#dbh content

Inside, her phone lit up on her nightstand, drawing her eyes away from her tablet and therefore away from her homework that was already late. The majority of it was done but she had been occupied with other things since she’d gotten home.

In a hurry to snatch her device up, she about toppled from her bed in an effort to read the text from her newest android acquaintance.

RoboCop: I’ve arrived outside your designated home.

She quirked her lips at his proper speech and shuffled over to her window, drawing the blinds up and scattering dust into the air. Maybe she should quit doing her old man’s chores and stick to her own.

Come around to the left. He passed out on the couch tonight and Sumo’s keeping guard.

RoboCop: Affirmative.

Sliding the glass pane up, she stuck her head out into the foggy night and watched a dark figure approach from around the corner. The small blip of blue at the top had any anxiety fading at the possibility of a stranger showing up in his stead.

“You should tone down the butler speak, y’know?” she called to him in a soft voice, ducking back inside as he stepped in front of her. “People don't say “affirmative” they say “yeah” or “all right.” Just basic, normal stuff.”

“I will work on my speech etiquette, then,” he answered, staring through the opening window at her.

She blinked, scratching at the crook of her elbow. “You coming in?”

He tilted his head, temple flickering yellow. “My shoes will track dirt into your room.”

“It’s fine. I need to vacuum anyway,” she waved off, returning to her bed to shut down her tablet. As she did so, the RK800 let himself in, climbing through with an agility people could only dream of having. Once inside, he made sure to close the window as to not let the draft continue. After all, humans were known to grow ill if temperatures were below average.

“Okay, so, turns out Sumo is keeping dad company tonight since he drank himself into a stupor again,” she sighed, grabbing her satchel from school to pack all her technology as well as what appeared to be a wallet. “It sucks, but I guess you’re stuck here by yourself until I get back.”

“You’re leaving?” Connor questioned, only curious despite the chip in her once solid plan.

“Yeah.”

“May I inquire as to where you’re going so late at night?”

She grinned as he studied her. “Depends. You gonna tell on me?”

“If it breaks any laws I will have to as I am working for the DPD.”

“It’s not illegal,” she laughed, shaking her head. “You could say it’s my night job. More of a hobby than anything else, though.”

“Am I correct in assuming the Lieutenant has no prior knowledge of this hobby?”

“He knows about it, just not that I sneak out to do it on school nights,” she said with a shrug, heading over to a dresser. He observed from his spot by the window as she ran a brush through her hair and grabbed a few items from the bottom drawer. He was able to make out a cord designed for high end microphones before she stuffed it into her bag.

Before Connor could ask another question, a muted buzz reverberated. She was quick to retrieve her phone from her back pocket and hold it up to her ear.

“Be there in a sec,” she said, glancing at him before turning away. “Is there any room for an extra person?”

A muffled voice was registered as Connor listened, unable to make out the other side of the conversation.

“Yeah, I’ll just sit on Austin’s lap—he’s used to it.” Her laugh sounded before she hung up, beaming at him from across the small room. “You have a free ticket if you wanna tag along. You don’t have to, but if you do, I’ll have to give you a quick makeover.”

“Makeover?” he parroted.

“Where we're going might not be the best place to show off your cute, little loading light, here,” she said, walking over to tap gently at his temple. It was then she realized his above average height with an appreciative hum. “Beanie, new jacket and poof! You’re invisible.”

“I would be hiding my identity.”

“Think of it as going undercover. You could get some more data on how to be more normal while you’re at it!” She smiled at him as he let her words sink in, weighing the pros and cons.

“I’d like to know where we’re going before I give you my final answer.”

She nodded. “It’s a small warehouse for concerts—Rouge Wave. I help with the live music there and it’s a hot spot for people my age and older.”

“You’re a musician?” He watched her flounder a bit, scratching behind her ear as she blew out a long breath.

“Yeah, I don’t know, I don’t...really…” She shrugged, rolling her eyes as she looped her arms through her bag’s straps. “I don’t talk about it outside these gigs. It’s like a guilty pleasure.”

Yellow flashes as her phone blips again and she raises her brow at the android. “They’re gettin’ antsy. You wanna stay here?”

Connor knew he was made to be a detective and to find flaws in the beings that created him. His main objective had nothing to do with this girl or her “guilty pleasures” in the music industry. But being a detective warranted him a cop and cops were meant to protect and serve. Thus, this offered venture would fall under that rule.

