a hand over his bloodied black shirt. The Connor android returned, jittery and panting, almost afraid and uncertain.
"Okay-okay," it murmured under its breath, almost seeming to search its memory banks for what to do. Perhaps it did. The bullet in its head could have scrambled whatever it kept up there. Emergency medical protocols could have been lost. It was a wonder it was active at all! How the bullet had torn through its skull and not messed it up in a major way was anyone's guess. "Stem the bleeding-I need to stem the bleeding." Allen hissed as the Connor android removed its jacket and bundled it over his wound, pressing down hard. It did its best not to flinch at the pained sounds that fled his lips.
"H-hospital…c-can you call a-" He hissed as the pressure increased.
"Hold on, Captain. Help is on the way." Allen could only assume that meant he'd called it in already. He relaxed a little, blinking his grey eyes again as the Connor android pressed harder, deliberately hurting him. "Stay with me, Captain. Hey!" A hard slap on his cheek had him blinking awake again, barely able to focus on the handsome figure above him. Cyberlife really put their all into designing these things. Perfect pale skin, scattered freckles and beauty spots, dimples, flecks of amber in the hazel of its eyes, perfectly curved brows and lashes. The only things that gave it away as something less than human were the spinning red LED and the gaping blue hole in its forehead. The skin around the hole had drawn back a little, leaving a halo of silver and white filled with crusted blue.
"H-head…H-how are you-" His question was cut short with another whine. He wasn't sure if the Connor android was trying to stop his question or if it was genuinely just holding his wound shut. Its jaw was tight as it looked around, clicking its tongue as it finally looked at his pale face.
"Fucked if I know! Could be the self-repair initiative built into my software or random androids here trying to patch me up…Either way, I got shot in the head and wound up here. Luckily, being a newer model, my parts are incompatible, so the scavengers left me in one piece." It swore! He was pretty sure androids didn't swear. Did that mean it was a deviant? Maybe. There was something comforting about that. It almost made him feel less lonely. Less afraid of dying. "Hey! Open your eyes! Captain!"
"D-David…"
"David…You have to keep your eyes open." Allen nodded as best he could, but his head was already swimming and thick with fog. He didn't even know if his eyes were open or shut. They were just filled with the Connor android. With the not-Connor. "Five minutes, David…Stay with me for five more minutes." What would happen in five minutes? Would he leave him? His brow pinched as he reached down and grabbed at the Connor android's wrist. It was soft and warm, like a real human. Its head turned, tilting in question as it looked down at him.
"S-stay…s-stay, p-pl-p…" Allen wasn't sure either of them knew what he was asking for.
"Sure, I can stay with you." That's it. That's what he wanted. An overwhelming sense of contentment settled over him at the Connor android's reassurance. He felt safe now. The Connor android would stay with him. He wouldn't be alone. His teeth chattered in the cold, rain still pattering his skin. "David! Hey! I can only stay with you if you stay with me! Wake the fuck up!" Pain seared his cheek as he was struck again, grey eyes blinking in a daze. He gripped the wrist on his abdomen harder, a reassurance he was there.
He wasn't sure how long it took, but soon there were more voices. More voices and bright lights. He gripped tighter as the hand on his abdomen moved, gasping a breath as he opened his eyes and looked around frantically. Where was it? Where was the Connor android? He wasn't holding onto it anymore! He fought the hands that held him down, head turning this way and that. It was a mixture of too dark and too bright with the darkness of the yard and the brightness of the paramedics' lights as they worked to get him stable. Gentle voices reassured him, doing their best to explain that he was in shock as firm hands tried to keep him down. He knew that much already. That wasn't important! The Connor android! Where was the Connor android?
"C-Connor?" The panic in his chest stilled as a firm hand landed on his shoulder and pressed him into the dirt.
"I'm not Connor, dummy…Call me Sixty."