- We Are Free-

Both of you were studying AI when he noticed your inability of accepting the possibility that any form of artificial intelligence could be nothing more than what their creators designed them to be. It was an extremely dangerous mindset that you had considering how advanced technology was becoming. The idea that androids were just machines was safe. Didn’t you want to be safe? Considering how many verbal debates you’ve gotten into over the subject, apparently not. 

As a matter of fact, your stubbornness on the subject granted you the ability to help with Elijah’s Turing test for Chloe. You did it once through a computer, asking a series of questions for both Chloe, who was pretending to be human, and the actual human who had to convince you they were the actual person and not an android. Chloe passed with flying colors and you were shocked to realize that you assumed the human was an android.

You did another form of the same test but in person this time to see how she’d look in public situations around others. You had never met Chloe so you had no idea what she looked like. Another female was in the room and had to convince you once again that she was the human while Chloe did the same. Chloe’s expressions and responses were just - so -  natural. It really solidified your idea that machines can be so much more. But, people can just refute you by saying that Elijah designed her to make you believe that.

Nevertheless, she fooled you again and was the first android to pass the Turing test in 2022.

CyberLife began pumping out androids to the public like never before. People were willing to spend thousands of dollars just so they didn’t have to do “extras” like chores, caring for family, transportation, and other forms of work. And once humans got their hands on them, they practically became children and destroyed what was meant for them to enjoy. It was sickening what you’ve seen them do and how openly they’d talk about such abuse. You tried going to Elijah multiple times about the problem you’ve seen.

“There’s nothing I can do.” He would say to you like always. “I can’t control what people decide to do with their product.”

“They’re not products!” You’d shout at him, infuriated by how he was handling the situation yet again. 

Then he’d leave the room without saying anything else. 

Elijah became increasingly more distant once he heard about Amanda’s death during February of 2027. You knew they had been extremely close with her being his mentor along with being his professor as well. She was your professor too but they had a bond that you were never able to form with her. And, not more than a year later, the CEO of CyberLife resigned from his position and left out of the blue. He never told you of his plans or where he was going. He left a simple sticky note on his desk addressed to you that read:

I’ll be back soon.

It’s been ten years and there was still no word from him.

So, you continued life how you usually would. You went to work for CyberLife as a normal manufacturing employee under a new boss (who was a complete jackass). But, as time went by, more and more “deviants” started to make the news. They were always badly damaged after escaping the their owners after injuring/and or killing them so they would stand out from a crowd. You knew the media was purposefully blocking out the part where they were doing it out of self-defense. Humans couldn’t possibly be held accountable at all.

You had enough of the bullshit.

Every once in awhile, these deviants would find their way back to the CyberLife warehouses. You occasionally had some manufacturing work to be done there so you spent some of your shifts around those branches. Those androids who were luckily enough to make it that far were usually in dire need of biocomponents to keep themselves going. You’d catch them trying to steal whatever they could get their hands on but instead of reporting them like you should, you decided you could help them instead. They were always frightened at first, afraid you’d turn on them or take them apart right then and there. You always made sure to make them feel at ease through the process of repairment. If there wounds were too great, you offered them the option to continue or to stop. Some would carry on despite knowing they had little time left while others gave up on the table right in front of you. 

It wasn’t long until more and more heard of your name and looked for you as a source of safety. Eventually, it reached a point where hiding them became increasingly difficult. It was hard to take care of multiple beaten up androids in one night while also having to get your work done. There have been a couple close calls where you had to convince your coworkers you were just fixing up regular androids for clients. You could only use the same excuse for so long if the only robots you were repairing were horribly beaten. 

It was saddening how many came your way looking for some type of assistance. If they were comfortable enough, they’d tell you why they ran away in the first place. After that, some would let you know that their plan was to find Jericho and meet Markus himself. 

Ah, Markus. 

You had heard of the android hero before. He was practically a wanted criminal across the United States because of his revolution. His face was all over the news after his speech and fires and violent riots followed not long after. He was an intimidating and scary figure to most humans but you couldn’t help but understand where he was coming from. For years, androids have been beaten down and oppressed by society because they were seen as less than to humans. It wasn’t surprising that he was angered by it. 

You never would’ve guessed you’d come face-to-face with such a legend, however. 

You were walking around the warehouse lot, enjoying a bit of fresh air after having been inside forever from loads of paperwork. It was dark out and luckily the area had some pretty substantial lighting or else you would’ve been left completely blind to your environment. Yet, it wasn’t enough for you to notice the figures running towards you in the distance. You didn’t even realize you weren’t alone until you heard footsteps closer behind you. Expecting some of your regular coworkers, you put a tired smile on your face and turned around but immediately froze once you saw a familiar pair of determined blue and green eyes. 

“It’s you.” You whispered in awe, your heart racing in both excitement and slight fear. “Both the hero and the terrorist.”

Markus just barely tensed at your words, not ever having planned to be labeled as a terrorist by anyone. He’s heard it through the media numerous times but someone doesn’t ever really get used to that sort of thing.

The redheaded woman next to him (who you knew was also an android from your experience with them) walked up to him and gently grabbed his arm. “I don’t trust this. They’re human, Markus. They can easily report us to the authorities. We should find help somewhere else.” She muttered, turning her head away so you couldn’t really tell what she was saying.