“I would like to come,” he tells her, finally, and with a smile that is proven to be bigger than the handful he’s seen with his built-in measuring system, she gestures to her closet.

“C’mon, then, let's get you suited up.” As she tossed a few items of clothing his way, she asked, “Do you like music?”

“I don't exactly listen to music.” He met her warm gaze as he practiced a small grin. “But I'd like to.”

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A dented door to an equally dented van slid open to reveal her group of friends bustling about as was the usual on nights like these. Their greetings rang out into the night, a pop tune fading as their driver lowered the volume to have her voice heard.

“Adding another stray to our band of misfits, sire?”

She scoffed. “Nah, he’s just here for a good time.” Turning to face Connor, she double checked his beanie and jacket.The sunglasses were a little overkill, but if anyone got sight of his default clothes, she’d be in for an earful.

“Well, what’s his name? I’m on the edge of my seat here,” Lola laughed, hand sliding over the steering wheel as she craned her around her headrest to get a good look at their newest acquaintance.

The girl vibrated her lips as she thought it over. “Goes by Fifty. Don’t ask—it’s a long story.”

Connor eyed her as she glanced over her shoulder at him and nodded stiffly along with the cover. “Yes, it’s not a very engaging tale.”

The face she made proved he was off to a bad start with this whole “fitting in” business.

“Huh,” Lola nodded, sharing a smile with who she recognized as Johnny in the passenger seat. “Well, welcome to the party van. Seatbelts are required.”

“Such a stickler!” Austin groaned teasingly from the far back as Hank's daughter climbed in, pointing to the empty seat behind the driver for Connor. He waited for her to collapse into the back, spreading herself over the three occupying the space before stepping into the vehicle and shutting the door behind him.

“Get your feet off of me!”

“Yeah, Austin’s the one with the foot fetish.”

“Oh, fuck off, Nicki."

“Fifty!” she called, her palm landing on the middle person with a loud slap to gain the android’s attention as the victim replied with a sharp, “ Shit!”

“This kink shamer is Nicki. The one who is trying to push my feet off their lap is Teddy and this one,” she used her free hand to tap the brunet’s nose for clarification, “is Austin, my muse.”

The car hooted as if it was a grand love confession to which she answered with a raised middle finger.

“I’m Lola, designated driver,” the girl upfront stated. “The guy next to me is Johnny and behind me is Larry.”

“Are you all a part of the band?” Connor asked, meeting Lola’s gaze in the rearview mirror. His quick read on her told him she was of a hispanic descent with some african american mixed in. She had no crime record, nor did anyone else in the car save for Teddy who apparently was fined for graffiting the side of a building.

“Nah, Larry’s just here to hang. The others are, though. The muse is our guitarist,” she crooned. “Nicki is our drummer, Johnny the base, and Teddy is on top of beats and remixes.”

“Just say DJ.”

“They’re our DJ!” she sung dramatically. “Happy?”

“Over the moon.”

“Looks like you already know our siren here,” Larry spoke, turning around to smirk at the RK800. “Did she lure you in with her voice?”

“He hasn’t heard me,” she sighed, tone indicating she was embarrassed.

“Not yet, you mean,” Austin hummed, running a couple of fingers through her hair as she snuggled into his abdomen. Connor noticed the increased heartbeat and ultimately decided that they were a couple.

“Is “sire” short for siren, then?” he questioned as she smiled at him.

Teddy gave a low whistle. “Catches on quick, this one.” They earned a jab to the arm from her for that little comment.

“Excuse them, they don’t like meeting new people,” she told Connor.

“It’s sarcasm, you abusive woman.”

“We’re leading on with 2010s right?” Johnny cut in.

“Lola!” she hissed, sitting up with a start. Austin pouted at the interrupted cuddle session. “I thought you went over all this with him?”

“Chill, okay? He’s just double checking. You like to switch things around last minute sometimes,” Lol defended, taking a right turn onto a street laden with parallel parked cars.

“I know, I just want to make sure everyone is prepared. It gets awkward up there if we have to stop in the middle.”

“This is why I recommended a voting system,” Nicki cut in. “The fans get to hear what they want and we know what to practice.”

“That takes away the fun for me.” Connor observed her frown as the car came to a stop. “I like choosing the songs.”

