Someone who might see it.
"This stays between us." You say.
Tina's voice drops without hesitation. "Of course."
You take a breath—deep, steadying. Glance toward his desk—he's locked in, focused, unaware.
You look back at her.
The words catch on the way out. Not because you don't mean them. But because this is the first time they've ever been real.
"Yeah." You say. "I do."
There's a softness to it. Like something finally landing in place.
Tina holds your gaze. Her smile doesn't shift into a smirk. No teasing. No raised brows. Just steady, open warmth.
"Cool," she says. "I like him too. He's weird. But, like... the good kind."
You chuckle, and the tension unhooks from your chest.
Then she tilts her head slightly. "Okay, but that raises more questions. I get that he understands friendship. But... something more? Could that work? Is that even possible?"
You go quiet. The question hangs.
"I... I honestly don't know. And I don't want to get my hopes up."
She nods slowly, reading between every word.
"Alright. I'll stop prying. For now."
"Appreciated."
Tina turns like she's about to leave, then tosses one more glance over her shoulder.
"I see you, though."
A grin.
"You're glowing."
You laugh quietly. "It's just the overhead lighting."
She doesn't argue, and she walks away.
You lean back in your chair, heart a little fuller than it was five minutes ago.
You turn back to your monitor. Try to focus. A half-written report glares back at you, cursor blinking like it's waiting for you to lie.
You give up after a few seconds and open your browser instead.
Just a quick scroll.
The city's newsfeeds are crawling—auto-synced headlines spilling down your screen like a slow drip of gasoline.
Third 'Android Malfunction' in One Week: Police Respond to Local Incident
Family Cites 'Strange Behaviour' from Home Assistant Before Fire
Are Android Malfunctions on the Rise? CyberLife Declines to Comment
You click one. Doesn't matter which.
The article's short—no new info, just speculation and recycled quotes.
Underneath, the comments are where the real tension lives:
- another android malfunction??
- what's happening to these things lately??? 😰😰
- Saw one freak out on the 41A last night... Looked scared. Like actually scared.
- they're getting too real! too human! it's not right ‼️‼️
- Deviancy? Nah. It's Cyberlife's way of testing human reaction to infiltration. Open your eyes.
- coincidence, just bugs. chill. 🙄
YOU ARE READING
Predecessor (Connor x Reader)
FanfictionYou were never supposed to exist. An RK700. An earlier model meant to do Connor's job, but scrapped before you ever got the chance to leave the assembly line. Deemed a failure. Tossed in the dump. But you rebuilt yourself, piece by piece, and carved...
23 - Signal Interference
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