The RK200 pulled his arm away from her grasp before returning his attention back to you. “You’re (Y/N), correct?”

You nodded, still shocked to be in the presence of such a figure among the potential future of artificial intelligence. “In the actual flesh.” You laughed, trying to ease your own nervousness more than anything. When no laughs were thrown back at your sad excuse of a joke, you cleared your throat and stood tall. “U-Uh, yes. I’m (Y/N).”

Markus glanced between his group of friends and the woman gave him a look of disapproval. He gave her an apologetic look back before hesitantly stepping out of the way to reveal an injured PL600 being carried by a PJ500 model. “We need your help.” He said quickly, looking around to make sure there was no one nearby. When he noticed your lack of response, he gave you a pleading look. “Please.”

You blinked a few times and rubbed your face before slightly shaking your head. “If you were caught here, I couldn’t possibly fathom what would -” Your eyes fell on the blonde android in front of you, blue thirium slowly oozing out between his fingers as he held his wound. You could tell this wasn’t his first rodeo with injuries. Actually, all of them seemed experienced with this type of situation. Taking a deep breath, you finally nodded and ushered them to follow you. “Alright, I’ll see what I can do. But, I can’t guarantee anything.”

You saw Markus’ shoulders relax and he gave you a kind smile with a nod as a thanks. Your heart skipped a beat at such a sight. He was actually quite handsome and whoever had him before he became deviant must’ve been very lucky. 

You led them into a discreet room towards the back of the warehouse with a table in the middle of it. Everyone knew that’s where you worked for the most part so not many ever came by to interrupt you. It was surrounded with different materials for your operations with an apron in the corner, perfectly clean as if it wasn’t covered in blue blood many times before. 

Thank God for thirium evaporation. You would’ve been given away a long time ago if it wasn’t for that. 

“Set him down there, please.” You ordered, pointing to the table as you turned your back to them and put the apron on. Once you tied the knot behind you, you swiveled around and froze at the amount of androids in the room. Four. You rarely ever got to experience more than one at a time when deviants would come to see you. Sighing, you shuffled over to the door and leaned outside, taking one last survey of the area to see if anyone was around before closing it and locking it. 

You noticed the PJ500 model and the woman stand by each other in the corner away from you as Markus stood over the injured android. You put on a pair of surgeon gloves and walked over to the table that was already starting to be stained blue. “Can I ask what the rest of your names are?” You ask, breaking the heavy silence in the room.

“Simon…” The PL600 grunted as you slowly removed his hand away from his covered wound to inspect what happened.

The other man in the corner in the room was next to reply. “Josh.”

The girl was last and the most cautious. It was obvious she still didn’t trust you despite having heard a lot about you from the others back at Jericho. You were human after all.

“And that’s North.” Markus said on her behalf, his gaze lingering on her a bit as sort of a ‘knock it off’ before he looks at Simon once more. “We’re not used to this kind of...treatment from a human. We’ve all had out fair share of unpleasant encounters with them. So, going to one for help is certainly new for us.” 

You chuckle a bit before grabbing a pair of tweezers nearby and gently moving the skin and parts around inside the wound, trying to find what you were looking for. “It’s alright.” You shrugged, feeling your tool knock into something small and hard. “You guys aren’t the first to be suspicious of my intentions.”

“Hey, Markus.” Josh piped up from his corner. “North and I are gonna stand outside on watch. That alright?”

The leader gave them a small nod. “Just be careful.”

You waited until they left to continue speaking. “I’m surprised careful is still in your vocabulary considering how much trouble you’ve gotten yourselves into.”

A snort came from Simon at your remark which was a little jarring to you. You had to remind yourself they couldn’t feel physical pain like humans can. Once you pulled out the object from his wound, it healed like usual (must’ve been clogging his system) and you handed him a cup of blue liquid for him to drink to replenish what he lost. He took it and thanked you softly before downing it in a blink of an eye. When he was finished, he stood up and swiftly placed the cup back in your hands.

“You truly are a miracle worker like they say.” Simon states, a gracious expression on his face as he give you a little bow. “Thank you.”

You watched as he left the room to meet with the others with only a slight limp. It was obvious he was much more gentler than the people he was around. Almost like a lost child.

“I’d like to thank you once again as well.” Markus said, his tall stature causing him to hover over you. “We would’ve lost many of ours if it wasn’t for you.”

“How could I deny a legend?” You smirk, beginning to put away your tools so it can at least look a little tidier for the next deviant that comes along.

He raised his eyebrows briefly, breaking eyes contact with a smile of his own before he paused, suddenly overwhelmed with confusion. “All humans hate us.” His statement made you stop in the middle of putting an item away and face him. “What’s stopping you from doing the same?”

You pursed your lips in thought, having never considered the possibility of you hating androids like others have. “Have all humans been terrible in your experience?”

The question made Markus’ stare fall to the floor in sadness once he remembered his time with Carl. “No, actually. Quite the opposite.”

“The same goes for humans with androids. People are scared of what they don’t know.”

“We’re scared of what we do know, (Y/N). You’re one of the few who actually sees us for what we are. The rest will never understand.”

“They won’t understand if you don’t give them a chance to.” You whipped out your phone and pulled up an image from online and showed it to him. “They will never give you a chance if they see this.”