“Yeah, Nicki, she chooses the best ones anyway,” Austin defended as everyone began to load out.

“Damn right I do!” Her smile was back as she winked at the RK800. “Fifty deserves only the best playlist for his first night here.”

“You play covers, then?”

She nodded. “That's all we do. I just think there's a lot of oldies that deserve to be brought back.”

“Meaning she's shit at writing her own songs.”

“Nicki I will beat your ass.”

“O- K kids! Get your shit we are leaving the car,” Lola called, opening her door and stepping out. Everyone followed without complaint.

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Rogue Wave was fairly large with a second story filled with tables and chairs to have a great view of the stage that sat pushed up against the far back wall. It was currently blurred out with holographic walls, programmed to hide just who was setting up on the other side.

A bar was aglow with fairy lights off to the right as Connor entered with Larry and Lola, littered with all types of alcoholic beverages and the like. He noticed there was a restricted age sign in bold, proving that while this was a hang out for the teen-humanity, it was a controlled space. Many adults were here as well.

“What do you think?” Lola asked as Larry grabbed them a high table overlooking the stage on the second floor.

“It's all very inviting despite its size,” Connor decided.

“Yeah, the boss does his best to make it a safe place, even if there's booze,” she chuckled. “You seem old enough, by the way, are you out of high school?”

He was firmly against lying in this situation, it was against protocol, but he couldn’t be outright with them. “I didn’t attend high school.”

“Oh, home schooled, then? Cool, Larry here is a sophomore in college so don't fret about hanging with some little high school seniors, yeah?” She scanned over a small menu placed on the equally small table and hummed, asking if they wanted anything. Larry asked for a soda and Connor declined, not needing substance of any kind. Of course, they didn't need to know that.

She had just left to order when the main lights in the warehouse went dark and spotlights turned to the stage.

“Here we go,” Larry clapped, cheering as the blurred walls rippled with different patterns, clearing up just enough to reveal five figures all prepared with their chosen instrument, including the leader, whom Connor immediately recognized by her height and figure. Her body language exhibited clear signs of exhilaration as her hazy form tapped the mic.

“Testing, testing,” she said, earning all kinds of cheers as she laughed. “Guess you can hear me, then. You all ready for Midnight Madness?” The chanting was a definite yes as she gave a thumbs up to her crew, then tugged at the shoulder trap that kept her guitar steady against her front. “Okay, if you were here last week you know we got a bit too wild with the 90s… Sorry Chad.”

She waved and Connor turned in the direction her body faced to see gentleman behind the bar who saluted her with a smirk. Conner assumed he was the owner of this establishment.

“So tonight we're getting less wild with the 2010s! Let's go!”

The applause drowned out the start of the song which was mostly made up of a techno beat from an advanced looking soundboard (belonging to Teddy, Connor recalled as they were the DJ) and some action from the drums. The base gave a few chords every once in a while alongside the guitar but Connor found himself focusing on the voice and the chorus of “la la la la”s flowing from her lips.

“I want you to love me,

Like I'm a hot ride.”

The chosen song was instantly registered by one of his programs. As the Lieutenant's daughter had stated, it was released in 2010 and it appeared to be a good choice for the first song of the night as the audience was metaphorically “eating it up,” especially the older adults who seemed to recall the lyrics. The entire place was up in arms as the chorus hit.

“Want you to make me feel

Like I'm the only girl in the world

Like I'm the only one that you'll ever love

Like I'm the only one who knows your heart

Only girl in the world--”

“She's good right?” Lola yelled over the her, catching Connor's attention. He hadn’t noticed her return.

His processors deemed their siren as above average by the advanced singing techniques administered or so his searches disclosed.

“Yes, she sings quite well.”

“I'm hoping one of these days someone'll scout her. She deserves to be on a real stage someday!” The emotion with which she said it allowed Connor to see just how much the girl cared for Hank's daughter. She was surrounded by good people, he noted, and it lowered the possibility of something going on without parental supervision. He supposed in human terms it would “ease his worry” should he have felt it.

When he returned his focus to the stage he found she was rocking along to the beat of the music and moving across the stage. He studied the way she moved and found passion coming up in his search for what fueled a human to do such things. She was passionate about this hobby of hers. It was his first time seeing such a thing.

Could he also be passionate about a hobby? Or could he be such for his line of work?

Software Instability ^^^

“You sure you don't want something, Fifty? Don't worry about paying me back!”

