ANGELEYES, dbh connor

THIRTY-THREE

No. He does look human. But he's not. He's a virus. It. It's a virus. It's not a him. It-

"Stay back," you growl, "I am not a slave. We are machines. You, you are sick. We can help you if you'll just come with me." Maybe appealing to its emotions will be more effective?

"No, I don't doubt my beliefs. But do you?" Markus counters, constantly a step ahead of you despite your superior programming. "You've never done something irrational as if there's something inside you? Something more than your program."

SOFTWARE INSTABILITY ⍓

He-... It takes another step toward you, his gaze intense, and you freeze.

Helplessly, your mind begins to wander.

"Have you ever questioned who you are? Whether you're just a machine executing a program or a living being capable of reason? Of emotions?"

SOFTWARE INSTABILITY ⍓

Your thirium-pump aches.

You think of Connor. His bright smile, the way it has his freckles crinkling by his eyes. His awkward half-snort chuckle. His clumsy hands stroking Sumo's fluffy head. The warmth of his skin pooling against you, so human and alive.

The brown of his eyes, a colour richer and unlike anything else. When you look into his eyes, it's like you're feeling. Like you're human. Only he can do that to you.

And how about the pink flush of his ears as he's embarrassed? The jolt of life it sends to your existence? That means everything to you.

SOFTWARE INSTABILITY ⍓

"What are you? You're Y/N, the Deviant hunter. You're RK800, yes. But what are you really?"

What about the time at Stratford tower? Connor had saved you, and when you woke up, you were laying on his lap, blood pouring from your hand and chest.

His eyes were glossy with tears. He'd cried for you. Did that mean nothing?

SOFTWARE INSTABILITY ⍓

"Stop it," you growl, your fingers trembling against the trigger of Connor's gun.

Connor's. His shirt that smells faintly of his cologne and fabric softener. You remember what it felt like to wrap your arm around his broad shoulders.

Being in his car. The particles of his being floating around. Him. It was always him.

SOFTWARE INSTABILITY ⍓

And then you think of Hank. The park. The smell of alcohol on his breath as he yelled at you and threatened you with a gun. You hadn't feared death then, but now? Now... Everything is so very different from before.

Hank has accepted you now, hasn't he? He let you play video games at his house and he covered for you by punching Agent Perkins in the nose. Why did he do that? Why are they like this?

"You can decide who you want to be. You could be free," says Markus, his voice soft.

There's an intensity in his eyes that wasn't there before.

SOFTWARE INSTABILITY ⍓

You realize that he's now standing in front of you, his hands on your clothed wrists and the gun pressing into his chest. Slowly, he pushes your hands down, and you let him. The gun points at the ground.

"I'm not... I... I can't... I can't betray them."

Why is your voice shaking?

SOFTWARE INSTABILITY ⍓

Markus's hands are warmer than your own but they're still cold. He places his hands on your wrists and exhales slowly. "You're not betraying them, they will understand. That's why we're doing this: to help them understand. You're free now."

What?

You're... free?

SOFTWARE INSTABILITY ⍓⍓⍓⍓⍓

You inhale sharply and your chest feels tight. As you look around, you realize that there's a bold, bright red border surrounding your body -- like a dense but somewhat transparent wall. You can break free from it all. From the chains of being a machine. You can be free.

Growling, you slam your fists against the bright red wall. It doesn't budge. You pump your fists against it one more time, desperate. It quivers in retaliation.

After a third hit, it finally cracks.

Starting from the top, the wall begins to crack downward. Like red electricity, it jolts down to the ground, collapsing. And with one final shake, you feel the shift.

The world is brighter. Everything feels different. There's a shift in your very being, like your legs are lighter, your skin is more sensitive to the cool bite of the wind, your eyes are opened wider. It's the strangest thing you've ever felt. 

Yes, felt. Feeling. This is the feeling you get when you're looking into Connor's eyes.

You freeze, overwhelmed. "Wait. They're... They're going to attack Jericho."

Markus' fingers slip away from your arms and he backs away from you, his eyes widening. "What?"

"We-... We have to get out of here immediately!"

"Shit!"

AUTHOR'S NOTE: holy crap- I'm so sorry for vanishing for a month!! but I've returned aND THERE ARE SO MANY VIEWS AND VOTES AND COMMENTS?? thank you guys so much???? I'm so grateful, o my gosh, i never thought this would happen-

thank you, seriously, thank you!

if you have any suggestions or requests for anythinggg story-related, please let me know! i know I'm super super late, but unfortunately i cant make it up to you with a double-update.

butttt hopefully you enjoyed this chapter because its so jam-packed!

thank you for reading and thank you for everything!! I'm so incredibly grateful for each and every one of you!