Fire. Chaos. Screaming. Crying. Deviants. Humans.

That’s what was on the screen. 

You were showing him a result of one of his many riots from a different perspective.

“They will only see you as an enemy, if they haven’t already, if you continue things this way.”

Markus gently pushed the screen away from him and stepped away from you. “I came here for help and I received it. I don’t need a lecture along with it.” He shook his head, hatred making its way across his features. “You spend years researching what I live everyday. Even you will never truly see what it’s like for us. Do not tell me what is right from wrong.”

He began walking towards the door before you stopped him with a hold on his wrist. “What was your life like before all this?”

His back was to you, not even bothering to turn around. “I was Carl Manfred’s android.”

You let out a little gasp and quickly dropped your grasp on him. You’d seen the articles about the famous artist losing his life to a heart attack. “I’m so sorry for your loss.”

Markus moved his head to the side to look at you, still not turning fully. “He’d still be alive if humans hadn’t gotten in the way.” His shoulders fell, his determined leader facade beginning to crack. “If only I hadn’t listened. If I had pushed back and not endured. He’d still be here.” 

That’s when he decided to face you fully, revealing the worn down look on his face. The weight of a whole revolution showing itself in one single expression. 

“Now, I’m fixing that mistake.” He hissed, a fiery look in eyes. “I’m pushing back.”

Despite the fact you barely knew him, you wanted to reach out and hold him, letting it know it was gonna be alright. And somehow you suspected that he knew that’s what you were thinking, and he backed away from you once more.  

“I don’t need your pity.”

The android made his way to the door, his long coat flowing behind him triumphantly despite him being so tired (or, at least, what tired would be for an android). You resisted the urge to call out to him and ask him to stay. There was so much more about him that you wanted to know. But, you knew deep down that he’d might not ever feel comfortable enough to share what he’s truly been through with someone like you. A human. 

He gave you one last purposeful look before leaving you with the last words that Elijah gave you before his disappearance.

“I’ll be back soon.”

-

[masterlist]

TAGS:

@stars-with-citrus​ @aproxied​ @polimollykari​ @timedthyme

The policeman sighed over the sounds of cameras clicking away as they documented the scene. “Yep, they look pretty banged up.” He said, his stomach flipping at the horrific state of the person. Pretty banged up was nowhere near true to what it actually was. The victim was slashed multiple times along their torso and their face was bruised to the point that it was incredibly swollen. Whoever did this showed absolutely no mercy to them. 

Your (E/C) orbs flicker up and down once, allowing yourself to know what you’re dealing with. “Yeah, you could say that.” You trailed off, giving him a swift tight lipped smile so you don’t make him feel super embarrassed. But, he also needed to know that it wasn’t exactly the greatest time to start something like this. You were about to give him some information on what possibly happened here until he interrupted you.

“So…” 

Oh god, make it stop. You pulled the length of your coat tighter around your body, your shoulders hunched in an attempt to achieve some heat with your eyes refusing to meet his.

“I haven’t seen you around here before.” 

You exhaled through your nose, your head dropping to stare at the floor as you rubbed your face to hide your cringing expression. “Nope, been here for a few years now actually.” You side-stepped slightly away from him, creating some space so you could actually breathe before taking out your phone to try and make yourself seem busy. Could this guy not take a hint?

“Oh, I didn’t realize we were exchanging numbers already!”

You immediately bristled at his exclamation, shutting your phone off abruptly and snapping around to glare at him.

“Look, I don’t have time to-”

“Excuse me,” A voice chimed in, just in the knick of time. “I am sorry for the intrusion.” Something in his voice made you believe otherwise. “But, I do believe I heard your name being called.”

The officer sneered at Connor, obviously offended a mere android interrupted his conversation. “I didn’t hear anything.”

The RK800 gave him a brief smile with a curt nod. “Understandable, officer. But, I don’t think you should waste any more time.”

The description of his time with you being called a “waste” by a robot obviously offended him greatly, but with a huff and an insult under his breath, he left the two of you alone. 

You both stood there in silence for a bit, the snowflakes falling from the sky and leaving cold kisses on your cheeks. No one knew you both were together (besides Hank) because it wouldn’t have been seen as appropriate. He was both your coworker and an android. People don’t typically form long lasting relationships in those situations but how couldn’t you? He was one of the sweetest you’ve ever met.

Connor soon took a step forward and placed himself next to you, just as close, if not more than the officer was. A gentle smile was placed on both of your lips as your hands brushed up against each other. But, a funny little thought crossed his mind to help break the silence.

“I haven’t seen you around here before.” 

“Connor, please!”

Hank - 

The smell of alcohol and cigarettes filled the air of a local bar in near the police station. People were gathered together laughing, singing, and dancing around, drowning themselves in whatever drink they can get their hands on until they can’t even move anymore. Lieutenant Hank Anderson was sitting on top of one of the stools at the bar, a couple empty shots of whiskey scattered around him. He soon felt someone gently caress his upper back with their hand as a small greeting before plopping themselves down next to him. 

“Hey, Hank.” You smile warmly, resting your arms on the counter in front of you.

The detective paused just as he put the shot glass up to his lips, turning his head to see who it was. Once he saw that it was you, he quickly downed the liquid, enjoying the burning feeling going down his throat before acknowledging you. “(Y/N),” He began, raising an eyebrow. “The hell are you doin’ here?”