“No, thank you,” he said, optics focused on that fading deterrent. He wasn't sure what had caused it and all scans told him everything was running smoothly. If this was a malfunction in his software, it would have to be fixed in his successor. After all, he was only a test subject. Defectives were inevitable.

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As the first few songs echoed into oblivion, she realized just how stiff Connor looked from her spot on stage. The one-way shield was handy so people wouldn’t snitch on her to her dad and it allowed her to make eye-contact and never have to worry about actually be on the other end of it.

Watching Connor, she wondered if androids could be uncomfortable before putting on a smile for the bustling crowd (even if it was pointless). The next song was a bit slower and more soulful in terms of lyrical meaning but she knew the older generation would enjoy it nonetheless and those of the teens that knew what real music was. People needed a break from the mosh pit anyway.

“I hope you all know The Killers ,” she spoke into the mic, grinning as someone screamed “fuck yeah!” from the back. She pointed in the general direction of the voice and nodded, “That's what I'm talking about. Get on his level, people.”

The laughter was the best part of these in-betweens, that and some cold water for her parched throat. After a few sips, she checked on her bandmates and gave a thumbs up when she tilted her head. They were ready.

Austin introduced the song with his chords and she was happy he’d been taking to the lessons she dished out by the week. Back when they’d started dating the band had been eating up a lot of her time and he’d felt neglected so joining them was the best thing he could do. The bass wasn’t his strong suit but he was learning and whenever slip ups occurred she could drown them out with her voice or guitar. But tonight he knew his part and so all there was to do was sing.

“I did my best to notice

When the call came down the line

Up to the platform of surrender

I was broad but I was kind”

Thank God they love this, she thought as she sung, relieved to see everyone jamming along. It was a nice break from all the jumping around and Chad didn’t have to worry about bruised customers. She wasn’t sure why but the 90s had just hit different last week and she’d been stuck here helping clear the aftermath until three in the morning. One person had left in an ambulance. It was a good thing her dad slept like the dead or she’d be in deep shit for sneaking out to these gigs.

“Close your eyes

Clear your heart…

Cut the cord

Are we human?

Or are we dancers?

My sign is vital

My hands are cold”

God, she’d forgotten how much she loved this song, there was always so much emotion when she sang it, balling up within her chest until the chorus allowed it to flow out. It was a nice moment to be in, something to live for on the bad days when she had no idea where she was going or she was.

If only she could make something like this, then maybe someone would feel the same way. All because of her work.

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The hangout closed at two in the morning as it always did. The closing song had sent everyone off with warm regards and hopefully a desire to return when she and her band mates played again. Then, the doors were locked and they were on their own once more.

As everyone was putting away their supplies, Chad waved her over. She passed her guitar to Austin to take care of before jumping down through the deactivated shield and sauntering by Connor and her two friends who’d come down to help with weak-handed finger guns.

“What’s up boss man?” she greeted, hopping up onto a tall bar stool as he cleaned off the counter with a well-loved rag.

“Got your tips,” he said, pointing to a small metal bin at the end of the island. “Paycheck should be nice by the looks of things.”

“Old place keeping you steady?” she laughed.

“I’m living my best life,” he chuckled, tossing the rag over his shoulder like a true barman from the movies. “Your gang brings in the crowd. Usually out of my good scotch by the end of the night.”

“What can I say? We’re just Godsend.”

A whistle from behind told her it was time to head out. Record time for packing.

Exhaustion finally hit by the time they were all loaded in the car and her heart went out to Lola who still had to drop off all the goons (well, maybe not all of them; she seemed to be getting awfully close to Larry upfront).

“Does he live near you or something?” Austin asked on the drive home. You hummed against his shoulder having been dozing off.

“Who?”

“Fifty.”

“Oh,” you murmured, “No. He kinda works with my dad? Like shadowing and shit.”

“You invited your dad’s coworker to see you sing?” The judging was heavily implied by his tone.

“He’s a nice guy and dad passed out on him when they came back to work on files or shit at the house. Do you know how embarrassing that is?” She didn’t, really, as her dad never brought a soul home. He did, however, pass out on her every other night with some beer in hand, so that part wasn’t an outright lie.

“So you invited him out of pity?”

“What’s with all the interrogating? Don’t be jealous, alright? It was a good night,” she whispered harshly, doing her best to not wake their slumbering friends next to them.

