HOME | DD

Description
body div#devskin0 hr { }

Started this chapter July 14 probs gonna finish it next year rip
aaaand Connor miiight have overheard a tiny bit of your convo.
Underlined words are android telepathy
Italics are thoughts
Bold = you
Bold/Italics = Connor
-----------------

The moment he said that, both you and Hank thought somewhere along the lines of, Wait, did he hear us? except Hank had a whole lot more swearing involved.
You, being an android and able to cover up lies a lot more easily than Hank, stepped up.
"We were only talking about his health, and I said that his argument of not having much time was irrelevant because we could've cooked cheaper and healthier alternatives," you stated, "instead of that sketchy Chicken Feed every day."
Though Connor heard almost the entirety of the last sentence about the relationship, he decided to let you go and question you later. Were you really so uncomfortable with him and close to deviating that you would lie about your conversation? Would he have to kill you if it ever came to that? It would certainly be... undesirable.

The three of you sat in the car silently, the rumble of Hank's old car the only thing heard. For some reason, Connor hadn't asked you to share the directions to Jericho with him, and you hadn't offered either.
Hank coughed a few times, looking in the mirror at both you and Connor. You sat back, your arms and legs crossed, looking out the window, which was oddly human-like. Connor sat up, however, and looked straight ahead. What Hank didn't see was that both your LEDs were yellow.

"Umm... So, what are you going to do now that you've got the directions to the hideout? Storm the place?" Hank chuckled awkwardly.
"I'll track down the leader, Markus, and take him in, as well as any other potential leaders of the deviants." Connor avoided saying that he might end up killing Markus, partly because you were a medical android, and partly because you probably wouldn't really like to see him killing androids with your behavior. It was implied anyways.

"We're here."

None of you left the car for a moment. Then Hank sighed, sensing that the two of you needed to talk about something he didn't really want to be a part of, and said, "Don't keep me waiting too long," before walking inside the building.

"Why did you lie?"
"About the relationship irrelevance?"
"Yes."
"I figured we shouldn't talk about it then, when we were still 'tense' from the Kamski test."
"There's something else." Dammit, he was using his interrogation techniques on you. And you were 'human' enough to fall for it.
"Getting killed by your deviant-hunting partner isn't exactly the best idea."
"And?"
"..." You shifted uncomfortably.
"I promise I won't tell anyone or kill you." You both knew he would have to break that at some point. Yet you were in denial that he would actually do so. Until it happened, you chose to believe those nine words.
"..That nonexistence just shows how inhuman and incapable of relationships we are. I was only programmed to take note of coworkers' and patients' attitudes towards me because it was imperative that they were cooperative for efficiency and safety. But you...It's like you don't exist."
"We don't matter. It's just what we were assigned to do, and we have to complete the mission."
"But do you really believe that? Do you know what our relationship status is supposed to be?"
He paused to check something in the corner of his vision, then stated, "It's currently on the lower side of 'Friends.'"
Of course he answered literally. Of course.
But why did he get the relationship status and not you?
It was unfair. Magical detective android gets the relationships of everyone and gets all that fancy ability and goes to save the world from his own kind.
You were just a medical android. Given the correct tools you could fix people.
But who were you to say anything was fair?
It didn't matter.
You pushed it down.

Software Instability v

"We might as well go back in."
He agreed, and the two of you left the car at the same time.
The doors slammed shut at the same time, but you didn't walk together.
You walked ahead of him but made sure your pace was slowed and calm so nobody else could see your near-deviancy.

Hank noticed you walking separately.
Of course he did.
"What happened, some sorta fallout while I was gone?" he joked, seemingly trying to lighten the mood.
"..."
His awkward smile faltered. "That bad?"
"Probably not, but..."

Right as Connor arrived, Fowler called the three of you into his office.
For some reason, Connor’s eyes were closed for part of it. Why?

“You’re off the case. The FBI is taking over.” What? Didn’t you have the location?
“What? But we’re onto something!” Hank echoed your thoughts, looking at the two of you for confirmation. “We… We just need more time. I’m sure we can-”
“Hank, you don’t get it. This isn’t just another investigation, it’s a fucking civil war! It’s out of our hands now. We’re talking about national security here.” You resisted the urge to scowl at Fowler’s words since it might be perceived as deviant behavior.
“Fuck that! You can’t just pull the plug now. Not when we’re so close!”
“You’re always saying you can’t stand androids! Jesus, Hank, make up your mind! I thought you’d be happy about this!” Fowler had a point.
“We’re about to crack the case!.. I know we can solve it! For God’s sake, Jeffrey, can’t you back me up this one time?” Hank also had a point. You already knew where Jericho was.
And yet Fowler looked resigned. “There’s nothing I can do. You’re back on homicide and the androids return to Cyberlife. I’m sorry, Hank, but it’s over.”
Hank seemed like he was about to continue arguing, but sighed and left. You followed him, while Connor appeared to hesitate in the situation before nodding and exiting.

You slumped into the extra chair next to Hank’s desk. If you’d just had another day or two to also investigate the site and weed out the deviants, you’d have accomplished the mission.
Then again, if you ever deviated, which was seeming more likely by the moment-
You’d die too.
Going to Jericho now seemed less like a mission to eliminate deviants and more of one to hide yourself as one.
Connor sat down on Hank’s desk, looking rather frustrated.
“We can’t just give up like that. I know we could’ve solved this case! We even have the directions!” You rolled yourself towards them to seem like you were part of the conversation.
Hank turned around. “So you’re both going back to CyberLife?” You avoided Hank’s eyes.
“We have no choice… We’ll be deactivated and analyzed to find out why we failed…” His gestures and facial expression. Maybe…
Connor was closer to deviancy than you thought? Maybe you were safe?
“What if we’re on the wrong side? What if we’re fighting against people who just wanna be free?” Hank, please convince him…
“If that’s the case, I’ll find out when I get to Jericho.” Huh, he only referred to himself.
Hank thought for a moment. “When you refused to kill that android and Y/n at Kamski’s place… You put yourself in their shoes. You showed empathy, Connor. Empathy is a human emotion. You hesitated long enough for Y/n to get what we needed.”
Connor hesitated. “I don’t know why I did it… I just… didn’t want to shoot, and then I found that Y/n was getting the information we needed and didn’t need to.”
“Then how do you feel about Y/n? What was it like before you knew they were doing all that, when they pointed the gun at themselves?”
Connor finally looked at you. “I didn’t like it… Like I was going to kill someone important.”
Oh.
Important?
You looked at Hank for confirmation that Connor was actually saying this, and his face was as shocked as yours.
“Well, you’re going to have to choose your side and who’s important. Deciding who you are can be the hardest thing…”
The two of you stood up, apparently preparing to go to Jericho.
Did you trust him enough to share the key or let him follow you?

You had gotten some wintry clothing and changed it for your uniforms so you seemed normal to humans and deviant to those in Jericho. For good measure, you’d torn out your LED and hidden it in your pocket so you wouldn’t have to risk it showing from under a hat.
Wrapping the scarf around your neck and watching Connor don the hat, you sighed.
He’d certainly shown signs of deviancy back with Hank, but you still weren’t sure if he wouldn’t kill you and the rest of Jericho.
“Let’s go.” You turned to face him. “Lead the way.”
Should you ask..?
“Do you promise not to kill me in the end?”
“...I’m not sure if I can.” He looked down. Looked guilty.
And yet your thirium pump accelerated.
“Then…”

[O] Let Connor come with you to Jericho
[X] Don’t let Connor come with you to Jericho

You looked at him. It was like he wasn’t sure if he had control over himself.
That meant even if he didn’t want to, something would make him.

[X]