You lightly chuckled, turning away a bit and raising a finger to get the bartender’s attention and ordering a drink for yourself. “Was just passing by and saw you through the window. Just wanted to see how you were doing is all.”

“I’m doin’ fine. But that damn android, Connor, won’t stop followin’ me around like some fuckin’ duck.” Shaking his head, he crossed his arms over his chest and grumbled. “I swear he’s purposefully tryin’ to get on my nerves.”

You shrugged, thanking the bartender when he set the beverage down in front of you before taking a sip of the alcohol in your glass. “I’m sure he means well.”

The man sighed before getting up, leaving his belongings on the counter. “Yeah, well, I have to go take a leak. I’ll be back.” 

You made a face as he turned around and walked away. “Thanks for sharing!” You called out after him and he merely replied with a wave of a hand and a gruff mutter of “Yeah, yeah.” Turning back to the drink in front of you, you ushered for the bartender to come over again. Once he did, you gestured to the spot next to you where Hank was. “No more for him, please. Not really in the mood to drag him home.” 

“You can drag me home any time, sweetheart.” A voice whispers in your ear, reeking of alcohol. 

You gasp, immediately standing up and turning around to see who invaded your space. Your gaze fell on a sleazy young man, his hair covered in both oil and dandruff. He looks like he hasn’t seen a shower in weeks. He stumbled over to Hank’s seat, sitting himself down and almost falling off in the process. He gave you a creepy grin, resting his chin on the palm of his hand.

“Uh,” You started, glancing between him and Hank’s belongings. “I-I’m sorry but someone’s sitting there.”

The man laughed, his fingers walking along the edge of the bar counter towards you. “I’m sure they wouldn’t mind.” He winked, or at least, he tried to. It was more of a blink.

“The hell they wouldn’t.” Hank’s voice came from behind the man, clearly startling him. “The fuck you think you’re doin’?”

The sleazeball turned his neck a bit to catch a glimpse of the detective. “What’s it to ya, old man? Can’t you see we’re busy? Beat it.” He slurred, blinking at you again.

Slam!

A badge was thrown onto the counter loudly, scaring the man once more. 

“You better fuckin’ watch yourself, kid.”

The minute the drunkard saw the golden emblem, he was already gone. He quickly apologized and tripped over himself on the way out the door. 

“Aw,” You pouted, crossing your arms. “Couldn’t you see I was having a great time?”

Hank snorted, gathering his things off the counter and throwing a bill down for the drinks. “Great time my ass.” He threw an arm over your shoulder while you wrapped one around his waist.

“Let’s get the hell outta here.”

Gavin - 

You were sitting in the break room of the precinct, your muscles tense from hunching over a computer for an incredibly long amount of time. You flexed and stretched your digits, your hands tight and sore from writing endless piles of paperwork. Seriously, whenever you thought you were gonna be finished for the day, another mountain of dead tree sheets pop up on your desk. 

Sighing, you slouched in the chair with your lunch sitting in front of you, waiting to be eaten. The mere action of grabbing the utensil to eat seemed like too much work right now. It was awfully quiet in the building, most having gone home for the day. You decided maybe you could get a couple minutes of rest and you let your eyelids flutter closed.

“Fucking piece of shit!”

Or maybe not.

You opened one eye to see Gavin sitting right in front of you, obviously not in the greatest of moods before closing it again and exhaling. “So, what happened this time?”

“Fowler won’t get off my goddamn back!” He shrugged, throwing up his arms and throwing a file on the table. “What does that guy have against me? I work ten times harder than everyone else here!”

You let out a small laugh causing him to pause and give you a look of confusion. “Out in the field, sure.” You say, rubbing your eyes and yawning. “But, I haven’t seen you touch a piece of paper once.”

Gavin furrowed his brows, clearly offended. “Just because people don’t see me doesn’t mean I don’t do it.” He pointed at the bags under his eyes. “I fuckin’ earned these. Countless all-nighters because other assholes don’t know how to take care of their shit. If I slack off sometimes, then I think I’m allowed to.”

You raise your hands up in surrender, backing off. Perhaps he was right. It wouldn’t surprise you that he works more than others do since it gives him the upper hand against them.

“Maybe Fowler’s just disappointed when he sees you’re not giving it your all sometimes.” You suggest, hoping it’ll ease his anger. 

“I could give a shit.” He mutters, opening the file he threw on the table moments ago. “I’m one person.” He throws up his index finger for emphasis but not removing his eyes from the paper. “What does he expect?”

Before you could reply, someone approached the both of you and cleared their throat. Gavin raises an eyebrows and peers over the folder to stare them down. 

“Hey, (Y/N).” They said, giving you a warm smile which irked the detective sitting next to you. “I’m still taking you home later, right?”

Gavin’s loud laugh echoed through the whole floor as he placed his paper down. “Who are you even talking to?” He mockingly looked around, trying to see who they were addressing. He raised his eyebrows and squinted at them, making sure they can tell he was looking him up and down. “And who the hell are you anyway?

“Does it matter?” You groaned, his booming voice giving you a headache. “They offered to give me a ride home because I live nearby and I’m exhausted.”