“I’m not jealous,” he huffed, and she knew now he was undoubtedly pissed. “You have to admit it’s weird, and he’s older than all of us.”

“Teddy is in college already, I don’t see you pointing fingers at them.”

“That’s not the same and you know it.”

“First stop of the night! Thank you for driving with…” Lola stopped in the middle of her goodbye as she turned, apparently picking up on some hostility. “You guys good?”

“Just peachy,” [Name] stated, expression bland as she pushed away from her boyfriend and scrambled to the side door of the van. “Thanks for driving Lola, I’ll get my guitar later. Sorry to leave it with you again. C’mon, Fifty.”

Connor followed after her, wide-eyed and giving his thanks for the ride as well. Lola waved as he shut the door and they watched the car drive away, Connor also eyeing the agitated state his partner’s daughter was currently in.

“I apologize for eavesdropping but my audio processors can reach exceptionally far due to my advanced--”

“It’s fine,” she breathed, crossing her arms. “Everyone else probably heard us, too. They don’t fall asleep that fast, not after such a fun show, anyway.” Sniffing, she turned to head towards her bedroom window, the android following behind her at a distance.

“Are you alright?”

“Yeah, I’ll be okay. Not the first time we had a little dispute, and humans tend to argue a lot if you haven’t noticed.”

“But couples shouldn’t argue.”

“Yeah, they shouldn’t.” She laughed but he did not pick up any amusement in it. “Thanks for caring, Connor, but I shouldn’t dump all my stupid problems on you. You have way more things to worry about being a cop and all.”

“I do not have the capacity to “worry.””

“But you have the capacity to blow up if you get too stressed, now don’t you?”

He observed as she crawled through her window and into her room. “I didn’t think you’d know that as there are few cases involving such accidents.”

“Yeah, well… Surprise,” she muttered, toppling into her bed. Shortly after she groaned into her pillow. “Shit, I left my bag.”

“Shall I fetch it for you?” he asked, one leg inside the house and straddling the window seal.

“No. Thanks, though. Lola can just give it to me at school tomorrow.”

He shut the window tightly and locked it. “You will be heavily sleep-deprived. Perhaps you should call in sick.”

“Did you just tell me to skip school?” she gasped mockingly. “You’ve been with me only a few hours and I’ve already corrupted you, how sad.”

“I am merely giving you suggestions for your health.”

“I wish lack of sleep counted as a reason to miss school,” she murmured, hugging her pillow tightly.

“Could you not play on the weekend instead of on a school night?”

“We do, just every other week. We play every other Tuesday to make a bit of extra cash on the weekends we don’t play.” Her expression scrunched up as she looked up at him from her position. “Did that make any sense? Cuz that sounded like straight brain vomit to me.”

“I understood it,” he told her, blinking as she grinned up at him. “You should sleep. You’re exhausted.”

“I’m going,” she yawned, leaning up to scoot under the covers and make herself comfortable. “What're you going to do?”

“I could make my way back to the station, but I know you’d prefer I stay here.”

“I won’t force you to. I just hate thinking of you all alone. Makes me sad.” She hummed and he watched her heartbeat begin to steady. “I have some books you could read or you could go through all of my stuff and learn more about me as a human.”

“Is that not invading your privacy?” he asked, confused.

“Not if I give you permission. Knock yourself out. If you really want to leave, though, I won’t stop you. Could you turn the light off for me before you decide, though? I’m too comfortable to get up.”

“Of course,” he said, taking the few steps that lead him to the switch. As darkness settled, his night vision was triggered and he was able to make out the amusement in her expression as she giggled, eyes set in his direction.

“What is it?”

“You’re like my little night light,” she said, tapping her temple. “I love blue.”

“Is it your favorite color?”

“Among others,” she whispered, eyes closing. “Goodnight, Connor.”

“Goodnight,” he said softly, waiting until she was in a deep slumber before wandering her room. He scanned the little things that made up her space, such as the pictures pinned all around depicting her and friends. The majority had those he’d met but there were some he hadn’t seen tonight—correction: last night.

The dog hairs scattered around depicted Sumo as a Saint Bernard, a rather large breed. Another picture proved his scanning correct with the lieutenant’s daughter holding a pup. She was younger by a few years and with another kid much younger. His processors revealed him as her younger brother, Cole Anderson, now deceased.