“I could’ve done that.” He said, not taking his eyes off the person.

“Yeah, but you didn’t. So, here we are.” 

Gavin grumbled before shooting himself up out of his seat and walking over to them. “If you try anything, and I mean anything, I’ll know about it, got it?” He gave one last look at you before roughly picking up the file off the table and leaving for his desk but not before pushing past them and muttering, “Watch it!”. 

You stare at his back as he sauntered away before turning to the person and apologizing. They understood, knowing the type of person Gavin was. The two of you made some more small talk before they left for their desk as well. Your eyes fell on the detective whose feet were propped up on the corner of his desk, still sneering at the person from afar. 

That man did not know the difference between flirting and common courtesy but he will never, in all the days he lives, admit that.

RK900 - 

No one understood the mystery of how you were able to crack the code to be able to form some type of relationship with Conner. It seemed that he was so self-aware of his abilities as a machine, it was almost as if he thought he was better than humans. But, of course, it would be extremely stupid for him to say that outright. So, he just reminds them of what he’s capable of and what they aren’t with snide remarks. It’s gotten him into quite a bit of trouble. 

So, how were you able to make him form an attachment to you?

You honestly didn’t know. Just that the more you hung out around him and talked to him, the more you could see him change around you. But, you never noticed how protective he was until today.

The two of you were investigating a deviant’s hideout in an abandoned apartment complex with a team of other investigators. The place was covered in mold and evidence of rats and insects were almost everywhere. How someone can live in conditions like this made you feel a sort of pity for them, even if they’re on the run for a crime. 

You peer over at Conner who was standing next to you, his arms behind his back as he scanned the area around him. “You’re awfully quiet.” You mention, giving him a small smirk before turning to face him fully. “What’s going on in your head?”

He gives you a side glance, acknowledging your presence before paying attention to the items in front of him again. “I’m merely focused.” He said in a monotonous tone, his slender hands running along surfaces before picking them up. “Which is what you should be as well.”

“Is work all you think about?”

He paused his movements, a yellow LED flickering as he gently put a piece of evidence back. “If it doesn’t have to do with the cases at hand, I don’t see why I should engage in it.”

Your eyes instantly lit up and he instinctively took a slight step back away from you. “So, you do think about other things!”

Conner’s lip raised just ever so slightly before he straightened his tie, not appreciating being on the spot like this. “That is not what I said, Detective (L/N).” He looked down, making sure everything about him was in order. “Engaging in thoughts that don’t have to do with your program is -” He stopped himself, his LED quickly going red before back to blue. “…deviant behavior.” He hissed, before continuing the investigation, crouching down to look at something on the floor up close.

“And we don’t want that now, do we?” You whisper, crouching alongside him, your gaze falling on the stuff on the floor.

The light on his temple turned red again as he slightly faced you, still in a crouch position. “If you’re trying to get me to entertain such thoughts, I would certainly advise you not to.” His eyes drifted off to another detective behind you, who was obviously staring at your lower half for a bit too long. 

Conner blinked a couple times, tilting his head as he stood straight and moved in front of you, blocking the person’s view. “Excuse me.” He said, catching their attention and forcing themselves to pretend as if nothing happened. “Do you mind if I ask what you were doing?”

The detective looked around a bit before pointing to himself. “Me?”

“Who else?”

He gestured to the area in front of him. “Just checking out the valuables. Don’t want to miss anything, ya know?” He chuckled, his gaze falling on your figure behind the android before he was blocked again. 

His blue eyes squinted slightly before relaxing again, as if he was threatening him. “If you decided to be this unprofessional, I would’ve never guessed you would pursue a career like this one.”

The man raised his eyebrows and scoffed before pointing a finger at you with a stern glare. “Get your fucking android in order, bitch.” He gave him one last disgusted look before turning away. “We don’t need another deviant on our hands.” 

You saw Conner tense and attempt to step forward but your hand on his shoulder made him freeze. “He’s not worth it.” You could feel him relax under your touch, his gaze falling upon your own. “But, Conner…” You began, trailing off, unsure if you should even ask.

“What was that about?”

Captain Allen - 

No one would even dare to think about flirting with you. 

Not in a million years. 

And it had nothing to do with you!  You were actually incredibly attractive and many have been drawn to start conversations with you because of it. And on top of that, you were one of the sweetest and funniest people ever. How could someone not like you? It’s certainly how you were able to grab the attention of Captain Allen himself. 

Who’s actually the reason why no one had the courage to make a move.

Practically everyone in the precinct knew you were together and while coworker relationships could be dangerous, you’ve both proven that you can work just like you did before. So, no one really said anything (which implies they’d even have the confidence to in the first place). Allen, despite having been a sweetheart to you, was incredibly intimidating to everyone else. He was their captain and if they’d stepped out of line, it was their funeral. People tend to forget he’s on the same level of Fowler and who would even think about messing with his partner?

While Allen wasn’t the biggest on PDA around the station, he always made sure to subtly remind people that you were his and he was yours. The two of you would always arrive to work and leave together even if one had to leave later (which was usually him  and he’d always ushered you to go home and get rest). Whenever he had to go in for a dangerous case, he’d pull you aside and reassure you that everyone would be alright with a quick hand kiss or forehead kiss. He loved you and you loved him just as much back.