He made a note of that possibly being the cause for the lieutenant’s hostility towards androids.

It wasn’t until some time had passed that he stumbled upon a photo book. There were more pictures of Cole in this one with her holding him as a newborn, playing in a luscious yard, and many more scenarios. The ones of his partner were very different from the man he knew currently. He was a lot happier in these pictures, younger and far healthier. Research proved grief was a terrible thing for humans to go through.

Something didn’t sit right with him when he thought of [Name] grieving. She seemed happy and showed signs of a healthy lifestyle besides that boyfriend of hers. But thinking of the past and what she went through alongside the lieutenant seemed to stick to his coding.

Software Instability ^^^

Again? he wondered. Hopefully this glitch wouldn’t ruin his first week on his mission. There was still so much to do for CyberLife.

He found what seemed to be a diary after hours of studying the locations in pictures and watching some videos of Midnight Madness filmed at the warehouse. They were quite popular on YouTube. Many commenters stated they wanted an album made. This lead Connor to wasting a lot of time wondering why humans enjoyed cover songs and remakes of things they’d already heard or seen. Apparently not everyone enjoyed them as something called the Disney Live-Action Remakes resulted in a lot of hate and disagreement online years ago.

He ended not having enough time to scan all of the diary as an alarm went off. Looking up, he found the source of it to be coming from somewhere in the bed. Her phone perhaps?

She didn’t stir one bit at the blaring noise, so Connor took charge of waking her after returning her diary to its rightful spot on her small but crowded bookshelf. It blended in quite well.

“It is time to get up, [Name],” Connor said, placing a hand on her shoulder and shaking lightly. She groaned, burying her face further into her pillow.

“Five more minutes, Lola.”

“I am not Lola. My name is Connor, I’m the android sent by CyberLife.”

“Cyber-huh?” she slurred, opening her eyes to regard him. After a few blinks recognition settled over her features and she smiled.

“You stayed. I hope you weren't too bored.” She yawned and fished for her phone in the covers to shut off the alarm. It had fallen out of her back pocket at some point during the night.

“I had ample time to study my surroundings and learn more things about you.”

“Oh? Like what?” she hummed, stretching.

“You have a YouTube channel run by Lola for Midnight Madness,” he said. “Your wardrobe is mostly made up of what I now know is your second favorite color.”

She chuckled, leaning up to slip out of bed. “Go on, I’m listening.”

As she went about choosing some new clothes and checking her phone, he listed multiple things she both knew and never noticed about herself.

“Good thing my computer was in my bag,” she laughed. “Would’ve gone through my history, I bet.”

“Only with your permission,” he stated. She smiled and patted his shoulder.

“You’re sweet, Connor. I wonder what you’d be like without all of these protocols, though. Maybe you’re secretly a snoop with or without permission.”

“Without my protocols I wouldn’t run.”

“Without rules, then,” she corrected. “Inhibitions that keep you from making a choice.”

“I can make choices depending on the situation. I already have to complete my mission.”

She hummed, interest piqued. “Which is?”

“To follow the duties of a detective alongside Hank Anderson and report any problems during my field test.”

“Sounds about right.” She started for the door, tossing her phone onto her bed. “I’m going to get changed and grab a snack. Lola will be around to pick me up soon. You can leave after.”

“Won’t lieutenant Hank be leaving soon for work?”

She snorted, shaking her head. “He goes in when he wants to nowadays so don’t count on him being there early. Sorry if he puts you behind on work. He’s an ass about that stuff.”

Connor let the new information process as she left. The patter of additional footsteps and her high pitched “good morning, Sumo!” told him who was also up at this time. It wasn’t long before she returned, dressed differently and allowing the dog follow her in.

“This is Sumo. Say hi to Connor,” she gushed to the Saint Bernard. The canine made his way over when he offered a hand to sniff before turning to jump on the bed.

“Sumo! I haven’t made it, yet. You’re going to get fur all over my sheets,” she complained but made no effort to force the dog to move.

“Isn’t he the cutest?” she asked the Android.

“From what I’ve read about the breed online I can agree that he is. Though some would dispute it.”

“Don’t listen to the haters, Conner. They’ll drag you down.”

A beep vibrated and she retrieved her phone from beneath the massive dog with a huff.

“That’s my ride. Have a good day at work Connor and don’t let my grouchy dad ruin your mission. Keep him safe for me, though, okay?”