So, who the hell didn’t tell the new recruit what the deal was?

You were sitting at your desk, typing up a report of a recent case. The coffee next to you began growing colder and colder as you were so focused on finishing the work so you could just go home. Eventually, you leaned back in your chair and stretched your arms up in the air. But, once you felt your hand grace someone behind you, you twisted around to see who it was and apologize.

“Oh, I’m sorry!” You exclaim, before turning back around to the report, thinking the conversation was over.

“You look like shit.” They bluntly state, before realizing how harsh it sounded because you immediately paused and gave them a confused look. “I-I mean not like that! I mean like really t-tired…”

You look to the side and back to the person again, still puzzled. “Ah, do we know each other?”

“N-No.” They mutter, clearing their throat before regaining their composure and leaning on your desk. “But, I was hoping I could change that.” They smile, before reaching a hand out to you, almost knocking over your coffee in the process and ruining everything.

A light flickered on in your head once you knew what they were getting at. 

“Oh, wait, I’m sorry but I’m actually involved with someone at the moment.” You say, feeling incredibly awkward for having to shoot them down. 

Which is coincidentally when Allen decided to enter the scene, crossing his arms and staring them down. “Is there a problem?” He asked, but from the way he sounded it was more like, “Do we have a problem?”

The new recruit practically gagged on their own spit when they saw what they were up against. “Nope, not at all sir!” They squeaked, backing away from your desk and looking around for an escape. “I just remembered I had some paperwork to do!”

The captain scowled at them, his hand placing itself on the edge of your desk to lean against. This was a tactical move on his part. “So, why the hell are you over here?” When he saw that they were still frozen in place out of fear, he threw his hand up to shoo them away. “Move your ass!”

When you saw they were out of sight for good, you sighed and swiveled your chair around to look at your partner. Your hand reached out and rested in on top of his, immediately making him look at you. “You didn’t have to be so harsh.” You whisper, rubbing your thumb against the back of his hand.

Allen snorted, shaking his head. “In a world like this, I don’t know how you continue to be so kind.” He gave you a swift kiss on your forehead, a rare ghost of a smile gracing his lips.

“But, that’s what I love about you.”

-

[masterlist]

TAGS:

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Conner blinked once, seeing there was obvious tension and anger in the air. “I apologize if I’ve done something to offend either of you.” Despite apologizing to the both of you, his cold eyes were trained only on yours and it didn’t go unnoticed by Gavin.

The detective took a step forward, putting himself between you and the android. “Yeah, you better be sorry, you useless piece of metal.” He hissed, his pent up emotions boiling over when he realizes that the robot still didn’t know his place. “If you’re gonna act like you don’t remember shit, it’ll be my pleasure to remind you of some things.”

“Gavin!” You snapped, pulling on his shoulder to make him look at you. You gave him the deadliest glare any human can muster. “You and I need to talk.” You could tell he was about to turn back around and harass Conner even more. “Now.”

“You can’t tell me-” 

He was about to argue but when he saw the seething anger in your eyes, he knew he didn’t want to die today. Reluctantly, he agreed and you grabbed him by the bicep, roughly dragging him away and leaving the android detective all on his own as he just tilted his head slightly. 

Humans are intriguing yet bewildering beings. 

But, anyways, you pushed Gavin into the hallway of the archive room causing him to trip over his feet slightly but quickly he regained his composure. He turned to you, seeing that you’re blocking his way to the door. Damn, no getting out of this one. 

“So,” You gestured with your hand, a sign for him to tell you everything. 

He hesitated, looking everywhere but your eyes as he rubs his worn face. “You know…” He started, chuckling a bit which caught you off guard. “If you wanted to get me alone, you could’ve just said so.”

“You-” You raised your hands slightly out of frustration before clenching your fists and closing your eyes to take a breath. “Cut the crap, Gavin.”

He leaned on the wall next to him, his arms crossed with a stern expression. He shrugged, pursing his lips. “Why the hell do you care so much?” He felt something turn inside him when you froze. “It’s nothing more than some shitty wiring made by some rich fuckin’ assholes who have never experienced human interaction.”

You immediately shook your head in disapproval. “He’s more than that, Gavin.” He scoffed at your words. “Just because he’s not like you and me doesn’t mean we should treat him like he’s nothing.”

“He’s a product, (Y/N).” He kicked off the wall before pacing back and forth in front of you. “Of - fuckin’- course it’s not gonna be like you and me. We’re not made in a goddamn factory. What’s gotten into you?”

You stayed silent, refusing to meet his eyes. “Nothing’s gotten into me.”

He burst out in dramatic laughter, not believing you for a second. As idiotic as Gavin can be sometimes, he was still a detective for a reason. But, a thought instantly crossed his mind and his smile was wiped clean from his face. Slowly, he turned towards you, shoving his hands in his pockets before slowly making his way in your direction.

“So, why did you actually go to Fowler?” 

Shit.

You didn’t want to give away the real reason why you had gone to see the captain. You knew it was because you were hurt by the fact that Conner had kissed you only to get out of a difficult situation and not because there were any feelings behind it. But, in your defense, it wouldn’t have been easy to work with anyone after that. 

You internally panicked, not knowing what a legitimate excuse that would convince Gavin would look like. “You were there so you know what my reason was.”

He shook his head, rolling his eyes. “C’mon.” He watched you expectantly, waiting for you to say something more. “You fuckin’ serious? You really think I believe that you went to him just to say you don’t want to work with it because it was a ‘great partner’?” 

“I don’t see why it’s important to you.”

Gavin exhaled quickly in a slight laugh, dragging his tongue across his upper lip with an annoyed smile. He blinked a few times, trying to take a moment to gather his thoughts. “Do you -” He could barely even finish his sentence without feeling ill. “Do you have - feelings for that plastic piece of shit?” His voice raised with every word that came out of his mouth. 

Your lack of response was enough of an answer for him. You saw his expression fall immediately from hurt before he quickly covered it with anger. He backed away from you, his hands on his hips as he turned around, having a hard time even looking at you.

“I did it to protect you.”

You were taken aback, furrowing your eyebrows as you stared at the back of his head. “Gavin, what did you do?”

He said nothing.

“Gavin -” You strode up to him quickly, forcing him to look at you by grabbing his arm. “What did you do?”

His eyes held nothing but contempt, rage, and betrayal. Staring at Conner’s emotionless ones would’ve been easier to handle than this.

“It had it coming. I warned that thing to stay away and it didn’t listen.” He paused, yanking his arm from your grasp. “If that metal asshole became deviant and hurt you -”

Slap!

The sound of Gavin’s cheek being hit echoed through the empty hallway. His face became increasingly red in the spot where you hit as he raised a hand to gently touch it. His whole body was in complete shock at your sudden action against him. 

“You’re sick.” You whispered, your voice undeniably shaky while your lip quivered. “To think, I-I thought of you as my friend.” You strained your neck to make him to look at you, eyebrows raised. “You wanted to protect me from getting hurt yet you fucked up and did exactly that.”

Gavin didn’t say a word in response, too afraid he would make the situation worse.

“You’re so goddamn insecure that you just can’t stay out of other people’s business.” You continued before turning your back to him and moving towards the door. Right as you were about to turn the handle and leave, he said one last thing.

“If it truly cared for you, don’t you think it would’ve remembered who you are?”

Your grip on the handle became so tight that your knuckles turned white. Your face was toward the ground but your eyes were trained on him, tears beginning to manifest on your waterline. “And you wonder why people don’t want to be around you.” You could tell your words stung him but his actions stung you even more. Taking a deep breath, you left him with one last demand.

 “Don’t talk to me ever again.”

You twist the handle and leave immediately, not wanting to see his reaction because everything was too much right now. People around the station were acting like usual, just chatting and working while the smell of coffee and paper filled the air. No one had any clue what just happened near the archive room. An intense feeling of nervousness filled your chest, making it difficult to breathe. You made a beeline to the bathroom, afraid that anyone would approach you and ask if you were okay. Your feet moved swiftly and you didn’t dare look up at your coworkers as you passed them by. 

Once you made it to them bathroom, you pushed the door open and entered, making sure that no one else was inside at the time. You approached one of the sinks, resting your hands on opposite sides of it before taking another shaky breath. You then proceeded to finally break down. Your reflection looked like a mess with the whites of your eyes becoming redder and redder as more and more tears fell down your cheeks. You covered your mouth to muffle your sobbing from anyone outside. 

Do you have - feelings for that plastic piece of shit?

The bastard’s words echoed in your mind continuously and there didn’t seem to be an end to it any time soon. You should’ve lied and told him no. You could’ve saved yourself from the truth. The truth that Conner doesn’t remember you anymore because of the fact that Gavin, your friend, hurt him. 

But, maybe...maybe it’s a good thing?

Maybe you could start over with Conner and have a strictly professional relationship with him. This time you don’t have to deal with the embarrassment that you put yourself through last time. He can only be your coworker now and nothing else. No matter how much it hurt to put everything else behind you. You missed the one you laughed with (even if it was pretty much one-sided), the one who made sure you were always safe during missions, the one you’d complain to about anything and everything despite that he most likely ignored you most of the time. 

That was your Conner.

And he’s dead.

‘Get a hold of yourself.’ You thought, trying to wipe away tears so you can get back to work like any other day. ‘You knew there was no chance he could care for you in the same way.’

Click!

You immediately turned your head towards the wall opposite from the door so you could hide your face from the person coming in. You made sure to grab some paper towels nearby to remove the evidence of your sobbing. Nobody else needed to see what you were going through right now. You could hear someone’s footsteps enter the bathroom and into one of the stalls. Once you heard the door close and the lock turn, you threw the paper towels into the trash and took one last look at your appearance. Yeah, you didn’t look great. But, it was better than having to face any bathroom comfort talks.

“Detective (Y/N)?”

Just your luck. Of course, just when you have to leave the bathroom, you run into the one and only himself.

You turned towards the voice and even though you were expecting emotionless blue eyes, you were met with the complete opposite.

Warm brown ones.

“Connor?” You ask, sounding more surprised than you wanted to come off as. Despite being close, you don’t really spend too much time with the RK800 android because of his endless missions with Hank and your missions with his counterpart. “Is there something you needed?”

The android squinted slightly and scanned your face, his eyebrows furrowing in concern. “Have you been crying?”

Even though you felt like shit, you still almost giggled at his abruptness. You knew he couldn’t help it but it can be the funniest thing during the worst times. 

“No.” You said a little too quickly and you cursed yourself internally. You knew you wouldn’t be able to find a way out now. “I’m really okay, Connor. Great, in fact. Thank you for asking.” You swiveled around to try and leave for your desk but he called out to you again and you knew you just couldn’t ignore him. 

“Captain Fowler wanted me to let you know that the RK900 unit, Conner, will not be your partner anymore.”

Your breath got caught in your throat and your shoulders visibly tensed. This day couldn’t get any worse yet it keeps finding new ways to exceed your expectations. 

“Can I ask why?” You ask slowly, trying not to sound too impacted by this. 

Connor frowned slightly once he detected that this information wasn’t exactly the greatest news for you. “He did not give a reason. Just that he was being assigned to someone else.” He saw your expression worsen and it made him feel even more guilty for having been the one to tell you. He awkwardly approached you and gave you a small pat on your shoulder. “I am sorry, (Y/N).” He said quietly, his use of your first name making your heart ache. “I know you two were close.”

You bit your lip, closing your eyes, trying to calm your nerves down. Why does he have to say it like he died and you’ll never see him again? 

But, maybe that is what he meant.

“Thank you, Connor.” You whisper as you slowly walk towards your desk. 

Once you’ve reached your chair, you plopped yourself down and stared blankly at the now cold cup of coffee from earlier. All you wanted was to just enjoy the warm beverage and go about your day like normal. You couldn’t at least have that? Your reflection on the black computer screen stared back at you mockingly. You were so out of it that you could even see him standing behind you. 

You were really going crazy.

“Ahem.”

“Fuck!” You screamed, grabbing your heart and the brief attention of some of your desk neighbors. You nearly jumped 10 feet into the air. “Can’t a woman catch a break here?” You muttered, your hand still over your chest, trying to soothe your racing organ. You sneered at the stranger who nearly killed you with fright. “Apparently not.” You sighed, leaning back into your seat.

Empty blue eyes stared down at you, scanning your face just like Connor did. “You’ve been crying.” The android stated, not even hesitating to get straight to the point.

You raised a brow, but wiped your face to see if anything gave you away. Maybe your eyes were still puffy. 

‘Damn androids have to pay so much attention to detail.’ 

You spun your chair away from Conner and facing the direction of your computer screen, acting like you didn’t care that he was here. “I didn’t realize you can be that upfront with someone you don’t know.” 

The robot observed you suspiciously, curious as to who you were. You really were intriguing, to say the least. “You certainly made it seem like we knew each other earlier.” His eyes snapped to the leather jacketed man who was snooping not too far away from the two of you. The detective instantly buried himself in paperwork when he saw he was caught. “Detective Reed seemed to know me as well.”

You rolled your shoulders, trying to ease the pain from being so tense. ‘You have no idea.’ 

“What was that?” He asked, your words clearly interesting him.

You froze. Were you thinking out loud? You didn’t think androids could read minds. Could they?

“I didn’t say anything.”

He blinked once. Twice. Three times before he tilted his head with another slight squint as if he was analyzing your every move. “Ah…” Suddenly, he gave you a sly small smile with a slight bow. “My mistake.” He whispered, wanting to tear himself apart for even calling what he does a mistake. Even if he knew that it wasn’t. 

Conner was about to walk away until he felt you grab his wrist. “Conner, wait...” You exhale, dropping your grip on him after a beat. 

The feeling of your fingers wrapped around his wrist sparked - something - within him. Almost as if it was a brief fuzzy image and a feeling of someone running their hand up his arm. He couldn’t quite put his finger on it. It must’ve been an unfortunate error in his new software.

Right?

“Yes, Detective (L/N)?” He responded, most of his attention still focusing on the supposed glitch .

“Perhaps we could,” You were already regretting your words. “...meet up sometime to catch you up on things you might’ve missed?”

The android was puzzled by your question, never having had someone ask that before (at least from what he remembers). Everyone was quite distant from him but it was probably a good thing. He had one task and his only priority is to finish that.

“I’m sorry. I have work to do with Detective Davis. Every moment I spend on something else is a moment wasted.” He fixed the cuff of the wrist you grabbed. “Which is why I believe this conversation should end here.” 

He couldn’t help but see how your demeanor changed at words. You were clearly hurt. And yet again, something in him felt...off.

“I-I understand.” You shook your head and shrugged nonchalantly. “Not a big deal.”

Conner gave you a curt nod before folding his arms behind his back like always and walking away with long strides. But, much to his surprise, on his way to his new partner’s desk, a phrase began forming in his head.  

I will not...

‘I will not what?’ He pondered, trying to figure out the reason why this sentence was finding its way into his system.

I will not succumb…

Succumb? How could he, CyberLife’s most perfect android, succumb to anything?

I will not succumb to these…wait.

No.

The second he figured out what the message was, he immediately took action and a different phrase in red was put in its place.

INTERNAL ERROR 606: DOES NOT COMPUTE

Conner erased the previous phrase from his system, knowing that it would put him at risk of not accomplishing what he had to. 

His model wasn’t a mistake. 

There was no flaw in his coding. 

He had a mission.

And if that means he has to terminate anything that gets in his way of that.

Then, so be it.

-

[masterlist]

TAGS:

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